#so I couldn't worry about it before we took it

[yuyusshinelight]

Dad thoughts feat ATEEZ: I want a brother/sister

♪ This post is about how I think they would be as parents; just that, some thoughts. This does NOT represent any of Ateez's members in any way.

♪ English is not my first language so sorry if there's any mistake.

Vocabulary just in case someone doesn't know:

y/s/n — your son's name

y/d/n — your daughter's name

Byeol — star

Jagi — sweetheart, darling, etc...

Note: Hi my shining stars! Here I come with a new scenario for our boys being dads because I know how much you like those parenting headcanons. I hope you like it and enjoy your reading. Love you all!!!

SEONGHWA

Seonghwa and your daughter were peacefully building their Lego sets together when the older Park decided to have a conversation about that not too little issue you had commented to him when he had arrived at home "I have heard that you want a little sibling, byeol" and the little girl only nodded, not stopping her really important task of mistakenly making the base of the moon on which his half-finished Sanrio doll should lie "And can daddy know why you want a little brother or sister?".

Seonghwa was clearly trying to get your daughter to tell him the same thing you had told him that afternoon without asking her directly. The way you looked at the ground with a soft pout when you told him that your little star had been sad lately for being only child had him worried about the issue being more serious than he though at first.

"I don't like to be alone" At that confession Seonghwa's heart stopped. Perhaps you two had made her feel lonely without realizing it? "But you have mommy and daddy, my love".

"It's not the same... We can't stay together all the time" The sadness with which his beloved daughter said that felt like the most hurtful stab directly into his heart, it even made Seonghwa hate his work for a moment "Daddy and mommy would like to be with you all the time, baby, but—".

"But you can't, I know..." For how his baby had finished his sentence, Seonghwa couldn't help but feel worse, her small but heartbreaking pout could be perfectly appreciated in her sweet voice.

Something in his head snapped.

In the gentlest way he could, the man took his daughter from her seat to put her on his lap and give her that so needed hug he was craving for "Don't you worry, byeol, mommy and daddy will bring you a little brother or sister, okay?" The speed at which her head turned to look him directly in the eyes even scared the poor man with the possibility of a sudden dizziness or some blow to his little girl from such an action but all his worries erased as fast as your daughter moved her head seconds before thanks to the way in which her eyes shone brighter than ever, holding the galaxy itself in those small orbs exactly like his own "Really? It's a promise?".

The excitement on the little girl's face brought out the most tender and sincere smile from Seonghwa who didn't last long to rub his nose against hers, showering her soft cheeks with many kisses "It's a promise, my byeol".

And maybe he should have talked about the sibling thing with you before promising it to your daughter but, let's not lie, Seonghwa knew you better than yourself; the moment he said yes to his daughter he was already counting on you to be more than okay with having a second child. In fact, you were the one who laid Seonghwa on your shared bed after making sure that your child was peacefully asleep on her own to ride him like never before until he decided to change positions to bury himself even deeper inside you. It wasn't in his plans to break the promise he made to his little star so he fucked you until he left your belly nicely swollen with his seed.

Neither of you could deny anything to your little four-year-old walking smile.

HONGJOONG

"I want a little sister" said your three-year-old son as he perched himself in his father's work chair, a phrase that made Hongjoong drop whatever he was with that same moment and look at the kid "What? Why all of a sudden?".

"My best friend just had one and she's very cute" The way in which his baby waddled slowly without letting go of the chair, with that rascally face inherited from him himself, looking at him expectantly for an affirmative answer, brought out of Hongjoong his most genuine smile "Well, yes. Babies are really cute" he said, ruffling his hair before picking him up and sitting the child on his lap "but that's not a reason to have one, love".

For how the minor gasped dramatically while frowning, there was no doubt that that response had even offended him. This little boy's reactions were so comically unique that Hongjoong's stomach even hurt from laughing on many occasions.

"But I want one!" The child said as if it was the most prevalent reason to have a baby, and Hongjoong was about to talk but the appearance of his favorite girl stopped him "I think I have something to say in all this no?" You said, entering the room until you were standing next to your husband, something that didn't last long because said husband didn't like the idea of not having you closer so he sat you on his free leg; and it's not like you were going to complain, in fact, you hugged him "It's my belly the one that's going to hold that little sister for nine months".

"How?" As soon as he asked, both parents' eyes widened. You should have assumed he would ask, but hey, it's not like you mind talking about it, not like Hongjoong apparently "How what, baby?" He acted dumb, clearly not wanting to have that conversation now, too young his son to talk about anything of that "How will the baby get into mommy's tummy?" But this little curious boy wasn't about to leave the topic for Hongjoong's misfortune, who even let out an accidental "Oh shit".

It had to be said that Hongjoong didn't expect that he should have to answer this question at this point of his short life as a father, nor did he expect that too adorable "Oh shit" from the kid either. Word that clearly set off your alarms as a mother "No, baby. Don't say that" You corrected him, booping his nose and waiting for the child to ask why he couldn't say it if his dad could but you were surprised with that too cute "Okay mommy".

Both you and Hongjoong were about to die of love.

"That's my good boy" Hongjoong said, ruffling his hair one more time and giving him a kiss on the head "So are you going to bring me a little sister yes or not?" You both looked at each other, not knowing exactly what to say, until Hongjoong decided to leave the answer hanging in the air "We'll see" to which your son answered with an unfortunate unexpected "Fuck".

"HONGJOONG" Was the first thing that crossed your mind, yelling at the surprised man that was now looking at you "I DIDN'T EVEN SAY THAT" But then he stopped, thinking for a moment "Well maybe he has learned it from me, yes..." And your son nodding only made you look even worse at your husband "Don't say that either, okay baby?" And with that your baby boy covered his mouth with his two little hands and nod one more time, making you both laugh.

YUNHO

It was a peaceful night at Jeong's residence until your eldest son ended with said peace after all those failed attempts to play with his little sister who was only dedicated to watch him move while eating her tiny fist so calmly in her baby-hammock.

"I want another brother or sister!" Your son screamed, running towards his father's open legs to hide his head in his crotch and hold on to his legs. Sudden blow to his private parts that made Yunho complain and you chuckled softly under your breath so as not to be discovered by your husband who was already looking at you with half-closed eyes and shaking his head despite being laughing too.

"Why do you say that, baby?" You asked after you managed to calm your laughter "Because Y/D/N never plays with me!" Your son screamed again, readjusting his posture while firming his grip without separating an inch from his father "It's that?" Yunho asked between laughs, stroking his little head after hearing his son complain in a sort of shouted sob "I mean, if you want another sibling daddy will give you one".

"Tch, Yunho" His first name, not jagi. Bad moment to put on display his pleaser nature, man "But you have to ask mommy too" And you nodded, he was safe "So... you want another sibling to play with because your sister can't, baby?" And your son nodded without taking his head off his father's body "But you have to know that if we give you a new brother or sister, they couldn't play with you either" And that's the moment your son lifted his head, looking at you directly with a mix of horror and surprise, as if what you had said was the strangest thing ever "Why?".

"Because they would be even smaller than Y/D/N".

"More?!" He was silent for a moment after both Yunho and you nodded, seeming to be reconsidering what you had just revealed to him, when he suddenly separated from Yunho completely, crossing his arms and giving you both his back angrily "I don't want another sibling then".

"Oh no, my third baby" Jeong senior said dramatically, he even put his hands on his chest where his heart was pretending to be hurt "Yunho" you said in a warning tone, taking your son in your arms to hug him, accommodating you two in the couch under the warmth of your favorite blanket "Oh, come on. Three kids sounds nice, don't you think?".

"Y/D/N is only seven months old, let me enjoy life without kicks that burst my ribs a little longer" You couldn't see it because you were too busy kissing your son but you already knew that Yunho was smiling for how happy he sounded saying "A little longer? Is that a yes to a third baby?" Which only confirmed to you that Yunho was indeed looking forward to having a third. And one thing you were never good at since you started dating him was saying no to him when he looked so adorably excited about something "It's a 'maybe when my ribs return to their natural position because your daughter opened them for kicking them so many times' ".

"We're having a third" Yunho said victoriously with that goofy smile that you fell in love with at first sight and that, to this day, was still one of your many weak points.

YEOSANG

"Daddy" your daughter said in the softest voice you could have ever heard in your life. You couldn't see her because you were at the laundry room while your husband and daughter were doing an afternoon snack but you could even swear that she was playing with her little fingers nervously for the tone she used. That was one of her gestures when she was about to ask for something "Tell me, darling" Yeosang sounded as cute as your daughter which made you smile foolishly, nothing could please you more than the fact that the two loves of your life were so much alike "Can I have a sibling, please?".

That question surely made you slow down the speed at which you were doing the laundry, as if that would help you to hear better. It was a topic Yeosang and you talked about a few months ago, both thinking that it would be nice to have a second child not only because you two think that having siblings is so beneficial for a kid, but because you both were attracted by the idea of expanding your family. Another living proof of your love for each other.

But those were your reasons to want another baby, what would your daughter's reasons be? You were curious about them. Just like Yeosang.

"Of course, darling. But can daddy know why you ask?" The tenderness with which your husband was handling this conversation, like every conversation he had with your daughter, was so heartwarming. You could die of a sweet high "I want a sibling to be my best friend forever" and your daughter was about to finish what her father had started.

Not being able to be a mere listener anymore, you put the small skirt you had in your hands back in the laundry basket to go out to the kitchen, finding the lovely picture of your daughter sitting at the counter next to your husband, helping him prepare a bowl of fruit for the three of you to enjoy together.

"Have you heard it, Y/N-ah?" Yeosang said, looking at you with a cute smile that made his dimples stand out. He looked so innocent that made your heart beat in happiness "That's why I'm here, jagi" you approached them, taking your daughter's cheeks between your hands "To tell our baby that mommy and daddy will try to give her a sibling as soon as possible" and then you showered your little girl with lots of kisses to which she replied more than delighted just to join forces you both a few seconds later to shower Yeosang with kisses as well. Something the male was more than happy to accept.

SAN

When your older daughter asked in the middle of the dinner for another sibling you choked with your water to which San quickly reacted by patting you gently on the back, a situation that seemed very funny to the youngest of the three children who couldn't stop laughing at mommy's coughing fit. Whoever was not amused at all was your middle child, and it was not surprising after how much she cried and threw a tantrum when San and you told her that she was going to be big sister.

"Another one?!" She looked at her parents with a mixture of fear, surprise and rejection in her eyes that threatened to burst into tears if you gave her an affirmative answer. She looked so affected that she even worried you both. San couldn't see his kid like that "No, baby" he answered with so much tenderness, hugging the kid and giving her a soft kiss on her forehead before looking at you and asking "No?".

Who knows, maybe you were expecting a fourth child and he didn't know it.

But you shook your head what made your older daughter cross her arms and openly complain about not having a fourth sibling to which your second daughter yelled a not too nice "Three are fine!" Frowning and getting up from her seat to climb onto her father's lap so he could hold her as she wanted, searching for his comfort "But I want another brother!" The eldest answered in the same way her sister had spoken. The girls' tone only hinted at an impending fight between them, something that neither San nor you wanted obviously so San immediately cut them off with a serious "Enough girls".

San hated to use a severe tone with his children but he hated even more the idea of having a fight between his daughters when it was supposed to be a nice and lovely dinner in family. Much worse if the fight was going to be about whether or not to have another member in your family.

"What have we said about raising our voices in a bad way?" He said with seriousness, which made both kids look down with a pout "Sorry..." Both girls said at unison, now looking up at their father before looking at the other, your middle child climbing off San's lap to hug her older sister as an apology. Both had been taught to apologise to each other with a hug to make amends.

And after seeing that your daughters were fine again you decided to settle the dispute "About the sibling thing" both girls had their attention on you now "Daddy and mommy think that three kids are enough, by the moment" which made your second daughter smile unconsciously while your eldest pouted "But that doesn't mean that we won't bring you another sibling in the future" this time your second daughter was the one not looking so pleased while the eldest was smiling.

From the way they both nodded you knew they were content but not satisfied with that. You had given birth to them and raised them, you knew absolutely every single one of their gestures and what they meant. But hey, the discussion was over and you could go back to dinner in peace.

MINGI

"I like this one" Your son said, pointing to a photo in which both children were curled up in their father's arms, the three of them sleeping on the couch comfortably, Mingi hadn't even changed his clothes; one of your favorite pictures in fact, just looking at it almost brought tears to your eyes "In this one dad had just arrived from a tour. You refused to leave his arms even for a single second".

"How old were we?" This one was your daughter "Seven months" Mingi answered, smiling at the memory of how his babies received him that day with their little arms raised, calling him between really cute babblings while they moved nervously in their mother's arms "Such cute babies we were and I don't remember that" Your daughter said dramatically "We need a baby in this house".

"Wait, what?" You looked between your kids and Mingi, who was as surprised as you from hearing that, getting even more surprised when your son agreed with his sister "Right! If we have a little brother or sister they will look as cute as us!".

"Woo, woo, woo. Slow down you two" Mingi tried to calm his already excited twins but it didn't work at all "And why a little brother or a little sister when we can have both?" Your daughter ignored him to continue her talk with her brother, you could almost swear that her eyes were shining. But here dad came to try to calm the situation a second time after seeing the way in which your eyes widened "I told you to slow down, neither your mom nor I have said that we are going to bring you a sibling".

"But daddy! We lost each other as a baby!" Your son exclaimed dramatically as if it was the worst thing ever, with his hands on his father's cheeks and his head tilted back to add more drama "We want to have a baby at home" your daughter pouted sadly with a frown and, before Mingi had the opportunity to reply to that you suddenly said "Well, they really seem very excited about the idea of being big bother and sister, daddy" looking at him with a knowing smile. Apparently he had misinterpreted that expression of yours from a few seconds ago.

The fact is that Mingi had caught your message but, with both children staring at him expectantly, he couldn't do anything but respond to you with one look that only you could interpret: tomorrow you weren't going to be able to get out of bed. But that was only for you, obviously, the answer for your twins was "Then it seems to me that the family is going to grow, mommy " For which your living room ended up filled with euphoric shouts from your kids.

WOOYOUNG

"Babe, come here!" Wooyoung screamed from the kitchen and a lot of horrible things crossed your mind, since your son had been burned until he had cut one of his fingers "What happens?! I swear to god that if my baby is missing just one finger I'll—".

"None of that, I have everything under control here. Just listen to what our baby has to tell you" and with that all your attention went to your three year old boy who was jumping in the stool he was standing on to help his dad with dinner "I want a little sister!" And at such a revelation you could only blink several times, looking between father and son in silence until, after blinking a few more times, you said a simple "A sister".

"Yes!" Your eldest son said really excited, jumping even higher in his spot to which Wooyoung already had his arm around him but without touching him, just as a precautionary measure to prevent his son from falling "I already have a brother, I want a sister now".

Without a doubt, you thought it was quite cute the way he had said it, swaying his little body from side to side with those bright little eyes, but you couldn't help but to look up at the smiling father, looking for an answer "Do you have anything to do with this, love?" And Wooyoung shoke his head, not stopping smiling even for a second "It's all Y/S/N idea. But I also think that it's time to have a girl, babe".

And, to say the truth, the idea of having a girl was quite tempting, even more so when you had been thinking the same thing for a while. Having two children was fantastic as well as exhausting, you were more than sure that having one more could only double the happiness but also the exhaustion. And that was a sacrifice you were willing to do for sure.

"And you? Do you want a sister too?" You asked your second son who you were carrying in your arm, the baby smiling at you the very next moment his big shining eyes met yours which made you smile too "Okay then. Let's see if we can bring you a little sister" You finally said, both your eldest son and your husband screamed with excitement "But you have to know that it may not be a girl but another boy".

"We can always try again, love, don't worry about that" Wooyoung said nonchalantly, winking at you with a big smile to which your son exclaimed an excited "Yes!" Happy with the thought that one way or another he was going to have a little sister "Why did I already expect it..." You shook your head but not in a bad mood, you were also laughing at how predictable Wooyoung and your son were to you.

JONGHO

"Go, go. Ask daddy, my love" Jongho heard you say to your son distantly, you were at the bathroom giving your kid a shower while he was resting on the sofa after having set the table for dinner. Then, the sound of tiny quick steps made him turn off his phone, waiting for his son to appear in front of him just to be surprised by the kid poking his little head out on the side "Hi, baby" Said Jongho, waiting patiently for his son to tell him whatever he had to tell him "I want a brother!".

One, two, three blinks from the surprised father. Not even a hi. His son went straight to the point. The child was certainly clear about his priorities.

Well, such a question demanded seriousness so Jongho leaned closer to the armrest to close distance with his son, resting one arm and intertwining his hands "Daddy and mommy have to talk about it first but tell me, why you want a sibling?".

He had heard multiple reasons why a child might want a sibling. Some quite cute, some quite funny, and with the witty answers your son had for everything, Jongho was especially curious about this one. What a surprise he got when he heard your little boy say "All my friends are from the school or the park, if I have a sibling I will have a friend at home too!".

It was certainly something totally unexpected for Jongho. Although the thought of his son indirectly telling him that he felt lonely at home worried him for a moment, the sight of the smiling kid quickly dispelled all those worries. His little boy just wanted a playmate at home like he had at school and in the park.

"Fine. We'll see if we give you a sibling, okay?" Your son nodded enthusiastically at his father before going to the dining table, leaving both Jongho and you alone in the living room "That was a maybe for a second baby?" You asked him with something like hope shining in your eyes and that was when Jongho remembered hearing you say how much you wanted a second child when you were on the phone, talking to a friend.

If both his son and wife wanted to expand the family, he only could please them so, standing up from his seat, Jongho approached you, stopping in front of you with both hands in the pockets of his trousers "We'll see. We can try as many times as you want but I don't control biology, jagi" and he left you there with a blush on your cheeks, clearly having taken the hint in his words, going to the dining table too with a big smile on his lips.

[ekkkkey]

there will be games! (chapter II)

summary: Cassandra, a quiet and loyal wife to the much older Senator Tiberius, accidentally attracts the unsettling attention of Emperor Caracalla at a lavish feast hosted by Senator Thraex...

warnings: 18+ minors dni, noncon, dub-con, non-consensual drug use, when the emperor is a bit insane, mommy issues, daddy issues, every kind of issues—this little shit has them all (he’s so cute)

word count: 5k words

chapter I

«No woman could feel safe if her beauty or name aroused the emperor's curiosity.»

-Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars (Caligula, Chapter 36)

��� ⋆ ☼ ⋆ ⋆

She didn't want to get out of bed, didn't want to leave their room, all she wanted was to go home. Not to their new villa in Rome, not even to her husband's old house. Cassandra longed for her childhood home, with her father and sisters, where she could always be the little girl.

"You're an early bird today," Tiberius said, waking and stretching towards her.

Her heart skipped, her palms sweaty with worry.

"Those who apologize properly deserve forgiveness, don't they, little bird?" - another voice, deceptively tender but promising nothing good, echoed in her mind.

Cassandra wrapped herself tighter in the sheet, licking her lips, hiding her body from her husband, not wanting his touch.

"I slept poorly. And I don't feel well. When will we return home?"

Tiberius got up, his brief morning tenderness replaced by his usual sour mood.

"When the games end. Not before. I've got business."

Normally gentle and shy, she never argued with him, but this time, she tossed the sheet aside and jumped up, chasing after him, desperate to talk face-to-face. Her hands shook. She pictured herself – pale, nervous, dark circles under her eyes, hair a mess, more like a madwoman than a loving wife. Ashamed of her sudden anger, Cassandra covered up again.

"I feel awful, I'm nauseous, could it be a child, Tiberius?" she tried to elicit some sympathy, pressing her hand to her stomach.

She couldn't stand another moment in the palace.

"Tell me, wife, what troubles you so much?" - he took a step forward. She had never truly feared him, but suddenly realized that after yesterday, both he disgusted her and she feared him. It was his fault! Everything that happened to her was his fault!

"I'm really not well."

"And where better than the emperor's palace to find a good physician?"

Realizing her words were futile, she slumped back on the bed's edge, and Tiberius knelt in front of her, resting his cheek against her leg.

"The emperor," he began, "Emperor Caracalla, he's ill. His mind is rotting, just like his body, so you won't find better physicians here. Should I call someone for you?"

Cassandra couldn't breathe, pulling away from her husband, standing up in a daze, not caring about her nudity. Even when servants walked in, she didn't cover up, lost in dark thoughts.

Emperor Caracalla's mind was afflicted by a disease? What kind of disease? She knew nothing about medicine and couldn't even guess. Did this make him more dangerous, or was his nature already cruel and violent? His smirking face flashed in her mind, his mood swings, his smile turning to a sneer...

Cassandra flinched when someone touched her from behind. She quickly scolded herself.

"Stop, he won't burst into your chambers while you're with your husband!" - she repeated, but she didn't believe it, if he wanted, he'd take her right in front of Tiberius, and no one would stop him.

She spent the entire morning trying to comfort herself, but her anxiety only grew. First, Tiberius noticed the purple bite on her skin. She managed to excuse it, saying he'd had too much wine and hadn't been gentle with her in bed. He believed her.

She was horrified again when the slave girls began to dress her.

"This isn't my clothing!" - the fabrics were too vivid and fine, and they...they smelled of aromatic oils and powder.

"Not yours, true, but we'll be here for some time, and until your clothes arrive from the villa, you need something to wear, don't you?" her husband murmured, looking at her like a piece of art. "You can't just walk around naked, can you?"

She would have preferred to parade through the palace entirely naked rather than willingly wear the clothes and jewels Caracalla had sent her, fully aware of how pleased he would be. Yet, the problem was, her nude debut would have left him equally pleased.

The stands were louder than ever, and only when they entered the imperial box did she understand why. The Colosseum was flooded!

They were late due to her distraction and sluggishness; if she had her way, they wouldn't have come at all, but there she was, seated behind Lucilla once again.

Despite the excitement of the ship battles, the clanging of metal, her eyes kept falling on the red-haired head before her.

Neither emperor acknowledged their arrival, too absorbed in the spectacle, and while Geta later gave her husband a nod of recognition, Caracalla didn't even turn around. Anger simmered in her chest. For him, last night was nothing, but for her...For her, it had haunted her all night and morning. All her thoughts were trapped in those wretched, humiliating moments.

Why did he seem to have forgotten while she, cursedly, remembered every touch? Remembered his hands were soft and hot, his scent sweet, almost intoxicating... And, of course, she remembered the bitter humiliation from his words, from how he touched her, and that Emperor Geta had watched it all.

Cassandra pressed hard on her palm where the wound was healing, trying to push away the memories. She wouldn't let him occupy her mind as well.

Yet, she couldn't relax, pandemonium broke out in the box when the ships came too close and an arrow hit the column between the emperors' chairs. The last thing she heard before Tiberius pulled her out was Emperor Geta's piercing scream.

The palace was buzzing with unbearable noise, the feast meant for evening had transitioned into the day, though the servants were not fully prepared.

Cassandra stood by a column, wine cup in hand. Her husband had left her again, off with General Acacius. The emperors were nowhere to be seen, nor were most of the Senate.

"How many do you think will be executed today?" she heard a quiet female whisper.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the emperor ordered all the gladiators on the field to be gutted," another voice answered, "you know how he is, insatiable!" A burst of giggling followed, and Cassandra stopped listening, embarrassed by the direction of their conversation.

She understood that for many, winning the emperors’ favor was a dream. But for her? She was a married woman who had spent her youth cultivating a sense of duty, loyalty, and responsibility. Why, then, had the gods abandoned her? Faithful and devoted as she was, they had thrown her to their earthly incarnations to be torn apart.

"More wine, domina?" a slave girl dutifully refilled her goblet.

The girl was young, dark-skinned, and beautiful, with large, intelligent eyes. Cassandra noticed the gilded collar around her slender neck and suddenly felt an invisible, soft, and hot hand squeezing her own throat. In a rush, she took a large gulp, wincing at the bitter taste, then handed the cup back.

"No more, thank you," she said, licking her lips nervously, knowing she wouldn't find peace in this cacophony.

"Are you not well, domina?" the girl asked, worry in her voice.

"I just...I need some time alone," she muttered quickly, stepping away from the column, only to stagger and clutch her head. What was happening to her?

"Do you want me to take you somewhere quiet, domina? You can rest and come back later," the girl didn't wait for an answer, guiding her by the elbow out of the room. Such audacity from a slave was unheard of, but Cassandra was too rattled and her head was spinning.

"Where are we going?"

They navigated past the throne room into a small, almost secretive chamber. The ceiling wasn't as high, the columns much less grand, the lighting dim and gloomy, and in the center stood a white altar, adorned with gold. In her parents' home, next to her room, there was a similar one, much more modest, of course, but dear to her heart, where she had prayed to her late mother.

"Wait outside," the words were both a sentence for her and an order for the slave.

She wanted to scream. Of course, he was here. No one was to be trusted, even the slave's kindness was a trap—cruel and painful. Was she truly nothing more than a prisoner here, a powerless plaything to entertain the young emperor?

Every time she saw him, he seemed like a different person. He was dressed in black and gold, with a golden laurel crown and an earring. Gold, gold, gold! She despised its gleam, for in it, she saw him.

Huddled against the wall, she stood frozen, afraid to move. The emperor did seem different this time—melancholic and contemplative. His pale eyes were unusually clear and sober as they met hers.

"What did you tell your husband?" His voice was different too: calm, measured. That made it all the more terrifying. Cassandra couldn’t read his mood from his face.

"Nothing, Caesar," she whispered, afraid to speak louder, as if his calm depended on it.

Caracalla turned to the altar, studying it as if seeing it for the first time. She held her breath, watching the golden laurel shimmer in the torchlight.

"Come closer."

His tone was pensive, his light brows furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. The moment she stepped closer, the emperor’s gaze shifted to her. It slid from her neck, lower, along the colorful tunic she wore.

"My mother used to wear this," he said. To her surprise, his right hand was bare of rings as he brushed the fabric over her chest lightly, almost tenderly. His eyes stayed locked on hers.

Though still afraid, it felt different from yesterday. Worse.

Why had he forced her to come here? Why had he dressed her in the clothes of his dead mother? Cassandra cast a desperate glance at the door, but he noticed immediately. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"She often came here," he continued, "prayed to the gods," his words were vague, her thoughts growing heavier, "do you pray often?"

"Yes, Emperor," she replied, though her mind was growing heavier, duller, as though lulled into a haze that numbed her fear.

"When was the last time?"

The conversation was bizarre, so unlike what had happened the night before. Feeling almost drunk, she answered without thinking, and that's when everything started to spiral.

"Today, when that arrow almost hit you," she said, breathing heavily, it was hot, like under the midday sun, "I prayed for the next one to hit."

Her tormented mind knew he would kill her now. That Caracalla would carry out his threats, destroy her and her family. But instead, he laughed.

Grinning, he patted her shoulder as if she’d told an excellent joke. Then the sharp pain of his hand striking her cheek brought her back to reality. He had slapped her! Tears welled in her eyes, her lips trembling, but she didn’t have time to cry. The emperor grabbed her face, squeezing her jaw painfully.

"You did drink it, didn't you? That wine they brought you?" Caracalla whispered, his voice low as he leaned closer, still holding her face. "Oh, you did! I can see it. Your dilated pupils, that empty stare, struggling to think straight, hard to control your tongue? I get it," in a mock tender gesture, he caressed the cheek he'd just slapped, "for those words, your pretty head should be on a spike outside the palace, shouldn't it? But you know the rules, if you apologize properly, I forgive."

With his thumb, he drew circles on her reddened cheek, moved to her lips, tracing their outline, forcing her to open her mouth by pressing down.

"You understand now, don’t you? The aphrodisiac in the wine you drank," he pushed his finger inside, making her lips encircle it, "I wanted to play differently, but..." his face twisted with anger, "everything went terribly wrong."

Her already rapid heartbeat quickened further, she whimpered helplessly, wanting to cry. He had made her take the drug and was now exploiting her helplessness, shamelessly tormenting her mouth.

"You should say thank you, shouldn’t you? Or did you enjoy last night more? Shall I call my brother?" he chuckled, once again reverting to his usual self.

Caracalla released her face but immediately pinned her against the altar, tilting his head up and gazing at her from beneath his lowered lashes, as if admiring her, smiling.

The torchlight reflected in his eyes, his tongue flicked between his red lips in anticipation. His hand caressed her shoulder, then he removed the pin holding the fabric.

"Did the old senator fail to notice that his dear little wife isn't really his anymore?" he sneered, his fingers trailing down to the mark he'd bitten into her skin the night before, pressing down, aiming to cause as much discomfort as possible. Caracalla's breath grew heavier, his eyes followed every flicker of emotion on her face, every slight movement she made.

"I told him it was his fault... that he drank too much..." The confession fell from her lips without thought, her mind too clouded to hold it back.

"Ah! How unfortunate, and once again, the Senate takes credit for the emperor's work! But you'll comfort me, won't you?" His lips were so close, she felt his hot, uneven breath, saw his pupils, as black as hers, the smeared shadows making his eyes feverishly gleam with madness. Her gaze only darted down to his lips for a moment... and he pressed against her, pulling her into a kiss.

His hands seize her waist, gripping and tormenting, not just her body but her very soul. If she could cry, she would, but there's no energy left, only his greedy, hot mouth. To her, a kiss was something far more intimate, far more sacred than carnal union, promising tenderness and love...And even that he steals from her, kissing her shamelessly, wetly, pressing so hard she feels his hardness against her thigh.

"Let's continue our lovely conversation," he pulls back, his mouth trailing down to her neck, kissing and biting, "tell me, did Tiberius ever get you this wet?" His hand slides between her legs, rubbing through the fabric. "Even once?"

"No," she whimpers, trying to close her legs.

"Keep acting innocent, and I'll call the Praetorians to keep your legs spread wide, is that what you want?" his rough whisper burns her ear, his earring brushing her lips.

Cassandra shook her head, public humiliation was something she couldn't handle.

"Good. Obedient and well-behaved, just as a respectable matron should be," he purrs, his hand lazily caressing, more relishing her embarrassment than her body, "if you want, you can call me your husband!"

His sharp laugh slices through the narrow room.

"Undress," he commanded, his laughter gone, "I'm not going to fuck you in my mother's clothes, am I?"

She thought after all the pain, the threats, the violence, he couldn't hurt her more, but each time, it still cuts deep. With trembling hands, she hurriedly sheds her tunic, then her undergarments, laying them out as treasures, while he watches. His gaze is fixed, nostrils flaring, Cassandra sees him stroking himself under his tunic. Her cheeks burn, her clouded mind finally grasps it - he's going to take her right here, in this holy place, before ancestors and gods. Her soul will be damned, even in death!

"Touch yourself, feel how wet you are," his voice is husky, breathless, "you should be grateful to me for that, shouldn't you? That's what I've been talking about."

Head bowed, she slides her fingers between her legs, horror dawning as she realizes he's right. But why? The drug? The notion that he aroused her with his aggressive kisses, his sharp bites, his lewd whispers, she dismisses in disgust. She didn't want him, she hated him!

Seeing her shock, Caracalla broke into a smile, fully aware of her thoughts. Abandoning his arousal, the emperor circled her nipple with his thumb, watching it harden under his touch.

"It's not surprising your husband doesn't stir your passions, look at yourself," his hand traces down her body, over her breasts, stomach, to her mound, pausing again between her legs, "you're more his daughter than his wife!"

His fingers gather her moisture, rubbing, making her despise her body's response.

"So, will you take your emperor?" he asks, not for permission but to keep the game going.

She can only nod, there's no other choice.

"Say it out loud," Caracalla whispers raggedly, pushing his fingers deep inside her. Now she understands why he took off his rings.

"Yes, Caesar, I'll take whatever you give me," with those words, the last vestiges of her pride are smashed, her genuine compassion and naivety destroyed.

He takes her with a sudden, harsh thrust, only to slow down to a lazy, almost indulgent rhythm. The air is stifling, hot; sweat drips down her thighs. The only sounds are the crackle of the torch, his ragged breathing, and the vulgar, wet slaps of skin meeting skin.

As if to disgrace her further, he grips the back of her neck, forcing her to look into his eyes as he picks up the pace again. Here he is—the protector and father of his people—bestowing his gifts. He's still clothed, no need to undress; the chain around his neck jingles with each movement, his crown slipping forward.

"Doesn’t this feel good, sweetling? Don’t you feel good?"

"Cassandra," she whispers, "my name is Cassandra."

He stops, looking at her with surprise, as if seeing her for the first time.

"Is it really that important for me to know your name, Cassandra?" he teases, playfully biting her earlobe. "Has the little wife fallen in love?"

How could he think that? Anger surges within her. Her attempt to claim some dignity crumbles! But her thoughts vanish as he thrusts into her sharply, fully, making her gasp and dig her nails into his shoulders. It’s the first time she’s touched him willingly. Her simple gesture spurred him on even more, forcing a quiet whimper from her as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Next time your senator fucks you, think of me, little bird, understand?" his whisper turns into a moan. She's mesmerized by his parted red lips, his light lashes fluttering, his chest heaving. A few rough thrusts later, his grip on her waist loosens, and his seed floods within her.

He lets her go, adjusting his clothes, his breathing still heavy, but his gaze has changed. Having gotten what he wanted, Caracalla loses interest.

"If you're lucky, my seed will take root, and you'll give your husband an heir!" he chuckles, playfully flicking her nose as if she were a pet. "The wench will help you dress, don't forget, there’s a feast to attend!"

Caracalla leaves her, trembling, bare, and shattered. Tears finally come, and without strength, she slides down the wall, hugging herself. The worst is the sticky feeling between her thighs he left behind. If she were to conceive...

"Domina, you shouldn't sit like this, please stand, I'll help you," the slave girl who brought her here shows no emotion, no trace of sympathy in her eyes.

"Leave me!"

"Staying here is not an option, one must respect the dead," the girl nods at the inscription on the altar.

"Lucius Septimius Severus"

He had defiled her beside his father's ashes! Now, she lets her sobs escape freely.

⋆ ⋆ ☼ ⋆ ⋆

Hey! Thank you so much for the sweet feedback on the last chapter, I didn’t expect so many people to like my work, I’m really grateful! 💋 I promise the next chapter will be up faster (but it also depends on how this one does, your feedback means a lot to me and really inspires me).

[daydreamteardrop]

Girlhood - Sylus x Reader Drabble

Note: Hello! This is a drabble Ive started, maybe I'll continue it. I thought about how Sylus would be so up for helping MC be more confident in a girly style, because her whole life she wasnt allowed to present girly for her safety. (im massively projecting). Grandma Josephine is carrying the brunt of that LMAOOO, idk, is not being a Josephine fan controversial?

Not beta read, we explode like Josephine.

Spoilers for Sylus' Story!

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• °.•

Girlhood wasn't really something you got to grow into.

Middle school introduced the full throttle of make-up, accessories and hairstyles onto the girls your age. And you found it fun, in fact, you always wanted to join the bandwagon.

But your dear gran was just so worried. She'd hold your hands tight and tell you that presenting so feminine can be dangerous. You will be stared at, perhaps even talked to by strangers, god - it would hurt your dear Grandma's heart should you walk outside while presenting in a girlish way. She'd be worried sick.

‘The boys would stare…’

‘Think about the way home, it gets dark so quickly during fall and winter.’

'It's unsightly.’

‘You are way too young.’

‘You’d get unwanted attention.’

And you didn't want to worry her.

So with a sad smile you were always the odd one out. You'd wear big T-shirts and pants. The girls in your class looked at you with such a pitiful yet mocking expression. One time they even ‘accidentally’ cut your hair and when Caleb picked you up from school that day, your silent begging to just go home was the only thing that stopped him from acting against the bullies. Grandma saw it as an opportunity to keep your hair short. It stayed the same even in highschool, where you were mistaken as Caleb's little brother once.

In the Hunter Academy, you were able to loosen the insistence of your grandma and managed to grow your hair to just above your shoulder again.

When you first wore the official Hunter's uniform, you couldn't be happy. The only thought that crossed your mind was ‘Grandma would worry if she saw the bare stomach.’.

When Tara would try to convince you to do anything girlish, you'd decline with a sour smile. Too scared, too constricted.

Even when the explosion took her, you just couldn't free yourself of the shackles.

-

Now, the dress Sylus made you wear for the auction was…gorgeous. The black and velvet felt so nice on your skin, it was practical to move in. The accessories glittered and reflected the dim lighting of the hallway. You didn't dare touch your hair, not knowing how, so the matching black claw-clip was in your hand. You didn't have any make-up you could use. And so it felt sinful to walk along this disgustingly expensive carpet in heels you weren't used to.

He held his hand out for you to take and wore that smirk. Black gloves met his calloused hand and he observed you. Looked you up and down and there was no way to tell if his gaze was scrutinizing. Red eyes met your face and then your hair, then to the claw clip in your hand.

“...not to your taste?”

“That's not it…”

Fingers clenched around the material of the hair accessory. He raised an eyebrow, urging you to continue.

“...I don't know how to put it in. I mean, it's kinda obvious how to, but-”

Before you could bring a finished sentence into the room, he grabbed the clip from your hand and spoke “Turn around.”

“Huh?”

He sighed. “I'll help you.”

With a bit of hesitation you turned around. Something about turning your back to the Onychinus leader was unnerving, an inner part of your brain scratched that it was crazy, but the moment his hands pulled your hair to the back with an uncharacteristic gentleness, the scratch stopped. He left a bit of hair out on purpose, letting it frame your face, and clasped the rest in place neatly by the claw clip.

Your hand traced over it carefully and you turned around and met his eyes. He huffed, satisfied with himself and put his hands in his pant pockets.

You recall the sentence that left him earlier.

‘No one can stay wary, when there's a beauty walking around.’

You're not used to being described with that adjective.

-

After the auction, Sylus waved you off when you wanted to return the dress and its accessories to him.

‘It was tailored for you. It's yours now.’

His way of using his money was…questionable to you. The dress was miles outside of your budget range and you hung it straight and neatly, in order to not even get a hint of a wrinkle in the luxurious fabric.

Closet doors were open and you stared at it, like it was some sort of glorious painting in a museum.

‘Maybe I should frame it.’ you thought as you sighed dreamily. When the tips of your hair slide over the back of your neck, you shudder, because it reminds you of Sylus' fingertips in your hair when putting it up with the clip.

Your poor pillow is the target of your suppressed squeal. A dress was in your possession.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

DaydreamTeardrop2025

[jjjjeonww]

hong joshua - "Dear, Diary. Damn my academic rival."

genre - romance! ~~in which you've seen joshua as your academic rival for years, but lets see how he sees you in his perspective. (just wanted to switch it up a bit heh) a/n: this is a little thank you for 108 followers hehe<3!! also, this is a fic requested by the one and only, @hanniescookie! you keep coming up with amazing ideas and requests my angel, and im always happy and always honoured to complete them and be the person who receives them <3 ( @wonkierideul, here's your tag my lovie! you've had a tiring day, take a break and rest up. a junhui fic will be coming soon, just for you🤍)

(remember, this is all in joshua's pov!) 28th December 2024 Dear Diary, Today I felt so stupid. Why? I couldn't take my eyes off Y/n as she pored over the latest batch of data, her brows were furrowed in concentration. The flickering lamplight casted shadows across her face, it highlighted the curve of her cheekbones. Honestly, to me, Y/n was a vision of focus and intellect, a force to be reckoned with. And damn if she didn't look gorgeous in the process.

When she glanced up and caught me staring, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It was a rare sight, that smile... but it was all the more devastating for its infrequency. I felt my heart stutter in my chest, my breath hitched slightly as I drank in the sight of her.

"You've got that look again," I said. I have no idea how, or why my voice came out more huskily than I intended. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. "Like when Tom thinks he can finally eat Jerry. What are you so smug about?"

I saw her smile widening, a glint of mischief appeared in her eyes. "I'm not smug," she said, and I know I heard the stupid note of false innocence in her tone. "I'm just...satisfied with my progress." Note by Joshua: (As if she could do any better than me. Well, she did do better than me this time. Won't let it happen the next!)

5th January 2025 Dear Diary, Today we got our test results. Obviously I looked around to find Y/n and to see her reaction to her grade, only to find her right next to me, holding up her test results, the paper rustled softly in her hand. I leaned forward to see, my glasses slipping down my nose as I squinted at the numbers. My jaw clenched as I took in the scores - hers were higher than mine, by a margin that made my gut twist with reluctant admiration.

"What?" I scoffed, pushing my glasses back up. "You've beaten me again?" I leaned back in my chair, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Damn you Y/n. Next time... don't get too comfortable. I'm not going to let you stay ahead for long." Her smile turned into a full-blown grin, those eyes... they sparkled with that familiar competitive fire. "I wouldn't expect anything less," she said, a note of challenge in her voice. "But don't worry, Joshua. I have no intention of making this easy for you. I want to see you push yourself, to reach for even greater heights."

I felt a surge of determination, a fierce need to prove myself and rise to her challenge. But beneath that, I felt something else, something softer and more intense. A longing to see that smile on her face again and to keep this fire alive. Note by Joshua: (I guess I got another longing; For her to stop calling me by my name and instead call me 'hers'. And I'm cringing at my own joke haha! until next time diary!) 13th January 2025 Dear Diary, The days have turned into weeks, and my isolation and forced collaboration with Y/n only seemed to intensify the charged atmosphere between us. We clashed over theories and methods, our voices raised in heated debate as we paced the confines of the cabin. The air grew thick with tension, but it was a different kind of tension than before. There was an undercurrent of something else, something that made my skin prickle and my heart race.

Note by Joshua: (Today's note of 'love' was a short one. Guess our isolation was bigger than our forced proximity.) 27th January 2025 Dear Diary, Something happened this evening. As I was reviewing our notes by the flickering fireplace, I glanced up to see Y/n staring at the flames, a distant look on her face. She looked gorgeous in the firefight, shadows dancing across her delicate features and highlighting the curve of her lips. I found myself wondering what she was thinking about, what dreams or fantasies played behind those captivating eyes.

"You know," I said softly, to me, my voice was barely audible over the crackling of the flames, "sometimes I wonder what goes on in that brilliant mind of yours."

And she turned to face me, a small smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased, a mischievous glint in her eye.

I felt a smirk tug at my own lips, a hint of playfulness entering my voice. "I think about it more than I should," I admitted, my gaze locked with hers. "Especially when you look at me like that."

Her smile widened, a soft blush coloured her cheeks. "Like what?" she asked, a note of innocence in her voice belied by the heat in her eyes.

I leaned forward, my elbows on my knees, my eyes never leaving hers. "Like you're trying to figure me out," I murmured. "Like you're seeing right through me, past all the bravado and the competition, to the heart of who I am."

I watched how her breath hitched, and how she swallowed hard. "Maybe I am," she whispered, her voice was barely audible. "Maybe I want to know what makes you tick, Joshua. What drives you, what you dream about, what you...want."

I felt my heart pound in my chest, a fierce longing surging through me. I wanted to tell her everything, to lay bare the secrets of my soul and hope that she would do the same. But I held back, I didn't want to scare her off. Note by Joshua: (Maybe next time, we'll see what'll unfold for me and Y/n. But hey, at least today's 'love' note was a long one right?)

[fizziepopangel]

"Sweet Dreams, Angelcakes"

Angel sat in bed, his eyes heavy but his mind refusing to slow down enough to rest. Valentino had him filming for nearly 48 hours; each scene rougher than the last as he was held down and twisted into unnatural positions before the camera…. He had just about collapsed when the camera had finally shut off, but once he's dragged himself back to the hotel and up to his room, sleep sat just out of reach.

“Maybe I should call Husk.” He missed, looking at Fat Nuggets, as if waiting for the pig's pink of approval….. he was only met with soft sleepy snots as the pig snuggled into his usual spot on Angel's bed. “Nah. He's probably asleep…”

Flipping onto his back– and wincing at the ache it seemed to worsen throughout his body– he grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest. He picked up his phone.... The. He put it down again…. Then he picked it up, opening his last conversations with Husk. His stomachs flipped as he stared at the tests. Groaning, he set the phone down again. 

“We ain't even been together 3 months." He reminded himself with another sigh as he picked up his phone and unlocked it again. “I can’t just ask him to come over cause I feel like shit, Nuggs." 

Tossing his phone aside, Angel rubbed a hand down his face. The clock on his bedside table read 3am, but it felt so much later than that and between his bruised and abused body and the anxiety running rampant through his mind….. but even when he picked up his phone again and unlocked it again to stare at the text screen with Husk's face on it, he just couldn't bring himself to reach out.

Suddenly, the typing bubbles popped up beside Husk's small picture. 

“Oh my God, he's typing!" Angel gasped, tossing his phone across his bed as if we're poison. “He's typing!" 

Ding.

The spider demon cautiously crawled toward the phone, panic sitting in his gut as he reached out to unlock the phone. It was 3 in the morning, no good ever came from a text sent after midnight.

Oh God, it's a break up text. Angel worried, his hands trembling so much he struggled to read the message.

❤️Whiskers❤️:  need somethin’ darlin’? Or you just typin’ for no reason?

Angel stared at the text, panic rising when he realized that Husk must've seen the typing notification while Angel was thinking about texting him. He sat there, frozen, not wanting to be a bother.

❤️Whiskers❤️: Angelcakes?

‘Angelcakes’. The nickname brought tears to Angel's eyes. It had started out as something Husk only called him in bed; saying he was good enough to eat or claiming that Angel was his favorite meal…. But even just reading it, it felt…. different.

❤️Whiskers❤️: You there?

❤️Whiskers❤️: You ok?

❤️Whiskers❤️: Angel?

Angel set his phone down, sniffling. He wanted Husk there but he felt as though he didn't have the right to ask for the comfort he so desperately wished he could have. He didn't feel all that deserving considering all the things he had done in the studio.

The phone kept dinging, vibrating the bed beside him until it woke Fat Nuggets. The notifications stopped bad Fat Nuggets climbed into his lap, nuzzling against Angel's chest fluff. The tiniest smile crossed his face despite the tears falling down his cheeks. “Thanks Nuggs." He whispered softly, laying down with his pig held tight against his chest. Although he wasn't comfortable enough to sleep, he figured he could hold Fat Nuggets and stare at his ceiling until something like sleep took over.

Closing his eyes, he just laid there, hoping for even a scrap of rest. 

“Angel?" Husk called softly, opening the door. "You ok?” Angel's eyes shot open as the light from the hall poured in, casting Husk's shadow into the room.

Angel shot up, eyes wide as he stared at Husk standing in the doorway. “What… What’re ya doin’ here Whiskers?” He asked, watching as Fat Nuggets hopped off the bed and trotted over to the other demon, rubbing against him as a greeting.

“What am I doin’ here?” He repeated. “Angel, you kept typing but wouldn’t actually send me a message and you opened all my texts but never responded…. I was gettin’ worried, doll.”

Angel’s lip trembled. “You were worried…” Before Husk could register what was happening, Angel was crying, his breathing staggered and his chest heaving as he struggled to breath through the cries. “I-I’m sorry.” He choked, grabbing a pillow and burying his face in it in an attempt to cover up the tears.

“Hey, hey,” the bed sank as Husk sat beside him, wrapping an arm around the spider demon’s thin, shaking frame, “Quit your blubbering.” Despite the harshness of his words, his tone was gentle.

“I-I…” Angel’s words dissolved into tears the more he tried to talk. It all seemed too much, though part of him knew he was crying over nothing.

Husk gently moved the pillow away from his boyfriend’s face… He was shocked when he saw the state of him; deep bags ringing beneath his normally animated eyes, bruises already adorning his face and arms. “Jeez…” Husk breathed, his grip on Angel’s arm tightening protectively but immediately loosening it again when he felt his partner wince. “Angel, doll, your shakin’.”

“I just…” Angel wasn’t even sure what he should say.

“Baby, when was the last time you slept?” Husk asked, gently rubbing his back.

Shaking his head, Angel let out a watery laugh. Sleep tended to evade him even on the nights he hadn’t been worked like a dog by Valentino…. But this was different,worse somehow; it felt like somehow, in the midst of the beating he took for the camera, someone had managed to the exhaustion into his bones… But really nothing was wrong. He’d been in the studio almost a full 48 hours and he was beaten and bruised and sore all over, but it wasn’t the worst time he had in the studio; far from it actually, yet he was sitting there sobbing like a little kid. He didn’t know how to say that nothing was wrong, but somehow everything was wrong at the same time.

Husk watched Angel laugh almost hysterically as tears poured down his cheeks. He didn’t know exactly what to say or do… But he watched as Fat Nuggets climbed up onto the bed and tried to nuzzle into his owner, oinking softly in an attempt to pull Angel from whatever seemed to be happening in his head. “Angel, doll, you gotta breathe.” Husk tells him gently, trying to follow the small pig’s lead in comforting his boyfriend. “Come on, why don’t we try one of those stupid breathin’ things Charlie made us do in group last week? Remember?”

Although he couldn’t speak, he followed along as Husk counted.

In for four. Out for four.

In for four. Out for four.

In and out…..

By the time he could breathe normally again, and the tears had slowed, Angel still didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but Husk didn’t ask. Husk didn’t push or pry, he simply wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled Angel against him, letting the demon’s head rest against his chest as he stroked his hair. Angel sniffled, his arms wrapping around Husk’s body as if it were a lifeline. He didn’t know what he needed, but whatever Husk was doing was definitely on the list of things he needed tonight.

“Thank you.” His words were muffled by Husk’s side as Angel buried his face against him, inhaling the comforting scent of cheap booze and an earthy cologne. 

“Shhh.” Husk whispered, pulling the comforter over them. “You gotta rest, Angelcakes.”

Hesitantly Angel looked up at the man, swallowing hard as he forced the words out, “Stay with me?”

Smiling softly, he placed a kiss against the exhausted spider demon’s forehead. “I wouldn’t dream of leavin’ ya here, Angel.” Angel clung  to the hellcat, and despite feeling out of place, Husk wouldn’t have traded this moment for all the booze in Hell. His claws card gently through Angel’s hair as he reveled in the soft snores and snorts that seemed to be coming from both Angel and Fat Nuggets. Although he never thought he’d be the type to want a soft, cliche of a relationship like this, he couldn't help but hope that this moment felt as right for Angel as it did for him. 

Husk stayed up a few more hours, sitting in the quiet and just enjoying being able to hold Angel, taking in every little detail about the man he could see in the dim lighting. As his own eyes grew heavy, he pulled Angel a little closer, kissing the top of his head softly and yawning. “Sweet dreams, Angelcakes.”

[longlivedelusion]

Stress Reliever

Summary: Your regular checkup with your doctor who also happens to be your boyfriend goes... differently than you imagined.

Warnings: Smut. Eating out. Reader is afab. Some ice play. Minor angst.

A/N: This is inspired by this post because I'm feral and Love & Deepspace has become a hardcore fixation. We are locked in baby! Enjoy Zayne girlies~ (I know I did).

It had been a few months since Zayne and I started officially dating, and today marked the second checkup I've had with him since we got together. Sure, I'd been his patient a while now, but this new dynamic of doctor/boyfriend was still an adjustment to say the least.

I struggled with what boundaries to set in times like these, even though it seemed like Zayne was a natural. He treated me like any other patient, was professional in all senses when I was in the office, just to get a text the moment I leave the grounds saying I "looked beautiful today."

So as I walked into the office with a set of papers on my latest blood work, I paused at the door and took a deep breath. Health first, partner second.

That thought went straight out the door however when I walked into the room, Zayne's demeanor a cool chill that swept across the room like a brewing winter storm. 

To the average eye, he was the same cool and collected doctor that everyone knew and respected, but as someone who knew him well I could immediately tell: he was pissed.

"Hello, please have a seat." He said without looking up, gesturing to the chair across from him. I made my way over just as he finished whatever he was looking at on his computer and directed his full, cold gaze on me.

"Hi. Um, I have my latest blood work here." I said, sliding the paperwork across the desk. He grabbed the papers with ease, looking them over as the noise caused from the movement became the only sound in the room. My hands settled back onto my lap nervously, gripping and sliding across the fabric as my mind struggled to hold back the worried girlfriend side of me. Health first, health first, health first... 

He looked over the exams silently, the tension in the room gliding over me like tar as my body tensed across from his seemingly calm one. I watched as his hand tapped slowly on the table, his lips suddenly pursing.

"Your iron is low again. Have you been following the nutrition plan I prescribed?" He said, knowing I hadn't been eating at home as much lately due to late work nights. I'd told him time and time again that I'd been eating my regular, healthy meals not to worry him, but in reality I had maybe skipped a meal or two out of forgetfulness. Maybe three.

"I've been trying to, but with work I might have slipped here or there." I said, knowing there was no point to lying to him now. I tried to stop the guilt from flashing across my features.

"I see." His words clipped. He set the papers down carefully and leaned forward, linked hands together. His eyes bore into mine with a quiet fierceness I knew well, making me look away.

"I'm sorry, I'll be better about it. I'll-"

"There's no need to apologize. If you do not wish to follow my opinion as your primary care physician than that is your perogative." I couldn't read him, his emotions hidden behind stone as he stayed there a moment and then turned back to the computer. "Have you had any problems or discomfort in the past month?"

I looked at him, the familiar check-up questions throwing me out of my head a moment. "Uh, no. Everything's been good. Normal."

He nodded and continued typing. More silence. I felt my skin begin to itch as I struggled to hold to my earlier mantra. Was he mad at me? Did something happen today and I just made it worse? I know he worries.

"Seems we are all done here then. I just sent the signed certificate to your Captain, so you are free to go."

Wait what? "...just like that?" I asked. Normally he would avoid signing until I promised to take better care of myself or would at least scold me slightly before doing anything. Something was definitely up. 

"Yes." He said, not looking up. "I will see you in a few months."

I stood, taking that as a my cue to leave, but as I reached the door I paused. I felt the pull towards my partner, the desperate need to understand, to talk, to say fuck these boundaries and-

"Zay- Dr. Zayne." I hesitated as I turned back around. "Are you alright?"

He stilled for a fraction of a second before he continued his typing. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem off today and I was just concerned-"

"I'm quite alright." He said and didn't even look at me. He kept just typing and typing. I wasn't, couldn't take the next 9 hours waiting for him to get off work before I figured out what was going on. I'd go insane.

"Zayne," I said softly. "Please? Talk to me? I know we agreed to separate our work and personal lives but I'm really worried, this isn't like you. I know it's not just the iron thing."

He sighed, shoulders falling slightly as he closed his eyes. "It's nothing, darling. We can speak about it at home."

I move to the desk again, but this time around to face the side of my seated partner. "You won't be home for another 9 hours." My hand reached out to push his short hair behind his ear. "But if you really don't wanna talk about it, I understand."

He nuzzled into my hand, silent for a moment before he spoke, "It's the board. They've been reducing staff and resources from the Protocore Syndrome rehabilitation center in Maple Ridge due to the increase of need in other areas, but the cases in that area are unlike anything we've seen in other locations. They are pushing the staff already as is, yet they want to reduce it more."

He turned, moving my body in between his legs as his head settled on my chest. "I've been arguing with them all week about this and yet they won't listen. If they do this, a lot of people will die." He added with a sigh.

I keep stroking his hair back. "Oh, baby I'm so sorry. Maybe the Hunter's Association can help back up your claims? Maybe it'll be enough pull to get you the resources you need."

He shakes his head. "I've tried, but unless there's a public outcry or some miracle, I don't think there's much else we can do."

I gently pull his head back and he looks up at me with a slight furrow in his brow. "Don't give up. There had to be something else we're missing." I say, determination in my voice. "You're the Dr. Zayne, you'll find a way. I know it."

His eyes softened, looking at me with fondness and trepidation. "I may be good at my job, but I'm no miracle worker."

I shrug, "Maybe, maybe not, but you are stubborn. And determined. And that goes a long way."

And there, from the corner of his lips drew a small smile, "You are very good at comforting others, you know."

I smiled back, kissing his forehead gently. "I've been told once or twice." I pull back, and look at him again. "Is there anything I can do to help? Really, I wanna help you if I can." 

He paused, thinking deeply for a moment before he tilted his head to look at the door. "Perhaps there is one thing that you could do."

"What? Anything." I said with no hesitation.

He reached over to his comms channel and dialed the receptionist. "Miss Liǔ, please hold my appointments for 30 minutes and make sure nobody comes to my office in that time. I have an important call."

"Yes, Dr. Zayne."

The call ended and in that second I felt hands on my thighs as Zayne stood and lifted me onto the table. "Anything?" He repeated, face now mere centimeters from mine.

My breath hitched as I tried to form a single thought beyond fuck in that moment. "Zayne, this is your work, I mean anyone could hear us."

"Then I suppose you need to stay quiet then, don't you darling?" From his hand his Evol swirls until a cube of ice lands between his fingers, and he pulls back. "Open."

My eyes widen at the command but I do as he asks, mouth wide as he placed the cube on my tongue. The ice wasn't too cold surprisingly, but it still numbed my mouth somewhat.

"Don't stop sucking this cube, understood?" He said as he dropped to his knees. "Not until I tell you."

I nodded, pupils blown wide as I watched him make quick work of my pants. He shoved them down my legs, his mouth searing into my skin as he began his ascent up my thighs. His kisses were reverent, unrushed despite the ticking clock, the dual sensations of the cold and heat now rising in my body as I dropped my head and closed my eyes.

I felt his mouth inch it's way up, up, up closer to the growing wetness between my legs. I was still covered in that sense, and despite Zayne barely having touched me I was already brimming at the seams with want. It was always that way with him, somehow he could have me from 0 to 100 with barely a breath. 

Which, in that moment an actual breath took me from my thoughts as his mouth ghosted over my cunt. He drifted around it, yet never quite touching where I wanted. I felt everything leave my mind in that moment as a soft moan got stuck in my throat. I couldn't speak, couldn't beg, couldn't anything. So I settled for the next best thing.

I reached forward, hand grabbing onto his hair as I locked eyes with him, exuding every pleading thought I could into that stare. He simply chuckled and grabbed my hand, placing a gentle kiss on it before settling it back on the desk. "Patience, darling. I'm taking my time. After all, I need to relax."

With that he nuzzled into my clothed core, nose flickering over my clit as he let in a small inhale. "God, you smell divine." He said, the movement making me grip the desk. He licked a small stripe from the bottom up making me lift my body in reaction.

"You taste divine too."

He reached up to the edges of my panties, pulling them down and away as he greeted my now glistening core. His hands gripped my thighs as he let out a breathy "beautiful" before licking a long stripe up my folds.

Another moan got stuck in my throat as he began to suck on my sensitive bud, his tongue soothing it at random intervals before diving down and up again. The way his mouth moved over me, the care, the gentle lick to a fevered suck had my mind reeling. I started pulsing my hips upward, desperate to get more pressure where I needed, but Zayne just kept going at his own designated pace.

His hands tightened on my thighs as he pushed them down, a silent order as his mouth continued his ministrations, my juices slowly dripping down his chin and onto his desk.

My hands reached back for support as I instead sucked on the cube on my tongue for some sort of extra stimulation. One of my hands reached for my chest, pinching and kneading as my muffled keens grew more desperate.

Zayne was not a selfish lover by any means, but in this moment he couldn't care less about anything but his face between my thighs.

With the impending countdown of the clock, I felt a rush of adrenaline shoot through my system as desperation kicked in. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but the words struggled to come out with the ice on my tongue. "Pwease" was all I managed, the ice balancing on my tongue awkwardly as I spoke.

His eyes shot up to me, his mouth slowing and pushing back to an agonizing pace. It made me whine in frustration as Zayne's hand gave a warning squeeze. A reminder of who this was for and who was in charge here. But, to also trust him.

I sighed and nodded, legs widening as I struggled to keep myself in check. What mattered was he was getting what he needed to relax, and if that was by eating me out, well. Who was I to complain?

At that thought, the pressure began again and a new sensation filled my body as a finger began to press in. My body tensed at the intrusion, a muffled moan escaping Zayne's mouth from the tightness as he started to suck just a bit harder. His finger pushed in and out at a casual pace, curling and twisting as he explored its tight walls.

My body began writhing against the desk, pushing against him as he pumped his fingers. I reached forward, one hand still on the desk while the other grabbed his hair for dear life. He was a man enjoying every single bite of his meal, slowly, intentionally, yet desperate for more. 

Soon, a second finger pressed in, stretching me to heaven.

Whimpers and whines stayed caught in my throat as he began curving his fingers into a spot he knew well, one he knew that could have me screaming in any other circumstances. Despite the ice cube in my mouth, if anyone listened close enough to the door of infamous Dr. Zayne they would hear the desperate whines of his partner and the sounds of his fingers ravaging my cunt.

Closer and closer it built, the need to cum. Just that, a need. Zayne could tell too, his movements growing faster as he pumped into me hard and fast, tongue swirling and sucking with just the right pressure. My nerve endings felt alive, the cool ice barely grounding me in the present while his mouth kept me afloat in the sky. I could feel it growing closer and closer until-

"Mmm!" I sucked hard on the ice while I lurched forward, body shaking as my orgasm hit me with barely a warning. His hands pressed into me lazily through the aftershocks before he eventually he let them go and his mouth replaced them. He licked and sucked any remainder of cum before sucking his fingers clean as well. He let out a deep sigh.

"Incredible," he mumbled, a small smile on his lips as he rubbed gentle circles on my thighs. He stood then, leaning over me as he gently kissed my lips. The ice cube melted between our tongues as his Evol dissolved the magic and I sighed in relief.

"Thank you, darling." He said as he pulled back, forehead against mine. "I needed that."

I smiled, head reaching to stroke his cheek. "I'm glad to help." I said, the sincerity coating my words before I looked down. "What about you though? I can-"

He stopped my hand before it could touch him, moving it up to his lips instead. "I got everything I needed." He said as he kissed my palm, and then every finger. "I'm quite happy like this."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He looked up then and smiled, the tension from earlier completely melted away. "Absolutely."

[sulfies]

If I Lead (pt 4)

Part 3 here

Ezio wanted a warm bath, a good wine and a soft bed… then maybe a visit from a courtesan once he was rested.

His ass was hurting from the long horseback ride from Venice to Monterriggioni but he was glad to be back home. 

Things were not done with the thieves yet and Rosa still had a few more tricks she wanted to teach him, but he had to visit home every now and then to ease Claudia's worries and top up the funds the village needed.

He had found some more riches hidden around while looking for more of those discs that went into the sanctuary. So far he had two counting the one on him.

He rode his horse through the market street nodding and throwing small pleasantries to the people trying to gain his attention. It felt weird to come back sometimes and… be known by many after months of hiding in crowds, not drawing any attention. 

But he did miss being able to just walk openly and not worry if the guards were going to come after him.

He looked around the buildings as he passed them by. More people were coming into the town each day and Monterrigioni was finding his footing once more. From what Claudia has yelled about to him, Mario had messed up the finances of the village in a way that should not have been possible.

Thank god one of them took their father's banker genes…

He rolled his shoulders and came closer to the stairs leading to the villa. Mercenaries were doing their regular stuff. Some in the ring that stood in the middle and some were scattered around the clearing on the upper sides. 

He would check the barracks tomorrow, he had ordered it to be fixed before he left and he hoped they had actually listened to him or he was going to send their half of this month's wages into the repairs of the church.

He hopped down from his horse giving the reins to the stablehand nearby who was waiting for him.

“Welcome back, Ser Ezio, hope the road treated you well.”

He hummed in response, the road was always the same. He had to deal with some bandits but they were far enough from Monteriggioni. Still, maybe he would talk to the mercenaries later about them expanding their patrol zones. The last thing they needed was for the traders to get discouraged from coming in due to the roads.

He started climbing the stairs, the nearby soldiers said their welcome as he passed by and he waved his hand to them out of courtesy and not much else.

Bed, wine and bed… then he would act like a civilized human to the people.

He walked in through the doors of his home as Claudia was making his way down the stairs.

“It's good to see you back Ezio”

“Claudia” Ezio walked to his sister with open arms.

Claudia made a face as she was drawn into his arms “Can't you wait till you wash this disgusting smell out of you first.” yet put up no real fight to get out of the embrace.

Ezio laughed and let her go. “Shame that you would insult your dear brother, you wound me with your harsh words, Claudia.”

“Mhm, I'll take pity once you smell like a human being again. Go now, the maids have already prepared a bath for you, we will catch up after, with dinner.”

Ezio smiled and climbed the stairs with a spring in his step. He had missed home and its luxuries.

Opening the door to his room he sighed blissfully once his eyes landed on the tub. He couldn't get the armour off him faster.

Once his limbs hit the warm water his muscles melted their aches like butter. Looking at the stool nearby he saw a goblet filled with wine sitting pretty for him and his smile widened. 

“It's the simple things really…”

He grabbed his cup and just sat in the tub as he sipped it, savouring every drop. 

He spent longer than he usually did, the water was almost lukewarm when he decided to start washing himself fully.

What he wouldn't give for a massage right this very moment… 

By the time he got out of the tub, the water was on its way to become cold. He dried himself off and put on his fresh clothes. 

Also laid out on his bed for ease; he could kiss the maids.

He put on his bracers and made his way down to his sister’s office, a small chest filled with their new funds by his side.

“Do I have the permission to enter the premises, my lady?” he mocked with two taps on the doorframe, drawing Claudia's attention from the papers on her desk.

“Since I didn't smell you coming in… yes, you do.”

Ezio walked to the desk dropping the chest on it slowly, Claudia's eyes sparkled as she got up to open it up. 

Eyeing the coins inside she smiled back at him.

“Good work, brother! Do you know how much is inside?”

Ezio shook his head “No, that's your job” and received a pout for his answer. 

“One day your face is going to get stuck like that”

“And I'll blame you for it ’till you die.”

He drew her in for another hug, a longer one and this time Claudia was happy to return it fully.

“How is Madre…” He felt Claudia's shoulders rise in a sigh. “Same as always, but she eats and drinks. Some days I can get her to walk around the garden, which is something, but still not a word has fallen from her lips.”

Ezip nodded and planted a small kiss into his sister's hair as he let her go. “I'll go check up on her after dinner, got some more feathers for her.”

“That would be nice, somedays I find her in front of the box gazing… at least it is a reaction of some kind”

“Indeed.”

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

The dinner passed with laughter and the latest gossip from both sides, what Ezio did, how the town fared while he was gone…

“The repairs on the barracks are almost complete”

“That's good, I was thinking about getting the church fixed next.”

Claudia smiled. “Venice has changed you huh…” Ezio laughed. “It's not that. Truthfully, I could not care less about it, but since the brothel and the barracks, I fear if I don't actually fix it soon people are going to get annoyed.”

“Glad to see you use your head for once.” Ezio rolled his eyes at the comment. “But yes that would put some people at ease, maybe draw some more people in. The shops have been faring well, but there are still many empty ones.”

“The market looked pretty full to me…”

“That's because everyone knew you were on your way, some of our merchants have been sending their better wares away to bigger cities via traders.”

Ezio raised an eyebrow “You want me to do a little bit of inspection don't you…”

“Yes, go around and show yourself so they have a reason to not hide them”

She took a bite from her meal. “And maybe stay longer than a week this time hm? I know you have much to do back in Venice, but as a young woman I can only throw my weight around so much in this place Ezio”

Ezio scoffed, “You basically run this town better than I would, all the bookings are done by you.” 

“I do run it better than you, I'm not saying I don't. I am saying that annoying people like the mercenaries and the merchants respond better to an authority they fear…Which would be, you.”

“So you want me on guard dog duty.” 

“Yes, I'm sure Venice can handle a couple of weeks without their local vigilante.”

“Whatever you say, my liege.”

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

After dinner, Ezio visited his mother's chambers. 

As Claudia had said she didn't look any better… but she didn't look any worse, either.

He walked in with soft steps and his shoulders down. She felt like a scared feral animal some days, if he moved quickly she might try to fly in fright.

She was sitting by her bedside chair facing the balcony watching the sky, hands still in a prayer.

“Madre, I'm back” He didn't really wait for a reply, used to the silence by now but it still hurt his heart.

He came close to her side and kneeled by her, placing his hand on top of hers.

“I'm not done yet in Venice… don't know when I will be but thought it was time I came back for a visit. Claudia thinks I should stay for a while.” 

Smiling up at her sadly he continued “I think she is tricking me into taking a break”

He stood by her side for a while embracing the silence. 

“I brought you some more feathers, Claudia let me know that sometimes you look at the box. Glad to know you enjoy them.” 

He leaned down and kissed her hands, his thumb rubbed over the back of them. 

“I'll bring even more the next time, hm?”

He got up and walked over to the box. Eyes still stuck on her form he placed the white feathers in it and locked the box after.

“I'll come again tomorrow, Madre…”

He walked out of the room with the same silent steps. 

It hurt a lot.

Each time he went to see her he had a small hope that it would be different but he left with grief filling his heart each time.

It was weird, could you still feel grief over someone who was still alive? 

If not, he didn't know what else to name the hurt he felt beneath his lungs.

He made his way to his room again, the sun had just started setting down and the weight of the road was pulling him to bed.

He walked into his room and faceplanted onto the sheets, throwing his boots to the side and unlacing his hose halfway. Too lazy to change his clothes, he was clean anyway.

Closing his eyes he welcomed the wave of sleep that washed over him….

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

When he woke up the next day the sun was up quite high, he overslept. The road had taken out of him more than he had anticipated.

Maybe Claudia was right, some downtime would do him good.

He cleaned himself up with a fresh set of clothes, putting only bracers on from his daily uniform. He would get the maids to wash that today as well, tho he knew his enjoyment of his clean capes would only last half a week.

Making his way downstairs he stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He could probably sleep a bit more if he stayed in the bed but Claudia would give him a face about it.

Stopping by her door again he knocked twice on the frame. “Buongiorno!”

Claudia looked up to him, her desk had some coins lying around it and the chest he brought yesterday was open on her side. 

“It's almost mid-day… but good morning to you too”

Ezio smiled fondly “So, did I bring enough back or do I need to make another trip…”

“I haven't been able to go through all of it but… Yes, we will be cushioned for a while.”

She looked back at her pages to check the numbers.

“There will be a lot of leftovers even after the repairs which is a nice safety net.”

“Good to hear.” Ezio watched his sister focus back on her work again and took it as a cue for him to get going.

“I am going to go down and see how the barracks are coming along. Then maybe visit the blacksmith. Lost some daggers here and there that I want to replace.”

Claudia just hummed in response and waved her quill without lifting his eyes away from her desk.

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

Once out of the Villa, Ezio gazed down at the town. Feeling the sun hit his face was a rare luxury he got to enjoy only here. 

At the top of the stairs, he just watched the people go about their day for a bit. Things were coming along, he noticed yesterday but now with his full attention, he realized Claudia had repaired some more buildings outside of the main street. Some houses were still getting work done with workers outside. 

He noticed some more ropes going in between the buildings as well. He chuckled, that was nice of her to do…

He made his way down into the street, nodding at the pleasantries people threw his way, stopping now and then to hear people's troubles. 

They were mostly crying about leaking roofs and general upkeep troubles.

He took the street that led to the barracks.

The renovation was still going on but from what he could see they were almost done with maybe a month or so of work left to do.

He walked into the building, most of the chatter stopped for a beat and then continued but he could feel the side glances coming his way.

He paid no mind and went further in, towards the back room. He could hear Mario’s voice boom even through the closed doors.

So that's where his uncle was… with each step the mumblings of Mario’s voice got more clear.

“...I said I would try to talk about a raise but don't push my hand Marsillio. You and I both know I take the defence of this place very se-”

“What's this talk about a raise?”

Mario turned around to face Ezio standing by the open door.

“Ezio! How swell is it to see you” His frown chanced the moment his eyes landed on his nephew.

Approaching him, Mario clasped his forearm in a greeting and patted his back strongly. A big smile was plastered on his face. “I missed you coming back yesterday.”

“Don't worry about it Zio, I went to bed pretty early.” He nodded back in sympathy then looked back at the other person. “Now, what were you guys just talking about?” He tried to keep his tone even.

“Nothing for you to worry about yet, Nipote.” Ezio raised an eyebrow and kept looking at the other mercenary who was doing his best to not avert his eyes. 

“We…were just talking to Ser Mario about additional budgeting for the upkeep of our weapons.”

Ah… still after their old payout before he got his hands on the ledger and let his sister make some cuts. 

“Why? Don't your men know how to polish their own swords?”

Marsillio smiled sheepishly “They do but you can only polish a dull sword so many times before It will break, sir.”

“Well, are any of them broken?”

“No… not yet but would you rather them break in the heat of the battle and leave our men defenseless?”

Ezio put a hand on his hip. “If Monteriggioni ever has to go into battle, I assure you no funds will be spared for its aid.”

Before the other could get a word in he continued. “I have already factored in the upkeep of your armoury into the budget you were dealt for this year. You will make do with what you are given till I see a reason to allocate more with my own eyes.”

Marsilio looked like he was trying very hard to keep his face straight, Ezio found it quite funny. Answering to a younger man, when you used to be able to get what you wanted with ease would put a chip on any man's shoulder.

He crossed his arms with a smug look he couldn't hide “Well, now that we all have agreed on the budget problem… I had actually come here for a different reason.”

Mario looked at him with slight worry, Ezio shot him a smile to calm his nerves “Nothing pressing or such but I’d like the outside patrols to expand their search area.”

“We already cover plenty of grounds, Ser Ezio. My men have yet to find even tracks of passing bandits.” Marsillio retaliated.

“Then they won't mind having to go a bit further on their search to keep the good people of our town safe, hm?” 

He stared at him for a while, seeing the other man's conviction crumble by the second, he clearly wanted to argue against it.

“As.. as you wish sir.”

Really, this was starting to bore him.

Paying these guys for them to complain like young maidens who didn't get enough pocket money for their dresses… but Monteriggioni needed its defences and this was the best they got thanks to Mario, bless his heart.

“That's good to hear, I'm sure the citizens of Monteriggioni will be thankful for your services.” He turned his attention to Mario “It is lovely to see you again Uncle Mario, I’ll try to visit your office later today.”

Mario gave him his signature grin and clasped his shoulder, shaking him with it. “Yes of course! I wanted to hear about your latest doings anyway.”

Ezio gave a nod and left the room. Feeling the pointed stares of others behind his back as he crossed the main room. He knew the mercenaries were not too happy to see him back. 

No one would be happy to see their boss back.

He stepped outside of the building, letting himself breathe a bit. He rolled his shoulders to ease his tension… this was such a chore but Claudia was right, these types of men only responded to an authority they feared.

“Once again hiding to the side Domenico? You have been at these swords for three days now…”

A man talked out of the corner of his eye. He was leaning over against the railing that surraunded the Stable. The mention of swords caught his attention.

“Come on, take a break and join me for at least a cup.”

Another man, older than the one who just talked, was inside the open area of the stable with a pile of swords next to him. Sharpening the one in his hand on the whetstone on his lap.

“I told you, I don't like drinking during the day…” “Then come play dice!”

The man sighed. “Don't sigh at me, I am your senior and I order you to come inside. I have yet to see you rest after today's rounds.”

“Angelo, I am resting. See, this is me sitting… which means I am resting”

The older man raised his head to give a look of disappointment to Angelo when his eyes met with Ezio for a second then quickly went back to the other man.

“Yea sure, and laying with your wife is called falling asleep” 

“Angelo!”

The man raised his arms in a sheepish defence “I'm joking, I'm joking...” With an impatient huff, he pointed his fingers at Domenico. “Don’t look at me like that, I'll leave you to your rest, but you are ordered to come to the tavern with us tonight. No excuses!”

Ezio chuckled to himself quietly and started walking towards the market, leaving the two men to their bickering. Unlike what Marsilio said, the swords looked fine after all.

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

"I'm just happy that James and Lily are finally together because they deserve it and I love them both"

And that was Remus. The poet that would find the beauty in insignificant things. The kid that believed in happy endings and true love. The kind of person to be happy just because others were happy. How gorgeous was that?

The way he was smiling now made Sirius shiver. But maybe it was because he was dizzy of too much smoke.

Smoking with Remus was his new favorite thing. Not because he wanted to be cool or he actually enjoyed cigarettes. It was because of Remus. A million times Remus.

Because he got to be close to him. Because it was something intimate between them. Because Remus spoke and told Sirius things and he laughed only for him. And Remus was beautiful when he laughed.

"I love James" Sirius declared, taking a drag of his cigarette.

It was easy to love James. It was wrecking to love Remus.

"And Lily?"

Sirius shrugged, making an 'eh' sound.

Remus smiled and shook his head.

Sirius was the idiot that made Remus smile. It had always been like that. Like a bufoon making his prince laugh of how silly he was. Because the prince would never fall for the bufoon.

"I just think that James deserves the best"

"And Lily is not the best?"

Sirius let out some smoke into the night sky.

"Maybe the perfect match for him is somewhere else. Out there. James is just obsessed with Evans"

Remus shook his head "I don't think so"

Sirius looked at him expecting an explanation "Why?"

Remus bit his lip, so deliciously "Because if he's meant for someone else, he would have been over her a long time ago. His heart keeps circulating back to Lily. Over and over. They keep coming back to each other. Over and over"

How did Remus always manage to say smart things and all that came out of Sirius’s mouth was bollocks?

And Remus took a drag of his cigarette in thought. Sirius wished for a second that he was thinking about their similar story. Back to each other. Over and over. And Sirius’s heart still felt the same. It hadn't stop beating for Remus. Never.

"That's ridiculous" Sirius said because, see? He was a scared idiot who said bollocks "Evans just tosses him around like a toy and James is a masochistic who lets her. One day, yes. Another day: 'I hate you'"

Remus's eyes fixed on Sirius. That kind of look that made Sirius feel naked in front of him.

"I know the feeling" Remus whispered mostly to himself, finally looking away.

"What?"

And Sirius was aware of how Remus blushed. The shade of pink that blended well with his freckles. Sirius wanted to be able to count them all and know them by heart.

"You just don't know the feeling, Sirius" Remus cleared his throat "You've never been in love"

Sirius almost laughed. Because the feeling he had always had for Remus couldn't be anything but love. He would sacrifice himself for him. He would go to the end of the world for him.

"And you do, Moons?" Sirius asked trying to hide away his hope.

Remus was quiet for a while, he smiled to himself and spoke : "No... I just read many romance novels"

Sirius giggled. His little nerdy Moony.

"They are very descriptive about feelings and such"

Sirius tucked his head to the side. "Is fiction"

Remus shook his head.

"You are an idiot"

As long as Sirius was his idiot.

"Love?" Sirius scoffed "We are too young for that. We are meant to enjoy life and have fun" he opened his arms to emphasize "Then when we are like thirty or so we will worry about spouses and stuff like love"

He said that because 1) it was his facade, always had been. The idiot womanizer who was too cool to fall in love, and 2) Because it was true. And he wanted as much time with Remus he got before he found someone to settle in. A nice partner that would make him happy.

Sirius’s heart ached at the thought.

Sirius would end up alone. Because nobody would ever stand him. Not truly.

Remus eyes moved around Sirius thinking about what he was saying. He chuckled at the end and shook his head again.

Because Sirius was the bufoon.

"You're an idiot, Pads"

As long as he said it affectionately like that.

Sirius grinned "And you know what is my idea of fun right now?" he raised an eyebrow.

Remus swallowed.

"What can that be?" he smiled.

Sirius scooped closer. He saw Remus's chest breathing rapidly. His cheeks went more pink and his lips parted.

God he loved provoking that on Remus.

Although that was Sirius provoked in people. Desire. He knew he was good looking because of his family's rotten but gorgeous genes.

However that's all that people saw in him. A handsome boy.

And Remus was gay, so he naturally reacted. He closed his eyes waiting for the kiss.

But Remus was not in love with him. Nobody was actually prepared for the train wreck Sirius was.

The second his lips touched Remus, Sirius was doomed. He was intoxicated. He wanted to bury himself onto Remus. Melt with him. Be his and be wrecked by him. Over and over.

Fuck, Sirius was selfish. And he knew Remus didn't feel the same. And he knew someday he would want more than kissing his best friend. And Sirius shouldn't be getting more and more attached.

But he was selfish.

He kissed Remus and tried to pretend he wasn't getting weak in the knees with the mere touch on the lips. And he pretended he didn't saw stars when Remus opened his mouth for him.

And he pretended his brain wasn't whispering: "Mine, mine, mine, mine" and "Moony, Moony, Moony, Moony"

Over and over again.

[jrstales]

Getting bred by the guitarist after the show

Hi all - one of the different storylines I am also working on - hope you all enjoy :-)

----------------------Tom’s POV---------------------

Backstage was a whirlwind of post-show energy as the three of us headed to our dressing room, walking past the banners “Crooked compass” screaming across them in big gold letters. The three of us were tired and hot, performing for hours under the intense light of the hall, ears ringing from the loud music and screaming fans. It felt fucking sick. I couldn’t wait to get out again.

We turned the corner to the dressing room, and a wall of cheering hit us as we saw a crowd of groupies waiting beside the door. As we walked past, one of them shoved a photo of the three of us into my hand. It was from a staged photoshoot we did at the start of the tour. The three of us shirtless at our instruments, I was stood up on mike singing, running my hand through my blonde curls, while Liam our guitarist stood beside me, his long black hair tied in a bun, winking down at the camera, both our lean bodies on display. Behind us you could see Dillon on the drums, his large muscular frame on display as he beat away at the drums. We looked fucking great.

I took the Sharpie from her and signed it, handing it back as security opened the door and ushered us into the changing room, locking the door behind us.

"Shit Tom, those lights were intense!" Liam exclaimed, collapsing onto the worn-out sofa in the room. He peeled his soaked white t-shirt off, throwing it in a corner.

 "Yeah," I agreed, grabbing beers from the fridge, 'Though a great fucking show guys." I tossed one to Dillon, and dropped down beside Liam on the sofa, handing him one. I unscrewed the lid of my one, a faint fizz filling the room, taking a refreshing gulp.

Dillon raised his bottle, “Yeah, they were definitely feeling it tonight, good crowd."

I pulled my own t-shirt off and leaned against Liam as he put his arm around me. "You know," he whispered "you looked fucking hot up there tonight."

"Yeah?' I took a sip of my beer, before rubbing my hands long Liam's toned stomach. The label made us train every day to keep us in shape, and it fucking worked.

“Yeah,” he murmured in my ear, “I couldn’t take my eyes off your ass all night long.” He pulled me closer, kissing me.

'You two at it already?' Dillon joked, sitting down on the makeup bench opposite. It creaked under his heavy weight. While Liam and I were quite lean, Dillon had some serious muscle behind him.

'Always,' I winked at him, 'You don't mind do you?' The three of us had been on tour for half a year and friends for longer. Dillon was the only one that knew about me and Liam, and after forced proximity, had just accepted he was going to see us fuck.

'Would it matter if I did. Besides, you guys have caught me with a chick in the tour bus enough times.' He joked, sipping his beer, 'Though I do want to head back, so hurry up so we can get on the bus.'

We needed no more encouragement, as I got onto all fours on the sofa and started licking Liam's chest and abs, tasting the saltiness of his sweat on my tongue.

'Fuck babe, that's it.' he moaned as I started licking his nipples. His hand reached down the back of my jeans as he started to squeeze my ass, reaching for my hole, teasing my sweaty crack. I couldn't help but moan into his chest as he played with it..

I reached down and started to unzip Liam's fly, releasing his hard 6 inches. He always went commando on stage, said it was his good luck charm. I buried my face in his crotch, smelling his musk, licking and sucking on his hard dick.

'Thats it babe, get me nice and wet.” He gave my ass another firm squeeze, “Dillon, don't just watch and throw me the lube.'

Dillon laughed, reaching into his bag and tossing over a bottle to Liam. 

'Cheers mate.' He laughed, lubing up his fingers and starting to finger my hole.

'No worries, looks like he's doing a good job there.' Dillin said, as I started deep throat Liam, gagging slightly. Liam moaned appreciatively.

'He always does - sure you don't want a try?' Liam offered. I looked hopefully over at Dillon. I had always dreamed one day he’d say yes.

'Nah, don't want to spoil your lovebirds fun. But hurry up, I want to get home.'

Liam pulled my up from his cock, kissing me while lubing up his dick. He stood up moving behind me while I began to undo my skinny jeans, pulling them down to my knees.

Liam sidled up behind me, pressing in as he began to thrust quickly into me. Liam body was slight, but his lean body was fast as he railed me quickly, generating enough force to send my body reeling as he pounded into me from behind.

'Mmhmm, yeah babe.' I moaned, my face buried into the sofa cushions. We weren’t the first band to use it, I wondered how many loads this thing had had spilt on it. 

I started stroking my own cock, a string of precum dripping onto the cushion as Liam fucked me fast just right, grunting, his hands rubbing over my already sweaty body.

'Fuck Tom, you like that.' Liam grunted.

'Fuck yeah, it feels fucking great Liam.' I moaned, his dick sending waves of pleasure through my body with every fucking thrust.

'I wanted to fuck you all show, it's my favourite part of each one, breeding you after.' I felt drops of his sweat hitting my back as he fucked me mercilessly, our wet bodies colliding over and over.

'Yeah.' I moaned. I felt my dick slick in my fist as I'm jerked off.

'Always babe. So, here's another load.' he started thrusting harder as he came inside me, grunting every time his hips slid into me.

'Fuck, I'm cumming to.' I moaned Liam kept fucking me as I came, shooting jets of cum into the cushion in front of me. 

Liam collapsed onto me, his weight driving me prone onto the sofa. We looked over at Dillon checking his phone and finishing his bear.

He gave a slow clap for us. 'Great guys, can we go now?' Dillon laughed, finishing his beer, ' And flip the fucking cushion.'

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

Hi all, thank you so much for reading. I will always continue to post here, however if you want up to date content in this and other storylines, some exclusive works, or even just to support me please consider checking out my Patreon below.

[tomorrowsgardennc]

market update // national seed swap day 2025

geeeeez i have so many notifications here, i guess i really haven't been on here in a hot minute. it has been nuts prepping for my first *major* seed swap, and it legit was a major one. but now that it has been a week, i think i'm finally starting to catch up with things. but i want to share with y'all before i forget all my mental notes and stories!!

i personally took so very few photos, because after 5 minutes in i was SWAMPED!! there was a line the entire 2 hours of the swap, and at the end of the market we had to tape off the seed swap portion in order to pack up! i was genuinely only expecting a steady stream of curious people, but it was shoulder to shoulder people, courtiosuly helping one another find varieties of this or that and everyone talking and asking questions!

now for setup... i had myself, my farmer mama (sooo happy she was able to make it!!), a local community garden captain who i asked to volunteer so he could promote his community and network a bit himself, another fellow plant vendor at the market, and one other volunteer who knew nothing about gardening but LOVES to organized. and y'all... i could not have asked for a better team to help me. farmer mama helped me keep my panic attacks away from so many people in one place... the community garden captain helped put a smile on everyone's face and giving the regulars new info, the fellow vendor was acting like she was a salesman and got so many seeds flying off the tables by answering sooooo many questions, and the last volunteer kept all the tables nice and tidy throughout the swap and refilled when space opened up. it was truly amazing.

we had a total of 25 feet of table space, and every table was jam packed with seeds. i brought approx. 1,375 seed packets (+/- a few dozen between added donos the morning of and me shipping some out the week before). but the thing is... the tables never got empty because of the amount we also had donated back! we had books and nursery containers too. i left with more books than what i arrived with, and all the nursery containers were gone by end of the swap. which is good because i don't need any more of those 😅

i think, with the seeds donated day of, that there were more seeds saved personally than open seed packets than i expected. now, sadly, i'm going to have to get the word out that labeling seeds as "pumpkin" is... well... not all too helpful for anyone. but i have 350ish days to get that word out before the next seed swap. and i plan to! just... need to wind down from this event first, mentally.

ok so, i know that part of my autism is me legit not being able to grasp certain concepts of emotions... even with hubs best efforts i still can't understand empathy. but i also... ok sorry this is hard to explain so it'll be written poorly... but a ton of people kept congratulating me??? saying what i did was a "true accomplishment" and i "knocked this out of the part" and "you succeeded!!" but... this wasn't about me???? i didn't do this for me. i did this for everyone who needs food. for those who have been too scared to try and start seeds before. who have tried before but trying again was too high of an investment. i didn't do this for my benefit, nor for marketing, or anything. the community garden captain gained more social media followers than me, and that's EXACTLY what i wanted!! one woman, dressed as though she was just barely getting by, legitimately broke out into tears when she picked up one envelope, dug through her purse and asked how much and i said "everything on these tables are free!" she said thank you a few times before she couldn't hold it in and grabbed a few more packets and left. congratulate HER on having the means go grow when it obviously means so much to her! congratulate ao many others who now won't have to worry about how they're going to afford a garden this year when bills are so tight! i don't know... maybe i'm missing something. just... i don't need a pat on the back for helping people. this should be the norm, bar minimum, not an accomplishment.

...

anyway... notes for next year:

- have a better donation system. turns out a lot of people were putting the seeds on the table that they brought, and nobody realized it, so i couldn't properly thank those people when they did.

- make sure to get more companies to donate. i had 7 companies donate, but renee's garden donated over 600 seed packets alone while every other company was, like, 50 maximum. we are going to need quite a lot more next year...

- still debating on switching my company to non-profit or not. i've talked to an "official non-profit consultant" at the local community college but she didn't really answer my questions about my type of business. i'm definitely not doing any of this for money, but i need more funding if i want to make seed swaps not only bigger but in more locations, both in person and online. and i have soooo many ideas on how to do so. i just need to figure out the best way to do so, legally. i'm just scared of messing some sort of legal paperwork or taxes up when i switch to non-profit.

- try and get the same volunteer team. i could not have done it without them.

- grow. grow grow grow and grow.

that last note is for you, too.

just grow 🌱

[lsunstreakerl]

ahhhh I could feel Carlos' bitterness that Redbull was so protective of Max and yet allowed him to race

I can see that if Silverstone had happened and Max had lost his sight the way you said before, Carlos wouldn't think it was such a bad thing (in fact, now that I think about it, wouldn't Max be afraid that whoever took his place would replace him?)

And since we're talking about the Dark Bull alternative, how would Charles react to Max losing his sight? Since we know that part of his obsession is due to the fact that he thinks they are "fated" to run together, I wonder if this wouldn't make him lose interest a little, or if it would just bring out the side of him that wants to have someone to welcome him home, someone for him to have hanging on his arm at events, (I say "someone", but the truth is that Charles just wants Max). In fact, when you think about it, Charles would probably love to have that control over Max, over everything he does, wears, eats, listens to, when he goes out (not unlike Dark Bull, really).

yeah, carlos definitely thinks rb is hypocritical about that- if they want max to be safe so bad, sticking him in a car going at top speed around a track seems slightly counterintuitive.

I don't want to be like "max is brainwashed!" but like.... he's a little bit brainwashed. if you're asking if max would be scared of being replaced as rb's golden boy once he couldn't drive- not really.

sure, the whole thing starts because max is their driver, but rb gets so possessive and attached, they'd almost prefer that max doesn't drive. they're just like "oh! don't worry, we actually have an ambassador and coaching role for you! you can stay with us and keep your factory room and never leave-"

you hit the nail on the head with the charles thing though- he has a bit of an emotional roller-coaster in that AU, but ultimately it just furthers that drive to have max, because not only would max be his, he'd be reliant on him. so charles is upset at first, but he quickly decides that's actually a best case scenario.

[smgsyndicate]

Some Things Lost

Rain Ghoul Centric Amnesia Fic

Featuring Poly Ghouls Omega, Aether, Dewdrop, Mountain, and Rain

Before Phantom era

Small warnings for medical talk + amnesia + GAYYY + mentions an IV like . Once lmao

Idk if I want to finish this but if you wanna see more let me know :)

It's eyes opened in a flash, pupils dilating to accommodate the blinding white of the walls surrounding it. It - .. no, he couldn't stop a hiss of pain from slipping through his teeth, arms weak and shaking as they struggle to support his weight as he sits up. Cerulean eyes squeeze shut, trying to block out the light and the mounting headache seemingly caused by them.

"No- no- hey, slow down there. You're going to hurt yourself more." A soothing voice to his right said. The eyes opened again, body relaxing once they took in the space that's now dimly lit. He looked over to who was speaking, a tall and built quintessence ghoul, worriedly looking at him as if he would fade away in a moments notice. The being tilted his head, not sure what's quite going on. Unintelligently, he mumbles a small pained, "ow.."

The quint tries to fight down a chuckle but ultimately fails, a small but genuine smile gracing his features. It thinks the ghoul's smile is pretty. It suits him. He blinks, focusing back in as the bigger ghoul... Is he a ghoul too? Is he even a he? .. They blink . Again . Eyes focusing once again on the quint. "Rain, come on... That's it, there you go. Stay present. Stay here with me, okay?"

It lets out a small sound of confusion, head tilting. "Rain? It's raining? .. I like the rain I think ... But I'm definitely not moving. My head hurts." They mumble, hand moving to try and touch their head. The ghoul looks more worried than before, gently catching his hand and moving it away from his head. "No- no Rain, you can't touch that. Your bandages need to stay on for at least another day... Do you know who I am?"

'Rain' takes the moment to really study the other's features. A strong and large build, but not particularly muscular. Something tells him the other is very comfortable to lay on and is a great source of warmth, but when he tries to chase the train of thought, he winces in pain as his headache stabs back in defiance. A name draws blank in his mind, nothing familiar.

It slowly shakes it's head no, looking down in shame. It's eyes widen at the sight of plain white sheets and something sticking out of its arm. The smell of chemical is more distinct and it can identify the annoying insistent beeping of some machine. They look at there arm, seeing it connected through an IV to some sort of fluid.

The IV starts to feel itchy, so they try and pull it out only for the quintessence ghoul to stop them with a panicked noise. "Okay ... I think you have some sort of amnesia... But it's hard to tell what kind at this very moment, so I .." He frowns, sighing with an emotional shake in his voice. "We're going to take care of you Rain. We will help you relearn and hopefully get your memories back. You ... You were in a bad accident, but you're going to be okay. It's.. it's going to be okay."

They feel bad, a hesitant and remorseful expression on their face as if they want to ask a question. The other ghoul fights back their own emotions, trying to appear put together. "What do you want to ask?" It feels something on their head lower in embarrassment and they meekly ask, "Am.. I Rain?"

If it thought things couldn't feel worse, it was just proven wrong. The heart shattering expression on the other's face made it backpedal on its words. "Oh- I uhm. I was just joking! I ..." They fumbled over their words, trying to figure out how to make it better. The quint just took their hands in his, shaking his head silently to request them to stop speaking. "No, it's okay. You don't need to lie. If anything, I need you to tell the truth. .. Let's do quick introductions then, how about that?"

It nodded, hoping this ghoul could explain more about what's happening and why they're in the infirmary wing instead of their room. They hiss, trying to grip at their head as a stabbing pain starts up again. How did they know this was an infirmary and not a hospital? They have a room here? The quintessence ghoul quickly moves their hand away from their head, making gentle shushing sounds and soothing coos.

"Shh.. hey... It's okay.. it's okay... Don't try and force yourself to remember... It'll make it worse.." The other says apologetically. It makes their head hurt more. Why is he sorry? "Alright, I'll go first. My name is Aether, and I'm a quintessence ghoul. We are in a band together, which I play rhythm guitar for. I like the colour purple and astronomy. Your turn, if you're comfortable?" The ghoul nods slightly, 'Aether's' encouraging and hopeful tone spurring them on.

"My name is .. Rain ... And I . I'm in a band. I like the colour azure.. and ... My favourite song is Con Clavi?" Rain says with hesitation. Aether's proud and happy smile makes his tail wag, glad to know that he made the other happy. "Yes! Good job, Rain! You're also a water ghoul and you also play bass! Does that sound familiar?" The bigger ghoul's tail wags a bit as well, the basic memory inclining that it's not all memories, just sporadically missing pieces.

Rain shrugs with a small nod. "I guess? I don't know.." He mumbles self consciously, hands finding their way to the thin white sheets and rubbing them between his fingers anxiously. Aether's eyes soften when he catches the movement, tone gentler than before when he speaks. "It's alright. We will help you. It's going to be alright."

The whole situation feels like reliving a memory for Aether, having been the main one to guide Rain through the confusing life on Earth after his initial summoning. He sees himself and his role in the pack as a protector and a caretaker, happy to be that for his fellow ghouls that he loves and cares for so much. Right now, he sees that timid but oh so fierce water ghoul that once stood trembling but claws readied in middle of the summoning circle.

He struggles to see the confident but subdued personality he's come to grow used to as Rain got more comfortable being in this strange moral realm. Still, Aether manages a smile. "I'll leave you to rest then, but I'll be nearby. Call me, or press that button if you need anything, alright?" Rain looks thoughtful before nodding, honestly just thankful to have a moment to himself to try and process everything he's just been told.

As Aether goes to move away he hesitates before pushing a stray hair from Rain's bangs out of his face, kissing him lightly on the temple before stepping away with a longing and sorrowful expression. He exits the room, closing the door and pausing there before his breathing hitches and the first wave of tears roll down his cheeks.

The quintessence ghoul wipes them away with his arm angrily, upset at himself for mourning someone who can still be saved. Rain's not... Gone.. He's just... ... Aether's breathing stutters and he lets his weight rest against the door, slowly sliding to the floor with silent sobs. His water ghoul is still there, he just has to help him remember... But it's so.. painful watching someone revert to a husk of their former self.

Omega, one of the older quintessence ghouls in the ministry, was doing his rounds in the infirmary. He had heard about the situation with Rain and his injuries but hadn't learned the full extent. He went to check up on the newest water ghoul, eyes widening in alarm upon finding the crying quint. He rushes over, dropping to his knees next to Aether, quickly wrapping the smaller ghoul in a hug.

The position was awkward and definitely not super comfortable, but it was comforting and that's enough. Aether's silent cries became ugly sobs, crying into his mentor's chest while Omega tried to calm him down, running his fingers through his hair and lacing his touch with quintessence.

The ex-guitarist's mind raced with probabilities and statistics. The damage couldn't have been so severe as to kill Rain, could it? But the normally put-together quint in his arms suggested otherwise. "What's going on, nova?" He asked softly, knowing he needed the space to vent. Aether finally seemed to catch his breath, sniffling and using the heel of his palm to wipe the tears from his eyes.

New ones grew back in the old one's place, but he didn't seem to care. "Not... Not here." He whispered, voice breaking with the flood of emotions. Omega just nodded gently, helping the other to his feet. The rhythm ghouls make their way to the small office tucked away in the corner of the infirmary wing.

Aether lets himself fall into the chair, fighting back the tears again so he can explain to Omega what's going on. He takes a deep breath and steels himself, preparing to elaborate. "As you may know, better than anyone, some people in the clergy weren't so happy with Copia becoming Papa..." Omega winces, lips twitching into a frown as he remembers the gruesome dethroning of his Papa.

Aether brushes his tail against Omega's leg apologetically, a silent understanding lingering between them for a few moments. "There was a ... A trap. Set up for Copia. But Rain..." Aether closes his eyes and lets his head fall back against the chair, hands gripping the arm rests as he tries to think of his next words. "Rain took the hit instead." He lets out a breath, a small whine slipping out alongside it. "No one knows if it was on purpose or not. He's, thankfully, going to be okay but.. his memory is all messed up and now there's a whole investigation going on, trying to figure out who's trying to hurt Papa and-"

Omega cuts him off with a hug, one that Aether easily leans into. His shoulders shake with the weight of his cries as he lets Omega comfort him again in such a short amount of time. "I'm sorry-" The older quint cuts him off quickly.

"Don't be. You have nothing to apologize for. Grieving for what you've lost does not make you weak, as long as you remember to cherish what you currently have. Dead flowers cause the moon to weep, but it's the new rain mixed with the compost that allows the new flora to flourish, in turn feeding the fauna. Everything will work out just fine, starlight."

Aether can't fight a smile from forming on his face, a wet laugh leaving him. "Where did all that just come from?" Omega stammers for a moment, flustered a bit but laughin along with him. "I thought it was a good metaphor! I thought I did great!" He says defensively, but his tone is so light and the large smile tells Aether he wasn't actually offended.

"It was. You did great, Megs." Aether says genuinely, vulnerability slipping into his tone as the laughter subsides. Aether gently holds Omega's face in his hands, gently pulling him closer for a quick kiss. "Thank you... I needed to hear that I think." Omega flushes, always shy under affection. "Uh.. yeah... No problem..."

The shy behaviour from his mentor is enough to lift the rhythm guitarist's spirits again. "I could use a second opinion, if you have a moment? I'm suspecting some retrograde amnesia, but I haven't tested if he remembers our conversation from earlier. He had difficulties remembering things about himself and me. He even said his favourite song was Con Clavi Con Dio! Can you believe it?" He said with a slight edge of hysteria in his voice.

Omega can't help the small chuckle at Aether's exasperation at the favourite song choice, but is mentally revising all the medical knowledge he has aqquired. While the exasperation is mostly for show, it was worrying to hear since anyone who had been around the bassist long enough knew that his favourite song was by far Prime Mover.

On one of his very few interactions alone with the quiet ghoul, he had been witness to a long winded explanation on why the bass line in particular was one of his favourites to play and how the drum track lined up in such a way that it was fun to perform as well. It's one of his favourite memories he has of the water ghoul, having thoroughly enjoyed that conversation.

"Well, let me see the patient." Omega says in his best professional voice, cracking a smile when Aether laughs at him. The closer they get to Rain's room, the more Aether's tail lowers with anxiety. Omega intertwines his tail with Aether's, pressing a kiss to his cheek in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture. When they're outside the door, they can hear voices from inside. Aether's eyebrows furrow as he opens the door, eyes wide in surprise as he sees Mountain speaking to a clearly confused and distraught Rain.

"And you're so stupid for that. I mean, honestly! Taking a hit like that? You're lucky I wasn't there or that sibling of sin would've been dead five times over, and then some. Papa should have body guards anyways! Why did you take the hit? Or, did they sneak up on you? How! You're a ghoul! A damn smart one too! You're luck you're so pretty or else I'd ... I'm not sure, but stop worrying me so much I-" Aether clears his throat, hand resting on the taller ghoul's shoulder.

Mountain growls at Aether before it dies off in his throat as he sees the serious look on the normally joyful quint. The guitarist moves away from Mountain, heading over to the bed where Rain still sits, looking confused and slightly scared. "Hey, Rain. Remember me?" The bassist nods, a small but nervous smile on his face. "Y. Yeah... Uhm.. Whats going on?" He says sheepishly, eyeing the tall drummer with caution.

The Earth ghoul has the right to look offended, going to retort playfully as he normally would, but Omega shakes his head discouragingly at him, mouthing for him to keep quiet for now. Aether sits on the chair next to the bed, humming as he thinks of where to start. "Well.. this is Mountain, say hello Mountain." The drummer looks on in quiet confusion before saying a quiet greeting.

Aether smiles encouragingly at that, chuckling slightly at Rain's shy wave. "And my name is Omega." The older quint introduces, nodding in a respectful way as a greeting. Rain nods at that. "I know." Aether blinks in surprise. "You remember Omega?" Rain looks at Aether in confusion. "Of course! He taught Dew bass, remember? Then Dew taught me." He said confidently, as if Aether was the one misremembering things.

While it's true that Omega taught Dewdrop and then Dew taught Rain, it didn't make sense why he would remember Dew and Omega but not Mountain and Aether. Mountain's eyes widen as he realizes the situation. "He.. Can't remember everything?" Omega nods solemnly, moving to hold the Earth ghoul's hand comfortingly. "Not quite. But we're trying to fix it... Though that doesn't explain why he knows me but not you two."

Rain looks between the ghouls, staring at their joined hands. He feels a sting of emotion, something akin to anger or... Jealousy? He grips his head, hissing as his headache flares. Aether gently soothes him into laying down again, trying to ease the pain with traces of his element. "It's alright, like I said, don't push yourself too hard. We don't want you to permanently damage your brain."

The water ghoul's eyes widen. "I can do that?" He asks softly, voice laced with real fear. Aether curses under his breath, quickly shaking his head. "No! No, you can't. I just.. I was trying to get you to calm down." He says rushedly. Rain relaxes marginally at that, but still bites at his lip anxiously. "Now to figure out what's going on with your memory patterns.."

"I might have an idea." Mountain suggests. Aether looks at the drummer with a look of confusion. The quint has way more medical knowledge than the other, there's no way he could figure it out but Rather couldn't. "Well... Go on then." Omega encourages, intrigued.

"He doesn't remember me or Aether, but he remembers you and Dew, right?" The other ghouls nod in agreement, not sure where this is leading. "But he can form new memories and is just struggling with the past.." He continues. Aether's gets impatient, anxiety mounting. "Please just get to the point."

Mountain puts his hand up defensively, the other still laced with Omega's. "Okay, okay.." He takes a breath. "I could be wrong, but he might only remember the older era ghouls." Aether looks at him with a deadpan expression. Mountain is quick to elaborate. "He said he remembers Dew, but that doesn't mean he knows him after the element change... Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Omega's eyes widen as he processes the new information, running over the idea in his mind. "He knows Dew but only as a water ghoul, when me and him were in the band together. That's why he mentioned learning bass from him, because the water element is linked to the instrument!" Mountain nods in agreement. "We could call for Dew and test that theory-" "No."

Mountain looks over at Aether in confusion. "Wha-" "I said no." Aether's fist clenches as he takes a breath to calm down. "I love Dew, but we remember how he was to Rain after the change." Omega frowns, speaking up on his own thoughts. "Aren't they close now?" Rain looks on, lost as he tried to follow the conversation about him as if he's not right there. "Yes but.. what if Rain just remembers him when he was an asshole? I can't subject him to that right now! He's much too fragile in this state and-"

Rain clears his throat, the sound quieter than he wished for it to be, but he supposes it's fine since it made the quint pause. "I'm able to think for myself, you know. I don't know how you know me but if Dew is there, I'd like to talk to him. He was the best teacher I could ever ask for- ... No offence, Megalodon." He says sheepishly, using the old nickname for Omega in hopes it wouldn't upset the other rhythm guitarist.

Omega frowns slightly at the meek behaviour, not used to the shy Rain. He tries a placating smile, hoping to ease Rain's anxiety. "None taken." He says truthfully, not minding in the slightest.

The way Rain talks about Omega and Dew makes Aether believe his memories must be somewhere right before the element change, since Dew was still a water ghoul when teaching Rain bass. It was only after the change where Dew felt aggression towards the newer summon, redirecting the pain to anger.

Aether sighs, resting his head in his hands and closing his eyes to steady his thoughts. Would it be better to try and jog his memory or try and avoid it? The rhythm guitarist hasn't dealt with any amnesia or brain trauma patients, the territory unfamiliar and terrifying. Especially since it's someone so close to him.

However, Rain did have a point. Even if Aether wanted to keep Dew away, Rain is still in charge of his own life and his physical health doesn't seem to be at risk by allowing him to see the ex-bassist. With a reluctant frown, he texts Dew that Rain is awake and wants to see him. The quint makes sure to specifically warn Dew that the injured water ghoul may not have any recent memories of him, and may not even be aware of the element transition.

The read receipt pops up, showing that the fire ghoul is either reading the text or has already read it. The typing bubbles pop up for a few moments before disappearing and reappearing again. Aether's grip on the phone is tight and nervous, Omega coming over to gently run his fingers through the smaller quint's hair reassuringly.

Rain looks to Mountain with a pleading expression. "So.. I can see him?" The earth ghoul nods, moving over to the side of the bed and nudging Aether's foot with his to silently make him move so Mountain can have the chair next to the bed. "Yeah. We're just waiting on him to text back and let us know when he'll be here-" The door is slammed open and Dew pants lightly as if he just ran here. "... Well, I guess he's here now." Mountain says with amusement.

Aether looks at his phone, making sure he didn't miss a text. The typing bubbles never turned into words, making the quint look at Dew in confusion. The fire ghoul waves him off, pushing past him and Omega to get to the bed. He hops onto the end of the mattress, looking at the water ghoul with what seems to be a nonchalant expression, but Omega can see that he's heavily scanning the bassist for injuries and signs of distress

"So, you made it out alive, huh?" Dew says teasingly, trying to guage how Rain is doing based on the response. A flicker of recognition sparks in those cerulean eyes, a real and genuine smile on his face for the first time since Mountain has visited. "Of course I did. I can't die that easily. This is the skin of a killer, Bella!" He says with fake seriousness, a laugh bubbling from his throat before he can stop it.

Mountain's tail wags a little at hearing the cute little squeaks in his packmate's laugh, happy to hear he's feeling better. Even if Rain has no memory of Mountain, the Earth ghoul would rather have the bassist happy and content over anything else in the whole world. Nothing is more important to Mountain than his pack's wellbeing.

Omega looks between Dew and Rain with a confused expression, blinking incredulously. "You.. remember watching Twilight, but not Aether." Rain goes to retort but pauses, brows furrowing in confusion and concentration. "I .. I don't know? It just felt natural.." He mumbles, his joyful demeanor diminishing almost instantly.

Mountain frowns, trying to think of a way to cheer him up again. Dew beats him to it. "Maybe your half of a brain will start working once you get some food in you. Have you eaten yet? I mean, I know I call you fish stick for a reason but you seriously need some meat on your bones or something." Rain huffs and clicks at him with indignation. "Coming from you? That's rich! ... But uhm. Yeah, I'm starving." He says shyly at the end.

Omega grabs Aether's hand and guides him to the door. "I'll get some food started for you guys then, okay? Rain, you should be all clear to go. Just make sure you're with someone so if something happens you have help.. Come on, supernova." He says gently, guiding the emotionally drained quint out of the room with him. Rain makes a displeased cringing face at Omega's words, hissing out what seems to be a mocking impression under his breath. He's clearly displeased about how fragile everyone is treating him.

Dew chuckles and stretches dramatically, resting on top of the water ghoul. "Relax. They just care about you, that's all. They're stupid idiots who don't understand your strength, sure, but they're also incredibly worried about you... Or somethin, I dunno." He says genuinely for a moment before throwing back on his causal persona. Mountain rolls his eyes, watching as the fire ghoul slowly applies more pressure by laying on top of the now squirming water ghoul who pushes weakly at him with laughter.

The drummer scruffs the back of Dew's shirt, hauling him off the giggling bassist. "Thanks, M!" He chirps out happily, tail wagging as he taunts the restrained guitarist. "Watch yourself, Rain. I'm planning my revenge." Dewdrop growls out, but his tail wags playfully just as much. He squirms more until Mountain puts him down. "Behave." The taller ghoul says with a teasing tone.

Mountain's eyes dart over to Rain as the bassist tries to move off the bed. He gently moves Dew out of the way, helping the injured ghoul to his feet and carefully removing the IV for him. He double checks that Rain is alright and can stand on his own, before taking a step back. .. he then steps forward again and triple checks, his worry for his packmate overtaking his logic. "Dude, he's fine. See?" The fire ghoul throws a pillow at Rain, watching as the bassist blinks in shock for a moment before trying to lunge at the other.

The Earth ghoul sighs, but it's just for show. He smiles as he quietly asks Rain if he can carry him, the water ghoul looking at him hesitantly before nodding and wrapping his arms around the drummer's neck as he's picked up. Dew takes the time to be a little nuisance, poking at Rain until Mountain glares at him with enough of a threat to make him back off with a self satisfied smirk.

"Don't worry, dragonfly. No one will hurt you when I'm here."

[trevengersprincess]

ℛ𝓊𝓁ℯ𝓇 ℴ𝒻 ℳ𝓎 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉

c.w: f!reader, obsession, dc, mention of kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome

a/n: heyyy I hope you enjoy this. I just...the song 'Ruler of My Heart' made me think of this. y'all should watch Alien Stage if you haven't. it's so good. the fic 'My Clematis' is based off one of the songs from Alien Stage. it will make sense when you read it after listening to the song. anyway, like I said, I hope you enjoy :))

w.c: ~ 1.2K

You should’ve never stayed. You should’ve left when you had the chance. But you did, and in the end? He managed to find you, knock you unconscious and take you to a place where no one could find you. How did you end up here? Tied up to a chair, a piece of duct tape covering your mouth, feet chained to the ground. How did this all happen? You went on one date and rejected him, thinking you two wouldn’t work out together because of your differences. And his reaction to the rejection? Take you and make you his. Make you understand that you belong to him and only him. Make you understand that you need him more than you know. The tears ran down your face, scared and confused out of your mind. He sat in front of you, stoic and not saying a thing as you thrashed around. Finally, you calm down, the tears stop streaming down your face as you look at him.

"Done with your little tantrum princess?" He asked, a cruel smirk on his lips. You don't say anything, not that you could anyway. The piece of tape was still on your lips. He stalked his way over to you gently caressing your cheek as he looked down at you.

"I'm gonna take the tape off, okay? Be a good girl for me and don't fight." He cooed and again, you didn't say anything. Even for a man who looked as cruel as he did, he gently took off the tape, afraid to hurt your precious skin. Once it was off, you didn't move still and he stepped back. "Much better."

"Let me go, please. We already talked about this. We just aren't good together." You say trying to reason with him to let you go. But all he did was stare at you. He turns away, walking out of the room leaving you as you screamed at him. No matter what, your screams were never heard and your face was everywhere on the news. Your family looked everywhere for you. Wanting you safe and at home but they couldn't find a lead on you. But why was he so hung up on you? What made you so special that he just had to kidnap you and make you his?

He went up to a secret room of his home, unlocking the door and flicking the lights on. On the walls, pictures of every angle of you, not a single photo missed your beauty. The room was full of photos of you, even ones from inside your apartment. He used to be the one that sent you mysterious gifts to your workplace and you never thought much of it. Taking the plushies and other items into your home where he had his hidden cameras. He had been watching you since you were teens, the day after you helped him. It was a day he would never forgot. You were the only girl to not be afraid of him and that moment, you had captured his heart. He was determined to make you his.

His cameras were now on you, in his basement as you screamed and cried. Still tied to the chair thrashing around until the chair fell onto its side. You had fallen asleep from exhaustion and he just watched you sleep. Taking a photo from the wall, one of his favorites, and smiling at it. He kissed the photo before tracing over your face.

"You'll be mine, don't worry. I'll make sure of it." He placed the picture back onto his wall as he sighed and leaned back into his chair. He looked up, photos covering the ceiling. Of course they were much bigger so he could see them, and they were of your most intimate moments. Your lewd faces scattered across his ceiling had his pants feeling tight. But he needed to focus on how to make you his. 

The next day he checked on you, seeing you on your side from the chair falling over and asleep. He crouched next to you, caressing your cheek as you slowly stirred awake. He smiled genuinely at you as you glared at him.

"Let me go." You spat and he chuckled.

"Oh princess. We've got a long life ahead of us. Just give into me. Make me your god. I can give you everything that no one else can! No one will love you as much as I do. Make me, the ruler of your heart and you'll be the ruler of mine." He said, words sounding so convincing but you couldn't let yourself. He was dangerous and cruel. He doesn't know what love is. Right?

Slowly, he got you to trust him, and he could trust you. It had been years since your disappearance and your case with the police grew cold, resulting in closing it. They claimed you as still missing but dead. Your death was never finalized as your parents didn't want to believe it. And it was true, you weren't dead. You were simply with him, living in his home like it was your own. As you truly understood him, you fell for him. How could you not when he treated you like a queen? He cherished you, loved you, praised you. He knew everything about you. It was hard not to fall for him. He just...He was the one for you.

How did this all happen? How could you have fallen in love with your kidnapper? Any sane person would've taken the chance to escape once they earned that trust. But you?

"Go ahead. You want to leave, right? Go back home, reunite your family again? I won't stop you. The door is open for you. These past years were amazing with you, Y/N. I truly mean it when I say that I am madly in love with you. But if you really want to leave just how you begged me all those years ago, you can walk out that door. We can pretend none of this happened. You can even report me to the police if you want to." He said, voice slightly cracking in his words. 

What provoked this? The TV. You two watched a family reuniting on the screen and your small sigh seemed to have triggered him. Slowly, you walked towards the door. He didn't move from his spot, standing right where he was. His back was now facing you as you stood right at the door. Shutting it, tears fell down his cheeks. He thought you left and he was breaking down. He really did love you, but he loved you enough to stop this torture of keeping you locked away. He loved you enough to give your freedom back. A pair of gentle, soft hands cradled his face and he slowly opened his eyes, seeing you still there. Tears in your eyes from the words he said.

"I want to stay here with you. I don't want to be with that family. I want to be with you, with this family." You said as you hugged him tightly. Your words struck him, a deep blush crossing his cheeks, hearts practically in his eyes as he hugged you back tightly. When he pulled away from the hug, your cheeks were just as flushed and your eyes were the same. You both loved each other deeply, even if other people would see it as sick and twisted on how you two came together. But neither of you cared.

"I love you, Y/N L/N." He said.

"I love you, Haruchiyo Sanzu."

taglist: @reiners-milkbiddies @eroticdarling @nyxe9206 @yourefavsakura

wanna join the taglist? click here to go to the post and join! link

[levihandynasty]

⋆⭒˚｡⋆𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Ship: Oluo Bozado x Petra Ral Word Count: 2242 Prompt: Person A and Person B are trying to hide their relationship, but it turns out everyone already knows. 🔐

“Stop squirming-” Petra's firm hand met with the top of his head. “It's your own fault for getting hurt, you're better than this, Oluo.” He couldn't do much more than laugh. If Petra knew that he had gotten caught up only because he worried for her in a moment of losing track of her, she would have given him the beating of his lifetime, that much he was sure of.

Her hands now laid upon his bare chest, stroking loving and caring circles over a bruise he gained not long ago. “Don't you go dying on me, Bozado. I will bring you back from the grave just to kill you myself.” Despite the smile that so beautifully painted her face, anyone who knew her would have been able to see the worry that hid underneath her stern eyes, and even more easily they would have pointed to the twitch at the corner of her lip and out her worries to whoever they desired. The way she used his name however, made Oluo feel much more scolded than cared for.

And he loved it.

“You look like a beat up apple, did you know that?” Those gentle and loving touches that Petra had offered him, soon grew a bit more malicious. “Squishy like one too.” She teased him as she pressed her finger against a swollen wound across his ribs. Then as the poor man whined, the woman's gaze would soften once more, compassion washing over her like waves at a beach. “You are an idiot, you know that, right?” She knew very well what had distracted him, what had caused him to lose control over his gear, she had seen it happen.

Good thing they weren't outside of the walls when it had happened. 

Perhaps in order to apologise for causing him unnecessary pain, Petra leant in to place a warm and caring kiss upon the other’s collarbone. She had been sitting on his lap for nearly an hour now, taking care of him, and simply spending some time with him; it wasn't often they had down-time like this. “Oh, now you're red like one too-!” Her breath was so warm against his skin, causing goosebumps to form all over him, a shivering breath escaping through his gritted teeth.

“Says you-” His hand had reached up, and between his thumb and pointer finger he would capture some of her hair, rubbing it between them as he admired the beautiful ginger color. “At least I stop being red once you stop playing with me~”

She had been about to shoot back, but as she heard footsteps coming in their direction, she had quickly pushed the stupid grinning man back, more so pushing herself up. “Eld!” Her hands were so desperately correcting her shirt as she turned to face her comrade.

“He's waiting, are you two coming?” It didn't seem the eyes of Mr. Second in command had even registered the state of the woman before him. “Is he.. okay?”

Turning back to face the man she had pushed to the ground, Petra's eyes dulled to seeing him once more squirming about beneath her. “What-” While pushing the last piece of fabric from her shirt back into her pants, she noticed exactly what the other man had seen only moments before. “Swallow it, I dare you-” That tongue of his would be the death of him, of that much she was certain.

“Okay, come here.” Grabbing him by that bruised shoulder of his, she pulled him back up and forced his mouth open to let her see. “Is it too big for your mouth, or are you just seeking my attention?” Her hands were so warm on his cheeks, gently caressing his cheekbones as she guided a thumb towards his sore tongue, running the sensitive finger over warm scarred tissue. “You'll be the death of me.” 

His drool pooled up within her palm as she held him, but she didn't mind it one bit. “There.” Leaning in, the woman placed a playful kiss on the bloody muscle. “Man up, we gotta go.. before they start getting any stupid ideas-”

They didn't leave the room together. Instead Petra who was already properly dressed took the lead and went out to locate the rest of the group. Oluo left some time later, arriving just in time to meet the others for the get-together held over warm cups of tea.

Neither Petra nor Oluo however, managed to pay much attention to what was being discussed. Sat across from each other their gazes never strayed from the other. Even through similar expressions however, their minds wandered in much different directions. One longing and caring, the other loved and content.

“Or what do you think, Oluo?” The voice that brought the man out of his hazy mind was the one of Günther. “Yeah, sure-” He had to forcefully peel his eyes off of the beauty before him. “Really, you would? The size wouldn't be a problem for ya?” Eld had added. What those two were talking about was lost on the blonde until the laughter emerged and he managed to put two and two together. “No! No I would not sleep with a - no, no matter how hot it might be!” Even she was laughing at him. As he attempted to defend himself from the friends piling up on him, she so sweetly covered her lips and hid her laughter from the men. “Levi?!” He shot his captain a look of despair, only to be met with a shrug, a scoff, and a simple phrase. “You said what you said.”

Two cups of the warm soothing liquid later, they would disband once more. Eld helping an also hurt Günther to his bed, Petra walking Oluo to where he needed to be, and Levi leaving off to do whatever it is men like him do in the dark of the night. 

“There we go-” She whispered as she pushed him down onto his mattress. “How about the next time you decide to take a crash, you leave others out of it~?” She had shot a glance in the direction of Günther. “I've never seen Eld as pissed as he looked when he saw Günther all tangled up like that..” Oluo had never before received such a passionate scolding. 

“Yeah, you're right-” The woman had looked about as he acknowledged her words to him. And before he had managed to say another word, she had glanced over to their already sleeping comrade, and swiftly moved down to interrupt whatever words were to leave Oluo's mouth. Her warm lips met with his bruised cheek, causing him to flinch a bit, and look after her all baffled as she ran off and away. 

Sleeping, she thought. The dark haired man turned towards Oluo as the flustered woman ran off, offering him a soft laugh. “You know we know, right? No reason running around like teens scared of getting caught.” Oluo had been just about to close his eyes when the words finally registered to his currently scrambled brain. “What was that?” He had asked rapidly, he thought, but the only reply he received was the soft snoring of the other.

So exciting, so liberating even! For once in her life she managed to push away her worries and greet the world with a bright smile. Sprinting down the halls of their current residence, Petra's joyful voice echoed just as loudly as her footsteps. She simply couldn't contain It! Every sneaky kiss placed on his cheek, every time she grabbed his hand a little tighter, offered him a quick squeeze before rushing off in another direction. It filled her heart with such unimaginable joy, one she had missed out on in her early teenage years, one she had missed without even knowing what it was she lacked.

Levi’s watchful eyes almost catching them as she offered that man her love. Eld, again and again walking in on them in compromising or embarrassing situations. And Günther, forever a killjoy, offering those well knowing expressions of suspicion. The excitement was almost killing her! She had no reason to hide it from them, sure they would tease the pair relentlessly, but surely they'd be met with nothing but love had they told their comrades of their relationship. Yet the payoff was too good to let go of. For how long could she keep this game going? She was certain Oluo would slip up once, out them. Just as she almost had once, when she had been about to call him hers, right in front of Erwin himself. She always imagined their commander one for the gossips, the whole branch would surely have known within the end of the day. 

She could not mess this up before Oluo did. 

Erwin might have understood, it would have come as a shock to anyone if he did not. The look he had given Petra before his attention was once more put to Levi, was however not noticed by the small woman.

Yet no gossip ever reached the ears of anyone, as far as either Petra or Oluo were aware at least.

She exhausted herself running through those long halls, thinking about what fun she would have in the days to come. More so, Petra thought about finding the time to be in his arms once more, always strong, always protective, yet somehow, always uncertain, As if he was scared of touching her.

Assuming her place in the sleeping chamber, Petra had expected to hear the heavy snoring of tired men. Instead she was met with the total of them, aside from Levi of course, sitting on Oluo's bed around a lantern. Damn fire hazard, really.

“Wait, you are trying to tell me you didn't realize?” Eld's voice was shushed, yet accusatory.

“Be nice.” Günther's voice was much kinder than the other.

“I think you guys are imagining things-” Oluo sounded like he was about to start whining like a baby. “We aren't dating.”

Adorable, she thought. Even when met with confrontation, he was standing his ground.

If only she knew.

“Did you crash into Günther so hard your brain twisted up in there?” They had attempted to convince him for a while now, and Eld was starting to look more and more distressed.

“Hm..” the priorly mentioned man took the moment to feel his body ache, remembering the fear that had struck his heart as Oluo's whole body came crashing down upon him from above.

“You guys must be made all wrong.” Oluo defended himself. “She's too good for me, you guys know that just as well as I do. I mean, I'm great!” His voice broke the status of a whisper, causing the other two to look to their side in apparent panic. It was dark over there though, Petra could not tell what hid in the darkness. “But she? She's more than great, she's..  amazing, like a goddess sent down from above.”

“You're a goddess sent down from above, crushingly so.” Günther groaned. A small smile painting his lips as he witnessed Eld choke back laughter.

“I said I'm sorry-” The goddess man from above whisper-groaned. “Got distracted.”

“We know.” This affirmation came in unison from the two others. Followed by equally synchronized nods.

“Your girlfriend-” Eld had been interrupted by yet another “We aren't dating, not my girlfriend.”

Finally the woman decided to speak up. “Oluo?” She called to him, causing all three of them to jump. “It's alright, I'm pretty sure they got us figured out, they know.” 

“Know what?” He had barely managed to finish his words before a pillow got thrown at his face, falling down upon his lap at the same speed the realization dawned upon the young woman. “You've got to be kidding me-” she whispered as she reached for yet another pillow.

The other men had already been amused when Günther realised that Oluo had been oblivious to his own relationship this whole time. The teasing and probing had started immediately. The guy really hadn't been running around hiding his relationship, no, he was as blind to it as a bat to the bright joy of the sun. Eld of course, had been far more direct in his teasing, but even then it didn't seem the younger man got it.

“You are trying to tell me-” she sounded angry. The two men who faced Oluo knew well to offer her the space needed. As she came closer, they both scooted back, not wishing to be in the path of her wrath.

She gripped her unknowing lover by the collar, her mouth open and ready to give him an earful. Instead he had interrupted her. “You.. like me?”

Above the flame, Petra grew all red, immediately letting go of.. her dumbass, and turning away.

In the silence of the room, the sound of a sleeping man finally reached their ears, and even those who knew of him were painted by surprise as they once more turned towards the darkness.

Deep within, far from the brightness of the fire, Levi sat with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His breath was gentle, silent as a mouse. Even the crackling of the flame on Oluo's bed was enough to override him.

Sat on this chair, far away from where Petra would have ever thought to look for him, Levi slept with a content smile resting at the corners of his lips.

His dumbasses.

AN: @shibacosplay would like you all to imagine Oluo coming falling down as 'Ave Maria' plays in the background *in slow-motion*

[nethhiri]

Chapter 65: Damned Punks in Distress

Warnings: Murder, Violence

It was hard to admit, but you were helpless in this situation. Even if you went to fight, Kaido would crush you before you could do anything. No one here would survive that. At the very least, you had to preserve yourself so that you could heal and revive those that were victims. 

"Why did we stop?!" Quincy grabbed your arm. "We have to go help them!"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?!"

"I will not be responsible for sending you all to your graves." You pointed to the shadowy figure on the island. It was hard for them to see since the ship was far out. "That's Emperor Kaido."

"What?" She had panic in her eyes.

"Captain Kid will do his best to protect the crew. There's nothing we can do right now that will help them." You continued. "Our job will be to help the injured once Kaido's left. We'll wait until he's gone. Then we'll return as fast as possible."

You knew that Kid and Killer were no match for Kaido. The crew knew it, too. You just hoped that Killer would use his wit to get them out of a bad situation. You wanted to rush in so badly to save them, yet you knew you had to be smart about it. The captain in you had to restrain your impulse. Your job was to keep the crew safe. Kid wouldn't want you to put his crew in danger and neither would Killer. No matter what happened, you were sure you could use your devil fruit to fix it. 

It was hard to watch. The rest of the crew couldn't see, which was for the best. Kaido swiftly put down anyone who raised a hand to him. There was a lot of dust and debris obscuring the fight. When it settled, there wasn't much movement on the island. Then, you could make out some of the rival crews hauling Kid Pirates to their ships. That made your rage flare. It was all a set up. You didn't see what happened to any of the commanders. They were too far away and there was too much going on. Red crescents marked your palms where your nails had been digging into them. Your hands were shaking with a mixture of anger and anxiety and they didn't stop until Kaido and the traitorous ships had gone. 

In your haste, you ran your ship straight into the ground. There was no time to waste anchoring and rowing to shore. The crew on your ship were right behind you as you and Mini hurried along the beach. Everyone had orders to bring the dead and the injured all to one place. You rode Mini, trying desperately to find any trace of Kid or Killer. The scents Minerva followed all ended in failure. There were no signs of Heat or Wire either. You hid the worry on your face as you came back to the others. If you started to lose your cool, they would all follow suit. 

There were quite a few victims that had perished, many more injured. You focused on the dead of your own crew first, then the injured, then a few of the other crews. It took longer than you would have liked to revive the dead. Kaido had taken the Victoria, which had some replacement organs stockpiled in the infirmary. You had to replace everything that needed to be replaced by hand. It proved too difficult to heal more than one at a time, which slowed you considerably. While you were healing the injured, you ordered the able bodied to collect anything of use from the castle. Unfortunately, everything had already been raided by Kaido's men. That meant you would need to do a supply run before you went after them. Before you had finished healing the Kid Pirates, you were already thinking of a rescue plan, or a revenge plan, depending on what you would find.

Next, you healed several of the rival crew, trying to get information from them. They proved very cooperative once they were introduced to the barrel of your gun. You learned what happened and where the rest of the Kid Pirates had been taken. You also learned that Kaido preferred to break his captives rather than kill them, which was a relative relief. At least they weren't dead, not yet. Kid's behavior may still put them at risk. You knew he wasn't going to play nice with them. Depending on Kaido's patience, he might kill him to simply be rid of the annoyance.

When you were done with the informants, you shot them in the head. None of them knew where Kaido's headquarters was so they were worthless to you. Apparently they were worthless to their own crews if they were left behind. No one said much of anything as the ship was prepared to leave. There was no point staying on the island. Even though it was growing dark, you knew no one wanted to spend the night there. They were all pretty shaken up, still in shock. You used your devil fruit to push the ship from the sand. After consulting your charts, you set a course for the nearest non-government island. There was nothing in your charts about this island called Wano. You weren't sure how you were going to find it. 

You took it upon yourself to be the lookout tonight. There was no way you would be able to sleep. It seemed several others had the same idea. Their faces were pale, their eyes were red-rimmed, and they had blank stares. You took a moment to consider the events of the day through their eyes. Maybe you were desensitized. They were probably traumatized watching their friends bleed out or be maimed in front of their eyes. It didn't bother you very much anymore seeing the dead. You had seen so much already, and now it wasn't as permanent as it should be thanks to your devil fruit.

There wasn't any food on board to prepare for a meal. Even if there was, you didn't think anyone would have an appetite. Minerva sat with you, watching over the black sea. She nudged your hand with something. It was a blue scale. You were puzzled at first. Was it from a sea king? Kaido's scale?  You scratched the boar between her ears. This would be how you found Wano, hopefully. 

Sailing through the night, the ship arrived in port as dawn broke. The crew gathered on deck in anticipation of disembarking. They had the same somber expressions as they wore through the night. You sighed. You were going to have to do something about this.

"Listen up. Wipe those sad looks off your faces. No one is dead and if they were dead, they're back now. Do you honestly think that the crew that was taken would die so easily? Or the captain? Or the other officers? They're all waiting for us. You don't have time to mope. You think Eustass "Captain" Kid would want you to sit back and cry about it? No! He would want you to get off your asses and raise hell! So let's give them hell.''

"Yeah! Come on, guys. Let's get this shit and get moving! We have a captain to rescue!" Dive followed your pep talk with her own addition. 

The crew seemed noticeably more motivated after that and rushed down the gangplank to get their assigned goods. You thanked Dive for her support. You knew it must be hard to push something so traumatic to the back of their minds for now. You tried to remember the first traumatizing event you had witnessed, but there had been so many it was hard to come up with something. Was mental health support part of your contract? You sure hoped not. You would probably fuck them up even worse if you tried to therapize them. Best you could do was teach them how to shove the bad memories deep down somewhere. You had been repressing trauma for years and you turned out.... Yeah maybe we should kidnap a therapist. 

You wanted to get supplies and get out as soon as possible. It was hard to decide how much to stock up since you didn't know how far away Wano was. That was the other reason you wanted to leave as soon as you were able to. You had no idea how long it would take to get there. While you were in town, you would sniff around to see if anyone knew of it, but you wouldn't spend extra time trying to find out. Mini could lead you in the right direction regardless. 

By noon, you still had no information. What you lacked in information, you made up for with supplies. You had about all you needed. The others would be regrouping at your ship soon. As you made your way back, you couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. It wasn't malicious, however. At least, you didn't think it was. The track record you had with observation haki was dismal. With caution, you turned in the direction of the feeling. A familiar face was turned in your direction, a bright smile spreading across their face.

"Y/N! I thought that was you. Fancy seeing you here!"

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Snake Den?" 

The woman was none other than Jade, or Madam Tempest, as she was known to most, the madam of the brothel you had visited some time ago and one of the women you had rescued in your previous life. 

"There are many Snake Dens." She winked. "Why are you here? And where are those strapping gentlemen you were with?"

You told her of all that happened and of your intentions to get them back. 

"Wano..." Jade thought for several moments. "Yes, I think I may be able to help you." She gestured for you to come along. 

Jade took you to her establishment on this island. It looked very much like the one you had visited previously. You waited in the lounge, watching the people who entered and exited. Jade seemed to have a thriving business. She was currently talking into no less than four transponder snails at once, picking up one or two at a time to shout something. You felt guilty sitting there with a drink in your hand. You needed to be on your way to Wano, not waiting around. 

You threw back the drink, trying not to think about what could be happening the rest of the crew. You were most worried for Kid, not because you cared for him more than anyone else, but because he was the most likely to get himself punished with that loud mouth of his. It wouldn't take much for him to talk himself into an early grave. Killer was smart. He would be able to take care of himself just fine. They had rescued you, now it was your turn to rescue them. 

"Good news," Jade said. "I can help you get to Wano."

"You can?" You were shocked, pleasantly so. 

"One of my girls came from there. She says she can get you there."

"Great. Bring her out. We need to leave."

"Well... she's not here." Jade added, "It will take a few days for her to travel here."

"I can't wait that long. I need to go tonight." You continued, "I appreciate the offer, but my boar can track Kaido to Wano. I'll get there on my own."

"Y/N, Wano is difficult to get into from what I understand. Finding it is one thing, but entering the country is entirely another, not to mention navigating it."

You considered her words. She was right. You knew it would be easier if you waited for this person. If you couldn't find a way in, what would the point be? 

"Fine. I'll wait. But you need to get her as soon as possible." 

"One more thing," Jade rubbed her arm, "I would like to help personally. It's the least I could do to repay you... and... anything I can do to help Heat... I admit your news makes me worry. We exchanged a few letters since we met."

"Of course. Thank you."

You had a suspicion that her and Heat exchanged more than simply bodily fluids. It seems your suspicion was right. 

More than a week passed and you were getting more agitated by the second. There was a delay with the informant's travel. You spent the days pouring over charts and coming up with plans based on the limited information you had. Jade had selected a few of her girls to come along as well, the ones that knew how to fight. The crew and yourself sparred with them to make sure they would be able to fend for themselves. You didn't have energy to spare babysitting them. Jade and yourself had decided that her and her girls would infiltrate the brothels of Wano to gather information. Everyone knew men didn't just spill seed to whores. They spilled secrets, too. 

The evenings were spent at the local bars, drinking to keep your thoughts at bay. Your mood was generally sour while you waited to get the show on the road. After the first few nights, most of the bar patrons knew not to bother you. Time could not move fast enough. If something happened to any of the crew while you were just waiting around, you would have a difficult time forgiving yourself. 

By the clap of a hand on your shoulder, you knew that someone wanted trouble. You turned slowly, laying eyes on two marines. You turned back and took a drink from your glass. 

"Can I help you?" You didn't have time for this shit. 

"Ma'am, you're under arrest."

The marine slapped a wanted poster down on the table. He pointed to your picture. You picked it up. It was a new poster. The picture wasn't new but the bounty was. That must be what gave them the audacity to approach you. You could tell by their uniforms that they were low ranking. 

"Address me with due respect." If they were going to rudely interrupt your brooding, they should do it properly.

"Sea Snake, former Captain Y/N L/N, you are under arrest." 

"I'm fine here. Thank you." You added, "I'm feeling generous so I'll let you leave."

The man addressed his companion, "Can she do that?"

"No, of course not." 

The man pulled your chair out. 

"Let's go. I order you to allow yourself to be cuffed."

You pulled your coat out from under you, spreading it to show the symbols on it. "Do you know what these are?"

"The back of marine officials' jackets."

"That's right. And do you see how many I have? And you know how I got them?"

"Well, yes that's why your bounty is so high." 

"So how do you think you two, petty officers, are any match for me?" 

They looked at each other, then to the poster, then to you. 

"Sorry to bother you."

They started to walk away. 

"Hold it." You barked. "I'm not feeling so generous anymore." 

They froze. You spun your gun into your hand from your holster and shot a hole clean through the head of one of them. The other one stood shaking with fear. 

"Come here." Venom dripped from your voice. "Bend over the table."

The man was shaking when he did as he was told. A sliver of metal split off from your bracer and was shaped into a small blade. You stood over him and sliced through his shirt to reveal his back. With the blade you wrote one word into his back: WANO. 

"You tell Captain Von Kossa I'll be waiting for him," you bent over him and spoke lowly into his ear. 

The man didn't so much as whimper or shed a tear. Maybe he was too terrified. Maybe he was actually brave. If that were the case, you would be impressed. You were growing impatient. It was time to put this saga to an end. If Von Kossa wasn't a coward he would meet you there, but you wouldn't be shocked if he didn't show. The other two had been cowards. He was part of the same crop. 

"I-it's Vice Admiral Von Kossa now, m-ma'am."

A slow grin spread across your features. Victory would be that much sweeter when you turned him into dust. 

The next day, Jade's girl finally arrived. She had lived in Wano and was stolen some time ago. She went by Goldie and she had always wanted to go back but had no means of doing so until now. The moment she arrived, the Fate's Wraith disembarked, heading for Wano at full tilt. The journey there would take several more weeks, to your dismay. So much could happen in that time. 

The only comfort you had was holding onto Mini and burying your face in her fur. So badly you wished Kid and Killer were here to hold. You hoped they were still alive. You hoped everyone was still alive. Kaido may want to break Kid, or the other stronger members to use as his own, but what about the others? Would he care to keep rookies alive? Even if you weren't particularly fond of any of them, Kid was. They were his crew and if any harm came to them, you would feel at fault. You didn't want Kid to be disappointed in you, or angry, that you couldn't come faster. 

Each night on the journey, you had revolving nightmares of being stranded on the island again, being captured by marines again, and being unable to help your crewmates as Kaido cut them down. Most nights you ended up waking up in a cold sweat and heading to the deck to keep watch, relieving whoever was out there. A few times, you had to coach the crew through storms. They were used to the Victoria Punk, but not this ship. Then you still had the duty of keeping everyone healthy. There were minor injuries and sicknesses along the way. 

As you stood at the bow, you thought about how this was not the way you imagined returning to your captain-hood. The wind was cruelly stripping the moisture from your eyes and mouth. The waves thrashed against the hull as if they were trying to push you back. Even the Sun's warm, gentle rays turned harsh, burning your cheeks and nose. It weighed on your heart, the absence of your two loves. The unknown of their well-being. Maybe you should have rushed back to shore to fight. Even if you didn't stand a chance against Kaido, you might share whatever fate Kid and Killer were experiencing. And if it was death, so be it. It would be worth dying if it was with them, or for them. 

Tag list: @bbnbhm @wgwingguns @nocturnalrorobin @lycanthropemaul

[wouldntyou-liketoknow]

AAAAYYYYE I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT!

Yeah, since this is only the second time I've really written for Mad (so far this snippet has the most dialogue I've ever given him) I wanted to show something a little more unlikely for him. In the musicals, we've only seen all his bad, angry traits, and while those are still very prevalent here...well, emotions are already hard enough without having screws loose in your head.

I actually took a course on Criminology in college. Even before that, I was always intrigued by the psychological angle of investigative work. (Can't wait to eventually write about all the juicy, dark parts of it sooner or later...) Learning about the Bystander Effect was genuinely chilling for me. Especially since I often go out of my way to avoid confrontation. It can be both depressing and enlightening to compare that stuff to your own behavior.

Well, Casey literally just can't afford to buy Mad's claims. Even if he has a good read on how delusional he can be, there's just no coming back from all the shit Mad's done. As thoroughly performed and cool of a character Mad is, he's still completely irredeemable.

Of course I mentioned the pocket watch comic! You did such a great job with it! I'm excited to see what else you add to that part of the lore!

Yeeeaaah, no matter how clumsy he can be, Casey's got the skills and smarts! I really, really wanted to make it clear that I wasn't using him as comic relief or a helpless victim. Bro deserves better than that.

Lol, we've all seen Mad's ego. It can be pretty dangerous to set off, but it can also work as leverage against him.

Hey, listen, Azalea knows how to swallow her pride to get a job done, okay? She's efficient like that. (Also, since you bring it up: Caliban is one of very, very few people who are allowed to tease about her height, since she knows it's not out of malice. But if an enemy were to make short jokes around her...HOO BOY, it would NOT be pretty.P)

To clarify, Casey was hiding in the closet like that as a way to trick Mad. He knew he couldn't realistically get away if Mad was still in the house, so he planned to make Mad think he did. Then, after Mad rushed out to look for him, Casey would try to sneak out for real. Too bad that plan didn't really go anywhere, lmao.

(And as for Cal's little moment...keep that in mind. I may or may not try to write a little flashback scene of my own sometime in the future...😈 We hurt our characters because we love them, right??)

I really wanted to go for something that felt both childlike and unsettling. That's how irl criminals like Mad work a lot of the time; they make up stories about the people around them in their heads, and when those people inevitably don't still to said story, the aggressor thinks they have an excuse to flip out.

Sure, K.O. is shorter than Casey, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a defacto strong boi! His career is all about knowing how to throw a punch, after all...

HAHAHAHA YES MORE BADASS-PROTECTIVE MOMENTS FOR AZA!

Lmao that chair-attack was an EXACT reference to FNAF: TM! I think I re-watched that blooper like six times 🤣 Physics pale before MatPat's acting skills!

The tuna melt insult was actually inspired by that CHUCKY series from a few years ago (iykyk). I really liked it; it was one of the few times I got entertainment from someplace other than YouTube.

Don't worry; you will most certainly see more of both Phoenix and K.O. in the next snippet! Until then, I eagerly (but also patiently, because Self-Care is important. No rush at all, friendo) await your next comic!

You changed,

You haven’t

A follow up to our lovely collab with @wouldntyou-liketoknow, this is more of a flashback to kinda get into the relationship between Casey and Mad through Mad’s eyes. It may never erase what he’s done, but it may show a glimpse as to why he can’t seem to let Casey go.

Has always been, and always will be known as a monster, yet one soul decided to take a chance, to hold his hand and make him feel something more than just a monster. He was more in that person’s eyes, and he never wanted to let go of that feeling. The simple single touch of another who never views him as nothing more than a…

Shame he no longer can feel the touch.

@crazy-obsessed-enby @iswmperson @lexusinsannus @sammys-magical-au @wouldntyou-liketoknow @the-matpat-ever

He can only dream.