#sorry her keeper might have been drunk while doing the tattoos

[baejax-the-great]

Lyanna for @midnightprelude 😍😁

[ultraintrovertedgryffindor]

Can I request a Thomas (tmr) x f!reader soulmate au maybe where he comes up to the glade after she’s been there for a while with her name on his wrist. And that brings back her memories of him? Thank you!!

Of course, sweet Anon! 😊 I don't usually like AU, but I actually do like the soulmate trope lol. Also, this took too long, I know. I've been so unmotivated and I have no idea why and I still have like 4 more imagines to do hahahahahaaa......ugh

Aaaanyway...*cough cough* this is...what it is. I have this disease, called "backstoryinitis" where I add too much backstory to an imagine, so, uh, sorry?

~~~~~~~~~~

Wiping a bead of sweat off your brow, you stopped hoeing the ground when you heard the loud alarm that rang every month.

Another month, another Greenie...

You'd lived in the Glade for a couple years now, so you were used to new kids coming up in what everyone called the Box every month. It's really the only way you could keep track of how long you were stuck in this place.

Every month, you wondered if there was going to be someone like you sent up; a female. Being the only girl in a group of dozens of boys, it got lonely. Of course you had friends, but it just wasn't the same to you. And what was even weirder, you had a tattoo on your wrist, a name.

At first, when you came up in the Box without your memories, you actually thought it was your name, until you remembered your actual name.

Looking at your wrist every day and night, you tried to comb your brain for any sliver of memory that could answer your hundreds of questions that you had. Why was this name on your wrist, and who was this person? You hoped you'd find out, one day.

You ran alongside your friend to the Box, Chuck. Well, more like closest person you considered a younger brother. He very well could've been for all you knew, but he was just one of over fifty other boys that could've been a relative. But you always called Chuck "baby brother," not that he enjoyed that nickname, in public at least. He did get teased a bit by the other guys if you called him that within earshot, so you eased up on the name a bit. But you couldn't help that protective sister side of you when you thought Chuck was getting too close to the Box when it still hadn't come up all the way.

You looked around at all the excited faces of the other boys, anxious to see the new Greenie, anxious to hassle him more like.

You always tried to be nice to Greenies, remembering how poorly you were treated when you arrived in the Glade a couple years ago. No one would really take you seriously because you were a girl. You didn't even get a job assigned to you until a few months later, of course besides the stereotypical doing the laundry and helping Frypan in the kitchen, until you almost burned down the whole shack. Turns out, you were a terrible cook. Fry still teases you about it from time to time.

Eventually, you gained everyone's trust, even Gally's, that kid definitely took some convincing though. You thought he hated you if you were being honest, but in time, you saw through your anger and understood why. Some mysterious girl just shows up with a name tattooed on her wrist when nobody else did? It probably would've freaked you out too. Thankfully, everyone stopped asking you about it when you didn't even know yourself.

You winced softly when a dull pain shot up your hand, the ink in your wrist started to itch. Huh, it's never itched before? You tried to think nothing of it when the Box finally came up all the way, Gally reaching down and opening up the hatch doors.

Everyone peered over the sides of the heavy metal doors, trying to get a good look at the new Greenie. Of course, it was another male, cowering in the corner in terror like so many other boy you've seen. An odd feeling washing over you, like nostalgia but mixed with an almost sense of overwhelming joy. The feeling was so all consuming that you didn't even notice the new Greenie taking off in a dead sprint until all your fellow Gladers started to whoop and holler, obviously finding the Greenie's fear amusing, the boy faceplanting only adding to their boisterous laughter.

You rolled your eyes, mumbling to yourself, "The dude's just scared."

Of course, the Greenie being terrified out of his mind didn't stop the Keepers from deciding to keep him in the pit until he calmed down, a sentiment you did not share. Newt chuckled, gaining your attention quickly. "What're you laughing at?" You asked.

"Nothing, just adorable how you feel for the Greenies."

"Oh, shuck you."

"Why so defensive?"

"I am not." You pouted, crossing your arms. "It's not like he's the only one that's totally freaked out on the first day. He shouldn't be locked up in the pit."

"That is true, but you know it's for everyone's safety, including his." He said, walking away.

"Yeah, yeah..." You sighed, uncrossing your arms and choosing to lean against the hoe that you were holding, eyes completely focused on Alby and the new Greenie. To say you were curious would've been an understatement.

It was strange, you usually didn't have such a peaked interest in Greenies like this before. You felt yourself drawn to him, for some unknown reason. And another thing that was strange, your wrist tattoo had been tingling ever since he came up in the Box, but you just wrote that up as a coincidence. There was no way it could be correlated...right?

"Y/n!"

You turned to Alby, quickly making his way to you with almost angry expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Do you know the Greenie?" He asked, his expression not changing.

You furrowed your brows, a nervous chuckle escaping your lips. "Of course not, why would I?"

"Your name is on his wrist."

You froze, your confusion clearly etched on your face. "W-What?"

"You really don't know him? If your name is on his wrist, then I think it's pretty safe to assume that the name on your wrist is his."

"No, that's...impossible. I..." You were at a loss for words, how could this be happening? All this time, you just thought, maybe you had a partner before your memories got wiped and got their name tattooed; but now, you had no idea the hell was going on.

"The Greenie also claimed he didn't know where the tattoo came from, or who the name belonged to."

"You didn't tell him...about me?"

"No, not yet. I wanna keep this under wraps until we figure out what the shuck is happening here."

"But Alby, everyone knows about my tattoo, if someone sees his-"

"He's wearing a long sleeve. If he knows what's good for him he'll listen to me when I told him to cover it." Alby sighs, hardening his expression once more. "I swear, Y/n, if you know something about this-"

"I don't." You assured, you were just as confused as he was.

"The bonfire tonight will be a good opportunity to talk to the Greenie, everyone'll be too drunk to notice."

"Alby, you still trust me, right?"

"That remains to be seen."

The anxiety that you felt the rest of the day finally bubbled to the surface when the bonfire party started. You pretty much avoided the Greenie all day. You didn't know if you had any reason to be scared, but so many fears plagued your mind. So many "what ifs." But were sure nothing would be worse than having to wait to find out.

Looking over to see the Greenie and Newt sitting together away from the bonfire, Alby gave you a look, stern but not stern enough for you to feel threatened, although you still felt nervous.

Slowly walking over to the Greenie, you kept telling yourself over and over that this is the moment you've been waiting for ever since you were sent to the Glade, the moment you found out if this boy was the one who's name was permanently engraved onto your skin. You could finally have some sort of closure, maybe not complete, but just knowing would be enough.

You nervously cleared your throat, both boys looking your way as you stood above them. "Hey, Newt." You quickly started, "thought I'd introduce myself to the Greenie." You gave Newt a look that told him to leave the two of you alone.

Newt chuckled. "Right, of course. I think I'm gonna get myself another drink." And off he went, leaving you and the Greenie in an awkward silence, but more of an anxious silence on your part.

"Sorry I haven't introduced myself yet, been a busy day." You forced a smile, taking a seat next to the Greenie.

"Do you guys throw parties like this every time a new...Greenie shows up?" The boy asked, a slight bitter tone to his voice.

"Yeah, pretty much. We only really started this tradition a year ago, we thought we might as well celebrate another month of surviving here, also welcoming the newbies."

"Yeah, well, doesn't really feel like a warm welcome, despite the bonfire." You chuckled. "Are you...? Uh, never mind."

"No, what?"

"Well, just looking around, you seem to be the only girl here. Why is that?"

You shrugged. "Beats me. I came here just like everybody else, no memories. I wish I knew. Speaking of, have you remembered your name yet?"

The Greenie frowned. "No." He whispered, suddenly rubbing his sleeve covered wrist.

"What's wrong?" You asked, noticing his discomfort.

He sighed. "Uh, nothing. My wrist just hurts a little, might've sprained it or somethin'."

This was taking too long, and the bonfire party was starting to die down. It would be over soon, you had to speed this up.

"Alby told me..." You started, nervously taking a deep breath before continuing, "about your wrist."

The Greenie looked to you with wide eyes. "He told me to keep quiet about it, why would he tell you?"

"Because...the name on your wrist is mine."

He furrowed his brows, his mouth slightly agape, rolling up his sleeve slightly, just enough to see the top of the outline of your name. "Wait, really? How is that...?"

"I don't know. But I'm guessing," You rolled up your own sleeve, "this is your name?"

You held up your wrist, the light from the bonfire illuminating the ink enough for the Greenie to read what it said, "Thomas." Thomas' confused face mirrored your own, both of you feeling a strange mix of emotions all at once. He reached out, you flinching away slightly. "Can I?" He asked.

You nodded curtly, extending out your wrist for him to hold.

As soon as his skin made contact with yours, you felt a spark of electricity rush through your whole body, so intense that it made you jolt with a quiet gasp. Thomas seemed to have felt the same, his grip on your wrist tightening as he felt the same rush.

You suddenly felt like you were hit in the head with a brick, sharp flashes of images of you, but not in the Glade. These were different, you saw yourself smiling, laughing, with an older woman, smile lines and subtle wrinkles around her eyes, tuffs of greyish white hair scattered about in random spots amongst her lush natural colored hair. You instantly teared up...this was your mother...you remembered your mother.

"I remember." You and Thomas said at the exact same time.

"My name is Thomas." He confirmed, tears welling up in his golden brown eyes, giving them a shine. "I remember everything, my family, my friends, why I came here..."

"I remember my life before here too. I was...taken. They took me away from my mama." You quickly felt a surge of anger rush through you. "W.C.K.D. They did this."

Thomas sighed. "I know..." He took hold of both your hands. "I remember you too, Y/n." A slight rosy blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Me too." You said softly.

You both had worked at W.C.K.D. together, you both had the same distain for the company and wanting to take them down together, both of you being betrayed and sent here. You knew it was dangerous for W.C.K.D. to send you both to the same Maze trial, how could they make such a stupid mistake.

"We have to get everyone out of here, Thomas."

"We will."

"Together."

~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that escalated quickly. Hope you enjoyed it regardless, Anon😊

[wildflower-alex]

Chapter 3

note: hi guys, it's been a year, i think, since i last wrote something. i felt down these days and wanted to come back to my safe space. i read some of the smuts you guys have out there and let me tell you, they're perfect. feel free to double click on this if you want me to continue it. thanks xoxo

He was practically running whilst holding her hand. The wind was stroking his hair, now his curls running all over the place.

“Come on, you can do it!” he laughed it off.

They were running through the sand, near the water, so she tried to be careful and not get her sneakers wet. He held her palm tight into his, their fingers intertwined as she felt he had strong hands.

“I’m trying, I swear! I’m just trying to avoid to get my shoes wet” she then laughed.

“Ok” he said and stopped his running. He took a disappointed face and replied “You’re not doing that”.

“What do you mean? I will do that!”

“No, you won’t. Forget about your sneakers. Actually, if you care so much about them, I’ll buy you a new pair tomorrow, no questions asked” he replied.

Sonia took a look at him and suddenly started to laugh so hard she almost got on her knees.

“What?” he asked and started to laugh, too. “Am I a joke to you, Sonia?” he playfully asked.

Still giggling, she looked at him and swiped a tear from her eyes.

“Ok” she paused “not to be a brag, God no, but I struggled a bit too much to afford these sneakers and I think you would, too. But I get it, I’m gonna let myself be surprised” she concluded.

“How much are we talking about?” Calum asked.

“My monthly salary” se replied and he looked shocked.

He laughed it off and let her palm swing around her body. She looked at him, the way the moon hit his skin, his chest, the shadows that were forming on his face. He had strong features, his cheeks were chubby. He definitely looked good. And she understood why Christine tried to get his attention. His polka dot satin black shirt showed his hairless chest and the few tattoos he had. And his strong manly smell, his smell was carefully caressing his skin, something she loved about men.

“You don’t have to think about him, unless you really care” he then said.

She looked back at him and felt he knew something.

“If this is your vacation, then don’t let anyone ruin it. Keep you head high and let me be your entertainer for tonight, ok?” he asked. He then offered his palm and smiled at her. “You look beautiful, just so you know”

It was months since Sonia heard those words. It felt so odd to come from a complete stranger and not from Matthew. It felt strange to accept a compliment and, if she were to be honest, it felt strange that somehow she knew he sincerely said it. “Thank you” she replied. And as she smiled back at him she added “You look hot”. Calum chuckled as she reached to his hand and they started walking further.

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

“Were are we?” Sonia asked as they we’re about to enter a villa down the shore. She then stopped walking and forced him to do the same.

“This is the surprise” Calum replied. “Come on, let’s get it”

“No” she said. As much as she enjoyed the walk, she was afraid to enter a stranger’s house. “No, I’m sorry, but I can’t”.

He looked confused, tried to say something, then it struck him. “Fuck… I’m sorry, I understand… You see, I’m not used to this, but I understand you” he said. “Look, we have another option. Behind this very fence there’s a bench, can you see it? It’s right under the light” and he pointed to a small bench inside the yard. “Is it fine?”

She looked over the fence and saw the bench and continued to think about it.

“No, forget it” Calum concluded. "We’ll stay right here, I’m gonna go grab some chairs, but please, at least wait in the yard, I’m not leaving you outside” he said. He took both her hands and kneeled before her, trying to make her laugh. “Please, please… Please?” he begged again.

She started to laugh and agreed to come inside the yard. He tried to ran on the stairs, but miserably failed and hurt his knee. Bot of them started to laugh again, as he was looking into her eyes and tried to open the front door. “Sorry, I told you I’m a little tipsy”.

“Calum?” she asked as he was about to open the door.

“Myeah” he turned around and responded.

“Here’s just fine, bring me something to drink, please” she said.

“Ok, honey eyes” he chuckled.

“What did you just call me?” she laughed.

“I’m tipsy, I have an excuse” he laughed again.

Inside the house, a slow music could be heard and some people we’re talking. She couldn’t help but wonder who this Calum was, what was he doing as a job. Was this house his? If it was, who the hell would invite a complete stranger to his house? And if it wasn’t, who would let anyone to bring strangers intro their houses? It was quite odd, and yet, Sonia felt a sudden relief. As she looked through the yard, she realized it was actually a garden, full of flowers, fruits, decorations and small bushes. In one corner, there was this small dog house and the name “Duke” was poorly painted on the front. “Duke” she said and laughed at the thought that it might be a big dog with a funny name. But, as she said the name, she realized where she was, while a small bubble of fur appeared from the inside of the house, stretched his paws and started to run towards Sonia. She laughed once again and laid on the grass, waiting for the little guy to come to her. She started to play with him, snuggle him and all the good things you should do with a dog.

The door opened and Calum was coming along with a tray and some drinks on it.

“Seems you got to meet Duke” he smiled at her.

“Yeah, he’s such a sweetheart. You know, I actually love dogs more than anything in the world”

“More than singing and general happiness?” he asked.

“Dogs ARE happiness. At least for me”

“Yeah, I agree. Duke is my whole happiness” he added.

“Duke’s yours? How cute is that?” and she started to rub on his belly.

“Here’s some drinks, these three have alcohol in it, these don’t, you choose. I’m gonna choose a non-alcoholic this time, I’m trying not to get too drunk”

“Well, I am trying to, so I’ll choose… this one” and she took a drink from the tray. She took a sip and exhaled, then looked and Calum again. He was busy petting Duke. She smiled at the thought that if a guy has a dog so small, then he must be a keeper. She then laid on her back where the grass looked bigger.

He looked at her and laid on his side, right behind her, looking at her face.

“What are thinking about?”

“Nothing, really. Just trying to find a constellation I know”

“Well, from here you can only see the Ursa Major. Can you spot it?”

“Hmm… not really… to be honest, I don’t even know it looks like”

“Look, is the one that looks like a cart” he said while pointing to some stars.

“Yes… I can see it now” she replied and then looked at him.

Calum put his hand down and looked at her, too.

“You look complicated” he said and reached for her face. His thumb slowly started to stroke her face and finally reached the arch of her lips.

“I am complicated by proxy. I wish I had more time to make up my mind” she replied.

“Make up your mind about.. me, too?”

“I already made up my mind about you, I just don’t know when to act” she replied.

“Do it now” Calum said. His eyes started to glisten once again under the light of the moon. “I promise I’m a gentle being” he added.

“I don’t trust you” she laughed it off and made him laugh, too.

His chuckle made him lay on his back and reach for her hand.

“I’m complicated as well”

“Why, cause you’re in a band?” she replied.

Calum quickly turned his head with a death stare in his eyes.

“How did you… You sneaky girl” he replied and started to laugh so loud even the soil started to tremble.

“Why else would you interrupt me finding your song?” she replied and continued to laugh with him.

He continued to laugh for a few moments, then looked at her again and reached for her hand. He grabbed it and slowly approached it to his lips, only for him to kiss the outside of her palm and then smiled at her. “I still want to taste your lips”

“I do, too, but now it’s not the time” she replied.

The door slammed open and screams could be heard from the inside.

“CAAALUUUMMM!” someone started to yell “Calum, come here to beat their asses!” the voice said.

“Whose asses?” he yelled back.

“Luke’s and Mike’s, of course, they suck at beer pong, I need my knight to win this war” the man added.

“Sure, Andy”

“Let’s go inside” Sonia said.

“You sure? I do not want you to feel forced”

“I’m not, I was testing you”

“That’s smart” he concluded.

Intro

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

[nolongerironicteenwrites]

three years pt 2

read it here or on my Ao3 https://archiveofourown.org/users/nolongerironicteen/works or read my other works too 

You put your car in park and sighed. Finally, you were home after longer than you wanted to admit. But you were happy nonetheless. Which meant you were finally going to address the elephant in the room with Neji. Instead of texting till three am you could finally discuss what you were. You looked at your parents' house in front of you as you got out of the car.

    “(Y/N)!” your mom called from the open kitchen window.

You smiled wide and you trekked up the driveway. The house was quiet save your mom’s washing in the kitchen. You found your way in there and gave her a huge hug.

    “Where’s dad?”

    “In the backyard, he’s doing some gardening and collecting the vegetables for me. You can go see.”

You figured unpacking your car can wait for later. You wanted to go see your dad. You kissed your mom on the cheek before going outside. You were thrown through a loop to not see your dad, but see your friends all there.

    “Welcome home!” they shouted.

You doubled back smiling before rushing to hug them all. You were overwhelmed. You might have only seen them like two weeks ago you were happy to be home. Even if it was only a little while.

    “We missed you.” Naruto laughed pulling you in for another hug.

    “We saw her like a week ago?” Sai replied, confused.

You ruffled Sai’s hair when a set of arms wrapped around your middle. You tensed up before smelling the familiar smell of cigarettes.

    “Traitor.”

    “For?” Shikamaru asked.

    “Dating my keyboard player. Smoking. Or where you spending time with Azuma seeing your godchild?”

    “The latter.”

You rolled your eyes and he let you go but not without rubbing his cheek to yours and pulling away. You huffed and backed away. You didn’t get far before bumping into something cold. A set of hands-on the back of your elbows.

    “You got a tattoo?”

Neji.

You spun around and checked out the inside of your elbow blushing.

    “I uh yeah. I have four actually.”

He looked impressed. Not deterred, he grabbed your arm and saw the grl pwr tattoo on the inside of your elbow. You and Temari have matching ones since you two were two women who basically front a band. You have three others. You have a paper airplane on the back of your shoulder, a galaxy piece on your side, and on your thigh, there was a storm cloud that under a UV or blacklight made the lighting bolt shine. Neji smiled at you. You heard someone gag behind you. You had the vaguest feeling it was Kiba. You turned around and pulled your eye and stuck your tongue at him. He hugged you and you laughed.

You spent the afternoon with your friends and parents until you were nearly falling asleep where you sat. You didn’t realize how tired you were until you let yourself relax against Neji. The night grew colder and the party moved inside. It quickly became a quiet night after that, movies and drinks and crashing on the couch. Well you crashed on the couch everyone else went home to Shikamaru’s to get their car or ride home. Neji once everyone was ready to go brought you to your bedroom and kissed you goodnight before leaving.

    “Are you going to ask her?” Lee asked.

    “Ask her what?” Sai asked guiding Ino to Shikamaru’s.

     “Ask (Y/N) out properly.”

Neji glared at Lee and pulled his jacket closed. He ignored the question which Shikamaru didn’t like. He imposed himself over Neji but Neji was just slightly, only slightly taller. Shikamaru crossed his arms and glared. Which in itself is nerve-inducing.

    “Well, Neji what are your plans with my best friend?”

    “If you must know, I like her. Clearly. So I wish to ask her out.”

    “Hurt her and your ass is mine.”

    “I don’t like you like that at all but I would never, I’m not Koma.”

Shikamaru gave one glare and then nodded. Neji waisted until he looked away to silently release his breath.

    “There’s your answer Lee. Be safe getting back you guys text the group when you all make it back home.” Shikamaru waved before going inside.

Neji gathered Hinata, Naruto, Lee, and TenTen and headed to everyone’s respective homes. He and Lee lived together, Hinata and Naruto lived together, and TenTen lived in the same building at Neji and Lee. Neji didn’t let anyone talk on the car ride back. He didn’t wish to speak about his love life with anyone anymore. Once in the comfort of his own apartment he let his hair down and groaned.

    “Neji- I’m sorry. You guys were just so cozy.”

    “Lee I’m not upset with you. I mean you were just speaking about what you saw.” Neji replied while pulling off his jacket. “She’s back for a year while some of her bandmates finish school. I have time but no time when I can’t even talk to her about my feelings!” Neji flopped onto the sofa neglecting to take off his shoes.

    “You could talk maybe Guy and Kakashi-sensei.” Lee sat by him.

Neji didn’t hate that idea. It would have been better than talking to his own father. Not that he didn’t want to, but he didn’t think his dad could help. His mom made the first move on his dad. But with Guy-sensei it was an accident with him and Kakashi but probably better advice than his father so maybe Lee was onto something there.

       menace to sobriety

the boulder

    Neji and I are home.

tippy

    As am I.

eyes

    Naruto and me too.

glasses

    Kiba is drunk on the floor of his house crying to Akimaru about the boy in facepaint?

fur culture

    traitor!

pencil ****

    Ino and Sakura are trying to dye their hair.

*eye roll*

    They’re getting along?

pencil ***

    sauske isn’t here to fight over. i'm on watch duty..

omnipotent friend

    dont let them make bad choices they’ll regret in like 5 minutes.

*eye roll*

     or you could.

omnipotent friend

    ill remove you

*eye roll*

    not ur chat

        fur culture changed the admin to omnipotent friend

*eye roll*

    im in danger

The chat died down after that and you fell back asleep. Neji laughed. This chat has bounced admin to admin and the nicknames change often enough to keep anyone entertained. Neji himself got ready for bed. Rock Lee stayed up a bit longer than him to do some work for his up-and-coming school week. He was student teaching this week.

The next morning everyone woke to a few changes in the group chat. You changed a few nicknames and the title

       the void calls me forth

gremlin

    (y/n)! how dare you call me a gremlin.

void keeper

    bc im not kiba and you will not bully me

pretty boy

    im pretty?

sai-duck

    i like this more.

fur culture

    I deserve this honestly. All though these were good changes. neji is pretty, sai clever pun and shikamaru deserved it. you should have been this admin from the start

whoji

    we told you that from the start, and two she came up with half the original nicknames

the boulder

    teenagers scare me.

You snorted and walked down the stairs. Kiba just accepted his fate. It was almost perfect. Your mom left you a note about her plans for the day. Your father was there for the day but he was engrossed in work. You ate something quickly and popped your head in to say hello to him. He waved at you and went about your day.

n. hyuuga

    Good morning. Can you meet me at The Blossom for coffee?

you

    sure. totally. see you in ten?

n. hyuuga

    Yes. Of course. Cannot wait.

You smiled to yourself walking down the stairs. Your mom was gone for the day. You could hear the television on. You popped your head in to see your dad watching a show about rocks. You smiled while he just read in his rocker the noise in the background. You leaned on the frame waiting for him to notice you. It takes him a moment before he looks up from his book and he smiles.

    “What’s up buttercup?”

    “I’m going to get coffee, do you need anything while I’m out?”

He shakes his head no.

    “Go have fun. I’ll see you later.”

You smiled and blew him a kiss. Walking into the kitchen you grabbed your jacket and purse off the coat rack. You slipped your phone into your jacket pocket and started on your walk. The great thing is The Blossom was a five-minute walk from your house. The walk, while short, gave you time to reflect. You thought about Neji. You probably always liked him, it went through phases where you liked him more than a friend, but then Koma happened. That six months of your life where Neji didn’t cross your mind. But now it all seems to be falling into place.

As you approached the cafe, Neji was already there. He looked beautifully aloof. You quietly walked up to him while he scrolled on his phone. His light skin contrasting against his dark hair and the bright red t-shirt and checkered pants to match. You honestly were a mixture of both impressed and intimidated by him. He always looked like he had his life together. You looked down at yourself and how you were dressed. You layered tights under overalls with a baggy sweater on top. You felt like you weren’t dressed well enough to compete with him. He looked up at you and smiled. He gently pulled you to him and kissed your forehead. You weren’t sure what you two were but you were content.

    “This is my treat, come on.”  He smiled opening the door for you, “I picked this place because no one would come here or neither do I think our friends care enough to find us. This place has chai lattes and oat milk which I know are your favorites.”

You smiled, cheeks becoming redder.

    “You remembered?”

    “Of course,” he responded. It’s because I love you. But he didn’t let her know that.

You held onto the crook of his elbow whilst he ordered. He ended up ordering for both of you while you had a small smile on your features. He ordered the chai latte for you and a simple London fog drink. You weren’t expecting that. As if he read your mind.

    “I had a small cup of coffee before I decided to ask you out. Do you want anything else?” he asked.

    “Do you want to split a coffee cake?”

Neji nodded. His eyes lit up like you hung the stars in the sky. You felt very on par with Neji, finally. You and he walked over to a table situated in the corner by the window. It was a kind of chilly morning for how early in September that it was. You rested your head on your hand looking between him and the window before you asked.

    “Don’t you work on Monday? Like a new startup position at a family-owned accounting firm?” You asked, smirking.

Neji smiled at your question crossing his legs and leaning over to rest his head on his hands, thinking for a moment to formulate an answer for you.

    “Yes but technically no. My days got changed because I’m going back to school for my masters so my uncle has me working sparingly.”

    “Your masters? That’s great!” you smiled excitedly.

He looked very bemusingly at you. He offered a hand to you to hold across the table. The two of you shared the cake and drinks in silence. No need to talk currently. The two of you spoke sparingly and worked on individual projects. You worked on songs and he worked on some classwork.

    “Neji. What are we?” you asked.

The keyboard clicking stopped. You felt your body tense. Had you pushed a boundary? He was hesitating and you were getting progressively more anxious. He started wringing his hands, but you quietly waited for him to answer you. Seconds felt like hours to you waiting.

    “I-I knew this was coming but I-” He sighed softly, “I was just trying to feel out how you felt before I spoke to you about me.” Neji explained, “(Y/N) I have liked you probably since I was fifteen. But our lives never seemed to line up. Call it destiny if you will always seem to escape me. I dated, you dated. I got scared of my feelings for you but not anymore I can’t. I don’t want to. I- I want to take care of you, and be with you and support you.” He ended up just muttering to himself.

Your heart clenched watching him. You smiled that he was being honest with you. Even though he was avoiding your eye contact. You reached out to grab his hand to get his attention. He slowly let you coax his hand into yours while you figured out how to respond.

    “Thank you, Neji for being honest with me. I know how you feel. You bore your feelings to me for how you feel. I accept your feelings.” you replied, smiling. “And I- I would love nothing more than this to work out. It would need work. Between music and you being in school again it won’t be easy, and I’m sorry for that. I wish I can be more for you.”

    “You’re perfect enough.” He brought your hand to his lips to kiss. “You are worth the work.”

Kiba was passing by when he stopped and did a double-take. He was convinced that he saw you and Neji but he wasn’t sure.

       the void calls me forth

fur culture

    r (y/n) and neji on a date?

ino-yeet-chi

    why would that be ur concern if they were kiba?

fur culture

    b/c im not being left out of this revelation once it happens like i was when lee came out. also i see them..

Kiba was squinting at the frosted glass window. Neither you nor Neji knew what was going on in that chat; both of you had your phones picked up. Kiba needed to know so he quietly snuck into the cafe and to a booth on the other side of the store from you two. Not that you would have noticed, either way, you and Neji were in your own little world. It looked like a date to Kiba.

       the void calls me forth

ino-yeet-chi

    KIBA NO. LEAVE THEM ALONE. SHINO GET YOUR BOY

        glasses has left the chat

Neji laughed to himself at something you said. He then leaned in to grasp your chin to press a soft kiss to your mouth. Not wanting to push you. Kiba could hardly believe it. He got up and slipped into the bathroom.

       the void calls me forth

fur culture

    Holy- DUDE

You felt your phone vibrate and Neji felt his too. You both grabbed your phones and checked the messages. His eyes shot up and scanned for Kiba keenly aware. You were confused. You also looked over the messages and glared.

    “He’s here somewhere.” you groaned.

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at you almost apologetically.

    “I’m sorry.”

You shook your head. You grabbed his back and yours and pulled him from the cafe.

    “Don’t be sorry. I know where we can go where no one will find us.”

You and Neji dipped through the streets. He allowed himself to be pulled by you while you brought him to a home. He didn’t recognize this house. You explained it was your grandfather’s home, but he wasn’t home. You had a treehouse in the backyard that you wanted to show him. He was surprised to see this.

    “Whoa.”

    “I know.”

You climbed up the rope ladder and Neji followed closely as you went up. Inside the treehouse, it looked older but sometimes you still come up to be alone or to play music. Neji stood hunched because it was made for you who had never been very tall. He looked around and smiled.

    “Finally.” he groaned.

He grabbed your face softly and kissed you properly. You gasped quietly and he kept one hand on your face and the other on your waist to make sure this was real. You both needed air eventually and he actually started to giggle. You laughed and the two of you spent the afternoon in the early fall air laughing, stealing kisses, and being in each other's presence.

[shannonfreakingleto]

Do Or Die: Part Ten

Taylor’s POV

Continuing flash back

Sighing happily when I finished my work early for the week I finished at 12pm on Friday, having a spring in my step I made my way to the car planning to relax the rest of the day and night.

Getting home I tossed my car key down on the table by the door and stretched groaning contently as the working week was finally over, heading to my room I changed into my PJ’s. Yawning loudly, I pulled my hair up onto the top of my head as I made my way downstairs, settling down on the couch I scrolled through Netflix deciding what to watch.  

Selecting a program, I relaxed back onto the couch as I relaxed with a coffee in hand. Glancing at my phone on the coffee table I chewed my lip wondering if it was Shannon, smiling as he had texted a few days after I gave him my number we had text each another nearly every day getting to know each another. Picking my phone up I unlocked it wondering what random question he had sent this time, sitting back I sipped my coffee sighing happily that he could put a smile on my face within the short few weeks of us texting. Opening his message my nerves started to take over as I read his message, sitting my phone down I didn’t know how to respond.

‘Bakery downtown 1 hour… Please meet me. S x’

Chewing on my bottom lip I wanted to see him but I didn’t want to look desperate, finishing my coffee and the rest of the episode I was on I slowly got up from the couch. Cleaning my items away I hummed to myself, hearing my phone going off I pulled it out from my hoodie pocket, smiling as Shannon had text again.

‘I know you’ve finished work so…meet me. I’ll be waiting 😉 Sx' 

'Ok Stalker I don’t think I want to know why you know I’m not working…See you soon…I guess 😉 x’

Heading upstairs quickly I pulled on my favourite pair of jeans, I tried on several tops before deciding on one. Pulling my shoes on I took my hair down from the messy bun and added some products hoping it would tame the curls a little, fixing my make-up I applied my signature nude lipstick. Looking over myself I sighed, not wanting to be over dressed I headed out the door before I got cold feet. 

Driving the short distance, I parked beside the bakery, getting out I made my way in greeting the regulars. Ordering a coffee, I sat at my usual spot at the counter, smiling as Lynsey came over with my order she went under the counter and pulled a small cupcake box out. Sitting it in front of me her face beamed, raising my brow at her I smiled.

'Someone made a special order for this…and I was under strict instruction to give this to you…He’s a keeper Tay. Hope you enjoy’ Lynsey smiled 

'Umm…Thanks?’ I smiled 

Opening the box my heart beat faster in my chest when I saw the small vanilla cupcake inside, smiling wider it was decorated with green icing with a fondant surfboard on top saying Aloha. Looking around the coffee shop I searched for Shannon knowing it was him after telling him these were all my favourites the other day, smiling as I landed my eyes on him he slowly got out of the booth and made his way over to me. Looking down at the custom-made cupcake I smirked and let out a small laugh as he sat down beside me, looking up at him I raised my brow. 

'Ok you got me…this is good…I’m impressed!’ I smiled, winking Shannon sipped at his coffee smirking as he was pleased with himself.

Taking a bite, I nodded my head slowly in appreciation, putting some of the icing on my finger I swallowed the mouthful before sucking the icing off of my finger. Turning to Shannon I blushed as he watched me, letting out a small breath his eyes were fixed on my mouth. 

‘You know someone might get the wrong idea with the way you’re licking that off…You’re acting far too sexy with that little cupcake’ Shannon joked as I sat the cupcake down licking the remainder of the icing off my finger. 

Looking up at him I finally took in his appearance, trying to see his warm hazel eyes they were hidden behind his Rayban’s. Smiling as he wore a basic white t-shirt and jeans I chewed my lip and looked away as he wore black suspenders. Taking his sunglasses off he sat them on the counter, feeling the palms of my hands sweating I took another bite noticing how my body reacted when he was around.

‘If you give me the icing I’ll let you lick it off me’ He smirked as he watched my every move. Laughing along with him Shannon and I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, smiling as we gathered our things the café was closing. Going for a walk I crossed my arms as it was a little cool out, putting his leather jacket on my shoulders Shannon smiled down at me. Gazing down at his tattoo’s I held onto his wrist as I trailed my fingers down the glyphs on his forearm, telling me about his tattoo’s I blushed as I pulled my hands away. 

‘I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.’ I blushed 

‘Don’t be’ He smiled sweetly 

Walking a little further Shannon stopped outside a restaurant, raising his brow he held his hand out for me. Laughing as my stomach rumbled I put my hands in his as he pulled me into the restaurant, getting to our tables I looked over the menu after we had ordered some drinks. Glancing over my menu I was able to steal some glances of Shannon as he studied the menu, pulling my eyes away I took a drink. Dropping my knife on the floor I leaned over and picked it up, growling Shannon bit his lip.

‘Oh wow!’ He smirked

'That did not just happen’ I said turning red, holding my shirt to my chest I had given Shannon the perfect view down my shirt, sitting back in his chair he drummed his hands lightly on the table.

‘You have no reason to be embarrassed…You are beautiful.’ He smiled 

Leaning over the table he slowly took my hand into his, smiling I felt myself falling harder for him. Enjoying the rest of our dinner with no other issues Shannon was a gentleman and paid the bill although I was adamant I could pay my own. Agreeing to pay next time Shannon winked at me, holding onto his hand as he walked me back to my car I didn’t want the night to end. Unlocking the door, I climbed in, putting the window down Shannon leaned against the door. 

‘So I want I see you again’ He said smiling, nodding I agreed. 

'Yeah I’d like that, I had a great day today and thanks again for dinner’ I smiled

'I’ll call you…night beautiful’ Shannon smiled

Leaning forward he kissed my cheek gently, blushing I closed my eyes briefly. Driving home I was smiling like a fool, calling Torrie as I got home I sighed happily as I relaxed back into the couch. 

Torrie’s POV 

Sitting at home painting my nails while watching another rerun of Supernatural my phone rang. Waddling over to the counter so I didn’t mess up the paint I answered it.

‘Hey Taylor what’s up?’ I figured she was calling to reschedule for tomorrow

‘What’s going on? Are you OK. You didn’t get drunk again and lock yourself out of the house, did you?’ I laughed  

‘Torrie, I met that guy again’ she said quickly, sighing she had caught me up on Shannon the last time we met. Sitting down again I was worried. 

‘What happened he didn’t hurt to did he’ I asked quickly 

‘No no no nothing like that…we had been texting all week getting to know each another a little more then. He texted this afternoon asking me to meet him…so I did. Torrie, it was great, we had coffee and then went for dinner’ Taylor said excitedly  

‘What do you mean you’ve had his creepy stalker on your ass all week and you didn’t tell me, then you think it’s a good idea to go meet him’ I said, closing my eyes 

‘I didn’t want you to worry…’ She said, sighing into the phone I stopped her before she could continue 

‘How do you think I feel now! You could have been murdered’  

‘Calm down I’m alive. Can I tell you what happened now? Please I’m freaking out here’ Taylor groaned. 

‘I hope you know when we go out I will be smacking you for this. But yes, please tell me what happened. I swear if he laid a hand on you I will kill him.’ I said flatly

Smiling as Taylor babbled about her day with Shannon I knew she liked him, sitting there I continued painting my nails as I listened. Putting a comment in here and there I still didn’t know how I felt about Shannon, smiling as she finished her rant I could tell she was smiling, sitting back I sighed nervously knowing he had made a good impression on her. 

‘OK Taylor tell me one thing. Was he a gentleman or a perve?’ I said bursting her bubble 

'Torrie! He was a true gentleman…a flirt but a gentleman.’ She said sighing happily 

Talking for a while longer it was getting late, finally ending the call and agreeing to meet up tomorrow to talk everything over in greater detail we said goodnight to each other. Tossing my phone down on the couch I knew I had to meet him to see if he really was a creep or if he was how Taylor explained he was. 

—

Jumping on the band wagon…

Tagging: @fyeahproudglambert @msroxyblog  @meghan12151977 @30stmmaniac @just-me-obsessing  @sinkingshipsonsailingtrips @alliemariebaybee @outlanderhornet22@letojokerownsme @lylabell2013 @before-you-label-me

If you want to added to the tagging list let me know!

[lillotte17]

For some reason I keep thinking that Aili and Uthvir would be perfect for some kind of Fake Marriage AU. Aili being absolutely positive that Uthvir is just faking interest in her, Uthvir being subjected to genuine niceness and not knowing how to handle it, both of them falling in love while thinking the other would freak out if they knew... Aili possibly not even realizing that she's falling in love...

Hahahahahaaaaa WOW this took me longer than I ever thought it would.

ಠ_ಠ

Fake Marriage AU

Uthvir belongs to @feynites along with a certain other guest star for this AU.

The great conclave that is supposedly going to decide the fate of mages, and arguably a large portion of Thedas, is set to begin tomorrow.

It is still more than a day away on foot, and already the sky is growing dark above the mountains. It has been a long and rather expensive journey, especially considering the meager contents of Aili’s coin purse, which had largely been eaten up by the fare to cover her passage from the Free Marches.

She strongly suspects that the greasy boat captain in Ostwick had gouged her on the price, but she had not really been in a position to haggle, since the crewmen of the other ships heading to Ferelden had taken one look at the tattoos on her face and sent her packing.  

The long and short of it ends up being that it is almost nighttime and Aili finds herself a lone mage elf on a human road that she does not know, which is likely peppered with rogue Templars and bandits and other unsavory sorts. Tired and hungry. Vulnerable.

Which is why, when she comes upon what looks to be a barn that has been hastily converted into an inn at some point in the last few years, she decides that stopping for the evening seems like a prudent choice. Not that walking into a building filled with potentially drunk, nervous humans is completely free from peril either, but at least it will be relatively warm and well-lit, and there is a better chance that someone with compassion or morality will come to her aid.

Hopefully.

There is also the possibility of overhearing other people’s conversations, and gleaning information on how the peace talks are likely to go. Which is another objective of her mission. To not only bear witness to the outcome of the Conclave, but to try and parse out which way the wind is blowing in the court of public opinion. Her people tend to isolate themselves, but the fate of the mages is undeniably linked to the fate of the Keepers. And the fate of the Keepers will determine the fate of the Dalish as a whole.

Keeper Deshanna had been…less than convinced. Not that she did not think it was important, of course, she had simply refused to admit that there could be a benefit to having one of their own attend the Conclave. Too much risk to one of their people for information that they could easily find out later from the villages friendly enough to trade with them. And far too hazardous to gamble the freedom of their First.

Yet, here she is anyway.  

Despite the numerous objections, Aili had been the obvious choice. She is fluent in both Common and Orlesian. Young enough to survive the long solitary journey across land and sea. Old enough to be cautious with her trust and her coin. And she can easily blend into the ranks of either the mages or the servants at the Conclave, so long as either her hood or her hair is concealing her vallaslin.

The inn is noisy and full to bursting, and Aili is not sure where the owner is planning to lodge even half of them. There is a large woman behind the bar with very red hair and a face that is nearly overrun with freckles, and two harried looking elves racing around to the handful of crowded roughhewn tables in an attempt to keep agitated patrons from tearing the walls down.

She manages to elbow her way over to the counter and procure a hunk of bread and some cheese to pair with the dried meat and apples in her pack, as well as a mug of cider to wash it all down with. She’s tired enough that the thought of a chair, even the hard, grubby ones of this particular establishment, are a nigh irresistible temptation. But even if there was a vacant one to be found, it would require her to sit at a table full of strange rowdy humans, so she ends up heading towards a dark corner instead. Someplace to lean her back where she can survey the goings on in the rest of the inn.

Aili gets about two-thirds of the way over to her intended roost when she catches sight of another elf making their way through the crowded dining area.

Not that seeing another elf travelling alone is such an odd thing, perhaps, but this one has a certain…aura about them. They are wearing a long dark cloak with the hood up, but even so, it is obvious to anyone with two eyes and half a brain that they are wearing full plate armor beneath it. And it is obvious to her, that the red markings scrawled across their face are the same as the ones her mother bears, even when they are being obscured by hoods and shadows. Andruil’s Vallaslin.

Another clan sent a representative?

Before she can even build up a decent amount of speculation on the subject, a burly templar jostles past them, likely on a mission to seek out more drink, and their cowl is knocked back from their face just as they are sent stumbling into an especially raucous table of what appears to be a few knights and heir vassals. If she had to make an assumption at a glance, she’d probably say that they all seem to have more money than sense, and appear to have reached a particularly disgusting level of drunkenness.

For their own part, the recently accosted elf looks as though they would like nothing so much as to grab the man who had bumped into them by the throat and toss him clean out a window. Their expression is dark. Irritated and edged, and barely containing the urge to lash out. Common sense seems to stop them, however, even though there is a certain wildness lingering about their eyes.

Their features are quite striking, really.

She apparently is not the only one to have noticed this, as one of the patrons sitting at the table makes a move to paw at them, beaming and jovial, and perhaps assuming that this beautiful stranger had careened into their midst on purpose. The elf in question glances around at the number of people gathered around the table, possibly assessing whether or not they could bloody this group of idiots and make it the door unscathed. Aili cannot quite make out the words they are saying, but they seem polite and forced, and do not appear to be of much use in deterring the human from attempting to tug them down onto his chair.

Having a large mug of cider splashed in his face seems to deter him well enough, though.

“I’m so sorry, Ser!” Aili exclaims with an affectation of dismay, reaching over to not-so-gently wipe at the human’s face with a somewhat dirty napkin from the table, “The long day of walking was just so tiring. I’m afraid it seems to have made me a bit clumsy.”

She thinks she hears the recently accosted elf snort in amusement, but she doesn’t have the chance to shoot a grin in their direction before she finds herself being roughly pulled into one of the other patron’s laps.

“I’m sure Mason isn’t upset with you in the least, are you Mason? There’s a good chap,” the man who grabbed her bellows directly against the side of her face. Fanning her nose and mouth with hot, moist, alcohol-scented breath that nearly makes her gag. He is brown-haired and barrel-chested, with square-cut, regular features. Not really all that unappealing, for a human. Though if his hands keep wandering in the direction they seem to be headed, she is going to be sorely tempted to break his nose. “After all, who could stay mad at a cute little trick like you, eh?” he coos at her with what is probably meant to be a dashing grin.

Aili does her best to force a smile.

“You are…very forbearing, Ser,” she commends him in a strained voice, “Me and my friend didn’t mean to disturb you, but since there doesn’t seem to be any real damage done, we’ll just be on our way, now.”

She struggles to rise, but finds herself quite thoroughly pinned against the stranger’s chest.

“Oh, come now,” he chuckles warmly into her neck, “There is no need to be coy. You’ve got one of the oldest trades in the world. You look clean enough, and your boldness in approaching us directly is hardly off-putting. I’d say maybe try for a more subtle lure next time, yes? Might be a trifle embarrassing subject for a less virile man. But I suppose all this talk of peace has got your kind a bit desperate. No shame in earning an honest sovereign where you can.”

“W-what?” Aili stammers, genuinely confused, tossing a worried glance at the elf she’d helped earlier. They frown at the human, but don’t seem quite set on moving against him just yet. Possibly weighing the odds again. “I…I’m not looking for any sort of work, Ser. I’m just here with my friend. For the conclave. Like everybody else.”

“Of course,” the human hums blithely, “There is plenty of work for your friend, too. Everyone at this table probably wouldn’t mind helping the pair of you out. Would we boys? That’s right. Might even earn yourselves a little extra if you know what you’re about.”

“Listen, you-” Aili begins, annoyed and possibly just the tiniest bit afraid, but before she can comment on where exactly this self-absorbed prick can shove his coin, she finds herself being pulled out of the nobleman’s clutches and into the arms of the mysterious elf who had gotten her into this mess. An impressive feat, since they don’t actually look like they could physically overpower him -they’re only a few inches taller than she is, and not especially bulky- but maybe that cloak and armor is concealing a lot more muscle tone than she’d thought.  

“We are hired swords, not camp followers…Ser,” they explain. Their tone is light, but Aili gets the distinct impression that they are holding in a significant amount of disdain. “And I would appreciate it if you did not distress my wife.”

“Your wife?” the man blinks at them.

“Your wife?” Aili echoes in a low hiss.

They smile down at her with manufactured fondness, as well as what appears to be no small amount of amusement at her reaction.

“Ah…y-yes,” she manages to stammer out a few seconds later, glancing over at the group of drunken noblemen, who still seem to be sizing both of them up like hunks of meat, “This is my…beloved…spouse. Who I am travelling with. Willingly.”

“But…” the keg-shaped man who had grabbed her begins, clearly puzzled, “Aren’t you both women? Chantry doesn’t allow that sort of thing, right? So, you can’t be married.”

“Don’t look much like mercenaries, either,” another man offers with a scrutinizing frown.

“I…am not a woman,” her impromptu partner answers stiffly.

“Wait… So, that means you’re a man?” the noble sputters, looking them up and down, “But your features are so delicate…”

Aili feels the elf’s hands tighten around her, sharp gauntlets just beginning to prick through her leathers, and she decides that now is definitely the time to vacate the situation.

“Well, regardless of all that, we are married,” she forces out, making moves to shift herself and her new associate away from the table of humans, “Happily married. And out on the road to reach the conclave, where the rest of our…mercenary friends, are waiting for us to join them. We’re sorry to have bothered you. And for any confusion. Have a nice…evening. Drinking.”

This gives rise to a series of grumblings from the nobles and knights and whatever else they might be outside of slovenly and human, but none of them try to get up to stop them from retreating. Mercifully.

“…You are a terrible liar,” the mysterious elf informs her once they have both gotten a safe distance away from the table.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting to find myself married to a complete stranger in the middle of a conversation,” she snaps, “If you don’t like the way I handled things, you can fend for yourself next time.”

“You assume I am ungrateful,” they note, arching a brow at her, “I can assure you that is not the case. I was simply taking not of your…unique style of rendering aid.”

“Well, sorry if my assistance didn’t live up to your exacting standards, I didn’t have a lot of time to think of anything better,” Aili replies sourly, “I suppose the next time I see someone in distress, I should simply walk over and announce our marriage.”

To her surprise, they laugh, not seeming offended in the least.

“Depending on the situation, it might not be the worst idea you could come up with. Especially if the person you aim to save is anything like you,” they smirk. “So, do I get the privilege of learning my lovely wife’s name?”

They toss a wink at her, and she makes a face at them in response.

“…I’m Aili,” she tells them after a moment’s pause, “And I’m not your wife.”

“And I am Uthvir,” they return, still smirking, “And I am deeply wounded by your rejection of my suit.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive,” she says with a roll of her eyes, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go see if there is still a room in this dump I can rent for the night.”

“No point, I’m afraid,” Uthvir says, growing more amused by the minute, “I purchased the last one myself when I came in.”

Aili heaves a sigh.

“Well, it certainly won’t be the first time I’ve had to sleep outdoors,” she says tiredly, turning to head back towards the inn’s entrance, “Dareth shiral, Lethallen.”

“I would not advise that,” they tell her, moving to block her path and shooting a furtive glance back at the table full of potential harassers, “Some of our recent…acquaintances might be a bit put out over their sudden lack of evening entertainment. If they see you leaving on your own, they might come to suspect that we are not actually wed.”

“We aren’t,” Aili reminds them bluntly.

“That is beside the point,” Uthvir insists with a dismissive wave of their hand, “Fishing you out of their clutches will have been a total waste on my end, if you intend to go wandering right back into them.”

“Fine,” she huffs out, “Then where do you suggest I sleep? Since you seem to have all the answers.”

They stare at her for a long moment, pensive, before finally letting out a long grating breath.

“I suppose it would remiss of me if I let my ‘wife’ fend for herself against a horde of potential brigands,” they say with a façade of nonchalance, though there is still a subtle uneasiness in their continence. A sharpness lingering behind their eyes. “Under the circumstances, you…may stay with me. If you like.”

Her eyes go wide at the suggestion, and she takes a minute to do some considering of her own. On the one hand, spending the night with this stranger hardly seems more advisable than spending the evening out in the woods and risk being jumped by other strangers. But they seem genuine enough, and they did not leave her to the mercy of drunken nobles, even when they could have. And besides which, they are one of the People, and while their vallaslin does not earn them all of her trust, it grants them enough of it for this.

“…Alright,” she nods at them hesitantly, “Though I feel I should give you fair warning that if you decide to kill me and steal all my possessions, you’re likely going to end up disappointed.”

“Noted,” Uthvir replies with a quirk of their brow and a sweeping arm gesture as the usher her in the direction of their room.

There is only one bed.

Of course, there is only one bed. She does not know why the though had not occurred to her before, but it seems like it should have been obvious given the size and…rustic nature of the inn they are staying at. She stares at it accusingly, a narrow and slightly moldering thing, likely padded with straw that hasn’t been changed in more than a month.

There is no way both of them could manage to sleep on it comfortably without getting…close.

“I can sleep on the floor,” Aili offers, “It’s not so different from an aravel, and your coin paid for the room. Which…I can reimburse you for my share of it, if you like… Or…well…at least some of it.”

“No need,” Uthvir waves her off, “Consider your share of the room as repayment for the drink you sacrificed to deter my would-be assailants. As for the sleeping arrangements, there is no need for you to be uncomfortable. I wanted the room more than the bed. Feel free to use it at your discretion, I will be passing the night in the chair.”

“You’re going to sleep in the chair?” she echoes doubtfully, casting a glance at the spindly piece of furniture crammed into the corner next to a lopsided table.

“I find I do not need much in the way of sleep,” they explain with a shrug, “A few hours of light dozing will see me through the next day easily enough.”

“That…does not sound particularly healthy,” she returns with a slight frown.  

“I promise that I am quite healthy,” they smirk, showing off a hint of what appears to be a set of very sharp teeth, “I could give you a demonstration, if neither of us plan to use the bed for anything else in the near future.”

“I’m fine with simply taking you at your word,” Aili snorts, “And if you really aren’t going to do anything with the bed other than some sort of exercise, then I’m going to sleep in it. If you really don’t mind.”

They arch a brow at her as though she has said something strange.

“I do not mind,” they assure her after a moment’s pause.

She gives them an odd look of her own, but decides to let things be, setting her pack down and digging around for her sleep shirt. She doesn’t think much of going through her usual evening routine until she’s out of her armor and pulling her tunic off. Her new friend makes a sound from the corner with the chair where they’ve settled themselves, and she turns to glance inquisitively back at them.

“You don’t have much in the way of inhibitions, do you?” they wonder, blatantly staring at the bared skin of her chest and stomach, “Or is this meant to be an invitation?”

“I…already said you could have the bed if you wanted it,” she reminds them, confused, “But I’m not sure what you think I should be embarrassed about, exactly. I don’t know how your clan does things, but we have to change clothes in front of each other all the time. Unless…I’m making you uncomfortable somehow?”

“Not in the least,” Uthvir hums in reply, eyes still warm and roving, “So long as you don’t expect me to offer you a similar display.”

“If you want to sleep in stabby, uncomfortable armor, that is entirely your own business,” Aili shrugs, finally tugging on the loose billowy shirt she prefers for sleeping and climbing into the bed. “Good night.”

“Sleep well,” Uthvir offers quietly in return.

She lays down, curls under the thin blanket, and presses her eyes shut. Uthvir is quiet, and the room is dark, but somehow she can still feel them there. A strangely shifting presence on the edge of her senses. A prickle at the back of her neck. Almost as though the Veil is thin around them, and she can feel the magic of the Fade trickling into the room. Unsettling.

“Are you really just going to crouch over there like a gargoyle all night?” Aili grumbles from half way in her pillow.

“I believe I said that was my intention,” Uthvir drawls from their chair, “Do you need me to tuck you in?”

“No,” she grunts in reply, “but it would be great if you could stop…lurking. It’s creepy.”

“And what, exactly, would you prefer?” they wonder.

“I don’t know,” she whines, “Maybe just lay down like a normal person?”

“If this is your attempt at being alluring, I must say, it is very strange,” Uthvir says.

“I just want to sleeeep,” Aili moans, “I don’t care if that means we have to share the bed. We’re both sorta small, we’ll fit. Just…stop…looming.”

“But I enjoy looming,” Uthvir says with an air of distinct amusement.

“Pleeeeeaaaaaassssee,” she whimpers plaintively, “I’m so tired…”

“You are that eager to share your bed with a stranger?” they ask doubtfully.

“S’just sleeping,” Aili mumbles, “You don’t really seem the type to murder me just for fun. Probably. …Are you?”

“Not without sufficient cause,” Uthvir assures her. They go quiet for a moment, and then she hears the sounds of faint footfalls making their way across the floor. Her mind is a bit bleary at the moment, but it strikes her as odd that they are capable of moving so quietly in all that gear. The bed shifts, and she can feel the solid weight of them beside her. The sound of their breathing in a steady even rhythm in the dark.

Like sharing an aravel back home.

“Thank you,” she sighs out.

“Go to sleep,” Uthvir instructs stiffly.

Aili curls further into the blankets, tucks her face beneath her arm, and does as she is told.~They are gone by the time she wakes, even though it is still early enough for the rosy light of dawn to be fighting its way through the grubby windows of the inn. Aili doesn’t think too much of it, other than a vague regret that she didn’t get to properly thank them for sharing their room. As luck would have it, the men they who had attempted to buy them for the evening also seem to have vacated the premises, and she sets out towards the village of Haven and the Conclave with only the slightest edge of nervousness settling along her spine. The anticipation of long-awaited excitement about to come to fruition.

The pace she sets for herself is leisurely. It will be much easier to mingle into the crowd once the talks have already begun and people are distracted. She takes her time trying to locate a few deer paths through the mountains as she goes. Escape routes, in case things get ugly.

When the mountain explodes, Aili finds herself being thrown several feet down a steep slope and slamming headlong into a tree.

She wakes in a cell, but is released after minimal questioning by a pair of angry human women. Apparently, the Divine is dead, along with most of the people who attended the Conclave. There is a huge tear in the sky and some human fell out of the Fade with a mark on their hand. She was never their prime suspect, but they are clearly grasping at straws.

She sticks around for a few days. She has a twisted ankle, and her head wound leaves her with occasional bouts of lingering dizziness. There are templars here, which she is not particularly thrilled about, but there are other mages to seek refuge with, and people who could be helped with her magic and her knowledge of wild medical herbs. She’s still in training, but she has more experience than most of the human mages, who have barely traveled farther than the confines of their Circles.

It is not until Aili has been working for the fledgling Inquisition for well over a week that she finally runs into the fabled ‘Herald of Andraste.’

“I say, you there! Girl!”  a voice calls from behind her, and she winces as the memory of pungent ale-breath rises to the surface of her mind, “Come over here and take my horse to the stables. Make sure the stable hands take a bit more care with his tack this time, won’t you? Can’t have the Herald of Andraste showing up someplace looking like an average peon, now, can we? No. Hurry back with something for me to drink and there might even be a copper or two in it for you.”

“Ser, I’m afraid you have me confused for someone else…” she says, doing her best to keep her head lowered. Hoping that he won’t recognize her face.

“Nonsense!” he insists, “I’m sure I’ve seen you around here before. Hard to forget a pretty little thing like you. Well. You know. For an elf. I’m sure you do well enough among your own kind, eh? Even with all the strange…”

He makes a vague gesture towards his forehead.

“I’m Dalish,” Aili explains frowningly.  

“Oh,” he says with a careless shrug, “I suppose that explains the strange armor and the lack of shoes, too. Jolly good of you to set aside all that heathen nonsense to come and serve the Inquisition. I’m Richard Trevelayn, as I’m certain you already knew, Herald of Andraste.”

“I’m…Aili,” she grates out slowly, “And I’m not a servant or a stable hand. I’m a mage.”

“Yes, well, don’t worry, I’m not the sort to hold that against anyone,” he smiles at her, “That’s what we’ve got Tempars here for, right? You just do your work like usual and there won’t be any trouble.”

“I was trying to,” Aili snaps, finally looking him straight in the eyes.

“I say!” Trevelyan exclaims, “Aren’t you… Yes! You’re that strange woman from the inn who threw cider all over poor old Mason. …Weren’t you travelling with your husband?”  

“I…uh…lost them?” Aili tries, edging away from him carefully.

“Well, that is just…shocking, isn’t it?” he says, moving forward to crowd her again, “Yes, I can see it in your eyes. A real blow. Well then. Never let it be said that the Herlad of Andraste was hard hearted. No indeed. If you ever need a good cry or…you know…any other sort of comforting, you just come to me, all right? A woman needs a good strong shoulder every now and then, doesn’t she?”

“Well…that’s…just…” Aili stammers, disgusted, and offended, and altogether uncertain of how to extract herself from the situation without causing a scene.

“Aili!” a voice rings out from a few feet away. She turns around just in time for a figure in red to sweep her off her feet. Spinning her around twice before setting her down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “My darling wife. I thought I’d lost you.”

“Uthvir!” Aili blurts, completely blindsided, and blushing all the way to the tips of her ears. “What are you…” she casts a wary glance at their audience, “I mean, I’m so glad to see you! When we were separated, I was certain the blast from the Breach had killed you. I was…inconsolable. For days.”

“What’s this?” Uthvir asks wrapping their arms more firmly around her and smiling, thoroughly amused, “No kiss to greet your wayward spouse?”

“O-of course…” she forces out a reply, her own smile freezing on her face.

She cups their face in her hands gently, leaning up to claim a brief, chaste kiss. She pinches their ear in discreet retaliation. Uthvir winks, unrepentant.

“I’m…very happy for you,” Richard grumbles out before walking away with his horse, casting the occasional glance back at them as though he still thinks there is something off about the two of them.

“Don’t tell me you’re staying to help the Inquisition, too?” Aili hisses out as soon as the Herald of Andraste is out of hearing range.

“Naturally,” Uthvir smirks, “And it seems to be greatly to your advantage.”

“Yes,” Aili sighs, rolling her eyes towards the heavens, “Lucky me.”