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plush-rabbit · 10 months

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Sorrows and Partings

TW: A bit of suicide ideation, like a tad bit but is not expressed further than one statement

Word Count: 3.6K

A/N: this is part of the cut up chapter posted previously!!

Twisting the doorknob, the soft glow of your lamp fills the room, and you sit in bed, curled up against the bed frame. He hadn’t noticed it before, but your room is a mess, clothes strewn about, knickknacks and figures collecting dust, and books layered above each other in a tower of spines.

“You stayed,” you say in a soft voice that if not for the night, he would have never heard your words.

“Of course, I did.”

You smile sadly as the confession. Scooting over on the bed, you pat the space beside you.

Even with the mess, your bedroom is as he still remembers it. It’s cluttered with your things, pictures are placed on the wall- pictures for your friends and family, posters of your favorite films, candles stacked and strewn on flat surfaces. And on your nightstand, is a picture of him and you, pressed close together as his arm is stretched out, and he remembers the day. He remembers the warmth of the sun, the soft press of your lips against him, the way that you had sugar on your tongue and the way that he became addicted to it in a matter of seconds.

He steps on the soft rug on the floor, and taking your invitation, he sits on the bed. It’s soft, and the blanket that touches his thigh, still tickles the way it used to. Your hands flutter over his, and they grasp onto his wrist. You tell him to make himself comfortable, and as if it were like the first time that he was in your room, you stay still, trying not to think about how you tug on him, how your hands are much softer now, how he can recall what it was like to lay on your bed.

He turns and twists, and he lays on your bed, and you’ve let go of his wrist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just grab you. But you just sitting there seemed like an uncomfortable way to have a conversation.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” He’ll take a chance, just to have you touch him again, to feel your touch, to know that you’re real and he’s in your room and not shivering in his bed, thinking of what ifs. “You can touch me if you’d like.”

As if he were made of porcelain, you grab his hand in both of yours, lifting the mass and watching as his fingers tremble from being touched. Holding his hand in yours, you turn it around, examining it as if it were anything more than a hand. You circle your thumb and index over his wrist, trying to pinch your fingers close together but giving up quickly. You turn his hand over, palm face upwards and you trace over nothing, your index curving around a spot. There is nothing to trace, and yet, you continue to ghost your finger over his hand in a touch so soft that if he weren’t paying attention, he wouldn’t have noticed it.

“Your skin feels different,” you mumble.

“What does it feel like?” You press your thumb over the swell of his palm, right under the ends of his fingers.

Humming, you massage and pinch at his skin. “Rubber, I think? Wait, no.” Your mouth pulls into a thin line. Your eyes drag down, heavy with sleep, but you stay determined to stay awake. “Latex?” Turning to him, you give an apologetic smile. “I’m bad at recalling textures.”

“What are you doing?” He asks.

“I miss your freckles.” You ignore his question.

If he could frown, he would. Actually, he’s sure that the spot on his face emotes; maybe it could emote frustration. “I still have my freckles. Technically.” With his free hand, he points to a small cluster of spots that float near his collarbone, right under where the bone would protrude. “Some of the spots move, but there are some that usually remain stationary.”

Nodding, you keep your focus on his hand. “You said it's- your white- that it’s all skin?” He makes a noise of confirmation. “So you’re like naked, right now?” His spots pulse in a moment of surprise, and you drop his hand. “Oh! Sorry.” You look at him sheepishly, and he hopes that you grab his hand again. “I just- You’re like gallivanting all over New York- naked.” There’s a smile teasing its way, and he straightens him, trying to keep what little resolve he has left.

“I wear clothes!” He says defensively.

“Like what?” You lean back against the bed frame, and give him a teasing smile.

“Like jackets and- and hats.” You roll your eyes, and pull the blanket closer to you. Your hands have found their new home in a blanket. “I don’t have a lot of options now- things stretched out.”

He’s gained your attention again. “No pants?”

“Well- it’s not like I have to,” he says in an almost squeaking voice. You crane your head, and he’s covering his crotch with both hands. Your name is yelped, and there’s a phantom of what the two of you used to be laced into your name.

“What?” You say through a laugh. “I’ve seen you before, remember? Plus, you're literally like you know-” you skirt around saying the word, and he can’t stop looking at you- “on my bed. And-” your hands pat on the blanket and they flat- “you walk around without pants!”

“It’s different! That’s different!”

“I’d argue that it isn’t.” Your legs shirt under the blanket. You take another glance. “Not even boxers?”

“It’s not necessary,” he mumbles, and he can’t stop looking at you. He won’t stop. “Most people think I’m wearing something anyways,” he confesses in a quiet voice. “Most of my clothes don’t fit now. The sleeves bunch up-” he stretches an arm and his hand circles around his forearm where the jackets usually begin to bunch- “and really, if I just hide my face, most people think I’m some eccentrically dressed man.”

“You always did wear bright clothing.” You lay on your side, your arms bent to cushion your head more than the pillow ever could.

“I did not,” he pouts.

“Yeah, you did.” You try to sink yourself deeper into the bed. “You had that one button-up. It was um, it was bright blue with like white shapes all over it. Or- Or your orange one! With the design on it.” Your grin is growing, and he can’t help but be captivated by you. You laugh, and it’s the sweetest sound that he’s ever heard in his life, sweeter than honey, sweeter than anything he’s ever had. “I’m sure the pants are something close to what you owned,” you say in a whisper. “Somehow, you always did make those clothes work.” You look to where his eyes should be and as if you could, he feels himself being peeled away, layers taken apart until you stare at him- just at him.

A part of him wished he left your apartment when he had the chance.

“Why did you want me to stay?” He asks, voice tight and full of want.

“I already told you.” You look ashamed. “I miss you.”

He should have left. He should have closed this chapter in his life. “I miss you too.” He can’t stand it. He hates how you look at him. Look away. Look away from him. He wants you to look away from him.

As if hearing his prayer, your gaze shifts elsewhere and he needs it back. “I’m sorry Johnathan,” you say his name with tenderness that he hasn’t heard in a long time. Your words kiss his skin and leave him aflame. “What I did to you, you didn't deserve that. I wish I could tell you that I was young and dumb, but we both know that would be a lie.” You don’t look at him again. “I asked you to stay for my own selfish desire. I thought that if I could give you a meal and let you lie on my bed, that it would somehow make up for all the bad that I’ve done to you.” You look at him, and he can’t look at you when you’ve said something so true. “A cold sandwich and a cold bed would never repair what I’ve done to you.”

He should tell you something mean- something sharp and unforgiving, something that would make you feel the way that he had that night and all the nights and days that followed. When he looks at you, and sees the bags under your eyes and the way that you look so small lying down- he can’t say anything of the sort. His words don’t form, and they aren’t tangible thoughts that he could at least grasp and stutter out, they’re simply gone. Malice and greed is absent, and he wants to cling to you. He wants to hide himself in your arms and in the soft spot where your neck and shoulder meet.

“You really miss me?” He asks in a scared voice, one that cracks and exposes all of his hopes and fears.

“Every day,” you reply earnestly, finally looking at him again. “I know I shouldn’t. But I do.”

Unbeknownst to him, he’s found his hand in yours. “How can you stand to look at me?”

“Exposure therapy. I thought that if I could stand spots and holes-” you pull a grimace as if even the word is too much and if the word is too much, then he must be plentiful and he must be cast away and you must be thinking of someone else. “Small clusters kinda fuck me over, but bigger ones don’t as much anymore.”

“I shouldn’t have dropped by that night.” He wishes he hadn’t, that way, maybe in death you could still care for him and mourn him. “I knew about your phobia and I still came by.”

“You wanted comfort.” Your voice cracks and the tips of your cheeks flush. “You needed me. That isn’t something you have to apologize for Johnathan.” Tears water at your eyes and you cling to his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“I meant what I said.” You knit your brows. “I meant it when I said that if you took me back, we could forget about all that was said. We could start fresh.”

By the look in your eyes, he knows he said the wrong thing. “That wouldn’t be fair to you Johnathan.” Your words are muffled by the skin on your arm, and he can hear it clearly, every word is drenched in pity.

He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t care. Not when I’d have you.”

“You could do so much better.”

“No,” he corrects. “No, I couldn’t.”

“I don’t deserve that type of grace, Johnny.” Your arms tense, and he wonders if you really do miss him. “If we went back to how it was before, I’d still know. I’d still hate myself, and I wouldn’t see you, I’d see me.” Your eyes shine with tears.

“I could never hate you,” he tells you with sincerity dripped onto his words. “I tried-” you blink and a tear tracks down- “but I couldn’t. I had so many things that I wanted to tell you- that I hoped I could tell you, but I could never even form the sentence.”

“Can you try?”

“What?”

“Can you try to tell me what you would have wanted to tell me?” You lift yourself up by your forearms, and push yourself close to him, He can smell the cream on you- something sweet and soft. “You can think of it like payback,” you mutter, your hand reaching to grab his.

“I can’t.” he shakes his head, and closes his hand around yours. “I could never tell you what I felt or what I thought. It wasn’t anything bad- it was just-” he sighs and keeps his gaze on your hands- “disappointment? Shock?”

“Why did you stay Johnathan?” He doesn’t answer you, nor does he even make a noise to show that he heard you. “Johnathan?” He squeezes your hand in response. “You asked why I had asked you to stay. Why did you?” Your head tilts and you lower yourself to come into his view, and he can’t look away- not this time. “How can you still hold my hand after what I’ve done to you?”

“Because I wanted to,” he tells you with his words wavering as if they’re about to crash. “I knew that you were the one that I wanted. That hasn’t changed at all.” Tears curve down the side of your face, and drip down your chin. “I’ll always want you.” He lifts his head upwards, and you sit with him, your hand gripping onto him as if the slightest tremble would make him vanish. “Do you need a hug?”

Nodding your head, all he has to do is lift his arms and you’re clinging to him, body above his with your face hidden into the crook of his neck. With tightly wrapped arms, you cling to him like a child that clings to a stuffed animal after a bad dream, and he wonders just how much of this is a bad dream. Hearing you cry is certainly something that makes him want to hold onto you even tighter, to press you against his body despite the spots and holes that litter him. However, in the same shaky breaths that you take, you call his name, hushed and full of grief, the same grief that holds warmth and familiarity.

He hopes that you don’t slip into one of his spots. “I would think about you at work,” he starts. “A lot. I’d have your picture set as my lock screen.” He wraps his arms, and you get comfortable above him, shifting and nuzzling onto his shoulder. “Sometimes, I couldn’t focus on work because I’d be too busy thinking about you. And I’d wonder if you missed me as much as I missed you.” Your hands lay flat against his back, and he wonders if by chance, you missed his spots. He runs his hand up and down your spine, making sure that he remembers how warm you are, and how your heart beats against his chest. “My coworkers always wanted to meet you, but I couldn’t let them. I couldn’t let you get near them. I was scared that maybe, you’d realize that I wasn’t all that you made me out to be, and that you’d leave me.”

Tears wet his skin, and the way that the droplet runs over the rim of a spot, has him unable to breathe. He dips his head, wanting to press a kiss against your crown. He’s forgotten that he no longer has lips, that any gentleness that he could have given you has been torn away.

“I wanted you. I thought- I would think about how when the project was over, I’d leave. I’d give Fisk and Dr. Octavius my research and notes and I’d leave. And in a good life, in a happy ending, I would be able to. We’d move elsewhere, get a cat or maybe a snake. I’d get to sleep beside you every night and and I’d get to wake up to you every morning.”

“Your co-workers called me- one of them. They asked if I had seen anything strange.” You sniffle, and you pull away, and your hands only move to clasp onto his biceps.

“What did you tell them?”

“That I wasn’t sure what they meant.” A heavy hand of white contrasts against your skin, and he wipes away the tear that has fallen. “I asked what happened to you- played dumb and they bought it.”

“What did they say?”

You lean into his touch. “They hung up on me and they haven’t called again.”

“Has my family contacted you?” You shake your head. “Good. I never wanted you to meet them.” At your frown, he continues. “You deserve to be surrounded by good people. Not them.” Your nails dig into his back, and the same hands that traced over his veins and cradled him, are the same that drag down and make him bleed. “I knew about your phobia, and I still came to you. I thought to myself that out of everyone, you wouldn’t turn me away. It was silly, I know.”

“I’m sorry,” you croak out. “I’m so sorry.” All that you can do is repeat your apologies, whispered and broken, repeated like a prayer, and in every word, in every syllable, there is grief and regret, and it tastes bitter. You cling to him, and you apologize, like a child crying to their mother, apologetic over a broken vase, begging their mother to still love them even after all the wrongs that have been committed, and at the end of the day, the love is still there, but the vase is broken. “I wish that you met someone better than me.”

He’s silent, and he looks at his hands, the same ones that run up and down your spine, and he wonders if you would hold his hand again.

“Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I think about how you looked at me that night. And sometimes I wish that I had died that night. That I wasn’t-” his voice wavers and in a hushed whisper he continues- “this.” His hands clench over your shirt, balling up the fabric. “Then maybe you’d have a nice last image of me. And then maybe you’d still want me. I wonder what would have happened to me. If they would give me a funeral, or if they’d rip my body apart and never lay me to rest.” You only cling tighter to him. “When I can’t sleep, I think about what I would tell you. I would tell you that you were mean, and I would never have done that to you. And that as awful as you were that night-” he lets out a shaky breath- “I never stopped thinking about you. I wanted to stay right by your side. I would have done whatever it is that you had wanted me to- I would have hidden myself and only came out when you asked me to.” He hopes that you’ll cling to him just a bit longer, that you won’t pull away. “When I came by that night and found you crying in the living room, I wanted to hold you again; make whatever bad happened, disappear. But it was me. I was the bad thing that happened,” he whispers.

“It wasn’t you. Not entirely. It was me” His spots jolt. “It- It was the way that I treated you. How I still missed you, but that I didn’t have to because it wasn’t like you were gone.”

“Just my good looks.” There’s a hint of sarcasm buried into his words.

You laugh, and the hands lay flat on his back, cradling over his shoulder blades. “You’re still tall- I’d count that as a win.” Your breath is warm against him, and when you pull away, looking at him, there are tears in your eyes. “I wish that I told you that night to stay. I really wanted to, but it felt selfish to ask that of you. I couldn’t do that.”

“I wish you did,” he says without hesitation.

“I wish I did too.”

“When I grabbed my clothes, I uh- I took a shirt of yours. It’s creepy-” he turns his head and even if he is unsure if blood still runs through him and makes him human, he feels warm- “but I wasn’t thinking. I just- I’m sorry.” He bows his head and your hands slip away from his back, to cradle at his head.

“Johnathan,” you say quietly, “I’m literally sleeping in one of your shirts.”

“That’s different. That’s cute. You’re cute. I’m- Look at me. I stole something of yours. I just- I had to be reminded of something of yours. I needed you to keep me warm at night.”

“Can you stay tonight?” He leans closer, your hand cradling his face, moves to hold the back of his head. “I don’t think I can handle watching you leave right now.” He’s silent, unsure if he heard you correctly. “Please, Johnathan.”

“Ask me that again.”

You comply. “Can you stay the night, Johnathan.”

If he could, he’d kiss you. He’d carve himself a mouth, give himself jaws and teeth and lips, pick apart at his flesh and fashion his bones into canines and molars, just to give you one last kiss- tender and parting, just to show you that he really did care for you. He’d bleed himself out, let himself get torn apart if only he could kiss you. Even now, without lips and a tongue, the sugar still rests heavy, and the blood that you’ve spilled is overpowering and makes him unable to speak without threatening to give you his all, to have you look at him, and to forever look at him.

Your eyes stare into a black hole that will never stop looking at you, that will continue to take in all the light and capture it for itself. He’s selfish in staying, and you are terrible for asking him to stay. And in this room where the lamp casts a golden glow, and he holds you in his body, limbs entangle, words that tore apart skin and hands that rubbed over the wounds, there is no safer place that he would rather be. He’d stare at you every day, swallow you whole and take the poison that runs through your body and is seeped into your blood.

He holds you in the orange glow, lets you hide yourself in his chest, and lets your body twist to not enter him. And he holds all of you, hoping that in the morning, he’ll remember the smell of your lotion, and the soft thumping of your heart under his thumb.

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daphnebowen · 4 months

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day five of twelve days of rina: favorite episodes 🤩

I’m doing one from each season because I’m like that and can’t choose

season one: episode five - homecoming

homecoming is obviously one of the most important and essential episodes to rina’s storyline. This is where they all got started, this is when they really started to shine, and obviously without this episode there really wouldn’t be a rina. their chemistry was off the charts in this episode and honestly going back and seeing how genuine they are with each other and how they can be so fresh and just honest with each other; man it really is something else. rini never held a candle to rina, looking back on it. They never stood a chance. “I thought we sort of, like, got each other” and “You know I meant what I said. at the skate park, about you having your own style. I don't even think I knew how much I meant it when I said it.” like dude. monumental. Already these two characters are having such a profound effect on each other and it’s been only a couple of months. AND THE CHEEK KISS. THE FREAKING CHEEK KISS. because for me, rina was never really a thought in my mind until that kiss. Until Gina showed me that she was opening up her hard heart to the brown curly haired boy with the great voice and sass for days. until Ricky showed me he wasn’t opposed to it. until their chemistry was so off the charts I was blown away.

season two: episode four - the quincenero

okay, hear me out, this episode is actually pretty important to rina. There’s a ton of character growth from Gina specifically. obviously there are other moments but I really do like the moment where Ricky comes to Gina for advice about nini and she says that maybe they shouldn’t give advice to each other and she’s not nini. which I think is a beautiful parallel, looking back on it, to when Ricky didn’t try and convince Gina to stay in slc and not do the movie because he’d already had an experience with nini where he did tell her that and she completely fumbled and freaked out. which, understandable, whatever. That’s her. But the thing is, that’s what gina wants. Gina wants to be set apart from nini, Gina is completely different from nini and in this episode she’s trying to tell him that (which she’s right, bc nini did not like it at all when Ricky revealed he’d talked to miss Jenn about getting nini in the show, but the fact remains is that Gina said she’d be flattered but said “I’m not nini and we’re not dating” to try and tell Ricky that maybe that’s not what nini wants). Gina is telling him that the things that work for her are not going to work for nini because they are two different people and their relationships - both romantic and platonic, current and future - are entirely different. which is so profound and beautiful when you compare that to Ricky’s aversion of change and you see how nini and Ricky’s relationship began to fail because Ricky was using things Gina had told him all along. which is kind of emotional cheating but wtv. anyways, the fact that Ricky was dating the person he was “most comfortable with” but using the girl who represents change’s advice is something I just love. And I’m sure I’m not explaining it well, so if anyone sees this and wants to add/explain better pls do.

season three: episode five - the real campers of shallow lake

okay I absolutely love this episode and not just because of the rina content. everything about the drama between Maddox and jet to portwell drama to Ashlyn and Val and obviously Ricky angst and feisty gina makes this episode so 💋 but obviously, I’m here to talk about the what do you know about love duet. Which Ricky/josh and Gina/sofia ABSOLUTELY SLAPPED and I gave them a standing ovation as soon as it was finished. because this was EVERYTHING. Kourtney’s clear approval, Val’s interpretation of the whole thing, their freaking history, Carlos’s encouragement, ej’s uncomfortableness, it’s all perfection. their playful banter, their voices, this being their first duet, ugh it does things to me. And the fact that it really does represent gina as anna and Ricky as Kristoff seeing that Gina is in a brand new relationship and thinks everything is rainbows and butterflies while Ricky, who has only experienced love where he has to work for the other person and strive to make things work instead of it being more effortless and easy (as rina are later) is amazing and beautiful. I could explain this more later but I don’t want to run out of room so if you want to know more, lmk. and also the “rebound” afterwards where RICKY APOLOGIZES FOR HIS INTENSITY KNOWING GI WAS EQUALLY AS INTENSE because he knows something is up with ej. but he wants to be there for gi. He wants her first relationship to go well, and he defends her to ej as well telling him that she’s just tired and coming down from the rehearsal. watch out world, Ricky Bowen will defend Gina Porter with his entire being.

season four: episode five - admissions

AGHHHHHHHHHH this episode lowkey might be my favorite of the entire series. but then again I loved every moment of every episode so I won’t say that. But this episode is MONUMENTAL for both Gina and Ricky and especially in their relationship. Gina finally opens up to her mom abt her and Ricky, Ricky opens up to ej about his fears and confronts his tendency to hide when things go wrong, and it all culminates in a beautiful second chance confession rain kiss spin hug. UGH, Tim, my FRICKIN HEART! I really do love the conversation between ej and Ricky because they truly are brothers and besties. ej truly helps Ricky so so much. And I could have a whole conversation about their conversation and all the ways it is beautiful but I won’t. Gina, meanwhile, is coming to the realization that Ricky is her inspiration and Ricky is the reason why she is happy. Ricky Bowen makes her the happiest she has ever been and it physically hurts her that her mother does not know this (it hurt me, as a viewer!) and the beautiful second chance playing as Ricky sees Mack and Gina and turns away~ it really shows that 02x12 really was about Gina all along, it was never about lilly. it was always Gina. nobody else ever stood a chance.

#12daysofrina #I have no idea if any of this makes sense #I think there’s some coherent thoughts in here #but I truly have no idea #a lot of rina's important character growth happens towards the middle of the season im realizing #which is I guess how it should be #but writing down my favorite rina episode for season 2 was hard #because that drought was rough #once I got over rini I needed rina and man there was none #thanks for reading!!#ricky bowen #gina porter #gina x ricky #ricky x gina #hsmtmts #rina #day five #already omg #I’m not ready for it to be over ☹️

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chellychuu · 8 months

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Sometimes I really want to make a new Twitter account and start over haha

When I first made my account, it was the first time I had drawn in a few years and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. At the time I wanted to be like the really popular artists who drew pretty girls that were slightly suggestive (not nsfw) so that’s what I did! But I definitely got a certain kind of follower by doing that 😅

But after getting into the swing of things I realized I just like drawing cute characters! I enjoy drawing characters I liked as a kid but didn’t have the skill to draw them back then! I also love designing my own characters! However, since most of my followers on Twitter didn’t follow me for that stuff, it usually flops haha then I go into a spiral of ‘is my art getting worse??’

Basically I want to have a community and be moots with people who also enjoy/make cutesy artwork! I don’t want to have to draw certain things for engagement, I just want to draw what I like but also have people enjoy it too! 💖

Sorry for rambling! I just can’t really vocalize this anywhere else haha I really don’t want to make a whole new Twitter account, but I also feel like im not myself on there ; u;

#I post what I want regardless but I just wish I had a community of cutesy artists like here!#I also want to improve my style it’s very inconsistent at the moment and I don’t like it lol #thanks for reading!!#sorry for going off on tangents lol #not pink #chelly rambles #personal post

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kaelidascope · 6 months

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Midnight Menagerie Chapter 6 is LIVE

*SHAKES FLIRTY BAG OF DOGGY TREATS*

Chapter 6 - The Thing With The.. Thing IS LIVE!! Oh yeaaa baby chef Kaeli is BACK

We got more progress on the bees on this one. Chapters 7 and 8 we're right back on heavy content warnings so savor the calm and mundane while you can SKSKKS

Also peep a new end page for links to fanart, my own art, and a breakdown of Blake and Yang's playlists and their meanings behind the song selections! Don't worry it's spoiler free, so it will be updated as chapters are posted <3

#MidnightBeesFic #RWBY #Bumbleby #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #Flirty bees HOOOOO #Next chapters gonna fucking hurt I'm sorry y'all #Also please peep the new additional tags and the note attached to the prologue #Thanks for reading!!#Leave comments for me in the morning I love waking up to them hehe

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moraloreldeservedbetter · 6 months

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*morel orel

i accidently deleted your first message but moral orel is sad puppet show hell

its a take on the bush administration in the mid oughts

well the first two seasons were

season 3 is when it decided to slightly shift from the political subtext and went for a more dramatic tone

issue is mike lazlo is a mcfucking coward but thats besides the point

#moral orel #well not exactly orel related but #mew gets an ask!!#thanks nonny for the question!!#thanks for reading!!#again thanks!!

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yourwormfriend · 6 days

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CHAPTER 9!!!

#tmnt #tmnt fanfiction #rottmnt #tmnt crossover #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt 2012 #hope you enjoy #rahhhh #been powering through these #chapter 10 is done #working on chapter 11 #and woah #i might die #but idk #love you guys #thanks for reading!!

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125storejuice · 11 months

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Hello! I'm looking for help with groceries today as my meds ended up being more expensive than I thought.

I'm hoping to have a job by the end of the week, so this will no longer be am issue !

50 would be amazing, but anything helps!!

0/50

Ven//payp//cashap//ko-fi

#thanks for reading!!#this month has been a tough one !#hope you are all doing so well!!

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visionsofmagic · 7 months

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day 4: uchiha obito [mutual masturbation]

࿓ synopsis • you can’t deny the desire you have for obito and you want to show it.

―❦ nsfw, akatsuki member!obito, watching, voyeurism, pet names, humiliaton, day dreaming (kinda), masturbation, fingering, neck holding, cum eating, swearing, ordering, power play (a little), shinobi!reader, f!reader. • 1.9k • so fun to write this maniac yet broken man, love him soo much, much favorite character from naruto beside kakashi. enjoy! [kinktober m.]

he is a wanted former shinobi, a danger to all nations, and you’re just someone he knows from the past he can’t get his mind off.

it’s always like this; he leaves the others, the world behind the moment the sun disappears, and the shining stars lighten the sky up in the night of the hidden leaf. he comes here – comes to you. he knows you wait for him because the same circle of events happened for at least 2 years now. he stays behind the tree, behind your door’s windows yet gazes on inside, traveling on your body, watching every movement, and having a peaceful – even paradise, away from the cruel world behind him.

it’s simple – maybe it isn’t but he doesn’t care; he just likes to sit on a tree, and see the sight before him – you while cooking, reading, laughing at something you watch or read, playing with your hair, sometimes pouting – cute, he thinks, and he finds them enjoyable because it is you – the only person he sees entirely, he seeks and he misses.

however, this night isn’t simple, it’s complex – he realizes even before coming here, finding you sitting on the edge of your bed, the window is wide open, the wind of the hidden leaf flows into your room, a few things fly from here to there including your hair. you seem as if you don’t notice any of it – you don’t, he can say, after with the arrival of his presence, you only focus on him.

you don’t look, eyes still on the wall in front of you, hands between your thighs, the marks of heat you have are visible on your body that is lighted below the gleam of the moon.

obito isn’t blind, no, he has an eye to see clearly, even under the dark light of the night, even from that far. the vision helps him to witness the scene before him with magnificent quality and detail.

he isn’t dumb either – can be the most intelligent man in the whole world. you know it, you always tell him how smart he is, catching little details, especially when it comes to you. he remembers the moments you were surprised when he understood gestures even though you can’t realize what you’re doing, so when he comes here, he doesn’t waste a second time to gather enough knowledge about what is going on.

he leaves a deep chuckle under his mask, a hand stays on one of the branches of the tree he is sitting on, “what a silly girl,” he says, head tilting to the side when you close your eyes, opening them again, and taking a deep breath.

with the knowledge of what you will do next, he gets excited – only you can make him feel this kind of emotion with the rest of the others including lust. he doesn’t have to be smart to get the hints; his girl – he likes to call you that, sitting on the bed, a thin white night dress you chose to wear that shows your entire body underneath it – hardened nipples because of both the cold night and him are visible, exposed thighs clenching together, and a bottle of oil standing on the bed, beside you.

it isn’t surprising that you are naughty and horny, wanting to create a show only obito can witness to. you tried this before, maybe more innocent, but you did. however, obito can’t deny that this one is far more different than the previous ones. his rapid breaths prove him right and when you take another deep breath, he sees determination in your sparkling eyes, and it catches him off the ground when you suddenly change your position.

now you sit right in front of the open window – him. he can see you directly – not your side profile. if you look up, he knows your eyes will be in contact with each other.

you don’t anyway. your eyes focus on your thigh, opening them wider, slowly, you pick up the dress until your soaked pussy can be seen – he holds his voice low when he leaves a growl, hand grips the brunch tighter, head tilts forward to see it closer – “oh maker,” he says, “what a beautiful pussy!”

he knows you hear him because your cheeks begin to burn with redness, hands squeeze the fabric of your dress, eyes half-closed.

he waits for you to move on – to give him more – he’s needy; the desire to come into your room and have you under him right away is pleasing to the ear, however, he wants to wait, you prepared for him after all. he wants to see how far his good girl can go.

two fingers get inside your wet mouth, the tongue licks them from tip to toe – his cock twitch with lust; that wet fingers travel down to your pussy, standing on your folds and playing with them, slowly enough to drive him crazy.

he expects you to put your fingers inside that fleshy pussy of yours yet you have a different plan; your left-hand finds the thin strap of the dress as the other stays still, playing with the folds, earning low lewd sounds mixing with your rapid breaths.

taking off the straps from your shoulders, it falls into your abdomen in a smooth motion, hardened nipples and the cute flesh of your breasts are revealed, making obito’s hand find his clothed cock under the cloak of akatsuki. another growl goes out of his parted and dry lips, he licks them to feel wet as if his lips taste your pussy, kneeling down and eating it out.

somehow his mind goes all dizzy, taking functions of moving from his brain, filling it with you who starts to play with hardened nipples, squeezing them from time to time – low moans leave your opened mouth that obito wants to put his cock into – for another day, he thinks.

he needs to live this moment and enjoy it at the highest level.

after quite a foreplay with your breasts – squeezing, slapping, licking them, you have obito in a state of a needy man whose mind is full of lust, brown eye activates the sharingan because he never wants to forget, the cloak is long forgotten under his feet, cock is standing inside his palm, precum licking from it.

the fingers finally enter your pussy in one go, the head is thrown back, a scream can be heard, minds lose themselves, and sin remains behind.

it’s feels so wrong and so right at the same time; neither of you cares yet the feeling of it drives both of you mad. hunger for one to another rising up with a dangerous rate in sync with your fingers going and out of your now wetter pussy, lewd sounds filling the room travel inside to outside until it reaches the man who jerking himself off while reaching euphoria closer owing to the sight he watches; wide open legs, pussy clenching around the fingers that give pleasure – but he knows well that he is one of your ultimate pleasure givers by only staring at your nearly naked body, eyes blurry, mouth half-open, breasts bouncing in rhythm.

“fuck -!” he swears under his breath, close to the edge like you, hand getting faster. “pretty –“ he says louder, wanting it to reach your ears, and it does. “my pretty girl, go on, give me –“

nodding to him, you lower your head down so that you look at each other.

eye to eye, breath to breath, heart to heart – you see the red eye he has, taking your breath away, and an idea pops inside your mind when you can’t see the lower part of his body. you guess what he’s doing under there but you need to see it, so, you chuckle, teasing him, “oh, my greedy pretty boy, can’t handle watching me like this?” it is a question, indeed, but it doesn’t feel like it. “come closer,” you say, ass moves until you reach the middle of the bed, getting away from him to provoke him. it’s unfair that he can see your pussy yet you can’t see his cock. “please –“ you say, close to the edge, “ooohh, obito –!”

without any control of the body, he moves on his own with the help of eagerness, jumping to the window fast enough to make you rethink your plan once again. the idea vanishes into thin air when your eyes connect with him; standing with his glory, he sits on the edge of the window, the mask is still on but the eye – oh that hazardous eye that can end lives gives life to you now, hands stay on the thighs to show off his thick and long cock – and yes, you open your eyes wider when you see it, precum is all over it. you have to fight with the urge of kneeling down on the ground and taking it into your mouth, sucking it, licking it so that he can fuck you with all that wetness afterward –

“pretty,” he says after chuckling deeply, taking your mind all to himself – to his presence. “move your fingers,” he orders, sounds deep and sending chills down your spine. you wait no more, readjusting the fingers, going back to the rhythm and rate you had – the difference this time is that you witness how his hand rubbing his cock, up and down, giving a weakness to you that you merely have the power to continue.

want to make him cum, make a mess, wins – you get up on your knees, rising on the bed, three fingers giving you pleasure as you bounce below them, breasts bouncing, acting like it’s his cock you’re bouncing on – riding, you moan his name, “aggh -! o – oohh –obito! please,” you don’t know what you’re begging for, neither he is – maybe a bit yet you go on screaming his name, pleases wandering around the room, eyes look at his eye and his cock, a hand holding your breasts from time to time and a sin blooms in the night.

then, he says, “fucking cum.” and you do, your own cum dripping into your fingers – to the sheets, and his white semen flows into his long fingers, ending on the floor.

getting weak – exhausted, you sit down, hands on the bed, looking up, taking a sip of achievement because you drove him mad – too needy, too greedy – and ended up masturbating with you.

a smile appears on your face, he comes closer, and he tilts his head, pointing to your mouth, “open your mouth,” he sounds bossy, alerting you that if you don’t do what he tells you, you will end up in a situation that you face with real menace side of obito, so, you open your dry mouth due to all that moans, and he puts his fingers that full of semen into it. his free hand caresses your hand as you suck his fingers off, bitter taste of the semen that belongs to obito burns the throat – you want more. “my good girl, did that all for me? and even cleaning the mess she caused,” he chuckles, fingers roaming on the lips, hand now holding the neck, kneeling down closer, the eye sparkles – turning the room into the new setting of sin which will bloom sooner than you thought, “will take care of that wet pussy after I fuck this beautiful mouth of yours. will fill all holes with my cum to reward you for the show, my special whore.”

❦ tagging: @lilvampirina ! special thanks. 🎆

[tagging is open!]

#💦 kinktober 2023 first week #kinktober 2023 #day 4 #uchiha obito #naruto #uchiha obito x reader #uchiha obito x you #uchiha obito x y/n #uchiha obito x f!reader #naruto x reader #naruto smut #obito smut #💌 by me #purple #THE FIRST TIME BUT IT FELT SO GOOD TO WRITE FOR HIM THAT IT TOOK NEARLY 2 K EVEN THOUGH I TRIED TO HOLD IT SHORT #well I guess I can say that I have a thing for masked and menace fictional men #thanks for reading!!#obito x you #obito uchiha x reader

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ladyddanger · 1 year

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“Who the fuck is Delulu?” Wilbur snarled. Quackity gazed up at him face carefully blank. He was caged by Wilbur’s arms, trapped against the brick of his own home.

Well trapped was the wrong word. If Quackity wanted there was a dozen different ways he could have gotten away. But he didn’t move. He owed Wilbur an explanation. The one he was robbed of thirteen years ago.

If Wilbur hadn’t been so angry he would have noticed the way Quackity’s voice shook ever so slightly when he finally answered.

“Wilbur….Delulu is our son.”

#thanks for reading!!#c!quackity #c!wilbur #c!tntduo #c!quackblr #c!tntblr #delulu

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beerecordings · 3 months

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The Other Monster - Chapter 1

From my Graceling AU - Based loosely on Kristin Cashore’s Graceling books, this is a magic-medieval setting where Jameson is a child who’s been raised by Anti - a Monstrously beautiful assassin and abuse survivor who's come to see the world as evil. As Jameson starts to question his brother's perspective, he discovers another Monster in need of his help: Marvin the Magnificent, who's been abducted from his home and sold to the highest bidder.

Previous fics in this world: One l Two l Three

Next Chapter

For more context, I'll add that Anti and JJ are Gracelings (beings who have a supernatural ability of some kind). Anti is capable of Persuasion, and JJ is still discovering his power. In the books, all Monsters have a kind of Persuasion, but I didn't give that power to all Monsters, only Anti.

And let me be real upfront before we get started: this fic is never explicit in any scene, and absolutely never fetishistic, but it involves Anti continuing to process severe child sexual abuse, including incest, and Marvin being trafficked, held prisoner, and sexually abused. There is no pressure to read. I will tag carefully, but be aware these themes continue throughout. That being said... it's a story about healing and loving people anyway. Because a lot of us are all processing some stuff of our own too.

Okay. Let's go. And let me know if you want to see more <3

He dreams of Chase.

“Keep up, slowpoke!”

Running through the grass with their hands clasped together, turning to heave the child into his arms when the mud reaches his little brother’s thighs, making him shriek with laughter as he swings and rocks him through the muddy valley in mid-spring, blowing blubber kisses into his fat toddler tummy.

He dreams of Jackie.

“Keep quiet, keep quiet! You have to stop laughing.”

Sneaking through the hallways of the castle one at a time, beckoning for each other when the coast is clear before darting into the kitchen to steal lemon poppyseed muffins and jam bakes and a jug of apple cider each, causing trouble and then retreating as fast as their teenage feet could carry them to their rooms in the high tower or the swaying tree house they built for themselves in the arms of the old oak tree beyond the courtyard.

He dreams of his cousin.

“You study too much, come on, come play with us.”

Slamming cards and chess pieces down against the table as they played games at rapid-fire speeds, their eyes sparkling with a shared enthusiasm for the fond competition between them, exchanging insults in a half-dozen different languages, gossiping about everyone they know and laughing for the fun of it, curled up in front of the fire with mulberry wine and Henrik’s company to keep him warm through the winter time.

He dreams of his family.

“Where are you?” he whispers to the shadows. “Why haven’t you found me yet? You said you’d keep me safe, please… I know I act like I can take care of myself, but I’m scared. I’ve never been this scared in my life. I don’t want to be sold.”

A slam against iron like the striking of swords jolts him from his sleep with a scream. He grabs his own shoulders and shoves himself back against the walls of the cage, staring in terror up at his captor, who looks back with bleak blue pelican’s eyes, thoroughly unimpressed.

“Age?” he asks, holding up a pad of parchment.

Marvin breathes hard, staring around his cell, blinking.

“Still surprised to find yourself in here? You been in here three fucking days, start adjusting. Age?”

“What?”

“How old are you?” asks the man, enunciating his words slow and mocking. “How many years do your parents say you are when your grandpappy asks?”

Marvin squeezes his eyes shut, flushed with humiliation. “I – I’m twenty-six.”

He writes it down, unperturbed. Marvin wraps his arms tighter around himself, shivering in the cold. “Can I have something to eat?” he croaks out. “I’m starving.”

“Better if you’re thin,” answers the man blandly. “Maybe in a couple days. What’s your name?”

Marvin clutches his knees to his chest, staring at the filthy floor in front of him, his eyes flickering back and forth. “Fabian,” he whispers after a moment, hearing the frailness of his own voice. His whole body is giving out on him. His mind too, he expects. He closes his eyes. “I’m Fabian.”

“Good,” says the man, scrawling on his notepad. “You’ve already learned to lie about it. No one cares about your old name. No one cares about your old life. Forget it. You’ll never go back to it.”

“My family would pay a lot of money to have me back,” cries Marvin. “And my brother is a Graceling warrior! You ought to let me go before he finds me, or I swear to God that you’ll regret being born!”

“Glad to see you’ve resorted to threats instead of biting and screaming like that first day,” grumbles the man, shaking out the wound on his hand that Marvin gave him.

“You deserve it!” Marvin screams. “You and everybody’s who’s trying to steal me away! I’ll kill you like I killed the first one who grabbed me! If he didn’t have his fucking friends there – ”

“Any health concerns?” asks the man, staring down at his clipboard.

Marvin breathes hard, tears dripping down his face, holding himself in the middle of his cold cell.

“Well?”

“I… I’m allergic to walnut,” Marvin whispers, shrinking in on himself and closing his eyes.

“Great,” says the slave trader. “I’ll mark that down.”

He turns and walks away.

Marvin stares at the floor. The tears dripping onto it humiliate him. Everything is a humiliation. Everything is a threat. Everything wants to use him. To hurt him. To take him away.

He remembers being rebellious as a child when his parents would shave down his hair and make him wear coverings in public or hide him away during state dinners, never letting anyone but Jackie and Chase and Henrik see him, sometimes even telling guests they had only two sons to keep him a secret. He complained about being a prisoner - isolated, guarded, not allowed to grow up like a normal kid. At the time, the pain of his being hidden away from the whole rest of the world felt like something that would destroy him. It makes him want to laugh now, but all that comes out is a quiet sob. He should have been more careful. He should never have gone into town with Chase. He’s thirteen now and old enough to get anything Marvin needs from the city without him. What Marvin wouldn’t give to be back in their little summer cabin right now, making pancakes or swimming in the lake with him. With no one staring at him or touching him. With food in his belly and a friend at his side.

But the one upside to this hunger and the cold and the grief are that they keep sending him back to sleep. Back to dreams. He drifts off once more soon enough, chewing on a strand of his hair like he’s a five-year-old again, rocking himself against the stone walls on his every side.

He dreams of his parents, and his childhood.

“I don’t want to go to bed yet, Momma.”

“You don’t have to just yet, baby.”

He would like to be a child again, rocking on her lap, curled up between his parents by the fire. Jackie would be on the floor, looking up at him with his big child’s eyes, just a couple years older and protective from the start. Watching over him. With everyone close. With everyone holding him. He would like to be safe again.

“I don’t want to go just yet,” he whispers, pressed into his mother’s arms. Jackie would struggle up onto the enormous bed and squirm his way into his mother’s arms beside him, landing soggy child kisses on his face and reaching out to be held by their father, patting his chubby hands against his shoulders when he’s picked up and snuggling down against them both, the four of them sandwiched together in the warmth.

“You can stay,” his father would say, stroking his hair, blue as the galaxy, shining like its closest stars. “You can stay, my little son. No one will take you away.”

They had made him this promise time and time again. Even before he was old enough to realize it, his parents understood the curse that he was born with. No one, they said, will take you away. Even if we go. No one will take you. Jackie will protect you. Won’t you, Jackie?

And Jackie, from the time he was three years old, had nodded and promised with more intensity in his Graceling eyes than any child should ever have to muster.

“Yes, Marvy. I will protect you.”

He’s spent his whole life protecting Marvin. He’s given him everything he had. It wasn’t his fault. Marvin knows that. Their parents should never have made him promise. Their parents should never have promised him they could keep him safe. No one can. No one ever could. He should have known.

“I’m just a Monster,” he whispers, when consciousness comes to hurt him again. The walls of the prison cell stare back at him, wide-eyed and silent. “The whole rest of the world knows that this is where I belong.”

Forget that old life. You will never get back to it.

Marvin realizes that this might well be true. Up until this moment, he never knew it was possible to be this afraid.

“Please, Jackie… please hurry. Please find me soon, my brother.”

It's always so strange, watching the spiral his brother goes through before his birthday.

He doesn't think Anti knows that he notices, but it's been happening for years now. Anti starts out overenthusiastic at the start of the month, but as the days go on, he grows quiet, deflates. He's never liked the idea of Jameson growing up. He doesn't think he was supposed to notice that either.

He knocks on the door of Anti's study, waiting for a rumble of an answer before he comes inside. Or tries to. The door is locked. He hears his brother get up and come to the door, unlocking it and letting him in.

"You're locking your study now?" Jameson asks.

Anti scowls. "You never know who might come in."

Sure.

The fortress where they live is all cold stone and locked doors, always has been. Jameson knows it's not normal for the serving girl to have only one hour a day when she is allowed to clean one room at a time, and even stranger for her to be blindfolded when she serves them dinner.

But he also knows why they do it.

"Come sit," says Anti, patting the chair across from his desk before he goes to sit back down. Jameson notices a new patch of dried blood on one side of the cushion. Who did his brother kill here, and for what? A business deal gone wrong, an insult he couldn't abide by? Or did someone catch a glimpse of him, and figure out his secret?

Anti tucks away some papers on his desk, and Jameson studies the lines of his brother's face. He knows how rare a privilege it is to be allowed to do so. Rarer still for Anti to look back at someone without suspicion. With warmth. Sometimes, Anti even lets Jameson touch his face. Scratch his small nails along the rough texture of his beard.

His brother was born a Monster, not that Jameson will ever understand the word. Even after all these years, he's so fond of his brother's appearance. The skin is clear and smooth, no matter how little he cares for it, and even the scars seem artful, charming, intriguing. His mismatched Graceling eyes burn with color, green and blue, each competing to be brighter than the other, and the dark beard and waves of emerald hair are so familiar to Jameson. He remembers the first time he met him, when Anti came to his room to save him. He remembers asking his brother if he was an angel.

Not an angel. More like a demon. Always a Monster. But never to him.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Jameson signs, and Anti's quick to turn his head from his work. He swore to him years ago he would never ignore his signing, and he's not sure the promise ever leaves the front of Anti's mind.

Since he's about the only one who understands him, Jameson's grateful.

"You done with lessons for the day?" Anti asks.

"Yes."

"And you took care of Bertrand?"

"Of course I did."

"Good." Anti finishes shutting his drawers and gives Jameson his full attention, looking at him keenly from across the desk. "I need your help with a mission."

Jameson's stomach turns over. "I don't want to watch any more dying, Anti."

He sees his brother bite back on a sigh, his eyes fluttering closed for a second, and Jameson squirms in his seat. They've talked about this so many times, he knows what Anti's going to say before he says it.

"You have to learn how to kill someday, Jameson. I'm trying to get you accustomed to death. But if you're not ready yet, we can wait. It's okay for you to be a kid a while longer."

Right, thinks Jameson flatly. That wonderful conundrum of Anti wanting him to be fully grown and tiny forever at the same time.

"That's not it, though. I just need you to wait outside while I storm a building. A girl will come out and you can take her somewhere safe. Then I'll come get you and we'll go home."

"That's it?" asks Jameson suspiciously. "I just have to wait outside a building? Won't the girl wonder why I can't talk?"

"I'll tell her you can't. Just lead her away. To that big church nearby that you like. It will be easy."

"But can't some of your... minions help? Or Anja or someone?"

Anti starts laughing. "Minions, is that the sign for that? No, James, I can't trust lackeys with this, and partners even less so. Anyway, Anja is in Loughlin. You'll have to come with."

"Somebody tried to cheat you, then, and you're punishing them."

His brother pauses for a moment, looking him over. "No," he says. "They don't know me. But the girl is innocent and the rest are not. So you'll wait outside for her. Tomorrow night, okay? So get done with everything you need to do before then."

Well, it doesn't sound so terrible. "Okay, fine. I'll do it."

"There's a good kid. Come on, darling. You ready for some dinner?"

"Yes, let's go!"

He loves when Anti takes the time to eat with him. His brother puts a hand on his shoulder as he leads him out of his study, locking it firmly behind him, just like the rest. "And maybe we should talk about your birthday coming up," adds Anti.

Jameson looks up at him, surprised. It's not a topic they bring up, usually: Jameson getting older. He doesn't understand why, but he knows his brother's never liked it, knows celebrating his birthday is always something Anti has to force. It's like a secret they keep, at times - one of many.

"What about it?" Jameson asks.

"Like what you want to do and get for presents," says Anti. "You're going to be ten, after all. That's a milestone."

"What? No, Anti, I'll be eleven."

Anti stops short and looks at him, mouth curved down.

"I'll be eleven," Jameson repeats. "I was ten last year. Do you remember?"

"Ah," says Anti, and for a long moment, he's quiet. "Of course you were. I do remember."

And then, softer still, "you'll be eleven."

"Maybe you could stay home with me all day," Jameson offers. "And we'll go for a ride with a picnic, and we can have the beef with gravy I like for dinner?"

But Anti's doing that thing now, that thing that he does around his birthday. A sad thing, Jamie thinks, or maybe a mad one. He can never quite tell. But he looks at Jameson, and then right through him, and it's like he stops seeing him completely. He wonders what his brother sees when he looks at him like that.

"Of course we can," says Anti, but Jameson doesn't think he understood him at all.

It's happening more and more, lately.

Jameson puts his arm around his brother's waist and hugs himself against his side. Anti can give him missions and lessons and duties if he wants, and that's okay. But his real job is always going to be this: taking care of Anti, like Anti takes care of him. After all, if he doesn't do it, he knows there is no one else in the world who will.

#tw human trafficking #graceling au #i've posted the first section before but I'm starting over with the rest of the story! it needed fixing up #thanks for reading!!

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aevallare · 5 months

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I may be the minority, but I am with Astarion this time. He has all the right to be furious, I'd be too. He pushed himself to open up and trust Auri enough (even for sex), and she gets all high and mighty when he doesn't even lie, just doesn't wanna talk about an immediate nightmare. Then she admits to lying (which I'm curious why she did in the first place? What benefits from not telling about Raphael). I've been in his shoes in similar situations (no grand trauma, still) and I reacted worse 😆

nah nah I'm with you lmao like. they both suck here but I actually am of the opinion that astarion sucks less 🤣

as for why she hid it, well - imagine you're auri. you're a cute little clown girl way out of your depth. a devil approaches you and you don't take the deal. you barely know any of these people and you're trying to get them to trust you.

later, the devil shows up again. this time, he's speaking to the man you're falling in love with. he's so delicate, like glass, and you don't want to break what little trust you've built.

so you don't tell him.

and then, of course, it bites you in the ass.

#kindred #asks #thanks for reading!!

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pain-in-the-butler · 11 months

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Currently reading Coattails. Shout out to that one chapter I read yesterday/hours ago where Ciel said Wah. You truly peaked in making him in character back then! Can't wait to see Sebastian putting him in the microwave as well!!

There have admittedly been one or two places where I've changed an older chapter to have "Wah" instead of "huh" or something in his dialogue so... I can't say I was always perfect. 😔 Microwave scene comes in chapter 420, look forward to it ✌️

#coattails #thanks for reading!!#ask

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ariadnassecretdiary · 9 months

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Under this damn contract

Summary: Ariadna was just your average college student that suddenly found herself in a tight situation: she woke up inside her favorite novel! Well, isn’t that nice~? WRONG! She reincarnated as a support character whose fate is to end up dead, victim of the novel’s villain Kino, who’s thirst for blood and power makes him extremely dangerous! Right now, she’s one year ahead from the tragedy so Ariadna’s only choice is to find a way to survive. Ari must do anything in her power in order to avoid the destiny that was given to her. The question now is: will she make it?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, […]

Chapter 8: Playing with fire.

Mun Ari: One piece of advice: Do.not.write.anything.without.prior.planification!! I made these mistakes so YOU don’t make them! I wonder if it is only me though… meh! Anyway! I want to thank you for your patience while waiting for my brain to come up with a good idea on how to proceed with the story. I hope it won’t disappoint ^^.

Anyway, enjoy!

Ari finished making her order to the kind waitress and soon she left to prepare it. Ari sat by her favorite spot at the cafe in Sutzig city, waiting patiently for her guest to arrive.

“Ari!” She heard someone calling her. Ari raised her eyes and soon Naomi made her way through the restaurant until she sat across from Ari’s chair.

“I’m so happy you made it Naomi!” Ari said cheerfully “It’s been a while since we could hang out together!”

“I agree, it’s such a shame…” Naomi sighed.

Ari felt guilty, after all she couldn’t keep in touch as much as she could due to her new “social life”. Yet, she hoped Naomi wouldn’t know about that.

“I would like to offer you an apology regarding this” Naomi interrupted Ari’s thoughts.

“You? Why?” Ari questioned her.

Naomi left a tired sigh.

“The truth is I’ve been very busy within my responsibilities to be able to send you letters” Naomi replied.

“Is that so… then it couldn’t be helped. Please don’t worry about it” Ari tried to comfort her.

“Still, I would like to apologize. Please accept them” Naomi insisted.

“Very well~”.

There was a tiny pause between them.

“You won’t ask about the things that have kept me busy?” Naomi inquired.

“I mean… I suppose that they are confidential topics that I shouldn’t know” Ari replied, confused.

“You’re right but, aren’t you curious?”

“I-I would be lying if I said I wasn’t” Ari admitted “But I think it is not correct for me to ask”.

Naomi smiled.

“You’re so honest and correct~” Noami praised Ari “Yet, it could help me to sort out my thoughts by talking it out with you”.

“Why me?”

“You’re my friend and I trust you”.

Ari felt touched by Naomi’s words and simply smiled.

Naomi left a tired sigh and soon started talking.

“Remember what I told you about the Eagle clan job regarding the barrier? Also regarding the towers that surround our kingdom so that the barrier reaches every place in our empire?”

"Yes, I remember," Ari said.

“However, the situation hasn’t been ideal. Just recently, the fluctuations have been more recurrent and are becoming a serious matter for us”.

(Wait! If the barrier comes from KarlHeinz, then…!) Ari’s eyes opened in realization. (Doesn’t this mean that these fluctuations means that his health is deteriorating!?).

“We have no way to know what exactly is causing this, but I hope it gets fixed soon. In the meantime, we have already asked for reinforcements” Naomi concluded.

(Then no one must be aware of this fact!!) Ari got worried.

Naomi noticed that Ari’s expression on her face. Naomi smiled, as she spoke.

“Don’t worry Ari. I assure you that with some more magicians the barrier will be restored in no time. We are fully prepared to whatever emergency that may arise in the future, so worry not~”

Ari smiled, but deep down she knew better that that wouldn’t be true.

(Now that I think about it, in the novel no one spoke about these incidents) Ari thought (These were subtable signs from KarlHeinz’s health slowly declining and no one seemed to notice or link these fluctuations with him. The barriers will cease to exist when KarlHeinz dies in Autumn… as well as Iberitia and everyone living there… even myself).

But she knew better than she had no way to tell Naomi that as she had no proof and probably thought of her as some lunatic.

“I hope so too Naomi” Ari finally stated.

“Let’s change to a more pleasant subject, shall we~?” Naomi said cheerfully “How have you been? Is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

“Not really. I’m doing well” Ari said as she took a sip of her tea.

“Really~? Is there really anything you’d like to tell me~?” Naomi said while taking her tea as well “Then I must have heard wrong since I heard you were having quite a social life~”

Ari shrugged.

“Oh, that? They’re exaggerating~” she lied “Just a couple of parties or reunions here and there~” Ari then took another sip.

“Really~? Then, how is it that I heard you have been accompanying certain young man to these ‘occasional’ gatherings~?”

Ari almost choked on her tea. She coughed and cleaned her mouth as she tried to recover.

“Y-You knew!?” Ari asked. “I thought you d-didn’t care about listening to rumors”.

“I usually don’t care about them as I believe they are a waste of time” Naomi agreed. “However… when my friend’s name was mentioned I couldn’t ignore them”.

Ari tensed.

“I had really hoped you hadn’t listened to them… at least this time” Ari admitted.

“Rumors fly and it was a matter of time before I knew” Naomi shrugged.

Ari gulped discreetly, she had to come up with an excuse for Naomi to lose interest and let it be.

“The duke Kino from Rottisen, huh?” Naomi said and after a brief pause she spoke again “I don’t like him”.

Ari opened her eyes in awe. Naomi had never openly expressed a dislike towards someone. She could guess so by the way she interacted with them, but everything kept being respectful.

“H-How so? Do you know him by any chance?” Ari asked.

(If Naomi knew something, maybe I can use that to my advantage!).

“That’s my point: I have never heard of him before” Naomi replied “And that makes me doubt him. Ari, due to my position, I know every single member of the nobility. They are part of my responsibilities as I have to interact with them at some point, therefore I have to know about them to maintain diplomatic relationships. Not just nobles here in the Makai, but I also know the most important members of the foreign nobility. Yet, I’ve never heard of the existence of the duke of Rottissen”.

Ari didn’t know what to say. If she dared to say something wrong, Naomi could know about Kino’s secret identity and complicate things more. She had to cover up for Kino.

“Is he your lover by any chance?” Naomi interrupted Ari’s thoughts.

“I-I! W-Well! I-I mean! We are still getting to know each other!” Ari said blushing.

(I wish I could explain to her the type of situation I’m stuck in…) Ari thought ashamed.

(For what I learnt, here in the world of the novel something as ‘boyfriend’ doesn’t exist. Apparently, the closest to it would be ‘lover’, but having that title means a step closer to becoming a fiance!).

Naomi looked at Ari and left her tea cup on the table.

“I don’t like it…” she repeated.

“Y-You don’t have to worry about it Naomi!”

Naomi sighed.

“I would have preferred you to go out with someone I knew. That way I could have given you useful advice in order for you to make a good decision. For example, if you had chosen Sir Tersul… Sure, he looks like a gentleman, but he’s addicted to gambling. Or maybe if you had chosen his highness the fifth prince, I would have warned you about his famous whereabouts with various ladies. Something as fidelity isn’t in his vocabulary…”

Ari giggled, yet Naomi went serious.

“Yet his grace… I know nothing. It makes me feel uneasy”.

Ari felt moved, having such a great friend like Naomi moved her heart deeply. Naomi was never mentioned in the novel, so Ari suspected she wasn’t someone of importance and most likely ended up as Kino’s victim at some point in the novel. Although she greatly appreciated her, she had to keep her as far as she could from all this issue… to keep her safe.

“Don’t worry Naomi… I mean it when I tell you I’m fine” Ari smiled at her.

Naomi sighed once again.

“I trust your intuition, so I’ll respect your decision and won’t push it further. Still, I would like to advise you to be careful with his grace. Since no one seems to know about him, I can only offer you this much advice”.

Ari nodded and so they changed the topic.

Some time later, they finally said their goodbyes and parted in different directions.

As Naomi had just entered her carriage, it started moving. Naomi was deep in thought regarding the conversation she had today with Ariadna.

(Duke Kino from Rottisen, huh? Sounds fishy…) Naomi thought seriously (Besides… Why does that land’s name sound familiar? I’ll have to look into this further…)

Soon she heard a light knock by her window. She opened it and one of her soldiers looked at her with urgency.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but your presence is urgently required back to the Eagle territory” the soldier said “The barrier is going through a new fluctuation right now”.

Naomi opened her eyes, surprised.

“What? But it stabilized just hours ago!” Naomi exclaimed.

“The messenger just came to inform us ma’am” the soldier replied.

“Very well. Then let us hurry back, we’ll use a magic portal to arrive as soon as possible. Hurry everyone!” Naomi ordered and all her soldiers went back to work.

Naomi sighed.

(This can’t be normal. If this continues there’s no way we can keep it a secret much longer. And we haven’t received any reply yet from the imperial palace. Just what is going on?) Naomi thought as her carriage hurried. (I need to take care of this before anything else. I’ll need to put Ari's situation on hold. I hope I’m wrong about it and not to worry Ari unnecessary).

Naomi’s carriage took the magic portal and soon vanished, taking their preoccupations with them.

As Ari was getting ready for the party she was heading out to, she kept thinking about her conversation with Naomi the previous day.

(There’s no doubt that these fluctuations are signs that KarlHeinz’s weakening by the day. At this point, the story will follow its original curse) Ari thought as Mia was styling her hair by her mirror (We are just 2 months away from the Star’s festival and therefore the prediction of the oracle…).

“All done my lady! You look stunning!” Mia exclaimed.

“Thank you Mia,” Ari said as she rose.

She headed to the carriage waiting for her by the entrance of her home. Once inside, it made its way to her already designated encounter point with Kino. When she arrived and both made their way to the party, silence always prevailed. It was clear that they took the ‘business only’ by heart. Ari sighed at the uncomfortable atmosphere between them. She had tried to start a conversation with him several times before, but they had died soon after they had started. It was clear that Kino refused to speak beyond the necessary… not to mention he wouldn’t speak about his plans at all with her.

(He’s unapproachable. He’s also very cautions around me and he doesn’t trust me at all) Ari thought gazing at him from across her seat, while he was looking out the window (If I could only know what he’s looking for at the moment and I managed to get it for him…. then I could have some chance to get him to trust me).

The carriage stopped and both descended.

(I need to find out what: it can be information or maybe an object or maybe getting closer to a specific noble… if I manage to get it for him first! He might think of me as useful!).

They entered as they were announced. Soon Ari felt the guest’s stares and somehow she had gotten used to them at some point. They walked together and slowly they were greeted by various guests.

(I guess I have to start by sticking with him at all times to find it out) Ari thought.

Yet, at some point, as she was greeting some ladies that greeted her, she lost sight of Kino. Ari made her best effort to be by his side, yet he sneaked somehow every time. At some point, Ari ended up by herself by the dance floor.

(I can’t believe it! Is he doing it on purpose!? Why can't I remain by his side!?) Ari thought frustrated, looking everywhere for Kino. (He’s a sneaky jerk! Like a hummingbird flying at high speed from flower to flower! I can’t keep up with him!).

Ari’s eyes couldn’t find him anywhere. In late parties, he would leave her by herself and disappear not to be found by her until the end of the party or after some hours if she was lucky.

(If this keeps happening! I won’t make any progress at this rate!) Ari groaned, still looking around. Suddenly, she felt someone touch her shoulder making her go back to her senses.

“Lady Ariadna! It’s been a while!” a group of young ladies she had met at Lady Mindel’s party, Lady Shabel being one of them.

“Oh my~! You’re right! How have you all been?” Ari asked them.

(Oh dear, what a bad timing…) Ari thought as she smiled at them.

“It’s a pleasure to have encountered my lady!” lady Shabel exclaimed.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Ari said, and started talking about meaningless things.

Although Ari was secretly looking around for Kino and as soon as she would spot him she’ll excuse herself to go directly to him.

At a certain point, the music changed and all the ladies started leaving in search of a partner to dance or being asked to dance by a brave gentleman. In the end, lady Shabel, a lady called Linda and Ari remained with no one asking them to join them for a dance.

“Where is his grace, my lady?” Lady Linda asked curiously “I thought he would come to take you for a dance by now”.

“A-Ah! His Grace had some business to attend with other guests at the party and had to retire for a while” Ari invented an excuse.

“Oh! If it was for work, it can’t be helped~” Lady Shabel replied understandingly.

“I agree. Sometimes my father would take the opportunity to make business at gatherings such as this one” Lady Linda agreed.

Ari thanked they believed her lie, while she kept looking around for him. Yet when she laid her eyes on the dance floor, she forgot her search for Kino as she focused on the dancing couples. They swung around in sync with the music, somehow they were so coordinated that Ari thought of those movies back on her world replicating a ball like the one she was seeing herself. They all danced like they were professional dancers with a lot of practice for the big event. Ari always felt her heart beating fast with emotion at those scenes, but seeing it with her own eyes felt surreal. Since she was little, things like balls, dresses, princesses and anything related made her wish she was there. Even in the tight situation she found herself in, she wished she could join them… everytime.

(Even if I was asked to dance I don’t know how to do it. Maybe the original Ariadna knew as she was a noble since birth, but not me. I can’t risk making a fool of myself) Ari thought, yet her eyes never left the dance floor. (Besides, if I happen to dance with someone else, I can make Kino angry with me).

The dance piece came to an end and a round of applause followed. Ari resumed looking for Kino, but got distracted by a sudden commotion on her surroundings.

“Oh my! Could it be…?” someone said.

“I don’t believe it!” someone else said.

“What is she doing here?” Lady Linda asked incredulously.

“I never thought someone like her would attend an event like this,” Lady Shabel added.

Ari followed their direction and by the entrance she saw that a new guest arrived at the party.

A beautiful lady was slowly descending the long stair by the entrance. Her long straight hair looked like strands of gold fluttering behind her. She was wearing a deep wine dress, richly decorated with details in black. When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she made a little bow with her head to viscount and viscountess Weiter, the hosts of the party, that were there. They reciprocated as they thanked her for joining them. She nodded and focused once again to the rest of the party and slowly made her way through them. They moved aside as she walked, somehow intimidated by her mere presence.

“I’m shocked she’s here” Lady Linda commented, her voice almost a whisper.

“I agree. This isn’t the type of party she would attend” Lady Shabel agreed with lady Linda as well in a whisper.

“Who is she?” Ari said, realizing late that she thought it out loud.

“You don’t know who she is, Lady Ariadna!?” both ladies exclaimed looking at Ari surprised.

Before allowing her to answer, Lady Linda spoke.

“She’s her Grace Sabine Tachihara! The heiress from the Vibora clan!”

“Not to mention she’s currently the one that leads all trends in the empire. Whatever she wears or says is for sure turning into the next trend in the coming days”. Lady Shabel added.

“Everyone wishes to be part of her group or at least be on her good side. If someone dares to offend her or making her angry, it will be a social suicide! She can turn everyone against that person and it would be almost impossible to recover from it”.

Ari looked at Sabine as she kept walking. She passed exactly in front of Ari and the ladies and for a fraction of a second, Sabine seemed to look towards her direction and Ari could have sworn her eyes seemed cold and almost hateful. Was she looking at her? Did she imagine it?

Sabine kept walking across the center of the ballroom.

“Oh dear…” Ari heard Lady Shabel mutter and Ari looked towards the direction she was looking.

As people were moving away from her, someone didn’t move. Ari opened her eyes, surprised that that somebody was Kino. He was distracted by a conversation he was having with a man Ari didn’t recognize. Ari also saw that man looked behind Kino and closed his mouth in astonishment. Kino must have wondered the reason for that behavior and finally turned around to find himself face to face with Sabine that was forced to stop by this. They both look at each other, like analyzing each other. They looked like two beasts measuring their strengths. Everyone at the ball seemed to stop breathing, Ari could hear some worried whisperings around her wondering what would happen next. Some whispers claimed that Kino was being reckless by not moving aside on time, while others wondered what yould be Sabine’s next move.

After what seemed like an eternity, they simply smiled at each other and bowed at each other.

“Your grace” she greeted him.

“Your grace” he reciprocated.

Everyone was astonished and Ari could guess Kino achieved something big.

“I finally have the pleasure to make your acquaintance your grace” Sabine continued.

“The pleasure is all mine” Kino gave her a charming smile.

“I look forward to having a conversation with your grace in the near future” with another bow Sabine walked past Kino and continued her way.

As soon as Sabine disappeared, everyone seemed like they were holding their breath and finally were allowed to breathe. Soon whispers could be heard everywhere, but Kino was unbothered and resumed his conversation with the gentlemen around him that joined him once again, but Ari could tell they were somehow more lively after what had happened, most likely proud from Kino’s achievement.

“Her mere presence is intimidating” Lady Linda commented.

“I can see that…” Ari said, but was more impressed as to how Kino handled it. (It felt like a scene from Mean girls if you ask me) Ari laughed internally.

“I still can’t think of a good reason as to why her grace would attend a party like this one” Lady Shabel said.

“Whatever the reason she might have had… I’m so glad I came as well! Is it better to experience it than to hear about it, don’t you think?” Lady Linda replied excitedly.

“I agree! The rest of the ladies will be so jealous when they hear about~! I can't wait for our next gathering!” Lady Shabel agreed.

Yet Ari remembered that stare Sabine had given her. She also wasn’t quite sure if she had to admire Kino’s nerves of steel or question Kino’s sanity. In any case, she had to find him, she couldn’t go home like she always had with no progress on her plan… or any plan she had made anyway.

She excused herself and went to find Kino, only to spot him just in time taking some stairs open to the guests to the second floor. She hurried after him and when she arrived to the second floor, she lost sight of him. The second floor merely consisted of a huge corridor with an incredible set of large window-like doors that led to small balconies for guests to use for a brief pause to have some fresh air. Something that just made sense since Ari well knew that viscount and viscountess Weiter enjoyed hosting various parties every couple of weeks. As an introvert herself, she thanked having somewhere to escape to when she felt like charging her “social battery”. As Ari walked looking for Kino, she heard some noises coming from the last of the balconies on the right side of the hall. She peaked and found Kino, but she discovered Kino wasn’t alone: Sabine was with him.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, your grace, I’m glad to have encountered you this evening” Ari heard Sabine said.

“Heh? And what is that I perhaps owe the pleasure for her grace to look forward to have a word with me?” Kino replied.

“Rumors spread fast and wide in this empire, it was a matter of time for me to hear about you. I must say that what I heard has picked my interest”.

(Then what the ladies said is true!) Ari thought surprised (If she’s aware of Kino’s existence our rumors have made it to the higher circles).

“I have to say that it is quite an honor to have caught the interest of a lady such as her grace,” Kino replied, clearly satisfied.

“Is not something easy to achieve, considering that I’m hard to impress”.

“I wonder what I can do for her grace to keep her interest longer”.

(Could it be that Sabine is interested in Kino in a flirty way?) Ari wondered (I mean, she isn’t really the first, but a duchess as Sabine!? Was this a thing in the novel? I can’t remember–).

“Lady Koizumi?” a nearby voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Y-Yes!?” Ari jumped and turned to look around to find Viscount Weiter in front of her.

“I’m terribly sorry to startle you my lady” he apologized with a sympathetic chuckle for Ari’s reaction.

“N-Not at all my lord!” Ari quickly composed herself and bowed to greet him “I was simply distracted”.

“I see” the Viscount replied “Are you enjoying the party my lady?”

“Oh! Definitely! The selection of music and the decorations are wonderful! It’s clear that everything was planned with the utmost care!” Ari praised.

“I’ll let my wife know your thoughts, my lady. I’m glad it was of your liking”

“Please do, my lord. Plus your hospitality has played a great part as well!”

“You’re so very kind, my lady” Viscount Weiter said with a pleased smile “I was actually looking for his Grace, have you perhaps seen it?”

Ari paid extra attention to his words.

“Did something happen?”

“Nothing to worry, at least not as far as I'm concerned” he said “Is simply that he asked for a moment to have a word with me and is just until now that I’m finished greeting all guests that I can spare him some time”.

“I see!”

(This is my chance!) Ari thought.

“I thought you might know as his partner where could he be”

“As a matter of fact, I do know where to find him, my lord!” she answered “I’ll go and tell him myself, so if you'd like you can wait for him in one of the balconies and I tell him to go and find you”. Ari replied.

“Wonderful! Then, tell his grace I’ll be waiting on the last balcony on the other end of the hall for more privacy”.

“Sure! Meanwhile, my lord should use this time to have some fresh air himself while waiting!”

“What a great idea! You’re so kind, my lady” Viscount Weiter said and turned around and left.

Ari turned around as well and, after a deep breath, lightly knocked on the balcony’s door where they kept talking. After a brief pause, she entered.

“Excuse me…Oh! Your graces! I hope I’m not interrupting!” Ari faked surprise as she entered.

“Not at all~” Kino replied, but Ari had a glimpse of Sabine’s face to notice she wasn’t happy with her interruption “Were you looking for me?”

“I was, thankfully a servant saw you coming here and I was able to find you” Ari replied.

“Did you need something?” Kino asked.

“Actually, I came to tell you that Viscount Weiter is free now and is waiting for you in the balcony by the end of the hall”

“Ah~, then I can’t keep him waiting. If you’ll excuse me~”.

Kino left, leaving Ari and Sabine. Ari looked at her and felt the sudden change of the atmosphere. Sabine opened a fan to cover her face, not allowing Ari to read her expressions any longer.

(Kino you jerk, you didn’t introduce me to her!) Ari thought annoyed.

“Allow me to introduce myself with your grace: my name is Lady Ariadna Koizumi, youngest member of the Koizumi family” Ari introduced herself as she was of lower rank between them.

Sabine nodded. Ari felt uncomfortable in the awkward situation before her. After what felt like a long time, she spoke:

“I’ve heard about you”.

(You could have said so sooner!) Ari thought. (Ugh… This is so awkward! I want to leave!).

“It’s an honor, I hope only good things!” Ari tried to joke.

“Maybe…” Sabine answered coldly “but that doesn’t change the fact that is… annoying”.

Ari opened her eyes in surprise, taken aback by her words.

(Did I hear right?)

Ari could only look at her confused, but Sabine simply started walking towards the entrance behind her.

“If you’ll excuse me” and with that Sabine left.

Ari stayed there even after a couple of minutes trying to process what had happened.

(What was that!? Did I do something wrong? What did she mean by that?) Ari then felt angry (So the look she gave me before wasn’t my imagination!)

Ari took a deep breath and let it go.

(You won’t always be liked by other people… maybe she was just not in a good mood?) Ari said as she shrugged (Besides, I have other things to worry about).

Ari then entered the mansion and went directly to the other end of the hall where some gentlemen were having a private conversation.

(I have to find out what Kino is after. I need to try to be a step ahead of him!) Ari thought as she hurried.

As she approached the balcony silently, she listened as both gentlemen chatted.

“I’m afraid that as much as I would like to help his grace, I’m unable to do so” she heard viscount Weiter said.

“It’s hard for me to believe it, as you are well informed in all the affairs regarding the internal market,” Kino said.

Ari really didn’t have the background of their conversation, but kept listening.

“Is true, but what his grace is asking is beyond my capabilities. Rather than involving the market, I think that’s a topic more fitable for politics'’.

“Not even if I double the current offer?”

There was a brief pause, clearly Viscount Weiter was contemplating the offer.

“Something as offering such a large supply of magical weapons… enough to fully equip the Imperial Army: Are you saying that your land has a higher production capacity than the North Kingdom?”

Ari gulped.

(If Viscount Weiter knew that, in fact, Kino does have that capacity…) Ari thought, remembering the events of the novel.

Viscount Weiter sighed and the sound of footsteps was heard closer to the entrance.

“I seriously can’t help you, your Grace” Viscount said “You have great talent, I’ve heard of it and I’ve seen proof of it just now. If you continue like that you’ll have a bright future ahead. However, I don’t possess the resources or contacts to provide you with the information you need. My sincere apologies, I hope you find what you’re looking for”.

“It can’t be helped then” Kino concluded “Thank you for your time then”.

“We can sign the contract another day,” Viscount said. “However, with the original offer only”.

“You can keep the second offer, it doesn’t make a difference anyway”.

“There’s no need, the double offer was in case I could be of any help. I won’t rest if I take advantage of his grace. Now if you’ll excuse me”.

Ari heard those footsteps again, so she hid behind some curtains and waited until she was sure the Viscount was gone.

As she left her hideout, she heard Kino grunted, clearly angry that things didn’t go as we wanted.

“What a waste of time” Kino dropped the kind act “How is it possible for a business man like him not to know anything regarding the north border?”

(The north border? Could it be…?)

Kino took a deep breath and spoke in a serious tone:

“I know you’re there”.

(Dammit!) she thought, entering the balcony.

“Well, if it isn’t you~” Kino spoke mockingly “Bad habits die hard, I see~”.

“It wasn’t my intention” Ari replied apologetically.

“May I remind you that this habit of yours got you in this situation to begin with~?”

“I know”.

Standing next to each other, they saw far in the distance.

“So, how much did you listen?” Kino inquired.

“J-Just the last part” Ari replied.

“Great, just great” Kino sighed exasperated. “Just forget you heard anything”.

“I-Is there any way I can help?” Ari dared to ask.

“Another bad habit of yours: minding in other’s business. No, you can’t help” Kino turned around with the intention to leave.

Ari grasped on the balcony concrete trying to calm herself.

(I have to try something! I need to try to cross that line he’s putting between us, otherwise I won’t be able to make it!) Ari thought desperately (Those that don’t risk, don’t win!)

“I-Is pretty hard to introduce products into the Makai right?” Ari finally said nervously “Let alone cross the border… Well, or so I-I heard”.

She heard Kino’s footsteps stop. Ari dared to turn her head and saw he had turned his head around.

“What?”

“Y-Yes, after all the Makai is p-protected from external t-threats” she proceeded carefully “Is specially though in the northern barrier”.

“And that is…?” he inquired.

Ari was a nervous wreck, she had to keep going.

“T-The magic barrier of course” she declared. “It was made purely with the purpose to protect our empire”.

“You are telling me nothing new” Kino finally said and was about to leave when Ari once again said.

“Security these days has increased considerably, don’t you think?”

“Security has always been strong”.

“But you know the reason behind it?”

Kino squinted his eyes, not really answering which Ari could dare to think she had guessed it.

“Are you suggesting you know it?” Kino said in a mocking way.

“I do, in fact, know” Ari answered to his remark, sarcasm in her tone.

“I doubt it~” Kino shrugged, “so far, I have eyes and ears set on the north barrier, the reason behind it is confidential, someone as you knowing is…”

“Then, I suppose you already know about the fluctuations of the barrier” Ari finally said, somehow annoyed that Kino kept underestimating her.

Kino’s eyes opened so slightly.

“Fluctuations? In the barrier? That’s impossible” Kino said “That would mean the Makai is vulnerable to an attack any time a fluctuation lasts long enough for an army to invade”.

“Why do you think it has been kept as a secret or at least to just a few?” Ari questioned.

Kino went silent for a minute.

(Bingo! So there was something Kino didn’t know!) Ari thought satisfied.

“Fluctuations can be fixed sooner or later, even if what you said sure is interesting… doesn't make any much of a difference to me" Kino concluded to which Ari felt disappointed.

But backing off… wasn't an option anymore.

"That’s a shame really, you seem to go after big things"

"Which I deduce you can’t provide. Such a shame, better luck next time~"

"But, what if the fluctuations meant something bigger?"

Ari had his full attention and Ari had to place everything on the bet if she wanted to make a change.

"Bigger as?"

"Do you know where exactly the barrier comes from?"

"The towers" Kino answered with no hesitation "they are spread wide in the Makai"

"True, but not quite" Ari said "they amplify the magic so it covers the Makai as a whole”.

“I can hardly believe that” Kino replied “The towers must have a source of its own to produce enough magic to cover just a fraction of the land and where that ends the other tower close by would cover the next part and so on”.

“I understand your logic, but here in the Empire it is possible” Ari answered calmly. “The source is what really matters".

“Are you suggesting that something so powerful exists that is only required one of its kind to sustain the whole Empire and even better to be kept in only one place?”

"Actually, rather than imagining something… you should be thinking of someone".

"The source comes from someone and not something?"

Ari could tell Kino was confused, she had nailed what kind of information he was really after. It was understandable that it was something hard to believe, it was hard for her as well at first. However, everything made sense… at least for her with what she knew from the novel. She was given an advantage and she had to use it wisely.

"Magic reflects the state in which the porter is at. Can you imagine the severity of the situation?"

Kino was silent, Ari was expectantly waiting.

After what felt like forever, Kino spoke in a serious tone.

"Who is it? Who is producing all the magic enough to protect an empire and for it to only be distributed by the towers?"

Ari looked calmly at him, although she was a nervous wreck on the inside. It was time to use what she knew in her favor and assume the consequences that would come with them.

"No other than his Majesty the Emperor KarlHeinz".

Mun Ari: Wahhh it has been so long! I'm sorry for the delay! Honestly? The past months were so hectic for me with all the things I had to take care of: college, finals, prom and not to mention the process of getting my title… and of course a special call out to my terrible✨️writer's block✨️. I literally had to stop, sit down and plan. I'm very satisfied and proud of this chapter! I can assure you that the next chapter will not disappoint! I hope you look forward to it! Also! Did you notice we have a cute official cover!? I love it! It has been a surprise I've been saving for a while now! I was dying to show it to you! I loved it! It makes this feel more real and serious!! I hope you look forward to the next update! Until then: thank you for reading!

#ariadnassecretdiary #under this damn contract #UTDC #inside ariadna's diary #manhwa inspired story #ariadna koizumi martínez #ariadnaxkino #thanks for reading!!#thank you for the support #thank you for sticking around #mun ari's crappy writting #diabolik lovers latino #diabolik lovers oc

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