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the-demon-prodigy · 6 months

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The True Genius of Bungo Stray Dogs (As Seen in the Portrayal of Osamu Dazai)

oh boy heres another formal-sounding one!! i wrote this to follow an essay formula and under the assumption that it would be shown to someone who is less well-versed in bsd (i kinda just explained what it was and what bungo meant in the introductory paragraphs) so just skim those parts if u already know those things :ppp

in this one i mostly cover some of the biggest similarities between yozo of nlh and dazai of bsd! i dont rlly cover bsd dazai versus irl dazai so keep that in mind. its not super in-depth and ive only read nlh once so far, so anybody who's got thoughts feel free to add!

without further ado, lets get into it :> (the whole thing will be under the cut)

TW: Su1c1de, add1ction (specifically alcoho1ism), s3xual abus3, emotional abus3

Bungo Stray Dogs is a manga, anime, and light novel series that takes place in a semi-fictional version of Yokohama, Japan.

The Japanese word “bungo” translates to “literary”; and almost every significant character is named after a classic author and has a supernatural ability named after one of their works. However, the influence of literature upon each of the characters runs deeper than just their name and ability.

Today, we will be covering the true ingenuity of Bungo Stray Dogs through its unique method of drawing parallels between real-life and fiction, and fiction and other fiction, using the character and author Osamu Dazai as an example. (All uses of the name Dazai will refer to his fictional version unless specified otherwise.)

Dazai is one of the most beloved characters of the series, and his popularity as a fictional character brought the book that his character and ability are in reference to, No Longer Human, to many more sales despite it being over 60 years since the book’s original publication.

Dazai’s character is commonly praised for his remarkable representation of those who experience mental illness, and this theme is a very prominent one in the book that his character is based upon.

No Longer Human is a semi-autobiographical work created by the real-life Osamu Dazai, following the life of a man named Oba Yozo in the formula of three notebooks. Among its themes are isolation, alienation, suicidality, addiction, and much more.

Yozo experiences immense alienation from society, carrying a far deeper melancholy than any others seem to. In order to combat the evident unpalatability of his true nature, he takes on the facade of a bumbling fool before others in order to avoid their wrath and perhaps also sate his desire to be loved (Pg. 26 of NLH [No Longer Human]).

(One of, if not the, biggest similarity between Bungo Stray Dogs’ Dazai and Yozo, is the alienation that came as a result of their unique nature and philosophy, which surrounded them in a profound despair simply through the act of living.)

Sexually abused as a young child (Pg. 35 of NLH), Yozo believes human beings to harbor an intrinsic cruelty, and wishes to avoid bearing witness to their intimidating true nature at all costs. Yozo feels immense fear of human beings due to his inability to understand them (Pg. 28 of NLH), unable to understand what they think about when they walk the streets, what they wish for, and why they engage in simple acts such as eating. (Pgs. 23 & 26 of NLH)

Dazai as a Bungo Stray Dogs character diverges from Yozo in many ways, but they have a similarity in the existence of a public facade created in order to hide from pain and hurt, and a deep alienation from society that leads them to dehumanize themselves.

Both Dazai and Yozo believe themselves incapable of integrating their true selves into society so profoundly that they give up on it entirely, Dazai through a lack of taking proper action to take himself out of a toxic environment to live as a normal human being, and Yozo in his complete withdrawal of who he truly is from society to the point that it’s nearly impossible for an outsider to graze his true self.

Bungo Stray Dogs’ Dazai is so hyper-intelligent that he sees the world in a far more nihilistic way than the common person (Pg. 159 of BSD:ODDE [Bungo Stray Dogs: Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era]). This isolates him completely from society because he believes nothing in life to hold any actual value due to the inevitability of death (Pg. 13 of BSD:DC15 [Bungo Stray Dogs: Dazai, Chuuya, Age Fifteen]). Throughout No Longer Human, it’s possible to infer that Yozo is also an exceptionally intelligent person due to the uniqueness of his philosophy and worldview, drawing yet another parallel between them.

Additionally, Dazai has thought this way since he was 14, which led him to a suicide attempt, and has possibly contemplated such action even before then (Pg. 8 of BSD:DC15). Although not fully confirmed, it’s likely that he was shunned by those around him for seeing things in a way that they could not come close to understanding, similar to how Yozo could not understand that which was commonly seen as an intrinsic human trait. Neither Dazai or Yozo view themselves as properly human, although they seek love in such a way that suggests that they wish that they were.

For example, Dazai is a romantic young man who views falling in love as an intrinsic part of the human experience, and yet believes himself to be unlovable, further separating himself from his own definition of humanity. And Yozo, only a child when he begins displaying his facade of air-headedness, wished to be liked by humans so as to not be harmed.

Dazai and Yozo also both have a likely/possible fear of being idolized, respected figures. Yozo views being respected by others as being the peak of successful deceit of others which eventually brought great consequence upon the respected (Pg. 33 of NLH), and Dazai intentionally lazes around and doesn’t do his best during his adult life in the Armed Detective Agency, which, although not confirmed, may hint towards the existence of a fear of being respected the way that he was in his previous profession as a mafioso, in which many expectations were placed upon him that left him drained.

Yozo and the Dazai of Bungo Stray Dogs share an idolization of that which they have forbidden themselves from becoming. For Yozo, this was human, and for Dazai, this was also human. However, their definitions are different. You may ask, “but didn’t Yozo fear human beings? Why would he want to be one?” and the answer to that question is, yes, Yozo fears human beings. However, it’s more complicated than that. Yozo also sought out love and affection from human beings, who seemed able to give it to each other, and he wished to understand human beings so that he could be with them and not fear them (Pg. 26 of NLH). You see, Yozo wished to have someone by his side to understand him, seeing as his fear left him when he felt understood and a sense of camaraderie (Pg. 80 of NLH), but at the same time feared a connection such as this and mostly thought it impossible, just as he feared human beings but also wished to integrate himself with them so that he could be loved and spared from suffering.

Yozo is a mess of self-contradictory ideals, as is Dazai, who wished to be human in the sense that he wished to understand what other human beings saw in being alive: what inherent value they saw in it that caused them to be so opposed to death that they would fight (Pg. 132 of BSD:ODDE). Dazai believed that if he were to understand what made humans happy and what made them want to live, he could become one, and henceforth become happy and cease to seek death. Dazai also wished to be lovable, as did Yozo. Dazai saw being capable of being loved and loving others as being an inherent part of the human experience (Pg. 103 of BSD:DC15), but felt himself incapable of such behaviour and treatment. Dazai also sought to be a good person, which he believed humans to lean towards inherently, but thought himself to be incapable of until he was pushed towards it by a person who understood him fully (Pg. 161 of BSD:ODDE).

There also exists a parallel between Yozo and Dazai in the form of the organizations that they were entangled with. Yozo was involved with a communist group by an acquaintance of his (Pg. 65 of NLH), where he was eventually trusted by the organization with jobs that caused him increasing hassle and tiredness, similar to how Dazai was saddled with the responsibilities and title of the youngest executive of the mafia when he was only a teenager (Pg. 3 of BSD:ODDE), although Yozo was already college-age when he was involved with the communists.

One of the most obvious, although surface-level similarities between Dazai and Yozo is that of their suicidal ideation. They both have contemplated suicide and attempted it multiple times (Pgs. 1, 4, & 49 of BSD:ODDE and Pgs. 86, 87, & 154 of NLH), out of a deep despair found in the reality that they find themselves unable to escape. Although Dazai doesn’t truly wish for death, and it’s possible that neither does Yozo, they both engage commonly in this behaviour.

Another minor similarity between them is their alcoholism. Yozo spends such a large majority of the book talking about drinking away his sorrows that it would prove quite the task to try to cite them all here (although he displays alcoholic behaviours from Pg. 63 and onward of NLH), and Dazai often experiences hangovers, goes to pubs and bars (even when he’s only 18) (Pg. 1 of BSD:ODDE), and his room as a 22-year old is seen to be riddled with bottles of alcohol.

Although primarily due to their public facades, many people who come and go in the lives of Dazai and Yozo seem to love them and believe that they are good people who, under different circumstances, could become very happy (Pg. 160 of BSD:ODDE and Pg. 177 of NLH).

It seems to only be Dazai and Yozo who demonize themselves so heavily that their sense of self becomes mangled beyond their own recognition; all others around them seem to feel that they have potential for good within them. Dazai and Yozo share in self-hatred, in certain ways.

Overall, Dazai and Yozo have many similarities in how they think, the life they lived, and the coping mechanisms they use, and these many similarities exist too in the other characters of Bungo Stray Dogs, their real-life counterparts, and the fictional characters they are based upon.

It is this deep-running, subtle aspect of Bungo Stray Dogs which makes it an immensely respectable work of art and causes me to admire the cleverness and literacy of its writer, Kafka Asagiri. The story is more than enjoyable without understanding each reference that makes an appearance, but it adds a special and unique touch to an already-wonderful series. And that is exactly why I consider all of these literary tie-ins to be the true genius of Bungo Stray Dogs, which hides beneath the surface yet makes the experience feel much more special.

#tw sex abuse #tw sex assault #tw suicide #tw addiction #☆analysis☆#☆thoughts☆#bsd dazai #bsd analysis #bungou stray dogs #bsd #no longer human #oba yozo #osamu dazai #☆scheduled☆

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neurotypical-sonic · 4 months

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I'm making Ella exist in the games/idw verse. She lives in Station Square, in the same apartment building as amy. Her and amy are casual friends! Neighbours! Ella and vanilla sometimes see each other in Station Square, when their paths cross. Vanilla brings Cream to Station Square often, just going about business, maybe Vanilla has signed Cream up to some groups, maybe Vanilla herself has joined a group or two, maybe Vanilla likes to some weekly shopping at a certain place at a certain time. But they start coming across each other semi regularly, enough to recognise the other and be friendly. And then one day when Vanilla is dropping Cream at Amy's, Ella comes down the hall, and they're both like oh!! Hello!! And Amy formally introduces them. And they become fast friends. And then. Shall I say. Girlfriends

#i would love to write a proper fic but j think we all know that isnt happening any time soon #egg.txt

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btsqualityy · 2 years

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Y.O.U (Years Of Us), Chapter 5: Old Friend

Jimin x half black/half Korean OC; Taemin half black/half Korean OC

Genre/Rating: 21+, established relationship, idol!AU, smut, angst, and fluff

Summary: Kamaria has a night out on the town and runs into an old “friend”.

Warnings: semi public sex, unprotected sex, oral sex, dirty talk, and creampie.

WC: 2.8K

Song Of The Chapter: Taemin-Danger

9 Years Ago

Kamaria sat in one of the many studios in the SM building, nervously tapping her foot as she waited for one of SM’s most prolific groups to make their way inside. Although Kamaria had officially signed as an artist to the company not too long before, she still enjoyed writing music so after writing a song called “Good Evening”, she took it to the company who decided to give it to their top male group.

“Hello?” A sudden voice called out as the door opened and Kamaria had to will herself to stay calm as the members of SHINee walked inside.

“Hello, sunbaenims,” Kamaria smiled as she stood up, bowing politely as the members filed into the room. “I’m Minali or Kamaria, whichever you prefer.”

“Oh, no need to be so formal!” Onew exclaimed with a bright smile. “We’ve heard amazing things about you! I’m Lee Jinki.”

“Minho,” he introduced himself with a bow.

“I’m Kibum,” Key added.

“And I’m Lee Taemin,” Taemin grinned widely. “Our managers told us that you have an amazing song for us.”

“Well, I’m hoping you all will think so,” Kamaria chuckled. “I got inspired after hearing a song from an American group and after contacting them, they gave me permission to use the song and change it up so I did so and added new lyrics.”

“Well, no time like the present,” Key said as he clapped his hands together. “Let’s get started.”

Going into the session, Kamaria had been insanely nervous because SHINee was a legendary group in the KPop industry and Kamaria had only just debuted less than a year prior. However, as the session began and everything started to flow, she realized that she had been worried for nothing. The members were just as nice and funny as they had been rumored to be, not to mention the level of professionalism that they exuded when it came to doing what they loved.

“I love this song so much!” Minho exclaimed. “And after hearing the original, it’s amazing how you made it into something completely different.”

“That’s definitely some talent there,” Onew nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” Kamaria replied sheepishly, feeling her cheeks warming up in embarrassment. “You guys made it effortless, though. Your voices are amazing.”

“We’re professionals darling,” Key joked, making Kamaria laugh. After a few more times of recording their verses, they all decided that almost three hours in the studio had been enough so they decided to go their separate ways.

“Taemin-ah, you coming?” Key wondered as Onew and Minho paced out of the studio.

“Ah, no hyung,” Taemin shook his head, throwing a quick glance Kamaria’s way before looking back at the older man. “I’ll get home on my own.”

“Alright,” Key smiled knowingly. “Be safe. Minali-ssi, amazing work.”

“Thank you so much,” Kamaria beamed as she took a break from packing up her bag to bow towards him. Key walked out of the studio then, leaving Kamaria and Taemin by themselves.

“Uh, Minali-ssi?” Taemin called out and Kamaria looked up at hearing her Korean name. “I was wondering, would you mind staying here a little while longer?”

“Uh, sure but why?” Kamaria wondered.

“I’m not exactly satisfied with my vocals,” he explained. “But if you have plans and can’t stay, I can always have our managers contact you to set up a better time and-”

“Taemin-ssi, I don’t mind at all,” she giggled. “And please, call me Minali.”

“Only if you call me Taemin.”

“Alright,” she agreed easily as she set her things down next to her. “Let’s go over them again.” Once Taemin went back into the recording booth and put the headphones over his ears, Kamaria sat in front of the mixing table and restarted the song. As Taemin began to record his lines over again, she happened to catch the part that he was talking about.

“So this part of the song is a build up,” Kamaria began after she cut the music off. “Your voice should reflect that but the thing is, you have to start strong to lead up to your high note. It’s not the same breathy one that Minho does in the beginning.”

“Can you give me an example?” Taemin requested.

“Sure,” she nodded before beginning to sing. “Negero ga, negero ga, negero ga-ah.”

“Ah ok, I get you,” he said. “Restart the song?” Kamaria did then, watching with a smile as Taemin effortlessly copied the way that she had song the riff for him.

“That’s it, you hit it,” she said. “Come on out and listen to it.” Taemin did as instructed, stepping back out of the booth and standing next to Kamaria’s chair as she replied the song.

“Excuse my language, but that sounds so damn good,” he praised. “I absolutely love it and I know the hyungs do too.”

“Like I said, you guys make it easy,” Kamaria echoed. “Your voices just blend so well together, especially yours.”

“Am I your bias in SHINee?” He wondered and Kamaria looked up at him with a smirk. “Or at least your favorite voice?”

“Actually, Jonghyun was,” she replied with a smile. “But you and your voice are a very close second.”

“Well, would you mind if your second favorite bias treats you out to dinner?” Taemin wondered.

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“No, think of it as a ‘thank you for writing one of my favorite SHINee songs in recent memory’ dinner,” he chuckled. “How about it?”

“Yeah,” Kamaria nodded with a soft smile. “Ok.”

.................................................................

“I don’t understand why the two of you are doing this to me,” Kamaria muttered from her place in the back seat as she glared at Nari, who was in the drivers’ seat.

“Because you needed to get out of the house!” Kang Seulgi exclaimed. Her and Kamaria had been extremely close friends since Kamaria’s days at SM Entertainment and with their busy schedules, they didn’t get much time to hang out together.

“You’ve been in the house sulking ever since you had that dinner with Jimin,” Nari added, glancing in the review mirror at her best friend. “Between that and the anniversary of your mom’s death coming up, you need to keep your spirits up.”

“And you two thought a night out in Gangnam would help that?” Kamaria deadpanned.

“Hey, good music, even better drinks, and gorgeous ass men?” Seulgi smirked. “Of course.”

“Good thing neither of you get paid for thinking then,” she muttered.

“Oh, you’ll feel better once you’re there and have a few drinks in your system,” Nari dismissed and Kamaria turned her gaze towards the window then, setting her chin on her hand. She was grateful that her friends cared enough about her to recognize when she was struggling but sometimes, she just wanted to wallow and feel all of her feelings.

Not too long later, Nari pulled the car up in front of one of the hottest spots in Gangnam, Club Octagon. As soon as the three of them stepped out of the car, a crowd tried to form around them due to Kamaria and Seulgi’s combined star power. Luckily, security was quick to usher them inside and to their own little section.

Nari made quick work of getting three drinks to their table and they lifted them up into the air.

“What should we cheers to?” Nari wondered.

“Friendship,” Seulgi suggested. “Existing, new, and future.”

“To friendship,” Kamaria smiled as they all pushed their glasses together. Since it was just a double shot of soju, it was effortless for Kamaria to slam it all back in one go.

“Alright, I’m hitting the dance floor,” Seulgi announced before hopping up out of her seat. “Come with me, Kam.”

“I don’t feel like dancing,” Kamaria said before glancing at Nari for help.

“Oh no, you guys go ahead because I saw some people I know,” Nari smiled as she stood up. “I’ll meet you guys out there!”

“You have no excuse now,” Seulgi smiled as Nari walked away from them. “I’ll buy you another drink.”

“Fine,” Kamaria huffed, allowing Seulgi to pull her up into a standing position. “But I want the drink first!” After a quick trip to the bar where the two of them downed more shots, they then made their way to the dance floor.

Club Octagon was frequented by a lot of music lovers so they played a wide array of music, both Korean and Western, that had everyone going crazy. The vibes were immaculate and even though she hadn’t really wanted to go out in the first place, Kamaria found herself feeling happy that she had allowed her friends to drag her out.

Life was hard and unfair but moments like these would always be worth it. Always.

Before she knew it, an hour had passed and Kamaria’s high heels were starting to put a strain on her feet. Just as she found herself about to turn and tell Seulgi that she was going to sit down for a break, she felt a pair of hands station themselves on her waist from behind.

“Can I have a dance?” The voice asked and Kamaria gasped, recognizing that voice anywhere as she turned around.

“Lee Taemin!” She squealed before throwing herself into his arms. “What are you doing here?!”

“Kai dragged me out,” Taemin chuckled, setting her back down onto the ground before motioning behind him with his head. When Kamaria looked over his shoulder, she saw Kai from EXO talking animatedly with Seulgi and Nari. Once he made eye contact, he waved happily and Kamaria laughed before waving back.

“How many drinks has he had?” Kamaria wondered as she looked back at Taemin.

“Too damn many,” he huffed with a smile. “I’m starting to think he just wanted to let loose and dragged me along so that I could prevent any scandals from occurring.”

“That sounds like him,” she giggled.

“And you? What are you doing out in Gangnam?”

“Same predicament as you, conned by my friends,” Kamaria sighed. “Admittedly though, I needed some cheering up.”

“Ah yeah, it is February huh?” Taemin grimaced and she nodded solemnly. “Well, if it helps, you might not feel that great but you definitely look it.”

“Yeah?” She smiled softly, looking down at the black ruched bodycon dress that covered her body.

“Absolutely,” he confirmed. “So, will you dance with me?”

“Mmm, I don’t know,” Kamaria hummed. “You could at least buy me a drink first.”

“That can be arranged,” Taemin smirked.

.................................................................

5 Years Ago

“That’s it my love,” Taemin whispered huskily as he thrust forward roughly, causing Kamaria to moan underneath him. “You’re taking it so well.”

“Feels so good Tae, fuck,” Kamaria gasped. “Harder.”

“You’re asking or telling me baby?” He wondered as he wrapped one strong hand in her shoulder length braids before yanking backwards and bringing her face closer to his.

“A-asking, I’m asking.”

“Rephrase that for me then.”

“P-please fuck me h-harder,” she pleaded.

“Much better,” Taemin cooed, reaching out with his free hand and taking ahold of Kamaria’s jaw, forcing her to crane her neck and look into his eyes. “You gonna come?”

“So hard,” Kamaria nodded.

“Rub your clit and come for me then,” he instructed and Kamaria didn’t hesitate to reach underneath herself, finding the bundle of nerves with the tips of her fingers. Not even a minute later, Kamaria’s orgasm hit her causing her body to shake and tremble. The feeling of her walls clenching around his length made Taemin groan loudly as his own orgasm bubbled to the surface and before he could even react, he felt himself spilling inside of her.

“Holy shit,” Kamaria sighed blissfully, giggling when Taemin allowed his body to fall on top of hers. “Get off of me. You might be skinny but that muscle isn’t weightless, you know.”

“I don’t even think I can move right now,” he chuckled. “You’re too damn good.”

“I could say the same for you,” she replied, smiling to herself when she felt Taemin press an open mouthed kiss to her shoulder.

“My gorgeous love,” he murmured.

.................................................................

“Fuck Tae,” Kamaria moaned, letting her head fall back against the wall of the bathroom stall that she and Taemin had crowded into together. After a few more drinks and dancing together to a few songs with wandering hands, Kamaria couldn’t help herself and ended up kissing him. Like any old habit, the familiar feeling came right back like second nature and it wasn’t long until they ended up in the bathroom.

“Stay quiet, my love,” Taemin whispered from his place on his knees in front of her. “You don’t want anyone to catch us in here, right?”

“R-right,” she nodded as she looked down, biting her lip right after when he sucked her clit back into his mouth. Her dress was pushed up around her hips, her thong pulled to the side and held against her thigh by one of Taemin’s hands, and one of her thighs hooked over his shoulder.

“You have no idea how much I missed the taste of this gorgeous pussy,” Taemin murmured. “You’re always so wet, Mina.”

“Cause of you,” she whispered, gasping when he quickly flicked the tip of his tongue against her. “Oh my gosh, that feels so good. Please keep doing that.”

“Asking so well,” he cooed before doing just as she requested. The feeling had her reaching down and burying her hands in his hair, her fingers gripping the strands tightly as her hips began to move on their own accord.

“Fuck, you’re gonna make me come,” Kamaria whimpered and Taemin just doubled down on his efforts in response, his tongue working double time to make her orgasm.

“God...fuck!” She burst suddenly, her jaw dropping open in a silent scream as she came on his face. Taemin, ever the considerate lover, licked up every ounce of wetness that escaped her slit before he gently removed her leg from his shoulder and stood up.

“You ok?” He checked, smirking when he realized that her body was trembling a little bit.

“Sorry, I haven’t had any sexual contact with a human being in like six months,” Kamaria giggled breathlessly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “My world is a little rocked right now.”

“And here I was thinking that you just remembered how good I used to make you come.”

“Oh trust me, that plays a part in it too,” she smiled before leaning forward and kissing him firmly. The kiss instantly turned into a French one, their tongues sliding against each others and Kamaria moaned at the taste of herself on Taemin’s tongue.

“I hate to make you come and then run,” Taemin began, murmuring against her lips. “But I have to get going.”

“Really?” She pouted. “I haven’t even gotten a chance to reciprocate yet.”

“I know and it’s taking everything in me to say this right now,” he laughed. “But I have a schedule with the hyungs in the morning and wake up call is at 5.”

“I could come back to your place with you.”

“Just for me to want to fuck you all night?” He chuckled. “Tempting but I can’t.”

“Alright,” Kamaria relented. “Have your managers discussed Nari’s offer for us to do a duet together on my new album with you yet?”

“They have and I have some free time coming up soon so have Nari contact them and they can set up a time for us to further discuss it in depth,” Taemin replied.

“That means the answer is yes?”

“For you?” Taemin asked with a smile. “Always, my love.” Not being able to help herself, which seemed to be a constant theme in any of her interactions with Taemin through the years, Kamaria kissed him one last time before he pulled away from her.

“I’ll see you soon, ok?” He murmured.

“I hope so,” Kamaria smiled, watching with half lidded eyes as Taemin slowly opened the door to the stall, checked to make sure that it was clear of any people before stepping out and shutting the door behind him. Taking a few more minutes to compose herself and fix her dress, Kamaria then stepped out of the stall as well before making her way out of the bathroom. She didn’t even get five steps down the hall before Seulgi and Nari came rushing up to her, both of them sporting shit-eating grins on their faces.

“What?” Kamaria wondered.

“You wanna tell us why Lee Taemin came out of that bathroom and practically dragged Jongin out of here?” Seulgi wondered.

“Or why he was sporting the biggest hard-on I think I’ve ever seen?” Nari added. “Or why you happen to have a post orgasm glow on your fucking face?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kamaria smiled with a shrug. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yeah, ready to go so you can tell us all about what happened in that bathroom,” Nari smiled. As the three of them made their ways out of the club then, Kamaria couldn’t help but to think how happy she was that she had come out after all.

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cadavercrafts · 11 months

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Little tumblr artist feature

Decided to just post some photos of prints and original art i have on my walls made by artists who are semi active on tumblr. I have a lot more but many of the artists either don't have tumblr or are completly inactive here :'( I like original unique stuff so maybe there's something in there for you if you share that taste!

Starting off with a super old faded print i have from @kampfkewob of super fashionable snail people. I had this one for so many years and still like it lots. Kampfkewob does tons of different art from furry to fandom to their OC verse, digital and traditional, super versatile artist!

Next up is a print from @asoftwrongness who does amaaaazing collage art. I literally never really cared about collage art before i saw their work! I added some real leafs, bones etc around the bottom and top because my frame was the wrong size *cough* They do really beautiful stuff, some uplifting some very thoughtful and melancholy. Art and poetry really

@fj0rge formally @fjorgael and i did an art trade 9 billion years ago and i still have all the drawings they made for me INCLUDING my two lovely boys framed on the wall. Fjorge has been really focussing on digital animation recently and does really neat dynamic work; some commissions but also fandom art.

This little Jason doesn't really do @grosskelly's art justice but it gives you an idea of their work which i just adore because i feel like they really embrace the wrinkles and slimyness and stuble of life. And i just love looking at that forever. Feel the textures with your eyes!

I also have many prints by @schinako in my house and they always make me feel super warm and fuzzy. They draw mostly bunnies and girls and their art is so soft and sweet. It's full of love and happyness and that's great to see every day <3

Also i'm currently waiting on a print by @samsketchbook who i only discovered recently and who does incredibly unique creature art and poetry but my fantastic mail service company has ISSUES right now so i will have to wait a little longer. I wanted to add them tho because i love their stuff

#not my art #feature #prints #blood

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crossbackpoke-check · 1 month

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nosy anon again making a return because i think what my brain did was read that i helped find some kind of writing and then did not fully process what the writing was?? but upon rereading i am very intrigued if you ever get the urge to share i will be all eyes/ears/senses required to enjoy things!!

I GET TO DO WIP WEDNESDAYYYYYY!!! the writing exists mostly in the form of a tag (fantastic! 'verse) and also a thirty-two page doc of snippets and planning, so the sense you will be using most is imagination:

don't think i have ever actually formally written out anything about fantastic! 'verse but! the tl;dr of it is that it's a semi-college au: joel is still a hockey player for the lv phantoms, but morgan is a college student-athlete. it's incredibly relevant to the plot that joel falls in love with morgan in the check-out line of a wegman's, lies a little bit, and ends up going back to get his degree.

most of it is just good fun about college kids growing up, but i think there's a lot of parallels between making your way through a development system where traditional "success" isn't always guaranteed (ahl -> nhl, completion of higher education -> pursuit of a career) because that development system isn't always designed for you to "succeed" or have opportunities. heavy quotation marks around success because part of that struggle is learning what you want in life and how you define success. are your dreams achievable? are they still the same dreams you always used to have? it's infinite branching universes of would you still love me if i was a worm (ahl player forever) (a college dropout) (a college graduate) (older) (realizing the fallibility of your body) (uncertain of the future) (human).

silly little snippet:

#do i LOVE this snippet no we're still workshopping but i felt like y'all needed context for why it's fantastic! 'verse #and i can't link ash's tweet because. priv nor can i link kay or jos' replies so this is me saying Just Trust Me the tweet is this scene #anon the gift keeps on giving. i get to gab i get to be nosy the world is ideal i am here for it #does it count as wip wednesday if the w in question has been ip for four (?) years?#liv in the replies #HI THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO OUT WHEN I FIRST GOT IT BUT I MISSED WEDNESDAY SO I HAD TO WAIT A WHOLE WEEK TO HIT IT AGAIN #BECAUSE I GOT EXCITED ABOUT DOING THE DAYS OF THE WEEK wip wednesday #you know the one oh i LOVE this part audio? that's me any time somebody asks me questions i am SO inclined to share.#one time somebody made a comparison about the blog and walking through a garden and it made me weepy i can't even lie #ALSO I SAW YOUR OTHER ASK i am in the trenches about whether i want to post it or not i did also go look and see her morgan posting in 2019 #and maybe she is the same girlfriend?? maybe they broke up and got back together?? maybe she just cleaned up her vsco??? SO confused #(the debate is for all the reasons you mentioned lol it's just me deciding how Public you have to be before i think i want to paper doll yo #into my narratives? in a public forum because i would absolutely dm/gc/etc where there's no chance she could see or be involved #(as if she is on tumblr) but also figuring out how much i let into the sandbox. To Me things like the edm polycule or including wags can be #interesting within the narratives and sometimes i just pretend they don't exist! right now i am intrigued by the fact of whether or not #i invented a girlfriend (???) for morgan but she really doesn't fit into my narratives in a fun/interesting way besides that #and i don't want to spread misinfo if i DID invent this other girlfriend. rip morgan's imaginary (??) gf although i KNOW there was one #with the artsy vsco claw marks on his back. i promise!!! maybe it was just her!!!#fantastic! 'verse #i have better snippets i promise this au is funny it also features like. all of the 2019-2020 flyers because that's when i started writing #AND probably ten of those 32 pages are plans for a sequel/companion about isaac ratcliffe my beloved 😭#don't think too hard about who is actually playing on the flyers or draft orders without people. EYE know who is still on the team #but i did not do the math shenanigans to figure out who replaced people like morgan or scooty loots. vibes only no PP units

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batgovernor · 2 months

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Short poem: RHL, 'Ghosts Twitter'

Ghosts twitter in my head like the memory of predawn birds. Digging below my present house I find a structural supportive past with rock veins to be mined. Upstairs the future isn’t fully built or roofed. Has someone goofed? The Architect is vague on final thirds. ***** I am finding many ways to say I don’t understand existence at all; this is one of them. This short, semi-formal poem was…

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#existentialism #future #ghosts #house #life #memories #Robin Helweg-Larsen #semi-formal verse

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madeimpact · 1 year

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Public vs private knowledge ( Pokémon verse )

Note: any worldbuilding details here are open to discussion to better meld with your headcanons!

Public knowledge ( information everyone can know )

Noctis Lucis Caelum is the son of Galarian King Regis Lucis Caelum, and heir apparent to the Galarian throne. This makes him a public figure.

The Lucis Caelum lineage is descended from the original Galarian king that worked with Zacian and Zamazenta to end the Darkest Day.

Noct's lineage shares in some of the same abilities Zacian possesses. He can materialize a spectral version of the Rusted Sword out of thin air and warp to wherever he ( or Zacian if present ) throws it.

Noctis has an Aegislash named Ultima, a Kingdra named Reine, a shiny Kingambit named Magnus, and depending on the point in his timeline, an Umbreon named Umbra.

The royal family has had the same Magearna in its care for generations. Their name is Astra, and Noctis will inherit them along with the throne when the time comes ( or has already inherited them, depending on the point on the timeline ).

Noctis is engaged to Kalosian nobility, Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.

At age eight, Noctis briefly spent time in Kalos to recover from a near-fatal injury.

Noct has a Dynamax Band as well as a Key Stone given to him by Lunafreya during his time in Kalos. His Key Stone is fashioned into a ring.

Noctis attended public school in Wyndon in addition to lessons from private tutors.

Noct has an apartment in Wyndon in addition to his own quarters with the royal family.

Noctis is currently traveling Galar with his royal entourage.

Noct's Rotomphone is a custom make that only the royal family and the kingsguard use.

Zacian is said to occasionally appear wherever Noctis is.

Noct's favorite pastime is fishing. He fished Reine up himself.

Noct hates vegetables and has a sweet tooth.

Sordward and Shielbert are totally unaffiliated with the Lucis Caelum lineage. Noct has no clue who they are. Rule of funny.

Semi-private knowledge ( information select groups know )

The source of the Lucis Caelums' link to Zacian's power is a crystal mined from deep within the Galar mines and guarded at the seat of power.

Noctis's near-fatal injury was from a shadowed Gyrados. Several of the attendants with him at the time perished in the attack. He was wheelchair bound for a period of time after being injured.

Noctis is trained in swordsmanship, even though the need to use it almost never comes up, with most conflicts being resolved through Pokémon battle. It's tradition in the royal family to learn swordplay, and one never knows when it may become necessary to use.

Noctis has formal ballroom training.

Private knowledge ( information only Noctis and loved ones know )

Noctis can understand Zacian and Zamazenta. This ability only extends to these two legendaries.

He can also talk to crystals and "living areas" — essentially their essence.

Noctis has a covenant with Zacian that enables Zacian to know when Noctis is in danger and appear in times of peril.

Noctis never fully recovered from his injury; he can't tap into his link with Zacian to the full extent that Regis can.

He has a large scar on his back where he was attacked by the Gyrados.

The Gyrados was intentionally unleashed on Noctis and his entourage by hostile political powers.

Depths of the Iceberg ( information not even Noctis knows )

Noctis's immortal ancestor with ties to Zamazenta is out there :)

#i'll probably beef up the latter sections as i think of more stuff but......for y'alls reference <3 #❛ headcanon: noctis.#❛ verse: noctis ; pokemon.#i need to update his trainer card with kingambit i'm so mad i didn't think of that before

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whostheblondegirlwriting · 5 months

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wedding with Brock and Jack? how's the planning process? theme? guest list? the mood?☺️ and the after?😏

Awww, love is in the air!

Brock’s not terribly concerned with the details. He won’t argue much or resist many suggestions. He’ll put his two cents in when it comes to the food though. They go to tastings for five different caterers before they finally settle on one.

Neither he nor Allison have much family so the seats of their outdoor venue are filled with friends and teammates. In the Echo-verse, Steve walks Allison down the aisle and Brock and Addy forgo a wedding party. At the alter, it’s just the two of them, like it’s always been. Brock wears a traditional bow tie tuxedo and the guests are in their best summer semi-formal. After the reception, there’s no time to waste before they have to catch a plane to their honeymoon in Thailand, where Brock finally gets to show Allison that beach he always told her she’d love. But that doesn’t stop him from taking Allison aside for a quick make out session after the photos and before they make their entrance as husband and wife. Once they’re on the island though, their hands are all over each other and they don’t leave the little beach house, and barely the bed, until the next day.

Jack insists whatever Allison wants is fine with him, but he will raise a brow in challenge or make a subtle noise of discontent if there’s something he truly isn’t in to. He lobbies for a full bar at the reception, regardless of the cost.

In the Delta-verse, we have to use some imagination because it’s incomplete. But we’ll operate in post-TWS rules and say Pierce is dead. So, Mick’s girls drop flower petals as Allison walks down the aisle by herself. The wedding party is small, with Jules as Allison’s MOH and Natasha and Evy as bridesmaids. Jack’s best man is Brock, next to Jack’s friend Kyle and Dennison. The guest attire is semi-formal and Jack chooses a necktie over a bow with his and the guys’ tuxes. After the reception, they have a suite for the night before they head to the airport. Ever the doting man, and fully aware how much Allison paid for and loves that dress, Jack helps Allison out of her dress, carefully undoing each delicate button down the back as he nibbles soft kisses across her shoulder, telling her how beautiful she looked tonight. With the dress safely aside, their romantic first night as husband and wife starts with Jack sweeping her off her feet to take her to bed with him.

#i can hear the bells🎶#brock rumlow #allison addams #jack rollins #let them be happy #headcanon #echo #delta #asks & message are always open

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catwings-writes-things · 8 months

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An incomplete list of things that happen in the Jailbreak verse

1. A living repository of paranormal trauma and a carnivorous sentient corridor system destined to be natural enemies accidentally save the world by deciding to be nice to each other

2. A pair of traumatized weirdos express their love by murdering each other’s shitty ex-bosses

3. An ex-doctor gets dragged out of an existential crisis at 3am by a woman with a bear trap stuck on her leg

4. A man who died and came back to life in the middle of the ocean eventually befriends the fear vampire of vast distances who showed up to feed on his terror

5. An old lady meets her future grandson when he puts a cursed book on her coffee table and asks her to explain how she dismembered someone

6. A woman’s sort-of-grandpa sort-of-tricks her into sort-of-eating her sort-of-boyfriend

7. Two avatars of opposing fears team up to accelerate their mutual friend’s visa application by traumatizing various government workers

8. A semi-corporeal embodiment of uncertainty sends a medic to check on her friend with truth serum powers after she slightly stabs him in the neck to make him stop talking

9. A claustrophobia vampire distracts her friend from his broken heart by teaching him how to build a blanket fort; this actually works pretty well

10. The best diplomat in a formalized found family who all belong to the same eldritch horror recruits a new member by having the sense to follow his script and accept the damn tea

11. A marine biologist requests a magical object to block unintentional telepathy after an orca tries to give her romantic advice

12. A collections librarian dies a horrible death in an abandoned gold mine and still shows up for work the next day; her colleagues respond by making every effort to become a vampire-friendly workplace

#the jailbreak verse #fic: a world of his own #tumblr polls #my wip #some of these are #zero context febuwhump spoilers #my first poll #have fun!

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tewwor-moving · 3 months

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NEWEST MUSE LIST 06-24

*** doubles as an interest check so like this and i'll cook up a starter! highly suggest specifying muse(s) for this one! i will be focusing on them more between drafts!

the unnamed

once a normal girl turned into a fragment of saul's liminal world. she spoke to an aspect of void and made a trade of names. thus, erasing hers while also being in ownership of the void's own. said void fused with her, stamping an archaic spiral symbol at the base of her throat and causes a never-ending hunger in her gut. her true form blurs into a soft darkness that tricks the eyes. only the feeling of fuzzy static comes from making contact with her. she dares not speak in fear that the void within her will consume parts of the other person like it had done to her. crime verse is pending.

bishop 'cain roth'

Civilian occupation: journalist. Marked position: scout. Part of The Marked ( lore here ). One of the few that were exposed to the supernatural prior death. Keeps close tabs on the hunter group he was raised in and betrayed. Swears to hunt down the corrupt creature that granted his wish in trade of half his soul. Has to live with the repercussions of having reaped what he stupidly sowed. Tries to befriend the other Marked, but honestly doesn't hold it against them if he's disliked.

cruor 'amine kovač'

Civilian occupation: unemployed. Marked position: reluctant healer. Part of The Marked ( lore here ). Was an uprising MMA fighter in their past life. Unfortunately, they sustained a fatal head injury and passed soon after. The newest of the Marked, and is having an incredibly tough time adapting. Not quite have hemophobia, but does get queasy at the sight of a lot of blood. Which.. doesn't bode well since they learned their own blood has potent healing properties. Is usually anemic, still has a penchant to push themselves to help regardless, needs to have their hand held to meet the monthly hunt quota. Is truly #babey.

caesura 'chiru sato'

Civilian occupation: TBA. Marked position: wheelman. Part of The Marked ( lore here ). Flighty, little thing. Doubles as a honeypot for high threat hunts, but would much rather make a quick escape rather than fight. Almost always with a partner on any job. Arguably the most in tune with her emotions. Often sought out for deep conversations or quiet companionship.

soothsayer 'saraj cai' .

Civilian occupation: stenographer. Marked position: advisor. Part of The Marked ( lore here ). Mother of this local sect, does dote on pretty much all of The Marked but in her own semi-strict way, has prosthetic eyes, it’s ok to accidentally make a pun or two around her — she does it too ( no, the irony of of her saying ‘i see’ or being titled as an overseer isn’t lost on her ), prefers to use a cane, has her way on keeping tabs on everyone.

tatsuro watanabe .

your life begins like this. .. something tragic and unjust befalls your crew. the bastards didn’t even touch the treasure. they simply reaped each life by the dozen and set ruin to your body. all that hatred and sorrow and everything in between lingers despite your descent to the seabed. it’s strong enough to catch the attention of someone powerful. powerful enough to fix a magically imbued priceless gem directly in the your chest. moments pass. the sea god swims away. then there’s movement. consciousness floods you as wooden shoulders wrench forward, arms crack, and hands scrabble to split away from the wreckage. you, the once figurehead that guided the crew safely, immediately take to the sea. you'll stop at nothing to return the anguish twofold.

formally shaped as a dragon, tatsuro is able to shift between forms at will. there's an almost wooden like quality to him when assuming his draconic form. multiple scars are marked across the face, arms, side, chest, and back. a shard of painite is embedded in the middle of his chest; surrounding flesh is raised and becomes irritated when using magic / changing forms.

amant taylor boudreaux

just a guy that's been obsessed with harborview's happenings. he's dedicated his life to accurately detail not only it's citizens but also the mysterious people that return from the sea. is the author of the harborview codex. would 1000% try to get nasty with someone just to lowkey research them. brainrot on god ( aka oram, even if he doesn't know that weird soggy man is the sea god responsible for all sea creatures )

#* & new muses .#// eeee im Excited for the unnamed tbh!!

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einsteinsugly · 6 months

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1989. A recollection of events of Burning Down The House (season 2), via song. Penned by Steven Hyde, to the tune of "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel.

(Verse 1) Semi formal, casual

Jackie dating Kelso

Fez and Hyde came anyway

Despite what Jackie had to say

Chopsticks, Kat Peterson

Forman was a square instead

Til he got some liquor in

Donna was embarrassed

(Chorus) Kelso started the fire

It was always burning since the world's been turning

Kelso started the fire

We didn't light it, but we tried to fight it

(Verse 2) Kelso was a douche

Hyde is way better too

A lit cigar, in a bin

Everything went to shit

Alcohol, on the flames

Kelso was to blame

Jackie was ashamed

Should've questioned everything

(Chorus) Kelso started the fire

It was always burning, since the world's been turning

Kelso started the fire

We didn't light it, but we tried to fight it

(Bridge) Still, wasn't the end

Donna was a good friend

Jackie didn't see the light

Took awhile, but now it's right

(Chorus) Kelso started the fire

It was always burning since the world's been turning

Kelso started the fire

It still burns on, and on, and on...

#that 70s show #that 90s show #steven hyde #jackie and hyde #jackie burkhart #jackie and kelso #michael kelso #idk what this is #kelso started the fire

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obsessedwithlute · 4 months

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Silver - Chapter Two

Kamali and Silver stopped in front of the queen, not bowing, as she was known to abhor formalities. Kamali attempted to force a smile on her face, to no avail. She simply looked as if she had a toothache.

“Silver” Reye greeted the princess. She turned to Kamali. “Who are…?” “Kamali, Your Majesty. Her bodyguard.” Gods, her hands were drenched in sweat. She was so overtaken by fear her heart was thumping out of her chest and she wanted to begin stabbing every person in that hall right then and now.

“Really?” Reye asked, looking directly at Silver. “Last time I checked, you didn’t want a, as you put it, ‘disgusting old man constantly following you around and putting restrictions on your every move’,”

“And I stand by that,” Silver agreed. “Kamali is, very obviously, not a disgusting old man. And either way, I never asked for a bodyguard.” Kamali's head roared to punch them for speaking about her like she was not there, but she’d have to teach herself to rein in that instinct.

Instead, she let herself sink in the fact that she’d be spending two months in the hospitality of her sworn enemy, and took solace knowing that at the end of those six weeks, she and Johanna and Silver would all be cold in the ground.

Everything she knew begged her to at the very least close her eyes. But she couldn’t. Her pupils remained fixated on Silver and anything around her that could be considered a plausible threat.

The princess and queen chatted for a few moments before they politely drifted away from each other.

“My father told me that all people of Darkflame are immortal,” Silver whispered. “Is that true?”

Kamali blinked, startled. That was knowledge that should have been unknown to even a princess.

“Yes,” she said a little breathlessly.

“How is that possible?” Silver asked. “Are you all children of gods?” All royals were; that was what gifted them their immortality. Queens and kings were required to marry gods so their kingdoms could have legitimate immortal rulers.

Or at least semi-immortal.

Gods weren’t really immortal. They could die, it was just insanely difficult to slay them. And royalty were weaker. They had fast, strong healing and queens and kings of old had been rumored to wield magik, though all that was simply implausible myth now.

“No,” Kamali corrected. “When the Earth God died, his blood seeped into the soil, and set off a ripple effect causing the people of Darkflame to all eventually become immortal as the royal godchildren of all other kingdoms.” “Is that why your royals are immortal? Or do they still bear the blood of deities?” Silver inquired.

“Why do you care?” Kamali snapped, completely forgetting her proprietary.

“Apologies, my lady. I did not mean to offend,” the princess said, almost sincerely.

“You shan’t apologize,” Kamali said. “You are of a rank higher than mine.”

They walked in silence across the ballroom floor, the only sound the clacking of Silver’s heels- the same color as her namesake.

A string quartet played by the buffet tables in the hall. The low, majestic sounds of the violoncello took over the white noise in Kamali’s head. Music had always done that to her. The noise made her want to open her mouth, and let those words trapped inside her fly out in a sophisticated string of verses, choruses and bridges. Hymns, folk songs, lullabies. Anything so long as she could sing it and grant it life.

Back when she was Amirah, when life was free and open to her- as open as it could be for a girl from Darkflame- she could have. She could sing until her throat was dry and hoarse, sing until her mouth could no longer make a sound, sing until her tongue was withered as the desert.

But now, as Kamali, she could never sing again in public, lest Her Most Majestic Majesty of Hoperain recognize her unique tone, or the artistic expression be deemed too improper for the bodyguard to Princess Silver of Florynlla.

She thought back to those fifty-nine years imprisoned in the fortress of the Heron. How she had taught the other prisoners from Darkflame the importance of the arts. The melancholy, heartbreaking songs to sing at a funeral and the hopeful, freeing tunes to hum at a wedding. The way that paint, when introduced to a canvas, could transform the world a little bit. Though she herself had never quite understood the wonder of creating physical, preserved art, she marveled at it often and considered how kinder people would be if they saw and heard art the way she did.

Lost in thought, the bodyguard didn’t feel the hours at the banquet pass by. Silver did not speak to her for the remainder of the time at the reception. Kamali did not attempt to initiate, and did not wish to. The leather-clad woman spent the whole banquet thinking of two months in Reye’s palace. And at the end of those months, how good it would feel when her dagger slid up into Reye’s heart. The horror she hoped to see on Reye’s face when she realized that Amirah was more than a ghost- that she had been closer than the queen would have ever anticipated.

Kamali was a liar, a criminal and a dirty cheat, yes.

Yet Reye was all those things as well, times thirty.

It took one to know one.

Eventually, people began drifting out of the ballroom, chattering amongst themselves as they paraded outside to their golden carriages.

Silver and Kamali were the last to leave, directly after Queen Reye.

They paused at the staircase.

“Good evening,” Silver said stiffly, and then promptly turned and left down a corridor.

Kamali closed her eyes- finally- and leaned back against the stair rail, shuddering.

Two months. No longer than that. She whirled on her heel and headed up the staircase, slightly glad when she reached her disgustingly ornate room. She fumbled for her key in the pocket on her cloak and slammed it into the lock. She grabbed the doorknob and threw it open, wanting to collapse as soon as she entered the room and locked the door firmly behind her. Instead, she relieved herself of the damn leather torture devices and slipped into a hot bath, attempting to relax her tense muscles from standing up straight and refraining from hitting anyone for hours.

Knowing herself, Kamali didn’t even attempt to sleep. Instead, she found the thick file she’d ignored earlier and scoured it, making notes on anything that seemed important, like Johanna arriving in Hoperain three weeks after Silver and Kamali, or the grand ball that would take place the night after that. Most of the file, though, was utterly unnecessary information that only a complete moron wouldn’t already know, like court etiquette. Who did they think she was? Kamali had made sure to give herself a refresher on royal household politics before signing up to be a princess’s bodyguard.

There was little to no information given to her about Queen Reye- unsurprising, since though the queen made public appearances, she was secretive about her personal life and had given no indication of her plans in political or private matters.Eventually, the fatigue Kamali felt from the day caught up to her and she collapsed, exhausted, into the overly fluffy sheets of her elegant bed.

Kamali was sitting across from Queen Reye of Hoperain in Her Most Esteemed Majesty’s private royal carriage. Again. Of course, this time as the bodyguard of the heir to a visiting fellow monarchy, and not an eight-year-old girl and the then-future queen’s closest friend.

Kamali was not to do anything that could distract her from Silver, so no matter how much she wished to review her files or even read one of the epics Reye had championed every time she got the chance as a child, she spent the carriage ride observing the queen.

Silver was going to be easy to kill- they would share chambers at the palace of Hoperain. She’d just plant evidence to show that an assassin had tragically made it inside during Kamali’s off-duty hours. But Queen Reye… Kamali needed to learn more about what she was like now. Without knowing everything possible about the sovereign, there was no way to tell what her weaknesses were.

The only issue was that Her Most Esteemed Majesty had spent the entire carriage ride so far reading budget notes. All Kamali had gained was the knowledge that she had become immensely boring- she had giggled multiple times while reading the report- and that she still loved to grab strands of her hair and push them behind her ear, something that had always annoyed Kamali to no end.

Kamali felt something wet and cold prick her eye. She flicked it away.

Kamali had begun to count how many times Reye had let out a little laugh at some note one of her Slightly Less Esteemed nobles had left on the budget report.

Out of everyone in the universe to swear to kill!

The current tally was at thirty-nine.

Suddenly, the horses let out a whinny and the carriage came to a halt. Silver and Reye jolted.

Reye held up a finger and stepped out to speak to the coachman.

Silver’s eyes were wide with fear. Kamali rolled hers. “It’s probably fine,” the bodyguard said. “The horses probably got spooked by a bear, that’s all. Nothing to worry about.” “You file a bear under nothing to worry about?” the princess demanded.

“It’s not going to eat us. If someone didn’t kill it already, it’s long gone by now,” Kamali explained as if she was speaking to a toddler.

“What if it comes back?”

“Then I stab it. This possibly nonexistent bear is not going to hurt you, Silver! It’s nothing to be afraid of! You need to get outside more; bears are very common creatures!” Kamali cut off her rant before it could expand further and give herself away before they were halfway to Hoperain.

Reye slipped back inside the carriage. “Bad news,” she announced. Silver paled. “One of the horses got heat stroke and passed out. It should be fine, but it needs to cool off. The horses nearly tripped over each other, so they let out a noise of alarm. We’ll have to wait a few hours out here; we don’t want the horse to be unfit to travel the rest of the way to Hoperain.”

Kamali turned to Silver. “See? Nothing to worry about.” Silver shook her head and looked at Reye. “How many hours?” “Enough that it’ll be dark by the time we get to Hoperain,” Reye admitted.

“Dark!” the princess exclaimed. “We left at seven to avoid that! We took your fastest horses!” “It’s just nighttime,” Kamali muttered. “Why are you so perturbed?” “No one is allowed within two miles of Hoperain Castle at night! By my own laws, not even I am to be let in before daybreak!” Reye explained. “Was there no information in that file?” “Honestly? I definitely don’t remember that!” Kamali defended. “Maybe reread the synopsis on your own capital if you care so much! Forgive me if you’re so very paranoid that you won’t allow yourself to enter your own castle during the dark hours!” “Would you prefer night shifters disguise themselves as me and break in?” the queen demanded.

“What have I signed up for? You have a night shifter infestation?” Night shifters were creatures that had forgotten their true form. During the day, they appeared to you as your greatest fear, but at night, they could become an exact replica of whoever they wanted. While Reye’s parents reigned, programs were in place to hunt them down and terminate them.

“I… may have felt bad for them and shut down the programs,” Reye said sheepishly.

“What is wrong with you? They’re pure evil! They don’t have a conscience!” Kamali screamed. “And you felt bad for them!” “...I need some fresh air,” Silver squeaked out. Both the queen and bodyguard had forgotten she was there. “Kamali, maybe you should just… stay here and work out whatever this is?” She slinked out of the carriage.

Kamali and Reye stared at each other. Kamali’s heart was racing so fast she thought it would jump straight out of her chest. Her cheeks flushed red and her nails dug into her thighs. Something in her gut twinged.

Kamali shook her head lightly. “Just- go back to reading your damn budget report and leave me alone.”

“It’s not a budget report,” Reye said softly.

“Excuse me?” “It’s a romance novel,” Reye admitted. “Disguised as a budget report so no one can accuse me of being improper.”

“Why are you bothering to tell me this?” Kamali asked in just as light a tone. There was a string in her stomach and someone was pulling on it hard.

“So you’ll stop staring at me and wondering why I’m laughing,” Reye said.

“I’m not staring at you because of that,” Kamali muttered.

“So why are you?” Reye demanded, her voice still quiet but a little harsher, like the queen she was. The queen she didn’t deserve to be.

“Because you’re interesting,” Kamali blurted, then caught herself. “I mean, it’s between you, the wall and Silver, who I’m going to be watching for the rest of my life.” A lie, but Reye didn’t know that. “You’re the novelty. If only I were you and could read a romance novel in lieu of sitting upright and being attentive and trying not to fall asleep.”

Reye smiled a little. “All right. So, should we go back to fighting?”

“Would you like to?” Kamali asked.

“Not really. I think you’re alright when you’re not screaming your ass off,” Reye said.

“And what do you think when I am ‘screaming my ass off’, as you so properly put it?” Kamali replied, grinning.

“I think you’re just plain attractive,” Reye admitted.

“What?” the bodyguard demanded.

Reye just smirked. “So. Truce?” Kamali comforted herself in the fact that she’d be stabbing this woman within two months. “Truce.”

“Are we going to have to sleep in the carriage?” Silver asked. Two hours ago, the carriage had started moving again and they’d finally been on their way to Hoperain. But it was alright almost sunset by the time the capital, Averfell, was even a tiny speck in the distance.

“Hopefully not,” Reye said. “But most innkeepers will turn us away rather than run the risk of us being night shifters.” Again with the night shifters! Restart the programs! Kamali wanted to tell Reye. But their truce had lasted for all of five hours, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to break it first.

“The carriage is fine; it’s just one night anyways,” Kamali shrugged.

“Unless you have another option,” Silver added. Royals! They were all so obsessed with personal comforts!

“Unfortunately,” Reye said, “the only other choice would be Starlight Avenue.”

What was Starlight Avenue? So much had changed in fifty-nine years!

“Oh! Well, I was actually hoping that at some point we could visit there!” Silver exclaimed, a light of excitement ashine in her eyes.

“You wish to go someplace so dangerous?!” Reye demanded, shocked.

“The markets are only for liars to fear,” Silver said, wrinkling her nose. “I’ve seen the gates; I’ve seen the sign! ‘Lies Have No Place Here’! I, for one, am no liar, and I hope you don’t consider yourself to be one!”

Reye closed her eyes tight. “Alright. Fine. But we should remain in the day sector, to avoid night shifters.”

Again with the night shifters…. Is it really that bad?

“Day sector?” Silver asked.

Ah, so she doesn’t know everything about this place! Maybe I’ll know something about what this is! Other than that it sounds like imminent doom to me!

“There are two sectors in Starlight Avenue,” Reye explained. “One is trapped in eternal day; the other in eternal night. And the whole place is swarming with night shifters. Even the day sector- some like to show people their greatest fear. They don’t care about shifting.”

“Remind me again why we’re opting for the night shifter breeding ground,” Kamali mumbled, just under loud enough for Reye and Silver to hear.

The horses clipped on, and the three women soon dissolved back into silence.

Hours later, Kamali stood in front of two great iron gates blocking off a street that seemed to be made entirely of darkness. A message was etched into the arch of the gates. Just as Silver had said: LIES HAVE NO PLACE HERE.

Kamali shuddered.

“The tides have turned,” Silver mused. “Now you’re concerned about something you shouldn’t be. Unless you’re lying entirely about your whole identity or something, there is no reason for you to fear this place.”

Kamali twisted her face into something resembling a smile and tried not to wonder if this meant Silver was smarter or dumber than she had initially thought.

“Are the gates locked or…?” Kamali asked.

“No, no,” Reye said. “You just have to push. Want to do the honors?” she asked, gesturing to Kamali.

Lies have no place here.

And Kamali was one big lie.

She didn’t even know anything about what this place was and yet every internal danger radar she possessed was waving red flags in front of her face.

She stepped on shaky feet forward and pressed her palm against the gate, her whole head begging, Please don’t kill me just yet.

The iron gates creaked and opened. Silver ran inside, while Reye and Kamali moved slower.

As soon as the gates slammed behind them, the sky transformed into a beautiful midday scene. The sun’s glare looked down upon them. If Kamali didn’t know better, she’d think it was truly daytime.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Silver marveled.

“I’ve been here once before, and almost got killed by a night shifter. Forgive me if I don’t love it,” Reye reflected.

For some reason Kamali wondered, A night shifter in the day or night sector? “Well. Let us go, then,” Kamali said decisively.

“Shall we check out the shops?” Silver suggested excitedly.

“Do that if you wish. I should have been off duty an hour ago,” Kamali muttered.

“Perhaps you’d like to check out the magik mirrors,” Reye suggested, smiling at Kamali. “I can show you to them.” “Magik isn’t real,” Kamali said flatly.

“Isn’t it?” Silver murmured, her voice light and airy. Kamali pictured her blood splattered everywhere.

“I’ll check out the mirrors, if only to escape from the desperate bore of your company,” Kamali shot at the princess.

“Good. Enjoy the shops, Your Highness,” Reye said, linking arms with Kamali and half-dragging her away.

The fake glare of the sun still somehow burned Kamali’s eyes as Reye guided her to the mirror exhibit.

Reye stopped walking when they reached what seemed to be a town square. There were people swarming everywhere, gossiping about the latest this or newest that, peddlers and merchants stopping rich old ladies in the street and offering to sell their beads and vases, pickpockets sneaking jewelry from the purses of pedestrians- everyone and everything you’d expect to find in a regular city hub.

Except for a long brick wall with every mirror you could ever expect to find hanging on it- but the mirrors weren’t the interesting part. It was what was inside of them.

These were mirrors that Kamali had heard about from fairy tales. They had faces trapped inside them, though in the stories they were honest and intelligent, and these were… not.

Kamali turned to Reye, fear ablaze in her eyes. “What are they?”

“Banshees.” Well, that calm voice was meant to be a deliberate annoyance, wasn’t it?

“Sorcery,” Kamali said, completely disbelieving.

“It’s not sorcery! It’s-”

“If you say magik, I swear to all the gods, I will gut you right here and now!” Kamali shrieked.

If she was being honest, she sounded like a banshee herself.

“Are they actually demonic off-key sopranos?” Kamali asked.

“I’m going to choose to ignore what you just described them as and say, yes, they are banshees, who were imprisoned inside these millenia ago. And no, they’re not to escape and start mauling you to shreds, so don’t even ask,” Reye said. “And they’re actually quite sweet, and the poor things don’t deserve to be locked away. In fact, I do plan to speak to some of these people, and see if a mirror can be purchased. I am certain my alchemists can look into freeing a banshee.”

“I don’t particularly think I’ll enjoy following you around as you do that. I shall remain here and observe these mirrors for a while longer,” Kamali decided.

“If it please you.” Reye left her there with the wall and its mirrors. In truth, Kamali did not pay the banshees a scrap of attention and instead closed her eyes for the first time that day. She let herself breathe and be human. She let her tense muscles relax just the slightest bit.

A tiny, tiny tear slipped out of the tired corner of her left eye. It trickled down her face, cooling her skin a little. It felt like the first introduction of ice to a desert.

She despised it.

Kamali reopened her eyes and looked around the square. A little girl, maybe five or six years old, was standing at her side. She had a puffy rat’s nest of blonde hair and came up to Kamali’s hips. The little girl reached up to tug on Kamali’s hand. Her skin was colder than the tear, colder than the tundra, colder than a frozen Hell.

Kamali shook it away and looked down at the girl. She gasped at the sight of her face.

It was Kamali.

No, it was Amirah. That was what Kamali had looked like almost seventy-five years ago.

That was her.

Amirah’s body began to flicker in and out, and she started sinking into the ground. Kamali fell to her knees, trying to reach her, to touch her, to save her.

It was all to no avail. She disappeared as soon as she’d come.

When Kamali got up, shaking, Amirah was there again, this time older. Thirteen, maybe. A long cut underneath her eye, bruises up and down her arm.

She wasn’t quite thirteen, then. She remembered this. It was one of the nastier beatings the nobl

es had given her.

Amirah was bleeding, and the blood began to cover her body, swallowing her whole, eating her alive.

Amirah was drowning in her own blood.

Kamali screamed, but somehow, somehow, no one heard her. Or maybe they did. Why would they care? Amirah melted to the cobblestone streets in a puddle of sticky red.

Kamali hoped to the heavens she wouldn’t reappear.

Not five seconds later, she was faced with another Amirah. This one much older- almost nineteen. Cloaked in black, repeating the same two words over and over, in the exact voice she remembered saying them.

“I’m sorry.” The truth hit Kamali’s mind suddenly.

Night shifter.

What was it Reye had said? Some like to show people their greatest fear. They don’t care about shifting.

Kamali turned on her heel and ran.

She didn’t know if Amirah- the night shifter; it wasn’t Amirah; she was Amirah, or at least used to be- was chasing her, and didn’t particularly care. She just needed to get away from it.

She didn’t even notice when the sky turned suddenly black, and a crescent moon’s light began to shine down on her. She just ran and ran until her legs gave out and she saw a line of shops to her left. She ran directly to the one in front of her, and begged every god the door would be unlocked.

She tugged on the doorknob and, thankfully, it opened. She rushed inside, and collapsed to the ground, even the warm yellow lamp radiating warmth that was the sole source of light in the store, burning her eyes.

She curled into a ball on the rough wooden floor, and tried to take some deep breaths.

“What happened?”

She looked up. A woman with curly sand-colored hair and emerald eyes stood over her, the burning sword tattoo on her throat signifying her as from Darkflame.

The tattoo of war heroes.

“Speak, girl!” she commanded. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing,” Kamali murmured, then groaned. She rolled over and vomited all over the woman’s floorboards.

“I just saw you running and screaming down the streets, so you’re clearly not ill. Mop’s over there.” The woman pointed to a mop and bucket in the back corner of the one-room store, which was filled with shelves containing bottles filled with odd-colored liquids, old leather-bound books and rusty relics, among many strange things.

Kamali blinked.

“Clean it up,” the shop owner commanded.

Kamali covered her eyes and yawned.

“Who even are you?” the woman demanded. “And what are you doing, dirtying my store?” “K…Kamali, bodyguard of Princess Silver. Visiting guest of Queen-” “Throwing around the names of royals isn’t going to help you. So what’s Kamali, bodyguard of Princess Silver, visiting guest of Queen Reye, doing in the Night Sector?” the shopkeeper barked.

“I’m in the night sector?” Kamali groggily asked.’

“Well, it’s been dark out for a decade, so I’d assume so. Get up, Kamali, bodyguard of Princess Silver. Such an esteemed lady as you has no business lying on the ground of such a lowly shopkeeper as I.” The woman spoke with clear sarcasm.

Kamali made a noise similar to that of a gate in desperate need of oil.

The shopkeeper kicked her.

Kamali rolled onto her back and made a half-assed attempt at jabbing the woman’s ribcage with her own foot but it turned out to be more of a flail.

This is pathetic, she hissed at herself. You’re stronger than this.

The other side of her brain fought back. No. You’re not. You were weak enough to be betrayed by a dumb feeling in your chest.

Well, she wouldn’t be this time.

And she wouldn’t be stabbing anyone lying on the floor of a shop in the Night Sector.

Kamali tentatively pushed herself up onto two wobbly legs and took a few shaky steps towards the mop.

She gripped its handle and started cleaning up the vomit. The shopkeeper, seated on a moldy wooden stool, kept her glowing green eyes fixated on Kamali until she was finished. Once the floor was sparkling shiny, the woman spoke.

“I’m Barbara,” she said flatly. “I don’t know any fancy royals except for the long-dead ones, but I beg that you deign to acknowledge me regardless.”

Kamali couldn’t help but laugh, for this woman seemed to be the one people would beg to be acknowledged by.

Barbara gestured to a stool identical to hers. “Sit.” Kamali obeyed. “Tell me how such an esteemed lady as you got here,” she ordered.

“I was a bit… spooked by a night shifter,” Kamali murmured. “I ran away, and didn’t exactly notice when I entered the night sector.”

“Ah, another court idiot,” Barbara commented.

“Don’t call me that,” Kamali snapped.

“What?”

“I’m not a court idiot! I’m not even a noble! I simply applied to become the bodyguard of a princess because I needed a job.” Even though that’s nowhere near the whole truth. “The title is just attached.”

“What did the night shifter appear as?” Barbara asked, unfazed by Kamali’s protests.

“Doesn’t matter,” she snapped.

“Made you crumple to the floor of my shop and cry like the devil was after you. Seems like it matters,” the shopkeeper insisted.

Kamali was silent.

“Look, just tell me: Was it someone or something?” “Someone,” Kamali admitted.

“Interesting,” Barbara commented. “But good. Now the weight on your shoulders is lighter, simply from sharing that bit of information. Do you feel it?” “I don’t feel anything,” Kamali muttered.

“We’ll work on it,” the woman decided. “Now. You will buy something.” “I don’t have any money, my lady. I apologize.” The shopkeeper’s eyebrows furrowed.

Shit. She’d slipped. Kamali had done so damn well not affording Barbara the deference she deserved as a warrior of Darkflame.

Well, she’d just have to act like it never happened and barrel past it.

“I don’t deal in common coins,” the shopkeeper said. And before Kamali could ask, she said, “I deal in lies.” “In lies…?” Liars have no place here.

“Over there-” Barbara gestured to the shelves in the front of the shop- “I’ll only need you to tell me a few small lies you’ve told in your lifetime, and the truth to go with them.”

Kamali cautiously approached the shelf. There were many treasures collecting dust on the wooden planks- golden goblets, bronze bracelets, emerald vases. She was drawn to a small, clear, shimmering ring tucked behind a few wine bottles. She pointed to it. “What’s that?”

“That ring changes color depending on your emotions. It comes with a piece of paper decoding the shades. That will be two small lies paired with their truths, if you please. Don’t bother telling me you don’t want to buy it. You wouldn’t have asked if you didn’t. And they must be lies you’ve told before. Oh, and you must tell me the person you lied to.” Barbara waited, smiling.

“I told you nothing happened to me,” Kamali said, her voice grinning for her. “Right after I entered your store. And the truth is many things have happened to me.”

Barbara let out a little laugh. “Nice job,” she purred. “Not giving me what I want. I respect that. But you still have only paid half the price.”

“Why do you deal in lies?” Kamali asked. “They can’t be of value to you.”

“Oh, but they are. Now, if you ask another question, I will throw you out of this shop. I do not answer to you,” Barbara snapped.

Kamali rubbed her temples, trying to think of another small lie she’d told. “When I was nine,” she said, “I told my mother I had to ask my teacher a question and I would be late coming home. Instead, I snuck over to my sick friend’s house and brought her a cinnamon roll.”

“Hm,” the shopkeeper remarked. “Why did you have to lie?” Kamali mimicked her and said, “I don’t answer to you.”

“Yet we all answer to the truth. You’d do well not to forget that,” Barbara told her. “Well, the ring’s yours.”

The shopkeeper plucked it off the shelf along with a slip of paper and handed it to Kamali. She slid it onto her left index finger and it turned a shade of bright red.

Kamali looked down at the sheet. Red: Fear.

Her heart pounded. Shit. Her emotions were on display for this woman to see- why was she so rash?

Everything told her to take the ring off, but even if Barbara could see her emotions- this could help Kamali. She could know when she was feeling something that made her vulnerable. And she would, at the very least, know more about herself than other people did.

Something else caught Kamali’s eye. In the windowsill sat a candle- not lit, not at all burnt. A perfect, pristine candle- as if it was frozen in time.

Pointing to it, she asked, “And how much does that cost?”

“Oh, that,” Barbara said, smirking, “will cost the greatest lie you have ever told. It protects a person of your choice against all harm until it burns out.”

“No, no,” Kamali gasped, shaking her head violently. “Thank you for the ring. I will be going now.” She stepped towards the door.

“When you wish to come back and purchase the candle, I will hold it for you,” the shopkeeper told her.

“Do not,” Kamali insisted. “I have no wish to buy it.”

“Well, even if you don’t,” Barbara countered, “sometimes we crave to tell someone the truth, even if we don’t know it ourselves. The candle will be kept out of sight until you return.” “Stop saying when and until,” Kamali protested. “I will not be returning to purchase the candle.” “Oh, you will,” Barbara persisted. “You simply don’t know it yet.”

“Kamali? Kamali??” That was Reye’s voice. She must have come back to the wall of mirrors only to find Kamali gone. Luckily, she’d made it back to the day sector before there was a chance of anyone finding out where she’d been.

“No need to freak out,” Kamali said, approaching the queen’s back. “I’m right here.” Reye whirled around and for a second reached out her arms like she was going to hug Kamali. But then she pushed them back to her sides, and seemed to exhale. A good thing. She shouldn’t hug you, Kamali reminded herself.

“Where were you?” Reye demanded. “I thought you were lost or dead or worse!” Kamali decided not to ask what constituted worse.

“I was just at a shop,” she assured the queen, smiling. She held up the hand bearing her ring. It had turned deep blue- perhaps the color of absolute disgust and hatred.

“Nice,” Reye remarked. “I’m glad you… enjoyed yourself, then.” The queen twisted her face into a stupidly wide grin.

“Where is Silver?” Kamali asked.

“Acquiring lodgings. There are still many hours left of nightfall and we need sleep. She is at an inn a few blocks away. Come on.” Reye set off and gestured for Kamali to follow her.

The bodyguard squared her shoulders and walked after her nemesis.

Silver was waiting at a cottage painted white with a dark blue door. There was a hole in the roof and a thriving garden in front.

Kamali and Reye stopped in front of her and instantly noticed she was blushing.

The princess looked them each in the eye and then said, “Well. Good news or bad news first?”

“Bad, always the bad,” Kamali decided before Reye could say anything.

“She only has two free rooms. And I may have already claimed one for myself,” Silver admitted.

“What? I’m your bodyguard. Don't you think we should be the ones sharing a room?” Kamali demanded.

“I’ve known you for all of one day; there’s no chance in hell that we are sharing a room! And considering I’m the one who found this place, isn’t it fair that the rooming is my decision?” Silver demanded.

“That’s fine,” Reye scoffed. “As long as-” “And it’s only one bed each,” Silver blurted.

“Not as fine,” Kamali muttered. “And what the hell is the good news?” Maybe there’s a mat I can sleep on? Oh, gods!

“We don’t have to sleep on the streets,” the princess said, shrugging. “And it’s only for one night. Now come inside. It is freezing out here, and there are shades to ward off the light so we can calm down a bit.”

Reye turned to Kamali. “We can make this work. It’ll be fine.”

Kamali pinched her nose so tight it hurt.

The ring was black with swirls of red now. She hid her hand in her cloak so Reye wouldn’t see it had changed color. The logical side of her brain said to just take the jewelry off, but… Somehow she couldn’t. She liked having the power to know, once she’d memorized what the colors meant.

Silver handed Kamali a rusty key with 6 engraved on it. She and Reye checked a few corridors until they found their assigned room.

The bodyguard slid her key into the lock, and-

Oh gods. The room was disgusting. It was practically a glorified closet, there was mold and spiderwebs creeping across the walls, and the bed was tiny. If you put two babies on opposite ends of it, they’d be a hair’s length away from one another!

The luggage that Kamali and Reye had brought was shoved in the corner, presumably by the footman before he went home to his family, who, according to the queen of Hoperain, lived in the day sector.

“It should be around midnight outside,” the queen said. “We’ll have to leave early. We should get some sleep.” She walked over to the thick blinds on the windows and shut them tightly. Both the queen and bodyguard walked over to the bed and pulled themselves under the thin covers.

About three minutes later, Reye was fast asleep. With her arms tightly wrapped around Kamali. What the actual fuck.

How Reye had managed to silently and unsuspiciously do that, Kamali had no idea. She didn’t even think it was on purpose, and that was the worst part. That was it; she had tried; she was going to sleep on the floor now. Kamali tried to tug herself out of the queen’s embrace, but she feared to either wake Reye or dislocate her own shoulder.

It had been cold as ice just a few minutes ago, but now Kamali was sweating. Kamali looked down at her ring, which had been pulsing with light ever since Reye had closed the shades. It was mostly red, with a few dabs of purple mixed in. She’d have to check what that meant tomorrow, but right now, Kamali wanted to sleep. And she wanted to escape the arms of her sworn enemy. And also, a little tiny part of her wanted to stay right where she was.

Alas, she had a scrap of intelligence left in her, and set about weaving herself out of Reye’s grasp. Her heart was jumping, and she didn’t like it one bit.

Kamali had managed to half-dangle herself over the bed when Reye opened her eyes.

“What the hell…?” the queen murmured groggily. “Why are you doing that?”

“Exercise,” Kamali lied. “Night exercise. It’s good for the body, the soul, the, um, ligaments! I just had to finish it up. Sorry for disturbing you.”

“Mm,” Reye murmured, turning over, accidentally dropping Kamali onto the floor. “G’night.”

Kamali nodded, knowing the queen couldn’t see her, and not caring one bit.

She didn’t get back into bed, instead electing to curl into the fetal position on the scratchy rug and trying to force herself asleep.

The nightmares came. They always did.

A crack of a whip. Blood everywhere.

The blood of her people, everywhere, her clothing, the ground, spurting from her mouth.

I’m sorry.

I’m- Her eyes blinked open. Kamali forced the door open, forgetting about Reye asleep behind her. She ran outside to the bright sun and perfect garden, fell to her knees, and wept.

#silver by obsessedwithlute #romantasy #writers on tumblr #second chance trope #enemies to lovers #original work #original story #lgbtq characters

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