#yes i thought of dream buffet for this

[webparteez]

Kirbtober prompt #1 Dream! (Original prompt list made by @paintpanic ) so excited to participate in this >:) hope i can keep it up for the month

[webslingingslasher]

trouble waking peter up bc she’s horny… I stg he’s never been happier to be woken up

“blood, tears and fire only”? he’s gna have to add one more to the list

YES. IVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR SO LONG.

it’s like being so hungry, you wake up with a growling stomach. knots tied and pulled, gurgling for sustenance. this is a new kind of hungry, one that has you famished. you could eat alone, or, you could invite peter to the buffet.

you start gentle, he’ll be grumpy no matter what, but maybe this time he’d catch on to your desperate touches and connect the pieces. peter looks so peaceful when he sleeps, it’s like he turns off all thoughts from the outside world.

‘peter?’ taps on his arm, they turn into delicate pokes. ‘peter? are you up?’ you’re unsure of him moving away from you means yes, he still looks asleep. ‘yes? you’re awake?’

peter breathes deep, you start to feel guilty, but not enough to let him continue his slumber. ‘pst, peter. wake up, please.’ a light shake, it does enough, your touch is shook off.

‘leave me alone.’ his blanket is tugged under his chin, its risen over your head, you bat it off, peter blissfully reaching back into dream land.

‘no, wait.’ you’re met with a heavy sigh, ‘what’s the rule, trouble?’ you trace shapes on his shoulder, like a toddler, you recite his bedtime rules. ‘blood, tears, and fire only.’

‘do we have any of those?’

you’re so… hungry you could burst into tears. but, that’s not what peter asked. ‘no.’ a satisfied nod, ‘great. i’ll talk to you when the suns up.’ the blanket is forced over your head again, you shove it off, this time you’re met with a whiny ‘hey!’

‘i think we need to add another one into the rulebook.’ peter cracks an eye open, you’re too awake for his comfort. ‘what time is it?’ you look behind you, a flash of white on your screen. ‘two.’

‘jesus, trouble. what do we need to add?’ you blank, peter’s frustration shows. ‘c’mon, quickly.’ you roll to your back, ‘i’m… horny. really, really horny.’

a total one eighty from peter, suddenly he’s wide eyes and smiles. ‘oh! okay, yeah, sure, we can add that.’ you blink your eyes and in the short second peter rolled himself over to lay above you.

'what do you want? something quick or the full shebang?' you think he might have been sending you the graphic dream because he's just as, if not more, ready as you are. peter's tugging his, your shirt off while you move your hips around to make more room for him.

'um, i mean we can have sex, sure.' peter looks up at your face, he leans back slightly, the missing blanket makes you shiver. 'you don't sound sure.'

'it's kind of selfish, so, yeah. let's have sex.' you hum when peter wraps an arm around your hip and tugs you closer to him. 'what's selfish?' it's two in the morning and you woke him up from a dead sleep, you shouldn't push him any further.

'what i want. let's just have a quickie.' you reach for his boxers, your hand stings when it's slapped away. 'ow?' peter pushes past it, 'what do you want?'

you feel shy for a moment, it feels like you're using him, you want to ditch the whole thing. you went from overtly horny to guilty in a second. 'i don't know...' peter isn't playing your games, he leans in over you.

'i'm not asking again, trouble. what do you want?' meaning, if you won't tell him, he'll override the situation and shut it down. 'okay, okay. could you... please?' it helps nothing, you just hate asking for it.

peter might not be able to fill in the blanks, but he could pick up a hint. 'could i?' your hands rest on his shoulders, he questions you and you answer by gently pushing him away, pushing him... down.

'what are you... oh, are you? that's what you want?' you pull the comforter over his head, peter fights it off, his hair falls in tufts. 'don't lock me down there, it's dark and hot.' that was the complaint? he's not upset?

'you're not mad that i woke you up just to go down on me?'

'god, no.' kisses down your neck, 'what's the rule?'

you smile, 'blood, tears, fire, and sex only.'

'that's my girl.'

[dolicekiss]

Good afternoon/morning!

If you are still taking requests, I'd love to ask if you could maybe do a yandere Hannibal x reader (female if that would be okay) one-shot where the reader is one of Hannibals favourite patients (maybe shes a writer who gets alot of nightmares or something).

However, during one of their sessions, she reveals that she is withdrawing as she is moving back to Europe (this obvi messes up whatever plans Hannibal had for her). Perhaps she is moving away because she has realised how dangerous Hannibal really is and does not want to get involved.

It would be interesting to see how you would interpret Hannibals' thoughts, feelings, and next plan of action after hearing such daunting news.

Thank you <3

♡: i hope i did this justice

Shattered Dreams

PAIRING: Yandere!Hannibal X Patient!Reader

CONTENT WARNING: yandere hannibal, implied stalking, coercion, manipulation, mention of death, trauma, nightmares, mind games, mention of blood

Draped in a beautiful silk dress, a cashmere coat over your shoulders, your presence was loud and evident in Hannibal Lecter’s office.

You reminded him of him.

Charming, sophisticated, beautiful and completely enthralling. He knew somewhere he was too similar to you and that resonated with him. An attachment had already formed, an ethical sort of attachment which could put his career into danger

Yet he found himself not caring.

His main focus was you.

He often found himself imagining you by his side, as his other half. His soulmate, the only one for him and solely the mere imagination pleased him but it worked to increase his hunger too.

Anytime a patient other than you would show up, he'd have a scowl on his face and tend to their needs like he was being held at gun point.

But when you'd come.

It was like fucking spring had arrived in his office. Flowers blooming, radiance everywhere and even your scent was sweet like floral.

Here you were, once more in his office to converse about the demons that haunted you. Hannibal was the best at his job, too good but deep down, you'd already caught whiff of the danger that he was and could amount to.

He scared you.

No matter how many sweet smiles he'd sent you, the amount of terms of endearment he'd use to address to you — none of it concealed the monstrosity he harbored inside him. You'd captured it and now you were in a dilemma.

Whether to leave or tell the law enforcement.

You inhaled sharply and then slowly exhaled, a breathing exercise Hannibal had taught you to help you regulate your breathing.

“Everything alright, miss?” His gruff voice pulled you back into reality and you nodded your head quickly, not wanting him to know that you knew about his depraved instincts.

You smiled softly. “Yes.”

“Did you have nightmares again?”

“Yes.” You responded truthfully. “It does not matter how many books I write, how many characters I kill, there seems to be no end to these nightmares.”

Your nightmares stemmed from an accident you'd faced as a child. The only survivor were you, the only kin left while the rest of your family had died. Right before your very gaze.

It did not matter how much sleeping pills you took or how much coffee you drank. As soon as you'd fall into a slumber, the haunting eyes of your deceased mother would always stare back at you — lifeless and soulless.

And no matter how many times you dreamed of the bloody incident, you did not find yourself forgetting about them. You wanted to forget it, blur out the faces of your famo members but as each day passed by, it only grew more vivid and clear.

Its like your brain was working in reverse.

“Have you tried what I asked you to do?”

You looked up at him.

There it was, that smile of his.

It had nearly worked to trap you.

But you caught onto the danger looming beneath him. You were no foreigner to danger and Hannibal Lecter was a blood thirsty man who killed, killed and savored. You had no desire to end up as his meal. Or buffet.

“I need to tell you something.”

When you'd uttered those words out, Hannibal could already sense something wasn't right. You didn't appear as your usual self. You were rather, chatty and spoke to him about your problems. Worked together as a team to cure this plague that had jeopardized your sleep.

But today you were different.

Quiet, reserved, hands stable and placed over your knees.

Hannibal gestured for you to go ahead.

“I have decided to move to Europe.” You broke the news with a deep breath. Fingers bending and nails grazing across the fabric of your dress.

Hannibal tilted his head in confusion.

Akin to a puppy.

He didn't see any problem with your sessions nor did he find you troublesome. He was sure you also liked him, as your therapist but you did. There was some sort of fondness, between the two of you. There had to be. You were his favorite, you'd become a part of him without even realizing or intending to do so and now you wanted to leave?

Leave him?

There was not a corner in the world made for you to hide from him. Anywhere you'd go, he would find you.

Hannibal blinked, the darkness within him clawing at him, clawing for you. Commanding him over and over again to offer you drugged wine and take you so you wouldn't leave for Europe.

He put on a polite smile, hoping that would veil the darkness in him. “May I ask why?”

Your lips shuddered. “For a change. I think moving away from here would be better since my whole family died here, maybe the nightmares will stop occurring.”

Those nightmares might stop occurring but the nightmare Hannibal was about to become wouldn't stop.

You noticed the subtle change in his gaze and shifted in your seat, uncomfortable and uneasy.

Hannibal nodded, feigning understanding but he was all over the place. Everything was under his control — every damn thing since the beginning. How did he begin to lose control? There was absolutely no way he could let you move to Europe, let you get far away from him where he can't bask in the vision of you.

He would go to the ends of the Earth just to catch a mere glimpse of you.

He had to coax you out of this. Use coercion into making you stay here for the rest of your life.

Hannibal had plans for you.

Big plans.

He was going to make you his, bring you closer to him, unveil a part of him that no one had ever seen before.

He'll he'd fucking told you about Mischa today and no one knew about her. He had shown you parts of him no one had seen and now you were going to abandon him? Take those parts of him witj you and leave him empty, fucking lonely and abandoned?

Oh Hannibal was not going to let that happen.

He nearly felt angry.

Rage bubbling up inside him but he controlled it, calming it down.

“You have a life here, miss. A proper life; friends, colleagues, relatives. Don't you think abandoning it all would be a bit too extreme and intense, even for you?”

You bit on your lower lip.

In a way he was right.

Your whole life you had lived it here. Friends, closest of closest, relatives — the only blood relation left after the demise of your own and colleagues. It was all too difficult to leave them behind but fear was a tool which worked to push people to do things they never would've even thought about.

You swallowed. “I know, Doctor Lecter but these nightmares haunt me. These memories do not disappear, so it is better that I leave.”

Hannibal started to play with his hands.

They sat comfortably over his knees and all he could do was toss and turn his fingers, scratch his palm, the only way to actually show the unbridled emotion he was overwhelmed with. Yet his face carried a sweet smile like he was completely happy and supportive of your decision.

Hannibal saw how your lips shuddered when you spoke. They often shuddered when you'd lie in the beginning about your feelings, about how you did not miss your deceased family one bit.

He wondered if you were lying.

His own fingers tracing along his lips.

“Have you thought about where you'd go to? I mean, Europe is a vast place.” Hannibal commented and you swallowed, in a dilemma whether you should reveal your whereabouts or not.

It was a country.

A huge country.

He couldn't actually find you there, right?

“France.” You said, with a subtle smile on your face.

You wanted to get out of your comfortable seat, go home, pack your bags, board the plane and never look back. The man sitting before you was a killer, a cannibalistic serial killer and you didn't allow that to sink it at all in his presence.

Afraid your demeanor would break.

It would shatter and he'd capture you.

Hannibal grinned.

That was all he needed.

“Marseille is a beautiful city.” Hannibal said while his hawk like gaze analyzed your facial expressions.

Nothing.

You nodded in agreement. “So I've heard.”

“And Lyon too. I've been there.” He said, standing up from his couch and moving over to stand by his wooden desk. When he mentioned Lyon, not a single crease formed on your face nor did your lips shiver.

So it wasn't Lyon either.

Hannibal was viciously smart and he was going to find the city you were going to settle in sooner or later. “Nice has beautiful art. You should go there too.”

Your face scrunched up.

Hannibal caught that. The little crease of discomfort forming in your forehead and a feeling of satisfaction spread in his insides.

You were moving there.

“I think I should go now, Doctor Lecter.” You said, standing up when you realized your session had ended a long time ago.

This was the last session you'd ever share with him.

Hannibal walked towards you, hand extended out. “It was nice having you as my patient, sweetheart. Hopefully your nightmares will slowly disappear with time.”

Even though it was a goodbye, it did not feel like it.

Your gaze dropped down to his hand and you nodded, taking his hand and shaking it. His hold grew a little firm but you didn't say anything, slowly releasing his hand and retrieving it. “Thank you, Doctor Lecter. For all your help.”

He grinned as he watched you turn around and leave his office.

This was not going to be the last time you'll see of the man and he'll make sure of that.

Hannibal licked his lips. The sound of the door shutting putting a crack in his heart — his chest aching for a glimpse of you but he knew this wasn't the end. There was more, with him, there was always more.

You could not escape this easily.

— ♡ —

Months had passed.

You were still adjusting your life in this new country, surrounded by new people who speak a completely different language but you were still learning.

Your nightmares had deceased greatly by spending time in a foreign country and in a way, you were thankful for Hannibal. Because of him you'd abandoned your birth place — which honestly plagued you.

There was nothing left for you there.

Only bad memories and horrific nightmares.

You'd forgotten about nearly everything in that country except a certain blonde; Hannibal Lecter.

He still haunted you.

After that last session, you never possibly heard from him ever again. You met a man too, who claimed to have feelings for you but the next day he was reported for bad behavior against women. They had removed him from your workplace.

You felt a little sad that a man like that had shown interest in you.

Still, life was getting better and better.

You were still writing and had signed a deal with a new publishing house but other than that, you gave lectures at a university for your own knowledge and sake.

Your life felt like it had finally fallen into place.

“They have a new lecturer, have you seen him?” A female colleague asked and you looked up at her from your laptop. You shook your head.

The woman smiled. “Well, he'll be here soon. He's done PHD and has a masters degree too.”

You blinked a little but then went back to typing on your laptop, finishing the last chapter of your book. Break was finished after a few minutes but this time instead of heading back to your class, you were told to head to the office and give the new lecturer a tour.

Apparently he was a big deal, someone who had studied the human mind through and through.

You made your way to the office, opening the door with a smile. The dean sat there but the familiar mop of blonde slicked back hair caught your attention more — your fingers tightening around the metal hold of the door.

He turned around and with a smile, greeted you. “Hello, sweetheart.”

Hannibal was in Nice, in your university, as a lecturer.

Your face went pale.

Was there truly no escape from him?

[lovelytsunoda]

just like heaven // yuki tsunoda

summary: love is in the air at y/n’s cousins wedding, and it’s got yuki in a loving mood.

pairing: yuki tsunoda x female reader

warnings: 18+ smutty and romantic content :) sex in a library, semi-public sex, two fuckers who are so madly in love I’ve become jealous of my own writing, the library is full of bibles and religious text so does that mean this might be sacrilege? yuki may or may not have some sort of marriage related kink

the air smelled like roses and freshly cut grass, heavy with a feeling of love, and the hazy smoke coming from the fire pit at the head of the tent. a dance floor had been cleared out in the middle of the uneven grassy surface, a portable wooden floor laid out as a makeshift dance floor. it had clearly once been white, but had stained over the years.

yuki tsunoda sat at the groom's table, watching with a lovestruck gaze as his eyes found his girlfriend, who was dancing with her cousin in the middle of the floor. huey lewis and the news played from the bluetooth speaker in the corner, the bride circulating the room and speaking to relatives.

y/n and her cousin had been close once upon a time. they were only a year apart in age, and had both been babysat by their grandmother while their mothers worked. they fell out of touch a little as they got older, only seeing each other at major holidays, but when will had called y/n to announce that he had gotten engaged, y/n was over teh moon for him.

yuki thought she looked beautiful in the soft glow of the fairy lights, her red dress swirling around her thighs as she danced uninhibited, not worrying about how she appeared to the other wedding guests. her hair shone in the light, her smile radiant.

and yuki wondered if one day, perhaps he and y/n would be sharing a similar stage. except she would be wearing white, and they would have matching silver rings on their fingers.

as the song changed, yuki stepped away from teh table and towards the dancefloor, hoping to steal a moment with his lover as will scanned the tent for his wife.

"congratulations, will. give my best to claire as well, just in case i don't see her again before the evening ends." y/n said, giving her cousin a hug before he sauntered off to find claire.

yuki beamed at her, extending a hand. "may i have this dance, my fair maiden?"

"yes, you may." she smiled, wrapping her arms around yuki and tucking her body into his as they began to sway to the music.

in her heels, she was taller than him, in the same way that jason statham's wife towered over the actor. but yuki didn't mind. if anything, it made him swoon even more.

as they danced, his mind began to wander. what song would they have their first dance to? would it be that inxs song she liked? or would it be one direction, a callback to the girl who dreamed of her wedding but never thought it would come? what would they serve? a pasta bar, or a buffet line?

"whatcha' thinking about?" she hummed, forehead against his.

"us. you. forever." yuki sighed. "i want this to be us someday. all of it. the white dress, the speeches, the expensive food. surrounded by the people we love the most."

her heart softened, and she bit back a cry, feeling tears stinging the back of her eyes. weddings always did have a way of making her emotional.

"oh, yuki." she said softly, leaning in for a kiss. "i love you forever. when the time is right, and we can take the proper time to plan and to book a honeymoon. because you're it for me. all i want for the rest of my life. but i'm not in a rush."

"neither am i.” yuki smiled, kissing her knuckles. “I love you forever.”

the song ended, y/n easing back on her heels and wincing as she realized just how sore her feet were in her pale pink stilettos. she had prepared for this and packed a pair of thick-soled sandals in her tote bag, stowed gently underneath the grooms table.

back at the table, yuki helped her ease he sore feet out of their shoes, slipping a jacket around her shoulders as she slipped into her sandals. she kissed him on the cheek, wrapping the jacket tighter around her body as she rested her head on his shoulder.

it was hard not to feel giddy when surrounded by so much love. two years ago, she would have left the celebration feeling melancholia, tainted by the fear that she might never find her person. today, she hoped that she could hold on to the love she had, the feeling of safety and security that yuki brought her.

“you cold, love?” yuki asked, lips pressed against her forehead. “we can pop back inside the church for a moment to warm up if you want.”

“yeah, I need a minute of quiet, I think.” she agreed, kissing the underside of yukis jaw before reaching for her silver clutch purse.

yuki gently pulled her chair away from the table, taking her hand as she got to her feet. tucking his arm around her waist, he pulled her close as they ducked out of the white canvas party tent. she could feel the dewy grass on her feet, one hand holding her skirt away from the damp. her lovers hand dropped down her back, comfortingly running over her bum, and then her hip as they neared the low brick church building.

yn hadn’t been a church-goer in her youth, only attending for family functions, but she appreciated the generous plot of land that the religious institution rested on. it was a stunning view over the hill, peering into the entire valley below.

they slipped inside the church, y/n sighing contentedly as she gradually warmed to the inside temperature. yuki took her free hand, pulling her in for a kiss. she hummed against his lips, sighing against his body.

“come on, I want to show you something.” she laughed, practically dragging yuki behind her as she took off down the hallway. “I used to hide in here to get out of listening to sermons. especially when my cousins got baptized a few years ago, I got restless listening to the pastor talk so I went for a walk and stumbled upon this place.”

she tried the doorknob, delighted to find it unlocked as she pushed the door inwards. the door opened into a small library. the couple were surrounded by tall bookshelves filled with leather bound volumes of religious texts, the far wall filled with ornate stained glass windows, casting the wooden floor in varying colours as she sun started to fade from the sky.

“there are better books up top. there also used to be a rolling ladder in here but pastor frankie had to take it out after a choirboy fell off it and broke his arm trying to find a copy of miss chatterley's lover.”

"no shit." yuki chuckled, helping her out of the jacket draped over her shoulders. "this is quite the place."

"that it is." she laughed softly in return, reaching for the lapels of her lover's shirt. "come here."

still laughing, she pressed her lips to his, relaxing in his arms and letting herself fall into the kiss. she never had to be anything she wasn't with yuki. she trusted him more than she had ever trusted anybody else. he knew her inside and out, in mind and soul and in body. his lips were grounding against hers, pillowy soft and applying just the right amount of pressure against her own.

it was incredible how responsive she was to yuki's touch. she hadn't come in to the library with the intentions of having sex up against shelves of leather bound books, or sprawled out on the vintage wooden desk, yet as she sighed under his touch, she could feel her nerve endings crackling with life. she moaned into the kiss as his hand trailed up the slit in her dress to clutch at her thigh, and she was a goner. his lips trailed across her neck, his tongue darting out to kitten-lick at her pulse point and she felt her knees go weak.

"babe, in a church?"

yuki pulled away to look at her, his eyes soft and full of adoration. "you always said you wanted to be romanced in a library. i'm sure this isn't what you had in mind, but it's good enough for me. if you want it, of course."

she smiled, leaning in to kiss him. "don't stop now."

and he didn't. yuki backed her against the desk, pulling her legs up and around his waist. her sandals fell to the floor as his fingers fumbled clumsily with the zipper on the back of her dress. giggling softly, she pushed his hands away, pulling the stubborn zip down by herself before she guided his hands back towards her exposed breasts.

her thighs tingled with anticipation, and she could feel the wet spot on her lacy panties growing as yuki massaged her tender breasts, rolling her peaked nipples between his fingers, the pendant of her sliver necklace resting just above them.

"you're so beautiful." he whispered, scared that speaking any louder would ruin this magical moment they had created.

"you're not too bad yourself, handsome." she hummed, caressing his face.

she tilted her head up, kissing him again. harder this time, her tongue scraping against his lips, begging desperately for entrance as she pressed up against him, searching for friction to ease the ache between her thighs. it was awkward, given the seating arrangements in the library, but she managed to grind against his dress pants, one hand dropping from his neck to his cock as his lips parted enough to allow their tongues to touch.

she sighed breathily under his touch, yuki's hand gently caressing her bare thighs as he reached for her lacy white panties. gripping the edges of the table, she leveraged her weight to raise her hips, allowing her lover to peel the fabric away from her body. he slipped the panties into the pocket of his slacks before raising her knees and pressing kisses to her thighs.

"tell me what you want, my love. my tongue, my fingers, my cock. all of it is yours, just say the word." he rasped, running his thumb over her clit.

"that thing you do with your fingers." she hummed, canting her hips forward, trying to capture his slender fingers inside her dripping center. "you know the one."

"the one that makes you laugh, or the one that makes you scream?"

"both."

she gasped as his fingers slipped into her with little resistance, the driver scissoring both fingers, pushing up against her velvet-soft walls. she bit back a curse, tilting her head back and exposing her neck for him to kiss and suck at.

his lips were warm and soft as he peppered her skin with delicate, soft kisses, in contrast to the lightning-sharp way that he moved his fingers inside of her.

"fuck, that feels good." she breathed, digging her nails into his shoulders through the fabric of his dress shirt, breathing heavy as pants turned into moans.

the light from the stained glass window reflected over her skin, bathing her in the warm colors and contrasting shades created by the glass artwork. the sight took yuki's breath away, a part of him wondering if there was a way to capture that image and sear it into his brain forever. she looked positvely angelic, lips slightly parted, back arched in pleasure.

“that’s my girl. that’s my sexy fucking girl. are you going to come on my fingers, sweet girl?”

she gripped his arms, nodding furiously as she whined out a ‘yes’, grinding against his fingers as he pressed the heel of his hand against her clit.

“yuki, oh my god, shit.” she whined, burying her head in his neck.

his lips were soft against her hairline as he talked her through it, mumbling sweet nothings and dotting her sweaty skin with kisses as he finger-fucked her towards the edge.

“atta girl. I’ve got you, just breathe. my best girl. my perfect girl, coming so good for me.”

she sighed as she came, a breathy, whiny sound, fingers tightening around his biceps.

“you’re safe, I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.” yuki whispered, running a hand up and down her back. “you did so good, angel.”

she kissed him slowly, relishing in the feeling of his lips against hers. she smiled into the kiss, her hands exploring the expanse of muscle through his shirt.

her french-manicured nails found the buttons on his dress shirt, slowly popping them open. she kissed the warm skin on his chest as she went down, fingers moving towards the button on his pants.

“does my pretty baby want my dick?” yuki crooned, caressing her cheek as he looked down at her adoringly. “anything you want from me, just say the word.”

“babe, I always want your dick.” she smiled, taking him in her palm, stroking up and down his length. bathed in the light from the window, she thought he looked like a greek god.

she lined him up with her entrance, hiking both legs over his hips and allowing him to push himself inside of her. inch by inch, he slipped in slowly, his forehead resting against hers before he leaned in to kiss her, trading moans into each others mouths as he bottomed out.

he could die here and be happy, wrapped up in the woman he loved, her warm walls cushioning him on all sides. this overwhelming feeling of closeness. he started to move, thrusting slowly and interspersing the movements with swivels and grinds of the hips, rubbing against her soft, plushy walls, drawing every little whine and breath and pant from her lungs.

“oh god, baby, that’s incredible.” she tilted her hips forward, head rolling back as she tried to take him deeper.

one of her hands dropped to the table to support her body weight, the other tangling in yukis hair. she pulled gently, watching with pleasure as his eyes rolled back, a soft growl leaving his throat. in response, he thrusted harder, deeper.

“that’s my sweet girl. looking so fucking pretty with my rock-hard dick buried inside you. all fucking mine to worship. you know what I think about when I get off? our future. domestic things. picking out silverware, buying our forever house. you in a white dress, a big fucking diamond on your finger. you’re it for me.”

he was thrusting quicker now, pulling out almost halfway before slamming back in again, his hands gripping her thighs so tightly she worried there might be bruises. his eyes weee trained on her chest, captivated by the way her breasts bounced from the force.

“yes, yes.” she moaned, back arched as she kissed his neck, leaving a series of small hickeys in her wake. “fuck, I want everything with you, too.”

“yeah, you want me to make you my pretty perfect wife?”

“god, yes.” she was certain she was dripping onto the table, the room filled with laboured breathing and the wet sounds of yukis cock splitting her in half. “fuck, baby, I love you so much.”

the coil in her stomach was wound tighter than a wire, and she could feel that she was on the edge. any second now, she’d snap.

“fill me up.” she whined. “fucking make me yours.”

“want you to come first.” he rasped, dropping his hand to her sensitive clit. “love you so much, sweet girl. just let me make you feel so so good, okay?”

she kissed him again, fingers in his hair, then on his shoulders, searching for purchase as she hid her face in his broad chest. she always got shy when her orgasms approached. yuki found it endearing, and soft.

“I’ve got you pretty girl. come for me. just let go, make a pretty little mess on my dick.”

she came with a loud moan, feeling her legs go slack in her lovers grip as she rested all of her weight on him, her head nestled comfortably between shoulder and neck, his soft fingertips trailing up and down her thighs, his gentle voice reminding her to breathe through it.

“fuck, baby, I love you so much. I love you. I love you.” he repeated it like a chant as he reached his own climax, stuttering his words as he spilled inside her. “god, you’re so good to me.”

after a small moment to catch their breaths, yuki gently pulled out. she whined at the loss of contact, reading her whine for a contented sigh when yuki pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, gentle hands helping her readjust her dress.

“babe, I think I’m dripping on the table.” she admitted, red-faced and shy. “what did you do with my underwear?”

yuki grinned roguishly, dramatically producing the offending pair of panties from his pockets. “kept them nice and safe for you.”

“sure you did.” she laughed easing herself off the table, deliberately not looking at the mess she’d left behind.

while she redressed, yuki searched the pockets of his suit jacket for his red pocket square, u folding it and using the thin, expensive fabric to clean all evidence of their tryst off the hardwood.

“yuki, come on! not the pocket square!” she laughed, using her fingers to comb through her hair. “you’re so gross.”

“what else was I supposed to use?” he laughed, putting the square in his pocket and slipping the jacket over his shoulders. he pulled her in for a soft kiss, hands gently caressing her curves. “come on, let’s get back to the party.”

the pair stepped out of the library, linked arm in arm, content and sated as they turned to walk out of the church, and found themselves bumping headfirst into will and claire. judging by the lipstick stain on wills collar, and the flushed red of claire’s face, the happy couple had just snuck away to do the same.

“we never speak of this again.” will groaned, averting his eyes. “ever!”

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

Side 2. Rina, Rocket Puncher

Note: someone pls tell her to stop punching the phone-

This took place between Chapter 35 & 36

The Smash Room was not the type of place Y/n had expected to visit that day. The walls were covered in padding, and an impressive assortment of “smashable” items—plates, bottles, electronics—lined the shelves like some dystopian buffet. Karina stood beside him, grinning from ear to ear, holding a bat like it was the best gift she’d ever received.

“Are you… sure about this?” Y/n asked, eyeing a particularly delicate-looking lamp.

Karina rolled her eyes, thrusting a bat into his hands. “Yes, I’m sure. Trust me; you’ll thank me later.”

“But smashing things on purpose… it feels wrong,” he admitted, staring down at the bat.

Karina laughed, already cracking her knuckles in anticipation. “It’s supposed to feel wrong! That’s the point. I needed a place to blow off steam, and I thought it’d be way more fun if you came along to try it out.”

"…I don't really have anything to blow off steam, though?" Y/n questioned.

"Lies." Karina deadpanned. "You're dating Minjeong. Surely there is something you find annoying about her."

"Oi, you're trying to rat me out now?" Y/n widened his eyes.

"It's between us." Karina giggled. "…unless?"

Y/n gulped, but Karina’s enthusiasm was infectious. “Fine… let’s do this.”

-

When they finally suited up, helmets secure and armed with a stack of plates, old electronics, and an assortment of glass bottles in the centre of the room, Y/n couldn’t shake a lingering sense of hesitation. He’d been dragged here, no doubt, by Karina’s insistence that “everyone needs to smash something every once in a while.” She practically glowed with energy as she scanned the items around them, clearly fired up for what was about to go down.

“Ready to blow off some steam?” Karina asked, eyeing a nearby plate with a devilish grin. She picked it up and weighed it in her hands like a pro, already looking to him for the go-ahead.

“Uh, as ready as I’ll ever be,” Y/n replied, still clutching his bat with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. “You seem a little too excited about this.”

“Oh, trust me, I am,” Karina laughed. “You don’t know how badly I’ve needed this!”

With a wild swing, she sent the first plate crashing against the wall, bits of ceramic scattering in every direction. She let out a triumphant yell, her face lighting up.

“Jeez,” Y/n said, raising an eyebrow. “Is that plate supposed to be someone in particular?”

Karina grinned, winding up for the next throw. “That one was for all the times I’ve had to work late for a last-minute meeting. And—” She smashed another plate. “—for every time I had to remind everyone to be on time, especially NINGNING!”

Y/n snorted, gripping his own plate. “Ning just use her aespa time….a bit too much, huh?”

“Oh, and don’t get me started on the stress of managing appearances and, like, fifty different social media expectations!” Karina vented, smashing another plate with gusto. “Not everything needs to be perfect, but the pressure is still there! SO DAMN ANNOYING!”

“YES!” Y/n said with feeling, setting up his own bottle to smash. He hesitated for a moment, thinking back on his recent frustrations with Winter, from her infamous ‘kiss prank’ to the slightly overwhelming reality of actually dating her…which came with some undisclosed baggage. He swung, and the bottle exploded in a satisfying burst.

“OHHH SHT! That felt good!”

From the bottom of his heart, he loved Winter, but that was liberating.

Karina, catching his thoughtful look, nudged him with a knowing smile. “That looked personal. Care to share?”

He grinned, a little sheepishly. “It’s just… Jeong. There’s so much about her that’s awesome, but dating her is a whole new experience. I mean, she’s perfect, but also impossible. She just, like, invades my space EVERYWHERE, which sounds great…"

"Uhuh" Karina was intrigued.

"…until she messes with all my stuff and stole my oreo stashes I kept for myself.”

“Oh, I get it. Minjeong does have that… selective attention to detail,” Karina laughed, setting up another bottle. “She’ll memorise every outfit in her closet but will still ‘forget’ to tell you she invited the whole group over to your place.”

Y/n laughed, nodding. “Exactly! And it’s like the more time we spend together, the more I realize she’s just as rowdy as the rest of you—if not more. But… it’s hard to stay annoyed when she gives me that look, you know?”

Karina grinned as she grabbed a plate, holding it up like it was a prized possession. “This one? This is for every time a schedule’s changed last minute, throwing off everything we’ve worked on!” She wound up, smashed it, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Y/n found himself nodding along. “You know, Jeong has this habit of casually dropping huge things at the last possible moment. Like, ‘Oh, by the way, I promised my mom I’d come by for dinner’—while we’re already on our way somewhere else.”

“Oh, she finally did that to you!” Karina laughed, taking a quick swing at another bottle, the glass shattering on impact. She turned back to him with a playful glint in her eye. “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”

“Tell me about it.” Y/n lined up another bottle and smashed it with a swing that was a little more enthusiastic than he’d intended. “I love her for how she is, but…those will kill my sanity.”

They both shared a laugh, the cathartic smashing of objects somehow loosening up more than just physical tension.

-

“Alright, Rina, use Rocket Punch!” Y/n challenged, feeling his earlier nervousness fade as he grabbed another plate and handed it to her.

"Ya, I'm not a Pokemon!" She took it, eyeing him with a mock-serious expression.

"Whatever, do it!" Y/n cheered.

“This one is for all the choreography changes we go through in the middle of a tour,” she muttered with feigned gravity, before smashing it so hard that tiny ceramic pieces ricocheted off the wall.

"Perfect shot." Y/n winced and gave a low whistle. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Honestly, I think all of us need this every once in a while. You can’t keep everything bottled up without it exploding, right?”

He nodded, a grin spreading on his face. “Speaking of which, I think it’s time for the grand finale.” He held up an old radio, raising its high for dramatic effect.

“Ohhh, nice choice!” Karina cheered, standing back to give him space.

"KIM MINJEONG! STOP DOODLING ON MY FACE!"

With a loud yell, Y/n hurled the radio against the wall, bits of plastic and metal scattering everywhere as they both burst into laughter.

Breathless, Y/n leaned back against the wall, shaking his head. “Holy….I seriously didn’t think this would be so… satisfying.”

Karina nodded, grinning at him. “I knew you’d come around. It’s not just about breaking things; it’s about letting go, you know?”

He looked at her, her usual serious leader demeanour replaced with a relaxed, genuine smile. “You know, I think we all see you as this powerhouse who just handles everything. It’s easy to forget that you need to punch things.”

Karina’s smile softened. “I guess I do. It’s just… hard sometimes. When you’re the leader, there’s this pressure to always be ‘on’ and ‘perfect.’ But, it’s nice to have these moments where I can just be myself. Not ‘Karina the leader,’ just Karina.”

“Well, for the record, you’re pretty cool Rina, leader or not,” Y/n said, giving her a sincere look. “I think we’d all be a little lost without you, to be honest.”

“Cool? Not cute?”

“Erm. Sorry, I have a Minjeong.” Y/n denied.

She let out a soft chuckle, bumping his shoulder. “Thanks, Y/n. It’s nice to hear that, especially from someone who has to put up with us 24/7.”

"You're welcome." Y/n grinned. "Now, please stop punching the camera."

-

Exhausted and a little breathless, they finally put down their bats, slumping onto a bench in the lounge area. Bits of dust and tiny shards clung to their protective gear, but they looked thoroughly exhilarated.

Y/n turned to her with a smile. “You’re living up to the name Rocket Puncher, you know that?”

Karina shrugged, though her eyes sparkled. “I guess I just have a habit of punching things.”

Y/n laughed. “Just don’t go overboard. We can’t have you smashing plates left and right during practice, alright?”

She laughed, nodding. “Fair enough. I’ll keep it contained to smash rooms.”

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Karina pointed toward the photo booth in the corner, her eyes lighting up. “Hey! Before we go, we should take a picture. Just, you know, to remember today.”

Y/n followed her gaze and groaned. “Are you serious? We look like we just walked out of a war!”

“Exactly! That’s the point!” Karina insisted, practically dragging him over. “C’mon, tough guy, one picture won’t kill you.”

As the camera flashed, Karina made a series of increasingly ridiculous faces, pulling Y/n into the antics with her. By the last frame, he was laughing so hard he barely noticed the camera snapping.

When the photos printed, Karina held up the strip with pride. “This is definitely going up on the fridge. Maybe I’ll even show Minjeong.”

Y/n’s eyes widened. “Please don't. She’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

Karina just smirked, pocketing the photos. “Consider it payback for letting me rant today. And don’t worry—I’ll only tease you a little.”

“Tsk.” Y/n sighed. “ But thanks for this, Rina. I think I needed it more than I realised.”

She smiled, looping her arm over his shoulder. “Anytime, Y/n. A little smash helps wonder.”

They sat in comfortable silence, the weight of the conversation lingering, but in a way that felt comforting rather than heavy.

-

Karina’s usual habit was quickly taken up by a notch in the dorm. No one could resist teasing her after each new incident, and her reactions—half-defensive, half-mortified—only added to the fun.

Which happened sooner than expected.

One evening, everyone was gathered around the dinner table for takeout night. Y/n watched with an amused grin as Karina grabbed her chopsticks with a little too much enthusiasm, causing her plate to slip and crack against the table.

“Welp, another one bites the dust,” Y/n quipped, leaning back with a smirk.

Karina gave him a narrowed look, cheeks flushed. “You know what? Maybe plates these days just aren’t made to last!”

Winter snorted. “Or maybe you’re just turning into some kind of superhero with ‘smash’ as your only superpower.”

“Sooo…Hulk?” Giselle questioned.

Karina huffed, crossing her arms. “Well, I didn’t ask for this power.”

Ningning leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Yeah, but if you keep breaking things, people might actually believe you’re the leader of a super-powered girl group.”

Giselle clapped her hands, laughing. “Imagine if they replaced our choreo with you smashing props on stage!”

Y/n’s eyes lit up with mock seriousness. “Rina, think of the fan meetings. You’d just need to sign autographs on concrete blocks with a sledgehammer or something.”

Karina tried to stifle her laugh but couldn’t. She finally gave in, laughing as she tossed a crumpled napkin at Y/n. “You’re all just jealous of my raw strength.”

-

The next morning, Y/n and Karina found themselves in the kitchen, prepping for a long day ahead. Karina was trying to work the espresso machine, but it seemed to be giving her trouble. As she pulled the handle, the coffee machine sputtered and stopped working entirely.

“Did it just…?” Karina blinked, staring at the lifeless machine.

Y/n, stifling a laugh, leaned in to inspect. “Hmmmm, let’s see, it was perfectly fine this morning, and now it’s dead. Who could possibly be responsible?”

Karina swatted his arm. “Hey! I didn’t even touch it that hard! I just… pulled the lever with a bit of confidence.”

“Oh, ‘confidence,’” Y/n said with a grin. “That’s a nice way of putting it. You know, you’re like a coffee machine whisperer… except in reverse.”

Karina glared at him, then let out a laugh. “Fine, maybe I got a little too eager. But you’re making the coffee, then.”

Y/n shook his head, feigning exasperation as he grabbed his phone to put in a delivery order for iced lattes instead. “I’ll be sending this bill to the SM. You know, at this rate, you’re going to single-handedly ruin every appliance in the dorm.”

“Then maybe you should start getting unbreakable appliances,” Karina shot back, grinning as she took a seat at the counter.

Winter wandered into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She looked between the two and yawned. “What happened now?”

“Coffee machine casualty,” Y/n explained, waving a hand at the machine. “She claimed another victim.”

Winter shook her head with a small laugh. “Great….another funeral?”

Karina shrugged, holding up her hands in surrender. “Apparently, I’ve just… developed an ult.”

-

A few days later, Karina and Y/n were shopping for some supplies when they wandered into the electronics section. They’d been joking about her newfound “habit” all morning, and Karina couldn’t resist poking fun at herself.

“Ya, Y/n, think they sell smash-proof headphones?” she asked with a grin, picking up a sleek pair.

He laughed. “If they did, you’d be their first customer.”

Karina nodded thoughtfully, pretending to examine the headphones. “Maybe we should just go all out and buy everything in metal. Like, imagine an indestructible blender or a phone that can survive anything.”

Y/n snorted, crossing his arms. “What, you’re planning on hurling your phone across the room?”

Karina gave him a playful nudge. “Not *intentionally*. But you never know.”

She picked up a ceramic mug, examining it thoughtfully. “Hmm. You think this one would survive me?”

Y/n raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you try holding it like a normal human, and we’ll see?”

Karina broke into laughter, the two of them gathering curious stares from other shoppers. “Fine, fine, I’ll keep my grip to a minimum.”

-

That night, back at the dorm, the members were lounging around after a busy day. Y/n was tidying up the living room when he heard a familiar *crack* from the kitchen. He didn’t even have to look to know who the culprit was.

“YOO JIMIN!” he called, trying to sound stern but barely hiding his amusement.

Karina peeked around the corner, looking sheepish. “It was just a spoon…”

Winter groaned dramatically. “Do we even have spoons left at this point?”

Ningning held up a plastic spoon with a grin. “These are the only safe ones left. And I’m not taking any chances.”

Giselle couldn’t resist piling on. “At this rate, we’re going to have to wrap everything in bubble wrap. Including you, unnie.”

Karina laughed, her face flushing pink. “It’s not my fault! Everything’s so fragile!”

Y/n rolled his eyes, though he was smiling. “Okay, you and I are making a pact. Once a month, smash room therapy. But no more ‘practicing’ in the dorm, got it?”

Karina raised her hand in mock seriousness, nodding. “Fine, deal. Monthly smashing sessions only in the smash room. But only if you join me.”

The others burst into laughter as Y/n sighed, defeated. “Alright, alright. As long as you promise to keep your ‘smashing’ in the smash room.”

Winter nudged Karina, grinning. “This is really gonna be a thing, isn’t it?”

Karina shrugged, laughing. “Guess so. Let’s just hope I don’t smash anything important, like, I dunno… the door.”

“Or my boyfriend” Winter instantly glared at her leader while hugging Y/n. “Only he can deal with our rowdiness here.”

The entire group laughed, shaking their heads. Despite the accidental destruction, they couldn’t help but enjoy every minute of it. Karina’s “habit” had become an endless source of entertainment, and Y/n knew he’d never look at a coffee machine—or a remote—the same way again.

-

The next month rolled around, and true to their agreement, Y/n and Karina made another trip to the smash room. Karina was fired up, armed with a bat and practically bouncing on her heels as she looked at the new array of breakables.

“Oh, you’re going down this time,” she taunted, tossing Y/n a helmet. “Get ready to lose, mister.”

Y/n scoffed, slipping on his helmet and giving her a playful glare. “Is that so? We’ll see about that. Just don’t go breaking anything else when we get back to the dorm, okay?”

With that, the smash room countdown started, and they both went at it. Plates shattered, vases exploded, and Karina laughed wildly with every hit. They were neck and neck, neither one letting up as they plowed through piles of items. But just as they were about to swing at the last piece—a towering stack of old electronics—they paused, catching their breath.

Karina raised her bat, grinning. “Alright, let’s end this. Whoever smashes it first is the ultimate champ.”

Y/n, equally competitive now, rolled his shoulders, raising his bat. “Prepare to lose, Rocket Puncher.”

“Three… two… one!” They both swung, aiming straight for the top of the stack.

But just as they were about to hit, Karina’s bat connected a split second sooner, sending pieces flying—and her bat continued on its path, grazing Y/n’s arm as he tried to dodge.

“Ow!” he yelped, dropping his bat and clutching his arm, though a grin tugged at his lips.

Karina gasped, immediately dropping her bat. “Oh my gosh, Y/n! I’m so sorry!” She rushed over, her hands hovering as if she wanted to check on him but didn’t want to make it worse.

Y/n burst into laughter, holding his “injured” arm dramatically. “You actually smashed me, Karina! I didn’t know I’d signed up for *full-contact smashing.*”

She smacked his shoulder playfully, though she was still red-faced with embarrassment. “You were in my way! And stop laughing—I thought I broke your arm!”

He couldn’t help grinning. “Next time, we’re putting a strict no beating your manager rule in place. I barely survived.”

Karina laughed, shaking her head as she helped him up. “Guess I did win the smashing contest, though,” she teased, flashing him a victorious grin.

Y/n chuckled, rubbing his arm with a smile. “Yeah, yeah, Rocket Puncher… but the prize is definitely on you. Because from now on, I’m giving you a permanent smash ban.”

She pouted, though she couldn’t hold back her smile. “Fine. But don’t be surprised if I accidentally ‘smash’ something again. Just… try not to stand in my way next time?”

“That sounds wron-“

“Finish that and you will eat this bat.” Karina glared.

“Yes ma’am”

With a shared stifled laugh, they both left the smash room, Karina proudly claiming her “victory” and Y/n mentally preparing to dodge any “unintentional” smash attacks back at the dorm.

As they finished their monthly agreement and left the smash room, a renewed sense of camaraderie between them, both feeling lighter than they had in a long time. There was certainly mild hostility between the two of them when first met, but things changed for the better.

It wasn’t just the smashing or the laughs—it was the reminder that they had each other, through all the chaos, and that was a pretty solid foundation to lean on.

[obae-me]

ive been sick recently, here are some of the fever dreams and various other stupid thoughts ive had;

1. mammon and mc taking beel to the human realm to compete in eating challenges. he gets free food and they get to laugh at the horrified faces of the judges while he demolishes everything and asks for seconds

2. remember the golden age of a/b/o? demons have a higher sense of smell so when mc first arrived, there was a scent blocker in the summoning spell. This fails at some point and now mc has to hide out with solomon or else the brothers will follow them around like they’re the pied piper bc since when did mc smell so good?

3. mc convinving the brothers that humans molt by doing the pva glue thing. solomon is the only one who knows different and absolutely backs them up

4. freaking out the brothers by sleepwalking/talking. mc opening levi’s door in the middle of the night (he’s still awake, rui-chan just dropped a new episode he needs to analyse) and just dead staring at him for several seconds before barking and walking away. he avoids them for days after

5. going to the human realm and bring back a souvenir for diavolo every time. they’re usually the silly things you can buy when you visit tourist areas but they’re held in as high regard as the royal family heirlooms. a small snow globe with a sunglasses wearing gnome inside is displayed next to the royal jewels

6. sampling every different kind of tea with barbatos like a bucket list (chamomile? thumbs up! darjeeling? hates with a burning passion)

7. leaving offerings for the demons/angels out of habit whenever they do something nice. new beauty routine- asmo finds roses in his room. high grade on a paper- satan finds a small cat statuette on top of a pile of books. loaned a listening ear- simeon finds new pens in his writing desk

8. mc being affectionate without realising. humans can be big on physical contact so it’s can be common to kiss or hug regularly. demons are not like this and they short circuit everytime mc kisses their cheeks in thanks or hugs them in greeting

thank you for your time i’m going back to sleep

Oh no! I'm sorry you're sick! Drink tons of fluids and get so much rest!!

1. I bet you Mammon put some money down on him somehow and became absolutely giddy with how much Beel was winning. He would treat him to a buffet afterwards.

2. Ah yes, the wonderful and semi cursed days of a/b/o. I have no doubt that something about their human drives them all crazy.

3. I love love love the thought of MC and Solomon doing things that freak the demons and angels out a bit, mixing real things with fake facts and no one ever knowing what's true or not.

4. What if the brothers all assumed that only Belphie did stuff like that because of his Sin, and so when MC comes around and does similar things, it freaks them out a bit. Again, I love the idea of a human giving all the powerful demons a bit of the jeebies.

5. That is such a cute thing, oh my goodness. Diavolo being obsessed with cheap cliche tourist souvenirs. He's got mugs and shotglasses with different states and countries on them, the fridge in the kitchen has a bunch of magnets of various attractions. He's got several baseball caps he wears around the castle when people aren't around.

6. So sweet! I love the thought of Barbatos having a little notepad and writing notes on their reactions of different teas so he knows exactly what to serve them and when. (I love me a good earl grey myself).

7. As a person who loves giving gifts, this idea is so sweet. It's like a beautiful equivalent of getting a little gold star. They deserve good things, all of them.

8. I think I've done a headcanon of this particular thing (or maybe not, maybe it's just been on my mind before). But yes! Coming up and giving them a hug when they're sad, telling them they love them before hanging up the phone, all things that makes the demons melt instantly, and MC isn't even aware.

Thank you for sharing your dreams!! I love hearing about dreams! Rest up!!

[madschiavelique]

Hello! May I request a drabble or headcanons for a poly romance with Astarion x Fem!Reader x Shadowheart? Perhaps taking place post-game or late Act 3? I’d love to see them trying to navigate their new lives together. It can be fluff or hurt/comfort, whatever fits best to you. Thank you! :)

hey there sweet anon !! okay so it wasn’t specified if Astarion was ascended in this or not so i’ll go the route where he is not ascended !

─ . 𝜗𝜚‧ pairing : astarion x fem!reader x shadowheart

─ . 𝜗𝜚‧ content warning : some hurt/comfort, mostly fluff (i am so soft for them), fem!reader (although i think it could be read as a gn!reader), no use of y/n

─ . 𝜗𝜚‧ words : 1.5k + bonus 400 words (around 1,9k)

( not proofread, english is not my first language ☆)

Shadowheart, depending on if her parents are still alive or not by the end of Act 3, would definitely want to visit them more with you and Astarion by her side. Not only because she wants them to meet you both, but definitely because she is frightened.

Frightened ? yes, because she has lost so many of her memories, and she fears that she might never recover them no matter how hard she tries. Yet somehow, you and astarion being by her side reminds her that the best memories are the ones to come, the one she will create with the both of you.

As for Astarion, he has never been much out of Baldur’s Gate during his life, being tied to Cazador and trying to escape wouldn’t have made it possible for him to get his freedom in any case. 

He had tried to escape, failed several attempts, and never managed to let his mind fully take in that he could taste freedom someday. He has probably dreamed about it though, this need for liberty, for a change of scenery, which he got from travelling all this time with you and defeating his master.

So one word would reunite you three on the matter : travelling.

Now that you had the title of heroes of the nation, or actually, heroes for saving the entire world, you had no worries for anything. You couldn’t wait to travel, just the three of you and see all the places you had only seen on maps, but you had to stick with a few activities in Baldur’s Gate.

Posing for hours on end for painters to make sure your heroicness would live through history, inaugurating monuments to your memory, and all sorts of reunions with bards and writers with each and everyone of you reciting your versions of your adventures.

Some receptions took place in Cazador’s now empty manor, Astarion having inherited the place, and some rings that would allow him to be constantly exposed to the sun if he wished. 

You were not accustomed much to big events like these. The last months had been made of exploring in various armours and dirty clothes, fighting and eating whatever you could find or steal along the way. 

And here you now were, all three of you in expensive clothing, a corset tightening your waist till you felt like breathing was the hardest fight of your life, buffet so full you thought the tables would crack under so much food at any moment, a flute of golden champagne in your hand as you had to boringly listen to whatever aristocrat lady was rambling about before you.

“I’m starting to feel like I miss wearing armour,” you huffed as you tried battling with the laces of your corset, struggling to untie them.

The evening was over, you had all retired to your quarters, undressing for the night.

Astarion’s cold hands came to stop your fingers from any more tie wars, taking the reins to undo them.

“I thought that woman would never stop talking, she could make Gale look like a debutant in the art of monologuing.” laughed the vampire, softly unlacing your cage and allowing you to breathe again, placing a soft kiss to the back of your neck as his fingers came to massage your soft skin.

No matter how many times he did that, you always shivered. Your head fell back on his shoulder, sighing with contempt in his embrace. 

“When will we finally be off of here?” 

“Soon enough,” smiled Shadowheart with her hair down, wavy from her braid. “Pity you have to remove that dress though, I could get used to seeing you wearing more of those.”

Her smile was contagious, and you allowed it to place itself on your own lips. She came to help with your hair, removing the assortment of pins, pearls and other ribbons in them, kissing your temple and face from time to time as you giggled.

She was right, soon enough you three had gathered everything proper for a good trip. You didn’t have many belongings, moving from one region to the other during your adventures had taught you to not get too materialistic. 

This hero's-pass was however useful in many aspects. You were given goods for your travel, scrolls, alchemy necessities, and big fancy tents with comfortable futons. But the most interesting and probably useful gift were the three horses and the donkey given to you, the latter given to carry your belongings.

“Tell me this isn’t some sort of bad joke made by Halsin,” asked Astarion as he arched a brow, eyeing the dapple grey stallion that was about to be his new road companion.

“Scared of a different ride than us ?” you chuckled as you lifted yourself on the stirrup and pushed yourself on your mount.

“You’re hilarious,” sighed the rogue, biting the inside of his cheek as he seemed unsure as to the way he was supposed to handle this thing.

“Have you never been on horseback, Astarion ?” Shadowheart ended up asking.

“I think your clarity of judgement must’ve understood by now that during the last couple of centuries, I didn’t have the best scenery to ride those kinds of things.”

After convincing him numerous times that the horse would not stomp on him or do a rodeo as soon as he went on top of it, he finally accepted to get on it.

Thus, your trip began. It had no end in sight, just the beginning of something new with your two loves, and that was all you needed to know.

As you were about to take a path leading you to another region, Astarion stopped, turning towards the silhouette of the city for just a moment before following you and Shadowheart. 

“Is everything alright ?” you asked after a few minutes, Astarion lost in thought.

“Hmm ?” he asked as he raised his eyes to yours. “Oh yes, I’m fine it’s just… Odd.”

“Odd ? What do you mean ?” asked the Shadowheart.

“Well,” Astarion started, “I thought that some sort of magical invisible rope would tie me back again to the city and forsake me to leave. But the further we are from it, the more this feels… normal ?”

“I feel the same way,” she seconded, “my purpose was pulling me to it, and now I don’t feel anything.”

“Exactly, but it doesn’t make me feel empty, more like…”

“Liberated ?” she smiled.

“Yes, liberated...” he hummed as he repeated the word with a satisfaction.

The journey went smoothly, the familiar sensation of resuming the adventure in a certain way taking hold of your heart, but the firmness of your saddle leather reminding you of the discomfort it could cause. 

It took Astarion barely an hour to start complaining, two before he finally decided to get off his mount and walk, and three to convince you to take your first break.

It was a pattern ready to be repeated for all the days to come. There were no itineraries, only discovery.

Passing through new areas meant that a few villagers and other locals would recognise you. You were offered food, asked to touch the heads of new-born babies as if you were saints, and children crowned you with daisy tiaras.

Some of the smells of the food revived in Shadowheart the ghosts of a past that was gradually revealing itself to her. You stayed overnight in villages, and she always listened to the stories told to children before going to sleep, hoping to recognise a character from one of the stories, or the feeling of the petals she pressed tenderly between her fingers, reminding her of such distant fragments of fields coloured by all sorts of flowers. 

You could see it in her eyes, every time the past pressed its fingertips to her temple and squeezed its hands across her throat when her voice broke, that glimmer of hope glistening in her eyes.

You took her hand every time, encouraging her to go back to her memories as far as she possibly could. She looked at you with such tenderness, each time.

Every morning, without missing a beat, Astarion would wake to see the sun rise from its slumber. The feel of it on his skin was an embrace he loved and cherished every single moment.

When the three of you shared the same bed, and he didn't want to wake you up by moving around, he'd just sit there, upright, waiting for the rays to pass through the curtains.

The first joy of the day was a ribbon of sunlight that wrapped itself around your hand and caressed your shoulder, and Astarion traced it with his fingertips without waking you up. He would never dare disturb your peace.

It was after visiting everything there was to see that you finally decided to settle in a pretty, dilapidated stone house that you renovated with your own resources. To this day, you receive your friends when they would be able to afford to come and see you, and you bask in your freedoms.

Bonus content for this : 

Several months into your travels, you had already received Gale's invitation to meet him in Waterdeep, so that he could find out more about your new life and see you all again.

You set off, and soon enough the realisation that you would have to take the boat to shorten the journey seemed to displease your two companions. 

‘Are you sure we can't make some better use of the horses ?’ interrogated Astarion.

‘We have mostly made them walk and trot a bit, we could surely make them galop just a little?’ Shadowheart rejoined.

But they finally gave in when the entire length of the journey by horse was compared to that by boat.

The two of them tried as best they could to stuff themselves with anti-seasickness potions, but as the effects of the latter were short-lived, they remained cloistered in the holds of the boat for the duration of the journey.

Back on dry land, you took the horses that had travelled with you for the last little stretch of the journey. Having finally reached Waterdeep, you asked the first passer-by where Gale Dekarios was staying.

You almost expected someone to look at you with round eyes of incomprehension as to whom you were searching for, but with a broad smile the passer-by gave you a precise indication of where he was staying.

Gale welcomed you with open arms, his new mage robes modest yet exuding nobility. 

‘I wish I could say otherwise but sincerely, the beauty of a cloth doesn't equal the kind of comfortability I had when we were in the middle of the Absolute's schemes. I sometimes grieve for these times, I never thought I would admit to it one day but I have got to say that ending the day with mud and whatever creature's blood we'd encountered on my robes sounds more thrilling than some of the books I now own.’

When Gale started a sentence, it was hard to stop him in his flow of words, and although it may have made you huff and puff at times, you had missed it.

It was while discussing Shadowheart's memory that Gale suggested a spell that he had been trying to master recently, allowing you to reopen memories buried deep in your brain.

During your stay in Waterdeep, Gale helped you to piece together Shadowheart's memory and restore as much of her past as possible.

[kachikirby]

Kirby’s Dream Buffet: Perfect Circle Full Stomach - Chapter 1: The Great Witch Has Arrived

It was the usual afternoon in Dream Land that is so peaceful that it makes you yawn. Kirby, who had been napping in the shade of a tree on a hill, was approached by Bandana Waddle Dee.

“Heeeyyy, Kirby! Wake up! It’s snack time!”

Upon hearing the word “snack time”, Kirby, who was sleeping soundly, shot up awake.

“Snack time?! Now!?”

“Yes, here you go.” Bandana sat next to Kirby and held out a box. When Kirby opened it, a delicious smell emanated from inside.

“Waah! It smells yummy!!”

“It’s an apple and walnut tart. I’ve made it countless times, but today’s was especially delicious and the king praised me for it. Because of that, I thought I’d let you try it too.”

“Yaay! Thank you!” Kirby took a bite and instantly, his face glowed. “Mmmmmmm! It’s so good!”

“I’m glad!”

“It’s amazing, Waddle Dee! This is the most delicious out of all the cakes I’ve eaten up to this point!”

“I’d been playing around with things like how to cut the apples and the temperature of the oven, but I finally came up with the perfect recipe.”

Kirby cut the tart in half and gave it to Bandana.

“Here, you also have some!”

“Huh? No thanks, I’m good. I’m the one who made it, so I’ve tasted it countless times…”

“It’s yummy when you eat it outside, and it’s even more yummy when two people eat something together!”

Upon hearing that, Bandana smiled. “That’s right. Thank you, Kirby. Well, let’s eat it together.”

The two had fun talking while eating each half of their tart.

When they were done eating, Bandana quickly stood up.

“Well, I have to get back.”

“Oh, already? Aren’t you done working?”

“Not yet. I just left it to everyone in the Waddle Dee Unit while I stepped out for a moment.”

Previously, the Waddle Dee unit was somewhat unreliable, but lately, they’ve been able to do any job they were given properly and because of that, Bandana was able to take a break.

“Thanks, Waddle Dee! It was really, really, REALLY yummy!”

“Then I’ll make it for you again! See you later, Kirby!”

Bandana waved as he returned to the castle.

*        *       *

Bandana Waddle Dee enjoyed doing jobs like cleaning, laundry, and ironing, but he liked making snacks the most because he enjoyed seeing King Dedede and Kirby’s wonderful smiles.

“I’m so glad that he liked it! I think I’ll make a cake that’s even more delicious for tomorrow!” He thought as he approached Castle Dedede.

In front of the gate stood a person he didn’t recognize. They wore an all-black dress that was decorated with scattered stars and a large pointy hat was perched atop their head. Bandana Waddle Dee, curious about this person, spoke up.

“Um… may I help you with something?”

The person turned around and looked down at him. In front of him stood an extremely beautiful women, but her nature seemed cold.

“And you are?”

Her voice was just as cold and lacked emotions. It scared Bandana a bit, as he tended to get nervous in front of sudden visitors. Due to that, he raised his voice as he replied.

“I’m Waddle Dee, a servant of King Dedede. What is your name?”

“I am the galaxy’s grandest great witch, Pauline.”

Her expression barely changed even when she spoke, giving her a mysterious appearance.

“What have you come to ask King Dedede about?” “I cannot discuss it here. I would like to meet with the king and discuss it with him directly.”

“I’m sorry. His highness doesn’t meet with unscheduled visitors.”

Castle Dedede often received unscheduled visitors, many of whom were dark-hearted people willing to take advantage of the king and it was because of this that Bandana adopted a strict attitude towards unscheduled visitors.

The great witch Paulina laughed with a huff. “I have a present for the king and would like to deliver it to him.”

“A present? But…”

“It’s this.”

She took out a fork from somewhere and shook it a little. Just then, a mountain of sweets appeared right before Bandana’s eyes! Cream puffs, cookies, sweet potatoes, donuts, Baumkuchen… a soft and sweet scent wafted from the stack of sweets that caused him to look up. Bandana’s eyes were wide as dinner plates.

“WHA?! WHERE’D ALL THIS COME FROM!?”

“Well, what do you think? If you don’t like it, it can’t be helped. I’ll just be going then…”

“P-please wait a moment!”

Bandana panicked. If he had chased away a guest with such a wonderful gift, he’d get an eyeful from the king. Quickly, he ran to the king’s napping room.

 *        *       *

“Fuaah…? A guest? I don’t know a thing about them, kick ‘em out…. fuaaaahhhhhhhh” With a big yawn, King Dedede went back to sleep.

“Buy, they said they brought a gift for you, your highness! It’s a mountain of sweets!”

“A mo… mount… mountain of… WHAT?!” The king’s eyes shot open instantly. “A MOUNTAIN OF SWEETS?! FOR REAL?!”

“Yes! It’s amazing! The great witch only shakes a fork, and it summons more cream puffs and cookies than you can eat…”

“You idiot! There’s no limit to the number of sweets I can eat! I’ll eat ‘em all!”

“Y… yes. Whatever you say, your highness…”

“YAHOO!! CREAM PUFFS! COOKIES!”

Before Bandana could finish speaking, the king jumped out of his napping room and ran down the stairs, rejoicing all the way.

*        *       *

The great witch Pauline had been taken to the reception room. The Waddle Dees were working hard on bringing all the mountains of sweets to the pantry for storage. No matter how many round trips they did, it looked like they weren’t even making a dent in the piles.

“It smells great in here!”

King Dedede, who had been drawn by the smell of sweets, almost jumped into the pantry, but was desperately stopped by Bandana.

“Your highness, the guest is in the reception room! It’s not that way!”

“Outta my way! I’m here for the mountain of sweets!”

“We can’t keep the witch waiting! If she’s waiting for too long, something bad might happen!”

Upon hearing those words, Dedede calmed down.

“Nggghhh… that’s right. Waddle Dee, put all you got into showing hospitality to the witch! Give her some first-class Dedede-stamped tea and a first-class Dedede stamped teacup!”

“Understood, your highness!”

Dedede quickly headed towards the reception room. As Bandana carried the first-class tea to her, the witch squinted her eyes and laughed.

“Fu fu… well, that’s very polite of you. I appreciate your gift.”

“Now, who exactly are you?” Dedede asked, leaning forward.

“I am the galaxy’s grandest great witch, Pauline. I am a genius patissiere who loves and has mastered sweets.”

“Oh, that means you’re a person who makes sweets. You make them yourself?”

“Of course, with magic.”

Pauline leaned back.

“A great witch never uses her hands. Everything is done with magic.”

“Then that mountain of sweets was all magic…?”

“Naturally. A great witch like myself can create that much with only a single wave of a fork.”

Pauline took out the fork and shook it once, causing a chocolate cake to manifest on the table with a “pop”. It was a scrumptious looking cake with rich chocolate that shined.

“UOOOOOOO…!?” Dedede almost drooled.

The great witch fluttered her hands. “It’s a piece of cake! Take your time to savor it!”

“A…Amazing…!”

“Well, this is the reason I came to Dream Land.”

“It is?”

Dedede took a bite of the cake and immediately jumped from the sofa.

“DELICIIIIIOUUUUUUUUSSSS!! It’s delicious! I can’t believe you made this so quick! You’re a super genius!”

“Fu fu fu… I’d like to hold a Dream Buffet here.”

“Dream Buffet? What’s that?” The king asked, quickly finishing the cake.

“It’s exactly what you think, a buffet one can only dream about. But it being a “buffet” does not mean that it will be considered a delicacy, I want everyone in Dream Land to taste the sweets made with my great magic.”

“Everyone? No way! We don’t need that!” The king shook his head. “It’d be better if you made sweets just for me! It’d be a waste for everyone else to eat such a delicious cake!”

“I won’t allow that.” Pauline glared at Dedede with cold eyes. “The duty of a witch is to make as many people happy as possible. I came here to fulfill that duty, not to satisfy a single person.”

“But…”

“I want my sweets to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. If I cannot do that, then there is no need for me to be here. Good bye.”

Pauline looked like she was about to stand up, but she was stopped by Dedede.

“Hold up! I get it! I’ll let you gather the citizens and have it!”

“Fu fu… very good.” Pauline gave a satisfied smile. “Your highness would like the citizens to know about the Dream Buffet. You can leave all the preparations to me.”

“Yup, it’s all you! Let all of them know!”

The two firmly shook hands.

*        *       *

After Pauline left, Bandana spoke with a smile. “It’s great that she wants to make everyone happy. I thought she was a bit scary at first, but she really is a nice person.”

“Hmph… what a waste… wanting everyone else to have this yummy cake…” The king grumbled with a pout.

“Was her cake delicious?” Bandana asked.

“Of course! The sweet, slightly bitter chocolate and the smooth, moist cake are folded into layers, and the finely ground nuts on top... NGAHHHHHHHH!!!” Dedede thrashed about on the sofa as he remembered the spectacular chocolate cake. “Oh right, those guys brought the mountain of sweets to the pantry, right? I can’t handle this anymore!”

The king rushed to the pantry. Upon opening the door, a gentle, sweet smell wafted through the air. He licked his lips.

“The smell is too much! Let’s see…”

Dedede grabbed a cream puff and popped it into his mouth. Suddenly, he jumped up in excitement.

“So… YUMMYYY! This is so yummy!”

He started eating all the food he could get his hands on until he saw Bandana, who was looking around at the mountain of sweets with eyes sparkling. The king offered the sweet that he was about to eat him.

“You have some too.”

“Huh? Is it ok if I do?”

“My subordinates must be gourmets that can savor the taste of sweets from a top-class patissiere.”

“Yes, thank you very much!”

“All of you, join in too!” Dedede said as he looked at the Waddle Dee unit lined up against the wall.

“Us, too!? Yay! Thank you so much, your highness!”

They were so excited that the jumped into the pile of sweets.

“Uwaaahhhh! This cookie is great! It’s so yummy!”

“The doughnuts are also so fluffy and yummy! I can eat as many as I want in no time at all!”

Dedede laughed heartily upon seeing their beaming smiles. “Wahahaha! Don’t you all forget! Pauline gave these sweets to me, so it’s a tribute to my esteemed self!”

“Yes! Of course, your highness!”

“Get in touch with everyone in Dream Land about the Dream Buffet! Make sure they know it’s all thanks to me!”

“Yes, sir!”

Their stomachs filled to the brim with delicious sweets, the Waddle Dees rushed out of the castle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TL Note:

When Pauline was explaining what a Dream Buffet is, I did translate the original text with the JP version of the title (Gourmet Fest) and then did a version with the NA version of the title (Dream Buffet) because I was honestly kind of unsure with to go with. I was going to go with Gourmet Fest to stick to the Japanese, but then I thought to go with the Localized title for consistency.

Like I know when people think of "buffet", they tend to think of the chain places like Old Country Buffet and whatnot, but I was thinking more like… expensive hotel buffets when I wrote the translation.

For posteriority, I included the original translation I did with the JP title.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Table of Contents

Next Chapter

[stormynightstorytime]

Dietary Asshole

hello followers. Firstly thanks for the follow secondly... why? Im so inconsistent wwith my posts its crazy.

Anyways, Ive come back! and of course Ive come back to rope another fandom into the dark machinations of mind mind.

Now, a little smth about me is that due to health and religious reasons, I went on a partial fast. I fasted rice and meat, which to me as an asian drove me crazy.

My usual dreams of marriage and nightmares of the impending research paper were halted by haubtibg images of fried chicken, burgers, egg fried rice, rib eye steak. And honestly my first thought after going ham on some hame when I finished the bloody fast was one thing.

Leona would be such an asshole about it.

Like think about it, whether it be for religious, cultural, trendy, or health related reasons, if you want to fast on meat Leona is going to make your life a living hell.

If you are friends yes, if you are dating or more? HELL YES.

From the moment you wake up he makes sure to fry up some nice bacon and waffles, bacon and eggs, chicken aand waffles, sausages. And he will eat it infront of you as you eat your delicious but not as delicious as meat tofu and veggie breakfast.

And trust me, as someone who was fortunate to do this fast with a mom who knew how to improvise with food and thus vegetarianize food, things were delicious. But I promise you, seeing Leona's teasing ass smirk and smelling the smell of meat in the morning when ylure still groggy is hell.

Not to take credit from lunch. The moment you sit down, whether in the cafeteria, the patch of grass you and Leona nap and cuddle on, and especially the monstro lounge, the fatigue of the day will lull your mind into thinking it needs a reward. A reward Leona is more than happy to spoon feed you before you slap his hand away and pout or scold him for indulging your desires which are against the fast!

Count on Fried chicken, T bone steak,  burgers, ham, and worst of all. Mama Leona's homemade cultural dishes that either you hella love, or you've been ACHING to try, but Leona isnt letting you. But now he is. Oh that mother- HE'S JUST ASKING TO BE STRANGLED!!!

I feel like Dinner would be easy cuz you would jusy collapse into bed from exhaustion and sleep the hunger/cravings away.

But regardless of all of that. Regardless of all the teasing, tempting, and just assing around he does. The morning after the last day of your fast, he is suprising you in bed with a ticket stub. And ypu better believe that when you take that ticket stub and your ass downstairs youre gonna see an entire meat buffet prepared just for you by your favorite lion. Not that much teasing and no gate keeping, just a kiss to the temple and a "Good job Herbivore. Enjoy." 

And he steps to the side and lets you POUNCE ON THEM MEATS!! 

And as you almost become a wild rabid animal eating away at the meat he leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking at you with a loving smirk.

"Thats my herbivore, thats my woman."

[K thats it. hope you guys enjoyed. Image not mine. byeee.]

[tigreblvnc]

BLUE LOCK MATCHUP — @krowedes

Your match is...

— Karasu Tabito

✦ For you, my decision didn’t take long to arrive.

✦ Usually, when I make matchups, I keep in mind the characters' preferences regarding the qualities they like, what stimulates them, or what could create an interesting chemistry.

✦ Eventually, one of them ends up stepping up to the starting line when I read something that makes me think, "Ah! I know who I’m going to pair you with."

✦ And this time, it didn’t take long, and for the first time since I’ve been doing matchups, it’s our crow boy who took off from the starting blocks.

✦ (I’m thrilled because I think he’s one of the coolest characters in the entire manga)

✦ From memory, Karasu is attracted to strong, intelligent personalities who know what they want and won’t give up. Lions thrown onto the battlefield who aren’t afraid to take the plunge and can make decisions quickly.

✦ "I see myself as someone who is very decided. If I have a dream or a goal, every decision and every move I'd make will be made all so that I could make my path toward that goal easier and smoother." Well, that's exactly the kind of temperament that can leave a strong impression on him. Someone who doesn’t give up and fights to the end, methodically, without losing sight of their goal.

✦ Because there are those who rush in without a plan. But the ones Karasu prefers are those who have thought their plan through well in advance, taking into account all possible parameters. Since he’s of the same caliber, it means he’s facing someone who could potentially challenge him, and he likes that.

✦ I see him mainly in a relationship of balanced rivalry, you know, where it could tip at any moment.

✦ "My tongue is loose, and that makes me unafraid to share my opinions, even if said opinion is harsh." Yes, again, I don’t see him getting attached to someone shy who can’t assert themselves.

✦ "I’m also very fond of sweets and eating meat – I could eat on and on and on without gaining weight, which is a huge win for me, especially in all-you-can-eat restaurants." Oh dear, you’re speaking to my carnivore heart... Out in public, we’ve seen Karasu well-dressed and liking to talk business, so to me, he’s clearly someone who has his head on straight and knows how to handle his affairs to generate profit. In other words, like Reo, he’s business-oriented and knows how to manage his finances. So five-star restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets, exceptional cuts of meat cooked by award-winning chefs; he knows them and knows where to take you.

✦ "BECAUSE I DO NOT LIKE COOKING" Haha, that’s why you go out to eat so often.

✦ "I also like dressing up a lot and putting on makeup that is vibrant and shiny, so much to the point that I have an Instagram account that I use to track all of the makeup styles that I do." But isn’t that how you met? I imagine Karasu more on the casual chic side in terms of fashion. He’s rather sporadic on social media but follows carefully selected accounts, and I can see him talking about big brands or things like that with the people he follows.

✦ For me, his use of social media is to keep up with sports and business news, but also to stay on top of luxury products, clothing, furniture, and maybe even cars because he likes traveling on Japan’s highways (no joke, they have super convenient rest stops with incredible and massive shopping centers).

✦ I’m sensitive to the way texts are written, and I can sense a lot of pep and curiosity behind your words! These are qualities Karasu would really appreciate. He needs someone dynamic and adventurous. At the same time, not someone who’s always hyper because I see him also having his moments of solitude, even though he’s very grounded in the real world.

✦ And because the idea obsesses me, yes, you and Karasu regularly go on road trips across the country to find the most beautiful landscapes (often with the idea of posting the photos on Instagram because honestly: they’re too beautiful). You’re the couple, you know, who takes a selfie together while wearing sunglasses, with the beach and seagulls behind you.

✦ As cliché as it might sound, you exude luxury.

✦ And at the same time, you’re the couple friends love inviting to parties because besides being super well-dressed, you’re cool, laid-back, and have that touch of sarcastic humor on your tongue when something happens. Even when nothing happens.

✦ (I’m sure Karasu would love wearing Lacoste) (The polos and the cologne)

✦ (The pair of sunglasses tucked into the shirt collar...)

✦ (Really the slightly bourgeois but cool couple, and that’s what makes the difference)

A word about your match: No hesitation really, the crow showed up on his own and never left.

© TIGREBLVNC 2024 | AUGUST '24 MATCHUPS EDITION.

[marcelloshdz]

at the after party

summary: when you meet marcello at an event, you admit to having crushes on each other. requested by anonymous. marcello x actress!reader

“last appearance of the year, are you ready?” your manager asked you. you were getting ready to make an appearance at a charity gala in new york tonight, which you were excited for. the night ended up being perfect, and you had a good time helping raise money for a cause you believed in.

once the gala ended, you made your way to a nearby restaurant at which the after party was being hosted. you were there with some friends and other members of your team. you made your way to a table near that was close to the bar and buffet. 

“perfect.” one of your friends laughed as you all took your seats.

“i agree.” you said as you were immediately brought a round of champagne. as the night began, drinks were flowing, you were enjoying the food, and the music was making you feel real good. you were coming back from the bathroom when you noticed someone across the room. you hurried back to your table, plopping back down in your seat, out of breath.

“are you okay? what the hell just happened?” one of your friend asked.

“marcello hernández is here.” you said, downing your drink.

“ooooh, that’s your man!” your friends teased.

“please. we’ve never met. it’s just a celebrity crush.” you sighed. 

you’d been watching marcello since he started on saturday night live. you truly thought he was one of the funniest people ever, and eventually developed quite a crush on him.

“‘just a crush,’ but he’s got you giggling and blushing at your tv every saturday night.” 

“shut up.” you said, waving your friends off. you got up and walked to the bar to order another drink. while you waited, you felt a presence next to you.

“hey, y/n?” a voice asked. you turned in the direction, marcello standing next to you with a wide smile on his face. “i’m marcello.” he said, extending his hand to shake.

“yes, hi! it’s nice to meet you.” you said, taking his hand in yours. butterflies swarmed in your stomach and your heart was racing in your chest. you tried your hardest to play it cool, but you knew your cheeks were flushed and giving you away.

“it’s nice to meet you too. i’m a big fan of your movies, so this is big for me.” he blushed, a shy smile spreading across his face.

“that’s so nice of you to say, thank you.” you said with a smile. just then, the rhythm of salsa began playing through the speakers around you. you began to bob your head to the beat, mouthing along to the words. “mmm, i love this song.”

“you wanna dance?” marcello asked, a faint blush still on his cheeks. 

“i’d love to.” you said, letting him lead you out to the dance floor. you fit in his arms perfectly as he spun you around the floor, moving together seamlessly to the beat of the song. 

the song ended and transitioned into a slow song, marcello tightening his arms around you and you rested against his chest, slow dancing together. you spent the rest of the night together, talking and getting to know each other. you listened as he told you about his work, how he got started in comedy, and anecdotes about his family that inspired his jokes. you told him stories of how you got started in acting, your first roles, and dream collaborators. 

 “you’re so talented, i feel like all of those people should be begging you to work with them.”

“oh, please. you’re too kind.” you laughed. 

“y/n, there you are. we thought you snuck out on us.” one of your friends said, coming up to you and marcello at the bar.

“oh my god, i’m so sorry. we got so caught up in talking, i did not mean to leave you all hanging.” you said, turning your attention back to marcello. “marcello, this is one of my best friends, f/n. f/n, this is marcello hernández, from snl.” you said, introducing them.

“it’s nice to meet you, finally. y/n makes us come over every saturday night so we can watch the show live to see you in action. i swear all of those nights have manifested in her meeting you tonight.” your friend said. 

“well, i love that its working out for us then.” marcello laughed. your friend walked away, and marcello turned his attention back to you, brow raised. “i thought you said you didn’t watch the show very much.” he said, stepping closer to you.

“what is much?” you shrugged. “i didn’t want to come on too strong. imagine had i told you how obsessed i was with your comedy, and may have a little crush on you? thats insane.”

“are you kidding? one of my favorite actresses obsessed with me? i would’ve been over the moon. thats the greatest thing you could’ve ever said to me.” 

“stop.”

“i’m serious! thats gonna keep me going forever. going viral online pales in comparison to knowing that y/n l/n is a fan of mine.” he laughed. 

“see! this i why i like you so much. being funny comes so naturally to you, and i love it.” 

“well, maybe we could go out sometime, and i can continue to make you laugh.” he said softly. 

“i’d like that.” you nodded. you and marcello exchanged numbers, and set a date. you took him back to your table, and introduced him to your friends and team members that were there with you. 

[theycallme-ook]

--[tired camping]--

Senior camping trip was… off to a great start, all things considered. According to Max’s considerations, at least--which was that no one was on fire, the Stalker hadn’t booby trapped the island with terrifying creatures of unholy origin, and Terry had actually been cajoled into coming. Probably due to the Stalker shiv from last year. The bus got to the campsite, stuff was dumped in an unceremonial pile on the gravel, and fifty or so Hamilton Hill High teens (plus chaperones) had shuffled off to their allotted cabins. 

Or, well, most of them had. The arguments about who wanted to sleep next to whom and who had lost their privileges in the few hours since original agreements had made would start up come nightfall, but for now they each had a cabin number and a mission to leave their bags on the bunk they wanted to claim.

Which is where Max’s first problem started. Sort of. See, in a spectacular move of bumbling Terry had not only managed to mishear the number of her cabin, but had decided to claim her bunk by falling asleep on it--shoes and all--the second she was in range. It wasn’t totally unexpected on Max’s end at least. She had known there’d been a recent rough patch in patrols even if she’d been ignoring that in favor of putting together coding portfolios for college apps. When talking about this trip the ban on tech had seemed to be a huge draw (though knowing Terry the girl had snuck a pager in at the very least) and the manic look in her eye had convinced Max not to tease about that too much. Now the whole group could witness the fruits of that conversation, but McKenna wanted to sleep next to Lilo and could not be dissuaded from this, so a plan was concocted to get the sports kids to carry Terry, slagged up camp mattress and all, to the correct cabin. The chaperones of course caught them halfway through, but by then it was too late to argue things back into place. The mattresses were successfully swapped. 

Terry didn’t even get close to waking the entire trip.

–

A weekend trip typically had a lot of activities crammed into a short window of time, and as seniors many of them exercised their newfound freedom by not participating in any of them at all. Some people dicked off into the woods on their own (word usage purposeful). Some of them sat by the kitchens all day and used food prep as an excuse. Some people didn’t bother with an excuse. 

“Dude, we’re out doing stuff. We got a fire. There’s marshmallows.” Max heard Chels trying to persuade on the second night, the blond leaning through the cabin doorway in hopes of getting their friend to do anything remotely fun. Joke’s on her.

“I don’t care. I’m sleeping,” was Terry’s appropriately sleepy response.

“Did you really pay three-hundred creds just to come here and sleep?” 

Crazed but soft laughter floated out of the doorway. The perfect kind for the spooky storytelling that was about to begin. 

“Yes and it’s so worth it.”

Max finally got close enough to put a hand on Chelsea’s shoulder and lead her away.

–

The screaming might have been what woke Terry up, but despite that girl’s danger meter being completely broken since age thirteen, Max was of the opinion that it was completely justified. A hornet was bad enough, but a hornet that wouldn't stop swooping on her because she’d made the mistake of getting syrup on her hands? Fragging awful. So yeah. She screamed. They screamed. They all screamed for the painful stinger zooming right at them.

At least until a fork nailed the thing smack dab in the thorax and pinned it to the ground. Dead.

The meal pavilion went silent. They followed the trajectory of the fork and found Terry by the buffet table, blinking blearily. She shoved a pancake in her mouth with a hand and shuffled off.

–

“Wait, that actually happened?” she questioned on the ride home.

“YES!” The entire bus screamed.

“Huh. I thought I’d dreamed that.”

[shunin-gumis]

Mistery on the Moonlit Passage - Track 05

Seasonal Event Story

Location: Cruise Liner - Party Venue

Nanaki: …… 

Nanaki: (Andy told me earlier that the ‘recommended date spot’ on the cruise liner was at the sky deck, but…)

Kafka: So this is the main party venue. Thanks to the holograms, the ceiling looks high, making the venue feel spacious inside the ship. 

Kinari: During the daytime, the scenery can be viewed from the windows, which is intended to increase the open appeal of this area.

Yachiyo: Wow… Isn’t this, like, way more luxurious than anything a poor commoner could ever dream off…? If I keep indulging in such luxury, my karma’s gonna tank and I’ll be reborn as something even lower than a bug…

Nanaki: (Trying to invite the chief in front of everyone might be a bit too difficult…)

Yodaka: There’s also a bar counter at the back. It looks quite well-equipped.

Chief: Seems like the staff might not be familiar with some things, but with proper training, I think they should be able to get a hang of it.

Kafka: Yeah, I believe so too.

Nanaki: (Besides, I’m here for work. I shouldn’t let myself get carried away…)

Akuta: WOOHOO! The buffet food looks friggin’ delicious~ I’m gonna spend my whole entire life on this ship, just munching forever and never leaving this place!

Muneuji: Isotake, you should calm down and eat a bit more slowly. Your cheeks are starting to resemble that of a chipmunk’s.

Chief: But isn’t that your third plate already, Muneuji-kun? High schoolers sure are built differently, huh…

Nanaki: (But since there’s gonna be customers who’ll come here as couples, maybe I can get away with that as an excuse to scout it out as a date spot…)

Chief: Are you also like that, Nanaki-kun?

Nanaki: Huh!? Y-Yes!?

Chief: Hehe, I knew it.

Nanaki: (...! Chief’s smiling face…)

Nanaki: (But I totally didn’t get why they were laughing at all…! I must’ve definitely given off a weird answer…!)

Chief: This is bad! Yachiyo-kun is heading straight for the super delicately balanced Jell-O tower! I have to stop him.

Yukikaze: Chief, please wait a moment.

Chief: What’s up, Yuki-nii?

Yukikaze: Nanaki, don’t you have something to talk to the Chief about?

Nanaki: !?

Chief: Huh? Really?

Yukikaze: Earlier… Was it Andy you were talking to? I’m sorry, I overheard your conversation with the AI.

Yukikaze: I also noticed that you were staring at the Chief the entire time, so—

Nanaki: Ka-Kamina-san! W-W-Waitasecond!

Yukikaze: ?

*Nanaki immediately drags Yukikaze with him at high speed*

Chief: Huh? Where are they going—Ack, wait! Yachiyo-kun, stop right there, STOP!!!

Location: Cruise Liner - Inner Passageway

Yukikaze: What’s wrong? I heard you were researching ‘recommended spots’ on the ship to share with the chief, right? You’re very thoughtful, Nanaki.

Nanaki: Huh? Wait, you didn’t hear about the ‘date’ part…?

Yukikaze: Hmm?

Nanaki: N-No, it’s nothing.

Yukikaze: Are you sure you're not going to tell the chief? If you want, you can tell me and I’ll pass it along to them. 

Nanaki: Uh… That’s a bit—

Nanaki: Well… everyone looks like they’re having fun, so maybe I’ll save it for the next time…

Nanaki: (I’m worried that if I do that, the mood’s gonna be ruined because of me…)

Nanaki: Sorry, I think I made you worry for no reason. I’m just gonna take a breather outside.

Yukikaze: Nanaki… ~~~(end flashback)

Location: Cruise Liner - Party Venue

Nanaki: (...Okay, if I don’t bring up my feelings and just stick to telling things objectively…)

Yukikaze: After Nanaki and I spent some time chatting with everyone at the party, we each went our way to the sky deck at different times. 

Yukikaze: That's all.

Nanaki: Y-Yeah, that's about right, I guess.

Ryui: That’s too brief.

Yukikaze: There wasn’t much else to say.

Nanaki: (...But there’s one thing that’s been bothering me.)

Ryui and Muneuji: …

Nanaki: (Everyone’s on edge…)

Netaro: Mhm… I see nyaow…

Netaro: I’ve figured out the truth!

[dreamerlucifer]

what if you woke up one day and all of sudden your ducks became chickens instead

But what the.. *Lucifer stared at his ducklings, his eyes still blurry from tossing and turning that night.. But what was he looking at???.... Surely his ducklings hadn't all changed overnight??!!*

*Worried, he stuck on a spare pair of reading glasses just to be sure...* I Just... Chickens????, really??? *like small ones big ones, some as big as your head??? He thought,* But where did all my Ducklings go???? Emporer, are you still... the round table, the tea party, all ... chickens? ...Chicks?..... Roosters????!!! *Surely there was a mistake somewhere, surely He, the king of hell himself, was not related to... Being a Chicken.. right???....!!! ;^; ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;*

*Sweat rolled off the King of the Damned as he had to take a breathing moment, but it sank in, they were all chickens!! Maybe he was not their King, but... Since he was with Adam... Their Queen???!!*

Perhaps!!!!!! A BREAKTHROUGH??? *He tried to tell himself.*

*He went to scream, but nothing came out~*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*In a flash he fell hard onto the floor.... A sheet falling atop him.* Was that all... Just a.. Dream???...* Well, at least Lilith didn't leave me in that one... *He thought to himself for a moment about just how sleepless he had been since her departure... He thought he was going to weep for a moment, fall to his knees as he had done so very many times before...*

*BUT*

*Not this time!!!! Now, he had the final piece... @fatass-adam, that weird, fallen, Precious soul at the other end of his gilded leash, that he, himself, had fallen all over for...♥♥ He then looked to his work bench down, across the room...* Yes!!!! It must be done!!! *he exclaimed to himself and to any other soul within hearing range!!!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, a certain @fatass-adam was rolling out of bed, late yet again for Lucifer's smorgasbord buffet of hot breakfast items awaiting him... But ohh, what was this?? Over his shoulder, was a single Chick, that mirrored the old Dickmaster's facial features and clothing choices as well as their colours!!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Good dream afterall.... *He mused to himself, wondering if Adam would even notice the difference.. But it didn't matter, really ♥♥ As he loved him dearly, Dickmaster personality and all*

[roseofithaca]

A Slip Through Worlds (Part 10)

Silver tries to get back home, away from @idiotwithanipad 's Gore AU.

-

The melody is familiar. But she can't place where.

Twirling beneath the arm of a seven foot tall Elven princess, Silver listens carefully the piece being plaid by the nymphs who make up the orchestral band at the side of the party. Several slow, gentle notes on a piano before the violins joined in. Different, but similar to something...

Her dance partner's long, pointed fingers squeeze her hand as she tugs Silver close against her ebony gown that sparkled like the stars against the vastness of space.

"I hope you're not distracted, sweet Lady." The ethereal creature with razor sharp ears smiles down at her; "We are ever so delighted you have agreed to stay."

Silver returns the smile, her knees turning to jelly a little again at the sight of the gorgeous humanoid woman. Elven girls had been her biggest fantasy crush, ever since her dad first read Fellowship of the Ring with her. Watching them come to life on the big screen two years before she died, Silver didn't think she'd come closer to an Elf princess than that.

She certainly didn't think she'd be dancing with one at a ball, surrounded by Fae and Vampires and other mythological beings, held in her arms beneath a moonlit sky while the band played...

Leading you down into my core

Where I've become so numb

Evanescence. They're playing Evanescence...at this high fantasy ball.

The setting begins to feel a little more solid around her. Before, she'd assumed she'd indulged in a little too much fairy wine, which was why she felt so light and floaty. Simply willing to revel in the dance, drawn blissfully to the most beautiful creature wanting to take her hand.

The Elven Princess towers over her, with hair like waves of spider silk tumbling down her back. Silver could quite easily rest her head back against her chest and enjoy the melody and the warmth of her embrace...

Without a soul,

My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead it back....home

Silver tenses up. There is no vocalist in the band and yet the lyrics ring clear in her head as if Amy Lee were right beside her.

Amy...

Those fingers glide through her hair; "Is something the matter, Lady Silver?"

Many things. She takes a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, what she can be certain of. The pieces of her life that have been brushed aside like defeated chess pieces.

Chess. That was one thing. Chess. Moon. Soft fur. Smell of wet dog.

Bit by bit, the memories began to ground her as she remembered who they belonged to. Anchors. Yes, that's what she needed. Something solid and heavy as a ten ton stone of iron to keep herself focused. Normally, trying such a thing in a dream would cause a normal person to wake. Good thing she was far from normal.

Smiling demurely, she pulled away from the arms of her partner.

"Forgive me, Your Highness. I just...require a visit to the buffet to grab some shrimp. Then I'll be right back." Silver improvises, keeping in character.

Daughter of the Great Witch of the Woods. Princess of the Enchanted Forest.

She might be watching. Her 'mother'.

The Elf maiden's eyes widened in hurt and disappointment, their violet irises glinting; "Oh? But the song has only just begun..."

She holds out her hand, those spindly fingers and that ivory skin... Silver gulped.

"Don't worry, hot stuff. I'll be back before it's finished." She gave her best curtsey before dashing off.

Tall, elegantly dressed figures in long tailcoats, cloaks, gowns and masks all peered at her as she walked briskly, holding up her skirts a little so as not to trip. She excused herself politely and ignored any attempts to grab her attention.

Chess. She takes a deep breath as she remembers her anchor. Chess. Moon. Furs.

Robin. Robin. Robin.

Home.

As she reaches the table, there is a seafood platter laid out with all her favorite morsels, from a prawn cocktail fountain to oysters, muscles and smoked salmon. Further along she spots the largest red velvet cake ever and a whole pile of...Fucking Echo bars, holy Hestia! She really had done her homework.

How long had it been since she'd eaten anything? Twenty years? Nearly thirty?

No...

She picks up a Cadbury Caramel Egg in her hand and peers at it. Only recently had she tasted one of these. Silver closed her eyes, one imaginary hand clinging to her anchor as the rest of her tried to remember the past couple of days with more clarity.

Do nots eat the food of fairyfolk, little'en. You bes bound to them forever.

But she had eaten the food. Well, not really. Because none of it had been real. Just a trick of the mind, no different than this. All just in her head. And yet...it felt so real. More real than anything she'd experienced in her dreams before. What was different here? Other than everything suddenly feeling much...deeper. Like she was on some deep, lower level of reality.

Despite the fact the party was taking place in a garden decorated with fae lights, not a cloud in the night sky, the moon shining...

The moon. She looked up. That's it. The moon was full.

She was asleep. Not just under the witch's magic but in a proper dream, though clearly with some of Not Mary's little bonuses, to keep her content.

Keep her trapped.

"Help me. Help me, Goddess." She whispered up to the silver white orb. "Lead me home."

A rustle of leaves came nearby.

Silver turned her head to see, outside the silk banners that cordoned off the edges of the party, were a row of hedges. Nearly hidden behind a tree, a section of branches and leaves had shriveled outward to form a small opening.

An escape.

Silver smiled, "Thank you!" She grinned up to the moon, before quickly taking her leave.

Don't look back. Don't be tempted to return. Don't think about the sexy Elven girl who could step on her with those amazing legs- No, really Silver, now is the worst time to be horny!

Holding onto her dress, nearly missing her simple leggings and short skirt, Silver ducked beneath the banner and into the gap in the hedge.

A dark tunnel awaited her. Small and cramped. She had to keep her head down, so her hair was not to be caught on any sharp twigs.

Another rustle.

Turning her head, she saw that the hedge had closed itself behind her. Exhaling, she told herself that was for the better. None of the creatures in that dream, probably placed there by Nary herself, could follow her. Once more, she touched her pentacle.

Even in this universe, she could have faith in her gods. They would be on her side. Just believe, Silver.

There was light up ahead. Near blindingly bright.

With every step, Silver shivered at the thought of Not Mary's face suddenly appearing at the end, in all it's burned, skeletal horror. Those glowing ember eyes peering at her. And then collapsing the tunnel as punishment and leaving Silver to suffocate in the dark.

She shook her head. Nope. Don't do that.

Anchor. Keep hold of the anchor.

In her mind, it becomes more like a lifeline thrown from a ship as she clings to it, letting herself be tugged safely back on board. Almost there. The light is getting brighter.

When Silver finally emerges, she straightens up, finding herself standing in what seems to be a wide, endless void of nothing. Heavy beige fog rises in the distance and the ground seems to be solid, swirling clouds. But there is nothing. No sound. No temperature. There is light but without any direct source.

She knew this place. It wasn't the first time she'd been here. But when?

Slowly, she stepped away from the tunnel. The sound of her boots treading upon the floor echoed as if she were walking upon a sound stage. Was she still dreaming? She could never imagine her dreams being as....boring as this.

Part of the space before her seems a tad more grey than the rest of the void. Silver approaches it and begins to notice how, the closer she gets, the fog seems to darken and swirl and, on even closer inspection, tints of color begin to mix in. Then shadows. Images, obscure and blurry, but present.

She keeps walking, hoping it will become even clearer, the closer she gets. And then her face collides with an invisible wall.

"AH! Fucking hell!" She swore, rubbing at her nose.

Silver reaches her hand forward and finds her hand being splayed against what feels like a sheet of glass. As she walks to the side, keeping her palm pressed upon it, there doesn't seem to be an end to it. Or any sort of latch or handle.

An eternal wall.

Was this it? The same one that Not Amy and Not Mary had spoken about?

She glanced around. No sign of the witch. But she said this was where she would come to. This was what she knew her Silver had been lost behind, and needed to be opened to return her. Where was she? The hairs on the back of Silver's neck raised. Not knowing where she was, was far more terrifying than facing the fiery wraith.

Her stomach twisted with the tiniest reaction of guilt.

It hadn't been....fun, deceiving the witch. It seemed like the smartest option. Not Mary had been determined to break her mind and will, either through mental manipulation or just sheer time. Why not make it easier? If Other Silver was like her then Not Mary would know her weaknesses, her insecurities. Why wouldn't Silver's be the same?

And so she'd played the part for as long as she had to. There was nothing she could do about her situation until she was asleep, having no way of astral projecting while wide awake. She only knew how via lucid dreaming first.

It hadn't been too difficult. Just over a day, first simply sitting beside the witch, letting the woman stroke her hair and tell Silver she was making the right choice and she would come to love living there. She let Not Mary cast the illusions into her eyes, changing her clothes (which did look awesome, she wouldn't deny) as well as herself and the forest. Everything except Not Robin, oddly enough, who remained perched upon his rock.

Silver had sat at Not Mary's feet before a roaring stone fireplace, in the middle of the woods, letting the woman brush her hair and tell her stories.

She'd indulged her 'mum' in a stroll by the lake and even found herself gasping at the mermaids who leapt from the waters. She'd sat by the pond and taken her first sip of liquid since before her death.

Cream soda had danced on her tongue and she'd fought the urge to cry.

'Mum' had then summoned a picnic blanket along with a basket of treats. They'd sat in a field of grazing deer and Silver had picked up a....Cadbury Caramel egg. Her favorite at Easter time. So much better than the Creme ones.

She knew not to get distracted. Knew not to get seduced by everything Nary was offering her.

But...fuck, that chocolate tasted even better than she remembered.

"Messy little pup." 'Mum' had tutted as Silver stuffed the last piece into her mouth and smeard some filling on her lip. Mary had reached forward to lovingly wipe it off.

Again, Silver had to fight back tears.

As the sun had begun to set, it had been too soon for her to feel tired, yet she'd been contented to lay her head on Nary's lap and let the other woman sing to her, stroking her hair.

Perhaps...Perhaps it would be fine to pretend this was forever. If just to sell the act.

But her heart had twisted as 'Mum' had whispered to her;

"I dids never imagine I'd open my hearts again after my death. Now there be two spots, for both my little girls." She said; "Oh, Silver. We will be ever so happy together, you'll see."

She'd been tempted to reveal the truth then and there. Despite everything Nary had done to terrify her earlier, she had no desire to break the wraith's heart. Clearly it had suffered enough already.

Then the dragons had appeared, flying in over the treetops and landing nearby, tucking in their wings. Silver had never seen anything so incredible. Even in the dreams where she'd seen her and Amy riding the beasts before...it was another to see them truly corporeal before her eyes.

And to stroke her hand against its warm, shining scales. To climb the ridges on its neck and mount its head. To fly....Oh gods, to fly...!

"This shall be your life now, my sweet girl. Forever and evers." Nary had crooned as she sat behind her, holding her close; "Yous shall has your month long visit to the world of dreams, and when you wake, you shall live those dreams for real in my land. And yous shall laugh each moment with your mummy and darling sister at your side. Yous will never feel alone or unloved again."

It had been so tempting to forget the plan. To just let what 'Mum' said become her new reality. How could anything she have back in her universe compare....?

And then she smelled the burning. And she remembered Mary.

Her Mary. Her mum.

If staying in that world meant ending up in a different AfterAfterlife, meant risking never being reunited with HER mum again, then all the dragons and magic and chocolate eggs could not make up for it.

Not that she said such a thing out loud to the witch. Silver had merely smiled, rested back in Not Mary's arms, and watched the world pass miles beneath the dragon's bronze head.

Her one chance of escape lay in her sleep. Lucid dreaming had been a skill she'd honed well in her many long sleeps since the first time she collapsed beneath the moon in those woods. In her Living days as a newbie witch, she'd been told that lucid dreaming and astral projecting were often linked. There were a few special cases, like Amy, who didn't need the former to do the latter. It was all about crossing through the veil of reality.

She needed to find this great border between universes on her own, without the witch knowing. And she had, with the help of the Goddess.

Now how the fuck to get through?

How had she crossed the first time? She doesn't...

Wait...

Silver could still hear the music coming from the party, travelling through the tunnel to follow her.

Now that I know what I'm without

You can't just leave me

Breathe into me and make me real...

Silver caressed the wall again and closed her eyes.

She'd been playing this song in her room. With Amy. Her Amy. They'd been singing (or screaming, Amy chose those parts) it while on her bed, using Silver's hairbrushes as pretend mics, as the song played on her CD player. She couldn't summon any fantasy when meeting Amy. There were no dragons to playing with. She could only pull what was in her memories, or Amy's from hers. But that was fine.

Her friend was with her. Her friend who she thought was gone, separated for who knows how long until it was Silver's time to be sucked off. Her friend who was happy to be used as a telephone between Silver and Mary. She knew how fucking lucky she was to have met Amy Bone.

When it had been time for their meeting to end for that night, for Amy to go visit her dad and Silver to slowly begin waking up, she'd taken a detour when leaving her room.

Normally, she returned back to wherever she was dreaming before. Her fantasy land that now felt like a cheap D&D meet-up compared to what Mary had shown her.

But something had called to her.

Mary?

No. Before that.

Laughter...Her own laughter...

She'd followed a path away from that which was safe and familiar to her. Far away from her own head. She searched for the source of the laugh. She'd walked and walked and found everything beginning to fade to grey around her, swallowed up by a rising mist that condensed into fog.

And then she'd walked into the wall. The first time.

But that laughter continued...coming from the other side.

Silver had peered into the glass, all the distorted images slowly clearing until she saw....

Black boots. Patterned leggings. A dirty pink skirt.

Her. It was her. Facing the other way.

There were leaves in her hair. That was the first obvious difference from this angle.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" She'd called.

No response at first. The laughter stopped.

Silver then knocked on the glass. Three times.

"Hehehehe!"

She froze, watching her other self slowly turn around. Then the wall became a mirror. A mirror of nightmares.

Her own face stared back at her. Bleeding. Blind.

Smiling. Smiling more than she knew would ever be comfortable.

"What the..."

"Hello! Is someone there, hehehe? Do you want to play?"

Her voice. It was always odd hearing ones own voice, but...That can't be how she sounded. High-pitched and childlike.

She should have turned back then. Turned back and returned to her dreams, ready to wake up. Wake up at home.

But she'd stood frozen to the spot, staring at herself, not knowing what to say. All sorts of questions danced on her tongue but she was afraid to know the answers.

Other Silver had swayed, dreamily, giggling as she came closer.

"Where are you, new friend?" Her other self asked, innocently. "Please don't hide. I don't have the lights on. It's not very fair, hehe."

Silver gulped.

"I'm here. Can you hear me?" She knocked once more on the glass, "I'm right here..."

"Oh! Hehehe! You're at the window! No-one ever comes to the window!"

And then the girl gasped, hands flying to her face, a drop of blood tricking onto her nail.

"I wonder! I wonder if..."

Silver frowned; "W-wonder what...?"

Did the girl have any idea she was facing a clone of herself? Would Silver's voice be too different for it to register?

Other Silver tittered and bounced on the spot.

"We can try playing a game, new friend! Put your hands on the window. Go on!"

What harm would there be? Silver had obeyed, indulging this twisted version of herself.

Other Silver then placed her hands against the glass in the same spot.

"Now...if we just do a little....push....Hehehe."

Silver felt a set of fingers interlock with hers.

She gasped. The glass. It was gone.

Then her double clasped her other hand. And laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

"Dance with me, new friend!"

And Silver had no time to think. No time to pull away. No time to run. In a heartbeat, she was pulled forward, while the other her slid her feet into her spot, spinning them around. And it was Silver who let go then, tumbling forward into the fog...On the other side of the wall.

Everything had been reduced to a blank after that. Next moment, she'd been wandering through the world another Silver's dreams, not even aware they were no longer her own. And then she'd heard the voice calling to her.

Come to me, darling girl. Come to Mummy.

She thought the witch had been to blame. The witch had accidentally taken the wrong child. But, in truth, Silver had been trapped before Not Mary had found her.

Back in the present, Silver just kept staring at the wall.

Her other self had done this. Had she been meaning to? Had she...wanted to escape her own world? Sure, it had its...horror elements, but Silver had assumed she'd been happy in her warped fantasies. Happy with her mother.

And yet there was no Other Silver here this time. No identical hands for hers to meet. No one.

Had she not come because she did not want to return? What if...No, that wouldn't happen...

Unless....

Bile threatened to rise up her throat. She needed her other self to come here. Now. How could she reach her if the wall was sealed again?

Not Amy's words revisited her brain. Her Silver had theorised...that dreams were merely windows to other worlds.

The Pagan pressed her forehead against the glass.

"Focus, Silver. Find her....Find her...."

-

There are usually flowers around her. All the colors of the rainbow and more. Heavy scents better than any essential oils, making her feel ever so relaxed and safe. Petals fall from the trees and they should be burying her, but they never do.

It's a bit different this time. For the first time ever, she didn't fall asleep in her special bed in the forest. Too dangerous, she was told. Maybe next month.

Usually she would have argued. She was supposed to sleep beneath the moon's gaze. How else could she be the moon girl, as her lovely new friend had titled her?

But he was ever so worried. And wanted her to stay with him in the big house. Just this once. Her room at least allowed the moonlight to shine in, or so he told her. Silver had trusted him because....Well, she's not sure why. But she's felt like she could trust him from the moment she woke up without Mummy at her side.

And so she's sleeping on a bed! How strange. In her dreams it grows to fill the room. If she were to stand up and jump on the mattress, it would make a sweet bouncy castle.

But Sweet Robin is beside her. Fast asleep.

She doesn't know what he looks like. Her hands feel fur like Mr. Floof and a similar bumpy, ancient, sad face. Is he like the Prince from Beauty and the Beast? Before he became that ugly, lame dude at the end.

Rolling on her side, she finds him curled around her. Her gentle beast. Her sweet new companion who Mummy apparently sent to protect her in his absense. Never before has any male been so kind to her. Not since her fake dad went to the next world. Giggling, Silver felt as though she could get lost in all his fluff. Like snuggling next to a pack of wolves, a bit like how she imagines when Mr. Floof lays with her.

Is Mummy happy in the stars, she wonders? Is Amy? Oh she hopes so. There better be dragons in the stars or Amy is gonna be pissed off...

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Silver raises her head. Is that noise coming from the window? She tries to visualise it, tries to manifest the room into her mind's eye, so much easier in dreams than reality.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.

Faster now. Desperate.

"Someone there?" She asks with a tilt of the head.

Voices. Ever so muffled, as if the glass was soundproof.

"Speak up, hehehe! I can hear, honest, hehehe."

More vibrations. More knocking.

What was that word? 'Come outside'? 'Come to...?'

Silver shook her head.

"No. I can't come out and play. Not this time, hehehe." She says, as resolute as possible; "I promised to be a good girl."

Louder mumbling. Angry. Scared, maybe?

She took a deep breath; "I've got in enough trouble already! I'm not losing anyone else!"

If anyone is looking in through the window, her face will make it hard for them to tell how serious she is about this. She's not playing a game. For once, she's going to do the grown up thing.

Moving back onto the bed, closer to Sweet Robin, she curls back into his furry paws. Grumbling lightly, he instinctively wraps them around her.

The banging continues. The frame threatens to splinter.

"Leave us ALONE! Haha!"

With a wave of her hand, she caused the velvet curtains to close across the window.

The banging stopped. Peace and quiet.

Exhaling, relieved and a little proud of herself, Silver lay her head beneath Robin's mane. Mummy would be proud of her, she tells herself.

-

The image disperses. But Silver continues to hammer her fists against the wall.

"NO! NO, COME BACK! PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO COME BACK! WE HAVE TO SWAP, PLEASE!" She screams until her throat is raw.

After her hand begins to bruise, she slumps, creasing as she hits her head against the glass.

Fuck fuck FUCK!

She'd been so close. She'd managed to find her. Herself. Other Silver.

Asleep in...Had that been Amy's room? In Button House?

Had...Had that bundle of furs curled around her been Robin?

Her heart ached. Did Robin know that wasn't his Silver? Did any of them? Maybe they thought someone terrible had happened to her. Or maybe they...preferred that Silver...?

She gulped at the thought. Her and Robin had fought. She'd stubbornly refused to accept his apology. Perhaps...that Silver was easier to be around...

No. No, she couldn't give up.

Even if none of them missed her, even if Robin didn't want her back, Mary would. Mary was waiting for her to be sucked off and meet her again in the next layer. She had to go back. She'd come this far.

"Let me in! Let me in!" She demanded, punching the wall over and over. "LET ME THE FUCK BACK IN!"

"Be calm, sweet girl."

Silver froze at the voice.

"There be no point hurting thyself to no avail." The scent of burning flesh approached, followed by a billowing cloud of smoke.

Silver trembled as the Not Mary's burned wraith form manifested before her.

She waited for the fiery blows. The scalding. Both figurative and literal.

"You are a better actress than my darling girl. She oft' would pretend to be my willing daughter in those early years, but I could always detect the uncertainty." Not Mary barely sounded angry at all.

Just....sad. Tired.

That was somehow worse.

"Mary, I-."

The witch held up her bony hand. Silver silenced herself.

"I am numb to betrayal at this point, dear child." She said, hollow, "It did little to shock me to hear you bellowing at this wall instead of enjoying your fancy ball with the Elven folk."

"It was...lovely. You are lovely, really, I mean that." She said, honestly, "But I have to go home. I have to go back to my mum."

"And how dost thou plan to do that?"

"By....I dunno. We have to somehow get your Silver to come to the wall. That's how it happened, see? She didn't break down the wall! We were somehow able to pass through by...touching each other." She realised, a little amazed; "It must be some anomaly the wall couldn't account for. Two identical souls meeting...Touching. It's the only explanation. And it's the only way to reverse it."

She turned to look at the witch, flames burning muscle beneath rotten flesh and charred skin, smoke creating a fiersome black aura.

Silver was no longer afraid of it. She stepped forward.

"Call to her, Mary. She'll hear you. She'll come to her mum, I know she will!" Just as she did.

A Silver cannot ignore a call from Mum.

Not Mary looked at the wall, those cooked eyes tinged with yearning and pain. Silver dared to touch her hand.

"Please. You don't want me. You want her. Your Silver. End this. End it now." She begged.

The witch pulled her hand away and reached for the wall.

A pause. Silver waited with baited breath as Mary pressed her head to the glass.

A minute past. Then she pulled back.

"My darling girl has hidden herself too deep. She cannot hear her Mummy's call." She sighs, "Perhaps that beast has turned her against me."

"Robin? No. He wouldn't do that-."

"It matters not. Whoever and whatever stands between me and my darling girl....I shall reign fire upon them all. Until nought but ash remains."

Her voice chilled Silver to the bone without her even having to yell.

"No....Mary, please don't-."

"Silence." She turned her ember eyes on Silver; "T'is time that yous returned to the party I did lovin'ly arrange for thee to enjoy."

She shook her head; "No....Don't send me back there..."

Silver turned to run. Where, she had no idea, as there was literally nothing around her.

The wall. She reached for the wall.

A leathery burned hand wrapped itself firmly around her wrist.

"Oh, do stop your fussing, sweet girl! Anyone woulds think I's about to give thee a good thrashing, instead of spoiling thee with 'hearts desires." The witch clicked her tongue.

She didn't care. Didn't want it.

Home. All she wanted was to go home. If she spent too long trapped in a dream, distracted with illusions of everything she ever wanted...How long until she had no choice but to believe? And forget everything else?

Forget Mum. Forget her friends.

Robin...

Her heart pounding with terror, she stretched out her free hand.

"No...No, please, just let me...."

"THAT BE ENOUGH, SILVER!" The fingers tightened; "Mummy is not messin' around anymore! You wills learn to behave! Yous will be mine and that's Final!"

No! No!

Her index finger grazed against the glass. One little push. That's all Other Silver had said.

Push. Push.

She sent a single word from her heart, down her arm, into her finger and rippling through the glass, into the other world. One word. It was all she could do.

Silver screamed as a black tornado encircled her, billowing tremendously, then dragged her back into sugar-coated shadows.

-

The word sent shockwaves through the astral plane of the next world. All those sensitive to its vibrations found themselves jolting awake in fright. They couldn't understand the word, but the tiny flicker of the grotesque image sent the galaxy to shivers. It wasn't just the Livings or Unlivings who felt it.

Even those who had passed on woke with fright like they hadn't felt since before they ascended. Most forgot what they had seen as most dreams fade upon waking.

Beside a broken waterfall, a black labradoodle with a red muzzle startled awake and whimpered before releasing a mournful howl that no one could decipher.

In Mary and Annie's cottage, the taller woman let out a cry in her sleep and shivered as her wife soothed her. The flowers on their windowsill blackened and shriveled as if smothered by smoke.

But it was when the word reached its true target that it became as clear as could be. Sent to the closest thing to an actual goddess she had on her side, with powers in the land beyond. Casting a vivid picture into her mind, reflected in the glass of the great wall between words, revealing the truth. Revealing the girl with pink and black hair lost where she doesn't belong, trapped in the hands of a desperate, grieving, demonic mother.

One word to wake her. One word.

"AMES!"

[merinsedai]

More bingo snippets

for the @dreamlingbingo

snippet 1/4

Square/Prompt:E3- Bad Pick Up Lines

Title: Robert Gadling's Diary

Rating: T

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Warnings: n/a

Additional Tags: Bridget Jones' Diary au, general silliness,

It's me again, filling some more prompts with this silly AU of Bridget Jones. But Merin, you cry, will you ever write something where you haven't transposed the characters into a different story? To which I reply.... no? Well, maybe. That can be a 2025 goal. For now, have more au silliness. I have.... 4.... of these I think.

“You know my Robert, don’t you?” she trills. “He used to run around your lawn with no clothes on, remember?”

Fucking hell,  Hob really wishes he’d had the balls to say no to the turkey curry buffet for once. Then he’d have been at home with his head down the toilet, same as all normal people in this Twixmas week instead of being subject to the mortifying ordeal that is his mother’s bizarre attempt at setting him up with an (admittedly handsome) stranger.

Said handsome stranger certainly looks as if he wished that Hob had stayed at home as well, despite the fact they’ve not exchanged a single word. His sharp blue-eyed gaze sweeps over Hob once before settling back on his face, managing to convey an expression of supreme and haughty disdain with just the slight curl of his lip. It is actually quite impressive.

“Not as such, no,” Morpheus says in a surprisingly deep and measured voice. Dammit, nice face. Nice voice. Why couldn’t he have the nice personality too? Holy Trinity, that. Not that Hob is adverse to nasty bastards per se. Especially pretty ones… maybe his mother had chosen well for once?

“Well, I’ll leave you to it!” Hob’s mother says brightly. “Una’s been on the gravy and it’ll need sieving, mark my words! Have fun, darlings!” And she sashays away, taking the plate of gherkins with her. Hob didn’t even get the opportunity to ask if Morpheus wanted one. That would have given him something to say at least. 

There is a long moment of awkward silence, which Morpheus doesn’t seem inclined to break, so Hob does.

“So, are you staying with your parents for Christmas?” he asks.

“Yes.”

Hob waits a moment to see if there will be any elaboration to this statement but there isn’t.

“I’ve just arrived today. Been down in London, partying, y’know. Killer hangover but, “ he waggles the glass in his hand, half-full and still glistening with condensation, “hair of the dog, n’ all!”

“I see.”

“Got any plans for New Year?”

“No.”

Bloody hell, this bloke is hard work. Hob’s not been subject to monosyllables since high school. Still, he’s not one to back away from a challenge. He’s good at making people laugh, at forging a connection through humour. Maybe some silly pick lines will help break the ice and loosen this guy up.

“Is your dad a boxer?” he asks and Morpheus’s eyebrows draw down in confusion at the non sequitur .

“What?”

“‘Cause you’re a knockout.” Hob says with a wink. “Or maybe you’re an artist?”

“I am a lawyer,” Morpheus frowns, showing not one bit of recognition of these ridiculous lines. 

“Oh? ‘Cause you’re doing a really good job of drawing me in!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Look, my mother’s trying to set us up,” Hob says cheerfully, reaching out and poking Morpheus in the chest in what he hopes is a conspiratorial manner. Luckily he remembers to do this with the hand holding his champagne flute and not the one holding his burning cigarette. Things probably can’t get that much worse, but burning a hole in a suit jacket that looks like it cost more than Hob’s yearly rent would definitely make it so.  “And you’re much better looking than her usual picks, so I thought I’d give it my best shot!”

“And that was your best shot?” Morpheus says, managing to combine flatness and incredulity in one measured tone. “Corny puns about my possible profession?”

“Ah well, I thought so. Shall I try a different one? Hm..” Hob takes a pull on his cigarette, humming thoughtfully. “Ok, how about: ‘do you have WiFi, because I think we have a connection,” he laughs at the faintly repulsed look on Morpheus’s face. “No? What about ‘are you a camera? Because every time I look at you, I smile!”

“And this normally works for you, does it?” Morpheus asks before Hob can go on. “When you are… ‘Picking someone up”? He laces the words with derision and Hob huffs a laugh. Blimey, this guy is uptight. Not the hint of a smile from him. Not even an indulgent eye-roll.

“Yeah, sometimes,” he admits with a shrug. “Makes people laugh at least, starts the conversation going. It’s just a bit of lighthearted cheesiness. And hey, apparently there’s even been research about it. The things people will research nowadays, eh?”

“I see,” Morpheus’s tone is clipped. Unimpressed and dismissive.  “Well. As… illustrative as this conversation has been, I believe it is time to. Eat.” he nods his head in dismissal. “Good evening.”