#one of my favorite plants in the garden look how pretty and bright she is

[boringgg-bunnyyy]

[dark-space-between-the-stars]

You wear their hat for the first time (ASL trio)

Summary: You pick up their hat and wear it, they spot you. (Amazing summary, I know)

Pairings: Luffy x reader, Ace x reader & Sabo x reader

Warnings: none, just some wholesome content, enjoy. No pronouns used, G/N reader. I'm sure there are Grammatical errors, English is not my first language.

Author's note: these were supposed to be headcannons and I ended up making these elaborate stories (turns out I don't know how to do headcannons). I had to do Luffy's and Ace's version TWICE because I closed my app without saving. I might make a NSFW version someday.

Lyffy

Luffy had always been as bright and cheerful as the sun in your eyes ever since you were kids and you joined ASL's little gang. After you had parted ways promising to meet again in the Grand Line you went on your own adventures.

As fate would have it you encountered Luffy first, you shared an adventure and he was so happy to have you back into his life that he invited you to join his crew. Enjoying being around Luffy as much as he did, you agreed becoming an official strawhat pirate.

Some time had passed since you joined the crew and the more time you spent around Luffy the more you realized you liked him as more than a close friend. You wanted to be closer to him.

You decided to walk around the Sunny in an attempt to organize your thoughts about your childhood friend. You weren't expecting to stumble unto Luffy.

Usually in his favorite seat by the figurehead, this time he was on the grass deck taking a morning nap. His hat laying on top of his face.

Ever since you met Luffy way back in Dawn Island he has had his strawhat. It's his treasure given to him by Shanks. He is rarely without it, very rarely do other members of the crew have it, mainly as moral support from the captain in tough times.

You've never worn it before, but now, looking at it from above you wondered how Luffy felt when he was wearing it. Without realizing you had crouched down next to Luffy and were staring hard at his hat.

Your thought process led you to carefully lift it from his sleeping face and place it on your head. Once you realized how close to his face you were, your face heated and you retreated quickly, making sure not to disturb his nap further.

You continued your stroll walking away at a brisk pace, without avoiding thinking it would have felt better if Luffy had placed it himself. After some mindless strolling you ended up in the garden where you put your restless energy to good use by tending to the plants.

Luffy woke up when the sun that had been hiding behind some clouds came out and hit his face warming it. He squinted at the sun standing up groggily and reaching behind his back to grab his hat and place it on his head. Except the hat wasn't there.

"Mmmm?" Coming out from his sleepy state he looked around the grass where he lay, no sign of the hat. He noticed Robin sitting at a nearby table reading so he stood and walked towards her. "Hey Robin, have you seen my hat? I'm pretty sure I had it before I took a nap"

Robin looked up, she had seen the whole scene, laughing lightly she replied "Don't worry captain, it's in safe hands".

That made him frown, so one of the crew had it. He wasn't mad someone had taken it, as long as they had let him know. So know he was going to go look for the thief and get his hat back.

"They should still be above deck so you'll have no trouble finding them I believe" remarked Robin. His attitude did a 180, now it was like a game of hide n' seek and with Luffy's love for games he couldn't help but get excited.

He wasted no time, throwing his hands towards the crow's nest and rocketing himself towards the highest point of the boat. Once there he scouted the perimeter of the boat looking for his hat.

He quickly spotted it in the garden but due to the angle he couldn't see the body underneath. "He he I found you!" With his zero impulse control he stretched his arms towards the figure and once he was locked in he let himself fly again.

You having no time to react could only try to plant your feet firmly on deck. It wasn't enough, you both tumbled to the floor a tangle of bodies and hat. "Gotcha!" Exclaimed Luffy while laughing.

He had ended on top of you, straddling your legs with his. He was still laughing "Hey why did you take my h-" the word caught in his tongue.

His brain had short-circuited as he had finally looked at you. Really looked. Arms flexed at your elbows, you were looking up at him. The hat managed to stay on just as you had place it. You had it pushed up so the edges circled your face.

To Luffy it looked like a halo, it framed your face just right. Maybe it was the hat giving you a bit of Luffy's sunshine or just you but to him you looked radiant. He wanted to say all those things and more but he was bewitched.

"Sorry I didn't tell you it just sorta happened" you offered. Your speaking broke the spell he was under enough that be managed to say "You look good wearing my hat", smooth.

You still felt heat rising to your cheeks. You averted your gaze which had been locked on his face from the intense eye contact he had. Which served to bring attention to how you were laying, him on top of you. Your cheeks were burning.

"Um, Luffy you mind?" You asked, your voice and octave higher than usual. "No not at all" you were talking about his sitting he thought you meant wearing his hat.

"Could you please move?" You tried again. "Mmm? Oh yeah yeah of course shi shi shi" He chuckles as he rose. He was still mesmerized by how amazing you looked, cursing himself mentally for not placing it on your head sooner.

He offered his hand and you took it gratefully. He raised you with force, whoch made you end up flush against his chest. This was your punishment (reward) for stealing the hat, no personal space to process your raging heartbeat.

You quickly lowered your gaze towards his chest but he grabbed your chin forcing you to meet his eyes. "Don't look away, look at me y/n" He spoke in a serious tone which made your toes curl.

It turns out Luffy had been dealing with some confusing feelings of his own. Whenever you would enter a room he was in he would light up. He always searched for you first when the crew regrouped always looked at you after he told a joke to see you laugh his chest swelling with pride when you did. He enjoyed your laugh way too much. Finding you in the Grand Line had been a gift to Luffy, especially because you were not his crewmate and he got to go on adventures everyday with you.

So in that moment he moved his hand from your chin to the back of your head and kissed you deeply. It was a messy kiss, you were so shocked you couldn't react properly the first moments.

But then you understood what was happening and you melted completely into the kiss. Opening your palms from where they were against his chest. The kiss went on until you pulled away for air, if you hadn't Luffy would've probably kept going.

He smiled sheepishly at you "you really look good in my hat".

From then on Luffy would randomly place his hat on your head. Followed by a kissing session because he couldn't quite help himself when you wore it. Obviously, he kissed you often whether or not you were wearing his treasured strawhat.

Ace

You know how it's typical for Ace to pass out mid-meal? Well that also happened to be the best time to play pranks on him. You've played some minors pranks on him ever since you were children and he started exhibiting this behavior. They were always minor things, nothing too serious or mean.

Today you were having a nice chat during meal time on board the Moby Dick. Ever since you reunited on the Grand Line you had spent your time together. You were even invited to join Shirohige's crew which you gladly accepted.

Now, as per most times, Ace was mid sentence when he just PLOCK his face hit his plate and he started snoozing. You chuckled lightly looking at him endearingly. You continued with your meal, musing over how you would play with Ace this time when your eyes landed on his hat.

You hummed pensatively. Now that you thought about it, you had never worn his hat, prank or otherwise. You lifted it from his head and placed it in yours. You finished your meal, and he still wasn't up which wasn't uncommon. You even left to subdue some enemy pirates who were stupid enough to start a fight with the Whitebeard pirates right by the boat.

Finally tired of inhaling rice grains from his plate Fire Fist Ace woke up. He was a little groggy but was ready to continue his conversation with you when he noticed you weren't by his side. He finished his meal and stood up walking towards the already dying commotion.

He was about to reach the railing when you got on board with a few crewmembers that had gone with you. Ace froze in his tracks, he reached for the top of his head now noticing he didn't have his hat. Instead, it lay on top of your head.

He placed his fingers in his chin admiring the view in front of him, smiling appreciatively. You lookex a little ruffled but otherwise he couldn't see any injuries which eased his mind. He started making his way over to you. Meanwhile, you were oblivious that he had spotted you laughing with your crewmates.

When he reached you, Ace grabbed you by the waist with one hand pulling you towards him. Your back flush against his chest. "Hello there sexy" he greeted. You turned your head meeting his eyes "Hey there handsome" you purred back flipping his hat in greeting in the signature way he usually does. This casual flirting between you had been going on for some time now.

What had surprised you most after your reunion was how different he acted. He was now cocky, flirty, had become a powerful commander in Shirohige's crew AND had learned some proper manners mostly. You didn't mind this change at all. In fact, you found yourself attracted to Ace like you never had before.

The more you flirted jokingly, the more you enjoyed it. Even going as far as becoming upset over the fact that he could do it with other people. He never did though, for some reason (he's a bit slow) he only enjoyed teasing you. Loved seeing the way you would react to his attitude and what sore of witty comeback you would throw back at him.

"Where did you get this nice hat?" He said tapping it with his free hand. "Oh you know, I picked it up from an unconscious person, the usual" you snickered.

"Oh is that so?" He raised his eyebrow. "I do recall having it on my head as I was dining". He remarked. "Oh yes, I do believe it was your head it was on top of" you made a pensive gesture as if trying to remember who you took it from.

He chuckles. "Well, I'll just say hat lending doesn't come cheap these days, especially if I didn't consent to lending it in the first place" both of his hands were on your waist fingers laced at your front. "Oh my, how much are we talking about?" You leaned into him resting your head against him.

He grinned at you, "I'll take a kiss as payment". Now, you had been presented a choice. You turned around to face him, leaned closed and kissed him, on the mouth.

Ace's reaction was priceless, his eyes went big like plates. Sure, the possibility had always been there, but he thought he'd get a kiss on the cheek at most. You smiled against the kiss and he didn't waste a minute kissing back.

You kissed until the surrounding crewmates found somewhere else to be, someone even shouting "get a room!" You withdrew from the kiss. "The hat looks good on you" He finally said.

"Why thank you, though the payment for borrowing it seems a bit high I don't get that much allowance" you replied grinning wide. "High? It's just one per lending. That seems like a fair price" He frowned.

"Plus, you can pay in advance" He winked. "Oh in that case I might get a week's worth a day" that made Ace blush. You smiled feeling satisfied at his reaction, it was not always he demonstrated when he was flustered so it was a nice change of pace. "That would be no problem at all" He managed to reply.

Sabo

The fact that Sabo's signature hat had remained attached to his head even when his memory hadn't was how you had reunited with him (though to be fair you also heard Koala calling his name, you just put 2 + 2 together and approached him).

After witnessing one too many injustices you had seeked out the Revolutionary Army intending to join, though you hadn't expected to meet them so soon and Sabo among them.

Afraid to hope, you approached him and confirmed his identity. Crying you launched yourself into his arms and caught up to date with him. He then welcomed you under his wing as a member of the Revolutionary Army.

Now Sabo being Sabo he always had a hundred thoughts racing through his mind. It was common practice for him to forget stuff and then race back for them like his notes, pipe and of course, his hat.

There was a Super Important Meeting scheduled for the important members of the army on a different island than the base. You were heading out to the meeting when you spotted Sabo's hat in his study.

You couldn't help but smile and shake your head. Sabo was already at the rendezvous point, no hat, most likely upset. Fine, you could do him a small favor.

~~~~~~~~~

You reached the meeting place and smiled to yourself. Sabo was there alright, head resting on his palm a frown on his handsome features looking towards the wall. You made your way to the table, purposely choosing a seat right across him.

Everyone who saw you smiled greeted you with gestures instead of words so as not to alert the clueless boy of your arrival. Finally, the meeting started and Sabo was forced to look forward immediately spotting his hat then you, wearing it.

He stood up straight in his chair, mouth opening and closing like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Indeed he couldn't find the words, but also, important meeting and all.

You met his eyes and lowered his hat in greeting a small smile resting in your lips. You then proceeded to pretend Sabo didn't exist for the rest of the meeting which was hard considering all he did was stare at you.

You looked towards all members as they spoke, not once meeting Sabo's eyes or acknowledging him. Just a little prank, a prank that was driving Sabo crazy.

Sure he was staring, but he couldn't help it. You were dazzling his entire existence right this moment. The hat suited you perfectly. It complimented your outfit which made him wonder if you had changed to wear the hat better even though it had been a coincidence.

Finally, the meeting was over and you rose to leave hoping to keep the prank going a little longer. Sabo practically jumped out of his seat dodging other meeting attendants trying to speak with him.

He caught up with you, grabbing your hand to spin you towards him making you face him. "Y/n", he said smiling, "Don't you have something of mine?"

"Mmm? I'm not sure what you mean?" You feigned ignorance trying your hardest not to smile too wide. Sabo just laughed pushing his hat down so it obscured your sight. "I'm sure you do"

You took it off chuckling and Sabo bowed prince style so you could return the hat to its rightful place. He straightened still smiling "not to be biased about my own hat, but you look fantastic wearing it"

Ignoring the butterflies riding rollercoasters in your stomach you gathered your courage and asked "so, where's my reward?" That threw Sabo off a little "reward?" He asked.

"Yeah for bringing you your precious hat" you crossed your arms, waiting. You had a crush on Sabo and loved when he dotted on you, complimented you or took the time to help you or hang out with you. Anything he would give you, you would cherish it.

Sabo thought for a moment, rubbing his fingers on his chin and closing his eyes. After a couple mmmm's he opened his eyes "I got it!" He exclaimed a light pink tint in his cheeks.

Without giving you time to react or act he grabbed you by the waist with one hand, he leaned in, pushing your body back and kissed you on the lips passionately.

You were tense as a spring one second, the next you were leaning into the kiss wrapping your hands around his neck. You both allowed the kiss to go on until you had to break apart to breathe.

Still in a leaning position Sabo asked "was it enough of a reward for you?" He was grinning. All you managed was a "mmmhm", you both went in for another kiss.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 52 – DAILY THEMES

CRACKFIC

Just the Tip by tonystarkssnipples

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 2,221 Tags: Pizza Delivery, Sex for Favors, Pre-Serum Steve

Summary: In which Tony is a pizza deliveryman and Steve does not have enough money for a tip.

Reasons why I love it: I have no idea how tonystarksnipples managed to take one of the most cheesy porn cliches ever and make it actually super hot, but I'm so happy that this exists. Steve being a ballsy motherfucker and Tony being all over that is everything I want in life, and this fic absolutely delivers, no pun intended. Check it out for yourself, it's great!

youtube.com/ALLCAP by vulcan_slash_robot

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 4,701 Tags: Accidentally Famous, Secret Identity, YouTube

Summary: The thing is, Steve is pretty good with computers, really. And yet this whole mess happens because he fails to use one correctly in a small but critical way.

Reasons why I love it: I'm a die-hard youtube girlie, so this fic was like a three-course meal for me - I gobbled it up and left no crumbs. I never knew that I needed Steve Rogers to have a HowToBasic-esque YouTube channel where he inadvertently trolls his viewers, but it's the best thing ever. I adore this fic, and you should definitely read it!

Ticket to the Bone Zone by peppypear

Pairing: Steve/Tony, Steve/Red Skull Rating: T Words: 7,924 Tags: Mind Control, Skeleton Puns, Crossdressing

Summary: Swallowing back bitter jealousy, Tony strode over to congratulate the woman who had won the battle for Steve’s heart. None of this was her fault, after all, it was Tony’s fault for messing his own chances up. Chestnut locks swished as she turned, and Tony couldn’t help taking a sudden step back, because the face staring back at him was all too familiar: angular, hollow-eyed, and a startling shade of crimson. “Steve. Steve, that’s Red Skull in a dress.” Steve looked appalled. “Don’t be rude, Tony. This is Deborah.” Red Skull’s lipless mouth pulled up in a smirk. “Guten tag, Herr Stark.”

Reasons why I love it: I already knew that pear is the master of crackfic, but this one really takes the cake. It's hilarious from start to finish, mildly gross at times and honestly a stroke of genius in concept. I loved every second of it, and I bet you will too, so I really hope you check it out for yourself.

brief even as bright by picturecat

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 1,285 Tags: Garden AU, Enemies to Lovers, Flowers

Summary: Tony is the best and brightest red rose bush in the garden. He does not need some upstart sprout creeping on him.

Reasons why I love it: I never thought I'd get this emotional about a plant AU of all things, but the feels hit me out of nowhere. I love everything about this - the angst, the symbolism, the hopeful ending, it's all perfect. Definitely check this one out, I bet you'll love it just as much as I do!

There's Something Aboot Steve by epicycles

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 2,314 Tags: Team as Family, Canadian Steve, Humor

Summary: "You know, it makes a lot of sense," Tony mused aloud, once all the shouting was over. "You're so polite, you like maple syrup, you wear a lot of plaid."

Reasons why I love it: This is one of the funniest things I've read recently, it's just one perfect line after the other, like a Hamilton song. I absolutely love the team feels and the Stony romance going on in the background, it's just perfect. Definitely check this one out if you haven't, because this one's going straight into my favorites.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

Hey! I got a matchup a while back, and lately I have been craving another one😭 so if it's alright could I get romantic matchups for tears of themis, genshin, and atla? If not that's fine ofc💕

I use She/her pronouns but I've never really cared very much, I'm Bi but I'd like Male matchups for this one if that's alright (I love women but idk none of the women in these fandoms are like my type??? Idk)

Not sure if you use looks to pick, but I'm 5'7, longish brown hair and brown eyes, kinda chubby I'd say, and I wear glasses!

Ok so for the good stuff, I'm an enfp and a virgo and I have gad and adhd so I am very all over the place lol, I'm usually very energetic and loud (got called a human pep rally once) but every once in a while I take a hard turn the other way and do absolutely nothing lol.

Taking thing seriously is kinda hard for me, idk why but I'm very much the deflect and cope using comedy kind of person.

Personal life wise I'm the oldest of four (love my siblings) so loud is kinda the default in my life so I'm pretty comfortable in loud environments, but if I get a chance at peace and quiet I am JUMPING for it.

I have a few plants, I bake quite a bit (I make BOMB brownies), I'm very much a nerd lol, I love comics (fandom request gave that away tho), I play dnd, I love video games (rdr2, mk11 and mass effect are the current ones), I watch cartoons and build legos, and I'm learning how to draw.

I'm big into flowers and flower language, and I play guitar, alto saxophone, steal drum, and I have a violin I'm gonna start working on soon.

This turned out alot longer then I thought so the speedrun of the rest is although I dont often, I really like putting work into how I look (I just got a treble cleft claw clip with some dangly thingys and I like it I just wanted to mention that), no clue how to to makeup tho, I'm planning on going into communications, and uhh my favorite colors are pink and blue.

Thank you so much if you get to this

Hi Abby! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took a while. I hope you like your matchups!

In Tears of Themis, I match you with...

If there’s one thing that drew Luke to you, it’s the fact that you enjoy peace and quiet. He loves being in your presence when it’s quiet around. He just finds it soothing.

Definitely understands you using humour to cope. He does the same so he knows when it turns from just making jokes to coping and will check in when needed.

Please invite him to do gardening together some time. He likes being able to do something where he’s creating and nurturing life. It’s a good change from what he usually does.

Flower language is a big part of your relationship. I see Luke as someone who’s well versed in flower language so every bouquet he gives you has a hidden meaning behind it.

He also enjoys drawing so it’s not uncommon for you to find a sticky note beside your bed with a little drawing on it when he has to leave early in the morning. If you return the gesture, he’ll keep all your drawings in a safe place so he can look back over them.

In Genshin Impact, I match you with...

You and Itto are both the definition of human pep rallies so when your powers combine, no one can stand in your way. You can both be a lot sometimes but you get along well.

He also struggles to take things seriously so he’s a lot more understanding in that regard than others are sometimes. You just get each other.

In a modern au, Itto would be a huge fan of cartoons. He’s a firm believer than cartoons aren’t just for kids and still loves watching all those “childhood” shows.

In the same vein, he also loves Lego. I can’t see him being a big fan of tricky sets but he enjoys all of the bright colours. He’d love to make a set or two with you sometime.

I can see Itto being a fan of D&D as well. I think it might take him a bit to get his head around the different types of rolls and doing so much maths but he loves the roleplay elements and thinks it’s great fun. (I actually wrote this while playing a D&D session!)

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, I match you with...

You’ve got to be a certain level of energetic to keep up with Sokka’s plans. And you certainly meet that criteria. Sokka loves being around someone who can match his energy.

In a modern au, he’s definitely a fan of comics. He’s the type of person who buys two of every comic, one to read and one to keep in pristine condition.

For all his self-awareness, Sokka does have a tendency to deflect so he can easily recognise when you’re doing the same. He hopes you know you can rely on him if things get too much.

When he does run out of energy, there’s nothing that Sokka loves more than relaxing while listening to you play music. He finds it soothing both because of the music and because of your presence.

Please do lots of baking for him! Sokka will never admit it but he does have a soft spot for snacks, especially if you’ve made them.

[iamthecomet]

Musy May Day 10

Staring in Adoration

Rating: Everyone Pairing: Sunshine/Mountain Featuring: Mountain being down really bad for Sunshine. Word Count: 650+ Read it under the cut, or on AO3.

Mountain isn’t paying attention to what his hands are doing. Moving on autopilot. Deadheading flowers and leaves with practiced fingers. He has a handful of wilted sweet peas, soft and crumbled in his palm. Crushed into a mix of purple, and pink, and blue against his callouses.

He tries to focus. To draw his eyes back to the task at hand, but always finds his attention shifting, back to Sunshine.

They’ve been close like this since she got summoned and took an interest in his plants. Bounding behind him to the green house with all the excitement of a puppy. She had held her hands behind her back and listened to everything Mountain said to her. Never touching unless he told her too. Patient. Polite. Seemingly, only for him, and only here.

Now, after so much time, she does her own work. Bent over one of the work benches, pulling dried herbs from stems and sorting them into clay jars carefully labeled with her tight handwriting. Her fingers are deft, quick. She hums as she works sometimes, the greenhouse filling with her warm soprano.

Her curls are held back from her face with two small gold barrettes pinned just above her ears. She sweeps a pile of lavender off of the table and into its jar. Then sets it up on the shelf in its rightful place between fennel and lemon balm.

She starts on another bundle of herbs, sage this time if the smell is any indication. Mountain’s stopped moving now, stopped working. He’s paused in the process of watching the way she moves as she plucks the leaves from the sprigs. The way they crumble in her fingers, her hands speckled with green as she works.

He’s struck, not for the first time, with the desire to come up behind her. To curl his hands around her waist, rest them on her stomach. To press his chin to the top of her head and watch.

This system has always worked. Silent camaraderie. Spending hours working together with few words. But Mountain can’t seem to pull his eyes away from her today. Can’t focus on working. Can’t do anything but think about how pretty she is. Standing in a perfect slant of sunlight. Illuminated by her own element. Sun warm and herbal.

She turns to look at him—maybe just to check on his progress, but finds him staring. Crumbled sweet pea blooms falling from his palm and into the dirt. Her brow furrows. Mountain shakes himself out of it—tries to.

“Do I have dirt on my face or something?” she asks.

She does have dirt smeared across one of her freckled cheeks. Mountain closes the distance without words, and licks his thumb, swiping it away. Cradling her face in his hand as he does. Feeling the warmth of her. She smells like peaches and basil.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” she grins at him. Wiping her sage dotted hands off on her gardening apron, then raising them to his face. Stroking over his cheekbones, tucking errant hairs behind his ears. Pressing her thumbs into his blooming blush.

“I think I’m done for the day,” he says quietly. Dragging his thumb over her bottom lip.

“Shame,” Sunshine says, sighing as she leans back against the work bench. “Watching you work is my favorite pastime.”

“Can’t take my eyes off of you long enough to do it.”

She laughs, high and bright, and full. Musical by default.  “Let me finish the sage,” she says, standing on her toes to kiss him softly. She tastes like summer. “Then we can be done.”

Mountain steps away from her, fingers lingering on her cheek as he does. “Ok,” he agrees. “Can I watch?”

She huffs out a small laugh as she turns her back to him, putting her attention back on the task at hand. “If you really want to.”  

“I do.” He curls his arms around her waist and settles his chin against the pillow of her hair. He presses his fingers into her stomach and watches.  

[lichfucker]

BRAIN DAMAGE IN D MINOR?

lmaoooooo "brain damage in d minor" is a placeholder title and I live in fear every day that it's going to stick. the only other thing I call it in my own notes is "music and lyrics au" so unless something better appears I'm afraid brain damage in d minor will end up the actual title

a million years ago the sunder server watched music and lyrics (2007) for movie night, which is my favorite rom-com of all time, and I. could not stop thinking about how well the conceit works as a silverflint au. because I am the one with brain damage (in d minor)

it's likely the only bs modern au I'll ever write bc in general I find the canon time period far more compelling, but I digress. flint is a washed-up has-been-- he was in a boyband with thomas and peter ashe in the early '00s but it's been twenty years and his career is dead. suddenly he gets a call from gates, his manager, saying, "charles vane just left his band to get out of a contract with guthrie records and he wants to kick off his new solo venture by singing a duet with you, so you need to write a new song. okay bye"

the problem is that flint is a terrible lyricist. sure he could come up with a pretty metaphor, but he can't write things that are Relatable, and pop music is all about being Vague and Relatable. help, of course, comes from the least likely of places: john silver, a guy flint hires to water his plants, just so happens to be an excellent songwriter.

yes, this is extremely contrived. yes, it is following the plot of the movie to a tee (except, y'know, set in 2023 instead of in 2007).

a meet-cute for your perusal:

The buzzer rings, piercing through the rhythmic discordant chime of Flint repeatedly bashing his head onto the keys of the piano. Great. That’ll be Idelle in to water the plants, and he can either stay in the living room composing Brain Damage in D Minor while she does, or he can spare himself the humiliation and retreat into the privacy of his bedroom. Perhaps he’ll run a bath and drown himself in the lavish tub.

A sigh hauls itself out of Flint’s chest with all the effort of the tow truck that time in ’04 when the tour bus got impounded, and it takes similar heft for him to stand up from the piano bench and answer the door.

Flint registers long black hair before anything else, and his skull is so thick with cement that he nearly turns heel and stalks off to his room without so much as a grunt in hello—but he stops.

“You’re not Idelle,” Flint says.

A very astute observation: the person in the doorway has bluer eyes, tanner skin, and a significantly fuller beard.

The man’s gleaming smile falters. “No,” he says. “Sorry, did she not text you? I’m taking over for a few weeks while she’s away. Can I come in, or are all your plants out in the hall?”

Flint blinks. Considering the man looks like he hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in his entire life, Flint hadn’t expected his voice to be so… smooth. Nor so English, not in Manhattan. Before Flint lets this stranger into his (admittedly, very thieve-able) apartment, though, he looks through his phone and—oh. Idelle had texted. Three times over the last two weeks. He’d even given her a thumbs-up emoji. Well, all right, then. He steps aside to let the man through.

“Thanks,” the man says, his bright smile back and full of teeth. “I’m John, by the way. John Silver.”

“James McGraw.”

Silver drops his messenger bag on the coffee table beside the chaise, looking around with cataloguing eyes at the veritable garden lined up along the floor-to-ceiling windows, the crystalline chandelier hanging over the dining table, the glossy baby grand on the shag carpet, the unmasked luxury in which Flint lives. “Watering can?” he asks.

“Under the sink,” Flint says, pointing him toward the kitchen. He waits a few beats and then follows, trying to keep a wary eye on Silver while appearing casual rather than paranoid. He leans coolly against the kitchen island just as Silver finishes filling the watering can. “So, Joe—”

“John,” he says, not unkindly. “Most of my friends just call me Silver, but I’d rather you call me John. No offense. Less personal, you know?”

“Using your given name is less personal than your surname?”

He gives Flint a pointed look. “I can be one of eight hundred Johns you’ve ever met, or I can be one of half a dozen Silvers, if even that many. Maybe we’ll be friends someday and you can call me whatever you like, but for now I’ll take John, thanks.”

Flint just barely suppresses a grin. “Fair enough,” he says. “Where are you from?”

Silver—John hesitates, and then he says, “London. And you?”

“Cornwall.”

“Really? You don’t sound it.”

“I trained myself out of it, a long time ago.” Flint watches John tend to the orchid on the counter, careful not to over-water it; he’s gentle and methodical with it, which isn’t what Flint had expected. He’s not sure what he expected, in truth. “So,” Flint says, “you’re a friend of Idelle’s? Where is she, anyway?”

The question earns him an indignant snort. “Idelle is in the Bahamas getting married, and I,” John says, crossing the living room to the ficus by the window, “got the great honor of not being fucking invited. She tried telling me it’s because they wanted to keep the guest list small, but I know that’s a damned lie. She invited Muldoon, of all fucking people. Logan I understand, because he and Charlotte are attached at the fucking hip, but Muldoon?” John scoffs. “No, it’s because Augie—her husband—never liked me, not that I have any idea why. Truth be told, I think Idelle herself only tolerates me because she’s close with my sister, and she knows not to say a bad word about me to Max if she intends to say any words for the rest of her life.”

He keeps talking as he progresses down the row of plants. “I told Max to bring me as her plus-one just to piss them all off, you know, but she’d already committed to taking her girlfriend, and, honestly, that’s comeuppance enough. I am far more fun at weddings than Anne is. Luckily for you, I’m also a far better plant-sitter, so—Fuck!”

John hisses in pain and turns around to face Flint, sucking on the pad of his thumb. “Fucking cactus,” he mumbles around the thumb in his mouth. The two of them stand there, twenty feet apart, for an odd moment, the air thick with… something. John narrows his startlingly blue eyes, scrutinizing Flint. Flint hasn’t a clue what he might be looking for. His lips work at his thumb all the while.

And then John’s thumb leaves his mouth with an obscene smack, the sound so loud in the dense silence that had befallen them, and he says, “You look really familiar. Are you famous or something?”

[s41nt-b3rn4rd]

Tumblr won't let me put a read more on the orginal ask but, HELLO? HI?? I THOUGHT I HAD ANON OFF????? Yes hi I have ocs. My current favorites are like- 5 out of... so many. They'll be under the "read more" because there's alot about them. I'm normal I prommy.

Also potato if you see this, hi. {remember to read the tags for sillies}

In order of who im (SADLY) Hyperfixated on, it goes;

* Sasha {Bulleteer Aaron} , in canon she's an ex-boxer that now works at a tattoo parlor and shares an apartment with a demon she summoned while on a wine binge. She's mixed with Russian+Irish+Icelandic+Mexican heritage but grew up mainly with her Irish and Mexican heritage. She's a disaster panace who can't be picky at this point- Sasha just wants someone who she can come home to at the end of the day, and talk to like a normal person. Does she count as a villain? I hope so. She killed a small family in nebraska once. In a story/rp, she used to be the ambassador for a kingdom but settled down as a butcher. She got burn scars from it for being a #girlboss and they stayed canon. * Sydney {Witherstone Appleton} , in canon their a demon that got summoned BY Sasha. She works at a diner, but mainly lives to annoy Sasha by giving her "water curses" and "sleepy spells" which is just him staring at Sasha until she takes care of herself. Notice how Sydney has multiple pronouns! Because in my lil' oc universe- demons don't have genders. Hell is seperate by everyones own depiction and in mine- it's just.. bland. normal. Sometimes the current ruler throws parties, that's fun. You can get a gender if you want, healthcare and stuff is free. ANYWAYS- Sydney is so normal it HURTS me. It just wants to fucking get groceries, pay bills and leave. BTW they commited tax fraud but shhhh we don't have to talk about that. BTW 2 THEY ALSO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH THEIR FAMILY- HER FAMILY * Matthew {NO MIDDLENAME NOR LASTNAME}. You know that funny meme of what happens if a centaur and a mermaid have a kid?? Yeah he's that. He's basically like, a generic guy- minus his bull ears and the horn's he's growing and his ability to speak underwater and breathe underwater. In canon he used to be like- a leutanint general but now he works at a light-house. He's a weed smoking girlfriend despite being a gnc acearo man with chronic leg pain. also lung pain. In the rp he was made for, he was surprisingly the least problematic. All he did was stress knit- I'm pretty sure he got the job BECAUSE he was just! some guy! He does have horrors though. And by "horrors" I mean he grew up (and out of) the orphanage so he has little to no knowledge about his parents, chooses to stay silent/nonverbal throughout his life so his sentence forming SUCKS- he lives is life in a cycle, can barely cook nor fold laundry. To cope though, he knits and likes to sneak into gardens and revive dead/dieing plants via necromancy. BTW he grew up in the same orphanage as Sasha and they have a blood pact. If one gets hurt, so does the other. * The Asker {that's it's name}. Me and my bestie for life have an ask game with eachother, where our ocs ask eachother questions, and that's my silly little guy for it!! Funnily enough, it was based on anon asks, but eventually evolved into it's own thing. It used to live in an empty black void- with bright computer lights illuminating it's small area of safety, and a single keyboard with oh so many letters and such. But RECENTLY, that fuck ESCAPED!!! JAIL BREAK!!!!! And is currently living in the basement of a motel because "oh my god is this the outside why is it bright why is it loud oh my god oh my god [THEIR] going to [DECOMMISSION ME]." #slay, y'know? Don't worry though, it'll get a job at like- walgreens or walmart and live in a normal ass neighborhood soon. * Sammy {Picture}. Once again, another oc made for an RP that I absolutely FELL IN LOVE WITH!! He's an object-head with one of those rotary phones for a head, but more pathetic looking and kinda like a bug, but it's okay. He's a preschool teacher and admires his job. He has a situationship thing with the person who he shares an apartment with- a soap rabbit humanoid named Bob, that is also a substitute history teacher. Anyways remember the bug thing? Yeah. Sammy used to be a catipillar centaur but someone fucking robbed its grave when he died. BTW Sammy was a catipillar in this sense

and therefor he's very colorful. he's a pathetic meow meow but he's also said the most ominous insults ever. He's my favorite bc I like to imagine him doing the most boring tasks like drinking water. He does his taxes btw. Their my only oc who willingly does its taxes.

[thebawdybaldurian]

Halsummer Day 1

Halsin enjoying Midsummer

It’s the start of Halsummer! A week of SFW prompts for our favorite Druid. I’ll be adding a NSFW version later tonight or tomorrow, but enjoyed keeping things a little tame. I even included a cameo of a character from a popular DnD show I’ve been wanting to write! This is a pretty Tav-focused story, but several of the other prompts will be more from Halsin’s perspective.

Background: Tav, Astarion, and Halsin are married and have two young twins. The trio has just purchased the home next door, now that they need more space than Tav’s small cottage can accommodate. They sold Astarion’s tailor shop to help pay for it, and he plans to reopen in the front of the house. Cazador’s former palace has been turned into a refuge for displaced tieflings.

Tav awoke from her trance hearing a loud, repetitive clunk that drove her out of bed. “What in the Hells is that?” She searched the cottage, finding it suspiciously empty. “Where is everyone?” She called aloud, expecting an answer. She heard giggling outside and grabbed a cloak to cover her thin chemise. The clunk was louder once she opened the front door and she skirted around the cottage to look for the source. She found Halsin in the wide alley between her cottage and the neighbor’s house, which they’d just bought to accommodate their growing household. The twins sat safely near the side of the house, playing with some toys as Halsin drove a pickaxe into the cobblestone. “What are you doing?” She yawned, shielding her eyes from the bright summer sunlight.

“Getting the new garden started,” he smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“We haven’t even gotten the permits to tear up the alley yet,” she grinned, giving the kids a good morning kiss on the head.

“If some city bureaucrat wishes to come haul me down to the jail, they can certainly try,” he set down his axe to receive his own good morning kiss.

“We already drove one neighbor away from all the…noise,” she blushed as he gripped her buttocks tightly. “Not everyone can be swayed by your rippling physique and we can’t afford to buy the whole neighborhood…Good morning, by the way,” she smiled as he released her from his tight grasp.

“Good morning, my heart.”

“Were you up when Astarion left?”

“I was. He wanted to get a head start on his last minute orders since he’s closing at High Sun.”

“And yet he still hasn’t finished our Midsummer outfits yet,” she smirked, stepping back as he began breaking up stones again.

“You know how fussy he is about getting them perfect.”

“I know too well…so I’m assuming you already have a whole plan in mind for this garden?”

“I have a cart full of rich soil coming from the grove, so once I get all these stones up and dig out enough of this city dirt, I can start planting in the fall before the ground freezes. There will be thick hedges on either side so no one can just walk through and we can have…private time out here. There will be aromatic and medicinal herbs in vertical gardens to save space. I’m hoping to create a dark, damp corner to start some mycology growth, but I don’t know how they will fair in the city. Plants and flowers everywhere else,” he replied, looking over all the work to do.

“Quite ambitious for a man pushing 400,” she grinned widely.

“You make me feel no older than 200,” he growled at her.

“Just make sure to save some energy for tonight’s festivities,” she winked and headed back into the house.

Tav was performing at her first large festival since having the twins and was a little nervous. She’d been preparing for her performance for weeks, but still felt out of practice. She bathed and put on some loose clothing to do some intense stretching, practicing some of her tumbling as well now that they had more space. She brought out some iced honey tea for Halsin as he continued his work in the sun and took the kids in for a nap. She’d just begun precisely tuning her lyre when Astarion arrived home.

He was already dressed for the holiday, wearing a very short, leg-less garment adorned in flowers. It was bare in the back, showing off his now flawless, pale skin. He’d been dressing more freely since being transformed by Syma’s Wish spell. “That’s it then…last day in my old shop,” he went to the icebox to grab his own glass of honey tea.

“You certainly dressed for the occasion,” she teased, his backside peeking out as he bent into the fridge. “You really wore that all day? Bending over in it?”

“Of course,” he grinned, doing a little twirl. “I wasn’t doing any measurements and I sold ten copies of these before even getting to my shop. Once we get the new one open here, I might have to hire an assistant.”

“From dictating laws to dictating fashion trends…quite the turn for a forty-year old,” she beamed, giving him a long kiss.

“I had a lot of help,” he nuzzled against her. “I’ve never been happier.”

They kissed passionately, leaning against the kitchen table until they were interrupted by a stranger knocking on the window. “Take it outside, ha ha!” He laughed drunkenly, clearly already getting a head start on the festivities. He ambled away after taking a swig from a flask.

“So if the shop is officially closed, does that mean you’ve finally finished my costume for tonight? I’d like to make sure I don’t need to change up my set in any way,” she asked, closing the curtains.

“Oh, it’s been done for days. I just like making you wait,” he lied, having finished up the last finnicky bit before he’d gone to the shop.

They left the cottage and found Halsin stowing his tools for the day, needing to drop the kids at the Emerald Enclave, so Zevlor could watch them for the night. “We don’t have permits yet,” Astarion also teased, looking over the torn-up alley. “Though if any city inspectors see you looking like this…they might give us a break,” He gave Halsin a kiss.

Halsin let out a laugh and wiped his brow again. His tanned skin glistened with sweat, small spots of dirt smeared across his bare torso. He’d pulled his long hair until a messy knot, looking the very picture of a romance novel hero. “If it were me, I’d let him plant gardens across the entire city,” Tav stood on her toes to steal a kiss from him. “And whatever he wanted to put in me.”

“Save it for tonight, my heart,” Halsin growled playfully, gripping her tightly against him. “They are letting the maidens loose in the park to be hunted…what will they be doing with the overly amorous wives?”

“I’m sure we can think of something creative,” she purred back at him. “Speaking of…you’ve distracted me from trying on my costume. I am sure Astarion will have a few more adjustments to make.”

“Can you get the little ones up and fed lunch while I bathe? I want to get them over to the Enclave before the frivolities start spilling out into the streets.”

“Of course, my love,” she gave him one last peck on the cheek.

She followed Astarion to the front side of the house, which was still in the process of being converted into his new shop front. Piles of ready to wear garments sat stacked on tables, with various bits from the old shop scattered around. “I’ll take care of the kids,” he offered as they walked inside. “Why don’t you go try on what I left on the dress form?”

“Alright,” she nodded, heading to the small room that would serve as his sewing area.

Astarion went to the children’s bedroom, finding Ava already awake and sitting on the floor drawing. “You’re already up?” He knelt down to kiss his daughter’s head. “Did you get enough sun this morning?”

“Ya…want to dwaw so I woke up,” she replied, staring at the paper with the same intense focus as Tav did.

“You get your energy from the sun, darling, but you still need to sleep,” he mussed her long curls. “Stubborn just like your mother,” he laughed quietly.

They were so very similar that he sometimes forgot that his daughter was a dhamphir, conceived before he had been cured of his vampirism. They could only suspect her unusual thirst for sunlight instead of blood was due to the magically enchanted ring he’d worn before his cure. It had allowed him to walk in the sun through a blood bond with Tav and Halsin. He rubbed the small scar on the underside of his right ring finger, grateful that it might have saved his daughter from a life of bloodlust. “Why don’t you wake up your brother and I will take this to the table for you to finish while you eat lunch? I am sure Uncle Zevlor will have plenty for you to do at the Enclave,” he took the drawing from her to break her focus on it. She whined a little but got up, toddling over to her brother’s bed. She blew a loud raspberry into his peacefully sleeping face to wake him up. She still took after Astarion in some ways, he chuckled to himself as Shan woke up with an annoyed growl.

Astarion helped both kids into their chairs and gave them some cut up fruit to snack on while he prepared some cold sandwiches for them. He was still getting used to eating food again, so they had plenty of simple options in both houses for him. “Astarion!” Tav called from the other room as he set the kids’ plates down.

“Be good,” he looked at them before heading to his sewing room.

Tav stood facing the door with her arms crossed over her chest, both from annoyance and to cover the intense cleavage spilling out of her costume. It was made of embroidered lace, hugging her body with long trails of red, white, and pink roses. “You don’t like it?” He smirked, looking her over.

“It’s beautiful,” she uncrossed her arms. “But if I bend down, everyone is going to see my nipples slip out or what I had for dinner,” she laughed, flashing her backside at him.

“Then we should eat a fine meal tonight,” he teased, leaning down to plant a kiss on it.

“Astarion!” She protested.

“There are specific undergarments to wear under it…and a cover up for walking over to the park,” he grinned. “I just wanted to see it on you bare.”

He grabbed another box from under the table, containing the undergarments and a few other accessories as well. “Let me change then and make sure I can still move in all of this,” she looked everything over with a smile.

He returned back to the kitchen, Ava still too enraptured by her drawing to have eaten any of her sandwich. “Don’t make me take it away,” he put the plate over the drawing to interrupt her again.

“Da!” She cried, tears already beginning to fill her amethyst eyes.

“You aren’t giving your father trouble, are you?” Halsin walked in, freshly bathed and changed into new clothes.

“No,” she sulked, squishing a piece of the sandwich in her fist.

Astarion was a pushover when it came to the children, forcing Halsin and Tav to be the disciplinarians most of the time. “Thank you, my angel,” Halsin sat down next to her to help her finish eating the rest.

“Oooo pretty mommy,” Shan exclaimed with a last mouthful of food when Tav reappeared, fully changed and with her hair taken down.

The semi-sheer gossamer cover up was modest enough to wear in front of the children, the muted colors of her costume visible through the fabric. Her hair was curled and voluminous, a delicate crown of silk flowers threaded into some of the strands. She’d thrown on a bit of shimmery makeup to give her an ethereal, goddess-like aura. “Pretty indeed,” Halsin and Astarion both stared at her.

“I won’t be able to do as many flips as I planned, but Astarion has done it again,” she did a little twirl.

“Why don’t you two grab your favorite toy and I will take you to see Uncle Zevlor?” Halsin kept his gaze on Tav while helping the kids out of their chairs.

He embraced her at once after Astarion had guided the children into their room for a moment. “You are testing all of my self control,” he growled in her ear as he kissed and nuzzled her neck.

“Astarion will have your head if you rip off this one,” she giggled. “Just wait until you see me on stage.”

“The evening cannot come soon enough,” he added as Astarion returned with the kids, a wide smirk plastered on his face.

Halsin put the kids into their walking carriage so he didn’t have to carry them all the way to the Upper City. Shan had chosen to bring his owlbear plush and Ava had Clive Jr. He headed out with them into the early afternoon sun, eager to get back home to his beautiful wife. Several other couples had already dropped their children off at the Emerald Enclave, looking forward to the evening’s decadent mirth-making. “They are growing quickly,” Zevlor greeted them in his wing of the former Crimson Palace. Many of the tiefling orphans had gone to live in Reithwin at Halsin’s commune, but a few had remained in the city and Zevlor oversaw their care.

“Especially this one,” Halsin picked up Shan out of his carriage, Ava having fallen back asleep on the way.

“He will no longer be a little tree very soon,” Zevlor took him, surprised at the toddler’s weight. “He takes after his father.”

“I believe he is already taller than I was at his age,” Halsin covered Ava with a blanket so she could rest more. “Thank you again for watching them.”

“Of course,” Zevlor nodded, setting Shan down with a groan. “I am too old to enjoy most of the revelry.”

“We’ll likely be gone late into the night…but if they can’t sleep, you can always drop them home.”

“I am sure we will have a grand time,” Zevlor began pulling out toys for them to play with.

Halsin returned home after kissing the twins goodbye, already seeing festival-goers heading towards the park in scandalous attire. He could only imagine what Astarion had made for him to wear. Tav was doing some practice on her lyre when Halsin returned, a little extra blush in her cheeks. “She’s still nervous for tonight?” Halsin asked Astarion, whose cheeks were also blushed slightly.

“She is…I did what I could to…take her mind off things, but perhaps she needs a little more…reassurance,” Astarion grinned. “Then you can change and we can head to dinner.”

Halsin was quick with his reassurance, giving her voice a little extra warmup. He changed into the outfit Astarion had sewn, something similar to the one he wore, though a bit less revealing. The trio walked together towards the Helm and Cloak where they would be having dinner. They were stopped several times to inquire about their outfits, Astarion presenting them with business cards. They’d had to scratch out the old address, but Tav had already designed and sent new ones to the printers for him. They ate a sumptuous dinner and enjoyed a bit of dessert tasting off one another’s bodies, as the revelry got into full swing.

They headed towards the park after, where the festival was bustling and crowded. Alcohol flowed freely and was passed between mouths as vintners and brewers provided free samples of their fermentations. Tav accepted a few wine-laced kisses from her husbands, not wanting to drink too much before her performance, but enough to shed any last minute nerves. She left them near a prime spot by the front of the large stage and disappeared into the performer’s tent nearby to make her final preparations. She shed her cover-up, many of the other bards and acrobats inquiring about her outfit. “I’m afraid my designer only does costuming exclusively for me,” she beamed. “But he sells generic designs in his shop,” she handed out several more business cards to the disappointed artists. She secured her flower crown a little more and attached the silk epaulettes that attached to her shoulders and hips. They resembled white wisteria blooms and would shake beautifully when she danced.

She nervously waited at the side of the stage when her time slot drew near. A group of performers were doing an acrobatic number around the three maypoles that had been affixed to the stage. Two solo artists spun and contorted on the side poles, while a pair did a very sensual routine together on the center pole. Tav blushed deeply, spying Halsin and Astarion in the crowd, their arm around each others’ waists. They appeared to be very into the center performance, kissing and whispering to one another as the two performers put several new positions in their heads. Tav had been secretly practicing a few moves utilizing the maypole, but was no where close to the skill of these acrobats. The performance ended with a shower of not-so-subtle white petals that rained down onto the crowd and stage with a resounding climax of cheers. “Tough act to follow, darling,” Lucretious, the emcee, patted Tav on the back as she strutted on stage to make announcements.

Her voice boomed across the park as the Projecting Stones at the front of the stage amplified it into the crowd. “What a stunning and sensual performance by the Spinning Sisters of the Savalirwood!” Lucretious praised as the five acrobats left the stage. They all nodded at Tav as they passed, covered in sweat and petals that had stuck to their skin. “Well worth the journey from Exandria, if I do say so myself!” Lucretious continued.

“Chardonnay? Is that you? I never forget a backside,” a voice called from behind Tav as Lucretious reminded the crowd about the proper etiquette for voyeurism and consent during public activities of an erotic nature.

“Scanlan Shorthalt? Of all the people I expected to see!” Tav knelt down to greet the gnomish bard, giving him a peck on the cheek. “What are you doing on Toril?”

“I’m here with the Sisters,” Scanlan glanced back at the quintuple of acrobats heading to the performer’s tent. “I’m their manager.”

“Manager?” Tav asked. “So you’ve hung up your lute?”

“I have,” Scanlan nodded. “I’m a family man now. I have a wife and giant Goliath son to feed. The money was too good to pass up the invite.”

“I understand that,” Tav smiled, holding out her hands and showing off the two bands on both her ring fingers.

“I never thought I’d see the day and twice over!” Scanlan’s eyes widened. “Especially not after that night we had in Stilben.”

“How long are you here for?” Tav asked, hearing Lucretious wrapping up her announcements with some quick jokes. “I’d love to catch up…and introduce you to my husbands.”

“A few days. Those Planetshift Portals really screw with my insides. We can talk after, perhaps meet for dinner,” he replied as Lucretious announced Tav to the stage. “Good luck, Charddy!”

“Coming to the stage now, one of the heroes of Baldur’s Gate, a seductive songstress and contorter of clowns. Lady Chardonnay Brandywine!”

The crowd whistled as Tav walked on stage, doing a few nervous twirls and bows with her lyre tucked under her arm. All the nervousness ceased when she strummed her first note, imbuing the instrument with her magic. The thrill of the performance took over, her body moving almost instinctually to the rhythm of her music. She danced and sang, spinning around the center pole while a Mage Hand played her lyre. Halsin and Astarion stood beaming in the crowd, seeing that she hadn’t missed a step since becoming a mother. The love and passion that she held in her heart for them flowed into her performance, the crowd both enraptured and titillated. Occasionally moans could be heard in the crowd as couples let their inhibitions lower for the night. There was no shower of white at the climax of Tav’s performance, but an urgent high note as she fell into a split in front of the maypole, her chest heaving with heavy breaths.

She left the stage to cheers and whistles, the crowd becoming more rowdy after her set. “Dear Gods,” she grimaced, putting a hand to her groin. She may not have lost much of a step after giving birth to Halsin’s enormous son, but her hips weren’t what they used to be and she instantly felt it.

“As incredible as ever,” Scanlan clapped as she hobbled down the stairs.

“Just a little more weathered,” she groaned at the last step. “I have my own giant son now too.”

“You had a baby!” Scanlan exclaimed.

“Twins, actually,” Tav downed a mug of water waiting for her inside the performer’s tent. “Once you meet my husbands, you will understand.”

“I can’t wait. It sounds like you’ve gotten up to a lot in the past twenty years. A hero of Baldur’s Gate?”

“It’s a long tale,” Tav let out a loud sigh, fanning herself with her hand. “I wrote a play about it.”

“Well, wait until you hear about Vecna,” Scanlan laughed, grabbing them each a glass of wine. “It sounds like we might need to make this dinner multiple courses.”

[sunnyrealist]

Chapter 7 of The Sun, the Moon, and All Our Stars is here! 🌶️

It starts getting spicy and earns its Explicit rating in this chapter. MINORS should not interact! 👀

Aged-up, post-Azkaban Sebastian Sallow x female OC (Kate Mayflower)

Chapter features body worship, teasing, fingering, cunnilingus

Again, minors, do not interact! 🌶️

The full chapter is available below the cut, along with the AO3 link. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, as I am new to writing smut!

Chapter 7: Leave It to Me

Kate surveys her appearance in the bathroom mirror, having left Sebastian in the living room on the loveseat. She splashes a little water on her face and pinches her cheeks, in an attempt to appear lively, even though she has been up for almost 24 hours now. She brushes her long golden hair, which has gone just a bit frizzy and gotten tangled over the course of the night, and dabs perfume on her pulse points. Merlin. The most attractive man I’ve ever beheld is waiting out there for me, like a belated birthday present.

As she finally meanders back to the living room, Sebastian seems to be looking around in amazement, taking everything in. The room is tiny, reflecting the small size of the cottage. A fireplace crackles, close to the front door. He relaxes comfortably on the small brown couch, his legs spread out behind a wooden coffee table. Plants are scattered throughout the room, hanging from the ceiling and sitting in pots of various sizes. An open doorway next to an empty wall leads into the kitchen, and Kate herself wanders in from the other direction - a small hallway that leads to the rest of the cottage. 

“Kate, your cottage - it’s so cozy and welcoming. I love it,” Sebastian tells her genuinely. “It’s charming. This might sound stupid, but it feels like a real home.” 

His eyes roam over all of the plants, and he feels a surge of warmth as Kate sits directly next to him on the loveseat. Then, he looks directly at her, leaning over to get even closer. “What is your favorite plant?” he asks softly with a smile.

“In this room or in general?” Kate pauses, and when he simply nods, she chuckles and speaks enthusiastically.  “Well, in this room, I suppose I would say my Christmas cactus. I just love that it blooms in the winter! It’s so cold and dreary, but the cactus flowers bring color - a bright pink - to the dead world. Despite everything, it thrives.”

Sebastian listens attentively and notices her excitement as she describes the plant she loves. Her explanation was adorable. “It is a nice one, even when it’s just green. I’ve never seen a Christmas cactus bloom. I will take your word for it that it is beautiful.” He looks in her eyes still as he encourages her to tell more. “What about your favorite plant in general?”

“Sunflowers,” she answers without hesitation. “I have always loved sunflowers. Well, any flowers, really. Anything colorful and pretty and fragrant.”

Taking her hand in his, he replies softly and romantically, “Kate, you’re like the flowers. You bring color and life anywhere you go.”

Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, her heartbeat quickens. “That’s very sweet of you to say.” She blushes, her cheeks turning pink. “I love plants. My father taught me how to garden, how to tend to them all. He owns a business based around, well… tending to rich people’s gardens.” She quietly laughs, then asks, “Do you have a favorite plant or flower in general, Sebastian?”

“I’m a simple man,” he replied with a small grin, his arm brushing against hers. “You can call me boring, but I like roses. They’re classic and elegant. You can’t go wrong with roses.” Sebastian figured this would be an answer she would appreciate.

“Roses - interesting. They’re so delicate and require precise care. Their fragrance is one of my favorites and part of my perfume,” Kate notes. “You know, I actually thought that you might say something like a cedar or pine or some kind of fir tree. I hope it isn’t weird to say, but I noticed that scent on you earlier.” 

“Did you, now?” Sebastian smirks. He pauses, thinking about something. “I like trees, yes, and roses, but most of all, I like flowers that have meaning to them.” There was a deep sincerity in his voice that made it hard to look away from him. “I can see a sunflower being that flower for you.”

Kate contemplates what he said. It was rare to find a man who knew anything like that. “Do you… actually know a lot about the meaning of flowers? What makes you think the sunflower is symbolic for me?” Her curiosity is piqued, wanting to know his reasoning.

Sebastian moved his arm around Kate’s shoulders and leaned a little bit further into her space. “Sunflowers… They symbolize cheerfulness and joy. They represent the warmth of the sun. And that’s what you bring to the room. Sunshine.” 

As soon as he says the word sunshine, a look of wonder appears on her face. “Did you just say sunshine? That was my nickname growing up…”

He felt something stir inside of him; it felt as though lacewing flies were lighting up and fluttering around his stomach. He didn’t know what to think or say. It was as if the gods were watching down on them and their chance meeting. “Sunshine? It’s your nickname?” he asks in a hushed tone. 

“Yes. It’s a strange coincidence you said that, Sebastian…” Kate trails off, her eyes not leaving his. “One of my grandmothers gave me that nickname when I was very little, and it stuck. She said that when I was a toddler, I was always running around, smiling and giggling. I was a happy little girl, spreading joy everywhere I went. I also had very light blonde hair, just like the sun.”

Sebastian nodded appreciatively. “It’s still true. You have an energy to you - warmth and cheerfulness.” Her bright smile, her contagious laughter - he felt it all. She was just like a ray of sunshine. “Can I call you Sunshine?”

Kate’s cheeks turn pink again. “Um, sure… that’s fine.” She shyly plays with her hair.

“Shall I tell you my nickname as a child?” he asks.

“Absolutely! Please do.”

He chuckles. “Prince. I was always pampered by my parents when they were still living. I was spoiled. My mother always called me her little prince, and Anne was called her little princess. The little twin rulers.”

Kate bursts out laughing. “Seriously? That’s adorable. You must have been an incredibly sweet and spoiled boy, then. Or a little brat!” She giggles. She isn’t sure if she should ask about his parents and their passing right now. It seems like the wrong time, so she tucks it away. It’s too heavy. Later. 

Sebastian could not help but laugh with her - it was infectious. “Yeah, I was kind of a handful. What about you? Is Sunshine your only nickname?” He asked sincerely.

“Well, that was the main one. But my parents also happened to call me Princess, believe it or not. They spoiled me rotten. I pretty much always got whatever I wanted and was always ordering people around - even adults.” She stops to try to remember any other nicknames. “I can’t think of more at the moment. But I love that you were called Prince and that I was called Princess.” Suddenly a thought strikes her, a huge smile crossing her face. “Perhaps since my other nickname is Sunshine, maybe I’m the princess of the sun. You can be the prince of the moon and rule over night and darkness.” She chuckles, enjoying the idea.

“I like the sound of that. The prince of the moon and princess of the sun. It suits us both.”

“You know, I’d like to know so much more about the moon prince.” Kate gives Sebastian a sweet look. “I happen to find him handsome and romantic and intriguing…”

Did she just call me handsome? She’s adorable. He felt the need to make a witty comment back, but his brain was short-circuiting in pure bliss. “Intriguing? Why do you find me intriguing?”

Kate doesn’t say anything at first. Instead, she searches his eyes. “There’s an aura about you - you’re secretive, I think. I feel like I am compelled to uncover the mystery and… maybe solve it? I don’t know, maybe that’s just cheesy.” She blushes. “I guess what I’m actually trying to say is… I like you, Sebastian. There’s something about you that pulls me in.”

“I like you, too, Princess,” he replied without hesitation. “And it’s not cheesy. I understand what you mean.”

Sebastian thought about the aura that Kate said surrounded him. It was true. He tried to remain a mystery to most people. He had so many secrets. Ones that would probably scare Kate. He liked her very much, but he didn’t want to hide - couldn’t hide - who he really was forever. She would eventually have to know. But if he said anything now, he might not get any further. He once again decides to keep his lips sealed tight. “Well, I will allow you to uncover and solve any mystery of mine. I’ll only give you clues, though. It would be no fun giving you my entire life story right off the bat,” he teased.

“Oh, so you’re going to make me work for it?” Kate asks playfully. “What might make you share your secrets with me? How shall I find any clues?”

Sebastian smirked. “If I told you all of my secrets right now, we wouldn’t have much to talk about in the future, would we? But… maybe if you tell me a secret of yours, I will tell you something, too.”

“A fair trade,” Kate replies, pondering what to share. It’s difficult to concentrate, being so close to him. Flirtatiously, she whispers in his ear, “What if I told you that I am dying to kiss you right now?”

The lacewing flies pick up again. He wants to do it. He wants to kiss her right now. He couldn’t stop a grin from flashing across his face. He leaned in even closer yet, his heart pounding and excitement pumping through his veins. “Then, I would tell you that I want that, too.”

“A shared secret,” she murmurs suggestively, her eyes on his lips.

Sebastian’s mind was already made up. Without any further estimations, he leaned in and went for it. His eyes fluttered shut, and he slowly brought his lips to hers, enjoying every second of the sweet and romantic moment. 

“I don’t ever want to stop,” he whispered, his voice gravelly, when they pulled apart. His breathing was heavy; his heart kept beating wildly. 

“Is that another secret?” Kate asks in a quiet voice. “Because that’s one of my secrets, too…” 

She leans back in and kisses him again, deeper and longer and more tender this time. As Kate throws her arms around him, he locks his arms around her waist and continues to kiss her. All he wants is to hold her and kiss her, for the moment to never end, but he was still a little afraid that if he kept going that she might think he was moving too fast. “Princess…” he whispered, his voice soft. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? With me?” His fingers grazed her back.

“Yes,” she replies. “I wouldn’t have brought you home otherwise, Sebastian.” Kate pauses, now worried that she is coming off too strong.

Sebastian felt her soft and delicate touch on his back. He thought he might go crazy, his mind racing with emotions. “Do you want to… go further?” He brushed his fingertips over her back as well.

Kate takes a deep breath, then eventually nods. “Only if you do.” She looks into his eyes and kisses his hand softly, then puts it back around her waist.

Sebastian bit his lower lip. He couldn’t believe he was in this situation. He pulled her closer, giving her another small kiss. He was starting to feel more comfortable with Kate in his arms. Asking for permission, he softly asks, “Can I…?” but his voice trails off.

“You don’t need to ask,” Kate whispers in his ear. “I only ask that you listen if I say no. And I really doubt I am going to say no to you. I’m not sure I could,” she admits. “There’s something about us. I need to see if it’s… real. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“I feel it, too,” he replies, taking a deep breath. “I want to see if it’s real as well.” 

Sebastian slowly leans in for another kiss, a much deeper one. Kate completely surrenders to his lips, meeting them over and over again. She presses a hand to his chest and curls another around the back of his neck. Her body feels so awake right now. Every sensation sends electricity coursing through her veins. 

What started as a flicker is now a roaring fire in Sebastian’s body. He cannot help himself, the flames so wild that they could not be contained by the strongest magic. His lips are pressing against hers bruisingly, his fingers weaving through her hair. His tongue tries to find hers as the kiss becomes more intense. He is ready to take her to the ground if she asks him to. 

Sebastian finally pulls away and takes a deep breath, needing air. They stared into each other’s eyes. “It is real,” he whispered, smiling softly. 

“Gods, it’s real…” Kate replies, catching her breath.

She gives him a seductive look, and then she climbs onto his lap, folding her legs around his on the loveseat. With fiery passion now in her eyes, too, she moves her arms to his back. “Is this okay?” She kisses him.

He smiles as he observes her red, swollen lips. “Of course it is. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” He gives her the same flirty look.

Sebastian starts to trail kisses from her lips to her ear, then down her neck. Kate leans back, breathing heavily, as his lips start moving lower. She gasps as he kisses a sensitive part of her neck over and over, teasing her. Her hands slowly move from his back to his shoulders, to the back of his neck, and finally to his head. She pushes her fingers through his chestnut-colored hair, discovering how thick it is. Sebastian groans in delight. 

His hands travel to the front of her dress and begin to unbutton the bodice. Sebastian’s lips work in sync, kissing her the entire time. His mouth then returns to the point where her shoulder and neck meet, hearing her little moan. 

Exhaling sharply, she pulls his head back up to her face, pressing her lips to his again. His hands release button after button as they deeply and passionately kiss. Her body temperature is rising to an exorbitant level. She nips at his bottom lip, then slides her tongue over it. He mirrors her actions, moaning and feeling his heart race. 

Finally, Sebastian has successfully unbuttoned the entire top half of her dress. He pulls back a little and looks down at Kate before pulling it down slowly, letting the fabric pool at her hips. She trembles as her corset is exposed, her large breasts heaving underneath. She slowly brings her eyes to his. Sebastian’s heart pounds faster and louder as he trails his hands around her body, pulling her closer to him. His frame presses against hers as he looks right into her eyes. 

“You’re perfect,” he whispers. “So bloody gorgeous.”

Kate’s breathing is heavy as Sebastian reaches around to the strings of her corset. As he unties the bow and loosens the strings little by little, she begins to kiss his neck as well, leaving little nips at times. She starts to unbutton his vest, and once that is open, she works on his collared shirt. Her mouth explores every new piece of skin she exposes. When her work is complete, he slowly shrugs off his shirt and vest, dropping them on the floor, exposing his toned, strong, and freckled body. His fingers return to her corset as he kisses and lightly bites her neck. Her mouth falls open, little noises dropping out, as she surges upward in delight.

Feeling that her corset is finally loose enough now to take off, Kate raises her arms for him to lift it up and off of her. It is a real pleasure when the awful contraption is off of her body, but she also flushes, turning pink as she feels exposed. Sebastian stares at her breasts for a moment before leaning forward and kissing them with a moan. She cannot help but let out a groan as well when his lips discover a nipple, licking all around it. One of his hands begins to cup and caress her other breast. 

“Oh, Sebastian…” Kate whimpers. 

He couldn’t contain it any longer. Sebastian gently pushes Kate down, to the point where she was laying on her back on the tiny loveseat with her legs dangling off of it. He hovered over her, feeling powerful, and began to kiss down her body, taking his time and savoring every inch. There was no rush - only pleasure. Only he had the power to make her squirm and whimper like this.

“Sebastian… should we move… somewhere else?” she whispers breathlessly. “This couch - it’s not comfortable. It’s too small…”

Kate is right - the space is too cramped. And this is not where he wants their first time to take place. She deserves better. 

“Oh. Um… do you want to go to your room?” he replied, his face flushed.

“Yes,” Kate replies quickly, pushing herself back up. 

She kisses him hard in an attempt to keep the sensuous mood going before they move. Kate slowly stands, keeping her mouth on his until she simply cannot anymore. When Sebastian stands, his hands go to the small of her back, untying the bow of her dress and loosening it. Finally, the dress falls to the floor, leaving Kate in only her lacy knickers. She steps out of the dress and gives him a seductive look. Her hands reach forward to run over his chiseled chest and torso. Sebastian leans down to kiss her again. She only pulls away to take him to her bedroom. She grabs his hand and leads him down the short hallway, taking a left into her room.

Once they are in her room, the moment feels even more intimate. Sebastian looked around and noticed more plants, hanging and on the ground. He doesn’t have much time to observe anything, though. He suddenly moans as he feels her hands gliding from his chest to his abs and then lower yet. Kate begins to work on his trousers, unbuttoning them and unzipping his fly. She pulls his slacks down quickly, then appears unsure of what to do next. They are both practically naked, standing before each other, with Kate in just her knickers and Sebastian in just his shorts, though it sure seems like there is something rather large underneath. Kate gulps, understanding his size.  

“Sebastian… it’s… um, it’s been a while for me. I just want you to know that before we go any further,” she explains, feeling the need to warn him now that she has seen how big he is. She knows it’s going to hurt a little. She’s out of practice.

“It’s okay. I can be gentle for you,” he whispers, his tone soft and low. His hands moved around her waist and back to her breasts. He smiles gently, and looks down for a moment. “Can I… Can I do something first?” he asks in a raspy voice.

Kate whispers back, “What do you want to do?”

“Can I… Can I taste you?” His face turns slightly red. He feels something far more for Kate than just lust; he wants to be sure she is satisfied as well.

Kate’s eyes go wide. Her mouth drops. “I… oh, gods… uh… erm, this is embarrassing.” She pauses, looking away from him. “Alright, I am just going to say it. I hope you don’t look at me any differently. Sebastian, I am pretty experienced, but… no one has ever done that for me before.” Kate blushes. “I don’t know if I’ll like it or not…”

He lets out a small moan at her words, his fingers teasing one of her nipples as the other hand kneads her breast. “That makes me want to do it even more.” He pauses, leaning down to kiss her lips. “I’ll make sure you enjoy your first time with me. I promise.” He winks, putting his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“But… What about you?” Kate asks, searching Sebastian’s eyes. “Don’t you find it… disgusting? My ex-boyfriend never even wanted to try. He said that ladies were just… dirty down there. But I’ve heard that most women really like-” She stops herself from chattering on, closing her eyes in embarrassment when she realizes that he is gazing at her in surprise.

Sebastian takes a few seconds to respond. “I don’t find it disgusting at all. It’s exciting. I want you to experience that pleasure. And I’m sure you will taste delicious.” He caresses her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face. He focuses on her with a gentle smile. “I want to make you happy, Kate,” he whispers into her ear.

“You - you do? Truly?” Kate’s eyes widen. “My ex-boyfriend - to be honest, he never really made me feel…” She trails off, biting her lip and looking away. “He just - well, he just cared about himself when we were in bed.” She finally meets Sebastian’s eyes again. “I’m sorry. I know this is stupid. He just… kind of messed things up for me.”

Sebastian kisses her on the forehead, holding her tightly. The feeling of her skin against his is overwhelming and intoxicating. “Kate, you don’t have to apologize. Some guys are just selfish and don’t care about how their girl feels.” He pauses. “You don’t have to worry about me. I care about your needs and your emotions. I’m not just going to use you and ignore your feelings. You deserve to feel good.”

Kate nods, appearing hopeful. “Alright…” She takes a nervous breath. “What should I do, Sebastian? Should I lie down?”

He smiles, kissing her softly on the lips. He runs his hands through her hair, letting out a breath. “Yes, lay down and relax. Just leave it all to me,” he whispers in a soothing voice, trying to calm her nerves as he gently pushes her onto the bed.

As Sebastian lowers Kate’s body, he follows her down the entire way. He captures her lips in his again, and then begins kissing his way down her body, focusing on the most sensitive areas - her neck, her collarbone, each of her breasts, as she moans and whimpers. He sucks on each of her stiff, rosy nipples before journeying on to her belly button and below. His hand softly glides up her thigh. He slips his fingers under the waistband of her lacy pink panties, dragging them slowly down her legs and finally throwing them to the side. 

Now, Sebastian clambers off the bed. For a moment, he hungrily takes in the sight of Kate’s entirely nude body. By the gracious and merciful gods, he was somehow granted permission to glimpse and caress and ruin. It’s enough to make him twitch uncomfortably beneath the underpants holding him back.

Sebastian kneels and settles himself on the rug that covers the floor around the bed. He spreads her legs wide and encourages her to scoot her body until, directly in front of his face, lies her sweet cunt. For several moments, he greedily gazes upon his unwrapped present, untouched for so long but now completely and willingly open to him and him alone. She is well-groomed, with only a small, trimmed patch of brown hair leading to her pink, arousal-moistened center, where she wants - no, needs - him the most. 

Kate gasps when she suddenly feels the sensation of Sebastian’s hand gliding up her leg all the way to her thick thigh… and then between her thighs. Getting exactly what she craves, Kate moans as he palms her pussy. Then, he causes her entire body to spasm as he uses his index fingers to trace circles around her sensitive nub. She shakes erratically, her legs moving on their own accord, alternating between stretching and folding. Feeling intense pleasure, Kate begins to whine as he takes his time, doing nothing else. It feels so much better when it’s him doing this; satisfying herself when she is lonely and longing for a non-existent lover at night would never be as fulfilling as having a man she adores between her legs. Not even getting inspired, hot and wound up, by the most erotic of texts could compare. Sebastian smiles, increasing the pace while observing each reaction she gifts him, experimenting and learning and memorizing for further study. He begins to touch her clit directly but gently, moving his finger up and down over it, pressing lightly, as she whimpers loudly. Her legs flail; her back arches. He continues to do what she clearly likes, teasing her in all the right places as she makes high-pitched vocalizations of ecstasy.

“Are you enjoying yourself so far?” Sebastian’s voice was slightly raspy. He was clearly having a grand time himself, ready to progress.

“Oh, gods, yes. Sebastian, please don’t stop,” Kate chokes out, her voice needy.

He smirks, then switches hands. He moves one index finger through her wet folds, preparing, while his other hand works at her clit. He finally slips his finger inside of her, feeling her tight walls cautiously accept him. When he is sure she is ready, an additional appendage joins in a moment later. He pumps his long fingers in and out of her - slow at first, just like a little fire gaining momentum. Then, as it turns into a roaring bonfire, she begins to whine uncontrollably as he increases his pace. Then, he curls his fingers inside her body, and she practically explodes, as though someone is using Confringo on her very soul.

“Sebastian! Oh, gods!!!” Kate cries out. Her hands search desperately for something to hold on to and eventually grab onto the quilt, twisting the fabric up in her fists.

He smiles at that, concentrating on her pleasure. She continues to whimper and moan his name in desperation, mewling more and more.

Then, Kate observes that he is changing positions. He removes his slick fingers from her sopping wet cunt and wraps his strong hands around her thighs to make sure her legs are wide open for what will come next. The anticipation causes her to shiver as she feels his breath between her legs. 

Sebastian is already turned on, his erection straining against his shorts and dribbling in a liquid plea, but he cannot wait to make Kate reach a breaking point, to see her unravel and give in to the chaos he is thrilled to provide. He wants to make her feel so good that she will never desire any other man but him. With that goal in mind, he starts to slowly kiss and lick her inner thighs, moving his lips and tongue everywhere, worshiping every centimeter of her skin, guided by her moans and cries. He loves hearing her this way - it is so satisfying and maddening at the same time. 

Kate does her best to rid herself of her nerves, trying to get out of her head and simply feel, just like he said earlier. Then, Sebastian licks a long, lingering stripe through the center of her folds, causing her to cry out and her eyes to widen. His hands bruisingly hold her legs open as he licks and kisses her wet pussy.

“Oh, my gods…” she whines at the long, slow line his tongue traces, straining against his grip and squirming in delight. Then, he moves to flick his tongue over her clit. Almost instantly, her hips buck and her back arches. She cries out his name.

“You’re so wet, Kate. You taste so good… so sweet…” Sebastian moans out between long tongue swipes over her cunt, lapping up her nectar.

Kate continues to whimper as he gives open-mouthed kisses to her pussy. Her whimpers are replaced with gasps as she feels his tongue at her entrance, pushing in slowly. He moves his tongue in and out, mimicking what his fingers did earlier, noisily drinking in her slick arousal as though it is the secret potion for immortality. Kate throws her head back, moaning his name over and over like a chant to the gods.

He moves his head to the side to take a breath and tell her how bloody beautiful she is like this, all laid out for him. Then, he returns to her cunt and places his lips around her clit, sucking gently.

“Oh, fuck!” Kate cries out, shouting. 

Sebastian removes his arm from one of her thighs, plunging his fingers into her depths as his tongue and mouth simultaneously work on her sensitive nub. Kate can’t help it - she begins to writhe about, so many extraordinary feelings invading her body all at once. The sounds she makes are unfamiliar and new even to her as Sebastian brings her to a high she has never achieved before. She is an absolute mess as he sucks and licks and even slurps down there. 

Kate’s face is beet red as she shouts out in pleasure, looking down to see only his thick brown hair, his freckled forehead beaded with sweat, his focused dark eyes. “Sebastian - oh, Merlin… I’m so close…”

Spurred on by her admission, Sebastian’s fingers push deeper and harder, moving in tandem with his mouth. He licks tight circles around her clit, then flicks his tongue again. She is completely lost to the most incredible feeling she has ever experienced - it is indescribable. Kate screams his name over and over as her walls contract around him. He continues to fuck her with his fingers even as her pussy tightens, eventually moving more and more slowly as she floats back to earth. She finally begins to settle down from her climax, panting, her breasts heaving.

Kate’s reaction was everything he wanted to hear and feel. Sebastian felt proud that he had made her feel desired and delicious as she was devoured for the very first time. He couldn’t help but grin.

“Was that good for you?” he asked. “Are you feeling good, Kate?”

Sebastian moves himself up to sit on the bed, looking down upon her naked body. He wipes his shining mouth, cheeks, and chin. He then kisses her lips before caressing her thighs softly.

She is dumbfounded, her mind still processing this turn of events. “I - I don’t even know what to say, Sebastian!” Kate starts to laugh, a tingling sensation enveloping her body. “I’ve never felt like that before - never! No one has ever been that good to me before.” She is still trying to catch her breath as he lays down on the bed beside her, turning to look at her face. She does the same, rolling to her side and noticing a wet spot on his shorts, where he is still rock hard and straining to be free of the confines of the thin fabric.

“I’m glad that you are feeling so wonderful,” he beams, now caressing her cheek.

Sebastian’s eyes twinkle as he smiles. He moves his head closer to Kate’s. He placed a finger under her chin so that he could kiss her deeply. In a tender, gentle tone, he says, “We are going to make each other very, very happy, Kate. I can already tell.” Then, with a cheeky grin, he leans in, and with a low voice, adds, “I hope you know we aren’t done yet.”

[rainbowdelicartz]

I now present to you all: Ivy Buckingham!! One of my older OCS that I haven't drawn or (sadly) paid much attention to ever since I created her around 2018-2019! Luckily now she looks ever better than she did before!

(more in-depth info will be below)

Owner of a semi-popular flower shop that resides in Bright Light City and across the street from Wispy and Dave's apartment complex, Ivy Buckingham is a species of skunk called the Plant Skunk

A special species of skunk that instead of omitting a foul oder like most skunks do, the plant skunk will alternatively omit a pleasant scent similar to many types of flowers and fauna, having their own scent special to them to tell each other apart (for example for Ivy, her scent smells of roses) and they also are seen having a certain plant specific to the individual plant skunk wrapped around their tails (for Ivy, she has Ivy vines wrapped around her tail). On top of that, they are also very well known to have elemental abilities that are connected to plants and the earth, hence being able to grow plants with nothing but their paws and tail

Ivy had moved to Bright Light City from a small country town that was very well known for their farming, agriculture, and most of all, their flowers and fauna to start a life of her own and to expose the city folks to the beauty of nature via her plants. She was 22 years old when she arrived in Bright Light City and met Wispy and Dave while she was finding her way around the city and had just so happened to walk into the Millenni-Yum to ask for directions to her new home at the time, Wispy having an instant crush on her since

The flower shop that she had opened a year later is called The RoseLace Flower Boutique, which specializes in flowers, succulents (such as cactuses, aloe), and evergreen climbing vines (such as ivy plants, star jasmine, and clematis). The shop has been featured in a few gardening and home decorating magazines and has had a feature on a popular gardening tv show called Rose Tinted Sundays with Ms. Daisy Duke

Wispy and Ivy are both currently crushing on each other and they both love to tease each other, whether it be by flirting on Ivy's part or saying outrageous bullcrap on Wispy's end. Due to the both of them still feeling like they still need time for themselves and their careers (for Ivy at least) and both still wanting to date other people (they're both poly anyhow so even when they do start officially dating, they would still be WILDIN), they are only on a super casual dating status

To describe Ivy's personality in the simplest of terms: she's simultaneously a southern belle and a party girl all in one. She loves having a good time in any way she can (from taking care of her plants to going to the nightclubs around the city to party) and is very well known for her flirtatious manner towards those she finds an attraction to all while still being down to earth, level headed, and very intelligent despite how she presents herself and will not take any sort of BS she feels she doesn't have to deal with

----------------------------------------------------

Notes:

She has graduated college with a degree in Botany/Plant Sciences

One of her favorite nightclubs in Bright Light City to go to is The Uranium Banana, Bright Light City's biggest and most famous nightclub of all. It is also Wispy's favorite nightclub and they frequently bump into each other there

She has a childhood best friend that is from and still lives in her hometown named Melly Lynn, who is a watermelon farmer there. They send each other letters pretty much every week or so

Her father was a farmer while her mother was a florist in their hometown, her mother even owning her own flower shop there, which was what inspired Ivy to open The RoseLace

Her favorite kinds of plants and flowers are roses, ivy, hen and chicks, aloe, clematis, star jasmine, daisies, buttercups, irises, daffodils, and carnations

She lives in a small condo that is right next to the RoseLace, so going to and from work for her is a breeze!

------------------------------------------------------

This was so much work for me this time around, but I hope you guys can admire it!

Please enjoy!!

[ART COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!!!]

[rowsandrows-of-roses]

Flores de Colombia

So, I have two Colombian coworkers, whom I love talking to because they were both born and raised in Colombia and give me such amazing stuff for Isabela all the time. (Her love of horses comes from my coworker, Nancy, whose father raised Paso Finos. <3) I learn a lot about the country and culture from them. And one thing they always say is how beautiful Colombia is and how much biodiversity there is because of the Alpines, the Amazon, and the coastlines.

It is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. They have the most indigenous flower species and the most butterflies, as well as others. Not to mention, they are second only to the Netherlands in flower exports. (The next time you buy flowers, look where they are from! Especially if you're in North America, chances are the flowers are from Colombia. The ones I have in my vase rn are from there.)

I am sure the creators of Encanto knew this and it's part of the reason that Isabela has the gift she does. Isabela knows this too and it makes her feel very connected to Colombia, even though she never lived there.

This list is not necessarily her favorite flowers (though some of them are on here), or her favorite ones to create (though some of those are on here too), but more of a love letter to all the beautiful and culturally significant flowers of Colombia! (I did so much research for this, lmao.)

Cattleya Trianae Orchid: The national flower of Colombia! Colombia is known for its diversity of orchids. The Cattleya is also called the “mayo de flor” or the May Flower. It is known for the fact that it grows on trees without feeding on them. (Something, something, metaphor for Isabela.) Also, it was the inspiration for the color of Isabela’s dress in the movie and the reason her favorite color is purple! Unfortunately, they are one of the most threatened species of orchid in Colombia due to habitat destruction.

Freedom Roses: Colombia is also a huge exporter of roses and they have many different kinds, but freedom roses are the classic bright red rose that is cultivated all over the world. Also, the petals of the freedom rose are used in many Colombian desserts. It also has medicinal and cosmetic properties. 

Carnations: Another extremely popular export. Carnations come in nearly every color, though in Colombia they are mostly bought and given for Mother’s day--mostly in white and pinks. They can also be considered as “flirty” flowers, symbolizing pure love and innocence. Isabela loves carnations. If you got her a bouquet of carnations over roses, she’d be very impressed.

Sugar Flower: These flowers often decorate gardens and are extremely popular to put outside your house.  I am sure they are all over the walls of Casita. They symbolize innocence and are edible! A lot of time they decorate cocktails and have a slightly spicy taste. (I’ve actually tasted these, since they grow in California too, they’re pretty good, lol.) They also dance! If their petals get too close to another flowers, they shrink or move.

San Joaquin: Another edible flower! These are a species of hibiscus and aren’t actually native to Colombia, but they grow everywhere. Again, they decorate doorways and are used to beautify neighborhoods. Another flower that probably adorns Casita in the summertime. (They bloom June-August.) 

Heliconia Bird of Paradise: One of Isabela’s favorites, just because they’re so pretty and unique. They’re a little different from other flowers too, so she kind of keeps it to herself that she likes them so much. They can be found in many colors and are extremely bright and eye-catching. Considered more exotic and rare. 

Alpinia Purpurata: Another more “different” flower that Isabela really likes. These grow in Casita’s garden, for sure. They can get very big (up to 2 meters high). They’re very showy plants, due to their large size and bright colors. Part of the reason that Isabela loves them so much. 

Amazon Victory: The giant amazon water lily! The biggest species of which is found in Colombia. I want to HC that there is a pond in the Casita garden where some of these grow. Isabela also has a large pond in her room which definitely has these and sometimes she likes to lay on them, lol. (Her room in my mind is like Monet’s garden in Giverny). This is another one of those kind of “weird” flowers that Isabela probably wouldn’t super openly admit to liking, but she loves them. (Water lilies are also my favorite flower, fun fact, so I had to include them.) Their flowers also bloom every morning at sunrise and close again at night, which I love.

Iníridas: I found these flowers in my research and while they aren’t well known or particularly culturally significant, they are helping indigenous communities thrive with the exportation of the flowers to generate income for underserved areas. Additionally, the flowers are important because they can soak up metals in the soil and help restore balance to polluted areas. They are an “umbrella” species. By protecting them, you protect several other species around them. [link to the article, if you're interested.]

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Hello, I absolutely love your writing and would like to make a request.

Kanae x F!Reader in which the reader can turn into a demon much like Genya and has a crush on Kanae whom she is close with.

Reader is very insecure about her demon form so she keep it a secret. However, Kanae comes across reader in her demon form but she doesn't notice Kanae until after slaying a demon so Kanae saw all of reader's demon ability. Reader breaks down and tries to run and cover her face but Kanae reassures her about her demon form and accidentally confessions her love for the reader.

Thank you and take your time.

Taste of Blood

Kanae Kochou x She/ Her Reader

A/N: Thanks! This might be my favorite Kanae fic I’ve done. I think it turned out pretty good. Hope you like it! Word Count: 1,670

(Y/n) discreetly watched Kanae from the engawa after she had endured the brunt of her final recovery training session. Kanae was walking through the garden, monitoring the conditions of the blooms, occasionally tying a bit of colorful string around the stems of certain flowers.

Was it bad to think ending up in need of urgent care was one of the best things to ever happen to her since she had joined the corps? Probably, but becoming acquainted with Kanae was truly one of the best things that had ever happened to her. She was so kind and wonderful. A bright, cheerful presence that (Y/n)’s swears could heal any wound alone.

They spent a lot of time together, (Y/n) almost couldn’t bear to leave, but she knew she couldn’t exactly stay in the mansion forever. Three months was more than enough time already. She feared she would overstay her welcome. Not to mention that the feelings she had for Kanae had been steadily growing along with the flowers in the garden. Any longer and her crush would bloom into something completely unmanageable that couldn’t be hidden.

After watching Kanae tie another string with care, (Y/n)’s heart skipped a beat when the Flower Hashira’s warm gaze locked onto her from the garden. Before (Y/n) could think to apologize for staring, Kanae smiled more noticeably and crooked a finger, beckoning her over. Bewitched as she was, (Y/n) could not help but comply. She hopped off of the engawa and joined Kanae amongst the flowers.

“Afternoon, (Y/n). You look radiant today.” Kanae complimented.

“Thanks,” (Y/n) swallowed, “you too, you always do anyway.” She added, blood buzzing through her veins with renewed vigor.

“How sweet of you to say.” Kanae’s smile grew brighter, if ever a thing was possible, and she turned her attention back to her flowers.

“What’s the string for? If I may ask.” (Y/n) asked, hoping to converse with Kanae as long as she could before Shinobu finished bottling the last of her medicine and Aoi retrieved her uniform and sword from wherever they had been stored away.

“I’m marking my favorite flowers so when it comes time to harvest the seeds, I’ll know which ones I had liked best. Then I can save the seeds for the next planting season. Here,” Kanae snipped a few pieces of string from the spool and held them out to (Y/n), “pick a few with me.”

“Are you sure?” (Y/n) swore she felt sparks run up her arm when Kanae’s skin brushed hers as she deposited the string in her hand.

“Mhmm,” Kanae hummed and continued on down the line.

(Y/n) followed, looking over the flowers for the very best ones. It was difficult though, all of the flowers were gorgeous. (Y/n) wasn’t sure what Kanae’s criteria were for what made a flower worthy to be bestowed with string. When she asked Kanae, she giggled and shook her head.

“Pick what you like, (Y/n). I want to be able to look upon the the next season’s blooms and find a bit of you within.”

(Y/n)’s face warmed considerably and looking at Kanae became too much. She turned back to the flowers and considered her choices in hopes to distract herself from the fluttering of her heart.

She tied her strings to the flowers she liked the best and continued conversing with Kanae until Aoi came out with the prescription Shinobu had put together and the rest of (Y/n)’s belongings, signaling that her time at the Butterfly Estate was coming to a close.

“Oh dear, time to leave already?” Kanae pouted. She seemed genuinely deflate a bit as (Y/n) accepted the items and thanked Aoi before the younger girl hurried back inside. Shinobu had promised to show her how to make aspirin if she was quick.

“I can’t stay forever.” (Y/n) joked, bowing slightly to Kanae. “Thank you for everything.”

When she straightened, Kanae enveloped her in a snug hug.

“Safe travels. Don’t be afraid to stop by at anytime. You don’t need to be hurt to visit you know.”

“Okay, if I ever find myself around here I will come say hi.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Kanae squeezed her a little tighter before letting her go completely, then (Y/n) went on her way. She found it hard to leave, but it was even harder knowing that the promise she had made, she had no intentions to keep. She couldn’t get any closer to Kanae than she already was. If she knew what (Y/n) had to do to be on the same level as the demons she fought, she would no doubt be disgusted with her. She couldn’t risk her finding out about that side of herself, so the less time they spent together, the better. It would protect her from the heartbreak that would surely follow.

However, (Y/n)’s attempts to hide her strange ability and distance herself from Kanae fell apart only a few short weeks after they had parted.

***

The demon roared and wrenched his arm free from (Y/n)’s teeth, but not without sacrificing some of his flesh.

“What was that about?” He cackled, his muscle and skin repairing quickly. “Can’t behead me properly so you think you’ll try eating me before I can eat you? Is that what this is?”

(Y/n) ignored him, quickly chewing and swallowing the sinew. The reaction was nearly instantaneous. Her teeth and nails grew sharper, her veins pulsed and strained against her skin and the white of her eyes blackened. Effectively, she had become a demon herself and with the added strength and speed, she hoped to finish the demon quickly and move on.

“Whoa, freaky.” The demon marveled. “How are you doing that?”

“Doesn’t matter, you’re finished!” (Y/n) growled, sprinting forward.

She had been so focused on the demon, that she had failed to notice she had an audience.

Kanae had been out completing a mission of her own when she heard fighting in the distance. She felt a particularly powerful vibration shake the earth below her feet and decided that she should investigate and see if someone was in need of assistance.

She had seen everything.

She watched in stunned amazement as (Y/n) used her enhanced power to beat the demon into submission and behead him with such intense speed that the head went flying in Kanae’s direction, rolling right before her feet.

(Y/n) turned to observe the head’s trajectory, gritting her teeth and forcefully breathed through her nose while the demon flesh’s properties worked through her system.

When her altered eyes met Kanae’s, they both startled.

(Y/n) quickly covered her face and turned away. She didn’t want to watch Kanae’s surprise give way to disgust or fear, she had to get away.

“(Y/n)!” Kanae followed after her, determined not to let her get away. If she did, she feared she would not see (Y/n) again.

The bit of flesh (Y/n) had gnawed off was already nearly depleted and Kanae being a Hashira, had the speed she needed to catch up quickly and grasp (Y/n)’s wrist.

“Please, let me go. Don’t look at me like this.” (Y/n) tried to pull free from Kanae’s grasp while simultaneously attempting to hide her face with her free arm.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Kanae frowned. “I’m a little concerned because I’ve never seen anything like that before, but you seem like you’re becoming human again… so you must be alright.”

“I’m a monster! No matter what I look like, all you need to know is that if I consume demon flesh, I gain some of their abilities. I’m gross and creepy!”

“You are not!” Kanae voiced her opinion on the matter strongly, forcing (Y/n) to turn to face her. “I think it’s a fascinating ability.” She pulled (Y/n)’s arm away from her face and swiftly took her face in her hands before she could register that she had let go of her wrist.

“Please don’t look at me like this.” (Y/n) sniffled, still trying to hide herself but Kanae kept batting her hands away.

“Human or demon form, I love you all the same. You’re still you.” Kanae declared.

(Y/n) and Kanae seemed to process her words at the same time and both looked away from each other, hot in the face.

“Oops,” Kanae managed to chuckle nervously, “I hadn’t planned on telling you that just yet, but I feel like you need to hear it. I really mean it too.”

“…You’re sure? Even when I’m standing here, looking like this?”

“Yes. I’m not sure which look is more attractive if I’m being honest.”

“Kanae!” (Y/n) sputtered, struggling to escape the Hashira for a totally new reason now.

“Stop struggling,” Kanae giggled, “I promise not to take a bite out of you as long as you promise not to take a bite out of me.” She teased.

“Don’t put your face any closer to me, I’m covered in blood!” (Y/n) weakly protested.

“Only your mouth and chin, I could give you a little kiss right… here.” Kanae aimed high on (Y/n)’s cheekbone and pressed a sweet kiss there. “There, see? Still kissable… oh dear, did you not want that? I should have asked first. I’m sorry.”

“No,” (Y/n) wiped the tears that fell from her eyes, “no, it’s okay. I didn’t think you felt that way about me, and I certainly didn’t think you would like me if you knew about this.” She added, gesturing to herself.

“Well I do.” Kanae looked to the horizon and saw the beginnings of dawn. “The sun won’t hurt you like this, will it? Should we find cover?”

“No, I’ll be fine. The effects will just wear off faster.”

“Alright, good.” Kanae sighed in relief and slid her hands away from (Y/n)’s face, one caught (Y/n)’s hand and begin tugging her eastward towards the rising sun.

“Then we can head home without any worries.”

(Y/n) gave Kanae a bewildered look as her demonic feature began to fade and Kanae reminded,

“You promised you would come by if you were in the area remember?” She smiled brightly.

[monsterlover48]

Part 1: The Meeting

<<Masterlist>> <<Previous>> <<Next>>

Bodyguard!Orc x Princess!Reader

Summary: Y/N, the princess of Evermore, the beauty of the west. She had many suitors, many men, and women who wanted her by their side. Too bad her eyes were already set the day he came to save her life.

Warnings: PTSD, flashbacks (sorta), medieval fighting

~~~ Princess Y/N was a kind soul. Always tended to her princess duties and went out of her way to give to the lower class. Everyone loved her, and they knew she would be a wonderful queen.

When word got out about the attempted assassination, the people were outraged that someone would dare hurt their beloved princess. Y/N Could still feel the man's glove-clad hand grasp her face to silence her screams every time she closed her eyes, and she didn't know how to get the image out of her head.

The morning breeze soothed her warm skin as she walked outside and into the growing gardens of her castle. The beautiful greens of the grass and plants paired with the myriad of colours that decorated the flowers set the frantic princess' mind at ease. She had one hell of a night, and it took hours for her to get a good night's rest. Her mind was plagued with nightmares of her death and the death of her people. She just wished it wouldn't come true.

Y/N had worn a lilac dress that morning, lace on the sleeves, and a large bow on the back. It was her favorite, and she wanted to wear it to bring up her mood. She didn't want anyone to see the wound on her arm, but the bulk of the bandages showed through her frilly sleeves.

"M'lady. The king requests you." Y/N handmaiden, Cassandra, spoke quietly, breaking the serenity of the garden. The princess's shoulders deflated, and she hung her head low before she smiled at her friend.

"Do you know what about?" She asked, linking her good arm with Cassandra's. The maiden giggled and shook her head playfully.

"Your knight is coming to protect you. They're having a contest to see who could protect you the best." Cassandra grinned. Y/N's cheeks flushed, and she gasped.

"Today? Do I look alright?" The woman began to unnecessarily judge herself, muttering curses of how she should have done her hair better.

"You look fine." Cassandra giggled. They walked down the large corridor and through the guards that stood straighter at the sight of their princess. Y/N nodded and bowed to everyone she passed politely, a smile stuck on her face in her princess facade.

"Daughter, you took long enough." Her father playfully scolded, holding a hand out to help her into the royal chair. They were in the courtyard where entertainers, fighters, or jousters came to do their thing.

As Y/N looked amongst the crowd, she saw many creatures in knight armor. Ranging from tieflings to humans. But one she hadn't seen before, someone massive in size. It was well known that Evermore was more of the accepting kind when it came to other races, but not many creatures of that size came to the lovely kingdom. And they were all fighting for her favor as a personal guard. She felt as though the taller one would win. She couldn't see his face or even his skin to tell what he could be, but she didn't care. The princess didn't necessarily want a personal guard, but if she was to get one, she wanted it to be someone who could truly protect her life.

"Which do you think would win, princess?" A voice asked behind her. Y/N turned to see a man she's never met before. He was handsome; bright blue eyes and dark brown hair with chiseled features, but she wasn't too interested. He smiled at her with an attempt to be charming, but she knew the play.

"The tall one." She replied, pointing towards the looming figure as he practiced by his lonesome.

"Ah yes, that one. He seems pretty strong." He chuckled, and Y/N realized he had an accent that wasn't from Evermore.

"What's your name?" Y/N asked curiously. However, before he could respond, the tournament speaker began his speech about the rules and how the tournament would go.

The trumpets sounded, and two knights stepped up before they began to fight. Swords clashing and metal banging sounded around the courtyard, and Y/N was on the edge of her seat every time a knight fell. She hoped they weren't too injured, but she had to admit, it was interesting to watch them fight.

By the time the last two were up, it was two large men, clad head to toe in thick armor, but Y/N noticed the one she kept her eyes on. The tall one with bulging muscles. She bit her lip as they started, gasping when the clashing of swords and their blasts against armor. But ultimately, she was correct; the tall one was the champion. The crowd cheered loudly as the last man fell, and the tall man roared triumphantly.

The princess stood from her place and straightened out the skirt of her dress. Everyone gasped when the creature took off his helmet, revealing an orc to be the champion. Orcs used to be the villains of Evermore's story, but the war had ended, and they were at peace. However, that doesn't mean many orcs came into Evermore and never came to protect their princess. Y/N looked around at the shocked faces of her people and squared her shoulders before she walked out of the royal seating and to the courtyard where the champion stood.

Everyone watched their princess with wary eyes and shifted in their seats as she approached him. The closer she looked, he was taller than she expected. Thrice her size, and he had a scowl upon his handsome features. His skin was a pale green, and he had large tusks sticking out from his mouth. His mean stare didn't detour the princess as she smiled and bowed politely to the knight.

"It seems you have won. What is your name?" She asked, clasping her hand behind her back. He huffed a piece of stray black hair away from his eyes, the long strands reaching past his shoulders. He bowed to her when she walked closer, propping his arm onto his knee.

"Rhudrak Fang Cracker." He replied. His voice was gruff, as though he had gargled rocks before he spoke.

"Well, Rhudrak Fang Cracker. It is nice to meet you. I will be happy to work with you." The crowd cheered then, the piercing noise almost startling the princess. She turned to look at the crowd before looking back at her knight.

"Yes! This man is my daughter's champion. The one who will protect her with his life. Do you agree?" Her father asked, walking into the courtyard as well. Her father was a very accepting man, and no matter the fact that he witnessed orcs kill many of his people, he would never discriminate against a man who wanted to protect his only daughter.

"I agree," Rhudrak responded. King Gustus nodded, and Y/N smiled at the crowd as the royal family plus the knight and other guards walked back to the castle. Y/N couldn't help but steal glances at the steely man. She found it very interesting that an orc would want to protect her. And he looked so mysterious. She just wandered-

"Y/N, dearest." Her mother scolded. Y/N tore her eyes away from her knight with warm cheeks and turned to her mother.

"Yes, mother?" She asked. Meira shook her head disapprovingly and continued walking.

"Your father was talking to you." She hissed. Y/N bowed her head in embarrassment, and she could've sworn she saw a ghost of a smile on her Rhudrak's face.

"While you were in your fantasy land, I was discussing the rules of your supervisor and how you must act." He told her with a kind and understanding smile. Y/N was very close to her father, and she was glad to have him understand how easy it was for her to get lost in the clouds. Unlike her strict mother.

"What are his rules?"

"No. Your rules." Her father corrected. Y/N gasped and choked on her spit before she looked at the people in front of her.

"What do you mean 'my' rules?" Y/N asked incredulously.

"You are not to leave the sight of Rhudrak. The only time you will be alone is when in your chambers, safe. You will do what he asks of you. If he tells you to run, to hide, or even to walk, you do it. He is there to protect you; let him do his job. No running around the halls in the middle of the nights anymore. People are after you, my dear, and I couldn't stand losing you. It almost happened once, and I will not let it happen again." Her father told her. She wanted to roll her eyes, to pout and say 'not fair.' But she almost died that night. The visions still haunt her in her sleep and even during the day. She knew if she wanted to survive, she must do what her father asks of her.

"Yes, father." She replied solemnly, all traces of humor gone from the conversation.

"Now go make yourselves acquainted while showing him his room. It's the one next to yours." Y/N nodded and looked at her parents awkwardly as they walked away.

"Your room is this way on the third floor," Y/N spoke. She was exhausted from the excitement of the day and had zero social energy, but she knew she had to do it anyways.

"Third floor? How do you even get upstairs with those tiny shoes on?" Rhudrak chuckled. Y/N hid her giggle behind her hand and shook her head as they approached the stairway.

"With difficulty. Try walking around hours a day with a corset on." She scoffed. Rhudrak laughed loudly but quickly quieted down.

"Tell me about the night of your attack." He asked suddenly. Y/N was taken aback by the sudden question as they walked up the many stairs.

"Well... I couldn't sleep. I think that's the only reason I'm alive right now. He wore a black mask with strange symbols on it. He was human-sized. That's all remember." She said. She was lying of course. She could remember so much more. The blue of his eyes and the stench of leather as his hand clamped down onto her mouth. She couldn't breathe when he sat on her. She felt hopeless and the gleam of the moonlight on his blade made her shiver with unease.

"Princess?" Rhudrak asked gently, looking at her with a thoughtful gaze. She snapped out of her wandering thoughts and shook her head with a smile.

"Well, here you are. My chambers are right here. I'll let you get settled in." She said with a bow, walking back to her room. She shut the door gently and allowed herself to break slightly at the memory of her attack, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks.

Taglist!

@vanta-monsters @inosh-k @sylum

[lovelybarnes]

verbena- b. barnes

pairings: bucky barnes x reader, mentions of other avengers warnings: none. this is all fluff about: y/n gives bucky flowers a/n: thank you to @hollandsvogue for the flower help!!

the smell of the verbenas in your hands wafts up to your nose while you jam your key into the lock of your apartment, grip tightening on the bouquet of gentle flowers. your dirty combat boots leave a small smear of dirt in the bottom of your door, even after you wipe them on the cheesy doormat sam gifted you when you moved in. you’re relatively clean for the hours after a mission, but the dirt and splatters of red that stain your suit and the stray twigs that reside in the messy strands of your hair show that it wasn’t a clean-cut undercover op. you prefer it; those types of missions, as clean as you come out of them, seem so much dirtier.

you push the door open with your hip, the gash on the palm of the hand that isn’t holding the assortment of flowers too angry and velvet to touch the cold of the doorknob. “hey, handsome,” you greet when you kick the door closed, walking towards the couch that your boyfriend is sitting on, watching one of the television shows you’ve referenced before.

“hey, doll,” he murmurs tiredly, his eyes clearly having just opened from a nap, but the pull of his cheeks as he smiles at you is bright. from his lap, alpine purrs, looking up at you and blinking as a hello. you lean over the couch to press a soft kiss on bucky’s forehead when he tilts his head at you. at the sound of alpine’s meow, you laugh, turning to her. bucky’s hand begins to pet her again, “she wants you to say hi to her, too.”

“i will,” you promise her, “but she’s very clean and white right now. the dirt on my hands will not go with her fur.” alpine meows again, almost in agreement as she settles back in bucky’s lap.

“how was the mission?” he asks, turning to you as you walk into the kitchen.

“it was a mission,” you hum, catching the reflection of the twigs in your hair in the microwave. you begin to pick at them with your free hand.

“what’s that?” bucky asks, eyes settling on the flowers in your hand. the sound of the cupboard when you open it leads alpine off of bucky’s lap to wander around the kitchen and stare at you. you look down at the bouquet, startling when you look back up and bucky is nearly in front of you.

“you’re sneaky today,” you inform, tiredness seeping into your words when you finally let it in the comfort of bucky’s eyes, “or maybe i’m just tired.” he scans you worriedly. “these,” you extend the flowers toward him, “are for you. i saw the flower shop selling them fresh when i was coming back home and i know they’re your favorite, so…” you offer them to him. “you always get me my favorite flowers after my missions, and i know you like verbenas, so…” you trail off again, beginning to feel nervous and foolish when bucky won’t react.

suddenly, he exhales quietly, shaking his head gently with a big grin adorning his face. he takes his flowers from you, tucking his nose between the petals to inhale. “thank you,” he tells you, pulling you in closer to kiss your nose.

you scrunch it up, “i’m all dirty,” you warn.

“i don’t care,” he replies flatly, kissing you again, “thank you. i love them.” he smells them again, before pulling one out as gently as you’ve ever seen anyone handle a flower before to place it behind your ear. he gazes at you for a few seconds before hugging his flowers to his chest, “i need a vase.” he announces, “where do we keep our fancy vases?”

-

a few days later, your apartment is warm with laughter and avengers, your friends sitting around your living room and kitchen.

“...and that’s how i found out steve wears captain america underwear. he wears my face on his ass,” sam chortles, making steve groan loudly, his pale cheeks warming with a sweet pink as he blushes.

“one time!” he says, “one time i ran out!”

“uh huh, then why were they in there in the first place?” natasha asks with a raised eyebrow, a wine glass pressed to her lips and her green eyes twinkling as she sits on the couch, alpine resting on her legs.

“i-” steve’s face contorts in thought, “gag gift. ‘had to be.”

you and bucky laugh again, unconsciously leaning into each other, “that’s nothing--” clint begins, settling his stare on tony, “last week, i saw tony step out of his suit naked--”

the avengers part into groups, those who want to have something on tony, and those who have enough. natasha and maria form their own where they talk about how exhausting it is to be the most mature in a room full of gods and ancient beings.

“nice flowers,” sam comments, eyeing the verbenas bucky put in the fanciest vase you guys have. “when’d you get them?”

“a day or two ago, i saw them in that cute little flower shop when i was coming back from a mission,” you reply. “i remembered verbenas are bucky’s favorite flower.”

steve nods, “his ma used to plant them every spring; daisies, forget-me-nots, and verbenas were always planted outside of the barnes household.”

you turn to look at your boyfriend, catching the pretty recognition in his eyes.

“so you just get them for him after each mission?” sam wonders after a econd, looking at you with his brows furrowed.

you nod, “there’s usually at least one bouquet with the ones he likes, so i get him one of them. why?”

sam’s shoulders raise, “i just think that’s interesting. ‘cuz i told you last week how much i liked orchids and i went on a mission two days ago.”

your lips curl into a grin, “i promise to bring you orchids from now on.” you offer him your pinky, wrapping it around his.

a day after everyone leaves, you and bucky begin to work on a small garden on your balcony, making sure to plant every single favorite flower of the avengers, as well as the same flowers bucky’s mother would plant-- right outside the apartment window so bucky would see them each morning.

[ezgithechaotic]

pushing up the dasies . peter parker

pairing: Peter Parker x Reader, Peter Parker x female reader

summary: Someone has been stealing Y\N's flowers, and she is determined to find who it is.

warnings: she\ her pronouns (don't know if this one's a warning), mention of the death of a loved person, graveyard

author note: I’m sorry in advance if I have any fault. English is not my first language. But please let me know if you see anthing that doesn’t seem right. I really have no idea if this is good or trash. I’m getting mixed signs. So, please leave a comment about what you think, love you.

As a comic book nerd, I personally love both Andrew and Tom's Spiderman. Just thought this story fit Andrew's more, but feel free to imagine Peter as your favorite! 

masterlist 

The first time you realized a few flowers were picked from your garden, you didn't think much into it. The kids around the neighborhood liked to play hide and seek around your garden. You thought; it should be Thompson's girl, she likes flowers. It wasn't something that never happened before. You would simply plant new ones, it was no big deal, you could never get angry at children. But after some time, you started to realize the pattern. Every month on the same day, you found a handful of your daisies gone upon returning from your part-time job. Mrs. Thompson swore her daughter would never do such a thing without asking, and after the third time, you were sure somebody was stealing your flowers. Maybe it was that gruff man across the street that never got along with people. But you had a feeling if he had to do anything with your flowers, it would only be blowing them up. 

Peter always wondered whom the pretty flowers and house belong to. The post box just outside the garden said Y\L\N, and he had always imagined an old sweet woman lived in the white-painted house with a green door. And Peter hoped he didn't make the poor woman too sad with missing flowers. Boy, was he wrong. You weren't old, and you were furious and determined to find the person who stole your beautiful daisies. 

Your friends always wondered why you liked living in such an old neighborhood. The house was one of the few things your mother left you after she died, along with the considerable amount of money in your bank account. You could always sell the house, find an apartment downtown, so you can be closer to school that's what your friends told you every time you had them over. But you loved the house. You loved that the house held so many memories of your childhood, especially your garden. Even though your mother was a busy woman, she had always made time for you and her flowers. At the age of six, growing flowers with your mother quickly became one of your favorite pastimes. That week you did what everyone would do, changed your shift with Mary Jane to catch the flower thief. 

So, no, selling the house or letting strangers steal your lovely flowers was not one of the many choices. 

Now, Peter Parker was many things, but not a thief. Well, it depended on what you would call stealing. Surely picking a few flowers from a random garden couldn't count as stealing. And God knows he wouldn't do it if he weren't penniless. Trying to survive college and paying for an apartment didn't leave him much. The money The Daily Bugle paid was shit. He had been selling photos for the damn newspaper since high school, but it was no use, Peter had to find a job that paid more than The Daily Bugle. And there was no way he was going to ask Aunt May for money, even though she would be happy to give him some. But that was another day's concern, for now, the only thing he needed to do was be quick. Because he knew if you found out that it was him who was stealing, sorry picking, your flowers he sure wouldn't be able to swing away this time. 

Peter honestly felt guilty about your flowers, they were lovely. And he knew this was a safe neighborhood, so he had no way of paying you back with saving you. He had been visiting Gwen every month since her death. It was one of the few things he could keep up with after he graduated high school. Daisies were Gwen's favorite. Peter knew he could easily find another place to pick the flowers, but he believed that there was something magical about the garden. He felt so much love around the house. Maybe it was a silly thing, but Peter thought Gwen would have loved that garden. 

Y\N had been sitting on her porch, hiding behind the dark blue armchair, actually too anxious to face the flower thief. You felt childish after some time. It was just a few daisies, right? There was no need to act like a crazy woman. As you were getting ready to go back inside, you saw him. He had an average height, brown messy hair. He was wearing a black t-shirt and an unbuttoned baby blue shirt with a greenish-brown jacket. Y\N's anger turned back the minute she saw him touch the flowers. 

"You, flower thief!" 

A moment before, Peter felt like his whole body was on edge as if bells were ringing in his brain. But he was already late to realize she had been waiting for him and there was no way to run, he wasn't wearing his suit. Where were the damn spider-senses when he needed them the most? So, he just stood there, speechless, his hand hanged above the daisies. She was pretty, as pretty as the flowers before him. Guilt heating his face, Peter couldn't help but stare at you with his eyes wide open like a dumbstruck idiot. He felt like his lunch was climbing its way back up. 

You were now, standing few steps away from him. "You've been stealing my flowers for months!" 

Peter held his hands up in defense. "Look, I can explain." 

Y\N put her hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised, waiting for an explanation. Your heart beating like crazy. Even though it was still bright and you were in the middle of a road, he was a man. A man taller and despite looking skinny, stronger than you. But you hold your face as still as you could.  

"Go on then." 

Peter couldn't find the words to explain. What was he going to say? Sorry, I thought my dead girlfriend would love your flowers so, I've been stealing them, I hope you don't try to kill me. No fucking way. His mouth opened and closed few times, making you sigh. You realized the boy wasn't going to give you any answer. He was probably taking them to his girlfriend or boyfriend. 

"Are they pretty?" you asked, dropping your hands. Peter, very confused, kept on staring at her. You rolled your eyes at how silly he was. "The person you're taking my flowers to." Something at the back of your mind hoped he would say they were for his mother. Now that you were closer you could see the sweet hazel color of his eyes. 

"Um-" His hand went up, scratching his neck. "She is." 

She was.

He shuffled through his pants pockets. "I have a photo-" 

"No." You stopped him. "I want to see if she is pretty enough for my daisies." 

"What?" Peter tried to grasp his head around the idea. 

"I want to see her and tell her that her boyfriend is a thief. C'mon." 

"I don't think-"  Peter was getting anxious, now. How was he supposed to tell you that her girlfriend was dead? 

"Of course you don't think." You started walking. "C'mon, now. Take the flowers." 

Peter didn't know what to do so he went with it. What could go wrong, right? 

"I'm sorry," Peter said after some time. "I have no excuse for what I did." 

His head hung low, watching his steps as he walked. He knew he would stutter if he looked at your face. Peter had a habit of getting tongue-tied around pretty girls. And, well, you were the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Mind you, he wasn't even thinking about Gwen anymore, which made him feel kinda guilty. 

"It's okay." You had your hands in the pockets of your jacket. "My life's been boring lately. You were the only exciting thing, I guess." 

"I'm sure you have more exciting things than me." Peter still didn't look at you but you could see him smiling.

"It's Y\N, by the way." You kept your eyes on him. "If you wanted to know the name of a woman you constantly robbed."

He laughed. "Peter, Peter Parker." His eyes finally met yours. It was ridiculous, how easy it was to just look at his face and feel safe even though he was a stranger. His smile grew even more. It was almost contagious, his smile. He had something about him that made you wanted to scream and purr like a cat at the same time. You felt yourself getting overwhelmed, he was making you weak at the knees. So, you pulled your eyes away from him. 

Pull yourself together, woman! He has a girlfriend.

You were too distracted to realize where was Peter taking you until you arrived. It was the same route you took whenever you felt like talking to your mother. Peter and you were standing just outside of the graveyard. Your head whipped around, turning to Peter. He had a soft smile on his face. 

"Peter, I-" 

"It's okay." 

"No, It's not okay." You took a deep breath, pressing your palms into your eyes. "I'm such a dick." 

"No, you were just mad at me." 

You slouched your shoulder, didn't know what to say. What would even one say in this situation?

"C'mon." Peter's warm hand was gently holding your arm, now. "Let's go see her." 

You didn't talk until you arrived at the tombstone. Peter put the flowers in front of it. 

"Daisies were her favorite." He had a sweet look on his face, he put his hands back into his pockets. 

"They were my mother's favorite, too." You murmured, but Peter could hear you perfectly. "I think that's why I overreacted you picking the flowers. I wasn't thinking." 

"Oh, It's not stealing anymore, then?" He teased. "It's okay, honestly. She would've liked you. You have that fire in you like you could make the world better just with a gesture of your hand. She liked that kind of people, that can light the room with their smile." 

"I think I would've liked her, too." You said, your eyes on the tombstone.

Gwen Stacy. 

Her name was familiar to you. You didn't know where, but you were sure you had heard before. Still, you didn't ask Peter anything, assumed he wouldn't be comfortable talking about it. You didn't say anything until you were out of the graveyard. You knew you would come back tomorrow to see your mother, but with Gwen on your mind. 

The more you looked at his face the more you could see him. Peter wore his heart on his sleeve, he was easy to read. "You blame yourself." You said, nodding your head slowly. You smiled after seeing the face he made. "It's okay, I know the feeling." 

"Your mother?"

"Yeah." 

Neither of you talked for a long time. Peter could tell you weren't ready to talk about it. He knew it wasn't easy to open up, especially to a stranger. It'd been years since he talked about Gwen, so, he knew the feeling, too. 

You felt your phone buzz in your pocket. It was a message from Mary Jane.  "Just arrived home, you owe me." 

"That's it!" You exclaimed, remembering your talk with Mary Jane. "That's how I knew her name!" 

Peter, looking very confused, asked you. "What?" 

"Gwen, her name was very familiar." Pocketing your phone again. "I have a friend, Mary Jane, who went to the same high school with Gwen. I've seen her in the yearbook. That's where I recognized her name." 

"You know MJ?"

"Oh, yeah," you laughed. "We met in Brooklyn, probably four years ago. I think it was very late, some guy was trying to get her number even though she said no, like five times. And I hadn't had the best day of my life. So, I punched the guy and told him to leave her alone. We have been friends ever since."

Peter was amazed. He didn't know how much cooler you could get. 

"You know her, too?" 

"Yeah, We've been friends for a long time. My aunt kinda tried to set us up."  

You laughed. Peter and Mary Jane seemed like two opposite characters. You would never imagine them together. But again, maybe Peter's pretty face was affecting your judgment. You didn't know. He made your mind foggy. At last, you found yourselves at your front yard again. Your eyes wandered over the empty spots that daisies left. 

"Would you like to get a coffee sometime?" Peter was leaning against white fences that surrounded your garden. He had that sweet smile on his face again. "So I can pay you back for daisies."

You bit your lips to stop yourself from smiling so much. "Gwen was pretty enough for them. You can have some once a month when I'm not looking." Peter was feeling like you were about to turn him down. Both of you knew this wasn't really about the damn flowers. But again, Peter was every so often wrong about these kinds of things. "But you know, maybe not Saturdays. I'm usually free for a cup of coffee on Saturdays." Peter was ready to feed himself with only pasta for a week if it meant he would get to see you again. 

You could visibly see Peter's eyes liting up. "Just one cup?" 

You shrugged. "Tea is fine, too." 

"I didn't know MJ had friends like you." He said, intensely watching your every move. 

"Like me?" You were so sure something bad was coming, he was simply too good to be true.

"You know, this beautiful. If I had known, I would have visited her more."

"Wow, you are hiding a monster under that pretty face, don't you?"  

[addictedtooverwatch]

Short Story - If a Tree Falls...

Alright, this is the first short story I've written in a while. I wrote this for my English class and I think it's good enough to share here. The main story and epilogue will not be in one big post, but this post and a reblog because this is pretty long for a single post.

Word Count of Main Story + Epilogue = 3,054 words.

Trigger Warnings (I've never done anything like this, so if there are any other warning you want me to add, let me know and I will):

Violence - I don't explain any injuries in much detail, but part of the climax scene could be a little disturbing as the main character is attacked and briefly gagged.

Death - No one explictly dies, but a dead character is discussed.

Aftermath of attack - Again, this isn't too bad, but the main character ends up passing out.

This isn't a trigger warning, but I would like to mention that the epilogue is a bit of a silly riff on Buzzfeed Unsolved Supernatural. I was watching it while I was editing and I decided to write an epilogue based on it... Anways, I had a lot of fun writing this and am really happy with it, but if you have some, constructive critism is always welcome. I hope you enjoy! ~ Nova.

If a Tree Falls…   

When I was little, Nana Delilah always told me to never go into the Green Byerl Growth. She said it was infested with things we shouldn’t mess with. She said that the forest could truly come alive, but she would never say exactly what would happen there. I would ask her, “Isn’t the forest already alive?” 

“Technically, it is,” she would say, “but you’ve never seen it truly alive. Alive in a way that would make you never want to leave the house again. Alive in a way that would lead to you never getting a wink of sleep again. It’d scare you so much that you’d forever feel like it was watching you.”

“How do you know that, Nana?”

“I had to learn that because of your father.” The conversations would always end like that. I’ve always wondered what he was like, my father that is. Nana never has any photos of him around our cottage, the ash walls barren and the granite countertops empty, but she said I looked a lot like him with the field of freckles across my face and my short cinnamon brown hair that, unwashed, would look like a bird’s nest. That would be all she ever commented on though, she would never mention where I got my emerald eyes or lanky limbs from. I assume it's from my mother, but I think Nana would rather die than talk about her. All she would ever say about my mom is, “Your mother is the reason you’re stuck with me.”

I wish she had told me what that really meant (it would have saved me a lot of confusion). 

-------------

It was a sunny day on June 28th, 1961 which was quite normal. The weather was always nice in Rosary Valley, no matter the season. It was our paradise sitting in a little pocket of North Carolina. You could grow pretty much anything you wanted here, but cypress trees happened to especially love the area. They permeated through the entire town and surrounding area mixed in with yew and wych elm trees. Nana and I grew a lot of plants in the area around our house. We mainly grew crops, but I loved our flowers. My favorites were the hyacinths, chrysanthemums, and lilies. Our plants always grew a little faster than normal, always looking brighter and more alive than usual, but they made good money for us so I would never ask about it (I should have). From what I could remember, Nana never got along with people that actually lived in town. That’s why I was the person to set up my white plywood cart in the center of town, selling whatever we harvested from our small fields or garden that day along with whatever photos I had recently taken. 

I won a polaroid camera by playing Mama Said by The Shirelles on my guitar at a school talent show. The camera was a light cream color, like the color that coffee turns to with enough milk, with a rainbow stripe right down the middle and a bright red button. I had been using it a lot since the school year had ended, taking photos of things I found in our garden. People had really loved the pictures I had taken of butterflies. I found a Pearl Crescent resting on a Blazing Star, a Black Swallowtail perched on a Bloodroot, an American Lady on a beautiful Eastern Blue Star, and a Mourning Cloak laying on some Foxglove Beardtongue.  I had also taken some photos of the three churches in town, each very different looking with walls of gilded blackstone, colored cinder blocks, and stained glass. I got paid a good amount for those photos. The churches also bought me more film to take pictures from the town’s post office once I had finished with their pictures. 

On that day, I had 12 photos for sale. Three were of the town’s broken clock tower at dusk the night before, four were images of a melanistic herd of deer in one of our broccoli patches, six were of a late clear night when I saw a myriad of fireflies, one was of a discolored midnight black rose, and one was of a Carolina Swamp Snake that was sunning itself contently on a rock near the Green Byerl Growth. I was able to sell most of them except the pictures of the rose and snake. While I was rearranging the remaining flowers I had, Ashur and a younger boy stolled over to my stand.

“Hey Allie, this is Jacob. I’m watching him for Mrs. Straus. Anyways, what are you going to be submitting to the art show next week?” Ashur asked. Ashur was one of my few friends. We went to school together and shared a love of being outside, but he was alway busy with work or babysitting. So, we never hung out much aside from during school, but people still thought we were siblings with how tall both of us were. Sighing, I replied, “I’m probably just going to bring some of my butterfly pictures. Or maybe I’ll bring these.” I handed them my remaining photos. 

“Oh, but that’s boring!” Jacob squawked as he shuffled between the pictures before handing them back to me. Humming, I took the photos, “What do you think I should bring then?”

“You should bring a photo of that rock in Poppy Acres!”

“No!” “What?” Ashur and I simultaneously said. Jacob leaned over one of the handles of my cart and continued, “You know that Poppy Acres is in the center of the Growth.” Ashur and I nodded.

“Well,” continued Jacob, “there’s a big rock in the center of the Poppy Acres that has some type of writing on it that no one has ever been able to read. You should take a picture of that for the art show, you’d win for— ”

“Yeah, but there’s a reason no one has ever read it,” Ashur interrupted harshly. He ran his hands through his wavy caramel hair, “Poppy Acres is in the middle of the Growth and doesn’t your grandma like, never want you to go in there?” 

“Yeah,” I nodded, “I think something bad happened to her there and she doesn’t want me to get hurt.” Something also happened to Dad there, but I doubt she’d tell me that. Jacob groaned and shook his head, “But it’d be so cool! You're the best photographer in town, so you could make it look really awesome and you’d win like $150!”

“I would?” “She would?” We asked Jacob simultaneously and he nodded his head. $150 would be a lot of money to win by just taking some cool pictures, I could get some really nice equipment with that money. 

“Allie, you can’t do it,” Ashur pleads. 

“How did you know I was thinking about doing it?” 

“Because you get a certain look in your eyes when you are contemplating doing something stupid.” 

“It wouldn’t be stupid!” Jacob roared. He spun around to look at the clock tower, “If you left now, you could go there and back before sunset.”

“You think so?” I asked. Jacob nodded enthusiastically, “I’d be awesome! Also, if you go, could you take some photos of bees for me? I heard there’s really friendly bees in the Growth and I want some proof so I can get my Mom to let me go in there.”

“You’re ten Jacob. Your mom isn’t going to let you go anywhere near the Growth until you’re older,” Ashur bluntly stated. 

“Well, then I want to go home! Take me home Ashur and let me know if you get the bee photos Allie!” Jacob exclaimed. 

“Okay! I’ll let you know when I get them Jacob,” I chuckled while Jacob started pulling Ashur away. Ashur started following Jacob with a frown painted across his face, he yelled back to me, “If you’re going, be careful Allie. I don’t want to lose my best friend to a stupid art contest.” I hollered back, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” And with that, I started packing up my cart. They disappeared behind a corner and suddenly, I was alone.

From there, I quickly packed everything up, pulled it along the red brick road home, and placed it back in its spot under a weeping willow that guards the front of Nana’s house. She wasn’t inside, she was probably out picking peaches since they were in season. I left a note saying, 

“I sold everything I could at the town center. I’m going to go take some photos outside for the art show since I don’t have anything I want to submit right now. I’ll be back before dark. 

Love you,

Allie.” 

Once the note was placed on her desk, underneath a green crystal paper weight, I grabbed my polaroid camera and placed it in my sage green backpack. I put my lucky emerald earrings on which were supposedly from my mom and I headed northeast, towards the Green Byerl Growth. 

It was just after 2 o’clock when I reached the entrance to the Growth. It was made of two flint colored columns, connected by an overgrown gold arch that had the words, “The light awakens the Ovlumber when the sun reaches the earth” engraved into it, though it took me a few minutes to figure out what it said. As I passed through the gate, I felt a sudden sense of guilt. I was doing the one thing that Nana had told me to never do… But it didn’t matter (at the time), I was going to make a shit ton of money off of these pictures (no, I wasn’t). She’d see that it was worth it when we’d be able to buy more camera equipment and whatever gardening related items she wanted. It’d be worth it. So, I continued on the cobblestone and coarse dirt pathway that never seemed to end, surrounded by the dense (impenetrable, really) forest made of sky-scraping redwoods, yews that held their hands out to you, wych elms with green hair, and oddly well-groomed cypresses. 

I walked and walked, moving further (too far) into the thicket when I finally reached the edge of Poppy Acres. It was odd (it was a sign), the unruly flora forming an almost perfect circle around the blanket of poppies which surrounded the aforementioned rock with only the dirt path leading up to the stone acting as a disturbance to the symmetry. It felt daunting to walk on the small path up to the stone (I should have just turned back), so I chose to look around the field first, avoiding the inevitable, and I realized a few things. One, it was much later than it should have been which meant I had been walking for longer than I intended to. It looked like the sun had fallen over, leaving a bloody trail of light on the upcoming night sky. Two, I don’t know if I found the bees that Jacob was talking about, but I did take some pictures of a bee sleeping in a poppy. Three, since it was definitely too late for me to be out alone in the middle of the Green Byerl Growth, I needed to hurry the hell up and take a picture of the rock.

So, I mustered up the courage and started drifting over to the stone, but I realized that it just wasn’t just some engraved stone in the middle of the forest. It was a tombstone. It was a pearly white marble with streaks of gold and light orange covered by vines and weeds that made it look eroded and decayed. It was cold to the touch which was strange considering the past few day’s high temperature. Gently, I moved some of its greenery aside to read what was carved into it and what it said sent a shiver down my spine, “Here forever rests Damien Alexander Lorelai - You made the forest weep.” I repeated the name over and over and over (he had my last name). I finally understood what Nana meant when she talked about Dad. I let out a wet breath, I needed to take the photo and leave. I shakily stepped back, making sure I had a good 50 feet between myself and the tombstone. Kneeling down, I held my camera to my eye, angling the lens to capture the entire gravestone of my late father. With a quick flash of light, the photo was taken, and Nana’s stories all came true.

The surrounding trees burst into action, unrooting themselves and closing in around me, using their branches to drag themselves closer, creating deep gashes in the ground. The poppies at my feet tried to pull me to the ground, winding themselves around my ankles, similar to how tomatoes wrap around their cages. I shot up and swiftly stumbled towards the center of the field (towards the gravestone), ripping up the red flowers as I went, creating a path of crimson red petals. My vision became blurry as I panicked. Unable to control my rapid breathing, I bumped into the tombstone, my back hitting the cold hard marble. Immediately, the previously unanimated flora that encircled the stone, reached around my neck and chest, securing me against the only reminder of where my father had been laid to rest. I began screaming and shouting for Nana, Ashur, Jacob, anybody that could help me (but it wouldn’t have really done anything in the end). I kept yelling and I would have continued until I was hoarse if a vine hadn’t shoved itself into my mouth, effectively stopping my desperate pleas for another person. Once I was muffled, I began crying. As tears dripped down my face, I silently hoped that if the forest killed me it would, at the very least, make it quick. Branches wrapped around my arms and legs, rough bark cutting my skin, and the vines’ flowers wrapped themselves around my face.

As my vision began to fade and I began to sink into absolute nothingness, a voice yelled, “ENOUGH!” With that only word, the trees and flowers returned to their homes of dirt, their roots sinking themselves back into their places, leaving Poppy Acres the way it was before I took that godforsaken picture. All that remained was me and a tall woman, who I assumed to be my savior, quietly staring at each other as I panted loudly. That was until she asked, with a honeyed voice, “Where did you get those earrings from?” I couldn’t remember what I was wearing, after the whole ‘almost being killed by fucking trees’ thing, so I took my earrings out then whispered, “My mom, I think.”

“You think?” the woman tilted her head. I shook my head and slowly stood up, “That’s what my grandma told me. I’ve never met either of my parents. Well, I’ve never met them alive at least.” She stepped closer to me as my legs shook like a fawn’s. My savior held her hands out and let me sink into their gentle embrace (there’s another reason I immediately felt so safe).

“What do you mean by that?” I emitted a shaky sigh and pointed to the gravestone, “I think that’s my father’s grave.” She let out a quiet, “Oh,” and hugged me. So many thoughts were racing through my head, but they all became foggy. I didn’t want her to let go, but I needed to go home. 

“What time is it?” I asked, looking right into her glowing emerald eyes.

“Very late.”

“I need to get home.” The woman hummed, “Alright, I’ll take you home, Alastor.” I didn’t remember telling her my name (I didn’t need to), but I trusted her. 

“Ok,” I replied, “can I sleep?” The woman picked me up, slipping her arms around my legs while I put my arms around her neck, “Yes, go to sleep, honey.” With that, I let the darkness which now draped itself around me like a soft blanket, take over. I fell asleep. 

Epilogue: Does it Make a Sound?

 “This week on Behind the Crime we are covering the Disappearance of the Rosary Valley Photographer,” began Bryan. Zayne raised his eyebrows, “That is very specific.”

“I know, now let me explain. On June 28th, 1961, fourteen-year-old Alastor “Allie” Lorelai went missing. Allie’s Grandmother, Delilah Lorelai, had found a note that day from Allie saying that they would be back later that night, but they never came back.”

“Did the note say where they were going?” asked Zayne. 

“All it said was that they sold what they could at the market that day and were going out to take photos.” 

“Ohh, so that’s where the photographer part came from.”

“Yes, that’s where it’s from.”

“They didn’t say where they were going?” asked Zayne.

“No, I literally just said what the note said,” Bryan responded, exasperated. 

“Ok, well why wouldn’t they say where they were going?”

“I don’t know, it was like 1961, people just did shit like that! Anyways, all that has been found in relation to the case was the following: a broken white and rainbow polaroid camera, four pictures of a bee laying on a poppy, one undeveloped picture, and a set of emerald earrings. Two boys, Ashur Lake and Jacob Straus, said that the last time they saw of Allie, they were going to be going to take photos in the nearby Green Byerl Growth for an upcoming art contest.”

“So… Allie disappeared in the forest, right?” questioned Zayne.

“We’re pretty sure, yeah.” answered Bryan.

“And the items found were definitely from Allie, right?”

“Yeah. It was their stuff and they planned to take pictures of some bees for Jacob.”

“One, how did they get the items back? And two, it’s Jacob’s fault then, right?”

“I wouldn’t say it was Jacob’s fault,” Bryan laughed, “but people think that a forest spirit took Allie and returned their items as a way to let people know to not come into the Green Byerl Growth.” 

“So, that’s why we’re here,” Zayne groaned.

“Yup,” cheerly replied Bryan, “today we are going to walk around the Green Byerl Growth here in Rosary Valley, North Carolina to investigate our ongoing question of, are ghosts real?” Bryan paused, looked behind him at the overgrown arch, then looked back to Zayne and asked, “Shall we?”