#poor girl absolutely did NOT want to ever wear heels

[silvershadow1711]

My Criminally Yours Oracle, Maddie. "Wait, isn't that--?" Yup. Because all my VN player/reader/MCs are just poorly disguised self-inserts in different cosplays.

(I like to think they're all multiverse variants of the same person)

I wanted her costume to be the inverse of Chronos colorwise, but also since it belonged to her mom, it doesn't reflect her tastes or personality. Chronos' color scheme would be more to her taste (hence the blue glasses frames), but "Oracle" is a legacy to be inherited, not a path she can forge for herself (this TOTALLY isn't a source of any deep-seated resentment, what are you talking about?) And speaking of the glasses, no, she isn't Clark Kent-ing; girl is blind as a bat, can't see a foot in front of her face without them. She uses contacts as Oracle- colored ones (hence the yellow eyes) to further hide her identity.

(Oracle is mos def the least "Maddie-like" of all the visual novel MCs I imagine, tho, because I will never truly be able to gel with an insert-type character whose canonical favorite genre of music is anything but rock or metal.)

[cowboylikefaith]

with great power...

art donaldson spiderman! au x reader

summary: stanford has a masked superhero on the loose, and you're trying to crack down on his identity. little do you know, it's your boyfriend art.

warnings: cursing, injuries, reader highkey gets mugged, art is being mysterious af, reader is incredibly oblivious, sappy at the end sorry, not proofread

author's note: HI so this is actually my first time writing a fic ever... but this au idea has been absolutely rotting in my brain for the past week or so and i need to get it out. enjoy!!!!!!

╰🕸️ ₊✧ ﾟ❤️⚬𓂂➢

"dude!" you say barging into art's dorm (not realizing that your poor boyfriend was in the middle of a nap) "look at the topic the newspaper just assigned me. some shithead on campus is doing parkour in a scuba suit, people are calling him 'spiderman'."

art is pulled out of his trance-like state when he hears the name fall out of your mouth. you feel bad after realizing you woke him up, seeing him wipe his tired eyes with a pout on his lips. "hey pretty" he says with a lopsided smirk on his face "what were you talking about? some spider-idiot?" you hop into bed next to him "yeah it's nothing...sorry for waking you up, just go back to bed, 'kay?"

you don't know what's been up with art recently. he rarely returns your calls, he's always tired, and when he's awake, he's either in a rush or incredibly sluggish. you asked patrick about it and he said that the beginning of a new tennis season is wearing both of them down. seems reasonable, right?

now, it's been a few weeks since you were assigned this story, and jess (your senior editor) wants you to photograph and interview this spiderman guy, because apparently he's some kind of campus superhero (returning stolen laptops, helping drunk sorority girls avoid getting hit by cars, the usual) however you have no leads so far.

until one day, tashi tells you a story about how he saved a freshman from the tennis team from being hazed, and you decide to ask your boyfriend about it.

"you don't know anything about a kid named steven mcdonald, do you?" you ask art as you settle down to watch some gossip girl.

"that freshman who survived a hazing incident? yeah, i know of him" he replies as he pulls you into his arms and kisses your forehead.

you pull away with furrowed eyebrows "well did he...say...anything about that night?"

"uh no. no, not really" he says (a little distantly) "anyway! i seriously don't understand why serena loves dan so much, nate is obviously the better choice for her."

you roll your eyes sarcastically "wow donaldson...really smooth transition! way to change the subject there honey."

"i'm sorry.." he replies as he plays with your hair "it's just that...i don't want you getting mixed up in that kind of stuff. if you got hurt.." he sighs "i don't know what i'd do with myself"

and so you promise art that you'll stop working on the article...until jess says she'll kick you out of the stanford star if you do.

one night, as you're walking back to your dorm after dinner with tashi and patrick (third wheel much?), a man in a black ski mask suddenly approaches you and orders you to put your hands up.

"give me your fucking heels lady...and your purse!" he demands.

"oh god no" you shut your eyes and groan "please sir, these are really expensive and- and these are manolo blahniks!! my mom bought-"

before you can finish your rambling, you can hear a thud, and when open your eyes, you can see that he's been wrapped up in some web-like substance.

"don't worry, he's not dead" a figure says as he walks out from behind the criminal. you feel like you know him, you can't even see his face but something about him is just so familiar, and you can't put your finger on it. until..

oh my god

"oh my god! you're spiderman! thank you so much, seriously. that guy could've killed me" you say excitedly, forgetting about your past opinions about him.

art- i mean spiderman, chuckles and says that it's no problem, and asks if he could take you back to your dorm.

"yeah! i would love that, thank you." you reply "actually, could i take your photo? i'm doing an article about you for the stanford star." oh and art eats it UP. he's doing stupid poses and acting silly and goofy (just to hear you laugh of course).

you get back to your dorm safely, and spiderart bids you farewell. just before he leaps out your window, he pulls a red stanford cap (one that you've never noticed, and one that looks suspiciously like art's) out of his pocket.

"hey, maybe i'll see you around" he says as he puts the cap on...backwards. something that only art would do. lucky enough for him, you're too tired to notice.

"...and those are the differences between meiosis and mitosis." you're trying to study for another biology exam when all of a sudden you hear a tapping noise on your window.

at first you think it's a bird, or some frat boy trying to piss you off by throwing empty beer cans at your window, but the tapping turns into banging and you start to hear sounds of pain through the glass.

you run to the window and see a boy in a familiar red and blue suit sitting on the windowsill. this time with a huge gash in his side.

"spiderman? oh my god, get inside, what happened?" you ask while scrambling for a first aid kit. art falls onto your bed, unknowingly bleeding all over your new floral sheets. he groans and holds his side, mumbling something about...well god knows what.

art protests as you try to patch up the very open wound by his waist. "you're just like my boyfriend art," you say with a grin "he gets all fucked up during his tennis matches and doesn't let me help him out." you can hear him through the mask but you can't tell if it's a laugh or a whimper.

"jesus- how long is this going to take? i have an econ final to study for" he says with a wince. "not very long if you sit still, spiderboy" you retort "why don't you take off your mask? you must be dying with that thing on."

you feel his face, and it feels...familiar. you slowly take off the mask, and reveal art's lips, sculpted nose, blue and brown eyes, and tousled blonde hair.

suddenly you realize. you realize the reasons for the missed calls, hurried kisses, and rain-checked dates. all this time you've been thinking that it was tennis kicking his ass, when really art was kicking other people's.

"hi honey" art mumbles, same lopsided, boyish smile that you fell in love with gracing his face "i'm sorry. i should have told you." before you can say anything, he kisses you and sneaks his hands to the small of your back. you can feel him smiling into the kiss as he pulls you into his lap.

"i missed you" you say, pulling away with a pout. you card your hands through his blonde curls. "i know, i know, i'm sorry pretty girl, it's just that...i don't want you to worry about me." art replies, pushing your hair away from your face.

you flick his forehead. "you dumbass. of course i'm going to worry about you, whether you like it or not...because i like you. a lot. no matter what kind of freaky superpowers you have." art lets out a weak chuckle, then he kisses you like a man stuck in the desert for 40 days. you can feel him drawing small circles along your hips and caressing your thumb.

you pull away one last time. "now tell me spiderboy...how did you go from tennis team captain to stanford superhero?"

[effy-writes]

Can I request Striker with a fem s/o (hcs) who is basically the opposite of him, readers a city girl, wears expensive dresses, expensive jewelry, designer heels, and she's most likely a celebrity but she's still polite?? Ty!!

ofc!! sorry it’s taking me so long i have like 10 requests 😭

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

striker x f! yuppie! model! reader HC’s

• striker knew of you because you were a popular model in the Wrath ring. you did all sorts of modeling. fashion, perfume, hands, tail, lingerie, even weaponry. striker being striker, he hated the idea of you. hates yuppies (rich person) absolutely despises them, so he kinda hated you (but he still thought you were extremely attractive). the first time he actually met you was when you were buying a gun that you modeled for. he instantly recognized you because you were wearing expensive clothes with a fucking gucci coat and heels. while shopping, you didn’t know which gun to buy (you only modeled for them, you actually have no idea on which one is better), so you asked striker.

• he was shocked that you were wanting to get his opinion, especially a poor imp like himself. he thought to himself, “why would a rich person want my opinion?”, but he saw how nice you talked to him. you didn’t treat him like a pest, you treated him like an actual person. (he has bad self esteem issues). after that little interaction of him telling you which gun is better and which one he recommends for you, you decided to ask him out. “you’re really attractive, can we go out sometime? getting to know each other better?” he thought you were tricking him to humiliate, but he saw the way you look at him with those sweet, beautiful eyes of yours, so he said yes

• ever since then you two hit it off. he found out so many things about you that you don’t broadcast to the world. he also found out that you don’t model for the money or for the popularity, you model because it makes you happy and helps give you confidence. he was hesitant to tell you about his work, but when he did you were oddly excited. you thought that was so cool and that he’s killing people with a gun that YOU modeled for.

• he was the one who properly asked you to date. he was nervous as FUCK only because he felt like he didn’t deserve a model like you, but you obviously thought very different. you love his personality, his demeanor, and his ambition. the moment you two started dating the media got out about it. he was embarrassed (not because of you, because he didn’t want to seem weak and vulnerable because he IS an assassin, but you quickly told him that it doesn’t make him sound weak or anything like that and you’re very grateful to be dating a guy like him)

•he enjoyed that you never bragged about your money (even though you do wear expensive shit, but he knows you deserve to wear expensive shit because you have to deal with creeps)

• speaking of creeps, he will 100% shoot anybody that tries to touch you, cat call you, or even look at you with lustful eyes. he’s very protective and will do anything to keep you safe.

• you LOVE buying him things, it’s your love language. he always says “you don’t have to buy me fancy shit, i ain’t jealous” “but you’ll look so hot in this! plus let me spoil you, please?”

• because everyone is up your ass, everyone knows about striker and his assassination business. he thought it will bring his sales down, but because you’re so popular and everyone knew him, more people started paying him to kill others. so it was def a win-win situation

• he often feels bad that he can’t treat you with nice things, but you’ll always tell him that you don’t care about money and that you never did. you care if he’s happy and comfortable. but because he’s not rich like you, he will try his best to buy you sentimental things. flowers, love letters, he even saved up his money to buy you a HORSE. (you two joke around and say his and your horse is dating)

• he’s afraid you think that he’s with you for the money, so he’s always telling you that he’s not with you for that. he’s with you because you make him feel happy, you’re super sweet to him, and that there’s somebody in hell that cares about him. you always reassure him that you know he’s not with you for the money

bonus: everyone in the media ships you guys so hard that there’s edits of the two of you, fan art, AND fanfics. striker finds it a little weird, but you find it so fucking funny

[fitgirlfemdom]

After reading the other guy's post that you published and your own about small dick humiliation, I wanted to tell my own story, and I hope you'll like it. Part of it is similar to the other guy. In my early 30s, I was a gym rat, and while I wasn't bulking up, I was lean at 160-165 lbs, and I was just shy of 5 inches. I started dating a girl and then a storm hit that knocked out power for close to two weeks, and between those two things, my gym days were over. Once my routine got throw out of wack, I never recovered. I'm in my early 40s now and weigh around 210-215 lbs (I've been in that range for a few years now), and I've lost nearly an inch of length. I'm barely over 4 inches now. Between the weight gain and the loss of length, sex sucks. It's a huge part of why I turned to gooning.

As far as my size, I've always known that I'm on the smaller side, but it didn't become a kink for me until OCT or NOV of last year. I actually used to post cum tributes for years, and never once got a negative comment on my size. Anyway, I was chatting with this girl on Discord and one of the things we bonded over was exhibitionism/public nudity. It's something I've never been into doing myself, but seeing girls engage in it is super hot, and she would tell me about some stuff that she's done, or we'd watch stuff together. One day, we're chatting, and I mention that I'm in my backyard. She asks for proof, so I send her a pic of my yard, and she tells me to strip. I was immediately turned on and there's a small area of my yard where I could get away with it without having to worry about any neighbors seeing me, so I recorded me stripping. My heart was beating like a jackhammer and I sent the video. Her first comment is, "damn, you have a small cock." I was absolutely crushed, and it broke something inside me. I wasn't expecting her to tell me it was the hottest thing she had ever seen, but I guess I was expecting a little bit of validation. "Nice job," or "I can't believe you actually did it," something like that.

Since then, small penis/dick/cock humiliation has become a major kink for me. I've had dozens of girls online degrade me after I send them a pic or video. I've gotten everything from laughter to mean comments to poor ratings. I have a few regulars that I chat with that are absolutely brutal towards me, and I love it. I reblog captions and use the #small dick humiliation hashtag on my blog. You mentioned in your post about a guy that jerks off with only two fingers, and I do that now. A couple of different girls have encouraged me to do it, and it feels so humiliating and looks so pathetic when I send them videos. At this point, two of my biggest fantasies are to experience SPH in a group chat, and IRL.

You had said that you wished more of your inbox messages were like that other guy, so I hope this fits that.

YES!!! MORE SMALL DICK INBOXES!!!

yes, for some reason, some of us girls find guys jerking off with only two fingers really hot in a pathetic way. it's mainly because it's how we play with our clits, and seeing a guy do it is like watching him wear heels and put on makeup--its so emasculating. i love it.

right now, all i need is a small dick <4in gooner on his knees jerking his little cock while trying his best not to "nnnghhh" and cum in 30 seconds in front of me. i need a pathetic gooner like that begging me to let him cum and calling me mommy while he does it. also i need a zero sugar smirnoff ice. preferably pink lemonade flavor. and maybe a cigarette.

imagine sending your pathetic dick pic to a girl and she adds you to a gc with all her friends, just so they can clown on you for being a degenerate pervert. imagine them sending audio messages, laughing and making jokes at your expense, asking with slight curiosity if you can even fuck anything with that. them asking if companies make condoms in that size, and if you're even fertile. imagine them thinking that's not enough, and forcing you to meet up with them IRL, lest they leak your unsavory pictures online. you get locked in chastity and forced to pleasure these girls for the rest of the night, whether that be through your mouth or your hands, while they spit and laugh at your pitiful dick.

that gives me an idea for a new post. AGHHH thank you for this

[lxstfathier]

OOOH HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WRITING POSSESSIVE BUT SUPER SWEET SITH!LUKE DOTING ON AND SPOILING READER (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...)

I’m not really into Sith!Luke (he’s way too pure for that 😭) but here’s a little fic for you anon! this was really fun to write and i hope you enjoy it! 💗

You caught Luke’s attention since the first time he saw you. And it’s not like you meant it, really, you are just a tie-fighter pilot, trying to do your job the best you can while trying to avoid any kind of trouble with him or his father.

You aren’t feisty or rude like all the other pilots. You know better than that. You are super sweet, kind and submissive, always looking down when walking by Luke, Vader or the emperor, waiting for their next order.

You’re quite a rare sight. Almost as if you didn’t belong to the empire. And that’s what makes Luke super fixated on you.

At first, you don’t notice that Vader’s son is trying to catch your attention too, until one day all of the male pilots in your fleet have been replaced by females. Something weird, considering that the empire always preferred the masculine forces.

You try not to think much of it, but then, while you’re walking down the hall with your helmet off, you accidentally hear the conversation between three stormtroopers. And they��re talking about you, gossiping about how Luke ordered to replace all those male pilots out of pure jealousy.

Jealousy? well, he’s handsome and you never thought you could be his type, so you feel extremely flattered.

The next day, when you step out of your room, there’s a small present waiting outside your door. You leave your helmet aside and take it in your hands, untying the bow and opening the little box, just enough to reveal the expensive gift. It’s a necklace, made of beskar and kyber, the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

You know exactly who sent such thing to your door, and you can’t believe it. Still, it’s too soon to wear it, so you leave it in your room and then go about your day as if nothing happened.

Everything goes as usual, like any other normal day at your job, waiting in the hangar for any deploy notice, watching some droids fix the damage on your ship caused from a rebel attack… until you suddenly sense someone right behind you.

“I can’t stand seeing you like this” Luke’s voice appears suddenly, and you immediately turn on your heels, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. “You’re no pilot, you don’t belong to war, you should be by my side. Please join me, be my girl, and anything you want will be yours, i promise.”

Your heart beats like crazy and words get stuck on your throat, so you nod softly, throwing yourself at his arms, not even caring if the other pilots see you and start gossiping again.

After that, you’re not a pilot anymore, you’re his pretty little trophy. All your boring uniforms are replaced with the most beautiful designer clothes, you get tons of new jewelry, expensive makeup, and literally everything you ask for.

Luke absolutely loves spoiling you rotten. And the best part is that you don’t have to do anything! just look cute and be by his side whenever he needs you.

However, he only has two rules for you. 1: don’t talk to ANY males. 2: don’t get out of his sight for too long. One time you had a small conversation with one of your old fleet members, and well… the poor guy ended up stabbed by a red lightsaber.

“You can’t just kill people like that! he did nothing wrong!” you yelled at Luke, and he just shrugged, without a single trace of remorse.

“You’re my property, and they need to learn to respect that.”

And he’s right. After that incident everyone on the star destroyer is way too afraid to even look at you.

But you can’t stay mad at him for too long. He apologizes with a bouquet of some exotic flowers from Endor, and then hugs you tight, kissing your forehead while telling you that he won’t do it again (but trust me, he will, just behind your back the next time).

Once you start getting more comfortable with your relationship, you move into a shared room, and Luke lets you decorate it however you want, he doesn’t mind as long as you’re happy.

Sometimes, if he’s in a good mood and isn’t busy, he takes you out on cute little dates to any planet that you want to see, letting you wander around the big cities, or little towns, trying the local food and getting souvenirs.

And when you both finally fuck, oh god, he’s super dominant and rough, but always making sure that he doesn’t hurt you and that you cum at least twice every time.

You couldn’t ask for a more perfect boyfriend.

Vader doesn’t like to admit it, but deep down he adores you too, and is really happy that his son found someone like you, such a skilled pilot and pretty girl, to carry on with the Skywalker legacy.

[magicalmadrigals]

Never A Dull Moment - One Shot

[Synopsis: There has never been a dull moment in the Madrigal household and the morning of Dolores' wedding is no exception. With Isa and Dolores driving Mira up the wall, Pepa going out of her mind and Agustin being...well...Agustin, Julieta is slowly giving up hope of getting anything done. She can't find it in her to complain though. After all, it is probably the most fun she has ever had.]

Read on AO3 or under the cut!

“Get that thing away from me! Mamá! Mamá!”

Julieta sighed under her breath and moved away from the counter at the sound of thundering feet and her daughter shouting at the top of her lungs, wiping her hands on her apron and palming a curl from her face seconds before she came racing into la cocina with Isa and Dolores hot on her heels. She had little time to work out what was going on before Mira moved behind her, using her as a human shield, and she laughed when the two elder girls halted in front of her. “Ay, I already know I’ll regret this,” She pinched the bridge of her nose before looking back and forth between the girls. “But what’s going on?”

“Only a game, Tía.” Dolores smiled, smoothing her hands down the front of her dressing gown.

“Mamá, I don’t know what that thing is or what it does,” Mirabel waved her hand in the direction of Isa who was holding up her mascara applicator. “But you can tell them to keep it away from me because I have no interest in finding out.”

“Ugh, I am just trying to make you look beautiful!” Isa snapped.

“Excuse me, I am already beautiful!” Mira retorted. “Mamá, tell them I don’t need any of that stuff.”

Julieta glanced over her shoulder at her, reaching to stroke her face. “You are muy hermosa, mi vida.”

“And that is why you’re my favourite.” Mira leaned in to peck her cheek.

“But…”

“Wha? No, no, no. No buts!”

“But amor, today is a special occasion,” Julieta pointed out, laughing when her daughter gawped at her before turning back to the elder girls and seeing the smirks on their faces. “I think you should give her a ten-second head start. The poor girl deserves a chance.”

They glanced at each other and shared a knowing look before turning back to Mira.

“Diez, nueve, ocho…”

“Oh, you are so not my favourite anymore.” Mirabel grumbled, moving from behind her and fleeing la cocina.

Julieta crossed her arms and chuckled when Isa and Dolores gave up counting and ran after her again, Dolores with one hand on her head to keep the pins in place and Isa clinging to her mascara, and she shook her head when Pepa walked in. “Lolita, please…” She watched her reach out to take her daughter by the arm, but it was too late and there was a scowl on her face when she turned to her once her girl was out of sight. “You did this! You!”

“Me?” She brought a hand to her chest, feigning shock. “I have no idea what gave you that impression, but you are absolutely right.”

“Do you have any idea how long I have been trying to get her to sit still for?” Pepa asked. “You are not helping, hermana!”

“Ay...Casita, help me out here,” She rolled her eyes before the house moved a chair towards them and made Pepa sit down. “Pep, calm down. Remember what happened the last time you got worked up on a wedding day? It was not pretty. You gave me the flu!”

Her hermana sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “Lo siento. I…I want it to be perfect for her.”

Taking a buñuelo from the plate on the counter and sprinkling some powdered sugar onto it, she let Pepa take it from her and watched her take a bite. “It will be, I promise. I know you want everything to be done as fast as possible, but we have time before she needs to be at the church. Besides, she is the novia which means she has the right to be slightly late. She also has the right to a little fun before the anxiety takes over. Remember us in the hours before Gus and I got married? Chasing Bruno around the sitting room, trying to force him to wear that stupid tie? Mamá was so annoyed, but we had some fun.”

“You two had fun. I was strangled. You know; still not convinced you weren’t trying to get rid of me.”

They looked at each other for a second after Bruno poked his head into the room purely to make that comment, their laughter taking over when he vanished again as Pepa ate the last of her buñuelo before wiping the crumbs from her mouth. “It has been nice to hear her laughing,” Pepa admitted. “She does deserve to have some fun, you’re right.”

“Do you think I could get that in writing? You say it so little…” She teased.

All she earned herself was an eye roll in response as Pepa stood up. “I needed that. Gracias hermana.”

“De nada,” She shrugged before watching her leave la cocina and turning back to the counter to go on wiping it down, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk when a pair of arms snaked around her waist and her husband kissed her on the neck. “I may have to accept the fact that I am never going to get this counter clean again,” She feigned annoyance, leaning back against him. “So many distractions.”

“I think you’ll find you are the distraction here, amor, not me,” He replied, tucking his head gently into her neck and grazing the dip there with his nose the way he knew made her shiver. “I only came in to see if you’d seen my tie, but now I hope we never find it.”

Setting the rag down and turning in his arms, bringing her hands to his chest and taking a moment to admire him in his suit, she smirked as his hands moved to her waist. “And why would you hope such a thing on a day like this, Señor?”

“Because…” He stepped further into her. “Until we find it, I can’t get dressed and that means I can stay here with you.”

She hummed in response, pretending to think about what he said while her gaze moved back and forth between his and his lips. “I have had better excuses from you in our many years of marriage, but I may be able to accept that one,” She admitted. “Just about.”

“Good. I mean, I would have regardless, but I like knowing you and I are on the same page.” He smiled.

“So, are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Going to stop talking at some point and kiss me? Else, this is turning out to be muy anticlimactic.”

Chuckling under his breath, he took a hand from her waist and brought it to the side of her neck under her curtain of hair before using his thumb beneath her chin to tilt her head back. He let his nose graze hers for a second, revelling in the way her eyes fell closed at the contact, and captured her lips with his in a soft kiss. She went up onto her tiptoes as the kiss lingered and he felt her arms circle his neck, her fingers teasing the hairs at the nape as they slowly gave in to one another. It was little wonder neither of them heard their daughter approaching the kitchen until it was too late.

“Ay, Mamá!”

Mira’s outcry prompted them to pull apart and turn to look at her, but their initial shock at her finding them like that passed quickly and they struggled to mask their amusement at her standing there with her hands covering her face.

“Mira, look at me.” Julieta told her.

“Nope.”

“Mira…”

“How could you let them do this to me?” Mirabel dropped her hands to reveal herself completely done up, mascara on her lashes and her lips a subtle shade of red. Her cheeks had even been patted with a little rouge by one of the girls. “I stopped running because they stopped counting, but then they both jumped on me. I think Isabela stabbed me in the eye with that stick thing and now I can’t see out of it.”

Agustín chuckled. “Miraboo, you couldn’t see much before. I don’t think you can blame Isa entirely.”

“Pa, I need you on my side.” She whined before he walked over and put an arm around her shoulders.

“Lo siento, but you really do look beautiful, mi vida.” Julieta shook her head, her hands on her hips.

She pouted. “I do not. I look like Isa threw up on me and yes, it feels as gross as it sounds.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Julieta made her way over and cupped her face in her hands. “If I help you sort this, will you forgive me?”

“Potentially,” She hummed. “I might forgive you a little faster if you give me a buñuelo after.”

Julieta nodded before taking her by the hand and walking her towards the exit of the kitchen, she and her husband sharing a smile when she stopped for a second to look over her shoulder at him. “Back in un momenta. Do not eat all those buñuelos, I beg you.”

“Promise. Uh, I really do need to know where my tie is though.”

“Bread bin.”

“Wha…”

“Amor, your guess is as good as mine.”

Standing there thoroughly confused, he watched his wife and daughter leave the kitchen together and frowned with a shake of his head. He had no idea what had gone on – it had been an insane morning already – but he was sure of one thing.

There really was never a dull moment in this house.

[reblog4myfics]

REGINA GORGE HAS A GIRLFRIEND

Regina George was ruthless. A nightmare in pink cashmere, the queen of cruelty, the girl who could destroy your entire high school career with a single glance. But somehow, against all logic, she was absolutely obsessed with you.

You, the sweetest, shyest, most polite girl in school. The one who always said "please" and "thank you," who blushed when spoken to, who held doors open for people even when they didn't acknowledge it. You had big, bouncy brown curls, always perfectly styled—because Regina made sure of it. And you had every pair of UGGs imaginable. The classics, the slipper ones, the ones with the bows, the platforms—Regina insisted on getting them for you.

To everyone else, Regina was a menace. A dictator in designer heels. But to you?

She was nice.

Grossly nice.

Like, scarily nice.

She held your books. She carried your bag. She let you steal bites of her food (which was unheard of). If anyone even slightly raised their voice at you, Regina would unleash hellfire upon them without hesitation.

"Are you stupid? Did you just raise your voice at my girlfriend?" she snapped at a poor freshman who had accidentally bumped into you in the hallway.

"N-no, I—"

"Shut up."

You placed a gentle hand on Regina’s arm, and immediately she softened.

"Baby," you whispered, looking up at her with wide, innocent eyes.

Regina melted. Melted.

"Ugh, fine," she huffed, rolling her eyes before shooting the freshman one last glare. "You're so lucky she’s nice."

Regina George was horrible. But to you?

She was just a lovesick puppy in pink.

Cady was still trying to wrap her head around The Rules. The Plastics had an entire system, and apparently, breaking a single one could result in social exile.

Regina sat at the head of the lunch table, radiating pure power, as Gretchen and Karen explained the laws of their kingdom.

"You can only wear a ponytail once a week," Gretchen was saying. "And you can only wear jeans or track pants on Fridays."

"And on Wednesdays," Karen added, all dreamy-eyed, "we wear pink."

Cady frowned. She glanced across the table at you—sitting there, sweet as ever, all big eyes and bouncy curls, sipping from a cute little cup of chocolate milk. You were not wearing pink. In fact, you were wearing a cozy cream-colored sweater and tan UGGs, looking like the softest, most huggable person in existence.

"But—" Cady started, confused. "She’s not wearing pink."

The air shifted.

Gretchen’s eyes widened in panic. Karen gasped dramatically. Even Regina, the queen herself, slowly turned her head toward Cady like she had just committed a federal offense.

"Excuse me?" Regina’s voice was low, dangerous.

Cady hesitated. "I—I just meant… the rule? About wearing pink?"

Regina scoffed. "Oh. That?" She smirked, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her manicured finger. "Yeah, that doesn’t apply to Y/N."

Cady blinked. "What? Why?"

Regina rolled her eyes like it was so obvious. "Because she’s my girlfriend."

Karen nodded solemnly, as if this was the most logical explanation in the world. "Yeah, Y/N doesn’t have to follow rules. She’s, like… an exception."

Gretchen leaned in. "Y/N is, like, above the system," she whispered, as if revealing a sacred truth.

You just gave a sweet little smile, completely unbothered, while you kicked your fuzzy UGG slippers back and forth under the table.

Regina turned to you, eyes softening. "Baby, do you want a piece of my sandwich?"

You nodded, and Regina immediately handed it to you, like she hadn’t just been lecturing Cady seconds ago.

Cady sat there, watching in stunned silence. Regina George—the most terrifying, most powerful girl in school—had rules for everyone.

Except you.

[andvys]

OKAY LETS GO

While Gareth and Frankie were prepared for your little plan, the rest of your friends had no idea what you were about to do. You were glad that Wayne left a few minutes before you though, you don’t want to give that poor man a heart attack. 

idk why but i read gwyneth instead of gareth and now he's gonna be gwyneth paltrow in my head

“Oh,” Eddie laughs, scratching the back of his neck, “well, just stuff we did before..” 

gay icons fr

“I’m really proud of you, man. You made it, you made your dreams come true and you found the girl. You’re living the life, Eds.”

he's living our dream life 😔

Eddie was always a bit emotional, tears always welled up in his eyes easily, his father always made him feel weak for crying, ‘men don’t cry’. It’s bullshit and luckily, Eddie always knew that. He never listened to the things his father told him, he wasn’t exactly a great example anyways. He never lived by the things he tries to teach him, he wanted to be nothing like him. 

AWWWW :(((

“Okay,” you shrug, “you better get in the shower, I’m not sleeping next to your sweaty ass.” 

SHES SUCH A MENACE SHE JUST KEEPS DRAGGING THEM LMAO

He nods, grinning at you as he takes his sweater off, folding it neatly on the couch, his jeans following. 

🤨 proof? 📸

“I liked Eddie,” he admits, the lingering sadness in his eyes makes you frown, “but uh, I wasn’t really aware of my feelings back then– well, I was but I wasn’t very acceptive of them. I knew we would never work out so I never tried anything. We were close, we did things together that I certainly wouldn’t do with other friends but he never showed me that he would actually want anything more than that and I was clearly too scared to make a move.”

oh that's so sad :(

As you lay here between two people that mean everything to you, you realize that things aren’t as bad as you thought they would be. Your friends here, they came here just for you. Steve is here, his presence calms you and most importantly, you have him. 

THE STEDDIE SANDWICH I REPEAT. THE STEDDIE SANDWICH 😳😳

“What’s up with you, smiley?” Eddie asks. 

I READ THAT AS SMELLY 😭 i thought my eyesight got worse and it's quite obvious now 😭

“Sounds like the title of a bad porn movie,” Eddie chuckles in amusement. 

I WAS ABOUT TO SAY 💀💀

You hated saying goodbye to Steve, again but he promised to come to Los Angeles when the tour is over. 

bye steve :(

“Yes, just like that!” The photographer, Phil, yells. “Give us more, girl.” 

phil is my new favorite character

“Did he just say male model?” Steve gasps. 

me and steve are grabbing popcorn rn

The corset hugs your waist and your chest tightly, the tiny little skirt does absolutely nothing to cover your ass and of course, they made you wear a fucking thong. The stockings on your legs and the high heels make you look dangerous. 

im phil suddenly 😳📸

“Every time someone looks at you or even touches you, I wanna rip their fucking hands off.” 

oh 🤨 pls don't tho 😁

That feeling of nausea has been haunting you for the past two weeks, every morning and night, you feel like you’re about to puke your guts out but nothing ever comes out. You barely eat, you struggle to do so. Every time you even bite into something, the bile in your throat rises and the panic settles in your chest– that weird feeling when you know you’re about to throw up. 

oh fuck no

“Hey sweet thing, long time no see,” he smiles. His eyes stop at the hand attached to your hip and he chuckles a little before he looks at Eddie who clenches his jaw at the pet name. 

fuck that guy 😐

One, the stupid baggie that contains that white powder that will definitely ruin your life. 

OH NO

He stares at the two lines, positive. 

NO WHAT. WHAT. NOOO WHAT 😳😳😳 girl FUCK THEM KIDS 😭 WHAT IS GOING ON

ANDY WHAT THE HELL!! YOURE KILLING ME WITH THESE CHAPTERS OMGGG i loved this one so so much 🥹 even though it was full of surprises it was so nice to read 🫶 amazing as always!!

YOUR REACTIONS MADE ME LAUGH LIKE ALWAYS 😭

NOT GWYNETH LMAO! that's his new name now😌

the gay icons never made it :( ugh they should've dated and then added reader to the relationship, Eddie that dumbass 😔

NOT SMELLY ✋🏻😭

Should we bring back Phil? He needs to take photos of the gay icons

"FUCK THEM KIDS" HAHA I'm sorry, Steve came too hard 😭

I'm happy you liked it🥺❤️

[aizawasbrattyprincess]

g i l d e d  s t r i n g s  o f  f a t e

amara (self-insert) x yandere!donquixote doflamingo (op)

tw: yandere (obviously) + cheating + manipulation + nsfw + dub-con + breeding 18+ MINORS DNI

word count: 3.4k

a/n: Doflamingo is a mean bastard, but I’d let him do anything to me. So here’s this year’s birthday present from me to me x (As usual, don’t read if you’re uncomfortable with this)

Read the previous birthday fic: here

buy me a ko-fi?

゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。＋。゜*゜。゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。＋

“You look absolutely stunning tonight, darling. Red is really your colour.”

Tearing her eyes from her brightly-lit phone screen, Amara realised that the tall man dressed in a custom-tailored three-piece suit was addressing her. She quickly tucked her phone back into her purse, clasping it shut before smoothing her evening dress out of habit.

“Thank you, Mr Donquixote. You’re too kind,” Amara said as a blush crept to her cheeks.

If she was being truthful, Donquixote Doflamingo looked handsome and sleek as he always did. The company director had an air of confidence and the charisma of a natural-born king. After all, he had a reputation to maintain and uphold. She, and many others, she was sure, were also drawn to his mysteriousness. He was always hiding his eyes behind his signature red-tinted sunglasses he would wear everywhere he went. It made her wonder what colour his eyes were and if anyone had seen them before. Were they brown like decadent chocolate, so devilishly taunting and tempting? Or perhaps as green as emeralds, magnificent and alluring?

“Please call me Doflamingo or Doffy if you wish. I’m not your boss,” Doflamingo chuckled. “I assume you’re waiting for Law?”

“Yes, he told me to wait outside the restaurant,” she replied, trying not to look dejected, but the older man caught the change in her tone.

“He’s late, isn’t he?” he frowned, a bulging vein appearing on his forehead. “How long have you been waiting for him?”

“Um... about twenty minutes- but it’s not a big deal! I know how busy he always is, and I’m just glad to be able to spend some time with him.”

Poor girl. How dare he make her wait. Doflamingo shook his head disapprovingly, seeing the smile on her face not quite reaching her eyes. He had seen through her blatant lie, not that she was ever good at lying in the first place.

“That won’t do. How about this — why don’t we head in first? It appears that I arrived a little too early for my business dinner, and I’d love it if you could accompany me for the time being. I’m sure Law wouldn’t mind.”

Amara was hesitant, but the pain in her ankles from standing too long in her brand new 5-inch heels was begging her to accept his offer. It had been more than an hour since she stood by herself, and she had contemplated leaving after seeing happy couples walking hand-in-hand. To her knowledge, Law would’ve ended his shift in the early evening, allowing plenty of time for him to make his way to the restaurant that wasn't too far from the hospital. She tried to convince herself that perhaps he was caught up with work like he usually was. Law was a very detailed and hardworking man, a perfectionist to the core, and Doflamingo knew it too, having named him his best doctor. Amara felt terrible for lying to Doflamingo, but she didn’t want to make Law look bad in front of his boss. She eventually nodded, accepting his gracious invitation, making his usual grin return to his face.

“Fantastic! Shall we?”

Like a gentleman he was, Doflamingo placed his hand at the small of her back as they walked up to the reception desk. The waiter greeted Doflamingo, immediately bowing down to him at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

“Welcome, Mr Donquixote. Your usual table is ready. Please follow me, sir.”

“After you, my lady.”

Amara giggled when Doflamingo offered his outstretched hand for her to take, treating her like a princess as he led her inside the restaurant. She remembered how Law would frequently remind her not to hang around Doflamingo for too long, preferably not at all if possible. However, she didn’t see anything wrong with it. If nothing, Doflamingo was a responsible man who knew not to stand up his date. Amara couldn’t help but be slightly annoyed at Law, wondering if he had seen any of her texts or missed calls. He had a bad habit of not checking his phone while working, but surely he hadn’t forgotten their anniversary that she had been planning for weeks? It couldn’t be that she was the only one excited about the dinner. She had even taken a lot of time and effort to doll up for him, hoping he would compliment her or, at the very least, take notice. Was she asking for too much?

“Here we are, sir, miss.”

Doflamingo stopped the waiter and pulled the chair out for her instead. Amara thanked him as she sat down, instantly distracted by the gorgeous view of the city beneath her, illuminated by street lights dancing in the dark. She saw Doflamingo watching her through the window reflection and realised that she had rudely spaced out for quite some time. Unaware of the dark desires swimming in his eyes, Amara apologised with haste, but Doflamingo reassured her not to worry. She exhaled in relief that she hadn’t made a fool of herself yet. The waiter soon returned with two glasses and a bottle of expensive, aged wine that Amara had herself thinking if she should’ve pushed his offer, but Doflamingo had raised his filled glass and nodded at her to do the same.

“Cheers.”

“To what?”

“To us,” he smiled. “And a beautiful evening ahead.”

Clinking their glasses, she took a sip of the delicious red wine that matched the colour of her dress. The restaurant faded into the background as she continued chatting with Doflamingo as if they had known each other for years. It was so easy and comfortable to talk to him that Amara didn’t notice she had lost track of time. She only diverted her attention away from Doflamingo when she spotted a familiar someone at a nearby table. At first, she couldn’t comprehend what was happening until Doflamingo tried to block her view. Amara ignored and pushed past him, lips quivering as anger quickly overwhelmed her.

“So, this is work?” she spat as tears coursed down her cheeks faster than her heartbeat.

Her fiancé of three years abruptly stopped, as if snapping out of a trance, then pushed away the woman he had just been kissing on their anniversary night. Well, ex-fiancé now. She was foolish for placing her faith and trust in him. All those nights she spent patiently waiting for him to return from work? He was probably going out with another woman, or women, and having the time of his life instead of entertaining boring old her. Amara only had herself to blame; she should’ve seen the signs of how he was losing interest in her. Unable to stop the nauseousness, Amara turned to leave, but Law had grabbed her arm and pleaded for her to hear him out, stating that she had got it all wrong. However, Amara’s only response was to slap him across the face before heading out of the restaurant, saving what little dignity she had left, if any. Stepping out onto the cold street, Amara broke down and choked on her sobs uncontrollably, feeling betrayed and humiliated beyond repair. Her night, possibly her entire life too, was ruined, and she couldn't do anything about it. Not a minute later, a jacket was draped around her shoulders, the warmth temporarily making her forget her disastrous situation as she looked up at the blonde man.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea Law was like that,” Doflamingo spoke solemnly.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” Amara mumbled, her voice strained and broken, embarrassed that he had to see a pathetic lovers’ breakup.

“Can I offer to take you home?”

She shook her head. “No, no, it’s okay. I wouldn’t want you to miss your business dinner.”

“Oh, sweetheart. You don’t have to worry about me,” he assured, lightly wiping her tears away with his thumb. “I can always reschedule it. You’re far more important to me than some corporate meeting.”

She didn’t have to think twice before taking up his offer, wanting to get out of there as fast and far away as possible. She couldn’t return home to their apartment, knowing that would be the first place Law would go to find her. She didn’t know where else she could go, but the one thing Amara knew for sure was that she didn’t want to see or hear from Law ever again.

“Take me anywhere but here. Please.”

“Of course. Anything for you.”

A limousine rolled into view as soon as Doflamingo finished tapping on his phone screen. He opened the door for her, and she entered without another word. Law, panting and panicking, came rushing out of the restaurant, trying to find her, but she was long gone. He was too late to change their fates, now twisted and sealed.

The ride remained silent, and she was thankful that Doflamingo respected her boundaries. He only called her name when the limousine had stopped in the driveway of a tall building in the middle of town. Taking the lift to the uppermost floor, Doflamingo welcomed her to his penthouse suite and invited her to take a seat. She watched him take a few bottles from his bar, expertly mixing and pouring the drink into a cocktail glass, then finishing it with a lemon slice at the top.

“Here you go, darling. Only the best for you.”

Thanking him, Amara took a sip of the cocktail, tasting the sweetness and sourness all at once. One drink turned into three, then seven and counting. At this point, the alcohol was burning the back of her throat, but Amara was too drunk to care. Overwhelmed with emotions, she shared everything with Doflamingo, who sat next to her, patiently listening to her complaints and worries. He even comforted her, which Law would never do, instead telling her to “get over it” and “be mature”. And unlike Law, Doflamingo had been gentle and caring, always staying by her side, prioritising her above anything else. Why couldn’t Law be like him?

“Dofla- hic- Doffy, am I really that worthless?”

“Nonsense. You’re perfect, Amara,” he answered, carefully taking the empty glass from her hand and placing it on the table.

“Then why didn’t Law love me back? Am I not perfect enough for him?”

She was coming closer to him now, staring up at him with her doe eyes, needing an answer, an assurance of some sort. Doflamingo didn’t move away, allowing her to climb into his lap. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, their faces just inches away from each other.

“Forget him, Amara. He doesn’t deserve you.”

Her gaze slowly lowered to his lips, then back up again. “Then, do I deserve you?”

“More than you know.”

Amara leaned in abruptly and kissed Doflamingo, breathing in his musk. As he kissed her back with equal hunger and passion, all she could think about was how right it felt. Amara couldn’t stop kissing him, and she didn’t want to stop. However, when her consciousness kicked in, she pulled away out of guilt or shame she didn’t know.

“Shit- I- I can’t,” she muttered, unable to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

She tried to move away, but Doflamingo held her tight in his arms. He tilted her chin with his fingers before brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“Why not, baby? He cheated first. He didn’t care about you, but me? I will give the whole world to you,” Doflamingo promised, resting his forehead against hers. “I love you, Amara. I won’t ever let you go.”

“Y-you love me?” she repeated, unsure if she had heard him right or if the alcohol was still messing with her mind.

He smiled warmly and nodded. “I love you, Amara. And I’ll show you just how much I love you.”

Doflamingo’s lips crushed against hers, tongue slipping in her mouth and finally claiming what belonged to him. Amara gave in and melted into his embrace, feeling safe and loved for the first time. Doflamingo was right; he wasn’t Law. He was better than him, and she wanted him to take her in every way he could imagine. Her fingers reached upwards and knotted through his short hair, earning a low groan from him. Sensing they were both getting impatient, Doflamingo carried her effortlessly into his bedroom, placing her at the edge of his bed. She kicked her shoes off, watching him remove his jacket and loosening tie before reaching to unzip the back of her dress, slowly undressing her. He kissed her again and unclasped her bra, eagerly squeezing her plump breasts that fit perfectly in his hands. She fell back onto the bed, gasping for more, to which he responded by sucking her hard nipples. He hooked his finger in her underwear, pulling them down her legs and then tossing them onto the floor.

“You’re so beautiful. Have I told you that?” Doflamingo sighed, taking in the gorgeous sight of her completely naked in front of him. “And so wet for me, fuck.”

He wasted no time propping her legs onto his shoulders before delving his tongue into her wet heat. Amara's whines grew increasingly needier by the second as he pushed her to the edge. Then her legs shook as she came all over his mouth, but Doflamingo didn’t stop there. He inserted two fingers inside her, scissoring her open while continuing to lick up all her juices. After she came again, he moved to kiss her, making her taste herself on his lips and fingers, even more so his insatiable hunger.

Despite the pleasure, it was unfair that he was still somewhat fully dressed. Amara didn’t like to be teased too much; it almost felt like a punishment. She pushed him away and practically ripped open his dress shirt, needing to feel his hot skin against hers. He chuckled at this but peeled away all other clothing, except his sunglasses and boxers.

“Are you going to remove your sunglasses? I- I want to see your eyes.”

Doflamingo paused, and Amara panicked, thinking she had asked a sensitive question. She tried to tell him that he didn’t need to, but he interrupted her, “Promise me you won’t hate me.”

“I promise.”

His hands were shaking as he touched his sunglasses, but he managed to compose himself before removing them. Under the dim light, Amara could see a gorgeous pair of reddish-brown eyes staring back at her. There was a nasty scar across his left eye, but she wasn’t bothered by it in the slightest. He was beautiful, just like how she had imagined him to be.

“I could never hate you,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss below his scar. “You’re perfect to me too.”

At this, Doflamingo got off the bed and pulled down his boxers, revealing his huge, twitching cock. She didn’t realise she was staring at it unblinking with her mouth wide open in surprise. Never had she taken something so huge, and Amara didn’t think she could handle it. Doflamingo noticed the change in her expression but paid no mind to it, knowing she was more than ready for him.

“Such a sweetheart you are. Let me give you a present to express my thanks.”

Doflamingo flipped her over, positioning her on all fours. Amara held her breath, anxiously waiting as she felt the tip graze her entrance. She didn’t even get the chance to tell him to wear a condom. When he penetrated her from behind, she cursed, desperately gripping the sheets in her fists.

“Too big! Doffy- Oh God!”

A smirk crossed his face. “That’s right, darling. I’m your God now.”

He began moving rhythmically and skilfully, driving her mad that she was coming again. She could barely hear the praises leaving his mouth, the sounds of heavy breathing and skin slapping against each other echoing louder through the room. Tears pricked her eyes when he eventually bottomed out, a visible bulge appearing on her stomach. It seemed like they had been going at it for hours, and her knees were beginning to give in, but Doflamingo firmly held onto her hips, steadying her.

“So tight. I’m gonna come soon, make you full.”

There was panic in her voice when she turned around, pleading with him, “Don’t- Don’t come inside!” 

“It’s okay, darling. It’ll feel good, so take it all like my good girl, okay?”

With a few final thrusts, Doflamingo spilt his seed inside her womb, filling her up. He could go all night if he wanted to with his stamina, but Amara was starting to doze off, and he much preferred to fuck her when she was awake and screaming his name. So he pulled out from her and cleaned her up thoroughly before pulling the covers over her body. He then picked up her cell phone left at the side of the bed, where he had been recording the entire time without her knowledge. Doflamingo clicked his tongue at the dozens of missed calls and unopened messages from Law flooding her inbox. Ignoring everything else, he attached the video and sent it to Law. It didn’t take long before Law texted back, demanding to know the truth before uselessly persuading her to come back to him. She’s mine. Also, you’re fired. Doflamingo texted, then blocked and deleted his contact permanently.

Amara told him that she could never hate him, but if she knew what he had been planning from the start, she would despise him. Law never cheated on her. Doflamingo only made it look like he did, paying a woman to kiss him in the restaurant so that they would break up and he would finally have what rightfully belonged to him. Doflamingo didn’t care if she was never going to forgive him; she wasn’t going to find out anyway. Once he destroyed her phone, he would’ve erased the evidence and cut off all contact from the outside world. There was no need for her to interact with anyone else but him. He was all she needed. Looking back at her sleeping form, he switched off her phone and kept it inside his drawer. He would deal with it later. Slipping underneath the covers, he kissed the top of her forehead as he cuddled her before falling asleep.

The morning after, Amara woke up alone in bed with the worst hangover she’d ever had. She wished she hadn’t had too much to drink, but then again, Amara was recovering from a broken heart, and she couldn’t refuse Doflamingo. A sudden realisation hit her, and she looked down at her naked body. Shit. She couldn’t remember much of what happened last night, but with her body sore and marked with love bites, she knew she had slept with her ex’s boss. Amara liked Doflamingo, but she didn’t think it was right to move on so fast.

“How are you feeling?”

Her head shot up to where Doflamingo was leaning against the door frame in a bathrobe, no sunglasses in sight. She could see his eyes better now in the morning light. They were still beautiful, if not more.

She let out a half chuckle, shaking her head as she pulled the covers up her breasts. “Terrible.”

“I’ve been there. You’ll feel better after some breakfast and taking an aspirin.”

“Doffy, I…” she began but fumbled over her words.

Doflamingo walked over to her and sat on the bed, gently caressing the side of her face.

“I’m sorry, Doffy.”

“What for? If anything, I should be apologising for taking advantage of you while you were drunk,” he admitted.

“No, you didn’t take advantage. I remember making the first move, and I’m sorry if I made you feel like I was only with you to get back at Law. But I wasn’t!”

“Don’t worry. I know you’re telling the truth.”

A brief moment of silence passed before she spoke up again. “This sounds selfish, but can I stay with you a little longer? I don’t know where to go, but I want to be with you.”

“You can be selfish all you want, darling. You’re right where you are. My home is your home, so stay.”

Amara wanted to thank him, but her body reacted quicker than her brain and pulled him into a deep kiss. Eliminating the space between their bodies, Doflamingo returned her kisses, making her giddy in the haze of euphoria once more. She glided her hands up to his neck, tugging his bathrobe away, and he grunted in satisfaction, ready for round two.

Doflamingo was never planning on letting her leave. For he was a master puppeteer, and she was his precious doll, tied up in gilded strings belonging to him and only him.

゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。＋。゜*゜。゜。+。゜゜。*。゜゜。＋

[relax-and-read-on]

May I ask for those precious realistic female primarch hcs for those who remain??

GOD yes. Please accept my very gay gaze

The primarch, if they were afab

Roboute: The cute tom boy next door. Oh my god is she so stupid hot. The softer face with the blond pixie cut??? Yes please. Actually struggling a bit with expectations and presentations. She is very muscular, but she really wish that she could pull out the formal dress and not appear awkward. Or not give a fuck enough and just wear men's ceremonial wear. She's on the fence in how she wants to be perceived.

Rogal: Finally, the butch lesbian that Rogal always was can be OUT!!! Literally almost nothing change with her, personality wise, and yet she is drowning in feral fem throwing themself at her. She does not perform feminity at all, and yet, she is confortable in her female body. Strangely, probably a bit more... Mellow? She understand that she does not conform to society expectation of gender, and is fine with that.

Mortarion: Outwardly, very few difference. But inward.... She hate herself. She's intersex again, and her body is so far from what should be consider "feminity", she cannot handle it. I could see her story changing quite a bit because of those facts. I could see her willingly fall to Nurgle, in a pit of her own deep depressions, and come back anew in her grotesque and beautiful butterfly form, finally feeling herself in her own body.

Angron: Biggest. Rack. Ever. Everyone see her as "broken" and "in need of fixing" but... She's actually a bit saner than in canon here? She try to really focus on using her strength and rage to protects those she care about, and she probably like her astartes a bit more in this au. It's those maternal feelings. Ugly, scarred, and still so prideful. Got HUGE protective vibe for Lorgar.

Vulkan: GOD THE TITS ON THIS WOMAN!!! Huge. Beautiful. Thigh that crush watermelon. Very vague notions of what is appropriate level of nudity, expect to be flashed a few time when hanging out with her. Still shave her head, but wear colorful scarf around it instead. The biggest motherly vibe of the bunch. She probably babysat so many kids back home.

Sanguinius: Did u know that Sanguinius can be even MORE gorgeous?!? Small figer, almost no hips or breast, but her armour give the illusion of an hourglass figure. She would be a lot more careful than in canon, less of an angel of mercy and more of a mysterious desert creature. She has a harsh life of people trying to victimize her, and she will not bow down to any man. Very soft spoken, but still a terror to fight against.

Jaghatai: trans masc. Im sorry but he always hit me as a man, he would proudly declare himself as such the minute he understood things like male and female, and would be very much ready to kill anyone that missgender him. And yet, he is pretty comfortable in his body, and see nothing wrong with it.

Fulgrim: Surprisingly more.... Subdued? She wants to bring the drama and the bedazzle, but she doesn't want to be that woman, so she actually try to keep herself in check. How well that work is anyone guess. The only one insane enough to actually wear heels to the battlefield. Tall, lanky, beautiful, her breast are virtually non existant but she ROCKS a flat chest. Very into kicking men down a few pegs if they underestimate her.

Horus: God. What a beautiful bad bitch. She take an absolute DELIGHT in making men uncomfortable. She's strong and prideful and "not like other girls". Major case of long curly hair, they get everywhere. Expert at taking masculine things and being better at them than all the Boys (tm). Get even more bitches than canon fuckboy Horus. Still turn into an instant disaster lesbian at the view of Sanguinius.

Lorgar: oh that poor, precious, sweet girl. That lil angel. She did not deserve this. The abuse that Kor Phaeron inflicted upon her took a much darker turn, because it's less.... Socially acceptable to hit a girl in public. So he would punish her. In private. You know where this is going. Has a much bigger martyr complex, idolise her siblings much more, because clearly, they are so much more worthy than someone dirty like her. She fall to chaos even harder, seeing it as her salvations. Physically, her body is almost delicate, very small of soft for a primarch.

Alpharius Omegon: Literally no change from canon. None. They already fuck around with gender. Swapping around outies for innies is like, of no consequence for them.

Konrad: one of those that change the least. Still a murder hobo who eat people. Still the same body shape and face. Still the same backstory of abuse and of being left alone in the world. Tho, this time, people would react a bit differently to her, and would be more willing to excuse her. She think they are cowards for excusing her because of something as dumb as her gender. Still fucking Sevatar. Literally nothing change lmaooo.

Ferrus: Second trans men here ayooo! He probably struggled a lot more with his body and identity tho, giving him some severe gender issues for a long time. Happy to be manly now, but probably had a crisis when he met Fulgrim and went "OH GOD WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T SEE ME AS A MAN-", wich was dumb af. Like to joke that he's the only straight person in his entire family.

Magnus: lmao what's a gender. You think amab Magnus was a shapeshifter??? Afab is 10x WORST. Use she/they and change appearance all the damn time. Self identifie as agender. Still over the top in the clothing and hair department, but it gets a LOT more creative this time around. Fulgrim is lowkey jelly. Give no fuck of gender norms.

Perturabo: SHE HAD SUCH A BAD TIME OH LORD. They wanted her to conform to traditional greek society standard for woman and she had to fight for every. Single. Damn. Thing. She was not loved by her father, he was higly embarassed that his most competant child was a daughter. They tried to marry her off a few time. She, literally, strangled all of her husbands on their wedding night, creating even bigger messes. She want to be feminine but associate those things with weakness now, and she fucking HATE Rogal, who gets to be a woman but also do all the Men's Things and it's FINE.

Corvus: I already hc her as a transwoman literally nothing chaaaange lmao. Just her good old regular canon self. She would probably have a bit more pity on Konrad, and even then. Still has a crush as big as Deliverance on Vulkan, this time it's just gayer.

Leman: Probably the most interesting, because I can't imagine the "viking" society accepting very well a feral half wolf teenage girl. She would have ripped up her dress and fough the men. She would have howled her pride and her freedom, not letting anyone or any society truly define her. She would be a mess of wild hair and braids to her hips, of shinning fangs and of joyful agression. She would have seen magic and grabbed it by the throat and used it, as a tool against the men of her planet. She would have been the wild Witch Queen, a force of nature and impossible to contain.

Lion: FAIRYTALE?!?!?? LISTEN THIS IS A FAIRYTALE. A beautiful maiden found in the forest? A fay???? They would have married her off to Luther pretty damn quick, and it would have been quite the awkward union, age gap included. But then, she would have started beating everyone in practice, and guiding Luther, and she would have made him king of the planet, while she controlled everything from the shadow. She would have been queen, and Big E would have showed up, and wisk her away, because that's what fay do.

[sukisdeliveryservice]

hello!! could i kindly request for a student campus crush! wonwoo hehe and you’re best friends and have unrequited feelings but u dont know if he feels the same so over a sleepover u tried confessing and you can continue from there hehe -🐼

let me hear you say | j. ww

✎ pairing: best friend!wonwoo x female reader

✎ genre: collegel!au, friends to lovers!au, mostly fluff

✎ warnings: none!

✎ wc: 2.40 k words

✎ notes: hi 🐼 anon! i got a little carried away with this one because soft, cuddly wonwoo makes my stomach do flips but i hope you like it! i'm not sure how i feel about my portrayal of yn here because i wanted them to be really supportive of wonwoo but kind of having a hard time because of their feelings towards him. i hope i was able to express that without portraying them as kind of eh :/

“Don’t you ever get tired?” You take a quick glance at your best friend as he folds up another piece of paper with a phone number written on it.

“Of what?”

“Of everyone in this school falling head over heels for you,” You say like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, proceeding to look back down at your notes. In reality, you were trying to prevent yourself from looking at the cute (albeit, confused) way your best friend was staring at you over your abrupt question.

“Well I can’t say I’m not flattered, but there aren’t really that many people yn,”

A total lie, you think to yourself. Every time you two walked around campus, your best friend attracted the adoring stares of all your classmates like some hotshot celebrity. Yes, he was popular, and yes, he totally deserved it, but if everyone knew how dorky he was, maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to hand him their number after a single conversation.

Another lie, if everyone knew what a nerd Jeon Wonwoo actually was, they’d probably fall for him harder. You would know of course, first hand experience taught you a lot of things.

It taught you how endearing it was when Wonwoo wore oversized clothing, so that he could pull the sleeves over his palms when sipping on a hot drink at the local campus cafe. It made you realize his habit of pushing his glasses up his nose, because he was too stubborn to get the bridge adjusted. It made your insides melt whenever he was nervous because he had a habit of fiddling with his fingers. You were certain that if anyone was completely head over heels and absolutely smitten by him, it was definitely you.

“Not many people my ass,” you scoffed, “you spoke to her once, just once! And now you are holding her number.” Wonwoo laughs at your poor attempt at hiding your annoyance, “For your information, we were talking about a group project, and exchanging contact information. Nothing more, and nothing less.”

You gave a little huff before going back to pretend-studying, you definitely couldn’t focus when he was sitting right across from you. You knew you were more prone to jumping to conclusions nowadays, and you hoped that Wonwoo didn’t notice your shift in behaviour. In reality, you couldn’t help but feel a little pang of worry whenever your best friend was asked out on another date. And while he rejected the offer every time, you worried that one day he might say yes and you could lose him forever.

Not that you were against Wonwoo falling in love someday. If he found a good person that he wanted to be with for the rest of his life, you would support him in a heartbeat. It was just the selfish feeling that blossomed in your chest that prevented you from feeling any true happiness for these kinds of situations, and you hated it.

You knew that he would never abandon you completely, because Wonwoo was the best friend you could ever ask for. But you also knew that it would kill you inside to see him sweep someone else off their feet.

You’ve known Wonwoo since high school, and you definitely harboured a puppy crush on him all of first year. This was back when he was still trading pokemon cards in the gym stairwell and poking at you to buy him something from the milk vending machine. The crush went away eventually and you found yourself enjoying the rest of your high school career with your closest confidant by your side.

Once you both entered university, Wonwoo had a sudden growth spurt that now put him a total head taller than you. He no longer lurked at the stairwells during lunch and instead made lots of new friends that he went out for coffee with. He started dressing nicer, and once he exchanged his old glasses for a pair of round silver ones that rested on his nose so perfectly, he instantly transformed into someone straight out of a kdrama.

Now, you have caught feelings again. And you’re scared to admit that this time a puppy crush doesn’t even encapsulate everything you’ve been feeling lately. Of course Wonwoo’s sudden change in appearance didn’t spark anything new in your feelings towards him. It was the fact that he had a new air around him that was just completely different.

Wonwoo in high school was shy, and you loved him for who he was. You two had your own small circle of friends and you would spend all your time reading or playing games in his bedroom. Wonwoo in college however, was breaking out of his shell and being the first to approach people and make new friends. He was still introverted of course, shyness and introvertedness were two different things after all. But you were proud to see Wonwoo take the initiative to make plans more often and reach out.

Wonwoo has also gotten a lot more comfortable around you. He’s grown fond of resting his head on your shoulder after a long day of classes, and wrapping you in his sweaters whenever you came by his flat. In conclusion, everything about university student Wonwoo, was driving you, (and probably the entire campus) crazy.

“Hello? yn? Don’t you have a class soon?”

You swat away the hand that was waving in front of your face to meet the eyes of the cause of all your heart troubles. One smile from Wonwoo and you were in shambles. You had it really, really bad. “Right, right, sorry I was just...distracted.”

“We’re still on for tonight right? You can just head straight to my dorm after your last class.”

“Of course Won, did you really think I was going to miss out on another rewatch of Extraordinary You?”

“Of course not,” Wonwoo chuckled. You were met with another one of those soft gazes from him, and you immediately tried to break your stare. Something in your heart tells you that you should just confess right now, and that Wonwoo was a sensible individual who wouldn’t let go of your friendship if he didn’t feel the same way.

“Hey Won, can I tell you something after class later?”

“Of course.” There was that smile again. If you weren’t so busy trying to slow your heart rate down, you would have caught the way his eyes brightened at hearing your question, and the way he looked down to twindle with his fingers.

You give Wonwoo your own smile before heading off to your last detour of the day.

Sleepovers with Wonwoo always consisted of a mountain of blankets, a never ending pile of snacks and a show to watch before eventually both of you fell asleep. When you arrived at his flat just as he was adding the finishing touches to a home cooked dinner, you realized that sleepovers with Wonwoo also consisted of another thing: Your tragic inability to keep your heart rate down.

“Dinner will be ready in a bit, you can just wash up and get changed for now,” Wonwoo turns to greet you before adding some pepper to the tteokbokki.

You nod and head over to his bathroom, where you already find your change of clothes resting on the counter. Any outsider would have been under the impression that you and Wonwoo lived together, considering that pieces of you were scattered all over his apartment. From the matching toothbrushes that were kept by the sink, to the drawer reserved only for your clothes in his bedroom.

The only reason that you and Wonwoo didn’t room together upon entering university, was the fact that your parents were wary of you rooming with a boy you weren’t even dating. Not that it mattered now, considering that you at least spent two nights at his place away from your own dorm.

After you showered and changed into your pajamas, you realized that Wonwoo had given you one of his sweaters to wear, instead of the usual shirts you slept in. Usually you would have raided his bedroom after dinner to steal one (you slept much better when you wore his clothing) but this time it appeared that he had taken the initiative for you.

Once you stepped out of the bathroom, you saw that Wonwoo was already sitting at the dining table and was on his phone. It looked like he was texting someone, and you felt your heart sink a little when he laughed at a message. No, you are not going to be jealous. You are going to be happy for your friend because he deserves all the happiness in the world.

“Is that the girl from your group project?” You sat down across from him and started piling the tteokbokki and rice onto your plate. “Yeah, she said that the professor just sent out a mass email to our class, saying that we were going to be given an extension. Turns out that email was meant for another course, but everyone is already celebrating the new deadline.”

Wonwoo shuts off his phone and turns to you, “Was there something you wanted to tell me today?”

Right. You were going to confess your feelings. It was now or never, and you weren’t sure if you could hold it in much longer. “I can just tell you after dinner, I’m starving.”

Tragic. Tragic. Tragic. Why couldn’t you just say the words, “Hey Won, I have feelings for you, do you feel the same way?” Must you be in a spiraling paradox of questioning the presence of unrequited love in the relationship you had with your best friend? Yes, most definitely yes. Since the world likes to make everything difficult for those in love.

Dinner was eaten in a comfortable silence for the most part. You liked that you never felt the need to fill the air with more conversation whenever you were with Wonwoo. There were days where you would just sit in each other’s presence and do your own thing, and those days left you with lots of time to ponder on your feelings for him. Tonight was the night that you were going to say these feelings aloud for the first time...you just needed a bit more time to procrastinate.

After you both finished your food, you relocated yourselves to the couch. You fidgeted with the end of your (his) sweater while Wonwoo searched for the show on Netflix. You figured that you would let him know in the morning, since there was a chance that you two would fall asleep before the episode ended. And you didn’t want to confess beforehand either, in fear of having to endure a brutal one hour of awkward tension if he didn’t feel the same way.

“Who would have thought that out of all the days the wifi could have chosen to bail on us, they chose the day where we were going to find out whether Haru belonged to Dan-oh’s story or not,” Wonwoo fiddles with the remote some more, while you panic in silence at the thought of spending the night with no distractions from your feelings.

“It’s not like we don’t already know how it ends,” You take deep quiet breaths to calm yourself down, you can definitely make it through the night, “We can just do other things.”

“What do you have in mind?”

You couldn’t answer him right away. The only thing you had on your mind was the fact that Wonwoo’s hand was now resting on your knee and that it was baffling how good he could look in pajamas. Wonwoo, sensing your inability to form words nervously glanced up at you before moving the conversation in a different direction, “Look, I know you had something to tell me today yn, but I realized that I wanted to share something with you too. I am in love-”

“I am in love with you Jeon Wonwoo!”

There. You blurted out a long-awaited confession before the anticipation consumed you whole. You couldn’t tear your eyes away from your hands in fear of seeing the look on Wonwoo’s face.

“Let me hear you say it again.”

“What?” You turn to Wonwoo, who no longer looked nervous. Instead, he wore the biggest shit-eating grin on his face that made you want to both kiss and strangle him. “Say it again.”

“Not when you look like you just won the lottery you nerd, you didn’t even say-”

“I am in love with you too yn.”

Well, you were never one to complain about the fact that your feelings were returned. But the way Wonwoo was cooing at your adorable expression of shock only made you want to shove him off the couch.

Which you proceeded to do.

“Hey! Aren’t you happy that I like you too?”

“Of course I’m happy! You didn’t have to try to beat me to my confession though, tonight was going to be my night!”

“You didn’t seem like you were going to say anything for the rest of the evening! You were going to wait until the next day weren’t you?”

Absolutely yes. “No!”

Any remaining tension in the atmosphere washed away as you and Wonwoo made fun of each other on the living room floor. You were beyond relieved and a little giddy that your best friend in the whole wide world saw you in the way that you saw him.

“But on a more serious note Won, were you also going to confess tonight too?”

“Actually no, but once you came out of the washroom wearing my sweater, I just had to say it before I tackled you with cuddles or something.”

“You gave me your sweater instead of my clothes to wear!”

“I know!” Wonwoo was holding your hand now and rubbing circles into your palm. The idea of cuddling the entire night didn’t sound so bad. “But you looked all nervous and shy and I was hoping that you were going to be the one to say something first.”

“Can we just agree that we confessed at the same time?” As the adrenaline from the confession began to slip away you suddenly became very tired, and you were hoping to just spend the night in the arms of your favourite person.

“Deal. So can we cuddle now?”

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Warning: swearing

Masterlist

Chapter 1

“Thank you for agreeing to guest lecture this semester. My students are really looking forward to hearing stories from a real life FBI agent,” Professor Walker was giving Spencer a tour of Georgetown University.

Spencer had agreed to guest lecture once a week in Professor Walker’s Criminology course following the return of the very much alive Emily Prentiss to the BAU. Spencer had snapped quite a few times at his co-workers and was still adjusting to the sudden development so Hotch signed off on this as a little break for Spencer.

Professor Walker was explaining faculty parking when Spencer heard that voice. It was so nostalgic and comforting, filling him with a sense of warmth that he desperately craved. He thought he would never hear it again.

“My office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from three to six. Can you make the lab up one of those days?” the voice asked.

Spencer was desperately looking around, trying to find the owner of voice so he could prove it wasn’t all in his head and you were actually really here.

Then, Spencer saw you. You looked as gorgeous as ever. You were in a black pencil skirt and a dark green blouse with pale pink high heels which was a far cry from the crewnecks, leggings, and converse that Spencer had known you to wear most of the time in college. You looked very mature and that is not to say you didn’t seven years ago but you had this sense of confidence about you now.

“Okay perfect, see you then,” you hung up the phone and made eye contact with Spencer.

Your jaw went slack, eyes widening in what appeared to be horror, and you ceased all your movement.

“Dr. Reid? Do you have any questions?” Professor Walker asked, forcing Spencer’s gaze to drift back to him.

“Uh no, I-I’m all set,” Spencer stuttered.

In reality, he had not listened to a single word he had just said but he took the metro so he didn’t have to worry about faculty parking. He was still trying to process the brief eye contact he had just made with you and figure out if it was a dream or not.

“Perfect, then you are free to go! I’ll see you Monday morning, bright and early!” Professor Walker chuckled.

Spencer waved as Professor Walker strolled off to his office and his eyes scanned the campus for you once again. However, you were long gone. Maybe it was a figment of his imagination.

-

“What the fuck!” you whispered to yourself as you were in a full-on sprint in your heels.

You were trying to locate your car keys in your purse while maintaining your speed. You simply could not handle seeing him ever again. You didn’t even know why he was here. He chose the FBI over you so shouldn’t he be on a private jet or something flying across the country?

Once you made it to your car and slumped into the driver’s seat, you knew you were safe. He didn’t know what car you drove and there were way too many cars to go around looking in the windows of each one.

You took a moment to collect yourself before pulling out of the parking lot. You drove your normal route to Wesley Elementary School and turned off the ignition, hopping out the car.

The kindergarteners were all lined up in a not-so-straight line behind their teacher with their little coats and colorful backpacks on.

“Hi Mrs. Flynn!” you greeted, heading to the back of her line.

You saw a flash of purple before you felt two little arms wrapping around your knees.

“Mommy, I missed you so much,” she exclaimed as you picked her up.

“How much?” you asked.

“This much,” the girl outreached her arms, creating a gap the size of her arm span between them.

“I missed you even more than that, Josephine,” you kissed her cheek, carrying her back to the car.

You placed her in her car seat and got her all buckled up as she talked to you about her day.

Yes, Jo was Spencer’s, that much was obvious from her big brown eyes and curly brown hair. She looked just like her dad but he didn’t even know she existed.

You and Spencer had dated for a little over a year at Cal-Tech. He was already on his third PhD and you were in your second year of undergrad but you both were twenty.

You thought he was the one but looking back on it now, what did you know. You were young, dumb, and in love. As soon as he was recruited for the FBI, you were swiftly dumped as he gallivanted across the country to be a badass and save lives. Fuck Spencer Reid is all you could think as you moped around your apartment for the first two weeks, absolutely miserable.

Then, you realized your period was late and you were never late. When you found out you were pregnant, your friends and family were very supportive, your parents especially, they said they would support your decision either way.

You decided to keep the baby even though you were still very young. You knew it would be hard but you knew this was something you wanted. You knew ever since you were a child playing with baby dolls and then growing up and babysitting your neighbor’s kids that being a mom would make you happy.

You never reached out to Spencer though. He broke up with you and then moved across the country. You weren’t really up for a “hey listen, I know you live thousands of miles away now and don’t want anything to do with me anymore but I’m having your child” phone call so you simply never made it. Sure, some help may be nice but you had your parents. You certainly didn’t need any help from the asshole.

-

It had been hours since Spencer had seen Y/N but he still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

He went to his old dusty computer on his desk and typed in “Y/N Y/L/N”. He wasn’t proud of this but he wanted to know what you were up to.

He found your section on the Georgetown University website. You were an Associate Professor in biology. Spencer smiled, remembering all the night you would come over to his apartment with a bundle of flashcards and have him quiz you until you got every single one right.

Your instagram profile was private and Spencer didn’t even have an account to request to follow you on. Not that he would, an ex seeing you in public after seven years and then requesting to follow you on an account that he just made would definitely come off as creepy.

He could ask Penelope to do further digging but you weren’t a bad guy so that would be an invasion of your privacy and he didn’t really want to deal with all of Garcia’s questions.

Spencer sighed. He missed you. He thought about you very often. Spencer thought it would be selfish to keep you tied down to him when he wouldn’t be able to see you very often. He thought it would just make you miserable so he broke up with you in order to save you from the future pain. But it hurt him so much that he actually cried the entire plane ride to Virginia, the poor woman next to him handing him tissues occasionally. You were way out of his league to begin with, you would find someone new and better in no time, he thought.

In the seven years that had passed, he had a few occasional flings but never even close to what he had with you. You were his first love and undoubtedly his last because he had realized too late that you were it for him.

AO3 link

[reinerispretty]

almost kings. atla fantasy!AU. (mako x f!reader)

hi everyone!! here is my new baby. it’s a oneshot so pls enjoy :)

SUMMARY: (y/n’s) not quite ready to take on the responsibility of ruling an entire kingdom. perhaps two brothers will be her saving grace. 

(Y/N) opened her mouth to argue, but closed it. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. She couldn’t just shove the kingdom into the hands of random people. She had to make sure they were worthy somehow.

“You never think things through,” Korra sighed, and (Y/N) scoffed.

“As if you’re any better!” She snatched the paper back from Korra. “I’m going into town to find them regardless. I just have to see.”

Korra pursed her lips, then nodded. “Fine, but I’m coming with you.”

“Absolutely not, you’ll ruin everything.”

“You wound me, Princess. Someone has to make sure these ruffians don’t kidnap you and I'm the only one I trust.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes. There would be no arguing with Korra. She was as stubborn as a mule. “Shouldn’t that say something about your ability to train your men?”

“It says nothing about my ability, and everything about the fact that they are men.”

The castle felt the weight of the king’s passing in every crook, cranny, and crevice. The lanterns had lost their luster. The air felt heavier. Every member of the royal palace from top to bottom had become more solemn in the days after. But still, life continued as best as it could. There was a kingdom to run, after all. 

It had been two months since the funeral service and the princess still remained in black, shrouding her face from view with a veil. The mourning process normally lasted a month at most, but to the public, Princess (Y/N) was taking her father’s death the hardest. She was rarely seen outside the castle walls anymore, nor did she explore the palace as she used to. “Poor girl,” they would whisper, over their cups of tea and mugs of beer. “Losing her father and her mother. Wonder if she’ll ever be ready to serve the kingdom.” 

Her mother had died from a plague that had ransacked the city. (Y/N) had only been six. Now, at the age of twenty-one, she had lost her father to a stupid battle in a senseless war. She was all alone. 

Contrary to what the people might think, she did not spend her time locked in her room, sobbing into her pillow. Instead, she read every book that accounted the history of her family lineage. As soon as her mourning period was over, (Y/N) would be expected to take the throne. She would be the queen of her kingdom, ruling from the highest mountaintops in the east to the shining seas in the west, but (Y/N) could think of nothing more she wanted less than the crown. 

It was her duty. She always knew it would be, but part of her had hoped that somewhere along the line her father would birth a male heir and take the responsibility off of her shoulders. (Y/N) did not believe herself fit to lead troops into battle, nor to discuss diplomatic matters with visiting dukes and duchesses. She could barely get through one ball without wanting to chuck her heel at some handsy prince’s head. So, she read. Somewhere along the line, there had to be someone else who could take the position from her. Someone who would be a great fit for king. 

She finally found her answer late one night, as her eyes were so tired that they had difficulty focusing on the page. There, in a depiction of their family tree, to the left of (Y/N’s) king and great lineage, was a chance. Mako and Bolin, the handwritten letters read. Two brothers who were just about her age, from a line that would have indisputable claim to the throne if (Y/N) rejected it. 

She jumped up from her bed, body thrumming with a newfound energy. She threw open her bedroom door, startling the sleeping guards that stood outside of it. With a bright smile on her face, she said, “Have my carriage ready by morning. We’re going into town!” She shut the door before either could question her. 

(Y/N) exchanged her mourning clothes for her regular ones, choosing a cloth periwinkle dress with an ivory cloak on top, clasped with a broach that was the insignia of her family. Handmaidens pulled her hair back into a ponytail as Y/N informed them that she would be skipping breakfast. She was much too eager to get to town. 

“The Captain of the Royal Guard is here to see you, your highness,” announced the guard at the door. (Y/N) batted the handmaidens away from her head, walking over to the door to open it herself. Captain Korra stood before her, wearing leather pants and a white tunic, with her sword sheathed at her side. 

“It's nice to see you smile again,” Korra said as a greeting. “But what’s got you so overjoyed?” she strode into (Y/N’s) room nonchalantly, no doubt bristling some of the more traditional handmaidens. (Y/N) dismissed them quickly. She and Korra had been friends since they were children. She was instrumental in making her father see Korra’s value as a knight. But although it was Korra's dream to go off and fight for the sake of their kingdom, (Y/N) had been selfishly unwilling to let her go. She could not imagine losing korra as well. 

“I have a plan,” (Y/N) said excitedly, gathering some of the things she would need today. She tore out the page from the book that depicted Mako and Bolin’s claim to the throne, shoving it into the very bottom of her satchel for safe keeping. 

“A plan for what?” (Y/N’s) eyes glanced around the room. Quietly, she began to tell Korra her secret.

“I don’t want to rule the kingdom, so I’m finding someone who will.” 

Korra choked on her own spit. “You’re not being serious, are you?” 

“I'm afraid I'm deadly serious.”

“B-but you’re the princess. No one else can rule but you!” 

“That’s where you’re wrong. Where father was wrong, where everyone was! I’ve been doing research, and there are two boys: Mako and Bolin.” She pulled out the piece of paper to show Korra, who scrutinized it heavily. “They’re the only ones who can take my place if I secede the throne. Which I will.” 

“And if they’re dead?” Korra questioned. “Or they’re horrible people who will hoard all the wealth for themselves and leave the innocent peasants with nothing?” 

(Y/N) opened her mouth to argue, but closed it. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. She couldn’t just shove the kingdom into the hands of random people. She had to make sure they were worthy somehow. 

“You never think things through,” Korra sighed, and (Y/N) scoffed. 

“As if you’re any better!” She snatched the paper back from Korra. “I’m going into town to find them regardless. I just have to see.” 

Korra pursed her lips, then nodded. “Fine, but I’m coming with you.” 

“Absolutely not, you’ll ruin everything.” 

“You wound me, Princess. Someone has to make sure these ruffians don’t kidnap you and I'm the only one I trust.” 

(Y/N) rolled her eyes. There would be no arguing with Korra. She was as stubborn as a mule. “Shouldn’t that say something about your ability to train your men?” 

“It says nothing about my ability, and everything about the fact that they are men.” 

The carriage ride to the town was short, lengthened only by the throngs of people that gathered outside to gape at her presence. They shouted blessings as she passed by, some throwing flowers and others hurling curses. It was another aspect of being royalty that (Y/N) loathed. the attention was too much sometimes, and while she didn’t expect everyone in the kingdom to be fond of her family, she had difficulty not taking their words to heart. 

She ordered the driver to stop inside the town square. He parked their carriage in front of the fountain and people already started to flock towards them out of curiosity. (Y/N) made a move to step out, but Korra grabbed her by the arm and shook her head. Korra stepped out first, looking both beautiful and formidable as she ordered the people to make way for the princess. 

After a few moments, (Y/N) inhaled a deep breath, and stepped out into the bright sun. It was the first time she had been outside the castle walls in over two months. The sunlight seeped into her bones, warMing every part of her being. She squinted her eyes as they adjusted.

“Your majesty!” The people gasped, bowing and curtsying. (Y/N) smiled gratefully at them. 

“It’s so lovely to see all of you,” (Y/N) told them, and she had meant it. There were a few familiar faces among the crowd and she waved at them, calling out their names to show that she remembered. That she cared. 

Korra stood by her side, pulling her through the crowd. “I hope you’ve come up with a cover for why you’re in town. I don’t think the people will be very excited to hear that you’re giving up the crown.” 

“Some might,” (y/n) noted, and Korra narrowed her eyes. “We’ll say that I’m…buying you a new sword.” 

“I don’t need a new sword.” 

“A dagger, then? Everyone loves a dagger.” She grabbed Korra by the hand and pulled her forward. (Y/N) had visited the town many times since she was little. Her mother had loved to read to the children in the town square, a tradition that had unfortunately fallen out of practice after the queen’s demise. (Y/N) had always meant to pick it back up again, but there was something stopping her. 

She led Korra to the blacksmith, reasoning that if there was anyone who knew everyone in town, it would be them. They stepped through the door, a little bell tingling at their arrival, and were instantly hit with a blast of heat. 

The blacksmith stepped through a curtain from the back, lifting their mask and revealing a beautiful girl with soft green eyes and an even softer smile. She looked far too mild to be a blacksmith, but if (Y/N) had learned anything from being friends with Korra, it was that one should never underestimate someone based on their appearance. 

“Your Majesty,” The blacksmith said as she curtsied, removing her heavy gloves. “It’s an honor to have you in my shop. What brings you here?” 

“My Captain of the Royal Guard is looking for a new dagger,” (Y/N) said, glancing up at Korra. The girl’s bright blue eyes were trained on the blacksmith and hadn’t left since they entered the shop. She looked stunned, her face just a shade pinker. “Isn’t that right, Korra?” 

At the sound of her name, Korra snapped back to reality. “Right! Yes. dagger for captain. I’m the captain. Hi, I'm korra.” (Y/N) had to physically stop herself from wincing at her friend’s rambling.

“Nice to meet you,” the blacksmith said. “I’m Asami. What kind of dagger are you in the market for?” 

(Y/N) knew absolutely nothing about weapons, so she looked at Korra, who seemed to be scrambling her brain for words. “Uh, sharp?” Korra offered. 

Asami furrowed her brows and nodded. “Something sharp, then.” 

“Maybe bronze?” (Y/N) questioned. “It will match the rest of your armor wonderfully.” 

“I think I have a bronze dagger in the back, actually,” Asami said, and with another curtsy, she left them. 

(Y/N) smacked Korra’s arm. “What is wrong with you!” she hissed. 

Korra looked from where Asami had just been standing to (Y/N). “Did you see her? She’s the most beautiful human being I’ve ever seen!” 

“You’re acting so suspicious right now.” 

“I am not.” 

“Yes, you are!” Asami entered the room again, and both (Y/N) and Korra paused their argument to smile at her. 

“One bronze dagger,” she said, leaning over the counter to show it to them. It was truly a beautiful work of art, with a tip so sharp it would certainly be deadly. The handle was worked into the intricate design of dragons breathing fire. 

“You made this?” Korra questioned, her voice full of wonder. “It’s beautiful.” Her eyes locked with Asami’s and (Y/N) noticed both girls blush. 

“I did, thank you. My father taught me everything i know.” 

“You’re the best blacksmith I’ve ever met,” (Y/N) agreed. If the circumstances were different, she might invite Asami to become court blacksmith. But she would hate to invite the girl to the castle only to abandon her. “Do you like it, Korra?”

“Yeah, I like her,” Korra said, but her eyes were still trained on Asami. “The dagger,” she tried to recover. 

“We’ll take it.” Asami smiled gratefully, pulling out her record book to record the sale. “I actually have a question for you, Asami, if you don’t mind humoring me.” 

“Anything for you, your highness,” Asami replied brightly. 

“Is there anyone in town by the names Mako or Bolin?” 

Asami thought for a moment as she took the satchel of gold from (Y/N). 

“I think...oh! the baker’s boys. The baker down the street has two apprentices, I think those are their names.” 

(Y/N) grinned wildly, turning to Korra. Bingo. 

As they left the blacksmith, Korra couldn’t stop turning the dagger over and over in her hands. She hadn’t thanked (Y/N) for her purchase, but she didn’t need to. Their friendship went beyond those kinds of formalities. 

“Shall I up your pay so you can come back to town and visit the pretty blacksmith?” (Y/N) smirked. Korra had rarely had a crush throughout their lives. There was another knight she had once admired, but (Y/N) hadn’t been sure if Korra had wanted to kiss him or beat him in a fight. Or both. 

“I certainly wouldn’t complain,” Korra snorted. 

“I think she liked you too.” 

“You’re making fun of me and it’s not nice.” 

“I’m being serious! You were too dumbfounded to notice. It was like,” (Y/N) made explosion noises with her mouth and gestures with her hands. “Instant sparks.” 

Korra remained silent for a few moments as they walked. “Asami is a pretty name, isn’t it?” 

(Y/N) smiled as she pushed through the door to the bakery. “Absolutely.” 

The smell of baked goods sent their mouths watering. Both girls had skipped breakfast, meaning their stomachs were rumbling excessively. They looked at the display cases, where an assortment of all kinds of goodies were laid out before them. 

“Welcome to Bender Bakery!” said a cheerful voice at the counter. It was a boy, but his back was turned to them. “Care for a free sample?” He turned around and smiled, carrying a tray of mini croissants, but it clattered to the floor as soon as he laid eyes on them. “Oh!” he exclaimed, his green eyes wide. “Your majesty! I’m so sorry, I— should I bow? Should I pick these up? Pema’s going to absolutely throttle me.” 

“It’s alright!” (Y/N) felt horrible for surprising the boy. “How about I pay you for those? And for two raspberry tarts?” 

“Four,” Korra said, her voice low and her arms crossed as she eyed the boy. (Y/N) watched him gulp. 

With a sigh, (Y/N) pulled out more coins. “Four raspberry tarts, please?” 

His gaze returned to the princess and he smiled widely, the dazzle reaching his emerald green eyes. Although he was covered in a mess of flour, he was beautiful, with full cheeks and a rounded nose. His stature was broad, and (Y/N) tried to imagine a crown atop his curly black hair. 

“I’m (Y/N),” she said as he swept the mini croissants up. “What is your name?” 

He looked up at her, a faint blush on his cheeks. “I’m Bolin! Nice to meet you, your highness.” (Y/N) smiled widely. She had done it.

“Likewise. This is my Captain of the Royal Guard, Korra.” Korra said nothing, despite (Y/N’s) elbow digging into her side. “Tell me, Bolin, do you have a brother?” 

Bolin’s thick eyebrows drew together curiously. “Yes, yeah I do. Mako. He’s probably out back.” 

“Could you bring him here, please?” Bolin nodded and darted out of the room. 

“What’s your plan?” Korra questioned as soon as he left. “You still have to make sure they’re not going to be insane.” 

“I don’t think they will. I got a good feeling from Bolin.” 

“Feelings don’t make kings.” (Y/N) tsked, rolling her eyes at Korra.

“Must you always be so negative?” 

“I’m not negative, I’m realistic. A trait that you would do well to have.” 

A loud clatter out front startled them, and the two girls turned around to see the two boys darting down the street, knocking over whatever was in their path. 

(Y/N) and Korra had been friends for so long that it seemed like they shared one mind. Both ran out the door, their polished leather boots stomping against the muddied ground. Unlike the boys, they wove through the crowd of people. If anyone recognized that it was the princess running past them, they gave no indication. Stranger things had happened in their little town. 

“I’m going to cut them off!” (Y/N) shouted to Korra. She skidded to a stop. The boys were headed toward an alleyway that (Y/N) knew well. If she let them get to the end, they would disappear into the sewers and she’d lose them forever. 

She set her foot into the bricks that protruded from the building and started to climb. She had spent many years scaling the side of the castle when it all felt like too much. Lifting herself onto the roof of the building, she darted across and jumped down into the alley, her skirts billowing up into the air as she landed on her feet. 

Bolin let out a surprised shout at (Y/N’s) arrival, just as her ankles were reverberating with the shock of the drop. Past the two boys, Korra stood at the end of the alley, her fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword. 

“Why did you run?” (Y/N) demanded, chest heaving from exerting herself. Both boys turned to her now, and (Y/N) laid eyes on the taller one, who must be Mako. Where Bolin was more broad, Mako was slender, his features sharper. His eyes locked on (Y/N’s), his brows furrowing in a mixture of anger and confusion, while (Y/N) felt a gasp escape her lips. His eyes were a brilliant shade of gold, a color that was rare for her people. 

“Well,” Bolin started, trying to catch his own breath. “When you come in with your captain of the royal guard, it kind of feels like you’re here to arrest us.” 

“Why would I arrest you?” 

“(Y/N), they’re criminals,” Korra snapped, and (Y/N) felt her face heat up from embarrassment. 

“You would be too if you lived in a town like this,” Mako said, his glare fixating on Korra. She unsheathed her sword. 

“Wait!” (Y/N) exclaimed. “Wait, what do you mean?” 

“Of course you wouldn’t know. You’re up there in your castle chugging wine and bathing in gold,” Mako snarled.

“Think of the queen bathing often?” Korra pressed, both of her hands on the hilt of her sword now. 

(Y/N) let out an exasperated sigh. This was not how today was supposed to go. she clenched her fists at her side. She was used to things going perfectly, things going her way. She should give up on these two. 

But Mako’s words were sticking to her uncomfortably, like her dresses did after she applied lotion. Were the people in her town really suffering? Why didn’t she know? Why wasn’t anyone telling her? 

“I didn’t come to arrest you,” The last bit of diplomacy had left (Y/N). She did not feel regal. She was tired and impatient. “I came to talk to you.” 

“What would you want with us?” Bolin asked, his figure noticeably relaxing. 

(Y/N) glanced past them, past Korra and into the street. People’s eyes were glancing inside the alley. There was too much attention here. “It’s...a lot to explain. Come back to the palace with us. I’ll tell you everything there.” 

“As your prisoners?” (Y/N) was growing tired of Mako’s attitude. 

“As guests! by the lion turtle, you’d think you two would’ve gotten that through your thick heads by now. I don’t want to have you arrested regardless of the crimes you’ve committed.” 

“She might not, but I do.” 

“Korra!” (Y/N’s) eyes flashed with anger, and her friend deflated, sheathing her sword. (Y/N) inhaled a deep sigh and closed her eyes. “Come back to the palace with me. I’ll explain everything once we’re there.” 

Mako and Bolin looked at each other, weighing their options. 

“Alright,” Bolin agreed, seeming a lot more excited than his brother. “Alright, we’ll go with you.” 

The carriage was far more cramped with the four of them inside. (Y/N) and Korra sat with their shoulders pressed together. Korra held her sword between her knees, her blue eyes flitting between both brothers. While Bolin looked out the window with wonder, Mako sat slumped, his arms crossed and his eyes downcast. 

“Are you hungry?” (Y/N) asked no one in particular. “I can have the kitchens make something. What’s your favorite?” 

“Do you have rabbit soup?” Bolin asked, but he continued before (Y/N) could answer. “I heard you had a labyrinth in your garden, is that true? Do you have horses? Is the crown you wear really heavy?” 

“Yes, yes, yes, and yes, but your neck gets used to it.” She smiled pleasantly. “You should see my father’s crown, though. That thing is a monstrosity.” 

Korra tensed at (Y/N’s) side. It was the first time she had mentioned her father to anyone else after his passing. (Y/N) was sure that Korra expected her to fall apart, but she had spent the past two months piecing herself back together. 

They walked through the front doors of the palace and a servant immediately took (Y/N’s) cloak and Korra’s jacket. They stared awkwardly at the two boys behind them. (Y/N) dismissed them quickly. 

“Would you like to freshen up a bit before we talk?” Bolin opened his mouth to say something, but Mako cut him off.

“we came here to talk.” 

(Y/N’s) smile dropped from her face. “Alright then. Follow me.” 

She led them to her study, which previously belonged to her father. A giant painting of him, her mother, and a young (Y/N) was hung over the roaring fireplace. (Y/N) leaned against the desk as Korra shut the door behind them, leaning herself against the hardwood to prevent any escape attempts. 

“I know it’s not every day the princess drops on you unannounced,” (Y/N) said. Her nerves shaky, she kept moving her fingers. “But after my father’s death, I spent a lot of time researching my family’s lineage.” She pulled the piece of paper from her bag and unfolded it. She double checked to make sure their names were still there, as if they would magically disappear on her. “You both are from a distant royal branch, completely unrelated to my own.” 

She handed the piece of paper to them, and both boys pored over the paper with their brows drawn together. Mako looked up at her. “So what does this mean?” 

“We’re royalty?” Bolin asked. 

“Yes. Next in line to the throne, actually. After myself.” 

“Oh god,” Bolin paled. “Did you bring us here to kill us so we wouldn’t challenge your claim to the throne?” 

“Does everyone in the kingdom think I’m a monster?” She held up a hand to silence Mako before he could respond. “No, I didn’t bring you here to kill you. I brought you to the palace to...give you both the life that is rightfully yours. Somewhere, many generations ago, your connection to the royal family was severed. I want to restore it.” 

“Why would you want that?” Mako asked, and it was the first thing he said that had no trace of anger. 

“I want to help,” (Y/N) admitted. “I came to town because I wanted to help you two, and then you mentioned that if we lived there, we would be criminals as well. If my people are suffering, I want to do everything in my power to fix it.” 

The brothers still looked wary, so she continued. “You could both stay at the palace, if you wanted. Wherever you worked would be compensated for your absence. You can live here and you’ll be treated well. I’ll let you have most anything you want, within reason.” She stared at them both hopefully. “Of course, if you don’t want that, I understand. A carriage will bring you back to town.” 

She locked eyes with Korra. If this went poorly, it could be the downfall of the kingdom. but (Y/N) needed to risk it. 

“Alright,” Mako said. He seemed to be the one that made the decisions. “We’ll stay, for now.” 

(Y/N) grinned, feeling absolutely elated. All that was left to do now was prove that they were worthy of the throne. 

She left Mako and Bolin to their own devices at first. She instructed Korra and any other servants to report back with how they were doing. So far, there was no suspicious activity, much to Korra’s disappointment. 

“I’m just itching for a reason to kick that Mako in the teeth,” Korra told (Y/N) as they walked to her next meeting. (Y/N) couldn’t hold back her laugh. “Seriously! he needs a huge attitude adjustment.” 

“I’m sure they had it rough, Korra, we need to be patient with them.” 

“I don’t know why you’re fighting for them so much. They’re criminals, they said it themselves.” 

“Maybe they had to be.” Korra rolled her eyes. 

“You’ve got your head in the clouds.” 

At the end of the hall, (Y/N) noticed Mako walking toward them. His dirty clothing had been exchanged for a nice red tunic and dark fitted pants. The servants had scrubbed his face clean and combed back his hair, but (Y/N) had heard that Mako ruffled it as soon as they were done styling it. 

“Good morning, Mako,” (Y/N) called out to him. He paused, his expression still serious as he nodded at them. “Would you like to join Korra and I for this meeting?”

“You can’t be serious,” Korra hissed, but (Y/N) paid her no mind. 

“We’re discussing funding today. I’d love to hear your input about where it should go.” She looked at him expectantly, willing him to say yes. She stared directly into his amber eyes. (Y/N) found that people had a hard time saying no to her if she looked at them directly. 

“Oh, uh,” he cleared his throat. “Alright.” 

They entered the meeting room together, (Y/N) taking her place at the elaborate chair at the head of the table. Korra stood at her side, arms behind her back. Mako looked at the seats, anxiously trying to figure out where to go. The men at the table stared at him warily, frowns on their faces. 

“Sit here,” (Y/N) offered, gesturing to the seat to her left. Tenzin, her treasurer, cleared his throat. 

“Your majesty, forgive me for interrupting, but that is Lord Tahno’s seat.” 

(Y/N) smiled and nodded. “Seeing how lord Tahno is late, I would like Mako to take his seat.” Korra tried to stifle her laughter, but failed miserably. She might not like Mako, but she loathed Tahno. (Y/N) guessed that Korra was eager to see the expression on his face when he finally walked in. (Y/N) was eager to see it as well. She and Korra would have a hearty laugh about it later. 

“Now,” (Y/N) continued. “I’m sure you’re all wondering about our guest. Mako is one of my representatives from town, so I invited him here today to discuss how the budget should be allocated to the people.” 

“Your highness,” said Tarrlok, another one of (Y/N’s) advisors. “I can assure you that the people are doing well. Just the other day, I was walking through the town. Children were laughing and playing, it was wonderful.” 

“Just because children are being children doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering,” (Y/N) said. She tried hard not to lose her temper with these people. They were used to certain lives, certain expectations. She didn’t need them to understand, she just needed them to follow her orders. “Take half of the money from my coronation and put it toward the people.” 

Mako raised an eyebrow at her, while the rest of her advisors began talking amongst themselves. “With all due respect, your majesty,” said Raiko. “Your coronation is of the utmost importance.” 

“How much money should it really require?” (Y/N) questioned. “All you have to do is say a few words and put a crown on my head.” 

The door opened then, revealing Tahno and the smug expression on his face. it immediately fell as soon as he saw that his seat was occupied. He recovered as soon as he saw (Y/N). “Your highness,” he drawled, approaching her chair. “My apologies for being late. There was a young injured fox on my way to the castle. I had to stop to assist it.” 

“Liar,” Korra coughed into her palm, pounding against her chest. “Woo, sorry. allergies, y’know?” Even Mako broke a smile. 

“Sit, Tahno.” Frowning, he sat a few chairs down from the princess, glaring at Mako. (Y/N) was grateful to have Tahno so far away. As soon as she had her first meeting, he had claimed the spot right beside her, trying his best to flirt. (Y/N) was in the middle of the appropriate marrying ages and Tahno made it very clear that he had plans to have her hand. 

“Mako,” (Y/N) said, turning to him. “Is there anywhere in town you could think of that needs funding immediately?” 

“Where do I start?” Mako joked, before he remembered exactly where he was. “Uh, the orphanage, your highness. Or the schools. Or maybe putting the money into the roads or some bath houses?” 

(Y/N) nodded as he listed off each of his ideas. She then turned to her advisors. “Did you get all of that?” 

They all scrambled to write down what the young commoner had been saying. “Let’s put the majority of the funding into the orphanages and the schools. We’ll start there, then work our way to everything else.” 

“I don’t see why we should be helping the peasants if they’re no longer providing anything for the castle.” Tahno leaned back into his seat. 

“It’s winter,” Korra deadpanned. 

“Regardless if they contribute anything to the castle or not, taking care of them is still our responsibility,” (Y/N) told him. 

“I’m just saying—“ 

“Keep thinking like that and you’ll have a revolt on your hands,” Mako interrupted Tahno. “The people know how you all live here. They don’t expect their own fancy castles, but they notice when they’re starving and you’re all throwing feasts.” 

“Tell me,” Tahno said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s your title? Why are you here?” 

“All things you’d know if you arrived to the meeting on time,” (Y/N) snapped. “The orphanages and the schools,” (Y/N) repeated to Tenzin. He nodded at her orders. “I think that’s enough for today. You may all leave.” She didn’t like this, didn’t like the arguments and how people tried to challenge her. She might see their point of view if she was some sort of tyrant that needed to be held back. But all she wanted to do was help people, and sometimes she felt like the best thing she could do for the kingdom was to not be queen. 

As everyone else filtered out of the room, (Y/N)) stood and went to the window. In the cloudy horizon sat their little town, the one that her family had been entrusted to care for. 

“Your majesty, may I have a word with you?” (Y/N) sighed and turned around. Tahno stood just a few feet away from her, blocked by Korra. Mako had remained in his seat. “In private?” 

“I’m actually feeling unwell today,” (Y/N) said softly. “You can request an audience another time. Korra, please escort Lord Tahno out.” 

“Gladly,” Korra said with a smile. Tahno stared at the princess for a few more moments before turning around, Korra following him. 

(Y/N) collapsed back in her seat, slumping down. She glanced over at Mako. “Thank you for coming today. And what you said. Sometimes it feels like they don’t believe anything I say unless it’s coming from a man’s mouth.” 

“It seemed to me like they didn’t want to believe anything I said unless it was coming from a lord’s.” (Y/N) smiled. 

“They’re not so bad. Just a little...traditional.” 

“And you aren’t?” (Y/N) shook her head. 

“There's so much I would change about everything.” 

“Like what?” (Y/N) was surprised at Mako’s sudden interest. His hands were slotted together and folded against his stomach as he leaned back. 

“Well, I don't think the coronation should be that big of a deal. It seems like a party for the rich people, and they have parties all the time. So I'd make it something smaller. Private, maybe. And I’d invite the whole town into the palace for feasts on holidays, so that everyone could get a hot meal. Maybe if people wanted, they could come to the castle if they ever needed a meal. Tahno would say that they’d eat me out of house and home, but I don’t think I’d mind, as long as people were happy.” 

“Tahno seems like a jerk.” 

“He is, but I can't say that or else his family would wage war on mine.” (Y/N) blew hair out of her face. “Everyone expects me to marry him.” 

“Well i don’t see why you wouldn’t want to,” Mako said sarcastically. (Y/N) grinned. 

“I’d also put an end to this horrid war.” 

“You want to end the war?” Mako raised an eyebrow. It stung a little bit, thinking that he would be surprised at her statement. 

“It’s not my war anymore,” She said quietly, glancing at the portrait of her father that said over the fireplace. He looked grand, a ring of shining light painted around his head. “It wasn’t even his. It was started a long time ago by men whose problems are nowhere near mine.” She turned to Mako, the corner of her mouth twitching up sadly. “At this point, I don’t think anyone knows what they’re fighting for anymore. All it does is hurt people.” 

They both knew what she was referring to. Just a few months ago, her father had been wounded on the battlefield for that very war. His death had been slow and painful, and as his only child, (Y/N) had to sit and watch. 

“I think those are great ideas, by the way.” Mako’s voice broke the silence and the sadness that had started to overcome (Y/N).

“Thank you. If only I had the time to implement them.” 

“Don’t you have a whole lifetime as queen?” 

(Y/N) opened her mouth to speak, but clasped it tightly shut. She couldn’t tell him about her plan. Not yet. 

“There’s just a lot of hoops to jump through.” She stood and glanced at the door. “Walk with me to lunch?” 

It wasn’t often that (Y/N) was summoned places. As princess, she did the majority of the summoning. But Tenzin had called her to the great hall for some undisclosed reason and (Y/N) was horribly curious, so she humored him. 

He bowed as she entered the room. “Your majesty. Thank you for making yourself available on such short notice.” 

The door opened behind her once more, revealing a very confused looking Mako and Bolin. Tenzin cleared his throat. “Considering that her royal highness brought you both here, I have taken it upon myself to properly train you as members of the royal court.” 

(Y/N) gasped excitedly, whirling around on the two boys, the large skirt of her dress flowing behind her. Bolin looked at her. “What does that mean?” 

“it means,” (Y/N) said, clasping her hands together. “That you’re getting royalty lessons.” 

“I'm good,” Mako said, moving to walk back out of the room. Tenzin raised his eyebrows at (Y/N), who gave him a confused look in return before she realized what he was trying to convey. 

“Oh! Right. I’m in charge here. Mako, you cannot leave. If you two are to remain in the palace, you have to have some sort of formal training. There are certain expectations that other members of the Court will have. People have started wars over minor offenses. It’s all stupid, but necessary.” Tenzin gasped. 

“The customs of our people are far from stupid!”

Mako looked horribly displeased, but the glimmer in Bolin’s eyes told her that at least he was excited. (Y/N) turned to Tenzin, a grin on her face. “Of course. Take good care of them, Tenzin.” 

“Actually, your majesty, I was thinking that you could also partake in these lessons. A little refresher is never a bad thing. I’ve noticed your elbows have begun making their way onto the table.” 

(Y/N) frowned deeply as bolin and mako snickered behind her. “I think my elbows should do whatever they damn well please.” 

Tenzin sputtered. “Language, your majesty!” And while she was the princess and could certainly refuse, the hopeful and pleading look on Tenzin’s face made her concede. He had been her father’s best friend. With a sigh, she nodded. 

That was how the three of them had ended up with stacks of books on their heads. It had taken (Y/N) a few tries to get the hang of it once more and just as she was feeling confident, Tenzin would add another book. Mako and Bolin, however, were struggling greatly. 

“I think my hair is making the book fall,” Bolin told Tenzin, who rolled his eyes. 

“The purpose is to glide, not walk, across the floor.” 

“What the hell is gliding?” Mako questioned. 

“And watch your tongue!” tenzin insisted. Mako huffed, and (Y/N) giggled as she glided over to him. 

“Just humor him,” she whispered as she walked around Mako. She pulled his shoulders back to straighten them, and with a single finger lifted his chin so that he had to peer down his nose at her. “Try it now.” 

Mako took a few wary steps forward, but the book didn’t fall, not until he turned back around to smile at (Y/N). It slid off his head, knocking into hers before tumbling to the floor. 

“Ow,” (Y/N) grumbled, rubbing her hand against her forehead. Mako stared at her with wide eyes. 

“I'm sorry,” he apologized, but his shocked expression soon faded as he saw the smile playing at her lips. He had to admit, it was rather funny. 

“Uh, (Y/N)?” bolin asked, and then received a swat on the head from Tenzin. 

“You will refer to her as your majesty, your grace, or your highness!” 

“Your grace (Y/N)?” bolin tried to correct, avoiding another swipe from Tenzin. “How’d you get Mako to do that book thing?” 

“Oh! It’s easy, let me help,” and she walked over to Bolin, moving him the same way she had moved Mako just moments before. Bolin took his own steps forward, looking similarly to a baby lamb walking on its legs for the first time. 

“I’m doing it!” He cheered as he walked around the room. “I'm royalty!” 

After their walking lessons was a pretend lunch in which they learned what utensils to use when. (Y/N) was rather disappointed at the lack of food before them. She found herself growing hungry. 

“Now, say you had a soup dish before you. What utensil would you use, your highness?” 

(Y/N) looked down at the array of forks, spoons, and knives, all in a range of different sizes. She pursed her lips as she thought. “Do I go from the outside in?” She wondered aloud, searching Mako and Bolin’s faces for answers. They both gave her a shrug: they were just as lost. “Or do i go from the inside out? You know, tenzin, I’m curious why it matters at all what utensil we use when. As long as the food gets in our mouths, I don’t see an issue.” 

Tenzin sniffed. “I see you’ve been spending time with Korra.” 

“Really, I think different types of utensils should be banned. All we need are forks, knives, and spoons. Perhaps I'll propose it at our next meeting.” 

“I second that,” Mako said as he stared at a big fork and a small fork. 

“Can i vote, too?” Bolin questioned. “Because while I think it’s a great idea, (Y/N) your highness, I think we should keep this little baby fork. It’s quite adorable.” 

(Y/N) hummed, banging the handle of her knife on the table as if it were a gavel. “It’s settled. No different types of utensils, unless it’s a baby fork.” 

Bolin cheered as Tenzin groaned. 

“For your last lesson,” Tenzin began as they left the dining room. “We shall work on dancing.” 

“That’s my cue to leave,” (Y/N) said quickly, gathering the skirts of her dress and darting away. Mako and Bolin exchanged a quick look before darting after her, leaving Tenzin all by himself. 

“I expect to see you all at the same time tomorrow!” 

(Y/N) was surprised as she was walking the grounds to find Bolin wrestling with members of the knighthood. She left her handmaidens and ran over to them immediately, thinking the worst. Maybe one of them had made a comment about Bolin’s upbringing. Maybe Bolin had offended the knight in some way. 

“What is the meaning of this?” (Y/N) demanded, her voice projecting over the cheers of the knights. they died out, falling to one knee and bowing their heads. The two remained wriggling on the ground. “Bolin!” (Y/N) shouted to gain his attention. 

The fighting halted, and her knight, Sir Tonraq, looked up at her and smiled. He was Korra's father and one of their kingdom’s greatest generals. He rose slowly to his feet and bowed at the waist. “Your majesty,” he said calmly. “Bolin asked that I show him a few moves. It was all in good fun, I can assure you.” 

(Y/N) glanced down at Bolin, who was panting but otherwise looked unharmed. He remained on the ground, his face upside down as he grinned up at (Y/N). “Afternoon, princess! lovely day, isn’t it?” 

“You asked Sir Tonraq to wrestle you?” 

“Well uh,” Bolin rose to his feet. “Not in so many words, but I guess. He and the others were training and it looked really cool! Do you think I could get a sword?” He looked between (Y/N) and Tonraq.

“Why don’t you walk with me for a bit, Bolin?” He nodded and joined her, leaving Tonraq and the rest to return to their training. “I'll be frank: is being a knight something that interests you?” 

Bolin nodded eagerly. “Oh yeah, it always has! Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a knight. pops used to tell us his grandfather was a knight and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, but then Mako said that it was all just a story pops made up to get us to go to sleep. But hey, now I’m starting to think Mako was wrong!” He flashed another smile at (Y/N). 

“If you’re a knight, you can’t be a king,” (Y/N) said, her voice very solemn. Bolin raised an eyebrow. 

“Well you’re queen, so—“

“I'm not the queen,” (Y/N) interrupted. “Not until my coronation.” 

“Either way, it’s still you and mako before I can even think about becoming a king. I think I'd make a great knight, though! saving damsels, slaying dragons.” 

(Y/N) giggled. “Dragons have been extinct for years.” 

“Someone never heard the fairytale of the dragon prince!” 

“You'll have to tell me sometime.” They walked past the lakes, where turtle ducks swam and splashed in the water. “If you really want to be a knight, Bolin, we can arrange it. It’s a lot of intense training, but if you think you’re ready—“ 

“I know i’m ready!” 

“Alright,” (Y/N) laughed. “I’ll call for the town blacksmith and you guys can meet and discuss what you want your sword to look like.” 

“Doesn’t the castle have a blacksmith?” 

(Y/N) smirked. “We do, but I've got a plan, dear Bolin.” 

Korra was going to kill her. 

The clanging of metal on metal alerted the two of them to some other sort of commotion. (Y/N) and Bolin walked to the source of the noise, located at the armory. At first, (Y/N) could not discern who was inside, but she soon heard Korra’s familiar grunts and shouts. 

They walked through the armory, passing different swords, daggers, shields, and pieces of armor as they made their way back to the practice area. There, on the sandy ground, stood Korra and Mako. 

(Y/N) hadn’t expected Mako to be a very good swordsman. He had grown up as an orphan, after all, so she looked up at Bolin with one eyebrow raised. The brother smiled brightly as he watched the two fight. “Mako once stole a sword from some rich kid in town. He got pretty good at fighting until the sword got stolen from him.” 

“Hopefully he doesn’t best my Captain of the Royal Guard,” (Y/N) said in a loud voice as she walked over to the railing. “Or else I might need to start holding interviews!” 

“Shut up!” Korra shouted back at her. The distraction gave Mako just enough time to swipe Korra’s feet out from beneath her. Korra was quick, however, and rolled out of the way before he could hold the point of his sword to her chest. She jumped back up to her feet and attacked with such ferocity that it intimidated even (Y/N). 

Korra, like (Y/N), had spent much of her life being underestimated by the men of their kingdom. Where (Y/N) would rather use that to her advantage, it bothered Korra to no end. She spent years training harder than any other knight in their Royal Guard, any other knight in their entire army, until she could best them all. If (Y/N) was Mako, she would be terrified. 

Their swords collided in air, and Korra circled her weapon, wrenching Mako’s from his hand. She caught it by the blade in her other hand, an exhausted smile coming to her face before she thrust the handle of her sword at him. “You’re not horrible.” 

“You’re amazing!” Bolin exclaimed, eyes wide as he stared at Korra. “You were good too, Mako, just not as good as her.” “Gee, thanks, Bo,” Mako said as he wiped sweat from his brow. 

Korra narrowed her eyes at (Y/N). “You were trying to distract me for him.” 

“You’re so dramatic,” (Y/N) said as she rolled her eyes. Korra smiled, her eyes moving between Mako to (Y/N). 

“Bet he couldn’t take you,” Korra said. She always liked to initiate challenges. 

Mako raised an eyebrow at the princess. “You can swordfight?” 

(Y/N) scoffed. “Who do you think was Korra’s practice dummy?” 

“I thought princesses weren’t supposed to learn how to fight,” Bolin wondered aloud. “Wouldn’t Tenzin say it’s unbecoming?” 

(Y/N) nodded. “He certainly would, and he did. Many times.” 

Korra waved a hand. “That old coot wouldn’t know what fun was if it smacked him in the ass.” She offered her sword to (Y/N). “Go on. Fight him.” 

A grin settled on (Y/N’s) lips, her expectant eyes landing as Mako. She hopped over the railing. The skirt of her dress was large, making it a bit difficult, but she had been doing it for years. “What do you say?” 

Mako furrowed his brows. “I don’t want to fight you.” 

“Come on, Mako, I’m in a dress. It should be easy for you to beat me.” (Y/N) tossed the blade between both hands. Mako looked from the princess to Korra and Bolin. Bolin seemed nervous, but Korra leaned against the wooden post of the building with a smile. 

“We shouldn’t,” Mako said, shaking his head. 

(Y/N) lifted her chin and smirked, pointing her blade at Mako. “I order you to.” 

His eyebrow quirked up as his face flushed, the corner of his mouth tilting up just slightly. “As you wish, your majesty,” And (Y/N) felt a shudder travel down her back. 

(Y/N) swung first, knowing that Mako would be too scared to initiate the first move. He blocked, spinning around in an attempt to disarm her. (Y/N) noticed that all of the movements he was making were attempts to knock the sword from her friends, but she held onto it. Her dress made moving quickly difficult, but she could tell that he was restraining himself. 

“If you keep holding back,” (Y/N) said as their swords collided. “I’ll make you spend a night in the cellars.” 

Mako let out a laugh, but his fighting style started to completely change. He was quick and pressing, trying his best to push her into a corner. Their swords hit midair once more and Mako shoved forward. 

(Y/N) lost her balance and fell, landing on her side as she cried out. Mako dropped his sword and ran to her side, kneeling down to his knees as his brows knit together in worry. “Are you alright?” He questioned, searching to see what was hurting her. 

In an instant, (Y/N) lunged and tackled Mako onto his back. She hovered over to him for a split second, their faces only inches away as she smiled down at him. She scrambled back up to her feet, setting one foot on his chest as the tip of her sword pointed at his neck. 

“That’s my girl!” Korra cheered from the sidelines. 

Mako stared up at her, eyes still wide with surprise. Her hair had fallen from its bun, wisps of sweaty locks sticking to her temples and neck. Her chest heaved as they caught her breath, and her eyes sparkled with a wild twinkle that Mako hadn’t seen before. 

“You fight dirty,” Mako said. 

(Y/N) shrugged. “Have to do what you must to win.” She stepped off of his chest and let her sword trail down his stomach before tossing it to the ground. She linked arms with Korra and walked out of the armory, muttering something about desperately needing a bath. 

Mako remained on the ground as he caught his breath. Bolin hopped over to the railing and joined his brother, his eyes widening as he noticed the state he was in. Bolin directed his green eyes elsewhere. “Um, Mako? Do you have a--” 

“Shut up, Bolin.” 

“You—!” Korra said as she burst into the dining room. (Y/N) had a mouthful of bread stuffed in her cheeks. “You wicked woman!” 

Mako and Bolin glanced from Korra to (Y/N). They weren’t sure if Korra’s anger was genuine. On a normal day, if anyone spoke to (Y/N) that way, Korra would have them thrown out. Was there anyone that could throw Korra out?

(Y/N) swallowed and smiled, buttering another piece of bread. “I’m not sure what you mean.” 

Korra crossed her arms and poured her lips, tapping her foot against the marble floor. “You invited the blacksmith here on purpose!” 

“Yes, that purpose was so that she could make Bolin a sword.”

“And that has nothing to do with how I made a fool of myself the last time we saw her?” 

(Y/N) rolled her eyes. “Then you should be thrilled that I invited her so you could make a good second impression.” 

“Am I missing something here?” Bolin asked. 

“No!” Korra snapped, just as (Y/N) whirled on him with a devious grin. 

“Korra’s got a crush on the town blacksmith.” 

“I hate you,” Korra seethed. (Y/N) paid her no mind. If she had a gold piece for every time Korra told her that, she’d be the richest person in the entire world. 

“She’s supposed to be arriving soon. Should we call her into the dining room?” 

“No!” Korra and Mako spoke at the same time. (Y/N) had been expecting that reaction from Korra, but from Mako? 

her playful demeanor dissipated as she saw the troubled expression on mako’s face. “Very well,” she said quietly. “When she arrives, you’ll meet her in the smithy.” Bolin nodded. 

Korra had left to take out her anger on some unsuspecting recruit. The rest of the meal was consumed in silence. 

An uncomfortable feeling settled in (Y/N’s) stomach, like she had done something wrong. She had expected korra to react that way. When it came to her, Korra was all bark and no bite. She would get over it in a few hours, and would undoubtedly be excited at seeing Asami. But the look that had appeared on Mako’s face had startled her. It was like she had hurt him in a way, and she didn’t know how. 

(Y/N) retired to her bedroom, dismissing her handmaidens. She wanted to be completely alone. 

Her room was large, but it was not the biggest bedroom in the castle. That was her father’s, which had remained untouched since he passed away. After her coronation, (Y/N) would be expected to move into it. And she wasn’t sure that she could handle being in a room that reminded her of her father so fully. 

But (Y/N) liked her room. It had grand windows, with a stained glass one at the very center, depicting a colorful image of the two founders of her family line. As the sun shined through, it cast colors all throughout the room. Her bed was large and soft, with four posts and a lovely canopy surrounding it. Books were now scattered across the floor from her research and she had many wardrobes all along the wall, filled to the brim with dresses and gowns. They ranged from poofy and elegant to plain and simple. 

She flopped onto her bed, staring up at the high ceilings. What would happen to her once she was no longer royalty? Perhaps she would take her savings and buy a cottage on the side of a hill. She knew very little about fending for herself, but she would learn. She could buy animals. Or maybe she would settle in a cottage by the sea and fish for herself. She had read a book once that detailed how to make sea salt from the ocean. 

(Y/N) closed her eyes, envisioning the peace that would overcome her once the crown was off of her head.

 She wasn’t sure how long she had slept, but when she awoke her stomach was growling, indicating that she had missed dinner. She sat up, her body feeling stiff from sleeping in her corset. She moved her arms around her back, her fingers trying to pull at the ties that bound her. It was no use without a handmaiden. 

A knock sounded at her door and (Y/N) jumped up, feeling a little dizzy from having just awoken. She went to the door and pulled it open, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

Where she had expected to see a handmaiden, She was surprised to see Mako standing in front of her. “Oh,” she said, stifling a yawn. “Do you need something?”

“You weren’t at dinner,” he explained. “Did I upset you?” (Y/N) liked how straightforward Mako was. He saw things simply. 

“Not at all! I just fell asleep.” She craned her neck to the side to stretch it. 

“Oh. Well, alright.” He seemed to be deciding whether he should leave or say something more. 

“I'm sorry for inviting the blacksmith girl unannounced. If I had realized you had a past with her—“ 

“Who said I had a past with her?” 

(Y/N) snorted. “Well, it was pretty obvious, considering you almost pissed your pants at the idea of seeing her.” 

Mako rolled his eyes. “You can invite whoever you want to invite, you’re the queen.” 

“I’m not,” (Y/N) insisted. “Not until my coronation.” 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, why do you keep putting that off? You’d think that anyone would jump at the opportunity to rule a kingdom.” 

(Y/N) pressed her lips into a line. “I like to take my time.” 

“Seems to me that you enjoy rash decisions.” 

“And you know me so well?” 

Mako shrugged. “I’ve been here almost a month. I like to think that I know a little about you. Jury's still out on the golden baths, though.” 

(Y/N) scrunched her nose. “I don’t care for chugging wine, either.” 

Mako laughed, and (Y/N) realized it was the first time she had actually heard the sound. It was pleasant. Warm. 

“I was with the blacksmith, for a period of time. It didn’t end very well.” 

“for you or for her?” 

“for either of us.” (y/n) nodded, leaning against the door frame.

“Korra’s smitten with her.” 

“Who wouldn’t be? She’s beautiful.” His eyes glistened with a flash of realization that she couldn’t understand, and then he shut his mouth. 

“If Asami wasn’t good for Korra, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?” 

mako nodded, his face very serious. “Of course.” 

“She’s my best friend,” (Y/N) said quietly, studying mako’s face. “She’s all I have.” 

“That can’t be true.” 

“It is.” (Y/N) gritted her teeth. The thought of someone hurting Korra made a rage bubble in her belly. “I’ve lost both of my parents. Korra is the only thing keeping me here.” 

“The only thing?” 

(Y/N) felt her face grow hot. she looked down at her feet. “I’m tired of standing. Do you want to come inside?” 

“Inside...your room?” 

“Yes, my room.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes and stepped aside so Mako could enter. He looked around at her space as she moved to her wardrobe and pulled out a comfier dress. 

“This entire room is bigger than the house I grew up in.” 

“I’m sorry for that.” (Y/N) moved behind her screen, trying to tug once more at her ties now that she was more awake. 

“It’s not your fault. It was still a nice home.” (Y/N) let out an exasperated sigh. Her arms couldn’t contort in the way she needed them to. “Everything alright back there?” 

(Y/N) poked her head from behind the screen. Mako sat at the edge of her bed. “I need a small favor.” 

“I suppose I can’t refuse the princess.” 

(Y/N) walked over to him and turned around, pulling her hair to the front. “Could you untie these for me? I'd do it by myself, but I can't reach.” 

“Where are your handmaidens?” 

“Obviously not present at the moment so please, mako, if you don’t mind.” 

He stood, and with nimble fingers he untied the silk ribbon of her corset. (Y/N) breathed in deeply and exhaled. she could finally breathe properly. She held the corset to her chest with her arms and turned around. “Thank you,” she told him, before she moved back behind her screen to get changed. “One more thing I'd do as queen is banish uncomfortable dresses.”

Mako chuckled. “The people would throw a festival in your honor.” 

She moved out from the screen once more, this time wearing only her nightgown and a silk robe to cover it. She had pulled the pins from her hair, allowing it to move freely. “Tell me about your parents,” She said. It was rare she got a moment alone with Mako. She wanted to learn as much about him as she could. 

“There’s not much to tell. They were killed by a mugger when we were out walking one night.” 

“‘We?’” (Y/N) repeated. “You were with them?” Mako nodded. “Oh, Mako, i’m so sorry.” 

“It was a long time ago,” Mako said as he swallowed. “But it’s why Bolin and I had to learn to steal. it was the only way we could survive.” 

“The orphanage—“ 

“We went, for a while. A couple wanted to adopt Bolin. I couldn’t let them separate us, so we ran.” Mako shook his head. “You probably think me selfish, for keeping my brother from a chance at a better life.” 

(Y/N) sat beside him on her bed. “When Korra was eighteen, she became a knight. I was happy when she did, it was all that she wanted her entire life. But then I thought about how knights go to war and sometimes they don’t return. So I asked my father to do something to keep Korra here. He assigned her to the royal guard. I know it’s not her dream, but it’s all I could do to keep her safe.” she looked at mako. “What I’m trying to say is, no, I don’t think you’re selfish. I would’ve done the same thing.” 

“If korra’s the only thing keeping you here, why do you want to leave so badly?” 

(Y/N) stiffened, furrowing her brows. “What are you talking about?” 

“It’s plain to see. Refusing your coronation, not even batting an eye at marriage proposals. bringing bolin and I here. I knew you wanted to leave as soon as you brought us here, but I couldn't figure out why.” 

(Y/N) swallowed. “I’m not fit to rule a kingdom.” 

Mako scoffed. “I’d beg to differ. you boss everyone around better than anyone i’ve ever met.” He was trying to joke, but (Y/N) was not in the mood. 

“I don't like meetings or the people I have to spend my time around. You saw it for yourself, some of them are insufferable. I can’t lead an army into battle, but I can’t sit back and watch innocent people die for my sake. I just...my parents were such good people. My mother knew how to ease everyone’s worries. My father knew when to be strong for others. I don't have either of those qualities. I've had Korra to protect me my whole life. The kingdom would be better off if someone else ruled it.” 

She turned to mako. “Which is why I found you and Bolin and brought you back to the palace. I had to make sure you both would be good kings, and you are. I can’t think of anyone more reasonable, or kind and just, or strong as the two of you. I want you to take my throne, Mako. You would be such a great king. You’re in touch with the people.” 

She swallowed, nervous from his silence. “I know it’s a lot to ask. But I truly do believe you’d be wonderful.” 

“And if I say no?” 

(Y/N) furrowed her brows, shocked. “I'll ask bolin.” 

“And if he says no? Will you stay?” (Y/N) was at a loss for words. “Because I know that if I say yes, you will leave. So why would I when it’s the only way you’ll stay?” 

She stared at mako. His golden eyes bore down into hers. She tried to read his expression, but there were too many thoughts bouncing around in her head. “I can't, Mako. Losing both of my parents nearly destroyed me. If something else happened…” She closed her eyes tight. “I know I wouldn’t be a good ruler.” 

“You do not know yourself.” Mako squeezed her hand. 

(Y/N) sniffled. “We could talk circles around each other all night. We won’t change the other’s mind.” 

“I—“ Mako huffed, closing his eyes. “I want to be selfish with you, (Y/N).” He released her hand and stood, walking out of her room without looking back. 

(Y/N) crawled beneath her covers. her stomach rumbled in protest, but she felt too sick to even think about eating. She closed her eyes and fought for sleep. 

When (Y/N) opened her eyes, she was only a little alarmed to see someone sleeping beside her. As her mind came back to life, she recalled Korra coming to check on her. She must have seen the worry etched onto (Y/N’s) face because she had taken off her boots and crawled into (Y/N’s) bed like they used to when they were little. 

(Y/N) turned over and stared at Korra, silently willing her to wake up. Her stomach rose and fell as she breathed easily, but (Y/N) caught the quick upturn of her lips. She moved closer to her friend. 

“You’re so weird for staring at people when they sleep,” Korra said quietly, her voice gravelly from sleep. 

“You’re grumpy in the morning,” (Y/N) replied back. She laid down on her pillow. “Mako visited me last night.” 

“I know. I saw him leaving your room. Part of me thought that maybe you guys had—“ 

“We didn’t, but if you’d like the conversation to go in that direction I’d love to hear how you spent your time with Asami.” 

“I didn’t spend any time with her.” (Y/N) groaned. 

“So now I have to invite her back to the palace just so you can make a move. You’re despicable. Next time I need to be there to make sure you actually do something.” 

Korra chuckled, then opened her eyes and turned over to face (y/n). Her expression was softer. “What happened with Mako?” 

“I told him that I wanted him to be king. and he said no, because it would mean that I left.” 

“Swoon,” Korra sighed. 

“Not swoon. What am I supposed to do now?” 

“You could stay.” Korra's blue eyes locked on hers. “I don’t understand why you’re so eager to leave. You have a good life here, (Y/N).” 

“I know that, but it doesn’t feel like my life. I feel like an imposter whenever I do anything even remotely royal. I was never supposed to be—“ 

“Enough about you not meant to be the heir. Yes, your mother was pregnant when she passed away, but that doesn’t mean she would have had a boy.” 

“The doctors said—“ 

“The doctors are wrong about things all the time. They said you’d be taller than me, and look where we are now.” (Y/N’s) face formed a pout. “You are meant to be the heir, because you’re here.” 

(Y/N) shoved her face into her pillow and screamed. Korra patted her on the back. “Look. If what you really want is to run away and never be heard from again, then I’ll support you. I don’t like it, but I’ll support you.” 

(Y/N) felt a stinging pain in her chest. Korra was a much better person than she was. Braver, stronger, selfless. (Y/N) turned her head to look at her once more. 

“I asked my father to keep you here,” (Y/N) said. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you going out into battle. A monarch shouldn’t behave so selfishly.” 

“(Y/N),” Korra sighed, wrapping her arms around her friend and pulling her into her chest. “I asked your father to keep me here, with you. You’d end up falling down the stairs if it weren’t for me.” 

(Y/N) gave Korra a light punch in the stomach, but smiled and hugged her friend back. “I don’t want to do royal things today.” 

“You don’t have to. Tis the blessing of being the one in charge, hm?” 

“But I have meetings.” 

“Hm, yes.” 

“And Tenzin wanted to talk about my birthday celebration.” 

“Oof, that’ll be a fun conversation.” 

“But maybe if I had a really fantastic friend who knew me very well and would be able to make decisions based on what I would want, then I’d be able to stay in my room all day…” 

“It’s a shame you don’t have one of those.” Korra laughed. “Alright, I’ll be queen for a day. But first I need to make sure you eat. Your stomach was so loud last night, I wanted to kick you.” 

So the princess sat in her bed, munching on fruit. She wasn’t sure what she would do on her day off, so she sat in contemplative thought. She could read, but she always read. Would Korra be upset with her for going outside? She wondered what excuse Korra might have made on her behalf. 

(Y/N) stood and decided to at least get dressed for the day. She chose a simple white tunic and trousers, securing the middle of her shirt with a belt. She slipped on her boots and took a look at herself in the mirror. Sometimes it was nice to not look like a princess. 

A knock at her door made her jump. She opened it, surprised to find bolin standing before her. “Korra said you weren’t feeling well,” Bolin said. his face glistened with sweat. “So I asked Tonraq if I could check on you for a few minutes.” 

(Y/N) smiled. “That’s very kind of you, Bolin, but I’m quite alright. I just needed a day off. Being a princess isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.” 

“What’re you gonna do?” (Y/N) shrugged. 

“I haven’t figured it out yet. What has everyone else been up to?”

“Well, Korra and Mako have been going to all of your meetings.” 

“Mako? Why would he—?”

“He didn’t tell you? Mako decided that he’ll take your throne if you plan on giving it up. Huge weight off my shoulders, honestly. I don't think I'd be a very good king.” 

(Y/N) felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. What had changed his mind? 

She and Bolin parted ways and (Y/N) sneaked through the castle, hoping to not be seen by any of her advisors or servants. Mako’s advisors and servants. Her brain was muddled. Bolin's news came as a shock to her, considering how Mako had behaved the night before. She tried to press it to the back of her mind. 

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She ran into the nearest room, a storage room with dusty boxes, but with a window big enough for her to fit through. She threw it open, inhaling the cool afternoon air. She lifted herself over the ledge and secured her foot to a protruding brick. Slowly, she shimmied down the side of the castle. 

“What are you doing!” a voice shouted, startling (Y/N) so much that she nearly lost her hold on the side of the building. She looked down, glaring at the perpetrator. Mako. He stared up at her, his face etched in worry and concern.

“Are you trying to make me fall?” She called down to him, taking another step. 

“Are you trying to kill yourself?” 

“Just shut up, will you? You’re gonna draw attention to me!” 

“As if scaling down the side of the castle isn’t doing that already.” 

(Y/N) continued climbing down until she was just a few feet off the ground. She landed on her feet, perfectly unharmed. “See?” She gestured to Mako, spreading her arms wide and rotating. “I’m fine.” 

Mako crossed his arms. “Korra said you weren’t feeling well. Something about you throwing up everywhere.” 

(Y/N) should have known better than to trust Korra with creating an excuse. She crossed her own arms. “I needed a day off. Shouldn’t you be in a meeting or something? Bolin said you’d been going to them all morning.” 

“You spoke with bolin?” 

“Why did you change your mind?” she questioned, her eyes narrowing. “You seemed very adamant about not taking the position last night.” 

Mako pressed his lips into a thin line. “I guess you could say I had a change of heart.” 

“Well.” (Y/N) swallowed, casting her eyes to the ground. “Thank you, really. The kingdom will be better off.” 

Mako said nothing for a moment before changing the subject. “Tenzin wanted us to tell you that your birthday celebration will be at the end of the week.” (Y/N) groaned. “What, you hate your birthday now too?” 

“I don’t hate my birthday. They just make a whole ordeal of it. Fancy dresses and customary dances and absolute asses begging for my hand in marriage while also insulting me. It’s a mess.” 

“Sounds like a fun time to me,” Mako said with a smile. (Y/N) rolled her eyes.

“It’ll be easy for you. You’ll have women falling in front of your feet to get a chance with you.” 

Mako raised an eyebrow. “And why’s that?” 

(Y/N’s) face flushed hot. “It’s the title,” she said quickly. “The title is what they’re all after, normally.” She looked up at the cloudy sky. “Well, I must be off to do my day off things.” 

“Care for some company?”

“But your meetings?” Mako shrugged. 

“Korra can handle it.” (Y/N) broke out into a grin. 

“She’s going to hate us.” 

(Y/N) wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, so she had to think on her feet. She’d like to go into town, but was far too tired for the social energy that required. So, she decided to take Mako to the ruins. 

The ruins were a forgotten part of their kingdom, ignored by all except (Y/N). She had discovered them once on one of her long walks along the castle grounds. They were the remnants of a great castle, probably even greater than the one she lived in, just a few miles away. She had scoured every book in their library, hoping to have some clue to who the ruins had once belonged, but had no luck. 

“I’ve only told Korra about this place, but she doesn’t like coming here. Says if she wanted to be surrounded by old dusty things, she’d spend time with Tenzin.” Mako let out a laugh at that. 

She led him up the entrance steps and through the threshold. They stood in the foyer, light pouring in through the absent ceiling. Before them stood a great staircase, leading up into each level of the castle that had once been there. “I think it’s beautiful,” (Y/N) continued. “It's like a whole world people forgot about. I used to make up stories about what happened here when I was little. I'm sure they’re still tucked somewhere beneath my bed.” 

“You’ll have to read them to me one day,” Mako said, tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants. (Y/N) smiled sadly. 

“Let me show you the best part.” 

She led him up to the tower, the only remaining fully stable part of the castle. Ivy vines curled up the base of the tower, having grown so much that they now started to cover the inside as well. Instead of windows, the tower had complete openings in the brick. It made it very cold, but it held a better view of the kingdom than (Y/N’s) own castle. In the distance were the mountains, the entire town nestled in a little pocket beneath them. Closer was the castle, its entire structure and grounds in complete view. (Y/N) glanced up at Mako, but his eyes were trained on the view before them. she smiled. 

“I hadn’t been expecting to come here,” (Y/N) said, wrapping her arms around herself. “Or else I would've brought a jacket.” 

“It really is exceptional,” Mako agreed. “Thank you for bringing me here.” 

(Y/N) shrugged. “You should know what’s in your kingdom. You’re going to be King Mako, after all.” She smiled brightly up at him. 

Mako’s cheeks flushed a pale pink. (Y/N) couldn’t tell if it was from the wind or from something else. 

She returned to her room, surprised to see Korra sitting on her bed and twiddling with her bronze dagger. “I thought you were going to stay in your room all day.” 

“I got bored, went to the ruins. How was your day?” 

“For the most part, boring. I’m never doing your job ever again. Although you should’ve seen Tahno and Mako today. It was like two starving dogs fighting over a piece of meat.” 

“Really? And what was the meat?” 

“You.” (Y/N) nearly choked on her own air. “Tahno kept insisting that he come to your chambers to make sure you were alright. I would’ve punched him in the face, but Mako was all, ‘I forbid you,’ and Tahno said, ‘Who are you to forbid me?’ And Mako said ‘Your new king.’ It was very dramatic, I wish you could’ve been there. Although now I think everyone is under the impression that you’re going to marry Mako.” 

(Y/N) rolled her eyes. She would have paid thousands in coins to be able to see that conversation. “I’ve decided I’m leaving after my birthday celebration. One last hurrah, you know?” 

Korra sat up quickly, a frown on her face. “Where will you go?” 

“Somewhere,” (Y/N) shrugged. “Not far away from you, of course. Someone has to keep you in line.” 

“You won’t be my princess anymore. I won’t have to listen to you.” (Y/N) laughed. 

“As if you ever listened to me anyway.” 

(Y/N) had struck a bargain with Tenzin for her birthday celebration. She would go all out, as he wished, as long as the people in town were invited. She wanted to make sure that her last act of being royalty would be good and that it would help people. Begrudgingly, Tenzin agreed. 

A birthday such as this one called for something more than the dresses that were in her closet. She could have paid to have one made, but a better idea had taken root in her head and wouldn’t leave. For the first time in years, (Y/N) walked into her mother’s chambers. 

The room had been well taken care of, as per her father’s orders. No dust shined in the sunlight. It was cleaned every day, each element inspected to ensure that there had been no damage to her mother’s memory. Carefully, (Y/N) stepped through the doorway and to her mother’s wardrobe. 

There had been one dress that her mother had worn that was always her favorite. She found it in the middle of the wardrobe, sticking out just a little more than the others as if it were calling to her. It was a beautiful sage green dress, made of the finest satin. It’s neckline came just below her collarbone, exposing the smooth skin of her shoulders. It’s sleeves reached her elbows, widening out into a bell shape. The dress’s design was simple, but (Y/N) felt that something this beautiful did not need extra frills. 

Once the handmaidens had helped her dress, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her mother stared back at her. “You look just like her,” said Katara, the oldest of the handmaidens. She had been with (Y/N’s) mother since she was a baby, and had been with (Y/N) for nearly the same amount of time. (Y/N) smiled down at her. 

“Thank you.” Katara moved over to the glass cabinet that contained her mother’s jewels. Inside sat the queen’s crown, each diamond polished to the utmost brilliance. (Y/N) bent down so the small woman could place it on her head. 

Korra met (y/n) at the top of the steps, dressed in her royal guard uniform. “You look beautiful,” Korra said, her eyes glistening with tears. This would be the last night the two friends would see each other. 

“So do you,” (Y/N) said with a smile. “You clean up well.” 

“Hush,” Korra said, elbowing (Y/N) in the ribs. (Y/N) giggled before looping her arm through hers. 

“I may or may not have extended a personal invitation to Asami,” (Y/N) said as they walked down the grand staircase. They could hear the voices coming from the ballroom. 

“I know,” Korra said with a smirk. “I may or may not have hand delivered said invitation.” (Y/N’s) eyes widened with excitement. She’d have to try her best to keep her eye on Korra throughout the night. 

Bolin and Mako waited at the bottom of the steps, too engaged in their conversation with each other to notice the girls approaching. Korra cleared her throat as soon as they were right behind them. The brothers turned around. 

Bolin spoke first, a bright smile coming to his face. “Hey! You guys look great!” Bolin wore a deep green suit, paired with a gold cravat. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” (Y/N) beamed down at him. She turned to Mako, whose eyes were trained on her. 

(Y/N) had never held much reverence for the boys that surrounded her as she grew up. They were all stuck up or arrogant, eager to impress the princess so they would have a chance at being king. She ignored them as best as she could. Her life was too busy to focus on anything other than her duties. Whenever she had gotten a free moment, she preferred to spend it with Korra. 

But as she stared at Mako, with his quick eyes and permanent smirk in a deep red suit, she felt something she had never experienced before. A pulling at her chest, deep and fierce at the bottom of her heart, that made her breath catch as soon as he smiled at her. 

(Y/N) had always felt out of place in her royal life, like she was constantly keeping up an act. It made sense, then, that she would have fallen for the boy whose life was completely opposite to hers. 

“You look beautiful,” he said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. (Y/N) felt her face grow hot. He offered her his hand. “May i?” 

(Y/N) looked back at Korra, who gave her a wink and disappeared into the crowd with bolin. She turned toward mako and nodded, placing her hand in his. 

The first few dances of the night were group dances, the kind where the pairs swapped partners throughout. (Y/N) would be lying if she said she hadn’t completely ignored all of her partners as they tried to talk to her, instead searching the crowd as she spun around until her eyes landed on Mako. Sometimes, it seemed like he had been looking for her too. 

After Tenzin announced her birthday and the crowd erupted into cheers, the music slowed and quieted, playing softly as the guests mingled amongst themselves. It was then that (Y/N) found Mako standing at the edge of the crowd. 

“Where’d you learn to dance like that?” (Y/N) asked as she approached him. Mako smirked. 

“Commoners have parties too, you know.” (Y/N) grinned. 

“I'll have to go to one sometime.” Mako shifted on his feet. He seemed nervous. 

“I didn’t get the chance earlier, but happy birthday (Y/N).” She smiled again. 

“Thank you, Mako.” 

“Could you walk with me? I hate to take you away from your guests, but…” 

“It’s really alright. I told you, I'm not the biggest fan of these sorts of things.” She took Mako’s hand in hers and let him lead the way. 

He took her through the hallways of the castle and to his room, a simple guest bedroom on the floor below hers. “Wait here,” he said, before disappearing inside and shutting the door behind him. (Y/N) raised her eyebrows, confused. whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t this. 

After a few moments, Mako opened the door, one of his hands behind his back. “Alright, you can come in.” 

Slowly, (Y/N) entered his room. It was simple, but there were elements of it that were so Mako. It was hard to explain why it made (Y/N) feel giddy being in there, or why butterflies had nestled themselves in her stomach. 

“I got you a present,” Mako said. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” (Y/N) chided. 

“I know, I wanted to.” He placed a small box on the wooden table between them. (Y/N) reached for it. “Before you open it, I want to say something. I sincerely thank you for bringing my brother and I into your home. for giving us the means to lead a better life. And while I’ve accepted your offer of taking the throne, I just wanted to say…” He paused, chewing on his bottom lip. “I wanted to ask if maybe you would change your mind.” 

“I'm not changing my mind about this, Mako. I don’t want the throne.” 

“Not that, I couldn't care less about the throne. I wanted to ask if you would change your mind about leaving.” 

(Y/N) blinked at him, unsure of what to say. 

“I didn’t accept your offer because I want to be king.” 

“Then why did you?” 

“Because if I don't, if I force you to stay here, I could be preventing you from doing what is best for you. So I agreed to be king because I didn't want you to be trapped here. Which is why I’m begging you now, please stay.” 

“Mako…” 

“You can’t tell me there isn’t a part of you that isn’t unsure about leaving. I saw it that night in your room. You might not want the crown, but you’re not certain that you want to leave.”

“If I give up the crown, there’s no reason for me to stay. I can’t just live in the palace as a commoner. I'd have to leave, it’s the only thing to do.” 

“I want you to lead the life you want. I know your plan is to leave the kingdom tonight. If leaving is what you think is best, I understand.”

(Y/N) stared up at him. She was unsure what would be best. She had no plan, no idea what she wanted to do once she had walked through the castle gates. She anticipated that things would figure themselves out. 

But the man in front of her was throwing a wrench into her plans. He stared at her so honestly that (Y/N) thought he might be staring into her soul. Was leaving what she really wanted? She would leave behind everyone she had ever known. Tenzin, Korra, Bolin. And Mako. 

“If leaving is what you truly want,” Mako continued. “After tonight I will send you away with everything you need. I won’t bother you again. But before you leave, you have to know. I need you to know. That I love you, (Y/N). You are reckless and brave. You once called me kind and selfless, but those are the qualities I see in you. You asked me to take the throne and I did. I’d take on the weight of the world for you if you requested. If you leave, you’ll be taking a piece of me with you.” 

(Y/N) looked up at him, searching his face for a smirk or a trick, but Mako remained serious. Genuine. 

“If you don’t feel the same, I understand. I just needed to tell you before it was too late.” 

(Y/N) swiftly crossed the distance between the two of them, fisting her hands into his dress shirt and pulling him down toward her. Her lips collided with his. In the fairytales she used to read, it always took someone a moment to get used to being kissed by the other, but Mako was quick. His arms wrapped around her frame, pulling her so tightly to him that she felt like she might burst. 

They pulled away a few moments later, Mako leaning his head against hers as they caught their breath. He separated first, reaching back toward the small box that had sat forgotten on the table. mako’s nimble fingers untied the box, guiding one of her hands to it. 

She opened it, revealing a ring. Its band was gold, with a large diamond set in the middle and two smaller diamonds surrounding it. It was simple, but it was the most beautiful ring (Y/N) had ever seen. 

“It was my mother’s,” Mako said quietly. “Even if you leave, I want you to take it with you.” 

Tears streamed down her face. “What’s wrong?” Mako questioned, lifting his hands to her face to wipe away her tears. “Did I upset you?” 

(Y/N) shook her head fiercely, trying to gather her voice. “You’d give me something so precious to you, even if I decided to leave?” 

“You are precious to me,” Mako insisted. “I want you to be happy. No matter what you choose, (Y/N), I won’t hate you.” 

She looked up at him through watery eyes and stood on her toes, kissing him once more. When she pulled away, she laughed. “I tried to convince myself that I didn’t have feelings for you. I thought it would make leaving easier. But every moment I spent with you made me sad, because it meant that I was one step closer to the last.” She lifted her hand to touch his cheek, her thumb stroking his cheekbone. “I never expected for you to have my heart, but it’s yours.”

Mako breathed a sigh of relief, a bright smile coming to his face as he drew (Y/N) into his arms. He spun her around the room, both laughing before he set her back down again. 

He took her right hand and slid the ring on her middle finger. They exchanged a knowing look. Not yet. 

Once (y/n) had composed herself and Mako had sneaked his fair share of kisses, the two left his bedroom and returned to the ball, filtering back into the crowd completely unnoticed. 

A tap on her shoulder startled her, and (Y/N) turned around to find Korra smirking down at her. “Where have you been? Tahno hijacked the ball for a bit. Said he wouldn’t let anyone leave until you accepted his proposal.”

“Did he?” (Y/N) questioned, her grip on Mako’s arm tightening. “I must’ve been distracted. I trust you took care of it, then?” 

“Duh,” Korra smiled. “I enjoyed throwing him through the palace doors.” 

(Y/N) squinted at Korra's face before reaching up and rubbing at the corner of her mouth with her thumb. Lipstick, in a shade strikingly similar to Asami’s. 

“I can explain that,” Korra said quickly, wiping at her face with her sleeve. (Y/N) laughed. 

“You can tell me all about it in the morning.” 

“In the morning?” Korra repeated, her blue eyes going wide. She glanced at Mako, who looked absently elsewhere, but the corners of his lips were turned up just slightly into a smile. 

“See you tomorrow, Captain Korra. Feel free to arrive a bit late.” (Y/N) gave her a wink before pulling Mako further into the crowd to dance.

---

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[junicai]

Relationship with Stray Kids

➣ CHAN ☾ dachan

daeun is chan’s baby and the fact that she’s only two years younger than him changes nothing 

really really dependent on his approval. especially on mixing during the first few songs for skz 

skz has a completely different sound to what daeun was used to, and changing her production style to mirror that was a challenge

there are a lot of clips in the first few episodes of the survival show of daeun sidling up to chan with a notebook in her hand

and them sitting beside each other on the sofa while they worked

you can find dozens of ‘Bang Chan doing the Proud Dad smile because Daeun existed’ videos on youtube

its a very common occurrence 

hence why daeun hates hates hates being told off by him 

its never anything serious 

but she always feels so guilty afterwards, and then she’ll cry and then chan feels guilty

and it’s a whole guilt-fest 

so daeun usually tries to avoid having to be told off

now that doesn’t stop her from telling him off

can and will drag him out by the ear if he stays in his studio for too long

that’s a lie

she’ll just stand in the doorway and pout until he saves his work down and leaves 

works every time

sorry but this man loves to pick her up? 

its a problem 

girl isn’t even hurt or tired just piggybacks 

always 

he said he likes to carry her because he knows that she dances in heels for so long so her feet must hurt more than theirs does

YEAH-

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT.

chan walks at the end of the group, we all know this. but the one time he wasn’t, was when daeun was the second last getting out of the van, and had to dip back in to snag the bag she had left behind. already three strides into the building, 

chan - upon realizing that he had seven heads in  front of him, and not eight - spun around in a circle, eyes wide and shoulders pushed back as he tried to peer over the crowds. when he spotted daeun, he took her bag from her hand, snagging her hand in his other one, and refused to let go of her until they made it safely into the venue.  

➣ MINHO ☾ mieun

actually attached at the hip?

genuinely

like, no one was going to peg the very intimidating and sullen looking-fellow with the bubbly bitch with pink in her hair and yet: 

✨besties✨ 

it’s comical 

minho’s dry humor perfectly balances with daeun’s unique blend of absolute buffoonery

 they have a lil tradition before they go onstage of exchanging bracelets

yes, they have matching bracelets

it was minho’s idea and yes, stays freaked out

it’s like a little, ‘see you on the other side’ thing

because lord knows daeun spent hours upon hours running herself ragged in practices until all hours of the night 

and minho Wasn’t Having It

so the bracelets are a little. U Got This. from him

really doesn’t like it when she cries 

to the point where he’ll do absolutely anything to get her to stop crying

it was then, that daeun discovered that minho gives god tier hugs 

God. Tier. 

minho and daeun cuddling when they’re drunk? more likely than you’d think 

they’re hilarious together, and probably one of stays most preferred ships with daeun and any of the boys 

the twt threadfics here are Legendary

the most popular one is a coffee shop au - where daeun is a struggling literature grad, and minho is a long-suffering night shift worker

absolutely does not tolerate any kind of hate towards daeun - verbal or otherwise. he blew a fuse the first time she trended for sexy pictures someone had taken of her at a fansign 

daeun had to tell him it was fine twelve times before he calmed down

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT.

daeun pulled down her skirt again for the nth time, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. she had her ankles tucked behind the leg of the chair and her hands folded over her lap to try and prevent anyone getting a glimpse up further into her skirt than was strictly necessary, but was - ultimately - doing a poor job of protecting her modesty. 

leaning over, minho took a glance at daeun shifting uncomfortably in her seat again, and shucked off his jacket - leaving him in a thin t-shirt in the cold breeze. before daeun could protest, he had laid the jacket over her legs, tucking it in and then sliding his hand in between hers and holding it tightly over his own lap. 

➣ CHANGBIN ☾ dabin

same age siblings !

both being in the ‘99 line, and with daeun originally training to be a main rapper than a vocalist

they were pretty comfortable around each other having spent so long training in each other’s presence

in fact

they even performed a duet together for one of the monthly evaluations

that was when they really became friends so to speak 

daeun fell asleep during one of their rehearsals on the floor of the studio

and changbin couldn’t just, leave her

so he ended up staying with her the whole night

was she embarrassed in the morning? yeah. and then changbin told her off for not prioritizing sleep more, and then she was more embarrassed.

now in the group, their dynamic settled into something extremely comfortable

when daeun was first introduced to the boys as a team, changbin was the only one she was completely comfortable rooming with 

his studio? nah, their studio 

did daeun sit in on a lot of the 3RACHA work prior to debut? yes, solely because she wanted the experience, and changbin said she could stay

it is actually his studio, but there’s a small collection (read: four) of soft pillows in the corner of the room for daeun to sit on as they work

according to her, she works better on the floor

changbin can’t find it in him to refute the argument, so he always ends up down there with her, with sheets sprawled over the carpet

when he started working out, he started taking daeun to the gym

swole buddies 

except daeun wasn’t allowed to build muscle and just had to run on the treadmill the whole time and changbin wasn’t made about that. he wasn’t.

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT.

changbin and daeun being the mafia when playing with skz and neither of them being able to look at each other without laughing. every time they’d make eye contact, daeun’s lips would twitch up, and changbin would have to turn away to cough into his arm lest he give himself away. 

ultimately, they lost - much to the chagrin of the pair, who wailed at their loss and proceeded to drink their sorrows away with the coca cola that they were sponsored for. 

product placement at it’s finest, even if it was a metaphor for alcoholism. 

➣ HYUNJIN ☾ dajin

lil beans

babies

awh

not at the start but now, yes.

he was wary around her, at first because hyunjin knows he’s attractive and the Last Thing He Wants is a groupmate that has a crush on him

so he was a bit, cold and aloof with daeun at the beginning of the survival show

he didn’t want to give her the wrong impression !

but then 

then 

daeun apologized to him in her video message after her elimination for ‘upsetting him, and making him feel like he couldn’t be comfortable around her’ and dear god

hyunjin’s heart = broken. destroyed. shattered into pieces. 

he still feels Very Guilty about this sometimes because he knows that his attitude towards her played a huge part in her feeling alienated and not like she belonged in the group

daeun tells him it doesn’t bother her but he knows

they talked through it though

good communication besties 

A+

he doesn’t call her noona though

he did, once upon a time, but then daeun felt weird because realistically, there’s only four months between them and that’s not enough to make her any more of a noona to him than he is a hyung to jisung and felix? 

they have a little rountine now, when either of them are upset

they pack up all the emotions for a little bit

into a little box

get out a laptop (doesn’t matter whos)

and just cuddle, with some blankets, and a terrible show or movie that they’re not really watching until the person is ok to talk 

arguably the most healthy friendship you will ever find

therapists around the country are giving standing ovations 

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT. 

felix padded into hyunjin’s room to shake the boy awake, before catching sight of an already-awake daeun wrapped in his arms.

“noona?”

“help-” she gasped out, patting frantically at hyunjin’s arm that was firmly wrapped around her middle. “he won’t let go. it’s been an hour.” 

felix bit his lip, trying to stifle the laugh that was threatening to burst out. “i don’t know, you look pretty comfortable.” he began backing out the door.

“felix. lee felix. lee felix you come back here!” the harsh whisper-shouts echoed down the hallway after the giggling boy. 

➣ JISUNG ☾ jidae

partners in crime

probably have committed some crime together at some point but there’s no proof so chan can’t yell at them for it

they met when daeun first sat in on the 3RACHA meetings 

did someone say: soulmates 

changbin is convinced that the angel choir played when they first locked eyes

like this

jisung kicked the angel off of daeun’s shoulder and now it’s just him and the devil racking up reverse-brownie points in daeun’s conscience 

he’s been a wonderful influence, truly

to be fair though, daeun did attempt to convince him to stop eating ramen every day (to a varying degree of success)

to no degree of success actually. she just takes him out of the dorm to eat it now, but chan doesn’t need to know that bit

daeun? did you mean: jisung’s pillow?

anywhere, any place - he just flops down onto her

many head pats

they are both givers and receivers 

no words spoken only HEAD PATS 

the comfort is exchanged through osmosis

jisung is wholeheartedly against her ever getting a boyfriend 

Absolutely Not. she is theirs, and he will glare at anyone else who dares to Look At Her

nap buddies 

they get a combined total of negative six hours of sleep per week so they always end up napping together 

it’s very cute

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT. 

less of a ‘moment’ and more of a series of events that STAY found hilarious?

we all know han jisung’s iconic converse. they’re legendary. unofficial skz merch. 

right well, daeun was seen wearing them out and around a few times by fansites, and one of them asked had she bought her own pair after seeing jisung’s at a fansign.

daeun laughed and said no, they were almost the same size in shoe so she just borrowed his. 

daeun stole jisung’s shoes. 

➣ FELIX ☾ daelix

stop they love each other so much 

felix said once in a vlive that he finds daeun really comforting to be around because she’s so calm 

‘calm’ 

he had a lot of anxiety about debuting because of what jyp said to him upon his elimination *angry noises*

so daeun tried her best to alleviate as much of his worries as possible

even if that meant sacrificing her own sleep to sit with him in the kitchen and talk things out

sorry i’d like to revisit the point that They Love Each Other Very Much 

felix says that he was worried about leaving his sisters behind, so having another noona was really comforting to him 

daeun absolutely has an australian accent when she speaks english now and it is completely felix’s fault 

he’d actively correct her pronunciation to make her sound more australian because he thinks the accent is so cute on her  

aggressively cute together 

you will get a toothache if you watch them for too long 

someone stop them they’re so adorable 

he likes to give out random compliments to see how red he can make her face go before she whacks him to get him to stop 

the results conclude: a pretty nice cherry-cheeked colour

felix really lives up to his koala nickname when he’s around daeun

will latch on and will not let go until he has to 

you thought chan loved felix? now see: chan watching daeun and felix 

pain

its so painful he just smiles like everything is right with the world and it IS because felix and daeun are there and aaaaaAAAA-

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT.

a sad moment, but one that features in every compilation of daelix’s interactions anyway. when daeun’s name was called for her elimination, she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and schooling her face into something impassive. the boys were all staring at her with devastated looks on their faces, but nothing was matching the look that felix was giving her from his position right by her side. 

he choked out her name, stumbling forwards into her arms as she caught him and wrapped him in a hug. felix apologized profusely for being the one in need of comfort, while daeun just ran a hand over his hair and told him it was alright, she was alright. 

➣ SEUNGMIN ☾ daseung

protector of daeun’s sanity

she has One (1) well behaved dongsaeng and its kim seungmin

it’s not that he’s less likely to act out than the others, really. it’s that he’s the least likely to die while doing it, so that = most well behaved, in daeun’s books 

daeun likes to squish his cheeks

no reason

other than, soft cheeks go squish and seungmin lets her so why would she forsake this golden opportunity

now if he wants to sit on the couch beside her he has to resign himself to cheek-smooshing 

also cheek kisses, rarely. usually when daeun’s intoxicated.

the boys had figured that both of their personalities together would just merge and create an even more chill environment

calm²

but NO

pemdas

it cancelled out

they’re not Chaotic but they’re certainly not Calm 

it’s a unique vibe that can only be described by this -> link

sorry

scholars but minus the education 

profound visionaries but they’re blind, type beat 

have the combined brainpower of the librarian gary from that one spongebob episode but they choose not to utilize it for the memes 

in all seriousness though, they’re very comfortable around each other 

seungmin struggled a lot with confidence during their debut months, and daeun was the only person who really knew the full extent of it all 

there was a Hefty Amount of nighttime talks on daeun’s bed under blankets stolen from the living room 

FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT. 

seungmin can sing, we all know that. but stray kids’ style rarely allows for full ballad songs on an album, so seungmin being given the opportunity to perform ‘Love Poem’ on Kingdom was truly a blessing in disguise. (the disguise being daeun’s re-occuring vocal nodules that left her unable to perform). 

after the performance, seungmin had barely taken a foot off the stage before he was being tackled by a teary-eyed daeun, who immediately buried her face into his shoulder to stop the cameras getting a good look at her crying. 

“n-noona?” 

“you can sing.” 

“yeah?”

“you sing so beautifully, minnie, oh my god.” 

➣ JEONGIN ☾ jeondae

the first thing you have to realize about daeun and jeongin’s relationship is that both of them can be the Biggest Babies in the world 

now with that out of the way

jeongin ADORES daeun 

im sorry did someone say ‘noona who wholeheartedly finds it impossible to say no to him’?

i think they did

he doesn’t take advantage of it, persay

but he Does and Will use it to others detriment - especially during games

“jeongin! you told me you weren’t the mafia! i believed you! this is a betrayal!”

she’s so so smitten with him and everything he does 

it is virtually impossible for her to be mad at him 

he just gets a little scowl and then a soft flick on his ear at the PEAK of scolding 

is the world’s worst enabler for All His Bad Ideas 

often complains that he’s growing up too fast and it isn’t fair that he’s taller than her now 

which he’ll then respond to by resting his elbow on her head and leaning on her, so. it never goes down very well 

daeun checks his micpack for him before every stage

every. stage. 

daeun is the only person who is allowed to coddle him as much as she does 

hyunjin is Bitter and daeun is Smug 

jeongin needs help with schoolwork? daeun would do it for him if she had been any good at school either, but alas 

 FAN FAVOURITE MOMENT. 

chan stepped into the kitchen, camera in hand. 

“what are you doing?” 

daeun and jeongin shove his backpack off the table, the coloured permanent markers rolling off immediately after, two black ones uncapped in their hands. 

“NOTHING” 

chan looked pointedly at them, and then to the backpack that had slid underneath the table. there, written all over the straps and the front pocket were small drawings, ranging from dinosours to the words (written in very terrible handwriting, so he couldn’t be sure which one of them wrote it): “skool suks!”

chan looked over to the pair. they scrambled off the chairs, abandoning the evidence in their break for safety. 

[doodleimprovement]

Victorian AU :: Act 3 :: All Strife Ends Eventually

Answers? Some of them...

-

Lord Lukas Arelius had forgotten what it was like with a soul. 

God, were emotions always this intense?

Having gotten the girls home, they took them into what used to be the “warm parlor”, and told them to start from the beginning. 

The poor man right near fainted as he listened, trying his absolute hardest not to interrupt, to let the story play out. 

His eyes were full of tears by the end. 

They did all of this… for him. 

All that danger, the lack of promise, the fear. 

All because they wanted him, and by extension, his brother, to be whole again. 

“We know it was dangerous” Bea added “We knew that you didn’t want us in there”

“But we had to! No one else was gonna!” Harriet added

God, what wonderful, loving, beautiful children he had found. 

He recalled how the forests had referred to them as his children - an important recognition in this situation. 

“... Lukas?” 

He finally looked at his brother, who was back to wearing the eye patch as the sun rose. 

“... Are you alright? 

“... That is a very deep and heavy question” he responded. 

“I am aware. I am still asking it of you” 

Lukas sighed, his daughters watching him from just across the way. 

“... I am alive, and I am whole in a way I have not been in quite some time. Whether or not that is “alright”, it does not feel pertinent to my current state” 

“... That was a lot of words for “no”” Harriet voiced. 

Markus fought valiantly to keep a straight face

Unused to schooling his expressions after so long, Lukas could not manage it, letting out a laugh. 

“Quite true, little fool. Quite true” 

Lukas took a deep breath. 

“Okay…. So, allow me to… summarize” 

The girls nodded. 

“You… deduced that the ghost was my soul, talked to the forest, made a promise and a deal with it, found where it’s heart was hidden, and returned its heart, which therefore canceled the 100 year trade and returning my soul and my brother’s eye” 

They nodded again. 

Nope, no, he was crying again. 

“Papa??” 

“No, Papa, don’t cry! It’s okay!” 

The girls huddled around their father, who gathered them up in his arms like the emotional disaster he currently was, holding them as tightly as he dared. 

“What ever did I do” he muttered, his emotion as raw as his voice “Whatever did I do to garner such loving children, just foolish, wonderful children” 

Harriet hugged her around his neck “Because you’re good!” She argued 

“Because you’re the best father ever” Bea added. 

“Completely!” 

Oh he was just going to keep crying, wasn’t he?

Markus sighed “Okay, okay, I think we need to sleep. now” 

Lukas attempted to collect himself “Yes, yes indeed. We are all quite tired.” 

Harriet let out a yawn as if to agree. 

“Alright… alright..” Lukas took a breath, and - with the girls still in his arms - stood up with little effort. 

The girls startled for a moment, before leaning their heads on his shoulders. 

Markus chuckled at that. “I will have Carlile wake you in 6 hours - that's enough time, no?” 

“Seven. The girls need more sleep” 

“Seven” 

Lukas nodded in approval at that, turning on his heel down the hall, and leaving his brother in the parlor with still unanswered questions. 

[lihikainanea]

LEIIII, CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT BILL AND TIGER GOING THE THE MET GALA BILL FuCkINg HeR iN ThE ReStRoOm????????????????

FIRST OF ALL, I have this like, weird interest in fashion over the past two years or so. I've never particularly been into it, but now my instagram is mainly fashion inspo and like, who is this person???? I've never considered myself fashionable, much less interested in fashion and now I swear to god I spend Sunday afternoons ~judging people~ and looking up latest fashion trends and how to wear things and I am just LOVING IT. And since nobody asked, I'm going to go ahead and list you my top fucking fashion ABSOLUTELY DO FUCKING NOT pet peeves:

1) Matching pantsuits. Hello, no. I know the designers that are trying to bring this back, and it's a hard no for me dawg. I am in my almost mid thirties and I ain't trying to look like a fucking old maid, thanks. These will never be fashionable. Just stop.

2) Derby shoes. These literally don't go with anything. I'm not sorry. If you're that committed to huge, clunky, ugly fucking shoes, get clogs. I ain't saying you have to wear heels, not at all. But find yourself some nice oxfords, a nice loafer, hell even some mules--and they will be infinitely nicer than fucking derby shoes.

3) Layering. No, kids. Baum und Pferdgarten, I love you. I do. I have a few of your dresses. But ya'll motherfuckers need to stop with this pajama-esque, mixed and clashing pattern, oversized bullshit looks that you call fashion. There is a way to wear slouchy, and babes, THAT AIN'T IT. YOU LITERALLY LOOK LIKE A FUCKING WARHOL PAINTING THREW UP ON YOU. Mixing patterns is cool, we like that, but Jesus Christ it has to have some consistency.

alright, now onto the actual ask.

All of this to say, I kept a keen eye on the Met Gala this year and I was...perplexed. At best. Horrified, at worst.

So like, tiger right? There's little else in the world that tiger hates as much as Bill's outwardly Hollywood side. The parties. The schmoozing. And I mean, she knows it's part of his life so that's fine, but in fairness--Bill also abhors this side. He loathes it. And he's been to the Met gala once, which notoriously never allows a +1 unless that +1 is famous, but low and behold--by some stroke of luck--Bill's invitation this year allows for it.

"No." tiger says immediately.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask!" he exclaims.

"I know what that is," she points to the invitation in his hand, "And no."

It's a hard no. It takes Bill weeks--because like, tiger ain't Hollywood. She doesn't want to do the dress. She doesn't want the mingling with fucking celebrity guests. She doesn't want the paparazzi. She wants none of it. But like, eventually--after so much begging--eventually Bill gets her to agree. His stylist will get a dress for her. Hair and make up is taken care of. Bill promises her that she can just slip in the back, sit at the table, and have cocktails to her heart's galore while he walks the red carpet. She doesn't have to be photographed--and truth be told, tiger's a nobody so people aren't really interested in photographing her anyway. That's fine by her.

The dress worries her, because tiger isn't exactly celebrity material but the stylist is so kind in taking measurements. Bill handles everything--the flights, the make up reservations, the hair appointments. On the day of, he checks them into the Bowery Hotel and then tiger doesn't have to worry about a thing. He shoves a fluffy robe at her, and then there's just a flurry of activity--massages first. Breakfast after. A stint in the steam room--which they absolutely have sex in. Facials. Manicures--for both. A light lunch. And then the bell rings and in come a flurry of a team ready to glamorize them--Bill's favourite groomer, his stylist, tiger's make up artist, her hair stylist. The primping process is the longest tiger has ever been through--but there's wine, there's snacks, her Big Dude is right beside her looking handsome as all hell. And when tiger puts on a dress that is worth more than she makes in a year, when her hair is all done up and her make up is perfect--she begrudgingly admits to him that yes, Beeeeeel, she does feel pretty.

"You look stunning kid," he praises, pressing a gentle kiss on her cheek. To her slight embarrassment (but secret joy), he hands his phone off to his assistant and asks for a few pictures.

And like, here's the thing right? The Met Gala has a strict policy: no spouses or couples seated together. Seriously, it's a thing. Look it up. And while tiger is mildly freaking out about that, she calms down considerably when she does see a name tag at her table that she recognizes.

Alex. Skarsgård.

Tiger smiles, Bill grimaces.

And that's what starts it, right? Bill is at a table far away but not too far, and right where he can keep her in his line of sights. He knows she wasn't looking forward to this so he wants to keep an eye on her, but then like....why the fuck does she look like she's having so much fun? Alex is cracking the whole table up, being his usual charismatic self. Tiger is laughing, guffawing actually, beyond control--her hand on his, clutching his forearm. Bill barely even makes conversation with his own table, he's staring so intently at the two of them and tiger looking like she's having the best night of her life.

Bill's blood is boiling. It boils even more when he sees tiger make a face at her main plate--her nose wrinkling, her lip curled in disgust--and without missing a beat Alex's fork swoops over, plucks all the green onions from her food, and tiger smiles gratefully at him. Bill slams his napkin down on the table.

"Excuse me," he mutters in response to the curious glances. And then he stalks over, heads right to her table, and he's so silent that she jumps a mile when she hears his voice in her ear from behind her.

"A word, kid?" he says.

"But the food just--"

"Now." he says insistently. He holds a hand out to her, helps her push her chair back and stand. But then he's basically dragging her to a restroom, and poor tiger isn't quite used to heels this high.

"Hang on bud," she pleads, "I'm not that coordinated."

But he doesn't hang on. Instead he reaches back, loops a strong arm around her waist and basically carries her on his side to the bathroom. Tiger's feet don't hit the floor for a good 200 feet. And once inside the bathroom, he locks the door and glares at her.

"If that dress wasn't couture, I'd have you on your fucking knees kid," he threatens. Tiger's eyes get wide.

"What did I do?" she asks innocently. Bill just glares.

"Having a good time, are you? Having the best night ever?" he accuses.

Tiger is starting to get a feeling what this is about, and oh man--she's about to rile her Big Dude up. Dressed to the nines, in a public place, surrounded by riches, and Bill is about to get a bit possessive over her? Tiger is a sucker for it every time.

"Yes," she plays into it, "Alex is being amazing. He's so--"

She doesn't get to finish the sentence, because Bill growls and lunges for her, pinning her back against the cool tile.

"You are mine," he snarls. Tiger just tilts her chin up, bites onto his bottom lip.

"Prove it." she challenges.

The roar Bill lets out is fucking feral. Tiger doesn't even have time to react before her dress is pulled up, he yanks his belt undone, and he's slamming into her. She moans, and he grabs her face in his hand.

"Don't come," he snarls, "Don't you dare come."

And like the good girl she is for him--she doesn't. She grits her teeth, tries to stave it off even as he slams deep into her, growls as his release fills her up, bites her neck hard enough to leave a mark. She whimpers, her knees wobbly, and tries to reach for a tissue.

"No," he grabs her hand.

"But it's messy," she pleads. But another glare is enough to silence her, and he swiftly pulls her panties up, smoothes her dress back down.

"You're going to sit there, full of my come for the rest of the night," he tells her, "And I want you to think of that, I want you to feel it, every time you look at him."

"Bill--" she whimpers. He silences her with a rough kiss.

"Go on," he said, "Back to your seat."

On shaky legs, she turns and tries to walk out as nonchalant as possible. He waits a few minutes before exiting, going to find his seat and sitting back down. He keeps an eye on her for the rest of the evening, but he doesn't even have to--every time he looks over at her, she's already staring at him--her eyes wide, needy, her knees pressed tightly together.