#something about giving everything you have to others and not allowing them to give back to you

[cupidsdolll]

pairings: best friend!Harry x fem!reader

summary: Y/N's having a bad day and who better to help than her best friend

word count: 2.2k

authors note: hi hello!! here’s something that’s been sitting in my drafts for a whileeeee while i work on chapter three! :) hope you enjoy!!

TW: for a mention of self harm but the only thing she does is pinch her arms over and over again, please read with caution or don’t read if it triggers you or make you uncomfortable. i love you❤️

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Y/N’s always been such a happy person, always there for all her friends, always having a smile on her face and making sure her friends are okay. She’s always been that one friend that no matter what time it is, she’ll always be there to lend a listening ear and provide the needed solace. 

She’s always been that friend that’ll give the ones she cares about the last of her anything, always willing to give the last of her money to help a friend in need, willing to give the clothes off her back if it was necessary. She’s just a giver by nature. She’s always been the friend to go to whenever you need advice, always taking care of her friends, giving them whatever’s needed. 

Because she’s grown to be able to mask her emotions, it’s hard to tell whenever she’s not able to fully give as much, whenever she starts feeling down and gets in her head. No one notices as she starts becoming quieter, smaller, less. 

She very rarely has bad days, her sunshine personality weeding its way through the dark clouds and allowing her to smile and laugh her way through the day. It’s easy to forget why her day was bad when she’s around friends, but it’s especially easy when she’s around him. Her best friend, her right hand man, her everything in a sense. 

Her and Harry had become friends when she stumbled into him and spilled her tea all over his cream flared pants and she over-apologized until he laughed it off and rubbed her head gently. After that, they became inseparable, always attached at the hip. They were close, close enough to where whenever they were out by themselves they were constantly asked how long they’ve been together, they were constantly mistaken for a long term couple. At the question, they’d both blush softly and deny the question by laughing and shaking their heads as they smile and say they’re just friends. 

They’ve always been just friends and neither have entertained the thought of becoming more, not seeing the point of appeasing everyone else as long as they were happy. He’s always noticing her, takes in the small details and keeps them all in a special folder in his brain and his heart. 

He notices how she’ll sway lightly in her seat whenever she’s happy, he notices how her nose scrunches whenever she genuinely laughs, he notices how she never leaves without a hug and ‘I love you’, how she puts her hand over a sharp corner when her friend bends down to get something, how she makes sure to never split the pole and to always give a little snack to any cat or dog she sees on the street. 

He also notices when she starts distancing herself in conversation, how her lip will quiver and her eyebrows furrow the tiniest bit when she’s upset but can’t sneak away, he notices that when she starts playing with her rings that means she’s in her head or she’s uncomfortable, he notices how her glossy eyes will lose the light in them whenever she’s having a bad day. He notices things that she doesn’t even notice in herself and he prides himself in knowing her so well. 

She’s his complete other half, his soulmate, he can’t imagine his life without her and refuses to even think about that. He can just feel whenever her energy shifts ever so slightly and he’s always been there to help her. 

But he knows that when she has the bad days she prefers to deal with it alone, she’ll start excusing herself from the friend group when she’s asked to hang out. Her most used excuse is she’s on her period and her cramps are just killing her, and he knows that’s when it’s bad, when her pain is at its worst and she can’t bother to attempt to mask. 

Her body aches, she can feel the pain rooting itself deep in her bones, she’s tense as her muscles scream at her. Her bloodshot eyes sting painfully as fat and heavy tears stream down her pink cheeks, her lips chapped no matter how many times she licks them. She can feel her head pounding and throbbing from how long she’s been crying, her throat sore and tight as she hiccups. 

Her arms are beginning to form a slight hue of red and she can feel bruises beginning to form as she pinches them quickly, trying to distract her mind from the intense feelings of her own emotions flooding through. The muscles in her stomach are tense and uncomfortable at the amount of heavy sobs and pants that flow through her body and out of her plump lips. 

She can’t remember what triggered all of this, her brain too fuzzy to even remember if she grabbed her list to ground her. As she cries and screams into the empty space, she can feel her lungs expand as she breathes, she can feel the light touch of her loose tank top brush lightly against her skin, she can feel the loose strands of hair brushing against the back of her neck. 

She feels as if she can’t breathe, it feels like her bedroom is caving in on her, the small room only seeming to grow smaller and smaller as her breath gets stronger and shaky. Her hand scrambles around her messy bed, searching for the list containing ways for her to calm down and a shaky sob racks through her body when she realizes she can’t find it. 

She closes her eyes tightly as she brings her knees to her chest and wraps her arms around them, burying her face into her legs she can’t help as she shakes her head. She doesn’t know how long this has been going on, how long she’s trapped herself in her room, but she hopes it’ll be over soon. 

She grabs her phone from her beside table and with shaky hands she unlocks it and clicks on her messages app. She quickly taps on the conversation she’s looking for and attempts to write out a message. 

——

Sweet Girl: H, can u come over please

She doesn’t have to wait long for a response from him as her phone dings a couple seconds later.

Haz: Of course sweet girl. Do you need/want me to bring anything for you? Some food maybe?

Sweet: Girl: if u want, just want you rn

Haz: Ok bug. I’m gonna get us some food and then I’ll be over. See you soon x

Sweet Girl: kay, thanks H. love u

Haz: I love you sweet girl, just try to breathe for me, I won’t be too long and I’ll use my key so you don’t have to get up. 

——-

As she tries to focus on her breathing, attempting to take slow and deep breaths, she wipes her face to clear away the tears on her cheeks. She sniffles and wraps her arms around her torso gently as she lies in her bed, the soft material and warmth from her cover enveloping her and makes her smile softly. 

She’s only able to enjoy a couple moments of peace before another painful sobs rack through her body. She sobs into her pillow, the pain searing through her body as the tears stain her cheeks.

She hates this, she hates not knowing why she’s so upset, she hates everything to do with her bad days. She wishes she was able to ask for the help she needs but she’s so much of a people pleaser, she can’t bear the thought of not being there for her friends when they need her. 

A soft knock at her bedroom door jolts her gently from her thoughts. She quickly tries to wipe her face from any tears and snot streaks before telling the person to come on. Her door squeaks softly as it opens and his face appears in the small space. 

As he walks into her small bedroom, he smiles sadly at her in which she returns the favor. Her eyes light up just a bit when she spots the brown takeout bag with her favorite Mexican restaurant logo printed onto the cheap plastic. He leans down and kisses her forehead before sitting down on her bed gently and placing the bag next to him. 

“Hi” she whispers and he smiles 

“Hi, feelin’ any better?” He says and she nods 

“Not really, thank you for uh coming over” she says as she leans her head on his shoulder.

He hums softly as he wraps one arm around her shoulder and squeezes once. 

“Y’know m’always gonna come. You don’t have to thank me. Wanna talk about it?” He asks gently and she shakes her head lightly.

“Not much to talk about, dunno why it happens. I just get really sad out of nowhere.” She closes her eyes gently as she relaxes into his hold. 

He nods in response and they sit in silence for a couple minutes before he reaches over to the bag and holds it out to her. 

“Here, you should eat it before it gets cold.” She smiles in response as he nudges her hand with the bag. She thanks him quietly as she grabs the bag from him, smiling bashfully she begins to open the bag and the styrofoam box inside. 

As she eats in silence, she’s not able to eat as much as she normally would. She takes a couple decent sized bites before she begins to move the food around. 

“M’gonna put this in the fridge, I’ll be back.” He says quietly as he makes a way to grab the box, she sighs softly before looking at him. 

“Sorry..” he shakes his head in return.

“Don’t be sorry lovie. M’proud of you for eating as much as you did.” He says before walking out and setting the box in the fridge before walking back to her room. 

As he comes back into her room, he hums a soft song as he makes his way to her bed and wraps his arms around her, squeezing tightly. He kisses the top of her head before whispering into her ear. 

“M’so sorry you’re feelin’ like this lovie. But you’re not alone okay? You have so many people who care for you and love you.” He can hear her sniffle softly and be squeezes her once. 

“Not your fault Haz. I know I’m not alone but I don’t wanna burden anyone.” She says and he shakes his head.

“You’re never gonna be a burden. We want you to be happy, be okay, we want you to not have to suffer alone. All of us worry about you, it’s okay to ask for help, angel. We’re not gonna judge you.” Her quiet tears slowly become louder as he speaks, she shakes her head and he rubs her back.

“It’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be in pain. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to accept the love you give out, angel. You give and give and give to everyone else, and I know you don’t give yourself the love and energy you deserve.. let us love you how you love us, let us help you. Let us care for you. We’re not gonna judge you sweet girl.” He says and she grabs his t-shirt tightly before sobbing into his chest. 

She can feel the tears streaming down her cheeks and wetting his shirt as she cries into him. She can’t find it to be embarrassed at how loud she’s being and how she looks, not with his hand rubbing small circles on her back and how his words have sparked a sense of warmth in her stomach. She can feel it fluttering throughout her body while he whispers all these soft and sweet words in her ear. 

She can’t remember how long she’s been crying, and she goes to move away from him and he stops her. 

“Y’okay now? You don’t have to move if you’re not ready yet.” She nods before scooting closer to him, their thighs mashed together and her head resting on his shoulder as he rubs her shoulders softly. 

They stay like that, sitting in the comfortable silence for a while before she yawns softly and catches his attention. 

“Y’tired?” He asks and she nods 

“Sorry you spent your day with a crying mess.” She says with a sad chuckle.

“You’re my best friend Y/N. I’d gladly spend however long with you no matter if you’re sad or happy. As long as you’re okay, I’m happy. Want me to stay with you tonight?” He asks and she shakes her head. 

“Uh uh, go have fun with your other friends. I think I’m okay now. Thank you for everything H.” She says as she squeezes him softly before moving to the head of her bed and getting under the covers. 

“Text or call me if y’need anything angel. I mean it.” He says and goes to tuck her in, resulting is a soft giggle to breeze past her lips.

“Okay, dad. I love you.” She says a smile playing on her lips as he leans forward and kisses her forehead.

“I love you sweet girl. Sleep well and have sweet dreams.”

[candy-cloud-system]

Guess who’s back speaking their shit ! This guyyyyyy ! . Allow me to write a long ass paragraph explaining everything about why I am NOT going to take back what I said.

First off. Comparing anything I said in that paragraph to racism is wild. Not ONCE did I mention race, and it was a completely irrelevant and honestly just false comparison. Hating someone for being downright ableist is SO much different than being racist. And I can guarantee you, I will never hate anyone for their skin color or race. That is something they are born with, and cannot change. And the diversity of human beings is single handedly the most beautiful thing to me.

Now. A more accurate comparison, if you will, would be saying something along the lines of this: imagine you broke your leg because of someone else’s actions, and it causes you a lot of discomfort, pain, and changes the way you have to function. Often you get frustrated with things you’re unable to do the same as someone without a broken leg, or even get super angry at the person who was the cause of your broken leg, sometimes finding yourself daydreaming about how much better your current state would be if you hadn’t been around them or left the situation sooner. Now imagine the next day you see someone else with a cast on their leg, and you think “oh! Someone who may have a similar experience and understand my struggles!” Just for them to tell you their leg was never broken before and they simply “wanted” to have a broken leg.

Imagine the pure frustration that would give. All the thoughts of everything and all the pain and regret and rage you face daily now being mimicked by someone who woke up and decided to claim they had it simply because they wanted to. THATS what it’s like seeing an endo.

I will say this now. Plural means the exact same thing as a system. There is NO difference. There is no such thing as “systems have trauma, but if they say they’re just plural then they aren’t claiming to have a disorder!” Because that’s bullshit.

Endos cause a lot of harm to our communities, even if they aren’t aware. The misuse of terms and stealing of terms from cultural practices, invading our spaces sometimes with purpose to harm us, convincing actual systems their repressed trauma or even remembered trauma doesn’t exist or wasn’t bad, and wide spread misinformation highly effects people like me who have to live with the actual disorder.

I’ve seen a lot of systems (myself included) who are uncomfortable calling themselves plural. Although it is a correct, and sometimes more used in medical settings term for systems; the association of the word with endos who think slamming another label on themself justifies blatant ableism has made that term unbearably difficult to use on ourselves. I’ve seen the same with the words headmates, host, fictives, and other system terms.

“Tulpa Systems” are stealing a cultural term, AND misusing it at that. Tulpamancy is a term from Tibetan Buddhism. Original concepts of it found in the Buddhist Niramāņakāya, and later came into traditions of Mysticism. It is NOT when a 14 year old on tiktok decides they want a serious mental health condition and “creates an alter” for themself. Tulpas are part of a culture. And are spiritual practices.

Invading spaces that aren’t made for you can be very harmful. Even if unintentional or seemingly “harmless” those spaces are MADE for certain people. Those certain people need places they feel comfortable being themselves with other people like them. That’s very important. Something I’ll compare it to is this; I get very uncomfortable when an abled body person gets in the school elevator with me. The elevators at my school are made specifically for disabled individuals and those who cannot walk up stairs. It with the exception of escorts, when someone who is perfectly able bodied gets on, it creates a tension for me. They’re invading a space made for me and people like me, simply because they wanted to. I feel it’s unfair to me, because I’m not able to fit in comfortably in their spaces, I cannot walk up stairs with ease, yet they can, the elevator is a space where I can feel comfortable and capable with the abilities I have, and I feel very uncomfortable when that’s invaded by others. And it’s the same with system spaces. I’ve ranted to my friends countless times about how I never feel comfortable in the online system community. My spaces get invaded constantly by people who think they have a right to steal what should be a safe space for trauma survivors. I have grown accustomed to the reality that I will never have a space online that I will be completely safe from ableism in this community do to endos. Even in real life I have faced people in the eyes who faked my disorder just because they thought it was cool. They faked and copied my real struggles, lied about experiences and made me miserable. And I feel like i don’t even have to speak about the endos who come into spaces to harm us. We can all tell that’s fucked up.

CDDs are a trauma response. And something it does, and it’s whole point, is to hide your trauma. A lot of people with CDDs will not remember what happened. It’s what makes it so tricky to cope with and heal from. I’ve had a very close friend of mine ignore their plurality and not take steps to heal due to them being convinced they didn’t have trauma or wasn’t enough trauma and they were an endo. That is so incredibly harmful. I cannot stress that enough. Telling people they can have a CDD without trauma, even putting that option of being plural without trauma is SO harmful. Because young people who may realize they have a CDD and not be educated on them will brush it off as being an endo, spread that misinformation, and most dangerously; not be able to take the proper steps to heal. Lucky for me, I understood that it was a trauma related disorder, so I was able to get into therapy, get on medication to help myself combat my depression, and find coping skills that were healthy for me to work on growing and coping with my CDD and other disorders. Convincing someone their CDD isn’t serious, or that it’s not trauma related takes that away from them. It takes away the realization of the need to heal, it takes away the chance for them to cope with serious trauma. And it can even worsen it. People with trauma who categorize themself as endo or are categorized by others as endo may be even more effected, feeling like trauma is now a competition or that they aren’t enough to have a CDD that they may actually be struggling with and wanting help for. I hope you understand how harmful that is.

The spread of misinformation is WILD. One of the first things usually brought to me by my friends at school who don’t know much about DID is usually some misinformation they saw from an endo. And of course I don’t mind educating them properly at all, but it honestly hurts me a bit to see some of the crazy things I’ve seen them believe because of how much misinformation people spread on the internet about this disorder.

CDDs aren’t fun, they aren’t quirky. They’re serious trauma stemmed disorders formed to help someone survive. It’s not “having silly characters I like in my head”. It’s NEEDING them to keep you alive and as stable as possible when in horrible conditions whenever you are in the most vulnerable stage of your life.

Blah blah. Internet rant. Blah blah. I can already feel the comments calling me a loser and telling me to blow up or something 💀 like ima lowkey be mean for a sec but do y’all ever shut up? Learn to literally educate yourself instead of believing a 13 year old who wants the entire cast of Hazbin Hotel in their head cus they think it’s quirky (no shade to actual systems with hazbin alters)

Get ur ableist asses outta here fr 💀💀💀💀😭😭😭 making my life hell

Tw: syscourse ,

Endos DNI with this post.

Hot take; I shouldn’t have to be terrified to read / like posts. I should have to read the tags to make sure it’s not posted by an endo trying to infiltrate our spaces. I shouldn’t have to fear that the thing I’m gonna read is going to send me into a spiral because it’s gonna be some stupid ass shit about how “traumagenic systems are losers” or whatever the other stuff endos say about us is.

WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE AN ALTER WHO SITS OVER MY SHOULDER EVERY TIME I OPEN THIS APP THAT CAN PULL ME AWAY INCASE SOMETHING GETS BAD.

THAT SHOULD NOT BE A THING I, A TRAUMATIZED SYSTEM, SHOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHEN LOOKING FOR COMFORT OR SILLY CONTENT TO CHEER ME UP REGARDING THE TRAUMA FORMED DISORDER THAT WILL FOREVER MAKE MY LIFE DIFFICULT.

“Endos don’t hurt anyone🥺🥺🥺”

yes they fucking do.

- Sharkbite

[finelinevogue]

always been you

summary - you’ve always been jealous of hiccups connection with astrid, but little did you know…

pairing - hiccup (httyd2) x bff!reader

word count - +2k

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You didn’t want to come across as overbearing or needy but you did miss your best friend significantly.

Hiccup had been on a scouting mission with Astrid all week, leaving you to keep things tidy at the workshop with Grubber.

Every day felt a little longer.

It wasn’t that you didn’t think they could handle what’s out there, but more the fact you can’t handle it always being Hiccup & Astrid. Always together.

Always going on missions together. Always flying with each other. Their dragons were best friends so why wouldn’t they be? You should be happy that the Chief and the best warrior in Berk are close.

You only wished they weren’t as close as they are.

For purely selfish reasons of the heart, of course.

Sure, you and Hiccup had been best friends since you were babes. But there was always something locked tight in your chest that was reserved for whenever you were around Hiccup - like some sort of fluttering or an extra heartbeat.

You keep telling yourself that it could be a deepening crush, but you refuse to allow yourself fully into that thought because you’re terrified the feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated.

As you walk home after a long day at the workshop, you notice Hiccup and Astrid flying back in from their scouting trip.

The sun was paining delicate pinks and oranges onto the sky and you watched as Hiccup flew through the clouds, like a finger moving through cotton. He always looked so effortless up there. So at peace.

Berkians swarmed Astrid and Hiccup as they landed, dragons in perfect shape. Riders also. Phew.

You moved to walk down to meet them but stopped short when you watched Astrid give Hiccup a tight hug, lips moving closely over his ear.

“Hiccup, you’re back!” A child shouted, excited that his Chief had come home.

“Tell us everything.”

“Yeah.”

You didn’t feel up to heading down there anymore with that tight feeling in your chest returning. You gulped back a hard feeling in the back of your throat and started up the path that led to the top of the hill.

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The view from the top was indescribable.

You could see for miles and yet there was barely anything to see, and yet it was perfect.

There was something peaceful about watching the ocean wash away and come back. It was rhythmic. Routine. And with the sun casting its pastel glows over the water it made it all the more special.

You sat on the very edge, legs tucked up to your chin and your head resting on your knees.

There wasn’t that much space between you and the edge. Hiccup had nearly grounded you from leaving the house once when you’d nearly fallen over the edge, but luckily he’d been there.

You felt free up here.

Almost like you could—

“You better not be even thinking what you’re thinking.”

Hiccup and Toothless landed behind you with a thump. Hiccup looked worried and Toothless looked ready.

“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“You’re thinking about how freeing it would be to fall.” You felt Hiccup sit down next to you.

You realised that was what you’d been thinking… but not in a catastrophic way. More in a way where you wished you could grow wings, like your dragons, and fly off into the sunset.

“Well, not…” You felt like you had to clarify, but got cut off.

“No I know.” Hiccup was watching the sunset when you looked at him, “I felt the same way. That’s why I built my own wings. Ever since I first got to fly Toothless i’ve always wanted to be able to fly with him, too. You know?”

“Mhm.” You nodded.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

“Am I? Sorry.” You mumbled.

“Hey. What have we said about apologising for no reason?” Hiccup shuffled closer to you.

You breathed like you were about to say something.

“Don’t say it!” Hiccup warned you, earning a laugh from you.

“I want to, though.”

“Well don’t. Otherwise I’ll have Toothless play drop and catch with you.” Hiccup poked your side and you laughed even more.

You almost rolled forwards and off the cliff, but Hiccup’s arm reached around the far side of your waist and pulled you back. You were still laughing when your back hit the ground.

You kept laughing until you slowly realised that Hiccup was laying down - quite closely - next to you. His eyes were watching your smile and his arm was still firmly secured around your waist.

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.” You chuckled.

You turned to look up at the sky for a brief moment, before returning your gaze to Hiccup who was still looking at you.

“What?” You asked softly.”

“Nothing. I just—.”

Hiccup was rudely interrupted by Toothless coming to lick a stripe of saliva over his face and down his chest, sticking to his armour. You laughed at the sight, sitting up as you watched Hiccup groan.

“Toothless… You know that doesn’t wash out.” Hiccup flicks away some saliva and Toothless sits on his hind legs, looking proud of himself.

Toothless starts dancing round in a circle, laughing in his own way along with you.

You stand up and make your way over to the Night Fury, as Hiccup continues to wash off the dragon bleh…

Toothless makes his way over to you and bows his head for you to touch. Hiccup’s dragon has always been so gentle and calm around you. People often say it’s his soul imitating yours. Toothless closes his eyes as his forehead bumps against yours.

How anyone could be anything but in awe of these magical creatures is a mystery.

Hiccup comes to stand next to you, standing only a bit taller than you.

“He likes you more than he likes me.” Hiccup says, scratching behind Toothless’ ear.

“Oh please. He would dive off a cliff to save you, but he’d be the one to push me off thinking that it was play-time.”

“I think he’d surprise you.” Hiccup wandered around Toothless and climbed onto the saddle. “C’mon.”

“C’mon, what?” You asked, puzzled.

“We’re going for a ride.” He held out his arm for you.

“Right now?”

“I think that’s what I’m asking…”

“Hiccup… You just got back from…”

“And I want to spend some time with you. So… please.” He gestured again and Toothless made a sound like he wanted you to join them too.

“I’m not playing drop and fetch, though. I mean it.”

“I promise.”

You took ahold of Hiccup’s hand, ignoring the tight, fluttering, sensation in your chest and allowed him to pull you up in front of him. You’d tried sitting behind him once and had nearly fallen off when Toothless did a nose dive, so ever since you’d been riding up front.

Hiccup’s arms tightened around you and grabbed ahold of where he needed to guide Toothless.

“Ready?” He asked, his voice sending goosebumps over your skin from how close he was.

You nodded.

And you took off.

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The first part of the flight was always the scariest.

Toothless shot up into the sky, making you lean back into Hiccup more and Hiccup hold onto you a little tighter.

Once you levelled out, you soared through the clouds.

It was so serene up here, you envied how free the dragons just feel every time they fly. With the sun in the distance, feeling like you’re shooting towards it, it feels like something out of a dream.

You closed your eyes, let out a deep breath and allowed your other sense to take over. The sound of air whipping around you as you flew at speed. The taste of the cold air as you passed through clouds. The smell of dragon - it was weirdly comforting. And the touch of Hiccup. The last one brought you the most comfort of all.

“I could stay up here forever.” You said.

“I wish we could.”

“Toothless probably wouldn’t be a fan of flying forever.” You leant over to scratch Toothless behind the ear and he softly grumbled in reply.

“He probably would be if it was for you. Me on the other hand? Pfft, forget about it.”

“Oh please. Your bud would do anything for you. I mean he literally saved you from one of the biggest fire explosions I’ve ever seen.”

“And you’ve seen lots of them have you?” He joked, making you nudge your elbow back into his ribs. “Okay, okay!”

A few minutes of silence passed by, just you two and Toothless effortlessly gliding amongst the clouds.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” Hiccup said.

“Okay.”

“I… I just…It’s…”

“Hiccup, if it’s about something that happened on your scouting mission with Astrid then I already know.” You tilted your head around a little to see him. His face was full of confusion and you gave him the slightest smile even though you could feel your heart dropping through your chest.

“You do?”

“Yeah I thought it was pretty obvious.”

“Okay.. Well, yeah.. I mean…”

“You don’t have to talk to me about it Hiccup. It’s none of my business.”

You turned back around, not wanting to hear much more about how Hiccup had fallen for Astrid. How they were now together. How you were completely out of the picture now.

“Wait… What?” Hiccup exclaimed, making you jump a little from how loud he shouted in your ear.

Toothless looked back for a moment with a devilsome grin on his normally innocent face.

“Bud…?” Hiccup asked warily.

Toothless must’ve thought that Hiccup said something different, because it was at that moment that Hiccup realised you two were no longer going to enjoy the sunset or clouds.

Toothless took the opportunity to tilt downwards, before plummeting through the sky towards the ocean.

You screamed as Hiccup tried his best to get Toothless to listen to him - unsuccessfully.

Hiccup’s arms tightened infinitely around you as he tried to control Toothless the best he could, but there was no stopping this big lump of scales.

Toothless dive right to the seawater before gliding straight across it for a brief moment, then shooting right back up in the sky again.

“Bud, seriously… What are you playing at?”

As you got up to some height, Toothless spread his wings as far as he could then.

“Oh no.” Hiccup sighed.

Then you were all falling down backwards. Toothless had his tongue sticking out as if he was enjoying every moment of this, whereas you were hanging on for dear life.

“Toothless!” Hiccup shouted, kicking his leg in a certain way to control Toothless’ tail better.

Everything calmed down a little after that, Toothless going back to gliding as you made your way home to Berk now the sun had set.

“You and I are having words when we get back, bud.” Hiccup tried to sound stern but it was well known that the dragon would be the one to get his way.

✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️✨⭐️

As you stepped off Toothless your legs took some time to regain familiarity with solid ground.

Then as the adrenaline was wearing off, you started laughing - letting out all of the wired energy. You stood up tall after letting your legs have a moment, only to turn around to see Hiccup standing close in front of you.

You’d missed the moment where Toothless nudges Hiccup closer towards you, but it you’d had seen it then it would’ve made this next part less unexpected.

A dragon always knows.

“What?” You let out a small, nervous, laugh. “Hiccup, what?”

Hiccup hummed to himself, with a small smile on his face.

“Astrid was right.” He said.

Your face went neutral, trying to hide the fact you were affected by Hiccup bringing up Astrid.

“Right about what?”

“About how big of a dumbass I am.” He stepped closer.

“I don’t…” Your brows furrowed.

Hiccup moved forwards again, reaching out to ghost his palm over your cheek. You looked towards his palm slightly, nervous about what he was doing.

Your breath hitched when his skin made contact with yours.

He was so close in front of you, you’d frozen to the spot with anticipation over whatever he was doing.

“Hiccup.” You whispered.

Toothless shrunk into the shadows of the background as night fell, leaving you too alone to stand on what felt like the top of the world - together.

“Everyone told me I should’ve said something sooner.” Hiccup said, more to himself than to you.

“Hiccup, you’re not making any sense.”

“No. What doesn’t make any sense is my feelings for you!” He reached to hold the other side of your cheek now, framing your face so he could keep your focus on him, “What doesn’t make sense is that I feel lost when you’re not near. I feel weak when I haven’t seen you in days. I feel a…a.. sort of tight feeling in my chest every time you’re around. What doesn’t make sense is how I fell for someone like you, when I’m someone… like me…”

Hiccup dropped his hands, eyes widening as if he’d been in a trance when he had been talking.

You watched him stand there, watching you with nervousness now.

“What doesn’t make sense to me is how someone as great and as clever as the great Chief of Birk, couldn’t possibly understand how someone like me really likes him.”

You nervously gulp as you watch realisation take over his face.

“Wait… really?”

“Pretty sure.” You smiled.

“Well I guess we’re both dumbasses.”

Hiccup extended his arm to wrap on the side of your waist, pulling you towards him and not stopping until your lips were close enough to kiss his.

He kissed you like he’d been waiting an eternity for this moment, holding onto your waist tightly as if you’d even had thought about move away from him.

Your fingers curled around the delicate plaits in his hair that you’d tied, keeping your body taught against his.

As you both pulled away, you stayed close to one another - breathing the same air as if separate space simply wasn’t an option anymore.

You didn’t say anything - you didn’t have to - but you did have to chuckle at the situation.

Not even an hour ago you’d been heartbroken at the thought that his heart belonged to someone else. Now you realised that his heart had never been set on anyone but you. It had been you all along. And you knew, because your heart felt exactly the same way.

[sleepingdiaryzzz]

There are a few posts about yandere!JL with a shared darling, but there aren’t enough so I’d love to hear your take on it!

How would different members act? Are there scheduled times for everyone or is it constant group activities? Do they kidnap Y/N or do they wait? Are there common arguments? Does Y/N try to defuse the arguments or do they try to start them?

Love your stuff! And if I send any more asks I’ll go by 🪼 anon as I always do. Feel free to not answer this for any reason <3

Yandere Justice league x reader

The Justice League, each with their own possessive and obsessive tendencies, would create an environment that feels like a constant power struggle. They would argue over your time, your safety, and the best way to care for you, but all with the underlying motive of keeping you to themselves. Group activities would become the norm, as no one would want you to spend time alone with another member. While there would be scheduled "times" for each of them to have you all to themselves, it would eventually evolve into constant collective supervision. Each member has different ideas about how best to keep you close, and those differences lead to constant tension.

Superman would push for a more relaxed approach, wanting you to have a "normal" life but still under his watch. His concern for your safety would make him feel like he has to be involved in everything, even if it means tracking your every move from a distance.

He would try to maintain the idea of your autonomy while still keeping you close. Expect him to encourage group outings like picnics or public events, subtly keeping an eye on you the whole time.

He would argue with Batman about keeping you isolated. Superman would believe in a balance of freedom and protection, but Batman would push for a much tighter hold over you.

Kidnapped or waiting? Superman wouldn't kidnap you. He’d rather try to convince you of the benefits of staying close and protected without overtly controlling you.

Batman is the most calculating and controlling. He sees the world as full of threats and wants you isolated, with all roads leading back to him. The Batcave would become your "safe haven," away from the rest of the world.

He would not want to share you at all. If he had his way, he’d keep you secluded, only allowing others to interact with you when absolutely necessary. He’s the one who would argue most against the "group dynamic."

Batman’s obsessive nature would lead to tension with Superman and Wonder Woman, who want you to be able to have more freedom. He would argue that total control is the only way to keep you safe, something that would frustrate the others.

Kidnapping or Waiting? Batman would kidnap you if he believed your safety was compromised. He'd want you away from the world, isolated from anyone who could hurt you.

Wonder Woman wants to empower you, believing that the best way to protect you is through strength and training. She would train you in combat and see that as part of her role, giving you the skills to defend yourself while still keeping you under close supervision.

She might be the one pushing for group activities, where she can "train" and protect you, though not as overbearing as Batman. Still, she would consider herself your protector and would take issue with the others' methods if they interfered with her training.

Diana would argue with Batman over his suffocating methods, with Superman over his idealistic ways of keeping you "safe" without truly preparing you for the dangers of the world.

Kidnapping or Waiting? Diana would wait, but if she thought you were in danger, she'd likely whisk you away to Themyscira for "training" and protection.

Barry is the most carefree and fun-loving member. His desire to "keep you happy" would make him want to entertain you constantly, making everything a game or a joke. He’d want to keep you distracted and happy, sometimes to the point of avoiding serious issues.

Barry would push for group activities that are lighthearted and fun. He would create situations where everyone has to "share" you in a way that feels like a group adventure—whether it’s a spontaneous outing or a mission that somehow involves all of you.

He would clash with Batman’s brooding, intense control and Superman’s more idealistic, distant protection. He’d want you to enjoy yourself and keep things light, frustrating the others who want you to stay in a controlled environment.

Kidnapping or Waiting? Barry would wait for the right moment to pull you into a fun situation but wouldn’t force you into anything. His tendency would be more about bringing you into his chaos than kidnapping.

Aquaman is territorial and proud, often seeing you as his. His possessiveness would manifest in wanting to keep you close, but more because he feels you should be with him, ruling alongside him in Atlantis or in the surface world.

Aquaman wouldn’t be a fan of scheduled times; he’d simply take you wherever he goes, often pulling you into his royal duties in Atlantis or showing off his world.

Arthur would argue with Superman over his idealistic methods and with Batman about his isolationist tendencies. He’d feel entitled to you and see the others as threats to his claim on you.

Kidnapping or Waiting? Aquaman might wait for the right moment but would be quick to act if he felt that anyone was trying to take you away from him.

J'onn’s protective nature is deeply empathic. He would want to keep you safe, but more emotionally than physically. His psychic abilities make him attuned to your thoughts and feelings, so he would know when you’re distressed and act accordingly.

He would try to keep things calm and reflective, often providing emotional support and sharing moments of quiet. J'onn would be gentle, preferring one-on-one time to "restore" you emotionally.

J'onn would argue with Batman and Superman about what kind of protection you truly need—whether it's physical or emotional safety. He’d often remain neutral but wouldn’t hesitate to act if anyone got too controlling.

Kidnapping or Waiting? J'onn would likely wait, offering you his calming presence, but if the situation turned dangerous or emotionally overwhelming, he might take you to a quiet, secluded place to "heal."

John Stewart’s protective nature would make him focused on keeping you safe. He’d see you as a responsibility and would want you to train and be prepared to defend yourself. His sense of duty would often clash with the other members’ approaches, particularly Superman’s.

John would suggest more structured, scheduled activities where you could learn to defend yourself. He would believe in the importance of responsibility, often involving you in missions and team activities.

John would argue with Batman about the need for isolation and with Superman over whether or not you should be kept safe from the world or trained to face it.

Kidnapping or Waiting? John would wait, believing that in due time, you’ll come to understand that you belong under his care and protection, but if things got out of hand, he might move to take you somewhere he feels safer.

The arguments would revolve around control vs. freedom, isolation vs. integration, and training vs. protecting. Batman and Aquaman would push for isolation and control, while Superman and Wonder Woman would argue that you need more freedom to grow and learn. Barry and John would mostly act as mediators, though Barry would push for more fun and spontaneity, while John would argue that you need to be prepared for the world’s dangers.

If you want to defuse things, you’d lean into their protective instincts, assuring them that you're fine and that their concerns for you are valid. You could also play up to their more nurturing sides, especially with Superman and Wonder Woman.

Though, If you wanted to stir things up, you could subtly challenge their need to control you or manipulate the tension between them. You could play one against the other, making them feel insecure about your bond with someone else.

In the end, the League would constantly hover around you, trying to outdo each other in keeping you "safe" and in their care. Your life would become an endless cycle of arguments, possessive attention, and carefully controlled freedom.

(A/n: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩)

[angelwishess]

୨୧ The Little Mermaid; Floyra AU!!

Floyd takes the role of Ariel, and Kyra takes the role of Prince Eric!

Tagging: @taruruchi @scint1llat3 since you guys seemed interested!!:3 and @screamintoad @gimmeurmoneyagh for being the #1 Floyra supporters ever HEHE <3

Rambling under the cut ~

Notes:

All of the characters in this AU are over 20 !!!

I’ll try to seperate this in different parts according to major plot points n’ stuff teehee (cw: mentions of alcohol)

In this AU, merfolk have not been seen in over a hundered years. Kyra is a princess and heir to the throne of a flourishing kingdom by the sea, and one day decides to run away for a little bcs she was bored HAHAHA

She hitches a ride onboard a ship of pirates, their captain being Jamil. While they were celebrating their new “crewmate”, a loud crash was heard coming from the nets.

Caught in the nets was Floyd, who the pirates planned to sell to make a fortune. But, Kyra couldn’t let that happen. And so she freed him in the middle of the night and helped him get back into the sea. (He actually bit her while she was cutting the ropes, and it left a scar.)

All the while, a terrible storm was brewing, and it eventually sinked the ship— causing Kyra to fall overboard alongside the rest of the pirates.

Floyd saved her, swimming her back to safety on the shores of her kingdom. That she tried to run away from.

As a week passes, Floyd began to not show up to help Jade lure in customers for Azul more often. Choosing to instead swim up to the surface, and around the shores he last saw Kyra.

One day, there was a parade. But in the middle of it all he saw Kyra sitting there on a grand parade float, surrounded by beautiful flowers. And he realized he had to see her again.

He swam back down, going to find Azul hoping that he’d give him a potion that could turn him into a human, even just for a little bit. Although reluctant, Azul makes a deal with Floyd.

Azul would turn Floyd into a human for a month, but he takes his voice in return. But if Floyd doesn’t get a kiss by the end of the month, he’d turn back into a merman.

Azul wasn’t too worried, the contract was made just to ensure he wouldn’t spend too long up in the human world. But, he was sure Floyd would eventually get bored and return back to them.

..Right??

Once on land, Floyd made his way to the palace where he was sure to find Kyra.

He managed to get rather far into the palace, slipping in undetected. It was a good run, until the guards discovered him, and began to escort him out.

Of course, they were stopped by Kyra, who was curious as to what was happening. And after seeing him, she immediately ordered them to release him.

Not having much of a choice, the guards let him go and Floyd pretty much runs to Kyra. 😭

Kyra, however, does not remember Floyd. She does not remember much of the day of the shipwreck other than tiny bits and pieces. But if its one thing for sure, she could never forget his eyes. One look into them, and Kyra knew there was something special about him.

Ever since this day, the two became inseperable. Much to everyone else’s dismay.

Floyd was nicknamed as the princess’ “jester”, as he didn’t do anything around the palace other than follow Kyra around and make her laugh 😭, but he still was allowed to do anything and everything he wanted to without any concequence, as Kyra would always be quick to make an excuse for him.

Kyra did teach Floyd sign language, but Kyra developed a strange skill to know exactly what Floyd was trying to say even without it. Talking with facial expressions to the max fr 😭

Ever since meeting, Floyd would get Kyra to sneak out of the palace more often. And the two had the most exhilerating of escapades. In less than a month, they had made a wonderful array of unforgetable memories. The most fun they’ve ever had!

While they were out, Kyra and Floyd ran into Jamil, who had also survived the shipwreck. Despite not remembering much, Kyra does, in fact, remember Jamil trying to kill her at some point.

So!! She immediately turns around and makes a run for it, dragging Floyd with her.

Jamil notices them, though. And while he doesnt exactly try to chase them, he does recognize them. Especially Floyd.

Meanwhile, with Azul, Jade and Elena… They have come to the realization that Floyd was probably not coming back anytime soon.

With only three days left, they had to come up with something to get him back. So, they send up Elena to the surface to try and get Floyd back.

While Floyd was happy to see his dear sister, he stubbornly refused to go back with her. Leaving Elena to wander around the kingdom, trying to find what Floyd seems to like so much about the human world.

Wandering into a bar called the “Mermaid’s Tail”, she sits at the counter beside an obviously intoxicated man.

She was about to leave, until she heard him grumble something that caught her attention.

“..If it wasn’t for that stupid sea beast, and that girl…”

Realizing Jamil must know something, Elena began to buy him drinks to get him to talk. Dragging out infromation and more from him, taking advantage of his intoxicated state.

“I see… Well, I just happen to know someone who can help you. Come by the shore near the cliffs, tomorrow at noon.”

Well, he had nothing much to lose anymore. So Jamil ended up waiting by the shore just as she said.

Suddenly, a tall figure emerged from the water. A teal skinned eelmer, that looked strikingly similar to the one that was caught in the nets of his ship that fateful day.

He found himself being led by the mer to a cavern near the cliffs, there he saw two others. A larger octopusmer, and a mermaid that looked eerily similar to the lady he met at the bar… Wait a minute.

Azul began to speak, trying to strike a deal with Jamil. Stating that they both wanted something, and they could help eachother.

If he married the princess, he would become royalty. And Azul could help him do just that. In return, Jamil would bring back Floyd to them.

(This is actually a ref to the fact Kyra was originally shipped with Jamil … Yeah I can’t believe this is how I admit this on this blog 😭😭)

Jamil eventually does agree to the deal. And Azul gives him a necklace that allows him to hypnotize whoever he pleases. (Basically just Snake Whisper in jewelry form LMAOO)

With two days left before the month ends, neither Floyd nor Kyra knew what was about to happen.

Jamil successfully got into the palace, hypnotizing Kyra into marrying him.

Aand this is the part where ive gotten stuck LMAO. Im not sure what happens next, but Floyd does manage to snap Kyra out of it, and Azul, Jade and Elena do accept that he has the right to make his own decisions and do their best to respect it.

Jamil and Elena … Something’s probably happening with them after everything actually HAHAH

Kyra and Floyd do get engaged!! They run away together, travelling the world together and seeing everything there is to see. And spreading their chaos everywhere they go. And so !! Even more silly fantasy shennanigans HEHEHE

HEHEHE OKAY I THINK THATS IT !! YAP SESH OVER 🤭

[writingsbytee]

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU

WARNINGS: 18+; Minors do not interact!!; SMUT; porn with very little plot; Unprotected Sex, dirty talk, spanking; size kink?; switch

SUMMARY: You and Aaron finally confessed how you feel about each other, now it’s time to get it in!

PAIRING:  Aaron x Lauren “Lo” (reader)

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The part 2 you guys have been asking for I hope it’s everything y’all wanted! As always constructive criticism is appreciated but be nice please because I’m sensitive. 

WORD COUNT: 4,176

*Please don’t plagiarize, repost, or steal my work. This doesn’t count for re-blogs. Happy Reading!!* 

I feel like a fucking idiot. I’m lying on Aaron’s bed trying to figure out if this position makes me look sexy or like I’m trying too hard. I adjust my boobs for the thirtieth time hoping they look perky enough. Fuck it, I’m hot as fuck. Curves and all, so what my stomach isn’t flat or I’m not a size 4? My body allows me to do amazing things every day I’m grateful for her and I need to lift her up not find a new thing to over-analyze. 

Moving some of Aaron’s pillows I start to make myself comfortable. I lean up against the head of the bed when Aaron enters the room shirtless. His eyes scan the room before they land on my stocking-clad feet and slowly make their way up my body, stopping briefly to stare at my hips and boobs. Something about having Aaron look at me like he’s never seen a woman before makes me feel like an absolute minx. 

I bring one leg up and cross it over the other, “See something you like big guy?” Aaron smirks as he makes his way to the foot of the bed.

He raises his hands above his head, resting them on the top of his canopy bed. His eyes low and lust-ridden, lord forgive me but I’m going to climb this man like a tree.

Towering over me, “Princess, you have no idea. I’m going to do unspeakable things to you.”

“Up, on your knees,” Aaron commands.

My mind is at war, I want to please him but, I’m also not used to being submissive. I slowly position myself on my knees, my heart pounding with anticipation. 

“Crawl to me, pretty girl,” Aaron says unbuckling his belt. If anyone could see us now, they’d say I set feminism back about twenty years. Any woman who tells me they wouldn’t crawl to Aaron in this state is lying. I’d skip if he asked. I reach him at the foot of the bed, and he looks down at me. 

“Mm, look at you. So pretty and obedient, too bad I have to punish you.”

“P- Punish me? Why?” I ask leaning back on my calves. 

“Talking down on yourself. Lo, you’re beautiful. Every part of you from your dimples to your double-jointed big toe you don’t think I know about,” Aaron says with a laugh. 

“Shut up!” I gasp out a shocked laugh. Aaron lets out another laugh before straightening up. 

“In this house, I don’t want to hear you say anything bad about yourself from this point on. Do you understand?”

I laugh again rolling my eyes, “You can’t be serious.”

Aaron’s eyes darken, he rolls his shoulders back, and clears his throat, “Turn over and leave your legs hanging off the bed. Now.”

I cock my head to the side, processing what he just said. On one hand, part of me wants just to shut my brain off and let him take control. On the other hand, I’m a boss-ass bitch who doesn’t bow down to any man. But, it looks like the man standing above me will have me do just that. 

“Lauren give in. Don’t you want me to take care of you? You won’t have to lift a finger with me, baby. You spend all day putting out fires for everyone else. Let me take care of you, give in to me sweet girl. Your pleasure is mine. Let me show you what you’ve been missing,” Aaron snaked his hand up to the nape of my neck and began massaging my scalp. 

I reach my hands out, craving to touch him. My hands land on his abs, and I let out a deep sigh when they make contact.

“I’ve dreamed about doing this for years,” I said sliding my hands up his body. 

“You should’ve done it. Would’ve saved us both a lot of time,” Aaron chuckled pulling me closer by the waist. 

I slide my hands up his arms, tracing the veins that live there eventually interlocking my hands behind his head. 

“We’re here now, and I wouldn’t trade our journey for anything. Plus it was really hot seeing you all jealous like that,” I smirked up at him. 

“Hot huh?” Aaron’s lips curled into a smile. I rolled my eyes huffing out a small laugh. 

“Aaron c’mon you know you’re fucking hot. I didn’t know if you felt the same way I did but, you wouldn’t act like that unprovoked. I had my suspicions but that solidified everything for me.”

“So you’re telling me all I had to do was go all caveman to have you like this?”, Aaron said leaning down to kiss up and down my neck.  I nod, moaning softly in his ear. 

“Fuck, I love when you make that sound. Keep using your voice baby, let me hear you.” He slides his hands further down gripping both my asscheeks in his hands and he grips them. Aaron’s hands are everywhere except where I need him most. I’m whimpering and fidgeting hoping he can take the hint.

“What did I just say? Do you want something? Use your voice, or it’ll be a long night for you,” Aaron says smacking my right asscheek. 

“I want you to touch me, please,” I whine.

“Good girl but, I am touching you. You’re going to have to be a little more specific,” Aaron smirks. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

“Fuck, just touch my pussy or something, please! Or do I need to start without you?” I say getting impatient. 

Aaron makes a tsk sound before saying, “And you were doing so well.” He flips me over on my stomach, positioning me with my legs hanging off the bed. 

“You’re never going to fuck me, are you?” I ask with attitude. 

Aaron scoffs from behind me but doesn’t reply. I move to sit up but Aaron presses down the center of my back forcing me back down on the bed. 

“Don’t move, you’re really pushing it, baby girl. You still have time to turn it around, to get a reward from Daddy. Now be a good girl and give me your wrists”

My mind blanks, “My wrists?”

Aaron walks around the bed and squats down in front of me, “Lauren you trust me don’t you?” I nodded. 

“Then baby you have to let me in a little. I know this is new for you but I promise you’re safe with me. Let go and see how fun this is. I promise if you don’t like anything tell me and we’ll stop, ok?” Aaron’s hand is stroking up and down my back. I can feel the tension leaving my body, my eyes softening. 

As a black woman, I always have to be on defense. I never get to submit to something/someone because I always have to be dominant.

“I’m trying I’ve just never been with anyone like you. This is new to me,” I say leaning up on my elbows.

“I promise we’ll go at your pace. Lauren I want to do this for you, you don’t have to be ‘on’ all the time. You can surrender and give me the reigns baby I got you,” Aaron gives me a small smile and leans down to kiss me. I respond immediately, desperate for his attention, his affection. I wrap my arms back around his neck pulling him closer to me.  a muffled ‘unh unh’  leaves his lips before he reaches for my arms, placing them back at my side.

“You’ve been a real brat tonight. what do you have to say for yourself?” Aaron asked standing over me.

I look up at him with a small smile on my lips, “Sorry, Daddy”

“That’s what I like to hear. Now are you going to be a good girl for Daddy?” Aaron asks flipping me back over. He takes both my wrists in his hands, waiting for my reply. 

I nod, “Yes Daddy, I’ll be good.”

A satisfied hum leaves Aaron as he steps back, “Stay put, I’ll be right back.” Then he wanders into his closet and comes out with a tie in his hand. My pussy clenches at the thought of him tying me up and using me for his pleasure. New kink unlocked. Aaron positions my hand behind my back at the base of my spine. 

He ties my hands together, “Now try to break free.” I do as he says, my wrists have a little wiggle room but not enough to get me out of these bindings. 

“If there’s anything you don’t want, or if you want to stop at any point just say ‘red’ and we’ll stop. Okay?” Aaron asks rubbing a hand up my back.

“Ok Daddy, I understand,” I say interlocking my hands together. I feel a rush of cool air as he pulls my panties down.

“Fuuuck, look at this fucking pussy. She’s glistening and so pretty,” Aaron says from behind me. 

I scoff and say, “She better be, all the foreplay I had.”

“Is that attitude I hear?” I feel the warmth of Aaron’s body shifts as he changes his position to stand. Before I can reply, I hear the crack of his hand on my ass before the stinging warmth envelopes my left cheek. 

An involuntary moan leaves my lips and I feel my pussy clench around nothing. I don’t expect being spanked would have this effect on me. There’s no turning back now, so I just let go and enjoy everything Aaron offers.

“Oh, you like that? You’ve ever been spanked before princess?” Aaron asked grabbing my left cheek.

I’m scrambling to find the words, “Yes I.. I like it. No, you’re the first to ever do it,” I say wiggling my hips from side to side.

Aaron groans, his fingers starting to play in my slick, making me moan. 

“You don’t know how happy that makes me princess. To be the first one to corrupt you and make this ass as red as a stop sign,” Aaron said landing another slap on my ass. 

“You going to talk about it or do something?” I asked wiggling my ass back and forth to try and get some kind of reaction from him. 

Aaron lands another slap only ass and I yelp, “Open your fucking mouth. Now.” I turn around sending him a small smirk before I open my mouth, my tongue hanging out slightly. 

“Tired of hearing you run your mouth, so how about I stuff it closed for you?” Aaron mocks. My excitement spikes as I nod eagerly. Finally, I’ll get to have that dick down my throat, my mouth waters at the thought. A deviously sexy expression takes over Aaron’s face as he reaches for something by his feet.  A surprised shout leaves my mouth as Aaron shoves my panties between my lips. 

“Aww, you thought you were getting Daddy’s dick huh? Now why would I reward a mouthy little brat like you? You need to learn a lesson, back on your stomach,” Aaron commands. 

I didn’t think I could be more turned on, but my bedsheets will prove otherwise. I’d never thought something like this could make me so hot. Being under his thumb, letting him take complete control it’s cathartic. A muffled whimper leaves my lips as Aaron grips both my asscheeks hard, jiggling them. 

“Look at this juicy fucking ass baby girl, one day I’ll take this ass,” His hands are like heaven and he kneads and rubs the globes of my ass. I’m squirming on the bed, begging him to do something, anything. 

“Pwease,” I moan around the panties.

A slap landed on my ass with a loud ‘thwack’ and if I get any wetter this bed will turn into a slip and slide. Aaron kneads the tender flesh before he lands more punishing hits. I’m a mess of moans, whimpers, and drool by the time Aaron finishes with me. 

He circles his bed, kneeling in front of me, “Now do you think you can be a good girl for Daddy?” I nod mumbling out a ‘yes’. Aaron pulls the panties out of my mouth before attaching his lips to mine. 

“Untie me, please. I need to touch you, baby,” I moan into Aaron’s mouth. Aaron leans back to look down at me and I’m sure I look crazy. Drool on my chin, tear tracks on my cheeks, and I can’t quit squirming due to the ache between my legs. 

Aaron brings his hand up to my cheek, “Tell Daddy you’ll be good. Say, ‘I’ll be a good girl for you Daddy’ and you can get whatever you want.”

This is it, there’s no turning back and I don’t want to, “I’ll be such a good girl for you Daddy. Please, fuck me. I’ve been waiting so long Aaron, I need you.” 

Feminism be damned, I’ll submit to this man any time, any place. I love him, but will I tell him that tonight? Probably not. 

“See, there’s my sweet girl. Just had to spank the brat out of you. I’m going to make you feel so good, Lauren,” Aaron’s nimble fingers undo the knot that kept my wrists in place. Once he finished that he placed two kisses on the inside of each wrist. He moves me up to the center of the bed while he stands and takes off the rest of his clothes.

“Being that fine should be illegal. You’re so handsome, baby,” I’m pretty sure my eyes are sparkling. I look down at the monster between his legs and a shock of excitement runs up my spine. He’s got girth and length, oh he’s going to destroy me.

“I’m going to need a wheelchair,” I said dragging my eyes up to meet his.

Aaron chuckles as he crawls his way up the bed, “You’ve got a great way of boosting a man’s ego baby. Now spread those legs and let me se fat ma’,” Aaron positioned himself between my legs and spread them. I could hear how wet I was as Aaron pried my legs apart. 

“God, I wanna eat that fucking pussy,” Aaron’s eyes glaze over as he swipes two fingers through my folds. A small gasp leaves my lips when Aaron takes those fingers and sticks them in his mouth. 

“Mmm, damn that’s good,” Aaron moans as he releases his fingers from his mouth with a pop. 

“Round two I promise, but I need to be inside you now Lauren,” Aaron leans back on his calves and reaches toward his bedside drawer.

“What are you doing?” I ask reaching for him. 

“Umm, getting a condom,” Aaron said reaching into his bedside drawer.

“Oh, well I haven’t been with anyone since before we moved in together and I’m clean. No pressure or anything but I’m down if you are,” I said wringing my hands together. 

Aaron pauses, “I haven’t been with anyone in 8 months and I got tested 3 weeks ago. I’m clean.”

A small smile makes its way onto my lips, “Me too.”

 “You’re ok with this though?” Aaron asks bending down.

“Yes, I trust you, Aaron. Now please can you fuck me? Haven’t I been a good girl Daddy?” I ask peering up at him. He tilts his head toward the ceiling groaning out a ‘fuck’. I sit up reaching my hand around his neck and tugging him down so I can kiss him. Our lips meet again and I’m so far gone he won’t have to do much to make me cum.

We lay there just making out, taking our time reveling in this moment. I lean slightly and nip at Aarons's bottom lip soothing the sting with a flick of my tongue. 

“Fuck, do that again,” Aaron groans in my mouth. 

I laugh in his mouth before I snake my tongue back over in his mouth and play with his. Nipping, sucking, and pulling, I treat his tongue like a dick. I move so I’m sitting on his lap, his dick trapped in between us leaking pre-cum. 

“Fuck Daddy, you have the prettiest dick,” I say looking down at where I wish we were connected. 

Aaron chuckles, “Haven’t heard anyone call him pretty before.”

I scoot closer, trying to bury myself under his skin. Mouthing at his neck, “It’s the prettiest dick I’ve ever seen. Now when are you going to put it in me, baby? Can’t you feel me? How wet I am for you?”

A groan comes from deep in Aaron’s chest, then he crashes into me and I’m flat on my back. 

“You little minx, let’s see how much shit you can talk when I’m nine inches deep,” Aaron said positioning himself at my entrance.

“Nine?” I asked placing my hand on his abs to slow him down.

Aaron smirks, “And you’ll feel every inch.” He leans down to kiss me before I can respond. Aaron slowly inches inside of me. When he said I would feel every inch, he wasn’t lying.

“Oh my god!” I moan my head tilting toward the ceiling. I look back toward Aaron to find him smirking at me. “C’mon baby you can take it. I know you can… fuck. This pussy is too good baby and I haven’t even started moving yet.” I could barely tell where I ended and Aaron began, and he wasn’t even fully inside me yet. 

Aaron slowly inches out before sliding back in, a small hiss leaves my lips at the stretch. “Talk to me baby, how’re you feeling?” Aaron asked as he peppered my face with kisses.

“Mmm, I want more of you,” I say shifting my hips so I could take more of his dick. “Well, I better give baby what she wants then huh?” he bottoms out in one thrust, stealing the breath from my lungs. 

“Damn Lo, you’ve been sitting on sunshine baby,” Aaron says his face scrunched in that adorable scowl. I raise my hand to his brow bone smoothing out the harsh expression painting his face. I can see his mind is elsewhere.

“Come back to me, baby,” I sit up slightly placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth.  Aaron’s eyes meet mine as he starts to thrust. This is by far the best sex I’ve ever had. Aaron’s the perfect size for me, big enough to hurt a little. I can’t contain my moans as he picks up his pace. 

“How’s that feel baby girl? This pussy taking my dick so well. Does it feel as good for you as it does for me?” How he’s able to ask all these questions while fucking the shit out of me is beyond me. I can barely put two words together and he wants me to answer questions.

“Eungh! Fuck Daddy you - you’re so deep. Feel you in my stomach!” I moan out my voice tilting up a bit, I was getting close.  Aaron's eyebrows shot up as he looked down at me, “Dick got you feeling good princess?” I can’t think of anything other than the way his fat dick is filling me up. Jabbing that spongy spot repeatedly makes me stars.

“Aaron! Aaron! Oh god!” I yell leaning up to kiss him. It’s sloppy, passionate, and punishing. I can’t help the little squeals my mouth releases. Aaron leans up on one elbow so he’s slightly hovering over my upper body. His eyes cast downward towards my boobs, his hand snaking up to take one his grasp. Pinching and tugging at my nipple, Aaron leans down taking my breast in his mouth.

“Oouuu Daddy shit!” I squeal. I feel like I’m being set on fire, blood boiling under my skin making everything sensitive. I wasn’t going to last too much longer.

“You want Daddy to make you cum?” Aaron asks with his mouth around my tit. 

“Please! Please! Please! I need to cum!” I’m delirious, moaning wantonly. Aaron brought the hand that was on my breast up to my throat and squeezed. He applied the perfect amount of pressure, depriving me of just enough oxygen to bring my sensitivity up another notch. I don’t even think I’m saying words anymore. Cock-drunk babbles flowing my lips.

“Look at me when you come Lauren,” Aaron taps four fingers against my cheek three times bringing me back to him. I focus my brown eyes on his the color of moss. He’s so fucking pretty like this. Eyes soft and determined, his plump lips set in a slight pout. I bring my hand up to his face, grabbing the back of his neck.

“Baby I’m going to cum. You’re going to make me cum!” I squeal when I feel him place his thumb on my clit rubbing with the perfect precision. 

“Then cum, give it all to Daddy. Give me that shit Lauren, now!” Aaron shouts as his thumb and forefinger pinch my clit. A scream claws its way out of my throat as my orgasm hits me like a truck. It feels so good, like everything and nothing all at once. I heard the squelch and swish of fluid as I squirted all over Aaron. 

“That’s what I’m fucking talking about! Good girl, let Daddy have it,” Aaron brings his fingers back up to my clit, rubbing more out of me. It catapults me right into another orgasm, I’d never had another one so soon after! 

My eyes start to roll in the back of my head, but Aaron reaches up giving me three more taps. 

“Come back princess, watch Daddy come for you,” god did Aaron know how to talk you through it.

I sit up, aiming for Aaron’s ear, “Come in your pussy Daddy. I need you to fill me up.” Aaron releases a low groan, I tilt my head back to watch his face as he comes for me. 

“You’re so pretty while you’re cumming for me, Aaron. Yeah, that’s it. Good boy,” I moan placing a small kiss on his lips. Aaron’s hips stutter, he lets out a breathy grunt, and then I feel the warmth of his cum bathe my insides.

“Mmm, thank you, Daddy,” I moan as Aaron’s thrusts slow to a stop. Aaron’s shoulders relax as he fixes his eyes on mine. 

“Oh my god! That was the best sex I’ve ever had,” Aaron says pulling me to him. 

“I know, it’s never felt like that before. Aaron, I’m already falling for you,” I say looking away, scared to see his reaction. His finger hooks under my chin, tilting my head up so our eyes can meet.

“Lauren, I fell for you the minute I saw you,” a small grin takes place on his face. I return his grin with one of my own. 

“I’m going to pull out, okay?” Aaron said leaning us back down on the bed. He slid out of me a sigh of disappointment leaving my lips. Aaron flops on his side, he reaches over to pull me in for a kiss and I meet him halfway. A content hum leaves his lips as he pulls back. 

“I love you,” Aaron says with pure adoration glowing in his eyes. I feel my eyes widen in disbelief. Aaron seems to come out of his post-orgasm fog as he starts to look a little nervous. Before he has a chance to try and take it back I blurt out, “I love you too”. My eyes started to sting with unshed tears.  Aaron leans in to kiss me again, and we stay that way until we have to get in the shower the chill of the sheets setting in. 

“Come on baby let’s get you cleaned up and put some fresh sheets on the bed,” Aaron threads his finger through mine to his bathroom. He cuts on the shower and then goes to take care of the bedding situation before joining me. Where we spend more time exploring each other. It’s not until I’ve had three more orgasms and the water runs cold, then we got out.

THE END

OMG !! I hope I did this spicy scene justice. I worked hard on it, I hope you guys enjoy this piece. As always constructive criticism is appreciated but be gentle with baby, she’s sensitive. I hope you guys have a great week! Until next time!!!

TEE <3 

TAGLIST:

@blackgurlnhermoods @dxddykenn @kianaleani @pinkkycherrish @shallipii @greatpandagladiator @skyesthebomb @gg-trini @megamindsecretlair

DIVIDER: @cxrrodedcoffin

[wqlfstqr]

◟𖥻 ♡⃕ spider boy, king of thieves:

spiderman ! percy jackson

▰▰▰ pairing(s): percy jackson x female!reader.

Spider-boy, king of thieves Weave your little webs of opacity

author: percy jackson is the textbook definition of a peter parker variant, fight me

y/n loved Percy Jackson, she was sure of it. Had been sure of it for years now. For some time, she had been sure, too, that those feelings were one hundred percent reciprocated.

Percy and her, they had this pull towards each other, or that's what everyone else seemed to believe when they said the two of them were perfect for each other. Sadly, y/n was aware that the fairytale everyone seemed to buy was far from perfect and, as much as she wanted to be with him, something always seemed to get in the way.

This was the thrid time they broke up, and y/n was sure it was going to be the final time. Of course, they always seemed to find their way back to each other but she couldn't allow that to happen another time. As much as she loved him, she simply couldn't.

Because dating Percy was a mess, a hurtful mess. it wasn't always like that. they used to be happy and in love, but then he started disappearing for hours with no communication, arriving late to pick her up or standing her up on dates, and he always gave some kind of made up explanation about it. The last straw was when he arrived two hours late to the winter dance he had promised to take her and then refused to tell her why.

y/n's friends seemed to think there had to be two explanations: he was cheating on her or losing feelings for her. Either way, she didn’t want to find out, so she broke up with him before he had the chance to break her heart again. Now there was absolutely no going back, even if all she wanted to do was call him back and take back everything, that wouldn't even work since he never even answered his phone.

"so this is the last time, huh?" her best friend said skeptically, as if she really didn’t believe her. Fair enough, she had already gone back to him two times already.

"yes, and you'll see I really mean it this time." she reassured her friend as she held her phone in between her ear and her shoulder, her hands busy while she went through her closet. "this trip is just what I need, when I'm back I won't even remember who Percy Jackson is."

That was hardly the truth, but at least she hoped she could begin to get over him while she was away for the holidays. She was going to Boston to visit family there, and maybe some time apart from the city and from Percy would be just what she needed.

"y/n, you know I love you" her friend started and she was taking the clothes she needed for the trip but she paused when she heard her tone. "but I find that hard to believe."

y/n was about to reply in her defense, when her gaze landed on a blue sweater in her closet. Percy's sweater. She didn’t even know how long it had been there, but she knew exactly what to do.

"i'm being serious, I'll even go and give him his things back before I go to Boston." she decided, dropping her own clothes in her suitcase before taking the sweater from her closet.

that was something she had never done in the past two breakups, and she did have a lot of his stuff just hanging around in her room. Some of his clothes, his camera from the last time he came around, some of his books, drawings, comics, even the christmas gift she had already bought and wrapped for him weeks ago.

She hadn't realized how much of his stuff she had until she hung up on her friend and she already had a box full of his things. It was difficult not to cry while going through it all, everything held a memory behind it and every memory having anything to do with Percy was painful enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Still, she managed to keep her feelings in check as she took the box and walked out of her apartment, thankfully her parents seemed to be too busy packing to have any questions as she slipped out of the front door. Then, walking to Percy's was easy enough since he didn’t live too far from her, so twenty minutes later she stood upside of his apartment with the box in one hand as she knocked with the other one.

It wasn't Percy that came to open, and she should've been grateful that it was Sally instead, but her smile almost dropped because maybe she had wanted to see him. Still, Sally was too sweet not to smile at her as she opened the door. "y/n! what are you doing out in this cold? and without sweater!"

something she could admit was that she was going to miss was Sally, Percy's mom was just the sweetest and always cared for y/n like she was family. And now the tears were threatening to spill again.

"I wasn't planning on spending too much time out of my house." she started, biting the inside of her cheek because she couldn't, for the love of God, cry in front of Sally. "I was just dropping Percy's stuff off."

Sally looked at the box in her hands and finally seemed to register what was happening, her smile fading slowly as she now looked at the teenager with pity. y/n knew she was probably aware of the break up, Percy always told Sally everything, but it was hard having to stand there and act all tough when the woman was looking at her with such sadness.

still, Sally was nothing if not positive, so after a second she smiled again. "he's not here right now, but you can come in and wait for him if you want." she opened the door further, as if welcoming her in.

and y/n knew she shouldn't, she should just leave the box with Sally and forget all about Percy, but she simply couldn't say no to Sally. And, well, she hadn't seen Percy since last week, it would hurt to see him one last time. Maybe make sure he was doing alright.

"okay" she nodded and stepped into the apartment, following behind Sally as she beamed at her.

Of course, Sally gave her some hot cocoa and blue chocolate chip cookies while she waited, and she made sure to avoid the breakup topic when they both sat down to talk. y/n loved Sally, she was always full of stories and advice and a kind of motherly love y/n herself wasn't used to receiving from her own mother.

But after an hour, Percy hadn't came back and Sally didn’t have a clue where he was, so she sent y/n to wait for him in his room while she went to run some errands. Which y/n should've refused to do but yet again didn’t.

"And y/n?" Sally called as she opened the door, the younger girl was still amazed at how much the woman trusted her just to leave her there. "I can't say I know what exactly happened between you and Percy, but I can tell you he cares about you."

Yeah, that's what y/n had wanted to believe for years, what everyone always told her. But now she wasn't so sure about it, still, she smiled at Sally and let her go before she went into Percy's room, which was exactly how she remembered from the last time she had been there.

She tried not to look around too much, knowing she would feel too nostalgic about it all, instead she busied herself with playing some game on her phone while she waited. Unfortunately, thirty minutes later Percy hadn't arrived and she was already too tired of waiting for him. That's all she ever did. So she stood up from his bed, leaving the box there and shortly after making her way to the door while the dissapointment settled in her stomach.

but then just as she was about to turn the knob, she heard some ruffling behind her back and then the noise of Percy's window opening. She immediatly turned around, her heart racing as she expected to find some thief entering through the window, yet she had to stop herself from screaming when she didn’t find thief but, far from it, Spider-man.

what was Spider-man doing in Percy's room? As he entered the room, y/n put her hands over her mouth to stiffle a stragled sound. Spider-man didn’t seem to realize she was there as he started crawling through the roof.

y/n was gaping at the superhero, unsure of what to do as her mind raced through countless scenarios. Yet, nothing could have prepared her for what happened next. She let out a squeak she couldn’t contain when Spider-Man started to remove his mask, catching his attention

wait wait wait y/n froze when she realized- first she recognized the hair. his hair. the one she had ran her fingers through countless of times. When he finally turned around, she already knew who he was.

Percy looked as shocked as she was once his eyes finally found her, her pale face and her back against the door she had been trying to open just seconds before. "this is not what you think it is." he blurted out, still hanging from the roof.

She had trouble finding her voice again. "so you're not Spider-man, you just go around crawling on people's ceilings dressed as him?" she asked, surprised at the slight sarcasm in her shocked voice.

He let go of the roof, y/n was about to point out that his amazing landing didn’t exactly help his case at all, but he looked at her with panic in his eyes so she shut her mouth. "well maybe it is what it looks like."

She lost her breath, and she knew she had to sit down soon, so she simply walked past him and took a seat in his bed, exactly where she had been minutes before. Percy's eyes shifted at the box placed beside her, and he looked like he was about to question it before he shook his head and pushed it away so he could sit.

"So you're Spider-man." she managed to say after a few seconds of silence that felt like hours.

"I guess I am." he replied, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal at all, for a moment y/n wanted to throw something at him but now that she knew he was Spider-man, it was likely he was going to catch it before it even came close to hitting him.

That thought opened the door for many others as realization dawned on her: Every time he caught something without even looking, every time he was late to dates or disappeared for hours only to reappear suddenly—she realized it all added up. The missed calls, unanswered messages, and the times he stood her up, and-

"Oh my god, is this why you were late for the winter dance?" he seemed to hesitate before he nodded slowly, she averted her eyes to look at anything but him, she couldn't look at him right now. "so you let me break up with you instead of just telling me the truth?"

"it's not-" he stopped himself, taking a deep breath before he could go on. "it's not like that, I just wanted to keep you safe."

She didn’t know if she was annoyed or sad, but she sure as hell wanted to cry. "Percy you've been lying to me, that's not fair."

Percy rubbed the back of his neck, looking directly at her even though she wasn't looking at him. "I know it’s not fair. I know I messed up. But I didn’t want you to get hurt because of me. I thought you’d be safer if you didn’t know, if I kept you away from me."

"Safer?" she scoffed, finally meeting his gaze with her eyes filled with tears. "Percy, you don't get to decide that for me. Do you know how much it hurt to think you didn’t care? I thought I wasn't enough for you for so long."

Seeing the tears in her eyes made Percy want to reach and hug her, but he knew her too much to know that she would probably pull away. "I care about you, that's why I did it." he felt like he was drowning as he tried to explain himself. "you mean everything to me, I wouldn't want to risk putting you in danger."

Her lips trembled as the anger melted into exhaustion. She wanted so badly to just let it go and fall back again into his arms, but the wound in her chest still ached. "You should’ve told me. I would've understood you."

He hesitated, his shoulders sagging as he admitted, "I was scared, okay? Scared the people after me would use you to get to me. Do you think I wanted you to feel like this? To lose you to this?"

The room fell silent again, but after a moment she looked away and stood up from the bed, she couldn't bear another minute there "I don’t know if I can forgive you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Not right now."

And with that, Percy let her go. He had so many things to say, but he knew it wasn't the right time, it was better to just give her some time to think. But he also knew that she wouldn't let her walk away again, not this time. Not ever again.

y/n's parents were very mad at her but she couldn't bring herself to care just yet. The boston trip would've been an excellent idea after all the mess with Percy, but instead she had decided to skip it altogether and stay home for christmas.

Fortunately, New York was big enough so that she could avoid running into Percy. Unfortunately, it was difficult not to think about him when everything reminded her of him.

y/n loved to spend her afternoons walking through the bustling streets of New York. Right in that moment, she was trying to distract herself, but everything reminded her of him: the street vendor they always stopped by for pretzels, the bookstore where he had listened to her talk about every book she had read, the park where they had shared their first kiss just under a snowy day like this. Every way she looked to, there was a memory of him hidden.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice him hidden, following her every step until suddenly strong arms wrapped tight around her waist, and before she could even gasp, she’s was already soaring into the sky. Wind rushed past her as she looks at the the familiar red-and-black suit. "Percy!" she yells, half-angry, half-dizzy from the height.

He chuckles, the sound muffled through the mask. "Hey. Missed me?" she wanted to keep screaming at him, but she looked down and realized just how high they were so she gasped intead, holding tighly onto him.

He swung them higher, the city blurring beneath them until they landed on the rooftop of some random building. She stumbled a little, trying to catch her breath, but Percy steadied her.

"What the hell, Percy? you can't just do that and-" the words died in her mouth once she looked at what was waiting just in front of her.

"Surprise." he said softly, motioning to the cozy picnic blanket and basket waiting for them. The setting sun was casting a golden glow over the skyline, the view breathtaking.

He pulled his mask off as he turns to face her, his sea green eyes full of guilt. "I know it won't solve everything, but I just need you to listen to me, and after that if you hate it, you can push me off this roof."

That made her smile just a little, unintentionally showing the lingering affection she had been trying to bury. "as if that would work, you would probably land on your feet."

He laughed, and she realized just how much she was missed that laugh.

However, before she could even try to commit it to memory, he turned serious again as he took a step closer to her. "I'm really sorry for not telling you the truth sooner, I should have never let you believe that I didn’t care about you. I can't take what I did back, but from now on I swear to you that I'll never keep anything else from you again. Just let me show you how much you mean to me. One day at a time"

She tilted her head to the side, giving him a soft smile. "You’re really not going to give up, are you?"

"Not a chance," Percy replied almost immediatly, as if he didn’t even need to think about it. "You mean too much to me."

She looked at him for a long moment of silence, but she didn’t say anything, she simply stood there in silence before she finally sighed and went to sit on the blanket he had set up, he seemed confused but immediatly followed her to sit beside her. He didn’t push her, didn’t try to force a resolution. He just sat there, letting her process, letting her feel.

"Does this mean I don’t get pushed off the roof?"

"Don’t push your luck, Jackson," she replied, rolling her eyes even though there was a smile tugging at her lips.

They both sat right there in silence until she finally speaked again, looking up at the sky before going back to find his eyes, that were already on her. "one day at a time." she granted finally, and before he could even begin to smile, she continued. "but no more secrets."

Percy’s lips twitched into a small smile, and he nodded. "no more secrets."

She smiled at him, and he smiled at her. And they both knew that maybe not everything was okay just yet, but they would work it out. They were both in silence, except this time it was peaceful knowing that there was no secret between them.

However, as much as Percy was happy, he was also Percy so he couldn't hold the silence for much longer. "have you ever wanted to see New York the way I do?" he asked.

She hesitated, narrowing her eyes at him. "What does that mean?"

He stood up, offering her a hand as his eyes had a certain playful shine on them. "trust me, just let me show you."

And because y/n would follow that boy just about anywhere without any doubt, she took his hand after a second and let herself be pulled by him. It all happened so fast, one moment she's was standing up and the next he had her arms wrapped around her waist, stepping backwards off the ledge of the rooftop.

"Percy!" she shrieked, clinging to him instinctively as they both hung upside down.

"Relax, I’ve got you," he told her, chuckling softly. He started to walk slowly along the side of the building, his movements careful. She clutched onto him tightly, her heart racing from the adrenaline... and maybe from being so close to him again. "I always do."

When they reached a quiet spot where they could see the skyline, he stopped, holding her steady. "Look" he said softly, holding her with one arm as he uses the other to point to the city.

She followed his gaze, her breath hitching at how breathtaking the city lights looked shining beneath them. "it's beautiful, Percy" she mumbled.

"You’re beautiful" he didn’t meant to say it out loud, but he did and maybe he didn’t regret it, because when she looked at him, just a moment, the weight of their recent struggles melted away.

She rolled her eyes, but a small laugh escaped her. And it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. "That’s the corniest thing you’ve ever said."

"hey! I’m trying here" he replied, grinning. "besides, you deserve all the cheesy lines in the world."

y/n shook her head, but she couldn't hide her smile. And maybe, she thought, it isn't perfect at all but it's right. He's right for her. They are right for eachother.

They stayed there, just looking at the city underneath them as the night stretched on until it's was time for her to go back home. With the city humming below, Percy swung her back to her apartment.

The night air felt cold against her face, but thankfully her apartment wasn't far away. in no time, Percy was settling her down on the fire scape by her window.

"home sweet home." she couldn't see his face since he had put on the mask, but she knew he was grinning.

"thank you for dropping me home, quite literally." she smiled at him as she opened her window, but she didn’t step inside just yet because she wanted to be there with him for a longer moment. "and for everything else."

"anytime." once again, y/n wished she could see behind the mask because she could swear he was smiling, and she loved seeing that smile. Percy seemed like he was also buying time before he had to go. "hey, we're ok?"

"we will be" she nodded, and that seemed to be a good enough answer for Percy, who nodded back and took a deep breath.

Not knowing what else to say, she finally stepped into her room. Percy he took a deep breath as he saw her, then legs hooked over the ledge and he hung upside down, his head poking through her winsow.

"good night, y/n" he mumbled softly, ready to swing away. but just as he was turning to leave, she finally spoke.

"wait, Percy" she called for him, making him stop and turn his face back to her almost immediately, he looked alarmed, like he was bracing himself for something terrible to happen.

He was about to ask what was wrong, but y/n didn’t even stop to think before she pulled his mask down, uncovering his lips. Percy, perched outside her window, let out a surprised gasp just as she leaned in and claimed his lips with hers.

Percy's breath caught in his throat as he froze, surprised. But when he finally did react, he steadied himself, and leaned into the kiss, his heart pounding so hard he was afraid it might jump out of his chest at any moment.

The kiss started tentative, a mix of hesitation and longing. But as they melted into each other, the city around them faded away. For the first time in weeks, she felt whole again.

When they finally pulled apart, she could finally see the smile on his face. "and there it is folks, Spider-Man always gets the girl."

She rolled her eyes, swatting his chest lightly, but she couldn't possibly fight the smile tugging at her lips. "You’re impossible."

"And you love it." he replied, his grin widening.

y/n chuckled, looking down at him, her heart full. "I’ll see you soon, Percy," she said, her voice playful yet fond.

"make that tomorrow." He winked at her, then swung away into the night, leaving her standing by the window, knowing that they would be alright.

[cree-n-jewish-thoughts]

I just want to show you all something.

This is crazy! Look how it is worded. The UN gave Palestine and only Palestine its own branch (UNRAW). People that worked for the UN were heavily involved in the massacre of Oct 7th. The UN has continuously backed Palestine over Israel, they admit to giving money to terrorist organizations, they have never once stood up for Israel and they deny the indigenousness of Jews to the land of Israel and do not allow any other country to transfer refugee status to loved ones.

This is the propaganda we are talking about. This, hamas is a terrorist group who forcefully took control of Palestine after a bloody and brutal civil war, that ended with hamas in office. This was in 2006-2007. Before Hamas they had an ability to vote, since that was kinda why the uprising happened... Palestine has not had a vote since hamas has been in office. There has been more violence, more cruelty to the citizens.

Also their blog is "Palestine News 786", this is how people get sucked into bias. This is a legitimate claim from the people of Palestine. Palestine has state media which means that the government controls the media outlets. So everything that comes out of articles directly from the country are heavily biased, staged, even just flat out lies.

If you play the victim people will think you are a victim and stand up for you. But you would stab them in the back at the first chance you'd get.

People think this is legitimately a news source and that's horrifying...

The internet has ruined education when it was supposed to make it easier to educate ourselves. With the overload of information on a single topic people tend to go with one of the first few links (which their spot is placed there because they pay google). Wikipedia is the worst resource and I don't understand why it even exists other than to be able to manipulate and confuse others.

How about the terrorists stop carrying out acts of violence against countries like Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine.

Think about where you get your information before you take it seriously...

[alex-thegiraffeboyy]

Chapter 5: A Dreamer and a Haunted person

Bewitched masterlist.

Summary: A little bit of reader's life trying to adapt to everything that has changed in her life. And also a glimpse of what Vi's life was like in Stillwater.

Words: 1.6k

After the whole incident with Jinx you decided it was time to quit your job at the brothel to dedicate yourself to helping your brother build the firelight society.

So that's what you did. You allowed yourself to be a dreamer.

It took quite some time. But little by little you two were able to create a network of trustworthy people who helped you get people off the lanes to give them a better life in the tree.

What started as a dream full of hope between you and Ekko was now taking more shape.

Since the firelights started to succeed in rescuing people from the rails you started to become more and more active and to heal little by little (but never completely) the wounds of everything that had happened in the last 3 years.

Trying to get you to stay in one place was almost impossible (unless you were building a new artifact). If you weren't in the warehouse where you were overseeing supplies you would be in your room creating something new, or on some mission, even playing with the kids in the tree. Sometimes you would help in the communal kitchen preparing food or washing dishes, sometimes you would spend some time at the mural of their loved ones touching it up a bit or adding new faces. It was almost impossible to stay immobile. But that was how you dealt with the trauma. Being in everything so you wouldn't think about it so much.

There are even seasons when you leave the sanctuary for a few weeks or months at a time to track shimmer shipments around town. You usually do part-time jobs in those seasons (anything but going back to Babette, honestly). You sell your tech from time to time, your only rule is to never sell anything that firelights use. Sometimes you even work on commission.

You have become an expert in many things and are always trying to learn a little more (you're a bit of a nerd, to be honest). But if anything, the trauma left you with attachment issues.

You find it hard and no at the same time show affection. The problem is that you never know when the time is right.

With Ekko there is no problem, he is your brother, and you are really afraid of losing the opportunity to show him how much you love him (as it happened with Violet). So sometimes you hug him or spend time with him making updates on skateboards or talking about different situations that the tree society is going through. You try to give him as much affection as you can because you never know when you might lose him.

But if we're talking about affection towards other people... It's complicated.

You are afraid of getting too attached to someone (although you have allowed yourself to do so from time to time to create good friendships). You are afraid of loving someone too intensely only to lose them the next day. So you avoid getting into relationships. Especially romantic ones.

For a few years you tried. You had a few flirtations, flirted with a few girls (you discovered that, in fact, boys weren't really your thing), but you never wanted to go much further than casual.

You also attribute it to your former job at the brothel.

You spent so much time cooped up intimate with so many different people that you didn't want a soul around anymore. At least not in that way. So eventually you stopped relating to people in a sexual and romantic way. You preferred it like that.

But you allow yourself to love your friends enough, despite the fear and anxiety this causes you. Because, again, you never know when the last time you'll see them will be.

But loving the children in the grove? That doesn't cost you. They are such adorable children and have been through so much that they deserve only as much love as you can give them. It makes you wonder what your life would have been like if you had grown up in a place like the one you were helping to create.

It reminds you of those who were once your friends. Who you came to call siblings (except for one, who was always more than that), and what would have become of them if they had grown up here too. That helps you to keep going with this.

For some years you allowed yourself to dream, especially around the time you found Jinx. And you never found any remains to the contrary, so why not?

You allowed yourself to dream that Violet was alive somewhere.

But little by little that hope was getting smaller. Until this moment, 6 years later, you started to lose it. And that also had an effect on her.

Vi was not alive, she repeated herself almost every day, but why did she still have this feeling in her chest? It didn't make sense.

So she tried again. She went back to start meeting people. But she couldn't take the empty, emotionless small talk anymore. Not when she still couldn't get over it.

While this feeling seemed to get smaller every day, it still clung to her (or maybe she was clinging to the feeling). It wasn't the same as it used to be, she knew that much. But she also knew that her grief wasn't over yet, so she decided to give herself a little more time to get over it. She didn't need to do it today, and, feelings for Vi or not, she still didn't feel ready to try to connect with someone. Not after all.

Until one day you decide that you're not going to let anyone or anything continue to consume you like this. Ekko called you crazy a couple of times for the way you executed it, but he knew it was your way of dealing with it. You refused to accept any more flirtations from your peers. You declared yourself totally and completely out of that market. Leaving you in what you had done many years ago; Concentrating solely on the dream (which was becoming more real every day) of the firelights.

But last and not least. You allowed yourself to let go of what you felt for Vi (which is not only love, but also guilt and other things). The memory and the feeling of innocent love would probably always stay there. But the guilt, the anger... You would take it as gasoline to go on with this. To keep on being a dreamer.

So you closed your heart more and more, leaving only a space for Ekko and your closest friends. All so that no one could get through your porcelain heart.

You'd do anything you could to keep going. For children like you once were.

You'd do what you could so no one would kill the dreamer in you.

Prison had not been pleasant with Vi.

Not by a long shot.

At first it was difficult. A 15-year-old girl locked up with, for the most part, adults. It was hard to make a place for herself. And if she thought it was being in hell before, now she would really get a taste.

The beatings were dreadful, years later she realized that she began to endure them until she was 19.

Sometimes, when she was half unconscious after receiving her punishments, she seemed to see you sitting next to her, giving her words of encouragement. Giving her company.

On difficult nights she liked to remember that day on the roof of The Last Drop. The day they made up.

The day you shared your first kiss.

She could still remember the softness of your lips against hers and the warm feeling that accompanied that kiss. It was among her most cherished memories.

But as the haze of the daze began to fade, so did the image of you in front of her. And as much as she loved seeing your face so clearly, Vi didn't want to sleep. If she had learned anything in Stillwater, it was that being vulnerable is your undoing. And Vi's most vulnerable time was while she was sleeping. So for a few weeks she hardly slept at all, she would doze or stay in an alert slumber. Until she discovered that if she got into enough trouble she would be taken to an isolated cell. So she started getting into trouble three or four times a week just so she could get some rest.

The first night she spent in isolation Vi almost cried with relief. She could rest, even if it's only for a few hours. She could allow herself to dream.

That night, in front of the pale moonlight that managed to filter through, after so many others where she was alert, Violet allowed herself to sleep that night.

She remembers dreaming of the life she had before, of her brothers, of Vander and Powder....

She also dreamed about you. Quite a lot.

She never knew if you loved her as much as she loved you....

She tried to hold on to that dream as long as she could until the last moment. But reality always seemed to hit her in the face.

And there, in front of the lightning that was coming through the wall, while the guard was walking to wake everyone up, Violet promised herself that someday she would get out of there and come back to you and Powder. No matter how long it took. She needed to get back to the two of you.

🦋

And 7 years after she arrived, her bedtime routine is holding up pretty well.

She bangs on the wall for a while to keep fit, stretches a couple of times and then lies down on her bed and relaxes for a while. She hears the guards playing cards in the background, so she tries to concentrate on her breathing and imagines what it's like in her sister's and best friend's life these days, it helps her sleep. The hope of someday getting out and sharing some of those lives with both of you.

Until one day her pleas seem to be heard, a girl, an enforcer named Caitlyn, seeks her out for help.

[anxiousnerdwritings]

Sickly!Brother!Reader and Aemma def had an affair at some point and that’s a hill I’m gonna die on

Imagine Rhaenyra being his daughter after everything she did😭

(I honestly prefer a much more platonic relationship between the two. Just them being the bestest besties of Westeros, wholesomely shit talking anything and everything together and all around being platonic soulmates. But I can’t say that I’m not interested in the idea of this.)

TW: Mentions of Incest

I could really see Sickly!Brother!Reader and Aemma having been just as close when they were younger (if not more so), maybe they even had a betrothal set but then the Reader’s health really started to decline and so Aemma was instead betrothed to Viserys. I can’t help but imagine Sickly!Brother!Reader and Aemma being so in love if that were the case, like that pure kind of love where they both have butterflies in they’re stomach when they catch the other’s eye or just so much as think about one another. The kind of warm, bubbly feeling that spreads through your entire body, and makes you smile uncontrollably. That kind of love.

Given how in love he was with Aemma, Sickly!Brother!Reader may as well have been the one to end their betrothal out of not wanting to hold her back with his health and to become a burden for her. He wanted nothing more than for Aemma to have a more fulfilling life with someone who could meet her all the way and he couldn’t give her that in his condition, so he would rather give it all up then to burden Aemma for the rest of however long he had on this earth.

But even after marrying Viserys, Aemma would have still stayed so close to Sickly!Brother!Reader’s side, especially after he became bedridden. She may have even been the first one to tend to and look after him, long before Alicent, Rhaenyra, Mysaria, and Alys. At the very least she would keep him company all throughout the day. Aemma still very much so wanted to be a part of Sickly!Brother!Reader’s life no matter what. She would have still happily married him even with his ailing health, willingly taken care of him to the very end. She wouldn’t have turned her back on him for anything. Aemma would have loved nothing more than to bear him even just one heir, something that was entirely theirs’, a part of both of them that they made together. A proof of their unabashed love. But instead she was now to give that to her beloved’s eldest brother.

I could very well see Viserys allowing Aemma and his precious brother to have a full on relationship behind closed doors. Hell, he may even encourage it. He would have of course known just how much Sickly!Brother!Reader cared for Aemma and how hurtful it was for him to end their betrothal but he wanted better for Aemma that he couldn’t give her. And if Viserys didn’t have any knowledge of just how much Sickly!Brother!Reader truly loved Aemma and how painful it was for him to give up a life with her then Daemon would sure as hell make sure Viserys did know. Daemon would greatly encourage a full on relationship between his beloved younger brother and Aemma if it meant his brother’s happiness. Even if it did go behind Viserys’ back but Daemon would ensure they never got caught. If Viserys were to somehow find out that Aemma and his youngest brother were having a relationship behind his back, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with his beloved baby brother. I don’t think he’d say anything about it either, he’d bite his tongue and let it happen. Especially, if Sickly!Brother!Reader were to be in much better spirits than he had been before.

Sickly!Brother!Reader wouldn’t be able to keep his relationship a secret from Viserys for long though. He would try to come clean about it to Viserys during one of their visits together, but Viserys would have stopped him before he could say anything. Patting his baby brother on the shoulder, giving him a grin and carrying on with the topic before. Viserys could never bring himself to hate or be angry with his brother or Aemma. And honestly, seeing how much happier his precious brother is now means more to him than anything else.

In the case that Rhaenyra was actually Sickly!Brother!Reader’s child, that would be so much to unpack. Especially after everything Rhaenyra has done with him. I could see her reaction going either way honestly. Given that we’re talking about yandere!Rhaenyra here though I feel like she wouldn’t really mind. I could even see Rhaenyra having known all along that the Reader is her real father and still going through with everything she inevitably does. I could see her justifying it by how connected she and Sickly!Brother!Reader are. How connected they’ve always been and now how connected they’ll always be after the children.😬🫣

[eirakairos]

Rendezvous Chapter 3

Chapter summary: The girl hears her mother cry many times because of this man who is supposed to be his father. She doesn’t have much information, she just hears a lot that she looks like him. She heard stories of the ships belonging to a bad man, so she thinks her father is bad. But why would her Mama go to a man like him? Why didn't he search for them? Did he forget about them?

A/N: Apologies for the late update, I had a hectic week lol

I was thinking the child would be similar to Anya from SpyxFam in terms of being a bit mature at her age

Words: 3,334

Tags: Hurt/comfort, character death implied!, MC and Sylus' child, don't worry this is angst but with happy ending, Sylus is a girl dad hands down

You are so thankful to the wisdom of the mothers and the healers in the tribe in raising a baby girl. She is now five years old and is a rambunctious child. You are amused sometimes as she looks like a little Sylus running around and playing with other kids. But it is also a reminder that she is Sylus and your child. For five years, you didn’t hear any news about him. You had accepted that he probably moved on to his ambitions, or maybe to another woman. It hurts you deeply, but you can’t bring chaos to your life anymore, especially such violence and desolation, to your daughter’s life.

“Maybe it's a good time for you and your daughter if it is still in your consideration to return, dear,” the old woman said. “But rest assured that if you do intend to stay longer, it is alright as well,”

“Thank you,” you said. “I have heard news from the warriors that the nearby cities in the far end had been seeing large ships similar to the one you arrived in,” she said. Your eyes widened. Why is Onychinus in the far cities other than in the N109 Zone? “The warriors heard terrible stories about those ships, so we are planning to move to a farther place,” she said. “So this is the right time to decide, so the journey back won’t be much further,” Your mind is swirling in thoughts if Sylus is still the leader of Onychinus or if there is a new management. “They heard stories of the ship conquering city by city, making them do allegiance to their favor,” You know Onychinus, everything it touches will go to chaos, intentional or not. You can’t bring such things to the tribe.

“Mama, can I go with the warriors please?” her daughter approached her. You sighed, your little girl has the rebellious and mischievous trait from her father. She wanted to be a fighter and often hung out around and amazed at the trained men in the tribe. She wanted to go with them and watch them hunt food. “They are hunting and going farther today, so I can’t allow you,” you reasoned out. Your daughter pouted in response. “And no usage of Evol, you promised,” you followed. This is the dangerous part of handling her, she retaliates by using it in any form, especially when she gets hurt. Both of you discovered it when she was being teased for having a different hair color. Next thing you knew, the kid was crying because she broke his toy in a dark red mist. ‘Ugh, I carried her for nine months after a literal explosion and deserted in a field, squeezed her out of my body and looked like a spitting image of her father,’ you thought whenever you remember it.

You sat down beside her. Despite her age, your daughter has the trait of being mature and understanding, again, just like Sylus. “I want to ask you something, dear,” you said. The girl looked up to you. “Do you want to go to another place? It is much better there,” you asked. “We going now?” she asked back. As young as she is, you did tell her the general situation of things, but her appearance made her realize that she is different from the tribe. “Yes, sadly. They are going further for safety,” you said. “We would be much safer and have more access to the city,�� The daughter hummed and looked at the fields, probably thinking about what to decide. “It’s okay, I’ll give you more time-” you stopped when she hugged your waist. “Okay, Mama,” she answered. You were surprised at how fast she responded and you are always grateful for having a good daughter as you hugged her in return.

“I heard the city people while trading goods… Someone important arrived in the city,” the warrior said. Your daughter is hearing their conversations as she is huddled in a basket attached to a horse. Before the warriors depart for a hunt, she sneaks in the basket while you are sleeping. “There is one ship that landed near our hunting spot, but it looked harmless. There is only one camp there but there is not much activity around it… There it is,” Your daughter peeked and saw a huge ship. It only has one illuminated bonfire beside it.

The warriors did make a camp to rest. The girl remained inside the basket, hearing the conversations. “That ship… I only saw one man going out there,” one of the warriors said. “He has the same color as hers… White-haired and has red eyes,”

“Do you think they are from the same place?” one asked. “We did find her in the same type of ship.” The little girl’s eyes widened as she knew it was her mother. Despite being very young, she was hearing a lot of things from adults that she knew she wasn’t supposed to hear.

The warriors are sleeping when she is able to get out of the basket, put her hood on her cloak on and went to the direction of the ship. The little girl is curious about the stories she has been hearing, but it all started when she accidentally eavesdropped on you and the healer talking.

“I assumed that your daughter looked more like her father,” the old woman said. You chuckled. “Yes, she is so much like her father,” you answered. “We saw a ship that looked like when you arrived here but it was going towards the city,” You were surprised by this information. “The warriors said they didn’t see any white-haired man with red eyes,” You were saddened, it's been many years but you are still longing for Sylus. “I feel you are missing him,” she said. “Oh dear, we can arrange your travel if you decide to go back,”

“I am aware of that but… She is still young,” you said. “I’m just making sure she is well for the journey,” The old woman chuckled. “Well, she has been going with the warriors a lot, so I think she would be one,” You chuckled as well in response. “Don’t underestimate children, my dear. They have huge potential despite their innocence in the world,” the old woman said.

“I just thought that… He would find us sooner or later,” you said, opening up your long-time anxieties.

“Dear, even if it takes long if he indeed loves you, he will search for you till the end of the world. Though I understand your longing,” she said. “The tribe is in a remote place, yet I’m still hoping you three would meet again,”

The girl hears her mother cry many times because of this man who is supposed to be his father. She pouted remembering it again. She doesn’t have much information, she just hears a lot that she looks like him. She heard stories of the ships belonging to a bad man, so she thinks her father is bad. But why would her Mama go to a man like him? He didn’t search for them, she heard he didn’t even know her Mama had a baby, who was her. Her mother got into the tribe because she was taken away by a ship that looked in front of her at that moment.

Why didn't he search for them? Did he forget about them?

As she hides from the distance, she can see a man being illuminated by the bonfire. She was wondering why the man was alone. Upon looking closer, the man is looking at a small item but it was too far for her to see. The man is tall, wears a cloak, has… White hair and red eyes.

In reaction, she accidentally sat down in shock, making the leaves rustle. Before she could go elsewhere, a force enveloped her, and was dragged from her hiding to the bonfire area.

Red eyes stared at her. She was enveloped in fear more. Whoever his man is, he looks mean. “Someone was being sneaky,” he said in a deep voice. Black and red mists enveloped her more, his right eye turning red. “Stop!” she yelled, mists appearing around her. The mists from the man quickly disappeared, making her fall down and instinctively scooting away from him. The man looked shocked and looked at his hand for a second before going back at her. He tried it one more time and the mist could grab her arm. She yelled and glared at him, her eyes emitting a red glow from the covered hood, black and red mists swirling around her, disabling his hold on her. Her eyes gazed at the man intently, suddenly she was hearing something while gazing into his eyes. She is hearing a familiar name and the desire to see her and their child again. Both are shocked as her powers reach the limit and quickly dissipate, stopping the voice and the mists. The man halts his either, being surprised that she can do that.

Sylus was not surprised that the mysterious little girl in front of him had the same Evol as his, he was surprised that she was fast and strong enough to use her Evol against him at her age. Sylus took reigns and used his Evol to grab her, as she seemed to have reached her limit already. “Let me go, you’re the mean man!” she exclaimed. “You are a kid sneaking up in a vast field in the middle of the night. I’m assuming you have business with me,” he spoke. “I would be the mean man if you continue to thrash… Like a hissing kitten,” he followed. Calling this kid like a kitten reminded him of you, especially when you first met him.

The girl quickly stopped but crossed her arms while being levitated. “This ship scares my tribe! Leave us alone!” she said. His eyebrow was raised before he hummed as he gently set her down. “I guess our business aligns then. Why don’t we have a deal?” Sylus said. The hooded girl looked at him. “I’m looking for someone,” he continued. “If you help me find that person I was looking for, I will leave your tribe alone, even offer protection, if you fancy,”

“No, you will just double-cross me or something, we don’t need you to protect, you bad man,” she answered. Well, smart little girl, Sylus thought. “I uphold my deals, sweetie,” Sylus said. “I might be a bad man, but I do the end of my bargain, don’t worry,”

The girl squints her eyes as if she is thinking hard. She doesn’t have much leverage in this matter. “Okay, but you have to tell me who are you looking for,” Sylus looked in the distance, he held the small item he was holding earlier. The crow brooch. “A woman,” he said. “She was in a ship that crashed here many years ago,” he then proceeded to describe that woman. Her eyes widened when he mentioned the crash but covered because of the hood. The girl thought the description he said, there is a certain longing to that and is very similar to what you look like. She snapped her thoughts as she thought she would protect you. “I might know someone,” she answered. Sylus glared. “‘Might’ is not a good retort,” he said. “I am not here to waste time,” he said as the sound of flapping wings and cawing was heard. A black bird landed on his shoulder. It cawed softly beside him and Sylus listened as if he understood him.

“Mephisto is telling me that there is a group of warriors nearby,” he said. “They are the warriors from my tribe,” the little girl said. “Okay, we will leave them be,” Sylus said. The girl was relieved somewhat to hear that. He looked at her slyly. “Let me guess, you sneaked in by them?” The little girl was surprised and looked away, making him chuckle. “They will leave in the dawn but if we follow them, they will notice,” she followed. Sylus hummed. “Don’t worry, he will fly again to see where we will be heading,” Sylus said. “Okay, but I do know how to navigate back,” the little girl said. “I’ll help to find that person you want. The elders might know that crash,” Sylus glared at her but let her be.

“So his name is Mephisto?” she asked, looking at the bird preening beside him. “Yes, I made him,” he replied. The girl was confused and looked closer, he was indeed mechanical. “Whoa… I thought he was a real bird,” Sylus smirked, basking in the compliment. He lets Mephisto roam the skies again as he flies in his order. “The winds will get stronger tonight, he shouldn't roam long,” the little girl said. Sylus looked above and felt the wind, thinking she did have a sense of survival skills. “You better rest, we have a long day of travel back. It’s not that far,” she followed and lay down, her head resting on the log. Out of nowhere, a bag was thrown at her. “What-” she said, realizing it was a sleeping bag. She looked at Sylus, who was already lying down from a distance. Her eyes squinted, making her wonder how her mother fell in love with such a man. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep from the long travel and anxious thoughts.

Sylus wakes up early and looks at the girl, who is still sleeping in the sleeping bag. He has a hunch of why she sneaked up on him last night, far deeper reasons than the tribe. As he packed up his things, he looked at the small trinket attached to his bag, it was the pouch you gave him when you were stuck with him in the grasslands. He always remembered you wherever he went, bringing something that reminded him of you. He wanted to get to the tribe fast to learn if his intel was true. He stood up and reached out to the little girl to wake up. She gasped before doing so and used her Evol to stop his hand.

The girl looked at him angrily. “Sweetie, it is only me,” he said. “I… Okay,” the girl releases his hand. “Please don’t do that. I don’t like people sneaking up on me,” she said. She doesn’t want her hood to be lowered down. “Oh, but you sneaking up on me last night was alright?” he crossed his arms but smirked. She blushed in embarrassment. “I was going to talk to you! I just don’t know the timing!” she defended. “It’s just… I don’t like someone pulling my hood down. My hair is weird,” she said. “How so?” Sylus said. “Other kids tease me of how weird it looks, so I often wear a hood,” she replied, making a half lie. She does get teased but she doesn’t care, she retaliates even. She doesn’t want him to give other ideas as they look alike. “Hmm, don’t listen to them, as far as I’m concerned, you can confront and defend yourself,” he said as he brought his bag. His statement has a hint of truth, she often does it as she wants to show them she isn’t backing down but something stops her thoughts. “That’s…” she trailed off. Sylus stopped as she pointed at the pouch. “Did… Did the person you’re looking for give that to you?” The little girl asked. Sylus didn’t respond, but the girl knew the answer. “I… I’m familiar with that pouch,” she said. “... My tribe does that,” Sylus responded with a hum. “Well, adds more reason to visit your tribe then,”

Despite the windy weather in the grasslands, Sylus and the little girl continued to travel. The two had been walking for a while now and all they could see was seemingly endless grass. The little girl looked at Sylus while they were staying for a break. He was looking a bit uncomfortable, probably due to the heat. “I didn’t know you had encountered my tribe before, they often are remote,” she said. “It was… An accidental event,” he answered. “And that person you were looking for, she gave that pouch, right?” she said. “You said it was many years ago… Do you think she is still-” she stopped as she felt the intense glare from the man. “She is important to me, far more than you imagined,” he said with a rough, pained voice as he returned his gaze to the food he was cooking. “What if somehow you meet her again?” the little girl asked, anticipating his answer. “Then, the world will be much better again,” She felt the yearning in his answer. “I will make sure she will be mine this time and… Not lose her and our child again,” he continued. The little girl internally gasped, she was surprised but masked it quickly. She felt his gaze again. “I believed they survived. It was… A challenge to find her this time,” he spoke. She felt the pain in his voice as if he had been searching for that long.

There were a lot of thoughts in the little girl’s head, especially him saying “Our child”. “You know, I was curious what the city looks like,” the little girl said. “I’ve been hearing stories, I heard it was scary,” she followed. “A bad man was going around, no one knows him but many people are scared of him,” Sylus didn’t answer but listened to her. “My mother was considering visiting and maybe staying there for good,” she said. “Maybe if you hold your end of the bargain, I can show you and your mother around,” Sylus said. “Why only your mother? Where is your father?” he casually asked. The little girl looked sad in response. “I don’t know, he probably had left us. My mother is still waiting for him to return,” He remained silent, remembering luck was not on his side since, he was still searching for the love of his life and his little one.

They continued to walk as the winds were getting stronger. The little girl looked up and saw Mephisto struggling to fly. “He should be getting down, the winds are howling but it would be temporary!” She yelled as the winds were noisy. “He would be fine, I would just repair him,” he said. She sees Sylus started to struggle in walking. The girl looked above again and saw Mephisto losing control to fly and was thrown back and falling. She ran while looking at the trajectory where the mechanical bird might fall. Sylus was surprised that she would still run for the bird. Despite struggling, she jumped to catch Mephisto, bracing for the rough fall on the grass. She opened her eyes and saw herself floating, with an energy holding around her. Looking back, she sees Sylus with his hand out, using his Evol while holding onto the grass. Mephisto cawed weakly on her hold, she fixed herself, making sure she was still hooded as Sylus brought them back to him.

They continued walking when the winds calmed down. She held Mephisto, who had his wing broken. Despite being mechanical, the little girl is still worried. “I told you, I can fix him later. He is fine,” Sylus reassured. Mephisto cawed in response and was calm under the girl’s hold as if he were grateful for catching him.

Sylus looked at the girl again, remembering the time she was running towards the bird. Her hair was white, and her eyes were red, just like his. But she looks so much like you. Her face, her powers, her personality, her past… He remembered his dreams of holding his little girl. He had the intense urge to protect her in realization, using his Evol to make sure she was safe.

“Look!” she yelled as she pointed at the distance, seeing huts and goats roaming. “We have arrived!”

[nenilein]

Firey, eway was actively and fully arguing in bad faith there. I've talked to eway about this exact topic before and they just 100% backslid on everything we talked about. By giving them an inch/benefit of the doubt, you are allowing your own reading of the text to become less coherent in the process.

A lot of this stems from the direction SEGA has taken Puyo Puyo these days. Obviously I'm not saying they're doing all bad, or that they're going strictly to child friendly, but these are some observations I've made. Whether they're true or not is up to interpret.

You're already so much better faith here than eway, tbh. Like, you're not arguing on the same level, you are actually trying to properly read the text as it exists and leave a margin for error.

SEGA has been going a bit more kid friendly with Puyo Puyo as of late, especially compared to the direction that Compile did. Let's comprae some; Compile's version of Puyo Puyo stems from their original dungeon crawler series, Madou Monogatari. This is not new news to most people, in fact it's very common knowledge. However, I'm bringing this up to display the tonal shift SEGA and Compile has. Madou Monogatari was an RPG dungeon crawler, it was gritty, it was gorey, it was less 'kid friendly' and more 'a kid could play this if they really wanted to'. In fact, the majority of Compile villains listed above where from Madou Monogatari games instead of ones released under the Puyo Puyo title.

That's not really true, though.

I've played all of the Madou games, most of them are extremely kid friendly (sometimes more so than the Sega games by a huge margin) and the only real "not child-friendly" stuff in them is in 90% of cases sexual jokes/content, not dark storytelling or gore.

The PC 98 ports of Madou 1-2-3 are extreme outliers that were so badly received by the games' fanbase in Japan that Compile immediately backtracked on them and went back to cutesy art and kid-friendly text pretty much permanently. There's an actual interview in a compile magazine about this that I should probably translate at some point. The idea that Sega Puyo is "more kid-friendly" is something of an urban legend that exists solely due to people seeing screenshots of the PC 98 Madou 1-2-3 ports and misreading them as the norm.

The Count was a villain in Madou Monogatari R. Runelord was a villain in Madou Monogatari S. Yoggus was a villain in Madou Monogatari (Saturn). I sure this doesn't need to be pointed out, but Compile kept a lot of their more irredeemable villains in their Madou Monogatari series. One exception to this is Doppelganger Arle. Doppelganger Arle, while she originally appears as a doppel through the Madou series, a trait not strictly bound to Arle as Schezo also encounters doppels, has her most prominent appearance in a Puyo Puyo title.

That is *PARTIALLY* true, but it's not because Madou Monogatari is "darker", it's because Madou Monogatari doesn't have a need for a large recurring cast, because most of the characters are just mook encounters. All the villains that aren't "redeemed" as Eway calls it (that verbage is so loaded, I dislike it immensely tbh) are characters who never appear again and aren't actual "characters" so much as obstacles for Arle, Rulue, Schezo and Ragnus to smack down. They're glorified natural disasters, basically.

Sega Puyo, on the other hand, wants to keep guys around, so they need to be more interesting and have more depth than "this thing that we cast Jugem on reaaaaaally hard that one time".

Like, think about it, do we care about Runelord in isolation? No, we care about what he MEANS to Schezo's ongoing character development and how his presence ties into the latest developments, such as the bunch of stuff that happened with Schezo in Puzzle Pop.

Does anybody ever draw/write anything about the Count or Yoggus? I drew a SINGLE Yoggus-related commission once for a person I'm not even in contact with anymore, and even that was more of an OC than the actual monster from Madou Saturn.

These 1-time obstacles just aren't characters. They're facilitators. That's a big distinction.

Doppelganger Arle appears as the overarching villain in Puyo Puyo~N (Puyo Puyo 4), and while the non canon light novels give her a more tragic backstory, she doesn't have a concrete one in Puyon. She's simply a scary villain, and she does a good job at it. Due to her ties with being a Puyo character, this means SEGA can use her as they please.

This is also a misunderstanding. Doppel's "backstory" isn't in any of the non canon lightnovels either. It's in a blog post made by a former Compile writer in the early 2010s, of which the original isn't even online anymore, because the social media said blog was on shut down. So in the Compile era, people didn't even KNOW that writer had that headcanon, because it wasn't out there. So this isn't even a Compile era thing, this is a "a single writer had an idea he never used" thing.

As SEGA has taken over, such things have been watered down to make it easier to digest for children.

Uhh, that's not really true either. What Sega did was make the characters more *consistent*

Compile had a HUGE issue where the franchise had no series bible, to the point every single writer would write every single character differently. Even some of the Puyo Puyo Tsuu manuals made FUN of that by pointing out how Arle's character and lore are insanely inconsistent and wondering if that means there's multiple of her running around. So a lot of "traits" people think the characters had in Compile are traits they only had for a single game, then never again, and that directly contradicted what came before/after. This extends across all of Madou and Puyo (and Nazo Puyo)

When Sega came around, the writers there immediately started "clean up" by solidifying what each character is and isn't in a series bible, as is standard in the entertainment industry for any sort of narrative media. So if any traits you have seen anywhere in Compile Madou/Puyo is absent, it's because that trait didn't make the cut for the series bible during the clean-up phase, which served to make everything consistent and coherent.

But, it's also rather frustrating when you want to see an evil villain. SEGA is, of course, capable of doing such a thing, but at the end of the day they do need to make money, and it's easy to make money off kids games.

This is really a bit of a misunderstanding of how Puyo is marketed. It's really not a kids game (in fact, Quest has a disclaimer that you should only play it under the age of 14 under the supervision of an adult, because, it's, well, a gacha game, and gacha games are not made for kids at all), but a "nostalgia bait" game, aimed at millenials primarily. Kids are actually just a SUB-SECTION of Puyo's market, which, yes, Sega is happy to get into the fold to, but are not the primary focus. The primary focus are millenials who grew up with Madou/Puyo in the 90s, which is heavily reflected in the merchandising and the character polls. There's a reason why Arle, Schezo, Witch and Draco dominate the polls and merch the way they do.

The reason we don't get Madou 95 type stuff anymore is, again, as I said above, there was a HUGE backlash against Madou 95 back in the 90s. This is NOT what the Japanese fans want. They want cute slice of life shit with these characters, and they want jokes. I actually had a discussion about that with a Japanese fan a week or so ago, where said fan outright said they don't WANT Puyo to go harder on the lore, because it would ruin so many fandom-wide headcanons, it would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Puyo/Madou was never perceived as a plot-heavy franchise by Japanese fans, and plot-heavy installments always tended to be far less popular than plot-light, which makes it a miracle modern Puyo goes as plot heavy as it does and is a testimony to how much the writers care about writing plots with these characters. Back in the compile days, the most plot heavy entries in the series, such as Saturn Madou, tended to be sales failures that contributed to Compile's bankruptcy. The primary reason why Madou Saturn is such a rare game these days is because it sold very poorly.

I'm not well versed in Aya and Klug's lore, though I know the basics. I'd be delighted to see Aya stay irredeemable, or at the very least difficult to sympathize with. We'll just have to hope I suppose.

And, as I said in my response to eway, this is just eway completely misreading the contents of all the games.

Aya was never portrayed as "evil".

Fever 2, from the very beginning, made it outright clear they are just a desperate victim of racism that stole their life away and that their ruthless actions are a result of wanting that life back, not of "evil".

Thanks for being such a level-headed person in discussing this, but I kinda feel you gave too much effort here... and so am I. >_>

Neni out.

I am getting sick of the redeemable/not really evil villains. Yes I do like them but there's just so many now! It was far more varied in Compile!

[Post this and I will reblog with my rant about this subject]

shit, sorry I didn't post earlier. Yap away. Or... yap eway...?

[smallblueandloud]

i have to go to bed very soon so instead i'm lying here being overcome by clintasha emotions

[icewindandboringhorror]

Everytime I face a new character limit on a website that didn't have them before/used to have really long ones... AUGHHhhh the modern social media world was not made for people like me (lovers of details, rambling, elaboration, thorough explanation, and nuance)

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

There always seems to be one kid who just screams like a tornado siren, all day long, at any given opportunity. Like, kid, I love you, you are precious and deserve all the happiness in the world; but please for the love of god shut up. There are people trying to learn here and you’re not helping them or yourself.

[ancha-aus]

Worldbuilding!! :D My favourite hobby together with LORE :D

I love that it is Killer wo catches it because well... Dream also almost KILLED Killer. Dream had been planning on hurting Killer and ending him if Nightmar ehadn't interferred. So Killer saving him? That is some poetic shit right there.

Okay but i love the idea that killer is just always flirting with ccino. Are they together at this point? No idea! But Kilelr is flirting either way. because that is what he ALWAYS does iwht ccino nearby. everyone is used to it. they aren't sure if killer is flirting or just teasing but it seems nicer than normal teasing. but ccino just teases back so it isn't that bad.

and then he just CASUALLY catches the knife. gives it back. and IMMEDIANTLY turns back to ccino to conitnue flirting. (ccino's cat is with him of course. which. btw. I don't think we settled on a name for her. but i think just calling her Princess. because she is ccino's little princess :D)

But yes. Cross deserves to be allowed to have a grudge and not be forced to forgive him. which no one does. which helps him a lot. Drema did something terrible and dream can deal with the consequences.

I love the idea that horror and cross get their bonding in earlier and so early form a brother bond <3 the idea that after cross admits he and lust are a thing killer is just so shocked and horror knew the whole time. so horror is just trying to act casual. meanwhile dust is dealing wiht his own NIGHTMARE of a lovelife at the moment.

I love that cross looks at ccino like that. just that ccino remains very pretty and just beautiful. and that is important <3

dream is like a prince.

ccino is that very pretty fellow student who is just a bit older than you are but is always helpful and who helps you find your classroom or even hints for your classwork. Not one of the popular group but loved and beloves and liked by everyone <3

Lust has been EYEING that soldier boy up for a bit now and has quite a few fantasies and ideas for cross. but again. he is profesional and sadly. cross doesn't go out a lot so lust hasn't managed to corner him yet in town. But corss shows interest and immediantly pounces. FInally!! That boy is his now! Hands off! That is lust's man! <3

It is so funny that poor cross meets the ONE LIAR in the place. that is like. galaxy level of irony. Poor dude is just trying to find some info and finds the one liar.

I love that everyone at this point just likes working there. (ccino runs a TIGHT ship it seems hihihi) and everyone just looks at Shed as their improve and story teller master. that is so cute and funny.

the idea that shed comes by all hurt like: you are a spy? cross: Well!! You are a liar!! Which is worse! >:( shed: ... You are a SPY?!

like. one of these is not like the other hahahah

But shed is the cause of the chaos and the drama now! and eveyrone LOVES it. Shed just likes to lie. it is fine. OMG! He is the guy in the riddle that always lies!! That is so stupidly funny. cross and shed standing guard together. cross: Hello there. One of us only tells the truth. the other one only lies shed: are you ever going to let that go? cross: WHICH ONE LIES? YOu will HAVE TO GUESS1 *glaring at shed*

okay but the idea that the bet was just to like. do something blindfolded or in a dress. is so silly. and SO THEM. (cross nad horror may be closer brothers. but dust and killer may as well have been twins lmao) but also. Killer betting with punishment being a dress. dust: i succeed. killer: oh no. what a drama. *pulls out a VERY PRETTY dress* Guess i will wear a dress. (look can you blame him? ccino often comes by to watch and he wants to give him eye candy :D)

The magic system!! It is always a challenge to make it that wide and inclusive for EVERYTHING. so i try to get creative with it. Like with my own story i made the different skill connected to the seven traits. but this story didn't matter that much with it. so i starting thinking about other ways to explain stuff. And then i figured it out! Magic can be about the way you perceive it! you think it works with rules? then your magic works with rules. you think it is emotions? it works with emotions. It means everyone can have very specific and specialized magic and skill which depends on EACH person. making it perfectly unique for everyone.

And yes! I am happy you like my rambling about dust <3

I figured. his soul is already weak. the spell made sure to stabalise it but it was no cure. his soul may have gotten a way to get energy but it is still weak and fragile. meaning it can't just handle a lot of energy. the more energy the spell got? the more it was starting to get out of control because dust was too young to even learn to feel it and contorl it. not to froget he was a KID. you can't expect a kid to learn to contorl his emotions and intent that fast.

the spell wanted to protect dust and support him. but the problem is... that he was still just a kid and that was too much... so the weather dampening effect. it made it easier for him to breath. Dust could relax because his spell was under control. and it gave his soul time to grow alongside the spell and get a better feel and slight immunity to it. which is beautiful and wh it worked.

and yes!! I am happy you like that! Becuase the idea that Dust KNOWS what it feels like the dust? iwhtout knowing that was it? Terrifying.

and eventually. the gang sees dust fall. they know that was it. dust is the most glass canon to have ever been glass canon. and then just the sound of loud lightning. his whole body shocking. they see the bones slightly light up before the bones that had started to crumble just. meld back fully together and Dust is up. alert. and he ATTACKS right away.

They are going to have along talk about what the FUCK that just what.

dust: .... oh? yeah... that happens sometimes? used to happen a lot more often when i was younger. i figured it is low magic and almost like an extra disassociating... then my storm would give me a small zap and i would be fully awake again. i figured it was me getting low and magic? they are HORRIFIED to learn this was just an EVERYDAY thing for dust. he just... dusted once in a while.

and yes. the dampers. the spell had to priotise and mostly because there was no harmful intent pointed at dust it felt comfortable to just keep being a tiny power generator for dust <3 it was content to help dust be okay.

Dust was SO SLEEPY. this dude took SO MANY NAPS in that jailcell.

but the fact that even FOUR power dampers weren't enough to shut down his spell. just pacify it. Says alot about how strong his storm has grown from a complex spell done by a random mage.

I do think dust's parents feel guilty for letting a mage install the spell. especially if the age just mutters about dust probbaly just finding a spot to die like a wounded animal. His parents feel so guilty. they pretty much allowed the GREATEST taboo to be done to their baby boy. in the hope that he would live a long and happy life. They allowed someone to TOUCH and MESS with their son's soul. and they weere convinced it was worth it. because he was alive! He was smiling and was able to play again. but then it grew stronger and dust started to get lightning burns on his own bones and then their other son got hurt. they immediantly called the mage adn the mage got there only AFTER dust left. but the mage confirmed. that the spell was evolving and growing. as it is powered by weather each change in weather would make it stronger.

(worst part is? dust's parents would have 100% moved to nim's domain with both their sons to make sure both their sons survived. Even if it was jsut a shed on the side of the country. But dust had left and they believed their poor son to be gone.)

Dust's soul and his storm are one of a kind in a world of unique powers. It CAN'T be copied. (another reason geno was so fucking fascinated. because he NOTICED it changing and growing and evolving even if it shouldn't as finished spell)

them just walking in on the scene and dust is standing there like 'this isn't what it looks like' adn 'i don't think i can explain what happened as i am not sure what happened.' but in the end they concluded that dust was the safest to keep watch. and so dust just stood there. Cross is sulking because the ONE GUY whoes magic he can't control!

Cross learning dust's magic is a fucking protective storm spell ".... ooooooh! yeah okay. i just made the lightning center from me... but the magic picked where to blast... yeah.. that makes sense... wait how did i not get fried?"

Dust: you did. we just are used to fried bones so we healed you.

cross: D:

Error is so proud of his CHOICE :D He picks the BEST brothers clearly <3

New Age AU (Cross' Spy Adventures)

Hi guys! I'm back! This one has been eating at me so forgive me if it's a bit rougher than the others, but I hope you still enjoy! (And if plot details don't seem to line up? Remember Cross has no clue what's going on yet :] )

Context: Cross has been asked by Dream to do recover information on his brother's next plans of attack. He's not a very good spy.

(Hi to @ancha-aus @papiliovolens and @mutzelputz !!!)

Stars this place was big.

He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be on a castle grounds after so many years roughing it with Ink. Inns and taverns and tents. He wasn't sure how much he enjoyed being back in the throes of the rich and powerful's estates.

The cart-ride with the other new recruits had been pleasant enough, they were all decently friendly guys. A few were putting on that tough-guy facade, but none of them could've been older than 25. Fresh off the press, practically. Perfect soldiers to be brainwashed.

Cross had laughed and joked with them about what life in the castle might be like. How different it would be from the old daily grind. How maybe they'd pick up a hot partner in town on their patrols. How they hoped they'd eat like kings.

Though, Cross noticed that each of them got cagey when word of the King resurfaced. One birdish-monster mourned that she couldn't have served the last King, Nim, before she passed on to join the gods. Another spoke of the honor it would bring for him to serve the blood of Nim.

They seemed averse to even acknowledging King Nightmare's existence. Aside from his connection to Nim.

Now, the chatter was all silent, and Cross was among the many new soldiers who were ogling the castle as they passed around its outer wall and entered through a side gate.

It was, admittedly, impressive.

His own home kingdom had less of a castle, more of a monolith. It had been dense, and tall, and impossibly smooth. His father couldn't stand imperfection.

This castle was almost the exact opposite of what Cross had always known. The walls imperfect and overlapping, rather than brick it looked like it had burst straight up from the ground. Bumpy and imperfect and natural, and yet beautiful and structurally stable. He didn't linger on it, but he wanted to so badly.

Instead, he drew his attention ahead. To where a man stood, his armor decorated in the marks which indicated him as a reporting officer.

This man, a human with a crooked nose and a thick, black, beard held up a hand, and the driver of the cart tugged at his reigns, the horses pulling to a slow stop.

One by one, once given the signal, the soldiers filed out. Stating their rank, their camp of origin, and their name.

Cross was middle of the pack, and saluted the human as Dream had taught him and as everyone had done before him.

"1st Year Guard, Pierson Camp, Z." He reported.

He was not proud of his code-name. It physically hurt to say it with a straight face, but when he'd been talking about needing a new code name, Ink had excitedly suggested it.

Z, he'd said, Like 'X' but not! And Cross hadn't been able to shut the idea down when Dream had giggled and tapped his cheekbone, the spot just under his eyelight that held is scar.

Dream had called it fitting, and it'd been settled in a heartbeat.

Cross managed to say it aloud without any hint of suspicion and was waved off to join his fellow recruits.

They lined up haphazardly, but didn't dare to do more than grin and snicker between eachother at. Well. Anything, it seemed. They were taking this very casually compared to what Cross had been expecting.

Though, the moment the captain was done looking to the cart for any stragglers, he turned. The soldiers all went still and aligned themselves.

Cross wondered how they survived training if they goofed off like that so readily.

He watched as the cart which had brought them circled away, and he listened carefully as the man introduced himself.

"I am Captain Rogers. Your platoon will report to me for any and all management. I control your training schedules, your mealtimes, and your work hours." He called out to them, right there on the lawn "you are here today to serve the blood of the gods, and by Nim's watch you will not slack on your oath. No matter how much you loathe it here. Understood?"

Such a bold declaration of... unrest.

The soldiers, one by one, gave affirmative nods and salutes, Cross making sure he wasn't the first. He didn't want to seem too eager.

The captain led them about.

He asked for them to stay in formation, and Cross ended up towards the middle of the pack yet again, just close enough to hear the explanations of their duties, places on the grounds they were allowed to go, and what their daily routine was meant to be like.

Near the stables, they paused briefly, and the Captain was taking an extra long time explaining that the horses in the stables were not to be ridden without explicate orders from him or another commanding officer.

Cross couldn't help but notice the guys ahead of him whispering about something, and Cross followed their miniscule gestures off to the left.

A black cat, wirey and short-hair. It was standing in the shadow of a fence, and he didn't think he would've spotted it if it weren't for its big, green eyes. They were like little saucers in its head.

It was staring straight at him. Tail flicking. One ear twitched.

Cross tried to ignore it, but when he'd glance back, it was still there.

Until, suddenly, it wasn't.

By the time they moved on, it was nowhere in sight.

His old home hadn't had many animals, especially not roaming cats. He wondered if it was a 'barn cat'. Blue had explained the concept to him once.

Regardless, that thing was freaky.

Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, the Captain announced that their last stop of the night would be to their quarters.

He could practically feel the relief rolling off of the guys next to him, and it took am effort to let his shoulders sag even an inch in imitation. The guy next to him looked like he might fall over, and Cross shared none of that exhaustion.

They would start their assignments bright and early in the morning, each of them would have a more experienced guard join them as a guiding measure before they were left to the duties themselves.

A much kinder grace period than Cross had been expecting, honestly.

The Captain escorted them down the halls, long and twisting. Each one held soldiers out of uniform, turning in for the night, going through their routines. As well as some moving out for the night shift. They ignored the rookies as they kept to their own business.

The Captain swung a door open, only to immediately block the soldiers in front from entering the space of relaxation beyond.

"Ah, Ccino, I was worried we'd missed you." The Captain spoke up.

"Soldiers, back up. Stand at attention." Came an order next.

Cross was faster than the others in recognizing the order, but forced himself to wait until the others stumbled into him to start moving. He wasn't sure why they were getting into this stance, but he knew better than to start asking questions.

They all stood in the hall, and Cross caught a few snickers from nearby lounging guards as the rookies stood there.

"The King called upon me, so I wasn't able to meet you where we had planned," a softer, calm, voice rang, "I figured I would run into you here before you turned in for your first night."

The Captain stood before them, and beside him, exiting the barracks, was a monster.

Cross tried not to stare, but he couldn't deny that this was odd. He'd never known a captain to bend to anyone but a higher up. But...

This skeleton was dressed in a servant's uniform. Granted, it was made of a thick, soft-looking brown and tan fabric, with an apron with more embroidery than he thought he'd ever seen in his life, but it was nothing too out of place.

Surely it wasn't a Knight. No, he'd been told they wore masks. He could tell this skeleton was not a Knight. He could see the full skull, soft and gentle, calm eyelights, and a body Cross swore had never seen a single battle.

No. Cross, stop that.

He didn't tear his eyes away, but he forced himself to look back to the skeleton's shoulder. No eye-contact, but still facing him. Good.

"Soldiers, This is our Head of House, Ccino." The Captain gestured to the skeleton at his side.

The soldiers all remained silent, and the captain nodded.

"If Ccino ever gives you any sort of order, you listen." The Captain's voice was harsh with this, the same way he'd spoken about the horses, and the kitchen, and the private training rooms they'd passed. "No questions, no hesitation, no disobeying. You understand?"

The squint of the Captain's eyes were more than enough for Cross to know better than to ask. Something like this was unfamiliar, for sure, but he knew when a soldier was saying something he truly believed in. Lived by. For better or worse.

None of the other recruits seemed to speak up. Cross certainly didn't. He tried not to let his nerves show as this skeleton, Ccino, let's his soft white eyelights skim softly from one soldier to the next. When they came to him, he desperately avoided the gaze, practically staring a hole into the soft fur scarf wrapped around his neck, hiding his spine from view.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," That calm voice again, "As you heard, my name is Ccino. I manage the Castle, it's grounds, and the people who stay within our walls. This includes all if you, as of tonight."

He seemed rather put-together. Pleasant. Cross didn't feel any unease. He was positive, now, that this was not a Knight. Yet, he couldn't figure out why such a monster would be held in such high regard, unless, of course...

"As you heard, our King trusts my decisions regarding these matters, which is why he asks you listen to my requests. However, I don't abuse this privilege, and it shouldn't dissuade you from coming to me if you have any problems." Ccino pulled his arms to cross infront of him, and once again looked over the recruits. "You may be our guard, but that does not mean you shouldn't recieve help as well. If you cannot find me, ask another servant and they will get word to me."

Ccino seemed... kind. That had to be it.

The sparkle of admiration in the captain's eyes. The way some of the soldiers watched. Maybe Ccino was the golden light in this dark place? Though, that didn't seem quite right.

"Stick to your duties, remain diligent, and you will be cared for here." He said softly. "Now, stand down and go rest. Your training tomorrow will be thorough, and you will need the extra sleep."

Oh.

Cross recognized the order, and his body moved a bit before his mind could catch up. He relaxed, as much as he naturally could, and took a step. Toward the barracks. Then paused and glanced like a deer in the headlights to the Captain and the Head of House.

Ccino just smiled, and the Captain seemed stoic.

"Seems Z gets first dibs on the cots!" The Captain announced, and with his approval, humor seeping into his tone a bit, and laughter echoing from the older guard who'd been observing?

Cross made the quick duck into the room and grabbed for the first cot he saw. Bottom bunk, closest to the door, the easiest way he'd be able to leave the long room of bunk beds.

The others hurried in after him, some laughing, others cursing jokingly at Cross having noticed the test first.

The test.

Of course it'd been a test. A test to see if they'd recognize Ccino as an authority figure. A test to see if they took the warning seriously. Cross just listened to the superior officer. And... put himself in the limelight of excelling new recruits.

If there was one good thing, though it was mortifying, the others didn't seem to notice what it was. They were too busy teasing Cross for the grape blush that enveloped his face the moment he sat to think it over. The others assumed he'd just slipped up. Listened to the prettiest person in the room.

Once again, Cross wondered how they'd made it through training. Though, it was good they just thought he was a stupid lover boy. Better than them realizing he was following orders on instinct.

It'd been a hard sell, getting to sleep, but he'd managed somehow.

.

The morning was much easier than the night prior. He woke up before the sun, before a lot of the others even showed signs of stirring. It was good he got up so early, sneaking off probably wouldn't be much of an issue.

Tomorrow, then. He'd do his sneaking tomorrow, after he got a lay of the land today. From what they'd been told, he'd be supervised today. Everyone would. It was different from what the Prince had told him, but it didn't matter. Policies could change, and Cross knew better than to disobey new policies.

The castle inside felt like a maze yesterday, he'd hopefully have routes inside, so he'd be able to memorize at least a few escapes. Orient himself. Worst case he could break a window.

He didn't want to leave any trace, though. The best scenario, as Dream had explained it, was that he'd get in, get the information, and get out. A week, maybe a week and a half tops. Cross wanted to spend as little time here as possible. He didn't want to fall into whatever mind-control he'd been warned of. He didn't want to run into the Knights. He certainly didn't want to see Dream's twin.

Though, he was curious. What he looked like. If he could see the sibling resemblance between the Prince and his supposedly brainwashed ruler of a sibling. It was honestly none of his business. If the King never saw his face, that would be all the better. He shouldn't know Cross was ever here at all.

The thoughts swirled in hid head as he stared at the bottom of the cot above his. Wood slats, the whole thing was sturdy wood, with decent mattresses and blankets and pillows resting on its support. It didn't creak at all, which was good. And surprising. Everything in the castle seemed so nice.

Mm, must've been a thing for the people here. Serve the 'gods' and live in luxury. It certainly seemed that was how the Prince's camp had run as well.

Cross couldn't be sure how long he was awake, examining the room and sitting still, but the sun managed to rise into the sky by the time he'd heard the slamming knock on the door to the barracks.

It was easy for him. When the Captain swung the door wide open and announced, in a hardy shout, that they were to be in the hall in 5? Cross rolled out of bed the moment the door closed again.

It pained him to move so slowly. He couldn't be the first one out again. Couldn't be the first one dressed. He didn't know why it took so long for the others to change to their uniforms and rub the sleep from their eyes. Monsters and humans alike! They hustled, some of them, and Cross was grateful a cat monster seemed to gather herself more readily than the others. An orange striped cat, her nose and the tip of her tail a stark white. Cross only noticed her when she rushed for the door, and he let himself trail her a moment later.

Thinking back, she'd been at the back of the group yesterday, joking with some of the others. Cross wondered what the energy change was all about.

He didn't get time to worry about it, though. The hall outside the barracks was busier than it had been last night, and Cross found himself facing, not only the Captain, but also several guards. They each seemed to be in full uniform, different than Cross' or the cat's which marked them as trainees. They seemed stoic before their captain, and Cross almost felt a moment if relief. Maybe this was a decent show of artillery?

No, wait, strong soldiers would be bad for the Prince. He'd have to get through these guys.

He shook away the thought, listening in as he stood awkwardly in the hall, another recruit lumbering out to stand where he'd joined the cat already.

The Captain looked them over, before nodding.

"Harper, you're with Jenna." The Captain ordered, pointing from the cat before gesturing towards one of the guard directly behind him.

Cross tried not to let his eyelights give away his observance as the guard stepped around her captain. She seemed to be a bunny monster, lots of fur and long, floppy ears tied behind her head. She, Jenna, saluted the cat, Harper, and Harper saluted in return.

"Listen to what your mentor tells you, got it?" The Captain asked, and Cross saw a few others exiting as he said this.

Those who started moving down the hall, and the Capatin looked to Cross. It was a kick glance, one look-over, before he turned and looked over his shoulder.

"Z, you're with Shep." And a gesture guided Cross towards whoever his mentor for the day would be.

From nearly the back of the crowd, snaked a dog monster. Black and white, short-trimmed fur. His eyes were brown and intense, and after a moment Cross realized this guard was shorter than him. He didn't like that when Shep saluted, he had to peer down to salute back.

He hardly even registered that they were already moving off, not unlike the two before them had done, until he'd taken a few steps to follow this small royal guard.

"So, you're Z?" Shep asked him as they stopped a few halls away. This one was largely barren aside from a few servants. Along each wall hung a huge tapestry, woven out of heavy threads and hung by a long piece of metal along the top edge.

"Yes, sir." Cross responded shortly. Not giving himself a moment to stammer.

Shep looked at his quizzically, before he leaned forward and sniffed. Actually just sniffed at Cross. It was still a few inches away, they didn't make contact, but suddenly he worried he was stinky. He's bathed before hopping on the cart, and he hadn't been exercising much, surely-

"Ah, you're not from this Kingdom! Not originally, at least." Shep said then, leaning away just as quickly as he'd gotten close.

Cross blinked, and he was sure his skull didn't hide his shock as well as he'd hoped. "I can smell the pollen on you, newbie. We don't have those kinda plants in this kingdom." He explained, and Cross internally cursed himself. Would he have to run? Would he have to-

"You know, I'm not from this kingdom either, I was born to the west." Shep admitted then, easily, using a paw to gesture loosely at the space between them, "I bet we'll get along just fine, newbie. C'mon. I'll show you around your route."

Cross didn't even get a spare second to defend himself, or puzzle at why a foreign monster would choose to come here. Shep was already on his way, back turned and hurrying down the hall at a brisk pace.

"As far as I know You're gonna be taking over my old route, inner portion of the castle." Cross listened, but orders were his second nature. As they walked, he eyed the tapestries hung along the wall. Long and intense, and yet, there was a moment where Cross could see the colors were more faded and worn.

"You'll mostly just be patrolling, watching out for anything out of the ordinary, waiting to see if you're needed for any specific duties." The images showed monsters, humans, monsters again. Depictions of complex circles and red splashes dripping from weapons and hands. And he noticed a trend, eventually. These must've been the previous rulers. The past Kings.

"Your patrols will be alone, the rooms in the hall aren't too important, and it's mostly servants that pass through that way." Cross almost lost his rhythm as they drew to the end of the tapestry, though the hall kept moving. There on the tapestry was a depiction of two little skeletons, one which seemed strikingly similar to Prince Dream, even in his adulthood. Beyond, the tapestry simply stopped. It was odd that King Nightmare hadn't bothered to get it finished with his own visage. Maybe his puppetmaster was waiting to put himself there instead?

"Still important, anyways. The servants halls are the easiest ways in and out of the castle, so we can't slack off." They turned a corner, and Cross pried his eyes away from the tapestry and back before him.

They passed a few more halls, before Shep stopped dead in his tracks, and Cross reacted quickly, spotting the way he peaked around the next corner.

Across the way, Cross spotted that they'd run into another pair who had also stopped. Only when Shep saluted did Cross think to follow his lead.

From the hall he couldn't see, emerged a figure.

Cross kept his eyelights to the ground, but the steps, the shoes, the heavy cape, and especially the dark and slimey tendrils which snaked along in his wake? That was the King. The one Dream had been so particular about not running into at all.

Two sets of feet followed him. Closely. He didn't have to look up to recognize that they must've been Knights. The easy weight of their steps, how close they stuck behind the king, the weight of the one's magic? Surely. He didn't risk a glance until after Shep lifted his head again. Cross only caught a glimpse of a tiger mask turning another corner before the three figures were gone.

In the tense silence, Cross swore he could hear his soul beating. He wasn't sure if it was fear, or indignance, or something else, but he knew being so close to the King had not made him feel good. Dream had been right, something about that guy was wrong.

Shep glanced around, and his ear twitched, watching down the hall where they'd left to.

The group across from them was already moving, towards the hall Cross had just cone from.

"You know, you kids are lucky Newbie." Shep voiced then, eying up the human rookie who was passing by. "When I first joined the guard, the King cut my tail off to prove my loyalty."

He said it so easily that Cross was speechless. What did he mean? Was. His tail was docked, but...

"What?!" The panicked whisper came from the passing humans who had obviously been eavesdropping. He expressed the concern coating Cross's soul and freezing him in place.

"Yep. I heard he used it as a cat toy for the strays." Shep confirmed loosely.

"Shep." Came the snap of his name from the other trained guard, though they didn't move to deny his claim.

Cross hadn't heard anything about that from Dream. Of course, he also hadn't heard about this introduction process either. He was flying blindly here, and suddenly he feared for his limbs.

Shep simply shrugged and kept moving forward. Cross wanted, badly, to excuse himself right this moment and go back and claim he couldn't do it. But he was here now, and he had a Prince to help. And a whole lot of people relying on him to prevent more tragedies.

The training wasn't hard. Shep stood with him, made small-talk, told him all the tricks to ensure he knew when someone would switch off with him, and then they had lunch.

He hated to admit it, but the food was delicious. He hadn't had something so filling in... maybe ever. He couldn't put his finger on it, not quite, but for monster food, it felt solid. Warmer. He felt less hungry after, and a part of him wondered if that was how they did it. The mind control. Was it the food?

But, no, surely not. He was still set on his mission when he went right back to his rounds. The food was just... strangely good.

The rest of the rounds were easy. Simple. And there was at least an hour after where Shep willingly guided him through the rest of the building. At least, anywhere he could.

Cross noticed, once, that Shep broke a rule. He ducked into the kitchen. Returned to a surprised Cross with two pieces of bread and handed one to Cross before tearing into his own. Apparently, from what Shep said, the main kitchen wasn't off-limits. Not really. Just the private one.

He didn't ask about the difference, he wouldn't need to know, after all. He doubted plans of attack were stached in the cupboards of a pantry.

And just as swiftly as it had begun, it ended. Shep said he'd be around the training grounds tomorrow if Cross needed him, and released him to dinner. After Dinner, Cross went back to the barracks.

Many of the rookies were talking all about their routes, others complaining that they had gotten cleaning duties for being the last out of the barracks that morning. They'd start training tomorrow. Cross tried not to contribute much, but he liked listening in. Understanding more about the place. The people.

It sounded like the King had crossed quite a few of their paths as well, and they didn't seem happy about it. Discussing in hushed tones how weird the King was compared to the last. Dark, secretive, hardly even a ruler. Cruel. He heard the human from before shamelessly telling Shep's tail misfortune to the gathered group, who all seemed to be riled up by it, exchanging other horrible speculations.

He needed to get this information. He just... he couldn't do anything until the others were asleep. So. Morning it would be.

.

Cross was a coward.

He knew as much, deep down somewhere, but as he woke up early again, he thought through his plan. He didn't know where he'd find any of this information he needed, he didn't know anything beyond his own route. He didn't even know what he'd be finding. He'd know when he found it, he was sure, but the last thing he wanted to do was get caught

He should've excused himself during dinner to go search around, or chosen a buddy to go wandering with. Shep had told him some things, he knew the room where the Knights trained was the indoor room, and he knew some areas no one went to. He knew the hall where the Knights and King stayed, Cross found it interesting they all stayed nearby, and he'd promised himself he'd avoid the space like the plague. He knew so much, and so little, all at once.

And he waited, thinking, so long that he... he just got up as the others did. Moved to his station to rotate shifts with the night guards. He just... did his duties again.

Well, they weren't his duties. He had no obligation to be here, not really. But the Prince had told him a week. A week and a half. That would make the most sense for an in and out. So, he wanted to respect that. And he had orders now to act out. Surely if he slacked off it'd be noticed, right? Yeah. He'd just slip away before dinner and say he went to train a bit more. Peak into some doorways. No biggy. Surely.

He worried about what he'd do to pick up a slack he hadn't even lost, all day. All through his rounds. If he showed it, his replacement at his last post said nothing, and waved him off.

Cross wanted so desperately to go searching. But. Before he could pass by the hall which would lead to the mess hall for the servants and guard? He glimpsed them from down the adjoining hall.

Two of the Knights.

One with a hood obscuring his face, casting a heavy shadow over everything, his eyelights a dull white. Though he didn't see a mask at first glance, Cross had to make some assumptions based on the one beside him that they were both Knights.

The other had on leather training armor, and a tiger's mask, red ribbons hanging from it, swaying with weight. He could see the skeleton's grin peaking from beneath the mask, and noticed how the tiger draped an arm over the other and laughed.

Cross didn't even give them a second to notice him, swiftly stepping out of the corridor and towards the dining halls after all. He didn't want to get in the way. He didn't want to be on their radar.

He needed to know when they trained. When they'd all be occupied so he wouldn't have to worry about them catching him off-guard.

Off guard. Ink would be having a hayday with that one if he'd made that joke back at camp.

Cross just kept moving forward, ducking into the dining space before the Knights even reached that hall.

.

Three days. It took him 6 whole days to learn more. To learn where the information might be. To learn where the Knights usually were at any given time. To learn how to navigate the place better. To not worry about getting caught.

He'd gone back to Shep one day, to test if he'd be told to go off the dinner or if he'd be sought out. He was not, so he had his proof that no one cared so long as he was doing his rounds.

He'd sat and talked. Asked about the Knights. (Shep had little to say that Cross didn't already know). Asked about training. (Shep said he was always out here now, running routines.) Asked about the king.

And Shep was interested about him asking on the King. Cross almost fumbled, but said he'd heard a lot of rumors. Shep had been here a while. What was true?

And Shep told him stories. In a low voice. Of the King breaking spines, of throwing objects with his tendrils, of sentencing folks to death over minor transgressions. Of his ruthless rule and cruel first. How he brought in servants and guards by force. Ripping them from their homes. How the king would declare traitors and have them hung.

Eventually, Cross asked him to stop. He'd heard enough.

Some of those things he'd heard from Dream, or the folks back at that encampment. Others were new. Insider information. Things he'd never dreamed of.

It was informational, and Cross decided that he'd keep learning more, until he was sure he had the perfect moment to strike.

.

He wasn't the smartest, okay?

Cross had done his rounds, and the moment he was done, he scurried off towards his destination.

He paid no mind to servants or guards, and used a servant's hall to arrive in the location he needed. The hall where the King's Study was located.

Yesterday he'd investigated the war room. Entering and closing the doors behind him, the room had been a mess of papers and figures and notes. The maps of each neighboring kingdom alone were strewn on walls, like the ravings of a mad-man. None of them had plans of attack, though. The light from his eyelights had been enough to illuminate each one as he approached. Every single one was a new defensive plan. Ways to deploy troops if they were attacked. Not one seemed unprovoked which was... strange.

Cross was almost unable to find any sign of the King's next route of action for his destructive feats, so he was resigned to search the study tomorrow. His only solace was that exiting the War Room had only been met with a servant a ways down the hall, and a cat pacing by, paying him no mind.

The cats in this place were many. Cross had never seen so many cats in one place, and when he'd asked at dinner, it seemed that everyone thought they belonged to the Head of House, Ccino.

It would make sense, Cross had seen the embroidery along his apron, plenty of paws and cat-like figures along the hemlines, between the branch and tree motif the entire building seemed set on holding tight to. But, it amazed him that there would be so many, allowed to run free. The King must've been very lenient with his Head of House, to allow so many creatures free-roam.

...then again, the Knights wore masks decorated with Big Cats. Cross had finally caught a glimpse of the Lion, out on the lawn while he was talking to Shep. He carried an Axe twice the size of Cross' torso, and he seemed to wield it with hardly any problem. Cross just hoped the little beasts weren't being sacrificed. He'd heard about the barbaric practices from Ink once when he had his head on straight. He hadn't had the guts to bring it up to the Prince. Or Shep. Fearing the answer.

And so, now, he moved for the study. When he knew no one would be around, when no one would see him or bother him. He could dig through the information, tuck it away in his ribcage, and get out of dodge.

It was mid-day. Apparently the Knights tended to have training about now, and the King always supervised. So the forbidden hall, as the others called it, was dead and silent.

It wasn't hard to determine which door was the study, the door was carved carefully with a beautiful tree, and the handle was a shining gold, as though it got less use than the other rooms. He tested the handle, it moved, and he slipped inside.

Of course it wouldn't be locked. Who would have the guts to go snooping around in the private spaces of murderous tyrant kings? Well. Cross would, but that was besides the point.

The inside was lit by a few stray candles, and Cross tried not to marvel at the luxury of the room. Everything was carved out of dark wood, with golden fabric lacing the cushions of lounge seats and the curtains which covered the windows. It was darker, used, but still gorgeous. The daylight filtered in through an open window, giving it a warm ambience. Cross didn't know how a room used by such an unpleasant man would be so calm and soft.

There was a case along one wall, large and long. Hung inside were masks of all different shapes and styles. Some were decorated with swirls and gems, but most resembled animals. A crane, a swan, a horse, a sheep, a hawk, a wolf, they all stared out at him with blank, empty, sockets. He wondered if these were used or not, but they seemed untouched.

And beside that case, in the far corner, sat a heavy desk, with bookshelves filled to the brim tucked just behind it.

The desk was heavy, and it looked to be covered with papers, letter drafts, just a quick glance over the contents told Cross this was just what he needed.

He stood behind the desk, unable to stop himself from lifting the papers up into his hands. From here he could see the door, as well. He'd know if someone was coming.

The first paper he looked at seemed to be the draft of a letter, addressed to someone by the name of Crop. The handwriting was beautiful, and Cross was lucky Ink knew how to write in so many dialects, or he'd have trouble deciphering exactly what this was saying. The cursive was precise. And... it seemed a half-finished letter asking about plants. The state of a harvest? No, that's strange.

Cross lifted the few pages which had been tucked beneath the first, confused. These ones seemed to be written in a much more unsure writing, but they held what he could only call sketches. Showing clouds and plants and... fields? Cross wasn't familiar with farming, but he could recognize a field anywhere. The paper had a few words underlined and circled, and they seemed to be later additions, added overtop by someone else. The words seemed to be mentioned again in the letter draft? It was completely innocuous. If this was the King's letter, he was just asking about the wellbeing of a farmer's harvest. Asking about improvements.

He moved them hastily into a stack and set them aside, reaching for the next haphazard bundle of paper. That couldn't have been right.

The next piece he scooped up was in that same pretty cursive, but this time it wasn't a letter. Instead it was some sort of list. Locations, some crossed off, and some untouched. Was this what he was searching for? Surely this was it.

He moved to grab the next page that had been beneath it. It held more context, it seemed. Notes scribbled down about how these towns needed changes. Action. Cross looked to the first crossed-off name, one he recognized from one of the woman at Dream's encampment.

The paper read of a faulty justice system, a lawman who needed to be checked up on for counts of bribery and false accusations. She'd said the Knight, the tiger, had arrived and asked for their head of city guard, the one who enforced rules and kept peace in their small village. Two days later he was killed, replaced by someone the King installed, and he started jailing innocent folks.

Cross looked to the next one, a pass where travel had been haunted by the royal guard. He'd been told they'd done it to halt people from mining in the area, a crop of wealth the King wanted to hoard. But this said that it was a mountain pass with frequent and dangerous rocks lines thanks to a sudden increase in storms since his rule. Notes reminding of supplies, and pay, and signs. Signs.

The next was not crossed off. An issue of bandits ransacked the town when people would enter or exit. Notes in messier scrawl seemed to pose solutions. Ideas. One that was circled said 'Send Horror, Autumn'. It was nearing the end of summer now.

This did seem to be the list that Dream had suggested existed, my twin is organized, he'll have a list with extensive notes, but he'd said nothing about the way the list wouldn't actually contain anything incriminating.

He skimmed again, but it seemed like nothing harmful. One lower down even acknowledged a damage caused during some sort of raid and to divert funds to someone. A random shopkeep in an outer city. This didn't add up at all.

He folded the paper silently and stuffed it into his armor, but kept looking. No doubt there would be something else. One of the lower pieces, something hidden away.

But the papers atop the desk seemed just as helpful in nature. Even ones like drafted decrees or laws to impose later were not unreasonable. One even seemed to propose a ban on child labor. What kind of tyrant would pass up a chance for easy workers?

Digging through the drawers revealed nothing more, just an impressive collection of quills, ink, and more books it seemed didn't fit on the shelves behind him. He wouldn't find anything more useful than these documents, he was sure. He... he just hoped the Prince would be able to see whatever evil Cross was obviously missing here. He scooped up another piece, one of the decrees, and then the letter draft to that Crop. Maybe they could speak to him? No, the planning was up to Dream. He was just here to get the information and go.

And now that he had it...

Cross sighed a bit, he couldn't understand why these were the things in here. In this innermost sanctum where only the trusted went. Everyone feared this King so much, Dream claimed he and his master were such a threat. And yet all Cross could find was a record of damages, and a plan to enact damage control. It...

"Having some trouble finding the dirt?"

Cross felt his entire soul freeze up as the voice cut through the silent room. It was quiet, and deep, and a bit gravelly. He didn't recognize it, but that didn't matter, because he knew he had been alone.

Almost all at once, a wave of presence crashed over his awareness. That damp static that had passed by once in the hall. Trailing the King. He didn't have to look up to know it was one of the Knights somewhere before him.

"Our King isn't usually one to make a mess." The voice said again, calmly.

Cross dragged his eyelights up, hands tentatively hovering at his sides. There, sat comfortably on one of the chairs, was the hooded one. Dust, Shep had told him.

Now, despite the shadow cast by his hood, Cross could see the faint details of his panther mask, black and hidden away in the darkness of his cover. He seemed entirely at-ease, not a care in the world, watching Cross. If his soul hadn't been sinking into his gut, Cross would've even thought Dust found the situation humorous.

He steeled himself, watching. Could he try and bluff his way out of this? Somehow? How long had Dust been there? How much had he seen?

"Any chance you'd believe I was looking for a good book?" Cross asked, though the bold humor he'd attempted to channel in the way Ink had done so many times before fell flat. Maybe his growing panic was clouding his mind, or maybe he'd never been much of a comedian.

Dust just stared at him, tilting his head a bit. By the way his eyelights changed shape, Cross imagined his sockets had drooped to give an unamused stare. Not a great sign.

"Are you going to try and run, or can I catch a break today?" Dust just asked across the room.

Mm. Cross didn't have much of a choice here anymore. Dream had told him, drilled it into his skull, not to get caught. Especially not by the Knights. They'd torture him. Kill him. The stories of what they did to traitors... Cross couldn't let this knight get hold of him. Couldn't be trapped. He had to get out of here.

He promised Ink he'd be back.

With that thought, his sword summoned to his hand in a flash. It was big, and bulky, and not the best for an indoor fight, but he'd make due. He just needed to get away from this guy. That was all.

His summons was clearly a declaration of intent, because he heard Dust scoff over the rush of adrenaline running through him and roaring through his ears. All at once, the electric charge in the room seemed to up itself. Bones, blue, cracked downwards from the rafters and planted themselves sturdy before the door and the window. His two possible exits. Dust stood up and stretched his arms before him.

"Alright, let's get this over with." Dust voiced, then.

Cross nearly let his guard down in the first moment. He felt a charge of energy coming from his side, and narrowly vaulted over the desk to avoid the spiked and jagged bones which rose where his feet had just been planted.

Momentum carried him now, and his sword was already poised for attack before his mind quick processed it. He slashed at Dust, growing rapidly closer. Hid swing was met with pure white bones that stopped his swing, just enough for Dust to avoid the hit with a split second to spare.

He was quiet, as they fought. As Cross lunged and spun and threw himself forward with grunts of exertion. It was unsettling, how the only noises were the cracks of his magic ripping into existence or Cross's sword cracking them to pieces like a lumberjack's axe.

He kept his attention on Dust. The magic had a pattern. The room was buzzing ambiently, and right before an attack it was like being too close to a fire. Just briefly. Cross barely managed to avoid spearing his ankle thanks to the crackle. He wished he could be a bit faster, though. Cross couldn't feel where an attack was aiming like he normally could. Dust gave no indications as to where an attack would be channeling either, almost like he wasn't controlling them at all. He didn't like it, it was unpredictable, and was wearing him down fast.

Dust kept dodging his swings, no matter how fast he moved, and eventually Cross stumbled. His shoulder connected with one of the random jutting bones. Dust stepped back just before it pierced upwards, and Cross grunted in distress as it drove him back a step as to not get impaled.

That was apparently his mistake. The moment he wasn't close to Dust, bones seemed to crop up all around him, gutting at different angles, just barely piercing the bone, little cracks forming with the force. Cross could feel each one jab a bit deeper than the last. Each time he reversed to get away from one or break away an incoming volley, another would arrive behind him at a new angle.

He hated that Dust stood back. Watched. The only sign that he had even broken a sweat was a slight heaviness to the up and down of his shoulders, and while Cross hadn't lost much HP yet, he was starting to feel the exhaustion creep closer, and each little wound and crack seemed to be draining him. Was this the strategy? Play with him like a living pin-cushion? Was this it's own sort of-

Cross shifted his stance and unsummoned his weapon as he jumped up and out of the quickly growing ring of spikes. He had to act fast. He had to get out of here.

He grumbled a bit under his breath, he didn't like trying to do this, but...

The moment his feet landed, Cross summoned up his other piece of magic. The part his father had embedded into his soul early on in his life which made him so powerful. He was sure his normally white eyelight changed shape in the split second it happened. Red, bright red.

It only took a moment, a tug at the very being, hidden away in the Knight's chest. For a split second, he could feel the control of foreign magic slip into his own hands.

For a moment, it worked just as he knew it would. His fist trembled under the effort, keeping an eye on Dust as the other seemed to stare at him. The bones he'd summoned all seemed to sink away at once, recalled faster than Cross could've hoped. Dust seemed to feel his magic stop responding to him.

Cross just needed to get the Knight downed. Not dead. He just needed out.

He shifted stiffly. One, concentrated blast of bones at the Knight. He seemed like he didn't want to risk taking any damage. That was all Cross needed then. Some damage. And he'd be free to escape back to the camp. Away from these weird monsters with their weird magic.

He let his palm open, directing the force like he'd done so many times, channeling another monster's magic against them. Controlling it against their will.

The feeling of electricity rose again. It spiked. It. It gathered in his hand, that burning feeling he felt when an attack had been about to hit him.

What?

It was too late to recall the intent once he'd released it. The moment he tried to command the magic, he felt it all roll back over him. Bones meant to be aimed at their owner came jolting straight at his front. And though he stumbled back, he couldn't escape the searing pain of a fire too hot to process escaping his bones and immediately rushing up his arm, into his chest, down to his feet.

He had to imagine, with the loud sound like a cracking whip, that that was what being struck by lightning felt like. Molten metal in your veins.

Cross laid sprawled, dazed, on the floor as his control magic puttered out. It hurt to breathe. To see. To exit. He was half-convinced his arm was completely splintered apart after the pulse of raw magic that had filtered through it, but he didn't bother to look.

His soul begged him to move, to get up and run again, but darkness danced in his vision as he stared up at the ceiling. He failed his mission.

He hated to see as the Knight rounded into view, standing cautiously over where he was laid. Floored by the backfire of his power. If the knight said anything, he couldn't hear over the loud ringing invading his head.

Though, instead of stabbing him through like Cross had expected, the knight seemed to duck down. A cool feeling encased Cross' wrists (so the other hadn't broken apart) and his soul suddenly felt exhausted. He felt exhausted.

No matter how much he wanted to stay awake, to escape, he lost this fight fair and square.