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n3on-graveston3s-calling · 1 year ago

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Dinner & Diatribes

Series: Think I Need Someone Older

Word Count: 4,840

Rating: E

Characters: Dracule Mihawk, Fem!Reader

Warnings: Smut. Pure smut. Mihawk is on his knees for you and he is hungry.

Tags: Smut, cunnilingus, eating out, squirting, fingering, Mihawk being a tease, cannibalism as an allegory for love and/or sex

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

The island was larger than you had initially thought. With how Dracule had explained it, the picture you’d painted in your mind was something more akin to Windmill Village. But this- oh, this towering city floating in the middle of the sea was everything and more. Canals that traced through each level, making essential roads that yagura-led -gondolas wound through. Water 7, the legendary floating city full of shipwrights, pirates, and civilians alike. One of the very few places without a strong Marine presence- a relief for you.

The two of you had met a few years prior. One thing led to another, which led to a room in an inn, which led to you sobbing and begging for him to not stop. Now, anytime the two of you having been in the same place at the same time, hitching a ride hadn’t been much of an issue. A break from your own crew for a “date night” as your First Mate had put it, much to your annoyance.

“Here,” Dracule murmured, reaching a hand down to grasp your own, helping you step down onto the dock. The sound of laughter and yelling drew your attention away, gaze trailing over the shipwrights and dock yards. You’d heard stories of Water 7, but had never found a reason to seek out the aid of the legendary builders. Yet here you were; as he led you away from the ship, you found yourself distracted by the large galleons that were being built, repaired, or setting sail on their maiden voyages.

“This is… Wow,” you breathed out a laugh, shaking your head at the craftsmanship. “Now that I’m here, I can only picture what’s wrong with my own ship,” not necessarily a joke, though your tone made it sound as such. Dracule hummed as he dropped your hand, his own gaze sharp.

A target on the back- one for each of you separately, and a much larger one for you two to be spotted together. But who would dare encroach upon Dracule Mihawk? Haughty swordsmen who thought themselves better than the Greatest, that was who. Luckily, it seemed that reputation did matter in Water 7, as the two of you were given a large berth. “I’ve business I need to attend to before our dinner,” his voice drew you from your thoughts; you glanced up, meeting the keen golden eyes of your not so secret lover. “The hotel I’ve booked is two tiers up. Take the yagura to this address,” always demanding, he placed a slip of paper into your grasp. “I’ll be there soon.”

“What, no time to stroll along with me?” You teased, stepping closer. He tensed, but didn’t push you away- no, rather, he drew you even closer with a hand upon your waist, pulling you flush to his own form.

“If I remained with you, I would get nothing done.” He leaned down, lips brushing against your own in a ghost of a kiss. “And I would much rather save that for after our dinner.” A nip of his teeth against your lip had you gasping before he pulled away, adjusting his hat. He turned sharply on his heel and ducked down an alleyway- and within moments, you lost sight of him.

Not even a goodbye.

With a sigh, you turned to flag down a yagura to ride on. While you wanted to spend time exploring the city- the knowledge of what this night could bring was sitting at the forefront of your mind, making you adjust your skirt to cross your thighs a touch tighter. Even so, you did enjoy the sights you were able to see: a grand water fountain, plenty of storefronts that looked promising, restaurants that you were certain were above your normal indulgence range.

It wasn’t long before the yagura- a sweet thing that had more spots than you’d ever seen on one- pulled up to the front of a large hotel. Nearly four floors tall, you felt your heart stop as you looked at the people coming and going from it. You were almost- no, you WERE certain- some of these people were famous. With their clothing, the way they had their own security detail- oh, Mihawk, what did you do? You stepped from the yagura onto the sidewalk and reached over to offer it a gentle pet on the snout before turning towards the front. The door was covered with a black awning- and had a red carpet leading beyond golden doors. The outside architecture was elegant- older, speaking back to a time before you had been born, but beautifully attended to.

You felt under dressed. Clenching your jaw, you made your way inside, ignoring the sideways glances sent your way as you approached the front desk. “I have a room.” You stated with confidence, chin raised, gaze level with the man behind the desk.

“Name?”

“It should be beneath Mihawk.”

“You-… You are his guest, I presume?” Stumbling over his words for a moment, the concierge leaned down to procure a golden key with the room number etched onto the body. “You will be staying on the top floor. The Garnet Suite.” He rushed to explain, gesturing to someone behind you to take your bag from your shoulder. “Please- let us know if there is anything- anything- you desire.”

“Thank you.” You glanced to the bellhop curiously- a petite woman whose eyes were wide in awe as she followed you to the elevator. “How long have you worked here?” You asked as she rang the elevator.

“Only a few months,” she answered quietly, her cheeks rosy. “Sure must be important to be… His guest.”

“You think so?” You teased, watching the way her mouth opened and closed a few times before she bobbed her head quickly, dirty blonde hair swaying with the movement. “I think you’re right. I mean- if you can keep a secret?”

“I can!”

“He isn’t the only one with a large bounty on his head.” You winked as you stepped into the elevator. She followed after with an expression reading of awe. It took her a moment to close the door and to select the floor- but that was alright. “You aren’t used to pirates, yet?”

“No, ma’am. I’m still… This is all new to me. I’m not even from here! I just- I wanted to see more of the world, and Water 7 is the social hub!”

“Where are you from?”

“The North Blue, ma’am.”

“You certainly are a long way from home, then!” You couldn’t help but smile fondly; she was sweet, this bellhop. She still had a lot to learn, certainly, but she would do well. “What’s your name?”

“Liliana, ma’am.”

“Well, Liliana- I think I can handle it from here. But thank you for helping me,” you opened the coin purse that hung from your hip, fishing out a few berries that had her eyes widening even further, if that were possible. “For your trouble.”

“Oh, thank you!” Her grin was bright as you stepped out into the hall. “Thank you very much!” She reached out to grasp the door, shutting it once more. Turning, you made your way to the room; plaques hung beside each door with the name of the room.

Ruby, spinel, jasper… Ah, garnet. They must separate floors by the colors of gemstones, you thought to yourself as you unlocked the door. Stepping in, you had to pause to take in the sight. It was breathtaking; a large balcony separated by twin glass doors, covered with semi-sheer, off-white curtains. The bed was a four poster with black sheets; golden detailing was etched into the wood, but that wasn’t even the show stopper. No, it was the rest of the room. The walls were painted a rich garnet tone with ivory pillars set into the walls with decorative filigree carved into both stone and wood. As your head turned, you realized with a flush that it was one large room- the claw foot tub sat across from the bed, a shower tucked into the corner. Twin sinks were posed on either side, though a large mirror ran across the length, framed by gold.

How much had Dracule paid for this room alone? You were almost afraid to ask.

Closing the door behind yourself, the lock clicked into place. You set your bag down at the foot of the bed and crossed over to the large mahogany wardrobe, opening it, only to find that no, it wasn’t empty. A garment bag hung with a note scrawled in Mihawk’s hasty handwriting:

“Wear this for dinner.”

Curiosity piqued, you unzipped the bag and slipped the cloth off to reveal a stunning gown of ruby, silken in it’s make. Your size, you noted; draped collar with thin straps, the back plunging and crisscrossed with thin straps you knew were only there for decoration. A slit clear to what would be mid-thigh, too-

“Sweet Aphrodite, Mihawk.” You hissed, shaking your head as you turned away. Now it made sense, why he’d asked you to bring heels. Well, in the meantime- freshening up would be nice. You strolled over to the bath, fingers trailing along the ivory lip of the tub. This close to the mirror, you noticed that it gave a perfect view of the bed. Your lips curled in a mischievous smirk as you turned the tab on the tub. A glance to the left to the windows that offered a lovely view of the sky. No one could see in.

Perfect.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Someone had come to retrieve you- one of the waitstaff for the hotel. You’d had enough time to bathe, apply makeup, and dress before the man had arrived. The dress was, indeed, your size- clinging to your form in a way that could almost be considered sinful. The ruby tone caught the light regardless of which way you turned. You’d paired your lips with the dress, the red stark against your skin. As you entered the restaurant attached to the hotel, you felt eyes turn to take you in.

In that moment, you felt like the most important woman in the world. Your lips curved into a slow smile as you spotted your date, who was slowly rising to his feet. He’d forgone his normal wardrobe, though Yoru was leaning against the wall behind him. His own suit was black, tailored to fit him. “This was a pleasant surprise,” you greeted as he reached out, taking your hand in his.

He leaned in, brushing a kiss against your cheek. “You look delicious,” he murmured in your ear before pulling back to pull your chair out for you. A shudder threatened to dance across your skin as you settled down into the chair. Somewhere in the restaurant, a piano played live. “I hope the room met your expectations.”

“Met and exceeded,” you replied with a shake of your head. “This was too much- all of this-”

“Nonsense.” He waved a hand through the air as if to dispel your words. “For you? It’s worth it. I hope you don’t mind, I ordered wine for the table.”

“Perfect.” A vintage red, perfect to pair with dinner. As you glanced over the menu, you tried to ignore the prices listed. Expensive tastes; of course he’d have expensive taste. “You seem familiar with the island. How often have you visited?”

“A few times.” The dismissive tone had you rolling your eyes as the waiter approached. You gave your order- a pasta dish with white sauce paired with a side salad. Mihawk ordered a steak- medium rare, some sort of a pasta dish you weren’t familiar with, and informed the man that the desert would be to-go. You raised your brow at that, head tilting to study him. “To go?”

“Mhm.” He hummed as he sipped on his wine, gaze trailing along your bare arms, settling on your collarbones for a moment. He was right; the dress had been the perfect choice for you. “I don’t intend to linger here longer than necessary.” The hotel was perfect, one he was more than familiar with. He only hoped it was up to your expectations. “Why?”

“Just curious.” Your gaze slipped away, cheeks flushing under the intense stare. Your legs crossed under the table, thighs pressing closer to offer some relief to the pressure you felt beginning to build. “Did you finish whatever business you had?”

He nodded before settling his chin upon his palm. The hat was still on his head, hiding his features from most everyone at the restaurant- aside from yourself. “I did. Some repairs that I required to be finished tonight before we left in the morning.”

“A shame we have to leave so soon. This truly is a beautiful city…” You sighed, lip jutting out in a pout.

Across from you, Mihawk chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ve business to attend to after we finish here, you know that.”

“Some big meeting with the World Government, I’m aware. Tell me, what is so pressing?” No news had broken yet, but there were tensions that had certainly gotten the seas astir. “Or is that some secret you’d have to kill me for?”

“You know the answer to that, darling.” Mihawk purred, leaning back in his chair, a small smirk curving the corners of his lips upwards. He watched you squirm in your seat, affected by the threat and the rumble of his tone. Your fingers drummed upon the top of the table, a telltale giveaway of how much you were anticipating the events that would follow this dinner, much to his delight. “How did you like the room?”

“Oh!” Your attention returned fully, gaze sparkling as you gestured vaguely. “It’s stunning! The latticework was so intricate- and the filigree? Oh, Dracule, you outdid yourself this time. And don’t get me started on the way the room is set up? That four poster is simply to die for! And the bathtub? It was big enough that I couldn’t touch the other end- a perfect soaking tub.”

“So you enjoyed it?”

“Oh, certainly. The balcony is a fun touch. I had the doors open while I bathed to get that warm sea breeze…” You trailed off, worrying your lip for a moment before releasing it. “The mirror is interesting. Such a perfect angle for the bed…”

“So you noticed.”

“That hotel used to be a brothel, didn’t it?”

“Perhaps, once, many years ago. It no longer serves that purpose.”

“Tell me, Dracule- am I just a high priced whore to warm your bed?” You teased, foot settling on the inside of his calf. Slowly, you drug it up the inside of his leg, watching the way he tensed, the way his gaze darkened. “Someone who can take care of you? Take away all of those stressors-”

“The highest.” He interrupted, sitting up straighter as his gaze shifted to over your shoulder. Food. You smile as your plates are sat before you. “Thank you,” Mihawk dismissed the waiter with less than a glance.

You could have sworn you heard the boy mutter “prick” under his breath.

Conversation lapsed into silence as you ate. You had to hand it to the chef, he certainly knew what he was doing with his pasta. But your mind wasn’t on the pasta- it was on the way Dracule kept looking at you, as if you were the meat on his plate that he was devouring, rather than the steak that was rare enough it still bled, making its own gravy. How long had it been since the two of you had any time alone? Weeks, at this point. Between your own crew, your own plundering, and Mihawk’s schedule, finding any time to be alone had been difficult- until now.

A bag was presented along with the check as your plates were cleared away. “What did you order?” You whispered as he came around, pulling your seat out for you. You had a bit of a sweet tooth, something he was well aware of.

“Something sweet.” He replied as he left payment on the table before settling Yoru on his back once more. Once settled, he took hold of the bag in one hand while his other settled on the small of your back, leading you through the winding tables. Couples of all ages paused in conversation as you passed, shock and awe spread across their expressions.

You couldn’t help the rush of pride that swept through you. Yes, that’s right- Mihawk was yours. He was the one at your back. His hand was the one settled just above the curve of your ass. The one who had rented the hotel room, the one who had paid for your dinner, who had brought you here for time away from your crew- time alone with him.

You were his- and he, equally yours.

Crossing the lobby to the elevators, you shifted, moving his hand from your back to twine your fingers together. A soft hum pulled free from him at the movement, though you paid it no mind. He didn’t care, really- as long as he could touch you, that’s all that mattered to Mihawk. His hand gave yours a gentle squeeze as the bellhop opened the door for the elevator. A man this time, you noted as you two stepped in- and he stepped out quickly, face paling dramatically in a way that had you laughing.

Mihawk looked almost amused as he pulled the gate closed.

Alone, his hand pulled free to reach up, settling at the base of your neck, just above your spine. A gentle squeeze had your eyes falling closed, breath stuttering. “I believe I’m still hungry,” Mihawk sighed, tutting softly. “I suppose I’ll need to have my desert sooner rather than later.”

“Is that so?” You breathed out, features flushing as you reached your floor. You opened the gate quickly, stepping out ahead of Mihawk- who still had his hand on your neck, not allowing you to turn. Leading, guiding you to your room. “And here I was, thinking I had the sweet tooth.” You taunted, pulling the key free from your garter to unlock the door. An old habit- normally, a knife would have been there.

A gentle shove in had you stumbling forward. Mihawk kicked the door closed, already setting Yoru aside with great care. “Do you have any idea how delectable you are in that dress?” He murmured, turning as he clicked the lock into place. Your breath caught in your throat as he removed his hat, hanging it on the door handle- a habit you learned was to know if anyone tried to jimmy the lock to break in. “How I was tempted to cut dinner short just to rush you back up here? To feel the way your skin had warmed the silk.”

“No, I- I hadn’t realized you were affected that much.” He had a remarkable poker face, really. You stepped closer, meeting him halfway as his hands settled on your hips, tugging you closer. His fingers rucked up the fabric with how he gripped you in that moment. It was exhilarating as you reached up, cupping his cheeks as he studied you. “Then why don’t you do something about it?”

And so, he did.

Lifting you up with ease, hands gripping your thighs as he carried you to the bed. A squeal had escaped you at the sudden movement, though you couldn’t help the laughter that followed as he tossed you down. It was rare that Dracule became playful, but oh, how you relished it. The way he crawled over you, trapping you beneath his body- and within his kisses. Full of passion, you reached up to tangle a hand in his hair. One leg rose, hooking around his hips, tugging him down against yourself.

He hadn’t been the only one affected, after all.

“I could devour you,” Mihawk sighed into the kiss, trailing more down your jaw, to your throat, where he busied himself with making sure the world knew who you belonged to by leaving bruise after bruise. When he reached the juncture of neck and shoulder, he paused, teeth scraping the sensitive skin before biting down. A surprised yell escaped you, prompting you to tug on his hair. “May I?” He breathed against your skin, soothing the bite with a swipe of his tongue. “May I devour you? My dessert?”

“Mihawk,” you were panting already, heart hammering within your chest. His pupils were blown with lust, you noted; no doubt your own were the same. “Gods above, please. Please- I need you. I need you so badly, I ache for you.” You whined, shifting your hips as he sat up on his knees, tugging off the tie he wore, followed by the dress shirt- all but ripping it to remove it, tossing the ruined fabric aside.

He moved back off the bed, only to kneel at the end. You reached back, grabbing hold of the pillows to make things more comfortable for yourself- and for you, too. You tossed one down for him to kneel on, drawing a genuine smile from him as he shook his head. You placed a pillow behind your head, and one under yourself to raise your hips up. A better angle, you’d learned.

Carefully, he removed your heels, taking a moment to massage one foot, then the other. An appreciative hum pulled free from you as you settled back against the bed, eyes falling closed to enjoy the feeling of calloused hands smoothing across the smooth skin of your legs. A kiss was pressed to your right ankle, a nip at your calf that had your leg tensing momentarily. His hand settled behind your knee, prompting you to bend it, to settle it over his shoulder. And then- a gasp was ripped free at the feeling of his tongue laving a slow trail along the inside of your thigh. You sighed, eyes opening to study the ceiling, expecting for him to dive in-

Only to receive a bite on your left thigh. Your leg tensed once more before a surprised sound escaped as his tongue- his damned tongue- pressed against your core through your underwear. “Mihawk,” you whispered, hands fisting the lavish duvet beneath you.

“You’ve already soaked through your panties,” he taunted, turning his head to kiss at the juncture of your leg and pelvis. “What were you thinking about?” He mused as his fingers crept forward. Something clinked- you didn’t register what it was until cool metal pressed against the skin of your thigh. The Kogatana, you realized. “Was it this?”

“If you rip this pair, I’ll never forgive you.”

“I’ll buy you five of the same.”

“… That’s a good deal.” The sound of fabric ripping, of the flat of the blade pressing against your skin had goosebumps breaking out. He tugged your underwear off and away, the ruined fabric joining its predecessor- his shirt- on the ground somewhere. You’d find them later, it wasn’t important right now. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you watched as he carefully slid the Kogatana back into its sheath before removing it entirely from his neck. He looked up, meeting your gaze as he guided your thighs to settle back upon his shoulders. With a tug, he had you laying back once more with a breathless laugh that morphed into a moan as his tongue licked a slow path along your core.

Once.

Twice.

Three times before his thumbs settled on your lips, spreading you for him. “It’s almost like the nectar of the Gods,” he murmured against you, tongue laving against you from entrance to clit in firm, broad, warm strokes that had you gasping for air quicker than you thought possible. “I could get drunk off the taste.”

“Dracule,” you whined, a hand coming to settle in inky tresses, tugging none to softly, drawing a growl out from your lover.

In retaliation, he turned his head and nipped at your thigh, though it only drew a startled moan free. He returned to his goal, licking like a man starved, as if he truly did intend on eating you. His lips settled around your clit, creating a momentary vacuum that had your toes curling and your back arching. He hummed around you, tongue flicking over your clit quickly, mercilessly. Where he’d learned how to pleasure someone like this, you would never know. But by the Gods, you were melting against his mouth. “Oh, sweet Aphrodite,” you whimpered, hips shifting to grind against him, craving more stimulation. You needed, wanted, craved more.

“Greedy girl,” Mihawk growled, pulling back from your pussy to settle an arm over your hips, holding you down in place. “You’ll take what I give you, when I decide to give it. None of this nonsense.”

“Oh, you fucker,” you huffed, but try as you might, you could never move his arm. As you looked down at him, you caught a glimpse of yourself in that damned mirror, giving you pause. The dress was rucked up around your hips, your skin flushed in the soft light that spilled through the doors. And Mihawk was kneeling between your thighs- oh, you could watch him. You could watch the way his head bobbed with each pass of his tongue, the way his other hand was between his thighs, moving quickly-

Touching himself.

The knowledge sent a shudder through your body. “Good girl,” he murmured against your core, voice ragged. How close was he? Too close- he turned his full attention back to you, his now-free hand settling on your thigh. “So fucking wet, all for me.”

“You’re- oh, fuck- vocal tonight, aren’t you?”

Instead of answering, one of his fingers slid in smoothly, clear down to the knuckle, drawing a loud moan from you in retaliation. Slowly, he pumped, crooking his finger on the draw out to brush against your walls in a way that had you seeing stars- only from one damned finger. “Should see yourself,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Greedy, greedy girl- already weeping around my finger. Do you need another one?”

“Please!” You cried out as he withdrew his fingers, only to replace one with two. The stretch was delicious; you thought you could handle three, but couldn’t find your voice- not with how he started fucking you in ernest, not with the way he focused his talented mouth solely on your clit suddenly. “Oh- oh, there, there, there!” You cried, tossing your head back against the bed.

Good, he thought to himself. If he played his cards right… Crooking his fingers, he pressed upwards, grinding his fingers in, deeper than you could ever manage by yourself. Tongue rolling against your clit in hard passes that had your thighs tensing each time, you felt that familiar ball of tension begin to form quickly. “Can feel you getting tighter,” he taunted, letting his tongue hang out as he lavished your clit in attention.

“Mi-Mihawk, oh fuck. Oh- oh my god, your fingers!” You whined, reaching up to palm at your chest, tugging on your nipples before raising it higher to settle around your own throat. “I’m close, so close, please-”

“That’s my good girl. Come for me,” he rasped, watching the way you rolled your hips as best you could, as your stomach tensed. It was like watching a living piece of art, the way your orgasm washed over you. How your jaw dropped open, how your cries spilled free as your release spilled over his fingers, onto the floor below. “That’s my good girl.” The praise fell upon deaf ears, your heartbeat racing within your ears. You shuddered as you began to come down, the feeling of his fingers still gently thrusting almost too much for you. Weakly, you reached down to push at his shoulder, the telltale sign. He sighed, leaning forward to press a kiss against your oversensitive clit as he withdrew his fingers.

“Gods, Mihawk,” you shook your head, chest rising and falling with deep breaths, trying to calm yourself as he rose to his feet. He used the shirt he’d ruined to clean his arm up before tossing it over the small mess made on the floor. At least it didn’t hit the pillow, he thought as he grabbed it to set at the head of the bed.

“Oh, I hope I didn’t tire you out,” he murmured as he rounded the side of the bed, leaning over to draw you into a slow kiss. You could taste yourself on his lips, on the brush of his tongue against your lips, against your own. His chin was drenched in you- in your essence. You rolled over, rising to your knees to reach him properly, dragging him closer, chest to chest. “Why’s that?” You breathed into the kiss, pulling back just enough to study your lover. His hands reached up, brushing your hair back from your face, his lips curving into a grin full of mischief. “Because, darling, I want seconds. I haven’t had my fill yet.”

#one piece #dracule mihawk smut #dracule mihawk x reader #one piece x reader #one piece smut #think I need someone older series #feel like I need to go to church tomorrow for this jfc [ is pagan ]#next up: Shanks #and boy are y'all gonna love that one #unholy scripture [ n s f w ]#x reader #kanon's writings

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unionizedwizard · 5 months ago

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tumblr user unionizedwizard certified #1 shadowbringers + g'raha overthinker reporting for duty

i HAVE been thinking about sphene being the exarch's foil. because it is a very obvious case to the point they had to pick him up from SHARLAYAN as an emergency Relevant Character and also allowed him to come with us to living memory (you know it's about to get serious when they let him go anywhere with the wol)

so, obviously. both sphene and g'raha (as the exarch) were thrust into a horrific nightmarish situation where they were put in charge of a entire city/state facing an umbral calamity. both care deeply about the people they're trying to protect - their people. both have undergone (willingly or not) heretofore unknown scientific operations that irreversibly changed them, using cutting-edge technology, making them immortal and fusing them with an immensely powerful reservoir of aetheric energy, all in the name of duty and preserving hope for the future; both have become a symbol rather than a person. the alexandrians needed their queen, whose mere presence stopped them from succumbing to despair; the people from novrandt forced the exarch into a similar position (even though he kept repeating he would not stand for becoming a king of any sort); himself, on behalf of the ironworks & the entirety of the post-8th umbral calamity survivors, was willing to sacrifice himself to bring back the wol - because (and this is the really important part) of the wol's status as a symbol of hope and resilience. everyone here, the wol included, is dehumanized and worshiped and used for their good, self-sacrificial qualities, as well as their unyielding willpower.

sphene's memories were altered, muddled, to an extent that nobody really understands. the scientists who managed to create the endless are all gone, the average alexandrian forgot everything and everyone they've ever known, she herself knows she's not the "original" sphene but a copy - yet she doesn't seem to mourn this loss, and indeed i don't know to which extent she conceives of it as a loss, or a violation of her bodily autonomy (which it was! she never asked to be brought back, especially not this way, which would be a more than traumatic experience for ANYONE to go through!). in the same way, the exarch's memories encompass several timelines and realities, and he spent an entire century having to hide his identity, not being able to mention his own name, much less his purpose or homeland - i'd say this self-erasure is more than comparable with sphene's experience. not to mention that both sphene and the exarch were forced into "passive", static roles - i don't know how sphene felt about this because this is the tragedy of her character, that we don't know (and she herself doesn't know) the first thing about her, as an individual with preferences and feelings and memories.

also, this all adds up with g'raha's role in the deltascape part of ultima thule - the omicrons being, as AI mechanical soldiers, the missing link between sphene and himself. there's a pattern here, interrogating the relationship between mind, body, memory, duty, freedom and personal agency & autonomy, etc. the endless in general and sphene in particular are more than reminiscent of the omicrons on this point.

all of this to say: thinking about g'raha's gondola speech, i did not think he was talking about the scions, or even the wol. i see how this is a possible (and likely) interpretation to have, but i must confess i was surprised when i saw that this is what most people had understood. to me he was talking about the people from the First, and also the people from the 8th umbral calamity timeline, especially those with whom he'd worked for, presumably, months at a time. so many people who died after the Flood (we tend to forget that he arrived right after the Flood, in the immediate aftermath), not just because of the sin eaters but also because of the sudden and catastrophic environmental changes; all the people who could never adapt to the eternal light and, presumably, went mad (it's a real thing in real life even though night does come back eventually, so i imagine it must have been that but a lot worse in novrandt). all the people who died due to lack of medicine, because all the medicinal plants and recipes disappeared in the blink of an eye, not to mention the healers themselves; all the diseases and epidemics and interpersonal violence that arose as a consequence of the severe famine and lack of basic resources that plagued what was left of the star. and the unfathomable loss and trauma of losing millenia of culture and civilization and knowledge and biodiversity and entire families, entire tribes, cities, countries, being annihilated. g'raha has lived through this for a century, combined with the post-8th umbral calamity state of the Source. we know how much he cares for the people of the crystarium, and we only see the crystarium as a fully-developed, beautiful, and harmonious city-state; we haven't seen the century of work and planning and emergency managing and unfathomable grief and pain that went into it. in the same way, we see alexandria (and living memory) as they are now, but only glimpse a few moments of utter chaos during the alexandria dungeon.

so i'm just thinking of g'raha, seeing living memory, and being the only one among the party who truly understands. who can truly relate to sphene, and understand her. he's the only one present who has personally been through not one but two calamities, and had to deal with them on a day-to-day basis (while readying a completely crazy long-term plan). how many people that he knew, loved, wanted to protect... died of "preventable" causes during the century he was on the First, while himself was immortal - so that he could keep doing his duty, doing everything he could to save them eventually? all this happened in a manner which was truly unfair, and unfathomably evil, and - possibly the worst part - he knew this was still "the better path" (as he put it himself while trying to summon the wol). the survivor's guilt that both he and sphene must be dealing with is simply impossible to really understand, i think. we've seen the crystarium. of course he'd wish for all these unfortunate souls to endure and finally know peace and happiness. and of course, he didn't have a Living Memory, but of course he couldn't help but wonder how he'd have reacted in this situation.

and i do wish we could have had him interact with sphene, actually. it made sense that she was wuk lamat's foil and all, but i think it would have been interesting..........

#phew. LEVEL 5 SPELL: WALL OF TEXT upon ye #no choice.#dawntrail #dawntrail spoilers

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renx01 · 10 months ago

Text

Playing Along - Part 1

Prompt: “Just play along, please” inspired this multiple part fic, in which agent Galahad and Kay are on a mission together in the French Alps. Here, they have to pretend to be a couple, despite the two of them being rivals and Kay always wanting to beat him at everything. Pairing: Harry Hart x Kingsman!Reader Fandom: Kingsman Tags/Warnings: fake dating, slowburn, rivals Word count: 2347

Masterlist

Harry and you have been sent on a mission together. While most of it is supposed to be gathering intelligence, there is a high-risk of having to kill some criminals to make sure they can’t spread word of your existence any further. Tonight is the first evening at the ski resort. The trip in and of itself wasn’t too eventful, Merlin flew the two of you to the French Alps, where you were picked up by a car and brought to the chalet you’ll be staying in. It is quite cosy, but still comfortable. It has two small bedrooms with a queen sized bed, a nightstand and a closet. You would have to share the bathroom, but that was standard procedure when it came to these sorts of missions. While Harry takes the room on the right, you take the one on the left and start unpacking your luggage.

From the kitchenette you hear Harry’s voice ‘Tea?’ ‘Yes please.’ You call back out to him. Quickly, you put the last of your clothes in the closet, while you put your other supplies under the bed in their metal briefcase. Before walking to where Harry is, you quickly go into the bathroom and put your bag of toiletries into the cupboard.

‘Do sit down, Kay.’ Harry motions you to take a seat and pours some tea into your cup. ‘Thank you Galahad,’ you sip your tea, ‘it’s lovely.’ He also takes a drink. ‘I always find a black tea and citrus blend warms one up quite well, especially in this sort of weather.’ His eyes shift to the window, yours following. A lot of snow had fallen the past week or so. ‘The predictions say it’ll start snowing again in two days.’ A surprised sound escapes Harry’s throat. ‘I’d hoped for clear skies, suppose we can’t have everything.’ He says matter of factly. ‘You only go skiing with good weather? I thought a bit of snow wouldn’t stop you.’ The teasing comment earns you a glare. ‘I don’t, however I do prefer some blue skies rather than grey ones that have snow constantly falling out of them.’ The agent scoffs.

Before finishing your tea, the two of you decide to talk through some of the plans for that evening and the upcoming week. ‘So we’re a couple? Or should we go another route with the story?’ He’s quiet for a moment. ‘I think that pretending to be a couple may be the most believable;’ his eyes divert, ‘especially considering that we will probably need to get close to other couples anyway.’ You nod. It wasn’t too unusual for you to play a couple when it came to missions such as this one, though it never went any further than some kisses on the cheek, holding hands, or having an arm around each other. Harry and you got along well enough, but there was always this underlying tension. He has always been favoured by Arthur and Merlin, probably partially because he has been a part of the Kingsman for quite a bit longer than you. Because of this, you always want to beat him, in whichever way possible. It remains unspoken, but you suspect Galahad enjoys it quite a bit. ‘The usual rules?’ You nod again. ‘Kay, you know I need more confirmation than you just nodding.’ ‘Yes, Galahad, the same rules as usual. No kissing on the lips unless absolutely necessary for our cover and no intimacy under any circumstances. Physical contact is to be kept to a minimum, holding hands or putting an arm around the other’s shoulder is fine.’ It was almost robotic as it came out of your mouth. ‘Good.’ He smiles. ‘Now, I was thinking we take the gondola up the mountain tomorrow morning around 9?’

The following morning you sat at the kitchen table around 8, a bowl of yoghurt and a cup of tea in front of you. Harry sits on the other side of the table sipping his tea as he waits for his toast. The both of you sit in silence until the both of you finish your breakfast and put on your glasses. ‘Galahad. Kay. Good morning to the both of you.’ Merlin’s voice is quite clear. ‘Morning.’ You mutter before Harry starts talking through the mission. Being more of a night owl meant that the early mornings which came with the job from time to time really weren’t your favourite. Pictures of some people flash before your eyes. ‘These are the targets. You’ll be pretty likely to interact with them either in one of the many ski huts or when you’re eating out in the evening. Try to befriend them in order to gain their trust and information.’ Merlin pauses. ‘So I’d like the both of you to avoid bickering in public.’ Harry looks at you. ‘Yes Merlin, I’ll try my best to not annoy Galahad too much.’ He scoffs. ‘It’s not that you annoy me, it’s just that you can be so incredibly incompetent at times, Kay.’ ‘As if you aren’t Galahad. Remember last year’s Christmas party?’ You retort.

‘This is exactly what I’m trying to avoid here.’ Merlin interrupts you before you’re able to say anything else. ‘Look, the two of you are meant to be a couple. Act like it.’ The more annoyed the bald man becomes, the thicker his Scottish accent. The instructions were quite clear so you look Galahad in the eye. ‘Time to go skiing?’ Your voice drips in honey.

On the mountain itself, you didn’t speak to Galahad much, only discussing what slopes to take next and what off-piste routes may be of use if necessary. While both of you are quite proficient when it comes to skiing, Harry’s more old school, focussing on making those perfect turns and going at a steady speed. You, on the other hand, tend to show off from time to time, doing jumps or little tricks whenever you pass him. Around noon, you decided to have lunch together at one of the huts. This one had quite the amazing view of the slopes and nature surrounding it.

‘Je prendrai le croque monsieur avec un verre de vin, s'il vous plaît.’ Of course his French was impeccable. ‘Je prendrais les crêpes et un verre de vin, le même que mon ami, s’il vous plaît.’ While you had studied the language for a while, much more than ordering food wasn’t in your cards at the moment. Unlike most members of the Kingsman, or its candidates for that matter, you have not had a private education, meaning that you didn’t get much of an opportunity to learn foreign languages on a higher level. ‘You speak French?’ Harry asks you. ‘Not much, just enough to get by in restaurants and shops. I’d like to study it again in order to improve at some point in the future.’ He smiles. ‘It sounded pretty good, if you want I can teach you a little bit when we get back to the cabin? Before we go out for dinner.’ ‘Sounds good, thanks.’ You smile back. ‘Would you want me to teach you a few tricks in turn?’ Reaching out, he takes hold of your right hand and leans forward. ‘I don’t think I’m the type to learn tricks.’ He pauses and whispers. ‘Now, that couple at 8 o’clock is one of our targets. Let’s keep an eye on them throughout our lunch.’ The food arrives as he says so. He releases your hand and sits up straight once again. ‘Merci.’

The food was pretty good, the wine complimenting it well enough. After finishing, both of you order a cup of tea and sit in silence, enjoying the sun which finally came out from behind the clouds. You lean back in your chair, stretching your legs and closing your eyes for a moment. The cold air feels wonderful against your skin. You hear the chair in front of you move for a moment. Opening only one eye, you see Harry has grabbed a pocket-sized novel from his jacket and has started reading. Quickly, you close your eye again. It was quite comfortable like this, a last moment of rest before you’d have to go socialise and get close to the given targets. The current plan is that before you head back to your cabin, you'll visit an apres ski bar, as it’s likely you’ll meet more of your targets there and may overhear what they’re planning for the upcoming few days. There’s one bar which is particularly popular amongst the targets, so you decided that that would be the place to go that afternoon. But for now, you decided you’d just enjoy the peace and quiet. After a few minutes, Harry closes his book. ‘I’ll be right back dear.’ You open your eyes and look at him, smile, and nod. You follow his figure with your eyes. It becomes clear that he’s following one of the targets into the bathroom, pretending on having to go himself. As you wait, you slowly drink some more of your tea, silently observing the woman that was with the target just moments before. You take a picture of her with your glasses and send it to Merlin and whisper, ‘Any idea who this is?’ His response is swift. ‘That’s Guilia Fontana. Her father is a quite well known criminal in Italy, I think she tends to be less prominent within his organisation. What’s notable is that she’s recently been spotted multiple times with our target Angelo Bianco, it seems they’re on holiday together.’ Shortly after confirming the information and asking a few more questions, Harry arrives, leaning in to kiss you on the cheek before whispering, ‘Good news, I know where we’ll have dinner tonight.’ You look at him confused. ‘Got a particularly good address from our friend, who’ll be eating there tonight as well.’ He smirks when he pulls away and sits down next to you, his hand resting on your knee. Had he not been a colleague you desperately wanted to beat at everything, you might’ve found this moment of closeness attractive, but considering everything, you were more annoyed that you didn’t discover it before him. ‘And what sort of food do they serve, love?’ The last word came out almost strained.

You spent a couple of more hours on the slopes before heading to the apres ski bar. During that time, Merlin informed you that he’d managed to get the two of you a table at the aforementioned restaurant. It was quite fancy, according to him, and it served mostly french food.

At the bar, you go get some drinks. While ordering, a man moves to stand next to you. It happens to be the target Galahad had followed earlier in the day, Angelo Bianco. You aren’t too interested in talking to him immediately, but he starts up a conversation with you as you both wait. ‘Good afternoon, I think I talked to your man earlier today. What’s your name?’ ‘I’m Cameron, but you may call me Cam. What’s your name?’ You hold out your hand for him to shake it. ‘Nice to meet you Cam, I’m Angelo.’ He says as he takes it to shake it. ‘Likewise,�� Angelo.’ You smile at him. ‘So what’s brought you here to France? Having a nice holiday?’ ‘Ah yes, me and my fiance are here on holiday, some of her family will be coming to join us in a couple of days. What about you?’ This was quite useful information, you’d have to try and stretch this as much as possible. ‘That sounds lovely. Me and my partner are here on a holiday trip as well, though we have quite different skiing styles, so it can be a challenge from time to time.’ He laughs. ‘I know what that’s like, Guilia only wants to take blue and red slopes, rarely is she open to going off the black ones. Park is never really an option either.’ This is perfect. ‘Yeah, Harry isn’t a fan of the parks either. I think it’s a mental thing of not wanting to jump or something. I’d love to check them out though, I’ve heard they’re pretty amazing here.’ Angelo’s eyes light up, exactly what you’d hoped for. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Harry approach as you continue talking to Angelo. ‘Ah hello Harry, how’s it going?’ The bartender finally comes up with your drinks and you quietly pay as the two men talk. ‘Cam and I were just talking about the ski resort and everything it offers. Perhaps we can meet with the four of us at lunch tomorrow, check out the parks afterwards? I heard you guys were new here so we could show you around if you’d like?’ Harry seems to hesitate, so you slightly nudge him with your elbow and join the conversation once again. ‘That’d be lovely Angelo, thank you for the offer. We’d love to have you show us around, maybe Harry and Guilia can watch while we do a few park rounds after lunch? I’ve heard there’s a hut that has a great view of it.’

While you secured the supposed “double date”, Harry didn’t look too happy; at least to those who are able to see through his pleasant mannerisms. After excusing yourselves, having had a couple of drinks with Angelo and Guilia, the two of you go outside. Turning a corner, into a dimly lit area, Harry grabs your elbow and angrily whispers, ‘What do you think you’re doing? Inviting us on a double date with some of the most well-connected Italian criminals? This was not a part of the plan Cam.’ The way he pronounced the last sentence was almost venomous. ‘Harry, this is our opportunity to gain more information than expected.’ You whisper back angrily. ‘It’s dangerous.’ He retorts.

‘As if everything else we do isn’t, Galahad. Just play along, please.’ You almost spit out the words before pulling your arm free and walking to your skis. You still had a dinner to attend later that evening after all.

#fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 writer #harry hart #harry hart imagine #harry hart reader insert #harry hart x reader #kingsman #kingsman imagine #the kingsman #kingsman reader insert #merlin kingsman #reader insert #kingsman x reader #eggsy unwin

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naturaldreamer-storyadventure · 5 months ago

Text

Choose Your Adventure - Adopting Your First Bitty! (2)

You open the door.

Without hesitation, you step forward, grasp the cool doorknob and twist it before pushing the door open.

You hear the bell jingle gently above your head as you step further inside; a warm, vanilla scent wafting into your nose.

You’re greeted by the sight of several aisles of gondola shelves. They’re all lined up horizontally and facing each other with items neatly stacked inside them. From what you can see, there are toys, treats, and furniture for your bitty companion, should you choose to adopt one today.

Looking above, your eyes widen at the floating balls of white lights that are spread out throughout the shop.

That’s not even the most shocking thing. It’s the lack of ceiling that has your mouth agape.

From within your sight, there’s a blue sky with white fluffy clouds floating by. You can feel the warmth of the sun on your body, but it’s not unpleasantly hot.

It’s comfortable enough that you don’t sweat from it. Rather, it makes you want to cuddle under some blankets and take a nap.

What exactly did you walk into?

“Welcome!”

Jumping a little from the sudden voice, you turn your attention to the voice. Your eyebrows rise a little to see Stella standing behind a counter, a grin on her face.

Stella waves you over. You feel yourself moving towards her until you’re standing in front of the counter, your eyes glancing at the stuff behind her.

You find yourself smiling when you notice pinned pictures of different skeleton bitties on a bulletin board. There’s also a couple of wall shelves with books and folders stacked separately and color coded.

“Welcome to the Bitty Shop! As you have probably already guessed, I’m here to help you find your first bitty. Now, before we get started…”

Stella looks behind her and looks through the folders.

You take this moment to realize that Stella’s in a different outfit and has her hair up in a ponytail. She’s currently wearing a pair of jeans, white tennis shoes, a light gray t-shirt, and a dark green bib apron tied around her waist and neck.

Stella takes out a folder, grabs a piece of paper from it, and sticks the folder back in place before twirling around to face you, her excitement noticeable from the way she sways from side to side.

She sets the paper down on the counter.

“I just need you to sign this. It’s a contract of you following the rules and other things to keep in mind. You can read it over if you’d like before you sign.”

Stella nods her head behind you, “I’ll be over there for a moment to check on the bitties, but I’ll be right back. Take your time!”

With a warm smile, Stella steps around the counter and makes her way to the other side, leaving you alone to make a decision.

There’s a cup holder with different pens inside for easy access to sign the paper.

Read the Contract Before Signing It

#undertale #choose your own adventure #sans #papyrus #papyrus au #sans au #bad sans #star sans #nightmare sans #dust sans #killer sans #horror sans #cross sans #dream sans #swap sans #ink sans #error sans #fresh sans

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operafantomet · 2 months ago

Note

How would you rank each non-replica on a scale of creativity/original ideas?

That is a good question with many possible answers! Mostly because there are "good" creative/original ideas and "bad" creative/original ideas out there, and some of the most creative ones may also be the one I dislike the most... For example, if going by creativity and originality alone, Estonia would be very high on the list. But I'm not really loving the production overall, so I wouldn't say it's the best original take on POTO. If that makes sense. But if ranking the productions purely by how different they are and how hard they have worked on not looking like the original, I would say:

ESTONIA: Inter-war setting, rather bleak in its colour scheme and overall design, with one helluva mirror-discoball lair design, leather-coat Phantom, Vivienne Westwood-esque Il Muto, Moulin Rouge-ish Masquerade, 1990s Haute Couture Don Juan... There's so much to say. Definitely original, and not just giving "we had a low budget" vibe.

FINLAND / SWEDEN: 1980s costume vibes, gold mask, rock'n'roll, huge sets, tiny chandelier, gigantic orchestra, for the most actual opera singers in the leads. This one felt odd more than anything. But original? Very much so.

KRISTIANSTAD, SWEDEN: Definitely a production on a budget, but yet checking off all the boxes of what you'd expect of a POTO production. And with some super original ideas for some key scenes - Raoul stumbling around in the falling sets during the Overture, the elegant double staging in the boat scene, the rarities in the Phantom's lair, Red Death crashing through a mirror and later disappearing in mid-air... They had so many cool lil' details going on. In style fairly 1880s, and with a cool horizontal half-mask for the Phantom. I really appreciated this one.

SERBIA: One could maybe argue this was more low-budget than original...? At least the basic black set with few changes and the many low-key costumes didn't feel like the biggest effort out there. But different? Oh definitely.

BULGARIA: Pretty much the same comments as Serbia. However, the Phantom's fruit crown in PONR can never be unseen. Neither can the monkey musical box which seemed to have lost its will to live. Memorable for sure.

ROMANIA / NORWAY / GREECE / TOUR: Whereas the basic drum set was fairly similar to the Restaged Tour, it felt like an original production still. Some independent interpretations of the Palais Garnier (including featuring a huge window as a mirror substitute for Christine), more Edwardian flair of the costume design, and a kick-ass chandelier - grand, fun, and with some cool and independent directing ideas throughout. The idea of never leaving the opera house, for example, was interesting. Very enjoyable overall.

MEDITERRANEAN: Basing nearly the whole set design within a rectangular, turnable box on stage was a neat and cool idea. This, combined with oh-so-Victorian costumes and so many nods to Phantom history, felt original and clever. Also some stunning original visuals, like the Phantom's lair with the Piraniesi-esque labyrinth backdrop. Speaking of original, it probably looked very as expected with its heavy victoriana flair - but to me that's not a negative thing.

POLAND: One could argue this in large was a carbon copy of the 2004 movie. The costumes in particular, but also directing elements like including a sword fight in the Mausoleum scene. But the sets - oh, those beautiful sets! Also a wild chandelier crash.

SYDNEY HARBOUR: A really hard one to rank. The world's first outdoor production (ORIGINAL!), with sets looking like Bjørnson's design on steroids (not as original), with 1860s flair costumes (hello 2004 movie) with a dash of LND Australia (not as original), but then a flying gondola over burning water (ORIGINAL!), a huge cast (very RAH), and performing come rain or sunshine (ORIGINAL!). Something old, something new... But definitely a cool one for the Phantom portfolio!

RESTAGED TOUR: I was a bit in doubt on how to rank this one. I mean, the costume design is in large not new, it's Maria Bjørnson's costumes. But then new set design, new directing and new choreography. With various degrees of success. To me the most original idea is the drum set structure, and also some new magic tricks and added moments. I'm not loving the directing choices, as it makes both the Phantom and Raoul rather unloving candidates for Christine - why would she pick either of them? Also felt too much like a nod to Love Never Dies to appear truly original. So yeah, mostly for the sets.

HUNGARY and CZECH REPUBLIC: Whereas the productions themselves may not look the same, they both feel like two similar takes, to loving interpretations of the original, sticking to the same colour schemes and with a heavy Victorian flair. Directing wise they also feel like the same landscape. I appreciate both a lot, and especially Hungary has some clever ideas going on. I also loved how they picked Palais Garnier as a base - but totally different areas or angles of the Palais Garnier than what Bjørnson did. But if going purely by originality they don't move too far outside the box.

NEW ROMANIAN PRODUCTION: Nearly impossible to rank. AI design with some tweaks, which has resulted in a sort of amalgamated combo of all the non-replica production set design, with a sprinkle of Maria Bjørnson design on top. With some playing-card-odd costumes. Some visuals are stunning, some are very traditional, some are way out there. Yeah, I have no idea how to rank this one.

(and of course this is just my impression of them - have in mind that I've only seen three of them live, and if I see more of them in the future I may feel different about this ranking)

#phantom of the opera #non replica

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dutchdread · 9 months ago

Note

How do you interpret the Aerith date handhold and the ending handhold if not romantic?

For the first one Cloud is overtly unreceptive to Aeriths attempts at making the date romantic until Aerith literally asks Cloud to essentially play along until the ride is over, which he then does in a rather over the top way, as shown by the way they exit the gondola. We can see how Cloud would act naturally in a situation where he's genuinely romantically interested in his date with Tifa and it's noticeably different. That is essentially the Cloud Aerith is trying to get out in the open, but she can't. In this scene Aerith has opened her heart concerning Zack and is clearly going through a range of emotions and after Aerith asks him to play along he tries comforting her by indulging her. Remember, while Cloud isn't romantically interested in Aerith he still considered her a dear friend, he almost acts brotherly here I'd say.

The ending is slightly different, but not that much. Hell, the entire segment again starts with Aerith asking Cloud to play along. First I need to point out though, they didn't hold hands, Cloud held hands with a spirit or something similar, and yes that does matter. Reason being that this entire interaction must be viewed in the context of this spiritual dreamlike state. This is a spiritual connection, not a physical one. Before this Aerith and Cloud have essentially confirmed what they mean to each other, they're very important to each other, but they're not "like that". Their bond here is more spiritual than sexual or romantic, and that's what the handholding signifies, it's essentially a symbol for platonic love. The better question you should ask yourself is, if Aerith is supposed to be romantic, why did Tifa get a kiss and not her? Aerith is dying any way, if the developers wanted to make Aerith the intended love interest, or even if they wanted to make it players choice, they could have easily given Cloud and Aerith a kiss. It would have made it a bit awkward when Cloud gets with Tifa after the lifestream sequence, but with some work you could use his fake persona and memory loss to write it in a way where Cloud doesn't come across as a total dirtbag. Can't do the same in reverse though. A Cloud that kisses Tifa but then holds hands with Aerith would be an extremely problematic MC if the handholding is supposed to be a romantic gesture. Essentially you'd be saying that there is a version of this story where our heroic MC is cheating. I know that IRL a kiss doesn't equal a relationship, but remember, this isn't IRL, this is a story. If Cloud kisses his childhood friend, which in many playthroughs he does, and then without ever addressing it with her starts performing romantic acts with another woman then we have an issue. A kiss is not a sign just of love, but a very specific kind, one with urges and desires. It's exactly that thing that Cloud and Aerith lack. Cloud and Tifa get the romantic sexual signifier of love, because that's how they love each other, romantically. Aerith and Cloud get the platonic gesture of love, because that's how they love each other, symbolically, perhaps even spiritually, but platonically. Which is why the handholding is not a betrayal of Tifa, for exactly the same reason it wasn't a betrayal of my girlfriend when I held my grandmothers hand when SHE was dying, because that was the type of love being displayed.

Thanks for the question.

#ffvii #ffvii rebirth #ffvii remake #cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #ff7 #aerith gainsborough #shipping

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pohem0101 · 1 month ago

Text

Night at the Gold Saucer (24p)

It's a long story, but I hope you will read it!☺️💕

Ah... Vincent, why are you here?

Knowing you, I thought you might be worried about what happened earlier.

I didn't think you'd really be here.

Is it that obvious?

Yeah, it is.

I thought I should apologize to Nanaki because I said some horrible things to him.

It's true that what I said earlier was not like Tifa.

Nanaki is still young. In human terms, he's 15 or 16 years old.

If he was experimented on by Hojo, it's no wonder he has no confidence in himself.

That's true...

But he is not the type to hold grudges, so I think if I apologize, that'll be the end of it.

Don't worry too much.

...Thank you.

For that matter, is Tifa worried about something too?

Huh?

'You're not the only one who's anxious,' you said.

I'm not forcing you to, but if you can get it out, you should get it out, right?

I don't know what's going on.

Her expression as she looks at Cloud is sometimes clouded with anxiety

I wasn't sure if I should ask her out, but I couldn't bear to see her like that.

P4.

I don't know what to do...

Vincent is perceptive, he may have noticed that I have doubts about Cloud.

Cloud may not be the Cloud of Nibbleheim that I know.

It's been nagging at me ever since I heard about Cloud in Calm.

Better yet go ahead and tell Vincent...

(Actually, I can't say.

If I told, I feel the cloud would go away.

I can't let that happen,

That's why I can't say anything.

I'm afraid...!!)

(So I lied right away.)

Places like Sinra House and this hotel have always scared me and I'm not good at it.

So...

(Wait!

No woman would take it out on me just because I'm scared of hotels!)

I think I'm out of my mind...

No, I understand what's going on.

This place sounds like trouble for you.

Well, then...

Do you want to go outside with me?

Huh?

It was an unexpected invitation from an unexpected person.

Hey, where does Vincent want to go?

Tifa can decide.

Where should we go...?

Well then...

Speed Square.

Yes, I know!

I'd love to see the ex-Turks do. How's that?

I'll do it.

(By the way, Vincent's skill is amazing..!

He easily surpassed the score that Cloud had achieved after many attempts.)

Your score, ranked!

... Thanks.

I might be able to get a higher score if I do it one more time.

Really ⁉️

The show will be opening soon at Event Square!

Come if you'd like!

Wow, I didn't know there was such a thing.

Wanna go?

Eh, but... Don't we have to do it again?

I don't have to do it because I'd rather Tifa have fun.

Eh...

(Why not?)

*️⃣(Announcement)*️⃣

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!

From now on, the show by the 100th couple of the day will begin!

What kind of people are they?

I don't know.

Cloud?!

It's a Cloud, isn't it?

The announcer said they were a couple. Well, let's see who they're with...

-I didn't think Yuffie was Cloud's partner.

But they were both cute.

...Sorry Yuffie, but I agree with you.

(And I was surprised.

Because I've never seen Yuffie with such a cute face and Cloud with such an expression.

--- Oh, I'm so sneaky.

I know I'm hiding my feelings, but when I think of those two guys earlier, my heart is getting slower and slower.)

Tifa.

Sorry, I was spaced out. No, it doesn't matter.

How about a gondola ride at the end?

Great, let's do it!

(Vincent walked me by the hand to Round Square...)

(Beautiful view...)

-I'm sorry.

Eh?

You like Cloud, don't you? The show earlier must have been a shock.

(Vincent knows!)

Oh no! It's not Vincent's fault.

It's a little complicated to be honest.

I knew I couldn't hide anything from you. ...Actually, you know what?

(With that, Tifa began to speak in a squeezed voice.

that there are places where her memories and Cloud's memories do not match up.

She was doubting whether Cloud was really the same person today as he had been when they were in the same village.)

It was so many years ago that Cloud and I were together that he may have just changed.

I...I can't have faith in Cloud.

I even made a promise to Cloud...

Cloud remembers our promises, too But...

But...I'm afraid to confirm it with Cloud...

I'm so pathetic...

...One way is to boldly ask him.

But there is also the other way, which is to wait and see until you are sure.

Whatever you choose, I'll help you to make sure you don't regret it.

So you don't have to cry anymore.

Don't cry.

(Wiping away her tears that spill over and over again.

I was thinking about my emotions.

-Not long into our journey, I learned that Tifa had feelings for Cloud.

But when I realized that those feelings were more complicated than just love

(For some reason, I suddenly remembered my former self who couldn't stop Lucrezia.

Then, I began to follow Tifa's figure with my eyes.

I hope Tifa will not make the same mistake I did.

I thought I was looking at her for such a plausible reason.

But now)

(I realized the joy that was born in my heart, the joy of touching her and the love I felt for her...)

Um...Vincent...

I'm okay now... well... thanks...

Um... hand...

Oh, I'm sorry！

No, it's okay.

(...I went a little overboard, didn't I?)

*️⃣(Announcement)*️⃣

'We will be arriving shortly.

Please remain seated and wait until the gondolas have completely stopped..."

Oh, looks like it's all over.

*️⃣(Announcement)*️⃣

"Thank you very much for your visit."

Watch your step.

Thanks.

*️⃣In the lobby of the Ghost Hotel*️⃣

(I knew I'm not good at these scary places...)

Tifa was in the room on the right, right?

Well, I'd better get back to my room.

Ah! Vincent!

Wait a minute.

Why are you being so nice to me?

Tifa.A little distraction, eh?

Huh? Of course!

I feel so much better now that you've listened to me. Thank you.

I wanted to see your smile.

You're better off with a smile on your face.

…Good night.

Vincent...I don't know why I said that...

"You're better off with a smile on your face."

I'll never forget it when he said that to me with such a kind face...

Oh no...!

What was I thinking?

#vinti #final fantasy vii #tifa lockhart #vincent valentine

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heylavellan · 1 month ago

Note

Hello and happy DADWC, Could I request Lucanis x Rook and "¹⁰⁾ “maybe the fact we have such a hard time staying away from one another says something.”" from the exes to lovers prompt list? -Mythal's knickers

another for @dadrunkwriting this evening. veilguard spoiler warnings!

a secret fourth type of person

rating: t

words: 1037

notes: exes to lovers au! messy relationships, poor communication. lucanis, this is not a good coping mechanism. antonio uses they/them pronouns

Lucanis was complicated. This was the man that gave Viago, Antonio's guildmaster, a fancy dagger. House de Riva took it as a death threat from the Demon of Vyrantium. One misstep and the wrath of House Dellamorte was going to come down on the de Rivas.

Then Viago sent them on one of the most frustrating contracts they'd ever received. It was months of tailing the demon, trying to ascertain the threat he posed to the house. And well, since they'd replaced the usual gondolier for House Dellamorte in that contract... Lucanis fell hard for them. Or rather, not them. Annalisa, the character they were playing.

Annalisa, the sweet gondolier who did as she was told and clearly had experience with Treviso's corvid underbelly. Annalisa, the gondolier who wore tight blouses and flowy trousers. Annalisa, the qunari who had broken horns and made pleasant conversation. Antonio had a lot of fun being Annalisa.

That contract went smoothly until Lucanis had kissed them. Because then feelings got involved. It was entirely possible that their mark had caught on, that he was testing them to see if they'd break. That they were playing a game to see who caved first.

Antonio was ashamed to admit that they had many rendezvous after that kiss. Sometimes it was on the gondola, just the two of them. Sometimes, it was a trip to the market or even the cafe. Each time, they drew closer and closer to just telling Lucanis who they were. That this was all a lie, just a contract. That there was no Annalisa.

But part of them enjoyed going out. He bought Annalisa ribbons for her hair and beautiful jewelry pieces. They laughed and kissed and had really good sex. Part of them knew that this was all too good to be true. They thought he knew that too. And when the contract elapsed, Viago was satisfied, Annalisa disappeared. A new gondolier was assigned, claiming that their previous one had gotten involved in a Crow accident. And they left a note for Lucanis which had a copy of the contract and their name removed.

It had to be Viago's idea of a joke when he suggested recruiting Lucanis. Surely there was another magekiller out there, someone else the Crows could call on. But the look in Nonna's eyes and the hopeful smile on Teia's face meant they would bring him back. And they had to pretend he wasn't someone he spent months fucking using a fake identity.

Things were always awkward between them. Surely he knew. There were very few qunari Crows, and they were one of two in House de Riva. So Lucanis had to know. The first few weeks in the Lighthouse, they made pleasant conversation and went through the motions of meeting each other.

Because they were. Annalisa and Antonio were the same body, but different people. Antonio had less energy and was sharper than they had as Annalisa. They obviously used their magic, was more flippant, and definitely more irritating that the qunari girl they pretended to be.

Knowing Lucanis as Antonio was also unique. Instead of fluttering their eyes to seduce him and pretending they were distracted as they disposed of weapons in the Grand Canal, they openly observed him. No more hiding on their part, they were going to let themself be seen.

Those old feelings were still there, too. Antonio had never really pushed them away. Even if Lucanis was just a contract, the smiles and the kisses and the touches? They were all real. And it was a drawn out contract.

Of course they got attached to the Demon of Vyrantium. It was stupid to pretend they hadn't. And seeing him again... Endlessly frustrating. With no one to help release the pent up emotions, the feelings festered.

Which was why Antonio found themself lurking in the kitchen, for Lucanis to fill his coffee. He had a cup about an hour and a half ago, and was due for a refill soon. A few minutes later, he came out for a new cup of coffee.

For a few moments, they stared at each other, neither of them moving. Then Lucanis rushed at them. They let him come. If they were being attacked, that was fair enough. Anything to get rid of the weird tension between them.

Instead they kissed. Lucanis had a strong grip on their face, holding them close as the two of them kissed. It felt like afternoons in the market, sneaking him a kiss before he continued on his contract. It was a warm afternoon in the gondola, hiding beneath bridges and pressing food into each other's lips. It was watching from afar as Lucanis read that damned contract and realised that Annalisa hadn't been real. It was watching him cry and knowing that they had done that.

"Lucanis we-" they tried to interrupt, but he continued kissing them. It felt absolutely right, but they knew better. Knew that he was imagining someone else piloting their body.

Yet his last kiss was so gentle, withdrawing and stroking their cheek like he used to. Like he still cared, still wanted them. "Was any of it real?" he asked quietly. That beautiful gaze bored into their heart, seeking an answer.

It would be easier to lie. He could find someone else. Their mouth was a traitorous thing. "I'd like to think that the fact we can't stay away from each other means something," they said instead.

Those beautiful eyes. Damn them. A small, soft smile. He took their hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed their knuckles. "You broke my heart Antonio de Riva," he whispered. "But if any of what we shared was real. I want to start over. Get to know you."

Lucanis was usually the crier, of the two of them. So when Antonio started sobbing, the poor man had no idea how to interpret their reaction. "Can we- can we start with coffee?" they choked out between cries, gripping onto Lucanis's waistcoat. It was euphoric to release all that held emotion, thoughts which mired their mind for too many years.

Lucanis squeezed their sides, before retreating to the kitchen. "Let's start with coffee," he agreed.

#veilguard #antonio de riva #nonbinary rook #qunari rook #de riva rook #rookanis #rook x lucanis #lucanis x rook #lucanis dellamorte #lucanis #exes to lovers au #writers on ao3 #writeblr #trans writers #my writing

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local-void-creature-izzy · 9 months ago

Text

(Please note this theory will get longer once I complete Penacony, I haven't started yet due my busy schedule with college and exams)

-Sampo is the Successor of Aha, Aeon of Elation-

The reason why I say successor rather than the actual, original Aeon, is because:

Aha is described as an Aeon that does not truly comprehend nor understand humanity, with it, the emotions tied with humanity. It understands joy, with being the Aeon of Elation, but that's all it comprehends

While as Sampo still very much has that sense. And showcases emotions beyond that joy.

Aha's people, can be categorized into two groups:

The Masked Fools, and the Mourning Actors

The Masked Fools are a group of people that truly believe in Aha. "They believe that the truth of the world is a joke, and the ultimate meaning of all things lies in mere laughter" -HSR Data Bank

The Masked Fools are described as extremely radical when it comes to their beliefs. Doing whatever they can in that pursuit of joy, pleasure, elation. Causing Chaos every where they go.

While the Mourning Actors are that of the opposite. "They are firm believers against Elation. They believe life is full of ups and downs, that agony makes people mature but fleeting joy only offers hopeless and unreachable temptation." -HSR Data Bank.

They believe all beings should renounce joy, and endure grief to temper their spirits.

They are described as people that ride a gondola that spans the stars in order to perform. They collect and wear different masks from different worlds, while recording the sorrows of intelligent life.

And they are said to have been blessed by Aha itself, with Aeon like powers. As joy and sadness are two sides of the same coin.

Now obviously with these two opposites technically being under the same Aeon, it would not surprise me with they were essentially at war with each other.

Think of it like, Masked Fools is Celestia, while Mourning Actors is the Fatui.

- I believe Sampo's home planet is either on its last legs, or is no longer in existence. With both sides under Aha being complete opposites of each other and from what it sounds like in the data bank, not getting along, it was probably only a matter of time before they became the planet's undoing, Sampo being one if not the only survivor because he was hand picked by Aha.

Now another thing that is known to us, to an extent, is that Aeons can die or be killed.

Canonically there are at least around 4-5 Aeons that are dead or presumably dead due to their unknown whereabouts.

Aha is stated as Alive, but also, Aha is one of the few without a humanoid or somewhat alien form that you can at least make out a comprehensive figure in giant entity. Aha is canonically a series of in-animated masks and objects used in theatre/circus. A vague humanoid silhouette can be seen, but is clearly overshadowed. And if an Aeon can die, then how can you claim it is truly eternal?

Aha is described as few things but unpredictable and calculating seem to be the most consistent going as far as to shapeshift into a human for some time in order to trick Akivili (Aeon of Trailblaze) and its followers, the nameless, which resulted in Aha blowing up half of Akivili's Express and an entire planet.

- Another known fact of Aha, is that it refers to itself in third person, something Sampo also does.

I believe Sampo is a product of forbidden love. A child born of a Masked Fool and Mourning Actor, possibly born out of wedlock, thus carries traits of both.

Sampo is labeled as a Masked Fool but also seems to not go as extremely and knowns when a line shouldn't be crossed and what lines to not cross flat out.

He may do what he does for a living, but knows when enough is enough and is cautious in his line of work in order to not get caught.

Canonically Sampo has been shown or told to us by others if not him, that he has helped Natasha (Main Doctor of Belebog's Underground) in gathering anything she needed medically in order to treat her patients as most supplies were above ground and the underground had been locked down from going up when Cocolia was in charge, he had his ways of going back and forth.

And he is also great with kids, Hook, who is the leader of the moles, a little gang of her friends that try to help around the underground the best way they can, and a playable character, as been shown to go to him for help or information and he actually takes it seriously, not wanting to upset or hurt her because she's just trying to help out in what way she can and who is he to ruin that.

Now he is clearly not the most stable individual, there are several indicators that he isn't 100% stable such as his E4 constellation and one his idles showing him with lifeless eyes.

Said E4 con called "The Deeper the Love, the Stronger the Hate"

The fact he canonically is so sneaky and agile that his footsteps do not make noise, leave footprints in snow, or disturb water if he walks on a puddle or something similar.

Not to mention, he can quite literally appear and disappear whenever he feels like. Several times in quests he is with you, the next second he's gone, only to reappear like "i was here the whole time, what are you talking about?"

So what I think is:

I believe Aha's time is coming if not already come, and no one has truly noticed yet. But Aha being how it is, planned ahead and chose a successor to carry on its pursuit of laughter that leaves one breathless, that will lead to unexpected delights that uplift the soul towards divinity.

So if Sampo is someone born from the two groups under Aha, then Sampo would be the perfect candidate. As he is someone that can understand Aha's ideology and way of thinking but also comprehend emotions and humanity in a way, Aha can not.

Aha chooses a child that most likely had a horrible and possibly traumatic childhood, because of him being born of both sides, and possibly born onto a planet with horrible conditions for living

And that with how it currently stands, it's either a matter of: How long Sampo can conceal it?

How long Sampo can buy time until Aha completely passes and truly take on the role of successor, because as he currently stands he is in a incomplete state that will only finish the transformation when Aha is no longer in the picture.

(Also the closest we have to a "home base" for Sampo, is Epsilon which sounds like a planet that may act as a temporary yet is probably the main residence for Sampo, yet from how he describes it.

Its not a planet he's in any hurry to get back to, because according to him, is a giant vanity fair. So most likely the planet is just a giant ego fest)

This all based on my speculations with my current lore knowledge and interpretations.

#izzygilofficial #fandom blog #sampo honkai #sampo hsr #hsr sampo #honkai star rail sampo #honkaistarrail #honkai star rail #hsr theory #hsr #hsr aeons #aeon sampo theory #hsr writing

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100jewels-between-teeth · 2 months ago

Text

18+ Oneshot

Word count: 3562

AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi ¤ Masterlist

Summary: With the end of the war, life returns to normal. The choices that some have made begin to weigh on the mind, and some are there to set what needs to be set straight. For the sake of love

Characters: Illario Dellamorte, f!Rook de Riva, Lucanis Dellamorte, Viago de Riva

Cw: graphic depictions of a kind of violence, read at your own discretion

An: What can I say but, fuck Illario Dellamorte. Enjoy! Make sure to follow or look at my other works, big things on the way!

Of course, after everything, places like the cafe did not feel the same anymore. The aroma that hung in the air of roasted beans and spices that once carried feelings of nostalgia and comfort now filled the man’s heart with dread and regret. The sound of the water, the chiming bells of incoming gondolas and merchant calls, all of it was tainted now. An undeserved peace and comfort that brought him nothing but shame for what he had almost caused, and what had been so graciously given back to him.

Maybe that was the cruelty of it all. That Illario had to continue existing in a world that he had tried to bring down. He couldn't even hide.

Truly, Illario did not want to be here.

This was the first time he had come back to Cafe Pietra since his coup. Really, other than the battle in Minrathous, this was the first time Illario had shown himself outside at all. Of course, there was that looming paranoia of the other Crows. Just because Lucanis had ‘forgiven’ his transgressions, did not mean the rest of the Crows followed suit. Even now, sitting at the usual table he and his cousin would frequent, he could hear the whispers, the veiled insults. Glares that wished their looks could, indeed, kill.

Ilarrio did know, however, he was not in such a place to reject invitations. So when he had gotten the missive from his cousin’s new paramour, who was still reeling from the heights of their world saving antics, he was not about to say no. Disregarding his cousin’s love was not exactly a way to get back into his good graces.

Besides, he never really disliked Rook. Maybe this could be the start of some sort of redemption arc for himself.

As Rook made her own entrance into the cafe, Illario could not help but pity her. A Fifth Talon to one of the greatest heros Thedas had seen, it couldn't be anything but overwhelming to the woman. Coming from a life where discretion and secrecy were your greatest allies, now to having every person know your name. Illario felt that envy bloom again in his chest, that anger of being denied what he felt deserved. But he could dwell on that later.

For now he could play the role of the atoner.

The woman knew how to stand out. That wild curly hair framing eyes that looked like burning embers. A warm smile that he knew was masking the months of hardship and pain she had endured. To his surprise, the patrons of the cafe seemed to not pay much mind. Yes, there were a few who gave gasps, others with respectful nods. But he could assume that people were so used to her wearing the Crow uniform that the shimmering dark purple saree she now doned was enough of a disguise for her. To see the woman dressed so casual, even if the garbage was anything but, must have been some kind of relief to her. Illario was not too sure - he had always loved the attention, personally.

Illario made sure to stand as Avantika approached, bowing his head to the woman. “Things must be finally calming for you after everything.”

Illario was not sure exactly how to break the ice. He knew that, with Rook, he was treading a very thin line. Even Though she herself was the one that pushed for Lucanis to forgive, rather than imprison him, she still loathed him. Siding with the Evanuris, betraying his own cousin, being the reason for his possession. It was unforgivable, that much he knew. But whether it was Lucanis pushing her to be more understanding, or her own volition, his comment elicited a warm smile.

“I would not go that far, but I can finally leave without being stopped every ten steps with an invitation to some kind of banquet or delegation.” Avantika rolled her eyes, her smile still gracing her features as she took her seat across from Illario.

For a moment, he felt like he could pretend that nothing happened. That they were just two colleagues, dare he say friends, meeting for a much needed coffee to chat about the world. Honestly, some kind of normalcy would do them both good. Illario was smart enough to know, however, that would never be the case for either of them now, for complete opposite reasons.

“I already took the liberty of ordering our coffee. I hope it was alright to order you from what you had last time.” Illario could then see Avantika tense slightly.

To most untrained eyes they would have missed it. To a Crow, however, even the slightest movement could be noticed. She did her best to cover it with another smile, leaning back in her chair into a more relaxed position.

“Thanks. Honestly, after everything, the amount of caffeine in our systems has lessened immensely.” So it was going to be Rook to bring Lucanis into this.

That relieved Illario in a way, it meant he wouldn't have to navigate the minefield of the topic of his cousin. Better for her to do so. Of course the comment made Illario break into a smirk.

“So you are a miracle worker then. Not only have you saved the world, you have saved my cousin’s coffee addiction.” He could not help but joke, deciding to take a more relaxed position himself. “Now if you can get him to maybe sweeten his tastes a little-”

“Trust me, I can't work that miracle.” Avantika jumped in on the beat, a deep laugh resonating that reassured Illario. “Besides, if he enjoyed the sweeter things, I'd have to worry about sugar keeping him up too. I can only fight so many battles.”

For a moment, Rook looked out into the canal beside them, giving Illario a slight moment of reprieve to finally relax himself. This whole wait, he was not sure what side of Rook he would see, how tense this meeting would be. But she, shockingly, was exuding nothing but warmth. Maybe Lucanis had talked to her, maybe she was more forgiving and lenient than he thought. It reassured him, knowing it was something he could work with.

If he had Rook’s trust and good graces, there would be no better person to vouch for him to be trusted by the others. She could get him back in, keep him safe in a way. It wasn’t manipulation, more so taking advantage of a good situation.

As their coffees were placed before the pair, Illario decided to take the chance and broach the elephant in the room.

“Rook, Ava, I want to thank you. For… this. I know what I did to everyone was unforgivable. For Lucanis to forgive… for you to be the one to push it. I am in your debt. Please know that I do sorely regret what I've done. My reputation, the family, Lucanis…” Illario cleared his throat, feeling it tighten as his emotions started to show through the mask of charm. “I want to make amends.”

Rook’s eyes tore away from the water, burning amber staring into Illario. Her face was unmoving, an emotionless stare just looking at him. No, into him. Like she was able to analyse his very mind and soul. It was unnerving, Illario doing his best to not show his nervousness. But as if sensing the tension, Avantika broke it with another warm smile as she grabbed her cup delicately by the handle, raising it towards Illario in a toast.

“To making amends.”

Reflecting her own smile, he raised his own cup to her, the porcelain chiming together. “To making amends.”

They both retreated to their cups, Illario thankful that the coffee can finally relax them more. Setting the cup down, the corner of his lips turned to a frown.

“Honestly, I don't see what my cousin loves so much about this cafe. Maybe it is just me. They always seem to burn the coffee. Too bitter for my tastes.” Picking up the small silver pitcher, he added more cream to the brew, the taste slightly better as he took another sip.

Avantika could only chuckle as she sipped her own. “Trust me, I know. I’ve had to get used to it. When I told Lucanis about how I would take my coffee before, he had to sit down. Said it was a crime. I’ll give it to him though, he converted me.”

Rook smiled at the memory, taking another sip with a sigh.

“How is he? We… have not spoken much since Minrathous.” Illario felt that small wave of shame overcome him again.

He did miss Lucanis, ironically, for putting the man in a prison for a year. With Lucanis being back, those brief moments with him before Illario’s plan was shown, had been nothing short of amazing. He had truly missed the Crow.

Avantika thought for a moment, lips pursed as she traced her finger across the rim of her cup.

“It is an adjustment, being back. After coming from the Ossuary straight into a war, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to… settle.” Her face regained that warm smile, eyes back to Illario. “But, he is good. Very much in that ‘I don't want you away from my sight.’ phase, which I can't blame him. I’m in that phase, too.”

Illario joined her chuckle, his own face reflecting her smile. “Honestly seeing my cousin like this, actually happy and having someone to love in his life, he deserves it… you deserve it. Overbearing adoration at all.”

His emotions swelled up, the last words getting choked up in his throat once more.

“Thank you, Illario. It means so much to hear you say that.” Avantika beamed as she sat herself up a little, taking a sip of her coffee. “Truly though, he has taught me a lot. Not just about myself, but the world, family, coffee.” Avantika giggled as she motioned to his cup. “It still amazes me just how complex the flavours can be. The things you can do with just a cup of coffee. What did he say about Andoral’s Breath? Bitter and sweet… like a kiss goodbye…”

Her voice drifted off wistfully, as if getting lost in a memory.

Her head tilted as her eyes found him again. “Would you say that is how yours tastes?”

“I wouldn't know Rook I–” Illario cleared his throat again, trying to rid the tickle in the back of his throat. “I did not order that...”

Illario cleared his throat again, feeling as if he had a small itch that seemed to dry the passage. But looking down at the cup in his hand, swirling the contents around in the cup, its scent wafted into his nose, a fear beginning to bloom in his gut.

“Like I said, coffee like that is so hard to replicate the taste of. How it lingers on the palette, the scent, even its thickness.”Avantika’s warm smile remained, yet it did not reach her eyes this time. Eyes that were now cold, a wildfire behind that carried every drop of anger she had hidden. “I couldn't tell you how many times I tried to replicate it, make it near exact. But I think what I have now would make Viago, even Lucanis proud! Andoral’s Breath…”

As if it were clockwork that slight itch in his throat morphed into what he could feel was a near blister, his body beginning to tingle as he could feel his cardiovascular system start to get heavy, inflamed, pained. A pressure building behind his eyes as he gripped his chair to shoot upwards in panic.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.” Her tone was quiet and sharp, but Avantika did not flinch.

No weapon drawn, no magic crackling between her fingers. Rook remained still, the smile not leaving.

“If I were you,” Avantika took a long sip of her coffee. “I would do my best to relax, take in the scenery and listen to me. Your heart is already pumping alarmingly fast. Veins beginning the slow process of coagulation, or rupturing, I can't remember. Causing your heart to race, raising your body temperature by panicking will only speed the process. Sitting here, talking to me, I'd say you have a few minutes. If you decide to act rash and panic…. You won't make it to the door.”

He cursed himself. Of course he should have expected this - especially from a de Riva. To so blindly trust the one who had fooled his own coup, his fight or flight urge screamed in his brain, a brain he could only assume was swelling more and more.

Was this woman fool enough to kill a Dellamorte in the open? He could only assume yes.

“I would be wise and listen to what I have to say. That is what is going to keep you alive, so don't be stupid.”

As if nothing were happening, she waved over the batista, another cup of coffee procured as Avantika sat back again, relaxed as ever. Illario could jot be sitting straighter, as still as a corpse, trying his best to breathe through the viscous liquid erupting from the boils and blisters in his throat.

“I'm sure Viago did not talk about me much before. If he did I'm sure it was nothing but complaints and whinging. ‘Idiot’ he would call me.” Avantika snickered to herself, her tone and posture so casual it was almost as if Illario’s body was not melting on itself literally.

He could almost feel his blood thickening and coagulating beneath his skin, trying so hard to keep his breathing controlled.

“Well, if he has mentioned it or not, obviously we aren't really related.” Avantika gestured to her pointed ears poking from her wild hair. “Funny thing about that, I don't think he has ever really mentioned how we met.”

Her finger twirled around the top of her cup, the contents swirling magically beneath as she stared at the canal once more.

Illario wanted nothing more than to run, but for the sake of life preservation, he prayed to the Maker that somehow, someway, listening to her ramblings would save him.

Rook's brow arched as she stared at Illario.

“I was Dalish, you see. Small clan, close to… Ayesleigh. Would travel in that little in between bit you see on the map between us and Rivain. Either way, I don't mean to offend but I assume you're not particularly well versed in Dalish customs?”

He was stunned for a moment, the pain though his body almost causing distraction, but he did manage a shake in the head.

*No, I thought not.” Avantika took a long sip, sighing at the warmth of her coffee before continuing. “The Dalish have a funny custom, you see, when it comes to mages. Unlike most, we don't shun magic, but that comes with a little caveat. The clan depends on how many mages you find amongst them. Some… tones! Others, well they like to be safe.” Another long, drawn out pause as Avantika watched a gondola pass by. Illario could feel a vessel pop in his nose, the red essence of life slowly dragging down his face, seemingly unnoticed by the woman.

“I was born into one of those paranoid clans. To my luck, my magic came early. Now, they don't exactly Want a child to potentially get possessed, nearly impossible to stop that. Also, the potential of attracting humans, no we don't want that either.” Avantika shook her head, that wild hair falling in front of her eyes.

“So… of course this is a tradition you don't exactly tell the children. Maker forbid you instil fear into their little hearts. So, around my fifth year of living, they gave me a pack, some extra clothes, and asked me to go forage.” For the first time, Illario could hear Avantika's voice get caught in her throat, eyes becoming misty.

“I never saw them again… and let me tell you… a five year old elf does not fare well in the wilds on her own. I didn't know where I was, where I was going. I could barely keep myself alive. I was terrified, terrified that the family I knew just gave up on me. Left me behind due to something I couldn't control. That's when Viago found me, nearly starved and shaking. Funny enough, he had been travelling to one of his contracts when his horse became lame. Said if I could help him with some of the plant life around the woods, he would put me out of my misery. I helped him make new poisons, and he brought me here.”

Illario heard that catch in her throat again as she gave a sad smile. Without even looking at the man before her, she whipped out a handkerchief, dabbing his nose.

Illario could see now his skin began to discolour, bruises botching the skin exposed. Yet as his eyes begged silently for anyone around them to notice, nobody seemed to care. So Rook went on.

“Viago gave me a family I never had. Embraced who I was, even if I was an Idiot. So… imagine how I felt when I found out Lucanis, a man who had no control over what he was born into, was shunned by his own.” For the first time in this entire meeting, Avantika’s expression fully matched, her voice once lighthearted now laced with venom as her eyes stared what he could only describe as death incarnate into his soul.

“A man who trusted you, thought of you as a brother. Family, and you tossed him aside. Sold him out and, because of you, had him endure those tortures of the Ossuary. Because of you, he has to live with knowing a man he loved, saw him as nothing but an obstacle. But guess what? In a way I got to do exactly what Viago did for me. I found him, and I gave him a family.”

That look of disgust morphed once more, just the mention of Lucanis softening Avantika’s features.

“Just like Viago I did not shun him for what he was, what he couldn't control. With time, I let him know he did not need to heal alone. That he didn't have to face a world that abandoned him alone. The funniest part, too.” Rook let out a near breathless laugh. “Solas, he trapped me in that prison in the Fade. It was like all of what I had experienced as a child came back. Alone, terrified, afraid. Ripped apart from the world. And in all of that shit… Lucanis pulled me back.”

Illario could see a single tear run down Avantika’s cheek, her smile still remaining as she watched a bloodied tear run down Illario’s now purplish face.

“I saved him… and he saved me. We both showed each other a world that we don't have to endure alone. I will never be able to pay back that debt. The only way I can, is to give him the love and security he had ripped away by you.

“So, with that. I'll end my ramble. Sorry, thanks for listening so well. But I do have one more thing to say, before I go. I don't want there to be any misunderstanding between us.” Her tone was kind as she leaned across the table, that dame tone becoming low and threatening. A voice Illario would hear in his nightmares to come.

“If you ever think about hurting Lucanis, betraying Lucanis, or any of the other Crows, I will kill you. It will jot be quick. It will be slow… painful… and you will be alone. You will be alone and as your broken voice screams out for help as you choke on your own blood and bile, you will realise as you die the love you tossed away. That which saved me and Lucanis, will never be given to you. Do I make myself clear?”

Illario could barely move any of his body, the pain excruciating as if he was melting from the inside. But he did not, trying to manage a gurgled yes as blood and black viscous liquid sputtered past his lips.

Then, he was gifted one of Avantika's trademarked smiles, the woman reaching out to pat his cheek.

“I'm really glad we could come to this understanding, Illario. I don't want there to be any misunderstanding between us.” Reaching to the jewellery circling her neck, she seemed to unclipped one of the baubles, tipping it into her coffee and passing him the cup before standing.

“I hope we can see each other soon. I'm sorry I can't stay longer, like I mentioned, that can't stay away phase. I'll see you soon! You don't mind footing the bill?”

Illario willed whatever energy he had to endure the pain and drink from the cup. The bitter liquid running down his blistered throat. For a moment he felt that death was breathing down his neck, but soon he felt his very veins become cold, as if thinning and repairing the damages. He could feel his throat open as he gasped for that sacred air.

Blinking away what blood was left in his eyes, he noticed Rook already gone, leaving him to collect his sanity at the table alone.

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