#this is a gift for a friend but I like it enough to post it !

[ratyts]

would it be weird

(leon x gn!reader)

masterlist

continuation of this from leon’s perspective. leon escapes the friendzone. also its 4am sorry for any typos i need to post this now!!!

warnings: friends to lovers, romantic tension, resolved romantic tension

word count: 2.5k

Leon blinked. His arms loosened around you, slipping down your torso. His breath stilled, lips pressed tightly together. What was it you'd said to him? He was your… best friend? Right. He could get on board with that. You were definitely his best friend as much as he was yours. His best friend whose skin was brushing against his lips, seated on his lap, holding onto him like a lifeline. His best friend who he could hardly stand to keep his hands off of, who would pick up his calls at all odd hours of the night, who consumed just about every one of his waking thoughts. He let the silence linger too long after you spoke. Leon couldn’t admit it now that his plan had failed, but thirty seconds ago, he thought he’d finally found the perfect time to casually confess his love for you. He would have to reconvene with himself later. 

Leon had never really had a best friend before you. He had no frame of reference for how it was supposed to feel. He knew he felt differently, more intensely, about you than he did his other friends. He also knew that your relationship was different from every romantic relationship he’d had in the past. But that was a given, because you weren’t his partner and you weren’t just a normal friend. You were everything to him. There wasn’t an appropriate category for you in his mind, your relationship was liminal, but he at the very least knew “best friend” wasn’t enough. The thought of only being that to you– forever, it made his heart clench. Even more so when you whispered it right into his ear like a love confession. Worst birthday gift ever.

He chuckled, refocusing himself in the moment, “I know, you’re my best friend too.” Your breath seemed to tremble at his response, and he wondered if you also knew that wasn’t enough. 

The two of you stayed like that for a moment longer before he pulled away, looking up at you with a wry smile. Past the twitch in his eye he could feel brewing, Leon could see some humor in his situation. He was in the friendzone. At the rate he was going, he’d find himself in the “you’re like a brother to me” zone before he knew it. He’d done it to himself, really. It had taken him far too long to admit to himself that he loved you as a friend, and by the time he was ready to say that, he already loved you much more and in a much different way. You weren’t to blame, he decided. Leon had marched his way into the friendzone, and it was his responsibility to claw his way out. 

That night ended as peacefully and normally as it could’ve, considering the occasional twitch of Leon’s eye and his sudden insistence to leave you alone even less than usual. He’d coaxed you into his bed (even though you always shared the bed when you came over), and latched onto you as he slept (he was always a wild sleeper), and was very proud of himself in the morning. 

In a moment of retrospection the next morning, as he watched you dig through his cupboards, completely disheveled and barely awake, he realized he had been subconsciously acting on his feelings for a long time. He thought back to the time you walked in on him changing. How it was the reddest his face had ever been, and how he embarrassingly made an effort to wear more tank tops around you– and sometimes skip the shirt completely, in the aftermath. You seemed pretty unaffected at the time, laughing it off much easier than Leon did. 

He thought back to a time even before that, the time he’d held you– really held you, for the first time. His memory of the night was blurred, he must have had one drink too many, but he remembered how it ended. It was the only time he’d cried in front of you, the only time he’d cried in front of anyone in the better part of ten years. It wasn’t over anything in particular, but you didn't ask. You just slid closer to him, wordlessly wrapping an arm around his back. Neither of you moved for a minute, then Leon raised his head and his teary eyes met yours. He wasn’t sure which one of you moved first, but before the next tear rolled down his cheek, the two of you had connected like a puzzle piece. Thinking back on it, he thought he should've known by then that you were always going to be the most important person in his life.

In his kitchen, you whipped around, empty handed. “Where’s all the food?”

“Top left,” Leon gestured towards the cabinet, the corners of his lips upturning as you returned to your search. He abandoned his position by the entrance, slowly moving closer to you. It would be so easy, so normal to close the distance. He wanted to kiss you.

“Pancake mix?” You said, stretching your arm out to grab the box, “When was the last time you went to the store?”

“A while ago,” he chuckled, walking up behind you, his chest inches from your back. “Wanna go with me?” 

Your head turned towards him, eyes widening slightly (because of his proximity, he hoped), “Uh, yeah.” You elbowed him, creating some space between the two of you, “You- you go get ready.”

He nodded, turning around to do as you said, wondering if he could’ve grabbed you. What would’ve happened if he had leaned in a little closer. He brushed it off. Leon couldn’t even disobey an offhand remark you made.

You were always so collected. It was wishful thinking, assuming you had ever been remotely flustered by him, he thought. Leon hopped around his room, slipping on a pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt he hadn’t sweat through during the night. He could be stoic, broody even, that much Leon could admit– at least to himself. He wasn’t affectionate, he wasn’t emotional, never vulnerable. Except with you. Around you, Leon was embarrassingly honest, in his mind, at least.

He passed you as he left his bedroom, you grumbling something about needing ten minutes to get ready and that he should “make some coffee or something.” He looked over his shoulder as you shuffled away, shutting the door behind you. Again, he took your suggestion. Moving on autopilot, Leon emptied his bag of coffee grounds into the machine and flipped the on switch. The machine grumbled, shaking on the countertop as the coffee streamed into the pot. His gaze drifted towards the clock, then his bedroom door, then back to the pot. He sighed, pulling two mugs out of the cabinet– both gifts from you– as the stream became drips then finally stopped. He poured your cup first.

“Hey.” He jumped, coffee spilling onto the countertop as he spun around to see you standing only inches away from him. 

“Jesus,” Leon said with an exhale, setting the pot down then running a hand over his face. 

“Weren’t you just bragging about your super fine tuned reflexes?” Your expression was mocking, lovingly mocking, as you looked up at him. You bent sideways, glancing at the coffee dripping from the countertop to the floor then back at him with a raised brow. “You’re jumpy today.”

He rolled his eyes, painfully aware of your proximity, “I have no rebuttal.” He lifted a hand to pinch your cheek, wiping the smugness off your face, “You win, let’s go.”

He stared at your face in the moments before you pushed his hand away. Leon’s ability to read your expressions was nowhere near consistent. He could read you like a book anytime you weren't looking at him. The second you directed a look at him, it was his best (or worse, really) guess. He squinted, eyes following the back of your head as you stalked to the front door, slipping some shoes on. 

Leon sometimes thought he was a horrible friend to you. He was constantly crossing lines, pushing boundaries, going a bit further than rationality should’ve allowed. Usually, you didn’t push back. In fact, you almost always accepted anything he had to offer with willing and open arms. Except a confession. He hoped that one had been an accidental misstep.

You shuffled alongside Leon, bundled up in one of his sweaters, wincing each time a burst of chilling wind hit your face. It took him about thirty seconds to goad a reluctant yes out of you to walk the few blocks with him to the grocery store rather than drive. Leon looped an arm around you once you were outside, spinning you around to walk on his other side, away from the curb. He said something about the wind, but kept his arm around your shoulder even after you had been repositioned. It was his pesky desire to be as close as possible, to protect you from, what? The empty neighborhood street? That much he couldn’t even rationalize to himself.

Leon liked to position himself as your protector. Although you had never needed his help before, he was half sure that was because of his preemptive protective measures. There’s a fine line between possessiveness and protectiveness, he had come to learn. Leon toed it frequently. He didn’t think of possession in the usual sense– despite the places his jealousy would occasionally lead him. You weren’t an object, not something to be owned. You weren’t a doll either, you didn’t need him, not in that sense at least. But, to a certain extent, he couldn’t help it. As the two of you walked side by side, he could barely take his eyes off you to look in front of him. He tripped once in the produce aisle and somehow flat tired you twice in the deli then once in canned goods, but he couldn’t stop. 

You pulled him backwards by the collar of his sweater, stopping him at the checkout line. His eyes snapped back to you, refocusing on the task at hand. He gave a lazy smile and a shrug in response to your furrowed brow. 

“You okay?” You asked, releasing his collar, looking for an answer in his expression. He blinked, nodding, likely too obviously hoping you wouldn’t find one. You were quiet for a beat before relaxing your face, wordlessly nudging him towards the cashier.  

The walk home was colder. The bag dug into the palm of Leon’s hand, and even though you kept asking if you could carry it, Leon insisted. He kept close, your shoulders brushing with every step, even as the weight of the bag threw off his rhythmic steps. You glanced over at him every few seconds, checking for silent communication. Leon was still thinking about his failed confession. Wondering how much longer he had before someone else swept you up and away. How much longer he could hold onto you like you were his. His eye twitched again. 

By the time the two of you got back inside, he was sure his face was flushed entirely red. He kept his eyes on you as he dropped the bag in the kitchen, doubting how much of the redness was from the cold.

“Finally,” you shivered, kicking off your shoes and collapsing onto the couch. You rubbed your hands together, looking over your shoulder to see Leon standing feet away, hesitating. Before your confusion could grow, he quickly followed your suit, settling down next to you. You turned away, satisfied, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels. Leon was sitting close enough that his knee brushed against yours, his hand brushed against the side of your thigh. He looked at you with a pensive expression, eyes continuously flickering back down to your lips. He wasn’t sure when it started, but it felt familiar, like he’d been staring all day. He swallowed, hard. Then before he could think, his lips parted.

“I want to kiss you,” he blinked, eyes wide as if his words surprised himself. Leon kept his voice steady, betrayed only by the blush on his cheeks. 

You were silent for a moment before you paused your ministrations on the remote and turned your head towards him, brows furrowed, “Huh?” 

“You heard me.”

“No-” You blinked, shaking your head, losing the remote in the crevice of his couch, “No, what? Say it again.”

He sighed, embarrassment creeping up and the looming fear of rejection hanging above his head, “Remember when I said I love you? Last night?” 

You nod, your face painted with confusion and something else Leon couldn’t decipher. 

“Well,” he cleared his throat, shifting to rest his arm along the top of the couch, “I… Damn it. Can I kiss you or not?”

Your mouth fell open, then shut quickly. Processing for a moment, you begin a slow nod, your eyes boring into his, “...You can kiss me.”

Leon freezes, and you don’t move either. He’s not sure who leaned in first, but a moment later your faces are inches apart and his half lidded eyes snap open as he sees yours flutter shut. He inhales sharply and grabs the back of your neck, bringing your lips together. You recoiled, pulling away as quickly as it had happened, a hand shooting up to cover your mouth and Leon swears the cloud of rejection is floating above him again.

“Holy shit,” you said, your words muffled by your hand.

Leon nods, hesitantly, heart threatening to beat out of his chest, “Yeah.”

“You love me?” You swallow, voice small.

He nods again, certain his cool facade has melted into something pathetic and desperate by now. He moves to release his hold on your nape and your hand grabs his forearms before he can, keeping him in place. In a less than graceful maneuver, you use his hand to pull you closer. Then, inches apart again, you raise your hands to cup his cheeks and lean in. By the time Leon realizes you haven’t slapped him and stormed out, you’ve already peppered kisses across every inch of his face you could reach. 

Oh, God, he thinks. He’s so stupid.

His hands regain purpose, and he pulls you in with a new force, pressing his mouth against yours without hesitation. Leon’s free hand found itself at your waist, pulling you in until you were chest to chest. Your arms wrapped around his neck, falling on top of him. You gasped, and he took advantage of the opening, deepening the kiss, holding onto you like you were the last tether he had to earth. A shiver ran down his spine as you pulled away, chest heaving, eyes locked onto his. He placed a chaste kiss on the corner of your mouth then pulled you back down into an embrace, tucking your face into the crook of his neck. He couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off his face, so he just chuckled and held onto you tighter.

“Leon,” you began, breath hot on his skin, “I feel so stupid.”

He laughed a little harder, feeling your smile against his neck, “You have no idea.”

[rekino2114]

Stella Hoshinari and Emma Magorobi fighting over who you love more, but you love both equally

Emma magorobi and stella hoshinari fighting over you

Pairing:Emma magorobi x gn reader x stella hoshinari

A/n:This was requested way before the prompts, but it gave me the idea for the 17th prompt on my list, so thanks. This is also my first dangan/fangan crossover post, and I'd like to do more (maybe something with chiaki and Cassidy or kirumi and akane) so let me know if you want to see more. Also, please request more of this I genuinely loved writing this so much

You'd never thought you'd attract the attention of a girl, much less two, much less two incredibly rich and famous Hollywood actresses that just so happened to go to the same school as you but life has its surprises

It all started simple enough. Both Emma and stella started to hang out with you. Sometimes, one of them would eat lunch in the cafeteria with you, and the other walked with you after school, you became good friends with the both of them.

Little did you know that they both were actually crushing on you super hard and were testing the water before starting to actually flirt with you, those compliments that you interpreted as them just being nice were actually the first signs of those crushes.

Eventually, they were ready to finally ask you out and had the same idea. They were going to invite you on the set of one of their movies

Stella was about to approach you to ask but saw you were already talking with Emma, so she raised her sunglasses and got closer

"It's gonna be great so what do you-"

"Oh pardon I wanted to talk with y/n"

"......well I already am so......"

"Wait a second I know you, aren't you that other actress from the other class?"

"The ULTIMATE actress, Emma magorobi pleasure to meet you"

"Oh well that's a coincidence, I'm the ultimate actress too, stella hoshinari, it's nice to meet you too"

"Really? I wasn't aware of another actress attending Hope's peak, you must have been in some pretty niche movies if I haven't heard of you"

[Even if she didn't show it, still keeping her smile on her face, stella was really pissed off by Emma's passive-aggressive remarks]

"Oh I wouldn't say so, but anyway I'm here to ask y/n something, so if you wouldn't mind moving"

"I wanted to ask them something too, if they wanted to come to the new set of a movie I'm in"

"Wow really? Me too"

"......I.....see, well I'm sure y/n would much rather come with me than see whatever second rate movie you're in"

"I disagree. In fact, I think they'd like mine way more"

"Then let's do a little bet, we both bring them on a date and whichever girl they like best gets to keep them"

"I like that, after all, a bit of competition in this industry never hurts"

[They shook each other's hands while you stood there confused]

"..........wait that was a date?"

During the movie date, both actresses tried their best to show you how great and attractive they were. both wearing very revealing clothes and showing off their assets at every occasion

They also made sure to show you how much better they were than the other, making comments about how "emma/stella could never, she's just way too confident in herself if she thinks she can bag a cutie like you~"

After the dates, you told them you needed more time to think about which one you liked more. They actually took that pretty well and gave you time to think

The actual reason that they took it so well was because they understood it just gave them more time to court you, a thing which became apparent when the following day you opened your doorstep to see a pile of roses with a note signed "Emma magorobi" with a stain of lipstick

And also when the next day you received a box of very expensive chocolates with a note this time signed "stella hoshinari" with a similar lipstick mark

And it was with this that the second phase of their fight for you started, absolutely spoiling you rotten with gifts

Both of them were rich and had absolutely no problem spending all of their money if it meant to get with you and beat her competitor

They brought you everything you could think and more, flowers, sweets, videogames, clothes, and way way more, they subtly asked your friends for what you wanted and the next day it suddenly appeared on your front door

One time you brought them to a store in hopes of getting them to hang out and maybe become friends.....it didn't help

"Hey y/n, do you like this shirt? I've seen it and I think it will look adorable on you"

"Not as adorable as these pants I picked out"

"Oh, I suppose they do look cute. You don't mind if I buy them too, right? After all, I doubt you can afford them"

"I can indeed, in fact I think I'll buy these pants and that shirt too for y/n"

"Well then I'll just have to buy this entire section, y/n does need spare after all"

"W-well than I'll buy the entire store!"

"........And I'll buy th-"

"...girls please stop"

While all of this was happening, you were thinking about them too, and which one you liked more. They were both incredibly beautiful and equally rich it seemed but not only that

You noticed how.....nice they both were, not only to you but also to the staff or just random people they met, they never declined autographs or selfies when they were recognized and thanked their fans with such sincerity in their voices, they were so sweet and kind, like the opposite of those stereotypical celebrities, and you couldn't deny that that was probably what made you love them equally

And one day you finally told them just that

"I'm sorry but I can’t choose between you two, you're both so beautiful and nice, I love both of you equally, I know it's dumb and so feel free to just leave me alone, I'd much rather stay alone than break the heart of one of you"

[They both started thinking for a while before Emma spoke]

"I understand so you like both of us equally?"

"Yeah"

"Well then the solution is simple, just date both of us"

"W-what!?"

"Oh I......never thought of that, that's actually a good idea"

"R-really? Like.....you'd be sharing me?"

"Yeah, since you love both of us the same, it shouldn't be a problem"

"B-but are you OK with that?"

"I suggested it so why wouldn't I?"

"As long as I get to stay with my darling I don't mind, plus getting to know Emma more will be nice, you can tell me all those tricks for the make-up"

"Oh I'd love to as long as you tell me where you found that super cute top"

".......I tried to make you friends this whole time and now you're doing that?"

"Well I guess competition gets the best of a girl sometimes"

"Yeah, but don't worry now that I know you love me just as much as stella i'm totally fine with her........just don't think I'm going to let you hog y/n all to yourself"

"Of course, the same goes for me"

"........wait a second so now I'm dating two girls......no wait....two incredibly hot and rich and famous and nice actresses.....AT THE SAME TIME"

"Oh is that what you think of us?"

"Darling, we're flattered, and you are absolutely right. You are dating both of us, so you'll get double the love"

"And the gifts and the kisses"

"Oh yeah speaking of"

[They both got closer and kissed both of your cheeks]

"I was planning on going to a cute Cafe tomorrow, wanna come too Emma?"

"As long as y/n is there absolutely"

"Then it's settled, see you tomorrow cutie~"

[They walked away as you stood there still in complete disbelief of what happened]

When they confirmed their relationship during an interview the news went absolutely wild that a random person was dating both of the ultimate actresses

[willowdumbdumb]

Heyyy I'm posting this on tumbler ahhh omg wow

(ART BELONGS TO MY FRIEND @lilavod GO CHECK THEIR ART OUT. NOW) ANYWAYS BACK TO THIS

------Sweet Valentine----

Valentines' day. A day full of love, many types of love. A great day to show your loved ones they are, well, loved!

Every toon was pretty easy to get gifts. Goob gets cookies. Teagen gets pastries for her tea parties. There was even something for Shrimpo! There was only one toon that Cosmo still couldn't figure out what to do for…

Sprout.

In concept it sounds easy, but the moment it was attempted. It sucked. Every idea Cosmo even thought of, someone was already doing it or it just wasn't great enough.

New baking supplies? Eh he already had so much, plus Sprout got plenty last year.

What about sewing a new scarf? Sprout would surely love that! Well, it was a great idea until he spotted Shelly working away on a scarf also for the strawberry.

A new recipe! Cosmo could just go look in the library for a recipe that they haven't tried yet, Sprout loved making new things. But who gives something for their partner to make for Valentines' Day? That wouldn't work. Not in cosmos mind.

He would just bake something for Sprout like he was doing for everyone else. But Cosmo wanted it to be special.

Sprout’s vagueness with everything he liked didn't help at all.

Flowers? “They're ok”

Chocolates? “Mmm aight.”

Jewelry?!?! “Okay”

“God damn it, why do you have to be so hard!!” Cosmo banged his head on the table while exclaiming, notepad and pencil next to him. Things were scribbled down, then was immediately scribbled over. (Say gex/j)

Every. single. Idea.

He lifted his head and glanced over at Sprout, walking from the elevator towards the kitchen. “Sprout, what are you doing down here?” He questioned while pushing the notepad away.

“Eh, I just thought I should stop by and see you. What’re you doing anyway?” he pushed himself to lean onto the table Cosmo was sitting at. Sitting up in his chair, Cosmo responded, “I’m trying to figure out some valentine ideas...”

Sprout held a smug smile on his face, “For someone special?” The words made his eyes shot open.

“Of course not! Its uh for everyone!”

“Whatever you say” Sprout replied and rubbed the top of the swiss roll’s head, then he got an idea. “How about we work on it together? Pass over some of your ideas!”

Cosmo jumped at his yell, scratching his hand. “Uh...” think think think- “Baking a bunch of pastries” shit. What if sprout agrees to that plan?

“A bunch of pastries for everyone...” Sprout raised his chin and looked over at the oven and counters that were for the common toons. “...How about instead we do a valentines themed picnic lunch? I could ask Dandy if we can use the garden”

Cosmo gripped at his hoodie, a dribble of frosting falling off him. “Yeahhh sounds great.” He gritted his teeth together, Sprout reached over to fix his frosting. “Yeah? I'll go ahead and ask the flower and you jot down food ideas!”

His smile faltered when sprout finally went inside the elevator and left. Cosmo slammed his head against the table. Why in the world did he agree to this.

—-----------------------

Cosmo screwed up. The two spent the day before Valentine's Day baking and cooking for the picnic. The whole day. Not a minute was left for Cosmo to go continue thinking of a gift. So now here he was on Valentine's Day, with no gift for his best friend.

“Think we got everything?” Sprout spread out the large blanket on the soft fake grass. (The bakers will have to thank Dandy again for letting them use the garden.)

“Yeah, everything's set.” His focus was set on other things, the picnic not being it. “I'll tell everyone lunch is ready.” Sprout shuffled up, stretching his arms and walking off. Leaving Cosmo to his thoughts again.

‘What would be a good last-minute gift...’

He looked at one of the containers. A cylinder metal container containing some cookies.

His eyes lit up, Cosmo knows what to do! He might've said it wasn't good enough before but now It was all he had. Cosmo jumped up and ran towards the elevator almost running into the poor strawberry.

“Ey Cos’ what are you in the rush for?” Other toons walked past them, heading to the picnic area.

“I uh. I forgot to bake something!” Sprout raised an eyebrow, eyes questioning the swiss roll’s forgetfulness “I can help you do it—”

“NO!” sprouts eyes widened at his yell. “I mean– no! You focus on having fun, I'll be real quick, ok?” Before Sprout could even resist Cosmo ran off, only just letting his friend watch him.

The strawberry’s eyes softened, and his mouth curved. Even if he was upset about Cosmo ditching them for a short time, the sweet swiss roll had a tight rope on sprouts heart that couldn't make him that angry.

—---------------

The plan was absolutely perfect! Cosmo would make a cupcake quickly and use some frosting to frost it as sprouts face! Ok it sounded weird but the two made a cookie with Astros face, so it had the idea.

‘Just whip up some batter, pop it in the oven..and fix up some frosting.’

He reached over for the ingredients and got to work!

—-----------------

Sprout sat relaxed on the corner of the blanket. Everyone had finished the food, now just chatting along themselves. It mostly contained more gift giving. He let out a sigh, wishing for Cosmo to be there.

He gripped at his own hand. What was so important he had to do now? All the toons had gotten all the pasties they were gifted. What in the word had Cosmo forgotten about...

“Uh hum.” A cough came up behind him, making him turn his head, kicking him out of his thinking and looking up at who was there. “Cosmo! You're back!” Sprout jumped up and wrapped his arms around him.

“I saved some food for you, didn't want you to be hungry,” he said and gestured to where a plate sat next to where Sprout was sitting. Cosmo looked down at the plate, “oohh sprout how nice of you...”

“Now” Sprouts hands gripped the others’ shoulder. “What was so important you had to go?” Oh. Right.

“I'm so sorry again–”

“Ah ah just tell me. I'm dying of curiosity ‘ere!”

Cosmo lowered his gaze and brought out a small brown box with a red ribbon around it. “I uh... I had to get you something...”

Inside the box was a cupcake with Sprout’s very own face on it. “I understand you don’t like it. I made it very last min—”

“I love it! It\s so cute!” Sprout joyfully chirped and set the cupcake down on his plate. “You went to do that?”

Cosmo blinked a few times and looked away, “Well, yeah, I needed to get you something! I didn't want to show up to you empty handed so I made that really fast” A laughter broke his rant, a booming laughter.

The strawberry was laughing.

“Why- why are you laughing?”

“Cos’ you didn't need to get me anything! I'm serious!” Sprout hugged onto Cosmo. “I appreciate the gift, but you didn't need to... “

He tilted his head and pecked Cosmo’s cheek, lips brushing against the stars on them. “You being here is enough for me ‘aight?”

Cosmo’s eyes started to tear up and he tightened his grip around Sprout. “Why are you crying??”" I'm sorry I just- I just love you so much”

“Oh, my goodness Cosmo. I love you too, ok?"

He held back a sniffle and turned to face him. "Really?”

Sprout smiled and held the others hand, "I love you a lot Cosmo. Happy Valentine's Day”

[moonyasnow]

Mallina: after the confession

Basically! The timeline in their intro post cuts off after Irina has confessed to Malleus.

Here's an overview of what happens after!

Also gonna include mentions of:

Talking a fair bit about Queen Maleficia here! So uhh I'll have to redo the parts about her if we get canon content of her and this becomes OOC.

Some Briar Valley cultural headcanons!

Some brieeeeeef discussions of sex— not any details, but only stuff about it specifically being pre-marital, since I believe Briar Valley sees that as a big no-no, ESPECIALLY for the royals

Also this became sooooo long— I DIDN'T MEAN TO I JUST COULDN'T STOP YAPPING Gonna be kinda unorganized too

First of all— Malleus being swarmed by S.T.Y.X. doctors right after Irina's confession meant he didn't exactly have time properly tell her he felt the same at the time.

So she just had no idea if he felt the same or not. But so long as he still wanted to be around her, that was good enough in her book.

But he suddenly starts giving her gifts; small things like pretty rocks, flowers or leaves he found, starting to slowly become more and more expensive and extravagant over time. Turning into jewelry and gorgeous dresses and other accessories.

At first Irina doesn't really understand why. She feels a little overwhelmed as the gifts get more fancy…

But eventually, through someone just telling her— she realizes that this is how fae court each other. She starts almost crying when she realizes he likes her too because she's so happy, and she never thought he'd actually feel the same.

Malleus immediately starts with the lovey-dovey pet-names. Any classic or old-timey romantic sounding name you can think of, he's probably called her. Anything from 'my dove' to 'darling' to even more outdated ones like 'dollface'. She absolutely melts with every single one, though.

As I said in this post, once the topic of physical affection is broached, it's like the floodgates are opened, and they get INTENSE about it.

Kisses hello and goodbye, as well as good morning and goodnight kisses, and always holding hands— as though if they go more than 10 seconds without touching some part of each other, they will both literally combust.

It makes Irina's friends absolutely cringe every time they see Malleus literally pick her up to kiss her, and she just looks after him with a dreamy far-off look on her face. She endures merciless teasing in the Vice Squad ☆ group chat.

One day, he asks her if she truly isn't afraid of him. She notices he seems…nervous. She nuzzles her face into his hand on her cheek, looks into his eyes and tells him she could never be afraid of him.

With some hesitance, he lets go of her hand after squeezing it affectionately, and closes his eyes.

Before her eyes, he begins to transform…

Standing before her is no longer the form she'd associated with him, but a great, black dragon.

Walking closer to him, her gaze never leaving his eyes, he leans his head down to hers. Holding his head in her hands, it's now the size of her torso, and shaped like that of a lizard instead of a humanoid. Looking at the rest of his body, she sees the black scales which formerly only dusted his forehead, cheeks and joints now cover his entire body, ridges along his spine, and two large, bat-like wings. And she sees his horns— so unmistakably him that she can't help but smile.

She takes him in with awe; a quiet reverence and adoration.

"You're beautiful."

She leans her head against his, and kisses his snout. Cooing happily, he nuzzles his face against hers, then starts licking her face, which tickles her, causing her to burst into uncontrollable giggles.

And Malleus really wants to engage in more human courtship rituals too. Which as far as Irina knows is really just stuff like kissing, cuddling, holding hands and going on dates.

Even with how well they've come to know each other, she's still nervous for their first real date together that isn't just a meeting of the Gargoyle Studies Club (of which they are still the only members. Now partially because anyone wanting to join would need to be fine with being a third wheel to them being all mushy with each other).

Oh and at this point, Malleus has started showing way more of his Draconic features around her when it's just the two of them, or them and the Briar Valley gang. He'll no longer bother with the transformation that removes his tail or wings, or shortens and dulls his nails; all things meant to make him look less intimidating. Because he knows his real appearance doesn't frighten her.

And the longer they're a couple, the more intense their physical affection for each other becomes, to the point where eventually, they start craving something…less innocent.

Not to mention that for Malleus, it'd be important in confirming their relationship. Through leaving bites on her and getting the scent of his magic to really attach to her, in the courting terms he's familiar with, it'd be like officially proclaiming her as his one and only mate, that she's not available for anyone else. That she belongs to him. And it'd also make anyone think twice about messing with her.

So, despite the fact that Briar Valley culture— especially the tradition the royals adhere to— would definitely be expecting him to wait until his wedding night to do anything, they decide not to wait.

Though this does lead to a LOT more beastman, as well as some fae and merfolk, starting to avoid her like the plague. While she might have smelled a bit like him due to how often they were with each other before, now she absolutely reeks of dragon.

She was a little worried— and also feeling guilty bc damn society sucks in some ways— about the fact that she wasn't actually a virgin herself when they got together. But as far as he was concerned, the fact that he had her now meant no one else she'd have been with in the past mattered. If anything it just motivated him more to make sure he made their experiences together so memorable that they were the only ones she'd want to remember.

And a headcanon I have is that, just based on fae biology and natural instincts, that would already basically make them engaged. The actual engagement later on is more of a formality.

It's considered a taboo in Briar Valley to force apart a mated couple.

(But the senate would probably try anyways— arguing that only applied to 'real' couples, (fae/fae couples) and that since Irina isn't fae, it doesn't count. Kinda in the same vein as how Henry VIII tried to argue his marriage to Catherine of Aragon wasn't real and didn't because she was his brother's widow, and there was a very specific Bible verse about how you shouldn't marry your brother's widow, so he should get to marry Anne Boleyn anyway actually even though the pope didn't grant him a divorce.)

I think that, after they first got together, when Summer Break was coming up and Malleus and Irina had just gotten done with their third and first years respectively, they're both incredibly sad they'll no longer be able to meet each other every single day— or night, rather.

So, Malleus decides to bring her along to Briar Valley with him over the break.

There, Irina becomes well and truly jealous over him for the first time— she meets a noble fae lady who was, apparently, the leading candidate to be Malleus' future bride: Yvonnet Dechoiselle.

This would actually be the first time Malleus himself would find out that he and this lady Yvonnet were considered betrothed.

Irina was allowed to stay in a guest room. At night, Malleus would simply teleport into her room and sleep there with her. Or he'd just pick her up and teleport them both into his room either way.

But because Lilia advised it, they tried to hide their relationship a bit longer.

But Malleus really did not like it. She was his beloved! He was hers, and she was his; and he couldn't stand seeing her be disrespected on account of her being human. And he hated even more being forced to ask people to not disrespect a 'dear friend of mine', rather than 'my beloved'. He thought that, if they knew she was his lover, they would show her some more respect.

But…though they might be lovers, Briar Valley would not by any means consider that to mean they belonged to each other. In fact, the very fact that they WERE lovers, and that Malleus belonged to Briar Valley, would— if the truth were revealed— make his and Irina's current relationship be considered little more than an affair.

Irina felt very insecure during this time.

She told Malleus that, she could be fine just being considered his mistress…so long as he didn't marry anyone else— so long as she was the only one he actually shared a bed with. Irina, not being used to ever being given any sort of respect or commitment, was fine with settling just for crumbs. She even felt selfish for asking that he not marry anyone. But she just couldn't take it if he ever did anything with someone who wasn't her; it would feel worse than death.

But

As Malleus will be spending his fourth year of NRC at home with his grandmother, learning how to better rule directly from her, he stayed when Irina left.

It was at that point that Malleus informed his grandmother of his human lover.

When she first found out, she was shocked to the point of muteness, though Malleus could see a storm raging in her eyes. In the end she told him that she didn't want to hear about it. She just hoped he'd move on and forget about this human soon enough, and wished she could return to the blissful ignorance of not knowing what kind of despot had seduced her grandson. She wondered if perhaps it was a result of her protecting him too closely.

Maleanor had also had a…peculiar…romantic taste, but this? A human?

Not only had fae— including Maleficia herself— often regarded humans as lesser even before the war…humans had killed her daughter. Her own flesh and blood; her only child. Living amongst them for a while during his schooling was one thing…but falling in love with one?

Oh, and I think, at some point during this visit home, Malleus actually confided in Sebek's parents that he was in love with a human, and asked them for any advice they had, since they'd be the only fae/human couple he'd really know.

I imagine Malleus and Irina get engaged during a birthday ball held for him— he has said in canon that his birthday is a national holiday in Briar Valley, after all. I imagine this SPECIFIC ball would be during the winter break of Irina's 2nd year at NRC. So at this point, Malleus himself is on his 4th year.

When he gets down on one knee, and she realizes what he's going to say, she has to cover her mouth with her hands and try (and fail) to keep from crying, to let him finish speaking. As she keeps listening to him speak, she almost can't believe it. She never, ever thought she'd see a day where anyone would propose to her— much less someone as amazing as him. And when he tells her that he's found a way to prolong her life, to make sure she'll be alive for just as long as him, for a moment she swears she's died and gone to heaven.

One of her big fears when it came to their relationship was the thought that she'd age and die before him— that she'd be forced to leave him behind. That he's somehow found away to overcome that obstacle feels too good to be true. She almost doesn't believe it. But knowing just how capable he is when it comes to magic, she just can't doubt him. And so she can no longer keep from crying, big tears of joy rolling down her face.

She has to strain so much to let him finish.

When he finishes his proposal by asking her to share eternity with him, she falls to her knees in her desperation to hold him, saying "Yes! Yes! Yes!" through her tears. She buries her crying face in his neck, and his arm soothingly rubs her back and he gently kisses the top of her head.

Neither of them care at all that they're surrounded by a large crowd of fae nobles watching them hold each other in the middle of the ballroom floor.

The room had been almost deathly silent, before someone begins to applaud— not because the fae present are pleased with this development, but because it would be rude not to applaud the prince for a successful proposal.

Irina still visits Briar Valley every chance she gets, so that she can both be with Malleus as well as, as he said, 'begin to accustom herself to her future home'.

And despite the fact that they're engaged and have done frankly unspeakable things to each other at this point, she really goes 'wait he really loves me 🥺' when he says that. Like, he's really going to include her fully in his life and plans for it to last. She still kinda thought she was dreaming— that Malleus loving her back was too good to be true and that maybe she was still under the effects of his Signature Spell or something.

He's actually upset they're still not officially allowed to share a bedroom because of all the tradition stuff, because at this point, having declared his intention to make her his Queen, he's in full 'that's my wife' mode already.

And the senate was CERTAINLY NOT happy about this.

But Malleus, for once refusing to bend to anyone's wishes regarding the matter, put his foot down. He basically said: "Either she shall be my wife, or Briar Valley will have no Queen."

I think, realistically, Maleficia— while she CERTAINLY has a long list of choice words she'd like to exchange about EVERYTHING of what he just said— just knows that, if his mind is already made up, there's nothing she can do to change it. Even if she tried to force them apart by just not giving him the crown until Irina has already died of old age, Malleus would just change his plan and marry her BEFORE being crowned, anyway.

…Not to mention, she can just sense on the human girl that Malleus had broken tradition and made her his mate already, anyway.

And she's just too tired to try to come up with some other way. So she has no choice but to let him.

Though I'd imagine some part of that is because she thinks of Irina as just 'a phase' in a way; she'll die long before Malleus, and in the end, he'll either rule alone or be forced into a political marriage with someone more…suitable. A fae, to start with. And it'll be a good lesson: once Irina passes, Malleus will be forced to deal with the inevitable emotional consequences of becoming so invested in someone with a lifespan so short it would seem like a single blink when regarding his own. And besides…the fertility rates in human/fae couples— of the few that had existed— were notoriously low, so there wasn't any need to be worried the future heir might be half-human.

But then, once the actual wedding day arrives, Malleus goes and ends their vows by casting an ancient spell— one even Maleficia did not believe he'd be capable of casting— meant to bind the life of one being to the caster, ensuring they live for as long as the caster is still alive, and age at the same rate as them.

…Safe to say, no longer seems like a phase.

There was an absolute uproar in the senate and among the fae nobles— most notably the family of his former 'betrothed', the Dechoiselles.

But, surprisingly, Yvonnet herself seemed to be on their side.

She respected that there were some things the senate could not change his mind on, that he would not let himself be bossed around by them. She said he'd be a weak king if he did.

She also decided that she would help Irina learn everything she'd need to know to be a good Queen.

She never really had much desire to be Queen, but she figured that, since it looked possible she might be married to Malleus, she made sure to read up on everything that might be expected of her, so the position would at least go to someone competent. And since it was now Irina who would be Queen, she passed that information on to her.

Yvonnet ends up becoming a friend of Irina's; her lady-in-waiting, even. Self-assigned, but as she was from a powerful noble family it wasn't impossible she'd become Irina's lady-in-waiting anyway.

When she started getting close to Irina— which was soon after Irina and Malleus had officially gotten engaged— Yvonnet's own family believed that was because Yvonnet had plans of seducing Malleus somehow. But really, she just wanted to make sure the future Queen is competent and doesn't make a fool of herself.

Malleus was absolutely delighted that he was finally officially allowed to have Irina sleeping in his room— now their room— which he'd redecorated to be half filled with things he liked and half with things she liked. The large, round bed in the center of the room was absolutely littered with pillows and more resembled a nest than a human idea of a bed. And there on the bed was the patchwork rabbit she had recieved from Epel's grandmother after the Harveston sled race, and the gargoyle plush she'd bought for him, sitting side by side.

And after that…I can really imagine Irina in a similar situation as Cinderella in that sequel movie— someone who's used to doing everything herself and having no one to really care too much to comment on the things she did every day or things she wore…and now suddenly a queen.

Now suddenly she has 'ladies in waiting', and personal servants who help her dress in the mornings, and also bring her breakfast. Imagine the most lavish breakfast you've ever seen: a giant plate piled up with eggs done in different ways, sausage links, pancakes, fruits, different kinds of porridge, breads and meats and cheeses…

And the person expected to eat it is the same person who had to get used to smuggling scraps into her room to eat next time her parents would forget— or just not bother— to feed her. Who thinks a microwaved pastry is a luxury.

The first time she woke up after Malleus had been forced to leave for his work for the day (he usually always tried to wait so they could have breakfast together) she was so terrified to open her eyes and discover someone other than Malleus was in their room that she ended up dissociating for a while.

After that, servants were made to always knock until they recieved a response.

Something different about no longer being at NRC was that Malleus could finally go back to his nocturnal habits; a schedule which was much more natural for him.

Thankfully, being used to being awake at night anyway, it wasn't difficult for Irina to make the switch, too. Malleus simply enchanted the food she ate to make sure she still got all the nutrients she'd usually get from the sun. Though she did still end up becoming paler as a result of not seeing the sun anymore.

I've been thinking that, since they now live in the same castle, Silver might end up seeing Irina's dreams more often.

First of all— I'm so sorry Silver.

But secondly… That might actually lead to Silver being one of— if not the— first people to find out about some of the intensely traumatic stuff Irina went through.

Malleus hadn't quite been able to sense just how much was wrong. Being sheltered as he was, he hadn't completely learned yet that none who's completely sound of heart and mind would have as many nightmares as she did. But he did start to consider they were not natural once Silver started to ask if Irina had ever talked about them with him. At first Malleus responded that she would talk of them if she wished to. But once Silver mentioned he was actually kinda worried about her, and Malleus found out that Silver had seen the contents of those nightmares….

He had to fight exceptionally hard to quell the urge to ask what they contained. Some part of him thought that if he only knew, he might be able to set it right somehow. But after the disaster that was his Overblot, he had learned better that his actions could hurt others regardless of him only having had good intentions. And it was wrong to meddle with others' dreams.

But each subsequent nightmare she had that woke her up, and accidentally woke him up too by how hard she'd cling to him, he became more worried.

She was his heart, his wife; the love of his life!

So one day he asked her about it. Said he knew that, Silver knew what they were about due to his Signature Spell, and asked her to share those fears with him.

I think their first big fight would actually be about the topic. Or, well, less 'fight', and more Irina just kinda getting overwhelmed and literally running away to hide somewhere.

She was used to always just brushing people off when they asked about her having nightmares— just chalking it up to her being an anxious person in general, and minimizing how distressing they actually were for her. But she just couldn't do that with Malleus. Especially because…

She should feel safe. She knows Malleus won't leave her, and he'll keep her safe. Everything is good, and she should feel safe, and okay…so why doesn't she?

She becomes terrified that means that, somehow, she and Malleus together isn't 'right'. Because if everything is right and good, she wouldn't still be feeling bad, right? But while she does no longer feel quite as alone, quite as horrible…she still doesn't feel good most of the time. She was expecting that feeling to go away…but it just hadn't.

No one could find her for the rest of the day.

Then much later that morning, Malleus found her, having curled up in a little ball in a corner of their walk-in closet, underneath the blanket that was usually draped across their bed, and cried herself to sleep.

He felt his heart break in his chest, seeing her like that. Gently, he scooped her up into his arms and sat on the floor, holding her, for a long time. When she woke up, she started crying again, mumbling out 'I'm sorry' over and over while clinging to him and making his clothes wet.

In the end, she said that, thinking about it was painful, hence why she hated talking about it. And she didn't want him— or anyone— to think she was pathetic for it. But…she could maybe try talking about it. But just a little. Just in broad strokes. At least to start with.

Saying that 'some bad things happened' was already more than she'd told most people.

She did slowly reveal more and more about her past to him, and only him. And while he wasn't the best-equipped person to know what to make of it— just knowing he would never allow her to live in anything resembling the circumstances she grew up in again— just telling him was a huge deal for her.

Irina is…not exactly popular in Briar Valley. There are some who are outraged the Queen isn't fae, some who think someone as young as her, just 18, will make for a terrible Queen. Some who fear what a human Queen might mean, thinking Briar Valley isn't ready to deal with the outside world again. And some, though quite few, who see it as a good opportunity to open up relations with other nations. Especially since Irina is a good friend of the partner of the second prince of the Sunset Savannah, as well as the personal servant and close confidant of the heir to a very wealthy noble house of the Scalding Sands.

But to say this last group was the minority would be an understatement.

Though, I think, grandma Maleficia is actually won over more easily than one might have expected. In the end, after seeing the two spend time together, how her grandson just seems to glow in a way he never had in all the years she'd watched over him…she gives them her silent blessing.

She knew just how lonely Malleus has always been, after all…

And in a way it reminded her of seeing Maleanor cooing over Raverne all those years ago.

And after doing so, she does begin to realize just how hard Irina had been trying to get Maleficia to like her, by studying the fae language, and trying very hard to familiarize herself with the customs, history and locations within Briar Valley. Even when faced with the disdain of the senate and any other prejudiced fae she encountered, she never once seemed to regret her choice to be with Malleus, nor did it make her want to stop trying.

Even as she observed her and came to learn more of the kind of person Irina was— a follower; fragile, in need of validation, but a good liar with an exceptional capability to read others— there was something a lot more genuine about her when she was with Malleus.

And the way Malleus smiles when Irina is present made her surprisingly popular with the castle staff from pretty early on. Holding onto someone so much smaller than him with so much tenderness and smiling so reverently at her made the previously intimidating Malleus Draconia a bit less intimidating to the staff which observed it.

Not to mention Irina was genuinely very grateful for every little thing a member of the staff ever did for her, always saying please and thank you, and speaking in such a way that her requests never came off as demands of any kind, and very understanding when someone was already busy.

Then, one year into Malleus and Irina's marriage, Irina wakes up to see she's holding onto an egg.

She herself has seen the egg of a Draconic fae before— the egg Malleus himself hatched from, even— in Lilia's dream…but it takes a moment for her to realize the implications of it. And she only does after she sees the dark magenta colored egg glow, as if pulsating, illuminating the tiny, tiny shape of a lizard-like embryo.

Gasping, she sits up, holding the egg gently in her arms.

She looks at Malleus, laying in the bed next to her, still asleep, then looks back at the egg.

This is their baby.

Hers and Malleus'. Their child.

They're going to have a child!

They're going to be parents!

They're going to be a family…

She wakes up Malleus while she keeps holding it gently in her arms. She's already crying when he opens his eyes. Seeing her tears, he shoots up to ask what's wrong. When he sees what she's holding…he's in shock. For a long while, he just stares, all the while Irina tries to babble out possible explanations through her tears of joy, which just won't stop flowing long enough to let her finish a coherent sentence.

When reality, and his emotions, finally catch up with him, and he realizes what this egg is, and what it means…

He starts to cry, too. He embraces both of them very gently, lifting Irina into his lap, and holding both her and egg as close as he possibly can. While he cries, he whispers declarations of gratitude into the top of her head, keeping one hand on the egg the whole time.

She starts crying even more; louder. She leans her head against his chest and holds the egg closer, meanwhile he does the same, curling his entire body, as well as his tail, around the two. Around his family.

Evidently, the crying heard from the royal couple's room that dusk alerted nearby guards, as well as the servants meant to bring their breakfast, who promptly opened the door to investigate, fearing something may have happened.

When they enter to see the two crying in each other's arms, both are still too emotional for words.

But the news spreads quickly through the castle, and later, the whole realm:

Briar Valley has an heir once more.

Draconic fae are so close to extinction because of how rarely they have children. So this, an heir, after having been married for barely a year, is exceptional.

When she found out that the senate wanted to take her baby away from her, without even thinking about it, so overcome with emotion, she spat out:

"Over my dead body!"

"I'm their mother. I need to hold them. I need to keep them warm…!"

Throughout the entire incubation period, Irina refuses to ever let go of the egg. Or if she has no choice, never goes further than a single meter away, always placing the egg on a soft surface, and never letting go for longer than 5 minutes. And she REFUSES to let anyone who is not her, Malleus, Lilia or Silver touch it. Sadly for him, that does mean Sebek isn't allowed to. Though she prefers no one but her and Malleus holding the egg if at all possible.

Who is and isn't allowed to touch it is purely a vibe check on Irina's part, her instincts deciding who is/isn't safe. And sadly, Sebek still reminds some deep, instinctual part of her a bit too much of her father for him to feel 'safe'. Though some part of this can definitely be attributed to 'first-time-parent jitters', since she doesn't end up feeling quite this level of overprotective, paranoid anxiety for the rest of the children in the future.

And Malleus, while he can't be there for every single second, takes as much time as the senate will allow him to be with the two of them. And they both make sure to talk to the egg very often, to make sure their child learns their voices. Some might say that it's just an egg…but Malleus knows Malina can hear them. And the way she glows in response to them definitely seems to indicate so, too. They even sing it to sleep together every night.

The result of this is little egg-baby Malina being spoiled from all sides by an almost overwhelming amount of love directed at her at all hours of the day.

So perhaps it shouldn't be too surprising, then, when she starts to hatch— much, much earlier than what would typically be expected for a draconic fae.

She hatched on the second anniversary of their wedding. Irina, having historically always hated summer, for once had a good memory of it. And now that she associated summer not only with the worst day of her life, but also one of the best, the whole season became more bearable. Finding out Malleus intended for their wedding to be in the summer for this exact reason…Irina felt so overwhelmed by her love for Malleus, and his love for her, that she started crying tears of joy.

And that was the precise moment baby Malina picked to escape from her shell.

Malina may not have looked like a human baby, but that did nothing to stop Irina seeing her for the first time and some deep instinct of hers recognizing 'that's my baby'. And despite not having gone through any biological process, her body also seemed to recognize it, as her breasts had started producing milk not long before Malina hatched. Even if they hadn't, Irina would be VERY firm that she would not have any kind of nurse maid. She would feed her own child no matter what, even if it was just from a milk bottle.

They hadn't discussed names much beforehand. But seeing Malina's little purple eyes, it reminded her of a raspberry. And somehow, of one of the few Bulgarian words her own mother had taught her.

Holding the little purple-eyed dragon in

And so she was named Malina. Raspberry.

Holding Malina for the first time, Irina could never understand why or how her own parents treated her the way they did. Because Irina knew that she would do anything for Malina. From now on, nothing would ever feel more important to her than making sure her daughter was well-fed, well-rested and happy, and that she grew up well.

Then, very quickly after Malina's hatching, another egg appears.

And literal weeks after that one has hatched, they discover Irina is pregnant. As in, carrying a child the human way.

And soon the halls of castle Draconia, which had stood quiet for nearly four hundred years, are filled with the pitter-patter of three pairs of tiny feet.

And when Mallory was around 10 months old, one day, when she was feeling bad for no reason she herself could discern, but was just hiding it like usual, Malina and Malachi suddenly came to lay on her lap and her stomach while she was nursing Mallory. She pet both their heads like she always did, and smiled, feeling her chest becoming lighter. Then Malachi asked her why she was sad.

That almost froze her in place. Petting his head again, she asked why he thought she was sad. And all he said was that 'Mama feels sad. When Mama sad I'm sad.'

It made her think of when she herself was a child, and noticed her own parents feeling bad…and just how sad and helpless it made her feel, too.

Was that what she was making her own children feel?

And that planted an idea in her mind. That maybe, in order to properly take care of and raise her children, she needed to get better. Though, she was hesitant for a while, not even knowing where or how to start, or if there was anyone she even could go to about it.

And no matter the previous disdain toward Irina, the people of Briar Valley had to admit…three heirs after not even five years of marriage was nothing anyone could hold against her.

Briar Valley's future was now more secure than it had been in hundreds of years.

And though it could never have won over everyone, most would agree that, after that, there was little argument anyone could raise against her which merely a reminder the three royal children would not immediately counter.

After having discussed it with Malleus, Lilia, Tomoe, Jamil and Ruggie, once her three oldest children were at the age of being tutored, meaning she had more time to herself again…she ended up deciding that…she wanted to go to therapy of some sort.

She was really, really scared. Especially with the fact that, being a literal Queen now, she was worried she wouldn't even be able to find a therapist who wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

Overall, she just did not know what to expect from therapy, having never gone before.

She was at least happy when her therapist— who was from the Sunset Savannah, whom she got in contact with thanks to Tomoe and Leona— didn't pressure her to talk about things she didn't want to.

Around 40 years and a total of EIGHT children later, and the Briar Valley line of succession VERY secure, even the senate finally gives in and stops trying to give her a hard time. Begrudgingly.

The vibe is definitely the lyrics to 'you'll be in my heart' by Phil Collins:

"Why can't they understand the way we feel? They just don't trust what they can't explain I know we're different, but, deep inside us, we're not that different at all...

Don't listen to them, 'cause what do they know? (What do they know?) We need each other, to have, to hold They'll see in time, I know We'll show them together"

Also this is what I imagine future Irina to look like

(Would wanna design a new dress for her tho bc this was just a design I came up with randomly and I no longer like it. And GAH WHY DO I ALWAYS FORGET SHE COVERS UP HER ARMS AND HANDS DUE TO HER SCARS— But I would still wanna keep her having 'horns' as part of her ensemble)

But the very important part is that I want her hair to be short! I've always found that, Irina just seems more confident when her hair is shorter

It's a lot easier to take care of, so ends up looking less messy. It's a metaphor— if something is too much to take care of (her very long hair) it's better to just scale it back.

But by far, their most cherished time together were their golden years.

Many, many centuries after that night they first met, both old and grey, having long since given the throne to their oldest daughter.

They got what they'd always wanted. Someone who loved them enough to never leave. Someone they could grow old with.

They endured the loss of many dear friends over the years, sadly a consequence of their long lifetimes, and made many more. Things changed around them constantly, especially the older they grew, the faster change seemed to occur around them.

The one thing that never changed was the weight and warmth of their clasped hands. They, and their love, remained forever timeless.

Upon their death many, many years in the future— which occurred on the same day, at the same time, wrapped in each other's arms, after which they were buried in the same coffin— a statue was made of the two. It depicts the two of them, nestled close to each other, bodies lovingly entwined, with serene expressions on their faces. The plaque beneath reads:

「King Malleus [year ? to ?] and Queen Irina [year ? to ?] - "Undying Eternal Love - Forever One Heart - In Life, Death, & Beyond"」

With just how entwined they were in every facet of their lives, there are no historical accounts of one that fails to mention the other. They come as a pair, so entwined that, should you write about one, it's impossible to not include the other, and sacrilege to try. It's even said that if you speak the name of one and do not add 'and Irina/Malleus', lightning strikes.

Even in death, they will never be alone again.

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[honehonn3honey]

Birthday boy 🎂

[trashmouthjr]

repost bc the colors were tooooo bleedy

[giddlygoat]

i just finished rewatching gravity falls for the first time since i was dipper and mabel’s age, and somehow i only remembered AFTER it was all said and done that today is their birthday. poetic. i’m in emotional shambles.

i hope everything works out. i hope my twin brother and i stay close forever. this show gives me a lot of hope and determination and i hope i never lose that, or my childlike sense of wonder and whimsy. you know, the important stuff. i’ve also decided just now that i’m going to stop being self-conscious about getting sappy. i love this show with all of my heart and it’s been my dream for a long time now to someday create something that can inspire sincerity in others as much as gravity falls has inspired me to always strive for authenticity. that was a long run-on sentence but i hope it makes sense.

thank you alex hirsch for creating the perfect show!

[chloemew]

Oh yeah, these guys arrived earlier this week too!! Sadly not all of them as Metal wasn't available for some reason and I unfortunately don't like Bubble enough to warrant spending even more than I already was on these <:] I didn't order the metal cards, but got 2x Gutsmen anyway, which was a nice surprise.

The boys now live on my pinboard, except for Quick, who has replaced Reigen on my work lanyard since one of Reigen's pin backs broke 😔

[todayisafridaynight]

i’m pretty surprised that you can be in a fandom without really checking the tags regularly for new content or discussions that’s pretty impressive

ive got twitter for that and twitter has shown me enough as is

[jamiethebeeart]

⊂⁠(^‿^)⁠つ⊂⁠(⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠*⁠⊂⁠)

[maukuja]

Art vs Artist 2024

you can really see the rain code vivia obsession going strong and then just morphing into other interests lol

[ace-with--a-mace]

the truth is i actually get so insanely jealous

[transgender-catboy]

I love my friends

[f-shf-n]

Made a little pouch ^^ I've tried weaving a few times now but wasn't sure what to do with my little rectangles lol. Tried to go a bit bigger this time n I'm rather pleased with how it came out for a first attempt. Colours are nicer irl.

[arolesbianism]

Thinking abt my nuggets again. Explodes them.

[saintrosalyn]

JAILBIRD

Ghost becomes pen pals with an inmate before deciding that he wants to adopt his little jailbird.

Word count: 4.1k

Tw: inmate reader, reader is kept as vauge as possible but is implied to be younger than Ghost, violence, stalking, ghost is a perv, p in v, oral (f! Receiving), creampie, spanking (once), orgasm denial if you squint, unprotected sex, NOT edited we die like men.

Edited to Add: Part Two is posted :)

Notes: Baby’s first fanfic, please be gentle. Let me know if I missed any trigger warnings or if you want to see more! I have an idea for a second part but I don’t know if anyone wants it, right now it’s tucked away safely in my drafts. Enjoy! :)

P.S. I’m thinking about making an ao3 account and publishing an edited version of this on there. I’ll link it if I do! I’ve already spent too much time procrastinating finals but christmas break is around the corner so who knows.

The letter came with the top serrated, already opened, as all your letters came. You mostly ignored them. There were a couple of programs that allowed people to become pen pals with prisoners but you’d been there long enough to know what they often contained. 

Many of the women milked poor losers on the outside. Money given and sent. Promises of butterfly kisses and blowjobs whispered over the phone. Exchanges. Some were even able to sweet talk their honeys into giving bribes. Money passed into hands of guards, currency that was then exchanged for cigarettes, which were much more valuable on the inside than the bills used on the outside.

You don’t know why you read this letter. It certainly wasn’t the penmanship, a scrawled handwriting that lay between cursive and print. Maybe it was the blue pen, you’d recognize a Bic anywhere, or maybe it was the fact that it smelled a bit like top-shelf liquor. 

It was rather blunt. But not in an obscene way. Simple and straight to the point as if constrained by an unknown word count. It wasn’t memorable, but what else was there to do? Pace your cell back and forth and wait for zoochosis to settle further in your bones. Close your eyes and remember what freedom tasted like before it dissolved in your mouth.

The pen they gave you was cheap, the paper even cheaper, but you were used to making things work. Your reply was shorter than his, than Simon’s, but it got the job done. If he wanted to write back he would. If he didn’t, well, the new prison guard was starting to get rather handsy with you. The time will pass no matter what.

___

His replies came in strange patterns. Some weeks you’d get eight in a week, other times you wouldn’t hear from him for a few months. It took a year for the first phone call of which lasted less than a minute and consisted mostly of him grunting on the other end and a schlick sound you pretended not to notice. It was his fourth phone call that he finally said a few words in a voice so low it made the phone buzz against your ear, tickling like a lover's breath. Eventually, you had some semblance of conversations, even if they were interrupted by a recorded voice warning you of the time you had left. 

He told you he was a soldier and at first, you planned on cutting the whole penpal idea off. Even before you got arrested you hated bootlickers more than anything. But Simon grew on you, and your friends all suggested you get in his good graces to see if he could pull some strings. You would’ve felt guilty if he was anything other than glorified government property. Both of you were.

The first thing he gave you was a book, The Yellow Wallpaper, which was thicker than you remembered from the time you read it in school. It was only when you cracked open the spine did you find a pack of cigarettes inside, the pages carved out so your real present could be placed inside. You couldn’t help the smile that split your lips as you pressed one between your lips, not noticing the tiny S carved into it.

You thank him for the gift by whispering his name into the phone. A mantra, a prayer, it didn’t matter as long as you kept your voice breathy. He promises to get you more and you learn not to refuse him. At one point, you notice that little robotic voice doesn’t time you anymore. The guard who couldn’t keep his hands to himself was replaced with a woman, hair pulled back into a military-style bun. And you got an extra cookie with your meals.

It took a year for him to visit. You knew it was coming eventually, men are only fine with their imagination for so long before they crave something tangible. Hell, even you were curious about the man who wanted to sink his teeth into you. It almost felt like getting ready for a date. Butterflies dropped like lead in your stomach as you tried to tidy your appearance as much as you could. You smelled, but there wasn’t much you could do about that. The whole damn prison smelled like a county fair bathroom. The lack of air conditioning in the heat of summer just added a sweet BO tinge. 

The first thing you noticed about Simon was his size. You had never met a man as big as he was. The next was the thick scar tissue that marred his face. Though, even without the scars you would be hesitant to ever call him handsome.

Intimidating.

That was what came to mind staring at the thick cords of muscle that covered his arms and the broadness of his shoulders wasn’t just genetics. And he just stared at you. You glanced at the phone that connected to his on the other side of the glass and back at him but decided against it.

You offered him a small smile and an awkward wave. It unnerved you. The focus and attention pinned you in place. Normally you kinned yourself to a tiger you saw at a zoo when you were a child. One that paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. A habit you understood all too well. But sitting in front of your pen pal you realized you were rather off. 

Simon was the tiger and you were the bird that caught his attention.

It took far too long for the guard to come and collect you. For once you were grateful to retreat back to your cell, so much so that in your retreat you failed to notice the nod your warden gave Simon.

___

After that Simon met with you in person as often as was allowed. He never said anything and neither did you. Eventually, the novelty of him wore off. Humans were rather adaptable creatures, and you could only be scared of the man for so long before your body adjusted to him. Despite your silence, Simon didn’t appear displeased with you. In fact, it was almost the opposite of it. More gifts arrived.

A pillow, high-end shampoo, a toothbrush (that you had a strange suspicion was used before being given to you), nail polish, and more cigarettes. Some of the women were jealous of the attention given to you, others tried to get with you to share your bounty. Somehow you dodged most of the conflict. But you can only run so long while trapped with so many women.

When you showed up to your meeting sporting a bruised cheek and split lip the air quickly changed. Before you thought Simon looked like a predator. 

You were wrong.

Fear coursed through your veins and you recognized the look in his eyes. Every woman in the damn place knows what a hunger for violence looked like. Slowly he reached out an arm, the sleeve of his hoodie riding up slightly showing off tattoos, before grabbing the phone and pressing it to his ear. With a shaking hand, you did the same.

“Bird.” His voice was somehow deeper in real life than over the phone.

“You should see the other guy.”

His lips twitched.

There was something uncanny about his eyes. They weren’t brown, they were black. Obsidian. You realized that before, the first time you met him, he wasn’t trying to scare you. Though, you were pretty sure it wasn’t directed at you.

“Just a little spat is all Simon. Everything sorted itself out.”

All over a bottle of nail polish. Tempers run short in prison. You spend most of your days in a cell, and what little free time you get surrounded by the same insufferable bitches, it’s a mystery there isn’t more violence. For the most part, things were settled with words. The more physical an inmate gets the more time spent in your cell. There were some weeks where you spent twenty-three hours a day in that little room. 

Simon let out a sigh as if dealing with you was the most insufferable part of his day.

“Did ye’ get medical attention a’ least?”

You nodded your head.

He gave a grunt.

That seemed to be his preferred method of communication with you. Caveman grunts and growls, the occasional moan over the phone he couldn’t hold back. You figured it had something to do with his job. He was quite tight-lipped about it, but you gathered he has co-workers (his squad? Platoon? What was the proper lingo?). Despite this, you were under the impression he spent the majority of his time alone. He always seemed more primal after those month-long stints of silence.

You always wondered how you would feel if he never contacted you again. Went out and didn’t come back. Would you assume he was dead? That he moved on to prettier things that aren’t locked away? Would it make a difference to you? 

No. It wouldn’t.

Even now you got letters upon letters from other men. Though none were as giving as Simon was.

It was back to silence and staring contests that you were used to. The both of you slipping into a familiarity. He never put the phone back. Even when your warden came and escorted you back. You didn’t glance back at him. 

Tucked away in your cell you didn’t get to watch Simon slowly rise out of his seat, chair creaking from the shifting of his weight. You didn’t see Simon lurk in the back as the inmates met with their loved ones on the out. Didn’t see him take notice of a particular girls with nails painted the same shade as his gift to you. The same shade as the tip of his cock.

___

The girl was transferred. For a singular moment, you thought Simon had something to do with it. Then laughed at the idea. Simon may be in the military, but you highly doubted he had anything to do with the bitch who got transferred. At least you got your nail polish back. It was a strange shade, and the idea of a man as big as Simon standing in an isle trying to pick out a shade made you chuckle, it was the thought that counted.

Time marched on. Penpals came and went but Simon stayed the consistent part in your life. 

Eventually, the possibility of parole was on the horizon. 

Freedom. 

So close you could practically taste it.

Unfortunately, that meant a laundry list of to-do items. Court hearings, lawyers bankrolled by Simon, arranging for transportation and housing. Simon handled most of it. By now, the lingering guilt of using your soldier fiance had long left you. He seemed like the kind of man who needed to learn lessons the hard way, and entering a relationship with a felon was a lesson most didn’t need to learn. Still, he had been putting in quite a hard amount of work. He deserved a treat.

And after years of forced celibacy, you needed it bad.

The two of you would enjoy each other for a week or two. Simon would realize he made a mistake moving you in. He would kick you out. You’d pawn the ring he’d give you and use the money as a cushion as you landed, getting back on your feet. The two of you would go your separate ways and never see each other again.

Being in prison taught you a lot of things. Despite everything, patience wasn’t one of those lessons. The day you were gaining your freedom passed was the slowest part of your life. The checking, double checking, retrieving your stuff, checking again, until finally,

Finally,

You were outside. You were outside in something other than a uniform that stunk of sweat, there were no handcuffs. Anxiety crept everywhere. You wanted to get as far away from the prison as you could, if you breathed wrong a warden would drag you back. A pair of arms snatched you.

You looked up and couldn’t help but laugh, pressing your lips against his scarred ones.

“Fucking Christ your tall.”

He chuckled against your lips before taking them again, hands digging near painfully into your ass. The two of you somehow managed to walk back to his car peeling off one another before Simon peeled away, hand clutching the fat of your thighs as he drove.

“Never pictured you as a reckless driver.” You giggled.

The adrenaline and giddiness of being free hadn’t worn off yet. If anything it seemed to slowly be morphing into a different beast entirely. You pressed your lips against his bicep causing him to groan. You glanced up at him, watching as his jaw clenched weaving in and out of traffic in a way that was certainly not legal. You would’ve been worried about being pulled over if he wasn’t driving a military vehicle. They answered to a different police, or so he told you.

Eventually, he pulled into the yard of a house with an honest-to-God white picket fence. You smiled as you got out, curiosity creeping in about what his house was like. Simon opened the door for you, which would probably should’ve made you swoon at his gentleman-like behavior, but truthfully it was how he hauled you out of the card and dragged you inside that got your heart racing. 

Impatient.

The door barely closed before his body was pressed against yours and his lips were pressed against your jugular. One of his rough hands slipped up your shirt, grunting when he found a clear path to your tits instead of meeting the edge of a bra. The other dipped into the waistband of your pants, running over your clothed cunt, no doubt feeling the wet spot against your underwear. Your hands slid over his arms, squeezing at the muscle, before slowly sliding them up and up, going to the back of his neck, a hand threading through his short hair the other cupping his face to kiss yours. 

A large thumb found your clit, only the thin cotton stopped him from rubbing directly against it. He pressed down hard on it, causing your breath to catch in your throat, his thumb moving down your slit. The seam of your mouth parted in a moan and he used that to stick his tongue down your throat. 

The kiss was obscenely wet, beastly as his spit passed from his mouth into yours. Before prison, you would’ve pulled away with a grimace. Too much tongue, too much teeth, too much. But your whole body was on fire, years of pent-up orgasms made you desperate for it all. For someone to press against you, to be inside you.

Simon was oh-so-convenient. 

You tried to pull away, lungs burning enough to convince you that air was in fact a need, but the door stopped you. Pressed between it and Simon you had no escape. You whimpered against his mouth, again and again until he finally got the hint and pulled away, a string of spit connecting your mouths as if it too was reluctant to pull away from you.

“Bedroom?” You panted, though if he took you here against the door you would die happy.

Simon threw you over his shoulder and took his stairs two at a time before tossing you on his bed making you laugh. The caveman and his prize. Simon took the moment of being away from you to pull at the collar of his shirt. You watched in appreciation as it lifted higher and higher until it was discarded on his carpet. 

His body was marred in scar tissue, muscle, and a layer of fat that made for a solid fine specimen of the male species. His pants were discarded next, and either he pulled his underwear down with them or he just wasn’t wearing any to begin with. You didn’t have much time to ponder that thought distracted by his hard cock.

Jesus Christ.

Big was an understatement, monster was the word that popped into your mind. It crossed the territory between delicious into scary. Large and thicker than you thought possible. You swallowed and for a second hoped he would forget about the blowjob you promised him after he gave you a pillow. 

“Yer’ wearin’ too many clothes Birdie.” 

Quickly, though not as quickly as Simon was, you wiggled out of your pants, shrugged off your shirt throwing it in the same pile as his clothes. He stepped closer to you, one large hand grabbing your ankle before retching you towards him.

He leaned down, mouthing at your bare tits, slobbering over them. The soft press of his tongue flicked over your nipple before he moved to the other and grazed his teeth over it. His hands were everywhere. He was everywhere. Impossibly big and pressed against you everywhere. Until all your senses were filled with him. As if Simon was the only thing that mattered in the world.

The artificial sun in your glass cage.

His mouth moved lower, nipping at your skin before he moved between your legs. He settled his body in between them, the calloused palm of his hands pressing your legs further and further apart until the stretch burned in the muscles where your legs met your pelvis. Quickly the pain faded into the background as he pressed a kiss against your bare clit, before taking it in his mouth and sucking. You felt the rough pad of his fingertips press against your hole rubbing against it but never quite dipping inside. Again and again, he moved it against you but never in you. 

It was maddening.

You tilted your pelvis against his mouth, trying to coax his fingers into your welcoming body. He growled against your clit, removing his mouth causing you to whine. A sharp sting met your ass cheek and you yelped.

He spanked you.

“Behave.”

You never took the man to be hungry for anything other than missionary, but it seemed he had learned a few tricks over the years. He did have a few on you, you were sure of it. Your thoughts leaked out of your ears as he moved back up, slotting his hips in between your legs. Liquid lust ran through your veins at the sight of him rubbing his dick against your mound, a mess of your slick and his pre dragging along your pussy and up to your belly button. Your poor hole clenching around nothing at the image of how deep he was about to be in you.

You took a deep breath, mesmerized as he pressed the tip against your entrance, catching it before pressing himself inside. He went slowly, and you couldn’t help the moan that left you as he finally began to sink home. Throwing your head back you closed your eyes as he stretched your body out.

You weren’t a virgin before you were locked away, but years of celibacy made you feel born again. Hell, with the size Simon was even if you had fucked him before he would’ve made you feel virginal with the way he was splitting you open.

When you opened them again you caught his gaze, he stared at you watching your expression pinch as he gave small thrusts, working the last of him inside you. When his balls pressed against your ass you let out a shaky breath. You had passed your limit two inches ago but somehow Simon had managed to coax your sweet pussy to take the last of him inside. The pain of him had taken you away from the edge of an orgasm he was working you towards, but when his hand found your clit again you knew you weren’t going to last long.

If his shaky breaths were anything to go by Simon wasn’t going to last long either. 

He kissed you again, this time it was softer. Sweeter. Made your stomach turn in a moment of guilt. It was replaced when he drew out of you, slowly letting you feel inch after inch leave your body, before slamming back in.

He moved again against you. And again. Building up a punishing rhythm. You couldn’t help the small ah ah ah’s that left your lips as he rutted in you. Your hips pushed against his, working with him as you both chased your highs. 

His hand never left your clit, as if glued to it working in tight fast circles. His other hand traveled along your body as if he couldn’t get enough of you. Squeezing at your tits so hard you thought it might bruise, running up your bare skin, constantly moving and feeling. As if he couldn’t believe that you were real. That you were out of your cage and underneath him panting his name in his ear instead of against the end of a phone. 

Your own hands wandered. Moving over his arms, God’s gift to you, his chest. But mostly they moved down his back, feeling his muscles move and contract under your hands. Before you left you would convince him to put a mirror over his bed, so you could watch his shoulders shift and move as he thrust inside you.

It was too much. The feel of Simon, the stimulation on your clit, the thick cock pistoning like a machine inside you, pressure built and built inside you. Your nails dug into his back, dragging down as he pushed you off that ledge.

Simon’s thrusts stuttered as he felt your walls fluttering around him, suckling at his cock, coaxing him. He came with a groan soon after you, painting your walls with thick globs of his cum.

You panted as he rested against you, letting his cock soften inside you as you ran your nails over the nape of his neck and caressed his short hair. It was oddly soft, comforting to run your hands over.

Simon began to untangle himself from you, slowly as if reluctant to part from your embrace. He moved to what you now realize was the on-suite connected to his bedroom. You could feel his cum start to drip out of your cunt and down your asshole, shifting at the uncomfortable feeling. You couldn’t find the energy yet to move, not even sure if your legs could support you right now. Simon came back to you, wash-cloth in hand, and began wiping up the mess he made.

“We’ll have to get a Plan B tomorrow.” You murmured as he crawled back into bed next to you.

Simon didn’t say anything, but he had always been a quiet man. He maneuvered the both of you until you rested under the covers, your hand running along his bare chest. Tracing his happy trail before moving back up, not ready to go again.

The adrenaline from before had worn off, leaving you suddenly exhausted. Sated and free you dozed off against him.

When you woke up again it was darker outside. Not yet the full black of night but rather the soft blue that came after the sun had only just dipped out of sight. Simon wasn’t in bed next to you. You rolled over with a sigh, sitting up and smoothing your hair. Thirsty you threw the covers off your body and padded across out of his room entering into a small hallway. There was a door directly across his room and with a shrug, you went into it. 

It wasn’t snooping if you lived here now too. Even if you were only going to stay for a little bit.

The handle turned easily but the room was darker than you expected, no windows to let in any natural light. Your hands patted at the wall until you found the edge of a light switch, with a click the room was bathed in a soft glow.

Your breath hitched.

The room was bare except for a small desk and chair, the walls were covered in photos. Photos of you. Old photos, from before your prison stint. Mugshots. But what made your skin crawl were photos of you in your cell. You sprawled out on your uncomfortable cot. You sitting cross-legged across from your cellmate. Images of you in the cafeteria. Images of you in the yard. 

You took a step back, then another, and another.

You flicked the light back off and slowly closed the door. You took a shuddering breath and yelped when you felt a chest pressed against yours. 

Simon’s hands dug into your hips, pulling you tight against him.

“You look like you’ve seen a Ghost, Birdie.”

Poor little bird, trading one cage for another.

___

Part Two