#where the sun don���t shine

[toruro]

— ✧ the cake in the back

pairing. choi seungcheol x reader

description. cheol is a regular at your bakery, and it's all because his son loves the banana bread you make—at least that's what he tells himself. it also doesn't hurt that you're cute. and polite. and totally someone he'd like to fuck.

genre. smut, fluff

tags. rich dilf cheol, bakery owner reader, or4l (f receiving), car s3x, kitchen s3x, pet names (angel), cr3ampi3, aprons ... hehe

w/c. 3.8k+

a/n. IGNORE THE TITLE OKAY I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY. look i know it's corny and i literally am writing this on a whim but happy father's day

"soobin's not with you today?" your voice is cheery and gentle when you greet your regular.

mr. choi smiles and shakes his head. "shocking, i know," he laughs in that deep and velvety tone that has you bouncing up and down on the balls of your feet out of pure giddiness.

"a pleasant surprise," you reply, putting on some gloves as mr. choi approaches the counter. it's near closing, and it's around that time of day where people usually don't come in as much, so you've been alone and just cleaning up the space yourself. "what can i get you, mr. choi?"

the handsome man chuckles, flicking his wrist as he pushes some hair back, the reflective surface of his wrist watch (that you definitely don't want to know the price of because it might just make you pass out) glinting under your bakery's warm lights. "thought i told you to stop calling me that. seungcheol is much better considering ..." he searches for the words for a moment. "... we see each other so regularly," he concludes.

"i've got to maintain some level of professionalism, don't you agree, mr. choi?" you tease. "the regular, i'm assuming? two banana breads?"

"you already know it."

grinning, you nod and pull up a box. "how's soobin? i haven't seen him or you in a while. i'm starting to miss my favorite customer."

"i'm sure soobin would be flattered to hear that. he's doing well, i couldn't bring him today since he's got a swimming class this evening," seungcheol explains, pulling out his wallet that's donned in some brand name that looks so expensive you don't even know how to pronounce it. you move down the counter grab some of the bread which is on your far left, and he walks down on the other side to match you, keeping up the conversation.

"ah yes. he seems to be around that age to start learning. better now than never, honestly. my younger brother didn't learn until he was older and it did not seem easy," you say with a giggle, bringing out the tongs to grab two small loaves.

seungcheol nods in agreement. "that, and i'm planning on taking the two of us on a vacation spot in a few months ... not sure where yet, but soobin's been wanting to go to a beach location for ages," he tells you, and your heart swells.

the image of soobin and seungcheol, goofing around on a beach send a warm feeling through your body. it's also maybe an added plus that there's a flicker in your mind of what seungcheol would look like in nothing but swim trunks, skin shining from the water under the beaming sun, dark hair splayed across his forehead.

you wonder what he's hiding beneath that plain, beige t-shirt of his. his arms are somewhat exposed, and from just the little bit of muscle that peeks out and flexes when he moves around, you think you can safely assume he's got much more going on in the places where your eyes can't reach.

realizing he's still right in front of you, you blink down hard as an attempt to pull yourself back into reality, eyes flickering up at the handsome man in front of you.

"s-sounds fun," you say honestly, packing the bread and handing it to him over the counter. in this moment, seungcheol catches sight of the apron you've got on. it's light pink and hugs your figure so nicely, he can't help but comment on it.

"new apron, huh?"

shyly, you look down and nod. you hadn't expected him to notice. "uh, yeah. my employees got it for me as a birthday gift, actually."

seungcheol furrows his brows as he hands you his card so you can charge him. "it's cute. was your birthday, um, recent?"

you nod casually, tapping at your machine for a second before handing back his card, trying to ignore the way his comment first comment has your stomach flipping and flopping around. "yeah, it was a few days ago."

"i'm sorry, i didn't know," he says sincerely, causing you to frown.

"hey, don't worry about it. it's not something i expect my customers to know and—"

"let me treat you to something," seungcheol says abruptly, cutting you off mid-sentence. he realizes after that it's a bit rude, but something about the way you brush him off as just a customer makes him feel the need to prove you wrong.

"i—i'm sorry?" you ask, and for a moment seungcheol almost mistakes your confusion for apprehension, but then he drinks in the way you look up at him curiously, lips slightly parted, and he relaxes.

"you're closing soon, right? let me ... treat you to something," he repeats. "a coffee or something, if you don't mind."

"oh, i can't possibly impose like that, especially when you've got to pick up soobin and—"

"i wouldn't be offering if you were imposing. he's getting picked up by my friend anyways—his son and soobin are going to have a play date and stuff and—" he's rambling, seungcheol knows that, but he can't seem to care. "basically what i'm saying is you don't have to worry about that. seriously. wait—not that i'm forcing you. you can totally say no, i just ..." he sighs, "don't want you to say no because you think you'll be imposing. 'cause you won't be."

when you smile brightly up at him, eyes glittering and laugh cheery, a wave of relief washes over seungcheol. "i—thank you for the reassurance. i'd love to get coffee, but i do have around twenty more minutes before closing and i still have some stuff i need to clean up and i'm not sure if you—"

"i'll wait." he pauses, then adds, "and help."

you're a bit apprehensive at first—a customer helping you out with closing? but you're quick to learn that once cheol has his mind set on something, it isn't the easiest to pull him away from it—and right now cheol is determined to treat you, as he put it.

the next forty-five minutes is spent with you directing seungcheol around your bakery. he's a surprisingly fast learner and before you know it, all the pastries are loaded in the back, the dishes are cleaned, your floors are swept, and suddenly you find yourself outside of your shop with the doors locked, standing next to seungcheol who watches with you a clouded expression.

"thank you so much for the help," you say bashfully. "you're already taking me—" is it too soon to say he's taking you out? oh well, what's done is done. "—taking me out. isn't this a little too much?" you joke, wiggling your brows.

seungcheol chuckles and shakes his head, pulling his eyes out of his pocket and twirling around the chain around his fingers. fuck, he has really nice fingers—

seungcheol's voice interrupts your thoughts "do you have a car or—"

"i usually take the bus home," you explain, rocking back and forth on your feet. cheol frowns, but doesn't say anything. maybe he can fix that, but that's an thought for another time as he points at his suv, all black from top to bottom, with tinted windows and full black wheels.

there's a silence that envelopes the two of you when you slip into the passenger seat, placing your work bag on the floor. seungcheol is already in the driver's seat, key stuck in but not turning on the engine just yet.

you glance between the sight of your bakery out the window, and back at seungcheol who already has his gaze on you.

"you're going to have to be transparent with me for a second," seungcheol says seriously, locking eyes with you as you shift your body to face him. "and i want to make sure we're on the same page about ..." about whatever is going to go down.

you bite down on your lip, and even though cheol knows you're doing it absentmindedly, he can't help but feel his pants grow tighter at the way it puffs up when your teeth release it.

"i ... i think you know we're on the same page," you reply shyly, shifting a little in your seat to try and make up for the silence.

"you want this?" cheol clarifies, one eyebrow cocked up.

a feeling of pride swelters in his chest when you reply without hesitation, "i do." and then a bit more quietly, you add, "i, uh, have for a while."

now cheol usually likes to tread lightly; he doesn't want to mess around and is great at keeping his dick in his pants but there's just something about the way you look at him so cutely.

you look at him like you know all the nasty things he wants to do to you, and you bat your eyelashes like you don't care—like you'd let him. like you'd take every damn thing he gives you without a single word of complaint, and it's driving him crazy.

again, cheol is great at keeping his foot on the brake, but then you swipe your tongue over your bottom lip and suddenly he's slamming his feet on the accelerator.

wrapping one hand around your neck, he pulls you to smash his lips onto yours. it's a gentle kiss—tentative, as if you're both testing the waters. pressing against each other as your faces tilt, your hands find purchase in his hair when cheol laps at your bottom lip. that's where it all takes off.

the kiss turns from innocent and sweet to sloppy and fast within a matter of moments and suddenly you're grappling at his arms, his hands are searching for your tits, gripping at the flesh and before you know it, you're being thrown to the back.

seungcheol nearly slams your back down onto the seats, your loose shirt riding up your stomach in the process to reveal the lower half of your bra. "fuck," he mutters, low and under his breath in that raspy sort of way that has your clothes feeling too hot and your cunt too empty.

"seungcheol," you moan, unbuttoning your work pants and shoving them off your legs, along with your panties in one go, leaving your wet cunt open and bare. he doesn't take a moment to shuffle back and bring his face down to be level with your core, eyes looking up at you with some kind of mischievous glint that has your stomach churning.

with a bit of hesitance, he places a soft kiss over your clit, watching you carefully to see how you react. when you whine and arch your back against the leather seats, he figures that that reaction is good enough, and this time lets his tongue out, swiping it against the throbbing bad.

"sweet," he murmurs, lips moving down against your folds. the movement and vibrations send sparks through your core and up your spine, and you shudder at the feeling as one hand flies down to grip at his dark hair. "so fuckin' sweet," he repeats before diving his tongue back, swiping it up and down between your folds.

"ah-h-h, seungcheol—fuck," you whimper when he presses the wet muscle flat against your drooling hole, continue to circle around and tease you. fervently, cheol—to put it bluntly—makes out with your cunt. digging his face in between your legs, his nose brushes against your clit when he adjusts his neck to lap and suck against unexplored areas, leaving you mewling into your arm as you try and sit still for him.

there isn't much room in the back, and to be frank, your limbs are in an uncomfy position, and you can only imagine the strain cheol is feeling, bent over and legs in an awkward position when he holds your hips and pulls you closer so he can smother himself in your pussy. he doesn't seem to mind though, lifting his head every few moments to grin up at you with hazy eyes, glossy lips, and a drenched chin, off-handedly commenting something dirty about how nice you taste, how he could live between your legs, how you're driving him fucking insane.

it's the meticulous flicks of his tongue, the deep and guttural words that escape his honeyed lips, and the girth of his fingers when he finally plunges them into your warm cunt that bring you to your edge. it only takes a few rubs and curls against your aching walls before your shaking, crying out his name as you thrust upwards, holding his face down so you can grind against him.

and he whispers the words, "cum angel," so sweetly—a complete contrast to the way his tongue is scooping up all your arousal—and so you cum like you never have before.

fuck my life, you think to yourself as the waves of your orgasm finally hit you. cheol rides you through the high, and he does it good. so good, you're left breathless when he pulls away from your cunt with a dopey smile and feather light kisses all up your thigh and stomach, and then finally your lips.

"my place?" he asks, stroking your cheek gingerly as you blink up at him. and when you nod hazily, he pats you lightly, helping you back to the passenger seat before helping you slip on your panties and pants back on. this time, when cheol gets back into the driver's seat, he places one hand on the steering wheel, the other secure over your still quivering thigh. "relax angel," he murmurs, and you can't help but burn at the gentle words. this can't be the same man who ate you out like you were damn piece of cake just moments earlier.

the drive is quiet, but not uncomfortable. if anything, you're fucking enthralled. when he stops at a red light, cheol looks over at you and when your eyes meet you can't help but giggle together until you're cheeky, grinning mess by the time you pull up to his house.

parking in the lavish drive way, cheol tells you to hold on for a second, getting out of the car and making his way to your side, to open the door for you.

"i didn't know that this what you meant by coffee," you giggle, stumbling out next to him and letting him wrap an arm around your waist to help you up the steps to his house. it's a beautiful estate, really, but you aren't too focused on admiring the luxury right now—you're much more interested in what's to come between you and cheol.

and you're about to find out soon enough because as soon as he opens the door, lets you in, and closes it behind you, cheol's hands are all over you. with your eyes closed as you two engage in a hot mess of tongue and teeth and lips, your rocking back and forth in his arms, his legs leading to you to some place you're not really aware of until you feel something hard and cool press against your lower back.

"wear the apron," cheol tells you firmly when he pulls away, pressing you against his cold stone counter. you knit your eyebrows together in confusion, but let your bag that's still on your shoulder drop onto the counter, taking out your apron without hesitation.

it's now that you realize you're in his kitchen. if you weren't in such a ... intimate setting, you would have admired the design, the appliances—all of it. perhaps you'd even wonder what it's like to bake in here, cooking up soobin's favorite banana bread with cheol by your side and—you save those thoughts for another time.

"w-why?" you murmur in response to cheol's request, as you pull the apron out, pulling the pink strap over your head, tying it behind your back as the ache between your legs begins to creep up on you again. cheol's big hands find purchase on your hips again, holding down you down with a firm grip as he turns you around and pushes your back down.

"'cause," he grunts out, and you nearly moan when you hear the sound of his belt unbuckling and fabric rustling as he shoves his pants and boxers down. it hardly takes a second before his hands are at the hem of your own pants, yanking them down and giving you a moment so you can step out of them.

you wiggle your ass around for a second, turning to look back at cheol with pleading eyes and ask him to just fuck you already, but then he locks a hand under your jaw, cupping the underside of your face and pulling it up so your back arches into his touch. you can feel the angry, hard head of his cock prodding against the plush of your ass and the feeling of him brush against you has you whining.

"patience, angel," he coos, pressing his face next to the shell of your ear and placing a soft kiss on the crown of your head before easing his way through your folds. you can't even see him but you just know he's big—fat length rubbing up and down your folds as he coats himself in your arousal as you whisper incoherent pleas for more.

"cheolie ..." the nickname slips from your lips with out as much as a brainless thought but it has cheol's head rewiring.

"fuck, say that again," he demands, snaking the hand that's not holding your face down your back until it's gripping the cute little bow of your apron.

you hum as you feel him tugging at the fabric, jerking your body backwards and pushing your cunt harder against him, the fat tip brushing against your sensitive clit. "cheolie!" you mewl again, and you're really not expecting the way he jams his cock into you in one go. not that you're complaining of course.

'cause how could you complain when he's stretching you out so nicely? when his cock is so long it's already hitting kissing your cervix and hitting spots inside of you that you didn't even think were possible to reach? when he's so deep that his balls are pressed against your burning core and his pelvis is flush against your ass?

"you feel so good," cheol moans, and you squeeze around him even tighter when you hear the low, gruff words escape his lips. "this pussy was made for me, huh?" he breathes out with a chuckle, as he pulls out halfway before pulling the strings of the apron so your core meets him halfway, slamming his cock back into you.

"oh god," you moan loudly, eyes rolling to the back of your head as you try and swivel your hips against his for some added stimulation.

"gonna think abt this every time you wear this, won't you?" cheol grunts, twisting his fingers around the bow in the back so he hold onto it tighter.

the thought runs through your fucked out mind for a moment; you're gonna have to walk into work tomorrow, and if you're wearing the apron, you'll have to sit through the day knowing that you had cheol's cock buried inside of you under this same fabric—if you aren't wearing it, you'll have to come up with an excuse for your lovely employees as to why you're not wearing their precious gift.

which option you're going to go with, though, is swept from your mind when cheol sticks a finger into your mouth and presses down on your tongue as he fucks into you harder.

what a moment, you think. getting railed on the counter of a man who you always thought was out of reach. your insides feel like jelly as his fat cock runs against your walls, veins and curves pressing and dragging through you as heat envelopes you.

and as his thrusts increase in force, you start to realize that cheol is nothing if he is not relentless. just when you think you've whimpered his name so much you think you might lose your voice, he's ramming into you harder, punching the air right out of your lungs as broken moans and squeaks that have him losing his damn mind.

"what a fuckin' angel, creaming me cock so well," he praises, yanking you back and forth at an unforgiving pace to match his calculated thrusts. you feel like you're being thrown around in the best way possible, body throttling every time his hips crash against your ass and cause you to lurch forward and arch your back even more.

and as he goes on, the rub of his cock against you, the press of his balls against your clit, his hand in your mouth and pressing against your jaw—it's all so much and so fast and so good until you're shaking and thrashing in his hold.

"mmf—cheolie, wan' cum," you choke out when you feel his cock twitch inside of you.

"yeah? my pretty angel's gon' cum on my cock?"

"yeah-huh," you answer dazedly, body jerking back and forth as his hips snap more haphazardly now, but still hitting that one sweet spot that has your vision going bleary. "can i cum, cheolie?"

and you ask him so fucking sweetly, he can't hold it in anymore, dazedly grunting out something along the lines of, "yeah, angel, cum f'me," before he spills his hot seed inside of you. the sensation of his cum painting your walls white is the final thing you need before joining cheol with your own orgasm, clenching around him so tightly that it has him gripping down on your hips in a way that you know you'll have bruises tomorrow. not that you mind.

how could you, when you just had the most mind blowing orgasm of your life with the hottest guy you've ever met. as you twitch against him, cheol finally pulls himself out and you whimper lowly at the feeling of being empty even though you know you'd probably pass out if you had his dick in you any longer.

gently, cheol strokes your back and caresses the taught muscles, untying the apron that quite literally had you in a chokehold, letting it fall from your figure. "'m sorry," he murmurs into your neck, placing a soft kiss on your shoulder, "was i too rough?"

"n-no," you say, face burning when you realize just how croaky and fucked your voice has become. cheol only laughs at you as you dig your face into your hands as you mumble bashfully, "it was ... great." you're slightly embarrassed, yes, but when you catch the look of endearment on cheol's face, you start to think twice.

as you both attempt to even out your breaths, cheol looks down at you panting against the counter, cum spilling out of your fluttering folds. vaguely, he wonders what you'll look like in a bikini in the bahamas. huh, he thinks, maybe he'll have to ask soobin if it's okay to bring an extra certain someone with them on their vacation this summer.

a/n. how i managed to get this out in one day i don't know. the cheol effect i guess. anyways, hope u enjoyed!

tags. @xcynthiaaa @synthetickitsune @leejihoonownsmyheart @dahliatopia @gyuswhore @hoeforcheol @5xiang @hajimelvr @miriamxsworld @blinkjunhui @lixiel0ver @josefines-things @mimisxs @kawennote09 @bbyjjunie @rubyreduji @marzmeltdown @todorokiskitten (strikethrough could not be tagged)

[legitalicat]

Out of Time

Chapter 1 - "Along Blackwater Bay"

AN: This dedication has been removed. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy your works.

If you love this header go check out zaldritzosrose for more amazing work! She is tagged on the series masterlist and on my welcome post!

Find the series Master list here!

Summary: Princess Y/N Velaryon awakes on the shore of Blackwater Bay confused, hurt, and alone. She is found and escorted to the Red Keep, where she learns the circumstances surrounding her awakening.

TW: memory loss, reader is AFAB, talks/descriptions of injury, first person POV because I suck at any other POV I am sorry

Word count: 3.7 K

I awoke on the shores of King’s Landing, the water from Blackwater Bay rushing up my lower legs. My heart was pounding as I sat up. There was no reasonable explanation as to how I ended up here. Last night I went to sleep in my bed, feeling rather warm and fuzzy from the wine I had consumed at dinner.

The early morning light was shining through the mist that was coming off the water. Slowly, I made my way into a standing position. My black dress was torn around the hem, soaked from the sea water. My muscles were sore and my bones stiff. Every breath I took felt as though I was being punched in the left side. I was near certain my brown hair was wild, no longer in the neat braid I most commonly kept it in.

There weren’t any citizens on the shores this time of morning. For many, they would have already went out in their boats to begin their fishing for the day. The others, it was simply too early to start the day. However, I did see two city watchmen doing their rounds on the docks.

“Excuse me!” I shouted to them, waving my arms. They approached me, their gold cloaks shining in the sun. I recognized neither of them.

“Princess Y/N?” One asked as he stopped in front of me. I nodded softly. “Come with us.”

I could not really tell which guardsmen they were. They were in full armor, donning a helm and chainmail covering all but their eyes. Being roughly the same height as each other, that wasn’t even helpful to determine who I was following. However, I knew that nobody wearing golden cloaks would bring any harm to me. My stepfather would have their heads if my mother didn’t get to them first.

So, I made the only decision I could make in this instance. Silence laid over us like a thick fog as I walked with them through the city streets. One in front of me, one behind me, their hands on the swords at all times. We went to the barracks at which point they told me to stay in the front room. The one that had walked in front of me went off , I suppose to inform his commander of this situation, while the other man stood in the room with me. It was not long before there were a few other watchmen and even a serving girl to sit with me.

Nobody dared to speak to me other than what was necessary. Even when I threatened them with my status, first born child of the heir to the Iron Throne and betrothed to her heir, so that one day I would be Queen, did not loosen their tongues. None of my questions were answered. All that was said was that my mother would answer any question I had.

They spent longer than I thought necessary preparing a carriage to take me up to the Red Keep. I was almost certain I heard their commander send a small group of men to shut down the streets between here and the Red Keep but that couldn’t be right. Never had the streets been closed because of my travels, as there had never been a time that I was in danger. Once he received word that all the streets were closed and nobody would be looking to the street, I was put into a carriage.

My ride to the Red Keep was done with the singular maid in the carriage with me, one watchmen controlling the carriage, and three others riding around on horseback. They weren’t brought to my precession until after I was already in my seat. And still, nobody spoke to me. I could only glance out the windows at the city to try to see the citizens of King’s Landing, but it seemed though I had heard the Watch’s Commander correctly and the men did completely empty the streets.

It was midday by the time that the carriage stopped in front of the door to the keep. The door was opened and I was offered a hand to help me out. It was the first protocol that had been kept in my presence. And now that I was on the ground, I finally saw the first people besides the Gold Cloaks and the maid.

At the top of the stairs stood my mother, my step grandmother holding her hand tightly as they both looked at the carriage. Queen Alicent had always been a forceful presence in my life, demanding things of my mother and father that were crude and unfair. Though she never liked my brothers, I seemed to be near and dear to her in a way that not even her own daughter was. One could almost convince me she viewed me separately from them as though I were anyone but my mother’s daughter.

Flanking each of them were their respective sides of the family. My twin, my betrothed, Jacaerys stood beside my mother. He was more shocked than I had ever seen him when we made eye contact. There was Lucerys beside him, who looked older than he should as he was a man grown, and the same could just about be said about Joffrey. The other two boys on my mother’s side could’ve only been Aegon III and Viserys II, my two baby brothers, but they were not babies. They were easily nine and seven respectively. It shouldn’t have been possible. It was only last night that they could have easily fit in my arms, now they were half my height.

When I looked to Alicent’s side, Aegon and Aemond stood beside her with Helaena further back. Her three children, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor stood hand in hand beside of her. Again, everyone looked older than they should, older than when last I saw them.

My step father Daemon and my step sisters Rhaena and Baela were not with my mother, but the maid whispered to me that they were visiting our grandparents in Driftmark. She gave me no answers to any other question.

Out of everyone, there were three people that desperately wanted to break free from the crowd. Obviously my mother was trying to hold some decorum, some sort of semblance of what it means to be a Targaryen, even though I could see her inching closer. Jace was completely frozen with shock, the pull that existed between us not enough to motivate his feet. Then there was Aemond, who seemed to be willing to disregard all things that could be considered proper as he took the steps two at a time to close the distance between us.

His arms were around me before I could blink, and despite the physical pain when he touched my side, it caused a comfortable feeling in my brain that soothed something inside of me. I returned his affections, desperate for some sort of connection. As much as it had always annoyed my brothers, Aemond and I were very close growing up. He and I were the last to get dragons, the last to fulfill what it means to be a Targaryen. It binds you in ways that you can’t explain to anyone else.

“Byka zaldrīzes,” he whispered to me. Little Dragon, the name he gave me the moment he claimed Vhagar, to assure me one day I would have one too. “How I have missed you.”

“I don’t understand, Aemond. Why is everyone acting as though I am not real? One would think I died.” I asked him, loud enough so that my voice would carry.

“You have been gone for nearly six years,” my mother said. I pulled myself from Aemond’s grip to look at her.

“What?” my voice was cracked under the pressure that was building in my chest. “No. No. I was just with you all last night. I would know if I had been gone.”

Then I turned my gaze to Jace, who still looked as though he has seen a ghost. His inability to come to me, the way he watched me like I was about to dissolve in the wind, not even commenting on Aemond’s grasp on me, it told me all I need to know. The words were true and I had missed out on six years.

But I needed him beside me. He was my brother, my twin, I have existed for as long as he has and will continue to exist as long as he does. We were written in the stars, always destined for each other. We had given each other everything as we knew we were to be married one day.

“Issa dārys,” I called to him. My king. He will be my king one day, a good husband and father to my future children. We will rule the kingdom together, side by side. We’ve known this for our entire lives, and once we could really understand it, there was no turning back.

He slowly descended the stairs to me. Our eyes stayed glued to each other as he closed the distance. My body yearned for him. He was my other half; we were not two separate entities, simply just two pieces of the same soul.

When he was within arm’s reach of me, his ability to show restraint faltered. He grabbed me by the face and kissed me, all regard for propriety out the window. But it wasn’t as though I minded. I belonged to Jace, I always had, so it was only natural that I returned his affections. Propriety be damned.

It was less than a minute, rather tame compared to all other kisses we’ve shared, but the moment it was over, I become increasingly aware of cracks forming in my heart. His forehead resting against mine, I could guarantee I was home. I was safe as long as we were together.

My mother had informed me that I was not to be alone for the coming weeks. When we were alone in the room I had growing up here, she held me to her and cried. She insisted on me having a bath before I see the Maesters. A few of her most trusted maids helped me out of my dress and into the bath. The way her face contorted in mental anguish, tears forming in her eyes, as she looked over my body was something I would never forget. A glance in a mirror showed I had bruises and scars scattered across my body, including over my ribcage on the left, and a busted lip I was unaware of until now.

“If it brings any comfort, I do not remember it happening,” I said to her quietly as she sat beside the tub. There was a failed attempt to prove to her I was okay as I went to pour water over my hair, but the stretching motion caused enough pain I lost my breath.

“It causes me more worry than anything,” she told me. Her voice was fragile in the same way a flower is, soft and delicate, able to be broken in one move if anyone chose. “But it is nothing you need to fret over. We shall have the Maesters examine you and treat you, in a few weeks it will be as though this didn’t happen.”

Mother asked the maids to go inform the Maesters of our need and then sent one to bring me food from the kitchens. I think it was in equal part that she needed to feel useful but also needing to just be alone with me. There was no part of my brain that could even fathom what she had been feeling for these years.

She caught me up on all of the happenings in our family while she washed me. The night I had gone missing, my grandsire was greeted by The Stranger. She lost the babe she had been pregnant with within a few days of that, a girl that was named Visenya. It was an impossible amount of grief to deal with in such a short time and all I wanted was to take away all of her pain and suffering.

“Did Otto not try to put Aegon on the throne?” I whispered to her as she took her time gently washing my hair. She refused to let it wait for the maids, insisting that five years is long enough for someone else to care for me.

“He wanted to, but when I sent Alicent a letter informing her of your disappearance, she halted her father’s plans,” she told me. “Nobody, not Aegon nor Aemond, cared for the throne after you were gone.”

“But why? She has hated you for as long as I can remember. They have hated us for just as long. What difference did I make?” I asked.

“Oh sweet girl, they have never hated you. I cannot say how they felt about your brothers, nor can I deny the resentment Alicent and I have felt for one another. You, however, have been loved throughout it all. You were the light of your grandsire’s life, Alicent has adored you from the moment she laid eyes on you. Aegon and Aemond both used to beg for your hand. You, darling, take after your father.” She ran the water through my hair, rinsing all of the dirt and oils from it. I ran my right hand through it, as that was the only arm I could lift so high without crying, and it felt much cleaner than it had before.

“Which father?” I spoke, barely above a whisper, standing with her assistance.

“Both Laenor and Ser Harwin loved you dearly, as they were both loved by you. You enchanted them from the moment you made your entrance into the world, and you did so until they died. You are both of them, the best of them, in a perfect package.”

I could only nod. Jace and I knew from a very young age that Laenor was not our blood. He claimed us all the same, cared for us as much as he could. Ser Harwin, though, made every difference in our lives. Even if Luke wasn’t completely aware, our father spent every moment he could watching over us. He trained with the boys every morning, attended my lessons as much as possible, trained me in swords in the eve. He was there for Luke’s birth, was there within a few hours of Joffrey’s. And the love he held for my mother, to be willing to love her from a distance and sire children he could never claim…it was admirable.

“Jace never married,” I stated. It was not a question, but an observation. I knew far too well that if he had, he would never have put the shame on his wife that would’ve been given to her when he kissed me so publicly.

“The two of you share a special connection. He could not bring himself to agree to any marriage proposal until we knew one way or another. He said that he would only be with his other half unless there were no other options,” she spoke softly. She helped me into a new dress, a beautiful sea green color to represent House Velaryon.

“So, until my body washed ashore somewhere?” I asked, a ghost of a laugh coming through. I could see a frown slowly creeping onto her face. “Mother, I’m sorry. I can’t Imagine how difficult the last few years have been.”

“You are back now, my darling girl. That is what matters,” she told me, sitting me in the nearest chair so that she could braid my hair. “Aegon asked me to annul his marriage to Helaena. Their’s was not a happy one, I do not wish that upon any of my family.”

I was grateful for her gentle touch as she worked carefully with my hair. It wasn’t as though my mother had ever been rough with me, but there was a gentleness that she always seemed to have whenever we were sick or hurt.

The first time Jace flew on Vermax, he pulled me onto the saddle. We both returned blistered and aching. Yet once it hit midnight and my fever had fully set in, it was realized I had an Infection because I wasn’t wearing proper dragon riding clothes and my skin was rubbed off until I was bleeding. She sat by my side for nearly a week then. She prayed to nearly every god, even the ones she had no faith in, and she was so soft with me you would think she was a mere common woman instead of the future Queen.

“And Aemond?” I asked her once she pulled her hands away from my hair.

“Refuses to marry. He has wanted to marry you since the two of you attempted to run off to Dragonstone when you were children,” she chuckled. “If I did not know you, I would say that was his idea.”

“In my defense, we had been speaking about the Valyrian traditions that have been lost. He and I were going to marry in the tradition of Valyria and then Jace and I would marry under the Seven,” I told her, a smile on my face.

I was approximately five years old when that became our plan in life. Aegon the Conqueror had two wives, so I would have two husbands. Of course, whenever Jace was told about this plan, he vehemently denied me. He said he would give me everything that I would ever need when he was king.

“He was hoping that Jace would find a new bride, so that when you came back he could have you,” she told me, taking my hands in hers. “Before you ask, yes. He was certain you would come back. He spent nearly a year searching all of Westeros for you on Vhagar. He only returned at the request of Helaena.”

“What do I do, mama?” I whispered. “It has been so long, so much has changed. Little Aegon and Viserys won’t even know me. Is Vhaela even alive?”

Vhaela was my dragon. She had been a wild dragon that approached King’s landing near six moons before my eighteenth nameday. She was the most gorgeous shade of amethyst, her scales glittering in the sunlight whenever I flew her. She had rested on a mountain not far out from the city and I snuck out of the castle to get a closer look. Never had I known of a dragon who was so calm and regal when being approached. It was like she was royalty and she knew exactly what the difference between us was. It was this confidence she carried that lead me to attempt to claim her, and she graciously agreed to a partnership with me.

“Vhaela is in the Dragon Pit. She enjoys flying when Aemond and Jace go, I believe she feels close enough to you through them to allow them to care for her. As for your younger brothers, we did not let them forget. They know you, not in the same way they know Jace, Luke, and Joffrey, but you are not a stranger to them,” she assured me. Her voice did not waiver in this. It was instead supported by a firmness that could only result from a confident truth.

She turned me to face her directly, hands starting to squeeze mine. The look on her face was so tender, so comforting, I wasn’t sure what to do except let a few tears leave my eyes. It all felt so overwhelming, and there was no certainty as to what I should do.

“You wished to be betrothed to Jace at a young age. Do you still wish it?” she asked me quietly. “Or does your heart desire another?”

“I love Jace with my entire being,” I told her firmly. It was everything I could do to ignore how my heart began racing.

“Save for the piece of your heart that has long been held by Aemond.”

My head dropped. There was nobody that I had ever told of my affections for Aemond. He had never exactly been subtle, that I would admit. A year before Luke’s claim to Driftmark was questioned, my Grandsire the King had requested my appearance at court. He wished to spend time with me. And during that time, Aemond and I grew as close as we were as children. Maybe even closer.

But that did not matter. Those were the adventures of a young girl. I was promised to Jace formally when my family came to King’s Landing. Any affections that I had for Aemond was left behind in that moment.

The kisses that we shared In the library or in the gardens were innocent. The nights spent in my chambers, talking until the sun comes up. We absolutely did not do anything that was considered something that could ruin me. We did not make each other come undone for hours every night.

“That was a girl’s exploits. I belong with Jace, we were brought into the world together and together we shall always be,” I said while trying to keep my voice steady as hers. Yet, when it came to the overwhelming truth of Aemond and I, I was never steady. And so I turned away from her, withdrawing my hands from her touch. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her stand.

“I only wish to see you happy, to marry for love and not for duty,” she told me, taking a flower from a vase nearby and sticking it in my hair. “Allow yourself to court both of them. There have been many changes during your time gone. When you have been made completely sure, I will not question your mind again.”

Before I could say anything in response, knock on the door echoed through the room. The Maesters were here to examine my injuries. Instinctually I turned to face mother, who silently promised me she was not leaving. With a deep and painful breath, I was able to nod and allow them inside.

[ghostchems]

baptized in blood - mary goore x f!reader

a/n: here is the surprised! based on a dream i had. culty end of the world vibes here. there is smut and violence and drama and mary bein a little bit bloody because that's who they are. dipping my toe into goore-land. about 3.6k words. ao3 link!

You will never forget the day Mary Goore rolled into town. It was two months to the day that the virus spread and the world went to shit. You were taking a walk down Main Street to get some fresh air after spending most of the morning collecting eggs from the hen house. Everyone in town did their part on the farm — it was how they had lasted this long with enough food to go around. The air was cool and brisk but the sun was shining, warming your skin as you walked leisurely. You weren’t thinking of anything in particular when your eyes settled on his figure in the distance.

The first thing you saw was the blood. His face was covered in it, starting from the top of his head and running down past his chin and neck. Messy black hair spilled into his forehead. Despite what initially appeared to be a wound, he was walking with such purpose and power. His outfit looked just as unkempt as his appearance: muddy black boots, ripped black skinny jeans and a stained T-shirt with the sleeves torn off. He looked like he was on a mission. They walked down the center of the street while you were off on the sidewalk, your eyes glued to him.

You were the only two on the street that day at that moment. Deep, green eyes flitted to bite into yours, almost as if he was looking inside you. His lips curled into a sinister smirk before his eyes wandered your figure. You stopped in your tracks, your breath catching in your throat as you watched him go on by. He was heading for Town Hall which was the largest building at the end of the street and also was where the mayor and his wife had taken up residence since the surge. 

News spread quickly over the next few days that Mary had taken control of the town. No other details were provided but rumors ran wild. One of them was that he was the mayor’s disgraced son who returned for his revenge. Another was that he was sent by the devil himself to spread uncertainty and chaos in these hellish times. Pretty typical of gossip and rumors spread in a small southern town. You didn’t believe either of the rumors to be true but you still managed to keep your distance from him and the more wild behavior he inspired.

That was your typical strategy when it came to survival. You were a transplant from the north, having moved here to become a representative for Farm Aid, so you already felt like an outsider to the small town. Then, everything went to shit but you did your best to contribute just the same as everyone else but you did keep your distance. You cleaned the coop, picked produce and helped milk the cows, literally anything that you could contribute to you did but you always went back to your studio apartment above the pharmacy. 

You drew the line at participating in the new activities that have become popular since Mary’s arrival, besides at least showing your face at them. The town now had ritualistic burnings for those that passed, piling their bodies up and burning them in a field far enough away from the crops. More and more townspeople began to don the skull paint as well but none dared to replicate Mary’s signature blood spilling from his head down his neck. Bones started to appear along Main Street, sometimes configured in curious arrangements. You were curious but you decided it would be in your best interest to ignore and continue on with your usual tasks. 

Mary started to watch you, though. He seemed to always be around when you were working and you could feel those dark green eyes on you at all times. He made you feel on edge and you refused to meet his eyes. You managed to avoid him for some time until there was a mandatory town “get together” to help smooth over the tensions that were rising due to the new leadership. You stayed as long as you possibly had to before slipping out the back of the cafeteria during a spirited discussion about planning for the upcoming dry season.

“Walk ya home?” His voice caught you by surprise. You thought you were home free but there he was, muddy boots and all. That night he had the signature blood from his forehead down to his neck but he also paired it with corpse paint. You blinked at him a few times, having never been this close to him before.

“Sure.” You couldn’t tell him no, being the man who decided who eats and who doesn’t and all but you were anxious. It was a short walk from the cafeteria to your studio, basically straight down the street until reaching the pharmacy. The two of you walked in silence with the street being illuminated by gas lights lined along it and the dim light of the moon. Your eyes darted around the street, realizing that once again, it was just the two of you like it had been the day he arrived. 

“You’re a hard worker, y’know?” His gravelly voice cut through your thoughts again. When you turn to look at him, his eyes look softer than you’ve ever seen them before. 

“I try.” You offered a sheepish smile. “Not much else to do these days, is there?” 

“Mmm, yeah, but you could’ve just given up. Loads of people have. Just decided to curl up and die.” Mary leaned his arm against yours, brushing against the sleeve of your sweater. You felt a warm blush spread across your cheeks. 

“I mean, I definitely stayed inside in bed for the first couple of weeks of this thing.” You shifted your gaze back to the street in front of you. “But then it didn’t go away.” 

Your words hung in the air for the rest of the walk. Mary was silent but stayed close to you, his side pressed against yours. Your feet came to a slow stop as you reached the door to the stairs that led up to your studio. 

“This is me.” You turn around to face them, your arms crossed over your chest. Mary’s eyes drifted over your figure and he took a step closer to you. You instinctively took a step away from him, your back hitting the door. 

“You’re like me, y’know.” Their voice dropped deeper as he closed in on you further. “You’re an outsider to these people, baby.  You’re not about their bullshit.” He leaned in so close to you, his hands resting on the door beside your body. You knew he was right. You knew the second he saw you on the street that day he knew. You swallowed thickly, your gaze falling to his plump lips that were curled into a grin. This is why you stayed away from him. You were afraid of being seen as what you are but he saw you. And now, you were trapped by him.

Mary leaned in, their lips coming incredibly close to yours before he tilted his head to just miss giving you a kiss. Instead, his mouth found your neck, nibbling and kissing it sloppily as his arms curled around you. You gave a surprised groan, your hands immediately snapping up to grasp at his shirt. His kisses trailed up from your neck to your jaw before he settled just by your lips. Again, you stared into those deep, green eyes and you knew that he saw you for what you really were. 

A growl ripped from his throat as your lips connected and his hand snaked up from your hip to tangle into your hair. The kiss was desperate and deep, all tongue and teeth. You could taste the saltiness of the blood on his lips as his tongue pushed into your mouth. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt this fire inside you, the burning desire that only continued to spread between your legs. The kiss ended abruptly, the both of you panting and pressing against each other needily, until you came to your senses.

You spun around and pulled the door to the stairs open before booking it to your apartment. Mary was close behind you, his boney fingers hooked on to the back of your jeans. You fiddled with your keys as you reached the door to your apartment, your hands shaking from the excitement. They are right behind you, his chest pressing firmly into your back and his crotch rutting into your ass. You couldn’t help but whine, feeling how hard he already was through his jeans.

The door finally popped open and before you had time to react, he grabbed you by the waist and scooped you up only to toss you onto your bed. He had you pinned so quickly, his hips desperately grinding into you. 

“Fuck!” You cried out as their hands worked to tear your sweater off of you. Once it was off, his lips parted and he growled deeply, looking down at your exposed chest. His arms curled around your back and he lifted you up to him, his mouth connecting with your collarbone. He was like a wild animal, his teeth biting and sucking at your delicate skin. Heat spread beneath it and your head fell back on your shoulders as he dipped down lower to flick his tongue against your nipple.

They latched their mouth onto your breast, his tongue licking across the nipple as his other hand groped at the other. Your mouth hung open and a deep moan bubbled up from your chest, your fingers tangling in his hair and pushing him even further into your chest. He grunted against you, happily burying his face between your breasts upon your direction. 

“You are so fuckin’ beautiful, sugar.” Mary praised as he lifted his head from your chest, his eyelids heavy and the blood and paint on his face smudged. He looked completely wrecked and he hadn’t even fucked you yet. You tugged him further on top of you and grabbed at his studded belt. They took the hint and started to pull your pants and underwear down your legs. He whined at the sight of you and he swiped his finger along your drench cunt, then bringing it up to his lips to taste you. “Fuckin’ hell, you taste so good.” 

All you could offer was an exasperated whine, his belt proving to be a bit too complicated for how impatient you were. The way he smiled at you – you’ll never forget it, somehow being equal parts sweet and slimy. He somehow freed himself with ease, his pretty cock falling from his jeans, precum already collecting at the tip. Mary spat on the head of his cock then stroked himself to spread his spit. You wrapped your legs around him as you watched him touch himself, almost succumbing to reaching between the two of you and offering yourself some relief before he shoved you back onto the bed, his cock pressed against your entrance.

Your breath caught in your throat as he hovered above you, your cheeks flushed and your eyes wide. He pushed in carefully, stretching you wide and feeling how he deliciously filled you. They held themselves there for a moment before he fucked into you relentlessly, his thrusts deep and hungry. You pulled him down even further, forcing his forehead against yours so you could watch him. He bit down hard on his lip, hard enough to draw blood as his throat filled with husky growls. 

You were so far gone. He fucked you hard and fast, exactly how you liked it. You felt your muscles tense and the fire in your abdomen was getting so close to bursting. Mary’s own moans filled your ears along with the sound of smacking flesh. You needed this. You didn’t realize how badly you did. But he knew. The feeling overtook you, your walls fluttering around his cock as your gut tightened and your back arched. You screamed his name in a shattered breath.

You were almost embarrassed by how quickly you came if not for Mary being right behind you. Maybe it had been sometime for him as well. His nails dug into your hips as his thrusts became more stuttered and erratic, his wild eyes boring into yours. Groans caught in his throat and he quickly pulled out, his hand working to take him all the way. He emptied himself on your stomach with raspy gasps.

You looked at him with hazy eyes, your body limp on the bed as you watched him pull his pants back up. His expression was positively devious and the paint and blood on his face were smeared all across his lips. 

“See ya around, sweetheart.” He offered you a wink and then sauntered out of your studio apartment, leaving you there with his seed on your stomach. 

That was the start of it.

Now, the two of you cannot get enough of each other. He is always there, watching you clean the coops and work on the farm but now his very presence makes your cheeks burn and your thighs ache. You are sneaky about your rendezvous, not wanting to cause unnecessary gossip or issues arise among the townspeople. There is a storm shelter entrance to the basement of town hall, which is where Mary has set up shop as him and is also where you enter to see him, avoiding coming in the front and running the risk of being seen. And you can’t help but enjoy the secrecy – it makes it all the more exciting.

You are sure that he loves you. The way his face lights up when he sees you, the way he can’t keep his hands off of you… he has to keep you close whenever you are near. You originally weren’t sure a man like him was capable of love but it is clear to you now. 

You think you might love him too.

Today, you are in his lap and his cock is buried deep inside you, seed spilling out from you and onto his bed. He lazily strokes at your clit with his pointer finger, up and down as your head falls to his shoulder and you squeeze your eyes shut. 

“So good for me, huh, baby?” Mary purrs into your ear and nips at your earlobe playfully. “One of these days I’m going to put a baby in ya, I think.” He licks at the spot just below your ear and you give a shuddered whine. Doesn’t he have such a way with words? “One more time for daddy.” They hum and start to rub at your clit more roughly than before. 

Your back arches against his chest and your fingers dig into his hairy things while strangled moans spilled from your lips. He uses one of his hands to push your legs open even further and his other hand works diligently against your swollen clit, tracing harsh circles along it.

“Atta girl.” They coo in your ear. You can tell he is smiling from how his mouth feels on you, his own heavy breaths filling yours. “So perfect for daddy.” He presses down on your clit and you scream out his name, your vision blurring and your body convulsing. Mary murmurs more soft praises in your ear as your chest heaves and you collapse against him. They have you snuggled up in their arms, their face nuzzled in your neck. 

There is a loud noise from upstairs that knocks you both from your blissed out haze. You spin your head to catch a glimpse of Mary who is already slipping out from you and throwing his jeans on. You start to collect your clothes from the bed and the floor, your throat starting to become dry from the increasing noise coming from just above you. Mary is already angrily running up the stairs while you manage to get your clothes on.

There’s yelling and more clattering and then a scream. You can’t stop yourself from shooting to your feet and scurrying up the stairs. You stop short of the door, knowing that if you step through the jig could be up. Another scream rings out and you push the door open, stumbling out into the assembly room. 

Mary is standing over Bubba, the town drunk. How he has been able to find booze during these times, no one knows, but he manages to stay slippery all day every day. He is on the ground giggling like an idiot. Mary seems exasperated. Bubba slowly realizes that you are there and he explodes into more laughter.

“O’course you’d be all about them weird girls, wouldn’t ya, Mary?” He manages between laughter. “Gotta use ‘em for somethin, right?”

You feel rage you haven’t quite felt in a long time but it is quickly quelled once Mary lands a harsh kick to Bubba’s head. He looks to you, his eyebrows knit together but his teeth are barred and his lips are stretched into an angry scowl. You don’t want to be around for whatever is going to happen next so you turn on your heel and leave just as the sounds of beating pick up again. 

You wish that what Bubba had said didn’t affect you but it did. Did everyone think you are just a “weird girl”? You put as much effort into keeping things going and running smoothly as the next person, if not more. It cuts you deep, even if you don’t want to admit it. The walk back to your apartment takes no time at all and you figure that a nice, cold shower and a nap would help soothe your thoughts and feelings. You don’t even put clothes on once you are out of the shower, opting to rest for “just a moment” in your towel before zonking.

You end up napping for longer than you anticipated, only to be woken up by screams coming from outside of your window. Confusion sets in as you blink your eyes open and the smell of smoke fills your nostrils. You shoot up out of bed and gaze out the window, only to see fire. Lots of fire.

The crops. 

You quickly throw a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt on before taking off out of your apartment. The street is filled with people, more so than you’ve ever seen it. Some are wailing, some are silent. Most don’t even notice you as you run by them, heading straight for town hall. You’re sure Mary already knows but you couldn’t stop yourself from running to him. There’s a sinking feeling in your stomach. Maybe something happened while you were asleep. An uprising? A fight? 

By the time you make it to town hall, you are out of breath. You push the doors open, probably the first time you’ve ever walked in through the main entrance on your own. You gasp sharply as your eyes focus on what is in front of you. A trail of blood covers the floor, leading your gaze to Bubba.

He is crucified on the wall, right on top of a map of the town. Knives are buried deep in his palms and ankles. His head is hung low, his throat slit and blood spilling down his chest. You don’t know how to react. You think you should at least scream but you’re frozen, unable to tear your eyes away from Bubba.

“There ya are, baby!” 

Your head wrenches to the sound of his voice. Mary is covered in blood, more so than usual. His face is completely covered and his hands and arms up to his elbows are stained red. He is twirling a knife in his hand as he walks over to you at a leisurely pace.

“The… the crops.” That's all you can manage to say. You point in the vague direction of them. He is smiling at you, his bright white teeth a deep contrast to the dark red of the blood covering his lips.

“They needed to be punished, darlin’.” He sets the knife down on one of the meeting tables before he reaches you. 

Punished.

“B-but the food supply--”

“You will be fed.” Mary’s voice drops to a dangerous level, his eyes shining with madness you’ve never seen before. “You’re my baby, baby. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. They need to be punished.” A blooded hand reaches out for you and rests on your cheek. “After what they said about you… they are going to learn a lil’ lesson. People will die, sure… but I got you, baby.” His other hand rests on your other cheek and he strokes them with his bloody fingers. 

Mary did this for you. You don’t know what to say; your mind is blank and words are catching in your throat. But you can’t help but… lean into his gentle touch. He is smearing blood all along your cheeks but you don’t mind. The look in his eyes tells you all you need to know.

Unwavering loyalty and love.

You kiss him. You kiss him and you melt into him, throwing your arms around his shoulders. He is your and you are his.

And they will be punished.

[krisdreaming]

a little birdie told me you wanted fall themed fic ideas, so here I am!!

I feel like a cute fall themed idea is a coffee date and then a walk through the local park where you admire the colors of the leaves!!

And turns out the day is quite windy, but the reader didn't bring their jacket, so the character gives them their own jacket so the reader won't be cold😭😭❤❤

Is it kinda basic? Yeah, but I feel like you could make this into something really cute

Thank you for believing in me, because I actually came up with a pretty cute idea for this :')

Pairing: Tsukishima Kei x gn!reader

WC: 769

A/N: In Japan around this time of year, they celebrate Tsukimi, aka the moon viewing festival. I really love the idea of it, and so the idea to incorporate it into a fic popped into my head! And of course, who better to write it for than our own Tsukki?? The play on words is, of course, that Tukishima's family name contains the character for the moon (Tsuki).

"Look at this!" The poster just catches your eye as you're leaving the coffee shop. It's advertising a Tsukimi event at the nearby park, and it's this evening. "This month has gone by so fast, I almost forgot that it's Tsukimi already!"

Kei leans in to get a closer look at the poster and merely hums in acknowledgement. You tug on his hand. "C'mon, why don't we go? It's only a few blocks away, and it's such a perfect evening." You gesture up at the clear sky, already in its full sunset glory.

"You sure?" He raises an eyebrow. "You don't even have your coat," He points out, and you shrug your shoulders in your t-shirt.

"It's not even cold today! Don't try to make excuses just so you can be a stick in the mud." You pause, donning your best pleading look. "Please?"

He sighs, but his grip on your hand tightens. "Well, alright," He agrees, and you grin. "Only because you said please."

You laugh softly. "Thanks, Kei." You swing your linked hands lightly between you. The walk to the park isn't far. When you get there, you find it strung with soft lights, and a few small food and drink stands are giving off delightful smells.

"I guess you want some dango?" He gestures to the nearby stall, and you nod quickly. It wouldn't be Tsukimi without dango. With your snack acquired, you soon make your way to one of the benches set up throughout the park. You have a clear view of the sky once seated, and you look up into the darkening twilight.

"How soon do you think the moon's going to rise?" You ask, glancing at your boyfriend.

He shrugs. "How should I know?" He slides his arm around your shoulders, and you gladly settle in closer to him. Now that the sun is gone, the warm autumn day is turning into a cool autumn night. You try not to shiver in the cool breeze, not wanting to prove him right about the jacket.

You try to keep up a conversation, but it isn't long before you're clenching your teeth to keep them from chattering. "You're not cold, are you?" Kei asks with a smirk, and you shake your head stubbornly.

"I'm fine." You force out.

"Sure," He says, pulling his arm away and letting even more cool air against your skin. You can't help hugging your arms around yourself. Before you can react, he shrugs out of the jacket he's wearing and drapes it across your shoulders with a click of his teeth.

"I don't want you to be cold," You mumble even as you pull the jacket tighter around you, relishing the body heat still clinging to the fabric.

"It's not even cold today," He mimics your earlier words in a squeaky voice, and you immediately punch his shoulder.

"You're so mean to me!"

"Only because you deserve it," He shoots back, sliding his arm around you again and giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze when you pout. His fingertips skim your arm through the fabric of his jacket, and you rest your head in the crook of his neck.

Soon enough, the moon does make its appearance, and you lift your head to look up at it more fully. The autumn moon really does look larger than normal, and seems to shine just a little bit brighter through the crisp night air.

Eventually, you can't help it. You shift your gaze from the moon in the sky to the man beside you. The moonlight softens his features, and your eyes trace the curve of his nose. You feel warmth swelling in your middle the longer you look at him, taking a few moments to memorize his moonlit face in this moment.

"What are you doing?" He finally turns to you, as if sensing your gaze on him.

"Viewing the moon," You answer nonchalantly with the beginnings of a cheeky smile. He rolls his eyes.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take," He sighs at your joke, his exasperated look almost strong enough to disguise the soft smile quirking at the corners of his lips.

"What?" You ask innocently, and reach to sandwich his face between your palms. "You're my moon, Kei."

"You're insufferable," He replies softly, but he closes the gap between you and presses his lips to yours. His fingers soon come up to cup your face, and he deepens the kiss.

"But you love me anyway?" You ask when he finally pulls away.

"Yeah," He says in a low voice, thumb grazing your cheek. "Unfortunately."

[ravenwriter16]

Star's Don't Shine They Burn, Info!

I wanted to post about each of the MAIN characters in my fic! SOOOOOOOOOOO, HERE WE GO!

Y/n:

YOU are THE main character of my fic. I won't get too deep into your past (Spoilers) but what you should know is that you are a Mage, you had a crappy childhood before being found by the three Automatrons, and a MAJOR incident caused you to finally run away from your Royal Life with Sun, Moon, and Eclipse.

You ran away, caught a one-way boat out of the capital, and hitchhiked a wagon. There you meet a 'Straight-to-the-point' Ogre, who lets you stay with him for a price.

There you learn all kinds of new skills, skills that don't require magic. For eight years you live a peaceful life, taking over the land while the Ogre-Ivan-went off to travel the world.

You also have a stutter that only comes out when you're very scared or uncertain of something.

Sun:

Sir Sun is your (ex) Dad. He's one of the three emperors that rule over the land.

He can wield Mana, just like his two husbands can. He mostly uses it as during combat, either as a defense or an offense.

Sun is the leader of the Celestial Guard, an order of Knights he founded when he was crowned emperor.

He LOVES to do arts & crafts with you. As well as teach you how to use a sword, how to size up an opponent, and how to use your wits during a battle. He also encouraged you to be adventurous and would often get you both in trouble

He was the one who lead out scouting missions himself to find you when you ran away. He's also the one who finally tracked you down after meeting with an informant

Some things he would say: "Out a bit more elbow grease into your swing, Bunny! There you go! Look at you! A born natural!" "You're doing great! Just DON"T LOOK DOWN!...AND DON"T TELL YOUR PAPA OR FATHER!!" "It'll all be okay in the end, sweetie...Someday you'll see..."

Moon:

Mage Moon is your (ex) Papa. He's also one of the three emperors.

His mana is more potent than Sun's and his knowledge of the Mystical is second to none.

Moon is the Head Mage of the Academy of Mana, where he also leads an elite group of mages called the Order of Lunara. All mages that serve in the order are trained by him personally.

He was the one who found you in the first place, sensing an unknown and unheard-of power in you (Which I will explain in later chapters). After a few more trips to your run down home, he decided to take you to the palace, were you met Eclipse and Sun.

Moon was also the one who taught you to read and write, as well as how to control your Mana and cast simple spells, such as creating a small flame, or making something levitate.

When you ran away, he locked himself in his study, trying all kinds of spells and runes to see if he could find you or any trace of your Mana from any complicated spells you might have used.

Some things he would say: "The pen is mightier than the sword...But a Mana infused Stone Golem trumps any pen you use." "Shh, it was only a nightmare, Starlight. I'm here and I'll never let any nightmare touch you again. I swear." "The pain is only temporary...Know that this hurts me more than it hurts you...It'll be okay...just a few more minutes..."

Eclipse:

Alright...This Automatron...is basically the one in charge of the WHOLE empire. He's the main emperor because he does ALL the Royal stuff. He doesn't have an order he teaches or guards he trains.

He just does all the paperwork and goes to meetings and such and such.

His Mana is WAY more potent than his husbands. And his knowledge on the dark arts is astounding. In his free time, he even does small experiments, jotting down results in one of his many journals.

He instantly fell in love with you when your first met. After that he immediately called you his heir and gave you everything and anything you could need and desire.

You would mostly spend your days with him, since Sun and Moon were busy with other people and Eclipse was bored with paperwork.

You both would have tea together, go shopping in the city market, settle down in the library and practice your reading. You would learn everything there is to know about being a princess and he even taught you how to dance and play instruments.

When you ran away, he went...well MAD. He searched for you high and low, paranoid that someone would know where you went, or was keeping you prisoner. He would imprison and torture anyone who he thought was keeping you from him.

Multiple times Sun and Moon had to calm him down when he took thing sway too far. Like attacking a visiting royal for no reason.

He was fuming by the fact that he couldn't go out there and search for you himself, but his husbands convinced him to stay and run the Empire.

Some things he would say: "One, two, three. One, two, three. Excellent work Starfire! At this rate you'll be the best dancer in the entire Empire! HaHa!" "I know, I know. I'm sorry I can't play with you right now, love. But I have to look over these reports...hm...Why don't you sit down at the piano over there and play me one of your songs?" "I. Regret. NOTHING! Everything I have done; I have done for YOU!" That's enough of my info dumping! Hope you've enjoyed!

[what-the-stories-have-foretold]

Tsuki ga kirei desu ne?

Nikolai Gogol x reader

Navi.

Warnings: none, just soft and fluffy, kykolka means "doll", solnyshko means "my sun"

Autumn Event

Wordcount: 400+

The days are, surprisingly, still warm. It is in the evening that the earth remembers the season. He must be shivering, you thought as you looked ahead to where Nikolai was leading the way, arms swaying freely as he went. You nuzzled deeper into his coat, breathing in his calming smell.

"We should share, Kolya," you murmured.

He turned on his heel and bent down to coo at you:

"Oh, my dove, what type of lover would I be if I didn't give my solnyshko even something as small as my coat?"

His lips spread into a smile when you giggled into the warm fabric. Then, he let out a dramatic sigh and slung his arm around your waist.

"Now, now. I believe we've nearly reached our destination."

"Where are we going anyways?"

But he didn't answer, instead he pressed a finger to his lips. You rolled your eyes.

"I'm sure it can't be that much of a secret."

"Ah, ah, ah! Don´t tell me you´re doubting me, my kykolka?”

You laughed softly at his antics and took his hand in yours. His palm was rough and warm, but his hold was gentle and your eyes fluttered close at the sensation.

Little specks of silver lights covered the night sky. A light breeze brushed over you as you reached a flower field.

“Ready for a magic trick?”

His eyes were on you, shining in excitement, though there was a sliver of nervousness in them, you realised.

“Always,” you answered, brushing away a stray strand of his hair.

He grinned at you.

“Keep your eyes on me, my sweet.” One of his arms disappeared in a void and then, suddenly, Nikolai moved forward to pick you up in his arms. That´s when you dared to look back at the field. Your eyes widened. There laid a soft blanket with a basket filled with your favourite drinks and desserts, and small candles lined the edges of the knitted fabric.

“Kolya-“

“No, solnyshko, look.”

You followed his gaze. For a moment, your breath got stuck in your throat as you watched the full and glowing white moon slowly emerge from behind a cloud.

After a while, Nikolai – who was still carrying you in his arms - pressed a sweet kiss to your temple, his eyes resting fondly on you calm and content face.

“Come on, let´s lay down and cuddle. We´ve got all night just to watch the sky.”

Though his eyes remained solely on you.

[siddyyyyyyyy]

pairing: re4r Leon Kennedy x reader, no outbreak au

warnings: your mom being embarrassing, no y/n used

wc: 2.6 k

a/n: I'm not normal about Leon Kennedy, he's in my mind, in my sketchbook and now even in my dreams. And be warned, this is total cringe, it's embarrassing and I don't even want to post it, but here we are.

Even though it was easter holiday and your parents invited your family to your home to celebrate, it didn't stop you from hanging out with Leon. You've been friends since you can remember and you're pretty sure he doesn't remember anymore how you two met again. But besides that, your relationship with him is very strong, no one has seen you two without the other before and some are even saying that you guys are together. Which isn't exactly wrong... you both just decided it's best not to make it public yet, so no one really knows.

Since your home is now filled with your aunts and uncles and your grandmother, you thought it would be better if Leon and you went out today instead of celebrating easter with your family. Leon's foster parents didn't mind, knowing that you two are 'just friends' and are only hanging out today, like every other time. So, there you are, with Leon hand-in-hand, going about the park not too far off your home and enjoy the luke warm weather. It's nice to finally be able to walk around without a winter jacket again, no icy roads and no rain or snow at the moment. You enjoy the walk around the park with Leon while looking at the colourful trees and bushes, aswell as the pink and yellow tulips around the park. You both sat down on a bench after buying each a subway, eating your sandwiches beside eachother in comfortable silence.

»What did you order again?« He asks after taking his first bite out of his sandwich.

»Chicken Teriyaki.« You answer back with a full mouth,enjoying the sandwich you bought and don´t bother to look at Leon while talking for now. He just stares at you, seemingly waiting for you to look at him and probably say something more. You do eventually, after swallowing your bite and speak up.

»What?« You ask him back, not sure what his problem is.

»...can I take a bite?« He looks at you with his most innocent eyes he can muster, hoping you will give him a taste of your subway sanwich.

Just a little bite.

»No, you'll eat the whole thing. I know you.«

You say back to him, knowing where this will go since it happened countless of times before. Leon glances at your sandwich before he looks at his own again, trying to be more convincing.

»I swear, I'll only take one bite. You can eat some of mine too.«

He offers you and even hands you his sandwich, his eyebrows slightly raised while he waits for your answer. You look at what he ordered for himself, it being something with bacon.

Eventually, you shrug and let out a small sigh before you swap your sandwiches. Now Leon is beaming with a smile and takes a large bite out of your order while you take a normal bite out of his. You look over at him and stop chewing, seeing how much he just ate. Leon's still eating the large bite he took off and doesn't look your way, just happy to be able to taste what you ordered for yourself. He nods before he looks over at you.

»Not bad. But mine's better.« He tells you as he takes his sandwich back from you and hands back yours. Finally, you can talk again and scold him like every other time.

»You just ate half of my sandwich. You promised me to only take one small bite.« Leon can't help himself but smile slightly at this, being amused at you.

»Sorry.«

»No, sorry isn't enough.« You say back as if you're really hurt and take another bite from your own sandwich, looking the other way. He leans in and gives you a peck onto your cheek before he scoots closer to you on the bench, wrapping his arm loosely around your shoulder while continuing to eat. This was enough for you to soften up, resting your head against his shoulder for a moment before you both are just eating in peace. The sun shines down on you both and the park, making everything look so full of life after months of snow and cloudy skies. If it wasn't for the insects that are also deciding to come out, you wished it stayed like this forever.

After eating your small lunch at the park, you both walk around the city and explore some new things around. It's not very often now that you can hang out with Leon, since you both just got freshly into college, but it's holiday now and you're trying to spend as much time as possible with eachother. Leon spots a shop with many bracelets and drags you in, not that it took a lot for him to do that, since you almost ran into the shop once he told you about it. The shop is rather small but cozy with many different beads and jewelry stands in it, making it possible for costumers to make their own bracelets in here. You're ecstatic at this, making yourself a bracelet while Leon stands by and watches you.

The bracelet you're making has baby blue beads with silver accessories in it, mixed with some smaller white pearls. The kind worker helps you tie it off once you were finished and you aren't able to wipe the small smile off your face. You want to pay for it but Leon insists he pays, so he does... after a few moments of discussion between you.

»Don't you want one too?«

»No, I'm not really into bracelets.« Leon answers you once you're out of the shop, holding hands again.

»Your loss.« You shrug, teasing him a bit during the walk back to your home with him.

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

Once home, you're greeted from your mom from the kitchen, the guests not noticing you two for now since they're in the living room.

»Hey honey, how was the hangout?« She asks, only now noticing that Leon is also there, greeting him with a smile and a small nod.

»Good, we had subway. And I got a bracelet for myself.« You extend your arm for your mom to see the bracelet around your wrist, the beads shining beautifully in it.

»Oh, that's awesome.« She smiles and examines the bracelet a bit more before she speaks up again. »Do you guys wanna join us? We were about to play scrabble.« She offers and looks at you both, waiting for the answer even though she can already guess what it will be. Scrabble is a fun game, but you'd rather not play it now with your family since you just want to relax with Leon at the moment.

»Hm, I'm not sure...«

»Well, what about you Leon? Do you wanna come and play with us?« Your mom looks at Leon, while he stands beside you, not sure how to answer that. He doesn't want to be rude to your mom but also doesn't want to destroy your plans in just relaxing for now, innerly conflicted about this.

»Oh, who do we have there?« Someone from the living room saw you three talk near the kitchen, most probably your grandma.

»Who's this handsome man? Isn't this Leon?« She caught the whole attention of the others that are now glancing your way, suddenly all the attention on you both. Leon smiles politely at her and nods a bit, glancing over to you.

»C'mon, let's go and just say hello to the others.« Your mom nods towards the living room, no longer asking about the game and decides to just let you both greet the family. You sigh softly while she is on the way to the room, Leon nudges you softly.

»I'm sure it won't be that bad.« He tells you quietly and encourages for you both to walk into the living room, his hand on your lower back.

Once in the living room, he lets go of you and just smiles politely at the aunts and uncles, aswell as your grandma and dad at the table. Your mom, Christa, squeezes Leons shoulder softly and introduces him to the rest.

»This is Leon, her best friend. You remember, right?« Your two uncles nod slightly, aswell as your aunts, seemingly having forgotten who he is for a moment since they don't see him as often as your parents or your grandma.

»Oh, yes, he's a handsome young man. Very well manners at that too. You don't see that every day.« Your grandma adds with a nod, seemingly proud of him. You intervene, patting him on the back while speaking up, knowing where this would go.

»Yeah, he's very nice, grandma. But he's just a friend.« She groans at that and rolls her eyes dramatically, turning more towards you both to look at you properly.

»Oh, but look at him- he's perfect! Why aren't you two together yet?« She means it in a good way, definitely not teasing but seems to want to get you two to say something more than you're both just friends. Leon chuckles slightly at that and looks at you, being overall amused at this whole thing and wants to see how you handle it.

»No, we're just friends. I know he's perfect, but we aren't together.« You tell her, hoping to reassure her but it just did the opposite.

»See? Even you're saying he's perfect and you're still not together. I don't-«

»Okay, I think they get it. I think they'll figure it out on their own, no?« It's your dads turn to speak up, glancing at you both while some of the others chuckle silently at this whole thing. Your grandma still wants to talk more with Leon and try to get him to say something more, almost being more interested in him than her favorite game of scrabble.

Eventually, they give you both a plate of cookies to eat on your own, letting you guys alone for now. Now in your room, Leon can't help but chuckle some more at what just happened.

»I think your grandma likes me.«

»Oh, you think so?« You sit down at the edge of your bed and place the plate of cookies on the night stand, crossing your arms while looking at Leon.

»Yeah, maybe she thinks I'm handsome. It's just a theory though. « He shrugs slightly and sits down beside you, being sarcastic about it. Now it's your turn to chuckle a bit and lean against him, relaxing against him more.

»I'm just glad my dad could stop her from talking more. It always happens.« He wraps his arm around you and rubs your side softly, glancing down at you.

»Well, at least they like me. It could be worse, you know?« He tries to cheer you up even though you just feel embarrassed about them and didn't expect this to happen in the first place.

»Let's just watch a movie, I'm tired.« You mumble and make yourself comfortable on your bed, laying on the inner side of the bed, while he lays down close to your side and turns the TV on. While Leon is busy picking a movie to watch, you're cuddling onto his side and tangle your legs together. It's comfortable and warm like this, him having his arm around you too after he put on a random movie and mindlessly plays with a strand of your hair for now. You're both cuddling in peace while the movie plays in front of you, getting very cozy and tired after some time too. Leon's hand still plays with your hair a little while you're cuddle up to his side, eventually having your eyes closed and being sleepy for most of the time.

So, Leon is just watching the movie by himself for now. But he doesn't mind. He enjoys this time with you, wishing it could stay like this forever and be with you for way longer. Leon can't help but stare down at you, his hand stroking your hand softly and as gentle as possible so he doesn't accidentally wake you up. His hand travels down the side of your cheek and and settles there, his thumb carefully brushing your soft skin.

A knock at the door interrupts this peaceful moment and catches his attention, making him look behind him to the door and let go of your cheek. Christa peeks through the door after opening it up only slightly, seeing him laying on the bed with his back facing her and how you're cuddled up beside him. She can't see you fully but she can clearly see how you're both cuddling.

»Oh- sorry. I didn't want to interrupt.« She apologises quietly and wants to close the door quickly before she decides against it.

»Just wanted to know if you two wanted cake?Or is she asleep?«

»She's... very asleep.« He whispers back after glancing back at you for a moment, seeing how your face is nuzzled up against his chest and how you don't seem to notice anything. Christa nods and closes the door silently, smiling to herself as if she just saw the greatest painting of all time. She always secretly hoped that you would end up together and teases you for daily basis in hopes something would happen. After a longer while, you finally wake up and need to remember where you are again before you're fully awake. Leon's already looking at you and rubs your back gently, having an amused smile on his face for some reason.

»Morning.«

»Evening .«He greets you back and glances away, not sure if he should tell you what happened earlier or not. You lean up a little and look at him, resting your hand against his shoulder while he's still laying down.

»What's so funny?« You ask him now, smiling yourself a bit at him. He shakes his head but looks at you, being so close to just telling you what happened earlier. But he knows how embarrassed you'll probably be.

»Nothing.«

»Did I sleep funny?« You question again and tilt your head, leaning a bit closer to him just to get some reactiom out of him.

»No.«

God, you hate how her so secretive out of nowhere.

»Be honest. What was it?« He continues to look at you, his expression being an amused one but still, he's hiding something.

»Your mom walked in.«

Speechless. When did that happen? What did she say? What if she... no, that's a joke, right?

»What do you mean?«

»She asked me if we wanted cake. But she saw you were asleep, so she left.« He shrugs and watches your reaction, not wanting to miss out on how you react. His eyes study your face, seeing the suprised look and how your eyebrows immediately shot up after he told you.

»Are you okay? You're kind of red.« It's a question but it sounds like he's teasing you. He leans up too and touches your cheek with the back of his hand, feeling how warm your skin is now. You shake your head a bit, still not sure what to say.

»Was she... okay with it?« You ask hesitantly and bring his hand off your cheek before gripping onto it while you wait for his answer.

»I guess. I think she's okay with it, yeah.« He reassures you and squeezes your hand softly, giving you a sweet smile. You sigh out, not wanting to imagine what your mom thinks, even though she's most probably right about her little 'theory'.

[insideliascrazyhead]

The great expressions of High & Low 8

„I wasn´t notified of the constant fear I will develop that I end up dead at the end of the day!My stress level is higher then the Crackheads on Redrum!Yasushi scares me so bad I sleep with a knife under my pillow.I wake up screaming don´t leave me with Yasushi!I got a emergency sedative syringe now!“

„Fish fear me.Man want me.“

„When I said I love fighting I didn´t mean fighting my inner lazyness!“

„We can´t let them interrupt Todoroki´s date night.He would slap us with the fish he just caught.“

„You light him a cigarette again Saboten I swear I will shove that lighter where the sun don´t shine, you hear me!“

„When you don´t come back Noboru I swear I will chain you to me and go smoke near the petrol pump and you and I explode like a damn Daruma firework.Don´t test me I had enough concussions to go insane.“

„Enemies to lovers,Angst with a happy ending,200 thousand words was a full succes!“

Saw a glimpse of Suzaki´s tattoo and already needs a cigarette to distract himself.

„Oi Fujio!Do we behead today or leave them on?“

„Tsukasa look!Doroki is friend shaped!“

„Woah that was close!Did anyone nearly see me fall flat on my beautiful face?“

„You run away again I will put you on a kiddie leash with backpack and dog chip you little lady!“

[seasidesandstarscapes]

Across the Stars - Chapter 3

Previous - Next

Summary: Don finally learns the name of his would-be killer

Chapter Rating: T

Words: 1184

A/N: sorry for the short chapter, the next one is longer I promise

-

AO3

or

Don was home.

The suns were just beginning to set and he made his way inside, trepidation creeping into the edges of his mind.

He found his mother in the library, an orb robot assisting her with light as she scanned old books. Her fingers ran along the pages, brow tight with concentration. She turned when Don entered the room and her expression shifted into a soft smile.

“My son,” she breathed as he stood beside her and she placed a hand on his cheek.

Don memorized her face, the adoration in her eyes, while she stared at him. He was loved. He was safe.

“Your gift,” she whispered. “Soon you will awaken.”

Don frowned at this. “What do you mean?”

His mother continued smiling and her touch began to fade. Panic rose as Don scrambled to reach his mother, the library growing further and further away. He ran, ran until his lungs were about to burst and he shot forward into the dark.

Gasping, Don found himself in a small domed room, a fireplace opposite him. He was sitting up, straight and rigid, his chest heaving. His fingers twisted in the fabric underneath him, but the soft material did little to alleviate his anxious mind.

The beige-colored door to his right slid open and Don could only stare as Joe walked in, plates of food in hand.

“Oh, good, you’re awake,” he acknowledged as he set the plates down. Then, after looking closer at Don, “hey, are you okay?”

Don pressed a hand to his forehead before shaking away his scattered thoughts. “Bad dream. Where are we?”

Joe handed Don a cup of water with a shrug. “Hell if I know. After you passed out we were herded to this. What happened anyway?”

After drinking the water in a few large gulps, Don tried to explain. The test of wills, the acceptance from the leader, his words were a jumbled mess but Joe understood all the same.

“What if he had killed you?” Joe asked, a trace of fear on the edge of his words.

Don mulled this over, remembering the initial hatred in the man’s eyes. “I don’t think he would have,” he responded at last.

“You seem sure about that.” Joe wasn’t convinced.

There was nothing Don could say. Even he himself couldn’t begin to understand what it all meant.

“How are the guys?” Don glanced down at his lap.

Unbothered by the leap in conversation, Joe gave a casual shrug. “Fine, just jumpy. Language gap and…you know.”

Don nodded. He had pulled them into this mess after all. He could only hope they would be as forgiving as Joe once he explained himself. Getting to his feet, Don headed to the door despite Joe’s protests that he should rest.

“The team deserves answers. Plus I want to see where we are,” Don reassured.

He needed to get out of the room, find some fresh air. The door opened to the outdoors, which now was a terrain of overgrown plants. Petals quaked and fluttered as he walked past, roots and vines shuffled out of the way for him. Soon, Don found his companions and again he was hit with a barrage of questions.

They dragged him into a communal home, dome-shaped like his room, and they all sat on the floor around a table of food as Don recounted his tale. There was just one detail he wasn’t ready to share and blue eyes taunted his memory.

“You’re a lucky son of a bitch,” Jim let out a heavy exhale, as if he had been fighting alongside Don.

“Didn’t know you were so skilled with a sword,” Johnny chuckled. “You sure gave Chuck a scare.”

Don bit his lip when Chuck scowled at Johnny’s comment.

“You sure weren’t all brave and mighty,” Chuck shot back.

This got a few laughs and a lightness filled Don’s heart. Their spirits weren’t diminished. Hope wasn’t an afterthought anymore.

As the conversation continued, Don finally found his opening to excuse himself and he left the company to wander some more.

The huts were covered with green foliage, small windows shining with the light from inside. In the distance, Don could hear the creatures of this planet, unfamiliar and haunting as they called out.

“Kovi-nai,” a familiar voice shook Don from his thoughts. “Guardians of the forest.”

He turned to see the face he knew by heart and struggled to speak. There was so much to say, questions threatening to burst out of him, but he couldn’t find the words.

“Bobby,” his former enemy introduced. “And you’re Don.”

Don nodded, waiting for him to say more. Bobby’s voice settled in his chest, trickled from his shoulders down to his fingers.

“You don’t know, do you?” Bobby quirked a brow, his mask slipping for the briefest of moments.

How amused Bobby appeared, as if he knew exactly what power he had over Don.

“Know what?” Don’s voice trembled.

Clenching his fists, Don steadied himself, preparing for what would come out of Bobby’s mouth next. Perhaps another insult or maybe news, horrible news, that would destroy him forever.

A small smile graced Bobby’s face, weariness tugged at the edges of his eyes. “You’re Invi. Like me.”

“What…?”

Familiarity edged into Don’s thoughts, faded memories of hushed whispers, his parents talking after he and his siblings were put to bed.

“We see things. Sometimes the future, sometimes the past. Truths.”

So far away Bobby drifted, as if he were staring into a fog and not the forest beyond. It was ethereal, an impossible dream. A shiver went down Don’s spine, but he did not look away from Bobby.

“So, you saw our fight today?” He asked, his voice almost lost within the passing breeze.

“Not quite,” Bobby pulled himself back and stared into Don’s eyes. “But I saw you. Blood on your blade.”

“You thought I was going to kill you,” Don breathed.

“Couldn’t take the risk. And then you had to be all suave and sophisticated.”

“Suave?” Don blinked, taken aback.

Bobby grinned at this, glanced at the encampment behind them. “You’re a good man, Don. I just hope it doesn’t get you killed someday.”

Bobby’s hand landed on Don’s arm and he gave a small squeeze before heading back towards the huts. Don could only watch his retreating figure, wishing to call out, to ask him to stay. Instead, Don trudged back to his own room, his mind abuzz with all that had happened.

Fate was at work here.

Don had always made his own path, ignoring so many of his dreams to focus on what he could see right in front of him. But now, he couldn’t run. Bobby offered answers, understanding, and Don was ready to relinquish control. He was not afraid. Instead, a dormant fire burst to life within him, urging him forward.

When exhaustion finally won out, Don was swept away with the image of Bobby the moment he closed his eyes.

There Bobby was sitting in the white field where their fight had taken place and his hands reached out to Don.

[jupiter-reimagined]

Kali takes Butcher, carrying him inside and to bed. And then he goes to bed with him, cradling him.

In the morning, Kali makes Butcher in bed because Butcher surely has a hangover.

oops. the worms took over

wc: 450

Waking up to the sun shining in his eyes was the last damn thing Butcher needed.

He barely even knew where the fuck he was, just letting out small groans of pain with every little movement, his body stiff and aching

"Awake, Darling?" his husband, Ashok, asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

God, he must be really fucked if he did not notice the ever-warm body next to him, not until he spoke, at least.

Even when making his voice softer on purpose, Butcher was still agonizing over the noise, no doubt getting a migraine on top of the hangover.

Hangover.

Why the fuck is he hung over? Did he drink- before he can finish the thought, it hits him.

Some fucking argument they had. Something about him being too irresponsible of a father to the small band of teens living with them. Great.

"... Darling, I can see your eyes are open. You doing okay?" Ashok asks, after a moment.

Shit, did he not respond? Clearly not.

"... Huh?" was the ever-so elequent response he mustered up, sounding halfway there to being a grunt.

If not for his worry, Ashok would have smiled at the confusion, instead just repeating himself: "I asked if you're okay, darling."

".... Fuck no 'm not," Butcher drawled, throwing an arm over his eyes to stop the damned sun from burning them, and by extension, his senses.

Breathing slowly, he remembered more and more of the fight, which reached its climax with the love of his life storming out and away.

Maybe it was the leftover alcohol in his system, maybe it is genuine remorse, but he rolled over, and pulled himself over to the man who was propped up against the headboard.

Without further hesitation, he buried his face in his lap, arms snaking around his waist, breathing in deeply, before murmuring, just loud enough for his love to hear.

"Fuck, 'm so sorry, sweets. Damnit, you were right.. You're always bloody right when it comes t' my sorry ass... I don' even remember what the hell I said, probably some load of bullshit," his voice wavers, pushing down the urge to sob, before continuing, "you, doll, and the kids deserve so much better. So m-much... Just more than I'll ever be."

If he was crying, he did not notice. But the wet stain on the blanket draped across Ashok's legs were any indication, his eyes were leaking like broken faucets.

He only stopped his half-drunk ramblings and apologies, when a hand gently, so painfully gently, grasped his cheek and lifted it up, and he was forced to see the clear love swirling around the eyes of his husband.

Quietly, he thanked whatever god he believed in that moment, when he was shut up with kisses, accompanied by gentler hands than he'll ever deserve wiping the tears away.

Every day he felt like he deserved the heavensent man before him less and less.

[panda-of-the-trash]

Hello :]

I hope you've been doing well!! In recent times I've been both re-arranging my room and forgetting Tumblr exists but I do still try to take time to keep up, just not very well haha

I know this probably is a weird or stupid ask but I just wanted to know if you have any games you're super into right now? Just curious :)

Remember to keep being you and never give up, because you are an amazing individual and deserve all the chances and things given to you! Keep being awesome

I'm gonna go back into my corner to dwell about depressing things now, thank you for your time

-Harris

Hello dear! Wonderfull to hear from you again.

Don´t worry i´ve forgotten the existence of this app and others multiple times.

I haven´t really been playing any games recently, other than life itself but sometimes when i´m bored i´ll play those ´place blocks´ games.

You make sure to keep gydrating and be the amazing person you are.

I hope the sun shines where you are dear

[jessysapphireblue]

One Piece Advent Calender Door 7

Today we decorate the Sunny with our beloved Devil Child!

Door 7: Christmas Sunny

You began to sing some songs while using magic to decorate the railings of the Sunny with garlands, in it were holly and poinsettia in different colors. “fufufu~ This looks beautiful” “Oh, Robin. I thought you were in the city” “No This book was too good to lay down”, she admitted, “you´re getting quite into it” “Yes. I am just so happy” “Is there something I can help you with?” “Well, I have to finish the garlands on the railings...oh yes”

With a snip of your finger, different sizes and colors of wreath came from your pouch, landing on the deck. “Each door gets one wreath. You can deciade which one goes where” “Sure thing. All are so unique” “mmh~ oh! should I plant some christmas flowers beside your flowers?” “Oh, that would be lovely” Smiling you walked to the upper deck.

Outside was everything done with garlands and Robin also hung the last wreath up. “Everything is up” “Was it enough?” “Perfect number yes”, she smiled at you and with one snip, every garland began to glow due to your magic. “Oh, this looks so magical” “Christmas spirit and feeling arise!!!”, you threw your hands up. “Something else?” “Would you like to decorate the sleeping quarters?” Jumping back on the grass deck, Robin smiled at you. “Why, Nami would be happy” “Ok. I have everything in my room”

Opening your room, Robin began to chuckle. “You take this decorating quite serious” “Why, of course. You should´ve seen the island I landed on. This what I have is nothing against this. Like, just a pinch, Robin. It was like a living wonderland! If we ever cross this island to wintertime, Luffy, Chopper, Usopp and me? You won´t see us for days. We´re gone. Don´t even search us”

A rater loud laughter escaped Robin as she looked through your boxes. “Do you think this would be ok for Choppers office?” You held a little imp up with a long white beard and a red had, just the big nose was seen. “Cute~ I say yes” “Ok...I would mess with Zoro and hang everywhere stuff” “Oh dear~ he would chase you” “yeah...but the pillows I still give him!”

While Robin decorated the quarters, you went up to the lookout, placing fluffy christmas pillows around the seating area and by the window small garlands with glassballs, shining like a colored mirror.

In the library, you simply decorated the table with a Amarylis and a table cloth. Soon, everything was decorated and the Sunny felt like a giant Christmas wonderland. You even placed snow reindeers in every corner of the deck, topping them off with red ribbons around their neck. “I don´t know if you´re fast or good” “Both. And what do you think?” “It feels...warm. Like a hug” “This is what the decorations are about. In the cold season warm the lights peoples hearts” Both of you smiled. “Thank you for the help” “I gladly did it” “Robin! I´m ba-wow!” Nami came on board with bags as she looked around. “What happened to the Sunny?” “We decorated it”, you beamed, making Nami smile. “It looks beautiful! The town is also decorated but this is beautiful” “Our Sunny feels like a big star. You must see when it turns night”

Everyone that returned was in complete awe, the boys running around looking into every room, eyes wide like they´ve seen the biggest present ever. After dinner, everyone came out, the sun long gone as you snipped your finger and everything you decorated turned on. “WHOAAAAAAAA!!!!” Standing aside with Robin and Nami, you three watched as the boys looked through everything, warm spreading through them. “We do make a pretty good deco team”, you smiled at Robin. “Now that, we do”, chuckling, you both turned forward, the work directly paying off.

[tar-thelien]

Drabble - Ghost?

Summary:

Elros scrapes a knee, and Erestor believes in ghosts, and maybe the twins do too, Maglor likes to remind everyone of the dead and Eru´s will. If it even exists.

I´m back to writing :) Kinda...

Word: 868

Notes:

Warning: Maglor is crazy, like he usually is when I write him, so he is his own warning I guess...?

“Something broke in the room next to us yesterday, did you hear it?” Elros asked a nervous looking and newly awakened Elrond.

“Don´t ask Maglor.” the meek replay sounded, “he will just get angry.”

“But what do you think it was??” Elros pressed, “I thought the room was empty! Do you think someone might have been in there? I´ve seen Erestor stand before the door sometimes.”

“Erestor believes in ghosts.”

Later that day Elros fell when running down one of the many cold halls of the fortress chasing a cat that had ventured beyond the kitchen they usually resident.

One of the many soldiers had heard Elros cry when he fell and had quickly helped the child up while another went over to reassure Elrond, who had followed his brother in the chase, that everything was already and that they would find Maglor or Erestor to pick them up from the healing wing when a healer had looked Elros´s knee over.

Erestor had come in while a healer was busy cleaning Elros´s shines and knee, which had been torn up on the rough stone floor, with some alcohol, and then the day continued as it usually did in the dim fortress of their mother's murderer.

That same night another sound came from the room beside them, waking both of the children from their sleep.

---

“You don´t look as if you slept a lot,” Erestor said when he noticed the twins sitting outside in the sun, Elrond picking at the moss they were sitting on and Elros admiring the red on the white bandages on his shine, “is something the matter?” he asked but was only answered with a week shrug from Elros and utterly ignored by Elrond.

“Did you have a nightmare?” he kept on pressing coming over to the children to sit down beside them, “it´s only natural. Sometimes it helps to talk about it.”

“Someone was making noise,” Elrond replied.

“Well, that´s just the night guard. They´re there to keep us all safe, but I can ask them to try and be more quiet if they bother you?” he said as he frowned down at the children, “although your room is high up, might it be a swallow you can hear?”

“... it was in the room beside ours… something broke in it.” Elros said quietly picking at the red.

“Oh.”

“Is it true you believe in ghosts?” he said looking up at the oldest curious.

“I… I believe that the Fea can choose to not leave for Mandos if there´s something it didn´t finish… that it can stay with people and watch over others if it so chooses.”

“Do you think it was a ghost?” Elros kept on pressing, “do you know who had the room before they left?? If they had something to stay behind for? Do you think our Emel is watching over us?”

“I-I… I´m sure your Emel is looking over you, a-and the room beside yours is my Atto´s… I´m sure it was just the wind you heard though, Timo warns us about an upcoming storm so maybe that´s what you´ve heard?”

Elros didn´t look convinced as he looked up at Erestor with a lifted brow, “how does “Timo” know if there´s a storm coming?”

“Was it the ghost in you Atto´s room that hurt Maedhros?” Elrond asked still picking at the moss, “where is your Atto anyway? Have we seen him?”

“I-”

“That makes sense,” Elros cut in, “you can´t hit something that´s not there it Hroa, and Maglor says he´s sometimes fighting things that´s not there! I would be angry too if a ghost took my hand too, and I would also try to fight it.”

“... No.” Erestor sighed, “you haven´t met my Atto as he´s dead, and no Atto, your ghost, didn´t take Maedhros´s hand.”

“Who did then!?” Elros exclaimed.

“Why our cousin of course!” Maglor, who had sneaked up on the trio, as seemed to be his only pastime activity, “that would be your onkel somewhere down the line.”

“It was a necessity,” Erestor chimed in as if to deescalate the situation, “they cared for each other very deeply and Maedhros forgave him!”

“It was Eru´s will, and it has served him well! He is stronger with his left than he ever was with his right!”

“Eru´s will…?” Elrond whispered quietly.

“Yes! Eru´s will! Everything that happens is Eru´s will! Just like you two ending with me is Eru´s will! The almighty knew I would take better care of you, and love you more than anyone, which is why he left you with me!”

Elrond and Elros now looked extremely uncomfortable and a bit afraid, but Maglor, absorbed in his own world did not seem to notice and kept on rambling, “just like it is Eru´s will when people die, although it might make us sad it is for the greater good, and the one has decided that that is how the play shall play out, to reach the end where all evil shall wander lost!”

[writteninthesewalls28]

The most amazing sunset

A "Family" one shot

A/n: This work is part of the "be my valentine challenge" by @bemyvalentinechallenge for the day 8 prompt. This is also a one shot from my own fanfiction series that I've been writing for quite some time now.

Summary: Milly and Calum watch the sunset together and get really emotional.

Warnings: mention of death, not proof read

The sunsets during the summer months in Sydney are truly beautiful.

Me and Calum always travel for at least one week to Sydney in December to go and visit all the old places where we made history together.

And one place was the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the place where he first said "I love you". It was always something special to see the sun go down and just experience the moment (and yes, take some photos and polaroids, because… well. I want something to feed my instagram with).

"Isn´t it beautiful?" I said, looking to Calum, who stood next to me, staring at the sun.

"Yeah, this place never fails to make me happy." He responded, not once looking away from the sunny light. "It always makes me feel so emotional. This is kind of where everything started, isn´t it?"

Yeah, it definitely was.

Just 3 years ago, we stood here and I was crying in Calum arms. My mom had died just a few weeks ago and I couldn´t cope with it. He and Louis were the only thing keeping me together at that point. The year before, I went here alone because Calum had been on tour and couldn´t travel to Sydney with me. Probably the most sad and disappointing moment for me during our relationship. This place just doesn´t feel the same without him.

And well. Then there was our first time actually sharing this moment together, our first "I love you", the words I had waited for during the last whole year to hear from him, but didn´t have the courage to say it. We were teenagers. Silly, little teenagers.

But it had been amazing.

"yeah, exactly." I said, responding to his question.

"You know, I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." He suddenly said, looking at me from the side.

I gave him a confused look. Does that mean, he had wanted to be parted from me once?

"I´m so scared, I could loose you one day because of a stupid little misunderstanding or something and I just couldn´t live with the fact that we could not be looking out for each other some day." he explained and I started to understand what he meant.

Most people take the people they love for granted and don´t feel grateful enough for them. As soon as you start working as a lawyer, that often changes because you learn about all these terrible situations some people are stuck in, often involving friends and family. It´s pretty sickening sometimes.

"Yeah, I get that. But you know, it wouldn´t be that hard for you to find someone new to love. You are a famous superstar, women love you." I said, too scared to look at him.

This place does something with you, it makes you reveal secret thoughts you never knew you would ever share with someone.

"no, no, no, no. Please never say that!" Calum said, touching my chin and gently pushing it over to him so I had to look in his gorgeous eyes. "You are the most beautiful woman, I could ever meet. Look at you, your hair, your cutely imperfect skin I love so much… I could maybe get other women, but none of them would be as amazing as you. I wouldn´t want to live without you by my side, Milly!" He sighs and adds: "And by the way, you are also the most brave person I´ve ever met. No one would just go and search for their biological parents on their own. But you do."

He wrapped me in a hug and I immediately felt a lot better.

"I couldn´t live without you, Calum. It feels like I can´t breathe when you´re not around me or I don´t know where you are right now. You make me feel like myself Calum Thomas Hood."

And with that, we enjoyed the last few minutes with the stunning sunlight shining over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and stood there, arms wrapped around each other.

Yeah, I´d never want to be parted from him ever again.

[void-kissed]

the changes darkness brings (Clio/Aria)

Shortly after the Keyblade War has taken place, and the Dandelions have successfully resumed life in their new world, Clio receives a special mission from the Foretellers to clear out Heartless in the Corridor of Darkness. In the process of carrying it out, she finally finds Aria again, whom she had not seen since becoming unchained - but something seems to have happened to her.. (4359 words) Set during KHUX Quest 491; note that much of Chirithy's dialogue is taken directly from the game. Sequel to my previous piece of writing for this selfship. Content warning for a monstrously-transformed character (or, rather, my self-insert). This is a Darkling AU.

This piece officially sets the new record for "longest piece of selfship writing I've written" at over four thousand words, ahahaha. This is what happens when I'm able to write fun descriptions, so I hope that it's alright to show this off, because I'm proud of how it turned out!

(Anyone is welcome to comment on and reblog my work if desired, as long as my DNI is respected! Tag list and document transcript are under the readmore.)

Tag list: @sol-rbs | @dragonsmooch | @bugsband | @sunlight-ships | @friezaforce | @hallowed-nebulae | @stargazer-sims | @pvssinboots | @detective-with-one-arm | @deepsea-loves | @sunshimm | @artificervaldi | @thatslikesometaldude (To be tagged in my work in the future, please see this post!)

Document transcript:

It looked like a sunny early morning in Daybreak Town, and the tall Keyblade wielder was ready bright and early to start off her mission for the day, much like she would be on most other days. A mint-green Foxstar was happily keeping pace behind her, eagerly looking around at the familiar buildings the two passed on their way to where today's mission briefing would be given.

The only thing that could be called "out of place" was the fact that, instead of just sticking to her usual comfortable clothing, Clio was instead wearing a suit of shining spiked armour over her clothes, its light blue and dark purple details complementing her eye colour perfectly. Only her head was uncovered, but the crown of clovers that normally adorned her hair was left safely back in her room. She did not normally need - or want - to wear such serious attire, but her companion Chirithy had informed her to make sure that she was prepared for today's mission, so she thought it might come in handy to don the regalia she and the rest of the Sapphires had won for being one of the top one hundred parties in the Anguis Union.

As she made her way out onto the streets and through to one of the town's many open plazas, Chirithy popped into view in front of her, bouncing ahead to perch on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square.

"Alright then, Chirithy - what are we up to today?" she asked, following it forwards to the fountain. Despite knowing that what was coming was important, her voice kept its usual cheerful tone.

"You've been doing a fantastic job lately." it said in response. "So, I have a present for you!"

It stuck a grey paw into its signature pink purse and rustled around in there for a moment, giving Clio time to sit down next to it on the fountain's edge and watch with curiosity. Tea Leaf, her Foxstar, hopped up next to her as well, as if wondering whether he would get a present too. Finally, Chirithy found what it was looking for, and pulled out a glittering bangle that caught the rays of the rising sun spectacularly.

"Dun dada duun! The Bracelet of Light!" it exclaimed, perhaps slightly too loudly and dramatically for what felt like so early in the morning. It hopped up and pushed the bracelet over Clio's wrist, at which she grinned and leapt up again to twirl it around on her outstretched hand with a laugh.

"I'm glad you're excited, but gee, calm down." it said playfully, the light-hearted tone in its voice showing it wasn't being serious. "Why don't you put it somewhere for safekeeping?"

"Hey, a bracelet's meant for wearing!" Clio countered. She did consider dispelling the armour for a moment to put it away in her pocket underneath, but decided to keep the bracelet on her wrist instead; with how she had to hold her gauntleted hand to get it on in the first place, she was fairly confident it wouldn't fall off of its own accord.

"Thanks for this, by the way!" she told it with another smile. "It means a lot that you think I'm doing well."

"You are!" it said confidently. "But, you also need it for this upcoming mission."

"Oh yeah?"

"With that bracelet, you can protect yourself against darkness." Chirithy explained, regaining a more serious tone of voice. "You'll need it for the special mission we got from the foretellers."

"Huh? Special mission?" Clio's eyes widened slightly at this announcement. "This must be why you wanted me to come in my regalia too, I'm guessing, but- what's this mission all about, then?"

It nodded to show she had guessed correctly. "You'll be doing the same thing - you know, dealing with monsters.. Just in a different, darker place.."

As it spoke, something started to materialise in the plaza, a short distance from the fountain, and it turned to face it. The air seemed to shimmer for a moment, before a ring of dark energy suddenly appeared and transformed into an oval shape. Clio let out a "Whoa!" of surprise, and instinctively stood up from the fountain to try and get a better look at what had just appeared.

"..Wait, you mean I have to go in *there?!*" she exclaimed after a pause. Chirithy's own lack of shock, and subsequent nod in response to her question, had let her figure out that this was intentional, but she still seemed uncertain - and surprised.

"Your mission is to defeat the Heartless in the Corridor of Darkness." it continued matter-of-factly. "But be careful. That bracelet can only protect you for so long."

"Right.." Clio trailed off as she continued looking at the portal, trying to gain some idea of what would lie beyond it but only seeing flowing darkness cloud the doorway. Tea Leaf was now standing on the ground next to her, and trying to look determined, but his tail was slightly bristled due to his fur sticking up, which showed he was also uncertain.

"The fact you're wearing the Anguis Regalia will help you in there too, but there's quite a lot of targets for you to take down, so this isn't going to be easy." said Chirithy, who had really never been too good at sugarcoating things. "I'd recommend you bring your Starlight for this. Or, no, your Sleeping Lion's upgraded all the way, right? Some of your targets are magic-attribute, so having strong speed attacks will be good.."

"Thanks for your insight, Chirithy." Clio replied. Then, she walked away from the fountain, and as she did so, a winged helmet appeared on her head, matching her armour perfectly. A blue cobra, the insignia of Anguis, was emblazoned above her forehead, and her face was now protected by a sheet of purple-tinted glass. Tea Leaf let out a bark at this change, but she crouched down and ruffled his forehead gently with a smile, which was more than enough to reassure him of her presence.

The dark corridor's entrance loomed ominously before her, standing out like a sore thumb in the peaceful fountain square. Tea Leaf raced up to stand next to her, poised and ready to help as always. Chirithy's eyes narrowed as she went against its prior suggestion, choosing to summon Missing Ache again instead of her stronger Sleeping Lion, but any concerns it may have had were allayed when it spotted her determined expression through her visor.

"I'm all set!" she declared, turning to look over her shoulder with a smile.

"I knew I could count on you, kiddo." Chirithy replied. "Now go and get 'em! I'm rootin' for you!"

"I will!"

With the bracelet's light shining, her armour glinting strongly, and her Keyblade's darker colour scheme giving them both space to glow, she stepped into the corridor of darkness.

==========

The process of going through the portal was noticeably uncomfortable - it was nothing like anything that Clio had previously experienced, and the darkness felt heavy and constricting even through the armour she was wearing. Thankfully, that sense of heavy closeness opened up somewhat once she had made it into the corridor itself, but there was still a foreboding sense of discomfort that hung in the air. Red and blue threads seemed to weave their way through the floor like wires, and misty clouds of darkness obscured the details of her surroundings; everything had a sense of flowing movement to it that would almost make her feel like she was floating underwater if not for how solid the ground felt at her feet.

It only took a few moments before the first signs of trouble made themselves known to her; a Violet Waltz and a Shadow both rushed towards her quite suddenly, as if they had appeared out of nowhere from the darkness itself. Thankfully, such relatively weak Heartless were of no threat to a seasoned Keyblade wielder like Clio - she was a Sapphire for a reason, after all - and two uses of Nature's Gift were more than enough to let the rest of her Medals defeat them. Tea Leaf helped her out as well, using his tricks as a Spirit Pet to help dispel status conditions the Heartless tried to inflict on her. Even still, despite all of these advantages, she could tell that these enemies were noticeably stronger than normal as she fought them, and they also seemed to be appearing more frequently than she was used to as well.

As she tentatively made her way through the corridor, she remained aware of the bracelet on her wrist, which was giving off enough light for her to always be able to see her surroundings and not feel pressured by the darkness despite how much of it there was around her. While its presence was undoubtedly essential, especially as Chirithy had stressed its importance before starting the mission, she couldn't help but wonder whether its powerful light was somehow interfering with the Reversed Medals that she had equipped on her Keyblade. They were by no means her strongest, but she could still hold her own with the powers she had to hand - and the fact she had wielded Missing Ache since arriving in the new world with her fellow Dandelions was a sentimental gesture more than a strength-based one anyway.

It was as she found the first target that things started to take a turn.

Chirithy had told her to be on the lookout for a Darkball before moving to the next part of the corridor, and sure enough, one was now hovering idly some distance away from her. Despite its lazily-floating appearance, Clio knew that this type of Heartless was not to be underestimated, because of how they could sap an opponent's strength before raising their own. She decided not to take any chances once she had spotted it, and made a strong first strike using Ultimate Sword - the Medal's power let her summon a ring of shining swords around herself before soaring forwards to attack the Heartless three times in rapid succession. It was clearly not expecting such a powerful move, and one of Tea Leaf's tricks gave her an opportunity to strike an extra time with her attack, giving the Darkball no time to react before being soundly defeated in a burst of light and Lux.

"Alright, that's the first main target down!" she said aloud, reaching down to give Tea Leaf another well-earned head ruffle for its hard work in helping her. Her Keyblade was still in her other hand, but she felt confident in her pace, even despite how harsh the environment around her was.

It was then that she heard an unrecognisable sound, this time from behind her. And when she turned around, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

The figure looked a bit like it was crouching, touching the ground with all four limbs - its claws were a deep red, fading down into a dark blue-black that covered much of the arms and legs. However, most of the arms and legs were obscured by admittedly-tattered pieces of clothing - torn brown trousers that were ragged at the ends, a fluffy black fleece that had tears in the sleeves, the remains of a white T-shirt still draped over the body like a shroud, and what could have once been a red scarf sitting wrapped around the neck. Its messy hair was a strange mix of golden and black, and fell wildly over most of its face; two horn-like structures appeared to rise up from the top of its head, and a pair of black wings with dark red feathers jutted out from its back, looking decidedly too thin for their length.

Despite everything about what was in front of her - the powerful darkness it was emanating, the many monstrous features it possessed - it only took Clio a moment to fully recognise what could have been facing her, which happened as soon as she spotted the loops of empty red ribbon on the left side of its head.

"No.. There's- there's no way.."

Her words held denial, but she had already realised the truth. Now, she faced the awful decision of what to do next as her body shook with apprehension. In that moment, the tension paralysed her so strongly and she had gripped her Keyblade so tightly that it sputtered out and disappeared, causing her to freeze further with rising panic. The figure had seemed poised to leap when she first saw it, as if ready to attack at any moment; it held itself tensely on its claws, and a growling sound could be heard coming out of its mouth. However, at the dissipating of Clio's Keyblade, it almost seemed to settle very slightly, all of a sudden appearing like at least slightly less of a threat. Clio could see this change happen, and was filled with even more emotion at the sight of it - her relief at not being immediately attacked was quickly swallowed whole by the implications of what that meant.

When she spoke again, Clio's voice was shaking almost as much as she was.

"Aria, what *happened* to you..?"

Tears started welling up and running down her cheeks as she made the admission and said the name aloud - as she admitted that what she was looking at was painfully suspected to be the partner she had been separated from at the flight of the Dandelions, her girlfriend whom she had been forced to leave behind for the sake of escaping the war. The figure seemed to become more alert in response to her words, but gave no indication of replying, still staring up at her silently with what could possibly have been mistaken for apprehension.

It was then that Clio remembered she was wearing her regalia - a full-body suit of armour that obscured most of her features and was said to provide protection and defence against darkness. She did not normally choose to wear it for most missions - in fact, as Aria had joined the Sapphires some time after the regalia was awarded, she had actually never seen Clio wearing the whole thing herself. Taking any part of it off seemed like a death sentence, not only in such a dangerous place as a corridor of darkness, but also with such a monstrous entity present directly in front of her.. but it was the only thing Clio could think to do in her desperation and hope that she could somehow be recognised, and the idea had settled in her mind with soul-crushing finality.

"Please.. *Please* still be in there somewhere, Ari.. I- I'm trusting you..!"

With her eyes tightly shut, Clio reached up to grab her winged helmet with trembling hands. In one motion, she lifted it off of her head, only to freeze as it tumbled from her grasp, holding her breath and tensing up all over again as it landed on the floor.

And then the figure lunged forwards.

Clio had braced herself as much as she could in the state she was in, but she was still thrown down to the ground herself from the force. The impact was not as hard as she had feared, and it took her a moment to realise that this was because her head and her back had been cushioned by a pair of arms that hit the ground ahead of her. She became aware of a very slight weight on top of her as she opened her eyes - a blood-red claw was curled around the left side of her face, but no part of it dug in whatsoever, and it was even splayed as if to avoid hurting her eye by accident. Something was pressing itself into the base of her neck, but then lifted. The weight shifted, though its movement could scarcely be felt for how light it was, and Clio was met with a face - and she could finally make out the details that distance and darkness (and the purple tint of her visor) had previously clouded.

What she had briefly mistaken for horns were in fact still a pair of ears, lynx-like and lined with thick, darkness-covered fur. They poked upwards from the head of identically-coloured hair, once a dark golden blonde that had since been mostly stained with inky black, and from this lack of distance, she could finally see the figure's face clearly from beneath the messy hair. A scar ran down the left side of her face, but it hadn't healed like a normal injury would - instead, it looked like melting darkness had covered or perhaps created the wound, staining her sclera pitch-black. In fact, both eyes were now set in that same darkness, which was spreading out to form a leopard-like pattern around them. Her eyes themselves *blazed* with glowing amber, predator's pupils carving through them like slits cut by a knife - and were those tears welling up at the corners? When her mouth opened, it did so to reveal fangs that were even sharper than they had been before; they looked as though they could pierce through skin just as easily as water.

More incredibly, when her mouth opened, what came out was a warped and scratched - but still unmistakeable - voice.

"Clio.. *My* Clio.. You're here.. you're- really here.."

"*Aria-*"

"I found you.. I *found you..* I finally.. finally found you..!"

As she spoke, emotion rose up in her voice until it was shaking, and her eyes were fully filled with the same tears that Clio’s had held before. This was enough to set both of them crying into each other, hugging so tightly that it looked like they would never let go. A whirlwind of feelings - joy, exhaustion, happiness, disbelief, desperation, hope, elation, and a thousand other things - overwhelmed the pair so strongly that it was almost as if their feelings could be physically seen in the air. All that could be heard ringing out through the darkness were both of their sobs as they lay on the floor of the corridor, holding each other as much as they could out of such all-encompassing relief to have found each other again.

It was Aria’s tears that finally slowed first, but she was content to stay where she was once they had come under control, emitting a sound that almost made Clio nervous again before realising it was more of a purr than a growl this time. Finally, the Keyblade wielder caught her breath and was able to speak up herself.

“Ari, we- we should probably go. I need to get you out of here.”

“We can leave..? You can still leave?” she replied tentatively. Her voice was slightly less hoarse now considering how much she had just been crying, and would sound almost fully familiar if not for the fearful quality some of it still held. Her eyes still glowed strongly like before, and Clio could see that they kept darting about, looking at every part of her face except her own eyes directly. The familiarity of that movement was enough to make her smile, and it brought her yet another sense of relief.

"Yeah, don't worry. I know how to get out of here, and I'm not leaving without you."

She shifted to start to get off the ground, which prompted Aria to quickly move off to the side in order to let her stand. Once she was up, Clio held out her hand to help Aria stand up as well- but she flinched away upon touching the bracelet of light that still hung from Clio's wrist.

"*Ah!*"

Both of them made the same sort of sound at the same time, but Aria was holding the side of her claw as if it had caught on something sharp as Clio took a step backwards. A shock of worry shot through her system, but she was able to settle down once confident that her girlfriend had not been seriously hurt.

"Uh.. Hmm.. I don't want to keep this on if it hurts you, but I kind of need to keep it close before we get out, just in case.." Clio mumbled.

Aria stared up at her for a moment, before giving a nod. "That's.. I understand. It's- This is-"

She started shaking her hand up and down in the air, just like she sometimes used to when the right words would not come to mind for a moment.

"..This place is not safe for you." she finally settled on. "Even so- I won't let anything here hurt you."

A gentle smile appeared on Clio's face. "Thank you, Ari - that really means a lot.."

She trailed off in thought again, trying to decide what to do about the bracelet, before looking down towards the ground and catching sight of her Spirit Pet, who had dutifully been standing guard for the pair. A burst of inspiration came to mind, and she crouched low to the floor in front of him.

"Hey, Tea Leaf, could you maybe hold this for me?" she asked. As she did so, she took hold of the bracelet and managed to twist it off of her wrist. Tea Leaf let out a happy-sounding bark, and took hold of the bracelet in his mouth once Clio had shown it to him. With a few wags of his tail, he took a step back to look at Aria and Clio in succession. The bracelet still shone with the same light as before.

"You.. would really do that for my sake?" Aria asked quietly, still sitting half-upright on the floor of the corridor.

"In a heartbeat." Clio replied, once again smiling brightly. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe."

For the first time in what felt like far too long, Aria smiled back, and she took Clio's hand with as much softness as her claws could muster. It was easy for Clio to help her stand up, and she used the momentum to embrace her love once more, before quickly letting go to let her lead the way out.

In a flash of green-tinged darkness, Clio summoned Missing Ache once again, and reached around with her other hand as soon as she sensed Aria flinch behind her at its materialising. A part of her was sad that even Keyblades with such a strong Reversed focus, and the Keyblade she had been wielding ever since having to leave Aria behind because of that focus, triggered such a strong instinctive response in her now; but any concerns that were building dissipated just as easily when she felt her girlfriend's hand - now clawed, and now stained, but still *hers* - hold on gently to her own.

Light flooded into the corridor as an entryway was made within it with the Keyblade, the way out shining blindingly with the might of the breaking day. Aria lowered her head behind Clio's shoulder to hide from its brightness, so she gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, always reminding her that she was there for her again now. The pair stepped through the portal together, keeping close to one another as Tea Leaf brought up the rear.

"Your mission is to defeat the Heartless in the Corridor of Darkness."

That was what Chirithy had said to her, what felt altogether like so recently and so long ago back at the fountain.

Instead, she had abandoned her mission entirely just after starting it, and while what was left of Aria's clothing made it unclear whether she now bore an Emblem on her chest, Clio knew in her heart that a Heartless was who was now following her back into the world that was supposed to be light-filled.

Even so, she was firm in her decision, and knew that she was doing the right thing - love and care for the people she cared about had always been more dear to her than mindlessly following rules, after all.

There could be time for tricky questions after everything had settled - after she had held her arm out over Aria's eyes upon stepping back out into Daybreak Town, after she had breathed a sigh of relief to see the plaza still empty, after she had successfully made it back to her room and closed the curtains to make the space as dark as possible for Aria to relax and remain in.

For now, all that mattered was that the two had finally fulfilled their earlier promise, and come back to each other once more.

[liubovpohorelova]

Day 1🏮

The day quickly changed into night… A common quiet places, left by the sunlight, became darker then night and shrouded in mystery ...The calmest street of the town become the place, where nobody wants to end up after the sunset, cause everyone in the neighborhood knew, that there is something strange and inexplicable. And nobody in their right mind, never came there voluntarily, never tried knock the Door and uncover the mistery…

If faith and knowledge don’t help anymore, if medicine is useless and hope starts melting in the heart. If you understood, you need something more, need magic…

...follow the way, lighted by lanterns, shining brighter than stars……don`t ask who lit a them…

…find the Black Cat in the dark, look into his eyes, thatre greener then emeralds…dont you dare to look away…

…just hold out your hand and open the door, that not there…

…Dont ask, why this door, ever locked when suns up, is opened at night…

… Just Come in. They are waiting…

…If you decided to uncover mystery, there`s no way back..!