#she helped a lot in the initial search for the mc

[if-mirrormine]

Will we get a chance to see Nora and Callie react to the fact that the mc is dating one of the ros in game?? Because I can only imagine the things they’d have to say at least about finding out the mc is finally dating Grayson or is dating Alex again (or, god forbid, their reaction to gralex) (I’d say Kennedy too but idk how well they really know her, so idk if they’d have any particularly strong reaction to that relationship)

definitely! i won't give away too much but their reactions to each would be something like this:

grayson: FINALLY !!

alex: alright

kennedy: good for them

gralex: oh...?

[becomingbts]

Time heals (sometimes) - 1

Summary: 6 years ago, (Y/N) thought that she was finally taking her life into her hands, leaving behind a toxic and abusive relationship with a man who taught her she’d never be worthy of love. However, it became hard to ignore his words when she met her seven soulmates who rejected her without even giving her a chance to prove herself. It took (Y/N) 3 years to realize that it wouldn’t be her end. She would live on to prove them all wrong; she would become what they all thought she wasn’t: someone worthy of love. And as she stands proudly on the stage, under the  burning spotlights and the applause and  the cries of the delirious crowd, she feels alive. Alive, just like the bond she believed to be broken.

Pairings: Y/N x OT7

GENRE: Soulmate AU!, Idol Y/NAU!, semi social-media AU!, ANGST (mainly), fluff, romance, maybe smut in the series.

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Warnings:  The series is going to be heavy with a lot of personal experiences  mixed into the fiction, so this is going to be kind of therapeutic for me. Please, consider not reading the series if you are not comfortable with: abandonment issues, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, self-harm (not descriptive and only part of MC’s past), suicide thoughts (in the past), toxic behavior, toxic and abusive relationship (in the past), depreciating self-talk and low self-esteem, a lot of curse, physical and mental pain, near death experience situation (in the past), and maybe smut scenes (happy ending though, but it will probably be quite the ride).

NOTE: So hello everyone, welcome to Time Heals (sometimes). Thank you so, so much for the warm welcoming, it has been my first time getting so many asks, I was honestly overjoyed. I still don’t really know what to call this part; is it a teaser? A note? A full chapter? I believe we’ll get some snapshot of memories like this one throughout the series because there is going to be a lot to unpack on both sides. I think it will be a chapter nevertheless because I have to establish some kind of order as to which parts should be read first, and I think this one is extremely important.

Thank you for reading,

-Dolly

Profiles #2 - here - part 2

Her scream pierced through the air while cries broke in the frenzied arena while a single blond-haired man froze, emptily staring at the stage. It felt like his senses heightened; his skin was shuddering, his eyes were frantically searching for one specific figure while his voice was lost in his throat. The screams resonating in the stadium would have been too loud for his voice to be heard anyway. 

Jimin knew he shouldn’t be there. 

Namjoon had told them more than once that none of them should try to go to one of (Y/N)’s events. It could be dangerous and they could be overwhelmed; anything could happen to them and they would still remain a nobody who fainted in the howling crowd. Would they want to take this risk? No.

So, Jimin would have had to admit that going to her very first concert in Seoul since the pandemic sounded like a very, very, very bad idea. And to be honest, it still didn’t seem to be a bright idea now that he was actually there. 

But he still went because he needed to see her for himself; to see how she was. He had so many things he dreamed about asking her. Are you okay? Are you sleeping well? Did you eat before coming to the arena? Are you nervous? Do you... remember me? 

Maybe he was torturing himself. He kept on watching her lives, following her on all social media, always made sure to leave a sweet comment, and never miss any of her new updates... Maybe he even had a folder of pictures of her on his phone but he’d never admit it to any of his mates. Taehyung would probably take his phone away from him and delete everything and Jimin couldn’t let that happen.

He felt like it was cheating. Don’t take him wrong though. When he thought that, he was not really thinking about the boys. They did collectively agree not to follow her activities as an artist but it was getting harder and harder with how popular she got anyway. Moon was everywhere. In commercials, on the radio, her songs were on the TV… Even if she was known for refusing most of the promotional contracts that were offered to her, her image was still constantly in the media despite her avoidance of it. Ironic, but the media were trying their best to find anything about her, be it positive or negative. One day she was seen on her bike, the next, she was in a coffee shop, and it kept on going on, overstepping on her privacy as if it was just a meaningless word. 

The lockdown had admittedly played a major part in Jimin’s obsession. Being in their apartment meant quickly running out of activities, and his job as a dance teacher was not really filling his free time (a lot of his classes were also canceled). It was also during that time that (Y/N) truly blew up as an independent artist. Advertisement on YouTube started being around her channel and her music, the recommendations he kept on seeing were about also her… Jimin’s resolve honestly broke easily. It was hard not to be curious about his lost soulmate even though he didn’t feel like he had the right to be hurting. 

Anyway, to come back to his main point, if Jimin felt like he was cheating; it was mostly for her. After all, (Y/N) had no means of letting the curiosity get the best of her, to know what they were doing; to simply see or contact them. He had, at first, not really thought about that. Watching her content seemed a very innocent thing to do in his opinion; billions of people were watching her content, why should he prevent himself from doing so? Yet, Jimin could still remember one of her live she did soon after that interview she had given on this damned radio show where she had revealed who her title track ‘TIME’ was about… She had gone live the next day-Jimin had jumped on his phone because of the notification-and one fan had asked her what would she do if she knew that her ‘ex-soulmates’ (and those words left a very sour taste in Jimin’s mind) were watching her. The question had silenced a previously restless Jimin, replacing his initial excitation with dread while a lump formed itself in his throat. He had not even noticed it; he was so focused on her live and her upcoming answer that Jimin had completely missed the sound of a glass breaking in the apartment. Jimin had been home alone, so even if had indeed heard it, he probably wouldn’t have bothered to check what had happened, thinking that the wind knocked it over or something. Jimin had been so absorbed by what he had been watching that he even got surprised a few hours later when Seokjin came home and yelled at him for breaking something when he had been clearly innocent, engrossed in (Y/N)’s live (not that he could tell his soulmates about that part, but yeah). (Y/N)’s live would always be more important than some random glass breaking again in their apartment. Every object was doomed with Namjoon living here anyway.

On her side of the screen though, (Y/N) had seemed taken aback as she had read the question and had gritted her teeth gently. She had seemed to be pondering about her answer even though a lot of people in her chat were telling her to forget about the question if it made her uncomfortable (a lot were even scolding the person who asked). Yet, sighing softly, she had looked up at the screen: 

“I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from asking questions on this topic. It’s not taboo but I’d rather not remember everything that comes with it. However, to answer this-hopefully-last question about it, I’d ask them to turn off my stream and to stop watching any of my content. It would only be fair after all. I’ve been denied access to their lives six years ago, why would they get a free pass into mine now?” She had not smiled nor had she seemed hurt by her own comment, yet Jimin’s heart had shattered in pieces, unable to press the cancel button. 

Her voice had slowly faded into background noise while her words had been stuck in his head. 

I’d ask them to turn off my stream and to stop watching any of my content. 

How could Jimin ever do that? He realized that he truly should. Namjoon would even agree with you, as ironic as it sounded for Jimin. Namjoon had been one of the most adamant ones about rejecting your bond, after all. Jimin was shaking with bitterness while ‘Moon’ continued her stream peacefully with music. Jimin could only try to gulp his anger down as he remembered her crumbling features on that fateful day. 

“You��re not our soulmates. This name on our arms means nothing to us. You are nothing to us if not a hindrance. Leave us alone.” 

If Jimin could go back in time, he’d prevent Taehyung from spatting those words at her. Yet, he couldn’t do anything. Playing the scene over and over in his mind wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t change that she probably hated them. It wouldn’t change the song she made about them. 

And worst of all, it wouldn’t change the fact that Jimin had let himself believe that their choice had been for the best, trying to console and reassure himself, even if he had already known that it was wrong. Tears were pooling up in his eyes even if none escaped as he finally caught a glimpse of her on the stage. Suddenly brought back to reality after his subconscious memory trip, Jimin finally connected back to the world, looking around while he was still frozen on his spot. People were still screaming around him and he wondered if he looked like an intruder. Because, after all, wasn’t that what he exactly was? She said it herself that she didn’t wish for them to watch her; so what was he doing here? 

Jimin couldn’t help but stare; she looked ethereal, dressed like a queen in the middle of a sold-out arena. People were screaming her name as she yelled her infamous ‘hi people’. It was an opening sentence that Jimin heard way too many times in her vlogs and suddenly hearing it in real life seemed surreal. 

Jimin could only watch in awe, entranced with her everything. 

Screw the boys and what they would think once he’d be back from her concert. 

He had been the one to find her six years ago anyway. He had been the one to bring her to their home six years ago, hoping for the boys to change their mind once they’d meet her.

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Uploaded : 09/04/2021

Taglist: @sweetmoonlight9, @mickmoon, @dreamer95, @loveyoongles, @spicetouched , @jikooksgirl19, @summerevelyn , @springjade , @clevercoley, @prooteus, @sehun096rainbow, @ainsle-e, @ifyouareme, @sunshinee0-0, @fangirl125reader, @sea-nevermind-enthusiast, @atlantis-atlas, @thequeen-kat, @naajix, @skyys-universe , @sichajeon , @yukiehyukie, @amxranthinesworld , @bunzom, @potate-oh, @mawwnsterr​, @ celaenaelentiyavox, @dvoz-writes​ , @honeybaby-94​ ,

[duskwoodgirl4life]

The Night Stalker

Chapter 5

Jake and Jessy helped get MC up off the floor and lay her down on the couch, after a few minutes MC started too come round. She tried too get up but her legs wouldn't let her move.

Jake: stay sat down you need too get your energy back

MC: what happened, I remember the photos but nothing after that

Jessy: you fainted after Jake showed you the photos

Jake: have some water it will help

Jake handed MC a bottle of water which she took, she reached out her hand wanted Jake too sit next too her.

MC: I can't keep acting like this I need too be stronger

Jessy: you have every right too be like this after all that's been happening

Jake: Jessy's right it's a lot too process

MC: what am I going too do now?

Jake: I'm running a scan too track his location.

MC: I just want this nightmare too end

Jake: don't worry I'm with you now

MC: I know, I can't tell you how happy that makes me

Jessy: the group chat is blowing up again

MC: tell them too come round I will explain everything

Jessy: are you sure?

MC: if I don't do it now I never will

Jessy sent a message too everyone in the group chat and told them too come round as soon as they can. Later that day jake was busy working on his when he felt a hand on his shoulder he turned round too see MC stood next too him, he pulled out his chair and pulled her onto his lap. MC got her self comfy getting as close too Jake as she could. He pulled himself back towards his desk and carried on working.

Jake's POV

I continue too work harder than ever too track down Alan, I need too find the reason why he is doing this. MC as settled down she's over the initial shock but I fear there is more too come. I have finally managed too track Alan's wear abouts when I see the location it shocks me too learn he's hiding in Micheal Hanson's old house.

MC starts too wake I brush my hand against her cheek, she looks up at me and smiles her smile just melts by heart

MC: hey, how long was I out?

Jake: about an hour

MC: what time is it?

Jake: it's 6pm jessys making dinner

MC: have the group been round yet?

Jake: no not yet, they are coming round later on

MC: that gives me some time at least

Jake: what do you mean?

MC: well there is something I haven't told you

Jake: what is it?

MC: I think I know why Alan is doing what he's doing

Jake: I think you better tell me

MC: remember when I had too go too duskwood police station and talk too him, well he tried coming onto me

Jake: HE DID WHAT!!!

MC: I turned him down told him I was in love with you, I thought he got over it but he hasn't

Jake: why didn't you tell me?

MC: I didn't know how too I was so scared all I could think about was getting too you, Jake I'm so sorry please forgive me

Jake: can you give me some time

MC got up off Jake's lap and went out of the room, Jessy was in the kitchen when MC came in.

Jessy: what's wrong?

MC: there's something I need too tell you about Alan

Jessy: why didn't you ever say anything?

MC: I didn't know how too and now I've told Jake he probably hates me, I need too get out for awhile.

Before Jessy could stop MC she had grabbed her jacket and left the apartment Jessy tried shouting after her but she didn't respond.

Jessy: Jake?? Jake??

Jake: what is it?

Jessy: it's MC she's left the apartment I don't know where she's gone

Jake: stay here incase she comes back I'll go look for her.

Jake grabbed his keys and left in search of MC.

MC POV

Why didn't I tell Jake all of what happened at the very beginning, why couldn't I just of told him. Now what am I going too do? I've probably lost Jake forever after this tears started too fall from MCs eyes. She just carried on walking not really paying attention too where she was walking when she finally looked up she was near the motel. MC stood and looked at the forest so much had happened so many memories why don't I just save everyone the bother and let Alan do what ever he wants. Lost in her thoughts a hand touched her shoulder spinning her round. When she looked up it was Jake.

MC: Jake w-wha...

Jake: it's okay come on let's get you back

MC: I'm sorry Jake I never meant too hurt you

Jake: MC it's okay, non of that matters now let me take you home.

When they got home Jessy had made dinner they sat down too eat, MC didn't really eat much she had so much on her mind. After they finished there was a knock at the door Jake went too answer. He opened the door too a shocked Hannah and Lilly they just stood there not quite believeing Jake was stood there.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Gavin’s Divination Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 占卜之约, which has not been released in EN! 🍒

[ Released on 16 September 2021 ]

MC: Gavin, I’ve been way too unlucky recently! I fell down while riding a bicycle, the water supply was cut halfway during a shower, and last week, three flights were delayed by more than two hours within the span of three days... Sob sob, life is so difficult...

It’s a Saturday, and Gavin has come over to my house to kill time as usual. The moment we meet, I can’t help but wail about how I painstakingly got through the week. 

As though he’s comforting a small animal, his palm gently covers the top my head.

Gavin: You’ve already told me these things.

He pulls me over to sit on the sofa, then leans over to look at my knee. Knowing his intentions and feeling afraid that he’s genuinely worried, I hurriedly wave my hands.

MC: Actually, it wasn’t a serious fall, and my skin didn’t tear. There were a few red cuts, but they're gone now.

Even after confirming the veracity of what I said, Gavin doesn’t straighten up. His fingers rub my knee, conveying his belated consolation.

After a while, he rests an arm on the sofa while turning his head towards me.

Gavin: Want to drink milk tea or eat cake? Didn’t you say that with these two things, even the worst of moods can be turned into the clearest of skies?

With this reminder, a location instantly flashes past my mind.

MC: Let’s drink coffee!

I reach for my phone on the coffee table. Tapping on my saved searches, I show Gavin a shop.

MC: This one - Witch Café. The name’s a little outdated, but it’s really popular recently. I’ve seen many people checking in on Moments. 

MC: The manager of this shop knows divination, and the reviews mentioned that she’s really accurate... 

MC: Also, if the results from the divination aren’t that great, she could help turn my fortune around. 

MC: The shop sells lots of objects used for changing one’s fortune, such as crystal rings and bracelets. 

MC: I think what I need most right now, aside from you... would be a change of fortune!

Gavin bursts into a laugh, then lifts his head to look at me.

Gavin: It’s my fault for not learning divination to change your fortune for the better. Otherwise, you’d only need me.

Gavin’s quick wit causes me to do a thumbs-up.

MC: Wow. Your logic... makes a little bit of sense.

He scrolls down my phone screen, taking a casual look at the café’s introduction.

Gavin: Mm, it looks really interesting and isn’t very far.

MC: It’s really nearby. It’s only a few kilometres away, and there definitely won’t be a traffic jam at his hour. But it’s the weekend, so I’m not sure if we’d need to queue.

Gavin takes my phone from my hand, then pushes me on the back gently.

Gavin: Get changed. I’ll give them a call to make a reservation.

I immediately get up, giving him a deliberately formal bow.

MC: Understood.

-

The internet-famous café is even more popular than I imagined. Although it isn’t time for afternoon tea yet, the shop is already fully packed.

Fortunately, we’re seated in a relatively quiet corner next to the window. However, we can still hear a few ladies from the neighbouring table fervently discussing the results of their divination.

I tug on Gavin’s sleeve from across the table.

MC: Gavin, you’ve never believed in such things, have you?

Gavin: Divination?

Gavin nods frankly, then suddenly chuckles.

Gavin: I initially wanted to say that I didn’t believe it. But I suddenly remembered that an Evolver who can predict the future is sitting right in front of me.

MC: ...that’s true?!

Realising this, I sink into a deep contemplation. Gavin reaches out to scratch the tip of my nose.

Gavin: I meant that as a joke. It’s impossible to meet a second Evolver with a precognition ability.

I glare at Gavin angrily. He shifts his gaze, looking at the manager who is currently talking to patrons.

Gavin: But she is an Evolver.

MC: Really? 

I turn my head to look. The manager is wearing a black apron, and she’s bending down as she patiently explains the divination symbol to a patron, her smile warm and amiable.

She exudes an aura which makes whatever she says very believable.

Just as my anticipation is hooked, Gavin stifles it with his words.

Gavin: But it definitely isn’t related to precognition.

MC: I see...

When Gavin sees that my anticipation has dampened, he pushes a blueberry cake in front of me.

Gavin: Don’t feel disappointed yet. Divination has never needed to rely on Evol. You’ll know if it’s accurate after giving it a try.

He digs a small piece of cake with a spoon, then brings it over to me. Munching on it, my eyes widen as I look at him.

MC: Incredibly! Delicious!

The cake exceeded my expectations. Thinking that the coffee might be pretty good too, I quickly lift the cup of coffee from the table.

In the meantime, Gavin picks up the explanatory card the manager had just brought over, and starts reading from it.

Gavin: It says that once you’ve finished drinking the coffee, you have to press the bell to call for the manager. The manager will obtain the divination results after observing the shape of the coffee sediments. 

Gavin: Before the divination, you could think of the contents of the divination first.

Gavin: If you have a ring or another token, you could prepare it beforehand. Place it at the bottom of the cup afterwards to increase the effectiveness.

After reading this, he rests his chin against his hand while chuckling softly.

Gavin: It’s almost the same as the tarot cards we tried the last time.

I take the explanatory card from him. Opening it up, I give it a sweeping glance.

MC: ...so it’s tasseography. I did research on it when we were playing with tarot cards the last time. Afterwards, I realised how complicated it is to interpret the divination results, so I gave up on learning it.

Finishing the rest of the coffee in one gulp, I press the copper bell at the corner of the table.

Upon hearing the bell, the manager looks up and shoots me a smile while washing a coffee cup. After wiping her hands, she walks over to us.

Manager: Are the both of you done with your coffee?

Seeing me nod in anticipation, she picks up the serving tray on the table, placing it next to the coffee cup.

Manager: May I know how I should address you?

MC: MC.

Manager: MC, lift the coffee cup and sway it gently while contemplating on your divination question. Once you’re done, place the cup upside down onto the tray.

I follow her instructions.

After a short while, she uncovers the cup, displaying the shape of the coffee sediments inside it.

Manager: Based on the results, you seem to have been going through a rough time lately, and your mood hasn’t been great. Is this correct?

MC: !!!

I immediately look at Gavin, thinking that this is far too accurate.

The manager seems to detect an affirmation from my expression. She sets down the coffee cup, then retrieves two wrapped chocolate cookies from her apron.

Manager: I made them this afternoon, and they’re for you. Based on the shape of the coffee sediments, although you might have experienced some rough moments recently, all the unhappy moments have already passed. Over the next few days, you’ll receive good news in succession, and you’ll be happier.

While saying this, she leans over, her slightly curled hair exuding a floral fragrance which refreshes the soul, causing me to be left in a mild daze.

Gavin suddenly speaks up.

Gavin: You’re using Evol.

The manager pauses in fright. For a moment, she’s at a loss, and has no choice but to bow slightly with her hands by her side.

Manager: I’m sorry, have I offended the both of you?

Seeing her frantic expression, I hurriedly shake my head.

MC: I-it’s fine... we don’t discriminate against Evolvers. And I’m sure you didn’t have malicious intentions.

The manager’s shoulders slump in resignation, admitting her “little magic” to us candidly.

Manager: ...I just wanted to send a flower into your memories.

MC: Send a flower?

Seeing that I didn’t understand what she meant, she explains patently.

Manager: Sorry, that’s a phrase I use in the shop.

Manager: Through tasseography, I can truly tell that you haven’t been in a good mood recently. But it’s very difficult to change your future fortune. 

Manager: In order to lift the spirits of patrons who do divinations, I use my Evol to alter their memories slightly.

Manager: However, my Evol has its limits. The only thing I can do is add something small that’s worthwhile of happiness into their unhappy memories, such as a flower. 

Manager: Are you willing to give it a try?

Considering how frank she is, I can’t find a reason to refuse. Furthermore, no incidents will occur with Gavin around.

MC: Mm...

The manager’s hand gently glides across me. Although I feel as though nothing happened, she signals that she’s done. Gavin stares at me curiously.

Gavin: Are there any changes to your memories?

I inexplicably recall the time when I fell off the bicycle, and images beginning from the moment I fell surface in my mind -

The path in front of me is tilted, and I can’t control my plummet towards my left side. 

These images are exactly the same as what actually happened, but in the very last snippet -

In an unremarkable corner of the crosswalk, a blue wild flower sways along with the breeze.

MC: A flower? There’s really a flower!

For some reason, seeing this flower enveloped in sunlight causes my emotions to become much more composed, reducing the annoyance I felt about the fall.

The manager releases a joyful sigh, then continues her soft explanation on why she does such things.

Manager: People often have a deep impression of negative things, while happy moments are fleeting. Unhappy memories linger much longer in memories.

Manager: So I thought - if I could add an element of happiness into the unhappy memories of patrons, such as a flower, or a ray of sunlight...

Manager: Their unhappy memories may become a little brighter. On a subconscious level, their mood would naturally become better.

Manager: With a good mood to lift them up, they’d focus on the positive aspect of things the next time they face something else. That’s why they’d find that their fortunes have truly turned for the better.

After saying this, the manager looks at the both of us before apologising again softly.

Manager: Even though I use Evol on patrons, I don’t have malicious intentions. Could you be magnanimous and not report me?

I toss a glance at Gavin, hoping that the Captain would close an eye this time.

After pondering for a moment, Gavin nods calmly at the manager.

Gavin: I won’t report you, but don’t use Evol on patrons in the future.

He looks at me from the side, then reaches out to grab a tissue before wiping it gently against the corner of my lips. Lowering my head, I spot blueberry coloured cream on the white tissue.

Gavin: I believe that your coffee and snacks are enough to bring patrons happiness.

The manager grabs my hand in relief, thanking me repeatedly.

Manager: Thank you both for liking my coffee and cakes. I’ll give another present to the both of you.

-

By the time we leave the café, it’s still early. Gavin and I aren’t in a hurry to go back. Holding hands, we take a stroll beneath the shade of trees.

We can’t help but bring up what happened in the café earlier.

MC: It turns out that it’s so simple to change one’s mood. Adding an element of happiness into unhappy memories is enough.

Surrounded by the chirping of cicadas, even Gavin’s voice reveals a refreshing and carefree touch of summer.

Seeing his slightly sweat-damped fringe sticking to his temples, I retrieve a tissue from my bag and wipe it for him.

Gavin: I remember that you once mentioned that the secret to maintaining a happy life is to focus on the positive side of things.

While saying this, Gavin takes the tissue in my hand and stores it into his own pocket.  

MC: Mm, that’s right! Actually, such forms of self comfort are pretty effective. 

MC: Even though I fell while riding a bike, I told myself that it was fortunate that it wasn’t anything more than a fall. 

MC: When the water supply was cut while I was showering, it only happened because I didn’t pay attention to the announcement by the property management... 

MC: I’d just learn from this experience and check the announcement board more often. 

MC: Also, the flights were delayed due to torrential rain. It was an objective reason, and nobody could have expected it.

MC: A lady from the airline company even gave me orange juice and a small gift.

Gavin chuckles leisurely, meeting my gaze from the corner of his eyes.

Gavin: Many things may not have happened according to how you wished over the short span of a week. Immersing yourself in the state of mind that everything wouldn’t go smoothly made you forget to look at the positive side of everything.

MC: Mm, but I can’t help it... Maintaining an optimistic outlook is really difficult. It’s inevitable to feel discouraged.

While saying this, I tighten my grip on his hand.

MC: But now, I know that if I face any unhappy moments in the future, I just have to search for a flower.

Gavin stops in his footsteps, lowering his eyes and giving me a smile.

Gavin: Have you thought of a new method to cheer yourself up?

I release a matter-of-fact “mm”. Pulling his collar, I give him a gentle peck on the chin.

MC: Whenever I face an unlucky incident, all I have to do is tell you immediately, and I’d immediately be comforted by you... 

MC: That way, I’d no longer be unhappy.

Gavin is taken aback momentarily. Then, he smiles faintly while looking at me.

MC: Whether it’s a fall or a delayed flight... The moment I share these things with you, the moodiness in my heart vanishes like smoke. The reason why I specially complained to you today was just to play coy.

I draw closer to him, swinging our interlaced hands.

MC: In the café earlier, I didn’t take the crystal bracelet she offered to change my fortune for the better... 

MC: I already have a bracelet which can bring me the greatest luck in the world.

I lower my head. Fragments of sunlight fall onto the ginkgo bracelet, refracting resplendent and exquisite faint light.

MC: This ginkgo leaf makes me happier than any other flower. No matter when, simply looking at it lifts my mood instantly.

Gavin doesn't release my hand. Instead, he pulls my hand to his back, bringing me into his arms gently.

The verdant trees and chirping of cicadas intertwine. The clean fragrance of shower gel from the side of his neck causes me to wrap my arms around him tightly.

Gavin: I knew that you were playing coy. Trivial matters have never influenced your mood. You’re always very good at comforting yourself and seeing the positive side of everything. But the bracelet alone isn’t enough. The next time you come looking for me, I’ll definitely do something that’d make you even happier.

After saying this, he can’t help but release a resigned chuckle.

Gavin: ...even though I haven’t thought of what I’d do.

I burst into a chuckle, then bury my head into his embrace completely.

Gavin: But there will definitely be things that I can do to add an element of happiness into your unhappy memories.

Dense green hues and shadows fall on his shoulders. Lifting my head, I see faint light riding the wind through crevices of large clouds in the faraway sky.

Leisurely and carefree ants pass by the slabstone road, winding around a fallen green leaf, and I can’t tell if they’re taking a stroll or scavenging for food.

Summer is flourishing, and this moment is incomparably tranquil.

My heart is filled to the brim with contentedness and happiness. Even my tone is relaxed and at ease.

MC: Gavin, you have to promise me one thing. If you’re unhappy about something in the future, you have to tell me about it immediately, okay? I can add many, many elements of happiness into your memories so that you wouldn’t even have half a second of unhappiness. I can guarantee that.

I lift my head to look at Gavin. With our close proximity, I can see his amber eyes reflecting large swathes of lush branches and leaves belonging exclusively to midsummer.

The gentleness flowing from these eyes aren’t stingy at all as they land on my face.

MC: We have to be the ever-fresh and blooming flowers in each of our memories, forever swaying in the wind.

Gavin releases a soft “okay”. He rests his chin on my shoulder, tightening his grip around my waist.

He murmurs at my ear.

Gavin: There’s no need for a guarantee. Your existence has always been the most brightly-coloured flower in my memories.

[ MOMENTS ]

Gavin’s Post: Different flavours of sodas seem to be really popular this summer.

MC: In order to clear the existing stock in the fridge, it’s time to have supper!

Gavin: Pick between mala crayfish and barbecue?

-

Gavin’s Post: Different flavours of sodas seem to be really popular this summer.

MC: Soda is always the best!

Gavin: Although that’s true, it’s best to drink fewer cold beverages.

-

Gavin’s Post: Different flavours of sodas seem to be really popular this summer.

MC: Pick between white peach and tangerine!

Gavin: I’ll pick the one you like less.

☕ Call: here

☕ Support the café (not the one mentioned in the date) by dropping by the tip jar!

[devldom]

MC! Monday Prompt #1 — Mammon stole something from MC to get some money for the witches. How does MC react?

felt inspired by this prompt by @obeythedemons so here’s a little drabble about my MC, Blue, and a chaotic interaction with Mammon.

Mammon x MC Blue. 1k words.

Blue looked over their night stand, where their gold pendant necklace always lays when they take a shower; however, their expression went blank after noticing the piece of jewelry was missing. Blue's mind started rushing, trying to remember if maybe they misplaced it; it could be the case, as they were still getting accustomed to their new life in the Devildom. Missing classes, misplaced clothes, forgotten activities, you name it; the human had gone through a lot these past initial weeks.

But they’ve never lost their necklace before; so they were on the edge of complete panic. At first they searched for it in the most obvious places: the bathroom, the desk, the bed. When their search was unsuccessful, they had no choice but to tear apart their whole room. After a few minutes of searching, it looked like a hurricane had passed on said room. Blue let their tired body fall into the cluttered floor, not knowing what else to do or where to search; feeling the tears building up in their eyes, they hugged their legs and buried their face on them.

“Hey, human!” they heard a voice exclaiming as the door opened; then, complete silence. Blue didn’t even bother looking up, they knew exactly who it was. “What the hell happened here?” Mammon asked.

Mammon was the only brother who cared about the human; as they were still new in the Devildom, most of the brothers didn’t even bother looking their way yet, unless they needed something from them. The other demon who occasionally conversed with them was Leviathan — as Blue helped him get his money back from Mammon a few days ago, but they weren’t certainly friendly. Mammon, however, was a whole different story; even though he insisted on Blue being a burden to him when they first got there, the two became close pretty fast as they spent a lot of time together.

“Leave me alone.” The human muttered, a certain pain in their voice. Silence, once again. The demon was trying to find the right words to say.

“Did any of my brothers bother you? because if so, I’mma beat their asses,” he states as he sat next to the human on the floor, timidly placing an arm around their shoulders. Blue sighed.

“I can’t find my necklace,” they whispered, pulling their face slowly out of their legs. Mammon’s face went blank.

“Necklace?” he asked, “what’cha talkin’ about?”

“My necklace, the one I’m wearing all the time, with the gold pendant. It has a B on it, it’s a gift from my mom, she gave it to me when I turned 18. It’s one of the few things that truly brings me comfort since she passed away,” Blue explained, “I’m pretty sure I placed it on my nightstand before going into the shower and when I went out it wasn’t there,” they wiped away the tears on their face with their hands. Mammon squeezed their shoulder lightly trying to offer some support, his touch slightly shaky. “And it’s not here. I already looked in the whole room. I don’t know where it could be.”

The human turned their face into Mammon’s direction; the demon was looking pale. “Mammon?” the human furrowed their eyebrows, “are you okay?”

“I… yeah,” the demon quickly said, his cheeks turning red, “I’m just- I- I’m sorry about your necklace,” he stuttered, his voice slowly growing quiet.

And then, it hit them; no one enters Blue’s room except for the avatar of greed. Everyone else usually ignores the human’s presence, or at least they knock before going in. And, even though they didn't want to believe Mammon could've stolen their necklace, the demon was infamous for stealing stuff from his brothers. Blue could feel the heat rising up their face.

“Do you know where my necklace is, Mammon?”

“I- it’s- you-” the demon didn’t know what to say; “Mammon… what did you do?” Blue stood up, watching him from above.

“I- I’m sorry-” he stood up, too.

“Mammon, where the fuck is my necklace?” Blue’s hands landed up on the demon’s shirt, pulling him closer, threatening him. His whole body was covered in heat now; feeling a level of embarrassment he’s never felt before.

“It’s in my room, I swear!” he quickly defended himself, throwing his hands up in the air. “I didn’t know it was so important! and, ya know, the witches are asking me for their damn money back, so I thought I could make some Grimm off of it. It looks fancy.”

Blue stood quietly, the look on their eyes harsh, studying the demon’s expression; once they made their way into his eyes, he looked down. “Look, I’m sorry, fine? I didn’t mean to upset ya.”

“Please, go get it.” The human asked, letting go of his shirt. Mammon nodded and silently left the room.

The quietness felt so sudden, so violent; Blue felt embarrassed for acting out like that. They aren’t the kind of person who lets themself carried away like that; whenever they feel strongly, they try to push it down. But stealing from them — especially something as important as that necklace — was not something Blue would take from anyone. It didn't matter if they had to stand up to the most insignificant of demons or the most powerful being in the three realms.

“There ya go,” Mammon entered the room again, breaking the silence. “I’m really sorry.” He handed Blue the piece of jewelry, his face once again burning up.

“I’m sorry, too,” the human responded, putting on the necklace again. “But please, don’t take my stuff again. You could have asked for the money and I would have lent you some.”

“I’m sorry.” He said once again, not knowing what else to say. Blue sighed and threw themself into him, hugging him. Mammon stood there stiffly for a second, not expecting that to happen, but eventually he wrapped his arms around them, too.

“C’mon, I’ll help ya clean this mess.” He whispered, still not letting go, squeezing Blue’s body lightly with his arms. The human nodded.

“Thank you.” They whispered, pulling away from the hug slowly and drying their face with the sleeves of their sweater.

“It’s fine. I owe it to ya.”

[monsoonblooms12]

Bittersweet (Ethan Ramsey x f!MC)

Summary: OH Book 1 Chapter 4 written from Dolores Hudson's POV

A/N: I really wanted to do this because Dolores is such an amazing person and this chapter is one of my favourites in the entire OH series. This picks up from the office fire and ends at Dolores's death.

A/N 2: The flashback portions are indented

If you enjoyed the story, please like it, leave a comment or reblog. Your feedback keeps me going🤍

Characters: Dolores Hudson, Ethan Ramsey, f!MC (Pooja Sharma)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Pooja Sharma (f!MC)

Word Count: around 2.8 K

Rating: General

Category: Fluff then Angst

Disclaimer: PB owns most of the characters and some of the dialogues. I only own my MC.

Triggers: Complications in pregnancy, Few Curse Words, Character Death

Prompts: @choicesaprilchallenge2021 Day 23: Classic/Classical

Other Works

Clickety-clack!

Dolores's fingers danced on the keyboards in a swift motion as she strived to complete this last email and get home and have a sleep that she missed yesterday due to late-night cravings.

Around her, a chaos of whispers spread as her colleagues engaged in mindless chitter-chatter of the last hour before the end of the office day.

A few nudges of Hey, Dolores! and its variants reached her, but she steered past them, focusing completely on her work.

Just one more line anndd,

Done!

She hit the send and the ping of the 'sent' notification calmed her overworked nerves.

Come on, Lil tadpole, let's file these papers, get ice cream and go home.

She fondly rubbed her belly. 26 weeks in and yet the fact that she was going to become Mamma Froggy was overwhelming and exciting.

She got the prints and in a hurry, nearly got a paper cut.

Careful there! She cajoled herself and started filing those messy sheets of her hard work of the day.

She was almost done just as-

Waaahhh!

The blazing sound, very much like a siren's, reached all of them, leading to the eruption of panicked commotion between all of them.

They had been run through the fire drill so many times that they didn't need to be told that it was a fire alarm.

Dolores left all her possessions, carrying only her bag with the stuffed froggy she had bought for her baby and tried to run.

But being pregnant doesn't make it very easy. Even more, if there was a fucking fire at the place.

People went haywire. Very few cared about the fact that she was carrying a baby, and they should have the minimum decency to help. Most would selfishly try to save themselves, not giving a damn about anyone.

Dolores tried to pave a way for reaching the elevator. It was nearly impossible for her to get down the stairwell in time to save herself from the hazardous situation. She could see that most of the people had already evacuated.

Why was the fire department not here yet?

The fire was ablaze, surroundings hot, and amidst all, Dolores walked slowly, worried only about her little tadpole and not herself.

She pressed the buttons of the elevator. Waited. But nothing budged.

Fuck it!

Smoke engulfed her and she felt suffocated. All through the light-headedness, she could faintly hear, the siren of the ambulance. She hoped someone would save her from this fiery hell.

But there was no one to help her. No one around. The building burnt and if she did not think of something quickly, she would burn with it as well.

Not viewing any other options, she screamed with as much strength she could garner. Once, Twice, Thrice.

The next actions happened quicker than the blink of an eye. She saw a handsome EMT rush towards her. Even though she was already in a blazing environment, she couldn't stop the he's hot reflex of her brain cells. He came to her and reassured her that he would be able to save her and her baby, picked her up, and slowly, yet swiftly, got out of there.

Just like a superhero.

She thought of telling this story of Super-Man coming to save him and his Mama to her baby and the thought made her giggle.

Her head was light, and she felt choked, but her mind would keep going to the little angel of her womb, worrying only for him.

The last she remembers was reaching the ambulance and coughing vigorously. She couldn't breathe normally. She tried and failed miserably. A slow sensation of blacking out and after that, everything blank.

After who knows how long, Dolores feels the glare of white lights around her giving her eyes a painful competition to open up. She squints, tiredness spreading through her body. From office work or the life-threatening experience? She does not know.

She slowly, very slowly, tries to sit up, her hand on her belly, tenderly stroking it, as if to let the child know that his Mamma would not let any harm come to him. Nurses check in on her, one of them replacing the oxygen mask with a nose tube, and she felt a bit more relaxed.

As she was taking in the surroundings, she realized,

Edenbrook!

Coming back here after so many years brought back many memories. The first time she came here. Oh, how panicked she was! She was getting jitters but that calm and brilliant doctor took care of her, not only inside the hospital but also outside it.

Dr Ethan Ramsey.

He still worked here, he had told her in his last email. I need to meet him! She thought.

When was the last time they had met? In that coffee shop last year, right? It had been long.

She traced the name she had thought for her tadpole over and over again on her belly as if to make him memorize it before coming here to her, and looked around.

There was a minimum difference between the room she had been kept in the first time and the one in which she was now, but the time gap made her feel everything was new.

All of a sudden the door swayed, letting in a young doctor and,

Ethan!

She was genuinely excited about seeing him. Of all the possibilities, she hadn't really considered the fact that he would be coming to treat her. He has important cases to take care of than petty smoke inhalation, right?

A frown appears on his forehead. "What did you get yourself into this time, Dolores?"

His stern tone is the tough layer of a walnut, which hid his soft corner, the concerned heart. She smiled at the realization.

She quickly filled him in with all the details. The fire. The hot superman. The baby. Everything.

She finds the young doctor's surprise about Ethan having friends amusing. The look of surprise she had on her face was priceless.

But when the doctor asked her,

"Was Dr Ramsey always so mean?" she guards her mouth using her hand, "And so handsome?"

It was Dolores's turn to be shocked. She knew just how much Ethan hated interns. He used to whine about how stupid they were all the time to her, online & offline. And here was this intern, having enough courage to ask her such a question in front of him.

Impressive!

"This man's definitely got grouchier than before, but even then he had an edge"

"And as for handsome, I think he has aged like a fine wine" Dolores winked and Ethan fumbled for words.

When he got his tone back, it was strict.

No matter what anyone else thought, Dolores knew the real Ethan. The one without his rough and tough exterior and mean demeanour.

And that Ethan, if he ever came out, would make everyone fall in love with him.

As the doctors mumbled between themselves, she looked around, searching for something.

Umm Hmm. She couldn't see it.

"Excuse me Doctor Sharma" Both of them turned to look at her. "I remember having my bad when the hunk brought me out. Did they bring it here?" She asks, anxiety on its borderline, ready to burst out.

She needed it. Very Much.

Dr Sharma looks around for a bit, carefully conscious eyes trained to spot abnormalities. Her eyes, soon enough, fall on the side table of the bed and she picks the purse up and hands it over to Dolores.

Another frantic search follows. She turns all the contents up and down, her happy demeanour replaced with a visible frown.

It's not here, she says, evidently panicked.

A sadness spreads on her face.

"I must have dropped it in the office" She is on the verge of crying.

Dr Sharma places a kind hand on her shoulder. What Happened? Her questioning eyes wordlessly ask.

Dolores sighs, "It probably sounds stupid but I saw this adorable little frog on my lunch break and had to get it for my little tadpole."

"My parents are gone and the father's not in the picture." She adoringly places a hand on her swollen belly, "I just want everything to be perfect for him."

Dr Sharma gives her shoulder a gentle push of reassurance, and adds, "It's not stupid Dolores, absolutely not. I feel like you're going to be a great mom."

Her words make Dolores smile despite the upsetting circumstances, "Thank You. I- I just wished I hadn't lost it."

She stays lost in the thoughts and daydreams of her little tadpole playing with his first gift, growing ever more upset with every passing second.

"I and Dr Ramsey will find it for you!" Dr Sharma's excited tone jolts her out of her thoughts.

She is surprised first and slowly a smile appears, "Really Ethan? You would do that for me?"

He hesitates.

"Erm- Yes, sure." He fumbles.

"Dr Sharma, let's get this urine sample to the lab first. I will meet you in the lot in ten minutes."

Relieved and Happy, Dolores exclaims, "I am 26 weeks pregnant, Ethan. Not gonna take 10 minutes to make me pee!"

And in 15 minutes, they take her urine sample away and bid adieu with a promise of bringing her token of love for her tadpole back.

She was extremely grateful for Dr Sharma. She doubted if Ethan had given in the first time if it had not been her taking initiative.

Wait a Minute.

Ethan Ramsey listened to an intern? That too, in the first time itself? The observation blew her mind.

She recounted the time he had called her to his home to give a dinner treat. Lovely memories of a different face of the man came to her mind like the waves reaching the shore, one after the other.

"Mmm... Ethan, this is delicious!" Dolores found herself falling deeply in love with this masterpiece of Georgian stuffed chicken.

"Thank You, but it wouldn't have got done without your help" Ethan was never the type to take credit. Boast, Huh? What's that?

That's what she liked the most about him. A fine, handsome man, talented without bounds, a successful doctor having shitloads of money and a chef. He was a complete package and yet seemed to be subtly unaware of it.

They chatted about everything from opera to music to their first meet. It was a jolly time.

That is, until, the conversation landed on romance.

"So, seeing anyone?"

"No, not currently." He blushes a bit.

"Imagine" Dolores leans back on her chair, stretching her legs, "if, I said if, you fell in love with," she pauses to look at his curious face, "an intern?"

"Impossible."

It came even before she had finished the word. Dolores was amused.

"Just imagine!"

"I don't want to waste time imagining something as implausible as that. Can we talk about something else please?"

And here he was today, listening to an intern, a different demeanour than usual. Not that it was love, yet, but there was something.

Was he impressed by her?

He talked differently, listened patiently to the young doctor. That Ethan Ramsey who would not stand with an intern for 5 minutes, listened to one?

Anyone who knew him would laugh off the fact and say it was a joke.

Dolores made sure that if it happens, the falling in love with an intern, she will not let Ethan see the end of it. Teasing him to annoyance, yes that's what she would do.

She turned on some soft classical music on her phone, spreading an instant calm and dozed off for a while...

She gets up with a start on the sound of the door opening. She rubs her eyes to get a better view of the people in front of her.

It was Ethan and Dr Sharma!

She looked at them and yes! there it was, her tadpole's froggy.

She was overjoyed.

"You got it!" Dolores breaks into a grin as the sterilized frog is given to her.

"Happy now?" Ethan asks, the faintest glimmer of happiness in his eyes.

"Yes, very, very, much! Thank you so much, Ethan."

She pulls Dr Sharma into a small hug, "You too Dr Sharma, thank you!"

"Of course, Dolores." The young woman's beautiful face gleams at her, "and you can call me Pooja."

After few minutes of chit chat, Pooja leaves to get Dolores's reports.

"Switch on the TV Ethan, it's boring to sit here and do nothing."

"You know you can do better things than watching stupid TV shows?"

"I am doing it because I want to. The least who can do is help me." She shrugs.

"Fine, fine."

After going on a roundabout tour of the various broadcasted shows, they settled to watch a comedy.

Soon Ethan's stoicism got lost in the wilds and he started laughing along with her.

All the while Dolores held the Froggy affectionately to her tummy, to her little tadpole, as if to show it to him and ask if he likes it.

Amidst all the laughs, the medical reports are completely forgotten until there's a soft knock on the door and Ethan looks at someone from the corner of his eye and go out to meet them.

Still, she remains blissfully unaware of her health conditions and basks in the moments of delight she gets alone with her tadpole.

Her eyes remain glued to the TV screen until the doctors come in and from the morbid faces they wore, she knew that the reports were anything but good.

She switches off the TV.

"What is it? Ethan?"

Pooja steps forward, "I want you not to worry, Dolores."

She feels a mild panic attack bursting inside her, "T-That's what people say when there is something to be worried about. Is my tadpole okay?"

Pooja sighs, "Have you heard of preeclampsia? It's a disease affecting one out of ten pregnant women. In most cases, it is manageable, if monitored properly. But in your case-"

She pauses. And Dolores knows that whatever's coming will not be hopeful.

"It's serious."

Dolores quickly asks, "How serious?"

Not too much. Not too much. Please, god, not too much. She crosses her fingers.

"The blood flow to the placenta is slowing. It could deprive your baby of vital nutrients and oxygen."

With his morbid mask matching his melancholy tone, Ethan says, "Your baby is at risk."

Shit.

"B-But I can still feel the baby kicking!" She urges them to come and feel for themselves.

"Dolores it just means the delivery needs to be done early."

"Impossible." Dolores remarks with a deadly determination. "It's too soon."

"Babies delivered at 26 weeks have a good chance of survival." Dr Sharma tries to convince her.

"A-A chance?"

She is not going to play a game of chances with her beloved tadpole, her little jewel.

They keep convincing her.

"Yes he'll have to spend some time in the N.I.C.U and there are chances of post-birth complications-"

"And some don't make it at all. Is my baby is in danger now?" She asks with a motherly force.

"No, not immediately. But-" Ethan is on his tracks to convince her again.

"Then my little tadpole is staying put."

"Dolores—"

"No, Ethan! Just...give me some time! As long as you can give me. Please" It is a request from her heart, and she is on the verge of tears.

"I give you tonight. To come back to your senses."

When they leave, Dolores cries, caressing her belly, her little tadpole in there. She cannot take a risk with his goddamn life, never ever.

Tears roll down her cheeks and she holds the stuffed frog even tighter to herself, praying to god for his magical abilities and to save her baby.

Please.

She fell asleep while crying. When she wakes up, she finds a few unknown nurses and doctors standing there.

She tries to speak but cannot form words. Her head feels light, just like it did in the office building. She could not sense anything, swallowing was trouble.

She makes random sounds and the people come rushing to her, just as her body breaks into violent convulsions.

"We need to take her to the surgery, QUICK!"

They call for a code blue and everything that happens following that is a haze to her.

They are rushing her to the surgery. Her body shakes vigorously, and she can feel that she doesn't have much time left.

She holds the doctor's hand who was rushing her to the O.R.

"N-nam-me him-m E-Ethan."

And with that, she slowly spirals down the realm of unconsciousness, the last thought to ever strike her mind was,

Little tadpole, mamma loves you. You will be okay. Mamma will always be there with you, for you.

And with that her breath leaves her body, the last tear dropping on the O.R. bed.

As Ethan Hudson sees the light of his new life, Dolores passes away into the darkness.

I love you little tadpole.

PS: Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a great day ahead! Love, Manamee🤍.

Tags (Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed!): @bbrandy2002 @whimsicallywayward15 @ohramsey @natureblooms24 @nervoussaladsludgeopera @trrfanaddict @hopelessromanticmonie @ilikemenbutonlyethanramsey @lovablegranny @bellcat2010 @gkittylove99 @kingliam2019 @starrystarrytrouble @3riche @chetachisblog @zoehanji @withbeautyandrage @drariellevalentine @mvalentine @aestheticartsx @angela8754 @schnitzelbutterfingers @ao719 @choicesstan1 @neotericthemis @nikki-2406 @anotherbeingsworld @maurine07 @sophxwithers @twinkleallnight @choicesaddict5 @gardeningourmet @mysticaurathings @jessiembruno @stygianflood @aleynareads @mercury84choices @udishaman @jamespotterthefirst

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @choicesbookclub

[herotome]

Devlog #37: Before&After GUI

Hi-ho, Wudgey here! Once again we're going to do something a little different today.

I was initially going to write a BIIIG overview of the progress we've made, but I noticed it was already getting long just from talking about the new GUI... (and apparently tumblr has a 10 image limit per post, boooo). So, I'll limit this post just to the new screens, and I'll queue up a post on our CG progress a little later. :)

A lot of this will be familiar if you've tuned in regularly to our updates; but this time I'll go into a little more detail on my process to buff out the post a bit.

First off, some before and after images as promised by the devlog title:

Name Entry Screen (Before 1/2)

I've always felt strongly about incorporating gameplay mechanics into the actual story. When I came up with the idea of having the MC write her name as part of the job search process, I was immediately invested in that direction! Originally, I was going to have the player type in their name into the Clammy Lady's tablet once they actually reached the job fair... but as you can see, it's not visually enticing.

Name Entry Screen (Before 2/2)

I reworked the idea into a resume (which makes an appearance in the March 2021 prologue demo). In my country you're expected to provide a professional headshot along with your information, which suits my nefarious purposes. The player now has an in-universe interface where they can update their picture AND type out in their name.

Name Entry Screen (After)

Finally, with help from some Ko-Fi donors, I was able to commission Re.Alice (who has a vastly more powerful background in graphic design than I do) to tighten the screen concepts and add some pizazz! Once she was done, I was able to code in some animation to give the resume screen more life.

Save Screen (Before)

Next up is the save screen. I didn't have a specific concept in mind for this one (hence the default renpy layout), but I do have strong preferences in save/load formatting from playing other games.

I referenced my favorites: Hollow Knight, Dragon Age, and Mystic Messenger. I quickly decided that I Do Not Like numbered pages, and I would replace it with a scrollbar. I did appreciate screencaptured preview pictures though, and I liked having specific names for each chapter as the player progresses.

Save Screen (After)

(I created a bigger screencapture here because the save slot text is on the small side ;;;)

Again, Alice was fantastic in helping me capture what I wanted! I also enlisted help from @synstoria for the more advanced programming areas. Once they were done, I adjusted the text format, asset positioning and added another touch of animation. I even added a bit of kerning here... who knew my college typography course would randomly pay dividends? lol.

You can see in the upper right, I've written some code to create "checkpoints" that can be loaded from this screen. The default Ren'py autosave system works by saving at EVERY choice; since Herotome is a choice-heavy game, it doesn't make a lot of sense to autosave so frequently! Instead, I'll be utilizing a checkpoint system to save before every major conversation - so if you make a mistake (or want to make chaotic gremlin choices and then claim takesies-backsies), you'll be able to use the checkpoint return to a secure area and try again.

The system will NOT save in the middle of bad endings, so you won't have to worry about getting stuck!

Choices/Textbox (Before 1/2)

What a blast from the past....! I hated the vbox choice screen so much I had to change it asap!! It's a bit nostalgic to see my original Katie sketch; I drew her on paper and added color with the multiply tool. :')

As for the textbox, I didn't really know what I wanted. I struggled with several concepts before settling for a basic gray halftone design for the time being.

Choices/Textbox (Before 2/2)

I designed placeholder assets and recruited @synstoria again to help me with the complicated coding parts. I just randomly go feral and want to break the default ren'py formatting!

I was less satisfied with the textbox, but after several concept sketches I was starting to get somewhere after I researching some superhero art deco images.

Choices/Textbox (After)

After Alice worked on the design, I adjusted the choicebox positions to be higher on the screen, so players clicking the textbox should be less likely to click on a low-hanging choice by accident. (Not that accidental clicks should remotely ruin the gaming experience, if the checkpoints work as intended...)

CONCLUSION

I'm excited about the strides we've made. Next up I'll be updating the Options screen, and I expect to update the Logbook and a couple of other screens further in the development timeline.

These visual updates will be rolled out along with the next installment, which I've decided to call Episode 1 (release date TBA). The common route will have 2-3 episodes in total before branching off into character routes. Normally I'm not keen on episodic releases, but I'm reaaally impatient for you guys to meet the love interests --and, of course, I'm impatient for you guys to talk to Warden a bit more. ^^

Please look forward to the next progress update! And if you'd like to help speed up our process (and get some spicy previews of our game's villain), please consider dropping by our Ko-Fi. We're at 72% of our goal to fund the sprite, which means we're almost there!!

I hope you’re all staying safe and keeping warm.

Much love,

Wudgey.

[xaharadesert]

Oblivious MC - Headcanon

Arcana Characters (Main 5) x MC

*Nadia in an upcoming post*

A/N: Yay, more headcanons! I know these are slow but the new school system is kicking my butt. This next one is for the amazing @genderless-plant-likes-thearcana! They come up with lots of cool ideas for prompts to send to various writers, so you should definitely check out their profile! They came up with a super cute prompt this time; an MC who is super oblivious to their LI’s romantic interest in them! I really appreciate the specifics added in the request, they really helped me out! Thank you! While you’re reading you may notice the headcanons get a bit goofier as they though ;) my bad, but this prompt was too fun. Another side note: I ran out of bullet points and couldn’t fit Nadia into this post, so she’ll be getting her own! As always, I recognize Asra’s non-binary gender orientation but will be using he/him pronouns :) Please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes! Requests are open :)

❤️Julian❤️

He’s so in love with you

Like, more in love with you than he ever has been with anyone else

But he’s also insecure as heck

So when he starts dropping obvious hints about wanting to be in a relationship with you, and you just don’t get it...

He starts to think that maybe you only like him as a friend

I mean, he’s not being subtle at all

He flirts with you constantly, he sends you winks in the middle of a theatre rehearsal, he almost always has a hand on your should or back to guide you through the busier parts of Vesuvia...

Once he even stood up on a table in the middle of the Rowdy Raven and sang you a love song at the top of his lungs

You just thought he was being dramatic, as always

To you, Julian was an incredible friend

I mean, you maaay have had a teeeensy little crush on him, but he was such a sweetheart that you didn’t want to ruin the friendship you two had

You went on adventures together, you attended his theatre performances, and he did his best to support you in all your magical endeavours

Overall, the dynamic the two of you had was already incredible

And neither of you really wanted to ruin that

When Julian started thinking that maybe you only liked him as a friend he decided to be “selfless” and simply keep his feelings to himself

Of course, that would never work for long

Julian was a man of passion and, possible consequences be damned, he wanted you to know how he felt

So one day, when the two of you were at the Rowdy Raven together and he was tipsy enough to do something stupid, he stood up on the table and loudly announced his undying love for you

Believe me, even for Julian it was dramatic

It was a long speech about how amazing he thought you were, including vivid descriptions about each and every thing about your personality, appearance, and hobbies that he loved

So needless to say you needed cut him off a bit early so that the two of you wouldn’t be there all night

Unfortunately the first thought in your mind upon hearing this was “oh my stars he’s under some kind of spell”

You immediately dragged him out of the tavern and back to the magic shop to find some sort of cure, muttering theories under your breath the entire way

Julian, of course, was not under a spell and was feeling rather put out by your response to his confession

He wasn’t entirely sure where the two of you were going because you hadn’t bothered to share your suspicions with him (why would you? You thought he was being influenced by magic)

When the two of you reached your shop and you started skimming through books he finally asked what you were doing, seeming understandably surprised by the turn of events

You hesitated a bit, not knowing if it was worth explaining this to him, but settled on a brief explanation of “you’re under some kind of love potion and I need to break it” with a side of “please don’t do anything dumb while I try to help you”

Julian of course was, again, fairly shocked to hear this

A spell? What spell? He had been in love with you for months! There was no way it was a spell!

With his mind racing a mile a minute he finally realized what was going on

You were just really, really, REALLY oblivious to his feelings

This revelation caused him to laugh out loud, likely startling you out of your searching

When you looked at him in confusion and a bit of concern he only laughed louder, bending over and wheezing a bit

It took a while for him to calm down, even with your panicked response to his sudden change of emotion

When he was finally done laugiinh and had wiped the tears from his eyes he gave you the biggest grin he was possible of giving

He did his best to explain that no, he was not under a spell, no, he was not joking, and yes, he really did love you as more than a friend

He swears, the look on your face was worth the emotional rollercoaster he had been through that night

And you? Well, you probably needed a minute to process everything that he had just revealed

Of course, the feelings of love were mutual and you said as much when you could finally form words again

Julian was thrilled to hear that you loved him back

The two of you would be happy for many years to come, and even if Julian occasionally teased you about your obliviousness you could never truly be mad at him for it

🧡Portia🧡

She’s super open about just how much she loves you

Portia sees no reason to hide her true feelings, so she’s often very blunt about them

She’ll drop a “you’re gorgeous” or “I wanna kiss you” into a casual conversation like it’s nothing

But you somehow manage to not pick up on it

So of course, Portia doubles her efforts

She bakes you cookies in the shape of hearts, bring you nice flowers on her days off, and take you on what she considers dates, just waiting for you to pick up on her love for you

And yet none of this gets through to you

You think this is how Portia is with everyone

She was cheeky from the moment you met her, so when she tells you she wants to kiss you you just assume she’s joking

Everything else seems to just be an awesome friendship

Obviously Portia is super cute, and obviously dating her would be tons of fun, but there’s obviously NO WAY she could ever be interested in you like that... right?

Portia eventually starts to think you’re just messing with her

There’s no way you could be that oblivious

You definitely had to know she was into you, and you were just playing hard to get

She knows you have feelings for her too, the two of your wouldn’t be as close as you were otherwise

But, no offence, she’s getting a bit impatient

So she decides to just do what needs to be done

The two of you were walking through the market near your shop one day when she grabbed your arm to stop you in the middle of the crowd

She turned you so that you were facing her, looked you straight in the eye, and told you she loved you with the most serious expression you had ever seen on her face

As oblivious as you may be, there was no way for you to misinterpret this as anything other than the truth

Except there was

You assumed she was under a love spell

After the initial shock of finding out your friend was being influenced by magic was over, you immediately dragged her back to your shop without a word

Portia kinda thought you two were going home to make out and she was totally down with it

But when you entered the shop and started digging through your supplies, looking for something, she realized that maybe SHE had misinterpreted

She asked you what you were doing and nearly burst out laughing at the response

You thought she was under a spell? Seriously? You were actually that oblivious the whole time?

She thought it was the most hilarious thing she had heard in a long time

Eventually she managed to calm down enough to reassure you that, no, she was not under a spell

But of course you didn’t believe her, and thought that it was the spell talking

You went back to searching for an antidote while Portia continued trying to prove to you that she was genuinely in love with you

She listed the first time she realized she loved you, the first time she had said it to you to no response, the first time she had wanted to kiss you

She talked about how much she loved every part of you, from your personality, to your hobbies, to your insanely cool magic

Portia was nowhere near as dramatic as her brother could be, but she was very open about her love for you

Finally, you seemed to realize that she was telling the truth (no magic involved)

In turn, you confessed your feelings toward her as well

She gave you a bit of a sly grin and asked how she could be certain you weren’t under some magic spell

To this you responded by kissing her

So I guess she was right when she assumed you two were going back to your place to make out

The two of you were happy from then on, although Portia never let you forget just how dense you were

💛Lucio💛

It’s hard to imagine anyone could be so oblivious about his feelings

Lucio is the most in-your-face about his love for you

He leaves absolutely no room for doubt, which means it’s even more incredible that you don’t seem to get it

He has asked you to marry him about half a dozen times and you keep??? Laughing?? About it????

Doesn’t understand what’s happening

Nobody has ever done this sort of thing to him before, so his mind just blanks if he thinks about it too much

I mean there’s no way you could dislike him, right? You definitely return his feelings... RIGHT?

He’s insecure, but he’ll never admit that

Instead, he chooses to continue his over-the-top dramatic proposals and confessions until you say yes

On the other hand, you don’t really know what’s happening either

You know that Lucio’s a bit... strange, but this is a lot even for him

You start to think that maybe it’s his way of dealing with his feelings now that Nadia’s left him

So you decide to keep being a great friend to help him get through it!

And if that means wading through a bunch of strange emotional obstacles, then so be it!

(Lucio’s in the background banging his head against a wall in frustration)

It’s not like he doesn’t enjoy just being friends with you; he loves having someone around who genuinely cares about him

It’s just that he wants more

He hires people to build giant statues of you (which may be in poor taste, but who cares), he buys or sponsors all of your favourite shops, he always makes sure you get the best of everything

To you, this just seems like Lucio overcompensating for his previous “oopsies”

But one day it occurs to him that maybe you don’t understand his feelings because he’s going about it the wrong way

You’re pretty much immune to his dramatic proposals, so maybe he should try the opposite

So he put together a little plan

It wasn’t a particularly special night; no big occasion to be celebrated

He took you out to the balcony and leaned against the railing, looking oddly serious for someone who had no concept of emotional maturity

He took his time to prepare himself before speaking rather slowly and quietly in comparison to his usual tone

Lucio told you that he loved you, and he left no room for arguement

He didn’t embellish his words in any way, knowing that something simple would be the most likely way to get your attention

And boy did it work

You immediately assumed he was under some sort of spell

I mean Lucio? Acting like a normal person?? No way

You panicked right away and made a run for it, leaving Lucio behind on the balcony in your hurry to leave

Lucio, of course, was shocked, and more than a little offended to have been left so abruptly

People didn’t just leave him places without a good explanation

So obviously he chased you, yelling after you as you did your best to navigate the palace on your way to the library

Unfortunately for you, Lucio is surprisingly athletic and managed to catch you before you reached the door

He untactfully grabbed your arm, which caused you to scream, which caused him to scream, which caused everything to become even more of a mess than before

The two of you were just standing in the middle of the hall, screaming at each other

You wanted to find a way to free Lucio from whatever spell he was under, and Lucio wanted to know why you were running away

When you both calmed down (you being the first, of course), you explained your theory, which wounded Lucio’s ego even more than before

Lucio in return, replied in a not-so-polite manner, asking if you really thought he was stupid enough to be put under some dumb spell

Yes

Yes you did

Lucio had to explain his entire thought process behind confessing in such a normal way, which was pretty embarrassing from his perspective

But to you, it likely came across as sweet as it finally dawned on you that yes, he really was in love with you

The two of you probably had to immediately follow up the confession with a talk about whether or not he was serious about getting married

He was, but he didn’t want to make you feel awkward so he denied it

You two agreed to take things a little slower than he originally planned

The relationship was slightly awkward for the first few days, because neither of you quite understood what had happened the night of the confession

But either way, the two of you were happy, and that was all that mattered

(Although, when Lucio eventually asked you to marry him again it was just as chaotic and messy as the first time)

💚Muriel💚

Oh no, this won’t end well

Muriel is almost the epitome of insecure, so flirting is pretty much impossible for him

He tried a couple of times to be more forward, but when you didn’t respond to his advances he quickly backed down

He didn’t want to overstep, and immediately assumed you just wanted to be friends

Although, admittedly, he has seen other people flirt with you, and you don’t respond to them either

So maybe you’re just not interested in relationships? Or maybe you’re just as bad at flirting as he is

Either way, as much as he loved you, he didn’t push

From your perspective it would seem like Muriel just wanted to be friends

And frankly, anyone else around you would think the same thing

There was nothing particularly romantic about how Muriel acted around you

Arguably the boldest thing he was doing was spending so much time with you

But to you, this was simply a friendship

And of course, you greatly valued Muriel’s friendship

Once you had gotten past the rough exterior, you found that he was a giant sweetheart

He carved small wooden figures for you, and didn’t seem to mind spending time with you

Inanna loved you too, so that was a bonus

Your friendship with Muriel probably lasted much longer than it would have if either of you had any sense of romance

Neither of you tried to take things further because both of you were terrible at flirting and being flirted with

Eventually someone (Asra) had to step in and give Muriel a little push

Asra had known you for a long time, so he alerted Muriel to how oblivious you were and how to best confess his feelings

Muriel didn’t really want to confess at that point, because he didn’t want to make things awkward between you two if something went wrong

But his love for you outweighed his anxiety and he decided to do it anyway

It was a rather cold night, and the two of you were in his hut

You were both curled up by the fire (plus Inanna, of course), and you were telling Muriel a story about a particularly annoying customer from the day before

When you finished the story, a comfortable silence fell between you (which was something Muriel had always appreciated; silence with you was never awkward)

That was when Muriel took his chance and quietly told you he loved you

Except he said it too quietly and you didn’t hear him over the sound of the fire

I mean, you saw his lips move, and therefore asked him to repeat himself, but it was still quiet

Muriel hadn’t anticipated this, and accidentally repeated it in a voice that was much too loud for such a peaceful night

He immediately winced in embarrassment, only to be startled from it when you screamed

He had been anticipating rejection, but he thought a scream may have been a bit dramatic

But of course, you didn’t see it as a rejection; you thought Muriel was under a love spell

Why else would your quiet, anti-social friend suddenly confess to something you had never even seen him hint at before?

And more importantly, who had out the spell on him? Most people didn’t know about him, so it was either someone close to him, or someone EXTREMELY powerful.

You didn’t know which one was worse

You leaned forward, cupping his face in your hands and staring into his eyes, promising that you would help him

This only succeeded in confusing him, the poor man

He didn’t know what you were talking about, and you were starting to freak him out a little

When he asked if you were alright, you started to look confused too

You reminded him that he was the one under the spell, not you

Cue a chorus of confused “what?”s being exchanged by two confused people

In the end, Muriel realized that you had thought he was under a spell when he suddenly confessed

He blushed as red as a tomato and did his best to string together enough words to explain to you that he wasn’t

He genuinely loved you

He also quietly cursed Asra for making him confess, which suddenly helped a lot of pieces fit together for you

You nodded along and agreed that Asra’s meddling was problematic in this case

In the end the two of you spent a fair portion of the night just talking out your feelings and realizing that maybe you would like to be more than friends

Both of you were blushing a lot throughout the entire thing, and years later when the two of you were happy together, you mutually decided to never bring up how you had gotten together in the first place

Asra, however, had somehow found out, and was determined to never let either of you live it down

💙Asra💙

Subtlety? Never heard of it

Asra is the absolute best at letting you know just how much he loves you

Even despite your obliviousness, you are fully aware that he loves you

And of course, you love him back!

How could you not?

Except, the way you see it... it’s platonic love

And Asra is 100% okay with that!

You two share a heart, so he fully understands that you view the live that you two share as platonic

This doesn’t really bother him; as long as you’re alive and happy, that’s all that matters

He’s perfectly content to pursue a strong friendship with you

But of course, being the cheeky legend that he is, he has to slip in some flirting and teasing once in a while

He’ll wink at you in the middle of work, casually brush against you while passing you in the shop, and hold your hand as often as possible

But of course, you view this as friendship

Who doesn’t cuddle with their best friend literally every night? That’s totally normal

You couldn’t ask for a better friend than Asra; he’s always there when you need him and he somehow always seems to know how you feel

You’re incredibly grateful to know him, and you feel safe and comfortable living in the same space as him

Yep, definitely only friendship feelings

He shows his love in little ways to you every day

The two of you live together, so of course you will occasionally have a petty arguement and try to stay seperate for a while, but that doesn’t stop him

He’ll “forget” which chores are yours and do a couple for you, he’ll make your favourite drink “by accident” and then claim he isn’t thirsty, and he’ll casually send Faust into the same room as you if he thinks you’re crying

Overall, just a great partn- I mean friend

He doesn’t really feel the need to confess to you, but if he notices that you’re starting to feel a more romantic attraction toward him then he’ll definitely take advantage of that

If you only wanted to be friends, then, well, that was one thing

But if you wanted to be something more... then he was definitely more than okay with that as well

Asra didn’t exactly plan out how he would confess to you, and instead waited for what he felt was the right moment

He knew it would come eventually, and there was no real rush

So when the two of you were travelling together, and you were both stargazing late at night, the feeling struck him

You had just settled down from laughing at a joke when he gently tilted your chin so you were looking into his eyes

He told you he loved you, but there was certainly something more personal this time

But of course you were incredibly oblivious so you just grinned and said it back, not really thinking about it too much

Of course Asra knew you had missed the point, so when you went back to looking at the stars he propped himself up so he was leaning over you a bit and repeated it

This probably confused you a bit, but you said it back again, thinking that maybe this was some kind of game

He held back a laugh and tried again, this time putting more emphasis on the “love” part

You missed it, and repeated it back

At this point he was trying not to laugh, and knew that he had only one more try before he wouldn’t be able to hold it back

This time he tried explaining more thoroughly

He told you he loved you romantically; as in, a love that was more than platonic. Romantic, soulmate kind of love. Not friendship. Please get it this time.

Your mouth formed a perfect “o” as you finally got his point

For a brief moment, Asra felt relief, thinking that he had finally gotten his point across

Instead he received immediate and extreme panic as you quickly shoved him away. While screaming.

This certainly hadn’t gone as planned

He was desperately trying to calm you down while you rambled about every place you two had been on your trip, trying to locate a time where Asra could’ve been put under a love spell

Asra, of course, found this hilarious, and started laughing harder and harder while also trying to calm you down

This only caused you more distress, and soon there were tears streaming down your face while you tried to convince him that no, this wasn’t funny

He knew you were genuinely concerned about him, and he genuinely was trying to stop, but this had come out of nowhere and he didn’t really know how to respond either

Eventually, you both managed to calm down (but only the kind of calm where he would occasionally look at you and burst into giggles again)

He did his best- between giggle fits- to explain to you that he genuinely did love you and he definitely wasn’t under any spell

He told you that he had loved you for years, and that he always would

He also subtley pointed out that he had been flirting for years and you had just been completely oblivious

No confession would truly be complete without a bit of teasing

You probably felt a bit embarrassed, but he reassured you that it was just a part of your charm

Of course, you told him you felt the same, and the two of you went back to watching the stars, this time just a bit closer than before

From then on, not a whole lot changed in your relationship

The two of you were practically in a romantic relationship already, so really all that was different was a few more kisses and a slightly different intention behind the “I love you”s the two of you shared

[talkfantasytome]

I'm sorry, I got carried away writing. But here are more thoughts for us to talk about, if you feel uncomfortable let me know.

When I read the Koschei/Azriel scene I also thought as you did. I felt that he was preparing for personal combat but not that he was preparing something to go after Azriel. Many people think this will link A+E, but the case is that he as the Queen's ally was preparing because of the fight she wanted to have, Nesta vs Queen and indirectly the IC. Nobody knows what happened between A+E either, so hardly anyone is going to think of reaching him through it. If they want to reach him it will be through the Ilyrians/Valkyries, as the Queen tried once before. She had some contact and managed to get some ilyrians to obey her. A lot of people think Elain can find the fourth trove too, which might happen, but the one who has the ability to stay underwater for a long time to retrieve that is someone else.

Koschei and Beron are not allies yet, Eris talks about Beron possibly allying with him but they are not yet. The fact that he helps the Queen indirectly make him looking at the IC. As Vassa said everything he does is thinking about getting rid of the curse that binds him to the lake and with that in mind his possible interest is Nesta (because she gets access to the Trove, he must think that with that he will be able to get rid of the curse). I believe that if he is going to attack someone to try to benefit from it will be Nesta's, unless Beron suspects Lucien's paternity and bargains with Koschei, by getting Elain he would have Nesta+Lucien on his hands

I don't know why I have this feeling but Koschei gives me the same vibe as Eris, that there is something more to be told. I don't know if he is 100% bad, Vassa said it would be dangerous for him to get rid of the lake because he has already tried to take over the world and recreate it his way, but I don't know. Not that he is not a villain but I believe he has more to be told.

I also feel terrible for saying that but I thought he might have a love interest in Vassa. He made the queens sell her to him and she is the only different bird in his pond, she released her and for a good while and told Vassa that he is waiting for her. There is a story, I don't know if it's the one about the firebird, that the wizard fell in love with the firebird. (I don't know if I got in the way of the story but there is one that is like this).

What I believe connects him to Elain is the fact that she can hear the birds and knows about the box he has hidden in the lake (I think), which hides a secret, and his possible interest in Nesta and perhaps Lucien to get him out of the lake.

Never apologize for getting excited or being longwinded on something, Nonnie! Especially not to me. It's not like I can judge. 😂 But there is never a need to apologize for just being yourself. <3

Exactly. The Koschei scene offers no foreshadowing for Azriel and E\ain. There is no focus explicitly on Azriel, the only one who is given true, direct focus is Cassian, because that's who the trap was for. Briallyn wanted to make it worse for Nesta, so the idea of getting her mate to kill her - or make Nesta need to kill him in defense - was too good to pass up. (What a bitch.)

I'll be honest, I don't think Koschei, at that time, was planning on taking Nesta, seeing as the plan was to kidnap Cassian to use in a plot to kill Nesta or to literally destroy her emotionally. Or, you know, both. While Nesta is a badass and Koschei would be lucky to have her, I just don't see her as being an end goal for him. He wasn't seeking the Trove, Briallyn was. Maybe he did want it, or some of it, but then why let Briallyn wear the crown, you know? I'm not saying she couldn't be useful to him, or that he might adjust his goals, but I don't think at that time he wanted her. Honestly, I still think E\ain will be a bigger goal for Koschei, whether for her seer abilities or her beauty or something else, Koschei's story will wrap up with E\ain, so we should be looking for foreshadowing on how that might play out, or why he might want her.

I also feel terrible for saying that but I thought he might have a love interest in Vassa.

Don't feel terrible for this! It's just a theory. Plus, just because she's a love interest to Koschei doesn't mean he's a love interest to her. It doesn't have to be reciprocated just 'cause he wants her.

But you're ABSOLUTELY right. Vassa is definitely some form of 'love interest' to Koschei. Maybe not the kind we're used to seeing, and it may not be a love in the traditional sense, but he trapped her at the lake to be with him. Possibly because of her beauty. He even calls her "my Vassa".

And, you may be talking about Swan Lake? I don't know the firebird story (yet, but probably will be looking into it), but I think that's a general theory on Swan Lake. It's a ballet, and the curse happens in the prologue, so we don't really get final confirmation the sorcerer's motives. HOWEVER, in the Swan Princess, which is based on Swan Lake, the evil sorcerer takes Odette as revenge on her father. He doesn't actually love her, but he does want to marry her, so that he can be king of her kingdom. Not exactly love, but a desire to marry her still offers her being his love interest, to an extent. This could also explain Koschei's interest in Vassa, but I don't see him being willing to settle for just one mortal kingdom.

Also, quick note, in the Swan Lake ballet, there are multiple swan girls, and Odette is just the main one, and the most important because she's an actual princess (I think). So, like, just saying, in a retelling of that, that could mean Vassa doesn't end up being the only one cursed. 👀 I could easily see how SJM could make a Lucien-E\ain book retelling Swan Lake/the Swan Princess (because we know she'll use childhood movies based on fairy tales to help with retellings). Where Lucien attempts to break the curse the wrong way/with the wrong female...like, maybe Koschei makes Vassa look like E\ain in a bargain to free her from her curse...oh man...I could go on about this too. 👀

So, yeah, she is a love interest to him. But, he's also one of the Daglan, a true immortal being - we can assume he's gonna be a bit different. His idea of 'love' is likely different than ours.

I'll admit, I sometimes get lost with the stuff about E\ain's vision. I'd need to study that more, but I'm sure there are more connections between E\ain and Koschei than I initially saw if I dig into it deeper.

Gotta say, especially if you're the same nonnie who's been sending me a lot of stuff, you've really got me thinking more about this. It's making me stronger in my convictions and beliefs, and inspiring a whole slew of theories about the potential for that sixth book. The more I look into Vasilisa the Beautiful and Swan Lake, the more I can see how E\ain would connect, and the possibilities for that story. I'm curious to see what'll happen once I look into the firebird legends, though, in my initial search, all I see is that the firebird is more a symbol in fairy tales - it's not a tale itself. So, like, there's not much of a retelling as much as just...putting firebirds into the story...more proof that Vassa being a firebird does not prove she's going to be a MC.

Oh shit! I just saw that there's a tale of "The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa"! That's a very important piece of information, me thinks. More things to study, but look at that...they're DIFFERENT characters. INTERESTING! I'm telling you, E\ain is Vasilisa!

So, anyway, thank you! <3

[tsrookie]

For the hc asks, what do you think would happen if at some point in Ethan and MC's future, Ethan was the one in some kind of serious accident/illness? There's lots of fics where something happens to MC, and obviously we have canon with the attack, but I'm curious about your thoughts on the opposite happening

Oof. Thanks for the ask anon! (This just turned into something completely different from what I had initially planned, so it’s a bit lengthy)

——————————

MC’s halfway through her third year. It’s an absolute pain with Leland around. He prioritises finding a cure for Caroline over everything else, so the diagnostics team is unable to give their fullest to the patients who actually need them. He keeps adding more facilities to the hospital, so the construction work seems never ending at this point.

She arrives at the hospital for her night shift, when she hears a loud explosion. She looks up in horror and sees a room on the sixth floor in flames.

Dread settles into the pit of her stomach as she rushes into the hospital, barging past security. Ethan had texted her just a few minutes ago, asking her to meet him on that very same floor.

Ethan feels a sharp pain in his forehead, and realises that he’s bleeding. He keeps little Jess close to him as she cries in fear. The poor kid was searching for her parents, and he had offered to help. They had reached the gas cylinder room, when Ethan saw the sparks.

The newly connected wires had broken, and the sparks were flying dangerously close to the gas canisters. He rushed into a nearby room and slammed the door shut, with a terrified Jess in his arms.

The loud explosion sent him hurtling to the the opposite side of the room. Jess clinged on to him for dear life, her fearful cries muffled by the roaring fire.

He takes a moment to recover from the initial shock, then his doctor instincts kick in. He lays Jess down and asks her to tell him if she feels any pain. She cries out loud when he checks her leg. She’s bleeding profusely due to a deep gash, and there was only so much pain she could take.

He takes off his coat and ties it around her leg to control the bleeding. She frightfully asks him if they were going to be safe. He takes a deep breath to try and nullify his own pain. MC’s image flashes through his mind, and the throbbing ache takes a backseat. He nods determinedly to Jess, internally vowing to get back to MC, no matter what it took.

He scans his surroundings. He sees the fire slowly spreading to the rest of the floor, and the walls threatening to crack and fall.

He manages to locate a door amongst the smoke across the corridor. He picks Jess up and tells a silent prayer for them to safely get out of there.

He narrowly misses a huge canister by seconds. He tries to calm himself down for Jess’ sake, but finds it incredibly hard to do given the hazardous environment. He feels his vision grow blurry as the smoke threatens to overwhelm him, but snaps out of it when Jess lets out another cry.

He finally reaches the door, and almost falls to his knees gasping for air. He staggers down the stairs, just as another explosion reaches his ears.

He hears loud shouts from the opposite side of the corridor. He can barely register whose voice it was before he finally collapses. The last thing he sees is a flash of auburn.

MC yells orders to everyone nearby, terrified at the sight of Ethan’s unconscious form. She drops to her knees and checks his pulse, all while trying to get him to wake up.

The nurses carry a passed out Jess to a nearby patient room, as more doctors arrive to place Ethan on a stretcher. Zaid holds MC back from going with them, despite her desperate cries.

Miraculously, he hasn’t suffered any major injuries. Just a few minor burns and cuts on his arms and legs. He passed out mainly due to smoke inhalation, due to which he was to be placed on the ventilator for a while. MC heaves out a sigh of relief when she’s informed that Ethan would make a full recovery in a week or two.

Jess is alright as well. Three more people suffered injuries due to the accident, but none fatal.

Ethan wakes up to MC holding his hand and stroking his hair. She doesn’t have to say a word for him to understand how he scared the living daylights out of her. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep.

She gives him a tired smile, filled with relief and love. He gives her hand a weak squeeze, and she presses a soft kiss to it.

She gets into the bed, careful not to touch any of his wounds. Kissing his forehead, she settles in for a much required nap, with his hands intertwined with hers.

Once he’s able to talk, he spends an entire hour with MC before seeing anyone else. He asks her about Jess, and is relieved to know that she’s recovering well.

He apologises to MC for putting her through the pain and fear he had once experienced. She silences him with a kiss, and tells him that none of it was his fault. She assures him that the only thing that mattered to her was that he had saved a little girl’s life, and gotten himself out of there.

When Ethan is asked whether he’ll be able to speak at a board meeting regarding the incident, he asks for MC to speak on his behalf. She protests, saying that she’s a mere third-year resident, but relents when Ethan tells her she’s the only one he trusts enough to have his best interests by heart.

At the meeting, Leland doesn’t own up to his mistakes, and constantly keeps emphasising on the fact that mistakes and accidents take place. He offers to compensate for the losses with more money.

When the board tells him that this isn’t something he can easily fix with a mount load of cash, and point out the various smaller mishaps that have taken place since his acquisition of Edenbrook, he shrugs it off and tells them that Edenbrook has had plenty of accidents in the past, and no further measures were taken after the attack the previous year. Something inside MC snaps at that moment.

“No. No, you don’t get to talk about what happened last year. You weren’t there when this hospital lost two of their finest members. You weren’t there to see how everyone suffered from their deaths. You don’t know how much Danny and Bobby meant to everyone in this room. Travis Perry, the one who set the gas free, died before any further action could be taken. You don’t know the fear of every single doctor who worked to find the cure. You don’t know about how much I personally went through watching two of my friends die, and one of them nearly. You don’t know the physical and mental toil it took on the victims. You. Have. No idea. About any of that. What happened last year wasn’t just an accident due to negligence on the hospital’s part, it was a textbook definition of an assassination attack. So yeah, you don’t get to compare what happened last year to you turning a blind eye to the problems of the hospital, because of the extra renovations you made. If someone had died in this...”

Her eyes burn with a fire no one had ever witnessed before. She takes a deep breath, trying not to think of what could’ve happened to Ethan, before continuing at a shell-shocked Leland, who looks like a deer caught in headlights.

“If someone had died in this fire, it would’ve been entirely on your shoulders, for failing to properly supervise the constructions. This isn’t the way things are supposed to work at a hospital, Leland. You want the hospital to become a premier research center, but did you honestly think about that when the hospital was sinking? Did you attend that charity gala last year, which was our last chance of saving the hospital? Did you find the need to donate money when we needed the most? You want a cure for Caroline, and that’s understandable. But you can’t keep making changes around here, and then fail to oversee the transitions properly. So please, stop trying to say that what just happened, wasn’t your fault.”

She finally sits down, with every single person in the room in complete awe. Naveen glances at her direction with a glimmer of pride. She isn’t an intern who used to have trouble navigating the corridors anymore. She’s a doctor who knows her place in the hospital, a member of the most prestigious diagnostics team in the country, and she knew damn well what was right and what was wrong.

MC knows that she could possibly lose her job due to her outburst, yet the looks on the faces of the board members tell her otherwise. The rest of the meeting passes with Leland finally admitting to his negligence over the more minor details, which have cause issues since he came to the hospital. They agree to have a few more meetings to discuss the measures to be taken to fix the damages of the accident, and Leland’s administration.

Naveen walks up to her after the meeting, and tells her that she technically wouldn’t be in any trouble, since she was speaking on Ethan���s behalf, and he would’ve done the exact same thing she had done. And no one would dare speak up against Ethan Ramsey. She laughs at the truthfulness of the statement.

“But I never want to become a carbon copy of him at any point. That would be terrible.”

“Now what would be so bad about that?”

“He terrorises the interns! I never want to become that strict.”

“Well... he hasn’t been terrorising them that much recently. Probably since he knows a certain someone was an intern when he first fell for them.”

She smiles sheepishly, as they both walk towards Ethan’s room.

“I’m really glad he’s okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done if...” She trails off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

“I know, MC. Me too.”

Once she reaches Ethan’s room, her lips quirk up into a smile as she finds him trying to pass time on social media. After a quick kiss, he asks her about the meeting. She relays the entire thing, and needless to say, he’s highly impressed.

He tells her to go home after a while, but she tenderly replies that she wasn’t going anywhere. He stayed by her side when she was a patient, and she wasn’t about to leave him when the tables were turned.

Ethan sighs, and pulling MC close, he finally drifts off into a peaceful slumber.

——————————

A/N: I gave it a happy ending!😅 I know this was more of a mini-fic than a hc, but I couldn’t help myself! Hope it made sense, ‘cause I have no clue about any construction work whatsoever.

Also, thank you so much for all the requests you’ve been sending! I’ve got plenty of stuff to work on now, so thanks a lot for that💙

Taglist: @kaavyaethanramsey @caseyvalentineramsey @starrystarrytrouble @dxnicaramsey @decadentwinnerjudgedream @imonlybibecauseofethanramsey @rookiefromedenbrook @bratzlahela @eramsey28 @the-pale-goddess @ohchoices @wellhelloramsey @pitchblackstars @mvalentine @swiftlydarcy @utterlyinevitable @angela8754 @akshara16 @sushiharrington @drethanramslay @lion-ess24 @whippedforethanfreakingramsey @choicesstan1 @aarisa-frost @drariellevalentine @perriewinklenerdie @blossomanarchy @nikki-2406 @stateofgracious @takemyopenheart @open-heart-ramseyyy @maurine07 @udishaman @queencarb @ethanramseylover @rookiemarsswiftie @aworldoffandoms

Let me know if you wanna be added to or removed from the taglist!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Headcanons for Leona, Jamil, Riddle, Kalim ,and Ace with a cursed f!mc that if she gets kissed by a guy she turns into a cat? Slight influence from Tokyo Mew Mew, and a play on the Princess and the Frog. Perhaps reactions after a first kiss, or the mc finding out she is cursed due to the first kiss?

“A curse that turns one into a cat with just a kiss...Hm. How interesting. I wonder how far back this curse goes, and how it originated.”

Curiouser and Curiouser...

Jamil Viper...

...remains relatively calm (the only hint of surprise you can catch is how his eyes widen a bit). After years of putting up with Kalim’s antics and last-minute party plans, something like this barely fazes him anymore.

He’ll gets you to settle down and quit that panicked meowing by setting out a sauce of fresh, thick cream for you. While you’re busy lapping that up, Jamil sets to finding a way to fix you up.

Luckily for you, he knows of an ancient incantation that can return things to their original shape--though he cats it while you are still hunched over, drinking the cream (how odd it looks when it is a human, rather than a cat, doing that).

Jamil’s not the type to sit around waiting for a problem to solve itself. This proactive viper’s on the case to find a way to permanently lift your curse! Many a sleepless night shall we spent in an Alchemy lab testing out concoctions or in the library reciting spells. He’s sure to find a cure for what ails you!

Riddle Rosehearts...

...immediately scoops you up and heads off to find a school administrator--they will help sort this out!

Riddle handles you with such care and tenderness--you feel so safe and secure in his arms, even though you lack a human shape. Tucked against his chest like this, you can hear every concerned thump of his heart.

He worries about you the entire time he’s searching for a teacher. What if you stay like this forever? What happens if he kisses you again in the future after you’ve turned to normal? Will you have to live with this cursed forever?

Riddle is very hesitant to kiss you when you are back to your human form. He’s concerned about inconveniencing you, should you ever turn into a cat again, and it takes some gentle nudging on your part to let him know it is okay. You’ll pull through this curse together.

Leona Kingscholar...

...thinks he might still be sleeping, so he takes a moment to rub his eyes and blink a few times. He even pinches himself! Nope, that’s still you. Still a cat.

With a smirk, Leona jokingly calls you his kitten instead of his herbivore and scratches you behind your ears. This elicits a content purr, even if you want to snap at him to help you already. He says this is his “revenge” since you’re always pestering him about playing with his own ears.

He’s pretty lax about the entire ordeal No need to panic--Leona’s best subject is Ancient Curses, so he already has the right chant to return you to normal stowed away in the back of his head.

Buuut...he might as well enjoy this while he still can, right? Nothing wrong with a big cat looking after his little one~

Kalim Al-Asim...

...is, of course, surprised (he didn’t know you had this “power”!), but he’s also elated! Wow, you make for such a cute kitty!

It doesn’t occur to him that this might be a problem until after he has gushed over you for a little while.

Kalim scrambles for a solution, but he’s not the best when it comes to these sorts of things! Ultimately, he defers to Jamil for advice, since he’s super capable! Luckily, all it takes is the right potion or incantation to bring you back to your human form!

Kalim doesn’t let the curse deter him, though! He prepares for the next time by purchasing a tons of supplies (luxury cat food, lots of toys, cat nip, a cozy bed, etc.) to keep you comfortable, in case he doesn’t have the right potion on hand, or forgot the words to the spell.

Ace Trappola...

...jolts back at the initial shock of seeing you turn into a cat! He totally thinks he’s being pranked at first (”Okay, very funny Cater-senpai. Now that you’ve got your material for MagiCam, show yourself and help fix this mess!”).

When Ace realizes that this is, in fact, not a prank, he just--loses his cool. Like, what the hell is he supposed to do in this situation?! He’s in such a panic that he mishandles you when he picks you up, your legs precariously dangling from his hands.

It’s off to the headmaster’s...no, wait! Would he actually know how to help in the first place? Aaaaah, whatever! Ace will just rush into the teacher’s lounge and beg for help from whoever’s available!

He’s not sure what to make of the curse once you’re back to normal, but he reassures you that he won’t let it stop him from kissing you again and again.

[cheri-translates]

[CN] ASMR Transcripts (Kiro)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for ASMRs which have not been released in English servers! 🍒

This post contains transcripts of the following:

> night warmth - 黑夜温度

> dawn - 晨光

> visiting his workplace on the beach - 海岛探班

night warmth - 黑夜温度

[ MC and Helios are being chased by a police car. Heavy panting. ]

Here. Hurry.

Don’t make a sound.

We’re safe for now.

…have you hugged me enough.

You’re right. This place is very dark and cramped.

You’re afraid?

…I said it before. Stay away from me.

[ Sound of ruffling and Helios tapping on his phone ]

We have to stay here until we can be certain of our safety.

My phone still has battery. There’s enough for it to be used as a light source.

Hm? What’s wrong?

It’s just a bruise. It wouldn’t affect anything.

I don’t need this…

Wait.

[ Sound of bandages ]

Don’t touch…

…it doesn’t hurt.

You don’t have to be so careful.

I wouldn’t become paralysed from this level of injury.

Why are you looking at me like that?

…I already said that it doesn’t hurt. I don’t want to repeat myself again.

You shouldn’t need to understand these things, much less interfere in them.

You…

What’s wrong with your hand?

Don’t move.

Only now do you know what pain is?

Open your hand. Put it here.

…come nearer.

What are you hiding from? I haven’t even started.

Put your hand properly. Don’t tremble.

…does it hurt?

I got it. I’ll be gentler.

Since you’re so afraid of pain, you should remember this clearly. Don’t be a busybody, especially when it comes to me.

There is a reason for that.

Tell me… you know quite a lot.

However, being bold isn’t necessarily a good thing.

[ Sound of running ]

There’s movement.

[ Sound of running ]

…they’ve gone far away.

What’s wrong? Why are you so warm?

Shh…

Don’t make a sound.

…looks like you have a fever.

The wound may have an infection.

Hang in there. I’ll bring you out soon.

Shh, don’t make a sound.

What did think I was going to do…

Fever and chills.

Come closer to me.

Even closer.

Treat this as thanks for “saving” me again.

I wouldn’t care about you the next time.

I hope there wouldn’t be a next time.

What are you laughing at?

Like a disobedient child stuck in a small black house?

You still have the mood to joke around?

Looks like you’re still clear-headed

Very strong… nothing.

If you’re tired, you can lean on me and sleep for a while.

Hm? You don’t dare to sleep?

Aren’t you very bold?

They likely think we have already escaped.

So once it’s dark, we can leave.

This time, after we part, I hope I’ll never meet you again.

At least, not in such an embarrassment situation.

You’ve fallen asleep so quickly.

For now, have a good sleep.

dawn - 晨光

[ Kiro waking up. Cute grunts ]

Hm? Are you awake?

What time is it?

[ Kiro unlocks his phone to check the time ]

It’s still early.

[ Kiro taps on his phone, then locks it ]

Savin says he’ll pick me up at 9am.

I can still sleep for another two hours.

Hm? Didn’t you know that Savin moved house recently?

Coming here requires him to take the most congested route in all of Loveland City.

Besides, it’s the early morning peak period now.

Last night, I saw that he was still singing karaoke at 1am on Moments.

He won’t make it at 9am.

[ Rustling ]

And I haven't been busy lately.

I’ll be investing in two days.

[Note] He actually says “进组” (“jin zu”), but I don’t know what it means even after searching it up. The closest thing I could find is the phrase “带资进组” (“dai zi jin zu”), which refers to how actors bring in start-up capital to invest in the crew before filming officially begins.

I’ve already pushed away jobs that should be pushed away.

These two days will just be spent recording some things in the shack.

[ Rustling and Kiro sighs ]

If I were to head over at noon, I’ll be done in the afternoon.

Hm? Do you want to look for me later?

We can go for a meal together.

[ Random grunt. Kiro sighs again, followed by a long period of silence ]

Oh right!

The program you mentioned the other time.

How’s it going? Smoothly?

I was going to ask you about it on the plane yesterday.

But once we met, I forgot about it.

Savin mentioned that you even asked for his help to find a celebrity who’s good at variety shows.

Have you found one?

In your proposal this time, is there nothing I can help with?

[ Rustling ]

‘No’?

How could there be nothing?

Hmph. Don’t underestimate me.

Even though I have more experience on stage,

When it comes to staging lights and acoustics,

I’ve done my research too.

I wouldn’t be much worse than experienced staff.

Also, if I can’t be a guest on your program,

I could be a member of the staff.

And my rates are very cheap.

If you’re the one hiring me, I’ll give you a large discount.

Hm? Why are you suddenly looking at me like that?

I’m not thinking of anything bad.

I’m just thinking…

I don’t seem to be very busy in the later half of the year.

If you aren’t busy either, we can spend more time together.

If you’re very busy, I can accompany you to work.

It’s so rare for us to have time. I have to cherish it.

Having more things to look at, having more songs to write, and seeing you more frequently.

Don’t worry, I really have time.

[ Rustling ]

I’m not the lead in this show.

So I can finalise it in around a month.

Mm! Even though I’m not the lead, I really like this role.

And it’s the first time I’m acting as someone’s brother.

I don’t know if I can act it well.

What’s wrong?

Did it leave you in shock that I’m not the lead?

Do you also think I should only accept lead roles?

Actually, Savin and I have discussed this matter.

He’s the same as always, leaving the decision to me.

So I think…

They’re all fine. I’ll just look at the script.

And the director this time round specially explained his reason for not casting me as the lead.

It made me feel a little embarrassed.

He’s an incredibly experienced director,

But still had to consider these trivial things for me.

[ Kiro sighs ]

Maybe my schedule was too packed with work before.

So it caused people to misunderstand.

Which is why I want to tidy it up from now onwards.

And not stretch myself too thin,

And to give myself more time to digest the work on hand.

[ Kiro sighs. Long silence again where you can hear Kiro’s breathing. ]

Hm? Are you getting up now?

I’m not that tired either.

But I keep thinking it’s a loss to get up when the alarm hasn’t sounded yet.

You said you didn’t want to get up and yet can’t sleep.

What should we do then, Miss Chips?

[ Rustling ]

I’m not referring to playing games, or watching the television, or using the phone.

[ Rustling. It sounds like he’s FEELING HER UP. ]

Looks like my intelligent and adorable Miss Chips has finally guessed it.

Which is why you’re using the blanket to cover your head.

Hmm, you can’t do that.

Weren’t you the one who said that on account of how I’ve been working hard during this period, you’d reward me with food and drinks?

If you say things you don’t mean,

I’ll be very upset.

I’ll count to three.

If you don’t take more initiative, I’ll do it myself.

Although I never bully you, being a little mischievous occasionally should be okay, right?

Three.

[ Rustling ]

Are you sure you don’t want it?

[ Kiro laughs ]

Two.

[ Kiro sighs ]

Looks like Miss Chips really isn’t afraid.

One.

I’ll be gentle.

[ Rustling ]

I promise.

[ A lot of rustling. Kiro breathes heavily. ]

visiting his workplace on the beach - 海岛探班

[ sound of waves on the shore + footsteps ]

Miss Chips, you’re here…

Don’t worry, it’s just that today’s shoot started too early.

I’m not very tired.

…of course I’m not lying to you.

[sighs] Come, sit over here.

How is it? Isn’t it very comfortable here?

Mm, I like staying by the seaside too…

Just being under the sun and feeling the sea breeze makes me feel so happy.

[laughs] But… with Miss Chips visiting me at work, I’m even happier.

[ zipping sounds ]

Hm? This is a “visiting at work” gift for me?

Wow, it’s a coconut from here.

As expected of my Miss Chips, who knows me best in the entire world.

You actually knew that I happened to be thirsty right now.

…mm, I see the opening.

…mm, very fresh and sweet.

Come, you can try it too… mm?

Why do you need to insert another straw?

Don’t move. I’ll just hold the coconut and feed you… open your mouth.

How is it? Does it taste delicious?

Ahh I’m sorry, it spilt onto your clothes…

[ tissue wiping sounds ]

…all right, it’s just that the collar is still a little wet.

Want to loosen your collar slightly?

Maybe it’d dry a little faster.

…don’t look at me with that expression. I really didn’t do it on purpose.

[ tissue patting sounds ]

[laughs] But there’s some coconut juice at the corner of your mouth which hasn’t been wiped clean…

[ tissue wiping sounds ]

[kiss] All right, it’s clean now…

…but I realised something earlier.

And that is… coconut juice is really very sweet. It’s savoury, especially…

[kiss] Eh, why is your face suddenly so red?

I know, I know, it’s the sunlight’s fault for being so strong on the seaside…

Miss Chips’ reddish cheeks were under the sun, and it’s definitely not because she’s shy.

No, it has nothing to do with you…

I accidentally bumped into something this morning during the filming.

Mm. I’ve already applied medicine. It doesn’t hurt at all, don’t worry.

Also, the moment I see you, I immediately come back to life.

…as long as Miss Chips is by my side, it’s already the greatest show of support.

However, the most effective way of visiting me at work is actually…

Come a little closer and I’ll tell you.

[ ruffling sounds ]

[kiss] To me, this is the most effective way of visiting me at work.

[ many more kisses ]

On a contented afternoon, quietly sitting by the seaside,

Having Miss Chips beside me,

Along with her hugs and kisses…

[sighs] This kind of visits at work are what I’ve always longed for… very perfect.

[sighs] Promise me that in every film I shoot in the future,

You’ll try your best to visit the set once, okay?

Because I hope you can always participate in my life.

[laughs] …all right, I’ll take it that you’ve agreed.

Don’t worry… this place is very hidden, and no one will come…

[perriewinklenerdie]

Stuck with you (Ethan Ramsey x MC)

Open Heart, Ethan Ramsey x MC

A/N: Hello, hello, hello! How are we, guys? Alive and kicking? Getting enough sleep? Drinking water? (also tea, tea is awesome, 11/10). It’s been (again) a while since I’ve posted anything on here, huh. I’m working on another fic as we speak (summer theme cause summer is ending and I’m not ready for it), so we’ll see how it goes :D

AO3 link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26013712

Tag list: @paleweasels, @kittykatchoices, @valiantlychaoticbarbarian, @radlovedreamer , @usuallyamazinglyaverage, @strawberrwess @palestazure, @cordoniaqueensworld, @universallypizzataco, @princess-geek, @faithhasnowords, @mightyfangirlofthefandoms, @drakewalkerfantasy, @timmagicktoad, @laceandlula, @greywitchyshots, @llamasgrl, @gingerjane15, @bucket-harrington , @marywrites-things , @ethanplaysfavorites , @mfackenthal , @betelgeusebee , @simsvetements,  @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction, @buzz-bee-buzz, @owleyes374, @cora-nova, @aworldoffandoms, @l822, @cream-ray, @ughhhxjazzy, @silverlitskies, @justendlesssummerfeels, @togetherwearerapture, @desmaranj, @edgiestwinter, @friedherringclodthing, @daisy-ashton, @waytooattuned, @choicesgremlin , @lapisreviewsstuff, @the-soot-sprite, @writerapprentice, @chasingrobbie, @choicesobsessedd, @x-kyne-x, @thisperfectmemory, @drakewalker04, @rookie-ramsey, @jlynn12273, @thepinknymph @dr-brianna-casey-valentine, @a-i-n-a-a-s-h @justanotherrookie

Enjoy! <3

------------------

Claire noted with an overwhelming sense of relief that as the end of her shift approached, the intensity of the day decreased significantly. What used to be a fast-paced march in the early hours of the morning, was now a slower stroll. It was mostly due to the fact that all her patients were stable, and her pager miraculously wasn’t going off every five seconds like it tended to do almost every day of her life at Edenbrook.

Her contemplation was cut short when she felt insistent tugging on her white coat. She moved her eyes towards the source of the movement, being only half surprised when she saw a seven-year-old girl, smiling widely at her.

“Dr. Claire! The nurse came to take my blood, to see if it was good and she gave me a high-five.”

“I’m sure you were so brave.” a smile blossomed on her face as she kneeled down to be on the same eye level as her little patient.

“I was! Can I have a lollipop now? I didn’t even cry or anything, it was just like you said, barely a pinch and it was over.” The girl asked, thinking back to the conversation they had that morning. It wasn’t even something that Claire did only for this patient, not a one-time event.

It has become a sort of a legend among younger patients and nurses, that she always had a bunch of sweets in her pockets, giving them out to the kids on occasions. Mostly because of it, along with how good she was with young people, she was a liked doctor that was invited into all the tea parties and book readings organized by kids, with a bit of help from the nurses.

“As promised, here it is.” Her hand disappeared into the pocket and emerged with a pink and white lollipop in a colorful wrapper.

“Thanks, Dr. Claire! You’re the best.”

“Don’t run while eating it, we don’t want you to get hurt, okay?” she warned her before standing up. The girl was already running away, though, waving the candy in the air in excitement.

“Sure thing, doc, have a nice day!”

Claire shook her head in amusement, straightening the creases on her coat as she turned away to walk towards the ER. She was stopped short in her tracks, however, by the sight of an eyebrow raised so high up that it might as well have flown off his face altogether, accompanied by a curious gaze of Ethan Ramsey. His arms were folded across his chest, his posture meant to intimidate.

“You’re a doctor, Herondale. Giving away sweets in a hospital? That’s promoting diabetes.” He pointed out, waiting for her to explain her behavior. She imagined that a comment like that had the potential to make some interns cry; hell, even less resistant to pressure residents tended to avoid confrontation with him if they could help it. But Claire? Hell no.

“It’s a little reward for being brave. I can attest that it works, they are much more likely to go through their procedures- “

“- and not be scared. Good call, Rookie, even though I still think you’re spreading diabetes in the hospital.” Ethan smiled, breaking the act of trying to reprimand her. Instead, he took a small step towards her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. Her eyes sparkled teasingly, holding his gaze in a tight lock with her own as she decreased the distance between them even more.

“The only diabetes you’re going to get is from me being so sweet.” Claire’s voice dropped to a gentle whisper the more she talked, then she slowly stood on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek. The corners of his lips went up, forming a smile, partly concealed by her hair. Before anything else could be said or done, the sound of a phone ringing caused them to, albeit reluctantly, step away from each other slightly.

“As much as I would love to continue this conversation, I should get going. Us Herondales really do hate waiting, you know.” She grinned, beginning to walk away from him.

“Yeah, I think I do. I wish I could go with you.”

“I know you do, Ethan. Maybe next time? Actually, definitely next time; I don’t think my Mom will let you skip the next family lunch, no matter how much important work you have.” He laughed, shaking his head as he watched her retreating form.

“See you this evening?”

“You can count on it, Ramsey.”

------------

It was slowly getting dark when he got home, and by the time he got round to cooking dinner, the sun has already set. He didn’t think much about the lack of contact with her; he knew how those family meetings went, so if he had to guess, Will most likely kidnapped her phone.

The ringing startled him a little, but still, nothing seemed wrong, hence why he walked towards the sound calmly. Claire’s name flashed on the screen, pulling a smile onto his face.

“Right on cue, Dr. Herondale. Dinner is almost ready, will you be home soon?” he asked, leaning against the back of the couch. There was a short moment of silence before she spoke, her voice just a little on edge.

“I don’t want you to freak out, but I got shot.”

“What?”

It was good that he had something to fall onto, because the initial reaction of his body caused his knees to go weak. He should have known that something wasn’t right, but never would he have thought that while she was supposed to be with her family, she would get hurt.

“It’s nothing, really, a clean in and out wound, I’m already having it treated.” Claire’s voice was steady, nothing indicating any unbearable pain, but then again, he didn’t know what exactly happened, so she might as well have been trying to calm him down.

“Where are you?” he asked, already running to the kitchen to turn the burners off, grabbing his car keys along the way.

“Edenbrook, but as I said-“

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He cut her off, walking out of the apartment in rush.

It’s funny how fluid the time is. The more one is anticipating something, the slower it goes by. Consequently, the more one is dreading something, the more it rushes forward. Ethan was experiencing something entirely different. The whole ride to the hospital felt like it lasted two eternities, and yet he couldn’t remember a thing from that time, like it happened in a split second.

His feet carried him forward, recklessly running through the maze of corridors, ignoring stares he was getting from his coworkers. Any logical thought has evaporated, leaving only blinding panic, unprompted by her way of speaking, but pushed forward by what she said.

Danny didn’t even question his disheveled state when he asked for the room number, knowing better than to stand in his way. His muscles screamed, more tired than after any other exercise, but the fear of the unknown was pushing him towards her. He opened the door, only to see Claire sitting on the bed, discomfort clear on her face. Not pain, not distress. Discomfort.

Because in front of her bed were two people, sitting in a pair of chairs. The room was filled with crying of a little boy, shaking in his mother’s arms. He was muttering something incoherently; Ethan wasn’t able to figure out what exactly the kid was saying. Meanwhile, Claire was trying her best to calm the boy down, her hands trembling in frustration that she was stuck in bed.

Ethan expected everything. Literally anything but this. Because how the hell could he have predicted that he would find Claire, shot and panicking because her nephew was crying. The woman sitting on the chair, Claire’s sister in law, Louise, made eye contact with him, her face twisted in a mixture of helplessness and horror, not communicating a lot to him about what had happened.

Then he turned towards Claire, his eyes running over her, searching for the wound or any additional injuries. Her calf was bandaged and resting on top of the covers, but other than that, she seemed fine. Her head moved slightly, signalizing that she was indeed okay, after which she nodded towards her nephew giving him a clue.

How the hell did an eight-year-old boy shoot his aunt?

Ethan ran a hand over his face, breathing in deeply. With no idea how to even begin the conversation, he looked at Louise. She sighed, then started explaining.

“Our genius uncle decided that Toby was old enough to try shooting an air gun. He tried to aim towards the target, but it fired early by accident.” She took a break to look at her son, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. “It just so happened that Claire was in the bullet’s way.”

“But I’m okay.” Claire rushed to reassure them, smiling softly at Toby. He started crying again, hiding his face in his mother’s sweater. Ethan sensed what she meant, walking over to the little boy and kneeling by his side.

“How are you doing, little man?” he asked, trying to test the waters before saying anything else. Toby didn’t respond, but he did turn his head to look at Ethan, his eyes red from crying.

“I- I hurt aunt Claire.” He muttered before another batch of tears gathered in his eyes. The older doctor extended his hand towards him, patting him on the shoulder comfortingly.

“I can assure you that your aunt is going to be okay. I saw her leg, it’s going to heal before you know it, yeah?” he caught Toby’s gaze, seeing him already feeling a bit better. “Let me tell you a secret. When she feels better, give her a big hug. It always works.”

“Hugs won’t always get you out of trouble, Ramsey.” The blonde doctor warned, grinning from ear to ear in a teasing manner. He schooled his features when he looked at her, then dropped the act and smirked, mischief spelled across his face as he took a step towards her.

“Ethan, no.” she warned him, her eyes growing wide. He took another step. “No.” She moved back into her bed, scooting away from him. Before she could give him another warning, he reached her and dug his fingers into her sides, tickling her mercilessly until she laughed. Claire tried to slap his hands away, to no avail, but the torture didn’t last long. Soon enough, he wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in his warm embrace.

“Am I forgiven?” his lips brushed against her ear as he muttered the question. She took a moment, keeping him on his toes, giggling when he leaned away to look at her in consternation.

“For now, you are. We’ll see later, Mister.”

Their little game seemed to do the trick; Toby calmed down, and by the time Louise took him home, he was smiling. The door closed behind them, leaving Ethan with Claire. Visiting hours were long over, but there was not a one person that came to kick him out, courtesy of them both being doctors. He remained seated in the chair next to her bed, holding onto her hand as they talked.

“Shouldn’t you go home and rest? You have a shift in the morning.” She muttered, tracing his knuckles with her thumb.

“No, I don’t. Naveen let me stay with you, make sure you don’t injure your leg further. No walking, no running, only being carried.” He grinned, leaning towards her a bit, dropping his voice to a low whisper. “I’m your very own, private taxi.”

She laughed, pulling him onto the bed by his hand. “Okay then, since you’re not going home, you’re sleeping with me.” his eyebrow shot up in a teasing manner, opening his mouth to protest, but she was faster than him. “Yes, you are forgiven, and no, I won’t take no for an answer, Ramsey. Get in here.”

Sighing heavily, he removed his shoes and sat next to her, mindful of her injured leg. He looked at the wound for a long moment, being stopped by Claire pulling him to lie down. “I’m never leaving you again when guns are involved.” He pressed his lips against her forehead, muttering the words quietly.

“Only when guns are involved?” she joked, embracing him a bit tighter. Rather than seeing, she felt him laugh.

“Okay, you just scored yourself a lifetime of being stuck with me. Is that what you wanted, Herondale?” their eyes met, sparkling with humor and love. Stretching herself to her best ability, she pressed a short, sweet kiss to his chin before falling back into his arms.

“Give me the ‘brave patient’ candy and it’s a deal”

They remained in that position for quite some time, conversing silently, his hand running up and down her leg in a soothing motion. A short while after he turned the lights off so they could get some rest, she gave him a more serious answer, her words muffled by the fabric of his shirt. “I’m perfectly fine with being stuck with you.”

[old-hyper-super-clover]

Squeeze that bunny tail!

Part 1

Description: The RAD student council as well as the exchange students help out at a bar where, oops, the staff´s dress codes are those sweet bunny outfits that we all know and thirst for. The MCs, Violet and Clover, play a game of who can touch the most bunny tails over the evening without getting caught. Prepare for fluff, funny innuendos as well as my thirst over hot boys in bunny outfits.

The story is divided in several parts and will be updated every few days.

*I wrote this when the bunny UR+ cards first came out so there will be differences to the second event & their outfits

Story begins below the cut, have fun!

One fateful day, Diavolo had called his best friend Lucifer over to discuss a very urgent, utterly important matter...

"... A bar?" Lucifer repeated the prince's words.

"Yes!" Diavolo cheered.

"... And you want us to work there?"

"Yeah!"

"... Not only my brothers and me, but also all of the exchange students as well?"

"Strong yes! Barbatos and I will join, too."

"What? Are you sure? Should the prince of the Devildom really lower himself to such frivolous tasks?"

"Come on, Lucifer, it will be fun!"

Lucifer pressed out a deep sigh.

"... For you, perhaps... For me, it will be nothing but another day of babysitting a bunch of idiots..."

----------------

When the group arrived in the newly opened but already renowned bar, lots of them gave amazed gasps.

"It's huge!" Clover called out.

"And real fancy, too..." Mammon said, a mischievous spark in his eyes.

Belphie noticed how his brother was already searching for the most expensive decoration and gave an annoyed sigh. "Mammon's having idiot thoughts again..."

"All of you" Lucifer called out to the demons and humans living in the House of Lamentation. "I expect great manner from all of you. Lord Diavolo kindly asked us to help out with the grand opening of his acquaintance's bar. As it is the first day the place is opened to the general public, the owners asked him to offer help, and here we are. I would like to say that every item that gets broken or gets STOLEN", he shot Mammon an obvious glare, "will be repaid out of your own wallet. Furthermore, I am making you aware that..."

He kept talking for an unknown (but awfully long) amount of time, until Diavolo would pull him out of his ranting.

"Lucifer, relax! This is a laid-back place, I am sure everyone will do just fine. After all, we also have our kind Angel and Human friends to help."

Asmodeus raised an eyebrow.

"Is Luke allowed to be here, though? It's an adult place, after all..."

"Wha-?!" Some angry Chihuahua noises escaped Luke´s mouth. "I'm not a child, you know! Of course I am allowed to work here, show some respect!"

Simeon next to him gave the small blond a pat on his head while trying to bring the conversation back on track.

"Thank you for inviting us, Diavolo. Shall we get started, then? We don't have much time left until the first customers arrive."

They got shown around the whole place.

It consisted of two floors to sit in or play all sorts of bar games, a dance hall and a giant kitchen, serving all sorts of treats to go along with the (mostly alcoholic) beverages to buy from one of the even more impressive bars.

"The place looks pretty tame, though" Asmo pointed out as they had finished the tour.

"You think?!" Violet blinked at him. "I think it's amazing..."

"Asmo..." Satan mumbled. "I am pretty sure the places where you are a regular at are simply a little... special."

Completely ignoring the implications in Satan´s words, Asmodeus went on to ask the owner about whether they had what he called "fun rooms", which, yes, are just what you think they are.

They had to drag him back so they could finally be introduced to their work schedule.

"The bar is opened until four in the morning" Barbatos explained. "We will be working in shifts to maintain our stamina..."

Slowly, everything important had been settled, and the first bunch was about to start their shift.

But...

Well...

All this was a happening planned with the mind of Sir Diavolo himself...

So of course it wouldn't end up being a normal evening. It never did.

Just as the group wanted to leave the kitchen-strategy-meeting, Diavolo called out to them.

"Behold!" he prompted. "Are you planning to go out looking like THIS?"

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, already alert at the smirk on his friend's face. "Oh no..."

Barbatos, who had shortly excused himself after explaining everything, entered the kitchen, now holding a piece of clothing in his hands.

"The waiters and waitresses at this pub are required a special working garment", Barbatos explained. "We have prepared suiting clothes in your respective sizes already."

"Cl...othes?" Violet dared to ask.

"Yes!" Diavolo beamed her a smile. "And after midnight, you change clothes once again. Those are a surprise, however, so you will have to be patient until then."

Solomon gave a contemplative hum.

"And... What are those garments, exactly?"

-------------

"... Violet?"

"... Clover?"

"... Do you have bunny ears in your outfit set, too?"

"... Yeah."

Silence.

They stepped out of the women's toilet stalls, mustering each other.

A frilly short skirt, a pretty blouse, a cute bow tie, and two bunny ears as well as a matching bunny tail.

"... Looks pretty good, though" Clover mumbled. "A little embarrassing, but oh well..."

They checked their outfits for a little longer in the mirror, adjusting their clothes...

"To think they'd make us wear stuff like this", Violet said.

"Yeah... Like, are we supposed to serve customers like this? And look all weird, just the two of us?" Clover played around with her new pair of ears.

"Dunno..." Violet breathed as she checked her make up. “I bet the boys will think we look…” she stopped.

Realisation hit them.

"Violet."

"Clover."

They dashed out of the bathroom.

And opening the door, they saw...

Bunny boys.

Ten of them, right there, in those... With those... Looking so…

Violet suppressed a squeal while Clover was hiding a heavy blush.

But there was no time to recover from this critical hit.

Already having spotted them, Asmodeus was bouncing towards them, his frilly, pretty revealing blouse swaying around his curves.

"Waah, you girls are bunnies, too~!"

He began to inspect them thoroughly, also pulling the attention of the other males towards them.

But with all the damn nice snacks around, the girls had troubles focussing on only Asmo as he continued to squeal something.

"Whyyyy do we have to do thiiiisss..." Levi groaned, visibly uncomfortable in his butler bunny suit.

Lucifer (very stunning view btw, chef's kiss) crossed his arms in a sigh.

"You heard Lord Diavolo... It seems to be common practice in this local to dress like this... But I'm starting to regret agreeing to help out..."

A hand gently placed on Lucifer's shoulder.

"Oh, come on, Lucy" Simeon smiled, brown bunny ears reaching out of his hair. "I think this suits you very well. You look cute."

This only pulled a greater sigh out the demon's throat, but he wasn't allowed to keep this frown any longer, as Diavolo and Barbatos joined the group soon after.

To the group's surprise, both of them were in similar suits as well.

"Wow, all of you look stunning!" Diavolo wore a big grin. "I knew it was a great idea to suggest a dress code!"

"That was your idea?!" Luke pouted, having whatever trouble with his costume (which btw was designed to be distinctively less... sexy than all of the other suits, don´t worry about the angel child). His floppy rabbit ears looked adorable, but it only added to the impression that he shouldn't be here, serving alcohol for the next hours...

"Of course", Diavolo cheered. "They say good-looking staff makes more profit, and I want this evening to be a success."

-------------------

"I heard the place was designed to imitate a classic bar from the human world."

Initiating a conversation, Satan was preparing glasses at the bar together with Violet, Clover and a few of his brothers.

"Is it normal for the staff to look like this in the human world?" he asked, quite amused to watch the girls' bunny ears bounce with their movements. "Not that I'm complaining... I just figured you must know."

"... You´re asking US? Do we look like we party a lot?" Clover mumbled.

Violet gave a shrug. "It's kind of a... Classic costume to go with, but I don't think it's really that common with humans, too."

The demon gave a nod, then excused himself as Levi was calling for him on the other side of the bar.

And now that the girls had some time for themselves again, they could finally let out their inner fangirls.

Basically just giving weird noises, exchanging a few completely out of context words that only two minds speaking the same language of stupid could understand, they gushed about all the males surrounding them.

"Clover oh my god I-" Violet whispered in a gasp. "I love the tails."

"And the ears" Clover agreed.

"And the vests."

"The bow ties."

"But the fluffly TAiLs oh myyy..."

"Lolll I bet you wanna squish them-"

"YEEssssSSSSS..."

Afraid someone might notice, they tried calming down. But as if the universe was trying to keep them agitated, Beel happened to pass by, stopping next to them to organise the bottles in the display shelves behind them.

The girls turned, mustering the male...

Suddenly, Violet's expression curled into a sly grin, thinking of the huge crush Clover had on Beelzebub. She leaned in on Clover to whisper in her ear.

"Squeeze his tail..."

Clover's eyes widened as she started to blush.

"What?! No..." she whispered back.

"I know you want to~", Violet continued to purr in amusement.

"Sh-shut up...!" Clover grumbled.

"Come ooon..."

"Y-you do it if you're so tough...!", Clover pouted.

Her friend only gave a shrug, stepping closer to the demon as she nonchalantly reached for the bunny tail attached to his pants.

Of course, Beel noticed her presence.

"Violet?" he blinked in surprise, but apparently did not register how Violet pulled her arm back immediately.

She shot him a smile.

"Hey, Beel, could you... hand me that bottle in the upper shelf? Asmo said he needed it over there."

"Sure."

And as the male reached for the bottle, Violet took the chance to squeeze that fluffy pompom.

"Thanks" she cheered, then went to grab Clover to disappear from the scene of crime.

Violet couldn't quite wipe the victorious grin off her face.

Clover on the other hand...

"I hate everything", she pouted.

"You should have just went for it" Violet laughed. "It's like this game we used to play in the human world when everyone is wearing hats with pompoms during winter. Just that here, it’s a bunny tail that you had to squish.”

"But..." Clover sulked, like always sad that she wasn´t brave enough to do what Violet asked her to do.

So Violet mustered her friend...

Then, an idea hit her.

"You know what, actually?" Violet said. "I dare you to squish a tail."

Clover made a weird sound.

"What?! Nooo... You know I'm awkward..."

"And let's make it a game!"

"... Are you even listening to me?"

Apparently, she wasn´t.

"Whoever manages to squeeze the most bunny tails wins -- without the person noticing, of course." Violet was grinning from ear to ear.

Clover gave a big sigh.

"... The tails from either of the boys?" She finally gave in.

"Yeah, let's."

"... Would you voluntarily go up to your crush Lucifer and risk your life?"

Violet's face turned into a conflicted blush.

"I..." she mumbled in an unconvincing shrug. "Maybe...?"

"They should have different difficulty levels", Clover suggested. "Giving different amounts of points,, depending on how difficult we consider the squeeze-ability of a tail."

----------

Don't ask how or why... (And how they found the time to come up with this madness)

But in the end, the two girls had invented a game to keep them entertained for the next couple of hours.

They came up with a plan for the "bunny tail squeeze point distribution":

1 point: Beel, Belphie, Simeon, Levi (+), Asmo (+)

2 points: Mammon, Satan (+), Barbatos, Luke (V)

3 points: Lucifer, Solomon, Diavolo, Luke (C)

"The plus stands for a potential to increase in points, as those three are a little difficult to analyse. We'll count it depending on the situation and their wariness..." Clover concluded as she showed Violet the notes she had taken on a beer coaster. "And Luke's on there twice because I'm a fucking giraffe and get a bonus point if I can reach that Chihuahua’s tail. And thaaat... Would be all."

Violet squealed in excitement.

"Great, then let's go!"

Clover gave a last sigh, knowing what difficulties she'd have with this.

"This is SO going to end in some disaster..."

[anjanettexcordonia]

Chapter 9: ‘Tis the Season

Book: The Royal Romance A/U

Chapter 9: ‘Tis the Season

Catch Up Here The Spare Masterlist

Rating: Mature (18+); NSFW; some language; suggestive language; 

Characters/Pairings: Liam x OC, mentions of Liam x MC, Drake x Olivia

Word count: 1517 (+/-)

A/N: This is a part 1 of part 2. Major drama next chapter. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me this far! And the likes, reblogs and comments are amazing! Thank you to each and everyone of you! 

Happy Holidays! 

Disclaimer: Some characters & some scenes belong to Pixelberry. 

Tags: If you would like to be added or removed please let me know. 

PermaTags: @yourmajesty09​ @gkittylove99​ @kingliam2019​

Series Tags: @mom2000aggie​ @indiacater​ @sfb123​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @cordonianroyalty​ @texaskitten30​

Liam checked into a hotel nearest to Cami. He was still seething when he made it to his room that reeked of cleaning products. Liam didn’t care. He threw his bags on the floor and laid across the queen size bed. “She threw a fucking turkey at me.” Liam said out loud. “A fucking turkey.” He was exhausted but his adrenaline was coursing through his body. He needed a drink. This two star hotel didn’t have a mini bar, much less any food. Liam exited the hotel looking for some food and scotch. He wandered the streets until he realized everything was closed for the American holiday. He pulled out his phone. “Drake..Érchomai spíti.” I’m coming home. 

Liam arrived back in Cordonia, defeated and alone. His previous anger had turned to heartbreak and sadness. He knew he needed to think about the things he says before they fly out of his mouth. It was an art he had yet to master. He had tried to call Cami, but she didn’t answer. He had texted, still no answer. He had realized it wasn’t his honesty that hurt her. It was the fact he was too honest with her. The fact it took a kiss that should have never happened to solidify his feelings for her. He had been confused by seeing the princess, old wounds ripped fresh. 

Liam was slowly losing hope. He had called, texted, emailed. He had flowers delivered to her but to no avail. No response. It really is over. He knew words were said out of anger but he didn’t believe either of them meant what the other said. Her words ran through his head as if they were on repeat “Whatever this WAS… if you don’t know.. You’re right.. This is OVER!” He should have known. It was his fault. He didn’t let her slip through his fingers, he pushed her away as hard as he could with never even realizing. 

The Christmas holidays were swiftly approaching. The whole palace was abuzz with decorating for the festivities. Liam hated it. Liam and Drake walked through the place sharing a flask of whisky while they watched Queen Madeleine rant and rave to all the workers through the palace. King Leo followed behind her like a puppy begging for attention. “Poor Leo, Maddie really has her under her spell.” Drake laughed, handing the flask to Liam. “Yep. Gamóto.” Liam muttered. “You know I don’t speak Greek, Li.” “I said fuck them.” “You sticking around here for Christmas?” “I guess, no other plans. Just going to drink until I can’t think.” Liam took a big gulp from the flask. “What about you?” “Liv and I have been hanging out a lot lately. We’re going up to Lythikos if you want to come?” Liam spit his whiskey everywhere at Drake’s words. “You and Liv? What the fuck is going on?” “Cuffing season, I don’t know. She's gorgeous man.” “Olivia Nevrakis and Drake Walker. Wow. Didn’t see that coming.” Liam shook his head. The thought of his friends finding love and he didn’t even know. How self absorbed am I? Liam and Drake walked in silence for a while. “You should call her again.” Drake finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence between the two. “I have Drake, it goes straight to her voicemail. She blocked me.” “Social Media?” “She ghosted herself.” “Gimme her number, I’ll call for you.” Liam nodded. What could it hurt? Drake called the number but no answer. He left her message unsure if she even remembered who he was. They hadn’t exactly become best friends. 

The next night, Madeleine was hosting a charity event for underprivileged children at the palace. Everyone was required to attend. He had begged his sister in law to excuse him but she refused. “I thought we were friends, Maddie.” “Lypámai, but it’s not optional.” Madeleine replied eyeing her brother in law and the dark circles under his eyes. “I’ll find the King and ask him.”

Liam marched off in search of his brother. “LEO,” Liam bellowed through the palace. Leo ran from his study. He saw Liam heading in his direction. “I need to speak with you, your majesty.” “What the fuck Liam, you can’t just scream my name. We’re not in fucking America.” Leo growled. “Your wife is forcing me to attend this stupid charity function. Get me out of it.” Liam snapped. “Your Queen, Prince Liam. You will do well to remember that.” Liam rolled his eyes. He was in a half drunken stupor already. “And if she says you are to attend. Then that’s what you're going to do. Moiázeis me skatá. Get yourself cleaned up before the guests arrive.” Liam stood without a word and marched to his quarters. 

Liam was sitting at the open bar, dressed in his royal regalia, ignoring all the guests. He watched Drake and Olivia twirl around the dance floor envious of his friends' new found love. “Prínkipa mou?” Liam heard the soft voice of Maria behind him. He turned to see her bright blue eyes boring into him. “Princess, shouldn’t you be in Greece?” “Madeleine invited me personally. She is showing me her initiative here that this event is based on. I’m hoping to bring some of the ideals to Greece.” “Well, that's good for you.” Liam stood from his chair the world around him spinning. “Liam are you okay?” “I’m fine.” He slurred, the copious amounts of alcohol he had consumed was going to his head. “Let me help you to your room.” 

Maria helped Liam up to his quarters. His quarters were familiar to her still. Liam stumbled through the door shedding his clothes on his way to his bed. Maria watched from the doorway as Liam laid across his unmade bed. “Maria,” Liam whispered, “Stay with me.” “Anything for you, Prínkipa mou.” She undressed and climbed in next to him. “I’m sorry Liam.” “Don’t Maria.” Liam claimed her lips in a heated kiss. “No talking.” Liam commanded. He reached behind her and unclasped her bra. He took one bud in his mouth and nipped and teased until it was a hardened peak. Maria moaned as he shifted to the other breast, showing the same attention. He didn’t feel the fire ignite within him by her touch. She was unfamiliar to him now. Cami’s face flashed through his mind at every moan from Maria. “I want to forget.” Liam moaned. Maria ran her hands down Liam’s muscular back feeling his body shift beneath her fingertips. Maria rolled Liam to his back and gripped his hard cock in her hand. She wrapped her lips around him. Liam moaned at the wetness of her mouth. She rolled her tongue against sending shock waves through Liam. Liam pulled her up and laid her on her back. “Open your legs.” He commanded. Maria let her legs fall apart revealing her dripping core to him. He lined himself with her. Liam stop, what are you doing? Liam paused. If you do, it's over. Liam saw his phone light up on the nightstand. “I talked to her.”-Drake flashed across the screen. Instantly, Liam knew he fucked up. Again. 

[ohbae-me]

the kissing prompt ; 19 with Satan :0

19. One person stopping a kiss to ask "Are you sure you want to do this?" Only to have the other person answer with a deeper, more passionate kiss. 

Satan x MC

Warning:NSFW, Satan gets spicy, Satan is a devious little shit

A/N-- Freaking loved this one. I hadn’t initially intended for the kiss prompts to get smutty but i my brain is a thirsty bitch.

Satan was not pleased, to say the least. He’d noticed lately that the first born seemed to be trying to get closer to MC. He had seen the way he’d been looking at her, eyes softer than he’d ever seen them. He hadn’t missed the way his hand lingered on her shoulder either. While MC just brushed it off, saying Lucifer was simply just being friendly, Satan knew better. Lucifer had probably caught on to their new relationship, and was undoubtedly trying to sabotage it.

Sure, Satan and Lucifer’s relationship had improved since MC had come to them, but old habits die hard. Satan wondered if Lucifer was doing it out of sheer spite - he always loved seeing his little brothers squirm- or if he had a genuine reason for it. Perhaps Lucifer took a more intimate liking to MC himself? Or maybe after the whole Lilith situation, Lucifer was upset another one of his siblings was falling for a human? 

Whatever the reason, Satan didn’t care. It was time he made it very clear to Lucifer than MC was his, and he had no intention to share or give her up in any capacity. When Lucifer had announced at breakfast that he would be home very late that night due to a meeting with Lord Diavolo, Satan had gotten an idea. 

Casually, Satan had called Mammon to ask how he’d managed to break into Lucifer’s study, and the stupid second born was all too happy to brag abut how he’d managed it. Mammon had begun to ask why Satan was asking, but he’d already hung up the phone and gotten to work on the door. 

Turns out Mammon was good for something after all, Satan thought as the door to the study swung open for him. 

Satan did a quick search of the room, just to make sure Lucifer hadn’t placed any surprise curses or booby traps. Satisfied there were none, he texted MC to meet him. 

“Why did you need to see me here?” She’d asked, both intrigued and nervous. All the brothers at some point had roped her into some ridiculous scheme that always ended poorly for her. 

“I have a point to prove. Come here.” He held his hand out to her from where he was leaning on Lucifer’s desk. As she crossed the room and took his hand, Satan pulled her in for a desperate, heated kiss. He knew full well how easily turned on she was by the prospect of someone catching them together, and he couldn’t help but smirk as she moaned into the kiss. 

Satan hoisted her up and sat her down on Lucifer’s desk. His hands ran up and down her thighs, appreciating the fact that she was still in her school uniform. The skirt was going to make his job much easier. 

“Satan, we can’t-” 

“You were so eager at the library last week, darling. This is really no different. And just look at how excited you are.” He cooed as he traced his finger over the growing wet spot on her panties for emphasis, earning him a whimper from his lover. 

“But Lucifer-” 

“Lucifer needs to understand that you are mine.” Satan growled.

“We could get into a lot of trouble for this, are you sure you want to do this?” MC asked breathlessly. Her question was answered fervently as he captured her lips again, his fingers fisting themselves in her hair.

MC’s body betrayed her better judgement. Her hands busied themselves undoing Satan’s belt. 

They spent the rest of the evening finding every possible surface available in Lucifer’s study to express their passion. Satan couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of this sooner. The smell of lust hung so thickly in the air, mixed with a scent that was so beautifully MC that Satan was certain his plan would be a raging success. 

He was proved right the following morning. Satan entered the dining room, and the wave of anger coming off the eldest brother was palpable. It was perfect. Lucifer couldn’t say a thing about it. His own damn pride simply wouldn’t allow him to admit he knew exactly what Satan and MC had been up to in his absence, let alone that it had any effect on him. 

Lucifer couldn’t even look at MC as she rushed into the dining room, before squeaking out a quick excuse on why she had to take breakfast to go today. As she scurried out of the room, Satan oh-so-politely asked Lucifer how his meeting went last night. 

Satan doesn’t think he’s ever been happier in his life.