#even if I was a ship on course to a destination I no longer wanted to go to

[anystalker707]

Little secrets

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x [gender neutral] Reader Words: ~ 3 800 Summary: Zoro always insists a little too much that they stop by a specific island then disappears until they need to leave again. What's going on? Tags: Sub! zoro, dom! reader, embarrassed zoro, pet names, very fluffy Somewhat inspired by @sinsterdarling 's fanfic Not proofread Probably ooc characters, bc im also very dumb MASTERLIST

          Zoro's eyes narrowed a little as he finally saw the island in the distance and, as much as he could feel certain relief, something also twisted inside his chest because the ship just couldn’t meet the shore soon enough. His grip around his swords was almost too tight, hurting his palm a little until he was forced to let go and find something to do until they reached the island, but it still felt like an eternity until it was finally time to toss the anchor down in the water.

It felt good to finally be on land for once in a while, to have firm ground under your feet. A quiet sigh of relief escaped Zoro's nose as he looked around, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Zoro yawned, watching the others stretch, and check their surroundings. It wasn't much different than the last time they'd been there. The stands near the shore sold fresh seafood, the reason of the incessant shouting of prices and products to attract the high volume of people that walked by. The island wasn't just the Strawhat's usual destination. A few other ships had docked there, being loaded or already leaving to the open sea without the worry of being stopped by the marine. Truly a paradise if it weren't so offhand because of their new routes. Zoro almost had to insist a suspicious amount for them to make a stop there.

The weather was quite nice. It was hot enough to take a bath in the warm sea water, but not too hot that you'd feel like in hell after standing under the sun for longer than five minutes, with a heat that was soothed by the soft breeze. Soft white clouds adorned the blue sky, once in a while blocking the sunlight for a few minutes. It felt perfect. Almost like a home.

"Hey." Zoro attracted their attention. "We are leaving just tomorrow, right?"

"Most likely." Robin hummed and nodded along with Luffy after the two shared a look.

"Right," Zoro exhaled. "I'll meet you tomorrow. Don't bother looking for me or anything, I know my way around."

“Are you sure? You don’t even know left from right.” Sanji clicked his tongue as he shook his head.

“And you don’t even know your own name the moment you see a woman!” Zoto shouted, his hands balling into fists by his sides.

Sanji groaned, eye twitching, and sucked in a breath just to interrupt himself the moment Luffy steps in between the two. “Ohh, look at that! Sanji, do you think you can prepare me something with that?” Everyone followed the direction he pointed at to see a proud man selling octopus that looked better than most of what they saw around.

“Tch.” Sanji sighed. “Of course. Let’s go.”

Zoro turned on his heels to start his own little journey, but stopped when he heard his name being called. Nami stood there with some papers in hands, raising an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure you’ll be fine, Zoro? Where are you even going?”

He rolled his eyes with a soft sigh, though all he bothered doing was to glance back at her. “I will be fine. Let me go, I don’t want to lose any more time.” 

“Ohh, Zoro is full of secrets!” Usopp told Chopper, who giggled along with him. As much as these comments had Zoro’s muscles twitching for him to hit their heads so they’d shut up already, he didn’t want to waste more of his precious time on the island. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath so he could focus again.

Right. He was supposed to walk to the right until he saw a sorta alligator–shaped rock, then turn left and follow up to the woods. There was a red ribbon attached to the tree next to the way he should follow—a red ribbon along with some carvings, which sight already almost had him blushing. Swallowing thickly, he glanced around to make sure no one had followed him. There truly wasn’t anyone, but he still held his breath as making his way further down the trail into the woods.

Everything was fine until the way divided itself in two. Zoro didn’t remember whether he was told to go down the way with the tall tree or to avoid it. He stood there for a long moment, just staring at the tree while trying to remember what he had been told. First, alligator rock, then red ribbon, then... tall tree or not tall tree? Fuck off, why was it so difficult to remember? Well, it must’ve been tall tree, right? Or else he would’ve been told to follow the pebbles’ side.

With a shrug, Zoro took the right side and just kept walking, but... Something felt a little off. The ground was muddy, and he was sure it wasn’t supposed to be like that.

“Fuck...” Zoro clicked his tongue, turning around to follow the way back to that intersection. Maybe it really was about avoiding the tall tree direction. Who knew, huh. Now, he just needed to find that intersection and... No way he had walked that much away from it, so why did it never come?

Okay, it didn't seem good. Zoro stopped and scratched the back of his neck as he observed his surroundings. He couldn't see anything after a certain distance because of how the trees embraced the area, so returning to his starting point seemed a little out of question at the moment. The view was beautiful, either way, with the sun poking in through the leaves of the trees, but it was difficult to appreciate it with all the thoughts rushing through his head. Maybe he could set a direction and just walk because he would certainly reach somewhere at some point. Either way, he continued looking for something familiar on his way, walking a little slower than the last time, paying attention to every single sound and detail.

"Oh, what a good surprise!" The sudden voice had Zoro jumping, turning around abruptly, just for the tension to wear out at the moment he saw a familiar face there, giving place to a nice sensation as he felt his heart flutter. It was as if his body had its own mind, taking Zoro to them in swift steps. "Hi! How are you?"

No response came, instead only a warm hug that had both of them content. The world seemed to fall quieter once Zoro found them. His cheeks felt warm when he pulled away and looked at you, eyes flickering over each inch of your figure to take in the sight he had missed so much. His hands held onto your upper arms maybe a little tighter than needed, but he couldn’t risk letting any second near you go unused.

“How are you doing, pretty boy?” You repeated yourself with a soft smile as you gazed at Zoro—he always loved the way you looked at him, as if he was worth something. “I missed you.”

Zoro hummed almost inaudibly, finally nodding. “Doing well, yes. What about you?” As much as you knew it, he wanted to say that he missed you as well, to tell how much he had insisted for his friends to stop by at the island again, but the words just stopped at his throat and left him with an embarrassment and guilt that barely let Zoro look at you in the eyes.

“Fine, yes, but better now that my pretty boy is here with me.” You had a soft smile on your features. Your hand cupped Zoro's cheek softly so you could press a kiss to his face, which made him press his eyes shut for a moment as his cheeks burned hotter. "Come on, I will prepare you something to eat. You must be tired." Your hand fit just right around Zoro's, warm and protective.

Zoro hummed softly, ignoring the fact he had been walking in a completely different direction the whole time. His eyes fell to your other hand, seeing a large shopping bag. "Do you want help?"

"No, darling, it's fine." You smiled softly. "We're almost there, either way."

The place you lived in wasn't too modest nor too luxurious, with enough space for your whims and very well kept. It was almost a cottage, both for its aesthetic and also the way it was situated in a nice clearing with a lake near it, in the middle of the woods, a good distance away from anyone else. You also cultivated a few plants, so there was a beautiful flower garden by the front and a small vegetable one by the back. It was one of the most beautiful sightings for Zoro.

The house still smelled just like he remembered. Not much had changed either since the last time he'd been there, saving for a few of the furniture that changed place and the new decoration.

Inside that bag, you had food, which you carefully put away while Zoro made himself home. He couldn't help but to spot some ingredients for his favorite dish. It was almost as if you knew he was coming, and he wouldn't be surprised if you really did.

There, surprisingly, was a place where he could feel comfortable without his swords hanging from his waist. Not only did he know that you were strong enough to face any threat that attacked the island, but he was also sure he would be one of your priorities when it came to protection.

Zoro didn't really know what to do with his hands as he sat on the kitchen table, watching you assemble ingredients and stir pans until a few plates were set in front of him. There were pancakes, toasts, fruits, honey, hot chocolate, coffee, milk...

"Thank you." His voice was small and quiet, but still made it to your ears and snatched a soft smile from you that made something bubble up inside his chest. Zoro was quick to start eating, balancing it between eating it all at once because of how hungry he was and savoring each bit because he didn’t have the opportunity of eating your food everyday. Fingers touched the hair on the base of his neck, running through the short green strands in a soothing motion that had him closing his eyes for a moment whilst leaning into the touch. His eyes parted open to meet yours—you had a cup in hand while observing him quite adoringly. It somehow made him feel small, though not small as in when he met with an enemy who was resistant to his swords, but as in a way he could be held in someone’s palm knowing he wouldn’t be crushed.

“Is it good, honey?”

He swallowed. “Yes. Thank you so much.”

The constant rush Zoro’s life was in seemed to take an eventual pause when he was there, that small house in a little island making him feel so loved and protected as if it were a palace filled with gold and protected by a thousand gods; so being with you was something like finally allowing himself to rest and feel the weight on his back and chest without feeling guilty that he was somehow losing time.

A soft crack came from Zoro’s back as he groaned while throwing his intertwined hands above his head to stretch. The couch was way too comfortable, but he couldn’t sleep, not right now. He wanted to enjoy every little second with you, more and more, and just being pressed to you didn’t work. A whine almost escaped his throat with it. Almost. Instead, it was a soft him of appreciation because of how your lips met his.

The kiss was slow, but still very intense; the reason and the reward for escaping every adventure alive and in a whole piece, even if the times Zoro showed up to see you had more and more time between each other. He deepened the kiss at that thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine at how your hand met the side of his neck, letting your thumb run against his jaw soothingly.

“Tell me, honey,” you whispered against his lips before kissing your way down to his jaw. “Tell me where you’ve been and what you’ve done.”

A breath caught in his throat until he could finally get used to the soft touches. “I’ve been to somewhere called Skypiea and— And we met another god,” he told.

          “I don’t know if you have ever noticed this...” Usopp attracted everyone’s attention, or at least had Nami, Robin, Sanji, and Chopper looking at him while Luffy wolfed down all the food they’d ordered from a local restaurant. “...but Zoro disappears every single time we come here. What do you think he is up to?”

Because Nami had insisted they ate some of the local cuisine, they ended up looking for a restaurant where they could take a break from their shopping and goods-hunting and sit down to eat, checking what they’d gotten already and what was still to be found. Sanji didn’t seem exactly pleased with it, but ended up going along with it. 

“He is running away from working! He didn’t even take the list of stuff we need to find!” Nami slammed a fist against the table, having Chopper lean away a little with wide eyes, an opposite to how Robin just chuckled.

“Secret mission!” Chopper spoke up, raising an arm. “Or he just goes off somewhere to sleep!”

“Or maybe he sees someone. Or avoids someone.” Robin smiled. “He wouldn’t insist for us to come here just so he could sleep, don’t you think?”

Chopper gasped. “You’re smart, Robin!” He snatched another chuckle from her.

“Of course she is! Only she could think so reasonably!” Sanji nodded frantically.

“I suggest we confirm it,” Usopp chuckled as he rubbed his palms together. “We should follow him!”

“I’m in!” Chopper raised an arm again, almost jumping on the chair, whilst Sanji shrugged.

Nami stared at Usopp for a moment, lips pressed together as she contemplated whether she agreed with it or not. It wasn’t much of her interest what Zoro was doing since he always came back when it was time to leave, but now that Usopp had brought it up and they started making theories... She would be pleased to kick his ass once she found him sleeping somewhere to avoid the job all of them had to do. Or even annoy him for any embarrassing hobby.

“Okay...” Nami nodded.

They had to find Zoro first, that was the hard part. He didn’t come back to the ship at night, so maybe he would come back the following day to make sure they’d leave or stay for a little longer. They needed to keep their eyes wide open for any moss-head.

Luffy was intrigued, an arm over his chest and a finger under his chin while observing whatever food some random old man prepared in front of him, promising it was the best meal in the world. Maybe Sanji could do it if Luffy memorized all of the steps. There were tomatoes, a random fruit, some seasoning...

"Hey, Luffy."

"Hi, Zoro," he replied, voice distant.

"Are we returning today for real?" Usually, they never returned on the day they decided at first because there was always something missing, but Zoro better confirm if he didn't want Nami complaining the whole time and intereupting his precious naps.

"Hmmm... no," Luffy mumbled, "Usopp mentioned something about finding someone..."

Zoro raised an eyebrow, but settled down for not asking anything, only humming with a nod. Luffy barely paid attention to anything normally, so now it would be impossible—he gasped as the man finally handed him the food and started wolfing it down immediately, so Zoro just didn’t even try and started walking away. He wouldn't get lost his time, hopefully. You had given him a paper with the directions.

Luffy had finished eating when Nami approached him, sighing. "Hey, did you see anything?"

"Uh, yeah. Zoro was just here asking if we will really leave today, but I told him not yet," Luffy explained with his hands on his hips.

"Zoro?!!" Nami gasped as she threw her hands in the air, frantically waving for the rest of the group to come by. "And you didn't even call us?! How long has it been?!"

Luffy shrugged. "A couple of minutes."

"There's still time!"

The group left, ignoring the old man madly shouting at Luffy for not paying a thing, but they were already too far and too worried to care about it. The shouting mess tudned quiet at the moment they caught on Zoro's track, standing all together and following him in small steps to make sure he didn't notice he was being followed. Either way, it didn't seem like he would notice them that easily, no—he would eventually pause and rub the back of his neck, muttering to himself and the piece of paper that he held in hand.

"Why does he have that bag? Where did it even come from?" Nami narrowed her eyes, balancing on her toes with Chopper on her back. The six of them crouched behind a bush in a poor excuse of hiding.

A light brown bag hung from Zoro’s back, one that couldn't be theirs. They'd never bought that thing.

"He has a map in hand, I believe," Usopp hummed, rubbing his chin. "Do you think he is delivering something?"

"Looks like it," Chopper muttered, and looked at the others. Robin just gazed at each of them with a light entertained smile on her lips. Sanji, on the other hand, never let his gaze leave Zoro; Chopper could faintly hear him grumbling under his breath about how Zoro preferred to work for others rather than helping them and not even share the berries he earned.

Robin chuckled a little. “Well, let’s hope he really doesn’t lose himself, don’t you think?”

“He must be already lost!” Sanji clicked his tongue.

The way was a little agonizing. The destination never came and they almost had heart attacks whenever Zoro turned around to remake his way because he’d taken a wrong turn—it was hard to know if he even knew where he was going.

Now, Zoro had been stopped for over five minutes already and had no sign of going anywhere so soon. Nami broke the silence with a groan, “we should just confront him already! Z—”

“Zoro!” A voice called, having the six of them jumping and shutting up while they looked around for its source in the direction Zoro turned to. “Over here, honey! I knew you’d get lost!”

“Sorry!” Zoro clicked his tongue, folding the map to shove it in his pocket as he finally started walking again. “I did get everything, though! Check if it’s exactly what you wanted, or else I’ll go back!”

“I knew it!” Sanji shook his head, exhaling.

Once Zoro was a good distance away, they decided to follow him, stopping by the last bushes and trees around the clearing. Their chins fell simultaneously at the sight of the cottage—vines with light purple flowers crawled up the creamy walls, but the ones on the garden could almost be found in all colors, and Luffy already licked his lips at the sight of watermelons growing strong around the side of the cottage.

“Wait... who is that?” Usopp narrowed his eyes as he lowered his binocles, taking a closer look at you. He pressed his lips together, trying to figure out whether you were someone familiar or not.

All of them gasped in unison, however, at the sight of Zoro throwing his arms around your neck while you held onto his hips, pressing a kiss to his cheek before your lips met in a soft kiss. “Thank you,” you said softly. “Do you wish to prepare a cake with me? I would appreciate your help, it seems like we are going to need more food today.”

Zoro furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at you, pulling away a little. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it seems like your friends have found their way after you.” You smiled, tilting your head so you could look past Zoro at the group poorly hidden there. Zoro’s eyes widened at the same moment he whipped his head around, cheeks burning crimson at the sight of his six followers, who sweatdropped, mumbling incoherent excuses.

“What the fuck are you doing here, you idiots?!” He shouted, making you laugh.

“Aw, c’mon, it’s not bad to have visits once in a while!” You pressed a soothing kiss to Zoro’s cheek. “C’mon! Don’t be ashamed, come in!” Waving, you invited them to approach so you could make it into your place.

Weird was an understatement. Who could even imagine they would see Zoro stand there in an apron with you standing behind him, guiding his hands through kneading the dough. Whatever was going on among the others, was just white noise in the back of his mind since time with you was more worth it than whatever the six idiots would tease him for, he could deal with that later.

Everything was already in the oven when you served them more of the tea and biscuits to distract their hunger while the food was still being prepared. “Make yourself home,” you reminded them while serving Robin.

“Your tea tastes very good, (y/n), thank you for it!” Robin smiled before she took another sip of it.

“Why, thank you!”

“But who are you?” Chopper still seemed a little scared, feeling extra small as he sat between Sanji and Usopp for safety reasons. “Wh—Why haven’t we seen you before?”

You shrugged a little, humming. “I’m not sure, but I remember meeting my pretty boy when he got lost around here.” Your fingers ran through the short green strands, worsening the almost permanent blush Zoro already had.

“Pretty boy, hm?” Sanji smirked.

“You’re just jealous you have no one, you perverted cook!” Zoro shouted, standing up and leaning across the table in Sanji’s direction.

“Jealous? With Nami and Robin?” Sanji shouted with a scoff, mirroring Zoro’s position.

Nami rolled her eyes, not even trying to say anything because she wasn’t the one embarrassing herself in someone else’s house, either way.

“Well, it is nice to meet all of you!” You smiled, pouring more tea into the cup that Luffy extended to you. “I have heard a lot.”

“I hope he actually said something good!” Nami gave Zoro a side eye, though it was more of a glare that had him growling.

“Of course!” You chuckled with a nod.

“Hey, Zoro,” Luffy spoke up, “what’s that on your neck? Did a mosquito bite you or something?”

Zoro seemed confused until his eyes widened and converted his neck immediately, blushing profusely. “You idiot!!!”

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

#one piece #roronoa zoro #x reader #x male reader #x female reader #x gender neutral reader #fan fic #fan fiction #monkey d luffy #sanji vinsmoke #nami #usopp #tony tony chopper #chopper #anime #writing #nico robin

[batnip]

I heard you mentioned deathsea.

I request your arti riv and saint designs for art purposes

Slugcat Shipruary , Day 14

I LOVE DEATHSEA.

Yes. It's my favorite slugcat ship at the moment. My premise forthe ship is Five Pebbles before the collapse- after requesting Rivulet to get the Rarefaction Cell, requests again for Rivulet to go retrieve his citizen. His structure will become weaker without it's function, and his city will no longer be safe. Destined to collapse soon. So of course, Rivulet goes up through parts of the crumbling city to find Artificer. There is barely an enemy in sight, and the city is filled with small bits of the rot. They find Artificer, with them- the begrudging Artificer helps Rivulet back to Moon to help her. And as Moon regains some of her function, Artificer can find comfort in Rivulet's presence, and they both heal from past injuries. Whether it is mental or physical. While visiting Five Pebbles in his status in Saint's time, barely functioning- they find a frail fluffy slugcat. Artificer instantly rushes to save the smaller slugcat- corner by a pack of yellow lizards. Artificer and Rivulet tear through the pack, at each other's side, protecting the frail new discovery. The three gain an inseparable bond- whether it is being tied to the cycles- concern- or friendship and love for each other.

And.. an answer to the ask! I don't have solid designs for my slugcats. I'm still figuring out what I want to do for them- looking at other's designs and headcanons. I'm refining my personal au over time- still.. maybe it'll be done one day! ...And a big milestone for me. Thank you for everyone who helped me reach this, 100 reblogs + 500 likes!

And to all, a Happy Valentines Day! Even if you don't have a partner, (Ace+aros, or people who are having no luck in romance, taking a break from it, etc). You are loved and seen!

#rain world #rw #rw art #rw slugcat #rainworld fanart #rain world fanart #scug shipruary art #scug shipruary #scug shipruary day 14 #rw holy water #rw deathsea #rw bathbomb #slugcat #rw karmaflower #rw saint #rw rivulet #rw artificer

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Wild Uncharted Waters - Prince Eric X Female Reader

Title: Wild Uncharted Waters

Prince Eric X Female Reader

Additional Characters: Sir Grimsby, Eric's mother (Mentioned), Reader's mother (Mentioned), Reader's grandmother (Mentioned), Max the dog, crewmates (Mentioned), and Royal palace people (Mentioned)

Requested by: Anon!

WC: 4,651

Warnings: Reader has a mother, Reader has a grandmother, childhood friends to lovers, I have not seen the movie, maybe slight changes in storyline?, mentions of illness, teasing, taunting, flirting?, pinning, fire mentioned, Eric almost drowns, fireworks mentioned, confessions, anxiety, nervousness, embarrassment, wounds mentioned, a few song references, even though he had almost drowned Eric is always down for a race, slight angst, death mentioned very briefly, and a lot of fluff

The ocean waves crashed against the side of the small ship, erupting in white seafoam and bubbles as the vessel journeys through the dark, deep waters to the newest destination. You held onto the thick, coarse rope, leaning off the edge, and letting the fresh, salty sea air blow through your hair as your booted feet planted firmly against the wooden beam of the ship's railing. You were coursing through wild uncharted waters, on the day of the Prince's birthday: your best friend, Eric. Eric had been your friend ever since you were both little children. You lived in the village near the castle and met Eric after he was adopted into the royal family. 

You first met at the seaside, you remembered that day well and looked back upon it fondly; even after all these years. Your tiny feet in the wet, squishy sand, the surprisingly warm water lapping at your ankles, and the sound of a young boy laughing; giggling away, had gained your attention. You remembered turning, and seeing a small boy, no older than you at the time, with a flurry of raven black curls, barreling down the beach; a bright smile on his face. As a young child, you had never seen someone so excited to be at the beach. Then again, you guessed that the people in the village were used to the sights and beautiful smells of the seashore; you wondered if this boy had never seen the ocean before. Overall, it was nice. Seeing someone love the beach just as much as you.

Seeing that you were the only two children there, you both introduced yourselves and began playing with one another. And over the days and months, you two became great friends. Tossing rocks into the water to see who had the biggest splash, building lop-sided sand castles, and racing to the castle's kitchen; little Prince Eric always let you win. Even when Eric got his pup, Max, you both played with the dog, playing fetch until both you and the Prince were called home. And, as the years went on and on, the two of you got even closer.

No longer were you friends, but the most inseparable pair anyone had ever laid their eyes on. As young adults, when Eric was free to visit the village, he'd join you at the market, looking at fabrics, jewelry, and even homemade quilts. But, most of the time, just as you did as children, you would both spend time at the beach. You spent a lot of time there since it was both a place you and the Prince held so close to your hearts. The ocean breeze was calming, as were the sounds of the crashing waters against the harsh rocks. There, you both spoke of your day, life in general, and your dreams. There was hardly a time when you and Eric weren't by each other's side. Only when Eric was needed at the castle, his home away from the shore, for whatever princely duties, did you part.

And although both of your lives seemed to be full of sunshine and rainbows, that was far from the fact. You and Eric both had your fair share of hardships. He, Eric, wanted to be free of life inside the castle walls. Eric longed for adventure, sailing the beautiful seven seas, and filling his office with more treasure he had found along the way. And you, you wanted to get away from the village, similar to Eric. And like Eric, you wanted to go on daring adventures, go away to far-off places, and see the world. But, it was hard when you had to stay and take care of your ill grandmother. She was old and frail, and you had to watch over her when your mother had to go off to work. You loved your family deeply, but you wanted to chase that freedom that blew swiftly and sweetly in the salty sea air.

But, to add salt to the wound, you had a secret. You were in love. You were in love with your best friend. Originally, you were overjoyed. The amazing feeling of love overflowed throughout your entire body and soul as you realized that you were indeed in love with Eric. You loved when he ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix it when the wind blew against it, getting into his vision. You loved the ways his eyes lit up with deep fondness as he stared off at the sea or spoke about the newest treasure he had found. You loved his voice, beautiful and soft when he would hum or sing a song under his breath. He was entirely perfect.

Though, you had an inkling that the love you had for him was always there, simmering and sizzling below the surface. Though, as some time went on, you realized that your love could never be. He was a Prince, and you were just the daughter of a seamstress. It deeply saddened you, knowing that there was no chance that you could spend the rest of your days with the man you loved. But, you dreamed and you wished upon the great, shining stars in the sky that one day you and Eric could live happily ever after. Or at least, you could be in his life in any way, just being by his side is all you could ask for. But, you were selfish, and you often let your daydreams wander and think about the ‘what ifs.’ What if Eric felt the same about you? Maybe it was all your insecurities talking.

"Beautiful day, huh?" You heard the familiar soft voice, instantly allowing a smile to grace your features. 

Turning your gaze away from the blue sea, your eyes landed on the soft brown eyes of your Eric, "Yes," You sighed softly, "The perfect day for someone's birthday..." You lightly teased, watching with a certain admiration as the dimples of Eric's cheeks deepened and his smile grew.

The man before you nodded, looking briefly at the wooden floorboards of the ship before looking back up at you. He, too, had a dilemma. It wasn't the fact that his mother was probably worried that he went off sailing again when she begged him not to, nor was it the seemingly gray and gloomy-looking clouds that speckled the sky. No... Eric was completely enchanted by you. 

Looking up at you as you held on tightly to the rope, staring off at the sea; Eric stood simply in awe as the slowly setting sun gleamed against your soft skin. You looked stunningly beautiful, as always, the carefree smile that he adored on your face making him grin. You were truly breathtaking, a goddess among men; he could just stare at you forever. 

Really, it was only a matter of time before the two of you fell in love with one another, as said in the words of your mother. But, somehow, no matter how long you've known each other, you both were incredibly oblivious to each other's feelings. Even though you had a knack for telling what Eric was thinking, and Eric had a few tricks in finding out when you were lying, you both were totally clueless about each other's feelings. 

As if sensing the intensity of Eric's gaze, you turned your head once more. Tilting your head slightly to the side, you stared down at Eric, a small smile growing on your face. You couldn't help but admire the man before you, your eyes raking across his lean and sturdy figure; from his brown leather boots to the dark ruffled curls upon his head. He was truly a handsome sight.

"Well," Eric began, voice slightly breathless before he cleared his throat, his eyes shifting slightly from the tingling of nerves that flowed through him, "I came to see if you'd be joining in the festivities, or staying up there?" He asked, only to watch as you hopped down from the railing, your boots landing on the wooden floorboards with a thud. 

Smiling up at him, you shrugged your shoulders, "I wouldn't dare miss out on it, Eric. After all, I heard there was going to be fireworks." You answered, following Eric as you headed to the other side of the ship where most of the crew were setting up for the party.

Eric mirrored your smile, looking down at you as he gently took your hand in his, "Thank you for being here beside me." His voice was gentle, yet sincere as his eyes locked with yours. You felt your cheeks heat up, your heart fluttering wildly in your chest, and your stomach twisting into knots as he gazed at you.

Shrugging your shoulders once again, you smiled sheepishly up at him, "Absolutely, Eric. Anything for you."

~~~

The fireworks lit up the sky in purples, reds, and blues, creating a brilliant display of bright colors. The loud booms of the explosions echoed throughout the sea and air, almost drowning out the cheers of the crowd on the deck. However, you were not paying any mind to the beautiful lights above, your eyes and mind were on the Prince on the deck, laughing and fooling around with his crewmates and friends. You watched as they hoisted Eric into the air, some singing a bright, cheerful tune as others drank away on their mead. You admired your best friend from above, his dog Max beside you, keeping you company; his warm fur grounding you. 

The sky was a dark blue, the sun had long since set and as the night continued, the sky slowly littered with stars. It had been a long, lovely day. Pushing off the railing, you wandered over to the side of the ship, taking your time to stare up at the sky, gazing at the twinkling stars as the firework show finally ended. The moon shone brightly, illuminating the waves below. You breathed in deeply, sighing contently before you heard the sound of boots against the stairs of the ship, not even bothering to turn; you knew who now stood beside you.

It was calming, looking up at the night sky with Eric. He said nothing, falling into the peaceful silence with you. Though, you began to feel jittery, almost nervous as you glanced over at him. The moonlight shone down upon him with white angelic rays, highlighting his beautiful side profile. Your heart swelled, loving every single aspect of him, whether it was the curve of his lips, or his dark eyelashes that fluttered against his cheekbones every time he blinked. 

"What did you wish for?" You asked abruptly, but yet softly, gaining the Prince's attention as he raised an eyebrow your way.

"What did I wish for?" He asked in return, only for you to nod your head before looking back at the sky before you. Eric took a moment to gaze at you, watching as the light of the lanterns on the ship cast soft shadows upon your form, giving you a certain glow. He let out a small breath, eyes and mind taking in the woman before him. Oh, how beautiful you looked in the moonlight. As if hearing his thoughts, you turned once more, meeting his gaze. You offered him a small smile, which he returned almost nervously. Placing one of his hands over yours, holding onto it, your touch anchored him. Caressing it gently with the soft pad of his thumb, he turned back to the sky, "I wish that tonight could last forever." He muttered softly, thoughtfully before turning to look down at you. "But I don't think I should've told you. Hearing that voicing your wishes out loud can cause them to never come true." He gave you a small charming smile, one that never failed to make your heart race.

You smiled, nodding as you slid a bit closer to the Prince, your shoulder brushing up against his arm. "Either way, your wish sounds wonderful."

Eric turned down to look at you once more, his eyes meeting yours, causing him to lose focus momentarily. His Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed thickly. He inhaled sharply through his nose as his eyes scanned your features, noting how you had gotten a new freckle upon the apple of your left cheek; probably from the almost constant sun no doubt, and the way that you slowly turned your hand you intertwined your fingers with his sent tingles throughout his arm. If Eric hadn't known any better, he would've thought he was about to confess his feelings for you. And maybe he was. Opening his mouth, Eric was just about to say your name, when there was a loud shout from the deck. 

"Fire!" A voice called from the deck, "Fire!"

Eric's eyes widened as he quickly made his way down the stairs, almost tripping over his feet. Some of the crew members were trying to put out the flames, but they weren't quick enough and before Eric knew it, the whole ship was engulfed in flames, burning the wooden deck and burning down to the bottom of the ship to the top of the masts. People screamed, shouted, and ran for the lifeboats, dropping them down into the dark depths of the ocean below. Eric cursed silently as he jumped into action; he quickly ran to the edge of the railing, ready to jump in when he heard a bark. 

Looking up and over to where he had previously been, he watched as Max became trapped, fire flickering and flaming around him. Eric rushed around fallen beams, climbing up the stairs and grabbing Max before tossing him into the water; carefully watching as Max made it to one of the lifeboats. Panic filled him just as the smoke filled his lungs, Eric looked around the burning ship, his eyes tearing up slightly as the flames grew higher and higher; where were you? 

"Eric!" He heard your voice, turning abruptly and tightly clutching the side of the ship to see you in one of the lifeboats. Eric felt the tightness in his chest lessen slightly, seeing you safe, but, before he could try and do anything, a loud explosion knocked him against the beam; causing him to fall back into the water below. 

You leaned forward, the lifeboat wobbling slightly as you watched as Eric fell from the ship and into the water. Not seeing him rise to the surface, you threw yourself into the ocean, ignoring the cries from the crewmates. Holding your breath, the salt water burned your eyes as you swam further down, finally spotting Eric's silhouette. Pushing yourself further down, your legs and arms ached as you finally reached the unconscious Eric. Wrapping your arms around his waist, you used all of the rest of your strength to swim back up to the surface, your lungs begging and crying out for fresh air as you swam up and finally broke through the surface. 

You let out a large breath, coughing as you readjusted your hold on Eric, making sure his head was above the water as you looked around, the ship was far behind you and there were no lifeboats in sight. Trying not to panic, you could see the faint streetlights from the island only a bit away from you. Swimming with all your might, your body ran on the adrenaline that flowed through your blood, pushing the fear and anxiety away as you slowly but surely got to land.

The rising sun began to shine over you, warming your chilled skin as you dragged Eric towards the nearest beach. You stumbled upon the sand first, pulling Eric with you as you crawled onto the ground. Chest heaving with heavy breaths, you laid Eric onto the warm sand, raising your hand up to brush his wet curls from his face before checking his neck for a pulse. You let out a sigh of relief as you felt the soft thump beneath your fingertips, finally letting yourself rest and calm, knowing that Eric was alive and safe. 

Raising your hand, you placed it on Eric's cheek, wiping off the sand before you lightly tapped him, "Eric, Eric, can you hear me?" You asked, trying to wake him, watching in anticipation as his eyelids flickered and he lightly groaned. 

Slowly opening his eyes, he squinted them, taking in his surroundings before focusing them on the silhouette above him, "Y/N?" He asked, voice deep and hoarse as he blinked a few times before finally getting his vision back into focus; his brown eyes looking up into yours. 

You let out a breathy sigh, your hand still resting on his cheek, "Thank God you're okay. Well, minus the small cut on your head there, do you have a concussion?” You abruptly asked, seeing as his eyes seemed fine, you let out a sigh, “I… I don’t know what I - I thought I lost..." You stuttered and then trailed off, you couldn't finish that sentence, closing your eyes briefly and taking another breath, "I'm so glad that you're alright." You finished weakly, the front of your teeth coming out to pull at the corner of your bottom lip. Eric blinked again, trying to calm his soaring heart; he didn't know if his almost drowning was the cause of his racing heart, or you above him, your voice and touch so soothing and calming. 

His own lips parted slightly, his mouth dry as he tried to speak, "You saved me," He murmured, not caring about the slight twinge of pain that burned his throat, and how tired he felt, "Thank you, Y/N," His lips curved upward, his voice gentle as he spoke.

Your eyes closed, a soft smile crossing your lips as he moved his hand up to your cheek, the tips of his fingers brushing through your wet hair. "It's no problem, Your Highness," You lightly teased before your voice softened, "I don't know what I'd do without you." Your words caused his heart to soar, a surge of emotions running through his veins like electricity.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Eric asked, his eyebrows raising slightly with concern as his eyes raked over your face for any cuts or bruises, but you just shook your head.

Opening your eyes, you could only smile, "No, no, I'm fine, Eric. Just a bit out of breath is all." A laugh escaped your lips, shaking your head lightly as you watched him, admiring the man in front of you.

He seemed almost relieved as he nodded, relaxing. "Good." He said before moving his hand, the backs of his fingers brushing against your cheek. "When I was on that ship, and I couldn't find you... I was scared," He added after a minute, his thumb rubbing against your cheekbone gently. Your eyes drifted shut at the feeling of his touch, unable to stop yourself from leaning into his hand. His touch was so tender, so sweet. It sent shivers throughout your entire body as his hand continued to rub up and down your cheek; his touch sending little jolts through every cell in your body. "I was worried I'd never get to tell you how I feel." 

Eric felt his chest tighten again as he watched your eyes open, the same curiosity held in them that Eric admired, "What do you mean?" You then asked, voice no louder than a mutter as Eric moved to sit up before speaking; one hand propping himself up and the other falling from your cheek and onto his lap.

"I don't know how to explain this... Well... I don't really have a word for it... I just... Know that my feelings for you go beyond friendship. I've never felt this strongly for anyone in my life. All I ever think about is you..." Eric replied quietly, his hand holding himself up digging into the rough sand below him.

You blinked, your stomach erupting into butterflies at his confession, "Really? Are you sure you're not concussed?" You breathed out, your mind racing as the ocean waves crashed gently upon the shore behind you, merely inches from touching you; but at Eric nod, you let out a shallow breath, "That’s… Nice…" You began, swallowing thickly, "Because, uhm, I- I feel the same, ever since we were children," You whispered, flushing lightly as Eric's eyes instantly snapped up to meet yours. "I cannot get over you."

"Wait, what? Really?" Eric questioned, completely shocked that you felt the exact same way as he did. The surprise and absolute joy he was feeling seemed to distract him from his fatigue and possible pain. His eyes widening similar to yours as you nodded, feeling your cheeks burning; both your hearts pounding and racing.

"Yes, of course," You said softly, smiling sheepishly as you looked down, "But I wanted to make sure that I wasn't reading too much into things because I'm not an expert in romance or anything. But I'm pretty sure that you're the love of my life," You chuckled lightly, cringing lightly from your chosen words, your eyes glimmering. "No matter how sappy or cliche that sounds now that I've said it," You continued, feeling a bit nervous as you took in the expression on Eric's face.

Eric smiled widely, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and those adorable dimples on full show as his hands rested on his knees, "Oh no, that was very cheesy." He chuckled lightly before leaning forward a bit, his fingers coming up to brush the stray speckles of sand from your cheek and temple, your cheek tingling at the simple touch. "And I think you're right about the whole 'too sappy' thing too." His eyes flashed with amusement, his thumb running along your jawline, and leaving behind a trail of goosebumps in its place.

"You just love to tease me," You muttered, rolling your eyes slightly before shifting your gaze, a light flush appearing on your cheeks as you leaned into his touch once more.

"Maybe," Eric replied softly, reaching out to tuck your damp hair behind your ear. "May I... May I kiss you?" He asked, his eyes holding a hint of uncertainty and worry.

You looked back up at him, your hand slowly clenched around the sand at your fingertips, the course and dry sand softly scratching at your palm. Eric's brown eyes drew you in, the small specks of gold shining under the bright morning sun. You slowly nodded your head, your eyes flickering between his brown ones before they closed as you felt Eric lean closer toward you. Your heart pounded hard against your chest as you felt his warm breath fan across your face, his hand cupping your cheek once more as his lips brushed against yours in a sweet, fleeting kiss before going in and claiming your mouth with his in a passionate kiss.

Your lips parted slightly at the sensation, your hands quickly reaching up to tangle themselves into Eric's soft, black curls. The taste of salt lingered on your lips, causing his heart to race even faster as he held you in his arms. The two sat in bliss before you both pulled away, both your faces flushed as you looked at each other. Your heart goes a million miles a minute as you let out a carefree and joyful laugh, making Eric smile at the pure sound of it.

Eric couldn't help but sigh softly, his eyes narrowing lazily as he gazed at you, goosebumps rising on the back of his neck as your fingers gently raked through the hair there, sending chills down his spine and a warm feeling flowing through his veins. The warmth he felt was nothing compared to the one he felt when he was near you; the warmth you gave him made him feel safe and secure; you had such a calming effect on him. Like the open sea, you always had the ability to wash away the worries in his mind, to bring him peace and tranquility. 

Eric watched in a sort of awe, watching as the sun shined over you, lighting up your skin in a golden glow; the blue sky reflecting beautifully within your eyes as your long lashes fluttered against your cheeks. He knew that he loved you since the day he met you, that's for sure.

"Eric," You called to him, gaining his attention as you gestured to a few of the members of the castle coming down the stone and grassy walkway, all looking panicked as they rushed toward the beach where the two of you were sitting. Eric furrowed his brows in confusion, his eyes widening when he saw Sir Grimsby approaching, Max the dog in tow. He glanced between you and the others, noticing that they were all looking at the both of you, worry written across their features. 

"Your Highness! What happened?" Sir Grimsby asked, coming over to help the Prince up, "You've been gone all night, we heard about the ship sinking!"

Eric just smiled, albeit a bit bashfully as he turned and offered you his hand, helping you up from the sandy beach, your feet sinking slightly into the wet sand as he pulled you close to him, his hand intertwining with yours as he spoke, "Yes, well, Y/N saved me... So, we're all good." He spoke, giving you a glance as Max came bounding over, his sandy paws landing on your legs as you ran your fingers through his fur with a smile.

Sir Grimsby sighed deeply, running a hand down his face in exhaustion as he gestured for you and the Prince to follow, muttering to himself, "I swear, if he keeps being reckless like this-" He cut himself off as he realized that Eric was holding onto your hand. He cleared his throat and pointedly ignored Eric's gaze, as he led the two of you towards the castle.

"I don't think your mother's going to be too happy to hear about this." You whispered to him, causing Eric to chuckle softly as he squeezed your hand comfortingly.

"Probably not, but she'll get over it..." He answered with a slight shrug, "She can't keep me away from the ocean forever."

You nodded, slightly swinging your arms together as you spotted the castle before you, "We may have to take a break from sailing for a little while," You told him, a small teasing lilt to your tone.

Eric grinned playfully at the thought, "I wouldn't mind," He replied, "As long as I am with you," He trailed off, turning his head slightly toward you.

Your heart melted at his words, his gaze lingering on you as his lips curved into a gentle smile. "I'll be here beside you." You mumbled quietly, your own lips tugging into a smile as you squeezed his hand tightly in return.

Eric matched your smile, his eyes gazing down into yours as he raised your hand, pressing his lips gently to your knuckles as the world around you both slowly floated away, disappearing beneath the calm waves.

"Your Highness!" A voice yelled, pulling you and Eric out of your own little bubble, the Prince before you turned to the voice that called down to the both of you.

"Coming, Grimsby!" Eric called up to him before he turned to look back down at you. 

A small mischievous smirk graced your beautiful face, raising your other hand, gently pressing your finger upon his nose before letting go of his hand and walking backward towards the castle, "Last one to the kitchens is a rotten egg!"

Eric let out an amused huff, his own lips curling into a smirk before he ran up alongside you, unable to stop the laughter from flowing out of him as he let you win, just as he did when you were both children.

#cute #fluff #slight angst #x reader #x female reader #x you #x y/n #fanfiction #fanfic #request #requests open #requested #anon request #fanfics #the little mermaid #the little mermaid 2023 #prince eric #jonah hauer king #prince eric x reader #prince eric x female reader #prince eric x you #prince eric x y/n #disney

[layla4567]

May the force be with you

Cal Kestis x GN reader

Summary: Y/N has started to have feelings for Cal but doesn't know how to confess, maybe a love letter will help.

Warnings: Fluff time 😎

A/N: Hello, I apologize for not having included the "readmore" before (in fact I don't know if I did it correctly because they had never asked me before) and another apology if the story is not very accurate to the Star Wars universe (I'm not into it )

• • • • • • •

Maybe you always had those feelings for your friend. From the first minute you saw that red head and freckles like a strawberry. Yes, that must have been it. These feelings were not new, but even so in recent times they have intensified. Oh, yes indeed.

It all started in the last most recent mission. They were on the Mantis trying to look for the tombs of the three wise men. The map already had the exact coordinates, the destination was Dathomir. They got off the ship and headed towards some dark caves. It was wet and Cal had to light the way with his saber. You were lagging behind and the shadows were wrapping around you like a thin gauze, you ran in fear to his side and squeezed his hand, Cal turned his head towards you in surprise but then gave you a warm smile. He knew you were scared of the dark.

The faithful BD1 was clinging to Cal's shoulder. We went deeper and in a moment the place seemed more illuminated, the walls were no longer rocks but fat roots that rose from the floor to the ceiling. BD1 made a beep and quickly got off the redhead's shoulder and ran towards some kind of climbing wall and stopped looking at both of you.

"Looks like here is". Said the freckled boy with his hands on his hips looking up.

The white droid made an affirmative metallic noise, Cal smiled widely.

"Okay little one, hop on"

The boy stretched out his arm and the small droid climbed up to him to cling to his back. Then he saw you without stopping smiling

"Ladies first"

Cal extended his arm like a gentleman inviting you in as you bowed briefly, laughing. You held on tightly to the wall and started climbing it with Cal underneath you. He tried not to look up, blushing slightly. When you reached the top you saw him climb and with each step the muscles in his arms flexed and bulged, you had to shake your head to concentrate on something else.

Unfortunately the route did not end there, they had to cross to the other side and climb a wall that reached another rock. You approached the edge, you thought about whether you could jump but the gap was very long, you swallowed worriedly. Cal came to your side, reassuring you.

"Hey don't worry, I'm here with you"

His closeness and his affectionate squeeze on your arm made your cheeks redden and a chill ran down your neck. Of course he had no idea about all these sensations that were going through your body.

"I'll cross first, so you can see how I did it, okay?"

He offered generously and you nodded. For him it was easy, he was much more agile and flexible than you. Even when he was a simple worker he could jump and do pirouettes, you can't. With the grace and ease of a monkey he arrived at the other side in a second, then he looked at you with a nod of head inviting you to cross. You were still afraid, you tried to see how he did it but it had been so fast. Seeing that you were hesitant, Cal shouted at you, encouraging you.

"Nothing will happen to you, trust me, if you fall I'll catch you."

Those words, that simple phrase melted your heart. Now you were sure, you were in love with him. The tenderness with which he said that made you want Cal in your life more than ever so he could protect you. A little calmer you approached the wall and after steadying your feet you began to move to the right, always concentrating on not looking down. Don'tlookdowndon'tlookdown. Cal followed your every movement with religious attention, prepared for any possible fall. When you were about a meter from the edge of the other rock Cal advised you to try to push yourself to the right and jump. Your face contorted into a mask of terror, jump? Was he crazy or what?

"Just trust me!"

Of course you trusted him, you would even trust him with the most powerful weapon because you knew he wouldn't hurt you with it. You took a deep breath and followed his advice. You took a clean and jerk with your entire body flexed and jumped to the right, stretching your entire body and your arms trying to grab the edge of the rock. With horror you saw how your fingers barely touched the surface and you began to fall. An anguished scream calling your friend's name came from your throat, tearing the silence of the place. The freckled man quickly positioned himself at the edge of the rock as if his life depended on it and held you firmly by the wrists. The two of you looked at each other for a few seconds while your body hung and swung in the air. You were scared, but Cal was frowning with effort and huffing, but he couldn't stop a mocking smile from appearing at the corner of his lips.

"I promised you I'd catch you didn't I?"

A nervous smile appeared on your face. Very carefully he lifted you up and placed a hand on your back so you could sit up. Being so close to him created revolutions in your head and hormones. His gaze inspecting you up and down for possible injuries as he asked you over and over again if you were okay made you feel weak, your legs felt weak as if at any moment they could shake and fall with your knees hitting the cold, hard floor as you hugged his waist and you gave him looks with the eyes of a lost puppy, drunk, needy, desirous and burning with love saying "I am yours"

As your breathing quickened slightly Cal seemed satisfied with his inspection and they continued on their way with BD1 in the lead. You were still a little distracted by all your intoxicating and somewhat lewd thoughts about your friend that you didn't realize he was walking away so you shook your head and trotted after him.

The second time Cal gave you butterflies in your stomach (without him even knowing) was in Kashyyyk. A holocron had guided us there for the same reason, to find information about the Zaffo. Already on the ship we were preparing to land, Cal put on some of his ponchos because that day was cooler, you didn't want to be a weirdo who spies on people but you couldn't help but look askance when he put on his poncho in front of you. It looked so cute on him. They jumped off the Mantis that had already boarded and landed on the ground. It was a quite jungle place full of bushes and wild plants. You headed again to a kind of cave but this time illuminated because it had no roof, Cal and BD1 never left your side. You could see that there was a giant spider web on the ground, how disgusting.

"Be careful, there may be giant spiders here." Cal said, pointing to the spider web that you had seen and a look of concern tried to appear on your face but you suppressed it.

Another time you had to climb a wall, by this time you had already practiced jumping and climbing so you could handle this. When they reached the top they saw a kind of machine that Cal touched with his hand and a long rope was deployed above you, a zip line.

"BD1 would you do the honors?"

Cal looked at the droid that was on the ground, when it did a small cartwheel and then jumped on the redhead, Cal laughed amused.

"Wait, wait, do the honors for what?" You asked suspiciously and confused.

"Oh right, I hadn't told you. We will cross to the other side with the help of BD1"

The freckled redhead pointed to his little droid friend and he jumped up to grab the cable. BD1 beeped letting them know it was ready and waiting for them to grab onto it. You stepped back, if there was something that scared you more than the darkness it was heights, you had a lot of vertigo. Cal turned to look at you and saw you so serious and scared that he approached you worriedly to take your hand. And there the butterflies began to flutter in your stomach. He guided you towards the zip line slowly with tenderness, love and patience as if you were a child.

"Come, hold on to me." Cal raised your arms to put them behind his shoulders. My God, you felt like you were going to faint. You shyly wrapped your arms around his neck as he wrapped his strong arm around your waist, pressing you closer to him, you gasped in surprise.

"I'm sorry". He said modestly

"No!, I mean, It-It's ok"

Your head was on the opposite side of his, looking back and although you couldn't see his face you felt him smile in amusement.

"Alright, are you ready?"

Resting your head in the crook of his neck you nodded wordlessly. He affirmed his grip and when he told BD1 that they were ready you closed your eyes squeezing them. BD1 moved quickly and soon you felt that your feet were no longer touching the ground, you screamed scared but you knew that nothing would happen to you having Cal by your side. You opened your eyes a little and adrenaline invaded you, your hair was shaking from the speed and your breathing was short, you felt a rollercoaster in your stomach. When they reached the other side you felt a little dizzy as you got out of Cal's arms, you staggered a little still in shock and he quickly grabbed you by the shoulders.

"all in order?"

Cal looked at you attentively looking for any sign of discomfort but you were smiling almost laughing, the zip line ride had been more exciting than you thought and soon fear gave way to excitement. You looked at him and nodded, your hair was messy. He laughed and gently smoothed your rebellious locks that were sticking to your face, gently brushing them aside. The soft touch of his fingertips on your face and forehead sent an electric current again, this time throughout your spine. And damn, he didn't even know it and maybe he never will.

And here you were now, sitting at the desk in your room with BD1 staring at you sitting on the table to one side and with an old paper like a papyrus and a pencil in your hand and your mind blank. You sighed frustrated, you thought it was time to confess to Cal but you weren't good at talking, expressing your feelings. When you wanted to speak to him you couldn't find the right words. But you were better at writing than talking, a love letter would be an easier way to put your feelings in order without the pressure of seeing Cal face to face. Or so you thought. You still didn't know how to start the letter.

Dearest Cal

You huffed in annoyance, it was too formal. After all, he was your friend, not a stranger. You tapped the tip of your pencil against your head, thinking of new ideas. BD1 next to you had no idea what you were doing, you certainly didn't understand his language but it wasn't difficult to figure out what he was saying since the white droid looked with his head tilted at the paper and then looked at you.

"I'm writing a letter to Cal." BD1 looked at you as if waiting for an explanation.

"Yes, to Cal. A...love letter". The little droid jumped excitedly, you laughed.

"It's been a while since I had to confess my feelings to him but I didn't feel up to it, so I thought a letter would be easier. But don't tell him anything, promise."

BD1 nodded his head standing firm which made you smile tenderly. You closed your eyes and exhaled air through your mouth. You decided you wouldn't think so much and just let the pencil guide your hand. After letting your emotions and thoughts flow, the letter looked more or less like this

Cal I hope this letter reaches you on time and is not too late. I can no longer hide what I feel for you, I think I like you. And not as a friend, I really like you. I don't intend for you to feel the same way about me, I just wanted to let out what I feel and clear my mind and heart. Your always friend, Y/N

You put your pencil down shakily as you folded the paper into four. With your heart pounding in your chest like a drum, you could only hope that Cal wouldn't take it the wrong way, and even better, if he also felt the same as you. Suddenly you heard footsteps behind you and your friend's voice calling for his company droid. Pale, you quickly and clumsily shoved the paper into your pocket just before Cal entered your room.

"Hey here you are, I looked for you all over the ship!". He came up behind you as you turned around in your seat with a forced smile, dying of nerves inside. On the other hand the droid gave a happy beep. Cal noticed you and added, smiling.

"And it's good to see you too, we'll wait for you for dinner"

You responded that you would be there with an awkward laugh. Cal walked away from your room and you breathed a sigh of relief again, BD1 was still attentive to you.

"Here, take this to Cal, leave it in his room where he can see it please. I'm counting on you."

You handed him the folded letter and as if he were an agent on a special mission, the little robot ran towards the freckled man's room without being seen. You stood up laughing but then the smile faded from your face. What if Cal didn't feel the same way? You tried to push away those harmful thoughts. You took a deep breath to calm yourself and bravely left your room. And may the force be with you

The dinner was exquisite, the atmosphere was warm and familiar. It really felt like a united family. Cal couldn't stop making jokes and you laughed at everything he said or did with dreamy eyes. This did not escape Cere's attention, of course. After dinner you offered to wash the dishes with her.

"It seems like you and Cal get along well." She said casually

You stood looking at her confused with a plate in her hand and the sponge in the other dripping soapy water.

"Cal gets along with everyone, he's like that.". You said downplaying it

"Yes, but I could notice that he spends more time with you or looks at you in a peculiar way. Mmh, I wonder why that is?"

"What? Seriously?"

You couldn't help the astonishment that formed all over your face and voice. Cere had made you fall into her trap.

"Ah, I knew it! You like him, kid!"

"Whaaat? Me? pftt, I don't think so"

You cleared your throat and forced a strangely high-pitched voice that wanted to sound disinterested. But Cere wasn't stupid and placed a hand on your shoulder.

"I meant it. I've seen how Cal gets closer to you than the rest. Talk to him, I think the feeling could be mutual"

This fanned the flame of hope within your heart. You thanked him and went outside to practice with your cane. Cal was already in his room. You remembered the letter. You trembled nervously and ran out of the ship.

The sky was a beautiful twilight orange color. The afternoon breeze made your hair wave. You firmly gripped your staff and began to swing it in your hand, attacking and blocking an invisible opponent. Meanwhile Cal was sitting on his bed thinking about resting for a while when he saw a paper on his nightstand. He took it and unfolded it, when he began to read his heart began to accelerate. He quickly searched the entire ship looking for you, seeing you practicing outside he decided to approach. You were trying to spin your cane in front of you and wave it at the sides of your body but you were hitting yourself or dropping the cane.

"You're doing it wrong"

His deep voice behind you made you jump and throw the cane onto the grass. Laughing, he approached you and with the Force he attracted the cane that you dropped to his hand. He always boasted about his gift. Cal stood behind you, pressing his body against your back. Your breath hitched for a moment. He placed the cane in your hands, taking you by the elbow and guiding your arms forward. His head was close to your neck and tilted forward a little so he could see your hands. His chest pressed against your back made your ears turn red.

"Hold the cane firmly and do it like this"

His breath tickled your neck and shoulder and made you feel electricity. Cal guided your hands by placing his on top of yours. His hands larger than yours maintained firm but gentle contact and together they moved as if they were a single wave, as if they were practicing a dance learned by heart. When you were finally able to do the maneuver you wanted to do with your cane, he congratulated you without leaving you and you turned your head to look at him happily. When you turned to look ahead he took advantage of this and got closer to your ear.

"I already read your letter"

His whispered voice near your ear made your mind go blank and you worriedly bit your bottom lip hard. You turned to face him with your eyes lowered.

"Yeah about that, I-"

Cal grabbed your cheek forcing you to look at him, you could feel your cheeks burning as you opened your eyes enormously.

"Shh, You don't have to say anything. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was afraid, afraid that it wouldn't be reciprocated. You are the sweetest being in the galaxy and when I'm with you I feel complete and I didn't want to-"

You started talking so fast and you were getting so nervous that Cal closed the distance by grabbing your cheeks with both hands and crashing his lips against yours. It was a tender kiss, his shy lips barely touched yours for fear that you would reject him. He broke the kiss, looking at you expectantly.

"Don't stop." You exalted with drunken love eyes and his lips

Cal placed his hands on your hips and you moved your hands up to the collar of his shirt, deepening the kiss. Now his mouth covered much of yours with more confidence, but it was still delicate like everything about him. From the ship Cere looked mischievously from the window

• • • • • • •

#cal kestis #bd 1 #jedi fallen order #cal kestis x reader #cal kestis x you #cal kestis x y/n #fluff #x reader #imagine #one shot #fanfic #fanfiction #star wars #fallen order #jedi survivor #jfo #cameron monaghan #gn reader #gender neutral reader #x gn reader #x gender neutral reader #x you #y/n #x y/n #star wars fandom #star wars fanfiction #star wars fic #star wars fallen order #star wars survivor

[spacesurfing]

Definition of Peace

Cal Kestis x Reader

(Chapter Five of Defintion)

Summary: Definition of Peace: freedom from disturbance; tranquility.

Warnings: none!!

•--•

You didn't know if it was the atmosphere or the planet itself, but Cal had told Greez and Cere that we would rest on the planet for a day longer before leaving to our next destination. It didn't take anything for you to be on board with that plan. Before boarding The Mantis after returning, you swiftly removed the folded paper and tucked it into the waistband of your pants, handing back the satchel filled with goodies.

It itched your brain the whole night; the anxiety, the curiosity.

The overwhelming feeling that you had just grabbed the puzzle piece of a different puzzle. Or a piece you simply didn't want to use in the first place.

Of course you wanted to know who you were. But you felt a shock jog through you along with the anticipation - what if you didn't want to be who you were meant to What if you wanted to be the girl with her new crew that never knew her full name? The girl that would make her own when the time came. The girl that was finding herself, even if she was finding the version the universe hadn't originally intended.

You took a seat on the curved couch farthest from the opening of the ship, watching Cere come out from her respective room to see what Cal had picked up. Meanwhile, Greez had only been interested in what Cal had bought from the fruit and meat stands.

"You know how rare this stuff is? You can hardly find a nice batch of jogan fruit anywhere in Corusant! They always price it at so high," Greez grumbled, grabbing the clear cannister of jogan fruit and making towards the kitchen.

Cere took out a cloth of scrap metal Cal had salvaged from some trinkets that were laid out in an alley, looking at some of the parts with an interest that you couldn't say you reciprocated. A few loose bolts that she separated into her hand she used to pick at the scraps, curling her fingers around the parts loosely.

"Maybe you can use these to repair BD's scomp link. Would be worth a shot," Cere suggested.

"I'll check in the morning, if I start now I may never get to sleep," Cal said with a chuckle. He looked over at you, "Oh, that reminds me."

His freckled hands both dipped into the string bag that he carried on his back through the markets and pushed around some items he had purchased before pulling out a black utility belt. It seemed to clip on the side, and the opposite side had a large gun holster and few sewn-on pockets. It was brand new, all clean and untattered, making your eyes sparkle as you looked back up at Cal. You hadn't even remembered him buying it, but you remembered when he left you alone to scout. In that time, he must've seen it and quickly purchased it.

He stood in front of you with the belt in his hands. You tipped your head back, looking at the way his features were softer in the shadows away from main lights. He pushed his arms out, presenting the utility belt. Up close, there were a few loops in the front of it, allowing for things to be hung and attached.

"It's yours," Cal said, "I saw it, and I knew immediately it was yours."

You hesitantly reached both your hands out, one picking it up as if it was a fragile piece of glass. As you moved it to rest in the other palm, you ran your thumb over the rough material. Picking it up almost made you feel loved, realizing that this hadn't been something you had asked to have. Looking back up at Cal, you could only feel your body begin to go rigid and your face became wet.

Crying. You were crying again, involuntarily. "Why," your voice shook at the first word, "Why am I crying?"

You went to look over to see if Cere had any input on your emotions, but her and Greez were gone, as if they noticed your tears and left. Cal reached a hand out and touched your face, "Look at me."

You turned your head and followed his words. Cal smiled at you, rubbing away the tears with a thumb, "It happens, I think you've just been overwhelmed recently. How about we go outside for a little, there's something I want to show you."

Cal took the belt out of your hand and set it down on the cushion. Taking the cue, your body stood up straight, waiting for his next move. Your crying stopped, as if his touch and recognition of what was happening was enough to make you feel more in control. Maybe he was really what had been holding you together since you had finally started interacting with other sentients. Cal seemed to piece in the parts of the world that you didn't seem to always catch.

Taking you by the hand, Cal led you down the gangplank. You had left the ship just as the blue was draining from the sky, and replacing that was a new range of color. You watched how they danced across the horizon while waving the sun a goodbye. The sight was new, one you had never caught while lounging on Bogano. The paper felt heavy in your waistband now, but you weren't exactly ready to share it with Cal.

He sat down, pulling your arm gently to sit with him. His legs came to a criss-cross. Your own were pulled up, knees pressing to your chest as you allowed arm to hug your legs together. You kept your left arm extended to keep a grasp on Cal's hand. You didn't feel like you should let go, and Cal was making no movements to release you.

A peach color blended into a yellow, which faded into the pale blue of the sky. It was a view like no other, the fluffy clouds dusted with the reflections of pink and yellow, and orange starting to creep up on the other colors with it's intense hue. You never realized that the sky did that when the sun was setting. There was a word for what you were witnessing, but the more you begged for that word, the further away TeeZee seemed.

The silence that grew between you didn't feel as if it was filled by a thick fog, but instead was thin and content. You didn't need to speak, nor did you always want to. You felt Cal's presence through the way he watched the same sunset that you currently did. You were the first to break when it was time.

"I saw two people today," you noted.

You saw his head turn out of the corner of your eye, but you kept your watch on the sky. He was waiting for you to elaborate.

"It was two women. They were both holding hands, one of them was talking, and the other was watching her. They looked... they looked so happy. But not in..." you turned to look at him, both sharing the same gap that was once between your bodies, "not in a friend way. Not in a blood relation way. They were..."

"-in love?" Cal completed my sentence.

Your lips parted, like he had found the word but it felt foreign.

"Love?" you asked.

Cal's eyebrows ticked up slightly with the forest in his eyes deepening, like they were continuing to watch the path that was yourself. You only knew that you were getting lost in those countless trails.

"Do you know what love is?"

You paused, your eyes panning over his figure. Light-brown dots pressed into his skin and smeared across his hands a little. You mentally noted the way his nose would darken before the tips of his cheeks did, or the way his lips would go dry before his nose darkened.

You shook your head, and that rich forest suddenly got shallow, like Cal had found the right path to follow. And you were always following close behind. A blanket of silence fell over the both of you. It was like time had paused and it was just... you and Cal. You couldn't tell if the world had stopped spinning for him as well, but you hoped you weren't alone in that moment.

When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "It's a... difficult thing to describe. Love is when you care about someone a lot, but usually you know when you feel it."

"Have you ever been in love, Cal?"

He shifted his jaw, chewing at the skin on his bottom lip. "No. Being in love is different from loving someone."

The end of his sentence told you that he didn't know enough to answer all the questions that floated in your mind. You never put together how close in age the both of you were, young and human, still new to the universe.

A call of Cal's name made him finally look at you, seeing the way you intently stared at him. You thought maybe it would make him feel uneasy but it only pulled a smile from him. You returned it. He stood up and wiped off the back of his pants, "You can sleep in my bunk if the nightmares come back, okay?"

Your voice barely spoke up to his volume, a tiny confirmation to his question as he walked back towards The Mantis. The disappearance of his form into the ship allowed your hand to reach under your poncho and into your waistband, pulling out the crinkled paper.

They were still looking for me. They had to be looking for me. You barely convinced yourself. Unfolding the paper felt like edging yourself towards a steep cliff, trying to knock your legs out from underneath you. The name underneath the photo made you feel nauseous. The photo of your toothless grin, the first name, the ship, it all make the poster so much more real.

And there is was at last, a last name that fit you like shoes 10 sizes too big. It might have made sense at one point, but now it had no meaning, no correlation, it made no sense. You folded up the paper and shoved it back in the waistband of your pants, giving the sky your attention once more.

Maybe it made no sense to you, maybe you couldn't relate that name to anything but who you were meant to be. But you could relate it back to two people.

Your parents.

•--•

#cal kestis x reader #cal kestis fluff #cal kestis x reader fluff #star wars x reader #star wars fluff #star wars x reader fluff

[sexyzuka]

Kiba's Uptown Girl

Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka x Reader

Word Count: 13,335

Content: 18+ Smut MDNI, fem!reader, modern!au, boruto era kiba, fem!receiving oral sex, hair pulling, fingering, scratching and biting, standing doggystyle, creampie, watersports, exhibitionism, mentions of blood, surgery/medical references, references to real people/places, pet names 

Summary: For your anniversary this year you and Kiba decide to take a trip back to your home country. He’s never been to New York City before, and you can’t wait to show him all of the best parts of Manhattan. For your first date of the week you decide to bring him to Central Park to show him the “greatest view” that the city has to offer. Will you be able to control yourself around him? You’re in a public space, so I sure hope so! 

Writer's Notes: While listening to the song “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel I had the idea to write a fic where Kiba and his girlfriend visit the city. I’ve lived around the NYC area for most of my life, so I wanted to create something that incorporated a little slice of home. I was inspired by my trip to Central Park last weekend and included some of my photography within this fic. (You gotta love that extra dash of realism!) This chapter ended up being way longer than I intended, but I just had so much fun throughout the course of writing it, I couldn’t stop myself. I hope you enjoy!

Kiba looks around at all of the signs surrounding you with a confused expression on his face. He didn't even have to say a word before you responded with, "We're taking the 1 train. C'mon, this way." You could hear a familiar tune echoing throughout the corridors of the subway station. There were a few musicians set up nearby, belting out a harmonious tune while reenacting a few scenes from a particular music video you were very well acquainted with. "Are we going uptown or downtown?" "Uptown," you respond without a modicum of doubt in your voice. "Heh, I guess you're a real uptown girl," Kiba responds with a smug assuredness in his tone. "Oh hush, you." You could already tell where this conversation was going the second he uttered those words, the chorus of the nearby performers no doubt spurring on his unusually quirky behavior today. "Y'know, when you're walking you're looking so fine-ine-ine," Kiba began in a singsong voice, "and when you're talking you just know I love it when you say you're mine-ine-ine." Kiba knew how much you loved the classics, and he couldn't help himself but tease you whenever the opportune situation arose. Two could play at that game though, no one knew the lyrics to your favourite songs better than you. "Despite your appearance, you're not so tough," you jest back at Kiba with a rhythmic cadence, "just because you're in love with an uptown girl." "Someday when my ship comes in, maybe you'll understand what kind of guy I've been," he says as he twirls you around the subway station. After he catches you in his arms you share a rather short but passionate kiss. You so fervently wish that this fleeting moment could last longer, but you realize that the two of you have drawn in quite the crowd of your own with your display. As the awareness of the situation sets in you hastily straighten up your clothes a bit and give a silent nod to the musicians, one of whom flashes Kiba a thumbs-up before going back to performing.

It had been many years since you visited your hometown, but you still remember how to get to your favourite destinations without consulting a map. Kiba knew how excited you were for this trip, so he made sure to clear his schedule well in advance. You were quite far from Konoha, the trip taking almost an entire day because of the extended layover in Chicago. Couldn't be helped, you thought to yourself, O'Hare is always a hot mess. At least they didn't lose our luggage this time, you shrug to yourself as you briskly grab your suitcases off of the baggage carousel.

After finishing up the final leg of your journey you and Kiba checked into a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. You were used to commuting from Jersey, but you wanted Kiba's first trip to the area to be an unforgettable experience, so you didn't mind spending the extra ryō. No expenses were to be spared, after all this is your anniversary celebration.

Your circadian rhythm was altered because of all of the travelling, the unrivaled enthusiasm circulating your core powering your insomnia with a fervent vigor. But while Kiba was losing his battle against jet lag you eagerly typed away on the notes app on your cell phone, writing up a list of everything you wanted to do  with him tomorrow. You could scarcely contain your excitement, your heart fluttering as you envision the pure joy and festivities to come.

Your sleep schedule was always a bit unconventional, but it meshed well with Kiba's unpredictable shifts at work. Sometimes Kiba would have to respond to calls in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning. "It's hard being this popular," is what he'd usually say before heading off to patrol the precinct. He took pride in his work, and Kōtarō acknowledged Kiba as one of the top officers in Konoha, so there was no way he would ever shirk his responsibilities to Konoha. But for this next week  his only responsibility was to you, his girlfriend, and he always kept his promises.

You glance over at the clock next to the bed, choosing to do that instead of looking at the time on your phone because you couldn't resist sneaking another peek at Kiba cuddling Akamaru in his sleep. 5:30 PM. It would be just before sunrise if you were in Konoha right now. Normally you would be sleeping right now, but your anticipation for all of the exhilarating adventures to come put your brain into overdrive. The only thing that could quell your frenzied thoughts was, rather unfortunately, snoozing right now, so you had to make due with some maladaptive daydreaming for the main course this evening.

"Mmm..mmhm... princess..." you could hear Kiba mumbling softly in his sleep.

I wonder if he's having a good dream tonight, you chuckle to yourself as you walk over to the windowsill. You open the curtains with a light touch, endeavoring to be as quiet as possible so as not to awaken your company. The late October sun was already setting over the horizon, a serene twilight beginning to overtake the skyline. You could see the faint twinkle of a few stars glitter in the sky interspersed between the blinking headlights of the planes making their arrival into the city. The familiar hum of their engines was a sweet, nostalgic symphony to your ears.

You spend a few good minutes taking in the view of the Manhattan skyline, tracing the reminiscent shapes of the nearby buildings with a wistful yet pensive glance. It feels so good to be back home, you muse to yourself before delicately closing the curtains and returning to your seat.

As the moon begins its conspicuous journey across the night sky you carefully rock yourself back and forth in the office chair, your musings coming to life in bright and flashy colours. "Oh and I just have to take him here," you say to yourself in a hushed tone as you type away on your phone. "We can't forget about Grand Central Station or Bryant Park either. I don't think the big Christmas tree is up just yet, but he'll definitely want to see Rockefeller Center."

The hands on the analog clock above your head move steadfastly as the minutes melt into  hours. Being completely enraptured by your fantasies of the days to come, you didn't notice the moon bidding you farewell as she quietly dissolved, taking with her the boisterous yet somewhat serene cacophony of early morning traffic. The loud blaring of a nearby siren snaps you out of your contemplative trance.

You look over at the clock again. 7:00 AM. You were honestly surprised with how fast time seemed to evaporate from your grasp, marching on with a cold indifference. You two only had so long in the city, and you wanted to make the most of it. At the very least, Kiba was asleep for these past few hours so it didn't feel like a total waste. Still, you didn't want to squander even a second of precious time with your love.

You shift your focus back to your phone, reviewing the itinerary you drafted up with a revitalized sense of purpose. Nothing would stop you from giving Kiba the best week he's ever had. The only inquiry that stubbornly endured, floating in your mind with a gnawing persistence was what to start with.

"Hm, I guess we could kick off our trip with the Empire State Building. Or is that too blasé? Once you've been in one big building, it's like you've seen them all. We could drop by the New York Public Library, but I don't think he'd appreciate the classics as much as I do. And I could definitely see him complain that the lion statues out in front should be replaced with sculptures of dogs instead," you bring up a hand to your mouth to suppress a chuckle trying to escape as you think of Kiba grumbling and moaning about how a giant statue of Akamaru would look way cooler than some lame ass lions.

"And what are you giggling about over there, princess?" you hear the sleepy baritone reverberate through the room with a candid sense of curiosity.

"Oh, it's nothing," you chime back while your efforts to stifle your laughter prove to be futile.

"I don't know about that, it looks like this is an issue I'll have to investigate further," Kiba remarks as he gets up from the bed and saunters towards you. "Looks like I'll have to bust out one of my secret techniques today."

"Don't tell me you're-"

Kiba blurts out a brisk, "Tickle no jutsu," before you're able to respond. His light and feathery brushing on your flanks sparks an unstoppable electric current that pulsates through your neurons and stimulates your body with a fiery zeal.

"S-stop it," you manage to babble after succumbing to the onslaught of his galvanizing touch, "You win, you win."

"Tell me what I win," Kiba proclaims with a little wink, still closely holding onto your body with his brawny arms.

"A taste of my secret technique," you simper as you turn around slightly, angling your body so that you have a clear path to your target. You then press yourself closer to Kiba while standing on your tiptoes and sink your teeth down into the flesh of his neck with a firm but coy ferocity.

You can feel a groan resonating in his throat, the vibrations tickling your incisors, but you decide to not relent, instead doubling down on your efforts by dragging your nails coquettishly along his back.

A thrumming moan caresses your eardrums with a melodious echo as you continue your assault on his unsuspecting hide. You relish in each tantalizing frequency escaping from his lips.

"So frisky first thing in the morning, I like it," he manages to whine out in a frail attempt at maintaining his composure. You're very well acquainted with all of his erogenous zones, so you're beyond confident you could devour his entire heart right now if you wanted to. But giving him a small taste of these humble hors d'oeuvres, a tantalizing sampler of promiscuity, would only fuel his voracious appetite further and more intensely as the day dragged on, so you decide to relinquish for now.

You pull your lips back from his neck as you say, "Just wait till the main course tonight." You couldn't help but be kittenish when you were engulfed in Kiba's embrace like this. The demure front you put up around others came crashing down whenever the two of you were alone, or rather, almost alone.

You hear a faint sniffle from the other side of the room. As you turn your head and shift your gaze you see Akamaru yawning as he lazily scratches his floppy ears with his back paws. Akamaru was just as much your family as Kiba was, so there was no question about him joining you this week. That did mean, though rather unfortunately, that you'd have to be a little more PG than you had anticipated and hoped-for.

"But before that, how's about you and I get this party started?" You shift your focus back to Kiba, flashing him a smile as you gently place your hands around his shoulders, your fingertips making tiny circles as you stroke his skin with a tender softness.

"A party? I'm more interested in a private show," he protests as he looks into your eyes pleadingly.

"We didn't travel to the other side of the world to spend the whole time in a hotel room, Kiba." It's true you would love to spend more time cooped up in this room with him, but you weren't going to let yourself give in to the temptation. There would be plenty of time for promiscuity after you ticked off everything on your travel bucket list. Who knows the next time you'd both have the opportunity to visit Manhattan, especially considering Kiba's hectic work schedule.

"Such a tease. You sure know how to rile a guy up," he responds in a cheeky tone, "But that will only make my dessert this evening that much sweeter."

"Dessert? Don't you think you're jumping the gun a bit there, hon?"

"Oh, so you wanted to do gunplay this weekend? Sorry, the TSA wouldn't let me bring my usual  fare with me, something about it being a misdemeanor in this jurisdiction."

This man. This incredibly foolish man.

"It," you start laughing a bit as the words escape your quivering larynx, "-it's a figure of speech, Kiba. I wasn't literally talking about a gun."

"I totally knew that. Yeah, I was just testing you. Ahahaha.... haha... ha." Kiba couldn't hide his crimson cheeks from your omniscient glance this time.

"Anywaysss," Kiba flounders, attempting to change the subject before he has to admit that he misspoke, "what did you want to do today, princess? I know you used to be a local 'round here."

You were so engrossed in the absurdity of his previous remarks you needed to take a few moments to compose yourself before answering.

"Let me go grab my phone real quick," you say as you give Kiba a short but sweet parting kiss on the cheek before being released from his embrace.

You open up the notes application on your phone and start scrolling down, contemplating about which suggestion would make the most sense. There were no doubt an endless plethora of things to do in the city, but you wanted to make your first outing together an unforgettable adventure.

"Wow, you really came prepared!" Kiba guffaws as he sees you attentively scrolling down the list of options you find yourself feverishly perusing through.

"You know me. I've never met a list I didn't like," you say pragmatically as you push up the bridge of your glasses with your index finger.

It was true, you were always planning ahead. It gives you peace of mind to write down your musings in order to collect your thoughts. The myriad ideas floating in your consciousness at any one time were overwhelming, so writing was the best way for you to make some sense of the bedlam. It was rather amusing when you thought about the stark contrast between your erudite approach to life versus Kiba's passionate resilience and adaptability. He may not be as well-learned as you, but what he lacks in book smarts he makes up for in determination.

"Hm," you hum to yourself as you sort through the possibilities prancing through your mind, the pirouettes of whimsy filling your imagination with dozens of scenarios playing out like a theatrical performance on a Broadway stage."How about? No, that won't do."

"Oh, what won't do?" Kiba asked as he shot you an expectant gaze.

"I was thinking of taking you to the New York Public Library or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but I don't think they allow dogs," you glance over at Akamaru as you say those final words.

"I don't know why not. Akamaru's better behaved than most people," Kiba huffs with a shrug as he acquiesces.

"Yeah, but I definitely don't want to stir up any trouble. Oh, I got it!" you clap your hands together when a bolt of inspiration smacks you with the most glorious divination.

"Why don't we stop by Central Park? There's tons of space there for Akamaru to run around, and there will be plenty of other dogs there."

"We came all this way just to see a park?" Kiba asked incredulously, a baffled tone that reeked of innocent cluelessness.

"It's not just a park," you respond with a snarky chide, "It's the park around here. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

"Well, how could I possibly say 'no' to that? C'mon Akamaru, let's get ready to go!" Akamaru bellows out an excited howl as he jumps up and dashes over to Kiba's side.

Hand in hand you and Kiba leave your hotel room, ready for an exciting day out in the city. The morning sun's rays glistening in the dew drops that cover the scattered blades of grass poking through the slabs of sidewalk beneath your feet. Even in this veritable concrete jungle that you used to call home there were a handful of reminders that nature flourished just outside of the city's borders. Today, though, you were going to experience the majesty of the wilds from the comforts of your old stomping grounds.

"Before we head over to Central Park, let's pick up some breakfast," you suggest while looking up at Kiba.

"Sure, what do you recommend, princess?" Kiba responded with a smile on his face.

"We have to get bagels." you reply instantaneously, almost as if you'd rehearsed the line beforehand.

"Bagels?" The change in his voice's inflection exposed his lingering uncertainty.

"The freshest and most delicious bagels you'll ever eat,"  you reply while tugging on his jacket ever so slightly, trying to nudge him into agreement. He could sense your insistence on the matter, so he chose to abandon any attempts at protesting. You did concede by promising to stop by a pet store first to pick up breakfast and some treats for Akamaru before you made your way to your favourite bagel shop.

"Can I have a taylor ham, egg, and cheese on a sesame seed bagel? Toasted, please. Hold the ketchup." you holler out your order to the worker behind the counter. They give you a tacit nod and get to work on your breakfast.

Kiba, impressed by the innate skill with which you ordered, had a perplexed look of confusion on his face as he read the menu to himself.

"What is a bagel with 'lox'?" he asks while pointing to a picture on the laminated paper in front of him.

"Lox is salt-cured, smoked salmon. If you want something less salty I'd recommend the nova lox," you respond while gesturing towards the display cases in front of you.

"I never would have thought to try cream cheese and smoked salmon together. You sure do have some silly customs, princess." Kiba glances up from the menu to meet your steely gaze.

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it," you reply with a subdued grin, trying to subtly goad him into action.

"You know what? Maybe I will try it. Hey mister, give me one of those lox bagels."

"You have to tell him what kind of bagel and if you want it toasted or not," you whisper to Kiba covertly, so as not to draw too much attention from the other people in the shop.

"What kinds of bagels are there?" Kiba responded with a puzzled expression on his face.

"So many different kinds, you've got sesame seed bagels, onion bagels, egg bagels, french toast bagels, cinnamon raisin bagels..." you prattle off the list you'd committed to memory years ago when you used to work in a bagel shop, "and we can't forget about the everything bagel."

"The 'everything bagel'?" Kiba said with an emphasis on the second word, a questioning tone in his voice.

"Yes, it has a bunch of different toppings. It's one of my personal favourites," you say as the reminiscent taste of the culinary delight tickles the basal ganglia in your neocortex.

"Sounds good, I'll have those of those everything bagels with lox, sir," Kiba calls out to the worker across the counter.

"Toasted, please," you respond without a moment's hesitation. "Trust me," you murmur in Kiba's direction, "you'll thank me later."

After grabbing breakfast you gluttonously unwrap the foil around your glutenous delicacy and devour it in a few bites. "Best bagels in the whole damned world. You can't get them like this anywhere else," you mutter under your breath.

"Wow, this is actually pretty tasty," Kiba says while enjoying generous mouthfuls of his bagel sandwich with gusto, "So you really got to eat like this every day when you used to live here?"

"Mhm. The food was just one of the many perks of living close to the city," you recall as you look up at Kiba while he finishes his breakfast with a few final chomps.

"The tap water here is also divine," you continue on as you feel the familiar and distinct taste of the scrumptious cocktail on the tip of your tongue.

"Oh, what makes it better than the water back in Konoha?" Kiba says as he promptly brushes some crumbs off of his cheeks.

"It might not be kosher, but there's tiny crustaceans called 'copepods' living in the water. They make it extra delicious," you muse as you bring your hand up to your chest with a dainty flourish.

"Crustaceans?" You could see the hamster wheel in Kiba's head spinning extra rapidly as he repeated the word back to you.

"Y'know, like shrimp? Think of it as getting an added bonus on top of the hydration, a special little treat."

"Aren't shrimp bugs?" Kiba responds with a mildly disgruntled tone in his voice.

"No, they're not. Besides, it's extra protein," you chuckle as you flex your arm to show off your biceps, "I thought you were all about bulking up. Or maybe I'll be able to bench more than you if we stay here long enough." You look over from your muscles to Kiba as you see a glint of fire ignite in his eyes.

"Is that a challenge I hear, princess?" The playful yet amorous undertones in his voice can't  help but make you smile, the most presumptuous grin overtaking your countenance.

"You never turn down a challenge, I hear." The self-satisfied look on your face as you realize that you just beguiled him into implicitly promising to stay hydrated is priceless.

"You're damned right I don't. Now hand over that water," Kiba says as he reaches for the bottle in your purse. He takes the biggest gulp imaginable before letting out a boastful exhale.

You judiciously choose to withhold the fact that the water in the bottle he just drank from isn't NYC tap water, instead lightly tugging on his jacket to grab his attention.

"C'mon, let's take the subway to Central Park. I can't wait to show you around," you beamed affectionately in his direction.

"Alright, princess, lead the way," he said as made an exaggerated motion with his hand, sweeping across the stretch of space in front of you with an affable cheerfulness.

You intertwine your fingers with his as you lead the charge to the nearest subway station. You already have your credit card out of your wallet and in your other hand, ready to tap the both of you in without hesitation. A few minutes later and you pass through the Times Square turnstiles with a lithe airiness.

"Times Square is way more impressive at night. We'll come back here later," you assure Kiba as you gently pull on the arm of his jacket, leading him confidently to the 1 Line.

Kiba looks around at all of the signs surrounding you with a confused expression on his face. He didn't even have to say a word before you responded with, "We're taking the 1 train. C'mon, this way."

You could hear a familiar tune echoing throughout the corridors of the subway station. There were a few musicians set up nearby, belting out a harmonious tune while reenacting a few scenes from a particular music video you were very well acquainted with.

"Are we going uptown or downtown?"

"Uptown," you respond without a modicum of doubt in your voice.

"Heh, I guess you're a real uptown girl," Kiba responds with a smug assuredness in his tone.

"Oh hush, you." You could already tell where this conversation was going the second he uttered those words, the chorus of the nearby performers no doubt spurring on his unusually quirky behavior today.

"Y'know, when you're walking you're looking so fine-ine-ine," Kiba began in a singsong voice, "and when you're talking you just know I love it when you say you're mine-ine-ine."

Kiba knew how much you loved the classics, and he couldn't help himself but tease you whenever the opportune situation arose. Two could play at that game though, no one knew the lyrics to your favourite songs better than you.

"Despite your appearance, you're not so tough," you jest back at Kiba with a rhythmic cadence, "just because you're in love with an uptown girl."

"Someday when my ship comes in, maybe you'll understand what kind of guy I've been," he says as he twirls you around the subway station. After he catches you in his arms you share a rather short but passionate kiss. You so fervently wish that this fleeting moment could last longer, but you realize that the two of you have drawn in quite the crowd of your own with your display.

As the awareness of the situation sets in you hastily straighten up your clothes a bit and give a silent nod to the musicians, one of whom flashes Kiba a thumbs-up before going back to performing.

"Well, that was fun." The pheromones were practically radiating off of Kiba's skin at this point. You could feel their brilliant presence circulating through the air, ensnaring you in a covert trap from which there was no easy escape. The only thing keeping you grounded right now was your ever-increasing embarrassment, accumulating at catastrophically high levels.

"C'mon, weren't you gonna show me that park?" Kiba's voice cuts through the awkwardness like a hot knife through the butter of your soul.

"It's not just that park." You would be more exasperated if you weren't so grateful for this man's severe lack of decorum. This brief reprieve from the embarrassment was fortunately enough for you to strengthen your resolve.

"It's called Central Park, and we should get going before we miss another train," you implore as you clutch Kiba's hand in your own once more and motion towards the nearby staircase with a beseeching look.

"Alright, let's do this!" Kiba exclaims as he jubilantly scampers throughout the station, holding onto your hand tightly as you approach the platform together.

"We're going to get off at 72nd Street," you instruct as you walk onto the train with Kiba, Akamaru shadowing you both, closely in tow.

"You know where you're going, right? I'll just be following you anyways. Ha ha ha," Kiba roars as you shake your head with the slightest hint of reproach. Although, could you have honestly expected anything else from this man? His unbridled confidence touched every aspect of his life, and that included his faith in you, his girlfriend. It honestly was a nice change of pace, him letting you take the lead for once and giving you the opportunity to take him along for a wild ride.

As the brakes of the train car screech and the incomprehensible garble of the conductor flowed through the airwaves with a thick discordance you look up at Kiba to let him know that this is your stop. You hop off the train with a buoyant leap and guide your love through the station and onto the street.

"Alright, it's just a few blocks down this way," you say as you turn to the right, your voice filled with an unrivaled exuberance.

"Y'hear that, Akamaru? We're almost there!" Akamaru lets out an excited yelp as he ambles alongside Kiba.

The lavish hues of the foliage take over the scenery as you draw closer to your destination. Splotches of yellows and oranges dotted the landscape with their wistful presence, a beautiful yet melancholy reminder of the transitory nature of life. As the seasons change in an unrelenting cycle so do the myriad creatures that call these woods home. No doubt there were new generations of fauna living here since you last visited, but the unabating feeling of wonder you experienced every single time you entered the park was the same as always.

"And here we are," you announce as you sensually extend your hand, sweeping it across the air with a fluid and rhythmical motion.

"W...Wow," is all Kiba manages to stammer out as he takes in the sights of the park. You could hardly blame him for being awestruck, you were the same exact way the first time you visited Central Park.

You did want to make the most out of the limited daylight hours, especially this time of year, so you volunteered your hand to him once again. Seeing you summon him with such a genial expression was enough to snap Kiba out of his trance. You interlaced your fingers together as you began your late morning journey, a grandiose gala that was sure to bewitch and delight.

You're greeted by an enormous pergola with a plethora of plants twisting and tangling every which way as they adorned the top and sides of the wooden structure. You stroll under splendid architecture with a light step, the cool breeze caressing your cheeks with its slithering zephyrs. It was a mite frigid this time of year, but you always preferred the chill of autumn over the scorching heat of summer.

As you pass under the tendrils trembling in the wind you turn to Kiba and tell him, "Before we go any further you have to put Akamaru on a leash."

"What? Wait, why?" You could hear consternation in the timbre of his voice.

You point over to a nearby sign with a cautious finger. "DOGS MUST BE LEASHED" was printed in bold, capitalized letters. "Sorry, it's just customary around here to keep your pets leashed."

"Akamaru's not just a pet, he's family!" Kiba protests reluctantly before begrudgingly acquiescing.

"I know, I know. But we don't want to get kicked out by a police officer," you shrug as you hand over the leash you prepared in advance.

"Who do you think you're talking to, princess? There's no way they'd arrest me!" Kiba proudly exclaims as he lets out a roaring laugh.

"They can and will in this jurisdiction. I don't think Eric Adams will appreciate an officer overstepping his authority."

"Who?"

"The mayor of New York City. He used to be a NYPD police captain. He's not as lenient as Kōtarō is, so I wouldn't press your luck." You shake your head as you let out a disheartened sigh.

"Alright, fine. Sorry Akamaru, I'll make it up to you later," Kiba says as he hesitantly attaches the leash to the crimson collar around Akamaru's neck.

"I was going to keep this a surprise for later, but there's a big area where Akamaru can run around freely. We just have to make sure he's on a leash when we're walking on the pathways," you offer up your condolences to Kiba with a hushed sigh.

"Sweet! How's about we go there first then?" You can feel the enthusiasm in Kiba's voice as he perks back up, almost instantaneously.

"Hah, I had a feeling you'd say that. Well lucky for you we're pretty close to the area. C'mon, let's go this way," you say as you start jogging with a sprightly sprint. Kiba, infected by your vivacity, energetically follows along with Akamaru by his side.

You make your way to a fenced in clearing where dozens of people are playing with their pups, each engrossed in their own spheres of jubilation. The microcosms before you serve as a testament to the bond that each human shares with their pet, their precious and irreplaceable family members.

As you enter the field with Kiba you unhook Akamaru's leash from his collar. Kiba hollers out a brisk, "Let's go, Akamaru," as he runs across the grassy meadow with reckless abandon.

You decide to sit down on a nearby boulder and watch the two of them frolic together, your heart filling with joy as each passing second ticks by. You're not sure how long they spend playing together, and you honestly wouldn't care if your entire day consisted of this. The bliss you feel from watching your love as happy as he can be is all you could ever ask for.

The sun continues its journey across the sky, its rays filling your cheeks with a radiant warmth as it illuminates the world before you. You see Kiba and Akamaru scampering in your direction, drawing closer with each mirthful stride. You hear the damp earth squelch under their treads as they make their way to your side once more.

"Whew, what a workout," Kiba pants as he plops down next to you on the boulder. "I think I'm about ready to move onto the next area now. I got all of my cardio in for the day."

"We'll have to leash Akamaru again. Are you okay with that?" you ask Kiba while tenderly nudging some of the long, slightly moist strands of dark brown hair stuck to the sides of face.

"Yeah, I think we've had our fun for today. Right, Akamaru?" As Kiba looks over to Akamaru he's greeted by a spirited bark.

"He wants to see more of the park too," Kiba petitions with an imploring pout.

"Alright, if you insist. Let's get going then," you announce as you stand up, brushing the accumulated dust off of your clothes. "There's some beautiful architecture around here that I'm dying to show you."

"Sounds good to me, your explanations can make even the most boring slabs of rocks appear cool," he clamorously laughs as he fastens Akamaru's leash once more.

Oh yeah, you made the right decision by not taking him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today.

You leave the field hand in hand with Akamaru by your side, directing Kiba's attention to the marvelous statues decorating the nearby surroundings.

Kiba feigns understanding when you attempt to explain the meaning behind the art. As you start elucidating him about Ludwig van Beethoven's life and renowned works Kiba responds with, "Well if this song is supposedly super famous, why is it called 'Symphony Number 5' instead of 'Symphony Number 1'?"

You make a mental note to scratch every museum off of your itinerary once you get back to the hotel. You were an absolute fool to think that for even a fraction, an iota of a second that Kiba would appreciate the masterpieces, the veritable magnum opuses of all time, in the same way that you would. It was best to enjoy those treasures on your own time.

This was fine, though, you each had your own interests and were your own person. It wasn't healthy to lose your own sense of self and personality when you were dating someone else, so a part of you was actually grateful that you shared many differences with Kiba. A core tenant of intimacy is being able to appreciate the idiosyncrasies and distinguishing characteristics of your partner without being engulfed by them.

"And over here is the Naumburg Bandshell, it's a famous amphitheater where free classical concerts have been performed for the last century," you say as you point towards the magnificent building standing before you.

Kiba tries his best to appear as though he understands what you're trying to explain, but you could see that his focus was waning. You decide to change things up a bit as you offer up a scintillating panacea to the humdrum afflicting his psyche. "Hey, why don't we walk down by the water next? The Bethesda Fountain is simply gorgeous, and there's a great view I'd love to show you."

"I've already got a great view right here," Kiba says with a conceited smirk on his face.

"Oh hush, you." You squeeze his hand with just enough force to let him know you didn't appreciate his jest.

"But yeah, that's a great proposition. That's my princess for you, she's always got the best ideas!" Kiba's eyes beam with a sparkling effervescence as he looks over at you.

As you make your way closer to the Bethesda Terrace, a procession of horse drawn carriages pass in front of you. You can see that Kiba is mystified by the strange occurrence, his mouth agape as he stands there speechless by your side.

"Oh yeah, I guess this is your first time seeing a cavalcade like this in person. Horses aren't as widely used in Konoha, after all." You look over to see that Kiba's eyes are fixated on one particular carriage nearby. A gorgeous white horse is at the fore of the carriage, lavender and cream coloured flowers adorning the vehicle with an unparalleled vibrance. The velvety seats enticing you with their plum flavored splendor.

"C'mon tiger, you don't even want to know how expensive a ride in one of those is," you say as you gently tug on Kiba's arm before continuing, "Besides, there's a more private location I wanted to show you."

That was all Kiba needed to hear. Without missing a beat he turns around as you walk down the enormous flight of stairs to the bustling plaza area.

You're welcomed with a surprisingly euphonious cacophony consisting of the hubbub of folks peddling their wares, musicians ardently strumming their instruments, children playfully skipping and exploring their surroundings, and other captivated tourists such as yourselves. You see a married couple taking their wedding photos next to the Bethesda Fountain. The sight can't help but put a smile on your face as you fantasize what your own wedding day with Kiba will be like.

As you promenade around the fountain with a leisurely gait, admiring the elegant and opulent Angel of the Waters statue, you squeeze Kiba's hand ever so slightly to grab his attention.

"This fountain right here? It commemorates the opening of the Croton Aqueduct. Back in the 1800s it was a pretty big deal since the aqueduct brought the first fresh water into the city."

"So it's because of this lady that you guys have bugs in your water?" Kiba inquires with an amused look on his face.

"For the last time they're crustaceans, not bugs. But yes, she's a symbol of the healing power of clean and fresh water." you say as you shake your head in exasperation.

"What's her number? I'm sure Shino would just love to meet a bug lady," Kiba jives as he tries to repress the laughter inextricably building up in his core.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that," you utter in a hushed tone as you continue your voyage around the plaza.

You're greeted by a positively resplendent lake as you finish your trek in the piazza. Verdant hues of green bounce off of the water's surface and nuzzle the cones of your eyes with their virid embrace. Dozens of couples are sitting in rowboats, enjoying their own little slice of heaven as the autumn breeze cavorts indiscriminately throughout the park.

You take a minute to appreciate the view before Kiba offers up a suggestion, "Do you think they allow dogs on those boats?"

"Sadly, they don't. But we can always come back here another time. C'mon the best is yet to come. I need to show you my favourite spot," you assert as you haul Kiba away from the pond, breaking his enchantment with some help from a quick peck on the cheek.

"At least we can walk around the Loeb Boathouse on the way. Actually, we'll have a pretty good view of the rowboats once we make it there." It's true, the vantage point that awaited you was a glorious and secluded perch, an oasis of peace and tranquility that persisted despite being surrounded by the chaos of the city.

After passing the boathouse you signal to Kiba to take a left turn onto a dirt path. It's a rather unassuming route, in fact it barely resembled a pathway at all. Kiba shoots a perplexed look in your direction, but he's met with a nod of assurance that assuages his lingering doubt.

"We're almost there," you assure him in a comforting tone.

As you shrewdly climb over the winding tree roots, employing a moderate amount of astute judgment with each step you take, you feel Kiba's grip tighten around your hand as he catches himself before almost tumbling to the ground. You help him maintain his balance before letting out a lighthearted taunt, "Looks like you'll be the one falling for me today."

"You got me there. You win this time, princess." He would normally be a little more miffed at your teasing, but today was a special occasion.

"Anddd, we're here," you proclaim as you push away a few stray tree boughs, clearing your line of sight with an upbeat flourish.

The view that awaited you filled your very soul with an incomparable ebullience, the likes of which you hadn't experienced in years. The vibrant flora, dyed with a multitude of vivid pigments, evoking an insipid sense of both wonder and despondence. The neverending cycle of death and rebirth reflected in the simple elegance of the humble vegetation that dotted the landscape before you.

Why must life always be at its most beautiful right before it ends, a silent inquiry floats in your mind as you admire the leaves fluttering in the zephyrs. Or maybe it's because life ends that we can appreciate the transient resplendence that envelops all living beings.

The dichotomy of the lush trees juxtaposed with the skyscrapers off in the distance gives you chills. The tops of the buildings kiss the afternoon sky with their steely indifference, in stark contrast to the rich verdure, an effluence of life and vitality holding on with a tight grip. It was still early into the season, and the blissfully unaware plants around you exuded an infectious zest for life.

"Wow," is the only thing Kiba manages to murmur as the two of you stand together, enjoying the view.

"Why don't we sit down and enjoy some lunch?" you suggest as you rustle in your bag for the bentos that you prepared last night during your bout of insomnia.

"I'd love to, princess!" You can hear the excitement in Kiba's voice as he graciously accepts your offer.

You elegantly place a blanket down, gingerly putting the bento boxes on top of it before standing back up and beckoning Kiba to come closer. As he draws nearer you reach out your arm, placing it around his back and pulling him in so that you can plant a smooch on his cheek. How many seconds did you leave your lips there? 10? 30? Time has no meaning when you're spending it enraptured by your lover's presence.

Kiba put his arms around your waist, embracing you with a lascivious greediness that you were all too familiar with. As you draw your face back and look into his glistening eyes you could see the salacious undertones in his visage.

You finally had a moment of respite from the crowds, the throngs of people that were an irrefutable fact of the city, so why not give into temptation a little bit?

You lead the charge by placing one of your hands behind Kiba's head so you could push his face a little closer to your own. You then seductively press your lips against his with a passionate fervor. He returns your efforts in spades by forcing his tongue into your mouth, tickling your gums at a rhythmical pace. He traces the outlines of your teeth with his tongue while bringing one of his arms up further on your back so he can squeeze you closer to his chest.

You can't help but let a few erotic moans escape from your core as you desperately try to hold onto your sense of propriety. You are in a public park, after all.

Kiba then releases your lips from his own so that he can redirect his attention to your neck. He knows how sensitive you are there, and he can't help but arouse your lust by using his expertise regarding your intimate intricacies against you. After a brisk crack of his neck he swoops in with a carnal ferocity and begins sucking and nibbling on your neck.

You can barely contain yourself at this point, choosing to relinquish any remnants of discretion you had left. Your nails vigorously claw at the skin of his back, leaving scarlet marks in their wake. He reciprocates your zeal by pressing his canines into your soft and supple flesh with enough force to draw blood. You could feel the dizziness that accompanied the sensation of blood loss overtake your consciousness, you find yourself drifting helplessly in the red sea of emotion. Kiba pridefully stands at the helm, navigating your vessel any which way he sees fit.

You absolutely loved the feeling of being putty in Kiba's strong hands, loved it when he molded you into the breathtaking muse of his deepest desires. The varnish that you cloaked yourself in most days was all too easily expunged by his charisma and inexplicable charm.

As Kiba continues to gnaw on your neck the burning pressure building up inside of you becomes unbearable. You can't stop yourself from whimpering out his name, "Ki-kiba."

He temporarily stops the assault on your neck to whisper in your ear, "I love it when you say my name, princess."

At this point you were seeing shimmering stars in your vision, an aural migraine consisting of squiggles waltzing amongst the leaves in an unrelenting deluge. It couldn't be helped, every time Kiba stimulated your corporeal desires you could feel the frenzy overtaking your psyche. There was nothing that could be done, so you might as well enjoy the ride.

Kiba returns his focus to your neck once more, this time channeling his energy into sucking rather than biting. You could feel the damp sensation of his saliva as it mixed with the droplets of your blood. Audible slurps mixed with the canorous howls of pleasure saturated your eardrums and satiated your indecent cravings with the sweetest ambrosia.

As he releases your skin from its prurient penitentiary he takes a minute to admire the rather huge and splotchy hickey you were now sporting. "Good," he simpers with a self-satisfied grin, "Now everyone will know that you're spoken for."

Kiba always did have a thing for marking you, and honestly, you were into it too. Wearing his love and adoration for you on your very flesh was such a turn on. If you weren't in public you might have asked him to partake in a little mid-afternoon watersports with you, but that could be saved for later. Oh right, you were in public.

As soon as the thought crossed your mind you heard the footsteps of someone approaching, no it was two people. Another couple saunters past Kiba and you, causing you to hide your flushed face by pressing it into Kiba's chest. Kiba chuckles a little bit when he sees how flustered you are.

"You're so fuckin' cute when you blush." You could hear a guffaw vibrating in his chest as he said those words.

"S-s-shut up," is all that you manage to stutter out.

You honestly wish you could stay like this forever in his arms, but you were unceremoniously interrupted by the rather embarrassing rumblings of your stomach.

"What's that, princess? Don't tell me you're hungry." The lighthearted jest deepens the crimson hue that was overwhelming your cheeks. You aren't able to give a response to Kiba because of your current predicament. Instead you choose to bury your face even further into his chest.

After around a minute or so like this Kiba gently takes a step back and crouches down a bit so he's closer to your level. "Whaddya say we have some lunch, princess?" he asks in a mild and soothing tone. You're able to squeak out a meager, "Mhm," as you shake your head in accordance. 

You sit down next to Kiba, cozying up next to him as you hand him one of the bento boxes. As he opens it up he has the biggest grin on his face.

"Wow, you made all this just for me?" he remarks smugly, already knowing the answer to his rhetorical question.

Another "Mhm," escapes your lips as you try to avert your sheepish gaze, a sincere but futile attempt at modesty. The man knows everything about you, there's no reason to be so timid right now. Maybe it was because there was an audience right now, but the other couple was on the far side of the boulder, and they were too busy making out to pay heed to anything else. You were merely giving yourself excuses to not give into your temptation.

A quick bite to your bottom lip helps you snap out of  your daze. If you were going to make your move, this would be the perfect time. You can't let your reservations hold you back, not on today of all days.

"Hey Kiba," you manage to blurt out, "do you want me to maybe... feed you?"

"Feed me?" Kiba repeats with an astonished yet pleased look on his face, "You're damned right I want you to feed me." After a short pause he follows up with, "Wow, you're being so forward today, princess. Gotta say, I'm digging the vibes."

That sassy leer on his face was all of the affirmation that you needed. You could already tell what he was going to say before a single word was uttered from those gorgeous lips of his.

"Alright then," you instruct Kiba as you grab your chopsticks and pick up an octopus weiner, "say 'Ah.'"

"Ahhh~" the whimsical manner in which he responds can't help but make you chortle a smidge as he chomps down on the flavorful morsel that you so diligently prepared earlier this morning.

A few more bites and now it's time for the rolled omelette. You made today's batch extra sweet because you know that's how he likes it even if he swears to the contrary. You intersperse some white rice in between his mouthfuls of omelette to mix things up a bit. The next thing on the menu is a delicious salad you tossed together with some walnuts, almonds, and cranberries. This is always Kiba's least favourite part of lunch, but you purposefully added a few different textures in there so he won't protest as much as usual.

To your surprise, he gobbles everything down with a voracious  appetite, savoring every crumb of food, even the grains of rice. If only he'd clean his plate like this when you were back at home.

"Mmm," he moans with a euphoric expression on his face, "my compliments to the chef."

"Now are you ready for your dessert?" you seductively wink as you proposition your man.

"There's more?" he responded with a curious inflection in his voice, "Of course I'm fuckin' ready, let's go, baybee."

You let out a flirtatious giggle as you hold up your index finger to your lips. "Shhh, it's a secret. You'll just have to wait and see what I have in store."

"Ugh. You're such a little vixen, you know that?" he shoots back at you, emphasizing his frustration at your provocations.

"Yeah, I know." You stick out your tongue, your index finger perched on your chin now while you relish in your brattiness, "It'll be that much sweeter the longer you have to wait, trust me."

"So fuckin' naughty," he shakes his head a bit, but his genuine intrigue stops him from complaining too much.

The dearth of objections emboldens your resolve. You decide to give another saucy response to Kiba, "If you're a good boy today, I'll add a little cherry on top of your dessert."

"Now you're talkin' my language, princess," he says as he reaches over to claw at the skin on your exposed thighs with his sharp nails.

"But first, I think it's time for my lunch." You were so caught up with feeding Kiba you completely neglected to eat any of your own bento.

"How's about I reciprocate 'n feed ya, then?" Kiba stressed his syllables in the word "reciprocate," trying his hardest to pronounce the word correctly. You appreciate his efforts, even if he sounds a tad silly at times.

"I'd love that, actually," you reply while handing your bento box over to him.

"Alright, here comes the train say 'choo choo'." Kiba lifts up some of the rice along with one of the octopus weiners with the chopsticks and brings it closer to your mouth.

You respond with a "When leaving the train, please watch the gap," in a robotic voice before taking a bite of the culinary creation. With your mouth partially full you chuckle, "Sorry, it's a Jersey girl thing."

"I'll never get tired of your silly jokes, even if I don't quite understand them. Oh, what's this? It looks like you got a little something over here, let me just..." Kiba says as he leans in and licks the corner of your mouth, pressing his tongue further and further in with each passing second. It looks like what you're actually hungry for today isn't on the menu. You let yourself give into the temptation as you run your fingers through his luscious locks and return his kiss with a passionate and fiery reckless abandon.

You leisurely cuddle with Kiba from the comfort of your secluded refuge for quite a long while before deciding that it's about time you make good on your promise. He's spent this past hour playing with your hair while periodically sniffing it, massaging your shoulders gently, and dragging his nails softly over your thick thighs, occasionally licking your neck when the mood strikes.

You wish you could stay like this for eternity, but there's still more you want to show him, so you muster up the motivation to pack up your empty bento boxes as you turn your body slightly to face him.

"I think it's almost time for dessert, you in?" you enquire with a salacious beckon of your finger.

"Hell yeah, I'm in!" Before you knew it the blanket and bento boxes were packed neatly away into your bag. If Kiba had a puppy dog tail it'd be wagging with so much unbridled enthusiasm that it would very well knock you right off your feet and into the lake. Thankfully, the only dog you had to concern yourself with today was Akamaru. He spent the past hour napping closeby, curled up a meter or so away from Kiba.

 "Let's get going!" you exclaim as a sudden wave of confidence washes over you and you pump your fist into the air triumphantly.

Hand in hand once more, you lead Kiba back to the clandestine pathway and out to the main road. You take a few turns before arriving at The Ramble, a section of Central Park that you absolutely adored because of its rustic and scenic charm.

There were so many winding paths to choose from, it was hard to decide which one to follow first. You knew the general direction that you wanted to go in, so you let lady luck be your guiding light as you arbitrarily turned left then right before making one final left at the fork in the road. The beauty of Central Park was that all of these paths were connected, so there were no wrong decisions to be made.

This endless maze of wonder fascinates you to no end. You could easily spend all day traversing these meandering trails, engrossed in the splendor of nature. No doubt you would leave fulfilled and fully satisfied after a long walk through these woods, but you had a guest today who was not as easily gratified. As you pass over a quaint wooden bridge you're greeted by the comforting sounds of flowing water from a nearby brook.

You decide that this is the perfect time to slow down your pace a bit before coming to a standstill, Kiba mimicking your stride and stopping by your side as you bring his attention to the gigantic boulder standing before you. 

"Race you to the top?" you ask as you glance over, looking for affirmation despite already knowing what his response will be.

"Oh it's on, princess." Kiba answered without a moment's hesitation. You could see his body stiffen ever so slightly as he begins to prepare himself for the sprint of a lifetime. You loosen your grip on Kiba's hand as it tenderly floats away.

You ready yourself by inhaling slowly through your nose and out through your mouth before lightly slapping your cheeks with your hands. You tense up the muscles in your legs and core, shifting your focus from Kiba to the finish line. You spiritedly call out a "3, 2, 1.... GO!" and with that you're both off.

You can see Kiba being extra flashy on purpose, jumping from the nearby tree branches no doubt in an attempt to impress you. You decide to concentrate your efforts on finding the shortest path to your destination, being mindful of the obstacles in your way. You easily hop over the small rocks jutting out of the ground, a few steps to the right and you're able to avoid that low hanging tree branch. A counter clockwise 45 degree turn and the home stretch descends upon you with a breakneck velocity.

As you take the last steps before you reach your goal Kiba drops down from a nearby tree bough, swiping victory out of your grasp with one final, vehement thud as the full weight of his body lands on the rock with an impressive amount of force. He vigorously throws his hands up to do a little victory pose while you take a moment to catch your breath.

"You," you take a second to inhale before continuing your statement, "You win, Kiba."

"Of course I win. Now where's my prize?" Kiba nudges you as he shoots you an expectant gaze.

"Right here," you say as you leap up to give him an affectionate hug. He catches you in his arms and hoists your legs up so he can princess carry you. You place one of your arms around the back of his neck, resting your hand on his shoulder blade. You then close your eyes shut and pucker your lips before you're greeted by the unmistakable feeling of his lips fondly pressing against your own. After a few seconds he begins to slide his tongue into your mouth, filling it once again with his succulent saliva. You can't help but squeal with delight when one of his hands finds its way to your breast, stroking it with a rhythmical tempo.

You can feel the heat build up inside your core once again as Kiba continues to fondle you while you squirm in pleasure. Oh, how dearly you wish that he would go one step farther right now. You can feel a wet spot begin to form in your crotch as he continues his onslaught. No, you couldn't let your wanton desires get the best of you, not in public. But there was still that part of you that wanted this to not only carry on, but escalate into something even more licentious.

As you wriggle in Kiba's arms you manage to free yourself from his smooches long enough to let out a, "Ki-kiba, we're still in public! What if someone sees us?"

He withdraws his troops when he hears your feeble cries of protest, responding with a "Sorry, you're just so fuckin' cute, I can't help myself."

You flash a superficial pout at him as you try to redirect his attention by saying, "You know what else is cute? This view. Take a look over there."

You could see the lake from earlier poking through the gaps in the lush vegetation that surrounded you. There were still a decent number of couples enjoying boat rides together, but the sun was past its apex in the sky and the slightest tinge of twilight began to overtake the sky. The brilliant yellows and oranges vibrate with a staunch temerity as they hang onto the trees for dear life while the cool autumn breezes assails their stalks. The handsome architecture of the buildings in the distance made for a lovely sight when compared with the contrasting abundance of nature filling the foreground.

"I don't know if I'd call it 'cute,' but the view sure is nice," Kiba replies before shifting his focus back to you. "But the best view? It's right here in my arms."

"Oh stop, hon. You're making me blush," you chirp as you unsuccessfully try to conceal your flushed cheeks with your hand.

 "Awww, don't cover up your pretty little face from me. C'mon, I wanna see all of my girl." Kiba flashes you a warm smile that makes it feel as if you're melting in real time, disintegrating into a puddle of emotions.

If a stranger saw you right now you'd probably die from the sheer embarrassment.

It takes you a while, but you're finally able to give Kiba a response that will both satisfy him and rescue you from your current predicament. "See all of me? Well we better get going if you want that wish to come true."

That was all you needed to say. Kiba lovingly brings your legs down so you can hop to the ground. You then grab his hand with a precise and swift motion before intertwining your fingers together once more. With great haste, the two of you continue the last leg of your journey.

"Alright, so you're going to absolutely love this final location." Just thinking about the breathtaking view from the top of the castle you were planning on taking Kiba to sends a shiver down your spine.

"As long as I'm with you, any place is amazin'." You could hear the sincerity oozing out of his voice as he spoke those words.

"So, where I'm taking you is actually the second highest point in all of Central Park. The building there was designed to be a lookout tower, and it was even used as a weather station at one point. It's hard to explain how incredible the Belvedere is with just words, but you'll understand what I mean when you see it for yourself." You do your best to explain about Belvedere Castle without letting it slip that it's actually a castle. You know that Kiba will absolutely lose his mind and start calling you 'princess' incessantly when he realizes the truth.

As you approach the Belvedere and you're able to catch glimpses of its stony façade you brace yourself for the inevitable comments that are sure to follow. You could almost see the neurons in Kiba's brain firing extra hard when he comprehends just where you took him.

"Is that... a castle?" The incredulous tone in his voice was like a mellifluous symphony to your ears.

"Yes, yes it is." Your reply is filled with a smug self-assurance, growing stronger by the second.

"Princess, you just brought me to a castle? I can't believe my princess brought me to an actual castle. I don't know what I was expecting, but this was not it." Kiba, paralyzed by his bewilderment, holds his hand up to his dazed face, too stunned to do or say anything else until he hears your voice. "Yup, welcome to Belvedere castle, the pièce de résistance of our date today."

You take a second to admire the flabbergasted look on his face before continuing, "C'mere, you gotta see this view!"

You pull Kiba a little closer to your body, guiding him to the lookout area. "Over there is Turtle Pond. There are five different species of turtles that call this pond their home. Some of the turtles are actually former pets and are considered invasive species. It's not winter yet, but when it gets colder out the turtles burrow into the mud at the bottom of Turtle Pond."

"So you guys have turtles and bugs living in the water here?" Kiba was able to shake off his befuddlement with some assistance from your long-winded explanations. For once, your propensity to being unnecessarily verbose came in handy when it came to dealing with Kiba.

"For the last time they're not bugs, they're crustaceans!" You would be more upset with Kiba if you weren't so relieved that he was back to his usual self.

"Anyways, wow, now I know why you were hyping up this park so much. It's absolutely stunning. Almost more impressive than me, ah hah ha. Almost." Kiba let out a roaring, boisterous howl as you can't help but smile at your boyfriend's rather stale and contrived witticisms.

"Y'know what would be even better though?" Kiba releases his hand from yours and starts stroking the hairs on his chin with a glint in his eyes.

"Hm?"

"If we snuck up to the top of the castle and had our own private viewing session," Kiba said while giving you a lewd wink.

"But what about Akamaru?" you reach for any excuse to not give into the temptation.

"Akamaru will be fine by himself. Won'tcha, buddy?" Akamaru barks out a somewhat tired yet affirmative yelp. He lazily meanders over to a corner next to the castle and curls up in a comfortable position.

Drat. There goes your only valid excuse.

"Well that settles that." You could see a wicked grin forming on Kiba's face. "May I have the honor of one final dance with my princess this evening?"

You hesitantly extend your hand once more while shaking your head languidly in consent.

"But how are we going to get up ther- '' Your words are cut short by Kiba promptly sweeping you up into his arms, deftly maneuvering your body until he's princess carrying you yet again.

"You don't have to worry your pretty little head about that. I got it." A boastful roar erupts from his chest as he effortlessly cavorts around the castle to the back side, all while holding onto you with a virulent amount of hubris. A few confident leaps later and you're both on the roof of the castle.

He carefully puts you down, but only after passionately kissing your neck in the same spot where the dappled mixture of ribald reds and indecent purples endure with a risqué persistence. A stifled moan escapes your lips during this debacle with debauchery. Kiba's keen sense of hearing is omniscient, there's no way you can lead him astray while you're mewling like a cat in heat.

"Damn, you weren't kidding. This has gotta be the best view in this whole damned park." Kiba ogles at your body through the rectangle he's made with his thumbs and index fingers, pretending as if he were a famous artist getting ready to paint his muse.

"A little to the left, anddd perfect." A sly smirk emerges on his face as he slowly undresses you with his intense stare, deliberately and unhurriedly devouring your scrumptious curves with his eyes.

If there was any time to act, it would be now. You decide to discard your dignity and throw any remnants of your sense of decorum off the rooftop and into Turtle Pond as you offer up a flirtatious, "I know what will make this view even better."

"Oh, and what's that? Pray tell, princess." The sultry tone in which he says those words makes your heart flutter in pure, unadulterated ecstacy.

"Y'see, I'm feeling a bit stuffy in this dress," it's true you were feeling hot and bothered, "I could use a little help if you don't min-"

Before you could finish your proposal Kiba was already clawing at the tulle on your poofy halter dress, untying the straps with an unparalleled, feral intensity. As the straps haphazardly fall to your sides Kiba ravenously lifts the skirt portion of your dress over your head with one hasty but fluid motion. The rose gold garment is then unceremoniously tossed to the side as Kiba shifts his focus to your lusciously appetizing bare breasts. You never did like wearing bras, especially when there wasn't that much that needed support anyways.

"No bra again, princess? I love to see it. Or rather, not see it." Kiba begins to suggestively lick his lips as he rubs his hands together while emitting a mischievously naughty growl.

As your dress cascades to the ground next to you, let out a hedonistic chortle as you tempt Kiba with a, "Ready for your dessert, sugar?"

"D'ya even have to ask? Of course I'm ready," Kiba snarls those words in your ear as he slithers his hand down your body, stopping at your pelvic region. "I think there's just one more preparation we have to make first."

You place your own hand on top of his and guide him as he hooks his thumb under the waistband of your panties, stepping out of them gracefully as he yanks at the flimsy cotton with a carnal brutality. He brings the cloth up to his face to take a whiff before flinging them off to the side with an unrestrained fervour.

You then take a few steps back so you can perch yourself on a nearby wooden crate. You beckon to him with an alluring gesture, your index finger slightly twitching from all of the excitement. "This evening we'll be starting with a mouthwatering vegan friendly delicacy, followed up by the most delectable creampie."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" The inferno burning in Kiba's eyes scorches through every fibre of your being with its intensity, leaving a wasteland of charred and overloaded neurons in its wake.

"It sure does. Bon appétit, mon amour."

Kiba strides over with a heightened sense of purpose and bellows out a brisk, "Itadakimasu!" before shovelling his tongue into your quivering folds. With a gluttonous gusto he begins to greedily lap up your juices, savouring every drop. You whine in pleasure as he swirls his tongue in messy circles around your clit. The warmth building up in your core overtakes your sense of judgement as you helplessly squirm under the weight of his tongue, your panting becomes more audible by the second.

Kiba magnanimously decides to offer you a short reprieve when he temporarily halts his bombardment on your labia, looking up at you for confirmation, "You ready for the second course, princess?"

You're not quite able to form complete sentences right now, but you are able to give him a brisk nod along with a bashful, "Yes, pleaseee."

This time he brings his hand up to your trembling lips, stroking them with tender caresses as he expertly works his tongue into your vaginal opening. His fingers instinctively find your clit without hesitation, a light but purposeful touch that stimulates every cell in your being with an electrifying impulse. You have to admit, his dexterity is honestly amazing. No other guy you've been with before knows your body the way Kiba does.

You can feel the heat radiating throughout your entire body as Kiba continues to slurp up your slick, the fluids from your body intermingling with his saliva and morphing into a crude concoction of lustful desire. As you feel the indescribable pressure begin to build up, your whimpers begin to compound until you find yourself uncontrollably moaning his name.

"Kibaaa." The syllables escaping your lips are the sweetest honey, the most delicious topping on his dessert that he could ever ask for.

He pushes his tongue in deeper and deeper, every moan that he hears encouraging him to explore more of your cavern. He also stealthily increases the pressure he's applying against your clit the more you squirm. After all, every action must have an equal and opposite reaction, it's a basic principle of physics that applies even to this situation. You can't blame him for responding the way he does when you can't even think straight right now, your mind overrun with lascivious cravings.

"Kiba. Kibaaa," is all you manage to cry out as he takes a brief pause to reply in kind.

"Mmm, say my name again, princess. It drives me absolutely wild."

"I'm so close, Kiba, please don't stop." The urgency in your voice ignites an infernal blaze that can't be expunged until Kiba witnesses your full and complete satisfaction firsthand. A real gentleman always pleases his lady first.

Kiba nods to you in acknowledgement as he takes a moment to lick your juices off of his fingers before pressing his face down once more into your succulent folds. The sensation of his tongue massaging your clit causes the pressure inside of you to build up to critical levels. You don't know how much more of this you can handle before you pass the point of no return. While brushing your clit with measured strokes Kiba brings up his hand one more time and slowly inserts two fingers into your vagina. He steadily increases the frequency of his caresses, tickling your sensitive walls with a sublime proficiency.

"Ahhh, ahhh. Mmm." is all that you're able to mumble.

As his pace quickens, so does your breathing. You're holding onto the last shred of your composure with a single frayed thread that is dangerously close to breaking. All it would take is one final push and- you were unable to complete that thought because at that very moment Kiba pulsated his fingers against your G-spot. Again, there is it. He keeps on pressing up against it. The stimulation becomes too much to handle. You can feel the pressure overpower your senses as you let a tsunami of euphoria wash over you.

Kiba, feeling your throbbing vagina twitch around his fingers, knows that his task is complete. He lets out a "gochisousama deshita," before lifting up his face up to meet your gaze, enjoying every bit of your blissed out expression.

"So good..." you exhale as you feel a wave of peace fill envelop your soul, swathing it with an incomparable serenity.

"I love it when I get to see you like this," Kiba says as he brushes a few strands of hair out of your eyes. "Nothing makes me feel better than making my girl feel like the princess she is."

"Hehe~," you chuckle as you hold Kiba's hand against your cheek, etching this moment into your memory. This was definitely the best place for your first date in the city.

As you push yourself off of the wooden crate you were using for support, you offer up one final suggestion for the evening, "Round two?"

"You don't even have to ask, princess. Let's do this." Kiba moves his hand from your cheek down to your waist and tenderly spins you around so that your rear is facing him. He always was an ass-man. While other men tended to focus on your breasts, or lack thereof, Kiba was all about the "finer things in life." He couldn't resist digging his claws into your behind and taking small nibbles whenever he gave you rim jobs. Seeing him appreciate your assets so enthusiastically thrilled you to no end.

But a rim job wasn't on the menu for today. That's right, there was only one dessert that would sate Kiba's wolfish hunger. The most passionate dessert that a couple can share. And what's more romantic than sharing some creampie while admiring the New York City skyline as the sun sets over the horizon?

"You ready, princess?" You could hear Kiba shuffle around a bit before being greeted by the familiar feeling of the fur trim of his jacket as it brushes against your ankles.

"Fuck yeah, let's do this," you exclaim as you give him a thumbs-up. You weren't able to see his expression since you were facing away from him, but you can imagine the smug look on his face as he slides his rock hard dick into your warm and inviting pussy.

You were already unbelievably wet from your orgasm, so his cock slides in with relative ease. As soon as his dick enters you, a feeling of exhilaration radiates throughout your entire body. With each thrust it feels as if your souls are resonating with each other. The connection you feel when your bodies are this close together is beyond compare, there's nothing else like it in the world.

A few more gyrations of his hips and you become putty once more in his hands. You can feel your essence being molded by the passionate thumps from his cock. Your vagina quivers with excitement as it welcomes every inch of his member into its drenched oasis. The air around you is filled with the squelching sounds of Kiba's dick as it explores your private grotto with reckless abandon.

Kiba periodically quickens and then slows down his pace in order to keep you on your toes. He knows that the variation will drive you absolutely bonkers, and he wants to hear you beg, plead him for more. He purposely slows down the frequency of his thrusts just so he can hear you say it. C'mon aren't you going to say it?

"Kiba," you whimper while holding onto the wooden crate in front of you, "I need more. Give me more. Faster."

And there it is.

"As you command, princess," he happily obliges. Oh, if only you could see his face right now.

Kiba hastens his pace, thrusting into you with a tremendous amount of force. His dick pounds on the inside of your walls as they sway with delight. It feels so good to have him inside of you, especially without a condom. The unrivalled feeling of his dickhead brush against your delicate walls enthralled you beyond words. The sensation of his penis twitching inside you when he came was the greatest feeling in the world.

Normally you'd have to worry about carrying protection with you at all times, but since you were sterilized earlier this year that was one less thing you'd have to concern yourself with. It also meant you could afford to be more spontaneously promiscuous, which drove Kiba absolutely feral. The first night you had sex after recovering from surgery was one of the most passionate lovemaking sessions the both of you ever had. Kiba could see how comfortable you were in your own body after your hysterectomy, and that turned him into a savage, untamed beast when the two of you were alone.

But here you are now, totally not alone. In the middle of Central Park. Fucking your boyfriend.

What have you become? Where was the demure and studious girl who would rather spend her evenings at home instead of galavanting around with a jock who can't even pronounce the word "etiquette", let alone practice it? Have you no shame? I guess you must have tossed that aside when you first started dating Kiba. He always did have a way of bringing out your undomesticated side, you were a girl who secretly wanted to embrace her inner wildcat and just go berserk from time to time. And what's wilder than exhibitionism?

"Umph," you hear Kiba moan from behind you, "I'm getting close, princess."

This was always your favourite part of having sex with Kiba. The moment where your vagina milks him, absorbing every last drop of his cum. This time you felt a little different than usual, though. How long has it been since you last peed? Hours? You did go at the bagel shop, but that was during the morning.

Oh gosh, you think to yourself, he's totally going to make me squirt today. Fuck, I can't believe this is happening to me.

Kiba continues to thrust into you as you feel the intense pressure of your full bladder compound on top of the heat building up inside of your pelvis. Every time he brushes up inside of you, your muscles begin to clench involuntarily. You inch closer and closer to losing control with every gyration of his hips. He slaps your ass a few times before continuing his thrusting.

Kiba then grabs the back of your ponytail so he can bring your neck a little closer to his mouth. When his canines tickle the hickey on your neck you're no longer able to restrain the torrent of warm urine, letting a golden shower rain down on Kiba's jacket. The sensation of wetting yourself sends you over the edge and your walls begin to instinctively clench up as a surge of ecstacy ripples throughout your entire body.

Kiba then lets out a tremendous groan as his dick twitches inside of you and begins ejaculating sticky cum into your vagina, filling it up to the brim. A bit of his cum oozes out of you, mixing with a few droplets of piss as the medley of immorality slides down your legs, a remnant of your grievous sin.

You can hear Kiba exhale deeply as you slowly turn yourself around.

"Sorry about your jacket, I didn't realize until it was too late that I hadn't peed since the morning and-"

Kiba picks up his soiled jacket from the ground and sniffs it with a satisfied look on his face, "Mmm, smells just like my princess."

He puts a hand on your shoulder as he says, "Don't worry about it. I'll just have to use my dynamic marking on you when we get back to the hotel."

No matter how indecent you thought you were, you could always take solace in the fact that Kiba had you beat. This man was always full of surprises, and you couldn't deny that you loved him, not in spite of his degeneracy, but rather for it.

As you pick up your clothes strewn about the castle's roof Kiba quips at you one last time, "So since you drank the water here does that mean your piss had bugs in it?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Shrimp aren't bugs, they're crustaceans."

You can hear his roaring laughter echoing with that self-assured arrogance that you loved oh so much, even if you'd never admit it. We can't fuel his ego too much now, can we? 

----- The End -----

#naruto #kiba inuzuka #kiba smut #kiba inuzuka x reader #kiba inuzuka x y/n #kiba x reader #boruto #naruto fanfic #boruto fanfic #naruto fanfiction #boruto fanfiction #modern au #new york city #central park #kiba inuzuka x you #naruto x you #naruto x y/n #max writes #my fanfiction #uptown girl #one shot

[thedryswan]

Sneak peek (JT & PCW)

Must come up with a title for this so I can post it on AO3!

It had started during the summer before seventeen year old Penelope left for Switzerland and finishing school. They had known each other since they were children, meeting quite by chance onboard a cruise ship from India to Britain when she was only eleven years old and he was fourteen. Jeff Tracy had decided to take his children on a world tour, in some part to distract them from their mother’s recent death only eighteen months previously, and John and Penelope had struck up a friendship. She had not reacted well to the Indian climate and her parents had decided it would be best for her to return to Britain in the care of her governess, Miss Petherton, a rather severe Devonian woman from Ilfracombe. Penelope had been distressed to leave her mother behind and while Miss Petherton was kind and most solicitous for her charge’s well-being, there was no depth of affection between them. John saw almost in an instant that the pretty English girl was unhappy and decided to devote the duration of their cruise to cheering her up if he could. Penelope, for her part, saw how grief stricken John was and how, because he did not show his grief in the same way as his brothers and father, they believed that he was no longer affected by the loss and left him very much to himself. Their friendship endured over the years that followed, in some measure fuelled by the isolation each of them felt, John at Harvard and Penelope as a full boarder at Rowden School.

Their first kiss had been one of many stolen moments while the Tracy family were guests of the Creighton-Wards on their private island in French Polynesia, spending most of the months of June, July and August together. Penelope had been planning to inform her parents after dinner one evening in early September of the relationship budding between herself and John but some rather boastful comments from Sir Hugh over the table about how preciously guarded his little princess was and how no gentleman would ever be worthy enough to attain her daunted her resolve.

Lady Amelia smiled and shook her head at her husband.

“Honestly, Hugh, the way you talk. One might think you’d already found someone for our darling girl.”

“Perhaps so, Melly, perhaps so.” he replied, with an enigmatic wink over his wine glass.

“Well, if you have, and if he’s a proper English gentleman, I do hope you’ll let me in on your little secret? And we must, of course, inform dear Lady Conway before we announce anything.” she said, while Penelope’s heart began to sink and a blush spread across her cheeks.

She caught John’s eye across the table and the look of despondency on her face dampened his spirits also. That evening, before going to bed, Penelope had crept along to her mother’s dressing room and begged to know what her father had been talking of, was there really some engagement being planned for her?

“Why, dearest,” began Lady Amelia, patting the low stool next to her, “What has happened to trouble my Honourable Miss so much?”

Penelope sat and fidgeted with the ribbons on her dressing gown, unable to decide where to begin.

“Now, you must know, Penelope, that Papa and I want only the best for you. Yes?”

She nodded forlornly.

“And you must trust that we know what’s for the best. Not every gentleman is suited for the life you are destined to lead, so allow yourself to be guided by Papa and I.”

“But if my heart, my feelings, are… are not…”

“Not what? Oh dear, have you developed a tendre for someone? Hopefully not your tennis coach, Pierre? Is that his name? Most unsuitable.”

“Not him, no.”

“Oh!” Lady Amelia stared at her daughter in concern, “But there is a someone?”

Penelope’s silence betrayed her.

“Well, whoever it is you must tell me. Now.”

“Don’t be angry Mama, I know you and Papa are very determined that he should be English-”

“As long as he isn’t French.” put in Lady Amelia.

“He’s not-”

“Or American.”

There was an awkward silence.

“Oh heavens. He’s an American, isn’t he? I knew it. I knew when Miss Gadsby wrote from Rowden to say they had engaged an American to teach art that there would be consequences. You will write an electronic letter to him immediately and call it off. Show me the draft message before you send it. Do it now.”

Penelope had trailed along the elegant hallway to her room and wrote the note, a complete fiction of course, then showed it to her mother who had read it briefly, lips pressed together.

“Excellent. Send it now. And dearest, it stings now, I know. But young hearts do heal remarkably quickly. Off to bed with you.”

And while Penelope did indeed go to her bed, it was not the one in which she spent the entire night.

#thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds 1965 #john tracy

[theoncelee]

I made it all of one day keeping up with Tickletober. Stellar of me I know. So here’s yesterdays fic, I’ll hopefully be posting todays as well before the end of the day. I’m not super happy with this one but hopefully someone likes it haha.

Plus my stupid SAT studying brain kept lecturing me about grammar the whole way through this one. I had to keep reminding myself that I was writing goddamn fanfiction and it didn’t matter 😭😭

Anyways enjoy!! :)

Day Two- Drawn On

Fandom: MHA

Ship: Platonic or Romantic KiriBaku (lee!Bakugou ler!Kirishima)

Warnings: this is a tickle fic. Don’t read it if you don’t like that stuff. Some capital words but no entire sentences in this one.

A Paper Alternative

“Bakubrooooo I need your help,” Kirishima whined, barging into Bakugou’s dorm room with his spare key. Which was a normal thing to have, by the way, friends did that. Bakugou lazily glanced up from his phone, where he had been casually scrolling on his bed. Couldn’t he have one hour of piece without one of those damn extras bothering him? But it was Kirishima, so of course that came out as “sure, what’s up?

“I need to practice for my art project, can I use you?” The redhead asked. “What?” Bakugou replied, utterly confused. “Don’t you have paper, shitty hair?” “Well, yeah, but I don’t wanna ruin my good art paper before I know what I wanna do!” Kirishima explained, slightly embarrassed. “Tch, fine shitty hair. Do whatever,” Bakugou relented, collapsing back onto his pillow. “Awesome, thanks bro!” Kirishima beamed. He carefully placed himself on top of Bakugou’s thighs, rolled up Bakugou’s shirt, and grabbed his pens and markers. He took his first pen and lightly touched down on Bakugou’s toned stomach, focusing on his sketch. Luckily for Bakugou, that meant that Kirishima didn’t notice Bakugou’s eyes practically bulging out of his head at the sensation. The pen tip was smooth and relentless, unlike anything he’d ever felt before. And FUCK it TICKLED. Kirishima was Bakugou’s best friend and the only one he allowed to come close enough to touch him. Bakugou hadn’t been tickled since he was really little; he’d honestly forgotten he even WAS ticklish. But fuck was that smooth pen gliding up and down his torso jogging his memory. Although, if he was more honest with himself than he wanted to be, what Kirishima was doing really didn’t feel all that bad. It was kinda nice. The only problem was keeping quiet so Kirishima wouldn’t notice.

That all changed when Kirishima started coloring. The felt tipped marker he was using tickled WAY more than the pen, and coupled with the consistency of Kirishima’s back and forth coloring motion Bakugou was DEAD. He jerked with a yelp before he began squirming for real. Kirishima looked up and saw Bakugou’s beat red face and strained smile and quickly put two and two together. His expression softened, but he decided to fake obliviousness for a little while longer. “Geez Bakubro, what’s got you all squirmy today?” he asked as he began coloring a very large shape at the bottom of Bakugou’s ribcage. “ngh, just, hurry uhup shihity hairr,” Bakugou strained, “I dohon’t have ahall day you kn-know.” Kirishima just chuckled and continued.

The biggest problem for Bakugou, was that the longer the tickle went on, the more ticklish it got. He was like a giggly bomb, destined to break if Kirishima’s incessant scribbling didn’t FUCKING STOP. When Kirishima scribbled the marker in Bakugou’s navel, Bakugou honest to god SQUEALED. With the damn broken, he collapsed back onto the bed in a fit of the SWEETEST giggles Kirishima had ever heard. “What’s the matter Bakubro? Ticklish?” Kirishima teased. And if he noticed how Bakugou barely fought back as he finished his picture, he never mentioned it.

The drawing ended up coming out stellar, a gorgeous tree with its shimmering branches reaching out all over Bakugou’s torso. And while Bakugou kicked Kirishima out of his dorm and threatened murder, he definitely dreaded having to shower the next morning and wash it off.

#kiribaku #kiribakutickle #tickle fic #my fics #augtickletober2022 #mha tickles #lee!bakugou #ticklish!bakugou #ler!kirishima #drawn on

[heliads]

everything is blue • conrisa space au • Chapter Thirteen: And Suddenly I Was a Lilac Sky

Risa Ward escaped a shuttle destined for her certain, painful death. Connor Lassiter ran away from home before it was too late. Lev Calder was kidnapped. All of them were supposed to be dissected for parts, used to advance a declining galaxy, but as of right now, all of them are whole. Life will not stay the same way forever.

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Connor doesn’t think he’s felt this big of a sense of relief since he first arrived at the Graveyard. It makes no sense by all accounts. Connor is still adrift in the midst of the galaxy with nothing to save him except a fabricated grounds license. Worse, he knows exactly who’s hunting him, and that Dorian Heartland will let nothing get in between himself and the chase. Even time.

Still, a crushing burden has just been lifted from his shoulders. Now Connor can breathe properly for the first time in a very long time, and it’s all to do with Risa. She’s already insisted on walking around the ship so she can analyze the supplies they have and how long until they run out. She also organized their medical equipment and came up with several ways they can save their own lives should something happen. Stars, it’s like being reborn. At last, at long last, Connor doesn’t have to do this alone anymore. They’ve only been apart for a few short days, but Connor never wants to do it again.

She catches him looking too closely at her while she’s going through a catalog of ship power supplies. “What?” She asks, blushing slightly.

Connor feels his cheeks heat up in sympathy. “Nothing,” he says a little too hastily, “It’s just. Well. It’s nice to see you again.”

When he dares to risk a glance towards her again, Connor is pleased to find her smiling at him. “It’s good to see you again too, Connor,” she tells him.

He lets the easy silence lull him into a state of peace. This is what he’s missed most of all, more even than their long extended conversations. The quiet moments are worth just as much as the loud ones. Connor can let go of everything when he’s with her. More than he should, maybe, but he can’t help it. It’s a gut instinct, a core reflex.

He might have to start guarding himself against it, because Connor has just allowed his brow to clear of tension for the first time since the Graveyard exploded when Risa lays her trap. Slowly, sweetly, she turns to him and asks, “What’s wrong with your arm?”

Instantly, Connor freezes. He tries to play it off like nothing, but he can tell from the sharp glint in Risa’s eyes that she’s been onto him since the very beginning. Connor had tried to hide the evidence of the arm that is not his, keeping the sleeves of his jacket on at all times and forever pivoting to keep his left side turned towards her instead, but of course she would have seen through him from the moment they were reunited. He would be pleased that she knows him so well were it not for the fact that he really doesn’t want her to know this one thing.

“Nothing,” he says as calmly as he can, “Banged it up a little when I was running from the Juvey-cops, but it’s not a big deal.”

Risa arches her brow. “Really? You’d better let me take a look, then.”

She reaches towards his right arm, and Connor practically knocks over his chair from how quickly he yanks the limb away. Risa eyes him questioningly, and there’s no hiding the slow spread of hurt into her expression. Great, now she thinks he doesn’t like her anymore.

“I don’t want to trouble you,” Connor says weakly. “It’s fine, honestly.”

“Connor?” Risa’s voice is both hesitant and firm all at once. “Show me.”

He meets her gaze for one traitorous moment longer, then gives in and slowly pulls the jacket off. The arm that is not Connor’s is exposed, the lines and shading on the shark tattoo even more sickening and gray in the fluorescent lighting of the ship.

Risa recoils. It’s a small movement, and she’s obviously trying to control it, but the damage is done. This is what Connor feared the most, even more than the two of them never reuniting– that he would finally find her again and she would hate him. Connor has the arm of someone who tried to hurt her, who used her as a tool to get to him. Whenever Risa looks at him, she will always see Roland first, Connor second. There will never be a Connor that does not contain some part of a twisted third party.

Risa leans back towards him again. “When did this happen?”

Connor can’t stop his voice from shaking when he thinks about it. “On the Graveyard. When the engines exploded, our arms spliced.”

Risa tilts her head to the side, considering this. “Huh. I didn’t know that was a real thing outside of folk stories.”

“Neither did I,” Connor murmurs, and they both stare at the proof of the thing on Connor’s body. “I tried to get them to fix it,” he adds hurriedly when the silence becomes too much, “When they pulled me out, that is. I asked them to put my arm back on and they wouldn’t do it. I tried, though. I don’t want this.”

The hand on Connor’s wrong right arm clenches traitorously. Both he and Risa stare at it in vague disgust, but when Risa speaks, her tone isn’t cruel or cold at all, but warm and forgiving and Risa, still Risa, always Risa. Even when Connor isn’t Connor, she’s still her.

“This doesn’t matter to me,” she tells him clearly. “I know who you are, Connor. Regardless of the arm. Roland wouldn’t have flown across the galaxy to find me. Your arm might be different, but here–” she touches the side of his temple– “And here–” a trembling hand right over his heart– “It’s still you. That’s what I care about.”

To prove her point, she drops her hand to tap twice against his right forearm, just like they used to do back in the shallow darkness of Cleaver’s ship, just as they have done all this time. Connor smiles weakly back at her, and he does not tell her that it doesn’t feel the same. This arm does not understand the history of the two taps, and it never will.

Connor manages to pull himself out of melancholia by returning to more pressing matters at hand. He’d gotten so caught up in the euphoria of having Risa back that he almost forgot just how he got there, and what promises he made in exchange for this ship, this grounds license, this second chance. Bam and the others back there in the synth-lion’s den would certainly make good on their threat to cut off his grounds license if Connor didn’t rescue the Deadmen at some harvest colony, so he’s got to get to them sooner rather than later. Besides, Connor owes it to Hayden and the rest of his friends to break them out. No AWOL deserves to be distributed.

Connor spent some time on the flight over to Molokai going over the nav and info systems on the ship. He’d managed to pick a good piece of spacecraft to steal, but again, that’s all thanks to his new identity as Elvis Mullard. He’s been able to glean some information on where the distributes of the Graveyard are being kept, but the location isn’t set in stone. Once he finds it out, though, Connor will have to launch an attack to rescue dozens of distributes from a harvest colony designed as a stronghold against assaults exactly like this one. It’ll be a suicide mission, but he’s already sworn to do it. Nothing more to it.

He hadn’t–

He hasn’t told Risa this yet. He kind of feels like he needs to dole out the terrible things he’s done one by one so she doesn’t hate him right off the bat. First, he reveals that he’s got the arm of someone who once plotted to kill them both. Then, he tells her that they’re not going to get to hide away on some deserted planet but head towards a harvest colony instead, the last place either of them want to be. Finally, he admits that the odds he’ll ever make it out alive are slim to none.

Truth be told, he was kind of hoping that he would never have to say all this to Risa, that he could keep this required task hidden from her until he suddenly traipsed up to the ship with a hundred or two distributes in tow, but that’s impossible. All secrets must come out eventually. Risa has a way of finding out the very thing that Connor wants to keep hidden; after all, she’s done it once today, what’s to stop her from digging a little further? If he wants to keep her around, he’ll have to stop hiding things.

Besides, especially if this plan goes south as it surely must, Connor’s going to need to teach Risa the ropes of his newly borrowed spacecraft. Someone’s going to have to fly this ship away from the harvest camp if Connor can’t. Someone’s going to have to have a plan for what to do with liberated Deadmen, especially since the entirety of the Juvenile Authority will be tailing her as soon as they catch wind of what Connor is doing. Risa has always been the responsible one, and suns, he hates to make her do this, but he has no choice. He can’t let his friends get dismembered in a colony where nobody even remembers their name. Not after they kept him hidden from the wrath of the worlds for a year.

Connor is going over activity logs of large shipping cruisers broadcasting Juvenile Authority codes when Risa catches up to him. She slides into a seat next to him, casting a dubious glance towards the holodeck in front of him.

“I knew you were a star jockey, Connor, but even I didn’t think you passed all of your free time looking at ships,” she comments wryly.

Connor forces a smile. “Oh, you know me. Just can’t get enough of them,” he mumbles. Worst part is, despite the sarcasm, it’s actually kind of true. Connor may constantly be flown from one potential death to another, but it’s fascinating to see all of the different kinds of spacecraft up close. 

Even when he was breaking into the shipyard with his new grounds license, certain that one bad move would result in him getting dragged back to Dorian Heartland and his freakish patchwork body, he couldn’t help but stare in awe at every different type of shuttle and cruiser locked inside. Unlike the crappy transport depot back on his home planet in OH-10, the amount of wealth on Heartland’s chosen meeting location had been dripping from every available surface. Chrome bedecked every spare inch of those ships, the walls were polished and gleaming, and the engines were strong enough to power a dozen Graveyards for centuries. Stars, he would have loved to spend hours in there, just going over the details of every vessel.

However, getting to Risa had been the top priority, so he’d hurried accordingly. Now, in his chosen getaway ship, Connor has the time to admire both the ships and her, so he does as he pleases.

Risa cracks a grin. “Don’t I know it. Would you like to tell me how you got your hands on this particular ship?”

When Connor remains silent, she sighs and continues on. “Connor, I’m not trying to interrogate you, I just want to know if you’re alright. I know there’s a lot you’re not telling me, but I want to help. I mean, stars, if you didn’t want me you could have just left me on Molokai, right? Let me in. Please.”

Connor’s eyes widen in alarm, and he reaches forward to wrap his hands around hers. He doesn’t miss the way she flinches slightly when Roland’s palm reaches her first, but he also notices how she holds onto that hand even stronger, as if to remind him that she’ll try so long as he does, too. “That’s not true, Risa. I have always wanted you.”

He can’t find the words to argue it fully. He needs Risa like he needs no other. When he was running for his life from Heartland and his men, he was thinking about how much he wanted to see her again. When he was landing on a mysterious planet that looked one strong wind away from falling to pieces, the only thing on his mind was getting to her. When he first saw her running towards him down a desolate alleyway, every thought in his mind had gone blank. It’s Risa and him. Him and Risa forever.

One of her lips quirks up. “Always? Even when I was sneaking onto your stolen ship?”

Connor actually laughs. “Even then. I just didn’t know it yet.”

He knows now. He knows more than he could ever begin to tell her.

She smiles at him for real this time. It makes his heart flip in his chest. Risa capitalizes on his momentary loss of speech to press her advantage. “Then you know to trust me with this. Tell me, Connor. Tell me everything.”

And, despite every neuron in his brain screaming at him otherwise, Connor gives in. He tells her about watching her escape pod disappear into the brilliant blackness of space, of running to the engine room to hide. He tells her about his final confrontation with Roland. He speaks of the explosion, how everything became nothing, and then how he woke up again on a strange planet. He whispers of Dorian Heartland, how there’s finally a face to the faceless governmental entity bent on hunting them down. He tells her about the group of AWOLs he’d met in the bowels of that glittering city, how they gave him a fake grounds license. He talks about sneaking into the shipyard, selecting one of his own, and flying to her.

The telling of it feels as if it must take years. At the end of it, Risa leans back in her seat. She’s quiet for a while, and Connor can’t tell if that’s good or bad. At last, she looks slowly up at him, and asks in crisp and clipped syllables:  “What exactly did you promise them? The kids who gave you the license.”

“I don’t want to tell you,” Connor admits.

Risa sighs. “I know.”

They hang there for a moment, suspended in a silence neither of them truly want to break. At last, Risa decides to spare him. “Tell me about the ship,” she says suddenly. “You would have picked this one with a lot of specifics in mind. It’s far bigger than both of us need. Why?”

He senses her angling towards the truth, but this particular diversion works perfectly. “Well, I had to consider several,” he begins, “A lot goes into picking the perfect ship, you know.”

Risa smiles again, indulging him. “Go on.”

Easy to please, Connor does as told. “I couldn’t check out all of the interiors while I was in the shipyard, obviously, but I had time to look around. I chose this one because it had good space and because it had the perfect balance of armor and speed. More than that, it’s a Shadowstar, and one of 909s from that tactical class a few years back. They’re infamous for their camouflage. Excellent for hiding.”

He and Risa exchange significant glances. “Hiding,” she notes. “Not a military ship?”

Connor shakes his head. Although it had been tempting to look at some of the heavily armored warships in there, Connor knew that picking his ship was sort of like picking his fate. He can’t send AWOLs into a battle in good conscience. They’re not generals, they’re just teenagers.

“We can’t fight it,” he says abruptly, “Distribution. Fuck, we’re kids. This is bigger than the galaxy. What can we do?”

“Nothing,” Risa murmurs.

Connor nods, a little too quick, a few too many times. He’s been thinking about this a lot, that much is obvious. Judging by the determined set of Risa’s jaw, he’s not the only one. “Nothing,” he repeats. “The only thing we can do is survive. If we wanted to fight it, we could only ever do something small.”

A realization is dawning on Risa now, an understanding of just why Connor might be doing what he is. “Something small like, for instance, signing us up to crew a spacecraft? One that might get in the path of Juvey-cops hunting AWOLs? One that could be rescuing kids sentenced for distribution, especially if they had friends in technologically savvy places who just happened to bump into you while you were running from Dorian Heartland?”

Connor meets her gaze at last. “Yeah. Exactly like that.”

Risa draws in a breath, sharp and flighty. “Connor, that’s practically suicide. You can’t do that.”

“I can and I will,” he says grimly. “I made a promise. They’ll revoke my grounds license if I don’t keep up my end of the bargain. Besides, I can’t just leave them there. They got Hayden, Risa. They have all of your friends from the medbay. In what world can we just abandon them to their distribution? I know what I have to do, even without the threat of my fake grounds license. I’m going to find the harvest colony where they’ve got the Deadmen and I’m going to break them out. You’ll stay on board to get the ship away, and if you have to, you’ll leave without me. Promise me.”

Risa nods at last, tilting her head up defiantly to meet his gaze. “I promise I’ll let you do this. For our friends.”

Connor’s hands lock up by his sides. “Thank you.”

“I’m not done yet,” Risa continues. “I also promise that I’ll be going with you. There’s no way in sunfire I’m staying on the ship. If you’re going into the colony, I’ll be right by your side.”

Connor shakes his head. “Absolutely not. One of us has to make it out alive.”

Risa, however, is just as obstinate as him. It would be wonderful were it not for the fact that they’re both arguing over Risa’s life. “Both of us or none of us. I’m not leaving you again, Connor. We’re a team.”

“We’re a team,” he whispers faintly. Although he knows he should probably insist that Risa stay behind, some knot of stress releases itself in his chest when he learns that Risa will be with him when they break in. Despite all of his bravado and show, Connor doesn’t want to die alone. At least he will have Risa at the end of it all. Before they do it, though, he should probably tell her that he lov–

She smiles back at him, and even that thought is quickly washed away. “We’re a team,” she repeats.

Risa is far more skilled at research than Connor, and with her help, they’re able to stumble upon a few potential locations for the harvest colony with their friends. They were deliberating between two of them for a while, but then they found a radio transmission talking about a mass distribution and that sealed the deal. The colony is a long way away, and even with hyperspace travel it’ll take them a few days to reach it. That gives them plenty of time.

Connor changes the navigation system to target their new location, then ambles through the ship, testing systems, committing each and every inch of the place to memory. He’s only going to have so much time while all of this is his, after all, he might as well enjoy it.

In order to conserve energy, they have to occasionally slow down from hyperspace travel, using the time between jumps to fly at a regular rate. Although it adds time onto their voyage, it also gives Connor a chance to admire the sights around them. They never get close enough to any planet to risk interacting with the atmosphere, but Connor still watches with awe as they soar past fiery moons that seem more inferno than stable land, massive gas giants that swirl with multi hued storms, and massive city-planets with every surface coated in the blinking lights of a bustling planet-wide metropolis. There is so much more to the galaxy than he could have ever imagined. It would take a hundred lifetimes to explore it all. Somewhere in the secret part of his heart that still hasn’t learned to give up hope, Connor imagines that he might eventually be the one to do it.

At one point, Risa has to interrupt his reverie to ask his help with a mechanical issue. One of the viewing decks on the upper floor has lost gravity controls for some reason. Connor heads up to check it out, but even then, he’s unable to contain his awe. From the moment he pushes his way into the viewing deck, Connor floats, weightless, in a bay of securiglass windows. All around him is shifting, swirling blue, the navy and cerulean and aquamarine of a thousand cosmos.

From somewhere behind him, Risa laughs, probably at the look on his face. “You’ve seen space every day for the last year, Connor,” she teases him, “Surely it got old at some point, right?”

“Never,” he swears. “Look at all of this. I mean, wherever the Graveyard was, we never had this much color. It was all black and white, which was cool too, but this is something else.”

Stars, it’s stunning. Especially with the loss of gravity, it’s like swimming in a massive starsea. Curls of blue and purple nebulae erupt just outside the windows. The light reflects on Connor’s skin, his hands. With the tint, he almost believes that both arms are the same, that he is whole again.

“I mean,” he says quietly, half trailing off into his own head, “Just look at it, Risa. Everything is blue. It’s all so different. It’s all ours.”

Risa had been giggling, but she sobers up now, looking at him like somehow Connor is more impressive than any manner of stars. He pushes off of a nearby window so he can float back to her. For a moment, he’s almost afraid he’ll miss her and have to re adjust, and then they collide. Risa clings onto him by instinct, not wanting to lose contact with him again, but then the pressure fades and they just float there together, suspended by the weightlessness of their own chamber, surrounded by starlight. 

“Promise me we can have this again,” she whispers suddenly, “Even after the harvest camp. Promise me we’ll come back and we can just be us again.”

He can’t promise something like that, neither of them can. They both know the risks of this. “I promise,” he says anyway.

She grins up at him. “You won’t let the rush of ordering around all those grateful distributes go to your head?”

Connor chuckles. “Absolutely not. I’ll make Hayden take over. That sort of thing wasn’t meant for me.”

“That surprises me,” Risa hums. “I thought you’d make a good leader. All those kids looked up to you back in the Graveyard, you know that.”

He sighs. “That was just because of the Akron AWOL rumors. They were hoping I’d do something crazy, but I only ever got that nickname because I panicked.”

His mind can’t help but flinch back to memories of Starkey watching him with hungry eyes wherever he went. No, he hopes that never happens again.

“I don’t want this, you know,” he says offhandedly, “I never did. I mean, I used to dream all the time of being on a ship of my own, but never once did I actually want to be captain.”

Risa’s gaze is soft and non-judgmental. “What did you want to be, then?”

“A mechanic,” he says, and laughs so he doesn’t have to look at her anymore. “My dad was one. Every week he’d get shipped up to some frigate or spaceport that needed repairs. He used to tell us all these stories about the crazy systems they had in those things.” Connor’s father had stopped telling those stories a while back, at least while Connor was in the room. He probably should have taken that as a sign.

“Anyway,” he continues hurriedly, clearing his throat, “I always liked the sound of that, I guess. I never wanted to just commute from ground to space, though. Staying on a ship for a longer time seemed pretty cool. It would just be me and the sky. I’d fix things, I’d hang with my crew. Everything would go according to plan.”

He has to physically stop himself from rambling any longer. Despite Connor’s best attempts at seeming like he didn’t have a care in the world back before he kicked-AWOL, he’d dreamed about that sort of life all the time. It was easier than wondering if his parents would ever get disappointed in him enough to actually sign an Unwind order. It was easier than thinking about the fact that they finally did.

Risa doesn’t seem perturbed by this. Instead, she hums in agreement under her breath. “I’d like it if things could go according to plan. And I’d especially like it if I could just spend time with friends without anyone interfering.”

Connor barks out a harsh, almost painful laugh. “Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe,” Risa admits, “but we can see about that. We might have time for crazy once we’re eighteen.”

Connor goes silent. Worse things have happened in his life than getting his hopes up for something that’s probably never going to happen. He reaches over and takes Risa’s hand. She lets him. In their hollow of the ship, two teenagers linger in relative peace and quiet, and for once, the universe lets them be happy.

a/n posted ten minutes before midnight still counts as posting on time if i only specify the chapter release date 🤩 

unwind tag list: @reinekes-fox, @sirofreak, @locke-writes

all tags list: @wordsarelife

#unwind #unwind imagines #unwind oneshot #unwind series #unwind fanfic #unwind dystology #unwind dystology imagines #unwind dystology oneshot #unwind dystology series #unwind dystology fanfic #connor lassiter #connor lassiter imagines #connor lassiter oneshot #connor lassiter series #connor lassiter fanfic #risa ward #risa ward imagines #risa ward oneshot #risa ward series #risa ward fanfic #conrisa #conrisa imagines #conrisa oneshot #conrisa series #conrisa fanfic #connor lassiter x risa ward #connor lassiter/risa ward

[that-fanperson-meg]

After almost a full week, I’ve finished the first chapter to the follow up for the writing that I did of @stardustshimmer’s pirate Au, and here it is!

Ao3 Version here

And without further stalling, I give you this!

It was no secret that most feared the unknown. Things beyond a person’s understanding often scared them away from ever knowing or looking.

Sailors and pirates however, did not obey this common knowledge. 

In their eyes, if a captain turned their back on a challenge or bet that any reasonable person would deny, they were a coward that didn’t deserve their ship nor crew.

This was the reason as to why Captain Meta was determined to see the king of the sea once again. As before the siren had swam back into the depths of the sea he’d challenged Meta to do what a pirate does best and steal his treasure.

It was also for this reason that Meta had charted a course for the small set of islands that Dedede had told him that he often visited. However this also meant that Meta had to lie to his ever loyal crew, an idea that hurt the captain at first but he soon accepted that it was a necessary step in order to see the siren again.

Out on the deck the wind played in the sails of the Halberd, and worked in tandem with the current pushing the pirates to their destination relatively quickly. 

Like most days, Axe was in charge of steering while his closest friend, Mace, handled the lookout. 

“I still can’t believe that siren got away with the broach.” The shorter pirate said with a groan.

Mace shrugged, “the guy held off the Squeaks for who knows how long, I’m sure he put up a blasted good fight against the captain and the siren just  escaped the second he had an opening just like the yellow-bellied fish he is.” 

Despite their friend’s reasoning, Axe continued to hold an annoyed expression in his eyes. “Though still! I was hoping to use my cut of the loot to get a fancy concertina like the captain has.”

Axe’s words stuck with Mace for longer than usual. 

“First off,” Mace began, “do you even know how to play concertina?” The pirate deadpanned. “And secondly, the captain has an concertina?” Mace finished with genuine perplexment.

Axe relished in their friend’s dumbfoundment before he responded, “one; no I don’t but I could use it to annoy Vul, and two; yeah, I caught him playing it last night when I came to take second watch.”

The taller pirate paused for a second, and then exclaimed with a startled look in their eyes, “Axe, do you know what this could mean?!”

Axe wordlessly shook his head, and in response their friend rolled his eyes. 

“Our captain was out playing the concertina in the dead of night- tell me Axe, what did we do yesterday that could cause a scene like that?”

The pirate thought long about their answer, “I mean there was that siren-” 

With yet another annoyed groan, Mace explained what his friend had missed. 

“We went to that town the other day! What if the captain found someone that he likes on that island and he’s considering giving up the life of a pirate to be with them!?” Mace dramatically finished.

Shaking his head, Axe laughed to themself. 

“Ya’know Mace, I think you’ve been reading a few too many romance novels lately.”

Eyeing the waves off the side of the ship, the taller of the two pirates sighed, “maybe I have been, come to think of it…”

                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~

In all of Dedede’s years of being the kind of the ocean, not once did he ever expect himself to get this hung up on a non-sea dweller, much less a pirate.

Though somehow, in his eyes, Captain Meta was unlike anyone he’d ever met -and not just because he didn’t have fins or a tail like the Waddle Dees or Kirby did-. Meta was courageous and laughed in the face of danger, but also had a gentle side to him that Dedede once thought pirates were incapable of having.

It was for these reasons that more than anything the siren wanted to see the captain again.

Though that wasn’t as simple as Dedede wanted it to be. As from the moment that he returned back to the cove which he, Kirby, and Bandana Dee called home, his two guppies hadn’t left his side.

On one flipper, Dedede could understand why the two were acting like this; they were both kids and hadn’t been away from the siren for as long as they had been.

“Daaaaad,” Kirby started in the tone that the siren recognized meant that they were hungry, “do we have any snacks left?” 

“I’m ‘fraid we don’t, Kirbs. Do ya’ want me to get food?” Dedede asked, to which Kirby replied with a pout.

“No! I want you to stay here with us!” The light pink guppy insisted.

The siren chuckled to himself hearing Kirby’s childish demands. “Well Kirbs, do ya’ want food or me to stay?”

Wrapping their baby pink fins around Dedede’s blue feathered flippers as tight as they could, “I want both!” Kirby exclaimed.

It was then that a voice from the opposite side of where the siren layed on the seabed spoke up. 

“Great king, I could go out and get food for Kirby. This way you wouldn’t have to leave and we’d still have food.” Bandana Dee offered. 

Turning his gaze from Kirby -who still kept his grip on the siren’s flipper- to the light orange guppy. “Bandana, don’t trouble ya’self. I’m the fastest swimmer outta all of us, I’ll be back before ya’ know it. Just keep an eye on pinky, ‘k?”

“The last time I watched Kirby, they got taken by pirates.” The orange fish grumbled to himself.

Immediately upon hearing Bandana’s words, guilt hit the Siren like an undertow. 

“Bandee,” Dedede began, as he pulled his guppy close, “ya’ know that wasn't ya’ fault. If anythin’, it was my own fault- I shouldn’t ‘ave left ya’ and Kirby alone for that long.”

Bandana went quiet for a minute, which the siren hoped meant that the guppy forgave himself for the misplaced blame.

“Alright,” the Waddle Dee said with a gentle smile in his eyes, “I’ll keep an eye on them- but you better bring back some of the good kelp I like!” Bandana said playfully 

Dedede chuckled and rose from where he laid on the seabed, gently brushing the baby pink guppy off of his flipper -much to Kirby’s annoyance-.

From what the siren could tell from below the waves, the sun had begun to set. Which meant that Dedede’s meeting with the pirate captain drew closer -a thought that excited and became a source of anxiety for the siren-.

                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~

If Meta had been any less foolhardy, he would have thought twice about seeing a siren with the power of the ocean at his back a second time.

Though fortunately, he wasn’t. 

Like every other pirate, the captain had an affinity for running into danger headfirst. He often laughed in the face of peril, and kept a constant demeanor of confidence and authority.

However, when Vul came to tell Meta that Dreamland Cove was in their sights. All of his bravado disappeared.

Stepping out of the captain’s quarters on the Halberd; the smell of the ocean and the dwindling light of the sun reminded him that all of this was real and he couldn’t back out of it.

But then again, Meta didn’t want it any other way.

Slowly but surely, the vibrant hues of twilight turned to the quiet serenity that the darkness of dusk provided. With each passing minute, Meta prayed to Void that Dedede had the sense to wait until the rest of the crew had gone below deck to show himself.

“Captain,” the quartermaster of the Halberd began, “it’s startin’ to get late. Should I give the word for the crew to turn in for the night?” Vul suggested, noticing the general tiredness present in the crew.

Breathing a sigh of relief that Vul had finally said what he did, the captain gave the go ahead for the rest of the crew to get to bed. 

“I’ll take first watch.” Meta said just before Trident could do the same.

Meta’s statement seemed to confuse Vul for a second, “Captain, ya’ took first watch last night, are ya’ sure you’re up for it again?” 

A sharp look from Meta sent the bird-like man into silence, as he knew better than to question a captain any further.

With that matter squared away, the crew of the Halberd returned below deck. 

Leaving their captain not so alone as they believed.

After only a handful of moments, Meta heard a quiet but audible splash in the water over the starboard side of the ship. 

“Have I finally gone sea mad, or is that a siren I hear?” The captain pondered playfully, getting his answer in the form of a quiet snicker coming from overboard.

“Nah,” said a voice that Meta recognized, “I think ya’ doin’ just fine.”

Peering down into the deep navy blue of the waters from the right side of the Halberd, Meta could see the figure of a burly royal blue penguin with a tail that glistened in the light of the moon.

From behind his mask, the captain smiled. 

“Ah, Dedede. I was wondering when you were going to show yourself.”

The siren smirked, “Meta, I think you’re forgettin’ that I’m the one that invited you here- not the other way ‘round.”

“So, how have things been under the waves?” Meta asked the king of the sea, who held a warm smile on his face.

“Same as usual, if I’m honest.” The siren nonchalantly said, “I spent most’a the day layin’ about the seafloor with Kirbs an’ Bandee which was nice.”

Meta thought over Dedede’s answer for a second, “I don’t think I’ve heard you speak of this ‘Bandee’ character before, who are they?”

The king of the sea laughed to himself, “you gettin’ jealous, Meta?”

Immediately the captain was overcome by a feeling of fluster. 

“I am not jealous, Dedede. I was trying to make conversation.” Meta said forcefully, as the siren in the water laughed to himself.

Defeating his fit of laughter, Dedede explained that Bandee -short for Bandana Waddle Dee- was the siren’s other kid in addition to Kirby.

A period of comfortable silence then fell between the two, and it was then that Meta fully came to terms with how different the two truly were. Though by some miracle, fate decided that the two lives would cross more than once.

“Meta,” Dedede said, pulling the pirate out of his thoughts, “what’s it like up there on land?”

The captain thought for a second before sighing, “well I am not the best person to ask, -seeing as I’ve spent most of my life on ships- but in my opinion: it’s loud and busy. Places, names, faces, all swirl together in a whirlpool that seeks to drown any that aren’t strong enough.” 

Probably noticing Meta’s tone, Dedede was quick to shift the subject. 

“Hey Meta, I know this is kinda odd, but can ya’ tell me what music is? We don’t got anythin’ like that down here, and I’ve always been wonderin’ ‘bout it.”

The pirate then had a sort of playful look in his golden eyes before he went out of the siren’s view.

For a second, Dedede wondered if he’d done something wrong, and silently panicked until Meta returned with something in his hands.

As the pirate moved his hands, the device moved along with him, producing a melody playful like the waves and so light it could’ve been the wind. 

Dedede didn’t understand how exactly the instrument produced its sound, but his mind wasn’t concerned with the how, he was more interested in the sight of Meta playing the music. 

With each refrain the pirate would move with the song, swaying and leaning in to emphasize notes. 

By the end of the song, Dedede was so enchanted with what he’d just heard that he accidentally forgot to clap. 

However Meta didn’t seem upset at the lack of cheers, in fact he looked as though he had just been given the highest applause he could receive.

“I actually haven’t played for anyone but myself in quite some time. I am lucky that I still remembered that song.” Meta admitted.

Snapping out of his awe of the song, Dedede’s mind latched onto the first part of the captain’s sentence.

“You’ve played music for other people before?” The siren asked.

Meta’s golden eyes held a smug look, “your majesty, are you jealous that I’ve serenaded people before you?”

In a twist of fate, this time it was Meta that laughed as Dedede became flustered and ultimately failed to explain himself.

The two unlikely friends continued to talk into the night, with their conversation aimlessly drifting from one subject to the next. Though as to be expected, it had to come to a close.

“Hey Meta, you wanna do this again tomorrow?” The siren asked, just before he swam off. 

If Meta had been sensible enough to figure that continuing to meet with the person that held a treasure that every pirate had been searching for could only end in disaster. He might’ve turned Dedede down, he might’ve continued living his life trying to forget about the dashing siren he’d once known.

Though fortunately, Meta wasn’t that sensible.

He agreed to see Dedede again the next day, a decision which put a warm smile on the siren’s face which lit the pirate’s own heart alight. 

Before Dedede disappeared below the waves like he had the night before, the captain’s mind thought to himself, “I can get used to this.”

However a moment later Meta had been reminded about the treasure that the siren had initially enticed him to steal, and the fact that he hadn’t once mentioned it to Dedede again.

#stardustshimmer’s meta pirate #kirby #meta knight #king dedede

[markantonys]

crossroads of twilight chapter 15-end

elenia and mellar have so many rude and infuriating and incorrect and evil thoughts about elayne and i cannot wait for her to kick their asses into next tuesday

in mellar’s pov we hear a whole lot of instances of him killing women, because of course Killing A Woman is the sign of true evil and our heroes are good because they only kill men and spare women even when it is a COLASSALLY STUPID MOVE BECAUSE THE WOMAN IN QUESTION IS EVIL AND DANGEROUS AND WILL KILL AGAIN IF LEFT ALIVE. anyway.

i forgot to say this in past books but i go crazy over the fact that at this stage in the series, egwene has a horse named daishar and rand one named tai’daishar. they are foils!!!!!! (egwene and rand, not the horses. tai’daishar and jeade’en are the Horse Foils of the series, and i miss jeade’en immensely. fuck tai’daishar, all my homies hate tai’daishar. no i’m sure he’s a good boy, it’s just that i'm devastated about what he symbolizes about rand’s character arc.)

egwene has reached tar valon! after leaving for that destination 4 books ago! she thinks about how the white tower is Home. girl you were in the tower for a grand total of, what, 3 months? lmao

egwene is thinking about how she has only bad options in front of her (there’s no way to take back the tower without people dying) and has to pick the one that’s least wrong. the parallels with rand!!! they are foils!!!!

“how long ago had it been that she reached tar valon by that same route [a ship]? almost beyond memory, it seemed. an age gone. it had been another woman who came ashore and was met by the mistress of novices.” “egwene compared the farms they passed to those in the two rivers. perhaps the realization that the two rivers was no longer home made her study them. acknowledging the truth could never be a betrayal, yet she needed to remember the two rivers. you could forget who you were if you forgot where you came from, and sometimes the innkeeper’s daughter from emond’s field seemed a stranger to her.” 😭😭😭 KIDS GROW THE FUCK UP SO FAST THESE DAYS 😭😭

egwene going “of course i’m willing to negotiate with elaida! my terms are her complete and total surrender 😤” an icon and a legend, i love her

“leane paid minute attention to her clothes since joining the green ajah.” 🙄 not sure which is more annoying, the fact that Being Hot has become leane’s entire personality (she really was the blueprint for min huh?) or the fact that Being Hot is the entire green ajah’s entire personality. the concept of switching ajahs would be so interesting to explore if leane had had ANY motivation for it besides “i want to be green so i can fuck” lmao

from the next chapter: “[leane’s report was] written on thin sheets of paper in a flowing elegant hand. egwene could not see exactly why, but you could never doubt that anything leane wrote had been written by a woman.” passages that make you shout WHAT out loud jkfjgh even leane’s handwriting is Hot, i guess!

a couple of aes sedai have managed to make ter’angreal. dammit, that’s elayne’s thing! i know The Point is that knowledge is being rediscovered and channelers are growing more powerful again, but every time i see someone who can do elayne’s special talent, someone who’s even stronger in the power than nynaeve etc, i sulk. they are my special once-in-an-Age girls, thank you very much!

egwene’s learned how to make cuendillar! did moghedien teach her or did she figure it out on her own? i don’t remember it being mentioned before, and i feel like it should’ve been. why didn’t we see egwene making this discovery? all the interesting things are happening offscreen between books in this portion of the series. we’ve barely seen egwene in the past few books, but of her little screentime, i could’ve used less Sitting In Tents Worrying About Things and more Making Groundbreaking Magical Discoveries.

update: egwene did discover it by herself! moghedien “pointed the way” but didn’t actually know how to make cuendillar

“‘aes sedai should not be making things for...sale.’ salita invested that word with all the scorn of a woman who accepted the income from her estate in tear without ever thinking how it had been come by.” JSKDJFG egwene went for the THROAT the innkeeper’s daughter from emond’s field IS still in there

“she did not even know where in the world gawyn was, or what to do if she learned. he had his duty to andor, and she hers to the tower. and the one way to bridge that chasm, bonding him, might lead to his death. better to let him go, forget him entirely. as easy as forgetting her own name.” STARCROSSED................. (and once again, egwene-rand parallels! thinking their love interest is Better Off Without Them)

i HAVE been wondering, if egwene bonds gawyn (which she knows she will due to prophetic dream and i know she will due to spoilers, but i repeat that i know nothing else about gawyn’s future besides this bare fact and the bare fact of his ultimate fate, but no clue how either thing happens or anything else he might get up to, so if you spoil me on even the most minor thing about him you’ll be my enemy for life. he’s probably my least-spoiled major character and i want to preserve that!) anyway if egwene bonds gawyn, what will elayne do? who will be her first prince of the sword? poor birgitte’s frothing at the mouth for gawyn to come home and take all those responsibilities off her plate. hey you know who would be a GREAT first prince of the sword? MAT!! altho maybe it has to be a member of the queen’s family. oh, so elayne can just marry mat and then he’s an official member of house trakand, boom, all problems solved for everybody!

aha, following up from our discussion the other week, egwene confirms that “swearing on the oath rod shortens our lives by half at least”

egwene: no one wants to die before they must rand: [looks at the camera like he’s on the office]

there are rumors circulating among egwene’s aes sedai that there are aes sedai under rand’s control. “no one had mentioned Compulsion aloud that egwene knew of, but they had to be thinking it.” “‘i don’t want to think about using the fact that rand may have Compelled sisters. i don’t want to think about the possibility that he could have.’ neither about the possibility that he knew such a repulsive weave, or that he could lay that weave on anyone. she knew it - another little gift from moghedien - and very much wished she could forget how to make it.” damn lots to unpack here! 1) egwene knows compulsion!!! um!!!!!! Yet Another thing i wish we’d seen her learn onscreen (but as always, disclaimer that maybe we did and i just forgot). i wonder if she’ll end up using it after all someday, it’s too tantalizing to slip in that she knows it only for nothing to ever come of it. 2) once again, lack of communication is hindering everybody and making the series twice as long as it needs to be. 3) ever since loc i’ve been foreseeing rand vs. egwene conflict about rand making aes sedai swear fealty to him, and we’re fiiiiinally starting to see it brewing. 4) egwene hates the thought of rand using compulsion and doesn’t want to entertain it, but she can’t help a seed of doubt. it hurts how far apart these two have grown from each other! while i found their relationship in the show un-compelling at the time (going in knowing nothing about anything, i clocked right away that they weren’t endgame so it just felt like the show was wasting my time trying to get me invested in a bland childhood romance) i’m retroactively glad that it was made so much more serious and more loving than it was in the books, bc that’ll make them growing apart later hit even harder than it does in the books (where it’s already hitting me pretty hard!) i was listening to the soundtrack while working the other day and the track that plays when they’re holding hands in shadar logoth made me choke up, that moment specifically is one i’m eagerly looking forward to revisiting after having finished the books. on first watch i was kinda like whatever at that scene but having the context of the books and thinking about how young and innocent they are in that moment and how hard their journeys will be and how far apart they’ll grow, i just know i’m gonna Weep.

siuan straight up thinks cadsuane is a darkfriend LMAO i wish! that would’ve been such a good twist

“eventually they would have to deal with him, somehow. she had grown up with rand, yet she could not allow that to influence her. he was the dragon reborn now, the hope of the world and at the same time maybe the single greatest threat the world faced. maybe? the seanchan could not do as much damage as the dragon reborn. and she was going to use the possibility that he had Compelled sisters. the amyrlin seat really was a different woman from that innkeeper’s daughter.” IT HURTS YOUR HONOR!!! and yet AGAIN rand-egwene parallels, rand being disgusted with himself for using people and thinking that his old self is a stranger to him now are things we’ve seen countless times. people who hate egwene because she clashes with rand are fools and hypocrites who are missing the obvious foiling going on between them. of course they clash! that’s the whole point! that’s what it’s all About! they are foils!

egwene & co all think the forsaken have a huge weapon that destroyed shadar logoth and caused the massive channeling output. rand, please just tell people what you’re doing dear god you’re causing so much unnecessary mass panic! on the other hand, this fear is the impetus for the aes sedai to decide to make an agreement with the asha’man, which to me seems like good progress in theory but on the other hand we know taim and many asha’man are darkfriends, so it may turn out badly. still, aes sedai and asha’man working together is something we do need! in theory!

this also proves the point that so much unnecessary and OOC lack of communication happens solely for plot convenience. like if rand and nynaeve had told elayne and avi what their plan was, as it would be in character for at LEAST nynaeve to do if not also rand (sure he’s trying to protect them, but if he can tell min his plans and BRING HER ALONG ON THEM it makes no sense that he wouldn’t also tell elayne and avi), then they would’ve passed it on to egwene by now and she would know the forsaken don’t have some weapon, so she would’ve been able to placate the aes sedai and no proposal to ally with the asha’man would’ve been made. but since this proposal is likely necessary for future plot, rj had to come up with a motivation of some absurd Forsaken Mass Weapon fear that isn’t even REMOTELY true.

“[too many other places in tel’aran’rhiod] turned out to have eavesdroppers. or bone-deep sadness. she hated seeing what had become of the two rivers since she left.” 💔💔 it’s lame that perrin is the only one who went back to emond’s field bc i feel like he’s the one of the 5 i’d be least emotional about doing so lmao if egwene, rand, nynaeve, or mat went back i’d lose it (tho mat mostly just in the context of show mat with his sisters, book mat i don’t think i’d be too emotional about it)

egwene and avi meet up in tel’aran’rhiod!! oh i’m so happy to see them interact again!! avi comes dressed in fancy wetlander silks (but still with rand’s bracelet) and is then embarrassed and changes them to wise one’s clothes. i can only assume this is because in her heart of hearts she wants to be elayne’s sugar baby.

apparently pregnancy makes elayne unable to use the dream ter’angreal to go to tel’aran’rhiod. rj is making up weird and random pregnancy + channeling rules left right and center. i bet there will end up being some plot point where elayne has a problem that could’ve been solved if she’d been able to talk to somebody in tel’aran’rhiod, hence this pregnancy channeling rule.

“suddenly, [aviendha] grinned. her emerald eyes seemed almost to shine. ‘[elayne] has a wonderful temper sometimes. she threw the ring down and jumped up and down on it.’” fond wife!

“oddly, aviendha took it in stride that elayne was with child, though egwene was convinced the woman loved rand too.” poor egwene, clueless about the avirandlayne throuple. also, i swear on my life egwene was also completely clueless about avi/rand being into each other back when they were all together in tsr-loc?? since when is she aware there’s feelings there?

“egwene would not have thought it of elayne, though! and rand!” why don’t you just fuck gawyn and maybe you’ll calm down

“no one had actually said he was the father, and she could hardly ask something like that” i feel like you could ask that of your very best friend, egwene. i feel like that would be an ok thing to ask. if my BFF gets mysteriously knocked up you bet your ass the first thing out of my mouth is gonna be “who did you fuck??” on a serious note, more fractures in the gang, if elayne apparently isn’t even trusting egwene with the knowledge that they’re rand’s babies :(

fuck i am SO mad nynaeve got separated from elayne before finding out she was Pregnant Out Of Wedlock jkfjgh seeing nynaeve react to that would’ve been SO FUNNY (tho also infuriating, i’m sure - egwene’s judginess here is bad enough! but at least she concedes “the rest of the world was not the same as the two rivers. light, she had come far enough to know that much. she did not have to like it, but she had to live with it.”)

speaking of nynaeve, does she not come to TAR anymore? do the 3 of them not still have standing meetings? because since min is incapable of telling rand about the babies, surely elayne could tell nynaeve in TAR to tell him! Inexplicable Lack Of Communication For Plot Reasons strikes again. or more accurately, for Character Arc Reasons since knowing that he’s gonna be a dad and having that hope for the future and motivation to live past tarmon gai’don would interfere with rand’s downward spiral arc

ah, avi does confirm that they’ve heard from neither nynaeve nor rand. maybe nynaeve is avoiding TAR bc she doesn’t want them to find out about the top secret saidin cleansing mission. which, again, it makes no sense she wouldn’t have told them about. egwene i can see, since she’s so firmly entrenched with the aes sedai as an institution and nynaeve and rand want to go rogue on this mission, but why not have told elayne and avi? god knows elayne is keeping plenty of secrets from the tower already, she would’ve been down to handle 1 more.

upon hearing about the proposed agreement between aes sedai and asha’man, avi’s clothes change into a cadin’sor but “incongruously, the ivory bracley still hung from her wrist although maidens of the spear did not wear jewelry.” no matter how she’s seeing herself, whether as maiden or wise one or wetlander sugar baby, her love for rand is constant ❤️❤️😭😭

“aviendha was in training to be a wise one, and garments or no, she was being a wise one...part of egwene wanted to smile. her friend was changing from the often hotheaded maiden of the spear she had first come to know. another part of her remembered that the wise ones did not always have the same goals as aes sedai...it made her sad that she must think of aviendha as a wise one instead of just a friend.” fractures in the gaaaaang 😭😭😭 also, i feel like a lot of avi’s character development is locked offscreen bc we get so little of her pov. we’ve heard that she’s resumed her training but have seen nothing of it. i want more avi pov!

“if aviendha did not mention it, then the matter was something she and elayne wanted to handle themselves. surely she would have said something if it was anything egwene should know about. or would she? sighing, egwene set her cup on the table...and rubbed her eyes with her fingers. suspicion truly was part of her bones now. and she was unlikely to survive long without it.” EGWENE-RAND PARALLELS and elayne too, we’ve seen this a ton with her since arriving in caemlyn

“‘tell elayne to take care of herself. you take care of her. and her babes.’ ‘i will,’ aviendha said, now in the blue silk.” avi’s clothes changing as she’s mentally returning to her role as elayne’s wife and sugar baby

“‘but you must take care of yourself. i think you use yourself too hard.’...[egwene] was not using herself too hard. only as hard as she needed to.” egwene-rand parallels again! and avi caring for egwene ❤️ if only rand and mat and perrin could still talk to each other and look after each other the way the girls do. i have been saying this in literally every single recap post for the past like 4 books but i never stop being upset about it every time i see the girls staying friends and maintaining their support network and the boys being cut off from every loved one except their one (1) designated girlfriend! rand even has 3 girlfriends but only gets to interact with 1!

there is literally no reason (besides Plot-Mandated Lack Of Communication) why elayne couldn’t have made dream rings for everybody and handed them out! she’s seen mat and rand since learning how to make them and could’ve made them some, and perrin can get to TAR on his own (tho he doesn’t know what it is yet). i want everybody to have dream ring friendship bracelets dammit!

egwene Prophecy Dreams of mat bowling (because bowling exists in randland, nice!) but the pins turn into dead men, and an illuminator is somehow involved. some kind of battle-y thing mat will be involved in that will result in a lot of deaths, i imagine.

another Prophecy Dream of egwene herself being saved by a seanchan woman. i predict this must be either tuon or egeanin since we don’t know any other major seanchan women yet (but of course rj is a huge fan of introducing additional characters at the eleventh hour lmao)

also Prophecy Dream of seanchan attacking the white tower. oh man, they’re gonna get that far inland? no! get outta this continent! the seanchan prove that tweet that was like a single texan is a great addition to any story (egeanin) but more than one is bad news (the rest of the seanchan)

i was convinced mesaana was theodrin but now i think she’s tarna. but whoever she’s revealed to be in the end, there’s a good chance my reaction will be “i don’t even know who that is” because there are 98034985 random aes sedai side characters i can’t keep track of (i had no clue who tarna was until she referenced her trip to salidar, which jogged my memory that she was the representative from elaida whom elayne and nynaeve saw way back when)

dramatically vague discussion between pevara and tarna about a note from toveine gazal that “changes the whole world” but it means nothing to me because i don’t even know who toveine gazal is. edit: a chapter or two later she shows up with logain and jogs my memory that she’s the aes sedai he bonded. she was literally in the prologue of this very book and i already forgot jkfjgh

this is the problem at this stage of the series. too many side characters! too! many! there are like 7 major plotlines going on, and each one has a big cast of side characters who eat up screentime by having their personalities and quibbles with each other gone into in detail (the AMOUNT of TIMES i’ve heard about all the quibbles among egwene’s aes sedai and rand’s aes sedai and nobles and perrin’s camp and the white tower contingent. at least mat’s crew is relatively small and easy to keep track of.) they eat up screetime and yet are completely unmemorable and i can’t keep track of any of them, so it’s just a huge waste of time.

cadsuane pov: “verin knew more about that sort of relations with men than she did - she had never believed in indulging with her own warders, as some greens did, and other men had always been out of the question” verin knows more about. about. oh my god does verin fuck????????? i-

“cadsuane did not think the other sister knew min was bonded to the al’thor boy. she herself only knew because the girl had let too much slip in a careless moment.” MIN STOP BLURTING OUT SENSITIVE INFORMATION CHALLENGE! GOD! and let’s not forget that it would be elayne who would get in by far the most trouble for this since she’s the one who did the weave, so min’s put ELAYNE’S ass on the coals here. next thing you know she’s gonna be telling cadsuane that elayne is pregnant with rand’s babies! goddamn!! early series perrin has definitely passed the “blurting out secret shit all over the place” torch.

cadsuane pov is good because every time she interjects “phaw!” into her narration i lose my shit

but i’m still struggling to see why she needs to exist. she has contributed nothing to the story so far.

we’re introduced to the aes sedai elza (or maybe reintroduced for all i know) who’s extremely loyal to rand. but a chapter later we get her pov and find out she’s a darkfriend. RJ STOP REVEALING DARKFRIENDS 2 FUCKING SECONDS AFTER THEY’RE INTRODUCED CHALLENGE i want to scream!!!!! there is no mystery! no traitor twists! instead i am forced to sit here watching characters be unknowingly surrounded by darkfriends for multiple books (egwene and halima (well forsaken but w/e), elayne and mellar, rand and taim, even elaida and alviarin not that i care about elaida, but it’s the principle of it) which is probably supposed to feel suspenseful but is just frustrating. like, the reveal of natael’s and keille’s true identites at the end of tsr was so surprising and satisfying, more of that, please!

“what was [rand] to do about [min]? about elayne and aviendha?” “was it too late to keep min safe, to keep elayne and aviendha safe?” we are two goddamn paragraphs into rand’s pov and already getting “min!!!! and elayneaviendha blob” i am so fucking sick of this i hate it here!!!

“all he had of them at the moment was a general sense of direction and the knowledge that they were alive. min’s body was pressed tight against his side, though, and the bond made her as vibrant inside his head as she was in the flesh.” I HATE IT HERE!!!!!!!!!! genuinely i think that rand/min makes me angrier than almost anything else in the entire series, aside from the nosedive that is mat’s character development (more on that later). i would rather read an entire book from perrin’s pov than one chapter of rand/min. okay no i take that back. but it’s a near thing.

“without warning, min punched him in the ribs hard enough to make him grunt. ‘you’re getting melancholy, sheepherder.’” because as we all know, the best thing to do if your partner is depressed is to punch them. “[the wound] was not the same side that min had fisted - she was always gentle with that, if not always with the rest of him” i feel like your girlfriend should be gentle with ALL of you, rand. i feel like that would be a good thing for her to do.

“‘you have to do something,’ min muttered, folding her arms beneath her breasts. ‘logain’s aura still speaks of glory, stronger than ever. maybe he still thinks he’s the real dragon reborn. and there’s something...dark...in the images i saw around lord davram. if he turns against you, or dies...’” whoever pointed out that min’s viewings accomplish nothing but making rand’s paranoia worse (butterflydm i believe?), you are SO right. min has no clue what her viewings of logain or bashere ACTUALLY mean, she’s just speculating that they’re bad news for rand, which could be completely off base for all she knows (especially the logain one - maybe he’s gonna get glory by HELPING rand at the last battle, ever think of that?). thankfully, right now rand doesn’t seem pressed about it and just says he has to do what he can, not worry about what he can’t. but i can’t imagine it helps him to have a cassandra stuck to his side foretelling unavoidable doom and gloom 24/7 especially when half the time she’s just making up her own interpretations and misleading rand to believe she knows them for facts!

side note: if anything happens to bashere i’ll kill everyone in randland and then myself!!!!

“the woman carried more knives tucked about her than thom merrilin had. or mat. colors whirled in his head, almost resolving into...what? a man on a wagon seat?” 1) min carries more knives than thom and mat and yet has never ONCE done anything useful with them that i can recall. all she does is flourish them to look hot or stab them into the wall to look threatening (threatening to rand more often than to anyone else). 2) even RAND notes the similarities between min and mat, dammit! mat is the superior mischievous knife-wielding brunette non-channeler love interest for rand! 3) the colors and the seeing what the other person is doing goes both ways! cauthor crumbs! i will note that rand did not have a single thought about perrin in this entire book (all 1 chapter of his pov). just saying.

we see rand seize saidin for the first time since it was cleansed. i feel like this should’ve been a bigger deal. first of all, going into the series i thought the taint on saidin was gonna be a bigger problem than it ended up being, and second of all, i was picturing a really emotional moment of rand feeling clean saidin for the first time, but that just didn’t happen. granted, he still has his other weird saidin sickness going on (triggered by that guy in shadar logoth whose identity i am 99.9999% sure of but hasn’t officially been confirmed to me yet) which kinda cancels out the lack of the taint, but still! in the early books he struggled so much with the taint, it would’ve been satisfying to see him actually........be happy that it’s gone now.

loial is here! and says “you don’t know how good it is to hear you calling [rand] sheepherder, min” which i suppose is a part of the whole “min helps rand remember who he used to be” thing which is absolute baloney because min doesn’t KNOW who he used to be. she met the sheepherder ONCE. where is mat when you need him?? (off in ebou dar having pottery thrown at him by his future wife, that’s where.)

“aviendha assumed that he would marry her, and elayne and min as well, in the aiel fashion. elayne appeared to think so too, strange as that seemed. he thought she did. what did min think? she had never said.” min thinks that she wants you all to herself but doesn’t want to look bad by saying so, that’s what. also, not all relationships have to end in marriage! same thought earlier when egwene was all huffy about rand and elayne loving each other and having babies together while Not Being Married, Oh The Horrors! this attitude is just so obviously a product of the author’s own culture rather than something that makes sense in-universe. the emond’s fielders i can see, since they were raised in a tiny community with traditional values, but i feel like avi and min would be much more open-minded and less set on Marriage As Endgame (and elayne sort of since she knows much more of the world than the emond’s fielders, yet at the same time that was more like textbook knowledge and her actual life experiences had been very sheltered, not to mention that as a person she’s such a hopeless romantic that it makes sense to me for her specific character that she would seek Marriage As Endgame). and yet, even among the aiel with their views on relationships that boggle wetlanders’ minds, they don’t even seem to conceive of a romantic relationship not resulting in marriage. mat was our ONE character who was happy to have romance without marriage, but of course he’s going to change his mind in the end now that tylin and tuon are whipping him into Proper Husband shape. i mean, personally i love marriage, i love when characters get married, i would love to get married myself someday, but i just don’t think it’s realistic that this entire cast of characters with wildly different personalities and cultural backgrounds would all feel the same way lmao

“it isn’t like with you humans, min. you do everything rand asks.” LOIAL JUST ABSOLUTELY MURDERING MIN LMAOOOOO it’s true and he should say it!

“‘it has to end!’ rand thundered, echoed by the crashes in the sky. he had doffed his coat before this interview, and rolled up his shirtsleeves to bare the dragons twined around his forearms in scarlet and gold, the golden-maned heads resting on the backs of his hands. he wanted the man in front of him reminded with every look that he was facing the dragon reborn.” 🥵🥵

“he suspected flinn would fight as hard to hang on to corele as she to him; he was fairly certain there was more between those two than the bond now. well, if an aes sedai could bond a man who channeled, what was to say a pretty woman could not fix on a gimpy old man?” rand says as if that doesn’t happen all the time in this series 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

“davram bashere appeared even shorter than he really was alongside the ogier” short king!

“no matter what you’ve done, it is time to turn your eyes to the black tower before taim splits it worse than the white tower is. if he does, you’ll find the larger part is loyal to him, not you. they know him. most have never even seen you.” logain, that is a very fair point.

on the subject of taim: is he demandred in disguise, or was he originally supposed to be but then rj changed his mind? because i have seen “taimandred” referenced but as of now it doesn’t SEEM like they’re meant to be the same person, and i’ve seen mentions of demandred’s and taim’s original plotlines being changed partway through. if they really are the same, don’t tell me, but if they were originally supposed to be the same but then that was shelved, do tell me so i’m not like “we’re popping the biggest bottles when taim is revealed to be demandred!” and then it never happens jkfjgh

“[logain] knew saidin was clean, but he could not believe rand or any man had actually done the cleansing.” poor rand is busting his ass on the group project and not getting any credit for it. when a bad thing happens everyone assumes he’s behind it even if he didn’t do it, but when a good thing he actually did do happens, no one will believe he’s the one who did it 😔

“did he think the creator had decided to stretch out a merciful hand after three thousand years of suffering? the creator had made the world and then left humankind to make of it what they would, a heaven or the pit of doom by their choosing. the creator had made many worlds, watched each flower or die, and gone on to make endless worlds beyond. a gardener did not weep for each blossom that fell.” damn, rand’s getting philosophical! and depressed!

loial: “even you [rand] can’t face the dark one! i mean, i know the prophecies say you will, but that has to be just a way of speaking.” bless his optimistic heart

rand wants to arrange a truce with the seanchan noooooo babygirl you’ve gotta wipe them out before it’s too late! but then, it already is too late, they’re spreading all through the continent 😔

“it was good to have someone he could talk to about missing faile. [berelain] listened, and smelled of sympathy.” this would’ve been an excellent throuple if only perrin and faile weren’t both so painfully monogamous. but no even then i wouldn’t see any romantic chemistry between perrin and berelain (if she’s being sincere now and really has dropped her attempts to pursue him, then their newfound friendship is so wholesome!) so i think they should be co-spouses worrying about their wife together. that’s the dream!

“wil gave perrin one of those open, innocent looks that fooled so many girls back home” so wil is trying to flirt with perrin, then? bicon wil al’seen! “wil liked too much embroidery on his coat at feastdays” perrin why don’t you get more embroidery on your own feastday coats and maybe you won’t be so bitter

“[medore’s] coat, with its puffy green-striped sleeves, looked odd on her bosomy frame. the daughter of a high lord, she was every inch a noblewoman, and men’s clothing just did not suit her.” perrin quit being a blacksmith to become a member of the fashion police, i guess.

“neald grinned too much since the shaido were found” the two greatest enmities in WOT are rand vs. the dark one and perrin vs. men who smile

perrin is in such faile tunnel vision that upon hearing there are DEAD PEOPLE WALKING in so habor he’s just like “whatever, they’ll have to deal with their own problems, i gotta save faile” jfkgj DUDE

i’ve heard no spoilers whatsoever relating to this, it’s so intriguing and spooky!!! i should’ve paid more attention to the ghost elayne’s maid said she saw earlier in the book

also, another potential positive of the show’s laila addition is that it will make perrin’s faile tunnel vision in this plotline so much more understandable and sympathetic and heartwrenching (tho i still hope the show will give him additional things to care about in his life besides just faile)

oh damn!! Dark Perrin coming out in full force in his desperation to save faile!! oh damn!! and his conversation afterwards with elyas about violence was so well done, and then him sticking his axe in a tree and leaving it there. one of the best scenes in perrin’s entire pov to date.

and now perrin is going to consider allying with the seanchan to save faile. SIGH. no truces with seanchan! no!

“in truth, those silvery leashes and the three sul’dam were the only real lever [mat] had with the aes sedai...not that he really thought about putting those collars on the sisters again. not often, anyway.” ugh mat. what’s happening to you? is this the beginning of him just being fine with marrying the seanchan empress and becoming complicit in the enslavement of women who can channel? this is not MY mat, i can tell you that much. his arc and characterization peaked at him saving elayne from the gholam and since then has taken a steep nosedive.

“‘it seems suroth might have made an alliance with some king,’ juilin reported with a smile over a cup of mulled wine. at least thera seemed to be making him smile more.” unlike perrin, mat IS a fan of men smiling (also, this much-talked-about alliance the seanchan have just made is defs the one with perrin since he’s quite nearby (but i bet he and mat still won’t ever cross paths!!! ugh!!))

“‘most of the settlers seem to have been sent east,’ thom said, peering sadly into his cup. as juilin grew happier day by day, he seemed to grow sadder.” FWHFGHLSFGKLJL THOM/JUILIN RIGHTS literally HOW else am i supposed to take this besides as thom being jealous of juilin and thera

“he needed someone to attract tuon’s ire, someone to make him seem acceptable by comparison” so, exactly what rj did for tuon with tylin lmao

“tuon sat cross-legged on the floor playing snakes and foxes with olver” okay cute! +1 point for tuon

“‘toy doesn’t mean to be rude,’ tuon murmured in that slow honey drawl. ‘he just has never been trained in manners.’” -10 points for tuon. this dynamic truly is just a gross version of matlayne, i’m so mad!

“he hated battle too - a man could get killed dead!” that made me laugh so hard jdkfjgh

“she purely enjoyed the game, laughing exultantly when she pulled him into a trap, laughing in delight when he managed a clever placement to escape. she seemed a different woman once she lost herself in the stones board.” cute again! +1 point for tuon

to think mat could be in caemlyn right now giving presents to elayne who would actually appreciate them 😤 he gives tuon some cloth rosebuds, roses are elayne’s thing! dammit!

characterization update: still makes 0 fucking sense that mat is trying to woo tuon and give her romantic gifts instead of running as fast as he can in the opposite direction

“he had overheard setalle cautioning selucia that he was a rogue with women” still makes 0 fucking sense that mistress anan is having Woman Solidarity with the evil tyrants who invaded her home. especially when she got on nynaeve’s and elayne’s cases for annoying mat back in acos (if i’m remembering that scene correctly which i may not be), why did she take mat’s side against them but not against women who are evil????

i’ve heard something of this before, but here we learn officially about the seanchan marriage custom that calling someone your spouse 3 times in front of witnesses is enough to make you legally married, so mat is now halfway to being legally married to tuon. i hope you guys have been making use of this trope to write accidental marriage fics for other ships for all these years, don’t let me down!

i’m annoyed bc there’s so many memes about mat’s love for lace but it turns out he only acquired that love for lace because he got stockholm syndromed into liking the clothes tylin forced him to wear that he never would have liked on his own. that being said, i’m laughing at the contrast between mat wishing his coat had more embroidery vs. perrin hating on wil al’seen for wearing too much embroidery, just like mat being glad to see a man smile vs. perrin hating when men smile. mat is queer and perrin is homophobic jfkgjh

“[egeanin] was not the one who had to marry the last person on earth she wanted to. a noblewoman, all cool reserve and her nose in the air, when he liked barmaids with ready smiles and willing eyes. the heir to a throne...a woman who spun his head like a top” “oh, burn him, on top of everything else, he was going to marry a woman who could channel?” THIS IS LITERALLY MATLAYNE BUT WORSE!!!!!!!!! DAMMIT!!!!!!!!! if i hadn’t known spoilers and somebody had given these passages to me earlier in the series as i’ve typed them here with a couple seanchan-specific things removed, i would 100000000% have thought it was talking about matlayne. DAMMIT!!!!!!!!

also, the fact that in all his listing of tuon’s bad traits, mat does not once mention the fact that she enslaves people. okay. mat/tuon is matlayne but worse in many ways but especially because his friendship with elayne was helping mat get over his hatred and fear of and prejudice towards channelers, but being with tuon is just making it worse again to the point that (from what i hear of spoilers) he’s not even going to care that the damane system is still in place at the end of the series and he’s married to the woman responsible for it. not going to care or try to do anything about it.

“‘perhaps i will have lace added to your robes if i make you a cupbearer.’ could she still make him da’covale if she married him? he would have to ask egeanin. light, why did women never make it easy?” mat i promise you that making you worry about whether or not they will ENSLAVE YOU is not a General Woman Thing

mat also may or may not have seen dead people walking around, i’m so interested to find out what this is all about!!

tuon is happy when mat puts his foot down with her (“if you’re going to buy anything, it’s going to be here. i’ve had al the exercise i care for this morning.”) perhaps because of the classic trope which matlayne could’ve done better of sheltered royal being glad when love interest treats them like a normal person instead of bowing and scraping?

“even when a woman needed help, if she did not want it, she made you pay for giving it” remember the wonderful character and relationship development of mat saving elayne from the gholam and her sincerely thanking him for it, thus, you might think, putting an end to this sort of sexist thinking mat used to have? i miss that.

“if he left her behind, then she could not say the [marriage] words, or if she did, he would be too far away for the words to matter. if he left her behind, he would never learn why she smiled those mysterious smiles, or what lay behind the mystery.” cool, so LEAVE HER THE FUCK BEHIND THEN god!!!! so many opportunities for him to get rid of her and he just chooses not to for ooc reasons! these are the kinds of thoughts mat should only be having 5 books into an enemies-to-lovers slowburn, not after a few chapters of tuon giving him (and the reader) absolutely nothing! the fact that this romance could have been so well done and compelling and interesting makes the fact that it’s instead rushed and forced and ooc so much worse.

it’s so frustrating that 2 of my 3 #1 favorite characters (mat and rand, with elayne being the one still going strong) are now stuck with arcs and/or romances i hate for them.

but it is kinda hilarious how this book has elayne and egwene doing their own hot girl shit meanwhile both perrin’s and mat’s plotlines are pretty much entirely revolving around their female love interest. feminism? lmao

a woman (renna) escapes with the intent of exposing mat & co to the seanchan, meaning they would all die and/or be enslaved. the good news is that mat has enough sense to order her to be killed when they catch up to her. the bad news is that he’s all “aaaaaaahhhhh killing a woman!!!!!” “that made three [women he’d killed whether directly or indirectly]. never again, he thought as renna floated out of sight around a bend. if i die for it, never again.” good GOD this is one of the most infuriating aspects of the entire series

tuon: “she was trying to betray you. what you did was justice, and i name it so.” +1 point for tuon. actually +5 points because i'm so annoyed about the Can’t Kill Women thing that tuon not giving a shit is a balm to my soul lmao

EGWENE WAS BETRAYED AND CAPTURED BY THE TOWER AES SEDAI AAAAAAAAAHHHH HOLY SHIT!!!!

okay moving back to the start of that chapter. i said before that i changed my mesaana guess from theodrin to tarna, but now i’m going back to theodrin - part of why i changed my guess is that we hadn’t seen theodrin in a long time (the other reasons being that alviarin thought mesaana was a sister inside the tower and theodrin isn’t, and that alviarin said mesaana’s disguise had blue eyes and the next chapter tarna was stated to have blue eyes), but she cropped up again in this chapter just before things went bad for egwene. coincidence? i think not! plus, mesaana is a nerd so if she was in disguise as an aes sedai she would totally be brown like theodrin rather than red like tarna. “that fool girl [theodrin] has less brains than a fisher-bird! you’d think she wants someone to find out she’s keeping an eye on romanda for you.” maybe she DOES 👀👀

this is exactly what i mean when i say i want rj to hold back information about secret identities, traitors, darkfriends, etc. more often. i’m having so much fun with this mystery! nobody better spoil me!

“larine [ayellin, a new novice] was almost the same age as [egwene], and a close friend growing up. they had spent hours together, gossiping and practicing putting their hair in braids for when the women’s circle said they were old enough.” i think this is the first time we’ve heard about a specific childhood friend of egwene’s, seeing as she doesn’t seem to have been actual friends with rand, mat, and perrin like she was in the show.

another piece of evidence for our “what causes agelessness” debate: egwene talks about how the kin live longer and “show age like anyone else, if more slowly.” romanda replies “if they channel, they would achieve the look. if they age, they cannot be channeling very often if at all. and neither way could they live five or six hundred years!” and egwene says “there is only one real difference betwen aes sedai and the kin. they left the white tower before they could swear on the oath rod.” which i’m guessing is as good a confirmation as we’ll get that it is indeed the oath rod that causes the aes sedai ageless look.

a random aes sedai is said not to be “interested in men that way” another explicit confirmation of queer people existing in wotworld! and a full sister who is still a lesbian and wasn’t just experimenting as a novice, and isn’t in the man-hating red ajah (she’s blue)

okay so egwene argues with some aes sedai (mainly romanda) about whether or not aes sedai should unswear the oaths and retire, and with others (lelaine and maigan) about whether or not to more or less use compulsion on the asha’man to leash them to the tower (egwene says HELL NO and is horrified and disgusted by the thought, but lelaine and maigan think they should). this + theodrin possibly being mesaana, there are lots of potential suspects for who would’ve wanted egwene captured by elaida’s contingent. a good mystery!!!

“bode’s future would be brilliant. her potential almost equaled egwene’s.” love that for her!! and meanwhile her brother has a future of being complicit in the enslavement of women like her :) i wonder if bode and mat will ever see each other again by the end of the series.

egwene-bela reunion!!! 😭😭 “you carried me away from the two rivers. can you run as fast now?” 😭😭😭😭😭

bode was with egwene when egwene got captured, did bode get captured too???? (rhetorical question) i hope not, but i also hope so because i would love to see more of her and see her become a bigger character.

bashere says the seanchan want rand to meet the daughter of the nine moons, and good thing i know this is a trap and won’t actually be tuon because otherwise it would be SO MEAN to tease me with this possibility of a cauthor reunion in the next book. i wish!!!!

and the conclusion is an emo as fuck poem that rand may or may not have written jkfgh i’m yelling!! love that for him! can’t believe he found time to write a poem.

thus i have made it through what i believe is widely considered the worst book of the series lmao it wasn’t as bad as i’d expected. i definitely think that reading the books all at once rather than as they’re coming out, with years between books, helps the pacing feel not as bad. the faile kidnapping plotline, for example, while my least favorite of the current plotlines, doesn’t feel as dragged out and meandering as everyone said - it’s really only like 5 chapters per book, which is not that much wasted screentime. but overall, definitely not much happened in this book. like 2/3 of it was devoted to showing people reacting to a channeling event that happened in the last book, which is just ridiculous fjgkh it’s going to be hilarious when the show does all that in 1 episode or less

thoughts on the plotlines: elayne’s is by far my fav of the current plotlines, my eyes glaze over a bit with all the minor aes sedai and quibbles between them in egwene’s but i’m enjoying hers overall (and am very excited to continue it because of that cliffhanger), perrin’s pov has always been boring to me and is not significantly more boring nowadays, rand’s and mat’s have sharply declined in enjoyment because i hate their girlfriends and mat’s character direction. but i know matlayne and cauthor reunions are coming eventually, so there is light at the end of the tunnel!

#the fact that i could do this entire book in only 2 recap posts shows how little is going on in it lmao #granted this one is quite a long post #wot #wot book spoilers

[child-of-the-nighttime-stars]

"College Kids are Nicer"

"College kids are nicer"

That's a quote I have heard since I was bullied in middle and high school. But I never believed it.

"They won't care about your looks or how you walk, you're all in the same boat."

That's what the adults would say whenever I got anxious about my robot legs or needed to use a cane for a few days. They said that in high school before I was mocked relentlessly for such things. It wasn't everyone. It wasn't even many people. But those few voices were always the loudest.

I was so crippled, not by my physical disability but by what they had told me. It was to the point I told my mom I wouldn't return to high school until I was fixed.

It's been 2 years since I graduated. I graduated a year late because my high school refused to give me tutors when I was bedridden before and after a life-changing surgery. Now I've been in college for these 2 years, and things have changed my view.

I've met with those who knew me back in primary school. Some of them were sweethearts that had just been ships passing in the night between classes. Some of them were people I thought were too cool for me while they thought I was too cool, we then became friends finally over our courses. And finally, some were people who did actively threaten me only to now smile at my face and tell me I look great. I smile and say thanks, but quickly keep them at arm's length.

But living as a person with a disability that's visible, I know what to expect. I still get glances of questioning, blatant asks about what's going on with me and offers to help. Although, the overall vibe is different.

The majority of the time, I don't feel those glances are glares of judgment. The tone of the question doesn't usually hold the mocking spirit it once did. I no longer feel like a creature in a zoo or an object to cast pity points or a catalyst for a good deed for the day.

Perhaps, it's because of the new environment. Maybe it's because I have gotten treatment to process the bullying and my general depression. But this eye-opening like many others is by an experience.

It was the 20th of February when I got the call. The power had gone out. It was 8 something and I wanted to hear a cancellation since my precious sleep was disturbed. But there was no such fortune for me on this sunny day.

So I stayed awake and checked my email for any cancellations from my professors. Again, no luck. So the day continued as normal, including my ride with my mom and our weekly tradition of eating lunch from the Quickcheck deli.

It was only when I got to campus did misfortune finally glance my way. I walked the elevator with my drink in one hand and the handle of my backpack in the other. (The signature backpack of those who're disabled or simply DON'T WANT TO THROW OUT THEIR BACK)

I cursed under my breath, not because I couldn't walk up stairs. I walk up or down a flight every day in my apartment. Expletives were running through my head because dragging a 10 to 12 pound bag is no fun for anyone who isn't a weight lifter.

I hated asking for help, not because I'm stubborn but because I was fearful of the judgemental onlookers. But as the security told me the sorry state of the elevator, I begrudgingly asked if he could help. But before he could answer, another guy did.

He wasn't overly enthusiastic as many teacher pets had been when their master couldn't be bothered. His blue eyes weren't glaring me down like those who wanted to seem good to the world as they secretly loathed people of my state. He was just kind in his offer, I didn't feel like a burden.

So I accepted. We made a pleasant conversation about what the campus brought that morning and how the other was. But as I arrived at my destination 2 floors later, he smiled and wished me well. I did the same, overwhelmed by this genuine warmth. But then he left, I don't think I even got his name...

It was after class when I was facing my nemesis once more. I was prepared to thunk-thunk-thunk all the way down to the basement. Judgement could be damned, I only had 10 minutes to walk across campus. But this time, there was a girl.

She also asked if I wanted help. Again, there was no overt enthusiasm. There was no pity or veiled aggression. So I gratefully accepted. This time we talked about the elevator. She said specifically that she thought of me. I didn't recognize her. But then she said how fucked up it was that they'd allow classes when not everyone could access them. I wondered what she meant, if she knew me, or if she was just a decently thoughtful person. I instead made a shitty pun about getting my steps in for the day.

She only walked me down 1 floor and I didn't have the heart to ask for another. I instead pointed in the general direction of the building I was headed to and asked about her. She pointed to a building only a few yards away. I smiled, thinking it was a good call not to ask anyway, I'd feel bad. So I thanked her, and wished her well, she did the same, and we went our separate ways. I didn't get her name either...

I reached my building much easier on this route, perhaps I could start using it as my main route if the weather kept up. The door was held open for me and again I said thank you. But before long I ran into my arch-nemisis' lost lover: Stairs part 2 electric boogaloo...

But before I could begin the disharmonious song of thumping and thinking. a classmate appeared. This time I knew his name: James. And again he extended the same genuine offer. I honestly wasn't expecting it! He was so chill about it, remarking on how I wasn't late for once. (I always am to our class due to that damn first elevator) I blamed it on such, my voice cracked as I struggled to maintain steady steps and steady breathing. I prayed that he didn't notice.

When we reached the floor of our class, I fully expected him to plop my bag down and just walk off. He'd done his good deed, he'd done more than enough. Yet he carried my bag all the way to class before departing to his usual seat in class.

Once again, I thanked him as I sat myself down and set up for class and all I could think after reflecting was:

"College kids are nicer"

#writing inspiration #i write #writing #writing prompt #writers #prose #nice things #stay positive #positive #body posititivity #short story

[lafiametta]

Touching #48

Thanks, Anon! For this prompt ("dancing with each other"), I decided to go with mechanic!Olek from 2099.

Their shift had ended an hour ago and Jérôme wanted to go out. Not that there were any real places to go on a ship as compact as the Prometheus, but the prospect sounded better than heading back to the crew's bunk room, which was crowded and noisy and almost always smelled like unwashed socks.

Olek had a brief wash in the lav and threw on some clean clothes. Up above, in the ship's passenger sectors, no one would really care what he looked like—he was just a faceless, forgettable mechanic, after all—but he didn't mind putting in a little effort. There was still some grease under his fingernails and he did his best to scrape it out as he and Jérôme made their way up an ill-lit stairwell and then down a longer series of cylindrical corridors.

Back home, it would never qualify as a bar, or even an overly-glorified canteen, but they served alcohol and played music loud enough to drown out the need for trivial conversation. Jérôme ordered drinks and they found seats at the counter, even though the only ones available were uncomfortable metal stools in obvious need of repair. Had Olek kept his tools on him, he would have had half a mind to turn his upside down and start tightening all the joints one by one.

They didn't talk much, which suited Olek. Mostly he just listened to the music and half-heartedly observed the other patrons, his mind drifting off from time to time. He still had his questions about this voyage—when would they finally arrive? and what would be waiting for them at their destination?—but he knew enough to know there would be no real answers, at least not tonight.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a flash of movement, coming from the makeshift dance floor. Surrounded by a handful of couples, a girl was dancing by herself—keeping time with the beat while somehow moving to a rhythm entirely her own. Olek watched, entranced, as her body swayed, hips and shoulders rolling while her arms extended upwards in abandon. She was beautiful too, with long black hair half-caught in a messy bun, clad in an expensive-looking orange and pink dress. A passenger, of course—most likely from one of the upper decks.

He glanced away, but not soon enough to escape Jérôme's notice.

"She's pretty," he said, and in the face of Olek's continued silence, pressed further, elbowing his friend in the arm. "You should go talk to her."

Olek made a rough, non-committal sound. He had indulged Jérôme enough already, agreeing to come out with him tonight; he wasn't in the mood to embarrass himself by trying to chat up an upper-deck girl.

Jérôme's eyes glinted mischievously. "Or I could go over and talk to her... Tell her that you've really been admiring her moves."

Olek glared at his friend, who he desperately hoped was joking. From his expression, though, it seemed like Jérôme had every intention of making good on his threat. With a growing tremor in his pulse, Olek glanced over at the girl again; she had stopped dancing, pausing as she reached up to tie her hair back in place. There was something about her he couldn't quite put his finger on, something he couldn't name, familiar and foreign in the same breath. It was pulling him towards her with invisible threads, unexplainable but seemingly impossible to ignore. And it was enough that despite his hesitation—and his irritation at Jérôme for goading him so successfully—Olek found himself rising to his feet and walking over to the dance floor, threading his way through the crowd until he reached her side.

She glanced up at him—a stranger suddenly in her midst—her dark eyes wide as her expression slowly shifted from confusion to curiosity. Olek, suddenly tongue-tied, could think of nothing to say, except of course the ridiculous line Jérôme had given him, which managed to escape his lips before he fully realized what he had done.

"You're a beautiful dancer," he said, leaning closer to her so as to be heard over the noise.

Her smile was delicate, a touch unsure, even as her brows furrowed. She opened her mouth to speak and it took Olek a moment to realize she was speaking in a language not his own. From her expression, though, it seemed like she wanted him to repeat himself.

"I said, you're a beautiful dancer."

He wasn't sure if his words had made any more sense to her the second time, but all at once her eyes lit up, cheeks rounding in pleasure as she nodded in rapid agreement. But to what? He hadn't asked her anything.

She reached for his hands, fingers threading through his, sparks of warm current flickering in the space between. Her body began to move, swaying to the rough beat of the music, bringing him along with her—and suddenly it became clear. She must have thought he had asked her to dance, even though he never would have presumed to do so. For someone like him—a dirty mechanic, a nobody from below decks—it was enough just to look and to admire her. Whatever mysterious connection he might believe they shared, he had no business touching her, no business being so close.

And yet he was touching her. He was close enough to feel the warmth of her body as it brushed against his, close enough to see the small pinpricks of sweat in the hollow of her throat, the bow-shaped curve of her lips.

There it was again—the feeling that he could not deny. It held traces of long-forgotten memory, of paths forking and joining in an endless cycle. Was it possible that she sensed it too? One look in her eyes—dark and wide as the night sky—told him that it might be.

"I'm Olek," he said, then tapped his chest for emphasis as he said it again. "Olek."

It was hard to hear her in the middle of so many other things: the music and the voices, the pounding of his heart. But she pointed at herself, the words soft and clear as if spoken for him alone.

"Ling Yi."

[send me an Olek x Ling Yi kissing or touching prompt]

#1899 #1899 netflix #olek #ling yi #olek x ling yi #fanfiction #1899 drabble #prompt fill #anon asks

[hauntingcryptids]

Sneaking In

Gomez!Master x Reader

Summary - Missy sneaks into The Doctor’s TARDIS and The Reader catches her.

Warnings - The Reader feeling a bit lonely and misunderstood by The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole, Missy feeling similarly

Word Count - 839

A/n - Gender Neutral Reader. Not Requested. Just a short thing that I thought of. I hope that you enjoy it!

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

You walked the few lonely steps back to The TARDIS and stepped inside, the machine’s comfort immediately washed over you. That is until the smell of expensive perfume and nail polish hit your nose. Your head jolted up and you instantly caught sight of someone who was not supposed to be there.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in The Vault?” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be with the Doctor?” Missy immediately retorted, curt and cold in order to mask jealousy growing in her hearts. Her eyes flitted up from her nails to your face before eventually returning to decorate and perfect her nails.

“I thought you hated it when I paid more attention to the Doctor than I did you?” You hit the metaphorical nail on the metaphorical head with that question. You assumed to know how the Gallifreyian before you had felt, but your only “evidence”, if you could call it that, were glances thought to be unseen and “accidental” touches that lasted a second longer than they should have.

 Missy fell silent after that, caught both physically and emotionally, which Missy, most definitely, did not enjoy, and you could see it, too. The silence between the two of you carried on for just a bit too long. Each passing second compromised Missy’s resolve, her jealousy inching ever closer to being visibly written on their face. 

“The Doctor knows, don’t they?” Missy laughed at that comment, thinking you to be a naive child, but Missy was also grateful that you offered a window for her to put on a new mask before the silence ate away at her old one.

“Of course, he doesn’t know, Y/n! The Doctor is slower than he cares to admit, and he is growing even slower with age.” Missy whispered the last half of the statement with a hand raised to her mouth in an act mimicking schoolyard gossip.

“Trust me, The Doctor does not know.” She finished her statement triumphantly and matter-of-factly, her most commonly used facade restored. You huffed, hoping to discover something new about the Gallifreyan you travelled with. Now you were just bored. There would be no adventure with the Doctor today, it was too late to go running after him and you could feel the TARDIS urging you to stay. But you still wanted something interesting to happen, not a dry conversation with a teasing Time Lady.

“What are you planning on doing then, Missy?” You leaned against The TARDIS console nonchalantly.

“I was planning on going through The Doctor’s things, but now that you are here … We could always go on our own adventure without that stuffy old fool!”

“But what if The Doctor needs The TARDIS?” You questioned.

“You know how this machine works. We can go have ten adventures back-to-back and return here long before The Doctor even notices that we disappeared!” You thought about what Missy was offering you for a moment. You could see the hopefulness laced in the corner of her eyes, but you tried to ignore her and just think about what you wanted for once. 

“I guess we can go somewhere, then. But nothing too dangerous, Missy!”

“I would never dream of putting you in harm's way, my darling.” Missy quickly slithered from her seat and strutted over to where you stood. She quickly and dramatically typed the coordinates of where she wished to go onto The TARDIS console system. While the two of you waited for the ship to travel through the time vortex and arrive at your desired destination, Missy made you dance with her. She kept a hand firmly on your lower back; you could feel her pulling you closer to you every now and again. Missy then spun you around a couple of times before dipping you and leaning in incredibly close to your face. Suddenly, a bell from the console chimed.

“Oh look! We’re here!” Missy popped up to a standing position, bringing you with her. Missy went to open the TARDIS doors, but before she did that, she spun you around in a circle and left you dizzy by the console.

“Well come on, you silly sausage! We haven’t got all day.” You rolled your eyes at the Time Lady’s antics and dashed up to her. Missy flirtily held out her arm for you to take so she could guide you around the planet. You took it but ignored her attitude. You just wanted to have fun today, and not think about any ulterior motives the Gallifreyian might have. Missy then happily led you around the planet she took you to, showing you all of the most popular sights and more. It was a wonderful day.

But eventually, the trip had to end, so Missy piloted the two of you back to The Doctor’s location. Missy hid herself away and The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole were none the wiser of your impromptu trip with the supposed to be imprisoned Time Lady. Maybe Missy could offer you much more than The Doctor ever could.

#ghost's posts #my writing #fanfiction #x reader #doctor who x reader #doctor who #the master x reader #the master #gomez!master x reader #gomez!master #missy #missy x reader

[visionsofteyvat]

"But if the day ever came where he brought ruin to order..."

The past Geo Archon would not always be there to watch over the people of Liyue. He knew that. He made sure others knew as well.

This shows a father and son relationship between Zhongli and Xiao. If you ship them romantically then this post is not for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Something is wrong?" Xiao asked the figure before him, his knees digging into the wood beneath them, but despite the faint pain he kept his gaze locked on the back of the man that changed his life for the better. Even if he was in near constant turmoil from the darkness that never truly left him.

"Stand up, Xiao. Come sit and have tea with me." Zhongli turned to face him, offering Xiao a smile that made the Adeptus widen his eyes before quickly pulling his feet under himself. Despite the calm and collected demeanor his leader had worn for more than just a few centuries, Xiao couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was making him uneasy, and his eyes flit across their surroundings as he followed Zhongli to what he assumed was the God's room.

It felt weird, just spending time with Rex Lapis like before the time of Archons and the seven nations. Xiao didn't mind it too much though, even if he was on edge, he would never overlook the opportunity to spend time with Zhongli given there was no important matters to deal with.

Zhongli motioned for Xiao to take a seat at the small table that housed two cups of steaming tea, before he himself sank into one of the seats. Xiao did not miss how for a split second, a look of pain had crossed his features.

"What is wrong, please tell me." There was a hint of desperation in his voice, because Xiao couldn't lose Rex as well. Of course, he would still look after Liyue because Zhongli's death did not mean their contract was null, but he didn't know how much more he could take. He'd lost so much, so many, the Illuminated Being before him could not join the faded out faces of those who haunted him should he ever find himself drifting off to sleep. To wake up and search for him, only to remember he no longer walked this land, Xiao did not know if he could take it.

Zhongli took his cup into his gloved hands, lightly blowing on the steaming liquid before taking a long sip. Thinking of the best way to word his dilemma. Xiao watched him eagerly, brows furrowed in worry, and it wasnt until his cup was sat back on the small plate and he took in a small breath to begin speaking did the Adeptus across from him take a small breath as well.

"Erosion."

"...what?"

Zhongli paused, because that surely wasn't the way he had wanted to break the news.

"My memories are fading. Sometimes it gets harder to hide my identity whenever I get into confrontations, harder to pull my attacks, harder to control the suppressed side of myself." Zhongli watched Xiao's expressions carefully. Xiao looked at him with a heavy sense of dread coming over his face like a storm cloud, eyes scanning his face for any potential tell-tale sign that this was just some sick joke that Gods have that Xiao didn't know of.

"It could only be erosion that makes me feel the sort. The day was destined to come eventual-"

"But I have heard no word of any of the other Archons going through it?" Xiao cut him off, ignoring the chill that went down his spine at the thought that he'd ever do such a thing. Even if the look Rex Lapis gave him was not angry in any sort, just...sad.

"And for that I am grateful. I hope that they have many more years before the effects ever start to make themselves known. I, also, am no longer an Archon." Zhongli sighed, gaze falling to trace the lines of the wood within the table for but a moment before looking back at Xiao. "I know you don't want to believe it."

"I don't."

"But you will have to."

"I know."

Xiao blinked a few times, reigning in his emotions so he could think rationally. "What would you like me to tell the others?"

"Should the day come where I pose a threat, you shall not hold back. The Adeptus' priority is to protect Liyue. Even if it means having my head." Zhongli stated, taking another sip of tea as if he hadn't just reached his hand into Xiao's chest and yanked out his beating heart. Slowly crushing it beneath the weight of what he was asking.

Xiao could not disobey though, how could he? The contract was set in stone, and his job was always to protect Liyue. Though it couldn't help to try. "Is there anything I-we can do? To..to slow the process?" He could feel the color draining from his face, just the thought of killing him had the younger feel sick.

"No."

"There has to be-"

"There isn't."

"But father-"

Xiao paused, quickly averting his gaze and blinking back the stinging in his eyes. Zhongli was silent, and that only made his breaking heart crack further. What if Rex had already forgotten who he was to Xiao? Would this be a sign of disrespect? Or-

He felt arms wrap around his shoulders, a gloved hand wiping across his tear-stained cheeks. "I know I'm asking a lot, my son. But it is necessary, and I apologize that you are a part of the process."

Xiao buried his face into the many layers of Zhongli's intricate outfit, pressing his head against his chest, listening intently to his heartbeat like he used to do so often when he was just a boy. It calmed him. Quelled his fear. Left him feeling protected and ready for whatever was to come.

But he wasn't ready this time. The beating of Zhongli's heart only made him cry more, because that meant a day would come where he would no longer hear it. And that day would come sooner than he ever would've hoped.

-D

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#genshin impact angst #xiao angst #zhongli angst #genshin impact drabbles #is this fanfiction?

[patchworkheartouija]

After 5 million years waiting, episode 2

So I kept putting this off, because I was worried about its quality and stuff, I still don't think its as good as episode one. However I have come to realize there is a lot more I want out of PH that can only be attained in a visual medium, and that my biggest issues with the second episode were almost all things that were just a result of this being a story made for a visual medium being written in a non-visual one, in such ways that I want to create intricate fight scenes as well as use trippy surrealist visuals because both are things that I've always really liked in media

Plus I've been starving my 4 PH followers too long so here ya go!

Patchwork Heart S1E2: Post Mortem - Ouija

After escaping the ship the two had been imprisoned on, Sapphire and Faria were sure to be better off, right? That would be nice, for their misfortune to end here. But escaping was one thing, surviving was another.

Sapphire had found out from the ship’s computer that they were currently right in the middle of the atlantic ocean, or at least were when she had first jumped from the ship onto the small plastic dinghy that she was currently trapped on. Accounting for wind, tides, the way her dinghy likely was moved when she first jumped, and further moved when the ship sailed by creating a disturbance in the water, and the unknown amount of time that had passed in which she was unconscious, she was likely quite off centre, and no longer had such a good idea of her current location.

Of course, if her destination were a large landmass this wouldn't be such an issue. However, the other passenger of the ship, a far larger monster than herself, Faria, had insisted they travel to a small, dangerous island in which they could easily be recaptured if they were not careful, for the purpose of rescuing two creatures with no biological link to her that she had decided were her siblings. Getting there would be hard enough, but of course she needed a plan of attack as her only option seemed to be to enter the facility itself in which the two monsters were kept, and then an exit plan for if this failed, and another one for if it didn’t when she needed to leave the island. Of course she would normally be confident in her ability to easily formulate a plan that accounted for all possibilities, however her most recent plan, although it had gotten the pair off the ship, had been a complete and utter failure in all other regards simply because she didn’t account for the guards on a ship full of dangerous monsters to be able to fight dangerous monsters if need be.

That obviously was bad enough, but there was the final issue in that Faria, who has been indispensable in all means except for her intelligence when on the ship, was cripplingly afraid of water to the point where she had curled up into a ball and had not uncurled since. This also would not be an issue if Sapphire could abandon Faria, that would solve a lot of issues, or even if she could simply ignore the cat’s mental state. However Sapphire had for the first time in her recollection, formed a bond with another creature, and while emotions were not new to her, this was the first time they had ever interfered with her act of reasoning. Abandoning Faria in the ocean was not an option, nor was ignoring the fact that she was currently having a mental breakdown. This was the most immediately addressable issue, and likely would be the easiest to work on while multitasking.

She managed to estimate where exactly she was based on the forces the ship had endured, and the position of the sun, and began rowing in the direction of the island she hoped to reach.

“How are you so fucking calm?” the cat asked. She had spoken to Faria earlier but it had been awhile since the cat had said anything since then. The cat was obviously crying. God Sapphire hated other’s emotions, almost as much as she hated her own. The topic of emotion alone was an inconvenience to her, and to actually deal with not only her own emotions barring her from the best course of action, but also the emotions of another creature being so unreasonable, this was Sapphire’s worst nightmare.

Sapphire thought through her possible options, before eventually saying; “I promised I’d get us out of this. As I said, this happened because I didn’t account for all possibilities. Likely just the saltwater in the air clouding my judgement or something of the sort. I do not usually make these kinds of mistakes.”

“I’m going to die, aren't I?”

“Your behaviour has changed drastically from when we were on the ship. Notable. No you will not die. I considered letting you die of course, I mean, it’d be easy to throw you overboard when you are like this, however I have grown slightly attached to you, and cannot bring myself to plan, or enact your murder.” this was seemingly the wrong thing to say as Faria stops talking again. Ok Sapphire is going to need to come at this differently. Having been alone so long, as long as she could remember in fact, Sapphire had never had to deal with someone so… sensitive.

“I would like you to know, my decision not to kill you is also logically founded, as while ditching you would allow me to ditch this horrific job you have forced me to do, I have a feeling murdering a 6’4” murder cat would eventually come back to haunt me. So yes, while there are emotional aspects to this issue, my logic is not failing me.” This does not seem to work either?! What does this monster want of her!?

It appears that treating this like a battle of the wits between her and the cat is not working, as obviously this monster has none.

She will just have to beat this monster at her own game, that being speaking without thinking. It shouldn't be hard, she does it all the time, just usually not of her own volition.

“Look I… I don't know how to help you. I fucked up, ok, I fucked everything up. And now you’re here, and it's my fault. You did basically all of the work when we were on that ship because I was helpless, now you are helpless, and if I didn’t return the favour, I would know that I had failed you, and failed myself. I am terrified, however, I am willing to mask my fear in order to complete my mission.”

Well that came out terribly. Sure it was true, but the truth clearly won't help her college’s confidence in her. Assuming Faria has a rational bone in her body, the fact that Sapphire just admitted to her own weakness and fear will likely prove to Faria that their death is imminent. This social interaction has gone terribly, and her own doom is imminent. Faria will likely kill her at first opportunity for being a weak link both mentally and physically.

“Thank you…” the cat chokes out. Sapphire does not know what to make of this response. She’s never spoken to another person before Faria, at least not directly, is this what they are all like? Why??? How???

Sapphire tries to grasp Faria’s strange illogical behaviour, Faria herself seems pretty blunt so why exactly was it that she based so much of her judgement on such loose factors as emotions.

Regardless of the reasoning this new approach was… working?

“I get that you cannot swim, however I do not understand why it scares you so much while on the boat.”

“It's not… It’s not just the water.”

“Then what is it?”

“Everything… I can’t run, can barely move, it’s so bright out, there's nothing for miles, I can't see what’s under me, I can’t defend myself, it's so hot, I’ve never been here before, I don’t know where I am…”

“I suppose for a creature such as yourself those would be issues. According to the files I read about you on the computer, the humans believed you to be a cave dwelling nocturnal predator. These phobias can easily be explained by that theory.” This brings up an interesting point actually. Faria is afraid because of her species. Sure, no one really knows what Faria is exactly, but the research done in the background with her training was fruitful, quite a lot was known about Faria’s bizarre, clearly genetic, behaviours. Perhaps she could use what little she did know about Faria from the files to attempt to calm her down.

Sapphire reaches out to touch the cat’s head, according to the files she responded positively to this. Sapphire recoiled in slight disgust when her hand was covered in a substance with a slimy consistency like butter. 

Cat Butter, that’s what the files had dubbed it. Faria’s thin body was good for crawling through caves, but bad for the tundra that was her hunting ground. So a strange evolutionary path had led to fat excretion from sweat glands, creating a protective film of grease over the monster’s body. It appeared that with Faria’s stress, the high temperature, the moist air, and Faria’s own body heat, that the cat butter had begun to melt.

Touching her, and thus removing the little butter that still remained on her body would only stress Faria out more as being stripped of her cat butter had always resulted in extreme discomfort in the past.

Sapphire returns to rowing, she’d have to figure out better how to handle this. For now, it seems she may have drifted off course, it was time for another recalculation.

🝁🝢🝁

Kim-Ly woke up to her wolpertinger chirping, a stark reminder of the choice she had made. She still doubted her choice to betray Sabrina like this, but she had to accept that Sabrina’s genocidal tendencies were not her responsibility to endorse.

Kim-Ly goes about her day as usual, with the addition of feeding the wolpertinger. Kim-Ly has never owned a rabbit, she has no idea what they eat, the only pet she ever had was a goldfish that died 2 days after she got it. The reason for this of course was allergies (Yes they affected her with her new pet Chiffon, but research always comes first over personal safety). Kim-Ly sneezes at this thought. 

Of course her rabbit inexperience was irrelevant because this one could fly, had horns, and made bird noises and she was pretty sure also had a beak inside its mouth that it stuck out depending on what it was doing. It was similar enough to a rabbit for her to be allergic to it, but apparently not similar enough that she could safely keep her windows open without it escaping into the monster hunter infested city.

Eventually after googling ‘What does flying bunny eat (SFW)’ (after a number of other searches had left her with less than ideal results) and finding absolutely nothing of value, Kim-Ly gave up and decided to feed the rabbit kraft dinner, because it surely couldn't hurt it. I mean, rabbits eat carrots all the time and those are bright orange… ok she’s definitely reaching here and she knows it. She just doesn't have any veggies in the apartment because she hasn't gone shopping yet.

Chiffon ate the kraft dinner rather quickly, using the beak it had hidden in its mouth. A fact Kim-Ly quickly adds to her notes alongside the fact that feeding wolpertingers store bought, unnaturally orange pasta did not seem to have any adverse effects. She’d still need to find out what would be healthier for Chiffon to eat, but for now it wasn't hurting anything.

Kim-Ly was startled out of her clear horrific lack of knowledge of how rabbits worked by the phone ringing on the table. She goes to answer it quickly.

“Heya Kim!” Sabrina yells on the other end, a clear echo noticeable. “Listen I know I usually only call you for one hunt every couple weeks or so, but I really need your help.”

Kim-Ly sighs. As much as she wants to say no, she’d never pass up field research, even if it did damage her mental health greatly.

“What is it?”

“Ok so basically, it's a werewolf pack.”

“Aren't those… like just humans who shapeshift into wolf men because of a blood disease.”

“They stopped being human when they got bit. Now they’re just as rotten as the others. I need to kill 21 of them to get paid, and I get $100 for every corrupt mongrel I shoot after that. The reason for this is that the guy who hired me doesn’t want them gone, he just wants their skin. I’m still going to kill them all, but hey, he’ll get what he wants. Mostly.” Sabrina explains.

Kim-Ly is about to respond but is cut off with the sounds of Sabrina loudly swearing and gunfire. It echos greatly showing that Sabrina is definitely somewhere weird.

“Sorry, one of them tried to jump me.”

“Ok where ARE you right now.”

“Inside the dead monster off mainstreet.”

“Isn’t that thing at risk to blow up due to the stomach gases?”

“Nah I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Kim-Ly thinks about the potential of going inside a monster carcass, and just how much information that doing so could give her, as long as she wasn’t being dragged along by Sabrina. “Listen, I’ll run a little late, but leave some stuff for me by wherever you entered. I’ll probably be awhile so just go in and do it.” Kim-Ly says, getting ready to go. She was close to the carcass, quite close, she could be there in minutes, but by lying about this she’d be able to explore the body with no Sabrina to make her rush.

“‘Kay Kim! See you later! I’ll leave a walkie talkie by the entrance.”

“...But there's cell service.”

“We gotta be authentic to the kaiju exploring experience. Do you think the people who fought king kong had cell service?!”

“Ok but that's a movie.”

“And a great one! Bye!” Before Sabrina can hang up more gunshots are heard, so Kim-Ly takes the initiative to hang up herself.

“Chiffon… Mommy’s going out for a while to go explore a rotting corpse full of werewolves. Be good!” Kim-Ly says, leaving the rest of the kraft dinner for her rabbit.

🜘🝠🜘

The tiny dinghy swayed with the waves, causing shivers to run down Faria’s spine with every movement.

The cat hadn't moved for hours, she feared that if she were to even budge the tiny boat would capsize leaving her to drown.

Faria did not know what lied beneath the waves, although her brother used to tell her stories about it. Zero wasn’t like her or Katya, he hadn’t lived his whole life in a cement box, and so her brother had seen more than Faria thought she ever would. 

It had been Faria who asked Zero if anything lived in water, a choice she later regretted, at the time she had assumed the answer would have been no, but Zero had gone on to tell her about the creatures living beneath the waves. He had told her a great many creatures that kept her up at night, but what really scared her was what he didn’t say. Zero didn’t know how deep the water was, how long it would take to drown, how big the creatures were, and he had told her that no one really knew much about the sea at all. Zero had been her authority on everything, if she had a question, Zero would always have an answer, but he didn’t. On this day, Zero had told her he himself didn’t know, and that was what really scared her.

Faria jolted as she was sure she felt something swimming underneath the dinghy. What was it!? Could it eat her?! Could she eat it!? Was it big?! Was it- Faria’s panicked thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a splash, one that caused the ship to be driven back. Faria let out a panicked screech, akin to her attack scream.

The monster peeked over her legs to look around. Sapphire was no longer on the ship.

Faria’s breathing sped up. 

Sapphire had abandoned her, she was going to die, she couldn't do this alone she- a couple moments Sapphire remerged from the water, carrying a fish speared on one of the harpoons that had been stuck through Faria’s torso the day before.

“Got… Food.” Sapphire pants out. Faria doesn’t respond but her breathing slows. Sapphire hands Faria the fish.

“D-don’t you need some?” She asks shakily. God she hated this. She had never stuttered a day in her life before this.

“I don’t eat. I have never needed to.” Sapphire says simply, before returning to rowing. Faria decided to try to eat the fish. She had never been given fish before, and isn’t quite sure what to do with it. Eventually the cat monster just decides to shove the entire fish in her mouth, one of the few things her muzzle was good for.

Faria seemed to have gained the ability to look around now and slightly uncurled, still flinching at every movement. She stares at Sapphire, who is still silently rowing.

Sapphire was a weird creature. That's not to say Faria didn’t like her, but she didn’t quite understand her. Faria had never liked silence, in fact she disliked it so much that she frequently made her own noises to combat it. It angered the guards, yes, but it kept her mildly sane. Sapphire on the other hand would frequently go completely quiet whenever she seemed to be thinking about things.

She also couldn't quite understand why Sapphire said the things she said. When Sapphire was speaking to her earlier she seemed to think Faria was worried about her skills in planning, when in truth she was only worried about the water and Sapphire’s plan had had nothing to do with it.

Sapphire stops rowing for a moment and just sits still, similarly to how she had in the computer room. Was she ok? She seemed sick, or hurt or something.

“You’re staring at me.” Sapphire notes.

“You’re being a fucking weirdo, thats why.” Faria says, the fear still evident in her voice, although her regular demeanour had returned.

“I’m just thinking. You should try it sometime.”

“Rude.”

Sapphire exaggeratedly sighs. “I apologise.”

“Really? Why?”

“Your mental state is fragile, I do not understand it.”

“I don’t mind, I’d honestly prefer if you DIDN’T act like I’m made of fucking glass, thank you very much.”

“If you say so.”

“What were you thinking about? You’re not gonna betray me or some shit are you?”

“We have drifted off course, I’m calculating how much, and thus how much I need to adjust my plans to accommodate for this.”

“Wow that sounds really boring.”

“Screw you too.”

“How do you even figure that shit out. I always just do things and hope they work.”

“Yeah I understood that about you by now. It’s mostly a lot of math. I was out for exactly 5 hours, in which the boat likely, with the aid of my initial jump, and the propulsion of the ship, was moved exactly 51.27 metres. I have been rowing for 6 hours since that point with an average speed of 20mph  bringing the grand total of how far I have travelled to 120 miles, that last jump and later boarding I have done moved us a metre west, and every second due to the wind and waves we move exactly 4 centimetres west as well. With this knowledge I estimate that we will arrive, give or take, in 28 hours.”

“I understood all of none of that, and I don’t understand how you did.”

“I have a high level of understanding of most subjects, particularly math.”

“Uhuh… and what’s math again?”

🝁🝢🝁

Kim-Ly stands before a large gash in the kaiju’s side, there is a gun and a walkie talkie waiting there.

She really didn’t expect it to… smell like this. Somehow it had never registered to her that the beast would decompose the same way as any other animal.

Despite its immense size the monster was underwhelming. Honestly this was a sentiment that could go for most monsters. Vampires preferred to drink from pigs, unicorns possessed no magic, at least none usable to them in any way, zombies talked just as fluently as anyone else, and to see a haunting that was any more than a mild annoyance was an incredible rarity. Monsters just… weren't what anyone expected, sure some matched up to, or even were underhyped by their legends, but most of the time they simply weren't very dangerous, and even those who were dangerous tended to only be violent when threatened. All monsters were always underwhelming, but Kim-Ly had yet to get used to it.

That’s not to say that some could be, and were dangerous, she definitely still would never want to meet any one of these creatures. (Ok that’s a bold faced lie, Kim-Ly lacked the self preservation to avoid them.) She was sure when this thing was alive it was an object of awe, but still, no matter how big or scary it had once been, this creature had never been the godzilla everyone was expecting, and it was even less now.

After a few moments of silence, examining the bloated corpse, Kim-Ly sighed to herself, regretting her choice of shoes, and entered the wound.

She came into what she could only assume were the creature’s massive lungs, filled to the brim with maggots, flies, and the corpses of werewolves Sabrina had ripped through.

She took out her notebook, and began to sketch the lungs. She had started a drawing of the kaiju and planned to add every single organ she could visit.

After she finished drawing the lungs, she moved towards one of the corpses. It’s skin was missing. Of course it was. Sabrina’s client didn’t pay for any more than that, she was sure. She would have preferred an intact corpse but a desecrated one would have to do.

Kim-Ly began to inspect the corpse, its eyes were still human mostly although they had been mutated to better hunt in darkness. She wished hers were like that, it’d make all of this far easier, all she had to light up the darkness of the corpse she was inside was a poor quality flashlight that upon further consideration, she should probably have replaced the batteries of before coming here. Shit.

Kim-Ly continued her inspection… she needed its skull, didn’t she. Oh god. The act of getting it would be disgusting but it was already desecrated… and the information she could get from it would be priceless. Before taking another moment to consider if she wanted to rip out a werewolf’s skull, she was already doing it.

Kim-Ly ripped the skull from the creature’s head, and began to jot down notes. Its skull wasn't quite human but it was far from the skull of a wolf, looking more like a human skull that had been stretched and mutilated.

Kim-Ly slipped it into her bag for further studies. She stood up to look for whatever path Sabrina had ripped through the kaiju… she’s not done yet, is she… alright, organ time, this creature was too interesting not to study further.

She really can't believe she’s doing this, but she won’t get another chance like this again.

The organs are human, disappointing, although the lungs are enlarged, the bone structure is where it truly gets interesting however. The bones were naturally thickened, stretched and twisted into a structure more like a jaguar combined with a human than a wolf. Upon closer inspection of the skull as well it had some particular traits like one. Kim-Ly put some of the body parts in jars as well as taking one of the arms, definitely longer than hers. She hopes to analyse its DNA somehow when she gets home, not that she knows how… or has that kind of technology.

She finally stands up, satisfied with her vivisection. God she’s covered in so much blood. She DEFINITELY wore the wrong shoes.

Kim-Ly seems to have snapped out of whatever trance she was in before and now feels like she’s on the verge of throwing up, how did she even do that? She’s never done something like that before. It felt so easy… maybe she should have gone to med school after all.

She steps gingerly through the spongy rotting lungs. This body had been here for 4 months and it shows. She can feel the maggots crawling over her as they had started when she was working on the body. The flies swarmed her, the blood dried on her skin, the fluids oozed through her shoes, the smell had grown overwhelming… Kim-Ly wanted desperately to leave, however she could not do so, not yet, she still had research to do.

As she walked through the organs, travelling through the many holes her friend had punched through them, she added them to the diagram.

Corpses of werewolves missing their skin are everywhere, although she doesn't need to dissect any of them. She’s still not sure why or how she did that so cleanly.

In her distraction, Kim-Ly trips, falling into a pit inside the monster, she screams, and upon contact with the oddly solid floor, everything fades to black.

🜞🝣🜞

Sapphire looks over to Faria, she was talking now, although her stress levels were still clearly elevated. 

The cat butter had mostly melted at this point, filling the bottom of the boat. Sapphire picks some up on her finger. Greasy, sticky, but still slippery. Potentially useful as machinery lubricant. She will have to remember this for the future.

She looks back towards Faria. Her condition is poor. Sapphire would not be shocked if she suddenly dropped dead.

Due to the evolution of cat butter, Faria’s body stored very little fat, not enough to last even 2 days if fed well, and she is under the impression Faria was not. Sapphire could swim and get more fish but she was very bad at it, her body was incredibly buoyant and hard to even get under water, and the fish were hard to catch. She had also recalled another need beings like Faria had for water, and the fact salt water would not do. 

Sapphire had no idea why she herself lacked these needs,  they were far from the only ones. She never blinked, could stand far higher and lower temperatures than the average person (a fact she knew as she had accidentally locked herself in a meat freezer once when trying to take spare parts, she liked to tinker with things. She had learned of her tolerance of high temperatures rather recently, as she was not experiencing any heatstroke currently).

They still had a ways to go on this trip, and Faria was steadily declining, she must find a way to keep her alive, if she does not she is likely doomed.

Unfortunately the only tools she had at her disposal were the harpoons, which had proven quite useful, and the cat butter, which could be a very valuable resource in the right context…

Sapphire looks at the butter and realises that it seems to be about 20% water, if she could lower that amount it likely could be used as a glue. More useful still, if only that were helpful.

“Saffie… you’re doing that thing again where you just stare at things with a dumb fucking look on your face.” Faria reminds her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“I am trying to figure out how to better maintain your-” Sapphire notices something. Faria’s coat has pockets, and they look quite full. “Wait, empty your pockets.”

“Wha? No.”

“Faria, I am trying to keep you alive. I estimate you will die within the next two hours unless you are given a fluid change.”

“...You mean if I don’t drink anything?”

“Yes yes, that.” Sapphire says, rolling her visible eye.

“You can't have my stuff. It's mine.” Faria says, hissing at Sapphire.

“Do not be a child, Faria, I shall return it.”

Faria stares at Sapphire a moment, as if sizing her up. “Fine. But it’s mine, you can't keep it.” Sapphire sighs in annoyance. The files had mentioned possessiveness, why did she not see this coming.

Faria opens her pockets and pulls out a few objects, due to the size of her hands her fingertips barely fit in. Faria pulls out two shiny metal cups, a metal lighter, a couple lenses for glasses, a fork, a ton of coins, some metal washers, and a belt buckle. Ooookay. That is a very strange collection of objects. ‘But very useful.’ Sapphire thinks to herself.

She immediately grabs the cups, and the lighter, and picks up three of the harpoons, putting them together like a tripod and placing some cat butter between them, using the lighter to evaporate the water and bind her makeshift tripod together. Sapphire fills one of the metal cups with sea water and places it on top of the tripod, and another empty one beside it on the boat. She proceeds to remove her own tie and lay it over the two cups. She flicks the lighter back on and places it in the small space between the cup and the middle of the tripod.

“Wow… you uh… certainly made a thing.”

“It's a thermal saltwater purifier.”

“You look weird without your tie.”

“I feel weird without it as well, I would like to have my tie back just as much as you would your random garbage.”

“HEY! It’s not fucking garbage.” Faria snarls.

“Then what exactly is it?”

“My hoard.”

“...What?”

“It’s my hoard.”

“Saying it again does not remove any of my confusion.”

“Y'know Saff, like that cool shiny stuff you like to keep in your room and sleep on. This was all I could get before they moved me out.”

“I… I was not aware this was a common behaviour.” Sapphire says, sure, Faria may not be human, and Sapphire may know very little about other monsters, but this feels strange. “Where did you… get these?”

“The guards and science guys left a lot of stuff around, and I wanted it. Eventually they stopped trying to take it from me because I kept scratching them.”

She must have missed this fact in the files.

Sapphire removes the now half full cup of clean water and hands it to the cat, who quickly pours it all in her mouth. She almost spits it out but Sapphire places her hand over the cat’s muzzle. “It is all that is available. I apologise for the temperature.”

Sapphire lets go after a minute.

“You could have at least… I dunno… FUCKING WARNED ME?!”

“If you did not feel its temperature when it was in your hand it is your own fault.”

“Well excuse me for having pads that barely feel temperature.”

“You have extended your lifespan by approximately 30 minutes. The temperature of the air is not in your favour.”

“Why are you fucking immune to everything. You don't eat, don’t seem like you need to drink and don’t look hot… well at least not in temperature.” Sapphire rolls her eyes at the last comment.

“I don’t know. Why can you survive obvious deathblows?”

“Tushy.”

“Touche.”

“Yeah, tushy.”

“You have the mental capacity of a deflated basketball.”

“‘S that good?”

“...Sure.”

Sapphire turns back around and continues silently rowing. She had averted a potential crisis. This was good. She was managing to form a closer bond with this powerful monster while keeping her alive.

Although she couldn’t actually explain why she felt the desire to do this.

The logical part of her mind, which she had until recently thought to be the only parts of her mind, told her she was only doing this because of what Faria could do. The cat monster was likely one of the most powerful monsters kept on the entire ship, her healing abilities bordered on immortality, or at least invulnerability from most physical damage. The scientists had theories on how she could potentially be killed, mostly revolving around removing her head or otherwise destroying her brain, or killing her without physically damaging her body, such as by drowning (which indeed did make being out at sea dangerous, especially since Faria seemed to buy into this idea), but they had no proof for these ideas. For all they knew, Faria could just regrow her own head, she had regrown limbs and organs before. With this invulnerability to physical attacks, and her skill in battle, Faria was an indispensable ally.

Except that she really wasn't. The cat may be large, incredibly manoeuvrable, and nearly unkillable, but she wasn’t perfect. Sapphire would likely never need an ally as physically powerful as this monstrous cat if she had just left her to die. If she went back home, returned to hiding, Faria would be of no use. Nothing in the area posed a serious threat that couldn't be combated intellectually. Not to mention Faria was very loud, very annoying, not very smart clearly, at least not intellectually, and now had the two of them on a suicide mission. As soon as Sapphire stepped off that ship, Faria’s usefulness expired. Sure she may offer some things, like that ‘hoard’ or the cat butter, but she would need none of this if not for the need to keep Faria alive. If her goal was to try to harness Faria’s invulnerability that too was a bust, Faria’s immortality came from a special organ (the organ itself regrowable) that pumped stem cells into her bloodstream. Reasonably a blood transfusion would pass on the stem cells but clearly not the true invulnerability, but even that could not be done. People had tried to use Faria’s blood before. Her blood type was unique, and rejected by all donors. Faria really wasn’t that useful.

This information confused Sapphire. She was aware of Faria’s seeming lack of any purpose for being here. Logically abandoning her was the best choice, but she could not bring herself to make that call.

Sapphire is snapped out of her trance by Faria grabbing her, and pulling her into her arms. Strange.

Sapphire looked around, the sky was grey, and rain was starting to fall, the sea getting more unruly. Unfortunate. She should have expected this, but she had somehow diluted herself into thinking the weather could possibly remain ideal for the entire trip.

Faria was making a strange noise. She did not like it. It made her brain feel strange.

Sapphire deconstructs her purifier and puts her tie back on. The harpoons had come apart in the rain. Perhaps not the greatest form of glue.

She hands Faria back all but one of the cups, as well as giving her the harpoons to hold onto.

Sapphire holds up the cup to catch rainwater. The rain brings its own benefits, regardless of if Faria is going to perpetually be a problem or not she must utilise them.

🝁🝢🝁

Kim-Ly wakes up a few hours later in a tall, bright room. She was lucky to survive the fall, as the floor seems to be… cement?!

She rubs her head in pain, definitely bleeding, before standing up to examine her surroundings.

The walls are metal, with rows upon rows of holes, filled with large cylindrical batteries. Inspecting them closer reveals they truly don’t look like any brand she’s seen before. In fact, they’re inscribed with a language she’s never seen before. Granted, Kim-Ly is barely bilingual and she knows the world has a lot of languages, but the script doesn’t look like anything she’s seen before. It looks like something aliens would use in a scifi movie. This whole place seems alien.

“W-what the fuck is this? This looks… what the hell. Whatever this is its well the fuck above what I’m qualified to handle.” she mutters to herself. “Is this thing… artificial?” she asks herself aloud. “No… no it couldn't be. The kaiju is too real, if it were manmade I… I don't even know how that would be done. This room definitely is… and its full of these… batteries… I think they are… what else could they be? Ok calm down.” Kim-Ly tells herself. “Someone made this place, and whoever they are, they’re sure as hell not Usapoadin. I may be looking at the creation of something not even HUMAN. If that's true it means whoever made this is as or maybe even more advanced than humanity. Monsters are clearly capable of intelligent thought, and speech but this… if they did this… shit.” Kim-Ly says to herself.

“Before I fell, I didn’t see this place, and while I was falling I recall it being dark… so these lights must run on sensors. Either that or I’m not alone and someone is helping me, but I find that unlikely.” Kim-Ly pulls out her journal, and starts to jot down the little information she has about the room.

She sees a strange hatch on one of the walls, like the rest of the room it doesn't exactly look like human architecture. She approaches the hatch, still writing, and almost falls over when it suddenly opens.

Kim-Ly regains herself after a moment. She’s not athletic enough to scale the walls, and her curiosity is once again getting the better of her.

She slips into the circular hatch and the room inside lights up.

It's a long room, littered with desks, large computers and tables. Every surface is covered in papers and writing. Unfortunately for Kim-Ly though, all of it was in that same alien language as before. There is a large spraypainted logo of a monster on the wall, with more of the “letters” beneath it. The monster itself looks like one straight out of a kids book. She can only understand one thing. This is some kind of lab, or base of operations, and it looks long abandoned. Why it's here, inside the kaiju she doesn't know.

As she walks across the metallic tiles she feels like she understands why it’s placed how it is, it feels like the entire room rotates to always be upright, there are multiple places the hatch could attach to, on the walls and floors, seemingly so that entrance is never blocked regardless of position, she adds this new information, as well as the logo into her journal, and slips it back in her bag.

She mindlessly walks around the lab, in utter awe. She’s never seen anything like this. It's about modern in technological advancements, which would be nothing, if it were not clearly made by someone nonhuman.

While not paying attention, she steps on one tile, which proceeds to sink into the floor. Hatches open on the walls, and in fly small drones, definitely not of any human model, the shape is alien and insectoid with propellers on both the tops and bottoms.

A red beam of light shoots from the drones, scanning her. A second passes, and then an alarm goes off, he hears something being said in a strange language by an artificial voice, and the drones fly back to their walls. The alarm blares, filling the room with red light. Other hatches open, and spider like robots enter the room, with scanners on their faces and guns for arms.

The message is clear, she has to run.

🜞🝣🜞

The rain was pouring down as Sapphire’s cup had been filled quite a number of times. It was starting to fill the boat as well, a side effect she liked far less. 

Fortunately Faria would likely survive the rest of the trip with the provided hydration.

However the cat’s behaviour had not changed, she was still clinging to Sapphire, her grip inescapable.

The waves were getting higher, starting to crash over the sides of the boat. She returned the cup. It was of no more use like this.

Now the storm was just inconvenient. 

Not to mention that while she wasn't cold, and barely felt the water, she could feel it getting into her stitches. It felt… Well, it wasn’t painful, but it was very unpleasant. If she weren't too worried about her potential death, she would have cut herself open to finally see if she could learn something. But she feared her own death greatly, survival was of utmost importance, besides, what could be learned from it, anyway? She surely has the same veins as any other creature, maybe less organs, or different ones, but that wouldn’t be helpful either. She was no biologist as much as she knew she couldn't study unique organs, it had become clear she somehow knew nothing about the supernatural, much less if they were inside her own body.

The rain poured down against her head creating an odd pressure she was sure would rip her stitches apart had they not been made with wire.

The boat rocked terribly, the weight of Faria’s body at the back seemed to be further throwing it off balance, but in the state the cat was in it would be quite impossible to move her.

A large wave crashes around them, the two engulfed in the small pocket of air, giving the impression of being in some sort of tunnel, before the water crashed down on them, and the boat was finally tipped, dumping the two monsters into the inky darkness of the sea.

Sapphire immediately surfaced, her light and buoyant body allowing her to float without effort. She was tossed violently by the waves absolutely sure her body would be crushed, she looked around for any sign of her ally.

She saw nothing but the now deflated dinghy.

Panickedly, she searches the water, hoping Faria will surface soon. Of course she will, all animals instinctively start to swim, or at least flail when in water, but nothing was seen.

Sapphire dove down beneath the waves. Her body felt light, weightless, as if floating in the vacuum of space. It rather looked that way too.

All she could see was water, infinite water, beneath her a void of the stuff so deep she could never escape.

She felt exposed, weak, more than she had ever felt before. When she had swam earlier there were fish, she knew that, she knew what they were, and she knew she could kill them. She had a boat to return to, an idea of where she was. Now she had none of this.

Only an infinite void in each direction of which anything could come out of at any time and take her.

She managed to spot Faria, sinking deep into the void. Motionless. Helpless. Lifeless.

No… Faria had a high lung capacity surely she would live, surely. She couldn't just accept her death.

Faria was her friend. A realisation potentially come far too late.

Sapphire dove towards the cat, forcing her light body under the intense density of the water. It felt like trying to swim in sand.

Eventually she managed to reach the cat, grabbing onto her massive hand. Faria did not grip her.

She pulled the cat up with her as they both began to float due to Sapphire’s buoyancy, which seemed to have increased somehow.

She tried to rouse the cat any way she could, nothing worked

She pressed her hand to Faria’s chest. Nothing. No pulse. She was… gone.

No no no no no no no this couldn't be right Faria couldn't die, she couldn't leave Sapphire… couldn’t she see that she needed her?

Sapphire shook the cold body in desperation, when she still did not stir she curled herself in the arms of the cat. 

She screamed without truly knowing why, and as she did, she felt a strange surge through her body… the surrounding area was shocked with a stream of electricity coming from Sapphire’s small body, and then as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Then she felt something. A weak pulse which most definitely was not there before.

Sapphire quickly surfaced, trying to force the water from the cat’s body, as her limbs began to twitch.

Whatever that shock was, it had worked as a defibrillator and restarted the cat’s pulse. Sapphire was not at all sure how she did that. She had never done that. She didn’t even think something like this was possible.

But right now, she didn’t care how possible it was, only that the cat had been revived.

She found herself looking into Faria’s bright green eyes as the cat gasped, trying to hold on to her small body as best as she could.

“I’m… alive…?” Faria questions between gasps.

“L-likely… I doubt you would be able to ask me such a question at all if you were not.”

“Why?”

“Because dead people rarely possess the ability to talk.”

“No… why did you… save me?”

“...Because you’re my friend Faria. I couldn't let you die.”

“We’re… friends?”

“I believe so. That appears to be why I have been behaving so abnormally… I haven't exactly had one before, a friend I mean. In fact, you’re the first person aside from myself I have ever spoken to.”

Faria is silent, but looks happy.

“We are close to the island. Let’s get to dry land.” Sapphire says, not wanting to speak about her feelings anymore.

“Thank God. Or Satan, or whatever. Let’s get the fuck out of this water.”

🝁🝢🝁

Kim-Ly has never been an athletic woman. She was always slow, and ran out of breath fast. Now, with her head pounding and adrenaline pumping through her veins, she was starting to regret not being good at PE.

She runs from room to room, not getting time to inspect any, as she barrels down long hallways with the robots shooting at her. Their aim isn't very good but she doesn't exactly take the time to figure out why.

Kim-Ly finds herself in a smaller room the hatches won’t open. She's at a dead end.

A machine whirs to life, something is said in a different artificial voice, not that it matters, as she can’t understand the language.

Mechanical arms fasten around all her limbs as she thrashes in their grip. Her mouth is wrenched open as a large pipe is shoved down her throat, causing her to choke. She fights harder against the machine’s grasp but its no use.

Long tubes held by more arms, with large needles on the tips are brought towards her, despite all her struggling and crying she is unable to break free, and they plunge into her body, injecting into her spine, multiple parts of her arms and legs, her kidneys, the nape of her neck, and even her forehead, piercing through the her skull.

A glowing blue liquid is pumped through all the pipes, she tries to scream but the pipe prevents it.

Her body becomes weak and goes limp, before being shocked back to struggling when what seemed to be barbed wires wrap around all of her skin, the hundreds of needles injecting more of the liquid.

Blood drips down, creating a large puddle on the ground beneath her.

The robots are about to enter the room when the door slams shut. A screen is lowered in front of her displaying what looks to be an instructional video, but the tech is long degraded and glitched, so really its nothing, her head is held in place so she’s forced to look at it, as more of the needles drive themselves into her skull.

She feels nothing but pain, knowing this is the end of her life surely, and still the machine continues its mutilation.

The barbed wires around her torso unwrap, and for a moment, she thinks it may be ending, until she feels a horrible pain. She can't look down as the machine keeps her looking at the screen before her, she doesn’t even have the strength to wonder what she’s supposed to be being shown.

Unfortunately for her it goes black, long strained technology finally having given in, and in  its reflection she can clearly see a large scalpel vivisecting her, once it finishes more tubes are inserted deep into her nostrils, fully cutting off her breathing, but the machine does not have the mercy to let her die, instead a blade slits her throat, allowing air in through the wound.

The blood has fully covered the floor at this point, and she wonders why she isn't dead yet. She realises the machines are keeping most of it in, overfilling her veins as the new liquid fills her.

She sees long skewers scissor her large chest wound open, revealing her organs inside.

A large needle plunges into her heart, starting to somehow specifically extract all of her blood. She thrashes wildly, before goggles are forced over her eyes, displaying the same swirl as before, as speakers are hooked up to her ears. She can understand what they are saying despite it being the same alien language as before. “Be calm. This does not hurt. Magification will be completed soon.” it repeats those words over and over. She doesn’t have the mental fortitude to analyse those words, or why she can understand them, due to the immense pain and now about 16 skewers in her head, and the hypnosis. 

Said hypnosis does its work convincing her to stop struggling as every drop of blood is extracted from her body, and replaced with the blue substance. That of it that doesn't make it into her bloodstream fuses to her flesh.

The machine finishes its work on her heart, and the needle is pulled… before her heart is ripped out entirely.  How the fuck is she still alive!?

A metallic piece is shoved in its place, seeming to resume its work.

Her lungs are ripped out and replaced with something oddly fleshy that is attached to the new faux heart.

Another organ entirely is shoved in her body, connected to her spinal cord and her faux heart.

“Sleep.” the machine orders, and she does.

🜞🝣🜞

The pair crawl onto the shore of the island, Sapphire definitely exhausted. 

Whatever that thing was that she did earlier, it had sapped a lot of her energy, and even more had been depleted when swimming herself and the rather heavy cat monster to the island. The water did help to lighten the weight but she was still on the verge of collapse the whole way.

“Oh sweet land, I will never leave you again.” Faria says, sitting in the sand.

As soon as Sapphire gets onto land she kneels over and pukes up a strange substance. She's not quite sure what she should call it, it's like water, but not quite. 

She had had no problem breathing underwater and had inhaled a lot of it. Something she was actually quite curious about, as she had always assumed she couldn't. When she never ate or drank it was because she never felt any need or desire to, but she knew living creatures like herself tended to need oxygen, so had always tried holding her breath… but did she really not need to? It seemed like what she just puked up was the water that she had swallowed, although being inside her had clearly done something to it.

It felt unstable. Or too stable. It was hard to say.

What had she done to this, how had she managed to release such a high quantity of electrical energy, more than she’d even think would be contained in her body, and what does this mean…

Sapphire starts to wonder where her energy is coming from anyway. She sleeps sure, occasionally, but she never dreams, she never eats or drinks anything nor feels the need to so her body can't be burning fats or sugars, she hadn't gotten a pound lighter, energy cant be created or destroyed so she had to be getting it from something.

So how does she work?

From the little she knows about herself she seems to clearly violate the first law of thermodynamics.

Maybe she’s “overthinking it”, as much as she hated the phrase as until now she doubted such a thing was possible. Perhaps she somehow got energy from the sun or something.

Still, it was rather confusing… She needs to figure this out. She can’t go on not knowing something, especially something as vital as what she herself was. 

Sapphire is snapped from her thoughts by Faria running up and down the beach on all fours, kicking up sand in Sapphire’s face.

It was rather impressive actually, Faria had not had full room to run on the ship, Sapphire hadn’t truly believed she could really run like this, she assumed the files were exaggerating.

Sapphire stands up, miraculously having had her energy restored, another strange ability relating to it to regain it fast without doing… anything.

Now is not the time to think of this.

“The building is on the other side of the island, we could go over there, but going in guns blazing, which is a figure of speech by the way as you seem to misread such things, we are likely to be captured. They had a 3D render of the island, rather impressive. Regardless, there is a cave nearby and it is not listed as being monitored. It would be a good place to rest and make our plan.” Faria is not paying attention. “FARIA!” Sapphire yells at her friend in frustration.

Faria looks up, there is a crab in her mouth, shell shattered by the power of her jaws. “Yeah?” She says through her full mouth.

Sapphire sighs, and smiles slightly, annoying as she was, Faria was good company and Sapphire was very glad she had not died. “Just follow me.”

🝁🝢🝁

Kim-Ly awakes half submerged in a pod full of water. She immediately shoots upwards, gasping. Her whole body feels weird, plagued by a buzzing sensation as if her veins were full of bees.

Her clothes are drenched in her own blood, but her wounds have miraculously already become scars, she panickingly lifts up her shirt to look at the place she was cut open, sure enough, there is a line of stitches going down her torso.

“Shit… what… what was that… what did it do to me?” She gets out of the pod.

Her mind still feels a little bit fuzzy. She’s in a new part of the lab, one covered in posters that she can somehow read as being classic motivational phrases. Huh. She notices her bag is missing and panics, it must have come loose when she was running, she needs to find it, and then find a way out.

Kim-Ly sees some magazines on a table, this place is set up like a waiting room. They’re human ones, or at least most are, with all the writing covered up in whiteout and replaced with the strange language. She finds herself still being able to read them.

Whatever happened to her, she can now understand this language.

Writing on the wall reads “Welcome new magi.” Magi… is that what she is? Did that thing make her a… magi? What even is a magi?

She sees a book laying on the table, “Introduction to Magic: A Magi’s Guide. By Moray.” the book is small, light, and looks very old. She opens it up to the first page.

“After undergoing Magification you may be confused, especially if you stumbled in the chamber by accident, I’ll be totally honest here, because I know none of the others will read this. ParanormalU is going down. We all know it. I wouldn't be shocked if no one ever reads this. And if someone does, I’ll bet you didn’t even know what that machine was. Since there's no regulation anymore, Smokey and I have decided to make this book special. 

Congratulations reader, you now own the one of a kind, limited edition, go fuck yourself book. Since I’ll bet you have no clue what a magi even is, you are one, I am one. If you still need to know more, we’re humans imbued with a substance with a long boring name I prefer to just call magic gatorade, and since I can do whatever I want now, I will. 

Basically we’re humans artificially turned into pseudo-sorciforms, we do magic, we’re good at it, and Smokey fucked with the machine when the boss wasnt looking so you wouldnt get knocked out until the end. Trust me, it's for the better, if you get knocked out you go limp and your veins contract in a way that's inconvenient, you come out weak and bland. 

This book will teach you a couple standard spells and some of mine. I’m not allowed to teach those, but again, no one will ever look at this. They’re too busy trying to stop our organisation from falling to proofread my shit.

I have more answers that even now I hesitate to tell you through a medium such as this one. So I’m going to take a slightly smaller gamble than that and give you my address.” There is an address, ok she probably shouldn't call it that because it links her to a deeper sector of a nearby forest but regardless it’s actually pretty close to here. Kim-Ly wants to read more, but she should probably get out of here.

She walks back through the lab, and steps on another pressure plate, having not learned her lesson. However this time, the robots make a ding and simply leave when they scan her… odd…

She’s free to explore this lab, she’d rather go home currently given her body aches and today has been horri- no lets be honest here this is still the coolest day of her life regardless of the new array of scars. I mean it's not like she hadn’t gotten scars from monster hunting and this is way more interesting.

She finds her bag, the contents having fallen out.

The walkie talkie is on, Sabrina finally messaging her, having forgotten to until now presumably due to pure bloodlust.

“KIM! KIM ARE YOU THERE?! KIM!!!” Sabrina calls. 

Kim-Ly picks up the walkie talkie. “Yeah sorry I’m here. Over.”

“HOLY SHIT KIM WHERE WERE YOU?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!!! Over.” 

“I’m fine, I got attacked by something really weird and accidentally dropped my bag in the superior vena cava. Over.”

“Oh thank God! I don’t know what I’d do if… if you weren’t around. Please don’t do that again… I… can't lose anyone else. Over and out.”

Kim-Ly sighs. It felt bad lying to Sabrina. However, it has to be done… “Well…” She looks at the book. “Time to find this guy.”

#Patchwork Heart #Ouija #Thalassaphobia stuff I guess #maybe??? #Sorry nerves got the best of me guys #be nice