#they've done that few time before but it just always makes me so giddy!!!

[jula483]

sharing is caring!

x / x

[just-a-ghost00]

Crush series : what they tell their friends & family about you

Group 1 | 10 of cups, 6 of wands, 2 of pentacles, Temperance

This person can't help but to brag about you around them. They just feel so giddy when it comes to you that it's just impossible to them not to talk about it. They may tell their loved ones about how good and safe they feel with you, how they've never felt like that before. They may say that they feel lucky they met you. But I feel like they try to tone done their optimism and happiness, for fear of being laughed at or disappointed. I pick up on the energy of someone that tries to downplay their interest or feelings. Like "oh I just love group 1, they're so funny and cool but really there's nothing between us, we're just good friends" type of energy. If they talk about you, I feel like they do it in a indirect way. They never mention your name straight away. They may say things like "my friend", "someone I know", "a person", "a colleague" if you work together or "a classmate" if you go to school together. They try to play it cool but the smile on their face whenever they talk about you betrays them lmao If they have openly stated to their loved ones that they were interested in you, they may say things like "I like them but I'm not sure", "I want to see where this goes before I invest any further in this connection". In the deck that I used, the 2 of pentacles depicted a snake biting it's tail, like the Ouroboros, but it had an infinity symbol shape. And the Temperance card depicted an angel. So this made me feel like they might think that fate brought you two together. They may express how your presence feels like a miracle. "I can't believe I met them, this feels surreal". They may express that a part of them doubts the reality of this experience they're going through, which would explain their cautious approach.

Group 2 | 3 of cups, King of cups, 8 of pentacles, 4 of pentacles

With these cards I get the feeling of someone keeping their thoughts to themselves and not wanting people around them to know how they feel about you. This person may be spiritual and/or superstitious. If they've talked about you around them, it's only to a very few number of people that they trust. And even if they did, they didn't say much. This person keeps things very professional or formal when they talk about you. They always mention trivial facts but they never talk about how they truly feel. This person feels very shy. They're not the type to open their heart and trust people easily. If they could talk about you freely, they would tell them that they feel very protective over you. That you bring the best out of them and make them very happy. They think that you are a positive influence in their life and you are very precious to them. They would say that they are willing to work very hard if it ensures your happiness and comfort. They want to provide for you and be a realiable partner for you. They would say that they like you a lot, that even they are surprised at how easily you were able to get past their walls and become such an important presence in their life. That you make them want to be a good person, a loving person. Someone that you could count on and go to in times of need. They would say that they have the most fun when you're around and they wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. You make them feel alive.

Group 3 | 3 of pentacles, 9 of pentacles, 2 of swords, queen of cups

This person mainly talks to their friends. They don't mention you to their family. When they talk about you, they mention your work ethic, your independence, how cautious and fair you can be with others. They say that you are generous and caring, curious, patient. That you spend a lot of time learning, working, doing humanitarian work. That you are pretty guarded and serious. That they don't know what to think of you sometimes. That they feel like you don't really care about them because you seem to be doing fine on your own. That they don't know how to approach you without disturbing your flow. They say that you are a person that should not be messed with and that they have to think carefully before stepping forward. They say that you probably don't need them in your life. That they feel so little compared to you. They tell them how amazed they are by you. Maybe they are trying to get advice on how to communicate with you. They may tell their friends that they would like to get to know you as a friend first or be business partners. They say that they don't know you enough to feel really in love with you but that they are too curious to just ignore you. For some, maybe they are saying that they just want to keep things casual, since you are so busy and independent. This person may also be single and very focused on their work. It feels like both of you are quite emotionally unavailable. So they tell everyone that keeping things casual with you seems like a good option for now.

[the-oc-lass]

Nimona OC - Charlotte Swiftheart/Corova

So, hi. Not sure how I'm feeling about today or this weekend. I'm supposed to go to a musical with my mom in the morning, but then she was throwing up earlier this evening, so not sure about that. Also I planned out my classes for next semester but it won't let me sign up for half of them because of various things, so I'm stressed about that. But anyway, I have a bit of time before I sleep, so I'm going to write this next bit.

First, Previous, Next

"Well, then would you like a tour?"

She does her best to hide it, but she feels a bit giddy. Over the past six years, she's built this place, this sanctuary, into what it is today. And now she gets to show the two people who, deep down, she always wanted to show it to. In a way, this place was made because of them. Seeing the emotions in Ballister's eyes as he looks around makes her heart swell with pride.

She pushes the fabric flap aside and gestures for them to step inside. Most of the place is open, but they do have areas where they've set up more warm, enclosed areas. This area, well.

"Those are babies," Ambrosius says, freezing once he's inside the cozy area. Charlotte follows them inside, letting the flap fall back into place as she moves to Ambrosius's side.

"This is our nursery," she says, crossing her arms. There aren't many infants or toddlers in their care, but there are enough. Six, to be exact. Well, seven, with the new addition they got a few days ago.

"You have babies here," Ballister says, sounding slightly horrified. She sighs, looking at the ground.

"Not by choice. Most of them were left here by mothers who couldn't take care of them, but still wanted their babies to be safe. Better with us here than on the street to die," she says. She shifts slightly when she feels a hand on her back.

"Hey, Chari," Delia says as Charlotte shifts to allow her past. Delia is one of the main caretakers for the infants in the nursery, though they all try to contribute around the place where they can. They stand there and watch as Delia walks over to check on the babies. Their newest baby, Everin, starts to cry, and Delia moves to take care of her.

"You said most," Ballister says, though his gaze is focused on Delia and the tiny Everin. Charlotte looks over at him for a moment, then toward a particular cradle. The most comfortable amenities always go to the children, and many are hand crafted by the members of the KB.

"When Neieve came to us, she was already pregnant. Her son Ali was born here," she says. As if on cue, Ali's head appears, peaking over the sides of the cradle. At nearly a year old, he sits up perfectly fine on his own. He coos, waving his chubby little hand at her, and she smiles a bit and walks over to him, bending down to offer her finger. "Hi, little one." He seems to consider her finger for a moment, then he looks up at her and smiles a toothless smile, reaching toward her head and making a babbling noise. She carefully lifts him into her arms, bouncing him slightly. She turns slightly when someone appears beside her, and Ambrosius is smiling down at Ali.

"Hey, little guy," he coos softly, offering the baby his finger. This time, Ali grasps onto it, and Ambrosius chuckles slightly. "He's strong!" She grins.

"That's our little Ali," she says. "Strong like his mama."

"This is incredible, Char." She and Ambrosius turn, looking over at Ballister. That emotional sparkle is in his eyes again, and he looks close to tears. "What you've done for these people, for these kids...You're doing so much good." She smiles softly.

"I'm just giving people what they deserve." She steps past Ambrosius, cradling Ali in one arm as she reaches out to rest her hand on Ballister's shoulder. "What we deserved." Ballister blinks back tears as he smiles softly at her.

"I would've loved a place like this. You've given these kids so much. You gave them a home," he says. She sighs, looking back down at Ali and shifting him in her arms.

"They deserve so much more than even what I can give them." Ali's face suddenly scunches, and he begins to whimper. She shushes him, then turns over her shoulder. "Del, I think he's hungry." Delia turns away from the other babies and walks over to her.

"I'll take care of it," she says, carefully taking Ali from Charlotte's arms. Before she turns away, she looks up at Charlotte again. "By the way, Norshe was looking for you." Charlotte nods, then watches her move away to take care of Ali.

"Who's Norshe?" Ambrosius asks. Charlotte looks over at him.

"Looks like you two are going to meet my girlfriend after all," she says. His eyes widen.

"You got a new girlfriend?" he asks. She raises an eyebrow.

"Couldn't exactly keep seeing Alieza. It would've ruined her," she says. "And, it's been six years. It's not like I was never going to date again."

"Well, I'd like to meet her," Ballister says. Charlotte gestures toward the tent flap.

"Shall we, then?" Ballister gestures toward the flap as well.

"After you."

Again, there will be more. I want to introduce you to Norshe

Lovely tagged people:

@ammonitetheseaserpent @perfectkittystranger @derellenbogen

[virtuoso-spybot]

Its early in the morning, and Pascal has sat himself down in the middle of a field, doodling in his sketchbook as he did his best to ignore the pain in his chest. He was waiting for someone, someone who said they'd wanted to learn how to draw. Of course, Pascal just couldn't ignore him- He had the most innocent, most excited expression when Pascal said yes, and for the past few days they've been meeting up every sunrise.

"I'M HERE! I'M HERE!" A familiar accented voice called out, and in the distance Pascal could see a sniperbot running towards him as fast as his legs would take him.

"SAMMY!" Pascal shouted back, opening up his arms for a hug. "ITS GOOD TO SEE YOU."

He reached under Sammy's hat to give him a little pat on the head, which always seemed to get the other bot's engine revving in a comforting purr. The two of them sat down in the grass next to each other, opening up their sketchbooks as Sammy tilted his head at Pascal.

"HOW COME YOU'RE WEARING A HOOHIE?" He asked.

"ITS PRONOUNCED 'HOODIE' AND..." Pascal hesitated, knowing damn well he absolutely isn't gonna tell Sammy what really happened, he's too innocent for that.

"...YOU SEE, MY WIRES ARE KINDA SILLY, SO I START TO FEEL COLD EASIER THAN OTHER ROBOTS!" He said with a forced grin, making sure to be as gentle as he possibly can with the other robot. "ANYWAYS, ENOUGH ABOUT MY POOR FASHION CHOICES. HOW ABOUT YOU DRAW ME SOMETHING YOU SAW YESTERDAY? TO SHOW OFF YOUR SKILLS!"

Immediately Sammy got giddy, and flapped his hands a few times to get rid of any excess energy before starting to draw, rocking back and forth and humming to himself while doing so. Pascal waited, staring up at the sky as the stars began to fade away and the sun rose, painting the sky in vivid shades of pink and orange.

"DONE!" Sammy shouted, and he excitedly showed off his notebook to Pascal. It was a drawing of a bird laying down on its back, with its eyes closed and Zs coming out of its mouth. "YESTERDAY I SAW A BIRDIE, AND IT WAS ASLEEP ON THE GROUND INSTEAD OF SLEEPING IN A TREE? I TRIED TO POKE IT AWAKE, BUT I GUESS IT JUST GOT REEAALLY TIRED."

Pascal paused. He didn't think he'd have to be the one to give Sammy this type of talk, but alas. He sighed and closed his own notebook, looking the fellow bot right in the eyes.

"SAM... CAN I BE SERIOUS FOR A LITTLE?"

"HUH? OF COURSE!" Sammy said as he closed his own notebook, sitting criss crossed facing Pascal.

"YOU SEE..." Pascal began. "WHEN SOMETHING HAS LIVED FOR A LONG TIME, OR GETS SICK OR REALLY HURT THEY..." He paused.

"...GO TO SLEEP FOREVER. NOTHING WAKES THEM UP."

"I BET I COULD WAKE THEM UP! I CAN YELL REALLY LOUD!" The sniperbot said excitedly.

Pascal cringed before speaking again. "NONO- BY NOTHING I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. NO YELLING OR ANYTHING. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S... THAT'S CALLED DEATH."

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, Sammy taking his time to process this information. He nervously fidgeted with his hands as he looked down at the grass, realizing what happened to that birdie he saw.

"...WHEN DO THEY WAKE UP?" He asked, his tone still hopeful. Pascal again hesitated, he wasn't expecting this conversation to be as difficult as it was. He let out a mechanical sigh before responding:

"THEY DON'T, BUDDY... THEY DIE, AND THEY STAY DEAD, AND THEY NEVER WAKE UP."

Sammy again paused, looking upset at this information. "O-OH..." He muttered, playing with his hands as he began to look nervous. "IS... IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN TO YOU?"

Pascal was shocked at the question, and after a long while of thinking, he decided that honestly was the best route to take here. "YES. YES IT IS AND IM SORRY."

Sammy goes completely silent, absolutely horrified by Pascal's confession. He grabbed onto Pascal's hand and held it tight, like he wanted to hang on to his friend and never let go. "WHY??" Sammy asked. "WHY ARE YOU...?"

"WELL..." Pascal closed his eyes to try and find the words to put it as gently as possible. "I-I'VE BEEN VERY SICK TO PUT IT LIGHTLY. MY BODY DOESN'T WORK LIKE IT SHOULD, AND I DON'T THINK ANY MECHANIC, ENGINEER OR TECHNICIAN COULD FIX ME-"

"BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Sammy shouted, causing Pascal to flinch. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO SLEEP FOREVER! I WANNA KEEP DRAWING WITH YOU!"

Pascal's heart shattered into a million pieces right then and there, seeing the heartbreak in the sniperbot's eyes. "I KNOW, BUDDY..." He said as he shuffled closer to Sammy, putting his arms around him in a tight hug. He thought about how to comfort the bot for a while, before coming up with an idea.

"HEY, SAMMY?" Pascal began. "YOU KNOW WHAT A GHOST IS?"

"Y-YEAH... WHY?"

"WELL, THOSE HUMAN PEOPLE SAY THAT WHEN THINGS DIE, THEIR GHOST GOES REALLY HIGH INTO THE SKY, AND THEY GET TO LIVE ON THOSE SOFT AND FLUFFY CLOUDS FOREVER AND EVER. THAT SOUNDS PRETTY COOL, DOESN'T IT?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"YEAH... YEAH! IT DOES!" Sammy exclaimed as he looked up at the sky, at all the clouds that can be seen across the firey orange and pink sunset. "I'LL BE SURE TO WAVE AT YOU IF YOU GO UP THERE!"

It took Pascal everything to stop himself from becoming a sobbing mess right then and there, holding Sammy just a little tighter. "TH... THANKS, BUD." He said, hugging him in silence for just a few more moments.

..."DO YOU WANNA DRAW WHAT YOU THINK IT LOOKS LIKE UP THERE?" The spybot asked.

"YEAH! YEAH I DO!" Sammy replied as he excitedly opened up his notebook again.

And draw they did.

[soil-just-needs-water-to-be]

Chapter 19

Word count / 2374

This chapter is nothing to shout home about I really hate it but I just wanted some communication with other characters in the story and some female characters other than Carly , hopefully the next few will be better , again I hope it’s okay

Sorry for typos

I HATE THIS CHAPTER HONESTLY

Matty's POV

"I bet you do"

That was the last thing I messaged George before I stepped into work, it wasn't to busy just yet and I saw my friend Vivian stood behind the counter wiping it down as I entered , I hung my jacket on the hook well Jamie's jacket because I still haven't given it back and make my way over to her "hey there gorgeous", I have nicknames for my friends it's nothing weird. I reach around her to clock myself in then take a second to look around. There's a few older couples in and a guy with dreadlocks sat in the corner he's a regular I see him every time I work so I think today might be a slow easy shift if it stays like this.

Vivian isn't doing much herself continuously cleaning the same spot of the counter "hey I heard if you clean hard enough you can scrub a hole through it" , she just glared at me through her eyelashes and I pull myself up to sit on the counter "what's up with ya?"

"Just Lukas , he's being a nightmare, just being super clingy and needy lately and it's doing my head in dude", she drops the cloth down onto the counter and sighs "like yeh sure he's my boyfriend but like I just need some space you know?". I've never liked Lukas he's always been really overbearing or the complete opposite and just not caring. He's very hot and cold with Viv, no one ever knows how he's going to be. He's a dick in all honesty

"Talk to him then Viv you know use your words man, or you could equally just tell him sling his hook, he's useless", I've had this conversation with Viv multiple times that he's useless but I guess when you love someone it's not that easy just to let them go.

"Did you speak to Lottie, like did you guys get anywhere?", I knew she'd try to change the subject because she doesn't like the idea of leaving him because they've been together on and off since they were 12 he all she's known really.

"Huh?", Lottie was one of the other girls that worked here we were really close and she kinda had a thing for me and she told me the other week that she'd like to try give us a go, we'd spoken a few times since but since I've started speaking to George I haven't spoke to her much. It's not really the best thing I've done, I kind of ghosted her because I wasn't feeling all great about it "oh um yeh, it didn't really go anywhere I wasn't feeling it", Im playing with my hands waiting for her to be annoyed at me, but she's not she just comes over standing next to me

"Did you even try Matt ?", I haven't really tried with anyone in quite sometime , George has been the first person really to make me even want to try, but I've just not felt it you know, I've had one night stands and been with people at parties but I can't say the last time I was really properly interested in anyone.

"Honestly Viv , no , I didn't really want too, like don't get me wrong she's lovely and she's absolutely gorgeous but I just couldn't bring myself to be interested", I know, If I really tried I could have been interested but being with anyone in the last few weeks maybe even months has just been right at the back of my mind. I want to let her know that I'm not totally isolating myself because she'll just get all big sistery on me "I am talking to someone though", a smile immediately finds its way to my lips even at the thought of George and I look at her "there wonderful"

She gets so giddy so fast clapping her hands and smiling "oh my god what's she like Matt", Vivian isn't the most feminine girl I know but she LOVES a bit of gossip and has always been interested in my love life. It's endearing really. "Tell me everything" , we both jump down from the counter and make ourselves coffees , the benefit of working here we get free coffee whenever we like. I scratch the back of my head a little contemplating weather or not I should tell her that it's actually a he not she. It think about it for a second then realise there's no need to hide.

"His name is George , and he just so ...I don't know so amazing" , Viv stops making her coffee just to look at me her mouth basically on the floor, and I'm just smiling at her with the biggest smile on my face

"No way , how have I never known this before, I need to know everything". Just as Viv asks me the store begins to get somewhat busy so we stop making out coffees and push the mugs to the back of the counters for later. Then we turn round to start serving customers. I think there may have been a kids club on tonight because there are a lot of families in just getting drinks and sandwiches, As it gets busier I can feel that all to familiar buzz run through me and my hands start to shake. A small child hands me the money that he'd like to pay with but instead of a note or the correct amount it's change but small change so I have to add it up to make sure it's correct but I count it three times and still feel like it's wrong. Looking over to Vivian for help I notice that she still has a line of people ordering this causes me to panic slightly. I count it one last time and put it through as what I believe it is and hand him the change. I try to busy myself with heating up paninis for a small table in the corner but with my hands shaking I accidentally burn myself on the grill "shitting hell", I slam the grill closed and turn back to Vivian who is now making coffees "I fuckin burned my hand again". I show her my shaking hand and the raging red rash that has already appeared on my hand.

"Matty Jesus , how do you manage that everytime, you gotta calm down lad your shaking". She takes my hand in hers and examines in "it should be okay just go and run it under some cold water and try to calm yourself down a little yeh!?" I nod as she lets me hand drop to my side, I scutter off to bathroom to rinse my hand wincing as the water connects with my hand and a small pain jolts through me . I take a breath through my teeth and force my hand to stay under the water. As I'm stood there rinsing my hand, I catch my reflection in the mirror not to dissimilar to how I've looked the past few days, I look totally done in , my cheeks are quite hollow , my eyes are a deep red and the bags around them are so black it looks like eye shadow and my cheek bones were perturbing a slight bit. I sigh to myself and roll my eyes , how did I let it get this bad I think to myself but than also realise that it's been easier for me doing everything the way I'm doing it now instead of forcing myself to be okay. I take another few seconds to myself and then turn off the tap and make my way back through to the front room. My manger now happens to be stood there god I hate this guy. He eyes me as I walk in. "Where have you been Matthew. You've been gone ten minutes right in the middle of a rush".

I immediately roll my eyes at him hopefully he doesn't notice "it's Matty, and I was rinsing my hand under water, I burnt my hand on the grill". I momentarily show him the burn and then shove my hands into my pockets, staring him down waiting for a reply from him

"Right , anyway back to work please". He walks back through to the office as I stand there awkwardly till he's gone then pull at face behind his back so that Viv can see

"He's a fuckin tool by the way", I get back to work, making coffees for a few more customers and serve them too. I'm really just willing my break to be soon , I've only been in and hour of my 4 and a half hours but I really can't be bothered with this right now. My head is still spinning from the rush ealier but I'm really willing it away and hoping It will just fuck off . After another half hour of this mundane job . My nicer shift manager comes over and tells me I can go for my break it's only 20 minute s but it's the best news of the shift.

I make my way out back and pull my phone out my pocket along with a cigarette and lighter. I light my cigarette and sit down on the steps of the back door and quickly snap George "hiya darlin , how are you doing without me?", I tear through my first cigarette quite quickly and immediately take another one out when George's reply comes through

It makes me smile and a shiver runs through me as I open it , he's just stood there hair wet and water droplet adorning his shoulders and chest "hiya love , I'm alright just out of the shower, how are you?", he can't be looking like this right now he's to gorgeous ,

"I've got a killer headache right now,burnt my hand , I'm a bit shaky and I feel like im on the verge of bloody murder but I'm okay", I feel the need to tell him I'm okay but I feel vulnerable about things and I send another quick message "can you tell me I'll be okay" ,  even asking that send another shiver down my spine because I hate that I already rely so much on George to keep me sane even after such a small period of time but really if he tells me I'll be okay then I'll believe him and it helps. That might not be the best thing for my sanity right now but it's what I need.

He replies not long after with a video message and I hear his soft deep tones coming through my speakers while he's laying there on his bed still top less "love trust me , If your really having a tough time, just know that I believe in you and I know your doing amazing , and you will be okay" , ahhh bless him he really is trying , I can't help but blush at the message I feel somewhat nervous even though he isn't here and my head starts to spin but for a completely different reason and I feel myself falling deeper into the whirlwind that's is George fuckin Daniel.

I send him a quick thank you and tell him I'll talk him later once I've finished and hopefully the rest of my shift goes by smoother. And at the I slide my phone back into my pocket and rise from the step dusting my clothes down before I step back into the store. Once I have come back in the store is a lot emptier and a lot calmer and I come bouncing over to Vivian with more of a spring in my step and jump back to sit up on the counter

The whole front counter area is back to normal, and all that's left to clean up is the kitchen itself and the dinning area, but I just know I'll get kitchen duty as we close in half an hour but we still have to clean for around 2 hours, Viv looks at me now noticing I'm alot calmer than I was. "Alright there stud".

"A little better yeh , it wasn't to busy while I was gone right ?". I hate leaving people on busy shifts but when I was feeling that uptight and needed a breather the break was the only option , "felt like I was about to fizz over for a second there but I'm doing a little better"

"What's up with you lately you've been really skittish Matt ?", I knew she'd ask after my little outburst but I really don't want to talk about it, not now at least because it will just set me off again and I want to stay calm and keep my composure for a little longer than 5 minutes . So with that I shrug , push myself back off the counter and go to starts cleaning tables

"I'm fine Viv", If I start cleaning tables and look like I'm busy out in the dining area I might not get shoved into the kitchen because that would just be the cherry on the cake that’s been this wank day , and I know I’d just walk out and lose yet another job.

The rest of the shift goes swimmingly , I do get a little shaky from time to time but I push it away and try to forget about it, it’s a struggle sometimes when I don’t know what causes it but I really have to do it, the last hour seems to tick away so slowly each minute feeling like a decade. Ten minutes before my shift ends I just give up with whatever I’m doing and try to procrastinate until my shift is over.

When my shift finally ends I clock out instantly, say goodbye to Viv and grab my jacket from the hook, stepping outside I light another cigarette and trudge the short distance home. I pull out my phone connecting my headphones and stick on some slayer and I see my last message from George “I hope you have an easier second half of your shift ay x” after that I reply with just a picture of myself smiling with a short message saying “yooo , finally finished ffs x”

[medschoolash]

My two cents on Daemon and Rhaenyra's Sexual encounter

I'm nobody but I have a lot of thoughts about what went down between daemon and rhaenyra and the motives on Daemon's end so I'm just gonna put it all down here because why not.

So I've come to the conclusion that Daemon's actions are not abusive (contrary to what the creators said), not about a quest for the throne, and not completely without malicious intent.

I think to truly understand it all and how it fits into the story you have to understand a few key things:

Daemon has psychogenic erectile dysfunction ( more on that later)

Daemon has an unending desire to upset Viscerys but he actually does love him

Daemon cares about Rhaenyra deeply and always has

Daemon is sexually attracted to Rhaenyra

Daemon is impulsive and manipulative but he's not a complete idiot

When you combine all of those character points for Daemon his behavior this episode makes a lot more sense to me.

(if you know me from other fandoms you know I'm long winded so proceed at your own discretion lol )

Let's go back to the very beginning of the episode. Daemon returns from the stepstones. He's now a war hero. He's known as the dragon that conquered the narrow sea and saved the realm a headache. This is the most praise and adoration he's gotten in a long time. He makes a show of giving up his crown to Viscerys and pledging fealty to him once again and he smugly looks at otto when he's embraced by his brother again.

To me this is important because I believe Daemon's actions here are genuine at that moment. The creators said in this scene Daemon seems like a changed man to the audience which I can see on casual viewing BUT is he truly a changed man? The narrative proved that to be a huge no and really that was the only conclusion when none of his actual gripes with Viscerys have been resolved. Plus what's so different about Daemon now? When has Daemon ever not supported Viscerys's claim as king? When has he ever publically done anything but swear loyalty to his brother since he was crowned (no comment on dead baby aegon, he got no love from daemon lol). Nothing about it truly screams Daemon is changed so why does he do it? My opinion is that it shows he didn't actually go there to be duplicitous. He didn't return pretending to be someone he's not to deceive everybody. That's important in the bigger picture.

So Daemon hasn't changed BUT something has in fact changed in King's Landing. Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra is happy he's back. She actually follows him in the throne room. She wants to see him. In the garden, she approaches him first with the giddy but tries to play it cool presence of someone with a huge crush. She is starry-eyed in his presence and is eager to engage with him. Daemon looks at her walk away in the garden. His eyes are on her in part because he's curious (he noticed her stiff interactions with her father) and because it's the first time he's seen her in years and she's a woman now but he doesn't follow her. I think they deliberately showed us that in most ways that matter before the sexual encounter Rhaenyra is the chaser, not Daemon. That matters. Later Rhaenyra finds him again and he's soaking in the air in KL, another indicator that Daemon is possibly relieved to be home and is not here to cause chaos. Rhaenyra even straight up asks him why he's there because she knows him, she knows he likes to play games with her father so there has to be an agenda but is there? He says the comfort of home. I personally don't think there is one on his mind at that moment. The key part is he acknowledges her maturation for the first time and he discusses it in the context of physical appeal. She's blossomed into a beautiful young woman entering the stage of courtship. He notices. She realizes he notices.

They've always had a bond. She's always had a special hold over him and she's always looked at him like he hangs the moon but it was never something with any real clarity for Rhaenyra and never something that Daemon would ever acknowledge or act on but that's changed it has been 4 years. She's at least 18 now. She's at the stage of life where romance and sexual curiosity makes a bit more sense now even if she's still unsure about how to navigate that as a woman in westeros. So yeah It's different between them. Rhaenyra has changed and most of all they are both curious about what this tension is between them and how far it can go.

Before I move on to my next point I want to make sure I'm not misinterpreted here. I'm not saying Daemon has been creeping on her this whole time just counting the days until she's of age. I don't think he's ever said to himself "when she's 18 I'm totally gonna have sex with her". I don't think he has the thought to go there sexually with her until the moment he actually sees her again after she's matured.

That brings me to their one-on-one in the garden. This is an important part because I feel like Daemon's intentions after this conversation can make his actions somewhat within reason or absolutely horrible. Rhaenyra is very candid with him about her frustrations with having to marry. She feels like a broodmare with no sexual autonomy at all, just a pawn to be sold to the highest bidder for the use of her womb and her title. She feels like no one cares about what she wants, what she wants to do with her body. She's so averse to the idea that would prefer to live a life completely alone over having to marry and have all of her stripped away for duty. Daemon tries to assure her that all is not lost for her. Yes, it's a political contract but he basically tells her she does have power and autonomy within the confines of a marriage. She can do whatever she wants. She can control what does and doesn't happens to her. Having this power is clearly important to her. He also genuinely tries to alleviate her fears about having the same fate as her mother. He was there, he knows her grief and pain. She wants to take that trauma and become a recluse. He doesn't want her to fear a fate she can not truly control because it prevents her from ever experiencing the better parts of life. Solitude is lonely. He himself is married and he's still lonely. He doesn't want that for her. We can say it's familial affection or something even more but the key is I do not think that any part of this conversation, especially the last part, is a manipulative game to him. He's comforting her and trying to guide her in the right direction for her own good just as he's done several times before.

So this is the entire lead-up to their night out and sexual encounter. What part of this feels well planned? what part of this feels like a scheme or anything but a simmering curiosity and moment of honesty between two people who up to this point have only had a familial connection? The answer is none of it feels like a well-planned manipulation, not even in retrospect and it doesn't feel that way because in my opinion, it wasn't.

The first moment you can make a real argument that Daemon has done some plotting is when she arrives in her room and finds the clothing and the note. But even then the question becomes what exactly did he plan and why did he plan it? The more cynical perspectives floating around suggest that everything was daemon manipulating Rhaenyra to open her up to the night on the town, then he planted the clothes and the note to lure her away with the full intention of ruining her reputation for his own ploy for power. To me, this falls apart very quickly as an explanation despite what the creators implied (I'll get to that in a second).

As mentioned above hours ago they had a conversation where Daemon tries to tell Rhaenyra there is a lot more to the world she can enjoy versus resigning herself to solitude and misery. The truth of the matter is Rhaenyra is very green. She has been sheltered in the red keep her whole life. Her mother died at a crucial age. She has had no one to guide her through the confusing developmental aspects of adolescence. Daemon sees his role as a guide to help her reach a new level of understanding of the many forms of sexual expression and freedom that will ultimately liberate her from the confines of her gender and her station that she's been desperately fighting against this whole time. But why does he want to do this? Does he want to do it because her sexual awakening can be used as a tool to rise to power or does he do it because he actually cares about her and want her to actually feel empowered in this important way and he can conveniently also explore his sexual desire for her as well?

This is the most important question to ask in this entire analysis but this is also where the waters truly get murky making it difficult to answer the question. To me the most obvious answer is the latter but this is seemingly contradicted by the creators and by Daemon himself. I would like to argue that it actually wasn't.

Up until the point, he enters the brothel with her Daemon has been a comforting source of familiarity to Rhaenyra. He has shared vulnerable conversations with her. He tenderly held her hand at every moment and took her through the city watching her in amazement as she saw things she's never seen before. He has allowed all of this to go on while maintaining anonymity, which is crucial because it gives her freedom she otherwise would not have had. At no point did he ever come off as if he wanted to coerce her into something, he or was guiding her in a certain direction for a plan. It all seemed spontaneous and about exploration and most importantly they did as much as she wanted them to do. He is fascinated by her curiosity. He is enamored with her enthusiasm. Why behave like this if this was all a power play? if it was because he really really wanted to manipulate her then why would he stoop so low to hurt someone he clearly cares about for a throne he has never actually said he wants?

I've seen several takes that try to connect him taking her disguise off when his plan to expose her but even that falls apart quickly. He doesn't do it until they are deep into the brothel where they are less likely to be discovered. He also takes his own disguise off exposing himself. If he wanted to ruin her reputation all he needed to ensure was that she was seen in a brothel with someone. Making that someone actually him actually works against him in a long game. Even Viscerys points this out later with alicent. There was a small chance that daemon would be able to say "whoops I slept with her she's ruined not I have to be heir" or "whoops I slept with her and she's ruined not we have to marry" but remember my bullet points?Daemon is impulsive and manipulative but he's not a complete idiot. The much more likely outcome was enraging Viscerys who he has only been on solid footing with viscerys for a few hours, not even a whole day. Enraging viscerys would get him absolutely nothing. The only thing he gains is hurting Rhaenyra and Daemon cares deeply for Rhaenyra so it wouldn't be in character. Like I said even Viscerys acknowledges this and he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

So if he gains nothing why is he doing this? How is this a power play for him and a power play he would be willing to engage in at the great expense of the only person he seems to actually care about? Maybe he just doesn't actually care about her that way. Maybe his care is not outweighed by his lack of morals and boundaries or maybe it's none of the above. Maybe there is a much simpler explanation for this entire ordeal.

I believe Daemon fully intended to push her sexual boundaries once they were in the brothel but I do not think his desire was to see her exposed while in that brothel to ruin her. I think he was just caught up in his own sexual desire for her and thrilled by the prospect of her liberation so he was callous about the entire thing and didn't care if she would be exposed because there is no real harm that can come. I don't even think he consciously thought about her being exposed in the moment but once presented with the issue it's never was a big deal to him. He even outright says this to viscerys. People whore, sure not women but Targaryens do. They are the blood of old valyria, they are dragon riders and rulers of the realm. They are above everyday conventions in society. They bed family members because they can. They whore because they can. They start wars because they can. The world is theirs for conquering and every aspect can be bent according to their will, including the truth and the truth is whatever viscerys says the truth is. Viscerys can decree his daughter is a maiden and whoever disputes it is treasonous and no one can defy him because well they have dragons. So no It was not calculated, it was just callous which fits into Daemon's personality perfectly and the difference between those two things is important when you're trying to put his actions into context. Also, if Daemon's plan was in fact to use Rhaenyra to gain power why did he even tell Viscerys he can just make it go away before the idea of a marriage even comes up? See the math isn't mathing.

This brings me to the most controversial part of their sexual encounter but the part that I think it the most fascinating. When Rhaenyra asks what is this place Daemon tells her it's where people come to take what they want. This is important for her because she's never seen sex as something that she can take for herself or as an act where she has power but Daemon takes her to a place where she can. Where they both can. This tells you that this experience is meant to be empowering for both of them but especially Rhaenyra. Being there empowers Daemon to cross a boundary he had not crossed before. He gets to take Rhaenyra. Being there for Rhaenyra empowers her to take control of her sexual expression and seek control, seek pleasure, seek passion, seek something that's purely about want and need and about nothing else. He outright tells her that this is what sex is for men AND women. This directly contradicts the idea that Daemon cares nothing about her awakening and it's a plot.

You could argue he says these things to manipulate her into an act but why chose a form of manipulation that plays into her gaining the most instead of him? A sexually empowered Rhaenyra can navigate her duty much more effectively than before. She can make smarter decisions and stop the tantrums that are holding her back. A sexually empowered Rhaenyra that is bold and unafraid and enlightened can form alliances that will strengthen her claim to the throne. We actually see this happen by the end of the episode when she agrees to marry Laenor without dispute and forces Viscerys to get rid of Otto as his hands. This Rhaenyra does not serve a Daemon who only wants to control her and use her for power, it does the exact opposite.

let's look at how the acts even take place for some ideas about his motives. He doesn't try to overwhelm her. He doesn't hungrily attack her even though he is hungry for her. He also doesn't dominate her completely. She's as into it as he is. She doesn't move a pace beyond where she is comfortable. He doesn't rush her and aggressively try to get into to submit to him. He doesn't overwhelm her with pleasure he gradually builds her up and lets her chase it. They passionately but tenderly kiss. He caresses her hair and her body. She pulls him close for more and doesn't shy away from her. Yes he's the one who turns her and moves towards the wall but she walks with him keeping up with her pace perfectly. Even when she is pushed against the wall she is excited and challenges him, she's not overpowered. He doesn't yank her clothing off he sensually exposures her. One of the best moments was when he takes her pants off. SHE ACTUALLY HELPS HIM DO IT. Her hands move to remove her own clothing and they actually do it together. He does not flinch when she initially changes position, it's AFTER that he pulls back. He's still into it when she turns and kisses him and nothing about the power dynamics in that kiss changed from their previous kisses.

This is the entire reason I don't agree that Daemon ends their encounter because he no longer had control of the sex act which is what pretty much everybody thinks the creators mean when they speak on this part and why he ended it. Is he shocked that's shes so responsive? Yes but I don't think that shock has a negative impact on the moment because he never actually had complete control of the sex act and he wanted her to feel powerful. That was never the point to begin with. Rhaenyra is supposed to take control of her sexual encounter, she's supposed to be an equal participant. She's supposed to seek pleasure and take what she wants. She's supposed to give him as good as she gets. That's the lesson. That's the whole point of the awakening. This entire thing is about empowering them both, not just him. This empowerment is important for rhaenyra for all the reasons I mentioned above and Daemon knows this. He had an entire conversation with her about this. He comforted her about her lack of all these things earlier. We even hear Rhaenyra tell alicent that her hundreds of suitors don't actually want her, they want her name and her valyrian blood. Daemon is supposed to be the exception. He intentionally wants to make himself the exception. So having Daemon have a motive of wanting to dominate her sexual encounter and being unable to do so which makes him abruptly abandon then sell her out to ruin her for a title her would make this scenario even worse than it already is because it means he wanted to completely disempower her all so that he could have a shot at the iron throne that he was never going to get. It's literally making her worst fear, the source of all of her teen angst for the last 4 episodes come to life. This interpretation colors every single one of their interactions with darkness from the very moment he has a full conversation with her this episode and gives him a level of villainy that completely takes away his nuance as a character because this act with this motivation requires selfishness and callousness towards her that crosses a line. Ultimately I just don't think this characterization well supported by the narrative and It would also make it difficult to even sell a later romance between the two of them.

So the math ain't math'n so how can we make it all add up? That's what this entire analysis boils down to based on what I've already demonstrated:

Daemon didn't set out to manipulate rhaenyra and this was not a well-plotted plan to ruin her. He wanted to initiate her sexual awakening for her own good because he cares and for his own selfish desire to have her sexually

He loves viscerys but still has resentment towards him leading to an unending desire to upset him when the opportunity presents itself. He was well aware that his actions would potentially stick a knife in Viscerys's back if he found out about it and he relished it but it was not merely a ploy to piss him off.

He did not go out of his way to ensure viscerys found out about it. He just didn't care about the consequences if Viscerys or anyone else found out. He had no connection to the spy at all. The spy was Otto doing the whole time with the help of mysaria.

He actually enjoyed her having control during the encounter, it made him desire her even more because he has always been enticed by her moments of self-assuredness. It makes him crave her instead of wanting to reject her.

The only reason he could not complete the sex act with her is because Daemon has psychogenic erectile dysfunction for reasons that are yet to be revealed.

Daemon did not pre-plan asking for Rhaenyra's hand. It happened at the moment because for the same reasons he was unable to get an erection.

If you watch the scene just before he leaves the brothel Daemon is very much still into engaging with Rhaenyra when she turns around to kiss him. As I said before he was actually relishing her show of control, not shying away from it. The problem is at the point in the encounter where she turns around he has already kissed her, caressed her body and he has already stimulated her vaginally.

(You can see his hand move from her hip further down when he has her against the wall. It was clearly meant to stimulate digital stimulation but it was purposely obscured by shadows and angles to focus on Rhaenyra's pleasure versus the actual physicality of the act)

When she turns around the next escalation in their sexual encounter is actual penetration. She wants it. He wants it....only Daemon can not get an erection. That's why he pulls away and looks at her for so long. He is hoping her desire, her look of hunger, her hair, anything will get his penis to stand up but it doesn't. She pushes to continue but he can't to he pulls away every time. He even attempts to push through it but giving in to her again but he still can't perform. That's when he finally reaches peak frustration which is both embarrassing and inconvenient so he leaves her to nurse his wound on his own. That is why he see that he ended up passing our drunk somewhere and Mysaria has to retrieve him. The control the creators were speaking about wasn't control of the power dynamics of the act, it was about control of his ability to perform aka exert his power ultimate during the acts.

Daemon has psychogenic erectile dysfunction. He had this issue before Rhaenyra since we saw him in the middle of sex with Mysaria, someone he clearly enjoys but he was unable to maintain his erection and reach a climax. That's why they even showed us that scene. Daemon is not physically impotent, he has no vascular issues preventing erection, and he has no neurologic issue preventing erection. It's purely psychologic. When he retreats from Mysaria he is clearly preoccupied with several thoughts. He is chaotic as hell but he is extremely emotional. The emotions we see most often are just petulance, anger, and resentment. His encounter with Mysaria established that when Daemon has too many emotions and thoughts in his head it interferes with his ability to sexually perform. I don't when this started but that is exactly what happens with Rhaenyra.

Daemon sexually desired Rhaenyra but I think once he started the actual act of being with her sexually he completely lost control of his emotions and his thoughts NOT the power dynamics that that's what rattles him. Maybe a little bit of guilt for attempting to have sex with his young niece in the middle of a brothel kicked in, after all until this point he has only known her as family and despite the familial history of incest he himself has never actually engaged in it before (that I know of). Maybe he feels something because Rhaenyra completely trusts him and that trust is why he's about to take her maidenhead in the middle of a brothel even though that is not how her first time should actually be. Maybe he feels an overwhelming emotional connection to her at the moment that caught him off guard because this was supposed to be about sex. It's probably all of the above really but the idea is these thoughts come up and he can not control them and because he can not control them he can not get an erection to actually do the one thing he truly set out to do which is have sex with Rhaenyra. He also can not tell her this because she has no idea what erectile dysfunction is and he can not explain it to her without being humiliated. He is supposed to be the one giving her a sexual awakening not a lesson on men with broken penises. So he leaves her there when under any other circumstances he would never do that to her.

That knowledge makes the entire puzzle come together because it gives his reaction at that moment some context that fits with the lead-up and that makes his later actions make some sense.

When he is confronted by Viscerys he straight up lies to enrage Viscerys and to cover for his own humiliation. Those are literally the only real things he can gain from telling that lie. Unbeknownst to us all and Rhaenyra, Daemon also had an awakening with Rhaenyra and that's why when the opportunity presents itself he seizes the chance to take her hand in marriage. Through his humiliation, he discovered that he desires Rhaenyra in a way that is bigger than he realized. He doesn't just want her sexually he wants her fully and completely. He wants her laugh, her childish curiosity, her determination, her ability to see right through him, her bravery, her stubbornness, her petulance, her anger, her beauty, her valyrian blood, her claim, her everything. I mean he straight up tells Viscerys he will take Rhaenyra just as she is. That was about so much more than a reputation. It firmly makes Daemon the opposite of the men Rhaenyra hates which actually fits the narrative but makes it even more interesting because Rhaenyra is unaware of all of this so it gives them so much more to explore and play with for the characters and their relationships later.

So no he didn't plot to marry her, it isn't until Viscerys himself presents him with the opportunity that he decides that's what he wants to do. It solves the problem of her reputation and gets him what he wants which is Rhaenyra and the restoration of his house to a level of glory and admiration that he feels Viscerys has sullied with his weakness. That's why I think it's important to acknowledge that Daemon was being truthful about his motivations when he says he can restore his house to glory. That is definitely a part of it. Sure it makes his intentions less pure but it makes them authentic and that's what matters the most. If this wasn't spontaneous he would have tried to end his own marriage before he even brought it up to make it more likely to happen. Instead, he never asks to end his marriage, he only suggests taking a second wife because at that brief moment where viscerys has him at knifepoint it's the only reasonable way forward. He didn't have time to actually think about a more seamless way to have her hand in marriage.

Finally, Daemon actually does accomplish his goal. Rhaenyra leaves their encounter and she feels fully empowered so much so she feels comfortable propositioning Criston for sex AND she takes the dominant position placing her own pleasure above all. Her view on sex and relationships and her own power have completely changed thanks to Daemon. This is further solidified by the fact that when her father tells her she's marrying Laenor she doesn't fight him. She will actually do her duty now because she gets what it fully means and no longer feels like she will be a prisoner in a marriage. She even feels so empowered she challenges Viscerys to get rid of Otto, a man he has been loyal to for decades AND it actually happens. Rhaenyra can now effectively navigate her future because of one intense experience with Daemon that shifts her perspective and I think that's pretty awesome for Rhaenyra and for Rhaenyra and Daemon as a pairing.

So in summary: Daemon Targaryen is a chaotic man with chaotic feelings but he is sprung on rhaenyra targaryen and he is not a cold-hearted master manipulator. Rhaenyra is now a boss bitch. Thanks, Daemon. The end lol

[misschifuyu]

To choose a lover

requested here

characters: ran haitani + rindou haitani

genre: fluff

warnings: none

Giggles and whispering comments were passed around, giddiness present in the voices that spoke out just a few metres away from you.

As much as you tried to focus on the tiresome work that was splayed out on the piece of paper before you, it was completely futile to drown the girls out.

It didn't take a genius to know what they were talking about. The school you were all under had the privilege - if one could even consider it as such - to hold two infamous students.

The Haitani brothers.

Whilst the eldest was in his final year, the younger still had another year under this roof until he followed in his brother's footsteps.

But there was really nothing to dislike about going to class when one had a literal fan group who's main topic was always them.

There were girls who preferred Ran, with his signature braids that they always wished they could undo for him; and others that would always fawn over Rindou's cocky ways and stubbornness, trying to catch his attention wherever he went.

The current conversation, however, wasn't just fixed on talking about their aspects.

Far from it. Sending each other questionable looks and making fun of those on the other side of the opinion, they were discussing who, out of the two brothers, was better.

Those on Ran's side had the advantage of saying that he was older, therefore more responsible and willing to take care of anyone.

Sure.

He would make the perfect husband, some were proclaiming. But...the youngest would always want to show that he is the strongest, the more dependable one, as a result of the inferiority that had always hung with him since they were young.

It wasn't that he was, he just hadn't pushed himself to be known as much as his brother had done all those years back.

Needless to say, it was an argument that would never see an end. At least not until the two left the school behind and continued up to wherever the future would take them.

It was amusing, from your point of view, to hear all of these discussions. For years now you had known the two, as close friends who had grown up on the same street, so you knew everything that there was to them, right down to what they actually did when they said they were studying.

Definitely something that the girls would be pushed back by if they ever found out.

But, if it really came down to it, you probably wouldn't be able to pick one out of the pack that they came in, either.

They both had their merits and faults, and, truth be told, neither of the two were that much of a pleasure to be around with, as much as their fans would beg to differ.

One thing was for sure, though. It had come into the light when the three of you had been hanging out one afternoon, without much else to do.

You had asked the youngest about what he thought about his notorious lower level when it came to comparing him with his brother.

It had simply been a spur of the moment, and you hadn't expected him to actually give a sorrowful response.

He was well aware that he was viewed as the weaker brother of the two, and as much as he'd try to prove otherwise, it had always been something that would eat away at him.

Naturally, both you and Ran had jumped to convince him that he was far from a weak person.

The fact that he was viewed as such meant nothing at all when it came down to the reality of what he was, and that there was no point in even listening to those ignorant - and frankly, irrelevant - opinions about himself.

At the end of the day, although you would never openly admit it near the oblivious fangirls, you held a considerable amount of affection towards the two of them.

Of course, they had their odd moments in which you only wished to hit them around the head with Ran's metal bar; but, all in all, they would always be your childhood friends.

So choosing between them was simply out of the question.

Both of them held an equal importance to you, so when a peculiar feeling started growing for one of them, you quickly averted it so it would be felt for the two, whatever it were to be.

They were two peas in a pod, and you weren't about to change this because of a measly crush.

However, the thought would only bug you more whenever you were all together. Such as the current situation, sat right between the two of them on the comfort of their couch.

Before even coming over, you had mentally ordered yourself to disregard the ridiculous thoughts that had flooded your mind.

The girls back at school hadn't help with the problem one bit, if anything they worsened the conflictive feelings; and now you were to spend the afternoon with the two.

One could only think that all odds were against them in such situations.

Head resting on Ran's shoulder, legs atop Rindou's, your eyes were fixed onto the screen before you. The reasoning behind spending the afternoon together was the airing of your favourite show.

However, you were now racking your brains over what you were supposed to do after the series ended. Watching a movie was the prime option, but you figured they would want to move from the couch and do something else.

And the two were very talkative, so you would have to, inevitably, push everything in your mind aside to prevent from even giving the smallest hint surrounding your thoughts.

Your stiffness didn't go unnoticed, and, soon enough, you felt a hand on your leg, startling you in an instant.

"What the hell is up with you today, Y/N?"

Rindou had lost all attention for what was playing on the screen, and it looked to be as though he had for a bit now. This meant he had felt your change of attitude well before he had actually asked about it.

"What? No, nothing...why?"

Knitting his eyebrows together, the blond looked over at you with a disbelieving stare. By now, you were sure Ran had shifted his interest towards the two of you.

"You've been all skittish since you got here. You got something important on your mind or what?"

Geez.

"No...I've just been thinking about something stupid, that's all. Don't worry about it, now let me watch th-"

"That being?"

Now you were cornered. From behind you, having turned to look at Rindou, a voice spoke out the question. In slight panic, you managed to come up with another way around it.

"Well...that, let's say, if I had to choose one out of the two of you, I wouldn't know who I'd pick. It's a silly question one of my friends asked today, that's all"

God bless the fan girls. You were sure to never judge them internally again, because they might have just saved your skin in the nick of time.

Your nerves calmed down as you heard Rindou chuckle at the concern, and you figured he'd just brush it off as another one of your peculiar inquiries.

However, as he fully turned towards you, it was clear that he wasn't about to let this go unfazed.

"Well, you can't just leave us like that without an answer. Go on then, if it was a life or death situation, who would it be?"

"Rindou...you know I'd get rid of both of you if I could"

You all laughed at your words, stirring the conversation into an area that you were certain you could get a hold of.

Each one of you was just as ridiculous as the next one, so it wasn't hard to divert difficult topics.

If only the youngest wasn't so damn pushy.

"On a real note, there's gotta be one of us that you like just a little more, Y/N"

Upon knowing that perhaps you had driven yourself into a dead end, you started to fumble with your fingers.

What the hell were you supposed to say? If you picked one, the other was surely to get the wrong idea.

"Um..."

A slight shift behind you made you turn your head, catching Ran just a little too close for comfort to your face. Great, just what you needed.

After a few, nerve racking, seconds in silence, it was the eldest of the two that decided to break the ice. You were all just wasting time there, after all.

"Listen...since my brother seems incapable of forming a decent sentence, what we've been trying to get at is which one you'd choose, because we've both liked you for some time now and we kinda need to know who you'd go out with"

Well.

Certainly an unexpected turn to your seemingly uneventful afternoon. It appeared that you weren't the only one struggling with the damned feeling that was a crush, but you hadn't gambled that it would be both of them...and for the same person.

You couldn't choose.

In the same way that you had to waver the feeling of more than just friendship between the two of them, there was no way you could pick one now.

It would be unfair for the other, especially since you would only be lying to yourself for saying that you felt nothing for the half that was left aside.

There was only one way out of this, unless you wanted to shatter the relationship you had built between them for the past years.

"I...both of you. I can't leave one of you out when I, well, like both of you"

A huge weight was lifted from your body the moment the brothers exchanged a look, followed by an agreeing nod. Far from the catastrophe you had gambled with, that much was sure.

As Ran leaned his head on your shoulder, Rindou gave you a bright smile, one that not everyone had the chance to say that they've seen.

"Wasn't so hard to say, now was it?"

No. What was going to be hard was having not one Haitani by your side, but two, as a partner. Sure enough, you were really going to know what their poor mother had to put up with now.

[mingkii]

LOVE AGAIN ─✎ 송.민기

❖❳；Pairing; Song Mingi x Fem!Reader (ft. P1h's keeho, itzy's ryujin, and wooyoung)

❖❳；Genre; Greek mythology au, angst, reincarnation au.

❖❳；Words ; 6.2k

❖❳；Warnings; Mentions of death.

❖❳；Synopsis; A mission to find your lover who was reborn in the mortal world became a mission for heartbreak as you watched him fall in love with someone else.

❖❳；A/n; I honestly don't know what happened near the end, very disappointing but oh well. Not very proud of this so im sorry and don't get your hopes up.

❖❳； Note; My entry for @/sleepylixie and @/delicatewerewolfsoul 's hamartia collab. This might contain inaccurate representations of greek gods but for the sake of the story, just go with it. Slightly modernized as well.

The sun rises on the horizon, casting light all over Olympus, waking the gods in slumber, reminding them of the work they need to do. However, you wanted to fight the sun for rising so early. The rays piercing through the depths of the ocean, just enough to peek through the windows of your room.

You stir under the covers, not wanting to get up. The light blinding your closed eyes, preventing you from going back to sleep. You were honestly hoping you won't wake up the next day. You didn't want to wake up in agony knowing there's nothing to wake up to. You still picture his crescent eyes when he smiles, his laugh that echoes in your ears as if he is there with you. His hands that felt soft and warm left a mark on your skin, reminding you of how he held you in his arms.

Every night you see him in your dreams— for a while at least. Your heart was hurt, it wanted to remind you of all the things you could've done, but it knew that if you kept dreaming about him, you would have died grieving years ago.

A loud knock on your door suddenly erupted, a groan escaped your lips. You rolled to the other side trying to bury your head under the covers to drown out the sound. Then, your door busted open, making you sit up in surprise.

"What the fuck," you furrowed your brows, watching your father fix the dislocated door hinge.

"Don't use such language on me, young lady," he leans his trident beside the door. "You have a very important schedule to meet your suitors today."

Your eyes widen, "Suitors?!" You shrieked, your father's face contorts.

“Father, I think this has gone long enough for you to know that I am not interested.” he let out a sigh. He’s well aware of that.

"Look, I understand, but I will not have you sulk for the rest of your life just because that good-for-nothing son of Athena died," your blood boiled at his words.

"No father, I don’t think you do understand," You said with resentment.

You tried to bury the tears back down, not wanting to cry in front of your father. The pent up anger made you want to lash out like what he said was the last straw but your pride was much stronger.

"It's rude to keep them in line, they've travelled far just to get here, so I suggest you make yourself presentable and be there as soon as possible," his last words before shutting your door closed behind him.

The knick-knacks on your shelf shook as your father slammed the door shut. He wasn't mad, he was just….strict, as your father and god of the sea, you are under his territory thus, giving you no choice but to follow him.

You laid back on your bed, pulling the covers, letting out a muffled scream into the blanket. Only kids get treated like this, he acts like you aren't already a hundred years old.

You didn't want to meet another batch of mermen with plastic smiles and fake personalities. They were only after you because of your title, daughter of Poseidon, god of the sea, with a legacy that soon passes unto you. You had sisters and brothers, you didn't understand why it had to be you, but Poseidon himself already had it all planned.

You swam near the big stadium-like structure, with large pillars that were carved so intricately in quartz.  The end of the stadium planted Poseidon's throne where he sat so elegantly. You hid behind the pillars, spotting the men that were seated to the side, waiting for your arrival, but you already decided you weren't going to attend. Not this time.

You took the longest route to Olympus, making sure no one spots you, escaping the suffocating vast seas that used to be called home.

=

"You know one day I could get killed by your dad," Wooyoung set the teacups filled with hot liquid on the dining table where you sat.

It's been a while since you set foot on land, you didn't miss it, the painful after-effects of walking for too long did make you wonder how land dwellers live.

"He won't since I made him promise it," your cheeky smile made him roll his eyes.

"But won't he easily find you here?"

"He will but he couldn't be bothered to travel all the way here," you took a sip from the cup, hot liquid running down your throat.

"I'll be home by sundown, can't have him wash Olympus just to find me," you force out a laugh, wooyoung giving you a sympathetic look.

He knows you are still mourning. Deep inside you are still in pain, but you try to keep it hidden.

"You know, it's been years and he is still bringing me these men I barely even know and he wants me to pick one to marry?" You planted your forehead on the table, hiding your face in frustration. "It's getting annoying." After those annoying years of having to pretend you are ok and just sitting pretty in front of dozens of merpeople, making yourself look like a prize in a glass box waiting for a winner to take you home.

But of course, it's still your choice and you chose to be with none of them.

"Were any of them attractive at least?" You hear the familiar charming voice. You look up to see Wooyoung's mother— aphrodite— adorned in her usual attire, laced with gold sequences, a headpiece in gold, and jewellery that complimented her skin.

You shook your head as you gave her a soft smile, "They always have this forced appearance to look strong and the wide creepy smiles that they think will help attract me to them," she listens to your rant, pouting slightly, "What a shame, you know your father's taste was never that good," she winked. You knew she was talking about your mother, whom you didn't know that well since she is always focusing on your brothers.

"I thought you went out early," Wooyoung questioned. Aphrodite cupped her son's cheeks, kissing the top of his nose.

"I just forgot something dear," you giggled at her ways of babying her son. Fixing his hair and touching up the light makeup he puts on every day. You can't deny how attractive Wooyoung is, you could see the features that he inherited from his mother.

"Poseidon won't stop what he is doing though, I suggest you do as his wishes y/n, or you'll face his consequences," strips of memory to that day cross your mind again. It was truly painful to recall, it made your heart clenched and you wanted to scream your head off.

"Look, whatever it is you want to do, just make sure it isn't something stupid," Wooyoung held your hand in his, rubbing your skin with his thumb. You remembered the last stupid thing you did.

You were grateful to have met someone like Wooyoung, he has always been there for you. Even though your father had been skeptical of him for so long, he still let you be around him.

But you can't promise him this time because another stupid idea just popped up in your head.

=

"Are you kidding y/n? Didn't we just talk about this?" Wooyoung follows you from behind as you walk through the forest. The last time you were here was the day your world fell apart.

You swore to not cross paths where it reminded you of him but right now, it is important.

"Look, demigods are bound to be reincarnated, there's a chance I could see him again," you explained, stepping on sticks and pebbles, slashing through vines and large leaves with your bronze dagger. Mingi wasn't like you or wooyoung who had both parents that are gods. Like Athena, he was created by her from her mind. He wasn't born….normal.

"And then what? What will you do if you see him?"

In all honesty, you didn't plan that far, all you thought of was to meet mingi in the mortal world. Wooyoung's concern for you just became worse when the silence answers his question. You have no plan, you just wanted to see mingi again.

You ignored Wooyoung's continuous nagging until you reached your destination. The tree that grew sweet magical berries that can only be found deep in the forests of Olympus. The berry that could help the gods enter the mortal realm.

"Y/n…." Worry settles in, Wooyoung knows the side effects of these berries. You weren't as powerful as your parents who were able to visit the mortal realm on your own, you needed help and you were certainly not gonna ask your father.

"I'll be fine," you picked a few handfuls of berries and stuffed them in your bag, "Atlantis won't be that far, If I need to, I’ll just come back." You smiled at Wooyoung.

"I leave tomorrow."

"What about your dad? Won't he get mad?" You two made your way back out of the forest, taking the path of where you came from.

"I just told him I'm sleeping at your place for a while," Wooyoung freezes in place. As expected of his role as your best friend, he's responsible for covering you up.

"You owe me big time."

=

Arriving at the mortal realm, alone and slightly scared. But the sight of what seemed to be the city made you giddy all of the sudden.  

You walked around exploring the beautiful structures of the city. Tall buildings surrounding the area, billboards, and giant screens with lights and flashing colours. You were overwhelmed at first but it was quite interesting. It was nothing like you have seen before.

There were tons of people who wore casual attire, some wore suits as they travelled to work. Big buses and cars drove by in the streets— you almost got run over by one, not knowing the purpose of the blinking traffic light; the horrendous sound of the car horn almost did make your ears bleed.

Settling down on one of the park benches, you took a break from walking. The sandals you brought weren't doing any justice for your feet.

Your surroundings were peaceful, pink flowers scattered across the concrete, different coloured leaves decorating the trees, getting ready for the fall season. Suddenly, you felt a gust of wind. The eerie grey smoke rising in front of you. Chills running up your spine, your mind having a clear idea of where it's coming from.

A cold mischievous laugh emitted from within, your initial reaction was to pull out the dagger from your side, clutching the handle tight until your knuckles turned white.

"Relax, it's me," the same annoying voice you dreaded hearing.

"Ryujin, what are you doing here?" You scowled. She was bad news— the spirit of mischief lives within her, wherever she goes, chaos follows.

"Hmm, are you not happy to see me?" Her Cheshire cat-like smile plastered onto her face as she took a seat beside you, crossing her leg on top of the other. Her hair was shorter than the last time you saw her, eyes still full of mischief.

"I was hoping to not see you again after the incident 20 years ago," you spat, hatred lacing your words.

"Right, the poor boy, died so soon," her face turned into a sad look before smiling once again.

Ryujin was the main cause of his death. Your father just made it happen. Leading Mingi to that place in the forest where she knew your father was there, he hated Athena's children, he wouldn't hesitate to kill one in sight.

You wished there was a way to go back in time to stop Ryujin from leading Mingi to his inevitable death. But as expected, she felt no shame or guilt whatsoever.

"What is it that you plan anyway, there is a reason for you to come here, right?"

You kept your mouth closed, not wanting to possibly give your plan away for the spirit of mischief to take its course. And so, you kept quiet. Ryujin clicked her tongue in annoyance. She wished she could read minds, but that's her brother's power.

"Fine, keep it to yourself," she stood up, grumbling something under her breath, "Just so you know, I am not leaving without having a bit of fun," another gust of wind blowing in your direction leaves swirling in a circle on the concrete just below her feet, the puff of smoke covering her figure as she disappeared.

Your mind was in shambles. Usually, she would try and pressure you into answering but she brushed it off so soon.

You let out the breath you didn't know you were holding, the weight suddenly leaving your chest. Sometimes the presence of Ryujin gives you this uneasy feeling, but it was better than getting a visit from her brother. He is ten times worse.

=

You finally adapted to the mortal world, got a place to stay all by yourself. There were obstacles on the way but you got over them easily.

You lay quietly on the bed, and to be honest, it was a bit uncomfortable. The covers are placed over you up to your neck. You stared at the ceiling, counting rams in hopes of helping you fall asleep. And on your 1117th ram, your eyes finally grew heavy.

But to your dismay, your throat decides that it was parched. You sat up from your bed, wearing your slippers, and made your way to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass and filling it up with water, but before you could take a sip, you saw a figure on your couch.

You dropped the glass, shattering across the floor. The figure whipped his head around and you couldn't believe your eyes. Is this a dream? You must be dreaming… You might have even gone mad.

"Mingi?" You stuttered. You haven't called out that name in so long.

"Y/n, be careful you'll hurt yourself," he stood from the couch, making his way to you. You took a few steps back. Mingi's face shows a look of confusion.

He stepped on the glass unfazed by it. Did he not feel that? Of course, this is a dream, he's not real.

"What's wrong?" His arms out to reach for you.

"N-no, I'm dreaming, this can't be—" you shook your head, tears pricking your eyes. You felt warm hands cup your face, it was so real, your knees so close to giving out.

"What do you mean?" His eyes were the same shade of brown. His hair is styled the same way he always has it in.

"You're real?" Your voice croaked, mingi chuckled. The same smile you saw years ago, but as expected, his face started to fade. This is definitely a dream. It was impossible to have mingi physically there, you saw him….die, right in front of your eyes.

"Of course I'm real," his voice was soft, comforting even. You were really hearing his voice, this is his voice. He pressed his forehead against you, kissing the top of your nose promptly.

At this point, you couldn't stop the tears from falling. You sobbed making mingi pull away and look at you with worry in his eyes.

"Please don't leave me again," you pleaded. You wished it was real, your chest grew even tighter. What kind of cruel punishment is this?

"Why would I leave?" He wiped the tear on your cheek. "I'll always be here," he said in reassurance as he pulled you in his embrace. You missed it so much—you missed him so much. The same warmth was still there, but it eventually started to feel cold. Like Hades was paying a visit to take him back to the underworld.

You finally got to see him again, even if it was only a dream, it really felt like he was there, body and soul present. You didn't want to let him go, there's no way you are losing him again.

His image starts to fade, you start to feel the emptiness again. His hold on your body began to feel like nothing, it was cold like ice. You tried to grip his shirt, keeping him from disappearing. You spewed out pleas, begging him to stay. At Least for a little longer.

But then you woke up, hot liquid running down your face.

You were crying, something you haven't done in a long while. Slapping your cheeks, making sure you were really awake.

"Come one y/n, it was just a dream," you said to yourself out loud.

20 years and you thought you were over him. But those agonizing years were torturous. Everything seemed to remind you of him. Wooyoung almost didn't see you for 18 years until you finally decided to visit him. You wouldn't know what to do if wooyoung was never in your life, you might as well have been asleep for the rest of your life.

=

The clamshell that sat on your bedside table glowed. It was a magic shell that sends messages back and forth in writing. You gave one to Wooyoung so you could communicate from a distance.

"Did you find him?" The letters glowed as they appeared.

"Not yet." you wrote back, watching the writings disappear indicating that he is reading it.

"Time is ticking y/n." Anxiety washes over you again. Soon the berries won't be enough to hold you there and you'll be needing to come back home.

"Y/n, you there?" A voice startled you, making you almost drop the shell. It would be bad if you did, it was a fragile thing, you could risk shattering it and won't have anything else to communicate with.

"In here!" You called out, quickly hiding the shell in the dresser.

"I brought lunch," mina smiled, holding up a paper bag filled with takeout.

The day you moved in, still exploring the apartment that you rented, you heard a knock on your door.

You peeked through the peephole. A woman stood in front of the door patiently, short brown hair— half of it tied into a ponytail— dressed in a leather jacket and denim pants. She looked about 20, maybe 21 but she doesn't look older than 25.

You almost pulled out your dagger but resisted, remembering that they are mortals and you could get in trouble. You slowly twisted the doorknob open, opening it slightly so your body is visible but not the room.

"Hi, I'm mina!" She said in a bubbly tone. Her energy made you slightly overwhelmed. "I'm your neighbour, just next door." She pointed to the apartment beside yours.

You nodded, not knowing what to reply. "Have you finished unpacking?" You tilted your head in confusion. "Do you need help with boxes or anything?"

You looked back in your apartment, body moving aside just enough for Mina to have a clear view.

"Did you not bring any stuff?"  You shook your head.

"I only brought a satchel," you gripped the strap that hung across your body. She gazes at the small bag attached to your body.

"Well, it looks like you need help settling in, why don't I cook dinner for you? You don't seem to have any pots or pans or food either." Your stomach grumbled at the mere mention of food.

Mina giggled, making you heat up in embarrassment. "I'll take that as a yes."

Since then Mina has been your source of food and company. She's been a great companion for the past few days. You told Wooyoung all about her and he just replied coldly. The thought of your best friend getting jealous of your new mortal friend made you laugh.

"So, I just started my 3rd year of college, and honestly, I am tired of it— I've been thinking of dropping out but then my mom might whoop my ass…"  Mina rants while you sit there, zoned out watching the floor like it's the most interesting thing in the world.

"Earth to y/n," mina waves her hand in front of you, snapping you out of your daze.

"Oh sorry, What were you saying?" The girl pouts, eventually brushing it off to discuss other things.

"Oh right, so I met this guy on campus and he is like, really cute. He is super tall and like, maybe a bit built..." You listened to her attentively but still in the back of your mind you couldn't help but discuss your plans on how to find mingi to yourself.

"Should I ask him out?" You blinked— you weren't paying attention again.

"I'm sorry?"

"The guy I met on campus on my first day, should I ask for his number?"

"Oh totally, you should," you said plainly, you feel really bad for not paying attention but you couldn’t help it when your mind is being occupied with something else. Mina just brushed it off, not noticing your spaced-out expression. She continued rambling while your mind wandered.

Time was running out, you needed a plan.

=

"Remind me why I am on your college campus again?" You said, mina dragging you by the arm. She woke you up at an ungodly hour just to travel early to her college campus. Few students were walking around campus, on their way to their scheduled class.

"Look, I barely have friends, also do you go to college? You look to be around my age," your eyes widen. Atlantis doesn't have schools, you had to travel to Olympus just to make it to class, but you only had to go until you turned 18. And you are immortal, you haven't been to school for a hundred years.

"I graduated," you just said. Hoping she won't ask further questions.

"Oh so you're older than me then," you nodded. She stopped to sit by a tree in the campus garden, patting the grass beside you. You sat beside her, leaning on the tree.

"I don't have class 'till after lunch, we can grab something to eat before you can go back to your apartment," she took out her textbook and paper to finish what she didn't the day before.

"Sorry for dragging you, You are always locked up in your apartment so I thought why not take you here with me," you were planning on exploring more of the city, just to take note of the possible routes to get around.

"Won't I get in trouble? I don't go here."

"You are fine, besides, it's an open college, anyone can visit here," she explains as she gets back to her work.

Your eyes wandered off somewhere else, spotting the students who were early, sitting on the grass as they got some sleep under the trees. Some were reading books and some were having their breakfast.

It makes you sleepy after a while, deciding to lean your head against the tree, closing your eyes for a brief moment.

A pair of shoes tapping against the grass, crunching the leaves on the way. You didn't bother to open your eyes so you just stayed and listened. Must be one of mina's friends as you hear her voice ushering for them to sit.

They sat on the other side of the tree beside mina, talking about classes and homework but something about that voice tingles your brain. The familiar deep husky voice made your heart ache. You were confused as to why you were reacting that way.

Soon the person left and you were forced to open your eyes when mina shook your shoulder abruptly.

"Guess who just gave me their number," she said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Who?"

"The hot campus boy," she squealed, waving the paper in her hand. "His name is mingi and it's kinda cute and his voice was deep, not that deep, but like...deep."

Your eyes widen, "mingi?" She nodded. You felt like your world stopped spinning. Your mind is in shambles, processing the information. Your ears deafened the sounds around you, muffling mina's continuous babblings.

You thanked the gods that he's here, but then reality hit. He doesn't know you for he is only a reincarnation of the mingi you knew. He is no longer the son of Athena, he is just human.

=

"Are you sure it's the mingi?" Wooyoung's message appears from the clamshell. You lay on your bed, a book on your lap as you were reading just a while ago.

"Yes, Mina's description fits so perfectly," you bit your lip, anxiously fidgeting with your necklace. What if it wasn't him? You can't confirm that it really is him, he has no memory of his past life.

"Ok, so what are you gonna do now? You found him, what's the next step?" You mentally slapped yourself for being unprepared. You wanted to see him again, that was your main goal, and now that you know he's here, you have no reason to stay.

You want to be with him but it's impossible, you are immortal, he'll age while you stay young. Well, nothing much was changed when he was a demigod, but he had the opportunity to become immortal. It's not like there is some way a mortal can become immortal.

…..or is there.

"I'm coming back," the writing disappeared letter by letter as wooyoung's message appeared right after.

"Really? So that's it?"

You shook your head as if he could see you. "I have a plan"

"Oh no," wooyoung thought. Letting out a deep sigh. "She's gonna get into more trouble isn't she?" Wooyoung wished that somehow something would knock some sense into you.

=

"Y/n!"

"Mina, hey," she threw herself at you, engulfing you in a tight hug.

"I'm gonna miss you," she squeezed around your neck, restricting your airflow.

"Mina," you patted her back, making her apologize with a sheepish grin, "I'll be back soon though, you don't have to miss me too much."

"I know— wait, are you free right now? I was wondering if you wanna go eat before you leave," you thought for a second. Though it isn't difficult to travel back to Olympus, you're unfortunately on your last berry.

"Sure," you hoped it'll last you for another few hours.

Arriving at a restaurant with mina, ordering food as soon as you sat down. Your eyes wandered around. The restaurant was busy, waiters quickly passing around, trying to get to the customer's table as soon as possible.

"Finally," Mina says, standing up on her seat. You turned your head to the person she was referring to.

"Sorry I'm late, I got stuck in traffic."

"I invited mingi, I hope you don't mind y/n," Mina says with a sorry smile.

"I don't mind at all." That unsettling feeling soon washes over you, seeing mingi stand in front of you, face to face. You find it weird to see him like this like he didn't die. He looks like the same mingi years ago, it just felt….different.

You took your seats again, Mina helping mingi order his food. The three of you waited for your orders, chatting about anything that comes to mind. Mina talking about classes and homework that is due and mingi asking if any of you were free to a party this weekend.

Of course, you can't go.

"So, Where are you from y/n?" He asks you. His voice sounded so natural to you but at the same time, it felt foreign, like you just heard of it now. Technically you did but, the way demigod reincarnations work is they get reborn the same. Meaning they'll look the same, speak the same, and their personalities are most likely the same. Nothing will change once they get reborn— except, they won't remember anything from their past life.

"Atlantis," you blurted out, panic rushing through you. You can see the confusion in their faces.

"Like, the lost city of Atlantis?" Mortals, what are they teaching them?

"I mean Atlanta," you corrected yourself, body stiff as stone.

"America? That's far, do you have a flight?" Mina intervened. You didn't even know where that was, you just so happened to remember that book you read before coming here and the main character lived in a place called Atlanta.

"Uh yeah, sure," you felt cold sweat trickling down the back of your neck. You just hope they won't ask any more questions.

You let out a sigh of relief as the two of them get back to chatting with each other.

Finally, the food arrived and the sooner you finished the sooner you got to go home. And with your last berry, you popped it in your mouth after the meal.

Leaving the restaurant with mina and mingi you were finally able to go back to Olympus.

As you are ready to part ways, Mina engulfs you in a tight hug, cutting off your airflow. "Mina, you're squishing me," you said in a choked out voice. "Be quick ok," she gives you a final hug before walking in the other direction.

You waited until the coast was clear and hid somewhere secluded.

=

You arrived safely and with just a minute to spare. You were gonna go to wooyoung's place first before going back to Atlantis when you saw a lightning strike. A gust of moist air blows your way, a growling thunder piercing through your ears. Your mind immediately assumed that it was Zeus but when the clouds cleared you saw your father, sitting on a cloud with his trident on his lap.

"Father," you said, greeting him with a bow. Though he didn't look pleased with seeing you at the gates of Olympus, he still gave your hair a ruffle.

"You have me worried sick y/n, where were you?"

You expected yelling, hearing these words and this kind of tone shocked you. Especially even after telling him that you were staying at wooyoung's but still found you at the gates

"Look, I know I may have gone too far— with...you know, the marriage," he admits. Avoiding eye contact with you as much as possible. Not that it wasn't sincere, he just wasn't used to admitting he was wrong. But he loves you dearly and he'd do anything for you.

"It's ok, I actually forgot those happened." there was an awkward silence. Then, Poseidon left, after informing you of what time dinner was gonna be.

You finally arrived at your best friend's house and instead of a worried wooyoung, you were met with a furious wooyoung.

"I knew this was a bad idea, your father almost killed me!" He said. You rolled your eyes at the exaggeration.

"Relax wooyoung, nothing happened," you placed your bag onto his bed, taking out the souvenirs you got.

"Did he say anything to you? You are still alive so I'm guessing you haven't met yet?"

"I met him at the gates and he said he was worried." Thinking back to that moment made you shiver, it's like someone replaced your dad with someone completely different.

"Huh, well ok then— Ooh what are these," he was quick to change the topic as his curiosity fills in. Wooyoung takes the bag of candies you brought, ripping it open to take one of the wrappers with the sugary treats inside. You chuckled, watching wooyoung chew on the candy.

He notices your gaze stuck on the floor while you get lost in your own thoughts.

"Hey, did something else happen there?"

You snap back into reality, taking a while to process what wooyoung just said. You shook your head in response.

"Actually, is there a way to stay there without the berries?"

He stares at you for a moment, he honestly thought you were done and you weren't going back there. It's dangerous for you since you are not as strong as your father. Even with something more efficient than a magical fruit, you are bound to get in trouble.

"My mom has a necklace," wooyoung says, he didn't want to say it but he knew how important this is to you. Eventually you'll stop, knowing mortals and gods cannot stay together forever.

"She used to make me wear it when she let me go to the mortal world with her."

"Can I borrow it?"

=

"Y/n!" Mina ran to you with open arms, "I missed you so much," you giggled at your friend.

"I've only been gone for a week."

"A week too long," she pouted.

She takes your hand in hers, pulling you to whatever direction. You arrived at the airport, making it look like you got here by plane. Passing security check out and exiting the building.

"You still remember mingi right?" She asks.

"Of course, I left for a week, it doesn't mean I forgot anything that's here," she grinned.

"Why, what happened?" You asked, hiding the hint of fear in your voice.

"Oh nothing," she sing-song, trying to stop her lips from smiling too much.

You both stopped at the front of the main entrance, waiting for you-don't-know-who. Until a car stops in front of you. Mingi came to pick you two up, giving you a ride to your apartment.

"So, what's it like in your hometown," she asks, taking a bite of her food.

"Uh, It's….you know —uh…. there's trees and buildings."

Mina nodded slowly as she continued eating her food.

After you two finished eating, Mina left to finish her college work— probably with mingi.

You didn't want to think the worst but considering mina's behavior around mingi, you couldn't stop the thoughts running around your mind.

You gripped the pendant that was tied around your neck. It's pearly white color glowing due to the light reflecting on it. Its sharp edges indicate that it was shattered into parts.

The other half is with mingi.

Atleast, when he was still with you. It symbolizes your promise to always be together and be there for each other.

But fate just wasn't on your side. And it still isn't.

As you walked out of your apartment to get some fresh air, you spotted the two by the parking lot. Their faces are inches away from each other.

You didn't know why but you felt your heart sink. Tears welling in your eyes. You reminded yourself that this mingi isn't the same mingi that promised to be with you. He wasn't the same mingi that helped you run away from home whenever your parents were arguing again.

That gave you a reality check, you can't be with him anymore. You have to let him go.

Your gaze still stuck on the two, not noticing the sudden appearance of another spirit.

This time, it made you feel chills.

"Keeho," you said in a whisper. You didn't bother to look in his direction.

"Oh, I'm glad you recognize me," he said, a mischievous smile growing on his lips.

"Ryujin would have loved to see this, after all, this was her plan." You curled your fist into a ball, tight enough until your nails dug into your skin.

"Why?" You managed to let out. You didn't want this to affect you but it does. After everything you did, it all didn't matter in the end.

"I don't know, ask ryujin. I'm just here to relay a message."

Keeho pushed himself off the wall that he was leaning on and came over to you.

"Don't try to bring back something that was meant to be taken away, it'll come back to bite you in the ass," he whispered against your ear, sending chills down your spine.

Then he left, disappearing into the mist again.

Even though you just came back, you were already itching to leave. Packing your bag and locking the apartment. Giving the keys to the landlord.

Mina notices you in a hurry to leave, running after you to catch you.

"Y/n! Where are you going?" She grabs your wrist making you stop. You didn't turn around, you stayed rooted to the ground. Swallowing the thick lump in your throat before speaking.

"I'm sorry Mina," you pulled your wrist away from her and left. You felt guilty, she was your only friend and she felt betrayed. You left without an explanation.

=

"Y/n? You're here, did something happen?" Wooyoung read your expression.

You shook your head, clearing your thoughts as you replaced the sad look with a small smile.

"I'm great, I just didn't like the whole vibe there," you lied.

You removed the ruby crystal around your neck giving it to wooyoung, muttering a thanks. Alongside you removed the pendant that was tucked under your shirt. Wooyoung was shocked as you never took it off and you swore you never would.

You tucked the necklace into your pocket, taking a mental note to put it away when you get home.

Although you didn't accomplish your original mission, you did realize that it's always good to let go of something. Never let anything or anyone tie you down. You are still heartbroken, but you are sure you could get over it soon.

Of course, the siblings that stared at you through the window, mischievous smiles on their faces, will not let you live just yet.

[syubub]

Yoongi birthday reading/energy check!!

It's sweet sweet tangerine bois birthday!!

I wanted to do a cute little energy check up to see what's up and ask some fun little questions!!

I'm excited so let's just do this shit!!

Disclaimer: this is for entertainment purposes and not to be taken as fact!!

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I want to apologize for the absolute shit pictures but what's new lol

So, let's start with the platform. First thing I noticed was the blue was brighter but the platform was darker? It was like someone cranked up the contrast to 100. Ngl it looked pretty cool. Yoongis platform doesn't typically have a barrier like some of the others do so I just kinda walked in and did the whole, "happy birthday, I have questions" His energy seemed a lot more... vibrant? And playful I guess? It was really nice. Now. The actual connection was intresting because the cord was blue again and like, real thick. (I don't think my perceived thickness of the cord has and real correlation with how strong the connection is. It was just thicc) this time though, the cord was connected at the chest instead of the third eye. So i was like, ??? But my guide didn't give my any sort of helpful input (my guide likes to watch me suffer in my confusion. I'm sure of it)

Anyway, cord like that and then yoobi gave me a headbutt to connect at the third eye. Idk why he gotta be like that :( istg next time he's gonna flick my forehead or something.

I was like "cool cool cool. I want to do the reading now pls" and idk how to explain the energy other than sassy. You know? Blah blah blah I'm thinking, "I don't remember him being so cheeky but maybe I've been gone long enough for him to level up into his final sass monster form"

Anywho, this was intresting because after the little strings were connected and stuff, we plopped down on the floor. And it was like everything I was doing irl was being mimicked infront of yoons energy? So we were sitting facing eachother and I was putting the cards down between us?? Usually that doesn't happen but it was kinda fun!!

Moving right along. I first asked if there was anything he wanted to say or needed to get across and it was 11. Now, 11 has come up before and I'm still not to sure what it's in reference to? My best guess is possibly he's been seeing 11:11 or that it's 2? Idk let me know if you have any clues lol. Other stuff was just kinda banter and stuff.

So so so.

The reading. First thing I asked was how he was doing. And I shuffled his preticular way (when I ask a question I always ask for the energy to tell me how much to shuffle or when to stop. For yoongi it's always 2-2-2. So 2 bridge shuffles, 2 hand shuffles and then split the pile in 2. That's why I think 11 might be 2 to him?)

The cards we got are ace of swords rev, justice,the heirophant rev, the empress.

So based off this I was like okay. I want to pull clarity cards for the two rev cards to get a better picture so I pulled the emperor rev for ace or swords rev and strength rev and wheel of fortune rev for the heirophant rev.

Starting with the ace of swords rev, and the emperor reverse. It seems like yoongi has been re thinking his relationship to control in his life. That's he's possibly noticing any unhealthy needs to control his life and the situation around him. It could also refer to his judgment being clouded by a rigid approach.

With the justice card it makes me think that he's possibly considering a big choice in his life or that he's really doing some deconstructing of his own views. This second idea fits in well with him getting clarity on some possibly unhealthy control issues in his life.

Now. The heirophant rev, strength rev and wheel of fortune reverse. This was intresting to me bc they are all major arcana. The heirophant rev can really talk about no longer needing outside approval and making your own way in your own time bc you are your own teacher. Strength in rev I kinda read as self doubt and feeling down in this case. Like a lack of confidence in himself and his abilities. And the wheel of fortune in reverse I took to mean as his breaking cycles. All together these cards kinda paint a picture about wanting and trying to break a cycle of self doubt and self limiting beliefs and learning more about himself and why he think what he does about himself and searching through everything for truth. It's really good!! In short he's doing some nice soul searching and trusting himself to guide his own way through this self discovery!

The empress! This card seems to pop up for yoobi a lot and I think it really speaks to the abundance that surrounds him! Not just money but the abundance of creativity, love, friends ect.

Now now now. I asked him if there was anything that he wanted to tell us about himself or bts or what's happening in the near future. For that I got 2 of cups, king of wands and 3 of coins.

So the 2 of cups is partnership. Usually romantic. Could be pertaining to the may 13th thing that is ever present lol but I'll get to that later. With the 3 of coins talking about teamwork, this could definitely hint at collaborations coming up!! That's the vibe I get. No one crush my dreams. And for the king of wands it could be talking about taking the reigns on a new project and starting to get it done. Like a new opportunity. This could be a new bts project like starting a new campaign or new venture or maybe personal like the a mixtape or doing more songs for other groups ect.

I had to ask him how he was feeling about the grammys. I had to. Had to. The cards were ace of wands, 2 of wands and death reverse. When these came flying out I could help but smile. Yoongis energy was almost giddy too!

Witht he ace of wands

It's that spark of creativity and inspiration. It's that feeling when you get super excited over some new thing. I think this is the perfect example for feeling reinvigorated. The 2 of wands takes that spark from the ace and tries to funnel that excitement and newness into something directional. Using that burst of creativity to start planning for future progress!! Its so nice to see that! If they don't win (IF) you bet we're gonna get some bangers about a corrupt system. If (WHEN) they do win we'll get bangers about how thankful they are to have gotten where they are in spite of a corrupt system. I just want to hear an uncensored version of yoongi being like, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT, WE DID IT BITCHES. FUCK ALL YOU BASTARDS THAT SAID WE COULDN'T."

I can dream....

What a nice dream.

Now I asked if there was anything yoobi wanted to say to us as in advice or comfort or anything like that and I got, Clearing negativity, make time for self care, when I'm tuned into the energy of abundance I become abundant. when I'm in a state of appreciation im in vibrational alignment with my true love nature. The world rev, 2 of swords rev and that project, that person, that idea is waiting.

Awe. Take care of yourselves!! Make sure to take time to enjoy what you like and try not to let any negativity get in the way of you enjoying your days. The world rev to me seems to be talking about seeking closure on the things in your life that have been impacting you. Tie up those loose ends so you can move foward without triping over yourself and 2 of swords rev I think talks about information overload and being kinda indecisive bc of that. Take a sep back to evaluate the situation at hand because sometimes it's so close you can't see what you're looking for. Those of you who are studying and getting frustrated because you just can't seem to get it, try taking a step back and doing something to take care of yourself and come back to it so you can approach with a clearer mind. Try not to get stuck or paralyzed by choice but if you do get stuck, take some time to detach yourself from the situation and come back later!

A fair few people wanted an update on yoobis soulmate as well. If you need a refresher here's the run down. Yoongis soulmate is impossible for me to read, yoongi is a smug ass and I'm nosy and probably a little dumb.

Now that that's cleared up

I asked, "am I missing something?" (As to why I can't connect and why yoongi won't give me answers.)

I got queen of cups, magician and the high priestess. I read this as him being like, "yeah dude, you aren't woke enough"

YOONGI just give me answers pls. The high priestess is intuition and sacred knowledge, the magician is manifestation and the queen of cups is also intuition.

At this point I was like, okay you little shit, can you at least tell me how your soulmate is doing? Can you do that for me?

2 of cups, 2 of pentacles, 9 of wands and knight of wands. 2 of cups is partnership usually romantic, 2 of pentacles is priorities and managing them, 9 of wands persistence, knight of wands motivation for a new thing. His soulmate last time was in the process of going through some shit and figuring it out and it seems like now they've got a better clue of how to move foward and are currently heading towards good things/ important things in their life (possibly like working towards dream career or had an idea for a business the want to start or field they want to go in.)

I was thinking about the next question when this popped into my head, "if you know about your akashic book, do you know about your soulmates? Have you read it?" I used my pendulum. No movement at all. What so ever. "Are you listening to me?" Yes. "So answer my question please" No. "Do you like to watch me suffer?" Maybe. "Do you know the answer to the question" yes.

YOONGI WHY

This cheeky son of a bitch.

Now I was like, fuck it. Imma ask him the big boi question.

"Is your soulmate present when I do these readings?" Yes.

WHY THE FUCK CAN I NIT PICK UP ON IT???

I had to take a deep breath dude. Yoobi is testing my nerves.

"Are they hiding their energy?" No.

I was actually gonna combust. This makes no sense.

I asked yoongi if he would tell me what I'm not getting. Silence. So i ask my guide.

"lol ur dumb"

Watch me Google "how to fire your spirit guide"

Istg this feels like some dumb prank. Maybe I'm just genuinely oblivious to his soulmates energy or maybe I'm just doing something.

What do you want to bet that his soulmate is just hiding under the platform and I'm too stupid to notice or some dumb thing like that.

yoobi, sir, why must you do this?

I decided to continue.

"What message or thing have you learned from your soulmate recently that could be valuable to us?" I got healthy communication in relationships and deep replenishment.

Good to know you can have a nice communicative relationship with your soulmate bc I CAN'T.

I'm petty about it, sue me.

The message does stand though. Good communication and taking proper rest to replenish yourself.

Now I had to ask yoongi directly what he thought of may 13th.

I got the lovers, 7 of swords, the magician and judgement. The seven of swords was intresting and it makes me think there's some extra stuff at play here too. 7 of swords is about getting away with something and deceit. The clarifier was the magician.... this could mean a lot honestly. It could be that maybe yoongi will have his relationship exposed or possibly that maybe him and his soulmate meet but yoongi is disguised? Idk how that would work at all but I'm stumped. There's a lot of variations that this could be. The magician is about manifesting and having everything you need to create what you want. This could possibly mean that maybe he gets a sudden idea that's like, "oh I have to go here right now. Its super important" eventhough he has practice scheduled. So that would let down his team but he would be following his path and it might lead to him meeting his soulmate? Maybe vice versa? Idk let me know what you think??

With the judgement its about inner calling and kinda like the peak. Like shit has been leading up to this moment. With the lovers too it does seem like a union?

I asked him, "but like what's gonna happen on the 13th thought and I got the 10 of cups. Divine love, bliss, alignment, happy mushy gushy shit. This is why I'm so inclined to think that they'll meet on the 13th or things will get serious or their paths finally cross. The cards seem to heavily suggest that.

My dude. Yoongi is really sappy, pass it on.

For the last question I asked yoomgi if there was messages/ advice he had given to his soulmate that we might benefit from.

First step, open your third eye, open your heart, sign from heaven, open your arms to receiving.

A lot of opening lol.

It's good advice though learning to be open and receptive and taking that first step in tackling life or any situation.

Oki. Now for the disconnecting. It was not nearly as strange as it has been in the past. I was just like thanks dude. Again, happy birthday blah blah and I got up to leave. I noticed it looked like we were in sitting in one of those old plastic hoola hoops? Like the pink and yellow ones lol. As I was looking at and and like??? Off to the side the numbers 13, 28, 54. Obvi 54 isn't a date and then I the last yoongi check up there was book pages and I feel like 54 and 28 were the pages?? I'm not actually sure as I'm writing this so I'm gonna check.

Yep I checked. They are the page #s.

So that's intresting.

Other than that though I just kinda left and he was like, "bye" and that's all.

Not as cool as other yoongi adventures but equally as frustrating.

TLDR

Yoongis doing pretty okay and he's a cheeky little shit. My guide like to watch me suffer and yoobi is mushy gushy squishy.

Happy day of birth Syub!!

[mdverse]

heyyy it’s me again!! so u obv don’t have to respond to this if u don’t want to cuz i don’t wanna clog ur blog but since u asked about it: i guess my favorite thing about the vb au would just be the way you’ve redone the relationships between each character!! like honestly with the team itself i’m so curious what would be going thru their heads during a game and how they would have to rely on each other, and i love that they all have to kinda earn each other’s trust (since aside from sugar and brittany everyone is meeting for the first time if i remember correctly? i could be completely wrong ahh) and bond as a group. i also adore the furtana friendship 😭 it warms my heart. santana and finn having known each other since childhood just like, makes a lot of sense for them and i don’t think i’ve seen that done before, so its really cool!! my other favorite thing has gotta just be how u draw everyone. like, i know that’s not an au exclusive thing but ur art style is so cool!! i love the way u color eyes, they always pop and it’s a really cool detail. u also are really good with like, dynamic poses? idk if i’m making sense cuz i don’t really know anything about art, but when u draw movement it always looks natural and like there’s weight behind it? anyway i love everything about the vb au and i think u are an incredibly creative person for being able to come up with it all. also congrats on the redbubble!! sorry if this is long, again pls don’t feel like u have to respond to this i just didn’t wanna leave u hanging. sorry this is a mess, have a good night!!

adlkhf anon listen,,, i may be trying to not clog my blog too much but i can never resist rambling about vb au,,,,,, especially with such an enthusiastic ask! ill just slap some thoughts under the keep reading for anyone who's interested but just know that u gave me a lovely burst of motivation to actually work on the fic!!! admittedly my school semester has just started so who knows how writing will go but ill be working on the outline later :)))

anyway the character dynamics!!!! they're so fun to think about and i love them all! ur right about britt n sugar being the only ones who knew each other properly before joining the team so their dynamic is already set and wildly chaotic, but quinn and tina both know of e/o and of the britt/sugar duo bc they've seen e/o in tournaments :) so a lot of the main relationships on the team are developing at different speeds and from different starting points! which does make it kinda hard for me, a clown, trying to balance all of them lmao but it's still really fun and i'm so pumped to draw all of them together

as for furtana! my beloved! i'm assuming the reason there are so few close finntana dynamics in fics is bc of the whole outing debacle... which is very valid.... but that's why aus are so fun right? finn and santana are 2 of my faves so exploring a world in which they grew up together just kinda came naturally to me. especially when u look at their s4 interactions bc they've clearly bonded and care about e/o, even if we don't get to see the extent of it :) and then adding kurt to the mix,,, they're all dumbasses in their own ways so the resulting dynamics are really entertaining! i love imagining the sheer chaos that comes from them juggling a max of 2 brain cells between them,,, but there's also so much love there and that's easily my fav part!!! i could gush about them for so long adjshfjksdg

to sum things up im so incredibly grateful for ur enthusiasm about this au! im ridiculously passionate about it so knowing that other people like it too makes me all giddy sdkfhs and just know that u are very welcome to drop in my inbox and talk about it some more :)

[eryiss]

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hi all. Thanks for your continued support. This time, now they've decided to give each other a chance, we can see them seeing the benefits of each other's company.

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Five - Cracking The Code

Day Four: Thursday

"Damn," Gajeel murmured. "Maybe I wasn't as harsh on you as I thought."

He didn't know exactly what time it was, nor did he know exactly where he was, but he didn't care. The train journey had been long and, despite Freed's runes taking a lot of the strain off him, Gajeel's stomach had started to squirm and bite against him. The growing nausea mixed with the sparsely healed injuries from the day before and the overall exercion of the past three days had caught up with him, and all he could think of was the bed that Freed had promised him.

By the looks of the building - a large ranch, large enough for Freed's entire team despite the fact he lived alone - the bed would be luxurious. Gajeel had been presumptuous about Freed's wealth in the last few days, and was starting to feel guilty about it, but maybe he hadn't missed the mark.

Sure as hell made his one room apartment look like crap.

"If it makes you feel more comfortable, I have a barn at the edge of my property that has some hay you could sleep in," Freed mumbled under his breath, but Gajeel heard. "I wouldn't want to force you to live outside of your elements, would I?"

"Nah," Gajeel grinned, because he felt guilty about the last three days and didn't wish to get into another argument. "I can try a bed out if I have t'."

Freed explained what was happening during the train ride home, that his demon was influencing their moods and making them more antagonistic. The conversation came from out of nowhere; Freed had a habit of scuffing his feet, Gajeel had gotten annoyed, snapped, and an argument had begun. After some insults, Freed clenched his right fist, rubbed his suddenly glowing eye, and explained the effect that his demon was having on them. After that, they made a decision to think about the reason behind their anger before they spoke, to understand if it was truly what they thought.

It was a tense and fragile truce, and they were acting at being friends. It was a difficult situation to understand; Gajeel didn't really know what he thought of Freed. He knew he was impressed by his resilience, and at some point the slight resentment at the previous day's attack would make way for intrigue and him feeling reluctantly impressed.

Was he really holding back a demon at all times?

"I'll call for Wendy to come here for when you wake up," Freed kept speaking, walking up the staircase with the expectation that Gajeel would follow him. Gajeel did. "She'll be able to be sure I didn't hurt you too badly."

"Sure," Gajeel said, a yawn sneaking out. He didn't miss the small grin on Freed's face when he heard. Dammit, he had been told his yawns were somewhat… feline like. To distract the man, he kept talking. "We doin' any training today? Or just a rest day?"

"I intend to train with you, if you've not got an injury we don't know about," Freed said. "But we should focus on resting first. It's not overly time dependent."

Two days ago, Gajeel might have made a comment about Freed's training regime being too cushy and pampered, but now the words would have come out as bitter and kind of pathetic. Also, his aching body and swirling stomach wanted nothing more than to collapse into a bed and sleep for an age. Damn the tournament and damn the weird forfeit that Makarov had planned.

He followed Freed through the small landing of the upper floor until they stopped by a door, which Freed opened. It was clearly a guest bedroom, nice enough and stocked with more comforts than Gajeel would have been able to fit in his apartment, but definitely not lived in.

"You got a lot of rooms going spare?" Gajeel asked, planting a bag of clothes he'd picked up on the floor.

"Six," Freed said, allowing Gajeel to wander around the room that would be his home for the next three days. "Originally it was intended for the Raijinshuu to all live here, but they need their space, which is understandable. And they stay here from time to time, so normally it doesn't feel so… unoccupied."

Gajeel might have said lonely rather than unoccupied, but it wasn't his place to say.

"You've a bathroom attached to your room and it's stocked with everything you need," Freed explained, then frowned a little. "Well, maybe the two-in-one shampoo and conditioner might not do for you like it does for Laxus, so perhaps you could borrow mine," Freed reached up and curled a lock of Gajeel's hair. "Yes, you keep your hair well. You'll need my products."

"Right," Gajeel said a little curtly, looking at Freed's hand that held his hair with slightly dilated pupils.

"Sorry," Freed said, removing his hand and taking a step back. "I'll be having a shower before sleeping, so if you want me you may need to raise your voice. I'll leave you some time to get used to the room."

"Thanks," Gajeel huffed slightly, not sure what to say.

They looked at each other for a moment, giving each other a nod in goodbye. Freed turned and walked to what was clearly his bedroom, and Gajeel closed the door behind him. He glanced at where Freed might be, absently wondering if this false politeness between them would make way for something more passionate. It felt like he was missing something now he and Freed weren't arguing; maybe Freed was one of the people Gajeel was meant to feel passionately about.

Nah, it was the demon's influence. Must have been. And there was no point in focusing on how they were acting around each other, it wasn't like it would change anything.

He shucked off his jacket, then his shirt and pants. His skin was hardly the cleanest and the blood from his earlier injury wasn't exactly clean, but Freed probably had a change of sheets for him. He climbed into the bed, the mattress a hell of a lot softer than the stained, spring filled piece of crap that made up his own bed. He groaned a little at the soft, cool covers as he wrapped them around his body, burying his face into them. God, whatever they were made of, Gajeel was becoming addicted to instantly.

Maybe he could guilt Freed into giving him these sheets once they were done.

Tiredness overtook him, and he was nearly asleep within a moment. The only thing stopping him from dropping off immediately was the sound of movement in the building. One of few perks of Gajeel's apartment was that the walls were soundproof - he didn't dwell on why that needed to happen - so other people making noise when he was trying to sleep was abnormal.

Not entirely unpleasant. The shifting of fabric followed by water hitting tile was soft, and slightly muffled by the walls between them. But it was comforting, and the sound rhythmic humming that Freed indulged in as he stepped under the water sent a slight shiver down his spine. It had been a while since he'd worked with other people, and the eclectic mess of sounds that accompanied their movements had been missing in Gajeel's life for a while.

He didn't think too much about it, and instead buried his face in the pillow further, a little smile on his face.

——

Gajeel had known Freed was a powerful mage.

The first time they had met one another, if you wanted to call what happened at the festival a meeting, Freed had filled Magnolia with unbreakable rune traps. Though he had been kept in the Cathedral, Gajeel had both seen and heard stories about how many runes had been placed and how complex the traps had been. So clearly he was a powerful man with a lot of magical potential, but he was apparently a genius with his power as well.

For his half of the training, Freed was going to use a 'Simulation Program'. He had explained he had created a selection of runes that would create a training environment made for their specific needs. Apparently it was a complex system that Freed had used many times to push himself.

"So, when we both place our hands on the column, my runes will create a simulation designed to improve our teamwork," Freed explained, motioning to a shaft of runes in the middle of his basement.

"And you ain't gonna be controlling it?" Gajeel asked, looking at the runes with a slight tilt in the head.

"No, the program essentially has a mind of its own," Freed explained, placing his hand on the column without hesitation. The runes seemed to glow under his touch. "I can cancel it, of course, should it get too intense or if the simulation just isn't working out. But so far it's always been an achievable task and always helped me with training."

"You got any idea what it'll be like?" Gajeel asked, stepping towards the runes.

"Not at all," Freed had a near giddy look on his face; like Natsu before a fight. Maybe he was more Fairy Tail like than Gajeel thought. "When you're ready."

Gajeel shrugged, placed his hand on the column, and allowed it to take some of his magic.

Eight walls of runes suddenly lurched upwards, glowing and dripping with magic. The basement seemed to fall away, replaced by pristine whiteness that seemed to be like a void. Gajeel knew he hadn't been teleported - the teleportation had felt different - so clearly they were still in the basement, but the reality of the room had changed. Gajeel looked to the side; Freed could literally create runes that could change the world around him. All whiteout breaking a sweat.

What would he be able to do without the runes keeping his demon contained?

The thought was gone as quickly as it came. On one of the eight walls, letters began to form as if written from fire. They weren't runes - Freed's runes were square and angular, these letters were more flowing and rounded - and Gajeel didn't have a damn clue what it said. He glanced towards Freed again, to see an expression of open confusion.

He scrunched up his nose when he was confused. Hah.

Before either man could say anything, a wall of magic appeared before them in a language that both Gajeel and Freed could read.

'To finish the simulation, you must complete two tasks. One mental, one physical. These tasks will bring you closer together and highlight your potential as a team.

Task One: Translate the Words and Speak Them Aloud.'

"Yer good with languages right?" Gajeel murmured. "Should be easy."

"This language is incredibly old," Freed frowned, walking to the wall where the statement was written. "Frankly, I've never seen it before. I wouldn't know where to start."

"Yer magic knows things you don't?" Gajeel frowned.

"Apparently."

This wasn't the type of thing that Gajeel could help with, so he leant on one of the walls and decided to watch as Freed worked. The other man was scribbling things down on a wall of runes that he's created which seemed to only allow for writing. He still had his nose all scrunched up while he was thinking, and he kept tucking his hair behind his ear when it fell. It was funny to think this was the same man who had gone primal and all jungle-man the day before.

He really had misjudged Freed, hadn't he? Now he knew the demon had been affecting his mood - and knew how to ignore that influence - it was easy to agree that Freed was powerful. Hell, maybe if they hadn't gotten off to such a bad start, they would have been good teammates.

They could still, that's what the point of the simulation was, right? To bring them together.

Gajeel didn't know how giving Freed a task that Gajeel would be no help with might bring them together, but the simulation seemed pretty impressive so far. He let his gaze fall on the untranslated words again, and actually looked at them this time. It still looked like a selection of random lines, and Gajeel nearly gave up and went back to watching Freed again. It was only when he saw a familiar spiral looking shape in with the rest of the lines that he realised how this was meant to bring them closer.

"Fuck," Gajeel cussed, and Freed immediately looked towards him. "It's Draconic."

"Draconic?" Frred said incredulously. "That language has been dead for millennia. You know it."

"No," Gajeel shook his head. "Well, not really. Even when I was a kid there was no point in learning it since it was forgotten by everyone but the dragons. Metalicana, he was basically my father, insisted that I be able to write my own name in my language," He walked to the writing and pointed at the single spiral. "That's an 'A', I could never get that right. Pa used to yell at me, so I remember it."

"You don't happen to remember the rest, do you?"

"Not of the top of my head," Gajeel spoke under his breath. "Can I use that writing rune thing?"

"Of course," Freed said, making a motion. The small slab of runes that Freed had been scribbling on flew towards him, and Gajeel sat cross-legged on the floor like he had when he was a kid. Suddenly, he felt like he was back in the fields where he had grown up, writing with chalk on stone under his Pa's instructions. He didn't often think about his youth; it was nice.

His arm moved without him thinking. Writing his name was muscle memory, and the familiar pattern of lines that was his name in Draconic quickly was printed on the runes. It had been years since he had seen it. It was nice.

He couldn't dwell on it. He certainly couldn't get emotional about it.

"I'm pretty sure it's similar to how we write. There's a letter for A, a letter for B and so on," Gajeel murmured a little. "Give me a second."

He wrote his name normally under the Draconic counterpart, showing what each letter's counterpart was. Freed made quick work of finding all the letters of Gajeel's name in the statement written on the wall. On the wall there was one G, one A, three E's, one L, four R's, one D, two F's and three O's. Not enough to find out what the statement was, but it was a starting point. Freed had immediately began trying to look for patterns in the letters they already knew, hoping to reverse engineer the alphabet. By the look of frustration on his face, it didn't seem to be working.

"You need help?" Gajeel asked, taking a step towards Freed. "Anything I can do?"

"Did your father only teach you how to write your name?" Freed asked, and Gajeel found it oddly comforting that Freed didn't seem off put by the fact Gajeel called a literal dragon his father. "Is that the only link to your Draconic ancestry you have? Do you know any history? It might help."

Well Gajeel could do that.

Years worth of history lessons seemed to spew out without Gajeel thinking. Everything from how dragons used to live, to the nesting patterns of hatchlings, to everything else that Gajeel had thought had left his head years ago. Once he started talking it felt like he couldn't stop, and Freed didn't seem to want him to. It was kinda nice to be able to talk about his past openly; the only other people who might have understood were Natsu and Wendy. They already knew everything, Freed didn't.

Once Gajeel had run out of things to say, Freed asked him more about the nesting patterns. Gajeel went through it all again, and inadvertently explained the types of mountains Dragons used to nest in. From this, Freed figured out which continent the Dragons lived on, and what cultures developed from Draconic influence. Somehow, he managed to reverse engineer the Draconic alphabet from that of a language currently in use.

Gods, how did the man's mind work?

"There's good news and bad news," Fred eventually said, looking back at Gajeel. "We've translated it, but it seems my magic has an agenda of sorts."

Before Gajeel could ask what that meant, Freed motioned for his writing runes to fly towards him. It was incredibly weird, and funny, seeing just how bad Freed's handwriting was, but he quickly ignored that. As much as he wanted to make fun of the man for his near incomprehensible writing, they weren't close enough to say things like that to one another.

Hm. Gajeel had kind of forgotten he was nervous about his relationship with Freed for a moment.

Rather than fixating, he looked down to the runes again and saw what Freed had translated. He grinned a little when he saw what they had to say to progress; Freed's magic did have an agenda, and didn't seem to be very subtle.

"We gotta say it at the same time?" Gajeel asked.

"I expect so," Freed agreed. A moment later, they both spoke.

"Our similarities outweigh our differences."

With a flurry of movements, the runes glowed and the room shifted around them. The words on the walls disappeared, and a small metal rod rose up from the ground. A metre away from the metal rod, a spark of lighting appeared in the air, flicking with powerful magic. A moment later, the instruction appeared in front of them both.

'Task Two. Conduct the electricity from the lighting into the metal rod. Touching the lighting will fill you with enough pain to render you unconscious, meaning you have failed the simulation.'

"Shit," Gajeel whispered. "Yer runes can be brutal."

"They're usually not quite so bad," Freed mused, walking towards the lightning and inspecting it, though not closely enough to touch it. "I intended the simulation to make us work well as a team. I suppose after the way we have been treating one another for the past few days, my magic believed we need something intense to bring us tougher."

"Guess so," Gajeel mumbled, a little guiltily. He was responsible for that. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Freed dismissed, seemingly fascinated by the challenge. "Honestly, I think the challenges are aimed at challenging my preconceived ideas about you. I had written you off as an idiot who could only utilize your fists, so my magic put us in a situation where you would talk about something you're well versed in and passionate about," Freed was still looking at the spark, a little wistful in his expression. "Frankly, the way you described your culture was beautiful. It certainly destroyed any ideas I had about your mind being anything but… well, wonderful."

Gajeel flushed a little at the compliment, looking away. He wasn't great when people said good things about him, and he tended to deflect when it happened.

"So, yer magic worked. We respect each other at least now, right?" Gajeel said gruffly, Freed nodded. "Other than respect, the only thing I need to work well with another guy is trust. So, guess this is made to make us trust each other."

Freed hummed a little, and his nose scrunched up again.

Fuck, it was kinda cute.

"Say, hypothetically, that this lightning didn't cause you any pain," Freed mused aloud, glancing between the spark of lighting and the metal rod. "Would you be able to use your magic to transform your body into a conductive metal. So you could stretch your fingers from the spark to the rod and have the current pass through you?"

"Yeah, I think so," Gajeel shrugged a little. "Don't exactly wanna touch it if it'll knock me out. Had enough of that this week," He had spoken before thinking, and Freed averted his gaze. "Shit I didn't mean to say that."

"No, no. It's fair," Freed said passively, but didn't seem to believe his words.

"Why'd you ask anyway?" Gajeel asked, trying to avert the topic.

"I've crafted runes that will lessen the effect of lighting magic, a necessity of working with Laxus," Freed explained, looking at the spark again. "If you're correct and this is to make us trust one another, then perhaps it's as simple as you using your magic to make a metal bridge between source and the rod, and you have to trust that my runes will stop you from hurting."

"Guess it makes sense," Gajeel agreed, frowning. "You sure it works?"

"It has worked against every type of lightning I've used it to deflect from before," Freed said, looking to Gajeel. "I can't promise that it will work, though. This is made of my magic, not natural lightning, so there's no way of knowing for sure yet."

Gajeel thought for a moment, before stealing himself and shrugging. "Fuck it, we ain't got any other ideas. Lay it on me."

Freed moved to stand behind Gajeel, and a moment later a cold hand was pressed against the back of his neck. He heard muttering in a language he didn't know, then the familiar feeling of magic rolling down his skin. The sensation of a rune on his skin was unknown to him - a rune not meant to hurt him anyway - and it sent a slight shiver down his spine. Maybe that was just because Freed was cupping his neck; it was a part of his body that people didn't often touch, after all.

A sheen of magic flowed over his skin, and Gajeel watched as his body flowed purple for a second. The spell was obviously completed, as the magic seemed to seep into his skin, but Freed still kept his hand on Gajeel's neck.

"You gonna let go?" He asked with a frown.

"No. If my rune fails, we should share the pain," Freed's tone left no room for argument.

"It's yer funeral," Gajeel mumbled.

He placed his hand on the iron rod, covering his skin with his iron. Slowly, he extended one of his hands towards the flickering sparks of lighting, wincing a little as it got closer. He really fucking hoped Freed's runes worked, because even after Wendy had come by to heal him, Gajeel wasn't fully recovered. Another bout of unconsciousness would only make things worse.

With a flinch, he forced his metallic digit into the lightning. It didn't hurt as such, more like a tingle that spread through him and perhaps Freed. The lightning passed across him, into his hand, and lit the metal rod up. The room turned green.

"Guess it worked," Gajeel grinned a little, turning to Freed.

When he turned, he was taken aback by the sight of the other man. Freed was hot, Gajeel hadn't bothered to hide that even when they were arguing, and he was handsome too. But when he was smiling a victorious smile, a slight magical haze in his eyes, expression equal parts cocky and satisfied, he looked fucking beautiful. The glow of the purple runes illuminated his pale skin, made his eyes shine, and made Gajeel damn near breathless.

He was staring at him, and suddenly something fell into place. He had wondered what would take the place of the antagonism between them, and suddenly an option was shown to him. Freed was now sexy, handsome and beautiful. He had a scrunchy nose, hummed in the shower, and had a wild side.

"It did," Freed's voice, which sounded like honey now Gajeel paid attention, cut through his thoughts. "Thank you for trusting me, Gajeel."

"Ain't a problem, Pretty-Boy."

The slip of the tongue made Gajeel freeze. Freed didn't comment on it, but Gajeel didn't miss the slight upturn of his lips. Fuck he had a pretty smile, didn't he?

Gods dammit.

[nvvermore]

Angel of Music

Beatrice’s vocal lessons with Amaryllis begin, and the both of them learn much more during these lessons than they’d ever expected to

words: 9k~

Amaryllis’s POV by me/Beatrice’s POV by @juliandev0rak

—

Unfortunately for Amaryllis, Beatrice was a good student.

It sounded like a silly thing to lament over, but it was easy for a good student to sniff out a bad teacher. So, Amaryllis needed to work extra hard to appear as natural as possible in such a position. It didn’t help that yesterday Nadia had also informed them that Beatrice happened to be a teacher herself. Not versed in music, but there had to be a method to these things that it was clear they would be missing.

She’d come prepared, with a journal for notes, water, and even mentioned she took time to practice last night. Despite her outward anxiety, it was clear Beatrice felt excited. But, her attitude didn’t change Amaryllis’s  unpreparedness. So far, they had been improvising, banking on her lack of experience and their charisma to fill in the blanks. They were nothing if not an actor.

Now, the two had finished discussing Beatrice’s experience level, as never having had an instructor meant very little. Amaryllis never had one either and they were doing fine. That detail they left out though. But she was proficient on the piano and had a secure grasp on reading music, and had sung for fun her entire life.

Amaryllis stood from the chaise where the two had been sitting side by side. They held out a hand to Beatrice, whose eyes flashed from their face to the offered hand before taking it. Without thought, their thumb brushed over the back of her hand, her skin soft to the touch. As soon as she was on her feet she pulled away, and Amaryllis mourned the loss.

“An important part of singing is remembering your whole body is the instrument. You need to be mindful of your entire being. It may sound difficult, but with practice it will become second nature.” Amaryllis explains as they watch Beatrice watch them. Her hazel eyes dart away when the two make eye contact.

“First step to a session is to stretch. You want your body to be loose, especially your torso. Follow after me.” Amaryllis raises their arms above their head, stretching their shoulders. “Hold for thirty,” They instruct, looking to Beatrice for understanding. Though instead of stretching, she’s starting again. This time, her gaze is on the hem of their dress, where it’s ridden up due to the stretching. The already risqué length had become even more revealing, pale skin a striking contrast to their dark outfit.

“See something you like?” The taunt snaps Beatrice out of it, and her hands nervously dart to the clasp of her cloak. “That seems a little heavy, perhaps you'd like to take it off?”

“Ah, um, yes! Of course.” her fingers stop their fiddling to undo the clasp, and she slips off the garment and hangs it on the back of a chair. Now, it’s Amaryllis’s turn to stare. Sans-cloak, Beatrice is in a light-colored lace gown. It was modest— especially compared to Amaryllis— but not any less mesmerizing. Beatrice catches them staring and they do nothing to hide that they were, lips quirked into a sly grin. She clears her throat, eager to continue.

“So what exactly is the reasoning for loosening up?”

“Tension in your body puts strain on your muscles, including the ones used in signing. When that happens, your ability and range gets cut a significant amount. Proper posture goes hand in hand with relaxation. One can have the most beautiful voice, but it all falls apart if they’re holding themself wrong.”

Together, they finish up the basic stretches, and Amaryllis retreats to the piano. They finger out a simple scale a few times over, ruby eyes never leaving Beatrice.

“Sing for me.“

An inhale, a shaky exhale, and then she begins to vocalize. She’s very quiet, Amaryllis can hardly hear her over the sound of the piano. But they smile at her and nod, a small push of encouragement. Little by little, she loosens up, growing louder as they go through the scales. Moving up and down in octaves until they pass Beatrice’s range. Her voice is light and airy, ethereal despite the hesitation behind it. An impressive high range, and that was with no breath control practice. When they told her yesterday they'd make her into a prima donna, it had been to tease. But now they’ve heard her, Amaryllis thought it might not be an impossible feat.

Amaryllis ceases their playing. Still watching Beatrice, they could pick up on the subtle tremors that ran through her. She was doing her very best to be discreet in regards to her nerves. They stood from the bench to direct her to sit back down on the chaise, fetching water for her in the process. As she drank it down, Amaryllis fought the impulse to brush her hair back out of her face. The urge to comfort her with any touch. But they didn't know how such a gesture would be received, and the unusual desire to do so brought them discomfort.

“You have a beautiful voice,” their soft complement breaks through the silence. Beatrice looked at them with wide eyes, expression flattered and confused all at once. “It’s true. Right now, your biggest setback is your nerves, and that will fade in time. But the tension you carry because of it can create pitch issues.”

“Oh,” Beatrice whispers, voice trailing off as she takes in the information. Her mouth opens to finish her thought, but loses her words when Amaryllis’s hand is on her chin. They tilt her head up to look at them, the same way they'd done so yesterday.

“You should always accept a compliment as if you truly believe it. That way, one day, you will.”

“I-”

“Your voice is beautiful.” Beatrice looks torn, face flushed and Amaryllis can tell she wants to glance away from them so badly. But she doesn't, and they stand over her patiently while she finds the resolve they know she has.

“Thank you.” Her voice is steady, and while Amaryllis knows it's not likely she believes it yet, it's certainly a good start. Satisfied, their thumb brushes across Beatrice’s jaw before pulling away. They don't watch for any reaction, deciding they've maybe pushed her a bit too much already. Standing across the room now, they decide to get back to the actual vocal lesson.

“Now that I've heard you sing without any corrections, let's go over what exactly we'll work on together.”

The rest of the lesson passes faster than Amaryllis wanted it to. They go over breath control and pitch issues, how to practice and how to work the areas she needed to in particular. Beatrice was attentive, asked careful questions and took detailed notes. The next time Amaryllis had her sing she did so with a little less hesitance. Their own hesitance surrounding teaching faded too. It felt less like they were teacher and student, and more like they were having a conversation. Before they knew it, two hours had passed, and didn’t want to keep Beatrice any longer. Even if a persistent part of their mind said they did.

“Well, It's about time you gave your voice a rest. I‘d consider this first session a great success.” Beatrice stood a few feet away from where Amaryllis sat on the bench. She looked almost disappointed at the concept of the lesson’s conclusion. Glancing around the room, her eyes landed on the grandfather clock in the corner.

“Ah, I suppose you are correct,” her hands darted to where her cloak normally sat. When she found it missing, her fingers faltered. “So how often do you think I should have lessons?”

“Weekly will be best. Much of the progress you're going to make will happen during practice. And as long as you take time to do so each day, you'll see it in little time. But if you have questions or need assistance outside of lessons, you know where to find me.” Amaryllis retrieved their grimoire from the piano lid as Beatrice gathered her things. The green cloak resumed its place on her shoulders, and Amaryllis felt endeared by the quirk. Together, they made for the doors.

“Amaryllis, I,” Beatrice began once they exited the room, “I’d like to thank you. I never thought I'd ever take lessons, let alone ones from you.” The admiration of others rarely phased them, it was another aspect of their everyday. But Beatrice’s gratitude made them feel something unlike any kind they’d received before.

“The pleasure is all mine. You're a very promising student after all.”

“Thank you,” she said with the same conviction as she did after Amaryllis’s complement earlier. Feeling a sense of pride, they smiled at her, genuine.

“Have a good evening, Beatrice.”

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

Beatrice shows up to the next lesson early, notebook and water in hand. She tries the door to the practice room and finds it locked, so she sinks down onto the floor to sit and wait. She’s just pulled her notebook out of her bag and is reviewing her notes from last week when she hears the now familiar sound of Amaryllis’ heels approaching down the hallway. She hurriedly stuffs the notebook back into her bag just as Amaryllis turns the corner. “Well hello,” Amaryllis smiles, offering their hand to help Beatrice up, “Need a hand?”

“Oh, yes thank you,” Beatrice takes their hand, trying not to seem too eager as she reaches for them. She lets go of their hand as soon as she’s up, not wanting to make things awkward by lingering.

“Shall we begin?” Amaryllis says, holding the door open for her. She sets her bag down on the chaise and takes her cloak off, not noticing the way Amaryllis watches her from across the room. Her hands go to her clothes, making sure her blouse is tucked in properly and fluffing the fabric of her skirt to make sure it lays flat. She takes a sip of water, a deep breath, and turns to face Amaryllis.

This lesson starts better than the last. Beatrice is less nervous now that she knows what to expect, now that she knows that Amaryllis is both a good teacher and a kind person. She hadn’t expected ridicule by any means, but hearing genuine compliments from them had made her both slightly giddy and a lot more confident. Beatrice loves to learn and if she simply treats these lessons as just that, a lesson, a chance to learn something, she’ll be fine.

As she sings through a few warm up exercises her eyes follow Amaryllis as they play the piano. They seem to notice her staring at them and look up to meet her eyes, causing Beatrice to falter on the note. She tries to recover from the mistake quickly but Amaryllis stops playing and stands up from the piano bench, taking a step towards her.

“You’re too tense again,” Amaryllis explains, their hands going to her shoulders to gently push them down from where she’d lifted them as she'd sung, “Relax your shoulders, remember what I said about tension and stress?” 

“Yes, I remember,” Beatrice smiles, willing her voice to stay steady and her shoulders not to shake under their touch. Amaryllis returns the smile as their left hand gently moves further down her shoulder. They fiddle with the ruffle on her sleeve briefly before removing both of their hands and taking a step away from her. Beatrice breathes in sharply in response and tries to ignore the feeling of her sleeves pressing against her arms just as Amaryllis’ fingers had been

“You’re doing very well, Beatrice. Just relax,” Amaryllis says as they return to their place at the piano bench. She’s grateful that they’re busy shuffling through sheet music and can’t see the way her cheeks color at the praise. They start to play one of the songs she’d sung last week and nod at her to begin. 

Beatrice makes it through with only minor mistakes but she still can’t seem to focus when Amaryllis looks up from the piano to watch her. She messes up words, sings off key, and even sometimes grows so quiet she can’t be heard until Amaryllis looks away. She struggles to fight against these reactions, deciding to stare at a spot on the wall behind them so that she won’t notice Amaryllis looking at her. It seems to work and the next run through of the song goes more smoothly. 

During a water break Beatrice gives herself a pep talk, reminding herself that this is simply a lesson, something she can learn to excel at if she follows the rules. The reminder gives her some resolve and she’s able to focus her attention on singing rather than her (very distracting) teacher. As she sings she remembers to breathe and relax her shoulders, she tries to tune out everything but the notes from the piano. She hits a note she’d struggled to hit the week before and smiles in surprise. Her eyes float down from their safe spot on the wall to look at Amaryllis, who watches them with an unreadable expression on their face before it fades into something more neutral.

“That was great!” Amaryllis says, “Let’s do that part again to see if you can hit the note twice in a row.”

The lesson moves quickly once she’s able to focus, and before she knows it Beatrice is pulling her cloak back on and preparing to leave. She stands by the door for a moment, watching as Amaryllis gathers their sheet music. Though the sight of them still makes her a bit nervous, the feeling has faded from self consciousness to something else, something she doesn’t quite want to think about yet.

“You’ve improved since last week,” Amaryllis says, turning around to face her. They give her an encouraging smile and Beatrice meets their eyes, for once managing not to blush as they gaze at her.

“You think so?” Beatrice asks, returning the smile.

“You’re a very quick learner when you’re using that brain of yours to focus instead of overthinking,” Amaryllis replies, their smile turning into more of a smirk. Beatrice does blush then, laughing under her breath as she stares down at her boots.

“Yes, well, I’m working on it,” She says, fiddling with the closure on her overstuffed bag, “I’m glad to hear I’m improving.” 

“You really are, just make sure to practice so you can remember everything you’ve learned this week.” Amaryllis holds the door open for her, gesturing for her to walk out before them. She suddenly feels like she should say something else, the lesson had come to a close too quickly.

“Amaryllis,” Beatrice starts, wondering what she should even say. Should she ask them if they’re going to dinner at the palace? Should she suggest going somewhere else together? No. Surely Amaryllis sees her as nothing more than a student, or maybe a friend if she’s lucky. There’s no guarantee Amaryllis would want to spend more time with her than is necessary, so she changes course, “Thanks again.” 

“You’re very welcome. I’ll see you next week, Beatrice,” Amaryllis replies, turning to walk down the hall.

Beatrice watches them go, trying not to let her eyes linger in places they shouldn’t. Amaryllis’ tight dress leaves nothing to the imagination, and if Beatrice is being honest she has been imagining. She clears her throat and turns the other direction, headed back to the safety of the palace proper. It’ll be a long week waiting to see them again.

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

“It’s impressive,” Beatrice comments one day, in the middle of a lesson.

“What’s impressive?” They hadn’t been discussing anything in particular, so it seemed out of place.

“The dedication you have for your craft, all the effort you put into it. And I'm sure I don't even know the half of it.” As she explained, Beatrice sounded composed, but her rosy cheeks gave her away.

Amaryllis blinked, somewhat stunned, though they gave no outward indication of it. They had already recognized that hearing praise from Beatrice felt different somehow. But since their lessons had begun, the flutter they felt when she did so had only grown.

“Please,” Amaryllis waved a dismissive hand, “when you've been at it for as long as I have, it’s hardly any effort at all.”

“You know, I recall you telling me a few weeks ago to, ‘always accept a compliment as if you truly believe it’.”

Beatrice’s words paired with the smug air she said them with caught Amaryllis by surprise. For a split-second, all they could do was stare at her. Being called out for deflection, with their own words, was unexpected from her. As they'd known Beatrice thus far, it was uncharacteristic. And so was their own delight at the notion Beatrice was becoming more comfortable with them. Recovered, they propped their elbows back on the piano, leaning back against it.

All Amaryllis could think of was different ways they'd like to wipe the smirk off her rose-tinted lips. They favored the concept of doing so with their own mouth.

“Do you now?” they mimicked her attitude, cocky expression falling into place as easy as breathing. Easier, even. “I hope you’ve been practicing that part of my lessons too. I’m sure you get enough compliments to do so.” At least, Amaryllis hoped she did, that at least someone was out there taking the time to cherish her. Instead of the bashful reaction they had been hoping for, Beatrice frowned.

“Ah, not usually, no-“

“That’s a shame,” they cut her off, stepping away from the piano to stand before her. Being this close made that flutter Amaryllis was feeling speed up. The last thing they wanted was for Beatrice to frown. And if no one else was taking the time to tell her all the sweet things she should hear, they were more than happy to step up. Accepting compliments built confidence, and confidence was vital to singing. It was simply another part of the lesson, that was all. With a gentle hand, Amaryllis brushed tawny waves out of her face, keeping her from hiding behind them now. “With how lovely you are, I had expected there'd be someone to shower you with sweet words."

Voice low and velvety, they ran their fingers down her cheek. Nails just barely grazing her neck before their hand pulled away. Beatrice wasn't frowning anymore, but was watching them with wide-eyed astonishment. For a moment, Amaryllis's resolve faltered.

They thought about kissing her, it would only take another step, a tilt of her head. But, what actually shocked Amaryllis is that they did not. Instead, as swift as they had approached, they were back against the piano.

Beatrice was their student, and so it would be improper to persue her...

…Which didn’t hold up in the slightest, because never in their life had they cared about what was proper or not. Student or not, under typical circumstances, Amaryllis would have had her in their bed by now. But that was it, wasn’t it? That nothing concerning Beatrice was at all typical. From their opposition to simply seducing her to their reactions to the things that she did. Amaryllis couldn’t recall a time when they’d felt this way before.

They had decided to entertain their intrigue when they offered her lessons. But Amaryllis hadn’t imagined that it would shift in the direction they were afraid it was heading.

“Thank you,” her breathy voice pulled them back into the room. It took them a second to realize she was thanking them for the compliment. Beatrice was biting her lip, watching them with those hazel eyes they couldn’t quite get a read on.

All they could do was turn away from her, but not before they could hide away their smile. Amaryllis tried to stay focused on the lesson, and not on the dangerous territory they were heading into.

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

They’ve done more talking than singing, Beatrice realizes as she looks at the clock. It’s been an hour since the lesson started and they’ve been sitting on the couch talking the entire time, neither realizing how much time has passed. The topics of conversation have ranged, what began as small talk about the rainy weather had evolved into how they’d each come to be employed at the palace. Amaryllis doesn’t give many details, but Beatrice drinks in every piece of their story she can get and tries to ignore the urge to pry.

Over the course of the hour Beatrice has loosened up considerably, her posture is slouched and her legs are tucked under her as she sits criss cross on the couch rather than her usual polite ankle cross. She’s surprised to find how easy it is to talk to Amaryllis, how easily she can let her guard down to talk about herself more than she usually would. When Amaryllis asks a question she finds herself answering without thinking. They seem genuinely interested in her answers, leaning towards her as she speaks and asking follow up questions.

“What made you want to teach?” Amaryllis asks, their voice pulling her gaze back from the clock on the wall.

“Well, I never had a real education as a child, I learned manners and needlepoint and all sorts of useless things like that, but science, literature, history- everything I know I’ve learned on my own,” Beatrice explains, her voice rising in volume as it often does when she’s excited, “Vesuvia doesn’t offer an education for those who can’t afford to pay tutors, and I think that should change.” 

“So you just marched up to the Countess and suggested opening a school?” Amaryllis grins, their eyes trained to Beatrice’s face which is for once free of any hint of anxiety as she smiles proudly at them. The image of Beatrice stomping up the palace steps in her green cloak with a look of determination on her face makes Amaryllis suppress a laugh. 

“Believe it or not, I did! I requested a meeting and left less than an hour later to pick a spot to build the school,” Beatrice laughs, “Nadia wasn’t difficult to convince.”

“I’m sure you can be very convincing when you want to be,” Amaryllis says, reaching to play with the lace trim at the bottom of her dress. Beatrice watches the action closely, not pulling away when their hand briefly brushes against her leg. “Well, I suppose we should get started on the singing lesson, we’ve delayed quite a bit.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Beatrice nearly trips over her dress as she gets up from the chaise.

“You have nothing to apologize for, I very much enjoyed getting to know you better,” Amaryllis replies, smoothing their clothing down as they walk across the room to the piano.

“I enjoyed it too,” Beatrice smiles, “getting to know you.” 

“I should have you play sometime, I remember you being quite proficient during our first lesson,” Amaryllis says as they take their seat at the instrument. 

“Well, I’m afraid I’m not very accomplished anymore. I wish I had more time to practice the piano, but there are only so many hours in a day,” Beatrice replies, taking her usual spot standing next to them.

“Would you like to play something now?” Amaryllis suggests, patting the spot next to them on the piano bench, “I’m sure you’re great.”

“Oh, well, sure if you’d like to hear me play,” Beatrice hesitates for a moment before she takes a seat next to them, trying to smooth her dress down a bit so she doesn’t take up too much room on the bench. Amaryllis smiles and moves a bit closer so that their leg is pressed to hers, she can feel the warmth of their skin through the fabric of her dress and works hard to regain her composure.

“I would love to hear you play,” Amaryllis says directly into her ear, their mouth barely brushing against her skin. She manages to only shiver the tiniest bit as Amaryllis leans away from her again, turning their attention back to the piano. Beatrice takes an only slightly shaky breath and reaches for the keys. Her fingers pluck a familiar tune, one she’d learned when she was younger and forced to sit through hours of lessons every day. She shuts her eyes as she plays it by memory, tuning out Amaryllis next to her and the distracting ticking of the clock on the wall behind her. 

When she finishes the song, a short piece designed more for practice than performance, she pulls her hands back into her lap and looks up at Amaryllis to gauge their reaction. The smile on their face is different than any Beatrice has seen before. It has more emotion behind it, admiration perhaps, and she feels a flutter in her stomach at the thought. 

“That was lovely, Beatrice. I thought you said you were out of practice? That sounded well practiced to me,” Amaryllis laughs, the smile replaced by their usual expression.

“Thank you. I used to hate that song so much, it would get stuck in my head for hours and I’d  find myself playing the notes in the air all the time like some sort of compulsion,” Beatrice sighs, her fingers flexing in her lap at the memory, “But I’m glad the torment payed off.” 

“Well I’ll stop torturing you then,” Amaryllis jokes, bumping Beatrice slightly off the piano bench with their hip, “I think we’ll leave the piano to me for now, let’s begin the lesson.”

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

Amaryllis’s fingers still on the keys of the piano as the song comes to an end. Beatrice’s singing was lovely— as always— but something was off. What, they weren’t exactly sure. The warm up went fine, she didn’t seem stiff or nervous in the slightest, and  minimal issues with her pitch. She’d taken a breath or two at a bad moment, and at one point a whole note became a half, but neither of those were serious.

They realize that they may just be projecting their feelings onto her. A comment of hers from before had been bothering Amaryllis, much more than it should have. Beatrice’s anecdote about having no say in performing a song that she hated had struck close to home. Literally.

Beatrice had never given any indication that she was unhappy with the music they chose for her. But Amaryllis had never directly asked her what she wanted to sing either.

“Amaryllis, is everything alright?” Beatrice spoke up. Suddenly they realized they hadn’t said a word in the time since the song had concluded. There was a nervous edge to her voice, the tone making an unwelcome appearance for the first time in weeks.

“Yes, I apologize,” they stood from the bench, feeling the sudden urge to move.

“Is there, um, a problem?” Her words were hesitant, uneasy. When Amaryllis turned to her, Beatrice's eyes were downcast, focused on the carpet.

“Oh, ma chérie, no. You were wonderful, don’t worry.” The endearment had slipped out without thought. Bringing a hand to her back, Amaryllis ushered her over to sit with them. They felt uneasy, but maintained their composure, focused on how soft the satin of her dress felt.

“Sorry, I-” Amaryllis faltered. Their hand was still at her back, lower now, and as much as they longed to leave it there they knew they shouldn't. Not only was the gesture a little too friendly, but feeling how thin her dress seemed to be was distracting. “I’d like to ask, what kind of music do you want to sing?”

Once Beatrice had taken in their question, she relaxed, taking a moment to consider her answer.

“I suppose whatever kind suits my voice best?” She sounded uncertain, and her hazel eyes flitting back to the ground was a confirmation. Amaryllis was having none of that.

“Ah,” their hand came up to her chin, tilting her gaze back to them, “that’s not how this works.” The two were close, but not quite as close as they had been at the piano bench last week. As Amaryllis looked down at her, the rose-colored lipstick she wore caught their eye. They gave into the temptation to stare, for a little too long.

Amaryllis is back to the same dilemma as they had been weeks ago. They wanted to kiss her, wanted to see the color on her lips smeared and mixed with their own. It was the same conundrum, but it had grown far more complicated than it had been weeks ago.

They dreaded the conclusion of their lessons, and counted the days until the next one. And between lessons they’d started seeing each other much more often during the rest of the week. During court functions and other meetings, Amaryllis had found themself in Beatrice's company. They ran into each other in the halls of the palace— literally, one time— and when on stage they looked for her in the crowd. She was never difficult to spot.

As of late, their compositions reflected their feelings. Even inspiration for the masquerade came easy, knowing she'd be in that crowd too.

Amaryllis wanted her. But now, they wanted far more than a kiss or a single night, and not in the way they were familiar with wanting someone. Wanted to hold her hand, wanted to listen to her ramble, wanted to sing with her. Wanted to know her, and had even contemplated letting her know them in return.

But they couldn’t let themself. It was foolish— to be afraid of the feelings and to have them at all in the first place. In some ways, it felt like something of a betrayal. Beatrice had trusted Amaryllis to instruct her, not to fall for her.

Finally, they avert their gaze, torn to see Beatrice watching them with a similar longing. It would have been far easier to lean into her instead of pulling themself away completely. Even if Amaryllis knew she'd be receptive, they had to have some self-preservation. They knew it wouldn’t be enough to just take what they could get from her. It would be better to let the infatuation fade than feed the fire; it would hurt far less.

“Passion is far more important.” Amaryllis leans back against the chaise. “Doing what’s ‘technically’ correct means nothing if it's not what makes you happy. Singing for the sake of arbitrary rules will only bring you dread.” They're familiar with the way it feels to lose your passion, and the trauma of it was a deep-seated pain. Beatrice’s brow creases as they speak, picking up on what their insistence indicates. “So when I ask you what you’d like to sing, I need you to answer with how you feel.”

“I’d like to sing things that I can find meaning in. The song we’ve been working on, it’s beautiful, but I can’t relate to it no matter how I attempt to interpret it. Coming from me it feels insincere.”

“I may have something in particular you'd like.” The words are out before Amaryllis can even grasp what exactly they were deciding to offer. But they couldn't take it back now, not with the delighted way Beatrice was looking at them.

Without standing, they motion in the air, and their grimoire soars over from where it had placed on the piano. Amaryllis sets the book of music before them. With their hands on the cover, they whisper the incantation that unlocks it.

Beatrice had scooted forward, leaning in, but still far enough for her to pretend she wasn't being nosy. Amaryllis knew she must have a billion questions, and they would happily listen to her voice each one. But, she only asked one.

“What is it about?”

It was a simple question, but not one with a simple answer. That was why Amaryllis had written it into a song after all. Emotions and experiences were too difficult for them to express in a usual manner. If their feelings were to be expressed at all, they had to do so in a different way.

“You’ll see,” they left it at that, casting the projection spell for the piano. Sitting up straight, Amaryllis rolled their shoulders back, and began to sing.

The lyrics they sang painted the picture of a neglected child. The intense sorrow they felt. What they dreamed of to help them through each day. The helplessness that came when they realized the dreams were only that. Dreams, and nothing more.

With a final, shaky note, they looked to Beatrice. She was silent, lips parted and eyes glassy. For a moment, Amaryllis worries they'd upset her, but then she reaches out to rest her hand on their knee.

“Amaryllis, that was beautiful,” she blinks away the tears that had threatened to fall. “You’d trust me to sing that?”

“Of course,” they place their hand over hers.

“Then, I’d love to.”

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

Beatrice wakes up groggily, rolling over in bed only to come face to face with a rabbit staring directly at her. “Oh, good morning, Bramble,” she says, reaching to scratch the rabbit between her ears. She winces at the sound of her voice, it sounds scratchy and her throat hurts a bit when she swallows. She decides to test her voice again, “Shall we get some breakfast?” it’s definitely still scratchy. 

She worries as she goes about her morning routine, wondering if she’ll be able to sing at all later. She’s been practicing in all of her spare moments, and perhaps that’s why she has no voice left for her real practice. Still, work doesn’t stop for a lost voice and she has a meeting with Nadia in an hour so she clasps her cloak, grabs her bag, and starts the trek across town.

When she arrives in Nadia’s parlor, a prompt five minutes early, she realizes how winded she feels. The moment she opens her mouth to greet Nadia she knows she might really be in trouble. 

“Good morning,” She croaks, pasting a cheerful smile on her face in the hopes of distracting the Countess. 

“Oh dear, Beatrice are you feeling alright? You sound quite ill,” Nadia says, looking worried as she stands in the doorway regarding her. 

“I’m fine, just a sore throat,” Beatrice replies, holding back a wince as her throat grates. 

‘You don’t sound fine, I believe you should go home and rest. You’re in no position to give a presentation this morning,” Nadia’s tone of voice brooks no argument and Beatrice hangs her head a bit as she tries to think of a way to convince her. Beatrice doesn’t take days off, certainly not for a sore throat. “I shall have a servant get you a carriage.”

“I’m fine, really! Don’t go to the trouble,” She pleads, but Nadia simply shakes her head and points to the doorway.

“Go home, take some time to rest, Beatrice,” Nadia says kindly. Beatrice sighs and starts to gather her things, there’s no use, Nadia’s right. She can barely make an audible sound, there’s nothing to do but wait for her voice to come back. 

As Beatrice heads to the Palace gates she’s so lost in her thoughts that she doesn’t think about her lesson with Amaryllis. She all but forgets about it until she spots a familiar maroon haired figure approaching from across the foyer. 

“Beatrice, you’re here early,” Amaryllis says, looking equal parts bemused and excited to see her. 

“I was just leaving,” Beatrice rasps, “ Lost my voice,” 

“Yes I should say you have,” Amaryllis frowns, putting a hand on Beatrice’s forehead as if to check for a fever. She stares at them wide-eyed as they deliberate and finally pull their hand away. “Does your throat hurt as well?” 

“Yes,” She says, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can sing today.” 

“No, I don’t think you can. You should go home and rest, you’ve been practicing too much,” They reply, they’re still stooped down a bit to meet her eyes and Beatrice finds it hard to focus with them this close to her.

“I’m sorry,” Beatrice manages to say, feeling terrible from the pain and because she’ll be missing out on a lesson.

Beatrice thinks back to their last lesson, the way Amaryllis had opened up to her and allowed her to listen to their music. She doesn’t want to miss another chance at that closeness, both emotional and physical. There had been times over the last few weeks where Beatrice could have sworn Amaryllis might kiss her. They’d stared directly at her lips, only a slight tilt of the head away from meeting her lips with their own. But it hadn't happened, and it never will, Beatrice reminds herself. Amaryllis is her teacher, and though they’ve begun to spend more time together outside of lessons she’s sure it’s out of friendly obligation and nothing more. 

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to your poor vocal chords.” Amaryllis straightens up to their full height and takes a step back from her. They seem to be deep in thought for a moment before almost hesitantly adding, “Go home, I’ll bring you some tea to help with your throat.” 

“Oh, you really don’t have to do that,” Beatrice protests, her face already flushing at the thought of them being so concerned for her.

“Stop talking, you’ll make things worse,” Amaryllis says, “It’s the building on the corner by the hat shop, yes?” Beatrice is a little surprised that Amaryllis remembers where she lives, she’d only mentioned it once in passing a few weeks ago.

“Yes,” Beatrice starts, but at Amaryllis’ stern look she shuts her mouth and nods instead. 

“Now go rest,” They say, red lips pulling into their characteristic smile, “I’ll be by later.” 

When she gets home Beatrice kicks her boots off and changes into something comfortable. She chugs a glass of water but it’s too cold and burns the whole way down. It might just be her throat that hurts, but she finds herself quite tired. She’d refused the carriage ride home, deeming it unnecessary, and the walk back home had taken her longer than usual. She wants to take a nap, but if Amaryllis is coming by later she wants to make sure her house is tidy first.

After a quick speed clean, which she might’ve used some magic to do more quickly, she collapses into bed. What feels like five minutes later there's a knock on the door and she sits up with a start, hurriedly smoothing her hair down as she goes to answer the door. She holds her breath a little as she opens the door, seeing Amaryllis standing in her doorway is not a sight she’d ever expected to see. 

“Hello,” Amaryllis smiles as they take in Beatrice standing before them in her socks and a simple tunic, so different from her usual fancy clothing. She fidgets uncomfortably under their gaze, “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” They raise an eyebrow, and Beatrice rushes to open the door wider for them to enter. 

“You didn’t have to come all this way,” She says hoarsely, watching as Amaryllis looks around her apartment. It’s not large, just the living area and a separate bedroom and bathroom off of a hallway. She’s glad she’d tidied before Amaryllis arrived, they’re used to Palace accommodations, and her little home in Center City certainly isn’t that. 

“I took a carriage, it took no time at all,” Amaryllis replies, taking a small pouch of tea leaves out of their bag. “The coachman said you decided to walk, why would you do that when you were already feeling unwell?” 

The question takes Beatrice off guard and she watches as Amaryllis walks into her kitchen like they live there, filling her kettle with water and setting it to boil. “It was unnecessary,” she responds when they turn around to look at her, “I didn’t need anyone to go to the trouble on my behalf.”

“If someone offers to help you, let them help you,” Amaryllis says, their face gone serious as they work to prepare the tea. “And it’s no trouble to take care of someone who’s always taking care of others.” 

They look a bit taken aback at their own words and immediately turn their back to Beatrice as they pour the tea. Though she wonders at their reaction it gives Beatrice a chance to take a deep breath and rid herself of the blush on her face. When Amaryllis turns around they’re brandishing a teacup, Beatrice’s favorite though they couldn’t have known that. 

“Do you have any honey? It’ll help your throat even more,” They ask. Beatrice nods and goes to the cupboard next to them, reaching on her tiptoes to grab the jar of honey from the back. Amaryllis watches her with a smirk as she manages to reach it and hands the jar to them. 

“What tea is that?” Beatrice asks, taking in the slightly familiar aroma.

“It’s ginger tea, now sit,” They point to the couch in the middle of the room, “And drink.” 

Beatrice takes the cup from them, trying not to react to their fingers brushing hers, and takes a seat. The tea tastes better than she thought it would, and the honey makes it sweet enough for her to actually enjoy. Amaryllis sits on the opposite end of the couch and watches as she sips the tea. She holds back a sigh as the warm beverage soothes her throat.

“I think you need to cut down on how much you’re practicing. You also need to take more frequent vocal breaks to rest, and I’m leaving this tea with you. You should have some after you practice,” Amaryllis says. Beatrice nods and continues to drink her tea, not wanting to interrupt their instruction. Amaryllis moves a bit closer to her and Beatrice turns towards them, nearly losing her grip on the teacup when they reach out to twist their finger around one of the curls that hangs near her face. Though she’s grown more used to their casual touches over time, she still finds herself flustered by how delicately they brush the lock of hair behind her ear.

“You’re making a lot of progress, Beatrice, but you shouldn’t push yourself so hard that you get hurt,” Amaryllis explains, their eyes locked to hers, “You need to take better care of your instrument.” 

“I will,” Beatrice says in assurance. Her voice already sounds a bit better, and it didn’t hurt as much to speak. She smiles at the realization that the tea really had helped, and Amaryllis watches in amusement as Beatrice downs the rest of the cup like one would take a shot of alcohol. 

“I need to get back for a performance tonight, promise me you’ll stay home and rest? If I see you at the Palace next week and you’re still croaking I’ll have to come up with something stronger, and it won’t be sweetened with honey,” Amaryllis threatens, but the smile on their face takes away from the effect.

“I promise,” Beatrice replies, holding her pinky out to theirs to make a pinky promise. Amaryllis stares at her finger for a moment before laughing under their breath and linking their pinky with hers.

“Good,” They stand up to gather their belongings and head towards the door, “Thanks for letting me visit your lovely home, I do hope I can make a return visit someday.” 

“I hope so too,” Beatrice says, meeting their eyes for a moment before her eyes dart away to the bookcase next to them, something safer to stare at, “Thank you for the tea.” 

“My pleasure, anything to help my favorite student,” Amaryllis smiles, dipping into a dramatic bow.

“As far as I know, I’m your only student,” Beatrice laughs, glad that the action didn’t seem to hurt her throat.

“Just take the compliment, Beatrice,” They say, opening the door, “Goodbye.” 

“Goodbye,” She replies, but they’ve already shut the door behind them. 

Beatrice makes herself another cup of ginger tea and considers writing Amaryllis a thank you note, it’s the least she can do. She gets to work, pulling out her special personalized stationery and her favorite golden ink. It takes her nearly fifteen minutes just to write their name, she tries to get the curve of the A just right, the y looped perfectly around the other letters. The actual contents of the note is short. There are lots of things she’d like to say to Amaryllis, and maybe someday she’ll get up the courage to do so, but for today she just says “thank you”.

She’d thought that writing the note might help her clear her head a bit, but when she tries to go to sleep she can’t stop the thoughts of Amaryllis. She thinks about the way Amaryllis had called her ma chérie last week, and how much she wants them to call her that again. She wants to hear more of their words spoken and sung only for her. Before she can help herself, Beatrice thinks about their lips again, bright red and so close to her own. Would it have been a mistake for her to have leaned in? Would Amaryllis have pushed her away or kissed her back? 

She really needs to get over this infatuation. Even if Amaryllis had wanted to kiss her, it doesn’t mean they would want anything more. Just when she thinks Amaryllis is interested they take a step back, or they return to their calm and collected demeanor and the moment passes. Beatrice really doesn’t know what to make of their attention, their casual touches and lingering eye contact. She’s seen them flirt with others in the same way, it seems to be a facet of their personality to be familiar with people, and if that’s the case then what makes her any different? 

Beatrice isn’t used to being treated like this. She’s not used to being told that she’s talented and pretty and full of potential, and though she believes their words to be genuine, she wonders if their time spent together means as much to Amaryllis as it does to her. She hopes it does.

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

“So, what’s going on today that has you so cheerful?” Amaryllis asks as they begin to tidy up the rehearsal room now that the lesson had concluded. They're more than content to linger, packing their bag with little haste.

“I'm usually cheerful,” Beatrice fights a grin, acting coy.

“Especially so today. It certainly reflected in your performance. Now that I think about it, the past few days you’ve seemed so excited.” Amaryllis had been thinking about it, giddy each time they’d run into her and the dazzling smile she had on display.

Beatrice avoided their gaze, eyes mischievous, and Amaryllis expected her to deflect again. “It’s my birthday today!”

“Oh! Happy birthday,” they smile, full of adoration, “are you doing anything to celebrate?”

“I’m staying here for dinner tonight. A gangly birdie let it slip that Nadia may have planned something special for me.”

“I suppose that means I’ll get to see you at dinner.” Beatrice glances up, surprised, and Amaryllis attempts to suppress a laugh. “I usually dine here, I live here after all. Though, I often take meals in my room, but it seems that tonight is a special occasion.”

“Oh, you don’t have to come to dinner just for me, I’m sure you’re busy-“

“I’d like to. That is, if you don’t mind having me there.”

“Amie, of course not!”

For a moment, all is silent, both surprised that she called Amaryllis by a nickname. Beatrice looks like she’s about to rush to apologize, but their smile beats her to it.

“Then I’ll be there." Once the nickname sunk in, their face lit up— despite their attempt to stay neutral— and told her there was no issue. Beatrice nods, her demure smile doing nothing to hide how pleased she really is.

The two say their farewells for now, leaving in different directions. Beatrice, they assume, is off to get ready for a dinner in her honor, and Amaryllis is off to find a fitting last-minute gift.

After an hour, Amaryllis was approaching the dining room. A little late, but dressed for dinner and with a carefully-crafted bouquet in hand. They might have gone overboard with their gift, but Beatrice didn’t need to know. The arrangement they'd selected looked simple, but the meanings each flower held were far from it.

First, they'd started with violets, paired with sprigs of laurel. Individually, violets represented modesty, and laurel was for success. Together, they were for expressing that you were proud of the recipient. And Amaryllis was so proud of Beatrice. Their first real meeting all those months ago she was a ball of nerves, when it came to singing and being around them. But now, she had made leaps and bounds with her singing, and felt comfortable enough to call them ‘Amie’.

Then, the cowslip caught their eye. It was for gracefulness, and they'd decided it was fitting. Beatrice was graceful, even when she tripped over herself or her words, there was a certain charm to it. Even when nervous she always made her best attempt, and the way she lit up when she was successful. To Amaryllis, she was the portrait of grace.

Of course, it spiraled into dangerous territory from there. The buttercups came next, 'you are radiant with charm', they revealed. And when paired with the cowslip, they were often given as tokens of new and blooming affection. Amaryllis couldn't say their affection was new, but it was blooming into something far past a fleeting crush.

Finally, Amaryllis added purple pansies into the mix. They told themself it was simply to balance out the two bunches of yellow flowers, but that was a lie. Pansies confessed ‘you occupy my thoughts’, and gods, did she. So often they thought of her; when composing, when performing, during the day, at night, in bed. It almost felt wrong, how often their mind strayed to her and in the ways that it did.

The blooms had been wrapped together in cream-colored paper and tied with a violet ribbon. Amaryllis hoped the delicate yellows and purples would be to her liking. They also hoped that gifting this bouquet full of secrets would be symbolic. That they'd be handing off their feelings like they were handing off the flowers.

The dining room doors opened, and their worry-free façade fell back into place.

“She’s been taking lessons from a great teacher,” catches Amaryllis’s ear as they enter. To the side is what looks to be the gift table, and they place the bouquet down. It was Portia, with all her enthusiasm that they'd heard. She was at the center of the table, alongside Nadia of course, with Beatrice seated on her other side.

“Ah, well-“

“Gossiping about me?” Amaryllis stopped behind their seats, interrupting and startling Beatrice in the process. Instinctively, they place a hand on her shoulder to steady her, surprised to feel bare skin. When Amaryllis glances down at her, they regret it immediately.

She’s dressed to the nines, cloak nowhere to be seen. All they see is cream lace and tulle that drapes off her shoulders, and the satin corset hugging her frame. They’re at a wonderful angle to witness exactly how flattering it is on her.

Before they could be considered staring, they look away. But as flushed as she is, they doubt Beatrice missed the way their eyes dragged over her body. Her smile is bright, and Amaryllis is a little dizzy at the idea that reaction was for them. They certainly could dream.

“Wait, you’ve been instructing her?” Asra questions from Beatrice’s other side.

“Why are you so surprised?” Amaryllis shrugs, nonchalant, strolling away to their seat. They were well aware this news was about to be the largest scandal in Vesuvian history. Their lessons weren’t a secret, but Amaryllis hadn’t gone out of their way to mention it, and it seemed Beatrice hadn't either.

“I recall bringing up the idea of you taking on students last year. And I recall you declining, claiming you weren’t ‘teacher material’.” Nadia comments as they pass.

Lucio can’t help but join in, complaints ready as Amaryllis takes their seat between him and Julian. “I’ve begged you for lessons, and you always told me no!”

“That’s because you’re tone deaf.”

“Wait, I’m tone deaf, but we sing together all the time?” Julian adds.

“You aren’t tone deaf, you have trouble matching pitch on your own. There’s a difference.”

They aren't close to Beatrice at all, on the complete opposite side of the table, but they can see her trying to listen in.

“So Amaryllis, what prompted your change of heart about teaching?” Nadia asks them.

“There’s been no change of heart, I’m still not interested,” Amaryllis sips their wine.

“Then why is Beatrice taking lessons from you?” Julian butts in from between them.

“She stumbled upon a rehearsal of mine weeks ago, and mentioned lessons. I thought I would offer,” another sip, “I could tell she was special.”

“Is that so?”

Amaryllis makes sure Beatrice is still eavesdropping, her eyes wide and curious. “Beatrice is a very promising student. If it were up to me, I’d have her on the stage by now.”

Nadia turns to her, and the countess begins to ask her about it. Of course, Amaryllis's ability to hear what she has to say is cut off by Lucio and Julian’s bickering.

Dinner as a whole passes with no more awe directed at them for their, admittedly, out of character actions. They were thankful to no longer be in the spotlight for the night, it wasn’t for them after all.

After dessert— Beatrice’s favorite cake, of course— Nadia suggests they all move to the veranda. Amaryllis stands, but takes their time joining everyone else, finishing off their wine. Somehow, they hadn’t noticed Beatrice still in the room until her hand is on their arm. It’s just the two of them now, and her touch is a welcome surprise. Beatrice’s smile is radiant as she looks up at them through long lashes. In her other hand is the bouquet.

“How did you know violets were my favorite?”

“I didn’t, actually,” she glances between the flowers and Amaryllis. “I’m relieved to know that I chose well.” 

“You did. Thank you, Amie. They’re beautiful.”

“They pale in comparison to you,” it’s cliché, and easily passed off as Amaryllis’s typical flirting. Even if now they mean it more than anything. “You look lovely tonight.”

“Thank you,” she’s blushing, but her smile is proud.

“Did you know that violets mean ‘modesty’?”

“They do?” Her eyes light up, always eager to learn about anything. “Do the other flowers mean anything specific?”

“All of them do, and some of them mean something else when paired together. It’s why I picked them.” Beatrice’s brow raises, anticipating that Amaryllis will explain. “I think I’ll leave it for you to figure out on your own.”

“What!” Beatrice pouts, and her grip on their arm tightens. “But it’s my birthday.”

“And you love to learn, so it's the best gift of all.”

“That is a wonderful gift,” she laughs. “Then would you tell me what your favorite is?”

“I like Hemlock.”

“Isn’t that…”

“Highly poisonous? Yes, though it is safe when dried.” She stares for a moment, somewhere between confusion and amusement, then laughs again.

“How am I not surprised?”

“I also like roses. But don’t tell anyone, I wouldn’t want word to get out that I’m just a romantic, it’d ruin my reputation.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” her expression turns pensive, “are you really? A romantic, that is.”

Amaryllis shifts a little closer to Beatrice. The arm that isn’t graced by her touch reaches out, hand on her bare shoulder. They notice a heart-shaped birthmark that they hadn't had the opportunity to see until now. Fingers brush over it before ghosting down her arm, wondering what her reaction would be if it was their lips instead. As they trace her skin, Amaryllis feels her shiver, and it takes every ounce of restraint to not seek that out over and over. They take her hand then, pulling it to their lips to place a soft kiss to the back of it, leaving behind a red lip print.

“I certainly can be, when someone piques my interest enough,” their ruby gaze doesn’t leave her face. Beatrice stifles a gasp, and Amaryllis wonders what to do now, how they could just walk away from this—

And then, they’re interrupted.

“Birthday girl! You’re about to miss your own toast!” Portia leans in  to shout from the doorway. “and you have to lead the song, or else Ilya’s squawking is gonna give me a headache.”

Beatrice intertwines her fingers with Amaryllis's, and then leads them outside hand-in-hand. The walk from the dining room to the veranda is far too short.

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯

[chaotichuman0090]

"His safest place" | Kayden Vescovi x Josephine Everhart

A/n: YESSS it's finally here!!!! My first fic! 🥳🥳 Well it was done a while ago (after a lot of planning), but I'm posting it now because I finally have some spare time and space lmao.😅

That being said, I didn't expect it to be so long (no pun intended). I should've probably split it in two parts but eh...

It's been a nice experience. Might do it again sometimes. I'd also prescribe a dose of Kayden to everyone here. I mean, just take a look at him.... *whew* 🥵

Oh, by the way, tell me if you catch any mistakes or weird typos, please. (english is my second language so I might get things wrong sometime).

This is set a few months after the end of the book.

Pairing: Kayden Vescovi - MC (Josephine Everhart) | The Royal Masquerade |

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Vonberry is the name I gave to my dear bear cub, bless him! 🧡

Words: 3370

Warnings: N*FW content (basically the whole second part, no pressure; almost smut at the end of the first part too. Almost because... I just thought it would be too much for a first attempt)

Tagging: @walkerswhiskeygirl @masquerade-reimagined @kayann9

P.s. Thank you guys for your support!! I appreciate it and it helped a lot! Sorry to keep you waiting though..

I can't wait to hear what you think of this. Big hugs!

If you'd like to be tagged in future let me know!

Okay. Enjoy!!!

Annalisa paced the outside of Josephine's house, growing slightly unpatient, yet still feeling overjoyed at the thought of seeing her sister after so long.

It was well past noon when she arrived after a whole day journey. It didn't took much for her to take matter into her own hands and went to see how she's doing.

And today was a day she was looking forward to.

She scowled at herself and leaned her back against the railing and examined the little garden in front of her. Last time she had seen her sister was after King Fabian's coronation.

When she finally felt like she had enough of wating she decided to go inside, leaving the door open on her way in.

The sweet, delicious smell of fresh baked goods instantly reaches her nose as she quickly moved closer, she heard the faint sound of Josephine's voice and stops into the doorway without announcing herself yet.

"Vonberry, I told you before, you are not allowed in when I'm baking, you little... oh.." Josephine looked behind and stopped abruptly. It was safe to say she was taken aback by the person in front of her.

"Annalisa?"

She didn't have enough time to react as her sister enveloped her in a big hug that reminded them both of all the moments they've spent together at the Everhart estate.

"What... what are you doing here?" She stammered on her words, her eyes glossy and full of emotions accompanied by a big smile on her face.

"Well, forgive me for wanting to see how my dear sister is doing." Annalisa remarked quickly, puling back from the hug."I only hope you missed me just as much."

"You know what I mean." Josephine said, looking fondly at her.

"I suppose you've been quite busy."she said, looking around the messy room, with a grin on her face. There was flour and pastries of all kinds spread on the counter.

"I think I had spent all morning here."Josephine let out a long breath, the corner of her mouth curled upwards.

"Did you came all the way here alone?"She asked her sister, surprised.

"I did not came here on a fancy carriage with two white horses and dozens of sevrants anyway, if that's what you're asking." Annalisa stated with a lightly amused tone, expresing how giddy she felt about their reunion.

"I always knew you had an odd sense of humor". Josephine's eyes glimmered, matching the smirk in the corner of her mouth.

Their sweet joyful laugh echoed through the halls, in the whole house. Josephine decided to finish her task later, before joining her sister at the table, proceed on serving a cup of tea and carried on with the conversation.

"So, tell me, how did you adapt to your new life? And Kayden?" The question gained Annalisa a funny look and a quiet snort. To her disbelief she continued ..."He better treat you well or so help me-"

"Of course he does. He's... a dream come true" Josephine responded quickly, reminiscing about their wonderful, precious memories together, with a soft smile plastered on her face the whole time.

" I know, sister. I was merely joking." An easy smile replacing her previous frown.

"Anyone can see it on his face. He loves you with all his being. He would give his life only for you to be happy. It's a strong love. It's unbreakable." Annalisa said while looking her in the eyes.

"Speaking of which," Josephine spoke after a small pause. "I presume things are going well with Percival." She looked up, raising a brow, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Oh, you know how self-restraint he can be sometimes," Annalisa declared nonchalantly, "But we balance each other, since I'm an excellent lover, so to speak." She remarked with a grin, nodding proudly to herself.

A brief utterly childlike laugh escaped Josephine's lips, dissolving soon into a fit of laughter and her sister followed her soon.

"You're a breath of fresh air, Annalisa!" She said with a shake of her head.

The truth was she couldn't wait to spend the rest of the day in the company of her dear sister, catching up after long time away.

After Annalisa left, Josephine began preparing diner for her and Kayden, deciding on a delicious roasted chicken over a bed of fresh, hearty vegetables.

Everything was done by the time Kayden arrived home and she carefully put the meal on a tray with legs, picking out a few baked rolls as well, and took them to the table.

Needless to say the food tasted delicious as usuall, the rich aroma of the dish making her mouth water.

They ate in comfortable silence, listening to the wind gusting through the tree branches outside.

He watched her pick a small piece of meat off with her fingers and pop it into her mouth, chewing slowly.

A sweet smile reached her lips as she looked up at him, watching his hand that is holding the wine glass while picking at the food in his plate.

"I can tell your mind is full of busy thoughts without reading it. How can I help?" Josephine asked with evident concern, placing her hand on top of his.

Kayden looked down at their hands and mumbled something inchoerent, then cleared his throat.

He gave a quick shrug as a response while keeping his eyes on the table, looking lost in thoughts.

Slowly, he stood, and rounded the table to her, offering his hand. After a few moments she took it and he helped her stand but didn't go anywhere.

"Dance with me?" The question left his lips hesitantly, almost like he tried to restain his desire.

She agreed, allowing him to twirl her around, soon developing into a mix of passion and heavy, graceful footsteps without the steady drum of music.

They moved together, her arched back over a bridge of emotions, relishing the way their breath quicken with each step, feet guiding them across the floor, spinning, dibs, slow sways and more.

They danced for a while, the candlelight flickering shadows across the room. Nither of them said anything, feeling content with the silence.

Kayden was holing her, but not the way he held her the first time they danced, months ago, or even after that. He didn't hold her like she was his saving grace, his light in a world of darkness. Instead he held her softly and sweetly like they've been lovers for years. Like she was his safest place.

Josephine held him back that way, as she imagined a wife would hold her husband, lovingly, wrapping her arms tighter around him, closing her eyes and leaning in to rest her head on his chest.

Kayden welcomed her embrace, holding her tighter as well.

Their pace slowed and they stayed in one place , moving as only seemed natural.

"I love how we're always in perfect sync". Josephine said with a small smile playing on her lips.

Kayden did not reply to her straight away, instead he debates on a way to express his next words.

"With all the time I spent working these past few days," he continued carefully "I neglected you."

"Forgive me." Kayden's voice sounded tense and concerned for a moment; he looked deeply into her eyes, before kissing the top of her head.

"You need a break you know" Josephine gave a quiet sigh then raised on her tip toes to give him a delicate kiss filled with desire and devotedness, her hands sliding from his jaw to his hair, lips not breaking apart as their emotions took hold on them.

"I am taking a break now and... plainly wishing you would join me in our room later." His breathless, husky voice was close to her ear now, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Careful, Kayden. I might just keep you there for good." Josephine went on, waiting for a reaction from him. Kayden just raised an eyebrow at her and smiled subtly.

"Or perhaps I have planed to spend my night with a new book." She teased , exchanging a smile with him.

"I don't believe that even for a moment." He murmured in a deep and low voice, his warm breath close to her forehead.

The two of them were aware of the unconditional love they held for each other. They whisperd it with each glance of their eyes and each brush or their lips.

Kayden was open now. He told her many things, stories of his life when he was a child, growing up at the Vescovi estate, as his father son, still unsuitable for that also. He told her how that place became devoid of any significance, of life, as he grew older and more resentful by it every day.

Josephine understood that he'd been spurred on by whispers of untold secrets and the unmistakable feeling of guilt and inadequacy resting on his shoulders for too long.

It brought her back to the realization that he was still haunted by old pains. Things that happened in the past that he'll never get over. She couldn't bear to watch that pain flood his eyes, not again. It would not be the reason it came back again.

But she knew well that whatever was holding him back before, would not hold him back from now on. In a whole chaotic and nosy world, they managed to find each other. She swore to cherish every moment she has by his side.This world has already lost its magic for some, that she knew.

Spine tingling sansations, carrying so much emotion that she believed they'd had both gotten enough, still they find themselves observing the backside of his palm reaching out to the surface of her neck, under her ear before leaning forward to place a few more kisses and soft bites. Truthfully, she was unable to find the right words, her whole body burning with passion as she felt a flooding urge in other hidden places, that Kayden was well aware of.

"You've had a long day too. What is absolutely necessary right now is a... foot massage." His tone making it plain he meant more than he said."I believe that would be rather satisfying."

That sounded more like a promise, she thought.

She hummed in agreement, followed by a short laugh, her head hiden in the crock of his neck.

"I'm glad you find me amusing" Kayden quipped instantly. Not waiting for another response, he lowered her in a graceful dip, her long hair now swaying close to the floor.

Josephine can only stare up into those impossibly beautiful brown eyes, watching with bated breath as they morph into her own, seeing their entire future layed out.

Kayden pulls her back with him squeezing her hands gently before releasing them and took a step back. His eyes lingered on her with anticipation of his next words.

He was tall, ethereal, intimidating and formidable to her.

"Take off your dress!" said Kayden, his voice soft but demanding, nodding to her simple thin red dress that she had on.

Josephine starts to strip the material off her skin, taking her time, while silently enjoying his half-lidded eyes still gazing hungrily over her. Upon seeing the way he was looking at her sent shivers down her spine.

Soon after she's done and left only in her undergarments, Kayden moves closer to her and brushed the hair from her face, sweeping all of it over one shoulder before gripping it in a strong fist like he can't hold back anymore.

He crashed his lips down on hers, his hands burried withing the strands of hair, urging her towards him. His other hand pressed at the small of her back and drew her closer, just as he angled his head to kiss her deeper, mingling their scents along with their lips.

Josephine felt like she was losing not only her footage but also her mind. She griped onto his broad shoulders, trying to get even closer, if that was possible.

He hummed something against her that got drowned in a kiss, but whatever he wanted to say was not important, she gathered as his lips moved down to her neck, tracing the pulse pounding against her skin with his tongue. A soft moan found its way out of her parted lips as Kayden firmly gripped her waist, trailing kisses down the exposed skin along the way, making her back arch up.

He took a moment to let her breath and, with a quick movement, tossed his shirt to the side,while she starts undoing the buttons of his trousers, letting them drop to the floor.

They stumbled carelessly around, heading for the bed, Kayden letting them both fall onto the soft matress. Their limbs were entangled together, under the warm quilts of the bed, hidden from sight; it was a special moment which only they were witness to.

_________________________________________

It was well past midnight when Josephine woke up suddenly, sensing the coolness of the room that was illuminated only by the starlight and the bright moon through the tiny window, casting them in blue shadows. She turned around in bed and sat still, rubbing her eyes and blinking slowly and just laid there wondering what cound have interrupted her sleep this early but did not ponder over it too much.

Shortly after, she found herself musing on the unforgettable events from last night, blood rushing to her cheeks at the thought. Looking over at Kayden who was still sleeping soundlessly next to her, his lower body covered by the blanket and his arm draped over her side of bed.

She had a crooked, sleepy grin on her face and brought her hand up to his face, touching his lower lip with the tip of her finger.

She was looking at him in awe, taking in the smoothness of his features illuminated by the moonlight. Kayden. Her Kayden.

After a few moments of deliberation she moved carefully, not to disturbe him, and climbed on top of him, straddling his hips.

Gently touching his cheek, she ever so slightly brushed her lips against his jaw. Of course he was too deep in his sleep to notice but it made her heart dance.

She then began nipping at his ear lobe, softly, with just a right hint of passion, then worked her way back, trailing lingering kisses from his stubbled jaw to his neck, down to his defined collarbone.

Josephine's hands travel from his chest down to the taut muscles of his stomach, sliping lower, caressing him through the material of his briefs and he harden further beneath her touch.

She could feel his arousal where she was straddling him as she pressed down on his hips, and it sent a bolt of heat straight to her core. She drew a slow, careful breath and her hands tightened around his shoulders.

A grunt slipped out of his parted lips, the sound matching the dark look in his now open eyes. He always found appealing that lascivious yet lovely look on her.

He lifted his hips, pressing his hardness against her and Josephine sighed and instinctively rolled her hips against him in return. Kayden hissed against her lips and his hands moved down, holding her tightly to him as he repeated the action.

Kayden kept his eyes closed momentarily and he took a deep breath, and then his eyes opened. Holding her gaze he rolled her on her back in a swift movement and pinned her beneath him before grabbing her face and slammed his lips to her.

This kiss was almost explosive, with the way they’d been teasing each other all day, and she moaned when Kayden nibbled on her lower lip before he dragged his mouth down her neck to the sensitive spot there. She practically melted against him, and she felt him smile against her as he tugged at her skin with his teeth, then lavished the spot with his lips and tongue.

Shifting his body and lowering his head, he circles her nipple with his tongue before tugging gently with his teeth, heaving her instantly whimper softly and arching into him.

"Ohh, don't stop." She gasped, panting for breath, her heart hammering in her chest, not daring to look away.

"Oh, I assure you, we're not finished yet." Kayden said, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips as he does so. He gave her that smoldering, piercing gaze that made her swallow hard and made a shiver run down her spine.

She knows that he's playing with her, making her wait when she can hardly bare it.

"I need you... please." her voice broke in a throaty whisper, and hearing that was all it took for him to stop and look at her one more time before his touch stirred every nerve in her body and brain.

She drew a sharp breath as he entered her in one, long, steady push; pulling all the way out, before he slid inside her again until he filled her completely.The muscles of her thighs tremble and then relax as his thumb massaged high on her inner thigh while his mouth worked its magic. 

Kayden quickly wraps a hand around her wrists and pins them above her head as he thrusts his hips into her, picking up his pace. Instantly she noticed that his eyes held a row intensity, never looking away from her.

Josephine savored the feeling of him inside her, moving only to lock her legs around his waist and pull him deeper.

Repositioning a hand between them, his fingers moved with purpose, using firm movements that weren’t too hard; slow enough to draw things out, but fast enough to keep building her pleasure.

He felt her tighten around him as he continued to thrust deeper into her, the action setting off another shattering moan from her.

A deep groan escaped his lips as the tension inside him coiled tightly and his thrusts becoming more erratic every passing second.

His hips now jolted hers, spearing her with each thrust until she was reduced to shuddering gasps.

"Kayden!" She gasped, barely able to get his name out, her toes curling and back arching into him as pleasure radiated throughout her body.

Kayden followed her shortly and, after a few more deep strokes, his body went rigid, shuttering in pleasure as he found its release, breath hitching and fingers digging into her flash.

Right after that, he collapsed on top of her with a heavy sigh, burying his head in her chest, still moving shallowly into her spent body, while she tenderly ranks her fingers through his hair, crooning at him.

He took a few moments to breath, then rissing up slowly, his strong arms supporting him above her, he kissed her swollen lips twice and paused and gave her a look that Josephine could only describe as love.

"What is it, love? Are you well?" She asked but he knew she was just teasing now from the evident gleam in her eyes.

"Trust me, I am. I'm just... taking you in." He whispered, not being able to retain the intimate tone in his voice.

"But I think I'll spare you the details." He chuckled when her face flamed up a little, being aware that she caught on the hint.

After what seemed like ages he moved himself from atop her, settling on his side and tugged the sheets around their bodies before wrapping her tightly up against his chest while pressing himself in closer somehow, to her, despite already leaving no space between them.

Josephine could sense the corners of Kayden's lips lifting up to a small smile before silence fell between them. She let herself get confortable in his soothing arms, in the quietness of their house, savoring the blissful afterglow, as every bone in her body relaxed and her covered chest slowly rose and fell, gentle breaths escaping her mouth.

The world can wait, Josephine thought. As far as she's concerned this man in her bed is the only world that matters, and she intends to give him just as much love and care, if not more so, as he gifts her.

[naomisimagines]

Can I get headcanons for Raihan and a reader who's from Kalos who tell Raihan they've been the champion of every region atleast once in their life because they travel a lot and they came to Galar because they heard about Leon growing up and that they really hope to be able to defeat him and Raihan is like " you can do this !! I believe in you !! " ? Bonus points if you include headcanons abt after the reader defeated Leon Sorry if that's too specific ^^"

Sure!! :)

~~

Ever since you had started your journey in Kalos, you were determined to take on every single Pokemon league and become the champion of every region, even if just once

And so far, you had conquered the leagues of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola

All that was left was Galar, of course

But you figured you would save the best for last

As you had been inspired to take on the leagues because the day before you left on your journey, you had watched the first ever live Champion match between Raihan and Leon

Your eyes never left the screen as you watched their final Pokemon gigantamax

And you gasped in surprise as you watched Raihan’s Duraludon fall, and Leon cry out in joy as he accepted the Champion title

And from that day on, you knew exactly what you were going to do

Take Leon down.

So here you were now, soaring above the sea on your way to Galar

Like always, you were going to collect a new team to use

And you had already done your research to formulate the perfect team in order to take on the entire region

Your journey went by quickly, and soon enough you were trudging up the final gym to take on Raihan, the final gym leader

Without much banter, you took him down quickly, and as the two of you met in the middle, Raihan immediately smirked

“So you’ve finally made it here?,” he said cockily, “I’ve been waiting for the day you would come and challenge our league!”

You were taken aback, and you kind of just stared at him in shock before answering, “You’ve been waiting for me to come here?,” you asked, “Why?”

Raihan’s smirk gets even wider before he hands you the dragon badge, saying, “Hell yeah I have! You’ve been the champion of every region but ours! I figured you’d drop by someday and kick all of our asses! And look where we are now!”

You blushed and said, “Thanks! You were part of the reason I’m doing this whole journey anyways. I watched you and Leon’s champion match the day before I left on my initial journey, and I knew I needed to battle you and Leon someday.”

You swear you see Raihan blush, but he quickly retorts, “Well then I’ll be watching your match with him very closely.”

You smile up at him and ask, “Mind helping me train a bit? I know you’ve got a better team than this, and I’d be honored if you could get me up to Leon’s level.”

Raihan smirks and states, “You don’t even have to ask sweetheart.”

The next few days, you and Raihan train really hard

You often take breaks to catch some Pokemon that aren’t in your PokeDex yet or to make some Curry

Apparently Raihan is completely obsessed with your cooking too

But as the Champion Cup got closer and closer, Raihan started pushing you harder and harder

And you realized you had completely fallen for him

He was just the kind of person that you liked, you figured

But inevitably, the day of the Cup had arrived, and you easily flew threw all of your opponents, including Raihan

Raihan had hugged you after your battle and whispered in your ear, “Good luck sweetheart, I know you’ll beat Leon. All of our training won’t be for nothing, I’m sure of it.”

Your heart was pounding even faster than ever, and as you strode out onto the pitch for the final time, you heard the crowd cheering and you saw a familiar pair of eyes watching you from the press box

You then focused your attention onto Leon as the two of you opposed each other in the stadium

“It’s finally time!,” Leon exclaims, “I’ve been waiting for the day that I finally get to battle you!”

“Same to you!,” you yelled back, pulling out your first PokeBall, “Let’s go Cinderace!”

The battle was epic, and quite evenly matched

It was the most intense battle you’ve ever had with another Champion, and you completely understood why you were so entranced by his battle style

But it was clear that your Pokemon had the edge, and eventually Leon’s final Pokemon, Charizard, fell

You cried out in joy, and returned your final Pokemon

Leon shook your hand, smiling at the giddy look on your face

You ran out of the stadium as fast as possible, planning to call of your friends as soon as possible to tell them the news

But as you were leaving, a tall figure jumped in front of you, scaring you a bit

“Nice job, sweetheart!,” Raihan exclaims, pulling you up into his arms before spinning around, “I’m real proud of you!”

“Thanks,” you squeeze out, “Can you put me down please I can’t breathe!”

Raihan puts you back down carefully before giggling

“How about a date then?,” Raihan says, smirking at you, “I got to treat you, because I’ve never seen Leon so devastated in his life! Plus, I like ya, and this is the perfect opportunity to spend money on good food!”

~~

Masterlist

[jaerie]

2019–It’s been quite a year. It went so fast, yet at the same time, I didn’t even remember some of these fics had been posted this year and not many moons before that! Thank you to everyone who read, commented, kudo’d, and supported me this year! Even the smallest things encouraged all the words in all the fics below. 😘

🎥 going live (E,15k,abo) Harry has only done this cam thing a handful of times when another camboy pops in to view his stream and unintentionally stirs things up a bit. Or Louis and Harry are both camboys for some extra cash and meet each other in an unconventional way

🧬 The Post-War BP (E,18k,abo) The eight year war has left the country's birthrate severely stunted with a lack of virile alphas left to bring it back up. To ensure the survival of the country, the government opens The Breeding Program where young omegas can apply to carry an alpha's child in exchange for benefits. Louis' family is struggling and the BP is one of the only ways to secure a roof over their heads. Harry was drafted at the age of eighteen and spent six years of his life defending a country he doesn't recognize when he returns home. The government made the bed but it's Harry that has to lie in it.

🏔 A Long Way From The Top (E,11k) Harry needed to find a purpose in life. Mount Everest wasn't the place he'd expected to find it, but he'd take what he could get. He also hadn't expected to come home with extra baggage.

🧊 Ready, baby?  (E,1k) Harry gets an earring. Louis is the one to do it. Or a pain kink drabble.

🎒 whoops (M,1k) Louis was just trying to get revenge on Niall for the prank he pulled a few months ago. He didn't mean to find himself trapped in the closet while Niall's roommate, Harry, decides it's a self-love kind of night.

🍼 freaks from the internet (E,3k) Harry sells his breast milk to freaks on the internet. Louis turns out to be one of those freaks. He also happens to be Harry's ex.

👭 Sisterwives (E,33k,abo) This was it, the moment Louis had been waiting for his entire life. Giddy excitement bubbled up as he held hands and stared up at his soon-to-be alpha and husband and grinned. The ceremony was small and simple, but Louis didn’t mind. Fresh flowers pinned into his hair and a brand new outfit was all he needed to feel special in front of their few witnesses. It was just some members of his family and a few of the church elders in attendance as was customary for any marriage beyond the first wife within the faith. First wives were the ones to have elaborate weddings with the whole community involved. An alpha’s first wedding was a celebration of an their coming of age, his first steps into fulfilling God’s prophecy. There were many glories for an omega that came with being a first wife but also many responsibilities. Louis had never aspired to be a first wife or even a second. He wasn’t experienced enough to be the leader of an alpha’s many wives and children and he didn’t think he’d be up to the task. Louis was just fine in the position he was stepping into as the seventh. Or Louis thinks he's getting everything he's ever dreamed of. Harry helps him find what makes him truly happy.

🤱🏻 Challenging Nature: A Look Into Male Lactation (E,11k) Even taking into account all the bizarre things Harry has subjected himself to in the past for the sake of an article, Harry has received his strangest assignment yet. It comes up as a random misunderstanding in a meeting and builds into a conversation — can men breastfeed? Internet searches reveal documented cases of male lactation popping up at different times throughout history, but are any of them true? Can a man will himself into lactating? Harry has two months to make it happen.

🤏🏼 tiny exaggeration (E,4k,abo) Louis is frustrated that they've been dating for months and still haven't taken their relationship to the next level. Sometimes the foolishness of the past lingers in the present. Louis wants that to change.

👶🏼 The Time Is Now (M,1k) Louis is mid-one night stand when he finds out he's going to be an uncle in a matter of minutes.

🏨 100ft Away (E,2.5k) Harry opens Grindr for a hookup and ends up with more than he bargained for. It all works out in the end.

👽 enough tin foil for the apocalypse (G,1k) Louis comes home to a tin foil covered house and his boyfriend's secrets

🎵 Everything I need I get from you  (M,10k,abo) In a world where music and sound are just as vital to health as food, Harry is stuck in a town that thinks professional music is a scam and a relationship he never wanted. One chance event changes his life.

🎶 Restless Lane (E,15k,abo) Louis had grown used to his boring life back in Mississippi as a stand-in father figure to his siblings. He never expected his childhood friend to show up on his lawn with the heat of summer or that he would remind Louis how much of himself he'd tucked away and neglected. He also never expected to find himself caught up in a tangled web of feelings or secrets that just might break him. Maybe he had never known Harry at all.

🏋🏻 you got what i need (E,3k) Harry loves his husband Louis, but his personal trainer Liam just gives him something he needs to start his day. Turns out Louis needs the same thing. Oddly enough, they get it from the same source.

🍆 the appointment (M,1k) Louis convinces Harry to make an appointment at a classy brothel. His appointment is with someone named Liam.

⚓️ Into Always (E,4k,abo) Harry finds his ex's knotting dildo and gets a little curious. Louis is more than willing to help out.

🍑 just remember that you did this (E,1.5k) Louis' heat inconveniently hits him at the beginning of his beach vacation. Harry volunteers to help him out but doesn't exactly tell Louis everything.

🐭 Cat & Mouse (E,2k) It's the one day out of the year that Harry doesn't have to hide and can be himself — at least he thought so. Louis is just a little more observant than he anticipated.

🔪 Tonight's the Night (E,21k) Tonight’s the night. The night Harry has been waiting for. Everything has been carefully planned, nothing left to chance, the scene set and waiting for their arrival. It’s time. Harry lives a double life. During the day he's Harry- trusty blood spatter analyst, at night his darkness comes out to play. So far he's been able to act his way through a normal life without drawing attention. What happens when that is no longer the case? Or a Dexter AU where Harry is Dexter, Liam is Doakes, Niall is Masuka and Gemma is Deb.

🏠 I Think You're Already Home  (E,38k,abo) Seeing Louis Tomlinson today, it would be hard to guess that he was ever once a member of the world's most famous boyband. These days he doesn't even the leave his own house. The truth is he can't leave his own house. He can't even remember the last time just standing at an open door didn't send him into a debilitating panic attack. But, against his friend's advice, Louis is ready to add meaning to his life again. He's ready to start a family. So what if he doesn't have an omega? There are plenty of surrogacy services just waiting to help the rich and famous become parents. He just has to find the right one for the job.

🎄 Pretty, Pretty Lights (E,3k,abo) It's the first time Harry and Louis have been home for Christmas together since their parents got married. More importantly, it's the first time they've been home together since they'd presented. They meet up under the glowing lights of the Christmas tree.

👠 High Heels, Red Dress (E,15k) Louis answers the call when Pearl Harbor is attacked and there is no way around it. The United States is at war. Hiding his queer identity isn't so hard until he attracts the attention of a particular soldier. It's all lies and secrets until the war is finally over. Maybe then Louis can finally have his happy ending. It's up to fate to decide.

Buy me a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/jaerie

[panda-noosh]

Ummm, hi! So I have a scenario or hc request (you choose) for the paladins: Pidge somehow manages to connect to everyone's emails from Earth, and they all see that their childhoodfriend!crush sent them a video of them singing a song (like Her Last Words). They tell how things haven't been the same since they've been gone, and don't believe they'll come back, and suicide. I am truly sorry if this makes you uncomfortable!!! I feel the need for angst

Here you go! x

Shiro:

This video would break his heart.

He had missed you for the longest time. There was no secretabout that. Even though you two hadn’t spoken in a few months beforehand, hewould still find himself talking about you, wondering what you were up to, howyou were.

He had went off to the Garrison, left you behind. You hadparted on good terms, but it was a struggle to keep in touch.

So you just didn’t.

So whenever Pidge pulls up the video, he sees your tearstained face and he hears you singing – you used to sing to him all the time.It used to make him feel things, feel incredible.

But the song you’re singing is a sad one, and whenever it’sover, you speak directly into the camera, telling Shiro through suppressed sobsthat you miss him and that things have never been right since he left, that youwish to see him again.

Shiro doesn’t know what to do. It’s like he’s watching theworld crumble around him, and he doesn’t even know why.

He hasn’t spoken to you in months. Why is this affecting him so badly?

As soon as the word ‘suicide’ falls from your mouth, Shiroorders Pidge to turn it off and he’s immediately storming to his room,researching any and every way he can find to contact you from where he is.

He doesn’t stop searching for a way to contact you, and assoon as he does, as soon as he hears your voice on the other end of the phone,he knows he won’t let you go again.

Keith:

He feels a little bit uncomfortable watching the video withthe other Paladins around.

I can imagine him telling Pidge he doesn’t care and that hedoesn’t want to see it, but whenever the other Paladins are done with thecomputer, he’ll sneak in and watch it for himself.

The last thing he expected to see was you. He didn’t evenknow you had his email.

Another thing that was extremely unexpected was the tearsracing down your face and the hiccupped sobs you were releasing as you spoke.

“I miss you, Keith. I don’t know – I don’t know if theGarrison will let you watch this. God, I hope not, because this isembarrassing. But I miss you so much. Nothing has been the same since you left.Everybody’s different. Nobody – Nobodies getting along. You used to think youhad no effect on the people around you, but god,I’m a mess without you. We all are.”

This would break him to pieces.

“I really just see no point.”

This would shock him to the core.

He would barely make it to the end of the video before he’sslamming the lid of the laptop down and heading towards one of the escape pods.

Unlike Shiro, Keith isn’t satisfied with just hearing yourvoice. He needs to see you in person. He needs to hold you and tell you howmuch he missed you, and he needs to do it face-to-face or else he won’t be ableto sleep.

Everybody else is asking him what he is doing, but he justignores them as he storms towards the exit, and leaves for earth.

Lance:

He was so excited and giddy whenever he heard from Pidgethat there was a video from you in his inbox.

His excitement quickly faded whenever he clicked on thevideo and saw you crying.

It would take a moment for him to fully understand what wasgoing on in the video. He was so used to seeing you as this happy, bubblyperson with zero cares in the world, and yet here you were, crying in front ofa camera.

Telling Lance how much you missed him.

I don’t think Lance would understand the true extent of justhow much he missed you until now. He often gets so caught up in the missionshe’s been given, having fun in space, that earth just seems so far away and so little. So it wasn’t often he ever stopped to think about the peoplehe truly missed, bar his family.

But now he’s seeing you, and he’s confused as to why hisheart feels like it’s being ripped to shreds.

He would watch the full video, probably cry at it and excusehimself to calm himself down.

It would take a few days, but he would eventually, verynervously, ask Shiro if he could make a detour to earth, just so he can visit.

Shiro would of course say yes, and Lance would take theopportunity as soon it was presented to him.

As soon as he saw you, alive and well, he would run upbehind you and scoop you up in his arms, peppering kisses into your cheeks andyour neck and eventually your lips.

Hunk:

“Oh, guys, please turn it off. Please don’t make me watchsomething sad.”

Pidge would go to turn the video off. Hunk would slap herhand away.

Because he’s looking at your face all of a sudden, and hiscuriosity has peaked to an all time high. He can’t rip his eyes away from yourface, the tears marking it.

He barely hears you speaking until he hears his name, and itis then that the entire speech you’re making filters through his head.

You miss him.

The person he had fallen in love with as a boy missed him.

Honestly, that’s all he needs to hear before he’s packinghis stuff.

He doesn’t even ask Shiroif he can go back to earth for a few days.

Whenever people try to stop him, he just gives them thatstern “Don’t make me do something I’ll regret,” look that you only ever seewhenever Hunk means business.

And everybody is so shocked at this suddenly aggressive,suddenly busy side to Hunk, that theyjust leave him to it.

“No, it’s okay. We’ll find someone else to pilot the yellowlion. It’s fine.”

Hunk leaves on his own. It’s as if his anxieties have beenwiped away. He just needs to see you.

Pidge:

Oh, she cries.

She definitely cries.

If there’s one thing that can get to Pidge, it’s reminiscingabout her time on earth.

It’s very rare that she shows this side of her, but shereally truly misses her earth friends, her family, you.

So whenever she hacks into her old email and sees a videofrom you that was sent only a few weeks ago, she’s already tearing up.

The subject of the video is: “You Probably Won’t See This,”and it makes her chuckle light heartedly, because that was always the kind ofthing you used to do; you used to do it anyway. Even though you were 90% surethe task you were about to do would lead to nowhere, it never stopped you fromfulfilling it.

She clicks on the video, and she sees your face, and thetears fall down her own before she even has a chance to hear you say you missher.

It’s just your face. It’s just looking at you, being reminded of all of the good times you twowent through together – it shatters her.

But then she hears what you’re saying, and her heart isbeing tugged at.

She finds a way to contact you. There’s no doubt in my mindthat the video plays at her brain for ages,and she really just can’t stay away.

So one night, you’re curled up in bed and you’re phone ringsand you pick it up and all you hear is, “Y/N? Is this Y/N?”

And that’s all it takes for you two to be sobbing to eachother down the phone.