#one of my very lucky scatters lol

[moons-rising]

🔅 SUNDER & SHRED

decided to re-gene my XXY tan/cantaloupe G1 girls! they're hunters for the clan and love stalking prey~

[watchmegetobsessed]

UNOFFICIAL

A/N: i know, it's still not the 3rd part of one summer BUT at least it's something new! it is also based on a dream i had about my work crush lol

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

SUMMARY: You and Harry are in a temporary phase of bein unofficial, but you don't mind it, especially the tiny moments you share when no one is looking.

MASTERLIST | SUPPORT ME!

The pub is buzzing as always, the atmosphere is lively, warm, loud but not too much, most of the tables are occupied by the same usual people, glasses, ful, half full and empty are scattered all over every surface. The bartenders are working relentlessly behind the bar, one drink after the other lands on the counter.  It’s not exactly the hottest spot in town, but there’s a core circle that knows and loves the personality of this place and it brings them back every week.

Your group is part of those people, you’ve been spending Friday nights here for as long as you’ve been working at the university, which has been for over two years now. You were fresh out of your PHD studies, very excited to start teaching as a professor finally and who you are lucky enough to call your friends now welcomed you at the school with open arms. 

Sarah was the first one you connected with, women in STEM have a deep, instant bond, especially in a male dominant field such as physics. She invited you out for lunch on your first day and introduced you to the rest of the group. Mitch, the quiet but loving husband, Jeff who speaks enough for Mitch and himself as well, Pauli, the energy bomb and then there’s Harry.

It still makes you smile when you think of the first few months of knowing Harry. You were convinced he didn’t like you, because he seemed timid and tense in your presence, almost avoiding having even the simplest conversation with you. One night when the two of you ended up sharing a cab home from the pub and you had just one too many beers you questioned if you’d done anything to upset him.

He looked shocked and explained that he’s just a bit slow to open up to new people and he was also a bit taken aback by you and how extroverted and bubbly you were. He apologized if it all came off wrong, you laughed about it and it was already forgotten.

Since then, you’ve gotten the closest to him. In every way. 

Sarah is telling you about a funny encounter she had with a student this week, she always has the weirdest stories, you’re listening to her, but your sixth sense also kicks in and as the door of the pub opens you know it’s Harry even before looking there. 

He runs a hand through his hair as he looks around, his glasses fogging up a bit in the hot air of the place after the crispy, chilly october evening he has walked through. He was supposed to leave with all of you but he had to do a last minute consultation with a student, so he just told you to go ahead and he would join you later. 

You’re already smiling when he finally spots you and slaloming between the groups of people he finally reaches your table.

“Man, I thought we would have to go back and drag you out of your office,” Jeff teases him as he shrugs his coat off and takes the last empty seat by the table that’s right next to yours. His knee bumps against yours, your eyes meet and you force yourself not to turn into a giggling mess.

You and Harry have been dancing in a kind of a gray, unofficial zone for a while now. After the rocky start your friendship bloomed easily, but since last semester it’s been more than that. You have no idea when or how, but slowly, you just knew you were more than friends. It started with meeting without the rest of the group, having lunch or dinner, making plans, just the two of you, endless conversations, building a connection you’ve probably never had with anyone before. Secret glances, small touches, you fell for him without even realizing. 

The past month it’s been intensifying, but you still haven’t talked about it, not even after you kissed a few weeks ago. It happened at your place, so naturally and smoothly, you were cooking together, he had opened a bottle of wine and you were just having a good time, moving around each other in your small kitchen until you ended up pressed up together, noses brushing and he just leaned in and kissed you. It was soft and tender, warm and familiar even though it was a first. Like you were meant to be kissing all along. 

Then you just went back to cooking, had dinner and later that night when he left he pressed a kiss to the corner of your mouth and that was it. Neither of you felt the need to talk about it, but it’s been definitely hanging there between the two of you, you just haven’t had that last nudge to finally fall over the edge and right into this new adventure.

“Sorry, tried to be as quick as possible,” Harry chuckles as he looks around, his eyes settling on you last and you see a bit of sparkle in his eyes that definitely has your heart skipping a beat. 

With Harry’s arrival the group is finally complete and another fun Friday evening starts. You ventilate about work and students, then the boys play darts for a bit, Pauli wins as always and then Jeff challenges Sarah and Mitch to play foosball and see who’s the better player and the rest of you are watching their battle. The place is pretty packed, you’re standing by the foosball table and Harry is right behind you, nursing his second beer of the night. People are passing by towards the toilets and back to the bar, it’s noisy in there, but not too much. Harry’s presence behind you is warm and calming, his chest touches your back whenever someone walks past behind him, but he always pulls back, though you wish he would just stay. 

A guy chooses to squeeze past between you and the table, making you move back, bumping against Harry and his hand gently grabs onto your waist, the touch of his palm instantly spreading a buzzing warmth in your body. You fit his front so perfectly and you want to stay like this, but you can already feel his hand moving away, but you grab it and pull it back.

There’s just a split moment of hesitation in him before his whole presence softens and he melts against you, his hand resting on your hip as if it belongs there. 

You can’t help the smile that tugs on your lips, especially when he shuffles a bit behind you, his nose brushing into your hair and maybe you’re imagining it, but you swear you feel him kiss the back of your head.

Across the table Pauli just smirks as he catches what’s happening while the Rowlands are playing so determinedly like never before, but he keeps his mouth shut and returns to the game without a word. 

Harry’s fingers are gently moving, stroking you as you stay like that, until the end of the game, which Sarah wins. You want to pout when Harry lets go of you because you all move back to your table, but you swallow it back. After the ruthless game Sarah offers to buy a drink for Mitch so they head over to the bar and Pauli soon stands up as well.

“Jeff, come out for a smoke with me,” Pauli pats his shoulders.

“I’m good,” Jeff nods at him, oblivious to the fact that Pauli is trying to give you and Harry some alone time.

“No, you need to come. I wanna talk to you about something.”

You just laugh under your breath as you hear Jeff asking Pauli what’s so important as they make their way outside, leaving you and Harry alone at the table. Neither of you dares to look at the other, not because it would be weird but because you know the pull would be way too strong. 

Instead, Harry reaches over, his hand finds yours in your lap and he laces his fingers through yours, resting your intertwined hands on your thigh. For some reason you feel the urge to finally try to address it for the first time.

“Is it still something unofficial?” you ask and dare to look at him. 

“We can make it official,” he shrugs with a tiny smirk and you just want to climb over and kiss him stupid when he is being so cheesy.

“I kind of like it being unofficial. Because… it’s just ours for now,” you admit. 

There’s nothing you want more than to explore whatever it is that’s between you and Harry, but this phase is so comfortable and only yours, you want to be selfish just for a little bit more and keep it to yourself.

Keep Harry to yourself.

“Unofficial it is,” he chuckles and ignoring the buzzing crowd around, he pulls your hand to his lips and kisses the back of it before letting go of it as Sarah and Mitch approach the table. 

For the rest of the night, it’s all just stolen glances, tiny touches underneath the table and no one comments on just how close the two of you are sitting. It’s kind of funny how obvious it is to all of your friends, but they let you stay in your little unofficial bubble just a little longer. 

You share a cab home and Harry kisses you on your doorstep before getting back into the car. In the morning he texts you if you want to have dinner together and of course you do. You spend the weekend in your bubble, but soon enough, you slowly dance out of the unofficial phase and by the end of the semester everyone knows that you’re a couple.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed and buy me a coffee if you want to support me!

[casuallyobssessed]

Fairytales & Firesides - Bodyguard!John Wick x Fem!Reader ❥ 6.1k Words

A/N: My Keanuverse Secret Santa gift for @at-wicks-end, hosted by @97keanu ! I hope you love it! P.S. I don't live in an area that gets snow, sorry if this is inaccurate! 🫶🏼

Before You Read: bodyguard AU, fluff, canon typical violence/descriptions of violence, short-ish slow burn (I tried lol), angst, no beta, use of Y/N, :3c

gif creds to dalekinapaintedparadise - divider by bleachbambi

Archive of Our Own Link

Winter crashes into the mountains like a raging bull, forcing you inside for the foreseeable future. Sleet and snow dominate the weather forecast, rendering the outdoors dangerous in more ways than one. While the snow comes down, you could usually be found tucked away in your home library. Warm light from the fireplace bathes you in an orange and red glow as you curl up in your comfiest chair with one of your many books. This has always been your treasured safe space. 

At least, it was, until things with your uncle got more complicated. For a while now, you've been living in one of your uncle's mansions, kind of doing whatever you want. He allows you to stay there only because you promised to look after the place every winter when there aren't as many people around to help on the property due to the snowfall in the mountains. 

Your uncle, Diego, is into some pretty shady stuff. Gangs, drugs, secret societies? You name it, he has his fingers in it. Recently, Diego had some kind of drug deal gone bad with a very prestigious group of people involved. Since then, they've hired a hit on your uncle and any of your family that they can get their hands on. A distant cousin, one aunt, and your great grandfather have all fallen victim to revenge killings. Diego fears that you could be next since you live in one of his properties, so he's hired a selection of bodyguards for your protection.

Unfortunately, the newly hired muscle made your comfort space feel more like a prison. As silly as it might sound, you felt like a princess locked away in her secluded tower. Being a full grown adult, something like this seemed like overkill. You didn't need twenty four seven protection from everything that goes bump in the night, but you were dependent on Diego’s generosity, so you accepted his offer of security with gritted teeth. 

As the time passed, your bodyguards came and went. You never had the same one for more than a week at a time. Many of them were kind to you, and thankfully, only one of them had been a creep. They were promptly dealt with (according to Diego, anyway). 

It didn't take too long for daily life to start losing its spark. You plowed through a good portion of your books in the first couple of weeks. This prompted you to start writing your own book. Really, it was more of a journal documenting your experience, but who said it couldn't be both? 

The guards were usually your only contact with the outside world, so you appreciated your conversations with them. Trading stories of their heroic actions for your recounts of the fantasy books you had been reading, you were able to keep your imagination running wild and your notebooks full of ideas. 

After one particularly difficult week, Sunday rolled around and it was time for a new guard. You bid farewell to the previous one and patiently waited to meet the lucky new bodyguard. Diego would brief them on their duties before they were dispatched to your side. You just hope they were kinder than the last. 

Your newest guard is set to find you on the floor in your library, busy reviewing pieces of your story journal. The click of the door opening snatches you back to reality, turning your attention to the man entering your sanctuary. Standing up, you step over your journal and various papers scattered around the floor, and slowly walk over to where he stood. 

“Good Morning, Ms.Y/N,” His voice is as smooth as honey.

“It's nice to meet you,” You offer your hand and he takes it, giving it a firm shake, ”What's your name?” 

“John. I see that you're busy, I'll keep out of your way.” 

John looks past you, at the chaos spread about the room, and gives you a curt nod before assuming his post by the door. You return to work on your journal, hoping he doesn't notice the urgency in your writing as you occasionally steal glances at him, documenting the handsome new guard. 

John is not a bad looking man. He stands a good bit taller than you with slicked back, dark hair and a matching, well groomed beard. He has beautiful brown eyes that twinkle as though they hold the secrets to the universe. Maybe that last part is all in your head, but there's certainly something mysterious about this man that captivates you.

Out of your way is where John stays for the next couple of days, quiet and mostly indifferent to your presence. He followed you whenever you left your library but kept a distance either in front or behind you. At night, he sat on the couch in the far corner of your room. Under normal circumstances, it would have made you too uneasy to have someone watching you sleep, but after weeks of constant surveillance, you were used to it. 

Come the third day, you are determined to break the ice with him. Two days of no conversation other than one word responses was driving you mad. It never took this long for a guard to warm up to you. So, you decide that you are going to try your best to get some kind of response out of him. 

Small talk definitely isn't going to work. This man is clearly not one to gossip or discuss the weather with. Your first attempt is to ask him about current events. ‘What's the world like out there right now? Anything important happening that I should know about?’ You're met with only a shrug and a small, well meaning smile. Strike one. 

Next, you try asking him about himself and his home life. ‘Have anyone at home missing you while you're busy here? Do you have any pets?’ Unfortunately, these questions don't receive much of a response either, not even so much as a shrug. The look in his eyes hardened after the first question, though. You figure it's best not to push it. Strike two. 

For your last attempt, you decide to ask him if he has any interesting stories about jobs he's had in the past. This was a common question you had for your guards as their answers would usually help inspire your writing. ‘Do you have any cool action stories or experiences you could share? I can tell you about some of the books I've been reading in exchange!’ Finally, John looks at you with somewhat of an amused expression on his face. It's the most emotion you've gotten out of him, so far, but he doesn't say anything. Strike three. You're out! 

…Or are you? 

John shifts on his feet before clearing his throat to speak, “I suppose there are a few I could share with you.” 

“Awesome. Let me grab my notebook,” you say incredibly calmly, desperate not to give away your excitement. Mentally, you're doing a celebratory victory dance. 

-

For hours, you two trade stories. His were outlandish, but true. Each story is more nail bitingly exciting than the last. Yours range from the worst romance novels you've ever read, to the best fantasy books you have shelved in your library. You filled half your journal with wonderful ideas thanks to John. And on top of that, it seems like he is getting more comfortable with talking to you. It's an overall win-win for you. 

That night, you become keenly aware of John in the corner of your room, reading one of the books you suggested to him. You're not sure what changed, but you feel very differently about having him here. Sure, you feel protected, but something inside you has started to feel warm and gooey knowing he's always nearby. Maybe you just need a good night's rest. It's been a long day. You snuggle up underneath your comforter and drift off to sleep. 

The next morning you wake yourself up from tossing and turning. You can't catch your breath, you're completely flushed, and your heart is racing. It takes a moment, but suddenly your dream from last night comes flooding back and you're blushing like a schoolgirl. 

You had a dream about John. Oh God. Your cheeks must be burning bright red from embarrassment. Looking over at John, he is seemingly still asleep. His eyes are closed, head leaned back, arms crossed on his chest, and legs spread wide. You wonder what would happen if you were to crawl between those long legs and… Nope! Nuh uh! Shaking the rogue thoughts from your head, you promptly get out of bed and make your way to the bathroom. You need a cold shower, pronto. 

Upon returning from your shower, John was finally awake, reading the same book from the night before. Realizing you’re back and wearing only a towel, John excuses himself and steps outside the door to wait for you to change. 

You don't know how you're supposed to face him, but you know that the thoughts you're having aren't fair towards him. John has been completely professional with you while he's been here and it would be inappropriate of you to cross that line. 

Getting dressed quickly, you pick out a pair of plaid pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt. Never leaving the house has some perks. You rarely have to get dressed up in stiff, fancy clothes unless you really want to. Days like today, you can lounge around in pajamas with no consequence. 

Once you’re finished dressing, you leave your room and briskly walk past John without a word. You don't necessarily want to be cold towards him, but until you get a grip on yourself, it's probably better that way. 

John dutifully follows you back to the library and posts up by the door. You tend to the fireplace, rekindle it as needed, and then plop yourself onto the bench next to the window adjacent to the hearth. Frost is crawling up the edges of the window, obscuring your view only slightly. As you stare out into the wintry wonderland, you try your best not to think about John and the contents of your dream. 

Instead, you focus on the snowflakes as they dance down from the sky in a flurry and collect on the ground below. With how soft the snow looks, you have no trouble imagining yourself making the perfect snow angel, right in the front yard. You're not sure if going out there is the best idea, given the weather and the unpredictable danger, but a little freedom might just be what you need right now.

Maybe if you move fast enough, you could get past John and escape outside. It was worth a shot. You nonchalantly rise up from the bench and silently shuffle back to your room. John trails along behind you, looking moderately confused. You hurriedly shut the bedroom door, accidentally closing it in his face.

“Sorry, John! Give me a minute, I'm changing again,” You call out.

A muffled ‘Okay’ can be heard as you dig through your closet looking for your puffy winter coat. You find it half shoved in the back corner, dangling precariously on its hanger. After pulling your coat on, you slide into your snow boots, wriggle your fingers into your gloves, and head towards the front door. 

As fate would have it, a big coat and snow boots are not the smartest choices when you're trying to move fast. You make it as far as the foyer, reaching for the door handle before he stops you. So much for keeping your distance from him today. 

“Ms. Y/N, where do you think you're going?” John grabs your arm tightly enough to keep you in place. You try shrugging him off, but he's got too strong of a grip on you. 

“Outside. I want to see the snow.”

“You can see the snow from in here,” He responds as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. 

“I want to feel it, John. I want to remember what it's like to breathe fresh air.” 

“It's my job to keep you safe. Inside,” He replies sternly.

“I'm going out and you are not going to stop me,” You spit back at him, putting your foot down. 

John reluctantly lets you go and takes a step back. He considers you for a moment before he speaks again.

“Fine. Diego won't be pleased, but at least let me put on my coat.” 

You oblige his request and wait for him patiently until he returns wearing his heavy, black coat. Though you do feel a little bad for how you spoke to him, you don't regret it. You have been cooped up in this house for far too long. 

John insists on stepping outside first to make sure it's clear before allowing you to follow him. The second you cross the threshold, cold, crisp air hits your face and you breathe a sigh of relief. Being inside all the time gets incredibly stuffy and winter isn't the ideal time to be opening windows to air things out. You stare up into the sky as snowflakes land on your face, only to melt against your skin. 

Everything is still and quiet. From the house to the trees, it's a peaceful, untouched spread of snow, give or take a few sparse animal tracks. Off to the side, John is watching you and your surroundings with a sharp eye.

You trudge around in the snow looking for the best place to make your masterpiece. Just in front of the windows to the library, you find the perfect spot. 

Without another thought, you fall back into the snow, moving your arms and legs to create the shape of a snow angel. You feel as giddy as a kid, smiling ear to ear and laughing like a fool. Who knew something as simple as playing in the snow could make you feel so happy, so free? 

“John, come on! Make a snow angel with me. Please?” You’re begging him to have some fun with you even though half an hour ago you were plotting how you could avoid him indefinitely. 

His footsteps crunch in the snow until he's standing over you with a smile almost as wide as yours as you look up at him. You feel as though the heavens have opened up and you're staring directly at an angel. The frost nipping at your nose pales in comparison to the heat bursting inside your chest. 

He solemnly shakes his head at you, “I can't, I'm sorry.”  

You stay like that for a bit until the cold from the snow starts to overwhelm you through your coat and pajama pants, sending chills down your spine. You stand up from the ground to admire your handiwork. It's a solid outline if you ignore John's big footprints in the snow above the head. You decide it's an easy eight out of ten.

Satisfied with your creation, you move on to your next activity. You scoop up a handful of snow and pat it into a ball in your hands. Luckily for you, John is turned away, distracted by something off in the distance near the trees. Now’s the perfect chance to strike. 

You wind up your arm and toss the snowball at him, smacking him squarely between the shoulder blades. Pumping your fist in the air, you holler out a loud ‘Yes!’

You hear an exasperated sigh come from John, and quickly, you realize you may have messed up and taken things too far. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-” Your apology is cut off by John whipping around, grabbing a fistful of snow, forming it hastily in his hands, and then throwing it at you, landing in the center of your chest. 

Stunned, you let out a loud laugh before returning fire. John obviously has the better aim of you two. Missing every other shot was an improvement for you, while he was landing every hit flawlessly.

Unsurprising to you, John ends up as the winner of the snowball fight. You gave up once your stomach started rumbling and you realized that you hadn't eaten any breakfast yet. Hungry and defeated, you head back inside with your bodyguard in tow.

In the foyer, you strip off your coat, gloves, and boots, tossing them to the side. You had plenty of time to worry about them later. John hangs his coat up carefully on the coat rack and turns to you expectantly. 

“Thank you for going out there with me. That was a lot of fun,” You exclaim while rubbing your hands together to bring back the feeling in them. 

“It can't happen again, but you're welcome,” He looks genuinely sorry. 

“I know,” You understand the danger, but you wish things were different, “Are you hungry? I can make us some mean pancakes.” 

“Sure, Ms. Y/N,” Once again, John is smiling at you and it's enough to ignite even the coldest parts of you. There was no way on earth you could keep trying to avoid him when he made you feel this way with just a smile.

-

Breakfast went off without a hitch. Well, there may have been a minor hitch involving the pancake batter, but John stepped in and saved the day. He ended up offering to take over the process entirely, and you agreed. That gave you a chance to watch him do something besides stand still and look all serious.  

Once you’re done eating and all the breakfast dishes are clean, you scurry back to your library with John right behind you. Your journal and miscellaneous papers are still spread around the floor from the night before. John had really given you some wonderful stories to fuel your imagination, and now it's time to incorporate them into your book. 

By the door, John stands perfectly still, aside from the sly glances he throws your way. Seeing him stand over there by himself tugged at your heartstrings a bit after the eventful morning you've had. It suddenly felt very selfish to have someone on their feet, at attention, all day and night just for you. From your seat on the floor, you gesture to the chair right beside you.

“You can sit down if you want. I'm sure you can still protect me from any threats just as well over here.”

“Thank you for the offer, Ms. Y/N, but it's in your best interest if I stay here.”

“Are you sure?” You think for a moment and then continue, “What if I said I felt way more safe with you sitting next to me?” 

John gives you a hint of a smile before quickly resuming his professional poker face, “I really shouldn't… but if it makes you feel safer, I guess I can do that.” 

You lean over and pat the cushion of your comfy chair, encouraging him to sit. He makes his way over to you and sits in your chair, sinking down into it like it was made for him. After a few minutes of sitting together in silence as you worked, you begin to wonder when the last time he was truly able to relax was. 

“Hey John?” You look up at him, journal in hand.

“Mhm?” His voice thick with unease as he looks down at you.

“Can I read you some of what I have written so far? Will you tell me what you think?” 

“Sure.” 

Ever so slowly, John starts to truly relax as he listens to you. He spreads his legs just so and lets his shoulders ease back into a comfortable position, listening to you intently as you tell him your story enthusiastically. You stop occasionally to get his opinion on a set of dialogue or how a sentence is phrased and he's more than happy to advise you. By the end of the day with him, you've completely filled another notebook and you've fallen totally head over heels for John. 

-

The next few days pass by in a blur. John assists you in nearly completing your book, lets you sneak outside again (a couple, glorious times), and he even makes breakfast for you on Saturday morning. 

On Saturday evening, knowing that he'll have to leave soon, you convince him to have a movie night with you by letting him pick whatever movie he wants. You make a huge bowl of popcorn for the occasion and get settled on the couch while John peruses your Uncle's movie collection. He decides on an obscure western you've never heard of, and settles onto the couch, leaving one seat's worth of space between you for the popcorn bowl. 

Subconsciously, you wish he was sitting closer, but you'll have to settle for accidentally touching hands while reaching for popcorn at the same time. 

So far, the movie is a total snoozefest. You wouldn't dare say that to John, considering he seems to be enjoying it. If it weren't for his proximity to you keeping your heart racing, you definitely would have nodded off by now. Surprisingly quickly you run out of popcorn, so you set the bowl on the coffee table to get it out of the way and break down that final barrier between you and John. 

Half way through the movie, you find yourself scooting inches closer to John. You hope he doesn't notice, but something about him just has a magnetic pull that draws you in effortlessly. 

-

Now three fourths of the way through the movie, you start to feel brave. Taking notice of how lonely his hand looks resting on his thigh, you make the bold move to place your hand over his during a particularly high action scene. His hand is warm against yours and the feeling sends tingles through your fingertips. 

You're pleasantly surprised when John doesn't shrug you off, but instead looks over at you with a small smile, before lacing his fingers with yours. Your heart is thumping inside your chest as he gives your hand a squeeze, but you're sure it's going to explode when he lets go of your hand to pull you into his lap. 

Your senses are overwhelmed as you get a light whiff of the warm spice of his cologne as you lean in close, taking all of him in. His hands are gently holding your hips as you wrap your arms around his neck. You look to him for silent permission before closing the gap between you, pressing your lips against his. The feeling in the air is positively electric as his lips meet yours. 

-

The two of you stay like that for what feels like hours. John's the one who breaks away from you first, looking absolutely debauched. His hair is slightly tousled, cheeks and lips are brushed red, and the lustful look in his eye is burning a hole right through to your center. 

It's him who decides to ignore the tenting in his pants and politely recommends that you go to bed. As much as it kills you to do so, you reluctantly peel yourself off of him and go straight to your room to take another painfully cold shower. 

Your entire night is filled with another round of tossing and turning mixed with racy dreams featuring your bodyguard, who never finds his way into your room throughout the night. You assume he's keeping watch from the living room, only slightly neglecting his duties of having an eye on you at all times. 

-

Saying goodbye to John the next morning may have been one of the most difficult things you've ever had to do. No amount of begging or tears could have changed Diego's mind. ‘Getting attached to these people is like falling in love with a mutt you know you can't keep. They're here for your protection, Y/N, not for you to play with.’ His words stung. Even if it was the truth, you didn't want to hear it.

With tears in your eyes, you watch through one of the library windows as John's car retreats down the driveway. The hole in your chest feels massive, like it’s destined to swallow you whole if you aren't careful. Holding yourself tight, you curl up in your comfy chair and cry. It's the only thing you can muster the energy for. 

-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

You're startled awake from your sleep by loud, insistent thuds of the brass door knocker echoing throughout the otherwise silent house. You're not sure how long you’ve been out for, but the sun has gone down and the only light left is coming from the crackling embers in the fireplace. Rubbing your eyes, you drag your feet to the front door and open it without thinking twice.

Standing on the other side is a wall of a man. He has to be taller than John by at least half a foot, and twice as wide. He's wearing a simple black suit, not unlike something one of your bodyguards would wear during their time here. That must be it, he’s the newest guard hired by Diego. Since you had been asleep, you haven't checked your phone yet to see if you had any missed calls from him.

“Y/N, I assume?” His voice sounds like gravel, in an unpleasant sort of way. It lands roughly on your ears and makes you wince.

“That would be me. Did Diego send you?” 

The man ignores your question and gestures towards the foyer, “Can I come in? It's freezing out here.”

“Uh, yeah, sorry, come on in.”

As you step back to allow him through, he slams a massive hand against the door, knocking it wide open and shoving you harshly onto the floor. Before you can make sense of what's going on, he's got a hand in your hair, dragging you further into the house. 

You kick and scream as he lugs you down the hall and into one of the spare bedrooms. You try digging your nails into the back of his hand but he doesn't seem affected by the pain as he picks you up off the floor and tosses you onto the bed. The second he lets go of your hair, you scramble off the bed and towards the door. In a flash, the man grabs you by the ankles and drags you back over to the bed. 

This time, when he chunks you on the mattress, he produces a gun from his waistband and places the cold barrel directly against your forehead.

“Don't move again or I'm gonna blow your fuckin’ brains out.” 

Your eye twitches as you stare at him, afraid to even blink. He puts the gun back in his waistband and reaches into a pocket inside of his suit jacket. Out of his it, he pulls a pair of shiny metallic handcuffs. 

You're tempted to make another run for it, but you recall the feeling of his gun against your skin and you decide better of it. He grabs one of your wrists and slaps a cuff onto it, and when he reaches for your other wrist, you snatch it away. 

This appears to be your second mistake of the night. The man rears back and slaps you harder than you've ever felt before. 

“Stop acting like a brat,” He hisses at you. 

Tears well up in the corners of your eyes as pain shoots through the side of your face. You barely register it as he successfully grabs your hand and places the remaining cuff around your wrist a little too tightly. The cuffs dig into your skin painfully, taking your mind off of the pounding in your head.

The mystery man paces around the room checking the windows and shutting the bedroom door before stopping in front of you. He places a hand on your shoulder and clears his throat to speak. 

“All right, listen. Here's how this is gonna go. When I get the go ahead from my Boss, I'm gonna kill you. Until then, we wait.” 

You shrug his hand off your shoulder and your brain starts to spiral into full blown panic mode. There's no way you can muscle your way out of this. You could try playing the money card, he might fall for it. 

“You don't have to do this. Do you want money? My uncle can pay you double whatever your boss is paying. Call him, I'm sure he-” The man presses a finger to your lips, shutting you up. 

“Stop talking.” 

With that, he goes back to pacing around the room, occasionally checking his phone for that green light to take you out. Your mind races a million miles an hour as you pull against the handcuffs, knowing you can't slip out of them. Sniffles fill the room while your eyes start watering again. The man gives you a disgusted look as your breathing quickens and your lip trembles. 

“Are you really crying right now? Give me a fuckin’ break. This is just business. Eye for an eye type deal,” He snarls before going back to the window.

“Shit. Shit!” 

He sees something he clearly doesn't like, and backs away from the window. In a huff, he's grabbing your arm, and snatching you off of the bed. You resist, pulling away from him and stumbling backwards. The man growls before charging at you, grabbing your waist, and hoisting you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

“Put me down!” You scream and pound your fists against his back to no avail.

With his other hand, he pulls out his cell phone and makes a call that goes unanswered. He hastily leaves the bedroom and carries you down the hall, heading towards the kitchen. You try to grab everything you can as you pass by to try and slow him down: the walls, picture frames, even a curio cabinet that only topples over and smashes, littering the floor with glass. Unaffected by your attempts, he stops in front of the back door, overlooking the patio. 

“Hope you like the cold,” He grumbles and opens the door, cold air blasting into the house. 

Not giving you a chance to resist this time, he walks out into the snow and tosses you on the ground, landing you hard in the snow. 

“Get up, come on,” He's got his gun out again, pointed directly at you, “Towards the trees. Go!”

You try to collect yourself to stand up, but you're shaking so bad that you can barely keep your balance on your bare feet. Lacking the patience to wait for you to get a grip, he tucks an arm underneath yours and starts dragging you along again. 

The cold bites against the skin around your cuffed wrists. Your feet are so painfully frozen, they almost feel warm as you try to keep up with the man holding a gun to your head. 

It's a long walk to the tree line and by the time you make it there, you can't feel your feet or hands anymore. Your pajama bottoms are soaked through from the snow and you're convinced there's no possible way you can take another step, so you don't. You collapse at the base of the nearest tree, slipping out of his grip. 

“Any last words?” The man raises his pistol to your head once more, “I'll make this quick.”

As you look up at him, your attention is drawn to the black outline of a figure running through the snow behind him, about halfway between the house and the trees. Your brows furrow in confusion, prompting the man to turn around and follow your gaze. 

“What the fu-” You watch in disbelief as a sickening splatter of blood, bone, and brain matter explodes from one side of his head, tainting the bright white snow with a glistening red. All that can be heard besides your own heavy breathing is the loud crack echoing against the mountains. The light disappears from his eyes as his body crumples beneath him, landing with a soft crunch as the snow packs down underneath. 

You'd scream if you could feel any part of your body, but the best you can do is screw your eyes shut and hope you're not next. Your tears freeze against your cheeks as you cry and hold your arms as close to your body as you can for warmth, even if it's futile. 

Not long after, you hear fast approaching footsteps stomping through the snow, headed right your way. 

“Y/N?!” Your eyes snap open. You know that voice. 

“J-J-” With how bad your teeth are chattering, it's hard to speak. 

In an instant, John is in front of you, pulling off his coat to wrap around you. He crouches down to eye level with you and places both hands on your cheeks, looking at you, his deep, brown eyes are full of concern. 

“Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

You're not sure how to answer that question without crying even harder, so you just lift your hands up to show him the cuffs digging into your wrists. He seemingly understands what you're trying to say and turns towards the unmoving heap of a man on the ground. He searches through the man's pockets, pulling out a wallet, a cell phone, car keys, and finally, the keys to the handcuffs. John unlocks the cuffs quickly and tosses them into the snow beside you before gently rubbing the sore areas around your wrists. 

“Let's get you inside, hm?”

You nod eagerly and try to stand up with him, but you can't feel your legs and you end up losing your balance again, almost toppling over into the snow. Thankfully, John catches you before you hit the ground. 

“I c-can't-”

“Shh, I've got you. Hold on to me,” He reassures you. 

With that, John is placing your arm around his neck and picking you up bridal style. The walk back to the house seems even longer and colder than before. You hug his neck tightly as he carries you, hoping that your shaking doesn't bother him too much.

-

John carries you into the house, past the broken glass and snow that's blown in from the open doors, not stopping until he reaches your safe space, your library. He sets you down in your comfy chair and kneels down while holding your hand. 

“We have to get you out of these wet clothes, is that okay?” His tone is soft and sweet, yet urgent. 

Again, you nod and let him help you out of your freezing, wet pajamas. He starts with your bottoms, tucking his fingers under the waistband and pulling them down your legs. Next, he pushes the coat he gave you off your shoulders and carefully helps you lift your arms up to slide off your shirt. He dumps them in a soggy pile on the floor next to your chair.

“I'll be right back,” He pats your knee comfortingly before leaving the library.

You sit alone and shivering for a minute until John returns with a big, fluffy blanket. 

“Do you think you can take your underwear off by yourself?”

You look at him with wide eyes and then down at your hands. With how bad they are still shaking, and the fact you only kind of have feeling in them now, you aren't sure what you could do by yourself. 

“I'll help you. I won't look, just wrap yourself up in this.”

John wraps the blanket around the front of your body, then reaches around behind you to unclasp your bra and places it on top of your shirt in the pile. He kneels down again and reaches beneath the blanket, slowly pulling off your underwear and dropping them on top of your bra. You can feel your cheeks heating up from embarrassment, and you're glad at least some part of you seems to be warming up. 

Now that you're free from the clutches of the wet clothes, John turns away from you to relight the fireplace. While he's occupied, you pull the blanket around your shoulders and hold it closed in front of you, still partially numb to the fact that it was John who came to save you and you did not die back there. 

When he's finished with the fireplace, John comes back over and kneels on the floor in front of you, grabbing your hand and holding it tightly, like you'd float away if he lets you go. He still bears a twinkle of concern in his eyes but he doesn't say anything else. Together, you sit quietly, thawing out your extremities and regaining some of your composure. 

You’re first to break the silence once you're feeling properly warm again. 

“You came back?” You whisper.

“Of course I did, Y/N. I couldn't stay away.”

[northstarscowboyhat]

I know your art (which is bedazzling, btw!) is primarily about staroba, but I gotta ask. How is my favorite “vampire”, Dalv doing in your Lucky Clover AU?

First of all, thank you so much! I know I tend to hyperfocus on the Staroba and Clover end of the AU, given my obvious bias LOL. But it was about time I designed Dalv and Martlet, so two for one special!

Dalv is in his late 30s and doing quite a bit better! He's still quite introverted, but has more of a social life in Snowdin! In the time that's passed since Clover chose to live in the Underground, he's become a very successful children's book author and illustrator and gains a ton of joy from that. Overall he's living a bit more of a quiet and peaceful life despite his past struggles, but he's quite content with that! He still in contact with Clover and the others and they visit him fairly often.

Martlet is in her early 30s, and she's just as energetic and spry as ever! She still has some scatter brained tendencies, but she's a lot more responsible and a lot more independent now. She also still lives in Snowdin, though she flies to the Oasis Valley like, daily, to see her buddy Clover LOL. She quit her job with the Royal Guard and took up carpentry, and is successfully running her own independent business! She's upbeat and cheerful, but she generally tries to keep a low profile in Snowdin. Despite it being quite a few years, there's still some rumours and talk about why a Royal Guard in Snowdin suddenly quit her position...

[iitsarss]

𓎟𓎟 reader x gr13f3r　 messy room　 ◞ ◟

ꔛ word count: 784⠀╱⠀established relationship 。

(¬_¬")⠀⠀⠀note ⠀╱⠀idk how to write i just did this,based of one of my bots lol srry if he isn't acurrate

After six agonizing months, Griefer—also known as Brad—was finally free.He had spent far too long in that stuffy hospital, and now, at last, he could return to his normal life. Video games, beating up people who annoyed him, and most importantly, spending time with you! Sure, you had visited him every day in the hospital,—which also ended in you both crying while hugging and Griefer apologizing for everything, although he would never mention it again in his life, it was way too embarrassing or at least that's what he thought—putting that aside, for Griefer it wasn’t the same when you visited him in the hospital.He missed the....freedom.

Today was different though; it was a perfect day for a date! The sun was shining, the heat was just right, and after a few hours of hanging out, Griefer felt a sense of ease wash over him. But there was something he had been wanting to ask you for a while now—something that had made him nervous every time it crossed his mind,you haven’t even been once to his place,sure you and Griefer had been dating for a while now,but before the venomshank incident you two only dated for at least 2 months and you haven’t been there even when you only were his friend,he normally told you that his place was “too cool for you to go there”,he was just a stupid asshole,a cute one though.

As you walked side by side, Griefer finally gathered up the courage to ask, his voice slightly hesitant,looking away for some seconds before looking at you.

"S0... W4NN4 C0M3 T0 MY PL4C3? 1 M34N, W3'R3 B0TH K1ND4 T1R3D 4ND 4LL... PLU5 Y0U H4V3 N3V3R B33N TH3R3..."

His heart raced, and a million scenarios played out in his head. What if they said no? What if they didn’t like the idea? What if- 

“Hm,sure,sounds good” You said while giving him the most beautiful smile he had seen in his life—he really was down bad—He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding—this was his lucky day.

The way to his house,or more precisely room, was very tiring and long, why did he even live in that uh,mountain..? Whatever 

As you both stepped into Griefer's "house," the reality of his living situation hit you like a wave. The place was a total disaster—clothes scattered all over the floor, half-empty snack bags lying around, and sticky Bloxy Cola dripping from a shelf. A deck of cards was scattered across the coffee table, and in the corner sat a giant cage that you knew housed his gorilla mascot. Griefer, with his arm draped casually around your shoulders, didn’t seem too concerned about the mess. He was more nervous about having you over for the first time, and when he glanced at your face, he noticed something: a hint of hesitation or discomfort. He couldn't quite tell.

He stopped in his tracks and removed his arm from around your shoulders to face you, raising an eyebrow with a look of concern.

"H3Y... B4B3, Y0U 0K4Y?"

His voice was soft as he studied your expression, hoping—no, praying—that everything was alright. His fingers fidgeted nervously as he waited for your response.

“Griefer, this place is a mess—”

The words seemed to hit him like a punch to the gut. His face fell, and for a moment, it looked like you had just broken his heart. You felt a pang of guilt, wondering if you should have softened your tone. But it was the truth. You gestured around the room, arms wide open, pointing to the chaos surrounding you. “When was the last time you even cleaned this place?”

Griefer gulped, his eyes darting everywhere except at you, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. God, he was terrible at hiding his anxiety.

"H4—CL34N? PFF7—1T’5 N07 TH47 B4D!"

He looked around the room again, his shoulders sagging as he took in the full extent of the mess. Okay, maybe it was actually really bad. With a resigned sigh, he stepped closer to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder.

"4LRIGHT, 1T'5 K1ND4 B4D—1 PR0M15E 1'LL CL34N 1T."

“Kinda bad?” you teased, raising an eyebrow.

He let out a frustrated grunt. "4LRIGHT, 1T’5 V3RY B4D."

In the end, you convinced him to clean up every corner of the room. He picked up clothes, tossed every can of Bloxy Cola into the trash, and wiped down every shelf. Though he grumbled and complained at first, a few kisses—and a little make-out session—soon had him smiling again, happier than ever to have you by his side.

[rougepancake]

Here is my revised request lol

Where it's a one-sided love/crush with yushiro, mitsuri, Obana, and Lady Tamayo, how the reader wishes them all the best but also just wants them. If there is even a sliver of chance for them to return their one-side love. If you feel like it, maybe they might have someone who is helping them move on from the one side love?

Get ready for this to hurt.

And if you’re in love, then you are the lucky one.

FT. Yushiro, Kanroji Mitsuri, Iguro Obanai, and Lady Tamayo. Gender Neutral reader.

WARNINGS: Angsty as hell. I drew the title from the song Youth by Daughter. Some reciprocation in Obanai’s. I also hope I did Yushiro justice. I’ve never written for him before. Um pretty emotional overall. Don’t forget to put on your sad music while reading this. These are going to be pretty long. Some were very obviously cut short due to how long they were getting, for that, I apologize. Please bear with me 😭

YUSHIRO

Each day you awoke longing for a purpose, and every time the day failed you. It wasn’t until you caught wind of the Demon Slayer Corps that things finally started to look up. It seemed perfect. You’d undergo training and then participate in a simple survival event. Of course, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. The training you underwent was harsh, and the final selection was even worse. Each time the sun set you feared for your life until you remembered that this was the challenge that you had been waiting for. You claimed it to be your calling, despite not being very good at it.

When it was all said and done, you picked the metal for your weapon and went about your business. There had only been one other person to make it out of the selection alive. You remember being surprised. How could so many people have trained so hard only to lose their lives? One would have thought that they would have been properly prepared before entering the challenge. Though, you were hardly prepared yourself. It was nothing but sheer luck that kept you alive, and you were more than grateful.

It wasn’t long before your crow had begun to send you all over to complete missions. Each demon you encountered seemed to be much stronger than the last, a thought that frightened you. With each one you killed, you felt yourself growing more powerful. Your breathing techniques were perfect, it was just your lack of physical strength that caused you to struggle. But you weren’t too worried about it. If you had been able to take down the ones before, then there was nothing stopping you from taking down the one now, right?

Right?

That’s what you thought when you chased the lower rank six of the Twelve Kizuki into a corner. You were sure that it had nowhere else to go, which would ensure that you’d be able to kill it and move on to the next place. You were sure that if your stance was just right, then you’d be able to land the perfect blow and come out victorious. But you were wrong.

The demon wasted no time freeing itself of your presence before appearing behind you suddenly. Your heart had dropped, leaving you with nothing to do but hope that a fellow demon slayer would sense your distress and come to your aid. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The foul beast beat you within an inch of your life, leaving you to drown in your own blood. You cried as you lay there, unable to move. Your life had been short, but you were willing to accept it as it was and move on to the next one. Everything faded to black slowly, and you heard the sound of oxides speaking over you as you lost consciousness. You recalled smiling at the sound. They sounded like angels.

Approximately three days later, you awoke. You didn’t recognize the room you were in, which put you in edge. Bandages covered numerous wounds scattered across your body, an observation that led to you noticing your uniform top was missing. Thankfully you still had the bottoms on, or else you would’ve felt incredibly uncomfortable. You groaned in pain as you sat up. Your head was spinning.

“We thought you wouldn’t make it.” A gentle, feminine voice spoke. You turned to look at the speaker, your eyes landing on the most beautiful woman you had ever seen. Her skin was pale and glossy, her eyes an alluring shade of purple. She was elegant. She was an angel. Behind her stood a slightly shorter man. While he too was beautiful, you noticed that he looked far from pleased at your survival. The woman saw you avert your gaze and followed it, giving the man a stern look before turning back to you. “You may call me Tamayo,” she paused, “and he is Yushiro. Would you mind telling us about yourself, demon slayer?”

“How do you know I’m a…” you trailed off and sighed. Of course. They must be demon slayers themselves if they recognized your uniform. “I don’t really have anything notable to say about myself. I joined the Demon Slayer Corps in hopes of being able to do something with my life. Before that it’s all mundane,” you frowned and swung your legs over the side of the bed. You winced as your feet hit the floor. If only you had died. You would’ve spared these people the trouble of looking after you. You met Tamayo’s gaze. “Are you affiliated with the Corps?”

She hesitated, stuttering slightly before simply smiling at you. “Why don’t you join us out here for some tea,” she suggested. Her response confused you, but you nodded nonetheless. She and Yushiro left, giving you some time to explore the room you were in. Your uniform top was folded neatly atop a nearby chair. You reached out and grabbed it. The thing must’ve been torn to shreds by that demon, seeing as there were many different colored patches decorating it. You sighed and slipped it on over your head.

Your body ached with each move you made, yet you persisted. Slowly, you made it out of the room and into the hallway. You followed the sounds of voices to an open room that appeared to be the main room. Tamayo had her hands folded neatly in her lap as she spoke to Yushiro, who had his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees. He gave you a disgusted look before continuing his chat with Tamayo.

Hesitantly, you sat down with them, resting your legs neatly to the side. Tamayo turned to look at you before taking a deep breath. “You asked us if we were affiliated with the Corps in any way. To tell you the truth, we are. We know of them and they know of us.” Yushiro scoffed. “But we ourselves are not demon slayers. We are demons that exist freely of Muzan Kibutsuji’s control.” Your eyes widened. You had no clue that such a thing was possible. “We mean you no harm, truly. Our goals align with those of the Demon Slayer Corps.”

She gave you a second to process the information. You had so many questions, but you feared being rude. Sensing this, she gestured for you to go on. “How did you break free of his curse?” You were immediately answered by an annoyed sigh from Yushiro.

“Such a foolish question! Do not ask Lady Tamayo such things!” He glared at you.

“Yushiro. It is only right for them to ask questions. Don’t shun them,” she paused, mulling over her next words. “I spent many years trying to free myself of Muzan’s control. But it wasn’t until I was spared by a very kind man that I was freed. Since then, I have dedicated my life to the study of both demon and human biology,” she hung her head slightly, averting her gaze. You could tell by her tone that she was thankful to have been spared. It nearly brought tears to your eyes.

“What about Yushiro? Was he not a servant of Muzan too?” You asked slowly, tilting your head. Yushiro crossed his arms and looked away, biting his tongue to avoid making Tamayo upset.

“Ah… Yushiro. He had a chronic illness that kept him bedridden for years. His condition would worsen each day I was taking care of him. He was practically dying before my eyes. I gave him the choice to go on living that way, or to be cured and live longer as a demon. There weren’t any promises I could make him about the treatment’s effectiveness, but I couldn’t bear to watch him suffer.” You listened in awe. She was so sweet, and you thought that it was the most amazing thing.

“So you…” were a human. You looked at Yushiro. These two beings before you had rejected their existences as demons and chose to aid humans instead. It really was quite wonderful. “You two… are amazing.” Tamayo’s eyes widened at your words. She seems taken aback by your honesty. Yushiro seemed equally as stunned, his eyes briefly looking over at you. After all, it was rare that they weren’t treated like the monsters that they were.

“Why… thank you.” Tamayo smiled softly, a light hearted expression gracing her features.

Over time you began to heal. The everlasting soreness in your body had finally begun to fade, which allowed you to help out around the house. Tamayo had gone out and bought you a casual yukata so you wouldn’t constantly be in your uniform. You wore it whenever it was clean to show her how much you appreciated it. Oh she was so sweet to you. Yushiro too. Since the time you had first joined them, he had really warmed up to your being there.

The two of you would often go out together and pick herbs for Tamayo. He knew all of the right places to look, and how to tell if what he was looking for was ripe or not. You admired his knowledge on the topic, often remarking on his experience when you were out. Every now and then he’d show you what you should look for, but you were mainly just there to provide some form of protection if the need arose. Not that you didn’t think he was capable of protecting himself— it’s just that Tamayo stated that it would be better if you went out and kept watch for him.

This time was just like the last, but only in the sense that you were on the lookout for other demons while he was working. It seemed that recently your feelings toward him had changed. He had grown close enough to you to tell you about his feelings for Tamayo, and you had grown close enough to him to realize that you had fallen for him. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just made things a little awkward for you.

“Here. Hold this,” he huffed as he shoved an armful of the plants into your arms. “Lady Tamayo said that she needed a lot this time,” he mumbled to himself. You nodded with a sigh. He admired her so much, and she only saw him as a friend. It was comical when you didn’t think about the pain that it caused him. In many ways, you and him were similar. But you knew he didn’t want to compare himself to a mortal being such as yourself.

“What else did she say she needed?” You asked, peering over the heap of herbs in your arms to look at him. He had frozen in place, his eyes narrowed. “What is it?” You whispered, now on edge. Instinctively, you reached out for your sword, dropping the herbs in the process.

In the blink of an eye, Yushiro pushed you to the side and blocked an attack from the demon that he had assumed was following you through the forest. He groaned as he fought it off, wincing at the relentless assault. You quickly rose to your feet, katana in hand, and leaped at the monster. You managed to cut its head off with one swift movement.

“Are you alright?” He asked, quickly turning to look at you. His hands grasped your cheeks, moving your face around to see if you were hurt in any way. The action caused your face to flush. Yushiro noticed that your face had gotten slightly warmer, taking his hands away and giving you a confused look before turning and picking up the herbs.

“Can I… tell you something?” You asked slowly, attempting to aid him. He moved away from you and muttered a sharp ‘no’.

The walk home was spent in awkward silence. Maybe he’d realized how you felt about him. Maybe not. You weren’t sure, and it bothered you horribly. He kept his distance from you, his head turned so he wouldn’t have an opportunity to glance at you. It broke your heart. In such a short amount of time, he had begun to mean everything to you, and yet, you were nothing. He’d push you to the side and focus on Tamayo, you were sure.

And you were right. In the days following that little incident, he avoided you. He went out by himself everywhere and hardly spoke to you when he passed by. It pained you more than you had thought, seeing as Tamayo could sense your hurt. She sighed as she stood outside of your room. Emotions to her were like a wavelength that she could visualize. What you were feeling was strong enough to suffocate her. It only made her worry about you.

“Can I come in?” She asked slowly, knocking gently on the door. You mumbled a response and she walked in. “Is everything between you and Yushiro alright?” She sat down next to you on your bed, her concerned eyes meeting yours.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. We just ran into a demon the other day, so it’s got him shaken,” you frowned, turning your head away from her. You could feel your lip quiver. Just thinking about it made your heart ache. After a few more seconds of sitting there, you sighed. There was a possibility that she could help you through your emotions. You turned back to face her, your tone slightly wistful. “I think I love him, Tamayo. There’s no realistic way for me to tell him or even be with him because he’s not human, but I feel so strongly for him in a way that I’ve never felt about anyone before…” you hung your head.

“I see…” she trailed off. There wasn’t really any form of advice she could offer you and she felt bad. “Don’t fault him for not knowing his emotions well enough to properly respond. He may not fully come around, but he will want to start being around you again,” she placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Just give it time.” You nodded, biting the inside of your cheek as you thought.

Just give it time.

But you didn’t have the time he did. You were doomed to die much sooner than he could ever dream of.

Tamayo left you alone with your thoughts. Of course you wanted to listen to her, but you knew it would be best if you didn’t. There was no sense in waiting when he had his heart set on Tamayo. And that hurt you more than anything. You laid back onto your bed, frowning.

Just give it time.

MITSURI

For years you had been a hashira alongside Mitsuri. Rengoku had trained you both when you joined the corps, but even then you had known her prior to serving in the corps. The whole reason you became a demon slayer was because she wanted to. She just didn’t want to go through it alone, which was fair. While Rengoku had taught you his breathing technique, neither you nor Mitsuri had resonated strongly with it. You made the choice to invent your own technique called ‘ice breathing,’ and she followed suit. Together, you made your way up the ranks and became hashiras.

It seemed that you did everything together.

If she were assigned a mission, she’d drag you along with her. If she wanted to go out to town, then she’d ask you if you wanted to go. Even your estates were in the same village. You really just couldn’t escape her.

It didn’t bother you much though. She was your friend, after all.

But you couldn’t help but want more. You had wanted more with her for such a long time you felt you were beginning to lose your mind.

There had been many times where you had gotten her alone to confess, but each time was interrupted by her crow calling her out to take care of something. Each of the hashira could see that you had fallen for Mitsuri, with the exception of Obanai. He had steered clear of everyone as soon as he gained the title of hashira. You on the other hand, had not. Tengen had been a good friend of yours outside of Mitsuri.

Actually, he had been the one talking you through the whole process. He claimed that since he had three wives, he was the right guy to ask. Because of this, you found yourself in many odd situations in the name of love. Unfortunately, Mitsuri just didn’t notice. She had always been told that she was undesirable because of her appearance, and yet, she was the most beautiful woman you’d ever seen.

You had a plan this time. A plan that was slightly guaranteed to work. Even if it didn’t work in your favor, it’d still work. You’d get her alone under the stars and propose. Yes, propose. Marriage amongst hashira wasn’t really accepted, due to the circumstances of the title, but no one had to know. As long as you had her you’d be happy.

“So what’re you going to do when you get her alone?” Tengen asked, attempting to lift up your spirits. He’d promised to keep the whole thing a secret, which you’d greatly appreciated. You couldn’t have been more thankful for his help. Especially now that you were so in need of it.

“I’m going to take her hands, look into her eyes and tell her how I feel!” You nodded, your expression serious. All of this seemed rather silly, but his enthusiasm was making you feel better.

“That’s right! And what’s she going to do?” He wrapped a large, beefy arm around your shoulder, pulling you close to him with a grin. You chuckled and pushed him away.

“Yes!” You paused, looking away in embarrassment. “This feels stupid,” you sighed, shaking your head. “Why are we doing this again?”

“We’re doing this so you won’t back out at the last minute,” he raised a brow as he looked at you. His hands landed on his hips. Why was this grown man full of such sassiness? You rolled your eyes.

“I’m not going to back out!” You argued, but to no avail. Tengen mocked you with his hand, a smirk growing on his lips.

“I mean, if it doesn’t work out you can always marry me,” the taller man spit out nonchalantly. His words caused you to choke on air. You gave him a look, feigning disgust as you stared at him.

“Yeah no, I’ll pass,” you shuddered at the thought.

“I’m just saying.”

You sighed once more, looking out at the scenery. The sun was beginning to set, which meant that you would soon be alone with Mitsuri. The thought both scared and excited you. After all, you’d finally get the chance to tell her a secret that you’ve kept for so long. Even if she didn’t feel the same, at least you’d get the satisfaction that came with finally having your question answered.

The stars shined brightly overhead, perfectly visible from the tree you had chosen to sit under. Mitsuri would be arriving any moment now. Any moment. Your heart rate only increased as the seconds passed. Tonight was different from all of your other attempts, but only in the sense that you were asking to be bound to her forever. Well, either way you’d be with her, but you wanted to be with her.

“There you are!” Your friend cheerily called out, grinning as she sat next to you. “I’m so sorry I was late! Iguro gifted me these pretty green socks and treated me to some sweets afterward! They were the most delicious sweets I’d ever had!” She giggled gleefully at the thought. “Oh if only you had been there! Did you know that Iguro is actually a sweetie? Oh he’s such a sweetie! And he’s cute, too! I had to refrain from blushing the whole time, it was so embarrassing!” She continued to giggle, trailing off when she remembered that it was you that had asked her to join you. Her face flushed and she looked up at the sky. “So how come you wanted to hang out all the way out here?”

You swallowed, hanging your head in shame. Of course. Obanai. Your heart ached as you sat next to her. She had said he was cute, but that didn’t mean anything, did it? She said that about everyone she liked. Your hands clutched your slayer uniform. This was foolish of you. There was no way you had thought that you stood a chance at getting with Mitsuri. It was almost laughable. You had no idea how Tengen entertained the idea for so long.

“Hello…?” She leaned forward and waved her hand in front of your face. The motion pulled you from your thoughts, causing you to jump slightly. “Ah! There’s my friend! I was starting to think I’d lost you!” She smiled widely and giggled once again.

“My apologies,” you forced a nervous chuckle, your face flushing a light shade of pink. Thankfully she didn’t notice. “I didn’t mean to zone out on you.” Your heart pounded. You needed to leave as soon as possible. You couldn’t bear to be around her in this moment. It was hurting you. “I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about—“

“Caw! Head west to the nearest town! Caw! Get moving! Get moving!” Mitsuri’s crow called out. Its raspy voice ruined the moment entirely, making you frown. Your friend rose to her feet quickly, giving you a sympathetic look.

“Would you like to join me?” She asked sweetly, but you declined. “Alright! I’m going to go find Iguro and see if he wants to go! I’ll see you later, friend!” You waved, giving her a soft smile as she ran off. As soon as she was no longer in your line of sight, you ran to find Tengen. He’d promised you that he’d stay in the area for your sake, a promise that you really hadn’t expected to see through.

You ran, your breathing heavy and your heart heavier. You cursed yourself mentally for being so stupid. Actually, you were mid swear when Tengen stumbled upon you.

“Woah there! I’m guessing that things didn’t go well?” You shot him a glare before simply breaking down. He took a step back, unsure of how to handle the situation. Of course he’s comforted people before, but that didn’t mean that things like this didn’t catch him off guard. After a few seconds of watching you cry in silence, he stepped forward and hugged you. In all actuality, he had thought that you had this in the bag. He really saw no reason as to why you wouldn’t.

You never really explained things to him until the next day, which even then you were reluctant to do. Of course he had told you that you should go out for it again, but you disagreed. Obanai made her giddy in a way that you felt you couldn’t, so you saw no point in competing.

Things would be easier if you just stayed her friend.

OBANAI

Days turned into weeks that turned into months. Soon those months would turn into years. You had been staying at the home of Shinobu Kocho for ages now due to an injury you had received while you were away on a mission. The demon had nearly taken off your arm, breaking several of your bones in the process. Thankfully, you were able to kill if before it could kill you, but it resulted in you calling for aid.

Only a handful of your fellow demon slayers had set aside time to visit you, including your close friend and fellow hashira Gyomei. Each time he visited you he wound up sobbing, praising you for your resilience and bravery. He cared a lot for you, and your recent incident had caused him to worry about you more than usual. He had even set aside missions to help Shinobu take care of you. He was a true friend.

Aside from him, only one other hashira had come to visit you. Iguro Obanai.

Obanai was someone that you didn’t really know all too well, despite both reaching the rank of hashira at the same time. You had always been friendly with him, of course, but it never really went farther than that. You thought of him as alluring and slightly mysterious. His silence intrigued you, as did his mask and his snake. He was an enigma in your eyes.

With your curiosity arose some issues. The deeper you dove into his history, the more you found yourself longing to get to know him. You couldn’t even think about him normally without getting slightly flustered, which upset you. After all, your feelings towards him were rooted in your curiosity, nothing more.

“How are you doing today, my friend?” Gyomei’s voice met your ears. He ducked as he entered the room, walking over and sitting on the chair next to your bed.

“Not too bad, actually,” you grinned, “I was able to walk around the corridor earlier! You should’ve been there! I didn’t even need help standing!” You chuckled softly and Gyomei smiled softly. Tears began to slide down his cheeks as he faced you.

“You are so strong! I’m so happy for you!” He clasped his hands together, tilting his head back dramatically. You rolled your eyes, smiling. “I hope that you continue to do well!” Your smile only grew at his enthusiasm. He was sweet, that was for sure.

“Gyomei, I’ve got a question for you,” you asked slowly, waiting for him to calm down some.

“What is it, dear friend?”

You shifted in your bed, suddenly feeling nervous. “What do you know about Obanai? I know it’s odd, but I can’t help but be curious. I don’t really know too much about him. Though, now that I think about it, you probably don’t either. He doesn’t talk much,” you sigh, chuckling softly. He was confusing, that much was true.

“I know only what I’ve been told,” your friend paused, “which is very little. I’m apologize, friend,” he rose to his feet, his hands still clasped together. “I will make time to visit you again next week. I cannot wait to see how much better you are doing then!” He smiled once more before leaving.

Your time alone was brief. The door closed, only to open again, revealing the man that you had just asked about. All you could do was offer him a smile. He walked forward some and sat, looking at you for a few seconds before audibly taking a deep breath.

“How are you?” He asked bluntly. The snake around his neck eyed you, its tongue reaching in your direction.

“I’m just as good as I was yesterday,” you tease but he doesn’t react. Talking to him is like talking to a rock. “They had me walking down the hallway earlier, which means that I should be doing more by the end of the week, though, it just depends on what Shinobu has to say about my condition.” You smiled. He was really good at getting you to ramble so he could avoid conversation. You found it funny, in a way. He’d rather listen to you speak than have to talk.

“Here, I brought you this,” he reached forward, revealing a brand new haori. You gasped at the sight. It looked just like the one you had lost when you got injured. Grinning, you took it from his hands and held it in the air to get a better look. Its resemblance to your old one was impressive. You hugged it and giggled.

“How did you get this?” You look up at him. His face looks slightly flushed, but you think nothing of it.

“I heard that you didn’t have your old one anymore. I know a seamstress in the town over, so I commissioned her to make you a new one.” He wasn’t about to tell you that he had memorized the patterns from observing you so often. No, that sounded weird. He was hoping that you wouldn’t question him any further.

“Thank you, Obanai. I really appreciate your gift.” You looked down at the haori, playing with the fabric between your fingers. Hopefully you’d be able to wear it soon.

After that, Obanai began to miss days. Once he had come in with Mitsuri, which hurt you to see. They looked happy together, so you couldn’t really be too upset, but it did bother you some. Each time he stopped by, he seemed to be less talkative than before, which you didn’t know could happen. With each day he missed, you seemed to be getting better. Within a week, you were able to go out on small missions in the nearest town. A few days after that, you were finally back to your regular routine.

Shinobu had discharged you from her infirmary, which meant that you finally got to return to your own estate. With everything going on, you had yet to stop and check in with Gyomei. You felt bad about it, but you couldn’t just skip out on these missions. There had been so much in your area that you hadn’t been able to take care of, and you needed to get to work on it.

“Caw! Head east, head east! Caw!” Your crow’s cries echoed into the air. Its shrill voice never failed to make you cringe. “Dangerous! Backup will be there! Caw!” You sighed and continued on. Hopefully it would be Gyomei.

You reached the area, looking out at the dark forest that threatened you. You couldn’t help but wonder what had hidden itself in there that was considered dangerous enough for you, a hashira, to need backup.

The sound of footsteps caused you to draw your blade, pointing its edge at the culprit. Obanai didn’t even jump, looking at you with his hetrochromatic eyes. He seemed surprised to see you already out in the field, wearing the haori he got you, no less. His face flushed slightly and he pushed past you, hoping you didn’t notice.

“Sorry about that. I’m a little on edge,” you admitted, sheathing your blade and catching up to him. “I didn’t know you were in the area.”

“Pure coincidence.”

“Right…” you eyed him before nodding. “So how’s everything back at the headquarters? I know you live relatively close to it. How are the others?”

“They’re all fine.”

“Gyomei too?”

“Gyomei too.” His tone got slightly more bitter at the mention of Gyomei, something that nearly went over your head. You froze, giving him a confused look.

“Do you not like Gyomei?” You tilted your head, your brows furrowing.

“I find him to be very respectable.” He paused. “… how do you feel about Mitsuri?” His question only confused you more.

“She’s a great slayer, and really sweet. I like her,” you caught up to him once again. “Why…?”

“Are you and Gyomei engaged?” He blurted out, turning to look at you. You were caught so off guard by his gaze that you took a step back.

“Of course not! He and I are just close friends! I thought everyone knew that.” Well clearly not everyone knew that. You cleared your throat, looking out around you for any signs of danger. Weird. You weren’t sensing anything. “What’s all of this about?”

“Nothing, I—“ he cut himself off, continuing on with his walk. He stopped again and turned back to face you. “Mitsuri and I aren’t engaged either.”

He turned back around, not wasting any time heading deeper into the forest. Your body was frozen in confusion. That whole interaction was weird. You shook it off and ran after him.

You couldn’t help but feel better now that you knew about him and Mitsuri, though. Yes it was weird, but it had bothered you since he had stopped coming around. Truth be told, you had fallen for him not long after he had begun his daily visits. The fact that he cared enough to give you his attention daily made you feel like you were special, and you liked that. Who wouldn’t?

Once he came back into sight, you slowed down, making sure he was aware that it was you instead of a demon. You rested your hand on the hilt of your katana, following him in silence. That’s how the rest of the mission was spent, in silence. The two of you never really found the supposed dangerous demon, but you didn’t mind. At least now you could rest easy knowing that you stood a slight chance with your fellow hashira.

LADY TAMAYO

For as long as you could remember, you had been under the care of Lady Tamayo and her assistant Yushiro. Your life prior to joining them was a memory that eluded you. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t remember how you had met them. They had tried to explain it all to you before, but it never made sense. Demons? Demon slayers? It all sounded like a fairy tale.

Tamayo had entrusted you with taking care of the garden out behind the house, a duty you had accepted happily. You enjoyed watering the various herbs. Their lives were just as valuable as yours, and you made sure to treat them with as much tenderness as you could.

Every now and then Tamayo would come and help you, but that was rare. She usually spent her time inside, studying away at human biology. It interested you some, but you knew better than to interrupt her.

When Tamayo wasn’t available, you’d spend your time with Yushiro. He never really got a say in the matter, but thankfully he had learned to stop protesting a while ago. The two of you were walking down the streets of the town the house was hidden in. Despite it being late, there were many vendors that were still open. Their resilience intrigued you. You reached out and tugged on Yushiro’s sleeve, smiling softly.

“Do you think that Lady Tamayo would like this?” You asked, holding up an intricate painting of a woman looking at the moon. Yushiro looked at it, his eyes widening slightly. He was impressed by the strokes on the canvas. Tamayo was fond of art, so of course she would like it, but Yushiro didn’t want her to favor you more than she did him. He crossed his arms.

“Get it. But make sure to tell her that I helped you pick it out,” he said stubbornly before turning to walk once more.

Eagerly, you bought the painting, carrying it under your arm as you followed Yushiro. He stopped suddenly, holding his head in his hand. You recognized this behavior, grabbing his shoulder and leading him off to the side and sitting him down. He looked pale than usual, and you sighed.

“When was the last time you ate?” You asked, setting the painting to the side gently. The man only grunted in response, pouting as he avoided your concerned gaze.

“… last week…” he mumbled.

“Last week?! You know you’re not supposed to go that long without food!” You panicked and looked around. Nobody could see you. With a huff, you scooted towards him. “Listen, you can feed off of me just this once. It’s too risky to have you roaming the streets while starved,” you sighed, “you must’ve felt like you were going insane! Oh come here…” you pulled down the shoulder of your kimono, revealing more skin than you would’ve liked. Yushiro eyed you. The thought of eating even a bit of your flesh scared him. What if Tamayo found out? What would she think of him?

“Hurry up!” You whispered through your teeth, giving him a glare. He was taking way too long to make up his mind. Unfortunately, you didn’t have time. He sighed and leaned forward, taking a bite out of your skin.

About five minutes later, the two of you returned to the town. He seemed to be in a better mood now, which was good. You just couldn’t believe that he was walking around while hungry like that. Things would’ve been bad if he had snapped.

“Hey Yushiro?”

“What?”

“Do you think Lady Tamayo likes anyone?” You asked as you readjusted the painting. It was random, but you couldn’t help but be curious. His cheeks flushed a rosy pink and he sighed.

“I don’t think so. She’s too focused on doing her duties to set aside time for things like romance,” he frowned slightly as he spoke.

“Hey Yushiro?”

“What?”

“I think I like Lady Tamayo.” Your words made him choke on nothing. He hadn’t expected that in the slightest.

“You and me both…” he mumbled, leading you back to the house.

Tamayo loved the painting, choosing to hang it at the end of the hallway. Every time she saw you she made sure to thank you for the thoughtful present. Her compliments made you giddy, usually causing your face to flush a little.

You felt that your feelings for her only got stronger with each day that passed. Hell, you couldn’t even think of her without getting butterflies in your stomach. It was beginning to get in the way of your work. On times she’d come out to the garden to help you, you wouldn’t be able to speak. You were sure that if you said something, you’d butcher it so badly that you’d have to ask Yushiro to end your misery.

You sighed as you pulled another weed from the ground near the garden. The herbs were looking great, despite it being their off season. The luscious green plants surrounded you. They were nearly big enough to hide you completely, and you took great pride in that fact.

“Hey, are you ready to go out? Lady Tamayo said that she needed some time alone for a while.” Yushiro’s voice caused you to perk up. You nodded and gave him a smile.

“Hold on! I need to change real quick!” You stood up and went inside to your room. It didn’t take you long before you were standing in front of Yushiro, asking him what the plan was for tonight.

“Let’s stay in town.”

“Alright.”

There weren’t as many shops open tonight, unfortunately, so you and Yushiro just took to heading towards the park in the middle of the town. It was a small park, but that didn’t stop it from being beautiful. You sighed as you sat down onto the grass. A part of you wished to find another gift for Tamayo, but your options were limited.

You looked up at the moon, taking in its glory in silence before turning back to your friend.

“Does your love for Lady Tamayo ever cause you pain?” You asked.

“Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“Yeah.”

A part of you understood what he meant. Sometimes she was so beautiful that it caused your heart to throb in agony. Maybe it was because you knew that she would never be yours. Either way, your giddy love for her was beginning to torment your weary soul. You didn’t enjoy being around her simply due to the fact that her sweet words wouldn’t fail to cause you some sort of pain.

“Yeah…” you repeated, sighing once more.

[albed-hoe]

Heart-pounding Performance

Characters: Lyney x M!Reader

Summary: Lyney may be a bigger fan of Teyvat's greatest male popstar than he thought...

Warnings: Fluff, mentions of big crowds (I could never be a celebrity just for this lol)

Word count: 837

A/n: I’ve been obsessed with I Am by Ive (lol) for a couple of months now, but that didn’t really inspire me for anything I just felt like promoting my favs, go stream rnnnn!! This is by far the winning vote of the poll for the moment, if you haven't voted yet click this link because there are still 3 prompts that are pretty close and a bunch of days left on the vote!

You did have your fan base, but it seemed as if none other liked you as much as the Great Magician of Fontaine did.

A few months ago, Lyney had been caught up in an impromptu street magic performance at the Court of Fontaine. The crowd of onlookers huddled close with wide eyes as he made various objects disappear, seemingly into thin air. However, just as Lyney was about to make a whole deck of cards fly from one hand to the other, his eyes swept across the crowd only for them to lock onto yours. Unlike most of the crowd, you were watching with curious eyes, but without making a sound. Although you were further behind everyone else, Lyney still could not help himself from getting lost in those pools of [E/C].

And although it felt like he had been staring at you for an eternity, only a few seconds had passed before the whole deck of cards came fluttering down from the sky, scattering around his feet. The cards brushing against his face finally snapped him out of his daze. He stared at the cards in disbelief while he tried to find his bearings.

“Ah-” Was all he managed to utter before a shade of red crept onto his face. He, the Great Magician of Fontaine, had just messed up a trick in public. This was all because he had been ogling the greatest male pop star in all Teyvat, yourself.

All he managed to do was scratch the back of his head in confusion, his blush darkening when the crowd began to laugh. Not only that, but you were there watching, of all people… He looked up to see you smiling at him, chuckling in amusement. Great…

As he bent down to begin picking his cards up, the crowd got bored and dispersed. A few moments later, an elegant hand grabbed the same card he had just reached for, brushing against his. He lifted his eyes and met yours, his mouth hanging open.

“Oh, apologies, I just thought I’d help you pick them up!” You pulled your hand back and rubbed it nervously, looking away from Lyney. His mouth closed, and then he smiled politely, feeling better that he was not the only embarrassed one.

-

That was how you had met each other, attending each other’s shows every so often thereafter. Lyney knew of you before you had met in person, you were, after all, a very popular singer. His sister would even poke light fun at him for being a stan and for his puppy crush on you. What he did not expect, however, was to fall completely head over heels for you after your first meeting.

All this brings him to his current predicament: some of your fangirls were screaming at the top of their lungs at your performance, blocking the view of you on stage. Lyney was not tall, so this was a reoccurring problem for him at most of your concerts. His annoyance only grew as you finished performing a song, having seen you for a total of about three seconds. As you began talking to the crowd, the group of fangirls would scream their answers back at you at ear-piercing levels of noise.

“You know, I don’t think this night would be complete without inviting a lucky fan on the stage…” You said, his ears perking up. “Let’s see, how about…” Your finger travels across the audience, fans screaming louder when it passes by them. “You, over there! With the blonde hair!” Lyney looks up, your finger pointed at him in the crowd. One of the fangirls in front of him starts screaming, mistaking your pick for her.

“Haha, not you, silly. The boy behind you!” Confirming you meant him, Lyney gets ushered up the stairs to the stage by a security guard. He takes your outstretched hand in awe as he admires your tousled hair glowing in the spotlights. Your smile captivates him as you pull him towards the center of the stage.

“Hey guys, isn’t this the Great Magician of Fontaine, Lyney? What in Teyvat is he doing at my show?” You ask the crowd playfully. Oh, this was going to start some Twitter (not X eww😒) discourse later.

“Well, it’s good that he’s here, because I wanted to give him a little present on stage before we finish tonight.” You put the microphone down and turn to him, taking his face in your hand and speaking directly to him.

“Hopefully, this doesn’t start too many fan wars.” You tell him before leaning in and pressing a kiss on his cheek. The crowd goes wild as you pull away and smile at him. Lyney hears the girls who were blocking his view go crazy before he smiles back and holds your hands in his.

“I hope so too...” Twitter blew up over the next few days, but both your stan groups cross-stanned and shipped you together before the show, so their dreams came true as well.

I’m not super satisfied with this one but my brain was dry asl sorry :( I’ll probably be back after the weekend since I’ll be away without wifi. See you all soon!

[kayesfanfics]

The Vampires Handmaiden

Pairing: Hector x Fem! Reader

A/N: The ending is a bit rushed, but I wasn’t about to write out a whole episode lol. But Hector is absolutely my fav character and there isn’t nearly enough fanfic about him. Also AU where Hector DIDNT FALL IN LOVE WITH HIS ABUSER AND FELL FOR SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY LOVED HIM.

Warnings: Abuse, blood, swearing/vulgar language, some Stockholm syndrome, Carmilla being mommy except in a toxic abusive way

You shivered in the freezing cold, following your mistresses down to greet your other mistress, Carmilla. You stood behind Striga and Lenore, keeping your head down and eyes on the ground, hoping not to draw any attention towards yourself. You listened as the sisters greeted each other and Carmilla complained and complained about the long journey she had, her soldiers marching past her into the castle. You noticed at the very end, a man with silver hair was being dragged along by a chain on his neck, his hands tied in front of him and his boots missing. He looked extremely battered and exhausted, and your stomach churned, knowing the feeling all too well. He made eye contact with you as he passed, until he was tugged harshly to continue following the soldiers down to the dungeons.

“Y/N, go warm some water for my bath. And make it a good one.” Carmilla ordered you. “It better be ready after I have a drink with my sisters.”

“Yes, mistress.” You bowed, before heading to collect frozen water to heat up for her bath. You carried the frozen buckets of water to the fireplace to warm them up, dripping Carmilla’s specific combination of essential oils into her bath. You lit candles as normal, and kept the water warm until she arrived, immediately stripping naked and getting in the tub. You kneeled down and began to scrub her aching feet, as she sighed contently in the warm water.

“Your Kind is so despicable, Y/N. I don’t know HOW you survived all those years without me.” Carmilla grumbled, still agitated from her long march in the freezing tundras.

“Me neither, mistress. Thank you for saving me.” You said without a thought, used to thanking her for kidnapping you and beating you into submission until you complied with her and her sisters’ every order. She often spoke about how lucky you were that she found you, and how you’d be dead in a ditch without her.

“Oh, get out. I need time alone. You’re dismissed for the night.” She waved her hand in your face, before sinking into the water. You bowed to her, before quickly leaving her to relax for the night. Sunrise would thankfully be soon, your time to roam as you wished and do as you pleased.

You thought about the poor man they had dragged in, how pathetic he looked, bags under his pretty blue eyes and cuts scattered across his face and hands. His feet were probably frozen numb, and you knew the guards probably stripped him of his clothing, along with his humanity. You found yourself wandering to the kitchen, grabbing bread and a fresh apple and stuffing them into your pockets. You walked down to the dungeons, giving the guard a few coins for his silence before looking around for the man. You finally spotted him in a cell, huddled in the corner and embracing himself. He was shivering, and you couldn’t tell if he was crying or not, but you wouldn’t blame him if he was. You approached his cell, kneeling down and taking out the food from your pockets.

“I brought you some food.” You spoke, and he slowly looked up at you. His face was strong, but his eyes were soft and filled with fear. He was trying to mask it and remain tough, but you could see right through that facade.

“Why would you do that? Don’t you work for them?” He asked, spatting the word ‘them’.

“I do. But only for fun.” You joked, holding the food out to him, reaching into his cell. He looked at the guard in worry, but eventually crawled towards you, taking the food and immediately digging in. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you clothing or a blanket. They would notice. My name is Y/N, what is yours?”

“Hector.” He said simply between bites, scarfing down the food like he hadn’t eaten in days, which, he probably hasn’t.

“Well, Hector, I also brought you this.” You duh into your pocket and grabbed a small bottle. “It’s an ointment, for your wounds. There is much disease in these cells.”

He carefully took the bottle from you, finishing his food quickly and leaning against the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest to hide his nude body from you.

“Why are you helping me?” He asked, looking down at the ground.

“Because I know what it’s like to be treated like this by them. I know how cruel and careless they are.” You admitted, sitting down fully.

“You do?” He looked up at you, gazing into your eyes.

“Yes. I’m a human, like you. They took me a couple of years ago, maybe longer. I’m now their lady-in-waiting.”

“How come they haven’t turned you, then? I thought they hated humans.”

“They do, which is why they don’t turn me. They want me to know I’m below them. Weaker than them.” You explained, fidgeting with the skirt of your dress. “They treated me like they do you. They broke me down years ago. Kept me around for their amusement, and so I could serve them and they don’t lift a finger. Why did they take you, Hector?”

“I’m a forgemaster. Carmilla wants me to make night creatures for her.” He sighed. “I should’ve run away when I had the chance. I can’t believe I trusted her.”

“Don’t blame yourself. They’re expert manipulators.”

“Y/N! WHERE ARE YOU, GIRL?” You jumped when you heard the booming voice of Striga, calling for you.

“I must leave. I will try to bring you more food tomorrow. Rotten meat with maggots isn’t exactly sustaining.”

“I quite like the maggots, actually. They add a nice crunch.” He smiled playfully, despite his situation. It made you smile back, at least until you heard your name being shouted again, and you bolted off so you wouldn’t get in trouble for speaking to the prisoner.

You continued to visit Hector while the vampiresses were asleep, providing him with fresh food and what comfort you brought him. You asked about his occupation as a forgemaster, curious as to why Carmilla needed one so bad. He often had fresh injuries when you visited, and you would reach through the bars of the cell to rub ointment into the ones he couldn’t reach on his back. One day, he wasn’t in his cell, and when you asked the guard (and gave him some coins), he told you he had been moved into the “luxurious cells”. You scoffed at that. A cage was still a cage, no matter how nice it looked. But you made your way to the other cells, ducking behind the wall when you saw Lenore standing at Hector’s cell. You peeked around it, watching her tug on a leash attached to Hector’s neck, forcing him forward, taking it off of him. You felt a pang of both jealousy and disgust when she called him a ‘good boy’, possession and venom dripping from her words. You hid again as she turned to leave, and once she was gone, you rushed over to his cell.

“Are you alright?” You asked, heart sinking when you saw a blush on his cheeks.

“I’m fine.”

“Hector, she’s tricking you. She doesn’t care about you.” You grabbed his cell bars, trying to make him listen. “Lenore is a-“

“Is a what?”

Your blood went cold when you heard her voice, right behind you. You shivered in fear, eyes wide and body frozen in terror as you felt her cold hand harshly grab your shoulder, her claws digging in and drawing blood.

“Lenore, don’t harm her.” Hector warned her.

“Or what? What exactly will you do?” She asked, before throwing you across the room with her superhuman strength, hitting the wall and falling to the floor.

“Lenore! She was helping me! Leave her be!” Hector grabbed the bars this time, now trying to make her listen to him.

“Helping you?” She laughed bitterly as she walked over to you, grabbing your hair to make you look up at her. “Well, Carmilla is not going to be pleased that her pet was playing with mine now, will she?”

“Mistress, please don’t-“

“I am not the one to beg mercy from, Y/N. You should know this by now.”

Hector yelled at Lenore and for you as Lenore dragged you away, up to Carmilla’s grand study, throwing you onto her table.

“Can I help you?” Carmilla asked Lenore, glaring down at you with disgust.

“It appears our pets have been getting friendly with each other. She’s been helping Hector this whole time.”

“Oh really?” Carmilla glowered down at you, grabbing your hair harshly and holding you up by it, lifting you off her table.

“M-Mistress, I’m sorry! Please, mercy!” You begged, clenching your jaw at the pain of being held off the floor by your hair. “I-I just wanted to help!”

“Well, my dear sweet Y/N, you helped the wrong person.” Carmilla bared her teeth. “I gave you free roam of the castle, I saved your life, and this is how you repay me?”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, please!” You cried, feeling your scalp starting to bleed.

“I’ll leave you to it. I should probably discipline Hector as well.” Lenore said smugly, grinning at you before exiting her sisters study, leaving you alone with the merciless vampire.

Hours later, you stood beside Carmilla in the sister’s meeting room. She held a leash attached to your neck, the collar on too tight and dried blood coating your face and shoulders from the beating you endured from her. Your hands were folded politely in front of you, eyes fixed on the ground below as you didn’t dare move an inch from your mistress. They talked and bickered about their plan, various maps set out on the table with their wine glasses filled with blood. Carmilla had already drank from your neck, pure virgins blood remained her favorite to drain out of you until you went pale, but not enough to kill you. You didn’t move when you heard the door open behind you, but knew Hector was there when Carmilla complained about a man being in their quarters. You looked at him out of the corner of his eye, seeing he was confused and hurt by Lenore in some way you didn’t know yet. He looked at the collar tightened around your neck, guilt flashing in his eyes when he saw all the blood and bruises littering your face.

You listened in horror as Lenore boasted to her sisters about what she did to Hector, binding him to her through deceit and manipulation. You felt sick when she asked for a large bed in his room so she could “train him”, and silenced Hector when he tried to say something.

“Hm. Do you think you could make one for Y/N? She’s been disobedient, so I tethered her to myself to make sure she can’t do things behind my back anymore. But this ring would be so much easier, then I don’t have to keep her around me all the time.” Carmilla asked her sister, ignoring your look of horror you gave her at the idea.

“I’m already a step ahead of you, sister.” Lenore smiled, tossing her two rings for the both of you.

You fell to your knees, hands gripping Carmilla’s thighs, tears streaming down your face.

“Mistress, please! I’ll be good, I promise! Please don’t do this! I beg of you!” You pleaded, glossy eyes looking up at her with desperation.

“Oh, I love it when you do that, Y/N.” She smiled, one hand holding your chin. “But if you hadn’t betrayed me, I wouldn’t have to do this. Now would I? This is your fault, I’m only doing this because I have to, dear.”

You whimpered as she grabbed your wrist, shoving the ring onto your finger.

“Now, be a good girl and pledge your loyalty to me.” She said, running a hand through your hair, scrapping your sore and bloody scalp.

“I-I…I p-pledge my loyalty to y-you.” You cried out in pain as soon as those words left your mouth, feeling the magic piercing your skin and binding you to Carmilla. She pet your hair and shushed you, letting you cry into her lap as your body trembled pathetically.

“Good girl.” She smiled, before turning to Lenore. “You really are a genius, sister.”

“I know.” Lenore said cockily, before jumping off the table and grabbing Hectors arm, dragging him with her. His gaze lingered onto you, feeling as if it was his fault for this to be done to you as well. But you knew it was inevitable, Carmilla would’ve done this even if you hadn’t helped him, she liked the power over you too much.

“Now, darling, you are not to speak to Hector again. Do you understand me?” Carmilla asked you as you calmed down, sobs slowly dissolving into silent tears.

“Yes, mistress.” You said numbly, but sighed in relief when she took the collar that choked you off.

“Good. Now, off you go. Go clean yourself up, you look dreadful.”

You staggered out of the room, clutching your dress in your hands as you willed yourself to stop crying. Any freedom and humanity you had left was just stripped away, taken from you without a second thought or care in the world. You now felt empty and numb, the hopelessness overtaking your mind as you made your way to gather water for your own bath. You sank into the warm water, letting it comfort you like an embrace would, gently washing the blood out of your hair and off of your body. You wished you could wash the spell away, but no matter how hard you scrubbed, it wouldn’t leave you. You headed to bed soon after, curling into yourself and crying yourself to sleep.

The next few days went about as normal, Carmilla ordering you to do random chores and bring her glasses of blood, sometimes making you drain your own blood for her. You did as you were asked, it wasn’t like you had much of a choice. You were still allowed to roam as you wished in the daytime, but if you went too close to Hector, your ring burned like fire and it felt as if swords were piercing your body. You felt incredibly lonely like you had before he arrived, but even more afraid than before. You constantly worried about what Lenore was doing to Hector behind closed doors, and unbeknownst to you, he too was worried about what Carmilla was doing to you. Lenore treated you more harshly than she ever had, making it known to you that she was not pleased with you befriending Hector. After she saw you watch as Hector walked past the room you were in, she approached you, grabbing your neck and hoisting you up to be level with her face.

“I know exactly what you are thinking. I suggest you cease those impure thoughts about what is mine.” She warned, smile still soft but eyes filled with hatred.

“I-I don’t know what you mean, mistress-“ you stammered, yelping when she slapped you across the face.

“Lie to me again, I dare you.” She hissed. “Hector is mine, do you understand? He will never love you, he doesn’t even look you in the eye anymore. So quit wasting your time filling your pretty little head with such delusions. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.” You nodded as best you could, coughing when she finally let you go. She turned to leave, looking back at you with a devious grin.

“I understand your desire for him, of course. I know you saw that cock of his. It feels better than it looks.” She cackled at you, before finally leaving you alone. You choked back tears, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing she got to you. You rushed to your room to cry in peace, instead seeing a letter resting on your pillow. You picked it up and opened it, reading the name at the bottom and seeing it was from Hector.

‘Y/N. I know you’re being forced to keep away from me, I am not angry with you, I’ve been avoiding you too so that I don’t get you into anymore trouble because of me. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about Lenore, I thought she truly cared about me. How wrong I was. But I’ve been alone with my thoughts for awhile now, and I’ve come to conclusion that I want to help you. I care for you as you cared for me when I arrived, and I don’t want you to suffer on my behalf anymore. You don’t deserve this treatment, and neither do I. I have a plan for escape for us both, I will help you gain your complete freedom back. Wait for another letter from me, but in the meantime, avoid me at all costs. They can’t know we’re speaking again.

Burn this so that they don’t know I’ve reached out. -Hector’

You held the letter to your chest, tears dripping onto your bedding. Nobody had ever wanted to help you before, and if they did it was out of their own self interest. It had been so long since someone showed you any compassion or kindness, and him wanting to help you escape this life gave you a new sense of hope. You did as instructed and burned the letter, and checked your bed often for the next letter. You didn’t see much of Hector for the next week, only catching glimpses of him in the library , and you didn’t dare wander near his work place upstairs. You received a letter with the details of his plan later in the week, with detail of what you needed to do to stay out of danger. He told you about how he would trap Lenore, and allow her to be killed by the sunlight in the morning. Due to her manipulation and his messy feelings towards her, he didn’t have the heart to kill her himself. But Hector wasn’t a killer in the first place, he gave beings life and showed them kindness and empathy, something those vampires lacked.

The plan would be carried out that night, before the sun would rise. You did your chores as usual, not showing any unusual behavior or giving them any reason to be suspicious. You served Carmilla her chalice of blood for her study session, before bowing and leaving her to her work. Striga and Morana were away, all you had to worry about now was Lenore, arguably the worst. You wandered the castle with caution, trying to pinpoint where she was, and when you couldn’t find her, you came to the conclusion she was up at Hector’s workshop. You were supposed to meet him up there, but you didn’t want to risk Lenore hurting either one of you.

A shiver ran up your spine when you heard the screech of night creatures, and in your panic, you feet took you straight to safety; to Hector. It took you a few tries to find his workshop, stumbling up stairs as the castle shook from the attacks of the night creatures. When you finally saw him, a blue magic cage was blocking the doorway, holding Lenore inside of it.

“Hector!” You shouted, his eyes immediately finding yours.

“Y/N! You’re okay!” He smiled getting close to the cage as he could. You ignored the pain from the ring, face contouring in pain, but your smile remained.

“What is this?! Hector!” Lenore raged, glaring daggers at you. “How have you two been conspiring? The rings wouldn’t allow you two to speak!”

“We haven’t said a word to each other in weeks.” Hector said, facial expression stiffening into anger. “We didn’t see each other at all. But I have other ways of communication that you missed, along with the devices I’ve put about the castle. There’s a lot you didn’t see.”

You turned around when you heard the screeching and growls of night creatures, coming up the stairs towards you. You backed up against the cage as much as you could as the creatures approached you, and dark man in capes leading them. You looked at them with fear, knowing night creatures to eat and tear apart anything they wished.

“I do not mean you harm.” The man told you, stepping up to you. “But if you would mind moving, that would be appreciated.”

You stepped aside and he opened the cage with his enchanted sword, allowing you through as well. Lenore had half a mind to tackle you right then and there, but with the man between you she didn’t, instead just glaring. Hector stepped back as you entered the room, not wanting to cause you any pain from the ring. You wanted so desperately to touch him and be near him, but he didn’t want to hurt you any more, keeping his distance as he spoke with his colleague. You watched as he suddenly asked for his friends knife, and you tilted your head in confusion until you saw him bring it to his finger, cutting the ring off of him. His severed finger and ring clattered to the floor, blood dripping and sweat beading on his forehead as he allowed his friend to cauterize the wound with the same knife. Hector took the knife back, giving you a look that asked for your permission. You nodded, hissing in pain as he stepped closer, and crying when he took your hand in his, quickly slicing your own finger off. As soon as the ring fell off, it was like taking a breath of fresh air. You didn’t feel that weight on your shoulders or the fear in the back of your mind anymore, and the physical pain melted away immediately.

“Thank you, Isaac.” Hector said as he handed the knife back to him.

“Of course. Now, I’m off to slay Carmilla. See you on the other side, my friend.” Isaac said, taking the amulet Hector made for him and leaving the room. Hector turned back to you, a soft smile adorning his pretty face.

“Let’s wrap that up, sit.” He gestured to a chair, going to his supplies and finding bandages for the both of you. He wrapped your hand up first worrying about his own only after he asked if your bandage was too tight.

“May I hug you?” You asked suddenly. The adrenaline had made your walls come down, too full of a new hope for life that you didn’t even think to be embarrassed. Hector smiled at you, opening his arms for you to embrace him. Your arms immediately wrapped around him, the first time you’d ever been able to truly touch him since you had met all those weeks ago. You savored the feeling of his own arms wrapped around your body, his chin resting on your shoulder and your face buried in his chest.

“This is nice.” Hector grinned, pulling away slightly to look at you. “Thank you, Y/N. For everything you did for me. You were the first person to show me genuine kindness.” He smiled, before looking at Lenore, who simply glared at the both of you.

“I knew I needed to help you as soon as I laid my eyes upon your face.” You said, leaning in slightly towards his face. “You too were the first person to show me kindness in a very long time, Hector. I…I love you.”

His eyes widened slightly at that, a blush creeping up to his cheeks.

“Oh, please!” Lenore shouted from her cage. “The two of you barely know each other! This is ridiculous!”

“Yes, because you know me so well.” Hector rolled his eyes at her. “Let me put her on the balcony so we can have a real conversation, okay?”

You nodded and let go of him, letting him argue with Lenore and move her somewhere else so she didn’t bother you. You gasped when a force exploded somewhere in the castle, shaking the whole structure with such force. But you felt something else as well…freedom. That man Isaac really did it and killed Carmilla, you could feel it. It immediately brought tears to your eyes, and you began weeping. It had been so long being under Carmilla’s hold, the feeling of her hands being pried off your shoulders was overwhelming. You hadn’t felt like this in years, it almost scared you. You never thought you had a future away from this castle, away from your mistresses. You’d assumed you’d be serving them until the day you died, and probably by their own hands. The relief washed over you, overwhelming you.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” Hector asked as he reentered the room, kneeling down in front of you.

“Nothing…nothing at all.” You smiled at him through tears, continuing to sob from the feeling. “I just…I really do love you, Hector.”

“I love you too, Y/N.” He wiped your face with his thumbs as he cupped your face, before leaning in and gently pressing his lips to yours in a perfectly sweet, loving kiss.

[mi-spark]

GUH I just noticed someone already asked about 3 so I'll go with 4, 7 and 9 :3 (9's kind of a boring one but oh well)

YOU ARE SO GOOD MY DUDE and this works out bc a lot of these questions can be answered in multiple ways :3c

4. what did you name your hero and partner characters? and why? THIS TIME i'm gonna talk about my rescue team, specifically for rtdx

freaking baring my soul here these sketches are ROUGH

they are Team Lucky, Finn (feraligatr, partner) and Ryme (sylveon, hero). they are alternate versions of my blue rescue team of the same names, except finn stayed a croconaw and ryme became a jolteon. i created them when i was 14, so they are my second oldest pmd characters and are over 10 years old now (wild). i remember the night i was thinking of their names— i knew i wanted to call the totodile Finn cuz i just liked it for a totodile, and i wanted their names to have a ring together, so then Ryme just popped into my head and stuck lol. finn & ryme!

(a bit of a tangent here but i was pretty proud of coming up w the name Ryme bc i hadn’t ever seen it before, and then years later Pokemon proceeds to use that name TWICE in canon— with Ryme City in detective pikachu, and then the ghost gym leader from scarlet and violet ! and i was like bitch the fuck! i INVENTED that name! lol jokes aside in a way it is validating to see that name used in canon.)

ANYWAY for rtdx, i played as eevee and totodile again and decided to slightly tweak their personalities and evolution choices in order to think of it as an alternate timeline of sorts. also they r pining for each other in this timeline :3c my singular heroxpartner team... hmm i wonder why Ryme became a sylveon... (she does not know why.)

7. how do you interpret the future trio's relationship to each other? extracting my brain from the fanon as much as i can, i think they would all be very trusted allies, if not good friends. i wouldn't consider it a huge stretch at all for the three of them to stay a team– even if just temporarily– and travel the grass continent offering their wealth of knowledge and skills to assist the scattered surviving pokemon and restore the land to a thriving and beautiful place to be. the sableye would join their efforts too!

BUT. but but but. ☝️ i would love it if the trio formed a permanent team. and the polycule headcanons are very fun :)

9. what do you ship in the games? amaya you know well that i have a taste for toxic yaoi, and this series just so happens to have an excellent example of it ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

but might i also propose: dugtrio x the sea. thank you for your consideration

[oldiesstationlover11607]

hii!! i have a fanfic req for uuu

reader is a bandito who is not very fond of Clancy; she always points out the holes in his plans purely out of spite. The two of them bicker a lot; she hates when he comes around and tends to mock him; he does the same back. One day in particular, however, the reader goes too far in their argument, and Clancy tells her to meet in his tent and that they’ll sort it out later. When the reader goes to meet him later that night, they argue back and forth for a bit…you’ll never guess how they sort things out. (smut!!!)

i hope you like it!! feel free to change things up if you’d like to 🫶

—🐇

Button Pushing - Clancy x Reader - Smut

Warnings: kind of softer less graphic smut bc i just wrote something crazy lol

Word Count: 3938

A/N: 😏

The campfire crackled and popped, its warmth a small comfort against the chill of the night air. Shadows danced across the rugged landscape of Trench, the flickering light casting eerie shapes on the tents and barrels scattered around the clearing. The aroma of smoke mixed with the scent of leather and gunpowder, filling my lungs with a familiar sense of danger and excitement. My fellow outlaws lounged around the fire, trading stories and laughter, but I remained on the outskirts, nursing a bottle of whiskey and brooding.

And there was Clancy, strutting around like he owned the place, all swagger and charm. I could barely stand to watch him. He was the so-called mastermind of our little bandit crew, and it irked me to no end. I hated how he thought he was so clever, always playing the part of the fearless leader, with his dark hair falling into his eyes and that infuriating smirk plastered on his face. But what I hated most was how he seemed to thrive on my criticisms.

“Seriously, Clancy?” I called out, forcing my voice over the crackling flames. I leaned against a weathered barrel, arms crossed defiantly over my chest. “That’s the best you could come up with? You’re asking us to charge into a well-armed city with nothing but your brilliant ideas?”

He turned to me, that smug grin spreading wider. “Oh, come on! Don’t be such a buzzkill. My plan is flawless—if you’d just stop nitpicking every single detail, maybe we could actually get something done.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to suppress a snicker. “Flawless? You mean like the time you thought it’d be smart to leave camp for a night and we nearly got caught by vultures?”

“That was a minor setback!” he shot back, his voice rising slightly as the tension between us escalated. “You act like I’m the only one who ever makes mistakes!”

“Your mistakes get people killed!” I spat, feeling my anger flare. “You think you’re some kind of genius, but all you are is a lucky fool.”

A hush fell over the group, and I could feel the eyes of the others on us, waiting for Clancy’s response. I could see the frustration boiling beneath his calm facade, and it almost made me feel a twinge of guilt. Almost.

“Fine,” he said, his tone suddenly icy. “Why don’t we settle this later? Meet me in my tent when the moon is high. We’ll sort it out then.”

I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms tighter. “What makes you think I’d want to have a conversation with you?”

“Because you’re the one who’s too stubborn to back down.” His smirk returned, a glimmer of challenge in his eyes. “Unless you’re scared?”

I scoffed, flipping my hair back defiantly. “Scared? Please. I’ll be there.”

As the night wore on, the embers of the fire faded into darkness, and I felt a flutter of anticipation mixed with irritation in my stomach. What was the point of meeting him? This was just another chance to bicker, to prove my superiority in the face of his foolishness. And yet, part of me couldn’t shake the thrill of confrontation.

When the moon finally hung high in the sky, casting its silvery light across the camp, I made my way to Clancy’s tent. The fabric fluttered softly in the evening breeze, and I hesitated for a moment, my heart racing. I took a deep breath and pushed through the flap, stepping into the dimly lit space.

Clancy stood with his back to me, his silhouette outlined by the lantern light. For a brief moment, I was struck by the way the shadows danced across his broad shoulders. “You came,” he said, turning to face me, his voice low and steady.

“Of course I did. I’m not the one who needs to explain himself,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the sudden tension in the air.

“Then let’s talk.” He stepped closer, his expression serious, but I could still see the mischief lurking in his eyes. “You think you’re so clever, pointing out my flaws, but maybe you’re just avoiding your own.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but the words caught in my throat as he closed the distance between us, invading my personal space. The heat radiating from him was palpable, and for a moment, the bickering seemed to fade into the background.

“Admit it,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You enjoy this. You enjoy pushing my buttons.”

“Maybe I do,” I shot back defiantly, even as my heart raced. “But it’s not my fault you make it so easy.”

His lips curled into a wicked grin. “Is that so? Then why don’t we push each other’s buttons a little harder?”

Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer, and my breath hitched. There was a sudden spark of electricity between us, a tension that simmered just beneath the surface of our constant bickering.

“Clancy, wait—” I began, but the words were lost as he crashed his lips against mine, his kiss fierce and demanding. My mind went blank, and I melted against him, the fight slipping away as desire took over.

He pulled back slightly, his breath warm against my cheek. “See? Not so bad, is it?”

I laughed breathlessly, both annoyed and exhilarated. “This isn’t fair! You can’t just kiss me to win an argument!”

“Maybe not, but I think it’s working,” he said, smirking again, that infuriatingly charming smile playing on his lips. “Let’s sort out the rest of this tension, shall we?”

My heart raced as I leaned back into him, the previous anger replaced by something much more intense. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, ready to explore this new dynamic between us.

“Fine,” I murmured against his lips, my breath hitching again as his hands roamed my waist. “But don’t think this means I’m going to stop calling you out on your stupid plans.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he whispered, crashing his lips against mine again, deeper this time. The kiss ignited a fire within me, and I pressed my body against his, feeling the hard planes of his chest and the warmth radiating off him.

The tent felt smaller, the air thick with unspoken words and heated glances. I fisted my hands in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer, our mouths moving together in a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. Every argument we had ever shared faded into the background, replaced by the intense heat of the moment.

“God, you drive me crazy,” I gasped, breaking the kiss for a moment, my cheeks flushed. “Why do you have to be so infuriating?”

“Maybe I like it,” he said, his voice low and teasing, brushing a stray hair behind my ear. “Maybe I like pushing your buttons just as much as you enjoy pushing mine.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my face. “You’re impossible!”

“Impossible to resist, maybe.” His eyes darkened with mischief, and I could feel my pulse quickening as he stepped closer, our bodies barely an inch apart.

He leaned in again, kissing me deeply, and my heart raced as I melted into him. I forgot about our arguments, our differences, and the constant push and pull of our rivalry. All that mattered was the way his hands gripped my waist, the way his mouth moved against mine, igniting a hunger I hadn’t known I possessed.

“Clancy,” I murmured against his lips, breathless. “What are we doing?”

“Something we should’ve done a long time ago,” he replied, his voice thick with desire. He leaned in closer, capturing my lips again, and I surrendered to the heat, my body pressing against his as the world outside the tent faded away.

He lifted me effortlessly, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, feeling the solid strength of him beneath me. I could barely catch my breath as he backed me against the tent wall, his hands exploring the curve of my back, igniting every nerve in my body.

I gasped as he trailed kisses down my neck, each brush of his lips sending shivers through me. “You’re always so tense,” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin. “Let me help you relax.”

“Relaxing isn’t exactly my strong suit,” I replied breathlessly, even as I leaned into him, wanting more of his touch.

“Maybe I can change that,” he said, his hands sliding down to the hem of my shirt, tugging it up. I hesitated, my heart racing with anticipation and uncertainty.

“Clancy, are you sure about this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “What if it changes everything?”

“It won’t,” he promised, his eyes locking onto mine, sincere and intense. “It’ll just make things more... interesting.”

With that, he lifted my shirt over my head, his fingers dancing along my skin, igniting fire in every place he touched. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the sensation, losing myself in the moment. I could feel the tension between us shifting, morphing into something raw and passionate, and I wanted nothing more than to explore this new territory.

“God, you feel incredible,” he murmured, his hands skimming over the bare skin of my waist, sending shivers down my spine. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, his eyes dark with desire as they roamed over me.

“Clancy,” I breathed, my voice catching in my throat as I lost myself in the way he touched me. “We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

His response was to capture my mouth with his again, plunging us deeper into the moment. It was intoxicating. The way his lips moved against mine, the way his hands explored every inch of my body, set me ablaze. I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as I pressed my body against his, feeling the hard lines of his muscles against me.

“Damn, you’re driving me wild,” he growled, his hands gripping my hips as he pressed me harder against the wall of the tent. I could feel his heart racing, matching my own frantic pulse.

The thrill of it all was electric. We had spent so much time arguing and butting heads, but now, there was no room for anything but this undeniable chemistry. Each kiss felt like a challenge, a claim, a promise of what was to come. I wanted to push him, to test this new dynamic, but as his lips found my neck again, trailing kisses down to my collarbone, I lost the ability to think straight.

“Clancy,” I gasped, my fingers gripping his shoulders tightly. “What if we get caught?”

“Let them watch,” he muttered, a playful glint in his eye. “We’re banditos. We take what we want, and right now, I want you.” His words sent a wave of desire coursing through me, and I surrendered to the heat of the moment.

With a swift movement, Clancy turned, lifting me effortlessly as he carried me to his makeshift bed at the back of the tent. I couldn’t help but giggle, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. “You’re stronger than you look,” I teased, my heart racing as he laid me down gently.

“Don’t underestimate me,” he shot back, leaning over me with that wicked grin. The playful banter between us felt refreshing in this new light. I could see the hunger in his eyes, and it mirrored the desire building inside me.

His hands explored my body, tracing every curve, every line. He took his time, savoring the moment, kissing me deeply as if he wanted to memorize the feel of my lips against his. My skin tingled with every touch, every brush of his fingers, igniting fires within me that I hadn’t known existed.

“Clancy, please,” I breathed, needing him closer, craving more than just his kisses. I tugged at his shirt, desperate to feel the warmth of his skin against mine. He complied, lifting it over his head and tossing it aside, revealing his toned chest and the way his muscles flexed under the lantern light.

“Damn,” I murmured, unable to hide my appreciation. “You really are a sight to behold.”

“Only for you,” he replied, his voice low and teasing. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “And now, I think it’s time I really show you how much I want you.”

With that, he kissed his way down my body, his lips trailing fiery kisses along my collarbone, down to the soft swell of my breasts, causing me to gasp at the sensation. Every kiss felt like a promise, a spark igniting a fire deep within me.

“Clancy,” I moaned, arching my back, urging him to continue. I could feel the tension building, the need becoming more intense, and I was more than ready to surrender to it.

He looked up at me, his eyes dark and filled with a desire that made my heart race. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, and those words made my insides flutter. It was rare for him to drop the bravado, but in that moment, I could see the genuine admiration in his eyes, and it made everything feel even more intense.

As he continued his descent, trailing kisses lower, I felt a mixture of vulnerability and excitement. This was a side of Clancy I had never seen, and it drew me in even more. The playful banter, the arguments—all of it had led to this moment, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“Clancy, please,” I urged, my voice thick with longing. I needed him to know how much I wanted him.

He met my gaze, the heat between us palpable as he hovered just above me. “You sure you want this? I don’t want to rush you.”

I nodded, my breath shaky with desire. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

With that, he captured my lips again, the kiss hungry and demanding, as if he was trying to pour all his feelings into me. I could feel the heat radiating between us, building like a wildfire. The world outside the tent faded away, leaving only the two of us in this intimate bubble, bound together by shared desire and unspoken words.

He positioned himself between my legs, his hands gripping my hips as he pressed himself against me. The friction sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, and I could hardly contain the sounds escaping my lips.

“God, you’re intoxicating,” he murmured against my ear, his breath hot and heavy. “I’ve wanted this for so long.” He leaned in closer, capturing my mouth with his again, as if sealing our unspoken promises with every kiss.

Time seemed to stretch as we lost ourselves in each other. The tent felt like our own little universe, a sanctuary where we could finally explore the feelings that had simmered beneath the surface for so long. I didn’t care about the outside world or what would happen when we returned to reality; all that mattered was the way he made me feel, the way he touched me, the way we were finally letting go of the roles we had played for so long.

His hands roamed my body, igniting every nerve ending, and I could feel the heat pooling low in my belly, building with every kiss, every touch. I pulled him closer, urging him on, wanting to feel more of him, to lose myself completely in this moment.

“Clancy,” I gasped, my heart racing. “I need you. Now.”

His eyes darkened, filled with a mix of mischief and hunger. “You got it, sweetheart,” he replied, and with that, he positioned himself above me, his body pressing into mine.

I felt a rush of anticipation mixed with uncertainty. This was uncharted territory for us both, but the way he looked at me—intense and raw—made my heart race with excitement. I surrendered to the moment, my body responding to his every move.

With a slow, deliberate motion, he filled the space between us, and I gasped as he entered me, my body arching beneath his. The sensation was overwhelming, a perfect blend of pleasure and intensity that made me forget everything else.

“Damn, you feel amazing,” he groaned, his voice thick with desire as he thrust deeper, causing ripples of pleasure to wash over me. The way he moved, the way he filled me, was everything I had ever wanted and more.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer as I met his thrusts with my own, our bodies moving together in a rhythm that felt both primal and electric. The world outside the tent faded away, and all that mattered was the connection between us—the heat, the passion, the way we were finally letting go of all the arguments and bickering that had kept us at odds for so long.

“Clancy,” I gasped, feeling the pressure building deep within me, the tension coiling tighter and tighter. “I’m so close.”

“Me too,” he replied, his breath hot against my ear, his voice low and filled with longing. “Just let go, sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

With those words, I felt the final thread of tension snap, and pleasure surged through me like a tidal wave. I cried out, my body arching as I fell over the edge, the world spinning away as waves of ecstasy washed over me.

“God, you’re perfect,” Clancy groaned, his body tensing as he followed me into bliss, the intensity of our connection leaving us both breathless.

As we lay there, intertwined beneath the dim light of the lantern, the reality of what had just happened began to settle in. The playful banter, the arguments—it had all led to this moment, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Guess we really sorted things out, huh?” I teased, looking up at him, my heart still racing.

He chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I suppose we did. But you know this doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to come up with the best plans

possible, right?”

I rolled my eyes playfully, still feeling the warmth of his body against mine. “You’re insufferable. I’ll always call you out on your ridiculous ideas, you know that.”

Clancy grinned, that cocky glint back in his eyes. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. It keeps things interesting.”

As I lay there, basking in the afterglow of our encounter, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. The bickering, the insults, the constant push and pull—suddenly, it all felt different. It was as if the fire of our arguments had morphed into something more profound, something that would deepen our bond in ways I had never imagined.

“I can’t believe we actually did that,” I said, half-laughing, half-incredulous. “You, of all people.”

He raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. “What? You think I’m all talk? I can be quite persuasive, you know.”

I smirked, leaning up on one elbow to look at him. “Persuasive? More like relentless. You just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Relentless is my middle name.” He winked, stretching his arms above his head, showcasing his toned physique. “But don’t think I’ll let you off easy just because we had a little fun. I expect you to keep pushing back. It’s what makes you… you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. There was a strange comfort in the chaos of our dynamic. Clancy’s words rang true; I had always relished the challenge of our banter. “Guess I can’t change who I am, can I?”

“Not a chance,” he said, leaning in to steal another kiss. This one was softer, more intimate, and it sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I could feel a new layer of connection forming between us, a bond that transcended our playful rivalry.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the tent, pulling me from the moment. My heart raced as I glanced toward the entrance, a sudden wave of panic flooding through me. “What if someone hears us?”

“Relax,” Clancy whispered, his finger lightly brushing my lips. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, and besides, the others are too busy with their own business to care about what’s happening in here.”

“Still,” I murmured, biting my lip as I tried to ignore the worry gnawing at me. “What if they come in?”

“Let them,” he said, an amused smirk on his face. “If they do, we’ll just tell them we were sorting out some… differences.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that, shaking my head in disbelief. “You really are something, you know that?”

“And you love it,” he shot back playfully. “Now, let’s just enjoy the peace while we can.”

I settled back against him, my head resting against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. I felt safe and cherished, and it was a feeling I hadn’t expected to find in this chaotic life. For once, there were no plans to critique, no strategies to argue over—just us, wrapped up in this blissful moment.

But of course, the calm didn’t last long. Just as I began to relax, the flap of the tent suddenly burst open, and in walked Josh, a smirk plastered across his face.

“Uh-oh, what do we have here?” he teased, taking in the sight of us tangled together. “Looks like Clancy finally found a way to shut you up, huh?”

I shot up, my face burning with embarrassment, while Clancy simply laughed, unfazed. “Josh! What are you doing barging in here like that?”

“I came to see if you’d finally come up with a decent plan for tomorrow’s raid, but I can see you’re a little too… preoccupied.” He leaned against the tent pole, crossing his arms, clearly enjoying the scene.

“Very funny,” I muttered, trying to pull the blanket up over myself, feeling exposed. “You could’ve knocked, you know.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Josh said, his grin widening. “Besides, it’s nice to see you two getting along for once. Maybe you’ll finally stop bickering like a couple of children.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Clancy replied, his tone casual. “But don’t hold your breath. We still have our differences to sort out.” He shot me a wink, and I felt my cheeks heat up again.

“Good luck with that,” Josh said, chuckling as he backed out of the tent. “But seriously, if you two are going to keep this up, try to keep it down. We don’t need the whole camp knowing what’s happening in here.”

As the flap fell shut behind him, I turned to Clancy, my heart racing with embarrassment. “I can’t believe he just walked in on us like that!”

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Welcome to camp. It’s not exactly known for its privacy.”

“Clearly.” I sighed, shaking my head, but the tension had already dissipated. I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

“Besides,” he said, leaning in closer, “we’re not done yet.”

I raised an eyebrow, a smile creeping onto my lips. “You think we can just pick up where we left off?”

“Absolutely,” he said, his voice dropping to that sultry tone that sent shivers down my spine. “But this time, let’s make sure we keep it quieter.”

“Deal,” I said, feeling a thrill of excitement course through me. I was ready to embrace this new side of our relationship, ready to see where it would lead us.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[sealofarchives]

Can you create a headcanon for ROTTMNT’s Raph who is secretly in love with a female reader? She is an antisocial, hot-headed, and fearless woman who excels in combat and prefers to solve her problems with her fists. She embodies the typical ‘tough girl’ stereotype, and she has no idea that Raph has feelings for her

Headcanon: GN!Reader who fights like an absolute beast. And unaware of Raph's crush on them.

(Requested prompt but can be read with she/her pronouns.)

Warnings: A brief vomit mention

A/N: Heavily recommended to have “Crash Addiction from Yakuza 0” playing as background music for this (because this is what I thought of after seeing this request in my inbox lol)

You stood there with wide eyes at an alligator snapping turtle mutant. Who shyly asked if you needed some extra help carrying a few packages. While the bad guy in the background struggles carrying his injured lackeys to safety. (Heavily regretting picking a fight with you, near a place now scattered with pieces of broken motorcycles by the empty alleyway.)

You still glared at the turtle wearing a red bandana but, didn't want to waste more time for another fight.

"Just don't drop the merch! I'm on a tight schedule trying to deliver these figurines on time!"

As you said that, Raph almost dropped it. Causing you to let out a sigh while the turtle carefully stacked the small pile of fragile boxes in his arms.

Ever since that day, you became aware of him and his family.

Donnie very much keeps his distance. Especially after collecting some data of your past fights. The one that almost made him throw up was, a thief lucky to survive stab wounds above the stomach area. From you, utilizing a traffic cone connector snapped in half as a temporary dual-wield weapon.

No chuckling response was enough for Leo to know that. He needed to cool it with some jokes at your direction. Its one of the few times he'll be serious because he got tired of Raph being lovesick around you.

Mikey made some decent progress being your friend but, still carefully waits for the right timing to talk to you. Usually when you have a decent day or during laidback movie nights.

If you tag along during any of the night patrols, Raph is usually the one that patches you up.

- You sometimes do a double take because, at least one of the bandages near your wrist will be tied into a ribbon. (Mostly noticing it until you get back home)

The boy is very eager when you teach him some new fighting moves. However, it always devolves into absurd antics that spiral out of control.

- One of the few times, you had to swallow your pride and call Leo for help. Because the snapping turtle thought it would be a cool idea to impress you by lifting a nearby outdoor electric panel box. As a new object to throw at opponents. Nope, he passed out within 3 minutes.

"I mean that's not the first time he passed out.

"Like, he tried to lift a school bus that guarded a pet cat that's part praying mantis."

"At least two times before we parked the bus back in its place."

"..."

"A lot of thieves rarely scope out that place. Now that the cat is trained to guard Repo Mantis' junkyard."

"???"

Any accidental physical contact between you two will make that red bandana turn pink.

- You used to reply with an angry 'watch it!!!' but, with how many times he had a sincere sorry paired with the most gentle toothy smile. Its just a hum, too tired to get mad at him for that.

Bonus:

The mini scuffle he had with himself (namely mind raph and his angry counterpart) was enough for you to show some concern. Before you could ask if he was okay, the blurted words of a confession to his new feelings to you. Finally dented a crack to your tough persona attitude. Which immediately dropped your guard with you blushing at him. The big guy snapped out of it as both of you awkwardly stood there.

"Uhhh, how much did you hear?"

"A bit of everything but..."

"Your family will absolutely kill me if I just spat and toss away your feelings in the trash."

"And I have no intentions of doing so because..."

"I wish there were more guys who acted like you."

"Because I can finally take it easy and relax thanks to your kind nature..."

You gave a kiss on his forehead causing him to almost melt from the touch.

Two of the three brothers breathed a sigh of relief while restraining an annoyed Mikey who whispered.

("I still think a matchmaking date would have easily solved 'Raph having a crush on (Y/N)' situation...")

You shook your head but, still amused at the his brothers. Their company also grew on you. Brightening boring delivery days to eagerly visiting the graffiti filled lair.

[whentherewerebicycles]

How is motherhood (so far)? It seems like such a crazy shift from one life to another!

it is SO good so far!!! here are some scattered feelings & thoughts:

i have been warned that a big hormone crash is coming and i am sure that will be tough to weather! but right now i am feeling so good - still just riding that endorphin high. i feel physically good too, like tired and a little sore, but really way better than i expected to feel three days after giving birth.

my transition into parenthood has been majorly eased by the fact that my mom is here and is doing virtually all of the newborn care tasks for me right now - nighttime feedings (i take over around 5am but my hands are so bad in the night), diaper changes, tracking how much he's eating, making food, etc. she is even helping me breastfeed because it involves a level of manual dexterity i am not currently capable of most of the time. i am so so so so so so grateful to have her here. part of me feels kind of guilty, like i'm probably supposed to be feeling way more stressed out and overwhelmed trying to manage the cognitive and physical demands of new parenthood, but i am trying to quiet that voice in my brain by reminding myself that there are going to be PLENTY of times in the future where i'll get to feel overwhelmed and exhausted and in over my head as a single parent. she is so happy and so excited to do this for me, and i am trying to just let myself rest and enjoy it.

it is so special to do this with my mom. i was saying to her yesterday, like, i can totally see how taking care of a new baby with a partner would be a richly meaningful experience, and i can see that there are things i am missing out on on that front. but also if i were doing this with a partner i wouldn't get to be doing this with my mom, and i would be missing out on an experience that i am finding just as richly meaningful and rewarding. i feel so close to her and i love her so much and i know that for the rest of my life i am going to remember how special it was to get to watch her love owen so much and take such good care of him (and me) in his first days of life. i feel so lucky. i thought i would feel SO overwhelmed but instead i just feel really loved and taken care of, and i feel really close to my mom, and i feel like we are the happiest little family unit right now. i love it so much. also she calls him "my little guy" and “my best friend” and i almost cry every time. hormones but also love, you know.

owen is perfect. i feel like i felt intensely close to him right after the birth, and then i had kind of a hard first day after in the hospital where there were just TOO MANY PEOPLE coming in at all hours and doing exams on me or on him, and there was no time to rest and bond with him, and i started feeling very overwhelmed and kinda like do i even KNOW this baby? this baby is a STRANGER to me and if i hadn't had a baby i would be at HOME right now in my own SPACE without anyone coming in every 15 min day and night to bother me. that first long hospital day was really rough and then i was relieved to finally get home that night but also super cranky and tired, and i couldn't figure out how to get my pump to work, and he got very fussy in the night and i was like AAAAAAA. but then we spent all of yesterday doing so much skin-to-skin cuddling and napping in bed which is just the nicest thing imaginable, and now i am like this is my BABY he is PERFECT look at him!!!! he is so snuggly and good.

i am glad that my brother had a newborn a couple months before i did because i think it helped prepare me for how gently boring the newborn stage can be lol. not in a bad way! it's so sweet and i think will involve lots of wonderful sleepy snuggling!! but they are awake so infrequently and do not have personalities yet, and you are kind of like hm. should more be happening, or...? but no. nothing more should be happening lol they will just be sweet sleepy lumps for a good long time. my nephew is nine? ten? weeks old now and is definitely starting to become way more alert/engaged, so i know a personality is coming haha and i will just enjoy my little sweet lump right now because he won't be like this ever again!! also it's nice to be able to just let him sleep next to me while i do other stuff. i think it will ease the transition a bit... like yes now we are on this endless cycle of pumping, attempting to breastfeed, bottlefeeding him, changing him, watching him sleep, pumping again, etc but i can read or watch stuff in between because he requires so little attention while sleeping (except for LOTS OF KISSES he requires LOTS OF LITTLE KISSES because he is so SWEET!!!!). also idk i am sure i will get bored of being off work but right now it has been so restful to delete outlook & teams from my phone and just be like who cares about weird office politics i have way more important things to do like kiss a sleeping baby on the forehead a hundred times and tell him he is the best and handsomest boy in the whole world. life is very good lol.

[slytherintheundercroft]

Secret Potion - Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Okay, this is my first go at a one shot, we'll se how it goes??? Hope you guys enjoy it! Lmk what you think!

Word count: 2.6k

Mostly fluff, (a little bit of a slower burning one sorry, LOL)

Y/N:

Classes for the day had finally ended, so you begin your venture outside, leaving through the Northern exit gate.

After a bit of a lengthy walk, find yourself along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. You're eagerly looking for the last ingredient for a potion you’ve been quite determined to make, despite your lack of skill in the subject. As you take some steps a bit further on the trail, deeper into the woods, you spot some. “Perfect!” you shout, “Ashwinder eggs!”

Once you’ve got them stowed away in your bag, you look little ways ahead, spotting a very familiar face. Your walk turns to more of a jog, as you catch up to him. "Sebastian?" you shouted. He turns to you with a surprised smile. "Y/N! What in Merlin's name are you doing out here?"

"Well.." you gesture, "I guess I could be asking you the same thing!"

"Touché." He chuckles. "Honestly, I just felt like getting some fresh air, and being surrounded by trees really makes it easier to relax" he said, his voice warm and inviting. "You know how it gets being stuck in that castle, especially once classes let out. All the noise and crowds in the halls, with everyone mingling and rushing around. I just needed to get away for a while, I suppose. Does that sound crazy?"

"No, it doesn't sounds crazy at all" you assured him. It was nice, you thought. To be so lucky... spending a bit of time alone with Sebastian, and so far from the school. You attempt to shake the idea from your head, trying to keep yourself composed. No, he obviously doesn't even think about you that way, anyways.

You had been so lost in your own mind while walking, that you had completely stopped paying attention to where you were going. You had seemed to be a great deal deeper into the forest than you would have hoped, and you start to notice the plethora of spiderwebs and scattered bones all around. And Sebastian was nowhere to be seen, where had he gone to? Shit. You began to worry a little, holding a tight grip on your wand, in the unfortunate instance of any unexpected attack.

While doing your best to find a way back and avoid trouble, you hear a loud snap from behind you, and chills instantly run up your spine. You ready your wand and turn to face the monster with a quick spell, only to be surprised, and closely met with Sebastian's tall stature. "Woah, please don't do anything hasty!" he yelled, quickly raising his hands into the air. You throw your wand to the ground in total shock. "Bloody hell, Sebastian! Don't sneak up like that! I nearly turned you to dust!" you gasped.

He lets out a relieved, yet playful laugh. "Ha! I would have countered any spell you'd have thrown at me anyway, I'm not worried" he smirks, proudly. You roll your eyes and let out an irritated groan, swiftly picking your wand up off of the ground. "Where had you gone to, anyway?" you question. Looking at you as if you were joking. "Actually," He replies "I had stopped to catch some lacewing flies from a nearby brush, I had even said it directly to you, Y/N. You were the one who seemed to walk off. Something on your mind, hm?" he pressed. As cute and charming as he was, he could still be such a pain. He stepped a bit closer, reaching out his hand in a gesture for you to follow him s bit more safely. "Look, I'm sorry I startled you.. Didn't exactly want to draw any attention, seeing as you wandered right into a spider lair..." He said, apologetically.

"Yeah, I suppose you do have a point, there.." You say, accepting his gesture, taking his hand and following him out of wherever it was you had ended up. His hand, you thought. It was so gentle.. and soft...

You quickly retracted your hand away from his, once again stopping yourself from thinking those silly thoughts. "I'll be okay, I won't run off again" you joke, letting out a small chuckle. He laughs to you at the remark, and you both walk on for a while without much conversation, as you could now see the sun was beginning to set in the distance.

"So," he lead off "my inquiry from earlier... What was it you had come out here for, Y/N?" You felt yourself blush a bit at the question, not expecting him to be asking it again. "Oh!" you blurt out. "It's... for a potion, just an extra credit assignment for potions class! I need the extra practice" you said through an exaggerated laugh, knowing that it was only half true.

He looked at you with a raised eyebrow and just a shred of disbelief, but gave you the benefit of the doubt anyway. "Ah, a little project, eh? I can't say I know much about potions, but I'm always eager to help with any homework you might have, all you have to do is ask!" He said, giving you a friendly smile, as you nodded and smiled back.

You had both finally begun to trudge up the school grounds, the sun now entirely set and the moon already making it's way up the horizon. He pushed the large door open. "Ladies first" he insists, motioning his hand toward you, then to the open doorway. You walk together through a few halls, making your way towards the potions classroom. "Really though," he persisted "I'm always here when a friend of mine is in need, so don't hesitate to ask if you need any help with that potion."

Ah, there it is. "Of course, yeah! Friends" you said in a small, forced laugh. Even though, in your mind, you've always wished you two could have been more than friends.

You both slow to a stop, standing in the middle of a near-empty Central Hall. "Well," you say, as you pat your hands to your sides, rolling back and forth on your heels "I guess I'll go and work on this experiment, er- project in the potions classroom. Maybe I'll see you around?"

Sebastian's smile never faltered, but there was a slight hint of disappointment in his eyes at your indirect refusal of his offer to help. "You certainly will," he nodded "don't let me keep you." He gave a small, farewell wave as you parted ways, and you gave a him a scrunched smile.

Quickly, you stumble into the empty classroom, closing the door behind you. You lean against the door and let out a big sigh, one that almost felt like the first breath you'd taken in over an hour. You make your way over to a cauldron, opening a potion book and flipping to a page titled "Amortentia: The Love Potion". You hoped you could pull this off, let alone on your own. You studied the instructions carefully, making sure to add in the ingredients as directed on the page. It really was a rather difficult potion to brew, and the ingredients to find, most likely to discourage students from using it excessively.

This could take a while, you pondered.

Sebastian:

I waited, watching her walk to the potions classroom until she was no longer in sight. I let out a deep sigh, and then turned to head to the library. Why not catch up on a bit of reading? Might distract me from these things I keep feeling, for a while, at least. I open the door to the library, which also seems to be entirely vacant. I make my way over to the small section that houses romance novels, as they're one of my guilty pleasures. They're much easier to read when no one is around to poke fun about it.

I grab the first one I see, not caring which it is, considering I've already read them all anyway. I sit in my favorite spot in front of the warm fireplace, and flip to the first page of the book. I read through it for a good while, but for some reason, I just can't seem to focus on the words. All I can seem to wonder about is how she must be doing with that potion. And why did it seem so secret, anyway? It must really mean a lot to her, to have to be brewing it so late, especially on a night where we still have classes tomorrow. Maybe I could go check up on her? See how it's coming along? If she is still even there, that is.

I close the book with a clap, and gently place it back on the shelf. As I head towards the classroom, I feel my heart rate increase. I'm not nervous... Am I? I walk up to the door, but I hesitate to even open it. Should I open it? Gah, I think to myself, why am I so bloody nervous? Merlin's beard, Y/N... What are you doing to me? Okay, okay.. be cool.

When I opened the door a crack, I could smell the bubbling cauldron. It smelled rather... nice? Usually, in my opinion, the potions we make in class smell a tad awful. Hm. I walk over toward her, trying to be less sneaky to avoid startling her again. She does look so focused though, it's quite admirable. "Hm, how's the potion making going? I say, clearing my throat to break the silence.

Y/N:

"Ah! Sebastian!" I gasp, not expecting him of all people to come waltzing in here. I swiftly turned around to face him, trying my best to conceal the open book and the ingredients I had laid out on the table. I felt my face grow hot and red.

He was looking at me, smiling in that irresistible and slightly smug way he always does. "Hey now, what do we have here?" he asked, while his eyes seemed to travel to the table, and everything on it. He picked up the book, even putting on a show of pretending to read the instructions. "Hmm... Amortentia, is it? I've always wondered how to brew that one. Is it really for an assignment, Y/N? Or do you plan on... Persuading somebody?" he snickered. "Oh c'mon, you know I'm only joking! But in all honesty, is this truly for an assignment, Y/N? It's quite late to be toiling away over a cauldron, and on a school night, no less." he teased.

My face seemed to somehow feel more blushed than it already was. I reached to snag the book from him, and I turned away. I feel so embarrassed. He can't find out I'm making this to give him. "It's nothing, like I said... Just something to try and get a little extra credit in the class. You know my potions aren't all that exemplary." I lied right through my teeth. I don't even know if I sounded convincing..

"Really? From what I've read about this potion, it has quite a strong impact. If you have been assigned such a potion, I think I deserve some of the extra credit for helping you, in the event it works too well" he winked, keeping that coy smile on his face. "So, how are you going to see if it works? If you've brewed it properly?" he asked, sounding a bit more serious about his curiosity now.

I look to him, then to the cauldron with hesitation. I lean over the bubbling potion, breathing in all the different aromas.

"It smells like... the forest.. a small hint of fire... and.. old book pages..."

I backed away, the intoxicating scents almost too addicting to pull away from. He looked at me surprised, then raised his eyebrow, revealing that cunning smile again. "Is that so? Fascinating." he grinned. "I mean from what I've read, it affects people differently, in a more personal way, depending on what attracts them and what they like. So, this is how you describe it, hmm? A forest, fire, and..." Sebastian caught himself before he said, "books." but he did a poor job of hiding his excitement. "A very nice combination, if you ask me."

I look up at him, now feeling like I had mistakenly given too much away.

"Yeah.." I mumbled, clearing my throat. "Ha, I must have messed the potion up, those scents can't be right..." I lied through a falsely confident smile. "Guess I'll just have to try brewing it again!" I chuckled anxiously. I hoped that would tip him off enough from his suspicions.

I sensed he wasn't buying it, not even for a second. "Of course. If it were easy, everyone would be walking around on love potions, I'd say." he snickered, walking toward me, placing both hands on the table on either side of me. "Well, now I'm curious.." he said, slightly leaning forward, "If that's what doesn't attract you, then what does?" he looked eager to hear my answer.

I felt too choked up for words, and I seemed to run dry of any excuses to give. "I.. um.. I don't have to tell you that..." I murmured nervously, my back now against the table. I watched as his smile seemed to grow. He leaned in closer, our faces only being a few inches apart. "You don't?" he spoke, softly. He sounded so smug and confident. His eyes were now directly meeting mine, his gaze was unwavering, and he showed a bit of exhilaration in his smile. "And why is that?" He stared, gently.

I could feel my body temperature rising at the question, and I shakily drew in a breath. "W-why, why would you need to know?" I glance down, catching my breath, looking at his hands on either side of me grabbing the table, and looking back up at him. I felt almost dizzy at our closeness. "Oh, it's not that I need to know." he smirked, "But I want to know." His voice dropped to a whisper. He moved just a fraction closer. "Tell me" he quietly said, almost sounding demanding.

At this point, I was completely flustered by his presence. I could feel his breath, and I could smell the faint fire-y pine scent in the warmth radiating off of him. "Sebastian...." I trembled, my legs nearly buckling at the situation I now seemed to find myself in.

His face was so near to me now, that I could see each individual freckle on his nose, and I took notice of his soft, pink lips. His breath was warm, and our eyes seemed to be fixed on one another. "Hmm?" He let out, it was obvious he was waiting for an answer. He kept his smile, his lips parting ever so slightly. He got so close, I could swear I felt electricity running through my body. "Say it." He whispered, his voice sounding husky. "Tell me." I felt his breath on my lips.

Any hesitation within me had seemed to disappear, I couldn't take this any longer. I reached for the back of his neck, and pulled him in to kiss me. He seemed to be taken by surprise, but he quickly gave in. He put his hand on my lower back, pulling me deeper into the kiss, while keeping his other hand still holding the edge of the table. We seemed to keep this position for what seemed like an eternity. A constant and passionate stream of kisses between us, the moment growing more intense as our hearts began to beat faster and faster.

He slowly pulled his mouth away, both of us breathing heavily to catch a breath. His lips parted as he whispered, "I knew it."

"Guess I didn't have to use that potion after all, did I?" I giggled.

"Oh Y/N, come here." he growled, pulling me into him for more.

[flandrepudding]

doll collection post

Hi guyz!! so somebody asked me to post my doll collection a while back and I put it off because i'm trying to rearrange my setup but its taking much longer than expected due to irl stuff.

But I dont wanna wait anymore! Feel free to just scroll through the pictures, you don't have to read the commentary if you don't want to. In fact you don't have to scroll through any of this at all. I wrote a lot because I am severely neurodivergent. Having a genuine blogging moment rn.

I have been waiting forever for an excuse to post my collection!! I was so happy someone suggested I do so.

I don't have a lot of room for everybody! Everyone is scattered around my room, but I try my best to display them nicely...

My G1 collection is moderately sized, these dolls are expensive and difficult to find. There are so many more I want, like Dead Tired Lagoona or Sweet 1600 Draculaura to go with my Sweet 1600 Clawdeen...sigh. But it just keeps getting harder! I am actually content with stopping my G1 collecting hunt for now and instead focusing on G3... Many of these dolls are from my dear friends, especially Leo and Raven (hi guyz!). Without my friends, I would only have three of these dolls... I am so lucky to be so loved!!!

I don't have many bratz that are in good enough shape to be on display. I really grew up on bratz rather than monster high... but again...these dolls get expensive! Roxxi was always a favorite of mine and a crush! Growing up, I was the type of kid who almost exclusively wanted one brat though. Yasmin. Not Cloe, Jade, or Sasha. I was devoted to collecting Yasmin because she looked similar to me. In retrospect, I really wish I had gotten more of the other girls...I do have some...though their numbers pale in comparison to the Yasmin army.

The ball-jointed doll is my most expensive doll and my largest doll (she is fucking ginormous). Even when buying her at half the original price (great deal from a great friend) she was hardly affordable.

I bought her because I plan on customizing her to be Flandre Scarlet, my ultimate comfort character! I've always dreamed of having a doll of Flan. SO why not make one myself? I've had her for months but am still too scared to cut that beautiful hair off...I'm no good at cutting wigs/hair in general. I did install her red eyes myself which I've never done before as this is my first and probably last bjd! She is gorgeous but I would consider these dolls luxury items... VERY EXPENSIVE.

(idk why the exposure is so high on these, sorry!! >_<;)

I am so happy to have the coffin bean playset!! I think it was a really good idea to get it. but I am so sad because I have hardly any room for it! So It's sitting on my dresser in front of a giant mirror so please excuse the poor editing I did to obscure the reflection of me and my living space lol...

I gave my Twyla low pigtails, though they aren't very visible, and my Clawdeen braids! I think Clawdeen looks super cute this way tbh I tried curling her hair again and again and again but the curls always fell out (I dont have much experience)...but honestly... I think I like this look even better ^_^. You can see her ears so well this way.

This Clawdeen is basically my holy grail and it was gifted to me by Leo, Leo if you're reading this I hope you know you are basically Jesus.

not to get deep but the OMG doll next to her is special to me because it is one of the last gifts I got from my late Grandpa. He took me to target and when I said I liked the doll, no questions asked, he bought her for me. Didn't give me shit for liking dolls at my big age. He simply got her for me because she made me happy, and he wants me to be happy. Dolls can mean so much. Again, I am so lucky to be so loved!!! >:D

I have this gorgeous Draculaura just chilling next to my jewelry cuz I have nowhere else to put her and honestly she is gorgeous and should stand alone.

Here I have the pride Bratz next to my bed!!! They mean so much to me, as I said earlier I had a crush on Roxxi. To see she's a canon lesbian now is so incredible!! And Nevra, her girlfriend, is beautiful! They are so cute together... they are never leaving that box though. This was actually the first doll/set of dolls where I fully understood why people are content leaving dolls in their boxes. I love to play with my dolls so much... but I could never play with these two!! If anything happened to them I would lose my mind.

Now... you're probably thinking......where the hell is Lagoona?!?! Do you not have one despite loving her this much? Of course I have a Lagoona. I AM GROWING AN ARMY!!!!!!

I really, really love Lagoona...I want to get every Lagoona doll I possibly can. Isn't she so cute! I relate to her character in the cartoon a lot too... her life at home, her difficulties speaking up when she is sad or angry, her sporty personality, etc etc... She has quickly claimed her spot as biggest comfort character #2. I included many pictures because I simply cannot pick one, she is flawless. You might recognize the Lagoona on the left, I drew her in that exact pose recently!!

I have her army on my desk, giving me the strength I need to get through my work... like Homer Simpson with his pictures of baby Maggie at his work. I get endless inspiration and motivation from Lagoona!!!

And here is the Flandre shrine bonus... I adore her!! I also have finally ordered a fumo flan that should arrive in august around my birthday eeek!!!

Anyways that is my collection. It's been many years in the making, though it's almost doubled since monster high G3 released... Mattel truly has me by the balls right now. If you read any of this, thank you. I put a lot of time into making this post, and it was really fun. I feel like a real blogger right now.

I really really enjoy dolls and talking about them. So I will happily do so anytime I get the chance!!! Will probably do an update once I finally install some more shelves and move stuff around <3

[sollyraptor]

Golde eyes are awesome actually we need more illager ocs w golden eyes-

(don't know much about Siri..Sir.Sieus..Sirius. sorry I haven't slepr in a while I'm going to be weird.)

any finished lore or story for him I AM interested!! a lot!! he looks cool!!

|| (Cheers, fellow 2am lurker. lol)

|| Had this reponse drafted for way too long, almost forgot it in these chambers

Glad you like the silly guy! He has a thing going on and a tiny sprinkle of backstory shenanigans. I RP with him occasionally and he has a bit of a role in one of my (hibernating) ask blogs, but all in all he isn't my main guy or anything, I don't think so.

The golden/amber eyes were a design choice not made by me, since I got the lad in a Toyhou.se forum game (some design exchange thread). The designs for Sirius and Silas were gifted/traded to me! :D (So there aren't any lore implications or anything for his eyes, not that I can think of. His eyes are just a little extra piercing when he stares. lmao)

(og art by Jitsuemon [toyhou.se])

It is noted though that there are metal pieces (iron) imbedded in their foreheads. I like to think it's for them to distinguish who's from their community/tribe and who's not. Maybe for a little blessing/damage boost too, although I am unsteady on that point. I like to think the tribe he's part of isn't as magic savvy as others to make full use of such things as enchantments or soul shenanigans.

I don't think I can talk as much about him or speak confidently of his upbringing, since I am not really that deep in the illager sauce as some others. Pff- (I try my best.)

His story, the way I haphazardly put it together, is that his old tribe got demolished one way or another that separated him from the community. Something along the line of heroes launching an attack on their illager outposts, before concentrating on the mansion. Chaos and all. Whether it be killing the community off or by scattering them enough they couldn't easily find one another again, Sirius ends up without his tribe and perhaps a little lost too.

(Still not sure what part he had in the battle, tbh. He could've avoided the main conflict while he was on patrol, but got ambushed when they headed to the mansion to help, and ended up chasing off the attackers with Silas just to lose sight of his crew. He could've been in the midst of the battle and fled when things got dire. Idk honestly. He is a warrior and all, but he wouldn't be too eager to meet death head on when odds are so much against him/the whole tribe. Glory in war, but he ain't stupid. Maybe things just got a smidge too wild that even he got spooked. Heroes and their artifacts. You wouldn't run into a death laser if you could help it.)

A lone illager is a dead illager, it's believed, so it's lucky enough he has his trusty ravager steed Silas by his side once they escaped- Although while she may be a great help traversing large spans of distance, she costs a ton of resources. You can't convince me ravagers can live off of grass alone, even if they kinda look bovine. Food management becomes a problem.

Doing the illager thing as usual and pillaging villages for resources was easy enough for a while, considering Sirius doesn't need to wrangle any iron golems on his own. But even just a "swift pillage" for a bit of food and things sets alarms off and heroes are much more of a danger if you have no allies and they start actively hunting you down. It isn't worth the attention, especially since a ravager isn't exactly inconspicuous or particularily stealthy in avoiding keen eyes.

Sirius is a bit of a thinker compared to some other illagers (or what I know of, anyway? I don't think pillagers are that wise. A little silly. Orange-cat levels of braincells perhaps, but with more lethal weapon wielding.) He will ponder over things and actually give it a moment before doing something. Still- he thinks deep but not very far. (lol) Coming up with a plan, thinking for it for a moment but still ending up with throwing a door at someone or bashing his head against a wall. Either way, he can be talked with and likes to stay suspicious.

For a while he even attempted to trade with villagers, but he doesn't particularily look innocent and harmless, so if they don't ring the alarm anyway they just drive their prices up to make him leave sooner, which gnaws at his patience. Even if he attempts to be chill, villagers make his blood boil. He still thinks poorly of them. At least he never saw any of that "kind" and "hospitable" nature towards him when dealing with villagers.

I am still just vague with how long he's been out and about. Couldn't be terribly long if he didn't get in touch with other tribes, or still long enough he adapted to being a bit of a lone wolf with all it's challenges. Eh, idk.

With emeralds running low, a hungy ravager (haha, or ravenous ravager) by his side and no post or mansion to return to, he kinda just looked for jobs that didn't mind recruiting a lone Illager.

I had him get in touch with a group of mob hunters. Hunting, fighting and capturing mobs of all sort for materials, meat, keeping as pets and other stuff by contract. I suppose, however you see it, like poachers. Sirius would be familiar enough with fighting and taking hostages maybe, so the basics shouldn't be too difficult from a pillager standpoint.

Currently he got a task to prove himself before he gets fully recruited, so I guess he's still jobless as before. He's still out there tryna get a grasps at the thing. As a pillager it's easy enough to kill/capture villagers, the people you fight always stay in one spot anyway. If it's wildlife ya gotta pursue through foliage or across biomes it's a little tougher. Pf-

That's pretty much all I got about him so far. Much to ramble about, but essentially not that much!

[jerzwriter]

Tickler Tuesday: Valentine Edition

I know a lot of people hate Valentine's Day, and I get why, but I've always loved it. Of course, I view it differently than most. I have none of the commercialism. To me, it's about red and pink (two colors that always make me smile), chocolate (always a winner), and love - but not only romantic love. Some of the best V-Days of my life have been spent with friends, my daughter, and sometimes even strangers I just met. It's all what you make of it. So, my goal is to have a little Valentine's Day fic for each of my pairings... and to finish the 2nd part of Tobias & Casey's from last year (because I totally suck. lol)

Here's a sneak peek at the WIPs...

Casey x Jessica | Open Heart (prequel)

Nothing made Casey smile more than Jessica’s melodious laugh, so it was no surprise that the closer she inched to her classroom, the wider her smile grew. She was quite sure these students had no idea how lucky they were to have her girlfriend as their TA? But Casey knew what she had. Stepping into the room, she couldn't wait to see Jess's smile, and she did, for just a second. Jess's face fell at once.

“What... what the hell is that?” she asked, motioning furiously in Casey’s direction.

Casey looked down, perplexed, rubbing her hands along her torso to see what was wrong, but nothing seemed amiss.

“What’s what?”

“That sweater! Why are you wearing that sweater?”

Casey appeared almost offended as she caressed her favorite cashmere sweater. It had been a gift from her parents, and Jess knew it was one of her favorites.

“But... I love this sweater! You love this sweater!”

“I do,” Jess sighed. “But not today!"

Trystan x Carolina | Crimes of Passion

They couldn't stop laughing as they stumbled into her room, Carolina knocking things over as she felt around clumsily for the light.

"I can't believe we're going to do this," she laughed. "I just meant it as a joke."

"Are you kidding?" Trystan beamed so brightly, there was almost no need for that light. He grabbed two pens from Carolina's desk and rushed to take the seat by her side. "This is inspired! It's brilliant! I'm devastated that I hadn't heard of this sooner!"

"Yeah," she winked seductively, leaning in to caress his cheek with a smile. "But if you had learned of it sooner, then you wouldn't get to do it for the first time with me."

"Yes, and while this is a very unique of losing our virginity together, and I, for one, cannot wait! Now! Let's get to it!"

Ethan x Kaycee | Open Heart

Ethan was still putting away dishes in the kitchen when Kaycee tucked herself under a blanket on the couch, a large glass of wine at her side, and an enormous bowl of popcorn on her lap. With eyes full of wonder and a childlike grin, it was hard to imagine she could be more excited.

Catching a glimpse of her as put the last plate in the cupboard, Ethan had to chuckle. He had probably used the word "endearing" ten times in his life before he met Kaycee MacClennan, but since he had, he swore he used it ten times a day. But no matter how enchanting she was, he still needed the large tumbler of Scotch he poured to get through this night.

Kaycee tapped the space next to her, eager to have him at her side, and he quickly complied. Wrapping his arm around her, he let out a long sigh.

"Are you ready?" she gushed.

He placed a kiss atop her head and thought he'd give it just one more shot. "Does that mean I have a choice?"

Tobias x Casey | Open Heart

The room looked straight out of a movie, awash in a soft, golden glow. Tobias had meticulously picked each and every candle scattered around them; only Casey's absolute favorites would do. After lighting the last one, he turned his attention to her, eyes full of desire.

He bridged the space between them, and his hands slid over the soft curves he adored so much. Casey held him close, a gentle giggle escaping her as he peppered her with kisses. Her laughter, combined with the jasmine scent that was hers and hers alone, left him lightheaded; the woman left him drunk more than wine ever could.

"What are you doing?" She laughed.

"What does it look like? Any objections?"

"No, Dr. Carrick, not a single one."

Running a hand through her hair, he sat back with a smile. "You know, you're the best wife I've ever had."

"Oh, really," she teased with a raised brow. "I was under the assumption I was your only wife unless you have a whopper of a secret you need to share."

"Well, now that you mention it..."

Zoe Rivera (MC) | Wake the Dead

She wasn't sure if it was day or night, and right now, she didn't care. No one was present to hear her soft groaning as she shifted to her side, and once again, she was grateful. Zoe Rivera was self-aware enough to know that she made a lousy patient, and everyone was wise to leave her alone.

Then the creaking of her bedroom door had her rethinking her friend's judgment. Waking her up just as she was about to return to a semin-blissful slumber? Oh, there had better be a good reason for this.