#boulders turn into sand

[iamamythologicalcreature]

"Maybe... Maybe a couple times a day."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY @facewithoutheart! I didn't actually plan this, but I drew this picture over the weekend because I loved your fanfic and that imagery completely stuck with me. And then WHAT it's your BIRTHDAY? How cool is THAT? So I dressed it up a bit and now it's a birthday gift! XD

This is a bit of fanart for a scene in the last chapter of "Boulders Turn Into Sand," which you should immediately go read right now if you haven't already. I waited until it was finished to read it all (I'm delicate sometimes *ahem*) and getting to read it straight through was such a treat!

This bit of imagery from the last chapter really stuck with me, so I knew I had to draw it. (Actually, @facewithoutheart posted this snippet on a wipsday I think, and it's what made me hop over to AO3 and get reading in the first place.) I just adore Simon and Baz in this. The whole thing, I mean. But also this scene. <3

Excerpt below the cut, to avoid spoilers!

“You know, you haven’t said it.” He picks at the collar as we walk to our favourite restaurant. “You’ll stretch the fabric.” I swat his hand away. “And said what?” He kicks a rock, scuffing his good leather boots. (I let it go.) “That you love me.” “Of course I love you.” Simon kicks another rock. “You know I love you.” He shrugs. “Simon.” I thread my fingers through his and oh. The blush that blooms over his cheeks makes his freckles stand out like sunlight glinting off precious gems. “I love you.” Using his other hand, he pulls up the collar to hide his chin and mouth, stretching out the fabric irrevocably. No one else will ever be able to wear it. (I can still see his blush.) Good. “Does it help to hear it, love?” His nose rubs against the cotton blend when he nods. “I’ll say it, then. Every day.” “Maybe,” the words come out muffled through the fabric covering his mouth, “maybe a couple times a day.” Finally, he pulls the collar back under his chin, making these next words come out clear. “Just until I’m used to it.”

DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? All the hearts!

I hope you like my depiction, Christina! And I hope today has been (and continues to be) a truly awesome birthday for you! Thanks for gifting us with your amazing fic!

#happy birthday #fanart for fanfic #boulders turn into sand #snowbaz #simon snow #carry on #the simon snow trilogy #simon snow fanart #fic rec #times 1000 #this fandom has the best creative content and I'm constantly inspired by it! #simon snow series #ao3 fanfic rec #jodarta

[facewithoutheart]

Thanks to @artsyunderstudy, @alexalexinii, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @cutestkilla & @orange-peony for the tags ❤️ reading your selections was a lovely start to my day.

Well folks, I’ve finished boulders turn into sand. You’ll never have to hear about it again lol.

The last chapter was a process of reading and re-reading earlier chapters ad nauseam (also you’re not crazy if you think a line has changed; I absolutely went back and tweaked things but not so much I think anyone but me would notice). I hope I’ve tied all the loose ends. We are right in the comfort part of this hurt but that’s not to say everything is perfect. Life, right?

One last share after the break.

Using his other hand, Simon pulls up the collar to hide his chin and mouth, stretching out the fabric irrevocably. No one else will ever be able to wear it. (I can still see his blush.)

Good. “Does it help to hear it, love?”

His nose rubs against the cotton blend when he nods.

“I’ll say it, then. Every day.”

“Maybe,” the words come out muffled through the fabric covering his mouth, “maybe a couple times a day.”

Tagging six peeps: @fatalfangirl, @aristocratic-otter, @confused-bi-queer, @theearlgreymage, @thewholelemon, @shrekgogurt

#six sentence sunday #snowbaz #fanfic #boulders turn into sand

[dykehayleywilliams]

childhood friends to lovers slow burn band au 300k+

#IT ALL WORKS OUT IN THE END WHEREVER YOU GO THATS WHERE I AM BOULDERS TURN INTO SAND WHEREVER YOU GO RHATS WHERE I AM #sorry listening to that’s where i am by Maggie Rogers on repeat now the mental illness got to me #this makes me so emo #tayley

[justoneofthoseghosts]

Allow me to offer a snippet of the next chapter of Even Boulders Turn Into Sand because it's been a work week from hell and I don't know if I can edit this by Friday (likely not).

Sylvie glances at Matt, who had a wistful expression on his face.  He looks down at Jill before turning to face Sylvie and smiling, “it’s not really an easy question to answer, Ben.  We were friends for so long before anything happened.  It just sort of fell into place.”

“Like missing puzzle pieces,” Sylvie adds, remembering one conversation she had with Matt in the firehouse.

“Yeah,” Matt agrees, “just like puzzle pieces.”

“Puzzle pieces?” Ben asks, confused.

Sylvie chuckles at the expression on Ben’s face.  She would have looked the same way if it was something she was hearing from her parents, wouldn’t be sure what to make of it too.

“Ben, I think you just have to be honest with her and tell her how you feel,” Sylvie suggests, “who knows?  Maybe she likes you too but is just too shy to tell you.”

She glances at Matt, who smiles back at her, getting the meaning behind her words.

“Sylvie’s right, Ben.  The two of us got together because I finally gained enough courage to tell her how I felt,” Matt says. gazing tenderly at Sylvie.

His eyes were soft and it made her want to kiss him soundly on the mouth.  She would have if not for Ben.  He’d probably gag or fake a vomit in front of them, embarrassed by how corny they were acting.  Instead, she reaches out to touch Matt’s arm, smiling at him as he did the same, mouthing a quick I love you at her that Ben notices.  He does in fact make a retching nose that makes Sylvie chuckle.

“We should stop embarrassing the kids,” she quips, shooting Ben an apologetic look.

Matt grins, “they should be used to us by now.  This little sweet pea is going to get used to it too.  Mommy and Daddy are going to continue to act in such a sweet, excessively loving way.”

He places a kiss on Jill’s cheek, as if to assure her that she would see nothing but love and affection from her parents as time continued to pass.  Sure, there would be bumps in the road but they could always get through anything if they sticked together.  The past year or so was a huge testament to that.

“Ugh,” Ben states, rolling his eyes, “you two are seriously too much sometimes.”

#brettsey #wip #even boulders turn into sand

[jangmi-latte]

this is to add up from @lovee-infected's analysis back in 2020 about leona being in the lion guard (read it here) but i randomly binged-watched the lion king series and realized scar was part of the lion guard before and has a tattoo which signifies his position. was also gifted "the roar (roar of the elders)" as his weapon but he must use it wisely or else he'll lose both his position and power (to which he eventually did).

the roar is booming, thunderous, and powerful. leona's roar is loud...really loud and it's not just his roar, it's his voice in general. AND HIS UNIQUE MAGIC IS "KING'S ROAR" and he seems well-educated in his country's defense mechanism. here's the difference between "king's roar" and "roar of the elders" take note of the bolded words

ROAR OF THE ELDERS/THE ROAR (The Lion Guard)

The Roar is strong enough to blast downward-falling water upward, scatter a pile of boulders, or force someone else backward, sometimes sending them flying miles away. However, if the Roar is used in anger, regardless of the intent, it can cause mass destruction and there is a risk of it rebounding like an echo, which can cause natural disasters such as earthquakes. When used in anger, the clouds will be dark and stormy...before Kion uses the Roar, he always tells everyone to get behind him...So he [Scar] tried to employ the rest of his Lion Guard to help him overthrow Mufasa, but when they refused, he destroyed them (Roar of the Elders from The Lion Guard Wiki).

KING'S ROAR (Leona Kingscholar)

In Leona's dorm uniform card, we see him confronting his dorm mates after they mobbed on Jack. His dorm mates threatened him [Leona], questioned his position as their boss and why does he have the right to order them around. He told Jack to "stand back" while he handles them himself. To deflect them and show them his power he used "King's Roar" which resulted in his dormmates and Jack saying:

"My foothold is trembling." "The terrain is rapidly shifting." "The ground is splitting?!" (Jack)

During his overblot, the skies and the clouds turned dark (as it commonly does during overblots). It showed that it can harm a person (such as Ruggie) by turning them into dust/sand. Ruggie also mentioned how he doesn't want to get involved in a blast from Leona's unique magic's full potential. Here's to say that turning something into sand ISN'T the only thing his unique magic can do.

ruggie also mentioned during his magishift club wear card that leona's voice is loud and that they can hear him very well despite the spectators being noisy (translation credits go to @mysteryshoptls):

We can hear Leona’s voice pretty good even when we got noisy spectators durin’ a game. Guess lions just got a healthier roar to ‘em.

if the roar of the elders is used for good and must be used for good, then king's roar is the twisted version of the roar of the elders since it is seen as something dangerous instead of something that can be used for good. seeing as the leona's unique magic was feared upon by his people in the palace, the roar of the elders, on the other hand, was seen as something admirable and worthy for a person to have.

heck the roar of the elders is confiscated if they're used for bad and evil as it musn't be used for ill-intentions. meanwhile, leona's unique magic is implied to be used for ill-intentions because "anything he touches turns into sand" and what good can it bring, right?

i see what you did there twst...very clever.

#twisted wonderland #twst #savanaclaw #leona kingscholar #took me a while to look for the post since it was one of my faves #i've been blabbering so much about savanaclaw what is going on #this is savanaclaw rook's fault haha right my ex is its dorm leader

[redheadspark]

Azriel chooses Elian over his mate and realizes the mistake he made when he sees her happy with someone else

*cough* Tarquin *cough*

He doesn’t get enough love.

A/N - AHHH! THE ANGST! I hope you like it, it was quite fun to write!

No More

Summary - You were Azriel's biggest regret, and he'll live with it for the rest of his life

Warnings - ANGST ANGST ANGST!

Azriel did not want to be here.

He was standing behind Rhysand and Feyre as they were walking to Tarquin in his study, going over the alliance documents and brushing up on new meetings that were going to be held that year.  The cool ocean breeze was coming through the open windows that were also showing the sunshine twinkling off the ocean water.  Azriel was only half paying attention as he was near the door, his mind was somewhere else.  Usually, he would be listening to every word to debrief with Rhysand when they would all return to Velaris, but this time it wasn't going to happen.

Not when he knew who was there in Summer Court.

"Azriel, why don't you go take a walk and get some air," 

Azriel snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Feyre, seeing her watch him as she was turned into her chair.  Her Summer Court colors shined in the sunlight that poured in the room, loose along her skin and her hair up in a delicate braided crown with her tiara perched along the top, He was about to deny the request when Tarquin spoke up.

"The private beach is open for any visitors of Summer Court, It's quite enjoyable this year and you can visit the ground if you wish," He suggested to Azriel, folding his hands on the top of the desk and giving Azriel a kind and neutral smile.  Azriel felt his stomach turn, not wishing to seem rude to the High Lord in his very own Court but also not wishing to be passive about it.  Rhysnad was now the one to look at his friend, His purple eyes gazing at Azriel and giving him a silent command with a gentle yet stern gaze.

Go.  Take a breather.

"Thank you, my Lord," Azriel replied to Tarquin with a slight bow.  He saw Feyre out of the corner of his eye giving him a worried look.  But Azriel only gave her a small smile, hoping to give her some reassurance that he would be fine.  He had to be fine, he was the Spymaster of Velaris and Night Court, one of the most intimidating beings that have ever been and knew how to kill so easily and quickly. 

But no, he wasn't fine.  He was a coward.

Walking out of the room and closing the door gently behind himself, he drank in the silence and the deserted hallways of the Adriata Palace.  The tan walls and seaglass chandeliers, seafood colors doors, and flowing fresh water riverbanks along the wide, opening to the vast open sea that showed the busy bay over to the left.  Yet right outside of the large sea form colored doors, there was a small stairway engraved into the cliff rock and sand that led to the private beach for only the High Lord and his Court to enjoy.  Azriel, thinking it was a better idea to clear his head outside the palace, went outside to breathe in the deep ocean air and feel the summer heat along his skin.  Of course, his leathers were a bit too constricting thanks to the heat, but it was not unbearable while he descended the stairs and touched down on the pristine sand.  

It was calmer there amongst the waves than it was in the Palace, at least to Azriel it was.  He had no real problem with Summer Court, up until recently as it was.  It wasn't the High Lord or his dealings that was an issue Tarquin was a great leader and was making Summer Court thrive once again since the Battle of Hybern ensued.  Something else was simmering under the waves there on the back, under Azriel's skin as he was watching the waves and their smooth rolling motion as he was replaying all that happened within the last few months within his mind.  

These last several months were hell for him. 

Movement was seen over to the right along the shoreline, tucked behind a cluster of boulders that were nestled in the deep sand.  Azriel saw a flicker of movement, his eyes ever trained in things that were moving around him, so he knew that he wasn't alone out there on the private beach.  Taking the quiet stealth steps, he walked forward a bit more to get a better view of who it may be, then heard over the rolling waves that were crashing along the shoreline singing.  Mostly humming, but he knew that voice and that tone very well.  It was both thrilling and heartbreaking at the same time.

There you were, perched on top of a boulder in a light blue summer dress reading a book, your light hair flowing into e wind behind you with some braids that had pearls interwoven amongst the hair, and a tiara decorated in both pearl and aquamarine gemstone in your hair.

Azriel felt like he was seeing a ghost, someone who had been haunting his dreams for the last several months and was now in front of him once again to trick his mind and make him believe that all that occurred never did.  He remembered the day you walked out of his life very clearly, and how he knew it was all his doing.  The days following after were miserable and near torture, which was saying something since he knew how to inflict torture.  But the torture he put you through was devastating and something he regretted, inwardly and slowly it ate him up and never gave him rest of peace.  

But you were happy here, which was worse for him.

Where you once sported the colors of Night Court, you changed from black and deep purple to blues and pearls.  You walked away from your business in Velaris when you left, giving the business over to Nesta since she was your best friend and confidant for she could keep it running and thriving, finding a small little cottage in Summer Court to hide away in and restarting your life in.  That was what Azriel heard, and a few months later you were being courted by Tarquin, the High Lord himself, which was another dagger to Azriel's chest when Rhysand broke the news to the Spymaster

"She's happy.  That's all that matters."

"Az—"

"I know what I did was wrong, and I have to live with it, Rhsyand.  What's done is done,"

"You know, it's okay to have feelings about this, you know,"

One stupid mistake, and Azriel has made mistakes before and has had regrets that he wishes he could change.  But those mistakes and regrets seemed like nothing, mere childish things in the one mistake he made with you as he sealed your fates once and for all.  

Azriel rejected your bond, thinking his heart belonged to sweet and gentle Elaine.  Of course, instantly he felt the bond break into a thousand pieces between the pair of you, not to mention the look on your face as you walked away from him briskly with tears in your eyes and your own heart shattering from the rejection.  Nightmares came soon after, backtracking in his mind if what he did was right or what he did was meant to be. 

The fateful morning you left Night Court, leaving behind a detailed document on the desk of High Lord Rhysand at his River House as you told him what you wished to do.  Azriel was not there for the meeting, but Rhsyand told him enough when he was summoned to meet with the High Lord in his home.

"She wished for a clean break, which I granted her," Rhsyand explained while Azriel was scanning over the document you left behind.  His heart was beating out of his eyes, eyes scanning the words rapidly as his brain was trying to catch up to the news that broke, "I told her we'll provide her with some funds for her travels, and I asked High Lord Tarquin to keep an eye on her as she makes roots in Summer Court."

Azriel never knew the true feeling of heartbreak, apart from the loss of his mother.  He felt it, knowing you were out of his life.

"Azriel?"

He saw you now watching him, the book closed in your hands as you were staring at him with no sense of urgency or hate, but of simple curiosity and almost neutral kindness. You did smile, but it was not the same smile you would show him in the past when you two were friends and getting to know one another years ago.  This one was smaller, almost civil, and Azriel wouldn't expect anything more.  Not from how he ended it with you two.  He cleared his throat, giving you a slight bow as you were still gazing at home.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you," He replied in a gentle tone, averting his gaze for a long moment before he looked at you again.  You barely changed, though your skin was now being touched by the sun and was giving a tanned glow to highlight your features and brighten your eyes.  Even the sunshine kissed your hair to give it new depth, making you look more radiant to him.

"You're not," you replied gently, your tone showed no once of callace or bitterness as you gestured with a finger up in the direction of the palace, "I forgot Night Court was coming for a meeting today.  I hope it's going well for the High Lord and Lady,"

"It's almost done," Azriel explained, you giving a small smile as you nodded, "Though I know High Lord Rhysand and High Lady Feyre were looking forward to seeing you—"

"Out of my own courtesy and comfort, I felt it was not my place to be there to see them." You gently interrupted him, seeing Azriel instantly snap his mouth shut as you fiddled with the spine of your book, "They are kind to think of me, but it's far too soon to be in their company again,"

Ah, that made sense in his mind.

"Understandable," Azriel agreed, holding his hands behind himself as he shuffled a bit on his feet.

"And I also knew you would come, and I didn't wish to be in your company, given our history," You admitted to him a bit sheepishly as Azriel paused and took in a long breath.  Did he expect you to lie about it?  You would be bitter to him and rightfully so, Azriel expected that from all he did to you and his own rejection of the potential mating bond.  Yet seeing you there, sporting the colors of Summer Court, clearly happy and satisfied with the life that you made here, made him hate himself all the more.  The tender heartache and wound he got over his own heart and ego felt exposed again.  Yet deep down he knew that your heartbreak and wound were massive and far more tender thanks to him.

He was reaping what he sowed.

"I should get back to the Palace," You mumbled, gripping the book in hand and was about to hop off the boulder, "I have a few appointments to get to today,"

Azriel was about to hold out his hand to aid you down from the boulder, but you moved a bit faster and eased off the boulder with both swiftness and agility.  Your dress flowed down to touch the bottom of the and, showing your curves in both a modest and alluring manner, Azriel's eyes couldn't help but do one look over as you walked past him and was about to ascend the stairs, out of his life again.  Azriel knew he had to tell you what was feasting in his heart, ever since the day you left Velars and left the Inner Circle behind he knew what he needed to say to you.  Yet it was now or never.

"I'm sorry," He said, you pausing at the top of the stairs and still facing away from him as he clenched his scarred hands together, "What I did to you, to us, was a mistake.  A mistake I have lived with for the last months and I wish I could take it back.  In all my years in Night Court, I have lived with the mistakes I have made and moved on from them.  But what I did to you is the one that I can never get past, because what I felt for you was real."

He felt so exposed at that moment on that beach, pouring out his heart for you and leaving nothing behind.  But he had to, there might not be a moment to tell her all that he needed to to somewhat fix what he solely broke and damaged.

"I had no right to do what I did to you," Azriel kept explaining as you remained like a statue on the stairwell, "You deserved more than that, much more than I thought of you so highly.  And…and I still do.  There is nothing I can do to fix what I did—"

"How's Elaine?" You said, Azriel's once again going quiet within a millisecond as you turned your heart slightly to him to hear his answer.  

Azriel knew right then and there when you said those two words, you weren't going to forgive him.  He was going to lose his battle as he sighed and looked down at his feet.  Even his wings sagged in defeat.

"She…she's well," He replied, you humming and nodding once, "She and Lucien are a good pair together and are in talks of being married in a few months."

You turned around to face him, not to look shocked or perplexed from the news, but simply drinking in what he said.  Yet he saw the look in your eyes as you were watching him, the look of uneasiness and a hint of sadness.

"They're together?" You asked, your voice sounding almost light and forced.  Azriel took in another breath, knowing this was all going to be exposed sooner or later.

"They're mates, and they made it official last week," 

Being with Elaine for those few months was great, Azriel was not going to deny that part at all.  He enjoyed her company and her beauty, thinking he found his better half with her as he started to court her.  She was all that anyone would want in a partner: kind-hearted, sweet in her gentle nature, a rare beauty and had a massive soul to match.  Azriel had no issue with being with her, and maybe he thought he made the right choice in choosing Elaine. Although they were not mates, it still felt real to him.

But the very moment Elaine confessed to him that Lucien was her mate, Azriel had no choice but to let her go to Lucien since he knew it would mean death if he chose to go against it.  Maybe it was karma that got to him, seeing Elaine and Lucian come together naturally and organically since their mating bond was strong and consistent, but Azriel couldn't do a thing to stop it.  Not just because of the laws of Mates, but even his High Lord Rhysand told him not to interfere and let it happen.  

"You and I know the protocol far too well, Azriel.  I can't let you do anything about it, and even if you try, it won't work in your favor,"

"I'm sorry it didn't work out for you," You replied to him calmly as you finally turned around and faded him, still on the last stair steps and clutching your book tightly in your fingers.  Azriel was waiting for you to scowl at him, or maybe smirk as if you were about to say, "Did you learn your lesson?"  But no, you were still giving yourself a unique kind of gaze and saying nothing for a solid moment or two.

"I wish for us to be civil," Azriel explained to you as you cocked your head at him.

"We'll always be civli, for the sake of Summer and Night Court," You countered back gently, yet he gave you an unconvincing look.

"You know what I mean," He tried, but you shook your head at him and took in a sharp inhale.

"We cannot be civil, you and I. You know why," You stated to him as he was still watching you with any hint of hope slipping away, "Az….you rejected me."

"I know I did—"

"You rejected me, our bond and the last thing I can do in this very moment is go back and relive that pain," You went on, Azriel feeling the wrath go under his skin and wrap around his bones so severely that it was almost like an ache, "Did you expect me to let things go back to what they were between us?"

"No.  No, I supposed I can't," He mumbled, feeling shameful as he looked down again.  He was reaching for some kind of medium, he knew it was a reach, but of course, a reach could go so far before someone would fall and be burned in the end.  First, it was you with him turning his back on you, and now it was your turn to feel that burn of rejection and defeat.

"As much as I wish to wonder why things happened the way they did, it's no good for me to dwell on the past," You explained, seeing him look up at you again as you were staring him down, "I am happy in this life I have.  This Court has been amazing to me, and I have good company to bring me peace and happiness.  Tarquin has been good to me, and I am happy with him, Azriel."

Azriel knew you weren't saying it to be spiteful against him or to rub it in his face, you were far better than that. You were simply telling him how you are happy with someone else, someone who was taking good care of you and making you feel beyond loved and adored.  Azriel couldn't help but picture you and Tarquin together, Tarquin making you laugh during your talking, bringing you flowers and gifts to show his love for you, even walking with you in public and not being ashamed to have you on his arm. You two must know each other inside and out, as two being in love should. Inwardly, Azriel wished he had that with you, wanting to do all of those things to you and with you.  

But he lost his chance, and now he had to watch you be happy with another who loved you wholeheartedly.

"As I said before, we are going to be civil for the sake of Night Court and Summer Court, but nothing past that," you explained to him, seeing him try to contain the pain he was feeling and experiencing with your words, "I wish no ill intent with you and your life, but I don't want any part of it from here on out, Azriel.  Our lives are no longer intertwined, and they never will be,"

Before Azriel could say anything else, anything that could save this conversation from going down in flames as it always is, footsteps are heard coming down the same stairs as a voice breaks the tension between you and Azriel.

"Ah!  I thought you wandered down here, my love!"

Both you and Azriel looked to see Tarquin, Rhysand, and Feyre making their way down the steps.  You moved down to the sand again, just in time for Tarquin to sweep you in his arms and kiss your cheeks lovingly in front of your guests.  You blushed from the gesture, seeing Azriel look away for a split moment as Tarquin pulled away from you with a soft smile, "I was hoping to find you here.  Are you well?"

"Very well, my dear,” You hummed, seeing him smile widely as you saw Rhysand and Feyre look at you with fondness in their eyes, "High Lord Rhsyand, High Lady Feyre, it's good to see you two again."

Rhysand kissed your hand as Feyre gave you a small hug,  Azriel was staying quiet, not wishing to say anything else in that moment.  But Rhysand could see it on his face as Feyre and you were catching up, something was said between the pair of you that was not positive.  

"Well, since we are all here and I wish not to forgo the news any longer," Tarquin said amongst the group, he then looked over at you with love in his bright eyes, “It’s been unbearable to not tell anyone outside my family.  May I break the news to them?  Only with your permission, of course,"

Azriel's eyes went to you through the small group, seeing you grin widely at Tarquin and you nodded your head.  Tarquin smiled widely, almost too giddy himself as he looked at the visitors from High Court.

"We are officially engaged," Tarquin proclaimed.

That was the last blow to Azriel's chest.

Nothing else was set inside of him as the others were giving their congratulations to you and your fiancé, Azriel could feel himself inward spiraling with no signs of slowing down or stopping.  Deep down, he felt as though he could change the course that he made, knowing he was the one who forged this new path because of his rejection.  Yet again, Azriel realized that there was nothing he could do to change what he did.  That path he carved was now permanent, no amount of graveling or pleading would bring you back to what you two once again.  

"This is wonderful news!  We should celebrate," Rhysand said lightly to you and Tarquin, "Let Feyre and I take you two to dinner when you come to Night Court next week, it's the least we can do to contribute to this news."

"That's very kind of you, and we will take you up on that offer," You replied kindly to him, seeing him give you a genuine smile.  But maybe you saw the pinch of hurt in his purple orbs, maybe for Azriel or the last you two were no longer close.  Nonetheless, he hid it with his smile.

"Let's go back to our parlor and have some drinks in celebration!" Tarquin said to the group, taking your hand in his and giving you up the stairs back to the palace.  Rhysand took Feyre's arm in his own, pausing as they both looked over at Azriel to see his reaction.  Yet once they saw his face, how he was hiding so much within himself. They both knew that this was personal and hard for the Spymaster to drink in and endure.  Azriel was never once to show his emotions on his sleeve, he was more stone cold in the face and his personal life.  

Not anymore. He was about to break.

"Az," Feyre said his name softly, almost afraid of spooking him, "Are you—"

"With your permission, I'm going to go back to Velaris and get back to my Spymaster duties," Azriel interrupted immediately, both Feyre and Rhysand looked at him in shock as he was clutching his hands too tight and his wings were ridged against his back while his eyes were trained on the ocean waves, not showing the fact that he wished to shed tears.

"Azriel.." Rhysand said his name softly, sounding just as heartbroken as Azriel was.

"If you don't have anything else for me here, I want to go back to Velaris," Azriel said again, his voice was close to being bitter and cruel.  Rhysand inhaled sharply, knowing deep down that he was hurting and the last thing he wanted to do was push his friend and brother even more.  

"We'll see you back at the House of Wind tonight, then," Feyre replied softly and carefully,  Before either one of them could utter another syllable, Azriel's shadows took over and swallowed him whole, whisking him away from the beach he was on.  The silence was there on the beach as the last of the shadows now evaporated in the air.

As Rhsyand and Feyre reluctantly went back to the palace, giving an excuse for Azriel to go back to Velaris.  Of course you did fee a bit bad that he found out this way, but you were far too happy to let it dread as Tarquin poured out some of his best white wine.  You were happy in this life, the past was behind you and you had your future to look towards. 

Azriel, on the other hand, grabbed some whiskey from the House and Wind and drank himself to tears and rage.  He was feeling that rejection all over again, this time you were the one rejecting him and telling him that you fates who no longer intertwined.  After the bottle became empty, he threw the bottle out into the void and scream out the pain he nestled deep inside of them.  

The roar was loud enough to be heard in all of Velaris, some of the mountains even sook from the insane sound that came from him.  

He would regret turning you away all over again, and as the sun went down on Velaris, his own heart was settling on what he thought he wanted.  His love for you could no longer be evident, and he knew deep down he would have to live with that for the rest of his life.

The End

Tagged - @ethereal-athalia @valeridarkness

#azriel x reader #azriel x female reader #fanfiction #writing #azriel x oc #azriel shadowsinger #azriel x y/n #azriel x you #azriel x female!reader #azriel x elain #azriel angst #a court of frost and starlight #a court of silver flames #a court of wings and ruin #a court of mist and fury #a court of thorns and roses #acomaf #azriel acotar #acotar fandom #acotar fanfiction #acotar #acotar angst

[orbital-inclination]

I requested more of the scenario Molt meeting og nightmare

I'm sorry for the wait anon! For a change of pace, you get a one-shot this time! word count: 3411 general content warning for canon typical violence and angst.

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

Something grainy, like gravel and sand, crunched under the soles of his boots as he shuffled back a step. One looping tendril made contact with a roughly cut boulder behind him. The height of the stone reached his hip. Clumsily, he ran his phalanges along its surface. He stepped around it and stopped once he stood on the south side, uncertain of how to proceed from there.

It was rare that he found himself in a space so wide open without someone nearby. He’d like to think he was better at navigating now than he had been when he was younger. Yet, regardless of how much time passed, he could never seem to quite outgrow the sudden spike of anxiety he felt whenever he entered a space that seemed... empty.

 He didn’t know what he was walking towards or away from. He could be approaching a canyon for all he knew.

A steady, lonely wind howled above him. It caught the tail of his tunic and the fabric slapped against his side. Something rustled in the distance. 

The wind turned cold. 

Ley lines of magic, negative and positive, wrapped around this world in a vast net of ever-shifting ripe tides. Instinct had directed him to follow the nearest positive swell but now he felt it move again. Bending as though to make way. Just as suddenly as the air had turned cold, a well opened up, and negativity cascaded down the pit and condensed into a single point of black frost. 

A shiver ran down his spine. “Nightmare…?”

Something about Rem’s magic didn’t feel right—

“How unlike you to make the first move. Was it not enough for you to…” his brother’s voice trailed off. “You are not my brother.” 

No... no he was not. Rem’s magic felt cold, but not this cold. Though, the undercurrent of bitterness was painfully familiar. 

“… the sentiment is mutual,” Molt murmured. He steadied himself on the boulder behind him. Silently, he tried to gauge the other’s intent.

An air of suspicion and curiosity rolled underneath the cold. He had the sense he was also being appraised.

“And yet, you are Dream.”

He did not sound—did not feel happy about that.

“If it were not impossible, I would wager you were from a divergent timeline.”

“Our world had only one timeline,” Molt confirmed cautiously. His voice remained low. “… it’s tied to the multiverse itself. No resets. Just the one.”

“Ah, so you are informed,” his brother's voice mocked. “Your presence here suggests a paradox, then. For all my searching, I have never met another iteration of us who could breach the confines of their AU on their own. It seemed there was some law restricting the role of Guardian to Two.”

He nodded because that more or less described the situation back home. With a renewed sense of scrutiny, Nightmare said, “Can I assume then, that instead of your brother, you were the one who bit the apple?”

And Molt stalled. The question was so direct. It felt a bit like a verbal slap to the face. 

Nightmare hummed. “I see. That expression you’re making... It makes sense for my alternative self to have other motives if you are like this yourself.” He heard the grin in his tone, even if he could not see it. “Tell me, Dream. What do you say to adding to that collection of yours?” He— he couldn’t be serious. 

“In this multiverse, you have the opportunity to increase your power. If you collect the last apple from my brother, perhaps we can reach an agreement.”

His mouth felt suddenly dry. He had to consciously still his tentacles to keep them from lashing defensively.

“You… you want me to kill my counterpart.”

He struggled to wrap his mind around that. Less so the threat itself and more so that it was Nightmare who was asking him to do it. He felt sick.

His brother’s alternate rumbled a low laugh. “It would not be difficult for you. You dwarf him in raw power. I’m confident you could easily subdue him... Ah, but I see I cannot convince you. The thought distresses you. A pity.”

Gravel and sand crunched underfoot. The sound came quietly. “ … hmm just as I thought, you are blind.”

“...what are you doing?” 

Nightmare was amused by the question. Dread washed over him. Nightmare had been speaking to him civilly until that point, and while this mirror of his brother gave off an ambient feeling of danger, he had not taken the feeling as seriously as he should have. 

“I am considering what to do with you. Since it seems you are reluctant to cooperate. But you would be of a dull mind not to suspect that already. If you are anything like the thorn I have in my side now, I’m sure you will quickly surmise why I simply cannot let your existence go unchecked.” 

Molt slowly shuffled a step back. 

“… where do you think you will escape to? Are you even aware of what is behind you?”

Molt froze.

He sensed no one behind him but— the subtle rustle of fabric. A step was taken closer and it dawned on him that Nightmare had been trying to distract him.

Molt’s hearing was keen. It had to be. He learned to rely on it when sensing nearby emotions, and the flow of positive and negative wasn’t enough. But his haptic memory was better, and with one tentacle brushing against the boulder behind him, he knew which side he stood on and which direction he originally came from. 

He darted around the boulder, squarely placing it between himself and Nightmare. His brother’s alternate self stood still, contemplative and mildly surprised. 

“Hm. You cannot see, and yet you are able to pinpoint my position. Interesting.” 

Molt didn’t feel like providing a reply.

Nightmare didn’t move for a width of time that felt like years. And then, he vanished. The cold sucked out of the air in a blip of distorted space-time.

Alarm seized him. Given no time to think, he picked direction and distance at random and took a shortcut through. As he felt his bones materialize in reality again, a dense frame of cold magic solidified where he had stood seconds prior.

Displeasure radiated off of Nightmare in waves. “Come now. Don’t run. It’s unbecoming. We can discuss the terms of your departure from this world with maturity.”

Molt shivered. “Don’t. I would return to my reality if I knew how.”

“Then allow me to assist you,” Nightmare said, and the malice in his words sent needles crawling up his spine. He vanished again in a wash of cold. Molt leaped back, grasping at the nearest tide of positivity to carry him away.

He found his feet again on the sand. The sudden incline made him stumble. The seconds it took to catch his balance nearly cost him. A frustrated growl and the sensation of ice to his right was the only warning he had before a sharp object whistled past his skull. He teleported again and Nightmare followed. 

“Enough! Cease this childishness.” The burning cold struck his side. Molt tumbled to the ground. He rolled, gasping in pain, and launched himself to the side. “Stop! I don’t want to fight you.” A loud crack sounded where he’d just been. Gravel pelted his arm. 

“Then what happens next is your own fault,” His brother’s voice snarled.

He took another shortcut. Aiming north of the dense vortex of cold desperately trying to put some distance between himself and his brother’s counterpart. He needed that distance to escape this AU. If he attempted the jump too close to Nightmare he might unintentionally drag him along, or Nightmare would be able to sense where he went and this fight would never end. The temperature plummeted. In a split second, a cold tendril snapped around his middle. And then he was flung. His body hit the ground once, twice, and his skull was knocked against something hard. 

A hiss shuddered through his ribcage. Molt clenched his teeth as the world spun, attempting to swallow back the sound. 

“You brought this on yourself, Dream.” 

Gravel and sand crunched at a steady pace. Malice approached slowly. 

He struggled to push himself upright. The ground beneath him swayed dangerously. His tendrils lashed, writhing in defense of their host. But the ground beneath him lurched, his arms buckled, and the ground swung up to meet the side of his skull again. 

His soul pulsed so fast and hard in his chest, he thought he was going to be sick. 

“Poetic, isn’t it? I wonder... did the same desperation drive you?”

Cold wrapped around him and slammed his back into a hard, stone wall. 

Claws dug into his jaw, roughly pinning his skull to the stone slab behind him. A strained hiss tore from his bared teeth. He found the strength to wrestle one arm free and dug his claws into the wrist pinning his head down. Nightmare’s strength didn’t waver, but an involuntary noise rattled through him, a jolt that was close enough to a flinch to be nothing else. 

Faintly, Molt felt the phantom echo of a hot brand race up Nightmare’s arm, starting from where his claws dug into his wrist.

“W-why are you doing this? I am not from your timeline, so why?”

“The distinction is irrelevant,” the grip on his jaw tightened. “This fate, it’s the least you deserve. For everything you put me through. For every day I was left to defend myself while you selfishly basked in undeserved praise.” 

Exhaustion crept into his limbs. He felt weaker and heavier by the second.

“Would you have always resented me?” Molt gasped out. “If things had been different... If our lives had been better—”

Nightmare barked out a bitter laugh. “Even as you are now, you are naive. No. I cannot imagine a world where I did not hate you. For us, no other outcome was possible.” Molt flinched. “... you doubt me? Do you actually believe my alternate self doesn’t resent you?” 

The knife in his heart gave a sharp lurch. It would make sense... wouldn’t it. For all he hadn’t done, who wouldn’t resent him? 

“N-Night...”

“You neglected your responsibilities, Dream. You were selfish. I’ve always wondered if you had known what I stood to lose that day. If you had known what they had planned to do—” “Nightmare!” Molt snapped. He was terrified, his soul shook, and he was painfully cold. “That was my home too!” Something snapped. He felt the abrupt, quaking shift in Nightmare’s demeanor. Rage colored all rational thought. Molt didn’t know what he intended to do and he didn’t have time to think about it. That rage solidified into a single, sharp tool. Malice soaked the thing so vividly, he could almost see it. A serrated bone dagger.

Molt jerked his head to the side, the claws on his jaw slipped, and something sharp and blisteringly cold scraped the side of his skull.

He might have blacked out for a few seconds. He couldn’t be sure. One moment, his vision was black. Then it was white. He’d yanked a tentacle free in the next. A resounding crack thundered through the stone lab behind him. Nightmare’s grip on his head slipped, caught off guard. Molt kicked his shin, and as Nightmare staggered, snarling, he flash-stepped out of immediate reach. 

A safe distance away he sank to the ground. 

Head swimming, he lifted a shaky hand to the side of his skull. He felt bone. The dry, clean surface of a malar bone. The muddy, blurred shape of his palm swam in and out of focus. 

Nightmare stood very still for a long moment. His emotions felt stunted and Molt could not identify the feeling that had rendered him so still. Moments ago, Nightmare had been content to hurt him in every possible way.

“Get up,” Nightmare said. And he couldn’t identify the emotion behind that command either. It felt like anger but brittle. “I said get up!”

A tremble racked through his body. He felt a forbidden spark of anger ignite in his throat and shakily rose to his feet.

As he slowly lifted his gaze, palm still pressed to the side of his skull, he saw black tar and went still. 

It was one thing to guess the shape of the magic that had tossed him around the field like a rag doll, but it was another thing entirely, to see it.

The ground felt like it was tilting. Nightmare was taking too long to respond. And though he hid it well, he was clearly in pain. Head swimming. Pounding. Red-hot needles. Nausea pricked through his brother’s bones.

Nightmare took one step closer. Molt flinched back, and a bitter smile crawled over his brother’s teeth—

“NOT SO FAST!”

A sharp ping. His vision was eclipsed in hazy blue. Before Molt could blink, he found himself yanked to the side, several feet away.

He was released, gently at that, and stumbled once as gravity resumed its normal weight. The world erupted in a cacophony of noise. With color and light sloshing together, it was difficult to make out shape and form, but the stirring magic immediately in front of him was familiar.

“Blue?” Molt whispered, but like Nightmare his magic felt just slightly off. The hope in his soul withered. He was surrounded by strangers.

“MWEH HEH HEH FEAR NOT STRANGE INTERDIMENSIONAL CITIZEN! WE ARE HERE TO SAVE THE DAY. NIGHTMARE! YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

Whatever his brother’s mirror said in reply it was drowned out by noise.

“Wait.”

But his voice was too low. Too quiet. And his plea went ignored.

Too much happened at once after that. The Swap Sans launched himself into the fight. Light. Movement. A flash of white. Bones summoned then shattered by the furious sweep of a black arm. Nightmare’s strength was weakening. The balance had tipped. And battling three by himself? Nightmare couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

Most of the fight happened too fast for his barely stable eyelight to track.

So he did what he always did when the world around him became too chaotic to follow. He reached for the cold pitch of his brother’s magic. 

He followed the current of cold as it funneled into a singular point. Pushed back, and back again by a burning white star. Hope. Concentration. Concern for the other, yet the courage to see his actions through to the end. The familiarity of the magic here was disconcerting. But his head already ached something awful and he didn't think his nausea could get much worse. The phantom lashes he’d endured at Nightmare’s hand still burned. But... Nightmare. He felt his twin’s exhaustion, felt the unsteady slip to his heel, and his alternate was closing in now and—

The shortcut was rough. Poorly executed. And finding his balance on the balls of his feet was not fun. He raised his arm defensively, anticipating the attack seconds before, and found his hand closing around the pole of a golden staff. It smacked into his palm with a solid clank. It hurt only a little bit. His own magic absorbed the brunt of the blow to feed itself. To lessen some of his own pain. And staring into the wide eyes of his own face was... 

Dizzying. 

Everything was dizzying. 

That startled look melted into one of fear, and it didn’t make sense. His own rib cage hitched, sharing that fear second hand and then it dawned on him how this might look. Oh. He thought. …oh.

He released his counterpart's weapon and yanked his hand back. The other skeleton flash stepped out of reach, his soul pulsing with the rhythm of a terrified rabbit.

Within the pool of frigid cold at his back, he felt a spark of something that felt suspiciously like gratitude. Nightmare struggled to stand for a moment, winded, then laughed. The sound was not pleasant. “Recklessness must be a universal trait.”

“That’s enough,” Molt rasped. “Please. Just stop…”

“You should have taken my offer when you had the chance,” Nightmare sneered, words bitting. But more than anything, they felt defensive. The darkness pinched into a small, black star, and then he was gone.

“I SEE. WAS I MISTAKEN THEN? ARE YOU AND NIGHTMARE ALLIES?” Blue had taken a defensive stance beside his teammate. His weapon was drawn, but he didn’t move yet. His soul hummed with grim focus. The suspicion hurt. 

Molt struggled to speak for several precious seconds. Unsettled. He was reeling from the fight, from everything he had learned about this reality and the cruelty of his brother's words and actions and he was trying ever so hard not to let a tremble snake its way into his voice. It was very hard... to hear someone say those awful things in Rem’s voice.

He shook his head and said softly. “We aren’t.”

Blue’s brow furrowed. “THEN, WHY DID YOU DEFEND HIM? 

The words ‘because he is my brother?’ were on the edge of his teeth but the hostile edge to Blue’s magic and tone made him pause. It was less a question and more of an accusation. And that answer wouldn’t have been exactly true besides. 

The tendril on his back coiled defensively. 

He hadn’t stopped to think before he leapt in front of Nightmare. It hadn’t been a “should I or shouldn’t I” situation in his mind. In that moment he was unable to look past the pain and hurt his brother’s mirror was experiencing. In that moment, the distinction didn’t matter. He had to put a stop to it, that’s all. He couldn’t fight his brother. In any form he took. He just couldn’t do it. It reminded him of too much. And he couldn’t stand to watch that either. 

But how could he possibly explain that? 

A step behind his teammate, Dream was trying to calm down. Blue’s presence helped but he was struggling. Molt took a step back. He was causing someone pain and distress. He didn’t want that. Blue’s stance shifted. Bracing.

That felt like betrayal too. Molt swallowed something bitter behind his teeth and tried not to think of it that way. Ignored that small part of him that hissed and felt a little bit angry. It didn’t make sense. He knew the person in front of him wasn’t his friend.

“FRIEND, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT BUT... YOU ARE ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY.”

“I’ll leave,” Molt said. His head was pounding, and the last thing he wanted was to be dragged into another fight. “Wait...” Dream took a breath. “You’re hurt. Stay for a minute, let’s talk.” “DREAM IS RIGHT, POTENTIAL ENEMY OR NOT, IT WOULDN’T BE RIGHT TO LEAVE YOU THIS WAY. NOT TO FEAR HOWEVER, I AM ALWAYS PREPARED!” “It’s okay. I don’t need candy,” Molt said and felt vaguely like he was reading the lines of a script. If Rem or any of the others were here, they’d be calling his bluff. “Then, what do you need?”

“Somewhere calm, with hope. That’s all.”

The two exchanged a look. Surprise, suspicion, resignation, dread. “I SEE. SO YOU ARE LIKE DREAM THEN. BUT SURELY THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. I... I CANNOT SEEM TO CHECK YOU FOR SOME REASON, BUT YOU DO NOT LOOK WELL.”

Blue seemed to ask to Dream something silently. Concern. Suspicion. Acceptance. Dream sighed. “I know somewhere. It’ll be okay. We’ll be keeping an eye on him together, right? The place I’m thinking of is isolated so...”

“IT’S SETTLED THEN.” he finally dismissed his weapon, and Molt felt the tendrils on his back slowly lower. “SO THEN, NEW FRIEND, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO A TRUCE? WILL YOU COME WITH US?”

He gauged their intent for a moment. Rem had sometimes remarked that his empathy made him gullible. But Molt was tired, and sore, and aching. The others weren’t here. And he let them make decisions for him too much anyway. He hated to admit it but Nightmare was right. Dream wasn’t a physical threat to him. He was scared and trying so hard to be brave, and Molt was trying equally hard not to feel rattled.

“Okay,” he said.

Blue made a noise, something between acknowledgment and mild confusion. Dream offered a strained smile. He supposed they had a lot of questions.

#orbital chatter #moltendreams!au #molten!dream #nightmare!sans #nightmare sans #OG Nightmare meeting Molten!Dream situation but its longer #it doesnt go well #ink arriving late w/ starbucks: so what did i miss? #everyone is gone #ink: wow so alot #one shot

[writingmysanity]

Warmth

Pairing: Sanji x reader

Word count: 1057

TW: drowning (nightmare) hurt/comfort

A/N: this is my first time writing for Sanji, I hope you liked it. it has stuck with me the last few days begging to be written.

Sighing softly, you snuggle deeper into your blankets as thunder roars overhead. It slams around you like the boom of a cannon, shaking the walls of your home. The howl of the wind whistles through the body of the forest around you, whipping the branches roughly enough to earn the distant disapproving whine of the trees. 

Rough skies are not an uncommon thing when your home is surrounded by the open seas, crystal waters bathed in shadow as it sloshes against the white sands. 

The noise hardly is noticed, by you, as the warmth from the fireplace flickers on – eating at the new logs you pressed into its mouth as you settle into bed. The body resting beside you, on the other hand, can't seem to get comfortable. When you both had settled beneath the mountain of blankets, the storm had been little more than a drizzle. The patter of the rain was soothing as his arms rested around you, curling himself around your form happily. Now, he can't help the way his body naturally pulls away, the flickering of images drowning the happiness he had felt not long ago.

Gasping for breath, Sanji groans as he is slammed against the body of the boulder. Allowing the crashing waves to lift him enough to beach himself on its surface, he wretches at the salt pasted thick to his tongue. Blackened clouds flicker above, electricity dancing across the skies as thunder booms around him, seeming to shudder through the air. 

Panting, he pushes himself up, eyes scanning the obsidian waves, eyes wide. 

You had been with him. 

Where are you?

Hoarsely, he calls your name, the sound choked by the burn of salt water in his throat. The wind slaps at his skin, whipping away his calls as he finds himself teetering on the edge of the rock, waves swinging up to obstruct his view. 

Your name is the only word able to leave his lips, but no matter how loud he cries his calls are swallowed by the sea. 

 After what could only be described as an eternity, he can hear you. Your calls echoing over the dance of the waves, your sobs begging him to save you. 

With much effort, he ignores the burn of his limbs, as he pushes himself fully to his feet. Calling out to you again, his eyes remain on the turbulent waters. Instead of his own voice echoing back to him, yours slams back to him, luring him closer to the edge of the boulder. His very own sirens call. It isn't long before he spots your hand, lifted above the waves, reaching for him. 

Without thought, he dives in after you, working against the pull of the tides. 

Just as he reaches you, your hand disappears, dragged fully beneath the surface. No matter how hard he tries to push past the surface to go after you, he finds it impossible. Some barrier continues to force him back above the waves. He thrashes against the water, reaching for you but is forced to watch your wide eyes – glazed, unmoving and solely focused on him – disappear into the shadows of the waters below. 

Lurching straight up, he flails through the layers of blankets, a cry of your name dying on his lips as he searches for you. Eyes wide, he chokes back a sob, quickly covering his mouth to quiet his noises when he finds you curled peacefully on your side. In an attempt to keep from disturbing you, he turns away, elbows resting on his knees as he works to control his breathing. 

In his panic, he doesn't notice the way your hand reaches out for him, or the way your face scrunches when all you find are warmed sheets. Slowly, you pry your eyes open to search for him. 

For a moment, you just watch him, blinking slowly as his shoulders shake. 

It isn't until he hiccups back a sob that you call his name. 

When he doesn't react, you crawl forward, the blankets falling from your shoulders as you draw closer to him. Fighting the shiver that wracks through you when the wind presses through the old windows, you bring yourself to his side. You slowly bring your hand up to touch his arm,  keeping your touch light in an attempt to not startle him. But still he jerks, jumping back away from you. He quickly wipes at his face, trying to hide the evidence of his moment of weakness. 

You watch him, allowing him to pull himself back to the present, back to you. He runs his hands through his hair to hide the way they tremble, taking a deep breath in an attempt to even his breathing as he stares at you. Your eyes fall to his, watching the turbulent waters slosh in them as he tries to find the words to say, to make this go away. When he is only able to breathe your name, the sound shaky and scared, you open your arms for him. 

“What ar-” you cut him off with a sleepy smile, eyes soft with understanding.

“Come. Warmth.” 

You're giving him an out, he realizes. 

You don't move, your arms staying open for him as you watch the various emotions cross his face – fear, confusion and heartache. He hesitates as he moves towards you, allowing you to wrap your arms around his shoulders and tug him back into the bed. Once there, you wiggle both bodies under the covers, his head resting lightly on your chest as his arms wrap around your middle. In silence, you stroke up and down his back, allowing him to listen to the sound of your heart.

You don't ask and you know he won't tell. You don't mention the chill of his tears as they dampen your shirt, you just squeeze him close letting out a sad sigh. 

“You’re safe,” you try. He just shakes his head, arms tightening around you. You can't help the sad smile that tugs at your lips when you lean down to press them to the crown of his head. 

“I am safe,” you state quietly, with more confidence this time. He heaves a shaky sigh, burying his face in your chest, the gentle rhythm of your breath helping soothe him. “Okay?” he nods, his voice thick with emotion. 

“‘Kay.”

Don't really have a tag list for One Piece -- so this is just a no pressure list of wonderful people that have not just encouraged my ideas but let me ramble to them 💜 thank you

@stray-kaz @rainbowpitofdoom @gingernut1314 @sordidmusings

#vinsmoke sanji #black leg sanji #sanji #one piece sanji #sanji x reader #opla!sanji x reader #opla #opla sanji #one piece netflix #one piece live action #opla x reader

[roosterforme]

Is It Working For You? Part 5 | Rooster x Reader

Just in case you need to start at the beginning or visit an earlier chapter, check out my Masterlist!

Summary: Just a day at the beach. Bradley finally gets some of the answers he wants, and maybe a little more.

Warnings: angst, fluff, some swears, adult banter, getting more into 18+

Length: 5000 words, yes 5000 words JUST FOR YOU!

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

"What does dress for fun even mean?" you asked Maria through your open door as you tore into your closet the next morning.

"I guess a bathing suit? It's a beach day, make it sexy," she yelled back. You immediately thought of what Rooster might be wearing. Or not wearing. He'd definitely be shirtless at some point, and if you knew anything from the times you'd briefly touched him, the man was ripped. 

"Shit," you whispered as you pulled out your bathing suits. Your body was not the specimen of pure perfection that Bradley's was, but at least it seemed to get the job done. "Purple one piece or black two piece?" you asked Maria.

"Hmmm, black two piece!"

You finished getting ready and inspected yourself in the mirror. It was no string bikini, but you were definitely showing a lot of skin. And your intentionally messy ponytail would be shocking for a work day, but it seemed fine for a day at the beach. You threw on a pair of ripped jean shorts and an oversized tee shirt and headed to your car with your backpack, "I'll meet you there, slowpoke." Maria just gave you the finger in response.

The parking lot above the seaside cliffs beach was narrow, and you snagged one of the last open spots, right next to Bradley's Bronco. Your heart danced in your chest, excited and nervous to see him. You had been waxing poetic about how much you liked him while you were at the Hard Deck, but he hadn't really given you much of a response. Of course, you'd had an awful lot to drink, and hopefully he was just being gentlemanly. But would he be happy to see you today? You also really needed to talk to him about how you felt.

You realized you were going to have to climb down a lot of rocks to get to the beach below, and you wished you had worn something better than your boat shoes. Very gingerly, you took your time safely navigating the boulders all the way down toward the sand. But you slipped and nearly landed on your ass as soon as you saw Bradley. Phoenix had said all of the guys got attention from the locals, and you agreed, they were a good looking bunch. But Bradley was just ridiculously hot. He turned so his back was to you, and he was talking with Coyote and Bob. Just as you hopped off the last of the rocks onto the sand, Bradley reached behind his neck and yanked off his US Navy tee shirt, tossing it to the sand. 

Your lust ridden body was moving at a snail's pace. You didn't know where to go. Thirty feet ahead of you stood the sexiest man you'd ever seen, and you were only looking at his back for fuck's sake. Bob waved to you, and Bradley turned your way to see who was there. 

"Y/N," he called with a smile, seemingly happy to see you. 

His cut off denim shorts rode below his belly button, and he had perfect six pack abs. You could just barely see the waistband of his underwear, and you wanted to run your fingers along it. His body was literally a 6'1" fantasy. 

He ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his sunglasses. As he took a step in your direction, you felt your thighs clench together, and you almost moaned out loud. It was going to be a long day. 

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

So you had decided to come to the beach. Bradley knew Maverick had invited a lot of the support staff for the day as well, but so far Hondo was the only one who had shown up. But now you were here, looking beyond adorable. God, he wanted to get you alone and make you explain to him exactly where he stood with you. 

"Y/N! I saved you a spot!" Phoenix called from behind Bradley. And you took off in her direction, just giving Bradley a nervous smile on your way past. He turned and watched you spread your large beach towel out near Phoenix and Halo in what he heard you all referring to as 'the girls' corner '.

Well that just wouldn't do. He gave you a couple minutes to settle in as he walked down to the water to rinse off his arms and cool down a bit. But, then he went and crashed that party. 

"Forgot my towel. Yours looks big enough to share," he announced before plopping down on your towel and lounging back on his elbows.

"Excuse you, this is the girls' corner. Get out," Phoenix told him, pointing toward the area where some of the guys were lounging about. 

"No, I like it over here," he replied as he looked up at you. 

You sighed dramatically and took your sunblock and water bottle out of your bag. "I guess you can stay, but we will be talking about you boys and all manner of other girly things."

"That's cool. I'm very in touch with my feminine side. And I also have a lot of opinions on these guys." 

Halo and Phoenix laughed, but Bradley's breath caught in his throat as you unbuttoned your shorts and shimmied them down your legs. After you neatly folded them and tucked them away, you brought your hands up along your hips and under your shirt. As you pulled it up and over your head, he bit back a groan, completely hypnotized by the expanse of your pristine skin and your cleavage. 

He'd probably made a bad decision by hijacking half of your towel, but it was too late. He was already here, and now you were applying sunblock to your legs. God, those fucking legs. He was dying to touch your skin. He watched you glance between Phoenix and him a few times before holding out the bottle in his direction. 

"Will you do my back?"

Bradley was more than willing to do so, so much to your back... your whole body, really, if he was allowed to. He quickly got himself into a seated position and patted the spot in front of him on the towel. After a second of hesitation, you carefully sat cross legged a few inches in front of him. 

The first swipe of lotion across your shoulder had you leaning back a bit, and Bradley used his big hands to gently rub it into your soft skin. As his fingers dipped underneath your bathing suit strap, he could feel you exhale sharply. He took his time, going over every inch of your back two times with his hands. He let his fingertips rub into your lower back just above your suit bottoms. As he brought his hands up to the back of your neck, he noticed you had stopped conversing with Halo and Phoenix and seemed to be enjoying this little backrub as much as he was. You hadn't pulled away from him. In fact you had been inching closer. He caressed the back of your neck softly, touching the wisps of your hair that had come loose from your ponytail. 

If any of the guys were watching, Bradley would surely be in for a ribbing about this later. And Hangman would try to make his life a living hell if he saw any of this. But you were melting into his touch, so it was worth it. Phoenix had a shit-eating grin on her face, but surely she wouldn't make fun of him too much, since she already knew what a mess Bradley was over you. 

"All done," he whispered to you as he let his fingers drift away from your skin. 

Your simple response of, "Mm, thank you, Bradley," went right to his cock. He was good and fucked at this point, so he just let himself collapse onto his back on your towel. He closed his eyes and listened in on the promised girl talk and the sounds of the ocean. Apparently Phoenix and Halo both used to have a crush on Coyote. That could be good blackmail information for later. Then you told the girls a funny story about a horrible date you went on a few years ago, and your laugh washed over him like the warm sunshine. 

It was still pretty early, and some of the aviators and others were still slowly arriving at the beach. At one point he heard Maverick announce that he had a cooler of drinks and had ordered sandwiches for everyone for lunch. He knew this was supposed to be a team building day, so he was going to try to push aside his feelings about Maverick and make the best of it. 

And it didn't hurt that you broke away from the girl talk to lay down next to him. When Bradley turned his head toward you and opened his eyes, he could tell you were already looking at him through your sunglasses. You both sized each other up for a few minutes, Bradley slowly memorizing the shape of your lips and the curve of your cheeks. Finally he reached out his index finger and tapped your hand. "Wanna talk?" he asked quietly.

"Not really, but yeah, I guess we should. I'm sorry, Bradley. I was pretty out of line on Saturday night. I... shouldn't have butted in on you when you were talking to your two new... friends."

He swallowed hard. "So you want to be just friends with me then?"

"No, that's not what I said. Oh, this is so embarrassing," you groaned and propped your head up on one elbow so you were looking right at him. It took a lot of willpower for Bradley to pry his eyes away from your chest and focus on what you were saying. "I just can't believe I did that. I-I came at you like you were mine or something, and I'm sorry. I think it was the tequila talking, but I know that's not an excuse."

"Sweetheart, I wasn't interested in those girls. I'm interested in you. And you said you liked me. You said you were attracted to me. Was that the tequila talking?" Bradley was ready to beg you for answers if needed.

Sweetheart again. You couldn't handle it. You puffed out a little laugh and a blush crept along your neck and cheeks, now refusing to meet his eyes. "No, that was the sober truth. Drunk truth, too, I guess. But I do like you, and I am attracted to you."

"Then why did you turn me down when I asked you out?" he asked, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I didn't turn you down, I told you not to ask me out at all."

"Is there really a difference?"

"No, I guess not. But I know how you guys are. And I know how I am. And I'm scared ," you whispered.

Bradley liked you so much, he couldn't imagine a world where he would do anything to you that would scare you or hurt you. He would take you out wherever you wanted to go. He would hold you against him and kiss your neck. He would listen to every single thing you had to say. He would appreciate you. He would make love to you exactly how you wanted him to. "Why are you scared? And what can I do to show you that you don't have to be scared of me?"

You raised an eyebrow at him before taking a deep breath. "When I got serious with my last boyfriend, he changed his mind part way through. And then recently when I tried to keep a casual friends with benefits thing going, the guy changed his mind and suddenly wanted to be serious with me. I'm tired of trusting the guys I shouldn't, and having others demand of me what I don't want to give them. And don't even get me started on how dating another officer could impact my career with the Navy."

That made a lot of sense to Bradley. And maybe he wasn't the only one with some issues here. "And does that leave any room at all for me?"

Your only response was your fingers tangling with his on the towel.

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

Your friends finally showed up hours after you had. Now you were sitting on the rocks with Cam and Maria, eating sandwiches and drinking lemonade. 

"Rooster keeps looking at you," Cam noted as he worked on his third sandwich. 

"She keeps looking at him too," Maria added.

They weren't wrong. Bradley was playing volleyball with some of the others, and you were pretty sure he had missed a few shots, because he'd been smiling at you. All you had done was gently held hands with him while you relaxed in the sun, but you'd felt a little bit lighter and fuzzy around the edges since then. 

"No comment," you said as you hopped up from the rocks and started walking toward the water.

"Seriously?! I'm practically employed as your life coach and you won't tell me what's up?" Maria called as she and Cam followed you to the water.

Then all of the guys plus Halo and Phoenix made their way loudly toward the water's edge as well, and Hangman had a football in each hand. Hondo was sorting everyone into two teams. His hand connected with your shoulder as he said, "Blue Team".  

"Huh? What's happening here?" you asked Halo as she was sorted onto the Red Team.

"It's dog-fight football. Offense and defense at the same time. You'll love it."

"How is it offense and defense at the same time?" you asked, frantically trying to find your teammates. 

"It makes sense once you start the game. I'll help you out," said Coyote, who had somehow been selected to be captain and quarterback of your Blue Team.

"Listen up!" yelled Hondo. "I'll keep score. Don't make me call penalties, because it will piss me off. Absolutely no tackling into the sand. And... everyone on the losing team does fifty pushups!" 

Your eyes bugged out, unsure if you'd done that many pushups in the last six months.You had a desk job for crying out loud, and basic training had been a decade ago.

"Maybe I'll just sit this one out," you muttered and tried to sneak away. But Bradley appeared in front of you, shaking his head. "At least let me put my shorts and shirt on over my bathing suit before we start," you pleaded, thinking if you could just get back to your towel, everyone would forget about you.

Bradley took you by the elbow and pulled you back into place, lined up next to your teammates Coyote and Bob. "You have to play, or it will be an uneven number. And I promise, there's nothing to be afraid of," he said, crossing his heart with his index finger. Then he lined up directly across from you with the Red Team and crouched down, hand planted in the wet sand, biceps bulging. You mimed his actions, causing him to burst into laughter. "Now that's intimidating. I'm a little scared, actually."

"Oh, shove it, Rooster!"

"She's already trash talking!" exclaimed Bob. "Kick his butt, Lieutenant Y/L/N!!"

Hondo blew his whistle, and everyone took off running in every direction. You saw Maria pulling Cam through the water, and Phoenix had somehow already scored a touchdown before you even moved. But there was so much chaos, you managed to distract Hangman by calling his name, and you got him to pass to you, even though you weren't on his team.

"Oh no," you gasped when you caught the ball. Then you were off, ducking and running as Payback, the intended receiver, was headed right toward you. Maverick provided some cover, and you scored for your team. 

Halo was right, you were loving this.

"Damn it, Bradshaw! She's fast! Cover her better!" Payback yelled as you jumped up and down with the ball.

"Yeah, I've got her," Bradley replied as you and he lined up across from each other once again. You stuck your tongue out at him in response to his smirk. "She's all mine." 

Now Bradley was on offense, and you had to figure out how to keep the football out of his hands.

"Shit," you gasped as he caught a beautiful pass from Hangman. Unsure of how to stop him from scoring, you jumped directly into his arms. Maybe you could get him to drop the ball?

Nope, not a chance. Bradley scooped you up one handed and hauled you along with him and the football. He adjusted his forearm under your butt, and his massive hand wrapped around your thigh, holding you against his abs. You grabbed his shoulders as he picked up speed and dodged Bob. You tried not to get turned on as his fingers gripped your leg harder. And you tried so hard to keep your hands still, but you couldn't deny yourself the feel of his shoulders then collarbone and then neck beneath your palms.

"Nice try, but that was never gonna work," Bradley whispered against your left ear. That raspy voice left you speechless as he set you gently down in the sand. The loss of contact with his warm body almost made you whine for him to pick you up again.  

Lining up across from Bradley over and over again was exhausting. Sure, the game was tiring you out, but trying to stay calm while presented with his body was mentally taxing. It was as much a form of foreplay as your banter had been. If you moved to the right, he followed you. If he tried to sneak around behind Halo, you were there. Offense or defense, it didn't matter; your hands were all over each other. Sand and water splashed and sprayed up everywhere, adding texture to his glistening, sweaty body.

Oh, how you wanted more.

When Hondo blew the whistle for the two minute warning, you were on defense. Bradley crouched down, planted his hand and slowly shook his head at you. "Come on, Y/N. Show me what you got."

The pass came right toward you both. You jumped and tried to catch it, but he was too tall. He paused and tried to gauge what you were going to do, so you went with your one and only move. You jumped directly into his arms again, wrapping your legs around his waist, and his hand came up to your thigh again. This time you tried to knock the ball out of his hands, but he just laughed and held it high above his head. You felt your chest smashing into his as you scrambled to reach for the ball. Your nipples were so hard, and you knew he could feel them. He ran for the touchdown and tossed the ball back over his shoulder.

"Come on, Baby Girl. I thought we already established that isn't gonna work," he rasped against your neck as his other hand came up to your waist with a squeeze. 

Baby Girl. Fuck, you were on the verge of combustion. His mustache was tickling your neck as he chuckled, and his grip on your body was unrelenting.

You faintly heard the Red Team cheering as they had tallied more points when he scored, but he kept his attention on you.

"You keep doing this, and a guy might think he has a chance with you."

You couldn't respond, you were too turned on. If you opened your mouth, you would definitely kiss him. If you moved your hands from his shoulders, they would end up in his messy, sandy hair. Bradley just slowly lowered your aching body back to the ground, and when your feet hit the water, he winked and told you, "I think it's time for your push-ups."

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

Bradley watched you struggle through your push-ups, but you never gave up. He'd come to appreciate that about you; you were smart, resourceful and determined.

And honestly, he was thankful to have a moment to cool down. Your whole body had been wrapped around him, twice. It was too much. He had been on the verge of kissing your lips and dragging your body against the front of his shorts, where he really needed you.

"Good game, Bradshaw," you told him when you were finally finished with push-ups. You were looking at him like you wanted to jump into his arms again. You shouldn't be looking at him like that, not in front of everyone.

"I really had a lot of fun, Y/N," he replied, hoping nobody else could hear how horny he sounded. 

He watched you swallow hard and then turn back toward your towel.

"God damnit," Bradley muttered as he took off in the other direction. He needed to get away from you, or soon everyone else on that beach was going to know without a doubt that he had it bad for you. They probably already did. Anyone with eyes could see the way he reacted to you every single time you were around him. He grabbed a drink out of the cooler and downed the whole thing.

"Well, that was hot," Phoenix crooned behind him. "Jeez, Rooster, you could at least take her back home before you maul her apart."

"Fuck, everyone knows now?" he asked, his voice pleading.

Phoenix just shook her head in a maybe motion. "I don't think so. I can just tell with you how big of a deal this is. The others probably just think you turned your flirt meter way up for the day."

This did not help calm his nerves at all.

"But it's going to be okay. I've got your back," she said with a saucy wink that did not bode well with him.

Bradley took a walk along the water alone, stopping to wash some of the sand from his body and hair. The sun was starting to dip lower in the afternoon heat, and there had been talk about everyone meeting up to get burgers and then going to the Hard Deck for drinks. It was nice to see everyone getting along today. Maverick was even going to buy the first round. Apparently nothing got aviators more excited than free drinks. 

He turned to see some of the group had already started the climb back up to the parking lot, but you hadn't left yet. You were taking your own solo walk along the far side of the cove, so he took his time before gathering his things together. 

"Bye. See you at the Burger Shack," Phoenix said as she rushed past Bradley, arms filled with stuff as she headed for the boulders. 

"You need help with all of that?"

"I'm doing you a favor," she called back. "You can't help me do you a favor, that's not how it works!" 

There were officially zero women in Bradley's life that made any sense or made things easier for him. 

And now it was just you and him left on the beach as the sun dipped lower. He got his shirt and shoes back on and tucked his keys and phone into his pockets as you slowly traipsed back from the water's edge. 

"Wanna walk up with me?" he asked as you picked up your towel. 

"Where's all my stuff?" you asked, looking around frantically. "I thought my bag was under my towel. My teal backpack had everything in it. My phone and keys and everything."

Bradley glanced around at nothing but empty sand. "I'll bet someone grabbed it by accident. Here, call your phone." He unlocked his and handed it to you as he realized who the culprit most certainly was. 

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

Your phone rang and rang and rang. After the third try, you realized nobody was going to answer it. Now you were so mad you'd never taken the time to set up that remote phone tracker app. 

"It's probably with someone at the Burger Shack," Bradley reassured you, shoving his phone back in his pocket. "I can give you a ride there, we can get your bag, and then I'll bring you back to get your car."

You looked up at him and laughed, pushing your sunglasses to the top of your head. "Bradley, I don't have anything except my towel. I don't even have shoes, and it will take me all night to climb up the rocks with bare feet." 

Bradley looked down at your feet as you wiggled your painted toes around. "I can carry you."

"I can't ask you to do that!"

"Then don't ask, just get on," he said, gesturing for you to jump on for a piggyback ride.

You hesitated for a moment, but then conceded, draping your towel around your shoulders. The man had already carried you up to your apartment and that hadn't killed him. "Okay..." you mumbled as he crouched down a little and you hopped up onto his back. You squealed and wrapped your arms around his neck as he grabbed your thighs with both large hands and hoisted you a little higher.

"You okay back there?" he asked, and you could hear a smile in his voice. Of course you were okay, his biceps were rubbing against your sides.

"As long as you are." But he was already starting up the rocks, taking his time to make sure he had good footing. You held on a little tighter and rested your chin on his left shoulder, anxious to see where he was going to step next. He felt so strong, his back pressed against your front. And he smelled so good, you wanted to bury your nose against his warm skin. The thin layers of fabric between you both were doing nothing to keep the butterflies at bay. "I honestly don't know how you are doing this. I almost fell on my ass walking down here earlier!"

Bradley chuckled. "You might be surprised by the things I would be willing to do for a chance to carry a cute girl around."

You could feel yourself blushing hard as your legs rubbed along the soft cotton tee covering his back as he moved. "Will you let me buy you a burger later?" you asked.

"No."

"How about a beer at the Hard Deck?"

"No."

"Well then, what will you let me do?" you whispered in his ear, almost screaming when he audibly groaned in reply.

"There's only one thing I want."

"Oh really? What's that?" 

"I want you to admit that you can't get enough of me, and that's why you jumped on me twice during football." He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye behind his sunglasses with a grin.

You were quiet for a moment as he continued the journey upwards, finally nearing the top.

"Okay, first of all, how am I supposed to defend against someone roughly twice my size? It should have been Bob playing against you! Second, that was my only move, Bradshaw. Other than flinging myself at you like a flying squirrel and hoping for the best, there was no better option. And third...."

"Yes, go on..." he teased as you two reached the top of the hill, the beach now far below you. You were coming up quickly to the Bronco as Bradley carried you in that direction. 

"Well, third, yeah... you know. Come on, you know you look good, Rooster." 

"Not as good as you, Sweetheart," he rasped as he let go of your leg with his right hand and quickly unlocked the passenger door. He pulled it open and gently bent to set you down on the passenger seat. You slid into place and tossed your towel to the floor as he turned to face you. "Not as good as you."

You needed to feel him against you again. It was the only pressing thing now, your missing backpack totally forgotten. Bradley leaned toward you and wrapped the seat belt around your bare torso, his fingers gently grazing your left side as he clicked it into place. Before he could remove his hand, you grabbed it with your left one. You reached up with your right hand, removed his sunglasses and tossed them onto the driver's seat, revealing a look of longing in his eyes. Then you let your fingertips trail along the scars on his cheek. His eyes closed for a few beats as you pushed your fingers up over his ear and into his hair. His eyes opened again, pleading with you as you played with his messy hair, your fingers moving to the back of his neck. 

You pulled him closer and closer until you pressed your lips against his. You should have been embarrassed by the broken sigh that escaped you, but his hands were both immediately on your waist, and you were gone. He drew little circles on your skin with his thumbs as he explored your lips gently with his mouth, his mustache tickling your upper lip in the most delicious way.

You kissed and nibbled on his lips, now using both hands to pull him in tighter to you. Your nose bumped his as you changed positions slightly, leaning up to feel the pressure of your chest against his. With a moan, he used his mouth to part your lips, and you could feel the tip of his tongue against yours. 

He tasted so good and so warm. Your fingers dipped into the collar of his shirt as you teased and tasted each other over and over. When his lips danced over your chin and along your jaw, you really dug your hands into his hair. You had to squeeze your legs together to stop from crying out as his mouth connected with your neck, nipping just below your ear. 

"Baby Girl," he whispered and you almost lost yourself completely. Then his phone rang loudly causing you to jump back an inch. 

You looked at each other, panting slightly as he checked who was calling.

He cleared his throat a few times before saying, "I think someone is calling back from your phone."

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

I can't thank you enough for reading along!

Part 6

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#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw x female reader #top gun fanfiction #rooster fanfic #rooster #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw

[miabebe]

The Legend of The Sea

"You're crying? You must be turning human, the MerFolk don't cry."

"Of course we do. Why do you think the Sea is nothing but salt?"

Pairing: Choi Seungcheol × reader

Genre: Heavy Angst, Romance, Implied smut

Word count: 14K (completed)

A/N: This was supposed to be a very long fic with lots of dialogue and lot of plot but I decided to take a turn and write a shorter version! It's very different from my usual writing style, it would be great to recieve your thoughts and comments! I'm considering writing a epilogue if the response is good :)

Tags: @xcynthiaaa @dr3aluv5 @unlikelysublimekryptonite @orcasandtea @letsplayitcool @idubutily

It all started the day you woke up on the beach with that unbearable pain searing through you.  

The air was cool, the sand was hot; the seagulls were flying across the blue sky, the sound of the waves was like a beautiful melody – it was like a perfectly painted picture. It should have felt pleasant, it should have felt serene, instead you felt immense pain, like your guts were turning inside out and your chest was being split into two.

And it just wouldn’t stop. Even if you thrashed about in the sand or let out soundless screams clutching your chest, nothing could make the pain stop.  

Except the soft laughter.  

Someone else was here. 

As the pain ebbed at the sound of a voice, fear came rushing in its place.  

Someone else was here.   

Your instincts told you to hide so you did, scrambling to your knees in the sand, crouching behind one of the many large boulders scattered around, trying your best not to be found. And to not let curiosity get the better of you….. until it eventually did.

You allowed yourself to peak, just a little, just to put a face to the voice and instead saw a bouncing fluffy cloud of white. Strange. You didn’t know clouds came down like that. Or that they had eyes, because suddenly, this one looked right at you.

You immediately retreated back into your hiding but it was in vain - within seconds, it made its way over and much to your surprise, jumped right into your lap, covering you in wet, eager licks. You panicked, trying to defend yourself, although it didn’t feel like much of an attack.  

And that was when you saw him.  

First, he was just a silhouette, a dark outline against the sun but when he crouched down to meet your eye, you realised he was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. He had such pretty hazel eyes, lighter in the middle, darker on the outside. Then there were the thick, dark eyebrows and thicker darker hair, swept back by the wind. He was wearing a white dress shirt, the first two buttons (unnecessarily) undone, the sleeves (needlessly) pushed up to his elbow. But your eyes were stuck on his lips – red, full of life and moving – he was saying something.   

You can’t hear him, not with the way your stomach was turning and turning and turning and then unable to hold back, you gave in. You turned and doubled up, finally throwing up all that discomfort into the sand, breaking into a fit of cough. The man before you though, wasn’t fazed. Rather, he was efficient, quickly getting up, pulling you away from the mess gently and handed you the bottle of water he had on him. You refused - water was only making you more nauseous.

He didn’t insist, instead he unfolded a large piece of cloth, (later you learnt that it was called a picnic blanket) and threw it over you. It was only its warmth that you realised – unlike him, every bit of your skin was exposed. You held the fabric closer to yourself hoping you could just bury yourself in the sand instead of having to face him – something about the way he looked at you made you feel very vulnerable.  

He then asked if you were feeling okay but only received silence as an answer. The truth was, you weren’t. Not only were you in the middle of nowhere, you had no idea why or how you got there. It seemed like he understood that; like he realised you were lost and needed help. When he got up and held his hand out though, you didn’t take it. Instead, you took support of the boulder behind you and got up on your own, only to lose your footing and stumble right into his arms. You instantly pulled yourself away and took another faltering step and then another, and then fell right back into his arms again. He was amused but didn’t say or do anything except watch you try, ankles sinking in the sand, knees unfaithfully giving away every time, until finally you gave up and took his hand. Slowly and silently, he led you far away from there.  

That day you learnt his name was SeungCheol.  

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

That white cloud, Kkuma, was apparently what humans called a dog.  

While humans efficiently seemed to walk on two legs and could converse for hours, dogs apparently walked on four legs and couldn’t talk. Though you certainly looked like a human, you often wondered if you and Kkuma were the same. You too happened to find long hours of walking and talking difficult and more than anything, you didn’t seem to enjoy the company of other humans that much. That’s why the last one month, you spent most of your time with Kkuma, far away from most people, all the way across the town, in a small settlement between the lake and the mountains, in Seungcheol’s cottage.  

Seungcheol’s home was your safe haven. Rather, Seungcheol was your safe haven.  

When you were with him, when you looked at him, you always forgot that it had been four weeks and you still had no idea who you were, that you had no memories, you had no life.  

Because Seungcheol gave you a life. He taught you to walk the way you saw mothers hold the hands of their little babies, encouraging them to take a step forward. He taught you to read, scribbling away alphabets with you for hours on end, even when little children laughed at you for not understanding. He taught you that a fork was not the same thing as a comb and that water was used to wash yourself, and that fire was hot and burnt things.

He didn’t just teach you things, he cared for you. He noticed you liked the red and filled your wardrobe with red dresses. When you told him you really liked the taste of fish, fish was all he cooked for weeks. Though he never seemed to like being away from Kkuma, his little princess, he would always leave her behind to give you company whenever he left. 

Seungcheol left the house every morning at the break of down. So did most men, you noticed. The lady who lived down the stone pathway told you that men went out to make money while their wives, who stayed at home, cooked for them. That day you tried to cook for the first time, and asked Seungcheol if you were his wife. He laughed, then choked on a fish bone and asked you to leave all the cooking to him from here on and so you did.

Every day, Seungcheol would cook before he left while you stood beside him, watching in awe, handing him whatever he asked for. You usually ate breakfast and lunch with the animals in the stable but you always had dinner with Seungcheol. No matter how long he was gone for, end of the day, he always made it back to you.   

You watched the sun slowly setting behind the mountains. He should be here soon, which was why you shouldn’t be sitting by the lake anymore. Seungcheol always warned you to maintain a safe distance from it, to never go too near. He said it was dangerous, that people drown because they cannot breathe under water. You had seen it.  

When the woodcutter’s young boy fell into the lake a few weeks ago, you watched him thrash in the water, struggling to come up. A few brave people jumped in to save him but the boy never came out again. Everyone in town was scared of the lake, they hated it. Only the old ‘crazy’ lady that lived by the edge of the forest ever went near it. She wasn’t afraid of it; she said the lake was barely dangerous - it was the sea that was bad. That it had terrifying monsters and horrors that should never be uncovered. She liked the lake and honestly, so did you.

You liked how it never really felt cold and how the temperature was always just nice. You liked how all the fish swam up to you whenever you dangled your feet in, sitting by the bank, how at peace it all made you feel.  

But when you saw Hannie in the sky, you immediately pulled your legs out of the water and hid the wetness of your feet under the fabric of your long skirt. Hannie was Seungcheol’s other pet, a pretty, baby white dove. He wasn’t a pet, not really, he belonged to the skies but Hannie loved to follow Seungcheol everywhere and Seungcheol loved it just as much. Actually, the whole town seemed to love white doves – it was on their flags, their shields, their uniforms. Seungcheol said it was the emblem of the kingdom. You had no idea what that meant, and frankly you didn’t care much. All that mattered was that whenever you spotted this little white bird, instantly recognisable by the small tinge of red right in the middle of its chest, it meant Seungcheol was home. As it softly landed on the fence, right before the sun was completely engulfed by the mountains, you heard Seungcheol’s horse and opened the gates to let them in.  

Over dinner, Seungcheol told you about the fight that broke in the marketplace. It’s a funny place the market, something always seemed to be happening there. On the weekends, you would follow him through it as he went vendor to vendor, making his purchases. The people of the market were actually sweet. They would always smile and try to talk to you but you could never bring yourself to talk back, you could never find the right words to say. Instead, you’d simply stare blankly then move closer to Seungcheol, holding on to him. Eventually, they all started assuming you couldn’t speak. You didn’t correct them and looking at your reluctance, neither did Seungcheol. He would simply wave them away, or shoo the kids who seemed to tease you. As long as you were outside, Seungcheol would never leave your side or your hand.  

You didn’t like going out very much, the big crowds and all those loud noises were always highly uncomfortable but the few times Seungcheol insisted you come with him and said it would be fun, it was actually not that bad. He took you to the town’s lights festival, where every inch of the streets and houses was covered with the prettiest coloured lights, and also to the annual horse racing competition which was exhilarating beyond belief. Your favourite though was children’s drama day, when the little kids of the town participated in skits looking a lot, lot smaller than the original characters were supposed to be. He didn’t though, take you to that big feast that happened in the castle. You didn’t really mind – something about the castle was just very unnerving.  

It stood tall and proud, all the way at the edge of the town, up a long winding route, at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the sea waters. Initially you had no idea what a castle even was, but over time you learnt that it was where the king lived. The king was the most important person in the town and supposedly the kindest, wisest and strongest man too. If you didn’t know better, you would have thought Seungcheol was the king. Afterall, he helped everyone in the neighbourhood, he solved the fights in the markets, he protected the settlement from the wild dogs and other beasts of the forest. But Seungcheol was not the king. The king lived in the castle and Seungcheol lived with you.  

After dinner, like every other day, you sat in Seungcheol’s study, practicing writing your alphabets as he went through endlessly long scrolls of his own. Today when you handed him your work, he scolded you yet again for rushing through the last few lines. You knew you shouldn’t have but you can never help it because the faster you finished, the sooner Seungcheol would read to you. Granted you knew how to read now but you weren’t really good at it, not everything made sense. The small books were easy but they were boring - it was always about animals and children and other things. The big books were where everything interesting was.  

Every night before you went to sleep, Seungcheol would bring out a book, sitting down by the fireplace and you would curl up next to him, leaning over as he read to you. Sometimes he would read out history, recounts of great wars and heroes and sometimes about legends, the fire breathing dragons, sea monsters, fairies in the woods. While you listened to all of them with the same fascination and curiosity, a selected few made you feel somewhat…..different – the ones about true love. About two people fighting all odds to be together. About two people wanting to be with each other more than anything.

Whenever Seungcheol read those to you, you somehow saw yourself in those words. Or rather, those words in you. You found that ‘quickening heartbeat’ whenever your hand brushed against the man beside you. His compliments made the ‘heat in your cheeks rise’. There was a constant ‘nervous fidgeting of the fingers’ when you were around him and sharing of the ‘secret glances’. Even now as he was reading you were looking at him, at the way his lips were moving and how soft they looked and wondering how much softer they would feel against yours.

When Seungcheol turned to you, sensing your eyes on him, meeting them without hesitation, you could have leaned in, you could have found out. But you didn’t; you didn’t dare. Instead, you looked down at the book, at the pictures of the prince and princess dancing, wondering if you too had a happily ever after written in your fate.  

Maybe it was, because a few days later, when Seungcheol looked at you like that again, you didn’t hold back anymore. You didn’t want to. This time you leaned in, gently pressing your lips onto his, discovering much to your relief that they were indeed every bit as soft as they looked. His eyes widened when you pulled back immediately, but he didn’t say or do anything. Then a silence followed, heavy with confusion and anticipation and so many other things that you couldn’t quite fathom so you quickly excused yourself from there stating it might rain and you forgot to close your bedroom windows.

As you shut the doors of your room behind you, hand on your chest, you felt your heart racing away but you should have been at peace, right? You had finally plucked up the courage and satiated all that bubbling curiosity. Instead, you felt like you were going to lose your mind – now that you had a taste, you wanted more.   

Days passed before you finally kissed him again.

It was on a rainy night and you were sitting closer to him than usual, as though the fire was not enough to keep you warm. It started the same way, first a few stolen glances, then a long silent stare and then you were kissing him, soft and sweet but this time he pulled back and you didn't let him. Instead you grabbed a fistful of his shirt, holding him close, whispering that you wanted to do it again. He listened, kissing you back but it was different this time and god did it set off something in you.

His lips became demanding, and his hands were everywhere - in your hair, running down your back, on your waist. He took your breath away, quite literally because he just wouldn't stop and you couldn’t breathe. You didn't want to either but after what felt like eternity, you had to break apart, feeling all giddy. Seungcheol then gave you the brightest smile and one last peck. 

That went on for many more days. Sometimes it was sweet and simple, sometimes hot and heavy. Initially the books were your only witness then there were more. The peaking sun as he gave you a peak before he left in the mornings, the pots and pans of the kitchen while he focused on you instead of the burning bread, and kkuma, when he forgot to seek while she hid, his attention on your mouth instead. Everything was going blissful.

Then one day Seungcheol didn't come home even after the sun set.

You waited by the gate for a long time, but neither Hannie, nor Seungcheol, nor his horse could be seen. That was the first night you spent alone - shivering in the cold and terrified. The storms had begun outside, the rain was drowning everything in its way and as each hour passed, you sunk deeper and deeper into despair.

Even when the sun came up again the rain didn't stop, the pain didn't stop. Though you hadn't slept or eaten in hours you only thought about him. Even kkuma got tired of waiting and curled up in the warmest spot in the house but you stood by the door the whole time until you couldn't anymore.  

Not when you saw finally saw Hannie in the sky but Seungcheol didn't follow. That was when you knew something was terribly wrong. You immediately grabbed a lamp and were ready to set off to find him on your own when you saw the paper tied to the bird’s little foot. I'll be back soon it read in the handwriting you recognised was Seungcheol's, a wave of relief crashing over you.  

But it took very, very long for 'soon’ to come.

The rain had stopped, the sun had set, the sky had cleared and the stars were pitifully watching the way you sat against the door, desperately fighting your eyes threatening to fall shut. That was when you felt Seungcheol's hand on your face, gently tucking your hair behind your ear.  

You instantly got up, throwing yourself into his arms and for the first time ever, broke down, sobbing into his chest. He held you like that for as long as you didn't let him go, softly patting you, telling you it was okay, and that he's home. There was apparently a landslide near the mountains and he had to help the people stuck there but you didn't care what his reasons were. You were never going to let him go ever again, you'd fight the sun from coming up tomorrow morning if needed.

Seungcheol simply laughed and said first you should fight your stomach, it seemed like it was struggling in there. It was only when you admitted you hadn't eaten since last night that he let you go and walked into the kitchen to whip you a quick morsel.

That night he said he was too tired to read to you. Instead, he placed a soft kiss on your forehead with an apology and was about to retire to his room when you held him by the hand, scared to let him go again. He tried to comfort you but the tears just wouldn’t stop, not until he cupped your cheek and kissed you, whispering about how he missed this, how he missed you. You confessed that you did too, and his absence made you feel terrible, like never before.

Let me make you feel good then he said. But if he wanted to help you, why did it seem like he was pleading? Like if you didn't agree he would lose it? So you agreed, letting him do whatever he wanted, whatever he needed.

His mouth was hot on yours, hands wandering all over and when they tugged the strings of your dress, you let out an inaudible gasp against his lips. He swallowed your words, undressing you slowly, with his hands and his eyes. You felt so bare, so exposed yet you didn't feel like hiding from him - you wanted him to explore you however he could and god did he do it.

If you thought his mouth on yours felt good, the places he put it now were wild. It was like he somehow knew every sensitive bit of your skin and went straight for it. He wasn't lying, this was better than good, it felt euphoric. He unravelled you with his touch, his hands in places even you hadn't felt yourself. You wanted more, you wanted so much more and he gave it, over and over again, letting you feel every inch of him, reaching as deep inside you as he could, like any distance between the both of you was unbearable. You let him consume you in his fire as the pain turned to a pleasure like never before, a coil tightening in the pits of your being. The both of you whispered each other’s names for as long as you could hold it until you finally let go and so did he, filling you with every last essence of him. As you laid side by side breathless, staring at the roof, you saw the stars have come down, swirling across the ceiling and you fell into a deep slumber.  

When you woke up that morning, the sun was almost right on top of the cottage, half the day having already passed. Seungcheol didn't leave that day, instead he was right there, pressed against your back, wrapping you in his embrace, your limbs messily tangled with each other’s. When you tried to free yourself from him, he pulled you closer, burying his face in your neck, taking in as much of you as he could before he said he had to leave again. I'll come back to you, he promised and you did not let him see how tears brimmed in your eyes as you waved him away.

After that day though, you never cried again. Or ever slept in your own bedroom. Like promised every night Seungcheol returned to you and every night you lay between the sheets together, some days making love, some days simply talking and laughing away, some days just drifting away to sleep in each other’s arms. It truly felt like happily every after but you forgot, happily ever after was only for fairytales.

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It was just another normal day. The both of you had woken up as usual to the crowing of the rooster before dawn. You gathered the vegetables in the garden while Seungcheol made the most wonderful soup, perfect for a cold day. After he kissed you goodbye and left, you cleaned the stables, drew water from the well, tended to the garden, washed up, donned your favourite red dress, ate lunch, took a nap, played with kkuma, and finally, sat by the lake again, trying to catch your breath. It was the same routine as the last eight weeks.  

As you unconsciously plucked on the grass, your mind couldn’t help but wander back to a question that had been plaguing you these days. Was this all your life was going to be? The same routine, waking up everyday knowing it was going to be the exact same as yesterday and will be the exact same as tomorrow? Sure, you loved Seungcheol and Kkuma and Hannie and this little life you had built together, but you couldn’t help but think if you were made for something more. This couldn’t be it right?  

It wasn’t. And you were moments away from finding out.

You were so lost in thought, you didn’t notice Hannie in the sky until he landed right next to you, making you hurriedly jump to your feet to get away from the lake only for your damned dress to get tangled between your feet, making you fall right into the waters. Thank God Seungcheol had reached just in time to see you disappear under the surface and immediately dived in. Using all his might he pulled you up before you were lost in the depths, coughing and catching his breath as he crawled onto the bank.

That was the first day things went very, very differently.  

Instead of greeting Seungcheol like you usually did every day, you shivered, walking away into the house to dry yourself. You didn’t change into another red dress but a blue on this time that made even Seungcheol raise an eyebrow in surprise. Dinner was not the same too. The kimchi which never ran out had finally run out, there was apparently no fish in the market today and seungcheol bought eggs for the first time. When he insisted you would like the taste, you tried it and you indeed did like it, a lot. He grinned at you and said you could always trust his word but how could you anymore? 

He told you to stay away from the lake, that people couldn’t breathe under it but when you fell in, you could. In there you felt, if not more, just as alive and breathing and the water – it spoke to you. At first you were sure you were dying - you should have listened to Seungcheol, you should have stayed away but here you were in the middle of the lake, so close to death that you were hallucinating voices. But when you realised you were actually breathing, you listened. 

Finish your mission Y/n. Finish the mission and you can become who you really are again. You can join the waters again. 

You didn’t understand.  

That night instead of a fairytale, you ask Seungcheol to tell you about the legend of the sea again so he did.

Centuries ago, back when there was magic on Land, there was an ancient war between two of the most powerful kingdoms of Earth – the Chois and the Kangs. They battled tirelessly, day and night, for months to the point where uncountable bodies began piling, resources began running out and even the heavens begged them to stop - there would be nothing left of the Earth this way. But that’s the thing about power – relinquishing it was not an option.  

Finally, one unfortunate day, the Chois gained an upper hand in battle, forcing the Kangs to seek refuge in hiding. The Kangs though, disappeared overnight - though the Chois searched every corner of Land, they could not find them. It was only when they sort to use magic to find them that victors of the battle realised, they had lost their most prized possession – the Sceptre. The sceptre was like the motherboard of all magic on Earth – it was the source. After years of combing every inch of Land, the Chois finally came to the conclusion that the Kangs and the Sceptre were in the one place that no one on Land could reach – The Sea.  

Indeed, powered by magic, the entire kingdom of the Kangs and all those who stood by their side had retreated into the ocean, making a life for themselves there. Using the magic, they kept themselves alive, preparing once again to battle for what they believed was rightfully theirs. But the Earth could not take another war, at this rate, nothing would be left and so, the Council of the Land and the Council of the Sea were formed, to keep peace between both kingdoms. After months of debate, both councils came to a Pact.

The Kangs were allowed to keep the magic but were forbidden from ever stepping on Land. The very magic they stole was used to strip them of their ability to breath air, forcing them to stay in the waters for life. The Chois on the other hand, were allowed to rule Land but were never to see magic again – the Land would not know of it and would not use it anymore. And most importantly, the Land and the Sea were never to meet. Every single ship in sight was burnt, boats were torn apart, walls were built at the border of every coastal city.  

Over generations, not only did the Land never interact with the Sea but they began to fear it, malicious stories of monsters and merpeople making their way into children’s bedtime stories and fairytales. A few brave, rebellious souls would try to break The Pact and venture into the Sea but no one really lived to tell the tale.

Seungcheol said that there will never be anyone with a tale to tell because like all legends, this too was no more than just a story and a speculation. But for the first time, you don’t believe him.  

Instead, you think merpeople truly do exist and as impossible as it sounded, you might just be one of them

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You looked at the pretty red dress you had laid out on the bed for today.  

Today was important for more than one reasons.

Today was the annual citizen’s banquet, which meant it was the first time you were going to the castle. Today was also the first time you were going to see the king and most importantly, today was also probably the day you were going to find out who you really are.  

You didn’t tell Seungcheol about what happened that day in the lake. Maybe because he believed that the Legend of the Sea was not true or because you yourself were not sure you entirely believed it, but somehow you, who told Seungcheol about everything, didn’t tell him about this. You needed more confirmation first, you needed to go into the lake once more.

But surprisingly, the lake you once liked so much looks more daunting now. You were not afraid of drowning, rather you were afraid what being able to survive the waters would mean. You kept avoiding it, telling yourself one day you couldn’t go in there because you had to brine the vegetables and that you had to bathe the cows or whatever other excuse you could find until one day all the chores were over and you ran out of excuses. You had to go in now.  

Carefully looking around to make sure there was no one in sight, you sat down on the bank, put a foot first, then the other, then slowly lowered yourself in, submerging into the waters, kkuma’s barks fading out, the voices taking over.  

Finish your mission Y/n and join the waters again.  

It was true.  

You weren’t imagining things, you were indeed breathing in there, the voices were real, everything was ridiculously real. It didn’t make any sense but it also really did. The water felt like home, like you belonged. You could swim much faster, better than you could walk. You felt stronger, more powerful, more like you in there. Even though the lake looked like it held darkness, you could clearly see everything below – the animals, the plants, the life, all of it. Oh, you wanted to join the waters, you wanted to be here forever.

But when you opened your mouth to ask what the mission was, only the gurgling sound of bubbles left you. Somehow just the thought was enough because you heard the answer soon enough and it sent a chill down your spine.  

Kill the King.  

You looked at yourself in the mirror, donning your dress.

The price for finding out who you were was to kill the king, the most important man in the town.

You couldn’t.

Taking the life of another could not be the price of your truth. So, you had decided to forget about it. It was wrong and unethical and whoever asked you of that had clearly lost their mind except…..��it was you.

The more you thought about it, the more you could not deny it – the voice in the lake was your own, as though you had left yourself a message, a reminder. Why on Earth would you want to kill the king? Then again, how did you, someone who clearly belonged to The Sea, find themselves on land? Why was it that you remembered nothing?

Maybe killing the king had a bigger purpose, a noble one, after all, all kings were not necessarily good.  

You had to find out. You had to meet him and see for yourself.

And as though the universe was aligning things into place for you, the night you decided to ask Seungcheol about visiting the castle, he mentioned that the king was arranging a grand banquet to which all citizens of the town were invited. He said if you were not comfortable you didn’t have to go but you cut him off much to his surprise, insisting that you want to attend.  

That’s how days later you found yourself standing at the gates of the castle as the crowd of town poured into the estate on either side of you. Seungcheol was supposed to pick you up tonight but instead there was a carriage waiting for you, with a message relayed by the footman that he got caught up in something and will meet you in the banquet.

The banquet was arranged in a large hall right in the middle of the castle and it was perhaps the most stunning place you had ever seen. The stone walls were covered in drapes of red and purple, the large windows shining with the views of prettily trimmed gardens. There were beautiful paintings everywhere, statues of men in armour and food of all kinds being serve around. Almost the whole town fraternised under the large golden chandelier, each dressed better than the other, chattering away in small whispers. You stayed near the large pillars of stone, as far away from the crowd as possible, eyes still looking for Seungcheol, ears trying to tune out all that people were saying around you.  

But you couldn’t ignore the loud sound of the trumpet as it echoes through the hall, followed by an announcement that the King had arrived. As your heart thumped away in your chest, he appeared, at the top of the stairs that led down into the hall, dressed in what you thought was rather simple for a king. You wanted to move closer to get a better look as he descended down the stairs but you realised everyone around you was bowing down to him so you mirrored it, staring at the white marble of the floor. Its only when a pair of pretty leather shoes appear right before you that you allow yourself to look up, facing the one person you were to see tonight – the king.

He was nothing like you hoped. He didn’t look malicious, or evil or like he was even capable of doing something wrong. He had the kindest eyes, crinkled with crows’ feet as he smiled at you so warmly, you felt nothing but comfort. Only one other person in this whole town ever made you feel safe like that. From the looks of his salt and pepper hair, he looked like he was aging, and the wisdom that came with time also shone on his face. He smiled so pleasantly, didn’t dress in a way that showed off all his wealth, and didn’t seem to harbour any sort of superiority because the moment the music swelled to life, he held his hand out to ask you, a commoner, for a dance.  

The whole town looked at you as though they were waiting so you placed your hand on his, letting him lead you to the middle of the floor as everyone else immediately moved to pick partners of their own.

Seungcheol had taught you how to dance. When you expressed your interest to go to the banquet, he told you there would also be a dance accompanying it and showed you how it was done. He was so patient with you, even though you stepped on his foot and banged his head with yours a few hundred times, bursting into a string of apologies whenever you did. But he only laughed, holding you close and dancing with you through the rainy night. You wondered where he was right now but that was the least of your worries considering you were dancing with the man you were deemed to kill and to your absolute disappointment, you could not find one reason to do so.  

You hoped so hard that you were right, that the king was a bad man and you were given this mission to make things right but he wasn’t. As much as you tried to not eavesdrop, you still heard whatever the people around you were whispering away. They were all in praises of him. They said he was a great man and under his ruling, the town was doing better than ever. They said the harvest was good thanks to him, that the they were safe from invasion thanks to him and were all living well thanks to him.

A part of you knew they were right – you had seen how happy and peaceful the townspeople always were, something that was only possible if they were in good hands. You could see for yourself what a wonderful man the king seemed to be and how everyone truly seemed to love and cherish him.

But a part of you didn’t want to believe that. You had to find a reason, something had to be wrong, you needed to justify why killing him was important. That was the only way to find out who you are.  

And as though the universe which had been so helpful so far decided now was the time to create chaos, the trumpet echoes through the hall again, announcing the arrival of the crown prince. When you see the person standing at the top of the stairs, you instant freeze, feeling your guts twist the way they did the first time you ever saw him – Seungcheol.  

Seungcheol was a prince. He was the crown prince of this land which meant he was the first born of the king.

That meant...... your mission was to kill the father of the man you loved.

As the townspeople gathered in the gardens below, you stood in a balcony of the castle, looking at the stars dancing in the sky.  

The whole night you had been feeling nothing but numb. The moment Seungcheol had appeared you excused yourself from the king, rushing out of the hall, trying not to throw up. Seungcheol immediately followed asking if you were okay but you didn’t answer. You did not see things unfolding this way. Not only did you not find a single reason why you had to kill the King, now you had one for why you shouldn’t do it.  

Seungcheol asked again, looking for answers in your expression but you just looked away, muttering that you had no idea he was the prince. He said he wasn’t trying to hide it from you, he just didn’t think about it. The whole town knew he was the crown prince so he never had to introduce himself that way. Besides, he didn't like to his status as royalty to define him so he didn’t usually mention it to anyone. As far as why he didn’t live in the castle was concerned, he started living in the cottage when he was 14 years old. That house was his mother’s, before the king and her fell in love and got married. After she passed away in the childbirth of her second child, he moved there so he could feel closer to her. His father too thought it was good for him to live among his subjects, to learn their problems and to gain their trust.  

You had nothing but silence to offer in return. It was all too much, all at once.  

The loud whispers of the town started fading out as the King walked in, standing among them. Seungcheol didn’t look too happy as he stared at the scene below him. He said he was worried about his father. You felt that churning feeling in your stomach once again. He said that he was getting old and it was getting harder for him to negotiate with neighbouring kingdoms, to keep war at bay. You didn’t understand what he meant.

He claimed the town was happy now but 3 months ago, nothing was going well. Their kingdom was under attack, everyone’s lives were threatened, the future looked very bleak. The king had somehow managed to save everyone then but unknown to the people, it was temporary. His father tried his best to negotiate and talk to the neighbouring kingdoms but there was no use – war has been declared against them yet again and he was worried King Choi was not strong enough for battle.

You held his hand stroking the back of it softly. He then apologised to you, confusing you even more. You asked him why but you had an idea already – he was taking his father’s place in war; he was going to lead the army.  

You felt as though someone pulled the ground below your feet and Seungcheol’s grip on your hand was the only thing saving you from falling. As crown prince it was his duty and you knew and understood but the thought of being away from him again was killing you on the inside. He said he wouldn’t be gone for long but you know what war meant - there was no guarantee of him even returning.

You hugged him shaking your head, refusing to let him go or insisting that he take you along with him but he simply hugged you back claiming that was not possible, it was dangerous. He told you to move to the castle while he was gone. Here you would be taken care of, you wouldn’t be lonely and most importantly, you would have the chance to get closer to his father.

You froze.  

Seungcheol let you go, making you sit on the moss-covered stone bench, sitting next to you. He said he wanted to leave you in good hands in case he didn’t make it back. You refused to listen to anything else, he promised he would always come back to you, that meant he had to come back. He laughed at your futile stubbornness, tucking your hair behind your ear, looking at you with a strange longing. You give him a soft peck on his lips to let him know he had no reason to long for you, you were always his. He pulled you in for more, taking your face in his hands, his mouth desperate against yours, like it was the last time, like a silent goodbye etched in his kiss.

It was only when the applause rang downstairs that he let you go, pressing his forehead on yours, sighing. You felt tears threaten your eyes once again as he caressed your cheek with his thumb softly, like he was trying to memorise how your face felt under his touch. He said he wished he had longer with you, he wished had done this earlier and slid onto the gravel floor onto his knees, looking up at you softly.  

Marry me, he whispered, holding your hands. 

You stared at him wordlessly as the sky behind you came alive with lights, fireworks prettily burning against the black canvas of the night. Maybe a few days ago if he asked you would have said yes without him even needing to finish. You would marry him right there and then but now you were torn. Kill the King. The words were constantly ringing in your head. How could you marry him if your mission was to…..  

He understood your silence as hesitance, saying you didn’t have to answer now, you could tell him when he returned - that way he would have something he had to come back for. He then pulled out a small necklace from his pocket, making you wear it, saying it was a reminder of him while he was away. You touched the pendant, feeling it with your fingers. It wasn’t like any jewel you had ever seen - it didn’t shine, it was an odd shape and it looked rather dull. He said it was a shell and it was from the sea.  

If he noticed your shocked reaction and stuttering as you asked him how he got it , he didn’t mention it. Instead, he answered that there was a path from behind his cottage that led to the other side of the forest, to a sea cave where land and sea met fearlessly. Before you came into his life, that was his favourite place to go - he often spent his free time there and that’s where he found this.  

You wonder if it’s a sign from the universe, receiving a part of the ocean at a time when you didn’t know what to choose.  

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The next morning, trumpets rang through the entire town, announcing that the neighbouring kingdom had declared war and the crown prince was leading the army to fight. People spilled onto the streets to watch the armoured and determined cavalry going to serve their kingdom, Seungcheol leading the troop all the way in front on his horse. You stood at the highest terrace of the castle, watching him leave, going further and further away, until the distance engulfed him and you couldn’t see him anymore. You barely had him to yourself for five minutes in the morning to say goodbye before he was called away. You convinced yourself that all this was temporary anyways, he would come back.  

With a heavy heart, you walked down the wide corridors of the palace, kkuma following your every step. You lived here now. Seungcheol had people shift your few things from the cottage to his room in the castle. Though the bed was beyond comfortable and the room was bigger than the whole cottage you lived in previously, you didn’t spend much time in there. Instead, you roamed around the gardens and corridors or stepped out into the marketplace that you never ventured in without Seungcheol by your side. Any place was better than his room. It reeked of loneliness and most importantly, it overlooked the sea. As much as the breeze gave you unexplainable comfort, it was also a constant reminder of your mission.  

As time passed, you found yourself less and less inclined to fulfilling your task. You tried your best to not let yourself be swayed but in vain – you could not help but like the king. He was nothing but welcoming and kind to you. Maybe Seungcheol told him or maybe it was just a constant in the Choi family, but he insisted that every night you join him for dinner. He would ask about your day and make light conversation, but unlike Seungcheol, he would retire early to bed. He was sick. You could see in the way he coughed through his meal, the way his eyes keep fluttering shut in tiredness towards the end of the night. Yet he did all he could to make sure you were alright.

He introduced you to the library in the castle and if you thought Seungcheol’s study had a large collection of books, this place was massive. Books were lined all the way up till the ceiling, there were all sorts of maps and globes scattered all over the room, shelfs lined with little trinkets and souvenirs from his travels. The King explained that Seungcheol like his mother, loved to explore and like him, loved science and this library was where it all came together. He used to be unstoppable ever since he was a child and his curiosity always landed him in trouble – the whole town was banned from stepping on the beach but nothing could stop him. He always wanted to explore the sea.  

It surprised you to learn about Seungcheol’s fascination with the sea because he had always told you to stay away from water, that it was dangerous. You spent days of your time in that library, going through his journals and drawings, but didn’t really understand all the scribbles of notes he had jotted everywhere. You did see on the map though, the location of the sea cave that Seungcheol had mentioned about, wondering if you could get any answers there, but somehow you could never bring yourself to go. The answers of the questions you had so far had not been pleasant.  

Then one day as you sat on the wooden floor of the sunlit room studying what looked like drawings of some strange contraption, Hannie appeared in the sky.  

You immediately got up, running out of the room, down the corridor, up the stairs, all the way to the top, to try and see Seungcheol reappear where you last saw him.

He didn’t.

Clouds made their way, covering the strong sun, submerging the town in a strange gloom. It all felt too apocalyptic. You rushed to find the King, learning that he was holding court, making your way to the hall, stopping right by the door and hiding yourself to overhear the discussion.

The Chois were ambushed.

More than half the forces were dead or injured, many were missing and as though your greatest fear came true, Seungcheol was missing too. He was also very badly injured and no one had seen or heard from him in two days, it was highly likely he succumbed to his injuries. You refused to believe it. He said he would come back to you, which meant he would, you believed him. But no one else seemed to share the same faith as you. They were going to give up, surrender the throne to prevent an attack on the town itself. That was when to everyone’s surprise you barged in.

You insisted nothing was wrong with Seungcheol and they had to find him and finish this war. They tried to reason with you, tell you the facts but you refused to hear it. You questioned how they could give up so soon and why they aren’t even trying to find him. They claimed they had to clear out from enemy territory, that it could be dangerous going back there. You turned to the King hoping you could at least reason with him but his tired old face looks like he’s already mourning his son.  You ran out of there, unable to come to terms with what was happening.

You would find him yourself if that’s what it took.

Rushing to the royal stables, you picked the horse that looked the strongest and forced its gates open, ignoring the crimson bleeding out of your hand as you cut it on the metal. Before the poor stable boy could stop you, you mounted it, riding out of the palace, into the unprepared town. People hurriedly ran out of the way, pulling their carts and children to the side, nothing but wind left behind as you raced through. You had your eyes on Hannie flying in the sky above you. You knew it could lead you to him, you just had to follow. You were almost successful in crossing the gates of the town, into the woods, when the royal guards caught up, surrounding you.

The head of security begged you to stop, that you were putting the kingdom in more jeopardy and you couldn’t let your desire to protect one man affect everyone. You wanted to argue, tell him that you didn’t care about anyone else and to insist that they let you go but when you turned and saw all the people stepping out of their houses to see what the commotion is, you let go the reins of the horse. Yes, finding Seungcheol was most important to you, but not at the cost of so many people’s lives. You knew better than that, you could never be that selfish.

As though Hannie sympathised, it landed on your softly shoulder, nuzzling your neck, cooing in your ear. You took him in your hands, the bloodied hand further darkening the red on its chest, a thought forming in your mind. You smudge the blood onto your fingertips, tracing a word onto its white, a word that you knew would bring Seungcheol back to you. As you set it free hoping it would find him, you watch the yes etched on it, praying to the skies that when it returns, Seungcheol follows it like always.  

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You didn’t return to the castle after that.  

Turning your horse in the other direction, you rode to Seungcheol’s cottage by the woods, the only place you felt close to him. The big room and big bed of the castle might be physically comfortable but nothing made you feel at peace like this house, your safe haven. You were curled up in the bed for hours now as the sun slowly began to descend behind the mountains. You just had to give it time. You kept telling yourself it wasn’t a matter of if Seungcheol returned but when. He would come back for you, he would fight all odds and come back, you knew it.  

The sound of the horses neighing at a distance made you sit up. The royal guards must be here to escort you back to the castle now that it was getting darker outside. You didn’t want to go. You couldn’t stand being in that castle again.

Grabbing the oil lantern nearby, you soundlessly left through the back door, kkuma following you just as quietly. You thought you could just wait it out until the guards didn’t find you and returned to the castle but when kkuma began wandering away, you had no choice but to follow her. Not listening to your hushed whispers, with a mind of her own, she ventured into the forest and thoughtlessly, you followed. It’s only when the trees parted that you realised where you were – the sea cave.  

You didn’t know what you were expecting when Seungcheol mentioned about this place but it was beyond beautiful. The crystal blue waves were racing back and forth on the golden sand, the stone wall of the caves were gradients of brown rocks and green weeds. There were holes eroded onto the roof, the evening sun softly pouring in and in that soft light you noticed in the corner, folded are some blankets and books that clearly belonged to Seungcheol – he indeed must have spent a long time here. Kkuma settled herself down in the warmth of the bundled cloths, as you placed the lantern on a nearby rock and kicked your shoes off, feeling the warm sand under your feet.  

The water was inches away. The Ocean, the place that, if you had assumed right, was your home. Every bone in your body was craving to be in it, to submerge in it, to just feel alive in it once again. You walked ahead, taking one step after another, but the closer you moved to the waters, the further it seemed to be moving away from you. You quickened your steps, but the Sea kept retreating, pulling away. It surprised you to receive such hostility from waters that always looked so welcoming but not more than the voice that boomed through the cave, making you look around in panic. There was no one, you were all alone and kkuma too was fast asleep, like she didn’t hear anything. When you turned back to the sea, you bit back a scream, coming face to face with a woman, whose eyes were piercing into you, her lips curled into a smile as her voice echoed through the cave again. 

I see you’ve finally found your way home.  

Pain like no other seared through your head, making you fall to your knees in agony, your dress fanning out in the sand. As the woman bent down to your level, you scrambled back, swallowing the phantom lump in your throat, taking a better look at her. Holding a staff in one hand, she looked as old as time, her white hair and ragged clothes floating like she was still in the waters and that’s when you realised, she wasn’t actually here – it was apparition, like… magic. As though she read your mind, she confirmed it indeed was magic, that she controlled all the magic of the Sea - she was after all the Sea Witch.  

You recalled Seungcheol’s story about how the Sea had taken away magic from the Land, watching the legend come to life before you as the woman floated a few feet above the ground, looking at you expressionlessly. Who am I? Do I belong to the Sea? Why am I on Land?  You knew she was the only one who could possibly have the answers and she did - for a price.  

She pointed at the shell on your neck, claiming it belonged to the Sea – give it back and you could have all the answers you wanted. You held it in your grasp; it was the only thing of Seungcheol’s you had with you. You could either lose it and learn who you are or keep it and walk away, return to the castle. You could let your forgotten past remain forgotten and think only about the future with Seungcheol.  

But is there a future? She asked, reading your mind yet again. You knew what she meant. Seungcheol went to war and people died in war all the time. If he did not make it back, you had no place on Land, no home, no one to call your own. But if you were to find out who you truly are, you could then return to where you truly belonged. You tightened your grip on the shell, the pressure opening your wound, the blood spilling again. Giving up this necklace meant admitting to the possibility that Seungcheol will not return. How did that make you any different from all the others in the court who you lashed out at? 

The Sea Witch looked at you fighting your own battle in your head. She held out her hand saying if it was meant to be, then Seungcheol would return to you, regardless of whether you had this necklace or not. You know she’s playing you but give in, ripping the chain from your throat and throwing it into the waters, watching it sink into the dark bottom.  

The waves which seemed so afraid of you, raised themselves, almost as though bowing to you and the Sea Witch mirrored their action before straightening and looking up but this time, respectfully not meeting your eye.  

What do you seek, Princess of the Ocean.  

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You held the dagger in your hand tight, hands not shaking as you approached the dining room.  

The moment you returned to the castle, the maids had told you dinner was served and the king was waiting for you. You washed up and changed out of your sand filled clothes into one of your usual red dresses. Maybe there was a reason why you liked red so much – maybe deep down you knew you needed to hide the blood on your hands somewhere.  

You had to kill the King tonight.  

You stood in front of the large doors, the dagger that the Sea Witch gave in your hands, hiding efficiently in the large fabric of your dress. Once you stepped in, everything would change. You would become the killer of Seungcheol’s father, but you would also finally be fulfilling your duty to your people, the MerFolk.  

The Sea Witch told you the story from when it all began. The legends were all true. The merfolk were real, the life under the sea was real, everything you had experienced was real. 3 months ago, you were a part of the Sea, living a carefree life as the youngest princess of the royal family. Then one move by King Choi and everything changed.  

Over the centuries even though the entire ocean was ruled by just one family, without the power of magic, land had split into many Kingdoms and many rulers. Unlike the peace in the Sea, Land was always at war with itself, neighbouring kingdoms attacking and occupying towns – they never got rid of the battle they thought they won. One such battle happened three months ago at the Kingdom of the Chois where they were invaded by their neighbours, the Hans. At the brink of losing war, King Choi did the unthinkable – he set sail.

His deep interest in the Sea, that his son eventually inherited, had led him to spend years of his youth designing and building ships, the last of which had been burned during the Pact. The Sea allowed his soldiers to take an alternative route to attack their invaders and drive them out but the moment the ships had touched the ocean waters, years of peace dissolved into chaos.  

As the calm waters were shaken, towns under the Sea began falling apart – many merfolk died, many lost their homes, many lost their way back and among all the tragedies, the greatest one was losing your mother, the Queen.  

Her death left the entire Ocean without a leader, without a protector. Your sister, the oldest in the family, who had been trained for years to take over as queen was missing, like many others in the aftermath. The kingdom waited for days for her to show up until it was not practical to anymore – the ocean needed rebuilding, it needed leadership and guidance. As the only one left in the royal family, you had offered to take your mother’s place as queen but the Council of the Sea refused. You were young and inexperienced and unlike your sister, you were not trained to take over the Kingdom. They wanted to hand the Sea to the Hwangs, another family who had their eye on the throne for centuries now and were willing to take up the responsibility of the Ocean.  

You couldn’t let that happen, not only would it crush your mother’s dreams if the Kang lineage of rulers ended with her but also the Hwangs were notoriously famous for their aggressiveness. Under their hands, there was no saying what the future of the Ocean would look like. The citizens of the sea protested too – they were all on your side, they wanted you to rule and so the Council of the Sea and the Hwangs agreed – if you could prove yourself worthy.  

Kill the King of the Land.  

Blood for blood. Get revenge for the destruction of the Sea, that was the order. That was the price for you to get back your kingdom and 100 days was all you had to do it.

That’s when they called on the Sea Witch. Breathing on Land for 100 days would require very powerful and ancient magic, something only she was capable of. But it would not be so straightforward. The process would be excruciatingly painful, almost like becoming a new person, like being born again - quite literally because it would wipe out all your memories, everything you know of the Sea would be taken away. You would be sent to Land like a blank slate.  

That meant you had 100 days to go on Land, figure out who you were, learn of your mission and complete it. Should you fail, not only would you lose your kingdom, but the waters had no forgiveness for those who disobeyed magic so ancient – you would join them again, but as sea foam.  

Today was day 92. You only had 8 days left.  

You pushed open the doors of the dining hall, eyes falling on the King tiredly slouched in his chair waiting for you. He must’ve fallen asleep because he didn’t move when you approached. You looked at face responsible for the death of your mother, the disappearance of your sister, the destruction of your kingdom and you felt numb. You still couldn’t bring yourself to hate him, but you also couldn’t walk away. Yes, if only he didn’t bring out his ships you wouldn’t have lost so much, you wouldn’t be here but you know like any other good king, he did it to save his people. And now you had to do whatever it took to save yours.  

And then fate smirked.

Just as you raised the knife and were about to plunge it in his chest, you heard the fluttering sound of wings and on the balcony landed Hannie, looking more red than white. The knife slipped from your hands, landing on the floor with a thud as the king stirred awake. His guards burst into the room as the royal trumpets echoed through the night. You rushed to Hannie in the balcony, the one that overlooked the town, and saw the oil lanterns of the houses, slowly increase in number, getting brighter and brighter in the darkness. The king and his men departed immediately and so you followed them, holding Hannie in one hand and your dress in the other, running down the palace corridors and out the gate to see a crowd gathered.  

As it parted, it revealed Seungcheol's horse and holding onto its reins walking it was Seungcheol, bruised and battered, blood splattered all over him, multiple wounds gashed open, barely but still alive. Take a staggering step at a time, he approached his father bowing and whispered, We won before collapsing into the gravel.  

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Seungcheol was immediately taken away by the royal physicians as the king announced to the people that the war was over and the town erupted into cheers. You tried to follow the doctors to be with him but they closed the door on your face, asking you to stay out. So, you stayed right outside, the whole night, prancing about, biting your nails, as you waited for the news.  

Instead, you were met with screams. You don’t know what they were doing to Seungcheol in there but he was evidentially in unbearable pain – you could hear in the way the screams ripped out of his throat, like he was in pure agony. It went on for hours and it was so terrifying to hear, you felt your heart shatter every time it rang through the halls. 

Finally at the crack of dawn he seemed to calm down and the doors finally opened. He was deeply wounded and his body was beyond exhausted, he just needed some sleep, the physicians assured you and the king, who unknown to you had also arrived. You thanked them and hurried in to see Seungcheol peacefully lying on the bed, bandages wrapped all over his body.

You sat beside him as the king gently stroked his son’s hair both proudly and sadly, muttering that he would pray for him to heal soon. As you held Seungcheol’s hand in yours, the king requested you to stay by the former’s side till he woke up. You assured him you would, to which he nodded and to both your shock and horror, pulled out the dagger which you had dropped in the dining room the day before. You held your breath as he placed it on the table beside the bed, not even looking at you. I believe this is yours.  

He knew.  

He figured out that you had attempted to take his life, but the tired old man didn’t say anything as he left. Instead, the royal guards placed at the door told you what you needed to know.

You failed your mission. Not only had you let down your people, you were discovered and now you were to be tried for treason. You only had till Seungcheol woke up. Lips quivering, you held onto his hand tighter. 

You didn’t know if fate was showing you mercy or prolonging your agony but it took almost 2 whole days for Seungcheol to finally wake up.   

You hadn’t left his room since you had entered it. Not only were you not allowed to, but you didn’t want to leave Seungcheol’s side. You either sat beside him, or in the balcony overlooking the ocean for hours together with kkuma curled up next to you and hannie flying around in the sky. The two of them had been awfully calm, as though they too knew what was coming.

Finally, on the 94th night, just as you had closed the doors of his bedroom and prepared your bed to sleep, Seungcheol stirred awake. You immediately rushed to his side as his eyes fluttered open, and the moment they landed on you, he broke into the most peaceful smile. You sighed in relief, softly holding his cheek in your hand, asking him how he was feeling.  

You said yes.  

Hannie flew into the room like a reminder of your message to him but his words only pained you. Things had changed so much since then. Not only could you not marry him but you had now become worthy of his hatred. You don’t think you can bear to see anything but love for you in his eyes.

Leaning down you kissed him, whispering that you loved him and that you wish no matter what, he always remembered that. He didn’t seem to understand your words, still reeling in the happiness of your acceptance of his proposal as he pulled you into his arms, wrapping you in the embrace you were craving for.  

As the two of you laid for hours together, wrapped in each other, he told you how they had been ambushed before they even reached the battlefield - someone had betrayed them. His horse had saved him, taking him away into the woods, far from his attackers but he was already very badly injured. It was Hannie who arrived with your yes that truly saved him. He knew he had to come back for you so he pushed through. He regrouped what was left of the army and infiltrated the enemy camp that was prematurely celebrating their victory and gained the upper hand.  

You snuggled closer in his warmth, hoping he wouldn’t see the guilt on your face when he spoke of you like you were his saviour. Everything would change tomorrow. Tonight was your last night with him, your last chance to create a memory for him to remember you by. As he went on about how tomorrow morning he would talk to the king about the wedding, you kissed him, cutting him off. Tonight you only wanted to love and love you did.  

Of all the nights you spent with Seungcheol, nothing felt like this. There was a strange desperation carved in the way you undressed each other, hands roaming, names whispered against skin. You took the lead this time, clambering on top of him and he stared at you like you were his whole world and more. Tucking your hair behind your ear, he told you how lucky he was to have you and you pushed the recurring feeling of guilt down and claimed him for yourself one last time.

A clash of hands, tongues and moans, he matched your need, leaving marks of love on your shoulder and chest. Burying your face in his neck, you held back the tears of pain and pleasure and a goodbye all dissolved in one as you came apart above him. Like always his arms held you in his embrace as though stopping you from losing yourself but it was too late. Everything had fallen apart already.  

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When you woke up, the bed was empty.  

Seungcheol was not in the room, neither were the maids scurrying in as usual, cleaning up and neither were the guards who were placed outside the doors all these days. You walked down the corridors which were overtaken by a strange emptiness, wondering where everyone was. It was late in the afternoon judging by the sun but the palace was looking bleaker than usual.  

That was when your eyes fell on the flag of the kingdom hoisted down, flying low.  

Mourning.  

You rushed back towards the bedroom wing of the palace, heart beating erratically against your still lungs, till you found the royal physicians walking out of a chamber, looking dejected. The kings chamber.  

As you got closer, you noticed the officials of the royal court had all gathered around, dressed in black, heads hanging, faces in sorrow. They parted, letting you walk in to see Seungcheol standing at the edge of the bed, looking down at the king who laid peacefully in a slumber he would never wake up from.

The moment you put your hand on his shoulder Seungcheol turned. He wasn’t crying but there was so much pain in his face, it made you want to take him in your arms and hide him there forever. But you didn’t. You rubbed his arms softly whispering that you will wait for him outside, knowing he needed time with his father, the last of his family.  

But the moment you stepped out, the royal guards surrounded you, their spears pointing at you from a distance and you knew the time had come. By the order of the late king, after Prince Choi was awake, you were to be imprisoned for treason. For life.  

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

You might have been forced into a four stone walled dark cell for 5 days now but there was no greater prison that your own mind. As the moonlight creeped through the metal bars of the window on top, you sat crouched in the little dark space, leaning against the cold rocks. It was always so silent in here, you only ever heard the crashing of the waves against the walls, each ebb and flow reminding you of where you truly belonged.  

With the king now dead, your mission was complete, you could go back home. You could go back to your people, you could take back your kingdom but somehow you lacked the strength or the will to fight your way out of here. It would mean facing Seungcheol, who in the last many days had not come even once to see you. With each passing minute in his absence a part of you was glad to not see the disgust he would hold for you but another was broken at the thought of this being the end of the love you shared. As you fought your inner battle as a lover and a princess, time, the one thing that you did not have, kept slipping away.  

And then for the first time in 5 days, a shadow other than your own was cast in the moonlight. Seungcheol’s.  

You stood up, taken aback by his presence after so long but more by the sound of the gates opening and the guards asking you to step out, leading you out of the prison cell. You were free.  

It was only then in the light of the fire lit corridors that you saw him, dressed in finery like never before and on his head rested the whole responsibility of the kingdom - the crown. 

It was no longer Prince Seungcheol, he was now King Choi Seungcheol.  

Seeing him like that, your heart swelled with pride. When you found out Seungcheol was the prince you weren’t really as surprised as you should have been because it was only then that things made perfect sense. You had seen the king in him all along. One of the reasons that you loved him so much was because of what a good man he was, always thoughtful of others, always helping those in need, always looking out. No one was more worthy of being king than him.   

But before you can say anything to him, the maids brought you away to his room, complaining that you needed a change of clothes and a good bath. As they helped you strip out and scrubbed your neglected skin, they talked about how Seungcheol was furious when he learnt of your imprisonment. He insisted that you be released at once but he could not do anything as the royal guards would only take orders from the king. Stubborn to get you released no matter what, he sped up the coronation, which was due two weeks later and was crowned king just hours ago. His first order as ruler was that you be immediately released.  

You asked to be left alone for a bit, soaking yourself in the water after days now. Why did Seungcheol let you go? Did he not believe you tried to kill his father? Or did he love you so much that he was willing to forgive you for the attempt?

You couldn’t even ask him. He would not be free of the coronation festivities which apparently went on till sunrise and you didn’t have long before you had to return to the ocean – it was already day 99.  

Maybe it was better this way. You had your duties like he had his. Maybe if you left without giving him an explanation and without getting one, it would be easier for the love between the two of you to die. It had to die. The two of you belonged to two different worlds. There was no a happily ever after written for this story.   

You slid against the bath, submerging yourself into the waters, trying to breathe in peace again.  

But the nightmare had not ended. The voices were not gone.  

Kill the King.  

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When you walked out of the bathroom, Seungcheol was there.  

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in his usual simple clothes again. In fact, he was wearing the same white shirt as the first time you ever saw him. The irony was not lost on you. It was like fate was not tired of the joke after joke after joke it was playing. 

You walked in, asking him what he was doing away from the celebrations when you noticed what was in his hands. The dagger. Your dagger.  

It's been a while since I told you a story.  

He looked up, meeting your eye in the mirror, his finger dangerously dragging against the blade.  

Do you remember the legend of the sea?  

Why was the talking about this to you right now?  

There's more, he claimed, standing up, turning to you. In that blue sea of dangerous creatures and vicious beings also lived the most beautiful woman in the world.  

You can hear your heart thumping in your ear.  

One day, the woman of the waters found herself on land. She was sent with a mission.

You took a step back. How could he possibly know all this?

You may have forgotten everything Y/n. But I didn't. He walked up to you. You may remember only 3 months of our love, but I remember 10 years of it.

You didn't understand. You didn't understand at all.

The young woman had been interested in the Land and humans ever since she was a little girl. Even though the merfolk were clearly warned to stay away from humans and shallow waters were dangerous to swim in, she would always escape the barricades quietly, to see whatever little of Land she would.

Finally, when she was 14 years old, she discovered a little secret - a sea cave. It was the only place where the waters next to land were deep enough, where she could get close to the land without being in much danger. She would come there often just to look at the sand and the rocks but she never saw any humans.

Until one day, a young, 14 year old Prince, distraught at the loss of his mother had ventured into the forest all alone and found the cave.  

You remember Seungcheol telling you he moved to the cottage after the death of his mother when he was 14.

The price was also just as interested in the Sea as she was in land but unlike her, he did the stupid thing of entering the waters - he immediately started drowning.

That was the day she saved him the first time. Holding her breath to the point she couldn't anymore, she pulled him onto the sand before disappearing into the ocean. The last thing he remembered was seeing her most beautiful face.

After that the prince came everyday. Initially the young girl never showed herself. He knew she was there though, deeper in the waters, lurking silently. He would come every morning and just sit in the sand doing his assignments, glancing at the sea every once in a while and when the sun would start to set, he would return. Slowly, much to his anticipation and delight, she started coming up closer and closer to the surface until one day when he was 16, Seungcheol for the first time, put his hand in the water and touched hers.

It was magical, like nothing he ever felt before.

Then he started to get reckless again, trying to enter the waters, almost drowning too, but this time she held his hand and taught him to swim. Of the many hours he spent in the cave, a few minutes were always in the water, swimming by her side, and the rest were just watching her glide through the waves.

When he was 18, he created something extraordinary. He had always been a bit of a science man but after years of trial and error, he had finally made a device - a little mask of sorts that could help him breathe underwater, for about an hour or so. He didn't have to hold his breath anymore - he was able to spend longer under the sea, longer with her.

When he went to show it to her, she had discovered a little secret of her own - weeds. Not any kind but a very particular one that only grew in the Sea witches house. She apparently used to work for one, to learn magic, like all her other siblings did. There she had come across these very special plants that allowed merfolk to breathe on land.

That was the first time she stepped on land. The moment she did, she succumbed to her knees, throwing up water in the sand. Even the weed had its downsides, the most important one being that its affect only seemed to last an hour or so. But the hour she had with him on land and he had with her in the waters were more than enough - Their worlds were no longer barriers.

That went on for years, these secret meetings. Initially it was just sharing laughs, then dreams, then the thought of a whole life together. He taught her how to read and write their language, she drew him maps of different lands, far away in the sea. He taught her about science and she taught him about magic. His stories about the land animals fascinated her and her stories about the sea creatures terrified him.

When he was 20, he kissed her for the first time. When they were 22, they made love and when they were 24, around a 100 days ago, she told him she had to come to land for a mission.

It felt like someone had knocked the air out of your lungs. How was any of this possible?

She didn't say what her mission was, just that she had something to do and she needed him to help her. She would apparently arrive on land with all her memories gone and she needed him to guide her to find her way back. He didn't understand but she didn't have the time to tell him more. She just handed him a shell necklace and told him to give it to her when the time was right, it would help her figure things out.

So did you figure it out Y/n? He took you hand, placing the knife laced with his blood in it. Was your mission to kill my father?

You shook your head slowly, still processing all the information.

"It was to kill you."

The moment you heard your voice again in that bath, you felt like your life just left you. You thought the mission was completed - the king was dead. Then why were you still hearing it.... except you didn't complete the mission. You didn't kill the king, you didn't use the dagger.

Now the king was right in front of you. The man you just  discovered you had been in love with your whole life. The man who made you fall in love with him all over again. The man who you had to kill to stay alive.

But he didn't look even a little fazed.

The sky behind you was starting to get brighter. The sun was rising. The 100th day was nearly here.

"Its okay." He whispered, moving closer to you without an ounce of fear. "Do it."

How could he love you so much, enough to die for you?

You could feel the tears rolling down your cheeks. He gently wiped it away, shaking his head. You kissed the inside of his hand on your cheek, and then pulled him close, feeling his mouth against yours for what you knew was the last time.

As you whispered an apology, he assured you it was okay. That you were the most beautiful thing that ever happened to him. And there was no better way for him to go than you being the last thing he saw.

You took a step back.

"Till death do us apart."

And then another step.

"Till death do us apart."

And then another, till you reached the window overlooking the ocean, you back against it.

You smiled at him.

He was not the only one who loved you enough to die.

The sun had risen quite high by now. You were simply a silhouette against the light, an outline and soon a memory. Before Seungcheol could even realise what you were doing, you leaned back. He ran towards you, as you let yourself drop, only just missing his outstretched hand trying to pointlessly save you, taken away by the winds, taken away to the sea.

As the sun fully rose in the sky, the dagger in you hands landed in the ocean with a splash, sinking to the bottom slowly, disappearing from existence.

And around it was sea foam, finally reclaimed by the waters where it belonged, gently floating away in peace.

#seungcheol oneshot #seventeen seungcheol #seungcheol angst #seungcheol smut #seungcheol fluff #seungcheol x reader #choi seungcheol #seungcheol scenarios #seventeen series #seventeen one shot #s.coups #s.coups angst #s.coups smut #s.coups fluff

[gonesgone]

[🧷] / so close, yet so far, part one.

[🧷] \ bridging the gap, part two.

[🫀] / heart to heart, part three.

— synopsis: Izogie comes face to face with her emotions, as well as her past in regards to love.

— pairing: Izogie x black!fem!reader.

— warnings: angst, discussions of loss and grief.

— author’s note: firstly, thank you all so much for journeying with this story. seeing your love and support was really reassuring to me. this last part is long (at least 10k words) but I believe it’s worth it. take care, everyone! — side note: I highly recommend listening to the music attached as you read. it helps to set the mood.

— taglist: @shinsousliya @manibaby13-blog @thewifeoflevi @briacreations96

it’s happening again.

that was the thought that crossed Izogie’s mind when she saw you laying in the middle of the courtyard, lifeless.

after hearing Amenza’s words, her feet had ran directly towards the palace to confirm that they were not true.

“y/n isn’t breathing.”

the weight of those words bore down on her body like a heavy boulder. the sun’s sweltering heat only adding to her already brewing headache.

this has to be some sort of a sick joke, Izogie thought, her heart racing a mile a minute.

when i enter this gate, she’ll be there waiting.

for me.

but upon arrival, the entire place was filled to the brim with people. the agojie, Migan’s men, palace workers, trainees, King Ghezo’s wives and other tribal leaders who came ahead of time for festival day.

as everyone talked amongst themselves, Izogie pushed past their bodies to get to the front. she was covered in sweat, a serious expression on her face. despite the crowd, she managed to make it up close and that was when she saw you.

a look of disbelief instantly found its way onto her face as she slowly approached your frame.

on the ground, your body was limp with bruises all over. you had a black eye that was turning a dark shade of purple. fresh blood stained your lips from a cut you sustained and there was sand on your uniform and in your hair.

before she could get any closer, Nanisca stepped in front, blocking her way.

“Izogie,” the older woman called out.

she didn’t even look at her, gaze still focused on you.

“you shouldn’t be here,” Nanisca continued, her tone filled with worry.

“miganon,” Izogie spoke, her firm voice wavering. “that’s not her, right?”

Nanisca sighed as she held Izogie’s arms.

“please, go back to your quarters. i will brief you on what happened in the evening but for now, just go.”

Izogie swallowed hard.

“tell me that’s not her.”

a pitiful look spread across Nanisca’s face as Izogie’s voice cracked.

“tell me that’s not her and i’ll leave.”

the miganon’s head hung low.

“i cannot do such a thing.”

Izogie’s lips trembled as she stepped to the side, attempting to reach you. Nanisca held her back tightly.

“no one is allowed close to her body until the physician gets here.”

the younger’s jaw clenched, tears welling in her eyes. she stepped forward again, trying to break free from Nanisca’s grasp.

“miganon, please.”

the older woman locked her hands around her body.

“i’m sorry, my child.”

Izogie began thrashing around in Nanisca’s hands. she could feel her throat tightening as her teardrops fell. looking down on you, she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

why?

why was this happening again?

now, the entire courtyard was watching. Nanisca quickly motioned over two agojie soldiers. they held Izogie back as her cries filled their ears.

“bring her back to her quarters,” Nanisca said firmly. “make sure she stays there.”

immediately, Izogie’s legs gave out. as all four of them knelt on the ground, a trance-like expression appeared on her face. it was as if her body had decided to shut down right then and there.

in that moment, the palace physician arrived and ordered for your body to be moved to the infirmary.

the miganon sighed as she gently cupped her successor’s face. the younger’s eyes already seemed so far away.

“be strong, Izogie. for her.”

she then got up and turned on her heel to follow those carrying you. Izogie watched, unable to move.

for the remainder of the afternoon, the physician worked on you. he had Nanisca doing chest compressions as he mixed all sorts of herbs and applied them to your wounds.

outside, Migan was doing his best to keep the order and Amenza went to her quarters to pray with her sacred stones.

by nightfall, news spread that you had regained your breathing. the palace rejoiced upon hearing that you were alive, but there was still an issue.

you were not conscious.

Amenza was tasked with relaying your condition to Izogie but when she arrived, she was heartbroken to see the state her friend was in.

few candles lit up the space and Izogie was sitting with her back against the wall, a blank stare on her face. her brown eyes were devoid of all emotion and Amenza noticed the untouched plate of food the others had brought.

she sat down next to her and gently held one of her hands. it was silent for a while until she spoke softly.

“she’s breathing. we thank the ancestors.”

instantly, Izogie’s hand squeezed hers tightly without saying anything. they watched the candle flames together.

“i want to see her,” the younger said, voice hoarse.

Amenza sighed.

“i’m afraid that is not possible.”

Izogie inhaled and exhaled deeply as she kept her gaze straight ahead.

“why not?”

a heavy pause.

“they say she is in a coma.”

Izogie slowly retracted her hand and turned her body away. Amenza held onto her shoulder.

“i know it’s not what you want to hear but at least it’s not worse. we just have to wait and pray tha—.”

her sentence was cut short.

“Amenza,” Izogie said, voice low and filled with exhaustion. “please leave. i want to be by myself.”

this was a request that a huge part of Amenza wanted to deny. she knew Izogie. if left alone, her friend would think herself into a mental hole she could not come out of.

she’d seen it happen before.

but at the same time, the only thing she herself had to offer Izogie in this moment was space. so, Amenza forced herself to stand up.

“i’m always here for you,” she said. “we all are.”

she squeezed her shoulder and then headed out.

after that night, more than a week had gone by and you were still unconscious. as for Izogie, she had stopped speaking entirely. she only ate and bathed with the help of Nanisca, Amenza and some others, but she never left her quarters. not even to see you.

it was as though time came to a halt for her.

on the other hand, King Ghezo canceled festival day. he believed there was nothing to celebrate, seeing as such an incident took place just a couple feet away from the throne room.

instead, he was going to hold a council meeting to discuss what transpired. afterwards, the punishment for Nanare and the other girls would be announced.

Izogie was one of the people Ghezo wanted in attendance and Nanisca was sent to deliver the message in the evening.

upon entering, Nanisca saw her sitting in the same spot she’d always seen her sitting in, staring at the same wall she’d always seen her staring at.

Izogie made no movements as the miganon sat down next to her. they both looked across the room and soon, the elder spoke.

“there’s a meeting about the matter tomorrow. the King wants you there.”

Izogie said nothing, eyes still. Nanisca continued.

“i need to know that you’ll be there. you cannot continue on like this. it’s not good physically or mentally.”

they both sat in silence, the sounds of crickets and indistinct chatter from the outside filling the air.

then, for the first time in a while, she spoke.

“miganon, i was late again.”

Nanisca turned to her with a confused look.

“what do you mean?”

Izogie stared for a couple more seconds before reaching into her pocket. she pulled out the bracelet she had bought you at the marketplace and handed it over. Nanisca eyed the piece of jewelry as she waited for the younger to talk.

“that day, after we got meat for festival day, i went to buy her that. i was late because of it.”

a sigh left Nanisca’s lips.

“do you blame yourself? for not being back in time?”

“how can i not?” Izogie asked, voice low and raspy. “while i wasted time picking that out for her, she was over here getting—.”

the sentence couldn’t even roll off her tongue.

“Izogie,” Nanisca began. “it is not your fault. none of us could’ve known that something like this would happen.”

a grimace appeared on her face.

“something like this has already happened before. you and i both know how that story ended.”

she paused for a second before scoffing bitterly.

“the ancestors must be punishing me for not learning my lesson the first time.”

“and what lesson would that be?” Nanisca asked.

“love makes you weak,” Izogie said through gritted teeth. “if i had not been occupied with thoughts of making her happy, i would’ve never gone to the marketplace. i would’ve been here in time.”

“you’re a human being,” Nanisca said. “wanting to love and be loved does not make you weak.”

tears pooled around Izogie’s eyes.

“what has love itself ever brought me? nothing but pain and heartache.”

“is that why you have not gone to see her?”

she lowered her head, voice coming out strained.

“i cannot bring myself to go. it’ll hurt too much.”

Nanisca swung her hand over to hold her shoulders tightly.

“we’re the agojie,” she said. “we do not shy away from pain. instead, we have to learn and heal from it.”

“i’m tired of learning and healing.”

“then i’m afraid you cannot become the next miganon.”

Izogie looked up at her in shock.

“what?”

Nanisca began. “if you cannot learn and heal from your pain, especially ones that concern matters of the heart, you cannot lead the others.”

Izogie fell silent as she continued.

“every time we step onto the battlefield and we lose a warrior, it feels as though i have lost my own child. each time, the pain is more unbearable than the last. but i need to keep pushing. if i let it consume me, we will all fall apart.”

“how do you do it?” the younger asked.

“one foot in front of the other, one day at a time. our fallen would want me to carry their memories into battle. they would not want me to sit by, dwelling on their deaths. it is so hard on certain days but i keep going. for you all, and for them.”

Nanisca gently held Izogie’s face as she spoke.

“there is something you once said to my daughter and i would like to say it back to you. you are powerful. more than you even know. do not give your power away to pain and what if’s. go and see her. cry all night if you need to. then, come to council tomorrow and keep pushing. it’s what she would want."

she placed the bracelet back in her palm and pulled her in for a tight hug. they stayed that way a while.

as night fell, the miganon took her leave and Izogie went to the infirmary. the physician greeted her before proceeding to step out, giving the two of you space.

off to the side, you were laying still in a bed with your eyes closed. your chest rose and dropped softly as she approached. some of your wounds seemed to be healing already and overall, you looked peaceful.

Izogie sat at your side, gently taking one of your hands into hers. she then brought her lips to your knuckles, softly kissing them. her eyes watched you for a while before she pulled out the bracelet.

as she clasped it shut around you, she placed a tender kiss on your inner wrist. one that lingered for a moment. for the remainder of the night, Izogie slept at your side with her hand wrapped around yours.

the next day, the council meeting was held in the throne room. it was mid-afternoon and some were arriving from lunch while others came from their previous duties.

in attendance was King Ghezo, Queen Shante, Nanisca, Amenza, Izogie and the palace physician.

guards stood in far corners of the walls, surveying the space. everyone took their seats and when they all settled in, Ghezo spoke.

“you all know why we are gathered here today so let us not beat around the bush.”

he motioned over with his hand.

“bring them in.”

the large doors swung open and Nanare, along with the other two girls, walked in. their hands were tied in ropes and two other agojie soldiers followed behind them. when they reached the front, all three of them kneeled as the soldiers stood at their backs.

Izogie watched Nanare with a blank expression on her face, gaze unwavering.

“Nanare, Nanare, Nanare,” Ghezo began, a look of disdain on his face. “you were one of the trainees Nanisca told me to look forward to. what a shame.”

Nanare’s head hung low as she spoke.

“i’m sorry, my King.”

“i’m sorry, too,” he said. “i should’ve never allowed a person like you to enter the palace in the first place.”

he pointed his fingers at them as he continued.

“can you even explain to me why you, dumb and dumber, did what you did to that girl?”

silence filled the room.

none of the girls said anything and soon, Ghezo started clapping.

“so now none of you can talk? Shante told me she heard the rumors you three were spreading about her. your mouths were running like parrots before but now you can’t talk?”

Nanisca got up and stood in front of the three.

“the King has asked you a question. respond.”

again, silence.

Izogie’s jaw clenched as one of her legs started to bounce. Amenza quickly placed a hand on her knee to calm her down. Ghezo continued.

“since none of you want to speak, let us speed this up. you three will not waste my time today.”

he turned his head to the physician and asked.

“how long has the girl been unconscious for?”

the man spoke. “in three more days, it’ll be two weeks, my King.”

Ghezo nodded and addressed the room.

“then here’s how we will proceed. in three days time, if the girl these three put in a coma is not awake, they shall all be put to death.”

the eyes of the other two girls instantly widened as Nanare showed no reaction. Amenza shot up from her seat, utter disbelief on her face. Izogie’s features had a stone cold look to them and Nanisca turned to speak, concern in her tone.

“my King, we’re not here to kill our own.”

Ghezo scoffed.

“they stopped being ‘our own’ when they decided to beat their fellow comrade within an inch of her life.”

Amenza stepped forward, worry filling her voice.

“they are still Dahomey, no matter what they’ve done. i’m begging you to consider exiling them.”

the two girls who had begun crying furiously nodded their heads in agreement.

“please, just send us away.”

“we beg of you. don’t do this to us.”

“silence,” boomed Queen Shante’s voice. the girls quickly tucked in their quivering lips as she looked down on them. “how dare you speak when you were not spoken to?”

Shante turned her head to look at the others.

“i agree with my husband.”

Nanisca sighed.

“this is too harsh a sentence. i know we’re all frustrated but we cannot resort to this. i vote for exile.”

the Queen rolled her eyes.

“how do we look to the other tribes if we let those who caused harm to us, as well as broke our trust, walk free? they will think we’ve grown weak.”

she turned to the King.

“imagine them thinking of us as weak. we cannot have that.”

Amenza spoke, a confused look on her face.

“since when did we concern ourselves with the thoughts of others? exile is the best punishment to pass down. we can move on from it quickly and work on rebuilding our unity. we already see enough death as it is.”

the entire room waited for Ghezo to speak and in that moment, his eyes fell on Izogie.

she had not said a single word about the sentence and her searing gaze was still on Nanare.

“Izogie,” he called out. “what are your thoughts?”

“it does not matter what i think,” she said, still not looking at the King.

Ghezo sighed.

“i know this must be hard for you. Nanisca told me that you and the girl were very good friends.”

Izogie said nothing as he continued.

“the members of this council are on two different sides. since you will be miganon soon, i would like you to voice your opinion. whatever you choose will be the final decision.”

everyone fell silent.

they awaited Izogie’s next words.

tension hung heavy in the air.

one could’ve heard a pin drop.

then,

“i vote for their deaths.”

ear piercing screams rang out from the two girls as they began weeping loudly. Nanisca let out a deep exhale, a distressed look appearing on her face.

“Izogie,” Amenza exclaimed, pure shock on her face. “what do you think you’re doing?”

she quickly stood in front of the younger, speaking with urgency.

“take back what you just said. you cannot be in support of this. it is not who you are.”

Izogie got up to meet her at eye level, face stoic.

“Amenza,” she said, tone deadly serious. “if these three are exiled and she does not wake up, you know who i am. i will find every single one of them and handle it myself. exile was never an option.”

Amenza furrowed her eyebrows.

“are you that blinded by rage that you cannot reason? an eye for an eye makes nothing right.”

“i’m not trying to make anything right,” Izogie spat, voice rising. “if someone harmed any of the agojie, i would not allow that person to see the next light of day. do you want to know why? because you are all my family.”

she paused, pain engulfing her eyes as the next words came out strained.

“i’m in love with that woman. why would i not do for her what i would do for you? and even more?”

Amenza’s lips parted slightly, unable to form words.

for what seemed like an eternity, no one spoke.

then,

small laughter could be heard.

it came from Nanare.

all eyes instantly shifted to her.

she started off with a low chuckle but soon, the sound erupted from her chest, filling the room.

confusion fell upon the faces of all as this continued.

well, almost all.

before anyone could speak, Izogie was already walking towards Nanare. she clutched the collar of her shirt, yanking her up to her feet.

“laugh again,” Izogie said through gritted teeth. “i dare you.”

the two agojie soldiers from behind stepped forward to separate the two but Ghezo stopped them.

a smirk appeared on Nanare’s face.

“you’re already sentencing me to death,” she said. “the least you can do is let me laugh at this little show you’re putting on.”

Izogie threw her down to the ground hard.

Nanare’s body made a loud thud as she winced in pain, struggling to stand. Nanisca took a step forward but Ghezo also motioned for her to stop.

Izogie squatted down next to Nanare, sitting the girl upright. she then wrapped her hands tightly around the younger’s hair, tugging it harshly. they both locked eyes with each other.

“you don’t feel remorse for what you did, do you?”

the other shrugged, trying to keep her composure.

“your girlfriend was weak. i can’t feel sorry for those who can’t hold their own.”

Izogie punched her right in the face.

the force sent Nanare’s body colliding with the floor. her nose started bleeding heavily but Izogie could care less. she grabbed the younger and sat her up again.

Amenza quickly spoke.

“my King, this is going too far. allow us to stop it.”

Ghezo said nothing as he watched the scene unfold.

Nanare’s head was hanging low, blood dripping onto her uniform. Izogie lifted her chin up, digging her nails into the sides of her jaw. a small whimper escaped Nanare’s lips as Izogie looked down on her.

“it was the three of you against her but you say she couldn’t hold her own?”

Izogie delivered a hot slap to Nanare’s cheek.

“you call her weak?”

she slapped her again.

“in front of me?”

another slap.

tears fell from Nanare’s eyes as her cries were muffled. Izogie smirked, the whites of her teeth showing.

“would you like to fight me instead? here and now?”

Nanisca instantly stepped forward, separating them.

“Izogie, you’re not fighting this girl,” she said firmly.

Izogie stood up to face her, fire behind her eyes.

“miganon, allow me to do this. for her.”

Nanisca shook her head no.

“if you call for a challenge, it would be an unfair fight towards Nanare. i will not allow my successor to stoop to that level.”

Izogie’s tongue poked the inside of her cheek, just as Nanare was shuffling to her feet. when the younger eventually got up, she staggered towards Izogie. Nanisca held Izogie’s shoulder back as Nanare spoke, blood staining her teeth.

“you seem so intent on fighting for that girl. if only you had this much zeal to fight for my sister.”

the brows of both women furrowed as a puzzled look found its way onto the faces of those in the room.

“what?” Izogie asked, tone low.

Nanare spat blood onto the ground.

“you really don’t know who I am, do you?”

Izogie’s face displayed an even more perplexed look as Nanisca spoke, her own patience wearing thin.

“enough with this nonsense. if you claim to know Izogie, enlighten the room on how.”

she sniffled as she stepped forward to Izogie, mere inches separating their faces.

“I am Nanare, the younger sister of Nossa.”

Queen Shante’s eyes immediately widened as she covered her mouth in shock. Amenza’s mouth hung open, a stunned look on her face. Nanisca blinked rapidly, absolutely awestruck.

as for Izogie, her entire body had gone rigid. it was as though a cold chill had run down her spine, leaving her completely paralyzed.

Nossa.

a name she hadn’t heard out loud in so long.

“what is happening?” Ghezo asked. he seemed quite surprised and confused by the reactions.

“who is Nossa?”

upon hearing her name again, Izogie felt like all the wind inside her had been knocked out. she fell to her knees, a dazed look on her face.

Nanare looked down at her kneeling figure, tears falling from her own eyes.

“now you remember,” she said. “when my sister needed you, you were not there. you told her you loved her but you were not there.”

Izogie inhaled shakily as her lips trembled.

why?

why was she being reminded of that memory again?

had she not suffered enough?

Nanare swallowed hard, spitting her next words out with spite and conviction.

“do your best not to forget that Nossa died because of you.”

utter anguish spread throughout Izogie’s face as teardrops fell from her eyes.

before anyone could speak, the doors to the throne room swung wide open.

standing in front was a boy. he was the helper of the palace physician. beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he spoke rapidly, not even trying to catch his breath.

“my King, i’m sorry for entering like this but i need the doctor.”

the palace physician spoke.

“what is it, my child?”

“the girl who is in a coma,” he said. “she’s having a seizure as we speak.”

immediately, the physician, Nanisca and Amenza ran out with the boy. Ghezo ordered for the soldiers to take Nanare and the other girls back to their holding cells as he left with Queen Shante.

in the middle of the throne room, Izogie knelt with a tear stricken face, unable to move.

at the infirmary, the wooden doors burst open and Nanisca saw you convulsing in bed. she quickly rushed to hold you down in place as the others ran in. the physician noticed what she was doing and ordered her to stop.

“no, no, no. you must not do that,” he said, tone frantic. “we need to lay her down on the floor.”

he quickly cleared the ground of chairs and small objects. Amenza held your feet tightly while Nanisca gripped underneath your armpits. you were still writhing as they set you down.

the physician turned to the boy.

“grab the covers and roll them up. place them under her head for protection.”

he quickly did as he was told.

“is there not some medicine we can give her?” Amenza asked, visibly scared.

the physician knelt beside you.

“a person suffering a seizure must not have anything put in their mouth.”

“so what are you saying?” Nanisca questioned. “are we just supposed to sit here and watch this happen?”

a solemn look appeared on the man’s face.

“i’m afraid so. if the seizure is not severe, it should stop soon. all we can do it wait.”

instantly, Amenza began praying over your body. after a couple minutes passed by, you stopped shaking. the physician tilted your head back gently and checked your airways.

“she is breathing. we thank our ancestors.”

Nanisca and the boy let out a sigh of relief as Amenza held your hand. for the remainder of the night, they all worked on taking care of you. each of them even took turns watching you as you slept.

the next day, your condition was stable enough.

but there was another issue.

no one had seen Izogie since yesterday afternoon. she was nowhere to be found in the palace or around the village.

Amenza had suggested forming a search party to look for her but Nanisca decided against it.

“Izogie needs time alone,” she said. “it’s been a while since we’ve talked about Nossa. seeing her sister must’ve come as a huge shock.”

due to yesterday’s events, training was suspended for today. Amenza decided to use the opportunity to pay Nanare a visit. as she arrived at the holding cell, the guards opened the door and she stepped inside.

the space was relatively dark, the only light sources coming from small holes atop the walls. the floor was bare and sitting on the ground was Nanare.

when she noticed Amenza, she stood up and bowed her head slightly. her nose was wrapped in a white bandage and the side of her face was swollen.

“please, sit,” Amenza said.

they both took a seat and looked up at the holes, watching dust particles dance in the air. for a while, neither spoke.

then, Nanare turned to her and asked.

“is she alive?”

Amenza shook her head yes.

Nanare nodded as well and went back to looking up. they sat in silence again for a couple of seconds.

“why did you do it?”

“do what?”

“the beating.”

the younger sighed, a somber look on her face.

“what ended up happening that day. it was never my intention.”

Amenza gave her a confused look.

“if you didn’t mean for it to happen, why were you so angry at her in the first place?”

Nanare fiddled with her fingers as she took in a deep breath, exhaling shakily.

“ever since I came here,” she began. “every time I saw y/n and Izogie, I would think to myself, it’s going to happen again.”

“what’s going to happen again?”

“what happened to Nossa.”

Amenza looked taken aback by her words.

“is that why you spread rumors about y/n?”

Nanare nodded.

“I saw how close her and Izogie were getting and I wanted to do anything that could separate them. Izogie isn’t a good person. I didn’t want what happened to my sister to happen to y/n.”

Amenza paused, a sigh leaving her lips.

“why do you blame Izogie?”

Nanare swallowed hard, finding it difficult to speak.

“take your time.”

the younger nodded and soon, she began the tale.

“you know how Nossa was studying to become a seamstress in our village, right?”

Amenza gave her a warm smile.

“I remember. every time the agojie passed through, we always noticed her beautiful clothing. sometimes, we even caught her sneaking a peek at us.”

Nanare smiled softly.

“it was always Nossa’s dream to design and make clothes for the agojie. she admired you all, even though she was the weakest in our family.”

she paused before continuing.

“around that time was when she first laid eyes on Izogie. I believe it was the first time my sister ever fell in love.”

“you know,” Amenza said. “Nossa was Izogie’s first love too.”

Nanare scoffed playfully.

“I figured. there was always a youthfulness to them. they constantly snuck around to meet each other and some days, Nossa would come home with gifts that were only made in the palace.”

“did you ever have any issue with their relationship?” Amenza asked.

“no,” the younger said. “I was the only person in our family who knew. I was just happy that my older sister was happy. then, that day came.”

Amenza held one of Nanare’s hands and squeezed it as she continued.

“Nossa told me that she would be meeting Izogie somewhere and I begged her to let me go with her. I was quite young at the time and I wanted to see an agojie soldier up close. she was a bit hesitant at first but she finally gave in. when we got there, we waited for a while but Izogie never showed up.”

tears started welling in her eyes.

“as we kept waiting, we heard the sound of warning drums in the distance. apparently, an enemy tribe was attacking our village. Nossa quickly took my hand and we ran deep into the forest; but one of the attackers had spotted us.”

a teardrop fell from Nanare’s cheeks as Amenza swung her hand over to hold her shoulders.

“by the time we realized we were being pursued, Nossa only had time to hide me in some dense bushes. then—.”

Nanare stopped talking as her head hung low, tears falling in her lap. Amenza held her tightly as she spoke between sobs.

“the man kept asking Nossa where I was but she wouldn’t say anything.”

at this point, her body was shaking.

“in that moment, I remembered shutting my eyes and praying so desperately for Izogie to show up. when I eventually opened them, my sister was laying in a pool of her own blood. the man long gone.”

Nanare’s cries filled the space.

“I wished Nossa was strong enough to defend herself without needing someone. did you know that Izogie didn’t even come to see Nossa’s body until a week later? I wish my sister never met her. maybe, she would still be here.”

a look of realization appeared on Amenza’s face.

“so that’s why you were angry at y/n for being weak. she reminds you of Nossa, doesn’t she?”

Nanare shook her head slowly as she sniffled.

“y/n is a good person with a kind heart. I acknowledge that. I’m just worried that one day, on the battlefield, she’ll be in need of help and not I or Izogie can do anything for her. I don’t want to relive that again.”

Amenza held Nanare’s head gently and placed it on her shoulder. she wrapped her arms around her body and they both sat in silence for a while.

soon, she spoke.

“would you like me to tell you why Izogie couldn’t be there that day?”

Nanare quickly looked up at her.

“it all started with a gift.”

“a gift?”

Amenza nodded.

“that day Izogie was supposed to meet your sister, she told me she was going to give her something special. the plan was that when evening came, Izogie would pick up the gift from Queen Shante and then head out.”

the younger’s eyes immediately widened.

“Queen Shante? she knew they were together?”

Amenza smiled.

“Queen Shante visited your family’s shop frequently because she loved Nossa’s clothing. she wanted your sister to be her personal seamstress one day. on one of her usual visits, she happened to stumble upon the two. she wasn’t upset though. Izogie said she even swore on the spot to keep them a secret.”

“so what was the gift then?” Nanare asked.

“well, the Queen knew how much Izogie wanted to impress Nossa. so, she had one of our traders go to Ouidah to buy mulberry silk. it is the most expensive silk fabric on the market but Queen Shante didn’t care. she really adored the two.”

“then what happened?”

“everything went wrong.”

Nanare listened intently.

“Queen Shante was in a council meeting that ran late so Izogie had to wait a little longer. when they finally wrapped up, they headed to the Queen’s quarters to get the silk. as they reached the entrance, they both heard the warning drums. the village was under attack and some of the enemies were already in the palace grounds.”

Amenza sighed as she continued.

“in that moment, the only person on Izogie’s mind was your sister. so, she locked the Queen inside her cupboard as a way to protect her and ran out. as she was figuring out which route would be the fastest to Nossa, she ran into Nanisca.”

a slight chuckle bubbled from Amenza.

“Izogie was so adamant about leaving and that was how the miganon found out. Nanisca was angry that Izogie hid something like that from her but she understood nonetheless. as she was telling Izogie of a secret route, Ghezo appeared in front of them. there was nothing they could do. as part of the agojie, one of our duties is to protect the royal family. so, they stayed and fought.”

Nanare looked at Amenza, utter shock on her face. because she was always so angry at Izogie, her mind never once considered the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Izogie really did try her best to reach Nossa.

the younger’s jaw quickly clenched in anger.

“if that was the case, why did Izogie not come to see my sister after the fighting stopped? why did she wait a whole week to come see the woman she said she loved?”

a sorrowful look formed on Amenza’s face.

“Nanare,” she said. “think back to the times you’ve seen Izogie. have you ever noticed a long, jagged scar on the right side of her neck?”

Nanare thought about it for a bit before nodding.

“yes, i have seen it. all the trainees always wondered how someone ever got close enough to cut the Izogie that deeply.”

Amenza gave her a sad smile.

“that scar was why she came a week later.”

“what?”

Amenza began, a look of pain forming on her face.

“while the fighting was still happening, I remembered looking across the palace and seeing how Izogie fought. it was as though her body was there but her mind was not. I do not say this as an insult but it was the worst she had ever been in battle. and then, it happened.”

Amenza casted her eyes down as she spoke.

“because Izogie was not focused, one of the enemies managed to slice her neck with a dagger.”

she exhaled shakily.

“I saw my friend fall to the ground, her own blood staining her fingers as she clutched her wound. I couldn’t help her in that moment and it pained me. if it wasn’t for Esi who managed to kill the man and drag Izogie to safety, she would’ve died there.”

Nanare’s eyes went wide, guilt engulfing her heart.

“Izogie came a week later because that day was the first day she could move since her injury. even in all of her pain, the first person she looked for was Nossa.”

tears pooled in the younger’s eyes as Amenza swallowed hard.

“the Izogie I know would’ve died for your sister a thousand times over if she could. please, do not blame my friend for the death of her first love.”

Nanare’s lips trembled as she bursted out crying. Amenza held her tightly, allowing her own tears to flow freely.

“i’m sorry, Nanare,” she said. “i’m sorry that in that moment, you had no one to help your sister. no matter what ends up becoming of you, i pray that the ancestors know you did the best you could.”

Nanare cried even harder, her throat trying to grasp air. Amenza gently rocked the both of them, encouraging her to let it all out. they both stayed in that position for the rest of the night, hearts heavy.

the next day, Amenza spoke to the King about letting Nanare visit her sister’s grave for what could possibly be the last time.

the likelihood of you waking up by tomorrow night looked quite slim so now was the best time.

Ghezo had been hesitant at first, not being too fond of granting prisoners any wishes. Amenza quickly assured him that she would escort Nanare to and from the burial ground safely. after much debate, he agreed.

late in the afternoon, the pair set out.

Nossa was buried atop a hill and when they arrived at the foot of it, Amenza held Nanare’s hands softly.

“i’ll wait down here while you’re up there,” she said. “do not feel rushed. spend as much time as you need.”

Nanare thanked her as she walked up the pathway. when she arrived at the top, she took in the view.

birds flew freely in the sky as luscious green grass swayed in the wind. over the horizon, mountains stood tall, clouds nestled on their tops. the air was cool and crisp, giving the space a sense of peace.

as she looked around, she noticed someone was already there. next to her sister’s grave, Izogie sat, watching the landscape.

Nanare froze for a couple of seconds, unsure of what to do. she had figured the next time they would meet again would be at her execution. now that Izogie was here in the flesh, she was at a loss.

what was she even supposed to say to her?

the younger wanted to spend time with her sister but she couldn’t just ignore the other woman. not after learning the truth.

as Nanare pondered what to do, a gentle breeze blew at her back, almost as if urging her to walk forward.

before she knew it, she was putting one foot in front of the other, walking.

within a couple steps, her feet arrived at Nossa’s grave. she knelt down and said a prayer, paying her respects. as she did this, Izogie did not move an inch.

when Nanare was done, she stood up and walked in her direction. she sat down next to her, the both of them gazing at the scenery.

in that moment, so much could’ve been said, explained, unpacked, divulged and even more.

instead, Izogie spoke, words sincere.

“I’m sorry.”

Nanare took in a deep breath, her tone earnest.

“I’m sorry, too.”

for the remainder of the afternoon, they both sat there without exchanging any words. each of them now had an understanding of why the other did the things they did and said the things they said. the innermost parts of their souls had been revealed and atop that hill, they could just be.

as the sun set, the pair walked back down the path and spotted Amenza. she had been waiting for hours and her face looked tired. nevertheless, she greeted them with a warm smile as they headed back to the palace.

along the way, the trio was silent. not in an awkward way though. more so calm. they watched villagers pass by and small children chase chickens, their laughter filling the air.

as they continued on, an agojie soldier saw them from afar. she began running towards the three at full speed. upon taking a closer look, they saw it was Esi.

a collective feeling of fear ran through the women.

when she finally arrived in front of them, she spoke rapidly, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“exactly where have you all been? i’ve been looking for the hill Ghezo said you were at for almost half an hour. you know i’m bad with directions.”

Amenza looked at the others and dared to ask the question that was on their minds.

“has something happened?”

Esi gave them the biggest smile in the world.

“she’s awake,” she said. “y/n is awake.”

upon hearing those words, Izogie’s eyes widened as her heartbeat quickened. it felt as though new life had been breathed into her lungs.

Amenza loudly uttered a praise to the ancestors as she squeezed Nanare tightly, the younger smiling from ear to ear.

now, the only thing on Izogie’s mind was you. she needed to see your eyes on hers. she needed to hear your voice. she needed to hold you. she needed to breath the same air as you.

she needed you.

before Izogie could do anything though, she turned her gaze to Nanare. the younger was already looking at her with a smile.

“go,” she said. “it’s what Nossa would want for you.”

Izogie thanked her with her eyes and immediately took off. as she ran, her feet felt light as the wind whooshed past her ears. her heartbeat thumped with anticipation as she neared her destination.

a second chance, Izogie thought.

that was what she was getting with love. this time, she would not close herself off to it.

at the infirmary, you laid in bed, eyes still adjusting to your surroundings. you had woken up an hour ago but so many things were still a blur.

the last thing you remembered was speaking to Nanare in the courtyard. nothing else.

as you tried to sit up, your mind quickly reminded you of your injuries. everywhere ached and you winced painfully as the physician helped you lay back down. your could feel that your muscles had grown weak as a result of not moving for so long.

“some of the wounds are not fully healed yet,” he said. “try not to push yourself too much.”

he gave you some medicine to help with the pain. afterwards, you stared up at the ceiling, trying to organize your thoughts. soon, Nanisca entered.

“miganon,” you said.

she greeted you with a smile and sat by your side. the physician went to another corner of the room, working on his herbal remedies.

Nanisca held your hand gently and it took you by surprise. ever since you joined the king’s guard, you’d never had a conversation with her. it didn’t bother you though. she was a busy woman after all.

“how are you feeling?” the elder asked.

a crestfallen look found its way onto your features.

“i’m not really sure,” you said. “it just feels like i’m behind on everything.”

Nanisca nodded thoughtfully as you sighed.

this was truly how you felt. ever since you woke up, all you could do was wonder about all sorts of things.

what happened between you and Nanare?

how many trainings did you miss?

would you be healed in time to take the final test?

where was Izo—.

you were snapped back to reality as she squeezed your hand firmly.

“do not feel pressured to learn everything today. allow yourself to be in the present. when you are back of your feet, we will all be here to guide you.”

warmth spread through your body as you listened to her words. you never wanted to do any of this alone.

“thank you,” you replied, tone sincere.

Nanisca laughed. “no, I should be thanking you.”

you gave her a confused look.

“why?”

“well firstly, you woke up. secondly, it was just in time. you have made four people very happy.”

before you could ask her what she meant by that, the wooden doors swung open.

standing in front was Izogie.

her face, shoulders and biceps were covered in sweat. her lips were slightly parted, displaying some of her white teeth. through her uniform, her chest heaved up and down and her eyes frantically searched the room.

when her gaze landed on yours, butterflies erupted in your stomach as your heart raced.

then, you remembered.

on that hot afternoon day, as you were being beaten into the ground, Izogie was the last person your subconscious thought about before you blacked out.

you thought you would never see her again.

you quickly tried to sit up, eager to greet her. instantly, a hot sharp pain ran down your spine. your entire body trembled as a whimper escaped your lips. Nanisca gently laid you back down, tears forming around your eyes. Izogie looked at you, anguish engulfing her face.

“take it easy,” Nanisca said. “you are all right. you just have some bruising around your back. you should feel better in a couple of weeks.”

as the miganon stood up to leave, you tried to keep your composure. Nanisca squeezed Izogie’s shoulders as she motioned the physician over. they both headed out, leaving the two of you alone.

in that moment, you felt so angry with yourself. your own body was betraying you and there was nothing you could do about it. you quickly turned your head in the opposite direction.

why must i always look weak in front of her? you thought to yourself as footsteps approached you.

teardrops cascaded down the side of your face and before you could wipe it, Izogie’s palm gently cupped your cheek, slowly tilting your head back towards her.

you refused to make eye contact as you swallowed hard. then, for the first time in a long time, you heard her voice again.

“do you really not miss me that much?”

your eyes quickly shot up to meet her gaze. your lips parted slightly as you noticed how much she towered over you. her broad shoulders and defined muscles always had an effect on your entire body.

she had a small smirk on her face but it wasn’t boastful like her typical ones. there was a hint of something else underneath. you had other things to worry about though. you softly pushed her hand.

“i’m not in the mood,” you said, voice cracking.

Izogie watched as you wiped your tears angrily.

“would you like for me to leave?” she asked.

instantly, you were at an internal crossroad. a part of you just wanted to be left alone with your thoughts. you already hated how vulnerable you looked. her being here would only add to your anxiety.

but at the same time, your eyes never wanted to lose sight of Izogie ever again. even in this moment, your body yearned for her touch. you missed her antics, her scolding, her confidence, everything.

you winced as you felt a dull ache in your head. all this thinking was doing you no good. you knew so much about what you wanted and yet, you knew so little.

“do whatever you want, Izogie.” you said weakly, voice filled with pain. “i just woke up from a coma, my body is not functioning and i feel the weakest i have ever felt. i fear that at this rate, i may never become a part of the agojie.”

your throat tightened as tears fell from your eyes.

“it’s so overwhelming to wake up to all these thoughts. i know that i have you all to help me but i’m still so scared.”

Izogie’s jaw clenched as she quickly averted her gaze. she hated seeing you cry. not because crying was a bad thing, but because she never knew how to comfort you.

for a while, she listened as your sobs filled the room. then, she spoke.

“would you really like me to do whatever I want?”

you sniffled as you looked up at her, taken aback by the question.

“what?”

she looked down on you.

“i don’t want you to cry anymore so there’s something I want to do.”

now, you were even more confused. why was she saying something like that to you? your palms suddenly felt sweaty as your heartbeat picked up. with all the strength you could muster, you asked.

“what do you want to do?”

“i want to kiss you.”

your thoughts came to a crashing halt. your eyes widened as you stared at her, a dumbfounded look on your face. you blinked rapidly, unsure of what you just heard.

“what?”

Izogie kissed her teeth slightly. she lowered her muscular frame down to yours, a silver glint residing behind her eyes. your breath hitched in your throat as her face was mere inches away from yours.

“i want to kiss you,” she said again.

“is this supposed to be some sort of a joke?” you asked, voice coming out more shaky that you intended.

Izogie’s eyes flickered down to your lips.

“i don’t make jokes like this.”

she looked back up at you, sincerity swirling in her brown eyes.

“i will only do it if you want me to.”

you lips parted slightly. Izogie always seemed so far away from you. so unattainable. never in your wildest dreams did you imagine her saying these words.

“why?” you asked, trying to shrink into the bed as heat spread through you. “do you like me or something?”

a small smile formed on her lips.

“congratulations. you’re officially slower than Nawi.”

instinctively, you slapped her shoulder. Izogie quickly took hold of your hand and held it gently. she stared at the bracelet, a somber look appearing on her face.

“i can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

your eyes widened.

she lowered her lips down to your inner wrist, pressing a tender kiss to it.

your mouth hung open in disbelief as your heart pounded in your chest.

after setting your hand down, her eyes met yours.

“i need you by my side,” she said softly. “if i lose you, i lose myself.”

“Izogie,” you muttered softly.

her hand came up to the side of your face, gently caressing your cheek. she rested her forehead on top of your own, her eyes closed.

you didn’t move as you felt her breath on your lips.

“i thought you said love makes you weak.”

“you do make me weak,” she whispered. “but i will not give my power away to fear. i want to train with you, eat with you, fight with you, laugh with you—.”

she took a pause, lifting her head slightly to look at you fondly.

“i want to love you.”

you instantly leaned forward, placing a quick kiss on her lips.

for a split second, she looked taken by surprise.

“me too,” you said, eyes eager and twinkling with joy. “i want to love you too.”

as you said those words, Izogie dipped her head low, capturing your lips in hers. she kissed you softly, her hands cradling your face gently. her lips were warm, sending shivers throughout your body. you let out a small gasp as your hands clutched the collar of her uniform. her tongue slipped inside your mouth, sucking on your tongue languidly. you moaned softly, quickly pulling away when you realized.

Izogie’s lips chased yours, love and lust heavy in her eyes. in that moment, your entire existence felt as light as air. you pinched her nose softly, giving her a small smile.

“close your mouth,” you said, voice below a whisper. “you look like a fish.”

Izogie scoffed, her infamous smirk appearing on her face. before you knew what has happening, she gave you a quick peck on the lips.

the thumping of your heart filled your ears as she looked at you in pure adoration.

“you have nothing to be afraid of,” she said. “i will always be here with you. in our line of work, i cannot guarantee you safety but i can promise you this. i will always do everything in my power to protect you.”

you quickly wrapped your arms around Izogie, hugging her tightly. she buried her face in your neck, chuckling deeply as she placed kisses on you.

tears welled in your eyes because for the first time in a long time, you felt like you could finally breathe. the romantic feelings were mutual and you now had a companion who would really help you every step of the way. it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from your shoulders.

as night fell, you both sat there, simply taking in each other. going forward, you knew that you had much to catch up on. there was still conversations that needed to be had and lessons that needed to be learned.

but for tonight, you thanked the ancestors for bringing you and Izogie together.

🫀, the end.

[🫀] / heart to heart — extended scene.

today was the anniversary of Nossa’s death.

six months had passed since everything happened and you’d gained a newfound understanding on love, life, pain and family.

after hearing the entire story, King Ghezo and Queen Shante decided to pardon Nanare and her friends. they even allowed them to stay as part of the agojie.

at dawn, you woke up and headed to the palace garden. Izogie, you and Nanare were going to Nossa’s burial site to watch the sunrise. you wanted to bring some flowers.

as the three of you walked up the hill, there was a comfortable silence. at the top, the sky was a golden shade of orange and the birds chirped excitedly. a light breeze blew around you and your feet relished in the softness of the grass.

each of you took turns praying and paying your respects. after setting the flowers down, you stood up and took Nanare’s hands in yours. you gave her a soft smile as you squeezed her hands. the younger smiled warmly back at you.

soon, the three of you turned your attention to the rising sun and basked in its beauty. Izogie rested her arms around you and Nanare’s shoulders, a peaceful expression on her face.

in that moment, you felt that Nossa’s spirit was with you all. you never knew her personally but her presence was always there. in the wind, in the trees, and in the hearts of her sister and your lover.

as a gentle wind passed by, you could say with certainty that Nossa was looking down on the three of you, her face beaming with pride.

🫀, the end.

#izogie #izogie x reader #izogie x black!reader #lashana lynch #the woman king #gonesgone #Spotify

[facewithoutheart]

Thanks to @bookish-bogwitch, @confused-bi-queer, @fatalfangirl, @cutestkilla, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe & @forabeatofadrum for the tags!

I started a couple of new WIPs at the end of last week trying to shake off or shake up my newly restored motivation to write. The following is from one in which I was able to get more than a few lines out:

“Tell me, Snow, what exactly about pointy teeth screams excitement?”

“I’d imagine it’s the part where they’re piercing your neck.”

“Dream on.” He rolls his eyes.

I pout.

And a bit of the next chapter from boulders turn into sand, which I thought I could ride my wave of inspiration into finishing this weekend but I forgot something important and now I’m feeling bleh about making the corrections. Story of my life. Anyway here’s angst, Baz-style:

I check my face and neck in the mirror for bruises but there’s only dark circles under my eyes with bags deep enough to fit an entire wardrobe of clothing. Nothing a bad night of sleep couldn’t explain.

I walk back to my hotel bed and punch the pillow I didn’t use until the indentation matches my fists and nothing else.

I spend several long minutes deep breathing in front of the window. Grey clouds roll in from the south-west and maybe it’ll rain this morning.

They say that’s auspicious, for a wedding.

I blame @bookish-bogwitch for auspicious slipping into my lexicon. I still gotta punch up this section bc every time I reread it I change it. Seriously I’ve had this draft since 9 am and I tweak it every time I come in here. Posting now and getting over myself.

Tagging @martsonmars @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @hushed-chorus @annabellelux @bazzybelle @ivelovedhimthroughworse @ileadacharmedlife & @onepintobean (hi!)

#boulders turn into sand #ball is life #snowbaz #fanfic #six sentence sunday #except I never share just six sentences lol oops

[dykehayleywilliams]

IT ALL WORKS OUT IN THE ENDDDDDD WHEREVER YOU GOOOOOOO THAT’S WHERE I AMMMMMMMMMM

#boulders turn into sand. if you even care.

[justoneofthoseghosts]

An except from the next chapter of Even Boulders Turn Into Sand 'cause I haven't done WIP Wednesday in a hot minute.

As she’s walking over to the other ambulances that have just arrived to talk to the other PICs and keep them up to speed on the EMS plan set up, she notices Truck 54 arrive and Matt jumping out of the rig, in his turnout gear and helmet, brandishing a new Halligan, barking out orders to his crew.

It was the first time she had seen him in action again after he left for Oregon.  They didn’t have a lot of calls that overlapped the past few months and if they did, it would usually be the ambulance from their firehouse that showed up and not the firefighter rigs.  She listens as he commands his crew to start suiting up and it felt like he never really left.  His voice was clear as a bell, giving out instructions to each of his firefighters.  Despite the seriousness of the situation, it made Sylvie pause and smile softly.  He was back where he was meant to always be because he was indeed a Chicago guy.

#wip wednesday #brettsey #brettsey fanfic #even boulders turn into sand #also because screw you canon

[sparrowrye]

Demi Demon || Alastor x Reader, A2 part 20

Synopsis: It’s been over a year since we were brought under Alastor’s watchful eye. We’ve unlocked our Demonic powers, discovered our own talents, and began building the Safe Haven with Charlie and co. Alastor seems increasingly interested in the power we hold as one and intends to use it properly.

Previous part

Part 20: fixing

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

Reagan and I were alone on the shore. We had spent time alone recovering, physically and mentally, before agreeing to talk. She sat on one of the smooth boulders while I stood in the water, claws sinking in the sand in an effort to help ground myself. I was still buzzing from the skirmish.

"Why didn't you tell me about the blood thing?" she asked after several minutes of silence.

"I didn't want to scare you," I admitted. I was in my Demon form, per her request. She wanted to talk to 'the real me'.

"I'm not fourteen anymore."

"But you liked me. We were close because I wasn't like the 'other Demons'." I pulled my feet out of the sand to allow them to sink again. My tail moved through the water like a fish.

"I thought we told each other everything."

I looked over my shoulder at her. She was a friend and a daughter to me. I was amazed that we had even reached the point we had in less than four years. I was destroying it now. "I'm still trying to be comfortable with the nature of who I am."

We fell silent. She pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around them. The sun was warm and the Fall wind mixed with the ocean breeze. I had yet to actually be warm since...well, everything.

"What did he say to you?" I asked.

"A bunch of random crap."

"Like what?" I pressed, my back still to her.

"Like how Demons always see themselves as more powerful than Humans. That without Humans they would still just be spirits. And that they were the reason I don't know my real parents."

"You don't know them because you're a child of the ring fights," I answered a little too harshly. I quickly dropped it to something more lighter. "Something that Humans and Demons both do."

"I know that."

More silence hung overhead. I took a step further into the water so it reached my shins.

"Why did you call for me?"

"What do you mean?"

I turned around to face her finally. "Why did you call for me? I'm sure he was going to take you with him to wherever those other pure Humans are. So why call for me? Why did you want to come back?"

She didn't answer right away, casting her eyes down at the sand and face still hidden behind her knees. She looked like her fourteen-year-old self who I first met.

"Because I care about you," she admitted, "and because...you aren't...like other Demons." She put her legs down so she was sitting cross legged. "And because I know you care about the haven just as much as I do."

I stepped out of the water and walked over to her. She was at my head level while sitting on the rock. "I'm sorry. For not telling you the truth about myself." I gently placed my hand on top of hers and she flipped it over to hold it. "Thank you for trusting me."

She let out a sigh as I wrapped my arm around her back in an embrace. "No more secrets? Please?"

"No more secrets." I squeezed her once then let go to look at her. "I suppose this is a good time, then, to clear the air and tell the rest of my secrets. I'm uh...I'm not just a Demon. I'm half Angel, too."

She just kinda looked at me, eyes unblinking and body very still. Then she let out a loud, "What!?"

****

Alastor returned later that night in the pouring rain. I was in the living room reading, waiting for him to come back. His shadow sneaked up the stairs into his room where I heard his footsteps walking around. I let out a sigh and put the book I was reading on the side table.

I felt my nerves prickle down my back as I climbed the stairs and came to stand in front of his door. I could hear him pacing, the slight creak of the floor being the only hint. Red seeped out from under the door as I knocked gently on it. There was a moment of silence. Then he opened it. 

A wave of cedar and smoke reached my nose and warmth spilled out of his room into the cold hallway. His towering form blocked the light coming from behind and his red eyes locked with mine. I felt an odd spike of fear and excitement.

"You should be asleep," he said. His face looked like his usual smile but his eyes weren't as sharp. His smile actually looked fake. I noticed his monocle was missing, too.

"Is he dead?" I asked.

He let out a sigh through his smile and averted his eyes. "I'm afraid I failed to find him. Lucifer will send a message to the Overlords to make him their top priority." I nodded my head softly and looked down at my claws, tapping the edges together perfectly. "Was there something you wished to speak to me about?" he prompted.

"Well...yes." I glanced up to see his eyes were back on me. I put one foot claw on top of the other. I had spent the entire day thinking about how I wanted to word it yet failed almost immediately. "I um...thank you for today."

A breath of silence. "Perhaps you should withhold it."

"Why?" I tilted my head back to look at him fully.

"In order to find you, I had to violate our deals. Lucifer undid it so I could reach you through your mind."

My mouth hung open. That strange feeling of something being unwound when I was trapped had been our deals. I had no idea that Lucifer could undo a deal like that. Then again, he was the King of Hell.

I dropped my gaze back to my claws. "I'm glad you did. I don't know how I would've gotten out. I'm sorry."

"What for?"

I shifted uncomfortably. "It seems you always have to save me. I'm sure it's annoying."

"You saved me today."

My head snapped up. "What?"

"I have relied on my magic for centuries and when it was striped from me, I had next to nothing to defend myself. You, however, tapped into your own skills and saved us both from that situation. So I believe you also deserve a thank you."

My mouth moved but nothing came out of it. He has never said anything like that before, let alone even say thank you to anyone. I felt warmth creep into my chest and up to my cheeks. I felt the urge to run back to my room, to safety, but I didn't want to leave his presence. I didn't want his attention to be anywhere but on me.

His teeth had disappeared to allow a gentle smile on his face. "I will be awake for some time," he started, "perhaps you'd like to accompany me?" He stepped to the side and motioned into his room. His room. I finally had a full view of what it looked like.

On one side was a warm fireplace adjacent to a large window. A table and set of chairs sat in the corner in between them. On the other side of the room that he was partially blocking, I saw a massive bed with red curtains on the edges. A desk was immediately next to it, covered in a mess of papers and books.

Fear prickled in the back of my throat. He must've caught on because he turned on the radio sitting on the mantle to a soft melody and manifested my book on the table. I regretted wanting his attention but didn't dare pass up an opportunity of him being this kind, this open, with me. So I forced my feet to unstick from the floor and walk into the room.

It was warm, almost too warm, and the air felt strangely heavy. The smell of smoke was stronger here but I saw no evidence of a cigarette or anything like it. I watched him walk over to his desk to retrieve a handful of papers and a single book. I sat on one of the chairs and opened my own book, my fingers struggling to fiddle through the pages. I rubbed one of my sweaty palms on my pant leg under the table.

He sat in the other chair, legs crossed, and laid out the papers and book. He reached into his pocket to withdraw a pair of glasses. My mouth dropped open and he smiled at me with his teeth. "I seem to keep surprising you."

"I've never seen you with glasses."

"You've seen me with my monocle." He let the glasses fall lower on his nose so he could look down at the papers.

"That's different."

He let out a soft, deep chuckle. "I suppose." He was writing something on the papers. He looked like he was copying something from the book but I couldn't tell what it was or where it was from. He noticed my staring and I tried to avert my eyes back to my own book. He continued to stare up at me past the rim of his glasses, sending a funny feeling in my stomach.

I finally gave a terse, "What?"

"You're allowed to ask me questions."

"I was just observing. That's all."

His toothless smile reached further up his face. "I've had a love for history since I was a child. Once the Great Collapse started to happen, I began collecting important books or copying them. You'll find most of the books in my office are all history books from before the collapse."

"What exactly are you writing?"

"An abstract version of the book. It helps to solidify the information in my memory and allows me to return the book when I'm done reading it. I think it important for the few libraries we have to keep as many books as possible. Perhaps it'll help society to avoid another Great Collapse."

I wanted to ask when he was born but the question fell silent as he began to write again. I pretended to read but my eyes frequently went back up to watch him. I wasn't used to seeing him so...calm? Still? Normal? The longer I looked, the more relaxed I grew. I noticed Alcine and Alastor's shadow staring at each other on the wall, neither moving very much at all. It wasn't an aggressive stance, as if they too were simply observing each other.

After some time and a few songs later, Alastor began to hum along to the radio. The sound made my ears perk up instantly. I ignored the words on my page as I focused solely on him. He reached up and hooked a red claw on his bowtie. He placed it on the table and let the tail hang off the edge. His eye caught me looking and I pretended to be looking around at his room instead.

I shifted in the chair and brought my foot up to slid it underneath my other leg. I leaned on the armchair and pretended to flip the page. Had our chairs always been this close? I could easily touch his sleeve if I wanted to, but my better judgement prevented that.

After the first two songs, I found myself quickly growing tired. My head began to nod forward as the words on the page began to blur. I was reading the same sentence over and over again. My back was hurting from sitting up for so long but I didn't want to leave. Not yet.

Eventually, I fell asleep completely. The book slide out of my hands and into my lap. My dream felt warm, soft, and safe. I could hear him humming still and it felt like a blanket was being draped over my body. A soft smile tugged at my lips.

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

Author's Note:

We've got a few sweet chapters ahead so if y'all have any ideas or requests, now would be a good time to send them ;)

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

Taglist:

@wendigonamecaller @saccharine-nectarine

#demi demon #alastor the radio demon #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #soulmate au #soulmates #hazbin hotel #reqs open

[squidwen]

⚓️Octo Confidante⚓️

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Summary: Wracked with remorse for triggering Azul’s overblot, you seek out the fallen businessman in hopes of earning his forgiveness.

After finding him on the outskirts of Octavinelle, an unexpected fight ensues and you end up back in his tentacles. But this time they’re gentle, comforting you after a painful truth is revealed.

Sequel to Tentacle Trapped. However, you can read this fic without reading the first instalment.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Over the weeks since Azul’s overblot you’d made an effort to check up on how he was doing. Admittedly, you had been hesitant at first. It had taken ages for the suction cup marks to fade off your skin; a constant reminder of the horrors you could have faced if Jade hadn’t saved you.

Being on the receiving end of all the rage and injustice Azul felt towards his childhood had put into perspective the extent of his pain, and you couldn’t - in good conscience - pretend all was now fine. Especially since you had played a major role in triggering his overblot.

•~•~•~•~•

 Unfortunately, Azul was nowhere to be found today. You’d checked the classrooms, the cafeteria, Monstro Lounge, and even asked Jade if he’d knock on Azul’s bedroom door, but the eel had come back alone.

“Azul has been acting erratically of late,” said Jade, ushering you towards the front door of the dormitory. You were wary. If he was seeing you out, why wasn’t he steering you to the portal mirror? “Going on morning walks. Afternoon walks. Evening walks, with nothing on his person. He owes me for the extra duties I’ve had to fulfil in his absence. A part of me is debating whether to challenge him for the title of dorm leader.”

You cringed at the thought of Jade running Octavinelle. The eel seemed to sense your discomfort and beamed a sinister grin at you. “But I digress. The currents don’t get strong until late into the night. Chances are Azul’s footprints are still visible in the sand.”

With a brisk nudge Jade tipped you out of the entrance hall and into the crisp ocean. The effects of the breathing enchantment surrounding the dormitory lightly stung the space behind your nose.

“Safe travels, Prefect. Oh, and if you run into a shark…tough.”

•~•~•~•~•

Waking through water was laborious. You might have been able to breathe sufficiently, but you still had to drag yourself hundreds of yards into the deep with kilolitres of brine weighing you down. It felt like a boulder was strapped to your back.

Suddenly, about a mile from the dorm the shape of the footprints changed.

You crouched down to get a better look.

What had once been the definite sole of a shoe had become a long groove in the sand, like someone had dragged a pole through it.

Your heart lurched in your chest. Drag marks? Out here in the open ocean there were no street lamps, or ways of communication. What if Azul had run into a shark? Or someone had taken the opportunity to jump him? Jade had said Azul went for walks with nothing on him. Not even his magic pen. And his contract career had no doubt made him enemies.

“Azul!” you screamed, cupping your hands around your mouth. There came no reply. The call left you breathless. This far from the dormitory the breathing enchantment was thin. But you couldn’t get the thought of Azul being hurt out of your head. Rasping, you turned to call in the other direction when something soft slid over your mouth.

You recognised the sensation. The familiar prickle of suction cups caressed your cheeks as a tentacle wrapped around your face. Your eyes trailed its length until its owner came into view. Azul’s lilac skin and other gelatinous tentacles were just as you remembered. They snapped you back to his overblot, making your breathing quicken. Azul tightened the grip around your mouth as a silent scold.

“I’m going to take it away,” he cautioned, “and you’re going to breath normally.” You nodded in understanding. Azul peeled his tentacle off, and looked like he was about to burst into a fit of laughter. It took you a moment to guess why: dozens of suction cup marks probably peppered your face again. Livid, you shoved him. It broke the dam, and he exploded into chuckles.

It was mirthful, without restraint or professionalism.

Your anger didn’t stand a chance against it. You were relieved to see him. Before you could think, you threw yourself forward and wrapped your arms around him. Azul went stiff as a board. You were touching him. The real him. His real form. So tenderly and sweetly. The octopus suddenly became aware of himself. Pathetic, and soft, and weak.

Azul wriggled out of your arms and drew back to look at you. “Why are you here?” Suspicion spiked his gaze. “I can take these impromptu meetings in my human form, but why have you sought me out now? Is it to make fun of me? Go on then.” He opened his arms and tossed his head back. “Lay it on me. There’s nothing you can say that I haven’t already heard. And you’ve already seen me at my worst.”

You looked at the floor. “Azul, I don’t blame you for thinking the worst of me after what I did, but I’m not here to make things worse between us.”

Azul sighed. “You’re not? I’d much rather you did. I’d pick that over having my life’s work destroyed.”

After Leona had destroyed the contracts it had taken a while for the effects to kick in, but day by day Azul had lost the talents he’d coveted. His flawless skin had spots on it, his words had lost their melodic trill, and he looked like he’d gone up a dress size.

“There’s nothing to pick on.” You were being honest. “You look fine.”

“Don’t lie-“

“I’m not! And why are you out here, Azul? All on your own? Miles from anyone. What if something happened to you? What if a shark-“

One of Azul’s tentacles slammed into your gut. You doubled over in pain as it coiled itself up around your arms, your waist, your chest, and finally slinked itself around your neck. Your body responded, twisting and writhing, but it was no use. Azul’s pupils thinned into horizontal slits, challenging you cruelly. Soft as the tentacles were, they were strong. It had only taken one to put you out of commission and the lightest squeeze would sever your airway completely.

“I’d be fine.”

“Point taken,” you said sheepishly.

“Sharks aren’t indigenous to these waters. Don’t let Jade get inside your head. It was impossible to get the first-years to scrub the algae off the dorm spires without them crying about getting eaten. And as for your question…I’m out here because I need to order things.”

“Order things?”

Azul drew his tentacle away. His expression was distant, like his mind was anywhere else but with you. “In my head. You know why I hate this body. How much I’ve suffered inside it. After all, you can only go so many years being picked on for your appearance before you decide to change it.”

“So why are you in this form now?” You tilted your head in curiosity. “The breathing spell still works out here. You could have been human.”

“Did you not see the footprints? I was human until I was out of sight from the dorm. But what would be the point in being human while trying to process what I truly am? I’ve still got to live with myself. When I go home, I will look like this.”

“I just don’t understand what you don’t see. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Azul rolled his eyes and pushed past you. Speaking with you seemed to be a chore. “Go back. Tell Jade I’ll be home before Monstro Lounge opens for dinner.”

You grabbed his arm. “Azul-“ A tentacle shoved you off.

“There’s nothing you can say to me!” Forgetting that he wanted to be alone, Azul veered on you and shoved you briskly in the chest. You stumbled back, scuffing your ankle on a rock. The pain was sharp but you bit back your cry. “You don’t understand!” Azul’s lilac cheeks had turned purple with rage. “You can’t understand! All those years. My whole life. Don’t even try to cheer me up. You have no idea where to begin!”

Something snapped inside you.

“I don’t know?” You gripped your shirt and stomped forward. Azul drew back in surprise. “I don’t know what it’s like to crave respect, but settle for being left alone? Because every day brings another jab to my character, or my appearance, or my ability?”

Your words froze Azul. His shoulders stayed locked by his ears – poised and defensive – but his face softened. Perhaps a little too much. His cheeks went from purple to pale, his lips appearing almost white. He looked like he’d faint, but you didn’t care. It meant he was listening. An improvement on the last time you’d tried to make him see sense.

“Don’t tell me what I feel! Or what I understand!” Tears stung your eyes. “I know the pain of feeling so pathetic and useless you wonder if there’s any point to you at all. Even now-“

“Now?”

“I have no magic!” you screamed. Your throat was ripped raw. “It takes me hours to complete a task any mage could do in minutes. I have nothing! I am nothing! I can’t contact my family. I’m poor. I’m weak. I don’t understand how this world works.” You rambled off as your face swelled with emotion. Luckily, the sea water carried away your tears but the effect of them remained. “And do people really like me, or do they see me as entertainment? As a show? Something to compare themselves to and be reminded how lucky and strong they are. Is that why they spend time with me? Do people watch me struggle, and laugh?”

Azul started sobbing.

The sound wrested you back into yourself. You were meant to comfort the merman, not make him cry. And especially not make this all about yourself. Shame blanketed you. “Azul?” You reached forward and took him by the shoulders. He just kept sobbing, his head in his hands. You pulled him closer and bound him in a tight hug.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout.”

Azul couldn’t speak. He was near hysterics, barely managing a few syllables at a time. You shushed him. There was nothing he could say. Nothing he needed to. His chest heaved against yours, completely surrendering himself as he wrapped you in his own trembling arms. 

But his arms weren’t enough. It didn’t seem like he could get close enough to you. You could sense the hesitation in his touch as the first tentacle crawled across your shoulder. The suction cups barely gripped you, so you leant into them for reassurance.

It was the first time Azul had used his octopus form to be gentle with you. A part of your mind flashed back to the overblot, for when his tentacles had been used to restrain rather than embrace, but his softness usurped all your concerns.

The tentacle wrapped itself down your arm. Another mirrored the first, curling from your biceps to your wrist. You flinched at their coolness, like silk sleeves were being draped over your arms. 

You didn’t pull back. If Azul needed someone to hold you would gladly fill the role. Side to side you rocked him, a gentle and soothing sway.

It prompted two more tentacles to reach out for you. One went to cup the back of your head while the other snaked around your lower back. It squeezed in support and - trusting Azul’s intentions - you let yourself drop. The tentacle held you up easily. The one around your head played with your hair, lifting and curling the strands around itself.

Every part of you seemed to fascinate him.

“You’re not entertainment,” he breathed.

Fresh tears surged into your eyes. Azul felt their warmth as you buried your face into his shoulder. He pressed you closer. His tentacles held you tighter, like he was trying to wring the sadness out of you.

•~•~•~•~•

When Azul at last drew back, the tentacle around your head slid under your chin and turned your face to look at him. His cerulean irises shone against his red sclera.

You felt embarrassed for exposing yourself to him, but when you connect with someone so deeply it’s pointless to pretend. How can you hide a truth they know as deeply as you do?

Azul’s hands rested on your shoulders and guided you down to the sea floor. The remaining tentacles cushioned you against the rocks and silt, stroking your legs tenderly.

“Azul?”

He hummed inquisitively.

“I’m not daft enough to believe I’ll get rid of years of dark thoughts and insecurity…but…” You choked on your words. Azul sat patiently. The way he looked at you was unlike anyone else had. There was nothing in his eyes except curiosity. Disbelief. You felt as though he would wait hours just to finish what you had to say. “You’re incredible,” you said.

“I’m not.”

“You are. You’re so quick to listen to bad things, why not the good?”

“Take your own advice.”

“Just, listen.” Azul relented. “You coveted what you could do. But you’ve earnt who you are. Where are your bullies now? Are they running successful restaurants while getting top grades?”

“I don’t even remember them.”

“So why care about what they said?” You squeezed his hands. A blush rose to his face, but you pretended you didn’t see it. “When they were children no less. I know it hurt at the time but kids are idiots. Just ask Leona.”

That got a laugh. “But they were right. I am clumsy, and squishy, and-“

“I’m not complaining.”

Azul’s eyes snapped to you. His blush deepened.

“I’ve…never been held like this.” You glanced at the tentacles around you. The tips of them continued their curling, as if they had a mind of their own. A blush was drawn out of you as they shifted over your figure, brushing over your sensitive waist and collarbone. Answer enough.

“Y/N?”

You leant forward.

Azul didn’t seem to know what he wanted to say. He tried the beginning of several sentences before settling on: “Thank you for saving me.”

“But it was my fault-“

The tentacle under your chin whipped to your mouth. You glared at him, your curse coming out muffled, but Azul bat his eyelashes innocently. You could have sworn one of the suction cups kissed your lips. A blush coated your entire face. Azul quickly drew the tentacle away. It curled and uncurled itself in rapid succession before he hid it behind his back, seemingly pleased with what it had just done.

“We-We’ll draw a line under it.”

You cocked your chin in agreement.

•~•~•~•~•

The water had turned a dark amber around you. The sun was nothing more than a buttery speck, rippling above the surface of the water.

Azul drew you up and dropped his tentacles. Your body pricked with gooseflesh as water rushed onto your freed skin, feeling as though you’d just opened the window after stepping out of a hot shower. Azul excused himself before disappearing behind a rock. He came back minutes later fully clothed and in human form. “I would have carried you back to the dorm but I’m still not…”

“It’s okay.” You took his hand. Azul’s palm grew clammy but he didn’t pull away. “Just until we get within sight of the dorm.” You winked at him cheekily. “Got to stay professional after all.”

“Agreed. Oh, and Y/N, if you need a job at Monstro Lounge to earn a bit of extra money, just ask.”

The minimal allowance Crowley gave you, and the state of Ramshackle, was incentive enough. “I’m yours. But I won’t be signing a contract,”

Azul raised an eyebrow, a cunning smirk on his face. Just like that he slipped seamlessly back into his business persona.

“My dear, Y/N,” he cooed. “You said it yourself. I either covet or earn. And I’d much rather earn you.”

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Author note: Here it is! The sequel!

I love writing Azul because I connect with him the most out of all the characters in TWST. The man deserves to snap out of his (overly) self-critical nature and love himself.

But, of course, things are never that easy. Falling is easy, climbing back up takes work.

I hoped you enjoyed reading.

Please leave a comment/reblogs with comments. They are greatly appreciated. My TWST OC ask box is open.

Squidwen x

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