#ray’s adventure in cup land

[scarletttries]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companions Love Languages (Baldur's Gate 3 Request)

Request: "hi! i loved reading your baldurs gate companions in love headcanons, i wanted to ask would it be okay if you wrote headcanons for what their love languages would be? or just how they would show love to their partner? thank you!"

Pairings: Astarion x Reader, Wyll Ravengard x Reader, Gale Dekarios x Reader, Shadowheart x Reader, Karlach x Reader

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who sent in requests and reblogged my last Baldur's Gate post! Consider me open for any BG3 requests, let me know if you want to see more pieces like this :)

Astarion:

- Astarion has always had a way with words, and there's no exception in the way he sings his praises of you. He is quick to tell you how you have won his favour, how he prefers you to any of his other travelling companions, how he looks forward to the moment you open your eyes each morning. He will come up with a thousand sweet pet names to lavish you with affection, her purring voice leaving no trace of doubt that he doesn't mean exactly what he says. And he takes a certain sick satisfaction in describing all the things he wants to do for you the moment you are left alone together, and watching the blood rise up to your cheeks, only making you more appetizing.

- After years of what felt like indentured servitude, Astarion always feels himself falling only more deeply in love when you do him little favours and acts of service. He never stops being surprised when you've set up his tent for him because he could tell he was battle-worn this evening, or when you fetch him a cup of wine before he's even realised he was actually quite thirsty. He's never had someone know him well enough to anticipate his needs, let alone selflessly step up to deliver those things wanting nothing in return but to see him happy and at ease. He can feel himself grow more trusting and open of you with every kind task you undertake.

Wyll:

- Wyll has lived a life subject to many stories, and finds himself weaving a new tapestry of tales with his Words whenever he speaks to you. A simple good morning is never enough, he must soliloquise on and on about the way it feels to wake beside you, and how each ray of sunlight captures your beauty in a thousand different ways. He will wax poetic as you stroll through the lands, letting you know exactly what he admires about you, and exactly what your future adventures together would mean to him. He wants nothing more than to tell you the story that he sees the two of you writing together, every sweet word just another reminder that there's never been anything more important to him than you.

- You can show Wyll how much you care about him by just being there and sticking by for all the quality time he needs. This may include a lot of listening to the heartbreaking tale of his father's scorn, and sitting in supportive silence as he tries to let go of some of the weight he has carried on his shoulders thus far. You also need to be willing to put in the time to learn a dance or two, the retracing of steps bringing warmth to Wyll's heart and flooding him with all the brightest memories of his childhood. And when the dances have your bodies twisting closer and closer then Wyll has another idea of how you can spend some quality time together.

Gale:

- While Gale does see himself as a man of adventure, he is first and foremost a scholar of the magical arts and that requires a certain amount of Quality Time spent with his books. As he makes space in his life and heart for you, he views his time with you as equally precious. He loves that you two can sit quietly next to each other reading for hours, or just swapping stories of your adventures. He knows if the gravity of it all is getting on top of him, he can pass an easy day resting his head in your lap while the two of you discuss what the future could hold for you, giving him reason after reason to keep on fighting and never surrender to ache in his chest. On the rare occasions that Gale has to spend the day away from you, prepare yourself for the most dramatic reunion you can imagine when he returns - sweeping you into his arms, ready to cling by your side as he tells you everything you missed while being apart.

- Gale has heard and read a lot of pretty words in his time, knowing they are often not to be trusted in their intended meaning. So rather than telling Gale you care, you find it much more effective to just show him with your touch. He's a needy boy at the best of times anyway, but with a gentle caress of your fingers over the nape of his neck you can render the chatty wizard speechless and completely entranced. It's difficult to overstate how much of Gale's day he spends thinking about when it all grows dark and finally he can retire into your bed roll and feel your skin pressed against his, feeling completely safe and content in your company.

Shadowheart:

- Despite having little to offer and no intrinsic idea of an item's value, Shadowheart finds herself compelled to offer you small gifts and tokens of affection as you travel together. It might be an especially well aged bottle of wine picked up while exploring some abandoned castle, a bottle she hopes the two of you can share as the sun is setting that night. It might be a resilient flower she sees sprouting from a hillside, she can't help but tuck it behind your ear and marvel at the way it draws out the highlights in your eyes. A cup of water from a glistening stream, a smooth pebble plucked from the shore, a sweet handful of berries found deep in a thicket. Her hand is constantly extending out towards you, with some small reminder that you are never far from her thoughts.

- So much of Shadowheart's life has a been shrouded in dishonesty and mystery, so when you speak to her with only kindness and truth she comes to really value those Words of Affirmation. Giving her your honest opinion, and letting her talk through whatever moral quandary is playing on her mind, will strengthen the deep understanding you share and remind her of the way you give her something no one else has before. Let her know you're thinking of her too, that you care about how she's doing, and you like her no matter what version of herself she is becoming, and Shadowheart will continue to open her heart and mind to you again and again.

Karlach:

- Karlach has always been a helpful soul, even if she's been misguided in the past about who she's been helping. So her favourite way to show you she cares is through Acts of Service, doing little tasks for you and reinforcing that your life will just be easier if you keep her around and ideally very close by. She is particularly happy when she gets to do something for you that doubles as an excuse to show off her statuesque build; reaching something off a high shelf, lifting some heavy boulder out of your way, carrying you in her arms when the day has been long and there's still a journey ahead of you. She feels like she needs to improve your life in all these tangible ways in order to let you know just how appreciated you are, even though it would be impossible to ever feel like you were being taken for granted by this loving soldier.

- After decades of burning ultimately hot because of the infernal engine in her chest Karlach has become used to being a certain level of touch-starved. But when you first celebrate her mended heart by throwing your arms over her shoulders, all that need and want come flooding back in a landslide and Karlach is sure she'll never be able to stop squeezing you again. Show Karlach love through physical affection and this fierce warrior will be melting like a puddle into your lap at the slightest touch. Wake her with a hug each morning, let her fingers grip your hand as you explore the treacherous world, squeeze her thigh as you settle round the campfire each evening. Remind her you're there, and let her cling to you in a way she has always craved, and you'll have a very happy Barbarian on your hands.

[jeonginsleftcheek]

The sun to me

Chapter VI. Caught.

pairing: hwang hyunjin x afab!reader

word count: 7.3k

chapter summary: caught in each other's hearts, you rise like the tide, souls entwined and playing notes that only two people in love can discern.

warnings: alcohol, hyun and reader talk about mommy issues, vague descriptions of masturbation

~ Masterlist for the series

~ next part

❤️Red gardenia - a silent way of saying 'I love you'

Only a few days later, in the wee morning hours, Hyunjin stalks the empty streets once again.

His mind is blank as he still didn't wake up properly, his backpack weighing heavy on his shoulders and a big thermos cup containing his favorite bitter liquid held in his hand.

Only this time he's not planning to wander around the island alone, he's meeting up with Delmar, the somewhat mysterious man who had asked him to join him in his fishing adventures.

Delmar waits for him on the pier where Hyunjin had met him for the first time, his figure once again manifesting itself in front of Hyunjin's eyes.

"Hey, boy!"- Delmar laughs, way too chipper this early in the morning.

"Morning."- Hyunjin's voice is groggy and Delmar let's out another laugh.

"Rough night?"- he asks, his hand coming down on Hyunjin's shoulder, smacking him in a friendly manner.

"It was fine, I just haven't had my morning coffee yet."- Hyunjin answers, blinking fast.

"Don't be a slave to such addictions."- Delmar grips the rope that keeps his little boat on the berth. He pulls the boat closer to the shore and nods at Hyunjin who still didn't process the sentence the man had uttered.

"Get in."- he says, with another wide smile.

Hyunjin somewhat clumsily jumps, his feet landing on the prow and he almost slips, barely catching himself as he flails his arms, making Delmar laugh again.

After he joins him, it doesn't take long for them to take off, Delmar sitting at the edge, manouvering the little fishing boat that barely fits the two men.

Hyunjin is a little too aware of how small the boat is and how they're getting further and further away from the shore, only the darkened sea in sight, as the sun still hasn't come out of it's sleep yet.

It's a bit eerie but for some reason it calms Hyunjin down at the same time, just like when one floats on water, unaware of what's deep beneath as they lay peacefully on the surface, only the sky above.

The wind that the movement of the boat creates is what refreshes Hyunjin, making him feel more awake and new as he manages to take a few sips of his coffee.

The boat slows down near a cove, and Delmar stops it, anchoring it in place. The motor sounds are finally silenced and the quietness of the early morning falls upon them.

"Alright, this is the perfect spot. Let's get to it." - Delmar pulls out two fishing rods, prepping his first as Hyunjin observes.

"Me and Isaac go fishing sometimes. I have to come and get him in his little castle and pull him out of that studio. He's always in there."- Delmar shakes his head disapprovingly, and Hyunjin lets out a little chuckle.

"He is always in there, but these last few days I've been joining him."

"Oh yeah, you're also some kind of artist, right?"- Delmar says and Hyunjin doesn't know if it's mocking or he's being serious.

"Yeah, I paint."

"Well, let me show you the art of fishing then, my friend."- Delmar lets out another laugh as he prepares the second rod, giving it to Hyunjin.

"Sounds good."- Hyunjin nods, after a few more sips of coffee and the first sun rays peeking out, he feels more energized and ready for the adventure ahead.

The scenery around him is nothing short of beautiful and he wishes he could capture it with his camera, but he didn't want to bring it to the boat in risk of it falling into the sea and disappearing forever.

Delmar takes out some live lures and Hyunjin makes a disgusted face for a second, making Delmar laugh for the nth time in the misty dawn.

"Hopefully your clothes are not too expensive, art boy."- he teases Hyunjin and he shakes his head.

"It's fine, it doesn't matter."

"Hope you have enough patience too, cause that's the most important thing you need when you fish."

"I like to think I do."- Hyunjin remembers all the times he sat and painted for hours and hours, just to hate the painting he'd created, throw it aside and start all over again.

The fishing rods with lures get lowered into the water and a comfortable silence settles between the two men.

"How did you decide to come to this island? I mean, it's not exactly big or famous and there's not much to see really."- Delmar breaks the silence after some time.

"Exactly."- Hyunjin rasps, clearing his throat.

"Oh. So you're hiding from someone?"- Delmar chuckles. "On the run from the police or something?"

Hyunjin snorts, Delmar must be watching lots of crime thrillers in his free time or reading those sorts of books.

"Just trying to ground myself and find my inspiration through simple things like this."- Hyunjin answers.

"This is a good place for inspiration. Might not have much but what little it contains, it can be very inspirational, more than your big city."

Hyunjin lets out a quiet laugh.

"The city is anything but inspiring."

"That's why I stayed here my whole life."- Delmar says. "I love it here! I have my little house and my little boat and my fishes! What else do I need? Nothing."- he finishes with a big smile.

"I wish I had that."

"What, nothing?"- Delmar jokes and Hyunjin rolls his eyes at the funny man.

Silence envelops the two men again before Hyunjin's rod gets tugged on. He panics for a moment but Delmar jumps in, letting out an excited sound as he helps Hyunjin reel the fish in.

"That's a good catch!"- he exclaims and Hyunjin feels so proud of something so simple, his heart full as the early sun warms up his cheeks.

Hyunjin has never felt this calm as the last few days, his soul slowly healing under the influence of the beautiful island and the good people surrounding him.

He can't wait to come visit your flower shop later.

You're working on a bouquet for Catherine and Bennet as their marriage anniversary is coming up soon, just as you hear footsteps approaching your little shop.

"Morning!"- you hear a gentle but excited voice that gets your heart jumping in your chest.

You whip around quickly, your skirt flowing around you, a flower still in your hand as your eyes fall on none other than Hyunjin.

The sight of him has you swallowing saliva that gathered in your mouth.

He put his hair up in a little ponytail and he's just wearing a simple white shirt and jeans but he makes them look so good, the jewelry around his neck and fingers is exquisite but tasteful. What makes him look even more irresistible is the wide smile on his face, the one that reveals his dimples and crinkles the skin around his shining eyes.

"Morning."- you let out a breath as you smile at him.

"That's pretty."- he lifts his hand up, pointing at you with a long slender finger and a wave of electricity runs through your body.

"W-what?"- you're confused for a second, your face burning in embarassment.

"The bouquet your making."- he smiles, his own cheeks rosy.

"Oh... That. Yeah, it's for Catherine and Bennet. Their wedding anniversary is in a few days so I'm just making a few different bouquets so Bennet can choose one to bring to her."- you explain as you turn back towards the flowers.

"Ah, that's really sweet."- a brief picture of Hyunjin giving you flowers like that for your anniversary, one that didn't even happen; runs through his mind and he has to shake the thoughts off before he gets too lost in them.

"It really is. They're so sweet together, still in love after being together for some time. The flowers are red gardenias. They had them as decoration on their wedding day, and they symbolize love. Lots of couples use them for their wedding day. You know the Chinese actually used to put them in love potions?"- you talk, not noticing how Hyunjin came closer to you, peering behind your shoulder, his eyes softened as he looks at your gentle hands and nimble fingers working so calmly with the delicate flowers.

"Hm, really? I hope it worked for them."- Hyunjin's voice rings right behind your ear, making you jump a little as the bouquet almost falls out of your hands but Hyunjin is quick as he wraps his arms around you and grips your hands and the bouquet.

The temperature in the room seems to reach it's peak as you gasp a little, your heart literally beating out of your chest both from your hard work almost disintegrating and from the way Hyunjin is pressed behind you, his soft hands on yours.

"T-thanks, I got it."- you say nervously but he seems to linger just for a moment, the tip of his nose barely grazing your hair as he takes a whiff of your sweet shampoo.

Lightning bolts run through his body as his mind almost becomes too clouded to think as result of being this close to you and feeling your warmth.

"Good morning!"- a happy voice calls out and the speed with which the both of you jolt away from each other should be studied by scientists.

"Barbara! Good morning!"- you answer, somewhat breathless. It must be 9am now.

"Oh, hello there. Aren't you just such a handsome young man?"- Barbara almost swoons at the sight of Hyunjin who also looks out of breath, his face flushed, the redness spreading all the way to his neck.

Hyunjin chuckles awkwardly as you place the luckily salvaged bouquet at the side.

"This is Hyunjin. Hyunjin, this is Barbara."- you say.

"Oh, you're the painter staying at Isaac's house? Oh how wonderful! Welcome to our little island."- Barbara shakes Hyunjin's hand a little too violently as you stifle a laugh at his desperate face.

"Thank you."- he says politely when she finally lets go of him.

"What's it gonna be today, Barbs?"- you ask.

"Oh, I just adored the zinnias you put together last time. And Whiskers particularly liked them so I would love for you to-"

"Make another one? No problem."- you smile at her and get to work immediately, ignoring the big question mark above Hyunjin's head.

"So, how are you managing here? Is Isaac treating you well?"- Barbara asks Hyunjin.

"Of course, he's taking great care of me."- he nods.

"What about our y/n here, she's quite the catch, don't you think?"- Barbara nudges his arm, winking at him and nodding at you.

Hyunjin panics, his lips opening and closing as you chuckle, looking up from the flowers before you.

"I'm right here, you know?"- you shake your head with a small smirk on your face.

Hyunjin looks absolutely embarassed and you feel for him, your own heart beating fast in your chest but you're trying to look calm and collected on the outside.

"What? I'm just saying, you're both young and... single?"- she looks at Hyunjin who nods just as you look up. "Why not make the best of it while you have time?"

Hyunjin went to answer but Barbara kept talking.

"Ah, I wish I had more time with my Albert. But he's gone in the clouds and there's nothing I can do about it. I do have my cats though. I know they love me."- she nods to herself as if to bring herself some comfort.

"They do."- you smile, giving her the finished bouquet. "It's on the house."

"Y/n, you are such a darling, you know that?"- Barbara smiles happily before winking at Hyunjin.

"Ah, it's nothing."- you wave your hand as she makes her way out.

"See you later, my little lovebirds!"- she chirps before walking out of the shop.

"Don't mind her."- you notice Hyunjin's flushed face and contemplative look.

"Right."- he purses his lips before giving you a small, shy smile that makes your stomach do flips.

"Hey, so what are you doing in the evening?"- Hyunjin asks, breaking the quiet moment and your heart skips a beat again.

"Not much. Why?"- you ask, getting back to your previous bouquet just to busy your hands and eyes with something else.

"I was thinking that you could show me more of the island."- Hyunjin says, biting on his lip nervously and your eyes get stuck there.

"I would love to, but the places I want to show you are not that welcoming during the night. But we can take a walk on a beach nearby if you're up for that?"- you suggest.

"Oh, that sounds great. I'll meet you back here around 7?"- he asks and you nod.

"Alright, sounds good."- you smile. "Are you leaving?"

"I mean, I don't wanna be a bother while you work."- he smiles awkwardly.

"You're not. Look around, there's no customers, only flowers."- you chuckle, gesturing with your hands theatrically and Hyunjin laughs, taking a deep breath in after that, the smell of all the flowers mixing together and getting him somewhat lightheaded.

"Can I help you somehow?"- he asks.

"You don't have to. You can just sit and..."- your eyes fall to his backpack. "Maybe sketch if you want?"

"I could do that."- Hyunjin stares wistfully at the sketchbook poking out of the bag. "I do need some coffee first. You?"

"Sure, you can get some for us at Bennet's restaurant."- you say.

Hyunjin grabs his wallet and leaves, coming back just in time as you finish the bouquet.

"Thanks."- you say as he hands you the coffee and you bring him out a chair.

"I can never have enough coffee and I think this is my fourth cup this morning?"- Hyunjin tilts his head with a confused look on his face before he sits down.

"I don't think your intestines will be too happy about that."- you chuckle and he giggles embarassingly. "But who am I to talk? I'm also crazy for coffee."

"I actually woke up pretty early this morning, at 4am."- Hyunjin starts.

"Oh?"- you encourage him to keep talking as you start preparing the second bouquet.

"Yes, I went fishing with Delmar."

"You did?"- you smile. "How was it?"

"Oddly calming."- Hyunjin squints, playing with the pages of his sketchbook absentmindedly.

"Delmar has that effect. He seems boisterous but he's a relaxed man. Plus, being on the sea in the crack of dawn must be really relaxing."

"It was, my mind was blank. I was just enjoying the moment, and I don't really get a lot of chances to just be in the moment like that in my daily life."- Hyunjin sighs.

"Really? You must be very famous."- you chuckle a little, arranging the flowers.

"Nah."- Hyunjin shakes his head and finally opens his sketchbook, propping it on his thigh that's propped up on his other leg. He looks around as you let out a snicker.

"I kinda don't believe that."- you say, as Hyunjin presses his hand on the page.

"You're kinda famous too, though. At least here on the island. You're the only florist here."- he makes a point as you work away and hear the scratches of his pen on the paper.

"I guess I am."- you chuckle. "So, did the two of you catch anything?"

"Oh, we sure did! He brought some to the restaurant and some for himself and then for Isaac. So, I think I caught my own lunch."- Hyunjin lets out a laugh.

"It's gonna be even more delicious, trust me."- you smile and you fall into small talk, you putting on some gentle music in the background to keep the atmosphere sweet and light.

The small talk eventually turns into comfortable silence as you work on the bouquets and Hyunjin works on his sketch.

Both of you are as calm as can be, lost in your own imagination but aware of each other's presence, instilling some kind of comfort into one another's soul.

The quiet acoustic music adds new notes to the already intoxicating smell of the flowers, bringing a trance-like state to the pair of you.

Hyunjin doesn't even realize it but his heart is guiding his hand for the first time in what feels like an eternity, amidst the shapes of the flowers his pen finds the shape of you.

You finish up the last bouquet and look at Hyunjin, your heart stirring awake again at the sight of his brows furrowed, his lips parted, his hair is now down as he runs a hand through it.

He tilts his head left and right as he stares at his sketchbook adding lines seemingly at random, but it makes perfect sense as every single dot creates a full picture that says more than a thousand words.

He must've felt your eyes on him as he looks directly at you, catching you staring at him.

"Are you done with your arrangments?"- he asks and you nod.

"I think I'm done too."- he smiles proudly, still somewhat timid at the same time as he brings the sketchbook closer to his face.

"Can I see?"- you ask and he quickly nods, his hands shaking a little as he reaches the sketchbook towards you.

Your hands accept the somewhat heavy book and as your eyes adjust, you gasp.

"Is that- is that me?"- you ask, your throat dry suddenly.

"Yeah. You and all your flowers."- Hyunjin smiles fondly but you can't look up from the sketch.

"It's beautiful."- you say, mesmerized.

You're beautiful. He wants to say, but the words die on his tongue and he swallows them.

"It is."- he says and you look at him, your legs suddenly feel like they're made out of jelly.

"Can I have a look through?"- you ask and Hyunjin stands up.

"Sure, there's not much there though. As you know, I'm experiencing a little art block right now."- he scratches the back of his head as he stands next to you, the warmth from his body heating you up to your very core.

"That's okay."- you flip the pages to the beginning.

As you look through, all the unfinished sketches that Hyunjin has abandoned and hated, surfacing out and reflecting in your eyes, bring out his vunerability out in the open, letting you have it and do with it as you wish.

The numb pain that suffocated him in the city, pricks at his heart like little invisible needles as you silently study the unfinished buildings, faces and views. The severed hands reaching out for your throat and huge laughing mouths with teeth so big that lurk in the dark with the intent to swallow you whole.

At last, you come to the wave, the one smudged with Hyunjin's pain in liquid form and you turn the page slowly to see the sketch of you he just finished.

"Not exactly what you expected, huh?"- Hyunjin asks as you bite on your lip and stare at the drawing.

"It's really gloomy, most of the time."- you say quietly before you look up at Hyunjin.

Time seems to be frozen in one frame as his face is close to yours and you can count all the unfallen tears in his eyes and hear every gentle breath he takes in.

Hyunjin becomes entranced by your beauty and the way you look at him, like you actually see him, like you actually know him, like your eyes are somehow magical, connecting your heart to them and pouring out into his own heart, seeing the tip of the ugly inside him and still not turning away.

His hand reaches up and your breath gets stuck in your throat as Hyunjin touches your hair delicately.

"There was a petal in your hair."- he whispers, holding onto it and showing you the red petal of the gardenias you worked with just a few moments earlier.

"Oh, thanks."- you chuckle, leaning away a little as you come back to reality.

You clear your throat and hand him back his sketchbook and Hyunjin still looks somewhat hypnotized.

"Well, it's almost my lunch time. Do you want to join me?"- you ask and that seems to break his trance.

"Um, Isaac asked me to have lunch with him. But, let's have a raincheck on lunch, and I'll uh- see you tonight?"- Hyunjin is somewhat panicked as he hurries to his backpack to put his sketchbook away.

"Yeah, see you. Have a good lunch!"- you stand on your tippytoes as he suddenly slings his backpack on his shoulders.

"You too!"- he calls with a smile before hurrying out of your shop, leaving you confused with a mix of feelings and his smell enveloping you in a hug, even more prominent than all the flowers surrounding you.

What was that?

What was that?

Hyunjin can't wrap his mind around the overwhelming feeling blossoming inside him.

When was the last time he felt like that, when just one look from you could make him crumble and crawl at your feet?

It's dangerous waters he's dipping his toes in but he can't help but want to emerge his entire being into the wild stream and let it take him wherever it wants as long as he gets to hold onto your hand the whole time.

The urge to kiss you when you looked deep into his eyes, staring right into his wounded soul was almost too hard to tame. His eyes flutter like delicate wings of a butterfly and his lips purse involuntarily as he imagines pressing them into yours, drinking you in like you're the very water that quenches his deep-seated thirst.

You may not have put your kind hand in his, but your loving nature touched him, played some kind of intricate song inside his heart and Hyunjin knows it's too late to even try and back out.

The seed was becoming a sprout and now it needed the sun's warmth and the freshness of water to nurture it into a full blossom.

Hyunjin opens the door to Isaac's house only to be greeted by loud laughter coming from the dining room. He leaves his backpack next to one of the shelves in the hall and follows the sound.

"Oh, here's my helper!"- Delmar turns to look at Hyunjin with a wide smile, a glass of red wine in his hand.

"Come join us, Hyunjin. You came just in time! I prepared the fish for lunch."- Isaac beckons him quickly.

Both of the men's cheeks are rosy indicating they've been enjoying the red liquid for some time already.

Hyunjin joins them, and as soon as his butt touches the chair, Delmar pours some wine in his glass.

"Drink up!"- he chuckles and the three men clink their glasses.

The meal is filled with laughter and stories from the older men's younger days and Hyunjin feels a pleasant buzz in his body from the wine, his mind constantly running back to you.

Hyunjin's glass is never empty even when he drinks the last drop, the space gets filled with more. The men have now started singing and talking nonsensical things, so Hyunjin excuses himself, getting up on wobbly feet as the alcohol rushes through his bloodstream.

Delmar protests but Isaac calms him down.

"Let the boy go. He's got plans."- Isaac looks at Hyunjin pointedly and Hyunjin hiccups as his face gets incredibly warmer.

"Hope those plans involve a pretty lady."- Delmar wears somewhat of a sleazy smile making Isaac scold him.

He must get like that when he's drunk and Isaac shuts him up before he can say anything else.

Hyunjin grabs his backpack and makes his way upstairs, feeling a bit disoriented as the wooden sculptures scrutinize him and observe his drunken stumbling.

He walks into his room, closing the door and weariness washes over him, making him topple over and fall on his bed face first, a grunt leaving his lips, muffled by the covers.

Hyunjin turns on his side and falls asleep instantly.

His dreams are a whirlwind of moving pictures, the red smiling faces of Delmar and Isaac, your kind eyes and soft hands, his mother's cold ones squeezing his heart until the last drop of blood has seeped between her knuckles. His canvases, splashed with color turning into thick blood that slowly drips down onto his expensive shoes.

Nothing makes sense anymore, unless it's filled with you.

Hyunjin awakes with a start, finding that he has an ache in his neck and that he's covered in sweat after the alcohol-inducing turmoil of dreams that have tortured him. His eyes adjust on the clock sitting on his nightstand and he gasps, lifting up in panic.

It's already 6:20pm and he feels like he's been run over by ten trucks. He gets up quickly, peeling his sticky clothes away, feeling gross as he hops in the shower, the cool water calming down his simmering skin.

Hyunjin's eyes are closed as he stands under the water, snippets of his tortured dreams playing behind his eyelids.

He hasn't called his mother in months. Maybe he should do that one of these days. Just not today, not when you've made his day beautiful, brought back a piece of his soul with just your existence. He doesn't want to be ripped to pieces again, his mother's cold voice piercing through his skin like a knife that twists and turns until he becomes numb to the pain it inflicts.

Shivers settle in his body, all the way to his bones and he turns the water up to a warmer temperature, closing his eyes once again and thinking of you.

You, surrounded by all the delicate flowers, you who is so strong but gentle and loving like a summer breeze caressing the landscape and swaying the grass like you're making it dance.

You, who are making his heart dance too after he thought it withered and shriveled up, dying between the cold concrete, buried somewhere to be forgotten.

No, it is not forgotten or buried, it is resting in your hands that are warming it up and watering it with the kindness that's undoubtedly running through your very being like you were made from nothing but pure love.

Hyunjin craves you, craves to be close to you but he thinks he doesn't know how.

Maybe it's because he's coming down from the alcohol, maybe it's because of his mother's bitterness or maybe it's because you actually see him, but he lets his hot tears mix with the droplets of water sliding down his cheeks to be taken away by the drain.

He'll be okay. He'll be okay. He'll be okay.

Standing in front of your flower shop, you're jumping from foot to foot in excitement.

You've spent the afternoon in a kind of haze, like you were walking on clouds the whole time, your heart full of Hyunjin.

You couldn't stop thinking about him, and you didn't want to, with him everything felt right.

The way he looked at you and smiled at you, the closeness of his face to yours poured a comforting feeling all over your body and soul, making you wish you could fall into him deep and let him catch you and hold you until the end of time.

Any other man who held you close, whose hands touched your skin, whose lips kissed yours, none of them had been inside you the way Hyunjin is, not even if they were physically inside you, it all meant nothing next to Hyunjin's presence embracing your heart.

He's five minutes late and you see him rushing towards you like a hurricane coming down at you, his legs taking long strides as his cardigan flails behind him like a magic cape, his hair wilding around his smiling face.

"I am so sorry for being late!"- he says as soon as he's within earshot.

"It's okay, it's only five minutes."- you chuckle and he tries to open his mouth just to cough and you let out another giggle. "Take a few deep breaths."

He does so, opening the water bottle in his hand and taking a few much needed gulps.

"You didn't have to run like that."- you said.

"I didn't wanna make you wait."- he smiles apologetically.

"I don't really have anywhere else to be."- you snicker and he laughs a little.

"So you're just hanging out with me to kill some time?"- he asks as you start walking.

"Something of that sort."- you tease.

"Ouch."- Hyunjin shakes his head, his hand splayed dramatically over his heart.

He knows you're only joking with the smile you give to him, and the two of you walk closer than you did before, your shoulders brushing a few times as you make your way to the beach, electric shockwaves running through your bodies.

"So... I got a little drunk in the afternoon."- Hyunjin pouts comically and you burst into laughter.

"Let me guess. Delmar and Isaac."

"How'd you know?"- he asks and you giggle.

"I've kinda been living here my whole life."- you joke. "They're always like that when they get together."

"Good to know but, I mean, you could've warned me before."- Hyunjin teases.

"Eh, even if I did warn you, they'd find a way to rope you into their shenanigans."- you shake your head as the gravel crunches beneath your feet again, noisy in the otherwise quiet evening.

"I believe that."- Hyunjin chuckles. "Also, they got even more shitfaced than me. It was horrible!"

You laugh, your shoulder bumping against Hyunjin's again and he shivers.

"I fell asleep after, that's why I was late."- Hyunjin excuses himself, not mentioning how hard it was to stop the tears flowing once they'd been released.

"It's okay, I really don't mind. You woke up at 4am anyways, I guess you needed sleep."

"You're right."- Hyunjin nods as you finally make it to the beach.

"Wanna sit over there?"- you ask, pointing at some rocks near the water.

"Sure."- he nods.

The sun is almost swallowed by the sea now, the first stars making themselves visible on the slowly darkening sky.

Hyunjin stares up as the two of you sit down on a towel you brought.

"That's Venus."

"The planet?"- Hyunjin stares at the shining dot.

"Mhm. It's visible during this time of the day."

"How do you recognize it?"

"Planets don't flicker when air passes by them. Stars do. And they're usually bigger and brighter. Plus if you observe the sky a little too much, you will learn the movements and placements."- you look down from the shiny planet to find Hyunjin looking at you now.

"Do you?"- he asks, his eyes flicking to your lips.

"Do I what?"

"Observe the sky a little too much?"- he chuckles and your face warms up a little as you giggle embarassingly.

"Only sometimes. It's just a mindblowing fact that were actually looking at the past."- you say, turning away to see the sun has settled down, the sky becoming more darkened, pulling the blanket of stars further over itself.

"I heard about that. But I don't understand how it works."- Hyunjin admits, a sheepish smile on his face as you look at him.

"Because of the speed of light. For example, the star Sirius is some 8.6 light years away. That means the light from it that's hitting us tonight has been traveling for 8.6 years."- you explain and Hyunjin gasps a little.

"So we're looking at something that has happened 8.6 years before?"- he asks, pursing his lips as he looks up, his brows furrowed.

"Mhm. And the further the star is, the effect gets bigger. Like there are stars that are millions and millions light years away. They may even not exist anymore but the time it took the light to travel to our eyes makes it seem like it's still there in the sky now."

"That's insane!"

"It is."- you chuckle at Hyunjin's flabbergasted expression.

"You're really smart."- he smiles at you.

"Nah, I just have a lot of time on my hands."- you say and he shakes his head.

"I know other people who also have lots of time but they waste it on dumb shit so you are definitely smart."- he nods and you laugh.

"Alright, if you insist."- you say and he laughs, only then making you notice how close he is to you, your knees brushing against each other's.

"What's that one?"- Hyunjin points to something in the sky and you lean closer to look at the direction.

"The three stars?"- you ask and he nods. "Orion's belt. Look."- you slowly trace it with your finger in the air and Hyunjin follows with his eyes.

"It's a constellation."- you say.

"Wow, why does it look like there are actual lines between the stars?"- Hyunjin asks.

"I guess we like patterns, so much so that we tend to create them even where they don't really exist. We need to pinpoint the meaning of things that surround us."- you gesture with your hands.

"I guess that's true. Don't you think there's some kind of pattern to it all though?"- Hyunjin asks.

"Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Like there are moments of synchronicity that really make me think that there are some big hands up there, rearranging everything to fall perfectly into place. But then some other times, I just think life is random and the universe doesn't care about us, it's just chaos that we're trying to make sense of for the sake of our own sanity."- you explain.

"Don't you think us sitting here together has some deeper meaning?"- Hyunjin asks and you look at him.

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things though, as long as it has meaning to us."- you smile and he returns the smile, thousands of stars reflecting in his brown eyes.

"I like that. It doesn't have to be some great design, just something we make out of it."

"Sometimes it's better not to question those things and think too deeply into it because it can drive you crazy."- you say.

"I agree with that. Overthinking about anything drives you crazy anyways. That's why I try to put all those swirling thoughts out on blank canvases. Or well, I used to do that, now I just feel a bit lost."- Hyunjin sighs as he looks at his lap, his fingers picking at a loose thread off his jeans.

"It's okay to be lost sometimes. It can actually be good, I think. It helps you find something new and maybe something even better than what you had before."- you observe the way his hair falls around his face, framing him like the most beautiful painting on a wall of some prestigious museum.

"True, I guess I became too rigid about everything and detached from myself. I'm slowly coming back to me, being here. Away from all the shit in the city."

"What is so bad there that's got you this lost?"- you ask and Hyunjin freezes a little.

"You're gonna think I'm a horrible person if I tell you."- Hyunjin doesn't look up at you.

"I doubt that. Really, I won't judge."- you say and your gentle voice soothes Hyunjin's scared heart.

What if you hate him after he says it all out loud? Could he lie to you and tell you some other story, one that doesn't belong to him? No, he could never lie to you, tarnish whatever it is that's entwined between you now.

"Well. If I'm honest with myself in this moment, I became a sell-out."- he snorts sarcastically. "I used to paint for the love of art, but now it's just for money. My manager pushes me a lot. I even opened up my own gallery with his help, where I host shows of my own and of course help other artists with their exhibitions. I always wanted that, you know, to do what I love and actually make money from it. But it just doesn't feel like me anymore? You know that saying, be careful what you wish for?"- he looks up at you and you nod carefully.

"Well, I got exactly what I wanted. My name in lights, my paintings on the walls, and all the expensive shit I could ever afford. It's just that, at the end of the day I'm lonely and indifferent to the world around me. It feels like I'm a shadow of who I used to be, just an empty shell going in a fucking circle."- Hyunjin lifts his arms up in frustration, before letting them fall in his lap again.

"And I have to do some things I'm not proud of."

"Like?"- you say quietly and he looks at you.

"You know what exclusive rich people parties include?"- he asks and you nod slowly.

"Drugs?"- you ask and he sighs.

"Sadly, yes."

"Can't you just say no?"- you tilt your head at him.

"Ha! My manager would eat me alive if I missed any chance to have some sleazy rich fucker buy my shit."- Hyunjin shakes his head.

"I know I sound like a spoiled rich guy and that is exactly what I despise. I never wanted to become this, you know."

"Hey, it's okay."- you smile a little. "We all have our burdens. If it's any consolation, I feel lonely too. The only time I'm not lonely is when I'm in my garden, cause the flowers are alive and they're there for me. I know it sounds crazy because they don't understand me and they can't talk back to me but I feel like they can still listen for some reason. Since my mom died, I never had anyone that close to me, well, I was kind of lonely next to her too. She'd spend more time in her garden than with me. I hated her a little for that."

"I hate my mother a little too."- Hyunjin had never said it out loud and he almost gasps at the slip up. "No, I hate her a lot."- he bites his lip, it's out now.

"How so? If you want to share."

"She never loved me. She only loved her paintings and she wanted me to be absolutely perfect. Sometimes she'd make me paint for hours and hours until my hands were cramping and she didn't care if I cried so I stopped that and never cried before her again. She wanted me to go to the most prestigious academy, the one she attended too, to become some acclaimed painter. She scrutinized every single detail, not just in my paintings, but me in general and one time I talked back to her. Oh, she didn't like that at all. I cursed her out and she slapped me across the face and called me an ungrateful bastard. So, I sat and painted even with my head throbbing with pain. So, ugh, I have a love-hate relationship with what I do. I'd love to just paint for my soul, not for other people. Also, I am sorry for trauma dumping."- Hyunjin feels embarassed as he looks at you but you are still there, gentle as ever, your eyes kind as you scoot closer to him.

"It's okay, we're both kinda doing that tonight."- you chuckle quietly. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, it's horrible to not have your mother's warmth while growing up, I can kinda relate to that. My mother was a little more present than yours, but ultimately she was living for her flowers. She screamed at me when she was sick, telling me to go take care of her garden and not let her flowers die, she threatened to crawl into the garden herself and do it even if she died right next to them. She was hard to take care of when she fell sick. I know this is horrible to say, but I couldn't wait for her to die. She'd be in peace, I'd be in peace. Like I had to leave my whole life in the city to move back here and take care of her. And she was difficult on purpose."

"I'm sorry y/n. That really must've felt horrible."- Hyunjin looks at you sympathetically.

"Glad it's over now. It's just that sometimes I feel like I'm becoming her."

"You're definitely not."- Hyunjin says quickly.

"How do you know?"- you tilt your head at him.

"You're too warm and kind to be cold to people around you."- he smiles, making your cheeks warm up.

"Oh. Thank you?"- you say and he chuckles.

"Look at us, getting closer through our mommy issues."- Hyunjin shakes his head and you laugh, shivering a little.

"Are you cold?"- Hyunjin notices and you nod.

"A little. Forgot my jacket."- you say.

Hyunjin doesn't say anything, just takes his cardigan off and gently drapes it over your shoulders.

"Aren't you gonna be cold?"- you ask, your heart beating fast as you put your arms through the sleeves, enveloping yourself in Hyunjin's scent and warmth.

"No, I'm warmed up."- he smiles at you sweetly, his cheeks rosy.

"So, how long are you planning on staying here?"- you ask, looking up ahead as the darkness had settled in, making it hard to discern where the sky starts and the sea ends.

"I don't know yet. Honestly, I never want to leave."- Hyunjin says and you chuckle a little.

"I guess the charm of our little island has gotten to you."- you wiggle your eyebrows at him and he giggles.

"It definitely did."- his eyes are on your lips again, and your chest constricts at the thought of Hyunjin going back to the city and leaving you behind.

"That's good to hear. You're welcome to stay here and become a permanent resident."- you smile and he thanks you dramatically before the two of you fall into more light topics of favorite movies and music, just to lift up the heaviness from before.

It is well after midnight as Hyunjin walks you home, insisting that you keep the cardigan and return it to him some other day.

And as he walks back to Isaac's house, the black clouds gather more closely.

Hyunjin lays in bed that night, restless and inspired, excited and aroused, in love and out of his mind. Grabbing his sketchbook he works tirelessly into the wee morning hours, drawing shapes of you into the pages, shapes that are already etched into his heart. The hand that was holding his pen, eventually ends up between his legs, as he imagines the two of you shaped like a tide, waves crashing on the rocks in fervor, sweat dripping down his forehead as he clutches himself and moves faster. He wants you, needs you, loves you. And he realizes that when your name spills from his lips just as he spills on his hand, hips stuttering from the explosive feeling it brought to him.

You are restless too, clutching onto his cardigan, giddy like some teenage girl with a high school crush, and you dare to dream about him, your mind constantly going back to the brushes of knees and eyes on lips. Your fingers dance on your skin, imagining it's Hyunjin's, hot and wet on your core and inside you as you inhale his scent.

As the white explodes behind your eyelids, a fire burns within your soul, the warm sea gushing between your legs, fireworks sizzling through your body, your mind screams his name.

Hyunjin. Hyunjin. Hyunjin.

✨Taglist: @moonchild9350 @janepg @velvetmoonlght @hwanghyunjinismybae @jehhskz @laylasbunbunny @porangporangmeong @jeonginslefthand @sapphirewaves @simpforleeknaur @laughatdanger @lixies-favorite-cookie @linavc @quokkacidal @thisaintredwine @m00gyu @yaorzu-blog @skzfelixlove @tajannah-price1 @puccaaak @aft2rsexs @xxkissesforchanniexx @aprilmaejune77 @lilmeowneow @stayjinnie @astrobebba @danihwang882 @kaysungshine @nchhuhi @1810cl @chartrucewhore @babigriin @jisuperboard @alisonyus @minluvly @instantsoulnight @kkamismom12 @its-stayville-forever @s3ungm1nxxl0ve

[sqtorux]

midnight fiction

an adventure of a lifetime with gojo. a comfort au of sorts?

wrote this on a whim hehe

short af and bittersweet, not proofread

12:00 am. midnight. or what you like to call it zero o’clock.

00:00, the small segment of time where everything just resets, a magical door opens.

“hey you're here” satoru greets you with a charming smile. bright blue eyes beamed at you behind his glasses as he held out his hand for you to take.

with your hands intertwined he carried you through the wind, floating high above the sky as blue as his eyes amongst the fluffy cotton candy clouds.

“oh look a curse. lets go save the world” he grinned cheekily as he heads towards the ground. “pretty, which is your favourite colour amongst red, blue and purple?”

he asked, the curse was approaching rather alarmingly but satoru showed no signs of fear.

“blue” you reply. of course the colour of his eyes could rival even the prettiest of gradients of all different colours.

“alright watch, don't blink!” he smiled as he conjured his cursed technique, blue. the blue forced sucked in and completely obliterated the curse leaving behind only its filthy remains.

“cool or what” he chuckled as he peered at you. you were gaping at how amazing he was and he walked over to you proudly.

now that the curse was exorcised, satoru took you to a beautiful field, beneath the shade of a big tree to have some ice cream, as is customary.

it's something the two of you did everytime you finished your missions. well, his missions, he just took you along.

you scoop the frozen treat and put it in your mouth, savouring the taste.

“hey let me have some of yours” satoru chimed. you held out your cup only for him to lean in closer.

cupping your face with his hands, he lands his lips on yours, gently biting your lower lip for access. as if in a daze, you open it almost immediately as his tongue slid in your mouth.

after a few dance of both your tongues together, he pulls away, wiping your chin off of the ice cream stains. you took the opportunity to do the same to his chin as the both of you giggled like the lovestruck fools you are.

he gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ears as he stares into your eyes, admiring you. being this close made your heart accelerate and your stomach churn.

“you have pretty eyes” he smiled. your heart was hammering against your chest trying to speed off.

“i’d say the same if i could see yours. all i'm seeing are black glasses” you chuckled. he does too.

he takes off his glasses and there was his blue eyes on display for you to admire. you were absolutely mesmerized by it and your world seemed to freeze.

satoru takes his glasses and lets you wear it.

“i can't see anything with this.” you grumble and he takes it off for you.

“that's alright. i prefer you without them anyway.” he flashed another cheeky smile.

your sweet whimsical moment was interrupted by the same magical door opening right in front of you. you were having so much fun with satoru that time flew by without you knowing.

your smile drops and satoru notices.

“it's time for you to leave already?” he asks. you reluctantly nod and smile sadly at him.

the door glows brighter and brighter calling you to it. you stand up and made your way towards it, not before saying goodbye though.

“thanks for the adventure this time too.” you smiled at him, heart swelling both in happiness and sadness.

“see you tomorrow” you could hear his voice calling behind as you enter the door.

opening your eyes, you were greeted by the soft morning sun rays shining on your face, your body on your bed but your heart with the boy with blue eyes underneath the tree, waiting for you at midnight.

this is literally my night routine :3

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Meeting And Dating Bilbo Baggins Would Include:

Meeting And Dating Bilbo Baggins Would Include:

Bilbo Baggins X GN Reader

Additional Characters: The Company and Gandalf (Mentioned)

WC: 1,125

Warnings: The Hobbit canon fighting mentioned, slight baby angst, and huge fluff

It was late at night when you came across the Hobbit home, with the glowing mark that Gandalf had left. You were a bit late, but only because you had become a bit lost in the beginning. You walked up to the door and knocked twice; hearing the loud chatter of the dwarves that were already inside. Hearing the hurried pitter patter of feet, the large round door opened, revealing whom you could only assume was Master Baggins. You immediately gave the Hobbit a smile, and Bilbo gave you a shocked wide-eye stare in return.

But, he was quick to snap out of his awe-like gaze, stepping aside for you to enter while offering you a cup of warm tea; to apologize for leaving you out in the cold. You couldn't help but fawn over the little Hobbit, who was so sweet and polite. He took your jacket, and you made your way inside. The lamps around the home gave it a warm glow, and the smell of food filled your nose. As you were walking down the hallway, you were greeted by the dwarves and Gandalf, as the dwarves tried to convince the poor Hobbit to become the Company's burglar. 

You thought it was mighty adorable when Bilbo's nose wrinkled and twitched as he stared at the Company's contract. His eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed before the dwarves spoke of the dragon they were definitely going to run into when on the journey; Bilbo fainted. You swiftly made your way to his side, doing your best to sit him up and lay him on his chair near the fire. You sat across from him, re-reading the contract as you waited for him to wake. It didn't take too long, but he awoke, after you, the dwarves, and Gandalf left that night, Bilbo came running up; he wanted the adventure.

As the trip began, you and Bilbo became pretty close, riding ponies next to each other, talking about everything and nothing, and laughing whenever a joke got passed around. Soon enough, you found yourself falling deeper and deeper in love with the Hobbit, and he fell just as fast for you. Bilbo was shy at first, but soon got used to having you around, and enjoyed your company. As did you.

You and Bilbo were inseparable, always being together, and even the Company noticed how close the two of you got. It seemed like there wasn't an inch of space that wasn't occupied by one another, sitting next to each other, or keeping each other warm; cuddled up at night.

And when you and the Company got captured by those nasty trolls, you were beyond impressed when Bilbo was able to distract those trolls; Gandalf quickly came to finish the job.

To be honest, after that moment, you knew you were in love with Bilbo.

Bilbo knew he was in love with you when you were brushing your hair, watching you in a dream-like state as the moon's rays shone down on you.  When you turned to look at him; your lips curled into a small smile, and his face turned red, and he looked away, refusing to meet your eye.

Even though Bilbo fell back into being shy around you, that didn't stop him from spending as much time with you. 

Bilbo would sneak you extra portions of dinner, and after you'd both walk together, staying close to the camp, stargazing. The company would notice this, and tease Bilbo, saying how he was treating you like royalty.

You loved seeing the happiness in his eyes every time he saw you, and you loved the feeling of his hand in yours.

Soon, you landed in Mirkwood, where you found yourself trapped behind a cell door. You sat in your cell, back and head leaning against the stone wall. The dwarves were fighting, yelling at one another and you were becoming tired of it. You just hoped Bilbo was alright. And that he wasn't killed by those spiders.

And imagine your surprise, when he came with the keys, unlocking all the cell doors and freeing you. You had to stop yourself from running into his arms, knowing you still had to get out of Mirkwood in the first place.

Fighting orcs while barreling down a rushing river was not what you thought was going to happen. You held tight onto Bilbo's arm, as he tried to stay afloat without a barrel. wishing the barrel had enough room for the both of you.

Upon exiting the river, then you pulled Bilbo into the hug you both so craved. The warmth from his body, the feel of his arms around you, your heart beating wildly inside your chest… All of these feelings overwhelmed you so much that you had to hold onto him tighter. Bilbo hugged back just as tightly.

"I missed you, too," He whispered in your ear, causing the butterflies in your stomach to flutter even more. He leaned closer, giving you a soft kiss on your forehead.

"I'm so glad you weren't eaten by spiders." You breathed, pulling away and holding his hands, looking into his brown eyes. They were shining like jewels in the moonlight. "I love you, Bilbo."

"I love you, too, (Y/N)." 

That was the night you began courting each other.

You'd both scoot your bedrolls together, holding hands as you stared up at the stars together.

Bilbo would tell you stories of his home, his family, and his old simple life.

Bilbo promised that after the journey, he'd take you back to the Shire with him; where you could live your life together. 

You loved that idea.

As the days went on and turned into months, you all finally arrived at Erebor.

The battle was stressful but victorious. You were all exhausted, as were those who fought alongside you and the dwarves.

But, in the end, you said goodbye to your friends, heading off with Bilbo back to the Shire.

The trip was long, but you were happy everything was over.

At the Shire, you were quick to help Bilbo get all his stuff back from his aunt and the rest of the Shire residents. 

After that, everything was perfect.

You'd help Bilbo plant the acorn in his garden, watching as it slowly grew into a beautiful tree.

You spent many peaceful nights sitting by the fire, reading together.

Bilbo would cook for you, making you breakfast in bed, tea at tea time, and so on, and you loved it.

You helped Bilbo with his book as well, illustrating some bits and pieces. 

You spent every waking moment with each other, getting to know each other and growing stronger together.

Life was perfect. And you wouldn't change any of it.

[confusedkittensposts]

Adventures of Meowley (part 2)

POV Castiel

Please refer to this post for notes

Part 1

“Here you go”, a cherry middle aged waitress placed his coffee cup on the table, taking his attention away from the band that was playing soft lively music across the street. 

“Thank you”, he smiled politely at her, a little amused by her curious gaze.  

Castiel watched the waitress walk back into the cafe, he had opted to sit at one of the tables outside. Mostly to enjoy the band.

He stirred his coffee, watching people take time to stop and listen to the music, some even dancing with their companions. 

This city was lively, with old fashioned buildings decorated with plants and colorful fabrics draped above the streets. The Seraph picked his cup, taking his attention back to artists as the song notes began to climb. 

He had made a habit of escaping to little corners of the world whenever he could. If only to remind himself  pain and despair were just a part of the world and not all there's to it. 

The performance ended on a high note and inCastiel joined the others clapping and cheering the group. He left the money for coffee and a tip, under his empty cup. 

He strolled the streets under the slanting rays of the setting sun. even visited an occult shop, and while the owner was undoubtedly human, she had managed to gain three hexed objects, hopefully her business will do better without them affecting it.

The seraph was watching a dog run circles between his owner’s feet as she bought flowers when he felt a supernatural presence, he let his grace warp around his, making himself invisible to humans around him. 

He looked around smiling when he spotted Charlotte coming near him. 

Charlotte was the youngest hound of Crowley’s pack and the first he had managed to befriend. To be fair,  his relation with the hounds depends on his relationship with Crowley, they are fiercely loyal to their king, and the demon is just as protective.

He placed his hands on her, scratching and petting behind her ears, the sides of her face, down to whatever part of her neck he could reach. 

“Hey Cas.”  “Hello.”

There was an undercurrent of anxiety around the hound but Castiel refrained from questioning her, knowing if they were in danger Charlotte would not have waited to tell him.

The hellhound leaned into his touch for a moment before pulling back, “Papa wants you to meet him at the graveyard.”

Castiel nodded.

The graveyard was located in an insignificant village of south america, It was spread across a large area of land, near the forest and dotted with old trees and moss covered headstones. Crowley used the place as a playground for  his hounds.

Charlotte took his leave, without any further information, saying she had another message to deliver. The seraph flew to the cemetery. 

Imogen, Ophelia, Friar stood in a loose semi circle near a bench not far from Castiel. They turned, feeling his presence, parting their circle.

On the bench, in front of the hounds, sitting gracefully, was a large black Cat. 

His head tilted to a side as he regarded the familiar demonic form of Crowley crammed in the little  furry vessel. The cat looked right back at him with warm amber coloured eyes. ‘Hello feathers’, the cat flicked his tail once, otherwise remaining completely still.

“Crowley?” Castiel walked closer to him, “why are you a cat?”

"Haven’t you heard? it’s the newest fashion”, he rolled his eyes, almost impressed by the amount of sarcasm Crowley filled in the few words. 

“What happened?”, the seraph asked, absently reaching to scratch behind Friar’s ears. 

The cat meowed loud and indignant, clearly unhappy with the question, “Had a little run in with my dear mother. She seems to think she has a sense of humor.”

A part of Castiel thought so too, but telling that to the demon was unlikely to end well. 

The seraph felt her presence a moment before Juliet ran into the graveyard, her powerful paws leaving deep imprints in the soft soil.

The hound was anxious and agitated much like Charlotte, it made him wonder how exactly the latest confrontation between Crowley and Rowena had gone down. 

“Castiel”, the hellhound nodded at him, before turning to the king of hell and relaying the news she had brought. 

The seraph listened to her report with half a mind; his hand twitched with the urge to know just how soft the Cat’s or well, Crowley's fur would feel. The thought was ridiculous And dangerous, if the waves of irritation he could feel rolling off the cat shaped demon was anything to go by. He idly wondered if getting scratched to death would be worth it.

“Feathers?” 

“Huh”, the seraph broke out of his thoughts, to see everyone looking at him. “Sorry,” he shook his head, “what?”

“My demons found the witch.” 

“And you need my help to have her reverse the spell.” 

“If it's not too much of a bother”

“Of course not.”

Castiel stood in a botanical garden slash nursery somewhere in Washington, Rowena was picking some herbs from.

“I hate flying”, Juliet grumbled beside him, shaking herself. “Can’t share your complain today, darling”

The Seraph smiled at the Cat nestled in his arms, Crowley hadn’t been happy when he scooped his small form up, but by now the demon had made himself comfortable.

Angels fly between planes, Demons teleport, but Hounds run between the planes, so he isn’t surprised Juliet isn’t thrilled to travel with him. But they needed to catch Rowena before she leaves the place.

The witch must have felt his presence, because she was waiting for them in a quiet corner of the emptying garden. “Hello, tweetie pie”, her red lips pulled into a grin. 

Both Juliet and Crowey growled, almost drowning Castiel’s quiet greeting. 

“Fergus!”, The witch quickly walked towards them, reaching for the demon. The Seraph took a few steps back, pulling away from her.

“Rowena”, Castiel’s voice rang through the plants, a hint of his true voice laced the words. The witch stopped where she was, her smile dropped into a smirk and her eyes turned sharp. Beside him, Juliet calmed down. 

“You are no fun, Angel. Maybe-

“Just remove the spell, will you?”, Crowley cut her off, much to Castiel's relief. 

“Why would I ever do that? that looks suits you” Rowena looked between the demon and the Seraph, “I will be happy to take him off your hands.”

“Just reverse the spell and you can walk out of here alive.” Castiel was in no mood to play games with the witch, a sentiment she unfortunately did not share

“I am sorry, Castiel, but I can't do that.”

The seraph sighed, he moved Crowley to sit on his shoulder, and stalked towards Rowena.

His eyes glowed with his grace, his hand closed around his blade, “Turn Crowley Back.”

“As I said, I can't. There is no counter spell, no way to reverse or remove it.” Rowena looked at Crowley, “the spell run its course and fade on its own”

“Liar”, The demon under the spell hissed, his little claws curled into Castiel's trenchcoat. 

“Did you truly think I would make it so easy for you? I am your mother, I know your annoying habit of having tricks up your sleeve.” Rowena turned to him then, taking half a step forward, “Can’t you tell if I am lying or not?”

“Hey”, they turned to watch a man approaching them, “We are closing, you should have been out 10 minutes ago.”

“Forgive us,” Rowena grabbed hold of his arm, tugging him along, “My friend here is rather enthusiastic about the plants, we lost the track of time.” 

Castiel followed the witch, asking Juliet to do the same.

“How long will it take for the spell to fade?” He asked her as they were making their way out of the building, Crowley made a noise of protest, but Castiel quickly pulled him down, holding the cat to his chest.

“A week or two”, the witch looked at the demon, “maybe three?”

“You know, I will kill you, if he asks me to.” “Hmm, I don’t think so.”

Rowena placed a little card in his pocket once they stood outside, “Call me, preferably or something that isn’t about your new little plaything.” She tried to pet Crowley again, but Castiel pulled him away.

“Why are you letting her go?”, Juliet asked, once the witch had disappeared. 

The King of Hell let out a sigh, it sounded strange coming from a cat, “As I said before, I will kill her myself.”

[rmelster]

—𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒.

CHAPTER TWO: FRIENDSHIPS IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT.

The storm had returned long hours ago.

Languidly reclining on one of the many couches that were gathered in the common room, Lawrance did not respond in humour to his calm position; his eyes had a restless glance. It seemed that the agitated state of nature had affected him in spirit. It was the dead of night and nor him nor his brother had been yet visited by the sweet Dream, and having been deprived by the Heavens and the strict rule that Sinclair had shared with them —never to leave Onstyles once the night had come— of the opportunity to wander around, they had made the oath to stay there until boredom or any major force forced them back.

Washington had been terribly disappointed to see the first drops of rain crashing into the narrow window of his room, soon after they had settled in their rooms; after a long and tedious journey, spent first in a dark ship and later in a horse-drawn carriage, he had the illusion of going out to explore before the inevitable start of lessons, walk around the forest and map every path, every stone and every cave that he is eyes saw, which he liked to do. But Lawrance, the always adventurous and lively Lawrance…

He preferred it that way.

"It is better that it rains" he thought, contemplating how the flash of a ray stained the once dark sky with a pale purple fog, and the distant rumble of thunder shook him to the bone, making him shiver "this place makes me uneasy"

Not many steps away of him, his brother dedicated himself to look at the books that rested on the slab above the fireplace in a dusty lethargy, softly muttering to himself as his fingers seemed to read some of the worn out, frayed spines. His little mouse, Cotton, the most faithful companion in his academic exile to English lands, played among some porcelain cups, cleaning the dust with his lustrous whiskers.

“Lawrance!” he suddenly called him, “Look!”

The youth seemed to be pleased with not having to remain another moment resting in woe. He hastily stood up and came by his side, expecting a great revelation.

“What is it?”

“Do you remember that time we went to the Fairfax’s estate? With the big library in it?”

Almost immediately, his hopes for finding something to entertain those idle times vanished. Oh, his brother and his silly little head; he thought life was like one of those books of adventures and intrigues where the protagonists found centenary secrets between the pages of an forgotten, wizened codex, or hidden rooms behind walls that hid family heritages.

“Yes” he recalled, indolent, “The library and that old dusty encyclopaedia that your dearest friend made us see.”

“With the names of all those who read it, yes. James Fairfax I, his son Edward Harry Fairfax, his younger brother Lewis, then Edward’s son, James II…”

“And? Is somebody important’s name on it? The Queen’s perhaps? No.”

He prepared himself to go back to idly lay on the couch, when his brother said something:

“There is a name crossed out.”

He ceased to walk and came back to his side.

“Uh? A name crossed out?” a malicious gleam invaded Lawrance’s turquoise eyes, “Someone’s family’s black sheep?”

“I don’t know. See it by yourself…”

The book, a small volume about birds, which had a coat of arms engraved in black ink the first page, appeared to have belong, in better times, to a certain “Carmichael family”; however, only three people seemed to have read it and leave their name as a testimony of their existence for future readers. Someone, of tangled, almost unintelligible handwriting, named “Sir Malcolm Carmichael”. Someone, of sharp, heavy calligraphy, by the name of Aaron Everling. And someone, named…

“Lads?”

The brothers turned at the same time, their heart on their throat, as they saw themselves being interrupted by the monotonous, benevolent voice of Clarence Sinclair. The young man, pretty much ready to go to bed, wore an immaculate wool nightrobe; his brown hair was tousled, yet his posture wasn’t devoid of that solemnity they had seen in him that morning.

“What are you doing? The hour is late” he asked, in a gentle tone that did not lack judgement. Lawrance saw how Washington looked at his mouse, then hidden behind one of the teacups.

“Just… Finding something to read” Washington hastily replied, cradling the little book against his chest. Some from of tick seemed to make Sinclair’s gesture tremble, but he was quick to hide it. A small, shuddering smile took place on his face,

"I wouldn't touch those books much," he recommended benignly, his smile as painful as if he was forcing himself not to sneer, “Those are dirty, worn out… God will know that dirty hands will have touched them… What rats must have put their dirty little paws on those pages…”

"No rat has ever touched those books. Unless, of course, you consider me one of them…”

Only the inevitable creak of the ground under light footsteps announced his presence. The three late-nighters turned their faces to the threshold, to receive, with an expectant silence, an unexpected companion on that stormy night.

My Ladyship @lordbettany / @aneruinallday / @theboarsbride / @ricardian-werewolf / @nealsneen

[thoraeth]

Words: 2830

Summary: Everything seems ready to take the Challengers' new technology to the next level. However, the only way to move forward is coming to terms with the past.

Chapter5(P.1) - Clockwork

<CH4(PT2) CH5(PT2)> | Read on Ao3

The sun rays of a new morning cast their dim light over the boots and uniforms scattered on the floor.

“Daisy daisy give me your answer do

I'm half crazy all for the love of you…”

Buggy lays on Ava's chest, breath slowing down into tiny clouds on his lips. He indulges in the familiar humming, in the comfy feeling of her fingers running through his hair. 

“You really like that one, uh?” he yawns.

“Yes. It's quite sweet.” 

Struggling, the pirate rolls next to her. 

“Damn, these beds are too tiny. We're joining modules tonight.”

“Are we?” Ava laughs. “Couple of weeks ago you didn't want to share a boat. Is this… a change of plans?”

“Maybe. Sort of. I gotta admit it: you've dragged me into something interesting and now I wanna see what else is there.” 

With a gentle rustling of sheets, the jester brushes his toes along her legs. 

“Wouldn't be the first time your follies click with me, after all...” he adds.

Ava sits up, smiling softly. “In Fugu we’ve got hundreds of stories about pirates: deranged creatures who roam the world, only caring for ale and adventure. Lives so full… Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine I could click with one of them.”

The blue-haired man reaches out to cup her cheek, when Ava’s nose wrinkles up and one big sneeze catches her off guard.

“Ew!”

“It’s getting colder, isn't it?”

A sudden knocking makes Ava and Buggy turn their heads towards the doors.

“Oi! You guys awake? Open up!”

Leaning against the corridor’s wall, Romi is shouting in a slurred voice. She massages her nose under the round lens, a box in her arms.

It seems like an eternity, but eventually a messy blue mane appears behind the sliding doors.

“About damn time.” The Captain says, squinting her eyes. 

She stares at the men blankly, wondering whether or not he's wearing a bedsheet. Must be another hallucination from the horrible hangover that's ravaging her, just like the sneezing blanket next to the window.

“I had the fire alarm restored!” She continues. “I’m telling you, jester: move a single bolt on my ship and I’ll fly your ass to Karai Bari!”

A heavy box lands in the man’s arms as Romi digs her fingers into her temples.

“Here’s some winter gear. It's already snowing and we're not even close to Karakuri.”

“Never heard of that.” Buggy shrugs. “Well, thanks and see y-”

The blanket sneezes again. This time it's loud and clear.

Romi looks around the room, perplexed, when she meets Buggy's guilty look and everything gets plain as day, even for her intoxicated brain cells.

“Ok…I guess I’ll leave you guys to, uhm, whatever this is.” she says, adjusting her glasses slowly.

The Captain turns around and walks out of the room with a cunning smile on her face. 

“This is one hell of a 164!” She chuckles, stumbling under the deck's light arches.

As the hours pass, a thick fog rises over the Grand Line. The Challenger comes out of the Belts, sailing across the dark waters under a storm of chunky snowflakes. On its weather deck, the crew is wrapping up in white camo suits.

“We take the icebreakers’ path to Karakuri, then dock at the farest end of the harbor.” 

Romi turns the Drifter on and gives her orders.

“Meg,Torres, Allen, you're hiking team. Go straight to the lab's ruins. If the machine is still there, we take it apart and bring it aboard piece by piece.”

As the engines hiss louder, the Captain raises her voice. “Buggy, Ava, you're on supply duty: we need fuel and components for the assembly-lines.”

“Two-sided?” the blonde asks, shivering.

“Yes, as in the blueprint I gave you. Now, go and be discreet.”

The anchor drops in the water with a low grumble and everyone zips their collars up, ready to disembark.

“First time in weeks we set foot on land and it had to be winter wasteland.”

Buggy frowns at the map in his hands, stumbling in the snow repeatedly.

“I had never seen this much before!” Ava giggles, kicking up the snowdrifts on their way.

“You what? I can't hear shit with these things on.” 

Tugging on her sleeve, Buggy pulls her close, reaching for the soft collar that's covering Ava's face. 

The woman jumps back, though, hands clenching on her suit. 

“No! Someone will see them!”

“You ain't exactly in a bikini, doll, it's kinda hard to see any…Oh, you mean the teeth.”

“They may think I'm a fishman. What if these people… were hostile?”

“Hostile! Why, ‘cause you're grocery shopping?” Dramatically, Buggy leans over the woman. “Are you afraid they'd go tell Meara you’re, god forbid, having fun?!”

Ava chuckles, playing with the puller of her zip.

“Take it easy! No one knows you outside your stinky island. It's a good thing.” The jester gently presses his forehead against hers. “And speaking of which: since there is someone on this team with a worldwide known face… you better be prepared to do the talking here.”

“Are you serious?!”

As the two of them keep arguing and plunging their feet in the snow, the town square appears before them. 

The fog is gradually lifting, revealing little shops and chatty people all around.

“Apologies. Coming through.” 

A stiff voice startles the two foreigners and their eyes widen at the sight of a tall iron doll. 

It is approaching at a painfully slow pace, rocking in jerky movements. 

“It’s an automaton! Just as Romi said!” Ava whispers, excited.

The town of Karakuri is indeed swarming with dolls, robots and mechanical animals who seem to be busy helping the locals with their chores.

After some wandering around the square and its unusual residents, the two stop in front of a rundown shop. The place looks almost abandoned; no one in sight behind the broken windows.

Ava steps in first and a soft chime comes from the ceiling. 

“Umh…good morning.” 

“Good morning, customers. Your faces are not registered as you may not be from Karakuri Island. Please, identify yourself.”

Jumping out of the shadows, a squared robot reaches Ava’s feet. It wobbles on its tracks, circling the woman and beeping persistently. 

“W-w're shipbuilders from Water 7. We stopped for r-replacements and supplies.”

They’ve rehearsed that story for hours, and yet Ava’s sweating. “What if Karakuri robots can read minds?” She thinks as a tiny blue beam starts running up and down her body.

“Water 7, shipbuilder. Female. Five foot two. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Sharp teeth.” 

The robot hasn't finished scanning Ava, when she steps out of its light. “What do you care about my teeth.” she states in a cold voice.

“Distinguishing marks are part of my protocol, customer. Please keep still.”

“I have a damned piece of metal in the middle of my face, what more do you need?”

“Stop it.” Buggy growls, underneath his hood. He briskly nudges his companion and shoves a scribbled piece of paper on the robot’s front camera. 

“We cast off in an hour, can you pack these quickly or shall we go elsewhere?” he insists.

The robot bleeps something about completing its protocols but a human voice shuts it up, echoing from behind a wall of boxes.

“Ugh, get to work, you stupid can! Ya gonna lose me another sale.”

Downhearted, the automaton unleashes its mechanical arms to gather the ingredients on the list. 

Ava, however, goes roaming around the shop in search of that raspy voice.

Peeping out of a stack of bags, she spots a wrinkly woman standing by a mechanical firefly: the granny is curved on a compact mirror, drawing shapes on her eyelids in the dim light.

“Ya foreigners never seem to get it, uh? Just ‘cause they’re speakin’, doesn't mean they’re thinkin’.” She grumbles as Ava gets closer. “Ya walk in with a harpoon through your head? Robo-clerk beeps bops and settles ya bill.  That's all.”

“Mh, I see.”  

Leaning over the old woman, the blonde’s attention gets caught by some black powder in her hand. “Do you… sell this, by any chance?”

The granny nods and points at a wooden box on the ground, filled with small round tins. 

“Oh, these are perfect!”

Ava runs back to the counter, hands full of tins whose label reads ‘herbal pigment’. 

She puts her loot down and pays for their shopping by shoving a bunch of Berry banknotes into the Robo-clerk. 

“Deliver to pier 32, as fast as possible. Have a nice day, madam!” She shouts happily, then drags her companion out of the shop.

The two steps in the freezing air outside, but once they're far from the crowd, Buggy plants himself in the middle of the street.

“You almost got us in trouble.” 

“And yet, all's well.”

“Well my ass. Stop giggling like an idiot, what the fuck is that?”

With her hair blowing in the wind, Ava is holding a tiny box in front of the man's face. He snatches it and unscrews the flat lid, struggling in his thick gloves.

“I saw the shop owner doing her makeup with it, just like you do.” 

Both lean closer, observing the black powder in the container: it’s slightly shimmery in the daylight, a deep black with blue and purple reflections.

“Herbs should be safer than charcoal, right?” Ava adds softly.

Buggy grabs the shortie by the waist and sweeps her off her feet for a moment.

“That's fucking great!” He laughs. “Actual makeup, God, I can't believe it! Didn't they have coloured ones?”

“Shoot, I didn't ask!”

“Nevermind. Best gift ever!”

He shoves the box in his pocket and rests his arm on Ava’s shoulders as the two go back to exploring the small town. 

They idly walk amongst little houses and market stalls, commenting on the automata around them. 

After a while, Ava looks up at the pirate:

“We'd better return to the ship, we've been wandering for a while now.”

“I'm not done yet.”

“Did we skip something from the list?”

“Yes, your gift.” he mutters happily.

“You don't-”

“It has to be fucking grand, like a platinum tiara or something! That is, if there's anything valuable in this place...”

“A tiara? Who am I, Princess Shirahoshi?” Ava laughs.

“C’mon, it's flashy! You'd rather get a necklace? Earrings? A ring, maybe.” 

Suddenly, Buggy's attention is drawn to the main street. “I could make an honest woman of you.” he continues, absent minded.

“As if we hadn't literally met at the altar. It takes an honest man to make an honest woman, you know?”

The jester brings the woman's hands to his lips, a sinister light in his eyes. 

“We must be hopeless, then.”

Before Ava could say another word, he's gone.

The pirate hides behind a stream of people who seem to be headed towards a tall building, the town hall. As the crowd gets nearer, Buggy notices that a number of guards and marines are patrolling the area attentively.

All citizens are asked to get in line in front of a sturdy automaton and, in turn, they place Berrys and shiny objects inside a small vault built into its torso. 

Stealthy, the jester moves away from the crowd and sneaks around until he reaches the building's backyard. 

The windows there are dusty and chipped, and yet he manages to spot a wooden chest, filled to the brim with gold and jewels; only a young marine to guard it. “Ka-ching!” Buggy grins, ominously. 

His pinky travels from his palm to a creak in the window and, one after the others, the pirate's fingers all creep inside the room. They open the window slightly and let his arms, legs and torso in too. 

As the cadet paces back and forth at the door, the jester’s pieces smuggle behind the chest, unseen. Or so he thinks.

“Intruder alert. Launching safety recount: two billion, three hundred thousands…” 

As the chest snaps close, a loud cry descends from the ceiling: a mechanical snail, like Buggy’s never seen before, is glowing red and shouting numbers full blast. 

“W-who's there?!”

The young marine searches the room trembling, gun at the ready, when a hooded figure jumps out of nowhere and knocks her off. 

Buggy doesn't even have time to think, before the room’s doors slam open and a multitude of guns’ barrels and white uniforms comes pouring in.

“Hands up! You’re under arrest in the name of celestial dragons.”

The pirate steps back from the unconscious marine and turns around, slowly raising his hands: he's surrounded and a massive man is pointing a rifle at him. 

“Take that hood off his face.” The officer shouts. “And you, keep those filthy hands where I can see them.”

A short soldier approaches and Buggy notices it is made of scuffed metal. His cold claws pull his hood away and the fuzzy blue hair bounces out. That and his big, round nose.

“You better pray Private Tin Head here is better than that.” the jester growls, hinting at the cadet on the floor.

“I know that nose.” the officer squints his eyes as a nervous buzz rises through the soldiers.

“What is an Emperor doing in this area?”

“This is a disaster. They can’t live to tell they saw me here, it’ll all go to fucking hell…” Buggy breaks into a cold sweat. “That’s what you get for playing prince charming, idiot!”��

Tension is bolting through his body as he's ready to burst in a million pieces.

However, just as he's about to snap apart, the sound of a familiar voice in the distance weirds him out: a short woman dashes through the soldiers, sobbing loudly.

“Don’t shoot! It’s just my husband!”

“Step back, miss. How did you even get here?”

An agitated Ava emerges from the crowd along with two mechanical cadets.

“My husband went missing and your…men helped me find him!” She whines, big tears streaming down her eyes. “He needs his pills, please!”

“Cadets, debrief.”

“Foreigners, shipbuilders from Water 7, sir.” one explains in a flat, neutral tone. “Here for replacements and supplies. Male went missing. Six feet two, blue hair, blue eyes, big round nose. On pharmacological therapy.”

“Hey!” Buggy shrieks outraged as the blonde runs past the big officer and clings to him.

“He’s convinced he’s the Clown Yonko. He was never the same after the incident…Please, sir, let us go back to our ship.”

All soldiers put their arms down, looking at one another confused, but the officer is still aiming straight in front of him. 

“Nice acting, miss, but I still don't buy it. You're under arrest too.” 

“Let your soldiers scan him, then.” Ava replies, cold. “Wasn't the Yonko a former warlord? You must have datas, somewhere.”

The officer grunts his orders to the automata in the room and flickering light beams fall on the blue haired man. After a long moment, the verdict arrives:

“No match found. Height, eye color incorrect.”

Ava squeezes Buggy a little tighter.

“Can we go now, sir? I'm taking him straight to our doctor.”

“Friggin’ foreigners, just wasting our time.

You two, get them out of town. Now!”

In a blink of an eye, Buggy and Ava are kicked out of the building and escorted by the two mechanical cadets. The pirate has put his hood back on and keeps staring at Ava, the same face he'd made for a cat with five paws.

As soon as they reach the foggy woods and the automata march back to the village, both snap at once:

“What. Was. That.” 

“You tried to steal from Celestial Dragons?!”

“Only a few coins! It was supposed to be your gift, anyway, so…your loss.” Buggy shrugs.

“I want nothing but a little gratitude for saving your ass.”

“Shouting from the rooftop that I'm a lunatic loser? Oh, and those fake, fake tears. What happened to miss ‘I'm scared to talk to people’?”

“She didn't want to go to jail!” Ava cries out. “On that note, I hope they won't find out about the robots.”

“Why, what did you do to them?”

“Well, I mean, if they're speakin’ doesn't mean they're thinkin’, right? I saw their power buttons and… took the opportunity to scramble the local archives a bit.”

“Don’t worry, we'll be gone soon.” Buggy smirks, “You’re right though, your smart ass deserves something.”

A gold necklace appears before Ava's eyes, dangling from the jester's fingers. 

She takes the jewel in her hands and runs her finger along the round pendant.

“It’s a locket!” she exclaims, gently snapping it open. “Wait, why is there a portrait of a man?”

“What do I know? Must be that cadet’s sweetheart. I took the necklace from her neck.”

“A stolen gift, uh? Thank you.” Amused, Ava sighs loudly.

She keeps fidgeting with the jewel at her neck as they walk away in the freezing wind.

“If they both fit...” she thinks. “I could finally take them with me.”

[bullet-prooflove]

41. skinny-dipping in the dark

With Riz.

It’s still warm when the sunsets, you can feel the rays across your bare skin as you watch Riz unbutton his shirt slowly. He doesn’t realise how seductive he is, how erotic his motions are. The fabric pulls away from his chest, revealing the tattoo of the cross inked across his torso and you think about how lucky you are to have this man in your life, how much adventure he brings. His jeans follow suit, the denim slipping down his muscular thighs, over the scars he still carries from the crash he had a couple of years ago until he’s naked before you. He pulls the hair elastic from his wrist, pulling back the sleek strands into a top knot.

He stands before the freshwater pond at the edge of his land before holding out his hand for you to join him. Your fingers entwin with his before he guides you into the water. To your surprise it’s still warm, the heat of it easing away the tension in your muscles as he draws you deeper until the water covers your shoulders.

He smiles at the blissful expression on your features, before he leans in close. He cups your face in his palms, his thumbs chasing over the blush of your cheeks as he looks into your eyes.

“This place.” he whispers. “I’m the only one that knows about it.”

“And now me.” You remind him, your hands coming to rest upon his muscular shoulders as he guides your thighs above his hips.

“I want it to be our place,” he tells you. “A little piece of heaven carved out just for the two of us. When shit gets too heavy and we need a little space from the world outside, we can come out here, spend the night under the stars.”

You like the sound of that, the idea of a place that no one knows about, that the two of you can just exist. A place where you can escape for a little while.

“Thank you.” You whisper as the sky above begins to transition into twilight. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Love Riz? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[kiwi2229]

Never ending song

(James Potter / Regulus Black | 606 words)

For @jegulus-microfic prompt: silver

The wax drips from the candle by an almost finished letter. The prince with dark curls is quickly scribbling an instruction to the boy he can’t ever love openly but is not able to let go. Meet me behind the old willow in the back of the garden after midnight. I will be waiting for you. I will always wait for you. The letter says and Regulus let’s few drops of the wax fall on the envelope and presses his silver ring to the seal.

The stars are flickering as the two students against all odds meet every night in the astronomy tower. One Lion, one Snake. And yet they fit together like they were made for each other. They fall into each other arms and it feels like coming home every time.

The wave melts into snow-white foam on the beach as a child laughs loudly with happiness looking at his two fathers building sandcastles just for him. James grins at his son. “My tower is bigger, Reg.” He teases his husband as he dumps a bucket of sand on his side of the castle.

The walls shook with the force with which James slammed the door behind him, leaving Regulus alone and cold with black ink on his forearm and a broken heart. It was inevitable. He thinks as he accepts the fate his family set for him too tired to fight anymore.

The steam comes from the coffee machine as someone calls his name. “Cold brew for Regulus.” He turns around to take his order just to see a tall boy with a spark in his eyes grinning at him. “I like your name.” The boy says as he hands Regulus the cup.

The wind is ruffling James’ hair as he examines the map spread in front of him. The goal is clear here. Another treasure to gain. To embark on the next adventure. He eyes the land they are aiming for. The Black family is supposed to rule over this area. “Rais the sails!” He commands and watches the black flag unfurl above him.

The train slowly starts moving as his brother leads him to the compartment on the train to his best friends. He doesn’t know them, and he is not sure he even wants to. Everything is new and it’s moving too fast, and Sirius doesn’t stop. Counting on Regulus to follow him even though he can’t catch his breath. Sirius opens the door and suddenly everything stops. “Oh, hello there. I’m James, James Potter.” The boy says and extends a hand towards Regulus.

The sun is shining, and two boys are lying on the grass laughing about some silly joke James made. And Regulus can’t resist. He has to kiss him. He knows he can, they were dating for a year now. But sometimes it doesn’t feel real. And he has to make sure. To feel this boy against him. James lets him, every time he lets him kiss like this. And Regulus is light. He is flying not caring if he is getting too close to the sun. He would gladly burn for this boy.

And the song goes on and on and on. Like a never-ending song. There is something tragically beautiful about these two. Because no matter the time or place, they always find each other. Drawn by inevitable fate never knowing if their story will have a happy ending. Their laughter and tears, love confessions and arguments, misunderstandings and apologies in tears, all of the feelings firmly written in the stars. The same stars that are watching them meet all over again in every lifetime.  

[cluelesspigeons]

Happy birthday to the most amazing person @nelweensfic!! Your friendship has meant a lot to me over this last year and a half. And I can’t be more happy to have you by my side!! So today is your day, where we will all celebrate you!!

Word count: 761

Furry adventures

A drarry fanfiction

When Draco came home from work, the house was eerily quiet. No lights were turned on and all the fires in the fireplaces were cold as well. A cold breeze blew through the house, making goosebumps appear on Draco’s skin. He shivered.

Sighing, he ran a hand through the hair that had escaped the messy bun he had put it in. This wasn’t the first time he had come home like this. This could only mean one thing.

Leaving his bag by the front door, Draco made his way towards the empty kitchen. The backdoor was wide open, letting in the cool March air. “Of course,” Draco mumbled as he saw Harry’s coat still hanging on the hook by the door. He shook his head and walked outside.

The garden was empty as well. There was no trace of Harry ever being there. Though Draco knew better. This wasn’t the first time, after all.

Careful to stay onto the little path and not dirty his fancy shoes, he made his way further down into the garden. Around him, nature was slowly waking up again. After months of cold rain and snow, small buds of flowers and leaves were already growing back. Draco’s eye even caught a glimpse of purple and blue crocus flowers blooming in the shadow of a tree.

He smiled as he turned around a corner to a more secluded part of their garden. It had always been his favourite place. They had strung fairy lights around and in the trees, covering the small area in a soft, golden hue. And with the leaves filtering the rays of sun shining through in summer, it truly looked ethereal.

Right now, however, there wasn’t much more than the green grass, the small crocus flowers and… a fox?

Draco huffed a laugh, the smile on his lips widening. He should have known.

In front of him, only a few metres away from him, a gorgeous ginger fox was sitting on the ground. Its fluffy tail was wound around his body and his vibrant green eyes were focussed on something sitting on the tip of his nose. Draco squinted his eyes, cursing himself for not bringing his glasses. He could barely make out the periwinkle blue of a butterfly sitting on the fox’s nose.

It was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

It didn’t take long, however, for the butterfly to take flight again and disappear from sight. The fox turned its head towards Draco, its green eyes sparkling with something familiar, something mischievous. And before Draco knew it, the fox started charging at him. He braced himself for the impact and the fluff in his mouth, but instead, he was met with the brutal force of his forty three-year-old husband knocking him to the ground.

Draco groaned as his head made contact with the hard ground underneath him, though he could not help the smile that was pulling at his lips. “You bastard,” he said, though he wrapped his arms around Harry, who had landed on top of him, his chuckles muffled by Draco’s warm coat.

“Worth it,” Harry laughed. He lifted his head and placed a soft kiss on Draco’s lips, using one of his hands to tuck a strand of Draco’s hair behind his ear. “You should have seen your face.”

“Oh shut it,” Draco said, swatting Harry’s shoulder. They sat up on the ground. “I was prepared for a fox to hit me. Not some old barbarian like you.”

Harry gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “An old barbarian? Me? Draco! How could you say something like that? You have wounded me!”

Draco simply rolled his eyes and stood up from the ground, dusting off his nice pair of trousers. “Stop being so dramatic,” he said. “Anyway, I’ll be in the kitchen drinking a warm cup of delicious tea.” He turned to face Harry who was still sitting on the ground watching him with that cunning glint in his green eyes. “At least then I won’t be freezing my balls off.”

With a deep grunt and a soft chuckle, Harry stood as well, taking one of Draco’s hands into his own. “Mind if I join you?” He smiled sweetly. “I can tell you all about the things I’ve seen on my adventures today?”

When Draco looked at him, at that sweet, sweet smile and those hypnotising green eyes, he couldn’t find it in him to say no. And though he might not ever admit it out loud, he truly enjoyed listening to his husband’s furry adventures.

Read it on ao3

[laresearchette]

Saturday, August 10, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: MY DREAMS OF YOU (W Network) 8:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA OUTSIDE LANDS 2024 LIVE – DAY 2

NETFLIX CANADA LADY BIRD ROMANCE IN THE HOUSE (KR)

2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS (CBC) 4:30pm: Canoe Sprint (SN) 4:50am: Olympic Morning (CBC) 6:00am: Sport Climbing (TSN4) 5:00am: Olympic Games (CBC) 7:00pm: Canoe Sprint (CBC) 8:15am: Morning (CBC) 9:00am: Men’s Diving (CBC) 10:30am: Morning (CBC) 11:00am: Track Cycling (SN1/TSN) 12:00pm: Olympic Daytime (CBC) 1:00pm: Athletics (CBC) 3:30pm: Men's Basketball, Gold Medal Game: France vs. U.S. (CBC) 5:30pm: Prime (CBC/SN/TSN4) 6:30pm: Olympic Primetime (CBC) 11:00pm: Late Primetime (CBC) 2:00am: Overnight (Sunday)

NATIONAL BANK OPEN (SN1) 12:30pm: Men's Day Session Quarterfinals (SN360) 12:30pm: Women's Day Session Quarterfinals (SN1) 7:00pm: Men's Evening Session Quarterfinals (SN360) 7:00pm: Women's Evening Session Quarterfinals

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 2:30pm: A’s vs. Jays (SN Now) 7:00pm: Orioles vs. Rays (TSN5) 7:00pm: Red Sox vs. Rangers

2024 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP (TSN3) 3:30pm: Bronze Medal (TSN3) 8:00pm: Gold Medal

2024 NFL PRE-SEASON (TSN2) 7:00pm: Seahawks vs. Chargers

CFL FOOTBALL (TSN/TSN5) 7:00pm: Ti-Cats vs. Alouettes

KINA & YUK (Crave) 7:30pm: The adventure following two foxes who are preparing to become parents for the first time at a time when global warming is altering the rules for everyone.

WOULD YOU KILL FOR ME? THE MARY BAILEY STORY (Global) 8:00pm:  The lives of three generations of women take a turn for the worse when one of them becomes trapped in a toxic relationship with an increasingly abusive man.

HOMETOWN REMEDY (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm:  Back home to celebrate her dad's mayoral election, a busy surgeon has a chance encounter with the town's only doctor and its most eligible bachelor.

THE CREATOR (Crave) 9:00pm:  As a future war between the human race and artificial intelligence rages on, an ex-special forces agent must hunt down and kill the elusive architect of advanced AI whose mysterious weapon has the power to end all of mankind.

SISTERHOOD OF SECRETS (Super Channel Fuse) 9:05pm:  Jennie joins an exclusive college study group for influential young women, but soon discovers that there's a price to pay to stay in the sisterhood.

EAST HARBOUR HEROES (CTV) 10:00pm: The harbours are bustling and it's all hands on deck; as countless ships arrive, one fisherman fights to head out before the season closes. There's chaos on both land and sea as a massive ship prepares to sail with millions in cargo and a skipper faces a potential season-ending disaster.

THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK  (CTV) 12:35am:  Young Tony Soprano navigates the streets of Newark, N.J., just as rivals start to challenge the DiMeo crime family. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, whose influence leaves a lasting impression on Tony.

[frodos-bizarre-adventure]

@garuye This inspired me. Enjoy :)

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Evening crept upon a dark, calm sea.

Just barely above the horizon, freshly risen, hung a bright full moon, its pale yellow light causing the waves to sparkle in the dark like the stars above. The silence of the night was broken only by the faint whoosh of the waves upon the shore, and faint, merry voices from the tavern by the pier, which grew louder as a ship neared its destination, and its weary crew disembarked from their vessel.

"Evening, Captain Pendleton! Smooth sailing tonight, hasn't it?"

"Indeed, Robert, old friend."

In the dim light, as the crowd dispersed, two figures converged, one from the land, the other from the sea, unto the pier where the Phantom Blood was moored: an old merchant vessel commandeered once by traders, but now by adventurers seeking treasure upon the high seas.

The taller of the two, a tall scarred man crowned in curled dirty-blond hair, gestured invitingly to his companion, a sharply-dressed swashbuckler clad in boots and a worn old blouse, as she descended from the ship down the gangplank. She stumbled slightly upon the dark, wet wood of the pier, but her friend was quick to steady her fall, catching her hand, delicate yet calloused and roughened by the rough life at sea, in his own.

"Easy there, miss. It's been a long day."

And indeed it was, as always, for the captain had dedicated her life day after day to exploring the seas in search of treasure, and at times clashing with other pirate ships who sought the sea's hidden riches. She had a wildness within her that refused to be tamed, that yearned for the wind in her hair, the scent of the sea, the warm rays of the skin that fell upon her tanned, once-fair skin.

The life of a noblewoman? Tethered to prissy dresses and parading around in the streets sheltered by a fancy umbrella, drinking bitter tea in dainty cups with other socialites who rambled endlessly in dull conversations that bored her to tears?

It was not her place. And she was glad to have left such a tedious life behind.

"Kempo, Tattoo and I are headed to the tavern," her loyal first-mate invited. "I suppose a few drinks and a warm meal would do wonders to a tired sailor like you?"

"I suppose, but I must remain sober for a little longer," replied the captain with a chuckle. "You go on ahead. I'll still have to make sure the ship is secure for the night," she reassured him with a firm but friendly hand to the shoulder, as she began knotting the heavy ropes that anchored the ship in the bay, folding away the gangplank and securing it to the side of the boat.

"Alright, Captain Erina. Take care."

At first, her crew had been very protective, condescending even, of her. She was a lady, after all.

But not like any other lady they'd met, for she'd quickly proven herself capable upon the deck of a ship, and made it clear she did not like being treated like a fragile china doll, shielded from the reality of the world. And though a few men looked down on her skill, her decisive victory in helping fend off the crew of the rival Captain Bruford was enough to earn their respect.

And so Robert Speedwagon, first-mate of the Phantom Blood, left the captain to finish her work by herself in the pale moonlight, unaware that tonight was the night her world would be changed forever.

--------

It began with a few ripples.

For a moment, she brushed it aside as perhaps just a large fish, foraging for scraps in the shallows, or perhaps a seal. There were many of the blubbery beasts in this region, piling up on beaches grunting and snorting, and perhaps stealing a fish for two from the irate fishermen of the bay.

Yet she saw something move again. And this time, she was certain that the shape that popped up from the water was most certainly not a seal.

It was young man, his back turned to her, bathing in the shallows, just beneath the pier. He was mostly submerged and obscured by the inky-black sea, but from the little she could observe, she saw a mop of dark hair, almost blue in the moonlight, and a thick, toned neck that reached down to bare, muscular shoulders. Most curiously, perhaps, was the small mark he sported on the back of his neck.

A tattoo perhaps? Shaped like a star?

She quietly approached, partly from curiosity, partly from concern, that a person was in the cold water at this time of night.

"Excuse me, Mister?" She addressed him, careful not to seem too threatening to someone who might be in need of help.

With a splash, the man turned around with a gasp, flinching at the unexpected intrusion. She saw more of him now in the moonlight, strong-looking muscled arms, a chiseled, handsome face, and the most beautiful sea-blue eyes she had ever seen.

Eyes that stared back at her in frozen terror.

"Wait! I won't hurt you!" she called out to the man in the water. "Are you alright? What are you doing here?"

The man stammered nervously but seemed unable to produce a coherent reply in his trembling voice. His eyes darted from side to side, scanning the surroundings warily.

Erina felt a twinge of pity at the frightened man, all alone. He must have been a castaway, swept overboard. Or perhaps, a prisoner forced to walk the plank by some cruel pirate crew that had robbed his ship.

She couldn't leave him here by himself.

"Climb up," she said, reaching out to him. "I'll get you out of there in no time."

"No!" He suddenly blurted in reply, raising his hands in worry. "I'm...I'm not in trouble at all, kind landlady, er, ma'am," he said awkwardly, fumbling his words. "I'm...I'm just out for a swim, thank you."

Landlady? Erina thought. What a strange little man he was.

"At this time of night?" she said. "You must be cold. Come along, we'll get you all warm and comfortable over at the tavern."

"Tavern?" the man replied in a questioning tone, still clearly on edge, yet intrigued by what seemed a new word to him, curiosity conflicting with his fear. "Tavern," he repeated, savoring the word, a small smile coming onto his face as he swam a little closer, leaning against one of the pier's supporting beams, trying to get a closer look.

Erina giggled, fascinated by this strange, eccentric person in the water. "Don't you know what a tavern is? You must be new here," she added. "I don't think I've seen you around these parts before."

The man sighed. "I needed to be alone for a bit." He suddenly perked up in alarm, as if remembering something. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I must get going now," he said, urgently but politely.

"Don't go yet!" Erina pleaded, eager to know more about her unexpected new acquaintance. "You're a visitor around these parts, right?"

"I am, and it's best if..." He glanced behind him as if worried he would be caught in the act, "...if no one else knew I was here."

For a moment Erina let her guard up. She briefly entertained the idea he could be a member of an enemy crew, trying to get the jump on her or her friends--

Yet...yet he seemed too timid, too gentle, even, to do such a thing. Perhaps he was just sneaking away from home? Or a dock worker taking an unauthorized break? He certainly had the build to do some heavy lifting, seeing the muscles on him...

Many more thoughts raced through her mind on who this fellow might be, and what was up with him, her mind writing various explanations for his presence.

And one thought came that made her blush in sudden embarassment, her face turning red imperceptibly in the darkness.

"You're not...you're not naked down there, are you?"

She averted her gaze suddenly in shame. "Do you have any pants on at least?"

The man looked innocently confused, as he bobbed cluelessly by the pier.

"P...pants?"

"Oh dear good lord, you are," she concluded with a groan, covering her eyes. Yet the childlike confusion in his eyes, and the bafflement in his voice, convinced her this was likely in ignorance, and not malice. The poor man must have had his clothes swept away by the tide, when he made the ill-advised decision to go skinny-dipping in the dead of night...

"Wait for me there," she instructed, raising a finger firmly, as though she was a babysitter scolding a naughty child. "I'll fetch you a towel to cover yourself up--"

"That's really not necessary, thank you," the man answered with a cry, desperately reaching out to her, suddenly ever more anxious and embarrassed. "Please, I do have to go now," he said, distress in his voice, backing away from the pier with surprising speed and gracefulness that for a moment Erina thought he had been pulled through the water by an unseen force.

At that moment, a door creaked open.

"What's the matter, Captain?" Speedwagon called out into the dark. "Need any help out there?"

At the sound of his voice the strange blue-haired man suddenly panicked and fearfully retreated with a splash and disappeared into the dark water without a trace, leaving only ripples in his wake.

"Wait!" Erina called after him, but it was too late.

"What's the matter?" Speedwagon hollered in urgency, rushing to Erina's side with loud thumps of his boot-clad feet. "Who are you talking to out here?"

"That man, in the water--" she answered, pointing, to the empty waves below the dock.

"He's gone under."

"Well, we'll wait for him to come up for air, then," Speedwagon suggested.

The two waited fruitlessly for several moments.

Longer than any person could reasonably hold their breath.

"I think he may have been naked," Erina awkwardly quipped, breaking the silence.

Speedwagon scratched his head and sighed. "By the heavens, Captain," he huffed. "You're seeing things, aren't you? Come now in and have a drink," he urged, ushering her toward the tavern. "The salty night air's getting to your head."

"I'm serious, Robert! There really was a man in the water!" Erina insisted.

"Well, poor lad would have drowned by now if you said he'd gone under," Speedwagon reasoned. "Unless..."

"...you don't think he could have been a siren, could he?"

Erina scoffed.

"There's no such thing, silly man."

She'd heard tall tales of the drunken old sailors, sharing bizarre stories at the tavern. Many myths of strange beings in the sea, taking the forms of beautiful women and handsome men, to lure unsuspecting seagoers to a watery grave to be devoured.

And she'd never believed a single one.

Besides, there was no way that young man could have been secretly a monster of the deep. Could any flesh-rending terror of the abyss have eyes so bright, so gentle, so sincere? Devoid of any hint of malice or deception the sirens of myth would have?

Was he even real?

She patted Speedwagon on the back.

"If anything, Robert dear, it's you who probably needs to rest for the night."

"We both do, Captain," he agreed.

With her arm over his shoulder the two headed into the tavern, with Erina shooting back a final glance at the ship, ensuring the Phantom Blood was safely docked.

And to the place where the mysterious man had emerged and disappeared just as unexpectedly, vanishing into the night sea from whence he came.

She didn't even know his name.

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Imagine if Erina first meets mer! Jonathan at night, at the pier. His tail is hidden under the dark water and she doesn't think he's anything other than just a bathing human, and while wary at first she strikes up a conversation and eventually slowly warms up to him, visiting him every night at the dock.

It takes about their third or fourth meeting before she begins questioning "wait, how come you only come in the evenings? And how come I've never seen you leave the water?"

The way you put it was much cuter than how this came out but trust me I believe in your vision

[zawazawanightmares]

Eri Kasamoto & Rai

You, Eri Kasamoto , are connected to Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable) Your partner selected the 18+ server. Your partner has a starter. Type /starter or tap here to see it.

Eri Kasamoto : /starter

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Hey there! I'm looking for a fun rp. I don't have an exhaustive list of kinks, but I'm a big fan of romance, teasing, and sometimes soft dom/sub. Limits are abuse/gore, bathroom stuff, public, cheating, and incest. I've got a few starter options here. Just let me know which one you like, if you want to do one. I love hearing other peoples' starter ideas though, so maybe we can work something out! Modern Setting Honeymoon: We're newlyweds going on our honeymoon together. I prefer to have some kind of activity before getting into the sexy stuff, like a dinner date or swimming, but it's not required. Pool/Beach scene: We meet on an oddly quiet day at the pool/beach, or perhaps we meet there and move somewhere more private. Roommates in a compromising situation: Walking in on someone in the shower, wardrobe malfunctions, this one is more up in the air. Fantasy Setting Adventurers: A pair of adventurers, alone or in a group, returning from a major quest, both mustering up the courage to confess their feelings to each other... Sci-Fi Setting Trapped Spacefarers: We're trapped on a ship floating through space, with little to occupy our time other than each other. This could also work for being trapped on a planet. Visiting an alien planet: We're a group of space explorers exploring a new planet Crash-Landing on an alien planet: One of us crash-lands on an alien planet, which is ruled by the other person.

Eri Kasamoto : //Hello.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): (Hey there!)

Eri Kasamoto : //You seem nice. Wanna rp?

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): (Mind if you tell me more about your character and what you're looking for?)

Eri Kasamoto : //Yeah. Eri's from a video game series called Metal Slug. She's a demolition expert who used to work in espionage assassination. She was raised on the streets, leading a gang of delinquents. Her life philosophy is that you can't rely on anyone. So for the rp itself, I was wondering if you could play a fellow solider on base who catches her coming out of the base?

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): (I can do that! What were you hoping would happen after that?)

Eri Kasamoto : (Eri comes onto Rai to freak her out and Rai reciprocates, forcing Eri to, by her own volition, follow through to keep from looking stupid.)

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): (Works for me! Do you want to start, or shall I?)

Eri Kasamoto : //Can you start so I can work off it?

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): (Sure, give me a second to type.)

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai had just left the workout room on home base after a nice workout and refreshing shower, stretching her arms above her head as she walked out into the hallway. She was currently wearing just her combat pants and boots, her top covered by a white tank top and black sports bra underneath. As she looked around, she spotted one of her fellow soldiers, Eri. "Hey Eri!" She smiled as she greeted her. "How's today going for you?" (Does this work?)

Eri Kasamoto : ///Sure does!

Eri Kasamoto : Eri turned around, facing Rai with a towel over her shoulders...and nothing else. Dripping short blonde hair, a toned build all accentuated a glistening set of tits and a firmly shaped rear. She blinked at Rai with a stoic expression. "Wet...it's going wet."

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): "... Oh." Rai blushed. This wasn't the first time she had seen Eri naked, given they lived at the same base, but seeing her like this was something else. She tried not to be too obvious about looking over her body as she continued the conversation. "Just get out of the shower then?"

Eri Kasamoto : "I did...and here I am." Eri walked over to Rai, tracking water with each step before she was inches away from the latter's face. "Need something?"

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai put her hands on Eri's hips. "I was just saying hi, but now I might need a little more." She gave Eri a devilish grin.

Eri Kasamoto : Eri was a bit caught off-guard. She was just messing with her...but if she accepts, then she'll look like the wimp for backing down from coming on to her. She will never be seen as weak in capacity...so she only had one option left: scooping up the taller woman in her arms, she walked back into the barrack's private quarters. "Then I'll give you more."

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): "Oh!" Rai was surprised by Eri's move. She didn't think her flirting would be taken this seriously, but she certainly wasn't complaining. She wrapped her arms around Eri's neck as she was carried back to the barracks, blushing more and more. "I didn't realize you were also into women." She whispered into Eri's ear.

Eri Kasamoto : "There's a lot you don't know about me." Eri snarked back, briefly recalling some awkward couplings she had in her sukeban years before she put Rai down on a cot, letting the towel fall off of her neck as she moved down to lock her lips over her comrade's.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai eagerly returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Eri's neck once again, holding her close. Her hands began roaming all over Eri's back, gently rubbing her. "Well I would certainly love to learn more about you~" She smiled seductively back up at her comrade.

Eri Kasamoto : "Don't push your luck." Eri began to kiss at Rai's neck, lifting up her tank top before reaching around to unlatch her bra.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): "Mmm... and what if I do push my luck?" She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting Eri go to work on her. She raised her arms above her head, allowing Eri to pull the tank top and bra off her if she wanted to. The bra had a zipper in the back that Eri would be able to easily pull down.

Eri Kasamoto : "Then I'll fuck you to pieces...like a grenade went off near you." Eri unzipped the bra, pushing it up to suck on one of Rai's nipples while tweaking the other one.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): "OH~!" Rai let out a moan. Her boobs were usually held in tight by her bra, but now they were on full display in front of Eri. Her nipples quickly became hard, and Rai was fully enjoying this feeling.

Eri Kasamoto : Eri groped at one of Rai's sizable breasts, trailing kisses down her bare skin until she reached her pants, unzipping those to yank them down along with her panties. Then, she stuck out her tongue to drag it through her folds, sampling her lower mouth's taste.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai couldn't help but push her hips up against Eri's face, moaning out as she licked along her. Her taste was surprisingly sweet, and it mixed with the smell of her lavender soap well.

Eri Kasamoto : Eri took her time down there, savoring the aroma of Rai's soap mixing with her fluids. Before long, she moved back up, placing her own slit against Rai's before grinding them together.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai gasped at the feeling, doing her best to grind back against Eri, squeezing her thighs tightly against her.

Eri Kasamoto : "Fuck..." Eri breathed out, her clit brushing against Rai's as she felt herself getting close. "You're a bit more than I thought I'd be able to handle..."

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): "Is that so?" Rai looked up at her, smiling seductively. "Well you feel amazing, Eri, keep going~" Rai let out another moan, continuing to grind against Eri. She was already so wet from the stimulation earlier.

Eri Kasamoto : Her own breasts docking against Rai's, Eri latched her lips onto her comrade's again, moaning into her mouth as she came against her.

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai pulled Eri into a fierce hug, holding her tightly. Feeling Eri so close to her brought her over the edge, moaning into the kiss as she too climaxed against Eri.

Eri Kasamoto : Eri panted when she pulled away, hugging Rai from the top. "Crap, I might actually have to keep you..."

Rai (f, 5'10, waist length black hair, black eyes, D cup, bi, adaptable): Rai was also panting, but giggled at Eri's response. "You better keep me~" She smiled up at her. "That was amazing, I haven't felt that good in so long."

Eri Kasamoto : //Thanks!

You left the chat

[nitesh-123n]

Which Indian language should I learn

India, a land where the air hums with the music of a thousand tongues. Each language, a vibrant thread woven into the rich tapestry of this ancient civilization. With 22 official languages and countless dialects, choosing just one to learn can feel like picking a single star from a sky overflowing with constellations. But worry not, intrepid explorer! This blog will be your compass, guiding you towards the perfect Indian language for your adventure.

Following Your Wanderlust: Where Will This Language Take You?

First, close your eyes and let your imagination take flight. What ignites your wanderlust in India? Do you dream of strolling through bustling bazaars in Delhi, bargaining for spices and trinkets while peppering your conversation with charming Hindi phrases? Perhaps the rhythmic beats of Bengali poetry resonate with your soul, and you yearn to delve into the works of Rabindranath Tagore. Maybe the call of the south beckons, and you envision yourself exploring the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu, the whispers of their history carried on the breeze in the mellifluous tones of Tamil.

The language you choose should be a gateway, not a barrier. It should open doors to the experiences that fuel your passion, be it the thrill of travel, the love of literature, or a desire to connect with a specific culture. Imagine the connections you'll forge, the friendships you'll build, and the deeper understanding you'll gain by learning the language that speaks to your heart.

Navigating the Terrain: Difficulty and Script

The beauty of Indian languages lies in their incredible diversity. However, some may require a steeper learning curve than others. Hindi, with its similarities to Urdu and basic English vocabulary, is often considered a good starting point for beginners. For the truly determined, languages like Tamil and Malayalam, with their Dravidian roots, offer a unique challenge that unlocks a treasure trove of cultural heritage.

Don't underestimate the importance of the script. North Indian languages often utilize the Devanagari script, while South Indian languages may have their own distinct scripts. Consider the time you can invest in mastering a new writing system. Learning the script will not only allow you to decipher signs and menus, but also deepen your connection to the written word in your chosen language.

A Tapestry of Tongues: A Glimpse into the Languages Themselves

Let's delve a little deeper into some of the most popular Indian languages, offering a taste of their unique character:

Hindi: The vibrant language of Bollywood, bustling markets, and everyday life in North India. Imagine yourself ordering a steaming cup of chai from a street vendor, the rich aroma mingling with the melodic lilt of Hindi conversation.

Bengali: Renowned for its poetic beauty and rich literary tradition. Immerse yourself in the poignant verses of Tagore or the captivating stories of Satyajit Ray, their words coming alive as you learn to speak Bengali.

Tamil: One of the oldest Dravidian languages, boasting a vibrant cultural heritage and ancient literature. Imagine yourself deciphering the intricate carvings on a temple wall in Tamil Nadu, the language itself a testament to the region's long and fascinating history.

Marathi: The spirited language of Maharashtra, known for its fast-paced rhythm and rich folklore. Picture yourself joining in lively conversations at a local festival, the energy and humor of Marathi adding another layer to the experience.

Telugu: Spoken in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Telugu offers a gateway to a vibrant culture and a distinct writing system. Imagine yourself bargaining for a colorful silk sari at a local market, the melodious flow of Telugu adding to the charm of the interaction.

This is just a starting point, a mere glimpse into the vast and captivating world of Indian languages. Research further, explore the sounds, the rhythms, the cultural nuances – let a language speak to you, and you'll discover a whole new way to experience the magic of India.

Embarking on Your Journey: Resources and Support

The digital age throws open a treasure chest of resources for the aspiring language learner. Language learning apps, online courses, and even local Indian communities can be your guides. Don't be afraid to stumble, to make mistakes – embrace the journey! Celebrate your small victories, find joy in the process of unlocking a new world, and remember, the most important factor is your dedication and enthusiasm. With the right tools and mindset, you can conquer any Indian language!

So, pack your bags of curiosity, choose your linguistic adventure, and embark on a journey to unveil the jewel of India – its captivating languages! Remember, the language you learn is not just a collection of words, but a key that unlocks a deeper understanding of a culture, a history, and a way of life. Let the adventure begin!

[nepalenfielders]

Unveiling Nepal's Majesty: A Royal Enfield Tour

In the land where the Himalayas kiss the sky and ancient traditions intertwine with modern marvels, there exists a journey that transcends mere exploration—it's a passage through time, culture, and the very essence of adventure. Welcome to the Nepal Royal Enfield Tour, where every twist of the throttle unveils a new chapter in the saga of discovery.

As I mounted my Royal Enfield, its throaty rumble echoing through the streets of Kathmandu, I knew I was embarking on an odyssey unlike any other. The mighty peaks of the Himalayas stood as silent witnesses to our journey, their snow-capped summits a constant reminder of the awe-inspiring beauty that awaited us.

Our route took us through winding mountain roads and lush valleys, each turn revealing a breathtaking vista more captivating than the last. From the medieval city of Bhaktapur, with its ancient temples and bustling bazaars, to the serene shores of Phewa Lake in Pokhara, every stop along the way offered a glimpse into Nepal's rich tapestry of culture and tradition.

But it was the moments of serenity amidst the chaos that truly defined the Nepal Royal Enfield Tour. Whether it was savoring a steaming cup of chai at a roadside teahouse or sharing stories with fellow travelers under a blanket of stars, each pause in our journey was a chance to connect with the soul of this remarkable land.

One of the highlights of the tour was our ascent to the hill station of Nagarkot, where we were rewarded with panoramic views of the Himalayas bathed in the golden light of dawn. As I watched the first rays of sunlight illuminate the snow-capped peaks, I couldn't help but feel humbled by the sheer magnitude of nature's grandeur.

But perhaps the most memorable aspect of the Nepal Royal Enfield Tour was the camaraderie forged among our group of intrepid travelers. Bonded by a shared love for adventure and the open road, we laughed, explored, and conquered challenges together, creating memories that would last a lifetime.

As our journey drew to a close and we rode back to Kathmandu, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at leaving behind this land of wonders. But as I glanced back at the majestic peaks of the Himalayas one last time, I knew that the spirit of adventure would forever reside in my heart.

The Nepal Royal Enfield Tour had been more than just a ride—it had been a revelation, a journey of self-discovery through landscapes both physical and spiritual. And as I bid farewell to this enchanted land, I knew that its magic would stay with me forever.

[j-graysonlibrary]

The Xiang Chronicles: Book Two Chapter 33

Title: The Xiang Chronicles: Book Two

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 98k

Genres: Fantasy, adventure, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website

Synopsis: With another Xiang in the mix, for the first time in history, Pangu decides to reevaluate his methods and his place in the world. Along with taking his little sister Heidi as his last disciple, he also chooses to take the more political path in his efforts to end the discord throughout the land—particularly within Terra. (And gaining favor from the handsome Lord of Ultimos does not hurt.)

Heidi butts heads with everyone in the group, save Raine, and tensions are higher than ever. There are failed love confessions, in-group fighting, and demons from Kira’s past but that all comes to a head when they meet a servant of Shakti who is more than what she seems.

Could it be that the Mistresses of Shadow are more nuanced than previously believed? Or that the strict dichotomy between light and dark are, perhaps, a touch exaggerated? That and more begin to plague Pangu’s mind and his faith wavers…

Full chapter 33 under the cut

Chapter XXXIII:

It had been a week and a sense of normalcy had already settled in. In the mornings, everyone took on chores to help out around the village and then, after midday, they relaxed around the arrowhead and spoke of plans and ideas.

Most of the chores were assigned depending on skill, strength, and familiarity and they worked in pairs. That changed, depending on the day and the chore, but Heidi found herself with Idris for the fifth day in a row. She had more than just a little suspicion of what was going on there. He did not hide his intentions much, after all.

But he was never overbearing with his flirtations and, to be honest, she had become accustomed to it almost right away. Being around him for large portions of the day also allowed her to study or, at least, pick up on some Foi’rra to make the stay in Gnoma easier.

She pinned all of her hair up, off of her neck and piled atop her head. The robes that the women wore in the village, thin and breathable, were made with the humidity in mind but Heidi would not say no to wearing the material for other occasions. It was quite comfortable and, of course, it kept her dry when she was swinging her axe around.

Idris had taught her how to keep an eye out for seedlings before she started to cut a tree. The types of trees surrounding Gnoma were not what she was used to when it came to logging but she had assumed a tree was a tree at the end of the day.

Like every other flora in the area, the trees down south were moist and full of life. Many of the trees in her home were full of sap and could not as easily be cut when they were in their prime so she knew how to scout the older, drier types but these trees were harder to read.

“There,” Idirs said as he pulled off a particular branch. “This will be a good mori.”

“Gasso.” Heidi took the small twig and marveled at the little bud on the side. If they planted it, another tree like its mother would grow.

She had noticed (although not really thought on it) that there were no clearings of cut trees around the village despite the fact they used wood for their fires and for building. Now that she had worked to collect wood, she had come to see that they replanted trees as they cut them, never leaving less than there was before.

“Oh, here too,” Idris mentioned as he kneeled down in front of the dark trunk. He ran his hand down to the ground, cupping a flower that had grown in around the roots.

It was a white blossom, sparkling with dew, and it craned up toward the sun, struggling to catch a ray through the thick branches and leaves of the trees. Still, it looked rather healthy and Heidi was surprised she did not see it before now.

Then again, Idris was an expert in the local plant life. He knew what each plant was called in both Foi’rra and in common tongue and he knew what medicinal properties, if any, a particular plant had. He also warned Heidi of a few that would make her sick if she so much as touched them with her bare hand. Rash, stomach ache, unending vomit…the list went on.

But this one, Idris seemed in awe of. “Lifi,” he named it and held up the blossom with the tips of his fingers.

Heidi kneeled down next to him to get a better look. “Is it important? Or just pretty?” When Idris looked over at her, seemingly confused, she recalled some of her Foi’rra and asked, “Ma ii shir?” What does it do?

“Oh.” He gave a short laugh and started to dig around the flower, careful not to snap it from its roots. “Nothing. Um…” for a moment he muttered under his breath before he said, triumphant to have remembered the specific word, “Rare!”

She nodded, understanding. It was true she had not seen the flower before but the people of Gnoma did not seem to keep plants around simply for the aesthetic either. Idris, however, seemed excited by this little jewel in the jungle.

They even diverted their attention from their chore to return to the village and find a place to plant the flower so that it could get proper sunlight and maybe reproduce.

Idris carried the flower between his hands, almost as if he was cradling a baby. He had managed to pull out all of the roots, keeping them intact, and with a clump of dirt still in their grip. He kept looking down at it with a smile not too dissimilar from the one Heidi was used to seeing being sent her way.

“If only Kira was around, we could ask him to quickly dig a hole for us,” she commented when Idris started to dig into the dirt with his hands.

Kira did not happen across their path but Pangu did. Walking with Baiya at his side, at that, but Heidi did not care about interrupting their date.

“Hey, Pangu!” she called and waved him over. “Can you dig a quick hole for Idris?”

Her brother nodded and pushed the earth aside, creating a perfectly sized ditch for the flower. “Is that an important flower?”

“It’s rare,” she said with a smile. Her eyes drifted back to where Baiya was and gave a small wave. He waved back.

Pangu glanced from her to Idris. “Having fun?” he gave a knowing smirk and Heidi immediately rolled her eyes.

“Oh, shut up.”

He snickered and rejoined Baiya, rushing off. They were probably paired for chores or might have already been done with their work and were retiring early. It was hard to tell but Heidi’s attention shifted back to Idris anyway.

He patted the dirt around the flower with a big grin. “There. Soon, many Lifi…then…” He stood up, brushing the dirt from his knees. His dark eyes, like midnight, met Heidi. “Urishka for Urishka.”

She felt the blood rise to her face and she resisted the urge to smack him. He had been calling her, almost exclusively, Urishka and it still got under her skin. Everything else she could let roll off of her back but that…that made her chest feel strange.

“Boosha,” she retaliated. Idiot.

Yet Idris smiled and looked proud to be called it.

***

The chore that saw the most travel was water collecting and, of course, Raine had been enlisted to do it every morning for the past three mornings. He did not need to walk all the way down the hillside and dip the buckets into the stream—he only needed to stop once he spotted the water and pull it into the buckets with his energy.

Kira had little else to do but carry the buckets and stand there to watch.

The day before, it had been Pangu to accompany Raine and the day before that, Baiya.  Raine’s mind was still on his trip with Baiya since the man talked to him in a weird, almost cryptic fashion.

After telling him that he and Pangu were, in fact, seeing one another in a way, he turned around and told Raine that he “needed to be honest with himself as well.” Whatever that meant.

Raine was the most honest among them. He was fairly sure anyway.

He drew in the last of the water, filling the final bucket and he sighed. Since starting the walk with Kira, he had been in two minds. One about Baiya’s words since they had been living in his head, restless, ever since he spoke them and then he would think about the dungeon in Ultimos. About that guard and how Kira talked to him. How he kissed him.

Even after days, he could not let it go and it was all the more frustrating since he knew it was a ridiculous thing to be stuck on. He tried, many times to reason with himself but no matter what he thought, the images remained and they continued to haunt him.

Perhaps Baiya knew, somehow, and his advice had something to do with that. It was almost spooky to think the man could read him that well, however.

“Back to the village,” Kira announced and he picked up a bucket in each hand. Immediately, he groaned. “That’s heavier than it seems.”

Raine snickered softly. “Yes, it is a bit of weight.” Pangu had cheated and used the air to make his buckets lighter. Baiya was used to the work because of his farm.

Kira frowned but still managed to lift them perfectly fine. It probably was not much of a chore for him but he enjoyed complaining. Not in any self pitying way but almost as a substitute for small talk. Instead of commenting on the weather when it was clear or breezy, he would usually be the first to point out how hot or sticky it was.

As Raine thought on his mannerisms, the image came back. Kira, his arms around the guard’s neck, possibly indulging himself.

His throat went dry. The walk back to the village was a lot longer with the extra weight. He had time to ask. He just was not sure he had the courage.

After a few silent moments, it became unbearable. Raine’s brows pinched together and he knew if he did not get some kind of closure, he would drive himself mad. And over such a small thing.

He let out a loud sigh, getting Kira’s attention with that alone. “I have a question.”

“Yeah?” Kira glanced back at him, eyebrow quirked.

“I…” Raine took a pause and then sighed again. “It is stupid but…I was wondering, in the dungeon…”

Kira did not say anything and just watched him until he continued.

“You kissed that guard,” he finally spit it out but he could not look at the man as he did so, “I know you—you could have used your wit or outmaneuvered him…I do not think you needed to do what you did. So…I was wondering why, I guess.” His words started to mumble together at the end.

Silence blanketed the two of them and Kira just stared at him as he walked, unsure of what to say. Only a laugh came out after a while.

“What?” he managed between snickers. “Raine, I am sure you could not see from your cell but the guy was stiffer than he seemed. I needed to do something to catch him off guard.”

Still, he did not feel like it was true. Or he was just too twisted up to tell.

“What is the matter?” Kira asked and slowed down. He even turned to face him and narrowed his eyes as he looked up at his face. “You aren’t jealous are you?”

Raine sputtered an answer, “N-no! Why…? I am not…”

Kira’s laughter made his cheeks hot. “I know, I was only joking.” He started to walk again, still chuckling but more to himself this time.

It had been so long since Kira had pulled something like that on him that Raine had almost forgotten what it felt like. He stood there, dumbfounded, and had to rush to catch back up. His heart thundered in his chest and he was now fixated on something other than the kiss.

While Kira might have been joking about what he said, Raine was not so sure. Perhaps the explanation for why he could not just reason the kiss away was because he did feel something akin to jealousy. Maybe that was what Baiya had been hinting at as well.

A lump formed in his throat and he could not even bear to look at Kira. Not right now, not when he was on the cusp of admitting, to himself, something he could barely understand.

***

Dinner was almost at hand and Pangu and Baiya were the first back to the arrowhead. Or, so they had thought. When they walked upon it, Viren, Oli, and Alf were already there.

Viren and Oli were nobility, born and raised in palaces and manual labor was new to them so their chores were typically easy and overseen by other villagers. Because of that, they were, almost, always done first. And, once they were finished, Alf was glued to their side to talk of strategy and meetings.

He had been drafting a letter to Lord Dio in Kuniser, ironing out the details so that a subsequent meeting would not have them regurgitating the same talking points for too long.

Oli and Alf got on like old best friends rather than strangers and Viren often left them to talk with just one another while he read over some materials that Alf had gifted him. Texts from Meala, about the area, many of which had been translated by Alf himself from Foi’rra to common tongue. A lot of it was information Viren had never known—had never been taught.

“Back already?” Viren asked, only barely lifting his head from the scroll that held his attention.

“Animals are fed and happy,” Pangu announced and glanced up at Baiya, sharing a smile with him.

They had been tasked with feeding and tending to the farm animals which was a lot quicker due to Baiya’s experience. Plus, he could carry several sacks of feed at once and had left Pangu with just the quick, easy work.

The days in the village had been long and full of work, both physical and mental and the only time they really had to see one another was at night, before sleep. There were a few kisses here and there, some cuddling while they slept, and all of the touches that would not seem overt during the day.

There was no reason to hide what had happened but other than filing in the rest of the group during paired chores, there was also no reason to make a spectacle of it and formally announce anything.

Pangu had thought of having a long conversation with Viren, if he appeared ill at ease but, since he and Baiya first kissed, it was as if the lord knew. He often caught them; brushing hands together, linking fingers as they walked, and sharing a look that was filled with adoration. And, when he saw it, he would smile.

They sat and got comfortable, knowing it would be their place until well after dinner. Once the others joined, they would jump back into planning.

If Pangu had to guess, they had another week in Gnoma and, in that time, Dio would come to visit and they would lay out more of a solid plan.

He looked over at Baiya and offered his hand, silently, which his disciple took in a heartbeat. Their palms molded together, sharing warmth and wordless comforts. Just as Baiya began to run his thumb along the back of Pangu’s hand, the other disciples and Idris came into view.