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cool-fancier · 3 months

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Love Beyond Tradition

Synopsis: A royal ball in South Korea sets the stage for Princess Bada and a villager's secret love. Tradition, friendship, and a compromise weave a tale that defies societal norms.

A/N: princess!Bada , villager!you, complexities of tradition, societal expectations, and the transformative power of love that defies established norms, The Subtle Symphony of Forbidden Love.Im very sorry I did rush it.

Word count:3.8K

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the grand castle as preparations for the royal ball commenced. Princess Bada, adorned in a regal hanbok, felt the weight of tradition press upon her shoulders. The evening held the promise of a potential partner, a match that would align with her royal lineage. Yet, amidst the opulence of the court, a longing for a connection beyond societal expectations lingered in her heart.

The castle gates opened to welcome guests from all corners of the kingdom. Nobles, diplomats, and eligible bachelors entered the ballroom, a sea of vibrant colors and sparkling jewels. In the midst of the regal gathering, a figure caught Bada's eye – you, a person from the village, entering the ballroom with an air of simplicity and authenticity.

Bada's heart skipped a beat as you approached her, bowing politely. "Pleasured to meet you, your majesty," you said, a warm smile gracing your lips.

"The pleasure is mine. What brings you to the royal ball?" Bada asked, intrigued by the genuine charm that emanated from you.

"I heard the most enchanting princess in the kingdom was hosting a ball, and I couldn't resist the chance to witness the magic myself," you replied playfully.

As the night unfolded, you and Bada engaged in conversations that defied the formalities of courtship. The shared anecdotes and laughter wove a connection that surpassed the expectations of the grand event. In the moonlit courtyard, beneath blossoming cherry trees, the connection deepened, and a shared desire for a life beyond royal norms unfolded.

Days turned into weeks, and clandestine meetings between you and Bada continued. The castle walls became the canvas for a love story that blossomed against the tapestry of tradition. However, a shadow loomed over the burgeoning romance – Bada's parents were unaware of the connection between their daughter and a villager.

Bada knew the consequences of revealing the truth to her parents. The longstanding animosity between the royal family and yours was deeply rooted, and any mention of a connection with a villager would meet with stern disapproval. So, Bada kept the burgeoning romance hidden, cherishing stolen moments with you amidst the grandeur of the castle.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the castle walls echoed with the melodies of traditional Korean instruments. Bada, adorned in a hanbok, stood before the mirror in her private chamber, the weight of her secret pressing upon her. The ballroom awaited, and the facade of tradition beckoned.

In the moonlit courtyard, you and Bada strolled beneath the cherry trees, the fragrant blossoms bearing witness to a love that defied societal norms. The evening was filled with shared dreams, laughter, and the acknowledgment of a connection that surpassed the boundaries of birthright.

As the clock struck midnight, the castle gates closed, and the secrets of the night lingered within the grand walls. The clandestine romance continued, a story hidden in the shadows of tradition.

Weeks turned into months, and the court, oblivious to the connection between Princess Bada and a villager, continued with its regal affairs. However, the whispers of courtiers grew louder, the rumors more persistent, and the anticipation of an announcement loomed in the air.

One night, the castle walls echoed with the melodies of a court musician's gayageum. Bada and you found yourselves in the palace gardens, beneath the blossoming cherry trees. The moonlight painted a surreal picture, and the authenticity of your connection shone bright against the darkness.

Amidst the serenity of the moment, a palace servant approached, bearing a message. "Princess Bada, your parents request your presence."

Bada's heart tightened with unease, but she composed herself, nodding to the servant. As she made her way to the grand halls, she exchanged a reassuring glance with you.

In the regal throne room, King Minjoon and Queen Jisoo sat upon their thrones, the weight of their crowns reflecting the burden of royalty. Bada approached with a respectful bow, her eyes betraying a hidden turmoil.

"Sit, my daughter," King Minjoon beckoned, his voice echoing through the grand chamber.

Bada took her seat, her eyes cast downward, aware that a storm was brewing within the walls of the castle.

"Princess," Queen Jisoo began, her tone measured, "we have heard whispers, rumors that circulate through the court."

Bada's heart raced, but she maintained her composure. "Rumors, mother?"

King Minjoon sighed, "The court is abuzz with talk of a connection, a romance that defies tradition. A romance you seem to be entangled in, my dear."

Bada's gaze remained fixed on the ground, the weight of the unspoken truth pressing upon her. She chose her words carefully, "I assure you, yfather, that my focus has always been on the duties befitting a royal princess."

Queen Jisoo, perceptive as ever, continued, "Duties indeed, but not the ones that should involve connections with villagers."

Bada's heart sank as the unspoken truth hung in the air. The parents, despite not knowing the specifics, sensed the unfolding narrative.

King Minjoon spoke with a stern tone, "We have always wanted the best for you, Bada. The future of our kingdom depends on alliances, not connections that tarnish the honor of the royal family."

Bada felt the weight of her duty, her connection with you reduced to a clandestine affair. She nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the expectations that pressed upon her.

"You are a royal princess, Bada. Do not forget the responsibilities that come with your birthright," Queen Jisoo added, her voice carrying the weight of a thousand years of tradition.

With a heavy heart, Bada left the throne room, the echoes of her parents' words lingering in the air. The palace gardens, once a sanctuary of love, now bore witness to the storm that brewed within the grand walls.

— — — — — —

As the days passed, the court continued with its regal affairs, the whispers growing louder. Bada, torn between duty and love, found herself caught in the crossfire of tradition. The secret meetings with you became increasingly scarce, and the castle walls seemed to close in on the clandestine romance.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the palace gates opened to welcome guests for a grand celebration. The whispers of courtiers reached a crescendo as they speculated about the future of Princess Bada and the mysterious villager. The ballroom, adorned in regal splendor, awaited the unfolding drama.

Bada, adorned in a hanbok that bore the weight of tradition, descended the grand staircase. The whispers intensified, the air thick with anticipation. As she reached the ballroom, her eyes scanned the faces, searching for yours. However, the palace guards had been instructed to keep you away, severing the connection that had defied tradition.

In the moonlit courtyard, beneath the blossoming cherry trees, you waited, unaware of the storm that raged within the grand walls. The celebration echoed through the palace, the melodies of traditional Korean instruments masking the secrets that lingered in the air.

Bada, her eyes betraying a hidden turmoil, approached the courtyard. Her hanbok, a symbol of tradition, seemed to suffocate the authenticity that had once defined her connection with you.

"We cannot continue this," Bada whispered, her voice laced with sorrow.

Confusion and concern etched across your face as you asked, "What's happened? Why are you saying this?"

Tears welled in Bada's eyes as she confessed, "My parents know about us. They have forbidden our connection, deeming it unfit for a royal princess."

The weight of her words hung in the air, the moonlit courtyard bearing witness to a love story that crumbled beneath the expectations of tradition.

"They want me to fulfill my duty, to marry someone of noble birth. We can no longer be together," Bada uttered, her voice barely audible over the melodies that echoed through the palace.

As the realization set in, you felt a chasm open within your heart. The love that had defied tradition, the connection that had blossomed in the moonlit courtyard, now faced an insurmountable barrier.

The grand celebration continued within the palace walls, oblivious to the personal drama that unfolded beneath the blossoming cherry trees. Princess Bada and you, entangled in a love story that transcended societal norms, stood at the crossroads of duty and authenticity.

Tears glistened in Bada's eyes as she turned away, leaving the moonlit courtyard behind. The palace gates closed, and the blossoms above seemed to wither, bearing witness to a connection that had defied tradition but succumbed to the weight of royal expectations.

In the tapestry of interconnected lives, the story of Princess Bada and you held threads that reached beyond the boundaries of time. As the moon cast its glow over the palace gardens, the echoes of a love story silenced by the weight of tradition lingered in the air.

— — — — — —

Amidst the complexities of royalty and tradition, another layer of the narrative unfolded – the shared history between your mother and Queen Jisoo. In their younger years, they had been best friends, two souls bound by a friendship that transcended societal norms. However, the weight of tradition had severed their connection, leaving behind a tale of lost camaraderie and unspoken words.

Your mother, aware of the unfolding drama between you and Princess Bada, felt a pang of empathy. She couldn't bear to see her child caught in the crossfire of tradition, love, and duty. Determined to mend the broken threads of friendship, your mother took it upon herself to seek an audience with Queen Jisoo.

One day, as the sun bathed the castle walls in golden hues, your mother approached the grand gates. The palace guards, recognizing her, allowed her entry. The palace, usually a bastion of tradition, became a stage for a heartfelt plea that sought to bridge the chasm between two families.

Queen Jisoo, upon hearing of your mother's arrival, granted her an audience in the regal throne room. The air was thick with the weight of untold stories, the echoes of a friendship lost to the sands of time.

"Jiyeon," your mother began, addressing Queen Jisoo by her given name, "We were once inseparable friends, bound by a connection that withstood the tests of youth. But tradition and the expectations of our families forced us apart."

Queen Jisoo's eyes, a mirror to the past, reflected a mixture of nostalgia and regret. "So much has changed since then, Sora. We live in a world dictated by duty and tradition, where the threads of connection often fray."

Your mother nodded, her voice resonating with sincerity. "I know, Jiyeon, but the story unfolding between our children seems like a cruel repetition of the past. Their connection is genuine, rooted in a love that defies tradition. I implore you to consider the happiness they find in each other."

Queen Jisoo, torn between the expectations of royalty and the memories of a lost friendship, spoke with a hint of vulnerability. "The burdens of my role weigh heavy, Sora. I wish I could change the narrative, but the kingdom demands sacrifices."

"But what about the sacrifice of love? Is it not worth preserving the happiness of our children, despite the dictates of tradition?" your mother questioned, her eyes pleading for understanding.

As the conversation unfolded, the throne room became a canvas for the emotions that had long remained unspoken. Queen Jisoo, torn between duty and the memories of her past, found herself standing at the crossroads of tradition and the authenticity of genuine connection.

Meanwhile, in the village, you were unaware of the conversation unfolding within the palace walls. The blossoming cherry trees, once witness to the love story that unfolded beneath the moonlit courtyard, now seemed to bear the weight of impending separation.

Days turned into weeks, and the conversation between your mother and Queen Jisoo continued. The palace walls echoed with the sentiments of friendship lost and the potential for a connection rediscovered. The court, oblivious to the unfolding drama, continued with its regal affairs, unaware of the undercurrents that shaped the destiny of two families.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting hues of orange and pink across the palace gardens, Queen Jisoo sought out Princess Bada. The weight of her conversation with your mother pressed upon her, and the courtyard, once a sanctuary for love, became a stage for a revelation that would alter the course of a love story.

"Bada, my dear," Queen Jisoo began, her voice carrying the weight of a thousand untold stories, "I have had a conversation with Sora, my friend from the past. She spoke of a friendship that transcended tradition, a connection that was severed by the expectations of our families."

Bada's eyes widened in surprise and she thought t herself "My mother and Y/N’s mother were once close?"

Queen Jisoo nodded, a solemn acknowledgment of the past. "Their friendship faced the same challenges we now encounter. It pains me to see history repeating itself."

As the moon ascended in the night sky, Queen Jisoo continued, "I have struggled with the expectations of royalty, with the burden of tradition. But I cannot ignore the genuine connection between you and that villager. Sora made me realize the sacrifices we demand from our children in the name of duty."

Bada's heart raced with hope as she asked, "Does this mean...?"

Queen Jisoo sighed, her eyes reflecting the complexity of her role. "I cannot promise a complete upheaval of tradition, but I am willing to reconsider. Your happiness, Bada, is paramount. I will speak with the council, with the hopes that a compromise can be reached."

The moonlit courtyard, once a witness to heartbreak, now stood as a symbol of potential redemption. As Queen Jisoo left, her silhouette disappeared into the grand halls of the palace, leaving Bada alone beneath the blossoming cherry trees.

The news of Queen Jisoo's reconsideration reached the village, sparking a glimmer of hope within your heart. The whispers of courtiers intensified, and the court itself became a stage for a drama that unfolded against the backdrop of tradition and friendship rediscovered.

Days turned into weeks, and the fate of Princess Bada and you hung in the balance. The palace, a symbol of tradition, awaited the outcome of the deliberations within its walls. The grand halls echoed with the whispers of courtiers, the melodies of traditional Korean instruments serving as the backdrop to a tale that straddled the realms of love and duty.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Queen Jisoo summoned Princess Bada to the regal throne room. The air was charged with anticipation as they approached the grand doors that bore witness to centuries of tradition.

The throne room, usually a bastion of stoic rule, now stood as a stage for a decision that would alter the course of two families. The council, comprised of courtiers and advisors, awaited the words of their queen.

Queen Jisoo, with a measured voice that carried the echoes of the past and the potential for a new future, addressed the assembly. "The expectations of tradition often blind us to the genuine connections that shape our lives. My daughter, Princess Bada, has found such a connection with a villager from our midst."

Gasps and whispers rippled through the assembly, but Queen Jisoo continued, "I have reconsidered the demands of tradition. While I cannot promise a complete departure from the norm, I am willing to explore a compromise that upholds the honor of the royal family while recognizing the authenticity of their connection."

The council, initially resistant to the idea, found themselves caught between the weight of tradition and the winds of change. The deliberations continued, the fate of Princess Bada and you hanging in the balance.

In the village, you were unaware of the unfolding drama within the palace walls. The blossoming cherry trees, a silent witness to the twists of fate, seemed to sway with a newfound hope. Your mother, though hopeful, maintained a cautious optimism, aware that tradition, once deeply entrenched, was not easily swayed.

Days turned into nights, and the grand halls of the palace echoed with the deliberations that shaped the destiny of two families. Queen Jisoo, torn between the expectations of royalty and the rediscovered memories of a lost friendship, found herself standing at the precipice of change.

One evening, as the moon cast its glow over the palace gardens, the doors of the throne room opened to reveal Queen Jisoo and Princess Bada. The assembly hushed, the air thick with anticipation.

Queen Jisoo, with a tone that carried the weight of her decision, addressed the court. "After careful deliberation and consideration, I have decided to explore a compromise that upholds the honor of the royal family while acknowledging the authenticity of Princess Bada's connection."

The assembly, a mixture of courtiers and advisors, absorbed the words with a mixture of surprise and cautious acceptance. The grand halls, once cloaked in the rigid expectations of tradition, seemed to shimmer with the potential for change.

Queen Jisoo turned to Princess Bada, her eyes reflecting a mixture of stern resolve and maternal warmth. "You shall be allowed to continue your connection with this villager, but with certain conditions that align with the honor of our lineage."

Princess Bada's heart soared with gratitude as she bowed to her mother. The court, though hesitant, acknowledged the shift in tradition, recognizing the winds of change that swept through the grand halls.

In the village, the news of the compromise reached your ears. A wave of relief washed over you, the burden of uncertainty lifting. The blossoming cherry trees, once symbols of heartbreak, now seemed to bloom with the promise of a love story redeemed.

Days turned into nights, and the clandestine meetings between you and Princess Bada were no longer shrouded in secrecy. The moonlit courtyard, once witness to heartache, now bore witness to a connection that defied tradition with the tacit approval of the court.

As the news of the compromise spread through the kingdom, the whispers of courtiers evolved into a chorus of acceptance. The grand halls of the palace, once rigid in their adherence to tradition, now echoed with the harmonies of a love story that bridged the gaps between birthright and authenticity.

The court, once divided, embraced the compromise as a step toward a more inclusive future. Queen Jisoo, with a heart that reconciled duty and maternal love, watched as her daughter's happiness unfolded against the backdrop of a changing kingdom.

As the moon cast its glow over the palace gardens, the love story that had defied tradition and rediscovered lost friendships became a cherished tale passed down through generations. The palace, once a bastion of rigidity, transformed into a symbol of progress, a testament to the idea that genuine connection could bridge the gaps that tradition often imposed.

As the seasons unfolded and the kingdom embraced the changing winds of acceptance, the love story of Princess Bada and you became a beacon of hope. The grand halls of the palace, once steeped in rigid tradition, now echoed with the laughter of courtiers who celebrated the union that defied societal norms.

— — — — — — —

One evening, in a grand ceremony that brought together the kingdom, you found yourself donning traditional attire, a hanbok that reflected the richness of the culture that had become an integral part of your journey. The palace, adorned in hues of gold and crimson, seemed to celebrate the culmination of a love story that defied expectations.

In the moonlit courtyard, beneath the blossoming cherry trees that had borne witness to heartbreak and redemption, you waited with a heart full of anticipation. The fragrance of the blossoms mingled with the melodies of traditional Korean instruments, creating a symphony that seemed to serenade the love that had weathered the storm.

As the grand doors of the palace opened, Princess Bada descended the staircase. Her hanbok, a reflection of tradition and the winds of change, shimmered in the moonlight. The courtiers and advisors, once skeptical, now stood witness to a union that transcended birthright.

Bada's eyes, reflecting the journey of love and acceptance, met yours. The connection between you and Princess Bada, once shrouded in secrecy and hidden beneath the weight of tradition, now stood on the precipice of a future embraced by the kingdom.

With each step towards the aisle, Bada's smile grew, mirroring the joy that radiated from your heart. The murmurs of the courtiers hushed, replaced by a collective realization that love, in all its forms, was the true essence of a thriving kingdom.

The moonlit courtyard became a stage for a moment that transcended time. As Bada approached, the symphony of blossoms and music seemed to pause, creating an intimate cocoon around the two of you.

"You look stunning," you whispered as she reached your side.

Bada's eyes sparkled with happiness. "And you look like the person I want to spend the rest of my life with."

The courtiers, caught in the magic of the moment, watched as you and Princess Bada exchanged vows beneath the blossoming cherry trees. The air was filled with promises of love and commitment, a testament to the resilience of a connection that had weathered the storm of tradition.

In the warmth of South Korean moonlight, with the laughter of friends and the promise of a shared future, you and Bada became partners for life. The blossoms above seemed to sway in celebration, casting a fragrant blessing on the union that had rewritten the destiny of a royal princess and a villager.

And so, in the heart of South Korea, where ancient castles stood testament to the dance of tradition and modernity, the love story of Princess Bada and you became a cherished tale passed down through generations. The moonlit courtyard, once witness to heartbreak and redemption, now stood as a symbol of the transformative power of love.

As you and Bada walked hand in hand, surrounded by the melodies of celebration, the echoes of your journey resonated through the palace walls. The courtiers, now supporters of the love that had defied tradition, joined in the festivities, and the kingdom embraced a future that celebrated love in all its forms.

In the grand halls of the palace, where the laughter of courtiers mingled with the melodies of traditional Korean instruments, the union of Princess Bada and you became a story that transcended time. The blossoming cherry trees, once witnesses to the complexities of love, now stood as guardians of a legacy that celebrated the triumph of authenticity over tradition.

And as the celebration continued into the night, you and Bada, bound by love and acceptance, embarked on a journey that promised a future filled with shared dreams, laughter, and the echoes of a love story that had rewritten the destiny of a kingdom steeped in history.

#bada lee x reader #swf2 #swf2 x reader #bada lee #street woman fighter 2 #bebe #bada lee fanfic #bada lee x oc #bada lee x y/n #bada lee imagine #bada #bada x reader #bada fanfic #bada lee imagines #lee bada

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lovelymessybubbly · 11 months

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have you seen sk8? would you maybe consider making cherry blossom the lee for your event? congrats on 1k !!

"hey, your kimono has come loose !! that is quite unrefined, isn't it ??"

so i have not seen this anime either (￣▽￣*)ゞ but when i looked him up i thought he was quite cute, so i decided i would go ahead and give him the works. dani-chan gave me a rundown on his character, so hopefully i did him justice !! i really love the uptight or more noble types, because it is so fun to see them become a complete mess due to some tickling. messy hair, flushed face, loosened kimono... what a sight to behold, especially for someone who usually presents so regally !! (✧ω✧)

i heard he is a calligrapher, so i practiced a few characters on his abdomen (*¯︶¯*) but, he was another squirmy canvas, so i did the best i could.

please enjoy !! and thank you so much for your continued support !!

#tamabijutsu #tickling #sk8 the infinity tickling #ticklish!cherry blossom #lee!cherry blossom #deviled egg #get em tama!!

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spiritthemoron · 2 months

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Something a little different from my other hazbin stuff- one of my favorite things to do is design fun designs for the Greek gods, are they lore accurate-no but they’re fun!

Here are the designs for Persephone, Hera, and Amphridite!

For Persephone I wanted to base her off a flower because of the goddess of spring stuff and I finally settled on a cherry blossom theme, because I find them very pretty!

Hera I made like a regal deep blue and had gold to accent it, you can’t really see it in this drawing but her crown has a trail of golden peacock feathers.

And Amphridite is an ocean nymph so I wanted a more physical difference between her and the other two so I’ve kinda just dictated that nymph have these downward turned ears, for her they’re fish like.

#art #digital art #fanart #character design #greek mythology #greek gods #god designs #hera goddess #hera greek mythology #persephone #persephone greek mythology #Amphridite #Amphridite greek mythology

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spacesquidlings · 3 months

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If You Need To, Darling, Lean Your Weight On Me: Succor

Summary: At Astarion's insistence, they find somewhere to stay to wait out the storm. Cold, tired, and covered in mud and rain, Aspen is still not entirely willing to let herself be tended to, not that he is having any of that.

Pairing: Astarion x Female Tav (OC Aspen)

Warnings: Suggestive comments

A request from the wonderful @spacebarbarianweird !!!!! Thank you so much for this request and your patience!!!!! <3

Table of Contents

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Much to Aspen’s surprise, there really was somewhere for them to stay in the middle of nowhere.

Astarion preened smugly as she gawked at the stout inn. A buttery golden glow spilled from the windows and the cracks around the door, plumes of grey smoke spilling from an old brick chimney. The smell of roasting meats and melting butter and herbs and onions and spices she couldn’t name wafted from the inn on the bruising wind, softening its cold sting.

Her stomach cramped, dull pain radiating through her belly. She’d been too cold and miserable to even notice how hungry she was, but as the savoury smells of whatever delicious things were being cooked found her, she felt a wave of pain wash over her. Not just from the cold, or the exhaustion, but from a hunger so deep she felt like someone had torn a hole through her body.

She whined, leaning against Astarion as they stumbled over the muddy ground, towards the start of the little cobbled path that led to the front of the inn.

“What’s wrong?” He arched one ivory brow, infuriatingly beautiful despite the downpour.

There was mud caked to his boots, his trousers. His cloak was limp, blades of grass and fallen leaves and clumps of mud clinging to the hem. Once a beautiful, deep vermillion, it now looked midnight dark from the renewed storm. And yet despite how bedraggled he ought to look, as she no doubt did, he looked nothing less than enchanting. Ethereal.

He looked like a forest nymph stepping out from a storybook. Like a fairy princeling in a song. His eyes were star-bright, his face stained with a delicate cherry-blossom flush from the cold. The raindrops that fell on him glittered like they were made of quicksilver moonbeams, and his ivory curls, although plastered to his brow, looked like they’d been styled that way by a god.

Even his mud-splattered clothes seemed refined. Although his boots were a mess, the intricate, gold embroidery that was stitched across his shirt and his trousers still shone. They were reminiscent of flashes of sunshine, of the veins of gold that glimmered from between the darkness of the clouds.

His brows rose, the perfect picture of regal bemusement. Had she any skill in drawing she could spend the rest of her years painting portraits of fairies and gods and princes in his likeness.

He chuckled at her poorly veiled wonder, slipping an arm around her waist, tucking her against his side. It was a cumbersome way to walk, and yet she felt grateful, in spite of the ire provoked by how effortlessly beautiful he always was, even after traipsing through the wild in a constant squall. His support was welcome, comforting, kindling a small ember of warmth in the soggy, cold depths of her heart.

“See?” He murmured, his smile devilish. “I’m right here, I’ll always be right here for you.”

“Whatever they’re making in there smells so good,” she whined, her cheek falling on his shoulder. “I’m so hungry my stomach hurts.”

“My poor darling,” he crooned, half dragging her now over the slick cobblestones that snaked up towards the door. “Just a little further now, and I’ll make sure we have the best room they have to offer.”

He was a balm to her aching skin, a lullaby to her tired mind. He was a kernel of warmth flaring bright in a pile of soggy kindling, catching fire against all odds.

When they reached the door he held her closer, ushering her through in front of him. In less than a moment she went from the frigid chill of the storm to a near blistering warmth that tangled around her like a blanket.

It was so sudden she coughed, choking on the heat, on the smell of sizzling foods, of the chatter in the simple room stretching before them. Water pooled at her feet, mud trailing behind her as she stumbled forward on weak legs, doing her best not to look like a lunatic as she breathed deeply, as her skin began to tingle and burn from the sudden warmth cascading over her cold, clammy skin.

She was standing in a tavern, lit by soft candlelight that flickered across the simple wooden tables that were scattered throughout the room. It was mostly empty, with only a handful of tables further to the back occupied by a few couples, a group of adventurers playing a card game, and one tired looking family with a squalling newborn. A woman with wispy brown hair was flitting between the tables, setting down steaming bowls of stew and heaping plates of meats and potatoes and sandwiches.

Another pang of hunger cut through Aspen’s belly, and she would have keeled over had Astarion not wrapped his arm around her waist once more.

“Easy now, darling,” he murmured, brushing his lips over where her ear was hidden beneath her cloak. “You look like you’re about to fall over.”

“Maybe I’m just swooning from your touch,” she muttered, peering up at him from underneath her hood. “You’re holding me so romantically.”

“Darling.” He sounded like he was humouring her, like she was being silly and naive. “When I’m touching you romantically, you’ll know.”

“Maybe I find everything you do romantic.”

He snorted. “I’m flattered, but if you swoon here, then how will you make it to our room?”

She shrugged, tugging her hood back to give him the prettiest smile she could muster, bedraggled and sodden though she was. “Perhaps I just want to be carried. After all there is nowhere I like being more than in your arms.”

Beneath the shadows of his hood she could see how his eyes darkened, how his canines caught the golden light as his lips spread wide in a devious smile. Their sharp tips gleamed wickedly, and it made her mouth go dry as her mind stumbled over all the memories of the times he’d teased her with those teeth, and all the times he’d plunged them into her skin.

But before Astarion could respond, a clear voice rang out, grabbing their attention. The woman set a tray of dirty glasses and plates on an empty table before hurrying towards them, her brow furrowed as she took them in.

“Look at the state of you two!” She cried, planting her hands on her hips as she looked them both up and down. Upon closer look, Aspen noted the soft curve of the woman’s ears, tapering off into delicate points. “You look like you’ve been lost in this storm all night!”

Aspen gave a small nod as Astarion pulled down his hood, rivulets of water slipping down his cheeks in streams of silver, liquid moonlight gilding his features. “We thought it would clear up earlier, but-”

The half-elven woman frowned, shaking her head. “It’s storm season. We’ve had rainstorms last for weeks before.”

Aspen cringed, covering her face. She really should have done more research on weather patterns before they’d begun this little escapade. Then they could have at least packed the appropriate gear.

“Well that sounds…” Astarion trailed off, and Aspen, face still hidden behind her hands, could imagine the little wrinkle to his nose, the creases around his mouth as his lips tilted into a frown. “Deeply annoying.”

“We’re used to it around her. Plus it gives us an excuse to break out all our nicest spices to warm everyone up.”

Astarion’s responding hum sounded amused, and Aspen peaked up to see his lips quirked into a smirk.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any rooms suitable for warming up guests available, would you?” He traced his fingers over her side where his hand still rested as he spoke, leaving the faintest impression of warmth in their wake. His words were smooth and sweet as honey, his lips twisting into a smirk as he tried charming the woman. “We’ve been travelling all night and I fear my lover is in danger of falling ill.”

Too tired to level a glower at him, Aspen merely closed her eyes, annoyance sparking and vanishing just as quickly. He hummed at her lackluster response, having hoped to stoke her ire, to garner a reaction from crooning that they were lovers to this stranger.

He wasn’t wrong, but he seemed particularly fond of ‘lover’ and all its implications, and the heat that scalded her cheeks whenever the word rolled from his lips.

The woman, for her part, only giggled. Aspen opened her eyes to see the woman cross her arms, a small smile on her face as she nodded. “I’m sure we have a room that can accommodate the two of you.”

“We would be most grateful.” Astarion bobbed his head as he spoke, his tone dulcet, warm. Her teeth ached from the sweetness she heard in his words, like they had been dipped in sugar.

Or maybe she was just tired, and her fatigue was making her vulnerable to his saccharine machinations.

Not that she’d ever been particularly resilient to them in the first place.

She trailed along beside Astarion, the arm still securely wrapped around her holding her fast to his side, as the woman gestured for them to follow her. She led them towards the back of the tavern, the delicious smells of melted butter and spices and something delicious and sugary growing stronger. The air seemed heavy with the smells, and Aspen felt like she could taste each dish on her tongue, her mouth watering as her mind conjured images of platters heavy with potatoes and stew and bread and every manner of dessert.

The tavern was much larger than she’d thought at first sigh, and it took a few moments for a simple bar to come into view, stretching across the length of the far wall. Behind it was a set of old double-doors, two windows glowing with firelight on either side. Sounds she hadn’t heard at first seemed to billow out from the windows along with the smell of melting butter and frying onions. The clang of metal against metal, the crackling of wood consumed by fire, the searing of vegetables in a skillet.

It was as painful as gums after a tooth had been torn free. She could not stop poking at it, could not stop focusing her attention on the smells, the sounds, even as pain from her empty stomach cut through her as easily as a knife through warm butter.

Through it all, the woman chattered, oblivious to Aspen’s discomfort, explaining to them that her name was Thistle, that she had inherited the inn from her parents, that she was the current innkeeper and could help them with anything for however long they stayed.

“You’ll have to forgive me for chatting,” she said, gesturing to two seats at the end of the bar. She rounded one side, ducking down behind the counter, her voice muffled as she continued speaking. “It’s the off-season, so we don’t usually get many visitors, aside from some of our regulars. And it’s always so fun to speak with newcomers. To learn about all the people passing through.”

She emerged a moment later, popping up like a children’s toy, startling Aspen so thoroughly that she nearly toppled from her seat. Had Astarion not caught her, looking like he was barely holding back a mocking comment, she would have most likely fallen on her face on the worn wooden floor.

Heedless of Aspen’s near-mishap, Thistle set a massive, cracking tome on the top of the bar, flipping idly through the pages.

“Let me see…” She hummed as she began running her fingers down lines that Aspen could not quite make out. “A room for two. Any particular amenities in mind?”

“A full bathroom,” Astarion said, keeping one hand on Aspen even as she fully settled in her seat. “With hot water, naturally.”

“Naturally,” she drawled, tapping her cheek.

“We’d like a small table to take our meals.” He smirked, leaning forward to speak in a conspiratorial whisper. “My beloved is a bit shy.”

Fatigued as she was, Aspen was never so fatigued she could not spare the energy to pinch him for saying something that silly. In response he merely pried her hand from his side, bringing it to his lips and pressing kisses to her fingertips.

“We would also appreciate some fresh linens, and dry clothes if you have any to spare,” he said, sparing Thistle a glance as he lowered Aspen’s hand. “And we’re not particular about any sort of view.”

“Not much to look at other than trees and rain anyways,” Thistle mused, drumming her fingers over the book. “I think I have the perfect room. Hold tight, and I’ll grab your keys.”

She ducked beneath the bar again, and Aspen had the foresight to clutch Astarion’s arm in anticipation of the jump-scare of the innkeeper bouncing up again with no warning.

He chuckled, trailing a finger over the back of her hand. “It seems like you’ve taken my words to heart.”

She frowned, although she did not loosen her hold. Her mind spun slowly, thoughts moving at a glacial pace as she struggled to figure out what he was talking about. “What?”

Another snort, the brush of his lips to her brow. “That you can rely on me to take care of you.”

“I’m just having a hard time sitting because my side is numb,” she grumbled. Her side wasn’t numb in the least, and even if it was she didn’t think that would lead to her needing to lean so heavily on Astarion.

Not that she was about to divulge those details to him.

He continued to sketch his finger over the back of her hand, his smile sly as he pressed chaste kisses to her cheek and her nose. “If you need support,” he murmured, with all the heat of a heady summer’s day. “You can sit on my lap. I’m sure I can-”

She was rescued from his teasing as Thistle popped up once more, beaming as she dangled an aging brass key before them. “Sorry, that took a minute! We’ve been doing some reorganizing and the room keys have all been moved.”

Astarion took the key before Aspen could even make one finger twitch, Thistle still chattering on, unaware of the mischief that had nearly transpired.

“You’ll be in room 29,” Thistle said. “Ninth room, second floor. There’s a set of stairs that will take you up to the guest rooms. It doesn’t have much of a view, but it’s one of our larger rooms, and it has everything you’re looking for.” She pulled a pen from one of the pockets in her apron, marking something off in the book. “And I’ll make sure to send someone up shortly with some fresh clothes. I think we should have a few things that fit the two of you until we can get your own clothes properly cleaned.”

Aspen started to protest, realizing not only were they being provided clothes, Thistle was also offering a cleaning service for them. She didn’t want to put her out, especially since they had barged in so suddenly, and the cost would certainly be exorbitant.

But Astarion cut her off before the words could even tumble from her mouth, a charming smile on his lips as he spun the key around his finger. “That all sounds wonderful, we’re much obliged.”

Thistle beamed all the brighter, shutting the heavy book with a dull thud. “It’s my pleasure. Now, would the two of you like something to eat?”

Astarion shot a glance at Aspen, his brows drawing together as he took her in. She must have looked utterly dishevelled, because he nodded sharply, covering the hand that was still clutching her arm. “If it’s not too much trouble, just something small and simple for now.”

“I’ll be right back!” And then Thistle was gone, swallowed by the golden light of the kitchens as she vanished behind the doors.

When Astarion turned to Aspen again all his mischief was gone. He looked strangely somber, his brow wrinkling in concern, his lips quirked to the side as he cupped her face, eyes searching hers.

“Darling, I don’t mean to be rude, but…” He pushed back a lock of hair that was stuck to her face, droplets of water sliding down her throat as he tucked it back behind her ear. “You look positively dreadful.”

She tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a hiccup. “Strange. I was thinking how you looked like a prince in a storybook.”

He clicked his tongue, his lips curling up in a half-smile. “You’re sweet, but I’m sure the weather has absolutely ruined my hair.”

“No,” she shook her head, reaching a hand to his curls. They were wet, and yet they seemed to shine like ivory, like fresh snow before the heat of the day turned it all to slush. “You look like you belong in a painting. Something beautiful that people would travel from all over the world to see.”

He chuckled, stroking her cheek. “Thank you, my love, flattery from you is always the sweetest.” His smile fell a moment later, his eyes still searching hers. “But gods, you’re cold. You feel like death.”

“Not dead,” she said, covering his hand with hers. “Can’t you feel my heartbeat?”

A ghost of a smile hovered on his lips for the barest of moments before falling away. “I can, but I would rather you were warm, too. Even your heartbeat is too slow.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that, ducking her head. Surely she would be better once she ate something and changed out of her sodden clothes, wouldn’t she?

“I’m sorry.”

The apology made her head snap up; Astarion so rarely apologized that it took her by surprise to hear him utter one now.

“For what?”

His expression was as melancholy as the sky before the rain had begun, the touch of his fingertips to her skin delicate as a breeze. “I didn’t realize how poorly you were feeling. I-”

It took more effort than it should have, but Aspen managed to unclench her hand from his arm so she could cup his cheek. His eyes widened, and his sentence fell away before he could finish.

“I didn’t tell you,” she said, her words little more than a sigh. “So how could you know? You can’t read my mind.”

He frowned. “Sometimes I wish I could.”

“What? And ruin all my mysterious charm?”

A true smile arced across his lips, and he even went so far as to roll his eyes. “Darling, I’ve met open books more mysterious than you.”

She feigned a gasp. “Isn’t that what attracted you in the first place?”

He snorted. “I was more intrigued by your blatant foolishness. The last thing I would call you, my dear, is mysterious.”

“And what would you call me?” She stroked his cheek, ensnared by his eyes. The heat of the kitchens was beginning to thaw the ice from her veins, and she was starting to feel like she was alive again. Still cold, still wet, but no longer a walking corpse tossed like a leaf through the storm.

He hummed, pushing her hair back, wiping away stray drops of water with his knuckles. “I would call you a fool, I would call you utterly mad.” His eyes softened, the tenderness in his face making her knees weak, and she was very thankful that she was sitting. “And I would call you my lover, my beloved, my partner.”

“I like that a little more than utterly mad,” she said, her own lips twitching into a smile.

“I thought you might.”

Thistle returned, a paper-wrapped parcel of food in her hands. Something for the two of them, she’d promised, to bring up to their room, and if they were still hungry they could always come back down.

Astarion thanked her, and she quickly flitted away as some of the other patrons still in the tavern beckoned her over with requests for another plate of food, ale, some napkins to clean a spill.

“Shall we go?” He murmured, pressing his lips to her ear. “Unless of course, you would like me to carry you. Because I’m more than happy to oblige.”

She really did consider taking him up on that, but she feared they’d already made a big enough scene, bursting into the quiet tavern with the wind and rain lashing at their backs.

She could feel his smile against her even as she told him no, not this time. “That’s okay, darling. There will be plenty of time to hold you in my arms soon enough.”

She did, however, twine her hand with his, wanting just that little bit of touch. Needing that little bit of touch. It was a comfort, his presence beside her, and it gave her the last sliver of energy she needed to shuffle from the tavern, to climb the stairs to the second floor, to make it to the door of their room.

By the time the door had been unlocked, they’d made it into the room, and they’d lit the few candles in the room to banish the shadows, Aspen felt like she would keel over. She was still starving, but her legs were shaking, and she could hardly keep her eyes open.

Astarion quickly stripped away his cloak, balling it up and throwing it into a corner of the room before dumping his pack beside it. But Aspen could not even summon the energy she needed to do that. Instead all she could manage was slumping into the closest seat, her soaking clothes and pack weighing her down as surely as lead.

“None of that,” he chided, frowning as she wilted in the chair. “Come on, get up. You need to get out of those clothes and eat.”

She groaned, throwing her head back. “I’m tired.”

“I know, darling. But you really will get sick if you stay in those clothes much longer.”

She didn’t move, sliding down the chair. Her pack pressed into her spine, dull pain spreading from where the books and supplies she had shoved into the pack japped at her. She winced, but did not move, feeling like she might never be able to move again.

Astarion groaned, throwing his head back. “I have to do everything myself, it seems.”

Before she could process what he could possibly mean he was crouching in front of her, hands hovering over her mud-spattered boots.

“What are you doing?”

He arched a brow, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “What does it look like I’m doing, darling? If you don’t have the strength to move, then I’ll help you.” His smirk widened, bordering on smug, and his voice turned so sugary her teeth ached. “I can take care of my sweet, delicate lover.”

“You’re teasing me,” she whined. “I’m cold and tired, and you’re teasing me!”

“Really darling, you should know me better by now.” He was scolding her, but he said it so softly it could have been lyrics in a lullaby.

“Of course I’m teasing you,” he continued, his elegant fingers deftly untying the laces of her boots and sliding them from her feet. “You can’t undress without my help even when you aren’t cold.”

She considered kicking him for that. “I just get nervous. And distracted.”

He hummed, his smile sharp as he tugged off her socks. “Oh I know you get distracted, darling. And I don’t blame you, not when I’m around. But what’s your excuse this time?”

“It’s not an excuse.” She really would have kicked him had he not grasped her legs, holding them still. “I told you, I’m cold.”

He clicked his tongue, delighting in this sweet little torment as he inched his hands up to the waistband of her trousers. “Do you know what I think?”

She shivered despite her best efforts, face burning as he undid the buttons and began sliding the fabric down. It was soaking wet, and clung to her skin, and for a moment his expression shifted to annoyance as he gave them a tug.

“I think-” He grunted as he finally managed to drag them from her body, letting the trousers fall to the floor in a sopping puddle. “I think you’re just needy.”

“Needy?” Heat crawled over her cheeks, making her skin prinkle.

“Yes, n-” He ground his teeth as he tossed her pack to the side unceremoniously and started on her cloak and her tunic. The cloak came away easily, but her tunic and undershirt were pasted to her skin just as surely as her trousers had been. “Darling, I know it’s easier to wear trousers when we’re travelling, but it’s so much easier to undress you when you wear dresses.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, amused. “I do so love making it easier for you to take my clothes off.”

“Well it is the least you can do,” he said, grinning as he finally removed her tunic, tossing it to the side, the material flopping against her pack. “Especially when I try so hard to make sure you feel the most pleasure.”

Her body continued to warm, the flush in her cheeks staining her arms, her chest. Astarion’s smile grew as he caught sight of it, of the the rose-petal red spreading over her exposed skin.

He brushed his lips to her cheeks, to the column of her throat, in the valley between her breasts. His hands caressed her sides, slipped over the flare of her hips. Fire trailed in the wake of his touch, embers of warmth blooming to life beneath her skin. She felt like she was becoming spring, cold as melting ice beneath the afternoon sun, warmth slowly creeping over her, colour and wildflowers blooming where the pearlescent white of snow had once been.

“As I was saying…” He murmured, his words reverberating through the hollows of her bones. She could feel the flutter of her pulse, pressing against her skin as her blood heated with every touch of his lips, every flick of his tongue.

She hummed, tangling a hand in his hair without thought. His curls were damp, cool, but she could smell the delicate scent of his favoured soaps, his perfumes that he always applied so religiously. “What were you saying?”

With her cold, soaking clothes removed, already she was feeling better. Still though she shivered, gooseflesh racing across her bared skin, but she did not feel as heavy as she had before. And better yet, Astarion was close, his breath ghosting across her, his smile pressed against her skin.

He chuckled, fingers toying with the edges of her undergarments. “I was saying, I think that you’re desperate. For me to touch you, for me to have you.”

“And if I am?” The words came out in a breathless rush, her heartbeat erratic as it stumbled over itself in its haste. “What would you do?”

He looked up then, pupils so dilated they seemed to swallow the dark vermillion of his eyes. His smile was slow, languid. It reminded her of a predator, as his fangs slowly peaked through his widening smile.

“I think the better question would be what wouldn’t I do,” he breathed. His voice was low, heady. It reached deep in her veins, sent sparks of heat arcing in her core. “Because, my love, I would do anything if that were true.”

When she shivered again it had nothing to do with the cold. “Anything?”

He dragged her underclothes down slowly, heat blooming deep in her belly as he held her gaze, smirking so terribly smugly. “Would you like a demonstration?”

She swallowed, her mouth dry. “Perhaps.”

He hummed, lowering his lips to the inside of her thigh, his words ghosting against her skin. “I suppose I could think of something-”

But before he could say anything more he was swearing, pulling away to frown at her.

“What is it?”

“Gods, you’re just so cold,” he muttered, rubbing his hands up and down her legs. “Your skin really does feel like death.”

“I feel a little like it too,” she said. Disappointment coiled with the fatigue in her belly as she teetered on the edge of the fuzzy warmth his touch had filled her with. Her mind was starting to clear, and as it did she began to shiver, began to register the heaviness of her body once more.

Astarion hummed at her response, drumming his fingers on her hip. “I can think of a few ways I could warm you up.”

Although her heart began to race, her mind was clear enough to know how what he was implying would undoubtedly be disastrous. Desire twisted in her belly, but her fatigue was stronger, and she knew she was too weak for much of anything besides sleep.

“I don’t know if that would be such a good idea,” she admitted, begrudgingly. She would have liked to learn what exactly he thought would help warm her. “I’m so tired and stiff, I doubt I’d be able to do much.”

He chuckled. “I can think of something else that’s stiff that wouldn’t mind.”

She gaped, making a half-hearted attempt to smack him. “Astarion!”

“Yes, my darling?” He caught her hand, bringing her palm to his lips.

“You’re such a villain,” she grumbled.

He pouted, kissing her palm again. “But earlier you said I was a prince.”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

His eyes narrowed, and in one quick movement he yanked her from her chair, letting her topple into his lap.

“Astarion!”

“Hmmm?” His smirk was nothing short of shit-eating, villainous and self-satisfied and infuriating.

It was adorable too, if she were honest. But she wasn’t telling him that.

“What are you doing?” Venom was gentler than her tone, and yet he laughed, a hand snaking around her to press his palm against the small of her back.

“What does it look like?” His non-answer was infuriating, but the feeling quickly passed as he nuzzled her throat, teeth scraping over the flutter of her pulse.

“It looks like you dragged me, half-naked, into your lap.”

He snorted, taking a shuddering breath as he swiped his tongue over her pulse. “You’re completely naked, my love.”

“That’s worse!” There was no bite to her words now, the hand at her back sliding lower. Astarion had never been one to keep his hands still.

“You’re acting like I’ve never done this before, pet,” he said. His words lilted through the air, mirth making them bright. He was having far too much fun, and here she was cold and tired, completely at his mercy.

She gave a half-hearted pinch to his side. “You’re proving my point, lover.”

“That I’m your perfect storybook prince?”

She rolled her eyes. “What storybooks have you been reading?”

“Awful ones.” The suddenness of the pinch to her ass made her squeak, and she hardly heard his response, spoken low and breathy, like it was a secret he was only sharing with her.

Laughing, he smoothed his hand over the ache in her skin. “But they’re certainly much more fun.”

She could think of no proper response, still smarting from the sharp pinch, her mind trying to catch up.

He nipped at her throat, teeth pressing into her skin just shy of piercing into her veins. She felt dizzy, losing herself in such small touches from him. His body was no warmer than room temperature, and yet it was so much warmer than she was, and she felt like ice melting beneath the golden caress of the sun.

Astarion straightened, lips twisted in a smug smile. “I do so love having fun with you, my dear. And do you know what I think?”

She shuddered at the feeling of his hand tracing over her thigh. She could hardly think herself, so easily brought to incoherence by his lips, his lithe fingers. There was no way she could guess what was happening in his mind. “What are you thinking?”

His smile widened, his teeth bared for her. Sometimes she liked to press her fingers to their sharp points, enamoured by them. “That you love having fun with me.”

“If you’re trying to tease me, you’re not doing a very good job.” She did press her thumb to one of his fangs, and he nipped at her playfully, chuckling.

“Have you considered that I’m not teasing you? I’m just stating facts, love.”

She quirked a brow as she plucked at the ties of his shirt. “That I love having fun with you?”

He caught her hand, bringing it back to his lips. “Why else would you choose a villain for a prince?”

“You are teasing me!”

His teeth scraped over her palm, the reverberations of his laughter seeping into her veins, warm as spring. “Maybe.”

“Yes, you are!” She squirmed, but she was stuck, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.

Kisses fell on the heel of her hand, his lips soft and plush, sending fireflies of warmth and light flitting between her ribs, illuminating her veins, her heart, as its pulse quickened for him.

“And if I am?” He breathed, looking up at her from beneath his ivory lashes. “What would you do?”

“I would-” She didn’t know what she would do. What could she even do?

“Well? I’m waiting.”

“I…” She rolled the question around in her mind, coming up with less than nothing.

He lifted his brows. “You…?”

With a huff she leaned away, tipping her head back to peer down at him, feigning imperiousness. Pretending he wouldn’t immediately see through such a facade. “I would be very cross.”

“Oh my.” He couldn’t have sounded less bothered by her answer even if he’d tried.

“And…” She licked her lips. “I wouldn’t play with your hair. Or give you kisses goodnight.”

Her threats came off more childish than anything else, and they seemed to amuse him, his smile stretching wide.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we, pet?” He tipped his head back too, the picture of aristocratic indolence. He really did look the picture of a prince, even if he was a particularly devilish one.

She huffed. “We would not.”

Despite all her posturing, all her feigned ire, she could not hold her facade for long. Astarion laughed, soft and warm, and it was easy to get lost in the sound of it. His voice was a melody, his laughter a song. There was no ballad that could compare, no bard with a voice as sweet. To hear such warmth, such delight, spinning in the air of the room.

The sound put her at ease, and she was so busy melting into the cadence of his voice that she nearly leapt out of her skin when he stood, bringing her with him.

“What are you doing?” It was an effort to stop herself from shrieking, the shock she felt still rattling through her bones.

He tsked, shaking his head. “Behave, darling.”

“Or what?”

His brow arched high, the corners of his lips trembling like he was on the verge of laughter all over again. And when he spoke, his words were all smouldering warmth, stoking embers in her core that flared to life. “Are you sure you want to find out?”

“That’s not an answer, Astarion.”

He brought his lips to her ear, his sultry tone making her shudder. “Keep being disobedient and you’ll find out.”

She was sorely tempted to push him, having an idea of what would be in store for her if she did. But she was tired, too, and she liked when he praised her, when he was gentle and loving.

He carried her into a room half cloaked in shadow. Squinting, she could make out that it was the bathroom, not particularly luxurious, but it suited their needs. A bathtub took up nearly half of the room, a toilet and sink squeezed into the far corner, the candlelight from the main room barely reaching them.

She assumed Astarion would set her down to light the candles, but he did not, only clutching her tighter as he struggled to light the few sconces on the wall.

“My love, you can put me down you know,” she murmured.

As the candles flared to life she could make out the lines of his face, the uncharacteristic solemnity that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

He tried flashing her a grin when he caught her staring, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Perhaps I’d prefer to hold you close.”

“Astarion.” She brushed back his curls, half-dried now that they were safe from the storm. “My love, tell me what’s on your mind.”

As she trailed her hands down to his cheeks he leaned into her touch, eyes half-lidded as he watched her. “The only thing on my mind, darling, is warming you up.”

“Is that not what you were doing before?” She stroked his cheek as he sighed, turning his head to nuzzle her palm. “Teasing me to warm me up.”

She could feel his smile against her skin, could feel the sharp prick of his fangs. “I only did that because I love to tease you, my dear.”

“No other reason?”

He nipped at her hand, all pleased smiles and mischief glinting in his eyes. “It’s one of my favourite pastimes, love. There is nothing I find more enjoyable than teasing you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Now that can’t possibly be true.”

“And what else could you possibly be thinking of?” His voice reminded her of a purr, of syrupy sweetness hiding something else underneath. “That would be more pleasurable than this?”

She opened her mouth, closed it, heat rushing through her. His eyes were bright, sharp as starlight on a lake. The words would not come to her lips, her throat clogged so not even air could escape.

“Well?” He prodded, dragging his teeth over her palm again. Never hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make her skin tingle from the pressure. “Don’t keep me in suspense.”

Aspen drew herself up as best as she could, peeling her hands away and crossing them over her chest. “Maybe I’m teasing you now.”

Clicking his tongue, he finally set her down. “That’s hardly fair. Here I am working so terribly hard and you have the gall to tease me.”

“And what exactly is it that you’re working so hard at?”

He pinched her waist, brow arching high. “You’re being such a brat.”

“Am not!”

He hummed, sliding his arm around her waist before she could move, drawing her close. Firelight flickered over him, limning his face in orange and gold. He looked sharper in the fluttering light, shadows rolling from him like a cloak, his eyes dark as an open wound. There was nothing but devilry in the crescent of his smile, in the creases at the corners of his eyes.

Sometimes she forgot that he was a predator, that he was dangerous. Stories and songs had been written about creatures like him, that lurked in the shadows, that stole away children and women who strayed too far from the light.

But she had leapt headfirst into his shadows, and she had found there was light there too. Softened moonlight, the quicksilver glimmer of stars. Gold and silver twining together, illuminating the tributaries of her veins, setting her heart alight with all the wondrous things she had felt since she had felt the kiss of his steel knife against her throat.

So even when he looked at her as a predator did prey, she could not find it within her to be afraid. There were no tendrils of fear, no blossoming anxieties. All she could think of was his tender smiles in the mornings, the puppy dog eyes he made when he wanted something, the petulant way he whined when things did not go his way, the mischievous little grin he wore whenever he said something that made her laugh.

It made her brave, foolishly so, and as he peered at her with such avarice she reached for him. She cupped his cheek in her palm, hovered her thumb over his lips, felt the warmth of his breath curling against her skin. She smiled, unafraid when she knew the soft, delicate core hidden behind his sharp smile.

“I love you so very much,” she said, practically the sing-song chirp of a songbird at dawn. “But I am not a brat.”

Astarion’s brow quirked, and his sharpness seemed to fade away. The candles fluttered, a phantom wind ghosting through the room, softening his features as the gold of the light washed over him once more. But soft as he looked now, even his eyes reminding her of summer-fresh cherries, his smile still remained.

“It’s a little too late to change your tune now, my dear.” He patted the hand pressed to his cheek as though he were consoling her.

“I’m not changing any tune!” Perhaps if she kept her voice sweet as sugar he would not attempt to retaliate. “I’m just saying that I love you.”

Another hum, his fingers curling loosely around her wrist. “Is that so?”

“It is.”

“And you’re saying you’re not a brat.”

“I am.”

For a moment she thought she had succeeded, for a moment she was certain he would move on to whatever else was churning in his mind, whatever reason he’d dragged her into the bathroom.

But Astarion had two hands, and she was only paying attention to one. Another pinch to her side had her squealing, yanking her hand from his face and clutching it to her chest like a wounded animal.

He tsked, leaning close until she could nearly feel his smile against her own lips. “Yet you’ve been fighting me since the moment we got to this room.”

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been fighting you…” She muttered, trailing off. He’d been teasing her mercilessly, and she figured she ought to put up at least a slight resistance.

Another click of his tongue, another pinch that had her backing away quickly. “Stop that!”

“What else am I supposed to do when you won’t do what I want?” He laughed, giving chase.

Too late Aspen realized she had nowhere to go as her back hit the rough wooden panels of the wall. “You don’t have to keep pinching me!”

She was trapped. His hands settled on her hips, fingers pressing into her skin. He sighed, watching her quietly for a moment, firelight flickering across his face. “But I do so love to see your flustered expressions when I do.”

“It’s mean.” Her retort came out smaller than she had intended, sounding childish.

It garnered nothing but soft laughter as Astarion dragged her closer to him, as he pressed his face against her throat, muffling the sounds.

“Maybe if you listened more, I wouldn’t have to be so mean.” He was still laughing, the reverberations of his voice running across her nerves, spiderwebbing across her skin in warm tingles that made her knees weaken.

The touch of his lips to her skin made her feel dizzy, senseless. She’d been trying to escape his teasing, but instead she’d only been ensnared further. She wished he was closer, wished he would discard his own sopping wet clothing, if only to feel the slow tempo of his heart, sluggishly pushing blood through his veins.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, swallowing a whine as he scraped his teeth above her fluttering pulse. “You could just not be mean ever.”

He sighed, nipping her once more before drawing back, meeting her eyes. “You’re not giving me a lot of credit, you know.”

Now it was her turn to quirk a brow. “Pardon?”

“I’m very nice. And sweet, and generous,” he preened, looking equal parts mischievous and earnest. “You’re just not giving me a reason to be nice.”

“Isn’t being your lover reason enough?” She pouted, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.

His mouth opened, closed again. She was almost certain colour crept into his cheeks as he swallowed, looking entirely, for a moment, at a loss.

“Well yes of course, darling…” he finally said, words popping like joints loose from sockets. Gone was the charming, teasing tone as his rhythm was thrown off, his careful verbal dance reduced to the uncoordinated stumbling of a toddler.

“Of course being your lover is reason enough?” She finished the sentence for him, although that was certainly not how he would have finished it. But she had to take advantage, tongue-tied as he was. It wasn’t very often her silver-tongued lover tripped finding his words. “Reason to be nice? To not tease me so?”

She pressed her hands to his chest, slid them down until they found the clasps of his shirt. She plucked at them, not quite undoing them and freeing him from his clothes. She gave him the prettiest smile she could, leaned forward and pressed her cheek to his shoulder, looking sweet and innocent and docile. Someone he couldn’t not be kind to.

He scowled, sensing her ploy, but it was dull as a wooden sword; no real edge to cut her with. Already the lines of his annoyance were fading, softening like shadows beneath morning light. “You’re distracting me.”

She batted her lashes, peering up at him with wide, doe eyes. “Distracting you from what?”

He groaned, brow twitching, yet the corners of his lips quivered, like he was fighting a losing battle against his smile. “This is one of the reasons I’m not always nice.”

She pouted, tipping her head to the side. “You don’t like this? You don’t want me to be close to you?”

Astarion’s eyes widened for the briefest of moments, and then he snorted, caressing her cheek. “You know, I think you might be the villain, love.”

“Well, I did learn from the best.”

His eyes glittered with starlight, his chest puffing out from the compliment. “I am the best, aren’t I?”

“You are.” She agreed wholeheartedly, and not just because she was trying to tease him. She adored him, cherished every part of him. “You’re the best, most important person in my life.”

Astarion smirked, clearly catching onto her ruse. Yet he did not chide her for it, instead only tapping her nose affectionately. “You really must stop distracting me, my dear. I have a task to accomplish.”

“What sort of task could be more important than me?”

He ran his hands down her sides, cushioning his chin on the top of her head. “Warming you up, darling. You’re still cold as death.”

He was right, and pressing herself against his rain-drenched clothes was not helping that. But joking with him was a welcome distraction, keeping her mind away from the painful numbness that had overtaken her feet and her hands, from the prickling tingles of ice shards melting beneath her skin.

She supposed that would be quite important. She wasn’t exactly keen on staying cold.

“What did you have in mind?” She mumbled, some of her sugary veneer melting away. She’d been able to ignore the chill clinging to her as surely as a second skin, but now it was rushing back. The burn of her hands, the throb of her skin as if it would crawl from her body at any moment.

Astarion’s arms looped around her waist, holding her close. He was only marginally warmer than her, although how she wasn’t entirely sure. But it was a comfort all the same, whatever heat he harboured leaching into her bare skin.

“I was going to draw you a bath,” he murmured, a balm that eased some of her chills, a lullaby for cold nights.

“A bath?” Perhaps the storm and her fatigue had made her simple, slow.

“Yes.” He sounded amused, delight a bright flame to gathered kindling. “We’ve been trekking through the forest all night, and no offense, darling, but you’ve looked better.”

She glared at him, scrunching up her nose until a sharp flick to her side snapped the glower from her face.

“You’re still beautiful,” he continued, smoothing his hand over where he’d flicked her side. “You’re always beautiful to me, my love. But you do look like you’ve rolled in mud.”

He smirked, plucking something from her hair and tickling it against her nose. She snatched it from his hand, glaring at a leaf, floppy and damp from the deluge they had travelled through.

She flicked the leaf to the side, letting it careen to the floor. “Fine. Point taken.”

“And,” Astarion continued, taking her chin and tilting it up, so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. “It should chase away the last of that chill.”

Caught in his grasp as surely as a fly in spider’s silk, she could do nothing but nod. His hold was firm, his eyes bright as glee danced in them. She could not wrestle herself free, not that she particularly wanted to. He was the moon, and she was the ocean’s waves, ebbing and flowing at his whim. If he thought this was a good idea, then she was not about to argue.

A pleased smile curved across his lips like sunlight peeking from behind storm-clouds. He pressed a kiss to her brow, sighing. “Good girl. Now stay there.”

In an instant he was gone, returning only to press the paper-wrapped package Thistle had given them earlier into her hand.

It was a sandwich, the bread toasted and warm, crust crumbling in her fingers as she unwrapped it. It was made of nothing more than lettuce and cheese and tomatoes and crispy meat, a yet it smelled heavenly. Her stomach ached just looking at it.

“To give you a little more strength,” was his answer to her unasked question. When she hesitated to take a bite he lifted her hands to her mouth, his tone brooking no argument. “Eat. It will take me a few minutes here to get everything ready anyways.”

She did not have to be told twice, spilling crumbs as she took ravenous bites all while Astarion busied himself with filling the tub. She watched as steam rose from the water, as he moved around the room, sniffing at the little bottles lined up on a ledge behind the tub. He grimaced, vanishing from the bathroom, the sound of bottles clicking and clothes and books being tossed to the sound coming from deeper in the rooms.

Astarion returned as she was licking crumbs and sauce from her fingers, her hunger only marginally sated. Firelight flickered silver over the bottles in his hands, and she looked up to see their own personal stash of favoured soaps and oils in hand. He added a generous amount of oils and perfumes, and quickly the room was enveloped in a floral-scented fog. She could smell rose and lavender and violets, the faintest touch of vanilla and cinnamon.

She bounced on the balls of her feet, a scrap of her energy restored, shivering even as the temperature in the bathroom rose. Astarion had moved away from her, and without him close by she felt all too vulnerable, and the cold that still clung to the air managed to find her, burrowed itself into the hollows of her bones until they were covered in frost.

It was another while before Astarion was satisfied, as he sniffed at the air, dipped his hands into the water, added something new, and repeated the process all over again.

Centuries might have passed before he finally gave a pleased nod. He turned back to her, grinning widely, proud of himself already. He held out his hand, beckoning her over. “Come here, my love.”

The room was small, and she was beside him in a moment, her fingers threading between his. He drew her closer still, until her chest was pressed to his, until her chin was perched on his shoulder.

“Astarion?” He ran his hands down her sides, dancing over the tips of her thighs before sliding up once more. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, to her cheek, to her thrumming pulse. It was sweet and strange all at once, and she giggled as she said his name, again and again, as his kisses quickened, as his hands moved with a new fervor.

The ground fell out from under her suddenly, Astarion scooping her into his arms. A gasp fell from her lips, but the only sign that he noticed at all was the curve of his lips against her throat as he kissed her again.

He lowered her slowly into the tub, warm water swaddling her like a blanket. It burned at first, but it quickly turned to a soothing ache, and then nothing but a balm that eased the pain and cold from her bones.

“What was that for?” She asked, tipping her head back to follow him as he straightened, no longer showering her in affections.

Astarion only shrugged, nimble fingers making quick work of his shirt and his trousers. “I thought it might help to warm you up.”

She arched a brow. “Really? And it has nothing to do with you wanting to do any of that?”

Astarion rolled his eyes. “I was only acting out of the goodness of my heart, my darling. You’re so cold, and need to do everything I can to warm you up.”

“I hope that’s not the only thing you’re planning to do.” The heat from the water made her feel renewed, alive once more. And she did not want to sit in the tub alone, not when it was certainly large enough for both her and her beloved partner.

“You don’t need to fret, my love,” he crooned, discarding the last of his clothes. “I have plenty of ways I can warm you up.”

The surface of the bath rippled, gleaming pearlescence borne from the perfumes and oils that suffused the water and the air. Astarion settled behind her near soundlessly, and had it not been for the sturdiness of the legs that bracketed her sides and the gentle undulation of the water, she would have thought him a phantom. A silent spectre keeping watch.

His hands paused at her hips while he shifted, slowly inching across her belly until he had his arms wrapped fully around her, his chest flush with her back, sighing as though he was finally content.

“This is quite nice,” he mused, flicking iridescent water idly. “We should get a tub like this. I’ve grown so weary of bathing in little more than buckets.”

“And yet with all this space you’re still clinging to me,” she quipped, scooping water into her palms and watching as it slipped between her fingers. “You have all this space and you’re still stuck to my back.”

He chuckled, bringing his lips to the back of her neck. “You’re just going to have to get used to that, darling. I promised you I’d always be with you, didn’t I?”

She craned her neck around as far as she could go, just barely finding his eyes from the corners of hers. “And that means you’re always going to be practically stuck to me?”

He shrugged, smirking. “It’s hardly my fault you’re so captivating.”

Sighing, Astarion perched his chin on her shoulder, breathing his next words into her ear. “I could live a million lifetimes more, and I would still never have enough of you.”

Aspen shivered, all thoughts fleeing her mind, vanishing like deserters in battle.

Astarion did not give her a chance to concoct a proper response, or any response at all. He tapped his fingers against her skin, his arms loosening their hold. “But if you don’t want me to, I can always leave you to your own devices.”

He began to pull away, chest peeling from her back, leaving nothing but air and water and a sudden bone-deep ache that splintered her heart like cracked glass.

“I wouldn’t want to linger where I’m not wanted.” He didn’t sound particularly morose, although his face was pulled into an expression of mock misery.

Her hand snapped out before he could pull away entirely, her heart in her throat. “Wait, don’t go.”

She twisted further around, clutching at his arms. The thought of him leaving her, even if it was just to step into a different room, filled her with such abject sadness she would surely drown in the ocean of it. She was a pebble, weather-worn and smooth, caught in the force of his riptide. She did not want to be set free, lost to the waters of the sea. She wanted to dissolve entirely, wanted to flow along with his current.

Astarion’s brows shot up, but his eyes remained steady, not surprised in the least. “What’s wrong, my love?”

“I don’t want you to go,” she whined, heedless of the fact that she was almost certainly falling right into his trap.

“Is that so?” A dangerous glint came into his eyes, a sharp slice of his lips ticking up. “Are you sure? You made it seem like you didn’t want me very close at all.”

“I was only teasing.” She was already very nearly in his lap, and she wiggled closer still, much to his delight. She could tell from how his eyes lit up, how his smile grew wider, more smug. “I want you to stay.”

“Oh darling,” he ran the back of his knuckles over her cheek, caressing her gently. “You’re adorable. Even in hysterics you’re adorable.”

She sat up a little straighter, shoulders feeling a little looser. “So you’ll stay?”

He tipped his head to the side, his smirk infuriating. “Well I don’t know about that. You know you’ve hurt my feelings terribly, even if you were just teasing.”

Brows drawing together, Aspen frowned. She curled herself against his chest, looked up at him as sweetly as she could. She willed herself to be sugar, to be flavoured syrup in a sweetened drink. His fangs should ache, he should taste candy on his tongue.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, sliding her hands down his arms, twining her fingers with his. He seemed amused, letting her draw his hands to her chest, to her lips, letting her murmur her apologies against his knuckles. “I’m so so sorry, Astarion.”

His eyes narrowed, his smirk sharp enough to draw blood. “I don’t know if I believe you.”

He tugged one of his hands from her grip, taking hold of her chin. The pad of his thumb ran across her bottom lip as he hummed, a tuneless melody she couldn’t place.

“What can I do so you believe me?” She still held one of his hands, and he seemed content to let her scatter kisses on his palm, his other hand now sliding down the column of her neck.

His thumb paused over her throat, stroking little circles against her windpipe. “Say please.”

“Please, will you believe me?” She arched her neck, just a little, giving him her biggest doe eyes.

He hummed, adding more pressure as he continued to press circles into her throat. His smile said he wasn’t ready to let this go just yet. “And who are you talking to, my dear?”

“Please, Astarion?”

His grip tightened, almost imperceptibly, as he frowned. Evidently, he was displeased.

She chewed on the corner of her lip, remembering something he’d said earlier. “Please, my love?”

The arch of one of his brows and the quiver of the corners of his lips told her she was on the right track.

“Please, my sweet? My beloved, won’t you please believe me?” She would have pressed her cheek to his shoulder, would have kissed him gently, were it not for the hand at her throat. Instead, she settled for kissing his palm again, and he smiled, seeming satisfied.

“Alright, alright.” He drew both hands away, settling them on her shoulders and gently pulling her away. “I’ve had my fun, but I really did have a plan here.”

“Was it to tease me?” She tried pinching his hands, but he batted her away with a snort. “Because if so, mission accomplished.”

He rolled his eyes. “Darling, I never plan to tease you. You make it so easy, I can do it whenever I want.”

“Hey!”

His smile was far too innocent to be believed. “Now let me clean you up before you pass out.”

“I’m not going to pass out.” She felt strangely peevish, bristling at the suggestion she had a poor constitution. “I ate that sandwich and everything.”

His brows drew together, his tone strangely soothing, like he was trying to placate a child on the verge of a tantrum. “Darling, have you taken a look at yourself lately?”

“You know I haven’t.”

His lips twitched. “You’ve looked like you’re going to collapse for ages now. You’re paler than me.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Well I haven’t seen the sun in what feels like years now with this storm.”

Another twitch of his lips that he had to fight to get under control. It was clear he was trying to appear serious, and he was having a very difficult time with it. “Love, I had to carry you to the bathroom. I nearly had to carry you up the stairs.”

“I could have walked by myself,” she grumbled. At his arched brow she raised her shoulders, wrinkling her nose. “You were the one who decided you wanted to carry me.”

The way his brow creased and his eyes narrowed told her how much he believed that.

“Darling.” He sounded hesitant, tired. “My love, I really was worried. I thought you were going to pass out.”

Aspen stilled, whatever fight had been in her fizzling away like cheap sparklers bought at a market stall. Brilliant and bright and gone in an instant, leaving her devoid of even enough energy to lift her arms.

She slumped against him, sighing morosely. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, my love.”

“It’s alright now,” he murmured, water trickling down her face as he stroked her hair. “You haven’t passed out yet, and even if you do, I’m here, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She closed her eyes, the feel of his fingers in her hair as good as a lullaby. “Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about drowning in this bath.”

He snorted, tugging gently at her hair as his fingers were caught in snarls and knots left there by the raging wind. “Thank goodness I’m here to have drawn this bath, so that you can get cleaned up.”

“That too.”

“Alright.” He chuckled, patting her side lightly. “Open your eyes for me, pet. I do want to clean you up before the water goes cold.”

She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut tighter.

“As adorable as you are pretending to sleep,” he crooned, a finger dragging over her cheek. “I am not above using less savoury methods of rousing you. Tired or no.”

She cracked an eye open, contemplating whether she wanted to learn exactly what unsavoury methods he had in mind.

But then she flicked her eyes up to find his, and although there was always that spark of mischief in his eyes, as surely as the stars were always glittering beyond the gold sheen of the sun, there was a tender warmth as well. The warmth of a crackling fire stoked in the midst of a winter storm, the warmth of a favoured blanket shared between two bodies, the warmth of a warm drink cradled in her palms.

She did not wish to invoke a response that would take that softness and bring it to a whetstone, filing it away until only diamond-sharpness remained. She craved his gentle moments, his kindhearted touch. Her hunger for his affection was ravenous, an empty pit in her chest that only felt sated when he looked at her like this, when he brushed his fingers over her cheeks, when he so idly toyed with her hair as she drifted off to sleep.

So Aspen sat up as best she could, letting him direct her until he was satisfied with how she sat. He asked her which of their soaps she wanted to use, humming as she picked her favourite botanical scents, running his fingers down her spine and bringing his lips to the nape of her neck to murmur praises when he liked certain smells best.

The heat of the water began to work its way between her frozen, knotted muscles as surely as Astarion’s fingers worked through the knots in her hair. He instructed her to lean back, to let him scoop the scented water into his palms and pour it over her scalp until her hair was soaked through, clinging to her cheeks and the back of her neck as she sat up again.

She felt loose, felt like she might melt into nothing, as though her bones had simply vanished, and she needed Astarion to ease her back into a sitting position, the warm tenor of his laughter making her dizzy.

“Stay with me, darling,” he murmured, lithe fingers gathering her hair from her cheeks and brushing it back. “I need you to stay awake.”

“I’m awake,” she muttered, although it was only partially true. She felt half unconscious already, gripped by the fatigue she’d been pretending not to feel for most of the night. It was an anchor tied to her feet, dragging her beneath the rolling waves of oblivion, and there was absolutely nothing in the candle-lit bathroom that was helping her to remain awake.

For all his teasing, Astarion’s gentle ministrations were making her sleepy, would have made her sleepy even if they had not traipsed overnight in a violent storm. He had unearthed a comb from one of their packs, and he worked it through the knots in her hair, applying a sweet-smelling conditioner as he went, softly cursing the winds and the gods for letting her hair get mangled so terribly.

Such gentleness felt almost foreign to her; as a child her mother had yanked brushes through her hair when it was knotted before tying it back in braids so tight it brought tears to her eyes. As she grew older she had not shown herself any kindness either, grabbing fistfuls of her hair away from her scalp so it did not hurt quite so terribly as she pulled her brush through her knots.

And when she’d grown old enough to control how long her hair could be, she’d had it cut short, grazing just below her chin, to make it all the easier to manage. She had thought it cute, and it meant she did not have to enact violence against her hair every morning when she prepared to greet the day.

But travelling as she did now, adventuring through parts of the world she had never once thought she would visit, her hair had grown longer, and the wispy strands were prone to tangles and knots that frustrated her to no end.

Yet Astarion’s touch remained gentle, almost reverent, as he worked through the snarls in her hair, combing them away until he could run his fingers through it with ease.

It made her eyes burn, and she quickly blinked away the tears, hoping he did not notice the few that managed to slide down her cheeks, drip into the bath. To be so cherished, to be seen as someone so precious that he would take his time with something so mundane. She did not have the words, did not know anything but the ache in her chest as her heart pressed against the cage of her ribs, yearning for him, to wrap her arms around him and hold him close until she had memorized every flutter of breath, every line and wrinkle, every flex of a muscle.

When he was satisfied with her hair he brought his lips to the spot just behind her ear, his kiss reverent as that of a worshipper, devoted to their god.

“How do you feel?” He murmured the words against her skin, vibrations sending tingles over her shoulders, down her arms. His hands slid down her back, his thumbs pressing down on either side of her spine until he reached her waist and they slipped to the side, resting at the flare of her hips.

Aspen hummed, her mind a cloud of steam that smelled like spring, lost to the feeling of the pads of his fingers running down her back, of his breath curling against her ear.

His chuckle sent a shower of light fizzing in her chest, like embers thrown to the night’s sky, like the golden bubbles of champagne as they danced their secret ballet in crystal glasses.

“Are you at least still awake, darling?” His voice was practically a purr, a soft susurrus to her ear as his hands moved up her back once more.

His thumbs pressed small circles into either side of her spine at the nape of her neck, his fingers splaying around the sides of her throat. The pads of his fingers pressed into her skin as he applied gentle pressure, delicately massaging as he brushed his lips against her ear.

“Maybe.” Her answer was a sigh as her eyelids drooped. It would be so easy to fall asleep, to lose herself in his arms and the heat leaching into her skin.

“Hmmm.” She smiled as the reverberations of his voice echoed through her, a pleasant buzz resounding in her bones.

He brought his lips to the nape of her neck, the prick of his teeth making her gasp, eyes fluttering open wider.

He continued to hum, trailing kisses down her spine as he slid his hands over her shoulders, continuing to massage away the ice that had frozen her muscles. “There we go. Can’t have you falling asleep just yet, darling.”

The sound she made was dangerously close to a whimper, but Astarion did nothing but smile against her skin as kissed her lazily. “And why not?”

“I’m not done bathing you, for starters,” he did not pull away to respond, instead murmuring the words into her skin. She did not hear his answer so much as feel it in the movement of his lips, in the dips of his tone as his voice gave form to his words. “And you still have to eat more after this. That sandwich was hardly enough.”

The empty pangs in her belly could be entirely ignored, if she were honest. She would most certainly regret it when she awoke, but right now all she wanted to do was fade away, to let herself be swathed in her dreams.

“That can wait,” she whined, not caring how petulant she sounded. “Astarion, I’m so tired.”

His answer was an acquiescence, yet it was not permission, either. “I know,” he said, acknowledging that she was tired, that she was exhausted. “I know you are, my dear.” But he would not allow her to fall asleep, not until he was done.

After her hair came the rest of her body, and Astarion was as thorough as he had been with her hair.

Her back was first, and he alternated between tracking kisses over her and massaging her favourite soaps into her skin. He would rinse away suds only to cover her in sweetened kisses, sharp teeth pricking her flushed skin to keep her from succumbing to the temptation of oblivion that danced at the corners of her mind.

He dug his fingers into her muscles, dull pain radiating out from knots she hadn’t known she’d had, from ice that had frozen her muscles until they’d turned rigid and brittle. Her body needed warmth and movement to be coaxed back into them, but it still hurt, as though she was being slowly returned to life.

She hissed each time his clever fingers found a new ache, and he worked languorously, adoringly, smoothing his hands over the places that hurt most, gentle kisses decorating her skin as he slid his hands away. She felt like she was stone, and he was a sculptor, fashioning a masterpiece from the unyielding cold of her muscles and bones.

By the time he was satisfied with his work, hands fluttering over her sides as he gently crooned in her ear about how good she was being, finally, she felt like she had been unspooled. Perhaps she had been something whole once, but the delicate framework of her stitching had been undone beneath his hands. She had been pulled apart at the very seams, and now she waited to be knit together again, to be whole once more.

“I feel so sleepy, like I’m going to fall apart.” Her muttered whinging was met with laughter, and Astarion took great pains to gently take her chin, twisting her around to capture her lips.

“Finally, some honesty,” he groaned against her lips, smirking. “I knew you were tired.”

Aspen pried herself away from him, and although she did her best to glower at him, her body fought against her, and she ended up sinking into his arms as he watched her with amusement.

“So what if I’m tired?” She grumbled, focusing intently on the shadows flitting across the ceiling.

“I’m just delighted you’re opening up to me,” he said, voice lilting through a teasing melody. “That you feel comfortable being so honest with me, darling. That’s very important for any relationship.”

She rolled her eyes, halfheartedly splashing him. “I am honest with you.”

A click of his tongue told her how much he bought that story. “And that’s why you kept denying you were cold and tired? For hours? That’s why you kept pretending? Even now?”

“Well I-”

“And what about the time when you pretended you weren’t sick and then collapsed.” He splashed her back, floral water catching in her hair and her lashes. “Or the time when you waited hours to tell me you sprained your ankle.”

“I do tell you…” She trailed off, chewing on the corner of her lip. She felt reticent, certain that responding would only dig her grave further. “Just not always right away.”

“Mmm.” His touch was delicate as he brushed the water from her cheeks. “Well I want you to tell me right away.”

“But I don’t want to be a burden, and I don’t want to annoy you.”

A frown bloomed then, as hurricanes did over the ocean. She felt like a wildflower, wilting beneath the summer-sun strength of his withering glare. Such a look could surely shrivel ancient trees, could turn fields of lush grass and glades of bushes and flowers and shrubs to little more than ash.

“Say you’re a burden one more time,” he breathed, his smirk cold as the barren winter. “I dare you.”

Aspen shuddered, icy wind curling down her spine like ivy. The bath was still so hot her skin was flushed, but she felt a cold deep in her bones all the same.

“You don’t really make it sound enticing,” she managed, her voice a squeak as Astarion’s brows arched high. “I don’t think I want to know what the consequence will be.”

Like brutal summer heat giving way beneath the cool evening breeze, Astarion softened. His smile was no longer knife-sharp, his eyes no longer shards of ruby glass.

“A smart choice,” was his answer, cradling her face in his palms. “I would rather you tell me every thought in your mind, no matter how annoying, than say such a thing again.”

Her mouth twitched. “Are you saying I can be annoying?”

“That is not what I’m saying, you-” He pinched her cheek, rolling his eyes. “You cheeky little thing. You know that is not what I’m saying.”

“Well you’ve teased me so much,” she admitted. “I just wanted to return the favour.”

A groan. “Perhaps not when I’m trying to be terribly sweet and earnest, though?”

“You’re right,” she sighed, closing her eyes. “That was mean of me. I’m sorry, love.”

He hummed, sounding unconvinced. Their noses bumped together as he drew his face closer to hers, whispering furtively as though he were prying into a secret. “Are you sure you’re sorry?”

Aspen giggled despite herself, everything but the deep crimson of Astarion’s eyes and flickers of silver from where his curls fell into the corners of her vision.

“You don’t sound particularly sorry, darling,” he mused, laughter lacing his dulcet tones.

“I am a little,” she giggled again as she spoke, belying her words. Yet Astarion did not seem to mind, as he laughed too, soft and warm as a caress, his breath ghosting against her lips, reminding her of his kisses.

“Alright, I am choosing to believe you this time,” he teased, rolling his eyes as he pulled away. “Although you have given me no reason to trust you today.”

“I did say I was tired, didn’t I?”

He flicked water into her face, snorting as she shrieked. “You’re lucky I find you so exceedingly adorable. Now if you’re quite done, I’d like to finish up here before the water gets cold.”

“As you wish, my love.”

That earned her another splash of water in her face, although she could not figure out why. Perhaps it had something to do with her dry tone, or the smirk on her face.

She wiped away the water, and although it did little to wash away her smirk, it did soften as Astarion once more took up the little bottle of soap. He grumbled under his breath about his little liar, gently taking her arm and beginning the process all over again.

He worked slowly, diligently, digging his thumbs into her frozen skin, her blood warming like water spilling from a hot spring. Yet he did not move quite as languidly, sensing the shift in the water’s temperature already, wanting to finish up before the bath turned chilly.

Not that Aspen noticed it right away, half-asleep as he poured water over her arms, as he skillfully cleaned away the dirt and rainwater clinging to her body. Flickers of heat like stars blooming in the night sky spread through her as he pressed his lips to her skin, leaving chaste kisses that left behind tingles as he drew away.

It was all so gentle and affectionate it felt like a dream. The water began to cool enough that she noticed, but it did little to rouse her. She grew sleepier by the moment, and it would have been so easy to curl up and float away. Her eyelids were leaden, and the velvet darkness beneath them was welcome, swathing her mind in its soothing warmth as Astarion poured all his affection into each touch of his hand and his lips.

#astarion bg3 #astarion ancunin #bg3 astarion #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion x tav #astarion x oc #honey the sweeter the sun

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enchantedchocolatebars · 2 months

Note

Fic request:

Camila takes kid Philip to the park. Philip spends most of the time making flower charms and crowns for everyone. When he's finished, he goes back to Camila to crown her queen of all mom's.

The Queen Of All Moms

(Fic is au based).

Camila's smile complimented the sunny weather outside as she prepared lunch for the kids on a picnic blanket in the park under the shade of a tree with blooming cherry blossoms.

Since spring had finally sprung and the temperature outside was just right, she figured today would be the perfect day for a picnic with her kids.

After a frigid winter, all of them, including herself, needed some balmy, fresh air to breathe and bask in.

Using her plastic knife to spread some peanut butter evenly across the bread slice for the third PJ and J sandwich she was making, Camila heard a familiar voice call out to her in the gentle breeze.

"Mom!" The voice belonged to none other than her biological daughter.

Speaking of Luz, she, her friends, and Philip were on a pink and yellow plaid mat under a large cherry blossom tree that was just across from Camila's tree.

Piles of some of Willow's best flowers, which Hunter and Philip helped her pick today, laid flat on the group's mat.

As Luz and her friends joyfully weave flower crowns and create flower charms for each other, Philip, sitting criss-crossed with his hands resting on his lap, actively watches them.

The young boy's cheeks are rosy as his blue eyes sparkle under the dappled light cast by the towering flower tree as he delights in their floral artistry with a blossoming smile.

Camila, turning her head to face her daughter, smiled at her. "Yes, Luz?" she asked.

Luz placed her finished flower crown on Amity's head as her amazing girlfriend sat still under her. "You need help with lunch?"

Camila gives Luz a gentle head shake, putting two pieces of bread together, forming a sandwich.

"Oh, don't worry, mija, I'm fine," she told her, setting the sandwich down on a plate as she reached her hand into the picnic basket beside her and pulled out a reusable snack bag filled with freshly cut apple slices.

Camila then reached inside the basket a second time and pulled out a pair of poly gloves.

She applied them on her hands and got to work on plating the slices.

"In fact, lunch is almost ready," she said cheerfully, carefully placing five wedges on a plate and lining them up.

After Luz places a light forehead kiss on Amity's head, her face and cheeks light up from the affection.

Her facial appearance is reminiscent of a spring rose.

Luz then walks over to Philip, crouching down to his level.

"Alright, little dude," she began in a kind and caring voice, placing a hand atop the brunette's hair and rubbing it, fingers running over his scalp soothingly.

This caused the little boy to giggle.

He liked getting his scalp massaged by Luz.

"Are you ready for us to help you make a flower charm and crown of your own?" she gently asked him, turning to her friends and gesturing for them to come over.

When they do, they all gather around Philip with smiles on their faces.

Philip was so pleased to see so many people who cared about him surrounding him as he smiled and nodded. "I am!"

Luz formed a grin at that response, enjoying his enthusiasm.

"Alright, let's get started then," she said as she and her friends pulled out the supplies and materials they needed for the charm and crown.

...

"I hereby crown you the queen of all moms!"

Philip proudly proclaimed in a regal tone as he placed the flower crown that the Hexsquad had helped him craft on top of Camila's delicate head while wearing his recently made flower charm bracelet.

"For me?" Camila asked with a gasp, covering her mouth with her hand.

As her lips trembled, her eyes began to water.

The Hexsquad all smiled fondly at Camila's reaction to her brand new crown while eating their lunch on her blanket.

"Mm-hm!" he replied with a hum before continuing.

"You're the bestest mommy ever, Ms. Camila!"

Philip gave Camila a hug. "Thank you so much for taking care of me."

"Oh, mijo...," Camila whispered softly with a sweet smile, returning his hug.

"You're welcome, and thank you for the very thoughtful gift. Te amo mucho."

Philip didn't understand the last words Camila had said, but he's glad she said them.

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animalcrossingshowdown · 6 months

Text

Furniture items and sets round 1 results:

Items:

Froggy chair 90.6% / Leo sculpture 9.4%

Mush lamp 83.9% / Cancer table 16.1%

Mom's homemade cake 77.9% / Skull rug 22.1%

Afternoon-tea set 76.4% / My Melody clock 23.6%

Star clock 75.2% / Anatomical model 24.8%

Lily record player 74.7% / Scattered papers 25.3%

Dried-flower garland 72.6% / Rose bed 27.4%

Virgo harp 70.2% / Rescue mannequin 29.8%

Wooden music box 70.1% / Bathtub with yuzu 29.9%

Snail clock 69.1% / Imperial dining table 30.9%

Spooky cookies 67.8% / ACNH Nintendo Switch 32.2%

Plain party-lights arch 67% / Cinnamoroll sofa 33%

Moon 67% / Hyacinth lamp 33%

Greenhouse box 66.4% / Soft-serve lamp 33.6%

Dreamy rabbit toy 66% / Elephant slide 34%

Crescent-moon chair 65.2% / Retro stereo 34.8%

Toy duck 65% / Lovely phone 35%

Dreamy wall rack 61.7% / Throwback skull radio 38.3%

Lucky cat 59.2% / Decayed tree 40.8%

Tiny library 59.2% / Kerokerokeroppi bridge 40.8%

Fortune-telling set 59.2% / Cucumber horse 40.8%

Resetti model 58.5% / Titan arum 41.5%

Wheat field 55.1% / Zodiac dragon figurine

Paper tiger 54.5% / Colorful juice 45.5%

Cherry-blossom pond stone 54.4% / Rocket lamp 45.6%

Hamster cage 53.5% / Monster statue 46.5%

Starry garland 53.3% / Bonsai shelf 46.7%

Balloon-dog lamp 52.2% / Eggplant cow 47.8%

Creepy skeleton 52.2% / Elaborate kimono stand 47.8%

Mom's plushie 52% / Pergola 48%

Peach chair 51.1% / Dessert case 48.9%

Rattan towel basket 50.9% / Cherry-blossom branches 49.1%

1 ) I can't believe you guys voted out lovely phone, the entire reason I'm adding functions to these posts, in round 1

2 ) I can't believe you guys voted out cherry-blossom branches, the item that was positioned as second most likely to win based on number of submissions, in round 1

Sets:

Spooky 89.1% / Throwback 10.9%

Motherly 84.9% / Kiddie 15.1%

Shell 83.1% / Chess 16.9%

Sloppy (classic) 83.1% / Sloppy (ACNH) 16.9%

Rococo 81.6% / Elegant 18.4%

Insect 81.4% / Mario 18.6%

Glowing moss 78.2% / Ruined 21.8%

Mermaid 77.6% / Harvest 22.4%

Cute 76.3% / Lovely 23.7%

Modern 71.9% / Construction 28.1%

Ironwood 71.5% / Hello Kitty 28.5%

Fish 71.5% / Plaza 28.5%

Sweets 70.6% / My Melody 29.4%

Alpine 70.2% / Nordic 29.8%

Stars 69.6% / Gorgeous 30.4%

Cherry blossoms 68.5% / Blue 31.5%

Rattan 67.1% / Astro 32.9%

Flower 66.7% / Diner 33.3%

Fruit (ACNH) 66.7% / Fruit (classic) 33.3%

Antique 65.6% / Classic 34.4%

Modern wood 62.7% / Green 37.3%

Log 62.6% / Cabin 37.4%

Princess 62.6% / Card 37.4%

House plants 61.5% / Kerokerokeroppi 38.5%

Ranch (ACNH) 60.7% / Ranch (classic) 39.3%

Dreamy 58.3% / Wedding 41.7%

Mush (classic) 55.1% / Mush (ACNH) 44.9%

Patchwork (classic) 54.6% / Patchwork (ACNH) 45.4%

Kiki & Lala 53.9% / Moroccan 46.1%

Regal 51.2% / Cinnamoroll 48.8%

Robo 51% / Cardboard 49%

Gracie 50.6% / Imperial 49.4%

As you can see I've colour coded the sets by game. NL is pink, NH is blue, and sets that didn't really change between games are purple.

For the redesign matches, it was an even split between NH and NL. out of 10 redesign matches, they each won 5.

It's easier for me if all the new polls post in a row with no gaps between, so round 2 will start in a few days to give the hourly tournament a chance to catch up! This should be the only round where I have to do that.

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nonovyabuisness · 6 months

Text

Life series X Pokemon :

Each lifers will have one ‘fully’ evolved pokemon that I believe suits them in all of the life series ( series such as X life or New life will not be included).

[Some members may have shinies ✨]

The members are listed in alphabetical order.

Bdubs: ✨ Scrafty

- Both enjoy fighting and look like they get beaten up often even if no fights happened that day.

- It’s a shiny because Shiny Scrafty’s green clothes (?) is reminiscent of Bdubs’ moss cape skin.

BigB: Breloom

- A kind being that should not be taken lightly.

- Also Breloom’s spores can paralyze or poison opponents, just like BigB paralyzed Grian with his gaslighting and can easily poison others by lying.

Cleo: Delphox

- Arson fox that is super effective against Etho’s pokemon and BigB’s.

-Also a reference to Witchcraft!SMP where she was one of the finalists. Plus Orange hair so Orange pokemon.

Etho: Bisharp

- Etho reminds me so much of the Shadow Triad so I decided to give him their titular Pokemon.

- I considered Greninja but as a redstoner, Etho might not appreciate the water.

- Plus it’s funny when the two scary looking beings are actually the most easily frightened.

- Fun fact, Bisharp hasn’t battled in so long that its blades have almost become dull (both are washed up /j).

Geminitay: Bewear

- In Limited Life she acts like a mama bear towards Scar.

- Is overall very friendly but is a menace (especially towards Etho).

- Now that she’s in Secret Life, Bewear works well with the cherry blossom and band theme she has going on.

- Plus, just like Bewear accidentally harms others by trying to show affection, Gem hurts herself and her allies by creating other alliances that don’t last.

Grian: Archeops

- Pesky bird.

- I put Toucannon at first and almost put Honchkrow but both look too serious to be associated with Grian.

- So goofy prehistoric parrot that is easily demotivated (defeatist ability) for the button man.

Impulse: Ampharos

- The yellow color scheme as well as the fact that Impulse is generally more on the kind, gentle side but is also able to hold his own.

Jimmy: Kilowatrel

- Canary in a coal mine.

- Kilowatrel is one of the best yellow bird Pokemon that isn’t too mocking ( Yellow Oricorio) or too serious ( Pidgeoto/Blaziken/ shiny Sirfetch’d).

- The pre-evolution looks a bit silly tho.

Joel: ✨Turtonator

- An explosive fella.

- Also a Pokemon that serve as a reminder that most of Joel’s trap/plan either don’t work or backfire on him or his allies.

- Shiny Turtonator because the shiny colors match Joel’s Green and yellow color scheme.

Lizzie: Togekiss

- Avoids conflict and is generally content with roaming around, peacefully picking flowers. Head in the clouds.

- But remains a strong and smart opponent that shouldn’t be underestimated.

*Volo and Cynthia war flashbacks *

Martyn: Trevenant

- A fierce and loyal protector of his home but still remains a solitary being.

- Trevenant’s ability to blend in with the surrounding trees in forest and gather information by communicating with the forest, is a nod to Martyn’s ability to sneak around undetected gathering valuable intel.

Mumbo: Sableye

- Hermit hiding away in the shadows (bunker) and using (end) crystals to attack.

Pearl: ✨ Absol

- Wherever they go, disaster soon follows. Seeing them is a warning to all.

- Shiny Absol because the colors matches with the ‘Scarlet Pearl’ skin.

Rendog: Sirfetch’d

- A king and a knight, unwilling to let go of their flair for the dramatics even after their kingdom as fallen. I thought of Kingambit or Aegislash but both are too serious and only fit 3rd Life Ren. Sirfetch’d is regal yet remains goofy like Ren.

Scar: Liepard

- Shady business man and his cat jellie. Both mischievous and not against stealing.

- Also it would be funny to picture all the Jellie interruptions as just him talking to his very real Pokemon partner.

- Jellie would definitely try to eat Grian’s Archeops.

Scott: ✨ Gallade

- Always honorable and upholding their end of the deal. But aren’t against using force to achieve what they want.

- Shiny so that the colors match ( also provides a good contrast to Pearl’s shiny Absol).

Skizzleman: Braviary

- A brave being that leads the team.

- All of Braviary’s dex entry mentions it battling for its friend even if it’s injured.

- The pokemon White dex entry mentions that the more scars a Braviary has, the more respect he’s has from his peers. Skizzleman’s skin has scars on its arms.

- Also Skizz is often represented with angel wings so why not give him a bird.

- I don’t know if it should be a shiny or not however.

Tango: Rapidash

- A being with a unruly temper that does not take kindly to betrayal or competition.

- Could have helped with the whole Torchy task.

- Tango is often represented with hair that lights on fire when upset, just like Rapidash’s mane burns hotter when upset or fighting.

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ariparri · 4 months

Text

“Oh wow, you’re hot”

Thoma recounts his first days within Inazuma to Aether and Paimon, detailing the shipwreck, his introduction to the Kamisato siblings, and how they welcomed him as their housekeeper. He vividly recalls his fateful encounter with Yuna, which adds a humorous twist to the memory.

Word Count: 2490

Warnings: None

Genshin Impact Masterlist

This story was inspired by an actual scenario that happened with me and my friends, decided to stick with Thoma since I ship Yuna with him (๑>◡<๑) And he’s much easier for me to write for! I also ended up dragging the ending on a little too much ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

I don’t write x Reader or Y/N, but if you want to use those in place of Yuna you’re free to do so!

Also posted on AO3!

The air in the serene Kamisato estate carries the scent of cherry blossoms as Thoma, Aether, and Paimon find respite beneath the blooming trees. There was a warm smile on Thoma’s face as he begins to share the tale of his arrival in Inazuma.

"It all started with the shipwreck," Thoma begins, his voice carrying the echoes of that fateful day. "I was originally from Mondstadt, you know. I planned to visit my father here in Inazuma and brought with me some dandelion wine to give him.” Thoma's gaze turns wistful as he reflects on the memories of that voyage. “But then the boat sunk. I was washed ashore, disoriented and unsure of what awaited me in this unfamiliar land." As he speaks, the petals of the cherry blossoms swirl around them, creating a whimsical atmosphere.

Thoma recounts the providential encounter with the Kamisato siblings, Ayato and Ayaka, who extended a generous hand and offered him both a home and a purpose. "They welcomed me into their home with open arms. The Kamisato estate became my sanctuary, and my duties as a housekeeper allowed me to repay their kindness," Thoma explains.

He delves into the unique tasks and responsibilities that came with his role. “There was one day when Lord Ayato told me that he was expecting a report from the Tenryou Commission. It was to be delivered by someone from the Noguchi Clan.” Paimon’s eyes lit up at the mention of the Noguchi Clan, “Oh, was that someone Yuna?” Thoma chuckled, giving them a nod, “Yep! It was my first time meeting Yuna too!” Thoma continues, a twinkle in his eye. “Being part of the Noguchi Clan, she acts a lot as a messenger for Lady Saori, you know the Lt. General of the Tenryou Commission. And let me tell you, my first meeting with Yuna was quite... interesting."

Thoma's laughter punctuates the story, and Aether and Paimon lean in, eager to hear more. "Yuna has a way of making a lasting impression," Thoma adds with a chuckle. "But it was that unexpected moment that definitely made us closer."

Thoma was informed by Ayato that he was expecting a letter from a member of the Tenryou Commission. He was currently accompanying Ayaka in the garden when he heard footsteps approaching and he turned his attention towards the entrance to see a young woman with long pink hair step through the door. “Hello Lady Ayaka! Is Lord Ayato here? I’m here to deliver a report for him!” She holds up the letter in her hand with a big grin.

Ayaka as sweet as ever, greets Yuna with a cheerful smile, “Yuna, it’s so nice to see you again! My brother is currently out right now, but he should be back soon. Why don’t you join us till he gets back?” The Kamisato heiress scoots over to make some room for Yuna who happily skips over to her. “Oh if you don’t mind, I’d love to!”

However, before she was able to take a seat and regale Ayaka with her tales of the day Yuna's gaze turned to Thoma who returned it with a charming smile. This being their first time meeting, Thoma opens his mouth to speak. Though, his attempt to introduce himself takes an unexpected turn when Yuna, seemingly without control, blurts out, "Oh wow, you're hot."

The statement hangs in the air, and a moment of stunned silence takes over the garden. Thoma with a red face, can't help but chuckle nervously, and Ayaka, attempting to conceal her amusement behind her fan, couldn’t help but giggle.

"Aah!" Before anyone can fully process the situation, Yuna’s fully panicked cries fills the air as she hastily retreats from the garden. Ayaka and Thoma watches as she flees from the garden, her embarrassed cries echo through the estate as she rushes out. However, she abruptly returns to the two were sitting, slamming the letter onto the table before making her urgent exit once again. All the while letting out a series of embarrassed yelps and cries.

Thoma, still surprised, watched the spectacle unfold, while Ayaka's composed demeanor finally gives way to laughter. "Ah, that was Yuna from the Noguchi Clan," Ayaka explains with a smile. "Don't mind her; she can be quite... eccentric. But it seems she likes you!” Thoma, regaining his composure, responds with a sheepish grin, "Well, that was certainly unexpected." He glances towards the doorway, where Yuna had disappeared, her embarrassed yelps still audible in the distance. Ayaka chuckles, "Yuna has a unique way of expressing herself. She's been a dear friend for a long time." The duo shares a moment of amusement, with Ayaka gracefully accepting Yuna's eccentricities.

As they settle back into the peaceful garden scene, Thoma, still a bit flustered, remarks, "I suppose every encounter with Yuna is an adventure in its own right." Ayaka nods in agreement, "Indeed, it keeps things interesting here." The awkward but endearing encounter adds a touch of humor to the serene garden, and Thoma, though red-faced, can't help but join in Ayaka's suppressed giggles. The unexpected visit from Yuna becomes a topic of light-hearted conversation whenever Thoma, Ayaka, Yuna and Ayato reminisce about their past.

Paimon and Aether burst into laughter, thoroughly entertained by Thoma's recount of his first meeting with Yuna. "Wow, Saori wasn't kidding when she said Yuna acted upon her intrusive thoughts!" Paimon exclaims, earning a nod of agreement from Aether. Thoma joins in with a good-natured smile, "Haha, yeah, Yuna can be bold at times."

As Thoma continues to share his stories, he chuckles at the memories of Ayato's playful teasing. "Lord Ayato never missed a chance to poke fun at Yuna," Thoma explains to Aether and Paimon. "Every time she delivered reports or was just spending her free time here, he would ask her if she found him attractive as well. It became a sort of inside joke between us."

He goes on to describe the scene: Yuna, blushing furiously, would stumble over her words in response to Ayato's jests. The sound of a letter being hastily placed on the table would punctuate the moment, and then she would make a swift exit. Thoma mimics her exaggerated wailing, adding a touch of humor to the recounting, "You could hear her little protests echoing through the estate until they faded into the distance as she made her escape." The trio shares a hearty laugh at the comical dynamics within the Kamisato household, and Thoma concludes, "Despite all the teasing, it was obvious that Yuna wasn’t bothered by it at all.”

As they share a light moment, the atmosphere becomes even more joyous when Thoma's eyes light up at the sight of Yuna approaching, accompanied by the adorable Taroumaru. "Hey, guys, sorry I'm late! Taroumaru kept trying to eat all the snacks!" Yuna calls out cheerfully, joining the group and settling down beside Thoma. She begins to prepare food from her basket, but her attention is drawn to the amused expressions on Aether and Paimon's faces. "What?" Yuna questions, her curiosity evident. Paimon, unable to contain her laughter, snickers before playfully asking “So Yuna, did you also think Aether was attractive upon our first meeting?”

A look of horror crosses Yuna's face before she turns her gaze toward Thoma. "You told them?!" she exclaims, her embarrassment evident. Paimon and Aether burst into laughter as Thoma attempts to soothe Yuna's distress with a lighthearted chuckle. "Hey, it wasn't that bad! I thought it was cute! And I’m absolutely flattered by your bold compliments!" Thoma reassures, joining in the laughter at Yuna’s whines of protests. He's well aware that Yuna, far from being genuinely upset, thrives on the playful banter that has become a routine part of her interactions with Ayato, Ayaka, and now, him.

Paimon snickers mischievously, unable to contain the amusement. "Paimon thought it was cute too, Yuna! Most people tend to beat around the bush or play hard to get, but you went straight to the point!" The little pixie chimes in with enthusiasm. Aether nods in agreement, a warm smile on his face, appreciating the lighthearted atmosphere. Yuna, unable to keep up the facade, breaks into a grin, surrendering to the laughter. "Okay, okay, so maybe I have a flair for the dramatics," she admits with a playful twinkle in her eye, fully embracing her penchant for theatricality. Thoma, still chuckling, playfully nudges her shoulder. "You love the attention, don't deny it."

As the laughter subsides, the group settles into a comfortable atmosphere, surrounded by the tranquility of the cherry blossom scene around. Yuna, now grinning, playfully nudges Thoma back. "Guilty as charged!" she admits, her eyes sparkling with mirth. Thoma, still amused, glances at Aether and Paimon. "You see, these moments have become a regular occurrence around here. Yuna has a way of keeping things lively," he says with a fondness in his voice. Aether and Paimon, fully immersed in the playful atmosphere, nod appreciatively. "Well, it seems like you've got a great group here," Aether remarks, his eyes reflecting the genuine warmth of their shared bond.

Yuna with her never ending energy, sits up with a newfound excitement. "Alright, enough about my dramatic tendencies. Let's enjoy this beautiful day!" she declares, rallying everyone as she takes charge of the mood. Thoma, Aether, and Paimon follow suit, ready to dig in to the food and snacks Yuna had brought with her for their hang out. Yuna, bubbling with energy, reaches into her basket and pulls out a batch of freshly made dango. "Let's start off with a touch of sweetness first!" she exclaims, holding one out to Thoma with a mischievous grin. Thoma, still chuckling, accepts the dango with a playful wink, savoring the delightful treat.

As Yuna playfully feeds Thoma, Paimon takes the rest of the tasty treat barely leaving any for Aether, leaving him to take some of the mochi Yuna also packed. Yuna and Thoma share a laugh at their new companions as they proceed to fight over the other snacks. However, the playful moment is interrupted by a bark from Taroumaru, who's been patiently waiting for his share of attention.

Yuna laughs, acknowledging their furry companion. "Alright, alright, Taroumaru! Your turn!" she says reaching into the basket for a small container filled with more dango. “Made these especially for you, boy! I used tuna and sweet potato for them!” She takes one ball off of the skewer, offering it to Taroumaru, which he eagerly accepts with a wag of his tail. As she continues to alternate between feeding Taroumaru and herself, Yuna settles down with the others, and the conversation seamlessly drifts towards tales of their adventures, both within and beyond the borders of Inazuma.

Yuna takes the lead as story teller, regaling them with her experiences while delivering messages and running errands across the region, adding a touch of her signature flair to every narrative. Thoma, Aether, and Paimon listen with genuine interest, captivated by Yuna’s stories and laughing at random moments from her experiences. Taroumaru, having enjoyed his share of attention and treats, curls up contentedly within Yuna’s arms, becoming a quiet but cheerful presence in the group.

Yuna’s attention eventually becomes increasingly devoted to Taroumaru. The playful pup, sensing his moment in the spotlight, demands more affection and treats, leaving Thoma to playfully feign neglect. Thoma, with a mock pout, teases, "Oh, I see how it is. I thought we were bonding, but I guess Taroumaru is stealing your attention." Yuna, caught in the act of pampering the enthusiastic pup, laughs heartily. "Don't be jealous, Thoma! Taroumaru just knows how to steal my heart," she replies with a grin.

Aether and Paimon join in the playful banter, cheering on Taroumaru's antics. "Looks like you've got some competition, Thoma," Paimon teases, prompting more laughter from the group. Thoma, not one to be outdone, decides to join the fun, pretending to be dramatically heartbroken by the canine usurper. "I guess I'll have to compete with a dog for attention now." The group erupted into laughter once more.

With a twinkle in her eye, Yuna decides to play along. "Oh, Thoma, don't be like that! There's enough love to go around," she reassures, reaching over to give him a friendly pat on the back. Thoma, still playing up the act, flashes a mockingly hurt expression, but his eyes betray a spark of amusement. "Well, if you insist, Yuna. I wouldn't want to deprive Taroumaru of his moment in the spotlight," he replies with a theatrical sigh. Yuna, undeterred by Thoma's feigned jealousy, decides to sweeten the mood even further. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she declares, "Oh hush, you! I'll feed you some of my special monaka!" Adjusting Taroumaru in her arms, she reaches back into the basket, producing another container filled with delicate tsubaki-shaped crispy wafers, each harboring a sweet, creamy filling.

"Saved these for last! Here!" Yuna holds out one of the monaka treats to Thoma, the anticipation evident in her eyes as she waits for him to take a bite. Thoma, unable to keep up the act any longer, grins and accepts the treat with genuine appreciation. Taking a delicate bite, Thoma is met with a burst of delightful flavors, and he can't help but compliment Yuna on her culinary skills. "These are amazing, Yuna! You really have a talent for making everything special." A light blush adorns Yuna’s face as she hides behind Taroumaru, “Hehe, thank you, Thoma!”

As Thoma and Yuna share a moment of genuine connection over the delectable treats, Paimon, always one to seize an opportunity for delicious food, makes her move. "Oh, that looks good! Can Paimon have some too, Yuna?" she asks with wide, pleading eyes, fixated on the container. Caught up in the whimsical atmosphere, Yuna happily extends the container toward Paimon, ready to share the delights. However, in a flash, Paimon seizes more than her fair share, leaving only three monaka treats in the container. "Paimon! Don't be stingy, save some for the rest of us!" Aether exclaims, scolding Paimon for her eating habits.

Paimon, undeterred and with a mischievous glint in her eyes, cheekily retorts, "What? These treats are too tasty to resist!" She hovers near the container, seemingly unapologetic for her impulsive snack raid. Thoma, amused by the sudden turn of events, bursts into laughter. "Well, I guess Paimon has a point. Food this good is hard to share!" He says, his playful demeanor adding to the light-hearted atmosphere. “I’m sure Yuna wouldn’t mind making some more later, would you Yuna?” He turns his attention over to the girl sitting beside him. She nodded eagerly, “Of course! Though, next time I’ll make sure to make a whole lot more.” She giggled as Paimon takes the last three monaka treats from the container, stuffing them in her mouth before Aether can grab one. “Paimon looks forward to it!”

“Paimon don’t eat with your mouth full!”

#ariparri writing #yuna mochizuki #thoma #ThoYu #genshin impact #genshin impact oc #aether #paimon #taroumaru #genshin fanfic #thoma x y/n #thoma x reader #cross posted on ao3 #thoma x OC

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regalfairytaleacademy · 1 year

Text

Headcanons for Kanako Nanjo

Kanako is the daughter of the most popular slash Sk8 ship, Matchablossom (Kojiro "Joe" Nanjo x Kaoru "Cherry Blossom" Sakurayashiki). She is blessed of only child in her family, no siblings nor cousins.

Bloom is Kanako's "S" name.

Her birthday, April 29th is Cherry Blossom Day in Japan.

Kanako is the only student who lived in another world and traveled to Twisted Wonderland while studying at the magic school. She has no experience about magic.

If she didn't attend RFA or another school after high school, she would prefer to work as an employee at her father's Italian restaurant, Sia la luce, or do chores at home. In addition, she has free time to practice skateboarding, or learn calligraphy.

She and Kimiko are watched as skateboard rivals, not friends. Like her daddy, Kanako wants to beef with Kimiko in "S" one day after they graduated from the college, NRC and RFA.

As the daughter of Matchablossom, Kanako has her own AI assistant, but it emits blue light and is named Carlos. Its voice is male version. In practice, she uses a normal skateboard instead of Carlos.

She have a deep bond with Carlos which makes some people (especially Ace and Ruggie) call her out on her weird behavior when it comes to this artificial intelligence.

She was bonded with a Sakura Pixie named Cherise. They have a common in calligraphy and skateboarding. They also have using AI assistant.

Kanako's aesthetics in room is traditionally Eastern style. On the portion of her study table and wardobe are designated of Italian style.

Kanako is a cool intellectual, with polite behaviors to customers and strangers, but oftens to have a slightly prickly toward people she pretty closely interacting to, especially the boys. She has a competitive side, during the races in school or at "S", as much she would beefs against her rival, Kimiko.

Despite this prickly exterior, however, she does truly trust and care for those who she considers her friends.

With a non-distinctive personality, Kanako doesn't like being alone. She also doesn't like seeing her family fight, even if they divorce suddenly.

Despite of this, she would argue endlessly with her father, Kaoru, and soon she would be crying emotionally, feeling there's a shadow over her core. To comforted her, Kaoru oftens ended up apologizing and giving her a plushie she had been used for sleep a hug, but the most is Kojiro help her to solve problems.

Kanako doesn't like the idea of merging her "S" self with her outer self, since her half-Japanese friend Shira calls her "Bloom" outside of the "S". It shows in her with a touch of professionalism and concern for the reputation of her students, and doesn't like to publicly admit to any party that she is the other side of the "S" member.

Though of that, Kanako has a mother mentality and appears as a sister figure, to students and children of the young age. She is pretty open-minded and kind towards those who have a problems trying to help them and giving an advice whatever she able to. She is also strongly care of her parents and loyal to them.

Kanako has a mischievous mode and teasing aspect of her entity, as she enjoys to tease and scare people, by telling scary stories.

As Kaoru's beauty inherited to her, Kanako was considered for the fairest lady in the Fairyland. Although she is just a mortal.

For her talents of cooking, Kanako likes to make bento and share for students as the way making friends. But those envious people throw as a waste and make others misunderstanding Kanako is try to poison them. Those bullies even once ruining her bento where they walk across nearby.

Kanako has been bully by them after she enrolling in RFA for no long. Luckily she occasionally was protected by Charisse, Viridian and people who support her away from them. Also helped by the professors and Headmistress Annabelle. If she is alone, Kanako would calming her mind and directly prickly to them.

Due to studied in RFA for 2 months, she try to make her own Magicam, known as "Delicacy Treats". This is a blog with all the recipes and pictures of her final creations.

#twst #twisted wonderland #regal fairytale academy #rfa #twst mc #twisted wonderland mc #kanako nanjo #sk8 #sk8 the infinity #twst x sk8 #nymfevilla #kojiro nanjo #kaoru sakurayashiki #sk8 joe #sk8 cherry blossom #matchablossom

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acnlmorioh · 7 months

Text

08/10/2023

today i visited @azaleacnl's new leaf town through the dream suite! it was such an adorable and well made town so here is my review of my travels ! (sidenote i lost the notes i wrote while exploring the town so if its a little disjointed then that's why)

immediately as i loaded into the town i could tell it was going to be amazing. the clovers by the bed and the cherry blossom trees created such an atmosphere already.

i loved the bushes around the town tree, i thought that was a super nice touch.

there were so many outdoor areas that i just loved. i really liked the use of items like the perfect apple basket to add more life to the outdoors. it's really cool to see what people do with the limited amount of stuff you can place outside in NL!! i also loved the trees with the carnations in the water, they looked like cherry blossom petals floating in the river!!

the first character's house that i came across was meli's house! i LOVED the sweets exterior. i find that it can often be a bit out of place in some towns but i thought it fit super well here!

I LOVE THE SWEETS SET. AAAAGHHH. one thing about the whole town is the use of certain smaller furniture items that just add so much more - for example, in this room, the black roses look like they're made of chocolate.

i loved the cosy vibe of the back room with all the cabin furniture and using the large bookcase as a room partition works so well!! the pompompurin room was also super cute and furniture like the super star and the balloon fit really nicely!

i genuinely audibly gasped when i saw this room and i am not even joking. the atmosphere is just PERFECT i think it's my favourite room in the whole town!! it feels so comfy and everything is exactly where it should be. i love it!!!!

the next house i came to was cathy's ! i love the exterior, the fairy tale theme is so cute and matches nicely with the town hall and train station.

i have VERY strong feelings about the lovely set (I LVOE IT ITSM Y FAVOURITE SET EVER) so trust i was a fan of this room !! i also really like the soft lighting that was in a lot of the rooms, when i was decorating my nl house recently i found that a lot of the lighting was wayyy too harsh for my liking so i like how it's done here!! i also noticed a lot of furniture items that i swear i have never seen before - it goes to show how much effort was clearly put into this whole town.

i really love the distinct theming of every room - while they were all different, they still felt really cohesive. i also think the space is used very well, such as in the rococo room. in my own rococo room i've been really struggling to figure out how to use the space, but these rooms are all full but not crowded. i also love the use of cyrus such as in the regal furniture. i never really considered using regal furniture because i didn't like the yellow but here you can see how it's recoloured to pink which i feel makes it fit in a lot better with more sets.

i also love the use of mannequins in the rooms! it really makes it feel like a scene where there's actual characters and a story, like the character by the birdcage in the princess room!

the next house was lina's!! i'm going to become very repetitive but once again i love the exterior. it's so impressive managing to make the very different exterior styles work so well in the same town.

i have never been a fan of the gorgeous set. HOWEVER. seeing it like this (especially with this lighting) has certainly made it grow on me! i think the strong lighting also helps to unite the pieces by making them similar colours e.g. the handbag on the table - iirc it's pink and can't be recoloured, but in the lighting it looks more red which makes it fit in with the rest of the furniture.

once again loved the use of mannequins in these rooms! i thought the minimalist beds in the spa was super smart. the atmosphere in the rooms is actually impeccable like the spa room seems so clean and cool. i LOVED the restaurant room!! i think it's so creative to use the rooms as like actual places rather than just rooms in a house. it adds more liveliness and story to the whole town i really love it!!

the final house i came to was misa's!

the interiors were always very unpredictable in the best way possible - i didn't expect to step into the house and be on a tropical island, but there i was! as much as i really liked the island, i was absolutely blown away by the basement room. it really felt like i was outside and had come across a magical fairy circle. i never really make use of wallpapers like the vistas and skies but this really showed me how well they can be used - the atmosphere was insane !!!

even though this house isn't 100% finished, i honestly liked that - it made me super excited to see what was to come!!!

after i looked at the player houses, i looked around the rest of the town. i feel like my thoughts were the same wherever i went - it was mostly 'OHHH MY GOD THAT IS SO CUTE. OHHHH MY GOD USING THAT FURNITURE IS GENIUS. I LOVE IT'. the pwps were used very well and i think they were really well placed - they were spread out enough that the town wasn't super crowded but there weren't super big empty spaces. i also found the town really easy to navigate, not only due to the placement of buildings but the paths were very clearly and purposefully placed! (they were also super cute i loved the patterns)

i thought the villager housing was nicely done with some of them being paired off together. also bonus points for the wisteria trellis (my fav pwp EVER)!!!!!

overall it was just a really lovely experience going and exploring around the town of azalea. if you would like to visit (which you SHOULD! there's a lot i didn't include here so you should go see the town for yourself!!) the DA is 7E00-00D5-AA0B !! you should also follow the towns blog which is @azaleacnl !!

eee thank you for reading please check out the town + blog !!

#animal crossing #acnl #animal crossing new leaf #new leaf #3ds #dream town #acnl dream address #acnl dream town

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silverwingborn · 26 days

Text

Where Does Your Soul Lie?

lost in a blooming orchard

if your body wasn't made of flesh and bones, your soul would find peace in a blooming orchard; it would admire how the grass becomes a pink carpet underneath cherry trees, it would get inebriated with the fruity scent of ripe peaches. like a seed that grows from the humid soil, you're someone who helps others grow- you're the sunlight, the rain, the oxygen. you help, you nurture, you care for your loved ones like mother earth cares for her green lungs. i feel like spring blooms beneath your skin, maybe magic runs in your veins as well. i think you give the best hugs and the best advices. if your soul had a color, it would be the prettiest minty blue, and it would smell like orange blossoms.

Tagged by: Swiped from dash

Tagging: @themosthatedbeing @helluva-hazbins @snow-hart @oleandernights @hellcab @divine-gnosis @rockange @r-adio @hells-greatestdad @heavenly--knight @hamactiia @froggarolli @lucinful @regal-apple-flare and anyone else who would like to!

#dashboard games #iisms: silver musings

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tsukikoayanosuke · 11 months

Photo

When you wake up one day and had the silly idea to give names for every virtual singer in Project Sekai (except the original and Aku no Taizai Series)

First Name Theme:

Leo/need: Constellation

MORE MORE JUMP!: Flowers

Vivid BAD SQUAD: Seasonal-themed names

Wonderlands x Showtime: Disney protagonists

25-ji, Nightcord de.: Member's center conflict or special skill

Surname Theme: Japanese writers, specifically from Bungou to Alchemist

And now with name meaning rambles:

Leo/Need

Miku: Virgo Ogawa

Virgo is the Western equivalent of the Babylonian "The Furrow" (ASBIN) and representing the goddess Shala and her ear of grain. One star in this constellation, Spica, retains this tradition as it is Latin for "ear of grain", one of the major products of the Mesopotamian furrow. For this reason the constellation became associated with fertility. Leo/need Miku's first event card is during "Singing Among the Cherry Blossoms" which mostly centers around Ichika in her attempt in being more confident. Starting that moment, Ichika flourish into the singer we know.

Ogawa is taken from Ogawa Bimei (小川未明), the writer of Red Candles and the Mermaid (赤い蝋燭と人魚), The Moonlight and the Glasses (月夜と眼鏡), Wild Rose (野薔薇), and A Telegraph Pole and A Weird Man (電信柱と妙な男).

Rin: Arye Miyazawa

Arye is another name for the Leo constellation, called by the Jews. The constellation Leo is the Western equivalent of the constellation was called the "Great Lion" (UR.GU.LA) in Babylonian astronomy. The bright star of the constellation, Regulus, is also knows as "the star that stands at the Lion's breast." and had distinctly regal associations, as it was known as the King Star. Leo/need Rin's first appearance is during "Unnamed Harmony" which centers around Saki's struggles in making song. However, as Shiho had said, Saki had been helping everyone by being herself and be the first one to figure out the feelings they want to say. Thus, making Saki the central "star" of the ban, similar to Regulus's status as "the star that stands at the Lion's breast."

Miyazawa is taken from Miyazawa Kenji (宮沢賢治), the writer of Be Not Defeated by the Rain (雨ニモマケズ), Night on the Galactic Railroad (銀河鉄道の夜), The Restaurant of Many Orders (注文の多い料理店) and The Wind Child Matasaburou (風の又三郎).

Len: Bishop Oda

Bishop is a masculine name of English and Greek origin, from the word epískopos, meaning "overseer". In Babylonian star catalogues, "The Overseer" or "The God Pabilsaĝ" (PA.BIL.SAG) has a Western quivalent; Sagittarius. Pabilsaĝ was a Mesopotamian god. Not much is known about his role in Mesopotamian religion, though it is known that he could be regarded as a bow-armed warrior deity, as a divine cadastral officer or a judge. He might have also been linked to healing, though this remains disputed. Leo/need Len's first appearance is during "Putting Feelings into Words" where Honami takes the role of "overseer", the first one who noticed Shiho doing things behind their back and overall being the one in charge in taking care to her bandmates.

Oda is taken from Oda Sakunosuke (織田作之助), the writer of Hurray for Marriage (夫婦善哉) and The Paradox of Youth (青春の逆説).

Luka: Inanna Kikuchi

Inanna or the "Lady of the Heaven" (A.NU.NI.TUM) is one of the Babylonian constellation that compossed the western Pisces, along with "the great swallow" (ŠIM.MAḪ). Inanna is an ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She is also associated with beauty, sex, divine law, and political power. In Inanna's Descent into the Underworld, Inanna perceives that Dumuzid, her first and primary consort, has failed to properly mourn her death and, when she returns from the Underworld, allows the galla demons to drag him down to the Underworld as her replacement. Inanna later regrets this decision and decrees that Dumuzid will spend half the year in the Underworld, but the other half of the year with her, while his sister Geshtinanna stays in the Underworld in his place, thus resulting in the cycle of the seasons. Leo/need Luka's first event card is during "Stella After the Rain" that centers around Saki wanting to do more for the band, especially after being sick for a long time. The change of the season in Inanna Underworld myth can represent her unstable health.

Kikuchi is taken from Kikuchi Kan (菊池寛), the writer of Beyond Love and Hate (恩讐の彼方に) and Madame Pearl (真珠夫人).

Meiko: Aquarius Natsume

Aquarius is identified as "The Great One" (GU.LA) in the Babylonian star catalogues and represents the god Ea himself, who is commonly depicted holding an overflowing vase. In Old Babylonian astronomy, Ea was the ruler of the southernmost quarter of the Sun's path, the "Way of Ea", corresponding to the period of 45 days on either side of winter solstice. Aquarius was also associated with the destructive floods that the Babylonians regularly experienced, and thus was negatively connoted. Leo/Need Meiko's first appearance is during "Don't Let Doubts Hold You Back" which centers around Honami standing up for herself. Her pacifist nature can be seen as both good thing and bac thing, whether becoming the middle voice of the group of seen as two-faced, similar to the nature of water used in irigation or bringer of floods.

Natsume is taken from Natsume Souseki (夏目漱石), the writer of Kokoro (こゝろ), Botchan (坊ちゃん), and I am a Cat (吾輩は猫である).

Kaito: Orion Akutagawa

In the Babylonian star catalogues, Orion is the Western equivalent to The Heavenly Shepherd or True Shepherd of Anu constellation (SIPA.ZI.AN.NA). Anu being the chief god of the heavenly realms. The Babylonian constellation is sacred to Papshukal and Ninshubur, both minor gods fulfilling the role of 'messenger to the gods'. Leo/need Kaito's first appearance is during "A Bright Future!!" which center around Ichika who wants to share her feelings through her lyrics, to be more confident in expressing through songs.

Akutagawa is taken from Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (芥川龍之介), the writer of Rashoumon (羅生門), Hell Screen (地獄変), and Cogwheels (歯車).

MORE MORE JUMP!

Miku: Narcissa Yamamoto

Narcissa is a girl's name of Greek origin, meaning "daffodil." Daffodils symbolize new beginnings and rebirth–two characteristics that perfectly represent the new year. MMJ Miku's first event card is during "The Tomorrow We Hope For". The name can represent MMJ's whole journey; Haruka, Airi, and Shizuku having a renewal/rebirth as a new group idol along with Minori and her endless hope.

Yamamoto is taken from Yamamoto Yuuzou (山本有三), the writer of Towards the Truth (真実一路), A Woman's Life (女の一生), and A Stone by the Roadside (路傍の石).

Rin: Lily Tokunaga

Lily had two meanings: one as a sign of purity and magnificent beauty, and the other as a symbol of rebirth or resurrection. MMJ Rin's first event card is during "Time to RE:START!" which focuses of the group trying to find a way to get into the idol industry (you can say for their 'rebirth).

Tokunaga is taken from Tokunaga Sunao (徳永直), the writer of The Sunless Street (太陽のない街) and The Whole Family Works (はたらく一家).

Len: Lilach Takamura

Lilach is a version of the word "lilac". It is stronger and more masculine so it works well as a boy's name. Although lilac flower stands for renewal and confidence overall, each color of lilac has its own specific meaning. White lilacs represent purity and innocence, while purple lilacs symbolize spirituality. If the blooms edge more on the blue side of the color wheel, they symbolize happiness and tranquility. Magenta lilacs symbolize love and passion. MMJ Len first appearance is during "Happy Lovely Everyday!" which focuses on Airi's view on her past and present and how Airi from back then and now is really is the same.

Takamura is taken from Takamura Koutarou (高村光太郎), the writer of The Journey (道程) and Chieko's Sky (智恵子抄).

Luka: Amaryllis Kitahara

Amaryllis flowers are believed to mean pride, strength and determination as they stand tall above all other winter blooms. Amaryllis is also a Greek name which means 'to sparkle'. MMJ Luka's first appearance is during "My Color!" which focuses of Shizuku standing up as her own self instead of what the public wants to see.

Kitahara is taken from Kitahara Hakushuu (北原白秋), the writer of Paulownia Flowers (桐の花), Heretics (邪宗門), and Platinum Top (白金の独楽).

Meiko: Lavender Shiga

Lavender flowers tend to have a soothing effect on the surroundings. Lavender brings peace and harmony to the interactions between loved ones and is often considered a symbol of happiness, love, devotion, and protection. MMJ Meiko's first appearance is during "You Deserve It! Break Time!" which focuses on Shizuku in finding ways for Haruka to take a break, but this can also represent Haruka's love and devotion toward MMJ which is why she's working hard for them and managed to find "harmony" in her times.

Shiga is taken from Shiga Naoya (志賀直哉), the writer of Dark Night's Passing (暗夜行路), At Kinosaki (城の崎にて), Reconciliation (和解), and The Shopboy's God (小僧の神様).

Kaito: Aciano Dan

Aciano is a unique name that means "cornflower" in Spanish. This Mediterranean native flower represents natural beauty and the circle of life, and is often used to symbolise positive hope for the future. MMJ Kaito first appearance is during "MORE MORE Making Christmas" which centers Minori and her hope to get even better and spreading hope to the world as idol.

Dan is taken from Dan Kazuo (檀一雄), the writer of Man of a Burning House (火宅の人) and Dazai Osamu: The Novel (小説太宰治).

Vivid BAD SQUAD

Miku: Trixie Kobayashi

Trixie is a name of Latin origin meaning "she who brings happiness." VBS Miku's first event card is during "Sekai Happy New Year". She's the only one who has no direct relation to a season, however this can be taken as each season can bring a certain happiness toward different people. This also represent VBS and how each and one of them brings happiness toward each others in their pursuit of their one dream.

Kobayashi is taken from Kobayashi Takiji (小林多喜二), the writer of The Crab Cannery Ship (蟹工船), The Absentee Landlord (不在地主), and Life of a Party Member (党生活者).

Rin: Florence Sakaguchi

Florence is a feminine name of Latin origin that comes from the word florentius which means "blossoming," "flourishing," and "prosperous," making it a wonderful choice to inspire good fortune for baby throughout their life. VBS Rin's first event card is during "Awakening Beat" which focuses in Kohane (whose name is related to the spring season) gaining more confidence in singing.

Sakaguchi is taken from Sakaguchi Ango (坂口安吾), the writer of Professor Blowhard / Professor Wind (風博士) and Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (桜の森の満開の下).

Len: Epiphany Nakahara

Epiphany is a typically masculine name of Greek origin that means "bringing light," "manifestation," "striking appearance," or "vision of God." The name comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, which means "a sudden realization or feeling." In Ancient Greece, epiphanies were usually representative of visions of gods and were normally reported during troubling times. VBS Len's first event card is during "Nocturne Interlude". Looking for a name related to the winter season for Touya, this name can represent to Touya's shift to street music, but also represent the realization his and his father's love for music albeit in different ways.

Nakahara is taken from Nakahara Chuuya (中原中也), the writer of Poems of the Goat (山羊の歌), Songs of Bygone Days (在りし日の歌), and Upon the Tainted Sorrow (汚れつちまつた悲しみに…)

Luka: Iclyn Naoki

Iclyn is a name of Welsh origin that comes from the word ice and means "compassionate".VBS Luka's first appearance is during "Same Dream, Same Color" which mostly focuses on Touya (whose name is related to winter season) and his bonds with his friends.

Naoki is taken from Naoki Sanjuugo (直木三十五), the writer of Chronicles of the Peaceful South (南国太平記), Battle (合戦), and Kusunoki Masashige (楠木正成)

Meiko: Aine Ozaki

Aine is a traditional Irish name that is tied with the Celtic goddess of summer and prosperity, means 'happiness and success'. VBS Meiko's first event card is during "Singing in Sync" which focuses on An's (whose name related to summer season) and her view of the 'success' in being partners which becomes their crisis and later evolve to how An see her own crisis of looking for 'happiness and success' when she was feeling left behind.

Ozaki is taken from Ozaki Kouyou (尾崎紅葉), the writer of The Golden Demon (金色夜叉), Tears and Regrets (多情多恨), and Love Confessions of Two Nuns (二人比丘尼色懺悔)

Kaito: Hunter Murou

Hunter is an English name, meaning 'pursuer.' This name reflects the age-old role of the hunter and gatherers. VBS Kaito's first appearance is during "Stray Bad Dog" event which focuses on Akito (whose name is related to autumn season) and all of his hardworking attempt in fulfilling his dream after a lost.

Murou is taken from Muroo Saisei (室生犀星), the writer of Lyric Pieces (抒情小曲集) and Love Poem Collection (愛の詩集)

Wonderland x Showtime

Miku: Snowdrop Edogawa

Snowdrop is one of the translations of the Snow White's name. Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is the first Disney Princess, the first main character, and the first heroine of a Disney animated feature. Snow White is well known for her kindness and optimism — both of which act as her greatest strengths, as they've guided her safely through the various hardships faced throughout her life. She can also be assertive, with the authoritative nature of a mother. In addition, she showed leadership potential when guiding the animals around the house during their cleaning session, successfully instructing them on how to best clean the house and various items inside. WxS Miku's first event appearance is during "Run! Sports Festival! Committee Rush". Emu, being one of the main star of the event, is shown to have the skill to influence people with her cheerfulness, big heart, and love of smiles. Her optimism in a way is similar to Snow White for they always find a way to reach their goal, even if it's as simple as "finding a safe place to stay" for Snow White or "making a festival filled with smile" for Emu.

Edogawa is taken from Edogawa Ranpo (江戸川乱歩), the writer of The Case of the Murder on D Hill (D坂の殺人事件) and The Fiend with Twenty Faces (怪人二十面相).

Rin: Pleiades Tayama

Pleiades, or The Seven Sisters, is the name of seven star cluster close to the constellation Taurus. It is also the middle name of Jim Hawkins, the protagonist of Disney's Treasure Planet (2002). Jim is an adventurous young lad; rebellious, strong-willed, brave, caring, and loyal. A bad boy with a heart of gold. However, he has his insecurity, wondering if he can't do anything right. Finding treasure planet is his calling to finally fix something. WxS Rin's first Wonderland x Showtime centric event appearance is during "Wonder Magical Showtime!" where Tsukasa put aside his desire to win the whole PXL's competition in order to make Emu's dream come true. Tsukasa and Jim is almost similar, from their desire of something more (Tsukasa with his future star dream and Jim desire for adventure) but has insecurities and pulled them away from truly expressing themselves.

Tayama is taken from Tayama Katai (田山花袋), the writer of The Quilt (蒲団) and Country Teacher (田舎教師).

Len: Briar Dazai

Briar (Rose) is an alias for Princess Aurora is the titular character of Disney's Sleeping Beauty (1959). Aurora is a kind, elegant, graceful, angelic, loving, and gentle person, as well as a hopeless romantic. At first, she is seen as a slightly shy, playful and carefree young woman as a result of being sheltered for most of her life. Aurora is very loyal and honest to her "aunts" and usually obeys their rules respectfully, even though she may disagree with them. WxS Len's first event appearance is during "Smile of a Dreamer" which focuses in Emu and her attempt in making her grandpa's vision. Both Emu and Aurora are dreamers even though the situations push them down (Emu with her brothers, Aurora with her royal status), but in the end both of their dream comes true with the help of many. Coincidentally, Emu's event song and Sleeping Beauty's theme song is titled "Once Upon a Dream".

Dazai is taken from Dazai Osamu (太宰治), the writer of No Longer Human (人間失格) and Run, Melos! (走れメロス).

Luka: Rapunzel Hori

Rapunzel is the protagonist of Disney's Tangled (2010). A dreamer at heart, she's a spirited and determined young woman. Because of her sheltered up bringing, she can be rather anxious and having a low self-esteem. However, that doesn't stop her from stepping out her comfort zone and take on the unknown for the sake of experiencing her dreams. Despite being fearful and at times hesitant, she pushes herself forward to pursue her ambitions. WxS Luka's first Wonderland x Showtime centric event appearance is during "Mermaid Admiration". Both Nene and Rapunzel stepping up to finally fulfilling their dream, and now they're looking for a new dream.

Hori is taken from Hori Tatsuo (堀辰雄), the writer of The Holy Family (聖家族), The Wind Has Risen (風立ちぬ), and Naoko (菜穂子).

Meiko: Ursa Mushanokouji

Ursa Major is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Ursa Major is primarily known from the asterism of its main seven stars, which has been called the "Big Dipper", "the Wagon", "Charles's Wain", or "the Plough", among other names. In particular, the Big Dipper's stellar configuration mimics the shape of the "Little Dipper". Dipper is also the name of the main character in the Disney TV Series Gravity Falls (2012-14). Dipper is a adventurer, clever, curious and may be a bit short-temperament. Throughout the series Dipper becomes more confident in himself, has learned to have hope in the doubtful times, and become stronger when facing his enemies to stand up for what he believes in. WxS Meiko's first appearance is during "On This Holy Night, I Sing" where Nene slowly grows confident in herself once again on stage, similar to Dipper's growth.

Mushanokouji is taken from Mushanokouji Saneatsu (武者小路実篤), the writer of Good-Natured Person (お目出たき人) and Friendship (友情).

Kaito: Eliseo Satou

Eliseo has the meaning "God is my salvation", which is in line with Elizabeth that means "My God is an oath" or "My God is abundance". Elizabeth itself can be derived into Elsa, which is a name of the deuteragonist from Frozen (2013). When she was little, Elsa was still quite playful and used her magic to have fun and goof off. However, after accidentaly hurt her sister, she became terrified of losing control and chose isolation for other's protection. WxS Kaito's first event appearance is during "It's On! Wonder Halloween!" where Rui's robot accidentaly hurt Tsukasa, thus he hold back with his more daring idea, similar to Elsa. It was only after Tsukasa reasured Rui that Rui can return as his confident self, in a similar way how Anna tells Elsa that she loves her that Elsa can return summer.

Satou is taken from Satou Haruo (佐藤春夫), the writer of Melancholy in the Country (田園の憂鬱) and The House of a Spanish Dog (西班牙犬の家).

#i was thinking to going back in tinkering my proseka fantasy au #but i was like not vibing of using ocs for villain #but then i remember vbs kaito white day card exist #so i was like 'what if we use all of the vocaloid but with different names'#yes i know that none of these are japanese name #but if we can have someone named ‘ Mikulia Greeonio’ and i think i’m allowed to have silly names #if anyone wanted some explanation i'll make a follow up post or reblog #this is my prsk dimension hoping au #project sekai colorful stage #colorful palette why you no give the other vocaloid special sekai hair

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