#me staying up this late is simply me making sure my sleep schedule doesn't get fucked over

[future-circuit]

Go to bed you asshole

no? get fucked

[luna-naoffcial]

My Crimrinal Lover

—PART ELEVEN

Pairing: Alastor x Fem! Reader

Warning: Foreplay Smut!

PART ONE || PART TEN || PART TWELVE ||

Your eyes fluttered open seeing your husband was already awake, his honey coloured gaze meeting your (e/c). "Good morning, dear," Alastor greeted you with a gentle smile. "Were you watching me sleep?" you said, your voice still laced with drowsiness. "I couldn't help but admire the sight before me," he replied, his words filled with affection. You giggled at that before letting out a yawn. "You're still tired, aren't we?" Alastor teased. "Well, we did get back late," you mumbled.

"Correction, I carried you back." Alastor reminded you. "I had a little to drink." "Love, I had de ja vu from when we were 19. You once again tried to climb me, I didn't mind since you're my wife now but again I stopped it because you simply were not sober to consent, and I'd hate for your first time be like that." "I need to stay away from alcohol." You groaned. "Occasionally, alcohol reveals one's true thoughts, my dear. Either you're a horny drunk or simply you just can't keep your hands off me." Alastor said with a grin. You felt your cheeks heat up. "And what makes you think that?" "You're always asking me to grab you. Does the thought of me touching you turn you on?" Alastor then taunted.

You were left speechless and flustered. "Just tell me what you want, darling. I'm happy to fulfil your needs." He then whispered in a seductive tone. You swallowed the lump forming in your throat. You wanted to say it but felt embarrassed. He wasn't wrong. You want him to touch you to explore every depth of your body. How he had this confidence baffled you. But then he was a very confident cocky man, when he wants something he will make sure he knows what he is doing. "Don't be embarrassed, darling. I'm not asking to have sex with you if that's not what you want. It doesn't have to be straight away just because we're married now." Alastor reassured with a smile.

"I guess I kinda want to know... how it feels to uh be touched in a pleasurable way as... I've never masturbated before." You admitted. Alastor had to hold back the shocked expression. "I know... it's embarrassing, 22, and I don't know what it feels like to be pleasured in any way." You shamefully admitted. "Darling, masturbation and sex is a choice, not a must. Just because we're married don't think you need to do any of that to please me. I want you to be comfortable, not forced." Alastor said with reassurance.

"It's not that I don't want to do it. I do... it's just... I'm nervous and I.. I don't know what I'm doing..." "You think I do? Love is all about exploring. Everyone enjoys different things, ma chérie."

"I'm so uneducated, gosh!" You nervously giggled, smacking your hands over your face. Alastor pulled your hands away, smiling. "We can educate each other, although I haven't experienced sex myself, I have masturbated." He truthfully said.

"Well, that does make me feel a bit better." You nervously mumbled, knowing he hasn't had sex with another woman as you were ashamed to ask. Alastor found that amusing, yet he couldn't help but gaze at you with admiration. You took a moment to contemplate the situation.

"Can you..." Alastor raised an eyebrow, patiently waiting for you to complete your sentence. "Touch me." You said, feeling your cheeks burn. "Touch you where?" Alastor then teased. "Stop. I'm getting flustered." You whined as Alastor chuckled. "I can darling, only if you want this, though." Alastor asked once more. "I do.". "Well then, since our schedule is clear, we might as well begin our first lesson," Alastor remarked playfully, eliciting a smile and laughter from you.

For a brief moment, your gazes locked. Alastor closed the distance between you, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. You reciprocated, surrendering to the intoxicating sensation of his lips enjoying this alone.

You felt his hand stroke up your thigh, going under your nightgown, almost shivering at his hand being close. Alastor slowly rubbed over your covered sex feeling the piece of material that was in the way. He gently withdrew from the kiss and momentarily gazed at you with a serious look. "Are you certain that this is what you want, my dear?" You nodded, biting your bottom lip staring into his eyes and how they've darkened and clouded with lust. Alastor hand slowly slipped inside your underwear, feeling the contact of his fingers rubbing up your folds. "You're already wet for me darling, it seems you've been wanting me to do this for a while now, hmm?" He whispered teasingly, watching your reaction as you wanted to just hide your face.

"A few years." You shamefully admitted. "Well, I'm glad you only want me to... help you." He said. Alastor found the buddle of nerve slowly teasing you with a slow circular motion. "Oh..." You suddenly gasped. "Does that feel nice?" Alastor hummed. "It...um...uh." You stuttered with your words getting lost to the new founding feeling. Alastor rubbed a bit faster. You felt yourself arch your back as your jaw hung low. "Oh my gosh," you cried out. Alastor was enjoying the sight of your pleasand begging. Only he was able to make you feel this way. "Don't stop." You suddenly moaned. Alastor almost... almost lost control hearing your moan. "Oh darling, you don't know what you're doing to me right at this moment." He chuckled darkly, feeling his pants tighten on him. You shamefully started thrusting your hips up without your control, feeling something building up in your core. "Oh gosh, what's happening." You cried. "You're about to have your first orgasm my dear. Let it out for me." Alastor whispered lowly.

Your body listened to his command as youcried out in ectasy, feeling your sex convulse from your orgasm breathing heavily from it. "There we go..." Alastor cooed. He slowly pulled his hands away, bringing his fingers to his mouth. "Mmm, you taste good too." "Oh Alastor stop I'm gonna be a permanent tomato today." You panted out blushing once again. "Oh my darling wife, you enjoyed it, did you not?" Alastor taunted. "Gosh, that felt way too good. Then I expected it to be." You admitted. "Good." Alastor pecked your lips. "I'm gonna take a cold shower now." He mumbled. "I won't be long." It took you a moment to think about why he is having a cold shower.

"Al?" Alastor paused at the bedroom door, glancing at you with a raised eyebrow. "Can I help you with it?" "Help with what?" Alastor's brow furrowed in confusion. Your gaze lowered to his crotch area as he now caught on. He was momentarily surprised when you made that suggestion. "My dear, I couldn't possibly ask you to do such a thing." "You said this was our first lesson. I want us both to be a part of it," Alastor felt his cock twitch when you said that. What are you doing to me woman, he thought.

"Hand or mouth?" You suddenly asked. His eyes widened in surprise at that. You couldn't help but feel a little amused at his reaction, considering it a small payback for his earlier actions. "U-Uh..." "From that reaction, you want my mouth don't you?" The abrupt surge in confidence was unexpected, leaving even Alastor momentarily at a loss for words.

You approached your husband who was still standing where he was, you slowly got down on your knees and started pulling his pyjama pants with his boxer down. "Darling..." Alastor warned. "Yes?" You smiled innocently up at him. "You don't have to do this...." He whispered.  "I know, but I want to please my husband too, you can experience something for the first time as well." You said. Alastor was still lost for words, unable to adequately express the profound depth of love he held for you. You slowly lowered your gaze staring down at a cock for the first time as it leaked some pre cum.

Taking it in your hand, you slowly brought your mouth over the tip using your tongue to lick some of it up. This made Alastor gasp from the contact. "Fuck." He hissed under his breath. Satisfied you took more of him in your mouth surprising yourself as well as him. "Oh gosh, how -" Alastor could barely speak as he moaned, feeling your mouth work up and down his length.

Alastor threw his head back, enjoying this more than his hand job running his hand through your hair. He slowly looked down to see your pretty mouth take him in whole. "Gosh I wanna fuck that innocent little mouth of yours." Alastor growled feeling himself reaching his high. You felt himself about to cum encouraging to suck more faster, Alastor was thrusting more into your mouth clouded by the pleasure. "Fuck, fuck." He panted, suddenly Alastor gasped out a moan as you felt his seed fill the back of your throat.

Alastor was panting trying to regain his composure feeling a bit lightheaded. You slowly pulled out and stood yourself back up. "How was that?" You whispered as you stared into his half lidded eyes. "My dear, you do surprise me." He chuckled out breathlessly. "Glad I can return the favour." You said being rather impressed with yourself. "Oh darling, you may do that whenever you wish, and I shall not express any objections." Alastor chuckled as he gently drew you close, embracing you in a tender and affectionate kiss. You couldn't help but smile into it, pleased you were able to satisfy your husband..

"Hello, mother," Alastor greeted, kissing his mother's cheek respectfully. "How are you, my dear? How is your wife?" She smiled warmly, her eyes twinkling with adoration. Alastor's cheeks flushed slightly. "Mother, please," he chuckled nervously. "I was merely hinting if I might be blessed with a grandchild in the near future." "There is no news of that nature to share at this time," Alastor replied. "Well, Alastor, I must say, I am quite proud of the gentleman you have become," Tara remarked with a hint of pride in her voice. You entered Alastor's childhood home, knocking politely on the door. "Hello, Tara," you greeted warmly.

"Oh, my dear, please call me 'Mama' now. We are family, after all!" she exclaimed, embracing you with open arms. You laughed softly, accepting her affectionate gesture. "Thank you, Mama. I am doing well. And yes, before you ask, Alastor treats me wonderfully. I am truly fortunate to have him as my husband," you replied, turning to Alastor with a loving smile before she could question how he's been treating you. "Oh, wonderful news! I'm so happy this has finally happened. Watching you two fall in love had been remarkable to witness from Maria and I. You two were definitely made for each other." Tara proudly said

"Now that we are both present, I was contemplating -" As Tara was making her way towards the kitchen, her speech began to slur, and her body abruptly collapsed onto the floor. You stared with wide eyes in a state of shock, while Alastor swiftly rushed to her assistance. "Mother!" Alastor exclaimed in a tone filled with concern. "Tara?" You stuttered out.

.......

You slowly crouched down beside Alastor, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alastor, sweetheart..." After the funeral, everyone respectfully departed for their homes. However, Alastor remained at the burial site, unable to bring himself to leave the place where his mother had been laid to rest. He was gazing at her gravestone, reading the epitaph repeatedly. His face was devoid of any emotion, and it caused you concern. Your cheeks were still damp from your tears. "Let us return home..."

"I would be grateful if I could have some time to myself." Alastor responded calmly. "Al -" "(Y/N), for your own safety, I would prefer to be left alone." Alastor stated more sternly, his gaze shifting towards you.

His eyes, usually filled with warmth and life, now held a profound emptiness, devoid of any light or emotion. "Sure... sweetheart. Just... please be safe, ok?" You said. Alastor averted his gaze, directing it back to the gravestone of his mother. With a sigh, you rose to your feet and departed, leaving Alastor to grieve alone. As you made your way back home, you gently closed the door and slid down against it. "Oh, dear god... why did you take her from us so soon?" you uttered in a choked voice, breaking down into tears.

The loss of Alastor mother felt like losing your mother all over again. You recalled how Alastor had held you all night, and now you felt guilty for leaving him alone, even though that was what he had wished for. After what appeared to be an eternity, you managed to regain your composure. You stood up, removed your coat, and kicked off your shoes. You decided to get a glass of water. As you raised it to your mouth, the door slammed open, and Alastor entered. You froze, your eyes widening in shock at the state your husband was in. Alastor entered the room covered in the blood of his victim with the knife still in his hand as he appeared to be in distress, pulling at his hair.

You gently placed your glass down and approached him with caution. "Al... Dear," you whispered softly. Alastor slowly locked eyes with you feeling a sense of comfort as he quickly paced dropping the knife, He sank to his knees, embracing your waist as tears streamed down his face for the first time today.

You felt your heart sink into your stomach frozen in the spot as you felt your own tears well up again hearing Alastor, with tears streaming down his face, let out a sorrowful cry for the first time as his forehead was resting against your stomach. Slowly, you threaded your fingers through his brown locks, seeing nothing but a broken boy who had just lost his mother. You were not bothered by the blood now staining your outfit as Alastor had just lowered his shield, revealing his vulnerability.

Next day

Your eyes fluttered open, and you frowned slightly. You could not recall falling asleep the previous night. As you found yourself in the centre of the room, you gently turned your head to the right and observed Alastor slumbering peacefully next to you. His eyes gradually opened, and for a fleeting moment, he appeared disoriented until his gaze met yours. "Good morning," he mumbled. You slowly sat up with a groan from the hard flooring. That was not a restful experience. "Poor decision-making on our part," Alastor said, also groaning from the pain as he sat up.

At that moment, he observed that his body was now covered in dried blood from the person he gruesomely murdered last night. As he glanced in your direction, he observed that you were covered in the blood as well. For a brief moment, he experienced confusion until he recalled the events that transpired last night.

"Darling, I've ruined your outfit." Alastor, frowned a bit, trying to keep his smile up, "That's the least of my concerns. Don't worry." You reassured. There was a momentary pause. "Al... is there anything you would like to... discuss?" You then inquired. Those tears last night suggested there was more to it. Alastor's expression softened as he averted his gaze. He then sighed, looking back into your (e/c).

"She was very proud of me, as she believed her son to be a perfect and charming gentleman who would never do anything wrong. she didn't know her son was a sadistic cannablist psychopathic killer who enjoys the thrill of making people I kill suffer. How do you tell your mother that? How do you tell her that I will not be seeing her in heaven. She would be ashamed. I don't want her to know that side of me, I don't want her to look at me differently."

Alastor stared for a moment. "If you ever get reunited with my mother... please don't tell her why her son never made it to heaven... I've come to terms with the fact that I won't be able to see her... ever again." "Oh Al, don't lose -" "Darling! I understand your concern for me, but I must accept my fate and the consequences of my actions. I will be sent to hell for my misdeeds while you, my dear, will join our mothers in heaven. You are far too pure and innocent to be subjected to the torments of hell. I can only hope that one day, after our deaths, we will be reunited in the afterlife. Until then, I will cherish the memories of our time together and hold onto the hope that we will meet again." You were left speechless by that.

"But for now, we have so much to live for and do. What do you say? Shall we rent a yacht for the day and explore the sea?" Alastor suggested with a grin. "Wait, really?" You suddenly frowned. "My dear, you always forget I have money, don't you?" Alastor chuckled. You only shrugged. "Because I only see you, and you only." "You are truly remarkable, and I am deeply grateful to have you as my wife." He whispered as he moved closer, and you responded by gently pressing your lips against his. As you departed, you noticed the radiant and inviting glow in his honey orbs. "Shall we go take a nice relaxing bath together, I believe we are a bit untidy, don't you think?" You chuckled as Alastor smiled. "Certainly, my dear. I would be delighted to bathe with you in my arms."

He stood up, stretching his body before extending his hand to assist you. You graciously accepted his help, and he pulled you up."After you, my lady," he said politely. "How kind of you," you replied with a smile as you both made your way to the bathroom for a relaxing soak.

23 years old

Alastor's behaviour has raised concerns following the unfortunate death of his mother a year ago. Upon examining her personal belongings, it came to light that she had been involved in the practice of black magic. This revelation has had a profound impact on Alastor, leading him down a path of darkness and intrigue towards voodoo and all these types of rituals. While trust in Alastor remains, the situation is unsettling and requires careful consideration. After all, it was not the most reliable or ethical form of magic to be involved with.

You have observed a slight change in Alastor's behaviour because of it. But you accepted it. You had to, you thought. After all, what more can he do? He is a cannablist serial killer, after all. "Hello, my dear!" Alastor entered the room with a friendly smile. "Is everything alright?" You inquired with a hint of curiosity, noticing the mischievous spark in his eyes.

"Oh, it's just something I discovered beneath a floorboard; it's not a big deal." He chuckled politely, attempting to dismiss the subject. Alastor had been spending time at his mother's house, meticulously examining every detail with careful observation. "Hmm, ok." You unexpectedly felt his arms wrap around you from behind as he affectionately kissed your cheek. "Alastor, where is all this affection coming from?" You chuckled, not at all displeased.

"Can I not express my affection for my beloved wife?" He whispered gently in your ear. "Hmm, I don't know" You grinned slightly as you turned around in his grasp. Alastor smirked at your remark as he leaned down and captured your lips with his.

Although you were taken aback, as he suddenly lifted you up from under your thighs, catching you by surprise. "Al!" You let out a soft laugh as he chuckled at your reaction, gently placing you on the table with him in between your legs. "You know, I've been craving you recently." He suddenly mumbled as he brought his lips onto your neck. "A lot more than just touching and tasting you. I want to be inside you..." He whispered seductively. Your heart began racing in your chest. "I wondered if we could explore further, more deeper, and perhaps even break the barrier?" You experienced a slight chill run down your spine, causing you to release a soft, involuntary gasp.

"I can see you want to, tell me darling how do I really make you feel?" He whispered lowly into your ear as you felt his hands now resting on your inner thighs, slowly stroking up and down your soft skin in a teasing manner.

Your eyes met his gaze, seeing the clouded haze over his honey orbs. "I..." You hesitated, struggling to find the right words as his intense gaze rendered you speechless. "Oh darling, it appears you are at a loss for words." He chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Al..." He became a bit serious. "Yes, my dear?" He hummed politely.. "I trust you too... take my virginity. I believe I'm ready for the next step. "You confessed. It's been a year now and although you enjoyed the foreplay of touching each other. You were happy to go farther. Alastor's eyes widened momentarily as a smile graced his countenance. "What made you ready, darling?" "Al, I have always been prepared, but I had been a little hesitant to bring up the topic." You sense your cheeks to become warm. "How long?" "How long what?" "How long have you been wanting this?"

Alastor asked, enjoying your flustered cheeks. "Honestly? Since we had our first kiss." You said in a whisper.

"Really?" Alastor said in quite a shock. "Why do you think Paul and I never went that far? Because I wanted you. I didn't want to give myself to Paul whilst thinking of you." You confessed. "Why wait so long since being together, ma chérie?"

"I wanted to make sure you were completely ready as you never showed any hints you were ready to go farther in our intimacy. I was waiting for you." "Oh darling. You didn't have to. Just simply it being you and seeing all... of you would have been enough for me to be more than happy to take the next step with you."

"You say that now." You lightly joked. "Well? What do you say? There's an empty bed, nothing else to do for the day. Me and you. Shall we take this... conversation into the bedroom with less clothing?" Alastor suggested.

As you were about to respond, a sudden knock resonated, signalling someone at the front door. You couldn't help but suppress a small, amused smile as you observed Alastor's reaction. "Who would dare to disturb us at this hour? It's almost as if they knew," Alastor muttered under his breath as he headed towards the door.

You swiftly descended from the counter, smoothing your wrinkled dress as you followed Alastor, intrigued to discover who it was. As Alastor opened the door, you caught a glimpse of the ginger hair and instantly recognised the individual. "Elizabeth?" Alastor inquired with a puzzled expression. "Lizzy?" You inquired with concern, noticing her smudged makeup and tear-stained face. "C-can I come in?" You were surprised by that, considering she vanished without a trace after Paul and you ended your relationship. Alastor turned to you to respond. "Uh, sure. Come in." You hesitated momentarily, Alastor stepped aside to allow Elizabeth to enter your home.

She took a quick glance around the room. "Impressive. You've redecorated. It looks quite nice." She complimented both of you with a gentle smile as she looked at you. Alastor gently embraced you in his arms. Elizabeth observed the two of you for a moment, a knowing smile gracing her lips. "I had a feeling this day would come. You two are truly meant for each other," she chuckled softly before letting out a sigh and settling herself on your sofa.

With a gentle tug, you released yourself from Alastor's hold. "Elizabeth, it's been quite some time since we last spoke. What brings you here today? I must admit, I'm quite surprised to see you," you inquired, taking a seat beside her.

Alastor whispered, "I'll leave you ladies to catch up while I go 'hunting," before bestowing a quick, affectionate kiss on your cheek. Elizabeth momentarily watched Alastor depart before turning her attention back to you, ready to engage in conversation.

She then let out a sigh of resignation. "Paul approached me after your separation and confessed to revealing our actions. I was mortified and immature (Y/N)... If I firmly believed that your relationship would be short-lived and that I understand that you eventually ended up with Alastor. I left because I was ashamed to face you and see the disappointment in your eyes for being a terrible friend."

You took a moment to let that sink in. "Lizzy, may I ask what really brings you here?" You then responded with a curious gaze.

Elizabeth was taken aback by the response. "What exactly do you mean?" "It has been quite some time, but I do recognise you. It seems that you only make an appearance when you are in need of something. May I ask what it is?" You narrowed your eyes, displaying a cautious expression. "I'm quite offended you think I would -" she stopped herself after noticing she was not convincing you.

She let out a sigh of resignation. "I am expecting a child," she announced softly. "Paul is the father." I'm not surprised, you thought. "And I'm... broke." You now knew where this was going. "Remember when I made that joke about you getting me a house if you and Alastor were to marry?" "Lizzy, are you requesting momey off me?" You inquired with astonishment. "You arrived at my home unexpectedly after... sleeping with my boyfriend at the time and couldn't face your actions so you left. And now you show up expecting I should suddenly forgive and forget and then ask me for money?"

"Alastor does not allow you to spend your money you earn from the diner. Therefore, it is likely that you have a high amount in your savings. After all, he always spend his money on you." "Elizabeth, have you been monitoring our activities without our knowledge?" You exclaimed in surprise. Upon hearing an unexpected footstep approaching from behind, you swiftly rose from the sofa and turned around with a sense of alertness. "Paul..." "Hello, (Y/N) you're looking beautiful as ever." He grinned. "What are you doing here?" You growled as Elizabeth stepped over to where Paul was. "Just need a bit of... help is all." He pulled his coat aside, indicating the pistol that was tucked in his belt. Are they really trying to rob me right now? Are they really that stupid... you thought. You narrowed your eyes at the threat.

"You think you're so clever, don't you." After all, you are married to a serial killer, so the confidence you grew was pretty high. "You appear quite composed for someone who is about to be robbed," Paul remarked in a mocking tone as he discreetly lowered his hand to the gun.

He froze all of a sudden, feeling the barrel of a shotgun press against his temple. "I wouldn't if I was you." Elizabeth's eyes widened as you smiled. All this while Alastor was gradually approaching, observing the situation. He noticed Paul reaching for something, which was enough to raise his shotgun. "You think a little pistol is gonna do anything, ol' pal? Why, you should give me a reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger after threatening my wife, didn't I say for you to stay away, no?" Alastor said, his tone turning dark.

"Al, we... we were just joking, right baby?" Elizabeth nervously giggled, slowly tugging Paul arm to follow her. "It would be best if you both leave Elizabeth before you become a single mother," you explained politely. Alastor had been wanting to kill Paul since the day he tried to assault you.

"He wouldn't," Paul said in a mocking tone. You noticed Alastor's eyes darken as his eyelids met halfway. "Elizabeth leave." You warned. "Paul, please be quiet, and let's go." She gently pulled him away. Before departing, Paul gave you a final glance. "Elizabeth?" Alastor abruptly interjected, causing her to halt in her steps as their gazes locked. "If I ever see you or your precious boy toy anywhere near here or near (Y/N). I won't hesitate to kill you both. You were fortunate on this occasion," he stated firmly. Elizabeth nodded in agreement before departing with Paul.

As the door closed. The room became quiet. Alastor gently set his shotgun against the wall and let out a sigh. "I must say, you had quite the confidence there considering you were about to be held at gun point." Alastor then contemplated with a raised eyebrow. "I had faith that you would come to my rescue, as you always have." You smiled as Alastor stood before you. "Oh, really?" He smirked, placing his hands on your hips and drawing you closer. "Certainly. Now... where were we before we were rudely interrupted?" "Oh? You still wish to..." Alastor paused for words as he suddenly lifted you over his shoulder, causing you to yelp in surprise as you began to laugh. "I'm kidnapping you to the bedroom!" He chuckled while carrying you, which provided you with an opportunity to smack his bum, causing him to abruptly halt his progress. "Did you just... oh darling, you're definitely getting payback for that." He chuckled as you couldn't help but feel a little too excited to what he had in mind.

Another smut in the next chapter hehe. Comment if you want to get tag!

Tags: @n0tmentallystable

[2willowlane]

i do really love emily. i don't know, but something just makes me very affectionate towards her.

femme reader, sfw, established relationship

ever since emily was then wedded to her new spouse, there's something that she still cannot get used to. well, in her heart, it feels so natural—as if she was made for this purpose, and as if everything that has been said and done was all aligned for her. even if she does indulge in her beliefs of mysticality, emily knew that what she had was real and cemented. a best friend, a girlfriend—a wife, of all things. tossing and turning in their shared bed, emily looked at your peaceful sleeping face. she found you to be so beautiful...

her eyes glossed over each of your features, from the fine contours of your nose, to those lips of which she oh, wants to kiss so dearly. the artistic side in her finds you just so genuinely interesting, as she's able to map out all of the different proportions in her mind. even if you may not be perfect, and emily is far from that as well, you two were perfect for each other. the tailor then gave into her impulses, pressing a soft kiss on her wife's cheek; lingering a bit, as she then withdraws. she misses the warmth already.

something has been nagging at emily recently, and it's mainly due to her scheduling. normally, she'd go out and work the saloon late at night; often times, just the hustle and bustle of her shifts do get her through the hours—however, she promptly would then pass out as soon as she makes her way towards home. how emily would dream of having that taste of sleep; looking forward to it every day, since it's the most downtime she has in her day—well, other than in the morning (of which she likes to relax in her home... whenever she doesn't have chores).

it's past 11pm, and the bed already feels uncomfortable for her. she has this insatiable itch to get up, to dance, to move—but, there're a few moments in emily's life where it feels as if it's better to stay still. as if she doesn't need to go put an imprint on the new day, rather, just let the earth turn. it felt like an eterenity for the woman, as she was still just glazing over the features on your face, whilst trying to think of something to do. she already knows what she wants to do tomorrow—probably tend to her crystal garden out by the farm, and then surprise her love with taking care of her chickens. oh, how she does love birds!

possibly, she could go out and forage some? she has a few hours to make it back home, and she knows you do appreciate a fresh medley. she wants you to grow healthy wnd strong, and with all of your farmwork, combat expertise, and mining efficiency... she'll be surprised if she could find anyone that'd be stronger than you. well, not only by physical strength—she knows that you're a capabale woman; more than capable.

it makes her feel proud that her gut feeling was right about you being special; but her sense of pride over having the person she loves doing what she wants to do, and is equally proud of her own work? oh, emily's heart swoons!

preparing to go out, she then slips on her shoes, makes sure to change into something she could get dirty in, and makes her way out of the house. making sure that none of the wooden floorboards don't creek underneath the rug she's walking on, emily takes softer steps—to ensure that you're not going to have a rude awakening anytime soon. she then turns around whenever she reaches the fromt door, blowing a kiss in the bedroom's direction to say "goodbye, my dear!"

the chill of the night washed over emily. well, at least it brings her more of an incentive to get out and be active! however, she still needed to be careful being out at night without light; she could still make out some objects due to the moonlight. oh, how romantic this felt with emily, and how it just felt so in-tune with her emotions. she was glad she was able to be friends with—now, be with—someone who doesn't just dismiss her mannerisms as simply "odd" or "too weird". yes, she knows that she is far from the conventional standard sometimes, but the world would be too boring if everything was a simple carbon copy of each other.

how she felt things were different than most. you were able to be with her and understand, and even if you didn't quite get everything she rambled on about, it made you feel special that she'd want to show you all of those things. emily may have her quirks, but that's what makes her, well—her! you wouldn't have her any other way.

humming a saloon tune whilst skipping to the beat of it, just thinking about surprising you with all of these goodies makes her feel so, so upbeat! if you were there, you could've seen the color to her cheeks; how that rosey hue was something all-too familiar. picking up some dandelions along the way, she did remember to pack a wicker basket a while back; as she tried her best to then assort each of the plants the best she could. emily had an eye for design and arrangements, so it did take her a bit until she was fully satisfied to continue onto the next task. if she feels so strongly about something, she needs to vent it out! emily believes that it's a true emotion, if it resonates that deeply within her.

something about this late night nature stroll does rekindle feelings emily never quite knew she had. she never had the time to go outside and to fully appreciate the stars; however, being able to actually go out, and to observe all of the things she'd normally miss due to her body just aching to get to bed... she loves it. the fresh breeze of the spring's night air was cold, however, there's still a warmth to it. oh, well, maybe it's because she's full of thoughts of you. maybe that's it.

she then makes her way throughout town, waving to some of the nightly saloon guests as they make their way out of the restaurant. ever since she was married, she doesn't have to work as much at gus'. this made her feel more free, as she knows that she cannot simply be a barsmaid forever—there's too much on her plate to do, y'know? though, now that she thinks about it, work feels much more rewarding, if she can go home and see you, to cook for you, to bring gifts to you (from all those times you've given her some), and to simply be the first and last thing she gets to see in her days.

as emily progresses up towards the mountains, she doesn't frequent this area; as she doesn't have much of a use for it. now? she loves just how raw and natural this feels to her, as she gets a good feeling of energy coming from her. you'd often talk about all of the difficult fish that you'd have to catch in this area, and you have to reassure her that you're handling the little creatures humanely; and that they're all okay, under your care. she loves how caring you are with even the smallest of things, and that positivity is contagious. well, at least in her mind.

this was the place where she truly belonged, now that she thinks about it.

[alexanderflowerbird]

DAY 9

I'm late! Ah! Don't worry, I'll do a Day 10 post later today so we can stay on track. Yesterday I spent a whole 3 hours catching up with one of my best friends, we'd meant to watch a movie together, but as certified yappers, we simply had a lovely time talking about all sorts of things. This friend and I often send each other podcast length voice notes that get responded to when the time and energy is available, so it was such a pleasure to interact with them in real time. I spent the rest of the day revving myself up to sit down and write, only to go to bed, literally knock out unconscious without awareness of it happening, around 9 PM lol. I'm not upset with myself about it, clearly I needed the rest. It's nice to have a schedule and life style where I can really listen to my body about things like that, I get up naturally quite early, and I occasionally stay up late, but I sleep when my body is ready to sleep, and that's a luxury I think most people don't necessarily have. Despite my conking out at 9, I do have an excerpt for you and I gotta say, I think a nano-style challenge is way more feasible when you spend October just writing to buffer your word count. Having a back log so you can take days to recuperate, to account for life's unknowable changeability, and of course, to ensure that guilt and shame about not being caught up doesn't demolish your motivation? It's excellent.

I'll be able to do this again next year with this in mind, because working in October to prepare for November is manageable for me. Hopefully by this time next year, I'll also be home, finally, with my husband and having him close by to create with and admire will also motivate me to keep on writing. He is a fantastic writer and I could talk to him for hours about our creative endeavours, so I always feel inspired by him even while we're apart. When we're together? Oh. The writing, the creation, the elevation of concepts? It's gonna be, for lack of a better term, bonkers wild crazy good lmao.

But! My excerpt for you! It's from Blood Sun Territory and you're getting to meet a new character! Chashwi is the local medicine woman for the town, yet to be named, that is the most populated part of the territory. She's been something of a spiritual and medical person from childhood, denoted by her family and local tribe as such because she was struck by lightning and survived it. She's a scrappy bad ass older lady, because we LOVE to see a scrappy bad ass older lady in stories, and as one of the most prominent community leaders, she's formed this town into a place where people care for each other and are accepting of the ways people are different.

When she was young, bigotry and judgement were part of what glued certain groups of people together, but as soon as she was able to make decisions and have influence, ironing out those mindsets in place of acceptance, love, and effort to understand had been a major goal of hers. She's accomplished it at her wisened age, and with all the hard work she's put in to make sure everyone feels at home? She does NOT tolerate people who pass through disrupting the peace. She and her fellow towns folk are in fact, so far left they got their guns back, so when a group of bikers roll in and decide they can loudly be hateful, they realize with a quickness that this ain't the town for that. CW for the F slur and transphobia

Taglist: @theskeletonprior @tragedycoded @thelittlestspider @badscientist

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Chashwi slams the bottom of her beer bottle against the table she’s at so hard it’s a wonder it doesn’t break, and she gets to her feet. 

“Yeeeahhhh…” It’s not a word that comes out of her, but more… a sound, a warning that begins at her usual, kindly register and sinks into a menacing growl. Malachi looks where she’s looking, and it’s at the road boys that have congregated at another table across the saloon, talking loudly about their encounter with a group of gay men at their last truck stop just beyond the reach of the territory. Malachi knows these kinds of men, fearlessly hateful, recognizing that the color of their skin and the commonality of their beliefs allows them a sense of freedom to be bigoted, he’d been taught, at least by the world, that it’s best to ignore them. He had been ignoring them, able to hear them jeering about a woman who’d confronted them, a man dressed as a woman, they’d said, but probably just a woman. He’d kept his back turned until Chashwi’s voice had broken through the racket of the bar and now all eyes are on the conflict about to unfold. Chashwi is glaring holes into them and they’ve gone quiet, sighting her briefly like frightened rabbits when a wolf is nearby before they harden up. 

“Whatchya upset for, grandma?” One of them says, and Chashwi slams her beer bottle on the table again. This time it breaks, leaving a jagged end. She adjusts her hold on it slowly, visibly, from the gentle grip one uses to drink, to a hold that might allow her to swing and stab the broken end of the bottle. Malachi flinches when the glass actually smashes, and realizes that he can tell who is passing through town and who has known this place all along by who jolts and looks around in a frightened attempt to understand what’s going on. The difference is palpable, and when he looks at Dolcezza, his localness is on display too along with many others in the room, eyes dark, expressions set. 

“We don’t talk about folks like that here, boys. I am not your grandma, but I will teach you a lesson all the same if you keep yapping loud as you can. You hear? You hear me?” Chashwi says, brandishing the end of the bottle. She’s not close enough to any of the men to swing on them yet, but some of them do rear back, others leaning forward with interest in the fight she’s offering. 

“See boys, the beasts out there? The land? The sky? All that don’t care none, what you like, who you kiss, what ya say you are. But we do. We care and take care of our own. If you wanna be here in our midsts, you care, or you can get on out and see if our land treats ya different because you’re white and men and like touchin’ women. You understand?” The road boys laugh at her after a few moments, some nervously, others with brazen abandon. There’s at least a few of them smart enough to recognize that they’ve made the danger they’re in in this bar and the danger they might face outside equivalent. The locals are queer and black and brown and trans, the locals aren’t afraid to use their guns, and the locals know people disappear out here all the time, never to be seen again, bodies never found. Malachi can see it on all of their faces, in that set, sharp hardness. These men have made a mistake that a couple of them are too stupid to recognize yet.

“Listen, bitch,” Malachi almost flinches again– Chawshi is an older woman, the town’s medicine woman; she is kind and wise and strong, he can barely stand the idea that anyone might call her a bitch, but by the way she reacts he suspects she’s been called that and all sorts of other names all her life by passers through like this, “This is a free country, if I wanna drink my beer and laugh at the faggots with their dress up bullshit, then I’m free to do that.” 

“Sure ya are. And I’m free to pluck your eye right out your head with the end of this bottle, ain’t I? We’re especially free here, son. Free as birds, free as the wind and all like. I’m free to do as I like with you out here. Ain’t never felt that before, huh? That someone might be free to do you harm just cuz they feel like it? Bet you’ve been on the other side of that coin a long time. Let me introduce ya to the alternative. You’re free, yes you are, god bless America. But we’re free too.” Suddenly, all variety of weapons have become visible across the bar. The bartender, Ruby, has produced a shotgun from under her bar top, knives of all sizes and styles are glinting in the lantern lights. Dolcezza has a knife too, one he’s had holstered for most of the days Malachi has known him and that he’s only used to cut plants or rope or to gingerly touch something unknown and not quite dead on the road. He sets the hilt and his fist against his thigh and shifts forward on the bar stool. Now these men are rabbits, surrounded by wolves. Even the more brazen of the bunch are starting to see their mistake. 

“So what, you gonna send us out there to get eaten?” One of them asks anxiously. 

“I would like that very much,” Ruby says, glaring. Chashwi holds up her free hand in an offering of peace. 

“We don’t gotta do that, no. You just say you’re sorry, quiet it down, and come morning you can take yourselves and your beliefs the hell out of our town. Sound alright?” There’s a held breath, and the men turn towards each other, crowd together for safety and to whisper out a debate that the locals are quietly enduring. It’s obvious they should back down, allow themselves to be cowed, but if men such as these had had good sense, they wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. A few of them are scanning the focused stares, eyeing knives and hand guns, but no one moves and there is an eerie patience to it, a mercy born of certainty that if the bikers decide they want a fight, it’s a fight they’ll lose.

[waterfallofspace]

Could you do 72 for r/anpo and p/oe with p/oe as the sick one

Thank you for the ask~~ I can indeed!! First time attempting them, so hopefully it's enjoyable~! (also gotta give credit to onetrickponi for her incredible idea of Karl's tail inducing sneezes from a wav she did that I've absolutely used here, hope that's alright~) 1.9k words, prompt 72, story under cut! 72. Person A hasn’t been sleeping due to work, and they of course get sick. Despite Person B’s wishes, Person A continues to sneak out of bed and stay up late to get more work done, and Person B is not happy. (Slight warning for anxiety and high fevers, just in case anyone doesn't like those!)

~~~~~~~

The faint light coming in through the window is more than enough for Poe to work with. Pen scratching against paper. Bathing in the moonlight. This has always been his favourite way to compose a novel. Something about the way the light feels soft, and the motions of your hand as you form words, it just feels right.

A drop of sweat makes its journey across his forehead, lunging for the paper until he catches it in his sleeve. ‘The fever is probably getting worse…’ His thoughts are cloudy, but somehow it’s making the words even easier to grasp. As if they’re practically begging to flow onto the page, climbing from his mind down into his pen. 

“Poe.”

The noise drags Poe out of the daze, tearing the paper as he manages to drag his eyes up to greet the source. The source in question is wearing a scowl and leaning against the doorframe, eyes shadowed by the hat drooping over his face.

“R- Ranpo… I was- eh’kschh’ieew-! Sorry- I was just, uh- hh’ekzzziew-tezzshh’iew-! Sorry- just w- working on… something…” 

“What you should be doing is coming back to bed. I don’t even need to use deduction to see that you’re sick.”

“No, no, I’m quite alright. I’m simpl- simply… heH’keDZZshh’iew-! Sorr-”

“On top of that, I’m pretty sure I remember you promising to sleep tonight. Something about how you  haven’t slept in three days, if I’m not mistaken. Which I never am.” 

“I’m absolutely fine, I just need to- uhh’dEZZhhh’ieew-! finish a few more chapters and my latest masterpiece will be completed! It will astound you, you won- won’t… notagain- uh’gzzsshh’iew-! eh’kNGzsshhieew-! Sorry…” 

Ranpo tilts his head, emerald green eyes revealing themselves. It’s all Poe can do to keep himself from blushing. ‘It seems no matter how many times I see them, I’m never prepared… I wonder if he… feels the same about mi- no. Focus, gotta convince him I can still wri-’ The thought is cut off by Ranpo’s boot tapping against the hardwood floor. 

“What I will or won’t do is irrelevant. You aren’t able to complete a full sentence without sneezing.”

“That’s nohuHh-! not true. See? I executed that sentence to perfection without int- interuHH-! huH’KnGT’shiew-!”

“Without interruption?”

“eNGt-! ih’dknzzt-! Sorry… Correct, Ranpo. As usual.” 

The words are laced with jealousy, but they can both hear the admiration simmering just before the surface, waiting for a chance to be expressed. Ranpo seems content to accept the praise without acknowledgment, focusing on the task at hand. ‘Just like a true detective. Not sidetracked by mere personal matters. I was never able to match that determination…’ 

“You’ve been falling into the same pattern for weeks, staying up until you pass out, sleeping for a full day, then repeating. We’re both smart enough to know schedules like that lead to illness.” 

“I’m.. smart enough..?” 

Ranpo lets the hat dip back over his eyes, his face returning to neutral. His hand extends, Karl chittering from atop his shoulders.

“Back to bed now and I’ll let you off with a warning.”

“But-”

“Besides, I’m tired, and Karl won’t let me sleep unless you come too.”

Said raccoon chitters again, crawling from Ranpo’s arm to Poe’s shoulders. ‘Two against one, this is hardly fair…’ Poe protests, oblivious to the lack of noise from his mouth as the thought stalls itself in his head. Despite this, as Ranpo’s hand brushes his own, he can feel every ounce of resolve draining from his body.

“Bed.” 

“Okay, Ranpo, you win. Again.”  

Confirmation of success seems to be all Ranpo was looking for, as he turns and walks down the hall. As if there was a string tying them together, Poe finds himself unable to resist the urge to follow. It’s not until he’s laying in bed next to Ranpo does the fever finally bring out the sleep hiding behind his eyes. Muffling a sneeze with his pillow, Poe starts to pull himself from the sheets.

“heh’mmMDZShh’oo-! Sorry… I’ll sleep on the couch-”

“No way. It’s your house after all, I’m just staying over. Besides, Karl will leave too, and I want my cuddle time with him.” 

Poe lets a whimper break free as Ranpo’s arms seem to crush the life out of his dear friend, ‘Though strangely, Karl seems to have no problems with this arrangement.’ Instead of fighting, Karl’s snuggling deeper into Ranpo’s chest, breathy snores starting to pour out of both of them. Feeling sleep start dragging his eyelids shut, Poe’s own breath soon evens out, joining the ensemble with a congested tone of his own. 

~~~

The air seems to burn as it infiltrates his lungs with each inhale. Poe leans against the wall, legs growing heavier with each step, but determination pulls him through. ‘That dream… it was perfect… I know what the novel needs… I know what will- will finally impress Ranpo…’ It hadn’t been more than a handful of hours later that sleep had relinquished its grasp of him, being replaced by a feverish mania as plotlines and characters seem to beat against his skull from the inside. This is why he sits at his desk again, even the moonlight dulled as the clouds gather outside his window. 

Pen glides across the paper once more, each word leaving a deeper taste in Poe’s mouth. Ink mixes with sweat as his hands begin to shake. Only half aware of the world, Poe finds himself unable to process the sweat lining his brow being anything other than a hindrance to the plotlines swimming through his mind. Each word on the page seems to dip further into illegibility, moving away from writing and closer to drawings, mindless scribbles as his vision fades along with them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

“I have… I have to write this… it’s- hh’deZZshhh’iuh-! my best work… my best work ever… it’ll be unsolvable!” 

Ranpo’s breath is warm against his neck as the detective leans over to catch a glance of the paper. Poe finds his hands stalling at the sensation, even one extra stimuli sending his brain careening into overdrive, deeper into the fevered abyss, unable to stop thinking, but equally unable to start writing again.

“More like unreadable. Poe, even I can barely decipher what words you’ve written here.”

“It’s messy, but it’s some of the best writing I’ve ever done. I s- see… hH’gndjsshh’aa-! Sorry- I see the world so clearly, it’s almost as if I’m the one transported into it. eh’dnTZShh’oo-! Sorry. No one will be able to crack the mystery, not even you!” 

A cool wave washes across Poe’s face, a moan pulling free from his lips as Ranpo’s hand finds what it was looking for on his forehead.

“That’s the fever talking. You need to sleep.”

“hH’INkgt-! djZnnGt-! ehhA’knDt’uhh-! huH’AnGXt-!”

“Bless you, don’t do that. You’re only gonna-” 

“hehHh-! dnjSZHh’oo-! S- Sorry… haiHH-! eHSHh’aa-! hH’InkGtzz’iuh-!” 

“Bless you again, Poe.”

“Th- hh’knzshhh’oo-! kezzshh-tezsshhh’oo-! Thank you. S- sorry…” 

The apology melts into a cough, whistling notes sounding out between each breath, only broken up by the sound of pen against paper as he attempts to continue this chapter. Each word is violent, looking as if the person forming them had never written before, lines uneven and frantic as the cough brings tremors through his fingers.

“You don’t sound good.”

“I’m f- fine… I need to finish… need to finish this chapter…” 

“I apologize for the methods I must resort to.”

The words fall on deaf ears, Poe’s brain being submerged into feverish concentration once more. He doesn’t notice Ranpo turning away and whispering something to the raccoon perching atop his shoulders. Nor does he notice Karl climbing up his back until a soft paw steps against his hand, pen cracking on the paper.

“Karl? What are yo- GuuHhH-!” 

A single swish of fluff against his face is enough to break Poe out of his trance, buzzing starting to spread up to his ears as the tickle surges. Ranpo’s arm intertwines with his, Karl climbing back onto his shoulder as he pulls the writer up. Poe attempts to aim away from either of them with the fit he cannot seem to subdue.

“hh’DjZshh’oo-! aiYZShh’aa-! hH’KEZzshh’oo-!”

“Bless you.”

“C- can’t- dnGt’Zzshh’oo-! hehHh-! hH’INZSHhoo-!”

“I know. Bless you.” 

Poe feels something soft being pressed against his face, his body sinking into the bed as he’s sat down. ‘What’s pr- pressing on my fa- face… I need to… I’m- I can’t..’ 

“Blow.” 

“Wh- hAH-! What? hH’iNgT-! kndZnt-!”

“Blow your nose, Poe. It won’t end until you do. I’ve got you, just blow.”

Doing as he’s told, Poe feels the fever swell against his cheeks, moving up into his ears. ‘Or maybe that’s not the fever… am I blushing..? I can’t… I can’t tell…’ His voice is drowned out, even in his own head, a deep fog overtaking his conscious thought. 

“I’m s- sorry Ranpo…” 

A soft hand brushes against his face, Poe practically melting into the touch as his hair is swept away. His vision clears, for more reason than one, as Ranpo’s eyes stare back into his. This exchange only lasts for a minute, but it starts to play on repeat in Poe’s mind as Ranpo rests his forehead against Poe’s, voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll read the book the instant you finish it. I promise. But only if you’re not sick while writing it.” 

“B- but…” 

“You want to be able to give me your best, right? Don’t I deserve that?”

“Of course y- hH’dzzshh’oo-! you do-”

“Being sick is not your best. Let me take care of you, once you’re better, you can write it.”

Waves of emotion seem inclined to suck Poe into their current, he’s barely able to keep his head above their waters. Guilt and anxiety claw at his legs, pulling him into the ground. And yet, something softer frees him, a wave of pride and love bringing air back to his battered lungs. ‘He thinks I have a best… something he wants to see… and… he wants to take care of me.’ 

“Besides, no one will be able to read it if you keep writing like that. It looks like you were driving consistently through potholes while attempting to transcribe a conversation from a language you don’t speak.”

“W- well that’s not very kind… but it was quite visual.”

Ranpo laughs, giving Karl’s head some scratches as he drapes himself across the bed next to Poe, raising an eyebrow as he tosses out- 

“Maybe I should write the book instead.” 

Poe freezes, eyes peeking out from the curtain of hair as they widen. Terror infiltrates his dazed mind, fighting against the urge to give Ranpo whatever he desires, a war neither side can win. The battle, however, is quickly cut short as Ranpo places his hand on Poe’s arm, a gentle touch that quiets all voices but his.

“It was a joke, Poe. Now, let’s get you back to sleep. I need my rest, and you’re keeping me up.”

“Alright, Ranpo. Th- thank you.”

“No need for thanks! But~ there is need for rewards. You owe me at least some chocolates. And some lollies. Oh- and more of those gummy sushi things you ordered internationally, those were good… Oh! And-” 

A smile spreads across Poe’s face as Ranpo goes on, the haze in his mind starting to gently overtake the last piece of his consciousness as the sheets beneath him start to encase him in their soft embrace, matched only by Ranpo’s softer touch against his arm. Poe manages to get out one last sentence before sleep wins out. 

“Whatever you want…” 

“I’m holding you to that!” 

[lavenoon]

I gently collapse in here. It feels like longer than it probably has been but <3 hi hi Luce, I hope your day is going well.

Firstly, I love Robin and Moon scheming against Sun - poor guy <3 - and just the whole way your little Drabble was written. It really felt like things COULD’VE gone badly… if it wasn’t for the fact that they know each other so well. And that’s a tricky balance to get.

Secondly, I can’t believe you’re a secret Sleep Wizard. The necromancy joke took me OUT. I like to imagine I get good sleep… except I’m Remarkably bad at getting tired and putting myself to rest so I inadvertently stay up late hoping to get tired so that I don’t just. Lay in my bed for an hour. BUT! I don’t usually feel tired during the day at least which I find funny - one of my old profs got us to record our sleep schedule and then was very surprised to see mine since they figured it’d be like. Textbook ideal. Oops

-🌻 Daye

Rolls you up into a cozy blanket and gives you a lil forehead kiss <3 Hi!! Hope you're okay!! <3

I already sleep rambled and have a really really neat comic in the making, and will later go to a little winter street market and hopefully not just think Y/N and Sun market date thoughts GDHSJ But yea, it's going well!

It felt really tricky, too - Y/N was so frantic, I was really worried I wouldn't be able to have that happy funny ending I wanted. But then Moon just... ended up being a goofball, because that's his rival, and he knows them so well, and it worked. Hope the drabble of them telling Sun will also just fall into place like that, hehe <3 Have some thoughts already, and hope to write some later today/ tomorrow, with a posting for tomorrow or Monday!

You come back to my blog after a couple days and suddenly I'm sleep wrangling left and right, yeah I can see how that might come as a surprise gfhdjs In my defense, I kinda didn't plan on it? But I'm sure not complaining either, so!

(I love Sun and Moon both, and will project on and relate to both of them at any given time, but admittedly there's a special sort of kinship with Moon simply for the sleep jokes. That's why I'm also a crafty bitch, to balance things out)

Sounds to me like your schedule's a bit shifted, too - some people just get tired later. But even so, just lying there with your eyes closed already counts as rest, and is all in all better than nothing! Scared to ask how much sleep you're getting (/lh), but if you feel fine, I suppose it's okay? dghsfd your poor Prof though, just looks from your schedule to you like "Wait hold up, something doesn't add up". Their own fault though, no sleep is ideal and I stand by that assumption to feel better about myself

Hope your night's going well! Get your rest, and sleep, and later there will be. (: <3

[magicdreemurr17]

Hello everyone... Magic here. I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything for the past... three months? Give or take? There's been a lot that has been going on and I wanted to address why Lost In The Echo has been put on another abrupt hiatus.

To put it simply: I am not feeling well. No, no, I don't mean to say that I caught "the rona" or anything like that. Physically, I am well (sort of). Mentally, I am not well. The past three months have been extremely stressful, both irl and online, and I had to take a break from writing (and drawing) in order to attempt to recuperate, but I keep getting things thrown my way when I attempt to get back into said writing.

If you follow me on Twitter or know me on Discord, you might know the context of what has been happening lately between a friend of mine "Crystal Flame" and Glitchtale's creator, Camila Cuevas. I won't go into extensive detail, but I will be posting a link to a video by "Hopeless Peaches" to give you the most detailed explanation possible on the whole situation (and out of respect for Crystal and the others who were done so wrongly, I would appreciate you not referring to this stuff as "drama").

People might be wondering why I jumped into this rabbit hole, and to put it simply, this isn't the first time a friend of mine has gone through something like this, and it got personal for me that this particular friend, who came clean to said other party who knew this dangerous individual, was blamed for their unfortunate experience. It makes me so obscenely angry that someone I would give my life for is having their reputation damaged by the queen of a hivemind who doesn't even deserve her fanbase after proving time and time again that she cares more about protecting the fanbase rather than her fans themselves.

Bringing up accusations against someone this popular, regardless of how much evidence you bring to the table, ESPECIALLY if their fanbase consists mostly of minors or ignorant kids, is like going to war. At the end of the day, it'll be tough, stressful, and you might not even win. What scares me most about this predicament is the kind of backlash that's likely to ensue on the parties against Camila in this situation (one of whom, I'm fully aware, has been in the line of fire of her fanbase already).

On top of all that, as if this situation alone wasn't bad enough, I'm going through some literal hell irl. I won't disclose details, but it's incredibly stressful to deal with someone who's purposely trying to damage your mental health because they have nothing better to do. Because of all this, my sleep schedule (again) has been thrown out of whack and is no longer consistent as it once was.

Bear in mind, most of Lost In The Echo's content in done solely by yours truly. I do all the writing, editing, and proofreading all by myself. Sure, I'll occasionally get friends to draw promo posters for me (mostly because I can't afford to pay another artist, let alone hire a damn editor), but for the most part, Lost In The Echo is worked on by a single person (me).

I didn't want the state of my mental health with everything going on to affect my writing, so I took a step back without saying anything, but I don't want to leave my readers in the dark forever.

I will be coming back after Christmas, hopefully by then, everything will have calmed down and I can actually have stable mental health again. I really want to write more of Lost In The Echo so I can share an Undertale story that most people in this community can love (I can't please everybody, but I'll damn well try).

Thank you for taking the time to read this and (hopefully) understanding.

Stay Determined! <3

[angelustful]

─── ❝Late at Night❞ ‎⇢ ┊ ❛𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗯𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀!❜ ↲ ╰► 𝙖/𝙣 - 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵.

╰► #01 LUCIFER

Late at night when you both are simply just laying down, embraced in each other’s arms. Enjoying the silence and peacefulness, no words. Just simply being there is enough. Looking out the window and seeing the dark but beautiful sky, stars decorating it. Before you realize how late it was, your eyes were starting to get heavy, as you slowly started drifting off to sleep, you heard a very quiet deep voice murmuring to you, yet you still heard it. ❝Sweet dreams, my love.❞

╰► #02 MAMMON

Late at night driving around Devildom. Looking out the window and seeing lights shining as they come out from the inside of the buildings. It’s the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen. You’d always enjoyed looking at buildings at night, it’s calming. Especially since now your lover is beside you, treating you. You couldn’t ask for more. Simply just admiring the view before you. You turned around, seeing his face looking so relaxed and peaceful. You laid your head on his shoulder, hearing him say ❝Can’t wait for me to see your reaction to the surprise Imma show ya.❞

╰► #03 LEVIATHAN

Late at night watching movies, cuddling and curled up in a soft fluffy blanket. Enjoying some popcorn and snacks. Laughing until your eyes are watery, not even noticing it’s late at night. Leaning your head against his chest, hearing his rapid heartbeat at the action. You laid your ear above it, your eyes slowly closing, drifting off to sleep. You’re not sure if you heard it right but you swore you knew he said ❝Hey Mc, you can’t sleep yet! We’re not done finishing it. G-gaah fine, I’ll let you sleep since you look s-so cute right now.❞

╰► #04 SATAN

Late at night reading and studying. The room is dark, using some computers for help, lightening the dark room. Having a cup of coffee/tea to help you stay awake. He makes sure not to overwork yourselves, checking from tune to time to see if it’s past bedtime. You try to not stress too much, taking a break when you need to. You decided to take a break for a while, moving to his side and laying your head on his shoulder. You sigh and close your eyes, hearing him whisper saying ❝Make sure you don’t fall asleep now if you still want to finish. I don’t mind if you do though, especially sleeping on me.❞

╰► #05 ASMODEUS

Late at night when he decides to join you by staying up a bit later than his usual sleeping schedule. He hates staying up past bedtime but for you, he doesn’t mind. You guys are just doing some self-care routine, relaxing and hearing some soft music playing in the background. Closing each of you guy’s eyes, breathing in and out. When you’re done, he decides it’s time to finally sleep. Before you drift off, he whispers to you. ❝I’m really glad I got to do this routine with you, even if it will be bad for our skin, but for you darling, I would do it again.❞

╰► #06 BEELZEBUB

Late at night making some midnight snacks, or just finding some when you guys are bored or hungry. When you can’t sleep and go downstairs, you’re not surprised to find Beel eating a bag of chips. You found your food and sat next to Beel. Sharing his food with you is really nice, especially how he feels about people eating his food. He doesn't mind if you do it though. Just eating and talking, not even minding that it’s past bedtime. It’s comforting. Before you decide to take a nap, he tells you ❝Oh, it was nice talking to you Mc, hopefully we can do this again someday. Good night hon, sweet dreams.❞

╰► #07 BELPHEGOR

Late at night, curled up against him, staring up at the sky. Hearing him talk in a soothing soft voice about constellations. It’s comforting you thought. You weren’t feeling sleepy so he decided to help you, he may be sleepy and tired but if you want him to stay awake for you, he would do it with no hesitation. He knows how you have some nights where you have trouble sleeping and he’s there to help you. Listening to the sound of his voice is making you sleepy. He notices and decides to wrap a blanket around you, kissing your forehead before he whispers to you quietly ❝Sweet dreams Mc, hopefully I can see you in my dreams and we can continue there.❞

© 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 2022, 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙. 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙮, 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

[skzsushi]

11pm

(bang chan x reader)

chan feels right at home in your cafe, but being an idol doesn't always give him the time to do what he wishes.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

your eyes absentmindedly shift to the clock hanging on the wall as you lean on the counter. watching, waiting.

waiting for what, exactly? well, for him to come in. the one you've somehow managed to create a bond with despite your hectic schedules. the one who says he comes in late to get the last good cup of coffee, even though he always claims to hate the taste. he's the one who you've.. fallen in love with.

you straighten up a bit as you watch the hoodie-clad man walk in, right at 11pm.

"right on time." you say, watching him chuckle and walk up to the counter.

"why, were you counting down the seconds?"

you smirk and look away for a second before looking back.

"the usual?"

"the usual." he confirms, pulling down his hood to reveal his messy brown hair.

you nod, getting right to work making his order. he says nothing for a second, instead opting to watch you.

"you like what you see?" you tease, stifling a laugh as he quickly looks away.

"ah, i'm sorry. today's been a long day.. my mind is a bit scattered."

"it's ok chris, i was only kidding. this is a safe space for zoning out." you reply.

he chuckles, quickly thanking you before bowing his head slightly.

"so what did you do today?" you ask.

"well," he starts, "today was mostly photoshoots and interviews."

you hum in response as he continues, babbling on about how things took twice as long as usual because no one could stay focused, himself included.

"so, it sounds like you're exhausted before this comeback has even begun." you conclude, setting the drink on the counter.

he simply nods in response, uttering out a "yeah" before reaching in his jeans pocket to pull his wallet out.

"no need." you blurt out.

he stops and looks at you with brows furrowed, "but.. i need to pay."

you shake your head.

"i got it covered this time. you just.. go and get some rest. save the coffee for tomorrow morning."

he shoots you a grateful smile before bowing slightly. "thank you, yn. i would fight you on it but.."

"..but?" you continue, slightly cocking your head.

he shoots you a tired smile before saying, "i'm exhausted."

"i know. you can pay me back next time. get some sleep."

"i'll try." he replies, "see you soon. thank you again"

"don't mention it. see ya soon, take care of yourself."

"you too." was the last thing he said before smiling again and heading out.

the thing that you both loved and hated about chan's visits were that they were unexpected. sure you know the time, but never the day. which means you catch yourself checking the clock around 11pm every single shift.

as the weeks go by, chan comes in less and less, until he's gone completely. not even occasionally poking his head in to say hi. the cafe seems emptier than ever, convincing yourself that it was all a fever dream, that he's never coming back. yet your eyes always find their way to the ticking clock on the wall, watching, waiting.

until one day, 5 months later, he comes in at exactly 11pm wearing a loose black tank top and beanie. he seems much happier and livelier than the last time you saw him.

you can't help but break into a wide grin when you realize it's actually him walking through the door, with their newest title track faintly playing in the background.

"hey!" you exclaim happily, leaning on the counter.

"hey, you!" he replies, returning the grin.

"how have you been?" you ask, feeling butterflies fluttering around in your stomach.

he lets out a content sigh, "incredibly busy, but good overall. i think this comeback did wonders for us overseas, which makes me really happy."

you happily listen as he rambles on about various events that occurred during the world tour, both during the shows and some behind the scenes info. he's expressive, his hands flailing wildly through the air to prove his points.

after he finishes, he looks at you with a small smile, eyes softening.

"but.. you know.." he pauses, "i really missed you."

you're taken aback, blinking a few times while taking in what he said.

"are you sure you don't mean the coffee?" you retort, laying one hand on one of the machines.

he giggles, shaking his head and stepping closer, "i mean what i said."

a blush spreads across your cheeks as you force yourself to look at him.

"well, if that's the case.. show me how much you missed me." you tease, not expecting much of a response.

however, it wouldn't be like him if he didn't take advantage of the opportunity presented, smirking while leaning over the counter and cupping your cheek with his hand.

"gladly."

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thank you for reading & i hope you enjoyed! requests are open <3

[mister13eyond]

Doppio or Diavolo taking care of each other when one of them gets sick.

I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THIS FOR A SECOND BUT I HAVE BRAIN CELLS TO ANSWER NOW so take a list of my headcanons about how each of them takes care of the other when sick:

Doppio when Diavolo is sick:

lord help him but he worries himself half to death and Diavolo with him, hovering around nonstop

boss are you comfy, can i get you another pillow, how is your appetite, i can heat more soup, let me get you another cup of tea-

diavolo has to rasp i'm fine mi caro, i'd just like to sleep

doppio takes his job as caretaker Very Seriously and commits to everything with 100% intensity, which can be a little overwhelming, but god he DOES make sure diavolo never wants for anything

almost 100% guaranteed he will come down with whatever Diavolo has because he stays so close to his side & forgoes sleep in his worry

he's a decent cook and knows his way around the basics, so he makes a great soup and always makes sure to make a big serving and make sure diavolo eats

diavolo is pretty pathetic when he's sick; since diavolo rarely goes out and doesn't have a great sleep schedule or eat that well he has a pretty whack immune system and he gets hit HARD by sickness

the second he feels his throat tickle or his body ache he begins frantically trying (too late) to stop the illness in its tracks; doppio always has to convince him that no, taking three times the recommended dose of vitamin c will not stop you from getting a summer cold, boss

when symptoms set in he becomes a boneless, miserable, shivering wreck, wrapped in his blanket like a shroud

diavolo almost exclusively wants to sleep and will sometimes simply retreat into bed, bundle up and insist on being alone so he can sleep it out

(he's like a cat when he gets sick: he goes to hide somewhere and try and recover on his own in secret)

(doppio never lets him; he ALWAYS notices, and he ALWAYS makes sure diavolo is extra cared for)

(diavolo may grumble about it, but he has to admit that doppio has restored his health with his attention and caring many times over)

Diavolo when Doppio is sick:

doppio almost always plays off how sick he is until he's on the verge of falling out; diavolo ALWAYS scolds him for not saying something sooner and trying to push through it

half the work of caring for a sick doppio is keeping him down; doppio always insists he's fine, he'll be fine, he'll get up and make some soup for himself don't worry about him-

diavolo often has to give doppio The Look to make him lay down; that terrifying cold fury only diavolo can manage

diavolo is atrocious at cooking, so he frequently orders food for doppio, stocking up on quick and easy things so that even when doppio creeps out of bed and attempts to cook for himself, he can convince him just to heat some soup on the stove and then lay back down

diavolo worries himself sick but refuses to admit he's worried; instead he encourages doppio with all his might

saying things like mi caro there is no trial you cannot overcome. you are already on your way to health. look, i see more color in your cheeks already- that's my doppio; even your immune system rises to the occasion

he's actually a bit of a germaphobe so he's fervent about cleaning and keeping surfaces disinfected, which usually means he somehow winds up not catching doppio's illness

he will, however, risk his health to lay with doppio and hold him, as it's one of the few ways to lure doppio into sleeping the day away

he's also RUTHLESS with insisting doppio take medicine despite doppio's protests; he has timers set for every 12 hours to give doppio cold medicine/NSAIDs/vitamin C/et cetera; he's a firm believer in throwing his full power and any applicable medicine at illness in order to fight it head-on

thanks to his insistence and his devotion to making sure doppio takes supplements, doppio actually has a pretty good immune system and usually DOES bounce back fairly quickly

(though it often takes him longer to convince diavolo that yes, i really am feeling better boss, no, i don't need another day in bed, yes i promise, i'm fine, please i'm going stir crazy i don't need another sick day)

[dumbikawa]

Taking Care of the HQ Boys

GN!Reader | Fluff | Warnings: None

Characters: Suna, Kuroo, Iwaizumi

A/n: I’m such a simp for these boys it’s insane

SUNA

It took Suna a while to get used to the way you never held back when it came to taking care of him. One night, after a particularly rough practice, he’d sluggishly entered the apartment and practically collapsed on top of where you were laying on the couch. Wordlessly, you positioned yourself so that he was resting on your lap with both his arms wrapped tightly around your waist. It was comfortably silent as you ran your fingers through his hair that was still slightly damp from showering at the gym and in no time at all he was softly snoring.

He'd never admit it aloud, but he loved when you took care of him in little ways like that. From the start, he had always insisted on being the big spoon, obsessed with the way your body perfectly molded against his and the satisfaction of knowing you felt safe in his arms. Ever since that night, though, it became a regular thing for you to see him standing, looking at you like a pouty child, from the corner of your eye waiting for you to take the hint that he wanted you to cuddle him. You'd simply open your arms for him to crawl into without even having to look up from your phone.

Today was no exception.

Suna can feel the physical exhaustion down to his bones as he allows the cool water to wash away the sweat and grime he collected over the course of practice. Mentally he feels the same; completely drained in every sense of the word. He can’t even find the energy to thoroughly dry his hair, opting to quickly rub it with a towel before making his way to the bedroom and collapsing on the bed.

“Rin!” you gently scold, placing the book you’d been reading beside you on the bed. “You’re going to ruin your pillow.”

“I don’t care,” he mumbles, eyes remaining shut as he lets out a content sigh. He did care, actually, but his decision was already made and now that he was in bed there was no way he was getting up. He truly meant that, but when he feels you tugging at his hand for him to get up he begrudgingly obliges.

You’re holding your hair dryer and gesturing for him to sit on the floor. It doesn’t seem wise to disobey when you look so determined, so he slides off the bed, giving you full access to his sopping mess of hair.

His eyes flutter closed as the warmth from the hairdryer and the way your fingers are skillfully brushing through his hair begins to pull him towards sleep. Not to mention, in this position he has the perfect opportunity to use your thigh as a pillow and he makes a mental note to have you dry his hair more often. But, sadly, the flow of warm air shuts off and your voice pulls him back to the present.

“C’mon you big baby,” you laugh, watching him groan and throw himself back up on the bed. He shimmies under the covers, but refuses to place his head back on the damp pillow. Instead, he stares at you with sleepy eyes until you’ve positioned yourself so that you can sit comfortably and open your arms for him.

His arms automatically snake around your waist as he buries his head in your side.

“Do I do enough to take care of you?” he asks softly, turning to look up at you with a vulnerability that he doesn't often display so openly.

“Of course, Rin,” you hum, tracing your fingers down his exposed back. He still seems unsure as he pushes his face against your shirt, but his shoulders relax slightly. “I mean it. I like taking care of you, okay? There’s nothing to repay if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

Your reassurance falls on deaf ears, though, as you feel his breathing even out and his grip on you loosening.

“I love you, baby,” you whisper, grabbing your book from where you’d set it earlier and relishing in the quiet as you continued to absentmindedly draw designs against Suna's warm skin. 

KUROO

Kuroo closes the apartment door quietly, finally letting his shoulders droop with exhaustion now that he's inside. He slips his bag noiselessly onto the ground and flicks his watch up to check the time. It was well past midnight by the time he actually clocked out of work and, although he wants nothing more than a dual welcome home/goodnight kiss from you, he hopes you’re sound asleep by now.

However, much to his surprise, you’re curled up on the couch with a book and a warm cup of tea, so enthralled in whatever you’re reading that you don't hear him approach. There’s a strong possibility you aren’t even aware of what time it is, completely lost in another world. He tests this theory by walking behind the couch and wrapping his arms around you, chuckling at the way you jump at the sudden contact.

“Welcome home!” you beam once you recover from the small scare. You press a quick kiss to his upturned lips before he walks around to the front so that he can relieve a proper hug.

“Thank you, babe,” he murmurs against your lips, not wanting to pull away from your warmth just yet. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I wanted to wait for you and then I got to this really good part in my book and just...lost track of what time it was.” The way your eyes light up sends a wave of admiration shooting straight through Kuroo’s heart. “How was work? Why did you have to stay so late?”

Kuroo begins walking you through his hectic day, quickly turning the discussion into an irritated rant about having to fix other people’s mistakes and figuring out schedules for upcoming projects. You listen thoughtfully as you migrate towards the kitchen, your boyfriend trailing closely behind.

Soon, there was a cup of hot tea in his hands and the two of you are positioned on the couch with your legs thrown over his lap as he gently massages your calves.

Your eyes never leave his as he talks, nodding along and asking questions every now and then. He didn’t need nor want any sort of advice or words of wisdom. Simply having you listen to him was enough to have him feeling ten times lighter by the time he reached the bottom of his cup.

“Do you want more?” you ask, beginning to stand up. Kuroo doesn’t answer, instead leaning forward and hooking his arm around your waist so that you fall back into his arms.

“More of you, yes,” he says, smiling into your hair. He can practically feel the way your eyes roll as you let out an exasperated groan at his cheesy comment, but the hint of a blush making its way to your cheeks betrays you.

You make the first move to get up, offering a hand out to him. His hand engulfs yours as you pull him towards the bedroom. The bed has new sheets and the laundry is sitting in a basket freshly washed and ready to be folded. A wave of guilt crashes into him, knowing that you also worked today and must’ve come home afterwards and cleaned up.

“Baby, you should’ve gotten some rest,” Kuroo sighs, gesturing to the laundry and neatly made  bed. "I'm certain it was my turn to do the laundry.”

“Yeah, but when you told me you had to work late I figured I’d knock out some chores since I had the time. It’s not like it’s a big deal, Tetsu.” 

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” The words have barely left his lips before he's throwing the covers over the two of you and shutting off the lights. His arms wrap around your middle as he pulls you close to him, relishing in your small giggles. It doesn't take long for you to drift to sleep while Kuroo places soft kisses against your exposed shoulders. He soon follows, matching his breathing with yours and immediately winding down, but until his brain finally shuts off from exhaustion he's thinking of all the ways he's going to show you just how much he appreciates everything you do.

IWAIZUMI

Iwaizumi watches as you begin cooking dinner for the two of you as a quiet pop song plays off your phone. His work day was less than stellar, to put it simply, but watching you dance around the kitchen has already earned the frown from his face and has him smiling like a damn fool.

“Haji!” you exclaim, suddenly noticing the lurking figure from the corner of your eye. He steps out from his hiding place, an amused yet sheepish look on his face as he notices your flustered expression. “Why were you just standing there? Come here and give me a kiss, idiot.” He raises his hands in surrender as he does what you say, letting his lips linger on yours for a moment longer than usual and wrapping his arms around your waist to draw you closer to him.

“Hey, doll,” he murmurs against your skin, resting his face into the crook of your neck. You pull back slightly, ignoring his childlike protests as you do so.

“Are you okay?” you question, eyeing him up and down. Iwaizumi is sure he could get lost in your beautiful eyes that are currently filled with concern. You know him too well, he thinks, as you give him a knowing look. It was still difficult for him to open up about things, especially small things that had bothered him throughout the day. There wasn't a real reason to talk about all the irritating parts of the day because he knows he can handle them himself, or so he claims.

“Y/n, it’s nothing,” he reassures, kissing your nose in an attempt to further prove he’s not bothered. “It was just a very long day, but now I’m back here with you and I couldn’t be happier.” His smooth talking makes it impossible for you to stay mad, but you surely try.

“Alright, well, you know you can talk about it even if it’s ‘nothing.’ In the meantime, stay here and watch the food for a moment while I run you a bath.” Iwaizumi is quick to object, but you’ve already sauntered out of the room and he can hear the faint sound of running water.

It truly did feel nice to be taken care of, he thinks fleetingly as he sinks into the warm water, but it's difficult for him to fully relax when he can hear you bustling around the kitchen. He waits in the bath for a little longer so that you won't bite his head off for how quick he was before changing  into a pair of sweatpants and a comfortable shirt. The sounds of you beginning to set the table echoes down the hallway and he finds himself hoping you'll at least let him help with that.

“You lasted longer in there than I thought," you tease as your boyfriend appears back at your side. "Now go sit down." He opens his mouth to argue, but one look and he finds himself moving towards the table, wondering why you were so intent on doing everything.

“At least let me do the dishes,” he practically pleads, watching you with an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude as you bring the warm food over to the table.

“Or, hear me out, we leave the dishes to deal with tomorrow and spend the rest of the night watching movies cuddled up on the couch." He narrows his eyes as he searches through his brain, trying to remember if he'd forgotten an anniversary or birthday because he surely didn't feel as if he deserved this.

As if reading his mind once again you reach out and hold his hand, gently rubbing your thumb in circles against his skin.

"Can't you just let me take care of you? You're constantly going above and beyond for me, so I just thought I'd try and return the favor." Iwaizumi feels his face heat up as you place a kiss against his knuckles like he always does to you. It did feel nice, but he enjoys taking care of you. He never even thinks twice about it. 

"Alright, alright. In that case, you can do the dishes tonight and maybe also get some desert." He can feel your eyes boring into him as if to say, 'Don't push it.' A smile breaks out on his face as he begins digging into the meal you prepared, peppering you with compliments until his plate is clean.

[asavt]

Another cookie squad Headcanons

Featuring Sparkling, Vampire, cellphones and the Espresso and Madeleine Story of how they came together. Consider it an AU now baby!

-As a note, when I say the squad I'm mostly referring to the adults, so no worries about Walnut or Creampuff useless I mention them too

-Each one of the squad has been in Sparkling's bar at last once. There's no need to say who has been there the most. Sparkling has a time every time someone besides Roguefort comes, because to him it's mostly like "Oh I'll finally know the continuation to the burnt toast accident or maybe the cat catastrophe? Maybe a new POV of the--"

He practically knows a lot of what happens in between the squad.

-As another note, Sparkling's bar is called Milabo (You know, like the song from Zutomayo of the same name, which, btw, I relate a lot to Latte)

-*A great part of this “AU” is kind of inspired by the song. Part of its lyrics and vibe.

-Vampire is there most of the time when the squad visits the bar (it's almost as if he never leaves the bar and this is definitely not me low-key putting sparkvamp in this oh no--) Sometimes the fakes his sleep to listen to the things others say (Which is how he knows most of Rogue's pan-ic).

-Walnut has been in Sparkling's bar too, but at day and for case-solving purposes only. Sparkling will give her some alcohol-free drink for free sometimes (mostly because he gets along pretty well with the nut family and because Almond usually pays him whatever he serves her).

-If the squad had cellphones (and probably an app like discord because.), their group chat would initially be called "Coffee mage appreciation group" and then be changed to "Coffee bean appreciation group"

Coffee Bean: Can we please change the group name and mine?

Guided by the Devine: No <3

Coffee Bean: Fuck you.

-*And they all would dedicate half their time to make fun of Almond but with love.

-Espresso has been mistaken for a dark mage before by Almond. It was how they meet actually. Almond had pulled him to interrogate him and got a long lecture on the differences between black magic and coffee magic.

-Madeleine gets along rather well with Roguefort. Rogue seems impressed by Maddie’s acting skills.

-Madeleine is currently living with Espresso. Out of his armor most of the time. He usually takes care of keeping the house clean and preparing meals (He never really had to cook before but the first dish he made wasn’t bad at all). Sometimes he will tag along Almond in the detective’s work, or Almond will ask for his help.

-I’m still unsure if I want the Almond/Roguefort/Latte to be romantic or platonic. But honestly? Both are good. Latte is pretty close to Almond and Roguefort but not in the way she is with Espresso (that makes them look like siblings jkashduawhu). Perhaps I’ll keep it platonic.

-The Espresseleine/Madespresso story of how they came together, because I seem to not be able to write it down JSHALDHUIWADWA-

--It happens after the Puppet Show mini quest. Madeleine starts to ask for Espresso's "assistance" in different mission that are given to him. Angel is there too, of course.

--During these missions is that Essy clarifies that no, they are not friends, no, he does not like Madeleine. Bringing up the knight begin too prideful and self-centered if not all then most of the time.

--Is not until one of their missions goes wrong, were Angel is knocked out and Espresso (seeing and knowing that if Madeleine is knocked down too they might not be able to go back to the kingdom ever) pretty much receives a rather big attack for Madeleine is that he kind realizes the facts given by espresso true. All while he is carrying Essy and Angel back to the kingdom, running and exhausted too.

--Clover begin kind of a mediator between the two (I want to see more of my son--)

--"Devine, protect us" Should happen too after this. An scenario like, Madeleine coming to think something like "I'm the shield, the one who goes on the front line and receives the blows for those who can't, always looking straight ahead... but if I am doing that then who watches my back? Who do I rely on and trust to take care of most enemies so the damage received is not overwhelming...?"

Power of team work baby!!!

--As a note to this, Maddie getting his cape damaged as well as his hair. So, you get short hair Maddie~

(I've been drawing him with short hair in secret now I have an excuse to show)

-- "You...cut your hair..." *Madeleine touches the points of it with one of his hands, pensive* "...pft it'll grow back!"

--There's also this "Search for your own light" thing between Angel and Maddie. Angel encouraging Madeleine to do so. Maybe Madeleine giving his best wishes to them for their wish to fly before they decide to part ways.

--Madeleine trying other ways to befriend Essy. Which at first Espresso mistaken as the knight usual attempts to befriend anyone he sees out of habit and attention seeking, but once they realize the feeling is completely genuine, Espresso is rather perplexed.

--"You can't just befriend people by buying them gifts (although I do appreciate them)" "Then what?" "hmm..."

--Said gifts used to be rather expensive things, simple though. Eventually Madeleine settles to just pass by Espresso's place, give him any food he had bought that day (which usually is glazed donuts), ask if he needs any help with something (getting a vase, materials, moving things), and if not then he just says his good byes, best wishes and silently leaves. (A note on the "silently leaves": Madeleine is pretty much used to speak loudly and enter loudly anywhere, he still does this at this point, but when it's about Espresso he is a bit more quiet, a bit showy over his entrances still, but less loud, and he actually knocks the door)

--Madeleine eventually manages to go out with Espresso to other places that aren't some place in the forest full of enemies. Probably after some more visits to his place and more calm talks between the two, Madeleine brings up that Espresso tends to act a bit cold or distant towards a lot of people, and that, although he understands his discomfort at begin in public spaces or too long out of his work, he should try and open up a bit. This reminds Essy of a certain friend he hasn't seen in some time, and from whom he keeps getting letters.

--Shenanigans.

--There's still some bickering between the two, always with a playful undertone though.

--Espresso explains Madeleine, one time the knight has gotten Espresso wrapped in a blanket burrito again and got him to bed, that sometimes, no matter how tired he might feel, he is simply unable to sleep. Part of a headcanon of mine that coffee magic has this side effect on it's users, prolonged usage of this kind of magic will induce a high caffeine kind of state, which on the long run can fuck up the user's sleep schedule. Madeleine understands this, but remains stubborn about keeping Espresso in the bed so at last he can get some rest from his work and clear his mind a little, the idiot falls asleep in the process and Espresso doesn't try to wake him up.

--This happens several times after, neither of them thinking of the implications of not begin bothered by the sudden closeness they share until it's too late.

--Espresso realizes first that he has slowly, yet nicely, fallen for Madeleine. I think I talked about this before but I'll do it again: Is in one of the times Madeleine has gotten Espresso to bed to get some rest, Espresso not begin able to fall asleep and Madeleine doing again. Is while he thinks of how he has gotten to know Madeleine for real, not the Knight Commander from a noble family or the Chosen by the Devine, but as he is, that he comes to think that "Ah.... I love him" and he remains calm about it.

--Espresso doesn't overthink it, just thinks that, if Madeleine ever got an interest in him, he would surely show it. So he waits. Even if in the end his feelings aren't mutual he knows he'll do just fine remaining friends.

--Madeleine realizes not many days after. And the realization hits him like a truck. Alone in his place and probably in bed looking at the ceiling thinking about Espresso. Once he realizes and thinks about it a bit more his face gets all red and chooses to scream in the pillow.

--He would think about telling Espresso as soon as he can, after all, he doesn't want his feelings to make their friendship weird. He values it, a lot. Maybe because his friendship with Espresso it's the first one where he genuinely wanted to become friends with someone.

--Espresso takes the confession calmly, gets all flustered after they kiss for the first time.

--As a few extras of this: Madeleine goes back to the Republic, asked to be seen by his family and Espresso goes to Parfedia, where a few students have applied to his class to his surprise. When they see each other again is at Parfedia (Madeleine sending a message to Espresso beforehand about his arrival) -there was this one drawing I did once of Maddie running to hug Espresso, something like that happens-. Madeleine gets very clingy for some reason, which they speak later and comes out as “Home doesn’t quite feel like home…” “Why is that?” “I don’t know… maybe I’ve become used to be around you”

--Espresso lets ends up letting Madeleine stay with him until he either feels like returning to the Republic or is called back, whatever happens first (though none will happen for maybe a year or a little more).

--Ends with Madeleine meeting Latte and Almond.

[fa-by]

Hi Faby I have a question L said that she knew she was queer when she fell in love with her best friend when she was 15 and that her and L started to have a physical connection when she was 15 and I know everyone says that she was talking about C because L met C for the first time when she was still 15 but to me that doesn't make sense because L and C only started to get closer after L turned 16 and her and C basically just met so how could she be talking about C?

Hi to you, dear Anon 👋🏼😄 I know it doesn’t seem to make sense because the narrative’s goal is to confuse you and get you on their side by making you abandon the ship. You have to pay attention to the details and what they say because there are always flaws in the stories that our Camren are forced to tell. But don’t worry, I’m here. I’ve already talked about it many times, but I’ll explain it again to make you understand better and answer your ask at the same time.

So. During Becky G’s ‘En La Sala’ podcast (October 28, 2020), Lauren said she realized she was queer because she fell in love with her best friend when she was 15 and they started having a physical relationship. She forced herself to think that kissing and sleeping with her friend every once in a while was just a funny thing and nothing important; something that she has ‘normalized’ in her head by justifying it as something that ‘straight girls do’, and therefore fueling her internalized homophobia. Personally speaking, I believe in this. Not in the ‘she fell in love’ part because Laur’s still forced to say that the only girl she has ever loved is Lucy, but I believe Lauren and Lucy really did everything L said. Lucy was the first real unlock thanks to which Laur experienced the attraction and the feelings towards the girls she’d always felt and hidden deep inside herself. I firmly believe that Lucy was the first girl among her crushes on girls Laur acted on, and with whom she experimented in secret given the environment in which they both grew up and which still surrounded them at the time.

Now, the time frame in which this experimentation happened. Paul Martinez, the one she believed was her first love and whom she believed she would marry, broke up with her in late July 2011, and she only managed to move on when she wrote a song about how she felt on September 17th of that same year. Lucy moved back to Puerto Rico in February 2012, returning to visit Miami occasionally (that’s why the fetus pictures with Lucy and Camren at Laur’s house). Therefore, the time frame in which that experimentation happened, is from the end of September 2011 to February 2012. It could’ve happened in all those four months, or only in two, or only in one. Who knows. But that’s the time frame. Time frame during which Laur was 15 years old.

Having explained this, let’s move on. Camren first met during the first phase of the audition, the ‘cattle call’, on May 1, 2012, in Greensboro, North Carolina. You know? Where that short and really cute conversation started by Mila happened: “Hi, I like your shirt”, “Thanks. I like your jacket”. But it ended up there because they didn’t become friends from that day. They didn’t exchange phone numbers and they therefore didn’t even spend time together at home in Miami. They were still just two strangers who had auditioned for a TV show to pursue their dreams like so many other people. Oh and, on May 1, 2012, Laur was still 15, and Mila had turned since almost two months; therefore they were both 15 years old. The moment they became friends by no longer detaching one from the hip of the other, was two months later, on July 25 in Miami, when they met for the first time for the first day of boot camp (L went to C: “You’re the Cuban girl!”). On July 25, 2012, Lauren had by then turned 16 for nearly a month, and Camila was still 15.

Now let’s move on to the biggest miscalculated mistake that, either they made her say, or Laur herself said; perhaps even deliberately and not by mistake. On June 26, 2020, and therefore before the podcast with Becky, the PAPER Magazine article was released. In that article, Lauren explained, along with other things, that she’d been in love with her best friend for seven years. But the calculations don’t add up, for two things to be exact.

First thing: The Laucy narrative includes that A) Laur fell in love with her sure, Jan at 15 when they kissed and hooked up during parties.

P.S. Is it just me, or does this smell like what actually started happening to Camren the following year? I mean, the Like Friends Do situation whereby Laur got out of her internalized homophobia and realized she loved her and then got her head out of her ass by finally going to get her girl? No? Just me?

B) The wanting but not being able to be with her and giving her what she wanted made them grew apart not by her choice and not because Lucy returned to live in Puerto Rico and they simply grew apart for the distance and Lauren’s busy schedule with 5H, no, no.

P.S. I don’t know about you, but this still smells like Camren’s story to me.

C) Lucy returned to her life after she had a car accident on May 17, 2015:

“She came back into my life when I was 18. I was on tour and I was in my room in a hotel somewhere and she called me”. From that moment on, Lauren decided they would’ve been together “all in” and “now we’re gonna be in this relationship”. Yeah, sure. No contract that was supposed to help both of them involved here. No, no.

D) They broke up because Laur confirmed that theirs was a very toxic relationship, and the specific reason she gave was because they both weren’t fully healed from the past yet, but that they still loved each other very much. Mmmh-hmm, okay 🥱😴 Yeah, no, yeah, sorry. I fell asleep as a result of hearing bullshit.

Second thing: Ty.

Shall we reveal the miscalculation (again)? In love with her at 15, got together with her at 18 and broke up at 20 (1 year and 8 months, from mid-May 2015 to mid-January 2017), and after less than a month, start of another PR dating Ty. Now, 20 minus 15 (Laur’s two ages from the beginning to the end of the ‘story’), how much is it? 5. Shall we calculate from the moment of Laucy experiment to when they ‘broke up’? From late September 2011 to mid January 2017, how many years are? 5! 5 years and four months to be exact. According to the logic of the narrative, if she was oh so in love with Ty as they made her proclaim every two seconds, it means that she’d stopped loving Lucy that same year, and it’s not 7 years anyway! It’s still 5! Do we want to try with two last calculations? Okay. Also because you may have wondered: “Faby, what if we instead calculated from when ‘they got together’ to the release of that PAPER Magazine article?”. I’d answer that it’s still 5 years. From mid-May 2015 to June 25, 2020, it’s 5 years and 1 month to be exact. “Faby, what if we tried to calculate from the beginning to the publication of the article?” From the end of September 2011 (beginning of the time frame of the Laucy experimentation) to the publication of the article on 25 June 2020, it’s 8 years and 9 months to be precise. Not even in this case it’s 7! So, as you can see… And at this point I wonder: is there an alternate world where math calculations lead to 7 and not 5 here? What was that? Why say 7? Well.. I actually know why.

Shall we play another little math game? Can I reveal the truth in the lie? Let’s try to make sense of this 7 together now.

Lauren explained that she’d been in love with her best friend for 7 years in that interview, right? The interview with PAPER Magazine came out on June 26, 2020, but was done before the date it was released. We all know Laur was born on the 27th, and therefore in both cases, Laur was 23. And tell me, dear, how much is 23 minus 7? Sorry, I can’t hear your answer. A little louder please? Got it, got it. Can I also write it for everyone else who’s reading? Okay, thanks: 16. Wait, 16??? So who was Lauren actually talking about? Ohhh. How foolish of me. That’s why it ‘smelled like what actually started happening to Camren the following year’ to me. Because Laur was talking about Camila all along 🤦🏻‍♀️

🤣😏😎

Sarcasm and jokes aside, do you see how easy it is to manipulate and confuse people's ideas? It's still 7 years if we calculate from mid-January 2013 (after the first real New Year's kiss and the signing of the contracts with Syco/Epic) to the release of that PAPER Magazine article on June 25, 2020. And it's still 7 years even if we calculate from July 25, 2012 (first day of boot camp) to June 25, 2020. Camila is the answer to the 7 years because even if they try to make Laur modify the narrative by making her change the names with the PRs' ones, she's always talking about Mila anyway in reality.

Does it make more sense now, dear? I hope I’ve taken away all your doubts 🥰 Stay safe and have a good day 🤗 You guys too ❤

[pricescigar]

Frank Woods x Elivra Wolff

Prompt: "I am happiest, when I'm next to you."

Requested by: @chrystallenex

GIF ISN'T MINE BELONGS TO: Frankwoods

Usually Elvira was the first one to always wake up, and the last to fall asleep. With Frank hearing the small shuffles, and slight movment in their bedroom. Hearing Elvira crawling into bed with him, going on her side of the bed. He would immediately wrap his arms around her, as she would with him too. Neither of them letting go of each other. Both of them falling asleep together. He didn't mind if she stayed up late sometimes, and she didn't mind if he stayed up late either. Yet most times, the two would simply go to bed together. Being in each others arms and falling asleep, for them it was the equivalent to having a warm glass of milk before bed. Obviously Frank loved being the big spoon most nights, wrapping his arms around his beloved Elvira. Making sure she was secure, safe and warm within his arms. However he loved Elvira being the big spoon also, as cute as it was. Frank loved it, almsot a soft spot for him. Whatever position they was in. They would sleep soundly regardless.

Luckily for today, both of them had some time off for once. So they could do whatever they wish. Recently they haven't been able to spend time together, with Elvira constant stuck with office work, or going on missions. Meanwhile Frank had to deal with oversea missions, and mission in country too. But requesting time off wasn't a problem at all. Both of them had deserved it, and what they would do was up for them to decide.

Maybe the two would go and watch a movie together at the Cinema? Going out into town? Bake together, there was so many things they could do. The latter would also be including; Spoiling Elvira, or the other way around. Elvira spoiling Frank, for sure he would love to take her  over to Burger Town as he always would. It was a Friday luckily, so Frank had any excuse to.

Frank was the first one to wake up for once, he glanced down to Elvira who was still asleep in his arms. Her arms were securely wrapped around him, her hair a little messy. But it wasn't too bad, her chest softly going up and down as she slept; Whenever she slept in Frank's arms, she slept like a baby. He was surpsied to still see her asleep, but nevertheless. He knew she was extremely tired, he didn't dare to move an inch. He just took the time to admire her, which made him smile softly at the sight of her.

Elvira slowly woke up rubbing her eyes a little, before wrapping her arms back around Frank. Snuggling onto him, her eyes stayed closed momentarily before they opened again. Her eyes soon gazed up to Woods, who was still watching her she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Hm good morning darling... Is there something on my face?" Elvira asked in her sleepy tone, staying ever so close to him. Which Frank smile more at her cute and sleepy voice  shaking his head.

"No, not at all. You look beautiful my love, as you always do. Did you sleep well?" Woods would ask her, his fingers slowly going through her curly hair gently.

"Ja I did, you know me dear. I always do when I'm beside you, you make me feel safe. Just as I keep you safe too. No nightmares at all." Elvira mused to him, as she chuckled softly.

Woods smiled and nodded in agreement; While her nightmares may have not been as frequent, that doesn't mean they've fully gone away forever. Fortunately, they still remain. "Well– We have our time off, don't we? I'm happy enough to stay in bed with you." He said pulling her even closer to him, so they was pratically entangled together.

"We'll have to get up soon you know, and have breakfast as well... And other things." Elvira said laying her head on his chest, even if she had time off. Having a schedule had always her in line, just so she had something to do in her time.

"I know my love, but were not going anywhere till you're relaxed. I might not ever let go, ever." Woods teased smirking at her, his signature and cheeky smirk she first fell in love with.

Elvira couldn't help but laugh, placing her hand on his cheek softly. Gently caressing it before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Alright then darling, you win. I'll relax, just for you." She would say, laying back down on his chest.

"Besides... I am happiest when I'm next you, always..." Woods whispered to her, as they cuddled together once more. Gradually they may have fallen asleep together again, just for a little while; But who cares, the love birds deserved their rest.

[lilikags]

Hello hello, hope you're doing well, may I request a matchup please?(hopefully im not late lmao)

Fandom: epic seven

Preference: males

My type : (kayron is my type lmao) harsh on outside mushy as molten chocolate on the inside

Hobbies: art, writing (barely), baking.

Habits:

Drinking too much coffee

I tend to be a bit pushy sometimes

Two moods: do everything way ahead of schedule or do it last minute

Sometimes I'm busy so I'm just like : my medicine sure can wait another hour

I shower with cold water during the winter and when I catch a cold I always go surprised pikachu face like I seriously wasn't the reason

Step 1: go to fridge for snack, step 2: open fridge, step 3: no snack, step 4: go to room, step 5: let 3 minutes pass then do it again as if the fridge is gonna give birth to food

"I'll just draw for 15 minutes then I sleep" proceeds to stay up till 5 am then raise my head up and realise I got a neck cramp from staying in awkward position for too long

Getting a new food bowl for my dog randomly and seeing her question what new entity it is and if it is hostile or not (its funny af to watch sometimes I wake up at 2 am to her barking at a bowl and I start laughing I dont even need to change it I just do it cause her reaction is soo adorable

Its either I sleep with jeans or im a weakling, I'm not a weakling

I always have that one sketch book that I keep locking in a drawer just in case a friend stumbles on it and finds it, in case you are wondering why, its that sketch you don't want anyone to see for very obvious reasons

Thanks as always, take care and enjoy he rest of your day ♡

I match you with...

okay hear me out this is more of a discussion- BUT- he and kayron are the same type of person except this one is has such loyalty to schniel that- anyways, he is like kayron but less violent. yes, that is the main point here. this man understands (logically) why you drink so much coffee but also does not understand (emotionally). he just is always on that schedule. does not mind if you're pushy or anything he's dealt with idiots that almost get themselves badly injured unnecessarily more times than someone just being pushy. he has the patience of like, a dead dinosaur (aka a lot of patience)- unless someone is dying then uh, he'll be rushing to save them. he doesn't understand procrastination. he just does work as it is done and when he is done he moves onto something else there's always something to do. it's a topic to ponder upon (when you procrastinate) he also ponders upon the dog and her new items. it's simply amusing

this man also just like, is a decent cook and will cook when there is no food. he learned decently and didn't find much joy in it but he'd enjoy making it for you. he food he makes does taste good though ngl. if he sees you up late he'll literally shut off your light and say that it's time to sleep. literally, this man makes the decision that it is too late to be awake and simply acts on it. ... no comment on the jeans

ah. yes. that one. tywin pretends it doesnt exist <3

[yourcreepyneighborhoodelftwink]

As the Hero fell upwards through the sands of time, the days rewinding like the gears of a clock, he landed calmly on the cobblestones of Clock Town Square, at the dawn of the first day. He had been through this many times before, and had grown accustomed to reliving the same 3 days, helping the same people with the same schedules, slowly making more and more progress each time. At least he didn't feel an enormous time crunch, even with the threat of the moon hanging above him, he was always able to rewind the days, and could take days to rest, to sleep or ride Epona or play with the inhabitants.

He rarely did, but it was nice that the option was there.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Tatl getting his attention with a soft tinkling sound, looking over at the stand near the Deku flower, and the note pinned to it.

"That's certainly new…" she said cautiously as they approached, Tatl reading aloud to Link.

The pair exchanged a confused and frightened look. It wasn't signed, but they knew exactly who left the note for them.

BEN sat on the edge of the field, their boots hanging over the barrier where the grass turned into sand, looking out at the canyon leading to the beach. It had been so long since they had entered their game, only playing it from the outside. Perhaps they had been showing too much love to Breath of the Wild lately and not enough to the dark masterpiece of their former prison, or perhaps it was the only world they could enter that felt truly real, where the sun was warm and the wind blew. They HAD become a bit spoiled, learning that adding weather effects and random wind blowing did wonders to immersion when they entered a game.

They closed their eyes, speaking up before looking behind them.

"You didn't have to rush over here. "as possible" doesn't mean "instantly", you know…" BEN said gently, lowering their ears with a guilty smile.

Link frowned softly, keeping his distance from the elf. He couldn't draw his sword AND sign, after all, so he would have to make due. "You didn't specify. I've learned better than to provoke you."

BEN couldn't exactly blame his caution. It's why they were here, after all. "My bad. I'll be more specific next time. But I suppose it's neither here nor there now…"

"...is there something you want, BEN? " Link asked, clearly a bit anxious by being asked to meet.

"...a few things. I won't lie and say there isn't a favor I'd like to ask the both of you-"

"Like you have any right to ask Link for anything, at this point!" Tatl quickly interjected, turning red in anger. "You've terrorized us for no good reason, revealed truths we didn't need to know, and then just left us alone one day!"

"-BUT," BEN continued, "that isn't my main reason for being here. First and foremost... You're long overdue for an apology from me."

Link and Tatl looked at each other in confusion. "...pardon? " Link questioned.

"...I've been doing a lot of thinking and self reflecting lately. Especially because I finally have reason to want to improve myself. And I think I've gotten pretty far in trying to right the wrongs of my past, and try to change as a person. But I still never gave the both of you a proper apology, or even an explanation for how I treated you…" BEN sheepishly said.

Link looked down at the seated person, absolutely dumbfounded. All the times he had been attacked by BEN came instantly into his mind, only to not even be able to so much as scratch them in return, even the might of a Goron doing nothing to them. All the times he had been followed and told he was insignificant, worthless, a joke of a hero, told he was nothing more than a bland, boring conduit for the player of a game in a world far grander than his own. Only for BEN to just... Disappear one day. Gone. Vanish into thin air, and only return occasionally, seemingly at their leisure. Something... Didn't add up to him, and he wasn't sure what on Earth made them suddenly stop tormenting him, and now want to make things right.

"...I'll hear you out, at least," Link finally said, stepping forward to sit next to him. If nothing else, were he going to harm Link, BEN would have done it by now.

"Not that it makes us all hunky-dory yet," Tatl offered, settling on Link's shoulder.

BEN smiled softly, letting out a relieved breath. They stayed quiet for a moment, deciding their words carefully. "I'm not... Sure where to start. So much has happened to me. I guess I should start when we first met. When I first entered this game. It was my favorite game, and with me when I died," they started.

Tatl interrupted, jingling softly. "...when you died?"

BEN nodded softly. "When I died. I was just about your age, Link, about 12. More specifically, when I was murdered. Father simply... Got tired of me, I suppose. He tricked my religion's leader- we refer to him as The Father- into thinking it was my time to Ascend when it wasn't. The whole explanation of my belief system isn't important in this, just that I was robbed of something very important and sacred to me because of it."

"That sounds horrible," Link signed.

"It was... And I was only 12, and not the greatest at understanding or expressing my emotions... I was so angry, absolutely furious at losing that chance, as what had been done to me. I've always had a strong sense of justice, if you can believe it. I don't easily stand for people wronging me. But when I died, my spirit was trapped in this game. All that rage bottled up, with nowhere to release it... Until I started releasing it on you. Very unfairly."

"I'll say," Tatl said, though there wasn't much bite behind her words.

"Eventually, someone played the game, and I was able to break free, find someone else to torment. And after that, start lashing out at everyone who had hurt me, making them

PĄŸ,"

BEN continued, their voice glitching out just a bit at the final word.

"...i moved on to more innocent people after that. I was out of control. To the point where my goddess, Luna, intervened. She stopped me herself, gave me a new body, made me into a young adult so I wouldn't be trapped as a child forever, and I carry the souls of everyone I hurt in my blind sadism, until I join her again one day. And I've worked hard to be a better person now. I've found so much to make my life wonderful, and to make the most of my second chance…" BEN trailed off.

"...but you still want to make amends to everyone you've hurt," Link finished for them.

"...I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't think I can be forgiven. But I really AM sorry for how I treated you. Both of you. Of everyone I've lashed out at, you're the least deserving of it. No matter WHAT'S happened to me, it's NO excuse for how much I've hurt you. And even if you never forgive me, I would love the opportunity to make it up to you…" they finished softly.

"...would you excuse us for a moment?" Tatl asked, flying a slight distance away. Link glanced over at BEN before rising to his feet to follow, and speak with the fairy alone. BEN politely stayed looking forward, allowing them the privacy.

"...do you believe them?" Tatl asked.

"...yeah. They seem genuine," Link admitted.

Tatl nodded softly. "I do, too. There's much simpler ways to trick us or convince us if that was their intention. Even if they said they wanted a favor, this is a lot of lengths to go to for just that…"

"I wonder what they want," the hero mused, glancing over at BEN.

"...maybe ask? Perhaps you can also ask a favor of him, test his sincerity," she said.

"What would that be? " he asked.

"Well, you've said you're curious about his world, whatever it is that our entire world is only a game in, a small part of. Maybe you can ask to explore his world. It'd give you the opportunity to spend more time with him and let him earn your trust, anyway," she offered.

Link nodded softly, then whistled to get BEN's attention. "Alright, BEN, we've talked it over. First, I want to know what favor it is you want…"

"Actually, it's a favor specifically from Tatl," they explained.

"Wait, me?" she questioned.

"...my daughter has watched me play this game a lot. And she's absolutely fallen in LOVE with you, she ADORES seeing you on screen. Her first birthday is in a few months, and there's... Circumstances about my life, and now hers, that will make her very different from other children, with so many secrets to keep. She could really use having a companion by her side, a friend to offer wisdom and company and help when she needs it. A copy of you, like how I copied Epona, to watch over her and make her feel less alone…" BEN said.

"...you have a daughter?" Link asked.

"And a boyfriend. Soon to be husband," BEN explained, holding up their hand to show off their ring.

Tatl let out a soft chime at this. "Well... I'm certainly flattered you think I'd make a good companion to her…"

BEN smiled softly. "I don't expect an answer today, don't worry. There's still a few months before her birthday. And I understand if it's not something you're comfortable with…"

"...we have a proposal for you, in that case," Link began. "You want to make amends to us. We're admittedly curious about this world outside of our own. So, let us explore. Show us your life, and what lies outside this "game", and earn our trust. Then we'll consider it."

BEN thought this over. They'd have to be careful, but this wasn't impossible… "...I can't completely remove you from the game. I'd have to copy you, then merge the copy and your true self after. It's basically the same thing, though, you'd keep the memories and everything. And you'd have to do EXACTLY as I say, I... REALLY can't have attention drawn to myself or the people I live with. If there's something that catches your attention, you can't gawk, just stay calm and ask me. And there's going to be a LOT, the real world is nothing like this one. Hylian sign doesn't match up with any sign language in my world, so you'll at least be able to speak freely. But if you can do that, and trust that I'm keeping us both safe when I tell you to do something... I'll happily show you around."

Link considers this, then nods. He holds out his hand to BEN, who shakes it.

"Then we have a deal."