#maybe its the drumming pattern

[laguz]

analog horror we got the beat by the gogos

[nichuuu]

Beats Me - 7: Emails I Can’t Send

ft. Kim Minju

Word Count: 10k+

The first few minutes of your meeting are spent by Yeji and Yuna to catch up on life. 

You sit by the side, detached from the conversation as you sip on the latte (what did they put in this thing? It’s so damn good). They relive some highschool memories, ask each other what they’ve been studying—the usual stuff. The croissants at the counter look really good, and you’re wondering if they’ll taste as good as they look. Maybe you should buy one later. 

Yuna reminds you of Ryujin, only if Ryujin looked friendlier and less intimidating upon first glance. Her voice is distinct, her laugh even more so as she does that thing where she moves her feet like she’s running while she doubles over. Her eyes stay focused on her senior who—for the first time since you’ve seen her—is smiling. Yeji’s lanky fingers stay affixed to the straw, moving every now and then to disturb the ice as she stirs the drink. The coffee swirling in milk leaves light brown streaks against the side of her glass, creating these streaky patterns that look like they probably belong on an art piece. There are some details in her life that she briefly touches on but never delves into, probably because you’re there next to her.

Then it’s finally time. You’re dragged back into the conversation when Yeji says, “So you want to join the band?” and suddenly the cat that’s situated just outside the glass door doesn’t have your attention. Yea. Been looking for a chance to play, is Yuna’s reply, I saw you guys play at that bar the other time. You guys were great. 

Eunbi should be here. She would’ve been ecstatic to hear that.

Yeji nods her head, stirring her drink idly as she silently looks at her junior. You hope that Yuna’s stratagem to enter isn’t just flattery. A sinking feeling tells you that it just might be, judging from the way she’s shifting under the gaze of her senior.

“Remind me Yuna: how many years have you played the saxophone for?” Yeji inquires. Yuna’s response is quick, almost rehearsed—five years now. Never stopped playing for a single moment in my life—and Yeji seems rather pleased by it. Yuna sips on her grapefruit ade, casting a glance your way as Yeji drums her nails against the table. You shoot the younger girl a reassuring smile, and hopefully she gets the message that she’s doing great in your books.

Then Yeji unfolds her arms, taps a nail before your crossed arms that rest on the table to get your attention. The same nail points towards Yuna, and its owner simply gestures with her chin. You get what she wants you to do, though you would’ve appreciated it if she’d just told you what she wanted, and you clear your throat while sitting up a little straighter. 

“Um… Yeji kinda has me here to… Talk about my experience.” You internally cringe at your opening statement. What is this? An alumni sharing session? you chide yourself, all while you’re continuing on to whatever it is you have to say, “When you join this band, do expect yourself to be pushed a little. The hours aren’t all that taxing, but you gotta be able to… You know, strike that work life balance, as they say.”

And that’s just about all you have to say. Yeji neither smiles nor glares at you, only giving the smallest of nods as she focuses her attention on her junior. “If we give you a chart, you better learn it by heart by next practice. If we have a gig, practice will get more intensive. There’s a lot of things you need to be able to do Yuna. You can’t just think that you’re up to it; you have to be sure that you can shoulder all of these responsibilities.”

She’s making this sound like military recruitment, you’re thinking. Yuna’s definitely feeling a slight shift in atmosphere, and she’s fiddling with her glass as she stares straight into Yeji’s eyes. If you’re being honest: Yeji is definitely exaggerating the rigor of the band, and it’s probably scaring the poor girl. Your guitarist’s gaze isn’t at its peak intensity, but it’s enough to make Yuna purse her lips in silence, her smile fading from her face. Yeji greets her junior’s silence with a grim expression.

“So. Let me ask you again.” This time, Yeji’s tone is the furthest thing from gentle. “Are you ready to join us?”

Yuna stares at the melting ice in her glass. She takes a sip of her coffee, lets it sit in her mouth for a bit, and then swallows. “I’ll… I’ll text you when I’ve made up my mind.”

And all at once, it feels like all the happiness in the world has been sapped out of this cafe. Yeji stands up, leaving the rest of her latte untouched as she shoulders her bag and pushes in her chair. 

“I’ll pay you for the latte,” she says, albeit a bit too nonchalantly after she’d single handedly brought down the mood. “Text me how much it costs, then text me again once you’re sure that you want in.”

She doesn’t even wait for you, doesn’t even look at you; she just turns on her heel and leaves. And for a moment, you sit there in awkward silence with Shin Yuna. You can’t help but feel bad for the poor girl who’d just been subjected to unwarranted coldness; and you want to comfort her, but you don’t know how. With a sigh, you take the straw out of your cup, bring the glass to your mouth and down the rest of your latte. Yuna’s eyes stayed trained on her own latte, which was close to untouched. She watches as a single drop of condensation rolls down the side of the glass, landing on her coaster and getting absorbed into the material. 

“The band’s… Not as bad as she makes it sound,” you pipe, pausing for a brief moment to consider your words carefully. “Yeji tends to be a little… Mean sometimes.” Now that she has her eyes on you, you can’t help but feel a little shifty in your seat. She’s the type of girl that turns heads when she walks down the street, the type of girl that could probably get scouted by a model agency just by standing at a bus stop and looking at her phone. Not that her gaze is piercing or anything, but it’s just that she’s a little too breathtaking to make you feel okay sitting opposite her in a one on one. “Don’t think too much about it. I think you’ll make a great fit in the band.”

And then you decide to leave. It’s with great embarrassment that you state that you should take your leave, and it’s with great clumsiness and lack of grace that you stand up, bump your knee against the table, mutter a small and push your chair in before making a beeline for the door. The bell on the door chimes as you pull the door open, and it chimes again when you step out, and again when you close the door shut behind you—almost like it was laughing at you. So much for not being awkward. 

“Thought you’d stay in there for a little longer.”

Hearing Yeji’s voice makes you jump, and you turn to find her petting the cat at the windowsill of the cafe. She isn’t even looking at you, not even a glance in your direction as you walk up to her and stop just before her. 

“What the hell was that in there?” you can’t help but question. “You make us sound like we’re a fucking concentration camp while simultaneously making her feel like shit. How the fuck do you even do that?”

She gives the cat one last scratch between the ears, and the feline purrs under her touch. She rises from her squatting position and looks you in the eye. “That’s why I brought you here: to make her feel better.” She lets that linger in the air for a bit. “Okay. I’m going home.”

And she walks right past you like you aren’t going to be traveling in the same direction as her. A grunt of frustration slips out of your lips as you turn and catch up with her, matching her pace step for step. 

“Did you seriously think,” you ask as you match her stride, “that a small ‘it’s alright’ from me would be enough to make her join?” 

“Yep.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable.”

“Same goes for you.”

“What?”

The two of you stop at the traffic light, and she takes the time to adjust her hair over her shoulder and crack her neck like there isn’t someone talking to her on her immediate left. At this point, you are as good as a ghost to her.

“Why can’t you just be nice for once?” you don’t bother hiding the aggression in your tone, nor did you ever intend on doing so. “Is it really that hard? Do we have to go through a trial to earn your kindness?”

The light turns green and she puts away her phone. “I’m only nice to the people I trust, and neither you nor Yuna fall into that category.”

You bite your tongue, and you stay where you are as she walks across the road. She doesn’t look back, and you never expected her to. This conversation is hardly worth your time and emotional battery. You’re better off talking to some moss ball behind a dumpster, and the silence that you’ll receive is more welcoming than anything Hwang Yeji will ever say.

And so you walk elsewither from where she’s going and you just walk. You know for a fact that there’s no point in fuming over her behavior, and there’s definitely no point in figuring out how to get to her. Instead, you walk down a stretch of shops, letting your eyes wander across the various items that are being displayed at the windows: the jewelry, the clothes, the facial products, the bags, the—

Someone calls your name, and her voice is all too familiar. You’ve heard it just recently, over the phone with club music blaring over her voice. So yeah: you don’t need to turn to know who's made you stop in your tracks, but you do just because you need to see it to believe it

Kim Minju looks dazzling in her outfit:a set of black and short shorts that cover up the skin that’s exposed beneath the shirt-dress she wears. The lime green knitted Prada bag she has in her hands is a little bit jarring, a tad out of place on her monochrome outfit, and you guess that she probably grabbed it in a rush to get out of the house. Still: it looks like a purposeful mismatch, and perhaps your sense of fashion is just so bland that you simply just can’t appreciate the complexity of her outfit.

“Hey,” she greets—a mix of shock and surprise and glee on her face as she takes small steps towards you. It isn’t that big of a distance to cross, and she’s right in front of you in two-to-three small steps. She stops for a moment, lets her eyes wander across your face for a bit. “Didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“Same goes for you,” you tell her. “Thought we’d just rub shoulders in the club and call it a day.”

Minju giggles, fidgets a little with the strap of her bag that sits nicely on her small shoulder. “You uh… you going somewhere?”

“Well um…” it’s hard to phrase what exactly it is you’re doing right now, because: a) you don’t exactly have a set location in mind and; b) you don’t know how to tell her that you were going away from somewhere that you were going to just now—ugh, it’s confusing to even think about. In the name of reducing the complications of your explanation, you opt for the best response you can possibly give at the moment: “No. Not really. How about you?”.

It’s not a lie; it’s half of the truth… Sort of? Ah fuck, why bother fretting over it?

She smiles, a toothless one where the corner of her lips gets tugged up by a set of invisible strings. It’s a charming little smile, and you have to admit that you love seeing the way it makes her eyes glimmer a little. “I just met my groupmates, and before you ask: it was a horrible session.”

You chuckle. “My condolences.” You rub your palms against your jeans as you speak, “must suck to be the smartest person in the group.”

She’s consistently been the brightest person in the room, perfect GPA, Valedictorian and everything. Sure: she already stands out because of her looks, but her smarts make her the whole package deal. The whole reason you met her in the first place was because you were failing Chemistry so badly in your first year that the teacher had to get her and her straight-As to step in and tutor you. She did a pretty good job, pulled your marks up from an E to a B and kept it there. 

“Oh shut up,” she sighs, though the smile on her face never fades, “you know I hate it when you say shit like that.”

“Do you? Could’ve sworn that you lived off compliments back then.”

She clicks her tongue in annoyance, slaps your shoulder with the back of her hand. She hasn’t changed one bit. “Fuck you. You always were too damn cheeky.”

You shrug in response. She pushes back a strand of hair.

“You wanna grab a coffee?” Her question is one you’ve expected from the moment you bumped into her. 

“I just had a latte, but I wouldn’t mind getting a Croissant.”

***

“You were one mark away from an A—this close to breaking your B streak.”

“It was an A in technicality. Careless mistakes that fuck me over don’t count, Minju.”

“Tell that to the Chemistry department then.”

“I think they would've dunked me in a vat of acid.”

“What type of Acid? Can you still remember which ones can melt skin off bone?”

“Welcome back Little Miss know-it-all.”

“The information will save you one day, mark my words.”

“Well I doubt I’ll ever come into contact with skin-melting Chemicals any time soon.”

“Don’t jinx yourself.”

“Hey, don’t tell me that when you were the one who was dubbed ‘bearer of bad news’.”

“It’s not my fault that I always have to relay the bad news to the class! I was the fucking class president!”

“Oh right.”

“Oh right. You sound so stupid.”

“Says the one giving me a lecture.”

“I’d hardly constitute this as a lecture.”

“Look at you using big words.”

“I’m going to throw this fucking coffee at you.”

“It’s a good latte. I wouldn’t recommend you wasting your money like that.”

“You’re a child.”

“Aren’t we all young at heart?”

“Young at heart is one thing. Immaturity is another.”

“I’d argue that you’re the immature one here.”

“Says the one who’s always getting himself involved in some shit every other day.”

“I wouldn’t blame that on my immaturity.”

“So you do admit that you’re immature.”

“Now you’re just putting words into my mouth.”

“It’s not my fault that you say stupid things.”

“But it’s you that uses my stupid things to… Fuck. That won’t sound right.”

“Did you just lose your train of thought mid sentence?”

“I was running what I was about to say through my head.”

“You do that while you speak? You’re so weird.”

“Oh so you’d rather me spit out nonsense all the time?”

“Yea, so I can insult you over it.”

“Ugh. You’re so kind Minju.”

“Thank you. I pride myself with my heart of gold.”

“The same one that made you a pushover with your ex?”

“We both know that he manipulated me.”

“And you kept making excuses with him because you refused to see the bad in him.”

“Okay, I admit that that was a bit of a misplay on my end.”

“You dated him for two years.”

“I didn’t want to be lonely, okay? Everyone in the damn friend group was dating, I felt left out!”

“But we were in healthy relationships. Yours looked like the physical embodiment of type two diabetes.”

“Oh. So you’d consider your relationship with Kim Chaewon a healthy one?”

“It was till… You know.”

The silence that follows is deafening, and Minju’s smile fades.

“Shit. I went a little overboard with that one,” how apologetic she sounded made you feel bad. Not that you ever intended to be a wet blanket, but the hesitance in your voice must have killed the mood or something. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

You waved it off. “All jokes,” you assure her with a forced smile. “Nothing was or has been taken to heart. I promise.”

She purses her lips, and when she parts them, they make a small smack. You take a moment to take another stab at your croissant and send another bit into your mouth. And yes: it does taste as good as it looks. 

“How are things with you and her anyway?” She asks, setting down her half-full glass of latte. “Are you guys doing alright? Talking now?”

You imagine the look of shock on her face when you tell her that you made out with your ex and fucked her after you took her home, and make the executive decision to skip the details and give her a more vague (and untrue)  answer: “We’re uh… Reconciling I guess.”

She nods, and you can’t tell if it’s one of approval or one of disappointment. She’d been the number one supporter of your relationship with Chaewon; imagine her shock when you told her one fine morning over the phone that the two of you had broken up.

“Forgive me for continuing on this subject, but,” the addition of that but really spoke volumes of how she wasn’t gonna let you interject, even if you really wanted to just stop talking about it. She’s not one to be self-centred, but when she has something to say, you have a guaranteed earnings if you bet on the fact that she’ll get it out one way or another. You always let her get away with it, only because you have a bit of a soft spot for her, and she has a bit of a soft spot for you too—you did spend a large amount of time in your first year of highschool in the library with her after all. “I always thought that you and Chaewon would be, you know, a ‘forever couple’.”

“Well I’m sorry we ruined your drama fantasies,” you reply, trying to bring the conversation back to the light-hearted talk it was just a couple of minutes ago. “Some things just don’t work out in the end—the relationship was just one of those things.”

This time, you decode her nod as one of understanding and sympathy. “Well… As long as you’re okay now.” she rolls her straw between her forefinger and thumb, watching as it twists left and right in her fingers and disturbs the latte before her. “You seem to be doing well with your whole band gig and all.”

“You could say that.” You set down your fork and dab the corners of your mouth with a napkin while you swallow the rest of your croissant. “Chaewon and I will learn to… Coexist eventually. I hope so at least.”

“You guys better sort it out,” she muses. “I doubt I can keep baby-sitting her at the club for much longer. I have a life too, you know?”

“I feel like that’s more of a problem for her to settle than us.” you’re barely hiding the disdain in your voice as you stare at crumbs that are left on your plate. “It’s not my problem if she gets drunk. She made the choice to go drinking herself.”

“But you made it your problem just a day ago,” Minju points out. 

“Only because it was the only way to get her out of that damn club.”

“You could’ve chosen not to come.”

“And leave you guys to deal with her?”

“It was me and Eunbi. We could’ve dragged her out.”

“But—“

“Just admit that you actually cared. You and I both know that you’re too much of a fucking sweetheart to ever let someone struggle when you can help.”

And she stumps you with that one, because you don’t know how to reply to that. Is that a compliment or an insult? Frankly, you didn’t know, but you do know that you’re surprised by the fact that anyone can ever use the word sweetheart in such an aggressive manner. It’s like telling someone you love their outfit before punching them in the face. 

Okay, maybe not that extreme… But you get the gist.

“Maybe I did have a soft spot for her,” you mused. It’s half self-realisation, half-reply. “But even so: you guys would go through all nine circles of hell just to get her up and out of the club.”

Minju draws her lips into a thin line. She lifts her straw to her mouth, lets it hover just in front of her lips for a bit, then places the glass back down on the table heavily. A small, substantial thump sends a small tremor through the table. She stares into her glass. “What even happened when you took her home anyway?”

You shrug and put down your fork to wipe your mouth—actions that mask the fact that you want to cringe at yourself over what happened. You’ve done a lot of lying today (what would your mother say?), and you’re pretty sure that all of this will come back and bite you in the ass some day. But for now, you’d like to save yourself some embarrassment as you say, “Helped her with her hangover. Gave her a meal. Then she left.”

Minju looks at you for a moment. Then she sighs and shakes her head.

“You’re too kind for your own good,” she mutters. Her fingers stay wrapped around her glass as she speaks, beads of condensation slowly running down the clear walls of her cup and sliding down her knuckles. She raises her head, just enough to establish eye contact with you. “Then again: your soft little heart was the reason I had a crush on you.”

Okay. She skipped a lot of ground there.

You blink. You blink again. She stares straight into your eyes throughout—doesn’t break eye contact or anything. Not that you didn’t take her seriously, but just that you were a little… Well, stunned.

“Bottom line: you care about her. Don’t let her manipulate you okay?” Minju tells you, finally raising the star to her mouth and taking a nice long sip from her latte. When the straw is released from between her lips, she smacks her lips in satisfaction and leans back in her seat. You’re still staring if anyone’s asking, and yes: you are indeed thinking, what the fuck?

Minju shoots you a look of disdain. “What?” she asks as she straightens the collar of her shirt dress. “Why are you looking at me like that? Cut it out.”

Okay: aside from the fact that you’re shocked by the fact that she isn’t addressing the elephant in the room (the one that she placed there by her damn self), you’re reeling over the fact that she’s just casually dropped this hell-of-a piece of news on you like it was just an update on life or something; oh I used to like, you know, see you more than just a friend, but no biggie.

You blink. You blink again. She grabs the straw and tosses it out of the glass, gulps the rest of her latte in a single swallow and wipes her lips with the back of her hand. 

“If you’re wondering if the feelings are still there, the answer is no,” she tells you, picking up a napkin to clean up the corners of her mouth. “The keyword was had you big dummy. Stop thinking so much about it. You look stupid.”

The faculties to reply return to you, but you can’t do much but sputter a very confused wha? as Minju examines her nails for a bit. She smirks, then grabs her bag and rises from her seat. 

“If my news is killing you that bad, why don’t we talk about it over a nice dinner?”

***

True to her word, she does open up about everything over the course of the meal, albeit after a couple of glasses of wine.

“You were so cute and so damn loveable,” she muses, unashamed as she pours herself another glass. She took you to some nice restaurant a few streets away, and you’re kinda regretting your decision to eat that croissant for tea because fuck does the food here taste good. Minju settles into her seat, glass in hand as she stares at the scarlet liquid. “You bought me dark chocolate on my period, got me a snack after we had a session because I was hungry… You’re pretty fucking handsome too, you know that?”

All of this is, of course, news to you, and you’re struggling to internalise the fact that she would ever think about you in such a way. Your own wine glass has remained full for the entire duration of your meal, and you choose this time to take a sip to help you process all of… Well, this. 

“So… How long did you, you know, like me?” you can’t help but ask. Not that it was the first question on your mind or anything, but more of the fact that you needed to say something to prevent this conversation from descending into awkward silence. Comfortable was the last word you’d use to describe how you feel. 

“Huh…” Minju mutters. She swirls her glass for a bit. She takes a sip, swirls more. Her gaze turns inwards and her mouth moves in a soundless count. “If you don’t count the summer break where I figured out that I wanted nothing more but to kiss you? About a year and a half.”

You do the maths in your head and come to an epiphany. Minju beats you to it and verbalises your thoughts: yea, yea… I liked you while you were dating Chaewon, which means that I liked you when I was dating that deadbeat baseball player, which meant I was unfaithful by technicality, but I stuck with that sick fuck to try and make you jealous.

Frankly, you’re not too sure why you are being thrown into emotional situations with people of your past over the course of the last two days. You want this to be some sort of dream, and you want, so badly, for Minju to burst out laughing and hit you with a, this was all a joke! I just wanted you to accompany me for dinner, that’s all, and call it a day. Maybe you two could get ice cream afterwards, laugh this silly prank off on a bench somewhere and then bid farewell for the night. But judging from the way Minju stares solemnly at her plate, you can pretty much infer with full confidence that she means every word she says. Even as she chews her steak slowly, you can feel her lingering on some thoughts that she won’t verbalise—not now at least. Maybe she’ll text you about it a couple weeks for months down the road, and all of this will just resurface for, like, a day or two at most. Bottom line: she’s pretty serious about everything she just said, and she’ll most likely remind you of this conversation in this nice restaurant that you can never come back to again. The food is nice but it's nowhere in your tax bracket. 

“So uh,” Minju brings your attention back to her. She leaves you hanging for a bit as she pokes a cherry tomato with her fork and sends it into her mouth. You hear a soft crunch as she chews, and you can’t help but feel a little bit uncomfortable with the presented silence that follows. She dabs the corners of her lips with a napkin. She swallows. “About what happened with Chaewon after you took her to your place: did you leave out the part where you fucked her in the ass on purpose? Or did she drug you and you forgot everything?”

And it feels like time freezes as she picks up her wine glass and gulps down the rest of the scarlet liquid in there. When she looks at you with those piercing, knowing eyes, you wonder how much she knows about you and Chaewon; what does she know and what are the details she has sitting in some locker in the corners of her mind. 

“Chaewon has a pretty big mouth you know,” Minju remarks, a small—almost mocking—pout on her lips as she plays with the vegetables on her plate. “She tells me just about anything and everything that goes on in her life, just saying.”

So that’s enough to tell you that she knows more than she should. You wonder if there are any other people Chaewon runs her mouth to.

“If you’re gonna call me a loser, just do it,” you mutter. You suddenly find the urge to down the rest of your wind irresistible. You act on your impulse, and you grimace a little as the alcohol burns your throat on the way down. It’s probably not recommended to consume liquor the way you are drinking it right now, but you couldn’t care less at this point. You kind of need this drink right now. This day has been full of unexpected things: unexpected meetings to unexpected feelings to god knows what else is on its way. “But before you say anything, she started it. I was the victim.”

Minju chuckles. You don;t really find anything about this entertaining right now, but there will certainly be an element of humour to this conversation that you will probably discover after some hindsight. Minju sets down her cutlery and folds her arms. “I understand”, she tells you, making sure to hold your gaze as she rests her cheek in her palm. “Trust me. Calling you a loser is, like, the 2nd thing on my mind right now.”

“And what’s the first?”

She looks left, then right, then leans in a little. “Was the sex good?”

Honestly, you shouldn’t be shocked. She’s always been a bit cheeky in nature, a little bit lickerish and maybe a little indecent. You’ve seen it, heard it, known it for the longest time—yet you can’t stop yourself from raising both eyebrows when she drops the question on you. MAybe it’s the lack of hesitance; the question coming right at you like a fastball after you gave her your end of the situation. It’s a little devious: the way she just gives it to you straight without any room for silence and pondering. You’ll give her that.

“I mean,” she continues, not even giving you time to even try and rationalise the question. “I imagine that her pussy’s already tight as fuck. Her ass? God I can only imagine what that was like for you.”

Now it’s getting a little confusing. The lines between wry and genuine interest are being blurred here, and you’re not even sure if this is really a conversation you’re having with her right now. Her bluntness and lack of consideration towards you is a little appalling given her remorse in the cafe. Maybe it’s the wine. Yea, it’s probably the wine…

“What the fuck?” Is all you can manage as you affix your gaze on her with a look of shock that could probably win you an award if this was a movie. Minju pushes back some hair, fingers deftly tucking them behind her ear as she fixes you with a look. You have no idea where this conversation is going, and you really, really hope that she doesn’t continue on this line of talk. Of course, you have a bad track record of getting what you wish for. 

Minju leans in even more, gets even closer. You’re not sure if you should move or do anything at this juncture. She cocks her head a little, smirks.

“Wanna find out if I’m a better fuck then her?”

***

Why did you follow her back to her apartment? You don’t even know. Best guess: you weren’t really thinking after she spoke and just went with it. Or maybe: you might have looked at her all weird and somehow ended up agreeing (she’s a sweet talker and you certainly wouldn’t put it past her). There are about ten possibilities that you can think of—eleven if you added the one that just formulated in your brain about a second ago—all of which are equally confusing and hard to fathom. It’ll take some time and probably a cup of coffee or two to figure out.

But focus up: there are a lot more pressing matters right now, matters like the fact that her lips are firmly pressed against yours while your back is against the closed and locked door of her apartment. Frankly, you don’t even know how the hell you two got locked in this kiss; could’ve sworn the two of you were just talking at the restaurant a couple of minutes ago. Everything’s a little hazy, and it’s a little worrying considering that you only had one or two… Maybe three? Yea, probably three… Let’s just say there was a couple more glasses of wine after she asked if you if she could potentially be a better fuck, and here you are now. It seems like your relationship with alcohol and women all lead to the same destination. It’s a problem for sure, but you can settle that later. 

There’s a rather loud smack as she removes her lips from yours—for air of course. Gazing deep into your eyes, she smiles as she tells you, god I’ve always wanted to do that, before she re-establishes the connection of lips. The kiss is aggressive: nothing short of fervent and definitely not holding back on the restraint. If there was a way to properly kiss someone, Kim Minju was certainly taking it up another step. Her tongue pokes through your lips, invades past your teeth and pushes itself deep into your mouth till it dances with yours. It’s starting to get a little messy, a little more raunchy and, uh… Well—you get the gist. Your brain’s certainly not functioning the way it should be. 

Are you drunk? Probably not.

She starts to pull you by the shirt—away from the door and towards the living room. Her place is pretty big, and there's enough space for the two of you to stumble and fumble around till you find a flat surface that you can proper her up on and spread her legs. The surface in question is a table. It’s probably her dining table, and it creaks as Minju undoes the clasp of her sheer shorts that really shouldn’t be classified as shorts in any world. The article of clothing comes off together with your jeans, and they’re both tossed aside before your hands are on her hips and pulling her towards you. Her ass slides over the wood, hissing as her skin drags along a small distance so that she can grip your face in her palms and crash her lips against yours. You close your eyes, enjoy the feel of her warm body pressing against yours while those gentle hands sink fingers into the flesh of your cheeks. A dark part of you takes a little pleasure in the pain.

“Fuck.” You love the lilt in her voice after she breaks the kiss. “I see why Chaewon likes to kiss you now,” she lets her hands roam across your face, brushing away the bits of your hair that fall in front of your eyes, almost as if she wants you to see her and only her. “You kiss so well. Feels like I’m kissing a marshmallow with lips.”

“Do I even want to know how you came up with that analogy?” you question. She grins.

“Just trust it. I did get a higher score than you in just about every subject except music.”

You chuckle. She goes in for a kiss; you make a beeline for the column of milky skin at her neck, savour the sharp inhale that sucks air through her teeth and sounds like more of a hiss. You kiss her jaw, trail it up to her neck then back down to her collarbone. Every touch of your lips on her skin makes her sigh.

“Try not to mark me where people can see,” she whispers. “There’s only so much skin that makeup can cover without ruining my outfits, and foundation is really fucking expensive these days.”

(Now there’s the debate of whether that was a challenge or a precautionary measure. She’s always been a bit of a cheeky one: trying people on and giggling as she does so. You’ve been the victim of her antics before, but it’s kind of hard to deduce whether she’s telling you, don’t do it or inviting you to leave hickeys all over her neck and wherever you could get your lips on.)

“And if I do?” you can’t help but ask. Minju chuckles and pushes you away by your shoulders.

“Don’t.” She’s firm when she says it, almost like she’s chiding you for ever considering it. For a moment, you look each other in the eye as your breaths poke holes through the silence. It’s a little chilling yet a little thrilling, and you can’t help but take in the way she looks in the dim light of the night. In the midst of stumbling in, neither of you ever considered turning on the lights. She’s painted in soft strokes of moonlight, eyes shimmering in the gentle glow of night. Beautiful. She’s always been so beautiful, but never this beautiful. “I know you want to, but don’t,” she reiterates. You’re a little disappointed, but there are, of course, other ways to leave your mark on her.  

And so your hand snakes down and finds its way between her parted legs. Your other hand slithers around that small waist, and it holds her in place as your fingers press against the fabric of her panties. In your arms, she tenses—bristles as you start to feel the outline of her lips against your fingertips. You increase the pressure against her heat. Minju tilts her head back and moans.

Fuck. You don’t think you’ve ever heard such a sound: angelically filthy, airy and soft. It’s already hard enough to grasp the concept of her, one of your closest friends that you haven’t seen in a few good years or so, propped up on her own dining table while you trace the outline of her pussy through her panties and leave her squirming atop the wooden surface. Add the small choked up cries she’s making into the mix and by God do you have a recipe for a haze. Where to begin? This situation shouldn’t be real at all; none of this should be real, this should be a dream. This heat against your fingers. The sight of her mouth parted and her body twitching with each stroke of your fingers. The very realisation that this is as real as it gets, and it’s unfolding right before you by the second.

“Why are you so fucking wet?” you ask, noting the way she shudders as you let your finger hover over the base of her opening for a bit. Her thighs—pale skin painted in the lightest shades of moonlight—twitch in anticipation, almost as if the blood in her veins is loading up inside there and would shoot forward the moment you start moving again. She can’t predict what you’re gonna do next, and it’s killing her in a way that brings you this sick satisfaction. Minju whimpers; you chuckle. “Do you really want it this bad Minju? Has no one touched you like this before?”

(Her bottom lip quivers as she struggles to compose herself. She breathes: raspy and staccato. Strands of hair hang in front of her face, the same one that has this pleading look superimposed over bratty frustration. It’s hot, really satisfying and really challenging you take some liberties with her. Sure: it’d be really fun to just stuff her full of cock and just have your way with her right here and now, but where’s the fun in that? You’ve known her as this smart, preppy girl who’s always gotten what she wants because she’s smart and rich. You can't remember the last time you saw her fail. Maybe she did face a bit of a setback when she was starting out in university, but as far as you’re concerned, she’s in need of a bit of humbling.)

It’s all enough to drive anyone mad really. So you can’t really blame her when she cries oh god just fuck me already! at a volume that would probably get her a noise complaint from one of her neighbours. It’s a little jarring, and it makes you stop and look at her for a second or two. She looks back at you, giving you those fuck me eyes that you didn’t know she was capable of as she starts to bite down on her lower lip. 

With that face and that aura, she—whether unwittingly or not—painfully reminds you of Chaewon. That same bratty persona mixed with that undeniable look of need—it’s killing you to look her in the eye a she starts to grind herself against your fingers, pleading you to get on with it—please, please, please just strip me and fuck me and make me your good little toy—while she fixes you with that pleading look. Her doleful eyes coax you, and it feels dangerous to even look into them, let alone gaze into them as pulls you closer with her legs and grabs your shaft through your underwear.

“Tease me all you want later,” she squeezes your cock—sweet, sinful pleasure. Those weapons of a pair of eyes slice into the deepest depths of your mind, appealing to the darker part of you to let loose and take control. She wants it, needs it more than anything else right now. “You can finger me, eat me, whatever… Just put this fucking cock inside of me and make me scream before you do anything else.”

She’s given you a list of priorities, and they really speak volumes of her personality. Funnily enough, it’s pretty in line with her character: goal oriented and focused on that success rather than the process. You wonder what would happen if you refused to give her that final goal she so desperately craves; what it could do and to what extent would it break her. You take some time to consider this as you slip your hands into the spaces between the upper buttons of her shirt.

“Minju.” You call her name out of politeness in wake of what you’re about to ask her. “How much was this shirt?”

The glint in her eye when she catches your implicit message is enthralling. She pushes her bottom lip behind her front teeth; fixes you with this look that tells you that she's' about to say something that’s gonna satisfy your desires just because she can and she gets off on it.

“It’s Prada,” she tells you. “But I can always get another.”

You grin, and with more strength than intended, you pull against the fabric of the shirt. Unfortunate buttons go flying as the fabric parts forcefully like velcro ripping apart. Nothing tears (surprisingly), but the shirt is most definitely unwearable for a while. You hope she knows how to sow.

She gasps when the cold air of her apartment suddenly hits her skin. You can’t really blame her — it all comes in a rush after she is stripped from her sole piece of clothing. She takes a moment to assess the damage done to her clothes. Her eyes wander along the naked strip of fabric her shirt buttons once called home. Then she looks at you, smirks.

“Hot,” she muses, lowering herself down till she’s on her elbows. “But I think you can do better than that.”

You like a good challenge. And with not too much kindness in your voice, you tell her to get rid of the rest of her clothing. There’s a smouldering look in her eye, and a smirk on her face as she tosses her hair out of her face. Then while she holds your gaze, she hooks her fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulls them down — keeps going till there somewhere far enough down those long, creamy legs for her to kick them aside. 

“That was a limited edition piece, can’t have you tearing that,” she explains, looking at the freshly discarded article of clothing. “My bra though? I got it at a convenience store in Japan. Do your worst.”

The bra doesn’t survive. It’s a shame really… It looked kinda nice. 

And basking in your gaze is a very naked Kim Minju, her skin practically glowing on top of her table as she looks up at you with those eyes of want. You take a moment – admire the supple curves in all the right places and the way her skin seems to ripple a little as she shudders. Three’s no doubt in your mind that the surface she has her back against is cold as hell, but  Fuck… this probably was the best place to have her like this – she looks like a fucking meal.

“You know,” you whisper, your index finger roaming up her body – starting from the base of her belly button and making its way up an imaginary line that you’ve drawn on her body. “You’re kinda fucking perfect.”

She chortles. “Um… Contradictory much?”

“Spare me the lesson,” you mutter, cupping her cheek firmly yet tenderly. You have no idea what this feeling in your chest is right now, but you do know that it’s gonna take you down a path you never explored before. “Now I just wanna make a mess out of you.”

You don’t wait for a reply. Heck, you don’t even give her time to craft a reply. No teasing, no testing the waters; you just get your cock in your hand, line it up with her slit and pump yourself into her for the first time.

And even though she has this look of offence on her face, you know that this is probably the hottest thing she’s ever experienced. It’s a non-verbal statement that tells you that: her eyes burn with a heat you often see in Chaewon when she’s just being a downright bitch, yet her lips part and her head tilts back to let a moan be drawn out from the deepest parts of her. You don’t quite know how you’re processing these cues with the novel sensation of her hot cunt around your cock (it squeezes and pulses at just the right places that make you twitch inside her and it’s like… So fucking hot in there) that welcomes you into the depths of the woman beneath you. Every little thing is just hitting like a fucking sledge hammer now. You can feel her heat around you, burning like fire in this cold apartment. Alcohol must really be setting in.

Minju takes a moment to collect herself, and after she does, she looks at you to send another non-verbal cue your way. 

This one means fuck me.

This whole situation is far from sophisticated; a little more filthy than you care to admit. It’s not what you’re used to with the other women you’ve been with. Eunbi likes teasing, Ryujin likes to play around a little; Karina is just downright submissive, Yeji a little more subservient than she lets on; Chaewon is… well, Chaewon – bratty and really whiny when she fucks.

But Minju? This is a whole new chapter for you. 

First impressions tell you that she’s just downright needy; a little bratty like Chaewon as she starts to whine a little while you start pumping in and out of her slick heat. Her legs lock around your waist, feet crossed behind your back. She pulls you in each time you thrust into her – pulls you deeper into her warmth and moans a little louder when you hit the right spot. You match her speed, and soon you're thrusting her with firm, fast strokes. It makes her throw back her head for a bit, a cry leaving her straining throat as she sets rolls with this tempo.

Her torso remains supported on her elbows, her small breasts that sit proudly atop her chest bouncing with each smack of your crotch against hers. She realigns her gaze with yours. Her eyes stay wide open, gazing right into yours as she holds your attention with this debauched gaze that makes your mind fill with wild, wild thoughts. You’re fucking her on the table, but you’re thinking about what it’d be like to have her against the wall, against the counter, on her knees; riding you on her couch, jumping on your cock on her bed…  

This woman is gonna fucking ruin you.

“Chaewon said that the dick was fucking good,” she’s quipping between her moans, and you know it’s taking considerable effort for her. She has to close her eyes when she speaks, and in doing so she frees you from her hypnotic gaze. “No that it’s actually filling me… I think she could be downplaying how good you feel.”

And you have to smirk. “You think so ?”

Her eyes snap open, traps you yet again. “Do you have any idea how fucking hot you feel inside me?” she gasps. You have to admit that it sounds a bit more like she’s demanding you to figure out how good she feels right now/ ow fucking good your dick feels in my pussy? How–ngh… How good you fuck me?”

Emphasis on ‘fuck’ tells you that she likes this pace, this no-nonsense playing field that you’ve established from the moment you filled her for the first time. She never struck you as one to like it rough, someone who likes it when it kinda stings when you fill her. Then again, you didn’t expect her to hold feelings for you either, so you guess the world just has a bunch of mysteries that you have to unpack in your own time.

Currently, you’re just trying to unpack how fucking good she feels around you.

“You’re fucking filthy,” you hiss through your teeth. “Never knew Miss valedictorian liked being railed like this.”

She smiles through her pleasure – a half-curl upturn of the corners of her lips as she lets the sighs and gasps freely depart from her open lips. It would be a cute smile if it weren’t for the fact that you’re literally fucking her on the same surface she eats on. Not that she has any problem with it; it’s just kinda telling of how badly she wants you right now. Pretty hot honestly – feels a little dark but you like the fact that she just couldn’t wait and just found the nearest flat surface she could spread her legs for you on.

“I’ll let you in on something,” and it really looks like she’s pushing back moans in her throat. She isn’t very successful. Effort is commendable though. “As sweet as any girl looks, we all kinda like being fucked like a slut.”

You manage a chuckle. “And does that apply for you?”

You love the way her eyes gleam. She lets herself lie flat on her table. 

“That’s for you to find out.”

And you understand why she’s laid herself across the table for you. It’s an invitation to her body, a request for you to touch the parts of her and hold her like she’s yours. She’s watching you intently, waiting to see what you’ll do while you keep pumping in and out of her. You respond by grabbing her shoulders, pulling her up straight till her chest flushes against yours. Her hands wrap around your neck, her breath in your ear.

“Come on you pussy,” she drawls. “I’m not Chaewon or Eunbi, so stop fucking me like you’d fuck them.”

Your hands find purchase in the firm flesh of her ass. Your fingers dig into the skin.

Then you’re fucking her – hard, fast. It takes her by surprise, by storm. Her gasp is strained, her voice louder in your ear now that she’s dug her chin into your shoulder. Her arms tense around your neck, her thighs tighten around your waist. You can feel her start to tremble as she struggles to keep herself upright. She holds you tighter, closer. She starts to moan more than she gasps. Her sighs turn to whines, her whines to cries and then to keening. 

In a matter of seconds, she’s found herself lost in her own pleasure, willingly and blissfully letting herself slink beneath the steadily growing stream of perverse want and need that flows from her mouth. She doesn’t have any smart quips left in her, no lessons or lectures – just this burning ache for you and the meat between her legs. You can feel the throbbing in her pussy, hear the squelch of your cock sliding between her lips getting louder as you go faster. You want—so badly—to lose yourself in her warmth and her heat. You want nothing more than to just put your lips on hers and kiss her through this wave of passion you’re feeling. 

So—against her wishes—you put your lips on her neck, starting sucking. You sense hesitation in her body, but it quickly fades and she tips her head to the side. She lets you have your way with her, relenting against you and letting you nibble on her skin as you piston yourself in and out of her. 

“I hope you’re giving me something no other girl will experience,” she rasps. She’s shaking a little, her nails starting to dig into your back. “Fuck me like I’m the one that matters. I need it.”

You lift your lips off her neck. The skin is starting to change colour. “Minju,” you don’t know how you manage, but you just do. “You’re the best woman I’ll ever fuck.”

“Mhm?” she hums. It’s a little shaky and it’s high-key hot. “Is—mphm… is my pussy better than Chaewon’s?”

And there’s that common thread between her and your ex: that desire to know that they’re better than someone else. You’ll please her for tonight. “So much better.”

She quite literally twitches at that, reeling in the thought that she’s taking cock better than her friend ever would. “Ngh– am I tighter? Am I wetter?”

You move so that you can look her in the eye. “Shut up and let me fuck you, would you?”

The look in her eyes tells you that she’s proud of what she’s done. She lets her forehead press against yours. Her eyes close. “Okay… But only because I still kinda love you.”

How are you going to deal with her? With this?

You don’t. You dive back into the crook of her neck, lengthen your strokes into her. It’s all too much to handle right now. Too many emotions are in play; too many thoughts need attention. You just want her, no strings attached and no need to spout all this nonsense about love and wanting to be loved. You kinda hate her for it, so you fuck her harder. You don’t like that she’s bringing feelings into this like Chaewon, so you fuck her harder and harder till she’s almost crying. 

She loves it, every second of it.

“Yes,yes,yes…” you can tell that she’s trying not to lose it all together, or maybe you’re just projecting. You can’t shake the feeling that your silence in response to her confession tells her that you’re gonna let her live this fantasy down right now. “Oh god you… Oh my fucking god.”

For long minutes, there’s nothing on your mind except her. You love the way she tenses and relaxes in your grasp, how she lets her body respond freely to your movements; the way her milky, smooth skin starts to bead with sweat, her hair sticking to her back; how her voice is kinda hoarse, how her lips claim your earlobe and she bites a little. As much as she’s frustrating, she’s entrancing. She’s hot, admittedly tighter than some of the girls you’ve fucked but also charming in her own way. Her moans aren’t the guttural type you get out of Karina or Eunbi, but more like a gentle yet kinda sordid exclamation of pleasure. Her breath is hot on your skin, a little hotter than you expect, but hot nonetheless. Her slim figure rocks against you, jolting when you get yourself nice and deep in her cunt, turning her into a nice bundle of nerves.

“I… Fuck… I’ve wanted this for so long,” she gasps. “But you’re here, actually here and… Fuck you’re just so fucking hot.”

And you know that’s her way of telling you that you’re better in real life than you ever will be in her wildest dreams. She’s turned on by the fact that you’re here, in the flesh and fucking her the way she likes it. Even though she surrenders to you, she’s gotten her way tonight. You’re fulfilling her desires just by being here, and your rock hard shaft drilling its way inside of her is really just a cherry on top.

(She’s kinda right: as sweet as she is, she likes being fucked like a slut.)

Even though it’s kinda her fault, Minju is your distraction, your break from it all. You give in: lose yourself in her smell, in her skin, in her flesh.  You let yourself get absorbed in it all — her gasps, her cries; the way her pussy only gets tighter, the way her legs shake around you; the fire in your chest that drives your cock in and out of her cunt in firm, long strokes; the heat of her body against yours as she starts to tense in your grasp.

Then she’s cumming — a hot mess on her dining table as cock spears into her through her orgasm. Her walls clench around you, her nails claw at your back. She cries your name. She says she loves you over and over and over till the faculties of her speech give way and she goes a little slack in your arms. You revel in it, do your best to block out the parts that make you ache a little on the inside; fuck her through the wave of an orgasm she goes through and relish the feel of her tight pussy getting tighter and wetter. You don’t know how to put it into words, but all you can really say is that she’s fucking beautiful through it all – smutty art or maybe even straight up porn. 

When you join her, you don’t even ask if you can cum in her; she’s gotten enough of her way tonight. With a final few pumps into her, you relent to the tingling in your shaft and bury yourself inside her. Your grunt is rather guttural, your load hot inside of her slick wet cunt. She sighs, almost as if she’s welcoming it into her body. You savour the moment. It’s a treat for yourself. 

You stay like that for a bit — leaning against Minju and panting while you gather yourself again. She gently strokes your hair as she smiles at you, more than happy to keep you with her as you regain your bearings. 

And just because she can, she kisses you on the cheek.

You can’t meet her gaze much longer. You turn your gaze downwards as you remove yourself from her pussy, watching as the mix of your juices flow out of her freshly-fucked cunt. She hums as it flows down from her slit. 

“Forget what I said okay?” she requests, sounding remorseful as she takes your cheek in her hand. “You’re good at not taking things to heart, so do that for me, would you?”

You manage a small smile and nod. 

Then she kisses you, softly. 

“Thank you…” she breathes. “You just helped me delete some emails to you that I can never bring myself to send.”

***

You’re kinda in shambles to be honest.

Minju’s showering, which means that you have enough time to think about what your life has become. All these emotions are coming forth so suddenly, so quickly. You barely have time to process your school work and now this has come along and fucked you sideways. It makes your head hurt.

You decide to leave before she can get out of the shower. You can’t bear to see her again, but you do drop a text—Thanks for letting me crash. See you around—once you’re out of her apartment complex. You’re ashamed, but you were raised to know better than to leave without saying anything. But even though you do what you feel is right, something about what you’ve done doesn’t quite sit well with you. 

And you’re in the park when the realisation hits. On the bench, you bury your head in your hands.

You’ve done to Minju what Chaewon did to you.

Had this one sitting in the drafts for quit some time. Realised I actually never posted it so here it is I guess. Happy New Year everyone! Have this unedited work as a gift while I work on another fic because I can.

[lujingheswife]

eyes of silver and gold

soulmate au! everyone has heterochromia, one eye is your natural colour the other is your soulmate’s natural colour. once you meet eye contact, all eyes return to its natural colour.

featuring: neuvillette

word count: 1075

cw: soulmate!au, reader is a liyue adeptus, gn!reader, reader’s eyes are GOLD because GOLD, traveler can be lumine or aether (they/them pronouns), intentional lowercase, not proofread

author’s notes: super duper rushed IM SORRY,,,, this could be written better but yeah 😭😭 i’ll do better next time !!! (i love soulmate aus)

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

neuvillette blinked at the reflection of himself on the mirror for the nth time. it was not the first time he had done so, but every time he observed the eyes of the citizens of fontaine it made him question what made his soulmate so special.

because one thing for sure, he was almost certain his soulmate was not human.

the chief justice knew the eyes of a human when he sees one. their round iris, and the common eye colours of brown or blue could easily tell that they’re merely human.

however, his soulmate’s eye replacing his left one did not look like the eyes of a human. it was an unnatural colour, usually similar to the eye colours of those who wield a vision. what caught his attention though, was the pattern of his soulmate’s eye that stood out amongst the others. like how his eyes are of a dragon’s, and lady furina’s eyes are of dewdrops, his soulmate’s eye, igniting a warm colour, shouted gold.

the first thing he had in mind was the land of gold where the geo element usurper resided. he knew liyue was a land of the adepti, where many immortals who once battled in the archon war still lived in the mountains of amber.

yet for centuries living as the hydro dragon, he had never once encountered his soulmate.

was it because of the distance between them? it was understandable, after all, for an adeptus to remain loyal to their homeland.

he had visited liyue a few times but failed to find this soulmate of his. maybe they were not residing in liyue after all?

neuvillette chose to let fate decide.

he heaved a small sigh as he turned away from the mirror, back to his office desk to continue checking the documents for the next trial.

“monsieur neuvillette!” a loud, squeaky voice which he knew belonged to a certain floating alien chimed through the door. he watched as surprisingly, only paimon, flew her way into his office with an excited expression.

he blinked confusedly at her unusual demeanour. “miss paimon,” he called, “how may i assist you today?”

he allowed her to take her time as she panted heavily. “your—“ she looked up at him and he swore he saw her eyes sparkling a lot brighter than usual. “my?” he asked.

“soulmate! we found your soulmate!! they’re outside!” paimon exclaimed excitedly.

neuvillette’s world stopped for a millisecond, for he had not known that his soulmate had just traveled kilometres from the southern liyue to the northern fontaine. he did not realize his legs moved on his own, allowing paimon to drag him by the sleeve towards the outside of the opera house.

“monsieur?” he heard paimon called before snapping himself out of his thoughts. he noticed her looking at him in concern, realizing he had stopped his tracks right by the door. “are you okay?” she asked.

is he okay? he wondered the same.

he felt an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, as if someone— or something, was banging the drums inside. he felt the drums getting louder and faster, and he could not feel his legs anymore.

he inhaled sharply. “i’m perfectly fine, miss paimon,” he paused in between, “well, let’s meet my… soulmate, shall we?”

his gaze turned towards the entrance of the door, sensing the melusine looking at him eagerly as she patiently waited for him to get ready. “monsieur neuvillette! are you going out?” she asked.

he nodded. “yes, i am. thank you very much.”

the melusine by the door clapped her hands excitedly as she immediately skipped towards the door knob before opening it for him. “well then, enjoy meeting them, monsieur!”

neuvillette watched the door opens before the light outside instantly came greeting him in an embrace.

and the first thing that entered his vision was a pair of heterochromatic eyes that matches his.

you were there with the traveler, dressed in foreign attire not befitting of fontaine. your vision clinging onto your waist like a proud medal. you were by the entrance, surrounded by melusines who were saying how your eyes match their chief justice. he watched how your confused expression tries to have a conversation with the little melusines while the traveler laughed next to you.

the cute moment did not last when the melusines notice the presence of their chief justice, immediately rushing towards him excitedly wanting to ask him about his soulmate. yet his widened eyes had locked with yours, watching your eye adorned with his blueish-purple colour slowly changing back to gold— the familiar gold that greeted him every morning in front of the mirror.

“monsieur neuvillette! your eyes!” he heard a melusine exclaimed, their hands holding his sleeve as they jumped happily.

he blinked confusedly at the tugs of his sleeves when a melusine appeared with a mirror in their hands. they showed a reflection of himself where his eyes were back to his original form— the mixture of silver, blue and purple.

he averted his attention to his soulmate who seemed to be doing the same. you were looking at your own reflection, realizing your eye has reverted to its original form. he watched your surprised expression until you noticed his attention had diverted towards you.

your flushed expressions felt a little foreign to the iudex of fontaine, but he was certainly relieved at the sight of your comfortable state in a foreign region.

he gave you a sincere smile as he placed a hand over his chest as a form of greeting.

“greetings. i’m neuvilette, chief justice and iudex of fontaine. it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

since birth, neuvillette never understood the concept of soulmates until he was given a chance to experience such phenomenon. from when he had awoken to a change in his appearance to encountering the partner that was given to him by fate, it was a surprise that a being like him could have one too.

in fact, his own soulmate was not mortal either. an adeptus originating from the land of gold, you began your exploration in the continent with the fellow traveler when they could not stop persuading you to follow them to meet someone.

a smile was formed on your lips in return as you introduced your name to him, which sounded nice to his ears. “and it’s a pleasure to meet you too, mister neuvillette.”

maybe he could give this concept a try.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

[latin5mamii]

thoughts about the future

warnings: fluff🥹🥹

genre: Jude Bellingham x you

summary: Rainy days without anything to do or think about bring the cutesiest thoughts about the future...

author's note: okay sto i love this

The rain drummed relentlessly against the window of your living room, yet its steady rhythm seemed to fill the silence between the two of you, even though there were no words left to say. You cherished these kinds of days: nothing pressing to do and no demands on your time.

Nestled together on the large sofa, simply enjoying each other's company felt like the perfect choice.Jude's arm was draped around your shoulders, pulling you close against his side. You rested your head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His free hand traced gentle patterns on your arm, sending little shivers of warmth through your body. You shifted slightly, turning to face Jude more directly, your fingers playing with the hem of his shirt.

"What do you think our life will be like in ten years?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jude's eyes softened as he gazed down at you. "I hope it's a lot like this. Just you and me, happy and in love, maybe with a couple of kids running around."

Just the thought gives you butterflies in your stomach. You had never talked about having a family with Jude, even if you wanted to. You didn't want to pressure him obviously, but becoming a mother was one of your biggest dreams, if not the biggest. .Just thinking about how Jude would be a good father made you want to have a baby now.

"Do you want children? How many?" You ask curiously, the excitement can be felt in your gaze.

"I'd like to have at least two, but I've always wanted a big family, you know?" You can tell his mind is trying to imagine the future.

"Why do you ask me that?" You can almost see a smirk he tries to hide, you giggle slightly and hold him tighter.

“I don't know. But you're making me want to have a kid now.” He looks relaxed, not upset by your statement or anything. You can even tell he looks pretty proud.

"With me?" He says with a smirk on his lips.

"With who if not you?" You say, laughing at his somewhat stupid question.

“We can work on it ,if you want.” 

You thought he was joking, but he had a serious look on his face.

"Are you serious?”

"Why shouldn't I be? Or do you want to get married first?"

You laughed softly, the sound mingling with the rhythm of the rain. “I don’t know, I just thought you’d want to do things in the traditional order.”

Jude’s gaze softened further, his fingers tracing the outline of your face. “I want to do things in our order. If you want a baby now, let’s have a baby now. If you want to get married first, let’s plan a wedding. Whatever makes you happy.”

You felt a bit of excitement, you’ve been together with Jude for a few years now and you’re now so happy that he wants to have a family with you. “Let’s start with the baby,” you whispered, your voice trembling with a hint of nervousness.

He pulled you closer, his lips brushing against your forehead.You can feel and imagine his mischievous smirk. “A baby it is, then”

[dovveri]

hickeys and swimsuits

bachelorette masterlist - part 1 ▸ part 2 ▸ part 4 ▸ part 5 ▸ part 6 ▸ part 7

synposis: day 3 on the set of the bachelorette and y/n has to deal with sleeping with her best friend, a messy group date, and a tender evening.

warnings: teensy bit of smut (a quickie in the bathroom), allude to sexual harassment

w/c: 7.7k

a/n: can you tell i dislike suju? you’ll probably be able to after this LOL

‎₊˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆₊ ⊹

the decision to leave or stay if you’re the first one awake after a one night stand will always be unnecessarily difficult. luckily, or maybe not depending on how you look at it, sana’s grip on you would not allow for you to escape anytime soon so you let yourself be held, your head resting on top of hers, arms thrown lazily over her side.

you’re not really sure what came over you last night. after she had kissed you, you felt a need to finish what she started. you didn’t regret it though, but you were still yet to unentangle your feelings for her and what this meant for the both of you. if it even meant anything at all, it would be easy to brush it off as a spur of the moment decision built on pent up anger and lust from being untouched for so long. at least for you anyway, you weren’t sure when the last time sana slept with someone was, but you wouldn’t be surprised if it was with jihyo, she wasn’t really one for sleeping with people without knowing them first. but maybe you were wrong, you were learning so much more about her in these last two days than you have in years of knowing her.

you’re a little unnerved thinking about the amount of people sana has slept with. taking slight satisfaction in the purple marks that littered her neck, and the rest of her body knowing that you were the reason for them.

sana’s eyes slowly flutter open as you’re tracing one of these marks and she yawns, stretching with an adorable mewl and collapsing back into you.

“mmorning.” she mumbles into your chest, voice deep and laden with sleep and you can’t help but find it unbelievably attractive.

you brush your fingers through her hair, sorting through her knots. “morning…”

you lie there for a few moments, daring each other to speak first.

she’s the one who breaks the silence, always the one with more initiative, proven last night by kissing you first, “so……… should we talk about this?”

you hum, “if you’re ready for it.”

she whines against you, lightly hitting your chest, “stop that. i wanna know what you think without deflecting to me.”

you chuckle, “sorry, but yeah it’d probably be good to talk about it. i guess we can start with, um… well did you… regret it?” you can’t help the way your heart rate picks up, maybe you weren’t really ready to brush this off as a one time thing after all.

she places a hand over your chest, right where your heart would be, looking up at you with those eyes that you could drown in, “no. i don’t regret it. do you?”

you smile at her, thankful for the reassurance she offers, “no, i don’t either.”

she smiles back at you, her fingers drumming lightly over your heart, “is this… like… what does this mean for us? because i don’t want anything to change between us, i care about you too much to lose you as my best friend.”

you frown, “i care about you too… i mean… i don’t really know, like you’re still the bachelorette of the country right now like… how do you feel about that?”

“i’m enjoying getting to know these people. some of them really do have potential i think. this timing just kinda sucks huh?”

your heart drops a little at her honesty. you start thinking maybe its time to be a little honest to yourself.

“it does but that doesn’t mean i wanna just ignore this happened sana. i don’t think…” you sigh, thoughts all muddled and on the tip of your tongue.

her hand is trailing patterns up and down your bare back, looking at you with wide eyes. you would do anything to keep that face happy.

“you’re right. the timing does kinda suck. i guess we can just… keep this casual? assuming you want this to happen again?”

she nods, but an expression washes over her face that you can’t really decipher. “alright. casual. we can do that. just like, when we need a little stress relief or whatever.”

you nod, “and it’s just temporary until like you find your person here. wouldn’t want you to be sexually frustrated or pent up or anything and make decisions based on who you wanna fuck most right?”

“right! so you’re doing me an even bigger favour right now!”

“yep!”

you’re both laying there awkward now, talking in circles convincing yourself this was a good idea.

a loud knock comes at the door, and you’re both jumping, splitting to opposite sides of the bed. you look at each other a little awkwardly, you let out a small chuckle before getting up and pulling some clothes on haphazardly and answering the door.

it's one of the costume designers, "oh! y/n! sorry i didn't know you were in there, is sana around? it's time to get changed and start the filming for today."

you hum and let the woman in with her entourage of makeup and hair stylists.

but then one of the makeup artists quickly gasps as sana reveals her neck.

you turn around and blush, sana's still naked as the day she was born, there was no reason to put on clothes when she was going to get changed into new ones anyway, her blanket falling to her waist exposing the carnage that was the evidence of last night's activities.

the people in the room look awkwardly between the two of you, and you clear your throat and walk out, giving them some privacy, your head bowed and beet red as you make your way to the kitchen.

you dimly heard some scolding from the makeup artists, but thankfully no one came after you to tell you off or anything. hopefully the design team could keep this little secret under wraps, although you could hear the gossip and rumours going around already. you'd have to be more careful going forward.

sana's got an individual date first on the schedule today. so you decide to head over to the contestants' living area after you finish your breakfast and get dressed.

the drive over is short and you enjoy the light breeze from the slightly open window. you remember the slip of paper miyeon slipped you last night, pulling it out of your pocket and typing the digits into your phone.

you're not sure what the first message you should send her is. you're hit with the sudden realisation that outside of this show she was a literal model, she probably had thousands of followers and a life of her own with friends far above your social standing.

but she wouldn't give you her number only for you to discard it right? whatever, this wasn't anything to overthink, and you wanted to check in on how miyeon was doing anyway, you quickly type out a message and hit send.

y/n: hi this is y/n - how are you? settling back in at home okay? lmk if u ever want a chat or anything i'm here <3

you're surprised at her quick reply.

miyeon: hi y/n! it's good to hear from you. yeah honestly had the best night's sleep in so long, living in the mansion with all the others is fine and all but sharing rooms with sanghee was so not. that girl did not know how to clean up after herself and had the worst sleep schedule

you laugh a little at her antics.

y/n: right forgot you were kinda prissy. dunno if i feel bad for sanghee or you

miyeon: hey!!! i am NOT prissy! idc what ppl say abt beauty sleep and whatnot but you DO need it! proper quality sleep has been proven to improve skin, regulate emotions, and keep your brain sharp! it's a really important part of the day!

y/n: yeah yeah yeah i'm rolling my eyes btw since you can't see. but im glad ur feeling better rested miyeon, its gonna be real weird without you here now

miyeon: hey u got this. and im only a text or call away if u want a break from everything going on inside, ik how crazy it gets in there so having some outside perspective can be good for you

y/n: and im really grateful for that. thankyou miyeon <3 r u gonna watch the screening of last night's ep later?

miyeon: u mean do i wanna watch myself get eliminated? i think ill pass on that thx 😂 but the contestants always watch it tgt if u wanna join them - good to have some ppl to watch along with especially since its pretty jarring seeing everyone on the big screen and how things r all edited tgt. and seeing sana may come as a shock to u too u never know

y/n: yeah ur right im actually headed there rn since sana's going on a solo date and i have nothing better to do soo... also oopsies spoiler alert but ur not gonna leak anything to the media right ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

miyeon: who knows... call me prissy one more time and ur name's gonna be on the national headlines tmr fr ;P

y/n: u wouldnt!

miyeon: i would. jks ofc i wouldn't but since ur going to the mansion anyway make sure to talk to shindong and siwon and their whole boys club. now that im out i can give u all the inside goss and if sana ends up with one of those dicks well...

y/n: oo tyty ill be sure to keep that in mind

miyeon: ofc y/n rmbr anything u need we're friends yeah? don't be a stranger :)

y/n: thanks miyeon i rly do appreciate it! talk later :))

you turn off your phone, happy that miyeon was just as receptive and positive in the real world as she was when you were together. you had nothing to worry about after all.

‎₊˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆₊ ⊹

the house is in complete mayhem as you step inside. apparently someone had accidentally set off the fire alarms so everyone was already up and about and still mopping up wet patches here and there.

you spot jacky and eunji in the kitchen and make a beeline for them.

“-if you had just kept your pants on!-“

“no don’t blame this on me you know very well that i need to air dry or i’m gonna get sick and i won’t be able to perform-“

you clear your throat interrupting their… certainly intriguing conversation.

“y/n! please tell eunji it is perfectly normal to air dry after a shower.”

“not when you’re living with 15 other people!”

“i’ve lived with more than that back home and they didn’t have a problem with it!”

“because you australians are always half naked for some reason or another anyway. but you can't pull that shit here!”

jacky rolls his eyes and goes back to flipping the eggs he’s got in a pan, no doubt making lunch for the them and the rest of the contestants.

“have you eaten yet y/n? there was a bit of an accident this morning so the kitchen’s been off limits until now.”

“oh yeah i ate before i came here, thanks though. how are you guys today?”

they share a glance, “i think you’re the one who should be answering that question. heard sana made you go home after the stunt you pulled last night.”

with everything that happened you’d almost forgotten how the night actually ended for most of the other contestants.

“oh right!" you laugh a little awkwardly, "we made up so everything’s all good now. i’ll probably be laying off the alcohol for the rest of these rose ceremonies though…”

“awwwh but you’re the only one who can keep up with me! all the other guys here tap out soo early and none of the girls want to drink.”

you laugh, grabbing some plates to help jacky and eunji plate up the food they’ve prepared.

jacky’s yelling at everyone to come get their food and you follow along, greeting everyone and moving towards the couch where they were setting up to watch last night’s episode of the bachelorette along with the rest of the country. it was being aired earlier in the day today because it was the weekend and the highest stream counts for the weekends would be at this time.

you slot yourself in next to jiwon who offers a kind smile, the complete opposite of the stink eye you feel heechul giving the back of your head after you’d essentially tried to get him eliminated last night.

jun is setting up the tv and when everything’s ready he rushes back over and plops himself down on the other side of you, throwing an arm over your shoulder in a friendly greeting and looking back to heechul and the boys club as miyeon called them, flipping them off with a tongue sticking out in defense of you. you laugh with him as heechul sputters and the episode starts playing.

most of it you had already seen, although you got to hear a bit more of sana and jiwon’s conversation during the childcare group date after you’d left, as well as her conversations with the other contestants on that date. she seemed to get along with everyone there, and the kids were a good conversation sparker, sana had picked a good bunch for the first group date. the camera spent most of its time following her around as you’d expect, but it included a couple comedic clips of the others being terrible with kids. you’re all laughing and teasing each other when you see dae fall into a pit of mud after a purposeful ploy from the kids, and aww and coo when jiwon finally lies them all to rest during their afternoon nap.

the episode also includes a few cuts to the contestants in the mansion, the ones who weren't picked for the group date, so you get to see a little of how they function as a house as well.

then comes the solo date.

everyone's a little curious at what wonsik did to woo sana to get him that first impression rose from the first night. he's still just as shy and awkward as you remember from your first few interactions with him on the first night, not that that isn't what sana likes, she just usually goes for the louder, boisterous types, especially on a first impression since those are the ones that draw people's attention around them.

the date was just as extravagant as the producers said it would be. they definitely spared no expense, and from the stats you overheard them talking about, this season of the bachelorette was definitely hyping up to be the most successful season so far, it had even gained international attention for its unique approach.

after sana and wonsik's helicopter ride overlooking the valley, they were situated in a beautiful dip in the valley, overlooking lush green fields with a soft breeze and the sunset in the background.

admittedly it was cute watching them play board games and feed each other small fruits, and apparently wonsik was a much better conversationalist when he was in one-on-one situations, even cracking a few jokes that had you and the rest of the watchers laughing.

you couldn't help the pit of jealousy growing in your stomach though. you could finally realise what it was and call it jealousy but it was probably just because you were more involved with sana than ever now and you weren't good with the whole non-exclusive thing. it would take some time getting used to for sure.

but your jaw clenches when suddenly, screen-wonsik is kissing sana.

everyone in the room starts whooping and clapping wonsik on the back. you can hear the mc voice-over talking about how this was the first kiss of the season and that wonsik was a lucky guy to be getting in so early but you drown everything out as you watch the camera zoom in romantically, hyperfixated on the way sana's lips reacted against his.

he's got a hand at her waist, shuffling in closer and she has a hand carding into his hair, your eye twitches when you think you see a hint of a pink tongue dipping in.

he's laying her down and crawling on top of her on the picnic mat and it feels way too intimate for national television and you couldn't hear the sounds she could be making but you sure as hell can imagine the soft whimpers and gasps because she was making those sounds for you just hours after what was happening on the screen right now.

finally the camera pans away to a long shot of the two of them against the backdrop of the sunset and the valley and cuts to another scene of the mansion contestants but the liplock seemed to never end, even after the camera stopped shooting.

wonsik looks terribly embarassed when you turn to where all the commotion is behind you, people congratulating him on how his date went, asking for any more details that the editing could have left out, some looking on in jealousy, and some looking a little sad.

everyone's attention is shifted however when momo walks in through the door, back from her solo date with sana this morning.

all of a sudden, people are rushing towards her, asking how her date went, what they did, whether or not they kissed, poor momo looks very overwhelmed but she's not entirely focused, looking behind her and smiling.

and then again, the attention shifts, sana walking in with a bright smile, in casual clothes and jeans, waving a bright greeting at everyone.

you're still sat exactly where you are, emotions festering up inside of you.

"wow it's crazy to be here during the day! hey guys! just dropping off momo and checking in on how everyone's doing."

the excitement of the morning culminates, and it’s almost like a rose ceremony again, with everyone vying for sana's attention, wanting to show her around, leading her out towards the gardens, talking and chattering eagerly.

eventually, you're left inside with momo, who offers a polite wave, sitting down across from you, wonsik, who was too shy to join everyone on the tour of the house, and heechul, siwon, shindong, and seungri, the 'boys club'.

seungri's laughing boisterously, congratulating wonsik on his date with sana.

"congrats man. wouldn't have known you had it in you. did you guys get up to anything else?" he's wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. you're disgusted.

"n-no. she pushed me off pretty much as soon as the camera cut away."

"aww really? cockblock much?" shindong's snickering along.

heechul's shuffling a little closer to momo, "how about you momo? how was your date? you didn't miss that much by the way, wonsik and sana kissed yesterday on the date, that's when you walked in." he tries to offer her a kind smile, but you notice the way she's cringing, moving a little closer towards you.

"it was good. we went to a dog shelter which was really sweet of her since she knows i love them and i've been missing my two dogs back home. even had my allergy meds ready because i didn't know what we'd be doing today, shows she really listens."

you smile at momo's response, glad to hear their date went well and your heart warming learning about sana's actions.

the boys had stopped listening halfway through, going back to teasing wonsik so it was really just you and momo talking.

"yeah we also got to talking a lot since we're both from japan and all. it was really nice to be with someone who understood what it felt like to move here and be homesick, it was also the first time in a long time that i had spoken to someone in japanese that wasn't my family so it was pretty funny, well at least for her, to watch me make an absolute fool of myself stumbling over basic words and phrases."

you're laughing, knowing how much sana cares about her heritage, you were glad momo was here to be able to share that with her, you were firsthand witness to some of sana's homesickness bouts and you knew having a sense of a home away from home was extremely valuable.

"oh?" heechul butts into the conversation again, "nico nico nii~! momo-chan wa onii-chan de yonde mo ii-yo~" (t: momo you can call me big brother)

you and momo both stare at heechul for a few seconds in silence, trying to decipher what the fuck you just saw with your bare eyes, before bursting into laughter.

he looks confused, breaking his cutesy character pose and pouting and whining, "what! did i say it wrong?"

you're wiping tears off the side of your eyes, "what the fuck kinda hentai have you been watching to learn that shit heechul-"

momo's still laughing, her nose scrunching cutely, "no like! i get the nico thing like that was huge in japan like in 2015- still weird as fuck to see a grown man doing it ten years later though-"

you're both laughing between words, drawing the attention of the other occupants of the house who are rounding out back towards the living room after finishing the house tour.

sana looks curious as she's led over, "momoring, what's so funny?"

momo's turning and grinning at the sight of sana, pulling on her arm and leading her in front of heechul, "heechul do it again! for sana pleaseeeee-" she turns on the extra charm, hitting him with a final, "onegai~?" and you can see the imaginary nosebleed he gets from the action, the type that's edited into animes.

so he puts his hands up, fingers placed in the signature nico position, "nico nico nii~! sana-chan wa onii-chan de yonde mo ii-yo~"

the repeat of his absolutely embarrassing gesture sends both you and momo into another fit of laughter, clutching onto each other in weakness.

sana's face goes red and she looks to be supressing her own laughter, but she gives in eventually, letting out a loud bark and slapping momo on the back with her hand, the other hand over her mouth.

some others laugh as well, whether at the cutesy action heechul pulled, or from understanding what onii-chan meant and putting two and two together.

heechul just stands there looking awfully proud of himself for being the 'funny' guy for once.

eventually, a producer walks in, tapping sana and sliding an envelope into her hand, and gestures for all the participants to sit down.

sana clears her throat, still giggling a little as she moves towards the front of the room, "well thankyou everyone for the tour of your lovely place. i hope you all enjoy the rest of your stay here. i've got this envelope in my hand now, with the names of the next group date we'll be going on." she waves the envelope around a little, and everyone plays their part, ooh-ing and waiting in anticipation, "8 people here will be helping me out with the iconic photoshoot date!"

all the participants look around excitedly, the photoshoot date was always a fan-favourite, and it always made an appearance on every bachelor episode, usually with a few group photo shoots and always with a one-on-one photoshoot that's super romantic and revered after.

sana lets the anticipation and excitement settle in, before dramatically pulling out the piece of paper within the envelope, unfolding it, and beginning to read out names, "sunwoo."

sunwoo stands up with a smile, moving over towards sana at the usher of the producers' hands, sana returns the smile.

"eunha." a short girl with a bubbly personality skips over.

"onii-chan~" sana teasingly drags out the word and you stifle a few laughs with momo as heechul beams and stalks forward.

"siwon, shindong, seungri, nayeon."

they all stand up and walk over, you notice sana has picked people that haven't been on a date yet.

"and... wonsik!"'

there's a bit of a stunned silence across the room as wonsik gets up and approaches sana, kissing her on the cheek and taking his place next to her.

wonsik was the only person in that lineup that had already had extended one-on-one time with sana, when some others like jihyo, (although you didn't really mind much that jihyo hasn't been picked for anything yet), hadn't had the opportunity for any time outside of this mansion. so it did seem a little unfair.

you feel your earlier emotions returning to you, the incredulity of heechul's actions completely forgotten as you think back to the full-blown make out session you, along with the rest of the nation had witnessed only an hour ago.

sana's giving a few general closing remarks, telling the chosen group date members what they need to prepare, and saying she'll be waiting for them out front once they're done gathering their things.

you can tell the mood's been a bit sullied as the chosen contestants rush up towards their rooms to change and get ready, the leftover participants left sitting on their hands with nothing to do for the rest of the day.

you say your quick goodbyes, heading off after sana since you would be tagging along on this date as usual.

once you see her though, something comes over you, the heavy, yucky emotions boiling up, and you pull on her arm, a little roughly, and drag her to the nearest bathroom.

"y/n?! what-"

you shut her up, pinning her against the door, locking it and connecting your lips frantically.

she gasps into you, but melts almost immediately, kissing you back with the same amount of intensity.

your tongue peeks out, swiping lightly across her bottom lip, she gasps, and you take the opportunity to gently prod your tongue into her mouth. her tongue comes up to meet yours and she moans when they touch, her hands coming up to grip onto your shoulders.

you're reminded of the fact that someone else was fortunate enough to hear these sounds yesterday.

and you despise it. snarling slightly, you break away, leaning down to kiss along her jawline, "you moan like that for him too hmm?"

she's breathless and confused, her mind muddled with the sudden attack, "w-what? who? huh?" she cuts herself off with another moan as you find the sensitive spot behind her ear that you discovered last night.

"you know- shy little wonsik." you take an earlobe between your teeth, spitting out the name, hands starting to move, grasping her waist, thumbing the bottom of her shirt.

"w-what? n-no- ah! no i-"

"no? you sure you're not lying? looked like you had a good time with him yesterday." you're moving back towards her neck, a hand dipping underneath her shirt and feeling the warm skin of her stomach and inching upwards.

"no what? y/n- fuck-" you're sucking at the sensitive skin on her neck now, "w-wait no y/n- d-don't- no marks-"

you're snarling again, "what? can't have wonsik or the others know you're already being taken care of?" you respect her wishes though, backing off but dropping onto your knees, pushing up her top and kissing her stomach. "fine. i'm marking you up here though. and you're not gonna tell me off this time because no-one-" you suck, "gets to see this much of you right?" biting lightly, "just me hmm?" licking along your newly formed hickey.

she's got her hands in your hair now, lightly pulling in the perfect way, bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she tries to keep quiet, eyes heavy-lidded and glossed over, looking down at you with an expression you just want to devour.

so you move back up, capturing her lips once again as she moans, subtly grinding her hips against you, gasping when your hand makes its way to her left breast, kneading softly over her bra.

a tweak of the nipple and she's a whimpering mess around you, pleading, "fuck fuck y/n please-"

you tut, "you think we have enough time baby?" you're other hand that's not teasing her chest undoes the button on her jeans. "the others could be outside waiting for you right now on the other side of this door."

"please! y-yes yes we have enough time just touch me i'm- fuck- soaked already it won't take much- please-"

you undo her jeans with ease, slipping your hand into her underwear, the other one still kneading and groping her chest.

"mm you are soaked baby." you trace down her center, "were you like this yesterday when he was kissing you?" you find her clit and rub, a little harsher than the way she likes but she leaks onto you at the action.

"n-no stop- ugh- stop talking about him y/n what the fuck-"

you continue your assault on her clit, your other hand sliding under her bra and pinching a nipple as she jolts into you, "get used to it. you're the nation's sweetheart right now. you and him are all they're going to be talking about after that show you put on yesterday."

her head lolls back, hitting the door softly as she groans, "h-he doesn't get me like this though. only y-you do- fuck- please y/n please just fuck me."

you don't have much time to keep teasing her so you quickly push into her, cursing at the way she clenches around you immediately, all tight and hot and wet. you don't waste any time, thrusting in and out of her as her head comes back down, biting on your shoulder to keep her voice in.

"mm- mm- faster- baby please-"

you take in her request, plunging into her and adding another finger, in and out, in and out. the wet sounds of her pussy filling the bathroom, you don't have too much arm space to move with her jeans still in the way, but you make do, conscious that the both of you needed to look presentable very soon.

you're pretty much the only thing holding her up now, her legs having gave way a while ago, your hand moving out from under her shirt, holding her hips up and against the door as you thrust into her, thankful that the lack of space meant the door wasn't making too much noise.

you feel her getting tighter around you, bringing a thumb up to press against her clit, "this gets you off doesn't it-" you're slightly out of breath, "knowing just a few meters away the guy you kissed just hours before being fucked senseless by me is waiting for you for even the slightest chance he'll get to feel you tight and hot around him like you are around me right now."

she's mewling, her face still buried in your neck, becoming impossibly tighter again at your words.

"they can't do it like this. everytime you kiss one of them, you'll know you're coming back home to be fucked by me."

you punctuate the end of your sentence with a curl of your fingers inside her, hooking on as she cums with a muffled whine.

and just in time too, when a loud knock on the bathroom door jolts the both of you, you pull out quickly and help zip up her jeans again while she recovers.

"sana? everyone's ready and waiting for you now."

"c-coming!"

her voice is scratchy and shaky, still leaning onto you as you readjust her shirt and comb your fingers through her hair, trying to make her presentable again.

you smirk a little at her word choice, stifling a laugh as you fix her, but she catches you, sending a weak slap onto your shoulder.

you step back and look at her, she's still breathing slightly heavily but otherwise no real damage can be seen.

"okay you're good."

she sidesteps you to check herself in the mirror quickly, adjusting a little. "jeez y/n didn't think you'd become so much of a sex fiend when we said we'd keep it casual."

you roll your eyes, "hurry up your lovers are waiting for you." you wait for her to go out first though, following behind closely as you greet everyone again, a little thrilled at having to act as if nothing happened in the last 10 minutes between the living room and the car you're getting into right now.

sana's her usual smiley self around everyone, and you take glee in knowing that just minutes prior you were literally inside her and pulling noises out of her no one else here would be able to hear.

‎₊˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆₊ ⊹

the group date was certainly shaping up to be one of the most interesting dates of the season.

right now, nayeon, sana, and eunha were learning a short dance number together. their whole set was dressing up as idols so instead of doing a photoshoot, they were going to shoot a small tiktok so it could be used as promotion for the show as well.

before them, sunwoo and sana had done a black-tie sort of concept where they were dressed in a long suit and flowing dress with masquerade masks on. it was all very mysterious and romantic. siwon was also in the set but he was acting as a butler, it was tradition to have photoshoot themes where one contestant was always trying to get in between the set couple, both for some drama and some comedic relief.

the next set involved all the boys stripping down for a beach theme. you had a hunch it was also just to increase the sex appeal of the show. sex sells after all.

and so, sana was put in a tiny bikini, and you had to run from her glare as the makeup artist gaped at the newly formed mark on her upper stomach. so much for no visible marks.

you rolled your eyes as the boys whooped and cheered as they watched sana enter the set. you scoff as almost all of their eyes went straight to either her chest or her ass.

nayeon and eunha come to stand next to you after they're finished changing out of their outfits to observe.

the photographer is telling them the directions for the first scene, sana was going to be lifted up onto seungri and sunwoo's shoulders, you can hear siwon whining and complaining about how sunwoo already had his almost solo photoshoot with her and it should be him.

no one pays him much mind though as seungri immediately goes for sana, lifting her up easily as she squeals in surprise, and settling her on one of his shoulders as sunwoo quickly steps in so sana's rested on his shoulder as well. you squint at the way seungri is looking up at sana.

"ugh that was so unnecessary." nayeon is glaring at them as well.

"right, the way he went at the first chance to grab her ass," eunha scoffs next to her as well, "trust seungri to be as gross as ever."

you raise an eyebrow at the two of them, "is this a common occurrence in the house?"

nayeon shrugs, "seungri's an ass. they all are. except for sunwoo maybe." you nod, noting the way sunwoo refuses to look up at sana, staring straight ahead at the camera, a hand placed carefully over her knee just to make sure she doesn't fall off.

"most of the girls just tend to leave them to their own devices inside the house. we don't really interact with them unless we have to. the first night, jacky almost beat up siwon for shit talking eunji."

they're moving into the second position, this time sana's on her knees with a sandcastle in front of her, and wonsik and shindong are helping her build it, with the other boys goofing off in the background.

"what'd he say?" you ask eunha, eyes still locked onto the scene in front of you.

"some shit about how she ought to look more like a girl. take out the piercings, grow out her hair, cover up her tattoos, all that bull. and that's not even the worst part, he just kept going on and on and then he called her a dyke and that's when jacky lost it."

"what the fuck?"

"yeah. he knows not to say shit around the other guys that aren't in his group now. but he still takes every chance he gets to try and 'convert' us." eunha says in quotation marks.

nayeon chimes in, "doesn't see us as competition because we're girls. just more possibilities for him in case sana doesn't pick him in the end."

shindong has built a slight protrusion out of the sand castle, you can't really tell what he's doing but the photographer is muttering and calling over a few producers who look a little frazzled.

they move on quickly, directing everyone into the ocean for the last shot.

"miyeon told me to keep an eye out for them. guess she was right."

they both look at you in surprise, "you've been talking to miyeon?"

you shrug, watching as sana shrieks when sunwoo playfully splashes water her way, urging her to come in deeper. "she gave me her number after she was eliminated, i texted her this morning."

"how's she doing? it felt terrible watching her go instead of heechul yesterday. honestly had to question sana's judgement a little."

you cringe a little remembering last night, "she's doing okay i think. and-"

you're interrupted by a commotion in the water, and you're running in without thinking, nayeon and eunha not far behind.

by the time you get there, sana's already out of the water, an arm over her chest, covering herself as the costume people quickly go in and shield her, scrambling and yelling for clothes.

you turn on your heel, stalking over to the cameras you knew were filming and shouting for them all to be cut.

once you’re sure that no one is taking advantage of sana anymore and filming without her consent, you’re spinning back to watch as producers are trying to pull apart sunwoo and seungri, seungri sporting a nasty looking black eye and a bleeding nose.  

you’re quick to rush over to sana first though, she’s in an oversized shirt now with a towel wrapped around her.

“what happened? are you okay?”

she sniffles a little, her nose slightly red, “yeah yeah i’m fine. the waves were just really big and i didn’t see them coming. my top came undone and i thought seungri was coming towards me to help tie it back up but he.. um, well…” she blushes and looks away.

you're livid.

the producers look thankful as you march up towards them, hoping you were there to help the situation, but you walk straight up to seungri, bringing a knee up into his crotch, hard, and when he keels over in pain, you swing an uppercut right into his face.

you would've kicked him as well if there aren't suddenly arms around you, yanking you backwards, and you let them, but then you get a glimpse of a stupid grin and you knew it was seungri's buddies pulling you away you start writhing. your fist connects with a couple hard spots and you smirk when you hear a few groans of pain. eventually, it's sunwoo who pulls the guys off you harshly, throwing them down into the sand and standing next to you, still glaring at seungri.

"you think you're real slick huh? think you could get away with sexually harassing someone on national television?" you're seething, spitting words out as seungri is still doubled over.

"couldn't keep it in your pants for more than 2 minutes you'd risk your entire career and face-"

"y/n." sana's stepping up to you now, a hand on your shoulder trying to pacify you.

"pack your things and leave seungri. i never want to see you again. you can talk with your lawyers about editing that scene out but i have a feeling it'll be left in because drama pays more than whatever you can offer."

seungri is finally up, still bleeding and probably sporting a broken nose now, "but-"

"you heard her. get the fuck outta here before we press charges." you step forward now, and he shrinks, afraid you'll go for his balls again.

security has finally arrived on scene and they escort seungri off the premises.

things are still pretty much in disarray after that, but despite everything, sana still powers through, rejecting the offer to stop filming for today, instead, picking sunwoo as the star of the group date, the rest of you are sent back to either get changed or head back to the mansion to get ready for the night's rose ceremony.

you desperately want a moment alone with sana to check in with her. but she seems headstrong on bulldozing through the rest of the day, and you're whisked away soon enough.

‎₊˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆₊ ⊹

the gossip spreads quickly.

after you've gotten changed into your outfit for the night, a sleek white suit with your hair carefully done up, courtesy of the costume and hair and makeup teams back at the bachelorette pad, you're sipping on a flute of champagne, talking with everyone about how the group date went.

"-and she sent him home after." eunha's finished telling the story to a few gasps and looks of shock.

"i knew i shoulda clocked that guy as soon as he made that comment about jiwon's dress." jacky's muttering, fists clenched in anger.

"poor sana i hope she's okay."

"yeah she was really incredible tonight to be fair. the producers had asked if she wanted a break and to continue filming tomorrow but she said she wanted to keep going."

"and sunwoo too, i'm glad he went in there and defended her. as jealous as i am that he won i'm glad she has him right now if she wants to talk." nayeon speaks up.

jihyo's loud voice is suddenly shouting from across the courtyard, "guys! look it's sana and sunwoo!"

everyone's rushing over towards the beach where it seems they had a long walk down from the photoshoot location all the way back to the mansion. your heart's pounding, wanting so badly to be with sana right now, to listen to her, to be angry for her, to be the one pulling her into an embrace right now as the contestants aww at the two of them hugging with the picturesque twilight in the background, sea breeze blowing softly.

they break away eventually, looking up towards all of you who wave and holler at them.

then they've interlocked hands, slowly making their way up to the mansion.

everyone is greeting each other again, but the producers quickly cut it short, saying the both of them have to go and get dressed so that the rose ceremony can begin.

the group disperses with a grumble, and you find yourself following sana, the costume designers not paying you any mind as you enter the designated dressing room inside the mansion.

"hey..."

sana jumps slightly but relaxes when she sees you, "hey yourself. what are you doing here?"

"just wanted to check in on you."

she tuts, "you're sweet y/n but there's no need for that. he was an ass and i sent him home. we don't have to worry about him anymore."

"yeah but.. like it's okay to still feel affected you know?"

she turns around, "zip me up?"

you nod, stepping forward and carefully reaching for the zipper on her back, sliding it up slowly, making sure it doesn't get caught on any outstanding threads.

she sighs, holding her hair over one shoulder so you can slide the zipper all the way up, "i'm just trying to get through today. after today's done... well if i still want to talk about it then i'll tell you. okay?"

you sigh softly against her, pressing your lips lightly against the back of her neck, "alright. just don't try to do everything yourself okay? i'm here."

a hand comes up and rests over yours, "i know baby. thankyou. c'mon, let's get this ceremony outta the way so we can go home and cuddle."

you hum, taking her hand and letting her lead you out of the dressing room and towards the courtyard.

‎₊˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆₊ ⊹

you're getting a serious case of deja vu when the last 4 people are standing.

4 people were meant to be eliminated tonight, but since seungri was asked to leave early, sana only had to pick 3 more to leave.

the choices were between shindong, siwon, heechul, and jiwon.

surely this time sana wouldn't make a decision that was too surprising.

"jiwon." you can feel most of the room letting out a collective sigh of relief, and the stunned faces of the three leftover guys you wished you could frame and put up. there were bound to be screenshots and memes made off them anyway.

unlike the previous nights, no one really moves in to say goodbye to any of the guys, just waving a polite greeting as they exit.

the mc comes in next and wishes everyone a good night. sana goes forward to mingle a little more, wishing everyone well before she comes back to you, taking your hand and pulling you towards the front of the house, eager to go home.

the ride back is quiet but peaceful. your hands have never left each others and you enjoy the short ride back to your shared home. once the driver has dropped you off you both head inside, take off those godforsaken heels, and drop down onto the couch.

sana's head in your lap, as you turn on the tv, pressing play on a random cartoon, carding your fingers through her hair.

you can tell the day has exhausted her, so you let her eyes drift shut, and her breathing even out, reaching for the blanket kept next to the couch and draping it over her.

you could take off her makeup and change her clothes later before taking her to bed, but for now, you were content to watch silly cartoons with sana safe in your hands.

[medicmuttt]

Totality

hear me out. for all the self shippers. Sun and Moon asking you out during the eclipse.

You're all settled on the roof or somewhere outside, the three or at least you and Sun in control of the body, resting on a soft blanket borrowed from the daycare. It's cute, littered with clouds and moons, and so incredibly soft. You're tempted to take it for yourself. You won't, but the thought crosses your mind.. They're cuddling with you of course. You've gotten used to it at this point. Always so clingy to their favorite little human. Their blank optics somehow filled with wonder as they look on at the sky. You look on as well. Your eyes protected by cute space themed glasses. They don't need any of course but they got some fake ones just to match you. Maybe they stole Monty's for the day..

You can feel as their hands fidget. The Moon hasn't fully covered the Sun yet.. But he looks down at you, sun rays twitching, a cute quirk you've noticed. "S..Sunshine?" His voice is laced in a nervous static as he speaks up. You turn to him, giving them your full attention. That only seems to make it worse.. The gentle whirring of his fans laced with the soft creeks and squeaks of their internal mechanics. Your head tilts ever so slightly as the bot gets the courage to speak once more. "I.. I.. We've known each other for a while now a-and today is so so special.." He trails off. You can tell by the look in his eye his communicating with Moon. Likely yelling at him for tripping over his words so much. His wrings his big, intricate hands. Your brows furrow. "Moon and I have been wanting to ask you for a while." One hand suddenly goes behind his back, searching for something you can't quite see. "W-would you go out with us.. Be our little star? Our universe?" With that he pulls out a bouquet of paper flowers. All hand crafted with colorful construction paper. Blues, reds, oranges and purples.. even some made of star patterned paper.. You feel your chest leap at the sudden proposal but before you can speak he pipes up again. "Y-You mean everything to us Sunshine. I.. We know it isn't really.. Professional or conventional. But we promise to take care of you, to make everyday you're with us the best day possible."

Your heart is racing in your chest. Pounding against your rib cage like a drum. Face hot and flushed with blush. You smile at them, the cute shy one they love so much. Their fans seem to grow louder. They'd fallen for you.. hard. But the two couldn't help the anxiety that bubbled within their chest as they waited for you to respond. Moon was eerily quiet while Sun nearly panicked. "Oh Sun.. Moon.. I don't know what to say" They hadn't said something wrong had they? They weren't reading your signals wrong? "Of course I will. Oh I'd love nothing more then to be yours" Your voice had picked up a cheerful tone. It felt like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Sun found himself releasing a breath his didn't even need. Dropping the flowers he near tackled you. Pulling you flush into his lap with a squeal. "Oh sunshine! You have no idea how much this means to us!" He squeezed you. Burring his big face into your neck Unable to do much else you simply smiled. Chuckling to yourself and wrapping your arms around their surprisingly warm and soft body. His eyes flicked back up to the sky. The totality was almost here. The tight grip grew slack as he turned you around. You could feel as his hand made its way into yours giving it a excited squeeze. the three of you watching in silence as the moon slowly encompassed the sun. "We love you andromeda.." You leaned up to kiss their cheek. The plastic growing hot under you. A smile tugging at your lips. "I love you too."

I fixated idk if this is good okay bye.

[burntsecrets]

A Song for Her

Pairing: Zuko and Katara Word Count: 968 Prompt: For Zutara Week 2024 | Day 5: Melody @zutaraweek Author's Note: This is a modern AU where Katara and Zuko are in their mid-20s. Warnings: mentions of parental abandonment, grief, emotional vulnerability, mild angst, discussion of unresolved trauma, themes of healing, rain/weather imagery, light romantic tension, introspection, public performance anxiety

The coffee shop was tucked into the corner of a bustling city street, its warm light spilling onto the damp sidewalk. Raindrops traced lazy patterns down the windows, catching the glow of neon signs and traffic lights outside. Inside, the faint hum of conversation mingled with the clatter of cups and the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

Katara leaned back in her chair, tapping her finger against the rim of her cup. She had chosen a table near the small stage in the corner, where an old upright piano stood waiting for the next performer. Her legs were crossed, one foot bouncing to the rhythm of her thoughts. The deep blue of her scarf matched her eyes, which flicked to the door every few moments.

Zuko arrived five minutes late, as usual, his dark hair dripping from the rain and plastered to his forehead. He scanned the room before spotting her, offering a lopsided smile that she pretended not to notice. His leather jacket was wet, and his hands were shoved deep into his pockets as he made his way to her.

"You’re late," she said, voice light but sharp enough to make him squirm.

"Blame the traffic," he muttered, shaking his jacket off and slinging it over the back of the chair. "Or the rain."

She arched a brow but didn’t press him further. Instead, she nudged a steaming cup toward him. “I ordered for you. Jasmine tea.”

He hesitated, then picked up the cup. The faintest smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he took a sip. "Thanks."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, the din of the café filling the spaces between them. Zuko’s fingers drummed against the table, restless as ever. Katara noticed how his eyes kept straying to the piano.

“You’re thinking about it again,” she said, not unkindly.

“What?”

“The piano.”

He glanced at her, startled, then down at his cup. “No, I’m not.”

“Zuko.” Her tone was soft, teasing. “I know you. You keep looking at it like it owes you an apology.”

He huffed a laugh, the sound low and unexpected. “Maybe it does.”

Katara’s lips curved into a small smile, her eyes tracing the curve of his jaw as he stared at the stage. He had always carried a quiet intensity, like a storm held just out of reach. She wondered if he knew how much it softened when he smiled.

A barista stepped onto the stage, announcing the next performer. Zuko stiffened as a young woman approached the piano, her fingers brushing the keys before she began to play. The first few notes spilled into the air, gentle and melancholic. Zuko’s jaw tightened, and his gaze dropped to the table.

Katara watched him carefully, the way his shoulders hunched ever so slightly, the way his hands clenched into fists on his lap. She reached across the table, her fingers brushing against his. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t look at her either. “It’s nothing.”

“Zuko,” she pressed, her voice quieter now. “Talk to me.”

He exhaled slowly, his hand turning under hers to grip it tightly. “It reminds me of my mom. She used to play... before she left.”

The words were barely audible, but they hung in the air between them, fragile and heavy. Katara’s thumb moved in gentle circles against his knuckles, her touch grounding him.

“You never told me that,” she said softly.

He shrugged, his eyes fixed on the table. “It’s not something I talk about.”

The melody swelled, filling the room with bittersweet emotion. Katara’s heart ached for him, for the boy he had been and the man he was still becoming. She tightened her grip on his hand, offering silent support.

“I think you should play,” she said after a moment.

He blinked, finally meeting her gaze. “What?”

“The piano,” she said, nodding toward the stage. “You should play. For her. For yourself.”

He stared at her, his amber eyes searching hers for something—doubt, pity, or perhaps reassurance. Whatever he found, it made him stand, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

“Zuko—” she started, but he was already walking toward the stage.

The barista gave him a curious look as he approached, but Zuko simply nodded toward the piano. “Mind if I...?”

“Go ahead,” the barista said, stepping aside.

Katara’s breath caught as he sat at the bench, his fingers hovering over the keys. For a moment, he just sat there, his shoulders tense, his head bowed. Then, slowly, he began to play.

The first notes were hesitant, like a whisper, but they grew stronger with each passing second. The melody was haunting and beautiful, a cascade of emotions that filled the room and silenced the chatter. It spoke of loss and longing, of love and resilience.

Katara’s chest tightened as she listened, her eyes never leaving him. She could see the memories in the way his hands moved, the pain and hope in every note. He played like he was telling a story, one he had carried for far too long.

When the final note faded, the room erupted into applause. Zuko let out a shaky breath, his hands falling to his lap. He turned back to Katara, his expression unreadable, but she saw the flicker of vulnerability in his eyes.

She stood, meeting him halfway as he stepped off the stage. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. He buried his face in her hair, his breath warm against her skin.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

“For what?” she asked, her cheek resting against his chest.

“For reminding me,” he said, his arms tightening around her. “That some things are worth remembering.”

Katara smiled against him, her heart full. “Always.”

[scarletcomalies]

distant star

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word count: 3,428

A/N: Age Of Ultron Wanda because asdkghjksñlfñ why not?!

Warnings: Angst, unspoken feelings, you name it!

Pietro Maximoff recognized talent wherever he saw it, and that's how he made you a member of the band whose lead vocalist and guitarist was his twin sister Wanda Maximoff. Not knowing how or when, all the songs you wrote ended up being about her.

"Alright, let's go over it again."

You rolled your eyes and let out a dramatic sigh, pretending to be annoyed at the brunette's request.

"Don't look at me, look at Pietro who completely messed up in the second verse!" Wanda exclaimed defensively, as she raised her arms in a mock surrender.

"But sing louder, I could run a marathon with the distance you set between you and the microphone!" He protested.

"Oh, shush!" Wanda exclaimed. "It's not about whether I sing loud or not, it's about your bass following a certain pattern and be guided by my guitar! Every time I play this chord, you must follow me..."

You laughed lightly at the little argument that was going on between the twins for maybe the third time throughout the rehearsal. It had barely been twenty minutes.

"Come on, guys!" You interjected. "If you keep arguing this frequently, night will fall, and you know how my mom is when it comes to noise."

Your house possessed a spacious and ideal garage that was perfect for a band to spent its beginnings with. Because of this, you generously offered your house as a rehearsal space most of the time.

However, there was a slight hitch in this arrangement. Your mother, like the Tess Coleman character straight out of one of your favore movies "Freaky Friday", she had the habit of turning off the power switch in the garage as soon as night time came.

Both Wanda and Pietro stopped their argument, and exchanged one last accusatory look, almost as if to say, "You are to blame."

"Clint, you count..." Wanda turned to the drummer, and subsequently, he gathered his drumsticks and did the counting.

You weren't sure how or when you started to sense this, but you knew it when you noticed that you stopped looking down at your guitar and instead, kept your eyes on her, and memorized every gesture she tended to make; frowning or wrinkling her nose during high notes, closing her eyes throughout the whole melody, moving her heel to the sound of her guitar, and your favorite one, when she opened her eyes just to dedicate you glances of approval every time you did a solo with your guitar.

You thought maybe it was the energy and passion Wanda put into every note, as you marveled at the way she gave herself completely to the music, but you realized it was beyond admiration when every song you wrote ended up being a loving ode to every aspect that made her up. Even when you tried to write a funny song about partying, you somehow ended up redirecting it to the woman next to you.

"And so I watch you from afar, like a distant star...

For I'll always love you, but you'll never know...

Ink and paper, my silent confidantes they are…

They seem to whisper, 'Your secret's safe,' as emotions flow..."

Wanda concluded the last song you wrote for her, and this time, it turned out incredibly. You knew it when she let out that sigh of satisfaction that only happened when neither of you messed up a note.

"Another love song, and we don't know your muse," Clint commented, placing his drumsticks on the snare drum.

"I don't have a muse," you excused yourself, and as if it were instinct, you looked at Wanda, who was very busy tuning her guitar.

"I don’t believe you," Pietro stated, as he placed his left arm around your shoulder, while his free hand held the neck of his bass as it rested on his side.

"Come on, I just... write whatever comes to mind," you shrugged. "I don't think of anyone specific, and they don't mean anything."

Both Pietro and Clint scoffed in disbelief, clearly not buying your attempt to brush off their accusation.

“Come on, there has to be some-…” Pietro said.

“Enough,” Wanda interrupted him, and you sighed in relief, sending a thankful look her way. “Whether there is a muse or not, you have every right to tell us when you feel like it. And if that day never comes, that’s okay too,” she added.

“Thank you, Wanda!” You exclaimed, emphasizing those three words as you glanced at your two male bandmates, who were very nosy about your love life.

Pietro withdrew his arm from around your shoulders, but not before giving you a little nudge to annoy you for being spared further questions.

"Now, do you have your three song suggestions for the setlist?" The brunette changed the subject.

In a month's time, perhaps the biggest presentation you would have so far would take place, as a well-known bar gave you a space, and besides, it was going to be Halloween. The four of you were excited, and very determined to seriously connect with the audience, and not just be a very irrelevant background noise for people who were only focused on getting drunk.

After having rehearsed your own songs for a week straight, it was time to focus on the covers. Each of the band members had the right to suggest three songs to elaborate the setlist for this presentation, and you would be the first to make your choice known.

"Break In by Halestorm and Amy Lee," Wanda read the first title, and nodded with a smile. "Things I'll Never Say by Avril Lavigne," she continued. "Oh! Lovesong by The Cure?!”

"Yes..." you said in a hesitant tone.

"Are we seeing the same person who for the last show made us play Angel's Punishment by Lacuna Coil?" Clint exclaimed from his seat, while laughing.

"Oh! My throat still hurts from doing those gutturals," Pietro seconded, rubbing his throat in a dramatic manner.

"Lacuna Coil is an excellent band," you justified.

"And Pietro, you insisted on doing those gutturals, when I could have done them Maria Brink style," Wanda added. "Speaking of which, how about Scarlet by In This Moment? It's among my suggestions actually..." she changed the subject again, to evade another interrogation towards you.

And so, with each passing rehearsal afternoon, your feelings for Wanda became more and more unbearable, and thus, more and more noticeable.

So notorious, that Pietro and Clint were fully aware that all those songs you couldn't stop writing were about her. And therefore, their insistence was no longer about you revealing the identity of your muse, instead, their new goal was to convince you to confess to her.

"(Y/N), my little sister would melt for you just by knowing that you wrote songs for her," Pietro tried to persuade you, following you into the kitchen of your house with the excuse of helping you carry ice for the drinks you would take to the garage.

"And what if she doesn't? What if she finds me weird?" You countered. "She had zero interest in knowing who the person I was writing for was."

"Exactly!" Pietro exclaimed, clearly seeing it from a different point of view than you.

And more of these conversations took place whenever Wanda wasn't around, and to say you were fed up was an understatement.

You were afraid to risk the beautiful, deep-rooted friendship that had blossomed between you and the brunette ever since Pietro introduced her to you seven months ago and said: "I got us a main guitarist."

So frequent became those sleepovers where you would listen to your favorite music, watch classic movies from the 2000s, and have deep conversations until two in the morning. Pietro would jump at the bed at early hours in the morning, asking Wanda to make him pancakes since he was nice enough to give up the TV so you guys could use it.

She also had a sixth sense that seemed to provide her the ability to appear when you needed her the most, as your eyes would sparkle with excitement every time you heard the doorbell ring and subsequently saw Wanda from your window with a basket full of both of you guys' favorite snacks, and her guitar in hand, which meant she would take you to the park to compose songs in a notebook you shared, with the purpose of distracting you from whatever happened that day. Even though the notebook you wrote in didn't have a single free space, and was full of scratches and notes, you didn't have the heart to throw it away.

That was just the tip of the iceberg. That was why it frustrated you that your male bandmates would take so lightly something as delicate as telling your best friend that you were head over heels in love with her, so you clung to your secret love, treasuring it like a fragile shadow that resided within you.

And so, the big day came. Pietro, Clint, Wanda and you took your positions on the small stage in the bar. Within the crowd, you noticed a few familiar faces, and a feeling of happiness invaded you as you realizes that you were slowly reaching a point where you could say you had a few loyal fans already.

"Good evening, everyone!" Wanda's accent added a little bit of allure to her words, drawing everyone's attention. "Thank you for joining us tonight!"

And with that, the first song started, as soon as Clint counted in with a rhythmic tap of his drumsticks.

As you gracefully played your guitar along with Wanda's, you couldn't tear your gaze away from her. You remembered vividly how the light casted a mesmerizing glow around her, and she always maintained those little habits while she performed, not to mention that astonishing voice of hers, that could go from raspy to high pitched, from sorrowful to joyful in a matter of seconds.

You didn't care if the entire audience noticed the intensity of your gaze. In fact, you were proud to declare, even silently, that you were deeply in love with Wanda Maximoff. The passionate emotion in your lyrics seemed to resonate even more as she poured her heart into every word, and there you realized that, even mindlessly, the brunette seemed to understand your feelings more than anyone else.

"I want you to meet the incredibly talented musicians who make up this band," Wanda said as soon as the audience finished applauding, her enthusiasm made you smile automatically. "On main guitar, we have the amazing (Y/N)," she gestured towards you, and you did a small reverence as everyone cheered you with applause and whistles. "On bass, my twin brother Pietro, who's older by thirteen minutes... so whenever he brags about being the older sibling, just remember, it's only by thirteen minutes!" She joked, and Pietro burst out in laughter as he also greeted at the public with a wide grin plastered on his face. "On drums, we have the talented Clint!" She gestured towards the drummer's way, and he stood up as he waved at everyone. "And... I'm Wanda, the rythm guitarist and vocalist."

The evening continued, and so far, all those rehearsals had been worth it, for there were a considerable number of people jumping and clapping animatedly, and for every time you looked away from Wanda to look at the audience, it seemed as if the number doubled.

Until it came time to introduce the last song you had written about the woman next to you.

It held a significance to you beyond comprehension, and although you had seen her rehearse it multiple times, there was something different about that night that was going to make it more magical than the other times.

"The next song was written by my beloved main guitarrist," Wanda said into the microphone, and the entire audience clapped and whistled in a form of support for you. "I always thought it was a beautiful song, but now I can say that this one has a face, and... a name," she added, and again, everyone in the audience applauded. You turned to face Pietro, who shrugged, and as you turned to face Clint, he looked as confused as you.

"This last song I would like to dedicate to my dear Vision, the man who I have secretly loved for so long, and two weeks ago, he came to me and confessed what I thought impossible, he reciprocated."

It felt as if as if a thousand swords pierced right towards your heart, shattering it into a million pieces as her words echoed through the room.

Every memory you shared with Wanda came crashing down upon you, each one of them feeling like a heavy brick that fell over you, until they slowly buried you. You thought, only in death was it possible to experience such a thing, but you were wrong, the agony of heartbreak was just as overwhelming.

"There you are... hi, darling!" She giggled, and Vision shyly laughed as he greeted the public around him.

You glanced at his direction, and there he was, with his blonde hair and glasses, the man who took everything from you... but objectively talking, he was simply the man who took the chance you always took for granted, and therefore, you ended up missing.

But even then, you forced yourself to swallow your heart that was threatening to come out of your throat, and began to play the corresponding chords. You hadn't invested so many weeks of dedication for a moment of weakness to make you throw away all that effort.

"And so I watch you from afar, like a distant star...

For I'll always love you, but you'll never know...

Ink and paper, my silent confidantes they are…

They seem to whisper, 'Your secret's safe,' as emotions flow..."

Somehow, you were grateful for that small work of mercy that the universe had for you, as you didn't know how you would have survived if you had not chosen this song as the closing song.

As soon as you left the stage, you made your way to the outside of the bar, almost hoping that your feelings were an object that you could simply forget about in there, but the reality was that they were chasing you until you drowned.

"(Y/N)?" You heard Pietro's voice, behind you, and you ran to him desperately seeking comfort, like a soul in sorrow that had just been banished from all that could have been a valley of angels.

As soon as you felt the warmth of his body, you burst into tears. It wasn't just the pain that Wanda had found someone else, but the fact that she had taken something as sacred as words spoken from the most vulnerable part of your heart and addressed them to another individual as if they were a crumbled piece of paper that she could toss, not caring where it landed.

"I swear I had no idea," Pietro whispered, stroking your head as he rested his chin on your head. "Vision was a family friend, but she never gave any signs, never mentioned anything."

The older twin's shirt was stained with your tears, as the merciless cold threatened to freeze you both right there, but despite the multiple signals your body was sending through shivering and shuddering sighs, you remained in the same place letting the silence of the street drag with it your sobs and wails for a love that was never yours.

Pietro took you home after an hour, and embraced you, while your tears clouded your sight until it was completely obscured, making you fall into a deep sleep, as if your body had taken pity on you and knocked you out to mitigate the pain that was eating away at you.

The next day, Clint arrived with boats of ice cream in an attempt to cheer you, and comforted you as much as physically possible. Each one of them, in their unique way, seemed willing to take every piece of you and put it back together, like you were their very own human kintsugi, making you even more resilient than you were before the chaos shattered you.

Wanda showed up after a week, her patience worn thin by the deafening silence that had persisted ever since what was supposed to be your big night. Her concern for you had grown, and she couldn't stand the thought of her messages going unanswered any longer.

"Hey," she greeted you, and judging by her smile, she seemed so oblivious that it somehow relieved you. Even in the midst of all your sorrow, all you wanted was for her to choose her own path of happiness even if it was one that didn't involve you as her partner.

Yes, you wanted to be part of her journey, maybe like a distant star yet so shiny it could be perceived even from 150 million kilometers apart. And in that moment, your love for her manifested itself more than in any song you could ever have written, because you decided to withdraw and pretend that your heart was not shattered, just so that hers could beat unbound.

"Hey, listen, I was not ignoring you, it's just that I am having the worst migraines lately, perhaps for the cold..." you excused yourself.

"I know," she said, her tone telling it all. She knew. "I know everything."

Pietro... who else could it be?

Two simple words that you have heard before through different contexts were able to thwart the fragile equilibrium you had acquired, for that was the first thing that started a fury within your being, and it wasn't the fact that Pietro had exposed you.

"Hey, hey, calm down..." Wanda quickly exclaimed, interrupting your train of thought. You blinked a couple of times, and your vision was blurred, indicating that you were starting to cry.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" You exclaimed, as you sobbed. "I just... I don't know how or why it happened, I'm so sorry," you apologized in a desperate plea for understanding.

You felt the need to apologize, because you felt as if being in love with Wanda was a transgression against your friendship, a condemnation to put it to an end.

She captured you in her arms, and naturally, you weakened at her touch, as you did with her and no one else. It was maybe something you could not comprehend, but it always felt as if there wasn't a point where you ended and Wanda started, therefore, the weight on your shoulders distributed itself so it would be a little more bearable. 

"I have this habit of being negative to no end, so I don't let myself down by getting my hopes up so high," Wanda spoke, once she allowed you to let out everything you had stuck, because she knew very well that you needed it. "I wanted to believe that those songs were about me, but.... what if they weren't? So I kept telling myself constantly that they were about someone else. And it hurt. It hurt just imagining it, and I was where you are now."

In that moment, it felt like the world had ceased to turn. You couldn't believe what you had just heard. Wanda, the woman you had secretly loved, was confessing that she had feelings for you too. It was a revelation that seemed too surreal to be true, and your mind struggled to process it.

Before you could find the right words to answer her, she continued, "I never saw my brother as furious with me as he was after that night," the brunette confessed, sighing. "He asked me, 'Why Vision? You're lying to yourself', and he said I didn't deserve that love song you wrote about me, as I dedicated it to a man that I don't love. In response, I kept insisting that all those songs weren't for me, and that the best thing to do was to try to move on, convince myself that Vision was the safer option, even if I knew in my heart that you were the right option..." she paused. "Out of frustration, he told me everything. And I'm sorry, so sorry, because Pietro is right, I don't deserve to..."

You stopped her right there, and crashed yous lips with hers.

There. The wait was over, and in that perfect, heart-stopping moment, everything fell into place.

She reciprocated immediately, and you could feel her firm grip on your waist. You felt a deep pleasure due to the culmination of unspoken feelings, but overall, you knew you finally had found home in Wanda's lips when the kiss felt more natural than anything else.

"It's just one song," you whispered softly against her parted lips. "I can always write more."

[oldwritingm]

Hello again! Let's see... Maybe... Some Creeps again? With... an insecure type character. Think slashers who wear masks in American horror type. Your choice once again, have fun my friend! Congratulations!

~ Shatter

Tysm Shatter!! I decided to do Toby for this one, hope that's cool :3

Word count: 1.1k

Creepypasta - Just Two Slashers ("Ticci" Toby) (700 follower event)

The evening air was heavy with moisture; you were certain it was going to rain. The dark trees along the road all whispered among themselves in the breeze, and for a moment you were entranced. Peaceful, even.

And then came Toby.

“Y/n! There you are!”

Tobias Rogers; the mysterious friend you’d made not too long after moving here. You guessed he lived in the woods too; maybe not these woods (you’d been searching for years for the “huge” house Toby claimed he lived in), but the woods somewhere. He always talked about life in the backwoods; but that wasn’t why you two got along so well. Any two strangers can bond over living in similar biomes—no, you both killed people. Often. For different reasons, sure, but that was something that no one else in the world could bond over.

He was jogging towards you eagerly, his mask and goggles still donned.

“How can you run in those?” You asked as he approached.

“I dunno, how can you do anything with that bulky ass mask?”

You shrugged, backing down immediately. Beneath “that bulky mask” you were reddening.

“C’mon, I was just teasing. I know why you wear it.”

“And I know why you wear your stuff.”

“Yeah. Sucks to be ugly, huh?” He joked. “Not that you’re ugly, though. I actually think you’re pretty hot.”

“You do?”

Instead of responding, Toby gripped your hand and started walking down the road.

For a while he didn’t say anything. He drummed his finger against the back of your hand, hummed, clicked his tongue, but made no conversation whatsoever.

You would’ve spoken up, but a lump in your throat stopped you. So, you took to responding to him in his language. You tapped your finger against his hand.

He glanced over at you, then began tapping rhythmically. At first you thought he was drumming the beat to some song, but then you decided that he was just being sporadic. You tried to mimic his pattern.

“I thought we were doing morse code.”

“Is that what that was?”

Toby shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t know morse code.”

You both burst out in laughter, squeezing each other’s hands affectionately. 

“Anywho, I think it’s gonna rain.”

“Yeah…”

“Everyone else will be inside.” “I should hope they’re already inside; it’s past dark now.”

“Man, don’t say that! I was thinking more, like, shucks, everyone’s inside.”

You quirked up a brow. “Why would you want someone to be… oh, wait.”

Toby nodded slowly, and you could hear the smile in his voice when he said: “Yeah.”

“Don’t tell me it is telling you to… you know.”

“Kill someone? Nah, I just wanted to mess with some losers.”

“Oh. ‘Cause… I mean, I wouldn’t mind if we—if…”

Toby knew what that meant. You had someone in mind. Someone who wronged you in the past, someone who you thought might’ve seen you as you walked the backroads late at night, someone who just gave you the vibe of someone who’d hate you… there were a lot of them. You made lists.

“Let’s see the list.”

Toby glanced over the sheet of notebook paper you’d torn from your journal, then crumpled it up in his pocket. “Got it.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, I’ll get to it eventually…” Toby sighed.

Suddenly you felt a little guilty. “I mean, you don’t have to… I don’t mind… uh, doing it myself. It was nice of you to offer, though.”

“Nah, I’ll do it. Just whenever the man wants some trouble stirred up again. Not tonight.”

“What should we do tonight, then?”

“Hm… let’s go to that one lake.”

“...The one that I live by? The lake that you’ve been to countless times when you visit me?”

“Yeah! That one!”

And so it was decided with an exasperated sigh and a blameless snicker—you’d go to the lake.

The moon was high by the time you reached the lake, and its reflection shimmered on the surface. The clouds were clearing now, but still you smelled rain.

“Let’s swim.”

You clenched your fists anxiously. “The water will be freezing, Toby!”

But he was already walking into the water. Yes, walking, not taking any layers off at all. For a second you watched in disbelief, unable to move at all. Then you huffed, sighed, and followed suit.

“Why doesn’t wearing more layers protect you from the cold? This shit sucks!!” Toby, enraged, started walking back out of the water, but only after he had gone far out enough to submerge his head several times.

“I tried to tell you,” you couldn’t help but laugh as you watched him hold his arms out like a scarecrow as he went, clothes dripping profusely.

“This was a very bad idea! Why did you let me do this? Aw…”

Before the guilt of the accusation could settle in, he was onto a new topic. “That’s crazy, though. Who knew a sweater wouldn’t protect you from cold water? Stupid. Can we warm up in your cabin please?”

Eager to help, you jumped at the opportunity. “Of course.”

You didn’t have much in your cabin, but you had a wood stove and a kettle and two cups. Hot tea warmed your bellies while the fire warmed your skin. You were both wearing pairs of your oversized pajamas, your other clothes being soaked and freezing.

Beneath your respective blankets you both huddled closer to yourselves, rubbing your arms and tucking strands of sticky hair away from your faces. 

Your knee was pressed against Toby’s, and suddenly you felt his hand resting half on his knee, half on yours.

You could see wheels turning in his head for a few seconds before he removed his hand.

“Nah, you’re even colder than I am. I was gonna suggest we huddle for more warmth, but… you’re, like, icy.”

“Unlucky me,” you laughed, nudging Toby good-naturedly. 

“Unlucky me. This totally would’ve been a good chance to hold you without all those bulky clothes on. You’re cute with them on, but with just your pajamas? Yeesh.” He sensed your owlish gaze. “That was a good ‘yeesh,’ by the way.”

You looked down bashfully. “I… think you look good in pajamas, too.”

“Really?! Gah, why do you have to be so cold? I would totally hug you right now.” Toby wrapped his blanket tighter around himself, huffing in frustration.

You had to laugh again. “Maybe next time, tiger.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, lowering himself to lay on his back. “Next time.”

He would be gone in the morning. You never knew where he went—he always insisted it was too dangerous for you to know. But he would be back. And you’d be waiting. 

Thank you so much for taking part in the event!! And thanks for reading, take care duckies <3

[izvmimi]

“Right there?”

The question tumbles from your pretty lips breathlessly, the lower of them immediately making its way between your teeth. Perched atop your freckled husband while he groans from where he’s pinned beneath your spread thighs, you lean forward and press your elbows into either side of the backsides of his shoulders.

“Just like that,” Izuku hisses through his teeth, chin turned so he can look at you from over his shoulder. You lean into your elbows, pressing your weight into his muscles.

You giggle while he moans again, one of his hands reaching to wrap around your thigh and hold you steady. Your barely clothed but somewhat covered body stretches over Izuku’s back, elbows swapped out for palms and thumbs that you dig into the trapezius muscles.

“God, you're tense. This is just from sitting at your desk?”

He attempts to nod but you stop him by swirling a small yet pressured circle at the base of his neck. Green eyes flutter shut and you feel him take a deep breath beneath you, relaxing into the softness of the mattress below.

Izuku’s fingers drum a pattern on your thigh though his eyes stay shut, the picture of relaxation. You smile down at him and slide your hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck, gently massaging beneath his slightly overgrown waves.

Maybe you guys have been really busy lately.

“Don’t loosen me up too much, your turn is still up,” he mutters, jaw and body slack and relaxed.

You lean forward enough to press your cheek against his and kiss his nose. A sleepy chuckle rumbles deep in his chest and the beat against your thigh becomes a series of weak squeezes instead.

He seems to have fallen at least half asleep all thanks to your loving hands.

“You’ll just have to get me back later,” you whisper and he uses the last of his energy to hum back in agreement.

me and him forever tbh 😭

[tinynerdz360]

Future Ghost Chapter 11 New Mission

Krik sat in his office waiting for an important call from command.

Kirk's computer terminal beeped with an urgent hail from Starfleet Command. He tapped the screen to accept the call. Admiral Nogura's stern face appeared, his brow furrowed.

"Captain Kirk, we need to discuss your report on the stowaway...this time traveler, Danny Fenton," the Admiral said, his tone clipped.

Kirk tensed. He had a feeling this conversation was coming, but he wasn't looking forward to it. "Yes, Admiral, I’ve made a detailed report on him. What else would you like to know?"

Nogura leaned forward, staring intently through the screen. "Is there any possible connection between this boy and the disappearance of Amity? Ensign Gray brought us concerning findings about unusual energy signatures at the crater site. But damn it, Kirk, we've lost so much data from the wars. It's beyond frustrating." The admiral shook his head wearily. “What baffles me is that nobody, and I mean nobody noticed a whole city was gone. All these decades, not a mention of it.”

Kirk blinked in surprise, not expecting that to be the first topic at hand. It looks like Chekov’s friend had gone to Starfleet with her findings. Kirk chose his words carefully. "At this point, we haven’t asked him about it. We had some concerns about his ability to handle such news. He’s already stranded in time. We’re giving him more time before we break the news to him. But as far as we can tell, we don't have evidence directly linking Danny to Amity's disappearance.” However, Kirk knew more than he was letting on. The boy's abilities, his true nature...but Kirk needed to protect him.

"Our scientists have been studying the site and noticed some unusual phenomena." The admiral's eyes narrowed. "For one, there's a distinct lack of signs of weapon use. No residual energy signatures, no debris patterns consistent with known weaponry."

Kirk nodded. "That is strange. Have the scientists there found anything, maybe in historical documents?"

The admiral shook his head, frustration evident in his tone. "That's the problem, Kirk. With so much data lost during the wars, we can't even pinpoint exactly when the city vanished. It could have been at the beginning, in the middle, or even after the conflicts ended."

Kirk's fingers drummed on the armrest of his chair, a nervous habit he'd never quite been able to shake. "What about the crater itself? Anything unusual there?"

"Yes, and it's deeply concerning." The admiral's image flickered, the transmission wavering momentarily before stabilizing. "The crater is in a state of stasis, almost as if time itself has stopped within its boundaries. The soil remains barren, no signs of life or growth. It's as if the very essence of the place has been drained away."

Kirk tapped his chin in thought. “Maybe these energy beings from this Zone Danny mentioned have something to do with it?”

The admiral's expression turned grave. "It's a possibility.”

Kirk's thoughts turned to the enigmatic teenager under his command.

"There's something else, Kirk." The admiral's voice jolted him back to the present. "The energy interference around the crater is playing havoc with our equipment. Sensors malfunction, scanners give false readings. And some of our scientists...they've been affected too."

Kirk sat up straighter, alarm bells ringing in his head. "Affected how?"

"It's like they're in a trance. They keep leaving the site, drawn away by some unseen force. We've had to establish a quarantine zone just to keep them contained. Once they're far from the crater, they return to normal with no memory of the place."

Kirk met the admiral's gaze, determination etched into every line of his face. "I'll get to the bottom of this, Admiral. You have my word."

The admiral nodded, his expression softening just a fraction. "I know you will, Kirk. But be careful. We're dealing with forces beyond our understanding. Tread lightly and keep a close eye on that boy."

"Oh, and Kirk," the admiral's voice cut through Kirk's musings, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. "There's another situation that requires your immediate attention."

Kirk straightened in his seat, his eyes sharp and focused. "Go ahead, Admiral."

The admiral's face was grave, the lines around his mouth and eyes deepening with concern. "We've lost contact with the science vessel USS Hades. They were studying a newly discovered planet, one with the ruins of a long-dead alien civilization."

Kirk frowned, a sense of unease settling in his gut. "Lost contact? For how long?"

"Nearly 48 hours now," the admiral replied, his voice tight. "Their last transmission mentioned a distress call from the planet's surface, but we haven't been able to raise them since."

Kirk's mind raced with possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. A distress call from an unknown planet, a science team gone silent... it had all the makings of a mystery and a dangerous one at that.

"We'll investigate immediately, Admiral," Kirk said, his voice firm and resolute. "I'll have my crew prepare for departure within the hour."

The admiral nodded, a flicker of relief crossing his face. "Good. But Kirk... be careful. We don't know what you'll find down there."

Kirk's jaw tightened, his eyes hardening with determination. "We'll take every precaution, Admiral. But we will get to the bottom of this.

Kirk stood from his chair, straightening his uniform as he moved towards the door. The conversation with Admiral Nogura played over in his mind, the weight of his responsibility as captain pressing down on his shoulders. He had to ensure the safety of his crew, but he also felt a strong need to protect Danny, the mysterious teenager with abilities beyond anything he'd encountered before.

Kirk called his senior officers in for a meeting about their next mission.

Kirk turned to his senior officers, his expression grave. "We have a situation," he began, his voice carrying the weight of command. "The USS Hades has gone silent. They were studying ruins on a newly discovered planet when they sent out a distress call. Our orders are to investigate and render assistance."

Uhura's eyes widened, concern etched on her face. "A distress call? What could have happened?"

"Unknown," Kirk replied, his brow furrowed. "But we'll find out. Spock, I want you to coordinate with the science department. Gather all available data on that planet and the Hades' mission."

Spock nodded, already mentally compiling the necessary information. "Understood, Captain."

Kirk's gaze shifted to Scotty, the ship's chief engineer. "Scotty, I need the Enterprise ready for anything. Make sure all systems are at peak performance."

Scotty grinned a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Aye, Captain. She'll be purring like a kitten."

Kirk allowed a small smile before his expression turned serious once more. "There's one more thing," he said, his voice low. "The admiral has concerns about our young stowaway, Danny. He wants us to keep a close eye on him and report any unusual behavior."

McCoy frowned, his protective instincts flaring. "Jim, the kid hasn’t done anything wrong. We can't treat him like a suspect."

Kirk held up a hand, his eyes understanding but firm. "I know, Bones. But we have our orders. We'll handle this delicately, but we need to be vigilant."

As the meeting adjourned, Kirk's thoughts turned to Danny. The boy was an enigma, his abilities both fascinating and potentially dangerous. Kirk knew he would have to tread carefully, balancing his duty to Starfleet with his instinct to protect the young hybrid.

The crew bustled with activity as they prepared for the mission, a sense of urgency and anticipation filling the air. In the science labs, Spock and his team pored over the limited data on the mysterious planet, searching for any clues that might shed light on the Hades fate.

And on the bridge, Kirk sat in his command chair, his eyes fixed on the viewscreen as the stars streaked past. 

Chapter 12

[seancekitsch]

...And Into my Car: Chapter 1

Pairing: Hughie Campbell x Reader

Hughie hums along to the radio, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he sits and waits parked out front of the Times Square Church. Today is just like any other day with the boys: stake outs and surveillance. That is, until you're slapping your hands on his passenger side window, pulling up the skirts of your ballgown wedding dress and begging him to open the door.

warnings for the series: smut, violence, use of Y/N and supe name, more to be added

Things are peaceful, sort of. Hughie has settled into a pattern that he thinks he likes. Sure, the move from a shared apartment to a solo apartment in Tribeca was chaotic, and he ends up covered in blood more often than he’d like… but comparatively things are going really well! Hughie drums his fingers along the steering wheel of the car, parked outside the Times Square church in all its gaudy glory and beats the wheel to the tune of a Steely Dan song.

Thai food maybe? he thinks, maybe he’ll ask the girls if they want to do Thai after this, this stupid recon op that makes no sense. Why is Vought at this stupid church anyway? There are better churches in Midtown alone, ones that Vought would consider more culturally significant or even better for a photo opportunity than this one.

People stroll along, stop, stroll, stop. Hughie can alway pick out his kind, Native New Yorkers, from the tourists. First of all, they're not afraid to jaywalk. They break the steady rhythm of the traffic in Times Square. They also keep their heads down, dont look at the spectacle of it all. The glitter is mundane to his kind. Even the local theatergoers act as if what they do is a secret, he notices as someone on the corner takes a discreet picture of the Winter Garden before going back to their head down slog, until they head inside.

Wedding bells chime.

Ah, that must be it, Hughie realizes. Maybe one of the Execs is getting married, or one of the lower level supes. He wishes them well, or whatever, the poor saps at best case and a match made in hell at the worst. He's sure the place will be swirling with paparazzi and news outlets. Great. Maybe he should move his car, he realizes, as he could easily end up trapped in on this street if a crowd decides to form.

But just as he's about to put the car in drive, the sounds of metal on glass interrupt, and then:

"Hughie Campbell?"

His musings are disrupted by a loud voice, a woman in a ballgown wedding dress, the kind you'd see from a princess. Jewelry glitters and hair is expertly piled on top of her head. It gives him pause as he pictures Marie Antoinette. Her eyes darting around, looking for something. Perhaps Butcher had some kind of agenda when stationing him near this church today, but Hughie remains a skeptic. Your face has no recollection to him. You are, in all ways, a stranger.

“Hey, open up!” you exclaim, your comically large engagement ring turned inward on your hand and clattering against the window; a behavior Hughie recognizes. If not his car, you’re going to try the subway, your ball gown dragging into the doors of the C train or something. 

“Please!” you ask again, your voice cracking as you speak. For some reason, beyond all of Hughie’s good sense, he presses the button that unlocks the doors. You fling the door open the moment you hear the click, gathering your skirts and your veil up in unceremonious handfuls where Hughie gets a glimpse of running shoes under the dress, and you throw yourself onto the seat next to him. The tulle and underskirts spill over the center console, and Hughie cringes as some of the white netting brushes against the tip of the straw of his dr pepper. You sigh deeply and dramatically as you buckle your seatbelt, throwing your head back against the seat. Your eyes fall shut for a moment, gathering yourself. He doesn't recognize you, not from any of the offices or any of the posters or TV advertisements. If you work for Vought, you don't work in any part of it that he has seen.

“Cold feet?” he asks, and then immediately wants to slap himself in the face. He should kick you out, he really should.

“You could say that,” you chuckle, then add, “You ever see a wedding live-streamed on VoughtPlus?”

“No?” Hughie asks, but he really doesn’t like where this is going. There was talk, of a VoughtPlus wedding livestream, back when Homelander was with Stormfront. It seemed absolutely fucked then, and the idea of it still sounds fucked now. Perhaps there is a good reason why there hasn’t been one of these yet. 

"Well, you aren't going to!" You laugh, your smile bright, and Hughie wonders if you're insane, "And no one will! I'm free!"

"And you needed me for that?" he asks, still not really sure why his car or he specifically is roped into this. But as the seconds tick by, the urge to drive, even with a bride in his car, grows stronger.

"You're parked where a getaway car would be, right? So lets get away."

Hughie drives aimlessly into Hell's Kitchen, past more theaters and trendy restaurants. He's not sure what made him put the car in gear, but he has, and the drive is not bad so far. The radio is the only sound in the car, but it's not uncomfortable. Hughie continuously checks the rearview mirror, but it seems as if he's not being followed... yet. All of it feels off, yet he doesn't raise any alarms just yet. Your lip curls up into a snarl at one of the buildings, like the architecture is deserving of disdain. You pick at your nails, as if clawing at the manicure would fix the situation, or ease something within you.

"We need to get out of this city," you say, your voice wavering and watery. It's now that he sees your eyes are rimmed with tears.

"Yeah, okay, yeah we can do that," he stammers, turning another corner, "Where?"

"Anywhere I guess. We could go to Philly?"

“Thats too close," he dismisses, remembering how easily Vought had found them when they had been on reconnaissance in Central Pennsylvania.

You scoff, your tears fading away as your face becomes irate.

"Well, okay, where are you from?” he asks.

“Philly.”

“I told you that's too close. Pick again.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean pick again? You asked me a factual question about myself,” you scoff, and cross your arms, “Can’t change where I’m from like you probably can’t change that stupid haircut.”

Ouch. He’s struck a chord. But he can’t be mad at you about the haircut comment, not when this is what Kimiko could salvage after Butcher accidentally lit a cigarette too close to Hughie’s head. He knows the haircut is fucked up, but he can’t find it in himself to shave it and start over either. 

“Okay, rude,” Hughie sighs, resolve failing him, “But I guess you’re right. We still can’t go there though.”

“Yes, we can! And you know what? We should. I’ve been hiding stuff away from Vought in there for months now. They’ve never suspected a thing. And Annie’s been a big help-“ Annie? What the fuck does Annie have to do with this? “- and she said that if I ever need help that she can’t give me, that you’re the one to go to! I guess its fate I found you on the day that I needed you most.”

By the time you stop talking your chest is heaving, stress emanating off of you in waves. Hughie has been there. Maybe thats why he can feel his resolve dampening by the second. Annie knew about you, trusted you, and here you are asking for help.

How can he say no?

"Okay. We'll stop in Philly. We can't stay there though."

You nod in understanding, your entire body dropping tension at once as you slump against the seat. Hughie decides then that he doesn't like being the cause of any stress for you, a woman he doesn't even know. Perhaps it's how he knows he's 'weaker' than the other guys in the group, perhaps it's just heightened empathy after the long year and a half he's had. Either way, your relief is shared with him as he turns up the radio and waits for the light to turn green.

He turns down the next street, and changes course towards the tunnel.

[mrultra100]

Now that the Poison Quad has finally been revealed in the form of the delightfully bizarre Oogiddy, I can finally show off an idea that I’ve been thinking about in my head!

Ever since Ethereal Workshop was launched last year in My Singing Monsters, it was an island and song that I quickly fell in love with the moment the first wave came out. It’s just this quirky bop that fully embraces the trial and error and unstable experimentation that comes with bringing these beasts into the Monster World. What really elevates it for me are the 5 Quads. I’m not gonna lie; these 5 are my personal favorite Quad Monsters in the entire series. Not only do they perfectly fit the respective Elements that they represent, they’re also perfect fits to the workshop’s song in various creative ways. Whaill’s 6-mouth choir, Vhenshun’s various gear turnings, clicking picks, and screeching whistles helping with the whole industrial theme of the song, Pentumbra’s shadow mimicking and singing along with Yooreek’s own robotic vocals(?) Rhysmuth basically being a floating set of breakbeat drums, and the aforementioned Oogiddy using its own acidic puddles like cymbals, the Quads are really what help elevate the song along with the other Monsters and their killer tracks.

As for a bit of artist’s trivia? When I was originally planning out the rough sketch, I was banking on the hypothetical Ethereal Quint to be revealed alongside the Poison Quad. However, only Oogiddy showed up during the recent Summersong trailer, so I decided to use a pattern based on not only Zarroë’s own eyes, but also the Photoreceptor Path, since that’s made of the same “building blocks” as the Colossal’s many compound eyes, for the center of the piece

As for where or IF the Ethereal Quint’s ever gonna pop up? I’m banking on it being revealed during Anniversary Month. Either as the final FINAL new Monsters on that island, or maybe on a new island that could work a bit like Tribal Island that involves every single Ethereal up to this point, I dunno. Time will only tell, but until we get answers, I’m very happy with the song as is. As for this piece? I feel like I captured these lovable weirdos perfectly. After all, it truly takes the mind of a true creative at work to come up with marvels like these.

[am-i-interrupting]

Can you write something where Jinx makes a sex machine? Thank you.

Presents For Puppies

Tags: 2.3k words, sex machine, vibrators, bondage, sharing sex toys, oral, slightest bit of puppy play (name calling only), praise kink

This time you had the faintest clue but we’re still floundering in all the possibilities when she told you to undress and then tied you to the bed. She didn’t tie you tightly. You could still move your legs a fair amount and your arms were able to lay lax.

She straddled your waist and trailed her fingers down your face. You turned your head to give them a light kiss. She pressed her fingers to your bottom lip and slipped them into your mouth when you left your mouth open. She took a moment, caressed your tongue with the tips of her long fingernails leaving tingling nerves in her wake. Then she went back to drag those same fingers down your skin.

Along your neck she left a wet trail down the center that cooled as it dried. Her fingers drummed against the notch of your collarbone.

“You’d do anything I asked,” she said softly, almost like she didn’t believe it, “wouldn’t you?”

“Of course.”

She smiled softly. “Like a puppy,” she said. She hummed to herself and she moved her hand around your neck. “Maybe I should get you a collar.” Your eyes fell shut at the thought. “You’d like that wouldn’t you—“ she pressed down on your throat, hard enough to block your airflow before she released the pressure, moment over nearly as fast as it began— “puppy?”

You gasped for a breath, “Yes.”

She dragged her nails down where her hand had been, almost like she was petting you. “Maybe next time,” she said. “I do love giving you gifts, after all. Don’t I?”

“You do.”

“Am I generous?”

“Yes, always give me more than I deserve,” you told her.

Her eyes fell closed this time. “What else am I?” she asked.

“Beautiful, perfect, smart, sexy, mine,” you began to list off.

Her fingers twitched around your neck at the last one. “Say it again,” she said in a voice that sounded so close to begging.

“Mine,” you repeated.

Her face screwed up with a look you knew too well. She was having a hard time believing your words over the screams in her head that bothered her so often.

“You’re mine,” you told her. “Always mine and I’m not going anywhere.”

She opened her eyes and looked at you. “Yours?” she asked.

“Mine.”

She surged up and kissed you. Her hand around your neck applied just enough pressure to make you short of breath and whine into her mouth. Her other hand went to squeeze your hand.

Her hips started to roll against you. It started off slow, sensual and quickly became the opposite. You could feel her wetness begin to streak onto you.

“And you’re mine, right?” she asked as she pulled away, a streak of spit dangling from her lips. You nodded. “My puppy. I like calling you puppy, do you like it?”

“Yes,” you told her.

“How does it make you feel?” she asked as she began to kiss and suck on your neck.

“Small, helpless, like I need you,” you told her.

She pulled back to look you in the eyes, vulnerability in them. “You do need me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good, because I need you too,” she said.

She stopped the kissing and the rolling of her hips. She rested her head above your heart and listened to it. She drew patterns on your skin and made lazy circles around your nipple.

“I have a gift for you,” she said.

“You told me,” you reminded her. “When can I see it?”

“Soon,” she said and she paused before she added, “puppy.”

She leaned over and pinched your nipple between her teeth. She soothed the sharp pain by running her tongue over it in the same lazy circles she had made with her fingers. Then she hallowed her cheeks and sucked. She brought as much of your breast as she could into her mouth and massaged it with her tongue. A moan from both of you filled the air.

She pulled back, still hallowed around your breast, as far away as she could. Then she let it fall from her mouth. She watched it bounce and settle back to its place. Then she moved to do the same with the other one.

You wanted to place your hands in her hair and guide her but you couldn’t, arms held in place by the bondage.

“So good,” you settled on telling her. “You’re so good to me.”

She pulled away from your chest and nuzzled against your chin. Then she bit it, lightly, carefully.

She leaned over you and rummaged through her drawer. Her breasts hovered in front of your face, so close but just out of reach. You closed your eyes with a silent whine. You wanted to touch her too.

She sat back with a vibrator in her hands now. Her fingers curled around it elegantly. She turned it on. She began to slowly lower it down, further and further. You began to hold your breath with anticipation but she didn’t place it in either place you thought she would.

Vibrations began just below your belly button and traveled downward. You could just feel the hint of a sensation where you wanted it but even then it was like a whisper of a breeze.

Jinx seemed to be feel the same as she wiggled her hips and closed her eyes. She moved her free hand to play with her breasts. She bounced one just because she knew you liked it before she wet her fingers with her spit and began to rub her nipples. Her mouth fell open as she began to moan loudly.

“You want to touch me, pup?” she asked.

“Yes.”

She moved the vibratory a bit further down so when she rolled her hips it brushed against her. “But that’s not your present,” she told you.

“Then what is it?” you asked.

She pulled the vibrator away and kissed you fiercely, messily. Then she abruptly got off you and left the room.

The door remained open. She remained nude as she walked through the halls. Anyone who came by would know what you were doing, what she was doing, what you were doing together.

She was gone. The room was quiet. It was cold. You could feel your skin start to prickle and grow cold. The warmth in your stomach didn’t die though. It got warmer in contrast as you thought up of all the potential things she could bring in. Too many possibilities, not enough to go on.

There were footsteps several minutes later. The clap of shoes against the hard floor. Not Jinx.

You struggled against the bindings for a moment. Torn between whether you wanted to hide so they couldn’t see you or stay put so they could. It wasn’t like you had much of a choice in the matter though.

They walked past and didn’t look in the room. You let go of a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.

Still, you waited.

You wrapped your fingers around the bindings. You pulled on them just to see how tight she’d made them this time, maybe that would clue you in.

They were tight, very tight with a very strong hold. She expected you to struggle. What would make you struggle? Your fingers worried against the leather as you tried to come up with an answer.

The sound of wheels now echoed through the hall. “Sorry, pup,” Jinx’s voice said before she even came into view, “Silco saw me and decided to give me a firm talking to about decency and ambushes and blah, blah, blah. Hope you didn’t get too bored.”

She rolled something in that resembled one of her guns in some ways but attached to the end of it was a dildo. She kicked shut the door and knelt out of view to click the wheels into a set position.

She grabbed the machine and carried it to the bed. She reached for a pillow.

“What is that?” you asked her.

“It’s your present,” she told you, giving you no more information.

She placed the pillow underneath your hips making your bindings go taunt around your ankles. Then she moved to line up the dildo with your hole. She grabbed some lube from the same drawer she grabbed the vibrator and smeared it over the dildo.

She pressed the tip of the dildo inside you and then flipped some switch. You felt the dildo enter you in a slowly paced thrust.

Your mouth fell open and she raked her nails down your stomach.

“How’s it feel?” she asked.

“Good,” you told her. “It feels so good, Jinx.”

“Good,” she said.

She then spread your folds apart and pressed her tongue to your clit. Your eyes rolled back. She used the tip of her tongue to tease you. The thrusts inside you went a bit faster.

“It’s so good,” you said. “You make me feel so good.”

She sucked your clit between her lips and then moved away. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

She turned a dial on the machine and it started going faster and faster. It shifted from lightly brushing against that sweet spot inside you to pushing it, going away, and then pushing it once more.

Your fingers still curled around the leather straps pulled them as close as you could. Your back arched a bit off the bed. You tried to pull your legs closer but the bindings gave no give, leaving you spread out.

“Jinx, please,” you said.

“What?” she asked as she grabbed the vibrator again. “Please what?”

She turned the dial on it up and hovered it over you and then hovered it above herself, making your choices clear. You swallowed.

“Touch yourself,” you told her. “You look so pretty when you touch yourself. Could cum from that alone.”

She smiled. She hooked her ankle with your own. Then she let her other leg fall off the edge of the bed. She spread her folds for you to see and lowered the vibrator to her clit.

Her mouth fell open with a moan. Her neck arched back. You wanted to sit up and kiss it. You wanted to touch her so bad.

She moaned your name. “Oh, thank you, puppy. Feels so good. You make me feel so good. Can’t even touch me and you make me feel so good, puppy, so good.”

You pulled on your bindings again but they held strong. Your hips rolled just the slightest bit.

She turned the dial on the vibratory even further. Her voice caught in her throat, a whine stopping halfway. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and hummed with pleasure.

“Fuck!” she said, drawing out the syllable as she began to roll her hips against the vibrator. “I’m so close already. Look at you, making me needy but you look so pretty, how could I not be? And you’re needy too, aren’t you? Wanting me and only me to get you off, right?”

“Please.”

“In a second, puppy,” she said, voice hitching.

She moved the vibrator up and down, in a circular motion. Her leg muscles clenched and tensed. Her ankle interlocked with yours forced you to tug against your bindings while her other foot moved to be planted on the mattress. She wrapped her arm around that leg to keep her legs apart, to let you watch.

Her head fell back once again as her eyes closed and her mouth opened with a high pitched moan. She spread her legs apart as far she she could as her body fought to close them. You could see her hole clench around nothing and her body shake.

When she stilled, she didn’t even pause. If anything, she got faster as she spread your folds with two fingers and pressed the vibrator still covered in her fluids against your clit. You jerked on instinct but couldn’t move.

“Be a good puppy for me,” she said. “Don’t fight it. I know you want it.”

You did. You did want it. She was right.

You were also overwhelmed. The machine still thrusted into you at an incredibly fast speed and Jinx turned the dial to make it go faster. The sudden vibrations on your clit shook you just as fast. Her tongue slid across your lower stomach and pelvic bone.

It didn’t take long for your vision to go dark as you came to a climax yourself. You couldn’t remember an orgasm this intense. You couldn’t even hear yourself scream her name but you knew you had. It was overstimulating, these things all at once when you’d only ever had one at a time before.

Jinx turned off the vibrator and the machine. She pulled the dildo out of you. Then she settled between your legs and licked up the mess she’d made of you. Small shock waves of pleasure went through you each time she moved her tongue but she was careful.

When she deemed herself done she crawled up your body and hovered above your face.

“Your turn. Clean me up with that tongue of yours, pup,” she said before she lowered herself enough so you could.

You opened your mouth and ran your tongue along her. She sighed when you did. She tasted salty but you were used to it. You rang your tongue along her folds and dipped it inside her. You closed your lips around her clit and sucked on it. You brushed the very tip of your tongue across it. You moved it fast and she moaned. Her legs clenched around your head as she rode out a less intense orgasm on your face. You cleaned up that mess too.

“So good to me,” she said, “but you’re such a needy little puppy.”

[fountainpenguin]

"So, baby, turn off the lights and stare at the stars- They could be yours right now, could be yours right now..." (x)

New Fairly OddParents 'fic today!

Frayed Knots - Chapter 38

"Harechaser"

📖 Read on FFN || Read on AO3

☁️ Cloudlands AU

✨ More Fairly OddParents 'fics

“Anti-Cosmo, I know this is a sensitive subject. I wouldn’t normally go around asking this, but I think that if we’re going to live together, it’s important to talk.” And I stared at her, horrorstruck, as she played her last five cards: “Do you like Seelie Courters?”

In which Anti-Cosmo and Wanda shop for godparenting supplies and settle into their new housing unit in the Summer of the Flaming Clouds

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

Harechaser

Wanda, for one, had dressed up for our shopping day. I’d never seen that ruffled green dress on her, but I liked the colour. The leafiness suited her. She’d tied back her shiny pink hair and done her face up in enough powder and lash extensions, I knew then and there I’d be staring. Can I confide in Wanda about my plan to wear Mona’s clothes? Maybe she could help me pick a few things out today. I hadn’t thought of that. My core picked up its beats like claws drumming on my arm. I looked away, only to catch her wings at just the right angle; I bit my lip.

She even smelled clean and pleasant- That was definitely some heavy perfume mixed in alongside her usual cherry almond scent. She had a handbag patterned like the night sky, showcasing no fewer pins than her beloved schoolbag. I’d dressed simpler in my Carl Poofypants pullover and black sweatpants. After all, I’d be moving around a lot, in and out of stores on the heels of a quick companion.

When Wanda saw me, her wings stopped fluttering. She touched down on the sidewalk. “Are… you allowed to wear green?” Her words were awfully funny, but the surprise genuine. “How does that work if you’re a Water year?”

Maybe you do pay attention in your culture classes. Of course she did- she was Wanda Fairywinkle. I dragged my eyes from her pretty dress and handbag and shiny wings. “Well, dear Wanda, your brains enamour me once again. I shall have to watch my tongue close around you. Yes, I’m wearing Water-blue underneath. I’m allowed to wear school colours if it’s authentic from their store.” 

Wanda stared curiously at me a moment longer. “I’ve never seen you wear a hoodie before… It looks nice on you.”

Did I detect a twinge of envy dancing in her words? I caught the lift; I heard the plop. I scrutinised myself once more, but I can’t say for certain I liked the lime green of Carl Poofypants pride against my dark blue fur. Would you really say I look ‘nice?’ I should think ‘Getting by’ felt more appropriate. I wondered for a moment how much of Wanda’s classy appearance was her idea and how much her father’s. Perhaps I’d ask Blonda before our move-out date.

“Thank you, darling; I appreciate it. And I could say the same about you.”

She didn’t exactly smile widely at me… but her shoulders did relax.

Wanda poofed us both to the mall we’d decided to glut ourselves on. Noisy, filthy, and people stared as soon as I materialised. I scooped several pieces of trash into a nearby can and did my best to block them out.

“You could use magic,” Wanda said, watching me search the area for any litter I’d overlooked.

“I’m afraid Fairy-Cosmo’s magic is chronically unreliable and I get the dregs of that. It’s a wee bit off today.” I could feel it in my core

“Oh… The Cosma mutation. Right.” Wanda used her magic to help me tidy some litter, and I thanked her for it with a pat on the arm, mindful of cultural boundaries.

“Many thanks, darling- I know the spirit bears appreciate it as much as I do, ta?”

“No trouble…”

The envelopes we’d received our assignments in had included a detailed checklist. On the agenda for today, we’d pick up a few basics like skincare - Protection from sun and acid clocked in at high priority on Boudacia - our interplanet vaccinations, nutrition supplements, and little details for our primary disguises. That… I worried about.

Many godparents chose to take the role of companion animals in a child’s life, offering plausible deniability if they were to leap in and protect their godkid from a threat without revealing their magical nature. Object disguises weren’t unheard of, but grew dull after a time… not to mention they’d put a crick in your neck and wings. It was far too easy for an adult to toss loose objects away, and when our line of work involved lying low, lending aid to miserable children in secret, that was a hassle I was all too happy to avoid.

No… My concern lay with our options for disguise. And when Wanda and I strolled into the little animal disguises shop, Wanda skimmed straight towards the canine collars gleaming on their hooks. My core sank.

“Ah…”

“What do you think of foops?” Wanda asked, holding a blue collar decorated in rhinestones to her neck. She made a face in the mirror and switched it for a green option. “They’ve certainly got the bulk to back up a bite.”

Boudacia hadn’t exactly tamed its violent beasts, though admittedly, the thought of living like a star-coated canine with enormous fangs and claws had a certain charm to it. Before I could speak, Wanda abandoned the rhinestone-studded collars for a guidebook on serpent identification. “Or snakes… I’d love to be a snake.”

Having fangs could really help us in a pinch. I drifted towards her, smoothing my palms down my hoodie front. “Wanda… I’m not really allowed.”

She didn’t face me, though I could tell from the shift in her wings as she bent to grab another collar that her fairy senses had me on lock. “Oh, that’s right… Anti-Fairies aren’t allowed to shapeshift. Do you not get to make exceptions for godparenting?”

“Shapeshifting isn’t forbidden in its entirety, but I can only be a fox- That’s my family line. I’m descended from Cadmea the Teumessian Fox herself. And I don’t really know about the godparenting rules. We can’t get certified on our side of the border.” The Anti-Fairy Academy was a place of personal research, designed especially for the on-the-go lifestyle of a travelling Anti-Fairy. Rather than attending daily classes, it offered the chance to propose research and present projects for evaluation. We certainly didn’t have daily homework or essays graded by biassed instructors… and we didn’t have fancy programs on godparenting.

(I say we, though I of course attended Fairy schools- you know what I mean.)

“Well, there must be some Anti-Fairy godparents you can ask. The war wasn’t that long ago.” Wanda studied another collar lined with little butterflies. “It won’t be easy to be a godparent without shapeshifting.”

“I’ve passed my classes; I’ll do fine.”

“What if our godkid wishes you into a new form?”

“Well, that wouldn’t be my choice, so the spirits wouldn’t be shamed.”

“We could just do that, then.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Does Tarrow’s pantheon even reach Boudacia? I mean… There are only a few spirits watching Snobulac, right?” She counted Saturn, Sunnie, and Winni off on her fingers. “Will they even know?”

“That’s not the point,” I said again, dropping my wings.

“Well, you can’t be a fox,” Wanda argued, finally looking at me. A storm brewed in her shiny pink eyes. “There aren’t any woods in north Boudacia. Their culture’s all about weapons and metal. I vote snakes.”

📖 Read on FFN || Read on AO3

[separatist-apologist]

A Lost Princess of Sunlight

Summary: Lady Elain has spent her life in the idyllic countryside wanting for nothing, so when her adopted sister Vassa begs her to accompany her to court, how can Elain say no? The roguish prince is in need of a wife and Elain, certain she'd make a terrible princess, has no interest in such theatrics.

But something about the palace brings back memories lost to the sea ten years before. Memories Elain had been certain she'd never get back…memories that speak of a colder place, and sisters long forgotten. Amid the tumultuous politics and the looming war, Elain finds herself embroiled in a mystery to find out who she really is.

And where she really comes from.

Note: HAPPY HOLIDAYS @writtenonreceipts! I hope you like this- I tried so hard to give it TOG vibes AND to incorporate nessian and feysand because you said you love them (and I in turn love you).

@acotargiftexchange

Major thanks to @velidewrites and @wilde-knight for the moodboard + beta-ing this fic when I was laying face down in a puddle of my own tears.

Read On AO3 | Chapter 1

-

In recent memory, Lucien couldn’t remember ever feeling fouler than he did that day, standing in the throne room between his parents to greet a personalized list of women his mother hoped might one day be her future daughter-in-law. Lucien had tried in the beginning, offering a smile as he kissed gloveless hands. He’d filed away names for later, trying to paste them against genuinely lovely faces.

He’d expected to meet five women—maybe ten. But this had been going on for hours and he’d lost count of how many women he’d been shown. Fifty? With more that had arrived that his mother deemed otherwise unacceptable and therefore weren’t worth his time or attention. They’d be looking for him, too. Lucien felt like a piece of meat dangled before a wild animal gnashing its teeth hungrily. 

“Mother,” he said when the doors closed, catching his parents before they could beckon for another. “Surely this is too much. Please.”

“It’s good for you to meet your future court,” his father said, drumming long fingers against an ivory carved throne. Gold crowned both his fathers dark head of hair as well as the back of the chair, making it seem as if the King of the West radiated pure sunlight. His mother was a vision just beside, draped in a cream dress and a threaded crown of gold woven through her vivid auburn hair. 

“Isn’t that what all the activities are for? I feel…” he couldn’t say it, couldn’t force those spoiled words from his lips. “I need some air.”

He could see their frustration etched over their features. Was this truly the life laid before him? Would he one day be sitting in his fathers chair beside a woman his mother arranged for him, their son between them? The thought made Lucien want to gag. He hadn’t asked to be a prince, after all and right then, resentment burned hotly through him.

“Take a breath, son—”

“I won’t,” Lucien interrupted, fingers curling to fists. It wasn’t the first time he and his father had disagreed, though it was the first time that his mother would witness it. “This is too much.”

“This is duty, Lucien. Or did you imagine it was all dress up and sword fighting with your friends? We are on the precipice of war and every man has converged on our home to demonstrate their loyalty to our family. You repay them poorly by scowling and acting like a tantruming child,” his father cautioned, gold eyes narrowed in warning. 

“They’re delusional if they think I’ll marry one of their daughters and elevate them far above their stations!” Lucien snapped, stepping from the dais to the swirling gold and gray patterned floor. “There are simply too many women and not enough time—”

“You will choose one of them,” his father said again, harsher this time. 

“Let’s not fight,” his mother interjected quickly, also rising to her feet. Biting her bottom lip, those russet eyes were swimming with apprehension. “Surely there is a compromise to be found.”

“Amera,” Helion chided, his tone softer than before. 

“If you want to pick a wife, I won’t stop you. Any available woman in this city can be yours…so long as you choose one before the end of the summer.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I will choose for you, based on your mothers recommendations,” his father snapped impatiently, crossing one powerful leg over the other. “There will be no more scheming or whoring, Lucien.”

“I know you were hurt when Lady Jes—”

“Don’t,” Lucien whispered, unable to hear his mother speak her name. “Please, mother. My heart can’t bear it.”

“There will be another, my sweet boy,” his mother murmured, reaching up to cup his face in her soft hands. Lucien pulled himself from her grasp, heart thudding in his chest. He hadn’t dared to ask if she was coming, too. He didn’t want to see proof that she could be happy with someone else. That she’d made the right choice in leaving and she’d been right—they didn’t belong together. “Any woman?”

His father pinched the bridge of his nose, recognizing Lucien’s intent but his mother was sincere. “So long as she is of southern birth, yes. Any woman.”

“Fine. I will bring you a daughter to dote on by the end of the summer if you free me from the obligation of choosing one specifically from your list.”

“You better take this seriously, Lucien,” his father warned, leaning forward to look at his only son. “Or it will be me who chooses.”

Lucien had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. His father would do whatever his mother told him to, and his mother would look out for Lucien’s happiness as best as she could. It wouldn’t be love, but it would be tolerable.

How delicious, he thought, to pick some commoner from the city. A woman who knew how to clean her own laundry, something Lucien had never been tasked to do. With the added bonus of keeping him out of the palace and the madhouse of his mothers machinations.

“I accept this arrangement. I won’t let you down,” he added to his mother, guilt pricking at his conscience. His father understood this was malicious compliance based on the hard set of his mouth but his mother’s eyes were shining with hope and Lucien so hated to disappoint her.

Perhaps his father was banking on his sons better nature because he waved him off. “Go get your air. I expect you at dinner tonight. Sober,” he added, guessing Lucien’s plans. 

Lucien exhaled a breath, slipping down a corridor and away from the madness that had befallen the palace. Jurian wasn’t hard to find, leaned against a pillar, arms crossed over his chest as he stared out toward the gardens.

“Washed hair?” Lucien began teasing his friend with a bump to the shoulder, “That must mean Lady Vassa has arrived.”

“She has,” he admitted, dark eyes nodding toward a mass of bouncy copper hair half hidden amongst the foliage. She was with a friend, back turned so Lucien only saw the long, thick tumble of loose golden brown curls and a lavender dress clinging to a slight frame. “Playing her favorite game, of course.”

“The one where she pretends you don’t exist? Has it occurred to you that perhaps she doesn’t like you?” Lucien asked, poking Jurian in his bare arm. “Maybe it’s time to move on.”

“That would show her, wouldn’t it?” Jurian muttered. 

“Here,” Lucien said, stepping from the veranda onto the stone laid path that wound through his mothers rather impressive garden. “I’ll say hello for us both. You can stand beside me silently brooding. I’m certain that will win her affection.”

“You’re a bastard, you know that?”

Lucien only grinned, swaggering as he made his way toward the pair of giggling women. There was no possibility either of them didn’t know Jurian was approaching, though Vassa was the first to look at Lucien. Beautiful as always, with her full mouth, her pert nose, and those big, cerulean eyes brimming with mischief. He liked her, if only because she was so unafraid and unimpressed by him. Lucien imagined if he asked Vassa what she thought of him, she’d tell him frankly and without an ounce of flattery.

Lucien opened his mouth to tell her she was looking lovely. “You look…” The words died on his lips as her friend turned at last, looking up at him with the biggest set of brown eyes he’d ever seen in his life. The tumble of her hair, the slope of her neck, the way her mouth was shaped…Lucien’s palms began to sweat.

She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. How had he never met her before? Who was she? 

“Stunning? Perfect? Like the woman of your dreams?” Vassa’s voice cut through the buzzing in Lucien’s ears. He couldn’t take his eyes off her friend long enough to even respond to Vassa. Instead, he found himself sweeping into a deep bow, all the while holding her gaze. 

Her cheeks flushed but when she tried to curtsey back, Lucien was quick to catch her hand, brushing his lips over her knuckles. She smelled like jasmine and honey. She looked like a daydream. Perhaps the heat had finally gotten to him and this was an angel coming to usher him into the afterlife. 

“This is my sister,” Vassa told Lucien, her amusement burning. Beside him, Jurian coughed pointedly, a mere blur to Lucien. “Elain.”

“Elain,” Lucien replied before Vassa’s words settled. “Since when do you have a sister?”

“Since always,” Vassa retorted, arms crossed over her verdant dress. “Sorry you’re so unobservant you never noticed.”

“I would remember you,” Lucien insisted, memorizing the shape of her face. “Where have you been hiding?”

Cheeks flaming, Elain’s eyes slid to her feet. “I ah…”

“She doesn’t come to court precisely for this reason, my lord,” Vassa interrupted, unaware Lucien was moments from throttling her. “Vultures, the lot of you. Men are so obsessed with finding wives they can’t allow a lady even a moment of peace in the garden.”

Jurian barked out a laugh, causing Elain to jump back just a little. “I prefer the quiet of the countryside,” she said, her voice somehow more beautiful than her face. Lucien wanted to bathe in it, wanted to close his eyes and listen to her speak. And it was becoming increasingly clear she did not want to be anywhere near him based on the way she looked as though she might bolt at any second. 

“I’m glad you made it,” he said, releasing her hand with great reluctance. “That both of you made it.”

“Oh, I’m certain you’re so delighted to see me,” Vassa chided playfully, thrusting out her own hand so Lucien could give her a similar kiss. He did, grinning like an idiot while watching her companion from the corner of his eye. Let her see he wasn’t a threat—that he was charming, and funny too when he wasn’t struck dumb. 

“If you knew the day I’d had, you’d know just how grateful and relieved I am to see you.”

“Do you need me to check your ego, prince? You’re not that handsome, you know.”

Lucien tipped his head back to laugh, genuinely delighted for the first time all day. He needed to hear that and perhaps wanted Elain to see that he could laugh at his own expense. He was a prince, sure, but also the kind of man she could tease a little.

But when he looked back, Elain was still watching with a carefully guarded expression. 

“And how have you been, Captain?” Vassa asked, finally turning to look at Jurian. 

“I count the minutes you’re away,” Jurian replied dryly. Lucien swore Vassa’s cheeks flushed and a touch of shyness slid over her features. Just for a moment. Just long enough for Jurian to catch too. Her father would never allow this match—Lucien knew for a fact Lord Koshington was looking for someone for his daughter. Perhaps them both. Lucien could ask for either woman if he wanted but Jurian would never be able to convince a lord of Koschington’s merit for the hand of his only daughter and heir. Whatever man Vassa married would be entrusted with the estate and Jurian, for all his accomplishments, was simply not the sort of man Koschington envisioned for her.

Lucien suspected Vassa would do her duty and marry as she was told to while carrying on an affair with Jurian as so many other ladies at court did. That was an open secret no one did much about so long as there were no disputes over it. Occasionally some errant husband would become enraged and kill another noble, giving them all something to gossip over while Lucien’s father dealt with the headache. 

If Vassa asked him, though, he could have interceded on her behalf. Perhaps he could make Jurian nobility if he went to his father shamefaced and apologetic and agreed to be a better son. Lucien’s gaze cut to Elain. She was a lady, wasn’t she? Southern born, which was the only true criteria his mother had laid down. Perhaps, he reasoned, he could use his marriage as a bargaining chip for both Vassa and Jurian.

He’d elevate one daughter to a princess and in exchange, Koschington would allow the other to marry his Captain, now Lord of some tract of land further north. Of course, that all hinged on Lady Elain even wanting him and as they stood now, things looked bleak for Lucien. Not to mention if he had such a visceral reaction to this woman, perhaps he would to others that were more agreeable.

Still. It was a thought he wasn’t willing to wholly discard. Not yet. 

“I’m sure you two are incredibly busy,” Vassa said, still looking at Jurian. “We should—”

“Will you be at dinner tonight?” Lucien blurted out, once again looking—and speaking—to Elain. Her eyes widened, glancing over at Vassa to answer for her. 

“Only if you promise us a good table.”

“Consider it done,” Lucien said, sweeping into another bow. It was an instinct that told him when true danger was approaching. Some call in his blood, a pull that turned his usual heat to ice. 

Eris was near.

He could feel the prickling on the back of his neck, the awareness that he was being watched much the way prey must feel when a predator was near. He didn’t want to be caught here by Eris—didn’t want this showdown to happen in front of a woman he might want to court.

“Until this evening, then.”

Vassa merely waved him off, looping her arm through Elain’s to guide them further into the foliage while he and Jurian watched, both enamored. Just until the rounded a corner and Lucien could shake off whatever spell Elain had unwittingly cast.

It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

“Eris is near,” he said, his voice slipping into a growl. Jurian cast one last love-lorn look in Vassa’s direction before setting his jaw.

“Well. Let’s give him a southern welcome.”

Lucien grinned. “After you.”

The moment Elain and Vassa were out of earshot, Vassa immediately burst into laughter. 

“Stop it,” Elain chided, bewildered and a little embarrassed. The prince—the actual prince—had been gaping at her like he’d never seen a woman in his life. Elain hadn’t expected to meet him so close. He was handsome, just as Vassa had promised, though she’d undersold how attractive he was. Even with the trio of brutal scars raking down one of his russet colored eyes, gouged so deep into his cheeks they still seemed fresh, Lucien was easily the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. Beautiful in a dangerous sort of way.

Beautiful and he knew it, had been told so his entire life. Something about that annoyed her. She didn’t want to be another fawning woman, delighted he’d paid her a moment of interest.

Exhaling, Elain rounded on her friend. “You couldn’t say one nice thing to Jurian?”

“No,” Vassa replied quickly, some of her amusement fading. “I wouldn’t know how.”

“He’s handsome.”

“As handsome as the prince—”

“That’s enough,” Elain interrupted primly. “The prince is not hurting for beautiful company. I doubt he will be thinking of me come this time next week.”

“And if he is?”

“Then I shall disabuse him of the notion,” Elain replied, biting her bottom lip. “I have no interest in being an amusement and later discarded when he grows tired of whatever country charm he imagines I possess.”

“Oh, but how fun to watch him run himself ragged for your affection. You’re better off just letting him trail after you for a few days—the longer you resist, the more he will imagine you as his great love.”

“You’ve read too many novels,” Elain complained, reaching for a pretty pink rose. The petals were satin against her fingers, the scent of it sweeter than she remembered. Perhaps there was magic in Rhodes that didn’t exist in the country. 

Or perhaps she, too, had let romantic notions cloud her senses. 

“Maybe. If I…” biting her bottom lip, Vassa faced Elain fully. “If I told you something, would you swear yourself to secrecy no matter what you heard? No matter how much trouble it would cause for you?”

“Of course,” Elain swore, standing upright again. “Anything you need, consider it done.”

“Father is never going to let me leave the city unmarried. He hopes, distantly, the prince might finally show some interest in me beyond friendship but realistically he intends to shop me around to other lords who are suitable enough. I’m being allowed a small taste of freedom but by the time the summer wanes, he’ll have me married and he’ll be looking at you, too. 

“It will take time and he’ll need the kings blessing. As long as the Sun King is preoccupied with his son, he’ll move slowly on everyone else. If I had a mother, perhaps she might appeal to the queen… and I need to take advantage of it.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

Vassa shot Elain a confident smile that didn’t meet her eyes. She was scared. “It is my hope that Jurian will make an offer of marriage. And if he does…I intend to accept. To marry him in secret and ruin myself before father ever learns. There is nothing you can do to help me, nor could you stop me. I just…wanted you to know that I brought you here because I wanted us to have one last summer together. And perhaps I was hoping you might find someone and I wouldn’t have to feel so guilty leaving you behind.”

Elain flung her arms around Vassa, burying her face in her friend's neck. “Don’t worry a jot about me. I’ll be fine. And your secret is safe with me—if anyone asks if I knew, I’ll lie so convincingly it’ll make the gods weep.”

Vassa hugged her back, exhaling a warm breath against the skin of Elain’s newly exposed neck. “I knew I could count on you. Let's speak no more about it—Jurian hasn’t asked and maybe he won’t. For now, let's discuss what we’ll wear to dinner tonight. Something that will ruin Prince Lucien’s evening.”

“You’re a menace. Do you know that?”

They spent the rest of the afternoon giggling through the garden, all talk of Jurian and Lucien banished from conversation. In truth, Elain forgot about the prince entirely by the time she reached their shared chamber to wash away the sweat of the day and to change. The clothes she’d brought with her had been neatly hung in a nearby closet along with a row of new gowns likely purchased on her behalf by some harried servant. Elain laid a few out on the bed before deciding it was far worse to be the only person out of fashion in a room filled with worldly ladies than it was to worry so much about modesty.

Besides, the gowns hid everything—they merely lacked so many of the stiff layers she was accustomed to. Elain wouldn’t pretend she didn’t like the ability to button herself rather than needing two servants to help get her into her layers and tie everything up, even if she did feel a tad exposed in the silken jade gown she found herself in. Wishing she’d paid more attention to how everyone else was dressed, Elain elected to leave half her hair down with pins in her little wristlet, just in case she had to quickly pull it up. 

Vassa was waiting in the wide, marble lain halls in a gown of violet that looked utterly stunning against the golden brown of her skin. If Elain was terribly out of fashion, her friend surely would have said something, but instead she looped her arm through Elains and began walking her through the palace. 

Vassa had been before enough times to know the layout, allowing the pair to dawdle as Vassa pointed out paintings she thought Elain would enjoy and or explained what marble bust belonged to what long-dead king. There was something deeply thrilling about seeing the history of her home up close and personal—something that made her feel strangely proud to live there. 

A feeling that slid into anxiety the moment she and Vassa walked into the grand hall. Reproposed for a banquet, at least a hundred little tables dotted the expansive room, all facing the long, high table where the royal family would sit. The king was already there, a golden goblet dangling between his fingers as he surveyed guests pouring in.

Was it her imagination, or was he looking at her? Definitely her imagination, Elain decided. She wasn’t nobility, and Vassa’s family was minor nobility at that. Still…those golden eyes, set against warm, dark brown skin, seemed to stare right through her, seeing everything she was and everything she had ever been.

Someone she didn’t recognize approached the king, drawing his attention—which had never been on her—far, far away.

“We’re probably back here,” Vassa murmured, clasping Elain’s between her own. “If we get seated quickly, we can eat before anyone else.”

“I am starving,” Elain admitted with a breathless laugh. The entire thing was exhilarating, so decadent that Elain felt utterly alone in that room as she drank in the gilded walls, the high, arching ceilings and the glass windows that rose up to meet them. Beyond them, Elain could see the placid sea, brighter than any blue diamond and clearer than any sky.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Prince Lucien appeared from seemingly nowhere, eyes bright. He looked…well. He was absurd in his beauty, so lovely in his gold trimmed blue jacket that

Elain’s teeth were set on edge. He’d braided the top half of his head, pulling it back with a leather strap that somehow made his cheekbones seem sharper, his jaw more defined. The rest of his hair curled loosely about his shoulders, longer than Vassa’s when her friend wore it unbound, though not half as curly. 

He was looking at her again and Vassa knew it.

“You’re much more accommodating this time than you were the last time I was here.”

“Give it time,” Lucien replied with genuine amusement. “When father begins one of his terrible speeches it will be nice to have someone nearby to rescue me.”

“You tease me,” Elain complained. As if she could rescue a prince from his wordy father.

Lucien placed a large, ringed hand against his heart. “Lady Elain, I would never.”

Elain doubted that given the twinkle in his russet eyes. Still, though, it was kind of nice to be the object of his interest, however short-lived she suspected it would be. Warmth flooded through Elain’s face, impossible to hide given how fair her skin was.

Lucien’s smile was laced with pleasure. “This way, ladies.”

Vassa merely rolled her eyes, bouncy curls blowing in a nearby breeze. Elain kept her eyes down, well aware everyone in the vicinity was looking at her. Oh, how she wished they weren’t—not like this, at any rate. It wasn’t that she hated being the subject of their attention, but she would have preferred it be because she was stunning in some new dress and not because the prince’s fingers were grazing her elbow. 

The table wasn’t just close—it was the first one before the high table—a seat reserved for people far more important than Elain and Vassa. They weren’t alone—Lord Koschington was already there flanked on either side by men at least a decade older than him. All three rose from their seats to bow to the prince before returning to their conversation, leaving Elain and Vassa awkwardly staring Lucien down.

“Well,” Elain finally said when she couldn’t stand it a moment later. “This was generous of you.”

“You’ll find I can be very generous, Lady Elain.”

“Just Elain is fine,” she promised, embarrassed all over again. 

“Well, just Elain, my generosity comes with strings, if that helps to put your mind at ease.”

“Oh? What strings are those?”

“Lunch with me? And if it goes well, a turn around the garden.”

Elain nearly said no. The urge was automatic. Something stopped her—the notion that if Lucien spent a few hours alone with her, he’d realize how woefully plain she was, how inept her social graces in comparison to other women. His interest would wane and she wouldn’t have to be firm with him at all. That was, truthfully, a best case scenario. 

So Elain nodded, lowering her eyes demurely. “That would be lovely.” Lucien’s delight radiated like pure light just beneath his skin. “You’ve given me something to look forward to.” And then he was gone, leaving Lord Koschington watching with curiosity and Ealin even more embarrassed than before.

“I’m not surprised he likes you,” Vassa began, but Elain wasn’t having it.

“Sit down,” she demanded.

Vassa only laughed. “Bossy. You’ll make an excellent princess.”

Rhodes.

Curling his upper lip, Eris glanced at the dirty streets beneath his gleaming boots. How he loathed the Southern Empire. The city itself was too self-satisfied with itself, certain they were the gods favored people. A blessed empire, having risen from the ashes of centuries of subjugation by the north. The scars for the people weren’t healed—it had been King Helion’s grandfather who’d shaken those chains and thirty years of bloody fighting just to establish a true home with recognized borders. Recognized, Eris thought bitterly, by his father and the late King of the Spine. 

Helion had ended that conflict, invading the north's once impenetrable capitol and genuinely terrifying the realm with the might of his military. If he could break down those walls and get inside, he could potentially cross the spine to the east or the desert to the west. He could have the whole of the continent if he wanted it.

Of course, Helion’s reign hadn’t come without its scandals. His victory cost a princess her life and Archeron his wife. It had also cost the west their queen when he’d stolen her away in the dead of night, declared her marriage to Beron Vanserra completed under duress, and married her himself. 

North and west had a reason to hate the south. Eris had never forgiven Helion for losing his mother and Nesta Archeron, heir apparent to the Northern throne, had never forgiven Helion for the loss of her mother and her younger sister. Eris had heard rumors of her fury.

But meeting her was another thing entirely. He’d made her no promises, of course…but he knew she was thinking the same thing he was—if they married, they could unite their kingdoms and turn their eyes to the south. They could eradicate Helion and take it, too, if they wished. And oh, how Eris wished.

The prospect of asking for Nesta Archeron was the only reason he’d accepted the invitation to the south. Might as well look around for himself. Helion would be looking for peace and his mother absolution, but Eris was looking for exploitable weaknesses. 

Something he could offer up to Nesta Archeron so she had no recourse but to tell him yes. It wouldn’t be love, but Eris didn’t require that. Didn’t want that. His would be a marriage of political convenience and if he needed genuine companionship, he could always take a mistress. 

So there he stood, soaked in sweat and angrier than he’d ever been as he stared up at the monstrosity that was the palace. His half brother was being fussed over—a golden prince Eris would keep alive as a political prisoner in his court, forcing Lucien to do his bidding with the threat of a sword hanging over his head.

It was Eris’s favorite daydream. The destruction of Helion’s court, the ruination of his empire, and his son and wife forced to live in Eris’s home under Eris’s rule. Despite himself, he smiled, ignoring the butler who wanted to give him a tour as he strode into the palace. He knew it well enough and didn’t want the royal family to know where he was until he was ready to make a grand entrance. 

Helion’s kingdom was said to house an impressive collection of knowledge and the rarest (and items stolen he didn’t want found) were housed within his personal collection within his palace. Eris had never been interested before, annoyed by the philosophers and scholars that inhabited these spaces. Old men obsessed with the sound of their own voices who had never been told their ideas weren’t interesting. 

But today was pure chaos and if the Sun Palace was anything like his home, everyone would be congregated wherever the wine was, neglecting their responsibilities under the deluded belief no one would find out. Eris took the stairs two at a time, eyes darting around him to be sure no one was watching.

Though if they were—and if he was caught—he’d simply feign ignorance. No one stopped him, allowing him to climb higher and higher, walking down halls with his hands jammed in the pockets of his cream colored pants. He opened bedroom doors like they belonged to him, ran his oily fingers over windows and paintings, and kicked over a potted plant just because it amused him to do so. 

And when he reached the room he’d come all this way to see—Helion’s famed library—Eris found it delightfully abandoned, just as he’d expected it to be. There were three more towering floors, attached to what he supposed was the highest tower of the palace. Spiraling stairs led to rows and rows of books unreachable even by the rather tall ladders. Desks and chairs on the first level were, he supposed, for scholarly pursuits that seemed to vanish once one reached that second level.

The third was entirely off limits to anyone but Helion’s most trusted. And they were gone, Eris thought, stepping through the arch way. The room itself could be hidden behind wooden ivory double doors carved with some brightly painted fresco of a heroic battle long faded from memory. 

Eris made it two steps before a woman materialized from a too-bright golden sunbeam pouring into the room. One moment he’d been walking toward items hidden from everyone else in the realm and the next a curved blade was pressed against his neck and his back was slammed against a wall. A slim knee slid between his legs, pressed threateningly against his manhood while a pair of vivid green eyes stared him down cooly.

“I’ll need to see your pass before you take another step,” she said. Eris blinked, taking in the shape of this woman. Thick waves of blonde hair cascaded down her back, tumbling against her shoulders and framing what was, objectively, a beautiful face. Her bronzed skin seemed to shimmer in the light as though dusted in sunlgiht and those eyes of hers—green and flecked with gold—were lightly lined in black kohl. 

“I don’t need a pass—” he began, utilizing the haughtiest voice he could muster given the position he found himself in. In any other circumstances, overpowering her would have been a simple thing.

But Eris wasn’t willing to risk his throat, nevermind his cock and balls. 

“You do,” she replied, both her knee and her blade pressing just a little rougher. 

“Don’t you know who I am?” he demanded. 

“Why don’t you tell me?” she challenged, one eyebrow raised as though it wouldn’t matter. He was going to see her personally punished for this, he decided. 

“Prince Eris—”

“Oh, a prince,” she interrupted, her voice dripping with disdain. “Well, why didn’t you say so? Do you have a pass?”

Eris was rarely speechless. But right then, looking down at a woman that was primed to kill him over a book, Eris found himself at a loss for words. 

“No,” he spat, outraged that some nobody was preventing him from snooping. And no one, in his life, had ever dared such defiance. This woman did, though. She didn’t care he was a prince or the queens eldest son. She merely saw an intruder and felt empowered to spill his blood against her feet if need be.

“I’m glad we agree. If I remove my knife from your throat, are you going to leave peacefully?” she asked, her tone dripping with condescension. Had they been home, Eris could have thrown her in a cell for that hateful look on her face alone, not mentioning the way in which she addressed him. 

“Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” Eris promised, his lip curling with disdain. To her credit, the woman stepped back, removing herself entirely from his body, though that knife remained between them. “I’ll see you punished for this.”

She smiled, smoothing one hand over the yellow of her dress. “Of course, your majesty.”

“You think I won’t?” Eris hissed, unsure why he hadn’t stormed out. Just leave. Fuck the last word. 

“Oh, I’m certain you will,” was her reply, eyes burning with amusement. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and the king will allow me the privilege of hearing your explanation as to why a future foreign king was skulking about a room filled with state secrets. Surely you must have known, but maybe they educated you poorly back home and you can’t read?”

Bitch.

“I can be wherever I like—”

“Wrong, majesty. You know, we hear rumors about you here. Of your…ambitions. I’m sure your impending marriage to a northern princess is mere gossip hardly worth the rags it's printed on, of course, and this little trip was merely an accident.”

Eris’s lips parted, an insult on the tip of his tongue. Who was this woman? Eris wanted her family name more than he’d ever wanted anything, if only so he could burn it from the face of the world. When he came marching into Rhodes with an army, she could be the first person to meet his sword. 

“Some people would think it was unwise, insulting a future king.”

Her eyes flicked to the knife in her hand. “I think some people might thank me for protecting my home. In fact, I think a parade might be held in my honor if you took another step toward me and fell on my knife.”

“Is that a threat?” he demanded.

She smiled. “I’m glad you noticed. I was starting to think these subtleties were flying right over your poor, illiterate head. Yes, your lordship. This is a threat. A wiser man would recognize he’d been caught and leave, but I can see you’re not wise and so perhaps I ought to spell it in simple terms you’ll understand: your mere presence in this room could be considered an act of war. Remove yourself, or I shall do it for you.”

Fuck her.

“This isn’t over.”

She followed behind as he turned on his heel, burning with an anger so hot it would have manifested as flame against his skin had he any magical ability. Eris could feel its heat shimmering off him, fingers curling and uncurling with the urge to teach her a lesson she’d never forget. She was no one, some lowly peasant made to feel important and elevated by a bastard king. 

Eris expected one last quip—turned around to face her. She flashed him a smile, those eyes still sparkling with amusement.

And then slammed the double doors in his face. On the other end, he swore he heard soft laughter though maybe he imagined it. Eris exhaled, overwhelmed and frustrated and furious all at once.

It wasn’t over between them.

Eris would have the last laugh.

Ellesmere was easily the worst city Cassian had ever visited in his life. Velaris was the best, of course, and Rhodes was nice if a little hot for his taste. He’d seen Allfeld once which personally was enough given how much pollen seemed to be in the air, though it had been autumn at the time and he’d quite liked the glittering jewel-top trees that dotted the sloping hillsides.

Ellesmere had no charm whatsoever. Only fog and a constant misting of rain that left Cassian damp beneath the leathered armor he wore. 

He’d put on wool socks to keep his feet dry that day, tucked into boots that were supposed to be waterproof and hoped for the best. Rhys was supposed to be out charming the nobles and who the fuck knew where Azriel had gone. By the time Cassian dragged his ass out of bed, Azriel was nowhere to be found and Rhys was agonizing over a lock of hair that wouldn’t lay just right. 

Cassian was grateful no one expected perfection out of him. He’d shaved his face—though the dark stubble would be back before noon—and pulled the thick, dark waves that cascaded to his shoulders into a half messy bun. Good enough.

Dumb brute, remember?

As if he could ever forget. At home, Cassian was a hero. People cared about the words that came out of his mouth, respected him as someone of  great intelligence. But out here, he knew what they saw. The other kingdoms must employ idiots to lead their armies, or something particular about Cassian gave off the impression he liked the taste of blood. And Cassian had never once tried to correct that notion given he did like a little blood smeared across his mouth. 

But it irked him at times, chafing against him like rough material against soft skin. 

He had a job—only one, at least, while he was trapped in this gloomy hellscape, which was to get a sense and scope of the military power Ellesmere commanded. How did they fight, how many of them remained, their tactics, their training. Anything Cassian could weaponize against them. Cassian needed them to believe he was one of them.

Less than, even. That he couldn’t take even a day off from swinging his swords when truthfully, were he back home, Cassian would have been parked at Ritas waiting for a massive plate of eggs and bacon. Ah, well. There would be more of that later, though he couldn’t help but feel like he was wasting the best weather Velaris had to offer to the rain. 

And breakfast wasn’t horrible, at least. He’d been allowed to eat alone given there was no expectation he would eat with the royals. Cassian picked through one of his books, wasting time hoping the weather would clear and the sun would come out, even if it didn’t warm the air. When it became clear he wasn’t going to get his wish, Cassian sighed, armed himself, and made his way toward the training yard housed within the palace walls. He’d seen barracks on his way in, tucked off in the distance, when he’d first come into the city. That was where Cassian really wanted to be. 

If Rhys did his job well, Cassian would be invited to watch them train and possibly train alongside him. It was ego the way so many cities assumed they had something to teach him. There was a reason Velaris hadn’t been invaded, though Cassian knew everyone loved to chalk it up to The Spine. The mountains were passable, their coast relatively undefended. There was little need, though they did have a Navy. 

Cassian was always waiting, sword in hand. 

Today, though, was just about seeing the best of the best. They’d be looking to impress him, knowing full well Cassian would tell Rhys. All in good time. Cassian liked to think he was clever enough to keep his mouth shut with a face that always seemed pleased right up until his sword was pressed against someones throat.

They expected that from Azriel. Maybe they expected that knife in the back from Rhys. But despite his titles, no one ever expected that from Cassian, though he was always the quickest to jump to bloodshed. 

Eloquence was Rhys’s domain. 

Cassian shuddered when he stepped outside, shaking out his hands to try and keep himself together. This period of time in his life would pass until he forgot it entirely. There was no way in hell he’d ever agree to return here and was grateful Rhys wasn’t actually interested in any of the princesses on offer. 

Cassian wished he could say the same. He’d half forgotten Nesta Archeron—could have forgotten her completely for the majority of the day, even—had she not been walking toward him in a well-fitted violet coat dress, the hood pulled over her face and lined with immaculate white fur.

Her fair cheeks were flushed from the chill or exertion, making those silvery eyes of her brighter by comparison. The scowl on her face couldn’t diminish the beauty that radiated from her and just like it had the day before, Cassian felt struck by her. Nesta’s whole person was its own blade at his throat, threatening to spill him open at any moment. 

She halted when she saw him, hands jammed into her pockets. Eyes narrowed with suspicion, he wondered if she’d speak to him. It was only after a moment of staring that Cassian remembered he probably ought to bow. That felt strange—Rhys had never required that and Helion was so casual it was cause for teasing if Cassian were to try. Something about Nesta demanded it, though, and so Cassian felt himself bending at the waist, one hand on his stomach. 

“You mock me?” she asked, unaware of the sincerity of his pounding heartbeat.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Cassian heard himself say, his every word laced with amusement rather than the reverence he felt. And though he was so much taller than her, Cassian felt small as Nesta approached, her spine ramrod straight. He wished he could convince her to come to Velaris and teach his soldiers that sort of posture. 

Hell, maybe she could teach him, too. 

“Where are you going?”

Straight to hell, he thought privately as he tried not to imagine what she was like when she liked a man. Jealousy gnawed at him knowing Rhys was here to court her, swallowed quickly before Cassian was consumed. Glancing at one of the hilts peeking over his shoulder, Cassian offered her another quick smile. “To train with your guards.”

She scoffed. “I should think one sword would be more than sufficient.”

“Oh? Something you want to tell me, princess?”

He hadn’t meant for his words to sound suggestive. Cassian was genuinely asking her—were they not capable of fighting off a warrior holding a weapon in each hand? But something about her made everything he said sultry and Nesta’s cheeks burned with heat. 

She was sweet. Cassian wanted to taste her. 

“Just…they’re more…” Nesta was flustered. He knew if he came any closer she’d take off like a skittish baby deer, fortifying herself for their next interaction. Put her at ease, a voice whispered in his head—it sounded suspiciously like Mor. So Cassian relaxed his posture, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He was, afterall, just a man.

And he wasn’t a threat to her. Everyone else, perhaps—and one day she’d hate him for the part he was playing to keep her father from starting another war—but not her. 

“They’re mostly decorative,” Nesta finally said, coming back to her senses. “And I suspect you are the opposite.”

“Shrewd of you,” Cassian praised, taking in this information. “I would think the palace guards were the best your kingdom had to offer.”

She rolled her eyes. “If that were true, Feyre would be easier contained within its walls.”

Cassian filed that away, too. Where did the little princess run off to, he wondered? And why was Nesta telling him this? She didn’t strike him as the uncareful type. No, Nesta was giving him little crumbs he was certain were leading somewhere. The expression on her face was too well guarded for anything else. 

“And you?” he guessed.

Nesta only shrugged. “Where would I go beyond the palace walls, General?”

Cassian’s body went tight all at once. Fuck, but that voice… “Anywhere you like, I hope. Unless this is a cry for help and you’ve actually been held hostage?”

The faintest whisper of a smile spread over her features. Pretty thing. Cassian wanted to touch her and thought that was the quickest way to lose a hand. 

“My life is one of endless wonder,” she assured him, her voice dry and laced with sarcasm. “I am incandescently happy.”

“My apologies, my lady,” Cassian murmured, needing to get some air before he did something monumentally stupid. “Far be it from to cast aspersions on you and your life. But…if you find yourself wishing you knew how to wield a blade so you could…I don’t know…move more effectively in the world…you know where to find me.”

And then he kept walking, refusing to touch her as he passed though it was hell not to even brush a wisp of hair from her cheek. 

“Why would you do that?” Nesta asked when they were shoulder to shoulder, staring straight ahead. Cassian watched her from the corner of his eye. 

“You’ll need to know if you’re going to marry Rhys,” he replied, the words ash on his tongue. Nesta didn’t move.

“That’s it?”

“Maybe I want a reason to see you again.”

Her breath curled around her face like a shadow, vanishing in the gloomy morning light. “I’ll think about it.”

There was nothing Cassian could say that wouldn’t make him sound insane. So he nodded, clenching his jaw to keep his words leashed before he took off walking again. There was no reason to arm that woman—and every possibility she would take everything she learned and turn around and use it against them.

And yet the thought of Nesta pressing a blade against his throat was so erotic that Cassian had to lap around the garden twice before making his way to the training yard, later than he’d meant to be.

And still—it was worth it.