#trying to see if he can plant memories or sway thoughts or such in his new little brother to make him perfect for the role afo invented

[pocketramblr]

Have you ever hit Yoichi with the "actually never AFO's brother, AFO just got a bad concussion/too many quirks for his brain and invented a whole brother out of a random stranger" stick?

i haven't (that i remember) but i SHOULD because can you imagine, Yoichi is just some guy walking home one night as AfO gets to thinking that he really needs something to add oomf to his demon lord image, and he's already a self made orphan who was a pretty spoiled only child, but... hey, maybe a little brother would work? something with connection, but that couldn't be a threat? yeah, that works! and so after a bit he decides on Yoichi, gets a quirk to make his hair white to match, and kidnaps him.

Yoichi breaks out the next morning, baffled as hell as to why some guy with a crazy strong meta power and some kind of cult thinks he's his little brother. perhaps, for a moment, he thinks it's a legit mistake. that something horrible must have happened to this guy's brother, but he couldn't handle it mentally. that perhaps he can help. but then he just. keeps getting kidnapped. and keeps having to break out, and unfortunately learns more about AfO and his personality each time, and AfO won't tell him his name and only answers when Yoichi calls him 'big brother' so that's what he had to use to get anywhere, so.... yeah by the time he's vaulted and had some strange meta power forced on him (stockpile picked up the 'giving' part of afo when it was stuck in the quirk, which perhaps led to afo having less giving urges than taking urges, even though he was still capable of both afterwards), and then two strangers are willing to break him out? sure, why not. He'll go with them, and try to stop the guy he can only call AfO or big brother. Besides, he has to admit- that does make a better story, and if a story like that motivates some future holder along the line to actually kill AfO? then it was worth going along with AfO's lie.

[sanjisboyfie]

pass the test

-> nami x sugar daddy ! male reader

requested (kinda?) the one where sugar daddy![name] meets all of nami's friends 8k+ word count !!! everyone be fed <3333

warnings : id say none bc its jus sweeeeeeet fluff and domesticity and jokes between nami her man and her friends.

when vivi got a text from nami, the message reading “fina-fucking-lly!!!” and attached were four images, the woman easily guessed what the context was. the images showed nami cuddled up with her “mystery man” and a pleased smile on her face. the two seemed to be cuddling shirtless in bed together so vivi was able to piece two and two together.

the man, although his face was hidden, was definitely the sugar daddy that nami had been seeing for the past year or so. he was often the hot topic between the two best friends, mainly nami complaining about him never taking a hint or making a move on her while vivi just nodded along. at first, she thought nami was just in the whole dynamic for the money (which she was), but as more time passed, it became clear that nami had caught genuine feelings for the guy.

vivi chuckled at the happy smile on nami’s face as well as her messy hair, typing back a quick “congratulations, i’m glad it all worked out,” as her response. in a second she got a text back, nami insisting that the two have a girls’ night so that they can catch up. obviously, not going to pass up the chance to hear all the details, vivi agreed and the two set a time and place for their hangout.

a couple of days later, nami was getting ready and rushing around the apartment in search of her favorite necklace. [name] blinked at her, wondering what had her so hurried before clearing his throat. she whipped her head around, looking at him pleadingly, “have you seen my gold necklace? not the one you gave me, but a different one,”

scanning his memories of what she was talking about, he could vaguely recall what she was talking about. so he walked off, going into the bathroom, and emerging with the golden necklace in his fingertips. she jumped on him, hugging him tight and singing his praises.

”thank you so much, [name]!” she turned around, taking her long hair into her hands with one sweep and presenting her neck to him. immediately, he acted in clasping teh necklace around her, “i was driving myself insane trying to find it. you’re the best,” she turned around when he finished, going on her tippy toes to kiss him.

he quickly caught her by her waist and pressed himself deeper into the kiss. she laughed at his eagerness before smacking his chest to get him to let her go, “as much as i’d love to just suck face, i’ve actually got places to be,”

“places to be without me?” [name] pouted, seeing his pretty girlfriend especially dolled up, “how can i appreciate your beauty if i’m not with you?”

“sucks to suck, babe,” she winked, grabbing her purse and giving herself the once over in the mirror before grabbing the keycard to the apartment, “meeting up with vivi for the whole day, so don’t wait up okay?”

he hummed, not actually that bothered she was having the day to herself. he just planted one more kiss to her neck, reminding her, “stay safe, text me if you two need anything,” and then pulling away from her. he smiled at her and gave a gentle wave as she walked away.

nami grinned at his sweet behavior, blowing him a kiss before stepping into the elevator to get to the lobby. when she exited the building, she saw a chaffeur already waiting for her and rolled her eyes as she knew that [name] was the one who called him for her.

when she met with vivi at the familiar restaurant, she had to contain a scream of joy at seeing her best friend. the blue haired woman shared the same sentiment, biting her lip to silence herself. instead, the two shared a long hug with each other, swaying back and forth in place as they complimented the other for looking so well.

the two took a seat near the window, still giggling to themselves.

“how have you been, nami? it feels like it’s been so long,” vivi said with a pout, her glossy lips jutted outward to emphasize her words, “don’t tell me that man has you locked in some depressing apartment and this whole meeting is actually a cry for help,”

nami laughed at her friend’s attitude, shaking her head, “it definitely isn’t, just a much needed catch up, vivi,”

her friend squinted her eyes as if she didn’t believe her before dropping the act, “alright, i believe you, but let’s just not talk about men for a good twenty minutes. just girl talk, please?”

nami took ahold of her best friend’s hands and nodded, a genuine smile on her face, “duh, of course. neither of our lives revolve around men, vivi!” the blue haired woman cheered in response before picking up the menu and scanning over their options.

as promised, the first portion of their date was just focused on how the other has been, talking about their jobs and school and schedules that have been keeping them busy. nami learned that vivi was going to soon be taking over for her father’s business, as her dad was just becoming older and older. plus, vivi had a natural leadership bone in her body that her own father could recognize and knew that it should not be wasted.

on the other hand, nami filled vivi in on how she was really eager to just get her degree and be done with schooling. all the schools wree on break now, but when things got started up again, nami knew that it would be the death of her.

“well, getting a master’s is challenging, but i know it’ll be worth it when you get that degree!” vivi encouraged her, making nami nod in agreement, “at least you don’t have to worry about financial debt when you graduate too, that’s a big plus,”

nami blushed, a bashful smile coming onto her face. she bit her tongue to prevent herself from going on a tangent, especially considering vivi and her’s previous agreement to not talk about men, but it seemed vivi could read right through her.

“alright, lay it out all to me, nami. you’ve been practically shaking in your seat since you’ve sat down,”

“i have not!” nami denied, an offensive look on her face which vivi only rolled her eyes at.

”just tell me everything, girl, i’m actually really curious,” nami waited a couple of seconds, waiting for vivi to take it back, but when he saw the girl motion for her to continue, she finally let loose.

“well, me and [name] are finally dating!” she said, trying to contain her voice of excitement to not bother the other patrons of the restaurant, “made it official about a week or so ago, and vivi!!! it’s been so good, i didn’t think that he could get any sweeter but he has and continues to! he’s such a gentleman, seriously! i’m telling you right now — older men are where it’s at, vivi! if you’re ever gonna date someone, date someone at least 5 years older!”

“yeah, more like 9 years older and in a different tax bracket, right?” vivi teased, poking fun at the two’s age gap which only made nami wave her hand dismissively.

“blah, blah, blah! but, seriously, he’s sooo sweet to me,”

“you’re sure it’s not just the bare minimum?” nami deadpanned at vivi’s question.

“do you really think i’d settle for someone that doesn’t meet my expectations?”

“you’re right, my bad for assuming otherwise,” vivi grinned, enjoying nami’s snarky attitude that she had missed so much, “and, nami, if you’re happy, then i’m happy. i’m glad you two finally got together, i know how hard of a girl crush you had on him,”

“god, don’t make it sound so elementary with that phrase,” nami cringed, hiding her blushing face in her hands.

”hey, as long as he has as much of a boy crush on you as you do on him, that’s fine!” vivi teased once more, making nami only bury her head further into her hands.

nami sighed, slapping her cheeks to rid it of the warm feeling before continuing on, “that’s also another thing, [name] always makes it obvious that he’s into me as much as i’m into him. you know how many guys in college don’t even make an effort. yeah, they don’t compare to him. he’s always just saying the sweetest shit, it’d be so icky if it weren’t him. he’s just so…” nami paused trying to find the right word before settling on, “perfect. he’s really the best, vivi. i like him a lot,”

her best friend across the table softened at her sudden genuine tone, reaching across the table to hold nami’s hand, “i’m so happy for you two,”

“and everything right now is perfect. i’m just scared that i’m gonna mess it up in some way, or that our dynamic before is gonna ruin us in some way,” vivi immedaitely shook her head to show nami that she was being ridiculous. but she continued anyway, “i don’t know, i just feel like it’s all too good to be true…? i’ve always wanted a guy that’d take care of, but wouldn’t baby me, and [name]’s just that! it’s like a dream,”

“nami, you’re not going to ruin anything between you two,” vivi assured her, squeezing her hand tight, “you guys are adults. he seems like a mature guy, if anything happens, you can at least be comfortable enough to talk to each other about it. and if that doesn’t work out, then let fate take the reigns. but the point is! you don’t have to be scared of anything because it sounds to me that he’s a really understanding guy and really knows you for who you are.”

nami sighed, nodding her head as she couldn’t deny that most of what vivi was saying sounded accurate. she was just vocalizing her worries because if she didn’t she might’ve just exploded.

“don’t overthink your relationship so much either, you guys are in it together. he likes you as much as you like him, if not more, so don’t worry about things like that either,” vivi smiled, seeing that her words were slowly uplifting nami’s mood. “but there is one thing that needs to happen before you guys can even think of moving your relationship on,”

nami blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

vivi grinned in a victorious manner, winking at nami, “you gotta let him meet all of us before you guys can keep dating! we gotta see if he passes the test or not!”

“what test?!”

“the “are you worthy enough to be dating nami” test, duh,” vivi said with an eyeroll, finishing off the rest of the water in her cup before nodding, “i reckon if he brings some good food to the house party, he’s already warmed up luffy. everyone else is pretty hard to read,”

“oh, you guys can’t be serious?” nami said in an exasperated tone, letting her head hand in disbelief.

”no, we’re completely serious, like genuinely everyone’s been waiting for your relationship to move on like this so we could all meet and approve him,” vivi said, looking at her phone and then grinning at nami, “they’ve already settled for a casual house party to be held in a week from now, bring your man and we can all meet him,”

nami looked at her as if she were the spawn of satan, but vivi just continued smiling on as if there were nothing wrong. then she just dug through her purse for [name]’s card (he slipped it into her wallet before she left) and glared at her, “if you guys do anything weird to scare him off, i’ll seriously kill all of you guys,”

“yes, yes, whatever, let’s just charge his card here and move on from his discussion~”

the two parted ways after about a four hour long brunch-turned-dinner date together. nami made sure vivi got home safe with a safe uber ride, stalking her location as she rode in her own ride back home. she smiled to see vivi arrived at her house safely, thanking the chaffeur of her vehicle before going to the elevator back up to [name]’s apartment.

the first thing she smelt when the elevator door opened was the smell of freshly baked cookies.

”nami’s home, finally,” [name] cried out, emerging from the corner with an apron on and his sleeves rolled up, “was wondering when you’d come home, but i guessed that around the two or three hour mark you’d be on your way back. and i planned my baking endeavors perfectly with your arrival because,” he leaned down to kiss her midsentence, helping her out of her coat as he smoothly wrapped his arm around her waist, “tada! cookies, made them myself — out of scratch and everything,”

nami grinned, squeezing his torso in a tight hug before bounding over to the baking sheet that had chocolate chip cookies laid out on them. just as she was about to grab one, though, [name] caught her hand in his, “but! they have to sit out for maybe a couple more minutes, so no touching until then,”

she shot him a look, quirking her eyebrow, “didn’t you say you had perfect timing,”

“oh, i do, because i know exactly how to fill those minutes up,” he smirked, leaning closer and closer down to her height.

“how do you plan on doing that?” she asked, breathing in his cologne that was mixed with the scent of baked goods, a hazy look in her eyes. instead of properly answering her question, he just pressed his lips to her glossy ones.

then his hands gripped the undersides of her thighs, carrying her up to sit on the top of the kitchen island. she yelped in surprise, but was soon focused back in on the passionate kiss they hadn’t been seperated from.

his hands went to rest on the base of her neck, squeezing softly to illicite a moan from her. soon, his tongue was running over hers and she softly smiled. pushing away from him, breathlessly, she looked at him through her eyelashes, “tastes sweet,”

“got hungry halfway through,” he confessed, eyes still half-lidded and focused solely on her bruised lips. she was going to tease him further, but his lips against her own cut her off. her fingers played with his short strands of hair and allowing him full access to her mouth. she got a preview of what the cookies would end up tasting like with how he adamant he was in keeping their tongues in contact with one another.

their passionate make out session was interuppted, though, when nami’s number buzzed on the table. she cursed whatever notification set it off, knowing that [name] always backed off when her phone got any sort of message.

and just as she predicted, he pecked her lips one last time before pulling away, “anything important?” he asked, eyes trained on her face as she read the notification.

”don’t forget to tell mr. [name] we require his presence at the house party of monkey d. luffy and co!!!” vivi texted, followed my several cute emoticons to get her point across. nami’s eyebrow ticked up in annoyance at the fact that this was the message that had cut off her hot and steamy make out session short. she quickly sent a middle finger emoji back before dropping the phone back onto the counter.

“nothing important, babe,” she answered, crossing her ankles over each other as she watched him work around the kitchen. he was plating the cookies and carefully lifting the now empty baking pan from the counter and into the sink.

he washed his hands quickly before holding on up to her face with a smile, “try it?”

she obviously did as told, eager to taste the sweet treat and almost moaning in pleasure at the taste, “[name]! they’re so good!” she took another bite before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close, “my man is sexy and can bake — what more could i ask for?”

“anything and i’d give it to you,” [name] laughed, taking a bite of his own baking to ensure that nami wasn’t lying to spare his feelings. she finished it off, letting him wipe the side of her mouth from the spare melted chocolate. he sucked his thumb clean, grinning in glee at how his baking endeavor successfully panned out.

after they finished off a couple of sweet treats, [name] was carrying her back to their room and helping her get unready for bed.

“did you eat?” she asked him as she was taking off her makeup.

“yeah, had some food down in the lobby’s restaurant. sometimes forget how good their pasta is,” [name] noted, stripping out of his outside clothes and into a comfy (expensive) pajama set that matched with hers. she grinned at how he laid out a cute pair for her on the king sized bed. then he was walking over and hugging her from behind, watching her through the mirror.

“hm, can i ask you something?” she said slowly, meeting his eyes in the mirror and waiting for his “okay” before continuing. when he nodded, she took in a deep breath and finally said what was on her mind, “well, there is a house party my friends are throwing and they invited me,”

“oh,” [name] grinned, “and?”

“well, i was thinking of going, anyway,” she said, dancing around the subject before shaking her head and forcing herself to just say it, “but they told me i could bring you if you wanted to come- they invited you too, i mean to say. so do you wanna come with me?”

[name] smiled, kissing the soft skin of her neck, “they wanna meet me?”

“yeah, they do. think i’ve talked their ears enough about you that they wanna meet the man of the hour,” nami joked, but internally she was wrecked with nerves.

“hm, i’ll go on one condition,” he said, standing up and moving to lean against the counter. he crossed his arms over his chest and had a pretty serious look on his face. so nami halted her movements, nodding and showing he had all of her attention.

“anything, what’s up?”

“one condition is,” he paused for dramatic effect before grinning like a fool, “as long as i get to be your date!”

she almost smacked him in the stomach for scaring her so much.

”go to hell, [name],” she cursed, not finding it funny to be scared half to death. but he merely laughed, leaning forward to kiss her forehead before leaning back.

“obviously, i don’t mind meeting your friends, babe,” he assured her, “for a second, i thought you were going to ask if it was alright if you went out — now that would’ve scared me! asking me for permission on going out is just icky. i was about to be really concerned. but since it was a joint invitation, it's not concerning anymore!”

she smiled to herself at his lax attitude, finding it refreshing.

“the only thing is, it’s probably gonna be on friday. i know you have work, are you sure you’ll be alright going right after work?”

“do you really think i’m an old man?” [name] asked in offense, “i can keep up with you guys, i’m not that much older!”

“you’ll be a decade older than some of the people there,” she noted, feeling the urge to humble her boyfriend. and it worked because he obviously deflated at that comment.

“hey, being 34 isn’t that old…right?” he asked before immediately speaking up, “don’t actually answer that! but seriously, i didn’t think i was that old, oh god,”

“you’re not actually that old,” she assured him, kissing his cheek softly before continuing her skin care, “just putting it out there~”

“you just said that to make me feel old, you’re so mean,” he said with a pout, making her laugh at his childish expression.

the rest of the night, [name] was just watching her as she finished her nighttime routine before carrying her over to bed. nami cuddled into his side, smiling softly when she felt him playing with the ends of her long hair. that was the last thing she felt before she was whisked away to sleep.

---

before she knew it, it was already a week later and it was the day her friends would see if her boyfriend passed the test. whatever bullshit test they had in mind. she rolled her eyes at their odd behavior, but didn’t bother wasting her time thinking about it now. vivi was probably just exaggerating anyway…

“just park on the street wherever you see a spot,” nami said, noticing that it was a bit more packed than usual, “we’d be lucky to get anywhere near where his house is. ugh, i know all these cars aren’t here for him, either, so that’s just shit timing,” she sighed, mentally flipping off all the cars that were taking up street parking.

[name] chuckled at her pissed off attitude, rubbing up and down her leg to calm her down. after parking a couple of houses down from where luffy’s was, [name] stepped out of the car and then went over to the passenger side to help nami out.

due to how he was coming in from work, he was wearing a suit while nami had more casual attire on.

“i told you to put some extra clothes in the trunk,” she chided, looking at how sullen he was due to his formal clothes.

“i know, i forgot before leaving earlier. now all your friends are going to think i’m some stuck up richass,” [name] complained, shoulders slouching as he thought about how he was already making a bad first impression.

nami joined their hands together and kissed the back of his, smiling softly, “don’t worry, just buy them off and then you’ll be all set in winning their favor,”

he looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed, a look of genuine confusion on his face. she laughed at his obliviousness to her joke, waving off his worries and clarifying that she was not at all serious.

“well, i hope the cookies i baked count for something at least,” he said, holding the container in his non-occupied hand. the same recipe he used when he baked for nami last week were the ones he used to make this batch. and he was sweating bullets hoping that they were going to be to everyone’s liking.

he didn’t get to try one because he was in a rush in putting them in the container, so it really was wrecking his nerves on if they were even good.

“that bottle of wine should also win over sanji, he really likes stuff like that,”

“and this is the same sanji that wanted you for himself, right?” [name] asked, remembering the name to be familiar from somewhere.

“yep,” nami said proudly, popping the “p,” “but don’t worry, [name], i’m all yours now,”

he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist as they approached the door of luffy’s house, “should i go easy on the affections in consideration of him?”

“no, there’s no point in that. he’ll be a sulking mess anyway,” nami said, adding in, “he’s a lost cause that poor guy…”

and just as her newly manicured nail rang the doorbell of luffy’s house, several heads inside all perked up.

“i hope you all have the list memorized!” one voice shouted, a stressed look on her face.

“what’s it matter anyway? they’re already boyfriend-girlfriend, right?” a voice whined, a pout on his face as he felt stressed in remembering the list.

“no! it matters a lot, so you better have it memorized! nami-san can’t be dating some sleazeball, who for all we know — could be apart of some crime syndicate and trafficking her! oh, poor nami-san! don’t worry, your real prince will save you soon, my lady!!”

“this guy just can’t accept the fact nami was never interested in him,” a tired voice sighs, obnoxiously yawning at the end of his sentence.

“but, what if he doesn’t check all the boxes on the list? what do we do then?” a curious voice asked, looking at all of his friends, “nami seems really happy, we can’t break them up over it, right?”

“of course we can, we can also forcefully get him to never speak to her again by threatening his entire family lineage,” a very optimistic voice said, making the previous speaker look at them with fear in his eyes.

“alright! enough of that! we need to pretend as if this conversation never happened!”

“what conversation?”

halfway on their walk to the entrance, nami and [name] let themselves in due to how long it was taking for anyone to answer the door.

“you seriously gotta change your locks, luffy, how many times do i have to tell you?!” nami scolded, putting the bobby pin that she used to unlock the door back into her hair. she smoothed out her clothes, looking at all of her shocked friends. “what?”

beside her was a prim looking man that was awkwardly smiling, the expression on his face looking as if he were contemplating life and death. all of nami’s friends looked at him with blank eyes, except for one that was outright glaring at his figure. and noticing where they were all looking, nami took it upon herself to start the greeting.

“alright! well, introductions are in order!” she said, clapping her hands to knock them out of their daze, “everyone, this is my boyfriend [name]! [name] meet,” nami lifted her finger as she pointed at each respective individual, “luffy, zoro, robin, chopper, sanji, and vivi!! uh, there are usually more of us here, but i guess everyone else was just busy,”

“nice to meet you all,” [name] said, waving his hand awkwardly before placing it back onto nami’s waist. that sudden action, though, caused an angry reaction to spark from a certain blonde.

“no! no! no! get your filthy hands off of nami-san this instant or i swear to god i will chop them off with my best set of knives!! get them off-” a hand was clamped onto his mouth to stop his threats from pouring out even more. [name] sweatdropped at sanji’s antics, feeling even more awkward.

no one said anything until a woman with long, light blue hair stepped forward with her hand outstretched, “lovely to finally meet you, [name], we had heard so much about you,” [name] was quick into gently shaking her own, offering her the most calm smile of his (as calm as one can get after being threatened with dismemberment).

he shook their hands for a second before letting go, “nice to meet you as well, vivi. and, haha, i hope they were all good things?” vivi smiled politely, looking back at her friends to remind them of their task at hand.

internally, a couple of the friends watching from the back ticked off a box on the list (”friendly greeting, but not too friendly. polite gesture with appropiate manners” — minor bonus points for slight humor in reply).

“now, sanji, there’s no need for you to be so rude when [name] went out of his way to gift us all something to get our night started,” nami chimed in, looking at her boyfriend to unveil the wine.

“oh, right!” he looked inside of the paper bag that he was holding, bringing out the expensive bottle of wine, “we can either open it tonight or you guys can keep it for another occasion. either way, it’s yours, so please help yourselves,”

sanji stomped his way over, grumbling under his breath as he glared at [name], “whatever, you fucker, i bet it’s just some cheap ass wine you got at the corner store,” he yanked it out of [name]’s hands, who was placcidly smiling at the chef, “yeah, what is it? i bet it’s just generic-”

the blonde’s jaw dropped as he read off the label. then he looked back up at [name], his eyes blown wide. he caressed the bottle of wine as if it were a baby, looking back and forth between it and the man, “where the hell did you get your hands on this?!”

[name] scratched the back of his head, “well, i’ve had it in my cellar for a long time, so i can’t remember originally where it was from. it was probably a gift from my company…but! it definitely came from france because my boss never cheaps out on gifts,” then he dug back into the paper bag, a smile on his face, “but this one i got myself — if you guys are more so into whiskey!”

zoro’s head perked up and he walked over, now intrigued. he was never really a wine guy, anyway.

“this one i got myself for this occasion, so like i said before if you wanna open it now or save it for later, i don’t mind!” [name] saw how interested zoro was so he handed the drink off to him, “you like whiskey?”

“i prefer sake,” zoro ruggedly answered, looking at the bottle in disinterest. but before he could read the label, it was yanked out of his hands.

sanji, the thief, had his jaw dropped once again, “you’re fucking kidding me…”

in his hands was a bottle of Christian Nourissat Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, which is usually priced at 1,129,610 yen ($8,010USD), and in the other was a bottle of the Karuizawa ‘Fazzino’ 35 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey, which was even more expensive at 3,438,189 yen ($24,380USD). and the fact that [name] took the money out of his own wallet to buy the latter option really made sanji almost fall to his knees.

“hey, what’s the big deal sanji? drinks are drinks! open ‘em up, let’s have some fun!” an energetic voice cried out, carelessly taking the bottles out of sanji’s, practically, shaking hands and running off to the kitchen.

“oi, luffy, don’t you dare think about opening those!! we are saving that for one of our funerals and that’s it! do you hear me?!” sanji said, quick on his feet in running after the idiot ravenette.

“i told you, you didn’t have to bring the whiskey if you already had the wine,” nami scolded her boyfriend, pinching his side.

he winced at the dull pain, looking at her with an unbothered look on his face. the gesture really wasn’t that grand (- to him. to any other sane person, it was), but he still really wanted to make a good first impression, “i didn’t wanna show up with only one type of liquor…what if you guys preferred something else?” it was a weak reason, but it was the genuine one.

the rest of nami’s friends looked at [name] as if he were crazy. admitting to just spending that much money on a good first impression made them almost fearful of the amount of money he had in his bank account.

“well,” vivi cleared her throat awkwardly, “anyone want popcorn? we just popped some before you guys got here,”

mentally, robin ticked off one of the boxes on the list (”makes an effort in impressing us/working for our approval”) and laughed behind her hand. the group gathered in the living room, sanji and luffy still fighting it out in the kitchen and soon everyone was just asking [name] endless amounts of questions.

“so, how did you get a job so fancy!?” chopper was the first to eagerly ask, eyes sparkling at the fancy suit [name] was wearing, “i always thought business jobs were cool, but i’m more motivated to be a doctor! it’s what i’ve wanted to be since i was a kid!”

[name] smiled at the wonderment in chopper’s eyes, “that’s a really respectable choice, chopper. but, i just got it from working my ass off. i started just in a cubicle, but i was always trying to impress my higher ups. i was lucky enough to be in their good favor and now, i’m in this position,”

“how long did it take you?”

“hm, maybe 10 years? it was a long journey, but i’m very fortunate now, so i think it all paid off,” he grinned, “what about everyone else? have any of you already graduated?”

it felt like an odd question, one that [name] hasn’t asked in years since he himself has graduated, but it was just the age gap making itself known.

“i graduated early, but it was because my father wanted me working already,” vivi bashfully said, “i will probably go back to school in a coupe of years, but that’s my situation now.”

“i graduated a couple of years ago,” robin spoke next, “we are probably the closest in age, [name].” his eyes lit up at the notion, but she just smiled and politely said, “you’re definitely way older than me, though, but still!”

and he was backed to being in a slouched, sullen figure on the couch. laughter erupted at robin’s teasing remark, nami pushing her shoulder gently at her comment, but there was no actual hatred or protectiveness behind it.

“but after i graduated, i applied to the local museum and i’ve been working there since,” robin finished after calming herself down from her laughing fit, “it’s been really fun, it’s something i’m passionate about so i’m really happy right now,”

“then i’m glad too! that’s great to hear,” [name] said, quickly recovering from his previus sadness. he looked at the silent green haired male, goading him into telling something about himself.

“i’m still in school, but right now i work at the auto shop,” he said gruffly, taking a swig of his beer, “it’s been stressful, man, but there’s nothing i can do about it but keep getting through the days,”

[name] nodded in understanding, “hopefully with time, you’ll reap the rewards you deserve. you got it! even if the days get harder and harder, you seem like you have a strong fighting spirit!”

vivi checked off a box on her list (”doesn’t assume we’re all charity cases — not just throwing his cash at us”). the previous grandiose action with the liquor was different. if, right now, [name] said something along the lines of, “well, if you need any help wink wink, i’ll be sure to help wink wink” alluding to helping financially with their “problems” then that would’ve garnered a warning to nami.

because something like that insinuates: [name] is so full of himself and his wealth that he thinks that throwing money at problems solves them automatically.

besides, if he even tried offering such a thing to zoro — of all people — he would’ve been embarassedly shot down as the man hates it when his close friends even attempt giving him some outside help. he’s stubborn and likes to handle things by himself. so, unknowingly, [name]’s response had made zoro favor him even more (the bottle of whiskey was really cool, to zoro).

as [name] caught up with and learned more about nami’s friends, sanji and luffy finally joined them on the giant sofa with more food. seeing that sanji had finally come back, [name] reached into the paper bag and pulled out the container of baked cookies.

“and to add onto all of our treats,” he said, presenting the goods to everyone with a sheepish smile, “i know i should have asked more about your preferences, but i thought chocolate chip cookies were pretty universal…or i hope they are,”

sensing how stressed and anxious he was, nami ran her hand up and down his back to calm him down. he turned his head towards her with a thankful look in his eyes, squeezing her knee gently before looking back to the rest of the group.

sanji looked unimpressed, but vivi was grinning ear to ear, “don’t worry, [name], we all enjoy chocolate chip cookies!”

“i love them!” chopper cried out, already snatching one off of the platter.

“food is food!!!” luffy cheered, almost crashing into the table with how eager he was to get one in his mouth.

nami already was chewing on one before she looked back at zoro, “hey, where’s usopp, by the way? he told me he’s be coming,”

“he’s only running late because he’s helping kaya out with something at her place. he should come any minute, though, because he said he’d only be like thrity minutes late.”

she hummed in thought before shrugging and turning back to the rest of the group. what she saw was chopper and luffy completely suffocating her boyfriend as crocodile tears ran down their faces. in the corner, sanji was sulking and crying to his heart’s content as he too was nibbling on his own cookie.

“[name], they’re so good!!! how’d you do it!?!” luffy and chopper cried in unison, shaking him back and forth with their mouths full of chocolate chip cookies.

“they’re so yummy!” chopper added in.

“how the fuck is this bastard so perfect,” sanji scowled in his corner, finishing the last bits of his cookie.

meanwhile nami was angrily smacking luffy and chopper off of [name] with a pillow, “you’re suffocating him! hello?!”

“but he hasn’t answered our question yet!”

“he can’t answer if you’re suffocating him, luffy! be serious!”

“wait?! suffocating? someone get the doctor!! oh…wait!!!” chopper panicked, pushing luffy off of [name] and repeatedly smacking the man’s chest to get a reaction out of him, “oh no! is he dead?! i’ve failed!”

“i’m not dead, just really out of breath,” [name] replied as fast as he could, resting his open hand over his stomach. “thanks, chopper,”

“how about a thanks from me who just saved your life?” nami pointed out, looking at [name] with her arms crossed over her chest.

“thank you, my love, you’re my true lifesaver,” [name] smoothly complimented, getting up and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. she blushed at the action, smacking him on the chest to quit the pda due to how embarassing it was that all of her friends were watching.

“well, now that we have all the snacks, why don’t we put a movie on or something? i vote a scary one so that usopp can get scared when he comes in,” vivi grinned mischeviously, getting agreement from everyone except for chopper, who just grabbed a pillow to hide behind.

they turned off the lights and got comfortable. [name] took his place at the edge of the couch with nami to his right. he had his arm around her shoulder as she cuddled up into his side. her legs rested on top of his lap, his other arm securely holding them in place so that they wouldn’t fall.

“have you seen this movie already?” he asked her in a whisper, not wanting to ruin the experience for the others that were watching.

”no, is it really scary?” she asked, looking up at him as he smiled down at her.

“no, no, it’s not, you’ll be fine,” he assured her, grin only widening. for nami, she saw that as a sign of comfort, gently pecked him on the lips, and cuddled into him further to get comfortable. but really, he was grinning in mischief because he had already seen the movie and it was pretty terrifying.

but he just held her closer and didn’t bother telling her that. if it meant she would continue pressing herself into his side, he’d take all the skinship he could get.

as the movie continued on playing, [name] laughed to himself at all the familiar jumpscares, letting nami gradually come closer and closer as she was getting more and more scared. by the climax of the movie, she was sitting on his lap and cowering behind the giant blanket.

“[name],” she whined, finding his amusement in the situation annoying in comparison to how afraid she was. [name] pressed a kiss to her forehead as response, the smile on his face not faltering for even a second.

and just when there was about to be a big jumpscare, the front door was slammed open in time with the movie and made everyone in the room shout in surprise and fear. chopper threw the popcorn he was holding into the air, sanji and zoro immediately jumped into action to fight whoever was there, robin and vivi held onto each other, luffy fell onto the ground in shock (and because everyone else jumped up off of the couch), while nami jumped into [name]’s arms whilst he just stared at the front door in shock.

the figure that slammed the door open, in turn, screamed because everyone else screamed and also because of the visuals on the screen.

“what the fuck guys!?” usopp shouted, covering his eyes as he saw the horrific image of the movie staring back at him. “why the fuck are you guys watching this when it’s pitch black outside?!”

“why the fuck are you slamming the door open in the dead of night?! are you an idiot?!” nami shouted, chest heaving due to the adrenaline rush she just got. when she saw that it was just her other best friend, she felt pissed off that her heart was racing this fast just because of him. and not an actual threat.

“don’t shout at me, i’m the victim here!!”

“you’re not the victim, asshole!” sanji and zoro shouted at the same time, huffing as they fell back onto the couch with pissed off looks on their faces.

everyone was just pissed off at usopp.

[name] awkwardly cleared his throat, tapping nami’s thigh to signal her to get up, “since that was the end of the movie anyway, i’m gonna use the bathroom,” nami nodded in understanding, giving him quick directions on how to get there.

“ah, let me go with you,” usopp said, hopping back and forth between his feet (it was his pee dance).

“didn’t you just come from kaya’s? why didn’t you piss there?” zoro asked, looking at usopp with an unimpressed look on his face.

“you can’t pee at your girlfriend’s house, that’s weird…” usopp said, shooting zoro an incredulous look, “hey, man, you really can’t do that. so when you get yourself a girl, please remember that,”

the group broke out into laughter at usopp’s joke, slapping zoro on the back as he only glared back.

so usopp and [name] went upstairs, introducing themselves, “nice to meet you, usopp. that was a really funny entrance you had back there,” [name] laughed, making usopp bashfully scratch the back of his head.

“yeah, that’s me. the jokester of the group,” usopp said sticking his hand out. [name] shook his hand without wasting a second, introducing himself by name as well.

“so you and nami are serious, huh?” usopp teased, nudging [name] with his elbow, “you finally asked her to be your girlfriend, woohoo!”

“well, it was kinda more like her asking me, to be honest. but i’m really glad that we did make it official, yeah,” [name] said, an embarassed look on his face, “she’s really great, i’m glad that we’re dating now,”

usopp smiled at the genuine look on [name]’s face, slapping him on the back, “are you sure you’ll be able to keep up with her though, old man?” he teased, enjoying the way the comment obviously got to him. “i’m just teasing~”

“well, i will be trying my best to keep up with her and i’m very confident in us,” [name] said, trying to ignore the stab to his heart.

“hm, well in the meantime, take a piss, man,” usopp said, pointing to the bathroom, “and do me a favor, please make sure there’s no demon behind the shower curtain…”

[name] gave him a thumbs up before walking in and locking the door. after finishing his business and washing his hands, he did actually check behind the shower curtain and purposefully left it open so that usopp could see there were no monsters. he smiled softly as he dried his hands on a nearby hand towel, walking out to see usopp eagerly waiting.

“no monsters,” he confirmed before stepping aside.

“thanks, man,” usopp said, “oh! and you can go ahead downstairs and tell them to put on something that’s not scary!”

[name] chuckled at the way usopp slammed the door shut, making his way back downstairs.

“usopp said to put something not scary on,” he announced to the group as he settled back onto the couch.

nami took her place beside him, hugging his arm as she scowled, “that asshole, we might as well put on the scariest thing, turn off the lights, hide somewhere he won’t see us, and then scare him when he comes downstairs.”

“i was just about to say that,” robin said, taking another cookie to eat.

“well, i think we should not do that for the sake of usopp’s heart,” vivi said with a deadpan look on her face. just as she finished speaking, her phone pinged and she checked the notification quickly. she read it quickly, spared [name] one look, and then went back to directing how the rest of the night would go.

“that was weird,” nami said under her breath, catching the small action and looking in between her best friend and [name]. the man, however, was oblivious to anything and was too immersed in the conversation of what movie they would watch next.

soon, usopp joined them downstairs and jumped right in between chopper and luffy.

“hold on, before you guys start, me and vivi are gonna pop some more popcorn,” nami said, getting out from her comfortable spot next to [name] and grabbed her friend.

the moment they were in the kitchen, nami had dug the phone out of vivi’s pocket and was snooping through her recent texts. vivi, who was very blindsided to nami’s swift movement, could only blink and stare at nothingness.

“are you two serious?!” nami whisper shouted, looking at the texts vivi and usopp shared. this made the other woman snap out of it, looking at the referenced texts. “you guys actually made a list?”

“whattt? no, we did nottt!” vivi lied, very terribly so. seeing the unimpressed and genuinely pissed off look on nami’s face, she straightened up and held onto her hands to calm her anger, “i know it sounds really bad, nami, but we’re just joking around…for the most part,”

“then why did usopp have to text you, “he washes his hands after using the bathroom — check” vivi, this is not normal behavior,”

vivi sighed, knowing that it looked very weird and creepy, but she was determined to make nami see it from their point of view, “we’re just concerned, i guess?” nami rolled her eyes and groaned, but vivi squeezed her shoulders to get her to listen, “he’s so much older, plus the way you guys met, we just wanted to make sure it was all…real,”

“you guys are unbeleviable, what do you mean “real”?”

“no, that wasn’t the right word, i’m sorry. not real — just that he was serious about you two. he’s so much older and stuff and you really like him, we all know how much you do,” cue nami rolling her eyes again, “and not to say that he doesn’t like you back jsut as much because he definitely does, it was really obvious tonight, we are just really rooting for you two to work and we wanted to kinda reassure ourselves that it would…we really care about you, nami. and i’m serious when i say it was like 90% just for fun.”

nami sighed, handing vivi her phone back, “what you’re saying really doesn’t make any sense, i hope you know that. you’re excited for our relationship, so you made a checklist of everything he does?” the two were silent as nami tried collecting her thoughts. with a finger pinching the bridge of her nose, she spoke through clenched teeth, “but! i’ll just sweep it aside because i know for a fact that you really are supportive of us. you’ve proved that before this whole silly joke of yours, but still! quit it now! don’t worry about silly shit like that.”

“it wasn’t silly, we were looking out for real, genuine red flags, too, y’know?” a single glare from nami made vivi shut up with a slight pout.

“like what?”

”…if he washed his hands after he peed…?”

“why on earth would i date a guy that didn’t wash his hands after peeing?”

“…you’re right.”

the two did end up popping more popcorn, not wanting to turn back up empty handed, but nami hogged it all for herself and [name]. the feeling of luffy staring dead into [name]’s soul began making the targetted man feel pressured to share, but nami cut him off before he could even try.

”ignore the rabid animal, [name],” nami fed him another piece, unbothered by luffy’s eyes watching them.

“but-”

“don’t worry about him, he’ll find something else to eat,”

“are you sur-”

“positive~” nami said in a sing song tone, eyes completely focused on the movie that was beginning to play.

by the end of the night, they were able to get through 3 movies before everyone felt too tired to watch any more.

“do any of you need a ride home?” [name] offered, holding a sleeping nami in his arms. he carried her with his hands looped underneath her thighs as she hugged both his neck and waist with her arms and legs, respectively. her head was buried into his neck, the suit jacket [name] was wearing earlier was now draped over her shoulders to keep her warm.

everyone but luffy, usopp, and chopper (the two other boys were sleeping over) needed a ride home. they all rejected his offer, wishing him a good night (sanji’s sounded more heartbroken than the others, though).

he carefully put nami in the passenger side, putting her seatbelt on and then gentle closing the door. he got into his driver’s side, using the same gentleness in closing his own and then checking to make sure that she was still sleeping.

he breathed a sigh of relief and grinned when he saw that she was, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

“ya missed,” she spoke suddenly, almost making [name] jump in his seat at the surprise of her voice. plus the fact they just watched a couple of horror movies made him more on edge, a teensy bit. but he regained his composure and went back to properly kiss her on the lips. it was a gentle, soft kiss, but it left them both with smiles on their faces.

“sleep, princess, we got a pretty long drive home,” he spoke quietly, not wanting to make her wake up from her sleepy daze. he gently patted her knee, rubbing his thumb back and forth on her skin, trying to goad her into sleeping.

and she was just about to, but she said one last thing before letting the rest of the car ride continue in silence.

”you’re the best boyfriend, [name],”

his heartbeat picked up at the simple comment, gently bringing them to a stop at the red light, “you’re the best girlfriend, nami.”

“no, you’re really thee best,” she yawned, turning around in the comfortable seat so that was facing the window instead of him.

just when he thought she was really asleep, she said one more thing before knocking out, “even if you didn’t check all the boxes on the list…”

“…”

waiting for her to continue and give him more context, he, unfortuantely, was left with nothing else to work with.

“haha, what do you mean by that, baby?” … “babe?” … “nami, what did you mean by that?”

[kaeyas-beloved]

Holiday Happenings

Characters: Albedo, Childe, Freminet

— spending the holiday season with them is never a dull moment

CWs: gn!reader (no pronouns), fluff, modern!au, Freminet's is platonic/Albedo’s is romantic/Childe’s can be read as either-or, alcohol (Childe), kissing, petnames (love), reader is gifted a necklace in Childe’s but it’s design isn’t described, Freminet might be OOC this is my first time writing him!!

This is my contribution to the 2023 Genshin Secret Santa! @mechalily this is for you and I hope you like it!! ('m sorry for being a little late <3)

Albedo

"You're not seriously working during Christmas break, are you? I thought you finished all your assignments already?" When you entered your boyfriend's dorm room during the evening hours you really weren't expecting him to be hunched over and writing away at some chemical research… thing. Actually, you thought he’d be either sketching or reading. “Albedooo, you’re not supposed to be a slave to the education system for the next few weeks!”

Your little comment left him unfazed as he finished writing his thoughts down before glancing up at you. “This is no assignment love, just merely research I conducted on my own time from my own curiosity. It’s quite fascinating really, and I think it’s something you’d enjoy as well.” While your heart does indeed warm at the thought of him keeping you in mind during his day-to-day activities, and you'd be more than willing to sit and listen to him for hours, you came here with a purpose dammit!

Nonchalantly you stand behind him, draping your arms over his shoulders and resting your head beside his. He gives you a look, blank for the most part but you can see the underlying suspicion in them, a silent What are you planning?. You just smile like you’re not up to anything, even though you most certainly are. Subtly you move to grab something from your pocket, getting ready to reveal it along with your notorious plan.

“While I most definitely want to hear about your research, I think you should be relaxing just a little more and doing more holiday activities or your regular hobbies than something you’ve been doing nonstop for the last few months. And I’ve got just the idea for you,” and with that you pull what you had in your pocket out, holding it above the both of you.

“Kissing me under some mistletoe!! …followed by cuddles 'cause it’s cold please and thank you.” At first he blinks, then his eyes move between your expectant face and the plant and that was all it took for a small smile to find itself on his lips.

“You know,” he starts, shifting in his seat to face you better, “all you had to do was ask. There was little need to go to such lengths.”

“But that takes all the fun outta it!” You pout, still hoping he’ll humour you and fulfill your holiday wish. You even playfully try batting your eyelashes, intending to sway him.

Of course, Albedo never needs to be swayed to give you a kiss, or even cuddles. Besides, who is he to go against the ‘must kiss under the mistletoe’ rule? So, without much convincing, soft hands cup your cheek and lower you towards him, his lips soft and delicate as he gifts your long desired kiss. It’s not too short and not too long, just the right length to make you feel warm and your lips tingle with the memory of him.

When he pulled away he deftly plucked the mistletoe from you, placing it on his desk before looking back at you, his thumb stroking your cheek, eyes full of tender love. “If I recall, you requested some cuddles as well, yes? Let’s not waste any time then, as I too have been craving all that is you.”

Childe

The thrum of the music in the house vibrates deep in your chest, the cacophony of sound mushing together in your head, evoking the beginning of a headache. Leaning against the kitchen counter, you're left wondering how a noise complaint hasn't been made yet, positive everyone within three blocks of the house is ready to riot for their right to peace and quiet.

Taking a sip of... whatever juice mixed with vodka that was provided, your eyes bounce between the bodies and faces of the other university students, each having one thing in common: skipping the books in favour of having some end-of-the-year fun. There's one face you're looking for in particular though, and the moment his bright ginger curls catch your eye you're on the move towards him.

As if sensing your gaze, Childe turns and smiles, raising his own cup in greeting. “You actually came, I’m quite surprised."

You suppress an eye roll as you lightly bump shoulders with him, returning his smile with one of your own. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It’s been too long since I’ve gone out and had some fun.” You take a greedy gulp of your drink then, letting yourself relax now that you’re in the presence of a familiar face. Childe mirrors your action before setting his now empty cup on the coffee table, guiding you up the stairs to a quieter place. He takes you to the first empty, and most importantly quiet, room he could find before shutting the door behind the both of you.

“While I’m all for a good time, even I’m starting to get a headache from how loud it is. Hope you don’t mind.” You’re quick to dispel his worries with a smile and a shake of your head. Acting like you own the place, you set your cup on the closest stable surface and walk over to the other side of the room - a lavish bedroom now that you take a look around - opening up the balcony doors before stepping out. The cold hits you instantly, but it’s a welcoming sensation against the smothering heat of the party. Childe isn't far behind you, leaning against the banister as he gazes out at the snow-covered city, dotted with lights.

While you're more than content with sitting in silence, your banister buddy has something on his mind, so he's anything but hesitant to relight the conversation, "oh! That reminds me…” he pulls something from the pocket of his hoodie, “this is for you. Merry Christmas.”

He hands you a thin, rectangular box, red in colour and a white ribbon wrapped around it and tied into a bow. By weight and the slight noise it makes when you took it, it was clearly a jewelry box, and the moment you pull the silk off and lift the lid you’re met with exactly as you thought it’d be.

You whisper his name on a breath, picking up and examining the design that hangs on the chain. “Oh wow… this is lovely Childe, thank you!” The male smiles, glad he was able to pick out something to your liking. He watches with eager eyes as you put it on, everything about it suiting you to a T.

“Glad I still know what you like. Now..." He chuckles, a mischievous look in his eyes showcasing the clear tease he’s trying to make, "where’s my gift?” And really, he leaves himself open to your own teases. You can’t help but be a little mean.

“Nice try, but naughty boys don’t get Christmas gifts,” you snicker, crossing your arms and turning away from him. Cue the ginger’s normal antics of practically hanging off you, a smile and a pout on his face at the same time as he pesters you about forgetting to get a gift for your favourite person. These things don’t bother you one bit though, staying calm as an overgrown baby clings and pleads for the gift he knows you got him.

Finally, you give some crumbs, “Okay, okay, maybe, just maybe, I got you something. And maybe, it’s sitting at my house, waiting for you.”

When his eyes brightened, shining with pure delight as he grabbed your hand and dragged you out of the party and towards your place, you can’t help but think his joy was the best gift you could get.

And if he’s this happy over hearing he got a gift, then you can only guess how over the moon he’ll be at the life size plush he’s gonna get.

Freminet

"This is your first Christmas away from the orphanage, right?" You ask softly, digging through your box of Christmas ornaments while sparring the young boy a glance. Wordlessly, he takes the miniature top hat decoration you hand him, nodding softly as he stands and places it on the tree.

“That’s right. It’s also the first one I’ll be spending without Lyney and Lynette… so I’m very grateful that you’re letting me spend it with you,” he said, smiling softly. You huff a chuckle, handing him another decoration.

“Of course, it’s my pleasure to have you here this year. I’m just sorry the snowstorm prevented your siblings from coming home.” your words are genuine in nature and for that the young boy nods in thanks, hanging a couple more decorations with you in silence.

Over the years of knowing the three orphans you've come to notice a lot about each of them, and something about Freminet was that he was a quiet child, quieter than his sister at times. It speaks volumes about his character, and through trial and error, you've uncovered the why and how to work your way around it. He's quiet, but that doesn't mean he has nothing to say. Coincidentally, this also works in your favour, a simple segway into your little surprise.

"So, did you have any Christmas traditions?"

"Christmas traditions?"

"You know, opening a single gift on Christmas Eve, the Christmas pickle, leaving cookies and milk for Santa, those kinds of things!" As you listed things off his eyes widened slightly, lit with understanding. He makes a small humming noise, obviously thinking how he should phrase his response.

“Well, I’ve heard of each of those, but the only one we ever participated in was leaving treats out for Santa and his reindeer. I did always want to open a present on Christmas Eve though, but I never asked if we could; I was content with just getting a gift.”

Your smile widens a bit, “why don’t you open one then? How about that one, the red, perfect square one?”

“Are you sure? Like I said, just getting a gift is enough for me…”

“I insist. Please Freminet? Pretty please?” Although reluctant, the boy finally concedes and picks up the gift you pointed out. It was light in weight, as if there wasn’t much or anything at all within. One last glance up at you and Freminet is carefully tearing into the wrapping paper, revealing a bland, brown cardboard box. Lifting the lid, the blond tilts his head, pulling out one of his brother’s signature magic cards. Flipping it over reveals a simple message: Merry Christmas Freminet &lt;3

Confused, he turns to look at you for an explanation only for his eyes to widen in shock at the familiar faces standing next to you.

Lyney flourishes his hat, bowing at the waist, “and just like that, with a little Christmas magic, Lynette and I reappear before your very eyes! Merry Christmas Freminet!”

Lynette smiles softly, not as eccentric as her twin, though the love behind her words is very clear, “Merry Christmas.”

Freminet stands at a loss for words, looking between his two older siblings before shifting over to you. "But... the storm... weren't they supposed to be...?" His lips part to ask you his burning questions, but all you do is wink and lift a finger to your lips. It wouldn't be magic if the magician told their secrets after all. He doesn't need to know you pulled some strings to get them home earlier than intended, simply because you knew Freminet wanted to spend Christmas with them.

And the young boy doesn't push for more from you, instead stepping forward and embracing his siblings, glad they could be home for the holidays. Now, he gets to spend it with all of his loved ones.

Tag list: @spoopy-fish-writes // @that-enby-alien // @xenuuu // @kaeyaloml // @mariposa666haruka // @quackquackmfs // @kunikuzushiii // @ajaxstar // @genshin-impact-writings // @ventisweetheart // @lordbugs // @leena-shi // @lemontum // @akiria12167 // @ari-the-wr1ter // @dontmindmebeing // @xiaos-wife // @irethepotato // @milkwithspiceyicecubes // @stygianoir // @francisnyx // @leemidnightmoon

[rabbit-or-rib]

Hihi !! Sun anon here again! I was wondering if you could do something like my last ask but its just a mini fic where eldritch thingy! Reader (from my last ask basically) invites habit over for like a mini tes party. If you wish you can add Evan in there! Hope this isnt too much to ask.

Platonic and gn reader pls !!

- Sun

hihi sun !! sorry this took me so long, i hope you like it :) let me know if you want anything to be written differently !! i wrote it from Sonne's perspective if that's alright, and this only has a little baby bit of Evan in it, but i figured you'd want Habit to be the main focus lolz. ILY SUNNNN

🐇 HABIT x gn!eldritch!reader having him over for a lil tea party

· · ·

Habit walks over to the doorway, large hunting knife in hand and whistling a tune that you can't quite place, but as soon as he passes through he's met with all-too-familiar of a dining room. A wicked smile on his face, he twirls the knife in his hand as he slowly walks over to one of the chairs sat in front of the fully prepared table and sets it down next to the small saucer; he reminisces on the memory of the two of you's last conversation. You had damn near scared him half to death when you peered over his shoulder in what felt like out of thin air to sheepishly (hehe) ask him to join you in a tea party of all things, a striking smile stretched across your face. Habit, being slightly subverted at first with you startling him, attempted to reject the offer by trying to point out how absurd the idea of him of all people being at a tea party would be, but he was quickly swayed by the promise of some kind of food.

So, here he was, sat at your dining room table in front of a large platter of small sandwiches and finger foods and a small saucer the he had been slowly tracing the rim of with his finger before you popped around the corner with an intricately painted teapot and two matching tea cups to interrupt his train of thought. Grinning wildly at the sight in front of you, you skittered over to the middle of the table to set out the cups for the both of you. As you place the delicate cup in front of him, Habit shifts his weight to place his elbows onto the table and lean into his propped up hand to smile at you, eyebrows raised.

"Any reason in particular for this meeting, Rabbit?'' he questions as you pour steaming tea into his glass, his eyes trained on your expression. Your eyes left the cup to stare at him as you spoke, your smile never breaking as you answered, "No, not at all, little Lamb. Just to chat." You saw a flash of Evan in his eyes. The name sent a shock through his system, and you could see just a split second of his horror and fear at the situation before quickly being covered with Habits amused and focused gaze on you. Despite not having any view of the cup nor the liquid you were pouring, you knew just when to stop as you lifted the teapot upright and slid the cup closer to Habit. You watched his eyes follow it as you set the pot down next to the tray of food in the center of the table, a sharp, clawed finger dragging along the table cloth as you walked to your seat pressed just hard enough against the fabric to leave a trail of frayed thread in its wake. You planted yourself in your seat across from him, clasping your hands together with a loud clap and leaned back in your chair.

"So, tell me; what have you been up to, Lamb?"

[mydearneteyam]

AS IT RAINS ;; TEYLAN

summary ;; just one look is enough to want to learn more.

pairing ;; teylan x gn!na'vi!reader

warnings ;; none

word count ;; 0.8k

word of the day ;; nume [ˈn·u.m·ɛ] vin. learn

"Yes, I-I know, I'm sure I know it's name!" you heard Teylan's voice along with a soft laughter from Ri'nela. As you entered HQ you came upon two familiar faces. From the tablet in the female's hands you could guess that she was trying to see if Teylan knew the names of the pictures. Priya told you they were 'memory games' to get the younger Sarentu to get used to Pandora a little more. Behind Teylan's back you folded your arms, waiting for him to speak.

"Well?" smiled Ri'nela, giving you an amused look. The capped one scanned the image in front of him and clapped his hands.

"It's a Whipfang Crawler!" he exclaimed. You gave a couple of soft claps, making him jump in fright and turn to look at you.

"Tslikxyu Txumtem" you corrected. "But very good. I see you've made progress" you sat down next to him, swinging one of your legs over the couch. The girl extended the tablet to you.

"I got eight out of ten right, but the names in Na'vi are still… complex for me" you listen to him at the same time he receive the device, reviewing the earliest pictures.

You remembered a couple of words from Dr. Alma, who had explained to you that Teylan was the most attached to English and in itself, to human practices or customs.

"You're on the right track." you pointed out to him, noticing the boy's face light up all over, happy to have approval, you could guess.

"I have to go. Nor has asked me to help with something." indicated Ri'nela, holding onto your shoulder and carefully, you placed your hand over hers, smiling.

"That's alright. I can go on. I'm a great teacher" you laughed, making Teylan's tail wag anxiously as he noticed how you took the tablet from him and set it down on the couch.

"Are we gonna keep studying?" he asked, to which you stood up, holding out your hand.

"Outside. We are going to study outside" you indicated.

…

"Look, look, a Helicoradian!" Teylan smiled, approaching the plant excitedly, touching it and noticing how it retracted. It had been a while since both of them had left the place and for now, it has been good. Very good.

"And in our language, what is it called?" you asked, keeping up with him. Teylan made a grimace that you found amusing, where he also shrugged, hoping he was right.

"Tawtsngal?" you denied. "Ah, Loreyu!" now you nodded.

"Tawtsngal, 'the plant of love' according to humans… it's from another area" you remember, looking down at your feet as you walked. Suddenly, the sound of some branches and something falling made you raise your head. Teylan frowned and before he could bring his hand to his cap, you stopped him.

"Kali'weya…" now, he didn't remember that name at all, but when he noticed that from his cap dangled something similar to what Nor once caught, similar to a scorpion, his eyes snapped open, terrified.

"Wha...what do I do?" he asked, almost freaking out. Carefully and with only the tip of one of the arrows you had, you received it, pulling it out of Teylan's cap and setting it down on a log.

"They can sting" you said, now taking his face onto your hands and examining to see if something else hadn't landed on his hair. The closeness was such that the boy's tail once again swayed vigorously and anxiously. When you noticed his ears tilted back, you released him, with your cheeks flushing. "I'm sorry, I thought something else had fallen."

Teylan shook his head, embarrassed. "It's okay…" he pressed his lips, starting to turn around. You were just about to suggest to come back at HQ if he wanted, but when you felt drops of water fall to your face you smiled.

"Let's stay here for a while, please" you took his hand before he managed to walk away. Although that action even surprised you, you didn't want to avoid physical contact between both.

The Sarentu looked at you for a few seconds. Your hair was beginning to be adorned by the raindrops and the bio-luminescence of the trees was beginning to glow behind your figure, thought your freckles were too. Your nose wrinkled every time the water hit your face, but you kept smiling.

"You are a blessing…" he said, with a low tone. You turned to look at him and he tried to walk away again, embarrassed. "Sorry, sorry!"

"Syawn, blessing. Rain is a blessing" you nodded with a serene face, oblivious to the context of what he said. "You get it right, well done. We can go back now" you let go of his hand, but he took it again with purple cheeks.

"I want… to learn more"

You noticed that the rain became heavier, but his grip, for the first time, was resolute.

"As you wish".

a/n ;; i had an idea for a series for so'lek but mmmm- and i repeat, people, if i make a mistake please correct me, english isn't my first language and i'm insecure.....

[vivienne-writes]

I'll Ingrain Your Touch Into My Memory

“That’s what it feels like when you touch me. Like millions of tiny universes being born and then dying in the space between your finger and my skin. Sometimes I forget.”

― Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You

“Come on, Ominis, just this once,” Poppy pleaded with the sweetest tone of voice she could muster.

It was a fine Saturday afternoon when Poppy managed to rope MC and Imelda into her latest venture: getting Ominis to describe what each of them may look like based on touch. They had spent all morning trying to track him down and poor Ominis, catching wind of their plans, spent all of his morning trying to escape their clutches. He would have tucked himself away in the Slytherin dormitory, but Imelda could have easily let them in.

He was headed towards the boathouse to plant himself there for the rest of the evening when Imelda, atop her broom, managed to spot him and corner him at the clocktower courtyard. Now surrounded by the trio, Ominis had no escape and Sebastian was nowhere in sight to help him.

“I’d like to go about my weekend without hexing anyone, if you don’t mind,” he grumbled angrily.

“It won’t take too long; I promise I won’t ask for anything else!” once Poppy has made up her mind, there was no swaying her.

“I’m not a plaything,” Ominis argued, although his resolve was weakening. He was tired and the thought of curling up for a nap sounded incredibly tempting. He’d much rather nap by the fireplace in the Slytherin common room, basking in the warmth of the hearth, than spend any more time running away and hiding.

“Humor us, please?” you finally spoke up gently. Originally you accompanied Poppy to indulge her, but really, you were just as curious to see what Ominis’ would say. And maybe, although you refused to admit as much to yourself, you wanted to know what his touch felt like.

Little did you know, Ominis harbored a bit of a crush on you. He was under the assumption that he’d only have to feel Poppy’s face but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he got to touch yours too. And truthfully, he didn’t have the heart to deny you.

“If I do this, do you lot promise to never bring this up again?” he asked with a sigh.

“Cross our hearts,” said Imelda as she leaned against her broomstick.

“Alright then. Sweeting, you first,” Ominis reached out both hands which Poppy pulled to her face eagerly. He took his time, running his fingers over her nose, her forehead, her chin. He contemplated his answer thoughtfully. “You’ve a very soft face and I can tell you’re smiling. These dips right here, are these dimples?”

Poppy nodded, urging him to go on. Ominis felt her bangs, fingers twirling the strands down to the tips. “I didn’t realize you had short hair,” he muttered, more so to himself. “I think you live up to your namesake. You must have a very sweet, kind face. Also, you’re much shorter than I expected.”

“I can live with that!” Poppy beamed cheerfully. “Now your turn!”

She pushed you towards Ominis, whose heart began to beat so rapidly, he was afraid you’d realize how nervous he was. Maybe his feelings for you weren’t as insignificant as he thought they were. He wiped his hands anxiously on his robes, hoping you wouldn’t find them clammy or sweaty.

“I’m right here, Ominis,” you said as he reached out towards you. You took his hands softly in yours, placing them gently on your cheeks. You found them to be firm but so smooth, it took everything in you not to nuzzle your face into his palms.

Ominis, on the other hand, was struggling to focus. He had wondered countless times what it would feel like to touch you, your hands, your face. And here you were, warm and pleasant to the touch. He noted the curvature of your cheekbone, the delicate shape of your jaw, the flutter of your eyelashes against his skin. He brushed a thumb lightly over your lips, breath hitching ever so slightly as he took in their plumpness. His mind began to stray, wondering how your lips would feel against his. When he began to run his fingers through your hair, you had to stop yourself from letting out a moan. It took every ounce of self-control you had to stay grounded. Meanwhile, Ominis was wondering whether running a hand down your neck would be too much when Imelda pulled you away abruptly.

“Hurry up Gaunt, we don’t have all day,” she demanded, grabbing his hands forcefully. You were somewhat relieved she pulled you away. Otherwise, you would have stood there all night, entranced by the feel of his dexterous fingers. But it didn’t satiate your curiosity, it just made you crave it more.

“You have a strong forehead, quite the forceful chin,” Ominis mused, fingers wandering Imelda’s face now. “Yes, I think I have a good idea as to what you look like, Reyes.”

“Go on then,” said Imelda, smugly expecting a compliment.

“You’ve got a face only a mother could love,” he smirked cheekily. Imelda swung her fist, dropping her broom and narrowly missing Ominis’ face. She would have landed her mark if you and Poppy hadn’t jumped to pull her back in time.

“Have a good evening!” Ominis called over his shoulder as he began making his way back inside, Imelda’s insults ringing in the air. He was hoping to return to the privacy of his room to replay the memory of your touch over and over in his head when he bumped into Sebastian.

“You were here this whole time and didn’t step in to help me?” Ominis asked incredulously.

“Help you? I was doing you a favor,” Sebastian chuckled. “So, tell me, did she feel as good as you expected?”

“Don’t be so crude, Sebastian,” Ominis scolded, aware of the heat creeping up his face. But he couldn’t deny that your touch not only felt better than he expected, but it had permanently ingrained itself into his memory.

[sniperjade]

Some Things Are Worth Waiting For

Epilogue

10 years later

“Sir?”

When Draco opened his eyes, he was back in his classroom. The anxious face of Jackson Buttons was staring at him from the first row of desks, his genial face screwed up in concern. Next to him Briar Selwyn was examining her cuticles, presumably trying to exude an aura of boredom, so that Jackson did not catch on that she was fawning over every word from his mouth. Her crush wasn’t entirely hopeless if the blushes and stuttered words from Jackson were any indication. He had always thought it adorable to watch them.

Having recently been in the intense eye of nineteen-year-old Hermione Granger, he may never see it that way ever again.

He stood up straight. Jackson Buttons and Briar Selwyn? After a quick scan of the rest of the classroom he could confirm that, yes, this was his sixth-year potions class. His sixth-year potions class from the year 2008. He was back home.

“What day is it?” he asked, the words rushing out of his mouth.

“Sir?” Briar asked, her face clearly showing that she suspected he was mad.

“It’s Friday, Sir,” Snow Cygnet replied.

Draco did the mental arithmetic.

“Class is dismissed.”

His heart was beating hard in his chest. The class began to pack up, shooting confused glances his way as he quickly cleaned up his own work. He felt guilty, but it wasn’t like he had any idea what had been happening in the class anyway. His mind was still filled with memories of all his friends as teenagers. Teenagers that brought out such a strong sense of nostalgia and sorrow that he had been constantly overwhelmed by it.

“Do we have any homework?” Snow asked, standing eagerly by her desk.

He was instantly reminded of someone slightly taller, with far bushier hair. Both teens had the terribly bad habit of asking for more homework. As a teen himself he had found it endlessly frustrating. As a teacher looking down at the intense face of Hermione granger…

He cleared his throat. “No homework today, Miss Cygnet. Now you’d better hurry if you want to get to the library before Mr Leveret steals the spot near the window.”

The boy in question was in the doorway and looked back toward them with wide eyes before hurrying away. Snow gasped and ran after him, her robes swishing dramatically behind her. He wished the Leveret boy well. Snow Cygnet was a brutal young woman in the face of what she wanted.

The class was empty now and a shadow of a smile crossed his face. You can generally trust a room full of students to leg it the moment you say: class dismissed. Snow was an outlier.

He opened the drawer to shove the rest of his papers inside before pushing in his chair and striding from the room. His footsteps echoed as he stormed through the empty corridors. He should probably feel guilty that he had let his class go so early but all he could hear was the blood pumping through his veins. It had been weeks since he’d seen her. Worry and anxiety was building inside him until he felt like he would explode.

He needed to see her face. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never leave her ever again. His fingers twitched and he resisted the urge to break into a run. It would hardly be seemly for a professor to be seen running through the grounds, even if it was for the most life shattering of reasons.

Their cottage wasn’t far. Hogsmeade was, after all, only a short walk from the castle but his feet couldn’t carry him there fast enough. When he finally reached the town’s outskirts and turned onto their street, his breath caught. The buildings were back to normal, wearing the dust of the last ten years on their bricks like an old coat. The sapling that Mrs Podge had planted when they had first bought the house was now swaying high above him.

He pushed open the front gate. It let out a high whine of protest that sounded like a familiar balm to his ears. This house held so many memories. Memories that he would die for. Memories that he would kill for. He gulped as he felt the dread seep in.

What if he had fucked it all up? What if he’d changed too many things? He’d talked to hundreds of students, not to mention the people closest and dearest to him. He’d even talked to Andromeda and Teddy. People he wasn’t supposed to have a relationship with for years. What if none of that had happened and he was now walking into an empty house?

The house looked the same from the outside. It was a modest two storey cottage. The plaster was now faintly peeling, and the shingles could use some work, but those imperfections gave it a familiarity that he was now hesitant to part with. The garden was full of plants that he could use for potion ingredients whenever he took the fancy, and he was intending on hanging a swing from the boughs of the large tree in the corner. Something the kids could play on when they were a little bigger and less prone to acts of ungainly fumbling.

It had taken Cassie longer than most children to walk, but now that she was, nowhere in the house was safe. He had been worried and exasperated for months now, forever kissing bruised knees and applying a million plasters. Now he would kill for the chance to wipe the tears from her cheeks and whisper sweet nothings into her hair.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Read the rest on Ao3

[starsreminisce]

So about the ancient fae bloodline, a lot speculated that Archeron family is a part of this line. Do you think it came from the father or mother?

Your posts are very informative and really great read. Hope you are doing well ☺️

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying them, and yes, I am doing well!

I'll be honest, SJM tends to save her twists for her finales. KOA and HOFAS brought out some items that completely change things, which has sort of conditioned me not to try to guess the upcoming plots. (It's impossible because I quite enjoy seeing if I am right about certain plots. HOFAS was a little embarrassing where I guessed correctly what would be brought up, but the execution was way off.)

The way she has withheld information on their parents feels like one of those things that will eventually show a link to the TOG world. She did love using a lot of names that started with "A" and Lydia's son, Actaeon, feels a lot like Archeron to me (silly, I know!). I don't believe Lydia gave the reason for his name as she did with Bran.

Personally, I would guess it's more on the father's side because her last name was not mentioned at all in the first book. The planting of the seeds for connecting worlds in the second book was when we were told her last name.

I had not thought of my family name, had not used it, for years and years. Because even when I had sacrificed and hunted for them, I had not wanted my father’s name—not when he sat before that little fire and let us starve.

In the first book, Feyre observed ward-markings her father traded (HOF and QOS were written before ACOMAF). Her father urged her to stay in the fae lands. Perhaps the most interesting thing to me is that Helion approaching sparked a core memory for Feyre about her father with a lapis lazuli pendant, a stone of wisdom, truth, and warding off evil.

My father had once bought and traded a gold and lapis lazuli pendant that hailed from the ruins of an arid southeastern kingdom, where the Fae had ruled as gods amid swaying date palms and sandswept palaces. I’d been mesmerized by the colors, the artistry, but more interested in the shipment of myrrh and figs that had come with it—a few of the latter my father had snuck to me while I loitered in his office. Even now, I could still taste their sweetness on my tongue, still smell that earthy scent, and I couldn’t quite explain why, but … I remembered that ancient necklace and those exquisite delicacies as he prowled toward us.

I kicked my boots against the stone door frame, knocking the snow from them. Bits of ice came free from the gray stones of the cottage, revealing the faded ward-markings etched around the threshold. My father had once convinced a passing charlatan to trade the engravings against faerie harm in exchange for one of his wood carvings.

Papa Archie also knew something was amiss with the queens and acted, seemingly on instinct, to find Vassa. He was able to negotiate her release, and I feel like one of the few ways he would get leverage was through his family history.

Another thing was how three death gods seemed to be keen on Nesta being Made. Nesta described herself as her mother's creature and started to reject that pull to power the more she accepted about her complicated feelings towards her father.

Feyre knew little of her parents and only felt resentment towards her father in her later years. Nesta hated her father and his lack of action, but eventually learned to accept that she was worthy of the love he gave her.

Elain has the best relationship with her father, so I feel SJM is saving a lot of history until his story can be told by people who knew him when he was at his best.

Lowkey, it's a sweet headcanon if Papa Archie would tell Elain that her ancestor was that fae warrior who trapped the other Death Gods, in order to remind her of her own strength—that she is more than a pretty face.

Thank you for asking and again for your kind words!

[bettathanyou]

The Choices That Make Us, Part 2

Look at that, a double feature! I know the quotes of his memories don't align chronologically with Sofia calling him "Ceedric", but we're doing it for the sake of angst. Final Part will actually be not as gut wrenching, pinky swear it

TRIGGER WARNINGS

IMPLICATIONS OF SUICIDE, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, AND COMMITING THE ACT. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

Cedric stands at the balcony again, the same siren song beckoning him to hop the railing and just do it- to jump off, feel his world slow down as his body raced to the cold, hard pavement below and then finally, every ache and raging storm within himself will quiet.

That's what Cedric really wanted. For everything to be still, all around him but most of all inside of him.

To be in a position of royal sorcerer was already stressful enough, but to be dragged around like a mutt on a leash- only to be beaten down with verbal stones when he can't perform a trick correctly.

To say he felt dehumanized was an understatement.

The sorcerer groans, holding his head in his hands as the embarrassment and shame wrack his body again, tasting the tang of blood in his mouth as he bites the inside of his cheek- an old habit that has now become compulsive whenever bad memories resurfaced.

"Stop! You're making it worse!"

I know. I'm sorry, Cordelia. My hands ruin everything they touch, and I've never stopped trying to atone for it.

"Not much of a sorcerer, is he?"

I tried, didn't I? Wasn't that enough? ....Why wasn't that ever enough?

"Just as bad as that Cedric guy from Enchancia..."

Yeah... I suppose I really am a bad, piece of shit person. No one believed I was good anyways, and I think I'm starting to see why.

"We're stuck with him..."

Cedric gulps, well, gasps really- his lungs can't seem to find oxygen now, and his tears were free flowing rivers of torment running down redden cheeks.

Blinking away more tears, he realizes he was leaning over the rail again- when did he start doing that tonight? Was it just muscle memory now, to look down at the ground beneath him with an aching, burning feeling in his chest that could only be described as longing?

"You won't... be stuck- with me forever..." Cedric's voice garbled out the words between gasps, feeling the bob and sway of his balance fighting against the pull of gravity. His throat burns, a lump forming in his throat- good. There was nothing much left to say now, his mind was made up, and-

"Mr. Ceedric?"

A sweet, innocent voice cuts through the haze with the sharpness of a knife, making the sorcerer still. Whatever breath he had left was stolen, coming out of his mouth in a wheeze.

Shit.

Why now, must he be disturbed? Can he truly not get one goddamn moment to himself, for once?

"Mr. Ceedric? Why are you hanging over the railing like that-? It's not safe!"

He purses his lips shut tight, afraid of what words might come out of his mouth and even more afraid that if he tried to talk he would break down into tears right then and there.

He hopes in vain the princess would just leave- maybe if he stood still long enough, didn't make a sound, she'd leave. People seem to have no trouble ignoring him... Well.

Almost everyone, it seemed.

"Mr. Ceedric...?"

He feels the briefest touch of small fingers wrapping around the fabric of his robe, tugging to get his attention. Cedric flinched from the contact, harder than either of them expected. He hears her small heels scrape against the stone floor, clearly startled by his response.

Hot, boiling shame courses through his veins, and of course, whenever Cedric is faced with shame, somehow anger is the only thing that he defaults to, to cover it up.

"It's CEDRIC, Ced-ric!" He retorts, barely keeping his voice steady as he furiously swiped the tears off his face. Cedric's lanky body slides off the railing, on the side that kept his feet planted on solid ground once again.

He inhales a deep breath, trying to stop his heart from racing. Cedric felt like it was thundering so loud in his ears, surely Sofia could hear it? Either way, he didn't want to know.

"What do you want-? And why didn't you knock, princess, you always knock!" He asks defensively, meaning to scold the child- but out loud, there was evident panic lacing his voice. Panic at the idea of having being caught, of having someone- no, not just someone, Sofia, almost witness him commit-

"I did knock, Mr. Ceedric...!" Sofia protested, biting her lip in a nervous manner.

Cedric blinked, a clumsy, half-hearted "What?" being his only response.

"...You didn't answer, so I..." Sofia pauses, a skittish air about her that makes Cedric want to jump off the balcony right then and there, for making such a sweet girl feel scared around him.

"I got worried."

[twwcs]

You know what

I was watching this news on one of starbucks in NY is closing due to the unstable area whatsoever but i was fixated on the plants left behind inside the store. As i was losing my train of thought, i was imagining plant!reader x moon boys lmao hear me out

It’s a rush hour where patrons coming in and out with their respective orders : americanos, basic lattes with their milk of choice, and maybe cold iced teas with less sugar. But one patron that living rent free in your memory is when that particular day of gloomy morning, he walk up—it was more like dragging himself—to the counter mumbling ‘double shot espresso and a banana please’ actually it was a normal almost too basic order out of all morning patrons but what made him stand out to you was he’s already clutching a travel mug, you suspect he was about to ask the barista to make his order in his own cup but no. He grip the sad cup in his right hand while he wait.

Right after his order is done he drank the hot liquid in one glup, ate his banana and left, amid the bustling crowds you heard ‘bollocks! The bus! Why did i walk up to the coffee shop, i brought my own tea’ you thought what a morning.

The next one or two days out of the week you witness the same thing played out. The same double espresso and whatever fiber the shop currently in stock, drank and ate them up right after the baristas gave him his orders, and he left questioning why was he there.

One night after the last closing shift locks the door you heard loud crashing sound maybe from the next block. The next thing you knew the glass wall looking out the street was cracking and thrown into pieces right before your eyes. And this invisible forces moving tables and chairs around while this one figure tried to get ahold of it. The figure in question have their eyes glowing white and their cloak swaying as they’re trying to fight off this invisible creature that broke the coffee shop and breaking other plant’s pot which was made of clay. Your one and only wishes ever was the opening shift staff not forgetting to water you but right now you make another wish to not get thrown or worse have your delicate pot broken into pieces and your soil scattered around, which make you spiral into the next opening shift found you laying soilless and withering so they make the executive decision to throw you into the disposal, God no please, don’t let the fight get near you or else.

You hear another clashing sound and then quiet. Looking around you found the place thrashed to oblivion and as far you can see you’re the only potted plant that survived the night.

As morning come there are already yellow line crossing every surface possible. The owner of the coffee shop which you don’t see ofter also cane with sadness drawn in their face. And that one blue coated man and his unmistakeable tired eyes and travel mug seems conversing with the coffee shop owner, probably saying his sorry it happen yada yada yada.

And then he walk up to the police officer nearby and they nod while giving him caution glare. With his travel mug in hand he stepping closer your way, this is the most confident walk of him you ever see, and his knitted brows and open arms he reached out to you, picking you up.

‘You’re going home with me’

[grief-worn]

🌸  to  offer  my  muse  a  flower.

Nothing good ever comes from a conversation with Astarion. It's one of life's hard truths, and one she's committed to memory since day one of suffering in his presence. They don't see eye-to-eye. They barely see eye-to-anything, actually. What's that old adage about oil and water?

Simply put, she doesn't like him. But, she will tolerate him. For this, for their cause, for their very lives at stake. She's petty, and maybe a touch too rude at times, but she's not so immature as to let her own personal differences jeopardize a mission so impending.

That doesn't mean she can't have a bit of fun.

There's no missing that dramatized roll of her eyes the instant he makes his way over. She's in the middle of arranging her things; a prayer mat, her incense burner, and a gently-worn idol of Shar, pocketed from an old ruin they had sniffed their way through just earlier in the week.

As he stands before her, she lets loose a derisive scoff, sparing no ounce of patience for the pale man. Just the very sight of him sets her on edge, and she isn't entirely sure she can only blame this on his personality.

"Whatever your problem is, I'm not interested in hearing it. I'm quite excited to enjoy my evening without the company of some pompous tartlet." Shadowheart says this with head held high, and chest puffed forward. She won't be swayed by his ministrations, no matter how much he bats those obnoxious puppy eyes.

"… are you deaf? I told you to get lost, Astari —" She's cut off, eyes zipping to something outstretched, cleverly snatching her attention to its blossoms.

Pinched between his fingers is a bundling of cute, yellow flowers, like dollops of buttercream atop a thick, green stem. A tansy stalk. They like to crop up in meadows and lightly wooded abodes, quite common, and quite lovely.

If memory serves correct (though it so often fails her) the symbolism of such a plant is evocative of the immortal. Occasionally used to wish long life and protection. Could be a sweet notion, if that's what he intends.

But it's other, much more common, meaning is that of war. A declaration of hostility. The sort of thing you tie to a flaming arrow before letting it fly straight towards your enemy's head. Blatantly insulting.

Knowing Astarion, it could mean either thing entirely. Or, he's just trying to mess with her. Gods, how intolerable.

"… and this is? Did you find this in the trash, or something?" Shadowheart wrinkles her nose, clearly perplexed by his objective. "I'm not a butterfly. I have no use for such a thing." She lets her stare fall back to its colors, such dainty flaxen hues. They'd look much better adorning his ear, she thinks. And quickly destroys this thought. "Give it to Gale. Maybe he'll write a poem about it."

[bloodhoundluke]

starting line ⎻ luke hemmings

description: luke is reminiscing on his life and what he might have done differently, all while his girlfriend is listening to him.

pairing: she/her x luke hemmings

warnings: mention of alcohol consumption, (slight-ish) angst, cursing, quite a lot of fluff... let me know if there's anything else).

word count: 700ish.

a/:n: okay, i f*cking love when facing the things we turn away from...so i wanted to give it a try to write something (probably short pieces, let's see) inspired by every song on the album. if there are any mistakes (e.g. grammar), please do let me know!

this is pt. 1 of when facing the things we turn away from series. the parts are not related to each other; rather, i'd call them blurbs.

“You feelin' alright?”.

“Just feelin’ a little sentimental, I guess”, Luke shrugs his shoulders and holds a cigarette in his hands. He swore to himself that he’d quit, but couldn’t really bring himself into it, not yet. These past few months haven’t been the easiest on him, so he decided quitting smoking would be the smallest of his worries. Still, he felt somehow disappointed in himself. 

“What’s on your mind, babes?”, she sits beside him by the pool. Luke has been absent the whole day, probably caught on the songs he’s been working on for his first solo album. In spite of that, she was worried about him. Had he even eaten? Had he remembered to take breaks? She knows how he can get when he is working - he has a tendency to forget the outside world completely and work for ungodly long hours. When she arrived home, she noticed how the kitchen was just the way it was when she left. Thankfully, she had picked up some Chinese takeaway on the way. 

“I’m missing all these memories, like maybe…maybe they were never mine?”, he sighs and inhales the cigarette right between his middle and index finger. He smiles slightly at her and sways his bare feet back and forth in the water. “For so many years I’ve just kept on going and going, not really noticing what’s around me. I feel kind of…foolish for not appreciating for what I’ve had…and…yeah…not really processing my emotions, at least not in the healthiest way. Partying, drinkin’ till I black out, y’know?”.

“I know this might be a silly question, but what would you change? What things would you appreciate more?”.

“When reflecting on my life, I would change how I treated people. I’d be more present, and loving. I’d show more kindness, and not dwell on my own shit for so long, if that were possible. I’d go to therapy, seek for help. I’d communicate better. I’d love and appreciate you better”.

“Mmmh, I know you are feeling sentimental. And you have all the right to be. Looking back on your life is healthy and self-reflective, but baby, please don’t dwell on it. From my personal experience, it can give you hell. The past is the past, and now you have the tools to look at your life, at this very moment. Don’t let this, right this very moment, go to waste because you didn’t appreciate the past moments, you know?”.

“I know…maybe I wouldn’t actually change a thing, because those mistakes and wonderful moments led to this where I am right now. I am here with you, and that’s all that matters now”, he damps the cigarette on the ground by the pool. He leans towards her and places his head on her shoulder. She takes him in her arms and plants a few tiny kisses on the top of his head.

"I am sorry. I give sucky advice sometimes", she giggles slightly, which only makes Luke's heart flutter. Damn, how did I get so lucky with her, he thought to himself.

“Baby…you give the best advice, thank you. I love you for that…and for so many other things”, he looks at her and she can’t do anything but be all smiles. “I love you so much, can’t even begin to tell you how much”, she answers to him and for a while, they sit in the silence and she plays with his curls in between her fingers. 

“Now, let’s get you some food, right?”, she stands up and assists him to get up. “Oh, yes please, I am starving!”, Luke’s voice is full of excitement, to which she can’t do anything but giggle. 

“And babes?”, she took his hands in hers.

“Mmmh?”, he looks at her eyes, studying her.

“I am so proud of you”.

“Why?”, he frowns his eyebrows.

“Cause you’ve grown so much, and you are growing… it’s kinda weird to say out loud, but…I love the state of your mind, or should I say how you express your thoughts? I don’t know. Lu, you’re just something really special”.

“Oh…that’s so sweet. I can’t tell you how much that means to me”, he smiles at her and pulls a few hair strands behind her ears, then cupping her face. His lips meet hers in a delicate, sweet, even desperate kiss.

“Clearly god has its favorites”, she laughs all while staring at his baby blue orbs.

“God damn it”.

© 2022 bloodhoundluke.

[can-of-pringles]

When I'm Alone with You - Chapter 7

Rating: Gen

Warnings: None except references to depression

Word Count: 1k

Summary: Copia decides to go outside, needing some fresh air during his break.

Also Read on AO3

With the promise of seeing Silas again, Copia had found some motivation to leave his room more often. However, that didn’t mean the grief and guilt he was feeling had gone away. It still clung to him, attempting to drag him down in sorrow. But he had other things to keep him going. Silas, at least, was a welcome distraction.

While on his break, he decided to go outside; needing some fresh air. Despite how big the Ministry building was, it still felt suffocating; weighing down on him. He sat by himself on one of the stone benches, taking a deep breath and looking up at the clouds. No one else was currently outside, which was nice. Just him and nature.

Copia had avoided Primo’s garden for now. It would’ve hurt more with all the childhood memories he had of spending time with him gardening. But he knew it hadn’t been tended to since his death. He could only imagine how mad Primo would be if he knew his garden was being neglected. Once he could get his courage up, he’d visit and start caring for the lonely plants. It was the least he could do to honor Primo. He owed it to him.

“Hi,”

Copia turned his head at the sound of Silas’ voice, smiling at seeing the man walking towards him. “Oh, hello…. what brings you here?”

“I’m on break too and I, um, wanted to try to find you… see if you wanted to hang out?” He shrugged and glanced away for a second.

“You were thinking of me?” Copia thought, looking down at his shoes.

He looked back up at him. “Sure. I would like that.”

Silas smiled and sat down on the bench next to him, remembering to keep a respectful distance to be polite. He didn’t want to impose, and he wasn’t sure how close of friends they were yet.

“I see why you came out here. It’s nice.” He remarked, looking around at the scenery. He peered up at one of the trees when he heard a bird chirping.

“Yeah, sometimes I just need a break from being in the Ministry…” Copia sighed. “Nature can be calming.”

Silas looked at him, trying to hide his worry. “Yeah, I understand.”

They sat in silence for a moment, mostly listening to the birds and watching the leaves on trees sway slightly in the breeze.

“So, I know that it’s usually me giving out the song recs, but maybe you have one for me this time?” He asked, fidgeting with a loose string on his sweater.

Copia tilted his head when he looked at him, trying to think. He hadn’t listened to any music since that terrible day. There was some sort of mental block preventing him from listening. He just couldn’t.

“Ah… no, sorry. But actually, I need to write some music soon… y’know, for the project.” He frowned, fidgeting with his hands.

He certainly wasn’t in the mood to be writing anything, but he knew that Sister Imperator would be breathing down his neck if he didn’t try soon.

“It’s alright. But since you don’t have any songs to recommend, maybe you could tell me more about the Ministry’s project?” Silas prompted.

“Oh, really? I didn’t think you’d be interested.” He tried hiding the surprise in his voice.

He hummed and shrugged. “Well, it’s more like general curiosity. I’ve worked here for so long, but I don’t know much about the band.”

In actuality, Silas tried to think of a slight distraction for Copia. Maybe talking about something would help cheer him up. He knew he had been upset about the Papas’ absence, but with how depressed he’d been acting, there had to be more to it. Or that was what he’d theorized.

“Okay, then… let me gather my thoughts.” Copia furrowed his brows.

Silas refrained from chuckling at his focused expression. “Maybe we could walk and talk? It might help with thinking.”

“You know… that’s actually a good idea. But let’s just stay around here… I don’t want to go near the gardens,” he murmured.

Silas nodded, not pressing as to why he didn’t want to see the gardens. They both stood up and began to walk down one of the long, winding paths.

“So, what do you want to know?” Copia looked at him.

“I guess I’m just curious how a church started a metal band…? Or is it rock? Both?” Silas gestured vaguely. “I understand it’s not your average church, far from it, but still.”

Copia chuckled. “Depends on how you look at it. Many outsiders debate Ghost’s genre, but it’s mainly both. Honestly, we’re not too rigid with genre rules.”

“You probably just make what you think sounds good,” Silas commented.

“I mean… yeah? But to answer your first question, Sister Imperator decided that spreading the Ministry message through a band would be greatly successful, hence Ghost. She and Papa Nihil started it.” He explained.

“Wait, you’re telling me that Sister and Papa Nihil used to sing together?” Silas’ eyes widened. His tone was in disbelief.

Copia couldn’t help but laugh, eventually quieting down to some chuckles. “No, no, she didn’t do any of the singing or songs. She’s more like a manager…”

“Oh… sorry for the stupid question.” Silas fiddled with his hands.

“No, it’s alright. I probably didn’t explain it well. She and him had met back during the sixties-ish and she had convinced him to join… eh, something like that.” He waved his hand and shrugged slightly.

“Still odd for a church, though I guess Sister is odd herself. I don’t mean that in a negative way, of course, she’s usually okay for a boss,” Silas stammered, not wanting to get in trouble.

Copia couldn’t help but think about the blood on Sister’s hands. He kept silent for a second before remembering Silas’ concerns. He looked at him and tried giving him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I know what you meant.”

Silas nodded.

“I suppose now you’re next in line to lead Ghost? That’s what everyone’s been saying…” He changed the subject.

“Yes, soon it’ll be me.” Copia nodded, secretly thankful that he had stopped mentioning Sister. “I’ll have to start summoning my own Ghouls and write songs.” He kicked a stray pebble.

“The Ghouls help perform the songs, right?”

Copia nodded slowly, trying to figure out what Silas knew and what he didn’t. Apparently, he knew enough to know about who the Ghouls were. However, being in the position of a janitor, it probably wasn’t too difficult to figure out. He had access to the majority, if not all, the rooms in the Ministry, including where the Ghouls tended to hang out.

“How did you know that?” He gave him a confused look.

“Well, I’m not entirely clueless. It’s obvious that they’re not human… and I know the Ministry has them around for doing other tasks other than band stuff.” Silas explained.

“And you’re not… shocked?”

He pressed his lips into a fine line, almost conflicted. “I’ve had time to get used to it… I mean, I always knew there was supernatural stuff going on here. That’s the whole point.”

“Ah… so you follow the Ministry?” Copia asked.

“Just because I know what happens here doesn’t mean I worship or follow, no offense. It’s not my thing…”

“None taken. You have to do what feels right for you,” he replied.

Silas nodded. “I guess it’s easier to have the Ghouls perform than have people audition?” He tilted his head, changing the topic slightly.

“They have a natural… or I suppose, supernatural talent for it. They’ve been helping the Ministry for as long as the Ministry has been around.”

“And how long has it been around?”

Copia paused and slowed his pace, stumped by the question. “Ah, well, I honestly don’t know… a long time, even before Sister Imperator.”

That made sense. If other religions had been around for hundreds of years, why not this one?

“I have another question.”

“Go ahead.” Copia glanced at him.

“We’re at the Sweden location of the Ministry, yet everyone here speaks English, and you and the Papas have Italian accents… I guess I’m a little confused about the language situation?” Silas chuckled nervously.

He had to speak English for his job but didn’t mind too much. In a way, it reminded him of his childhood back in the U.S.

“Sister Imperator only speaks English. She knows bits and pieces in other languages, but not enough. That’s why she runs the ministries like this,” Copia explained. “The Papas and I grew up in Italy at that ministry location before being transferred here a while ago.” His chest still ached from mentioning them, but he’d mostly gotten used to it.

“She prefers when people speak to her in English, but that didn’t stop everyone else from speaking to each other in their native tongue. I remember she used to hate it when we were kids and we’d speak in Italian behind her back.” He chuckled.

“Oh, I can imagine.” Silas grinned. “I remember being a kid and speaking Swedish and the two reactions I’d get were either the adults around me were amazed that a Texas kid knew Swedish, or that it was weird and that I should stick to English…”

Copia gave him a curious glance, raising his eyebrow.

“Texan mother, Swedish father.” Silas picked up on his curiosity, casually answering his unspoken question.

He silently mouthed ‘ah’ and nodded, focusing back on the walk.

“You know Swedish, right? I just meant you’ve been here for… a while now,” Silas asked. “No judgment if you don’t,” he quickly added.

“I’m not fluent, but I’m working on it…” Copia smiled sheepishly, glancing at some nearby flowers. “Um…” He frowned as he thought, trying to think of something to say. “Jag tycker om pratar med du… sorry if that’s wrong.”

Silas smiled. “No, I think you’re getting there. You probably just need some more practice to feel more confident at speaking it.”

“True that,” Copia said.

“I need more confidence in general…” He thought.

“At least we’re probably in the same boat of not knowing each other’s native language well… wait, I guess half native language for you?” He muttered under his breath near the end.

“Yeah, you’ve got me there. I don’t know any Italian…” Silas winced slightly. “You’re already one step ahead of me since you know three, well, two and a quarter-ish of languages.”

“If you’re ever curious about learning, just ask.” Copia smiled.

“Sure.” He returned it. “Same goes for Swedish.”

Silas glanced down at his watch, frowning lightly. “Okay, I really should get back to cleaning… and your break is probably almost over as well.”

Copia sighed. As nice as it was to spend time outside with Silas, he knew they both needed to head back inside and work.

“Yes, you’re right… I enjoyed our talk. Thanks for spending time with me…” He clasped his hands together.

“Course, it’s nice having someone to talk to. Talk next break?”

Copia nodded, leaving Silas to head off back to his office, but not before he called his name.

Silas turned around.

“See you later!” Copia waved shortly.

He did the same and smiled before turning and heading back.

Once he was gone, Copia lowered his hand and started walking back. His step felt lighter than it had when he originally came out there. This friendship was turning out good and definitely was a wonderful distraction from the rest of his life.

---

'Jag tycker om pratar med du' = I like talking with you (basically)

[bluemoonfantasiesiii]

When the group left the house the lady saw them off and Lily ran to her father's side waving bye to her new friends "fluffy friend~" she whispered to he father in secret about gorou who patted her head "don't forget to be respectful" he told her and she giggled "I won't call him that~, just between us~" she admitted as they met the new person.

Vincent had already heard of him but never thought he would meet him he greeted the man normally with his gentle smile as he walked along side the group heading to the waterfalls.

Lily walked beside Rubedo and held his hand as she hummed a song with smile of joy looking all over to take in the lively scenery "Angel, it looks so much like a story book~, right~?" She asked her friend still looking around swaying their joined hand slightly back and forth.

“It does!” Rubedo said. “So many pretty colors!”

“Ah, I don’t believe I got any of your names,” Heizou said as they reached the edge of a pool.

“I’m Rubedo, an alchemically created shapeshifter. That’s my Papa, Nigredo, this is my friend Lily, and that’s her papa, Mr. Vincent~!”

“A pair of alchemist brothers,” Heizou mused. “How intriguing~”

“Our research topics are totally opposite, though,” Nigredo said. “Albedo’s focus is on creating new life, while mine is on restoring life that was lost.” His hand unconsciously went to rest on the sword at his hip. “We…had a third, older brother who was unfairly slain in battle. I’m trying to find a way to bring him back. I can revive plants and small animals, but I’m not yet at the point where I can bring back a person…”

Heizou eyed Festering Desire for a moment before his eyes set hard on the gardener’s face. “Isn’t that dangerously close to playing god?” he asked. “Deciding who gets to come back and who has to stay dead? I’m sure we all have people we want to bring back—”

“What happened to him wasn’t right!” the Erdeprinz shouted, startling both detectives. “I know I’m not the only one here who’s lost someone, but you don’t understand how it happened to my older brother! It wasn’t an occupational hazard or a noble sacrifice! Our birth mother… She didn’t just send him to his death. She spent years destroying his mind before she did it. By the time he… I didn’t even recognize him… He didn’t even feel like a person anymore… He died a beast, unaware of anything around him! I didn’t even get to say goodbye…”

Rubedo let go of Lily’s hand to hug his father from behind. Nigredo winced when he felt that familiar sting in his hand, trying to creep up his arm until it was stopped at his wrist by Vincent’s mark.

“Brother, you’re going to trigger your condition at this rate,” said Albedo, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder

“Condition…?” asked Heizou.

“…I have chronic pain and fatigue. Stress can make it flare up, but I have it under control right now.”

“I see. Sorry for bringing up bad memories…”

“I could bring him back, too, once I crack the code.”

“H-huh?”

“You have an Anemo Vision. Based on my observation of what kind of people receive Anemo Visions, it’s likely that you’ve witnessed the loss of someone close to you.”

“Hey, now, I’m supposed to be the detective,” Heizou jested. “But excellent deduction skills. You’re not wrong. I did fail to save an old friend’s life shortly before I received my Vision. However… Even if the chance to bring him back to life does one day arise… I feel like that would be meddling too much in the laws of nature. As much as I would love to banter with him again, and as unfair and untimely as his death was… Everything happens for a reason, right? Sometimes that reason is beyond our mortal comprehension, and what right do we have to question the gods?”

“Ah, there’s that Tenryou Commission mindset,” Nigredo said. “While I disagree with your sentiment, I’ll respect your decision.”

“I guess that’s the best I’m gonna get then. Anyway! Onward to your research!”

[banditcoyote]

Wrangled and Tangled

Sasuga stood by the sink washing the last of the dishes from tonights meal. She smiled softly to herself as her tail flicked behind her, happy about the sets of cups and plates she had picked out, feeling domesticated and settled looking over the two sets of dishes her and her lover had shared, something about them in the drying rack felt almost romantic to her. But maybe it was just the way the sunset was showing so pink and purple over the water that was making her feel that way, the cool summer breeze blowing in from the open Lanai. She hummed to herself a little as she dried her hand and reached for the first plate, ready to dry them herself, when the dish cloth was plucked out of her hands swiftly.

“Let me take care of that.” Simon said perching himself onto the counter and starting to dry one of their plates.

“All the left overs put away?” she asked leaning against the counters and bringing her wine to her lips.

“Most of them.” he said with a nod. “Except for the second helping I couldn’t resist, which is now residing in my stomach.”  

She laughed lightly, brushing her hair back behind her ear “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She said with a nod, moving to cozy up to him just a little bit, her eyes full of warmth, and maybe a bit of mischief. “Maybe we can enjoy some other things when you’re done putting those dishes away.” She said with a curl to her lips.

Simon returned the smile and took a moment to lean down to kiss her easily, drawing back with a little hum. “I can think of some things for sure.” He added. “But before we get too distracted.” He placed the clean plate down on the counter and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ring box and placing it on the counter next to her hand. “Happy Anniversary.”

Sasuga froze at the sight of the small velvet box and her large eyes went wide, slowly looking up into Simon’s face, searching for the meaning.

Simon at once realizing what she might have thought smiled and blushed. “I know we’ve talked about it, but this is just a promise ring.”  Sasuga let go of the breath she was holding with some relief. He picked the box up and opened it. “See?” inside was a thing gold band with a small rose quartz crystal cut into the shape of a heart that side horizontal to the finger. He reached for her left hand and slid it on to her ring finger kissing it into place. “I love you Sasuga, I know that this might not be perfect, but I wanted you to know how much you mean to me.” Sasuga looked to the ring on her finger, feeling tears pull at the corner of her eyes. He hopped down from the counter “Oh no….is it too much? I know we said we weren’t going to do anything, that dinner was enough but-“

She shook her head “Don’t be stupid.” She said choking back her emotions. “I love it. I love you….Thank you.” She looked at the ring again before reaching up to tug on one of his horns pulling him down into a kiss. “Forget the dishes….come on.” She said, her tail already snaking up around his waist to guide him toward their bedroom.

Coyote woke up with a start, staring up into the dark ceiling above him. He contemplated for a moment what that dream could have meant, and his jaw tightened in his face. Did Sasuga sleep with Simon while he was away, it was the only rule he had given. Or maybe that had made the whole thing more enticing for the two of them. Still, why would Sasuga end up with Simon, he had the feeling he was absent, that house not looking familiar to him in the slightest. He closed his eyes again, almost willing it to come back to him, but some of the finer details were already fading from his memory, and all he remembered was the way the pair looked longingly at each other before they kissed. He gave a little growl and pushed himself up quickly to throw on some jeans and a shirt.

“Coyote?” Shishi asked lifting his head from where he was curled up on one of the pillows. “Where are you going?” he asked rubbing one of his eyes sleepily.

“I’m heading back to the Makai” he told Shishi as he pulled his shirt down over his torso.

The imp eyed the view appreciatively before his senses snapped back to him. “Should I be worried?” he asked knowing of Coyote’s sometimes prophetic dreams, and he wondered if he had some type of vision of Sasuga’s fights. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Coyote shook his head. “No. No. It’s nothing like that it’s….” only he wasn’t entirely sure he could begin to really understand it himself. He shook his head “Sasuga’s fine. I just need to see her. I only had that one other show at the end of the week anyway, stay here, I’ll go tell Russell to pack everything up and head on home. You’ll be fine finding a flight right? I mean, stay the night, don’t leave on my account.”

Shishi laughed “Oh it was that kind of dream was it?” he grinned. “Okay, Well, tell her I said hello and get back safely.” He said as he yawned and laid back down to sleep. “I’m sure Kurama and Gatlin will be happy to have me home, if they haven’t torn each other apart yet…”

Coyote slapped on his cowboy hat and grabbed a jacket though he felt his skin burning. “And you remember what we said about this right?” he asked as he headed toward the door.

“My lips are sealed.” Shishi murmured. “Not a word to anyone”

“Especially to Sasuga.” He confirmed hand on the door.

“Especially Sasuga.” Shishi promised “She’d probably be more upset with me than you anyway” and waved him off.

Coyote found himself easily at his ring manager’s trailer, pounding on the door. He felt bad to be waking Russell up like this but he knew he couldn’t just disappear in the middle of the night and leave Shishi to explain for  him, things looked weird enough having him around. Russell answered the door, looking as if he was still blinking back sleep. “Coyote, everything alright?” he asked looking around.

“No…Um no, there was a fire back at the ranch.” He said lying on his feet. Thinking easily of the fire at Thom’s he could use as a cover even if the time line wouldn’t match up. He figured it would never get back to Russell anyways. The manager looked concerned. “It’s nothing big, a small one thank god, no one hurt, but I really should get out there, I know we only have the exhibit at the end of the week so I was just going to head home now. Would that be too much of a pain for ya’ll to handle?”

Russell cleared the sleep from his eyes with his hand “Yeah, yeah I can handle it no problem. Take care, hope it’s as small as you say.” He said and headed back to his bed.

Coyote made one more stop, saying farewell to Poncho in his trailer, before he headed towards the nearest portal in the woods, which was still pretty far, and Coyote had to be careful no one saw him as he slipped into the woods and transformed, having to sprint as fast as he could to reach the portal before daylight. He was glad he had the foresight to try and keep his motorcycle as close to him as possible, as the only other way he could have gotten there was to fly back home and then race to her, and he wasn’t sure he could stand being on a plane the way he was feeling.  All cooped up without being able to run or move, or do anything. It would have been torture, not like the past few weeks hadn’t been. The time away from Sasuga had been harder than he’d like to admit, and he already knew he would never plan on being away from her like this again. All the time away from her he had felt like pulling his skin off. He had helped Thom around her house before he left, and at the rodeo he did more of the manual work than anyone really wanted him to. He ran Poncho as often as he felt he could without causing the poor animal too much strain, and then would run laps as fast as he could as long as he could well into the night. But it was never enough, the women that tried to greet him as soon as he stepped out of the rodeo corral still enticed him to the point he had to nearly run back to his RV. All that hair, perfume, and how the hell where they making such good bras now adays? Though he was sure that some of breasts out there weren’t only held up by a bra but maybe some type of surgery, that didn’t sway him away any. Then the fact that in some of the more populous areas there were actual demon women in the crowds, and those he really had to avoid. He was sure they’d sense something about him, and he was doing his best to be incognito. Luckily his prior years of fooling around with plenty of the women at these things rarely had any of his crew spotting him being social, so now that he was hiding out on his own it went unnoticed. Coyote tried to run himself ragged, exercise, the rodeo, his variety of plants and a few sex toys paired unironically with the body pillow he had snuck on board, none of it had done the exact trick. Which had then led him to call Shishi. It had been a long shot, but it didn’t take much convincing getting him to come out to see him in secret, even if he was a bit miffed at having to mostly stay hidden at the events. Coyote let him have the pass into where the wives or girlfriend’s normally sat, and he posed in his refinery during the events when it fancied him. It had helped tire him out, but he still hadn’t been getting enoug

He thought he could remain out here for the full month, and they had gotten so close, it was almost silly to run now. But after the dream with her and Simon he just couldn’t deny the ache he felt for his mate any longer and he had to find his way back to her. Dawn was just about to break as he reached the portal and he wasted no time heading through it and heading towards where he had hidden his bike. He felt like a dog that had gotten a scent, and he wasn’t going to rest until he got to her. **** Four days later still hours from dawn, Coyote stashed the bike behind the hotel, barely taking care to hide it, and stumbled into the lobby. He had all the faith in the world that Sasuga was still in the tournament, and held the most hope that meant she was still in the hotel room that he had the key stashed for. He limped into the lobby where the clerk paled at the site of him. “Sir….” He said rushing around the desk and towards him. “Do you need a medic?” he asked looking him over.

Coyote didn’t waste the energy to speak to him and only shook his head as he stumbled forward before catching his balance again. He knew what he looked like, but wasn’t stopped as it was clear the clerk in his pristine uniform was afraid to touch him at all.

“Is there someone I can call?” he said walking along side him as Coyote shuffled to the elevator, bracing himself against the lobby wall and causing a smear of blood to press into the wall paper.

Coyote considered it for a moment, but shook his head again. If Sasuga was still in the tournament this late in the game there was a chance she was injured as well, and he wanted her to save her strength for fighting. He’d be okay. He just needed a shower, some stitches, and her.

The clerk did not follow him into the elevator, being the main hotel for the tournament he was surely not the only injured guest they received, and he retreated back to their desk, probably to call for maintenance to clean up whatever other mess Coyote had left behind him. He leaned against the wall as it started it’s ascension toward the upper floors, again leaving a smear of dirt and blood where his shoulder braced himself. A few droplets of blood dripping from somewhere onto the floor. It seemed to take forever for the elevator to reach it’s destination, the doors pausing once as a couple was about to get on, but after seeing him let him go on without a question. Coyote almost passed out, unsure if it was from blood loss or exhaustion, but the dinging and wooshing of the doors riled him, and he staggered out into the hallway. Knowing he was so close to Sasuga spurred him on, and he was relieved to find that the card key still worked. He let himself into the hotel room, finding it dark and quiet and he did his best to move with stealth into the bathroom. He passed the bed and spotted Sasuga sleeping peacefully by herself, he was grateful for this because with the rage that was still somewhat in his veins if he had found Simon with her he might have taken a regrettable action. In that moment iat took everything in him to not simply cover her with himself, though with how dirty he was he knew it would only concern her more. There was blood in his mouth and under his fingernails, matting his hair down and sticking to his hat. Better to clean himself up first, and he shut the bathroom door behind him before turning on the light.

He did his best not to look at himself in the mirror, but finding it a necessity to assess some of the damage. If he had made it this far like this it couldn’t have been too bad. Still he was in rough shape. Not only was his face cut, bruised, and swollen, but he had also lost enough weight that he appeared gaunt under the torn and dirty clothes he wore. He slowly undressed, assessing each wound, fresh bruises forming on top of old ones, some cuts that were still bleeding every time he moved, gashes that would no doubt need to be closed up. He hissed as some of the clothing stuck to him where blood had dried, let his effects fall to the floor, his gun empty and tucked back in his holster, and stepped into the shower letting the water strike at his feet until it was warm enough to step into. He braced himself against the wall, letting it flow over his hair and down his back, feeling the sense of relief start to fill him as well. He had made it, he was close to resting, and he was close to his mate, that was all he could ask for right now.

[alatus-imperatrix]

you're the star i look for every night.

pairing: dainsleif x gn!reader

genre: fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

warnings: !spoiler warning for requiem of the echoing depths archon quest! other than that, kissing, stargazing, sleeping together (non-sexually), crying

word count: 1,026

a/n: omg it's been a hot minute since i've been on here anyways i love dainsleif enjoy <33

art credit: mybloodynails on twitter

The cool breeze caused tufts of hair to tickle your cheeks; dark green grass prodding at your feet. Here you were, near the edge of Starsnatch Cliff, stargazing with the man you had fallen in love with. As he explained in intricate detail the stories regarding certain constellations, you found yourself to be quite enraptured by his beauty. His blonde hair was swaying gently in the breeze, moonlight reflecting upon his teal irises. He spoke while looking intently at the stars, and though you had been listening earlier, right now you felt an immense urge to kiss him. And so you did.

Dainsleif's eyes widened initially, but you felt him smile in the kiss once he got used to the feeling. It was a soft kiss, once that you cherished greatly and wished for to never end. You felt an arm snake around your waist to keep you steady as you deepened the kiss, tangling your fingers in your lover's oh-so-silky hair. Disappointingly, he pulled away after a few moments, but not before planting one last peck on your lips.

After your short interruption, Dainsleif continued explaining the tale behind a certain constellation, while you listened keenly. Curious about a certain pattern you observed in the dark sky, you asked Dain if it was another constellation. A pained look flickered across his features, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“That constellation depicts an octagram: an eight-angled star that represents Khaenri'ah's royal Eclipse Dynasty. Would...you like to know more about it?”

You shook your head, not wanting to bring up bad memories for the knight. Though it seems the damage had already been done, judging by the way he wistfully continued staring at it, as if caught in past memories. You looked away, focusing on a Cecilia nearby, when unexpectedly you heard a soft sniff from your right. Glancing at Dain, you noticed a single tear flow down his cheek.

“Hey, what happened?” You said, alarmed at the sudden display of emotion, immediately rushing over in front of him to wipe away the tear. “I'm sorry for asking about the constellation. I won't bring it up again.”

“No, it's not your fault,” said he, voice becoming somewhat deeper as a result of emotion. “I'm fine. It's nothing, i-it's probably just the breeze. Shall we return now?”

Not convinced with his explanation, you reassured him, “You can talk to me about anything. I won't judge, of course. I'll try my best to comfort you, Dain.”

At this, the male seemed conflicted. He knew you'd never be able to understand the pain he went through. Seeing his homeland be completely destroyed in front of his very eyes. Seeing the people he tried so hard to protect ultimately turn into monsters of the Abyss. Spending each day knowing that what you did simply wasn't enough to save his people. He had failed. And his failure had affected all the people he once knew and loved.

Unbeknownst to Dainsleif who was lost in his thoughts, more tears fell from his eyes as those painful thoughts swirled around his mind. You didn't know exactly what was going through his mind—you just assumed it was about the cataclysm that happened half a millennium ago, and so you brought his head to your chest, rubbing his back gently to try and console him, whispering words of comfort into his ear.

Upon your embrace, he grounded himself, wrapping his arms tight around your body. Allowing himself to freely cry after centuries-long of bottling up all his guilt and remorse. What had occurred just a week prior with his old comrade, Halfdan, just increased the burden in his heart. Right now, in your arms, he finally felt free, even through all the tears that didn't seem like they were about to stop anytime soon. You rested your own head atop his shoulder, still rubbing circles on his back to try and give him some sort of comfort from the pain he was likely reliving.

Once the sniffling became less frequent, Dainsleif, still holding onto you, said quietly, “What have I ever done to deserve you? Me, a cursed knight, who couldn't even protect his people. I don't deserve y—“

“Stop right there.” You said firmly, letting go of Dain and looking him straight in the eye.

Poking a finger square in his chest, you continued. “Look at me.”

Hesitantly, Dainsleif did as you asked (or rather commanded) of him.

“You did your very best to save your people. But unfortunately the gods had other plans. How could a single mortal be able to counter countless gods? It's not possible,” you said, though your voice started to waver a little. “And it was unfair. Extremely unfair. And I know it hurts feeling like you were responsible for its destruction, but you weren't. It was the gods. So don't you dare think you don't deserve anyone like me. Hell, I should be wondering what I did to have an all-round amazing man like you love me.”

“Dain, you deserve me and more,” you ended quietly.

At this, his gaze flickered towards the ground, more tears threatening to spill as his hands balled into fists beside him to try and compose himself. You cupped a hand around his cheek, pressing a light kiss on the tip of his nose while you told him: “I love you more than anything, Dain.”

Sighing, Dainsleif leaned his forehead against yours, whispering hoarsely, “I love you too.”

The rest of the night was spent in each other's arms, laying flat on the grass while watching stars pass by until slumber took over the two of you.

Even though he still felt guilt for the events that happened five hundred years ago, Dainsleif was confident that he had never felt so happy and content, cherished and loved as he did just before he fell asleep, with you huddled up close to him for warmth, his cape acting as a blanket of sorts.

Your hair tickled his neck as you snuggled closer to him in sleep, wanting to be nearer. The action caused him to crack a smile.

He was absolutely smitten.