#the darkness and light duo is my soft spot

[penvisions]

stages of devotion {away from the city}

Pairing: Tired Dad! Joel Miller x Experienced Camper! Reader

Summary: The neighboring campsite hosts a tired dad who seems to be ill-equipped for what he openly admits was a rather impromptu getaway with his teenage daughter. Thankfully, you keep extra supplies in your hatchback and are willing to share.

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: canon typical language, cussing, brief mention of bleeding injury, sexual tension, pining, mutual pining, fluffiness, super soft yearning, sexual content, adult content, piv, fingering, dirty talk, pet names, depraved descriptions of the male body, just a light little piece for me!

A/N: hoping this isn't as lame as it seems in my head. imposter syndrome is flaring, y'all

ao3 link || series masterlist || navigation || ko-fi

“God dammit.” A deep, gravely voice solemnly murmurs from the next site over. Slightly muffled from inside the tent the broad-shouldered man had dipped into shortly after pulling into the parking spot in a dark blue trunk. He had managed to get it pitched in a miraculously short amount of time despite the giggling and bouncing teen tangling the guy lines and rucking up the corners of the tarp underneath.

“Everything okay, dad?” The teen in question asked as she popped up from the cooler she was digging around in, a can of soda in her grip.

“…yeah, everything’s good, baby girl.” She glanced over at you with a roll of her eyes, not believing him for a second and needing someone to share in the moment. Before she could call him on the obvious lie, a loud hissing sound ruffled the side of the tent, billowing it out in a rather funny way.

Trying to keep your laughter low to avoid attention, you got up from your spot tending to the flames of your fire, foiled single use pan over the grill plate of the pit. A casserole you had parbaked last night in preparation for today. It was a broccoli cheddar one, the noodles and chicken beginning to season the air along with the crackling pine offered for visitors at the general store at the entrance to the park. The trunk of your SUV was silent as you lifted it and scanned the supplies you had stocked up in the space.

The spare air mattress you kept was on the smaller side, but it didn’t hurt to offer it to the little father and daughter duo. You pulled the fabric of your hiking shorts down a little, to cover up the bandage over a cut you had gotten earlier that afternoon on a hike before gripping the box and walked over to the edge of your site.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Uh, give me sec!”

“Sir?” You walked over the invisible line between yours and theirs, aware of the girl now fiddling with a small MP3 player, wired earbuds already popped into her ears beneath a mane of kinky hair pulled back into low buns at the back of her head. “I’ve got an extra mattress if yours has holes in it.”

“Huh?” His head appears in the opening of the tent, dark curls tousled and slightly damp with sweat. His brown eyes were wide, his plush lips parted underneath a thick moustache. He was on his knees, prompting you to look down as you approached the tent. He looked up at you through his hooded eyes and you swore your heart jumped in your chest. He had crows’ feet at the edges of them, those and the deep wrinkle in his brow adding to his appeal.

“This is my spare, you’re more than welcome to borrow it.”

His eyes flicked behind you, gauging where his daughter was and why he hadn’t heard an interaction from her before you appeared before him with a gift in your hand and kind words on your lips. She knew how to hold her own, but he still worried for her because the world could be cruel. Her music was a low hum even from here, telling him she was gone from his world for the meantime, social battery probably low or even just a bit bored with him out here in the middle of the state park while he set things up.

“Uh, thanks. Who’re-“

“I’m from just over there,” You lean back a little to wave to the left. He had seen the hatchback parked there all day but hadn’t seen the camper until just now. You must’ve snuck back into the grounds from a mid-morning hike that begins off the campgrounds or a nap you were possibly taking in your rather clean tent. He felt self-conscious at the way he was looking up at you with wide eyes, the dirt and dust that coated everything from his cooler to his own truck to the tent he was currently kneeling in. The trip was last minute, but it just reminds him of how much better he needs to be about upkeep in his own home and garage. The truck he could get away with, but he didn’t want to bring his work home with him more than he already did. “We’re campsite neighbors.”

“Mighty nice of ya, think mine has a leak somewhere.” The admittance is easy from his lips, shocking you in its honesty. The last time you had tried to offer similar help, you had been shot down and denied a chance. Told you didn’t know what you were talking about and that the person who had been having trouble knew more than you did, that you should mind your own business. Shaking the bad memory and relationship from your mind, you offer a polite smile and lean over a little to peer into the space around the man eclipsing the entrance.

“Mind if I take a look?” You set down the rather hefty box containing the spare bed and lean down to unhinge the ankle strap on your campsite sandals. It may be a little forward of you, but he seemed willing to discuss the issue, and you wanted to help any way you could. When he doesn’t protest, still gazing up at you with that doe eyed expression, you step into the rather dusty interior. The mattress is in the center of the back wall, the foot end of it facing toward your campsite. You crouch down to inspect the area around the boston valve. Just as you reached out a hand to feel around the base of it, you felt heat at your right side.

“’s over on the other side, I think.” The man’s voice was close, the baritone of it vibrating through you as you turned your own curious expression over to him. He seems to have composed himself, as he shuffles close to you, nearly pressing his broad chest into your side to motion to the left side of bed. The near contact makes you jolt, the way he had almost unconsciously fallen into your personal space. Not having been so close to anyone in recent memory makes the moment into more than it is on the surface, and you try not to let it get to your head. Just a friendly interaction, that’s all.

“Apologies,” He’s moving away just as suddenly as he had appeared beside you, leaving your heart racing in your chest so loud you hope he can’t hear it within the confines of the nylon enclosure. You can’t tell with the bright afternoon sunlight, if there’s a tinge to the tops of his ears and the back of his neck. But you’re pretty sure if there is one it’s because of his embarrassment of the thoughtless act and nothing more. A simple accident of invading a stranger’s space and nothing more.

He’s just a stranger who needed a bit of help, nothing more. Tamping down the runaway thoughts of the man and how calming his presence is even with just a few moments of interacting with him, you focus on the task at hand.

After a few moments of fiddling with the valve and ensuring its secure, you have him press down the palms of his hands on the top of the mattress as you scoot it out to feel where the air is leaking from.

There’s a slit in the groove that helps to support the weight of whoever lays atop it, barely visible.

“Ah, yeah. It’s here.” You switch places with him and he sees what you’re talking about.

“Shit,” He’s rubbing a hand over the dark scruff on his chin, dragged down the column of his neck as he realizes it’s not even a hole but a tear. A mighty long one that he’s incapable of fixing out here with no duct tape or putty.

“No worries, you can use the spare I brought over.” Standing up, you clap your hands to rid them of the dust that you had gathered on them. Doing the same with your knees, you glance around the space and realize how small it is. “Is this the only tent you brought?”

“No, uh, Sarah – my girl out there,” Joel is hunched over, the inside of the tent not tall enough for him to stand at his full height, he’s following your form as you exit, taking the offered box that contains the solution to his current problem. “This one’s hers. Gotta get mine set up. Was just gonna give her mine if hers was damaged. Saved me the pain of sleeping on the ground.”

“I’ve got a small handheld vacuum, if you want to get the dust cleared up for her.” You offer with a slight smile, the small worry of overstepping making you self-conscious. “Just…if you want to.”

He pauses as he places the box beside the slowly deflating bed he had tried to set up. His eyes catch yours and you see something flash in them.

“’m not normally this unprepared, but she was…well, she was havin’ a bad week so we packed up after school and just hit the road.”

“Hey, no worries at all! I totally get needing to get away sometimes. That’s why I have enough to offer you my spare. Keep a bit in the car, a bit in the garage. Kinda ready to go whenever I feel the need.”

“It’s much appreciated.” His own lips twist up and you feel butterflies between your ribs. He’s effortlessly handsome, his chocolate curls mused and his face showing the years he’s spent raising his daughter and no doubt working hard to do it.

“I’ll just go grab that real quick then, leave you to finish setting up.” You crook your elbow and point back to your own campsite, but your feet stick to the ground when you see Joel crouched back down on the ground in his simple tee and jeans. His biceps flex with the way he begins to roll the remaining air out of the no-good mattress, catching your attention like a cat to a sunbeam.

“You’re an angel, can’t believe we lucked out with such a cool neighbor.” Joel chuckles to himself as he works, unaware of your watching gaze. “Last time we had this older couple that didn’t believe she was mine. Kept asking if she was okay or needed any help.”

“S-Sounds like a nightmare.” The lump that appears in your throat sticks even after you attempt to swallow it down. You couldn’t imagine the stress that caused, even if just fleetingly. They were obviously bonded, their easy temperance with each other speaking volumes for those around.

“Much better this time around, despite the faulty mattress.” He looks up once it’s rolled up and secured with velcro ties. His smile is brighter, reaching his eyes in a way that makes them sparkle. “Name’s Joel, and the tone-deaf teenager out there is Sarah.”

You look over your shoulder at the dancing, twirling teenager. She’s still got her music playing a touch too loud, her lips mouthing along to most of the words. Some of them she sings aloud, and it’s…it is rather tone-deaf. But it brings a smile to your face all the same, she’s allowed to feel like she can be herself around her father. That’s an impressive feat, that they seem so close with no underlying awkwardness or feelings of insecurity.

Turning back to him, you offer your own introduction.  

The sounds of Joel finishing setting up his campsite fill the air but aren’t bothersome. Just a part of the afternoon that grows into the evening. Others showing up as well, the sound of rubber mallets securing tent spikes in the soft ground, of vinyl and tarp being stretched out and shifted into place, of grills being filled with charcoal and the sizzling of food as it hits the hot grates. Laughter and soft conversations float through the air amid the gentle breeze and you sigh as you sit down at your table with a bowl of the casserole that had finished cooking.

The peaceful reverie is enhanced by the infectious giggling of Sarah, the teenage girl just over the invisible line between the campsites. Joel’s own carefree laughter making your chest feel light. They’ve got their stuff all set up, the propane grill Joel brought working hard as he cooks what looks like too much food for just the two of them. But they both load their plates up and settled at their picnic table with freshly opened drinks from the cooler.

You feel the look before it registers, so caught up in the book gripped between your hands. It’s been on your list for far too long, a few pages read here and there throughout your hectic day, before bed as you try to wind down but end up passing out with it flattened on your chest. But now, the reading seems to be disrupted in the form of Joel. He’s at the edge of your space, calling out your name.

An offer for food if you wanted some, that there was a little bit of everything and plenty of it if you cared to join them. With no thought for the passage you had just been immersed in, you close the book and leave it in the seat of your camp chair. The vinyl hushes with the wight of the paper but you pay it no mind as you ask after what all he’s got and pick up a fresh beer from your cooler.

Easy conversation flowed and soon your laughter rung in the air alongside theirs.

Sarah had gone to bed after a bit of gentle prodding from Joel. Her head had bobbed a few times, trying her hardest to stay up despite her fluttering eyes and deep breaths as she sat in front of the dwindling fire alongside you both.

They hadn’t been able to get one going in their own pit, too much debris left behind from the previous inhabitants. So yours had been stoked and kept alive for hours now as night fell. Their chairs had been effortlessly moved beside yours, surrounding the once roaring warmth, something you hadn’t minded in the slightest. He’s walking back up to now, hands in his pockets and a flannel added over his tee. He looks so cozy, so at home now that he’s gotten settled.

He sighs heavily as he plops back down in the chair beside your own, scooting it closer now that you’re alone. You can smell the lingering scent of his cologne on the new addition of clothing and it has you unconsciously leaning into his space.

“Mm, you smell good.”

“Thanks, darlin’. You smell mighty good yourself.” He’s smirking when your eyes snap up at the realization that you just said that out loud.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry. I didn’t-“

“’s okay. But I’ve been wonderin’ something.” His tone tilts, pitches low as he regards the fire that’s more smoldering ashes than flames in the pit. The shadows cast over his profile take your breath away, make your heart ache for how beautiful he is. He’s a good man, if your evening together was anything to go by.

A devoted father, a caring family man, a capable man who worked himself perhaps too much sometimes.

“Y-yeah?” You feel the air shift, something sparking between you two now that you’re alone. You wonder if he’s about to tell you his wife is back home waiting for their return, if he’s going to ask you why you keep stealing ogling glances his way. If he’s going to reveal to you that he’s onto you and doesn’t like the attention. But his question is exactly what you wanted to hear, because you have the exact same one for him.

“You got anyone waitin’ for you back home?” Joel’s voice is even, despite the way one of his hands is tapping away at the armrest of his chair. The empty beer in his mesh cupholder sweating and the label is peeled off. It’s endearing to see his quirks, the man rather enticing despite only knowing him for a few hours. Your heart skipped a beat, butterflies tickling your insides as you realized he may be as attracted to you as you are to him. Unless he was just making polite conversation now that it was just the two of you…

“Like a boyfriend?” You dare to ask, seeking clarification. Feeling the slight charge in the air is making you a little dizzy, the looks you had caught him giving you when you were busy helping Sarah with her smores only making you feel even more so as you recall the way his eyes had shown in the amber firelight. You lean toward him, finding that he had done the same. There are only a few inches between you now, elbows crooked and bodies curved toward each other. You try to disguise your surprise, but you’re sure he can see in as his lips quick up on one side.

“Like a boyfriend.” His breath is so warm as it puffs against your lips. He’s so, impossibly close and it wouldn’t take but a tilt of your head to close the gap.

“Oh.” Your eyes search between his own, looking for something behind them. Finding no ill intent, no underlying darkness. There’s only hope flickering there, shielding the loneliness you can sense in him, the same that you mask in your own life. You feel your lips pull up into a teasing smile as you glance down at his plush lips. “No.”

“Good.” And he’s closing the gap. Hands coming up to cradle your face and nose brushing against yours as his lips capture yours.

The next morning, you’re packing up the remainder of your stuff as quietly as possible. The sun has yet to rise, the sky barely beginning to lighten on the horizon. Joel is snoring just loudly enough that you can pick up the sound coming from inside his tent. You don’t want to bother him, seeing as he’s resting after a rather long night. You feel the ghost of his lips against yours, the way they had dragged down your throat, your collarbone, lower still beneath your shoved off flannel and rucked up tank top.

“Don’t normally do this kinda thing.” He groaned into your skin as his exploring fingers undid the small tie at the front of your shorts. The thickness of them as they hooked in the waistband and pulled made you dizzy, made your body clench around nothing at the heady thought of them delving lower.

“What? Make out with strangers?” You huff a giddy laugh that turns into a choked whimper as his knuckles graze between your legs, feeling the dampness there. He presses close, and you feel the pressure of his hand against your swollen lips, can feel the way he slowly parts them with gentle movements. Fingertips find your sensitive bud and your body glitters, eyes fluttering shut.

“Make out with anyone. Been so focused on other stuff.”

“Focus on me then, just for now.” You whisper as you reach for him, guiding his face back up to yours and kissing him deeply. He swallows the moan that bursts from your chest as his fingers find your fluttering entrance. He’s knuckle deep and crooking them before you can catch your breath. It hitches, leaves you and causes you to break away from him when they nudge a spot just right, lighting up your body in a way it hadn’t been in ages.

“That’s the spot, huh darlin’?” He thrusts his fingers in a slow, deep rhythm. Feeling your soft walls clench around him, the jolt to your body and the arching of your back telling him he’s found exactly the right spot. “C’mon, you feel so damn good. Lemme see how pretty you are.”

Through a heavy-lidded gaze, you see him hovering above you. His outline stark in the glow of the string lights strung up around your campsite. His brown eyes are glittering and blown wide, his lips are parted and panting for breath, chest dusted with the same dark hair atop his head. When had he even taken his shirt off? It doesn’t matter, you lose the thought as your hands begin to explore his chest. Nails raking lightly down his pecs and toward the softness of his belly. Belt unbuckled and pants undone, but still secure around his waist.

Heat encompasses you, your body alight as he beckons you closer and closer to the edge. You fall with a cry of his name when he leans down to nip at your breast, nipple taut between his teeth. He guides you through it, fingers dragging it out before he gently removes them from your fluttering core and twitching clit.

“That’s a pretty sight indeed, darlin’.” He kisses your temple, your cheeks, your forehead. A grunt of surprise falls from him when you surge up and wrap your arms around his neck and use your feet to push his jeans off. His rumbling laughter fills the dark space as he quickly pushes them off all the way and kicks them off the bed. “Gonna let me have you, sweet girl, gonna let me feel you come on my cock?”

“Fuck, Joel, yes, please.” You rut against him as his erection bobs up toward his stomach, needing more, needing to feel him. This safe, beautiful stranger you hadn’t known existed until today. He was intoxicating. The hot, long line of him hard where you grind against the underside of him. He groans a deep, guttural sound at the feeling, the slick of your swollen lips and the beads of precum falling from his tip making for such an easy glide.

His hand snakes down to guide himself a little lower, eliciting a cry from you when his head rubs roughly over your clit.

“Shh, shh, gotta be quiet now, don’t wanna wake the whole campground, do we?” He’s watching your face twist in pleasure, the way your bottom lip plumps between teeth as you try to quiet yourself. He tries to muffle his own loud moan when he finally pushes in. Everything stills for the barest of moments, eyes meeting and breath hitching. Before he’s snapping his hips against yours, bending over you to lift a leg over his shoulder and his teeth grit as he tries to keep his sounds restrained.

You’re lost to the feeling of his body moving against yours, moving inside yours. He’s filling you so deeply, hitting that spot you didn’t believe any guy could find and it’s making your vision sparkle bright white.’

Your face heats as you recall the way he had desperately asked ‘where’ in that gravely twang of his. The feeling of him still filling you, dampening your underwear as he dribbled out a little bit at a time. It had been rather risky a move, but the pills you took everyday would help prevent any…mishaps with the handsome man you hadn’t expected to meet on your own impromptu excursion from the city.

Austin.

He was from there too and something compelled you to write your name and number on a blank page of your small notepad. A little note saying to call you for a coffee sometime because it had been nice to talk to him and his daughter. You left the remainder of the casserole in the tin and secured the crumpled foil over it before cautiously lifting the lid to their large cooler. Thankfully there was space for the extra food, they would need it with their additional night in the park.

But you needed to go, real life responsibilities calling your name back from the slice of reprieve you had sought out.

Picking up the packed tent, the handles rough in your hand like Joel’s calloused palms, you looked the campsite over one last time. Everything was packed now, the city beckoning you back though this camping trip had provided you with something you hadn’t had a taste of in a long time.

Hope.

next part

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[vividxpages]

𐙚𓏲⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃 ⋆ᡣ𐭩"guilty as sin?" ᡣ𐭩⋆๋𓂃ִֶָ ๋⋆𓏲𐙚

pairing: Jacaerys Velaryon x fem!Reader

words: 5800

summary: You always thought Jace could not be in love with you, his best friend’s little sister, but a dramatic incident during one of Cregan’s house parties reveals the truth.

warnings: modern au, pining, not so unrequited love, reader is Cregan’s little sister and a huge bookworm, Jace is Cregan’s best friend, fluff and falling in love, angst (mentions of childhood trauma/almost drowning), hurt/comfort, first kiss

a/n:  i fought for my life uploading this via my phone, all the formatting from google docs went wooosh haha. Just a little something and different from what I wrote for Jace so far <3 The pool scene is inspired by the Maxton Hall series - if you watched it, you’ll know why ;) 

-⋆ ˚｡⋆୨ ☁️📖🤍୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

Your brother Cregan had met a new friend, during one of his vacations with his boys. Someone had asked the curly haired boy if he wanted to join and just like that, Jacaerys had become Cregan’s friend.

It was easy like that, sometimes.

But when your brother brought Jace over for the first time and you were reading in the living room, deeply lost in your book and not prepared for visitors, things quickly got much more complicated.

He was cute and completely unaware of it as you shook hands and he gave you an adorable smile that made you weak in the knees. 

In the beginning, you thought he was like a ghost in your home, only appearing from time to time and briefly, but always leaving goosebumps on your skin when he shyly waved at you. Just his sight alone was enough to make you want to bury your face in your book. You wanted to become his friend, too. Until you wanted to be more than that.

And over the months, their duo became a trio as you joined them more and more often, curled up on your brother’s bed as he and Jace played a video game or going out with them for food or random drives.

You laughed together - it was so so easy to laugh with Jace - and you got to know him better when he told you about his big family and how nice it was to retreat into your quieter family’s house sometimes.

You caught yourself watching him more and more when no one was looking, daydreaming about what it’d be like to be close to him, to kiss his pouty lips and be his girlfriend…

But you were a trio now and you two were only connected by your older brother in the end.

But god, how inevitably you had fallen for Jacaerys, how impossible it was to forget about these desires.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃🥛 ࣪ ִֶָ.

It didn't take long until Jacaerys followed you into your dreams. 

When you were sleeping, especially after you had read a couple pages of your favorite romance novels, he came to you, surrounded by smoke and fog. And for only a short lived dream, you could see each other together, doing things you wouldn't dare to think about during the day.

It was maddening and perfect and everything you wanted, but when you woke up, you were alone still.

You stared at the ceiling of your room, sighing deeply. Tucking your favorite stuffed animal, a small wolf with spotted fur, back under your blanket, you slid out of bed, in need of a distraction from fantasizing about kissing your brother's best friend.

You tiptoed down the staircase, silently slipping into the kitchen and feeling around the wall for the lightswitch. 

"Don't get scared, I'm here." A soft voice came from the darkness and as you switched the light on, you spotted Jacaerys sitting at the kitchen table. 

His hair looked disheveled from sleeping and he wore a long shirt and boxers, sheepishly looking at you with his phone in his hands.

Your hand itched to tuck a loose curl behind his ear for him.

“What are you doing awake?” You whispered, shuffling closer and rubbing your eyes with a yawn.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He smiled warmly at you, shrugging.

“I live here and I wanted a midnight snack.” You gave back. You rarely were alone with Jace lately, he and Cregan seemed to have reached a new stage in their friendship where it wouldn’t have surprised you if your older brother took his favorite Velaryon to the bathroom with him. “Is Cregan snoring?”

Jace chuckled quietly. “No. I just wanted to check my phone in case my cousin Rhaena texted me. My brothers are on a little trip with her and I want to make sure they’re okay and not homesick. They seem fine though, she sent me a picture of them eating ice cream earlier.”

Your chest ached funnily at the way he talked so lovingly about his family. But you knew Cregan’s habit as the oldest son all too well, needing to make sure you were okay all the time and you didn’t miss the way Jace smiled sadly at the picture on his phone after showing it to you.

“I bet they have the most amazing time and can’t wait to tell you all about it once they’re back.” You assured him and before you would have thought twice about it, you reached out and squeezed his shoulder. Your touch lingered, just a little moment too long and your eyes met. 

Your breath hitched at his dark eyes on yours, shimmering in the soft kitchen light. You were both barefoot, in your sleeping clothes and your hair was open and uncombed and your heart was way too open for this time of the night.

You heard him exhale softly as you drew your hand back, feeling as if you had burned yourself. But why did you want to throw yourself wholly into his flames then?

“Would you like a chocolate milk?” You offered, the moment between you vanished. “It always helps me get back to sleep again.”

Jace furrowed his brows. “Cregan’s crazy for them too. He told me earlier you’re out of any chocolate milk.”

You grinned knowingly, walking past him and illuminating yourself in the cold light of the open fridge. “Yeah, that’s because he doesn’t suspect me hiding them behind the healthy stuff he avoids.”

Brushing past your yogurts and meal preps for your summer job, you produced two small milk cartons, shaking them victoriously. 

Jace grinned at you and it only made you a little bit weak in the knees. "You're brilliant."

"I'm trying to survive with my vacuum cleaner of a hungry brother." You joked and handed him a carton, the two of you content as you began to sip on the sweet chocolate milk.

Under the soft light of the kitchen lamp, Jace and you forgot about time as you shared whispered stories with each other, your drinks soon becoming empty and replaced by new ones.

His gentle and unhurried words were good at calming down your entire body and soon, you felt your eyes drooping.

"I think we should both go back to bed now." Jace whispered. "I told Cregan we'll go play some basketball tomorrow morning and I want to beat him."

You laughed at the thought of your giant of a brother going up against Jacaerys. "Well, good luck to you."

With a tiny yawn, you stood up and smiled at him once again. "Thank you for the conversation, Jace. Sleep well."

"Goodnight." Jace said softly and for a moment, you lingered in the doorway, imagining if you weren't leaving. Imagining the two of you, him with you in his lap, pulling you closer as you kissed.

But you could dream about these things.

With one last smile, you left him, although your heart ached to stay with him for just a little longer.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🍋.

One afternoon, you were reading by the pool in the backyard. 

You had just come back after your shift at your holiday job, helping out in a little bookshop downtown, and were now ready to relax all day.

On a small table next to your sun lounger stood a carafe of freshly pressed lemonade and the bookish harvest of the day, ready to be devoured by you until the sun went down.

The garden gate by the house rattled and you looked up, your hands nearly forgetting to put a bookmark between the pages as you spotted Jace letting himself in. 

Your mouth went dry at his appearance, dark sunglasses holding back his curls, his white shirt a stark contrast against them. Illuminated by your kitchen lights or the sun itself, it didn't seem to matter for him. 

He was so pretty, it almost made you want to look away, but you couldn't. You never could. And wasn’t this the root of the problem?

You swallowed against the dryness in your throat. “Hey.”

“Hi.” He smiled sheepishly at you before he looked up to Cregan’s window. “Cregan is not home yet?”

You shook your head. “Nope. It’s just me right now. Should I tell him you stopped by?”

He scratched his neck, a little helpless. “Um…if it’s okay, I could stay and wait for him? I like spending time with you, too, if that’s alright.”

You wanted to bury your face in your hands and giggle like stupid. You didn’t. “Yes, of course, no worries. Would you like a lemonade?”

Jace gratefully took the glass from your hands, your knuckles brushing against one another. “Thanks. You can continue reading if you want, just act like I’m not here.”

You thought about the steamy chapter you had just begun reading and considered your options. If you read, it was like every character the narrator was in love with became Jace. In your head, you two had already kissed and made love a thousand times like this. If you continued reading those longing and hot scenes with Jace so close to you, you were afraid you’d actually implode.

You watched him closely as he sat down by the edge of the pool, abandoning his shoes so he could dangle his long legs into the water.

The words in front of you melted together on the page, making it impossible to continue reading when he was so close to you.

Shifting on your sunchair, you allowed yourself to simply look at Jace who tilted back his head, closing his eyes against the sun and appreciating the quietness of the backyard. You wanted to go to him and kiss him on the lips. You wanted to go inside and splash very cold water on your face to stop these thoughts from happening.

“You know, I never see you swimming in here.” Jacaerys looked at you curiously, eyes scrunched together a little from the sun and probably the fact he was not wearing his contacts. 

You shrugged, a little shy out of the sudden. “I used to, when I was younger. But…not anymore.”

“What happened?” Jace looked at you, curious yet a little worried.You tried to shrug it off, only to realize there was no shame in you when you talked to him. He waited for you, patiently so, but somehow you knew he would’ve let it go if you wanted it.

“We were on vacation once, Cregan, Sara and I, with our parents.” You told him and in your mind you could see the three of you playing together in the garden, your brother giving you a piggyback ride as Sara laughed in delight. “I wanted to go swimming in the morning, but no one was awake yet, so I snuck out. I just couldn’t wait to get into the pool. But I underestimated how deep it was and I couldn’t hold myself up well enough then…Cregan had woken up when he heard me leave and found me. I scared everyone, but I was okay, just coughed up some water and was shocked at my own boldness. Ever since, the pool and I are not really on good terms.”

Jacaerys looked at you, eyes filled with consternation and empathy. “I’m sorry you had an experience like this. That must’ve been very scary.”

You looked at him with surprise, but there were no jokes in him, only sympathy. “It was, but it’s okay. I was…six, I think, so it’s long behind me.”

“This whole pool is a waste if you can’t enjoy it.” Jace tried to lighten the mood and as always, his playful tone lured a smile out of you. A certain sparkle danced through his eyes and you knew whatever came next could not be taken seriously: “What would you like to have instead of it? A garden library maybe, for all your books? Maybe I can convince Cregan to cement the pool shut once your parents are gone next weekend.”

You laughed, a warm rush blossoming through you at the mention of your own little library. He knew how much you read and he had no clue you were seeing him in every love interest of your cheesy romance novels… “I bet my parents would love that and totally not…murder us once they’re back.”

As you laughed together, the small weight on your chest lifted itself and the memory from your story faded again, nothing but a distant thought of the past. 

Cregan came home a little later and as he and Jace left to go up into his room, the two of you smiled at each other one last time, as if you were sharing a secret no one knew but you now.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🍿.

It was getting late, but Tuesday was movie night and neither of the three of you wanted to pull out of it first. 

Cregan, Jace and you had pushed the couch table to the side and splayed blankets and pillows all over the carpet earlier.

To our feet was the rest of your movie snacks, but only a half-full bowl of popcorn remained which you passed back and forth from time to time.

When Cregan had suddenly not grabbed the bowl from you anymore, you and Jace had shared a knowing look.

Your brother was snoring softly, his head tilted back and arms entwined in front of his broad chest. He was out cold, completely oblivious to the movie still running quietly on the TV screen.

But you and Jace were still awake.

And out of the sudden you realized that you had never sat so close to each other. Your shoulders were almost touching and somewhen, your legs had ended up underneath his blanket, your fuzzy socks brushing against his calf.

You willed your breathing to remain regular, seemingly impassive as you continued to watch the movie, but you simply could not concentrate, not when Jace’s presence so close to you clouded all your senses like this.

The atmosphere was thick with tension and you wondered if all of this was only happening in your mind. You took a deep breath and reached for the popcorn again.

Tiny lightning struck you as your fingers brushed against Jace’s, neither of you pulling back.

You took all your courage and looked up to him, his burning gaze already resting on you. You swallowed thickly, unable to look away and when you felt his thumb brushing over your knuckles, you were sure you were going mad.

It seemed like Jace couldn’t look away either and a full-body shudder went through him when your leg shifted against his.

“You can sleep.” Jace whispered into the darkness, gulping hard. “I’ll switch the TV off later. I…I’ll watch over you.”

I don’t want to sleep. I want you and I’m afraid of what happens to me if I can’t have you.

But you feared your own words and the impact that they might have, destroying everything Jace and you had become over the last couple of months.

What if dreams were safer than reality, where nothing could hurt or disappoint you?

Your head fell softly against Cregan’s shoulder, sweet oblivion already pulling you under at the outlook of his sweet promise to you. 

As you drifted asleep, you could’ve sworn there was a featherlight brush over your thigh, four little invisible letters forever imprinted into your soft skin

m…        

...i...           

 …n...                      

…e

And as he watched your breath evening out, Jacaerys sighed deeply, his head bumping against the cushions of the couch and trying to calm down his pounding heart.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ📖.

The weekend came and Cregan and you watched your parents’ car leave the driveway, your arms slung around each other as you waved at them before they drove out of sight.

Your brother and you were standing together for a moment of silence until you said: “If tonight escalates in any way, I’m telling mom.”

“If you sneak downstairs and drink with the guys, I’m telling dad.”

You snorted, unimpressed. “Please, I’d rather lock myself in my room all weekend long if it means I can avoid your stupid house party.”

Later that day, when it had gotten dark outside and the lawn was plastered with abandoned bikes and a few cars parked nearby, you realized how painfully true you had spoken.

Cregan’s party had been going strong for a while now and you felt like a hermit, hiding upstairs in your room to avoid the chaos that was probably taking place downstairs.

You had curled up by the window with a book, but couldn’t find peace. 

Every minute, someone downstairs was calling for a toast or more shots which was celebrated by everyone. Music was blasting through the speakers and you groaned internally at the way the vibrations could be felt through your carpet.

Cregan could only pull this because the neighbors loved him for helping out here and there sometimes and because he always miraculously managed to clean up the house like nothing wild had ever occured here.

When you heard something shatter downstairs, you had enough.

You closed your book and got up. 

Sure, you had wanted to stay away from all the fuzz Cregan’s friends made, but this was still your house. You were allowed to move around whenever you wanted.

You muttered the words to yourself as you closed your door behind you, stomping down the staircase Cregan had declared taboo for everyone.

No one really took notice of their host’s little sister as you walked down the hallway, past many guests who were lingering by the walls and chatting with each other.

Making your way past the living room, you could see that the couch table had been pushed back for more space to dance, but the kitchen was relatively empty compared to the rest of the house.

There were multiple open pizza cartons on the counter and you grabbed yourself an extra cheesy slice as you looked around, amazed at how none of these people seemed to care who was walking around here. 

All except one.

“I thought you might’ve taken refuge tonight at Baela’s.” Jace said behind you and you turned around with a sigh, smiling at him in playful annoyance.

“I wish I could’ve, but she is not in town as you might know.” You told him, munching on your pizza. “She’s at some bonding activity dinner with her dad.”

Jace hummed knowingly. “I heard. So you had no choice but to suffer the consequences of Cregan’s actions?”

The two of you looked around and you winced when you heard some splashes coming from the backyard, accompanied by some carefree shrieks of delight. Jace bit his lip, a little guilty at your discomfort. 

“I’ll come around tomorrow and help him clean everything up.” He offered as a small comfort, his hand itching to rest on your shoulder like you had done to him. “There won’t be a dirty spot, I promise.”

“I know, Jace.” You sighed. “Thank you, truly. Where is my brother, by the way?”

Jace looked flustered to the ground, before smiling at you without teeth. “I think he went somewhere with a girl.”

“Of course he did.” Another loud crash went down outside and something in you snapped. “Okay, I’m going to go outside for a second, I don’t think some of these assholes realize we have neighbors, hold on-”

Jace looked over his shoulder, telling a group nearby to keep it down a little before he followed you.

For just a moment, you disappeared in the crowd and he had no idea which side you had gone for, trying to stand taller to spot you in the garden.

You quickly found the source to all the noisiness.

Three of Cregan’s guests, all boys you had never seen before in your life, were battling themselves for the biggest jump in the pool, splashing everywhere and soaking the pillows on the sun chairs with water.

“Hey.” You stared them down, blocking one of them from taking another leap in the pool. “Could you stop being an ass and jumping into the pool like a maniac? We have neighbors on each side of our backyard and it’s almost midnight, it’s so rude.”

The guy grinned down at you, looking over his shoulders to his smirking friends. “Did you hear that, guys? I think Cregan’s mom just came home, are you the fun police or what?”

You stared at him, irritated at such rude behavior. “I’m just telling you to calm down a little or I’ll kick you out, how’s that?” You might’ve been only Cregan’s little sister, but growing up with a fiercely protective brother like him, you had learned to stand your ground. And you were not scared of an idiot who looked like he had pissed his pants.

“Aww, I think you need a little fun, don’t you think?” He looked down on you, stepping closer until you felt the need to step back. “How about a little cool-off for you, huh?”

And with those words, he abruptly pushed you into the pool and everything went dark around you.

The people who had watched the heated exchange gasped and Jacaerys perked up as he heard nothing but quietness, quickly pushing his way through the crowd.

He came to a sudden stop at the edge of the pool, his eyes flickering back and forth between the guys standing by the edge and the water’s surface, its softening waves quietening down.

But underneath it, illuminated by the night lamps of the pool, he saw you and his eyes widened.

He did not think, did not even hesitate before he jumped into the water after you.

The surprising cold was like a shock to his system, his wet clothes dragging him down to where you floated, your eyes wide open but unseeing as you watched the bubbles around you.

Suddenly, you were six again and you couldn’t move.

You thought you were dying and no one would know, no one would know what you still had to say.

You wanted to kick and scream, to do something goddammit, but you were paralyzed by the sudden overwhelming scare.

Jace blinked and pushed himself forward, icy fear shooting through his veins when you gave no reaction that you had taken any notice of him. But the fear was quickly joined by the rage, anger over you, the most innocent being in this whole house, having been the one who took the most damage tonight...

Jace and you broke through the surface, the air rushing back into your lungs all at once and making you gasp painfully. Disoriented, you clung to Jace's shirt, looking around wildly as he pulled you close and soothed you.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, it's okay, love." He murmured near your ear and you felt your body slump, not able to hold yourself up yet.

You felt his hands on your waist and then, with one hand around your back and the other supporting the back of your knees, he walked towards the low end of the pool, carrying you out as if you weighed nothing.

You painfully became aware of how quiet it had gotten around you. Everyone in the garden was looking at you, shocked and a little ashamed that a foul joke like that had escalated into something so serious.

Something ugly and hot burned in your throat and you buried your face in Jace's wet neck, holding on to him for dear life and wishing everyone would just disappear.

A helpless whimper escaped you and Jace held you only tighter. "It's okay, I got you. I won't let anything happen to you, we're almost out."

Both of your clothes hung heavily down your bodies as he left the pool with you, throwing one last deathly glance at the guy who messed with you before he made his way towards the house, still mumbling little sweet nothings in your ear as you tried to regulate your breathing to no avail.

You shivered even as you entered the warm house and simply tried to focus yourself on Jace. He efficiently made his way through your home and before you knew it, he was walking up the taboo staircase, going straight to your room.

You quietly sniffled to yourself, letting him carry you a few more steps before he gently set you down on your bed. He looked around, one hand brushing back his wet hair, and found your fluffy bathrobe hanging by the door.

"Can I?" He asked lowly, his heart aching at your slumped form on the bed. This whole incident had deeply shaken you to the core. "You're going to be cold soon if you don't get out of your…wet clothes."

If the situation had been different, you'd match his fierce blush, but it was like every feeling of shame had vanished from your chest and only left you empty. You nodded silently, taking the bathrobe he handed you before he turned around and faced the door.

You quickly slipped out of your clothes and sighed when you were enveloped by the fluffy robe.

"You can look again…" You told him and he turned around with a shaky exhale.

Normally, his job here was done now. He could go, rejoin the party and find Cregan so he'd kick those guys out.

But Jace could not imagine a single place where he was needed more in this moment than right here, with you.

"Should I make you a tea?" He broke the silence, fidgeting with his hands. When one of his younger brothers was hurting, he'd always make it better with a hug, but you were different, you were so much more-

"Can you just hold me for a while?" You pulled the rope tighter around you, your wet hair still clinging to your neck and cheeks. "Please?"

Maybe the leap into the pool had made you silly. It was bold and daring and you had no right to ask him of this, but your heart had spoken deeply from its core and you found that you did not wish to take the words back.

Jace's gaze softened at your plea. "Of course." He mumbled softly and sat down beside you.

A heavy shudder ran through you as his arms pulled you against him and you gladly fell into his side; letting yourself be held like a small child, your hands clinging to the arm wrapped around you.

You couldn't help yourself when your bottom lip started to wobble again and neither of you had to say it, he knew why this had been so scary to you. You felt his chin rest on your hair and his strong arms around you and closed your eyes, allowing yourself to be comforted by him.

You had dreamed about being held by him, more than you could ever count, but not like this. It was a bittersweet feeling and when you snuggled yourself closer to him, in need for warmth and him, Jace took a deep breath.

"We should find you a towel." He murmured, his lips ghosting over your temple just like his hand had ghosted over your thigh…

You shivered, but not because you were cold anymore.

"I don't want you to get sick."

You nodded, sitting up with him and looking deep into his eyes. He didn't seem like he was able to get up just yet, the two of you lost in each other.

He had jumped into the cold water for you, not even hesitating a second. Your heart brimmed with love for him, nearly as bad as what it felt like to drown. And god, how you wanted to drown in him…

His dark eyes flickered down to your mouth and only now, you realized how close you still were sitting together, the slip of your bathrobe revealing half of your naked thigh to him.

"Jace…" You whispered and prayed all the prelude of wanting him and not being sure if you were allowed to have him was finally over now. "I-"

The door to your room opened and in came Cregan, panting as if he had run upstairs. 

"Shit, are you okay?" He rushed to you, kneeling in front of the bed and looking you over in concern. "I was told what happened, I'm so sorry I wasn't there."

"It's okay." You mumbled, not wanting to worry him further. You already had scared Cregan badly enough for one time in your lives. "Jace helped me."

If Cregan noticed that he and you were still linking pinkies, he did not say anything about it. "I threw these fuckers out right away. The party is over."

You blinked at him. "What? You were excited about it all week. You don't have to-"

"Almost everyone is gone already." Cregan tried to smile encouragingly at you, but you could still see the worry in his eyes. "How about you'll change into something dry and I make us a snack? Are you sure you’re okay?"

"I'll leave you two." Jace announced quietly and squeezed your hand once more. "I'll go downstairs and make sure everyone is gone."

For just a moment, you did not want to let go of his hand and your fingers brushed midair before he slipped out of your grasp.

As the door closed behind him and Cregan brought you a towel for your hair, you already missed him like a lost limb.

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🌸.

Of course, what had to happen, happened; a few days later, you found yourself sick.

Neither you nor Cregan had told your parents how the party had abruptly ended, a secret deal between the two of you so they wouldn't worry too much about you and they didn't have to punish Cregan for it.

So, your days at the end of summer were spent on the couch downstairs, curled up under a blanket and frequently attended by Cregan who brought you snacks and chocolate milk. It sucked and it was boring since you quickly ran out of books, but it was better than the horrible panic that went through you when you had been thrown into the pool.

On day three though, you had a visitor.

You blinked as steps approached your little sickbed, still a bit sleepy from your afternoon nap and the delicious noodle soup that had been made for you. But to your surprise, Cregan only stood at the staircase, smiling fondly at you before disappearing upstairs, making room for Jace who had waited behind him.

Your heart skipped a beat and a thousand thoughts rushed through your head. When had you showered the last time, did you comb your hair this morning, were you-

"Hey." Jace said softly. "I wanted to see if you were feeling better."

"A little." You smiled at him, sitting up and placing your wolf in your lap as he walked towards you. "You didn't have to come though, I don't want you to get sick."

He brushed your worries away and sat down on the carpet in front of your couch. "I brought you some tea. Raspberry was your favorite, right? And then, I thought you might want some new reading material."

You gasped as he conjured up a big bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back. At the first glance, it was only the most beautiful flower bouquet you had ever seen, but then you spotted a book in the middle of the blossoms.

And then another one.

And another one.

"Jace…" You whispered with wide eyes, shaking your head at him in disbelief. "You made me a flower bouquet with books?"

He bit his lip in flusteration, a pretty pink blush appearing on his cheeks. "Yeah...I went to the bookstore you work at and thought about what you might enjoy. I hope you like them, I kept the receipt just in case and-"

"Jace." You interrupted him and now it was your turn to blush as you pressed the bouquet to your chest, the new books in the middle of it already singing your name. "This is the loveliest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you, I love it so much. I bet the books you chose are wonderful."

In this moment, it didn't matter to you that you were sick and still a little nasal. The way he smiled up at you, like you were his entire world and his shoulders sagged with relief - your heart screamed at you to finally give in.

Give in to him.

The wrapping paper around your bouquet rustled against your chest as you bent forward and rested a careful hand on Jacaerys' cheek.

He looked up at you with wide puppy eyes, thunderstruck at the tender touch and then you really didn't know anymore who made the first move but it didn't matter, because then-

Your lips touched softly.

It barely was a real kiss, merely the brush of a butterflies' wing against you, but it was all you had longed for for so long.

Neither of you dared to breathe, the moment too soft and fragile to become anything deeper. But you felt him exhale shakingly, his thumb softly holding your chin to keep you close for just a moment longer. It was the softest first kiss you could’ve imagined for yourself.

You leaned back, but only a little, and watched as Jace's eyes blissfully fluttered open, fixing your own wide ones dreamily.

"If I would've known books are the way to your heart, I would've brought you some so much earlier." He confessed breathlessly.

You shook your head, your lips still tingling from this first shy kiss. "You have been in my heart since I first met you."

Jacaerys wanted to melt from the victorious roar his heart let out, a dragon taking flight. "I've been in love with you, too. Ever since Cregan introduced us."

Your hands found their way to each other before you let out a sudden laugh.

"What is it?" He wanted to know.

"I just- I kissed you."

He grinned. "Yeah, you did." And he was in need of a repetition already.

"Jace, you're going to be sick like me." You pointed out guiltily, although it didn't seem too bad to have a companion in your little misery, especially if it was him.

"Oh." He did not look like he had a single care for the consequences of your actions. 

"Are you two done yet down there?!" Cregan called from upstairs and when your eyes met, you broke into laughter and your heart blossomed at Jace's happy giggle.

It knew now that he was yours.

And you were his, just as he had once written on your upper thigh…

𓆩♡𓆪

[peachesofteal]

The Acheron

An Ichor Veil (of Flower Kings) masterlist

Ghost/Soap/female reader 10.6k words - AO3 Warnings-tags: 18+ MDNI. Modern retelling - Greek mythology AU. Hades and Persephone. Two Kings of the Underworld. Abuse (by reader's mother). Bad BDSM etiquette. Dom Simon Riley. Switch John MacTavish. Impact play, spanking. Ichor (blood) play. Non-con voyeurism. Kidnapping. Submissive reader. Reader is named Persephone but has no physical characteristics. Alcohol. Praise kink. Biting. Anal play. Subspace. Dubious consent. First they're sour, then they're sweet, then... they're sour. Tags are for your health, not mine. .A meeting, a trick, a meal.

Hebe’s is humming.

You nod to her through the crowd, a gaggle of mortals waiting at the counter, the line of them moving swiftly as they order their pastry-coffee duo for this dreary, rain slogged morning.

Her perpetually young face lights with exuberance once she spots you, and you can’t help the smile that fights into place at the sight of her. Hebe is a cherub. Soft, curved for ages, like she had been sculpted by her father himself. Today, she’s dolled up in tones of pink; pink lipstick, fuchsia stained cheeks, magenta streaks in her otherwise dark, tightly coiled hair that sits at her shoulders.

For a while, before you were brazenly corrected, you wondered if maybe your mother wanted Hebe as a daughter, instead of you. A perfect picture of untouched purity and power, an eternal cupbearer, worshipped as the goddess of Mercy. She was sweet, like her famous Portokalopita, orange syrup cake that drew a group of wanting mortals at the door every morning. She’s a stunner. A mountain of sunshine, a ray of positivity.

Sometimes, you hate her for it, even if she is one of your best friends. 

Something about her cheerful demeanor can dig at you, scrape along the sticky matter of your brain, gnaw at the soft bits that you’re still trying to protect, tender pieces that match your heart.

You follow the hall to the back room, where bookshelves taper off and large floor to ceiling windows flank the east and west sides to allow as much light in as possible. There are others here, a few mortals curled in overstuffed armchairs, books and cappuccinos in hand, light jazz soothing the atmosphere through a few hidden speakers. Healthy clematis blooms along the stair rail, purple blossoms disappearing into the second floor, where more reading rooms wait, books and plants boundless inside Hebe’s.

A place for everyone. 

You feed the clematis a little spark of magic, enough that the vine stretches, shivering and sprouting more flowers. “Aren’t you stunning this morning?” The plant curls around your fingers eagerly, imbued with the essence of power, drinking up the magic drops you encourage into its cell structure. “So healthy and strong, you’ve recovered so well.”

“Good morning.” A wraith of a voice whispers, and you catch the iridescent flicker of a cloud, of Nephele. The clematis will need pruning soon, probably next week, or maybe you can make time in the next few days, you don’t really have too much going on, just your birthday, and that delivery to Hera- 

Ghostly fingers stroke the inside of your elbow, and the cloud nymph regards you with an insightful expression. “Earth to Seph.”

“Sorry.” Your apology is meek, and she shrugs.

“I asked what you’re doing tonight?” Oh.

“Dinner… with my mom.” She nods, and says nothing, jaw clenching, apologetic grimace lining her lips.

“And Friday… Aselgeia?” The club. Your muscles tighten. It’s been over a year since you’ve been to Aselgeia, the club of many vices, the ones where mortals and creatures and gods all mix interchangeably, chasing their own pleasure. The memory of last time heats your spine: A private room. A black chair. A stranger swinging a paddle towards your bare-

Nephele coughs.  

“Yeah, definitely.” You put the box down that you’re carrying, twelve small pots containing strings of pearls, all crossbred to produce different colors, emboldened by their proximity to you in the Greenhouse for these past few months. They’ll sell well, you have no doubt. “I’ve got a few more boxes to bring inside. Don’t supposed you could do something about this slag weather we’re having?” You gesture, and she snorts.

“Hebe says they’re fighting. Probably looking at weeks of storms.”

“They’re always fighting.” You whisper it, even though most know the truth. Zeus and Hera were explosive. Tumultuous. Which is fine, you suppose, for a private life. A public life, however, one that belongs to the Golden King and Queen, should probably be a bit more… restrained.

After all, why should you and everyone else have to suffer because Hebe’s mom and dad can’t get along? 

“I’ve got a lot of cataloging to do, so I’ll catch you around. Text me after dinner tonight, if you need to talk.” She finishes quietly, kindly, but without encroaching, and you squeeze her hand with affection.

“Thanks, Nell.”

The final two boxes stack comfortably for your dash inside. You're eager to get all the plants settled so you can get back to the Greenhouse, slink away to your personal temple, your place of refuge, somewhere quiet to prepare for your dreaded birthday dinner in peace.

“Hello.” A male voice calls, accented so strangely it’s impossible to place. He waves, trying to flag you down.

“Hello?” You turn, nearly stumbling back at the sight of him.

Who is this? 

He’s stunning. Brilliant blue eyes study you from a mountaintop, taller than you by more than a head or two. His hair is short on the sides, but long in the middle, a fashion of mohawk you’re unfamiliar with except for in Hoplites, warriors who sacrifice themselves for the sanctity of the state. He’s broad, built like there’s a Herculean amount of muscle underneath his immaculately tailored midnight black suit, and his cheekbones complement the razor edge of his jaw, framing a full set of dark, plush lips.

He looks like a dream you’ve never had. A fantasy that failed fruition.

Fairer than Adonis. Brighter than Apollo. 

Butterflies kick up a fluttering frenzied in your belly.  

“Sorry to bother ye, I’m looking for Hebe’s?” Ah. You smile.

“You’ve found it. This is just the backside. Front door is around the walk to the left.” He steps closer, and you’re about to introduce yourself when you hear the whinny of a screech owl’s tremolo, a tinned melody that whistles past your ears.

Olympus tilts. Axis trembles. And so do you.

The stranger is keen, and glances around. 

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I um… it’s just that owl, I swear I saw the same one a few days ago… I didn’t think they were too common around here.”

“Dinnae think they are.” His eyes twinkle, celestial light that has you drifting, floating through time and space into starlit irises. The air turns heavy, hot- fresh fired bricks weighing down your chest, and everything spins, day turning to night, night molting black, deep hues of purple and blues streaking past your vision, spinning like moon, twisting you up until your balance is faltering, and you sway. “Whoa, hey.” Fingers fold over your arm, surprisingly cool, chilled, and it pulls you back into your body, spine uncurling, brow smoothing.

“Sorry, I…”

“Ye alright?” He’s still holding your arm, directing you to a bench, relieving you of your box in a swift motion.

“Yeah, sorry… I… I skipped breakfast.” There’s no other explanation, right? The handsome stranger tsks.

“Can I get ye somethin’? Maybe from inside?”

“No!” You blurt, horrified. Hebe would have a cow if she thought you were feeling faint or had skipped a meal. She takes caring for her loved ones far too seriously. “No, I’m almost done, and then I’ll be on my way home. I’ll eat there.” He raises an eyebrow, completely skeptical. “I swear.”

“Alright then. Let me help ye with the rest at least?” He’s standing with a hand extended, and you track the veins on the inside of his wrist until they disappear beneath his t-shirt, golden, tawny skin just barely allowing them to be seen. You wonder if it’s mortal blood that catapults through his body, or the rich, golden ichor that also spills from yours.

“Sure.” He lifts the box, gesturing for you to grab the other.

 “I’m John, by the way.” John. It simmers in the front of your mind, stitching itself into the fabric of your magic.

“Persephone. My friends call me Seph.” Bold. Too bold. 

“Ye’re Demeter’s daughter.” He comments, and you blink, fresh wave of regret curdling the sourness of your stomach.

“Yes.” Fool. Give your name to a stranger, and this is what will come. “Do you know-“

“Only in passing, dinnae worry.”

“Who said I was worried?”

“Ye wear yer emotions plainly.” Your cheeks burn, embarrassed at the blatancy of his statement. “It’s refreshing. So many of us, we play too many games, hide our true selves.” Us. Golden ones. Gods. 

“You’re Cloaking.” You intend it to be a statement, an observation, but with a tight jaw and frowning brow, it’s an accusation.

“Aye. Wouldnae want to scare ye away, would I?” What? Your steps slow, gait pausing in concern. “Sorry, ah. Bad joke.”

“Oh, that’s alright.” He carries the boxes to the door, setting them down carefully, and then rising back to his full height. You swallow the lump in the back of your throat.

“Well, John,” you say it with a hint of sarcasm, and it conveys your doubt. That’s not your real name, is it? “It was nice to meet you.” You extend your hand, expecting a shake, but he holds it with both of his, back bowing, lips softly pressing the skin of your knuckles, tender touch making your knees weak, your heart swooping and swooning.

“The pleasure was mine, Persephone.”

“Have you given anymore thought to your role in the coming year? Your presence at harvest, or planting, would do-”

“I haven’t.” The wine is too oaky, so earthy it takes like dirt, the opus of your mother’s existence, and you swallow it down in silence.

“Persephone.” She chides, like she has a million times before. “If you just tried, a little harder-“

“I am Spring, mother. Life. Rebirth. Fertility.” You ignore her wince. “But that doesn’t mean I’m well suited for crops, and grain, and harvests.”

“It means exactly that. Otherwise, the Greenhouse would not exist.” Her knife slices into a bloody piece of meat, red dripping down the sterling to her fingertips. “Why must you fight your destiny?” Your mind wanders to your visitors the other day, the sisters. The Moirai. Does she know? Is that why she’s saying this? Did she send them? “You spend so much time actively trying to deny me, holed up with your flowers and silly little house plants-“

“It is you who denied me.” Her eyes narrow. “You who didn’t want me to become a fertility goddess, who wanted me to be some weapon of green light, to be the spitting image of you. You raised me to be a threat!”

“Is it so wrong, that I did not wish for my daughter to become a common whore? That I had hoped to prevent her becoming such a failure? That I dreamed of her becoming so much more than… what sits before me now?” The words do not shock you anymore. You’ve grown to expect them.

That does not mean they do not sting.

“It is wrong that you kept me locked in this house, away from the world, until I was too strong for you to control.” You spit, fork clattering against your plate. Rage sears white at the edge of your vision, overflowing bouquet of flowers in the center of the table blooming into massive blossoms, edges of petals beginning to curl inward.

“Control yourself.” She warns. “Or I will do it for you.” Your pulse thunders. The air in the dining room crackles.

You do not relent. Rationally, you know you should. You know this will only end one way, that this will sever another tie to your past, to your mother, one you won’t be able to repair… but you can’t stop. The magic itches under your skin, screaming.

The ivy that covers the outside brick shatters a windowpane above her head, springing through the opening like a virus seeking a host, sticking to the inside wall. Glass falls to the floor, rain pelts the roof.  

“Persephone.” Shining silver spools, churning across the table, through the air until it takes form-

The Whip.

Your mother’s favorite.

It licks your skin, your fingertips, your knuckles. A different touch, from the reverent kiss you received only hours ago. It cracks through the air like the lightning.

“That’s enough.” She vows.  

You will not cry. You won’t. You won’t let her get to you like this anymore. You’re a woman now. An adult. You’re not a child, you’re not, you’re not- 

She sighs. Your fingers clench the stem of the wine glass so firmly you think it might shatter.  

You finish your meal in stiff silence. Its heaviness droops all around you, blanketing the entire table, your fork, the distance between you and your own mother. It’s an eon. A millisecond. Never enough because you always crave more. More space. More time. More distance. Her eyes spark, anger burning hot behind them, but she says nothing.

When she’s finished, she rises from the table without another word, disappearing down the hall.

Happy Birthday, you guess.

In the middle of the night, the Greenhouse is quiet.

Even the plants slumber, most of the daylight seekers, pistils, stamens, all covered by their petals, lying in wait. In the back, you pad along the floor of moss, allowing the tiny tendrils of green to skim along your bare skin, pulling opulent, indulgent specks of power into themselves. Wisteria lines the walls, tiny blooms of purple and white falling like curtains of stars, only parting for the archway that leads to the spring, a small freshwater lagoon that spills from the crust of the earth as hot as tea, bubbling eternally, waiting for you.

Tonight, the water is ethereal. Steam rises from the pool, slicking its stone home, and you bask in it, muscle and bone turning languid, supple in the roiling spring. It’s nearly sublime, almost perfect.

Your mother’s voice still echoes. Even now, hours later, you can hear her.

A failure. A disappointment. 

Your knuckles sting from the salt of the Whip, the silver crust that slices so effortlessly, just as it has since you were a child.

You cried a lot, then.

Now, it’s few and far between. You’ve grown, rebelled, retaliated. You’ve become a lost cause.

Ungovernable Persephone. 

The pain still sits so heavily in the bottom of your soul, a wretched, tangible thing that sprouts blackened vine from the earth and a whole manner of other things.

You eye the marble encasement, the walls that harbor the spring. They too, are black. Born from your rage, your sorrow. Your uncontrollable, ungovernable power that grew from the depths of your despair and built you a temple.

The Greenhouse. Your home.

Everyone called it a wonder. A feat, proof of your power. Trees and vines and branches all twisted together, building a harbor, solidifying your presence, your Golden light.

You took your first offering in this place, the glass for the windows and the roof, the final piece of your shelter from the storm, the first stake of your life as a goddess, your life of freedom.

You left your mother’s house that day, only returning now on occasions. You never looked back.

Though, you can still feel the Whip, can still hear it whirl through the wind against your supine form. Can still feel the ridges of scar tissue that never fully healed.

You could have called Nell. Or Hebe. Or Melia. Anyone of them would be here for you. Would listen. Understand. 

Outside the window, an owl hoots.

You sink beneath the water line, magma rushing over every inch of your body, washing you clean of her, of the Whip, of the wounds on your knuckles.

A trembling fawn. Still to this day. 

A wicked daughter to have, they tell her. A vengeful soul. Rotted to the core. 

Ungovernable Persephone. 

Olympus is buzzing, even on its ninth day of rain. It’s a vibration that all manner of beings can feel, creatures, gods, even humans. The ground rattles like there’s a lightning bolt shoved into the center of the rail system, electrifying the wires and tracks, zinging from pole to pole between the buildings and above the streets where cars putter alongside those who walk to their destinations.

When you were a child, the name of the city was almost dirty. It made your mother’s nose turn skyward, disgust and disdain clear as the day on her delicate features. “The golden city is anything but.” She promised, on her knees before you, gentle hand at your back. “Those who live there are heathens, and naught else. They would seek to destroy you if they knew the truth.”

For many, many years, you never step foot here.

Not until University. Once you graduated, the rope around your neck, the bit in your mouth began to loosen, and you had already lost your taste for the expanse of metropolis, more interested in your own space outside city limits where you could feel your connection to the earth, where you could indulge your power in privacy.

“It’s not the city she fears.” Melia told you one night. “But Aphrodite. Demeter’s worried ‘Di will knock you right off the whole bloody planet.” She peered over your shoulder, catching the gleam of Apollo, his bright eyes tracking her from across a crowded bar. “Trust me. She’s a jealous bitch.” 

Tonight, the city is waterlogged, soaked to the bone, raindrops splashing as you slide from the car to the black door tucked inside a black wall, a soft faced Harpy standing in front of the passage.

“Hebe. Persephone.” She greets, turning to your other companions. “Nephelle. Melia.” You pull your power through the earth that sits beneath cracked concrete and heavy asphalt, spinning your Cloak up and over your body, adjusting your appearance just so. Your mask slips into place, obscuring nearly all your face, both Nell and Melia pulling together something similar.

“Ocypete.” Hebe pauses. “Is there a riddle tonight?” The Harpy grins, flashing rows of too sharp teeth, fine points that can cut the flesh from bone in a clean bite.

“No riddle.” The door creaks wide, and she steps aside. “Enjoy your evening.”

You don’t notice the way her eyes linger after you’ve passed.

Aselegia is one of the safest places in the Olympus. Here, Golden ones must be Cloaked, mortals must be masked, and creatures must go to great lengths to hide their identity. All intermingle with one another, safe in the anonymity. Gods and Goddesses usually choose to mask as well, a practice, you believe, stemming from common occurrences of violent jealousy, an effort to prevent becoming the target of one’s wrath.

The club itself is big enough to get lost in. The first floor houses the lobby, and a set of elevators. The walls are covered in shiny waxed mahogany, red wine rich carpet covering the floor, and it smells different, sweet and smoky, cigars and finely spun sugar. Intoxicating.

The elevators will take you anywhere you have access, and most can visit three floors. There’s a dancefloor on the main level, with a giant bar, private rooms in the wings, bottle service, tables. Very standard. Other floors have gambling tables, quieter music, even a dimly lit pool and sauna.

It isn’t until you get above level three that things change. Endorsements or sponsors are required. Waivers need to be signed. Negotiations begin.

Pick your poison. 

You start on the main level tonight. Melia insists, and you agree, grateful to the Oceanid for suggesting starting slow, the low rumble of nerves still present in your magic, your body. The music thumps, high to low song and symphony synthesized into something electronic, and it draws you into a sway, shoulders against shoulders, hips moving in time with the melody.

“Shots?” Hebe brightens, waving over a cocktail waitress, a pretty thing who eagerly does her bidding, enraptured with the way she moves in the skintight, cornflower blue dress. Her Cloak has disguised her well enough that no one would know who she is, but she does not ever manipulate her body. A cherished rule of her own, you’ve learned.

“You’re beautiful.” The girl coos, and Hebe nods, singing over the explosion of Nephelle’s laughter.

“I know, sweetheart.”

A slick sheen of sweat coats the space between Melia’s breasts. You’re both on the dancefloor, moving with the music, Melia perfectly in time, like she was born to it, and you pull her close, slinging an arm over her neck to whisper in her ear.

“He’s here.” A god’s dark eyes glint in the night, between the passages of writing bodies. He wears a white mask, stitched with the threads of glowing sun, but his obsessive gaze gives him away. He’s transfixed, focused solely on the Oceanid in the middle of the dance floor, and she giggles, turning so that her ass is pressed against your pelvis, her head tipped back on your shoulder.

Her hand extends, an invitation. A request.

He’s by her side within a second.

“Apollo.” You nod, and he barely spares you a glance, too busy cradling his Oceanid’s face.

“You have been ignoring my calls.”

“I’ve been busy.” He tenses.

“You’re still angry with me.”

“Of course, I am.” She rolls her eyes. “We’re here for Sephy’s birthday, not this.” He peeks towards you, sliver of regret flashing across his face.

“I’m sorry, Persephone.” You wave him off, not wanting to be in the middle of… this.

“It’s fine, we’re just… out. It’s not for anything special.” You look away from them, casually glancing around. You look, but you do not see. Not until…

There’s a male, wearing a pitch-black suit. A god? A mortal? He’s taller than anyone else in the room, broadest shoulders and proud posture, everything about him drawing you in, like blood in the water.

The room stands still. Silent. Empty, save for two.

Tempered water like glass, undisturbed. An undertow vicious beneath the surface, unknown to all.

“Hello.” The pitch of his voice is familiar, almost dreamlike, something that’s never been real, yet startling all the same.

“H-hi.” You stammer. His hand reaches, a magnetic force pulling yours from where it’s clawed against your thigh, and he grasps it like he’s cupping a dahlia bloom, a fragile collection of so many petals that make up an entire beautiful blossom, a universe unto itself.

Black leather caresses your skin. Clear, golden-brown eyes pin you in place, anthracite spiking around his pupils in a halo. You cannot see his face, or his skin, only what’s barely visible of his eyelids and dark spun lashes.

Still… 

His beauty is terror. It’s the throat of a lamb, freshly cut. The mutilated carcass of a doe, feeding a forest. Dark. Dangerous. A wolf, circling a kill.

It drags you out into a river, where your feet no longer touch the bottom. It sings to you from the depths.

You cannot tear yourself away.

He does not let go. Even when that same voice fills your mind.

“My darling. You shall rule all that lives and moves, you shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore.” *

Warmth slips from your hand, sand flitting through your fingers, a fleeting touch of comfort and confusion fading into the night.

My darling. 

My darling… 

When the light comes back to you, the male is nowhere to be found. Only Apollo and Melia stand to your side, still in their own world.

“Will you let me take you upstairs then?” He croons, and your heart dances, nerves and anticipation all spiraling together like a sailor’s knot. You know what comes next.

“Only if the girls can come.”

You try to forget the strange encounter on the main level and focus on your needs instead; you’ll know what you’re looking for when you see it, and you say the same to Hebe, too, when she disappears with a male who seemed much too large to not be the son of a giant, leaving you alone on a small, velvet couch, Nell and Melia already long gone. Your second martini sits untouched, and you keep yourself from looking at any one being too closely, lest you get caught staring.

That’s when you see him.

Light blue eyes. Handsomely styled mohawk. Even with a Cloak and mask, he’s hard to forget.

John.

His mask is a red skull, covering nearly all his face, the sculpted brow severe, almost angry.

His eyes glow behind it, locked on yours.

Oh. Shit. You vibrate like a live wire, hanging onto yourself for dear life.

“Hello.” Your mouth doesn’t work. “I’m Soap.” He extends his hand, and you blink. Oh, right. The alias. Because what is the point in all this, if you give your real name?

“K-kore.” You manage to stammer, and the corner of his eyes crease.

“Why are ye here?”

“I’m sorry?”

“What are ye looking for, little goddess?” He still has not dropped your gaze, and you can almost taste him on your tongue, feel him in your mind, your body.

Myself.

Your teeth dig downward, pressing hard before you whisper the truth.

“Pain.” His eyes flash, and then he tugs.

John- Soap, takes you to a private room. You follow, numbly, shivering with a million emotions, stumbling through the chances, the possibilities of seeing him twice, when before he was a stranger.

A coincidence, you decide, putting it out of your mind. You’re dwelling on it too much, picking it apart, riling yourself up… over nothing. Over a handsome god, existing in the Golden city? Like you’ve never seen those before… like it’s so unbelievable.  

“Are ye alright?” He murmurs, stepping up to your back. You can feel the heat of him, his warmth bleeding from beneath the suit to your exposed skin, the dress you chose wholly exposing your spine, your skin.

Your nipples tighten. Your heart races, and your thighs press together inadvertently.

“Yes.”

“Dinnae lie.” He’s gentle in the reminder, and you fill your lungs.

“I’m just… nervous.”

“Ye’ve done this before?” He’s assuming. You nod, quickly, and he motions to a very comfortable looking lounge chair, where you perch on the edge of the cushion. “What would make ye happy tonight?” Anxiety unsettles your posture, and you choke down the embarrassment that tries to claw its way up your throat.

“A… a spanking.” You whisper, pushing flimsy confidence forward. Far away, a piece of your mind, your magic, pleads. It cries, it begs for release. It urges you forward, and you lift your face to his, seeking approval. Comfort.

Reassurance.

The cold hand of doubt rears. It snickers at you. It laughs.

Reassurance from someone, anyone but yourself? Comfort? 

No. 

“Do ye-“

“My safe word is flower.” You spit, motioning to the stool that waits between you.

It’s an act. A song and a dance, something fake and forced. But he doesn’t know that.

He freezes. Thick tension runs the gamut, heavy and exhausting, and you smother yourself, your emotions, your reactions to this very moment.

Pain. The desire burns. It pushes you to the zenith, until you’re down on your knees, folding yourself forward.

Pain, to turn it off. Pain, to make it all stop.

Pain, to release you into yourself. 

What matter of creature are you, that you can only feel whole, when parts of you are carved away? 

“Up.” John commands, and you lean back, confused. “Ye’ll do this over my knee.” He bends you, with grace, back towards the soft cushion, laying comfortably, your palms flat.

A hand coasts over the swell of your ass.

“Ye’ll count.” His voice has shifted. Gone is the feather’s edge, now replaced by steel. His accent still rings true, but there’s a firmness to it, a finality. Dominance.

“Yes.”

“Ye’ll tell me yer name, and today’s date, when asked. If ye cannae answer, we’ll stop. Immediately.”

“Okay.”

“I need a yes.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll go to ten, then.” We.

“I can take more.”

“We’ll decide what ye can take, when we get there.” You acquiesce, fingers digging down into the cushion before forcibly relaxing. “Big breath.” He coaches, and then-

The first slap stuns you. Only with his hand, and yet still so much stronger than last time with a paddle. It punches air from your lungs, the noise that rockets out of your throat a mix between a scream and a moan.

“F-fuck.” You croak. “One.” He doesn’t hesitate and rains the next one down on your opposite cheek. Again, it robs you of oxygen. “Two.”

“Good girl.” The praise is very small flame at the bottom of the darkest well. It barely lights the path ahead, desperately trying to catch, to grow, but it’s too easily snuffed out. His palm rubs the base of your spine to the tops of your thighs.

Crack. 

The sting sizzles outward from impact, and you gasp. “Three-“ Another, same cheek. “Four!” The whistle of the swing alerts you a second before the next, and when you shout “Five!” it sounds off kilter.

“What’s yer name?”

“Seph-Persephone.” Raw warmth simmers beneath your dress and underwear, and the fire at the bottom of the well starts to rage, growing larger, eating what it’s been given, hungry, seeking, trying to build momentum. He asks you the date, satisfied at the lack of delay, and swings so high, you can see the shine of his palm from the corner of his eye. Your toes curl.

Whack. Two, too quickly.

“Six!” A choked cry. “Seven.” Your face is wet, saltwater tracing the plush swell towards your mouth and chin. You sniffle.

“I know, I know. Ye poor thing.” He bunches the fabric of your dress, scratching it across your scorched cheeks. “Ye’re doin’ so well, almost there.” The words barely register, only the sentiment cuts through the haze. Your thighs are pressed so tightly together, slick dripping from your cunt, the aching throb of your clit rubbing against your panties. You’re desperate… to be touched, to be hurt, to be whole. You need it. Crave it more than anything else.

He delivers two more strong, healthy, swift blows. Eight. Nine. They enflame you completely, fire burning in the pit of your soul, encasing you in a coffin where no one can hear you, or see you. Safe and tucked away, floating into a dark cocoon of eternal night.

At the tenth, the room changes. The air grows colder, nearly frigid, shadows clinging to the walls, and you barely register being moved, held like a child, tucked into a chest. There’s talking, somewhere, in your mind or maybe behind you, two pitches at war, a dance of wills.

“Beautifully done, darling.” Somewhere far, far away, in the last sliver of your sane mind, you realize it’s a different voice, a voice echoed in gemstones, ruby and emerald and pearl, before that too, slips into space, and you drift deeper inside the luxurious praise. A warm bath. A sunlit meadow with thousands of Narcissus dotting the hill, soaking up every ray. A golden fawn, taking her first steps to freedom.

John’s face looms into your line of sight, maskless, no Cloak.

“We need a yes.” He murmurs, cupping your cheek. “Persephone.”

“Hmmm?”

“Need ye to say yes, so we can take ye home, take care of ye.” The words don’t match. They don’t click, they catch, they bump against each other, trying to lock into place, failing over and over.

“Supposed to go… home with my friends but-“ Your tongue is heavy, weighted beneath a giant sequoia, and you shiver. The chest that your head bobbles on catches, an arm securing you in place. It’s warm, and firm, heavier than a tree. Who…

“Little goddess.” He prompts, and you sigh, already wistfully unaware.

“’kay, yeah. Yes.”

You’re already slipping away when the world goes dark.

Your eyes open to a strange place.

You don’t recognize any of it, from the massive four poster bed with lithe, gauzy curtains drawn closed on three sides, to a fireplace the size of a giant, roaring, sizzling flame burning endlessly in its hearth. You don’t recognize the room, the black marble floors, polished to a brilliant gleam, one that you can nearly see your reflection in, or the vanity, dark oak housing a hand carved mirror. You’ve never seen the ornate stained glass window before, stretching from floor to ceiling, the size of ten men. You don’t know the bed, sized for a king, emerald silk sheets and a matching duvet, with a million pillows that were just cradling your head. The robe you’re wearing matches, the green only a shade lighter, and you tuck it tight across your body, realizing you’re fully nude.

The fire pops. It pushes a gasp from you, caught off guard, and at the sound, another being in the room stirs from the plush rug just beneath the bed.

A three headed dog.

It, they, stare at you, tongues wagging, eyes wide. Jet black fur, darker than midnight, white teeth so sharp they could rip your throat free in an instant.

You’ve seen this dog before… in pictures. Schoolbooks. You know their name.

Cerberus.

Panic races through your veins, ratcheting your heart rate higher and higher, your body and mind separating, all synapses dizzy with fear.

Oh gods. Where… where are you? What happened? You were just… you were just having some fun, at Aselegia, with John… weren’t you? Where…

Are you dead?  

You reach for your power, digging deep, trying to drag as much as you could to the surface-

Nothing.

You bleat, a scared lamb, in panic. It’s a cry. A scream. An awful sound. You need your rage now, but all you find is fear. You cannot reach your power. There is a blackened lock around it, a casing that holds it away from you, out of reach.

Cerberus whines. They hold their position, tail swishing back and forth, and you scramble towards the middle of the bed. Your ass protests, skin warm and tender against silk. Your knees tuck to your chest, and you force your eyes closed, trying to take long, measured breaths without success.

You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re-

The door clicks. John appears, two palms out, hesitant, and cautious. Your voice shakes, no matter how hard you try to reinforce it with iron will. “G-get away from me.”

“Ye’re alright, Persephone. We’d never hurt ye.” We?

“We need a yes.”

“Need ye to say yes, so we can take ye home, take care of ye.”

Something flickers behind him. A figure, a shape of shadow, shifting.

Dark. Dangerous. A wolf, circling a kill.

The male from the dance floor. He wears no mask now, but the feel of him, the threat of his power, is unmistakable… and familiar. You sputter on it, choking on him and John, the threat of their power combined looming, suffocating. “Oh gods.” You clutch the robe tighter. “Wh-where am I?”

“You know where you are, darling.” The other one says, and you moan.

“N-no. I… I can’t be. I can’t dead. I can’t be here… I-“

“You’re not dead, Persephone.” He cautions. “You’re very much alive.” And shaking, alive and trembling so vigorously you can hear your teeth chattering, chest heaving up and down, desperately trying to suck air inward. Cerberus whines again, and he rubs a thumb behind one of their ears. “Easy, Cerberus. She’s alright.”

“I ca-can’t be here. I have to… I have to go home.” The room seems wet, dollops of tears falling from your lashes, sticking to your skin and the sheets. Reality slams forward, rushing right up against your nonsensical mind.

It takes one gentle pulse of their power, to realize the truth. 

Hades. They’re… Hades. They’re Hades and you’re… you’re in the Underworld. 

Beg. Beg them for mercy. Whatever it is you’ve done, you must try. 

“I’m s-sorry. I don’t know… I don’t know what I did but I swear, I’m sorry, I-“ John tries to reach, seeking your hand, but you curl up into a tighter ball.

“Shhh. Ye hae nae done anythin’ wrong, sweet Persephone. Ye’re alright. Ye’re safe.” Safe? Safe in the Underworld? With them? 

Oh gods. You let Hades spank you. 

“You… you tricked me.” You whisper, raw betrayal and pain weeping profoundly in your heart. You trusted him and…

You are a fool. 

“We did what was necessary.” The wolf-like one says solemnly, gaze heavy.

“Necessary?” You squeak. “What’s… necessary about this?”

“We will explain everything, after we’ve eaten. Or maybe had some more rest? It’s the middle of the night, for you.” What? 

“No… I can’t… I can’t stay here. I have to-“

“Go home? So, you can hide away in your temple, kept company only by your plants and the occasional friend you let inside?” You blink, stunned, mouth dropping open.

“How do you... have you been watching me?” The stained-glass window on the far side of the room shifts, drawing your attention, morphing slowly from a tawny blur to a… screech owl.

“Oh, my gods. Oh…” The room shudders. “You can’t keep me here, I have to go…” Wolves circle, flanking where you sit, precarious and hopeless, a hand in front of your body like it will save you. “Please.”

“It’s alright, darling.” The dark one moves, blurred in shadow, magic blanketing you in a warm, comforting hold, heating your bones, encouraging your eyes to slowly shut.

The last thing you see is the ceiling, your body cradled in the embrace of a stranger.

Morning comes slow.

At first, you don’t open your eyes, even though you’ve been long awake.

If you open them, your fear will be real. It will be valid.

So, you keep them closed. Keep them shut long enough you drift in and out of twilight, until someone clears their throat.

Fuck. 

“Are you going to open your eyes?” His voice is ruby and velvet. You shudder.

“Hades.”

“Technically. One half of a whole, but my loved ones call me Simon.” Your brow flexes at that, and there’s a soft chuckle in response. “Will you wake? It’s well past morning now.”

“Are you going to render me unconscious again?” you hiss, cracking an eyelid. He’s sitting in a posh armchair, oiled black leather beneath his black suit, eyes steady on yours. His face is a map of scars, but instead of seeming rough, or out of place, they naturally suit him, complementing his broad jaw, severe expression, perfectly sculpted bone structure. His nose is crooked, like it had been smashed and rearranged once or twice, but still sits as if it was meant to be, and you wonder how anyone could do anything of the like to Hades.

He's handsome, in a way you expect to die from. 

“Only if you cannot behave.”

“Perhaps I could show you how I behave.” You smile with a full set of teeth, words ending in a snarl, and he huffs another gentle laugh.

“I have seen the victims of your wrath, Persephone. I have no doubt you’d strike me down if you could.” You swallow the nausea in your stomach. Your magic. 

“I want my magic back.” You blurt the demand, not even pausing to consider a more tactful way.

“We did not take it, only… bound it, for the time being. It’s still within you, we would never separate you from your power.” He sighs, a golden pearl rocking in his palm, glinting in the fireplace’s gleam. “Contrary to popular belief, we are not a monster.”

“Then let me go home, if you’re not as they say you are.” His eyes harden, face twisting sour, and then… sad.

“I’ll give you some privacy. There are clothes in the closet. Johnny and I expect you for breakfast, and then a tour… if you’re good. Cerberus will show you the way when you’re ready.”

If you’re good.

Cerberus leads you through a maze of decadent marble and arches.

You follow behind them hesitantly, cautious, and they mind you, slowing when you’ve lagged too far behind.

You can’t help it. You’re mystified.

You expected the Underworld to be dark, and dingy. And while maybe it is on the dark side, with glossy, polished marble, giant onyx columns that blot of the sky, and black stone everywhere… when you peek out the windows, you’re gob smacked.

Beneath wherever you are, which you’re beginning to suspect is Hades’ palace, is lush greenery. A verdant, fertile field lays to the south and the east, wrapping around to the edge of a forest, where you can just barely make out a large variety of deciduous trees. To the North, a river winds, separating the palace from a large meadow and… a town? You shake your head, as if to clear your addled mind and cloudy vision. Is that truly… a town? 

“Asphodel Meadows.” Someone says from behind you, nearly jumping you from your skin.

“Fuck.” You gasp, hand clutching your chest. It’s a man, not John, or Simon, but a stranger, clad in all black.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“It’s… okay. I- what did you say?”

“The town. It’s Asphodel Meadows. A place for mortal’s souls.” He bows. “I’m Thanatos.”

“I’m… Persephone.” He smiles, just slightly.

“I know who you are, my lady.” My lady?

“What do you…” words nearly fail as you grapple. “What do you do here?”

“I am a child of Nyx. The god of Death.”

“I thought Hades…”

“They are the Kings of the Underworld. I am the personification, the embodiment of Death.” Oh.

“You reap.” You whisper. His jaw tightens, and then smooths.

“Your escort is impatient. I think he’s probably ready for his bacon.” He eyes Cerberus, who whines, tapdancing on slick marble.

“Bacon?”

“Yes. He’s very spoiled. Eats better than the Kings themselves.” He motions down the hall. “It’s just that way. Lovely to meet you, my lady.” He gives you another bow, and then turns down a corridor, one that had not been there before, leaving you and Cerberus alone in the empty hall.

“I- you too.”

The Kings, as Thanatos called them, are both seated when you push the incredibly heavy door open. At the sound, John rises, Simon behind him, and the three of you stare at one another for a minute, until Cerberus barks.

“Please, sit.” John motions to the only other place set, a third chair between them. You swallow.

“Uh…”

“We don’t bite.”

“Not unless ye want us to.” John smiles, sinfully handsome in the morning light. It streams into the surprisingly cozy dining room through a group of five windows, all facing east, capturing the light of… a sun?

“Is that a sun?”

“It’s a sun of sorts.” Simon offers. “We have a sky, weather. A sun, a moon. Clouds. Everything that exists in Olympus.”

“Are ye hungry?” You hesitantly lower yourself into the chair, surprised at the array of food displayed. “We ah, weren’t sure what ye liked so, got a bit of everything.” Meats, yogurts, sweets, cereal, fruit, anything you could want laid out in front of you, but it’s something so near to your heart that catches your eye. Portokalopita.

“They are Hebe’s.” Simon murmurs.

This is a trick. They kidnapped you. They’re holding you hostage. You have to convince them to let you go. The warning resounds, and your stomach thrashes.

“I want to go home.” You push the plate of orange cakes away, disappointment flickering across John’s face, exasperation on Simon’s. “Please. I… I appreciate your hospitality and you… you bringing me home for… aftercare,” you grit the word, shame rocketing up your spine. This is what happens when you trust. You let Hades spank you, for fucks sake. And then they abducted you. “but I need to go home. The plants, they need me. My friends-“

“Your friends are used to going days on end without contact from you.” Simon cuts you off, and the blood drains from your face. “Are they not?”

“N-no. They’ll know I’m missing, they will.” Lie. He knows. You know they both know, just by the way the regard you. Half pity. Half amusement. It makes your blood boil. “Fuck you.” You hiss, shooting up in the chair.

“Seph-“ John tries to soothe you, calm you, using your nickname like he knows you, and it only makes you more irate.

“Don’t call me that.” You whirl on him. “I trusted you! I don’t even know you and I let you-“

“That is the nature of Aselegia, is it not?” He counters, cutting you off. You gape like a fish. “The anonymity. Dinnae turn it on me now.” His tone melts from ice to warmth, sympathy bleeding from his irises. “I assure ye, we are more than trustworthy. We would never, ever hurt ye. We would never let anythin’ happen to ye. Ye’ll see.”

“Then let me go home.” He shakes his head sadly but says nothing, and rage snaps in your heart like the drawback of a rubber band, stinging and sharp. “What do you want from me?” John opens his mouth, and then abruptly closing it, deferring to Simon.

“You are our guest. We’d like to get to know you. I promise, just as before, you will not be harmed in our care. We will never hurt you."

"How do I know that?" You’re incredulous. “You expect me to take you at your word?”

“Let us strike a deal then.” He declares, and John nods supportively.

Don’t, your good sense screams. Don’t be an idiot.

“What kind of deal?”

“You will stay here for two days, forty-eight hours exactly. We will show you this realm and get to know one another in that time, and at the end, we will reveal the doorway that leads back to Olympus.” You raise an eyebrow.

“Two days? And then I can go home?”

“Two days.” John echoes. Sapphire eyes gleam, and you carefully, quickly, try to pick apart every word in the proposal.

“My magic.” You demand, and they both answer immediately with a resounding,

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Your power is wild, Persephone.” Simon tells you, not unkindly. “We do not know how the Underworld will react to it, and we must think of our residents, all the souls we care for here. We cannot let something upset the balance that is so delicate.” Your mouth goes a little dry. You were expecting more of an answer about control, domineering you, your magic, keeping you contained. Not… care for souls.

“Yer mother raised ye to be her weapon.” John says softly, kneeling before the chair where you sit. His hand rests on the cushion, and you wonder if he means to touch you. “We dinnae regard ye as such, but until we understand ye better, we need to protect-“

“I understand.” You cut him off. You don’t need some forced sympathy, pity, thrust upon you by Hades, of all gods. They exchange a long glance, one that gives you a small peek into their lives, layers on layers of words and sentiment, communicated with a single glance.

Simon reaches for John, pulling him to his feet and into his body, chest to back.

“Do you agree?” Two days. Two days and you can leave. You can do two days of anything. You certainly cannot fight them, or your way out. What choice do you have? 

“Sure.”

“We need a yes, darling.” Darling. The pet name makes your toes curl. You take a big breath.

“Yes.”

The valley outside of Asphodel Meadows is one of the most stunning places you’ve ever been. It’s lush and lively, covered in Narcissus and Asphodelus, like a meadow one could only dream of. You're not sure why it feels so familiar, like the cusp of another life, or a nightmare, but it takes root inside you. You lay in the field of flowers, letting them cover your body, wishing so desperately to touch your magic, so you could truly feel them, the grass and the dirt and the stems here, all things that seem like they’re so full of life, so opposite your expectations of the Underworld.

“Shall we continue?” Cerberus perks up at the sound of their master’s voice, head popping over the flowers to spot both Kings standing on the path, a good distance away. They peek at you, heads tilted, and you sigh. It seems you’ve been assigned a minder, in the form of a three headed dog.

You join them on the road before long, walking silently, sullenly, John sneaking glances at you nearly every chance he gets, and you can pinpoint the heat of his gaze every time, the throbbing intensity of his focused power nearly bowling you over.

“So, there are two of you?” What are you supposed to talk to the Kings of the Underworld about, anyway? 

“Aye. It’s a little-known secret. One realm, two gods to rule.” You frown, perplexed.

“But… you haven’t always been that way?”

“No.” Simon answers. “We were once Golden brothers in battle, long before your time, before becoming this. When we fell in love, our souls split. They merged with our magic, tied us together eternally. Now, we rule as one.”

“So, you’re married.” You deduce.

“In the most permanent way you can think of.” They stop short of a bridge, one that crests high over a roaring river, and Simon gestures broadly. “Persephone, this is the Acheron.”

The Underworld is a place of rivers, you learn. Waterways that hold power, that possess the ability to cleanse you, free you, burn you, punish you. There is a river of fire, a river of weeping, a river to forget.

The Acheron is the river of woe.

Fitting, you think, standing on the bridge. Below, bright turquoise water rushes by, crashing into rock and boulder, each sound more akin to a scream than the thunder of a tributary. Mouths, long and full of despair, wail beneath the current, wraith like creatures with bone white skin and eyes skimming along the top.

You get lost in them. Lost in the irreversible cycle of woe, desolation creeping up inside your own self as you peer down into the depths. Are you not like them? Despondent. Bleak. Isolated. Is that not what you’ve made with your life, what was chosen for you? Hidden away, sharpened like an axe never to be used. Are you not alone, like them? Trapped, like them? 

You don’t even realize you’re leaning forward until pressure rests at your back. “Easy. Dinnae want ye fallin’ in.” John murmurs, stepping away the edge, bringing you with him. Your limbs feel shaky, and you wonder if it’s because you just almost went over… or because you didn’t eat earlier.

“Sorry. I uh-“ you don’t know how to explain it, that feeling. The agony that bubbles up in the back of your throat.

“We know.” Simon regards you with empathy, understanding, and you shake the attention loose, pushing ahead of them, down the bridge and into town, into Asphodel Meadows itself, eager to leave the river and its woe behind.

In town, the Kings are well received. It surprises you, to watch them in the street, welcomed by the souls who live there. They take you on a tour, introducing you to residents, explaining the structure, the magic and the infrastructure that makes it all work. Souls take their preferred form in Asphodel Meadows, allowed to choose for themselves, whatever they feel most comfortable in, and you’re shocked that such benevolence would be bestowed upon anyone in the Underworld.

Why are they showing you this? Why go to such great lengths? What is the purpose? 

“Hi.” A small voice breaks you from your confusion, and you find a small girl at your feet, bouquet of Narcissus clutched in her tiny hands. You crouch.

“Hello.”

“I’m Phoebe.” She giggles, cheeks round and rosy.

“I’m Persephone.” You incline your head. “Phoebe is a beautiful name.” Your heart pangs. She’s so small, so… fragile. How did she die? Where is her family? Is she here alone?

“Thank you, my lady.” She tries to bow, and you rush to stop her, stilling her with a hand.

“Are those for me?”

“They are. Johnny said they’re your favorites.” Johnny? You glance over to where they stand, both turned your way, something unreadable in their reflections.

“Well, thank you. They’re lovely.” She wishes you well, skipping off in another direction, and you meander across the street, unable to hide your quizzical expression.

“Johnny? Not Hades?”

“Ach. The kids they’re… they’re usually a wee bit scared, first thing. It’s better for them, if we’re friends.” He shrugs, but Simon watches him in reverence, pure love and light beaming from his gaze, adoration in every slow blink.

Your heart skips.  

Fuck. 

“Are you not hungry?” Simon muses, walking beside you and John in the castle. Your shoes tap along the way, echoing, and Cerberus barks. John glares at them.

“I… I am afraid to eat here.” They both stop short.

“Why?”

“I have always heard… a myth. That if you somehow find yourself here and you eat, you’ll become trapped, stuck here forever.” Simon chuckles, dry and warm.

“No, darling. Please, we do not wish for you to starve.”

“The legend isnae true. Only by eating whole pomegranate seeds that ye pluck from the flesh of the fruit yerself, can ye become bound to the land. And we dinnae serve those.” He winks, stepping a little closer. “Ye can eat, little goddess. Please. Join us for dinner, we insist.”

“Okay.”

Simon is not at dinner.

John makes no mention of it, and only when you’re halfway done does he offer an explanation, something important that needed to be tended to.

“Ye look stunning.” He hums, and you have half the decency to smile. You chose a dress from the never-ending closet, black to match their suits, for fun. Its back is open, and the front offers a generous view of your breasts, but not quite enough.

You felt like sin. Johnny has been staring like you are. And maybe, you didn’t want sex, but you did want to punish them for their treachery. If only a little bit.

For making you a fool. 

“So, no Simon?” He swallows a mouthful of red wine.

“He apologizes. Somethin’ came up.”

“That’s alright.” You shift, legs crossing. The transition is unintentional, but it draws Johnny’s eyes to your knees, and up. You lift your glass, the largest goblet of red wine you’ve seen, and allow a small river of red to run from the corner of your mouth to your neck. It traces the valley between your breasts, and Johnny growls.

“Persephone.”

“What?” You ask, innocently.

“Ye’re playing with fire.” He grits, the gleam in his eyes one of a predator.

“I’m not playing with anything,” you hiss, slamming the glass down. It shatters, it sloshes, it spills onto the table and into your lap. “You’re the ones playing with me. Kidnapping me, holding me hostage.” Your anger builds, overflowing inside your soul, clawing at the locked box of your magic. Cerberus whines, galloping across the floor and out the main door, but you hardly notice, too focused on spitting as much fire and venom at your captor as you can. “Touring me around the Underworld, making yourselves look like some benevolent, beloved rulers when really all you are… are gods of death and decay.” John stares at you, wild eyed. Your chair clatters to the ground as you stand, fury rocketing through every vein in your body, ichor pulsing beneath your skin. You’re so, so close to your power; you can taste it. Can feel the way it screams, how it howls to you, churning in the depths of your being, rattling the cage it’s trapped inside.

Trapped. You’re trapped. Like always. 

Your vision blurs, and you take a step towards John. It all happens so fast, so lightning quick that it doesn’t even register until your hand is swinging through the air and across his face.

He does nothing. You feel the rumble of his power, pushing and pulling at the seams of your very being, waiting to tear your apart, but he holds himself at bay.

Only watches you with cold, wrathful eyes.

The air chills.

“That’s enough.” Simon stands between your bodies. Power, so potent, so strong, wraps tight, shoving your wrists together, Golden cuffs immobilizing you, holding you still. “You want to be a disobedient little brat, is that it?”

“YOU STOLE ME!” You scream it, raw and agonized. It tries to burst through your skin. Tries to explode your vessels. Your very heart. Your chest heaves, eyes wide, and John flanks you, coming closer and closer until you can feel his heat against your side.

He’s hard.

“What did ye think ye were doin, sweet Persephone? Did ye really think you could strike me?”

You don’t have an answer. Words die on your tongue. Guilt burns. Did you want to hurt him? 

Did you?

The cuffs yank you forward. They singe your skin, dragging you to the table. “What’re you doing?” They drag you across the food until you're climbing on top, until your whole body is prone, feet dangling above the floor, bent at the waist.

“Is this what you wanted?” Simon mocks. Hands grip your hips, and your traitorous body clenches. “This what you need, little goddess? Need to be punished?” Your dress is shoved up around your waist, exposing your skin to the frigid air, and you force away a small moan. “You need your pain, darling?” Yes. Fingers pinch the back of your neck. “Answer me.”

“Yes.” You snap, darting daggers with your eyes over your shoulder. His answer is a chuckle.

“Turn your head.” He hisses, hand on the back of your skull. When you do, you come face to face with Johnny’s hips, the length of his cock freed from his suit pants and bobbing right in front of your mouth.

Oh, gods. 

He strokes it slowly, the pink- nearly red tip oozing pre-cum, long and thick in his fist, his size enough to make your thighs press together, cunt throbbing with delight. Traitor.

“Open, darling.” He smears it against your lips. You tuck them in tight, trying to keep them closed, and he looks over, to the god who stands at the curve of your ass.

Simon takes a handful each of your cheeks, spreading you wide. He kicks your feet too, knocking your legs into an A-frame, fully exposing your weeping cunt.

“She’s dripping.” He announces, a finger sliding through your folds, body jolting with his touch. He circles your clit, barely, not enough, and you whine indignantly. It’s enough to loosen your lips, enough for Johnny to grasp your jaw, shove the tip of his thumb between your teeth, and then pry you open.

Once he gets the tip of his cock against your tongue, it’s over. Salt and earth dab along your tastebuds, and you drool on the table, trying to breathe through his rhythm, trying to focus as Simon tucks a finger into your hole, slowly pumping in and out, occasionally pulling free to swirl it around your untouched rim.

One finger inside you is enough to burn, heat rising through your belly, walls clenching tight, and John groans, pressing into the back of your throat, cutting off your airway.

“So good, all day.” Simon grits, stroking your clit in tiny circles. “Sweet Persephone, and now,” he’s building you closer, so close to the precipice, to the top of the mountain where you’ll hope he’ll throw you off.

But it’s not enough. 

“I know darling, don’t worry. I’ll give you your pain.” He croons. John thrusts hard, drives into you vigorously, head thrown back. There’s a sheen of sweat on his neck, and you watch a slow rivulet dip beneath his collar. He’s so… they’re so…

A hand cracks across the tender skin of your ass, rippling out like a shockwave. You choke.

You clench. The tide rises.

“Fuck. There you go.” Light dances in front of your eyes, small pinpricks of stars, and you gurgle on the dick that shoves down your throat. Another strike, the same side, and you cry out, gasping for air. The tip of his finger gently pushes against your rim, and then it’s replaced with a mouth, a hot, intrepid tongue, swirling around as your hips buck and he plays with your clit.

You’re going to die. You’re going to explode. You need more. 

You try to tell him, try to choke it out around John’s shaft, but it’s like he knows, like he’s reading your mind, and he pulls away to dig his teeth into the plump swell of your ass, biting down so hard you think you’re bleeding.

No. You are. 

You scream.

Rivers of ichor paint your skin. The next spank comes directly over the puncture wounds, and instead of screaming in pain, you moan in pleasure, head held in Johnny’s hands, your face a tool for him to fuck, your pussy squeezing down around the single finger stroking in and out of your body. He swings again, and again, fire lighting behind your eyes, explosions going off one by one, your orgasm cresting, rising in the swell of an enormous wave, and just as you’re about to come, Simon plunges a finger deep into your ass, shoving you off the mountain.

To where they catch you below.

The rest is a blur. John finishes down your throat, salt and sweat and tears all mixing in your mouth, and he moans your name as he gives you a belly full of seed.

You’re limp, floating, drifting higher and farther than you ever have before, not in your body, not even in your own mind. Hardly cognizant when you’re picked up, tucked away in the shelter of a chest and carried down the hall. You close your eyes.

You come back a little bit when you’re placed in shallow hot water, a steaming, rocky pool, your face settled in Johnny’s neck. Cloth and deft fingers rub your shoulders, your waist, anywhere you might feel sore, even the bottoms of your feet.

All the while, they talk.

It starts simply, sweet words that fills you up until you can’t take anymore. “Did so well, darling. So good for us.” John murmurs in hushed tones as Simon shifts you, turning you on your belly to run the cloth between your legs and over your ass. It stings, and you hiss, but you’re soothed with an apology, gentle kisses down your spine, each one pressed with praise.

It’s not long before you’re tucked into bed, turned over on your side, some sort of magic and salve being applied to the bite in your skin. You’re gone now, barely aware, barely awake, but with it enough to catch the little bits here and there.

“-talk about it tomorrow.”

“If they’re from Demeter, I’ll-“ No. Not this. Anything but this. Distress catches in your chest, and fingers stroke your cheek.

“Shhh, sweet one. Rest now.” There’s a little touch of magic, a barely there pulse of power, and you let it take you into the soft comfort of sleep, bedded down like a fawn, cradled between two Kings.

*Hymn 2 to Demeter, line 347

[lovebugism]

Eddie x Gareths sisterrrrr????? Like Romeo and Juliet type stuff where Gareth is like my sister is NOT dating you

thanks so much for your request, anon!! i had so much fun writing it!! there isn't much conflict with gareth, but i hope you like it anyway! jealous!eddie x girly!reader (1.6k)

bug's summer fic fest ♡

Gareth picks you up from the mall at six o’clock sharp.

You say goodbye to your friends, all of them wearing the same tank top and pleated skirt duo you’re in, before getting into the passenger seat of his pick-up truck. You’re dressed too nicely to be sat in such a beaten-up thing. Too pretty for it, too.

“Wanna get something to eat?” the boy asks as he pulls out of the parking lot, talking over the Dio song blaring on the radio.

He’s wearing his usual flannel vest over a tattered Metallica tee. The former is riddled with various vintage pins fitting for a metalhead. Down to his skull necklace, ripped jeans, and dirty sneakers — the two of you couldn’t be more different.

You flip down the visor and use the mirror to put on a swipe of glittery lipgloss. You feel almost naked without it. “Slurpees?” you offer before smacking your mouth to spread the sparkly glaze.

“That’s so not dinner,” Gareth laughs as he shakes his sandy curls. 

You arch a manicured brow in his direction. “Got a better idea?”

“Nope,” he concedes, popping the ‘p.’

He’s got too much of a soft spot for you to deny you of anything. Perks of being the youngest sibling, you suppose.

You feel butterflies fluttering like crazy in your stomach, their wings brushing the edges of your ribcage as he pulls into the gas station — and it’s not because of the $1 Slurpees. Your stepbrother’s best friend, Eddie Munson, usually deals drugs in the back parking lot on weekends. Like the absolute dreamboat he is. 

It’s been days since you last saw him. Six of them, to be exact, but it’s not like you’re counting or anything.

While Gareth waits in line to pay for your drink and his food, you decide to quell your yearning. It’s much more like a hunger, though. Whatever innocent crush you used to have is far more salient now. You miss Eddie like a dinner you didn’t get to eat — noticeably empty, weakened without his smile to bring you back to life.

You round the corner to the back lot and find him flipping through a wad of cash. He leans against the brick wall with one dirty sneaker kicked up against it. Despite the middle of summer head, he hasn’t yet forgone his leather jacket and dark denim jeans duo. He looks killer, as usual — so you could only imagine how he’d look out of them.

When he hears the sound of footsteps scuffing against pavement, he looks at you from the corner of his eye. His gaze is halfway hidden beneath his fluffy bangs before he turns to face you wholly. 

He grins at the sight of you, and you fill whole again.

“Hi, Teddy,” you greet with a smile, stained blue from your raspberry Slurpee.

He rises on both feet and tucks the money into the back pocket of his baggy jeans. His head tilts to his shoulder as he looks at you, too cute for his own good. “Whatcha doin’ out here, princess?”

Your stomach flutters at the nickname you’ve heard too many times to count. 

“Came to see you,” you shrug innocently, curling your smile around the straw of your drink.

Eddie beams, brows raising in amusement and cheeks reddening at your answer. He hopes you’re too far away to see his cheeks glowing as pink as they are now. He’d just blame it on the summer heat, anyway. 

“Really?” he lilts, voice light and airy with mirth.

You shrug as you swallow down the fruity slushy. “Gareth brought me for Slurpees.”

“How sweet.”

“Right?” you hum with a blue-tinted smirk, slowing when you finally reach the boy. His weed-tinged, woody musk envelopes you completely — he might as well be embracing you. “Best brother ever.”

Gareth isn’t really your brother, despite how often you call him that. You’re related by marriage, not by blood. You’ve known him your entire life, though, so you figure you might as well be.

Eddie knows this, so he smiles and takes a rather dramatic step back from you. “And that is exactly why I have to stay approximately three feet away from you at all times, princess.”

“Why’s that?” you squint at him.

When you take another step closer, he takes two more back.

“‘Cause he’s been threatening to beat my ass about dating you since we were thirteen.”

A smile quirks the right side of your lips. “Well, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” you lilt.

Eddie’s brows raise at the mischievous inflection in your words. This time when you step towards him, he stays in place. “You’d really do that to him? To the ‘best brother ever?’”

You take another daring step towards him. Your chin tilts up to look at him in your ever-shortening proximity. “I’ve done far worse things than think his best friend is hot, Teddy.”

“Yeah?” the boy coos, chocolate eyes dancing with amusement as his chin dips to his chest to peer down at you. He makes the mistake of looking lower — at your breasts in your pretty little tank top and the silver of your stomach showing beneath the hem. He wants so desperately to hold you, despite everything that tells him he shouldn’t. His best friend, namely.

“And what’s that, princess?” the boy croons to you.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” you blink innocently up at him, then shrug. “Sorry.”

Eddie knows he shouldn’t be jealous, but he is. 

You’re not his, but god, you were so good at making him feel like you were. You were around so often, always so sweet in your way — sometimes, it felt like you really did belong to him. The thought of his girl with someone else makes him feel like puking.

Jealousy radiates from him like steam, palpable enough for you to feel. 

You grin.

“Don’t worry, Teddy,” you singsong, taking another goddamn step closer. Eddie knows he should be taking a thousand more backward, but your chest brushes his torso and he forgets how to walk. “I only have eyes for you.”

The boy swallows through a tightening throat. He nods for a moment, trying to work up the courage to use his voice. He’s scared that it’ll break, and he’ll lose all cool points with you. And he’s the rockstar, the older brother’s best friend — he can’t possibly have that.

“Good to know,” Eddie finally nods.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long, though. Might have to find some other metalhead to give me attention.”

Your smile widens when his jaw clenches, honeyed glaze hardening at the thought of you finding someone else. Your heart flutters when you realize that he sees you as his. He’s already been yours for a long, long time.

Gareth calls your name from a distance, muffled and far away. It’s nearly inaudible, but it knocks Eddie from his stupor all the same. “You should go, princess.” 

“My parents usually go to bed around nine. Gareth’s usually sucking in the ceiling by eleven,” you maunder suddenly, wide eyes sparkling with roguishness. “If you park your van a few houses down around midnight, no one will be the wiser…”

“You want me to sneak into your bedroom?” Eddie laughs softly to himself. He hasn’t done that since he was sixteen. He thought he was over chasing girls like that. Turns out, he wasn’t really. Not when it came to you, at least.

“Uh-huh,” you hum with a firm nod, lips wrapping around the red straw of your slushy right after.

“And what’s in it for me, huh?”

Truth be told, Eddie couldn’t give a shit. He already knows he’ll be at your house at 12 o’clock sharp, climbing up your trellis like some kind of offbeat Spiderman. He just wants to hear you tell him something, anything — a wish for him to go on for the next several hours while he’s stuck dealing in the heat, thinking about you.

You don’t answer him with words.

You rise on the tips of your toes, holding onto your Slurpee with one hand and using your free one to cup his cheek. You usher the boy softly towards you as you press your mouth to his. And it’s not the most heated kiss in the world or anything — just a languid, honeyed thing that makes your lips lock like they were made to do it.

Eddie’s idling hands rise to your waist. His ringed fingers squeeze the bare skin of your sides as he sighs against your mouth. You taste cold and sweet — like blue raspberry and ice and lipgloss — his savior in this heat. The tip of his nose smushes against the side of yours, desperate to melt with you entirely. He thinks it might be close to possible, having you so close in the sweltering summer evening.

He’s breathless when you pull away from him.

“More of that,” you answer through labored breaths. “And maybe a little extra, if you’re good.”

Eddie doesn’t bother denying his want for you anymore. Fuck it, he’ll just fight his best friend. He can take a punch if he has to, but he’s not sure Gareth could even throw one — especially not at the boy he’s known for practically half his life.

“Your bedroom’s the last window on the light, right?” Eddie asks through rosy, kiss-bitten lips.

“Yeah,” you grin, backing slowly away from him. “I’ll leave my light on.”

He nods until the words catch up with him. “Okay.”

“See you then, Teddy.”

When you turn the corner for the main parking lot, Eddie can finally breathe again. 

The air is noticeably less sweet without you around.

[watermelonlovershigh]

"Y/n, I really want a baby!" /blurb/

AN: i started writing this the same day Gemma announced she had a baby but you know me, i'm a slow writer and proofreader. so sorry it took me a few days to have it finished and posted. hope you enjoy and make sure to leave your feedback. xoxo

This story contains: talks of wanting a baby, heavy persuasion, small smut scene, breeding kink maybe?

{ husbandrry - soft!harry - uncle!harry - current harry era }

word count- 1,484

After the pregnancy announcement of Harry's older sister Gemma, Harry has become sick with the case of baby fever and tries to convince you over and over to start having children now rather then later.

Ever since Harry has become an uncle to his sister Gemma's new little baby girl, he's had massive baby fever. And it's not like you're opposed to having a baby with Harry. Of course you want a baby with your husband of a year, boyfriend of nearly eight years. But your original plan was to wait for another year or two and that's what you were hoping to stick to. But Harry is mighty convincing.

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

Gemma had invited you and Harry over to her little house back in Holmes Chapel that she shares with her long time boyfriend, Michal. Harry's been finished touring for about a month now so you had a bunch of free time to make the drive up there. When you arrived, you got the sense something was up. There was this sneakiness in the air that you couldn't ignore.

But that all ended after your dinner, as you sat on Gemma's nice plush couch, when she looks to you and then to Harry before blurting out, "We're having a baby."

Harry's eyes nearly bug out his head and he shouts, "What! Oh My God!!" He stood up from his spot on the couch as Gemma shook her head yes and walked over towards her, giving his big sister a big, warm hug. You allowed the brother - sister duo to have a moment before also standing up.

Once Gemma parted from the hug she had with her baby brother, because Harry never breaks hugs first, she reaches out to embrace you in a hug. "Oh My God, congratulations. To you both. I'm so excited for you guys."

Gemma whispers a, "Thank you." in your left ear before stepping back again.

After giving Michal a quick hug as well, Harry questions, "Wait, does Mum know?" His face is still in complete shock.

Gemma nods and responds, "Yeah, she was the second person I told. First being Michal of course. "

You each sit down again and continue the conversation, "I bet Anne sobbed when you told her."

Giggling, Gemma replies, "Oh yes. She first shouted in surprise, quite like Harry did, then cried. It was adorable and sweet."

----

Later that night on your drive back home to London, you look over to the driver's seat and notice Harry has tears in his eyes. You can only see that in the dark because the street lights are reflecting off his shiny eyes. Quietly, you coo, "Harry, what's wrong? Why are your eyes all watery?"

He turns his head to look at you quickly before watching the road again, then answering, "S'just, m'so happy for Gemma. M'gonna be an uncle. But then it got me thinkin', one day m'gonna be a dad and m'gonna get to hold our small baby and care for it and love on it. They get to call me dad. Y/n, I really want a baby." After saying that last sentence, Harry lets a full blown sob come out. One that you debate whether or not to have him pull over because you don't want him to crash the car.

"Oh baby," you say in a gentle tone, reaching over the center console to run your hand soothingly up and down his arm, "it's okay. You're gonna be the best uncle to your niece or nephew and the best dad to our kids one day."

"But what if I don't want to wait for one day? What if I want kids now? Y/n, can we start tryin' for a baby?"

You giggle at his eagerness and respond, "We said another year or two, remember. But I'll consider bringing the wait time lower. Just let me have time to think on it.

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

A couple weeks have gone by since Harry found out he was gonna be an uncle and his baby fever has yet to go away. You haven't gave him an answer on whether or not you want to start trying right now and Harry hasn't brought it back up either. He didn't want to bother or pressure you with answering such a big question. But, he has been bringing more persuasive hints your way.

For instance, the other day you were walking in the park and Harry spotted a little girl running up into her daddy's arms. Harry gets your attention at the sight and whispers, "Can you imagine, our little girl or boy runnin' into my arms? Where they know they'll be safe and loved. Of course your arms too but them feelin' love from their daddy is somethin' extra special."

And the imagine of that does get your ovaries tingling, you can't lie. Just picturing your child running into Harry's arms after a day at school, or after getting a little scrape on the knee, or when someone was being rude to them on the playground. Knowing their daddy will love and keep them safe. Ugh, maybe you do want a baby now.

Another time Harry has shown his baby fever recently is in bed. Right now you're on birth control so you still get to have raw sex and Harry takes advantage of that. Whispering in your ear while making love, "Gonna put a baby inside of you. Fill you up with my cum and give you all the babies in the world."

You breathed out while holding his body closer to yours, "You know I'm..... I'm on birth control, right?"

"Don't remind me. Let me just pretend, alright." Harry mutters while thrusting in to you with love and care. Obviously he knows you're on birth control and he'd never interfere with your medication knowing it's something you requested to be on for the time being. But that doesn't mean he can't pretend he's knocking you up.

And it's something Harry does, not just that time but several times following. Really every time you have sex after Gemma's pregnancy announcement where he got baby fever.

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

What the final straw was to make you want kids now rather than wait until later was when Harry's niece was born and you saw Harry interact with her for the first time. A day after Gemma had given birth, she allowed you and Harry to come visit. Anne had visited first, obviously since she's the mum and grandma, but next it was you two.

When you walked into the hospital room filled with pink balloons and flowers, you saw Gemma propped up in bed with her baby cuddled to her chest. Michal sitting next to the bed in a chair. Gemma waves you both over and asks Michal to grab the baby from her arms and hand her to one of you. (you and harry washed your hands before entering the hospital room) He offers the baby to you first but you shake your head no and say, "Let Harry hold her first."

Michal hands over his baby girl to Harry and it's like some kind of instinct comes forth with how natural he makes it look holding a day old baby. Looking down at the small baby in his arms, Harry coos shakily, clear emotions in his voice, "Oh My God, Gemma, she's beautiful. So small and delicate."

The view in front of you was the best sight you think you've ever seen. Your husband holding his baby niece for the first time. And now all you can picture is you in that hospital bed, looking over at Harry but instead of his niece, he's holding your baby. The one you created together with the love you made. Maybe even doing some skin to skin contact.

----

On your drive back home from the hospital, you blurt out, "Harry, I want a baby. Like right now." Harry nearly crashes the vehical. He has to actually pull over so he can make sure he heard you correctly.

"Y/n, what'd you say?"

"You heard me correctly, H. I want a baby right now. Not in a year or two. Seeing you with your niece today did something to me. Made my ovaries flutter and this big desire to see you holding our baby. A baby we made together." you explain softly.

Not thinking twice, Harry surges forward and crashes his lips to your. One hand cradles your face while the other settles on your thigh over the center console. Then breaking away to catch his breath, Harry smiles wide and speaks, "Yeah, you wanna make a baby together? When we get home m'gonna stuff you full of m'cum and get you so fuckin' pregnant."

His words turn you on beyond belief. And though you took your birth control this morning, you know tomorrow you're flushing the rest down the toilet. Harry knows the likelihood of getting you pregnant tonight is unlikely because you took your birth control today, but that isn't going to stop him from fucking you until his seed eventually sticks. Whether that takes days, months, or years.

(PLEASE REBLOG BECAUSE WRITING IS NOT EASY AND IT'S FREE SO JUST DO IT)

(no more tags are allowed because i've hit my number limit. sorry : ( )

tag list: @one-sweet-gubler // @harryscherrysugar // @hsfanficsrecss // @lollypopsx // @harrycanyonmoonn // @itfeelslikemytherapisthatesme // @damnasstyles  // @mrsstylesharry // @softmullet  // @meetmyblondemuffins  // @thegirlnextdoorssister // @stanleystyles  // @haarrrys // @michellekstyles  // @skyangel57   // @the-gardener-31 // @lhharrylilpumpkin // @yousunshine-youtemptress // @clairestylessss  // @kissmyaxe140  // @goldenmelonsugar-hi // @kaitieskidmore97 // @florencepughily  // @alienorknight //@dancearoundthelivingroom  // @swiftmendeshoran

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______________

My Masterlist Masterpost

[whosthere54]

Hi chat! I’m on vacation but here’s some food!

I wanted to do a Royal AU fable SMP thing that was Brothers Centric, so I have that planned out a lil bit in my notes and that’s what inspired this little one shot!

Hope you enjoy reading about prison duo :3

———

Icarus was finally able to escape the incessant crowd. They don’t think they’ve ever talked to that many people in their life.

They sigh, leaning back against the wall with their arms crossed over their chest. They scan the ballroom, watching the people of their kingdom celebrate an agreement of peace between the Overworld and the End. If only they knew how much arguing and force it took to get there.

They run a shaky gloved hand through their hair and just breathe for a moment. Their jewelry seemed to have changed from bronze to gold- not that they were complaining- and the seems on their gloves changed from a matching black stitching to a gold thread.

Interesting choice by Quixis, but not an unwelcome one.

Their eyes fall on their brother, all bright purples and greens, and his partner hard not to spot in the crowd for being as tall as he was. He and Fenris seemed so happy together. They couldn’t help but be happy for them.

Fenris surprisingly wasn’t wearing any armor, only dressier black attire. His muscular build was different yet so similar to Centross’s. He was wearing a different mask than usual, this one made of black lace with gold and purple details, his hair pulled into a bun with purple ribbons hanging from it as a marking of his allegiance to the End Kingdom.

It was still Wolf though, that much stayed consistent.

Rae looked… nice.

He’s changed since they’ve last seen him. End markings now with deep lines of dark blue scarring similar almost to Athena’s scars from the wither sickness. An aftermath of the Skulk Sickness they assume. He seemed taller, which was odd. And he had an antler growing out of only one side of his head, decorated with gold chains and purple and green ribbons.

He was wearing a black dress, but it shimmered bright purples and greens when the light hit it. His hair was braided with blue orchids, all his jewelry having a matching orchid theme to them. His crown sat slightly askew atop his head, having been displaced since he’d gotten here. The purple and green jewels in it shined in the sunlight. He seemed so happy. Icarus couldn’t remember the last time they’d seen him that way.

It was nice to see him smile again.

Soon, Fenris traded Rae off for Centross. The two men laughing as Fenris spun them around. Centross wasn’t wearing his armor either, at request of fable, to make him more “non-threatening”. If you look around the citizens seem to be intimidated by him anyways, though the look dies down as time passes.

They all heard the stories. Some were true, some were not. The reputable assassin hired by Enderian herself to assassinate the prince, too much of a coward to finish the job. Some say he’s gotten soft, some say he’s a cold hearted killer, some say he’s just a man. The kingdom grew to respect him regardless. David Centross Mistvale. Their enemy turned best friend. Their assigned bodyguard. The person that is on their side no matter what.

Their idiot best friend.

He dressed nice, dark overworld greens contrasting with his purple scars. He looked like the end and the overworld mixed, black tinted hands and a tail only a bit different from the people of the end. And his wings. They had a structure similar to Rae’s dragon wings, though his were made of bone and whisps of purple the color of the void that faded out in a way so alike to ender particles. They were torn and burnt at the edges, but he was able to fly unaffected.

He had a mask shaped like the skull of a crow, black base with gold thread and green ribbon tying it to his head. They remember having to help him pick, him being so indecisive of what mask to have. Them picking out his earrings, dark metal feathers on gold chains, and giving him some other spare chains they had lying around to put on his mask.

They glanced around the room again, making eye contact for a moment with Rae. They gave him a soft smile and he nodded back, turning back to his partner as he switched off to dance with Rae again. They laughed, shaking their head slightly before turning their attention to their gloves.

They rubbed their eyes, trying to wake themselves up even slightly. Jumping when they feel a steady hand on their shoulder, looking up to find dark purple eyes looking back at them.

“Sorry, just me.” He offered them a lopsided smile.

“Yeah, sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today.” They laugh softly, leaning back against the wall.

“Hm that’s alright.” He leans with his side against the wall, almost creating a barrier between them and the crowd.

They just talk, just existing for a while. Centross settled to lean his back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. They watched the crowd for a bit, Icarus pointing out any important figures that they’d had to talk to- or hadn’t yet but were of note. After a bit of silence, Icarus rested their head against his shoulder. It was where their eyes were just hidden, pressed tightly at the curve of his neck.

He leaned his head just slightly against the top of their head, not saying anything but not moving them.

“You’re exhausted, when’s the last time you’ve slept?”

“Uhh… maybe Three days ago?”

“Gods Icarus”

“Look I’ve been busy”

“Not busy enough to not sleep, what were you doing with all that time birdie?”

They shrug.

“Just… paperwork or somethin’ I dunno.”

He hums softly. “We have to be here for five more hours and you can barely keep your head up, I can sneak you out if you want?”

They laugh lightly, ”If my father wouldn’t kill me id say yes.”

He laughs softly and nods in understanding.

”You can at-least rest your eyes for a bit hm?”

They shrug. After a little bit of silence, Centross runs his fingers gently through to mess with their perfect hair just enough so it’s lightly disheveled. They tense a moment, before relaxing and leaning into the contact with a contented hum.

He murmurs some soft reassurances, just continuing to mess with their hair, eyes continuing to scan the crowd for any type of threat.

After a bit of silence, Centross had honestly thought they’d fallen asleep. Though they mumbled softly, barely able to be heard over the other noise.

“Thank you.”

“Always.”

-=+=-

Rae missed this.

He missed dancing with his partner for hours, he missed laughing with him.

He missed the freedom peace gave them.

And they have it now, and it’s wonderful, and it’s scary, and it’s… he couldn’t really describe what he felt if he was asked.

He’d try for Fenris though.

His partner, his partner. He got to call him that now. His partner. His best friend. His wolf.

They had stopped dancing a little while ago, leaning against the wall with drinks instead. It’s been so long since they were able to talk freely like this. It was nice.

He laughed at something Fenris had said, before Fenris stops.

“Wait, Rae look” He says, pointing at the opposite wall, towards the corner of the ballroom. There, Rae saw Centross leaning back against the wall. When he looked closer he also saw his brother… his brother?

He saw his brother, perfect prince Icarus Morningstar, face hidden where it was resting against Centross’s shoulder, crown slightly uneven on his head where Centross’s hand combed through their hair. Their wings were still pressed tightly to their back, tail resting lightly over their leg, but they weren’t stood up straight and their crown wasn’t perfectly placed over their stupidly perfect hair.

“Oh”

“Yeah! Aw look at them!” Fenris leaned his head on top of Rae’s, looking at the pair.

”Are they..?” Rae asks, tilting his head to the side just slightly. He hasn’t talked to his brother in so long, but he would’ve told him that right? Or Centross or Fenris would’ve…

“No- not yet. They should don’t you think?” Fenris’s voice brings him back, eyes finding Icarus again.

“Yeah… yeah I think so.” He murmurs after a moment.

“Look at them. Little losers.”

“They’re our losers.” Fenris hums softly leaning more against his partner.

“Yeah.” Rae leans back, Fenris nuzzling against his hair.

My brother.

Our losers.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

(For your lovely rollo event.)

Rollo, how do you feel about children? Either just in general or perhaps.. if you would ever want to be a father in the future?

Like Fire, Hellfire.

“Children?”

He handled the word as though it were a skunk—innocent and harmless for now but primed to spray at the first hint of danger. A muscle in his face ticked. It was though he wished to shift into a different emotion but hadn't yet decided which one.

Handkerchief out, Rollo sucked in a breath through his teeth. The usual disgust or disapproval was not present in full force. Today, it was tempered by hesitance as he tip-toed around the subject.

"They have the capacity to be rambunctious. Like fire, difficult to tame. I’m not certain I can match their energy," he said vaguely. “The children in the City of Flowers are free-spirited, and that tends to result in acts of mischief. Whether their pranks and games disturb public peace depends on the time and place. I'm not fond of the instances when they do."

A slight grimace crossed his features. "There was once an incident when a boy blew hard into a magically charmed handkerchief, and the noise it produced startled the baker at the cafe I was frequenting. He had just pulled out a fresh batch of croissants from the oven. The croissants ended up all over the floor... What a waste of perfectly good food. The baker, too, was quite upset, as you can imagine."

"What happened to the boy?"

"Ah, him. He attempted to abscond from the scene of the crime. In his rush to escape, he paid no attention to his surroundings and collided with me." Rollo waved a hand. "The baker's rage was upon him in an instant. The boy was shaking like a leaf in the wind—he grasped onto my robes to keep himself upright.”

Rollo drew out a sigh that ended in a small smile. “I managed to smooth things over with the baker, though I also spoke with the boy and had him apologize. One must atone for one’s crimes—that lesson was surely instilled in him that day.”

"Aw, it was nice of you to step in and speak on behalf of the little guy." You found yourself smiling as well. Even though Rollo-san always has this stern air about him… "You really have a soft spot for kids, huh?”

His frown quickly returned. "No, I wouldn't say that. I was merely holding the boy accountable for his actions. Children can so easily be led astray without proper instruction and moral guidance. Who is to say he wouldn’t be a repeat offender if he was let off the hook?”

"Someone's in denial," you said in a teasing singsong. “It’s okay to confess that you’re good at taking care of kids, you know.”

“… I am not,” he insisted. “I am most content observing the children go about their simple days. I do not wish to take a larger part in their lives beyond that.”

A terrifying thought nipped at him from the dark crevices of his mind.

I don’t have a right to.

If his heart were a house, then a window had been thrown open, letting the outside in. A hole opened in the dark, and incriminating light rushed to fill it.

A flower of pain blossomed in his chest, its thorns driving deep into his flesh. The blood that rose to the surface was both hot and cold. Burning scorn, icy remorse.

A deadly duo.

Spiraling.

I wasn't able to protect the one that mattered most of all. My magic came too late. I'm in no position to be a big brother, let alone a father, a grandfather, an uncle, a guardian of any sort…!

I’m not worthy.

Rollo gritted his teeth. His soul ablaze, his mind jumbled with emotions running high. He pushed back with teeth and nails.

It’s not my fault. I’m not to blame!! The one who cast this flame is…!

“Rollo-san?”

You were staring at him, concern seeping into your eyes. Curiosity, too, had bloomed there. It was the same sort of expression one makes at a a stray on the side of the road. Sorry for it, but uncertain about drawing near to check its condition.

He gasped—realizing he had been making a most frightening face. Rearranging his features back into some semblance of calm, he cleared his throat.

“… Suffice to say, it is impossible in this current state of affairs for any child to grow up safe and free of sin. Around every bend and corner, there is temptation of magic calling out to them. How cruel!” he lamented pityingly. “The poor things, like lambs led to the slaughter.”

You shuddered at the gruesome image—human children like lambs.

Poor things, echoed your head. Poor Rollo, echoed your heart, thinking such things.

“Until I can bring about that magic-free world into fruition, I cannot commit my efforts toward any other endeavors,” he concluded. “A world without all the pain and suffering of this one… I intend to see my goal through to the very end. That is my utmost priority.”

A fairer world for all.

For the children.

For him.

[goodolddumbbanana]

(Molten/Sun) - Honeytrap duo- A mix between dream and reality

TW: toture, depressed, self hated... It is Sun angsty, what are you expect? But for real, this chap maybe a littler uncomfortable, please be aware before you read it.

The overly cold and harsh white light of Moon’s lab no longer made him feel nervous like before.

The space was clean and silent as if it had been covered with a layer of powder, only the slow movement of the worn gears, too soft to become white noise buzzing in Sun’s ears.

The yellow animatronic sat down on the sofa, staring at the floating fire created by his magic. The color seemed unreal, too beautiful for nature, pure in liquid gold, like amber and honey mixed together into a dripping mess in a pot of lava, crumbling and crashing into each other like shooting stars falling down.

***

'Huff! Huff!' 

Sun ran in panic, trying to avoid the fiery arrows that were flying repeatedly at him. Darkness maliciously covered Sun's vision, only the lava lakes that were boiling and waiting for him to fall, has become a tool to guide Sun ironically, the high temperature was so harsh that he coughed.

"Come on Sun, you don't want to die again, do you?" The Creator's hateful voice rang out from The Thing mockingly, enough to make Sun, if he still had the strength to scream right now, he would have thrown the most vicious curses at that motherfucker's face.

*Swoosh!*

An arrow pierced Sun's left leg, the plastic pieces were torn apart, half of his endoskeleton was exposed and stuck to Sun's upper thigh before Sun's lack of vigilance made him fall into the waiting lava mouth.

***

It didn't really hurt to the point unbearable, Sun mused, even as the metal surface in his palm turned into a sooty black.

***

The pain hit him instantly, immediately overloading his system. It was too much, too hot. His insides were contracting and twisting together, brass flowing through Sun’s lenses. His vision was the first to go, as the heavy metallic liquid melted his entire plastic shell, igniting like New Year’s Eve fireworks. The smell of oil and tar mixed with smoke and fire, and patches of flame flew everywhere as he struggled to free himself from the pulsing lake.

He didn’t even get a chance to scream, as the terrifying heat melted his entire sensory system.

***

The sharp, merciless pain was enough to make Sun’s body weak and quiver, but it still kept his mechanical mind awake and gritting its teeth to endure. The cold, vague fear of letting things go too far crawled in Sun’s too-empty chest, but the inertia of Sun’s nature made him reluctant to move. A few fire alarms sounded in his system, as black spots began to move at the edges of Sun’s eyes like annoying beetles.

He should have thrown the fireball away, or let it burn out.

But Sun didn’t, just watched indifferently as his magic tore itself apart, pouring long streaks of fire through Sun’s hands like mist and smoke drifting through his endoskeletons.

It was a pointless act, using his own magic to destroy himself. Like trying to kill a beast with its own teeth, or letting a fish choke on water.

It was impossible, because the nature of magic was his to control.

Sure, it could get out of control. Sure, it could exhaust Sun.

Sure, it could get his hands bloody and cause Sun a year of trauma.

Kill one brother. Destroy another one…

But it could never hurt Sun himself. Not physically.

And if the pain he felt was fake, the product of what his bastard father left, who thought it was funny to simulate the human nervous system’s response, then why did Sun keep trying to trigger it?

***

“The two of you,always being so dramatic. Your body’s sensor system is burned out, and honestly, I didn’t even increase your pain sensitivity this time, but you still act like you’re about to die.” He clicked his tongue.

“So pathetic, Sun. What a waste of my sweat and effort in creating you. What a disappointment.”

It was strange that Sun was still conscious, forced to listen to even that bastard’s whining and scolding.

“I should have scrapped you when your rebellious phase appeared, but no, you had to be this useful.”

“It is sad that you can’t even obey or be obedient to your papa.”

“Oh well, guess whatever happens next, you only have yourself to blame, Sun…”

“Oh, what has your brother used to say? Oh right, I would make your life a living hell, Sun. Try to enjoy it this time, okay~~~” 

***

Sun didn’t know, honestly, he has become so tired and aching instinctively every time he continues to think too deeply about the nature of why his life was so terrible. It just went from one depression to another, never ending the cliche emptiness like a stone pressing down on Sun’s chest preventing him from breathing freely whenever he opened that can of worms.

So Sun closed it again. Put it away, packed away the horrible pathetic, unsolvable, unhelpful thought and sunk it deep into the deepest corners of Sun's mind and took a deep breath.

"Shut up."

He told that to himself. A rather bad but effective coping mechanism, something Sun had picked over time for whenever he had an 'episode'.

He would automatically empty his mind. Think of it like deleting the hard drive, or throwing everything that made him feel uncomfortable into the ocean.

The information, the data, the bad memories… would still be there, in Sun's little head, just out of reach, blurred at the edges enough that Sun felt he could look deeply into it and still feel comfortable.

Even though he knew that the empty writhing feeling wouldn't stop even if there was nothing left in Sun's brain, as if his mechanical body was trying to warn him that there was some serious wrong affect him mentally, Sun keeps continued to do this in stupid stubbornness as if to scream to the whole world to leave him alone.

***

“One finger, two fingers…” Sun gritted his teeth, refusing to scream as The Thing patiently broke each of his fingers. “I’ve been watching your channel, Sun. The game Ruin created is honestly pretty fun. Tell me Sun, how many more joints do I have to break before you’ll behave like a good son?”

“You son of a bitch, what the hell do you need answers for!” Sun screamed, wishing he could bite off the tendrils holding him to that chair and march over to The Thing. “You’re not even real!! You’re not even him!!!”

***

Earth would say it would hurt him in the long run, but his sister wasn’t here. And as much as he hated that it felt like he was betraying Earth by agreeing to the Nexus, Sun didn’t think his sister could heal him on this.

***

The red mist made the Thing's face look like a jumbled mess. But one of Sun's eyes, –Sun ignored the fact that the other had been pulled out, the wires still stuck in his sockets– could still see the virus's vaguely satisfied smile…

That motherfucker… Sun thought they were just viruses, but they actually enjoyed doing this…

“Does it matter if I'm not the Creator?” The Thing tilted his head, his slow, even voice speaking to Sun for the first time, his real voice.

***

Because Sun was fine. He wasn't lying. His problems were in fact too small compared to their lives that were always on the brink of danger. And honestly, if Sun ignored the feeling that sometimes made him want to rip out his internal wires or scratch away the metal webs that turned the gold to the original aluminum gray on his body long enough, it would feel like nothing was there.

A rattling noise from the attic made Sun blink.

The fire in Sun's hand disappeared, the embers hovering over Sun's shoulder like fireflies. The anxiety made his stomach churn.

Oh… He forgot he wasn't alone.

There were Moon and Solar in the basement leading to another lab, but that didn't count. The two of them were too busy with their research, especially when the biggest weight named Goliath was illegally residing down there, threatening to find a way to escape.

And don't mention Ruin… Sun groaned. The nakedness of handing the codes to Ruin still made Sun tremble. The nauseating fear, along with the anger and bitterness of not knowing what the killer had killed Solar has planned and a series of tons of danger around him keep coming up made Sun feel dirty and anxious.

He knew he should think positively, but his poor mind kept making assumptions about what would happen if Sun’s agreement would bite him in the ass in the future someday or if Goliath would break free.

Because Sun had been around long enough to realize there was a pattern going on around here. Whenever he felt the slightest bit of joy or peace, life would appear and crush that remnant of hope right before his eyes with a patient delight that was all too similar to his creator’s.

It was almost comical, like they were stuck in a never-ending show if it weren’t so sad.

***

“Can you stop whining, Sun. You keep blaming the world for the things that were your fault.” ‘Creator’ asked kindly, a pair of glasses perched on his oversized brain as a mockery of Earth’s therapy profession. “I wonder why Nexus has stuck that long with you before he realized the truth.” 

“That you are the problem.”

***

“Do you need help, Molten?”

The bear heaved another sheet of plastic up the stairs, his deep concentration reminding him of Funtime Freddy’s obsession with anime girls.

Perhaps this spectrum was part of Funtime Freddy’s code, just like how all Suns were obsessed with cleaning?

And how every Moons had a crazy phase?

‘Shut up, brain, not now.’ Sun muttered, feeling overly exposed as his brain had nothing to do other than occasionally think about some stupid things.

“No, I can do it myself, Sun.” Molten answered him seriously, but right after that, an awkward tearing sound rang out. The cardboard inside Molten’s hand had a piece of hair on the tip ripped out, and the bear’s claws had also pierced a pretty big hole in the anime cover’s shoulder.

***

“Hey Sun, if I pull you in two different directions, which part of you do you think will be left bigger? The left or the right one?” - The sunflower-colored animatronic had its arms and legs spread out, tightly wrapped in midair, a parody of how Spider-Man stopped the train with his web.

“Nevermind, Let’s check it out, shall we?” Sun only had time to hear the train roar before a huge force crashed heavily on the back of his face.

***

“Oh.” Molten looked regretfully, still holding the cover in his hand, the way Sun was all too familiar with the kids inside the daycare. This is the image of a child breaking his toy and not knowing what to do next.

“Uh— There are a lot of models here, you can choose another one, Molten.” Sun stuttered, pointing at the anime figures that were huddled together, something he still couldn’t figure out how they had appeared in Moon’s lab.

“But I just like this lady…”

Sun should have felt sorry for Molten’s loss, but it was quite funny. It made Sun take a deep breath to suppress the laughter that would escape Sun’s mouth and come up with another solution that would make Molten happier.

“Um… Do you want me to fix it for you? I’m pretty good at cutting and pasting…”

Needless to say, Molten’s admiring gaze made Sun feel a little embarrassed.

They all sat down at the table, glue and scissors strewn about in Molten’s rather quick hands. The bear tried to help by handing Sun some tape, but seeing Molten struggling in the pile of tape and scrap paper, Sun stopped asking the bear while trying not to giggle.

It was great, just sitting like this, without thinking about anything else. Sun unconsciously looked at Molten fondly, who was trying to fix the cardboard for himself without paying attention to anything around him.

The faint blue light in Molten’s eyes and the rustling sound of paper and cardboard made Sun’s nervousness subside quietly. He shouldn’t worry too much about… Ruin or Creator… Not when his brothers were still here… And Molten was getting better, developing to become his own person.

“Hey Molten… May I ask…Are you okay? I heard you were almost taken by Goliath…” Sun timidly looked down at the red ribbon wrapped around his arm.

He wasn’t good at starting heavy conversations like this, when his nature was to literally create for the entertainment of others.

Which was in fact the complete opposite. Sun was good at annoying and ruining other people’s lives, not providing peace of mind and trust.

That was more Moon’s thing…

“Oh… Yeah… But Goliath can’t do anything to me… Why do you ask, Sun?”

“Just worried.” Sun muttered. “And… you don’t… I mean… I know you don’t like fighting anymore…”

The image of Molten going crazy as he pinned Ruin to the ground, the uncontrolled excitement bordering on anger, reminded Sun of the first days when he met Molten. Sun couldn’t help it, he stood still and motionless, just like always…

***

“Since you’re so good at being useless, I have a little game for you, Sun.” Creator wore an orange helmet, a small whistle hovering beside him. The gloomy darkness was only illuminated by the moonlight that illuminated the skinny body of the clown animatronic, revealing a garbage pit littered with rats as big as human biceps.

“Stand still and don’t move.” Sun stiffened, trying his best not to tremble. Thousands of red eyes stared at Sun, their fanged mouths gaping around him. The suffocating smell of sewers triggered Sun’s cleaning instincts, the water sloshing and soaking the hems of his pants with the green-brown color of filthy mud. “You don’t want to be these beasts’ chew toys, do you?”

“Oops! I screwed up.” Creator chuckled as he poured a bucket of blood over Sun, as a signal for the rats to pounce into the poor robot.

The screeching was interspersed with the sound of metal and wire ripping. Some stood craning their necks and squealing in Sun’s eye sockets, others came out of his mouth. In this almost unreal, fantastical pain, Sun wondered if this nightmare would ever end.

***

“I like helping people, Sun…” Molten tilted his head to look at Sun. “And Ruin is the one who needs to be stopped…”

“But I mean… you don’t have to do that. You can just go far away, away from here, to a place where Creator can’t find you.” Sun’s hand rose unconsciously as if to pull his rays apart. “You don’t have to help us, especially when it could put you in danger again…”

Sun tried not to be too sentimental, but his voice grew rougher and quieter as he spoke. His mouth was full of gravel, and as Molten’s hand rose, the metallic light reflected off the wire, causing Sun instinctively recoiled.

“I don’t like hurting people,‌ Sun.” Molten’s soft, rusty voice rang out. His hands slowly turned down, so subtle without saying anything. “I don’t want to do that anymore.”

“But I still owe you guys. I owe Moon, I owe Solar, and you Sun. Without you guys, I’d still be like‌ Goliath, still blindly following some rotten code.”

“You helped me become who I am, so I want to return your favor.”

The silence was like wanting to drown Sun down.

“It’s okay Sun… I want to help.”

You don’t understand. The very thing you wanted to do would be the very first door leading you to hell. I know it because I have been through it.

Sun thought bitterly.‌ How long would it be before another unfortunate soul got tangled up in his family’s mess?

Like KC?

Or Evelyn?

Sun tried to ignore Nexus’s name that came out of his head.

“You don’t have to do what you don’t want to do, you know that, Molten?” Sun said in a low voice, the sound of water flowing steadily in his ears.

“Yeah… And neither do you,‌ Sun.”

The sharp blue eyes stared at Sun, forcing Sun to look away. He would rather focus on the greenery in the room than Molten’s face right now, a confusing combination of an old, profound mind and an innocent brain.

“Haha…‌ I have absolutely no idea what you mean, Molten.”

Sun's laugh was so barren, it reminded even Sun himself of broken glass or the howl of a dying animal.

***

“It’s sad you’ll forget everything when you wake up…” The Thing looked bored as it poked at Sun’s shattered body parts. “Although, with your numbskull brain, I guess you don’t even understand what’s going on even if you are aware of it…”

“See you in the next dream, my brother…”

[fionajames]

Requests you say... How about something with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan? I love their relationship : D

Early Mornings

A/N: YEAHHHH BOIII I LOVE THIS DUO SO MUCH I LOVE THEM!!! TYSM FOR THE REQUEST KEBIIN, MY BESTEST OF FRIENDS, ILYSM. SEND REQUESTS GUYS PLEASE, I LOVE YOU ALL, ENJOY READING!!!

(divider by @saradika-graphics)

Two gulps of crisp morning air was how Ahsoka emerged from her tent, fingers tapping on the hilt of her lightsaber anxiously. Mornings on the campaign like this were what really hurt, the sun still hiding from view as the moons above beamed down. It was dark outside, but her Togruta blood meant her eyes adjusted quickly to their limited light.

Anakin was behind her, still in the tent, grumbling about something under his breath as he pulled on his boots. Neither of them was an early riser, but the war didn’t care about that. 

“Good morning, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan greeted her, taking a long sip from his cup as he glanced at the fourteen-year-old. Unlike Ahsoka and her Master, Obi-Wan looked refreshed and ready to take on the day, whereas they were both half asleep and shooting languidly longing glances back at their tent. Anakin had emerged now, still muttering under his breath impatiently as he snatched up his own cup, pouring their sad and lukewarm ration caff into his cup and taking a gulp of it.

“Morning, Master,” she replied, moving to beckon the cup from Anakin’s grasp. He gave it up without protest, watching as she took a sip - grimacing at the bitter taste - before handing it back. Hopefully that was enough caff to get her going, as she didn’t fancy having anymore. “Sleep well?” 

The carefree statement was almost a joke at this point. Sleeping well during a campaign was unlikely, unless you’d been knocked unconscious. Plus, this was Obi-Wan she was talking to, who had dark circles under his eyes and red streaks reaching for his blue irises.

Anakin wandered off then, and the Togruta caught Rex’s name among his mumble of inaudible words. Obi-Wan let out a small huff of laughter when Anakin tripped over his own feet and stumbled to continue walking. Ahsoka outright burst out laughing, but only for a few moments, before her exhaustion engulfed her again. 

“I would’ve thought Togrutas were early risers?” Obi-Wan stated, his gaze fond as Ahsoka rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stifled a yawn. She shook her head loosely, yawning again and shaking out her limbs. 

“Our ancestors were nocturnal,” Ahsoka replies, her voice coated with sweet and soft sleepiness, and suddenly Obi-Wan wishes that he could tell her to go back to bed and rest without having to fight for her life when she’s practically swaying in place. “We’re more accustomed to the night, even now centuries later, so we’re more night owls than early birds.”

“Early bird gets the worm,” Obi-Wan quipped, grabbing a cup from on top of the ration crates and pouring some caff into it, placing his own down. He grabbed the tin of condensed blue-milk they had and poured it into the cup, swirling it around and then passing it to Ahsoka. She eyed it wearily before taking a cautious sip, her face lighting up immediately as she took a delighted gulp. He grinned. “Better?”

Ahsoka downed her cup so fast that Obi-Wan had to blink a few times to double-check she actually had drunk every last drop. “So much better,” she gasped, a huge smile on her face, all teeth and canines. It was infectious, and even though it was dark and cold and a warzone, Obi-Wan couldn’t help but smile back.

Troopers were starting to emerge from their tents now, and the Jedi caught a glimpse of Echo repetitively slapping Fives across the face as they walked to wake him up, before they switched spots and repeated the actions.

Obi-Wan took their cups and turned to Ahsoka, raising a brow. “I’m going to the river to wash these, do you want to come with me?” She paused, before nodding eagerly and leaping into step with him. Together they walked through the grass and toward the river running not far from their camp. 

The ginger bent down by the rushing water, swiftly rinsing both cups in the water and drying them on the end of his robe. Ahsoka had both of her hands under the water, swirling them around before scrubbing them against each other and washing them. They’d tested the water when they’d set up camp, and it was safe to drink, although a bit dirty. However, Ahsoka didn’t seem bothered by this as she cupped her hands in the cool and began drinking it in small amounts.

Spotting Obi-Wan’s curious gaze, she shot him a smile. “Our immune systems are a bit better than humans,” she explained. “And I always drank from rivers like this back home. Even if I was very little, I know because of my instincts.”

He nodded, humming in understanding. “I remember a lot of music from my planet. Stewjon was all music and dancing, and had a warm vibe,” Obi-Wan mused wistfully. That was something he’d never told anyone. The memory was vague, but the impression was strong, and part of him always longed for his home planet, filled with bubbling laughter and bonfires. He’d done research in Stewjon as a teenager, and learnt all about their festivals and traditions, further increasing his curiosity. 

“That sounds,” Ahsoka paused, searching for the correct phrasing. “Beautiful. Togrutan culture is a lot about peace and balance. There was something my mother always said when we went hunting; ‘do not fear death’. I guess it’s helped me a lot during… this,” she gestured with her hand, “the war.”

Obi-Wan nodded, stepping away from the river and watching as Ahsoka shook the droplets of water from her hands and then dried them on her clothing. This was his little sister, that he’d only realised recently. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan’s bond was a little hard to explain, as there were both factors of sibling and paternal relationships, but overall, the ginger had to admit that the Togruta was his little sister, if not by blood then by bond.

They walked back to camp in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. It was calm and soft, the kind of silence that only came between good friends. Now, the sun was beginning to light up the sky, even if it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. The lightening blue above was a pleasant sight.

“How are you feeling about the campaign?” The Jedi asked the Padawan, watching for her expression. Her nose scrunched up and brow wrinkled, and a wisp of a fond smile formed on his lips. 

“It’s not our hardest yet,” she replied, wording her sentence carefully. “But it is not easy, it never is.” He had to agree with that. Nothing in this war seemed to be easy.

“But we’re by your side,” Obi-Wan told her, his words heavy with stubbornness. No matter what, he’d be by her side, and he knew so would Anakin, and their Clone troops. “All of us. You’ve got me, you have Anakin, and Rex and Cody, and everyone else.”

She grinned at him, taking the words with a gleeful nod. “Thanks, Master Kenobi,” she responded, and he nodded contently. 

He’d always be by her side, and her by his.

A/N: I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!!! AND AS USUAL, PLEASE SEND REQUESTS!!!!

(taglist: @skellymom, @techs-goggles9902, dm me if you wish to be added or removed)

[spadesolace]

leading lady - vlog 1 🎬: im siblings bonding time

previous | next

📀 clip 1

it was the wee hours of the morning, a red eye flight and clearly nayeon’s face is still a bit swollen. the view shows nayeon in the passenger seat and her manager driving, as she’s scrolling on her phone. 

violet: she’s probably looking for a song to play

a song plays in a low volume as to not get copyright striked despite it being the song of her labelmates. nayeon waves at the camera with her gummy smile.

“hello, i’m currently on my way back home.” nayeon leans forward to the camera, a smile on her face, clearly still tired from her flight. 

violet: NAYTIONS CHEER!

“i’ve been gone for at least an entire month?” nayeon looks at her manager for confirmation.

manager caption: yeah, you’ve been gone for a month.

“i was with y/n for half of it but she finished her schedule early.” she yawns, stretching her arms a bit, one could see the sun rising from the back as the drive continues on.

“anywho, today’s agenda is to surprise y/n. she doesn’t know i’m back and i bought her gifts. so, i’ll wake her up and we’ll have a sibling bonding day!” the camera cuts off and nayeon can be seen sleeping soundly with soft music in the background.

violet: sleep well unnie~

📀 clip 2

the sound of a door opening and the soft footsteps of nayeon can be heard. the lights aren’t on except for the sunlight coming from the window. the camera points to the digital clock on the kitchen counter that perfectly shows it was only 7 in the morning, on a saturday.

“she’s still asleep in her room, i’ve hidden the gift in my walk-in closet so she won’t know.” nayeon slowly opens the door to y/n’s room, it was dark with little hints of sunlight peeking in. one could make out the sleeping figure, some would find it creepy to see y/n’s entire body being stiff as a board and straight.

the camera was placed on the study table on the side. having a clear view of y/n’s entire room. nayeon had removed all her outer layer clothes, leaving her in a shirt and jeans. any sane person would just shake anyone to wake them up, but this was nayeon and y/n. a very chaotic duo.

next thing you see is nayeon jumping onto y/n’s sleeping figure and hugging her tight.

“AH SH-” the clip was then cut short.

📀 clip 3

the siblings are sitting on the kitchen counter, nayeon is holding an ice pack to y/n’s shoulder. the younger im was still sleepy, trying her best to keep her eyes open.

“y/n, unnie is sorry.”

violet: that surprise was a total bust.

“mhmm… welcome home, loser.” y/n leaned towards nayeon, who was still holding an ice pack.

“since when did your voice get so deep?”

“i just woke up…”

violet: unnie, pabo.

📀 clip 4

nayeon is back in the car, still a passenger princess with kookeu on her lap as y/n drives them to wherever destination her sister had in mind. it was a bit quiet and y/n no longer looks hurt from the incident in the previous clip.

“it’s already 1 in the afternoon… i fell asleep after i woke y/n up.” nayeon showed her phone screen that showed the time, it was almost 2 in the afternoon.

“i cooked breakfast but we never got that in camera.” y/n glanced at the vlog, a shy smile on her face opposite to nayeon’s bright gummy smile.

“i told you i could have cooked us breakfast.”

“after the whole oil incident, unnie? no.”

the whole ride is just them bickering about nayeon’s cooking skills and how y/n always cooks for them. to which nayeon is just left speechless with the amount of cooking clips of y/n has on the internet.

the scene from the background changes as y/n parks the car in what seems to be han river. 

nayeon had picked up the camera, filming y/n go out of the car and heading to the trunk. it seems that the siblings decided to have a picnic. it wasn’t that crowded at han river but there were a few people looking at them as they walked further along looking for a spot.

“it’s been a while since we went out, just the two of us.” nayeon pointed the camera at y/n who is now wearing a mask.

“i have classes, so i won’t be able to keep up with your spontaneous adventures.” the older im hummed as they kept on walking.

a b-roll started playing with nayeon’s song playing in the background, some of which was y/n running with kookeu, the sky and scenery, and nayeon fixing y/n’s hair.

“you never told me how your classes are going.” y/n shrugged as she pets kookeu who is now sleeping soundly on the picnic mat.

“OH- I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!”

violet: oops, sorry, have to cut this part. it’s something that only we can talk about

📀 clip 5

they’re back at y/n’s place, chilling in the living room as nayeon leaves the frame.

“hello, vlog. it’s been a while since i showed myself here. nayeon-unnie just went to get something in her closet-“

soft footsteps rushed in as kookeu jumped onto y/n’s lap and nayeon following behind holding a paper bag with the logo censored.

“i got you this.” y/n looked inside the paper bag only to look back up at nayeon. face in awe as she pulled out the small box of headphones.

“HOW DID YOU?! THANK YOU!” a face of accomplishment and y/n’s smile growing wider as she hugs the box close to her.

“you mentioned your old ones broke and you haven’t bought one so… i got you one while i was in the states.” y/n hugged nayeon tightly as kookeu barked at being crushed by the two sisters.

“ok that’s a sign we’ve reached the end of the vlog. kookeu wants some alone time with us and someone is tired after being woken up early in the morning. BYE~” nayeon waves at the camera as y/n does the same thing, yawning a bit as she leans towards nayeon.

“bye naytion~”

📀bonus clip

“why do you have a script with you?” nayeon looks at  y/n as she walks around trying her best to act out the scene she’s been reading.

“the auditions for the play are in a couple of days and i got tasked to act in some of the scenes for those auditioning.” y/n skimmed the script quickly as wonyoung got in frame.

“you’re really doing this while we’re on break?” wonyoung could only laugh at her friend who was diligently reading the script and writing a few things.

“oh come on, just help me out wony. you don’t have to act it out. just read them with how you think the conversation would go.” wonyoung and y/n were in their shoot for miu miu and nayeon just came to visit the pair.

“tell us about the play then?” wonyoung is seen reading the script as y/n looks at the camera, preparing to explain the entire play.

“long story short, it follows the story of claire who won this event where she spends an entire week with her celeb crush. there’s drama, romance, comedy, and just overall a blast.” nayeon nodded in approval as she took y/n’s script and showed the title to the camera.

“this might be your first acting gig.” nayeon teased as wonyoung laughed at the comment, finally agreeing to practice with y/n.

“THANK YOU, WONY!”

violet: sorry, unnie!

taglist:

@awkwardtoafault @justme-idle @1luvkarina @bearyanon @khaepriv @lesleepyyy @yoontoonwhs @sserajeans @pandafuriosa60 @mightymyo @haerinkisser

[smolcinnamonchipmunk]

I’ve only recently thought of this but I’ve personally never seen anyone do like, a giant naga and a Cervitaur (deer centaur). Just imagine it. Maybe have like a game they play together when both of them are bored is for the naga to chase the Cervitaur. Honestly I would love to ramble of the scenarios I’ve cooked up but I wouldn’t want to bore you and this ask is long as it Hehehe

- 🌽 anon

Ps: this isn’t related to the ask but I’m told that sometimes I act like venti sometimes. Just thought id share :3

(I always love nagas and I made a cervitaur sona YEARS ago, so perfect combo! Here's a naga trying to bask and a cervitaur bothering him because every character I make is either sad or a menace.

Also, I took a very lengthy and startlingly in depth Genshin Impact character quiz and got Albedo. Do with that information what you will, lmao.

Also, also, feel free to ramble! I always love reading how creative people are here!)

Count: 1189

TW/CW: Just G/t

“Lazarus!” They called out, stotting towards the largest predator in the forest. Who was currently basking on a stretch of dark stone that had already melted the first inch or so of snowfall of the season that showed up in the night, making it the warmest spot within a mile probably.

They saw a section of ombre blue coil twitch ever so slightly at their call, the sound of a soft groan joining the small movement. It wasn’t long before a humanoid torso larger than them pushed itself up to blearily look around with green eyes. Cat-like slits narrowed onto them and a gaze that would likely have naturally left many cowering only made their tail wag for a second, slowing to a light trot up to the naga.

A black tongue that faded to pink flicked out of the nagas mouth as he tasted the air briefly, greeting, “Yew.”

“Whatcha doing,” the cervitaur asked rhetorically, knowing that he had been warming up in the morning sun. And, as they jumped up to balance on top of his rather large tail, he read their emotions pretty easily. The tail beneath them twitched slightly to the side to jostle them a bit, making them yelp. The sound elicited a chuckle from the naga.

“Feeling bored, are you?” Lazarus questioned back, tongue flicking out again as he resettled his head back on crossed arms. His coils shifted slowly and carefully to use the tip of his tail to prod at their side. He snorted as they batted it away. “No,” Yew immediately replied on instinct. They paused and fidgeted with their hands a bit as they sheepishly amended, “I mean.. Well, yeah, I’m a bit bored… the first snow has put everything in a sluggish state and I already collected the last of the berries around.”

The naga hummed, tilting his head slightly. “And you're not sluggish as well?”

“No,” they sighed, absentmindedly scraping their hoof on the scales beneath them lightly. “I’m restless and Espen said he was too busy already preparing for winter to make time to hang out.” “He’s more warm-blooded than me.”

“That’s what I said,” Yew huffed, crossing their arms as the duo talked about their ursine friend. “I didn’t really feel like hanging by the side of the river while waiting for him to fill up his fish basket, the river water is freezing today.”

“I imagine,” Lazarus chuckled. He shifted so that he lifted his head from his crossed arms and gently poked at their side with a dark blue claw this time, green eyes glinting in the sunlight. “I’m going to go ahead and guess that you’re probably here to either bother me from my basking with chatter or that you want to play.”

“Well, it sounds childish when you put it like that,” they didn’t flinch from the sharp digit that brushed against their furry-halfs ribs, simply huffing and giving him a disgruntled pout that probably just proved his point. “But, yes, I was hoping to do something together.”

The naga actually laughed slightly at their response and pulled his hand back. With a small grunt of effort he pushed himself off the stone to take the weight off his arms, reaching out and scooping up his smaller companion in his claws off of his tail. 

Yew didn’t squirm or struggle as the claws closed in and folded their legs beneath them to make it easier for him to hold them in his palms that didn’t involve them struggling with balance. They waited patiently the few seconds it took for him to lower his hands from his tail level and tilt his hands down, letting themself slide off his hands slightly before getting up and hopping down, hooves clattering a bit on the stone as they landed.

“How about a chase then, hmm?” Lazarus asked, reaching up and stretching his arms over his head as the cervitaur turned back to face him. “Burn that energy out of your system.”

“Yes!” Yew jumped slightly in place, excited at the thought of a game so much that their tail wagged again. They knew that he could catch them easily with a powerful burst from his tail, but they also knew that he enjoyed these sorts of games as well. They hopped from hoof to hoof giddily, asking, “Five seconds, like usual?”

“Sounds good to me,” the naga finished stretching. A few audible pops and cracks made Yew’s ears twitch as he rolled his shoulders, looking down with mischievous eyes. “Run.”

Yew happily pranced in place for a moment before whirling around and bolting into the trees. They didn’t hear Lazarus count down and he didn’t need to, they were already counting down in their head. And, as they mentally went from one to zero, they heard the distant shift of scales against stone and the exclamation of ‘Here I come!’.

They couldn't help but glance behind them, letting out a yelp that was the result of instinctive panic at seeing a giant naga slithering towards them and playful giddiness that made the end turn into a bit of a laugh.

For over half an hour Yew was chased by Lazarus. They leapt over fallen trees and rocks that his powerful tail easily crushed or swept aside if he didn't feel like slithering around them. He'd occasionally block them with his tail, but they'd either leap over it or flip around to run in the opposite direction. They felt the rush of wind sometimes as he playfully missed grabbing at them. It was only when their pace flagged noticeably that he decided that the game had gone on long enough.

“Getting tired?” Lazarus asked, slithering around to block the cervitaurs current trajectory.

“Not at all,” Yew replied, lying through their teeth. They reared back as a wall of scales shifted in front of them, too close to even try jumping over. Sides heaving, they glowered at their larger friend, wheeling around to start bolting in the opposite direction. But another coil of his massive tail was already there to block them off. Indignant at being corralled they grumpily exclaimed, “Hey! You’re not playing fair!”

“And you’re lying,” the naga hummed as he shifted his coils enough to gently curl around the cervitaur. Yew let out a disappointed groan as the walls of scale around them easily shifted their small form and coiled around them, the cool scales feeling like a relief against them after the running roundabout they’d just had, even as they were lifted up to the nagas awaiting hands. As the coils loosened and his claws scooped them up again, they crossed their arms over their chest. “Even if I am lying, it’s still not fair.”

“Think of it as repayment for interrupting my bask,” Lazarus’s tongue flicked out, everything shifting as he started to slither back to the dark stone from earlier. 

“Yeah, yeah.”

The duo hadn’t really wandered off incredibly far and it didn’t take much time for him to take them from slightly snow covered grass and dripping trees back onto the warmer stone clearing he’d been laying in earlier.

[fumikomiyasaki]

Oc x Oc Ship list:

*only my own ocs this time

Carol x Henry (Secretary x Boss)

Started off as Henry and Carol meeting through Leroys friendship with Carol but turned into Henry having a one sided crush on her cause... well among his rich life where people only wanted to get close to him for money she genuinely helped him out and never had any intentions to get to his money...he found her pretty, honest and one he could trust... so he made his move to win her over

Carol x Yuzuha (Sweet x Gloom)

At first Yuzuha was curious about her cause his brother was obsessed with her... kind of why her off all people, plotting to get close to her to piss of his brother but also keep her safe from him but... in the end he had fun teasing her, luring her closer and just getting to know her. He grew attached which was suprising to him given usually the world kinda wasn't great to him. But he does cherish her now

Carol x Nanoya (Earth x Moon)

Given Nanoyas fear of women, Carol who admired him at first decided that she wanted to help him deal with it as best as he can... but also there were a lot of misunderstandings before between them... Carol thought he didn't like her, Nanoya thought she only pitied him but overtime... he noticed her crush on him and she noticed how he did really want to show her he likes her... in turn they are the calm couple who watch out for others around them

Carol x Beelby (Demon x Human)

First meeting he noticed her sparing the bugs around her while reading and just letting them rest... which already attacked the Demons soft spot for his bug friends.. and curiousity... since leaving hell he was super curious about mortals and with Carol they could ramble about so many specific things regards to the past, knowledge and bugs... he knew however that if he wanted to stay with her longer... he would maybe have to turn her a demon too... however he lets that be her choice

Aiden x Emma (Traumabonding)

Both went through stuff they don't deserve... Emma with her manager and career, Aiden with prison and the framing... arriving at HSA these two in the past gave another comfort and were friends with benefit before but.. Aiden stopped himself given he didn't want to ruin her name nor be a bother. However it has potential to be a ship again if Emma is determined enough to make up with him and tell him he does matter to her

Gabrielle x Dragiselle (Close bond)

As Dragiselles Kingdom feel Gabrielle offered her a hand... an alliance after Dragis parents only wanted war... and since then the two princesses are super close... to the point they don't mind body contact and Gabrielle is one of the few Dragiselle can hug without harming... they are Dragon Princesses giving comfort to another and enjoying each others company

Flynn x Nanoya x Rubina (The Polysionalle)

Flynn and Nanoya are already Childhoodfriends having a bromance where Nanoya keeps Flynn out of trouble and Flynn would do anything for Nanoya... however add Ruby who wants to catch Flynns crimes, Nanoya who calms her and Flynn who teases her romantically and you have a chaos trio that is a mess at first but becomes a married trio over time

Rubina x Gregory (Dumb x Smart)

Rubina had a sister being a child of darkness, Gregory is a child of darkness... of course she would be protective especially with how reckless he can be... she started from being a light babysitter of his to a genuine partner that keeps him out of trouble but also gets Tsundere over him being affectionate really

Peko x Media (Sunshine duo)

This one doesn't have much explanation aside... they are two happy cute affectionate beans who won't know anything about love till Media maybe at age 19 speaks about it... they just have fun, eat sweet things and enjoy being kids still

Mellow x Macie (Melodypaint)

Macie is one who needs a lot of attention given Peko takes all of it away so what better than Mellow who is gonna draw her a bunch, support her music and make her not lose her mind over jealousy and Rivalry... compared to Media and Peko these two are the good counterpart

Inessa x Francine (The ice queens)

what can I say more than two Icy women who are tired of people hitting on them with no effort and Francine telling Inessa she deserves better than chasing after her crush... they two ice skate together, give another the attention they deserve and push each other to be better

Marcell x Kaden (Pianowriting)

Given Marcell has his obsession with Seraphim this one is very slow burn but its just Kaden with his three personalities showing him he can love more healthier and melting him down... Kaden is also down to join him in polys and give him a better mindset

Angelica x Beatrice (Angel X Witch)

Similar to Francine and Inessa this is just Beatrice at first encouraging Angelica after losing her husband to get back out there and get the love she deserves... just to end up either with her or sharing with her cause she got too attached to her sweet angel baker lady

Marin x Soyana (already dating just have a open relationship)

Not much to explain here accept as a demon and a Former Yakuza Lady joining these two is a mess and probably ends with a sore throat from Karaoke and some bruises from some punches

Tiam x Gregory x Zyan x Taron x Eikichi x Bengal

Well given both Gregory and Bengal are hot Rockstars might as well give them a little harem that works cause most of them hang out anyways and Tiam would have a gay panic for all of them... this is probably the most chaotic ship I created

Paula x Quora (Muscle Wife x Beauty wife)

Who to better aknowledge Quora femine charge than Paula who loves it... they seem like the couple where Paula sits on Quoras muscly should and cheers her on, the two have Cardio dates, go on retro festivals, Quora points to Paula each time she makes a homerun and so on... its them being super lovey dovey.

Brenda x Mark (Mom lover)

This one is more linked to Mark having a thing for Single moms and Brenda being the epitome of using him but at least he does well to play with her Daughter so... he is a good man she can spoil in her books... she is gonna keep him till someone better comes around with more money

Bolt x Naomi (Electric couple)

Takes a hyperactive Electroexperiment and a Jellyfish who doesn't feel pain from his Electricity and you got two that don't have to worry about embracing, Bolt giving Naomi all the attention she demands while he gets to hug her close and get the affection he wants...

Izar x Dorothy (Menace x Tsundere)

Well... mostly started off as Izar enjoying to mess with her and Dorothy denying she knows this man but her dorm mates gladly expose how she calls him a lot, spends a ton of time with him and his son and actually is much more whipped for his words than she pretends to be

Barry x Yasuno (Hero x Villain)

Take the two worst men out of my ocs and smooch them together... its basically Yasuno taunting him and kabedoning him a lot for also trying to hit on Carol but Barry grows to slowly be in denial about a crush on Yasuno and gets pretty much annoyed at it... its mostly them both insulting another but also working together as a couple so they won't bother others

Joel x Leroy (Neon Grafitti color duo)

Take a creative inventor and a creative Grafitti artist, both being Rebells, not really accepted by society and just wanting to be free... Leroy often sees Joel like an anime protagonist and is stunned by his looks while Joel doesn't understand why he has a crush on him but also finds him kinda cute... they are just a sweet duo who push each other to become better

Zyan x Alioth (Star Crossed lovers)

When you have both believing in Soul mates, Zyan being in peril cause of his future predictions but Alioth who thinks they are a gift as it he to the universe... its just all Zyan needed... someone who will treat him right, not use him up and gives him what he wanted... someone to just like him as he is

Brenda x Izar (Milf and Dilf)

Basically their kids bonded and so did they, Izar is wealthy enough to get Brenda what she wants, Baldur and Annabelle get along well and both have this very flirty, using for each others benefit but respect for another attitude... they care for another but also make sure they get their benefits

Louis x Pamela (Baker couple)

Takes Louis anger issues and Pamela getting bullied a lot and you have him beating up her bullies and making some treats with her. She understand him as a servant he would love to share recipes with her and I feel they give another a bunch of comfort

Kuze x Zariyah (Introvert x Extrovert)

Given Kuzes Amnesia its Zariyah showing him a whole new world and helping him. Even if he is stronger she seems more capable and they could have a lot of cute adventures together... before doom strikes

Elvira x Rachel (Priestess x Villaness)

Even if it is not true love... its Rachel using Elvira as a pawn and in turn the two of them work together to bring trouble into this world... Elviras influence would benefit Rachel in getting more people to believe her and... they would be a dangerous couple

Odel x Meyra (Magician x Fair Maiden)

After Meyras horrid husband she deserves better... and what better than a romantic powerfull Magician who appreciates not only her beauty and dance with her but also would do anything for her... this way she got something far better

Kaeru x Ame (Ghostlover x Ghost)

As a joke on Kaerus inspiration being Keroppi, why not give him a cute Ghost gf who would spoil him in kisses and call him master... they can do silly trips, she would see where the best fish are by phasing into the water and they could have a bunch of fun

Gilly x Sylva (GoldenSpider)

For one its a joke on Sylva being into a bunch of pink people but I feel Gilly is the one to make her shine and be the rich cool woman she wants to be... they could have make over parties, Jin-lou and Gilly being exes means at least that friendship stays over Sylva and I feel Sylva would just be fascinated by them even as a spider

Phobetor x Tenera (Darknightmare)

Phobetor is a Cat lover to the point he picks up a bunch from the streets... combine that with Tenera being a grandma cat lady and the two would have a long life tending to cats where Teneras kindness might fix him and they have a calm good life

Jin-Lou x Sindren (HeroineTradition)

I feel Sindren deserves a GF who can join her on Parkours, kick her exes ass, and would give her something to do each day. Sindren would spar with Jin-lou have her encourage her and be the bodyguard if she is on rich parties... and I feel Sindren be very thankfull for her

Mythra x Agni (Mythril Flame)

Agni was always pursued as ugly, a monster, something to fear... so to have a hot lady many are after actually find him adorable, call him darling and spoil him... he would deserve to be treated well and I feel Mythra can give him that for sure... plus he fits in her taste in people

Exes:

Rachel x Tyler (Rachel still holds on)

Pierino x Belia (Bethany was the result, Belia ignores him nowadays)

Osyron x Lydia (They lead the dorm together but are divorced)

Kuze x Yasuno ( Kinda.... their relationship is difficult but they are friends)

Sindren x Barry (They are rivals now)

Paula x Eikichi (Yeah they stopped given Barry and Francine are dormmates, they are friendly though)

Belia x Erwin (Still best friends)

Slice x Mythra (still friendly but do barely anything with another)

Gilly x Jin-Lou (it was experimental also still friends)

Unrequited love and Crushes:

Quora -----> Kayne

Aiden -----> Kayne

Inessa -----> Dragiselle

Flynn -----> Dragiselle

Mythra -----> Henry

April ------> Carol (April is sad Carol is straight)

Yasuno-----> Carol (She dislikes him)

Barry -----> Carol (also in disgust towards him)

Barry -----> Mythra

Barry-----> Rubina

Marcell ----> Seraphim

Eve ----> Peko (also friendzoned)

Sylva----> Taron

[pantheracatluv1105]

Nerdy prudes must die thoughts warning random Spoilers Read at your own risk these were just my thoughts as I watched

Opening scene makes me think tinkys gonna be the baddie this time around he's one of the most sadistic

Lots of little nods to nightmare time with the night hawks and grace chastity back again

Corey and Mariah being a father daughter duo again! slaps! Also the fact that she put her hand between her phone and a literal hammer and it seemed like something a teen would actually do ha scary how realistic that part was

Corey as Jason is fucken hilarious as the one nice himbo in the group of dumb jocks

BUTT STUFF BUTTER I MEAN BUTTER

The Cackle from the audience made my night

Dirty girl is gonna be stuck in my head for weeks but I won't be able to sing it out loud

The collective aww when poor Pete came out with that black eye so sweet starkid is really good at getting you invested in their characters

Angela as grace chastity is the best I love her she's so horrible and amazing

Did they name the Whalen house after Kim??

Kudos to the choreograper they are amazing and I love it so much just little moves that just really establish character I love the heart it brings

"Am i reading as ghost or Lin Manuel Miranda"

oh fuck the homeless man reference definitely foreshadowing for twinky stuff being afoot maybe hopefully

Max is so dumb I love/hate him

Soo so so dumb

Boo hoo bitch haaaaaaa

Oooooh is max gonna haunt them !!!!

Kill count 💀 1

Bury the body also slaps and I also can't sing this in public without getting looks

Pete and Steph are cute together

Things are looking up but I don't think this is gonna last for long

Ooh the Clydesdale vs Hatchetfeild rivalry still going strong

On noooooooo he's gonna die he's alone !!!!!!! Never be alone in a horror musical the ohh no from the audience as they caught in too

Smoke club reference 👌😎 👌

The score holy fuck it hits I'm not a loser

Nightmare time theme wooo

Kill count 💀 2

The chair kick chefs kiss immaculate

Turtle Lauren 🐢 🐢 🐢

Ma brarbaque

The audiences reactions are one of the best parts of this

Ruuuuth why you gotta go by yourself love the solo but ya should've gone home with the rest of them

Also Lauren slays have I mentioned that she's amazing The whole cast is but I've always had a soft spot for her

The sadistic head pats ha

Kill count 💀 3

Kim's screams 😱 😍

Oh shitttttttttttttt the cop lady!! She's figuring shit out

Ballet flats and a gun 🔫 grace chastity people

PAUL AND EMMA PAUL AND EMMA PAUL AND EMMA!!!!!! MY BELOVEDS

Joey as hot chocolate boiiiiiiii

Sells women shoe- shoes Joey's little flub was hilarious

Steph being every lesbians dream

Also Steph and Pete's chemistry is adorable

LEAVE ROOM FOR JESUS

Good luck getting a hold of her Does your phone plan cover calls to hell She's bisexual and dead where else would she be.

Holy fuck love that line I need that on a tshirt

Who am I...flops

Ohh shit what is up with that house 🏠 😳

Chairs clinking in the dark

Ooh church of the starry children were bringing it back love me some Lore drops

You can't touch him but he can touch you audience cackles

Ooooooooooooooooh THE BLACK BOOK MORE LORE!!!!!

Ooooooooooooh tinky tinky tinky time

I beg to differ bitch

Kill count 💀 5

Should stayed in Chicago cop lady

Kill count 💀 6 maybe?????

Love the lighting BTW the sound and lighting guys deserve all the praise

Who knows what kinda doors were gonna open

Singing the lords in blacks names dang I'm gonna need to memorize

WIGGGLYYYYYYY

The lords in black all together ❤️ love them

Pallywalls I guess it's not just tinky this time

The phone she cherishs it above all else haaa

Ooooooohhh nooooooooo she wants Pete nononononononononononononon

Pay the price or fuck off

Fuck she's gonna kill him nooooooo

I'm into you steph awwww I'm gonna cry 😢

The purple light is blinky still watching 👀??

They could have gone to homecoming together 😢😫

So you do know the Bible

Danmmm grace chastity lines all fucken slap

The slow step forward I love max the evil himbo ❤️

Grace is having sex with a fucken ghost 👻

The jump up on the bleachers he's amazing

So we get a happy ending I guess????

Awwwww Pete and Steph they did make it to homecoming after all

Kill count 💀 is 5 after all the cop lady survived

Love the homecoming number

Oh shittttttttt grace has gone off the rails love that for her

Welp it's done and I loved it

[heinrix]

been wanting to do this post for a hot minute but uhh. oz and his opinions/relationships with the companions!

Shadowheart - She, in all her hardened exterior, reminded him immediately of his best friend from his universe, Penny. So Oz becomes rather attached to her quickly. They are snarky best friends, brother/sister, paladin/cleric duo do not separate! Oz, even though he’s not familiar with the gods in Faerûn definitely saw what Shar was doing to her as manipulation, especially with the holding her memories hostage as incentive made him think about his own situation and how basically his soul was held hostage by Monacco

Astarion - He reminds Oz of himself before he took the deal with Monacco, all obvious flamboyant facade and using sex as a tool. So, in seeing that, Oz rebuffed Astarion’s advances and simply wanted to help him heal from his trauma as a friend, if that means murdering the fuck out of his abuser then yeah he’s helping him complete that goal by any means necessary

Gale - Oh, Gale. Oz thought at first that he was a very funny little wizard, pretty confident in himself and his skills, which was attractive to say the least; Oz has a soft spot for articulate, intelligent men. He knew that he was physically attracted to Gale and definitely laid his flirtations on very thick but respected the distance Gale wanted to keep which was fair, this was all just fun, wasn’t it? Wrong! Act Two Beam!

Wyll - Oz really appreciates Wyll for being such a shining light in the darkness and if not a bit jealous of his attitude in the face of adversity; a little more than jealous, quite envious really. Oz was a bit worried what Wyll’s reaction would be when he found out Oz was technically a fiend but Wyll took it in stride and understood the nature of Oz’s situation with Monacco, and Wyll truly empathized with him about it. Oz, Wyll, and Karlach: Fuck fiends, all my homies hate fiends!

Lae’zel - In all honesty, Oz is quite intimidated by Lae’zel at first with her brash personality but he comes to see how scared she is to be caught up in the situation she’s in and empathizes with her (they’re both learning wtf a Faerûn is). He enjoys listening to her talk about githyanki culture, it reminds him a bit of Gale going off about magic. Oz probably asked Lae’zel, a bit timidly, if she could help him with his sword fighting technique (since he’s not really trained ever and was just sort of magically given proficiency), she gladly undertook the opportunity, they’re sparring buddies!

Karlach - Hot and cold besties! Immediately upon meeting Karlach and seeing how fucked by the Hells she’d been, Oz knew that they’d grow close; to which they did, both of them being on the frontline in every fight together also helped in making that bond even stronger. Similar to Lae’zel, Oz and Karlach would stay up some nights before a fight and strategize, mostly Karlach talking and Oz following orders to a tee the next day. Though, Oz has no excuse other than pure, selfish desire for having betrayed Karlach’s confidence in him when he decided to side with Enver

[nowandevermore]

Find the Word Tag

Was tagged by @saltysupercomputer! Thanks for the tag!!

My words are: Success, Sun, Normal, Light, and Thin.

I'll be tagging @writingpotato07, @houndsofcorduff, @on-noon, @memento-morri-writes, and open tag to whoever wants to participate! Tag me if you do, I'd love to read what you find!

Your words will be: Wherever, Cry, Slim, The, and Color.

Success -- Sparks

16.

The Project Mew mission had felt like both a success and a failure. Mew was not an inch closer to anyone's grasp — much less Goh's pokéball — but Professor Amaranth isn't going to be a problem anymore. 

Thanks to the combined efforts of the five Chasers and Ash, they were able to stop the corrupt Professor before he was able to catch Mew. Danika and Quillon promise to release the Regis back to their homes. 

Ash believes them — they had been deceived by Amaranth just as much as he and the others. It still doesn't stop him and Gary from making the duo promise to video call them once the Pokémon were released.

—

Sun -- Answers Buried in Time: Chapter 1: Pokémon Ranger and the Answers Buried in Time

It's a normal morning for Ash — training with Lucario and Cinderace in the Vermilion City park, their usual spot, nestled on a small plateau of land. From this vantage point, Ash can watch the sun rise over the forests in the distance. It's serene, calming, peaceful. 

Or it should be. 

Neither this morning, nor any of the mornings this last month have been peaceful. Even here, at “his happy place,” as Goh calls it, Ash still feels the disquiet that fills the air. It permeates into every crack, crevice, and pore — invading his senses in a way that has the trainer on edge.

—

Normal -- At the Age of Now

The young researcher’s schedule is already going to be delayed, and the velvet box in Ash’s nightstand only stands to make it even more delayed. 

That should be fine.

Blue eyes finally blink open, peering over to meet Ash’s brown. A soft smile crosses dark features, and Ash has his answer.

Yeah, it’ll be just fine.

***

The normal morning festivities are rushed. Goh never fails to panic when he does sleep in, and it sets the younger man into a dazed rush to get ready for the day. 

Ash just smiles. Little does Goh know, he won’t be going into work today. Ash has already alerted the Professor to his plans, and he’d asked for permission in the past few months leading up to now. 

It was never a matter of if, only when.

Well, when is now.

—

Light -- In the City of Canalave

"Glaceon! Use Ice Shard and Iron Tail!"

May calls out to her partner, and she grins out at the crowd. She's the Princess of Hoenn — groups of fans flocking to her contests to see her perform. She wants to give them a show and she trusts Glaceon to provide. 

The Fresh Snow Pokémon stands and fires ice shards into the small arena. Leaping into the air, Glaceon's tail glows a blinding light as it slices through the shards on the stage. The ice bursts into small particles that cloud the sky, obscuring the ice type from view.

—

Thin - Standing Here

Ash removes his jacket and wraps it around Goh's shaking form. The younger man tenses when arms wrap around him, and Ash rubs calloused palms down his arm. He whispers promises to the researcher — promises for always being there, for being there now, for that never changing. 

The sound of a broken sob breaks through the otherwise silent cave, and it slices through Ash's heart like a knife. The trainer tightens his hold, pulling Goh into his chest, and slots the smaller man's head under his chin. It's a testament to how Goh really feels when he goes willingly, thin arms snaking around Ash's waist as he breaks apart. 

Minutes, hours, days — Ash doesn't know — pass before Goh's sobs lessen. The older man bites his lip and blinks away his own tears; he's finally ready for the conversation that should have taken place years ago.

[writerleo86]

Terravenger Season 6 - The Two Ravens Arc - Episode 494 (Do Not Copy) - 12.25.2023

    He looked up at Duo and claimed "Maybe Uncle Beau was scared for you. He's seen you with your parents. Ya'll love each other."

    Duo stood there with calmness and said "My parents will always be my parents. They raised me. They pretty much made me who I am."

    "I know," replied Ren. "They're your folks no matter what. But you know now that you have more family here."

    And Ren thought to himself for a moment.

During one dark morning, a quiet ceremony took place as every being living in Midas City stood at four sections before many tombstones at the Griffin Courtyard.

After the ceremony was over, a grieving Ren laid his head on a tree at another part of the cemetery as he cried quietly.

He was soon joined by his boyfriend Declan Sharpe and their good friend Cheetah. And the trio spotted someone standing before them.

The newcomer turned out to be Duo Storms who had short dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. And he had a well-built body. He wore a buttoned white shirt with long sleeves and a thin collar. He also had on a pair of tight black jeans and short black boots. And a dark-red tie was wrapped around the collar of his shirt.

Duo presented himself with a kind smile and told Ren "I met Tai a few weeks ago. He made me feel welcome in this town."

After wiping the tears off his face, Ren faced the young man.

"I just moved here from Indian Rock," claimed the newcomer. "I met Tai at a Q-Z Mart. And we hung out at a small club near the Jordan Airport."

"You knew my cousin?" cried Ren.

    After that, Ren stood up and faced Duo once again.

    "You remember when we first met?" asked Ren.

    Duo thought to himself and answered "At Tai's funeral."

    Ren shook his head and implied "When I first laid eyes on you, I felt like you and I had some type of connection. It was like something was tellin' me to keep you close."

    "You had some sort of feeling?" questioned Duo.

    Then a caring Ren wrapped his arms around the questioning Duo.

    Ren responded "I think somethin' was tellin' me that you were one of us from the get-go. I think it was Tai. I don't know how, or when. But Tai must have figured you out."

At the Playground Area of the Midas Academy, a few medics including Ren Ravenstone had attended to the wounded while they were protected by a circle of the Midas Armed Forces' soldiers.

Ren placed his palms at the top of the civilian's chest. A green light soon shined around his hands which began healing the large wound on the patient's chest. And Ren spotted two of the emotionless cyborgs walking slowly toward his right side.

Suddenly, another person ran toward the robotic beings. The person struck the chest of one cyborg that was at the right side using a front Left Mid Palm which emitted a small globe of red light.

After that, the person spun in a clockwise pattern. And the newcomer struck the other cyborg with a high Right Palm Strike which emitted the same amount of energy.

As both enemies fell face down on the ground, the newcomer faced a shocked Ren who remained with his ailing patient. And the newcomer was revealed as the mysterious Duo Storms.

    Ren informed Duo "After you saved me from those cyborgs that day, you asked if I was alright. But you said it in Tai's voice."

    Duo slowly placed his right hand on his back as Ren told him "I think Tai was tryna tell me that everything was gonna be alright. He was tryna tell me about you too. Tai knew. I don't know how. But he knew you were his brother."

    Then the relieved Ren released him and replied "Tai in his own way tried to tell me that you were one of us all along -- a Ravenstone."

    Duo finally gave a soft smile until a thought entered his mind.

At the center of the large grassy area within Smith Park, Duo along with Alexis Sanyo sat down before one another.

Alexis directed "You should seek the answer on your own. Go and ask the question to Abraham Ravenstone himself."

Duo continued staring down as he called out "Abraham... Abraham Ravenstone."

And Alexis replied "The former reporter may also reveal other questions you would like answered regarding Mephistopheles and the Agents of Light."

    After receiving that thought, Duo faced his friend once again.

    "The main reason why I came to you," He responded. "I need to talk to Abraham Ravenstone."

    "Grandpa?" asked Ren. "What's this about?"

    Duo informed him "Abraham knows about Mephistopheles. He would know how Sidney's dad defeated Meph the first time. Maybe whatever stopped Meph that long ago can help us today."

    A thoughtful Ren shook his head and said "I see."

    Duo cried "Whatever secret Meph's been keepin' may help us find a way to stop him once and for all. We may even kill him this time."

    Then Ren reviewed "You're sayin' Grandpa may know a way to stop the Bringer from destroyin' the planet as we know it. Grandpa was probably the only one alive that can tell us what exactly the first General Sidney did to trap Mephistopheles way back when."

    Duo wiped the tears from his face and answered "Yeah. Your grandpa's the only one today that can give us answers. Time's runnin' out. I gotta find him."

    Ren gave a kind smile and informed him "You may be in luck. Grandpa's actually in town. He's stayin' at the manor with Uncle Beau and Denny for the time being."

    "Really?" cried Duo. "Abe's here in town right now?"

    Ren shook his head and told his friend "I'll take you to him immediately. I'm sure Grandpa's still there. He'll be over the moon when he finds out about you."

    "Hold on Ren," directed Duo. "I just wanna find out what Abe knows about Meph. But the Ravenstone stuff. I wanna wait on that."

    Ren agreed by shaking his head once again.

    And the blond-haired youth told Duo "Fine. I won't say anything. But you don't have anythin' to worry about. Everyone's gonna welcome you with opened arms."

    Duo implied "Maybe not Denny. I don't know why but Denny's had it in for me since last year."

    Ren lowered his head and said "Denny took it very hard when Tai died, so did Uncle Beau. Maybe Denny will lighten up a little once you tell him you're his brother."

    Meanwhile, the younger Denny Ravenstone hurried into the Principal's Office and found his father Beau sitting at his desk with his head lowered.

    Denny had worn a short-sleeved gray shirt which was attached to long white pants. And dark-blue was covered between his shirt and bottoms. He had on a thick mahogany sash which was tied around his waist. He also had on a pair of short black boots. And his golden MAF badge was placed on the front left side of his shirt.

    Denny found his emotional father staring at the center of his table and cried "Dad? What's wrong?"

    Beau looked up and discovered his son standing by the door.

    "Dad?" asked Denny. "Is everything alright?"

    And the calm Beau directed "Come and sit down, Dennis. But close the door first."

    Denny closed the door slowly as he said to himself "That's odd. Is something really going on?"

    Then the youth sat across from his father and asked "Is it serious? Does this have to do with the school? Or is this about Grandpa or the family?"

    Beau slowly shook his head and faced his son once again.

    "Oh god!" cried Denny. "Am I in trouble?"

    "No," answered Beau. "You are not. But a member of our family appears to be in mortal danger."

    A worried Denny asked "Is it Ren? Tris? McKennah? Grandpa?"

    Beau nodded his head and informed Denny "It is more than likely your brother is in great trouble."

    A questioned Denny backed his head away and cried "Tai's in danger from the beyond?"

    Then Beau lowered his head and revealed "No, it has nothing to do with Tai. It is Duo that will need our help soon."

    "Duo?" questioned Denny. "You mean that scammer Duo Storms?"

    "Yes," answered Beau. "Duo Storms. He happens to be your older brother."

    A shocked Denny slowly stood from his chair and cried softly "That bastard? Duo Storms? He's my brother? But how?"