#if they break up one of the most beautiful found families i’ve ever seen i won’t have faith in media like this anymore | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

carisisrolledupsleeves · 18 days

Note

“there is no way anyone is that innocent” with sonny? also can you include overstim + multiple orgasms for reader? thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️

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ooops this turned out to be really long hehe but i hope you like it! thanks for the request!

It’s been years since you had seen Sonny. After college, you had left to study abroad, and ended up staying. You had met someone, and had started your first serious relationship. Apart from visiting for Christmas, you had not been back home.

But the break-up had been horrendous and so you packed up your stuff and returned to New York, to the comfort of your loved ones, to lick your wounds.

The occasion was less than ideal. Your sister’s nuptials. For her sake, you kept a brave face, did everything to help her with the fairytale wedding she had always dreamed of. Your family being devout catholics as well as Italian, it had to be proper and perfect down to the smallest detail.

And it ended up being exactly that. Although Sonny’s presence, and the fact that he looked incredibly handsome in his suit, was threatening to distract you for the entire ceremony. The priest hadn’t even gotten to the opening prayer yet and your eyes wandered, meeting his gaze as you stood by your sister’s side. He smiled in a way that made you blush, and remember all the things you had done with each other as teenagers, things your parents would probably disown you for if they ever found out.

Following the ceremony, you had been too busy to even sit down, let alone think further about the way his lips had lingered on your upper jaw as he had kissed you on the cheek. Or the way he had whispered ‘You look so beautiful’ before your aunt pulled you away towards the car waiting to take you to the estate your family had booked for the celebrations.

But now that most of the formalities are over and the guests are eating, drinking, and dancing, you have snuck away to take some much needed drags from your vape pen, the kind filled with something other than nicotine.

‘If you don’t share, I’ll tell.’ a male voice says behind you and you smile, turning around to see Sonny.

He looks even sexier now. He had lost the tie, and his shirt is unbuttoned just right, a bit of chest hair is peeking out. His hair no longer in its perfectly gelled state, having played with the kids in attendance all afternoon, giving countless of piggy-back rides. You catch yourself staring once more.

‘Our parents would literally kill us.’ you hand him the vape.

‘Our parents would kill us for a lot of things, even fifteen years later.’ Sonny smirks as he takes a drag.

‘I’ll just say you seduced me.’ you shrug, reveling in the way he flirts with you.

‘And now? Seems you’re the one seducing me.’ he waves the pen at you and you snatch it from his hand.

‘I would never. All the naughty stuff? You taught me. I’d probably still be a virgin if it wasn’t for you, Sonny.’ you joke and he laughs out loud.

‘Ohhhhh. Right. So that ex-boyfriend of yours was gonna wait ‘til marriage, huh?’ Sonny chuckles and you continue to tease.

‘Hmmm. Now I’m almost thirty and single and no one wants me because you ruined me.’

Sonny steps closer. ‘I want you.’ he whispers. ‘I’ve always wanted you.’

You take a deep breath. He isn’t joking around any longer. And the smug grin disappears from your face as you take in the serious implications of his words, and his actions as he lifts his hand to cup your cheek, your lips suddenly only inches apart.

‘Sonny, I-’ you’re about to lean in when someone shouts your name. It’s your mom. Fuck.

He sighs as you pull away, and you give him an apologetic look as you rush back towards the wedding party before your mother catches you with him, and the weed. Adult or not, you’re still a child and probably always will be when it comes to your parents, especially as the youngest daughter.

You hate to leave him, the urge to be near him even more compelling now after his confession. There’s always been something between you. Yes, you had been kids back then; exploring, being curious, with a decent amount of teenage rebellion on top of it. Still, you would have never done this with just any boy. Sonny and you had always been each other’s first crushes, and there had always been a level of trust and intimacy with him you had not been able to find with anyone that came after. The joking, the teasing, even now it seemed you picked up right where you had left off.

Being the younger sister of the bride aka running the errands and doing the things the maid of honor is too important to do, you are sent to get the lash glue they forgot in your room earlier. As you rummage through the mess you left behind when getting ready, there’s a knock on the door.

‘Ugh, hang on!’ you grumble, opening this and that bag to search.

Another knock. God, fake lashes falling off can’t be that much of an emergency.

‘Wait!’ you yell, getting annoyed.

‘Waited long enough.’ you hear Sonny’s voice say outside the door.

Oh. Oh. You drop the makeup bag back on the table and more or less leap for the door. The moment you open it, Sonny pushes into the room, pressing a heated kiss onto your lips, and you wrap your arms around his neck. You aren’t even surprised that he followed you, and that this is happening right now. In all honesty, you had hoped for it, even dreamed about it, from the second you found out he was coming to the wedding. Now, as his hands wander over your body, it’s more than obvious that he had been too. Reaching back behind him between kisses, you lock the door, and he smiles against your lips.

‘Hmmm, guess I was right.’ he mumbles, his voice low.

‘Right about what?’ you ask sheepishly, pushing his suit jacket off his shoulders.

‘That there’s no way anyone is that innocent.’ Sonny starts fumbling with the zipper of your dress and you turn around, making it easier for him.

‘What do you mean? I’m a good catholic girl.’ his warm hands glide down your back as he pulls it down, revealing your dark red lace underwear.

‘Good catholic girl, huh?’ his fingers trace along the fabric, underneath the waistband of your thong, pulling it before letting it snap back. ‘Did you put this on hoping I would take it off? I know you did. So innocent.’

You turn back to face him, your dress falling to the floor. Sonny draws in a sharp breath, taking in the sight of you, and you can feel the heat spreading throughout your entire body. The look in his eyes is a mixture of that boyish gleam of anticipation and the confidence of a man who knows exactly what he wants.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ you taunt, making him laugh, but you kiss him again, with more force this time, turning his laugh into a moan.

Truth is, nothing has ever been innocent about you when it came to him. And yet it feels so different now that you aren’t kids anymore. Even with your ex you hadn’t felt like this. It does scare you, even though it excites you at the same time. You start unbuttoning his shirt, your hands on his body like magnets, discovering just how much he has grown from an awkward, lanky boy into a man. Not that you didn’t love the awkward, lanky boy just as much.

Your fingers wrap around his erection as your hands reach down his pants and he hisses, walking you backwards to the bed, unhooking your bra in the process.

‘I really…have no idea…what you’re talking about.’ you repeat as you begin to pump him, endlessly thrilled by how you can already feel him leaking pre-cum, and dying to have him inside you.

But it seems Sonny has other plans. Pushing you down on the mattress he forces you to withdraw from him, and he gets down on his knees, pulling your hips toward him, and all of a sudden his face is merely inches away from your lace-covered center. He’s so close you can feel his breath, making you shiver.

‘Lie down.’ Sonny orders softly and you do as he asks. ‘Good girl.’ he whispers in response, and you just about soak your panties at his words.

Not that it matters, since he grabs the piece of clothing and pulls them off with one swift motion, tossing them aside. And there you are now, naked on the bed in front of him, and his long fingers slip over your clit, down your folds, playing with your wetness. Your moan is louder than you had anticipated as it leaves your mouth, and your body trembles at the prospect of what’s to come. You look down at him as Sonny spreads your legs open, his eyes staring into yours as his tongue darts out to taste you.

‘Fuck baby, you taste even more delicious than I remember.’ he purrs, again letting his tongue roll over your pussy, again making you moan.

‘Sonny…oh my God!’ you whimper, and he grabs your thighs, settling between your legs.

You nearly pass out. All you can do is lie there and hold on to the sheets as his adept mouth continues to work on your cunt. His tongue delves into you, drawing more slick, fucking into you softly before he’s back on your clit, and you can feel him spread your lips some more to get better access. Applying just the right amount of pressure he massages your nub, and you can’t help but reach down to run your fingers through your hair, pulling ever so slightly as he makes you shudder with every flick of his tongue.

‘Mmm I could spend all day between your legs. I missed you.’ he groans, and you can hear his own arousal in his voice.

You swallow hard, your pulse quickening as he keeps going, sucking on your clit while he plunges two fingers into you.

‘Ugh, shit! Sonny! Please…’ you beg, arching your back as he starts pumping his fingers in and out, curling over your gspot.

‘What, my love?’ he asks, looking up at you curiously but you know he knows what it is you want.

‘Please…’ your voice getting more and more shaky as he picks up the pace.

‘Please, what?’ Sonny grins, licking your slit up and down, his face already wet with your juices. Oh, what a sight.

‘Please, fuck me.’ your flushed face turning even more red. You’ve never said this to a man out loud.

‘I’m not done here yet. Not by a long shot. You gotta be patient. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?’ Sonny mumbles, his fingers pulling back a little to toy with your wet opening before shoving them back in, making you cry out in pleasure.

You’re getting close. And you know he can feel it, in the way you grip at his hair, in the way you grind yourself against him, in the way you can’t help but clench around his fingers.

‘It f-feels so g-good, Sonny.’ you breathe, as he mouths at your pussy, his tongue flat against you, licking from bottom to top, seemingly not getting enough of your taste.

His fingers fuck into you harder and faster, as he focuses on your most sensitive spots. The feeling of his tongue on you paired with his pretty moans, the way he is getting so much pleasure from satisfying you, it’s all too much. You can feel the wave rolling in, your thighs beginning to shake. He had given you your first orgasm ever, and it had been so unexpected, you’d had no idea what was happening. Even the ones after had taken you by surprise, and you had mostly been shy about it. For some reason, you had always held back, especially with your other lovers, or they just hadn’t been as good at getting you there. Now back with Sonny, it was different. You are losing control and truth be told, you don’t know if you’re ready for it.

However, you can’t stop it. The spring that’s been coiling tightly in your stomach from the second he started touching you, releases and you shake, trying your best to stifle a loud moan. You whimper and attempt to get away from Sonny’s mouth, his fingers that are still sliding in and out of you. It’s too much. It’s all too much. You sigh and finally push him away, closing your legs as you shiver.

‘Hey…’ he exhales softly, grabbing your waist as you look at him shyly. ‘What’s that?’

‘Nothing…I just…can we just…’ you stammer, slightly overwhelmed. He looks at you confused.

‘Oh, no. Wait. We gotta try this again. And this time you gotta relax.’ he slips his hand back between your legs, and you want to protest, being so sensitive after your climax.

He starts rubbing your clit again and you can’t help but open your legs once more, giving him access. Sonny is back on you, his tongue licking up your first release, and within seconds he is eliciting another. You close your eyes and your hands grab the sheets for hold, feeling yourself topple over again. It’s even more intense this time, your pussy and clit still swollen from your previous orgasm, having been denied to even come down from it. You spasm around his fingers again, your back arching, and this time, his name escapes your mouth in a moan, and he watches you intently as you ride out those waves of pleasure.

But no, he still doesn’t withdraw his fingers.

‘Again.’ he whispers, circling your clit, pressing his fingers into your glistening heat as he spreads your thighs wider, and you feel like blacking out. ‘Let go, my love. Don’t think of anything else.’

You come. Again. And even if you tried to think of anything, you can’t. His free hand holds down your hips as your third climax crashes over you with a gush and it’s only then he pulls out of you, letting your pussy convulse and release a stream of moisture. Fuck. You don’t know what is happening but his mouth is on you again, tasting every last drop coming out of you, sloppily licking up and down your folds.

‘Good girl. Making such a pretty mess for me.’ he praises, and it finally registers in your brain. He had just made you squirt. And that definitely hadn’t happened to you before. Ever.

‘Sonny, what the fuck?’ you choke, almost breathlessly.

‘Language!’ he smiles as he gets rid of his pants and underwear, finally crawling up, kissing you deeply as he grabs your hips.

The taste of you on his lips makes you even more delirious as he thrusts into you, his cock feeling bigger than ever in your overstimulated core. You whine, and you’re already starting to bliss out, again. Sonny is close just from eating you out, you can tell but he’s holding back, burying himself inside you while his thumb finds your clit.

‘I love seeing you cum.’ he growls into your ear before his lips capture yours once more.

And yes, you come again. There really is no point of holding back any longer. You fully give yourself over to him, and this blinding ecstasy. He really seems to revel in it, and now that he is inside of you, it is even more intense. Sonny gasps as you squeeze him, your walls beginning to spasm, making it almost difficult to pump into you. You claw at his back, rolling your hips against his as you moan a string of curse words at which he grins.

‘You gotta stop.’ you cry, as he picks up the pace, pounding into your delicate pussy.

‘I’m not done with you.’ Sonny smirks, biting at your neck as you keep scratching and digging your nails into him.

Oh God. Good Lord. You can’t even think straight anymore. You have lost count of your orgasms, not that it matters because he seems to want to make you come as many times as possible until he can no longer hold back himself. Arching your back you meet his rough thrusts, feeling him smile against your lips as he kisses you passionately. His thumb hasn’t left your clit, keeping pressure there, rubbing to intensify your pleasure if that’s even humanly possible. You are on another plane. You might as well be on another planet. You have lost all sense of time and space, the only things to exist are Sonny and you. With each thrust, his cock hits your gspot in the most delightful way, and your body begins to curl in on itself, pussy throbbing and clenching around him.

‘I love it when I can feel you burst around me.’ he groans, sending you over the edge to another orgasm.

‘S-Sonny! Jesus fucking Christ!’ you scream, pressing your head back into the mattress as you desperately cling to him, shaking.

Sonny grins at your profanities; he has you exactly where he wanted you - completely undone. He pushes up your legs, positioning them over his shoulders, fucking into you, even deeper than before.

‘Fuck, baby, fuck, you’re so wet! Fuck!’ he’s close now, you can feel it.

‘I want you to cum inside me.’ you purr into his ear, your words driving him crazy.

He growls, ramming into you as he plays with your clit. You know he’s going to make you come again but you want to hold back, want to feel him come with you. Crying out his name you hold on to him, purposely clenching your walls to squeeze him and he bites your lip in response, the slight pain adding to your pleasure even more. Just as you feel yourself topple over again he tenses, and as your pussy pulses, pulling him in even deeper, he finally lets go, spilling inside of you. He moans your name, pumping his cum into you, the sensation too much for your overwrought cunt. You can’t stop shaking, and he’s hugging you tightly, the two of you collapsing together.

You don’t know how long you stay like this, breathing heavily, your bodies tangled in soaked sheets. Messy, crazy, wild, out of control; just how sex is supposed to be, and it took you reuniting with your first true love to unleash this feral side of you.

‘What are you thinking about?’ Sonny asks, pushing back a strand of hair from your face.

‘That you were my first. And you should be my last. Because fuck, I don’t think anyone will ever make me cum like this ever again.’ you smile, kissing him.

‘Well…that was my plan all along, I’m glad I succeeded.’ he admits, pulling you even closer.

request a prompt from the smut prompt list 🔥

#sonny carisi #dominick carisi #svu #law and order svu #sonny carisi smut #sonny carisi x reader #dominick carisi x reader #dominick carisi smut #carisi x reader #carisi smut #smut #prompt #smut prompt

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togrowoldinv · 2 years

Text

Bookstore Girl

Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader

For years now, you’ve owned and operated an independent bookstore in town. You know all of your regular customers well, so when there is a new family in town you are sure to notice.

Note: This is an au with Wanda being a milf lol. It’s just a little idea I got last night, so idk about it. But I hope y’all enjoy it!

Wanda Maximoff Masterlist, Main Masterlist

You are taking inventory in the back of your store when the bell on the front door rings. You glance at your watch and note that it’s an odd time for customers. Usually you have an afternoon rush, but the mornings are quiet.

You work alone at the store in the mornings, so you step out of the back room to greet your customer. As you enter the front, you see it’s a family. Or at least a woman and two kids that seem to all be together.

“Hey, welcome! Can I help you guys find anything?” You greet them.

It’s then that the woman fully comes into your sight and your jaw almost drops to the ground. You wouldn’t be exaggerating to say she’s the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.

Her short dirty blonde hair reaches just over her shoulders and her green eyes shine brightly even in the softly lit store.

“Hi, yes actually. My sons have been begging me for this new book and I haven’t a clue what it’s called. They don’t seem to know the full title, so I just- sorry I’m rambling,” the woman says. She shakes her head and shifts on her feet.

“I’d be happy to try and help you find it. May I?” You gesture towards her kids. You offer her a kind smile.

“Sure. Billy and Tommy come here please,” the woman says. The kids come to full attention at her voice and trudge over to her side.

“Hey guys, your mom here tells me you’re looking for a new book,” you begin. They nod intently. “Any idea what it’s called?”

“Something about dragons or was it dinosaurs?” the first boy asks the other.

“It’s about dragons,” the boy responds to his brother.

“I think I know where we might find it,” you tell the boys. They practically run in excitement you as you lead them across the store. “Take a look and see if you might find it here.”

As the boys scan the shelves for the book they heard about, you notice how their mom watches them with a smile on her face. She’s even more beautiful now that you’ve seen her be so invested in her children’s happiness.

“Mom we found it!” Your thoughts are interrupted by the quieter boy now shouting in excitement.

“I’m so glad!” She says. He runs up to her and hugs her legs.

“Is there anything else I can help you find?” You ask her.

“I’m good. I’ve been to a few bookstores in the next town over and no one was nice enough to help my boys. So, thank you, truly,” the woman says.

“Of course. We actually have a pretty cool kids storytelling night once a week if you ever find yourself in this part of town again,” you tell her.

“Well, we actually just moved here from out of town,” she says.

“That’s great! Welcome to town. If you ever want a tour of this place, let me know. I’ve lived here for most of my life.”

“I might just have to take you up on that,” the woman says. She flashes you her gorgeous smile and you feel heat swim through your veins.

“Mom, can we get more books?” a voice breaks the silence between you and her once more.

“Next time, Tommy. For now let’s get this one, okay?”

“Okay,” he says. The woman drops a quick kiss to his head.

You lead them to the register and find yourself wanting to stall as long as you can.

“I’m y/n by the way. I own this place, so I’m here for all of your book needs,” you tell her.

“You own this place? That’s amazing,” she says. “I’m Wanda.”

“It’s been very nice meeting you, Wanda,” you put your hand out for her to shake.

“You too, y/n. I’ll come back for that town tour?” She asks. Her eye contact is strong and it makes you want her even more.

“Please do,” you answer.

And with that, Wanda and her boys leave your store. You work the rest of the day with a huge grin on your face.

On a rainy day, two weeks later, you see Wanda again. She enters the store alone and practically shivers as the rain falls off of her coat.

“Hi Wanda,” you say from your spot behind the counter.

“Hey y/n. Sorry I haven’t been back by. I had to get the boys registered and started in school,” she explains. She stands on the other side of the counter.

“No worries,” you say. “Are you settling in well?”

“I guess so. You’re practically the only person I’ve met outside of my sons’ teachers,” Wanda says.

“Ah, yeah. I’m glad we’ve met at least,” you say. She smiles at that. “It’s raining so no walking tour, but how about I give you a tour through books?”

“I’m intrigued,” Wanda says.

“Follow me,” you tell her.

Without thinking much about it, you reach for her hand and lead her to the reading corner of the store. It’s then that you notice no wedding ring on her hand. You guide her to sit down on the couch.

“Oh, you’ve got like actual history books, huh?” Wanda asks as you pull books from the shelves.

“The good kind though. I sort of helped write them,” you say the last part shyly, not one to boast about your accomplishments.

“Owner of a bookstore and an author? That’s impressive, y/n,” Wanda says. “You’re really young too, aren’t you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say really young, but decently yeah. But so are you,” you say.

Wanda lets out a soft laugh at your words.

“I’m sure I’m older than you,” she says.

“Hm, maybe. Not as old as this town though,” you steer the conversation back to the main reason she’s here.

Or at least the excuse both of you are using. If Wanda was perfectly honest with herself, she had really wanted to see you again. There was something about you that just felt good. She felt safe. She felt relaxed for the first time in months, years even, when she was in your presence.

You felt the same way. Wanda had said only a few sentences to you and had totally rocked your world. You found yourself thinking of the blonde almost all day every day.

“And that’s about it. When it stops raining, I’ll have to take you across the street for an ice cream cone. They’re the best you’ll ever have,” you finish up your spiel.

“Sounds great,” Wanda says. “Thank you for today. I had a wonderful time.”

“Me too, Wands.” She smiles at the nickname.

There’s a brief moment where Wanda starts leaning in and you swear she’s going to kiss you. But she pulls away sort of abruptly.

“I better get going,” Wanda says.

“Okay. I’ll see you for that ice cream date?” You ask her.

She nods before leaving your store in a hurry. You stand there awestruck at her sudden change in behavior.

One week later, you see Wanda again. You’re just about to close up for the night when she enters the store.

“Am I too late for that ice cream date?” Wanda asks.

“Not at all,” you reply with a smile.

You close up shop and take her across the street. A long time family friend owns the shop, so you know exactly how to help Wanda order. She appreciates that as you settle into a booth in the corner.

“So, you know I grew up here. Where are you from?” You ask her.

“New York, I guess? I mean technically I’m not from there, but I lived there for most of my twenties,” Wanda explains.

“I’m in my twenties,” you say with a laugh.

“I knew it,” Wanda says with a laugh of her own.

“Do the kids like it here? I had the best time growing up here,” you say.

“They do, actually. It’s been hard on them since the divorce, but they’ve adjusted well,” Wanda says. “They’re at their dad’s house tonight.”

It doesn’t get past you that she said divorce. You had been curious about the boys’ father. How could you not be since you were so enamored by Wanda?

“I’m glad. I ordered some cool kids books the other day. I’ll have to be sure to let you know when they come in,” you say.

“Thank you,” Wanda says. “Oh, you’ve got some ice cream there on your face.”

“Right here?” You wipe the wrong side of your face and Wanda smiles.

“Other side.”

You try again and still miss it. Wanda decides to reach across the table and run her thumb over your face and just tiniest bit of your lips. Her other fingers brush against your cheek. You shiver at her touch. Her fingers are soft and her touch is feather light.

“There we go,” she says, returning to her own personal space. You miss her touch.

“Thank you,” you say quietly.

You and Wanda finish up your ice cream and you offer to walk her home. When you get to her door, she stops before opening it.

“Hey, I’m sorry if I was weird last week at the store,” Wanda says. “I just felt like we were about to do something and I got scared.”

“Oh, that’s okay. But yeah I would’ve kissed you if you hadn’t pulled away,” you tell her. She does a double take, unsure she heard you correctly.

“I haven’t kissed anyone in months. And I haven’t kissed a woman since college, so I guess I just sort of freaked out,” Wanda admits.

“Well maybe you just need to do it, you know? Face your fears head on. I’d be happy to be the one you do that with,” you say, only half joking.

Wanda gets closer to you and she feels your warmth.

“It’s not a good idea,” she mumbles.

“I think it’s a great idea,” you say. You put your arms around her neck and she holds you at your waist.

“You don’t even- what if you hate me after we do this?”

“I could never hate you, Wanda.”

“You just met me. How could you know that?”

“I just do. Wanda, please kiss me,” you whisper, pulling her towards you.

Wanda’s lips find yours in a brisk, gentle kiss before she deepens the kiss and you melt into her.

It’s everything you thought it would be to kiss this beautiful woman. She thinks the same of you.

“Come inside?” Wanda asks you between kisses.

“Okay,” you agree.

Without much distance between the two of you, you run inside together.

Wanda is exactly the kind of person you had always wanted to fall in love with. And you are exactly the kind of person she has been waiting for.

Books have the power of bringing people together, you always knew it.

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#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff fluff #wanda maximoff comfort #wanda maximoff

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sillygoose067 · 2 months

Text

Over the 7 Seas

Ch. 22

Charles Leclerc x Reader

Author’s Note: Some references taken from the C2 videos.

You make it to the studio in time after sending Charles off to roam around the city and get some of his errands done.

“Ok so, so I have the basics for this track done, but I need your expertise in some of the mixing”

“Yeah, and I have most of the lyrics done, I just need you to check if they sound good with the track”

“Actually Hyunjinnie wrote one of the new songs, and he has some specific concerns, so if you can help with that…”

You head to the recording studio with Chan, Jisung, and Hyunjin to smooth some things out.

While you record the guide version, you make some necessary improvements and set the guidelines for the vocals. “So cover me nooooowwww”

Hyunjin asks if you could try the line out in a falsetto and a belt. The belting ended up sounding better. “Also, I want to add to ad-libs, but I’m not sure where I should incorporate them”, he tells you.

You try out some new techniques and conclude the recording session in high spirits.

…

Meeting Charles at an internet cafe, where he’d found a simulator to occupy himself, you stood behind him, an Iced Americano in your hand to combat the heat outside.

“Wow, is this what you see when you’re in the car?”, you ask.

“For the most part, yes. Do you want to give it a try?”

“Sure, but I can tell you right now that I will not be very successful.”

He guides you, giving directions from behind you as you steer. “Yes, that’s good, see? Quite nice and smooth… BRAKE!”

…

That night, your mother calls. “Hi Ma! I’m on a work trip right now”. She nods in understanding. You see Charles out of your peripheral looking at you confused. “The boy I was telling you about is here with me.”

“Ooh can I FaceTime? I want to meet him!”

“Hold on, let me check.”

You mure the mic and turn to Charles. “My mom called”, you explain. “She wants to meet you”, you whisper excitedly. “But only if you’re alright with it. I can tell her no right now.”

He bites his lip, weighing his options. Then nods. “I just don’t want to disappoint your family. Do you think she’ll like me? I’m not even dressed up right now!”

“That’s fine”, you soothe him. “I think she’s just excited to meet my first boyfriend.”

“Ok”, he agrees finally. Climbing onto the bed to lay next to where you are in your stomach, he mentally prepares himself to not meet your parent’s expectations.

You unmute the phone and tell your mom to switch to FaceTime.

The camera turns on, and your sister appears behind your mom. “Hi! Oh my god, so you are real!”, she says. You glare at her.

“Hello”, Charles awkwardly waves at the phone. “I’m Charles, nice to meet you.”

“Hello Charles”, your mom greets him warmly. “I’m glad to finally meet the man who has managed to break my daughter’s dry spell with men.”

“Ma!”

Charles laughs. That cheeky little fucker.

“It’s truly an honor. I have you and your husband to thank for creating this beautiful young woman for me to pursue.” He grins.

“Oh, you’re quite the sweet talker. Well, I’ll have you know that you are one of the most gorgeous specimens of men I’ve ever seen. I hope your babies carry on the genes forever.”

“Maaaaa!”

“Shhh! Give me this sweet boy’s number so I can have him spy on you for me– I have a feeling we’ll get along fine.”

“Ew, bye.” You cut the call. “Uuuggghh. That was so embarrassing.”

Charles just smirks at you. “I thought it was quite enjoyable actually.”

“That’s it. I’m done. I can’t believe she would say that, oh my gosh…”, you face plant into the covers and wail.

You feel the weight shift from the bed– Charles must have gotten up. He makes for the bathroom and you think you’re finally free to wallow in self-pity when you hear, “Oh, Chéri, don’t forget to share your mother’s number with me”. You grab a pillow and hurl it at him, narrowly missing when he closes the door before the object can make contact.

#f1 #formula 1 #smut #kpop #jyp entertainment #jyp stray kids #f1 x reader #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc #fluff #bang chan #changbin #han jisung #hyunjin #felix #i.n skz #seungmin #lee know #relatable content

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teneleven12xiii · 3 months

Text

Another Loscar Drabble

The thought of being apart from Logan scared him half to death, so he suggests the only thing his brain could conjure up,

“Let’s get married,”

══✿══╡°˖✧✿✧˖°╞══✿══

Set in 2023 during the Las Vegas grand prix

“Osc, I don’t know if I’ll be racing next year” when Logan pulled him behind the Williams hospitality building he did not expect that sentence to come out of his mouth.

“What do you mean? What did James Vowles say?” his brows furrowed in confusion,

“They’re still negotiating a contract for me but my performance hasn't been good, I’ve cost the team too much money, more money than I’m worth.” Oscar moves his head to look up at Logan, there’s sadness in his eyes. “I get why no one would want me,”

“Don’t say that, Do not say that!! You were improving, I’ve watched you race, seen what you can do, and I know you can and will do it again. They’d be stupid to not give you another chance.”

“Osc,”

“And I want you okay? Always have and always will”

“Osc,”

“You think everyone hates you but I’m here and I fucking love you okay? I’ve been in love with you since we were 18 and young and stupid. I've been in love with you for so long I don’t know how to stop, and I’ll probably keep loving you for the rest of our lives. So don’t you dare say that no one wants you because I do. I want you”

“Oscar!” Oscar’s entire body jerks back in surprise, “I’m in love with you too” The thought of being apart from Logan scared him half to death, so he suggests the only thing his brain could conjure up,

“Let's get married” after a short wave of silence he mutters soft and quiet,

“Are you sure?” Logan asks

“Do you not want to marry me?” Oscar looks up at him with his glossy brown eyes, so wide and unsure that Logan had to suppress the urge to laugh, or press a kiss to his lips.

“Well I do wanna marry you, for years now. it’s just— we confessed our feelings to each other less than 5 minutes ago, Osc” Oscar nods but still he repeats,

“Let’s get married” he lets Logan wrap his arms around his waist, as he lays his head on the American’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of his cologne and body wash.

So they get married the next day, after finding suitable wedding attire and rings, in a wedding chapel with a sweet photographer who had her hands full with how much Oscar and Logan were giggling and moving around. She had managed to snap a few good pictures but they also asked to keep the burly ones using them as their lock screen. They had forgotten to write their vows so they both decided to wing it and still it was the most beautiful promise of love Oscar had ever heard. Logan cried and as he was about to make fun of his husband he slips the ring on to Logan’s finger he was crying too. Oscar did not expect for their first kiss to be on their wedding day but he’s not mad about it, he thinks it’s sweet and special, he still does. They hang up their wedding photos in their shared apartment in London, also in their homes in Australia and Florida. Both of their mothers both cried when they found out a few weeks later, then chewed their ears out for getting married in Las Vegas of all places on a whim, when they went home to Melbourne that winter break Logan had tuck himself into Oscar’s mother’s arms and told her,

“I’m sorry mrs. Piastri. I just love your son so much I couldn’t wait, please don’t be mad at us,” His mother who has always had a soft spot for the American just gave him a pat on the head and all was forgiven, with the promise that they would never do anything like this ever again.

Logan’s father shook his hand and welcomed him to the family, Dalton gave him the- if you ever hurt him I swear no one will ever find your body- talk then quickly reminded him that Florida is famous for their alligators. They honeymooned in the Bahamas before he had to go back to England for training camp. They spent Logan’s birthday on his boat a little ways out in the ocean, just the two of them then they watch the fireworks in his backyard and Oscar left for England with tears in his eyes the day after new years.

Bahrain arrives a few months later and Oscar can see Logan a little ways down the padock with his team, sunshine reflective off the ring on his finger, Oscar held his hand up to the sun smiling fondly as he studies it. Next to him Lando mumbles out a,

“Are you really not going to tell me who you’re married to?” Oscar laughs,

“You’ll figure it out,”

#logan sargeant #oscar piastri #f1 drabble #loscar au #loscar secretly get married

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joekeeryswife · 2 years

Note

hello lovely! May i request a Joseph x afab reader where reader and joseph have been dating for a while but out of nowhere she gets hate from his fans (joe isnt aware) and reader wants to break up because of it? but joseph comforts her once he finds out 🥺💗

Break Up? - J.Q

hello my love! i’m writing this whilst listening to Queen #lovethem. but i hope this angst to fluff is okay! let me know how you guys found it, (kinda changed it so she’s been getting hate for a while sorry) has a few mistakes but enjoy <3

you and Joseph had been together for two years, you met on the set of Stranger Things as you were a hair and makeup stylist and somehow you guys just clicked from the day he came into your makeup trailer. you moved in together a few months ago and it was the best decision you ever made. you got to wake up to him every morning and that just allowed you guys to get closer which you didn’t think was possible. Joseph had gone out that afternoon to see a few friends and you decided to stay home, not really feeling like going out when your phone buzzed uncontrollably.

you had posted a new picture to both instagram and twitter, it was one which Joseph had taken on your date night last night and you felt really pretty so you didn’t really mind posting it. you went ‘exclusive’ with Joseph last year on your one year anniversary when he wasn’t really well known but had a few fans and at the time his fans didn’t really mind but now he was properly famous the amount of hate you got was disgusting.

these so called fans would pick apart every single thing about your appearance. how your body was, how your face looked when you smiled, how you would do your makeup. just every single thing they could find wrong with you they’d comment on leaving you with little to no self confidence. you didn’t tell Joseph, he didn’t run his social media so you didn’t have to worry about him seeing it. but in all honesty you had no idea what you had done to deserve this level of hate, there were a few nice comments scattered in the hundreds of horrible ones but the nasty ones outshined the kind ones.

you decided to look at your instagram and just look through those comments, see if maybe they’d changed their minds and decided to finally be nice but you were wrong. so very wrong. you scrolled and scrolled through the comments, tears welling up in your eyes as you read them. you wanted to look away but you couldn’t, seeing how people really viewed you just broke your heart. you never really cared about peoples opinions until now, the comments had really affected you.

‘god she is just the most ugliest thing i’ve ever seen’

‘now i’m not one to be rude but she is just disgusting’

‘why does her face look like that?’

‘how can come one as beautiful as Joseph Quinn date someone as ugly as her? i hope they don’t have kids💀’

‘her smile is so funny like why does she smile like that😭’

‘now if i was Joseph’s family i’d tell him straight, she is not good enough for him and will never be good enough for anyone.’

‘anyone in the comments telling her she’s pretty is absolutely lying, no one finds her pretty they’re telling her that to make her feel better lol’

‘girl what the hell is this, do us a favour and just delete this’

‘Joseph my love you need to get with Grace PLEASE! im begging you get away from this rat’

so many disgusting comments you could barely see with your tear filled eyes. the one last comment that caught your eye made the tears spill over. ‘why does she look like that? honestly i’m wondering how someone can look like that and wake up every morning next to Joseph. that should be Grace Van Dien not her’. you’d had enough. you chucked your phone on the sofa, hands coming up to your face as you sobbed into your hands. how can people be so cruel when you had done nothing wrong?

you couldn’t deal with it anymore. the hate and the comparing just was all too much. they were right. Joseph deserved someone better than you, you didn’t care if it was Grace or a supermodel, anyone who wasn’t you deserved Joseph more. your mind was already set, when Joseph came home you were going to end things. you couldn’t take the hate you were receiving for just existing and he did deserve someone better than you.

Joseph had no idea any of this was happening. he had seen you change recently, becoming more reserved and quiet but he thought maybe it was your time of the month and he didn’t want to impose and make you feel uncomfortable. he arrived home a lot earlier than expected, becoming bored and he just missed you. sitting on the sofa watching films whilst cuddling sounded so much better then staying out. he unlocked the front door, hearing painful sobs coming from you. he hurriedly shut the door and followed the sound of your sobs finding you on the sofa with your head in your hands.

“y/n sweetheart what’s the matter?” Joseph said, sitting down on the sofa opposite you, pulling you into his arms as your sobs grew louder. he could hear the pain and hurt in them, something awful must have happened for you to be crying like this. he’d never heard you cry as hard as this, we’ll, maybe once when you got to the end of Marley and Me but other than that never. you tried to talk but you couldn’t, to hurt from the comments.

“sweetheart calm down, take a deep breath and try relax okay? follow my breathing” he whispered, his hand running up and down your back as he tried to calm you down so he could find out what was wrong. once you had calmed down enough to talk, you pulled away but looked down at your hands, fiddling with your fingers as you tried to find the right words to tell Joseph that you couldn’t be with him anymore. as much as it pained you to do so you knew you needed to to stop getting the hate.

“i just-” you sighed, tears not stopping, Joseph watched you with a nervous look, fear filling his body. “i just think it may be best if we don’t continue this” you said, voice breaking at the end of your sentence. breaking up with him definitely hurt more than the hate comments. your whole relationship with Joseph had been beautiful, from the dates, late night cuddles, late night drives, just everything about it was perfect and breaking this off just felt like a waste.

“i- what? i’m confused.” Joseph said, heart breaking as he watched your face twist as you tried to keep your sobs at bay. “we can’t continue this relationship. i just- you deserve someone better and i think maybe you should find someone else” you said, chin quivering slightly. Joseph stared at you stunned as you played with the acrylics on your fingers. he let go of you and rubbed the hair on his chin, still confused as to where this was coming from. you had been fine this morning and now all of a sudden you want to break up? it just didn’t add up.

the room was silent except from a few sniffles and hiccups here and there from you. “y/n where is this coming from? you were fine this morning sweetheart. i need you to tell me what’s the actual matter so i know what i can do to fix it. i don’t want anyone else but you” Joseph said, turning back to you seeing a pained expression on your face. maybe you should tell him about how his fans are making you feel, he at least deserved to know that.

you got up from the chair and walked to where you had chucked your phone, unlocking it again to show him what you had been sent. you sat back down on the sofa and passed him the phone, he was even more confused now. you ushered down at the phone and then he saw it, the hundreds of comments all hating on you. he read the very few of the hundreds and his heart ached. the main ones he saw were ‘she’s just so ugly’ ‘Joseph deserves so much better than her, what about Grace?’ ‘how can come one as beautiful as Joseph Quinn date someone as ugly as her? i hope they don’t have kids💀’.

he had no idea this was even happening, his social media team had never said a word to him about it and that pissed him off. you sobbed quietly as he read through the comments, his face was filled with concern and sympathy. he turned the phone off and immediately pulled you into his chest. you were still sobbing, embarrassed from how much they had gotten to you. “alright sweetheart it’s okay. i’m not going anywhere.” he whispered, pulling you onto his lap so he could pull you closer to him. “i’d never ever leave you sweetheart. i think you’re to good for me and i don’t deserve better because you’re already the best thing y/n. i love you so much” he said, running a had through your hair.

you looked up from his neck and rubbed your eyes and sighed. “they’ve been doing it for weeks and- and it just made me feel so shit about myself and i let them get to me” you admitted, a slight blush forming on your tear stained cheeks. Joseph sighed, a sympathetic smile on his face as he looked at you. “you are the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen. and i don’t care what others think about you and you shouldn’t either because they don’t know our relationship, they don’t know you sweetheart. you don’t need those lip fillers or surgeries, you’re a natural beauty and everyone is unique, nobody is perfect not even me, but to me you’re so perfect. the most perfect thing i’ve ever seen. so don’t listen to what those so called fans say because they’re just jealous.” he said, leaning in to kiss you passionately. you reciprocated the kiss, your tears finally stopping. even in the worst moments of your life Joseph was always there to help you through it and you definitely felt like he was your person, your soulmate.

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davinaclaire16 · 2 years

Text

Wings of Dusk

Azriel X Reader

You’re Rhysands Elder sister. The first born of the Moonbeams yet no one ever talks about you much. After a century of every one thinking you dead you come back and find that special connection with a certain shadow singer still exist. A story of heart break, mystery, and past trauma…. Please be kind I’ve never written a story before I just couldn’t get this out of my head! The only thing decided about the readers appearance is that you have jet black hair and my timeline of events may differ forms the books a little.

Warnings: speak of torture and SA

You couldn’t even remember how long it had been since you had seen your family. It had been before you went under the mountain and it had been some time since Amarantha had been beat by that human girl. You of course weren’t there seeing you had escaped the mountain and Amaranthas punishments for you. It was hard to even think about… being under that mountain and the fact your own brother had commanded you to go with her to be her soldiers whore . All because the captain of her fleet took a special liking to you. You were never sure why Rhysand had given you away nor did you dare ask when you found that he himself became her whore not long after you had went under. But the past was the past and after you had escaped you found yourself in the day court where you stayed kept a low profile knowing everyone thought you dead you couldn’t risk reaching out or going back home. After everyone had been freed you had befriended the lord of day Helion and didnt see a reason to go back home. Eventually you had even become his 2nd in command and as close as the two of you were you still had never told him you were basically the princess of the night court. You guessed that’s how you ended up in this predicament standing outside of the day courts side doors to the throne room in which your family was in to see the High Lord.

You stood outside the throne room doors that connected right to the throne. Nervously pacing adorned in day court colors. You wore a beautiful shimmering gold dress with a fairly modest v neck. Gold had surprising always looked stunning on you. You were of course not ignorant to your beauty family and strangers were never shy to tell you that you were the most beguiling woman they had ever seen. In fact in the presence of Mor it was she who was compared to you. And maybe your beauty was the very reason Helion had put up with your sass and back talk for so long. It was during your pacing you heard Helion say “Well Rhysand to what do I owe the pleasure” you couldn’t hear Rhys reply over your own heartbeat and the next thing you knew you heard Helion introduce his 2nd in Command. You quickly opened the door and saw the back of Helions throne and you prayed your shaky knees would get you up the stairs of his throne. Once at the top you stood tall and proud next to Helions throne and he introduced you.

“Inner Circle of the night court it is my pleasure to introduce my second in command Y/N. Although Stunning be careful she’s quite dangerous.”

You swore you felt the whole room stop breathing and you finally allowed yourself to scan your family and there before you stood from left to right Cassian, Mor, Rhys, Amren, and Azriel. You could feel all of there eyes piercing through you with looks of pure disbelief except the dear shadow singer his face wore something of shock, disbelief, relief, and excitement all wrapped up in one like all his prayers to the mother had just been answered. It was then you made your way down the stairs to Cassian and simply held out your hand and said “and you must be the High lords general”? “ What was the name again?” Cassian looked at you dumbfounded and watched as Mor jabbed him in the side and he quickly shook himself out of it grabbed your hand and very unsurely told you his name. It was then you moved down the line in front of Mor where she as well gave her name and shook her hand. Next up was your dear brother and you bowed “High Lord” when you rose you could see the start of a tear form and felt a pounding at the walls in your mind to be let in. But at last you moved on and let Amren spit out her name almost like she knew about the game you were playing at. And lastly you met the eyes of a certain shadow singers who’s gaze had never left you with the same face he wore before and you felt proud of yourself to had finally shocked the all knowing shadow singer and gotten through the cold emotionless face he wore all the time. His shadows twirled around your figure and he just held your hand and starred into you (c) eyes. And right before he gave his name you bowed slightly never leaving his eyes and interrupted him and lightly breathed Azriel….

Let me know if anyone is actually interested in more parts 💕

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impossiblescissorspeachpaper · 2 years

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The Heart of a Wanderer: Letters

A collection of letters from Elain to her family throughout her travels across Prythian. Set in my THOAW universe.

Elain Week Day Five: travel & adventure

Dear Nesta,

I hope you are well and have continued your training with the Valkyries. I am writing to you from the sandy shores of Adriata, where I’m almost certain I’ve eaten my body weight in gelato. It really is beautiful here but so odd that it is eternal summer, all year round! It would have been splendid back when we were human, the winters always were the hardest.

Sometimes I sit and think about how far we have come from our little cottage in the mortal lands. How drab even the most magnificent of manors below the wall now seems. I wonder if I would have ever been granted the opportunity to travel and see all the wonderful things I’ve seen if I had wed a human Lord’s son. Thank the Mother I didn’t.

I have just arrived at the Summer Court after travelling through Day for longer than I had anticipated. Helion was kind enough to escort me here on his golden chariot pulled by his Pegasus— such a stunning creature! He claimed he needed to consult with Tarquin about some business or another, but I think he just wanted to show off his magnificent Meallan. But I think you would love it there. Helion has a great number of libraries, they’re far beyond anything I have ever seen! I fear if you ever visit, we may never see you again! We’d surely lose you to the labyrinth of books Helion houses in his court.

But Adriata really is lovely, it’s such a shame Cassian isn’t allowed back here. I would have loved to spend family holidays on the beach. Perhaps I can convince Varian to speak to Tarquin to have him consider rescinding the order on Cassian’s banishment? He does seem like a truly charming male.

How is Cassian, by the way? I know it is spring time back home. Please remind him that I made extra batches of the herbal tincture for his allergies before I left, the vials are in the far-right cabinet of the kitchen at Feyre’s. Just three drops in his morning coffee will do.

Anyway, I’m sending a few books I found whilst perusing the Day markets alongside this letter, I hope you enjoy them. One of them is rather scandalous!

All my love,

Elain.

P.S. Tell Cassian not to bother trying to replacing any pots he may break in my garden. I’ll know.

My Dearest Feyre,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And Happy Solstice to everyone back home. I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you for your special day, but I know Rhys will have planned plenty of special surprises for you! I’m spending the Winter Solstice with Vivian and Kallias. They have been so gracious, showing me around their Winter palace and the grounds beyond. I’ll have to remember to write to Morrigan and thank her for her good word to them on my behalf.

The sleighs here are pulled by darling creatures, bears and wolves and reindeer! And they wear adorable little vests! Can you believe it? They are so clever! I think when I return to Velaris, I’d like a pet.

Everything here looks like a sparkling, diamond wonderland. It truly is breathtaking, particularly at sunrise when the light reflects off the ice just so. I do miss the flowers, however. Everything here is all covered in snow.

How is my precious Nyx? I hope he is sleeping better these days and not keeping you up too often at night. Although if he’s anything like his father, it would possibly be his favourite time of the day and wouldn’t want to miss seeing the stars.

I sent my Solstice gifts to Rhysand last week to add to the pile for hiding. I hope the little onesies I sent Nyx still fit him, I managed to find a style in the Dawn Court that have little openings for wings! You cannot imagine how difficult it has been to find them, considering there are so many winged fae in the world.

Well, dear sister, I must leave you for now. But give a big kiss to Nyx from his aunty Lain and send my love to everyone back home. I miss you today, more than ever.

Love always,

Elain

Nuala & Cerridwen,

Well, you were indeed correct about the Dawn Court. The loveliest sunrises have been here so far! And the palace on the Eastern shore faces out toward the Continent. On clear days I swear I can almost see across the entire expanse of ocean to the lands on the other side. With any luck, I’ll be heading there by ship soon.

But I wanted to let you both know about a vision I had. I am unsure if it means anything but just in case it is of importance to Az the network, I thought I should let you know. I saw an autumn leaf wither and fall to the earth, I saw a giant hound’s paw crushing it, mincing it further into the dirt. I then saw the silhouette of a female running. However, she didn’t seem to be fleeing, but rather…flying? As if finally set free.

I have thoughts about what these images could mean, but in case of unwelcome interceptions of this letter, I shall not put into words my deductions. I know you both will understand my meaning.

I miss you both terribly. Thesan’s scullery maid taught me a new recipe for braided lavender bread! We’ll have to trial it out once I’m back home. I have it written down on a card in my knapsack.

Stay safe and look after one another,

Elain xo

Rhysand,

How are you, dear brother? I hope my sister and nephew have kept you smiling, and all is well in Velaris.

I am currently in the human realm below the wall. I will only be spending a few days with Queen Vassa and her court before sailing off to the Continent. However, as requested, I journeyed through the Spring Court on my travels here.

As you suspected, the beastly High Lord has still not emerged from his self-inflicted ostracism and his lands fall into further disarray. I am afraid your visits thus far with him have been fruitless.

I didn’t go searching for him, as promised, but murmurings on the roads travelled led me to believe that his people have lost faith in his leadership. They fear infiltration from bordering Courts as well as enemies from across the seas. There are now whisperings of assembling guerrilla groups of local fae for protection against such invasions.

I truly hope it doesn’t come to that. And if it does, I hope we can provide refuge for as many faeries that reside in his lands as we can.

Take care please, Rhys. And until I return, enjoy winning the family chess tournaments. We all know who the real Inner Circle chess champion is. Enjoy your reign while it lasts, old man.

Sending all my love,

Elain

Oh! P.S. If Nyx is particularly fussy in the next few weeks it will be a little growth spurt in his wings. I have a special salve that will relieve the ache. Cassian and Azriel usually fight over it- ask one of them where they would have left it. Ahh the perks of being an all-knowing Seer.

Darling Morrigan,

Thank you for putting in a kind word with Kallias and Vivian for me. The Solstice I spent with them was truly magical. They send their regards, as does Vivian’s sister.

They introduced me to a drink, a Winter Court specialty, they claimed. It is made with whiskey, a cinnamon quill, orange slices and honey. It’s delightfully warming. They also told me you were the curator of such a drink many many years ago. And that you all went on a spree of sorts after imbibing in one too many of them in your youths… Why Morrigan, I never saw you for one to place bets on sleigh races! Remind me to ask you of your adventures when I return. I feel as if I have centuries to catch up on.

I plan to travel to the mortal lands soon, and then onto Montesere and then Vallahan. If you are still visiting on the Continent for your duties as emissary and find yourself there in the coming weeks, perhaps we could see each other.

Anyway, I should be on my way. I hope Amren hasn’t been too cranky of late, I left Summer only a few days ago and Varian mentioned he had been extremely busy the last couple months. She can get quite scary when he isn’t around, don’t you think?

Miss you all.

Elain

Elain,

The past months have not been the same without you. I thought avoiding you would be best, but in truth it’s been complete anguish.

I miss your warm smile, your long hair that I find everywhere even after your gone, the soft lullaby’s you hum to Nyx, the adorable way your nose scrunches when you berate Cassian when his wings knock over your potted flowers. I miss your sweet laugh and your enchanting scent. I found jasmine oils in the Palace of Hoof and Leaf and have been adding them into my bath each morning. It is said jasmine has a relaxing effect on the mind. It’s not the same, but it helps me feel a little closer to you.

My shadows intercepted all the letters you sent to our family. And I noticed that I was absent from all of them. Do you truly not think of me?

I know I hurt you, I should never have never left you that night, but—

Azriel groaned, crumpling up the parchment in his hands. The scars on the back on his palms stretching as he closed his fist around the umpteenth letter he had attempted to write to Elain. All undelivered. All now reduced to ash in his fireplace. The same fate this one would meet too, no doubt.

She’d left months and months ago. And all their family had received numerous correspondence about her adventures throughout her travels. But not him. She hadn’t written to him once.

He couldn’t blame her.

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair and tossing the unfinished letter across the room into the crackling hearth. Gods, he missed her. The ache around his heart coiled tighter, leaving an empty feeling in his belly.

He slumped heavily into the chair behind his desk.

Come home Elain, he pleaded silently.

Just, come home.

*******

@elainarcheronweek

tagging: @offtorivendell @fawnandshadows @the-laughing-bubble @swankii-art-teacher @pagemasters @tswaney17 @sakurakittypeach @thefangirlofhp @wingedblooms

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cassidy-sturniolo · 5 months

Text

unfair. pt1

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: y/n x ? ⤷ do you guys want a love triangle, chris x y/n, or matt x y/n - lmk! 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: y/n struggles to rebuild her life after being uprooted from her old lifestyle. she just begins to settle in when she meets her first challenge in this new town. 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: swearing, there def will be smut in the future don’t fret

“the world didn’t end when I turned seventeen, but it felt like it did” It was the summer before my senior year when my entire life was flipped upside down. In the span of a single month I lost my family, friends, old school, old life, and most importantly, myself. My mother and I had a very detached and bad relationship, like any moment she could snap and I would never see her again. I had no siblings and no father so she was all I had left, the only family I had ever known other than some distant uncles or aunts. And one afternoon, on a random Tuesday in June, I was disowned and kicked out over an unimportant and minuscule fight over our financial state. Deep down I knew that eventually our relationship would fizzle out and I could move out, but this fight proved to be enough to break our fragile relationship. And from that day on, I never spoke to my mother again.

So here I was, standing in a city in Massachusetts alone with $150 to my name and an address written down in my notes app. The last thing my mother did for me was give me the number of her sister, my aunt. While I had never met Allison in person, I’ve seen her comment around on my mothers Facebook and we have been Facebook friends since I was probably 12 years old. Thats all I knew about her. My mind was blank and I felt empty inside. I left everything behind with no choice and now I’m stuck in a place I don’t want to be for god knows how long. If only I could just…

“Uber for y/n?” An older man peeks his head out from his car. His voice startled me and brought me out of my trance. In a mere hour I would be introduced to my new house, new guardian, new life, new everything, and I wasn’t ready.

“Sorry, yes.” I scurry to place my luggage in the trunk of the car and hop into the backseat, listening to music and watching the landscape outside and I saw myself driving further and further away from everything I knew. I open my phone to distract my mind only to scroll and find pictures of my friends all together and having fun, without me. Not a single text has come through my phone asking me how I was. I decided the best thing was to turn it off and close my eyes and maybe I would wake up and be somewhere better, somewhere were I could be happy.

In no time, I found myself in the driveway of Aunt Allison’s home. I couldn’t lie, it was a huge upgrade from the shitty broken down home my mother and I were staying in. It had beautiful landscaping and flowers, the home was white with blue hues and beautiful architecture, it felt comfortable and clean. Everything around me was perfect and vibrant, and I felt like a huge raincloud coming in and sucking the light from this poor lady. All of a sudden I hear a gasp coming from the front door.

“Oh my gosh aren’t you just so beautiful! I haven’t seen you in years sweetie, how are you doing, are you okay?” Aunt Allison came running over to be embracing me in a warm huge. For the first time I felt myself relax a little, knowing at least she seemed to be a nice person. “Come inside please Tony can come and grab your suitcases. We have the most stunning room all ready for you, are you sure I can’t grab you a water or something?” she asks while guiding me around her home.

“No I’m fine for now I think.” I sigh plopping down onto my bed, starring up at the ceiling. My mind couldn’t stop thinking about how I wouldn’t get the perfect senior year I had always dreamed of. All I wanted was a perfect boyfriend, a friend group to dress up with during spirit weeks, friends who would ditch with me to go get food and run away to the beach when we were bored of class. I had that, I had everything, and now I was a loner who knew nobody in a town I didn’t fit in at. And for the next two months, I didn’t try to make myself feel better. I let my mind consume myself and practically sat repeating the same day over and over again hoping this nightmare would end and I could wake up. Before I knew it, it was August 9th, the night before the first day of school and tomorrow I would have to face my reality.

“Goooood morning!” Aunt Allison barges into my room and wakes me up at the ungodly hour of 5 in the morning. “It’s your big day come on, your last first day of high school aren’t you excited?!” She cheered, walking over to me smiling. “Yeah, sure” I groaned, rolling out of bed and walking into the kitchen that was already decked out in a feast for breakfast. “I just want to make sure your not hungry” she smiles handing me a plate of food before walking into the other room. I didn’t have a car here so I had to walk to school because Aunt Allison had to get to work and Tony was already long gone working aswell. I gulped down as much food as I could and went back into my room where I spent an hour religiously painting my face in makeup and frying my hair to try and make it look alright. I threw on a comfortable yet cute outfit alongside a huge coat, considering it was practically freezing outside.

“I’ll see you after school” Allison says embracing me in a huge hug. Maybe this whole new school thing wouldn’t be so bad. Until I stepped outside.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me” I curse as rain begins to drip from the sky. Every single day of summer has been sunny and the one day I am actually required to look presentable it rains. It wasn’t like I had any choice so I decided to just increase my pace. Cars were speeding by, making me feel slower than I actually was and it began to irritate me. Finally, I managed to arrive just outside the school when a white car slams through a huge rain puddle right next to the sidewalk, splashing me with water all over myself. I could hear the laughs of a couple guys and even worse, the flash of a camera sticking outside the passenger seat window.

“Fuck!” I curse, angrily. I wasn’t going to let whoever decided this was funny get away with this. I storm my way to the window of the car and began vigorously knocking on the window until I see a guy roll down the window. “Can I help you?” he laughs starring directly at me. For a moment I was taken back as I was greeted with a cute guy with brown shaggy hair and blue eyes. “Hellooo?” he asks again. I snap out of it and remember why I was angry. “Yeah whose brilliant idea was it to splash me with freezing cold water at 7 in the fucking morning?” I spit out angrily. “Ouch, someone woke up on the wrong side of bed” I hear a voice from the driver seat call out. Without even knowing it, my hand was twisting the lid off of my water bottle and I was throwing the ice water at the guys inside the car. “Bro what the fuck” he screams out. “Who the hell even are you?” the guy in the back asks. “I’m new I just moved here, well I guess like 2 months ago, but I’m y/n” I smile, happy with my revenge. “And you are..?” I question squinting my eyes to see how many guys were in the car, I managed to count about three. “Yeah whatever, I’m Chris, that’s Matt driving, and Nick is in the backseat” he mutters out trying to dry himself off with an extra sweatshirt. “What a pleasure it was to meet you” I sarcastically say, walking away from the car into the school.

The school day hadn’t even started and I knew two things: I was never walking to school in the rain again and Massachusetts had a couple of hot guys, even if they were assholes. *if you guys want pt. 2 let me know!*

#matt sturniolo #matthew sturniol #sturniolo triplets #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo smut #sturniolo fanfic #chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo

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amplifyme · 10 months

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An excerpt from another BaTB fanfic I wrote back in 2012 that tells the story of twenty-three year old Vincent, and the first time he kills.

@randomfoggytiger This should be safe to read, if you'd like. No S3 spoilers, though the first section includes a conversation between Vincent and Diana.

The Sticking Place

“Did’ya ever get soda down here, when you were a kid? You know, Coca-Cola, root beer, anything like that?”

Pulled from his somber memories of a lithe, beautiful creature dancing across the vast expanse of the Great Hall and into his arms, all softness and warmth and wrapped in spicy, enticing aromas, and the moment suddenly turning nightmarish as she twisted away in alarm and pain, Vincent found himself staring dumbly at Cullen and his nonsensical question.

“You ever shake it up before you opened it? Don’t tell me you didn’t, ‘cause I won’t believe you. All kids do it. And more than a few adults, especially around holidays or weddings and the like, when you got a built-in excuse to spray beer or champagne all over somebody. Get drenched with it, eyes burning, laughing to beat all.” Cullen’s face softened and he smiled at what were clearly fond memories before turning his attention back to Vincent. “You’re that bottle of soda. The one that’s been shook up real good. All that pressure that’s building? It’s gonna pop eventually. It’s got to: it’s pure physics.”

Vincent had no response. Instead, he found himself waiting expectantly for whatever Cullen might say next.

“I’ve seen it. Selling door-to-door you start to get real good at reading people. And you learn to do it fast. Got to where I could see it in under thirty seconds, just as plain as I could read indifference or interest in their faces… the way they held themselves. All that shit building up inside, filling up all the nooks and crannies, nowhere left to go. Just about boiling over with it. It took me longer with you. And not just,” Cullen gave a sharp head-to-toe sweep of his hand down Vincent’s length, acknowledging the obvious without any sort of politeness as he continued, “because of the way you look. Most folks, they get loud with it. Yelling, threatening to call the cops, raising a fist in my face. All because I had the nerve to come knock on their door. But there’s some, and I’ve only seen a few myself, who get quiet instead. You’re one of the quiet ones, my friend. You’re real quiet. And that scares me.”

He had, while listening to Cullen, slowly retreated from his spot at the worktable, unaware he was even doing so. His back was at the edge of the doorway when Cullen’s eyes shifted and pinned him against the wall just as surely as an iron spike would have. “So tell me,” he asked, circling back to his earlier question. “Am I wrong, or am I right?”

Vincent hung his head, unwilling to challenge the look in Cullen’s eyes. He lifted his hands and saw that they were fisted. And now he could feel the sharp bite of his claws against his palms.

“It has,” he finally began haltingly, despairingly, “become… more difficult… of late.” He forced himself to raise his eyes and look steadily at the older man. “I am of no danger to you, Cullen, nor to anyone Below. You are my family, this is my home, and no harm will come to anyone here so long as I can prevent it. But I fear –”

He couldn’t finish the thought. He was ashamed and deeply perturbed at himself for almost admitting something aloud he’d hardly even found the courage to express in his journals. And he could still remember so vividly those dark nights, and the dreams, after Lisa had been sent Above. After he’d hurt her. The harness, with its hated straps and chains; the struggles to break free; the unearthly howls that’d scoured his throat and rung in merciless echoes in his head. And that mustn’t ever happen again.

#beauty and the beast 1987 #fanfic #young vincent #diana #cullen #mouse #father #winslow #the sticking place #mine

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lilac-vapor · 3 months

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aloe.

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.5k

Pairing: Ominis/OFC

A/N: Find me on Ao3 under Bounteous

Read the second part here

It’s a dreary day, cloudy and perfect for brooding and the kind of weather Ominis hopes for Feldcroft to stay shadowed in forever. This hamlet has offered nothing but pain and torment to the Sallow twins, and it was all Ominis could do but sit and watch the family’s seams fray further and further. He certainly can’t blame Sebastian for leaving.

Ominis sits up in the rickety watchtower, content to let the warm breeze kiss his pale cheeks. The house had felt too empty, the quiet roaring in his ears the way it had when a wand had been pointed and ‘crucio’ uttered. It hurts in a different way than it does for Anne and Sebastian. Feldcroft was his home—the Sallows his family. The worst part is that if he ever wanted to go back to that miserable, lonely manor, his other family would welcome him with open arms so long as he played his part.

This past summer had been filled with loud arguments and long stretches of silence, with reminiscence of the past and worry for the future. With Sebastian finally breaking one morning in which Ominis had awoken to his oldest friend stumbling about the house, frantic and mumbling. He’d stood by as Sebastian packed frivolously and hastily, a frown pulling at his mouth because he knew he couldn’t go with him.

“If I stay here one more night, I’m going to snap my wand and throw myself off those cliffs.”

“Just go, Sebastian”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I shall be perfectly fine. Just take care of yourself, please. “

“Ominis…”

“Please, Sebastian, don’t drag it out any longer. I worry for you, so please just go.”

“...you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need. Thank you for everything.”

Ominis’ parting smile felt more like a grimace as Sebastian apparated away with a booming crack. It most certainly shouldn’t have sounded like that, but magic is strange when emotions run high and wild. He wonders still if the man had splinched himself in the process.

~ ~ ~

He’s awoken by soft hoots and the flapping of wings. When he rubs the sleep from his eyes and the ache in his neck, he feels a letter fall into his lap and when he opens it, Anne Sallow’s voice reverberates in his bones, his heart, his very soul.

Dear Ominis,

I’ve taken a rather extended holiday and I apologize. I needed to clear my head before I did something I’d regret. I’ve taken this time to think—really think—about myself, Sebastian, and my life in regard to him. But, first, I realized I missed you. I’d be grateful if you joined me at my home for dinner or even just tea sometime. I’ve found the loveliest little cottage along the Northcoast, away from prying eyes and muggles, alike

With love, Anne

He holds the folded paper to his chest, breathing deeply to gather himself. Then he sends the owl on its way and heads inside to pack. It wasn’t Feldcroft. It was Anne and Sebastian—nothing more, nothing less. Without them, he has no home.

~ ~ ~

It’s a beautiful day, as far as Ominis can tell, with sea salt on his lips and the sun warming his scalp. They’ve arrived in a clearing, windswept grass like the currents of water brushing at his legs. His cabbie sets his suitcase on the ground with a grunt, stretching and popping his neck from the long flight.

Ominis is about to thank him when a bony snout, with a snort that ruffles his pomaded hair, knocks into his shoulder. Startled, he raises a hand to pet the thestral, albeit cautiously, flinching when it flaps its wings.

The cabbie grunts, “Huh, ain’t never seen ‘em comfortable ‘round wizards like that before.”

Ominis’ hand glides smoothly along the bone as he replies, “Surely thestrals that pull buggies all day long are used to unassuming wizards.”

“Such as yerself, huh?”

Ominis holds a fistful of silver sickles out to his driver. “Thank you. Don’t worry about change.” With his suitcase in one hand and his wand in the other, he sets off for Anne Sallow down a thinly trodden path and wisps of bulrushes tickling the backs of his knuckles.

Except he jolts at the crack of the reigns and feels an odd sort of entrapment in the wake of his cab vanishing into the afternoon sky. As if the only way is forward and Feldcroft is a turned page, melded seamlessly into the hundreds of pages before it.

He’s frightened, he realizes. Frightened for a future barreling toward him, unable to brace himself in the midst of confusion and change. Frightened for an untouchable, unretrievable past. Part of him wonders if time would stand still if he simply fell into the grass; if life would pause if he simply made no choices at all.

He sighs. And continues to walk.

~ ~ ~

Her voice is not the same. Not youthful, certainly, but also hoarse as if she screams frequently. And tired. Relentlessly tired, the way the Sallows are cursed to be. From the moment she opened the door and spoke his name, breathless and pleasant and knowing, Ominis could tell. She isn’t faring well. Time and rest haven’t done her any good.

She hugs him and she feels unfathomably frail. His suitcase thumps to the floor, his wand clattering behind it as he wraps both arms around her. Ominis squeezes her tight because time doesn’t stop, not for anyone.

“Sebastian?” she asks, the inflection of her voice like an audible ellipses.

They part, hands still grasping elbows and forearms. Ominis simply tells her, “He left.”

Anne starts, her spindly fingers tightening over his jacket sleeves. “Left? Left where?”

“Wherever he wishes, I suppose.” Ominis breathes in, holds the weight of his school years for only a moment, then exhales. “I trust he’ll call on me eventually.”

Anne’s cottage is small and cozy and smells of bundles of lavender and a morning spent baking bread. The window above her sink is cracked open; she tells him the sound of lapping waves reminds her of Feldcroft and Ominis is suddenly struck with the realization that his best friends recall their childhood with vastly differing sentiments. He merely smiles, sips his freshly brewed tea, and claims it reminds him of Feldcroft too.

They speak long after their cups have emptied and their bread has vanished into mere crumbs. They smile and laugh as they recall memories of happier, simpler times, but the conversation inevitably sobers because Anne’s curse hasn’t magically disappeared just because they’ve avoided acknowledging it thus far.

She needn’t say anything at all, though, because Ominis can just tell. The way her voice is so terribly meek, her breathing so light and shallow, her disposition curled in on itself as if to protect what little is left. Not to mention her words, no matter how jovial or optimistic, leave such a somber trail it makes Ominis nearly as crazed as Sebastian.

He’s just about to ask her if she even bothers to see a healer anymore when the cottage door slams open and startles him enough that his hands, clasped tightly together in his lap, slam hard upon the bottom of the table.

“Anne, you have a startling number of stags in your yard at the moment.”

Ominis blinks, entirely confused. Stags?

Anne giggles; a knowing sort of giggle, the kind reserved for familiar faces. “And why, pray tell, are there stags in my yard?”

This strange girl takes a few steps and says with utmost sincerity, “Because I didn’t want them to—oh! Lovely to meet you, Ominis!—trample the dittany and I accidentally herded them all the way here.”

Ominis turns around, brows furrowed for all kinds of reasons, and holds out his wand. His magic thrums, a piano key against the halls of an empty manor, and he can make out the presence of a rather full body nearly as tall as he.

“How does one ‘accidentally’ herd stags?” he questions, more concerned with her bizarre entrance rather than the fact she knew exactly who he was.

She drops a bag or two beside the door then proceeds to plop down into the seat betwixt him and Anne. “Well, I suppose I didn’t really herd them.” Ominis already knows her face is as expressive as her words. “They just kept running away from me in this direction. How were they supposed to know this was my destination?”

Ominis has barely begun to comprehend this strange woman’s existence when Anne introduces her. “Ominis, this is Hattie Monroe. She’s a traveling healer and… checks on me every once in a while.”

Ominis raises a brow. So she is seeing a healer. “And she knew my name how?”

Hattie speaks up almost immediately, “Oh, she talks loads about you and Sebastian!”

“Does she now?”

Ominis can feel her gaze from across the table, the fondness for him and all they’ve been through. Until she says, “Oh, is my love not obvious enough for you?” and Ominis remembers she’s still Sebastian’s sister and wry humor is their crutch. He hopes his face is deadpan enough.

“I love your dynamic,” Hattie speaks up, and Ominis can’t help the way her voice is just sweet and lilting enough for him to want to listen to all day long. “Anyway, Anne, I’ve brewed you more sleeping draughts and brought some fresh mallowsweet. Also, I was hoping you’d let me stay for the night, pretty please?”

They converse like he and Sebastian used to; bland, small talk made extravagantly large purely by two individuals excited to talk to each other at all. He’s content to let them chatter on, lost in the chambers of his mind until the question pops out unabated. “Why do you need mallowsweet?”

Hattie perks up, her excitement palpable. “Mallowsweet is an excellent pain reliever! Rather unorthodox, yes, considering it’s most often used recreationally, but with the correct dose it’s just as potent as traditional herbs and potions. Of course, the dose is dependent upon how you ingest it.”

Ominis truly could listen to her speak all day. “You must be excellent at herbology, I take it.”

Hattie snorts, and it’s so ungraceful and undignified that Ominis wants to bottle the sound and keep it forever. “Not at all. I was rubbish at herbology. I think Professor Sprout pitied me a bit, honestly.”

Anne chimes in, “Aren’t you Hufflepuffs supposed to be good with plants and stuff?”

“Oh, I’m perfectly adequate at identifying plants and their properties.” Hattie leans back, the chair creaking with her movement. “It’s the growing-and-watering-and-potting part that nearly failed me. They tend to wither and die in my care.”

“I wouldn’t say that around your other patients,” Ominis says, unable to help the smile pulling at his lips.

Hattie huffs, pretending his words have entirely offended her and her practice. “That’s different! I’m not growing my patients, am I?”

“I don’t know. Are you?” Anne mumbles, pointedly staring away from Hattie.

Such an easy, ridiculous conversation is refreshing, Ominis thinks. It’s been quite a long while since he’s been able to joke around like this, to enjoy the last clinging remnants of youth before the reality of next year comes upon him. For just a moment, he can forget all that has happened, all that is happening, and just be. He hopes Sebastian is doing well, wherever he’s gone.

~ ~ ~

Anne knitted this blanket in anticipation of his arrival. In fact, she’d conjured this whole room in anticipation of his arrival. Just a few necessities, she’d claimed, as she’d hoped he’d frequent enough to begin leaving a few knick-knacks and other personal items behind. For now, though, this blanket scrunched between his fingers and tucked between his knees is enough.

He’s just closed his eyes, engulfed in pillows and blankets and the beginnings of drowsiness when someone bumps into something and a litany of childish curses are whispered just on the other side of his door. Hattie is quite an interesting woman. Enough so that Ominis, sighing inwardly at the thought of leaving his mound, gets up to check on her.

Wand in hand, thrumming softly, he cracks open the door to find her bent over, rubbing at her knee. “Are you alright, Miss Monroe?”

Her head jerks up, startling at his words, though he’d tried to keep his voice as soft as possible. “Merlin! You are as quiet as a mouse, Ominis.” Hattie had left early in the evening on an emergency call, claiming she’d be back as soon as possible. Ominis presumes it’s nearly three by now. “Apologies if I’ve woken you. Rammed my knee straight into the arm of the couch.” From what little he’s already gleaned about her, Ominis knows she is a hundred percent sorry and absolutely zero percent embarrassed by the ensuing interaction.

He wonders what is must be like to not constantly analyze every conversation, every little exchange, the nuances of words and how people say them, either to his face or behind his back. He can hear extremely well, despite popular belief.

He shakes his head, leaning against the doorframe. “Not at all, I—” and there it is, right on the tip of his tongue. The question he’d been wanting to ask the moment he’d learned of Hattie’s profession, bubbling and boiling until the moment the two found themselves alone. He sighs, hating himself for having to ask, yet hating himself more for potentially not asking enough. “Can you cure her?”

Hattie straightens, the pleats of her skirt swishing as she lets it fall, and tells him, “No, I cannot.”

He knew. He knew, but flinches anyway. “Can anyone?”

Is she smiling? Is she frowning? Are her eyes piercing him with pity or sympathy? Ominis wishes he knew her well enough to know whether or not to hate her in this moment.

She hums contemplatively, if a bit sadly, “If St. Mungo’s hasn’t found a cure, then no, I don’t believe so. And Rookwood’s death hasn’t yielded any sort of sign either.” She must catch the look on his otherwise impassive face as she continues, “I’m only here to relieve her pain, Ominis, so she can live out the rest of her time in peace. As her friend, it hurts, but as a healer, sometimes it’s the best we can do.” She places a comforting hand on the one holding his wand. “Just be her friend like always, and heed her wishes.” She pulls her hand away and Ominis nearly catches himself following after it. “Goodnight,” she whispers, moving down the hall toward her room.

The ghost of her touch lingers long after Ominis has settled himself back into bed, back into the brooding mess of jumbled thoughts and worries. It’s been nearly three weeks since Sebastian’s departure. Never before has he missed him so terribly, so deeply. He wants nothing more than to feel the curve of his back against his, barely fitting on his bed together during those first few winters he’d stayed over.

Or maybe he just misses the way things were.

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #anne sallow #ominis gaunt x mc

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coolbeansbuddyofmine · 1 year

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i once believed love would be black n' white (but it's golden)

five times mun-yeong wished to see colour in her life and once she did (or the one where mun-yeong can only see the colors in 4K resolution when gang-tae is around her, and without him, life is muted)

a fic for kdrama secret santa 2022; for @rabonghee

read it on ao3 here!

im also very sorry this is late. a combination of sickness, travel and family stuff had left me busy last week. i do hope you enjoy, nonetheless, especially @rabonghee

a happy belated christmas and new year to you and your loved ones!

i’ve been sleeping so long in a twenty-year dark night

1. mun yeong’s never had friends before. the boy with the flower at her gate is the first who’s ever come up to approach her and she’s more confused than anything else. everything around her, the world moves so slowly (dreadfully so) in some stupid 20s monochrome film.

it’s all boring and predictable and even at six, mun yeong knows that life’s not supposed to be like this.

in the books she hides from her mother, read secretly under her covers at night with a soft night light, she knows life can be and have so much more meaning and depth and colour to it than whatever her mother says.

for her few years of life, she’s believed her mother’s every word religiously, hanging on to it as if the word of god herself. her mother is? was? her god, but now, the former believer has committed sacrilege.

free thought has never felt more constraining.

the boy is like a fresh wind of indigo in her imposing house of stark greys and blacks. for her, who’s never seen colour, nor the blinding indigo in a rainbow, he’s her gateway drug.

she wants to pull him to her, magnetised by the beautiful blue hues.

---

he leaves, and she finds herself living in greyscale again.

the things that haunt me in the middle of the night

2. ju ri is kind and loud. mun yeong who would like to be an artist, if she had any talent at it, would paint her a loud and vibrant red; something vermillion or crimson, whatever would describe that prick of a paper cut that first stains it. she could be that crimson, that fresh blood, and she probably is. mun yeong’s eyes are aching and tired, and it filters the world around her, blunting all its edges.

ju ri is fun, but even she, in the predictability of seongjin city and its coastline, remains predictable. in a world of rectangles and squares, both she and mun yeong are the same; she’s loud in her fury where mun yeong is cold and quiet, that is the only difference.

the daughters of seongjin are all born angry, it seems.

that boy, mun yeong wonders, is probably a circle. she’s attracted to all those unlike her: that butterfly for one. does fury run in his blood? she wonders. is he a child of seongjin like her? or is a desperate wanderer, a nomad with no grounds to put down, a home that moves around with their people, like her?

does he want to find a home? or has he found it?

even years later, her mind still wanders to the boy who sharpened her edges to show her the most blinding of colors. something blinding in a gradient of darkness, does he pull others into him like he did for her?

is he a star to guide her or a blackhole waiting to devour her?

---

when she kisses ju ri, she wants to see another dazzling color.

she’s disappointed and leaves.

(it’s what she’s good at, after all. leaving just when the relationship was going to inevitably end; it’s called self-preservation, she has to save herself first before the momentum becomes too much and crashes)

luck of the draw only draws the unlucky

her college boyfriend thinks he’s won. she’s amongst the prettiest women on campus and she knows it: she’s his prize. among the many toys he takes, she’s his one and only trophy. all golden and gilded and glittery surface, hollow and black inside. he plays with her like a toddler with a precious toy; careless and sometimes it hurts.

but she’s used to falling and bumping and bending. trophies don’t break anyway, he can’t break her because he can’t fix her. or replace her.

all bark and bite, that’s how he likes her. says it makes the sex more fun, and she wants to jeer in his face. her contrarian nature is good for him as long as he wants to roleplay, and beyond it, she’s just a bitch.

(of course she knows of the things he says of her behind her back to his friends. he’s an average steady fuck, so she doesn’t want to quite let go yet.)

when she kisses him, she likes to pretend he’s that boy standing at her gates with a flower. she admires the great bit of courage that boy had picked up to come to her haunted house of a home in all his childish innocence and fears. oppa isn’t brave like him. no, like all good women before she had to bait him and reel him in.

college dating teaches many a great deal about fishing. she would be a pro at it, if she could tolerate amputating and gutting that worm (it feels too alive and her breath catches in anxiety). it’s taught her patience (she barely has some; waiting is for the strong and brave of heart, and she’s far too cowardly to face daunting time).

she doesn’t want to. she tries not to. but inevitably, unfortunately, she tires of oppa sooner than he tires of her. it’s easier to let men leave her, and pretend as if they’ve walked away with breaking her heart (it does things for their ego, and later at night, when they sleep with another, the guilt makes for excellent sex).

she could scoff. none of her suitors have broken her heart---they’d have to own it in the first place. you can’t break what’s not your own.

she walks away from the flames and burning embers, as oppa rapidly tries to fan them in vain. she’s not coming back.

it’s a shame she really did like him.

---

she kisses him once again at a party before he graduates. it’s just before he gets piss drunk, and a test for her to see whether any of the remnants of feelings remain.

her heart feels as heavy as steel and yet she’s hollow through and through. within her, her heart is as dense as it is empty, something paradox.

there are so many lines i’ve crossed unforgiven

4. becoming a children’s fiction writer, it’s something she couldn’t even have fathomed in her dreams. she doesn’t think her fiction is for children, even now. it’s based off her own childhood for starters, and that’s appropriate for no child ever. perhaps it is the fantastical elements, the downright grimm-brothers-and-hans-christian-anderson tale that has been her life. like attracts the like, and she’s always thought of life as something a little mystical, unreal even.

something like a long dream she longs to wake up from.

if everyone that was in her life could see her now. they’d laugh. ko mun yeong? a children’s book author? you must be joking. she hates children.

they’d be right too. she hates children---freud says daughters are a reflection of mother. she’d always thought that lunatic had some truth to his words despite his delusional works most of the times. she is her mother, and all she remembers from that woman is coldness and detachment and her child-like nature to constantly want to please the unhappy, un-pleasable woman.

(if children got close to her, maybe they’d realize the same and she’d break them. she keeps away for them and herself).

---

she thinks of that boy at her gates. was he as naive and innocent as her? as the other children? would she have broken him then or now?

she’d hate herself more than she does now, more than she can fathom if she had broken him. she’s fine with everyone in the world hating her, but that small part of her traitorous ten-year-old heart still doesn’t want him to ever hate her. not with how much she likes him. still.

---

“was the witch lonely?” a little girl asks her once. her newest book is out, something about the tale of a witch who gobbled children up who came to her door. a little boy spots her eating a child once, her favorite little boy, and he stops at her gates before running away.

the witch never sees him again.

she blinks, and little pinpricks of tears are at the back of her eyes. she wills them not to fall because she’s helen and if she cries, troy will fall. she’s self-sacrificing.

“no, she was bad. a bad bad person. bad people don’t get lonely. they get their come-uppance and have to live with the guilt of their actions, the weight of it, and the people that leave them.”

she answers it all in one short breath, before smiling and walking away.

---

“people aren’t always bad. they can change.”

not her.

clearing the air, i breathed the smoke

her life has been on auto-pilot. after a certain level of fame, it all started getting a bit too monotonous for her. when the only constant in your life, your only friend is your goddamn publisher, you know it’s getting a little sad.

she has more than she knows how to spend, and this job is more of a hobby, playing adult, than doing something for actual money.

life’s too boring, and she aches for just something different. it’s times like this when she thinks of the boy. how unexpectedly delightful he was. a breath of fresh wind in her cooped-up house, something new, something unexpected.

maybe she just misses him. after all, it’s been twenty years now since she saw him last.

the boy...if she could have one wish, one last wish and demand and plea in her life, she’d like to him see him again maybe.

get entranced. transfixed. enchanted again.

(maybe this what people call burnout? boredom? is this what weber meant when he talked about the bureaucracy and disenchantment with life?)

---

sang in suggests she do charity, philantrophy. some of that corporate csr bullshit she’s not on, but he clearly babbles about day and night.

something about building her image.

as if good deeds now will redeem her and save her now. she’s far too gone to be recovered. it’s the gates of hell for her only.

it’s golden like daylight

and once,

1. spring brings back her love to her. they say love is like the tide of the four seasons, it fades in the cold of winter, but as the warmth of spring blooms in, love returns.

she’s had a very long winter.

twenty some odd years, and the hazy bright golden sun and the pink cherry blossoms around her in a beautiful lovely spring of romance feels dizzying.

that gust of cold northern winds she’d felt from the boy’s arrival years ago, once again bursts in her chest. oxygen fills her lungs, and perhaps she just hasn’t breathed before as well as she does now. greedy little breaths of cold air, and she doesn’t want to return to that recycled, stuffy air.

they say three times is fate.

once, the first. she sees him in spring, walking up to her. pink petals around them. she drops cigarette ash in his cup.

twice, next. she raises a knife, a hand. he catches it, and it, his grasp, his fist tightens. blood flowing. red, red, red. the pink darkens.

it falls onto her hands, her sinner hands, her tight fists. and the mongolian blue mark stains red. (she’s always marked by violence.)

thrice. it’s fate. she’s almost in love. a little bit more and she’ll be there. heart palpitations, sweaty palms, flushed cheeks, and her aching wet cunt. what is love without lust? she hasn’t felt like this before.

(if the boy was here, she’d think he would be just like moon gang tae. moon gang tae. moon gang tae. even the taste of his name on her mouth tastes heady. she feels light-headed and drunk off just this. would she die at the taste of him then?)

they meet in seongjin city. and she knows it’s her boy. that boy. the boy that remains at the gates of her house and her heart.

---

later, months later. when she finally kisses him, she can taste the freezing north wind boreas in her mouth.

it’s burning like the heat of the golden sun.

#my writing #It's okay to not be okay #ko mun yeong #go moon young #moon gang tae #moon kang tae #mun yeong x gang tae #moon young x gang tae #it's okay to not be okay fic #kdrama secret santa 2022 #secret santa 2022

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femme-malewife · 2 years

Text

Fantasia LOVE&KISS Novel Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I am not a professional translator, if you see wonky sentences don’t hesitate to call me out on it

Masterlist here

⚔️🏹

The sun shone dimly on the old cathedral, where cobwebs covered the beams of the ceiling. Part of the dome roof had collapsed, the stained glass windows were broken, and a cold wind was blew in.

Dried leaves were strewn on the wooden benches and the floor, suggesting that there were no longer any workers around to clean up. No one seemed to visit the church to clean it. Aizou, who was looking around with a frown on his face as if to say, "how awful" peeked under the altar. Suddenly, he jumped and fell on his ass.

A cat jumped out, bristling its fur up and hissed, then ran away immediately.

“That damn cat...” Aizou muttered, rubbing his chest and standing up.

“There’s no way monsters appear in the daytime.” Yujiro commented.

Demons hated daylight and were only active at night. The big red-eyed demons that appear in this town were only ever seen at night. They were probably lurking somewhere dark during the day.

“You never know, there might be one or a few who lurk around in the day.”

“I’ve never encountered such a demon, though? I’ve never heard of it.” Though, since they didn’t know all of the demons in the world, they couldn’t say that there were no demons of the kind that appear during the day.

“So the deal with this place, I doubt there’s any gems here. We wouldn’t exactly have a hard time finding it if it were.”

“There was a statue in the town square.”

“Ah...the statue of the bearded old man slaying a dragon, right? It said he was the first king and the founder of the country, or something.”

Yujiro nodded. "It is said that once upon, the dragons that rested in the northern mountains often appeared in the city, rampaging about and causing trouble for the people.”

The legend was written in a document that he had found in a library in another city. Although there were some differences in the names of the people who slayed the dragons and the ending of the story, it was a common legend that could be heard in any town or village. The story passed down in this town was not so unusual.

“Okay, so now it’s the red eyed monster. This is a town that suffers a lot of tragedies,” Aizou shrugged.

“According to the legend, the dragon’s body shattered once the king slayed it with his sword, and the most beautiful jewel anyone has ever seen was left in its wake.”

“I know that...I heard that much too.”

Aizou must have also been a new arrival into town.

“So it’s only natural to assume that the jewels have been passed down through the royal family from generation to generation. I don't know if it's in the vaults of the new royal palace or in the bedroom of some princess or somewhere else entirely, though.”

If the legend were true, then the jewel was probably embedded in a royal artifact, like a crown or necklace or something.

It could all be someone's made-up fantasy. In fact, thinking about it realistically, it was more likely to be so. The gems they were trying to obtain were so vague that even their existence is doubtful.

Yujiro honestly thought that he was the only one who was searching for it, believing that it was true.

(I didn’t realize...there was another guy with the same hopes and dreams.)

He didn't know what Aizou planned on doing if he got that jewel. But it had to be something big, something he wanted to achieve or wished for desperately, even it it meant that he had to go to such lengths.

Or he could be an eccentric weirdo who had way too much time on his hands.

“Okay, that may be so, but...shouldn’t we be heading to the royal palace, then? I doubt we’re going to find anything here except that cat...”

“If you want to break into the castle’s front gates, you can do it. Alone.”

Yujiro had already been near the castle gates and watched for a while, but the security was extremely tight. Maybe it was because they were on the lookout for an invasion by demons, but even so, the number of guards was much larger than normal. It would not be easy to get in through the watchful eyes of the guards.

“I’m not saying we need to storm the castle. I’m saying we could dress up as merchants or hide in a box to sneak in...there are more ways to get in than through sheer force, you know.” Aizou said in a huff.

“I know that too, you know.” Yujiro’s lips curled into a grimace. “But most castles have secret passageways that lead to cemeteries or cathedrals. They’re always hidden so people can’t find them easily.”

The cathedral used by the people of the city for worship was built separately near the plaza, and although it would have been natural to demolish a cathedral that was no longer in use, this one was left standing.

There were also dark thorns planted in the cathedral garden, and they didn’t look like they grew naturally. The only reason to have such things was because they didn’t want people entering.

And if that were the case, then Yujiro wanted to find what they were hiding. Though, whether it was a passageway or treasure, or something else entirely, he didn’t know.

(But it could also be a den for the demons...)

“Ah...I see, I get it,” Aizou nodded and immediately walked over to one of the walls, putting his hands on it and searching for the passageway that Yujiro spoke of. He even got down on the ground to tap at it, a serious expression on his face.

Yujiro stood in the aisle and looked around the entire cathedral. His gaze landed on a cloth buried in fallen leaves. As he got closer, he saw that it had turned light brown and was a bit frayed.

Beneath it was the surface of parched wood. Yujiro peeled back the ragged cloth, the leaves gently floating down to the ground.

(An organ...)

Yujiro stared at it in surprise.

Looking closely at it, he could see that the silver pipes extended all the way to the ceiling. He opened the lid of the cover and lightly dusted off the hand keys, pressing down on them with his fingers, and found that they were not broken, still producing a sound.

The ceiling above the organ had not collapsed, so it had not been exposed to much rain.

As he was played, Aizou turned to him.

“Don’t play around and help me look. There has to be that passage or something somewhere, right?”

“Do you think it would help if you punched the wall?”

“Well, where do you think it is?”

Yujiro shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know. You’re really irresponsible, you’re the one who brought me here.”

“I didn’t bring you here. You followed me on you own.”

“Oh, shut up!” Aizou snapped.

The two of them really didn’t get along very well, having been arguing for the past few days now. But even so, they worked together because they shared the same goal and knew it was more rational to work together.

(Otherwise, who would ever work with this guy..!?)

By the look on Aizou’s face, he could tell he was thinking the same thing. Telling himself that it was just a temporary thing, Yujiro looked away with a frown.

“...I don’t see any way out. I wonder if it could be in the garden rather than the cathedral itself?”

“If you think so, you should check it out yourself.” There was no point in arguing face to face.

“Oh really?” Aizou grumbled, before pointing at the organ. “I think there’s a hidden door behind that organ. There might be a trick to it, so let’s look for it.”

Yujiro wrinkled his eyebrows. “Don’t give me orders.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Aizou waved him off.

He started to step down from the altar when his footsteps came to a halt. The front door opened with a loud bang, and he immediately had his hand on the hilt of his rapier.

About twenty guards rushed in. They were wearing the same uniforms as the guards around the castle, with black robes over them.

Seeing that they all had their swords drawn, they must have known that the two of them were inside. The garden of the cathedral was blocked off by thorns, making it difficult to pass through. There had to be another way in, then.

(Which means I was right after all...this isn’t an abandoned building.)

Aizou braced himself by him. “What do we do?” He asked, glancing at Yujiro.

Pretending not to notice, Yujiro smiled at the guards. “Can I help you, guards? Is something wrong?”

“We’ve had recent complaints that a couple of smugglers have been roaming the city and have taken up residence of using the cathedral. We’ve been sent to investigate.”

“Smugglers!? We’re not-!”

Yujiro stepped forward and raised a hand to interrupt him. “I’m sure the townspeople are concerned about that, as well as the demons that appear in this town at night. It’s reassuring to see the guards warning us like this. I hope the smugglers get caught quickly.”

“So you’re saying you’re not the smugglers?” The guy, who must have been the captain of the guards, stepped forward with his hand on the hilt of his swod. His lips twisted into a sarcastic smile under his mustache.

“Perish the thought!” Yujiro spoke in a theatrical tone and waved his hand in an exaggerated manner.

Aizou, who had gone silent so Yujiro could speak, glanced at him in surprise. He was probably trying to figure out Yujiro’s plan.

Yujiro took off his hat and held it to a chest, bowing down.

“We are traveling performers who earn a little money a day by singing and dancing from town to town. We have never committed such a daring misdeed such as smuggling. If you have any doubts, please feel free to investigate. We can prove that we have nothing to hide!“

“What a blatant lie. What is that weapon on his waist, then? Surely a traveling performer doesn’t need a weapon like that.” However, he didn’t draw his sword.

“Traveling is always dangerous. Those of you who protect the security of the city know this well. Walking along the streets at night, you will often encounter wild thieves, wild beasts, and demons. To protect ourselves, we carry a self-defense weapon or two with us when we are traveling. Besides, although we are performers by profession, we are not very good at self-defense. He has never learned swordsmanship, nor does he have a master, so he is a novice at wielding a sword just as he sees fit. Even the sword on his waist is just a decorative object hanging from his waist for show. As for me, I don't even have a sword,” Yujiro held his hands out.

“Who are you ca-” Aizou started to say. Yujiro immediately stomped on his foot to silence him.

Aizou let out a small squeal of pain, and glared at him.

“You got a loose-lipped partner there. So why were you in this crumbling cathedral? Surely you are not gathering people in a place like this to perform your tricks. The only people who would gather here would be the ghosts or demons that wander around at night. It seems to me that they’re hiding something of value that a smuggler has stolen from them. If you really claim to be a traveling performer, let me see you perform your silly little song and dance. Then it will be immediately clear whether your words are true or false. Now, what do you say? Don't tell me you can't do it? I have never seen or heard of a traveling performer who can't do a trick! Or do you want money?"

The captain of the guards flicked out a copper coin, which clattered at Yujiro’s feet.

“Come on. That should be enough for your little performance.” The guards around started laughing and jeering at them.

“Yeah, come on. Let’s hear you sing.”

“Don’t get carried away, there’s a lot you can do to fool these guys,” Aizou said quietly to him.

“The more cowardly you are, the more arrogant you act...” Yujiro simply smiled and picked up the copper coin at his feet.

“What?” The captain of the guards glared at him.

“Ah, just some nonsense, don’t worry about it. More importantly, since you have given us the fee of one copper coin, we would be delighted to perform for you, especially since there’s a perfectly good organ right here.”

With those words, he pulled up a chair that had been lying near the organ and sat down. He put his toes on the pedals and lightly played a few keys by hand, as if he were testing it.

“H-hey, are you going to be alright?” Aizou asked him quietly.

“You should be more worried about yourself on that one.”

“Huh? You’re not going to make me sing, are you?”

“Stop trying to make things difficult. I don't care if your singing is good or bad. If you are not a good singer, just say that your throat is sore today,” Yujiro smiled wryly and began to play the organ.

“You make it sound easy..!” Aizou put a hand to his forehead.

“Surely you know at least one song? A song from your hometown, a lullaby...anything.”

“Then you sing!”

“What’s wrong? We’re waiting, so get on with it!” The captain of the guard snapped as the two whispered to each other.

They glanced back at him, before Aizou turned back to Yujiro.

“...I’ve never sung in front of people before!”

“I haven’t either.”

“I don’t know any song! No hometown ones or lullabies- nothing!”

“I’ll sing along with you, don’t worry.”

“Don’t be reckless. There’s no way we can sing together out of the blue!”

It was true. The two of them had no meetings or rehearsals, but there was no way out of this situation. Yujiro grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to him.

“I’d rather sing recklessly than be caught and thrown in jail!”

Aizou stiffened and fell silent, obviously seeing that if they’re caught, then bad things would happen. It wouldn’t be easy to escape, and they couldn’t wait becaue they had no idea how long they’d be there- days, months, or even years. Aizou pushed Yujiro’s hand off of him.

“Don’t complain if I mess up!” He hissed to him before shuffling away to face the guards, who were all watching with their arms crossed. “Ah...” He rested his hand on his throat, his voice hoarse.

“Sing louder!” He coughed.

(Though, I can’t deny it’s pretty reckless to ask him to sing out of the blue...)

If he couldn't sing, Yujiro would have to sing for him. Suddenly, he heard a small singing voice. It sounded like he was slowly tracing the melody of the song as he recalled.

But after singing a few verses, he stopped. A blank silence prevailed. It was a song Yujiro didn't know, a song he had never heard before.

Yujiro played the few verses he had just sung on the organ. Aizou, who looked up as if he had been caught by the sound, regained his composure and began to sing again. His voice was a little clearer than before. The sound of Yujiro's organ combined with his clear, deep singing voice echoed through the cathedral.

Aizou looked at him as he sang and Yujiro continued to accompany him. He naturally matched with Yujiro's performance. Their hands and feet moved together to a lively rhythm. He clapped his hands lightly as he sang, and Yujiro sang along with him as he played.

(See, you can do it!)

Yujiro laughed and started to up the tempo of the song, and Aizou easily matched it. Whenever Yujiro didn’t know the lyrics, he’d cover it with a hum and perfectly timed steps.

As he neared the end, he changed the melody to a slow, quiet melody. Aizou put his hand on his chest and continued to sing alone, even after Yujiro's accompaniment had ceased. The guards were listening to the song so intently that no one was making any comments or laughing. They looked at him with a stunned expression.

The faint light around the altar seemed to dance to the accompaniment of the singing. There would be no need for any more accompaniment. Yujiro gently removed his hand from the keyboard.

Everyone present only heard his singing. No one uttered a single word until the distant voice of the singer's voice eventually died away and silence returned.

As if coming to his senses, Aizou's eyes fluttered open. He suddenly looked embarrassed in front of the unresponsive guards, and lowered his hat to hide his face, before bowing deeply.

He looked at Yujiro, silently asking for help. Yujiro got up from his chair and stood next to Aizou, looking around at everyone.

“How was it? I’m sure you now understand that we are just traveling performers. If you still have any doubts, we can dance for you this time.”

“Enough of this charade! Let's get these people out of here!” The captain of the guards ordered. Immediately, the guards all pointed their swords at Yujiro and Aizou.

“Wait a minute! This is a totally different story!”

“Whether you’re a traveling performer or a smuggler, you’re still a suspicious person whose identity we don’t know. We’ve been ordered to investigate all outsiders.”

“Huh?! So we sang for nothing!” Aizou glared at Yujiro, appearing to still be embarrassed.

Yujiro shrugged. “You bought us some time.”

"Buying time for nothing! How are we going to get out? Have you come up with anything?”

Yujiro took his dagger out. “If we wipe them out, we can escape.”

Aizou sputtered a laugh, his back now to Yujiro’s. “Yeah. Piece of cake.” He said sarcastically. The guards began to close in on them.

If it was an order, there was no point in hoping that they will let them off the hook. If that’s so, then they had no choice but to get out of this situation in a more or less rough way. However, even if they could get away with it, they were going to be wanted men. A letter of arrest would be circulated, and they would not be able to go out.

This would also cause trouble for the innkeeper and his daughter, who were letting them stay at the inn.

In order to not cause them issues, this would need to be settled calmly, but it seemed impossible.

“...Well, isn’t this better than dealing with a bunch of demons?”

“It’s more difficult to deal with humans!”

The actual number of guards was only twenty, while they were at an overwhelming disadvantage with only two. The enemy drew their swords first, so there was no need to go easy on them.

But still, he probably felt some reluctance to take on a human opponent.

(You really are soft-hearted...)

“Anyway, what happened to your bow?”

“I left it at the inn.”

“Agh, you’re useless!”

“Even if I had my bow on me, it would be useless.”

“You’re on your own, then! I can’t fight all of these guards and protect you at the same time!”

“It’s none of your damn business anyway. Just worry about yourself!”

Then, both of them managed to catch the swords of the guards who swung down, using their respective rapier and dagger.

Aizou easily dodged his opponent's sword and flicked it away. It looked like he was doing it without any difficulty, but his opponent was a trained guard. His sword was not light.

Yujiro, who was not nearly as strong as he was, had trouble just catching the opponent's sword, which made his hand go numb and he almost dropped the dagger.

Gritting his teeth and pushing back, he kicked the other man's gut with one foot as hard as he could. He slammed the hilt of his dagger into the neck of the guard, who collapsed to his knees, and the unconscious guard rolled over with a thud.

Yujiro exhaled and wiped the sweat from his chin. He was not untrained by any means, but he really was not good at hand-to-hand combat. Even though this was all he did so far, he was already out of breath.

Aizou dodged a blow from a guard who attacked him and stabbed the tip of his sword into his arm. He was obviously avoiding attacking him fatally. Yujiro felt a little bit envious that he could afford to do so. While fighting back, Aizou was not even breathing heavily. He just drew a few deep breaths. Was he used to fighting so much, or has he trained somewhere? Either way, he was clearly a skilled fighter.

“What are you doing?! There’s only two of them!” The captain of the guards shouted in irritation.

A lone guard, wearing the same uniform as the others and a black robe with a deep hood, stood behind the captain. He did not seem to draw the sword at his waist, but only gave a watchful glance. The guards on either side of the captain, with swords drawn and ready, did not move an inch from their positions. Yujiro thought they were escorting the captain, but that did not seem to be the case.

Rather, the two men were being protected by the slim figures standing in the center of the room. He watched from the sidelines without any sign of trying to join the battle between Yujiro and the guards surrounding Aizou.

Yujiro pushed Aizou’s back for him to go forward. Aizou was faster than him, after all. He’d made a decision.

Aizou stumbled and whipped around to face him.

“What the hell?!”

“Go!” Yujiro said quickly.

Aizou glanced at him, and immediately understood what he was saying. He huffed and took off running.

Just as the guard was about to give chase, Yujiro lurched forward and grabbed the sword, kicking the opponent’s back.

The sword of the man who fell to the ground clattered, and Yujiro immediately picked it up. Without any hesitation, he stabbed the guard’s arm who was about to attack him from behind.

Aizou ran down the center of the aisle, his rapier held straight forward. The one in the middle, protected by the two guards, stepped back in fear. The two guards surround him stepped forward.

“So you’re the one giving orders!” A fearless grin crossed Aizou’s face. His sword clashed with the captain’s, and he knocked the other two guard’s swords from out of their hands.

“Please step back!” The captain's voice rang out impatiently, a complete change from the arrogant attitude he had displayed only a few moments earlier.

But the skinny, unarmed guard did not move from his position, but looked up with a determined look. Aizou drew his rapier just in time.

Perhaps it was from the momentum, but Aizou was leaned forward, and a guard managed to hit him from the side. He didn’t have time to dodge the attack. Aizou fell to one knee, and immediately, the captain moved behind him and kicked his other knee as well, causing him to drop his rapier to the ground with a clatter.

“You, put down the sword too!” The captain held his sword against Aizou’s throat. The other guards stopped attacking and fell back. Yujiro slowly raised his hands above his head and dropped the sword.

One of the guards quickly picked it up, and another confiscated his dagger. There was truly nothing he could do about this now.

“Sorry...I screwed up...” Aizou, who was still on his knees, looked at Yujiro and smiled dryly.

⚔️🏹

“Nothing good happens when I’m with you.” Yujiro grumbled, his face grim.

Ever since he had been crammed into the small room enclosed on three sides by stone walls, his eyebrows have remained furrowed as if they were about to stick together. The candlelight that illuminated the passage barely extended into the room. The shadows of the bars and their two shadows were clearly reflected on the floor.

Being a dungeon, so there were no windows. A chilly wind blows in through a vent in the wall.

Aizou lightly pushed the lousy wooden bunk in the corner of the room with his hand to make sure it was still in place. As soon as he sat down to take a breath, there was a crack, and the bed collapsed.

The wood was rotten, and the weight of his body on it must have been too much for it to bear. Aizou fell on his ass with a thud, and his eyes widened in surprise. He then put his hands on his hips and grunted in pain.

Yujiro watched him with a blank expression on his face, before letting out a sigh.

“Nothing good happens when I’m with you...”

“I can say the same thing, you know!” Aizou retorted, getting up.

After patting the wood splinters and dust off his clothes, he frowned and blew on his palms, which he seemed to have grazed.

A stifled silence overcame them as the conversation broke off. Aizou seemed to have given up on sleeping on the bunk and sat down at a distance, leaning against the wall.

“...Why did you falter?” He’d been taken down by the small guard who didn’t even have a weapon.

Maybe they were just dressed as guards. He didn't know who he was, but the captain of the guard was determined to protect him. He must have been a man of a certain status. If Aizou had been able to take him hostage without hesitation, they would not have been able to touch him.

Yujiro looked at Aizou when he didn’t respond, and saw that he was bitterly raising his bangs over his forehead with one hand.

“It...was...”

“Eh..?” Yujiro stared at him.

“It was a girl, okay!”

Yujiro stared at him, dumbfounded as Aizou answered in a hushed tone.

“I didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even have a weapon, so how could I take her as a hostage in such a situation?!” Aizou turned away from him.

“I didn’t think you would hesitate on such a matter.” Whoever she was, she was the one who ordered them to be taken. They weren’t going to go easy on them.

“Say what you want, but I don’t do that kind of thing. I won’t.”

“Aghh! Nothing good happens when I’m with you!” Yujiro covered his face with his hands. This was probably the tenth time he muttered this since arriving in the dungeon.

Aizou stared at him for a moment with an expression of growing guilt. “...I’m sorry. For dragging you into this. But...thanks to all of this...we managed to get into the castle! That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Yujiro looked at him with disbelief as he spoke in a cheerful voice, as if he was trying to regain his composure, and wondered what in the world was so good about it.

“We didn’t get in. We were thrown in.” He said flatly.

“I’m trying to look on the bright side! Unlike you, who’s just been sulking there and mumbling!”

Yujiro raised an eyebrow at him. “And who do you think is to blame for this?”

“It...it’s mine...it’s my fault and I screwed it up...but I already apologized for that earlier! I admitted it, so just let it go!”

“And how exactly are we going to get out of here? You got us into this, so you come up with something.”

“You’re the one who..!”

The two of them were not the only ones who were not happy about the situation. They kept their gazes away from each other and remained silent, leaving a sour mood behind.

Yujiro wondered if the woman who appeared on the spot was the princess that the town's inhabitants had been talking about. The two of them were both strange travelers whose identities were unknown to them.

Yes, they may look suspicious, but he didn't think the princess would go out of her way to catch them.

If this was the princess, she must have been accompanied by a personal guardsman. Both the guards and the captain in the room must have been low-ranking soldiers. It was clear from their appearance and the swords they were carrying. The number of people in the room was very large, so it was a bit of a challenge, but the swordsmanship was good enough.

(But even so, why capture us..?)

Did they not want them to enter that cathedral? Or did they not want them to know about the jewel they were looking for?

If so...then perhaps it wasn’t just a legend...if the jewel was just a figment of the imagination that is spoken of in legends, then it was not likely that the people who were looking for it will be able to find it when they appear.

No one before ever took them seriously. They always said things like, “you believe that childish story?”

The reason why they came all the way to capture the stone is because they don't want anyone snooping around. It must be that the jewel existed in the royal palace, after all.

He hugged his knees to his chest as he thought, just as Aizou made a loud sound.

“Uwaa! These bones are human bones!” Aizou turned pale as he threw a bone across the room.

“Isn’t that a chicken bone?” Yujiro asked blandly. It was a short bone that looked like it had been attached to the meat of a soup bowl.

“Eh..? Ah...oh...” Aizou leaned forward and pinched the bone between his fingers. “What the hell...don’t mess with me like that...” He tossed the bone aside.

Yujiro stared at him, and Aizou quickly averted his gaze in defeat.

“...It was just dark. I couldn’t see very well, okay?”

Yujiro sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly and let out a heavy sigh. “...Nothing good happens when-”

“I’m tired of hearing that!” Aizou interrupted him in a frustrated tone.

“But...” Yujiro glanced at him. “If we don’t find a way out of here, we might just end up like that.”

Aizou frowned at him. “That’s not reassuring...can’t you think more positively?”

“...At least they served meat with the soup?”

Aizou, whose elbows were on his knees and face in his hands, rolled his eyes and grinned a little.

“Is that positive enough? It’s better than having nothing to eat.”

“That’s true...” Aizou muttered and stretched, before slumping against the wall again.

The two of them had only eaten a slice of bread from the inn that morning.

“I wish I had brought some food with me, though,” Aizou said.

“It’s not like we planned on being thrown in jail.”

“Don’t start that again.”

“Really...”

“Nothing good happens when I’m with you.” They both said it at the same time.

Aizou smirked and chuckled. “Right?”

Yujiro smiled, and started laughing a bit. The situation was awful, and nothing good would come from it.

The candlelight illuminating the passageway flickered loudly in the wind that unexpectedly entered the room. The door to the entrance opened, and someone entered. Footsteps approached. Both Aizou and Yujiro stopped laughing and stared down the passageway.

A guard wearing a deep hood came down the aisle. He was holding a tray with two bowls of soup and a small bun on it with both hands. The guard unlocked the keyed entrance and entered, silently kneeling down and placing the tray on the floor.

“You’re that girl!” Aizou shouted.

The small guard was startled and slowly removed the hood from her head. She was a woman with silver hair, about the same age as the two men.

Her hair was short, just below her shoulders, but one tuft was long and braided. Her pale face was stiff and her red lips were tightly pursed together. There was no doubt that this was the girl who was dressed as a guard at the cathedral.

Yujiro was surprised to see her in the prison, as he had not expected her to show up alone with a meal. Was this another order from the princess? Even so, Yujiro's eyebrows furrowed at the unnatural nature of the situation.

“So what now? What are you going to do now that you have us captured?” Aizou asked her.

“I am very sorry for what I did to you two. I am sorry to have been so rude to you both, but there were circumstances that compelled me to do this. Please forgive me.” She kneels down on both knees and hangs her head with her eyes downcast.

“You say to forgive you...so if that's how you feel, get us out of here as fast as you can. Like I said in the cathedral, we're just travelers. We don't have any stolen money or goods hidden away. You know that, because you've interrogated us extensively!"

When Aizou and Yujiro were taken to the prison, everything they had was seized by the guards. Even their wallets and shoes, which contained a lot of street money, were seized by the guards. This was probably because they thought they might have weapons or tools to escape hidden in their shoes.

“Of course, I will certainly get you out of this prison. But there is one thing I ask of you, and that is for you to grant my selfish wish!" Her hands that were on her knees started trembling. Her eyes started watering as she was desperately held back her tears. “Please- save this country and my sister! I beg you!”

“Who...is your sister?” Aizou asked hesitantly, his brows furrowing.

“My sister is the one who succeeded the throne after the death of our father.”

“So you’re the princess’s sister!”

Yujiro knew of the story that the princess had a sister, because he heard it from the residents of the city, which meant Aizou would have heard it too.

It was rumored that she was locked up in a castle like her sister and almost never showed up in the city, but apparently, unlike the rumor, she seemed to be a very active and fearless princess.

Or, just a daredevil.

“I’m surprised that a princess would disguise herself as a royal guard. And to be personally brought a meal by her? What an honor,” Yujiro said sarcastically, crossing his arms.

“Ah- that’s right!” The princess missed the sarcasm and pushed the tray over to them. “Please enjoy the soup before it gets cold. It's a bean soup that makes the most of the flavors of the ingredients, and a loaf of bread that's very satisfying!”

There were certainly some beans floating around the soup, and the bread looked very dry.

“I also...secretly brought this from the kitchen.” She took out a cloth and unwrapped it, revealing dried meat and cheese, as well as an apple.

Aizou rolled his eyes and laughed. “It’s like a wizard’s robe.”

“I’m sorry. I would have prepared a more proper meal, but it’s hard to hide this from the guard’s eyes...and...as you both know...there’s not much food in the city.”

"...Isn't that what you should appeal to your sister for? When your father was alive and well, he would send his guards to exterminate the demons that appeared on the streets. The people of the town have lamented that since the current princess took over, they no longer do so,” Yujiro said calmly.

The sister looked away in shame for a moment.

“...Yes. It’s just as you said. I advised my sister to send soldiers out to defeat them, but she wouldn’t listen to the warnings of her loyal advisors who have served her since my father's time. On the contrary, my sister is convinced that I am in collusion with the ministers and plotting treason...how could she possibly think that I would have such wild ambitions..? But she has completely lost faith in anyone and everyone..”

“Can’t you have it ordered in your authority?” Yujiro asked, and she shook her head.

“If I do so without her permission, I could be charged with treason.”

“But you came to us with the guards, right? You were ordered by your sister.” Yujiro concluded.

Aizou’s brows furrowed. “So that’s it...” he whispered.

“But why? Why would the princess go through all the trouble to capture us?” Yujiro asked.

“It’s because...you are looking for the secret jewel that is said to be able to grant the only wish of those who have it.” She looked at them with saddened eyes.

Yujiro and Aizou look at each other once and then shut their mouths. Someone in town must have told the guards that there were strangers asking around about the legendary jewel. This must have reached the princess's ears.

(I thought everyone in town knew that story...)

Even if they knew about it, they were supposed to keep quiet about it? He heard very little about it from the residents of the city. The name and its origin were only briefly mentioned in a book he found in a small library in the town. The old man who showed him the book in the stacks said to him, “there was a young man who wanted to see this book too.”

Now that he thought about it, he must have been talking about Aizou, who arrived in town a little before Yujiro did.

“My sister said to catch anyone who finds out about the secret jewel...”

“So there were others like us before...” Aizou mumbled. “And some tried to steal it?”

“Yes...about ten people every year...”

“Ten a year?! That many people believe the legend!”

“In total, I believe there’s been about fifty people.”

“Fifty!” Aizou cried out, before wiping his face with his palm.

“The most important thing to remember is that every year, travelers, heroes, and smugglers come to town in search of that jewel, and are then captured by the guards and forced into jail.“

(So that’s why the townspeople kept saying they don’t know anything...)

If they carelessly divulged too much, they would end up the same way. That’s why when people ask about it, they simply say “I don’t know, I’ve never heard about it.” In their hearts, they must be tired of hearing about it, though.

“So you caught the strangers who came here every years, and threw them in prison on your sister’s orders.”

She didn’t deny it, gripping her robe tightly with her hands.

“My sister was a very caring and kind-hearted person when my father was alive...I grew up with her here, and I know her better than anyone. We woke up together, did our hair, picked out matching dresses, and she used to sit on the bench in the garden and read to me...I miss her...” Her gaze grew more sad. “I remember one time, we snuck out of the castle together and went into the forest to pick berries. Of course, we made a big mess and our father scolded us...but even then, my sister stayed with me, saying that she was responsible. I was the one who suggested we go. She’s changed. Ever since our father died, she’s been a completely different person.”

“...Do you know why?”

She wiped tears from her cheeks with her hand and nodded.

"What I am going to tell you now, please keep it to yourselves and swear that you will never repeat it to anyone. In that case, I will believe you both and tell you everything I know about the source of the tragedy that has been brought upon this nation, without concealment. I promise not to lie- though I can’t tell you to believe me.”

“If you don’t want us to talk about it, then we won’t. But can you really trust a couple of travelers?” Aizou asked.

“And yet you still want us to fulfill your selfish wish?” Yujiro remembered what she had said to them first. She stared at them, eyes full of tears.

“What happens if we say no?” Aizou asked.

“I promised to get you out of jail. I have no intention of breaking that promise. But before I do, I would like you to make a choice. Either you will leave this city without asking me anything, or you will do me the favor of knowing everything I want you to know.”

"And what worthy thing would we receive if we accept?” Yujiro asked.

Otherwise, listening to her and granting her wish would be a waste of time. If he didn’t have to listen to her, it would be better if he could get her to get them out of this prison. He was sure that she does not think that she can get her wish granted just out of pity.

There may be some people in the world who, moved by the tears of a sweet maiden, were willing to risk their own lives in order to demonstrate their bravery, recklessness, and righteousness.

Or a knight of some country, who prided themselves in doing such things...but unfortunately for her, Yujiro was not that type of person. He had something that was worth devoting his life to.

He wasn’t going to give his body or life for someone else’s wishes.

She stared straight at him.

“I’ll give you what you want the most.”

⚔️🏹

“Tonight, I will bring the jailer a bottle of fine wine. When he is completely drunk and asleep, escape from the prison. To the west is the thorn garden. I’ll hide your shoes in a tree by the entrance and tie a red ribbon to mark the spot. There are several stone statues in the garden. One of them is the entrance to a hidden passageway. If you go through it, you can get out of the castle.“

“If they find out you helped us escape, won’t you be punished?”

“When the opportunity comes, I will cause a small commotion in the prison. You have to take advantage of the commotion and escape. You will not have much time, for they will soon be after you. When you get out of the castle, head for that cathedral, where you will keep the things you have entrusted to me. Once you’re through the forest, you will be able to escape the city.”

“Where are we headed?”

“I want you to go north. Among the mountains that surround this country, there is a sacred peak so high and steep that it reaches the heavens. If you know the legends, you’ll see what I’m talking about. It is the dragon that dwells atop that mountain, shrouded in snow, that continues to bring misfortune to this land.”

“There’s no way you’re asking us to slay a dragon, isn’t that a bit unreasonable?”

“What if I told you it’s not possible?”

“Absolutely not!” Both of them said.

After night fell, Yujiro and Aizou opened the barred door with the key they had been entrusted with. Passing through a narrow passageway lit by flickering candles, they find the jailer, and just as she had said, he was passed out with a bottle of sake in his hands.

Yujiro pull the key to the prison entrance from his waist and quickly left, without making a sound.

When he stepped outside of the castle, it was raining lightly.

Torches on the castle walls illuminated the darkness, with the guards standing by them. Following the instructions, he headed west of the castle and found the entrance to a walled garden with a red ribbon tied to a tree near it. Aizou bent down and probed the base of the tree with his hand.

“Do you have..?” Yujiro looked around.

Aizou tossed him his pair of shoes he pulled out, before slipping his own shoes on.

“...I didn’t think you’d do it,” Aizou finally said, standing upright and brushing his hands on his shirt.

“...I’m not doing it to help her,” Yujiro replied, tying his laces. He couldn’t fully believe the story that the princess was actually kind, and it felt like he was walking into a trap.

Even if they made it back, would they really hand them the jewel?

Yujiro pushed the key in to unlock the door. They heard the key come off the lock, so they pushed the door and it opened slightly. They look at each other and stepped into the garden.

The garden was covered with brown, withered thorns and fallen leaves, as if it had not been cared for. As they stepped through the thorns and leaves, they saw a white statue standing quietly.

The same red ribbon as before was tied around the ankle of the lion statue. The lantern by its side must also have been prepared by her.

They pushed the pedestal of the statue together, and the entrance to the staircase appeared from below. Aizou lit the lantern, and the area was dimly illuminated.

He went down the stairs first, and Yujiro followed.

She told him that it was shortly before the death of her father, the king, that dragons began to appear in the country again. She said that it was also around that time that demons began to appear on the streets more frequently than before. Some people had seen the dragon flying into the mountains to the north, and her father had accompanied his guards to the mountains to confirm it.

But what happened there - only the wounded king and a few surviving guards returned. The wounded king was laid up in bed.

“My father never told me anything about that time. I really want to know what happened in the mountains of the northern mountains!”

Yujiro recalled her words as he made his way through the stone-walled passageway, which was only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time. He wondered where it led. The passage was long, and the end of it was still to come.

“Maybe the dragon that was slain by the old king has returned?” Aizou, who had been walking with the lantern raised, suddenly said while turning around, as if the thought suddenly occurred to him. “The legend says that the body of the dragon was shattered and all that remained was that jewel.”

He’d never heard of a dragon coming back to life in any country.

“Or maybe it's the ghost of a dragon. Didn't they come back to life again out of resentment over being slain?"

“Why would they show up now when it’s been like...hundreds of years since they were slain? That’s a little weird, don’t you think?”

“Well, it’s normal to suddenly remember something and get angry, right?” Aizou shrugged, a bit indifferently. “I just wish my rapier was hidden with our shoes.”

(Honestly...)

There was no guarantee that the guards wouldn’t ambush them again when they got out of the long corridor.

“I am not going to ask you to slay the dragon. I want to know- is there really a dragon in that mountain - or not? It will help me to know what happened to my father, who went with the guards. If we can find out, then I have a glimmer of hope that we can figure out how to save our country and my sister. The mountain is so steep that it is snowed in, and it is almost impossible for people to get to it. I don't know what will happen. We ask that you be prepared to risk your life. In return, I promise to give you both the jewel.”

“Are you sure? That’s your country’s treasure, yet you’re willing to give it away so easily?”

“For me, it is just a jewel...there is nothing more important to me than the peace of my sister or the peace of this country. I am sure my sister will understand that one day when she returns to being my sister again."

It was only after a considerably long walk that the passage finally dead-ended. When illuminated by the light of the lantern, a thin iron platform was embedded in the wall. Aizou gave the lantern to Yujiro and climbed up the platform to push on the ceiling with a heave. It opened with a click, and a breeze blew in. It shook the lights.

Yujiro climbed up after him and found that they were at the altar of the cathedral from earlier.

“So you were right after all,” Aizou said, impressed, “and I guess the hidden passageway wasn’t behind the organ.”

“I only said it was a possibility.”

As Yujiro left the cathedral and headed for the backyard, he saw two horses tied to a fence. On their backs were strapped their luggage and weapons. Yujiro's bow, which he had left at the inn, was also here, indicating that she had sent someone to retrieve it.

Aizo untied the white haired horse and lightly climbed onto the saddle with his foot on the foot rest.

Yujiro, still clutching the untied rope, looked anxiously at the black horse, who was snorting wildly at him.

“...What are you doing? You’ll get caught and taken back to jail if you keep standing there, won’t you?”

In the distance, they could hear the faint sound of whistles blowing from the commotion. It was only a matter of time before they realized that they escaped and would be after them.

Aizou tugged at the reins of his horse. “Come on. Hurry up and get on.”

“I can’t, okay?! This is impossible!”

“Wha- wait...you mean you don’t know how to ride a horse?” Aizou stared at him, visibly stunned.

“No. I’ve never done it before. And we weren’t told that we were going to be getting on horses!”

If he had known that, he would have declined the offer. It's not that he hated horses. It's just that he didn’t think he could ride on their backs.

“Don’t get mad at me. How did you ever travel before?”

“I rode in horse driven carriages.”

If Yujiro smiled cutely and asked nicely, most people would gladly take him on a carriage ride. If it was the carriage of an aristocrat or a wealthy merchant, he was often invited directly to the castle or mansion. Even if he couldn’t ride a horse, he never worried too much.

“You’re too goddamn lavish!” Aizou slapped his palm to his face with a groan. “Okay. There’s no time to teach you how to ride right now.”

“No one asked you to teach me.” Yujiro grumbled and looked at the wild horse.

(This horse...doesn’t look like it’ll listen at all!)

It was obvious that he had a temper or was in a bad mood and was ready to shake him off if he dared to get on. He stomped his hooves menacingly. The horse bared its teeth, causing Yujiro to flinch backwards. The spur of the moment made him unintentionally let go of the rope he was holding.

“It can’t be helped...” Aizou dismounted his horse and walked over, picking up the black horse’s rope. “Hold it.”

“I won’t ride it. You...just go on ahead!”

“Okay, okay. Just don’t let go of the reins.” Aizou walked behind Yujiro and picked him up easily, lifting him up onto the saddle.

The horse shook and Yujiro instantly almost fell off, yanking on the rope. The black horse started to shudder and neighed in complaint.

A small shriek escaped Yujiro’s mouth. Aizou patted the horse in a familiar manner, which caused it to stop trampling and hold still, though it still seemed displeased.

Why did the horse listen to him so nicely?

“Alright. See? You’re on, so you can handle it now!”

“I didn’t get on! I can’t handle it!” Yujiro cried out.

At that moment, the black horse suddenly took off running.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!” Yujiro screamed, clutching the horse’s reins. He didn’t think about if the guards were nearby or not.

“Don’t fall off! I’ll catch up to you!” Aizou called.

“Don’t screw with me! I’ll never, ever forgive you for this!” Yujiro shouted back as Aizou turned away from his retreating figure with a smile on his face.

#someya yuujirou #shibasaki aizou #lipxlip #honeyworks #heroine tarumono/heroines run the show #confession executive committee #lisians translations

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