#red shoes briar

[trappolia]

── KISS ME ONCE AND KISS ME TWICE AND KISS ME ONCE AGAIN

silver vanrouge. silver dreams of you, always you. it only makes it far more painful to break from the chains of malleus' curse to seek the you that exists beyond his dreamscape.

Silver has always taken his time with you.

He has never been able to tell you why. Lilia says that it is just the way he is, ever since he was a boy; he plays by the rules, he goes by a routine that is, as much as possible, not too affected by his strange sleeping habits.

it is why he goes through the meticulous steps of courting you, offering you flowers and gifting you with thoughtful trinkets and even writing letters for your family while your worlds remain separate. It is why it had to be you to take the first step and kiss him one night during a star-gazing date because gods damn it all, you’re sick of waiting.

( Silver had laughed and laughed that night as you apologised for your callous actions; because you were so cute, because he was so in love, because it had all felt like a dream come true when he allowed himself to ignore tradition to cup your cheeks and pull you into another kiss. )

Silver discovers very early on that even when he takes his time, it's all still overwhelming. Like a dream come true, he used to tell Lilia in bouts of deliriousness when he was still caught between dream and reality and his mind was too muddled with sleep to care about embarrassing himself in front of the fae who had raised him.

Like a dream come true.

But what is his dream, exactly?

A cottage deep in the forest of briar valley, with ivy growing up the walls and over the red-tiled roof. Soft, packed dirt with growing flowers of all kinds, spring blossoms of pink, yellow, blue, red, protected by a low wall. There are no horrors with dripping ink and dragging claws, no glowing emerald eyes or scaled wings. Just grass and flowers and sky and nothing.

No. Not nothing. Because there's you.

"I just cleaned, so remember to take off your boots by the door!" Silver hears you call out from inside the cottage. His chest quakes as he lets out a ragged breath, his bag dropping as he rids himself of the extra weight.

The floor below his dirty boots is clean slate compared to the cluttered kitchen to his left and the living area to his right. Silver sees the same threadbare couch by the stone fireplace, cluttered with throw pillows and blankets and an unfinished knitting project. The couch is old. Used. Loved. There are some closed doors beyond the stairs, but Silver doesn't have to check to know what lies behind them. His old childhood bedroom where Lilia used to tuck him in. A bathroom that has been flooded one or more than a few times when he got too carried away with playtime. The small study where he used to have his lessons on reading and writing.

There's something about the sight of his childhood home that sets Silver off, as if he’s caught in crosswinds, but he fumbles his way inside anyway, toeing his shoes off out of ingrained politeness. His footfalls feel heavy and light all at once against the wooden floors as he walks — almost as if by habit — to the kitchen where he had heard your voice come from.

"There you are," you beam at him, putting a kettle of water on top of the same stove that Silver had watched his father cook his meals so many times. Your brows furrow when you notice the strange expression on his face; the emotions whirling in his aurora irises like a hurricane and the trembling of his bottom lip.

You frown, wiping your hands on a cloth rag. "Silver? what's wrong?"

Silver lets out a ragged breath, his hand shaking as it comes up to cradle your own as you cup his face in your palm. What is wrong? This is all he's ever wanted, isn't it? A life with you in the woods he had grown up in, free of worries and dangers and hurt and anger. He's built a home with no fear, no yelling, no uncertainties. Just like the life lilia always wanted to give him.

It's a dream come true.

"You're a dream," Silver whispers when he realises, his hands coming up to cradle your face in turn. He's shaking, he knows that even with his mind whirling, but he just can't help it— he has to touch you, make sure this isn't— this isn't a nightmare—

No. No, no, no. Malleus wouldn't do that. This is his dream. This is what his heart has always yearned for.

"My dream."

"Well, aren't you sappy today?" you muse, lips quirking up in that soft smile that Silver oh so adores to kiss. "What's the occasion?"

"I—" Silver opens his mouth, but no words come out. What can he say? What can he do, knowing that this is all he's ever wanted, but this is a dream. This is a dream and you're not real but gods, does silver want you to be.

A beat passes, and your smile turns sad.

"You know, don't you?"

Silver feels his heart ache. He wants to tell you no. No, please keep this veil over my eyes. Pretend i don’t know this isn’t real. Please. Please.

You reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear with such tenderness that he feels like crying. “You’ve always been so smart, Silver.”

“I’m sorry,” he allows himself to say, because this is the least he owes you— this perfect imitation of you that his mind, Malleus’s magic, has managed to conjure, because in the short time you’ve known him, you’ve managed to ingrain yourself into every fibre of his being so that even under this spell, all Silver can dream about is you, you, you.

Silver doesn't want to wake up. He doesn't, he really doesn't. There's something in him that pulls at his heartstrings, tugging at every vein and nerve as if begging him to stay, please stay. There must be a reason why you're always falling asleep, why this had to happen. Just stay. This is a dream come true, why would you want to wake up?

“You’re still there,” Silver says in a voice so small, it feels like he’s a little boy again, crying and clinging onto Lilia like the fever that sticks to his skin and reminds him of his mortality.

“You’re still there, and I’m here.”

His childhood home is small, but within the cottage and with your hands cradling his face, the thick walls feels unnaturally closer, like something is breathing on the back of his neck. He’s reminded of you, somewhere in Night Raven College, trapped within your own dream. Do you dream of him, he wonders? Has he become your new dream, just as you have become his?

Will he ever see you again?

Silver can't bear the thought of you somehow waking up from your dream — a matter of when rather than if, because Silver knows that you've always had a knack for getting out of impossible situations like this — and realising that he had left you alone to stay in this eternal sleep, with this dream– this illusion of what could have been.

“I have to go,” Silver whispers, and his heart breaks because this might be a dream, but it’s still you. How can he tell you he’s going to leave? He can’t do that. He can’t break your heart like that, he can’t—

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry— I'm so, so sorry.”

He expects you to stop him. What do the stories say about dreams where you’re supposed to be kept unaware, blissfully oblivious to the fact that this utopia is not your reality? Silver expects this dream version of you to pull some sort of trick to lure him back into your trap—

But instead you just smile softly, reaching out to stroke his face, "How lucky I am to have someone like you love me."

Silver hears something crack, resonating in his soul. Is it the chains of Malleus’s magic breaking its hold on him, or the last pieces of his heart shattering at last? He doesn’t know.

Maybe it’s both.

But whatever it is, Silver knows he doesn’t have much time. His hands cup your cheeks, pulling you close to him with the desperation of a dying man.

He feels you gasp against his mouth, lips parting and allowing his tongue to slip inside. He maps the cavern of your mouth as if immortalising it in his mind, like he’ll never see you again after this— because that is very well a possibility, no matter how he tries to ignore it.

Silver kisses you like it’s his last day in this godforsaken world, because it might as well be, and great seven, he should have done this every time he kissed you. He should have kissed you first. He should have kissed you every moment he could instead of taking his time because now he can hear the sand running in the hourglass, and he’s blind to how much time he has left, and he just wants to see you in the flesh again, please, please, please—

The two of you part an eternity later, but it still feels much too soon. There’s so much love in him, and too little time, and Silver feels like drowning.

"Wait for me," Silver pleads. He'll make this dream come true, he swears. He’ll give you all the love he has in this wretched body of his, and then some. He’ll never sleep again even, if only to make this dream come true.

"I will," you whisper breathlessly—

—and with a bittersweet smile and a final, fleeting kiss to his lips, you let him go.

© trappolia 2024

[emotionalsupportgoblin420]

Yuri Briar x Fem!Preg!Reader

Summary: You are Yuri Briar's wife, and while he's away at work, you find out you're pregnant.

You found out a few days after he went back to work. Yuri had gotten a few days off recently, and the two of you savored every moment together. A day or two after he left for work, you started feeling nauseous, throwing up, and just feeling a little off altogether. You were worried you had gotten sick. You didn't say anything to your husband. He'd leave work immediately out of worry for you, which was not ideal for either of you. As you worry wondering what could be wrong, a thought came to you. "What if I'm pregnant?" Immediately, you grabbed three different pregnancy tests from the local general store and tore them out of the box as soon as you got home. It was torture waiting for the results. You weren't sure how to feel. Anxious? Excited? Nervous? No clue. All you could do was wait. After a few minutes, you checked the first test. Positive. You felt like you were about to cry. You weren't sure why. You managed to calm yourself down enough to check the second one. Positive. The same feeling welled up inside you stronger this time. You had to sit down for a minute. You checked the third. Positive. There was no doubt. You were pregnant. Now you knew how you felt. Pure happiness and excitement. A small part of you was also frustrated. Of course you had to find out just as Yuri had left for work. His job could keep him away from home for only a day or two to a whole week. You just had to wait. And so you did. Two days pass since finding out you're pregnant when you heared the door unlock and the doorknob turn. Your heart skipped a beat in excitement. "Babe! I'm home!" Yuri called. You came running for hugs and kisses. "Hi! You missed me that much, huh?" He laughed. "Yes I did!" You replied. You let him take off his coat and shoes before you grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the couch. "Huh? What's going on?" He asked in confusion. "Just sit here! I have a surprise for you!" You said. You ran off to grab the surprise as Yuri sat there wondering what you were getting. You came back, sat next to him, and handed him a little gold foil box with a red bow. "Aw, babe. You didn't have to get me anything." Yuri said with smile. "I know <3. Now open it!" You said excitedly. He laughed a bit. Your excitement was so cute. He opened the box to find one of the positivity tests inside. For a minute, he wasn't sure what he was looking at, but when he realized what it was, his eyes widened, and he turned to look at you. "No way! You're not!" He said in utter disbelief. "I'm pregnant!" You confirmed a huge grin on your face. He immediately burst into happy tears and started hugging and kissing you. He was lost for words. He was so happy. "I can't believe it! I'm going to be a dad!" He said once he found his words. "And a great one at that!" You said with a playful kiss. He laughed and put his forehead to yours. "I love you so much." He said, tears still rolling down his cheeks. "I love you too." You replied.

(Author's note: Sorry if this was hella cheesy or cringe. I mainly write hcs, but I wanted to try something new. Hope y'all enjoy 💖)

[bueckersbitch]

Grace and Grit - paige bueckers x oc

chapter three: like him

𐙚 grace and grit masterlist

𐙚 characters: hopkins!paige x oc

𐙚 warnings: underage drinking

𐙚 word count: 2.4k

𐙚 authors note: hiii lovies, here’s a little lore chapter, family is brought up hence the “like him” naming of the chapter… savor the fluff bc it starts going downhill from here… this is all fiction!! enjoy!

𐙚 taglist: @lupinqs @sierrale8ne @thaatdigitaldiary @pboogerswbb

A long practice leaves Blaire tired, her toes aching from her constricting pointe shoes, body aching from conditioning and fine tuning multiple numbers. Slowing to a stop at the gate of her neighborhood, as she waits she thinks about senior year, approaching in a couple of hours, dreading her rigorous schedule she had absentmindedly planned out during the end of her junior year. She drives through the gate, pulling up to her house, Blaire wasn’t ignorant to the fact that she was blessed, her dad being away had its downsides, him being absent, of course, but where there’s downsides, there’s always upsides. The upsides being more materialistic, her giant house on the lake, nestled into a private gated community, pine trees decorating the long driveway that leads to the towering dark wooden double doors.

Blaire turns into her driveway, halting her car to a stop outside of the Briar’s garage, a display case, essentially, with full glass windows showcasing three cars, orange, blue, and red. All sports cars that her dad had taken a liking to, purchasing them immediately as they were released. Wait, red car. Red car? No, that couldn’t have been right, the McLaren was gifted to Blaire’s sister, Parker, as a gift when she graduated high school, the color being a slight jab from her father to Parker, since Blaire’s dad had attended Harvard, while Parker would be attending Yale. Rivalry of the two schools being the main topic of thanksgiving dinners the last three years. That’s besides the point, Blaire couldnt help but wonder what Parker was doing here, in August. Blaire stares at the license plate, “PRKER” held by a rhinestone studded license plate holder. Quickly, Blaire steps out of her car and shuts the door, disregarding her dance duffel and holding the door handle to lock the car, swiftly walking to the doors that usually led to an empty house. Making quick work of the door code, she pushes her thumb down before stepping into the large entryway, low and behold, the overhead light was on, and her tall older sister, clad in a simple loveshackfancy mini dress, awaited her, seated legs crossed on the kitchen island chair, light brown hair slightly curled, long black nails wrapping around a glass of champagne.

Finally, the door shuts behind Blaire, grabbing Parker's attention, her green eyes darting to the root of the noise, smiling, she sets her glass and phone down. “Well look who it is, I’ve been waiting forever. I think the plant on this kitchen island knows more about my past year than you do.” Blaire rolls her eyes at that, making way to her older sister, wrapping her arms around her, Blaire regains her thoughts, Blaire and Parker only saw each other during Thanksgiving, and Christmas, Parker kept her promise of getting out of Minnesota, and staying out. She resided in Connecticut now, there was no need for her to visit the isolated state of Minnesota anymore, which provoked Blaire, “Why are you here Parks? Thought the next time I’d see you was during Thanksgiving” Parker pulls away from Blaire, holding her forearms, “My internship had me go to Milwaukee to figure out some logistics of the upcoming year. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to see you, Baby B” Baby B. Despite only being four years apart, Parker made sure to hold the fact that she was older than Blaire over her head. Every. Chance. She. Got. It didn’t take long until it got old, Parker was smart, graduating valedictorian of her class, a perfect ACT score, and getting accepted to multiple ivy’s, she was only four years older, but Blaire felt like an embarrassment beside her, reminders of the obvious difference in intelligence, plus the added age gap between them only separated Blaire from Parker more. Not to mention their contrasting features, Parker had light brown hair, green eyes, and stood at a height of 5 '10, while Blaire, had hair that toed the line of black, dark brown eyes, and stood at an average 5' 6. Blaire was happy to see her sister nonetheless, the house being eerily quiet again after her dad left in May for Dubai, work calling him away, the widespread house was nice, but it reminded Blaire of the loneliness that accompanied her when her family was away. “I’m glad you’re here Parks, especially since senior year starts tomorrow” Parker slouches at that, “Oh God, senior year. Have fun with that” Look on her face making it obvious there was something she was wanting Blaire to poke at, “What? Why do you have that look on your face?” Parker smirks to herself, “Oh, you know, all the parties, senior bonfire, homecoming afterparty, find your drink, prom afterparty, not to mention all the ones that come with every holiday you could think of” Blaire feels relief at this, “Oh, well, you know me. I won’t be able to make it to any of those anyway, senior season of dance means no distractions.” Parker chokes on her champagne at this, making Blaire step back, startled. “You’ve got to be kidding me right? No way you’re letting dance rob you of your senior year.” Blaire challenges her gaze, countering with, “You did it with studying. How is it any different?” Parker giggles at that, “The difference is that I balanced everything, you just didn’t know about my social life because I would sneak out to go to parties, I quite literally conditioned Dad so he wouldn’t be as mad at you when you would sneak out and you don't even take advantage of it” Parker shaking her head saying this, lips tucked into a tight line as she does so. Blaire thinks, no way her older sister, the girl who only studied her life away, was telling her this right now, her mind finding a new perspective, if Parker could balance everything, Blaire could too. Parker pats the seat next to her, before getting up and walking over to the champagne glasses, tugging a similar one to hers from the rack before pouring a glass, shoving it to Blaire. “We have a lot to talk about. About my life, about yours, and trust me, you’re going to want a drink for this.”

-

Blaire’s mouth is wide open, jaw dropped and eyes wide, “He cheated on you? At a nude party?” Parker laughs, the incomprehensible situation getting the best of her, “Yes bro! That’s what I’m saying, like damn I couldn’t see him for one week and he was already out fucking other bitches” Blaire blinks a couple of times before she responds, “Im sorry Parks, but at least you don’t have to deal with that anymore.” Parker nods, a clear, “Yeah, dodged a bullet with that one” coming from her. Parker was confident, in her looks, her intelligence, her capability, that’s the reason why shit like that didn’t matter to her, because at the end of the day, she was successful, not the guy she was dating. “Sooooo, any lucky people for you? Who am I kidding, probably not” Parker prods at her little sister, Blaire shooting her a pointed glare, sharply saying, “I’ll have you know that there actually is someone, and she’s great.” Parker sits up straight at this, “Ohhhhh reallllyyyy, who’s the lucky girl?” Blaire blushes, the mere thought of Paige overcoming her senses, body retreating into herself, a quiet murmur of “Her name is Paige Bueckers, she plays basketball.” Leaving her. Parker is fully turned towards Blaire now, every sentence her little sister saying connecting the dots in her brain, “Holy shit! Paige Bueckers?” Parker questions further, leaving Blaire to say, “You know her?” Parker pffts at that, “Of course I do! Everyone’s talking about ‘The basketball beast out of Hopkins, Minnesota’” Parker’s finger quotes around the summary of who Paige was make Blaire’s eyebrow raise, “Why the finger quotes?” With every word Blaire manages to sneak out, Parker becomes more and more astonished. “B, it’s quite literally what they’re calling her on every article, everywhere I turn it’s all about this amazing number one recruit from this town I tried so hard to escape from.” Blaire rolls her eyes, “And if you wanted to escape so badly, why do you know all the towns business.” Parker’s hand slams against the counter, playfully of course, “Baby B!!! Is it so wrong to want to stalk my opps once in a while? You further prove my point by the way, about wasting your time in highschool, you don’t even know about the girl you’re talking to! God how could you not? I feel like this town literally screams her name at this point.” Blaire smiles, thinking about the person that Paige Bueckers is, leaving such a mark on people, to the point where the ‘Town screams her name’ As her older sister said. Almost on queue, the starlite snapchat notification sounds from the dark haired girl's phone. Now it’s Parker’s turn to raise an eyebrow, “Right on the universe's timing, huh?”

-

Paige sighs, retreating to the comfort of her room, after greeting her dad and baby brother, Drew, downstairs. Opening her door, she’s met with the familiarity of it all, golden awards lining the shelves, medals hanging from the walls, SZA posters sloppily hung up above her bed. She reaches for her dresser, holding the light remote to her LED’s in her hand before turning them on to a blue color. She flops onto her bed, messy hair sprawling out on the purple bedding, staring up at the ceiling fan which is spinning counter-clockwise, she can’t help but glance at the clock, 11:30. Blaire should’ve responded by now, having been out of dance for thirty minutes, Paige reaches into her blue nike tech pocket, pulling her phone from it, hands comically large in comparison to it, swiping up and finding Blaire in her Snapchat, pinned at the top, of course. She holds her gaze on the soft “blaire 💝🩰” Wondering if she should double text her, she didn’t want to look desperate, obviously, but she also couldn’t help but wonder what was keeping her pretty dancer away from her for so long. She opts to texting her, what’s a relationship built on miscommunication, right? Okay, no. They were not ‘anything’ God she hated that. She was a lover, whether it be shown through her caring nature for others, her family, or even her love for the game. Paige Bueckers is a lover.

Soon enough, but not soon enough for Paige, Blaire responds. Paige immediately swipes into the chat, the background being a comforting photo of the two of their hands laced together. A cute photo Blaire didn’t know Paige even took on their night out. Paige takes in the message: you won’t believe what just happened. Paige falters. Something bad? Is that why Blaire was away for so long? Paige couldn’t get too caught up with her own thoughts though, because as soon as she finished her thought, the next message of, my sister’s back in town popped up shortly after. A weight being lifted off of Paige’s shoulders, grateful it wasn’t the worst thing she had thought of. u had me worried there, thought u were in danger or smth. Chat bubbles pop up from Blaire, well, if my sister’s in town, I may as well be. Paige laughs to herself at Blaire’s dramatics, it being something she admired. Blaire put up a front, for sure. But even her hard exterior showed her emotions, her dramatics being the top way for her to express her true self. Paige found herself breaking through that shell of Blaire, though. Responding with an ok but i’ll be ur knight in shining armor 😇 Blaire replies, ur funny bueckers. Paige smiles, hearting the message, then locking her phone. Making her way to her bathroom, she sets her towel down on the ledge next to the toilet, placing her plaid pj pants and plain black t-shirt on top. She turns on the hot shower, waiting for it to warm up a bit, knowing Blaire all too well, she decides to snap a mirror photo of her in her nike tech, the Hopkins blue bringing out her equally blue eyes, turning her head slightly towards her phone, showing off her jawline. Sending the photo to Blaire, she’s immediately met with the blaire 💝🩰saved your snap in chat notification, followed by a message of paigeeeee you know what youre doing and a photo of Blaire in a matching pj set, light pink mini shorts with a simple tank top to match. Paige matches Blaire’s energy, saving the photo and responding with yeah? so do u. She cherished these small flirtatious moments between them, setting her phone down, hopping into the now hot shower, taking her hair out of her ponytail, letting the day wash away. Paige pondered about Blaire’s family life for a little, of course, she knew that Blaire’s dad was the type of father who was “Present but absent” In the way where he was never home. Sure, some people would long for having a house to themselves all the time, but Paige couldn’t help but feel bad for her. Paige grew up with her mom away, in Montana, but it was different, because she had her Dad, Stepmom, and Drew. All of them being her biggest supporters through everything. USA basketball wins, gatorade player of the year, moving up the ranks, all of it. While they were there for the highs of her life, they were also there for the lows, bad games, injuries, her and her long term girlfriends split, and the worst of all, losing her best friend to cancer. She couldn’t imagine going through the most pivotal and personality shaping moments without someone there to lean on, so she had a lot of respect for Blaire, for putting up with the world. She found her resilient, and independent, something she found herself lacking. She turns the shower knob off, stepping out of the shower and into her warm towel, drying off, then pulling on her pj’s, Paige unlocks her phone, a message from Blaire, thirty minutes ago, okkk i really need to go to sleep a separate message right after the first saying, ill see u at school tmr :) Paige easily finds herself typing out, see u tmr pretty girl Tomorrow, they went back to the harsh reality that shaped their futures, senior year. One last year before their lives changed forever.

[champion-of-love]

thinking about the pink squad and their pets in the eah books

briar: we're supposed to go to the red shoes dance club tonight, hopper. divacorn and philia can only carry one person each. how the hell are you coming with us?

hopper: i can ask daring if he could ask legend to drop me off?

cupid: you fell off the saddle that time you asked daring how to teach you how to ride dragons. next option.

[dgiacomo]

Character Heights Update!

[As a follow-up to this post, I took the time to convert (most of) the textures needed in the right file structure in order to construct this image!

What this image is is most (not all, since some random villagers from the DLC are in this folder set too) of the characters in the unique character models folder from Scarlet and Violet. They're all to scale so they can be stood next to each other to see how tall they are compared to each other.

On this graph, the red line is Giacomo's height (since that's what I need for this blog/comic).

For those only interested in all these characters compared, you can stop reading here.

For people interested in this comic too, or who want some kind of numbers to heights, it's changed a couple of numbers for the heights of some characters, so here's a fresh list of heights for characters on/in this blog/comic and all the rest for good measure (by the scale I use);

Sada 5'07½" Turo 6'00" Nemona 5'07½" Penny 5'01" Arven 5'06" Clavell 5'05½" Dendra 5'07½" Tyme 5'05" Raifort 5'10" Miriam 5'04" Saguaro 6'03" Jacq 5'10" Salvatore 6'01" Hassel 6'03" Rika 5'06" Poppy 3'01" Geeta 5'09½" Larry 6'01½" Katy 5'06½" Kofu 5'09½" Brassius 5'08½" Iono 5'02½" Grusha 5'06" (with boots) 5'05" (roughly, without) Tulip 6'03½" (with heels) 5'11" (roughly, without) Ryme 5'06" (with shoes) 5'05" (roughly, without) Mela 5'02" (with boots) 5'01" (without) Eri 6'06" Atticus 5'07" Ortega 4'07" Giacomo 6'00" Kieran 4'11½" Carmine 5'11" Grandpa Yukito 5'07½" Grandma Hideko 5'07½" Kitakami Pokecenter Girl 5'05" Peachy's Shopkeep 5'00" Caretaker 5'06½" Perrin 5'03" Briar 5'06½" Cyrano 5'11" Drayton 5'07½" Amarys 5'03½" Lacey 5'03" Crispin 5'01½" BB Researcher 5'04" Item Maker Girl 5'04½" Snacksworth 5'06½"

("roughly, without" numbers are assumed since we don't have models without their shoes, but they either have big heels or chunky boots)

Thought that was interesting and that people would like to see!]

[sadly-never-after]

Music in the EAH Universe and who listens to them Part 3.

This is just an excuse to try to make music puns and share music I think the characters would listen to. (Some of these are even canon by the books!) I don't even like a majority of these musicians but I am fully convinced of my choices here. I marked in colours the one that are canonically part of the EAH Universe.

Since Tumblr only allows 100 inline links for a post I have to make different parts.

Part 1 (Alistair, Apple, Ashlynn, Blondie, Briar, Bunny)

Part 2 (Cupid, Cedar, Cerise, Chase, Courtly, Daring)

Part 3 (Darling, Dexter, Duchess, Farrah, Faybelle, Ginger)

Part 4 (Holly, Hopper, Humphrey, Hunter, Jillian, Justine)

Part 5 (Kitty, Lizzie, Maddie, Meeshell, Melody, Nina)

Part 6 (Poppy, Ramona, Raven, Rosabella, Sparrow, Tucker)

⚔️✧˖°.♞༄｡° Darling Charming ⚔️✧˖°.♞༄｡°

Florence & the Mill (King, Kiss with a Fist, Girls against God)

Girl in red shoes (I Wanna be your girlfriend, Girls, Bad Idea!)

Chappell Throne (Good Luck Babe, Kaleidoscope, Picture You)

Of Wonderland (It's different for girls, Tim I Wish You Were Born A Girl, When a man is in love with a man)

Marina & the Diamond Cards (The Family Jewels, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land, Baby)

ദ്ദി(⎚_⎚) 🜲 Dexter Charming ദ്ദി(⎚_⎚) 🜲

Taylor Quick (Enchanted, Lavender Haze, Delicate)

Trollplay (Shiver, Fix You, Lost!)

Lady Yaga (Bad Romance, Stupid Love, So Happy I Could Die)

Royale (The Love Club, A World Alone, 400 Lux)

Reigning Spectre (Hero, Two Birds, Hell no)

౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹🦢⊹₊ ⋆୨ৎ Duchess Swan ౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹🦢⊹₊ ⋆୨ৎ

Marina & The Diamond Cards (Solitaire, Oh No!, Are You Satisfied?)

Knight Chloe (Leash, Animal, Novocaine for the Soul)

Nixie (Drunk Walk Home, Liquid Smooth, Working for the Knife)

The Spooky Jesters (Catabolic Seed, Icicles, Community Gardens)

Rabbit Hole (Violet, Petals, Doll Parts)

ʚĭɞ;༊°❀⋆.ೃ���:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･ Farrah Goodfairy ʚĭɞ;༊°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･

Penelorepe Scott (Sweet Hibiscus Tea, Dead Girls, Feel Better)

Nixie (Nobody, Stay Soft, Carry Me Out)

Trollplay (True Love, For You, Always in my head)

Florence & the Mill (Third Eye, Grace, Shake it Out)

Magic Mirror Girl (Lovers Rock, Pretty Boy, Grapes Upon the Vine)

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ ࣪˖ ݁𓂃. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Faybelle Thorn . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ ࣪˖ ݁𓂃. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Gwen Stepfairy (What you waiting for?, Hollaback Girl, The Sweet Escape)

April Vineyard (Girlfriend, Smile, Nobody's Fool)

Pixie Minaj (Barbie Tingz, Roman's Revenge, Roman Holiday)

Britney Spark (Break the Ice, Toxic, Oops!...I Did It Again)

Katy Fairy (Waking Up In Vegas, Last Friday Night, Firework)

🤎‧₊˚𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅🧈🎀🧸 Ginger Breadhouse 🤎‧₊˚𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅🧈🎀🧸

Michelle Key (Sunflower, Let Me Know, My Cue)

Cage the Dragon (Telescope, Halo, Flow)

Ricky Montgnomery (This December, Mr. Loverman, Get Used to it)

Nixie (Pink in the Night, A Loving Feeling, Class of 2013)

Tailor Hall (Never Meant To Know, You & Me, Hidden in the sand)

You are trapped on an eight-hour long road trip with these guys and you have to give one of them the aux chord.

[fashionschoolreject]

Styling Ever After High: Rosabella Beauty 🌹✨

(Styling Ever After High 10/55)

Rosabella Beauty, Daughter of Beauty and the Beast

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

Key Styling Details

Colors: Red, Pink, Yellow, Gold, White

Wardrobe made up of a lot of vintage and thrifted pieces (more sustainable!)

Floral details everywhere

Once again, note the amount of Dolce & Gabbana

Crown glasses similar to Briar’s but instead of sunglasses they are regular glasses (I mean they are cousins)

Centered around contrasts: modern styling of old pieces and intense styling of delicate pieces

A bit manic pixie dream girl inspired

60s-70s era as a key source of inspiration for some looks

Chunky shoes and accessories

Meant to be kind of opposite but complimentary to Briar since they are connected (see where influences are same but also where they diverge),

Looks good next to the Charming’s well

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

Now that I’ve done the first 10 of these, I wanted to thank everyone for their support! I started making these years ago for fun and I would post them regardless but it really does mean a lot that even a few people are enjoying what I’ve been doing.

If you have any specific characters you want to see, drop a comment and I’ll add them to the top of the list - otherwise next of is the Wonderland gang

[thetacticalspider]

drugs, gimme drugs, gimme druuugs ;)

image descriptions under the cut - too long for alt

[Image number 1 shows a redraw of the poster for the DC movie Birds of Prey, in which the characters are all replaced by members of the Killjoys from My Chemical Romance's fourth album.

In the center, taking up most of the picture is Party Poison, dressed in part as Harley Quinn. They have pale skin and bright red hair, which is styled in two small space buns on the top of their head with several strands hanging down around their face. They have a bright yellow mask across the top half of their face, which has dark diamond shapes across the eye holes and a blue gem on either end of the mask, as well as one on the forehead portion. Just below the bottom edge of the mask, we can see a small heart on their left cheek. The beginning letters of "PARTY" are written on their neck, dissappearing into the collar of their jacket, which is a dark blue-purple, with white stripes around the chest and red, white, and blue stripes on the arms, along with a small red and white patch on the left breast, the details of which aren't visible. Party's jean shorts are dark blue with black stripes going up and down the center part and red stars on the sides. There are several tattoos on their thighs, including a row of black and red diamonds, Party Poison's symbol of a pill with an X below it, a heart, and the words "poison + ghoul," all of which are upside-down, indicating that party did them themself while looking down at their own legs. In their right hand, Party holds a bright yellow gun by the muzzle and is propping it up on their shoulder.

In their left hand hand is a chain, connecting to the neck of Bob Briar, MCR's drummer, who is taking the place of Harley's pet hyena. He has red hair swept over one eye in the iconic emo bangs, the beginnings of a red mustache and beard, messy black eyeliner, a cursive necklace that says "Hyena," a black t-shirt, and blue jeans. He is on his hands and knees. Behind him is The Girl, taking the place of Cassandra Cain. She is a child with medium-brown skin and curly brown hair. She's wearing a black helmet with a small red stop sign on the front, red flowery sleeves and a black top underneath a blue collared vest with red and yellow cap sleeves. The Girl also has a funky red and blue layered belt made of a bunch of little circles over black pants and boots. She's got one arm pulled to her chest and the other is punching outwards towards the viewer. To her right and on the far left side of the page is Fun Ghoul, taking the place of Reneé Montoya. He's got light skin, short black hair with one buzzed side dyed red, though it kind of looks like blood o be honest, and tattoos on his hands. He's wearing a long-sleeved yellow shirt with a patch on the left shoulder under a dull green cargo vest. He's got a bright green ray gun in a brown holster which is slung across his body like a messenger bag, grey-green pants, and dark brown shoes. He looks sort of angry, has bent knees, and is holding his hands to his chest, like he's about to bare-knuckle box with someone. Very small and flying above the Girl's head is the Kobra Kid, taking the place of Huntress, aka Helena Bertinelli. He's got a red jacket over a yellow shirt with black squiggles on it and grey pants. Also, I thought it would be funny to make him look like Mikey from around 2004, so he's got loose brown hair and rectangular nerd glasses. His left arm is up and bent in half, while his right arm is extend and is aiming a red ray gun at something off of the page.

Finally, on Party's left and the far right of the page is Jet Star, taking the place of the Black Canary, aka Dinah Lance. He's got a curly brown afro, medium brown skin and a determined expression on his face. He's wearing a black jacket with the edges of an American flag on the back, though I appear to have forgotten which direction it's supposed to go in when I was drawing it, and dark grey pants with black shoes. Both hands are wrapped around the handle of a dark blue ray gun, which is being pointed at something off of the page. Above his head in blue pen, is written "can they keep The Girl safe?" and below his feet "tactical spider" is written as a signature. Along the bottom of the page, DANGER DAYS is written in large, light pink block letters. The letters are stylized in the same rounded way as those on the Birds of Prey poster and, instead of having holes where it is normal to have holes in letters, there are a variety of symbols on the letters, including the black Danger Days spider, Fun Ghoul's green ghoul face symbol, the letters P J F K, Kobra's red snake face symbol, Party's pill symbol., and Jet's blue star symbol. In smaller blue block letters, MCR is written above the letters. Below, in black letters, it reads "THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS" with way too many lines on the E's, little sparkle diamond symbols on either side, a heart over one of the I's and an extra long tail on the final S. Behind the characters are colorful fireworks and at the very top, the names of all the real life people are listed: Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero, Grace Jeanette, and Bob Briar. This was drawn on white paper. End ID]

[Image number 2 is just the regular Birds of Prey poster, not redrawn or anything. It's there as visual reference for sighted folks and if you used the first image description, then you've already got all of the necessary information. All of the normal Birds of Prey characters are spread out in the same formation - the only difference is that things are professionally photographed and edited, instead of being hand-drawn by a nineteen year old. End ID]

[kiwi-but-the-bird-not-the-fruit]

Hello! I saw you write for Ever After High and if requests are open, isn't that a problem if you write for Briar Beauty x GN!Reader. With the theme of "friends to lovers", where the reader is more shy than Briar but has been in love with her for a long time and doesn't know how to confess.

Hi hi happy to make this

Haven't done briar yet so if it's ooc my apologies

___________________________________________

Briar Beauty x shy gn! reader

Prompt- the reader has been in love with Briar for the longest time and they don't know how to confess but with a help from Cupid things take a cute turn.

Fluff/Friends to lovers/ Cupid to the rescue

Using [Name] as substitute for y/n

(E/c)-eye color

(H/c)-hair color

Art not mine found on pinterest

____________________________________________

___________________________________________

We cut to [Name] a young royal with a dilemma of the heart, they sigh as they stare at their best friend of many years Briar Beauty, you see [Name] had fallen head over heels for the girl but they couldn't express their emotions in any way, always too shy to truly say how they felt of the beautiful girl a few feet away.

[Name] turned back to their locker and got the books they needed for the next class "Hey [Name]!" Briar's voice called out [Name] turned around to find Briar coming towards them, her sweet smile adorning her face "Hey Briar, what's up?" They tried their hardest not to stutter and luckily it worked "Nothing much i was just wondering if you wanted to hangout-" is that hope? "With Apple and me" there it goes

"Sure love too" they gave a smile and a nod "Perfect, see you later at my dorm!" Briat walked away the smell of her rose perfume lingering for a few seconds then disappearing "*sigh* so much wishful thinking of a one on one hangout that won't happen" [Name] grab the rest of the books and walk to their next class.

"Oh my poor [Name] & Briar they just don't see they're meant to be" Cupid sighs sadly "well good thing I'm here and I'll make this ship happen!" She exclaims loudly making other student stare at her weirdly "oh sorry" she walks out quickly

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Cupid is seen behind a stack of books, she spies on [Name] as they pick out a book from the shelf and walk to the nearest available table 'okay Cupid now is your chance to help a friend out' Cupid makes a b line towards them "hello [Name]! Would you mind if I sat next to you and chatted real quick?" She smiles down at them "Hello Cupid and not at all please take a seat, what do you want to talk about?" Cupid takes the seat next to them and gets comfortable

"Well I was gonna offer to help you get together with Briar!" She practically yells in excitement "SHHH" the librarians exclaim from their desks "oops sorry" she whispers then looks back at [Name] who looks mortified and red in the face "i-i uhhh" she panics seeing them stutter "oh I'm sorry I just thought you know- you do like Briar right?" [Name] looks around "uhhh yeah i-i do...wait how did you know?"

Cupid chuckles "it's all in the eyes [Name]" she gets up and offers her hand "now come on,i have the perfect plan" [Name] puts her hand in her's and in a snap of a finger they are out the door

Cupid and [Name] are seen on the steps of the entrance talking to each other, Briar is seen coming up behind them unbeknownst to the two 'oh it's Cupid what is she doing with [Name]?' Briar stops beside them "hey Rosebud!" She hugs them from the side "o-oh hey Briar!" [Name] quickly tries to regain their composure looking to the side in hopes the beautiful princess didn't see their flushed expression "are you still coming to my hangout?" She steps back to look at them "o-oh about that--" they look at Cupid who gives them a thumbs up "I can't but I was planning to tell you i-if you liked to go stargazing w-with me" they avert her gaze only starting at their shoes

"Oh that's fine,I'd love to go stargazing!" She grabbed their hands and made them look at her "r-really!?" They asked dumbfounded Briar only giggled in response "okay uhhh tomorrow night,meet me at my dorm" Briar nodded her head, "perfect it's a date! see you then" she walked away quickly so that [Name] wouldn't see her pink dusted cheeks

"Oh my fairy godmother they just asked me out" she holds her cheeks with both hands, feeling the warmth radiating from her face

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Later that very next day, cupid is in [Name]'she room helping them packing a basket of snacks and a picnic blanket to sit on, Cupid makes a few more adjustments then finishes up and hands it off to [Name] who thanks her as Cupid takes her leave "Good luck [Name]!"

For 20 minutes [Name] paced around their side of the room as they waited for Briar to come and knock on the door.

"*knock knock knock*" This was it, tonight [Name] was gonna face their fears and tell the most beautiful princess who was also their friend how they felt about her, all the ways she made them feel at peace in study sections, the fuzzy dealing when they brushed hands in the hallway while walking together. Everything they felt towards her.

"Coming" [Name] whispered yell as they reached the door, opening it and letting Briar in.

"Hey! I'm so excited" she whispered in a buzz "glad to see your excited, ima all packed up we can head out" [Name] grabbed the basket and walked to the door motioning for Briar to go first "why thank you" she bonded her head a little "but of course your highness l" [Name] joked back

The two walk out carefully out of the school, and into the hidden fields inside the forest, [Name] places down the basket and takes out the blanket placing it gently, they turn to Briar and held out their hand she happily did so and the two sat next to each other

"So beautiful!" Briar pointed at the stars that shined bright in the navy blue sky "yeah, very beautiful" [Name] said but was looking at Briar while doing so.

[Name] grabs a small telescope from their satchel and gives it to Briar "Here I think this will make the experience much more fableous" they place the telescope in her hands "wow that's really nice, thank a bunch Rosebud!"

[Name] smiled at the nickname it was one they had heard for years and it made them ever so happy every time she said it, [Name] didn't know why she started calling them that but it didn't matter, her smile and glimmering eyes filled with wonder and excitement were always the best part in every small adventure the two went on, all of the scratches were worth it;all the late night parties where worth it, all they did together was all a blessing because with Briar there was never a dull moment.

"I have to tell you something" [Name] started, Briar placed the telescope down and turned to them with a smile, "sure what is it Rosebud?" [Name] took a deep breath and took Briar by the hand, their eyes were staring into her for the first time in so long "I have feelings for you Briar,,in a romantic way" they squeezed her hand lightly "I want to be with you...i want to care for you and show you the world. I know we've been friends for so long but my feelings for you are true and as bright as a Fenix- Briar you are truly the most beautiful and caring person I've ever met, maybe that doesn't really begin to explain the many things i like about you but know that i just really want to love you, if you'll let me." They looked at the end of their confession praying that this wasn't the stupidest thing they could ever do.

A hand reaches out to grab their face and [Name] is brought back to their senses and looks up at Briar's bright brown eyes "[Name]" she gently caresses their face.

"i have feelings for you too, and i don't know when they started either but I know that I want to be with you too, the way you always been there in every crazy idea I have, the way you always check up on me after a hectic day, how considerate you are and always willing to help a friend even when your so shy you somehow end up stepping into help others, I like everything you do and who you are so very deeply" Briar leans closer and kisses their cheek, then wraps her arms around [Name] pulling them into a comforting hug.

"Why don't we plan a date for just the two of us?" Briar whispers into their ear, "I'd like that" they hold her a little tighter as if they didn't this all would disappear like a dream, but as [Name] took a few breaths in and inhale her flowery perfume they knew that this wasn't a dream but it wasn't, nothing would ever be the same it wouldn't matter though.

For they knew with all their heart that no matter what, the two would go forth and face this new feeling together as a new couple.

___________________________________________

(A.n after writing) wow I really enjoyed writting this x reader pairing supper cute and heartwarming for my soul

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Good morning headmage

I was wondering if you and the other teachers went to the museum with your students this year to celebrate its 100th anniversary ?

If so what did you like there , do you have a favorite artwork ?

Have you been there before 👀?

Enter; An Unkindness of Ravens.

"Why, of course we teachers accompanied our students to the Land of Dawning's National Museum of Art. It would be highly irresponsible of us to allow children to travel to a foreign land without chaperones!”

Crowley perked with pride. Prestige—the acknowledgement of it—tended to have that effect on him, pompous man that he was.

"Not to mention... It's an honor for us to be invited to this centennial celebration! This is a wonderful opportunity for us teachers to appreciate art alongside our young pupils—though I myself have already visited numerous times. Ah, but that is what a long lifespan and a deep respect for history does… Sharpens the mind and the spirit!”

Somehow he ended up circling around and feeding his own ego again.

You walked alongside him, tactfully staying silent and letting the headmaster ramble.

Famous faces passed by, relics of the past unearthed. Stories, centuries in the making. History coming to life around you.

Click, clack, click.

Crowley’s polished shoes and cane alternated, echoing sharply in the gallery.

“This solemn, almost reverent atmosphere is rather pleasing. It grants one the space and time to properly admire and reflect on the artwork on display.”

He raised a hand, his golden claw-shaped rings upon each finger shining under the museum’s lights. Crowley gestured to the paintings that lined the closest wall. You followed where he led your gaze.

Platinum frames, seven in total. Each held an illustration of a familiar figure—you recognized them from the stone statues lining Main Street.

“I find myself gravitating toward the classics. Perhaps I am sentimental, fufu. My bias is clear.”

The Queen of Hearts.

She looked on from up high, posed with a gavel behind a banister and flanked by card soldiers. Her face was kind and rounded, but her expression was stern. Hands folded in her lap and her hammer raised to deliver justice, she was the picture of dignified grace.

The King of Beasts.

He reclined in a dark cave, bones scattered around him. The King stood out from the others of his kind--body lanky, a scar knitting one eye, mane a deep black, and with an unmatched feline poise. He toyed with a skull in one paw, his mouth twisted into a contemplative smirk.

The Sea Witch.

She danced, tentacles curling, in an anemone garden, lilac arms outstretched to cuddle her beloved pets: two moray eels that adorned her arms like a living boa. Pinkish light spilled onto them, emanating from her bubbling cauldron. Another potion brewing to fulfill some poor, unfortunate soul's wish.

The Sorcerer of the Sands.

A thin man with a long face and a goatee pieced together a golden scarab, its light piercing the starry night. Particles of sand and glittering magic kicked up, scattering across his black and red robes. The wings of the scarab, flickering rapidly--as if about to take flight.

The Beautiful Queen.

She triumphantly held up a goblet of bubbling liquid, her radiant face reflected in it. High cheek bones, skin smooth as china, full lips, long lashes, a gown that clung to her hourglass figure. Her beauty was every bit as deadly as the poison in the glass.

The King of the Underworld.

He beamed in the painting, showing sharp teeth. Various tabletop games surrounded him, and he seemed to take great joy in maneuvering a chess piece across a board. No opponent was in view--the man was a lone player.

The Thorn Fairy.

She loomed in her spiked throne, her calm face cut severe by the gathering shadows and green candlelight. Briar crept around the tattered hem of her cloak, waiting for her next command. One word, and you felt as though they would come to life and rush at you.

The Great Seven together dominated the hallowed halls of the museum. In awe of them, you felt yourself shrink back. If was as though your body instinctively knew to kneel in the presence of such raw power.

Crowley, too, quietly bowed his head to the Seven. He held his top hat to his chest, his dark lips pursed into a serene smile.

"What visionaries! We must all strive to the same heights as they."

[stellar-constellations]

An Alliance (Part 7)

        

        Fem! Spy! (Y/N) x Yuri Briar

        Parts: One, two, three, four, five, six, current part, eight, nine, ten (to be continued when Spy x Family has more Yuri content!)

        (Y/N) is given her own backstory that is important for the story!

        The setting for this story is based off West and East Germany's (because Spy x Family is heavily based off Germany in the 1940-1950) laws (or at least replicated to the best of my abilities since it's unknown what time period Spy x Family is exactly in, we'll go with 1950 for the sake of this story). 

        Historically-accurate women misogyny and mistreatment! Only small comments and historically-accurate laws (replicated to the best of my ability). 

        The story, plot, and settings might not match up to the Spy x Family manga as it's not completed and the manga is still being crafted.

        This series contains spoilers for the manga and anime!

        The alarm rang and I groaned, covering my head with the sheets as Yuri got out of bed and turned it off.

        "Ugh. I have a killer headache." He groaned.

        "Then come back to sleep with me... You can miss a day..." I muttered.

        "You're a bad influence..." he sighed.

        I felt the covers lift and was surprised when he actually climbed back into bed.

        Oh? Am I gonna get to sleep in?! I thought, excitement taking over me. 

        I sighed happily—glad to be able to sleep in—especially after last night's events. I carefully tested the waters, wrapping my arms around Yuri and digging my face in his chest to block out the sunlight from the curtains. He hugged back, making me even happier as I felt myself starting to drift back to sleep.

        "WAIT!" he screamed loudly, jumping out of bed and looking at me like I was a virus.

        "Really, Yuri?" I whined.

        "YOUR CHARMS MAY WORK ON OTHER MEN, BUT I AM NOT LIKE THEM! I WON'T BE EASILY FOOLED BY TEMPTATIONS, YOU TEMPTRESS WITCH!" he wailed loudly, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

        "What the hell are you talking about...?" I muttered. 

        "Your spells of enticement won't work on me! I have work!" he shouted.

        "Ugh. I can't believe you're actually going to work with a hangover, you goodie-two-shoes." I whined, tearing up in my eyes. "And you're dragging me with to a job I don't get paid for. That's just mean, Yuri." I pointed over, shoving my face in his pillow.

        "You do get paid for it! And you can't use those charms on me— wait, a-are you actually crying...?" he muttered. 

        "No..." I spoke, my voice muffled in the pillow as I breathed in his comforting scent to lure me back to sleep.

        "H-hey! Stop crying and get ready!" he scolded, picking up the covers from me.

        "You're mean..." I mumbled to myself, getting up and stretching my arms. 

        "Y-you're so damn oblivious." He spoke, his face flaring up.

        "What's gotten you excited?" I questioned, wiping the tears from my eyes as I started to get over not sleeping in.

        "I'M NOT EXCITED!" he shouted. "And when you stretch in the mornings, y-you should cover your bottom half, or at least get a longer nightgown, or pants." he mumbled softly. 

        "Oh." I spoke, looking down at my legs then smirking evilly once I realized what he meant. "Yuri's a pervert, huh?"

        "I AM NOT! YOU FLASHED ME WITHOUT CONSENT!" he screamed.

        "And I'll do it again, but worse if you keep yelling at me this early in the morning." I spoke calmly as his face bursted into red.

        I was worried he'd turn blue by the way he'd stopped breathing for a second. He regained his senses, coughing into his palm and looking away.

        "You're such a brat, just hurry up and get ready." He ordered.

        "Or we could stay in bed all day. Together." I emphasized, smirking as he screamed.

        "You're the pervert here; not me!" he shouted, running to the bathroom and shutting the door. 

        I quickly changed, brushing my hair and laying down on the bed, waiting for Yuri to hurry up. He walked out and I immediately smiled.

        "So, Yuri. You have a thing for crying or something?" I chuckled. "Funny with your job with torture and all."

        "NO!" he shouted, his face getting red.

        "And you like thighs best?" I teased more, taking a wild guess as he screamed loudly, grabbing a pillow and chucking it at me.

        "SHUT UP!" he shouted. 

        I laughed, catching the pillow and hugging it to my chest, enjoying his reaction as he screamed at how stupidly lewd I was.

        "It's okay, Yuri. I don't mind that I caught you staring. You're my husband after all." I teased. 

        "I SAID SHUT UP!" he yelled, red in the face.

        "I'm supposed to know what makes you tick. Besides, you're cute enough to let it slide." I chuckled, loving this way too much.

        Maybe I am a sadist.

        He covered his face with his arm, looking away from me.

        "What? Did you enjoy the view?" I questioned, deciding to leave it as the final teasing comment as his face went even impossibly redder.

        He coughed into his arm again, taking a deep breath and staring at me blankly.

        So what if I did?" he questioned. 

        "I...what?" I spoke, my heart beating fast.        

        "So what if I did?" he repeated, taking a step towards me.

        "Ah! No! Teasing is my thing!" I exclaimed as his eyes lit up evilly, covering my vision with my pillow, afraid of how red my face would be.

        "What? Once I respond back, you decide to get shy?" he questioned.

        He pulled the pillow down from my face. Seeing him closer to me as my heart beat faster and my mind to malfunction. 

        "Ah!" I yelped quickly clutching onto the pillow tighter and covering my face with it again, only for it to be ripped down from my field of vision again.        

        "I think that's not far. Don't you deserve a punishment?" he questioned, getting closer to me

        I screamed loudly, shoving the pillow in his face and shaking his hand off me, running out of the bedroom and screaming: "YURI'S A HUGE PERVERT!"

        "What?! You're the one that started it first! I just gave you a taste of your own medicine!" he declared, chasing after me. 

        "YOU MADE ME ENHALE APHRODISIACS OR SOMETHING!" I screamed, running around the apartment to get away from him.        

        "I DID NOT! DON'T GO SCREAMING AROUND THE APARTMENT SAYING THAT!" he yelled.

        .

        .

        We made it to the agency and clocked in, walking down the many hallways. 

        "Second-lieutenant! Mrs. Lieutenant!" we both turned around, confused.

        Am I Mrs. Lieutenant? That makes me sound a little old.

        "Morning, Lieutenant!" we both spoke, saluting.

        I think I'm getting accustomed to their traditions. I thought, smiling proudly.

        "The boss wanted you to interrogate a potential spy in interrogation room four, Mrs. Lieutenant. He said for you to specifically act motherly, possibly to bring their guard down or something." The Lieutenant spoke.

        "Yes, sir." I saluted. 

        "Second-lieutenant, you're in charge of watching the investigation." The lieutenant spoke.

        "Yes, sir." Yuri saluted. 

        "Report back to the boss afterwards. You're both dismissed." Lieutenant spoke, handing me a packet.

        Me and Yuri nodded, then walked down the hallways as I scared through the document.

        "I'm going to show you how good of a mother I can be for our kids." I teased, stretching my arms.

        "Don't you ever say that again." He deadpanned, a disgusted look on his face. 

        He led the way to the room and before opening the door, I slapped his hand gently. 

        "Not yet. Just trust me when we're in there, alright?" I spoke. 

        Yuri looked at me confused, then nodded.

        This isn't the first time I played the mother role. I've used the skill to bring out information from others whilst their act their weakest. It's dirty, but I think I can bring down this person's guard. 

        I knocked on the door three times, then walked in as Yuri looked at me, intrigued to see what my methods would be. 

        "Hello, hun. You're Zeni Houston, right?" I questioned, taking a seat in front of the man.

        The man was young and timid, looking around nervously. 

        Oh. I got this.

        Yuri sat on the sidelines near the transcriber as Zeni nervously tapped the desk.

        "Don't worry, I don't plan on hurting you. Believe it or not, I'm not a fan of violence much." I smiled, forcing my voice to be soft and not projecting. 

        "Then why are you working here?" he quickly retorted.

        "I'm here to find the truth about this war and about the government." I responded.

        "The government lies!" he shouted, then covered his mouth. "Sorry, sorry!" 

        "No, no, love. It's okay." I smiled as Yuri huffed, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms as I briefly looked at him, before focusing my attention back to Zeni. "I'm aware the government lies, but I like to pay special attention to the information we're given, from the government, from Westalis, and from the people I interrogate such as yourself. In order to... even out this cracked ground we're tip-toeing on, I need your help."

        "Really?" he questioned.

        "Of course." I hummed, tapping my finger lightly on the desk to mimic his actions from earlier. "Do you have any nicknames?" I questioned. "I don't really like the awkward atmosphere around us."

        Zeni shook his head: "No. I don't have any nicknames."

        "Can I make one for you?" I questioned. 

        "I mean... I guess?" he muttered, hesitate.

        "What do you think of Zen-Zen? Or just Zen. Or Ni?" I suggested. 

        "I think I like Zen best." He smiled nervously.

        "Alright, Zen. Now, is it alright if I ask you questions about your home life? You're allowed to keep personal information private, but if you do decide to lie to me while answering any questions I have, I'll know and I will unfortunately have to take you to my boss." I explained. "Do you understand?" 

        "Yes, ma'am." He gulped. 

        "Very well, Zen. Let's get started." I spoke, placing my hands on my lap to make myself appear smaller and motherly in hopes of making him open up. "Did you have both parents growing up?" I questioned. "If yes, are one or both still alive?"

        "Yeah. They're still alive." He nodded.

        "Are they split or are they together?" I questioned.

        "They're still together." He answered. "Twenty-eight years now." 

        "That's quite a while. Was their relationship healthy? For example, they rarely fought in front of you two and they spent time alone together such as going on dates." I suggested.

        "It was fairly healthy." He answered.

        "That's lovely. I didn't have both parents around growing up, but if they were still here, I would visit them every weekend." I confessed. "How about you, Zen? How often do you visit your parents?" I questioned.

        "Mostly for the holidays, but every now and then I stop by and say hi. My parents live far up on the East side of Ostania while I live here because of my job." He answered.

        "I see. What do you work as?" I asked.

        "I'm a constructor. To be specific, I fix the houses and buildings that were destroyed from the bombings." He spoke, becoming skittish as he mentioned the war.

        "Oh! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I questioned. "If I'd know that, I would've congratulated you! I'm really thankful of the hours and dedication you put into our country. That field uses a lot of math, but I'm really bad at it, so I think it's really special that you're able to use those complicated formulas to help house people and communities alike." 

        "It was complicated at first. I went to a university so I could study it since I was bad at it too." He admitted sheepishly. 

        "I see. What university did you go to?" I questioned.

        "Garten University." He spoke.

        "Garten University? As in, the one where you need a GPA over 4.0 to even fill out the application sheet?" I spoke, gawking at him.

        This guy? A scrawny, wobbly, 5'4" man working in construction and having a degree in mathematics? He sure is something!

        "Yeah. It's a little embarrassing." He sighed.

        "How so?" I questioned.

        "Because people naturally assumed I snuck in or paid my way through since I don't look like somebody who'd work in the construction field." He admitted.

        "To be honest with you, Zen, I really thought you worked in Foreign Ministry or as an accountant doing paperwork. It shows that I should've listened more when they say 'don't judge a book by its cover'." I laughed, getting Zen to slip up and chuckle. 

        He's warming up. Good.

        "I'm really impressed that you've made yourself such a successful person, really. That's a lot of dedication and patience to do what you do, I'm really proud of you." I smiled, causing Zen to fluster up.

        "T-thank you, ma'am, but it's really nothing." He stammered.

        He's not used to compliments. I can use that to get info out of him.

        "Do you have any siblings?" I questioned.

        "No. I'm an only child." He answered.

        "Woah, that must've been lonely, huh?" I asked.

        "A bit, but I had many friends I'd go outside and play with." He spoke.

       "What did you like to do with your friends? I liked to ride my bike with my friends growing up." I confessed.

        "I liked to play tag with my friends. I also enjoyed playing cops and robbers, w-which is a bad taste of irony now." Zen chuckled nervously, clamming up in his shell.

        "Yes! I used to play that too." I spoke, faking my enthusiasm to keep him open. "I was always the fastest runner when playing, yet I always tripped and got caught." I laughed. 

        "I was always the one calling out 'time out'." He admitted, flustered. 

        "Oh. So you're the one making the game harder than it needs to be." I joked, then laughed. "That's okay, we all have our limits, at least you knew yours." 

        "Yeah." He smiled.

        "Now. What was your first job?" I asked. "I helped a nice woman in my hometown bakery for some change when I was six. I even learned how to make her chocolate chip cookies." 

        "I'm more of a peanut butter cookie type." Zen smiled. "I worked in a bike shop when I was eleven—it was my dad's bike shop actually."

        "Ah. It wasn't in your ideals to take over?" I questioned.

        "It blew up in one of the bombings." He spoke, a sad smile on his face. "But luckily, me and my family were visiting my grandparents at the time it happened, so we didn't get hurt." 

        "I see." I nodded. "Do you enjoy your current job now?" I questioned.

        "Well, I like to build the buildings, sometimes I can even upgrade the buildings from the original design with a little imagination and signature from my boss and the employer, but it's sad to see the after result of war. Sometimes, I'd find dead bodies inside the rubble. I can't stand the smell of dead things, but the sight of it makes me puke my guts out." He admitted, a sorrowful expression on his face.

        "It's never fun to see what us humans have created." I sighed. "What company do you work at?" I questioned. 

        "Bau des Herzogs" Zeni spoke.

        “Is there any coworkers or employees you hate there? Such as your boss, a coworker who complains too much; stuff like that?” I questioned. "Or perhaps the other way around? Someone having it out for you?"

        “No. I don’t really talk with the other employees. I feel a little out of place since I’m so young compared to them.” He admitted shyly.

        “Ah. I feel that one.” I laughed. “You live alone?” I questioned.

        “I have my cat that keeps me company.” He smiled.

        “Aw, cute! What is it’s name?” I asked.

        “Dough...” He mumbled, embarrassed. “I-I picked the name when I was thirteen and decided to keep it when I got older!” 

        He’s certainly quick to avoid looking stupid, I thought and smiled.

        “It’s a adorable name! I should ask my husband to get a cat or dog.” I spoke, lying.

        I heard Yuri let out a choked splutter, before coughing, making Zeni turn his attention to him and the documenter, immediately making him quiet.

        Damn. I thought. I was doing so good too.

        “Do you have a girlfriend?” I questioned. “Or a boyfriend, I don’t judge.” I quickly spoke.

        He looked at me weird—probably confused on why I would ask if he had a boyfriend since our times are pretty homophobic towards that—before speaking. 

        “Ah, no… but there’s a girl I’ve been crushing on for a while.” He confessed.

        “Really? Is she pretty?” I questioned.

        “I like to think so. But what I like most about her is that she’s really kind. Like, kind enough to if you ask her to help you look for your dog, she would search until sunset then go back home and grab a flashlight to continue looking.” He rambled.

        “She sounds lovely. I wish you the best.” I smiled. 

        Nothing. He‘a absolutely innocent. Which dumbass decided to even reported him?

        “Alright, Zen. We’re pretty much done here.” I spoke, leaning back in my chair and stretching my arms.

        “R-really?” he questioned. 

        “Yeah. You’ve innocent. You haven’t lied to me once.” I shrugged my shoulders carelessly. 

        “How do you know?” he questioned.

        “What? You wanna confess and make me look like I fool?” I spoke.

        “N-no, ma’am! I was… expecting to die… honestly.” He admitted, squeezing his fingers together tightly. 

        “I told you, I don’t like violence. And besides, you’re an innocent person, I have no intention to hurt you.” I sighed.

        Yuri stood up from his chair, flabbergasted as the documenter looked shocked himself.

        “(Y/—“ Yuri immediately stopped himself from saying his name. “Ah, Mrs. Lieutenant!” he exclaimed. “Y-you can’t be serious! H-he did something to gain enough suspicion to be reported; he’s guilty!” Yuri spoke.

        “You’re stupid.” I spoke bluntly, causing everyone to look at me even more shocked.

        “Second-Lieutenant, with all due respect, I believe in innocent until proven guilty. Zen here hasn’t done nothing wrong, he’s just a shy and timid person whose single—that is what got him reported, because people aren’t allowed to be themselves and they aren’t allowed to keep secrets in fear of the government.” I rambled. “Zen is innocent, and if you have a problem with my verdict, we can skip together hand-in-hand and talk with the boss about this as we kiss and make up.” I smiled, clapping my hands. “Would you like that, love?” 

        “I mean... N-no…?” he muttered, face red as he looked down at the ground.

        “Very well. I’ll lead you out, Zen.” I spoke, opening up the door.

        Zen followed, nervous as Yuri quickly tailed us, not daring to keep us out of site.

        “Do you have a ride home?” I questioned Zen as we navigated throughout the hallways.

        “No, ma’am.” He answered.

        “We’ll get a taxi called for you.” I spoke, walking down the halls and to the front office.

        I told the office clerk to call a taxi as I waited outside with Zen to make sure he was safe here. Yuri didn’t seem happy as he leaned on the brick wall with his arms crossed and glaring daggers at Zen. 

        “Ignore him, dear.” I quickly spoke. “He just wants my attention.” I teased as Yuri huffed, angry at my comment.

        I made small talk with Zen before the taxi finally arrived here. 

        "Bye, Zen! Have a safe trip and good luck on the girl, hon." I waved as he hopped into the taxi, waving back before leaving.

        I immediately turned my attention back to Yuri, smiling as he looked at me angrily. 

        "Something wrong, love?" I smirked.

        "You want the ice cream sample, or the whole document?" he questioned.

        "I don't know. What do we have the time for?" I questioned. 

        "The whole fucking document." He grumbled. "First, you kept calling him pet names. Second, you extracted absolutely no information and even let him leave. Third, your approach was soft and held absolutely no threat. Fourth, what are you gonna tell the Director? And fifth, I know he didn't use it, but you gave him the option to withhold information." Yuri explained, using his fingers to exaggerate. "Would you like more? That was the first paragraph of the six pages."

        "And here's my argumentative essay to your thesis." I frowned. "First, I used those names to trick his brain to thinking we're close. Second, I received no suspicious information because not everyone that's brought into the office is a Westalis spy. I didn't recognize his name, face, or voice, and I, not you, would be the one knowing if he was a spy since I was one. Third, my approach was like that because I was assigned the motherly role straight from the Director. If I used violence or threats, it would've clammed him up with information he wouldn't release; because he'd be scared that once you hurt him for some info and he spills, you'll hurt him for some more. Fourth, I'm gonna tell the Director straight up that Zeni Houston is innocent. And fifth, I gave him the option to withhold information because it's a psychology trick. If you give someone one option they don't like; they're less likely to do it rather than give them two options that could benefit them." I took a deep breath, done explaining. 

        "Alright. Now, let's see what the boss says about that." Yuri spoke, grabbing my arm roughly. 

        I pushed down the anger in my gut, deciding it'd be best to just follow him. 

        If the Director gets mad, and I die, then I guess I die. Though, it would really suck, especially after I told Twilight how I want to live and have a family. I thought, resisting the urge to smile at the irony if the situation did come to be that. 

        We made it to the office, knocking on the door and hearing confirmation almost immediately. 

        "Hello, you two!" the Director greeted cheerfully as me and Yuri both saluted, saying our own hellos. 

        "I got the info from Zeni Houston, and I've come to the conclusion that he's innocent." I spoke.

        "That's great— wait, huh?" the Director immediately replied.

        "I've also sent him home." I added.

        "Huh?!" the Director exclaimed. "Y-you just did that without permission?!"

        "I did. There a problem to that?" I questioned. 

        "Well... yeah?!" the Director blurted. "Completely out of line, not to mention your life is on the line for this!" He spoke.

        I looked at Yuri, seeing him glare at me with a smile, happy that he was right.

        "I'm aware." I responded, ignoring the audacity that he'd believe I've forgotten that. "Sir, I did exactly what you wanted me to do; I interviewed him and stayed in a motherly role just as you requested. I held no bias in this situation, nor did I ever resort to unnecessary violence. I never once recognized or suspected him as a member of WISE. He never lied once, he was honest and willing to cooperate. This was just simply a normal citizen being report due to their closeted nature and timidness; I'm sure this isn't the first time it's happened, though I doubt you and your men are smart enough to have enough common sense to come to the conclusion." 

        "You have balls. They're imaginary, but they are there." The Director spoke, then laughed, a smile on his face as I chuckled at the random comment.

        "I'm sure you can request the transcription from the transcriber there. I assume the room was bugged with a secret camera too and microphone too, so you can check that out if you don't believe me." I suggested.

        "I'm a little mad, but I'm a little impressed too. I'll look over the footage just to make sure, though. No hard feelings." The Director smiled.

        "Of course, sir." I smiled. 

        "Good work. Now, anything else?" he questioned. 

        "No, sir." I spoke, looking at Yuri.

        Yuri looked shocked, devastated, angry, and frustrated all at once.

        He's even more cynical than me, and that's shocking since it's me.

        "Come on, love." I spoke, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the Director's office. "We have work!"

        "I can't believe you, brat..." he grumbled. 

        "What?" I questioned as we walked down the hallway.

        "You got out of trouble scott-free! I don't think I'd even be able to get away with that!" he grumbled, keeping his voice down to not alert our co-workers of the argument. 

        "I'm just good at making two and two work." I smiled. "It's a pretty useful skill I learned." 

        "Yeah! And I'm mad it worked!" Yuri hissed.

        "Aw. Don't worry, love. It'll rub off on you...maybe..." I mumbled the last bit to myself. 

        "Huh? Say something, brat?" Yuri challenged. 

        "No, sir." I answered.

        .

        .

        THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW! (Author's note: I found the internal dialogue in this chapter to be hilarious and there's no way I could cut it out!)

        It's been a week and a day since (Y/N) met Yuri. In that time, (Y/N)’s already exhausted of SSS work. Interrogations, collecting data, stopping shootings, and even another assassin attempt on the minister feels just too similar to working at the Westalis Intelligence for her liking.

        Yor called and asked if Yuri could tutor their daughter, Anya Forger. Yuri agreed, and (Y/N)’s being forced to follow since he still doesn't trust her alone.

        To say Yuri was excited to see his big sister was an understatement, he was absolutely bouncing up and down the walls, skipping on the way and almost tripping on his face if it wasn't for (Y/N) holding onto him. 

        I wonder, if my siblings were still alive, would they be excited to see me like that? (Y/N) thought. Doubt it. Plus, if it was Yuri’s level, it’d be really creepy. 

        They made it to the familiar building and door. Yuri slammed the door open, causing (Y/N) to stare, shocked. Why the door was unlocked, (Y/N)’s not sure if idea if it was brute strength or a flimsy lock but it sure opened.

        “I’m at your service, sis!” Yuri shouted loudly.

        “Ack!” (Y/N) exclaimed, shocked at his boldness and audacity to just do that in a building where others live. “Sorry for not knocking!” she immediately bowed.

        “Oh! No worries! You’re both family after all! It’s good to see you both!” Yor smiled.

        “Nice to have you back, Yuri and (Y/N).” Loid greeted.

        “Hmph.” Yuri sighed, giving Loid the cold shoulder.

        “Anya, this is my little brother, Yuri. And this is (Y/N), Yuri’s wife, so my sister-in-law.” Yor introduced.

        The kid was small. There’s no way she’s six. But she has really cute eyes and hair. I like her weird cone accessories, though I’ve never seen them before. Is this the new generations sense of fashion? (Y/N) thought intensely.

        Anya seemed to have cold feet, hiding behind Loid’s feet, yet spoke: “I’m Papa’s daughter, Anya. Nice to meet you.” She spoke, a slight childish tone and mispronunciation of words.

        Aw! Cute! (Y/N) thought. Even though she’s not Twilight’s biological daughter, I can tell that she does think of him as one! That’s so cute! Would my children be this cute?! I hope! Obviously not with Yuri, he’d probably be a really confusing father. I don’t ever see him actually getting married to anyone, I’m just “married” with him so I can live. I hope I’d find someone to actually live soon though.

        Yuri stared intensely at the little girl, his racing thoughts consisting of “the devil spawn of Loid” and how jealous he was that she got to see Yor everyday.

        “I think I have heartburn…” Anya sighed, her face showing disinterest and displease

        Oh. Did I scare her? I’ve heard I give off a scary vibe to people, but children usually always loved me? Was it Yuri that scared her. (Y/N) looked over at Yuri’s judging face. Oh, definitely. I’d be scared too. Just waking up to that face scares me. She thought, joking with herself as she resisted the urge to laugh at her mental joke.

        “Oh, no! Are you okay? Maybe you should rest up a little before we study.” Yor spoke.

        They were led to the living room and sat on the couches. (Y/N) sat at the end as Yuri sat in the middle of her and Yor. Yor kindly poured tea for them as Loid and Yuri talked, (Y/N) letting them take hold of the conversation.

        “So, how have things been at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you two? The recent peace talks must’ve been tough to handle.” Loid questioned.

        Let’s pump for some intel, Loid thought. 

        (Y/N) looked at Yuri, expecting him to lead the conversation just like last time.

        “Mm, yeah… I guess…” Yuri paused.

        I was the one pretending to be the minister that day. Afterward, even the SSS must’ve figured out they’d been duped by “Twilight.” The circumstances demanded it, but that was a huge risk we took. Loid thought intensely as he smiled.

        Is this pissant mocking us over all the heat we took from the opposite party? The conference was delayed because of a terrorist attack! I’m not going to let you make me look bad in front of my sister, you despicable bastard! Yuri thought, his face noticeably disinterested and frowning.

        Man. The atmosphere is so awkward. I wanna go back to sleep… (Y/N) thought, staring back and forth at Loid and Yuri. Sucks I can’t, I’m wrapped around Yuri’s finger and doing this stupid SSS work. I should’ve retired earlier when I was a spy, then I wouldn’t be acting buddy-buddy with these guys.

        I have to be careful! Loid thought.

        I have to make myself look good! As a diplomat, to fall into this role. Yuri thought.

        Maybe I can convince Yuri into letting me cook tonight, but it’s unlikely since he’d think the seasonings are poison. (Y/N) thought, clueless to the internal battle these fierce rivals were having.

        “Did the incident lead the government to make policy changes?” Loid questioned.

        Of course you’re digging for info, Twilight. (Y/N) thought, mentally sighing. Always thinking about work. Why doesn’t he bud out before his curiosity leads him into a grave?

          "I couldn't be more proud of the hard work my ministry did to ensure the talks ended safely." Yuri spoke. 

        "Yeah, it was some hard work but we managed. I'm just glad nobody got hurt badly." (Y/N) smiled, hoping to throw Yuri off of Loid's trail so he won't know that Loid is a spy.

        It's dangerous though, if I act too buddy-buddy, me and Loid would both be exposed. But if I keep silent, Yuri might suspect of something. Or perhaps he'd be dumb enough to ignore it since Yor's here. However, I don't want Loid to suspect I'm doing real work with the SSS; sentencing spies to death and all, though that much can't really be helped since my life is on the line. I'm basically considered a double-agent... just with extra steps. (Y/N) thought intensely, adverting her gaze to Anya. 

        Anya seemed excited, clenching her fists, looking back between (Y/N), Yuri, and Loid.

        Papa versus Uncle Yuri versus Auntie (Y/N)! Spy versus secret police man versus double-agent! Uncle Yuri doesn't know who Papa is, but Auntie (Y/N) does! And Papa doesn't know Auntie (Y/N) is a double-agent! But Papa knows Uncle Yuri's identity, and Papa knows a bit about Auntie (Y/N), but so does Auntie (Y/N) knows about Papa and Uncle Yuri. Is Papa winning or is Auntie (Y/N) winning?! Anya thought, excited as she looked around. 

        "Well, someone's feeling better. Time to start studying." Loid spoke, causing Anya to deflate. "I don't want to be in the way, so I'll run some errands." Loid smiled, sitting up.

        A fine chance to work on my other missions. Loid spoke. 

        But who won?! Anya thought, shocked as she watched Loid stand up. 

        "Okay, should we get started?" Yor suggested. 

        (Y/N) looked down at the notebook on the table in front of them, mentally groaning. 

        Ah. Biology. I never understood what the hell the Handler was trying to tell me when she tried teaching me it... (Y/N) thought.

        I said I'd do this because I'd do anything Yor asks, but am I really going to sit here and tutor her husband's dim-witted child. Lucky little brat, getting to spend every day with my sweet sister... I'll hit her with some hard ones and introduce her to the pain of the real world... Yuri thought, scribbling math problems down onto the notebook.

        "Yuri, love, I think that's a little too hard. Not even I understand it." (Y/N) spoke, tilting her head to look at the paper better.

        "Oh, really?" Yuri questioned, turning his attention to his "wife". 

        Did she not go to school or something? What an idiot... Yuri thought.         

        Anya scribbled down her answers to the equations, giving the paper back to Yuri.

        "What?! You got every one of them correct?!" Yuri shouted. 

        "Heh heh heh." Anya chuckled, smirking proudly.

        "Wait, really?!" (Y/N) shouted.

        A-am I really that stupid?! (Y/N) thought in her head. How did I keep being a spy? Why am I an SSS agent now? What the hell?!

        "Then what do you even need to study for?" Yuri questioned.

        Oops, that's right! I can't cheat on the day of the midterm, so I need to study for real! Anya thought. 

        "Oh... that was just dumb luck." Anya responded nervously.

        "Oh... I guess... that makes sense... does it?" Yuri mumbled the last bit to himself, a little confused.

        Ah. So I'm not all that dumb? (Y/N) thought, mentally sighing relieved. 

        Yuri and Anya continued studying as Yor watched nearby. (Y/N) leaned her head on Yuri, watching intently as she tried to piece together what Yuri was trying to teach Anya. Yuri almost jumped, before remembering their fake-act, then decided to let it slide since Yor was watching intently, mentally cheering in her mind of how glad she is that Yuri is happy (who really isn't, but Yor doesn't know that). 

        "No! That's completely wrong! You're not so bright, are you?! Get your act together, kid!" Yuri shouted, pointing his free shoulder to Anya to not disturb (Y/N) much.

        "Yuri! You need to be more supportive!" Yor scolded. 

        "Yeah, be nicer." (Y/N) agreed. 

        A kid won't look forward to studying and won't study on their own if they get discouraged... (Y/N) thought, remembering how she had to tutor her little brother in English, extremely frustrated how he couldn't understand what she understood. Now that she's way older, she could've been able to properly teach him with the knowledge she's gained of children and life.

        "I don't want to see Anya get expelled. Please Yuri, I'm counting on you." Yor spoke.

        Yuri went crazy in his head as (Y/N) tuned out, annoyed at the sibling-affection.

        Rub it in that I'm an orphan, will ya? She thought, resisting the powerful urge to punch Yuri in the gut. 

        "By golly, I am going to work so very hard! I am going to become an umperial skoller and be an important person, and take care of my be-love-id Mama forever!" Anya spoke, clumsy making speech mistakes as (Y/N) mentally cringed at it (despite knowing that she does it very often too).

        Umperial skoller? Sounds like an ultimate roller-skater! (Y/N) thought, daydreaming.

        What a fine child! How can she be so virtuous here?! And what's an umperial skoller? Yuri thought. 

        "I'm going to make you some tea and sweets, Anya!" Yor spoke, excited and heart-touched 

        Ooh. Please be brownies. I'd steal one. (Y/N) thought, still daydreaming.

        To love my sweet sister so much... No, get ahold of yourself! This girl is trying to still Yor from me! Don't be taken in! But still... maybe... Yuri thought it over in his head, the process of teaching Anya and how happy Yor would be. 

        "All right, I will teach you." Yuri spoke. 

        Time went on as (Y/N) eventually dosed off, still leaning on Yuri as he did his best to ignore (Y/N) and focus on Anya's tuition.         

        "No, look, you made a mistake." Yuri spoke.

        "Oh no!" Anya exclaimed. 

        "The grammar here gets very complicated. You don't need to parse the whole thing. Just focus on the verb." Yuri pointed out. 

        Anya seemed exhausted, her brain frying the longer she went on.

        "Do you not like studying?" Yuri questioned.

        "I hate it. Do you like it, Uncle Yuri? Are you a weirdo?" Anya questioned.

        "Don't call me 'uncle'. And when I was young, I hated myself for how useless I was. I wanted to be able to help myself sister. And I studied really hard so I could. I felt like I grew an inch taller each time I answered a question right. I loved that feeling. I worked hard at language skills... because I thought that if I could speak well, I could become a lawyer or a journalist and make the world a better place for my sister. I worked hard at chemistry and biology... because I thought that if I mastered anatomy and medicine, I could heal my sister if she ever got hurt or sick. I worked hard at math and psychics... because I knew they were the root of everything that affected the safety and comfort of my sister's life. Ultimately, I decided to become a diplomat, but I still rely on all those powers I developed back then." Yuri explained in a buck-load. 

        "Powers?" Anya spoke.

        "A great man long ago said it best. 'Knowledge is power.' That's what you need to understand if you want to be someone great. Knowledge is everything. It's the whole enchilada." Yuri explained.

        "Knowledge is... a swole chihuahua?" Anya commented, scared. 

        "No! A whole... forget that part!" Yuri sighed.

        "If I study hard, can I make medicines?" Anya questioned.

        "Yes! Exactly!" Yuri encouraged. 

        "Can I build rockets?" Anya questioned.

        "That's right!" Yuri cheered. 

        "Can I conquer the world?" Anya smiled.

        "That's... well... I... I guess? Is that what you want?" Yuri spoke, mumbling the last part to himself as he looked at Anya suspiciously. "Do you get it now? Never mind the next test. Focus on the triumphant you of the future!" Yuri explained. 

        "I get it now!" Anya smiled.

        "Focus on the sweet smile on my sister's future lips!" Yuri cheered. 

        "Okay, sure!" Anya boasted.

        "Now let's answer this next question!" Yuri spoke.

        It must've been hours they went at studying. (Y/N) woke up from her nap at their rowdiness and watched from the couch as they laid on the ground, panting and out of breath at the intensity of their tutor session.

        "Well? Have you mastered that grammar now?" Yuri questioned, out of breath.

        "What's a 'grammar?'" Anya questioned, out of breath herself.

        "Okay, this was a massive waste of my time!" Yuri shouted. "Come on, (Y/N)!"

        (Y/N) stood up, relieved as she stretched.

        Good! Any longer of her butchering grammar, and I would've blown... (Y/N) thought.

        Now I see... I'm the one who needs to be studying here. I have nowhere near enough power. If I'd have more knowledge myself, I would've captured Twilight that day! I could've put an end to the Western threat right then and there! I'm still powerless to protect my sister... to protect my country. Yuri thought.

        Ah. Can we eat now? I'm hungry, but Yor's sweets don't smell appetizing. (Y/N) thought.

        Good call, Auntie (Y/N)... Anya thought, reading (Y/N)'s mind. 

        "I'm sorry, Yor. We have to go now." Yuri spoke, putting on his coat and walking out with (Y/N).

        "He's still as impatient as ever, I see." Yor sighed. "And after I worked so hard to make these cookies from scratch..." 

        Yuri ran into the apartment so fast, slamming open the door and eating every last thing on the plate before closing it the door and leaving.

        "Mmmm, so good! Blech—" Yuri was cut off by puking noises. 

        "Oh my god! Yuri, are you okay?!" (Y/N) screamed in the hallway. 

        "He ate every last one of them! I guess I'll make a new batch." Yor spoke.

        "No... thanks... my tummy's really full..." Anya lied, making excuses to avoid eating Yor's cooking. 

        .

        . 

        Back to first person point of view!

        I watched as Yuri listened intently into the bugged room, narrating what's going on as I wrote down the information I'm fed.

        "Sounds like the target just entered the room. Three people. The two guys in the back are big guys. They're avoiding the door and window. Pros, from the sound of their footsteps." Yuri spoke.

        Impressive, I wouldn't be able to tell whose trained and whose inexperienced just by listening to their footsteps! But I have bad hearing so.... my thoughts wandered off before I quickly forced myself back into the present.

        "Conrad just sat down on the sofa against the back wall. They made the deal." Yuri confirmed. 

        "Okay..." The Lieutenant started, "We're going in, Yuri. (Y/N), you're coming with me." 

        "Roger that!" me and Yuri spokes standing up from our chairs as Yuri removed his headphones.

        We forced our way into the room as the lieutenant pulled out his SSS badge, scaring Conrad badly.

        "State Security Service. You're under arrest on suspicion of espionage." Lieutenant explained. 

        "Dammit!" Conrad exclaimed, scared as he turned around to the window and opened it, turning around. 

        I watched from the window as he ran into Yuri. Yuri karate-chopped his back hard as he grabbed Conrad's hand, holding his arm in a very uncomfortable and no-doubt painful position. 

        "Good evening, Mr. Traitorous Trash. I've reserved our finest jail cell for you. May I escort you to the precinct?" Yuri beamed. 

        .

        . 

        We got into our next mission as Yuri got promoted to the title "Lieutenant" instead of "Second-lieutenant". It made me very prideful knowing he was making progress to the future he wanted (before I scowled knowing that he wanted me and other Westalians dead or locked up in said future). 

        "Excellent work, Lieutenant Briar. You too, Mrs. Briar." The head of the SSS spoke.

        "Thank you very much, sir!" Yuri and I acknowledged. 

        I didn't do anything, but sure. I thought to myself.

        "I have another assignment for you." The head of the SSS spoke. "Are you aware of the recent spate of books and articles being released in the West that mock and slander Ostania? A bunch of lies and conspiracy-theory nonsense. Vulgar garbage, all of it." 

        Yuri glanced at me as I gave him a quick glare back, our quick and silent banter going unnoticed by the boss as he continued to speak.

        "And a lot of them are printed by Ostanian blackmarket presses before being sold to the West. This man's name keeps popping up among their articles." The boss spoke, pointing at one of the names. "Franklin Perlin, age 39. A newspaper journalist during the previous administration. He was arrested and found guilty of aiding anti-government extremists. I want you to follow him, secure evidence of his crimes and find out who's paying him to write this trash." 

        "There are no shortage of morons in the West who believe the nonsense he's peddling. I want him gone before it begins to influence the public opinion around here." The boss ordered.

        "Yes, sir!" Yuri beamed as I simply nodded.

        "Don't you think you're working Yuri a little too hard lately?" The lieutenant behind us spoke.

        "I second that idea." I agreed, respectful to keep my tone and posture in check for the man.

        "Don't worry, I can handle this! Selling out his own country just to make a few bucks... it disgusts me that this scumbag is out there breathing the same air as my beloved sister!"

        Oh, Yuri. What will I do with you? I sighed, having the incredible power to keep my inner thoughts to myself. 

        Not even an hour later, Yuri and I found ourselves listening to the microphones in Franklin's house that another SSS agent set up, recording information down and sharing our data together as we shared a desk. 

        "You both really dug into the details of this guy." The lieutenant spoke.

        "You can count on me, sir!" Yuri smiled as I resisted the urge to topple over on the desk and sleep.

        "You've both pulled two all-nighters in a row. Let someone else take care of the rest so you both can go rest." The lieutenant explained.

        "C'mon, this is nothing!" Yuri persisted.

        "Is it?" I sighed as I removed my headphones (Yuri looked over at me, giving me a look, but I was too tired enough to care or try to read his emotions at the moment).

        "Really? "On the 7th at 8:07, subject goes to work. Has lunch at the restaurant Fjord and orders lunch set B...'" the Lieutenant paused, taking a moment to process the word. "Fjord? Yor?" 

        Yuri twitched, finding himself to be caught.

        "You're tired, Yuri. Go rest." The Lieutenant sighed.

        "I'm not. That always happens." Yuri explained. 

        Yuri went quiet, listening into his headphones. 

        There must be something going on. I thought to myself. While I am curious to know, I don't want to pick up the headphones and do more work.

        "(Y/N), you should go clock out. I'll meet you at home, okay, love?" Yuri smiled, patting my shoulder. 

        "Are you sure?" I questioned.

        Yuri? Leaving me on my own to be alone? Without him for once? What's going on? I thought to myself. Could it be, he's worried about my health? I thought to myself. Or he thinks this mission will be too dangerous and doubts my strength and perseverance... I thought, finding myself jumping to conclusions and getting upset. 

        "Don't worry about me; you're still new around here, so you shouldn't be working as much as me, especially since you're a lower rank." Yuri spoke, giving me a reassuring smile.

        That sounds insulting coming from you, I thought to myself. But if he really persists, then I supposed it'd be wrong for me to go against my husband's "wishes" I thought.

        "You better be safe." I sighed, standing up from my desk.

        I took the opportunity to prove to the lieutenant that we were a couple and kissed Yuri's cheek. 

        "I'll let ya take the care, so don't worry about taking the bus. Love ya!" I smiled, walking away from the awestruck Yuri and confused lieutenant. 

        "Never been kissed by your wife?" I heard the lieutenant speak, followed by Yuri shouting: "With all due respect, sir. Shut up!"

        I grabbed my bag from a locker inside of the Director's office (the Director is still trying to figure out a place for a women's locker room, but we need to find the space and more women to join us). I walked to the bathroom and changed my uniform into a casual oversized gray sweater and black jeans. 

        I walked to the lobby, clocking out and exiting the building. I made it to the train station and noticed a familiar face working one of the stands. I got closer to the tobacco stand, standing right in front of the man and smiling.

        "Franky?" I smiled.

        "(Y/N)? Hey! You're alive!" Franky beamed. "I thought something happened, I haven't seen you in so long!" 

        "Aw, man. It's been a hectic few months. How've you been, man?" I smiled, leaning on the stand's dirty counter.

        I can spare a few minutes. I thought to myself. It's a good thing Yuri isn't here, he'd kill us both if he found out I was interacting with a spy!

        "Ah, still single. Unfortunately..." he huffed. "But what about you? I heard from Loid that you got a husband now?" Franky spoke.

        Ah, he wants to know about my mission. We can't talk about it here, Ostanian cameras and microphones are everywhere, so we're going to have to be discreet.

        "He's very loving and... hectic. I work in his office now! He works for the Foreign Ministry." I spoke, giving him a quick wink that the camera's in the station wouldn't be able to see or detect (the cameras are quite terribly quality, hopefully in the future we receive better and more reliable photos and videos). 

        "What?!" Franky exclaimed, then cleared his throat. "How'd you meet?" 

        "Ahaha, funny story." I smiled, a smile not friendly at all. "Some... old friend... at the old workplace introduced us. I liked my husband so much I started working in the same office as him, except I have a bit of a special contract cause I'm a woman (spy)." I gritted through my teeth.

        "So they know?" Franky spoke, shocked.        

        "Yes, but I just have some major good luck now a days." I smiled.

        "Wow... You talk to Loid recently, or your old boss?" Frank questioned.

        "I've been seeing Loid around lately, we're in-laws!" I beamed. "But, I haven't talked to the boss yet, I'm sure they heard of my retirement, yeah?" 

        "Not sure. They didn't disclose it to me." Franky sighed. "But, hey. I'm really glad you're doing okay." 

        "Yeah. Hey, I got to get hoe before my husband, but I'll make sure I visit you soon, man. I'll see you later!" I spoke, waving bye as I walked away from the tobacco stand and to a ticket stand instead to purchase my train ticket.

        I purchased my ticket, deciding I'd stop by the store to buy some dinner ingredients, then walk the rest of the way home. I boarded the train, looking out the window until I noticed a woman sit next to me.

        "(Y/N)." She spoke, her face holding no smile.

        I didn't recognize her face due to her changing her appearance in public quite regularly, but I certainly recognized her voice.

        "Miss... Metal?" I smiled nervously, unsure of what I'd call her on this train.

        This is my first time meeting her in public, let alone after I quit... I thought, sweating bullets.

        "I'm disappointed; I thought you'd stay in the workplace longer." Miss Metal spoke, otherwise known as the Handler.

        "I apologize... I ran into some complications." I muttered.

        I felt guilt pierce my heart. Here I am, working with Ostania, the side that murdered my family in cold blood. Even though my mother left me when I was very young, the Handler seemed to take her place (at least in my eyes). The Handler gave me a roof, clothes, food, and helped me study; even though it was all to become an emotionally-detached spy, I still found myself seeing her as the closest thing to a mother figure.

        "You're in a good situation, right?" Miss Metal spoke.

        "Yes, Ma'am. I have a husband now." I spoke.

        "My, you've grown. Is this husband also the one working in Foreign Ministry?" she questioned.

        Damn it, to be expected. Of course Twilight wouldn't keep our promise, work always came first before relationships and friendships... I thought. This is the end, if she doesn't kill me on this train, then I'm going to have to throw away all my cups and food in case of poison, and buy new bedsheets in case of more poison! I'm going to have to check the air vents for lethal gas, and I'm going to have to check the apartment three times and more for any cameras and microphones.

        "Yes, Ma'am..." I admitted disappointedly, my heart racing in fear. "I'm... also working there, but you know that, huh?" 

        "I've known." She whispered, her tone sending chills down my spine. "You still have your... telephone... correct?" she questioned. 

        My spy gear. I thought to myself.

        "Yes, Ma'am." I nodded, keeping my eyes adverted to my lap.

        "Stay in contact. Keep me updated on your work, and I'll give you some information. After all, we may be rival companies now, but we can still help each other, yes?" she spoke, giving me a cold smile.

        "I..understand, Ma'am..." I muttered.

        "I'll be expecting a voicemail once you've reached home. Thank you for your cooperation." She spoke, getting up from her seat as the train stopped. "And... you're doing good, kid. This is going to be worth it." She sighed, giving me enough time to turn and look at me, before walking out of the opening exits.        

        I never got swaddled in affection as a kid. Even before the war happened, I forced myself to grow up quick. I had to, that way I can take care of my family. Living in such a poor town such as Luwen with five kids really affected my dad's wallet. My older brother was in a rebellious phase, so he saw no point in helping out with our situation. My older sister had a condition that affected her socially and sometimes neurologically; she could barely get a job and the jobs she did get she couldn’t keep it for long. My two younger brothers were too young; still looking to explore the world, still trying to figure out what new games to play, they wouldn't understand the concept of money and labor if I even tried to explain it. I, however, always had a second-conscience inside my head. I was raised street-smart and taught myself how to be book-smart. I was the only one with the clearest mindset to earn money.

        Even though it was exhausting having to work during the days, school myself in the afternoon, cook and clean at dusk, then sleep still dawn, only to get back to work; I wouldn't change it for anything. My father was always working, there was barley ever a time I actually spent time with him, but I could understand why he was so absent. He never tried to hide anything from us; not about the cruelty of the world, the need of money, or his feelings. He was an open man that would do anything to protect and raise his children to the best of his abilities; I only wish I could be able to return that favor.

        So I never received a lot of hugs or kisses or hand-holding or even supportive words; so I cried when the Handler told me I was going good (whether she meant it or not) because she was the closest thing I could ever experience to a mother's love; or to any real love in general now. 

        I should've known I wouldn't be able to hide for long... I thought to myself, staring out the train's window with my teary-eyed vision. It was stupid to think I would actually get away from this war. I don't have anyone to blame but myself, I'm the one that did this to myself. I was the one that forced my way into the Westalis military, I was the one that accepted the hardships of becoming a spy, I was the one that turned my back against my own side so I could save myself, and now I'll be running back to the ones I ran from. What other choice do I have? They'll kill me if I don't accept; at least they were kind enough to make a proposition for me. 

        Now I'll be turning my back against a side that did their best to accept and bring me in despite knowing exactly who I am and what I've done, except this time, I've found myself backstabbing someone I genuinely started to grow caring for.

        I zombie-walked to the store, picking out a lot of products and buying it with my own money as I walked home with bags of food. I cooked a big feast for Yuri and I, including his favorite meals that I know of and waited for him at the door. I felt bad for betraying him like this, especially after I started believing I was finally making progress.

        "Oh? You're actually still here? I thought you left for the West, to be honest." Yuri admitted as he walked through the door, then started sniffing the air. "I thought I told you to rest!" Yuri groaned, sending me a glare.

        "You deserve to come home to a good meal." I smiled, walking behind him and taking his coat, hanging it up on its designated hanger, right next to mine. 

        "What are you planning?" Yuri questioned, eyeing me suspiciously.

        "Jeez! I can't do something nice for you? You've been overworking yourself a bit, I just wanna make sure you're being taken care of!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "Now let's go eat, before it gets cold!"

        I pushed him into the kitchen, watching as his eyes widened at the sight of all this food.

        "Wow, you made all of this?" he questioned.

        "I told ya I wanted to treat you..." I mumbled, ignoring the heat that started to creep onto my face. "Consider it a thanks for everything you've done to me and everyone around you." 

        I adverted my eyes, expecting to hear some harsh words spat at me or a rant about how "suspicious" and "lethal" this meal is. Instead, I felt a hand rest on the top of my head before he ruffled it slightly.

        "Thank you, (Y/N). This means a lot for me. Been forever since I've been welcomed home." Yuri smiled sincerely, a newfound glimmer in his ruby eyes.

        "You deserve it, Yuri." I smiled back.

        You don't deserve me, not after what I've done. I thought to myself, thinking of the message I sent to WISE's HQ.

        This is Vixen. I've returned. I've got intel on the mission's of Ostania's State Security Service. I have infiltrated the forces and am currently working with them. They are aware of my connections with WISE; however, they believe it's all in the past and that I'm actually working with them. I have everything under control and am waiting for your orders.

        For there to be peace, sacrifices must be made, no matter if it's family, friends, love, or someone's life.

        Parts: One, two, three, four, five, six, current part, eight, nine, ten (to be continued when Spy x Family has more Yuri content!)

        Want more Yuri content? Check out these headcannons and one shots!

        Yuri Briar x Sick! Fem! Reader

        Slightly mean! Yuri Briar x Fem! Reader

Yuri Briar x Fem! Reader headcannons + other fandoms!

        Have any requests? Check my masterlist to see the characters I write for: Masterlist (Please request, I have too much free time and too little fics).

[rayroseu]

i really thought glomas malleus was the drippiest outfit design we'll ever get @ twst 💀💥💥

!! major spoilers for book 7 pt 3 !! the full body sprite of General Lilia Vanrouge obliterated me 🙏

GIRL GIRLLLL........... ARE YOU SEEING THOSE BOOTS???????? THE HEELS??? THE CLAW ENGRAVINGS?? OHHHH TO BE KICKED BY THOSE STURDY SHOES IS AN HONOR WTHHHJSJWKS😩😩😩

HEY THE LEG STRAP AND THE EMERALD DAGGERS AS WELLL!!!! KSJDJA WTF SERVING SLAY ON THE BATTLEFIELD SIR?!

there is SO MVUH TO TAKW IN my brain is barely coherent rn !!

ok the armbands were a given consideringvit was prominent on his silouette version-- but are those grey patterns a clothing or his actual skin as well??? @/MoonlightEquin1 on twt stated he has so much covering bcs of his weakness to sunlight, so I'm guessing its part of his cloth as well---SO IT MEANS HE HAS A BODY FIT SHIRT UNDERNEATH A CORSET AND ARMOR MY GOD I AM DAMNED😭💕

i lOVE HIS SKIRT?? it looks like bat wings im in AWE... and the scales with BEAD TASSELS?? do they clack together when he moves?? sounds impractical-- but totally lethal for aesthetic purposes!

also a nice reference to Diasomnia's Halloween Costume 🥺🥺 Its making me think he's wearing that in honor of the Draconia Family...

AND RIGHTT... THE B E LT HOW CAN I EVER FORGET THE BELT.... i kinda made fun for overblot malleus for tying his belt like that- BUT WHO KNEW IT LOOKED KINDA OFF WITH MALLEUS BCS ITS LILIA WHOS SUPPOSED TO ADORN IT... im sick💥

The bat motif AND HARNESSES!!!! ON HIS CHEST PLATE!!!!! YOU KNOW THE OUTFIT FUCKS IF IT HAS HARNESSES FOR ME!!!!! and is the tailor of his outfit him or some other fae?? the corset is literally glomas Malleus shirt KAJKAKSKA whoever designed this you're bringing Heaven on earth👍💕💕💕

NAD HAVE WE??? TALK ABOUT HIS MASK??? HAVE WE??? If I saw a person hunting me with that mask on in a dark forest, I'd die just from terror 9716662/10 terrific mask👍👍💕💕 oh i shouldnt forget to mention the MASSIVE FANGS OF THAT MASK... absolutely magnificent✨✨✨

and THE RED HIGHLIGHTS ON HIS HAIR???? HIS SCARF THAT KINDA WORKS AS A CAPE AND THE ENDS OF IT BEING RIPPED?? TO. DIE. FOR. 🤌👍✨😩😩😩

OHHH HOW I WISH THEY RELEASE THE DESIGN ARCHIVES FOR THIS RIGHT NOW BECAUSEEEEE IM BEGGING!!! TO SEE HIS BACK!!! I KNOW HIS HAIRSTYLE IS IN A PONYTAIL BCS HIS LONG HAIR PEEKS OUT JUST ON ONE SIDE 😳🛐

also bYEYEYYE i feel like i took 40 screenshots just from zooming in on the details of his outfit💥💥

i feel like im not doing great in expressing my compliments on his outfit by TRYING. MY VERY BEST. IN DESCRIBING IT!!!! so really, the most profound way is to just stare at it admiringly and let your sight savor the details👍😩😩🤌

REST IN PIECES my fellow lilia artists, this is our moodboard🥲💥💥 you can do it, you'll achieve drawing him in all his briar-valleys-most-esteemed-general-glory🙏🙏🙏

credits: alchemivich

[marigoldbaker]

Afraid of one’s own shadow

(ok so Briar is the obvious choice for this one, but it would be fun to see Roslin or Marigold wearing those shoes)

had to go for roslin!!! those in the know will know what this is about :)

It's so fucking stupid. It's her horns. It's her horns, and the angle the moonlight hits through the window. She had one of those dreams again, and she jerked up, wide awake, and the way she moved, the way her horns looked against the moonlight, silhouetted against the dresser--there's a fragmenting where head meets neck, a separation, so that it almost looks like her head's on the dresser and her body's slumped against the floor. Which isn't what happened. Not here. Not to her.

(A head on the dresser. A tiefling head on the dresser. A tiefling head with beautiful red locs, hair like Roslin's, skin as red as blood, red with blood, red with--)

Roslin climbs out the window, quiet as a cat, like Jaheira taught her. Norie is a light sleeper, but she doesn't wake up when Roslin moves like this, because no one knows that Roslin can. She clambers over the windowsill, focused only on her balance, very aware that this is dangerous in the state that she's in, but she can't be anything but silly, bubbly Rosie in that house. There's no room for it. Norie needs her mother. Roslin had a mother. Roslin doesn't have a mother anymore.

She moves like someone who isn't Roslin. Jumps from roof to roof until she finds Jaheira, sitting on the roof just across from the Tasty Pastry like she's been waiting for Roslin the entire time.

Jaheira says, "Rosalie. Come here."

Rosalie is the name that her mother called her, which is why it isn't painful to hear it from Jaheira, which is a statement that Roslin cannot look at in the daylight but clings to right now. She sinks down onto the slippery tile of the roof, almost really slips, but Jaheira hauls her up by the scruff of her neck and props her against the chimney.

Roslin can't breathe. She presses her face into Jaheira's shoulder until she can.

Jaheira just sort of sits there. Doesn't try to stroke Roslin's hair, which is good. Roslin would bite Jaheira's fucking hand off if Jaheira tried to be her mum right now.

Jaheira says, "What was it?"

"My shadow," says Roslin. Which is so fucking stupid.

Jaheira says, "When I was in Athkatla, I woke from a dream, and--there was a tree, you see, outside our inn, and the shadow it cast on the wall--I thought for a moment that Khalid had returned to me. It looked so much like he did when he came to bed after a long night. And then the moon shone through and I saw--oh, it did not look like him at all."

She doesn't move to hold Roslin. She doesn't shrug her off.

"Grief is a mirage," she says. "Tie yourself to those who will remind you what is real."

[ridhearts]

The first step to your lofty diplomatic dreams starts here...

*note: the housewardens all follow a specific order! please click below for the chapters as they're intended to be read!

overview. ♕ [chapter i.] chapter is. chapter ii. chapter iis. chapter iii. chapter iiis. chapter iv. chapter v. chapter vs. chapter vi. chapter vii.

THE QUEENDOM OF ROSES - RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

The Queendom of Roses is essentially the economic hub of the continent, at least when it comes to foreign markets. Though any remaining relationships are strictly for business, the Rosehearts family has managed to maintain contact with all the other countries of the continent except Briar Valley. The Coral Coast conducts all of their trade through the Queendom of Roses - while Pyroxene is closer, they have adopted a rather solitary policy, so the Queendom was the next best option. Additionally, the Rosehearts heir has a strong connection to the young heir Che’nya from abroad, solidifying their standing in international trade. Thus, the Queendom has become the unofficial central hub.

The ruling family has a firm hold on trade and on every day life of their citizens. From strictly enforced tariffs and trade routes, to specific tea times and daily beverages that must be consumed, those within the Queendom have a strict regimen that they must adhere to. When attending an important event, the only nobles more easily offended at a brash display than the Pyroxenes are the Rosarians.

The Card Soldiers are Her Majesty’s royal guard and are widely regarded as some of the best personal officers around. Many young hopefuls are trained within the borders of the Queendom before returning to their country to serve their lords, ladies and sovereigns.

MEETINGS

The Queendom of Roses maintained a hesitant relationship with your kingdom during the war. Once news came to the Queen that a new family was taking power, an invitation was bestowed upon you: visit her country, spend some time at the castle, and learn all about the social etiquette of the upper class.

Considering you were only a humble villager before becoming the next in line for the throne, you accepted the invitation. In fact, you were grateful for it. The fact that you had been invited made it easy for you to strengthen your ties to their kingdom, and hopefully reforge your bond!

You traveled to their Queendom as soon as you confirmed the arrangement, eager to start your diplomatic journey. Along the way, you were astounded by the wonderful smell of flowers and the bright, colorful landscape. People milled about the cobbled streets in fanciful suits and dresses, sporting fun decorated hats and eye-catching cravats. The foot traffic darted everywhere, even in front of your carriage, yet rather than busy chaos there was a sense of orderliness to it. A deep chime of a clock tower struck, spurring everyone on with a renewed sense of purpose. It was quite the contrast to your gray, rocky kingdom, where there was still physical damage visible from the dirt main streets and hopelessness seemed a day away.

Although, arriving on the castle grounds, you were surprised there wasn't much…fanfare. Your previous king always made a grand procession out of visitors, even when the visitors became a slow trickle of mages called in to protect the magestones and gorge themselves on food bought with taxpayer money. The guards, expecting your arrival, let you inside of the castle. It was quiet, so quiet your heeled shoes clicked against the floor and echoed. For a moment you thought you got the date wrong and worried that you were trespassing.

Somebody's heels approached from the hallway, quick and steady against the solid, shining floors. You were expecting a regal queen with a large dress, akin to the dresses your mother now wore. Instead, you watched as a short boy with red hair appeared, taking the stairs with ease. He held you in a gaze that bordered between blank and narrowed while gracefully closing the distance between the two of you. No matter how he compared to you in size or how cute he appeared, his aura of command was simply too strong for you to reject. You couldn't decide if the scepter in his hand was an accessory or a weapon.

"Ah…" You trailed off dumbly. His expression didn't change, but something flashed in his eyes and you could tell that your introduction was a test which you already failed. Suddenly rushing in your movements, you fumbled with the fabric of your clothes, tried to remember how to position your hands, and did your best curtsy or bow.

"Greetings…your highness?"

A moment of silence stretched between the two of you, unfriendly and unforgiving. The boy's eyes were as cold as an iron sword left unsheathed in the dead of winter. The longer he looked at you, the more the corners of his mouth tilted down into a small frown. Admittedly, it looked more like a pout than a frown, but you didn't dare utter a word and push yourself further from his good graces.

"Unacceptable," he finally muttered, averting his disappointed gaze. You swallowed.

"Apologies," you tried again. "You caught me off guard. I was expecting the Queen."

"Mother will not be administering your courses. She has left the duty to me," He explained. With a glance, you finally registered the small crown on his head, but quickly ducked your head back down in apology.

"I wasn’t aware. We didn't discuss the details in our letters."

He examined your bashful expression before stepping back, deciding this argument wasn't worth wasting time on. "Very well. My name is Riddle Rosehearts. I am the son of the queen and the heir to the throne. It is my duty to ensure you pass the same etiquette training I received, so that you might not tarnish what little reputation your country has left."

Your heart sank at that. There wasn't a moment that passed where you didn't love your country and its people. Your family risked their lives to fight for a better future, and now you were the one responsible for enriching your people's lives in every way you could. Even if you didn't have much of a name for your country, the dig still hurt. But you needed this to go well more than anything else, so you forced a polite smile.

"Shall we start immediately, then?" You asked sweetly.

Riddle scoffed. "Yes. Our first lesson: do not smile so widely. It is most assuredly without grace."

You instantly dropped your smile and followed Riddle through the hall.

The invitation didn't specify much of the details: who would administer your courses, how long they would take place, what exactly counted as passing - all these things were unknown to you. It appeared, though, that these lessons were going to be much more intense than you thought.

On the first day, Riddle nearly scolded you for coming so ill-prepared when you told him that you didn’t have anything with which to take notes. After staring at you for a moment, he huffed and left the room wordlessly. You sat on the edge of your seat, anxiously twiddling your thumbs until he returned with a bound journal and pen. Though he didn’t allow the book to slam on the table in front of you, he did pass it to you with a pointed look that served the same purpose as a loud thwack! Still, he was mostly addressing the basics verbally, indicating where you should be taking notes…which was practically after everything he said.

It lured you into a false sense of security. Maybe the prince had a bit of an attitude problem, but he was knowledgeable, and he’d pass his knowledge onto you for you to write down and review on your own time - preferably when you were far from the confines of this castle and on your way back home.

How wrong you were.

The very next day, he insisted that you put everything he told you into practice, without notes. You sputtered. “Certainly you don’t honestly expect that I’ve remembered all that?!”

“Why not? Any diligent student would have studied for at least an hour after lessons.”

“An hour?! We went over the information for hours after dinner, and I needed sleep!”

Riddle wasn’t one to be reasoned with, however, and still insisted you repeat the information back to him. Feeling stuck in the castle, without much of an option, you sighed and did your best.

Of course, how could anybody remember the precise order of nobility in such a short amount of time? There were so many dinner, lunch and breakfast rules to learn, ones that seemed to change based on the meal, the day, the amount of time you were sitting at the table after finishing your meal…

Every day, Riddle heaped hours of information on you, then expected you to relay it back to him the next day perfectly. When you fumbled the order of nobility, he made you write the order in your journal fifty times without looking at a reference. If your handwriting wasn’t up to snuff, he made you write out entire sections of the Queendom’s law in perfect script. Your pace and posture had to be perfect, or else you were forced to walk up and down the massive hallways with books stacked upon your head. At meals, every bite had to be prim and proper, or he’d lecture you before you could even pick up your fork again. 

And don’t get him started on the dancing.

You were dreadfully ill-prepared for the dancing. How did you know? Riddle told you first thing in the morning when he met you in the library and immediately shooed you out to go to a ballroom. There was no good morning to preface the information; just, “This next lesson will be positively dreadful.”

The first few hours were spent learning simple steps and motions, where to put your hands, how to follow and how to lead, et cetera. He even brought in two of his staff to help you in practicing switching off. You didn’t spend long in their company, but one of them insisted you were the sweetest thing, while the other gave you a wry grin in silent apology for Riddle’s behavior. It was a welcome reprieve.

But then it was back to being the focus of Riddle’s vigilant attention, and you ended the day with sore feet and growing animosity towards the only country that bothered to remember yours even existed.

You were in the middle of drafting a letter to your father, letting him know that the lessons were intensive and you’d be staying another week but you missed him and the others terribly, when there was a knock on the door. Opening it, you saw the green-haired butler from earlier. He informed you that tomorrow morning, you’d have the day to yourself while Riddle went to oversee some business with the Card Soldiers and you were welcome to attend, but your presence was not an obligation of your lessons. The way he said it made it seem like the only smart option.

Still, the next day you ate your breakfast slowly, trying not to notice how empty the large dining hall truly felt without Riddle berating you for doing something wrong. You barely even noticed how much care you were taking to eat the way he taught you, too lost in thought on what you should do.

After you finished, you glanced at the clock and then remained seated to think. You could explore the castle, or brush up on your assignments. Or, you mused dryly, you could hop in your carriage and leave, never to be seen or heard from by any Rosarian ever again. Or, a little voice said, you could check on Riddle.

You instinctively looked at the clock again, right as 15 minutes had passed. You hated when the universe gave you signs pointing in the direction you didn’t want to go.

Tentatively, you wandered through the halls the way the butler told you to go, walking past eclectic decorations of mainly red and black. Two large doors (that were, honestly, more window than door) led to the gardens, which then led to a training field. Walking through the lush green hedges and fragrant red roses, you were hit by how much you stuck out, dressed in dreary gray. Depressed, you realized that maybe you didn’t fit in at all - you were just a peasant playing royal, and maybe you were a lost cause.

Startled shouts caught your attention, snapping you out of your pity. You hurried towards the training field, a little less graceful than Riddle would have liked, and stopped right as you rounded the corner. 

You were just in time to see Riddle shouting and waving his scepter, summoning a heart-shaped collar around the neck of a redheaded recruit. He immediately yanked at it, though the annoyance in his face indicated that this had happened before. Still, he bit back at Riddle’s vicious words with venom of his own. You admired this future soldier more and more with each thing he said.

All at once, the commotion died down, and everybody fell silent. From the other side of the field, the queen approached, adorned in a great dress with a startlingly high collar. Her crown and scepter were both bigger than Riddle’s, though her hair was a similar, rich shade of red. As she approached, Riddle almost seemed to shrink back. It seemed like a smarter decision for you to duck back behind the corner and eavesdrop than stand and watch dumbly.

Due to the great distance between you and the other royals, you couldn’t quite make out every word that was exchanged. All you knew was there was a cold fury underlying her tone, and nobody dared to interrupt. Harsh words like ‘expected better,’ ‘utterly disappointing,’ ‘wasted authority,’ and ‘disgrace’ floated to you in the wind, so bitter and sharp that you almost felt like crying. After a while, you heard footsteps that you now knew were Riddle’s, and they were much faster than the pace he insisted you keep. For a moment you were worried he’d turn and catch you hiding, but he entered the castle through a nearby door instead. After a moment of holding your breath, you hurried back to the guest room and tried to avoid all the staff, as if you had heard a secret regarding national security and not a very public argument.

For the rest of the morning, you stared aimlessly at your notes, something like guilt gnawing at you. Lunch was spent alone again, and you hurried to get out of the too-big room. Afterwards, you waited in the library for your lessons to begin, but nobody showed up. Hesitantly, you checked the ballroom - also empty. Huffing, you wandered the grounds aimlessly, hoping to run into Riddle and to not run into the queen. Eventually you did run into somebody, but it wasn’t anybody you held a conversation with before.

The orange-haired member of the staff that helped you in your dancing lessons bounded up to you with a bright smile. “Heya! I come bearing what I assume to be good news!”

“Oh?” 

“Yup! Your lessons for this afternoon have been canceled! Though I can see you figured that out from how difficult it was to find you.”

“Oh…” You trailed off, not sure why you felt disappointed. Then you asked, “Did something happen? Something I can help with?”

A sad half-smile took over Cater’s expression. “It would be rude to ask a guest to help settle internal affairs.”

Nodding, you waved farewell to Cater and resumed your mindless wandering for a while. It seemed royals didn’t know how to behave when the feelings and security of others were involved. The grand halls felt all too imposing all of a sudden, like an ominous picture of what you were to become. Would you, too, become callous and cruel, uncaring for your people, uncaring for your family? Would your temper become a small fuse, lit at the smallest infraction?

Shuddering, you spent the remaining hours until dinner distracting yourself with your studies. Dinner was spent alone, again. This time, once you finished, you stayed at your seat for longer than 15 minutes, stuck in a loop of rumination. It wasn’t until Trey called your name that you snapped out of your miniature trance. In his hands, he held a tray of slices of a strawberry tart.

“Oh, you’re still here. Would you like dessert?” He asked, already offering you a plate and a fork. You took it in your hands and held it, not sure if you were willing to spend another 20 minutes aware of how lonely the table was.

But Trey was watching you expectantly, so you cut off a small piece and tried it in front of him. A second after the bite hit your tongue, your eyes widened in surprise. “Woah! This is amazing!”

Trey looked bashful. “Ah, it’s nothing. Riddle thinks so, too. They’re his favorite, after all.”

At the mention of Riddle’s name, you focused your gaze on Trey rather than the tart. “Are you bringing those to him?”

Trey nodded. Then, almost conspiratorially, he added, “But if anybody asks, this is a welcome gift for you.”

“Very well,” you said instinctively, not wanting to involve yourself in personal affairs. As Trey left, though, you couldn’t stop the nagging feeling in your gut. Sighing, you stood and said, “May I take those up with you?”

'Taking the tray up with him' wound up being you standing outside the door to Riddle’s room by yourself. Tentatively, you knocked, trying your best to balance the tray on one hand. In a firm, cold voice, Riddle called out, “Busy.”

You weren’t sure if calling out to him and revealing it was you would make him open the door or insist you leave him alone. Instead, you knocked again, more persistently. Again, Riddle called out, “Busy!”

Adjusting the tray on your hand, you huffed and hit the door solidly once with your fist. Then you stepped back, expecting the door to swing open in indignation. It did, revealing a very angry Riddle who was ready to chew out a member of his staff, or perhaps send them to the dungeon (if the castle even had one. You weren’t sure.) When he saw it was you, shock took over his expression - then indignation, annoyance, and finally, resignation. “What are you doing? I don’t need to tell you how inappropriate that was, do I?”

“You weren’t answering,” You defended, knowing full well that you sounded rather petulant. In an attempt to lessen his aggression, you displayed the tray of tarts. “This was important.”

Conflict flashed in Riddle’s eyes as he gazed at the tarts. Then he cleared his throat and looked away. 

“Dessert is not important,” he started, reluctantly. Trying to change the subject, he said in an accusatory tone, “For the record, it could be scandalous if you were caught outside my room, alone, at night, with a tray of sweets.”

“We haven’t gone over the dessert lessons. How was I to know? I’m also not sure exactly what quantity of dessert is considered appropriate, but I’m almost positive it isn’t eight slices at once. I’ve already had a bite of one, and if I’m left to eat these by myself, I will eat them all.”

Riddle tried to appear scandalized, but only seemed to be amused. “You’d think I’d have learned by now that there is no getting through to you…” But he stepped out of his room, shut the door, and led you to a balcony where you could eat your dessert together in peace.

The two of you sat on opposite sides of the small table on the balcony, overlooking the rose maze. In the distance, the lanterns of the village glowed brightly, the buildings tall and concrete. You were too amazed upon your arrival to realize how different the Queendom of Roses truly was from your country. It was more…stable. Your people deserved such security and beauty.

When Riddle wasn’t breathing down your neck to overanalyze every motion you made during a meal, he was surprisingly peaceful company. You ate your first slices in silence, admiring the dark landscape and sorting through the tension that was thick within the castle walls.

Riddle broke the silence first. “What is it like in your country?”

“Hm?” You asked, before you could stop yourself from acting disgracefully. Riddle didn’t seem to mind, at least, not this time. It never occurred to you that you hadn’t really talked about your home while you were here. Everything was all business, all etiquette and lessons. “It’s…not as green, for starters.”

“You’re situated right beneath the mountain range, right?” He asked, though you knew he wasn’t truly asking for clarification. “Do you…dislike it?”

“No! Not at all!” You insisted, and finally the dam broke. “It’s great at home. The ground is solid and there are forests with rock shelves like giant staircases up the mountains. The peaks are majestic, and there’s almost always a comforting fog in the mornings that feels like a cozy blanket…”

As you talked about your country, Riddle listened with rapt attention and helped himself to a second slice of tart. Every now and then, he’d interject to ask questions, getting you started on a new tangent about your life before royalty and your favorite home traditions. By the time you slowed down and realized how much you’ve been talking, most of the tart was gone and your throat was dry. Doing your best to clear it gracefully, you avoided Riddle’s steady gaze.

“I…realize I forgot many of your teachings,” You said meekly, your voice significantly softer. Riddle widened his eyes and soon watched his lap. He frowned and, much like when you first met him, it appeared more as a pout.

“I wasn’t thinking about that at all,” He admitted. A warm breeze blew over the both of you, nearly carrying his voice away with it. This shy vision of him was far different from the authoritative version that usually walked through the castle. “It sounds lovely, back at your kingdom. I was simply enjoying your stories. And…you’re much better company than the previous king.”

You laughed at that, starting at the prim giggle he originally made you learn before it escalated into something a little more true. “The competition was really stiff, was it?”

Riddle chuckled with you, a warm and rosy blush crawling to his cheeks. After a few stressful weeks for the both of you, a healthy laugh devolved into near-hysterics, taking much longer than the situation truly called for. As the two of you tried to calm yourselves down, you avoided making direct eye contact for fear of starting up again. Instead, you both looked over the small piece of the village again, willing the serenity to reach you.

Your thoughts calmed, first at the beauty of the lights against the dark sky, then at the overwhelming pull of how badly you wanted to achieve this for yourself. There was so much to be done: even after your people fixed the battered streets and structural damage, even after the harvest came and went and you properly rationed the food that wasn’t destroyed, even if you managed to reinstill some semblance of trust in the government of the country, all that work would only bring you to sea level. After that, there was much to improve: defenses, infrastructure, overall quality of life, foreign relations…and, on top of it all, you still had to figure out how, exactly, to defeat the encroaching blot.

For a sobering moment, you realized exactly where you were. The results of the war caught up to you, a king and countless innocent people dead, you and your family on the throne and the final defense between everybody and an unknowable monster. There was so much you didn’t know, and yet it was up to you to save it all.

“I never brought it up,” You started quietly. “But…thank you for continuing to support us all this time.”

Riddle appeared bashful - or ashamed? “Ah…it was nothing. Actually, it was purely strategic. Whoever emerged victorious would be appreciative of our support.”

“Ah. Well, I am,” You admitted, shifting in your seat. “Who knows? Maybe there are a couple of magestones with your name on them back home.”

“I see I’ll have to add a lesson in negotiating to our plans.” Finally, Riddle stood, smiling the kind of grin that, on anybody else, would be accompanied by rolling eyes. He held out his hand, clearly offering for you to take it. “It was a pleasure talking to you. Here’s to reaffirming our alliance.”

Taken aback by his sudden shift into prince mode, you gingerly place your hand on his and let him guide you out of your seat. “Here’s to affirming our friendship.”

For a long moment, neither of you said anything. Then, slowly, as he watched with wide eyes for any hint of dissent, Riddle bent at the middle and pressed a chaste kiss to your knuckles so quickly, it was hardly anything more than an accidental brush.

With your newfound understanding of each other, the future lessons went by quickly. No longer uncomfortable in the castle, you were able to study more efficiently, eventually reaching Riddle’s expectations. He split your workload into sections, taking you on frequent breaks to walk around the castle grounds. While you weren’t working on etiquette or any questions you had, you both planned ideal ways to welcome the other into your respective countries. It was like gossiping with your friends in the village all over again, and it gave you hope for the monumental tasks ahead.

Finally, with most of your lessons having been successfully completed, Riddle spent your final week helping you draft trade agreements, giving you a rundown of each nation’s specialty, the best trade routes, and other important information. For the time being, you knew you’d have to get most of your resources from him - all the other routes were in various states of disrepair, and your relationship with other countries was still practically nonexistent.

One day, he sent Trey to lead you to his office. As Trey opened the door, you were struck by how official Riddle looked behind the grand desk, framed by massive bookcases and an intricate tapestry behind him. However, his stern expression eased as soon as you walked through the door. He gestured at a seat across from his desk, waiting for Trey to shut the door before interlocking his fingers and resting his chin on them.

“We don’t normally do paperwork in here,” You mused, looking around. Once you settled your gaze on him, Riddle straightened his posture and tapped on the forms in the center of his desk with one finger.

“Yes, well. This one is a bit more finicky,” He explained. Curiously, you slid the paper your way and scanned the words carefully. As the words sunk in, your eyes darted from the paper to Riddle and back again.

“You’re transferring some of your Card Soldiers?” You asked. “Thank you, but I couldn’t take them away from home so suddenly.”

“Nonsense. They’re eager for the opportunity. Besides,” Riddle lowered his voice, eyes drifting from side to side as if somebody could simply appear. “You would be doing a great service for them and me.”

Glancing at the papers again, you read the names printed in Riddle’s neat handwriting. After a moment’s hesitation, the names clicked and you remembered which soldiers he was talking about. The two card soldiers had a propensity for trouble - not the kind that would endanger you, but the kind that would endanger them the longer they remained under the rule of the queen. Nodding slightly, you held your hand out for a pen to confirm the transfer.

“Personal guard, huh?” You mused. The situation in your kingdom was getting more and more official with each passing day. It gave you hope.

When it was finally time for you to depart, you thanked Riddle for all of his help with a deep - and perfect - curtsy or bow. He bowed in return, then the both of you watched each other for a moment. The queen hadn’t welcomed you, and she wasn’t seeing you off; after your inadvertent experience with her, you figured that was best.

“I’ll write to you,” You decided firmly. Behind you, the door to your carriage was opened, signaling that it was time to start the long journey home.

“Yes. I look forward to hearing how my lessons have assisted you.”

“That,” you agreed, “and to check in on you. As friends. Interpersonally.”

Riddle paled and cleared his throat. “A-ah, right. I’ll…I look forward to that, as well.”

With a smile and a wave, you turned and made your way to the carriage. Though you would miss Riddle, you were eager to return home and see what progress had been made. You kept waving until the carriage rolled past the gates, but you only turned your back to him once you could no longer see the difference between his white uniform and the white castle steps.

Riddle watched you leave, not daring to release the wistful sigh in his chest until you were entirely out of sight.

[t-the-ring-master]

Please may I have a Spy x family headcanons platonic of being the biological son of Yor Briar and his name is Yukio Briar and then Yukio Forger age 8..Yukio means "Snow boy" in Japanese and Yor was 18 when she realised that she was pregnant with her son when she lost her boyfriend in an accident. Yukio Briar is an assassin but he uses less bloody methods and one of them is poisoning his targets food by lacing it with a highly toxic chemical which has immediate effects or he kills them from afar with his guns or he does kill them with the same methods as his mother if neither of his other options work and his nickname is "the Poison Rose" by the "gardener". He joined the Eden academy in sake of helping Loid complete his mission and hopefully befriend Damian with no issues. He was certainly not a weak child and considering how he had hospitalised his uncle Yuri for several months after breaking his ribs and ruptured several of his internal organs and breaking both of his legs..it took a while for Yuri to recover.

Personality:

He always had top grades in every class as he did study properly and he can cook properly and does do better at it with no issues and no. He doesn't poison the family..only his targets. He is a good actor as he showed a innocent naivety and gullible facade when he ran into his targets so they didn't know his intentions and he does catch them off guard. He is greatly immune to poisons as he had eaten his mother's nasty cooking in the past and he had eaten so many that he didn't really care anymore. He is genuinely a nice kid and he is a lovely little boy with a kind-hearted nature and it is rare for him to actually shout or get angry as he is level-headed but once was frightening enough..when a mother loudly criticised his mother's parenting skills to her friends and he naturally lost his temper and stood up for his mother when he insulted this lady about her weight, her friends, her hair and her entire existence and the vicious insults and the colourful words kept on flowing and he could not stop himself and then he said "you are a mean lady if you think that insulting my mother boosts your ego..no wonder why your son wanted to live with his Dad instead!" Was his words..the lady actually got up crying and left. He can be scary when he was being intimidating and his scary assassin gaze matches his mother's. He did have poor art-skills as it was not his strong point and it looks like a toddler had done it and he was bad at it anyway or he had the ability to give people nightmares with his unsettling drawings. He was empathetic though in a way and he tried to help Anya with her homework to make it easier for her.

Skills:

He is highly intelligent and he had a 6th Sense when it comes to danger as he is a skillful fighter with the ability to fight with no issues..Loid even struggled to keep up. Yukio is capable of breaking bones and killing people if so inclined. He had inhuman strength in a way and considering how he is able to split a brick in half..don't pick a fight with him or play football with him. He is immune to poisons of different kinds and he is a good cook and he can frighten the absolute hell out of his targets when he says "wanna play?" Which was the exact opposite of his mother politely saying "can you do me the honour of taking your life?"..but Yukio does try to be careful with his strength off-duty and he may be a kid but he was certainly a skillful assassin

Apparance: *Exactly like in the photograph and he did have to wear glasses due to poor eyesight * and he doesn't look like his mom..he looks like his late father with his moles and blue eyes. He mostly wore a red cardigan with a black t-shirt underneath with black shorts and brown patient shoes off-duty. He wore similar clothing to his mother on duty.

Relationships:

Loid Forger's relationship with his "son"

Yor Briar's relationship with her son

Anya's relationship with her "big brother"

Bond's relationship with his owner

Damian's relationship with Yukio Forger *he did accidentally punch Damian on first meeting and the kid ended up hospitalised with a broken jaw for several days*

Becky Blackbell's relationship with Anya's "big brother"

Yuri's relationship with his nephew

The gardener's relationship with his skillful assassin

One other thing about him:

Yor doesn't know that her son is an assassin..he expressed his wishes to the gardener for him to keep it a secret for his sake.

*That's Yukio Briar..Yor's biological son and the hand on his head probably belongs to a teacher*

Wow, first OC request! I’ll probably just do a mini fic with just the family and their daily routine…. I like the idea of him eating Yor’s food so calmly meanwhile Anya and Loid are just on the ground like:

I’ll also add in the mission. I’m sorry if I read anything wrong and this is not the request but I will try my best to add all the information given.

Thanks for the request!

The mini fic will be added with the headcannons, don’t worry.

[diazsdimples]

Fuck It Friday

Good afternoon! It's technically Saturday here but shhhh! We've got a small continuation of Eddie and Buck post Shannon's death in Single Dad au today! Pls enjoy

Tagged by @cal-daisies-and-briars @watchyourbuck @steadfastsaturnsrings @daffi-990 @hippolotamus and @wikiangela thank you my friends!!

Eddie looks like shit.

It’s obvious he’s been crying; his eyes are red-rimmed and puffy, and he’s got that kind of far away, glazed look in his eyes of someone who’s not all quite there. He’s got a hand on Christopher’s shoulder and Buck can tell from the way his knuckles are white, that he’s clutching onto Christopher for dear life.

And Christopher, man, the kid looks so small next to his father. He looks scared and confused, like he’s not entirely sure how they ended up at Buck’s place and Buck reckons the kid is just here for the ride. He looks not dissimilar to Carrie did 5 years ago and Buck’s throat constricts painfully at the memory.

“Hey,” he says softly, letting go of Carrie’s hand to place it on Eddie’s shoulder and squeeze tight.

“Hey,” Eddie replies. His voice sound far away, like an echo.

Buck steps back, letting them through the door, and bends to help Christopher out of his shoes because Eddie’s just standing there swaying lightly as if there’s a breeze. Buck gets it, he really does.

“Carrie,” he says softly, drawing his daughter and Christopher close to him, “why don’t you take Chris into your room. You can show him your new Switch game?”

Carrie shakes her head and takes Chris’s hand, squeezing it quickly before gesturing for him to follow. “I wanna show him Momma.”

Buck’s heart clenches, but he lets them go, watching as Carrie guides Christopher to the backyard, keeping her hand between his shoulders as they walk. He hears Eddie let out a breath and looks up just in time to see him slump forwards.

Buck stands up quickly and grabs Eddie, pulling him into his arms and holding him so tight he worries he’s going to break a bone.

“Hey, hey it’s okay, I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Eddie lets out a strangled noise as he buries his face in Buck’s neck, his body shaking as he sobs. Buck lets him cry. He holds him, one hand pressing into the small of his back as the other cups his neck, and he sways the two back and forth.

Eddie pulls away after a few minutes, sniffing loudly, a horrible, snotty noise. “I’m sorry,” he chokes, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, “I should be better.”

“Eddie,” Buck says softly, clasping his shoulder and angling his head so Eddie has no choice but to look him in the eyes. “Your wife just died. You don’t need to be anything right now.”

At that moment, Lily, having initially followed her sister and Chris into the backyard, came padding quietly towards Buck and Eddie and reached up to tug on Eddie’s pants.

“Eddie?”

Eddie looked down and gave her a watery smile. “Yes, mi princesa?”

Lily holds her arms up, giving him a small taster of her puppy eyes that have caused Buck to fold like a deck chair a number of time. “Hug?”

Eddie chokes out a laugh between sobs and lifts her into his arms, sighing heavily as Lily settles her head on his shoulder and threads her fingers through the short hairs on the nape of his neck. Usually she does this to calm herself down but today, Buck can see his daughter is trying to bring Eddie a semblance of the comfort she gets from his hugs.

“You’re sad, Eddie?” Lily asks quietly.

Eddie nods, swallowing hard. “Yeah, baby, I’m sad.” He cups the back of her head with his hand, running his fingers through her long, blonde curls, and sways them back and forth, almost in a little dance.

“Daddy says we need to make you feel better. Do hugs make you feel better?”

This time Eddie’s laugh is more genuine. “Hugs always make me feel better. Do you think we should get your Daddy in here?”

Lily perks up at this idea immediately and lifts her head off his shoulder, holding her arm out for Buck to join.

“Come on, Daddy!” she insists, making grabby hands towards him and Eddie, the fucker, with his watery eyes and snotty nose, grins and opens his arm for Buck too.

“Yeah, Daddy, come on.”

With a playful eyeroll, Buck steps into Eddie and his daughter’s embrace, holding them both tight. It’s a little awkward at first, trying to juggle Lily so she’s not being squashed between the two men, but eventually they get there with Lily sitting on Eddie’s hip, one arm around Buck’s neck and the other around Eddie’s, and her forehead resting against Buck’s as she pulls him closer. Buck’s nose brushes Eddie’s ear as he lays his head on Buck’s shoulder.

No pressure tagging @housewifebuck @thewolvesof1998 @disasterbuckdiaz @theotherbuckley @wildlife4life @spotsandsocks @jesuisici33 @callmenewbie @bucksbackwardcap @theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming @fionaswhvre @smilingbuckley @aspecbuddie @fortheloveofbuddie @nmcggg @rainbow-nerdss @fruitandbubbles @eddie---diaz