#also my garden is usually nicer but i had to take down the hanging baskets

[lavender-at-heart]

Tears of Rain-Ch.I

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x fem!oc

Chapter Summary: meet the birthday girl

Series masterlist:

Warnings: talks of depression.

Notes: this whole series will be inspired by The Virgin Suicides, Im not ok with this, Coraline and Twilight. Sort of melancholic good old fashioned novella. Also this is a oc story but she won't be described a lot especially in these early chapters so u can sorta read it as x reader if you'd prefer it.

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Today is my birthday.

The saddest and happiest day of every girl's year. I dont really want to think about that right now though. I can hear a crow cawing from outside my window as my mind stirs awake. Staring back at my yellowing ceiling I breathe silently for a few minutes before pushing up and put of bed. The old oak floors creak with life as I pad my way to the bathroom. I wash my face with ice cold water and rub my eyes of sleep. The reflection that stares back at me is dusty and dull. I don't really recognize it as myself, I know it's me but it seems to be faded, blurred.

I can hear my sister shuffling around downstairs clammering pots and pans together. I brush out my hair and don't do much else to my appearance, I doubt I'd have enough energy to do anything more.

I take the extremely short trip from my loft, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Oh close your eyes!" She shouts and covers the plate she prepared with her hands; she guards it as if it's the lost city of Atlantis. I press my hand to my eyes and I hear more shuffling and the the click of a lighter. She then pushes me into the bar stool at the small kitchen island. "OK, open."

In front of me was a stack of five huge pancakes. There were small flowers on the top that had been messily made with butter,whipped cream and frosting. In the centre was a bright pink candle and beside the plate was a tall glass of milk.

"Oh... you shouldn't have. Thank you." I smile as much as I can and give her a hug. We then gorge on our pancakes.

"I hope you know I didn't just make you pancakes, I got you something else but you'll just have to wait!" She tells me with the kind of happiness one can only get from being an older sister. "Also I hate to say It but I have to go into town today, but we can hang out later. Promise."

"Sure"

She kisses me on the forehead and just like that I hear the door click and I am alone. I go upstairs and change into a simple white dress, it's smooth and could also double as a nightgown if you were a fancy old lady. As I sit at my vanity I can't help but melt into a puddle of tears. I should be happy today. I want to be happy today. A million different movie scenes of girls blowing out candles with their friends and eating cake play like a slow projection in my brain. I lift my head from where it laid in my arms and look at the photos that I had tapped to the mirror. One of my mother on her honeymoon, she looks ethereal. Another of me, my sister, and my father, it is from two birthdays ago. I have gotten used to not having a mother for my birthdays but this is only the seccond one without a father. I decide that today I will try, try and be happy.

After a downpour of sobs I remember that it is not the weekend and I have work to do. So I wipe my tears and slowly meander out the door and onto the little path that leads from our cottage to the main property. Before heading out I grabbed my gardening tools and a basket. It takes an forty-five minutes to even get into town so I know I have a healthy amount of time to work before my sister gets back. I don't mind the work, it distracts me. I trim the weeds in the garden, clean dirt off the statues, water the plants and forage some mushrooms to take home.

Usually I would stay away from the house unless I had work to do inside but missus Foster, the previous owner, died a few months ago and now it lies empty. It's up for sale and so it's up to me and Sally to get it looking nicer than ever. Today I find myself pushing one of the side doors open and begin my wander through the mansion.

I love the house, most people find it creepy what with all the old furniture and long history. I find it comforting, it feels alive. I just hope that whoever buys it doesn't immediately bulldoze the property and send me and Sally packing. After everything we've lost, this house is the only thing that has stayed perfectly still. I climb the long carpeted stairs that stand elegantly in the foyer. I walk through long corridors while humming a sad sort of tune. I don't know what song it is, but it suddenly popped in my head. I stop at a dark red door and turn the metal handle. Inside is Mrs.Foster and Mr.Foster's old bedroom. In it is a grand four poster bed with burgundy duvets and a shiny gold chandelier hangs above. I gravitate towards the old trunk, in it lies what I'm looking for. I open the brass clasps and shield my face away from the smell of dust that exudes from the chest. I dig my hands through tissue paper, clothing, boxes and bags. I dig to the very bottom and strain my fingers to grasp something smooth and rounded. I pull out a old jewlery tin, it's made of blue velvet and sprinkled on it are metal and diamond stars, with one large star on the top. I open it and am met with more blue velvet and a old silver locket. It's small but bigger and heavier than most lockets and the chain is delicate but long. I slowly lift the cold metal up and carefully observe it. It is oval and has a swirled pattern around it with a old looking cross in the centre; the colouration is not as shinny as it once was, after all it is over 200 years old. The clasp takes some force to open and I try my best to be careful. Inside on one of the two pannels is a painted portrait of an eye.

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•

"Mrs.foster what's this?" My tiny hands grasp the tin and bobble over to missus Foster at her desk.

"Oh that? Now come here missy and I'll tell you" her soft aged hands lift me up and place me on her lap. She opens the tin and takes out the locket, opens the the locket. I "ooo" at the sight: a single emerald eye encompassed by pale skin and a raven eyebrow. "This is the first Mrs.Foster, her name was Amelia and she's the one the built this house." She spoke as if she was a mythical legend, and I was surprised to find that the late Mr.Foster looked exactly like (at least their eyes) the old Mrs.Foster.

"But why her eye only?" It was a bizarre idea to me, to only paint ones eye and not the whole face. "Its a lovers eye dear. Couples would have a painting made of eachothers eyes and wear them as brooches to signify that their were in a relationship."

"Oh how romantic! I want one when I fall in love. And Mrs.Foster has such a pretty eye, I wish mine was like that."

Mrs.Foster chuckles and smoothes a hand over my hair. "Tell you what, when your older you can have this locket and Amelia's eye. Only When your older."

"How much older?" I ask with a pout.

"Not much older" she reassured

To me, not much older meant a few weeks and definitely not years.

I gleefully jump and excitedly dream of the day she would give it to me.

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•

Looking now at the eye, it hasn't changed one bit. At this point I have completely given up on the idea of ever finding someone to have a Lovers Eye with but I'm contempt enough with having Mr.Foster's. Her eye will guide me, like a compass I think. I clasp the chain around my neck and let it dangle on my chest. I close the locket as to not damage the painting.

I hum my way back home and begin making a soup from the mushrooms I picked. Don't worry- I know their not poisonous; when I was little my favorite things were mushrooms. My father bought me a whole encyclopedia on them. After making the soup I eat it in silence, wash up and make sure there are leftovers for Sally. I climb the steps to my room, and plumet onto my mattress. I sink into it and pull the covers over my eye. I lie there and lie there and lie there. It must have been at least an hour.

"Hey! I'm home!" The door shuts and I wince at the thought of having to get up.

"I got strawberries, bread, candles and soap...oh and socks and lip balm!" She shouts. After not hearing a reply she bounds up the stairs and comes to kneel beside me.

"Oh honey, are you not feeling well?" She asks and I'm not quite sure if she means physically or mentally.

"I'm fine" I hush out. She then climbs into bed and gives me a hug.

"I know birthdays are hard, they are for me too, let's not spend yours moping about." She clings to me tight and I don't react.

"Besidessssss, I got your favorite dinner." That makes me smile a little.

"OK fine. But only becuase your so nice."

Before she can jump her way back downstairs she stops.

"Hey! Is that the locket?"

"Sure is." I touch my fingers to it and hold it up so she can have a look.

----------------------------------------------------

I'm not as happy as I should be but my gloom seems to have dissipated slightly. As if the downcast of grief has stopped to a drizzle. We sit on the brown leather couch downstairs next to the old wood burning furnace and eat our dinner. Beautifully handmade kaiserschmarrn, the way my grandmother made. It's warm and comforting and acts as a dinner and desert. On the TV plays our favorite movie: the 1954 classic Sabrina starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. That film always made me feel special. I always felt a kinship to Sabrina, like her and I were on the outside sitting up in our tree watching the rest of the world be lovley. Sally sits right next to me: pigtails tie her shoulder length hair back and her feet are propped up on the coffee table. She yawns and leans her head in the crook my neck. At one point she gets up to put the dishes away and comes back with a small lavender colored bag.

"Happy birthday!" She says as she skips over to me and rejoins me on the couch. I take it from her, pull away the small blotch of tissue paper and take out the present. It's a cardboard rectangle and attached and six gorgeous hair clips. They are made of metal and are the kind that I've seen in antique shops. On each of them is a beautiful sparkly metal butterfly and on some of them were thin strings of crystals fastened to the point where the butterfly meets the clip. There were two of each colour: lavender purple, sunset orange and sage green.

"Thank you. Really, they're beautiful. I love them." I awed and pressed my palm to my heart.

"I saw them in the market and thought of you. I know it isn't much though."

"Its more than enough. I'll wear them every day."

We kept talking for a little longer but I started to feel the haziness seep back into my psyche. We say our goodnights and I make my way upstairs. I change from my nightgown-like dress and into my real nightgown, it's cotton and somehow even less detailed than the previous dress. I put the locket back in the tin, which I have placed on my bedside table. In the bathroom ajacent to my bed, I wash my face and brush out my hair with my boar bristle brush. I stare back at my tooth brush and contemplat whether or not I have the will to brush my teeth. I decide to, becuase it is my birthday after all. With that thought I grab the metal tin of Nivea cream from under the sink and aply it to my skin liberally. I sigh and turn on the turn table on the desk next to the bathroom door. The record playing is Al Bowly's Greatest Hits, it comforts me in the night. Crawling into bed I flick on the stained glass lamp that hangs directly above my bed. I shut my eyes but my thoughts are too rampant to rest. Tomorrow it won't be my birthday and life will stay the same. I wish I could have had a party, but how would I? The two close friends I do have are studying abroad, I write them letters from time to time. And I haven't been close to my extended family for a couple of years- since the funeral. Eventually the mix of crickets and the gentle hum of "Midnight the Stars and You" lull me to rest and I dream of nothing but white doves and sparkly butterflies.

----------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading! I really do appreciate it. I was thinking of making a tag list for this series but I'm not sure if anyone would want to be on it so comment or dm if you would want to be on it.

Take care of yourself!

Love, Cece

#fanfiction #oc #josh kiszka #josh kiszka x reader #josh kiszka x oc #greta van fleet #the virgin suicides #twilight #oc story #romance #cottagecore

[wholesomemendes]

Basket Full of Love

Summary: After buying a new house, you and Shawn are at a flower nursery to decorate the outside and lots of love ensues.

Author’s Note: This is literally just fluff. That’s it. Fluff on fluff. I got this idea when I was buying flowers with my mom the other day and all I could do was picture this happening. She’s short (only 1.4k), but she’s sweet so I hope you guys like it. As always, please tell me what you think, any feedback is appreciated!

“Shawn, which one do you like better?”

At the sound of your voice your husband turns his head away from where he was admiring a bundle of pretty, pink peonies and makes his way towards where you were comparing two hanging baskets. He wraps his arms around your middle, letting his head come to rest on your shoulder, “Which ones am I looking at?”

You pointed at two baskets filled with an arrangement of red begonias and other white flowers with hints of yellow in them, “These two right here. I’m thinking of hanging one of them on the back porch next to the birdfeeder.”

Shawn stared at them, examining all of the bright colors with furrowed brows, “But baby, they’re the same thing.”

“No they’re not,” you huffed, pointing at each of them, “This one obviously has more begonias so the color stands out more, but this one seems to have more buds.”

“A-what? A bedona?”

You laughed at his words causing him to squeeze you a little tighter and press a kiss to your forehead, “A be-go-nia is this pretty little red flower right here.” You leaned forward slightly to gently touch the gorgeous petals, rubbing one between the pads of your fingers.

“Oh, a be-go-nia.”

You let out a small giggle at how he was sounding out the word, but still turned around nonetheless and placed a kiss on his cheek, “That’s it, bubs. You’ve got it.” He contemplated his decision for a few more moments before pointing at the one on the right.

“I like that one, the red in it looks nicer.”

“Perfect, then we’ll get that one.” You stood on your tiptoes in an attempt to reach the hook, smiling to yourself when Shawn placed one hand on your waist and reached above you to help grab it instead. You mumbled out a thank you as you kissed his bicep lightly while he put the new basket into your cart.

“Alright, are you ready to go?”

“What? No, we still need to get two baskets for the top of the steps in the front and some flowers to plant in the garden in front of the main entrance and then there’s…”

“Ok, ok I get it, lots of flowers,” he sighed, resting his head on his arms that were on the cart which was already filled with three other assorted plants, “Why do we need so many?”

“Shawn, we literally just bought a house. That means you need to decorate a bit outside, you know, make it presentable. The perennials your mom has in her garden didn’t just grow by themselves.”

Your husband groaned again, lifting his head to face you this time, “Babe, you know I have no idea what you’re talking about when you spit out all of these big flower words.”

“Perennials are the flowers that rebloom every year without you needing to replant them. Annuals are the flowers that die before the winter season.”

“So why don’t you just buy all perenals or whatever the heck they’re called so you don’t have to replant them every year?”

“Perennials and because you want to change it up a little bit! It’d be boring to have the same flowers every year.” Pushing him playfully out of the way, you grabbed the cart and headed towards some of the perennials you wanted to plant in the front garden, Shawn trailing behind you like a lost puppy. One of the flower labels caught your attention a few rows down and you gravitated towards it immediately, “Shawn, look! Daylilies!”

“And…?”

“Andddd these attract hummingbirds! Wouldn’t it be cute to see some hummingbirds around the house? We could even put up a hummingbird feeder!”

A smile broke out on Shawn’s face at your excited state and he placed his lips on top of your head, mumbling into your hair, “That sounds great, love. Anything to put a smile on your face.”

You smiled up at him before grabbing a couple trays of the soon to be beautiful flowers and placing them in your cart. You could tell Shawn was becoming antsy to go home because he was either pulling out his phone more than usual or being extra clingy, a telltale sign of his boredom. “Hey bubs,” you snapped him out of the trance he was in on his phone, “Why don’t you go pick something out? Whatever you want to get.”

“Anything?” he asked, a bright smile taking up his face.

“Anything, just please don’t pick something that will ruin the outside of our house.”

“I won't, I promise, I’ll pick out the prettiest flowers for you.” He placed his hand under your chin so he could peck your lips quickly before he ran off somewhere in the nursery to, what you could only assume was, cause trouble.

Two baskets and a handful of trays later you were satisfied with your cart, the only thing missing being your giant of a husband that was still somehow on the hunt for his special flowers. “Is this flower for sale?” a deep voice whispered into your ear, causing you to jump from the fright. You immediately recognized the voice and bright chuckle as your husband’s and you turned around, meeting his mischievous grin.

“What took you so long, bubs? Pick out anything good?”

“Mhm, but nothing as beautiful as this flower right in front of me.”

You blushed at his words, lightly pushing his chest to hide your red cheeks, but his muscular body didn’t move an inch, “‘M not a flower.”

“You could be though,” he smiled at you, hands coming to your waist to pull you closer to his body, “You’re as gorgeous as one and you smell just as good, too.”

“Oh stop it, I’m your wife now. You don’t need to shower me in compliments anymore.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’m always gonna give you loads of compliments cause you’re my girl and you deserve them.” He leaned in to place a searing kiss onto your lips, gripping your hips tighter to bring you flush against him.

“Shawn,” you mumbled against his lips when he tried to deepen it, “People.”

He pulled away unwillingly, a small pout on his face, “What? I can’t kiss my wife now?”

“You can...back home. Now why don’t you show me these flowers you got.”

“Oh right! Flowers, yes.” Moving to turn around to where he had placed the basket on the ground, he held it up for you with a proud grin adorning his lips, “Ok, so I had to get some help from one of the workers, but I got it. Basically, it’s a basket full of love!” He pointed to a handful of white flowers on one side, “These ones are supposed to symbolize everlasting love, which you know, made me think of us and it’s supposed to represent fertility and motherhood which I think will be helpful for the future.” You looked at him with tear filled eyes, not knowing how the man who wanted nothing to do with flowers earlier had managed to find the perfect array of them that also happened to be so meaningful. “The dark red ones mean love and affection as well and the rest of them in here don’t really mean anything, but I think they’re super beautiful.” You wouldn’t think that the mix of orange blossoms and red carnations would look as pleasing to the eye as they did, but you thought that the meaning behind them made them that more beautiful to you. “So? What do you think?”

“What do I think? Shawn, I-” you leaned your head back in an attempt to keep the tears at bay- “I don’t know what to say, they’re absolutely perfect. I don’t deserve you, bubs.”

“Awe baby, don’t cry,” he cooed, wrapping you up in his arms, “I love you, you’re the one I don’t deserve.”

“You can’t say that, you just made me cry in the middle of a nursery.” You sniffled one last time before placing your lips on his, holding him tight against you.

“I thought you said no kisses in public,” Shawn mumbled against your lips, but not making any move to pull away from you.

You detached your lips from his and cocked an eyebrow at him, “Do you not want to kiss me right now?”

“Hell no, get back here,” and with that you melted into his arms, a basket full of love leaning against the two of you.

#shawn mendes #shawnblr #mendes army #shawmila #shawn icons #shawn peter raul mendes #shawn mendes writing #shawn mendes request #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes oneshot #shawn mendes au #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes smut #shawn mendes story #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes x y/n #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes x you #shawn x reader #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes boyfriend #fic #fanfic #writing #writeblr #husband!shawn

[gem-quest]

[ QUEST 01. — I N F E R N A ]

taglist: @ayzrules​ @bebemoon​ @atimefordragons​ @armadasneon​ @now-on-elissastillstands​ @interluxetumbra​ @pulltheskydown​

Inferna was hanging out in her favorite spot in Yue City - the lousy excuse of a Chinese restaurant, because it was just so easy to market her Inferna Sauce and sriracha to players who came away disappointed by the Asian dishes with absolutely zero seasoning - when the announcement popped up in the sky.

[  . . . T O U R N E Y . A N D . F A I R . I N . W I L D F L O W E R . M E A D O W . . . L E V E L . O N E . . .  ]

"Well, shit, that's just right around the corner," Inferna said out loud, putting away her sauce for the time being. She wasn't sure if she was going to compete - she'd prooobably get distracted by the free food - but it might be fun to just watch for a little bit.

So, with one over-dramatic whoosh of her hooded black capelet (which was decorated with intricate gold embroidery, because Inferna didn't wear things that were plain, thank you very much), Inferna was off.

When she got to the meadowlands, the entire place was filled with stalls and throngs of players eager to watch the tournament. Inferna decided that she'd watch the tournament after some refreshments, and immediately headed for the food stalls. She stocked up on some chicken pot pies and mead, nibbling on an apple turnover as she browsed. Eventually, she came across a wyvern being turned over a spit, and tossed the NPCs roasting the thing a coin in exchange for a hunk of meat, which she drizzled her homemade hot sauce over before biting into.

It tasted just like chicken. Then again, most meats that weren't pork or beef also tasted like chicken, in Inferna’s opinion.

Rats, for example; Inferna had been dared to eat a rat skewer in the City of Magic, once. She did it, and got a whole blueberry pie in return. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. And that pie had been good.

Inferna wandered around for another thirty minutes, snacking on the wyvern kebab, before finally making her way over to the lists. She frowned when she noticed that there were almost no seats, instead hopping up onto the balustrade after shoving all the dumb meatheads out of the way.

There. That’s a perfect view, she thought, satisfied. She was taking in the sight of the Moonstone player with the pretties armor she’d ever seen facing off an Obsidian player in all black, just as she felt someone flick her calf.

“What the f-” Inferna’s muttered profanity was cut off when she noticed who it was.

"Hey, what’s up? You’re Neddy, right?" she asked, grinning widely. Inferna had met Neddy back in Level Ten, AKA Finvarra’s Gardens, and honestly, Inferna thought she was the sweetest thing. And her dragon, ugh - Inferna would never! Get! Over! Jack!!!!

The other girl looked up. "Inferna?" 

Inferna beamed down at her and offered her a hand up instead of answering. 

Neddy took her hand, and Inferna pulled her up onto the balustrade with her. “View’s better up here,” she told her with a wink, grinning her usual shit-eating grin.

Inferna was about to go back to watching the action - the Obsidian player had easily unseated the Moonstone one - when she noticed...was that Jack?!?! Riding in a basket on Neddy’s back?????

She gave an excited half-squeal, half-exclaimation. “God, Jack is so freaking adorable! Does he still like sugar cubes?" she fired off, pulling out a sugar cube she’d gotten from the Tearoom, as well as a tiny bottle of Inferna Sauce (she’d decided that she was going to make mini bottles to carry around outside of her inventory, just for convenience). She dunked the sauce onto the sugar cube.

"How are you faring out there?" asked Neddy.

“It’s been pretty chill on my end,” Inferna replied, giving the Moonstone player a cheeky grin. “Haven’t really done anything exciting, besides get some blueberry scones from the Tearoom yesterday; they’re amazing. I was at Level 39 the other day too, but fighting the dragon is so much work, so I fucked off after a few minutes.”

Her attention strayed back to Neddy’s dragon. “Ooh, fuck, Jack is so cute. Here, you’re a good boy, aren’t you?” she said, gently tossing the sugar cube in the air and clapping with delight when Jack caught it in his mouth.

“What about you? Got anything fun going on?” she asked Neddy a moment later, tearing her eyes away from the miniature dragon.

"Nothing quite as exciting as thirty-nine," Neddy replied. "I've just gotten through floor twenty-nine by the skin of my teeth. Mermaid Cove won't be easy for me since I'm currently, you know, on my own."  

Inferna nodded, grimacing. “Oh, yeah, that level’s a pain in the ass if you don’t have a party. I think I got through it by just finding a group that needed an extra person who didn’t care about Angel’s Breath. Aydina - that’s the NPC you go up against - is kind of a cunt, too. Like, I get that it’s just pre-written dialogue, but the lady could be nicer while trying to fuck us over with that dodgeball of hers, you know?”

Inferna rolled her eyes at the thought of the pirate queen. Really, though, she was a cunt, she mused to herself. Everything she said, just - ugh! So unnecessary. 

It was a known fact that Inferna talked so much shit about any and all of the NPCs in the game. She was a bit infamous for it within the Obsidian Guild, actually, which was something that Inferna was immensely proud of.

"I’m not very good at dodgeball," said Neddy.

Inferna shrugged. “It was my favorite thing in gym, when I still had to take that bullshit class. All I did was dick around and throw balls at the annoying people in my grade, even if they were technically on my team,” she said, in the most solemn voice she could muster. 

She continued. “I thought that level was pretty fun, besides Aydina’s totally unnecessary commentary. So I can help you, if you want,” she said, “if you bribe me somehow. Since I don’t see how helping you with dodgeball helps my Guild, after all.”

Neddy seemed surprised. "Bribe?" she managed to get out. "I don't have much in the way of coin. . . . I'm not formidable by any means. Surely, it won't hurt Obsidian any if you help little old me move through a lower floor."

Inferna narrowed her eyes, skeptical. “Little old you and a dragon,” she pointed out, gesturing towards Jack. As cute as Jack was, both miniature and at his full size, he was still a, you know, dragon.

Neddy nodded, slowly. "Yeah. Okay- well, I can give you all the apricot tartlets in my inventory if you help me out."

Inferna bit her lip. Apricot tartlets? That was...that was a tempting offer. Plus, dodgeball was really fun, and plus, Inferna sort of owed Neddy, because Neddy had saved Inferna from being eternally trapped in Level Ten with that insufferable faerie prince (but the sweets on that level all looked absolutely divine, so could you really blame her?).

“Alright fine, I’ll do it,” Inferna agreed, flipping her red hair over one shoulder. “Just tell me when, and I’ll be there. But don’t make it before noon, or I’ll probably sleep straight through it. Like, I’m not even kidding; last semester I somehow slept through ten alarms and missed a 12:30 PM lab. So don’t make it before twelve.”

She narrowed her eyes, again. “Now hand over those tartlets.”

After Neddy had given her the tartlets, Inferna lingered for a little while, then decided to go find some other food to eat, nibbling on one of the tartlets as she went. She bought a steak and mashed potatoes dish, stowing it away in her virtual inventory for the time being.

A commotion by the lists caught her attention, about an hour or so later. Intrigued, Inferna crept closer, just in time to see a fellow Obsidian player wearing a flowy dress win a duel. Inferna cheered with the rest of her Guild, elbowing closer for a better view.

Hey, she thought, suddenly. Isn’t that the girl I saw yesterday?

Inferna let her gaze follow the blonde girl as she collected her prize money and went off towards one of the open areas. She took off after her, finding that it was extraordinarily easy to follow the other player when she was wearing a pretty flower crown - all she had to do was look for the flowers in the crush of people.

Once Inferna reached the grassy field, she scanned the area before finally locating the girl she met at the Descend the day before.

“Oh, hey,” Inferna said, trotting over. A quick glance at her profile said that she went by ‘Morningstar’. “I saw your duel, by the way. Congrats on winning.” She grinned.

Morningstar gave her a scathing look. Inferna ignored it and flopped down to sit on the grass next to her, dragging out a bottle of Inferna Sauce from her inventory, as well as as the steak and mashed potatoes dish she’d just purchased. She all but drenched the food with her hot sauce, because everything in the game was so damn bland - to someone who’d grown up eating spicy food, anyway. 

“Do you want some, by the way?” Inferna asked, glancing up at Morningstar and grinning again. “It’s hot sauce. For when the white people food in this game gets too boring.”

She paused, for a moment. “I’ll trade you a bottle for a potion that makes me feel like I’ve just smoked some weed, if you have any. Or if you have anything like vodka? This mead and ale and stuff is fine, but jesus fucking christ, sometimes I just want to take two shots and be done.”

The two of them talked for a bit. Inferna mentioned that she’d be doing dodgeball with Neddy soon, and asked Morningstar if she’d want to join in. Then, once Inferna was hungry again, she got up and went searching for more food.

I should probably also get something if I’m going up against Aydina again, she thought. God, but she’s such a fucking cunt.

As such, Inferna found the marketplace and bought herself a few propugnatio potions, knowing that she’d need them to up her defense for the underwater dodgeball game; as a fire-mage, she was more vulnerable in aquatic environments. She also stocked up on fortissime potions, just to make sure her fiery attacks would pack an extra punch.

Satisfied with her haul, Inferna tossed the items into her inventory and went towards one of the stalls selling pastries. God, but they smelled good.

#writing #q1 #inferna #vicky #inferna story #wildflower meadow #yue city #s/o to fanfan for dialogue!!!