#and very keen on trying new things. she had to leave all that behind to work day and night while earning only barely enough to scrape by on

[cuteniaarts]

First posted piece of 2024 featuring Ghazan’s older sister Haya, take 2!!

#a.k.a the og version was bothering me so I completely redrew her eyes and added more shadows to make her facial features more pronounced #gonna just copy over my og tags bc I can’t be bothered to come up with new ones #my art #artists on tumblr #the legend of korra #original character #seeds of the red lotus #sotrl haya #god... like on one hand yes. she's an awful person. she abused her brother's kids for 16 years #left lasting mental and emotional scars on them to the point that even years after they last see her they're still recovering #even after all the bruises have healed her voice is still in their heads. fear of her still dictates so many of their actions #someone like her doesn't deserve any amount of sympathy. nor after everything she's done #but on the other... the person who did all that is haya in her 30s and 40s. here she's just 14 #she just had her whole world shattered in a matter of weeks. she's left with nothing and no one but an empty house and her 5yo brother #she has no one to turn to. no shoulder to cry on. apart from losing her parents she had to quit school and stop hanging out with her friend #sh ehad to abandon any hobbies she might have had. I imagine she was quite like suiren and midori used to be. curious and intelligent #and very keen on trying new things. she had to leave all that behind to work day and night while earning only barely enough to scrape by on #just enough for them to survive. to keep the house. to be clothed and fed. there was no room for treats or luxuries of any kind #how many dresses did she cut up to use as material for ghazan's clothes? how many nights did she go hungry just so he could eat? #and she can't even cry about it. not while he's around anyway because she's supposed to be strong for him. #I imagine she often cried after putting ghazan to bed. just out of sheer helplessness. from how exhausted she was #she cried herself to sleep every night and pulled herself back together every morning #tied her hair back with her mother's kerchief and went straight to work anywhere that would hire her. working until she could barely stand #all for him. I'm not excusing her actions in any way but I understand why she was overcome with resentment after he left her #running away without as much as a goodbye. after everything she had done for him. spitting in her face would have hurt less #so when he resurfaced over a decade later to dump his bastard children on her it didn't take long for all that resentment to find an outlet #and the rest is history... fuck. thinking about her teenage and ya self always makes me cry. she was so much like suiren it's heartbreaking #well. the only reason suiren is like this now is bc of her. but yk what they say. the history book on the shelf is always repeating itself #anyway. I'm really glad I took the time to redraw this. I'm so much happier with it now. she actually looks like a young girl now #this really hits different considering that I straight up killed her in my latest au... granted she was in her 40s there. but still

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hi I have a request I’d like to make ^_^

Can you write something where Aemond is a bit shy when he cums, so he’s always burying his face against her neck, but this time reader really wants to see his expressions when he climaxes so she’s on top for the first time. He’s a little taken aback but he can’t deny the view is great. When he almost gets to climaxing he’s like “w-wait! I’m close..!” And she just grabs his jaw, making forced eye contact and proceeds to ride him even harder until he cums.

I LOVE it when people reach out off of anon. Very brave. Much courage.

ANYWAY, your wish is my command. Pls enjoy.

Warnings: As if this needs any. You know there will be smut. NSFW. 18+ Word count: ~1k

Aemond had always been a generous and attentive lover. Despite not having much in the way of sexual experience prior to your marriage, he was a perfectionist and eager to learn. He had spent hours poring over every tome that the Red Keep’s library had to offer on the act of pleasure, and plentiful practice had meant there was never a day that you were left wanting physically.

It had taken a while to convince him to remove his eyepatch in front of you. His claim of “I have no desire to frighten you, my love.” had made your heart ache. He was clearly self conscious of his disfigurement, but you were desperate to see all of him. The night that he had finally relented and allowed you to lift it from his face had been a tender moment for you both. You had pressed gentle kisses to his scar and reassured him that you loved all of him, he didn’t need to hide any parts of himself from you.

Despite this, one of those frustrating factors for you in your marriage to the One-Eyed Prince was that during the act of love he would always hide his face from you at the point of climax. Either by burying his face in the crook of your neck if you lay below him or throwing his head back if he took you from behind. You knew it was fuelled by his insecurity regarding his eye and it bothered you that there was still an element of discomfort for him in your relationship. You were determined to fix it.

You’d tried to outsmart him one morning, sliding down the bed to take him into your mouth, watching his face carefully as you’d bobbed your head back and forth along his thick length. However, as he’d reached the apex of his pleasure, he’d turned his head away into the pillows, leaving you with a mouthful of his spend and an overbearing sense of exasperation.

A week later the two of you lay together in your marital bed, each of you on your side, facing each other. The ever increasing passion of your kisses and the way Aemond’s hands roam the curves of your body make it explicitly clear where things are headed. An idea strikes you.

Hooking a leg over Aemond’s hip, you roll him onto his back, sitting astride his hips.

A slight raise of his eyebrow, that would have been imperceptible to anyone else, lets you know that your actions have shocked your husband and you grin down at him.

“What are you doing, dōna ābrazȳrys?” He asks curiously. Sweet wife.

“Just trying something different, my dragon.” You purr back.

His right eye watches with keen interest as you reach between your bodies, positioning his hardened cock at your entrance before sinking down slowly.

You gasp at the stretch of him and the unexplored depth and angle. This is a new position for both of you, but it is not an unwelcome sensation. From the sharp inhale through his nose that Aemond takes as he grits his teeth, you can tell that he’s enjoying it too.

Gingerly, you begin to grind your hips back and forth against his. Unsure of what you are doing, your lack of experience causes you to hesitate, so you are grateful when Aemond grasps your hips and helps your movements along as he thrusts up into you.

His right eye drinks in the sight of you appreciatively as you ride him. From the contorted expression of pleasure on your face, to the bounce of your breasts and the roll of your hips against his. “Vok.” He whispers, as you move above him. Perfect.

His praise instills you with renewed confidence and you move your hips faster, harder, until Aemond’s grip on you tightens, his breathing becoming ragged. The familiar tensing of his abdominal muscles and pulsating of him inside of you are all you need to feel to know he is close to his end. You smirk down at him.

Panic washes over his features as he attempts to turn his face away. “No, no, I’m close!” He groans.

“I know.” You breathe out, taking his chin between your thumb and forefinger to turn him back towards you. “I will look upon your face as you fill me.”

You continue to ride Aemond. The beginnings of his protestations die on his lips as his release takes hold. Your lips part, eyes wide with both wonder and enjoyment as you take in the sight of his pleasure drunk features as he pumps you full of his seed. 

His brow is furrowed. The blue iris of his right eye is no longer visible from the dilation of his pupil. The bridge of his nose is scrunched ever so slightly, distorting the positioning of the scar that runs along the left side of his face. His mouth hangs agape as an almost feral sounding grunt escapes him.

You have never seen anything quite so beautiful as your husband in the throes of ecstasy. You cannot quite believe that this is what he has been hiding from you all this time. Your own pleasure is long forgotten to you as you gaze adoringly down at him.

Suddenly he pushes you off of him with a force that causes you to collapse onto your own side of the bed.

“I’m sorry you saw that.” He mutters, turning away from you, clearly distressed.

You reach out a tentative hand, stroking his shoulder. “Aemond, we’ve spoken about this…”

He sighs. “I know, ñuha jorrāelagon, but it is one thing for you to flatter me during idle conversation. It is another entirely for my disfigurement to rob you of your pleasure.” My love.

You pull him gently onto his back, looking down at him with concern. “What do you mean?”

“You saw my face when I…when I- and you didn’t peak.”

Your features soften as you chuckle slightly. “Aemond, you were so breathtaking to me in that moment, that I quite forgot that that was the intention.”

Aemond eyes you suspiciously. “Really?”

You nod. “Aemond, my words to you are not just flattery. I mean it when I say I think you are perfect. Please never hide your face from me again.”

He appears to consider this for a moment before speaking. “Okay, dōna ābrazȳrys. But you must allow me one exception.”

“And what is that?”

Aemond smirks wickedly at you as he lowers himself on the bed. “My face will be hidden when it is between your thighs. No wife of mine will go to sleep unsatisfied.”

#aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #aemond one eye #aemond stannies #hotd #pro aemond targaryen #prince aemond targaryen #hotd aemond targaryen #aemond #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen fluff #hotd smut #hotd fluff #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen fan fiction #aemond targaryen fanfiction #hotd fanfic #hotd fan fiction #hotd fanfiction

[ladystarksneedle]

Heads and Tails

Summary: A lady at court comes to learn that oaths made are seldom broken.

Word count: 1.4k

Warnings: suggestive themes, gore, mentions of period typical crimes and their punishments, minor character death.

Prev<

If there was one thing that she could be sure of, it was that her betrothed was always true to his word.

She'd been shifted to new chambers the following morn, her belongings and keepsakes stacked and arranged meticulously as she sat sipping her tea. There was a silence to the day after the previous night, dulling her senses just enough to wash the dread away without dampening the glimmer of excitement in her belly. She knew his visits would now be chaperoned with all the attention they'd drawn to themselves. There would be whispers in the hallways, maids trying to catch a glimpse or get an earful only to be sent scurrying away, page boys peeking about and guards turning their heads ever so slightly in keen observation. The grapevine of the Keep was ever alert and buzzing after a fresh scandal, one only needed a keen sense of perception to know what was afoot.

Much to the dismay of her new retinue, she hadn't had any visitors, only a squire to let her know that Aemond would visit her for dinner. As the day passed and she busied herself with the mundane her thoughts were drawn to her father and how he hadn't visited her once. Had he left already, just as swiftly as the Baratheons? Had he spoken to Aemond? Had he forgiven her boldness or did he still hold on to his anger?

What would her mother think when she heard of it all? She knew she'd stayed behind reluctantly and the news of her only daughter's quick betrothal would add injury to insult. What must she think of her and the circumstances in which all of it had conspired?

The gnawing returned and her hands busied themselves, pulling and weaving rapidly mirroring her own warring thoughts. Threads of green and burnt orange decorated her work, taking a monstrous yet fragile shape as she focussed on the fabric at hand, trying to perfect the image embossed in her head. The first time she'd seen her was magical and it was imperative that it showed in her work. “Where are we going?” he'd hushed her as he put his cloak around her shoulders.

“T’is so thick” she'd complained “Why do I need this”

“For the cold” he'd said. “I shall warm you up regardless, but it'd be better if you wore it.” He'd appraised her afterwards, as she drowned in the navy fabric, before grabbing her hand.

“Come” he'd said as he led her through the winding streets at twilight with the agility of an alley cat. It had been a cool night with a nip in the air when he'd brought her there, bowing in greeting to his other half. She'd lifted her head and sniffed a puff of smoke, gazing at her with eyes as old as eons, shining with judgment, before turning her head away again, much to her dismay.

“She likes you,” he'd said smiling.

“She hardly looked at me”

“Trust me, you'd know if she didn't” he'd responded before hauling her up towards the skies. It was the happiest she'd ever been, to be up with him in the heavens, screaming for joy, wrapped in his arms while he grinned behind her. She'd pestered him then on, to take her with him everytime he went out flying and though it wasn't always possible, he'd obliged twice. “I'll please the old lady next time when she sees you with this, then she'll surely let me come more often, ” she thought to herself as she worked on.

As the threads before her turned from foxtrot to olive, shining warmly in the light of the setting sun, she stretched and looked out the window, before deciding to get ready for dinner. It would be the first they'd share as newly betrothed and she wished to look her very best. He'd entered later just as she was putting on her earrings, marching through the doors in annoyance, quick to dismiss the servants.

“Leave us, we shall dine alone.”

They scurried away from him as he looked at her, his gaze softening before he held out his arms. She smiled rushing to him as he pulled her close.

“It seems someone has missed me.”

“Va moriot” she replied as his eye darkened in pride. (Always)

“Emā issare jollōragon” (You have been studying)

“Mirrī” she replied sheepishly. “Iksan.. trying” she continued embarrassed as he chuckled.

“Sȳz olvie, it seems I shall have to tend to you more” he said leading her to the table.

“How was your day?”, she asked him as they began to eat after their prayer. They'd kept up the tradition in private, her for her faith and a reminder of her ties to home and him for his loyalty to his mother.

“There were things that needed to be settled. We can continue our lessons on the morrow.”

“What about my father? Has he left? I've not been informed nor has there been a note sent to me.”

He put his chalice down in thought as he looked at her.

“He left at dawn, just as I arrived to train. I was informed shortly. He shall return as he's been commanded to, in a fortnight with the rest of your family. Do not worry, they may write to you once he reaches home”

She wrung her hands as he ate, before he reached out to grab them, making her latch on to his own instinctively. His fingers were long and bony and she loved playing with them. She ran her fingers over his knuckles, tracing the callouses from his training and he let her continue her exploration in peace. Her touch was welcome in all ways behind closed doors.

“What is this?”she asked, coming upon a bloodied fingernail.

“A mishap at dawn perhaps” he answered nonchalantly.

“You've never hurt yourself training” she remarked looking at him.

He hummed, his eye darkening in response.

“What has happened?”, she asked persistently, keen to know the reason he hadn't visited her all day.

“What is the word for trust in Valyrian” he asked.

She swallowed in response. “I just wish to know.”

“Ivestragon nyke” (Tell me)

“Pāsagon” (Trust)

“Hmm” “There were words spoken that needn't reach your ears. Things which, as I said, have now been dealt with.”

“The people of this realm needed a reminder of the power of our house, you may rest assured. We shall resume our routine as was before. Eat now so that we may finally get to what I've come here for.”

“I am a slow eater”

“Then I shall wait, I've never enjoyed the rush” he replied as she dug into her food.

“Your eyes still hold mine in question,” he said, kissing her neck as they laid together later, making her whine in response “It troubles you still, does it not”

“A little bit, though these thoughts evade me with you here. Stay” she asked him breathlessly. He tutted in response “And what would they say if they found me like this in your bed my lady, hmm?”

“They've never found you before”

“Ah but they're more alert now, you see. Someone could just walk in” he responded teasingly.

“Then all your training shall be put to task and I'm afraid you'd enjoy it even more” she answered laughing.

“Sleep. Mirre kessa sagon sȳrī” (All will be well) he said kissing her temple as she drifted off dreamlessly.

As dawn broke, she awoke to find the sheets crumpled nearby. Running her fingers across the bedding she saw a little note tucked beneath the pillow.

“Nyke kessa gaomagon ñuha kivio naejot ao, va moriot”

(I shall keep my oath to you, always)

She smiled in response, running her hands over the letters, reading them out in her head, before pulling the bell to summon her maids. She held it in her hands as they bathed and dressed her, while they tied her stays and combed her hair, still smiling to herself.

“Perhaps my lady would like to break her fast in the boudoir. There have been many who've been wishing to speak with you.”

She thanked them as she moved to attend to her visitors, excited for the day.

“Let me greet them now as the wife of a prince", she thought walking into the room.

A shrill scream broke her reverie as she witnessed the disarray. The room was in shambles, with most of the ladies huddled around each other whispering frantically and some on the floor around a lone figure, clutching her chest and wailing as she looked out the window. As lady Blount screamed for her beloved mounted on a spike, she clutched the note in her hands with tight certainty.

If there was one thing that she could be sure of, it was that her betrothed was always true to his word.

Taglist: @witheredoffherwitch @arcielee @chompchompluke @barbieaemond

#house of the dragon #zae's fics #secrets of the keep #aemond fics #aemond x fem!reader #aemond x reader #aemond x you #aemond targaryen #aemond imagine #hotd imagine #aemond targaryen x female reader #aemond targaryen x reader

[onskepa]

Hey long time no speak, I had an idea for your Stxeli series maybe one with her and Tsu’tey?

Maybe Mo’at and Neytiri left the clan for the day having something to do with tsahik business so Eytukan took her for the day but something came up that needed his attention so next thing you know Tsu’tey stuck watching her and he has no idea what to do .

And this is just a side note maybe he finds she likes trying to catch the persons tail until she did but she’s teething so she bit him ?

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Hi! OMGAH THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING!! I KNOW JUST HOW TO MAKE THIS!! HOPE YOU ENJOY~!!!

Stxeli series

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

Stxeli: Lack of instructions

It was another wonderful day. The sun rose and the community began to wake up. Mo’at and neytiri woke up extra early as they had to leave for visit a nearby clan. Eytukan glady looked forward to another father daughter day with his sweet baby girl, stxeli. He had a few duties to attend to but none that had to have him away from his child. 

That is until something really did require his utmost attention. And it wasn't something he could take stxeli along for. No, it was risky and with what happened last time, eytukan wasn't so keen on taking his chances. But that left him troubled. Who else can take care of his baby while he is out doing his tasks? Many would gladly volunteer yes but he needs someone he can truly trust. So that only points to one person. 

“ME?!” 

“Yes you tsu’tey”

Tsu’tey, a young na’vi warrior. Training to be the next olo’eyktan. A promising leader for the future that the people can rely on. Respectful and earning his respect as he goes through his early stages of iknimaya. 

Is stuck babysitting a human baby girl. 

And not just any baby girl, no, the daughter of Eytukan and Mo’at. Their little ‘gift’ as they praise so much. Even neytiri seems to be under the child's spell or some sort. As this baby was human, so clearly she stands out. And it bothers tsu’tey a lot. Humans robbed everything from his people. What more can this little thing steal? His heart?

Little wide eyes stare up at the young amber eyes. No words, just stare in slow blinks. Tsu’tey sat in front of stxeli as his tail behind him slowly sways. He carefully observes her, but the little human does nothing. For the moment. Stxeli her name was, odd blubby pink thing she is. Soft and warm to touch and very ticklish. 

Eytukan has given young tsu’tey the task to watch over his daughter as he is currently busy with a problem that cant be cast aside. While tsu’tey was left in confusion and baffled that his olo’eyktan would give him, a young warrior in training, a silly task. Though it was so sudden and not given to the young boy on what to do, tsu’tey so far thinks it is easy. 

Stxeli on the other hand observes the new face. He looks at odds in her eyes. The new face isn't like her mama or dada, or her big sister. Stxeli wonders if he is just as fun playing games as her family does. 

“This looks easy…I think” tsu’tey looks down at stxeli who was hanging awkwardly on the sling he was using to carry her. The poor little limbs were all over the place, her left arm hanging while the other was being held up and her legs, one folded and the other stretched out. This was not a comfortable position for stxeli, none. 

So stxeli releases her cries, making it known she does not like being held like that. 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” 

Tsu’tey was worried now, this was first! How does he calm her down? 

“Ssshhhh! Its ok, ummm…!! Ok ok here” tsu’tey was rambling as he was quick to remove her from the sling. But her cries didn't stop, stxeli’s little cheeks becoming red and her cries louder. This was not as easy as tsu’tey would have thought. 

To be fair, Eytukan really didn't give much instructions or information on how to take care of his daughter. Just placed the baby on tsu’teys arms and told him to take care of her while he is away. And left. True tsu’tey has some experience with young babies, his little brother Arvok. Cute baby he is, but Arvok is a na’vi baby, stxeli is a human baby so not everything can be the same. 

“Ssshhhh, don't cry” tsu’tey bounces stxeli in his arms, trying to calm her down. Yet she still cries. How do they do it? Maybe she is hungry? He looks around the home to look for anything. He remembers the tsahik feeding stxeli smashed fruit before. Maybe some food will calm her down. Moving a few things around Tsu'tey found some fruits. He quickly peels one and was quick to feed it to stxeli. “Eat and shush” he says as though stxeli will understand what he is saying. 

Thankfully the baby did calm down. And like a hungry little beast, stxeli tries to shove a big piece in her mouth. Grabbing the fruit tightly with her little hands, doing her best to take big mites. This certainly made tsu’tey chuckle a bit. But quickly shook his head. No, he shouldn't be amused by the human. Tsu’tey mentally scolds himself, humans are parasitic. They all are. 

Though, as he watches stxeli eat, he notices something odd about her. 

“You are taking rather big bites…” tsu’tey comments, one thing he knows babies in general is that they should not eat big pieces, feeling a bit worried the little one might choke. So he gently pulls away the fruit, but this makes stxeli whine, making grabby gestures of wanting more. 

“Hold on, just a moment little one” he whispers, carefully putting his finger in her mouth to examine something. Tsu’tey has his suspicions, and surprise surprise, he was correct. . 

“Just as I thought…” 

Stxeli was teething.

Now teething is normal, every baby goes through it. Not surprising that stxeli is no different. Though she may lack the fangs, baby teeth are not something to be taken lightly. Tsu’tey knows it first hand. Few years back with arvok was a baby himself, tsu’tey was often the victim of his brother's teething. Being bitten by tiny teeth is not as funny as he thought first hand. Arvok loved to bite tsu’tey’s tail, it hurts more than biting the ear. 

So Tsu'tey thought of something that might help. 

Soon after stxeli’s fruity lunch, tsu’tey was quick to take her out into the village for some social time while he searched for materials to create a little soft toy. He did this with Arvok during his teething phase, perhaps it will work the same with the little human. According to his mother, a baby should have something soft for them to safely chew on. 

So as tsu’tey was looking through some of the materials the locals were offering, stxeli was happily chewing away the little basket she was being carried in. Wasn't soft but not so hard either. Stxeli had the desire to just bite things, and it is fun!

Yet as stxeli bites down on her little cage, her eyes are locked on every na’vi tail. Mama said something about tails but little stxeli couldn't remember. Doesn't matter, all that matters is her need to bite down on those tails. They look so tempting for some reason. Will they be squishy like her fruit, or hard like the tart neytiri eats? Who knows. 

“Aabaaaa!!” 

Stxeli calls out for the young boy that was carrying her. Demanding his attention. 

“Not now,” tsu’tey replies. As dumb as it may seem but tsu’tey understands the baby language well, so he knows what stxeli wants. And that is to be put down. No way is that happening. She is just in her teething phase, no way will the ‘disappear in one second’ phase will start. 

“AAAHHHH!!” stxeli shouts more. 

“I said not now-OW!!” Tsu'tey hisses in pain as he feels a strong pull of his braids. Hearing the annoying laughter of stxeli, he turns to the child smiling widely like his pain was amusing to her. 

“Cruel thing you are” he sneers at her. But stxeli doesnt care. His eyes are finally on her. Tsu’tey grabbed the materials he needed and headed back to stxeli’s home. Clearly she has enough social exposure for the day. 

“No stop, stxeli stop…!!” tsu’tey feels really lost and annoyed at the same time. The second he places the baby down, was the second she decided to crawl all around him. Like some obstacle course that stxeli had to dominate/ which in a way stxeli was trying to try, new person, new mission. 

Though stxeli isnt familiar with boundaries, so when she climbed to the top of tsu’tey’s head, she pulled his ear rather roughly. 

“Owowowow! STOP!” he hissed at stxeli angrily, his patience dropping by the second. Lifting her up, air jail style, he glares down at her. 

Stxeli on the other hand was scared. The boy made a scary angry face. She didn't want to be near him anymore, so she wobbled her lips, tears threatening to fall once again.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!” 

She cries out. Again. 

Crap. 

Eytukan had finished his duties and was excited to go home. He knows that mo’at and neytiri would arrive the following morning, so he has some time with stxeli before he will have to fight with his mate and daughter again. Yet as he gets closer, he hears a loud familiar cry. 

Stxeli was crying loudly. 

Quickly he runs closer to his home, opening the flaps he sees stxeli crying, her face red and tears falling non stop. Not far from her was tsu’tey who looked just as ready to cry himself. 

Stxeli sees her papa and quickly crawls towards him, seeking safety and comfort. And eytukan was quick to pick her up. 

“Ssshhh there there ma’ite, I'm here. I'm here” he soothes. Stxeli places her head on his chest hearing his voice vibrate in his chest while clinging onto him for dear life. Slowly her cries stopped, and was quick to pass out from exhaustion. 

“Why did you leave me with her?” tsu’tey asks angrily. Eytukan looked at the young boy with regret. “I'm sorry tsu’tey, where I had to go was urgent, the only person I could think of to take care of her was you. I'm sorry I made you go through all that” eytukan apologizes. For Tsu'tey, a simple apology didn't seem enough. 

“You left me alone with a little human, gave me no clear instructions on how to care for her, practically left me to figure it out. She pulled my hair, constantly wanting attention, always hungry, always screaming, crying, throwing tantrums, biting! Oh and before I forget, she is teething!” Tsu'tey listed all that happened in short words to get his point across. 

“She is a little demon! Everytime I experience something painful she laughs at me! She laughs at others' pain! My mother is right, all stxeli is a par-”

“Tsu’tey that's enough” Eytukan warns. His voice booming with authority and demand. 

And the little boy shut his mouth up. His whole body froze, staring at the olo’eyktan with shock and fear. 

“I know I was in the wrong to leave you without anything to go by, but tsu’tey, never, and I mean NEVER speak ill of my daughter. Stxeli isn't a demon. Don't let your mothers words blind you to what reality truly is' ' Eytukan speaks, his voice strong yet gentle. 

Tsu’tey lowers down his gaze, his ears and tail lowering down too. 

Eytukan sighs and gestures to the boy to come closer. To which the boy does. 

“Tell me, what was arvok like when he was a baby?” Eytukan asks. 

Tsu’tey takes a moment to remember, “my brother was a bit loud, he would laugh at any sound, enjoyed having me attention. He used to eat moss for some reason, and loved playing with anything that moved. Oh, and loved to be showered in love and would pout if nobody was paying attention to him. And was always hungry” he listed. Remembering how his baby brother was like brought a warm smile to his face. 

“And why did arvok do those certain things?” Eytukan asks. Tsu’tey shrugs, “Im not sure, but he was a baby who-ooooohh…”

Tsu’tey understood now. 

“You are catching on, good. Stxeli does things that even I don't understand, but it somehow makes sense to her. Humor is different for everyone, and it changes. Stxeli likes to see others in pain perhaps by the expressions we make. Perhaps she finds them funny. Babies are unpredictable and it is always a surprise to see what they do next. Yes, she cries and can last a long time screaming, but remember. She is still a baby who is learning in her own way. So try not to be so upset with her. Maybe in the future, you can teach her a thing or two”. 

Tsu’tey lets his words settle in his mind. Echoing and embedding. 

A couple of hours later, after a needed nap that both stxeli and tsu’tey needed, they had their little dinner. Tsu’tey was enjoying his food as he and eytukan watch stxeli crawl around and try to bite whatever she finds interesting. 

“I have seen your little project tsu’tey, are you making a soft toy for her?” Eytukan asks, his eyes never leaving stxeli’s. Tsu’tey looks down a bit, “yes, it is not finished but, I figured it would do her good to chew on something soft and not anything that could harm her” he says. 

Eytukan hums in approval. He looks down at the pot to serve himself more food. 

“Tomorrow, if you are not so busy-OW!!!” tsu’tey was interrupted with a sharp pain was felt on his tail. Quickly he turns around and suddenly sees stxeli biting down on his tail. Her little eyes staring up at him like she is innocent of a crime that she is so clearly commiting. 

“Stop it-OW!!” 

Stxeli laughs at his pain. Again. 

Eytukan chuckles, goes over to his daughter to carefully pull her away from the child’s tail. Tsu’tey rubbed the pain away from his tail, “how can her teeth be so small but hurt so much?” he groans. Though not as annoyed as before. 

Eytukan puts stxeli back down to let her crawl again, “similar to smaller predators that have razor sharp teeth. Soon she will have full jaws of teeth. I should add more solids to her diet” he says. 

Tsu’tey nods, “if you plan on-OOOOOOWWW!!” 

Again tsu’tey turns and sees stxeli once again biting down on his tail. But this time, stxeli is locked in. Refusing to let go. 

“OWOWOWOOWWOWOOOOOOOOOOOW!!” Tsu'tey cries out in pain, trying to pull the baby away. Eytukan gently tries to pull stxeli away again, but stxeli was dead set. She will bite the tail if its the last thing she does! 

“Stxeli times to let go now” 

“OOOOOOOOOOW!! SHE IS DIGGING!! STXELI IS-OOOOW!!” 

Tsu’tey plans to finish that toy before he loses his tail to a biting little baby.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand that is it for this one! I like how it turned out, lemme know what you guys think! Until next time! See ya!

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

Taglist: @galactict3a , @tulipatheticee , @moonchildxoxx , @victoria2054 , @alastorhazbin , @vivangothic , @spookymomfriendtm , @thehoneymushroomhealer , @kat-the-kit , @thepotatoislost , @hoodiepandaninja16 , @sugurupookie , @ceylon-morphe286

#avatar #avatar the way of water #na'vi x reader #na'vi avatar #na'vi x human #mo'at x reader #eytukan x reader #neytiri x human reader #neytiri x reader #neytiri x jake #neytiri x y/n #neytiri x you #tsu'tey x y/n #tsu'tey fluff #tsu'tey x reader #tsu'tey te rongloa ateyitan #tsu'tey avatar #omatikaya clan

[prince-honeypaw]

WARNING: This post contains mentions of terminal illness and parental death! Proceed with caution.

♡ There are no secrets kept between Tamaki and Mirio. They've grown up together since they were just developing their quirks and have been attached at the hip for just as long. Where Tamaki went, Mirio was never far behind! They're in perfect tandem.

♡ Up until their first year at UA that is.

♡ Going to a prestigious hero school was already very stressful for Tamaki, but that wasn't all that bore down on his frazzled mind. Not long before he was accepted into UA, his grandmother had passed away. She was his only living family member after his mother passed from a terminal illness when he was rather young, which meant that he was hopping from foster home to foster home his entire first year. It was terrifying for him!

♡ He was so afraid of being alone again.

♡ Mirio was at a loss on how to help his closest friend. He knew that Tamaki was struggling with moving every month or so, but nothing he tried seemed to alleviate that stress. From putting time aside to help him try to regress or taking him out to do something fun, it only ever ended in Tamaki going home in tears.

♡ It wasn’t until he started his work study with Fatgum that someone finally found the solution to—at least one of—Tamaki’s anxieties. He was adopted by the BMI Hero and finally had that stable living situation that he desperately needed in order to thrive! And, with that settled, Tamaki’s little slowly started to come back out one step at a time. He was hesitant to let Taishiro know about his regression, but Taishiro is one of the most understanding and open minded heroes out there. Different strokes for different folks!

♡ And, while happy that Tamaki was starting to feel better enough to regress again, Mirio couldn’t help but feel this little twinge of disappointment. Disappointment in himself for not being able to help his best friend when he needed it most. He tried his best to not let it get to him, but oh did his smile not quite reach his eyes for a time afterwards. He was afraid of not being needed anymore.

♡ Soon after, things went back to how they used to be! For the most part. New routines filled the cracks and became the new norm... Up until another wrench was thrown in the cogs a year and a half later.

♡ UA's dorm system was implemented for the safety of the students, but Tamaki feels like it was an attack on him personally. He had gone through so much to settle in with Taishiro! He paced and fretted over the new stressor for days upon days before it was time to move in. Taishiro promised that everything would be peachy keen, and that he'd always have his home in Esuha when all was said and done! It wasn't like he was being exiled.

♡ His words went in one ear and right out the other the moment he had to pack away his regression gear, squawking and fretting that someone would find out! He couldn't- He shouldn't- He WOULDN'T! And, regretfully, he didn't. Taishiro said that if he changed his mind, he'd have it all packed and ready to go when he saw him next, but Tamaki was stubborn in his decision.

♡ Moving into the dorms was suspiciously simple to Tamaki. He didn't drop anything, didn't trip up the stairs, didn't spill water on the new carpet in his dorm- And having dinner with the rest of his class wasn't a disaster either. It was actually... Very fun! Nejire was in the dorm across from his own and Mirio was just a floor away, so he didn't feel as alone as he thought he would be.

♡ It was nice. Something he would have to tell Taishiro about later.

♡ However, he hadn't noticed just how much later it had gotten! The sky had grown darker and most of the class had already disappeared into their dorms, leaving a chilling quiet to bear down on his mind. He'd been so content with the company of so many familiar faces that it never occured to him that his schedule had been thrown off entirely.

♡ First was brushing his teeth. Then was taking his medication with a bottle- A bottle he didn't have. That was fine, it was fine! There was no need to freak out, okay... He could just skip that part and take his medicine with a glass of water. Then he could get dressed and get Lilliput r- Lilliput was still at home. Okay... Okay, that would be harder to do without, but he didn't need to freak out! He... Papa could fix it-

♡ Like the shatter of glass, Tamaki's already slipping headspace crashed to the floor with that realization. Papa wasn't there. He was all alone now, all alone without the comforts he'd grown to rely on when the world felt so much bigger and he felt so... so small. Tears fell hot and thick, hiccups burning his throat. He was alone, he was alone, he was alone, he—

"Tamaki?"

♡ His breath caught and he snapped to attention. Mirio, suddenly understanding the situation with only a look, wore an expression that was as warm as sunlight, reaching out and taking Tamaki's hands.

"Hi there, sunshine! What's going on up here?" He asked with a gentle tap of his fingertip to the baby's forehead. Tamaki blinked through the tears and immediately jammed himself into Mirio's comforting presence and fit against him like a puzzle piece, hiccuping when he managed to speak. His words were jammed together between panic and his headspace, but Mirio nodded along as though it was just another conversation.

♡ Because, to him, it was! He knew baby Tamaki just as well as he knew big Tamaki, through timid mumbles and teary babbling, Mirio understood him. Rough thumb pads gingerly wiped the still falling tears off his ruddy cheeks, and Mirio spoke in a soft voice he knew was just for him.

"Okay, I gotcha, I gotcha! I still have some of your stuff on hand, remember?"

At the slow nodding, Mirio smiled, "That's right, so we can text your papa that you need your stuff and go get it after class tomorrow, 'kay? It's no big deal."

♡ Tamaki, still sniffling, echoed the words, "No big deal...", before letting Mirio guide him through his nighttime routine with what they had. A sippy full of water and a puppy plush suited him just fine, but following Mirio to his room was just inevitable. He felt so much less lonesome with him there and Mirio couldn't find it in himself to take Tamaki up to his own room.

♡ So, they settled in for the night in Mirio's dorm. Tamaki picked out a story on his tablet while Mirio washed the spare pacifier he kept around for Tamaki when he would stay over. With the pacifier clean and the sippy refilled with fresh water, Mirio returned to tuck in under the covers and pop the soother in Tamaki's mouth. They were in for a night of reading fairy tales and just being together.

♡ Tamaki barely lasted more than five minutes before he dozed off, his head resting against Mirio's chest. The thrum of his heartheat against his ear was like a lullaby soothed him into letting out a murmured, "N'ni, Mewi..."

♡ While holding Tamaki in his strong, scarred arms and stroking calloused fingers through indigo blue locks, feeling Tamaki's breathing slow into a gentle purr of sleep... Mirio wonders what he ever had to worry about in the first place.

#//I started writing this before finding out that Mirio was in 3B #//So I reject canon and put the funny man in 3A #tw: parental death #tw: terminal illness #long post #sfw agere #bnha agere #Agere Tamaki #Agere Mirio #Honey HCs

[circusmania]

This is a bit dark but can I please ask for him but as a romantic yandere with kianna komori looks like he has feelings for her

But how would he react to having to marry one of them or she'll be extracted because she needs a groom since she's a bride

By the way she is an OC of mine you can find more information on my page here on Tumblr

I also have an alternate scenario where she's in the digital circus

But she's a pride

Romantic!Yandere!Jax x Kianna Komori (Oc)

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Notes: [ Kianna Komori is an original character that belongs to @nunezs-stuff ] Hi hi!! Hopefully, I portrayed your character the way you wanted :') Hope you enjoy!!

Muah Muah ⋆ ‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧ ‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧ ‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆.✧˚₊‧⋆‧ ‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚

It all started when a new character was introduced to the digital circus. Kianna Komori. She had lush brown hair, pale skin, and wore a white, long Victorian dress. Her headpiece had a veil covering most of her face and flowers adorned it. She also happened to have a bouquet of white flowers. She looked just like a bride. And she was. But where was her groom?

She didn't talk to any of the members of the circus, she was quiet and reserved. She moved just like a puppet on strings. She would stroll through the halls as if searching for something… or someone. Her plain but poignant makeup never faltered, no matter how much she cried behind her room's walls.

Ragatha had tried her best to make her feel welcome. She really did…but something felt off with the bride. It didn't help that Jax fed their bad thoughts on Kianna, making them not so keen on approaching her.

Jax, the sarcastic, irritating but charming rabbit. He had developed quite a crush on the princess. He had successfully managed to stir any competition (not like there were many (or any) to begin with) away.

He had started to accompany Kianna on her walks. At first, Kianna paid no mind to him, she seemed more lost in thought. But Jax persisted.

He had begged Caine for stuff like roses, biscuits and other stuff to coerce her. In return, he had promised Caine that he'd behave (not only did he bruise his ego by begging, but he also promised to behave! Caine couldn't believe his ears… if he even had any).

Jax presented each of his gifts to her as romantically as he could. Indeed, he wasn't very experienced, but he made due. And she gladly accepted them, and soon, she fell in love.

Her search abruptly stopped as she focused more on Jax as they hung around more and more. They'd take strolls, sit by each other at the table, and even visit each other's rooms.

Kianna opened up to Jax too, exposing her vulnerable side. She told him how she felt when her sister had passed, and how she had cried for months on end. She shared as well any of her nightmares or when she'd have a break-down, Jax would always be by her side.

Safe to say that they'd get along well. However, to any outsiders, it was a completely different story. No one was allowed to touch Kianna and believe me, no one could. Jax made sure of that.

Although Jax and Kianna were practically together, this didn't stop Jax from teasing others. This earned Pomni a couple nasty glares from Kianna.

Anyway, let us circle back to Kianna being a bride.

Recently, her search began again, only this time, more frantically. She'd toss pillows away, open and empty out drawers and search high and low. And no one knew for what.

“Kianna? What's the matter with you?” Jax would ask, worried.

He'd try to get her mind off things by being extra romantic with her, but nothing worked. Kianna was getting closer and closer to getting abstracted. And Jax knew… he knew the signs.

Jax was starting to think she was searching for an exit to leave this place… to leave him. This made him panic even more.

However, little did Jax know that Kianna had no intentions of leaving him.

One day, Jax had had enough and grabbed Kianna's hands to stop her from messing up her room even more.

“Sweetheart? What's going on?? Talk to me, please… I'm… I'm scared.” He admitted, swallowing down all his pride.

Jax stared into Kianna's glassy eyes.

“My… groom…” She gasped.

At first, Jax's worst nightmare broke out, thinking Kianna was already engaged. But then, she reached up to touch his face.

“Who am I… without my groom?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

She tightened her hands around Jax's.

Jax looked at her, confused. “Me? I'm…your groom?”

He blushed once Kianna slowly nodded. He let go of her hands and took a step back. Truth be told, he always thought that marriage was too big of a commitment for him. But, for Kianna, he'd be prepared to get abstracted if it meant he'd see her smile.

Naturally, he quickly agreed.

Hurriedly, they asked Caine to digitally create a wedding venue. Caine being Caine, agreed if he could be the best man.

And so, the wedding was put in place. Everyone attended (be it by force or not) and the remaining seats were occupied by the Gloinks. It was a nice change in scenery for everyone. Bubble was the priest and helped them recite their vows.

It was a beautiful moment, and Caine couldn't help but shed a tear.

And thus, the bride found her groom.

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#horror #x female #tadc jax #jax #tadc #amazing digital circus #the amazing digital circus #victorian #wedding #yandere male #yandere #yandere female #oc #oc request #straight #bride #tadc caine #tadc oc #happy new year

[ryttu3k]

Theoretically, what clans do you think the other bg3 companions would be?

I have definitely Thought About This! The setting I had in mind was during the Anarch Revolt, with the main squad being a new pack.

Thoughts behind Lasombra Astarion - still keeps his self-image issues regarding reflections, which sets him aside from his companions. That implication that Cazador set the Gur on him is pretty similar to the Lasombra tradition of deliberately grooming your future childe for the Embrace, and honestly, a combination of blood bonds and heavy use of Dominate fits Cazador's modus operandi as well. The ritual is either Abyss mysticism or, yeah, straight-out infernalism, like the whole Azaneali/Angellis Ater stuff. In this, it's not a tadpole that frees Astarion from his control, it's the Vaulderie.

For his fate afterwards, I'm not sure. I feel Ascending would parallel him diablerising Cazador and maybe his siblings, as in it may be a step too far. An Ascended/diablerist Astarion would probably stay with the Revolt as it became the Sabbat, one who doesn't might go Autarkis.

For the others, I'm not 100% locked in on these, but I'm thinking:

Shadowheart: Lasombra as well, focusing much more on Abyss Mysticism (whereas Cazador dabbled but largely stuck to the Lasombra social structure stuff). Keen user of Obtenebration. Has had a lot of her memories erased or altered via Dominate. Kinfolk. At first is extremely vehemently against joining the Camarilla and supports the nascent Sabbat, but leaving the Sharrans may work as her going Autarkis, working out her own route?

Lae'zel: I'm actually thinking Ventrue? Very strict social structure, all these complexes about power and weakness. If she ends up staying with the Revolt and joining the Sabbat, the whole Dark Knight thing the Ventrue antitribu have fits pretty well! OTOH, Orpheus kind of fits as a stand-in for a methuselah, so that would cause... issues. She might be Ventrue antitribu only in the sense that she's not Camarilla, and still has her personal loyalty to Orpheus.

Gale: Tragically, I think he's Tremere, and probably quite a low generation (maybe instead of Mystra, he's bound to his sire, Meerlinda?). Born Mage who was identified and groomed by the Tremere specifically for the Embrace. Leaving Mystra = defecting from the Pyramid and joining the Revolt, although he still feels deeply conflicted about it. He may end up joining the Camarilla but could be swayed otherwise, which I suspect he might do based on love of his friends and being convinced he doesn't need the power the Camarilla could offer him.

Wyll and Karlach: Brujah, but more specifically, Brujah from the same 'family', with Zariel being Mizora's and Karlach's sire, and Mizora being Wyll's sire. Wyll fits the idealistic Wanting To Fix Things Brujah mindset, and Karlach… enjoys punching things. I don't see either fitting with the Sabbat. Zariel and Mizora are both into infernalism and got their childer into it as well, although Karlach resents it and Wyll feels deeply conflicted. Another option is that they just have regular-ass sires, but Mizora and Zariel are Baali who convince them to go apostate - Karlach under a lot of duress, Wyll with good intentions (power to help people!) but recognising later that, oops, that may have caused issues.

Halsin: Two fun options! One, he's a Gangrel (who follows the Path of the Eightfold Wheel, natch). Also Autarkis, although I feel he'd want to keep having a Purpose and would probably end up with a group of other Autarkis and try to… keep an eye on them. Another interesting option, though, is that as well as Garou, there are also bear Fera! Will elaborate below.

Jaheira: Gangrel, straight-out. Would go Autarkis after the Revolt.

Minsc: Having met him yet, but I get a Brujah-with-out-of-clan-Animalism vibe. Maybe learned from Jaheira? Autarkis as well.

So for Halsin, there are werebears! They're called Gurahl.

"The werebears are Gaia's healers, tied to the Earth with a stronger bond than any other Fera. Many Garou believe the Gurahl are extinct, killed during the War of Rage when they would not give up the secret of restoring life to the dead. In truth, they entered a long sleep using a trick taught to them by the Mokolé, and have awoken in the modern world.

Slow to anger, Gurahl tend to be healers and protectors rather than warriors. Rare since the War of Rage, they were targeted for refusing to teach the Garou the secret of resurrecting the dead."

So, either Halsin is a Gurahl who ends up accidentally adopting a pack of Cainites, or he's a Gurahl kinfolk who's Embraced as a Gangrel. When he returns home, he's a bit, "Sooooo… hi. Vampire now," and they don't end up killing him because, what the hell, he's family and also still Halsin. "Yes, this is my son. Yes, he's a vampire. It's complicated."

Slight alternative - Halsin, Jaheira, and Minsc are all much older (older ancilla/ancilla with a werebear pal), with Jaheira and Minsc already being close, and maybe Halsin and Jaheira knowing each other beforehand. When they meet this newer, younger pack (the Origin characters), they go, "Okay, these kids are going to need guidance" and jump in to babysit mentor them. In that case, they may not consider themselves truly part of the Anarch Revolt, but be avowed Autarkis. Age-wise for the Origin characters, Astarion is ancilla but the whole two hundred years of slavery means he's still pretty inexperienced in the world, and the others are all neonates. Hell, Lae'zel, Wyll, and Karlach may even still be considered fledglings, or like, just released.

So tl;dr, Anarch pack who largely go Autarkis after the Revolt, with Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel torn between Autarkis and the Sabbat, and Gale being torn between Autarkis and the Camarilla. I want to say they all stay Autarkis, with the bonds they've developed? Still have some Anarch traits like a vinculum, but otherwise are avoiding both the violence of the Sabbat and the hierarchy of the Camarilla, a lot of which is why they joined the Revolt in the first place.

Thanks for the ask, this was so fun :D

#vampire the masquerade #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 spoilers #brainworm squad #baldur's masquerade

[roxannarambles]

teal mask fixit-fic on the fly part 3

(Current story so far: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 4)

All of your friends were chattering, excited about dressing up and going to a local festival tonight that one of the Blueberry students had very shyly invited you all to. When you'd arrived at his home, he even loaned you all some Jinbei, their traditional garb; it was made of a silky, luxurious fabric and made the evening feel very special. Your Jinbei was a lush purple; Nemona's was a cheerful orange; Penny's was a rich crimson, and Arven's was a forest green. The young boy who had invited you all, Kieran, had yellow, and his older sister, Carmine, had a dark blue.

Kieran's grandparents were so welcoming and sweet. They seemed positively thrilled when their grandson had returned with so many new friends in tow. They took you all into their home as if you were their own grandchildren. The grandmother even spent extra time helping you and Nemona fix your hair up into an elegant side-bun, and the two of you gushed at each other at how amazing you both looked. (Penny's hair was too short for the style, but you suspected that was a relief for her; she already looked supremely embarassed and uncomfortable in the outfit as it was. When the grandmother gave her a pretty wrap to use in her hair instead, though, and you and Nemona told her how nice it looked, she smiled and blushed.) In the background, Carmine had been scowling and grumbling quietly, but it didn't surprise you. When you had arrived here earlier today, the first thing she did when she met you was chew you out and then challenge you to battle. Apparently she had felt she had something to prove. When she'd lost, she had remained bitter towards you. It seemed she wasn't too keen on any of the Naranja students here.

After you'd all finished dressing up, you headed to the shed to gather up the festival masks. It was the most important part of the costume, apparently; the festival was named the Festival of Masks, after all. When the Blueberry siblings had located the box of masks, you'd all gathered round and selected from them; you grabbed one that was pink had a beak. However, there was a problem; it seemed the box was short a mask for the group. Arven had ended up without one.

When Kieran offered to give his mask to Arven instead, though, his sister adamantly refused to let him, insisting it was "first come first serve." The siblings began to bicker, and in order to avoid an awkward situation, Arven spoke up.

"Hey, it's okay. I don't need a mask, it's fine."

The young boy Kieran brushed aside a long lock of dark hair in his face and quietly protested, "B-but, you're our guest, and I-I . . ."

His sister placed a protective hand on his shoulder and said,

"No way, Kiki. You love that dumb ogre mask, anyway, you don't need to give it up for anyone."

The boy trailed off, his eyes sad. Arven stepped a little closer to him and smiled, saying,

"Hey, cheer up, little bud! I'm a tough guy, I don't need a scary mask to keep me safe! I'm scary enough without the mask. Right guys?"

You and Nemona laughed. Penny rolled her eyes and said,

"Suuuuure."

After that, the group walked to the festival. Carmine had led the way, telling you all about the festival's traditions, bragging about how exciting and meaningful it was. Kieran and Arven had trailed a little further behind the group than the rest. While Nemona questioned Carmine about some game called 'Ogre Ousting,' the boys carried on a quiet conversation.

"Hey. Thanks again for offering your mask to me. I really am fine without one, so no worries, but, just wanted to say, I still appreciated you trying to include me."

The Blueberry Academy student nodded shyly and glanced away.

"S-sure . . . I, um, I know what it's like to be left out of things."

Arven frowned. He seemed to study the mask the boy currently had stuck to his head. It had a wide, toothy grin, yellow fangs and horns, a face surrounded by leaves.

"So this ogre guy, from the story. Isn't he the villian? I'm just wondering why you like him enough to wear his mask. Or maybe it's just fun the play the bad guy, huh?"

Kieran shook his head slowly.

"I-I . . . I don't think he's as bad as people make him out to be. I'm sure he's really strong, but . . . I never felt like he was evil when I heard the stories. Maybe just . . . lonely."

Arven raised a brow.

"Lonely?"

Kieran said,

"Yeah! He lives up there on the mountain top, all alone in his cramped little den. Everyone in the village is scared of him, so there's nobody for him to talk to. I think if it was me, I'd be a little cranky too."

Arven remained silent for a while, his expression strangely tense. Eventually, Kieran looked up at him, curious over his silence. Arven quickly smiled at him.

"Well, I tell ya what-- if I do happen to run into this ogre guy of yours, I promise I won't scream and run away like everyone else does."

The boy looked at him with wide, yellow eyes.

"You won't?"

Arven nodded, grinning.

"Nope. I'll try to talk to him. Even if he's a bit cranky. Everyone deserves a chance at making some friends, right?"

Kieran smiled, gratitude and awe reflected on his face.

"Yeah!"

He hesitated, then. He added,

"What if . . . um, what if the ogre doesn't feel like talking, though?"

Arven shrugged.

"Ehh, I guess then I'll . . . well, maybe I'll invite him to a quiet picnic."

"A picnic?"

"Yeah. I always feel less cranky after I've had somethin' to eat. And once somone's had a bite of one of my amazing, perfect sandwiches, they always wanna be buds with me!"

Kieran laughed a little, and you could see in his eyes that his heart looked a little lighter. Arven replied,

"What? I'm being serious!"

#pokemon #pokemon DLC #pokemon s/v #pokemon scarlet/violet #the teal mask #the teal mask fix it rewrites #spoilers #pokemon spoilers #arven #penny #nemona #juliana

[ithebookhoarder]

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back (Obi-Wan x Reader): Part 2

Summary: After Obi-wan’s accident, and Anakin’s brutal words, you left the Jedi Temple to try and let you both move on. However, you soon realise that forgetting your fellow Jedi is harder than you thought...

Part 1 - Part 2

A/N: Well, it’s been a hot minute since I wrote the first part of this and I know people were keen for a follow-up but I always struggled to get the words out. However, I blame the new Kenobi series for utterly re-igniting the flame I have for this character and this came out - finally! That and the fact the third episode has RUINED me today... 

Warnings: Angst, mention of injury, implied smut / start of smut

Masterlist:

It had been two weeks since the night you’d left - or, run away, if you were being more accurate. 

In fact, despite remaining with Padmé at the embassy for the duration of her stay, you couldn’t help but feel like you were still running. Every time you ignored a message, or a call, or even the very mention of anything to do with Obi-wan Kenobi you felt your heart ache worsen. 

Just because leaving was the right thing didn’t make it the easy thing. 

You couldn’t just magically forget the past fifteen years or so, no matter how much you wanted to. Maybe then you could find some kind of peace. 

Maybe then you wouldn’t be up all night imaging the pain and confusion he must have been feeling, waking up and finding out that he had saved your life, only for you to have left and ended things without a word to his face.

Yeah. You pretty much hated yourself too at this point. 

You could only hope it got easier with time. 

Until then, however, you were content to bury yourself in your work and the reason you were actually here on this planet - to watch over the woman sat next to you, strapping herself into your ship as you prepared to escort her to the latest in a long line of meetings. 

How Padmé could do it day after day, never complaining or showing her exhaustion publicly, was beyond you. In private, though, it was a whole other story. In fact, her tales about some of the long and dreary meetings she’d been stuck in were the highlight of your evenings. Last night had been particularly amusing, with Padmé sharing how one senator had actually fallen asleep during the ten minute rant another had given at the proposal of increasing taxes in the area. 

You’d snorted into your tea, trying and failing not to picture it. It was the kind of thing you’d have normally passed on to Obi-wan. For, despite his sometimes sensible exterior, he had a sense of humour like yours and irritating senators, in particular, always made him chuckle. 

You’d reached for your comms device, force of habit taking over as you went to message him. However, the sight of the numerous unopened messages already waiting for you on the screen were enough of a reminder for you to put it down. 

The soft sigh that had escaped your lips didn’t go unnoticed by Padmé, but she hadn’t said a word. Not until now, anyway.    

“You know Anakin called earlier.”

You blinked, tensing for just a moment as you focused on programming your flight plan into the ship’s mainframe. “Oh?”

“Yes. He wanted to know how we were getting along.” Padmé smiled. “Don’t worry, I said we were making progress even if things have been running a bit behind schedule since that storm the other day. He also said Obi-wan is back on his feet again… just, you know, in case you were wondering.” 

You paused. You could sense the question in her tone, as if she could see straight through you and the nonchalant way you nodded. “Well… good. I’m glad to hear it.” 

“He asked after you.”

“Anakin did?”

“Yes, but on behalf of Master Obi-wan, who says he still hasn’t heard from you since we left.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh. I don’t know why you’re surprised. He’s your friend, Y/N,” Padmé scoffed, rolling her eyes at you. 

She sounded surprised and a little confused as she looked away from her harness, and turned her chair to face you. To be fair, apathy at the news that Obi-wan was alive and well was not exactly your style. 

You might have well as just come out and said that something was wrong. Why else weren’t you dancing with joy? 

“I don’t know what happened between you but I know you both. You can work it out. You can only spend so long hiding from your problems, staying with me on this planet and ignoring his messages. He’ll still be there when you get back and he clearly misses you.” 

It took everything in you not to break. As it was, you gripped the controls a little tighter than necessary as you chose to prepare the ship for flight rather than meet the Senator’s gaze. “That’s the problem.” 

“Problem?”

“Forget I said anything.” 

“But Y/N-“

“Padmé. Please.” You hated how your voice cracked. “Drop it.” 

Padmé sighed but honoured your request. She didn’t say another word about it, even if you did catch her shooting you pitying looks throughout the rest of the day. Maker knows what she thought was going on between the pair of you. 

You didn’t even know how to explain it to yourself. How were you supposed to explain it to Obi-wan? After all, he deserved an explanation and you knew he’d be asking for one the moment he was back on the same planet as you were.

At least he was well enough to do so. That was the thought that gave you comfort as you tried to suppress your pain and focus on the task at hand. You were supposed to be working, after all. 

So, you held your head high, doing your best to look the part of a Jedi. 

Standing guard as you chaperoned Padmé through her various meetings was a good distraction, as was making sure that there were no possible threats to the proceedings in general; It was hard to think about anything else when you were busy thinking about how many possible weak spots there were in the room for a brave assassin to target. 

The answer - as you determined - was 34. 35 if they happened to be under 4 feet tall…

Needless to say, you were glad to make it back to the embassy in one piece as the day drew to a close. A hot bath and a tall glass of whatever alcohol you could get your hands on sounded divine right about then to help ease the pain of listening into hours and hours of diplomatic jargon that made no sense to you. 

With a smile, you bid Padmé a goodnight, watching as she went into her rooms across the hall, before you turned to do the same. 

However, you’d barely stepped over the threshold before you heard it. 

“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” 

The voice made you jump as did the sight of the man sat, waiting for you, on the sofa in your room. Without looking up you knew who it was; you knew that voice anywhere.

“Obi-wan… what? What are you doing here? I thought you were back at the temple resting. Should you even be up?”

“Hello to you too,” he smirked, his usual sarcastic tone oddly comforting. “I’m alive and in one piece, if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Thank the Maker for that. 

Given the condition you’d last seen him in, battered, bruised, and bandaged within an inch of his life, you couldn’t believe how normal he appeared (most likely the result of Anakin’s diligent care and an impressive amount of time in a Bacta tank). He barely had a hair out of place. 

It took everything in you to fight the sudden urge to throw yourself into his arms and prove to yourself that he was indeed alright. 

Instead, you took a step closer, trying your best to compose yourself so that he wouldn’t feel the way your heart threatened to burst out of your chest. Then again, it was most likely too late. He’d probably sensed it the moment you’d entered the room. 

He’d caught you off guard and he knew it - it had most likely been his plan all along. 

“Anakin said as much to Padmé. We were both relieved to hear you were out of the med bay.” 

“Were you? I must have missed that message. Then again, something must be wrong with your comms,” Obi continued, his meaning clear as he gestured to your traitorous data padd lying on the caff table in front of him. “After all, I’ve left several messages the past few weeks which have gone unanswered. Needless to say, I was surprised to arrive to find your communicator is, in fact, working.” 

“Well, I...” you stammered, feeling the heat rising in your cheeks at his accusation. 

Nervousness seemed to have crept up on you, because all you could do was stand there like an idiot, your breath caught in your throat. It felt like you were a youngling again, standing before Master Yoda as he scolded you for whatever mischief you and Obi-wan had got yourselves into. 

“Yes?”

“I left a note-“

“Ah, yes,” Obi hummed, rising to his feet. “I was wondering when you would mention that. Would you care to enlighten me as to why you left the temple without a word, other than that note?” 

You gulped. “Because Padmé needed an escort and there wasn’t time for me to wait, to tell you in person. I said all I needed to in that note.”

“We both know that isn’t the truth, Y/N. Please. I came here because clearly this is the only way to get you to talk to me-”

“Well, you should have saved yourself a trip because there’s nothing to talk about.” Your voice cracked as you turned around, feeling a wave of guilt wash over your body at the sight of him. He looked so tired, so distraught, and you knew it wasn’t just the accident that was to blame. Yet again, you left nothing but pain in your wake. “Please, Obi. You shouldn’t have come. Just… leave me alone.” 

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Obi-Wan-”

“Please.”

His tone almost broke you. 

You never had been able to deny him. He had somehow rooted himself deep within you, tethering himself to you with an invisible string that somehow always drew you back to one another. Even now, it felt like he was tugging on your heart, causing a deep ache at the thought of banishing him from your side.  

You let out a sigh of reluctance. “Fine, but only because we both know Anakin learned his stubbornness from having you as a Master and I don’t need you following me around until I give in.”

“Thank you.” Obi-wan was quick to nod his head in gratitude (even if he didn’t refute your point).

Somethings hadn’t changed. 

You remembered the first time he had tried that tactic on you, constantly shadowing you around the halls of the temple until you agreed to help him steal Qui-Gon’s ship on a dare. You were only ten at the time, but it felt like you had known each other for a whole lifetime - it had been that way since the moment you’d first laid eyes on one another as younglings. 

Despite fearing the consequences of what would happen if you two were caught, you had eventually agreed to help, unable to resist him for long. 

How simple things had been back then… 

You sighed. 

“You know, you didn’t exactly answer my question before. What are you doing here? And why do I feel as if Padmé is somehow involved in this?”

“Because you always were rather perceptive,” Obi-wan chuckled, reclaiming his spot on the couch behind him. 

He gestured to the seat opposite in clear invitation - one you decided to accept, despite the fact that this was technically your room. After all, it had been a long day and if you were to open this particular wound then you would at least be seated whilst doing it. 

You were also relieved, but not surprised, to see he had already helped himself to your tea collection too. At least he’d had the decency to pour you a cup. 

“That, and we both know our friend, Senator Amidala, all too well. She simply cannot stand not being able to fix something, including us it seems.” 

That sounded like Padmé. Hell, you’d been in that meeting room long enough today to know the true extent of his words. Padmé saw every problem as a puzzle to solve, and nearly every time, she did - even if it meant sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, or getting herself in the middle of trouble along the way. 

No wonder she and Anakin were close. They were practically the same person, in that regard, and were more than likely responsible for the few grey hairs both you and Obi-Wan had discovered over the years. 

“Us? What - but I - I haven’t told anyone anything -”

“You may not have, but I cannot say the same for Anakin,” Obi smirked, sipping his tea as if to hide the expression. “Nor, his eager apprentice, either. Apparently they may have mentioned to Padmé about our… lack of communication, amongst other things.”  

Why were you not surprised? 

“Of course they did.”    

Maker, you hated this. 

You hated that you had acted as judge, jury, and executioner without letting him plead his case.

You hated the echoing chasm that now existed between the both of you.

But most of all? You hated that you left and stayed away for so long. 

It shouldn't have been this way; you should have been at his bedside when he awoke, ready to thank him, and celebrate his recovery in person. You should have been helping him heal his wounds, rather than hiding away and licking your own. 

“I was a coward.” 

Saying the words aloud somehow made you feel lighter, even if you knew it would take more than words to fix this. The guilt was enough to cause your eyes to water, while you tried your best not to look at him. 

However, admitting the truth was the first step on a long road to enlightenment, as Master Yoda had once said. 

“I was a coward and I ran. I ran from you and the feelings I had for you - the feelings that I know you feel for me too. That crash was too close, Obi. I almost lost you and what’s worse is that it was because of me. I hurt you. Even Anakin knew it. You would never have done something so dangerous and stupid otherwise. You took out that fighter, at cost to yourself, because of me.”  

The confession came pouring out of you. 

“So, I ran and I left that note because I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t say those things to your face without you knowing that I didn’t mean them, because I don’t - and I’m trying so hard, Obi. I want to honour you and the promise you made to the order, to Master Qui-Gon and Anakin… I don’t want to put you in that position.” 

“So you left?”

“Yes.”

“You made that decision for me, on my behalf?” 

You blinked, sensing the hurt behind his words. “Yes. I did, and I’m sorry... I love you too much to do this to us anymore. I thought by making the choice for you I was sparing you pain in the long run.” 

“Well, you thought wrong. I need you to hear me when I say this, Y/N. I choose you. I choose you, no matter what it means for us or whatever our future may look like. I choose you because I love you and I have for as long as I can remember.”

You knew how much he meant what he said when he used that tone. It's the one he used often when addressing the council or when there was some sort of important threat that needed to be dealt with. It was resolute, and left no room for misunderstanding. 

“These feelings came to be all on their own, and I could never resent you for them. You didn’t force me to feel this way, nor do you force me to act in any way I would not choose to do myself. Do you understand?” 

“Obi-wan… I-" you choked, unable to convince yourself that he was not still angry with you. However, he seemed to know exactly what intrusive thoughts were plaguing you - the same ones that had caused you to flee in the first place. The ones that told you deep down you weren’t enough, that this was a mistake, that he couldn’t possibly be here saying these things to you. 

"Tell me that you understand that. Please." 

You gnawed at your bottom lip. "I... understand."

Relief flooded in his eyes at your words.

Finally, both of you seemed to be on the same page, but it still didn't erase the shame you felt. Tears rolled down your cheeks as your lips trembled.

“Obi, I'm so sorry... you were hurt and I abandoned you. Seeing you like that, and knowing my part in it all, I let my emotions take over and you didn’t deserve that. I left and I should've stayed. I messed things up-" 

The words died on your lips as he took your face in his scarred hands, passionately pressing his lips against yours.

Your mind was reeling but all you could do was hum in the kiss, fighting the urge to pull away. 

No. 

No more running from this. 

On that point, he was right; whatever steps you took next you would take together, and denying this connection was clearly not possible. Not when it consumed you so entirely, your soul crying out for his and causing your knees to go weak. 

His lips clashed with yours, his fingers threaded through your hair, tilting your face up. That devious smile grew, and your toes curled in your boots as you saw the smile you’d spent the last few weeks dreaming about. “There’s my darling, Y/N.”

“Obi,” you sighed. 

It was odd how much you’d missed this… missed him… even the way his beard lightly scratched your chin as you kissed him made your heart skip a beat. You felt as if you were somehow complete, like a piece of you had been missing but now returned as he took you in his arms, pulling you roughly against him. 

You were his and he was yours. 

"I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again, you understand me?"

“I’m never leaving you again,” you whined earnestly, a smile of your own escaping your lips as he began to trail his kisses against your jawline and neck. He knew you all too well and was clearly not above playing dirty when it came to reminding you. 

Hence his choice of tactic, tilting you both backwards until you lay against the sofa cushion - penned in, with no escape, you were forced to listen as he pulled back long enough to meet your watery gaze once more. 

“I need you to remember, it's ok to get scared. It's human. You're afraid of losing me the same way I'm afraid of losing you, Y/N,” Obi stated firmly. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you’re beside me, wherever that may be.”  

You stared up at him with a hesitant, watery smile. 

His throat bobbed. “I missed you. Every second, every breath. Not just this,” he said, shifting his hips for emphasis and dragging a groan from deep in your throat, “but … talking to you. Being with you. Having you beside me. I missed having you as my friend even more.”

Your eyes burned. “I know.” 

As soon as the words left your lips, his arms tightened around you in reply, his forehead lowering to press to your shoulder. 

You stroked a hand through his silken hair.

“I know. Never again,” you promised him, and whispered it over and over.

Taglist (people who asked about part 2):

@obiwanownsmyass​ @tommysparker​ @graniairish​ @itscheybaby @blondekel77 

#obi wan kenobi #Obi-Wan Kenobi #obi wan #obi wan x reader #obi-wan x you #obi-wan X reader #obi-wan x y/n #kenobi #Kenobi series #Kenobi x reader #Kenobi x you #star wars #star wars prequels #Star Wars x reader #obi-wan kenobi x reader

[canirove]

The Nanny Diaries | Chapter 5

Author’s note: Part of this chapter is an imagine I posted months ago and that kind of inspired the story, so some of you may have read it already, though I did some tiny changes.

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

It's been two weeks since Alice's hen do, and I still don't remember what the hell happened with Ben on that lift. Well, that’s a lie. I actually remember one thing: that I kissed him and that it was one of the best kisses I've ever had. But everything else? It's all blurry. And I hate that feeling, because who knows what stupid things I said.

We haven't crossed paths either since that day. According to his Instagram, he is on a work trip in Italy, enjoying the good weather and amazing food, while here it is pouring with rain and I've been living out of white rice and boiled fish because Levi has been sick. And if we didn't eat what he ate, he would not eat at all. Kids.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━      

"Hold the door!" someone says, running towards the lift. No, not someone. Ben. He's back from his trip. "Hello, neighbour" he says with that big smile I love so much.

"Holy shit."

"Is that your new way to say hello to people?" he asks, still smiling.

"No, sorry. Hi" I say, trying to make my brain work again and stop staring at him. But I can't. I just can't.

He is not wearing his usual kind of ugly sweatshirts, jeans and sneakers. He's wearing a suit. A freaking suit. And on his hand, he has a trench coat, a Burberry one judging by the bit of fabric I can see on the inside. He looks like he was shooting one of their ads. Or maybe that he was an extra on one of the Kingsman movies. He looks stupidly hot and elegant, and I can't stop looking at him.

"Do you want to take a picture?" he says as he moves to push his floor's button.

"What?"

"You keep staring, so maybe you want to take a photo and keep staring later. When you are alone" he smirks.

"You are so funny, Benjamin" I say, trying to roll my eyes. But I can't. They are stuck looking at him.

"How was the hangover?"

"Not bad."

"Sure" he chuckles.

"It was horrible. Happy, now?"

"Not really. The thought of you being sick is one I don't like."

The thought of what? Did he just say what I think he said?

"How is Levi?" he asks.

"He was sick. One of those stomach bugs."

"Poor boy. I actually got him a gift, when is he coming back from school?"

"Around three."

"Great. I’ll see if I can stop by" he says as the lift stops on my floor. "It was nice seeing you again, neighbour."

"You too, Benjamin" I say, speaking before thinking.

When the lift’s door close, he is smiling from ear to ear, and I can only think about one thing. That I'm falling for him. Hard. Damn it.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━      

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I yell, quickly turning around after seeing the door opening on the mirror's reflection, and the person that shows up.

"I’m so sorry, I didn't know there was someone in the bathroom."

"Leave. Now!" I say, holding the tower I'm wearing a bit tighter against my body.

"But I need to use it" Ben says, closing the door behind him and nodding towards the toilet.

"Don't you have a house where you can do that? What are you doing here?"

"I came to give Levi his gift, but Mrs. McKenzie told me he was out with his parents. Then she invited me to a cup of tea, we had a chat, and now I need to pee and she said I could use the bathroom on this part of the house.”

"This is for staff only."

"I didn't know" he shrugs.

"Well, now you know. So please, leave."

"The other night you weren't so keen on me leaving" he says, taking a step closer to where I am standing. "When you kissed me on the lift, I mean."

"I didn't kiss you."

"Yes, you did. You threw yourself at me and kissed me. Said I have very kissable lips."

"I was drunk, I wasn't thinking" I say, feeling my cheeks burn.

"The nanny being drunk and kissing her neighbour. Imagine if Mr. and Mrs. Kloss found out."

"You better not say a word, Benjamin" I say, threating him.

"Or what?" he says, now standing very close to me. "Will you kiss me again? Because I really want to kiss you. Now."

"What are you..." But before I can finish my sentence, he is doing it. He is kissing me, one hand cupping my face while the other is holding onto the sink, pinning me against it. And for some reason, I kiss him back, my hands still holding my towel.

"Ben..." I whisper when he starts kissing my neck, my collarbone. "What if Mrs. McKenzie comes looking for you?"

"She won't" he says, looking me in the eyes as his hands move to mine, taking them on his and letting them rest on the sink, one to each side of my body.

"You can't know that."

"I do. She was busy getting everything ready to make dinner" he says with a big smirk before his fingers are back on my towel. “Do you trust me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you trust me or not?”

“I do.”

“Good” he says, undoing the knot on my towel and letting it fall to the floor, leaving me stark naked in front of him.

"Benjamin!" I say, trying to sound mad at him, outraged at what he is doing. But my voice is just a whisper, a whisper that turns into a gasp when I feel his mouth on my nipple, his tongue playing with it.

"Shh" he says when I hear myself moaning. "Mrs. McKenzie is in the kitchen, remember?"

"She..." But again, I'm not able to say anything else, his mouth now on my other breast. When he gets tired of it, he kneels down and starts kissing my stomach, my bellybutton, going down as my body tenses under his touch. 

“May I?” he asks, stopping just there.

My only answer is a nod, one that is followed by a loud moan when he finds the spot he was looking for, my hand instantly going to my mouth to stop me from doing it again. From Mrs. McKenzie being able to hear me. But it's impossible. Whatever he is doing feels too good, and I can't control what my body is doing.

"Ben" I hear myself whispering again, one of my hands on his hair, pulling him closer to me, asking him for more. And then, I'm gone. I don't know what the hell he is doing to me and for how long, but I am completely gone. 

"There" I suddenly hear him say in front of me, bringing me back to reality. When I open my eyes, still trying to catch my breath, he is putting the towel back in place, a big grin on his face.

"I..." I mumble, not knowing what to say, still feeling... I don't know what I'm feeling right now.

"I'll see you around, neighbour" he says, that stupid big grin still on his face as he opens the bathroom door, winking at me before closing it and disappearing, leaving me speechless and definitely in need of another shower. A very cold one.

#ben chilwell #ben chilwell fanfic #ben chilwell x reader #ben chilwell imagine #football fanfic #football imagine

[tamurilofrivendell]

The First Meeting || Tamuril & Haldir

꧁ A Heart of Stone prequel ꧂

summary: as simple as the title states, this is the very first time that Haldir and Tamuril meet, when she travels to Lothlórien with Arwen 

a/n: basically, I wanted to start writing out the past relationship between these two, so this will be part one. while a few chapters of HoS will have flashbacks, it won’t really be this in depth, I don’t think. also, they’re cute, so.

It was the beginning of summer when Tamuril and Arwen arrived in Lothlórien. Arwen was on one of her usual trips to stay with her grandparents, to spend time with her beloved mother’s side of the family, and Tamuril had tagged along for a little change of scenery. As much as she loved Rivendell, she was growing far too used to her routine and was steadily becoming more and more restless by the day. Elrond, seeing it, had decided that it would do her good to change things up a little, visit another realm, and Lothlórien had always sounded so pretty and Arwen always came back with such fond memories that Tamuril had not taken too much convincing.

Since her mother was killed by orcs when she was but a child and Lord Elrond had taken her under his wing, Tamuril had grown into a bright, joyful half-elven woman. She adored animals and had a keen interest in writing poetry, and in reading, often spending lots of time in the library with Elrond, who had become half father-figure, half friend to her over the years. Tamuril also loved music and she enjoying singing, her voice a thing of true beauty. Many dinners passed where Elrond would ask her to sing along with the harpists and she was always more than happy to oblige. Tamuril was always laughing and exploring the gardens. She was just happy.

The journey to Lothlórien had been longer than she had anticipated. Tamuril had not truly ever left the borders of Rivendell, leading quite a sheltered life there under Elrond’s care. Sure, she had wandered into the wilds with Elladan and Elrohir but they had still stayed rather close to the valley. Besides, there had never been much real reason for her to leave, even within the borders there was all the wildlife she could wish for and pockets of wilderness to explore. Tamuril had never needed to leave home.

Still, she was not without a sense of adventure and as much as the trip was longer and more winding than she would have imagained, the sense of wonder she felt at all these new sights outshone any exasperation or exhaustion she may have felt. The world was indeed wide and beautiful and she decided quite quickly that she was going to accompany Arwen on her trips to her grandparents realm as often as the other woman would have her.

When they finally reached the borders, they dismounted their horses and left them to linger in the grass. Tamuril was loath to leave Willow, her beloved mare, but the guards assured her that she would be quite safe and happy with the others, meandering around by the river and munching on grass.

The woods of Lothlórien were so beautiful and so quiet. Tamuril moved away from the group after one of the guards had ventured further into the forest to announce their presence (though they never needed to bother as eyes had seen them approach from miles back). She slipped behind a tree and ventured a little further into the wood.

“Tamuril!” Arwen’s voice followed her as the older she-elf came hurrying after her. “Come on, there will be plenty of time for exploration when we reach Caras Galadhon.”

“I just want to see!” Tamuril insisted, lifting her hands to the tree trunk, running her fingers across the bark. She smirked as she looked up high into the foliage and then she grabbed hold of one of the branches and began to swing herself upwards.

“Tamuril!” Arwen sighed, shaking her head. Sometimes Tamuril got ideas into her head and would simply not be swayed to give them up. Arwen crossed her arms, trying to look as stern as her father would when scolding her as a child, but she couldn’t hide her amusement as she watched the elf she had come to see as a sister.

Tamuril chuckled as she climbed higher, coming to stand on a high branch. “Míra (lovely).” She breathed, looking around at the view from up high. In the distance, she was pretty sure she saw some movement in other trees, higher up, but she was distracted suddenly.

“My Lady!” A voice from below called and Tamuril glanced down. She had expected to look upon the face of one of the Rivendell guards but instead her gaze locked with the eyes of a fair haired elven male whom she had never seen before. “I was not made aware that there would be a half-squirrel in the company arriving from Rivendell.”

Tamuril immediately started laughing and the elf below broke out into a wide smile as he looked back at her. “If you would please return your feet to the ground, we will be escorting you through the woods now.”

“Well then, good sir, please turn around while I do so.” Tamuril called back, tilting her head, an amused smile still tugging at her lips. “Or do you wish to stare up my skirts as I climb down?”

With a smirk, the elf below gave her a little raise of his eyebrows and then turned so he was facing away from her.

Tamuril chuckled again, reaching for the branches that had supported her ascent into the tree. However, climbing up turned out to be much easier than climbing down. What started well enough soon turned into a mishap as Tamuril quickly lost her footing. She cursed as she felt herself falling through air but before she had too long for the panic to truly set in, she was caught, strong arms catching her firmly by the waist and setting her safe and sound upon the grass.

Arwen had been standing off to the side watching the exchange with mild amusement but she had turned to converse with others in their party and greet the Lothlórien elves, satisfied that Tamuril was now safely reigned in. She turned back when she heard the commotion as Tamuril fell, her eyes wide as she hurried back over. “Gods, Tamuril! Are you alright?!”

Tamuril was stunned briefly, blinking back up at her saviour - the golden haired elf who had been teasing her beforehand. His reflexes had served him well enough to spin around and catch her before she could hurt herself.

“Tamuril.” He smiled, testing her name in his mouth. “Meeting you has been quite the event. I am Haldir.” He let go of her, inclining his head just slightly as he stepped back, before he turned away to address his men.

Tamuril watched him go, her face flushing just slightly before she tore her eyes away and turned, finally, back to Arwen. The other woman was standing with an amused look in her eyes as she regarded Tamuril.

“What?!” Tamuril gave her a gentle nudge, shaking her head.

“Nothing.” Arwen replied innocently, giving her a soft smile as she led Tamuril back to the group so they could begin the final journey through the trees.

The journey through the wood was relaxing and easy enough. They took one rest, where Tamuril was pretty sure that she kept feeling eyes on her. Once, she glanced up and caught Haldir’s head turning. His expression remained neutral but she could have sworn there was the faintest flush of colour to the tips of his ears. Then they were off again soon enough. Tamuril found herself enamoured with the scenery, quite unlike Rivendell, and when she first set her sights upon the heart of the realm, she could scarcely believe her eyes.

“Welcome, nitya rasillo (little squirrel)...” Haldir spoke again then, turning to glance at Tamuril with a smile as he took in her awe of the realm he so loved. “...to Caras Galadhon.”

#haldir x oc #haldir fanfic #lotr x oc #lotr fanfic #haldir fanfiction #lotr oc #lotr fanfiction

[thessalian]

Thess vs the Foreign Secretary

Okay, it's time for another round of "UK Politics: A Summary of Shittiness"!

Today, we're going to be talking about David Cameron. Now, David Cameron was once leader of the Conservative Party. He actually got the PM-ship in 2010 in a supposed coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. However, the LibDems let the Tories walk all over them, so we might as well have had just a Conservative government. Anyway, he wound up surviving an election and ending up in a majority Conservative government ... briefly. Then he called for the Brexit referendum. He was apparently honestly expecting it to be a resounding "no", and for people to shut up about it after that. So he didn't bother to set up anything but a simple majority vote about a situation with wide-ranging repercussions, most of which were opaque at best to the average voter. He also let Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage lie through their respective teeth about Brexit without trying to stamp on the misinformation or in fact trying to campaign for Remain in any reasonable way.

...And you all know what happened at that vote. Through the tiniest majority, the referendum was a YES to Brexit. So he kicked off Article 50 right away, because apparently Will of the People. And then, instead of staying to try to clean up the mess he caused, he fucking resigned, so that someone else could clean up his mess.

I mean, there's a whole lot more shit regarding him, but that's basically the most egregious at this point. He lit the fuse, watched the explosion, then walked away instead of helping clear the debris he created.

Fast-forward seven or so years, and we've been through more PMs than I really want to think about right now (Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak), and equal numbers of cabinet reshuffles. Which is where I pause a moment and explain about Suella Braverman.

See, Suella Braverman has been several things that are just ... damning, honestly. First she was integral to the current Brexit mess, as a standing member of the European Research Group (a massively Eurosceptic group which was probably pretty much behind the scenes of the Brexit movement to begin with). Braverman apparently believed in Brexit so much that she became an Under-Secretary of State for Brexit. And then, after a bit of leave, she spent a bit of time as Attorney General before being bumped up to Home Secretary.

She was the one whose "dream and obsession" was sending refugees to Rwanda under the auspices of "stopping illegal migration". She's been an absolute nightmare for human rights, to the point of trying to ban the Palestinian flag in general and claiming that the police are biased against far-right extremist groups because they apparently get arrested less often than peaceful protesters who aren't far-right extremists? I have no idea, but she has been the kind of boomerang bigot that boomeranged so hard she went right into fascism. There have been calls for weeks to get Sunak to sack her. I guess he finally had to listen.

Now, one one hand, this is good because Suella Braverman needs to be about a thousand miles away from the cabinet. So her being sacked is a good thing. However, the rest of the reshuffle ... well.

Okay, first of all, David Cameron is not being made Home Secretary. He's being made Foreign Secretary. No, the new Home Secretary is James Cleverly, who is very keen on Brexit and, when the World Cup was being hosted in Qatar and gay football fans were concerned for their safety, reportedly said that gay people should "show a bit of flex and compromise" when travelling to Qatar because "it's important when you're a visitor to the country to follow that country's customs". Sort of slipped some potentially Islamophobic remarks in there as well, and particularly given how there's been some noise very much against cultures that aren't white and/or Christian coming from those in Parliament lately, it's not ideal. We've honestly just lost one frothingly boomerang-bigoted Home Secretary and replaced her with another boomerang bigot who froths slightly less.

David Cameron dealing with foreign affairs, though? Not liking that idea very much. Honestly, all of the Tories have made such an absolute fucking mess of things that no reshuffle would satisfy me. Then again, at least most of the other newbies are actually MPs; Cameron had to drag his peerage out of mothballs in the shed he's been hiding in to be able to stand in the cabinet.

The one reshuffle that's probably not going to get a lot of attention (because Big Names) but probably should (because Big Conflict of Interest) is that the new Health Secretary is Victoria Atkins. No, not that Atkins, but nearly as bad - her husband runs British Sugar. Now, on one hand, her husband's company does deal with medicinal marijuana and it's possible that said conflict of interest might get medicinal marijuana a little more available. However, I also imagine there'll be a push to get the sugar tax (otherwise known as the Sin Tax) off the table so they could adjust the prices and have the sugar cost the same for the consumer while they got more money.

Either way, Sunak's rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, and honestly Starmer isn't going to be any better, and I still hate living here. Buuuuuuut Suella Braverman got the sack so I'll just bask in that for a bit.

#Thess vs the Tories #Thess on politics

[liminalpebble]

The Refugee: Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry for this itty bitty and somewhat dry chapter, but I promise it's important for the next one in which all hell breaks loose. Stay tuned, and thank you so much for following along on this journey so far. I'm blown away by the love and support.

The Refugee, Masterlist 

In the throne room, holograms of Thor and Odin stood before Loki. They were arguing, loudly. Lea stood to Loki's left in her neatest uniform, hair pulled back into a wreath of braids so tight and meticulous that it made her scalp ache. She was acting as his liaison from the linguistics division so did her best to look official, and hide her nerves. She was fidgeting with her fingers where they were clasped behind her back and out of sight. 

It was a sparse and private meeting, even the guards were ordered to vacate the throne room to leave the four of them together. They were discussing the most sensitive subject of the Heksejotun and the dangers toward both Asgard and the Laufeyson Empire.

Thor boomed out, “Brother, I do not need to remind you of our very carefully delineated peace treaty. It relies on our cooperation.”

Loki said loudly, but with perfect articulation, “I am not your brother, Prince of Asgard and King of Asgard. You would do well to address me properly.”

Thor sighed, “Very well, Emperor. There are more important matters. We have waves of refugees coming from the Jotun territories. They will flood into your empire as well. Managing this as well as this war is a mighty burden. We need you to solve the Heksejotun communications or we cannot win this war. Meanwhile you are wasting time touring your territories, overextending your greedy reach to claim yet more, and hosting silly balls for your court.”

“How the king conducts the business of his empire is none of your concern, Prince. I have an entire department, dozens of scholars working at all hours of the day and night on the Heksejotun. Everything in my empire runs according to my very intricate plans, and apparently unlike the two of you, I can manage several things at once in my administration. And, pray tell, how far have your scholars gotten, or have you simply been waiting for mine to do all the hard thinking for you, Thor?”

“Enough!” Odin bellowed. “The fact remains, that we must prevail and contain this threat. The time has come for a change of tactics.”

“I agree entirely,” Loki said, coolly, “My linguistics liaison, Lenora of the Morhari, will appraise you of the situation and send any new and relevant information to your researchers. Lady Lenora, please address the Prince and King with the status and findings.”

Lea stepped forward, trying to sound confident as she attempted to present her work clearly and translate it into understandable terms for the foreign leaders. Although Thor was impressed and respectful to her, Odin's deprecating demeanor towards her, as both a woman and a common refugee, was subtle but sharp. There was also no avoiding Odin's piercing insight into the situation. In this way, Lea thought that Loki must have taken on some traits of his adoptive father after all. The was no escaping either of their keen observation. Odin interrupted her. “So, as impressive as this is, young lady, you mean to tell me that your department is barely beyond the most basic understanding of this language, just as you have been months ago.”

“Not...not exactly, Your Highness. We've simply had to take it in a new direction, to work with historical researchers as well because of...”

“I do not care for these excuses, girl!.”

“Father!” Thor bellowed, “My apologies, Lady Lenora, please continue.”

Loki gave a tight, tiny smirk. Although he would never admit it, he was actually rather proud of his brother for standing up to his father's rudeness. He was also proud of how well Lea kept her well-practiced stoicism intact in the admittedly threatening and disapproving presence of the All Father. Loki knew all too well the withering power of Odin's disrespect.

She continued in a neutral tone, “I recommend that the Asgardian historians be at our disposal, and ours at yours to increase our understanding of this subgroup. Asgard, after all, has a much longer history with the Jotun than we do, and this could be the key to our understanding of the language and codes, which are heavily based on historical reference. I also recommend more immediate and direct collaboration of all Laufeysonian and Asgardian history and language departments to increase our chances of solving this sooner. I understand your concerns about our greater access being used against you, but in this critical instance the empire can only humbly request your trust.”

“A prudent course of action. Although trust is not something I bestow easily upon my brot...the emperor, I grant it without reservation to you, good lady,” Thor said with a courteous smile. “We shall arrange such an exchange immediately.” Loki glared, but said nothing.

“Thank you for your confidence, Your Majesties,” Lea said in closing.

Odin couldn't resist twisting the dagger just a bit more into Loki, saying, “How flattering that you think we would know the Jotun better, when it's you who have a stray runt of a frost giant sitting on the throne itself. ”

“Enough!” Loki shouted in his deep, imposing voice. Unable to contain his temper. “We are finished!”

Thor sighed with visible sadness on his kind and open face. He still loved his little brother and missed him terribly, but would never dare to say so, and Loki would never hear it through his icy walls of bitterness. He bowed to both Loki and Lea saying, “Lady Lenora...Emperor. We thank you for your collaboration and insight. Farewell.”

The holograms faded in a flash of light, but the tension still strummed through the room like the pluck of a tight string. Loki stormed to his throne and sat heavily, looking off into the distance and stroking his lips with one finger while he thought his scattered thoughts. Lea stood next to the throne, straight-backed and neutral, thinking that perhaps he would be calling in the guards and military advisers once again and she wanted to look official. However, he simply called in one guard, and announced in a dangerously agitated tone that the meeting is adjourned, and for everyone to head immediately to their posts to execute the new measures. Lea moved to head back to her post as well, when she heard him call from behind her in a severe tone, “Not you!”

She froze in her tracks, shocked and afraid, heart thumping violently in her chest as she asked, “Have...have I done something wrong?”.

He just shook his head with that lethal inscrutable scowl and grabbed her wrist saying, “You're coming with me” as he spirited them away in a flash of green light.

@gigglingtigger @sweetsigyn @lokisgoodgirl, @peaches1958 @goblingirlsarah

#loki fanfic

[fuzzydreamin]

Companions Dogsitting

Scenario: Sole has had to go off and leave Dogmeat behind. For whatever reason they've chosen this specific companion to look after the good boy for them until they return.

⌨ Ada

Unsure why she was picked but is eager to prove herself in this situation. She will take him to his doghouse and very neatly set out food and all of his toys all at once and just assume he will get to them as he desires.

Then she'll just... stand there. Watching him. Stuck in a staring contest with the dog that will sorta freak out anyone who comes by. She will attempt to walk him for exercise but he's going to run off ahead and make her noisily clank after him.

☘ Cait

Cait does not like dogs. They're stinky and slobbery and she's still just a little scared of them from her time with slavers. Sole's mutt is no exception. She's not scared of him because they've travelled together with Sole enough, but she's still not happy to be saddled with the beast and really doesn't know why she got picked. Will be full of complaints both before. during, and after.

She will try her best though, for Sole. Her best being tossing the dog something vaguely edible at least once a day and making sure he doesn't run off. He probably will.

⚙ Codsworth

Happy to do it! Will make sure the yard is secured with closed gates and no gaps in the fences, and lay out food and several toys similarly to Ada, though he will keep most of the toys in a box or basket for neatness's sake. Then he'll just go about his usual business, checking on the pooch every hour.

When he finds out the dog has managed to slip out of the yard? Residents will know about it. He will frantically hover up and down the streets loudly bemoaning his situation and how he could have lost Sole's dog after they already lost one before and questioning everyone on if they've seen his masters prized animal.

He'll scold the dog the whole way home when he does catch up with him, but Codsy can't stay mad at him. He gives him a jerky treat once he's cooled off, alongside a reminder to please not wander off again. Please.

⚕ Curie

Dogs are not sanitary! But perhaps he could still be useful in some way? She ends up scheduling a lot of her younger or more timid patients and has Dogmeat help her out by comforting them, letting the kids play with his ears while she takes blood samples and the like.

Dogmeat is very well behaved for Curie, though she does get carried away with her work and ends up feeding him late every time, which he reminds her by knocking things over in her lab.

Will be fairly restless when Sole gets him back, really in need of some proper exercise. Curie will politely ask to not be chosen for this task again in the future, not unless all other avenues have been exhausted.

♞ Danse

Attending a dog is an unusual assignment for someone of Danse's rank, he thinks, but he won't refuse. The dog is a member of their team after all, and an adequate canine unit.

He ends up spending the whole time focused on Dogmeat, running through all of the tricks he knows and teaching him new ones. It could be tactically useful. Yeah, that's the reason, not that he genuinely enjoys playing with the dog. It's not playing. It's training. This is serious.

Also takes Dogmeat running with him and ends up playing a lot of fetch (I thought it wasn't playing, Dancer?). Dogmeat will be very happily exhausted by the time Sole gets him back. And he will perform even better in the future too. Success.

🕶 Deacon

Either stays in Sanctuary and looks after him, though people might assume the dog is left alone because Deacon is seeing how well he can hide from his keen senses, or takes him down to HQ and causes chaos there.

Mixed reactions from the other agents. After Tinker Tom's initial hesitation he and Drummer Boy love the dog and can't stop petting him and smooshing his face, while Carrington won't stop complaining which leads to Des complaining. Glory really doesn't care, she sits back and watches the chaos, gives the dog a simple pat on the head when he comes by.

At some point Deacon will dye Dogmeat another colour. How do we feel about fuchsia? Also Tom is definitely adding weird tech to his harness. Sole may question at first if he's even returning their dog and not something entirely different.

☠ Gage

You're kidding, right? He's no pack raider. He's also not much of an animal person at all. But if you insist. You are the boss after all. Can't be that hard.

He'll just stay at home chilling, keeping Dogmeat with him and making sure he knows where it is at all times. He'll make snide remarks about and to it, especially when he gives it it's food, then realise he's talking to a dog and barely refrain from facepalming.

If he's left with Dogmeat long enough though Sole may just return to find the hound wearing a new gatorskin spiked armour. He looks better that way, Boss.

☣ Hancock

Like Gage he also ends up playing dress-up with the poor thing. Only this time it's a full fashion show. There will be clothing strewn all over the floor of the statehouse as Hancock tries out different looks on the poor animal, until Dogmeat inevitably gets fed up and nips at Hancock to tell him off.

Honestly most of the actual care is going to be coming from Fahrenheit while Hancock just cuddles and plays with him. Hope Sole does well with scorching death glares.

☸ Longfellow

Dog? Uh, sure. If you're sure. Enjoys spending time with a furry friend trotting along by his side, and likes even more when said dog shows off his combat skills against a gulper. Gets lots of head scratches.

He takes Dogmeat up to Erickson who is real happy to see him, and he gets to play with the mutant's dogs. It's nice to have an excuse to visit a friend.

Dogmeat will be pretty filthy from wandering around the Island and rolling around with the other dogs, but he'll be happy.

⨁ MacCready

Isn't sure at first, he's never had to look after an animal, but it can't be that different from looking after a kid right? Right. In fact it's a little easier, since Dogmeat is toilet trained and doesn't tend to scream in his ear for seemingly no reason.

He spends most of the time just hanging out on the couch, reading comics or working on his gun while he runs a hand through Dogmeat's fur.

The only part he struggles with is knowing when the dog has had enough exercise. Mac tends to get impatient and call it in early, but it still ends up being enough that Dogmeat isn't too unhappy about it.

♥ Nick

Sole doesn't even have to ask Nick to take care of the dog, Nick's known Dogmeat longer than Sole has and he loves that good boy. He already has a pile of blankets constantly set up at the agency for whenever the pooch visits him.

Honestly the best person to care for the dog, he meets all of his needs the best he can, spoils him a little with treats and attention, and even takes him along when he goes for his stroll around the city. This is normal for them. Dogmeat is definitely eating noodles for dinner, alongside whatever meat he chooses out from the butcher.

Nick's also not too worried if the dog wanders off for a bit, that's sorta his thing after all. He'll just check to make sure he has an idea of where the dog is for when Sole returns.

If Dogmeat has wandered off from the other companions there's a 50/50 chance he's going to find his way to Nick. Or he's just digging up molerats somewhere.

✉ Piper

Has the same thought as Mac of this not being so different from looking after a kid, but with much more confidence in her ability. Unfortunately for her things don't go to plan. At all.

She's never had a pet or been much of an animal person, and while one would think bringing home an over active dog to an over active pre-teen would work out just fine it actually just means that the chaos is (more than) doubled.

She had hoped they would wear each other out, and they do, but she now has a new carpet made up of next weeks edition of the paper, covered in inky pawprints along with Dogmeat's tail and feet that are now black from spilt ink.

Please never leave this beast at her house again.

☀ Preston

One of the best options to leave Dogmeat with. Preston loves having the furry guy by his side, and Sole won't need to worry about the dog getting his exercise since Preston's likely to be on his feet all day anyway.

Dogmeat just naturally fits into Preston's daily schedule without any need to change anything up. He comes along on patrol, gets fed when Preston takes a break himself, and gets lavished with pats and playtime too, both from Preston and all of the people he is checking in on.

☢ Strong

You've really got to be kidding now. It's a risky move what with Strong's tendancy to eat anything sporting fur (or scales, or skin...), but the mutant is smart enough to know that this is his leaders dog, and they probably don't want it eaten. Probably. They said something about that right?

The care is not good. Strong might toss him some meat but that's about it. He might not even notice when Dogmeat wanders off. If he does it will be quite the chase as the mutant stomps through Sanctuary after the dog, likely crushing several crops or construction projects as he zeroes in on just getting his leaders stupid pet back.

If he catches him Strong's likely to just shove him in a cage until Sole comes back, but Dogmeat's also likely to dive into a hole to get away from Strong, until someone can come along and persuade the mutant to leave him be and take over caring for the poor dog.

No one is happy with Sole in this situation.

☾ X6-88

Not happy. At all. X6 does not like dogs, and having the courser care for the mutt is an insult both to him and the Institute.

Honestly why does Sole keep this thing around? Wouldn't they be happier with a nice Institute grade cyberdog? Tricks could simply be uploaded into it without any margin for error, and it would be so much less gross.

His 'care' comes down to putting food in the bowl (gross gross, must wash hands right now for even touching that can), and then staring into Dogmeat's soul to ensure it doesn't act out in any way.

Dogmeat is very glad when Sole returns. Please don't ever leave him with that demon again. X6 agrees.

#fallout #fallout 4 #fallout 4 companions #dogmeat #fallout dogmeat #fuzzy.post

[mythvoiced]

@astremourante | continued

---

One major difference between the two of them was the way they fought.

Or rather, what they seem intent on achieving with their blows.

And Kazuki muses, with half a mind and a third of a heart, that he could use that assessment as allegory to the differences separating their very beings, their overall desires, the leash or lack therefore around them, the goals they fight for, whatever it is they seek.

She always seems to move and strike as though she fully expects to not get back up if she ever were to go down. She doesn't spar as much as she seems to reel herself in just enough to leave her opponent standing a few rounds to try his luck and fight back. If she lets you get a hit in, she meets it with a flurry of her own, blows and strikes he's come to avoid to make sure he can still walk on the next day.

He fights like someone trained under the sternness of someone who believes in traditions as tell-tale sign of whether someone is worth their time or not.

She fights like she can't trust the world to not kill her the moment she stops. And almost like she's daring it to try.

There are better things to be paying attention to, though, than the stories behind her move-set that he seems so keen on deciphering, written in whatever language her true being, hidden beneath the persona she wore for his father, the diluted version she put on for him.

But...

He can't help it.

He had he paid better attention to the now instead of trying to gauge yet again what is her 'then' and what will be her 'future', what she's come here to claim, destroy, burn, birth, whatever she is here to do, he might have noticed the moment she'd changed from an opponent to an executioner.

He slams down, baffled enough to not be baffled, to not even have the time to blink in surprise, remaining easy of face, eyes not quite widened as his mind catches up with the new angle and with the idea that, hey, perhaps this is more dangerous than assumed.

The adrenaline cursing through his body, mixing his blood with his sweat when it leaves him, remaining like kiss-marks left on the letter of her knuckles.

Some people have the oddest thoughts before they die. Before they faint. Before they reach a new state of being, of understanding, before they're completely lost to the world, before it all collapses.

Life isn't poetry. We make poetry out of life.

Very mundanely and very dumbly he assesses the blade at his throat to be warm enough like it'd been tucked away somewhere on her body. Then he very dumbly and very mundanely assesses that of course, of course it was, of course a woman he didn't trust to not kill him in his sleep wouldn't try to kill him here.

He swallows against the blade, wastes a brief, mundane, dumb thought on his Adam's apple.

"Maybe in hell," he whispers against her question, feeling eerily cool, eerily settled beneath her. Maybe it's the shock that's keeping his mind fresh and completely static at the same time, making his gaze anything but controlled, mostly slightly to the left of dissociative and slightly to the right of I was fucking right.

There's, dumb and brief, but not quite mundane, a moment where he feels like he won. Her true nature. The glint of her. The sharpness of her. He'll take the monster mauling him if he can use its teeth marks on the chunk it takes from him as evidence of its existence.

He doesn't scream. He's been taught not to. He contorts, a weird combination of movements incapable of deciding whether he wants her off or him away from under her, they'd share the same goal, but two completely different ways to go about it, and the end-result is typical for a person being wounded.

He writhes.

Writhes and breaths harshly, lungs stilling and working overtime at the same time, jaw clenched enough he feels it in his ears, air coming out in huffs and puffs and seethes of rage as his gaze clears and blurs at the same time.

He manages a huffed, puffed, dumb chuckle as the blood gathers in the fold of her victory, maniacal in his grin as it rests on her tongue.

"Do you? You're just-- proving me right."

#astremourante #the golden boy;kazuki #the children are our future paint it red;amelia & kazuki #unhinged arc 1 amelia MY BELOVED #going the Hollywood route of wound pain AYE!!!!!!!!! #i'd say he's being mean to her but she mutilated him and licked the knife maybe they're even idk =.= #;queue

[darkhymns-fic]

More Than Puppy Love

Well-known dog therapy organization, Altamira Pet Paradise, is getting a new volunteer! Colette is already drawn to the gigantic dog with the soft whines, his fur so soft that it was like magic.

She won't admit, just yet, she's also drawn to his owner with the kind smile.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel, Noishe, Sheena Fujibayashi, Regal Bryant, Zelos Wilder, Seles Wilder, Presea Combatir, Genis Sage, Raine Sage, Phaidra Brunel Rating: PG Word Count: 9991 (I know) Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: Written for Colloyd Week 2022, Day 3: Touch. The idea for this AU is all because of @youlighttheskyart who first put this idea in my head! This whole story very much ran away from me so I apologize for the length, but if you're looking for a detailed modern AU fic with most of the Symphonia cast, and just good dogs, then I hope you enjoy!

--

The new dog’s name was Noishe.

“Oh, is it a rescue, too?” Colette asked with a turn of her head. She was busy feeding a small beagle named Pippy from a bowl full of dry kibble, her little furry friend already more than halfway done. She scratched him behind the ears as reward for his very healthy eating. “We have been stretched a little thin lately…”

Her boss, who had shared with her the news, was also doing his share of their duties. He held several bowls of food in his arms, balancing them perfectly before he set them down to an eager, tail-wagging audience. Luckily, all were well-trained to not jump on him, or get greedy for another dog’s bowl for seconds. (Well, usually).

“From what it sounded like, it might be a rescue… but maybe the same can be said of the owner.” Most people wouldn’t look at Regal and figured him to be a dog-person. But even with his muscles always threatening to rip apart his t-shirt, he was more at home with the other dogs than at the gym. Colette noted it in the way he moved; how he’d always be gentle when picking up a small furry friend in his great hands to get it over a step or two, or how he’d carefully take a paw to clip their nails that had grown too long.

It took her a moment to ascertain his words just then, for Pippy was already begging for seconds and she was trying to calm him down. “The owner? What do you mean?”

“Ah, never mind. Just something I noted from his application, but I could very well be wrong.” Regal then proceeded to carry a calm golden retriever, her snout practically lifted in a smile as he did so. Fur got all over his shirt and jeans, as well as some in his usually somewhat messy hair, but he didn’t mind. “I need to give Sprinkles a bath now. Can you look after things in the meantime?”

“Of course!” She nodded, and just at that statement, a dozen or so dogs gathered at her feet, some already eager to be pet while others laid on the carpeted floors to be comfortable. She giggled at the sight, as well as at the feel of multitude of wet noses pressed against her leggings. “I have everyone here to help me.”

Regal gave her a proud smile. As he turned to leave, he then stopped and whipped around quickly. Tied blue hair, along with golden fur, swayed together from the motion, almost hypnotic in Colette’s eyes. “I almost forgot to mention, but Noishe and his owner will be joining us today, not next week. Can you be sure to greet them?”

Colette stilled in confusion. “Oh, uh, but then what’s the owner’s-?”

Sprinkles whined just then, a soft little keen that made the heart go soft, urging Regal to go back to his task. “Thank you, Colette,” he made sure to say before he left through a door in the facility, leaving Colette standing among the dogs in confusion. Small snuffles and a bit of tapping many paw pads echoed around the room.

She just wanted to know the name of Noishe’s owner…

-

At the Altamira Pet Paradise Therapy Center, dogs weren’t the only animals available for one to see on their visit, even though they were the most common.

Colette always had an affinity for dogs, but she showed just as much care to the few cats they had as part of their volunteer staff, as well as a colorful parrot, and even a few guinea pigs with chubby cheeks that could heal any soul. The majority of such animals were brought in by their owners to help with their volunteer work, depending on the time of day, or just which clients would be visiting the center; from eager schoolchildren to residents from the nearby senior home. She remembered how once someone had even brought in a horse – the sweetest horse that she had ever met, who liked their mane braided!

But today, it was just the dogs – and mainly Regal’s dogs at that. They numbered to a dozen, of varying sizes and breeds, like the giant golden retriever, Sprinkles, and the little terrier pup, Pippy (that Colette had named herself). It was a slow day thankfully, with only a few people needing the services of a friendly dog with even softer fur, and no outside visits scheduled. Their facility was a simple place too, with only a few divided rooms decorated with feel-good posters and such (“Have a fur-filled day!” said one with the photo of a happy puppy – both Regal and Colette knew they had to get it). Most of the dogs were separated from one another so as not to overwhelm people, or over excite the other dogs.

“Sheena!” Colette called out. She saw the familiar face who sat in a plush chair near the back door that led out to the garden, petting a certain orange-furred dog with both hands. “Everything going okay?”

“Oh, Colette,” Sheena gave a small wave, mixed in with a yawn. She must have had another late shift at her job, but even the tired bags around her eyes seemed to dim slightly when Corrine, the dog for her session today, pressed more strongly against her hands. “I’m fine. Heard you might be getting a new volunteer today?”

“Yep. But he hasn’t come by yet… I’m hoping he hasn’t got lost on the way here.”

“Ohh, so you know it’s a guy,” Sheena said with a grin – then paused. “Uh, wait, or did you mean the dog?”

Colette tapped a finger against her cheek. “Well, the dog’s name is Noishe… What do you think?”

“…I…honestly have no clue. What about the owner’s name?”

“Oh, that! Hehe.” She gently turned away another dog, Sebastian, from getting too close to Corrine, guiding him to a nearby nook where some dog toys were placed. “I don’t know at all.”

Sheena sighed – but whether from the answer, or from the feel of Corrine’s fur over her fingers, it was hard to say. “Well, good luck, Colette.”

“Thanks!” Sheena always told her that a lot. It was quite kind of her.

But even when Colette worried for the new volunteer – maybe they had missed the exit? Or did they change their mind at the last minute? Which would be quite sad, as Colette looked forward to another doggy helper – that same worry melted when she heard a large whuff! from the facility’s front door.

She was quick to jog over to it, but not too much! She didn’t want to make the other dogs think she was playing with them, so she mainly power-walked to the door that was already half-opening. “Hello! You must be-”

And what came through the door was the dog, which was, well….gigantic? Big pointed ears, with grayish fur that had a certain shade of green to it in a certain angle of the ceiling lights. With a whine, the dog moved forward, tongue lolling from its mouth.

Also, the dog’s height was just past her waist. If it had stood on its hind legs, it might have been even taller than her. She tried to guess the breed, but he seemed to be mixed. Maybe between a German Shepherd and a poodle? But that didn't explain the big ears…

“Noishe?” she said hesitantly, and was answered with a little whine. Not a sad whine though. Somehow, she could tell.

“Oh my god,” said a voice far behind her. Sheena must not have expected it either. “Is that a dog or a horse?!”

“Noishe! Don’t run so fast! And don’t open doors on your own!”

Colette raised her head at the voice. It was a little loud, but not enough to worry any of the animals nearby. Noishe’s ears perked up, and then a boy dressed in a red sweatshirt and cargo pants (not red) burst through. His brown hair was all tousled, and when he laid eyes on Colette, he waved, all with a wide grin on his face.

“Hey! My name’s Lloyd! Um, Regal said to come here…” He blinked, looking around the room and all of the doggy posters and a paw-pad clock on the wall. “I’m in the right place, ain’t I?”

Something about his confusion, even in a place stamped with doggy accessories everywhere (along with actual dogs) tickled Colette a bit. She giggled into her hand, Noishe’s ears perking up again, but at her voice this time.

“S-sorry!” She cleared her throat. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you, Lloyd. I’m Colette. Welcome to Pet Paradise!”

“Oh, good! So I definitely didn’t take that wrong turn earlier.” Lloyd nodded, seemingly proud of his statement.

“That dog’s so huge…” Sheena was whispering from far behind, but Colette only heard it faintly, distracted by Lloyd’s smiles, and Noishe’s big ears.

It had been a while since someone new had come along.

-

“Noishe can cheer anyone up! He even once got my dad out of a funk when he had trouble with his woodworking last year.” Lloyd guided his dog with one hand on his back as they walked around the small facility with Colette, looking through the different rooms that mainly held a few sleeping dogs, curled up next to each other. He seemed eager to get started on volunteering, answering Colette’s questions with vigor. “And, and! He can do tricks! Noishe, shake.”

Lloyd held out his hand, while Noishe looked up and down with a curious whine. Eventually, he shook Lloyd’s hand – but only after standing on his legs, and holding out a paw to place into Lloyd’s palm. He was also now a head taller than his owner.

“Oh, wow!” Colette said in awe.

But Lloyd looked less than impressed. “Noishe, you’re not supposed to stand…”

Colette knew she was needed to assess the new volunteer and his animal, but she kept finding herself drawn to Lloyd’s eyes, with the same hue as his hair. She shook her head, wondering if she had enough coffee this morning. “And is that why you wanted to lend your dog’s services as a therapy pet? Is he okay with meeting new people?”

“Yeah, he is!” Lloyd gently urged Noishe back on all four legs again, scratching behind his right ear. “Though… I guess I should say that he wasn’t always like that. Noishe used to be scared of literally everyone and everything. It took a while, but now he doesn’t run off or hide under the tables anymore.”

Colette looked at the giant dog with its bright black eyes, tail wagging back and forth at high speeds. She remembered just how easily Noishe had gone through the door, rushing up to her as if he had known her all his life. “I see… Is he a rescue?”

Lloyd hesitated in answering. She could see how he went over a dozen explanations inwwardly, making her wonder why he found the question difficult to answer. Regal didn’t really seem to know either…

“I guess he is, in a way,” Lloyd finally answered. “He’s had it tough for a long time. But he really does like meeting people now. And I think he used to years back before he got spooked.”

They walked through the back doors to an outdoor garden, though with all flowers safely out of reach of any excitable dog. There was a large, open area in the middle, the grass having been freshly cut, and the few remains of squeak toys that had been left outside.

Lloyd noted the details, all while the sun made his hair turn bronze in the light. “You know, I’ve never seen a pet therapy place like this…”

Colette smiled gently. “Mr. Regal has always done things a bit differently. He set up this facility so other people can come see the animals, though we still visit hospitals and schools. All of the dogs are his, too. And he still finds time in his day to play with everyone!”

Lloyd whipped his head to her. “Wait, all these dogs are his? Is this guy rich?”

“Hm, well, he used to be a CEO, I think? I don’t remember for what company… but he stepped down and gave away half of his money to charity and used the rest to build this place after taking in some rescues. And he’s trained all of them to help others now, too!”

She could tell the boy was impressed because she had felt the same! Lloyd looked around the area once again, marveling at the wide space that Regal had created for a gentle connection between human and dog (or cat, bird and guinea pig - maybe a horse or two). “Man, it kinda makes me wonder why he’d want me and Noishe around if he’s got it covered already.”

“But we can always use more help, Lloyd. And I’m sure Mr. Regal saw something in you.” After all, Lloyd had such a kind and warm smile, something she had noticed despite only knowing him for less than an hour.

“Hehe… I think you mean Noishe, right?” Even so, Lloyd stood a bit taller as he spoke, patting his dog on the back. “Though, I guess I forgot some people might be scared of his size, like that girl earlier…”

Oh, that was true. Sheena had been eyeing the giant Noishe since, staying in her corner with Corrine. “She’ll come around! And a lot of kids like big dogs anyway. They’re usually our most popular.”

“Cool! See, Noishe? You’re gonna be popular!”

A happy bark, with a force that made Colette jump just a bit, though not with any worry. “Hehe. Well, we got our beginning questions out of the way… Um, do you think you could show me how Noishe would help someone then? Just keep in mind that he’ll most likely be visiting new environments when he does so.”

She half-expected another trick, or something as simple as petting Noishe. Nothing could quite calm someone down than the feel of a doggy’s fur against one’s skin. In fact, when she saw Lloyd petting Noishe, it seemed that his hand would nearly disappear into that forest of strange green.

Lloyd seemed to catch her gaze, then whistled for Noishe to follow him along, closer to Colette. “Wanna pet him?” he offered, with so much familiar ease, as if they had always known each other. “I think that’s Noishe’s main talent, if you wanna test it out.”

Colette had to do all she could to hide her excitement – she had to maintain being a professional, after all. “I’d be glad to,” she said, then reached out a hand to pat Noishe on his furry head, like she did with all the dogs at the facility.

And it was at that moment, when her fingers made contact with Noishe’s fur, when her palm pressed against a warm scalp, she stilled. It was soft – so soft. Incredibly soft! Noishe angled his head to let her pet more, and she followed that angle, reaching out another hand to scratch right around his neck.

Colette let out a gasp. “He’s…like a really furry blanket!” More pets, and Noishe made a soft whine, but one that asked for more pets, and rang harmoniously in the air instead of in distress. “Wow, just…wow!”

All while she petted, Lloyd crossed his arms, nodding sagely.

“I make sure to always brush out his fur every day,” he stated. “Three times a day! It’s actually pretty relaxing to do. I figure people could do that while they pet him, and I always carry a brush.” He took out said brush, the handle as red as his sweatshirt. “But smaller kids could do this and ride him if they wanted.”

She was only half-listening now. By this point, Colette had already buried her face into Noishe’s fur, so entranced by the very texture of it. “So soft…”

Ah, but she wasn’t being professional! Colette cleared her throat as she pulled her hands away. But her eyes were closed from the bliss of the furry touch, and just the memory of it and… “But, maybe just one more time!”

Unfortunately, her eyes were still closed, and Lloyd must have gotten nearer to check on Noishe, probably to demonstrate the fur-brushing. But she hadn’t really been able to tell the difference at first, because the feel of the softness against her hands was nearly the same! Noishe’s fur was so warm…

“Um, C-Colette…?” She could feel the stammer in Lloyd’s throat.

“Huh?” She opened her eyes, seeing that her hands were not on Noishe’s head like she thought, but on Lloyd’s. Her fingers threaded through his hair, his head lowered, the hairbrush in his right hand.

It took her a few seconds longer to see what she was doing.

“Ah, I’m sorry!” Colette stepped back, mortified at herself that she had just…been petting Lloyd! “I-I didn’t know!”

Lloyd stood up, his face a beet-red, while his dog smiled at the situation. “Uh, d-don’t worry about it! Heh, so, um, does that mean we can volunteer with you? Since you liked Noishe so much!”

Yes, Noishe and…well…

“O-of course!” she said, laughing nervously. She patted down her shirt, remembering the touch on her fingertips.

She wished she didn’t have to be so embarrassing.

--

For the volunteers at Altamira’s Pet Paradise Therapy, the places they would visit, along with the people they met, varied with each day.

Colette wanted to make it easy for both Lloyd and Noishe on their first few days, and had them stay around the center at first. Plus, it was good to have Noishe get to know the other volunteer animals as well! On one day, Nibbles the cat had been around, and even as she was busy cleaning herself, or climbing up on shelves, she didn’t reject a small snout press from Noishe. Colette could have sworn she heard the kitty purr from the affection.

But soon, she saw on their schedule a client they had to visit - one that needed to stay at home instead of a hospital, their condition quite fragile.

“You’re sticking with me then?” Lloyd asked Colette once he was given the address, walking towards a mud-splattered pickup truck where Noishe immediately jumped into the backseat of. “I didn’t want to admit it, but I think I’d be nervous going to this myself.”

“Just think of it as part of training!” Colette reassured quickly. “Also, this particular client sounds like it needs someone like Noishe for them, so it should be good practice, too.”

Lloyd’s eyes lit up at the information before he got into the driver’s seat. “Oh, is it a kid then? Noishe is really great with kids!”

“Actually-” she started, but after fastening her seat-belt, the road got a little bumpy, and Noishe got a little needy, sticking his head from the backseat and getting all the pets he wanted, with Colette giving all the pets she wanted in return.

…And his fur still felt a bit like Lloyd’s hair, which she thought back to with nervousness. But Lloyd hadn’t brought it up since…

She had to admit, once they arrived, that the house was probably much bigger than what most people would expect. Lloyd's stare at the high walls and fanciful iron gates they had to walk through told her that much.

“Oh, the pet people?” spoke a blasé voice once they arrived at the door. A man with long red hair, wearing a slightly opened button-down shirt, and a curious glint in his eyes. Those same eyes quickly landed on Colette, followed by a grin. "Well, nice to see you again, angel. Got us another good doggy today? Maybe I can get my own personal session from you?~"

"Hi, Zelos!" she spoke, completely unfazed by his advances. 

He seemed to size them up before finally noticing Noishe in the center, seated politely, tail brushing against the floor.

“What the-? Is that thing a dog?!”

Lloyd frowned. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“This is Noishe!” Colette quickly intervened. "He's new to our therapy center. I think Seles will really love him."

Zelos kept staring, his carefree persona already fading away by the second. "Sure you didn't have any…normal-sized dogs around?"

"Hey! My dog is very normal!" Lloyd called out, already getting aggravated on his very first trip out.

"Oh. So he's your dog. Can't say I'm surprised then." Zelos gave a long sigh, pushing away a few red locks from his face, only for them to fall back against his cheek. "God damn, the fur's gonna get all over the place…Whatever. Seles is in the living room, so let's get this moving."

"...Did this guy even want us here?" Lloyd asked, only slightly under his breath. The home challenged the definition of big, with a needlessly long hallway, the floor tiles looking to be made of marble. "He's acting like such a jerk."

"Ah, Lloyd, it's okay," Colette tried to appease. "He's been using our services for a long time. He and Regal also know each other, and this has been helping his sister with her condition. He’s her caretaker, and just worries over her a lot."

"Huh?" He then leaned down to her, trying his very best to whisper. “If he’s doing all that, then why does he have such a weird attitude?"

"Well…"

"You do know I can hear you as clear as day," said Zelos without turning around. "Like, you're not even trying, bud."

Lloyd flushed, clamping his mouth shut. The expression was cute to Colette's eyes, but she carefully swallowed down her giggles.

The house had taken her by surprise the first time as well; everything looked too fancy to even touch, and she always wondered at a certain great painting that hung by itself in another room they passed by. But Lloyd, even in his own confusion, guided Noishe gently across the hallway, all until they made it to the living room where two sets of couches were set by an open window, and a grand piano stood forgotten in a corner, covered in dust.

A young woman was seated on one of the couches, wearing fine clothes and an overly large sun hat, a rose pinned to its brim. She held an open book in hand, though she wasn’t exactly preoccupied with reading. She was gazing through the window, her hair matching the same shade as Zelos' own. 

“Yo, Seles. Pet guys are here.”

She turned then, a slight wrinkle in her forehead when she glanced at Zelos before turning to Lloyd and Colette. “Please excuse my brother. He didn’t give you a hard time, did he?”

“Aw, so that’s how you say thanks to me for setting these up?” Zelos shrugged, but he went to lean against the piano, his pose so casual he might have started dozing off any second.

It didn’t take long for Seles to single out Noishe immediately.

"Oh. So…that's a new dog then?"

Colette nodded. “Yep. We have a new volunteer.” She tapped Lloyd’s shoulder, who was still reeling from the giant floorplan that was this home. “Go ahead.”

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself to already put Lloyd in this kind of place. But even with his hesitance, he had his smile on, already doing his best to make a good impression.

Walking across the plush carpet, Lloyd brought Noishe who followed at his side. He gave a short whistle, his dog immediately sitting down, ears raised up high. 

"This is Noishe. He's a big guy, but he's also a big ol' softie." He patted Noishe's back before speaking to the seated girl before him. "Wanna try petting him?"

Seles raised an eyebrow. Even with Noishe seated on his haunches, he towered over her by at least a few inches. "If I can even reach up to his head, but I'll try."

“That’s no problem! Here, Noishe.” A soft snap of his fingers, his hand lowered just at the same height of Seles’ face, and his dog followed through. A furry head now within the woman’s reach.

 From his lounge against the piano, Zelos gave a small snicker. “That dog could be your new coffee table, sis.”

Seles sighed sharply at his comment, but it didn’t stop her from reaching out her hands to the dog. Her skin was pale, and her fingers just a bit shaky, yet Colette noted how she had looked a bit better since the last time she had seen her.

It only took a few strokes against the forest of fur for Seles’ disinterested expression to change. “He’s like silk,” she commented, moving her right hand to travel down Noishe’s back. The dog whined in a low voice, with a light rumble in his throat. “Is…is he purring?”

Lloyd chuckled. “Noishe’s weird like that. But it’s a nice sound, don’t you think?”

“Huh…” Seles continued to pet him, all the hard lines around her mouth beginning to fade. Even her shoulders seemed less tense. “It is. He’s a very odd dog. And he has so much fur…”

“The secret is brushing him a lot.” Lloyd knelt on the floor, giving Noishe another pet along his ear. “Noishe likes it, too. So, maybe, um…”

A small slip from his confidence, but when he glanced toward Colette, she motioned to his pockets, knowing what he was offering.

Out came the hairbrush, clean of any stray furs. He held out the handle towards Seles. “The best way is to start from the neck and down his back.”

Seles took a moment. Her sun hat nearly covered her eyes, but Colette could imagine the curiosity in them, and knew Lloyd would see it too.

When she took the hairbrush, Zelos groaned slightly. “Our carpet’s gonna be a mess.”

“That’s what we have Sebastian and Tokunaga for,” she deftly answered. Then she followed Lloyd’s instructions, letting him guide her arm. The brush moved through tangles gently. Noishe stretched out his forelegs, clearly enjoying the sensation. 

But Colette had seen something pass over Zelos’ face; something of relief, the brief shadow of a smile. She walked up to him, and soon that smile transformed into the leering grin that he always seemed to put on. 

“Oh, angel~ Gonna give me that therapy session I’ve been asking for?”

“I was thinking we could do that today for you too actually!” she answered.

Zelos froze, blinking twice before saying, “You serious?”

She pointed towards Noishe who was now lying on the floor, his head settling on Seles’ knees. More brushing against the sides of his neck, Lloyd now sitting back and watching with pride.

“Oh.” Zelos shook his head. “Nah, I’m not really a dog person. Seles is more into animals than me.”

“Hm.” Colette pressed her lips together. “But maybe Seles would be happy if you joined her too?”

 A pause. “I mean…she won’t care if I do. I annoy her, remember?”

“Are you sure about that?” With a bit more assertiveness than she was used to, she took Zelos’ hand to bring him forward. “You can get to know Lloyd.”

“Whoa, getting a little handsy there,” Zelos teased, but she could see the nervousness around his eyes, how they slightly flickered from side to side. Yet after all this time of visiting the Wilder home, she had always thought that more than one person here needed to pet a dog.

And Noishe had the softest fur she had ever felt. Or, one of the softest…

“Hey! You wanna brush him too?” Lloyd took out another hairbrush from his pocket, handing it to Zelos. “You can get the back while Seles takes care of the front.”

“...Do you seriously carry more than one of these? Who does that?” Even as Zelos argued, he still accepted it, kneeling on the floor to get close to the dog. “Everytime I look at this thing, it seems even bigger…”

“Aw, is the Great Zelos scared of a puppy?” Seles smirked, the color in her cheeks brighter now. She even seemed to breathe easier too. “It’s okay, you can let your big sis handle this.”

“Now you know I can’t let that stand!” But once Zelos started to brush, and doing so quite naturally (Colette figured that was why his long hair always looked so pretty), his fingers had made contact with Noishe’s fur. He stopped, blinked, then continued brushing, but slower this time.

“It’s soft, isn’t it?” Colette asked him.

She could swear that the shadows that sometimes lined his face brightened then, that his lips lifted into a more genuine smile. Even his voice was more hushed. “Gotta admit…This feels nice.”

Noishe, who looked to be in doggy paradise, turned his head towards Zelos. Then he leaned forward, giving him a quick lick across the cheek.

Zelos flinched. “Ugh! Slobber!”

“Be nice, Zelos,” Seles scolded, but she was still happily brushing away, humming as she did so.

Eventually, Lloyd got up to leave Zelos and Seles with Noishe, standing by Colette’s side. “So… we did good, you think?”

Colette sported a thumbs-up. “You two did amazing! How do you feel?”

A soft beat before he answered, glancing to the siblings who were now laughing with each other. “Real good.”

Sometimes, certain clients give unique challenges like this. But it was worth it to help people. She was glad to see Lloyd understood that too.

–

Their next visit was to a more public place this time. The Sybak hospital at the north part of town always welcomed volunteers from Altamira Pet Paradise, so that at least Lloyd and Colette wouldn’t be by themselves. 

“You know, hospitals usually have a limit on the size of the pet visiting.” Genis had been a volunteer for a year now, his pet budgie perched on his shoulder. He was looking at Lloyd’s dog with great curiosity. “But dogs usually get a special preference.”

“Hey, Noishe hasn’t done anything wrong!” Lloyd argued seriously. And Noishe was indeed the perfect picture of a pet, seated on the floor quietly as other pets engaged with patients on the lower floor. Genis snickered, moving his budgie to his finger.

“I was just kidding. Although, they didn’t let in the horse that one time…”

“Aw, that’s right,” Colette said with a sigh. “I think the patients here would have loved braiding her mane…”

“Wait, you never told me you have a horse volunteer!" Lloyd's excitement was enough to even get Noishe's tail wagging. "I wanna see it.”

“Maybe next time!” Colette reached for Lloyd’s arm, pointing to an elevator. “We’re supposed to be meeting another patient on the 14th floor. She isn’t able to come downstairs.”

This was also a special case - Regal had asked them specifically to see this certain patient. “I believe she would greatly enjoy seeing Noishe,” he had told them, though he hadn’t expanded much further.

It had already been a few weeks since Lloyd and Noishe became volunteers. Even so, Colette made sure to stick by them, whether it was at the facility, or out to other locations. It was to make sure they were getting used to it. That was all.

And yet, as they gathered in the elevator, as Noishe sidled by Colette's side, inviting another pet she was all too happy to give, she noticed how her heart would beat just a tiny bit faster when Lloyd was close by.

A furtive glance at his face, one that she tried to pass off as checking on the highlighted number of each floor they passed through - but Lloyd had caught the stare. The eyes that she was so fascinated by clutched her in warm bronze. "Something up?"

"Ah, no, just, um…" Another stroke through Noishe's fur, and her nervousness dissipated. But also, Lloyd's easy smile didn't make her nervous for long anyway. "I was just thinking, how long have you had Noishe? Which shelter did you get him from?"

She knew a few, with some that she had volunteered at in the past before working with Regal. Though she believed she would have remembered a dog like Noishe…

"I guess I never told you that," Lloyd said, and it seemed he was also thinking on his answer, as if, maybe, there was more than one choice to give her. But how could that be? "But, I didn't get him from a shelter. I've had him for as long as I can remember."

 "Oh, you grew up with Noishe?" It made so much sense to her now, with just how well they clicked together. "So your parents adopted him from one?"

And somehow, this question made Lloyd look a little nervous, made him shift, as if he would say the wrong thing to her. "It's kinda hard to explain…"

The elevator doors opened then. Just as Lloyd gently tugged on Noishe's leash to lead him, he said to Colette, "Can I tell you later about it? I promise I will. It's just kinda complicated to say it in just five minutes."

Intrigue, wonder, and perhaps a little guilt for putting Lloyd on the spot with such questions; she would have apologized just then if Lloyd hadn't also added something else.

"Also, don't apologize. I can tell you're wanting to." He grinned, the action bringing dimples to his cheeks. "I wanna tell you when I'm able to."

She decided to trust him on that. "Okay. I'll keep you to your promise then!"

After that, it was only a small trip down the hospital hallway, the floors scrubbed clean, and the entire area quiet except for their footfalls. "I think it was room number…" Colette thought aloud, until she saw a doctor, her hair a brilliant silver shine, open a nearby door, its number that had been on the tip of her tongue. "Dr. Sage, it's good to see you!"

"Oh, Colette, and a new volunteer, it looks like?" The woman adjusted her glasses as she studied them both, and then of course, her gaze drew down to Noishe. "Hm. I've never seen such a breed."

Colette never figured that out either… Another thing that she needed Lloyd to tell her!

"Anyway, I heard from Regal that you're here to see Presea. She's still recovering, so please don't overstimulate her." 

She didn't stay long, already heading down the hallway, the door to the room left open. There was just the sharp clack of the doctor's heels on the floors, and a gentle beeping pattern from within the room.

It really was so quiet, and perhaps something about it set something uneasy in Colette. She wasn't sure why.

"Colette?" Lloyd placed a hand against her back, his fingertips just barely touching her shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. We can't keep them waiting." And with that, she might have fully opened the door fully a little too quickly, nearly tripping over herself with the effort. But the sight of the child in the bed, her right arm hooked to the medical device that kept its beeping rhythm, seemed to be enough to distract her, as well as Lloyd.

"Oh, hello," spoke the child - except she didn't sound like one at all. Her voice held the tone of an adult, despite her appearance, her pink hair tied up in twin ponytails. She sat up with a bit of difficulty. "I didn't expect any visitors today."

"We're with Altamira Pet Paradise," Lloyd quickly answered - and Colette didn't realize at first how she had strangely hesitated. She was suddenly so distracted and tired, but Lloyd gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he moved into the room with Noishe. "I'm Lloyd, that's Colette, and here's Noishe." A little excited gesture to show off his dog, who gently yipped at the sound of his name. "Your name is Presea?"

"Yes, it is." Presea's blue eyes held a curiosity much like a child, yet still her voice sounded much older. Her white gown was even a bit oversized on her. But she held a steady gaze when she looked at both Lloyd and Noishe. "They usually don't allow animals on this floor so…why now?"

Lloyd didn't know how to answer that, and unfortunately, neither did Colette. But instead of staying in silence, he brought Noishe closer to the girl's bed, assessing her reaction. She didn't move back or turn away, and in fact, seemed to move in closer.

"Do you like dogs?" Lloyd asked her. 

"Hm…I like paw pads," she told him. Her hands clutched the bed sheet draped across her legs, but not in fear. It was as if she was stopping herself.

"You can pet him," he suggested, letting Noishe rest his chin on the bed. "Hm, or better yet, you wanna see his paw pads?"

"Oh…" Presea blinked, raising her head to him. Colette had moved closer by now, and only then could she see the scar just below the girl's collar bone in the shape of an oval. It was as if something had been excised from there recently. "Is it alright to?"

"Of course it is! Here. Just ask him to shake. Easiest way to see them."

Presea paused again, but she looked towards Noishe, finally releasing the blanket to hold out her hand to him. "Shake?"

Immediately, Noishe raised up his left paw, placing it perfectly in Presea's open palm.

"There you go!" Lloyd cheered. He extended his arm then to gently turn up Noishe's palm. "Just so you know, he's a little ticklish here."

"Ah, I see." But even as she spoke, her gaze was solely for Noishe and his soft paw pads. She gently poked a finger against it, and the dog wagged his tail as a result, complete with a soft whine.

"Oh no, did I hurt him?" Presea asked, her tone oddly montone despite her words.

"Nah, don't worry. He's just letting you know it tickles." Lloyd stayed back, letting the girl examine the paw pads as if they were a new discovery. "You can pet him and hug him too."

Presea seemed to consider this, and used her other hand to pet his head. A soft gasp from her, followed by a scratch behind Noishe's right ear. She smiled for the first time, echoing something young in her. "He's so soft…both his fur and his paw pads…Thank you."

It was only later, after they had finally left the hospital, going back to the therapy center to report on their trip for the day, did Colette learn a bit more about Presea. She had been only 12 years old when she had been involved in a terrible accident, one that had sent her in a coma for the next decade. Many had believed she would never wake again, except for the individual who paid for her medical expenses, who also helped further research into her condition - a man named Regal Bryant.

And after looking through her file back at the therapy center, Colette wanted to tell Lloyd all about this, yet still she couldn't shake the feeling from earlier, that strange sadness, hearing the quiet of the halls and the echoes of footsteps far off into the distance. Maybe, because…it had reminded her of another place…

She was clutching the papers detailing their trip, holding them so tightly, until a voice called out, "Colette. Me and Noishe are about to head home… Are you alright?"

She made herself unclench her fingers, finally placing the papers down on the reception desk. "Y-yeah, I'm okay," she said with a giggle. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She thought that would be it, until Lloyd, with those eyes she kept finding herself drawn to, said, "If I tell you more about Noishe later, will you tell me more about yourself?"

Colette was speechless for a moment, wondering where such words came from. Maybe he was joking, or playing a prank on her. But Lloyd looked at her seriously, and it was hard to turn away.

"Will you tell me about yourself too?" she found herself asking.

At that, Lloyd grinned. "The thing about Noishe…it has to do with me too. Can't have one without the other. I have to get home but I promise next time for sure." 

He waved to her, though, for a second, she thought he had been about to do something else. Like when he had pressed his hand against her back, so lightly, but so warm.

She almost wished he had done what he wanted to do first, but she nodded. "Then, I promise, too."

--

Their schedules had been packed for the next few days; a classroom of kindergarteners came to visit the center, and had completely taken over Lloyd and Noishe’s time. Though, not that Noishe minded, perfectly happy to give those small enough to ride him, and the children careful to not tug at his fur or ears. 

Colette also had to go out to visit other places that needed their services, from the nearby hospitals to private homes. She was perfect with every dog she handled, and watched over other volunteers who needed both her guidance and patience.

Though this meant her and Lloyd were separated, now fully engulfed in Regal’s work. Until, news came to her on an already quite busy Thursday.

“...Dad?” she whispered as she answered her cellphone, having just gotten back to the center from her trip out. She had not even put her purse down, instead slowly walking behind the reception desk. “Is there something wrong?”

A few moments, her breath held still. She nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there soon. Thank you.”

It's late in the day…Most of Regal's doggies are asleep…The other volunteers can watch over the animals. But who should I bring? Grandmother seems to like Pippy the most… 

But as she moved to leave, she didn't see exactly where she was going - and that was how she tripped over Noishe, who was laying contently on the floor near one of the doorways.

"Waa!" 

She flailed to grab onto something. Instead, a hand caught her around the waist, making her fall into someone's chest. A soft impact, with softer texture. Even with the dog fur that was quite everywhere in the center, she could still find his familiar scent.

"Whoa! Sorry, I was, uh, just trying to catch you." Though even as he said so, Lloyd wasn't moving away, arm still wrapped around her as if her knees would buckle just then. To be fair, Colette wasn’t sure if she’d be unable to stop herself from falling again without his hand.

“Aha…I’m just, really clumsy sometimes.” With a gentle press of her palms against his chest, she gathered herself to stand again on unshaking legs. “I was… in a hurry to get somewhere, that’s all.”

It was hard to expand on it, even when she could see the question hovering in Lloyd’s eyes. Would he ask her? Maybe part of her was aching for it.

“Okay then,” Lloyd finally said, nodding in understanding. “If you need to.”

“...Yeah, I do.” Colette tried to hide the disappointment. It’s not like any of this was Lloyd’s concern after all, and he was probably already busy himself - 

“Want me to drive you?” 

The hue of his eyes caught her, along with his smile. The same smile that always seemed to disarm her, just a little bit. What was it about Lloyd’s smile? Maybe because it was so open and held nothing else behind it. It reminded her of something…

“I don’t have other places to be today, and everyone else here already is being taken care of by the other volunteers,” Lloyd was saying, bringing a hand to scratch at his cheek. Again, that smile. The honesty in it was enough to pull at her chest. “And, maybe I’ve just been working here long enough…but it seems like you need some help?”

Colette was unsure how to answer - because she’s supposed to help other people. Not herself. Why should it be herself when so many others need it more than she did?

She felt something press into her hand. It was a sensation she knew immediately, the wet contact of a dog’s nose.

Colette blinked, looking down to see Noishe’s bright black eyes, the whiskers from his snout, and the long ears that shifted like the swaying of grass in the wind.

Lloyd gave a small laugh at the sight, so warm and sincere in its tones. “Maybe I should ask…do you need Noishe’s help?”

His fur was just beneath her fingertips, and when she reached down to pet him, her legs felt less wobbly, and the strange static buzz in her head since receiving the phone call began to evaporate. She took a breath, in and out, and then another, all while Noishe remained with her.

And Lloyd. But she couldn’t very well reach out to pet him…Not again…

“I need to go to the Iselia Nursing Home,” she told him. “And… I think Noishe would be perfect to come along.” She paused. “He could help someone there.”

It was hard to admit it yet, but Lloyd didn’t push. Instead, he simply nodded, whistling Noishe to his side, and holding out a hand towards Colette. “Let’s get going then. We can beat the traffic rush if we go now.”

His hand was there to keep her from falling. That was why he reached out to her, she told herself. But that didn’t stop her heart racing when she accepted it, his warmth seeping into her skin.

-

Her grandmother seemed happy here, Colette thought.

The retirement home was certainly one of the more expensive in town, a place that had definitely been out of the reach of her father’s savings. But Phaidra Brunel had been beloved by her fellow church members, beloved by the pastors and acolytes, and the parish’s coffers were deeper than any one man’s. They would always make sure one of their most dedicated to their church was well-taken care of.

When they finally arrived, Colette was careful to keep her eyes away from the symbols of worship placed around the walls and over doorways, yet it didn’t stop the prayers that went through her mind by rote. Like a poem that she had been taught to memorize, to focus on the meaning of each word, and each tangibility. 

It was just something she had to go through whenever she was here. Like the echoes of her footsteps when she used to walk the church’s hallways…

“Oh, Colette! You have a new dog?”

The residents of the retirement home all knew her, some even knowing the dogs by name that she would bring, like Pippy, and Dot, and even Sprinkles when Regal had joined her on a few trips. But from some of the seated residents, most of them gathered in the main living room area, with a view of the patio outside and the sunlight streaming in through silk curtains, she could tell a few of their gazes switched to Lloyd who stood next to her.

Lloyd showed no doubt in his voice, already raising a hand in a wave, bringing Noishe to the forefront. “Hey! This is my best pal, Noishe. He’s happy to meet a lot of new people.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. Noishe was already trotting up to a few residents, even those with unsteady hands who snagged at his collar in their attempts to pet him. A lady in an old-fashioned polka dot dress gushed at his long ears, while a man who needed to wear a special device for his oxygen tank nearby commented on the luster of his fur. Still, one or two of the residents may have held a certain prayer book in their hands. 

“Do you still sing at the choir, Colette?” one elderly man asked, clutching a cane in his right hand while petting Noishe’s head with the other.

“Ah no, Matthew… I’ve been much too busy,” she explained to him, as she had done on her last few visits here. “I’m here to see Phaidra.”

“Oh, she’s right outside, near the garden,” spoke another, though for now, it was hard for Colette to place. Lloyd must have seen her feet shift on the floorboards, or heard the weariness in her voice. He gently tugged on Noishe’s leash, said a few words to the residents and then took Colette’s hand as well. Just outside, they said. It used to be quite easy for her, but the guilt in her had only increased since.

She didn’t really think twice about Lloyd helping her along gently, not until they were outside the retirement home again, with Phaidra seated underneath a bowed tree in her wheelchair, a blanket draped over her knees. A few months ago, she had insisted on just using her cane, but now it was nowhere to be found.

“Chosen?” Phaidra turned her head, and her smile lifted in a sea full of wrinkles. “Oh, Chosen! How wonderful it is to see you.”

She could feel Lloyd stall at the title, could feel herself stall at it - but she pressed forward, reaching out to clasp the elderly woman’s hands in her own. “Hello, grandmother. Father told me you asked to see me.”

“Of course, of course,” Phaidra nodded. Her blonde hair, held up by red clips on both sides of her head, was of a more faded color than Colette’s, as if lightened by the sun. “The church will be having its festival quite soon, and they would absolutely love to have you. I’ve already put in a good word for you. They also loved your hymn singing from years back. Do you still sing, Chosen?”

Colette continued to smile, even as her mind stilled. “I do sometimes. But, Regal still needs me at the therapy center and…”

This was where Phaidra would keep talking, on the new church events she had been keeping track of and oh, please, would Colette not consider going to a Mass soon and-

But instead, her grandmother looked behind her. She felt Noishe’s fur brush her arm, instantly soothing, instantly gratifying.

“Oh my! He feels so heavenly!” spoke Phaidra, releasing Colette’s hands to pet Noishe’s head.

Noishe’s fur was like magic, Colette thought.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice you were here too.” Phaidra looked to Lloyd who greeted her with a bright smile. “Is this your dog? He’s as big as a horse!” But she said so with laughter.

“Yeah, he’s mine. I’m Lloyd, by the way.” The breeze tugged at his hair, a few of the fallen leaves gathering at his feet. “He must know you really like dogs!”

Phaidra was giggling, almost odd to hear from someone so aged in years. But she stroked Noishe’s head, gently tracing his long ears with wonder. “He’s so very precious… Did you give this one a name too, Colette?”

She chuckled before she answered - a bit easier than before, now that she heard a name before any title. “He already had a name when he joined…His name is Noishe.”

Colette always wondered if her love of dogs came from her grandmother.

-

Phaidra was insistent on having Noishe beside her, and the dog was only too happy to comply. Underneath the afternoon sun, Noishe laid out on the grass by Phaidra’s wheelchair, pressing his head to her knee as she stroked him with slightly bent hands, the liver spots on her fingers highlighted by the sunshine. 

It was relaxing for them both, enough that Colette felt it was okay for her to step away for a bit, to move to a part of the garden where an angel statue was placed. The vines curled around its body, snagging onto its wing continuously, that had it been alive, would have made it impossible for such a being to fly.

“Colette,” she heard from behind her. Lloyd’s voice didn’t startle her, and she waited until he was by her side, hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. “You feeling okay?”

“Hm? Um, yeah! I feel fine.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for coming with me to check up on my grandmother. I knew she’d love Noishe.”

She wasn’t sure what she expected, but when Lloyd reached to hold her hand in his, it had sent her heart racing again - but in a way that she found addicting. 

“I promised I’d tell you about Noishe and me,” he said then, flicking a glance to his dog who stayed by Phaidra, his fur speckled from the sunshine that filtered through the branches. 

Colette took a moment, knowing what else this meant. “You did.”

She watched him take a small breath, his fingers twining with hers so naturally. Maybe it was his touch that made her feel more calm, something that she had only ever really felt when running her hand through fur…or through someone’s hair.

“When I was three years old, I was found with Noishe. We were lying on some dirt road that my dad happened to be traveling on… Well, my foster dad.” Lloyd grinned. “I’m adopted. And I guess Noishe is too. No one knew where we came from, or who my parents were. I think it’s, like, officially determined we were abandoned. No one’s ever filed a missing child report for me, so it’s probably true.”

Colette processed the information, unsure what to say. “Lloyd…”

“Hey, it’s okay. I already have a family - just not blood-related.” He squeezed her hand. “And so does Noishe. Back when I was a kid, he was so scared of everything. He barely ever wanted to go outside. I think it’s because of whatever happened to us. Maybe an accident, or someone was trying to hurt us… But I can’t remember anything at all.”

Noishe, the giant dog who continually asked for pets and went out of his way to greet new people. The dog with his strange whines that sounded almost like music when you pet him just right…

“He used to only be able to whine. Not even bark. It took a really long time for him to get braver.” Lloyd raised a curious glance to the angel statue next to them. “I’ve tried finding out about where we might have come from… But no luck. I don’t think it matters anyway. Noishe has gotten better since. Maybe… we’re just better off not knowing?”

Colette held his hand tightly. “But, it’s okay to want to know,” she reassured, then paused. “Ah, sorry.”

Lloyd laughed a little, his teeth showing in a half-grin. “You’re such a dork. Don’t be sorry. I guess it’s not bad to want to know, just…” And then he looked at her, moving just slightly closer as he held her hand. “There’s more important things.”

With that, Lloyd faced her fully, one hand up, his grin wide. “Your turn now!”

Colette blinked. “My turn…?”

“Hey, don’t go back on your promise “Remember? You said you’d tell me more about you after I told you about me.”

Oh, he was right! She had completely forgotten about that.

“Well, it’s not like I have much interesting stuff to say,” she protested a bit.

Then Lloyd took her other hand, clasping it tight. She could see into his eyes much clearer now, the sun shining against his hair, almost tempting to touch.

“Try me.”

Maybe something like this should have made her more nervous, or sent spikes of anxiety through her spine, or laid something heavy on her shoulders. Because, whenever she thought about herself, that was how she felt.

But Lloyd and his touch seemed to make her feel calm instead.

“I just… get a little overwhelmed when I’m here.” Colette took a deep breath. “I left my church years ago and…I just haven't stopped feeling guilty since. My grandmother keeps thinking I’ll come back someday. There was a lot in place for me, for when I took over her role in the church because I was…chosen.” She giggled half-heartedly. “It sounds really weird when I say it out loud like this.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lloyd reassured, holding both of her hands, urging her to continue.

Another deep breath as she brushed her thumb against his. “But a few years back, I met Regal and saw what he was trying to do… He had so many doggies that helped so many people! And, maybe it was selfish of me but I didn’t want to stay at the church and take up their roles and take vows that just keep me-” She stopped, cleared her throat. “I wanted to do something different instead. Even though I still pray sometimes and remember all the verses. But, it’s not like how it used to be. Regal wouldn’t force me to stay at the center if I no longer wanted to…”

She was rambling. She had never mentioned so much of this to anyone before, only bits and pieces. “As…the chosen in my church, they said I could help people with their charity and prayers but…I wanted to help people in my own way…In a way that I felt more like me.” Another pause. “I’m sorry.”

Lloyd’s voice didn’t let her falter in her guilt for long.

“Why are you apologizing for being you?”

“I…”

She almost felt like she would cry then, and maybe she was, feeling the heat around her eyes. But Lloyd didn’t turn away. “I think you want to pet something,” he said.

She sniffled a little. “Yeah…but Noishe is with grandmother now…”

Something passed in Lloyd’s face; a brief flush on his cheeks, a smile with a tinge of nervousness. “Well…okay, maybe this is weird, but, hear me out! You could always pet…someone else?”

“But who?” They had no other dogs with them…

Even though she already knew.

“Um…Man, you’re really gonna make me show you…” Lloyd took a deep breath, then with quickness, placed Colette’s hands on top of his head. Her fingers went through his hair, which was soft and fluffy.

Oh, she missed this feeling.

“...Okay, this is probably too dumb, sorry,” spoke Lloyd, his face now as red as his sweatshirt. But just as he was about to pull her hands away, she remained locked in place.

“No, let me pet a little more!” Colette was saying. “Um, if it’s okay!”

Lloyd blinked, the red in his cheeks having only increased. “Uh, s-sure! Is this helping?”

“Yeah!” Colette smiled wide, running her fingers through his hair. “You feel exactly like Noishe!”

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment!” spoke Lloyd, laughing with her.

“You must brush your hair a lot…”

“I mean, kinda? I mostly just use gel.”

“Oh, that’s why your hair sticks up like that!” She giggled, pressing her palms against his swept up spikes. “It’s cute.”

“Aw, you’re gonna mess it up a little…”

She was intoxicated with touching him like this, the kind that made her head feel light and her chest full of airy bubbles. Maybe that was why it felt easy to step in closer to him, his face near hers, until she was kissing him before she was aware of it.

It was so light and warm. Her hands still rushed through his hair, slowly, enjoying the texture against her skin.

“I…didn’t mean for that to happen,” Lloyd said, his breath low. “At least, not right now.”

Right. Her grandmother was still nearby. But her back was turned, and Noishe provided her with the best distraction.

“I think now was a perfect time,” she told Lloyd, leaning in for another kiss, seeing his smile before she closed her eyes.

Noishe’s fur was healing, but there was something about Lloyd’s touch that was more magical than anything else.

#tales of symphonia #colette brunel #lloyd irving #colloyd #colloydweek2022 #zelos wilder #seles wilder #regal bryant #noishe #presea combatir #genis sage #raine sage #phaidra brunel #fanfiction #one shot #so sorry this is long this got out of control