#not to reunite not to be together again. youre both too far gone for that

[vaugarde]

morphogala is a yuri tragedy. to me

[darlingdekarios]

the best thing.

rating: explicit. 18+ only. length: 5,608 content: Gale Dekarios x f!tav [f!reader], porn with plot, established relationship (engaged), post-Baldur's Gate III canon, fluff, domestic bliss, smut [fingering - receiving, oral - receiving, unprotected p in v, creampie], kink(s) [overstimulation, orgasm control, hands, hair pulling, body worship]

after everything the two of you have been through, you're eager to give Gale one perfect, blissful day.

It was almost unbelievable seeing you bathed in the golden hues of the morning standing in his kitchen, back to him as you fussed over whatever it was you currently had sizzling on the stove. It was so rare that he was able to sneak upon you these days - you were so attuned to one another that simply entering the same room was enough of a greeting.

But now you were focused, far too much so to notice your lover's entrance, or even to notice him for several more moments as he leaned against the doorframe, peacefully enjoying the serenity that being near to you caused. Even this was enough to fill his heart with love.

"If there should ever come a day when your presence does not fill this tower again it will surely be a day without sunrise."

You turned to him and offered a smile that rivaled the sun itself in beauty and warmth, every bit as life sustaining to him. You were wearing an apron he often donned in the kitchen, the fabric graffitied with streaks of color and puffs of powder. He was struck as he so often was with you, offering nothing more than a smile in return that reached his eyes as he remained transfixed by you - the very center of his universe and far beyond anything his goddess had ever shown him in beauty.

"There are painters who envy me of this privilege. To wake to such beauty in my own home every day…I truly am a fortunate man."

You would never tire of the way Gale's words spread through you like warmest fire, making you feel worthy of a love such as this every moment no matter how your mind was trying to force you to feel that day. To say in the time that had passed since your adventures in bliss would be an understatement - both of you had found what could only be described as heaven in life with one another.

Everything about one another had become home, the deep love the two of you shared the kind that people prayed to the gods for.

"You wake up everyday and set out to make me love you more than the last.""

"I could say the very same to you, my love," his voice was particularly cheerful this morning and you were glad you'd decided today for your plan. It was already off to a great start, and it could truly only get better from here with what you had up your sleeve. "What has you in the kitchen at this hour? We didn't exactly get to sleep early, by any standard."

When you've gone through the things you've been through, sometimes it can feel wrong when someone looks at you with the amount of love and adoration Gale was now…the way he did so often these days. Whether you were resting in his bed, reading at his side, curled with Tara on the couch, or doing any other thing to fill the time, he looked at you now like it was what he hoped to do last in the world.

And he always would.

"I made you breakfast. Or at least…I did my best at…making you breakfast."

The smile that spread across his face was more stunning than any of the scenery in all of your adventures, not a single star or moon matching its beauty. As you were lost in your profound love for him he took the lull in conversation to close the distance to you, wrapping his arms around you and reuniting you into his warm embrace - it hadn't been long, but it was always an eternity.

He pressed several kisses to your forehead as he gazed over your shoulder, analyzing the plates you'd made for the two of you to enjoy. His brows pulled together in an expression you recognized as being deep in thought - you pressed a kiss to the lines as he spoke again.

"I know this meal…"

Your lips lifted into a smile against his skin and he reached upward to encourage you to meet his gaze again, awaiting your response and hoping it was a confirmation of what he suspected. "It was the first breakfast you made for the party. I remember how proud you were and how delicious it was…no one had ever cooked for me like that."

"Your memory is just as astounding as the rest of you," he was positively grinning at you, eyes expressive and proudly displaying every bit of love he felt for you. His head tilted to the side briefly - something you were quite fond of - as his brow furrowed again, the arm that remained around your waist pulling you closer. "It's not my birthday, is it?"

Forget loving him more by the day - you loved Gale Dekarios more by the second.

"No, dearest," you replied, reaching one of your hands upward to rest against his chest. You held his gaze as you spoke knowing he preferred when you didn't look away. "I just realized…in all the time since I've met you there have been many meals that you've made me, and I've never made you a single one."

His expression softened even more, something you didn't know was possible, pressing a gentle and loving kiss to her lips. The first kiss of the new day was always a shared favorite between the two of you - no matter how many days passed the first always created goosebumps and pulled quiet sighs of pleasure from your chests.

"You are truly are a gentle soul," he muttered against your lips, the hand that still cradled the back of your head sliding to cup your cheek instead, his thumb brushing across your cheekbone tenderly. "I'm still not always entirely sure I deserve it."

"But you do," you promised, eager to hush the self doubt that still lingered in your fiancé day-to-day. It was something you were happy to live with - it never annoyed you or grew tiresome, you were more than willing to remind him how loved he was despite any mistakes he'd made in the past, that any he'd make in the future were already forgiven. "You deserve it, Gale. We've been through so much together and I was thinking…I want you to have a perfect day. I want to do anything and everything you want to do for an entire day."

"Starting with breakfast?"

You sheepishly smiled and nodded before confirming, "I know it won't be as good as when you made it, but…"

"It will be perfect," he silenced your own worries gracefully and gently before they could even begin to fester. "As most things made in love are. Would you join me on the balcony for our meal?"

It was incredible how something as mundane as sharing a meal together could become an act of utmost intimacy. With Gale even the smallest moments felt like a life's worth of promise and love - if every day was like this you would leave this life with nothing but happiness in your heart. The day passed with him like a dream, like you'd truly found the person you were meant to spend this much time with. The person you were meant to face the passing years together - who you were excited to watch more grey bloom in his hair.

After breakfast both of you had fallen asleep on the balcony in a gentle embrace, his arms holding you against his chest as you slept. When you woke, Tara was asleep on your back and so you'd continue to lay together until the tressym removed herself to carry on with her day. All the while Gale had gazed at you lovingly, stroking your hair and face when you had continued to sleep a few moments longer. He'd never tire of the serenity that filled your face in truly peaceful slumber.

For lunch Gale opted to eat by a nearby lake, the beautiful afternoon the perfect landscape for him to take a moment to indulge in a bit of poetry…about you, of course. It made you bashful when he did so - it always had and likely always would, a demure laugh passing through your lips as you tried to hide behind your hands as he poetically described the many things he loved about you.

Of course, the heat in your cheeks only increased when his poetry turned to that of describing the ways he wanted to demonstrate his love - but you were certain you were burning when he'd followed it with a kiss not entirely decent for a relatively public setting. Nevertheless, he certainly didn't seem to mind.

It continued with a trip to the bookstore, the apothecary, and to another local merchant where he bought some supplies for home and a necklace for you that yes he insisted you have, even though you now had a collection forming in the tower. Before you could finish your day in town he asked to pop down to the local inn for a quick drink.

You were well aware that this was truly just time for Gale to show off his future wife to the other patrons - something that always made you feel fantastic about yourself. The fact that the famed Wizard of Waterdeep felt pride in having you at his side was no small compliment - it was a fact you flourished in.

Back home, the two of you cooked dinner together, Gale eager to give you tips on how you could improve in the future. When it was time to eat you shared a bottle of wine that you'd selected together earlier and ate in silence, reading your new books with zero complaints even capable of being formed in your mind.

Your eyes only left the words on the pages to glance across the table to him lovingly - something you were joyous to find he mirrored frequently. It was after dinner had been cleaned up and the two of you had tidied up from the day that you found yourself in his embrace, yet again on the balcony where so much of your shared time was spent.

For a while he simply remained with his head resting atop yours, holding you gently as you shared another sunset. It was only once the sun had completely gone for the night over the horizon that he turned you in his arms slowly, eyes finding yours like it was their nature to do so, wasting no time in leaning down to kiss you again tenderly.

"Have you enjoyed your day, my heart?"

He smiled the kind of smile that pulled lines beside his eyes, eyes that were twinkling and rivaling the stars that had started to decorate the sky for the night. You could feel how content and relaxed he was in the delicate hold he maintained on you, the love pouring from him and seeming to wrap you in a tighter embrace. It was these moments where the weave truly connected the two of you, holding you together and proving that you were meant to be together in this world - and the next, if that happened to be what came.

"I have enjoyed every day by your side, even the difficult ones," his voice was so earnest there was simply no possibility of disbelief from you - you could hear the honesty soaking his words, every sentence another promise and declaration of his love for you. "But today has been perfection. I could thank you for a lifetime and it wouldn't be enough."

The kiss he gave you then was the kind that is written about in books - in fairytales, the kind that inspires poetry and signifies the truest of love. He continued to hold you against him gently as your lips entered a dance you both yearned for constantly - at this point you were no strangers to what each of you liked and it was reflected with every swipe of your tongues and movement of your lips.

And it was always until you were both breathless - never a second before. The two of you had experienced so many things together that had made so many of your early tenderness rushed - neither of you were ever in any particular rush anymore. This kiss was exactly like so many these days - savored. And yet this was only the beginning of what the two of you would savor in the night to come.

"Would you like to retire to our bedroom for the night?"

You words were light as you whispered against his lips, biting at the bottom one lightly when you finished your question. A truly pleased grin spread across his face as you pulled away, his arms still anchoring you to him - if you wanted him to he'd release you, of course, but it was never a moment too soon.

"Darling, you need only ask."

Thankfully, the bedroom was mere steps away and it was easy to tug him inside with hands gently pulling at the collar of his shirt, your lips not leaving one another for long. Though it was obvious where Gale's mind was heading - a it was difficult to deny it for much longer as it had been growing since the kiss at the lake earlier - you still had one more thing planned for him.

One of his hands slid lower to cup your ass and bring you closer, tongue seeking entry into your mouth again as he waved a hand to ensure there was some light by way of many candles. You shook your head to which he huffed, pulling away just far enough to pass you an inquisitive look.

"Not quite yet, my love," you cooed, pressing a consolation kiss to his lips briefly before pulling away fully, wrestling yourself free from his grasp with a giggle. "Remove your shirt and lie down on your stomach."

Though he muttered under his breath about it he followed your instructions, brown eyes searching your face for a response as you only sat on the bet waiting for him, always one to enjoy the sight of him undressing. When he was finally in the position you asked him to be you straddled his lower back, hands slowly rubbing the expanse of his shoulders with the perfect pressure to pull a groan from him.

And that was the end of his silent questioning - every swipe of your hand, knead from your fingers and caress was met with a moan, groan, or whine from him - as time continued on he was mumbling into his pillow about how much he loved you…repeatedly. When you reached a particular point you could practically feel tension melt away from him and you leaned downward to press a kiss to the back of his neck before encouraging him to roll with a squeeze of your legs.

And oh, was he happy to oblige - to be reunited with your face, now with the moon's glow coming through the curtains to illuminate you alongside the flickering candles. A considerable amount of time had passed since you began massaging him and still you showed no signs of stopping, continuing to straddle his waist as your efforts now focused on his chest.

"Your hands are divine," he was barely coherent through the pleasure he already felt, his words far less calculated than they're normally be. "I could lay here for a ten day and happily starve."

"I suppose you're feeling well about your day then, my love?"

It was an unnecessary question - you both knew it. But he was also just as aware that you loved to hear about the feelings your efforts had earned, and it had been a long time since he'd denied you of anything you wanted that he could provide. With his most charming smile he nodded, leaning forward to rub the tip of his nose against yours gently in an innocent show of affection.

You reached upward to run your fingers through his hair delicately, pulling a blissful sigh from his lips again. If it were possible to create a symphony from what filled your bedroom you would gladly hear its melody forever…a sentiment he'd expressed toward you once that you held at the core of your memory and found your mind circling back to often.

So much of his mind was an exact reflection of your that sometimes it seemed they were still connected sometimes.

"Absolutely blessed," when Gale spoke it was as though you were the one who could answer his prayers, something you found irresistibly sweet about him. "If you're not careful you will spoil me beyond reason."

You leaned down to capture his lips in a gentle kiss again, his hands grasping your hips again, sliding to rub over the soft expanse of your thighs. Too selfish to release his lips again you whispered into the kiss, your own hands resting on his chest still, his heartbeat steady and soothing.

"I fail to see why that would be so bad."

He could only smile into it as he continued to kiss you slowly, one of his hands sliding up to hold the back of your head delicately. He began to raise until he was sitting upright, keeping you anchored where you straddled him with his resolute hold on your hip still, ensuring your lips never parted from his for longer than a breath.

Before his arms engulfed your waist his hands made quick work of removing the robe that covered your frame, discarding it to the floor with little care. His hands caressed over your torso like he truly cherished every inch of you and sought to ensure not a single patch of you went unattended to.

(He truly loved every inch of you - a fact you believed deep into your core. You'd only asked him once what his favorite part of your body was - he'd almost been offended that you'd think he could narrow a list of such considerable length.)

"Still, it may be good for me to exercise some selflessness tonight," he offered, a handsome and playful expression illuminating his features. His hands were now gently resting on either side of your neck, thumbs lightly rubbing back and forth - unable to stay fully idle for long. "You gave me the perfect day. Will you let me treat you to a perfect night in our bed?"

"Have you known me to say no to you often?"

"Only when I've needed to hear it."

No further talk was needed and the two of you continued to kiss tenderly, his hands returning to lavish your breasts again. Your own hands maintained a hold on the back of his head, fingers grasping his hair delicately - completely unwilling to have him pull away. Happy to oblige and always eager to swallow the quiet sounds of pleasure he could pull from you, especially now in the privacy of a bedroom where it had not always been a luxury you'd been provided, one of his hands continued to trail lower.

Until it reached as low as he could on your leg in this position, fingers brushing over the soft skin of your inner thigh - it was obvious he was influencing the weave to crackle at his fingertips gently, the result a pleasant tingle dancing across your skin. Your legs squeezed tighter around him in anticipation and he chastised you with a light swat to your thigh, not to cause pain but to capture your focus again.

You responded with a light nip to his bottom lip which earned a cheeky smile from him, eyes staying on yours as his hand finally reached your core - where you were desperate for him most. Over your panties it was still obvious how wet you were in anticipation of him - your time with Gale had proven that things like that only spurred him onward more, the confirmation that you wanted him just as desperately clouding his mind of all logic.

"Have you been wet all day, my love?"

The tone of his voice melted you like wax, you could only nod and whimper as he pushed the fabric to the side, slowly running two of his skilled digits between your soaked folds. His lips were only centimeters from yours so every movement brought them together slightly, your moan cut off as he kissed you again, index finger circling your clit slowly. He opted to speak against your lips, unwilling to be too far from your sweet lips for long.

"I'd have indulged you long before now had I known this is what waited for me."

His fingers swiped back down to your entrance and the middle slipped into you slowly, a smile playing on his lips as he kissed you again. Though one finger meant every exit and reentry meant pinpointed strokes the stretch wasn't enough to satiate the pressure that was seated in your core, more of a stretch needed than what one finger provided. It only took a slight squirm of your hips for him to take the cue, slipping a second finger into you which you thanked him for with a moan.

He left your lips to kiss to your neck, reclaiming spots that had often been decorated with his mark in your time since returning home with him. His fingers set a leisurely pace pumping into you, stroking your velvet walls perfectly as his tongue lavished a spot on your neck that you knew would only add to the slick coating his hand.

His free hand came to one of your breasts to massage gently, fingers rolling your sensitive nipple and pinching to add to the melody sounding from your mouth. From where you were seated in his lap you could feel his cock hard and throbbing beneath you, adding to your desperation - as skilled as Gale's hands, fingers and mouth were it would never compare to joining together with him.

You rocked down against his waist which pulled a groan from him, fingers picking up pace as he nipped at your neck. "Patient, darling…"

His hand left your chest to grasp your hip instead, steadying the movements you both knew would drive him over an edge he was intent to tiptoe around still for a while yet. When you continued to try to squirm in his hold he removed from you completely, brow furrowed as he used a hand to push you onto your back. He kissed down your torso slowly, eyes staying fixated on yours as he went - communicating his instruction to stay still without a word.

"Gale please, I need you…"

You tried to tempt him into giving into your way for once by reaching upward and slipping your fingers into his hair, giving the messy locks a tug to try to encourage him upward. It was briefly annoying that you felt his lips curve against your hip - amused by your attempt, no doubt -

*(Later when your mind is clearer you'll reflect on this moment - as you so often reflected after intimacy with Gale - and you'd once again be thankful for his insistence on ensuring he went above and beyond for you in all senses.

It was impossible to forget that you'd become the most important thing to him.)

"You know I won't give you what you want until you've cum at least once for me, darling," he reminded, his voice feather light against your inner thigh now where he sucked a fresh mark into your thigh to match what the fading ones had once appeared as. Your fingers ran through his hair and tugged again, he only groaned deeply in response and lightly bit at the spot he'd just marked.

"Gale -"

He did love when you whined for him - it almost always nearly enough to make him break on the spot, the temptation to give into you near overwhelming.

"Ah ah ah," he whispered, the vibrations in his voice tickling your skin as his lips brushed a familiar trail up your thigh to your core. "No arguing, my love. I'm not asking anything unreasonable."

All that was left to do was melt as his tongue ran through your folds, an appreciative moan rumbling in his chest as he tasted you - as though it was the first time all over again. The argument was completely lost as he continued to cover every inch of your cunt with his tongue. He was exactly what he'd told you to be - patient - as his tongue ran back and forth between your oversensitive and swollen clit and your hole that was eager to clench around anything.

This was certainly one of his favorite ways to spend his time now - sometimes to busy his mind with anything other than tortured thoughts of the past he'd lose himself in devouring you. The fact that you always gushed on his tongue was a bonus, one he was more than happy to work for, sometimes refusing to remove his head until you'd finished multiple times.

Even he wasn't patient enough for that tonight, but he was enough to continue lavishing you with his skilled tongue, hands gripping your hips and angling you upward so he was able to fuck his tongue into you and lean back occasionally to gaze lovingly at your pretty, creamy cunt. With the amount of love and devotion he was putting into every movement, it wasn't long until your thighs were squeezing closer around his head, the subtle shake at his fingertips giving your impending release away before you managed to moan out the warning.

"I'm…I…"

"There you go," he leaned away to look up into your face, his lips and chin covered in your slick and his spit. One of his hands abandoned its hold on your hip to join his mouth, two fingers entering you again in a swift movement, the sound that accompanied the movement enough to build heat in your cheeks. "That's a good girl."

With his fingers now pumping into your hole again it left his mouth to focus on your clit, his tongue relentlessly swirling on the bundle of nerves as he pushed you toward release. Your vision was already whitening and your fingers gripped his hair tighter, a cry ripping from your chest as his other hand pressed down on your stomach.

That sensation snapped like a rubber band through you - while you were lost in ecstasy you hardly registered that your release was gushing from you, though Gale wasted no time in covering as much of your cunt with his mouth so he could drink your euphoric nectar.

As you were coming down he crawled back up you, pressing kisses along your torso as he whispered a word or sentence of praise with each one. You were pinned beneath him, one of his forearms resting next to your head as a leg moved to slide one of yours higher - though you were in a post-orgasm haze you registered you needed to wrap your leg around his waist.

His hand came to smooth your hair back, leaning down to press a delicate kiss to your nose - a tender action that didn't match the lewd way he rolled his hips into yours, his cock throbbing and leaking from what you could feel against your pussy. His other hand maintained a tight grip on your hip and he pressed a gentle kiss to your lips now, whispering quietly against them.

"Are you ready for me, my love?"

The truth was, he could never enter you fast enough - or at least he wouldn't, his playful nature shining through one last time before he lost himself completely in intimacy. It showed now in the subtle shake to his voice, the slightly higher pitch that gave away how much he needed you.

"Please."

"I do so enjoy when you ask nicely."

He started sliding his cock into you slowly groaning the entire way, opting not to continue to kiss you so he could gaze into your face with complete adoration, finding just as much bliss in seeing your eyes roll back and flutter closed as a light smile played on your lips as he did in feeling your velvet walls around him again.

And this - this was as perfect as anything else that had ever truthfully been described as such. This is where both of you found some reason, some meaning - where both of you created your own galaxies. It started slow, Gale preferring to savor the first strokes inch by inch every time. His lips never left you, kissing you gently in any place he could reach on your face and neck and shoulders as he muttered quiet words of love and appreciation.

Poetry that would only be shared between the two of you.

When he was satisfied with the amount he'd cherished every inch of your walls welcoming him in again he re-angled your bodies so both of your legs were around his waist now, the new angle allowing him to fuck into you deeper. Now he was hitting a spot he knew would make you see stars, hoping that you'd thank him for remembering exactly how to reach it -

"Gale…feels s'good…"

He sounded his appreciation with a loud moan of his own, his pace increasing as the tension built in his core now. You felt impossibly tighter each time he re-entered, a fact that was driving him closer to release. Unable to voice it he pressed a sloppy, desperate kiss to your lips before leaning his sweaty forehead against yours, breaths falling out heavy against your lips.

No matter how close his release threatened to snap, he would never do so without hearing you tell him to do so. You allowed him a moment to dangle over the edge for a moment as you bit into your bottom lip, catching his attention and focus - focus on your swollen lips, and the sweaty sheen covering your face and slicking your hair…on the way your eyes threatened to spill tears at how blissfully good you felt.

"Come for me, Gale," the instruction already had him grasping you tighter, but when you continued with an offer that hadn't previously been on the table it was impossible for him to hold back much longer. "Fill me…"

He kissed you again - a little too hard for how swollen your lips already were from the amount of kissing already done but with a passion that was returned nonetheless. His thrusts became just as messy as his kisses had and he pumped his throbbing length into you hard and fast, hips pistoning into yours repeatedly.

Both of your sounds filled the room as his movements pushed you toward a second release of your own, walls clenching around him so tight he now couldn't bring himself to remove from you completely. Recognizing both of you needed a breath as his own head began to spin he buried into you to the hilt roughly one last time as his orgasm started, toppling you over into your own at the feeling of his thick seed coating your insides.

You were thankful he wasn't a particularly massive man when he practically collapsed against you, breaths coming out heavy against your neck as his mind found a new addiction in filling your womb. Normally he'd withdraw to get a soft and warm cloth to clean you but tonight it hardly seemed necessary - even if you fell asleep now it wouldn't be long before he was sheathing himself in you again.

He would care for you in other ways tonight, pulling away from you slowly and pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead as he positioned you both into something much more comfortable, facing one another on your sides so you could continue to enjoy the serenity illuminating one another's faces.

Between your bodies one of his hands met yours, your fingers lightly tracing lines on the back of his hand. He continued to enjoy the true peace of the moment before speaking again.

"Today was beyond words," he whispered lightly when he found his voice again. You could hear the love that each word was spoken with - what's more you could see it reflected in his eyes. "You give me everything I could have ever dreamed of and more."

You moved closer to curl up to him, burying your face in his neck as he waved a hand to ignite the fireplace, keeping one arm around you to hold you close as one of your legs slipped up over his waist. After he pulled the blanket over your bodies he turned his head to press a kiss to your forehead, finding your eyes were already closed and yet you still had a small smile on your lips. As he gazed at you for just a moment longer Tara jumped onto the foot of the bed, giving a long stretch before settling in for the night, her purrs mixing with the crackle of the fire.

Just when he thought you'd already fallen asleep you surprised him with another question.

"Let's do it again tomorrow?"

He kissed your forehead with a light smile on his lips as his arms tightened around you, happy to give this and more to you for as many days as you'd allow.

"And the day after that."

masterlist. baldur's gate III masterlist.

[merbear25]

Reigniting an old flame (Mihawk)

Prompt 18 requested by @thesunxwentblack

A/n: Thank you so much for requesting this, especially with Mihawk! I had a blast, so I hope you enjoy what I've written for you 💜💜

CW: NSFW!! MDNI!! fem!reader, fluffy smut, established relationship, vaginal penetration, slightly rough sex

Sharing your life with someone never appeared to be in the cards for either of you. However, your paths intersected, giving you a chance at love. Understandably, neither of you held out hope for your relationship to survive the countless fire it'd undoubtedly be under, but it turned out that anything was possible.

Despite the shaky circumstances, your love was worth holding onto—such devotion was difficult to come by in this world. Wanting nothing more than your safety, Mihawk urged you to distance yourself from him, at least until he managed to get everything under control.

However, seeing how distraught you were by the whole ordeal made it seem as if this decision was the wrong one. Holding you closely, he reassured you that your love was meant to flourish. Handing you a small piece of paper, you noticed the address written on it—a type of safe haven for you to fly under the radar.

Pushing your heartbreak aside, thinking that this could be the final time you see each other, your trust in him remained unwavering. Tearfully agreeing to the conditions, you departed. Watching the life you'd just begun together become more distant, the serverity of reality was almost proving too much to bear.

With days turning into weeks and weeks into months, gnawing dread that something had happened ate away at you until a piece of mail appeared: one holding neither a return address nor signature, yet an abundance of clues. The envelope contained postcards with nothing written on them but a note about the supposed journey that alluded to the true origins of post. Trusting your gut, you answered, sending it to a place that was starting to feel more and more like a shot in the dark.

Only when another arrived, were your doubts set to rest. With the illusion of secrecy kept, it was obvious to the both of you that your adoration new no bounds. In spite of the small glimmers of joy you'd get receiving and sending mail to each other, the extended period of doing so was weighing on you, leaving you wondering if you'd ever get the chance to hold each other again, to allow your love to flourish in the way it was supposed to.

With the last two years passing by in a haze, the next piece of mail sparked hope. Sifting through the hints, he gave you notice of his current whereabouts, extending an invitation. Elation of being reunited coarsed through you, your feet and the sails of the ships being unable to carry you as quickly as you needed.

Upon seeing him, there was no chance you'd hold yourself back from running into his arms. The feeling of him wrapping you up in an embrace—one which he'd be sure could never allow you to slip through—allowed your souls to meld together. Granting himself this moment of weakness, he swept you off your feet and carried you into your new home, peppering your sweet face with much deserved affection.

Placing you down on the bed, you had a silent understanding that everything else could wait, for now getting lost in the pits of your desire took priority.

As the fires of your passion increased with each searing kiss, your body arched with each touch, each grope, beckoning for him to ravish you. Trailing kisses down your neck, removed your delicates with ease. Pinning your legs back, your needy slit was on full display, which only whetted the appetite that'd gone without satisfaction for far too long.

Unleashing his arousal, he teased your pearl with its tip, sending waves of anticipation deep into your desperate walls. Easing himself into you, he reveled in the sensation your twitching form was so eager to give him.

Picking up the pace, he bucked in and out of you with a clear goal: letting the dry spell come to a crashing halt by surrendering yourselves to the uncharted depths of euphoria.

Your moans were growing more and more frantic, sounding off in the room like sweet melodies. The sight of you losing all sense of self on him made you even more irresistible. Leaning over you, your lip lock was feverish yet firm. As his length forced itself deeper, your groans at taking the full extent of his lust mixed with his.

Such thrills were building up to an explosive irruption, one which would quake the earth surrounding it. Fully letting go of any of the sorrow and uncertainty you once had, an earth shattering revilation freed you from those shackles.

Now with more clarity, the two of you could give yourselves entry into the other's life, no longer needing to hide.

Leaving you with a kiss on your forehead, he excused himself momentarily, giving you full reign of the bedroom.

Taking liberty to look around at the different knick knacks he had scattered about, a red velvet box caught your eye. Admiring the delicately crafted lining, you unclasped it. You were met with a stack of postcards and notes.

Holding each note up, you could barely make out that they were yours due to the tears flooding your eyes. Such tenderness that you never knew he was capable of sent your heart soaring.

When he reentered the room and caught you looking at his keepsake, he gently placed a hand on your lower back.

"You mean to tell me you've kept every single note?"

Cupping your face, he spoke with complete certainty, "A love like yours is meant to be cherished."

Being given the chance to fan the flames of your passion, letting it reach new hights was an opportunity you'd never take for granted. Wrapping your arms around him, you gave yourselves a few more moments to let those bright embers dance between you.

[nights-at-crystarium]

While I'm ancient-trio-posting, wanna hear a bit about their dynamic?

Hythlodaeus and Hades are old friends, roommates, even. A genuinely mature, established couple. I haven't really thought too far back in time yet, so maybe childhood friends to lovers because no one else in my story has this trope yet. I leave it open-ended for now. What matters is that they're very chill and stable together.

Azem, not-yet-Azem but a mere apprentice of Venat, has a certain secret, harmless to the world, but potentially ranging from laughable, cringy, personally embarrassing to legally punishable, should it be brought in front of the Convocation, like all lies it's doomed to be revealed in time, he already hangs out with one of the Big People and there are talks about Venat's retirement, our little not-yet-Azem feels like he might get recommended, and must find help with his silly secret before that.

Hythlodaeus, Chief of the Bureau of the Architect, has ever been kind and patient with not-yet-Azem's concept submissions, and generally seems like a reliable and open-minded person, so our guy asks for his advice on the matter. Of course he isn't let down, the nitty gritty of it I'll leave for later. The important part: he and Hyth grow closer, and Hades, already being joined at the hip with Hyth, is in on the secret as well. It's just a vulnerability that I use as a means to win over Hades's heart. Be genuine, beg for his help, rely on him, and he's yours.

Venat retires, the new Azem takes the seat, his secret's safe/resolved (forget about it, it's played its role of the glue for our trio), things are chill for a while, the trio grows into a proper throuple, Hades is recommended for the seat of Emet-Selch by both his lovers, but by Azem most ardently (and selfishly: he feels like a white crow among the Convocation and wants another freak on the team. Hades finds it sweet though).

The status quo moves to the known canon where Azem travels a lot, sometimes summons his buddies to his side, he tends to disappear from Amaurot for weeks and months on end, Hyth and Hades are left to themselves, seemingly things are the same as they've always been, but the joy of reuniting with their wayward lover, and the pining when he's gone, is bigger in Hades than Hyth. Of course they, the two mature people holding hands from the beginning of times, don't discuss this.

Azem may not even realize what he's doing- well, ain't that most azems in a nutshell. He just exists, loves his partners, shines for them with equal warmth like sun. It's not that Hyth doesn't like being sunkissed, no, it's Hades who gets a bit too excited, tries to mask that however he can, perhaps HythHades pretend that nothing's changed, but, yknow, subtle cracks. Hades's heart grows more fond due to the time and distance that separate them so often. Of course he's terrified and he sees what this does to the balance of their poly, it's not welcome, but it won't go away.

Enter Hyth's self-esteem issues, and how neatly that weaves into his following sacrifice to bring forth Zodiark. Even though Azem's nowhere to be seen, it's fine, he'll return, it's just a tantrum, the Convocation will forgive him, Hades will be left in good hands, he and Azem seem to be happier without Hyth anyway. (no, no, no, no-) Of course, the latter's left unsaid, only a smile on display and vague words of affirmation for the shellshocked Hades.

Through the sacrifice Hyth drives up his value. He's forever important to Hades now, forever on his mind, his guiding star. I view Hyth's selfless act as selfish too (just as Raha's but he isn't relevant here), a desperate act of a soul not only loving, but desperate for love. Hyth gets what he wanted. In a fucked up way, he's happier as a part of the moon. He never has to contend with the sun again.

[cillianhead]

Anything about cillian with a beard!

Cillian with a beard... oh my god don't even get me started.

Anyway here you go my love <3

Three And A Half Months || Cillian Murphy x Reader

warnings: SMUT, also a fluffy sweet fic, oral sex (f receiving), face riding, mentions of blood but nothing too graphic, general adult content ahead.

18+ Minors DNI

Last night you had reunited with Cillian. It had been three and a half months since you had last seen each other, the longest you had ever gone without seeing one another, he was away shooting for a new film and it was in the states so traveling back and forth between Ireland and America grew exhausting. Of course, as soon as you saw each other, you had no time to process the beard on his face, just the fact he was there. Nothing else mattered except him being there, right in front of you, to touch and to hold. So you went at it like rabbits, knocking over furniture, breathing each other in like feral animals, making love until you were sore and panting for air. No amount of late night phone calls could ever truly compare to the feeling of having his cock deep inside you.

The next morning arrived, light pouring through the curtains and lighting a still sleeping Cillian in a golden light, the rays gave him a tiny halo, one you thought he rightfully deserved. You just smiled to yourself, the both of you still completely nude from last night's love making, you felt at peace, lying in bed with the love of your life, his arm draped over your waist heavily, the sound of his slow breathing, and the indescribable feeling of his warmth beside you. Every time you looked at him, a metaphorical slow romantic guitar would play, your heart would swell and overflow with love, and your eyes stung with the happy tears that seemed to always come. That was the thing about you, so incredibly emotional, Cillian always teased you about it. You'd cry at any chance you could get, whether it be because of hormones or because you saw a cute cat or because of the beauty that Cillian is. And when he had come home with that rugged beard that made him so handsome and so deliciously masculine, you felt weak in the knees, you cried but not from your eyes.

"Mornin' me love," The irish lilt of his voice mixed with the grumble of his morning voice brought you out of your daydreaming. "Lookin' so beautiful f'me." He leaned in, placing a soft sweet kiss to your cheek. You couldn't feel uglier with your messy bed hair and your puffy face after a long night's rest. But to Cillian you were the apple of his eye, no other woman could ever possibly compare.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too," He chuckled at your confession. "Those three months and a half went on for far too long but I'm here now, lovie."

"No, no..." You shook your head with a childish grin. "I missed you while we slept... missed you for every moment... was watchin' you sleep."

Cillian laughed contagiously, you giggled too as you felt him pull you closer to him, your bare chests touching. He nuzzled your nose with his own, this moment so full of love, so intimate and private. You felt like the luckiest person in the world to be with him. The light painting you two in a golden hue, the moment felt so surreal, like something out of a wonderful dream or something you'd see right before you die, right as your soul becomes free.

"What've you got planned today, Cillian?" You hummed, you both huffed out hot puffs of air on each other's faces, neither of you caring that you hadn't brushed your teeth yet. Just relieved you could finally touch each other again, relieved your souls could finally reunite and recharge, that your bodies were flushed together, it wasn't possible for you two to be any closer (physically at least).

"Nothin'," Cillian murmured quietly, stroking your hair softly. "Just planned on spending it with my favorite girl, thas' all." You felt yourself grow flustered, nuzzling your face into his chest before glancing shyly back up at him, growing more flustered at the sight of him and his beard. That beard that made your heart race and in between your legs throb with desire.

"Cillian..." You whined, catching your bottom lip in between your teeth. He was so fucking pretty and even after all this time of being together, you could never get over it. It made you feel like a giddy little girl with a silly school girl crush.

"Hmmm?" He hummed. The deep vibration sending jolts of arousal straight to your core. "What is it, baby love?"

"Your beard..." You ran your fingers along the hair accumulating across his jawline and cheeks, clenching your thighs together. In all the time you and Cillian had been together, he had always been clean-shaven, of course there'd be the rare occasion where he forgets to shave for a day or two and has a bit of stubble but nothing ever this long. Cillian had that knowing look on his face, he very much knew the effect he had over you. Arrogant was not the word you would ever use to describe Cillian, in fact he was an incredibly humble and modest man but when it came to riling you up, teasing you, he was quite arrogant then, arrogant in the way he knew every little inch about you and would use that against you. He enjoyed teasing you, enjoyed getting you where you were weak because he enjoyed watching you squirm. "It's so...." You trailed off, biting your lip once again with that flustered look on your face.

"...So what?" Cillian grinned, a cheeky glint in his blue eyes as his hand slipped further down your back until it rested on your bare ass. "Go on, tell your husband how wet his beard's gotten ya, love." Well that was unexpected.

You let out a bashful squeal, diving your face into his chest to hide the look of desperation and embarrassment on your flushed face. You heard him laugh, amused by how easily aroused you were. "Cillian... don't tease me... it's been three months..."

"And a half!" He added.

"...Since I last saw you, you can't blame me... especially since you look sooooooo fucking good with a beard..." You were looking him in the eyes now, his own pupils blown wide and a small one-sided smirk on his face. You slipped your hand down his abdomen before your fingers wrapped around his already hard cock, he let out a small breath at the feeling of your gentle hand.

"C'mere, Y/N," Cillian groaned, grabbing you by your waist, picking you up like you weighed nothing and sitting you up on his stomach. "Wanna taste you... s'been too fuckin' long."

Your arousal pooled on his stomach, getting off on the slight friction against your clit every time he breathed in and out but it wasn't quite enough. "Cillian... baby..." You huffed, too shy to make the first move, he gave your ass a gentle slap.

"Go on, sit on me fuckin' face," He was growing impatient, licking his lips. "Show me how much you love my beard, know you're soaking wet 'cause of it, silly girl."

He wasn't wrong and so you meekly crawled until your pussy was aligned with his hungry face. You hovered your hips hesitantly over his nose and lips, your thighs on either side of his head. He roughly grabbed ahold of your plush hips and pulled you down until he was suffocating in your sopping cunt.

"Fuck!" You mewled, your pussy ached with how turned on you were. His tongue lapped up at you, his nose perfectly brushing your clit as he fucked his tongue in and out of your tight hole. You never understood how he could breathe with your weight fully on top of him, he'd always give you some form of punishment if you didn't sit on top of his face like he was just a chair so you did as you knew he wanted. He always reassured you that he loved it, that being under you with his face buried in you was heaven on earth. And who were you to deny him what he so desperately craved when it felt so unbelievably good? He especially loved it when you took control, when you gave into the pleasure and rode his face, used his face like it was just something for you to cum on. He also knew the consequences of growing out his beard, he knew it'd turn you on, and this was exactly what he was hoping for. He knew once you came all over his face, he'd smell you in his beard for days.

Cillian was in pure bliss as he felt your fingers interlock with his hair, holding onto him for support as you began rocking your hips back and forth on his tongue and nose, moaning so fucking loud that the neighbors could hear. It had been so long and the feeling of his beard scratching your thighs and sticky folds made the experience so much better. The new sensation was only making you moan louder and louder.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck... Cillian..." You were gasping, Cillian groans into your pussy, encouraging your rough movements. "Missed this so much! Missed your face..." Fuck. The feeling of his nose pressed right where you need him, right against your throbbing clit, it was like he was made for you. You loved his nose and you always told him so.

Cillian was breathing you in, feasting on you, like all there was was you. Well at the moment, that was true. All he could hear, see, taste, and smell, and feel, was you. He could feel cum leak slowly out of his cock, not being able to handle how turned on and rock hard he was, he needed some kind of release. But there was no way in hell he was going to touch himself, not when he could have his hands grasp onto your hips, holding you down on his face even further. He hoped one of these days that you would eventually become one. That he could have your delicious cunt permanently on his face, even if it meant suffocating to death.

"Cillian... I... fuck..." Your head was rolled back, hand gripping desperately onto the top of his head, too lost in the pleasure to think about how you could be hurting him but you knew if it was too much for him he'd tap out which he never does. You knew Cillian would take whatever you gave him. "I'm cumming!" You choked out, your hips that were previously fucking his face slowed down a bit, stuttering your movements as you came. You hadn't came this hard in months, your fingers could never compare, nor could your vibrator, or showerhead. You had fully collapsed on top of his head, thighs squeezing his head like a vice as you saw stars. Your vision going completely white. Cillian lapped up all of it, taking it gratefully, face completely drenched and well ridden as you pulled off of him with a gasp.

"Bloody hell..." He grunted, gasping for air. You sat on his chest, still too weak or sensitive to move. Cillian smiled up at you dopily, high off of feeding off you. It only turned you on further how he got off on your pleasure. "Tastes so good... missed that so much... think I know what I'll be doin' all of today, love." You shook your head at Cillian, giggling a bit.

His face was drenched and beard sticky with your cum. Your cum formed perfect little droplets within the hair on his face, looking like he had just dipped his whole face in some sort of body of water, your cum had made it all the way to his forehead somehow. You blushed as you hopped off of him, you always felt embarrassed afterwards.

"Oh my god!" You exclaimed, seeing a bit of blood staining his teeth, you looked down at your groin to make sure you weren't bleeding (maybe you got your period?) but your heart sank at the realization you had managed to bust his top lip with how hard you rode his face. "I'm so sorry, Cillian! I'm so so sorry!"

He sat up with a frown, rubbing at his mouth to see the bit of blood on his fingers. He grinned like a mad man at the sight, standing up to look at himself in the mirror. You didn't understand why he was so happy about it. Beard coated in your creamy cum, face flushed, and his top lip bruised and swollen from where it had been repeatedly rubbing against his teeth. Cillian was pleased with his appearance and the newly made wound on his face. You stood up on shaky legs, cupping his face, worriedly.

"It's okay, love," Cillian reassured. "I'm fine, just a bit of blood, it'll heal by tomorrow I'm sure."

"No! I hurt you! I'm sorry I wasn't thinking!" You felt so guilty, you felt like the worst wife in the world. You brushed your thumb along his wet beard with a sad look on your face.

"Y/N," He said firmly, grabbing a hold of your waist, giving you a soft kiss, giving you a taste of yourself. "I wish you could understand just how much I love it when you ride my face. Best fuckin' thing in the whole world, how many times have I told you I'd die a happy man if it meant I got to drown in ya? Hmmm?" He smiled, you still frowned up at him, feeling guilty at his reddened lips. "Fuck, I don't think I could look sexier right now, I mean look at me! I don't really care f'me on looks but c'mon... you make me beautiful, Y/N..." Cillian looked delicious, he was right, you wanted to pounce him then and there and sit on his face all over again. "If people ask what happened to my lip, I can make up some flimsy excuse about how I fell on my face or some shit like that but smile to myself... knowin' the real story..." He licked his lips before continuing. "Knowin' that my goddess of a wife got herself off on my face because she loves me so much..."

His voice was soft, his hands caressed your naked body as he leaned in and kissed you. His beard was the best feeling ever against your lips. "I am sorry though... Cillian... I should've been more gentle..." You murmured. Cillian shook his head, he loved it when you were rough with him.

"I know a way you can make it up to me, darling," He hummed with that mischievous grin before gently pushing you down onto your knees, face right next to his deliciously hard cock. He moved his hips so that the head of his dick pushed at your lips, slapping you gently across the face with it. "Can't promise I'm gonna last very long though..."

"That's fine, Cillian... love the taste of your cum..." You said smiling as you lovingly took him into your mouth. God he looked so pretty with his beard.

-

<33333

[quacktities]

I feel like the appeal of C! Quackbur (to me at least) is just how versatile it is as a ship and the range it has.

You want a subtle rivals to lovers, mutual pinning and longing but one of them is repressing his own feelings because he hates himself too much to let someone get attached to him ship dynamic with a political backdrop? You want longing gazes, knowing looks and the unspoken truth that, maybe, just maybe this relationship and understanding between them goes deeper than either of them let on or want to admit? BOOM. Lmanburg election arc Quackbur!

You want all of that but with more tension, high stakes, mental illness, a very "forbidden romance" vibe with an enemies that have been in love with eachother for a long time but can now finally be on the same side and possibly act on their feelings dynamic (but theyre doomed by the narrative so it was never going to work out. Or maybe it will, who knows. Maybe this time they find solace in eachother. Maybe this time Quackity stops him before its too late. Maybe this time it doesnt end in flames. Who knows. Its up to you really, if you keep telling the story over and over again, maybe this time they get their happy ending here and it doesnt have to be a tragedy. Your choice really). Pogtopia era C! Quackbur!

You want fucked up grief and angst and reminiscing on the past and being haunted by what could have been? You want seeing the spectre of your dead friend (if he was truly your old enemy, why does he feel like a past lover to you) and wondering if maybe he remembers everything you both went through the same way you do and if maybe his heart aches when he sees you the same way yours aches when you see him but you know he isn't the same and you'll never see the old verison of him ever again... but hes here... as a ghost.. and that has to be worth something right. (Is it a miracle you can still see him or are you forever being tormented by what you can never have?). BOOM, Butcher arc C! Quackity and Ghostbur (or Aftermath C! Quackbur as I call them)

You want all of that, but hey. What if we brought back the guy. What if it didn't have to end in death? What if they could reunite and speak again after everything? Would they even get along? You want the culmination of years of pinning, grief, hurt, and mutual obsession? Do they truly love each other, or have they fallen in love with the idealised verisons of each other they have in their own heads? Maybe this time, they'll actually get their shit together and talk. There really isn't anything stopping them now, other than themselves and each other. Maybe C! Quackity finally finds someone who respects him, is dedicated to him, and can engage with him on the same intellectual level in C! Wilbur. Maybe C! Wilbur finally finds someone who makes him feel human and can challenge him and his more self-destructive behaviours while still loving him in C! Quackity. Maybe this time, they get to understand each other, and they get to heal. Maybe this time, it's not too late, and sure, they dont have the healthiest relationship, but they're working on it, and they're okay for once. Just this once. Maybe. Or maybe you don't want that. Maybe it is too late for them. Maybe they'll never have what they once had, and they're both left with bitter hatred and longing for the past that grows weaker by the day as the rose tinted filter starts to fade. Maybe they make each other worse. Maybe the closest they ever get to being close to each other is by hurting each other. Maybe the only times they hold hands are when they're catching each other's bloody fists. Maybe they're both too far gone now. Maybe they've hurt each other too much to ever be vulnerable with each other. Maybe it's just too late for them. Maybe it was never meant to be. You want a joker card ship dynamic that can either end in healing and a happy ending or in an even more fucked up tragedy? Or both! Why not. BOOM. Post revival C! Quackbur

[pjoxreader]

Glad to have you back! Hope your mental health is going good.

Since requests are open again, could you do a reader x leo, annabeth and Jason (separately) where the reader was just walking besides them then the next minute just disappeared, something like no clipping with the backrooms, and how they react to it and end it with them reuniting (you can change parts of it, if it seems confusing to you)

Reader Disappears 

TW: Slight panic attack

((Thank you! I'm glad to be back and writing again! 🥹))

Leo Valdez

-It’s funny how the best day in the world could so quickly turn to the worst. You were both just enjoying a beautiful picnic date in the park, it was rare for you both to get time off at camp. Leo always kept himself busy with building things and you were always helping out however you could for any cabin that needed it.

-”I have to run to the bathroom really quickly.” Leo admits as he gives your cheek a gentle kiss before he scurries off to the bathrooms. What he didn’t expect was that you’d be gone when he came back. 

-”Huh…” Leo takes his seat back on the picnic blanket trying to not panic. Maybe you just decided to go to the bathroom too and you missed each other? That wasn’t a far-fetched idea so he waited. And waited. And waited. 

-After about thirty minutes Leo starts to imagine the worst. Did a monster attack happen while he was gone? Did Hera kidnap you and take your memories? His blood runs cold at the thought of that. 

-Everything you did together, all of the time you spent could be gone, just like that. The thought scared him to the very core. He’d have no idea where you are, if you’re safe… “Leo?” Your voice snaps him out of his spiral of an oncoming panic attack he didn’t realize he was slipping into. -Leo looks at you in utter shock mixed with relief. “Where… Where were you?!” he asks in horror, quickly getting to his feet making sure you were unharmed before he pulls you into a tight hug. You let out an ‘oof’ of surprise as he had gotten quite strong with his time in the forage. “I left you a note in the picnic basket! I had to get to a payphone to talk with Hazel, she sent me an Iris message and asked to talk.” Leo can’t help but laugh at that. He was so stressed the thought of the picnic basket let alone eating had slipped his mind. ”Don’t… Don’t do that again.” he pleads, his voice quivering slightly.

Annabeth Chase

-You two were just enjoying some peace and quiet, leaning against each other’s back as you read in comfortable silence. It was rare you both had a day off and thankfully you both shared the same hobbies. So when you do get the rare date night it’s normally doing one of your hobbies.

-”Did you know spiders have eight eyes?” you ask mostly to tease her. Annabeth turns getting ready to smack you but suddenly she falls. Thankfully you were both on her bed so she just plops back into the bed. Though she looks around in utter confusion as one moment you were there, then the next you were gone.

-Her heart instantly starts to race, no, no, no, no, not again. Not again. She quickly gets up looking around the room for you “Where are you!?” she calls desperately hoping this was just some cruel prank and that you were invisible or something. “This isn’t funny!” her voice showed she wasn’t joking, a slight shake from her anxiety.

-But once again without a response she could feel her mind starting to spiral and her breath quickening. You were gone, just like that, and there wasn’t a thing she could have done to stop it. At this  point she was convinced the gods were just using her life as a toy, seeing how far they could push her until she broke.

-She fights back a choked sob as she refuses to break down, not yet. She can’t give in just yet. She gets her sword quickly running out and scanning the camp. Everything seemed to be normal, campers going about their daily activities. Which just made this whole thing worse, no one would know where you were…

-”Annabeth!” you yell as you quickly run over. She nearly takes your head off with her sword but thankfully she stops right at your neck as you put your hands up in surrender. “Woah! Woah! I surrender!” you say quickly. “I forfeit!” Annabeth looks at you, eyes blown wide in panic but she lowers her sword when she realizes it was you, the tears start to stream down her face. “Where were you!?” you laugh sheepishly not sure what to do when Annabeth cries. “The Hecate cabin accidentally summoned me an-” Before you could finish you end up judo flipped onto the ground. 

Jason Grace

-You were both enjoying your time in New Rome, Jason had been busy going between camps and he had finally come back. So you both decided to celebrate and go get some hot coco. It was the perfect date option, he’d be able to relax and you’d get to enjoy your time together.

-You both run out of hot coco so Jason decides to get up to get you both some refills. “I’ll be right back.” he promises you with a kind smile as he goes to get you refills. He ends up getting stuck in the line but he does make his way back to you.

-”Sorry for the wait there was-” before he could go on explaining why there was a wait he realized that you were gone. He hesitates looking around as he sets the drinks down as he scans the area around him. It was the afternoon so New Rome streets were packed with people chatting happily amongst themselves.

-He couldn’t see you at all, which made him anxiety start to rise. Sure you were in the safety of camp but there were so many things that could go wrong… He takes a breath to soothe himself. Maybe you had just wandered off… Or… Or maybe you saw Hazel and Frank and decided to talk to them!… -He sets the hot coco’s down and controls the winds to fly up to get a better view of the streets. You had to be somewhere…. You… You had to be, he couldn’t imagine losing you. Just as his panic was starting to rise he spotted you, there you were, in line for some food. 

-He lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, heart pounding in his chest as he lands, ensuring that he doesn’t knock over the hot coco he got you both. Once safely on the ground he sits at the table to try and play it off. He didn’t want you to feel bad for making him worry that much but he could still hear his heart pounding in his ears. Despite his anxiety he gives you a kind smile and a wave as you head back over with food you got for the both of you.

~Masterlist & Rules~

Like my writing? Please consider sending me a Ko-fi! ☕

[aziraphales-library]

Hi

i’m wondering if you would have any recommendation for their 41’ candle light date or any AU was set up in 41’? any rate will be accepted

thank you very much for your help in advance

Hey. We have a #post church scene tag. Here are some written since series two...

There Must Be Something by Infinitysided (E)

"Something then took over him as it would a man possessed. The spirit of something much larger than him. It took the shape of their relationship, their past, their inevitabilities. This energy screamed for worship and devotion; more, more, more. Aziraphale, well accustomed to the feeling of love, would not quite equate it to such. Far too ravenous and unbecoming were the impulses that ran through him." *** After Crowley had saved him and his books from the church, Aziraphale had insisted upon repaying him.

London, 1941. The aftermath. by Froggietime (G)

After they are done with the magic show, they both have wine together and I've decided that they get very drunk. I thought this was a silly idea.

There’s Magic in the Air (Among Other Things) by alter_autumn (T)

Following their adventures at the West End, Aziraphale and Crowley return to the bookshop and split a bottle of whisky. Some enlightening conversation ensues.

We'll Meet Again by bobbirose (E)

Crowley drew in a breath. “Could always say I was trying to tempt you,” he said on an exhale, eyes locked safely behind his glasses. “And that it didn’t work, of course.” Aziraphale tutted at him disapprovingly, trying not to show the thrill the words gave him. “Is that allowed? Downstairs, I mean. Tempting an angel?” Crowley shrugged. “Sounds a lot better than helping one out with a magic trick. Oodles more torture with that, I think.” The night that never ends in 1941 ends a little differently, with the help of a sentient gramophone.

The Last Dance by OneDapperCat (M)

In the midst of the Blitz, Aziraphale and Crowley come to terms with latent feelings they’ve tried to deny. Having gone from not being on speaking terms, to sharing a bed, their first night reunited in 1941 feels like a whirlwind. They begin to explore where they stand, as the second night comes to a close.

Bingo card by ScottiesEvans (T)

Aziraphale was way too excited for his performance at the West End. His hands were properly shaking, and it took all he had in him to get ready without using "frivolous miracles". Thank Heavens Crowley was there, and offered to draw Aziraphale's moustache on for him. Well, now his hands were shaking for a whole other reason. Surely, he wouldn't be able to do the perfect, well rehearsed knot in his bow-tie with those shaky hands. Surely, Crowley would have to stand extremely close to help with that. Surely, he wasn't to blame he couldn't resist placing a kiss on the demon's lips.

- Mod D

[theladyofdeath]

Lady Death's Lover {12}

Lady Death's Lover Masterlist & Summary

19th Century Period AU Nesta x Cassian Secret Affair / Enemies to Lovers / Forbidden Romance Fanfiction / Characters from Sarah J Maas / ACOTAR Based on a prompt sent in by anonymous

A/N: NSFW... Thank you for reading, reblogging, liking, and commenting. I love to see it all! x

TW: marital abuse, sexual content, language, depression, alcohol abuse

This story is for readers 18+. Mature readers only. Content should not be read by anyone under 18.

My Loving Sisters,

If Tomas writes to you, please just tell him that I look forward to our reuniting. Do not worry — I am perfectly fine. I am simply taking a little trip to Adriata in his absence. I hear the fashion there is groundbreaking and I must see it for myself.

I love you both.

Nesta 

>.<.> Nesta <.>.<

The carriage arrives promptly at noon the next morning and the footmen load my trunk as I give the final instructions to the head butler. 

“I’ll only be gone for two weeks,” I repeat for the hundredth time. “I know the house will be in good hands in my absence.” 

“Do not worry, my lady,” he says, bowing his head. “Enjoy the time spent with your sisters. We have everything under control.” 

I give him my thanks before loading myself into the carriage that Cassian sent for me. There are no emblems on the side, nothing that marks this coach as his. Instead, the driver delivered a letter to me this morning, forged in my sisters’ names, stating that they need me to return home as soon as possible for Elain’s wedding in one week’s time. I was meant to pack quickly, load myself up in the carriage, and have it take me to the little village that I had once escaped from.

Which is exactly what I’m doing, except for the last part. Instead of going to my childhood village, I’ll be going two hours north to a little cottage in the woods. 

The coach starts on the cobblestone path through Velaris and with every bump, I feel my chest growing lighter and lighter. 

This feels too easy, too good to be true. Yet, I feel no anxiety, only excitement and a newfound sense of adventure. It’s been less than twenty four hours since I’ve been in his arms, in his bed, and I already miss him. I stayed with him well into the night, drowning in him, again and again until I was sure that I was utterly alive and not dreaming. After sneaking back into my bedroom, I only got two hours of sleep before the sun came up. 

I have no regrets.

Once we leave the city proper, my excitement only grows. Time goes slower; each second that passes feels like an hour and I hate it. Time must move faster or I’ll go mad.

Attempting to read to pass the time only gets me so far. I cannot focus on the pages. All the words blur together and I forget what I’m reading the second I turn the page. After a while, I give up and stare out the window. 

Homes become scarce and I soon am only staring at trees and hillsides. 

“How much longer?” I call to the driver.

His response comes right away. “We’re almost there, my lady.” 

Twenty minutes pass before we’re pulling off the main road. The cottage that we pull up to is bigger than I thought it would be, and it’s gorgeous. The two story house is sitting in a clearing surrounded by trees. I see a lake out back and a stable off to the side. 

Before we come to a complete stop, the front door is opening and Cassian is coming outside. I freeze at the sight of him and take him in. His feet are bare, the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up, his collar loose. His hair is down, hanging around his shoulders. 

He’s perfect.

When I open the door of the coach, he’s there, holding out his hand. 

I take it with no hesitation. Neither of us says a word but the second my feet are on the ground, he kisses the back of my hand. The feeling sends a shock through my body. 

My trunk is carried inside and the driver is sent back to Velaris with instructions to return in a fortnight. Cassian and I go into the cottage and it hits me.

We are completely alone.

I do not know why I grow so nervous, but I do. Suddenly I feel like I’ve made a decision based on impulse and deceitful panic courses throughout my body.

But no, this was no impulsive decision. 

This was a decision made to benefit me, to make me happy, to make me feel free and wanted and loved. I deserve this, even if this is all it will ever be between the two of us. And if this is all it will ever be, I may as well make it last, make it worthwhile. 

“I feel like it took you forever to get here,” he says, and he shuts the front door behind me and I begin to look around.

“I know the feeling,” I agree. I feel like I haven’t seen him in ages, although it was only last night that I snuck into his bedroom. 

The cottage is far more casually decorated than any house of the ton but it is still clear that he has money, even if he is walking around barefoot and dressed like a stable boy. 

Which I find utterly charming. 

There are paintings on the walls, all landscapes, and simple furniture strung throughout the room. To the right is a staircase that brings you to the second floor landing.

“Do you prefer the tour of the inside or the grounds first?” he asks, looking at me with a glint of mischief in his eyes that forces me to grin. 

“Let us tour the grounds,” I say, stepping closer to him and pressing my palms against his chest, feeling his warmth and the steady beating of his heart. “If we tour the house, I fear we will not make it past the bedroom.”

Cassian lifts a brow, suggesting that is not such a bad idea, but then he’s pulling me back into the mid afternoon sun and around the cottage. We first stop at the stables and say hello to his horse before finding a trail through the woods. I want to ask if his feet hurt, still bare, but I assume they do not based on how he walks jauntily along. After an hour or so of walking through the tree lined hills, we find ourselves back behind the cottage, by the lake that resides there.

I am not certain if it's considered a small lake or a large pond, for I have never been properly educated on how the size of water is classified, but I do know that it’s beautiful as it reflects the trees and the sun and the rolling hills beyond. The water is blue, clean, and welcoming. To Cassian’s surprise, I lean down and unlace my boots before lifting my skirts and walking into the shoreline. 

I yelp as the cool water hits my toes, but keep wandering in as Cassian laughs behind me.

“Did you expect it to be warm?” 

“I’m not sure what I expected, to be honest,” I say, finding comfort in the water, “but it does feel nice.” I lift up my face and I close my eyes, dwelling in the warmth of the sun. I cannot remember the last time I let my hair down, the last time I was able to just…relax. 

Life with Tomas is tense. I am always having to watch exactly what I do or say, but not with Cassian. Never with Cassian. With Cassian, I can be whoever I want. I can be exactly who I am. 

Behind me, I hear Cassian wading into the water, and when I turn around, my eyes widen and he grins.

In the past sixty seconds, while I’ve been in my own little world, Cassian has completely stripped down and is now passing me, walking backwards so that I get the full view. 

“Feels better when you actually get in,” he says, winking before he falls back into the water, fully submerged. When he comes back up, his hair is wet and slicked back, beads of water are dripping down his skin into the water that starts at his waist. 

I am frozen in awe, then I snap back to reality as I look around.

“No one’s around,” he promises, amused at the blush that’s spreading across my cheeks. “There’s not another residence for miles, and we’re stuck in the back of the woods. We are completely alone, I promise.”

Completely alone.

I find my way back to the grass before starting on my layers. Cassian’s eyes are on me, and I’m sure to give him a show as I strip off my dress, then my skirts, my corset. As I make my way towards him in the water, feeling half confident and half exposed, he doesn’t breathe. His eyes scan my body, taking in every bare inch, sending goosebumps across my skin. 

I feel beautiful beneath his unwavering gaze. 

Once I make it to him, I run my hands up his chest and wrap my arms around his neck. He wastes no time drawing me to him and I feel every thick, hardened inch of him against me as he kisses me. 

The kiss is deep, languid, slow. His tongue meets mine in a tender embrace and I find it difficult to think about anything else, anything but this moment, anything but him. 

He picks me up and my legs wrap around his waist as we sink further down into the water, nothing but our heads bobbing above the smooth surface. My fingers burrow into his hair and he groans softly against my lips. 

I will never grow tired of kissing him. The idea of it is impossible. 

Our kiss breaks and our foreheads touch as our heavy breaths mix together between us. His hands slide up and down my back, his fingers too rough and calloused for a gentleman, before finding my ass and repositioning me. The head of his cock nudges my entrance and I release an anticipated breath, our eyes meeting. 

Our lips find each other once more as he carries me to the shoreline and sits. In one fluid motion, as soon as his ass hits the grass, I’m sinking onto his length, filling myself up with him. He curses and I moan, the only sounds in the otherwise silence of the great outdoors, as I pull myself up and sink back down, again and again. I ride him, wickedly, and there is nothing gentle in the way our bodies are writhing, our hands are moving, our mouths are meeting. We cling to one another, fuck each other, as if no time can be wasted. And it cannot, for we must spend every moment lost in this passion, this attraction, this lust, this love that is between us before our time runs out. 

He’s sucking that tender spot at the base of my neck and rolling my nipple between pinched fingers when my knees begin to shake, and he’s thrusting into me with a force that I’ll surely feel soreness from when I come. The sound that comes out of him is primal, and it is a sound that I immediately store in my memory. 

When he finds his release, I lean back to watch, captivated by his loss of control. His lips part and his brows furrow as his chest heaves. The fingers on my lower back grip me so hard that I hope to have their imprints embedded on my skin. He swears, and groans, both sounds quiet, deep, and low in his throat, setting every inch of me on fire. He breathes my name and his eyes meet mine, and when his body relaxes, he kisses me.

Sweet, gentle, a promise spoken between us with no words. 

“Is this what I am to expect in these next two weeks?” I ask, teasingly, running my fingers through his hair. 

He smiles, his hands still wandering. “There are no expectations. We may do whatever you’d like, at every given moment.” 

Emotion swells in my chest, emotion that is new and foreign and overwhelming. “Whatever I’d like?”

“I am at your beck and call, my lady.” 

I bite my lip to keep from smiling too widely, and I kiss him once more. “Well, in that case, wash me off, feed me, then allow me to worship your body yet again.”

His eyes light up as his grip on me tightens, he stands, and he runs us into the water. I laugh wildly as the cool water envelopes us, and when he pulls me under, I remain locked around his body until we are upright once more.

He pushes my wet hair back and the look in his eyes as they meet mine strips me bare.

This is what it is like to be in love, to be perfectly happy and have everything I ever wanted, ever needed.

And I will only have it for two weeks.

[findmeinthefallair]

For the sleepover ask game, share some owl house headcanons about what happened during the time skip. As many as you'd like. :)

Ayyy finally answering this, friend! Sorry that it took centuries to get to!

The one thing I don't shut up about is Hunter's ensuing depression after Belos's death, contrary to the Hollywood kind of ending where everything becomes sunny and everyone can easily move on. We would see the stuff that a therapist would tick the checkboxes for in a mental status exam: slowing down psychomotor-wise e.g. slower speech, flat moods which are the unsettling polar opposite to the earnest emotional expression we love him so much for, distracted attention span, less tidy appearance, and he'd be sleeping excessively for some time. (full mental health meta on this subject here: link) Camila would be making sure he has plenty of movies to watch on the couch so that he isn't locking himself too much in the basement T_T Darius would be monitoring how he helps to rebuild the Isles so that he doesn't overexert himself.

Amity, the twins and Alador would go for walks to the store, in the woods etc, and this bonding time in restoring their relationships would be so important.

Luz's two main challenges would be: 1. becoming more aware of the domino effect of teaching Philip the light glyph spell in the timepool, especially now that everyone is coming out of survival mode, 2. the guilt surrounding Flapjack...I don't think she'd just move on from puppet!Hunter's words "And then I lost him, helping you. But you still get to have your own palisman?!" God this makes me wonder...what was it that the Hexsquad went through in their minds which led to the beautiful decision to get their red tattoos together? I'm gonna sniffle, jfc.

Gus might be the first person to broach the subject of Flapjack again, since he verbally put the same subject out in the open in For the Future (working with Willow, who took the flyer derby photo off the wall to show to Hunter and trying to reach out to him). It's also in line with how he was the first one to express sadness after they became trapped in the human realm i.e. he broke down crying right away. I love this about him whereby he may excel in Illusion magic but he gets down to the truth right away.

Willow is utterly exhausted and there's still some remaining upset from her breakdown about how much she missed her dads, shouldered things on her own and kept things bottled up. She approaches Camila not long after they leave The Collector's Palace to say that Camila was right, and to say thank you. And she needs a bit of space alone for the upset feelings to run their course.

Mattholomule has more surprises up his sleeve for Gus, lol. Gus just doesn't stop being flabbergasted.

The first person to say anything to Kikimora, who is moping and stewing away somewhere, is of course Luz.

Luz and Hunter more or less switch places emotionally if you compare their TTT and WaD demeanors (in FtF, they were both under somewhat similar emotional strain, in their own arcs). In TTT, Luz was very far from her vibrant self, ruminated on her guilt and slowed down so much, while Hunter was on the move: excitedly exploring his self and interests while being in his comfort zone of wanting to help others (he still had the capacity to do so!). Luz wasn't out exploring and connecting with others: she was in the dark prison of depression. If we flip this for the pre-timeskip era: Hunter would slow down by gradually running out of steam to even help others, and isolate himself before getting better...struggling with the absence of Flapjack and Belos, being frozen in time in terms of this bereavement. While Luz, 1. became unfrozen from her long-term bereavement by beginning to accept that her dad and Papa Titan were gone (an emotional place which Hunter simply cannot reach until many months later), 2. was reunited with Eda and King and on the same page as Camila, and would be on the move seeing what she can do to contribute for the Isles. There is a parallel between both of them wrestling with guilt: Luz's guilt about how her encounter with young Philip led to Belos's regime, Hunter's about the impact of his actions as the Golden Guard.

God this one is tough to lay out in clear detail but...the sleeping arrangements for the Hexsquad during the first few nights...emotions catching up to them...I really wonder what it was, and who would want more of their own space and not trouble others (yet definitely not being at peace with whatever was going through their minds) versus who expressed their need to not be alone at night.. Maybe Luz wanted to be with Eda, Raine and King in the Owl House, Amity would have her space back in Blight Manor, and we have Willow, Gus and Darius extending invitations to Hunter. There's no way I can predict which choice Hunter made, coz he may have gone with an arrangement that would've left the others concerned. Whether he obliged out of politeness or was firm enough to say that he didn't want to burden them...hard to tell. OMT, what if he slept alone BUT the palismen secretly huddled by his side in the night like in this beautiful fanart which is one of my faves??: link

Contrary to Hunter, Vee's response to Belos's death would be far simpler closure because she had zero attachment to Belos. Hell, she wasn't raised by him for an entire childhood. And while she would've had some survivor's guilt, we know that the other basilisks eventually came back to life, unlike (ughhhhh) the Grimwalkers who can't be brought back. These are the clues as to how Vee could open up more, smile brightly, and begin to explore the big wide world around her:

Which means she would've definitely been an important influence for Hunter's recovery.

Like...

How long till he could freely smile again? Camilaaaaa...take care of your three precious kids.

These are the first headcanons that came to mind. Might reblog this and add more over time. Thanks for the ask :)

[jovenshires]

hi katie jovenshires im a big fan. if ur ok with sharing, what ships are in the botb au and what are the vibes for each 👀

thank you so much!! <3<3<3

hmm i've been thinking about this and i think i'm only deadset on spommy, ianthony, kolivia, and amangela as far as like. my canon goes. not sure what if any other ships im gonna include... ive gone back and forth with shaymien and shaynse too but not sure!!

but, i will say, for the most part the edits are mostly left up to interpretation so you can all decide whatever ships you want really!! (or if you don't want any ships at all that's cool too <3) like i've said to me the botbau is a little collaborative barbie world that we can all make whatever we want out of. like i told someone the other day - if you wanna write a fic or make an edit or something for this and it doesn't exactly line up with what i might write or think ab the au... PLEASE go for it. it is out there, public domain now, do with it what you will. and i will love and eat it up no matter what!!

as for the vibes in MY head, i will throw them under the cut so this post doesn't get too long KFNLKNKFNF

spommy: i've covered this a little before here so if you want the full version check that out but BASICALLY spommy is kind of rivals-to-friends-to-lovers except tommy has an Extremely one-sided beef and spencer just thinks he's cool and wants to be buds. eventually spencer wins him over and then... uh oh! love! once again skimmin some details that, if i ever Write A Fic for it, will be spoilers. but that’s the idea you know

ianthony: taking this directly from my dms to lilac but basically. ianthony botbau my beloveds....... to relearn how to co-pilot something with someone that should come so second-hand to you but you're both different people now but your feelings carry through anyway for who they were and are and will be........ yeah theyre everything to me. in a way it's a mirror to life/what actually happened to them with smosh (art imitates life) but the divorce era was even MORE famous because they're like a household name so it was a lot more pressure. idk yet if they were together beforehand and then broke up and now they're getting BACK together or if they had unresolved feelings they never dealt with and now they're struggling to reconcile them with their renewed friendship AND reunited band/the fame that comes from that... but either way they are Messy. im obsessed.

kolivia: kolivia in this au fascinates me because in my head keith is kind of known for being a player and fucking around but i think he stopped that Ages ago because. these two are basically dating. like they don't put a label on it and it's not public and i don't even know if THEY know how in love they are. but they live together. they sleep together "just to blow off steam" (come on now). they don't date other people. everyone can see it but them type beat. olivia's like "he's not my boyfriend" and then picks up the phone and is like "hi baby do you want chinese for dinner" NDLFKNANKSFLN like they are exclusive and they have deep feelings for each other but they are both so deeply in denial that they swear they're not dating. they have realistically been in a relationship for like five years.

amangela: RIVALS TO LOVERS AGAINNNN i have talked about this one a Lot with baflegacy bc like. they are my roman empire. at least these two have met on multiple occasions and actually fought with each other - they keep meeting at gigs/in bars and bickering. angela "clearly abba is the best band ever" giarratana and amanda "WHAT about fleetwood mac you DUMB ASS" lehan-canto. like they meet a bunch and EVERY time they end up bickering. meanwhile angela keeps seeing thirst traps of amanda on tiktok and being like "why are all the lesbians obsessed with her she SUCKS" and chanse and arasha, who have heard this three million times, are like "yeah okay buddy whatever helps you sleep at night." meanwhile amanda is living her bliss <3 and then they realize they're both in battle of the bands and uh oh! things come to a head!

[anxiouscowboy]

A Wholesome GBU Fic Draft/Idea

"Hey, Tuco?"

"Yeah, what? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" Tuco turned over on his sleeping roll to face the little boy, still wide awake, looking hopefully at him from across the campfire. His eyes were bright and brown like Tuco's, and for a moment, it felt as if he was staring into the face of his younger self. This kid, ha. Eight years old, four feet tall, and endlessly curious, this kid had been following him and Blondie since they'd reunited in San Antonio. How long had it been, two weeks now? He said his name was Santiago and he came from a village nearby, that his parents were gone and that one day he was going to be a great and famous cowboy...typical kid shit as far as Tuco was concerned. Why not just hogtie the boy and leave him back in town, he'd suggested, but Blondie wouldn't hear of it. That was the strangest thing yet. Blondie, aloof, unfeeling Blondie---he had let the boy tag along, and Tuco had no earthly idea why. We'll drop him at the next town, he'd say, but they never did. So here Tuco sat, the still of a peaceful desert night spoiled once again by the same inquisitive little bastard.

"Sorry," Santiago said with a smile. "I was just wonderin'...Did you really do all the stuff they said?"

"All the stuff that who said?" Tuco glanced at Blondie, propped up against a fallen log, but he was sound asleep.

"The preacher man with the Bible who talked a lot when you were doing your trick with Blondie. He said you did all kinds of bad things and asked God to have mercy on your soul?"

"Mm."

"Well, did you?"

Any other night, Tuco would have told him to shut up and go to bed, or at the very least, go bother Blondie, but tonight he lit a cigarette and puffed thoughtfully for a moment before answering.

"There are two kinds of people in the world, my little friend." he said, "Sinners and Saints. My brother Pablo, he's a Saint. Blondie, he's a Saint sometimes too. But me? Heh. No." he blew out the smoke with a wistful smile. "I guess every angel needs a devil to keep him on his toes, huh?"

"Well," Santiago said matter-o-factly, "I guess I gotta pray for both of our souls then, 'cause I'm a sinner too."

Tuco blinked, completely taken aback, then threw back his head and roared with laughter.

"You little tramp! What the hell have you ever done to call yourself a sinner?"

"Oh, all kinds of stuff! I've tied the girls' pigtails together, put a rat in Mary's lunchbox, took candy from the jar when my teacher wasn't lookin', set my Abuela's rug on fire, 'course that was an accident..."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it---you're a real criminal like me!" Tuco chuckled.

"No I'm not!" Santiago giggled, all too excited by the idea. "I think everybody does bad stuff sometimes," he said a moment later, suddenly serious. "I don't think you're as bad as they say you are. I think you're a good man."

Tuco's stomach dropped. He took a deep breath and hoped that the kid hadn't seen the shock on his face. Eyes prickling, he managed a smile, but no words would come.

"G'night, Tuco." Santiago murmured, rolling over in his sleeping bag and holding his blanket close.

"Good night," came his hoarse reply.

Tuco stared into the fire for what seemed like an eternity, his eyebrows knit together as the little boy snored beside him. He'd been called a lot of things in his life, most of them curses, and well-deserved ones at that, but a good man? That was a new one. He shook his head and looked up into the sky. The stars twinkled brightly beside a waxing crescent moon and Tuco watched them for a moment. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, or why. A good man. Little bastard. Shaking his head, he finished his cigarette and flicked it into the fire, settled in under his blanket and drifted off to sleep.

[bornspellcaster]

Little Firefly - Chapter 5

(When the time pool closes before she reaches it and Luz finds herself hopelessly stuck in ancient times, an incident forces her to work together with her enemy to ensure their survival. In the midst of it, Luz learns there may be more than meets the eye to the frigid Puritan, and discovers the real secret to saving The Boiling Isles may just lie in reuniting an estranged family…)  

Chapter 5 - Ultimatum

Chapter Index

It had to be the first time in a while, longer than Philip could recall, that he woke up feeling moderately rested and content. He didn’t awaken with tears coating his face, or shivering from the lack of warmth provided by body heat. The ever present gnawing of grief was always there…but it felt cushioned as he opened his eyes and looked down.

As the rain had tapered off they’d all crawled just to the outside of the tree for more space, but yet through the night, at some point, both children had cozied up to either side of him. Luz’s warm cheek was pressed against his stomach, and Eclipse was splayed out on top of her.

He smiled, and was thankful no one was awake to see it.

Philip gazed down at the sleeping children’s face. Eclipse was already starting to wriggle and rub at his eyes. Luz was strangely taking more time to rouse. “Wakey wakey Luzura,” he told the girl with a gentle nudge. A far cry to the cruel kick he’d always given her before. The toe of his boot barely pressed against her midsection, and to his secret endearment and great amusement, she giggled and covered her belly.

“I said wakey wakey Luzura.” When his foot pressed to her stomach, it gave it a bit of a jiggle this time. Luz squealed and gave a subconscious snort through her dozing, but appeared to fall right back into her slumber when the giggles tapered off.

Philip sighed. “I tried being nice.” He looked at his spider. “Arakate, you know what to do.”

The little arachnid seemed to give a battle cry as she eagerly skittered over to the teenager and slipped into her sleeve. Philip turned around to pack their things just as, predictably, shrieks and laughter rose up from behind him and he smirked darkly.

Luz was on her feet in an instant, dancing around as her lumpy shirt could be seen wiggling about from the merry spider crawling all over her.

“This is what happens to those that aren’t up at the crack of dawn,” Philip shrugged as he wrung out his jacket and snuggled it up over him again. “Well actually they’re eaten usually, but…this is what Caleb would have her do to me if I was foolish enough not to get up when told.” Apparently he didn’t realize what sensitive information he was divulging.

“Oh…?” At least not until Luz’s far too inquisitive and smirking tone could be heard. “Oh you don’t say…?"

Philip flushed pink, but luckily, he found a way to divert the conversation. “…You look like hell.”

She stopped smirking and now looked a tad annoyed. “Gee thanks?” She scoffed. “Can’t say you look like your Sunday's best at the crack of dawn either!”

“No, I mean you really look terrible. Did you sleep that badly?” he blinked. In the morning sun now, he could see the bags under the child’s eyes had practically packed themselves and gone to bed. She appeared disheveled, and her darker complexion was even a bit lighter. There was a strange look in her eyes, almost glazed, and it didn’t appear to be from morning grogginess.

“Well I feel okay, just a bit tired. Hey, do we have any of those snapping berries left?” She changed the subject fairly quickly and avoided his stern eyes boring into her.

They…had had a difficult night, after all. Maybe she was just a bit under the weather.

Philip shrugged and ruffled through the small satchel of snapping berries. The pouch immediately growled and he rolled his eyes. “The audacity, honestly. A fruit that growls at you, never imagined I’d experience the likes.” Only in this hell…

“Hey at least they aren’t snapples!” Luz laughed as she fished out a berry. The raspberry shaped eyeholes seemed to narrow, and its pulpy jaws snapped angrily as it was retrieved.

“Evelyn taunted me once when I was being ‘rude’ and said if I didn’t behave, the tree would turn me into a fruit. I thought it rubbish. This hell had to draw a line somewhere, right? So I picked up a snapple and it bit me. Only after I noticed my fingers became the consistency of pulp did I believe her.”

Luz burst into laughter, pulling a chunk of the purple pulp off the snapping berry and chewing at the sweet seeds. “That’s why I like snapping berries better. They bite you with their gummy fruit mouths but you can’t feel it…and you don’t turn into anything.”

Eclipse sat on a stump and looked at the berries, seeming a little downtrodden that he couldn’t eat any of them. Philip took notice.

“What did you like to eat, when you had a physical form?” he hummed to the star baby.

“Oh!” They grinned. “Well we didn’t really have to eat, but I liked doing it because it helped me feel like a mortal! And it looked fun and tasty! I liked star candies! Which basically is just when I took a big bite out of a star.”

Both looked at the blissfully smiling entity for a good moment, and returned to their respective breakfast. In the middle of licking the remnants of berry juice from his fingers, Philip’s caught sight of the complexion Luz’s pale face was taking.

Somehow, she was turning a sickly jade, and he didn’t back up in time. He heard the grotesque sound before he felt the stomach contents splash his shoe. He shuddered, but didn’t have much time to mull on that, because he had to rush to steady Luz before her head slammed into a rock.

He caught the girl and supported the small of her back, giving her an incredulous look. Luz had the audacity to look sheepish.

“Sorry about that. Heh, I guess I’m more nauseous than I thought… …Your boots were gross anyway.”

Philip rolled his eyes. “Don’t make me second guess dropping you on the rock,” he drawled. He pulled the girl back to sit down. She was still wobbling and he kept his hand hovered near, just in case. “Now what is going on with you?”

“Nothin,” Luz huffed, rubbing at her eyes. Philip fixed her with the kind of look she hadn’t seen since last her father scolded her. It was the same warning tone as well.

“Luz.”

It had the same immediate compliance from her. “Okay okay! I don’t really feel the best…my tummy is kind of sore. It’ll feel okay later.”

He wasn’t convinced, but the sun had already kissed the horizon and they needed to get a move on. They couldn’t exactly stay in that hollow for the rest of time. They needed to find a new base of operations, some new…temporary dwelling.

Or you could go home. Philip jumped when he heard his spider give a chitter, and he hissed at the persistent arachnid. “Oh, make yourself useful and turn into a staff!”

As expected, the staff-hating palisman made a series of disgruntled noises, before she materialized back into wood. He was certain the wood was glaring. Honestly…all these vile creatures and he had to get the one that didn’t even know how to be a palisman.

Philip decided to fly low. He wasn’t sure how well he could trust Luz to stay on Arakate, and if she fell off, he certainly didn’t trust his own piloting skills. His brother had always tried to encourage him to work with Arakate and try to fly with her. He really wished, just for once, he went against his bigotry so he’d have the practice…

“Hey can I call you Papa?” Eclipse was suddenly in front of him, grinning their large and hopeful cheshire grin. The question was so unorthodox that he could only blink for a moment.

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“Why do you even want to?” The man finally tossed his hands out in exasperation, and partially to try and wave off the shadow child looming over his head. …He wondered if he might also wave away the warmth that seeped within, to the question.

These brats and their…emotional curses…

“Well you kind of look after us,” Eclipse shrugged. “Oh, and it annoys you so I want to.”

Ah, well there went the warmth. Philip felt the embarrassed and endeared pink drain from his cheeks and ears as his face fell deadpan in record speed. “Seriously? Why aren’t you bothering Luz, like you always are? Luz loves playing with you.”

“Luz isn’t much fun today!” the baby complained, as his gaze drifted back to the teenager that had her face pressed against Philip’s back. That was concerning enough on its own…but it was honestly the uncomfortable heat that was radiating through the fabric that was the most concerning.

It was very chilly outside now, the post boiling rainstorm having cooled in the grass and left its damp in the air. She…had no reason to have a body temperature like that.

“Luz?” He jostled her lightly with an elbow. “Luz? Are you…napping?” he asked awkwardly.

Eclipse floated back next to the teenager’s side, but in typical child naivety, he didn’t seem to grasp the situation. “Yeah what’s with the nap, Luzzy? You promised me you’d teach me to fly a staff, and here you’re all…” He trailed off at Philip’s withering glare.

Philip redirected his attention to Luz and his face softened an increment. Seeing the darkening bags under her eyes as she weakly looked up, it softened more. “Luz.”

“Just…more tired than I thought.” Luz’s lips turned up in what she hoped was a convincing smile. Her lips looked pale…

Philip merely nodded, deciding to humor the very…blatant lie. She looked like she needed a moment, and perhaps he could take the time to examine her.

“Right. Well, we’re going to do a supply run then,” he informed the kids as his feet finally hit the damp auburn grass. Hopefully the heinous creatures of the town had some sort of medication suitable for human children… “Everybody off the staff. Arakate does not like to be a staff, ever. She’s partially why I could never learn real magic even if I wanted to,” he drawled. “She absolutely hates being on top of the stick and would…rather ride my head or shoulder.”

“Ohhh she’s your Pikachu!” Luz giggled, delighted with her joke. Philip might have misconstrued it for fever delirium if he didn’t…know her decently well by now.

He shook his head incredulously and decided it was just best not to ask further. Maybe the kid’s brain shouldn’t be stressed anymore than it had to be.

You’re right, I do hate that thing, he heard his spider echo in his mind, concern strong in each bulbous eye. But it doesn’t look like she should be walking anywhere right now. So just for this one time, I’ll make a sacrifice.

He nodded in satisfaction and gratitude to the arachnid and propped himself up against the staff. The moment his legs slung over the wood to hop off however, he seemed to…grossly overestimate Luz’s center of balance, and how strong her body was at the moment. Without him to lean against, the poor child toppled into the grass like a sack of bad potatoes.

“Luz!” Philip yelped in surprise as he found himself beside her on the ground in a span of two seconds. Luz groaned and her eyes drifted skyward to gaze up into the pink clouds. Everything spun, the painted tinge of the sky and his horror stricken face and wide blue eyes as they came into view. “Child, did you forget how to walk??”

“Walking is for lame-os…” the teenager mumbled as she pulled away from his hands.

Philip shook his head in disbelief as he turned to Arakate. “What do you make of this?”

Arakate hopped down and skittered to the young girl’s side, darting back and forth as she performed a small examination and chittered in concern. The child was pale as could be with the exception of her clammy, and reddened cheeks. Sweat clung to her brows and her clothing was even starting to stick to her from it.

I don’t know but…she doesn’t look that good, Philip, his spider said gravely. She’s getting awfully feverish. Her long spindly legs tapped at the girl’s skin, and her gaze trailed down to where Luz was flexing her leg in apparent discomfort, face contorted.

Eclipse gasped when he saw the state of the girl’s leg. It was patterned from the thigh to the knee in what looked like fuzzy splotches of blue and purple. It looked like the spores of a spoiled loaf. “Ew! She’s all fuzzy like bread gets right before you throw it out!” they cried in alarm. “Oh no, we have to throw Luz out!! She’s….she’s EXPIRING!”

“Eclipse calm down,” Philip instructed the frantic child. “We do not have to throw Luz out. She will be fine, we just need to get some care for her.” He refused to think of the fact that, in a sense, Eclipse was right. If they didn’t figure out what was wrong with this girl she would…no. No, that wasn’t happening.

“Night night,” Luz mumbled in a sweet little croon as she turned onto her side and tucked her knees and her hands beneath her cheek. It was, to say the least, a horrifying thing to hear after what Eclipse had just said.

“No, not night night!” Philip exclaimed as he hauled the whining teenager up by her shirt collar. Her noodle legs unfortunately couldn’t sustain her body weight and she buckled once more into the grass. “Come on now, child…you just need a bit of assistance.” He dipped down himself, and with a bit of adjusting, he soon had the girl pulled up onto his back.

Luz flopped forward like dead weight against his back, and despite the uncomfortable heat sweating through his jacket, Philip felt a strange unnerving chill. Something was very wrong.

The teenager was heavy. He’d built up a bit of muscle mass through living on his own and hunting, but she was still difficult to carry. “Put your arms around me. You like hugs, remember? Hold onto me all you want.”

Luz mumbled in barely coherent acknowledgement, but after a moment her sweaty arms flopped around his neck and hung there like limp strings that she could barely even support.

Philip cursed. He cursed whoever was out there that made these hellish ailments in this hellish place. “How did she start to fade so fast?” he demanded Arakate anxiously. “She was fine last night! Chatty, annoying—very annoying. All of the usual! Did she become sick because of the rain? The fluctuating of body temperature with damp clothes? No…that doesn’t quite add up to these symptoms.”

She has a terrible rash, the spider pointed out, skittering down the girl’s back to once more get a look at it.

“Right, rash, rash…argh! So many damned things cause a rash! Well, small pox doesn’t make one fuzzy and blue, so I suppose that’s one we can scratch out. The common mold definitely doesn’t cause such symptoms…”

“Is it dragon pox?” the baby collector wondered as he lingered by his friend’s side and tried to see if this weird rash looked familiar. It didn’t.

Philip shook his head. “Dragon pox causes an affliction of scales. Not…scale like rash, literal scales. And your eyes turn hideously yellow. If this is dragon pox, it’s certainly a new strain I’ve never come across. And I almost died from it soon after getting here, during the great plague. We need an expert’s opinion.”

We need Varuka, Arakate told the young man pointedly, and Philip felt a small surge of panic. He waved a hand dismissively and ignored the annoyed eyes.

“Oh, no need to go that far. There’s a healer in the town that we were in earlier. Remember that little tent? We’ll get the girl there. A potion, or a spell, and she’ll be in pristine condition.”

There weren’t many resources in that tent, Arakate frowned at him. And you still have quite a black and white view of how magic works. It’s not necessarily…that simple, especially if she has a rare sickness. You know that Varuka-

“Eclipse!” Philip cut off loudly. “We're going to walk back to the town we were in. It isn’t far, and it’s safer than flying for her right now.” He hiked Luz up against his shoulder blade, and tried to ignore the pang of concern as her face flopped against him. Her eyes only fluttered now and again.

“The…healer will be able to help her, right?” the baby collector hesitated. “‘Healer’ is in the name, after all.” He nodded his affirmation. “Yeah, of course they can. Th-that lady will know just what to do!”

Philip said nothing, but away from the godling’s imploring gaze, he bit his lip and just hiked on through the trails…

-

“Where’s the markets?” Philip felt his stomach drop as they approached the near barren square. At least, it was certainly more barren than it had been the day before…

People aren’t out here everyday, Arakate’s trill rang through his head. There were mainly a couple tents with carts of produce, and an unfortunate jeweler that was still vainly searching for some customers. Don’t forget, they have to restock. Tend to their fields, pick the herbs they sell for potions…

“Well how am I supposed to find that stupid witch then?” Philip snapped.

There is still Varuka, Arakate reminded, and this time her tone carried a bit of an annoyed edge. The cottage isn’t that far. We could easily make it by evening on foot. Shorter if we can somehow manage flight.

Philip bit his lip and felt sweat forming on his brow from the anxiety of the situation…and the fact that he knew options were dwindling if they couldn't find that healer. Luz needed medical care and she needed it now. Still, he shook his head adamantly. From this apparent connection he had with the blasted arachnid, he could feel her growing ire. “We’re here now. N-not only that, but flight would still be quite dangerous with the girl. She cannot even support her own weight and gripping your staff would be a near impossible thing trying to hold her.”

Eclipse was unmindful to the angry spider, his silhouette stretching up as far as he could manage to get a good view of the surrounding place. “Well….there’s a tent up ahead that’s set up next to where the old lady was!”

Philip looked over to where the shadow’s finger was pointing. Sure enough, he could see the glint of silver, and steel from setup armory. There was also an older vendor that vaguely resembled a reptile, and he did not look enthused to even be there. This should be fun…

Philip sucked some air into his cheek and sucked up his pride as he marched forward. He despised asking for help, least of all someone that was literally carrying weapons. His footsteps fell heavy and sunk into the wet ground, but the vendor didn’t even glance up.

“Excuse me, Sir-“

“Go away.” The voice was gruff and begged not to test it, but Philip still did.

“I said excuse me, Sir,” Philip repeated with an air of feigned politeness. “I was wondering-“

“I don’t sell to your kind,” the vendor growled once more. “Leave. Now.”

Philip felt a flare of indignation, but he smothered it. “I’m not interested in your wares, Sir. I was wondering if you knew where the healer is, the one that was set up in the tent next to you.”

“I told you to fuck off,” the reptilian blacksmith grunted. The gleam in his eyes suggested he was definitely thinking of ramming him through with one of those swords. “I ain’t telling your kind anything. Especially you.” He pointed a harsh and accusing finger towards Philip, and he saw hatred in his eyes. Other than in passing, Philip had never really interacted with this man…but something in his stomach curdled. He tried to fight it off.

“I won’t bother you further Sir,” Philip grit his teeth, tearing his gaze away from the hateful one that bore into his blackened heart. “…After this. Please, I need to know where the healer is.”

“Our friend is really sick!” Eclipse cried, springing up from his rock. Philip pulled back the obol protectively, even knowing that Eclipse was merely a shadow right now and this witch could do nothing to him.

It was difficult hiking the slipping Luz up on his back and handling Eclipse’s stone, but somehow he managed. “She is sick and she needs help.”

“The less of you the better,” the vendor grunted as he polished off his wares, spitting along the metal hilt and shining it with a cotton cloth. Both travelers gasped and Arakate hissed.

It took everything in Philip to keep from slamming his boot against the base of the table and send the metals tumbling. “You savage! You barbarian!” he shouted. “She’s a little human girl, how can you-“

“AND MY SON WASN’T MUCH OLDER THAN HER!” the witch roared. Philip fell into an immediate stunned silence, and he jerked back as if he’d been slapped. Eclipse’s silhouette darted behind his leg.

The reptilian sneered, and suddenly Philip could trace the features back to something with a more haunting…familiarity. “You think I don’t recognize you, but I do. My son was a curious one…but one day he met the wrong person. A man that took advantage of that curiosity…and naivety. I have no evidence, but I know. “

Philip felt his legs shaking, he could feel Eclipse’s confused gaze and Arakate’s…strangely resolute one. It took a moment before he could speak again. “…Luz is not resp-“

Before he knew it, before either of them could react, he felt a blinding pain in his stomach and was sent crashing backwards into the ground. Luz let off a weak, squeaky moan as she smacked against the ground. It took a moment for Philip to realize that he’d been slammed in the stomach by the hilt of a sword…and that the other side of it was now pointed inches away from his face.

The witch ground his sharp yellow fangs. “…Talk to me again and it’ll be the sharp end next time.”

Philip held his breath until the weapon was pulled away from him, and even after it was he remained in the wet grass for another few good moments, processing. It was only when he heard a small bleary sob from the bundle on the ground that he finally looked over.

Almost in a daze, the man mechanically scooped the teenager’s damp form into his arms and started to stagger away from the tent, and away from the almost empty market.

“…Phi-lip?” Eclipse asked slowly. “What was…that crazy dude talking about?“

Philip didn’t answer as he continued to limp his way back to the trail, and it was visible easily by the way he just aimlessly wandered in a half circle, that he had no idea where he was going. He didn’t know what he was doing.

Philip sunk down against the trunk of a tree, and he just sat there…with Luz in his lap. Luz’s breath came in shallow inhales, and each breath sounded clogged and thick and wheezy. Her fever made her uncomfortable just to touch.

The worst thing about this wasn’t the shadow's curious eyes that looked at him, but instead the multiple eyes that bore into him from Arakate. Her gaze wasn’t like Eclipse’s. It wasn’t confused and agitated with curiosity. Her expression…was grim. It was sad, and it was disappointed and…knowing.

“Philip I don’t understand…” Eclipse said in a quiet and meek voice.

Why did it matter? Why did he care? He didn’t care. No, he…he was just shaken at nearly being gored through.

“Help, a human? There ain’t enough snails for me to ever do that.” His ire had bloomed at the reaction from the crowd. A few had jeered, a couple had sneered, and most in fact, had just nervously returned to their business.

Blast it. Bloody charisma was a magic in its own, and one he never seemed to have a handle on, unlike Caleb. Caleb had been here long enough to have most of them eating out of his hand, but he had no such luck.

He’d been about to lick his wounds and prepare to try again another day, when a small wide eyed reptilian demon had approached. He looked to be about seventeen. His curious and excited gaze made the man resist a smirk. It would be easy to get his hooks into this one…

“I’m interested, Sir! My pops doesn’t like humans…but I think your kind is quite fascinating and exotic!”

If only the boy had caught the malevolent glint to his eyes, as Philip had feigned a diplomatic bow, and sweet words. “Not to worry, dear boy. Treat me with respect…..” He smirked. “And I shall return in kind.”

He’d been so eager for adventure that he’d trusted the scorpion…

Philip shut his eyes quietly. The weakly shifting form in his lap took his gaze and he quietly ripped off a part of his vest, dipping it into their canteen of water and applying it to her forehead. He wasn’t sure what difference lukewarm water would make. She flinched momentarily, but her muscles seemed to relax slightly…

His eyes were shut for a moment, contemplating. He heard what sounded like softer footfall through the muck, but thought nothing of it until a voice spoke up. It was older and soft, and right now it honestly coated his ears in honey.

“Boy, what are you doing out here in the wet grass? You’re the little group from earlier, aren’t you? Oh dear me…is your child alright?!”

Philip almost cried with relief. There she was, standing with her brows wrinkled in concern, and already bent down to his level to check on Luz. “I-it’s you! We were searching for you…”

“You’re lucky,” the healer sighed as she touched the girl’s cheeks with a calloused hand. Quickly she withdrew in alarm. “I had to pick some herbs for a potion order nearby. My cabin isn’t far from here. Come along, and I’ll see what I can do for the young one.”

Philip felt a chill as he tried pointedly to ignore the very quiet mumble of ‘if there’s anything I can do for her…”

-

“Sleeping Shade Indigo Cap Mushrooms?” Philip repeated incredulously, trying to make sure he got that mouthful right. They had Luz laid down on a cot in the elderly witch’s cabin. It was even smaller than Varuka’s cottage, condensed into mainly one room that split into an older kitchen, and what Philip supposed was the woman’s make do hospital.

“They’re an incredibly rare and lethal relative of the sleeping shade family,” the witch informed him as she helped the tired human to dump another bucket of ice into the pail of cold water they had perched beside the child’s bed.

“I’ve yet to find a relative of the sleeping shade family that isn’t poisonous,” Philip said tersely as he dunked the cloth into the water to let it soak and absorb the icy water.

“Well they all are, but unfortunately the fungal relatives of the sleeping shade are the most…potent.”

“Of course,” he muttered. “With my luck…”

“Although the gray sleeping shade herbs have their oils extracted for lethal dosages of poison, minimal drops can be used for a deep sleeping potion. Sleeping shade herbs are only dangerous if ingested, but the funguses are far worse. The slightest brushing against one of these dastardly things can set off a chain reaction of rashes that can kill a grown man in less than three day’s time. A child in...much less."

Philip went as cold as the bucket next to the teenager’s bed. “B-but how is this even possible?!” he spluttered furiously. “Luz has not ingested a sleeping shade herb. She eats puzzles….and I might have had to stop her from licking a frog—but she did NOT eat a sleeping shade herb! Or touch one of those mushrooms!”

“I don’t know if that’s true, Philip,” Eclipse pointed out.

“What are you talking about?!” Philip snapped. Suddenly, he remembered.

“Ugh those smell like gasoline!”

“How curious, I don’t believe I’ve seen those mushrooms before!”

He staggered, and was appreciative for the kitchen basin that was thankfully just a few paces away, which he found himself gripping onto as his complexion rivaled Luz’s. “It…it was me,” he mumbled faintly. “It was me.”

“Oh right, you pushed her into those mushrooms!” Eclipse cried. Philip shrunk into himself as the old healer turned slowly towards him, simply aghast looking.

“I didn’t know!” he snapped desperately. “And I didn’t push her into them! I pushed her, playfully! W-we were in a tree hollow!”

The witch gravely shook her head at him. “Oh-oh…that’s where they frequent the most.”

“THANK YOU for the tip, Orla!” Philip snarled venomously. He sat in one of the bedside chairs and wrung his hands out in distress. The progressing fuzz and what almost looked like spilled ink splotches had only seemed to spread up her skin, far beneath the rim of her shorts and creeping towards her feet. “So…what do we do now?” he asked helplessly.

Orla leaned over to check on the cauldron she had hissing and bubbling on the wooden countertop. The concoction smelled simply foul, but if Philip knew anything about medicine, it was that the worse it smelled and tasted, the better it was for you...Normal medicine anyway.

“So this will heal her. This will heal her then, it’s some magic drivel.” He nodded and watched to see if Orla nodded along as well. A tightening formed in his chest when she seemed to pause in her step, and then just…continued to the bed. “This will heal her,” he repeated loudly. “…Why aren’t you agreeing, you blasted hag?”

“Child, this might help with the fever,” Orla sighed as she spooned out a mucus green colored stuff into a small pestle and crushed it up a bit more. “But…that’s it. I…can do nothing for the fungal infection.”

“You’re a witch!” he cried furiously, shaking his head in disbelief. “A damned witch! If there’s anything good that’s supposed to come of you, at all, for this situation, it’s that you have magic! What good is your kind if you can’t even do that one cursed function?”

Orla pursed her lips in impatience, but chose to chalk his ignorance to his parental stress. “You have quite the narrow vision of our kind…but I knew that already,” she sighed. She bottled him up some potion and dropped a few other herbs into a homemade drawstring pouch. “I have a tent set up to tend to more minor illnesses and injury. Cuts, bruises….and I’m mainly a potion maker.”

She sighed as she looked back at Luz. Luz’s clammy hands were heartbreakingly reaching out for a blanket to drape over herself, but Orla had pulled them away with the spike of her fever. “What she needs is a disease specialist, someone that has studied various types of diseases and infections and has turned every mushroom and herb over in the realm just to find out its medicinal properties.”

Don’t say it…

“What she needs is Varuka,” Orla finished. Philip grit his teeth. “Varuka is the most powerful healer in this realm. She’s been studying for nine hundred years! Everything I learned I learned from that woman.”

Philip grit his teeth in desperation. He suddenly spun angrily to Eclipse. He was frustrated, he was terrified, and he handled it in the only way he knew how to—find someone else to target.

“And why aren’t YOU doing anything?!” he snapped. Eclipse looked taken aback.

“Me?!” they spluttered.

“You’re the collector! You’re supposed to be this all powerful being, supposedly one of the most powerful beings in the realm! What was the good in recovering you when you aren’t even strong?!”

“I am!” Eclipse snapped. His silhouette had grown five times the size, towering now over the smaller man that stood there defiantly. “But I’m also trapped! I’m in another dimension that can only project from a rock! I can….” He sighed and his shadow deflated. “I can pass on the knowledge that I know, and give instructions, but…I can’t do much from where I’m at!”

His options had been utterly exhausted, and Philip quietly deflated to sit on one of the stools. Eclipse paid no attention to him as he just floated quietly back to Luz.

Orla watched as Philip hung his head in his hands, barely perching his forehead up against both palms. “I knew I recognized you.” He froze until she continued, “When you were all at my tent earlier. I could tell I recognized you. One of Varuka’s boys. Quite easily distinguishable. I don’t think there’s many other humans but you and your brother.”

He’d turned away from her on the chair, and his pained gaze just took in every one of Luz’s ghastly features. This disease had already taken so much. Her tanned complexion, and the soft healthy pudge to her face seemed to have sunk in. Her skin was either whitened or blue… It certainly didn’t appear her sleep was peaceful either.

“…I don’t know what’s keeping you from going home to them,” Orla continued quietly. “But…this child needs more care than I can give.” She chose to pick her words carefully as she looked over at the silhouette of Eclipse.

Philip took in a deep steady breath. “Watch over her for a moment Orla. I…need to step outside.”

Numb, Philip made his way quietly to the door, and once outside, he slid down the side of the house. From here, he could see the cliffs of The Boiling Isles, overlooking a view of the sea. He could see the titan’s skull in the distance. He heard tiny legs skittering behind him.

“…This is all my fault.”

Arakate looked up at him. Philip…you didn’t know, his spider began hesitantly. You didn’t know there were mushrooms there and had no idea they were this poisonous.

Philip shoved himself up from the siding and shook his head angrily. “No! All of this, Arakate!” he cried. “Everything that has happened to this stupid girl since she got here is because of me! I am why she’s in this blasted place in the first place!” He paced angrily. “I’m the reason she’s even in this time! She came through that stupid pool to find me! I-I don’t know, for some information on getting home!”

He snapped a branch off of a tree, just needing something to throw. The dry twigs snapped as they hit the bark off another tree. “Every bad thing since she has come into this time that has happened to her is because of me! And do you want to know the best part of this?” he laughed brokenly, with bitter sarcasm. “It. Should Not. Matter to me!” He stabbed himself in the chest with his finger.

“I should be happy! All I have done since getting stuck with her is gripe about the fact that I’m stuck with her! That I can’t get rid of her…and now…now I am going to be rid of her. And I am not happy, and I cannot figure out why.”

He knew the truth. He knew he knew the truth of why he wasn’t happy. He knew the truth for why the thought of this annoying little beam of sunshine snuffing out like an extinguished candle, threatened to twist him into two. …But he wasn’t sure if he was ready to admit that one to himself yet.

“I should be happy.”

…..But you aren’t, Arakate finished quietly. Philip…it is abundantly clear to me that you care about this girl. He crossed his arms and he looked away, but he refuted nothing. That you care about…both of these children. You’ve spent today doting over Luz. I watched you spend two hours teaching them how to write in caligraphy, using up countless pages in your precious journal to let the girl practice.

Philip unconsciously gripped his satchel, where he could feel the bulk of the journal. This book…for so many years now, it had felt so empty even when filled with words. Deliveries of lies, the telling of the ghost of memories for a life that no longer existed. Now, at least ten of those pages were filled with messy scribbled attempts of letters of the alphabet, and even a page of her stupid little doodles…where she’d made fun of his beard.

You care about this girl…so I think you finally need to ask yourself something. How much do you care about this girl?

Philip looked up. Even through the broken shutters of Orla’s window, he could see Luz’s prone form. He could see the way her face was drawn up in pain, see the way her chest spasmed now and then.

….Do you care enough to face your greatest fear?

-

The tree beside Varuka’s cottage was always one of his favorite places to be. That one single tree to him, was like the rolling waves to Evelyn that she sailed across. It was his calming place.

It was one of those trees that, back in the human world, you might see a swing roped up to. Or, in a more grim set of lenses, a tree that you might see used to hold the swinging bodies of the accused. It was a deep red, and large enough that it towered the height of the cottage.

Everybody had things they liked to do in this tree. Evelyn worked on star maps, and would sit with Aasha and him many nights as they’d look at all the constellations. It was something Caleb used to do with Philip as well. Varuka had a garden that either she or Kiki tended to, and sometimes she’d sit and read. …Aasha of course just climbed it, fearless of the snapples that hung above, and even of that fire bee hive they had at one time. Thankfully, cotton bees had moved in instead. It always was adorable watching her play with the harmless little flying cotton balls.

The tree was full of carvings as well. There was a heart that Caleb and Evelyn had carved together, with a small engraving in their respective handwriting. An ‘E’ with so many fancy and eccentric curls, his simple ‘C’…and below it, a tiny, tiny little messy scrawl with an ‘A.’

Nana and Great Nana say it’s getting late!

Caleb nearly yelped as his daughter’s tiny body suddenly flopped onto one of the lower hanging branches he was on. He didn’t help her. He’d learned the hard way that trying to help her climb it would only produce an angered screech.

“Rah! Getting late! Supper time! Late supper!” her palisman screeched as the parrot’s large talons hung onto the girl’s shoulder.

Caleb sighed, but he gave a smile as he scooped his baby into his arms. Aasha squeaked and giggled with delight, her tiny nose rubbing against her father’s. Her straw colored hair was shoulder length like her mother’s, with two long braided bangs that cupped her face and were tied into beads at the ends. She had his fiancé’s beautiful green eyes, that he smiled into each time he looked at them…and she had a nose much too similar to his baby brother’s, and it made his heart ache just to look at it sometimes.

“Sorry sweet thing, I was just reminiscing…” As the five year old tilted her head to him questionably, he chuckled. “I’m thinking back fondly on things. And…thinking back to some sad things.”

Caleb cupped his hand softly over one of the tree carvings. It was an older, decrepit ‘P’, that his brother had begrudgingly forced into the wood just to please him. It was shafted off to the side, refusing to be in the heart Caleb had drawn with Evelyn.

“You’re lucky I’m carving the stupid thing at all,” Philip had angrily spat as he’d thrown down the tools and stormed back into the cottage. The P had faded with time, buffeted by their last storm. How fitting… Caleb choked down his tears.

Is it Uncle Philip again? Aasha signed sadly. Mimic jumped on her back. “Uncle Philip! Pippins! Uncle Pippins!”

Caleb laughed as he wiped his eyes. “I really don’t know how he’ll feel about Uncle Pippins, but yes.” It would be hard enough just getting the kid to accept Aasha. …Not so much a kid now, he supposed. It had been years, and although Philip had always made himself scarce, he’d heard rumors of a human man that was out there….dwelling in caves like a cryptid. Titan, did he hope those rumors were true.

You’re out here a lot, his daughter signed, and Caleb nodded.

“I know…but it helps me think.” He sighed. “It’s a good resting place.” The father smirked as he poked his daughter in the tummy, and she squeaked. “When a little monkey isn’t interrupting me.”

He shrieked, and slipped slightly as a slender wrist gripped a hold of his ankle. Twisting over his arm to look down, he made playful beady eyes at his beloved.

“Or a bird of prey…” Evelyn gave a few more tugs, and laughed as Caleb pouted and held onto the branch. “Hey, Nana says dinner is ready and she’s getting impatient. If she gets the wooden spoon out, I am not saving your ass…” A trail off as Caleb scowled and held Aasha’s ears. “…ortment of sweets,” Evelyn finished with an eye roll . “What are you even doing out here, starlight?”

“Just…thinking,” Caleb mumbled as Evelyn took up the last of the space on the massive branch.

“About the little twig?” she asked softly, and her expression fell as somber as his did once he nodded. Turmoil always filled her gaze. She felt the ache of regret with her grief. She always envisioned it - he flash of her anger, the magic she’d whipped at him…and frightened away a boy that had needed more understanding than they gave.

“I get it…yeah, that’s pretty normal,” Evelyn cleared her throat as she tried not to look at the faded, angrily scrawled ‘P’ on the trunk. “Miss when he’d sit up here and sulk in the tree,” she laughed sadly. “You know…refusing to come into the cottage, and refusing dinner. He always assumed it was poisoned.”

“It really is about to be poisoned if you miscreants don’t get your sorry rumps into the house,” a gravelly and angry voice spoke from the ground, nearly startling all of them off the branch. “Your Mother and I have bent our backs over this stew all day and it’s already getting cold.”

Varuka was a small stout demoness with maroon skin and two world weary heterochromatic eyes of orange and yellow. Her hair, actually moss colored hands, were drawn up tightly into two fists on either side of her head. It was slightly different than the one ponytail shaped hand of her daughter’s, and both of their hair was tucked up into a bonnet. The difference was in their faces; whereas Kiki had a younger and shapely face, her mother carried the wrinkles of the world, and the tribulations that had come with it.

“It’s congealed,” Varuka continued, in that same deadpan tone of voice. “Like the way your blood is going to be when it dries in a few days on my walls.” You could never tell when this woman was joking because of her delivery, and they never wanted to take the chance.

“Oy, we’re coming!” Evelyn huffed as she started sliding off the branch. She reached up to pluck Aasha, but the child started to screech, and wisely, she let her hands drop to her sides. “Come on Caleb.”

Evelyn held out a hand to her beloved, but Caleb didn’t take it. He was staring ahead, towards the direction of the grassy slope and winding trees. “Come on…” She smirked after a moment, and didn’t seem to catch the way his eyes had widened, and the way his limbs trembled. “What? Expecting to see something special? A shooting star?"

It took a moment for his moving mouth to get anything out that was audible. “Better…”

“Caleb?” Evelyn gaped as the man just dropped from the branch. He didn’t even climb down it, and honestly, he didn’t do anything less than catapult himself into the grass, surely bruising something. “Caleb, what the hell?!”

His feet hadn’t even gained footing, and he wasn’t even running so much as he was rapidly bear crawling down the hill on all fours, like a mad man. The speed of which he moved down such a slope caused him to tumble multiple times, but he didn’t care.

“Caleb!” the girls shouted after him. They were wiser and took the actual dirt path to give themselves more traction on the ground. They held their dresses up as they ran along the path. From this distance, they could begin to see what had caught Caleb’s eye. There was an approaching silouhette. They could see Caleb as well, just a few feet away from the silouhette and both stood still as a granite statue.

The girls reached the bottom, and the silver moon finally illuminated him.

Evelyn’s knees gave in and she fell to them in a crumpled flounce of fabric. Varuka’s own eyes had shot open and both hands were cupping her mouth, leaving no secret for once to what she was feeling. Aasha blinked in confusion, looking at everyone and wondering why they were reacting in such a manner.

Somehow, it was the two men that stood almost calmly…processing. Wide eyes took in each other’s features for the first time in half a decade.

The oldest stood taller now with his ponytail long abandoned. His jawline was more pronounced and it seemed he’d never replaced his coat. Somehow the one thing that never changed…were the same hazel eyes that stared at him with…so much unadulterated affection, that spilled out now in the form of steady tears.

And there the younger brother stood, carrying a wheezing bundle. He was still wrapped in his coat, the only life line he had of his brother. His scraped and dirty hands clutched a limp child so protectively, tucked nearly under his untrimmed beard. His own blue eyes lacked the spark of life Caleb had seen before. They looked empty enough that surely if he called into them, he would only hear an echo.

“…Philip…” he finally whispered.

“…Caleb.” Philip swallowed. He lost his voice. He wanted to run the moment he saw everyone's eyes gazing at him, with expressions that elected emotions much too complicated to be hatred.

He felt frozen into the grass, prepared to bolt into the other direction. It was the rattling from Luz’s chest that ignited a determined fire he had never felt, and finally gave him the strength to speak. “...I need your help.”

-

(DUN DUN DUN! Finally I return, and on a cliffhanger! Just imagine if I abandoned it after this lmao. No, I have no plans to abandon it, but chapters may be more sparse because of rl problems.

This chapter was going to include an illustration but I haven't felt like drawing so finally I just decided to post it. Next chapter may be a while, as it is very thicc with juicy plot.

So excited to finally include the rest of the gang! We have reached the first climax and turning point for this fic, and things are really gonna be picking up now~ Stay tuned!)

Chapter 6 - If I Stay- Luz experiences confusing revelations

Chapter 7- Brothers Can Be A Pain - Philip dreads the consequences of his actions

Chapter 8 - A God Fearing Minister - Repressed trauma of the boys is revealed

[imfromthemiddlekingdom]

I have so much feels regarding Miriel and Feanor. If my mother, whom I love dearly and gave her life for me to live, were stated as being allowed to be reembodied but the only thing standing in her way of being able to is the fact that my father was a horny pos who wanted to fuck this blond bimbo and have babies with her, therefore depriving my mother of her chance at life FOREVER. I too would be resentful and full of hate for anything and everything that represented their Union and my mothers sundering from me.

Finwe and Indis are both in the wrong. He was so young when they wed and had Findis, he barely had time to process his mothers death, however temporary it may have been for an elf in Valinor, but then his dad went “hey so uh, I really want to have more kids and in order for me to do that your mother would have to stay dead forever! YOLO!” I would feel so much resentment not only to him but the other person who was responsible for this. He obviously couldn’t blame his dad, the only living parent he has, so he projects all his loathing and resentment of his father to Indis and her children and their children afterwards. Because how can he hate the last living parent he has when there’s a perfectly good target for all that pent up rage within sight that would not make him an orphan twice over?

You might object by saying that “one year of the year if the trees is like 10 sun years!!! He was perfectly grown!!! He should get over it!!!” But I ask you. How would you feel if your mother, who you either never had a chance to know or knew only sparingly when she was bed ridden died and your father took away her chance of being reunited with you? My father died of his own folly and stupidity and still I miss him to this day, if I lost my mother too I would be devistated beyond words, and we’re HUMAN. We know we only have one shot at life and no chance of reuniting with those who’ve passed on in our life time, but with elves, they can be reborn. They know that death is only temporary. So when your mother died you think to yourself, “I’ll just wait for her to feel better and then she can come back to me and father and we’ll be a family together again!” And that choice is taken from you, your mothers body, which was resting in the gardens or Lorien, is then gone and you now cannot even pretend that she is merely sleeping.

As far as I know, no living souls may visit the dead in the Halls, he no longer can hold his mothers hands and can no longer pretend that she is there, she was so sick when she passed that asking her to make a choice that would affect her for the rest of eternity isn’t the way to go. I suffer from severe depression, and in bad days I think I would be better if dead, and if I had lost my will to live and some godly being demanded that I make a choice right this moment(!!!) to return to life or be forever dead, I would have chosen to remain dead since I cannot think of why living would be better. To put so much pressure on a dead woman, who may or may not have died due to  postpartum depression, is not the way to go in any situation where Finwe may have wanted to get a divorce or have more kids.

Elves are immortal, they do not die, why can’t Finwe not wait for who was supposed to be the love of his life? Why did Indis, a supposed friend of Miriels, decide that her getting her happily ever after is worth sundering her FRIEND from her son forever? Why does Indis get her happily ever after and Miriel does not? I can see why Feanor would be so against Indis and her children because under similar circumstances I would have been the same, seeing others get what was promised to me, in the blessed lands where everything was supposed to be BETTER and not getting it anyways is a recipe of disaster.

I do not feel any sympathy for Indis, not really, not when she willingly deprived her stepson of a chance for a mother, not when she willingly agreed to have kids with someone knowing that one of his kids would never have that fea bond with his mother ever again. I cannot sympathize with her selfish desire for dick, not when it hurt a child, which was what Feanor was.

I cannot imagine how Feanor might’ve felt seeing his half siblings with their mother and feeling that gaping hole in his soul knowing that I order for them to exist his mother is gone forever. To look at his brothers and sisters and see what may have been if his mother didn’t put so much of her into him, and feeling so guilty that “if only I didn’t exist my mother would still be alive”. To have it rubbed in his face, no matter how unintentionally, by his father and his new wife when Findis was a newborn that, maybe just maybe, some of the rumors are right and that him and his mother truly are marred because Indis bore a child successfully without dying so there MUST be something wrong with them.

To have that reminder of your mothers death constantly for years and have your father be so happy with his new family that it seems like he’s forgetting all your mother represented, to have the Noldor replace your mother, one of the people who represented what the Noldor are, with one of those golden Vanya princess, is unimaginable to me.

Maybe it’s a personal character flaw of myself but if I were in Feanors shoes I may have done something worse than pull a sword of my half brother when he was trying to convince my only surviving parent to disavow me.

[that-darn-clown]

just saw your reblog from last night, and! i have thought about how William tried to justify the murders he committed in his own mind. there's quite a bit, so i'll split 'em up into sections:

his original murders:

Charlie: due to Elizabeth's death, William spiraled. hard. his very weird mixed feelings on Henry, specifically his jealousy, ramped up. because it wasn't fair, why was Henry's life so good? why does everything go well for HIM? so he decides to make Henry understand his pain. a daughter for a daughter. he never had any ill will towards Charlie, it was more a way of hurting Henry than her.

Naomi, Gabi, Baker, and Felix: having a bunch of kids die at someone's restaurant will fuck with their business and their reputation. i'll let you put those pieces together.

Kelsey: a way of throwing some suspicion off of himself. if it seems like both of their restaurants are being targeted...

his kids:

Cassidy: he knew too much. he was going to say something eventually.

Alex: William didn't kill him directly. more or less sent him to it. in William's mind, it's not like Cassidy was going to kill him...right?

misc.

the '87 victims: they were snooping around too much. if they find those ghosts and the ghosts start talking, he's fucked.

the various employees he murdered as Springtrap: honestly, he didn't even have a way of justifying it, really. at this point, he was so far gone that he was just being honest with himself; it was fun to him and he wants to.

Henry (Fnaf 6): well, they're going to burn to death anyway. why not put the guy out of his misery? also a mix of Henry's reasoning for staying in the fire as well - it started with them, it'll end with them, too. (also something something You And Me, Forever and Ever, potentially also applying to Fredbear and O'Hare. like i said; interpret their relationship as you wish)

his attempted murders/murders he plotted but never carried out:

Michael: wanted to kill him to "put the family back together." ignoring the fact that most of his kids hate him, and at BEST Liz has very complicated feelings on him and is kinda scared of him now-

Andrew: had very shaky reasoning but his Main one that he was going to go with for the sake of his sanity was to "reunite them with their brother." then again his plans Wildly swung between "kidnap my son's best friend and make him my own son" and "kill this kid." so y'know-

Sammy: Time To Kill Henry's Other Kid! Wow This Office Has No Protection This Should Be So Easy- Why Does He Have A Match And Why Do I Smell Gasoline

(so yeah, you can see that as more time goes by, his reasonings get even more flimsy than they already were. not to say they weren't already flimsy, but y'know.)

Literally in love with his bastardized reasoning (especially with henry since im normal about willry.) Ofc yall know by now that I'm normal about andrew lol

[bakubunny]

I would straight up ask #1-25 for both Emet and Thancred, cause I'm freaking curious but I won't get greedy- #1-10 for tragic white-haired ffxiv man of your choice (>ᴗ•)

saved this one for last bc i knew i'd spend a ton of time on it willingly. i'll answer as many as i can for both because why not? gonna start with thancred x wol z’hana because that (self ship) doesn't stray too far outside of canon unlike the soul bond au, and i’ll post emet-selch x wol separately. fair warning tho, i'm not great at writing thancred... hence why there's so little of him in my works... but here we go! ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

1. Do you get jealous or protective over your partner?

z'hana: i did get a little jealous in the beginning, but now that i know him well, not really. and i only get protective when he's overworking himself. thancred: me, jealous? never. and perhaps i might be more protective if she hadn't already bested me in combat more than once, but i'll never shy away from a fight to keep her safe. (lies. he gets v. jealous.)

2. What are your pet names for each other?

z'hana: babe, darling, sweetheart, handsome, honey thancred: the ones i can share, or the ones i can’t?… (cue glare from z’hana as he grins.) darling, love/my love, sweetheart.

3. What is your idea of a perfect date?

z'hana: i quite enjoy traveling with him. i still remember the time he whisked me away for an evening on scion gil right under tataru’s nose…. she was not happy, but it was an excellent night nonetheless. thancred: i don’t ask for much…. a home cooked meal and the love of my life.

4. What are your names saved in each other phones?

z'hana: thancred thancred: z’hana

5. Do you like cuddling? Why or why not?

z'hana: i enjoy it a lot, but too much and it’s overbearing. thancred: i would agree, i’m much the same.

6. What do you think the others love language is?

z'hana: physical touch thancred: physical touch

7. What’s the one trait about each other that annoys you the most?

z'hana: he still tries to brush things off with bravado and charm, even after multiple years together. thancred: she’s the most stubborn woman i’ve ever met, right after y’stola…. don’t tell her i said that.

8. Coffee or Tea?

z'hana: coffee thancred: coffee

9. What was your first impressions of each other?

z'hana: he was attractive, perhaps a little over confident. thancred: she was pretty. a competent ally.

10. What attracted you to each other?

z'hana: over time, it was our friendship…. it certainly didn’t hurt that he’s a sight for sore eyes. thancred: i should say her tenacity.

11. When did you know you were in love?

z'hana: probably at some point during our time on the first…. it just sort of happened for me. he went from a friend i used to share a bed with to someone i didn’t want to be without. thancred: my time on the first without her there made me realize i’d been a bit of an idiot. once we were reunited, i made a promise to myself that i’d never leave her again if i could help it… though we all know how that turned out in the final days.

13. What's the most noticeable physical attribute of your s/o to you?

z'hana: his back or his smile, i can’t decide. thancred: will i earn another glare if i say her thighs?

14. Spicy: Favorite sexual position?

z'hana: oh gosh, haha. i don’t know, missionary is nice, i suppose? (lies.) thancred: *eyeroll and a grin* she prefers modified doggy or prone bone, but i quite enjoy when she’s on top.

15. Who’s clingier?

z'hana: i am, hands down. thancred: z’hana.

16. What do you two find to be the most attractive about one another?

z'hana: his loyalty, pragmatism, dedication…. he’s steady, whereas i can be a bit high strung and fickle. thancred: i’m going to sound like i’ve gone soft when i say this, but it’s her kindness and strength.

18. PDA? Yes or No?

z'hana: i prefer it, yes. but subtle things, hand holding, maybe a hand on my back or an arm around my shoulder. thancred: early on, we never did. once the rest of our friends (tataru) found us out, we started to be more open about it.

19. How often do you say I love you?

z'hana: frequently. all the time. thancred: i say it when the moment is right.

21. Out of the two of you, who would be the one to kill / get rid of the spider?

z'hana: he is. i hate them. thancred: i am.

22. Spicy What is your secret to getting the other in the mood?

z'hana: oh, you know. *nervous laughter* now that we’re not preventing a world ending calamity, he’s not difficult to get going. perhaps a certain look or turn of phrase. thancred: a kiss or a gentle touch. i’m sure you can figure it out from there.

23. Would you rather never kiss again or go a year without sex?

z'hana: a year without sex. it would be a challenge, but manageable so long as i can kiss him whenever i like. thancred: my drive for intimacy is quite high…. i’ll make the smart decision and defer to her.

24. Would you consider yourself lucky to have found each other ?

z'hana: yes. how could i not? thancred: unbelievably so. in truth, without her, i’d have succumbed to my desire for liquor… though we don’t speak of those days much anymore.

25. What is something your s/o does that cheers you up instantly?

z'hana: he’s quite charming, i’ll give him that; he never fails to make me smile in that regard. thancred: she’s very silly from time to time. her playfulness always brightens my day.