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timesnewreader · 3 months ago

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God this chapter was a whirlwind. Part of me is disappointed that they didn’t bone down nasty and everything, but the part of me that understands this story and cares about the integrity of the characters is very happy. Damn it Aizawa!!! Why is it canon that you’re a good considerate man??? And why is Mint so good at portraying that!!!???😫

But seriously this chapter was so sweet and lovely. The stage if their relationship made me think of Howl’s moving castle for some reason. Not howl and Sophie exactly, but what Sophie says near the end when she’s holding Howl’s heart. It’s such fragile tender bond that they have right now, but it’s warm and it’s fluttering like a bird. They may not know exactly where they stand, but they’re willing to acknowledge that they care about each other, which is a big step from where they were (tho Aizawa definitely loves her that sweetie). The vulnerability and trust will come with time, and it says a lot that they’re willing to let that time pass, or are going to try at least. I’m glad that we can still see just how much they want each other, especially how much aizawa wants her😳, even if we’re not getting there quite yet. At least if we’re getting edged so are they!!😭😭 (I’m joking as I said it was actually really good that they didnt fuck nasty🫡)

And then the stinger at the end!!! I finisher reading this chapter and immediately texted my friend “Why can’t we have nice things for more than a minute😭”. The chapter still has the warm feeling, but man does that fucker haunt the narrative😫 I wish her a get better soon when it comes to getting over that man, but I understand how difficult it is to get over someone even if they’re bad for you. Especially when it’s someone who was as formative as Touya was for reader. She just deserves better, and I’m manifesting that she’s able to let go of him in the near future. Or at least stop saving so much space in her life and her heart for someone who stopped doing the same for her a long time ago. GILR PLEASE LOVE SOMEONE WHO LOVES YOU AND CARES ABOUT YOU IM BEGGING YOUUUUUUUU😭😭😭 We love her because she is flawed and it truly be like that.

ANYWAYS skfhnsnfnangn Thank you so much once again for sharing your this story with us! I’m always on tender hooks looking out for every chapter and it’s always excellent!!!

Inevitable Things : chapter ten

aizawa x reader fic

cw: aizawa x reader, cisfem reader, office AU, no quirks. Mentions of drug use

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You kick yourself for leaving your room a mess. Your fluffy pajamas are strewn across the blue sheets of the bed, your makeup bag is scattered across the bathroom sink. The sheets are fluffed up from when you threw your luggage on them and the remote is nestled in your pillow-

But Aizawa doesn’t notice.

He’s too busy kissing you like he can’t get close enough. On the greediest of movements, his teeth click against yours and he whimpers into the plush of your tongue, desperately pushing into you. His body follows suit, cornering you against the backside of the door, crowding you until your heart rate spikes-

Then his lips travel down, down, to the curve of your neck, the spot that makes your knees buckle a bit with his tongue drags across the skin. He must feel it too, because he does it again. Snd again. The sensation rips through your body the way fire rips through oil and you fear that you may combust before the fun’s even begun.

“Ah-hh-a-” Your body punches out without your permission. He growls in return and sucks at the same spot again- “Jesus, Shouta-”

“Say it again-” Aizawa demands.” Say my name again.”

And you do.

This time, he sucks you skin into his mouth until you whine for him to stop. He does and you can feel the blossoming pain of a bruise in his wake, throbbing for less and more concurrently.

You can feel how hard he is against you. It presses through the thick cloth of his pants, right into your lower stomach. It's thick. It's hard. He wants you-- unbelievably so. It takes every firing synapse in your skull to reach down and paw at his cock, to feel it beneath your fingertips.

Heated desire flows through you, thrums, hot and totally overwhelming in every way. You barely notice how you’re sinking, down the smooth plane of the door, down until your knees hit the floor. He follows you the whole time, hunching over you as to not break the contact for even a moment. Tickles of hair and breath and simply him touch your cheeks. Somehow you end up supine, Aizawa slotted between your legs, carpet catching against your hair as he sinks lower, lower-

“We shouldn’t do this.” he whispers and you kiss him deeper, because no, you shouldn’t, but there’s something inside you that needs this, needs him. You press into his shoulder and off of the ground, flipping both of you around so he’s splayed on the floor. Gravity grinds you down against him and he groans - pained, wanted-

“We shouldn’t do this.” He’s firm this time, even with those dark, wet eyes that seem to be begging for it- “You’ve been-”

“I thought you wanted me.” You grip his shirt and you aren’t sure why. You aren’t going to disobey his wishes, but you wish you could, just to derive some pleasure from him, from tonight. “I thought we were past this hot and cold thing.”

“I do,” he says. “I am.”

Gently, he places a hand on your thigh. The cuts on your feet thrum in the silence, the pain sharp and demanding, just like the ache in your chest.

“But, not like this. You’ve been crying, drinking…”

Your grip loosens.

“Do…do you even want this?” he asks.

Do you? You let him sit up and you fall away and try to process it all. This whole drama between the two of you has you upside down; the fighting, the truce, the spark that's just lit between you- it all came together tonight. He waited for you, he was here-

You want everything that Aizawa could be to you- but do you want him?

You barely know who he is. Even after all these years, Aizawa Shouta is basically a mystery to you. You don't know his favorite color or food or anything-- hell, you didn't know he owned cats until today! The emotional high you’ve been riding starts to waiver. You don’t think you’d regret sleeping with him, but…

“I don't know,” you say, carefully, because you don't. Not really. You know you need someone new, but you aren’t sure if that’s Aizawa.

Aizawa nods, solemn, swallowing the news. He takes it better than you thought he would; he seems thankful to have a chance more than anything.

“I don’t want you to almost want this.” He adjusts himself awkwardly, pants still tight at the front. It’s funny- you don’t even think you’ve seen a man use both heads at once. You don’t laugh, though, or even smirk; not while Aizawa looks so utterly defeated. “I want to be more than that.”

The two of you untangle from each other, you fixing your shirt, him fixing his pants. His hair is disheveled, wild from your touch and the carpet, and his lips are freshly kissed red. The hotel clock changes to the top of the hour, blinking its deep red pattern as you both sit there, silent. You find spaces against the door, side by side. Occasionally you can hear the elevator ding in the distance of the hall.

Fucking would be easier than this. Sex doesn’t need pretext or explanation, it just is what it is. You could just do it and move on, let tomorrow’s problems stay unaddressed, but instead you have to percolate it your emotions, decide exactly how you feel-

“It’s not that I don’t not like you.” You interrupt your own thoughts. “I do, I think. Like you.”

You shrug, still avoiding his gaze even as your shoulders slim each other. “At least, you make me do some stupid shit that no one else makes me do, other than--”

You don't want to talk about Touya. Luckily, he seems to understand. Aizawa just nods back to you, eyes lowered, expression tight.

“You also make me do some things that I regret,” He speaks so carefully.

“Like firing Denki?” You try to joke. “And moving the coffee machine?”

“I only fired Denki because he was abusing your good will and pushing his work off on to you.” Aizawa shifts a bit again with a sigh. “I don’t regret that. I do regret making you so upset over it all.”

You guffaw. “You knew I did his work?” You thought you had been secretive about it!

“Of course I did.” He shifts to turn your way, face so close to yours you can feel his breath against your cheek. You watch from the corner of your vision and try not to let that fluttering in your stomach take over. “No one else double staples like you do.”

You throw your hands up in frustration at the thought. “I never get the angle right the first time!”

And he smiles back at you with only his eyes, soft and sweet.

“I know.”

Since when did he start looking at you like that? And since when did you start to like it?

Did Touya ever look at you like that? Maybe a long, long time ago, before the pills and heroin, back when you were both human and young. The attention is so sweet that it aches to bare, and yet you still do, maybe even smiling back.

You try not to shatter the moment. “You really do like me, don’t you?”

He nods.

“Then why were you always so-?”

Aizawa opens his mouth, then closes it, Then, he does it again, seemingly finding no answer. His bad leg curls up to his chest and he loops an arm under his thigh to hold it in place. Silver peeks out from under the cuff, but he doesn’t seem to notice. The shape is very calf like, but utilitarian- no real design other than smooth curves. You try not to stare, especially when he speaks up again.

“I don’t know.” Shouta pulls himself tighter. “It’s like I’m still some stupid twenty year old when I’m around you.”

You remember the feeling of being twenty: the turbulence, the love, the fear. You think about your ink stained hands, the ones so desperate to hold and be held. Ones so young and yet so, so wounded. Against your better judgment, you reach out with those hands and grab Shouta’s free hand, giving it the lightest of squeezes.

“I feel that way too.”

And, when he squeezes back, you think, just for a moment, that maybe you do want this.

The time he’s granting you is so appreciated and you almost want to try and fuck him again-

“Where do we go from here?” Aizawa asks.

“I think I’d like to try… whatever this is,” you say. A thrill and a fear thrills inside you. Something new, something unknown. The mystery of it all is terrifying.

“It’ll be a lot of paperwork though.” Aizawa, of course, brings you back to reality. That’s right, as coworker’s, it’s probably not the most smiled upon thing to date-- especially since Aizawa is so high up in the company. Bakugo and Izuku are together, but they had to disclose that fact before they were even hired.

God, you’ll have to tell Yagi that you’re seeing Aizawa, won’t you? You can’t decide if he’ll be proud or alarmed.

“We don’t have to jump right into dating,” you say, quickly. “We can just.. Go on dates.”

Aizawa’s scowl makes a return. “That’s dating.”

“No, it’s going on a date.” You stay firm. “Very different. Much less commitment. Nothing to tell the company about. Or Hizashi.”

“Hizashi can never know.” Aizawa groans. His hands fly to his head in mock pain. “He’d be insufferable about it.”

“The whole town would know if we told Hizashi!”

A giggle escapes you, then Aizawa follows suit. His laugh is crackling, low, rumbling, but it makes your hands vibrate with something you don’t recognize. Before you can stop it, you laugh harder too, then he follows, until you’re both nothing but laughter and tears, crumbling over almost nothing at all. Your head rolls onto his shoulder so you can feel how he bounces with joy, and it only fuels you more. It takes a full minute to pull yourself together again, core aching from the exertion.

“Okay,” There’s still a hint of levity to his voice. “Let’s move slow then. Figure out what you want on your own time.”

“Okay,” you say.

“Okay.”

The fact that you’re so intertwined with him sets in. Your head is on his shoulder, leg popped over his, hands clasped so tightly you think you might never let go. It’s juvenile, like two kids behind the bleachers, savoring the moments before they get caught. You… like it. Dopamine receptors that haven’t been tickled in years are alight in your brain, giving you this tickling, quantifiable satisfaction.

You stay there until the carpet burns your ass.

“Do you want to sit on the bed?” you say, peeling yourself from him and rising to your feet. Exhaustion is already aching under your eyes and in your joints. “It’ll be comfier.”

“I shouldn't stay too long.” He's already standing and walking towards the bed. “I have to present in the morning.”

You quickly throw your mess to the slide and then slide on top of the sheets. Aizawa follows, stiffly flopping beside you. His bad leg kicks out a bit when he falls and you can’t help but wince at the thought. Another mystery about him that you haven’t been about to uncover: his leg is his business, but you can’t help but be curious, especially since it’s related to his speech tomorrow. Tensei or Hizashi could probably tell you, but that seems like a violation of Shouta’s privacy.

“I need to sleep,” he says, drifting along to your silent siren’s song. He’s already slotting himself against you. “It’ll only be for a couple minutes.”

“Okay,” you say.

“Okay.”

For a while in comfortable silence, you listen to the way he breathes; its rhythmic, tempo only hitching when you move at all-- especially when you drape an arm across his chest. His eyes are bloodshot from work and the late hour, but you almost like how it looks, how the red deepens the brown until it’s past inky, almost bottomless.

Aizawa suddenly sighs, expression downturned.

“Can I say something?”

You nod.

“I don’t want you to watch the presentation tomorrow.”

“Oh.” You clear your throat to buy time. How are you supposed to react to that? You want to lash out with anger - after tonight, he turns you away? Again?- but you try to swallow that down. Jumping to conclusions hasn’t helped either of you. “Did I do something?”

“No.” He’s quick to correct. “My leg will be on display and--”

Aizawa sucks in his peach slice lips. “It’s different when it’s strangers looking at me with a scientific eye. You-- you’re different.”

Oh.

“You feel vulnerable,” you guess.

“Perhaps,” he all but confirms. Now, he won’t meet your eye, his gaze stuck to the ceiling. You try and find where he’s looking, try to pick one dot out in the uneven ceiling that makes sense, like you’re watching stars instead of plaster.

But there isn’t anywhere to look.

Maybe you’ll never see things completely from his perspective or see what he sees. Maybe that’s okay, as long as you’re here to listen. Your hand finds his once again, just as his started looking for yours.

“How did it-?” you try.

“Car accident.” Aizawa cuts you off. “Head on collision with a drunk driver. I was twenty.”

So young. You wince as you remember your fight for the front of the car that morning; he probably does need it, both for his leg and his mental well being. You try to imagine him, twenty, unscarred, no little crescent scar on his cheek and no hitch in his gate-

“That must have been so scary.”

He hums an affirmative. “Not as scary as the recovery.”

You squeeze his hand in yours, as tight as you can muster. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.”

You almost talk about Touya, how your twentieth was hard in a different way, but the words don’t come. As close as you two have allowed yourselves to become, there’s still a wall between you-- double sided. Behind yours is years of loving a man who is set on destroying himself, loving someone that’s forgotten how to love you back-

Behind his, his own traumas.

“I’ll hang out with Hizashi tomorrow,” you say after a very long time. “We’ll go slow.”

“Thank you.”

His nose presses into your cheek, followed by the plush of lips. When it draws a giggle from you, he does it again, slighting closer to your lips. His hands are trying to loop around you, under you, through the warmth of blanket to grab handfuls of your waist and thigh. When he squeezes, he laughs too, something low and grumbling that gets caught in his throat. If he weren’t about to kiss you, you probably wouldn’t have caught it.

“You said we should move slow,” you curl your arms around his neck and drag your body closer, until you’re pressed right against him-

“I think-” He presses his lips to your temple. “A kiss-” He does the same to the other. “-or two-” There’s a pause before he hits your lips. “Is alright.”

You oblige.

You never imagined being here, with him, would be so incredibly gentle. Not that you ever thought you’d be here, having a slow, meticulous kiss with Aizawa Shouta. He just seems so rough, so uncaring from a distance; who could have guessed he had such a capacity for the saccharine? Who could have guessed that he’d hold you like he needs you, that he’d suck on your lip like he’d die without you?

It slowly devolves. The heat between you burns brighter and brighter, a rolling core of embers right under the surface, but you start to drift. Maybe it’s the expensive bed and perfect pillows, maybe it’s the comfort of being held, but sleep starts to creep into your mind. He must feel it too; the pauses between yet peck grow longer and longer, each drag of skin against skin getting lighter, more fleeting-

The bed creaks as he rolls over.

“Shouta?” you ask, unable to open your eyes. “Are you really okay with me not knowing what I want from this?”

There’s a pause. He shifts back to you, hand on your waist.

“Don’t sleep in your contacts.” Shouta mumbles into your temple, on the precipice of sleep himself. “You’ll be mad in the morning.”

You hum his worries away.

---

He’s gone in the morning. You awake to creased sheets, the peep of sunlight creeping through your blinds, and sticky, blurry eyes. He was right- you do regret sleeping in your contacts, but that doesn’t kill the butterflies that have hatched inside you, flitting about in sheer excitement. You (kind of) (sort of) (not really) have a boyfriend. At least, someone in the shape of a boyfriend, who holds you all night and kisses you deep and makes your pussy-

You shake that off.

As you prepare for the day - brushing your teeth, washing your face, stripping off your dirty clothes and replacing them with a fresh pair of undies- you keep thinking back to him, him, him. Aizawa’s right- you feel twenty again. Maybe even better. You have no qualms about walking around naked post shower, breasts out and pearled in the thrull of the AC.

You’re standing in the middle of the room, watching the news and googling ‘coffee near me’ when you hear the door. It beeps, then creeps open, Aizawa ducking back in. Gone is the outfit from yesterday, replaced with a nice top and… sweatpants. He’s also freshly bathed, raven hair barely damp against his shirt. His usually hooded eyes pop wide and he freezes when he sees you standing there, only your panties to save your decency.

“Hi!” you say, more surprised than anything else.

“Hi,” he says back, just as awkwardly. He’s trying not to stare at you; you quickly scurry back under the covers to hide yourself, shoving handfuls of sheets over your tits.

“You look-- I didn’t think you’d be awake--- I brought breakfast,” he tries, holding a brown bag up for you in one hand and a cup in the other. “And a latte. Nice-- glasses.”

You look at him. Really, really look at him. Breakfast in bed? You didn’t even fuck him. Why would he--?

“Really?” you try not to sound skeptical.

He hums a yes. “I borrowed your key, hope that’s okay.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s-” You’re less concerned about that than breakfast. After not having a real dinner, you’re starving; he must have been too. Taking the bag, you quickly look inside. It’s a little bagel sandwich, wrapped in tin foil and a heavenly smell. “You really brought me food?”

“Stop asking me that and take this.” He places the drink on the nightstand. “It all seemed like things you would like.”

You aren’t sure if you’re hungry or if the sandwich really is good. All you know is that you unpeel it from its wrapping and take a less than demure bite, followed very quickly by a second. Your eyes actually flutter back into your skull for a moment; fuck-- that’s a good fucking breakfast. The coffee smells fantastic too. All of this while sitting in high thread count sheets? You might be in heaven.

“Don’t look at my breasts if they fall out,” you mumble through your food.

“I will be looking,” he says, completely serious. “Maybe even praying.”

With your free hand, you scooch the comforter down, exposing your tits to the cool hotel air. His expression grows hard and you glimmer under the attention. It’s new enough that it still feels elicit, dangerous, wrong, to be topless in front of the man.

“There is a God.” Aizawa sits on the edge of the bed. His eyes never leave your body. “Remind me to bring you breakfast in bed again some day.”

He leans on to his palms to duck over you, catching your cheek in a rather sloppy kiss.

“You aren’t going to eat with me?” you ask.

"I'd rather spend the morning eating you.” His flirtation merely has you choking on your spit. “But we agreed to go slow.”

He dots your other cheek with a kiss again. It’s funny how soft he has become in such a short time. Has this always been there, hiding under that stupid yellow sweatshirt? Or have you broken through him this weekend?

Then, you process what he said. Fuck, that sounds-- you’re still a little wet from last night, riding the high of being touched. It would only take a couple licks for you to-

“Don’t look at me like that.” Shouta shuts down your train of thought. “I really should be going to prepare.”

That’s right- there’s only a little time before he presents.

“Hm, okay. Another morning, then.” You take another bite. “Good luck with your speech. I won't be watching.”

You’re still a bit conflicted about not going, but you respect his choice. The accident seems to be a huge scar on his past; if he isn’t ready to debride it, you can’t force him. Besides, you haven’t discussed Touya with him-- that’s probably an equally big trauma in your life.

Especially because you may still be in love with Touya.

That thought cuts the wind from your sails.

#I’d die for this series istg #thank you for always popping the fuck off mint #hope yall enjoyed my ted talk about this chapter anbfnsbgbnsn #inevitable #aizawa x reader #aizawa smut #(not quite smut but close enough lmao)#timesnewrecs

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payongdahon · 2 years ago

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kumpas : figuring out who's your soulmate; PAC reading <3

˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ pile 1 ˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ pile 2 ˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ pile 3

— [♡] hello everyone! it's been more than a week since my last reading since i had to take a little break. today's reading means compass in filipino, and it hints to you figuring out who your soulmate is, and do with this information as you will once. you have met your soulmate or need to figure it out. as always, this is all for entertainment, and your life is still with yours to explore. ♡

also, pics are not mine! they are from tears of themis, howls moving castle & your lie in april (i have not listed the cards in this reading as well since as i'm quite sleepy)

˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ pile 1

— [♡] you might have experienced love at first sight with your soulmate, or vice versa. some of you had a profound or special meeting as well. maybe you met on a special day, special event, special moment, where it seems like time stopped. your judgement or intuition seems to have heightened ever since. your soulmate must be really close to. you because they lift the burdens from your heart, and they don't make you beg or ask for the love you deserve. they are there, ready to give you the attention you need with an open heart and mind at any time. it's almost like time slows down (in a good way) when you're with them, and this soulmate makes you open with your emotions, while they seem to keep theirs on the down-low most of the time. and they are more of a domestic person and are very hard-working and skilled at their works. they seem to have been through a lot in the past as well, even though they're such a lovely person, they seem to be a people pleaser. so please, dear reader, show them what love is like without asking for anything back. it would mean the world to them. ♡

˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ pile 2

— [♡] your relationship with your soulmate is quite fascinating. it makes you feel everything everywhere all at once (pun not intended) like, they're probably someone that teases you a lot or is a little cold towards you then hits you like a truck when they're warmhearted. but at the same time, their presence relieves you, but it also makes you lose focus. they also make you experience new things and force you to get out of the harmful things for you one way or another. some of them do it unconsciously but they do genuinely care about you and get worried, but would rather take it to their grave than admit it. they can't just stay in one place forever, but would gladly make that exception for you, because they now think of you as your home. also, bonus; they're also the type to do this post

˚₊· ͟͟͞➳ pile 3

— [♡] you seem to have known your soulmate for a while. they tend to put yourself before their self and they give, and i mean give a LOT of their time, energy, and self to you. for some of you, your soulmate is also oblivious to their own feelings and just sees their magnetism or attraction to you as normal, but they act like you're their world. you've got a lot of memories with eachother and you may have been wishing for this romance for a really really long time. for those of you who's soulmates who are aware of their feelings or soon will be aware of them, they really see their future with you in it. every plan that they make, every step that they take is all planned with you in mind. they're really careful too, and you might notice their thought patterns as well; remembering that you don't like this or that, this makes you the most comfortable, you're the type of person who likes this— hey wait a second, didn't you mention you liked this that one night 7 months ago? they really, really love to but they don't know how to label it or outright say it. their love for you is so pure, they just see you as a wonderful person, too wonderful for this world. <3

#tarot #pac #pick a pile reading #pac reading #future spouse #spirituality #tarot reading #soulmate reading #soulmate #future spouse reading

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notetaeker · 2 years ago

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October 30, 2022 - Sunday | Fall challenges 20/30 + 16/30

long day today omg I woke up at 7, read qur’an, read a book, wrote and formatted 2 exams (this took 5 hours -cries-), helped my mom clean and move furniture for incoming guests, planned for my meeting in the 30 mins in between and I JUST now finished that meeting and laid down omg 😪 pics are from my walks + early morning qur’an reading 🥺

🔠 Where are your from / what is the education system like there? I'm from the US, so we have pre-k and kindergarten for 4 and 5 year olds, and then grades 1-12. Then 4 years of undergraduate studies (bachelors) OR 2 years associate programs (which usually have less value) and THEN grad school if u so desire.

📖 Favorite book at the moment? Find a song to match. uHHHH favorite book ? Howl's Moving Castle which is cliche af esp on tumblr-land but if anyone seeing this has only watched the movie PLEASE read the book i beg you it's so much more whole and complete and the characters are so nicely fleshed out and everything ties in so nicely (which it doesn't in the movie - to be fair u cant have like a 6 hr movie) but if u can't read the book then AT LEAST LISTEN TO THE audiobook it’s literally Everything hope this helps

#studyingunderthefallingleaves #tranquilfallbuddies #but Sophie my belovedest girl ever #and when I read it again what then #me who Never rereads books #studyblr #studyspo #notes

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earlgreydream · 4 years ago

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migraine.

| marauders x reader | fluff |

anon requested. poly!marauders where the reader has a migraine or is just not feeling great and they take care of her & poly!marauders helping reader through a fainting episode

You fastened your robe, feeling a little weak as you left your dorm. The loud common room made your head pound, and you groaned as a migraine began to set in. The weather was nasty, a storm howling outside and whipping rain into the corridors of the castle.

You rubbed your eyes as you made your way to charms, and James moved over on the bench to make room for you.

“You don’t look well, are you alright, bunny?” He asked, touching your forehead. You gently batted his hand away, insisting you were fine. You didn’t want to miss class, especially not so soon after you’d returned from Christmas break. You missed your friends, your boyfriends, and classes, and you didn’t want a headache to get in the way.

You rested your head on your hand, and your mind drifted away from the charms lecture as a painful throbbing set in at the base of your skull, spreading through you. Nausea rose in your chest, and you broke out into a cold sweat by the time you were headed for lunch in the great hall.

“Y/N, I’m really worried,” James griped, and you ignored him, trying to focus on breathing.

“Okay, fine, I don’t feel well, but I can make it through today then just sleep it off!” you insisted as you walked to meet Remus and Sirius.

“Bunny, you look ill!” Remus immediately touched your face, feeling how clammy your skin was. You were off-balance when you tried to step away, and James reached out to steady you. Sirius’ stormy eyes were concerned, and he stepped beside you. He asked you if you were okay, and you barely heard him.

“My head hurts,” you confessed, and the floor started to sway under your feet.

“Y/N?” Sirius caught you as you fainted. Students gasped and shrieked, and James pushed them away. He gently lowered you to the ground, cradling your head before you could hit the unforgiving stone.

“She’s alright, just back up!”

It wasn’t the first time you’d fainted, and your overly attentive boyfriends were able to handle it. Sirius lifted your body, cradling you gently against his chest. They took you to their dorm, and Remus got water and food for you when you woke up. James and Sirius helped get you out of your clothes, setting you down on the mattress.

“Come on, wake up for us, love,” Sirius cleaned your face with a cold washcloth. Your eyes slowly opened, blinking slowly to adjust to the light. You shivered, looking down to see you were undressed.

“Where are my clothes?”

“You were overheating. You fainted, bunny.”

You relaxed a bit, thankful that your migraine had faded to a dull ache. You looked up into three sets of worried eyes, and you suddenly felt horribly guilty for worrying them.

Tears welled in your eyes and spilled down your face, your chest shaking as you started to cry. Remus pulled you forward into his arms, holding your damp and shaky body.

“Crying is just going to make you feel worse, bunny. Can you try to calm down for us?” James asked, smoothing his hand over your leg. You shook your head, in no mood to be reasoned with.

You sobbed into Remus’ shirt, soaking through the white fabric. James was right, your sinuses ached and got stuffy, making your chest and head pound. You tried to relax, and eventually your sobs reduced to little hiccups. Remus kissed the top of your head, feeling bad for you.

James encouraged you to drink the water and take a few bites of bread, his emerald gaze begging you not to fight him. You were uncomfortably cold, shivering in Remus’ arms. You tried to pull the blanket over you, but James kept it out of your reach, worrying you’d overheat. You shot James a venomous look, and Remus turned your face into his chest.

“How does a hot shower sound?” Sirius asked, running his fingers through your hair.

“It’ll open up your chest,” He tried when you protested.

You relented, following him into the bathroom and getting in with him. The steam did help clear your congestion, and the hot water warmed your body. Sirius’ hands were gentle, and you leaned forward against his chest in the shower.

“I love you, bunny,” Sirius hummed, kissing your warm cheeks.

“No, you’ll get sick!” you protested when he tried to plant one on your lips, and Sirius frowned.

“Oh, love, it’s more than worth it,” he whispered before kissing you sweetly.

“I want to lay back down.”

He reached around you and shut off the water, helping you dry off. He pulled a jumper over your head, rolling the sleeves up at the end so that your hands were free. He kissed your fingers, making you giggle, before digressing into a fit of coughs.

“Let’s get you in bed,” he sighed, helping you to his bed. He pulled back the duvet, letting you settle in the pile of pillows. Remus made you tea, and James sat on the other side of your body.

“You’ve got class,” you protested their presence, and Remus just laughed.

“We’ve got to take care of our girl.”

He sat at your feet and handed you a steaming cup of tea. It helped ease your headache and your raw throat, but you turned away the food they tried to offer. Sirius read aloud to you, making you grow sleepy. James eased you onto your side and slid his hand under your jumper. He rubbed your back until your eyelids were heavy, soothing you into sleep. They all were relieved when they finally got you to rest, despite your determination to stay awake.

James convinced the other two to catch their last class, opting to stay with you and make sure you didn’t wake up alone from your nap. He snuggled you against his chest, spooning your warm body. You writhed in your sleep, having fever dreams that made your heart race.

“Shh, you’re okay, bunny. Deep breaths,” he tightened his arms around you.

Your heart rate slowed, and you relaxed against him, waking up.

“James?”

“I’m here. How are you feeling?”

“Sick,” you sighed, rolling over to face him. He brushed loose hair from your face, resting his hand on your cheek. You looked around for the other two, wondering why they weren’t in bed with you.

“They went to potions. They should be back any time now.”

You pushed yourself up on trembling arms, running your fingers through your hair. His hand went to your leg, squeezing lightly.

“I’m sick, don’t be getting handsy with me,” you giggled, covering your mouth as you started to cough.

“Oh, bunny, I’m sorry,” he laughed, rubbing your back as you bent forward, coughing.

“What did you do to her, prongs?” Sirius sighed, walking in and hearing you struggle to breathe.

“He was feeling me up!” you accused, and Remus smacked James.

“You’re fucking kidding-” Sirius started to lay into James, growing extremely protective of you.

“No, it wasn’t-” James began to defend himself.

“Stop, that’s enough.” Remus ended the fight that was sparking, all three of them stressed and worried for you.

“Slughorn told me to give this to you,” Sirius said, holding up a vial of green potion.

“No!” you immediately shook your head, not wanting to take the nasty medicine.

“He promised it will help you feel better. Please do not make me force feed it to you,” Sirius begged. You knew the threat wasn’t empty, and there was no way you’d be able to overpower all three of them.

You opened your mouth, and Sirius gave it to you, helping you tilt your head back. You gagged as you tried to swallow, and Sirius murmured apologies, pulling you to lay back against his chest.

“I’m sorry, bunny, I’m sorry.”

You pulled his arms around you, and the potion began to make your headache fade. Sirius hugged you tightly, and James fed you small spoonfuls of soup while Remus did your homework for you.

“Thanks for taking care of me.”

“Always.”

#earl grey marauders #marauders #marauders era #marauders x reader #marauders fluff #marauders x reader fluff #sirius black #sirius black x reader #sirius black x reader fluff #remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x reader fluff #james potter x reader fluff #poly!marauders #poly!marauders x reader fluff #female reader

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olivyh · 4 years ago

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TWST FAMILY HCS PT2) Savanaclaw and Octavinelle

Feel free to tack on your own Hc’s too!!! I love reading what other people think and how their view of the characters and of Twisted Wonderland in general change from person to person!!!

Savanaclaw:

Leona:

-Farena: We already know Leona describes his brother as being carefree and relaxed, but deep under that I think he’s a deeply intelligent man (how can you run a kingdom and be stupid?). He tries his best to make time in his schedule for his wife and child, and even try to get bonding tike with his younger brother (which never works out well). He tries to teach Cheka as much as he can, often giving him little life lessons while they play games. He’s a very kind and straightforward man, often being blunt when he doesn’t mean to. He stands a little taller than Leona, with Orange hair similar to Chekas. He keeps his hair tied out of his face as much as he can.

-Sister-in-law Kingscholar: A strong and confident woman, not afraid to speak her mind when she wants to. She’s blunt and she’d let you know about it. She’s also very kind in her own way, often dragging Leona off and trying to have serious talks with him, which he appreciates but doesn’t show. She adores Cheka and often spoils him without meaning to, and will spoil Leona too (but indirectly in a way similar to Ace’s father’s). Also very intelligent and good at reading people. I think she stands a little shorter than Leona, but she holds herself higher, and he slouches, so it looks as if they’re the same height. She has long yellow hair (again, similar to the ends of Cheka’s) that she often ties back as well.

-Cheka: We already know him, so heres a few Hcs!: He sometimes asks his mother to do his hair the same way as Leona’s, and tries to do everything like him (such as standing like him, trying to deepen his voice to sound like him, throwing sand at various objects in the castle yelling “King’s Roar!!”)

Ruggie:

-Grandma Bucchi: As he said himself, a stern and prideful woman. I think she’d be on the stricter side, having to teach Ruggie how to survive rather than him having to face those hard truths alone. She likely stands a lot shorter, likely 5’0 (sorry to anyone whos that height), than most other beastwomen. She’s a lot physically stronger than she looks, often still trying to pick Ruggie up at his age. She tries to spoil him when she can, trying to make him relax after working and taking over the household chores (which he declines, still cleaning up when she’s not looking- which earns him a smack to the head with a broom). She’s also a prankster, quietly jumping out from corners and scaring Ruggie or one of the other children. I think she feels a lot of regret over seeing Ruggie grow up so fast in the environment that he had, but she’s the proudest grandma ever. Whenever he sends pictures back she boasts to everyone at home (“See that! That’s my grandson’s school! See that there! He plays magift and is one of the best on the team! Look there! He’s got those nice ceremony robes!”), and even boasts about him with what little baby pictures they have (“See him walking at such a young age? Isn’t he so strong?”) Will never stop talking about her grandson, ever.

-Neighborhood kids: I think they’re like little siblings to Ruggie, so I’m adding them. They try to tale over what Ruggie did when he was at home, helping people fix up their houses or entertaining the baby hyenas when their mothers have other things to do. They also leave gifts to Ruggie when he comes back, between little dolls they made, bracelets they thought he’d like, charms, or pretty rocks and leaves. He keeps all of the gifts, no matter how small.

-His mom (bc the poor woman deserves a spot)(Poor meaning unfortunate)(The more i think abt it, both. It means both. Bad time?): I think she looked a lot like him, but with brighter blue eyes than his. She was definitely a prankster at heart, leaving clever traps behind for any poor soul to get stuck in. She was a very hardworker much like her son, taking on any task she could find to help out her mother. I think she’d try to leave as much behind for Ruggie as she could, which would include little notes and scribbles about how she was feeling throughout her pregnancy and how excited she was for him. Ruggie also kept all of those safe and sound, in a small box he keeps in the corner of his room.

(Can you guess who my fav chara is?)

Jack:

-Grandma & Grandpa Howl: A very loving couple, who always make time out of their schedule for their grandchildren, whether it be for school events, emergencies, or if any one of them want to come by and talk. They met when Grandpa Howl got lost and wandered by Grandma Howl’s family’s cabin (which happens to be the one they, and the rest of the family, still live in to this day) and he spent the night. I think they fell in love at first sight :’)

-Mama Howl: A very soft and loving beastwoman who is willing to sacrifice anything for her children. She is often strict, and sometimes a chatterbox, but she always reminds her children to stay safe and that she loves them. She always pats their head or cheek when she walks by, even if she has to reach a little to plant a kiss on Jack’s forehead. I think her hair would be a little darker grey, and she’d definitely be a little more muscular and taller, reaching six ft one when standing straight up. She’d have the same yellow eyes as Jack, and her hair would be cropped shorter due to her still moving around a lot.

-Papa Howl: Very similar to Jack personality and appearance wise. He stands an inch or two shorter than Jack, but is still very muscular due to working around the house and in the woods (chopping wood for the campfire, dragging around tools, carrying three wolf pups at a time in his younger days (only one now wants to be carried, which hurts the poor man’s heart a bit)

-Baby brother Howl: Huffy and a little moody, but a hard worker even if he complains while doing it most of the time. That’s often with his parents, but when he does something with Jack he doesn’t complain a bit. He’s very attached to his older brother, looking up to him for his strength and strong morals. He often compares him to superheroes and star athletes in his mind, but sometimes it slips out, resulting in one very embarrassed wolf boy and another very flattered wolf boy, ignore their wagging tails, it means nothing. I think he stands pretty tall for a preteen, around 5’7-5’8 and growing taller by the day. Same hair and eye color as Jack. Acts like he doesn’t like to play games with his younger sister but will never turn down a game of tag.

-Baby sister Howl: An absolute sweetheart. She just wants the best for her family and will do whatever she can to make what they want happen. Jack is hungry? Good thing she made her special dessert (it’s a poptart with whipped cream messily piled on top with sprinkles and literal sugar cubed wedged in it, but don’t tell her you don’t like it, please she’d actually bawl). Her other older brother is tired? She can get him extra blankets! Mama needs help cleaning? She can mop (she really just throws water on the floor and praises herself for a job well done). Papa need to cut wood? She can- no, she can’t. Please don’t give her an axe. She’ll cheer him from the sidelines with a song she made up just for him instead! She has their mother’s grey hair and father’s dark brown eyes, and loves to do her hair like the princesses she sees on Tv! (Yes, Jack will wear a too-small dress and Tiara if his sister wants to play princess. No, he will not let anyone take pictures.)

Octavinelle:

Tweels:

-Mama Leech: At first glance, a very kind woman with soft eyes. Willing to open her arms to anyone who might need help. Then, a terrifying grin similar to Floyd’s as that poor unfortunate soul realizes the trap they’d been thrown in. She’s very kind and patient towards both her boys and husband, as well as their friends (even of she is on guard near their friends, throwing a few hollow threats to see if it’d scare them away)(She doesn’t like to share her babies). She dotes on the tweels as much as possible, indulging im whatever curiosity they may have. Floyd wants to know what going through riptide is like? They leave tomorrow to find one. Jade wants to know more about life on land? She’ll find as many books as possible and ask (threaten) people for their land belongings. She knows when too far is too far though, and is very skilled at reeling the boys back in if they get to that point. Will always call them her little guppies, no matter how big they get. I think she’d have a teal bob on top, with the underside of her hair being black (which makes her hair look color changing when she swims). Im her human form shes only a few inches shorter than her boys, ranging around the same as Jack’s mother.

-Papa Leech: The definition of old Hollywood New York mob boss. Strict and blunt about his interests and problems, and not afraid to cause any problems if provoked. When the tweels were younger and they’d wrestle and bite at him, he’d throw them off him easily, telling them they need to work to beat him, even if he was impressed by their teamwork at first. Will die to protect his family, and was likely put in that position many times in the past due to his uh… business. He values his wife and children more than anything, and has done everything in his power in the past to protect them from harm. When they went to NRC at first, he felt defeated and almost wanted to beg them to stay safe with him (not that his pride would allow it).(Both the tweels can see through his facade easily)

Azul:

-Grandma ‘grotto: A very stern and prim octomermaid. What she says goes in the Ashengrotto house, and she often catches herself making unnecessary comments. She does apologize. Also a very loving grandmother towards Azul, often babying him whenever possible (doing the classic “you’re not eating enough here take some more” grandma move)(She will smooch his face whenever possible when there are no business clients nearby). Tries to boost his confidence since she knew about what was happening to him (Chances are she went through the same thing- being an octomer as well) and dod her best to protect him and make him happy. She taught him how to write with his tentacles and encouraged him to do his best in everything he does.

-Mama ‘grotto: Another businesslady in the front absolute softie in the back situation. Adores her son and is incredibly proud of how far he’s come.I think she looks identical to Azul, but more heavyset and, of course, female. She coddled Azul as much as possible, which worked out well with baby Azul’s clingy nature. She had no shame in walking around with the little guy stuck to her (unless he smacked a tentacle to her face when she was working on her restaurant), and made sure everyone knew what a good boy he was. She would show pictures to everyone (similar to Ruggie’s grandma), but respects his wishes in wanting to hide pictures of his past. She still shows anyone who asks pictures of him at NRC (compliments to the twins, who send her updates when her son is busy), and will tell everyone how smart he is and how much he’s grown.

-Step-Papa grotto: A very professional man in every aspect of his life, which stretches to his relationship with his stepson. When he learns about the contracts and Azuls UM, he’s over the moon with how happy he is. He swam around with a little more pep than usual, flicking his tail and flaring out his fins the more and more Azul told him. He helps him reword and format his contracts to his advantage, and is always willing to talk with him about Mostro Lounge or (on rare occasion) some memories before Step papa Ashengrotto met Mama Ashengrotto (which always make him happy that Azul trusts him enough). I think he’d be a pretty generic looking Mer, with an average looking tail and such

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inotanzen · 4 years ago

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May I request an InoTanZen drabble of the three talking about their fears? Or having to brave a closet full of spiders and then calming each other down afterwards? (I love your writing by the way! I'm excited to read your drabbles!)

thank you for the request and i'm so happy you love my writing ahh !! i chose the first one, i hope you like what i came up with and the direction i went in!

— ♡ —

modern au • sfw, hurt-comfort • 1k words

— ♡ —

The thick veil of night that settles over Tanjirou's small, one bedroom apartment is borderline suffocating when he's by himself.

Shadows behind his dresser look too deep, the ones on his ceiling make the room feel too small, and he can’t bring himself to go into the kitchen once the sun goes down. It's not necessarily the look of darkness itself that bothers him so much as the feeling it gives him...

It had gotten worse since he moved out a few months ago after graduating high school. He used to avoid it by sneaking into Nezuko's room when he knew she was already asleep and camping out on her trundle bed until he drifted off to the sound of her breathing, or on the floor next to Takeo and Shigeru's bunk bed because they kept a nightlight for most of their childhood, but he lives on his own now- and his favorite way to avoid it is by having nights like tonight.

“Inosuke, can you hand me the chi- that's my foot, you asshole!" Zenitsu shouts and Tanjirou has to stifle a laugh to shush him.

“Guys, please, you’ll wake the neighbors-"

“Your foot shouldn't have been in my way then!" Inosuke interrupts matter-of-factly as he settles into his spot on the couch to Tanjirou's left, nearly sitting on Zenitsu's feet in the process before throwing over the bag of chips. Zenitsu catches them from where he’s leaning into Tanjirou's right side, his legs draped over the brunette's lap and into Inosuke's space that they all know he only pretends to care about by projecting a false bravado, his true feelings showing in the one arm he drapes behind Tanjirou’s shoulders and the other hand he places on Zenitsu’s shin once he’s comfortable.

They were setting up to have a movie marathon, one favorite from each of them, with a blanket pulled over Tanjirou’s laptop and the top of their heads. It was Tanjirou’s favorite way to spend time with them both, and he didn’t need to say it either; they knew.

Tonight felt different though, they could tell their boyfriend needed them more than usual. It had been like this for a few weeks now, pretty much ever since he’d moved into his new place Tanjirou had wanted either or both of them over whenever they weren’t working. It was because of this that both men made sure to put Tanjirou in the middle and pick lighthearted movies they knew would make him laugh, with Inosuke choosing “Thor” and Zenitsu choosing “You’ve Got Mail”.

Tanjirou’s pick obviously gets to go first though as “Howl’s Moving Castle” starts up on the screen and Tanjirou feels them settle around him into a pile of warm, comforting limbs.

They’d shared their fears with each other a long time ago, exchanged in hushed tones punctuated with comforting touches and warm embraces, so Inosuke and Zenitsu knew why Tanjirou had always been a fan of sleepovers, but it had taken them a while to find out.

Before they started dating in second year, all the way back to when they’d met in middle school, Tanjirou would beg to have a sleepover at any of their houses for the weekend. He never cared whose and would always make sure they were diligent with homework and cleaning up after themselves so none of their parents would ever have a reason to say no.

It wasn’t until they started dating though that either of them thought to ask him why.

Tanjirou had tried to hold it together but eventually broke down into silent tears as he explained he’d had a fear of being alone ever since he was a kid and his father died suddenly from illness- especially since he began having recurring nightmares afterwards of his entire family disappearing, falling ill, or worse, being killed.

The bright, shining boy they knew so well had never looked so small. Inosuke had grabbed his hand in a surprisingly gentle touch and pulled Tanjirou to straddle his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around the thinner boy’s waist while Zenitsu pressed against Tanjirou’s back from behind, arms coming around his shoulders, as both of them buried their faces in his hair... and he had let them.

He knew by then that, out of everyone in the world, they understood him, because they had the same fear.

Inosuke had his mom, Zenitsu had his grandfather, but at least now they had each other too, and have stayed that way ever since.

The movie is going for about thirty minutes when Tanjirou pauses it out of nowhere, his hand staying on the keyboard for a moment as he stares ahead. Zenitsu looks at him, puzzled. Inosuke had been only half paying attention, instead getting momentarily distracted with a loose thread on the elastic of Zenitsu’s sweatpants, but he still shouts indignantly regardless.

“Hey! What’s the bright idea? Didn’t you wa-”

“Move in with me.”

Inosuke goes quiet with the interruption and Tanjirou quickly squeaks out a “Please!” as he glances between them in a panic, not able to tell what they’re thinking yet.

“What kind of stupid question-!” Inosuke starts, looking at Tanjirou like he’d grown a second head.

“You really couldn’t have asked us that before you signed a six month lease for a place that could barely fit you and me, let alone him as well!” Zenitsu monotones, and Tanjirou has to mentally jump back and forth between the feeling of his tone and the meaning of his words but it just makes him laugh in relief even as Zenitsu starts playfully shaking him back and forth while shouting curses in his ear.

It only makes him laugh more when Inosuke yells at Zenitsu indignantly that he’s being shaken too before tackling him to the floor, nearly breaking Tanjirou’s laptop in the process.

Tanjirou had realized sitting there, both of them wrapped around him, that he might never let them leave and now watching them wrestle playfully on the floor as Zenitsu cackles in pseudo-protest from the raspberries Inosuke blows into his neck, he knows that for sure.

#inotanzen #inozentan #inotan #inozen #zentan #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #ask requests #my writing #diary #i really love this prompt thank you so so much again !!

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kanerallels · 3 years ago

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top five favorite books? top five favorite star wars characters?

Oooooh. Okay that first one is gonna be HARD. Don't hold me to this later, please, I am a changing person. But I decided to think of the top five books I'd recommend at any given moment, so here we are!

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Valiant by Sarah Mcguire (read it I'm begging you guys)

The Out Of Time series by Nadine Brandes

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Favorite Star Wars characters:

Kanan Jarrus (and the entire Ghost Crew I make the rules now)

Talon Karrde

The Vessel Crew cause they're ICONS

I might have to go with Anakin here. He's an old favorite

And then Ahsoka Tano because I'm not a heathen

#thanks for the ask!!#DANG the fave books were hard #and of course narnia and lotr had to make it #star wars rebels #swr #top five ask game #star wars #book recs #valiant sarah mcguire

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aufhcker · 8 months ago

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magioffire:

With the cold of autumn closing in within an unknown land, and most animals he was familiar hunting that were bigger than a fox had moved further south, leaving only small or dangerous animals to contend with, Valeriu found himself woefully unprepared for travel. He found himself having to chase down small rabbits and squrriels to fill his belly, and he felt woefully unprepared out in this unfamiliar, cold land.

Finding his way back to the Sidhe would prove to be no small task. He was built for humid jungles and warm semi-temperate forests, for scaling sheer cavern cliffs and easily finding his way through the winding caves of Amorium or the treacherous, root covered paths of the Sidhe. But this place? It was cold and mountainous, perhaps just as treacherous as the Sidhe, just in different ways, and completely unfamiliar to him.

Apsel must have noticed Valeriu’s struggling and suffering out there in the cold. Valeriu had half a mind to trek all the way back up the mountain back to Apsel’s castle, but it seemed the man beat him to it. He found Vali’s makeshift little camp and invited him, rather gruffly and lacking little warmth, back to his home. He wasn’t about to argue, he was just glad he didn’t have to show up at his door and beg to be let back in lest the cold and the wolf packs he heard howling within the night claim him. Not long after Vali and Apsel arrived at the castle, Vali went to store what meager belongings in his bag (what little items of use they scrounged off the humans they slaughtered) in the guest room Apsel provided for him.

He took a proper rest upon the large, plush bed in the center of the room, sleeping deeply into the evening. Vali awoke to the smell of something cooking. That was enough to get Vali to climb out of bed and follow the scent into the dining area of the castle. Seeing the feast before him, his eyes widened. “I – wow, this is…really unexpected, but really appreciated. Thank you, Apsel, this is very kind of you,” Vali said, his voice lacking the usual confident snark he carried with him into nearly every social situation.

Without a second thought, pushed on by his rumbling gut, Vali took a seat, with only one chair between them to separate them, and began to fill one of the empty plates available with warm food. Apsel was giving him many mixed signals, one moment he couldn’t seem to stand being within close vicinity of the fae, and the next, he would be inviting him close, welcoming Vali into his fold. He tried to read whatever signal’s Apsel was giving him to the best of his ability – did he hate Vali, or did he simply dislike the association of what Vali was, a fae? He couldn’t be sure. For now, he just focused on eating, and surviving, and staying on Apsel’s good side.

He seemed very intent to try a little bit of everything, but he mostly focused on filling his plate with anything containing fruit, meat, root vegetables, nuts or honey. Valeriu looked confused at Apsel when he mentioned eating in different rooms, if Vali so pleased. He didn’t want that. Why did Apsel insist on solitude when he seemed to keeping pulling Vali back in? “Why would I want to do that? Seems rude to be a guest and be presented a big meal and not stay and enjoy it with the host. No, I’ll stay – if you don’t mind.” With that, Vali began eating his fill. His face was relaxed into one of contentment, the most relaxed and contented the fae had been in days. Having a good sleep and a hot meal really did wonders to one’s spirits.

"Yes-uh, of course." It made perfect sense. His social skills had clearly declined over the past decade or so, and he watched Valeriu for a moment more before concentrating on his own food. Despite sitting down for dinner each night, every movement suddenly felt unnatural; it was as though he was learning to eat for the first time. Each bite was carefully mulled over, hyper aware of his own movements -- but soon after, Apsel learned to relax and adapt to another presence besides him. It was only temporary whilst his guest recuperated. But the situation became strange when he retrieved two plates instead of one - making sure it was thoroughly cleaned and free of dust - breaking his daily routine. Instead of the solitary sounds of his cutlery clinking together, there was an echo where somebody else joined in. A dining room with a high ceiling and decorated walls, alongside a large table far too spacious for one, now housed and accommodated another body. There was life. He struggled to remember when he last had a visitor, but that was down to his own bitter doing.

A small wave of disappointment washed over him as he stared across at the empty chairs lining the table, neatly tucked in and never used. They were a waste of space. But they reminded him of who he once was. Had this been the past, each chair would be filled with friends come to see him and enjoy an evening of good food and company. In his hey-day, Apsel loved to throw parties and entertain the masses. He was fun. With the passage of time, those people dwindled and gradually disappeared from his life either through lost connection or death. He eventually became disinterested in forming new relationships, knowing that their inevitable end would only cause him further heartbreak. Whatever desire to have fun slowly trickled away, and after the devastating events of Hildesheim, all that remained was a creature who wanted nothing more than to hide from any form of contact. Here, in the shadows, he was safe. He was happiest alone.

Or so he convinced himself. But a sliver of excitement settled in his chest whilst he prepared their food. It was small - barely noticeable - but there, nevertheless. Memories of cooking for friends and loved ones jolted him into action, giving him a brand new purpose; a change in routine. He never realised how stale his life had become. It was a revelation that was immediately pushed aside and ignored. He was only doing this to get rid of Valeriu quicker. Once the fae was fed and well-rested, he could leave in the morning. And it was with those selfish thoughts, there was no doubt about why he was alone. He was rejecting company once more. But the beast had his reasons for wanting to see the back of Valeriu. No fae was welcome under his roof after they humiliated him, causing him such pain and forcing him to leave behind a life he loved. He had purpose back then and it was cruelly taken from him. Now he had nothing.

So imagine his conflict at seeing the other eating, gaining a sense of pride as his food was devoured. An empty plate was a huge compliment. For a split-second, he found himself debating what to make for their next meal, but quickly realised his mistake. There would be no next time. Placing his cutlery down, Apsel cleared his throat and stood from the table to make his way over to an ornate cabinet. Opening it up revealed a vast array of bottles and he slowly made his selection, pouring some of the amber liquid into a tumbler. He remained where he was for longer than necessary, seemingly debating an internal dilemma, before glancing over his shoulder to stare at the fae. "Would you like a drink? I have a huge selection," he waved towards the shelves, unsure whether fae indulged in alcohol. His selection was decades old, unopened and hardly glanced at. There was even more in the wine cellar. If this had been his party days, every bottle would be drained before the night was over -- but now, they were simply decoration.

"Come and have a look," he invited, picking up his tumbler and stepping aside to allow Valeriu to peruse. Despite the hatred running through his veins, there was no excuse for being a poor host. Taking a sip of his whisky, the beast stayed silent for a moment before making an effort to start a conversation. "So, where are you from? You seemed to be struggling outside, so I assume you're not used to these conditions." The mountains could be unforgiving sometimes, leaving no survivors when the weather turned. It could be sunny one moment, then freezing the next. But Apsel was best suited for its coldness, enjoying the dark and damp valleys.

#magioffire #v; one step forward

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