#rear triangle
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blenselche · 11 months ago
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zadrday's wrasslin' sketch was more mount less takedown so here's my apology
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bjjandbj2 · 1 year ago
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBi9829ldjA
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thinkingabouttimdrake · 2 years ago
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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WOOOOOOOOO YOOOOOOOO 🙉
HE MIGHT BE A CRAB BUT HIS SKATEBOARD SKILLS AINTTTY
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fiemindustries · 9 months ago
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Leading Reflex Reflector Manufacturer for All Needs
Fiem Industries Limited is a leading reflex reflector manufacturer, known for producing high-quality automotive lighting solutions. Our reflex reflectors are designed to enhance visibility and safety on the road. Trust Fiem Industries for reliable and durable lighting products that meet international standards. Choose Fiem Industries for top-tier automotive lighting solutions.
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claire-starsword · 1 year ago
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Bloodline of the Sacred Dragons - Chapter 2-7
[warning for violence and dismemberment on this one. yes you read that right. as opposed to me who did not pay attention to this on my first read. lol.]
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The group emerged back into the fields, after safely crossing the mountains. They hurried on their journey, heading towards the Pao Plains.
By Krin and Tyrin's calculations, they should be a day ahead of the monsters. If they could get the mercenaries at Pao and come back, they would be able to ambush the enemies at the mountain path that led to the plains. The devils wouldn't be able to escape a trap in such a narrow pathway.
In the forest, Karin replaced Randolf as the lead. Tyrin gave the general directions by her side, and she decided the exact path to traverse according to the condition of the plants and other forest signs. Bleu was speechless on how observant she was, not letting the slightest detail pass unnoticed.
Bleu struggled the most with the thick cluster of trees. Unlike Camallia and Karna, he didn't have the power to heal everyone's exhaustion either. He grew frustrated with himself. Once they got to a wider place or a road he'd be able to stretch out his wings. He did his best to put up with it.
Once the sun had gone down, the group had finally come out the end of the forest, reaching the road between Bustoke and the Pao Plains.
And there, their calculations failed them.
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They ran right into the monster squad that had stolen the Manual. A sudden encounter, one could say.
"They shouldn't be here by our calculations, so why…" Krin complained about the unexpected turn of events, as she stared at the twenty or so monsters that had appeared in front of them.
The devils were just as shocked as them.
"Impossible! Why is there a Sacred Dragon here?"
One of the monsters, accompanying the squad of harpies and armed lizardmen, stared wide-eyed at Bleu, with empty eyes devoid of light. Those eyes caught sight of Camallia by his side. The devil then understood everything.
"So you survived. And you guided them here. It's always you, always… Fine, if you'll be this much of a hindrance, then I, Ziduur, will end you just like those pursuing mages."
The monster's fangs showed over the corner of his lips, and his two horns, atop his head like a moth's antennas, swung backwards in a menacing stance. Deep crimson hair ran from the nape of his neck to his back like a mane, bristling. As if answering to that, the lizardmen raised their slimy triangular heads, their bifurcated tongues flickering through their lips. The harpies let out ear-piercing shrieks.
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"If you want this, come and take it."
Ziduur held a box made of ebony. It was full of intricate inlay decorations with a foreign feel.
"Sir Bleu, there's no doubt, the Manual is in there!"
With Tyrin's shout, the battle began.
"Randolf, Tyrin, take care of the girls!"
While shouting, Bleu bolted towards Ziduur, as if drawn to the Manual in his hands. Cerberus followed behind him.
"Wait, don't just rush in, it won't go well if we fight separated," Randolf hastily stopped Camallia, who wanted to jump ahead as well.
"Bleu, come back right now! Bleu!"
Karin's voice did not reach Bleu, and he began to fight the harpies in midair.
All his pent up feelings were unleashed at once. And at the same time, he had confidence in being the one who always broke through the enemy lines. With that amount of enemies, he believed he could strike the commander at once and end the battle with that. There was no reason to eliminate them all. Once he retrieved the Manual, he could just disperse the rest of the enemies. The shorter the battle, the less likely it would be for Karin and the others to get hurt. And by defeating all the monsters himself, he could prove his power to them. Maybe then the girls would stay behind without a fuss, Bleu thought.
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However, his reckless advance did not go as he expected.
Superior to him in speed and number, the harpies put up a tough fight against him. Wanting to rush to Ziduur straight away, he had become isolated from his allies.
Randolf and Camallia shielded the others, facing the incoming lizardmen head on.
"Bleu, I'll burn down these enemies, get out of the way!"
Krin began chanting a Blaze spell, but Karin stopped her. If she cast the flames in a wide area, Bleu would certainly get caught in them.
"Krin, give up and target a single enemy," Karin ordered, while shooting down an enemy away from Bleu with perfect accuracy. Their lack of coordination was apparent. Karin bit down her anger at Bleu's stupid actions.
"I won't show mercy to any who interfere. Join the hateful corpses that sleep under this earth."
Ziduur took out a piece of a crimson jewel, and held it tightly within his left hand, as if squeezing it. Beams of light came through between his fingers.
"That light!" Camallia shouted, alerting everyone.
Ziduur punched the ground. Thin sparks of crimson lightning ran at once over the surface.
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"What did he do?"
Karna watched in awe as the ground in front of her began to stir, and something jumped out from within.
"Eep!" She let out a strangled scream as she came face to face with a skeleton.
"Get down!"
Hearing that shout from behind her, Karna got down while covering her head with both arms. The end of a flail flew past her, sending the skeleton's skull flying like a football. As she pulled the weapon back, Camallia smashed its upper body as well.
In the brief moment where Karna breathed a sigh of relief, more skeletons jumped from below, one after the other. Those skeletal warriors, carrying all kinds of different weapons, were the warped forms of monsters once defeated in that land, and the travelers they once killed.
"Are we surrounded?"
Watching the growing swarm of skeletons and lizardmen around them, Randolf swung his Battle Axe once again. If the monsters attacked all at once, they certainly wouldn't manage to defend against all of them.
Karna shouted for everyone to get closer together.
"O benevolent ones who watch upon all, please hear our prayers. Gather the righteous light within our hearts, and make it into a shield of holy brilliance!!"
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By her incantation, the faint shine of the supporting spell Boost enveloped the whole group from within. The monsters with no flesh nor blood were driven away by that light.
Not wasting the opportunity, Randolf and Camallia attacked. The mages covered the openings between them, Tyrin freezing the enemies to stand as shields, and Krin erecting walls of fire with her Blaze spells. They were doing their best to defend themselves, but the situation still wasn't good as they were outnumbered.
On one swing, Camallia's flail became entangled in another flail wielded by a skeleton. The resulting forces made both of them lose their grips on their weapons. Without delay, the skeleton took a short sword from the back of its shield, and charged at the now empty-handed girl. Another short sword was thrown at the skeleton as it did that. By reflex, the skeleton knocked it down with its shield. Camallia jumped at the fallen sword, grabbing it and swinging it at the skeleton's leg to cut it down. The monster fell down as it lost its balance, and Camallia stepped on its bony body from over its shield, using all of her strength to crush it.
"Thank you, Sir Randolf."
Picking up her flail, she stood back to back with Randolf, who had moved backwards. She extended a hand in his direction, trying to return his short sword that had saved her from her predicament.
"I don't mind. Keep it. Without a spare weapon, something like this might happen to you again."
Answering that, he swung his blade at another monster.
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At that time, Bleu was also surrounded by even more enemies than before.
Sacred Dragons had tough bodies and powerful attacks, but were in no way invincible. Their thick hide was hard to penetrate with a blade, yet at some point he had been wounded, and it bled. While he had finished off many of the harpies, he had also hurt his wings. The injury was not severe, but it made him unable to fight the remaining harpies in the air. Having fallen to the ground, Bleu faced a concentrated assault from the group of enemies.
Sustaining minor injuries all over his body, Bleu had made a pile of corpses out of his enemies. Yet he was clearly exhausted. Taking a fierce blow to his chest, he began to cough violently.
In this terrible moment, a lizardman brandished his Large Axe. In Bleu's current condition, he couldn't dodge or spew out his lightning breath.
The monsters became agitated.
Steeling himself for the fatal blow, Bleu saw a silver blur pass through the corner of his vision. Fresh blue blood spilled by. With a deep gash on his torso, the lizardman turned around only to be cut again like a paper doll by sharp claws, this time on the chest.
"Zylo!?" Bleu exclaimed in surprise, seeing the werewolf that had showed up behind the fallen lizardman.
"It's been a long time, Bleu."
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Zylo's eyes had the glint of a wild beast hidden within, and he narrowed them in recognition for an instant.
Taking that as an opening, the harpies attacked from the sky.
"Watch out!"
Faster than Bleu's cry, Zylo jumped to the air. He spun next to harpy like a gear, hitting it with a somersault, and knocking it down hard to the ground. The blood from the harpy's torn neck ran in lines across her dead body.
"Before worrying for others, worry about yourself. Honestly, what a pathetic fight you put up. Have you forgotten your past experience? I'll show you how it is to fight as a group. Watch and learn."
Zylo howled.
The lizardmen and harpies flinched at the incoming chants of beast hunters. From its direction came the rushing sound of rain. A merciless rain of arrows…
Once the synchronized barrage of arrows ended, Zylo had also disappeared. Too fast for Bleu's eyes to keep up, he ran between the disoriented enemies, cutting them down as he passed them by. One by one they fell to the ground.
Having broken through the enemies surrounding them, Zylo reached Karin's group.
"It's Zylo, the king of Bustoke."
Krin calmed down the others, who were on guard, unsure if he was a new enemy.
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"We'll regroup with Bleu. Follow me without delay," Zylo ordered, and turned away from them without waiting for an answer. He spoke as if certain that they'd obey. Not forceful. Just showing unwavering confidence.
"Diane!!" He shouted. In answer, a squad of archers appeared from the forest shadows, led by an elf girl. Their bowstrings rang as they once again released their arrows in unison.
Diane's archers concentrated their assault on the skeletons. The ropes tied in their arrows perfectly wrapped around their enemies. The skeletons hit by them fell down and tumbled through the ground. It seemed as if they knew what enemies they'd be facing, which made Krin impressed, but also a bit suspicious.
"Let's go!"
Zylo dashed away, heading towards Bleu, who had recovered some energy and continued to fight on his own. The others ran behind him as fast as they could.
"Karna, Camallia, heal Bleu, quickly!"
As Zylo and Randolf took the surrounding enemies down, Karin immediately asked the priests to tend to Bleu. While the archers of Bustoke kept lending them support, Camallia healed everyone who had been injured with Aura, the high level healing spell.
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"Thank you, Camallia. You too, Karin…" Bleu thanked the girls.
"There's no time to waste," Zylo urged Bleu. "Let's retrieve the Manual at once with this."
Led by the wolf king, the group split apart the confused enemies. Separated from each other, they had no time to recover, and were shot down by Diane's squad.
"Now. Sir Bleu, the Manual!" Tyrin shouted.
Spreading his healed wings, Bleu flew over the skeletons. The monsters were knocked down by the wings and the gust of wind.
Ziduur held up the ruby in his hand. His body was enveloped in red light.
"Like I'll let you teleport!"
The monster had jumped away, but Bleu sliced him with his claws.
Ziduur's arm was torn and sent flying, tracing an arc in midair, weighted down by the ebony box it carried.
Bleu had his attention drawn to the Manual for a moment. Ziduur didn't miss that, casting a Blaze spell in that time. Bleu crossed his arms in front of him as the flames burst in front of him.
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"Bleu!!"
Karin and Camallia left the few remaining monsters to Zylo, and ran to the dragon.
He looked down bitterly at the space Ziduur had teleported away from. It shimmered like hot air, proving that a devil stood there just a moment before.
He picked up the box with the Manual, and Camallia saw that both his arms were bleeding.
"Are you wounded?" she asked, walking to him.
"It's no big deal. Just scratches."
"Even a small injury cannot be left alone."
While he insisted that he was fine, Camallia softly kissed his wounds.
Bleu suddenly felt eyes on him, and tried to pull away from her.
"Please stay still."
Camallia's warm lips moved over his skin as she said the words. Her hot tongue traced over his wound, licking off the blood. Her throat made a glugging noise as she drank it. Her lips continued to move over it, trembling with her incomprehensible chants and sighs.
She let go after a while, and no trace of the wound was left.
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"Bleu, the king of Bustoke is calling."
Karin only said that before turning her back and running away.
To next part>
Translation notes:
"Zidur" is apparently a word of a power to summon one of the creatures in the Necronomicon by Simon. I know nothing of that book other than a cursory look so I can't talk much about it, but do you know how hilarious it is to google a Shining Force thing and come up with a pdf full of demon rituals and absolutely no other results? Unparalled experience. Also, the character's name does have a longer "u" sound so I reflected that in my translation as well.
I don't recall Ziduur being explicitly referred to as a man, but his speech manners are pretty rough and he'll eventually be using the rough and masc "ore" pronoun, so unlike Otrant I just made the call to use he/him pronouns for him.
Zylo's species in the original game is given as "wolfling". His base class however is "werewolf", so nothing wrong here.
Up to this point I had been calling the dog "Cerberos" because that's closer to the japanese reading and I didn't think to look it up, but I was recently reminded that the games use "Cerberus" instead. I'd rather stick close to the official translations when it doesn't matter so I've updated past posts and will be using the game romanization from here on.
#shining series#shining force#shining force 2#shining force novel translation#bloodline of the sacred dragons#sf bleu#there we go. the annoying arrogant protag has learned a valuable lesson about the real super power of teamwork!#now things can finally progress smoothly into a great team dynamic!#...#dont. don't look at the page count. don't- it's fine. it'll be fine#sf karin#if this was a game she should be the leader and not bleu just saying#or it could be a protag choice with a few route differences#*person who has only played two tactical rpgs in their life* hmm. getting a lot of fantasy maiden wars vibes from this#also there's clearly a love triangle rearing its ugly head here but i chose to see it as funny like. girl she's drinking his blood#repressed village girl who clearly doesn't have enough going on in her life watching camallia be a badass freak: God I Wish That Was Me#sfbotsd camallia#NORMAL WOMAN. ABSOLUTELY INCONSPICUOUS WOMAN. GODDAMN#and i refuse to complain she's so cool!! woman's wrongs the novel#sf2 karna twiggy#the boost chant is also so cool and i knew it from the nnd summary i used to watch so i've waited more than a year to show you pals#i wish she did more but i'm not unhappy with her role in battles here generally#sf2 randolf dongo#sf2 tyrin piper#sf krin#sf krin's cerberus#so uh. does anyone else feels the writer is constantly struggling to remember the dog's still here? i legit did not realize the first time#she hadn't been mentioned since the lab. i legit thought she had been left in manarina#a shame because a hellhound on the team is prime shining content and i wish it was better used. i wanna play with this beauty#goddamn this is a lot of characters but i do wanna ramble
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fallowfield · 2 years ago
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i have an opinion that someone is going to have issue with. but the thriller novel genre has become the horror media equivalent of ya books. that being said i think they can be redeemed still. if we stop letting cishet white people dominate the genres with copies of copies of copies.
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herpsandbirds · 3 months ago
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People always talk about rotund critters but do you know of any other shapely fellas? Any triangles or squares or other angular guys?
There are a few frogs that look very triangular...
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Darwin’s Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), males, family Rhinodermatidae, found in the Valdivian Temperate Rain Forest of Chile and Argentina
ENDANGERED.
Famous for its child rearing technique. The male holds both the eggs and tadpoles in his vocal sac. The froglets emerge from the male’s mouth after metamorphosing.
Endangered due to habitat destruction and chytrid fungus.
photograph by Juan Luis Celis Diez
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Solomon Island Leaf Frog aka Guenther's Triangle Frog (Cornufer guentheri), family Ceratobatrachidae, endemic to the Solomon Islands
photograph by Chris Mattison 
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Sumaco Horned Treefrog (Hemiphractus proboscideus), family Hemiphractidae, Loreto, Peru
photographs by Matt Jeppson
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yanderenightmare · 1 year ago
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Nanami Kento
TW: yandere, NSFW, noncon/dubcon, size-difference, captive darling, subjugation, none of readers holes are safe
AN: kinda a sequel to this - sex therapist ! Nanami
fem reader
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In the morning, before breakfast, he expects you to take care of his morning wood. 
He says that’s what any proper young lady should do for a man. Petting your hair awfully leisurely while you clean up the sleepy mess – licking the half-wet half-dry glaze from his abs, sometimes needing to tongue it out of his belly button before moving down to his inner thighs and balls – lastly sucking him off for the rest of it. 
You’ll lie on your stomach between his thighs under the covers while he’s still resting his eyes – groaning out groggy praise, sometimes with a heavy yawn. “Good girl~”
You don’t get breakfast until his balls are empty, is what you’ve learned.
One time – after he’d shot all his worth onto your tongue, stroking your cheek with a finger while telling you to be his good cum-doll and swallow – you’d retaliated by spitting his it out. And he’d punished you with an hour of being bent over his lap – spanking your poor butt raw – making it welt with popped veins until there wasn’t any space left to punish with a mark. 
Then he’d put you down on your knees again and made you kiss his balls while apologizing to them – cuddling the heavy sack all teary-faced while begging for forgiveness. 
Once satisfied, he’d encouraged you to suck a new nut from his tip – one which you swallowed in full and thanked him for afterward. 
He’d also made you lick the first one up from the floor before cooing at you, wiping your tears with his roughened thumb with a slim smile – telling you that you were forgiven but that if you ever did such a horrible thing as wasting your food again, he’d have no choice but to starve you until you learned to appreciate all your meals properly. 
After you’ve done your duty, swallowing his morning wood, you’re allowed downstairs for your second breakfast now that you’ve earned it. 
But first, he’ll have you spread your legs so he can skewer one humming toy inside you. “It’s shameful for a lady to walk around with a dry pussy,” he says, and according to him, “you should always be dripping-ready with a twitchy coin-sized hole, happy to get pounded by a man’s fat cock, ever-grateful to receive his warm ball-juice in your womb.”
You iron his suit while he preps breakfast – rubbing your thighs together as they melt with trickles from your cunt – unable to keep yourself from cumming. 
One time you were so distracted you’d made a triangle-shaped burn mark on his blue shirt because of it – and he’d punished you by stuffing the toy inside your tight ass instead. 
He’d justified it by saying it was your pussy’s fault for being needy and selfish, and therefore it should be your pussy that’s punished. 
The whole day, he’d ignored the pretty pink hole and slammed your poor butt instead. Cramming inside the tighty with the help of spit and rubbing oil until it gaped and accepted his pounding while you were bent and bowed in a well-deserved doggy position – rutting into your rear in quick robbing jams with both your hands pinned to your back and his foot placed on your cheek – stomping your pretty face while you sobbed for forgiveness, excusing your tardiness.
The next day, he’d mouthed something apologetic into your cunt. Licking and sucking your clit while saying he was sorry that he’d had to be so rough on you – that he hopes you learned your lesson so he’ll never have to ignore your perfect little pussy ever again. Telling you how he’d breed you twice as much that day to make up for what you’d missed the day before.
But anyway. During breakfast, he makes you cock-warm him on his lap while at the dinner table – telling you to say ah so he can spoon-feed you your share of the plate in front of you.
The toy within you is part of it. He tells you that keeping your toys clean is important and makes you lick your slick off until it’s all gone – praising you with a kiss to your cheek. He tilts his mug and takes the last drops of coffee, finishing it with a loud sigh.
“Is your belly full, baby?” He’ll mumble against your neck, scraping his chin-stubble along the soft skin to place a sloppy kiss there.
“Yes, Daddy, thank you.” You’ve been trained to say.
“Good~” He’ll purr -  bouncing his leg, making you roost on his lap, feeling his meaty shaft sink just a bit deeper, curving out and making you bulge. “But this pussy is still starving, isn’t she?” He’ll keep a rough finger-pad on your swollen pearl while at it, rubbing tight circles into it, humming ruggedly from the squeeze it makes. “Want Daddy to fill her up, too?”
You’ll always shudder just a bit at the bite of his cock, bullying into your poor womb as you whimper out an ever so weak, “Yes, please, Daddy…”
He’ll prop you up on the table, making you just the perfect height. Sometimes on your knees – with one hand stationed at the small of your back while the other pulls your hair like a ponytail to keep you from crawling away while he pounds into you from the back.
 Other times you’re seated on your ass with your back against the table – one of his strong arms wrapped around your thigh – keeping you steady as he juts into with his heavy ballsack clapping against your ass – his other fist riddled tight around your throat.
Either way, he expects you to beg for it. Cry for his cum, saying, “Thank you for giving me cock, Daddy- it feels so good- please fill me up with your seed!”
After he’s fed and bred you for breakfast, he’ll leave for work. 
But before he goes, he’ll prop you with a chastity belt first. 
The crotch is fixed with a dildo sculpted from his cock – keeping you company. After all, he doesn’t want you to miss him too much – and besides, he needs something to soothe his homesickness while on the job – and knowing you have his cum and cock stored within you while you do your chores, thinking of him as much as he thinks of you, is enough to put a small smile on his face.
He’ll play with what vibrations to give you through the app on his phone – customizing his own rhythm. He’s decided to teach you morse code with it – talking filthy things by tapping out dots and lines – telling you how much his cock aches to feel your tight pussy soak him, how much he can’t wait to come home and give you the real thing.
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heartsriki · 3 months ago
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A KEYCHAIN FOR TWO ⌇불꽃
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pairing ᝰ ni-ki x fem!reader — featuring.. everyone but hee, srry pook :( | word count: 6.3k+
⌇ … warnings & genre ↺ highschool au, small love triangle, moving cities, a little rivals to lovers (sort of), riki is a jerk sometimes, kissing, fluff, a lil angst, misunderstood feelings, lots of bickering, cussing, drama vibes.
synopsis — after moving to a new city, you worry about the rest of your high school years being spent alone. your worries are immediately shut down as you meet a cute aussie next door and his chaotic group of friends. you all got along, well, everyone besides you and riki.
lee's ₊˚⊹ ᰔ comment ┊whoever knows where that keychain is from get a kiss... also this took so long to write bc I didn't know where I wanted it to go but I think it ended up cute??? hope you like it!
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You never expected your high school years to go like this. It was nearing the end of your 10th-grade year, and out of nowhere, your parents decided to move far away from your hometown. You were afraid. You wouldn’t have your friends or family with you anymore, and the farther you drove from home, the more emotional you felt.
Your dad glanced at you through the rear-view mirror. “What’s with the long face, huh?” he asked, returning his attention to the road.
You didn’t respond. Even though you knew moving was better for your parents for reasons they wouldn’t tell you, you still felt upset.
“Don’t be too mad, sweetheart. You can start fresh here! The education in this city is one of the best!” your mom said enthusiastically as she turned around.
You rolled your eyes, huffing as you turned your gaze back to the view outside the window.
After the long drive, you finally arrived at your new home. The car pulled into the driveway, and you examined the house. It had two floors and looked brand new; the rising sun complimented the lush greenery around it. Your parents excitedly stepped out of the car to admire their home and immediately went to the trunk to unpack.
You stayed inside the car with your arms crossed, still feeling stubborn, until your dad opened your door. “The moving truck won’t be here until the afternoon, but you can go pick out your room,” he said with an encouraging smile and a nod.
That made you happy. You hopped out of the car and jogged to the front door. “Don’t get mad if I pick the master bedroom!” you yelled playfully, looking back before opening the door.
You didn’t spend much time exploring downstairs. Instead, you skipped up the stairs, humming, and made your way down the hall. The first room was small, and the second was way too big.
When you opened the door to the last room, you paused to look around. It was cozy and—
Your train of thought was interrupted by a thud against the window. Slowly, you crept toward it and looked out, spotting a boy halfway out of his window, waving at you. Raising an eyebrow, you opened your window.
“Hey! What’s your name?!” the boy shouted from across the way.
You glanced side to side, then back at him. He had long black hair, an accent, and probably the most gorgeous smile you’d ever seen. “Uh—it’s Y/N!” you shouted back, giggling.
He nodded. “Y/N… That’s cool! My name’s Jake! Are you new to the town?”
You laughed pointing at your parent unloading the car. “Yeah! Pretty obvious don't you think?”
He pouted as he looked at the car, putting a hand on his chest in embarrassment before turning back to you. “Want me to show you around the neighborhood!?”
From that day, you and Jake quickly became friends. You learned that he attended the same school you’d be going to after summer break. You were happy, though that happiness dimmed a bit when you found out he was a junior who is now becoming a senior, which meant he wouldn’t be around for long.
Still, you pushed that thought aside. Over the summer, Jake took you all around town—restaurants, parks, arcades, PC rooms, shops, and even the school you’d be attending. You were practically attached at the hip. He was fun, funny, and smart. You had to admit, he was quickly becoming part of your everyday routine.
By the end of the summer, your small town already felt less intimidating. Slowly, your resentment about the move started to fade. Jake made everything feel easier like the town wasn’t just a place you moved to but a place where you could belong.
When he wasn’t around, you’d find yourself wondering what he was doing. Would school change everything? You didn’t know, but you’d grown attached to him in a way you didn’t know yourself.
Everything went well—until the start of the new school year.
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“There’s no way I have to wear this,” you said, picking at your school uniform.
Jake laughed, throwing his basketball up and down. “Come on, you look fine. Besides, every other girl is wearing it too,” he said, half truthfully and half mockingly.
You rolled your eyes at him and started to pack up. “Let’s go before we miss the bus,” you said, putting your headphones on.
Jake groaned from your bed, slowly falling off of it. “Being late doesn’t sound so bad.”
You glared at him, and he quickly stood up, grabbing his things as well.
The walk to the bus was quiet. When you both got on, he spotted one of his other friends and sat down next to them. He invited you to join, but you waved him off. You needed to clear your mind before the start of your 11th year.
You turned up your music and drifted away, watching the scenery pass by.
After a while, the bus neared the stop around your school. You were still out of it and didn’t notice everyone wearing the same uniform as you.
From the back of the bus, a boy in your uniform glanced at you for a second before walking toward the front. He didn’t wake you up until he reached the driver.
“Hey, kid, doesn’t she go to your school?” the driver asked, nodding toward the mirror.
The boy removed one of his headphones and turned to look at you. “How should I know?” he said with a shrug.
The driver made an annoyed face. “Just wake her up, will you? Hurry.”
He groaned and turned back. “Seriously, this is so annoying. Who falls asleep on a bus?” he muttered to himself.
He made his way to you and nudged you, but you didn’t budge. That’s when he grabbed your shoulder and shook you roughly. You yelped and looked at him, but he quickly turned around and got off the bus.
You looked around and realized what had happened. “Oh great, that’s just perfect,” you huffed, quickly adjusting your bag and sprinting to get off the bus.
Once you got off, you realized you had no clue how to get to the school from this area. That’s when you spotted the same boy walking in a direction. You noticed he was wearing the same uniform as you and quickly followed behind him.
“Hey, how do we get to school from here?” you asked, walking beside him.
He looked at you before turning away, ignoring you.
You scoffed and tried again. “Did you hear me?”
He ignored you once more and checked his phone. After glancing at the time, he cursed under his breath and started running.
That made you look at your phone too. You saw it was five minutes before curfew. “Oh shoot!”
You ran behind him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. You both ran until he suddenly stopped. You came to a halt beside him, ready to ask what was wrong, but then you saw it. The entrance monitor was holding a group of late students.
You almost freaked out, but before you could, the boy threw his bag over the fence and started climbing it.
You rushed to the fence and looked up at him. “Help me too!” you whisper-yelled.
He looked down at you with a squint, and you caught a glimpse of his name tag: Nishimura Riki. So that’s his name.
“Why the hell would I help you?” he clicked his tongue and hopped to the other side, leaving you stranded.
You almost got angry, but then you heard footsteps approaching. You knew it was over.
Jake laughed at you. “Are you serious? That’s hilarious! I’m surprised they let you off that easy.”
You glared at him, holding your head in your hands from your desk. Jake had come to visit you in your classroom, which caused a stir among the students. Seniors rarely showed up in this area.
“Haha, very funny. You just left me stranded, you jerk.”
He raised his hands in defense. “Whoa, hey, don’t blame me! Anyway, who was that guy—” Jake glanced at the clock. “Never mind. Class is starting, and I’m not in the mood to get in trouble. See you at lunch?”
You gave him a sweet smile and a small nod. “Sure.”
After he left, two girls turned around in their seats and looked at you. “Is he your boyfriend?”
Your eyes widened, and you shook your head. “No, no, no, of course not—he’s just, y’know…”
“Oh, whoops,” the girls giggled and turned back around talking about how cute he was.
You sighed, resting your head on your desk. Your first day was already a mess.
When the lunch bell rang, students quickly dispersed around the school. You wandered aimlessly, not knowing where to go until someone bumped into you from behind. He stumbled a bit before looking at you in surprise.
“My bad, I didn’t see you. Are you okay?”
You nodded, then noticed Jake beside him.
“Hey, man! Oh, Y/N! I was looking for you. This is Jay. Jay, this is Y/N,” Jake introduced.
Jay grinned and waved. “Hey.”
“Anyway, let’s go meet the rest of the guys. Come on—the stall might be out of snacks by now.”
As you walked behind them, you giggled at their silly arguments. Eventually, you reached a small, tree-shielded area where three guys were already sitting.
“About time,” said a blonde-haired guy. “Who’s this?”
“This is Y/N. Y/N, that’s Sunoo. The other two are Jungwon and Sunghoon,” Jake said.
They nodded and greeted you, and you waved shyly.
“Wow, there are so many of you,” you said with a smile.
Jake laughed, sitting down beside Sunghoon, who was already eating. “Well, one of us already graduated, and the other—hey, where is he?”
Jungwon shrugged. “Late as always—oh, there he is.”
Everyone turned around, but you didn’t realize what was happening until you backed up, startled by someone’s presence.
You looked up and saw him—the guy from the bus. Riki, wasn’t it? He was covered in milk.
You gasped. “I am so, so sorry! I had no idea you were—”
“It’s whatever. I’ll see you guys later,” he mumbled, turning to leave.
You winced and looked back at Jake, who seemed just as shocked.
“Don’t worry, he’s always like this,” Jake said, waving it off.
Since then, you got to know the group very well. They became your closest friends. You barely saw Riki, though, and the others said he was just shy. Still, you couldn’t shake the feeling that he didn’t like you very much.
A few weeks had passed since you joined Jake’s friend group, and while you’d grown close to most of them, Riki remained distant. Every time you tried to talk to him, he would brush you off or give one-word answers. At first, it annoyed you, but now, it just made you curious.
One afternoon, as the group sat together under the trees, you noticed Riki sitting off to the side, headphones on, scrolling through his phone. Sunoo was telling a funny story about something that had happened in class, and everyone was laughing, but Riki didn’t even glance up.
You leaned over to Jake and whispered, “Does he ever, like, talk to anyone?”
Jake chuckled. “Riki? Not really. He’s like that with everyone unless you’re Sunoo. They’re really close.”
You glanced at Riki again. He looked so unapproachable, but that only made you more determined. “I’m gonna go talk to him,” you said, standing up.
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Good luck.”
You walked over and sat down a few feet away from Riki, not wanting to invade his space. He didn’t acknowledge you, so you cleared your throat.
“What are you listening to?” you asked, trying to sound casual.
He slid one headphone off and looked at you, clearly unimpressed. “Music.”
You rolled your eyes. “Obviously. What kind of music?”
He sighed as if the question was the most exhausting thing he’d heard all day. “Why do you care?”
“Because I’m trying to be friendly,” you said, crossing your arms.
“Well, don’t.” He put his headphones back on and turned away.
You stared at him in disbelief. For some reason, his attitude stung more than it should have. Frustrated, you stood up and walked back to the group. Jake gave you a knowing look, “You'll grow on him, trust.”
Despite the occasional moments of civility between you and Riki, he still acted like you were more of a nuisance than anything else. Every interaction with him was a balancing act—sometimes he’d make a snide comment or ignore you entirely, and other times, you’d catch him glancing at you with an unreadable expression.
One day, during gym class, you were paired up with Riki for a partner relay. The teacher’s decision seemed to irritate him immediately.
“Seriously? Out of everyone here, I have to be paired with you?” he muttered under his breath as the two of you walked to your starting position.
“Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “You’re not exactly my first choice either.”
He shot you a glare but didn’t say anything else.
The relay involved passing a baton and running a few laps. You were doing fine until it was your turn to hand the baton off to Riki. As you reached him, your grip slipped, and the baton fell to the ground.
“Are you kidding me?” he snapped, snatching it up and taking off without waiting for you to respond.
After the race, he stormed up to you, his dark eyes narrowed. “Do you even know how to hold a baton? Or were you just trying to embarrass me?”
“Relax,” you said, wiping sweat from your forehead. “It was an accident. Maybe if you weren’t so busy staring at me, you could’ve caught it better.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
You felt your cheeks heat with frustration as he walked away, leaving you standing there, fuming.
Later that week, during lunch, you accidentally bumped into a senior in the crowded cafeteria, causing their tray to spill. The student glared at you, their voice dripping with irritation.
“Watch where you’re going,” they snapped, their tone loud enough to draw attention.
“I’m really sorry,” you said, bending down to help clean up the mess.
Before you could finish, the seniors crossed their arms. “Do you even know how expensive this food is? You better pay me back.”
You opened your mouth to respond, but someone beat you to it.
“She said she’s sorry. Let it go,” Riki’s voice cut in, sharp and cold.
You looked up to see him standing a few feet away, his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed on the senior.
The senior sneered. “And who are you supposed to be? Watch who you’re talking to, I’m your senior”
“I don’t care,” Riki replied, stepping closer. “Just take the apology and move on.”
The senior hesitated, clearly debating whether or not to escalate the situation, but Riki’s icy stare seemed to do the trick. With a huff, they turned and walked away.
You stood up, brushing off your hands. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Don’t thank me,” Riki said, avoiding your gaze. “I just didn’t want to watch you make a fool of yourself.”
“Right,” you muttered, annoyed by his tone. “You’re such a hero.”
He rolled his eyes and walked off, leaving you standing there with mixed emotions.
That was the back-and-forth limbo you and Riki had. It slowly got better up until the end of the year. Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Jungwon were all graduating, and they decided they wanted their last hangout to be at a huge festival a good distance away from the city. With permission from your parents, you were allowed to go. You decided that after all this time, you would definitely confess to Jake since you admittedly had a crush on him ever since he showed you around the city. What other chance would you get? If you didn’t tell him before he left, you’d seriously hate yourself.
You were sitting in your room packing your bag when you heard the familiar thud of your window. You rolled your eyes and turned around to see Jake and, surprisingly, Riki too. Though Riki looked shocked to see you—maybe Jake hadn’t told him that you were neighbors. You opened your window.
“What is it, Jake?” you asked.
“Everyone’s done packing. Are you ready?”
You looked around your room. “Yeah, I just finished. Are we seriously taking the train?”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Do you prefer we take a million buses instead?”
Riki groaned at the playful bickering Jake was having with you and checked his phone. “Let’s go.”
Jake nodded and yelled something at you before closing his window. Then he turned to Riki. “Hey, real quick, let me ask you something.”
Riki raised an eyebrow and stopped in his tracks. “Okay?”
Jake took a deep breath. “Do you like Y/N?”
Riki’s eyes widened, and then he scoffed. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Jake awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “My bad. It’s just… it’s been months now, and you still act… weird around her. I thought something was up.”
Riki stayed quiet, looking at Jake.
“You should give her a chance. She’s cool.”
Riki remained silent, examining Jake before turning around and leaving.
Everyone met up at the train station and hopped on, finding seats where they could all fit. Everyone paired off, and you hoped to sit with Jake, but as you walked up to the last person without a partner, you realized it was Riki, not Jake. He looked up at you and exhaled, realizing the same thing. He sat up and put his headphones in.
You sat down next to him and did the same, turning on your playlist for the ride and opening a book to pass the time.
Eventually, you nodded off. Riki didn’t notice until he felt a soft nudge on his shoulder. He glanced at you and saw you sleeping soundly against him. He was about to move you off when you adjusted yourself, getting even closer. His ears turned bright red, and he coughed, looking around to make sure no one was watching. He looked back at you and smiled for a brief moment before catching himself and nudging your head away.
When you arrived, everyone was excited about exploring the new city. You went sightseeing, exploring the beautiful greens and skyscrapers when you walked around. That was until you found the famous amusement park and headed inside. Everyone stopped at the gift shop by the entrance to browse. Jay and Jungwon got matching headbands, and Sunghoon and Jake argued over accessories in the corner while Sunoo was adjusting his hair in the mirror.
You looked around for something to buy and ended up spotting a keychain that matched the color of your bag. You loved it, It was perfect but you checked the price and immediately put it down, opting for a headband instead. You looked back at it and pouted. You should've brought more money.
After leaving the gift shop, the group decided to split up again to explore the park more efficiently. Jay, Sunghoon, and Sunoo ran off to check out the go-karts, while Jungwon and Jake insisted on getting on the water ride. That left you and Riki standing awkwardly near the haunted house.
“Guess it’s just us,” you said with a small shrug.
Riki shoved his hands into his pockets, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “Yeah. Great.”
You narrowed your eyes at him. “You know, you could at least pretend to enjoy hanging out with me.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” he said flatly.
You sighed, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing. “Fine. Let’s just go in.”
The line for the haunted house was surprisingly short, and soon you were walking into the dark, eerie entrance. The atmosphere was perfect—dim lighting, fake cobwebs, and eerie sound effects played from hidden speakers.
The first jump scare came from a man dressed as a zombie who popped out of a hidden panel in the wall. You screamed and instinctively grabbed Riki’s arm. He froze at the contact, glancing down at your hand before quickly pulling his arm away.
“Scared already?” he teased, though his voice lacked the usual bite.
“I wasn’t scared,” you lied, brushing it off as you continued walking.
The next scare involved a ghoul lunging out from behind a curtain. This time, Riki flinched slightly but tried to play it off. You noticed and couldn’t help but smirk.
“You sure you’re not scared?” you asked, mimicking his earlier tone.
“I’m not,” he grumbled, but his defensive tone made you giggle.
As the haunted house went on, the scares became more intense. At one point, a person dressed as a ghost followed you for what felt like forever. You clung to Riki’s sleeve without realizing it, muttering under your breath about how creepy it was.
When you finally made it out of the haunted house, you let out a relieved laugh. “Okay, that was actually terrifying.”
Riki didn’t say anything at first, his gaze focused on the ground. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than usual. “You weren’t much of a wussy as I thought you’d be”
You tilted your head, confused by the comment. “What? I screamed, like, five times in there.”
“Yeah, but… you didn’t freak out as much as I thought you would.”
“Was that supposed to be a compliment?” you asked, laughing softly.
Riki shrugged, but there was a faint flush to his cheeks as he muttered, “Maybe.”
That moment with Riki was shortly lived as the others found you. You guys were wandering around the park for a while, someone suggested riding the biggest roller coaster there. The excitement in the group was palpable—well, for everyone except Sunoo.
“I’m not doing that,” Sunoo declared, crossing his arms as he looked up at the towering, twisting structure. The screams of riders echoed across the park. “That looks like a death trap.”
Jay smirked, nudging him. “What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll mess up your hair?”
“I’m afraid of dying, genius,” Sunoo shot back, glaring.
“Come on, Sunoo, it’s just one ride!” Jake encouraged, grinning.
“I’ll sit this one out, thanks.”
Jungwon groaned, rubbing his temples. “Fine, you can hold our bags. But we’re not letting you skip every ride.”
The rest of you got in line, Sunoo begrudgingly following along to take everyone’s belongings. While waiting, Jake kept the energy up by teasing Sunghoon, who was unusually quiet as the ride loomed closer.
“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” Jake grinned. “Sunghoon’s scared!”
“I’m not scared,” Sunghoon grumbled. “I’m just… mentally preparing.”
“You mean mentally panicking,” Jay quipped, earning a laugh from the group.
When it was finally your turn, you all piled into the cars. You ended up seated next to Jake, while Riki sat with Sunghoon, and Jay and Jungwon paired up behind you. The car began its slow ascent, the clicking of the chain pulling it higher and higher.
“Why do I let you guys talk me into this stuff?” you muttered, gripping the bar in front of you.
Jake laughed. “Because you secretly love it.”
Before you could respond, the car reached the peak, pausing just long enough for you to see the entire park stretched out below. Then, it plummeted.
The screams were deafening. You yelled along with everyone else as the car whipped around corners, climbed steep hills, and dove into sharp drops. In the spur of the moment, Jake grabbed your hand in fear but you took it in another way.
Somewhere behind you, Jay and Jungwon were whooping loudly, while Riki’s distinct “What the hell?!” cut through the chaos.
When the ride finally screeched to a halt, you stumbled off, legs shaky but adrenaline pumping.
“That was insane!” Jake said, practically bouncing.
“I think I lost my soul back there,” Sunghoon muttered, his face pale as he leaned against a nearby railing.
“Riki looked like he was about to cry,” Jay teased, earning a glare from him.
“I did not,” Riki snapped.
You couldn’t help but laugh at their bickering as you all regrouped with Sunoo, who had been watching from a safe distance.
“Did you see Sunghoon’s face when it dropped?” Sunoo asked, laughing as he handed everyone their bags.
“Don’t even start,” Sunghoon grumbled, still recovering.
Despite the teasing, everyone was in good spirits as you walked to the next ride. It was one of those rare moments where the whole group felt completely in sync, the laughter echoing between you all as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.
The night sky began to settle over the park, casting a soft glow from the flickering lights of the rides. It was unanimously decided that the last stop for the group would be the Ferris wheel. Everyone paired off, and once again, fate (or misfortune, as Riki would claim) left you with him.
“Seriously, this is getting creepy now,” Riki muttered as he stepped into the cart, his hands shoved into his pockets.
“Shut up,” you grumbled, climbing in after him and sitting as far from him as possible.
The ride started with a lurch, pulling your cart upward, and with it came silence that neither of you dared to break. You both sat with your attention fixed on the window, the glowing lights of the amusement park sprawling below like a dream.
Your mind raced, running through the confession you’d been rehearsing for weeks now. After this ride, the fireworks would begin, and it would be the perfect moment to tell Jake how you felt. You could already picture it: the brilliant colors of the sky with fireworks, the spark in his eyes, and—hopefully—his mutual feelings.
Riki, on the other hand, was struggling with something of his own. His fingers fidgeted with a small keychain tucked in his palm, the same one he saw you admiring in the gift shop earlier. He wasn’t sure why he bought it, but the idea of giving it to you now felt almost unbearable. What was he supposed to say? Why did he even care?
The silence stretched on until he noticed you pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of your pocket.
“What’s that?” he asked, breaking the quiet.
You glanced at him briefly before looking back at the paper. “None of your business.”
He raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. “Seriously? Just tell me.”
You hesitated, chewing your lip. “Promise you won’t tell?”
He shrugged but gave a quick nod.
You sighed, holding the paper tighter. “It’s… my confession speech. To Jake.”
Riki froze, his gaze flickering from your face to the paper in your hands.
“I was planning to confess after this ride,” you admitted softly, a small, nervous smile playing on your lips. “I’ve been working on this for weeks. It’s kind of embarrassing, but… I just thought it’d be the perfect time, y’know?”
Riki stayed quiet, his chest tightening as he clenched the keychain in his hand. You went on, explaining your plan in detail—the timing, the words, how you’d muster the courage to pour your heart out. But his thoughts drowned out your voice.
Why Jake?
He snapped back to reality when he noticed your voice falter. Following your gaze, he leaned forward to see what had caught your attention. Down below, standing near one of the snack stalls, was Jake. But he wasn’t alone.
You froze.
Jake leaned in, pressing a kiss to another girl’s lips, his hand resting casually on her waist.
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. You stared, unable to look away, your chest tightening painfully as reality crashed down.
“I should’ve known,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “Of course…”
Your vision blurred as tears began to well up, but before they could spill, a hand gently grabbed your face and turned it away.
“Look,” Riki said softly, guiding your gaze to the horizon.
The first firework burst into the night sky, a brilliant explosion of color that lit up the cart. More followed, painting the sky in shimmering reds, blues, and gold.
Riki didn’t let go of your face for a moment, watching you instead of the display. He hoped the fireworks would be enough to distract you, to erase the image of Jake. But when your shoulders began to shake, his breath caught.
Tears silently rolled down your cheeks, and Riki froze, unsure of what to do. His arms twitched, hovering awkwardly as if he wanted to comfort you but didn’t know how. He moved his hands from cleaning your tears to your shoulders, now rubbing them.
“Don’t cry,” he mumbled, his voice unsteady. “It’s not worth it.”
You didn’t respond, wiping at your cheeks hastily as the cart slowly descended. By the time the ride ended, your tears had dried, and you stepped out without a word, walking back toward the group as if nothing had happened.
Riki followed behind, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, the keychain still tucked tightly in his fist. He didn’t know why it made him so angry seeing you like this, but it did. For the rest of the night, he watched you from a distance, wishing he could say something—anything—to make it better.
But he stayed silent.
And the keychain stayed hidden.
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After the happy persona you displayed in front of the group that night, you stayed tucked away in your room. Occasionally, your friends would text, asking where you were and if you were okay. In reality, you weren’t. Nobody knew what you saw on the Ferris wheel or how it made you feel—except Riki. It was mortifying, honestly. You felt so stupid.
Sometimes, you’d hear the familiar sound of pebbles hitting your window. You didn’t need to think to know who it was. How could you face him now? Could you even say anything? Hopefully Riki didn’t tell him, he wouldn’t.
As you lay in bed, slowly succumbing to your thoughts, you heard a soft knock at your door. You assumed it was your mom—she’d been trying to get you out of your room for days, though nothing had worked. That’s what you thought, anyway.
The door creaked open slowly. Instead of your mom, a familiar face peeked in. “It’s me.”
You jumped at the sight of him and quickly straightened up in bed, fixing your hair and rubbing your eyes. “Riki? Why are you here?”
He smiled softly and stepped inside, his eyes wandering around your room, taking in the unfamiliar space. Finally, he looked back at you.
“You know why,” he said, sitting down beside you. He placed a paper bag on the bed and began to open it.
The bag was filled with snacks and your favorite meal. Your heart swelled at the gesture. “Riki…”
“You like this, right? You always ate it during lunch,” he said, shoving the bowl toward you and looking away slightly, his ears tinged red.
A small laugh escaped your lips, and his eyes snapped back to you, his expression softening at the sight of your smile. As you opened the bowl and settled more comfortably, he cleared his throat, as if preparing to speak.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
You stiffened but forced a small smile, poking at your food with your fork. “I don’t know. It was pretty dumb of me to start crushing on our senior, right?” You laughed nervously, trying to play it off.
“I don’t think so,” he replied, opening a snack. “Feelings are complicated. We can’t control them.”
His eyes found yours, holding your gaze with an intensity that made your breath hitch. “I would know,” he whispered.
The sincerity in his voice and the way his eyes softened in the warm glow of your room made you quickly look away, your face heating up.
The two of you sat in comfortable silence. Unlike others who tried to console you by distracting you, Riki stayed, grounding you with his quiet presence. He didn’t try to fix anything. He simply let you exist, and it was exactly what you needed.
His eyes wandered, landing on a piece of paper on your desk. Curiosity piqued, he leaned forward to grab it.
“Don’t touch that!” you yelped, grabbing his arm to stop him.
In your haste, you accidentally pulled him toward you. He landed on top of you, and the room fell silent as the weight of the situation settled over you both. You expected him to pull away immediately, but he didn’t. Instead, his eyes met yours, searching, as if trying to understand what you were thinking.
Moments later, he lowered his head onto your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your waist in a loose hug.
“Riki…?” you whispered.
“Hm?” he hummed, his voice muffled.
“You’re squishing me,” you muttered.
He quickly sat up, brushing himself off and clearing his throat, his face flushed. He ran a hand through his hair before glancing back at you.
“Sorry—I don’t know what that was,” he said, his voice awkward as he got up. “I’ll, uh, head out so you can enjoy the food. No more skipping school, okay? They—we—miss you.”
He walked toward the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. “You left something in the bag,” he added with a small smile before stepping out.
Raising an eyebrow, you checked the bag again. At the bottom, you found a small blue box. Your heart raced as you picked it up, inspecting it carefully before opening it. Inside was a keychain you’d desperately wanted from the gift shop.
Underneath it, a folded note read:
I didn’t know how to give this to you, so yeah. Don’t lose it or I’ll beat you up. – N.R.
Your heart sped up as you held the keychain. How had he known you wanted this? You stood, conflicted thoughts swirling in your head.
At first, you thought Riki was cold and distant. But now, looking back at the past few months—the festival, the Ferris wheel, the way he held your gaze under the fireworks—you realized just how wrong you were. Riki… You overlooked him for too long.
Without another thought, you grabbed a coat and ran out the door. Had he really walked home in this weather without a jacket?
The icy night air stung your exposed skin, but you didn’t care. You sprinted down the street, your breath visible as you called his name in your head.
Riki walked slowly down the street, his thoughts lost until the sound of hurried footsteps pulled him back to reality. He turned, wide-eyed, as you stopped a few feet away, breathless and disheveled.
“Riki… it’s freezing. Are you an idiot?” you panted, draping your coat over his shoulders.
He blinked, startled, before laughing softly. “You chased me just for this?”
You pouted at his teasing, pulling the keychain from your pocket. “How did you know I wanted this?”
He froze, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I-I don’t know.”
“You do know. Why did you get it?”
“I… don’t know that either.”
“You know that too,” you said quietly, stepping closer. Your eyes flickered to his lips before meeting his nervous gaze.
The cold night air bit at your skin, your breath visible in soft clouds as you stood beneath the flickering streetlight. Riki’s hands found yours, his fingers warm despite the chill, and for a moment, he just looked at you—his gaze intense, pulling you in like gravity.
Without a word, he leaned in, the world falling silent except for the faint crunch of leaves under his shoes. His lips pressed against yours, soft and unhurried, yet full of unspoken emotion. The cold melted away in an instant, replaced by the warmth of him, his touch grounding you as his hand gently cradled your face.
Time felt like it stopped. It wasn’t rushed, it wasn’t tentative—it was deliberate, like he wanted to make sure this moment stayed with you forever. When he pulled back, his breath mingled with yours in the cold air, his forehead resting against yours, leaving you dizzy and breathless.
“Here, open your hand,” you said pulling away and he did questionably. He felt something being placed in his hand, he stopped admiring you and looked at his hand to see a keychain, similar to yours but a different color.
“When did you—“
“I returned my headband and bought it after the festival as a thank you for the incident in the ferris wheel, look, we can match!” You said grabbing his keychain and holding it next to yours.
He grinned at you, putting an arm over your shoulder to drop you off back home.
His keychain ended up being a keychain for two.
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BONUS 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
“Ha! I told you, where is my money sunghoon~“ Sunoo exclaimed clapping his hands.
They promised Riki they would drive away after he was dropped off but.. Sunghoon decided to place a bet.
Sunghoon deadpanned as he watched you run out of the house to chase after Riki. “Okay, how was I supposed to know they liked each other with the way they were acting.” He grumbled giving Sunoo money.
Sunoo flapped the money in his hands smiling. “It was very obvious if you looked closely.”
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318 notes · View notes
bumblesimagines · 7 months ago
Text
Winner Takes It All
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Request: Yes or No
Summary: Whether she can admit it or not, Rhaenyra has always been given everything she has come to desire. Except for one boy whose always been just out of reach. Envy and resentment rears its head when the boy becomes a man and marries their childhood friend.
Pronouns: He/Him/His, M!Reader
CW/TW: Typical GoT/HOTD warnings, canon divergent/AU where Rhaenyra is crowned, minor suggestive/sexual content, alicent is finally happy but rhaenyra is not, uno reserve to my last love triangle ig
~~~
"Lord Jason is going to say something he believes is funny and Lady Ellisha will pretend to laugh behind her fan." 
Rhaenyra watched with a wide, eager smile as Lord Jason spoke and laughed heartily, obviously finding whichever jest he made funnier than the lady standing before him. Lady Ellisha raised her feathery fan to cover the lower half of her face, her eyes crinkling as if she were smiling but her red-tinted lips remained turned downward. 
"And now, she will excuse herself and he'll return to the other lords with the belief he's wooed her over." 
Lady Ellisha curtsied and spoke to the lord with a polite smile before whirling around on her heel and walking away from the Lannister with an exasperated stare directed toward her giggling friends. Lord Jason smirked smugly, just as predicted, and strolled over to the small group of men consisting of his twin and other eligible bachelors making use of the celebrations to search for a wife. Rhaenyra laughed when he gestured in Lady Ellisha's direction and the other lords gave impressed nods. 
"Truly, Rhaenyra, you will find all sorts of entertainment at these sorts of things." (Y/N) told her with a pleased chuckle, swirling a goblet full of wine while his keen eyes flickered around the room hosting a feast in honor of Prince Aemond's first nameday in search of other courtiers making fools of themselves. "The newly man-grown and widowed lords always offer the best sights. Lord Jason has irritated most of the ladies he's spoken to thus far. Rumors say the Westerlings may offer up their Johanna to him for a taste of that Lannister coin." 
"Poor girl." Rhaenyra shook her head and clicked her tongue, searching the crowds for the young woman with a head of brown ringlets until she spotted her standing near the rest of her family. "Lord Jason is..."
"Something."
The two shared a laugh and buried their noses into their cups when the other courtiers glanced in their direction, giggling like children and nearly choking on the wine when they accidentally inhaled some. Rhaenyra coughed into her fist and wiped a droplet of wine off her nose, her lips outstretched into a wide smile that made her cheeks ache and flush when others gave them questioning looks. (Y/N) shook his head through snickers and dapped at his lips with his handkerchief, his eyes drifting away from her and locking elsewhere. Rhaenyra barely had to glance in the direction to know who had captured his attention when his smile and gaze turned to resemble a lovesick puppy.  
Ever since the Freys had sent their son and heir to ward at King's Landing at the age of eight, his attention had been completely captured by Lady Alicent Hightower, even as the three of them grew and more ladies expressed their interest in becoming Lady of the Crossing. There'd been a time Rhaenyra had found his interest amusing, if not understandable, but when their trio became a duo, Rhaenyra found her heart fluttering each time they spent time together without the company of the newly made queen. Her amusement faded and twisted with bitterness when (Y/N)'s opinion of Alicent remained despite the glaring circumstances. 
When his attention lingered on Alicent enough to gain a disapproving frown from Otto, Rhaenyra clamped her hand around his wrist and tugged on his arm with a forced smile. She dragged him through the crowd swiftly and out into the hallway where few courtiers lingered, gossiping away from prying ears and taking in the fresh night air. Rhaenyra dipped into the closest hallway before they could be spotted together by them and ushered back where they'd be under supervision, her unrelenting grip forcing him to follow her through the halls of the Keep until she found a lonesome hallway devoid of any courtiers and servants.
"Come now," Rhaenyra laughed breathily, spinning around to face him with twinkling eyes. "There are... other ways to find entertainment, are there not?" 
His head cocked to the side and the smile she'd grown to love stretched across his face. "Certainly."
And despite his attention insistently lying elsewhere, she found joy when it focused solely on her. Especially when it involved her palms pressing into the rough, chilled wall with the skirts of her dark red dress pushed up around her hips and her dusted pink cheek brushing against the wall with each jerk of his hips; and whilst she knew despite the fact it was her skin he squeezed and her neck he kissed, the knowledge it was Alicent he likely thought about bitterly lingered in the back of her mind. 
A hint of metallic landed on her tongue when she dug her teeth into her bottom lip when he pushed within her fully, his shaky breath fanning against her shoulder. She released a shuddered gasp, feeling the bumps on the wall imprinted in her reddened hands as she pulled them away to adjust her dress once he slipped out of her. 
"You grow too emboldened these days, Nyra." He murmured, his hands working on straightening his clothes and ensuring nothing looked amiss. 
"You never complain." Rhaenyra peered over her shoulder at him with a cheeky grin, her fingers brushing the strands of silver clinging to her forehead. She turned on her heel and leaned back against the wall, her chest still rising and falling with heavy breaths. "If it bothers you so," She continued, her tone threatening to shake with her words. "I'm certain Father would not be opposed to a marriage with House Frey."
His lips pressed together, the corners of his brows twitching downward into a furrow. "You know as much as anyone else that I do not desire marriage, Rhaenyra, not now. I enjoy the freedom of doing whatever I please with whomever I please."
Her jaw ticked. "Do you desire freedom or do you perhaps lie in waiting for Queen Alicent to desire you?" She questioned sharply, unable to contain to stop the flush of anger from passing over her. "She's the Queen now, (Y/N). She has duties to uphold for the sake of the Realm- Gods, she has children with my father! She will never look at you the way you desire."
"And what makes you believe I'll look at you in the way you desire, Rhaenyra? You promised this would remain as nothing more than ventures of youth, that we'd laugh about it when we grew old and gray. I.. I do not know what I feel for you but it compares little to what I feel for Alicent."
Rhaenyra's lips twisted up tightly and a watery glaze passed over her eyes that she furiously blinked away. "Why must it always be her?" She spat, grasping the skirts of her dress and storming down the hall despite his calls for her.
His fruitless hope had always been as pitying as Rhaenyra's but the Gods always proved to have their favorites. 
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Sleep oozed out of his system slowly, his senses beginning to pick up the faint bustle of city life and the whistling wind. His eyes parted, vision focusing first on the intricate designs of the pillow smushed against his cheek before noticing his wife sat up on the bed. He released a quiet, tired sigh and licked his chapped lips, sluggishly shifting around to lie on his back before he reached out to press his palm into her bare hip, fingers tenderly massaging the flesh there.
"What is it?" He asked, still drowsy as he battled the urge to flutter his eyes shut. 
"Nothing, darling," Alicent slumped back into the mattress with a soft exhale, her auburn curls sprawling out around the pillow beneath her and her eyes flickering over the familiar stone ceiling. She crinkled her nose at the exhaustion still clinging to her body and lolled her head to the side to peer at her sleepy husband with a tender smile. "Good morrow."
"Good morrow." He responded with a yawn and scooted closer to her, her body naturally drawing closer to the warmth of his skin and the sweetness of his touch. His fingers grazed the side of her face, tucking back a frizzy curl and watching the way she leaned into his hand. "Sleep well?"
Alicent exhaled heavily, her bottom lip slightly jutting out. "With each passing moon, comfortability becomes fleeting." 
With a thoughtful hum, (Y/N) carefully moved and leaned over her, lowering down to press fluttering kisses down her chin and jawline to her neck and collarbone. She chuckled softly and ran her hands over his arms, sighing delicately when he pressed a kiss in the valley of her sore chest. The rest of her body ached dully, her ankles and feet especially, but the soreness and exhaustion would eventually fade, they knew that well.
Perhaps a little more eagerly, he moved further down and a twinkle passed over his eyes as he kissed her protruding belly. (Y/N) pressed his lips against the skin right below her belly button and waited a few moments before their little one rewarded him with a swift kick, his eyes immediately crinkling with glee. "Be kind to your mother." He scolded half-heartedly, his palms pressing against the underside of her belly. "She'll need all the rest she can get to welcome you into this world." 
She sighed again. "After this little one, I'm afraid I'll only be capable of producing one more. I grow weary of laboring." 
"Two is a fine number of children, and they'll hardly be lonely with their other siblings." He nodded, pressing another kiss to the belly and pushing himself upward to lie at her side once more. His arms curled around her, her strands of hair tickling his cheek and jaw. "Speaking of their siblings, Rhaenyra will expect us to speak with her after we break our fasts. Aegon must find his place in court before she loses her patience with him." 
"Mmm," Alicent's eyes fluttered shut and he chuckled. "Yes, yes... and there's the dual wedding for the twins and her boys as well as the discussion of who Aemond should wed; one of the Four Storms or a Lannister girl." She lifted a hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose, her eyes parting when he gently kissed her cheek. It oft' felt as if she remained as Queen rather than the future Lady of the Crossing with each letter and plea that reached them in the Riverlands. 
"At the very least, you will have enough time to spend a day with Helaena and her children." Her husband reminded her lightly, taking her hand in his and brushing his lips over her knuckles. 
She smiled. "Yes, you're right." 
Once they began their morning, the servants glided into their temporary apartments to begin their duties of bringing them food and helping them dress. (Y/N) drew his attention away from adjusting one of the rings on his fingers to peer over his shoulder, his eyes dragging over the gown Alicent wore in the muted blue color typical of House Frey. The tone brought out the auburn of her hair, making the delicate curls the servants carefully styled more apparent. A smile graced his lips and he cut the distance across the room to kiss the top of her head. 
Before he could speak, the doors to their bedchambers parted and a guard stepped inside. "Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, Your Grace, My Lord," The guard announced, dipping his head and waiting for Rhaenyra to step inside before he, along with the rest of the servants, swiftly stepped outside to allow them privacy. 
It'd been exactly a year since either of them had laid eyes upon Rhaenyra; exactly a year since (Y/N) received Otto Hightower's begrudge blessing to wed Alicent without Rhaenyra's knowledge and announced his intentions before a council unaware of the tense stare he received throughout. The withering frown on her face when they departed for the Twins had been enough to keep him from visiting King's Landing, but with things having drastically improved between his wife and their old friend, he hardly wished to get in between their friendship. 
"Alicent," Rhaenyra greeted softly, dropping her intertwined hands and approaching them with a gentle smile. Alicent rose from her chair with unsteady feet and clasped her hand over (Y/N)'s arm, using him as her support as she twisted around to face her friend. "How good it is to see you again." Rhaenyra took her hands into hers, her gaze dropping down to her bump and brows lifting. "And in... quite a state. I am.. so very pleased for you both."
"Ruling becomes you, Rhaenyra," Alicent told her warmly, her fingers squeezing around her friend's. "I look forward to a long and peaceful reign, and I certainly cannot wait to see what grandchildren the twins will bring forth once they marry the boys. I hear Prince Joffery has already been arranged to wed one of the Manderly girls. It is a blessing to see one's children experience the love of parenthood."
"Yes, well," Rhaenyra chuckled, brushing away a strand from her face and briefly meeting (Y/N)'s eyes. "Jace is all nerves right now. He desires everything to be absolutely perfect for the dual weddings. I cannot imagine how he will be once Baela falls with child."
Alicent laughed lightly and retracted her hands to curl them around (Y/N)'s arm, her head tilting up to gaze at him. "(Y/N) was quite nervous at the beginning, were you not, darling? Baela will grow to appreciate it as I did, I think. It feels nice to be taken care of, especially by one's husband."
In an attempt not to wince, (Y/N) offered Rhaenyra a smile instead. "How is the search for a husband, Rhaenyra? I'm certain the council has been urging you to wed for some time now. I hear you've had many suitors, Marq Ambrose and Jon Roxton among them. Mother believes a strong consort would do well for the Realm." 
"I'm afraid most of the fine men have married and left the marriage mart looking rather bleak." Rhaenyra's tight smile made him bite his inner cheek. "I have little need for more children, regardless. I have named my heir and he will soon produce an heir of his own if the Gods are kind to us."
"I'm certain they will be," Alicent assured her, her eyes crinkled with fondness. "You should come with me to the Sept, Rhaenyra. We could pray to the Mother for the safe delivery of this babe and any future grandchildren we have." 
"I'll certainly attempt to make time for it, but I believe your current grandchildren are eagerly expecting you." Rhaenyra reached out, running her palm over Alicent's arm and smiling sweetly. 
With a gentle kiss to his cheek, Alicent bid her goodbye to Rhaenyra and strode past her, her once elegant and graceful walk now slow as she wobbled and kept close to the servants that quickly flocked to her side. (Y/N) watched her go, swallowing thickly when Rhaenyra flicked her hand and the guard shut the doors behind his wife. He turned his attention onto the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, the very one whose hand he'd forced before the Small Council. 
"Alicent is right, Rhaenyra. Ruling becomes you." He spoke quietly, ears picking up the quiet scoff that slipped past her lips. "I know we parted on... uncertain terms but-"
"Uncertain? Is that what you call it? You gave me little warning, little time to process! When my father died, I needed you by my side but you were too busy courting a freshly made widow to pay me an ounce of care." Rhaenyra sneered, her long braid and dark red dress swaying with her movements as she spun around on her heels. "Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys were there but they were more keen on ensuring the coronation progressed swiftly and my ascension to the throne went without trouble; I needed you... and you weren't there."
His teeth caught his lip, digging and lightly tugging at the skin. There was a semblance of guilt in his chest, an acknowledgment that he had indeed ignored his duties as a friend to seek out Alicent instead. But he'd been worried an ascension to the throne would mean a marriage proposal between him and Rhaenyra would only be eagerly accepted by his parents. He'd used all the fuss over the coronation and ascension to keep himself out of Rhaenyra's sights, they both knew that well. 
"You have my apologies, Rhaenyra. I did believe you'd find comfort in your children and the Velaryons, however. I hoped you would, I swear it. I believed leaving you in their hands would have been better. Alicent had no one but scheming men and children grieving in their own ways-"
"Were you not a scheming man as well? How long did it take for you to realize no one would stand in the way? Before you crawled to her doorstep like a mutt." Rhaenyra questioned bitterly as she tilted her body to look upon him, the accusation lining her tone making his jaw clench.
"I did not seduce her or- or take advantage of a grieving woman, Rhaenyra. I offered her a shoulder to cry on, to release all she held onto these years. I asked for her hand in marriage, yes, but I asked her first before the thought of asking Otto Hightower crossed my mind. If she had rejected it, I would have left it at that, but she did not. She accepted my marriage proposal; she agreed to move to the Twins instead of remaining here; she desired to have a child." 
"I would have done all those things if given the chance!" 
(Y/N)'s eyes squeezed shut as her voice ricocheted off the walls of the apartments and likely spilled out into the hallway for anyone passing by to hear. He heard her quiet pants, the muffled chatter outside the walls, the orders from the courtyards drifting with the wind. He parted his eyes to look at her when she moved, the ends of her dress grazing the floor until she stopped before him. Her fingers flexed with uncertainty before reaching out to brush over his hands. 
"I waited." She said quietly, voice barely audible. "When Laenor died, I waited.. for a crow, a messenger, your presence.. I waited for you to return from the Riverlands and instead... you paid your respects and left it there. You did everything I desired from you.. but with Alicent. Why couldn't have it been me? What could she have possibly given you that I could not? You could have become King Consort! Your firstborn would have been a Prince of the Seven Kingdoms-"
"I am not Daemon, Rhaenyra, I do not care for what riches or victories one provides. Alicent is... Alicent is sunshine on a cool midday.. she is a cup of warm tea by the fireplace during the cruelest of winters.. she is a plate of freshly baked sweets or- or a tender embrace on a somber day. Rhaenyra, you are the lashing wind during a storm and waves bashing into rocks on a cliff. You are fun and exciting but I prefer calm over chaos. She is the calm to my chaos." 
Rhaenyra stared at him silently, her violet eyes glimmering with unshed tears. "I am not a child anymore." She whispered shakily. 
"You are Queen Rhaenyra of Westeros and mother to three excellent young men." His hand raised and pressed against her cheek. "And I will soon be Lord of the Crossing and father to the little one my wife is currently carrying. If I had desired to be King Consort or simply desired to be your husband, I would have pursued it years ago. It is best we leave this in the past, Rhaenyra. Nothing will come from it now."
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starmapz · 9 months ago
Text
shame on me || chapter fourteen || lights
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gojo satoru x female vessel reader
❝gojo satoru is the strongest sorcerer. when you come along with power to match his own, his responsibility to the world gets the best of him and his first impression is poor to say the least. when he needs your help, by some miracle you're too kind to deny him. or maybe he's just manipulative enough to convince you. either way, you're stuck training his student, a vessel like you. what could possibly go wrong?❞
warnings || 18+ only. contains explicit content. enemies to lovers. extreme angst. graphic descriptions of injury and death. hurt/no comfort. hurt/comfort. fluff. major character death. anxiety. panic attacks. extreme slow burn. eventual smut. p in v. oral (f! and m! receiving). praise. overstimulation. unprotected. fingering. mating press. slight nanami x reader. happy ending!
additional tags || gojo is a dumbass but very lovable. very very very minor love triangle, will not be a main theme. no competing. takes place after season 2. au where gojo is not sealed and the shibuya incident does not go down the same. nanami is alive. choso is around. no major manga spoilers but will contain themes and ideas touched on later.
wc || 7.4k.
edited but not beta-read.
a/n || thank you so much for sticking with me through this fic and please enjoy the last chapter. ♡
series masterlist || main masterlist || previous chapter || end ✓
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Silence plagues you. Lately, the silence in your mind and around the campus is louder than a rocket taking off, than a crowd cheering, louder even than the endless rambles of your boyfriend. You know he does it to fill the space, though. You don’t dare complain because it helps- god it helps- and he knows it.
Even during moments of silence with no shared thoughts between you and the curse, there was a constant drone, a hum that you had never paid any notice to until it was gone. Every loud noise felt sharper, every quiet night threatened to drown you.
Satoru had taken to humming until he was certain you were asleep in his arms, and even during the cooler nights of early winter he would leave the windows open in hopes that the whistle of the breeze would soothe the mind-numbing feeling of silence.
The silence was surely a side effect of your grief. Although you’d finally gotten to lay Kento’s body to rest at a proper funeral surrounded by the faculty and made peace with his loss, you grieved for the loss of the constant presence of Miriko.
There was no funeral to aid with the loss, as the people who truly knew her were limited so heavily, and there was no body to bury. Still, it didn’t stop Yuji from holding a small event in her honor with you, Satoru and Yuta in attendance alongside him. It was thoughtful of him and though you could never blame him for what happened, you know he feels guilty.
It was a strange time for the school in general. With Miriko, Kenjaku, and Sukuna gone, most curses remained in the shadows, dormant for the time being. Any that dared rear their ugly heads were generally an easy job for the students alone.
You had expected the lack of missions to get to Satoru, but he seemed content. He busied himself with continuing to train his students and, most importantly to him, taking care of you.
You’re capable of taking care of yourself of course even without Miriko, and he knows that too, but you wouldn’t dare turn down his kindness. In the dead of night when you’re at your most vulnerable, it’s him that brings you back to earth and calms the mighty storm raging in your brain.
This is one of those many nights. Not the first, and doomed to not be the last, either.
You jolt awake when Taro hops on the bed, seeking your warmth. Letting out a breath, you try to relax with the pup between you and your boyfriend’s legs and the sorcerer’s arm draped over you. Yet sleep eludes you, and now that you’re awake, the still air grows increasingly loud, like a buzzing in your ears.
Even with the window open, the air is so quiet that it threatens to drive you mad. Pulling your knees to your chest as you curl up under the covers, you press your fingers into your temples. Anything to dull the feeling that drags at your chest and clutches at your throat.
You breathe as steadily as you can but your heart pounds and races until it’s in your ears. The pounding, the ringing, it’s all so much that you can’t handle it anymore.
Flipping the covers desperately off of yourself, you clutch at the wall as you race to the ensuite, shutting the door behind you and gripping the edge of the sink. You fumble with the tap, turning it on and focusing on the running water in an attempt to drown out the deafening noises plaguing you.
It’s not the first time Satoru’s woken up this way, with Taro accidentally pulling you from the gentle hands of rest and the covers flipped over him. The sound of running water tells him everything he needs to know as he gets to his feet, making his way around the bed and to the shut bathroom door.
He knocks on the door once, twice, three times, a rhythmic sound. The door cracks open like a ritual, something the two of you have grown accustomed to as he slips into the washroom and envelops you in his strong arms.
Your tired and distant expression examines him in the mirror. He’s just in black boxers and you’re in one of his T-shirts. It hangs off your body like a dress and you know the sight of you in his clothes drives him crazy in all the best ways.
Right now, no matter how much he adores the sight of you in his clothing, that’s not at the top of his mind.
Like clockwork, he knows just what to do to bring you back to earth. He kisses your cheek, parting from you to turn on the bath. The tap is louder than that of the sink as he runs his hand under it to check the temperature and you’re thankful for the way your brain seems to soothe as the water drowns the silence.
While you wait for the bath to fill, Satoru returns to your side, humming to you the first song that comes to mind. His choices vary wildly by the day, ranging from whatever pop hit he heard the second-years listening to earlier to a rock song he heard while passing Kusakabe’s office.
Today, his choice surprises you. You don’t recognize it in the slowed, mellow way he hums it gently in your ear as he slips his fingers deftly beneath the hem of the shirt you’re wearing. He’s soft and slow as he slides his hands up your body and slips the shirt over your head. Every movement is understanding, passionate, and filled with love.
No matter how tired he is, Satoru doesn’t blame you for waking him night after night. He doesn’t blame you for the amount of bath salts you go through. Which is a lot, by the way.
He doesn’t blame you for grieving. He had expected it to be similar to when you had awoken to the loss of Kento, but your grief came in a different form this time around. He knows it drives you crazy and he knows you feel guilty. You’ve expressed to him how weak you feel, although with his new insight into real strength, he would call you the strongest.
Carefully setting your shirt aside, he holds your cheeks as he presses a soft kiss to your forehead. His eyes have dark circles beneath them, something that not even his reverse cursed technique can fix, but he doesn’t mind. Not when he’s doing it for you.
When the bath is drawn, he leans down and fills it with lavender bath salts, a sleep aid for the both of you. He drops his boxers to the floor after testing the water once more and silently guides you to the bath. He lets you get in first before sliding in behind you.
Strong arms pull your back against his chest. Your head falls back on his shoulder as he continues to hum a tune you still don’t recognize.
Taking a deep breath, you let your muscles relax in his embrace with warm water surrounding you, lashes fluttering as you stare at the ceiling.
“What song is that?” You ask him when your heart calms enough that you feel at ease for the time being. Your voice is hoarse, scarcely used for the past few hours and you clear your throat.
“It’s that Avicii song I really like,” he tells you. You tilt your head on his shoulder to get a better view of his face. His eyes are closed, but he still takes the opportunity to give you a little headbutt. He feels you smile against his cheek.
“The one that says ‘I could not live without you’, right?”
“That’s the one, baby cakes.”
You smile softly, shutting your eyes in turn as he continues to hum. His voice is always so sultry and you love the way it translates into his humming or even the way he loves to sing with goofy voices.
“Toru, I’m so-”
“Don’t even think about it, pretty girl,” he interrupts. “Don’t apologize for grieving.”
“I just feel bad for,” you gesture in the air at nothing in particular, “all of this.”
“You feel bad for giving me the time to have a nice bath with my gorgeous, wonderful, sweet, pretty baby girl?”
You can feel the way his lips pull into a grin against your heated cheeks when you can’t hold back a giggle.
Satoru can be… oblivious at times. For someone known across the world of sorcerers as the Six Eyes, he can be completely blind to very obvious signals from yourself and others. The same can’t be said when it comes to his attentiveness towards you.
While he may not always pick up on the obvious, he knows the subtle signals of your body like the back of his hand.
He knows the way your brow pulls together, knit with a look of pain and frustration when the silence gets to you. He knows the way your muscles loosen and your eyes light up when he drones on about some story that’s barely interesting, but you’re just relieved to hear something to ease your tension.
More importantly, he knows the way your body reacts to his every touch. He knows the subtle way you grind against him when you want something more. When you want a different form of stress relief.
He groans, hands moving to your hips to temporarily halt your grinding. “Are you sure, sweetheart? How’s your head feeling?”
“My head’s fine, just let me ride you,” you whisper breathlessly in his ear as he allows you to continue grinding against him. “I need this.”
Satoru’s head falls back against the wall of the tub, letting out a breath shaky with pleasure. He only lets you grind against him for a few moments before he turns the tables to put your pleasure first.
One arm snakes around your middle, holding you tightly against his broad and muscular chest. You can feel the way his breathing speeds up with his growing lust as it fans against your shoulders.
His other arm slides down your waist to your hip, before he squeezes a handful of your inner thigh. Your breath hitches when you feel his fingers lightly brush the puffy lips of your pussy. He kisses the shell of your ear lightly, repeating the movement.
You buck your hips, yearning for friction but he holds you tighter, keeping your hips still while he teases you with the tips of his fingers. You whine, gripping the edge of the tub as you wriggle against his grip.
Satoru’s warm and teasing chuckle sends a shiver up your spine. “Easy, baby. Le’me take care of you,” he hums, his voice low and honeyed like a sickeningly sweet tea. The effect his voice has on you drives you crazy as you moan his name from just his words.
“S-Satoru, please.”
His name on your tongue is like a drug that he can’t get enough of, a drug that sends him spiraling as he spreads your folds, desperate to hear it again. He drags his middle finger down your slit before sliding it into your entrance.
Your lips part in a silent cry of pleasure at the sudden intrusion, his finger dragging so deliciously and teasingly slowly that you arch your back until he sinks to the knuckle. He hums into your neck, kissing and nipping the sensitive skin.
His ministrations against your gummy inner walls are so slow that you can’t help the desperate whine you let out. Satoru takes that as his sign, gliding his ring finger in along with his middle finger. A sudden gasp cuts off your whine as your walls pulse and tighten, slowly adjusting to the additional digit.
“So tight, my love. Relax f’ me,” he hums against your skin, licking a stripe up the column of your neck. He pulls back to watch the way your jaw hangs slack, practically drooling with each slow curl of his fingers.
As he curls and shifts his fingers slowly, he knows he’s found your g spot when you cry out and arch your back so perfectly for him to drag his fingers at the perfect angle in your sopping cunt that you think you might just cum on the spot.
The coil in your stomach tightens as you teeter on the edge of release, only for Satoru to withdraw his fingers with a dark chuckle. “Not yet, my love.”
You let out a surprised yelp when he flips you to face him, your glazed over eyes and blissed out expression like a damn masterpiece in a museum to him. Your hands rest on his shoulders as you grind hard against his rock-hard, twitching cock in an effort to chase your release.
His breath hitches in his throat, his hands finding your hips to still your movements. “Shit baby,” he groans, exhaling as his cock twitches again. He has to remind himself that these moments in the early morning he always wants to focus on you, make them all about you. Your comfort, your pleasure.
He’ll chase his release through yours.
“Toru, please,” you whimper, having been so close to your release only moments ago.
“Patience, sweetheart,” he smiles cheekily, raising a hand to the back of your neck to pull you down for a heated kiss. You know from the sloppy way he claims your lips that he’s just as desperate as you are, and you use the moment to your advantage as his grip on your hips loosens and you’re able to grind your pussy against his hardened member.
He moans into your mouth, his hips bucking involuntarily.
“Tsk. What’d I say, baby? Patience,” he hums in your ear, tightening his grip on your hip again as he brings his other hand down to your clit, circling it slowly and teasingly. You throw your head back, writhing desperately as your nails dig into his shoulders, raking his collar bones.
“S-S’toru,” you mumble, your words catching in your throat. His cock throbs against your pussy, pulling another whimper from your pretty lips. “Please- f-fuck- le’me ride you,” you barely make it through the sentence, holding his shoulders tight for purchase.
“Ngh, you- hah- make a good argument,” Satoru barely manages to tie his sentence together, unable to resist the way your swollen lips seem to pull him in, the way you beg for him. “You sure, baby? We don’t have a condom-”
“Baby,” you groan, nails raking his skin when the tip of his cock brushes your clit as he moves his hand to grip both hips bruisingly. Your knees press together on either side of Satoru, closing around him as you seek friction and it drives Satoru crazy, he’s never able to hold back, to resist you, when you make it clear what you want. “I’m on birth control, just-”
Satoru gets the message loud and clear, wasting no time as he pumps his cock a couple of times before lining it up with your entrance. “S’ fucking hot, ah-” his mind blanks when you move to slide down on his cock, tightly gripping at his shoulders. “Shiiiiit- So fucking hot.”
The drag of his throbbing length in your tight walls pulls a gasp from you as you take him in one slow movement, swallowing every thick inch of him. Your body shudders involuntarily when you reach the hilt, chest heaving as you both stare at one another through lidded, lust-filled eyes.
God, the feeling of the pulsing veins running along your walls raw as they clench around him already, it’s a layer of pleasure that makes tears prick in your eyes, the feeling so intense. You almost think you could unwind right then and there.
“S’ fuckin’ gorgeous riding me,” Satoru purrs, leaning his head back against the tub as he lifts your hips effortlessly with his built arms. The blues of his eyes are nearly invisible behind his blown pupils as he admires you, his gaze completely glazed over in pleasure, swirling with admiration and lust.
He’s slow and sensual, not moving with his usual zeal. He lifts your hips again, a deep moan parting his lips when your nails rake over his shoulders and collarbone as you slide back down on his length.
His grip on your hips grows stronger, more bruising, as it takes every last ounce of self control that he has to keep the pace slow, to focus on your comfort, your pleasure. He lets out a shaky breath, his baby blues flickering up to your blissed out expression as he leans forward, pressing tender kisses to your chest as he rolls his hips.
A breathy moan parts your lips when he sucks on your nipple, tongue swirling around the hardened bud before nipping the skin. His eyes never once leave your expression, drinking in the way you gasp, the way your fingernails curl into his skin. He hisses through his teeth, releasing your nipple at the sudden sting of your long nails, but wastes no time paying attention to the other bundle of nerves.
The stimulation of your chest has you growing more needy as you take it upon yourself to move your hips faster. Satoru’s lips stutter against you as he loses his ability to hold back at the feeling of your walls clenching around him with each movement of your hips.
“Fuck, p-pretty girl,” he growls against your tit, nipping fervently at the plump skin. His strong grip stills your hips, smirking when you whine at the lack of friction.
In one quick movement, he fucks up into you, thrusting his full length into you until his swollen tip reaches your cervix as he so skillfully brushes your most sensitive spot with each thrust. “Ah! S-Shit-” Your mewls become mindless babbles very quickly, brain turning to putty as Satoru moves one hand from your hip to rub little circles over your clit with his thumb.
He pumps into you fast and relentlessly, moving his hips at an unforgiving rate as he chases your- and his- orgasms. The sounds of the warm water that surrounds you fills the air with rhythmic sloshes like music for the moans that leave your lips.
Pressure builds in your pelvis as the knot at the base of your stomach tightens. When your thighs press into Satoru’s hips, he knows you’re close. “T-Toru-”
“I know baby. Tha’s it, sweetheart,” his voice is strained as his own orgasm rapidly approaches. “Let go f’r me,” he hums sweetly, still focusing on walking you through your orgasm.
Your legs tremble as your climax barrels into you, pulling a loud cry from deep in your throat as you cling to your boyfriend’s shoulders for purchase, collapsing against him as he fucks you through the high. Your chest heaves, sweat-slicked as it sticks to Satoru’s wet skin beneath you.
He holds your hips still as his pace increases. “Where d’ you want me?” He asks breathlessly.
“Inside,” you whisper into his ear, entirely too exhausted to even lift your head.
Like music to his ears, Satoru’s climax hits like a tsunami as he unloads into you, painting your walls with his cum. He keeps you still as your walls clench around him, milking every last drop from his leaking slit while his cock throbs within you.
Slowly, he releases your hips and allows your body to slump forward against him. His breath hitches when your walls clench again with the movement, brushing his oversensitive length.
“You’re perfect,” he whispers into your ear, holding you tightly to him. Your eyes remain shut as you bury your head into his shoulder, slowly coming down from your high.
When the white-haired man beneath you begins to regain some energy, he runs the soft pads of his fingers gently over your bare back. The sound of the droplets of water falling from his hand soothes the silence, keeping your mind occupied.
You’ve come to know that Satoru isn’t necessarily tender, he doesn’t always know what you need, but he’s willing to learn. He wants nothing more than for you to be happy. You reciprocate those feelings but he insists that he is happy, simply because you accept him as himself. You understand him.
You see him for who he is.
Your communication isn’t perfect still, but you’ve both gotten better at it.
“I love you, Toru.”
His heart accelerates rapidly in his chest, you feel it as you lay against him with heavy limbs. Smirking, you kiss his shoulder as your heart speeds up in tandem with his.
“I love you too, my princess.”
It doesn’t matter how many times either of you utter those three loaded words, they never lose their meaning. They never fail to make your heart falter in your chest while your stomach flutters.
Satoru hums contently, squeezing you once before he pulls you off his cock, swallowing hard at the feeling of your walls attempting to hold him hostage.
“What do you say we get you all cleaned up?”
You pull back to look at Satoru, nodding with a blissful smile. You both help one another up as Satoru drains the tub and turns on the shower.
You rarely get moments with him where he isn’t a ping pong ball of energy or cracking jokes and flirting left and right, but these early mornings have become somewhat of a common occurrence lately. You do feel bad that he’s losing sleep, but you also cherish these moments. Away from work, away from your doubts and your anxieties, just you and him.
Of course, he panicked the first time he woke up to find you holding your head. He didn’t know what to do, how to help. He knows you’re strong, knows you're capable, but he still fears losing you. You already nearly died twice, so even so much as a headache seems to find him in a panic.
Eventually, you found the middle ground. You told him what was going on and what you needed. Satoru fell into the routine quickly and no words could possibly be enough to thank him properly.
“Turn around,” he instructs softly, pulling you from your thoughts. He lathers your back with soap, sweetly kissing your nape as he does so. You rinse off and return the favor, running your hands over the peaks and valleys of his abs.
A small smile graces your tired expression, one that Satoru regards fondly.
“Enjoying the view?” He teases, that familiar lopsided smirk returning to his lips.
“If I am?” You respond cheekily.
He playfully squeezes your waist.
“Toru!” You yelp in surprise, “that tickles!”
Your pout doesn’t stop him from grinning, pleased with himself. “Don’t tempt me, sweetheart.” His voice is low and sends electricity straight to your stomach that you choose to ignore as your legs still shake from the sex just a few minutes earlier.
You both finish rinsing off and shut off the shower. When the hum of the shower stops, Satoru mindlessly hums a tune, never once forgetting the reason you’d awoken in the first place. He tosses you a towel and grabs one for himself.
With a mischievous glint in his eye, Satoru wraps a towel around himself, his humming coming to a halt as he stares at you.
“What’s up?” You ask curiously, tilting your head.
His smirk turns to a grin as he violently shakes his head like a dog, sending water flying across the bathroom.
“Satoru! Cut it out!”
He laughs wholeheartedly when you’re unable to contain your own giggles, unable to keep a straight face even as you reprimand him.
Using the back of your hand, you wipe the stray droplets from your cheek. “You’re such a menace,” you grumble, but your eyes shine with adoration even so.
“You love me,” he slips his hands beneath your towel, fingertips brushing your hips before he pulls you closer to him. His grin never once falters as he watches the way you try to contain your smile, but it spills over. “See? You looooove me,” he teases.
“Shut up, Toru,” you push half-heartedly against him, hiding your blush in his chest as you nuzzle into him when he doesn’t dare let you go. He envelops you in his strong arms, peppering the top of your head in kisses.
“Say it,” he kisses you again. “Say it,” and again. “Say-”
“Okay, okay!” You giggle, finally looking up at those eager blue eyes you’ve grown to love so much. “I love you, Satoru.”
“That’s my girl,” he smiles affectionately.
You lead the way out of the washroom, slipping one of Satoru’s shirts over your torso before sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Not tired?”
Your brow knits with guilt as you look up at him. “Not really.”
He nods, sitting beside you. “I thought I had ya all tired out,” he chuckles.
Early morning light filters through the blinds from the window above the bed. A cool breeze brings with it the smell of fresh frost settling on the grass through the crack of the window. You shiver as it grazes your bare skin. 
“You know,” the white-haired sorcerer hums, “I have something for you. It’s… not quite ready but-” he pauses, glancing at the window. “Y’know what, get dressed.”
You tilt your head at him, curious. “What is it?”
“Get dressed or you won’t find out.”
Exchanging Satoru’s shirt for one of your own, you throw on a pair of jeans and a jacket, following your boyfriend to the door. Before he can open it, you suddenly gasp.
“Wait!”
Before Satoru can protest, you dash back up the stairs, searching for his glasses or blindfold. When you don’t find either, you grab the bandages you know he wore long ago, bounding back down the stairs.
It’s his turn to tilt his head curiously now, understanding when he sees what’s in your hand.
“It’s not a big deal, love, I’ll survive without it,” he assures you, but he still kneels to let you wrap it around his head.
“I know, but I want you to be comfy.” You brush his hair from his face as he lets you delicately wrap the bandages over his eyes. You can’t see the way his eyes close as he practically melts into your touch, his muscles easing beneath your oh-so-gentle fingers. You adjust the bandages over his eyes, leaning back to take a look at your work.
With a satisfied nod, you press a chaste kiss to his lips and head back to the door. Satoru pauses for a moment before following you, his hidden gaze locked on you. He knows you can’t see the love pouring from his eyes behind the bandages, but he does know you’ve grown to be able to read his expressions effortlessly in spite of the covering. When you turn to see why he isn’t following, you demonstrate that exact ability when you spot his smile and your gaze fills with the same outpouring of love that Satoru’s has.
You can’t see it, but you know.
Hand in hand, Satoru leads the way past the forest clearing, further into the trees on the outer edges of the school’s barrier. You lean into his warmth as the trees block the early morning rising sun from warming you.
Peeking through the trees, you spot a structure but can’t quite make out what it is. Ducking beneath a stray branch, Satoru picks up the pace and tugs you along with him until the structure is in sight.
Before you, a greenhouse stands in a small clearing. The door has no hinges and there’s tools and tables everywhere surrounding it, clearly unfinished.
Gaping at the structure, you round the front of the building, your stomach fluttering as you see four flower beds all protected from the cool winter air. Satoru lifts the door out of the way before replacing it as he nudges you into the greenhouse.
Each flower bed has a collection of flowers you’ve shown your boyfriend over the past few months and alongside the two blooms that follow you everywhere are blossoms that mean nothing but love. Roses, tulips, carnations, each one carefully chosen to wordlessly show his adoration for you, as if the act of building you an entire greenhouse wasn’t enough. Every single petal practically oozes with his undying love for you. Even the flowers that are wilting from overwatering show just how hard he’s trying.
The butterflies in your stomach stir to life as you turn to face him, stunned to silence.
“Do you like it?”
You can barely manage to squeeze out a single word as you glance back at the flowers again. “Toru- I-” Your throat clenches as you try to hold back tears, cutting off your words in the process. Silent tears stream down your cheeks, unable to hold them back as you stare in shock again at the sight.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t cry. What’s wrong?” He panics with wide eyes, cupping your cheeks as he wipes the tears away.
“Nothing, baby,” you sniffle, chuckling as you wrestle with your disbelief. “I just- you made this? You built this?” Your voice is smaller than you intend, shakier than you intend.
“Yeah! Well, sorta. I can’t take all the credit, I’m not very good at building. Or taking care of flowers for that matter,” he chuckles, glancing at the wilting flower beds, “Kusakabe helped to build it. It just needs hinges for the door.”
“I don’t know what to say,” you shake your head in his grasp, chuckling again. You had noticed that Satoru had been disappearing on occasion throughout the day, though you had always assumed it was work-related, not that he was being a massive goddamn sap. “Thank you so much,” your words come out unintentionally as a whimper, another tear slipping down your cheek.
Your boyfriend’s thumb wipes the tear away and he kisses your nose. “Don’t cry, sweetheart,” he kisses your forehead gently. “I know you’ve been a bit lost lately without your technique and I don’t want you to feel like you need to be a part of-” he lets go of your cheeks, motioning to the school grounds behind you both, “-of all that, but I know you won’t go back to your cottage without me.”
You nod slowly, blinking as you take everything in.
“You know I can’t leave the school. So-” he inhales sharply. “I wanted to do something. For you.”
Your lower lip trembles, unable to tear your gaze from him.
Somehow, this man always finds a way to surprise you. Life hadn’t been easy since Miriko’s loss. Between the silence, the grief, and the loss of your ability to grow plants on a whim, you’d been feeling rather lost. Of course, it’s not like you couldn’t take care of plants the usual way, but losing something you could do after ten years had its effect on you, especially given that you didn’t have a greenhouse at the time and winter was approaching, killing your summer flowers in the process.
In the span of one day, you’d buried a past lover, lost a friend, lost your passion and hobby, lost your job, and damn near had to bury your current lover. How were you not meant to feel lost?
“I know it’s not super big or fancy, or-”
“It’s perfect, Satoru,” you interrupt him, glossy eyes shining as you pull him down to you for a kiss. Your lips move passionately against his, trying to say everything words failed to. His hands find your waist and he pulls you flush to his body, holding you tightly to him. When your lips part, you finally get a good look at the garden before you. “You’re overwatering them, my love.”
He groans playfully. “How can you overwater something in the ground? What would they do if it rained too much?”
You giggle, lowering yourself to the ground to admire his work. Many of the flowers are wilting, there’s patches throughout each bed of flowers and it’s rather uneven, however it’s clear that he paid attention whenever you spoke to him about flowers. Lilies and Peonies sit at the edge of the closest bed of flowers just as you always have them, followed closely by hydrangeas, your favorites.
“I don’t know how I can ever repay you-”
“Y/n.” Satoru’s tone is firm as he tilts his head to look down at you. “My kids are alive because of you.” It’s rare he refers to them as his kids, but it warms your heart nonetheless. “Sukuna never got a hold of Megumi and Yuji is free from him, because of you.”
“But I’m alive because of you,” you insist.
He shakes his head, averting his gaze. “You know you were better off before I…” He trails off, not wishing to bring up how you ended up here in the first place.
“I love you, Toru. I don’t hold that against you.”
He grimaces, his adam’s apple bobbing as he sighs and plops down beside you. “I love you too.”
You know the guilt keeps him up from time to time. You’re sure it’s a part of the reason he seems to work overtime to impress you as though your heart isn’t already his to hold. It almost surprises you the tenderness at which he does hold your heart.
“Did you plant these all yourself?”
Tension seems to seep from his body as the air lightens around you and he details his endeavors with the garden until the sun has risen just above the trees. Although there’s still a pang of sadness that you aren’t able to use your technique on the flowers, you know you’ll get over it with time.
Eventually, his non-stop chatter begins to die down as he grows more weary from waking up so early with you and he pulls you into his lap while you tend to the garden. His chin rests on your shoulder as his strong arms hold you tightly.
His breathing gradually evens out and you’re positive he’s asleep until he whispers something in your ear.
“Let’s take a vacation.”
You jolt in surprise at the sound of his groggy voice, setting your shovel down. “Shouldn’t we stay here with Yuji and Megs?”
“They’re fine. We haven’t had issues with Sukuna gone. They have Kusakabe and Choso.”
You nod slowly. He’s right, a strong curse hasn’t been seen in a while.
“You can get on a plane now, right?”
“Yeah, I-” you hesitate, “-I guess I can.”
“It’s settled, then.”
“Is it?” You chuckle, given that none of the details have been discussed.
“It’s settled,” he yawns, weary body slumping onto yours again as he returns to his world of napping. You blink at him in surprise as he passes out on top of you, nearly toppling you over. You can’t bring yourself to move though, he looks too peaceful passed out on top of you.
A trip, huh? You can’t help but wonder where he has in mind.
A light layer of snow coats the ground beneath your boots, gleaming in the evening sunset light. The glimmer of the flakes that slowly fall before you is mesmerizing as you let Satoru lead the way through the Akureyri Gardens.
He seems to always find ways to surprise you, including when he had decided you would go on a vacation. You hadn’t expected him to choose Iceland in the middle of winter, but who were you to decline when he’d already booked everything?
It’s chillier than you’re used to, but it’s a good excuse to cozy up to your boyfriend and enjoy his body heat through the chilly nights. He’d booked a beautiful AirBnB isolated in the wilderness with beautiful glass panel ceilings to stare at the moon and stars before you slept each night.
Somehow, he never fails to find new ways to make you stumble over words as butterflies flap in your stomach.
He pulls you over a bridge, not missing the way your eyes sparkle as you glance down at the flowing river beneath you. It’s not cold enough yet for it to have frozen, and some small winter flowers still peek through the layer of snow that threatens their lives on the river bank.
He chuckles, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as you kneel down to admire the flowers.
“These are Lupine!” You smile at him over your shoulder, tips of your fingers gently sliding along the greenery. It has yet to bloom and though you long to see the beautiful purple flowers, you figure that gives you an excuse to come back someday. “They’ll be purple when they bloom.”
Satoru smiles wholeheartedly at you, the blues of his eyes filled with a gentle tranquility from behind his sunglasses. You return the smile, taking the hand he outstretches to pull you back up. He kisses your forehead languidly, clearly enjoying taking time off for what you can only imagine is the first time in his life. He moves slowly, with little regard for the world as the reality is that it’s just the two of you.
For the first time ever, it’s just you and him.
At least, he thinks so. With his arms wrapped around you in an embrace, enjoying the simple serenity of the Icelandic landscape, you don’t see the way his eyes flicker open. Over your head, something catches his eye as he stares down at the spot you were just sitting in.
Purple flowers sway in the breeze, in full bloom and Satoru second-guesses himself. Hadn’t you mentioned that they would be purple when they bloom? But that would have to mean they hadn’t yet bloomed, so why…? His brow furrows, deep in thought, before he comes to the conclusion he must have misheard you, because the other possibility…
No. He misheard you. That couldn’t be possible, not after all this time.
Brushing off the thought, he pulls back and smiles down at you, glancing at the setting sun and deciding the two of you need to keep moving.
“C’mon,” he tugs you gently along with him. It takes you only a moment to fall into step with him. “We’re almost there.”
“We’re going somewhere?” You had honestly assumed that, much like every other place the two of you had visited, you would just wander until one of you got hungry, but it seemed Satoru had other plans.
He hums affirmatively, rounding a small hill and hopping up a set of rocks, letting you use his hand as leverage to hop up. He repeats the action two more times until you’re standing before a small bench overlooking the entire garden.
A small gasp parts your lips. The view is absolutely breathtaking and as the last bit of light glimmers over the thin layer of snow on the ground below, the smile that plays on your lips is inevitable.
“It’s beautiful,” you mumble, pulling Satoru along beside you to take a seat on the bench.
He hums as he pulls you into his lap, enveloping you in his muscular arms. “You’re beautiful,” he mumbles cheesily in your ear, not an ounce of tension or worry to be found in the man’s bones as he rests his chin on your shoulder.
Your cheeks burn as you shoot him a sheepish smile. “You’re cheesy,” you giggle.
“Maybe,” he agrees, a dorky grin crossing his features. He doesn’t care how cheesy it is, he’ll spend every minute of every day telling you so if it means he can spend each of those minutes with you.
“Why were you in such a rush to get here?” You question, tilting your head to get a better look at the sorcerer. With a gray beanie adorning his snowy white hair, he has a sort of boyish charm to him that’s horribly endearing.
“So impatient,” he grouses playfully as he pokes your side. You yelp in surprise, wriggling in his hold in an attempt to return the favor but Satoru holds you too tightly. You pout at him when he grins victoriously. “Was worried we’d miss somethin’.”
You’re not quite sure what he means by that, but he’s clearly dead set on keeping the surprise exactly that- a surprise.
He hums softly in your ear, filling the silent air as he stares out over the garden with you. The silence gets more bearable with each day, but you’ve grown rather fond of his humming.
You’re not sure how long you sit together like that when suddenly, it happens.
You’re not sure why you didn’t connect the dots, but the conversation you’d had with him about vacations was so long ago you could barely remember. There was a reason, after all, that you had mentioned wanting to visit Iceland. A reason that Satoru had clearly held near and dear to his heart as he excitedly grins beside you, his arms tightening excitedly around your middle.
The sky becomes alight, very subtly at first, with gentle blue and green hues that fluoresce into purples and bright, brilliant blues like those of Gojo’s eyes.
Your eyes widen in awe, jaw slack as you watch in wonder as the sky dances before you.
“You chose Iceland in the dead of winter for this, didn’t you?”
Just like when he showed you the greenhouse, you want to cry. You feel the tears prick at the corners of your eyes and you find yourself giggling happily in an effort to dissuade your watery eyes.
“You said it was your dream!” Your boyfriend insists, his eyes glimmering as they reflect the beautiful hues soaring through the sky.
“I did, I just- I didn’t-” You shake your head, wiping the tears from your eyes as you chuckle again. “I don’t know what to say.” Your voice is small as you stare up at the aurora that paints the sky colors you could only have dreamed. “This is a dream come true.”
You can feel Satoru’s cheerful grin against your cheek when he nuzzles into you. “My pretty girl at a loss for words again? I’m on a hot streak,” he teases. Twice now since the green house, he’s pretty proud of himself for that.
“You’re such a dork,” you grumble, your cheeks alight with heat, but your heart pounds in your chest. He never fails to find new ways to make you tumble and fall head over heels further in love with him, if that’s even possible. “What’s your dream, Toru?”
He kisses your cheek. “I’m living my dream.”
“C’mon,” you roll your eyes playfully.
To your surprise, his simpering demeanor sobers. “I’m serious. You know how I was raised.” His brow furrows slightly. “I never thought I would have the chance to do something like this.” His irises seem to swirl like galaxies under the vivid lights as he turns you slightly in his lap to meet your gaze. “This is all I could ever want.”
Your lips part again and you lean in, kissing him unhurriedly, embracing the languid nature of your vacation. After all, you have a lifetime of moments like these to enjoy with him. It’s all so domestic, so sugary sweet it threatens a cavity.
“I think I’d choose a beach next time, though.”
You smile against his lips.
“It’s cold and I have Infinity off so it’s also snowy.”
You giggle now against his lips. He follows suit, his chest rumbling.
“A beach it is.”
He leans in again, savoring the taste of your tongue when he swipes at your lower lip. You grant him access, enjoying the taste of the tea you’d had earlier lingering on him.
You suppose now that you have the opportunity to travel and take vacations, not to mention Satoru’s seemingly limitless sorcery money, you’ll have to tighten up your bucket list given you’ve now crossed off the only real thing of substance on it.
You already know the first item, anyway. A warm beach, somewhere sunny and tropical, with your boyfriend (shirtless, of course) dripping wet from spending time in the ocean.
Yeah, that sure sounds like a dream.
You hold back a giggle at the thought, smiling against Satoru’s lips.
“What’s up, love?” He tilts his head slightly as he catches the action, his eyes flickering open to give you a lidded stare.
“Thank you, for everything, Toru.”
“Mmm, I should be thanking you,” he hums, his eyes flashing a glorious green from the vibrant lights above.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, pretty girl.”
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series masterlist || main masterlist || previous chapter || end ✓
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a/n || WOW if you're reading this THANK YOU for reading my whole fic, it's been such a fun experience to not only write a completed fic but also to get to share it with all of you (who have been so kind and lovely, btw) and each and every single one of your comments make me SO happy ♡ i'm not even really sure what to say aside from thank you so much for reading and know that my inbox is always open, i love chatting with y'all
on that note i do wanna give a shoutout to all of the lovely people who have sent me some love whether that be via my asks, comments, or reblogs, know that i love you all and it means the world. shoutout as well to 🌻 anon, you are such a gem ♡
i have quite a few other long oneshots and short series planned, as well as some drabbles and a rockstar!gojo longfic so it'd mean the world if you gave me a follow and stuck around for those as well ♡ i've also got a very cute (in my humble opinion) sukuna oneshot that i'd love if you checked out if that interests you, link in my masterlist.
ANYWAY thank you and ily all ♡
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lixies-favorite-cookie · 8 months ago
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𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 ・b.c.
—During one of your cuddle sessions with Bangchan, you realize that your relationship shares an odd resemblance to Twilight—without the entire plot, of course.
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𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠・bangchan x fem!reader // 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐬・fluff, established relationships // 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬・400 // 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬・twilight. that's all thank you.
𝐚/𝐧・I literally had this idea like a year ago and wrote this in like 20 minutes lol
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There were plenty of things on Bangchan's bingo card, but comparing your entire relationship to "not the plot" of Twilight was certainly not one of them.
During one of your usual late-night cuddle sessions on the couch, Chan was inches away from slumber; that is, until you decided to jerk your head up from his neck and throw your legs over his hips, perching yourself above his chest in a jarring flurry of eager movements.
"Do you know who we're like?" you announce with alarming urgency. He digs a knuckle into his eye, trying to recover from previous sleep-induced shock. Annoyance fights to rear its ugly head into his mind, but as your lips quirk into a dorky grin, it all washes away, his mouth melting into a smile.
"Who, darling?" he rasps, snaking gentle hands inside the gap of your shirt, warm skin meeting the curve of your waist.
"Bella and Edward," you say, nodding before stopping, as if contemplating your entire existence; You decide, "Only except without the drama and the love triangle, of course."
Chan chuckles incredulously.
"We better not have a love triangle—I only have eyes for you, baby." You bite back a moan, leaning down to capture his lips. That is, before—you rip your face away, emitting a small gasp.
"And the whole vampire thing."
You really know how to throw a man for a loop.
"So... we're like Bella and Edward but without the entire plot?" he teases through breathy laughs.
"See, now you're getting it!"
"Nope, I'm so not." Chan fights back his amusement behind furrowed brows, though tiny giggles bubble out from behind his tight-lipped smile.
"Jeez, baby, catch up! We're like Bella and Edward but without the drama, love triangle, and the whole vampire thing," you state, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Chan concedes, throwing his hands up in surrender.
"You know what? I completely agree." He brings his mouth to meet yours, pulling you into a tender kiss. He feels you smile before whispering, "I love it when you say I'm right." You press another soft kiss onto his lips. "Even if it's just to shut me up."
Bangchan could listen to you narrate the entire grueling series of Twilight and still manage to never get bored. So, with unwavering truth, he states, "I never want that."
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cookiecreates owns this dont steal my shit. thank you.
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suppermariobroth · 2 years ago
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One of the first major differences between Super Mario 64 DS and the original Nintendo 64 version of the game encountered during gameplay is that the front door of Peach's castle is locked. Yoshi needs to catch a rabbit to obtain the key to the castle. By using a glitch called "Quantum Tunneling", Yoshi can bypass getting a key and enter the castle from behind.
Top: by falling through the floor in an extremely precise spot with equally precise speed, Yoshi will clip between floor triangles, allowing him to "quantum tunnel" through the floor and land out of bounds inside the castle.
Bottom: from there, he can reach the hill at the back and jump to the rear side of the front door. Unlike Super Mario 64, where locked doors cannot be opened without the key no matter what side they're approached from, here, Yoshi can enter the castle simply by approaching the door from the wrong side. Note also the glitchy movement that occurs during this, whereby Yoshi slides off into the castle at a high speed.
Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Source: youtube.com user "Really_Tall"
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writingdungeon · 11 months ago
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SDV Bachelors first time you press the go button
MDNI
Warnings: No Smut but turning the boys on, mentions of the zaaa *smoking the zaa*, I had fun with this, cursing
Alex: He laughed at you when you said you could fight him. He hadn't heard of grappling and assumed it was just like wrestling. He was wrong. As you both tumbled around his room, he struggled to get a grip on you while your giggles only served to frustrate him further. "Come on, big boy," you teased, which elicited a growl from him. He tried to pin you by your hips. "Sit still!" he demanded, his voice filled with exasperation. "Fuck that," you replied, slipping from his grasp with ease. Your legs swiftly wrapped around his head, pulling him into a rear triangle choke. His adrenaline surged, but his mind wandered, imagining a far different scenario. The sensation of your thighs tightening around his neck only added to his imagination. "Come on, tap, you ass," you groaned, the strain evident in your voice. Despite the constricting lack of air, he found himself oddly content, thinking that passing out here, might not be so bad, “Glory Glory what a hell of a way to die” after all.
Elliott: Elliott prided himself on his mature personality and appearance, not allowing childish whims to sway his mind so easily. When the two of you were hanging out at the Saloon, grabbing a bite to eat, it was just another ordinary day to him. That is, until he heard you gasp in shock and groan out loud. Looking back at you, he blinked slightly, a blush creeping across his face. You had been eating a burger, and the sauce had smeared across your face, dripping down to your chest. He couldn't help but stare as you licked your fingers, moaning out annoyed by the mess. If he could, he would have scolded himself for gawking at you like a teenager, but his mind was racing with all sorts of inappropriate thoughts. “L-Let me help…” he stammered, grabbing a napkin and gently wiping the sauce from your chest, his fingers brushing against your skin now and again. “Thanks, El. I'll try to get it in my mouth next time,” you said, smiling innocently. His face burned brightly at your innocent joke, little did you know the effect you had on him.
Harvey: When he heard you had never flown a kite, he immediately bought you one and took you out in the sunny weather to fly it. The problem was, you weren't very good at it and couldn't keep the kite in the sky. "It's just the wind," Harvey chuckled, standing behind you and guiding your hands with his. "You just gotta find the airflow," he mumbled as he helped you. "Oh! Oh look, it's flying!" you exclaimed, your face lighting up with excitement. Harvey smiled at your reaction and gently squeezed you in his arms. "See, it's easy," he said. As he looked at your face, he noticed how good your hair smelled, the way your body swayed with his and the flow of kite made you feel just right in his arms. "Thanks, Harvey. I guess I just needed your magic touch," you said, eyes locked on the flying fabric. Harvey blushed, straightening up and carefully letting you go. He shoved his hands into his pockets to hide his excitement. "Yeah, anytime you need help, I'll touc- HELP! Help you…" he stammered, flustered.
Sam: It started out as all fun and games. You had been trying to take his lucky pick, teasing him that you needed to borrow his luck for a day. That was how he found himself in his bed, on top of your bent-over body, trying to reach under you. “Give it back,” he whined as he fumbled around aimlessly, feeling your hands, arms, and body but not finding the pick. “Gonna have to find it,” you teased, looking back at him with a mischievous grin. Groaning, he looked down at you, his hands resting on your hips as he tried to think. And think he did. His eyes wandered, taking in the sight of your ass pressed against his hips, your face down in his sheets. His hands had just been all over you. “Fuck…” he whispered softly as his mind began to drift. “Giving up already?” you asked playfully. He watched as you rolled over onto your back, pulling the lucky pick from your pocket. “Looking everywhere but the pocket, Sammy.” Your teasing was lost to him though for Sam’s mind was elsewhere, lost in the overwhelming presence of you in his bed.
Sebastian: You had ridden on his motorcycle before, so why not take the time to teach you how to drive it? This was a horrible decision while you drove perfectly fine, the real issue was him sitting behind you. His arms wrapped around your waist, and his hands absentmindedly gripped your thighs. The motorcycle's gentle vibrations caused your bodies to press together, and the smell of his leather jacket enveloped you. It was supposed to be just a quick ride, nothing to worry about. "Do you think we could go a little longer today? I think I’m getting the hang of it," you asked, having to yell over the motor of the bike. Sebastian couldn't help but agree, just a little longer wouldn't hurt. Would it? "You okay, Bastian? You were really quiet today," you asked, glancing back at him as you both dismounted the bike. You noticed Sebastian already heading inside, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, I'm good. Just want to lie down," he responded, his voice unusually soft. He couldn't look at you, not wanting to reveal his flushed face, using his body as a shield to hide his predicament.
Shane: He was allowed to blame it on the weed, right? He didn't mind assisting you with heating up the banger or dropping the dab in. But you had to be teasing him, right? The way you cupped the bottom of the bong, your hand sliding up the glass to grip the top, playing with the rim, and how your hand glided down as you moved to take another hit—it was driving him crazy. Your eyes locked onto his as you inhaled the white wall, then blew it in his face. "Don't gotta stare, you're next," you teased, snapping him out of his thoughts. He shook his head, trying to clear away the dirty thoughts that had crept in. "You take forever," he rebutted, defending his reason for staring, his blush deepening as your hands brushed when you handed the rig over. "Nothing wrong with taking your time," you replied with a sly smile. Shane groaned softly as he took his hit, his eyes never leaving you as he smoked. "It looks like you're sucking a dick," he deadpanned, Your comment mirrored the thoughts that had been running through his mind.
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literaryvein-reblogs · 6 months ago
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Writing Notes: Heraldry
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Heraldry - is about showing people who you are.
In England, it started in the later 1100s, when knights began to wear helmets, and they couldn't be recognised. So they began to paint unique combinations of colours, shapes and animals, called their 'arms', on their shields and banners. Only one person was allowed to use these arms. When people saw a knight wearing them in a battle or tournament, they could tell who he was.
It is the science and the art that deal with the use, display, and regulation of hereditary symbols employed to distinguish individuals, armies, institutions, and corporations. Those symbols, which originated as identification devices on flags and shields, are called armorial bearings.
Strictly defined, heraldry denotes that which pertains to the office and duty of a herald; that part of his work dealing with armorial bearings is properly termed armory. But in general usage heraldry has come to mean the same as armory.
The Colours of Heraldry
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The 5 traditional colours are, with their heraldic names:
Red = Gules
Blue = Azure
Green = Vert
Black = Sable
Purple = Purpure
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Plus the two 'metals':
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Gold or yellow = Or
Silver or white = Argent
There are also 'furs', the most common being:
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Ermine: representing the white winter fur of stoats, with their black tail tips.
Vair: representing squirrel skins, in blue and white.
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If something (say a dog or badger) is shown in its natural colours, it's called proper.
Conventional representations of tinctures used when it is not possible to print the actual colors:
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Heraldic Ordinaries
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Ordinaries - the simple shapes used on heraldic shields, against a colour, metal or fur background. If you are making your own design, choose one of these main ordinaries:
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Fess = horizontal stripe across the shield
Pale = vertical stripe down the shield
Bend = diagonal stripe
Chevron = like a house gable, pointing upwards
Cross = a plain cross
Saltire = a 'St. Andrew's cross'
Chief = bar across top edge of shield
Bordure = border round edges of shield
Pile = downward-pointing triangle
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You can also divide your shield into two colours, either vertically or horizontally, or into four different-coloured quarters.
You don't have to use an ordinary, but if you do remember to never put a colour on colour or a metal on a metal. Try to remember this heraldic rule: colours don't show up well against colours, or metals against metals. This also applies to charges.
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Heraldic Charges
Charges - emblems added to the shield, on the background, the 'ordinary', or both.
There can be one big charge, or several smaller repeated ones. Here are some of the common charges you could use:
Crosses - of many different types
Stars
Rings
Balls
Crescents
Diamonds
Flowers
They can be any colour, but remember never put colour on colour, for example a green star on blue, or metal on metal, for example a white flower on yellow.
Many knights also used animals as charges.
Animal Charges
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Any animal - either one big one or several smaller - can be used as a charge. They can be shown in many different ways, for instance:
Rearing up (rampant) - like the lion and the hare in the pictures above
Standing (statant) - like the dog
For birds, with wings outstretched (displayed) - like the eagle
Walking along (passant) - like the other lion
If the animal is looking towards you, it is also guardant or 'on guard'. So the lion in the picture is passant guardant.
The ancient royal arms of England are 3 golden lions, one above the other, walking along on a red shield: or, in heraldic code, gules three lions passant guardant or.
Just to make things more complicated, lions passant guardant are also called leopards - but they don't have spots.
Choosing Your Animal
Animals symbolised different qualities. So for instance:
Lions = bravery
Dogs = faithfulness, reliability
Stags = wisdom and long life
Eagles = power and nobility
Badgers = endurance or 'hanging on'
You could also design your own animal charge.
For instance a cat, horse or other favourite pet.
Or you could choose a fabulous beast...
Fabulous Beasts
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Though often used as 'charges', these fabulous beasts never really existed.
But some people believed they did, maybe because they'd heard about them in stories made up by travellers to distant lands, like crusading knights or merchant adventurers. Pictures of them also appeared in 'bestiaries', a popular kind of illustrated medieval story-book.
Here are some you could use:
Dragon: the earliest and most common fabulous beast, also used as a badge by Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Welsh. A brave and cunning defender of treasure.
Griffin: a combination of lion and eagle. Symbolises watchfulness and courage - and also guards treasure.
Cockatrice: a cross between a cockerel and a dragon, supposedly hatched from a cock's egg by a snake or toad. Could kill by looking at you, and symbolised protection.
Manticore or 'man-tiger': a fearsome man-eating creature with a lion's body, man's face, tusks, horns and a deafening trumpet-like voice.
Cadency
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Cadency - the use of various devices designed to show a man’s position in a family, with the aforementioned basic aim of reserving the entire arms to the head of the family and to differentiate the arms of the rest, who are the cadets, or younger members.
Heraldic works in the 16th century refer to cadency marks as:
a label for the eldest son during his father’s lifetime;
a crescent for the second son;
a mullet (five-pointed star) for the third;
a martlet (a mythical bird), the fourth;
an annulet (a small ring), the fifth;
a fleur-de-lis, the sixth;
a rose, the seventh; and so forth.
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Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References
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lvmimis · 14 hours ago
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cw: love triangle. hurt/comfort.
Your heart pounds rapidly in your chest still as you fumble your keys into the ignition of your car, your pulse probably fast enough to fuel the engine on its own. Tears that only pricked at your eyes earlier as you stormed out of the Fortuna branch Devil May Cry van now run freely down your cheeks, and you hate that you look a mess for something so stupid, but you feel stupid overall.
You’re nothing more than a passing distraction after all. Harm to a sweet girl, temptation to an otherwise good man. You knew better, you’ve known since you were very young, and here you are, crying and trying to get as far as you can because you let your guard slip just once.
The engine finally thrums to life despite the delay, as if providence itself wants you to slow down and think about what you’re going to do next, but as you step on the ignition, you find yourself lurching forward, the rev of the engine loud and clear, but the car going nowhere. In fact, it appears to jerk briefly backwards, destabilizing you - you should really put on your seatbelt - before its wheels settle back in place.
Stunned for just a second, you step on the gas again, until the same thing happens, and then it occurs to you. Your head snaps back to the rear view mirror, and there he is, glaring right back at you, sky blue eyes red rimmed themselves to match yours as one hand grips tightly on the rear bumper of your car, willing it to stay in place, while the other hangs loosely by his side.
You grip the steering wheel, then stick your head out the window.
“Are you fucking crazy?!”
Nero doesn’t respond, and as you stomp on the gas one more time, the engine roars again, but the car continues to make absolutely no distance forward. Overwhelmed with frustration, you find yourself groaning loudly, then shout again.
“You can’t stop me from leaving!”
You stomp on the gas again, but he’s rock steady, and you lay onto the horn, a cry of aggravation not for help - you don’t need help, but you need him to know that you can’t stand him right now.
“Grow up, Nero!”
At this, Nero does flinch a little, enough that the flame of your anger flickers just a little, and he averts his eyes so that he’s looking off in the distance in the night. This clearing is relatively empty save for your two vehicles - Nico is off to sleep in a real bed at a nearby inn several hundred feet away, and the two of you had aimed to talk for a few moments longer under the stars, but of course, that devolved into the current scene.
How could he not have told her?
The softness still retained in his voice as he reassures Kyrie over the phone that he and Nico are okay, the very passing mention of you being around as well. It all makes you feel disgusting and impure and pathetic, especially when the taste of his lips is still so very present on your tongue.
You’re not built to not care.
Nero inhales deeply and lets out a visible exhale, still not letting go in case you attempt to speed off once again.
“Just let me explain it to you. Please. Once I’m done, if you still want to leave, I promise not to stop you.”
Biting your lip enough that you almost draw blood, you contemplate this for a moment. The steering wheel you grip tightly feels safe and grounding. You squeeze, then press your forehead onto it, letting the coolness seep through your skin. A few moments pass, and you can feel Nero watching you from behind, growing concerned, but you turn the ignition off, then raise your head. Before you can open the door he’s beside you, almost a bit too fast, but he senses your intent and opens the door for you, stepping aside as it swings open.
His eyes are still teary red. 
“Listen, I’m not trying to hurt you.”
Your posture is closed and impenetrable, arms crossed over your chest. You raise an eyebrow, and you don’t have to say the words before he understands them, pronounced clear as day in his head.
You’re doing a terrible job of it.
“It’s just-” he runs his hand through his hair, distressed, pleading. There’s a hunch in his back that’s unnatural for such a proud man but you say nothing, open to hear whatever excuse he has to offer before you can ridicule him. 
“I can’t end things on a phone call.”
“Then don’t touch me,” you snap. He opens his mouth in protest, but closes it immediately in resignation. 
“Right.”
He bites his lip, before letting his loosely held fist rest against the hood of your car as he stares at the ground.
“Don’t play games with me,” you murmur.
He looks at you again - really looks - and you almost feel bad for calling him a coward just moments ago as you gathered your things. You can imagine the insult is replaying in his head even now as he stands before you. 
He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a coward. In this, he’s more careful than anything, unwilling to hurt his loved ones.
“It doesn’t have to be me,” you know. Your arms tighten around your own body again, keeping you safe and warm and together. “I’ll get over this… whatever this is. As long as you give me time.”
He quickly interjects.
“It has to be you,” he insists. “I… I know it feels different when I’m with you, something more than just…” he trails off.
He’s being careful with his speech, out of respect, out of love. The words a soft landing place come to mind. Home, peace, sanctuary… those are the things Kyrie is for him, and you should never intrude upon that. You can’t offer him that. You’re tumultuous and moody and you’ve only softened down your rough edges over time, you’re not a natural, unblemished smooth surface.
“She’s what you need,” you admit, even if your voice breaks at the end.
“Please,” he starts, reaching for your hand before thinking better of it. “Just… just let me be the one to tell you what I need.”
Someone has to pay for the upset roiling in your chest, you feel, but it’s not solely his fault, nor even your own, really and definitely not hers.
“Please don’t run away from me,” he asks of you, in a voice, softer and more desperate. “I won’t-” he pauses, then regains his voice, “touch you again, not until I’m face to face with her and tell her the truth.”
Your lips press into a thin line, and he tells you what you’ve always wanted to hear from him.
“I need you. I want you.”
You think of Kyrie again, guilt eating away at you.
“I don’t really want to make you choose, Nero,” you admit, your voice croaking. The tears you hold back start to make their way back to the surface. “I kind of wish we’d never met.”
“Don’t say that.”
An edge in his voice returns ever so slightly until he recomposes himself with a deep breath.
“Please, don’t say that,” he reiterates, the hurt vibrating in the thrum of his voice. “You’re not making me choose. I already did choose, and I promise to do a better job of following through.”
You can sense the longing in his hands that move towards you but never quite reach, based on the invisible barrier of your consent (or lack thereof). You’ll allow him just this once, reaching for his right hand first, and placing it where he wants it to be, on the curve of your right cheek. His lips fall open gently, and his thumb wipes away an escaping tear.
“I’m a bad person,” you whisper.
He’s not supposed to touch you so the most he allows himself to do is open his arms as you step in closer, tucking you under his chin.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
You want to argue, but instead you hold him closer, letting your selfishness win at least for just a few more moments.
Maybe you won’t run away, not just yet.
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