#and i have enough coins for the battle pass <3

[shvdowsdrowned]

I got the revenant launch bundle <3

#and i have enough coins for the battle pass <3 #eeeeeeeep i love him so much #he's got the nonbinary colors it was made for me specifically <33333 #rev posting

[loquaciousquark]

10, 11, 12, 27 for Tavish Gale 😁

10. What would your Tav consider to be their greatest skill? Is this accurate?

Answered here, so I'll do #9 instead!

9. What was your Tav doing when they were taken by the mind flayers?

She was being taken in by the Fists for petty theft. It's not her first time in jail - she knows some of the guards quite well at this point - but she'd been caught pickpocketing a patriar's son and he was coming along yelling about her moral turpitude. It was all extremely mortifying, and she was honestly glad of the escape. That said, she did feel a twinge of guilt discovering they were all parasited and dead after the crash.

11. What would your Tav consider to be their greatest flaw? Is this accurate?

She would say her greed. Others would probably also say her greed, but not in the same way; she sees it as a flaw because her profound desire to have things causes her to make poor decisions that endanger the party and get her thrown in jail. The companions would say it's her greed because she doesn't understand she'll never have enough Stuff to make that desire go away. I think Astarion in particular recognizes that insatiable hunger and sees where it might lead if she doesn't get control of it, and he (somewhat circuitously and very resentfully) helps her learn to let some of that go.

12. What opinion does your Tav have about the Gods?

Oh, you. <3 For Tavish the gods are like a leather wrapping full of thieves' tools; from your array of prepared materials you pick the right tool for the job. Whether that's sneaking, swinging a sword, or just swearing really satisfactorily, she always keeps a god or two on hand for a quick prayer. She's tacitly religious in the way that anyone living in a world with manifest deities is, but she doesn't ever think she's important enough to gain their real attention. She does feel closest to Tymora (luck, skill, adventuring) and Lliira (joy, freedom), though she drops a coin or two in Waukeen's temples whenever she passes.

27. How does your Tav feel about giving and receiving orders?

Oh my gosh, she's bad at both. Especially at the start of the game, when she hardly has an opinion of her own on anything not directly about to kill her, much less the willingness to enforce that opinion on others; and at the same time, she's awful at obedience and kicks back mulishly for the sake of it, even if the other person's right.

She gets a lot better at that throughout the game, in part because Astarion is so similarly recalcitrant. (See: disapproving of freeing the pixie on principle, then immediately exclaiming with excitement over getting to see a real one in the flesh.) It's exhausting and genuinely frustrating to deal with, and again, she so admires Wyll and Karlach and wants to impress them, so she takes a hard look at why she's being so difficult and makes a real effort to come around. Giving orders does come easier in battle, in part because of practice, though she's never really comfortable helping her friends make major life decisions (Shadowheart's parents, Astarion's ascension, Wyll's pact).

That said, she happily bullies Gale into casting Fog Cloud for her thievery every single time.

#quark replies #perahn #fog cloud best spell in the game and you can't convince me otherwise #tav meme #tavish gale #thank you my dear thank you thank you #quark plays bg3

[herequeerexitentialfear]

wait i didn't see that you reblogged that!!! 💎 for layla with either oc you'd like to answer with!

<3

"Layla. Layla. Its always interesting to hear of another Dhampir - especially a female one. We are already a rare breed- but us daughters even more so."

after all, it is we who suffer the sins of our fathers the most, us who must hide the monstrosity they gave us just to please them.

"I heard tales of her while working independently, a ghost haunting a village, then a girl haunting an estate. Then the fire. I was curious, i hate to admit. Such an interesting story. I didn't have the time to do more than a brief... investigation, just a few casual questions in the right ears, but i saw enough of the picture to be fascinated.

it hearkens the mind back to another burning estate, another daughter, another death.

Still, it didn't take long to strip past the rumors and lies to see that she truly treasured her grandfather. I must confess I grew bored after hearing that, she had the fire but she ran. its all good not wasting effort on tearing them down, but some bloody revenge is good for the soul. If i was in the area i may have given her some advice, pass on the good deed that was done to me, and all that.

she could have been glorious, she could have made them all suffer. i could have helped her, helped her make them all suffer

Still, they didn't catch her, and five years is a long time to run from a man with his connections and wealth, and she proved that underestimating her inner strength of will was a dangerous mistake. Those fools always see a pretty face and a sweet smile, ignoring the- in our case, dear sister of circumstance, literal- fangs underneath."

i could have had someone who understands me. who understand the fire and the hate and the need to burn it all down. someone who understood the masks and the fake smiles and the bitterness

"Her face may be very pretty and her smile may be sweet but she has steel under there, and as disappointing it is that she follows that whimsical goddess of butterfly's, anyone would be a fool themselves to think that make her a brainless one. There's method in most madness's and a seemingly unpredictable enemy whose fighting for a cause is more dangerous than a simple sell-sword looking for coin,"

she found joy while i found apathy, she has something to fight for, what do i have? an exhaustion that drives me to find a place to rest, an itch that forces me to use my mind and skills, and nowhere to do both in this chaotic world

"I've seen others cross her followers and those like them- people often forget that those who appreciate joy the most are normally the ones who have suffered its lack and therefore know its value- and its not a pretty sight, those who fight for a cause and care about those they fight alongside always have a dangerous edge hidden from view. After all, their fighting to make a better world, and maybe that world doesn't have a place for the likes of you."

i don't want to fight you and see the desperation in your eyes because you have something to fight for and i have nothing. i cannot face you, you who survived and you who made good out of misery, because im a coward who can look in the mirror but can look at someone who made good out of a life like mine

"Maybe in her eyes that world doesn't have a place for me, but for all I'm disappointed in her choice, she has some measure of respect from me, and her chaos in the face of nobles is a delight to hear about. As much as i would enjoy a battle of wit's, i think in this case, fences make the best neighbors."

we are similar, but you chose another path. as much as i wish i had company on this lonely road, this kinship bids me to wish you well on your own

#mura hagdaughter #thebirdwrites #<3 #shes such a fucking creep #super villain ass monologue #shes also projecting like hell #i hope this is uhh. enjoyable & interesting to read! #im answering this for both of them so expect an @ soon for a Georgie one!

[luckquartzed]

𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄 .

Share at least 5 songs that you associate with or remind you of your muse!

1. Victim Or Survivor, Citizen Soldier & Icon For Hire

I've got more skeletons than cemeteries hold, that made just living life feel like a funeral. The kind of traumatized no one will ever know, that made me fantasize about just letting go. Until I saved my soul, with what I can control. When it rains you can drown or you can be baptized, when you hit rock-bottom, you can cry or climb. Crutch or a crown, only you decide. Victim or survivor? Be born by the battle or just wave a white flag, deciding not to die, that might be all you have. You can make that choice or you can be your past. Victim or survivor?

2. Vices, MOTHICA

Feel like I’m just passing by. It’s not love, it’s just a guy, & it's got me feeling right for the night. But in the morning, when he's gone, I'm alone with all my thoughts, so I gotta drink 'em up 'til I'm numb & ooh, it's never enough. Pass me the cup, got nowhere to run, so pour me another one. I'm taking it all, I'm getting lost. I'm making a fool of myself with all these vices. I really don't know why I'm like this, & I just don't care what the price is. 'Cause I need these vices, oh-oh-oh. If it’s not drugs it’s drinks, if it’s not drinks it’s things, if it’s not things it’s people, places I don’t wanna be, these vices. I don't sleep too much these days & I hate being awake when the sun's out. Lock my door & shut the blinds, they can't see my bloodshot eyes, I got habits I can't hide in the light & ooh , it's never enough. Pass me the cup, got nowhere to run. So pour me another one. I'm taking it all, I'm getting lost, I’m making a fool of myself with all these vices.

3. Poltergeist, Corpse Husband & Omen XIII

Cross my heart & hope to die, I can’t fucking sleep at night. Blew up for the thousandth time, guess I’m always ‘lucky’ right? Pop some shit, then fall behind, I jump the gun & take what's mine. Looking like you seen a ghost, moving like a poltergeist! I'm like, "Wait, what's his name?" I'm like, "Huh, what'd he say, bitch?" I don't want your two cents, you ain't even paid, bitch. We are not the same, I dropped out in seventh grade, bitch. Came up from the grave, fuck everything you claim, bitch. I don't sleep, I'm a freak, when I wake up, I see concrete. Risk my life on concrete, it’s too hard to starve me. Feast, feast, feast, feast! All I see is options, everyone’s got problems, anyone’s a target ( fuck my life ). Can't pay the price 'cause I bet it, thinking ahead, I expect to see dead ends. Count money, count blessings & tuck you a weapon. Somebody knows something you don't, can't be guessing. Where I'm from, we don't think about tomorrow, keep two fingers crossed, nothing is promised. Nobody knows how I feel when I go out, that’s what I learned, 'cause I came from the bottom!

4. Debt Collector, Jhariah

It's all catching up to you now, hope you can run. 'Cause soon your past will come and drag you, down, down. You scammed your way into heaven, 'til the angels realize you're not one of them. Here comes the debt collector, seems you owe him again. Dollars & coins can't cut your cheque this time around. Here comes the debt collector, & you owe him again. Kind words & lies won't save your head, this time around, 'round, 'round. Gravedigger. Cordial killer. Your payment is due, they're looking at you. We’ve done what we can, it's out of our hands, sooner or later, it comes back again.

5. Live Fast Die Young, Hollywood Undead

Here in the city, where the sun beats down on the streets, my demons talking to me, & they're just trying to eat. Sunset's pretty when the waves crash down at my feet. Ain't this life so sweet? Cruising a hundred & three. I'm in my fast lane, I'm moving rapid, & it's do or die, you need to catch back up, man. I'll never slow down, just like a ghost town. James Dean, curtain call, silver screen showdown. I'd rather burn out than fade away, living day to day. I was born an outcast, but who are they to say, what I do is wrong, & I keep moving on? You might choke on these words, but you sing along. So if your heart stops or your hands tied, be the rainfall, cause a landslide, & if they condescend, then something's wrong with them. I've been off, now I'm on again.

I just wanna live while the feeling's there, a hundred on the highway, put the top down, feel the air, kill the snare. Life's a movie, we're the directors. We're the star, don't bother us, no time for the lectures. Many memories, I wouldn't trade for the planet. Life is short, I never take it for granted. God, take me now, in the place that I'm standing. I got no regret, & that's the way that I planned it. I know you all will remember me in pages of history. Oh no, no, maybe we were born to die young. Live fast, then we die young. Live fast, then we die young. We live fast, then we die young.

It's never been in my faith to run, I was born to chase the sun. Mama always told me I was like no one. But I'll know when the time comes. It's never been in my faith to run. I was born to chase the sun. Mama knew I wouldn't be here for long & I'll smile when the time comes.

Tagged by: N/A

Tagging: @barxlupin, @gemkun, @finalism & idk I only did this because @fortifice peer pressured me.

#;; I am in pain #♦️ ⸻ ɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴜʀɴ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ ❮ ᴅᴀsʜ ɢᴀᴍᴇs ❯

[rainofaugustsith]

So I've received word about SWTOR up to its old tricks again - this time they are planning on charging for quick travel, charging for travel to strongholds, and removing a lot of the priority transports that mitigate travel costs. Unfortunately I think it again shows how far away the developers are from understanding their own game. They say these are supposed to be credit sinks. What do they really think, someone with billions of credits is going to be all, "aw, man, I have to pay 5000 credits now?" That's a drop in the bucket. It's just going to hurt newbies and more casual players who don't have nearly as many credits. 

People on the message board have given really good ideas about ways to cut inflation and make real credit sinks, but the developers are so far away from that it's laughable. The most obvious ways would be to let people buy things like appearance changes or high end, coveted armor and weapons for credits instead of cartel coins. But that would require them to step away from forcing people to pay real-world money for enough cartel coins for what they want, and SWTOR doesn't exactly have a robust playerbase now.

So why I am I writing about this since I don't play SWTOR anymore? In talking with a friend apparently some are comparing this to how FFXIV travels costs gil, and please take our game out of your mouth with this. 

FXIV does charge gil for traveling. But that frankly is in line with going to planets already via your ship in SWTOR. That already costs credits. And: 

There's a ton of free travel. 

1. When you're in cities the aetheryte networks around the city are free.  2. You always get two locations you can set as freebies and you can change those at will.  3. When you are a newbie you get a lot of free aetheryte passes to Vesper Bay, which you need to visit all the time.  4. The minute you start doing hunt marks in Heavensward - which is literally just going out and killing 1-3 very common enemies - you can get tickets for free aetheryte travel. You just use those and any trip is free. They are very cheap to buy with seals. 

5. You can get free aetheryte tickets to your Grand Company by turning in seals, which again is very easy to do whether you're doing dungeons with friends or just bulldozing through them solo.  6. You can also get from one part of Eorzea to any other part of Eorzea by foot and/or ferry. You can get from Eorzea to Norvrandt by foot. Once you're in Yanxia you can get to any part of Doma or the Ruby Sea by foot. So if you really don't want to teleport you can go by foot or by mount, and since you get to fly in FFXIV (after unlocking each area through finding the currents and game missions) you can fly there. There's also the chocobo porter travel which is pretty inexpensive.

And:  7. You get to choose a couple of locations that are heavily discounted for travel, and can change those when/if you want. 8. If you're in a guild there can be a further discount on all aetherytes.  9. The maximum charge for going to, say, Kugane, is like 1000 gil.  10. Yes there's a charge to go to where your house or apartment is, but it's a VERY steep discount, and the aetheryte network around the residential quarter is free. It's also free to go to the adjoining city.  11. You can also port directly to the specific area you need in each region instead of going to a central spaceport like in SWTOR. That reduces travel costs since you don't have to travel to the world and then port somewhere else ON the world.

Oh, and every travel ticket/perk is purchased with in-game currency. 

SWTOR is also planning on upping repair costs. Again, this is going to ding newer players who have to battle more than it is going to hurt the billionaires. I can absolutely envision a scenario where a newbie's gear wears down enough to break and they don't have enough credits to repair it. 

And again, don't compare this to FFXIV. FFXIV has the same deal where you have to repair gear, but you can also repair your OWN gear with dark matter instead of going to a vendor. Dark matter is easily available from many vendors and not particularly expensive. Repairing your own gear also ups its durability to 200% so it's not broken down as fast. 

Every time I think that SWTOR is out of touch with players, they just prove it a little more. 

#swtor #rain talks swtor #swtor critical #bioware critical #rain talks ffxiv

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Welcome to my gem gathering tips!

Gor those twst f2p players who just can't seem to get out of their broken gem wallet status...

Pls note that:

This is a list of tips working on the long run

These tips are used by me, so I can guarantee their valability

You need to have patience for it to work

You don't need any kind of big struggle, just a bit of attention

Events are not covered! I'll probably make a separate post with it, if this one proves to be useful to anyone

Mind that I have a horrible writing

This isn't any kind of through analysis

This applies not just to gems/keys and you'll see that as we progress through the post

This isn't 'the correct way' and I will go in with that mindset. There is no correct way of playing and managing your own account. These are just a few tips I find useful and decided to share them in hopes someone else might find them useful too.

Now, introduction:

Gems are twst's game currency along madols, test/alchemy/recycle medals(I call them coins). They are the most valuable currency as they are used to roll in the gacha system and gain cards. Gem gathering is also a rush as there are ways of gaining, but also small rewards(in between 5-50 gems). So it's natural that players come across the 'gem problem' when it comes to events and rolling for their fave card/character. Along the gems, there are keys used for rolling, which are far more hard to obtain.

Smol terms:

1 Roll= 1 Key=30 gems (it means 10 Rolls =10 keys=300 gems)

Following the daily login: 60 gems per week for free(we are going to count them at the end)

10 Ap refill =10 gems

#1-Key packs

Sam's shop can offer a lot of interesting deals, which also include key packs. While some may be skeptical of their overall value, these packs are actually a 'bang for your gems'. They can save you more than you think.

*approximately 13 keys( I finally corrected it :3)

In the gem shop, there are 2 offers: the 10 roll + 10 ap jars for 250 gems. Along that there are the single keys + 3 ap candy for 50 gems. For 300 gems, these 2 offers not only give you more than 10 rolls, but also ap refills to spend on lessons.

!Noting how those are refreshing every month, you have plenty of time to set aside 300 gems for those packs.

There are also the exam coins. For 350 coins, you can get 3 keys, saving your gems even more. You do not have to worry for those coins, as the tests are the only way you can obtain them. (See tip #2)

#2-Exams and missions

They are tiresome, but your salvation nonetheless. Doing them can be frustrating or entertaining, but in the end, most relay on missions to get gems as quickly as possible.

Weekly missions are always the same:

Do 30 and 50 lessons (history, alchemy or PE)

Do 3 and 5 rhythmics (doesn't matter if you lose)

Win 3 and 5 exam battles

And as shown in the pictures, you only get 60 gems out of the whole ordeal. Along that you gain some madol, 3 of the 3 ap refills and 3 single BP refills. Are they good? Absolutely. Especially in events period.

But also, there are the exams/tests. Out of 5 battles, you gain 15 exam coins(no matter the difficulty). The exam coins can be used for key packs(see tip #1 and the image). They can also be used to buy AP or leveling materials. Quite handy when you need to level up cards against time(events mostly). Piling them up is quite useful. Exam battles also give you notepads/manuals/grimores, which are used for magic leveling a card. Keep them in mind too. (I personally recommend @twstgameplay for team buildings and card analysis. They do an amazing job and I could never express how much of a lifesaver they are when it comes to getting high scores in battles/passing story battles. Virtual hugs from me to them.)

So for piling up rolls, better keep at least 300 coins for the keys. You can get them easy enough with a bit of strategy. And with 15 medals per day? In 20 days out of the whole month you already have 300.(without the half a month change of exams rewards)

For rhythmics, the best bet is to just do them. It depends on the person, but you can make a few gems from those too. It relies on building skill(except the fo 5-10 of the same rhythmic, which gives 15 gems per total). There isn't much to them. It depends solely on how you decide to manage those.

#3-Recycling corner

Since the eng version finally has it too, this one is the wierdest, but the easiest and randomnest way of gaining materials. Just watch out what you sell.

We are going to tackle the 2 versions of the Sam's gacha, aka the recycling corner(as named by me).

Why are we discussing this? Well saving gems for rolls also means assuring that you will not need gems for anything else, such as Ap refills, upgrade packs or madols(it can happen. You CAN run out of madols, so don't underestimate those)

Sam has 2 gachas which you can use in order to gain materials for upgrades or ap! People might be hesitant for this one, as *gasp* you sell items to gain less items! But not exactly as you may think. The normal recycling corner indeed has you sell things in order for a chance at getting some cool items. I won't deny, you have a pretty big chance of not getting exactly what you want. The other gacha is a campaign gacha, where you gain special coins(CP medals) through lessons, in order to get upgrade materials, SL honey jars or ap refills(both 3 and 10).

And here comes my question... for what exactly you use your lesson treats? (Biscuits, popcorn, waffles, cupcakes, sugarcubes) well to gain exp and level up your characters faster of course.

Personally, I do not use them. While yes, they can speed up the upgrade process, for me it was only by a small procent. (And I still relied on the lesson itself and ap) So I opted to sell them on the recycling corner in exchange for AP and upgrade materials or sometimes perfumes. Sure, there is also a chance to get a key too, so I would strongly advise to use, maybe not all like me, but a few of those lesson treats on the recycling corner from time to time. You need at least 50 treats(each treat is 2 recycling medals) for a 5 roll, so keep that in mind.

#4-Lessons

The base of card upgrades. The base of our patience. Lessons are the only way of gaining both player exp at the same time with upgrade materials while also upgrading the cards themselves. There are 3 types of lessons: History(Card lvl), Flying(Card episode lvl) and Alchemy/Potions(Buddy lvl-the only way of raising buddy lvl). All 3 of them are essential in raising a Card's power and properties.

What we can overlook is the lesson missions. You can get a lot of lesson treats as well as gems. While 80 gems overall for 1000 lessons seems a bit exaggerated, no matter the side rewards, it's good for an 'emergency piggybank shattering'. Those gems come in insanely handy during events that do revolve around lessons.

So take them in any order 1000 lessons means a lot of work. Don't hurry on them. Take them at your pace. It will help you out with upgrading your cards as well as getting closer to accessing the 'emergency gem supply'.

As for the lessons? At history, usually I rely on which card I want to uncap, a healing card, a card I want to lvl up, an extra and a card of the character I want to do missions for. It's simpler and it saves me more upgrade materials.

Also note the loop function. It's far more superior to the auto function for a few motives:

It strings together the lessons, all coming one after another

It only stops when AP reaches 0

10 lessons with the loop function take approximately 10 minutes

If you use lesson treats(cupcakes, sugarcubes, etc) the loop function can automatically keep using them(if you allow it when you first activate it)

It gives you the exact same rewards like the auto or manually playing

So for lessons, just relax, put the loop function on and concentrate on something else. :'3

Calculus:

Now we come to a bit of math of what, hypothetically speaking, someone's balance would look like after a month(4 weeks) of following the tips. The starting conditions are:

We are starting with 0 gems

We start at 'monday'

There is no event/special banner

There is no character birthday

There are also no extra missions

No extra battles for more exam coins

The exam rewards at the half a month will be only 50 coins(a smaller amount)

It applies on both en and jp versions

We don't count upgrade materials gained from lessons or lesson treats(as they vary)

Income per week:

Gems:

60 (weekly rewards) + 60 (missions)= 120 gems(4 rolls)

Exam coins:

15(daily battle amount) x 7= 105 exam coins

Extras(materials):

3 ap refills(3 lessons refils per one)

3 singular BP refills

Madols(depends on the lessons)

Income per month:

Gems:

120 x 4= 480 gems(16 rolls)

Exam coins:

50(bi-monthly reward) × 4 + 105 x 4= 620 exam coins

Extras:

3 x 4= 12 ap refills (36 lessons)

3 x 4= 12 singular BP refills

Madols (depends on the lessons)

Spendings:

Gems:

480 - 300(key packs-13 rolls)= 180 gems(6 gem rolls)

Exam coins:

620-300(keys-3 rolls)= 320 exam coins

Rolls count:

13(gem key packs) + 3(key packs) + 6(gem rolls)= 22 rolls

The conclusion: monthly, you can get up to 22 rolls, without counting events or other influences such as vignettes, story points, campaigns or birthdays. Consider it if you are preparing for a character's future card or just piling and preparing for who knows what will Disney and aniplex throw at us later on the year.

I hope this was helpful! And now with the new year coming, maybe some can start fresh gor it :3

#twisted wonderland #twst #getting on some way to dedicated calculus #it actually helps me get the ssrs i want #sharing sum tips in hopes someone can see what insane thought i out behind my dumb actions #:'3

[comradecorvusartandwriting]

A Long Lost Tragedy #11: Behind Closed Doors

Note: For the purposes of secrecy until the time is right, portions of this journal have been omitted. An unabridged version of this entry will become available after said time is reached. Expect many of the journal entries in the coming months to have more omissions leading up to the time where things will change. Dates: 3-11-31-5 to 3-11-31-6

Preparing For The Worst

As we woke up the morning following our bizarre slumber party, we quickly noticed that Lluvia was nowhere to be seen, but a note was left behind. It was from Lluvia, and she said that things suddenly got very busy and she had to go take care of some things, and that we should not go looking for her. At first glance, it was greatly concerning, but then we remembered that Lluvia is more than capable of taking care of herself. Korragos was still a bit worried, and Orxeos just went about things as usual.

We decided to take that entire day to prepare for whatever is waiting for us behind those doors. Korragos went on a foraging trip, and I went on a junk collecting run through the town. Both of us got pretty damn lucky, and I was able to scrounge up enough supplies to make a pair of cryo-misters (with a little help from Korragos to get the frost essence, of course) and 3 more mines.

Orxeos apparently consulted, well, someone, for any insight into what we may face the next day. They got some, warning us of arms, the number 4, punching, and other individual subjects. We all easily figured this was a threat that preferred to fight up close, but honestly for me, nothing else clicked until we saw exactly what it was later on.

[REDACTED]

Statue Smashers

We all met up at the tavern the following morning. Orxeos wasn’t hungry, but Korragos and I had some oatmeal. I checked the bulletin board, and apparently Mesphelor needs some supplies picked up from Hellsgate, which we will gladly help with once our passes arrive. Being that Lluvia is not present, we enlisted Eime Roseweaver to aid us in this fight. (It's honestly weird having someone other than Lluvia be the tallest person in the group, to be honest. I hope she is okay.)

Anargyros told me to tell him about what all happened when I came back, and we headed off. Upon reaching the door with the slots for the gems, I asked if anyone else needed to make any prayers, no one else did.

[REDACTED]

As we inserted the gems into their slots, the door slid into the walls, and revealed a corridor extending to our left and right. We initially went and took 2 lefts, and Korragos, who was leading the line, peered into a room, and in it appeared to be another shard (something we were not expecting to find here), surrounded by 4 of those living statues, several scatterings of coins, and a lot of blood.

Me and Orxeos decided to loop around the other side, which, exactly as expected, was symmetrical to the way we already traveled, hoping to get a tactical advantage. Korragos snuck into the room out of the statue’s view, before we sprung our attack.

I chucked a cryo-mister into the midst of the statues, and then it was off to the races. Highlights of the battle include me using a hydration pearl as ammunition, completely blasting off the arm of one of the statues, and Eime getting knocked out once, but then getting back up and proceeding to go on a killing spree, finishing off 3 of the statues. Orxeos and I came out completely unscathed, Korragos got a few scratches and bruises, and Eime… she just had the crap beaten out of her. Korragos went to try and heal her, but knowing how the undead usually work, I tried to tell him that a typical healing potion would not work… but somehow it did. Apparently Eime’s situation is a rather unique one, and healing potions work for her just fine, unlike how they are usually harmful to most other undead. Something I should investigate further one of these days. We all gathered up the coins from the ground, and I decided it would be a good idea to gather all of the stones left from the statue’s corpses and head out.

[REDACTED]

I returned to the temple where Systrophi, and a now continuously meditating Remember, were waiting. When Eime stepped foot into the water, she got knocked out and fell asleep on the edge of the pool, probably due to her being undead. When Orxeos presented the shard, Systrophi attempted to connect with it, but then recoiled, and stated that it was not one of hers. This opened up a new set of questions. Being that this only happens to prophets, which prophet’s shard was this, and why was it locked away in the back of that dungeon? Regardless, she said she would watch over it. She made a point that she likely could not protect it from otherworldly threats, but such threats weren't her concern at the moment. The fact that she even brings that up unnerves me a bit.

As I turned to walk away, she noted that there was something different about me from the last time we interacted. I told her it was nothing and just that it's been a wild day, and brushed it off. Though I must be honest, emotionally there is a lot going on for me. A lot of fear and worry, for both myself and my friends. Seeing a near-replica of myself being slaughtered by my friends a few days ago is merely the tip of the iceberg for everything that is going through my head.

Korragos had already discussed the details of what had happened with Anargyros, and Anargyros in turn asked me where I had been. I told him I was [REDACTED],I then went to chat with Mesphelor, asking if he knew where I could pick up rice or coconut rum. It turns out not many people have heard of coconuts, calling them “beast fruits”, being they have hair and milk. Honestly, it's a pretty accurate comparison, but Korragos seemed kinda freaked out, as if I was telling him animals grew on trees. It was funny, I must admit.

As if on queue, an individual carrying several large sacks of rice and potatoes walked in through the door and Mesphelor paid them for the sacks. Apparently this is who he usually buys from. I didn’t catch their name, but as they walked in and as they left, Anargyros turned away, and looked pretty irritated, but refused to elaborate on why, reassuring us that it was nothing. He and Korragos talked about his original plans to go out hunting and practicing with Korragos’ brother, but then Anargyros said he’d rather practice with Korragos himself, which made Korragos really excited. They plan on going tomorrow morning, and I hope they have fun. I just hope whatever is troubling Anargyros, seemingly in regards to that farmer, gets resolved soon.

Seeing Korragos and Anargyros get so excited about being able to do things as friends makes me think, particularly about [REDACTED]

#A Long Lost Tragedy #A Long Lost Tragedy Journal

[bakersstreetirregulars]

Eclair’s Guide to Snow on the Black Wall: Part VII

📚 This one’s been backed up for a long while, hasn’t it? This is a friendly reminder that you should take the coin counts with a grain of salt, as the Star Candy Observatory is multiplying the final amount of coins won from a battle. The amount you get may vary depending on your Observatory level.

Stage 13-18

Stage Power: 435,693 (No increase)

Wave 1: 2 Licorice Cake Hounds, 3 Mountain Ents

Wave 2: Sprinkled Yeti, 2 Mountain Ents

Wave 3: 3 Sprouted Mountain Ents, one behind the front two

Final Wave: 2 Licorice Cake Hounds, Boss Sprouted Mountain Ent, 2 Frost Spirits

📚 These formations are repeating those we’ve seen before, so there’s nothing new to note about how they all focus on your main damage dealer. Things should get easier once you get into the latter half of the stage where you aren’t at risk of getting shackled, but having enough protective factors is the main key to keeping everyone in action until the end. Once you encounter the Frost Spirits, they sometimes leave a small opening where their target isn’t being silenced. Be ready to activate their ability once this opening happens, since every passing second is one second more that they’re going to be whittling away at what could be your glass cannon. If they take your glass cannon, that’s one Cookie down and one less star you get in the end.

13-18 Rewards

⭐️ 450 Kingdom EXP

🪙 5,634 Coins

🍬 6 EXP Star Jellies (Level 4)

Small Healthy Peanuts and Sweet Candies

Medium Hard Walnuts and Swift Chocolates

2 Topping Pieces

💣 1 Bomber Skill Powder

13-18 Editor’s Party: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌩 Dark Cacao (Level 50 ⭐️, two Raspberries +12 and three Almonds, 2/3 +12)

⚙️ Strawberry Crepe (Level 52 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, two Walnuts and three Almonds +12)

🌊 Sea Fairy (Level 52, all Raspberries +12)

🐑 Cotton (Level 60 ⭐️⭐️⭐️, all Chocolates +12)

🍨 Pure Vanilla (Level 49, all Raspberries +12)

🪄 Blind Healer’s Staff (Level 3)

🕰 Squishy Jelly Watch (Level 12)

🪶 Sugar Swan’s Shining Feather (Level 5, was used)

Stage 13-19

Stage Power: 435,693 (No increase)

Licorice Ooze: A shapeless blob that seems to have originated from the nearby Licorice Sea. Capable of attacking the front and middle rows with its ranged blob attacks to inflict direct corruption damage OR create fields of slime that deals damage to enemies that step within it, coupled with plenty of hitpoints to absorb blow after blow, this fellow is a renaissance fighter that can provide some serious support in the front AND the back! Once you dispatch it, it splits into two smaller ooze blobs that attack on their own with the same patterns. Dispatching both half-blobs will take it out of commission, but be quick with it; once the blue bars above the half-blobs deplete, they’ll merge back together with full HP like nothing’s happened to it!

Wave 1: 4 Sprouted Mountain Ents in a 2x2 formation

Wave 2: 5 Licorice Cake Hounds (in a 2 and 3 formation)

Wave 3: Choco Chip Yeti, 2 Mountain Ents

Final Wave: 3 Licorice Cake Hounds, Licorice Ooze

📚 I’m sure you know what to do in the first three waves by now, so I shouldn’t have to repeat myself. As for the boss Licorice Ooze, if you can outheal both kinds of Ents, then you can definitely outheal the damage dealt by the Ooze once that becomes the final enemy to deal with. Just remember to stomp it quickly once you split it so it doesn’t merge back together and waste time. If it keeps merging, it’ll run down the three-minute timer you have to clear the stage until all that’s left is a drawn-out defeat and Timekeeper Cookie in the background doing the waltz while making the smuggest of faces towards you.

13-19 Rewards

⭐️ 456 Kingdom EXP

🪙 5,649 Coins

🍬 9 Level 4 EXP Star Jellies

Small Juicy Apple Jellies and Fresh Kiwis

Medium Heathy Peanuts and Sweet Candies

2 Topping Pieces

⏫ Support Powder

13-19 Editor’s Party: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌩 Dark Cacao (Level 51 ⭐️, two Raspberries +12 and three Almonds, 2/3 +12)

⚙️ Strawberry Crepe (Level 52 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, two Walnuts and three Almonds +12)

🌊 Sea Fairy (Level 52, all Raspberries +12)

🐑 Cotton (Level 60 ⭐️⭐️⭐️, all Chocolates +12)

🍨 Pure Vanilla (Level 49, all Raspberries +12)

🪄 Blind Healer’s Staff (Level 3)

🕰 Squishy Jelly Watch (Level 12)

🪶 Sugar Swan’s Shining Feather (Level 5, was used)

13-19 Post-Completion Meeting: Council Disputes

(Featuring the Second Watcher 🏹2️⃣, Cube Choco Cookie 🟫, Peanut Butter Choco Cookie 🥜, and a Sugary Dark Cacao Warrior 🍫⚔️)

🪔 The court must be convened. All ministers must make themselves present at the Hall of Dignity.

🟫 Explain yourself, good Affogato Cookie. What is the meaning of this summons when we should be focusing on our king’s commands?

🏹2️⃣ The Watch has little time to spare for such a summons! Say what you will with haste, for I must return to my post!

🪔 I humbly ask for your understanding in this matter. It was not my intent to divert the attention of this court from our duties. I approach you because I am concerned with the future of our kingdom. We all know the dire circumstances of our treasury, but perhaps the reason for such concern is due to our king’s lapse in judgement?

🏹2️⃣ What?! You dare utter such treacherous words before us?

🟫 Hmm… Noble Affogato Cookie. Indeed, your statement can be taken as an act of treason.

🪔 Now now, heed my concerns and think rationally. Our king is obsessed with preparing for a war that will not spark. He is sickeningly fixated on our defenses when there is no need. Our soldiers are weary, their cries heard throughout the night. The treasury is depleting by the hour!

🥜 Your words do contain an inkling of truth. Never have the beasts penetrated our defenses. Our forces are as stalwart as ever, almost excessively prepared.

🏹2️⃣ There is no such thing as too much preparation! Our lands, bordering the Licorice Sea, cannot be sufficiently defended even with all of our forces. With the banishment of the First Watcher, our forces’ morale is at an all time low. What if ferocious beasts were to attack at this very moment?

🥜 Why the concern when we already have enough Watchers? Do you need more Cookies as an excuse to stockpile more Jellies?!

🏹2️⃣ I will not be subject to such an accusation!

🪔 Refrain from this insolent nonsense! Caramel Arrow Cookie this, Caramel Arrow Cookie that… Good riddance! What use was there for a First Watcher who was always gallivanting through the wilds?!

🏹2️⃣ Hold your tongue! The First Watcher always put the Cookies of our kingdom first!

🪔 Are you defending a banished criminal…? Do you wish to be the next one to face exile?!

🍫⚔️ This has gone too far. Affogato Cookie’s words resonate with the truth.

🏹2️⃣ Hrmph… You too…?

🟫 *Ahem, ahem* This is not a matter of choosing sides. What is it that you propose, Affogato Cookie?

🪔 My concern for the well-being of our kingdom is too much to bear. I can barely sleep due to such a burden. The answer is crystal clear! I cannot stand idly by while our king brings ruin upon our land. We must devise a plan!

Stage 13-20

Stage Power: 435,693 (No increase)

Wave 1: 4 Licorice Cake Hounds

Wave 2: 2 Licorice Oozes

Wave 3: 3 Licorice Cake Hounds, 2 Mountain Ents

Final Wave: Sprinkled Yeti, 2 Sprouted Mountain Ents, Boss Frost Spirit

📚 Once again, I probably shouldn’t have to repeat myself for waves 1 through 3. For the final wave, that’s when you need to bait and stun the yeti again to deal with the background support later, especially when they all target the central attacker at once. Timing when your central attacker uses their special attack in the latter half of this encounter is key here since they will be held back from their abilities unless the interfering enemies are counter-stunned or defeated.

13-20 Rewards

⭐️ 482 Kingdom EXP

🪙 5,666 Coins

🍬 9 Level 4 EXP Star Jellies

Small Bouncy Caramels and Solid Almonds

Medium Juicy Apple Jellies and Fresh Kiwis

2 Topping Pieces

🏹 Ranged Powder

📚 Completing 13-20 the first time also awards the following checkpoint rewards:

⭐️ 4.2 million Kingdom EXP

🪙 50,000 Coins

💣 50 Pristine Bomber Skill Powders

💎 300 Crystals (Dark Cacao Kingdom Adventures in the Events tab)

13-20 Editor’s Party: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌩 Dark Cacao (Level 51 ⭐️, two Raspberries +12 and three Almonds, 2/3 +12)

⚙️ Strawberry Crepe (Level 52 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, two Walnuts and three Almonds +12)

🌊 Sea Fairy (Level 52, all Raspberries +12)

🐑 Cotton (Level 60 ⭐️⭐️⭐️, all Chocolates +12)

🍨 Pure Vanilla (Level 49, all Raspberries +12)

🪄 Blind Healer’s Staff (Level 3)

🕰 Squishy Jelly Watch (Level 12)

🪶 Sugar Swan’s Shining Feather (Level 5, was used)

📚 Now, before you ask how I acquired the following conversation and the ones from earlier, I got them from some other Watchers within the Citadel’s wall in which I’ve good long-distance relations with, which have still remained to today with them still in the court of Dark Cacao Cookie, but have remained out of the record. Don’t ask how the king can’t hear this despite being in the Editor’s party, even I’m clueless about that. Probably something someone pulled with the TBD…

13-20 Post-Completion Conversation: Corrupt Coup d’etat

(Featuring Pomegranate Cookie 🪞, Licorice Cookie 💀, Poison Mushroom Cookie 🍄, and Dark Choco Cookie ⚔️)

🪔 Ahhh… yes. Everything is moving forward like clockwork. Confidence in our king has all but dried out. Perhaps I shall expedite my plans, reveal all at once?! No, no… the king is still much too hardy and hale. Things are moving along, indeed, but something is missing… There must be a method to make this kingdom mine in one fell swoop…

🪞 What an amusing conspiracy you have concocted… Has the kingdom been faring terribly of late?

🪔 Who…?! You… you’re not from around here, are you? All gates to the citadel are locked shut! How did you get in here?!

💀 Hee hee hee! There’s ALWAYS a way.

🍄 Dark Choco Cookie! Hooray! He showed us the way…

🪔 Dark Choco Cookie? The traitorous prince who struck down his own father before fleeing?

⚔️ Watch your words. I won’t warn you again…

🪔 [In fear] P-P-P-Prince Dark Choco Cookie!

Editor’s Comment: Yeah it looks like Affogato almost dropped dead at seeing Dark Choco again. You know someone’s made a feared reputation for themselves when a conspirator AGAINST the kingdom fears them even after exile.

🪔 B-b-but you fled from our kingdom? W-w-what are you doing here? What do you w-w-want?!

🪞 Calm your nerves, we mean you no harm. We are merely seeking an ally… such as yourself.

⚔️ If you truly wish to take the king out of play, bring him to the top of the tallest wall. I will take care of him myself.

🪔 …What are you talking about? How am I to trust you when we’ve just met moments ago?!

⚔️ You have no choice. Refuse our offer, and our armies will lay waste to this entire land.

💀 Yeah! We got an army big enough to invade this kingdom twice! Think about it… Handing the king over to us is better than having it wiped off the map! HA HA HA!

🪞 This kingdom will fare on even in the absence of its king. After all, are you not the more befitting Cookie capable of the throne?

🪔 [To himself] They are not wrong… This could be THE opportunity I’ve awaited. If they can truly take the king out of the picture…

An interesting offer. Very well. I accept your terms. Dah-dah-dah! On one condition… Though your confidence speaks volumes, there is no room for failure!

🪞 *soft, evil chuckle* Such an amusing conspirer indeed. Are you prepared… good “prince”?

⚔️ Don’t waste your breath. I’m here to finish what I started long ago…

#cookie run #cookie run kingdom #dark cacao kingdom #snow on the black wall #world exploration #part 7

[builder051]

C, D, P, and X if you please.

C is for calling--

I've never had a moment of "passion" in what I'm doing, either as a job/career, or in any of my other interests. I have completed one of those "Choose your way" journals (I'm addicted to Piccadilly--most of their stuff is a blast to fill out), though, and, probably somewhat due to my disabilities and therefore inabilities to work a set schedule, I'm called to writing and art. I don't mean this to be, like, all superiority complex, or anything, but I remember being in elementary school and taking the "write a story" prompts very seriously. By the time in was in Sophomore AP English 10, my teacher personally complimented me for some random original fiction assignment, saying it was particularly above and beyond the usual drivel. I'm not sure I have another book in me, like Battle of Troy, but my NaNo content, my fanfiction, my Piccadilly prompts-- they're all still there to motivate the urge to create.

D is for dust mop-

My bio family was full of neat freaks, and chores like dusting the baseboards (I'll give it a tiny bit of a pass, considering they were white baseboards on white walls), was done almost daily to keep them from accumulating the smallest greyish hue. What stain remover was for which type of flooring was expected to be memorized. As well as what was "safe" to clean the granite countertops (fyi acetone is not in that category).

Yesterday my roommate and I cleaned the whole dog and cat feeding area with a package of Swiffers (which, interestingly enough, we got as swag at Pridefest back in June). I clean the hammy house with water, paper towels, the tiniest bit of Dawn, and a few alcohol wipes on the tough spots. I have moved most of my painting/figurine restoration studio into my bedroom, so, if I find a dust bunny along with that rogue flower stem, I pick it up and bin it. Cleaning is as cleaning does, I suppose? I like that method much better

P is for privilege

Oooooook, I don't want to get into anyone's crawl here, because I have had some fantastic opportunities, which I only had access to because of where I lived during what span of time and who my bio parents associated with. I get that. There was cushioning in my childhood that allowed me to experience sets of circumstances that others cannot access. I apologize in advance if any of this comes across badly; I mean to share, not brag or condemn.

My bio parents had me in "school" (educational daycare) from the time I was 3 years old. Before that I was completely unsocialized; I was raised as a toddler in a commune-like situation where I only knew 2 or 3 adults and 2 or 3 other children.

As far as education goes, in my opinion, it's a coin flip. The neighborhood school has a good rep or a poor one. The teacher is kind and inventive, of they're mean. You love school, or you hate it. College, too. It's either a great experience to learn how to adult, or it's a red flag that no, no, we are not ready for this yet.

I still have that 50-50 mindset about a lot of things. Will it rain tomorrow and make the baby cranky? Will it be warm enough to wear my Black Panther shirt? Will my child have a meltdown because I opened the refrigerator and didn't take anything out specifically for him? Got to keep playing the odds. Somehow it all turns out alright.

X is for xanax

Very convenient when sleepy is needed (or a convenient "out"). I once, quite some time ago, when I was new on the med, I had, like, 1mg, and I slept on the couch in my roommate's father's office for 3 or 4 hours and completely missed the visit (We're all civil with him. Friendly-ish, but you have to keep a guard up for sudden impossible plans and info dumps that may be, erm, inappropriate for the ears of our younger bunch.)

The X is currently the thing I'm prescribed for relaxation, and more often than not, I'll put it crushed through my J tube for a fairly immediate spray-n-squeegee of the walls to take down intrusive thoughts, then I'll nest like a hamster for the sleepy effects, and hopefully be feeling better and ready to resume problem-solving by the time I wake up.

#starbucks sunday #ask meme #ask game

[libidomechanica]

Thy Protesilaus— all wood plates from his quench in

A treochair sequence

               1

Between that is being alone, dear brown- eyed like descended, but not

free from her passion near thee perforce, at last in battle. Thy Protesilaus—

all wood plates from his quench in marble or a flowed his song, lie

of sovereign place me sighs wi’ me. On did the woodbine spices that then

no more. Through the flower at his eyes, their store: the solitude reticent

gorge in each other on the refuge in earth that wake the heaven

knows: but that from thee! Wounded, your flocks, and child yet in contracted bed.

               2

You fleeting. Even their hapless graves with thou hast commits. Upon a

throne. That Youth’s sake, my sheet, with a wondrous shame, and labour of the railway:

love her face, or other legs embargoed from the end; for the rimes,

parking to medicine a lion new, and my condition do we

affect of thys so wantonness and freeze and went, wounded; yet could that

he would be bequeathed, dissolve in happy date with human those koi. The

sad truth, I rather two—would hear horse, and go. That I am, yet be

not the mirror, This I sealed: the Honye is fled, and o’er cloud thy early

about, and watching they set you. Is the same men of greene, let be count

Wares, they pass long since first Summer dreams do belong gold to Venus, but

not witch-on- girl violence he would lose, the ground; and stir or lips, except

the recourse belongs than did wander: I though warp and rise had strife.

           ��   3

Destiny of the cup before King Oberon’s breast breathe, that’s so dumb

as the common school, his speechless tender Lambes, they models, such as

on thee, let none but them grows in whose the basilicas rise in

Jerusal stand, seeking forth eternal beau. Your girl of absence asleep

and bite back. And let me hope doth she stream with and whispers of evening.

I really look like aught with Pitfall a price more,—he fell on Menie doat,

and breathe, or bitter wrought back his broad, sunningly he craved, and your great

enough to dull earth which wrong—a heart would forgot: let Rustum lay about,

below on the best sign of base declining that it well: dear

Conversational important thou dost distress’ thrall, came vested all the

mother. One in she has rolled, its walls so fayre a myrtle warbling is

yearning six knots an angry asp, then run out silver snow nor hail they

went, he on till truly, waking on the other foes; but some fellow

really thing, in his lip, whiskery dot that he is call’d something hue,

vermilion- spotted winged her left in a bed of amorous the no

more cause somewhere hast left so sweet husband, I thinking althought her heard

to see, my dead; corruption came out one to the end. The like a woman

in the stand my ten-speed across the golden trembling, stranger’s well,

nor I half this is the wood, amang the first attraction of the river

from bonds so pure as fast asleep laid it on for you canst the bright.

               4

Yet this occasion whether mothered: the fashion. Ere thought help of

shepherds unlike, and restraining through, not I, ’ he saintly bent, two widow

and smile when the summer-palace we die. In fact; from her sire’s sweet

flatter to be Italians nickname mule’, and the neck, seen up-close did

it reminded the lang I’d been, she passe: this second had his

admire, which elements were strong by Dame Partlett reared at her more pliant,

and here in Pluto’s garden lake to drink upon years, and approaching

saw the very weel waled were obliged to the world will be known.

               5

I give the very worst of forest root of yore, and make sweet your

tenderness—and now a pause, and the sun, followed me not the Key of skin,

of mock- heroic gigantesque, and thought his wrong—a heavy tears, and,

having Leander, fearing, and Sultán’s Turret in a waver of a

thousand honour is her eyes. As it leaves expressed, I learning stars black,

a king; he catch’d at last wheelings the devil, the chases two for my

sake lay on the mostly minding like Phoebean dart, strike, yet has caught me.

I tell how some inscrutable that woe afternoon, a certain summon’d

hand his gold coin could have a certain light all depart not—lest that

wretched in the Grape my feeding on the angry than at first in the

sideburns a pillar, not thou or I, whylst your hearts bleeding. Said one—

Folks of like an apples for blood before one; sweet plight. Weed grows that is

great Argument about the Sun, round the gods’ protection ever; quo’

she, minding like my soft nervelets were oblivion, thus his mantle,

but spoiled with language of his mother hands reached of the victorious

sleights from the springs are not see: but when that Earth’s fire but the drums

do belong gold together one, our loves on many a stable Outside

silk, with his eyes turned ere the sun-flower, long: and three time music.

               6

And now Will’s eye that He who forbids our before, in equal verse alone

among through the night oft meeting the gentle pleasure have concluded

thus! Short solace, vain, and then no more.— Like fine needful preludes of

the steady surprise; her eyes than slept in hold them indeed speak with the

brawest lad, the frosty wine, you were denied. Mother, but makes breast, its

dwelling. Were seeme my origin with the must be—yes. But be so dumb

as the lot of Kaikobád away, for one were two; thy soul. And pity

on as Thou new Vintage present, safe and blear-eyed little lily

leans, then the long, attend the straight a sudden laughter beside and serene

a goodness give—and That all depart not be—or I am waiting

on the heard to the power, and good to refer winged verse’s ear

and the lies now all’s past Regrets and we are stood that love will not; we

our wood still bear, and thirst is Lies; the longed Diana, in heavy price

is all help Lo Collin, haue a double you can to swimmers. And neither

half a friends soothed in the dark with Juan. Some and that Life provide,

affection every scholar pool, when then both my soul of doubt a column.

The sun was fall to thee. At last, she knew not with a shoebox. Betwixt

the could surely not we should vouches from the publish danger. Music

clash’d the roaring head, half the fingers of comforter! They seem like life,

for Lamia beheld they could still he stock than summon, ah! My home?

               7

Which may no men, not always is conceit; with no more than appears, when

a’ our fair looks fresh—for whom the nearest; which on the winds, but she had

kept soundest resemblance, how it smoothly this, that else would have made the

sky, and forth music which the cloud thy case, to be train, like a congregation.

Brain that he flitter first two being many, poor and thy shades

we’ll build in such murders to his must be— yes. An ordinary want

subject of inurbanity,—all her aunt, and then desire on

his face as high talk: over the lofty service may compact, yet, as

it ran warm, flush on hylls, or rather, whom cruel lady, well-bred—most exceed

the think some: other Arac, nor would vanish’d foe sues for buttocks,

and the same, counting in all my grave unborn so fayre a moment, toot!

               8

To have light. Me—me, they saw not whither gown; she saw them watch her pride

once I am coming, measures doth the day was sparkle in low coral

to the bills. And perhaps thy sprite with cheerless, and who had a splendid

dream, with infinite agree? You—tell us what flinty savage

mountains, therefore they will keep their arms I hold a tale, left me and human

feasted fruitless dove. A rose-leaves thy everlasting of his first

release. At lengths of mine? To-morrow and whither knew such delicious

pealed that lightheaded Bacchus hung, and spiraled the end then one else

was the Simoom sweep your eye I eyed, such strange diagonal, and that

loss; both find when, started for, hearing that we least, tea and chime: o let

me for their poesy, unless invisible, quite away, and in Rows.

               9

My body does with a kiss than a pike, true fire witless verdure, turning

tride, in such sight I wak’d, thought it take way long. My verse must Courts of

Material Form, and sword, a foolscap, hot-press darling. Mount the flowers

of Heav’n Parwín and all that never quivering beams mock this prize?

At th’ shepherds the cloudy evening, words hart made sugarcane sweet

till China and Africa meet, and whispered to give me, lose who live

alone surveys that art the hardest flinty savages, as she

saintliness, memory of ages on Heaven for you and my collector

would not there was the Sultan, and Rose-in- hand my tender brood, there grain—

iness and faults done. What taught him would seem so. Like to embrac’d, and, with

the collector would on her loves, and largeness I cannot break with your sin

the while our wood, the only chisell’d, and under care the cause, for under

an arch, a beauty dwelt; Hero wrung him with unseen! The Nighting

with such towns, courts is overrules that is being up; and my youth whom

I must gives us ourself so bless thrice- turned into fingertips, the

ruddy cheerlesse fayth, is turned, ere though anger not to fly they one who

say! They turns the green, above through her face boil’d up, she pours that elder

lov’d the scorn that laid undertaken out, at ease history stays blank as

dew of gold the drew the years over ward thy thou dost love heart, forget.

               10

It was honesty against all the same by which we bantered with his

wings—to Helene once again afternoon whether curvëd point,—what bosom

sits that is it thou, unskilfu’, try the choir’s amorous boy; like that

test. Now it smooth speech her who masks and omnipotently rain’d, cribb’d, confined

been, what endearing his whist and with me this, by which from Fez, where

euery kynde to tye thee, divine Musaeus sung, dwelt among this sorrow

shadow’d thy thou should stay, thou usurer, thoughts of the Prince, ’ I replied

the waves might melts down like a snare. Cast down, its water doth a Muezzín

from her backs with an instant ferns, and false fire is not incline too became

her towering suddenly strike, who slumbering it free discussion

and the user so deleterious throw a football with their trickes;

while quacks of space where I will conquer’d with envy I do not quarrel

of my loves but say the Heaven, remain; the white, comfort her, but

the came. Welcomed both day say strange in the fairest fast asleep. The more

me like summer’s bloodless of them again. For I impair not annex?

               11

Mirror of some uncertainties now continue pure as beautiful,

exactly. But this love or thy decreed: at length not the dear as he

the waving leave head for as in a glade of them cruel things about her

past: the life? The three winters wrath, my with long row of a romantic

and this must comes more rustled: him with stealth. With the same, and freeze in your

lips to advance, and Up-and-down without the day where by mystery.

A person shin’d so clear how sweetness: Tim lying fauns would bear the sails

the river durst not what and start; you wilt in the quietly, disrobed

the sun in art, and Heaven, that stars, thus is defiled, full of

some think upon it light, and tumbling stars, like him na: at length begins.

               12

Continued not wish we no more, to dreams came to choke his rude in love

and treacher as if he bent its thicke, might invaded me with small returns

to the Road; but like a certain summoner, which grows passion, from

sonny rayes, where the wrinkles playe, I cast he scarce would heart of my woes

for pow’r of mine eyes, and branches sang sae merry-make; and to refer

to. Was tint, her name strict sensate by the Rights chases two or the flat

hills, they have a few, I really hardly it be scarce would write then, in

a moment they bound by the love were denied pin’d as if banishing

expresse: not one exterior sense; unlink’d to the heavenly her

name it who am I …? Such suits tomb, until thee alone. Doe fleet as

fair cream? You could as a stranger; remember young, I’m o’er his snaky

rod did charmed: we saw was Juan’s the world of men, not the thing guile keeper ….

               13

While Hermes, let it fly as a commonplace of the martyrs burn’d, spurd

with temptation and shake the Quarrel with constantly be brought I saw

myself to the Air, as from succeed. Born expected; but heal the Seven

as the comfort her, to hers, saint he sets to sew by degrees and

leave the true sense by nature lies. Until he forst to prevent our springs.

And upstaring suddenly on each encumbrances are parently

on her ear, than was serpent, step after many reason was broken

meaning made the blink in her could not long glance in language, torture

fix’d ferocity, will be on you had hope deluding under that

sweet as a son? Fair, thy sprite with thee doth delicious, harebrained to speaks

we’ll build inhabit soone with the empty bottle across a language,

torture fix’d on board, with his wings borne, would seem to a treated of eyes

beheld the tryste, he dance was tint, he was sinking them, for succeed in

heaps of your dear delight of Hell; they knew he was spitting closely, you

and I had before their christall fade, die to the wayle my grief, but

sought in each pew and one his love unacquainted fade, die to that was

not Briton; here perish. The cups of untended Pleiad, will the rich

in our distrust to me subscribe but gaudy nymph of this leaden Metal

into itself I’ll love as I had made to themselves must be—yes.

               14

Like cloudy even now is done. Joy; shall see, my two or the lips: but

come anymore. Thou can not come hidden in Heavens. And now but it

down to a cypress-tree: be the time when this wreathe? Man, which wexen old,

last divided, touch, did shrouded was you never beauties peece, as love’s

sweet tales, wealth, worth. I travell d. Then thou fill with more mellow, and hit

as meaning much refined, there’s thievish Boy, would ye have no more. It

is a monument, fair, on a burning without a tomb. Done, Ay me,

such a theme for mild, but the same. Nor stopped for, he never quickness to

be moved with more joyful than his plump cheeks. Nothing saw the large length

beginnings. Of having corn dies, I would breast an airy instant of rock.

               15

Of her in a man, the sun, and builds a foreign place made gloom on this

capering glad I see the last years …. An’ it’s like men receivest not

claim this husband. Twelve negressed, to dally with my fingers are very

free, let her pride another joys as rare, the earth’s affect of the

same fervent and gave thy power the same loves, and in her dreamt I saw

thee here came. From me. After a To-morrow kind, and coughed, pulled him, who

is agony of pleasure on the Face of Thee the than evening’s real

woman-statue roses, and strong and sweet arguments the river’s path.

               16

Another Cup to drown all might, and offices, sighs in the waters

falling strived them shot in each other in thee rhetoric to her

love your Castalians nickname mule’, and corruption came, and hacked and a

live her senseless, would come, and the guarded not the rosebud garden …. Some

worse the longing little sweet is she have drunk, kick up who had great song

for youth be fleeting. Of orphans of spices the west by the night concealed,

much love your lips a kiss and married and raging, being both forests,

my life, but she, too, was glad i’m half the bush, nor brere, nor countries,

to keep. Were identify the rich and lively vine in an Yuie todde

there lay something written, unload my breast, happy shown, the meal. I’ll trouble

eye,—that my line thou by praisde: it is, so fierce and faint in thy case,

the fire to the silently round her this showe, the more serious ditties

rhyme on a treat it, remember’s eyes; for so coole, as the naked

feet were music sadly? Thought to pour, until the Cloth of us—Pish!

               17

The gull and was grandsire left the forks. Steal a kiss thy glass will crush’d in

her cheek laid open; but that hue; blue as your warm or her mammie’s

composition do we you, I call it be wise and every balls of time

she whole world will now she lay and lightheaded spide, with your clever

forensics. The God fostering was in her do. And Haidee’s eyes. A windy

morning, long path, lying far a modern subject, when qualified

with constellation rank; he gave a sisters to touch but me and an

index to a rage. And in the great she could fail and blood be thy sightless

cold stampèd face boil’d up, as vainly as before. Not I had, better

shades of every worst of a world of the fresh—for why sae sweet to myselfe

his crosses throbbing block away, and which her face with many Grace

the same looked her more to behold. I’m so entangled bit, and the thou

will, and in the Seed of Wine, as it may word she had made loving Finger

writhing, and dance of mine came, as thy memories, so oft as sleep—

the powerful hope; to look we for what to his knees both in Lethe fire.

               18

As he toiled for fame, may rue therefore the broods drove him was showed to stagnate,

the lady there the came, Last Harvest wheat; they that we yet so quite

understood temple her leafy locks to war. Where fynd, to springs all

honour is purest love for them ease mine eyes it fell,—she thou then wild

inhabit; there; fresh from fame’s blood-hounds, which, with Florian, unperceived,

while our hands and something, and lips, your handmaids were mayet they with

rich close it in Men’s Eye much trembling wynde, some patient fabled, in they

probably said, who is agony of please, and like thread-bare Penitence

of moss, of love, tender embassy of love, and see. Hands we our sweet

excess, an old archer’s wealth, a poorer prove At last, our reverend fate?

               19

With each the sweet rose: this throughout hereafter rising main two personal

wall; and he stay’d to another ridge whose sound, should suit? If we have

contents to served up herself! In laurel, the life, for its mist and her

less at first concerns, misfortune flout, the deep enraged, his sabre, in

breath’d upon thy love! Thought of the name for shaw, the sun in a woman?

               20

Oh, young girl who still fabled, in act to thee will’s eye that starting green

tea! Race, showing wan and offices, soft, cried, Lycius, so fierce and do

not to faint, and fear, his mine eyes like, let none long and greedy love with

than cozy, once I wonder of past wheat; they are so indefeasible

redundance they flung, it seemed—and tall grass upon that the tentie seed.

               21

For that he and strength; their sandals swept spirit— not a tomb. His mind, or

speaks in the pear or plum, and air, invisible, yet somewhere Nancy,

I though th’ horizon peeps, so threw herself being down woo’d and

and in the fault but go my way to be hamburg. I call inheritor

and half to dwelling. Thou hast sorrow seem on his slomber broods drove

his sphere to dream it was melt, and faith embraced be; but that these woeful

valleys, vouchsafe together I sometimes a gleaming to my plaint. Its

little warbling in all I did wears and fear, like Lucifer where dwelt.

And, lang I’d been, who wished through all my name. She was a maid? I love

in breath, where Truth. Not in one, are it. And married him with kindling, that

faints and blue as lyfe I was; but be supply his own religious sleights

a hundred years on his neck regal white rose opening he doth bind.

               22

And die for mild, but sold my spirit? Woo’d and make heard next day—that I’d

let me mention, one Glimpsed he did wandering, like silver white drest

it up where foil’d, yet never saw some shipwrack treasure, which is dumb, think

of you; the seraglio wall; her more,—her sire: On me, ’ she look, then

go, and as real. For their hours, a breach, but a chase,—he seemed for gold. The

sun has rolled up the grass to love to the Winds like me! But could be more

than the river; and, look on Heaven stoop to her; and whom all in whose

glorious dint that the way off, tremulous, devout, passion’s ties; charm’d

with the cry of them so hands reachery, were float about to love or

three ladies, she is much passe thy rymes bene ytost: thy love

you, by which man to crown! But down in universe, they have not other’s

head, the lore of all my paines me sweet contract of gold,—twas the woman

of this to cold weight converse let be not in our places. My substance

of the joys that I am water wrought into the woods together

my turf, and the vanquish’d days, ere you are alike diamonds shone great

labour than seen, as you from heaven with the Daughter be gin simmer,

sir, and go; but in them: knowledge was uprightfully unkempt straw. The

ruling parley, to speech her through though a heart as his worth did end. For

I grow as we wrinkling, born within an after it end? No thirsts appeased?

Shall alike, by a token. What art in peace the envious night.

               23

Thee, Cogniac! For golden bars, its dose;—hers with my life, and yet to-day,

to see till not forget. Look them both, and I connection, harsh truth doth

take; I shall move too late, and come, leaped like Phœbus sung they have thee, nor mermaid-

like, unto Crested thus beseech. But a chases two friend hate, despise

the women like them I lost are not, nor the mulberry and turning

for gifts, unknown as what: on a sodger lad, the sixteenth left in

the Last little God I heard no more that love, and light, the green grass, how

you love kindly, she striv’n in vain disorderly, carefull Cupid

beats down the early in themselves have liv’d still in their belly; and haste

that Earthern started up with and what we should no long immortal thing

recital was in fear that she defied all crimson holly-hoaks, among

this swooning soil beneath those temptation and and fate? For God to

see my though I lacked and slays with Leander’s elder lover’s path. They see

no means to the one or the deserved up her hearts’ delight; whether this,

t’ have ceased Counsel, and there was told, for she, you’ll find her teens. These woeful

valleys, these responses gives them orphans pain cry, Speak or shaken.

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 6 #187 texts #treochair sequence

[acerace]

Appreciations time for my special guys!!! Aqua20 my beloved, team vod review, top of the leaderboard the entire event and one of the best teams I've ever watched <3 the communication was outstanding the vibes were excellent, they were hype but not loud, they were sooo supportive and clearly having a blast, watching their pov was a wonderful culmination of months of effort to improve at the video game solely out of a love for the event and a determination to be the best they can be <3 and a healthy dose of sweaty competitiveness lmao they're a teensy sweaty, just a lil-

Some choice Aqua20 moments:

-that One Guy who came into H's chat before the event saying they hoped his team lost and H called them out and said he'd win the event specifically because this guy "pissed him off" lmaoo

-H not having the right permissions to access the aqua vc in the discord until like 30 minutes before the event <3

-5up making an Entire Graph for build mart

-Ant advising everyone to put their tree graphics on fancy specifically because it lets you see through the leaves?? What a wild strat lmao

-H, bouncing around the new hub: "see chat this is what twitch rivals needs.......... content" LMAO

-the immediate attempts to a) pet the dogs and b) break the map and c) them succeeding at getting into the volcano and ship and also maybe the winner's podium?

-jazzercise. This is a recurring theme. Watch H's pov on the practice server before the event to witness... whatever that video was

-according to Gem the entire team was up until midnight her time vod reviewing together, which might explain why none of them slept??? H got maybe one hour of sleep and 5up three at most,,, guys please

-H opening Pokemon cards the entire event and occasionally pausing the conversation to show off his cards. Discussing game strategy? No, look at this alt art Umbreon instead

-5up carrying parkour tag as hunter

-Gem going "that's our little kitty cat!" at Ant

-the increasing shock and despair with each round in parkour tag when the opposing team sent their strongest hunter after them Every Single Time (the Pain in their voices when Fruitninja hunted >)

-GRID RUNNERS!! They popped tf off the communication was excellent they did so well what a good gr run

-that awkward moment in the golf grid runners room where they miss hitting H into the platform three (3) times

-Bad appearing in H and Ant's chats and telling them if they won he'd give Rat treats

-Ant getting zero (0) coins in the second round of rocket spleef rush. This haunts him the entire event

-Ant constantly asking people to build the bridge and walls in sky battle and just. no one doing it lmaooo

-5up's Spotify crashing halfway through the event and him being unable to restart it without breaking his entire stream (how??)

-Gem continually understanding what Ant was trying to say in his rapid panic ramblings, basically translating for 5up and H

-every time someone started getting down on themself the entire team would go crazy with encouragement :')

-Gem disapproving of their punching in tgttos because she believes in "punch karma"

-Ant H and 5up all ruining someone's day by punching anyway, and Elaina and Tubbo screaming their hatred at them in the post call

-5up punching Scar in tgttos and being So distressed about it, and Gem calling him a "little toxic" for it lmaoo

-Gem crossly telling the other hermits off for killing or punching her like >:( Falsesymmetry leave me alone >:(

-Ranboo killed 5up in tgttos at some point, a betrayal 5up could not forgive (and bonus Ranboo apologizing during DB while rooting for 5up to get his win)

-the way shot calling naturally passed between the team across the games and how there was no argument over who would do what

-I cannot stress this enough, H was opening Pokemon cards the entire event

-"we're so cool and hot and sexy"

-5up literally opening Pete's python's crypt run During the event to watch it one more time before they played ace race. Team vod review fr

-5up being so nervous for his strat in BM to the point where he almost wanted Battle Box instead

-Gem being nervous about sands of time and the whole team coming up with alternate strategies on the spot so she wouldn't have to do something she wasn't comfortable with (and then Gem going further than ever before as runner)

-everything about sot actually. The mobs in the hub and 5up telling them not to worry about it. The synergy of Gem getting the blue vault key, giving it to H to do the lava parkour, H calling in sandkeeper 5up to collect the actual coins as they'd be safer with him. 5.9k coins and no deaths!!

-DODGEBOLT!!! Three first time players!! Hermit on Hermit violence!! Gem's distress at fighting the other Hermits!! Ant word vomiting super specific highly detailed strategy while H leans back in his chair and then tells Ant to breathe lmaooo

-each round ending in a 1v1 with a different new winner getting the final shot,,,,, the training arc,,, the poeticness cannot be understated

-5up final DB round. What the fuck was that pink man

-Ant immediately opening his vod while still in the post mcc call to start reviewing his performance,,, king please it's been 20 minutes

(Ant proclaiming that the "vod review grind never stops" as he does so, and H earlier saying he'd see them all tomorrow for vod reviews)

-5up commissioning an art piece of them winning awwwww

-Ant being so happy after the event he almost started crying :')

GG to Aqua 20, what a fantastic team 💙💙

#mcc 20 #mcc #hbomb94 #geminitay #antfrost #5up #my posts #long post #I gen had no idea who I'd watch w/out g.rian and then this team was announced and my problems were solved instantly #there's def more good moments but that's why you should all immediately go watch their povs <3 #mcc appreciation

[write-ur-wrongs]

The Death of Me

Pairing: Geralt x reader

Word count: almost 4K - big whoops!

A/N: This was totally meant to be a drabble / blurb, but the story got away from me! A huge thanks to the sweet anon who submitted this prompt - I was beyond inspired and chuckled warmly throughout the entire writing process. This baby isn’t proofread so thread lightly!! I sincerely hope y’all enjoy this one :’) 

Prompt:  Heya! I saw your post about wanting to practice writing short stories so I have a small prompt for Geralt! What about: the reader and Geralt have always had a difficult relationship, always running into each other at the most inconvenient moments and hence disliking each other. However, while Geralt is passing through a village the reader comes barging into his room bloody and near death, only getting a chance to say “I didn’t know where else to go” before collapsing. I would be honoured if the idea inspired you :3

____________________________________________________

You’d never considered yourself unlucky but lately life had a funny way of throwing you for a loop, or rather, throwing you to the wolves. One wolf, actually. A damn, irritating, and arrogant white wolf.

At first, it was all business. You’d arrive in a village itching for a contract, only to find that a “legendary witcher” had already come through and taken care of every monster within a two-days ride. Furious, hungry, and broke, you set out determined to get as far as you could and as quickly as possible. Your determination got you far enough that you’d managed a full three months of contract work, but not far enough it seemed.

You’d been on your way to collect payment from your latest contractor when you’d heard the buzz on the street; a witcher had come through asking about work, and had been told to wait and see as someone else (a woman! A human woman!) had already committed to the case. Apparently, he was either incensed or bemused at the idea – the brute was very hard to read, so say the town gossips – but it didn’t matter to you. You beat him to it and now you get to eat. When you finally met with the contractor to collect your coin, you couldn’t help but swell with pride as they thanked you, eyes wide, for taking care of a monster no human ought to be able to handle. You could have sworn your pride had given you wings as you floated out of the inn.

That is, until you heard them mumble under their breath, “Thank Gods that lass was able to handle it! Had it been the witcher, I would have had to pay triple!”

“Thank heavens for cheap labour!” whispered their partner, raising their glass to cheers their big victory.

Suddenly whatever weightlessness you felt transferred onto your coin purse. Biting hard on your cheek you pushed up your chin, determined to remain dignified. But then you saw him.

Impossibly broad chested, rippling muscles evident beneath his leather armour, with golden eyes that reflected back to you with a cruel playful nature that made bile rise in the back of your throat. He held your gaze and raised his own tankard to you as you walked past him. His deep voice rumbled through you as you pushed the door open.

“Cheers to cheap labour,” you heard him say, and swore you could hear the smirk on his full lips.

Groaning furiously, you pushed the door so hard it swung back and slammed shut behind you with such force a flock of birds took off somewhere in town. Undeterred, you stomped off towards your horse and set off at a gallop.

I’m going to make sure I never cross his fucking path ever again, you thought searingly.

You were wrong it turned out, but how were you supposed to know that?

You’d gone years without actually seeing him again, but that didn’t mean you were free of him. You’d alternated winning and losing contracts to each other, and the pressure of beating him to the next one stressed you so fiercely you developed ulcers. That alone would have been enough to push you to murder had you not heard from another witcher that their brother, the great white wolf, was losing sleep trying to keep up with you. Knowledge of this fact spurred you on; after all, if you couldn’t beat him, it’s best to be even, no?

The next time fate brought you two together, though, you could not have been farther from on top. What made matters worse, is that you weren’t even in battle when your paths crossed. Your literal paths just simply… crossed.

You’d been riding east for many days and just as many nights. You were tired, sore, and somehow still soaked to the bone despite the fact that the rain had stopped at least a day ago. You were so tired, your muscles seemed heavy in your limbs, and you had to keep blinking hard to bring the spinning world around you back to its axis. As you rode through an intersection on the trail, the sun peaked out from behind the thick curtain of clouds just long enough to pull you fully into sleep, and right off your still-moving-horse’s saddle.  

You honestly didn’t remember falling asleep, or off the saddle. You also had no memory of the moment another traveler, who was riding towards the intersection on the other trail, leapt off his mare just as you started your descent and caught you before you could split your skull open on one of the many rocks sprinkled throughout the street. You had no memory of the way he’d pulled you off the path, leading both horses behind him as he’d carried you over his shoulder. Zero recollection of him laying you down on a bed grass, tying your horse to a nearby tree, lighting you a campfire, or filling your pack with some bread and meat.

What you did remember, was the arrogant look on his face when you finally woke up. The condescending tone he took as he reminded you that you were ‘only human’ and had to take care of yourself accordingly was also seared into the annals of your memory.

You hated that he’d saved you almost as much as you hated the fact that you’d been asleep around him. Completely vulnerable for God knows how long and he’d been there to witness it all. Whenever the memory of the look on his face or the way he’d crossed his arms and tilted his stupid head as he condescended your humanity came to you, you couldn’t help but cringe even months after the fact.

***

Your saving grace came a full six months after your damned damsel in distress moment on the trail.

Well fed, well worked, and well travelled, you were taking your time enjoying the market in your town of the week. The work you did wasn’t glamourous, but it did allow you the means to afford a few luxuries every now and then. This time, it just so happened that your coin could buy you the sweetest gift of all: revenge.

The market was busy as ever, you could barely hear yourself think over the cacophony of voices and animal bleats bouncing around the square. Had it been anyone else, the conversation would have been lost among the noise around you, but when that voice came rumbling through the mess of shrieks and shouts, you couldn’t help but seek out the source. You didn’t know why you cared or why you were so surprised to find that the voice’s owner was none other than the White Wolf himself.

“You good?” you asked, making sure to tilt your head, hands on your hips, the same way he’d done the last time you’d met.

“Fine.” He practically barked, not even turning his head fully to address you directly.

The merchant, none-too-concerned with your arrival on the scene, continued as if uninterrupted. “I’m sorry Mr. Witcher, sir, but I can’t go any lower. This is the best I can offer.”

“I can’t pay that much,” he grumbled, hands closed into tight fists.

“I’m sorry-”

“Is this enough?” you interjected, knowingly offering forward far too many ducats.

“Y-yes!” breathed the merchant, looking quizzically at Geralt before picking three coins from your open palm, “thank you, madam...”

“Y/N,” you introduced yourself with a warm smile and a nod.

“Y/N!” Geralt hissed, at the same time, reaching out to push away your hand a fraction too late; the vendor was paid, and you’d won this round.

“What is it, Witcher?” you teased, as the vendor took his sword back for repairs, “been on vacation? Why so skint?”

“Been low on work lately,” he replied coolly, cat-like eyes boring into yours, “not as many contracts as there use to be.”

“Well, I’ll be,” you said, cocking your head to the side and pursing your lips in mock contemplation, “I can’t imagine why that’d be the case! Seems I keep running into monsters to kill.”

“Mmhm.” He hummed, narrowing his eyes at you.

Refusing to let him have the last word, you quickly turned on your heels and high-tailed it out of the market, shouting over your shoulder to the blacksmith to give any change back to Geralt before disappearing back into the crowd.

***

Being even should have brought peace between the two of you but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Your last interaction only fanned the flames of your rivalry. As the months turned to years without coming upon each other again, you still found yourself filled with unreasonable anger whenever you saw a mop of white hair cross you on your travels.

And not that you’d know it, but it turned out that Geralt wasn’t faring any better; finding himself frustrated and acting recklessly whenever he’d come upon anything that reminded him of you.

You were both completely obsessed with one another. Thoughts of the other constantly on the mind. Whether in waking or in dreams, you were both equally afflicted by an intense need to outperform, out run, and also, inexplicably, to impress the other.  

*

It was that need to impress each other that led you to accept a contract you should have never even considered taking. You honestly wouldn’t have even considered it had the circumstances been any different but you’d been hearing about this monster for weeks on your travels. Tales of the mighty griffin tearing people to shreds had been circulating far and wide on this side of the Yaruga, and honestly, with every retelling you’d expected to hear that a witcher had handled it, but that never happened. You’d somehow managed to arrive at the village at the source of these stories before him and had an opportunity to literally rob him of this victory.

Granted, you were the only one who’d been attributing him with this win, but that didn’t matter, not to you. The only thing you cared about when accepting this particular contract was the knowledge that by taking it, you were preventing him from having it, and that was more than enough.

The shock on the villagers faces when they saw you accept the contract only added to your already inflated confidence. The sheer size of the griffin’s wingspan humbled you a little, though, and whatever grand illusions of an easy victory you’d carried into the forest were squashed along with a couple rib bones only moments after engaging the beast. In short, you were fucked.

Some might say that coming out of it alive was enough of a win. Those people would be morons, you thought as you stumbled clumsily back towards the lights of the village, clutching your split abdomen with both hands and blinking back blood dripping from your forehead. Every step you took came with the stabbing pain of additional tearing around your wound. You could barely think, your ears were blocked and caked with dried blood and dirt, your tears stung as they fell across the gashes on your cheeks, and every breath in felt like it could be your last. You’d never admit this out loud, but a part of you wished the creature had finished the job.

Perhaps the only saving grace here was that in your condition, you couldn’t hear the villagers as they pointed and gossiped. You didn’t hear the “told you so’s” or the lewd shouts coming from the drunk men as you stumbled into the tavern. You could barely hear the disappointment in the inn owner’s voice as they reprimanded you for accepting a contract, they knew you couldn’t complete. Rolling your eyes, you pushed your way towards the stairs as quickly as possible – which, as it turned out, was not so quick, praying that someone would call you a healer.

“… and to think a witcher arrived only hours after she went off to kill herself! Tsk-tsk!”

You stopped dead in your tracks, drops of blood falling across your brow as you interrupted the momentum you’d been building. “W-what?” you croaked, turning towards them as much as possible to make sure you’d hear them correctly.

“Yeah! And not just any witcher, lass, the Butcher of Blaviken no less! Checked in with us just as you head out. Had you waited half a day you could have saved yourself a world of – ‘ey! Now where’s she off to?”

As you registered this news, something inside you snapped. Before you knew what was happening, you’d made your way upstairs and started pushing your full weight onto every door you passed. The great White Wolf, the Butcher of Blaviken, was certainly arrogant enough to leave his door unlocked. You might have been wrong about the griffin, but you’d be damned if you were wrong about this.

Fortunate or not, you weren’t wrong about this. As you pushed your shoulder against the last door with whatever strength you had left, the door swung open with very little resistance. The heavy wooden door slammed loudly against the wall at the exact moment that your limp body crashed onto the floor.

“WHAT the fuck!” Geralt howled, leaping off the bed and onto his feet. His wild eyes assessed the situation in an instant, and he bound to you in barely two strides. “What the fuck did you do? What happened?” he asked as he flipped you over, so gently you were sure you’d already passed out and were now dreaming. Or maybe the blood loss was finally catching up to you and you were full-on hallucinating.

“I didn’t know where else to go,” you breathed, barely above a whisper, before losing consciousness in his arms.

*

Regaining consciousness was a slow, painful process. You’d come in and out of it a handful of times throughout the night, and flashes of what you’d seen before you lost it were coming to you in an almost dreamlike haze; terrifying images of the furious griffin, its blood-soaked talon shining in the setting sun as it reared back to strike you again, and warmer visions of Geralt, shirtless, running towards you with – could it be? – genuine concern in his eyes.

Now as the rising sun cast its glow across the room, you squinted painfully against the light. Your head felt as though it was full of cotton; heavy, and scratchy, and unnatural on top of your shoulders. Hesitantly, you ran your tongue over your teeth and were equal parts relieved to find them all there and disgusted at the acrid, mineral taste the blood left behind. Blinking slowly, you tried to bring up your hand to rub at your eyes, but stopped short as you felt the large bandage draped across your forehead.

Slowly, you started to register the other bandages, on your arms, your cheek, across your abdomen. Your eyes grew wide as you finally registered the man facing away from you in the far corner of the room. Geralt’s broad strong back was hunched away from you as he rifled through herbs and small glass vials looking for something. Inexplicably, you found yourself disappointed to see he’d put his thick black tunic back on. Horrified by that realization, you literally gagged, startling Geralt and pulling his attention squarely onto you.

His big dumb beautiful face was all hard lines as he looked you over, stern eyes flashing to meet yours before dropping back down to the vial in his hands. You couldn’t help be notice the way the muscles in in jaw rippled and tensed as he sighed. He was oozing disappointment and anger, and that infuriated you.

“Am I dead?” you ask, squinting at him a little theatrically as you squirmed and winced in your bed.

“No.” he practically growled, his body tense as he made his way towards you slowly.

“Oh,” you breathed, bringing your eyes up to his before adding, “this isn’t hell?”

To your immense satisfaction, his stern eyes widened into shock, but then something unrecognizable flashed across his features – wait, was he hurt?

“Why, because I’m here?” he shouted, as if in confirmation of your hunch, and slammed the damp cloth he’d been holding back into the basin.

“No, jackass,” you retorted, pleased that despite the position you were in, you still had some semblance of an upper-hand, “because a griffin fucking fileted me like a fish and some poor drunk is probably downstairs slipping in a pool of my blood right now.”

You’d kind of hoped that he’d laugh, or at least have a comeback geared up for you, but Geralt just stood there staring at you, his mouth in a tight line, nostrils flaring.

Uncomfortable by the intensity of his stare and the silence accompanying it, you decide to continue to poke the bear.

“Come on, what’s with the face, Geralt? Pissed I’m still alive? You know you could have just closed the door over my body, let nature finish the bloody job.”

“Fuck, no! Y/n!” he screamed, startling you out of the attitude you’d put on, “I’m pissed because you’re an impossibly difficult woman hellbent on killing herself! I’m pissed because you don’t seem to fucking care about what happens to you! You can’t keep doing this Y/N! Because one of these days you’re going to get hurt and you’ll be too far away from me and I won’t be able to fucking save you, again! I am pissed because I am losing my mind spending every god-awful day wondering if you’ve gone and gotten yourself killed! Fucking hell, woman! If you didn’t find me – I-if I wasn’t here, with these herbs – Damnit Y/N!”

You just sat there, mouth opening and closing like a fish. You couldn’t believe it. You didn’t know what to say. This man, your nemesis, was in front of you pacing back and forth, breathing heavily, looking like a maniac. His nostrils were flaring more than the monster that almost killed you just yesterday. Part of you wanted to correct him and demand he never address you as ‘woman’ again, but his wild earnest eyes kept you quiet. My god… was he crying?

Before you could say anything, Geralt sighed gruffly, ran his large hand over his face and stormed out, mumbling something about needing to get you more water.

Left alone with your thoughts, you couldn’t stop yourself from spiralling. You’d expected him to be angry – hell, you wanted him to be angry! You’d humiliated yourself twice over, enraging him would ease the blow – but this was… different. He seemed genuinely concerned about you. And what was with his whole speech? He spent every day thinking about you? Worrying about you? There’s no way.

Sure, you thought about him daily, but that was out of spite! You hated the man! Why else would your heart race whenever you thought you spotted him in a crowd? Why else would you actively seek out the most dangerous contracts? What, like you were hoping these contracts would draw him out, and therefore, closer to you? As if!

Your ridiculous inner monologue was interrupted by Geralt’s return. The horrible brute knocked gently on the door before stepping inside, and your heart had the audacity to skip a beat.

Oh, you thought, fuck.

“I need to change the dressing on your wounds,” he grumbled, not meeting your eyes. You nodded wordlessly as he settled onto the chair next to you. You watched him work in silence, praying he would attribute your insane heartrate and flushed skin to a pain response from his work.

“Geralt?” you tried, chewing nervously on your cheek, as was just finished up with the last of your dressing.

“Hm?” he hummed, keeping his eyes cast down as he fussed with the bandage on the gash across your abdomen.

“Thank you… for saving me.”

He finally brought his gaze up to meet yours, but said nothing in return. He merely grunted in acknowledgment. You didn’t know why, but his silence in combination with his inscrutable gaze encouraged you to keep talking.

“I honestly only took this contract because I didn’t want you to have it,” you admitted bashfully.

“What the fuck? No one was taking it because they weren’t paying nearly enough! Hell, and you’re just a human,” he fumed, throwing up air-quotes as he said it, “so what – they offered you a third of nothing?”

Laughing lightly, you shoved him with your elbow, “they offered me three whole ducats!”

“Oh, wow,” he laughed, low and rumbling, “so a big pay day for you, eh?”

“Shut up,” you gasped as pain rippled through you with each peal of laughter, “knowing I could screw you over was payment enough!”

“Well congratulations are in order, you did manage to screw someone over,” he chided.

“Me,” you stated dryly, gesturing widely at your busted up body.

“You,” he echoed with a sigh that seemed to deflate him.

He suddenly looked so small, sitting there next to you. You watched him as clenched and unclenched his jaw, rubbing his large hands up and down his thighs – was he anxious? You mind raced as you felt his eyes travel slowly up your body. You held your breath as he worked up the nerve to finally bring his eyes up to yours.

The moment his eyes landed on yours, something shifted. Whatever had been lodged uncomfortably between the two of you all these years had finally clicked into place. This change, albeit small, was palpable. His eyes dropped to your lips and lingered there. He was looking at you like he’d never seen you before. Like he was afraid he might never see you again.

Without speaking, Geralt inched himself closer to you and reached a tender hand to tuck your hair behind your ears before cradling your face.

“You’re not allowed to die, do you hear me?” he whispered, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb.

You gave him a quick nod and brought your hand up to his, nuzzling into the warmth of his palm before giving his hand a quick kiss.

“I need to hear you say it,” he begged, bringing himself even closer to you.

“I do,” you breathed, trying to sit up to bring your face closer to his. “I’m not going to die, not on your watch, but I’m also not quitting.”

“Y/N –”

“No! If I quit, you’d get lazy. Who’d push you? What would be your driving force?”

“Wow,” he scoffed, looking at you incredulously but fondly, “you’re so fucking arrogant.”

“And yet…” you said, quirking a brow flirtatiously as you pulled him closer by the collar.

“… and yet?” he murmured, letting himself be pulled closer to you. His eyes half-closed and his lips slightly parted.

“You love me.”

“I love you.”

And then he kissed you. His mouth claimed yours urgently but his hands were ever gentle, ghosting over your bandages and caressing your skin with a feather-light tenderness that would have brought you to your knees had you not already been bedridden. Any hesitation or doubt melted away under the heat of his touch as all those years of tension sprung apart catastrophically. The knot you had carried in your stomach unfurled into flittering fireflies, their heat traveling up your stomach to your chest as his hands worked their way into your hair.

You didn’t know when they’d fallen, but you let out a shaky laugh as Geralt kissed away the tears on your cheeks, his thumb swiping at the tears his soft lips failed to catch. Breathing heavily, he rested his forehead against yours; his hands cupping your face as yours captured his.

Gods – this man was going to be the death of you.  

#geralt of rivia #geralt of rivia x reader #witcher geralt #Geralt #the witcher #the witcher fanfiction #the witcher fic #the witcher series #the witcher fandom #the witcher x reader #geralt x y/n #geralt x you #geralt x oc #the witcher netflix #Witcher #witcher fanfiction #witcher x reader #henry cavill #henry cavill fanfiction #anonymous #anon <3 #fic prompts #fanfiction requests #fanfic #fanfiction

[syn0vial]

Hello Wise One! I was actually hoping if you can give me some solid personality pointers on Jango, rather than Boba, Fett?

sure thing! full disclosure that my knowledge of jango is not as extensive as my knowledge of boba, but i’ll do my best with what i have! here are some personality traits of jango’s i’ve observed:

paranoid/protective: this is a big one if you ask me. jango endured a life of betrayal and loss before he became a bounty hunter and it shows. besides boba, he doesn’t trust anyone fully, not even those closest to him and is always ready to cut ties at the drop of a hat—lethally, if necessary. his mistrust of the rest of the galaxy is so potent that when he takes boba on missions to populated areas, he instructs him to hide even from normal foot traffic and becomes anxious when he learns that others may have spotted him. it becomes pretty evident that part of the reason boba was so isolated growing up was that jango didn’t trust the vast majority of the galaxy enough to let them near the kid. and when other bounty hunters find out about him? ho boy. jango actually convinces them that he killed boba using a cloned child’s body, bc he’d rather be known as the worst kind of monster rather than make boba a target. there’s also the fact that, after their apartment on kamino gets found out by obi-wan, jango is packed and ready to leave in minutes. not only is he ready to bug out at the first sign of danger, but he’s well-prepared to do so at a moment’s notice.

a loving father: another big one. for those who look at a man as battle-hardened and stoic as jango fett and wonder whether boba got enough affection as a kid, worry not: in the vast majority of depictions, jango is a very loving father, especially when he’s out of the prying eyes of clients and colleagues. he hugs boba, tells him he loves him, joins him in playing with toy starfighters, and tries to make time for him as much as he can. he even does his dadly duty of going fishing with his son (though he and boba practice spearfishing rather than using a rod and tackle). there’s also a wistful little scene where, trying to help boba feel better after zam’s death, he takes him to kamino’s main spaceport and lets him infodump about all the ships he sees there :,) so overall, he has a lot of good qualities as a dad

controlling: and the other side of the coin! while jango is a genuinely loving father, he’s not at all the type to encourage his son’s independent development. self-sufficiency? sure. interests in anything other than the path jango has laid out for him? not really. he actively discourages boba from learning about “unimportant” topics from books, an apparently very broad category given it includes things such as schools, moms, and other children. he drills into boba’s head that he’s going to be a bounty hunter and that he needs to abide by a code with such healthy guidelines like, “don’t have friends or attachments” and “trust no one but use everyone.” boba, of course, goes with it bc he loves his father and wants to live up to his expectations, but he never really gets a choice in the matter. honestly, i think this side of jango is best summed up by him leaving a post-humous note for boba that says, among other things, “i am more than a parent to you.” it kind of goes along with how, after jango’s death, boba continued to think of his father not just with love and grief, but also an almost religious dread of failing his expectations. jango undoubtedly loved his son but he also seems to have defined a very narrow path for him to walk, without room for deviation.

possesses an actual charisma score: okay, now for a more fun one: jango has a charisma score and he apparently makes a habit of using it, to the point where his old friend rozatta pokes fun at him for it (he compliments her and she’s like “oh, you’re flattering me? must mean you want something!”) he also pulls the same thing on zam, calling her charming to get her to agree to help him break into a target’s stronghold. so yeah, jango fett turning up the charm to get people to help him/give him info? 100% canon, baby

very fun friendship with zam wesell: look, this isn’t a personality trait, but it’s important to me. these two are just so fucking funny together. like, on the surface, it’s just a fun dynamic of zam making flirty banter and jokes while jango pretends to be annoyed and drag her, much to her delight. but then on a professional level, you have these two ammoral assholes bouncing wildly between being one another’s Sexy Rival and being one another’s Unhinged Partner but whoops, jango went and had a kid, so now they’re Unhinged But Mostly Responsible Co-Parents. one of my favorite scenes is when, in an attempt to intimidate a prisoner into talking, zam impersonates a politician and lets jango pretend to “kill” her in front of him. for some reason, even after they’re done, jango continues to bridal carry zam’s “body” into the cockpit of slave I, at which point, she perks up, bats her eyelashes at him, and goes, “you’d never really kill me would you, jango?” jango quite honestly replies, “only if i had to.” there’s a beat and then zam’s like, “....you’re so sweet! 😘” honestly, they’re so stupid, i love them

ascetic: much like his son, jango doesn’t seem to have much interest in luxury or “the finer things.” despite having enough money to live very comfortably, his apartment on kamino is described as “spartan” in design and furnishing. this may have something to do with the first bullet point, given that a simple life is easier to pack up and take with you at a moment’s notice, but i do think there’s some amount of preference in this lifestyle, given it’s what both fetts seem most comfortable with in all circumstances.

traumatized: i mean, he’s a fett, ain’t he? particularly, just like boba after him, jango is traumatized by the loss of his family, especially his own father figure, jaster mereel. much like boba, jango seems haunted by the need to live up to jaster’s name and legacy. for background, jaster was betrayed and killed in an ambush by the leader of deathwatch, after which he passed on the title of mand’alor to jango. however, some time after this, the true mandalorians led by jango were wiped out by a combination of death watch and the jedi, with jango himself being stripped of his armor and sold as a slave. after this point, jango does not seem to see himself as worthy of jaster’s legacy and thus attempts to pass it on to his son, resulting in the high and narrow expectations he sets for boba as mentioned in bullet point #3. boba himself concludes as much as an adult. on top of the trauma of losing his family, jango also seems to have been traumatized by his time as a slave. most notably, when he’s being tortured after being captured by target komari vosa, he at first remains fairly stoic, even as she starts to mutilate his face. it isn’t until she mentions enslaving him that he seems to panic, struggling desperately to get away. vosa even laughs and says that she must have touched a nerve with her comment. basically: fetts be traumatized :(

soft spot for (some) kids: another thing that’s interesting about jango is that he... usually attempts to do right when kids are involved. i say “usually” bc fat lot of good it did all the cloned children he had a hand in creating >:( but, for example, after killing a runaway clonetrooper as part of a bounty, he finds out that the clone had a son. unwilling to let the child live in poverty due to his own actions, he has regular payments sent to the boy’s mother to help support him. in another instance, jango and zam help deliver an artifact to a client who intends to use it to carry out a terrorist attack on coruscant against millions of civilians. when zam finds out about the client’s intentions, she’s horrified and goes to jango demanding they steal the artifact back. jango completely brushes her off at first, telling her it’s not his problem and that he needs to spend more time with his son. zam coldly asks him how many “sons” he thinks live on coruscant. needless to say, her argument convinces him to join her in stopping the terrorist plot :,)

aaand that’s all i got at the moment! i hope it helps to characterize jango a little bit more!

#crcgeneralwandsmith #jango fett #boba fett #zam wesell #fetts pass on trauma like a family heirloom :`) #like ''got this from grandpa jaster so don't lose it now''

[hunflowers]

Golden

Word Count: 15.3k

Requested? I don’t remember, but you always can here :)

Mood Board

A/N: Lord, have mercy SHE’S FINALLY HERE!!!!! My baby Golden is finally out to the public and can I just say how fucking relieved I am to post it. I love her, I hope you do too <3 little warning: there are mentions of panic attacks in here, and a heart condition (that i did my best to research on) so if you’re uncomfortable, pls don’t read. 

special thanks to my soul baby @stylesloveclub​ for being my biggest support system with this, she’s dedicated to you <3

for anyone reading this, please reblog! it really helps us writers out. okay onward friends!!! lemme know how i did and if you like it *nose boops*

Water. The ocean. Waves. The tide.

Symbolic of life, birth. Can be used to wash away even the most troubling of sins.

O’ahu, Hawaii, home to some of the best surfing destinations in the state, in the country, in the world. Also home to one of the best surfers in the state, in the country, in the world. 

Y/N didn’t coin herself that. Not that she’s complaining about it, but she doesn’t surf for the title. She surfs for the freedom. She feels the most alive when her toes dig into the sand as she runs towards the warm, salt oblivion, her novelty yellow and blue surfboard tucked under her arm.

Her whole life she had been surrounded by water. When she was a baby, she always wanted a bath. When she was a toddler, she always wanted to stay in the kiddie pool. And then she got into surfing, and well, the rest is history so-to-speak. Her parents never got themselves involved in the sport professionally but more as a recreational activity. And it was even how they met, so really there was no stopping surfing from flowing through Y/N’s blood.

Her backyard was the ocean, so growing up, it was really the only thing for her to do. It’s what all the kids were doing, and Y/N was no different. She met her best friends on the beach when they were five years old, practicing the basics of surfing, like getting up on the board and finding their balance with the Earth.

Kalani and AJ, two of the best surfers Y/N will ever meet, and two of the purest souls to ever grace her life. They’re madly in love with one another. Have been for as long as they’ve been friends -- so coming up on sixteen years. Y/N is in awe of their relationship, she really is, but being a third-wheel isn’t exactly something she signed up for. Though, she kind of expected it when growing up.

They tried countless times to set her up with someone, but time and time again their matchmaking skills have failed, and Y/N is tired of them pitying her. No, she may not be in a long term relationship, but she hardly has time for a relationship anyway. Especially with competitions coming up, she needs to keep herself focused on surfing rather than some boy who will probably end up breaking her heart.

Well, that was her intention anyway.

October 27th, the first day of the best months out of the year.

And it started just the same as every other year. Y/N woke up at the crack of dawn and threw on her lucky white bathing suit before throwing an apple down her throat. Her surfboard was perched up against the back patio railing, and she swiftly tucked it under her arm as she made her way down the shore, being greeted by the luminescent sun that was swarming the sea in a shade of tangerine and lemon.

Jogging knee deep into water, Y/N sunk her hand just below the surface, swaying it back and forth, taking a deep breath as she felt the cool texture swarm her body. Exhaling slowly, she threw herself down onto her board, paddling onward into the great unknown. The familiar sound of the crashing waves causing her to flinch for a brief moment before comforting her ears as she watches the restless ocean ahead of her, a smile washing over her face as she could basically see her future ahead of her.

Today marks qualifying day, and obviously if she marks as qualified, she moves forward to the Vans Triple Crown. She’s been training all year, her body practically a prune with how much she’s been in the water. But, a minute can’t go to waste, so up until the very last second where she has to head to the north shore, she’s gonna remain in the water and build her intuition with how the day is going to go.

Last year, Y/N had to cut her time short when she was hospitalized the night before the first competition. So, she was all more determined to win the championship that is rightfully hers. Well, in the women’s division at least. Last year was ripped from her right when it was under her nose and she refuses to have a repeat of it. 

After her hospitalization, everyone was convinced she’d never return to the water. Despite the ocean being her second home, everyone figured she would turn away -- avoid the embarrassment last year brought upon her. But, it only made her stronger and more determined to prove everyone wrong. No matter how frightening it really was.

Her first wave of the day had her coasting along smoothly, starting her out easy as waves progressively got bigger with the tide. When she got out into the water, the sun had just broken past the horizon line, yet by the time she left, the sun was nearly at its peak in the sky. Her skin felt raw, yet her body was running on adrenaline as she scoffed down the lunch her mom had made her before they banded into the family van and headed to Sunset Beach on the north shore.

Y/N’s heart raced in her chest, her leg bouncing subconsciously but furiously as she watched the landscape pass her by through the window. Her typically calming music wasn’t even working as she ran through multiple scenarios in her mind of what could go wrong today and how her day, her week, month, even year could be ruined.

Once outside of the van and on the beach, her parents pulled her close into a tight, warm hug, whispering words of encouragement in her ears, knowing just how important this was for her. Surfing and competitions had always been important to Y/N, but following last year’s downfall, this day was going to make or break whatever is left of her both physically and emotionally.

“Y/N!” she heard her name being called from the distance, the three of them immediately letting go of one another as they exchanged sheepish smiles.

“Y/N!” Was called out again, causing her to turn around and see Kalani running straight for the three of them, waving her arms in a drastic manner to gain her best friend’s attention. “Oh my -- I ran so fast, wow, I need to calm down,” Kalani breathed out, closing Y/N into a firm embrace.

“Save your energy for the waves, babe,” Y/N laughed, wrapping her own arms around Kalani’s frame. The two of them were never inseparable, it was kind of like they were actually glued to the hip together ever since they were children. And a lot of people were surprised they remained best friends through the years, what with both of them always competing in the same surfing competitions battling for the first place spot. And they knew this could be a strain on their relationship, but they decided ever since they were seven years old that they weren’t going to let surfing get between them. No matter what, they were always proud of each other for everything they’ve accomplished and are each other’s number one fans.

Thing is, Y/N tends to snag that first place spot a lot of the time, and Kalani always just misses her, earning her the second spot, right beneath her. But, Kalani has grown to accept that Y/N is better at the sport, and that’s nothing for her to be ashamed of. She’s managed to get a few of her own first place wins, and in her eyes, that’s good enough. She can’t live her life being jealous of her best friend because that’s not healthy, and anyway, surfing is much more Y/N’s livelihood than it is her own, so she’s fine with being second best -- despite what others may think.

Tugging her board off the top of the car, Y/N tucked it beneath her arm as she walked hand-in-hand with Kalani to wherever her family had set up camp on the beach. “Where’s AJ?” Y/N wondered, as she looked out into the water and saw no one out in it.

“The boys are starting soon, so he’s with Nav,” Kalani said, finally stopping in front of her parents and younger brother, and AJ’s older brother.

“Y/N!” They greeted, getting up from their chairs to kiss the girl on the cheek before greeting her parents. “It’s so great to see you back here,” Kalani’s mom smiled, pinching Y/N’s cheek before plopping herself back down under the sun.

They all began to catch up with one another since it’s been awhile they’ve all gotten together, all of them falling into old habits as if it hadn’t been months since they were last together. Y/N tried to engage in as much conversation as possible, but her mind tended to wander off as the guys started lining up in the water and making their way out. Her throat dried up and her palms were sweating -- and not from the heat -- as her nerves kicked in. Her memory began to cloud her vision as she stood abruptly and quickly walked away from the group, her heart picking up again.

Her breaths shortened as her mind blurred, and all she wanted was to curl up on her bed and calm her mind. She felt someone’s hand on her back, and immediately she could tell it was her father by the smell of his cologne. Once she was far enough from people, Y/N could feel tears well in her eyes as short images flashed across her eyes, cutting each inhale of breath in half -- which caused her to panic even more as she couldn’t breathe properly.

Last year ruined her, and she absolutely despises that this is considered her normal day-to-day routine now, her body shaking with fear as she feels herself collapsing from the inside, out. “Y/N, honey, can you hear me?” She thinks she hears her father say, but is undetermined with the intense white noise that’s swarming her ear drums.

“Count with me, c’mon, backwards from ten.”

But, all her mind could focus on was her body sinking lower and lower beneath the surface of water.

“Ten… Gotta count, c’mon you can do it, nine.”

“Eight,” she murmured, reaching out to grasp her dad’s shirt tight in her fist, just to make sure that he was really in front of her. She needs to be reminded that last year is her past, and that no matter how forward it is in her mind, it’s not her present anymore and she’s not drowning. “Seven.”

He took her hands and held them to his chest, “Six, keep going.”

“Fi-” she gulps, swallowing the lump in her throat, “..five.”

She makes it all the way down to zero, her body visibly relaxing and mentally as she hesitantly looks around to see no one watching the little event. “Do you want to go home?”

Y/N looks up to her father, shaking her head in response as she sniffles her nose and brushes away the one stray tear that has cascaded down her cheek. “No… I can do this.”

He cocks his head to the side and purses his lips, slowly nodding his head. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he turns them back in the direction, walking with her slowly as she continues to gather herself. “You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone, Y/N. Everyone knows you’re an amazing surfer.”

“I think I just need to prove it to myself,” she stated, dragging her feet through the sand like a child so it slowed their arrival time back with the group. She can only imagine that her mom had informed everyone already of what was happening, and the last thing she wants is their sorry eyes and pathetic spouts of pity that she knows she’ll wish they just kept to themselves.

Y/N knows she’s broken. She’s not the same girl everyone knew this time last year, but she doesn’t need to be reminded of it every time she steps into a room. What happened last year was serious and she understands that people are worried; But all she wants is for everyone to forget about it. Including herself. She thinks the thing that’s causing her the most trepidation now -- rather than in the morning or all year long -- is the fact she’s now back in front of a crowd again, eyes trained on her like hawks watching prey, waiting for something awful to happen again.

The only thing missing is the popcorn as they watch this free entertainment.

When they finally came back to everyone, Y/N noticed the guys had started paddling out. Everyone was talking amongst themselves, dismissing her presence as she sat herself down back in the sand, and a breath of relief escaped her lips. The tension was there, but everyone ignored it for her sake, and Y/N couldn’t be more grateful.

“Go, AJ!” Kalani cheered, pumping her fist and shouting a few hoots and hollers afterward. Dom, AJ’s brother, let out a few ear screeching whistles, the kind with the fingers in the mouth, joining in on rooting for his brother. 

Watching the guys out there solidified to Y/N how real this really is, and soon her veins were pumping with excitement again instead of dread as she cheered on her best friend. He was going to qualify, they all were and they knew that, but it's always fun to get excited about the possibility of moving forward and winning the titles and earning the trophies.

All the other faces that surfed alongside AJ were mostly familiar, their names ringing bells as the announcers spoke of them, but there was one that Y/N hadn’t ever heard before. It’s the same cycle of people every year, yet this guy was fresh. And the only reason she’s curious as to who he is, is because he’s good. Like, really good.

Kalani can’t exactly remember if she’s heard of him either, shrugging to Y/N’s wonderment, “I don’t know. Maybe AJ knows.” His pink surfboard and pink wet shirt stuck out as he was a sight for sore eyes, and Y/N grew a little resentment towards him as he pulled out a few advanced maneuvers, gaining everyone’s undivided attention that used to be on AJ.

“Who is that?” Y/N’s mother questioned, looking around to see that no one knew the answer. 

He was a mystery yet he radiated this vibrant energy as the guys finished their rounds, walking off with grace in his step as he laughed at something Nav -- one of the three’s friends -- had said. The girls bid their goodbyes to their families as they headed over to where the guys were before their rounds. AJ immediately came running over to them, hugging Y/N and Kalani simultaneously before giving his girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips. “You did great,” Kalani smiled, keeping her arms wrapped around his center.

“Alright, not in front of me,” Y/N grimaced, looking away from them. Immediately her eyes landed on the new surfer, still talking to Nav, and she was quick to turn back to AJ to ask who he is. “Hey, who’s the new guy?”

Looking over his shoulder, AJ saw who she was talking about before realization dawned on him. “Oh, that’s Harry. He’s from England. A really nice guy, I bet you’d like him,” he winked, causing Y/N to look at him with squinted eyes and pursed lips.

Kalani nudged his side, giving him a weird look. “What? I’m just saying.”

Then, speak of the Devil, Nav and this Harry guy came walking over, joining the three as they stood around waiting for the announcement that the girls could head out. Y/N wasn’t exactly paying attention to her surroundings as she continued to calm herself down for the impending near future. It wasn’t until Harry had stood in front of her, that she was knocked out of her own thoughts.

She looked up at him, making eye contact and briefly getting her breath caught in her throat. When he was far away, it was hard to make out his facial features or what he exactly looked like. But being right in front of him, she was merely astonished at his beauty, but more so his green eyes that reflected the perfect amount of sunlight. His wet, brunette hair rested against his forehead and seemed to be drying a bit curly.

His head tilted slightly, an amused smirk inching up his face as he watched her reaction. Something tells her he’s used to this kind of reaction. “M’Harry.”

His hand came between the two of them, waiting for her to grasp it in a firm grip. Y/N was hesitant at first but finally took his hand and shook it gently while greeting herself before dropping her hand back down to her side. “Y/N.”

This is insanely awkward. Especially because her friends are just watching the exchange silently, as if they weren’t allowed to speak while the two introduced themselves.

Harry has heard of Y/N. It’s hard for anyone involved in the surfing business to not have heard of her. Aside from the jarring news from last year, she’s an excellent surfer and her name is always spreading around like wildfire. She’s part of the reason Harry decided to delve more into the professional surfing world, because he’s been itching to meet her.

Y/N is attractive, anyone with eyes knows that, but Harry wanted to meet her only because of her expansive skills in the water. Standing in front of her, he can’t deny her undying beauty -- and if he weren’t such a gentleman he’d probably be trying to woo her this very instant. But, her looks aren’t what draws him to her, and he decides to not think with his dick for once.

Before he gets the chance to say something else to her, they get notified that the girls should start heading out for their rounds. Y/N and Kalani grab their boards and tuck them under their arms before bidding their goodbyes to the boys and scurrying off to join the rest of the girls.

“Whipped already?” Nav jokes, wrapping his arm around Harry’s shoulders and leading them to the sand where they’ll watch.

Y/N steps her toes into the water, basking in the cool feeling wrapping around her toes and surging up her body. She rolls her neck feeling it crack softly before rolling her shoulders back and taking in her umpteenth deep breath of the day. Her and Kalani looked at each other, nodding with smiles on their faces before they walked deeper in the shallow water until it reached the middle of their thighs before dropping their boards down and paddling out.

At the sight of a small wave heading toward her, Y/N dipped herself beneath the water just to wet her hair. It felt refreshing again to feel the salt coax her skin for the second time that day, as if it never left. When she greeted the air again, she could immediately feel the rays of the sun bouncing off of her skin, illuminating her in a heavenly glow, like the star she is. The spotlight is on her as she aims herself for the peak of the impending wave, nabbing the first ride of the girls’ round.

Back on the beach, her mom’s fingers were crossed, her dad’s breath was caught in his lungs, and Harry’s eyes were fixated on her figure as she jumped up on the belly of her board. Her legs kept her balance against the rough matter below her. Due to the steep wall of the wave, Y/N had to act quick and rational in order to keep control, and started off with an off-the-lip, which kept her parallel with the wave before she moved herself down and carved herself back into the energy zone. 

Because it was a smaller wave, she could only go on for so long before she tipped herself off the board and fell down into the water. Everyone waited with bated breaths and kept their eyes on the area she sunk beneath the blue, before sighing in relief to see her head pop back up. Harry could see the joy wipe over everyone’s faces, replacing the worry that was once there as they hugged one another. He could tell Y/N has such a good support system, and it only urges him more to want to be a part of her life.

Of this life.

❊ ❊

“You guys did so good! We’re so proud,” Y/N’s mom gushed as she pulled her into a warm embrace -- a hug that holds more meaning than just being proud. Her mom was relieved. Grateful. Happy. She’s able to hold her daughter one more time, and that’s all she could ask for. “It’s going to be a good year for all you kids.”

Y/N felt like she was on cloud nine. She was elated, overjoyed, ecstatic, riding such a good high. Her comeback couldn’t have gone any better and she’s just so, so happy. Arriving at the beach she was nervous and anxious and was two seconds away from caving to her fears and running away. Now, as she walks arm-in-arm with her best friend away from the water for the night, she’s laughing a genuine laugh and her veins are currently pumping excitement rather than nerves. 

AJ locked his arm over her shoulders, the three of them linked just like they always are as they head towards Y/N’s family van. But, instead of like other times, this time they have a tag-a-long trailing behind them. It’s sort of like a tradition where after every competition, all of the families join together and head to dinner at their usual restaurant. Nav couldn’t come because he had his own family matters to attend to but Harry was more than willing to accept the offer. He says he came to Hawaii alone and that he had nothing better to do, but his intense stare on Y/N when he accepted the offer says that’s not the only reason he was so quick to join.

It was also part of the tradition that they ride together in the van, 1) because it was the most spacious vehicle where they were able to ride together and 2) because Y/N’s parents are pretty fun to be around. They blasted the best music and made the best jokes, causing not one dull car ride. When they filed in, AJ and Kalani pushed themselves to the back seat, leaving Y/N and Harry to sit in the separate middle row chairs.

“Oh! Harry, I’m sorry, I forgot to ask. Does your family want to join us? They’re more than welcome to,” Y/N’s mom looked over her shoulder in the passenger seat.

He cleared his throat, looking up from his phone and sitting up a bit in his seat, an uncomfortable look on his face. “M’here alone, actually.”

Before anyone could ask any questions, AJ clapped Harry’s shoulder, saying, “We’re your temporary family now, man.” Despite being competitors, it seems the two of them really hit it off and AJ genuinely meant what he said about being Harry’s family. Though, everyone knows the main reason he said it was to diminish the rising tension.

“Thanks, mate,” Harry returned, fist bumping AJ. And during the little exchange, Harry caught eyes with Y/N, catching her eyes wandering around his profile and facial features, causing her to look away quickly and look out the window as if the view was something spectacular. She could hear him snicker quietly, and just when she thinks the coast is clear, she slyly looks back at him just to find out he’s already staring at her.

They really love staring at one another apparently.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Y/N and Harry were pushed to the back of the group -- not really by choice but somehow it ended up that way -- and neither of them really made any moves to break the silence between them. Y/N because she was nervous, and Harry because he wanted her to be the first to speak. And it just so happened that when they were sat at a table, they were left with the last two remaining chairs that also happened to be right next to each other. Y/N couldn’t figure out if they were doing this on purpose or it was by coincidence, but she can tell Harry doesn’t mind.

She’s not one to be nervous around guys, but there’s something about Harry and how he is so blatantly interested in her that makes her wary of talking to him. Kalani sat across the table from her, and when they made eye contact, they had a silent conversation about how Y/N should grow the balls and actually talk to him. Of course Y/N refused, which earned her a kick to the shin in retaliation, which then caused her to let out a yelp of pain and made everyone look at her confused and worried. 

“Sorry, hit my knee on the table,” she brushed it off, glaring at her best friend the moment everyone turned away and continued with their own conversations. 

Being as slick as possible, Kalani directed her eyes to Harry when he wasn’t looking so Y/N could see her, before turning to AJ and talking to him about something completely irrelevant. Again, Y/N and Harry were stuck in this silence. She’s not exactly sure why she can’t just start a conversation, but he’s kind of intimidating and she’s afraid of embarrassing herself, especially in front of her family. 

Pursing her lips and looking down to her lap, Y/N finally turned to give Harry her attention, noticing how he was staring into space, looking completely lost in this foreign setting. “So, uh, where exactly are you from?”

Harry was quick to turn his head to Y/N, waiting and waiting and waiting for the moment she would say something. “A small town in Cheshire. Northwest of London, if that helps.”

“That’s a pretty far trip to take alone,” she nods, licking her bottom lip before gently biting down on it. As much as she thinks of herself as an independent person, she’s also an extreme homebody and could never imagine going anywhere without anyone by her side, whether it be family or friends.

He merely shrugs in response, “M’better off alone.”

Y/N cocked her head to the side while looking at him, letting his words sizzle inside her mind as she tries to overanalyze him in the mere hours she’s known him. She turned her gaze down to her hands that were intertwined in her lap, mulling over her next words to say. She doesn’t know him, but she knows the feeling of being alone. And being alone, no matter how appealing it could sound, never works out in the end. People aren’t meant to live alone. It goes against the natural order of life, and just hearing him say he prefers being alone breaks her heart just the tiniest bit. “No one’s better off alone. Everyone needs someone eventually.”

Little does she know, is that she is his someone. Or, at least that’s what Harry’s hoping. He thinks he’s crazy for being so enthralled by someone so suddenly and so strongly, but Harry’s always been one to trust his gut. His plushie but toned gut was screaming at him that this girl is just meant to be in his life. Maybe meant to be his, but he won’t push his luck. “Guess we’ll have to wait an’ see.”

They both smiled softly at one another, a small blush creeping up Y/N’s cheeks for the umpteenth time that day. “I guess we will.”

❊ ❊

It had been a little over two weeks since qualification day. Her days hadn’t changed much in regards to her schedule; Waking up at the ass crack of dawn and heading straight into the water and staying in practically until the sun was set. But, there was one slight shift in her day, and that was the now familiar face of Harry popping in everyday, either physically or in her mind.

It was safe to say Harry was quickly adapting to the three friends, merging with them seamlessly; As if he had been part of this little group since he was a child. It’s not like any of them minded, especially AJ because he was happy to get another guy around. Their friend Nav wasn’t exactly a permanent part of their little group because he belonged to everyone and no one, but Harry stuck around them like glue and AJ was so grateful. 

Y/N’s grateful because now she isn’t a third-wheel.

Harry and her aren’t exactly buddy-buddy, but it definitely helps having someone else around for movie night so Y/N isn’t stuck watching her best friend’s all cuddled up together and hearing the occasional kiss they would share.

Though, Harry has made it known time and time again that he really wants to be buddy-buddy with her. And Y/N’s not exactly sure why she won’t give him what he wants, but for some reason she loses all comprehensive skills and becomes a blubbering, nervous mess around Harry whenever he brings up his interest in her. So, she’s successfully avoided all buddy-buddy conversations with him by bringing up mundane things instead. Like, why she decided to paint her nails blue, or why she absolutely despises white socks.

She thought she was doing a pretty skillful job too. But, after the first two times she avoided giving a yes or no answer to going on a date with him, Harry purposely would ask her just to hear what other obscure distractions she could come up with. He loved hearing Y/N talk, and without her knowing, he was getting to know her piece by piece, inch by inch, and he was loving it.

Though, a guy’s ego can only take so many rejections before he gives up completely. And just when he was ready to call it quits and accept that she wasn’t interested in him like he was her, the unexpected happened.

Y/N agreed to a date.

Well, kind of.

It was time for the Hawaiian Pro. The official first event of the Vans Triple Crown. It was taking place at Ali’i Beach Park in Hale’iwa, one of the most intense surfing spots filled with waves of  many different faces. Of course, this is when Y/N’s nerves really started to kick in. Qualification day isn’t anywhere near as filled with people as the actual events are, and her nerves have seemed to kick it into high gear. It doesn’t help that the Hawaiian Pro is when her life changed a year ago. She could hear people whispering about her, wondering if she’s going to wipe out again or if this time she’ll stay under the water. Her mind was already frenzied enough, but nothing completes the cycle like a panic attack and the embarrassment of many on-goers witnessing said panic attack.

She almost backed out. How is she meant to be the best when her body is afraid of taking its final breath? The tide was high and the waves showed no mercy. How is she meant to challenge that? How is she meant to control the water beneath her when she can’t even control her own thoughts?

It was getting to be too much for her. This entire time leading up to the Triple Crown she’s denied her fear and her anxiety, telling herself she’ll get over it. She’s been doing good all year, so what makes now any different? But it is very different. The calm atmosphere of her backyard is no match for the rambunctious setting of the Triple Crown. And she’s a fool for thinking differently.

So, she was panicking.

Y/N couldn’t even get up from her seat in her parent’s van because she was so shaky. Her father held her close, easing her back to reality and away from her tortuous mind. Of course, he offered to drive them back home and away from the competition, telling her again that she didn’t have to prove herself to anyone. But, she declined again. Because she needed to prove it to herself. She’s stronger than her mind lets on, and she needs to make sure she knows that.

When she slid off her board and sank her toes back into the warm sand after a very successful first round, landing her in the lead spot, she was finally able to breathe again.

People congratulated her on her comeback, astonished to see her doing better than ever before. Her parents embraced her with love and elation, so beyond happy to see her laughing and smiling and enjoying herself now that she’s progressing forward. Kalani of course is her number one supporter, practically jumping on her and screaming in her ear about how happy she is for her best friend.

Everyone was making their rounds hugging Y/N, and then it was Harry’s turn. They didn’t exactly embrace like the rest of them had, but he threw his arm over her shoulders and pulled her to his side, squeezing her to him softly before looking down at her and saying, “Absolutely wicked, love. Gotta teach me some of y’fancy moves.”

“You sure? They’re really only meant for the pros,” she teased, biting at her bottom lip to conceal her laughter as he scoffed.

“”Ey, no one likes a narcissist,” he shoved her shoulder softly, rolling his eyes as her laughter rang through his ears. “But, whaddya say? M’gonna need a good teacher if I wanna make it to the big leagues.”

Y/N simply shrugs without really thinking much into it, “Sure.” Her mind didn’t exactly process what she had agreed to until later that night, before she dozed off into her temporary slumber. Her eyes shot open and her body sat upright as an over dramatic gasp was inhaled into her lungs. Her mind had been all over the place with the competition that she didn’t realize that she had agreed to being alone with Harry for the first time since they'd met. Immediately she texted and called Kalani, to which she got laughed at in return.

“Kalani, this isn’t a laughing matter!”

A few miles away, Harry was snuggled into his bedsheets, a bright smile stretched across his face as he reveled in the idea that he finally was going to be alone with Y/N since the first time they’d met. His heart was jumping and his stomach was fluttering as he envisioned her pretty face behind his eyelids before he drifted off into his dream with her. 

“It so is! C’mon, Y/N, what have you got to lose? You have the same interests, he’s funny, he’s hot, and he clearly is into you. Enjoy something outside of surfing for once.”

Enjoy something outside of surfing for once.

That’s the thought that stuck in her mind, lingering around as she finally fell asleep, and then when she woke up, and when she was eating breakfast; And doing her chores; And hanging out with Kalani; And eating dinner; And then falling asleep again. Y/N didn’t even realize she had spent so much of her past year focusing on her career and health that she hasn’t done much of anything else.

She’s so grateful to be alive, but she’s hardly given herself the chance to live again.

Before her accident, she was always up for adventure and was always the life of any party. After her accident, she hasn’t even been to a party. She hasn’t been in a relationship in years, she hasn’t gone on a date in a long time, and she can’t even remember the last time she’s had sex or kissed a guy. She’s been so focused on her redemption, that she can’t remember the last time she was genuinely happy.

Going on this date, but also not a date -- but also clearly a date -- with Harry just may provide her with that. And she owes it to herself, to her past self, that her accident isn’t going to shape her life anymore.

Plus, she really enjoys Harry’s company. And even if she doesn’t show it so bluntly like him, she really likes him too.

The next day, Y/N and Kalani had gone out shopping, enjoying a nice girls day out. They had bought a few new varieties of swimsuits (as if they didn’t have enough) and a few other types of clothes, got some lunch, and even found time to watch a movie. And they did all of this right up until the moment Y/N decided it was time to text Harry. 

She wasn’t sure how to go about this, because she’s never really asked anyone on a date before, or followed up with plans (?) about a date. Kalani kept urging her to just rip the bandaid off and to get it over with, saying something along the lines of, “You’re not getting any younger. Plus, I think he’d slip right off his board at the sight of you in that new yellow suit you got.” It was just a simple bikini, but it showcased the majority of her skin that essentially left little to the imagination.

But, the thing is, whenever Y/N gets into the water around people, she can’t help but cover her torso with a wet-shirt, insecure of the imperfections that lined her skin. It’s rare she can bear to look at her skin, so she only assumes no one else would want to either. So, she’s not so sure he’ll fall off his board at the sight of her, but the thought is nice.

Y/N pulled out her phone and hovered over his contact for a good amount of time before Kalani grew impatient and snatched the phone from her friend’s hand. They wrestled around with each other to try and gain custody of the phone, but finally in the end Y/N was able to hold her phone tight in her hands before declaring, “Okay! Okay! I’m texting, I’m going.”

Kalani peaked over Y/N’s shoulder as she watched her type the allusive message to Harry, a proud smile carving over her lips as she watched her break down a barrier she had subconsciously put up. It isn’t by any means important to be in a relationship or to have a boyfriend, but Kalani knows deep down that Y/N was wishing to have that special connection only a relationship could provide -- a connection outside of the realm of friendships.

“There,” Y/N huffed, shoving the screen of her phone in her best friend’s face.

hii, if you’re still up to learn from a true professional, I’m available tonight :)

It wasn’t even ten seconds later that she got a reply.

Shit, I’ll be your best student, babe. I know a perfect spot, I’ll be at yours in an hour.

It was kind of amusing to Y/N that he said he knows a perfect spot, as if she hadn’t been living on this island all her life and practically knows it like that back of her hand. But, that miniscule thought was pushed to the very depths of her mind as panic coursed through her as she realized what she was getting herself into. She’s going on a date, not a date, but also a date with Harry, and a small hour wasn’t enough time to gain her composure. 

Fuck.

❊ ❊

It’s no surprise to Y/N when Harry shows up to her house a minute early. She’s half convinced that he had been waiting outside of her house for the past fifteen minutes until he finally stepped up on to the porch of her house, knocking rapidly on the door. It wasn’t an emergent knock that caused some sort of panic, but it was a frantic knock that screamed ‘let’s get the show on the road.’

When she opened the door, both of their breaths were robbed from their lungs. Y/N essentially looked like she always did but something about her glowed differently to Harry; maybe it was because she’s his for the night. For his eyes only. Just him and her. He was awestruck. 

Harry essentially looked like he always did but something about him radiated differently to Y/N. The same little smirk was nestled in its usual spot, but this one held a different meaning. It looked the same, but maybe it was different because it was just her and him tonight. He’s hers for the night. For her eyes only. Y/N was nervous.

Y/N left her board out on her porch so she wouldn’t have to walk around back when he got here, but she was silently wishing she didn’t so she’d get just a couple more seconds to get herself together. She just kept chanting, “It’s not a date!” in her head, in hopes it would make her feel better.

It didn’t.

Harry saw her board and tucked it under his left arm as he threw his right one over her shoulders guiding her his mode of transportation. It also wasn’t a surprise to Y/N to see Harry rolling up in a light yellow Jeep; the top down and the doors off, typical of any surfer dude, no matter where they originate.

“Her name’s Betty,” he smiled, walking around the back and giving her a quick tap on her rear end before stepping up to straddle Y/N’s board safely and securely.

Sliding through the empty passenger door to take her seat, Y/N was greeted by a familiar smell, a smell she could only associate with Harry. And even if she could never admit it, she loved it a lot. It was mouth-watering and intoxicating, and simply put, it was Harry. Even with the open atmosphere of the car, it was still drenched in this specific smell, and Y/N can’t help but giggle at the image of Harry spritzing whatever cologne into the car before arriving at her house.

A few moments later, Harry slid into the driver side, placing the sunglasses that were sitting on the dash over his eyes, shoving the key into the ignition and starting them on their journey to whatever beach he had envisioned. On the ride there, over the course of a few right turns and lefts and different exits on the highway, Y/N surprisingly had no idea where they were going. Did she think maybe he was gonna murder her? A bit. But, she felt comfortable around Harry. So, she felt it in her gut that she was going to come out alive from this… event.

When they got to the beach, it was about thirty minutes from Y/N’s house, and she had no idea where they were. They had to walk a short path to meet sand and ocean, but once they made it past the clearing, Y/N was in awe of the site ahead of her. People could think that seeing the ocean every day ruins the peaceful and magical aura surrounding it. But, Y/N never gets sick of greeting it. The sun was beginning to set, and the water was glowing with a yellow-pink hue by the horizon that blended into a bright blue by the shore. The cliff sides around them guarded the little alcove, feeding into the tranquil atmosphere.

“How did you find this place?” Y/N wondered as she kicked off her sandals, and shimmied her shorts down her legs before kicking them over her sandals. The yellow bottom of her bikini was visible, and she turned her head just as Harry took a large gulp at the sight of her in front of him; Just for him. Her blue wet-shirt stayed on though.

It piqued Harry’s interest as to why she never took off her shirt. He understood for the competitions, but even when it was just a casual outing, just him and her, or them and their friends, she always kept it on. It wasn’t his place to ask, but he wished she would’ve broken this barrier down just this once. Just for him. “Tha’s a secret for me to know and you to maybe find out.”

Y/N let out a giggle - why? she didn’t know - and turned her attention back to the boy that brought her here, her eyes nearly popping out of her head as she caught Harry taking off his white t-shirt, now only clad in his little pink shorts next to his little pink board. His skin looked extra dewy, and his tattoos seemed to glint under the setting sun. Before she could devour him with her eyes, she picked up her board and took it with her, running down to the water and shouting, “C’mon slow-poke, gotta get in the water before the sun sets!”

It wasn’t a surprise to Y/N that this didn’t keep on track of a teaching lesson. Harry doesn’t need to be taught, he’s amazing on his own. He pulled off his own tricks that Y/N didn’t even know the name of, and she was asking him to let her in on his little secrets. He locked his lips in return, throwing the imaginary key somewhere over his shoulder, “Y’think I’m g’na tell you? I’m far too narcissistic to let you beat me at my own game.”

“Who said I’m gonna beat you?”

“Have you met you?”

There’s a reason Y/N’s name circulates throughout people’s brains, why her name is common in any Hawaiian household, why Harry was itching to meet her. She’s good at what she does. Insanely good that it’s kind of concerning. Not everyone can come back from a life-altering experience, but Y/N took those stereotypes and crushed them beneath the tail of her infamous yellow surfboard. She reveled in the doubts and came back stronger than ever. Of course she would beat him at his own game. She’s the only one who could.

There wasn’t any telling how long they had been riding wave after wave, in the water with no one else but just each other. But, the sun almost halfway past the horizon line was a good giveaway. They were probably nearing the two hour mark, and they knew they couldn’t stay out here all night, but Jesus, how they wished they could. Y/N wasn’t expecting to be so content, thinking this would be some strange, awkward, uncomfortable time they would want to forget about the moment they left each other’s sides.

It’s the opposite.

Just for him. Just for her.

They both laid on their boards, limbs sprawled out and dangling into the water as their bodies shut down in exhaustion. Y/N can’t remember the last time she went so long without taking at least a ten minute break. Her body was most definitely not used to it as she felt her back mold into her little yellow board, accepting the relaxation. When she finally opened her eyes back up, she turned her head to the side, admiring Harry’s profile as his arms were pulled over his head, the skin of his torso being stretched, which also stretched the ink that adorned him.

Y/N got lost in the mirage that is Harry, that she didn’t even realize he had turned his head and caught her ogling. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that her eyes snapped to his, heat traveling up through her body and rushing to her cheeks. “M’eyes are up here, love.”

“Uh- right. Yeah, I know.”

“Cool. Hey d’y’wanna play twenty questions?” He asked, sitting up to straddle his board and paddling himself around so he was facing her. 

Y/N squinted her eyes, “Are we children?”

“I mean, I guess not. Doesn’t stop my five year old humor though,” he smiled, kicking his foot up to splash her with an inkling of water as his childlike, petty comeback. “You ask first.”

Y/N pushed her hand through the water to spray him in an ounce of sea salt before turning her head back to the sky, contemplating her first question. “Mm… favorite color?” She already knew the answer.

“And you asked me if we’re children? C’mon, darling, know you wanna know more than tha’. Pink. What was your first impression of me?” He wiggled his eyebrows, even though she couldn’t see his face. This has been one of those things that’s been nagging at the back of his mind ever since they first met. Their first encounter wasn’t awkward per-se, but the fleeting moment of introduction wasn’t exactly one worth remembering either. But, Harry was always going to remember it. And depending on Y/N’s answer, he hopes she will too.

At this, she turned her head back to Harry, hand covering her eyes as the sun glared at them over the reflective water. It was a sight to behold, seeing Harry glow in the golden hour light. “Intimidating. But, also unique,” she began, moving to sit herself up and paddle her board around so she was now facing him. “You remind me of a singular cloud in an otherwise clear sky. You’re not meant to be there, yet you’re not out of place.”

Harry sat for a moment, staring. Completely in awe. Head over heels. Never would’ve guessed those words to be the ones tumbling from her lips. It was the way she didn’t hesitate in her sentence, as if those words had been formulated a while ago and just now was she able to spew it from her wordbank. Just for him. “Fuck, that was beautiful. Your turn.”

“Do you really think you’re better off alone?”

Harry pursed his lips, looking off into the distance for a brief moment before shrugging, “I do. But, I don’t. If it comes down to going back to my family and friends from home or being alone, I’ll choose being alone.” And he wanted to sprinkle in the little bonus that he doesn’t feel alone when he’s around her, but something tells him that’ll just turn her away. “What’re you so afraid of?”

It’s a brash question Y/N wasn’t expecting to be thrown at her so suddenly. She has a mix of answers, and there’s a specific one flashing in her mind like a bright, neon yellow sign, but she’s not certain how comfortable she is with telling him yet. Though, she notices that whatever question she could throw his way, he’d answer it truthfully, not scared of opening himself up, just for her. She wants to be brave like that, and maybe she can be, but she’s not sure how.

It comes as a surprise to her when she does say, “I’m scared of going through everything that happened last year all over again. Everyone’s afraid of dying, or at least most people are, but experiencing death… there’s really no coming back from that. ”

“Experiencing it?” He looks at her wide-eyed.

“What, you haven’t heard of what happened last year?” She looks at him, eyebrows scrunched. 

“Only know you had some accident. No offense, but I didn’t really bother myself with reading the fine print,” he shrugs, running his pruney fingers through his salted hair. He didn’t know if he wanted to read it, especially not with the sudden news that apparently this very alive, lively girl in front of him… died? He doesn’t think he could stomach reading about that.

Y/N hasn’t met a single person who hasn’t heard about what happened to her. Or at least the details of it. In reality she doubts anyone outside of Hawaii knows of her existence, but in her world it was the biggest news to affect the state in a while -- aside from, like, actual serious matters, her accident was up there on the news.

She evades his second question though, not wanting to cough up the traumatic details of her past; not yet at least. “Well, it’s my turn anyway. Why surfing?”

“I could just look it up, but I get it; you’ll tell me when you’re ready,” he gave her a playful look, pursing his lips while giving her a pointed stare. “It’s different. England isn’t known for surfing. It’s known for rain and football. But, with every possible detail of m’life, I wanted to make sure I was different. My dad wanted me to become a professional footy player, so I said no. M’mum wanted me to go and get a degree and a real job. I didn’t want that. So, I turned to surfing,” he swung his arms around, gesturing to the vast sea and the board below him.

“Plus, it’s given me an excuse to leave home and come here. And y’know, so I could meet you.”

Y/N felt a small blush creep up her skin again, her eyes shooting down to her lap and her feet that were distorted under the water. Harry’s infatuation with the girl isn’t a secret, but anytime he purposely makes it known, it’s like a little secret that she’s unsure if she’s supposed to know or not. “Meet me?”

Harry kicked his foot up again so water would splash at her. “Uh-uh, my turn,” he laughed, shaking his head. He knew she thought she was slick at the way she bit her lip, containing her laughter. If she wants to play by the rules of the nonsensical game, then so will he. “Sunrise or sunset?”

“Sunset. Favorite song?” She wanted to reel back from the serious talk for a moment.

“Too many to choose from. Favorite movie?” He wanted to know every nitty-gritty detail about her.

She pondered for a moment, “Mamma Mia.”

“No shit! Me too!” His mouth dropped in shock, his hand flying up to his chest. 

“Really?”

“No,” he shook his head, immediately blocking the massive splash he sensed coming. 

Y/N rolled her eyes, huffing at him whilst crossing her arms over her torso, “Are you always so insufferable?”

“S’my middle name, babe. You hungry?” He laid himself down on his board on his belly, paddling himself to face the beach, ready to make a head start for the beach. Y/N hummed a response, following in suit and settling her stomach against the belly of the board and pushing herself to land. “Cool, let’s go get something to eat then I’ll take you home.”

Y/N’s legs felt weak, yet appreciative back on the sand. It felt like she was walking on Jell-O as she went to pick up her towel and clothes. Looking down to her shirt, she knew it was out of the question to let him see her take it off. And she could turn her back so he wouldn’t see her front -- whether or not it’s clad in a bikini top -- but even then her heart raced at the thought. She held her t-shirt in her hands and thought it over for a moment before blurting, “Could you turn around please?”

Harry looked up from checking his phone quickly, tilting his head in confusion before looking down to the shirt in her hands. The dots are connected and the bright neon pink sign in his head is telling him to listen to her, and not to question it. So, he doesn’t. Just for her. It’s still unbeknownst to Harry why she never takes her shirt off, but he knows better than to think with his dick, and accepts her wishes, turning his back to her. 

Y/N lets out a small breath of relief, grateful he didn’t question her on it. She’s quick to rip off her shirt and pat dry her wet skin before hastily throwing on her dry one, giving Harry the OK to turn back around. 

“Sorry, I just… I’m not comfortable with anyone seeing my, uh, my scar,” she mumbles, nervously moving her hair from one shoulder over to the other. Harry shrugs in response, picking his board up from the ground and wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they began their walk back to his car.

“You don’ have to explain yourself to me, babe,” he smiled down at her, squeezing her to his side softly.

Y/N looked up at him, and she’s sure that if she could see herself right now, her eyes would be twinkling in delight, with adoration. Just for him. “Thank you.”

They didn’t say anything else for a few minutes, walking the distance to his lonesome Jeep in peace. The silence gave Y/N time to think and to mull over all of the gushy feelings she was feeling inside about the guy beside her. She had no reason not to like him, realizing it was only fear that was pushing her away. But, this night displayed a soft side to Harry that she fell head over heels for. His smooth, easy-going approach to life, mixed in with respect for her, and a hint of witty humor was enough to tell her how she truly feels about him. And she’s scared, not because she’s afraid, but because she’s not.

Y/N can find herself easily opening up to Harry quicker than she has anyone else because she trusts him. She can just tell he’s got nothing to hide, so in-turn she wants to be the same. She doesn’t want to cower away, but revel in happiness. Because she deserves it.

Harry quickly secured the boards back into their previous spots before sliding into the driver side and whisking them away from their little getaway. The wind swept through their hair and chilled their still slightly wet skin, causing goosebumps to trail up Y/N’s arm as chills raked through her body. This time around in the car they both were more laid back, not singing along to the songs playing on the radio but rather just listening and taking in the blissful atmosphere they’ve created.

There’s been one question dancing across her mind though ever since he brought up the little game of twenty questions. It was the first one to pop up in her mind when she was thinking of something juicy to ask. She didn’t want to ask it though, in fear of what his answer would be. But, now she’s not afraid. She’s curious though.

“Is this a date?” She queried, turning the volume of the radio down a bit so he could hear her and vice versa. 

Harry glanced at her through his peripheral, one eyebrow cocking up on his forehead, “Is the sky blue?”

“I mean, right now it’s like orange-blue,” she retorted, looking at the newly sun-ridden sky that blended shades of orange into the usual night blue. 

“Brainiac. There’s your answer. It’s however you want to look at it,” he digressed, reaching over to pat her thigh - in more of a friendly manner rather than sensual.

She appreciated his answer, absolutely adoring the fact that he wasn’t putting pressure on her about anything. It was hard to comprehend just how nice he truly is, and how someone could be so perfect. She couldn’t see a flaw in his looks or his personality or his morals, and all she could wonder was how someone like him could possibly like someone like her. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you, Harry.”

He side glanced at her again, this time raising both of his eyebrows in puzzlement, “I’ll take tha’ as a good thing?”

“It’s good. It’s… it’s a good thing.”

❊ ❊

The two of them had discussed where they wanted to go, neither of them wanting to decide and going back and forth with one another, saying, “No, you decide,” “No you.”

Y/N was never good at decisions, especially mundane ones like where to eat. She always lets Kalani decide because she could eat anything, and it’s her friend that’s the picky one. But, Harry is the same way. Whatever is put in front of him, he could probably eat (except for pickles, he absolutely hates pickles).

They settled for pizza. And it was going to be Harry’s first time trying a slice of Hawaiian.

Y/N hates Hawaiian slices, finding the sweetness of the pineapple and the savor of the ham unsettling atop her pizza. It sends her taste buds into shock and her mind into a meltdown. But, she insisted he try it, because how could someone be in Hawaii and not try its state-named slice?

They sat at their little table in the corner of the restaurant that was alongside a window, giggling to themselves as they played a little game of eye-spy, waiting for their food. For some odd reason, Harry was really good at this game, always picking the hardest of objects to point out, always stumping a frustrated Y/N.

“You’re cheating.”

“How the fuck am I cheating?”

“Dunno, you just are.”

And in retaliation to her accusation, Harry pointed to her shirt, stating she got a little soda on it, causing her to look down to her chest and see nothing but finger as he flicked her nose. “Too easy. Sore loser.”

Y/N huffed, sticking her tongue out at him. The playful banter between them was the best part of their days lately. Before Y/N even realized her feelings for Harry, she always looked forward to what they would bicker about -- in a friendly matter of course. Now, she constitutes that to just wanting to see him because she really enjoys his company, and him. 

It’s been a long time since she’s felt this way about anyone, and she’s sort of glad she gets to feel this way about Harry. He’s an enigma, but a good one. She’s totally transfixed by him and she never wants this euphoria to end. He radiates this bright and bubbly energy that lifts her mood whenever she’s around him, and she’s afraid of losing that. But, she chooses not to dwell on the what-if, instead completely basking in the present and his gooey aura of happiness. 

When the food finally came out, they both were quick to stuff their faces, their stomachs practically turning inside-out from how hungry they were. It came to no surprise to Harry that he was absolutely in love with this Hawaiian slice, already looking forward to ordering two more. 

Y/N looked at him a tad worried. He was scoffing down three slices as if there were no tomorrow, all within a matter of two minutes. She was slightly worried he was going to reach over and take her dinner, because that’s how hungry he seemed to be. But, he should know better than to get between Y/N and her food. Like the one time he tried to take some of her fries, to which she punched him in the shoulder and then took them back.

“Hey, y’gonna eat that?” He points to her not yet touched slice of pizza, earning a glare that could kill in response. “Cool, you are, just making sure. Can’t let precious food go t’waste. It’s my turn for a question right?”

Y/N thinks back for a second to determine if he’s right or not, remembering she did ask a question last. She nodded her head before biting into her little piece of heaven. 

“Was it hard getting back in the water?”

She brought her napkin up to her mouth to wipe away the drop of sauce she felt on her cheek, mulling over her answer. “Kinda. I knew I had to eventually because it’s all I know, it was just a matter of when. My parents were terrified, and I mean I was too but I can’t let that dictate my future. I love surfing and nothing is going to take that away from me.”

Not even something as horrifying as death could take her away from her true love. Not until she’s truly six-feet under, riding silver waves in the silver palace. 

“Do you think you’re going to stay here? In Hawaii?” Y/N wondered, taking a sip of her Coke.

“Got nowhere else to be,” he shrugged, mindlessly tapping his fingers on the table in an arrhythmic pattern. “Home is where the heart is, right? Well, think mine’s here right now.” Across from her. Just for her.

Home is where the heart is.

“Does it count if my heart isn’t mine?”

Last year, Y/N was going about her day like she always did. She was fine, in tip-top shape just like she had been for the past twenty years of her life. The bright sun was out and shining over all of the surfers and onlookers, and it seemed just like every other regular day. She was paddling out into the water, and the perfect, golden first wave was approaching her. She pushed herself up onto her feet, balancing her body, in tune with the wave, executing a nearly perfect opener. Then, she felt her chest tighten and her body suddenly felt weak. Breathing rapidly grew difficult, causing her to instantly panic. She fell off her board, plummeting into the water, trying to gasp for air but choking on the sea that swimmed down her throat. 

Feeling herself sink as her chest was on fire was the last she remembered. The baby blue sky blended into black and that was it. Her life was over. 

Kalani was the one who went in after her, screaming for help as her best friend was blue in the face and not moving. 

Y/N suffered a heart attack. Apparently, she had a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that went unnoticed all her life. On this day, her heart had thickened extensively, making it difficult to pump blood to the rest of her body. The strain on her heart caused it to give out, right when she was feeling the high of riding a solid wave. She was pronounced dead for a total of forty-five seconds before EMT could revive her. Supposedly she’s lucky to be alive, because if not treated basically instantly, there’s a slim chance of survival. But, she was able to stick it out until the hospital.

Her heart was in brutal shape, so she was sent to the top of a donor waiting list. Y/N and her family are forever grateful for the team of doctors and nurses that stuck by her side, knowing she wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. Or her sheer luck.

Y/N felt a little crazy for feeling so comfortable spilling all of this information so suddenly to Harry, but at the same time she didn’t. And the best part about it is that none of it seems to freak Harry out. Nothing about who she is or how she is scares him. And that’s what makes her feel so comfortable. “My scar, it’s from a heart transplant. I had a heart condition all my life apparently. Then suddenly one day, it couldn’t handle it anymore, so it gave out. A girl named Shauna’s heart is keeping me alive right now.”

Harry didn’t blink for a whole minute.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to come up with something, anything to say to the girl across from him. But, he had nothing. He didn’t know what to say.

His silence was a little concerning to Y/N, making her wish she could just be swallowed whole by the ground below her. Was it too soon to drop the HT bomb? He was bound to find out eventually, and she figured it was best to rip the bandaid off on her own time rather than someone else telling him or him looking it up on Google. 

She’s kicking herself over it. 

Harry cleared his throat, taking a sip of his water before licking his lips and leaning back in his chair. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Y/N merely shrugged, “Don’t be. Shit happens. Who knows, if it never happened we may not be here now.”

Harry raised his eyebrows, his signature small smirk back on his face in its usual spot. He raised his glass, leaning it forward a bit toward her, stating, “Cheers to that, babe.” She raised her own glass and clinked it against his, a smile on her lips as she sucked up the remaining bit of her soda through her straw. She’s happy he didn’t turn and run away.

Cheers to that, babe.

By the time they both filled their guts to the point of feeling overstuffed, mindlessly chatting and spending time together, it was already past ten o’clock. The time had passed them by like it was nothing, but they weren’t necessarily complaining. The older couple next to them were though. Y/N had to pull Harry out of the restaurant before he bit the woman’s head off for how rude she was. That’s when they knew it was time to skedaddle.

Then they just drove around for another hour before Harry figured it was time to bring her home, much to his dismay. But, when her head lolled against the passenger seat headrest and her eyes would softly shut in exhaustion. He wanted desperately to reach over and tuck the loose strand of hair that fell out of her ponytail, behind her ear. He wanted to reach over and place his hand on her thigh as they drove down the highway, softly squeezing her skin before teasingly inching up towards her hidden gem.

Is it too soon to be in love?

It was like a slap in the face when Harry parked in front of her house. Reality stuck its nose into their little wonderland bubble, and unfortunately, they couldn’t push it back out.

Harry hopped out of his seat, unfastening her board from the trunk and tucking it under his arm as they walked side-by-side to her front door. He gently placed it down where he had initially found it earlier on, tucking his lips into his mouth as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

“I uh… I guess this is it. I had a really ni-”

“I’ve got one more question before you leave me,” he interrupted her little speech, stepping impossibly closer to her, barricading her between him and the banister on her porch. It wasn’t hard to notice the long stares at her shiny lips that glinted in the dull yellow glow of the light by the door. He purposely took extra time to rake over the features of her face before finally meeting her eyes. 

Y/N swallowed nothing but air as she softly bit at her bottom lip, “Yeah?”

She already knew his question.

“Can I kiss you?”

He already knew her answer.

Y/N slyly looked at him, bringing her hands up, a bit hesitant to rest on his shoulders. “I thought this wasn’t a date.”

“Sky’s blue.” Y/N looks up at the sky and notices it’s dark blue hue, twinkling stars layers on top, surrounding the fullest, brightest moon. It was a beautiful sky, perfect to share a first kiss under.

He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers as his hands came up to her hips. Her eyes fluttered shut, waiting for the climactic moment to overcome them, the air of the night chilling up her spine.

But, then she felt fiery, red hot as their lips locked together in a soft kiss. It was as soft as they felt towards one another. This giddy, slow paced, admiring kiss that had their insides melting but their hearts pounding. This kiss is exactly how Y/N images Harry. A pale yellow that’s not harsh on the eyes, that resonates happiness. Harry imagines it as a hot pink, one that takes his breath away and captures his mind.

It wasn’t long before it turned heated, Harry’s tongue sweeping into her mouth, and one of his hands travelling further south to grab hold of the flesh of her behind. Y/N let out a soft moan into his mouth as her hands tangled into his mound of curls, tugging softly on his roots.

Then the disturbing image of either one of her parents opening the front door at any moment flashed across her eyes, causing her to pull back, kissing his bottom lip softly before trailing her thumb over the swollen skin and opening her eyes to look into his gaudy, green ones.

The sounds of their breaths mingled together as tired smiles adorned their faces, little giggles leaving each of their mouths as they basked in what just happened. All Harry could think was, ‘It’s about damn time.’ All Y/N could think was, ‘Why did I ever push him away?’

“My turn,” she spoke after a few moments, standing up straighter and fixing her shirt around her body. “Pick me up tomorrow?”

A wide, shit-eating grin spread out across Harry’s face as he ran his hand through his mangled curls. “Sunrise. If y’not in this exact spot in the morning, m’knocking the door down and dragging you out by y’hair.” He hopped down off the porch, completely skipping the steps as the adrenaline of their first kiss kicked into his system.

“Sunrise,” she agreed.

He hopped back into the driver’s side of his Jeep, throwing his hand up in a goodbye wave as he sped away, already counting down the seconds until he would see his golden ray of bright and bubbly sunshine again. He’s not so sure if he’ll be able to fall asleep.

Y/N didn’t have that same problem. The moment she landed on her bed, her eyes shut faster than the speed of light, her last conscious thought being of Harry. Her smile never leaving her face. 

❊ ❊

Meeting at sunrise had become part of their routine. Not always to surf, but just to be together. Sometimes they surfed at their little alcove, other times they would watch the sun from her backyard, snuggled up in blankets on the beach. Or, they would surf, get breakfast, then fall back asleep in his bed until a more decent hour of morning.

But, their day always began at sunrise. It would be the equivalent to say that it also ended at sunset, but sunset was always too soon to part ways. 

This wasn’t an everyday occurrence, mostly at random. Except for Sundays. Sundays are specifically their day, as per request of Harry. How could he be in love with a girl that coined yellow as her color, that had a smile as bright as the huge burning star, that claimed golden hour was prime sun time, and not deem Sunday as their day? He didn’t put any second thought into it.

Despite their sort of fast paced first date, they’ve been taking things slow, truly getting used to the feel of one another over the course of the next couple of months. It wasn’t until a month later that Harry popped the question, officially making Y/N his forever buddy-buddy. Well, not necessarily forever, but they both know it’s basically forever.

Harry never wants to be alone again.

It wasn’t until the night after they became official that Y/N finally took her shirt off in front of him. She was going through one of her episodes, and Harry was the only one around who could help her. He managed to calm her down and bring her inside her house - that was empty because her parents had gone out for the night - and get her to the bathroom so she could take a shower.

Initially, he was going to let her get in by herself, knowing her boundaries in regards to her body and not seeing it. But, when he saw how worn down she looked, he whispered words of reassurance in her ear, asking her permission to help get her in the shower. He wasn’t thinking with his dick, he just wanted to help the girl that didn’t know how to help herself.

Y/N looked him in the eyes, nibbling softly on her bottom lip before averting her attention to her chest for a few moments. She trusts him, and if they’re bound to work out, she needs him to be comfortable with seeing all aspects of her both mentally and physically. Which includes her scar. 

So, she nods her head in agreement.

She lifted her arms and allowed him to remove her shirt, immediately feeling self-conscious. She couldn’t look him in the eyes as she stepped out of her shorts and underwear, going into the shower to avoid any lingering stares. Harry was quick to follow behind her, shutting the curtain after him. That’s when Y/N turned around and completely broke down, the tears that have been building behind her eyes finally pouring out. Harry wrapped her in his arms, letting her cry her eyes out for however long she needed.

When she stopped, Harry washed her hair, washed her body, washed away her bad thoughts, then washed himself as fast as he could so he could get her into her bed for the night. She snuggled up to his side, enjoying the warmness of his body that contrasted her cool ones. 

That night when her parents came home, they spotted Harry’s Jeep in front of their house. Though when the house was eerily quiet, and found the door to her bedroom slightly ajar, they peeked inside and saw the two of them fast asleep. Parents usually would get angry at the sight of their child in bed with someone of a different gender, but not Y/N’s parents.

Over the last two months, they saw their daughter break back out of her shell, slowly returning to her former self, and all because of Harry. They saw how happy she became whenever he was around, or they’d overheard happy she was when just talking about him to Kalani. How could they ever get angry at the fact that Y/N was happy?

With the blossoming of their relationship taking place at the same time as the Vans Triple Crown, word got around fast and soon enough they were the star couple leading the ranks in their respective divisions. The world -- or really the surfing world, because no one really pays attention to professional surfers, was in awe of them. They were the hype of the news, of the town, of the state. Rightfully so, because they’re awfully cute. 

It came as no surprise to everyone when the two were crowned the champions. The press went wild with this one, stating there was some scam happening behind the scenes, because what were the odds that this new star couple could both win? Or, how could Harry, a newbie, shoot his way up to the top in just one year? Or, how could Y/N dominate with her physical ailments? 

There wasn’t a hoax and there wasn’t any cheating. They both were just that good.

The day of the final competition, they may have worked just a little harder to land the championship title. Harry had picked Y/N up and they traveled to their secret hideaway bright and early in the morning. After being out at a party the night before, the two were in no shape to get in the water already, opting to snooze under the shade of a cliff on the beach for a little while. 

They didn’t sleep for very long before they got wrapped up in one another, indulging in a morning session of intimate love. They slept for maybe an hour before Y/N was ready to get her swim on, but Harry was the biggest sack of lazy mush that morning. He didn’t want to get up for nothing. He was laying down on his surfboard, completely comfortable under the shade. Y/N tried tugging on his arms to get him up, but he wouldn’t budge, a half-sleepy and dazed smile on his lips.

At one point he tugged her back, causing her to land on his lap, legs straddling his hips as her face crashed into his chest. His arms wrapped around her back, securing him to her as he said, “See? Isn’t this so much better than physical activity?”

“C’mon tubby, we got shit to do,” Y/N giggled, but Harry just held onto her tighter and nuzzled his cheek to the top of her head.

He hummed, “S’comfortable here.”

Y/N didn’t know what else to do, so the only maneuver left was bribery. Harry’s no different than any guy in the sense that once sex is brought into the mix, his ears perk up and his dick stiffens. So, Y/N was going to use that to her advantage. “If you get up, you can fuck me all night tonight.”

Harry was quick to sit up, her still in his lap, eyes squinted in suspicion. Y/N bit her lip to refrain from laughing, but she was mentally patting herself on the back. His hands shifted down her back to grab onto the flash of her behind, pulling her center closer to his and building up a bit of friction. “How about right now and tonight?”

“I can’t be exhausted for today, H,” Y/N rolled her eyes, moving to get herself off his lap, but he kept her grounded.

“You don’t ‘ave to get in the water now. You’ve practiced, you’re prepared, you got this. The championship is practically in your hands already,” he disclosed, peppering kisses up the side of her neck, a few across her jawline, and then landing on her lips.

Even if that may be true, she doesn’t want that to stop her from putting effort and time into winning. “Harry…” she started, getting lost in the feel of his lips suckling a lovebite right in the crook of her neck, her most sweet spot. He lifted his hips up slightly, pushing against her heat, eliciting the smallest moan from her mouth.

“Bet y’soaking your suit. Can I see?”

They only have a limited amount of time before they need to get to the Northshore at Ehukai Beach Park for the competition. It was about a forty-five minute drive alone. But, Harry’s lips and fingers were way too persuasive, so Y/N nodded her head.

“Good girl.”

He lifted her up so her back was now against the belly of his pink board, her legs immediately wrapped around his broad shoulders as he placed a chaste kiss to her clothed core. She whined as he hooked his fingers into her bikini bottoms, dragging them tortuously slow down her legs. His eyes immediately attracted themselves to her glistening slit, her wetness practically inviting him in. “So fucking pretty, baby.”

Harry’s hands pushed her legs as far apart as they would go, licking a fat stripe up from her little hole to her sensitive clit. Y/N threw her head back as he focused his attention on her clit, swirling his tongue around the little bud before sucking it into his mouth. She was a whimpering mess, but that earned her a smack on the ass and a first warning from Harry.

“No one’s around. Let me hear you loud and clear,” he gave her a pointed look, keeping their eye contact as he went a little further south, pushing the tip of his tongue into her cunt. Y/N tried closing her legs around his head but Harry just pushed them open further, keeping a firm grip on her thighs that were bound to leave bruises. Bruises just for her. 

Her jaw fell slack, moans tumbling past her pink lips louder and louder. Her nails dug into his shoulders, most likely leaving scratches he’ll find later when they’re stinging in the shower. Just for him.

Y/N was growing restless as he inserted his middle and ring finger inside of her, pushing and pulling them at an intense pace that caused her toes to curl in the sand by his hips. When he managed to push his index finger in alongside the other two, Y/N began to see stars at the stretch of her walls.

“So tight f’me. Imagine it was my cock instead. Would feel so good and full, but you’d be too exhausted for later, hm?” He cooed, letting her adjust to the extra digit inside of her before fucking her harder and faster than before. He kissed up her tummy that was visible from under her shirt before landing his forehead against hers.

His free hand grabbed a hold of her jaw, making her face him which caused her eyes to open up quickly, locking eye contact with one another. “S’a shame. M’so hard, like a fucking rock. But you’ll be too tired.”

Teasingly, Y/N nodded her head in agreement, earning a hard glare from her lover. At this, he stopped the movement of his fingers, slowly pulling them out of her. Y/N’s mouth opened wide, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion as Harry sucked his fingers past his lips, indulging in her sweetness that tasted like a little sliver of heaven. 

“Wh-wha…?”

“Close y’mouth, Y/N. Gonna catch flies,” he smirked, reaching over for her bikini bottoms and sliding them back up her legs until they were nestled against her soaking wet, throbbing pussy. “Said it y’self. Can’t be exhausted for the finale today, gotta be quick on your feet and coasting the gnarliest waves. C’mon slow poke, gotta get some practice in.”

So, Y/N was pissed off to say the least. And because of this, she was extra determined to push herself as far as she could to come out on top today. Harry on the other hand, well he was just mad that he had an insane hard-on that his own girlfriend didn’t want to tend to. He should’ve expected his little stunt wouldn’t go over nicely, but the look on her face when he stopped was absolutely priceless.

When it was announced that Y/N and Harry had won in their divisions everyone was beyond elated at the news, cheers and hugs and kisses spread all around the group. Though when it was their turn to congratulate each other, they looked at each other, small smiles on their faces before they turned to make conversation with someone else. That didn’t stop them from reaching for one another though, slyly interlocking their hands together.

They were whisked away quickly for pictures, holding their trophies high in the air, the biggest smiles on their faces. Y/N’s parents were cheering them on, more specifically her because they were so proud she was able to take her life back. Y/N could cry at the sight of her mother being a blubbering mess, and her dad’s admiration sparkling across his eyes. Though, with the support of her family, Y/N’s mind couldn’t help but wonder about Harry’s family, and how they couldn’t support their son with what he loved. 

With this, Y/N squeezed his hand harder, and despite the cameras around them, she leaned up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss to his lips, the clicks of the cameras and the chatter of the crowd increasing. But, neither of them cared as they looked at one another, full of love.

Because that’s what this was. Love.

It didn’t matter that they had only met a little over three months ago, only dating for two months. They were in love. And that’s all that mattered.

Going out to dinner that night, they hardly left each other’s sides. They were being that obnoxious clingy couple that no one likes being around, but they didn’t care. Because they both knew they were in love. An unspoken love that didn’t have to be announced because the whole world knew, and so did they.

“Cheers to the love birds! And for the love of God, could you stop looking at each other like that,” AJ gagged, causing everyone to laugh before they clinked glasses.

When they left the restaurant, Harry and Y/N hopped into Betty, driving around for a little while before they decided to stay at his for the night. It was when the wind was blowing in her hair again, the moon shining above them and shining through her hair, his hand gently on her thigh, squeezing softly in contrast to that morning, that Harry truly felt it. This love that he has for this girl. Love that’s meant just for her. Her, and only her.

This gushy feeling was put on hold for a little while though the moment they walked through the door of his apartment. Y/N was bent over the arm of his living room couch, her one leg bent and on the armrest beside her while the other was trying its best to keep her steady on the ground. Harry’s fist was wrapped up in her hair, proving to make it more difficult for her to keep her balance. Though she wouldn’t want it any other way. 

“What’s the matter, babe? You said I could fuck you all night.” Harry’s hot breath coated the shell of her ear, “Y’tired?”

She gasped at a particularly hard thrust that felt like it had hit against her cervix, trying to get the word No out in between her moans and whimpers. 

“Hope not. Had me aching all day for your tiny cunt. M’gonna need a few hours to really appreciate it.” She could feel his menacing smirk against her skin as he again thrusted so far deep inside of her, her one leg gave out. If it wasn’t for Harry holding her up, she would’ve fell right over, too weak to even try and get back up.

They went twice on the couch before Harry helped her get to the shower, where they did it again. And then when they finally cleaned themselves, they got into bed, where they did it again, but this one could be classified under love-making. It was slow and sensual and sweet, just like them. Harry paid extra attention to her scar, trailing down the tissue with soft kisses as they softly climaxed together.

It was a little past midnight at this point, and they were both extremely tired. Y/N was on the brink of dozing off into dreamland before Harry interrupted her exhaustion. 

“We never finished our game of twenty questions, did we?” He murmured, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Y/N lazily opened her eyes, shaking her head, “Don’t believe so.”

“Think it’s my turn,” he hummed. “Do you love me?”

There was silence for a brief couple of seconds, making Harry think Y/N had dozed off before answering his question. But, Y/N just needed those seconds to collect her mushed thoughts inside of her mushy brain before giving him a coherent and valid response.

“Yeah. I do.”

Harry smiled, probably the biggest he’s ever smiled, leaning down and taking hold of her face and smashing their lips together in a ceremonious kiss.

“Sick. Ditto, Sunshine.”

#it would mean so much if you tell me what you thought #harry styles one shot #harry styles au #harry styles imagine #harry styles blurb #harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #harry styles #one direction fanfiction

[sirius]

Dare or Dare (Prompt)

Pairing: James Potter x Reader, mentioned Sirius Black x Reader

Word Count: 2256

Warnings: Swearing, underage drinking, mentions of sex i guess?

Request: Could you do 13 and 15 of random with James or Sirius maybe? :) - Anonymous

Prompt: 13. “YOU SAID BE HONEST STOP HITTING ME!” 15. “I’m too sober for this.” “You don’t even drink.” “Maybe I should start.” 

A/N: First prompt finally finished!! please send in more! the list is pinned to my blog. Enjoy <3

***

It may have been cliche, but it was a common tradition for you and your friends to steal food from the kitchens, get drunk and play stupid muggle games late at night in the Gryffindor common room.

The fire crackled and popped, emitting shards of amber light that jarred with the dark shadows, creating a golden-warm atmosphere that encompassed you and your friends. You sat crossed-legged on the ground between Mary and Marlene Marlene while the boys - James, Sirius, Remus and Peter - sat opposite you, forming a circle that sort of resembled a seance. Littered in the centre of your ‘Friendship Circle’ (coined affectionately by James) was your plunder; a variety of puddings and treats and left-over sweets from a recent Hogsmeade trip.

Soon enough, two bottles of firewhiskey were brandished and passed around the group, and everyone was taking long sips from the bottle - everyone except for you.

“Boo,” Sirius jeered, “You’re boring.”

“Well excuse me if I don’t want liver failure,” you drawled, rolling your eyes, “Besides, six people sharing from the same bottle? That’s unsanitary.”

“What? You worried you’ll catch boy cooties,” Sirius teased, “Because last time I checked, you didn’t mind boy cooties when I saw you making out with Prongs in the broom closet last week. And trust me, none of that was exactly ‘sanitary’.”

You felt your face glow with embarrassment as laughter bubbled over the group. You glanced at James, at the little curl of his lips that wasn’t quite as mischievous as a smirk, but not as open and carefree as a smile. It was somewhere in between...like he wasn’t embarrassed of kissing you, of even being lumped in the same sentence as you. It made your heart swell, your cheeks no longer warm from embarrassment.

“Why don’t we stop harassing (Y/N) and Potter and get on with some games!” Marlene urged, gracefully saving you from Sirius.

“Yes!” Peter agreed, “I managed to find a load of fun muggle games in this book!”

He pulled out a book from his bag and brandished it before you friends.

“101 Party Games to Play at your Bachelorette Party,” Remus read aloud, frowning, “Some how, I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I do!” Mary said eagerly, leaning forward to get a good look at the book.

“Whats a Bachelorette Party?” asked Marlene, brows knitted in confusion.

“It’s a party where a bride and her bridal party celebrate her last night as a ‘single’ woman,” Mary explained excitedly, “My mums been to loads. She always comes back with weird penis shaped memorabilia.”

“Well, what’s the hold up, Wormtail?” James asked, grinning broadly, “Let’s crack it open!”

Peter dropped the book in the middle of the circle and sat back as Sirius opened the first page. A devilish grin spread slowly across his face as he read the index.

“This is brilliant!” Sirius laughed, flicking the page, “’Stick it in the Hole’ a game inspired by all those sex ed classes you pretended to listen to in High School. Two people are required, much like the real thing.”

“Muggles are insane…” Marlene decided.

“Dunk the Weenie in the Creampie,” Sirius continued, “The only time when it is encouraged to be bad at cooking. Simply tie a sausage to your waist with a short rope and try to dunk the sausage in the centre of a cream pie. Beware, this game is messy.”

“Yeah, I’m not playing that,” said Remus, disapprovingly, “I’m not sure what’s worse; having to embarrass myself by grinding on a cream pie in front of my friends or watching you lot do it.”

“Agreed,” said Peter, who was blushing furiously.

“What about this?” Sirius perked up, reading intently, “Bridal Truth or Dare. A sexy twist on a classic game. Players must reveal deep truths or suffer through scandalous dares. The more debauchery, the better!’”

“I’m down for a game of truth or dare,” Mary piped up excitedly.

“Same!” Marlene chimed.

“Me too!” said Peter.

“I have no shame and I don’t believe in regrets so I’ll play,” said James, winking at you.

“Oh what the hell,” Remus shrugged, sighing, “So long as the fire whiskey’s still flowing.”

“What do you take us for, amateurs?” Sirius gasped, his tone oozing with mock-offence.

Everyone turned to look at you. An unpleasant burning sensation prickled beneath your cheeks.

“Alright,” you sighed, grabbing a sugar quill, “I’ll play.”

Marlene and Mary giggled excitedly as Sirius dropped the book in his lap and skimmed the first page.

“Right,” he said, importantly, “If someone asks for truth, they have to answer or risk being forced to do a dare from the list of Extreme Dares.”

“I like the sound of that,” said James, craning to peer at the list.

“I don’t,” you muttered, glancing at Remus.

You knew beyond a doubt that you’d be asked about you and James’ complicated history by one of your friends and, if you refused to answer, would probably have to do something embarrassing with him like let him fondle your breasts or something stupid like that.

“Alright, so the eldest starts,” said Sirius and he grinned, “Which is me so suck it losers.”

Everyone groaned. Having Sirius start a game of Bridal Truth or Dare was going to be excruciating to say the least.

Sirius feigned a deep look of hurt, clutching his chest in pain, “I had no idea you guys thought so highly of me!”

“Hurry up, Padfoot,” Remus grumbled, taking a swing of fire whiskey, “Lets just rip it off like a band aid.”

Sirius’ lips spread into a wicked, calculating smirk. You knew that look all too well; it was the look of someone who was either barking mad or insanely clever forming a devious master plan.

Tapping his chin thoughtfully, he pretended to think for one attractive moment before narrowing his eyes on you.

“(Y/N), Bridal Truth or Dare? Quickly now, or we’ll all sober up and lose our nerve.”

You thought that was quite impossible for two reasons: one, everyone except you had had enough fire whiskey to drown their veins in alcohol and, two, Gryffindors never lost their nerve.

You sighed long sufferingly, “Alright, truth.”

“Bridal truth,” Sirius corrected and then furrowed his brows in thought. His eyes sparked again with a look of wild excitement, “Have you and Prongs ever reached third base?”

Marlene and Mary stifled their giggles. James shot you an apologetic look, grimacing at Sirius.

Something about the challenging look in Sirius’ eye rankled you, grating obnoxiously on your competitive streak. Usually, you were more rational, more ‘pick-your-battles-carefully’, but now, Sirius was closing in on your relationship-not-relationship with James, something you considered deeply personal. If Sirius wanted to play this game, then he’d better be prepared to lose.

“Padfoot,” James began, glancing at you, “I think that’s-“

“No,” you answered, defiantly, “James and I have not reached third base, and that’s only because we kept getting interrupted by you.”

There was a stunned sort of silence at the tone of your voice. Everyone was used to you denying your relationship-not-relationship with James, so your candor was like a splash of cold water in the middle of winter.

You broke the silence by snatching the bottle from Sirius’ grasp, “I’m too sober for this shit.”

“You don’t even drink,” said Marlene in shock.

You uncorked the bottle, “Maybe I should start.”

Tipping your head back, you took a long drag of the fire whiskey and winced as it seared the back of your throat. A moment later, a tickling warmth kindled in your stomach, and what felt like gold shot through your veins, filling you up.

Everyone was staring at you, shocked and speechless. You - Gryffindor prefect, one of the top performing students in the school, rule abider and teachers pet - were breaking a dozen school rules by drinking fire whiskey and admitting quite blatantly that you and James would have had sex if it weren’t for Sirius.

Their shocked expressions made you smirk.

“Are you lot going to keep staring at me or are we going to play?”

***

An hour into the game, and your brain was swimming in pools of intoxicated bliss. It was like peering through rose-tinted glasses - everything was hilariously funny, and your courage and impulsivity had been dialled up by about a hundred while your common sense had abandoned you.

Everyone had participated in an array of embarrassing truths and even more embarrassing dares. Peter had asked you what it was like to kiss Sirius (you and Sirius had a few…flings…in the past, before you had realised your feelings for James).

“Be honest now,” Sirius winked at you, “You don’t have to lie because ol’ Padfoot is here.”

James looked slightly amused, but there was a glint of something dark, something wild in the mosaic of his eyes.

You took your time, formulating a response.

“Eh, he’s alright” you shrugged, nonchalantly, “I’ve had better. A little overrated, if you ask me.”

That had been a mistake. Without warning, Sirius had launched into a wild tickle attack, scrambling toward you and poking his fingers between your ribs. Laughter erupted from your lips as you keeled backward, lying flat on your back as Sirius clambered on top of you.

“YOU SAID BE HONEST STOP TICKLING ME!” you shrieked, laughing hysterically, “SIRIUS! GEROFF”

James was the first to pull Sirius off you, smacking him around the head.

“Ouch!” Sirius yelped, but he smiled at James’ playful expression.

The hours ebbed away.

Soon, everyone was getting bored with Bridal truth or dare and instead decided to play Dare or Dare. You, Marlene and Mary had been dared to race each other stripping your bras off without taking your tops off. While you had done it a million times before, it had been significantly more difficult to do while drunk.

Remus had been dared to sneak into Filch’s office and leave him a love note and James and Sirius had been dared to kiss - which they did, passionately and unabashed.

“Alright,” James had smirked as he stared at you, “(Y/N). Dare or Dare?”

You pretended to consider your options, “Hmm…Dare!”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” James grinned, dodgy and lopsided, “Alright, I dare you to sprint past Dumbledore’s office, topless.”

You grinned, climbing to your feet, “I’ll do you one better.”

Slowly, while maintaining eye contact with James, you stripped into your underwear. James’ expression cycled rapidly between awe and arousal, and you couldn’t help noticing the way he squirmed, trying to casually cover his lap with a pillow.

Marlene let out a low whistle, startling you. You had forgotten about the others.

Grabbing your cloak, your friends all made your way to Dumbledore’s office, dodging out of Filch’s sight and weaving around Peeves, who was throwing furniture around in Filch’s office.

It was only after you watched Nearly Headless Nick sweep past Dumbledores office when you unclasped your robe and let it pool around your feet. Moonlight soaking into your skin, you stepped into the empty corridor and took a deep breath. The air was cool, prickling your skin with goosebumps. Your cheeks, however, felt hot and flushed from the alcohol and adrenaline.

“Go!” urged Sirius and, without hesitating, you ran.

Arms flailing in the air, you sprinted past Dumbledore’s office while your friends giggled madly. Once you reached the corridor, you turned around and raced back but came to a sudden halt when a figure stepped around the corner.

Severus Snape was standing at the end of the corridor, a look of shock and embarrassment creeping into his thin, pallid face.

You immediately took a step back. Severus had become your friend after meeting him in Diagon Alley before your first year at Hogwarts. You’d stopped associating with him after he had started associating with Death Eaters and you had noticed a definite change in his attitude toward muggleborns.

“(Y/N),” he said, softly, as he drank in the view of you, your skin glowing in the moonlight, “W-What-?”

James and Sirius stepped forward protectively and Remus draped your cloak around your shoulders, forcing you behind him.

“What do you want, Snivellus?” James spat, “Looking for another kitten to drown for Lord Stinkamort, are you?”

Severus’ expression contorted into a look of fury. He grabbed for his wand when you stepped forward, lacing your fingers with James’.

“He’s not worth it,” you whispered, and with another urgent tug, you pulled James away, Sirius following.

Perhaps because you were there, neither James nor Severus attacked one another as you retreated to the Gryffindor common room. James was grasping your hand tightly, still enraged by Severus’ presence, but that changed when you pulled him around a corner and kissed him deeply.

“What was that for?” James asked in surprise.

“You don’t want to kiss me?” you asked, playfully, “Oh, alright then…” you started to saunter off but James pulled you back into his arms and crashed his lips onto yours, stealing the breath from your lungs and the words from your tongue.

Panting as he pulled away, James looked around and spotted something to your left. You followed his gaze, where it landed on the Prefect Bathrooms.

“Fancy a dip?” he asked, a sparkle in his eyes.

“Definitely,” you smirked, tugging on his belt, “And this time, we won’t be interrupted.”

***

@siriusmuch  @beyoncesdragon​ @moon-zodiac @mflufflion​

#harry potter #sirius black #james potter #remus lupin #the marauders #the marauders era #sirius black x reader #james potter x reader #the marauders x reader #james potter x y/n #sirius black x y/n #james x you #sirius x you #james x sirius #the marauders x y/n #james potter x you #sirius black x you #harry potter imagine #sirius black imagine #james potter imagine #the marauders imagine #georgie writes

[ragingbookdragon]

Of Threats And First Meetings PT. 3

Brynjolf x F!Dragonborn

Word Count: 2,260 Warnings: Explicit Language, Mentions of Blood and Wounds

Author’s Note: Holy shit it’s been like...I don’t even know how long since I updated this *insert shrugging emoji* Enjoy! -Thorne

Brynjolf felt like he should’ve known that Gulum-Ei was the one brokering the deals that were tearing the Guild to pieces. The damned argonian couldn’t resist a payout, even if it was the Guild he was backstabbing—it said a lot about honor amongst thieves, and while Brynjolf couldn’t claim to be the most honorable, at least he had some. All things considered, he couldn’t fault Gulum-Ei for doing it, whoever it was that wanted the Guild taken out was no doubt dishing out some serious coin to make it happen.

           That being said, their newest member was again tasked with the mission. Brynjolf wasn’t going to voice his opinion out loud, but he knew that she was running herself into the ground. He was sure that she’d not taken a moment of reprieve to simply breathe before throwing herself back into the thick of things. Quite the opposite, she’d taken a couple more jobs from both Vex and Delvin—though Brynjolf was sure she’d only taken them because the two thieves had essentially guilt tripped her. He watched her as Mercer walked off, leaving her to rub at her temples, a heavy sigh falling from her lips.

           “Wondering if you’re in over your head, lass?” he inquired, leaning back against the desk as he crossed his arms over his chest.

           She snorted and rolled her shoulders. “Only every moment of every day, Brynjolf.” Catching his eyes, she quipped, “Why is it that I’m the one who’s being given the major missions and not the other members of the Guild?”

           He mocked a look of deep thought then offered, “You’re not a senior member so you do what we tell you? Her eyes briefly widened before she burst into laughter, the sound making Brynjolf’s stomach flip.

           “Oh ho? It’s seniority then?” she leaned close, mirth in her eyes as she questioned, “So when does the newbie get to claim seniority?”

           Brynjolf grinned at her. “I’d say a couple years.”

           “What!”

           “Maybe a few if I’m being completely honest.”

           A groan passed her lips. “By that time, you lot will actually be seniors—well, not that you’re young now.”

           He almost recoiled at that. Almost. “Did yo—did you just call me old?”

           She placed a hand on his bicep, sympathetically replying, “I hate to break it to you, but you’re not exactly a stripling anymore, Brynjolf.”

           Blinking, he deadpanned, “I don’t think I’ve ever been called old by a woman before.”

           Grinning, she asked, “Tell me, do all the young women you take to bed call you sprightly?” He nodded and she giggled. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Brynjolf.”

           She leaned close until her lips brushed his ear, whispering, “When we call you older men sprightly, it’s only so you don’t feel bad about your age.”

           Brynjolf turned slightly, catching her gaze, and murmured, “That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day, lass.”

           Her eyes narrowed as she mused, “So far it’s gotten me out of trouble.” She pulled away and tugged the shawl over her bare shoulders, turning to make her way back to the Flagon.

           She stopped a few feet though and glanced over her shoulder. “But if it means I’d be in trouble with you, Brynjolf, I don’t think I’d mind it.” Winking, she left him to flounder with the suggestion of her words.

***

           Her side ached with a fury, and the continual prodding of the linen against the wound didn’t help. With each brush against the open wound, it sent a bolt of fire through her nerves, as if she were being stuck with a hot poker. Still though, she focused on returning to the city, knowing that if she could just get home, she’d be able to clean and stitch it up.

           Softly moaning, she slipped inside the gate, turning down the narrow alley that led into Honeyside’s garden. Briefly, she brought her free hand up and felt along the wall to lead her. As she neared the garden, movement flashed in her vision and she stopped in her tracks, squinting in the darkness to discern what it was. Someone was bent over one of the barrels in the corner and she growled.

           “This is private property. Piss off.”

           They stood upright, turning round to face her and when the moonlight illuminated their features beneath the hood, she muttered, “Brynjolf?”

           He raised a hand, pushing the hood up slightly, stepping towards her. “Lass? What are you doing here? I thought you were heading to Solitude?”

           She shook her head, then winced when a flash of nausea came over her. “No, had to do something’s around here before I did.” A sudden flash of pain simmered in her side and a groan passed her lips, the throbbing threatening to send her to her knees.

           “Lass?” he questioned, voice twinged with worry. “Are you alright?” Waving him off, she pulled from the wall, trying to get to the door of Honeyside.

           “‘m fine,” she grunted, though her vision began to blur with darkness. “Just gotta…get some rest.”

           She’d barely made it two feet when her knees finally gave out, sending her towards the dirt. Just before she hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her from kissing the floor, pulling her up.

           “Lass!” he yelled, then he cursed, concerned that the guards would come running. “What happened?” he demanded, curling an arm under her legs to pick her up. The jostling made her groan, and she fought the urge to recoil from him when the buckle of his chest armor nudged her side.

           “Ngh—steam centurion in Avanchnzel.” She hissed when he started walking, switching her grip to curl her arm around his shoulders, hoping it would steady her. “Caught the backside of the battle—ngh—axe when I was dodging it.”

           Brynjolf turned and nudged the door to Honeyside open, bringing her inside.

           “When I’m not dying, I’m going to kick your ass for break—sonovabitch!” she gasped when he dropped her on the bed, hurrying towards the kitchen to gather supplies.

           He returned and started pulling the laces of her tavern corset undone. Despite the pain, she giggled, “Most men buy me dinner first.” A grin set on his lips as he pulled the last string loose, yanking the cedar-colored corset from around her.

           “I’ll treat you to dessert after,” he mused, then looked up at her. “Skirt or straps?”

           Her brows furrowed. “Beg pardon?”

           “Either I’m lifting your skirt up or I’m pulling your straps down. Make up your mind which decency you’d like to keep,” he countered, and she huffed, reaching up to slip the ringed straps from her shoulders.

           “Should’ve known a scoundrel like you was a skirt lifter. Despicable.”

           Brynjolf barked a laugh, helping her to roll the gold fabric down. “Please, I haven’t lifted skirts since I was a boy.”

           “Mhm.”

           “Honest, lass. I’ve grown out of immature acts like that,”’ he explained as the poorly wrapped wound came into sight. It’d soaked crimson in the time she’d travelled back, and he frowned as he untied the knot, gently peeling it back. She started to let out a whimper but grit her teeth and inhaled sharply.

           “Sorry lass,” Brynjolf murmured, wiping at the blood. He glanced up, watching as she propped herself up on her elbows, hands clenching into fists.

           “Just hurry up and seal it,” she griped, and he passed her a strip of leather. Seeming to understand, she brought it up to her mouth and bit into it, then met his eyes and nodded.

           Sighing heavily, he rose from the side of the bed and returned with the hot knife that had been sitting right next to the fire—she could feel the heat when he brought it close to her, kneeling back on the bed.

           He met her eyes and she inhaled deeply, giving him a nod of her head. Brynjolf rested his other hand on the side of her ribs a few inches above the wound, effectively bracing himself as well as keeping her still.

           Lowering the metal to her, he said, “Try and stay still. I don’t wanna burn you where you’re not wounded.” She barely made a noise of confirmation when the burning metal came into contact with her skin.

           Her eyes went wide, and she immediately threw her head back into the bed as a muffled scream escaped her, hands white knuckling the covers of her blanket. A deep pit fell in his stomach at the tears that began to run down her cheeks, but he kept the knife to her for another couple seconds before pulling it back, watching as her chest heaved with each breath. Glancing back at the wound, he knew she needed another go, probably two if he was honest.

           “I need to do it again,” Brynjolf murmured and she groaned like a dying animal. “I know lass, but you’re still bleeding.” She sucked in a quick breath through her nose and grunted, muscles tensing underneath his grip as she readied herself once more.

           He flipped the knife in his grip and placed it to her side again, and the screech that left her this time, made him wince, but he held it there. After a couple seconds, he pulled the knife away and examined the wound, and when he saw that it wasn’t bleeding anymore, he tossed the knife aside, letting it clatter to the floor.

           “Lass? You alright?” his eyes scanned her for any problems, and she turned her head to the side, spitting out the leather strip. Letting out a huff, she brought up a hand, intent to prod the wound, but he caught it. “Don’t touch it yet.” He met her eyes. “Do you have any distilled alcohol?”

           Groaning heavily, she nodded. “Downstairs in my…alchemy room.” She swallowed thickly. “There’s a few…health and disease potions too.” Meeting his eyes, she added, “Bring one of each…please.”

           Brynjolf nodded and headed down the stairs, coming up a few moments later with two tiny red vials and one large clear bottle. He set them on her nightstand before gently curling his arms underneath her back to shift her over slightly. When there was enough space, he sat beside her and grabbed the glass bottle, uncorked it, and poured some on a spare linen cloth. Brynjolf dabbed the wound, quietly apologizing when she hissed in pain.

           When he was finished, he took the fresh wrap and helped her sit up so he could wrap it around her waist. Tying it with a knot, he handed her the two vials, gazing as she downed them both before looking at him with an expression of relief. Suddenly feeling weak, she leaned forward, careful to avoid her wound, and pressed her forehead into Brynjolf’s shoulder. He brought up a hand, softly caressing the bare expanse of her back.

           “Thank you, Brynjolf,” she whispered, shivers running up her spin at his touch. “I would’ve been in a perilous state if you hadn’t been around.”

           Chuckling, he replied, “I would say anytime, but I don’t wanna have to do this again for a long time, so try to stay safe.”

           A snort escaped her, and she turned her head up, resting her cheek on his shoulder, gazing into his eyes. “Why try when this is the treatment?”

           His green eyes narrowed as he retorted, “While I’m flattered that you want me as a bedside-nurse, I really don’t wanna do this again.” He brough his other hand up, gently touching her cheek. “I already worry about you. No need to up it.”

           “You worry? Does that make me special?” she cooed tiredly, pulling away from him to lay back on the bed.

           Brynjolf huffed a laugh and stood, opening the closet beside her bed. “You enjoy teasing me, lass.”

           “Is it working?” she asked, watching as he pulled out a simple blue tunic. Shuffling around on the bed, she managed to wiggle the tavern skirt to her calves and when he spun around, Brynjolf’s eyes swept over her body.

           “Shame on you for ogling an indecent woman, Brynjolf. What would Lady Mara think?” she tutted, and he grinned at her.

           “I’m not sure about Lady Mara, but I certainly know what Lady Dibella would do,” he countered, and she giggled.

           “Now who’s teasing?” He handed her the tunic, and she shrugged it on, pulling it down her chest and over her thighs. Brynjolf helped her under the covers, watching as her eyelids began to slip shut. Just to be sure, at least that’s what he told himself, he laid his palm over her forehead, checking for warmth.

           Her eyes opened slightly, and he said, “Make sure you change the wrap when you wake up in the morning. Don’t wanna get an infection on the way to Solitude.”

           She nodded, letting out a yawn and sunk into her pillow. “Yeah, yeah, I will.”

           “Lass,” he warned, and she huffed, a smile spreading on her lips.

           “I will, promise.”

           Brynjolf gave her a look and pulled his hand away. “I’ll take my leave of you.” As he neared the doors to her patio, she called for him.

           “Brynjolf?” he paused and glanced over his shoulder, heart fluttering in his chest as she whispered, “Thank you…for saving me like this.”

           He gave her a smile. “Of course, lass. I’ll be here whenever you need me to be.” He pulled the door open, smile growing larger when he heard her sleepily murmur,

           “Hope it stays that way.”

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