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2kmps · 6 months

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BED-REST IS BEST

howl pendragon x sick!reader | 2.1k

synopsis; while sophie and michael are away fetching you bone broth for your illness, howl decides to pay you a visit.

story warnings; sick!reader, howl is a pompous turd, book!howl-coded, interrupted kiss, roughly proofread, posted 2021.

Sophie supposed the malady came on the winds of spring, carrying with it all manner of sickness, unpleasantness, and turbid air just the thinnest tinge of green from particles of pollen. She herself felt the effects of the great thaw, the budding tulips of richest hue, and the haze that drew over head like a personal cloud of suffering all her own.

Of course, Old Sophie had a way of dramatizing, meanwhile simultaneously catastrophizing stuff, so you knew to listen to her words loosely, with a solemn nod that you also shared similarly in those feelings. To a lesser degree than her, you were already aware your forced bed-rest could be attributed to allergies.

Or, something else you considered, it could have been the number of sputtering children who yet not knew to duck their faces in a tissue or their arms; it could have been the last embrace you shared with your sickly aunt. It could have been so many things that you had to press the pads of your fingers into your temples to subdue the stab of a headache building beneath them.

“Michael and I are going to Market Square to get supplies and bone broth. That’ll whip you into shape in no time.” Sophie anchored her fists against the bulky layers of her skirt, nearly losing them from how deeply they sunk. “Don’t you dare think about moving until we get back, hear me?”

“What about customers?” you couldn’t say you were disappointed by her firm demand, though all the same it made you restless. Even in times where illness or injury got you down, rest eluded you like fine sand slithering through crevices in your fingers. “Howl went off and blew half our income on that- that, damn, what was it? Some kind of enchanted flute? The more customers we serve, the more we can stash away.”

Sophie’s nostrils widened while her shoulders sagged forward with her breath. Her eyes lost their hardness, ebbing into something far warmer, motherly, almost. As you shifted anxiously beneath the covers, she came back around and began tucking them under your body once again, sure to secure you tighter than before. In fact, you were so caught, so much in your cocoon that you only saw the gray ball of wadded hair pinned atop her head bounce as she rounded you.

“Just stay down you worrywart,” she sighed, heels tapping the floorboards in a collected gait. At your head, she was careful to fluff the feathers in your pillow. “Between us, I’ve been putting a bit aside here and there. Just enough so he can't go buy another one of those enchanted suits. I’d like to know the dealer he’s getting them from and have a word with them myself.”

Your lips curled up at the mention and, honestly, you believed she actually would. “Where is Howl, anyway? I thought he was around.”

“Good grief, I almost wish he wasn’t. He’s been banging around in his room for hours now.” Old Sophie threw her hand towards the adjacent wall, upper lip curling as she continued, “says a lot that you haven’t heard a lick of it.”

That was enough to get you to concede to her obstinacy, letting the weight of your head- suddenly a strain on your neck- fully rest atop of the pillow she had fixed. The more she talked about you needing to stay in bed, drink bone broth and saltines, the more you felt the lead in your limbs rooting you to the mattress and the world floating around you when you closed your eyes.

It was any guess to you when it was the moment Sophie slipped out of your room with that hobbled gait of hers. You had been vaguely aware of her giving your cushion a bit more lusciousness, and then warmth of her palm covering the space of your forehead, giving a fretful tongue click. Behind your heavy eyelids, your eyes floated after her tiny footfalls, but that at once made your bed feel like a boat crashing through cresting waves.

So, you finally resigned to your fate of her and Michael’s care, finally let the stone in your bones meld you into the bed like beige boulders sinking further into the earth and undergrowth with coming centuries.

The silence that surrounded you was enthralling, probably the only true amount of peace you had had in a long time, considering your days were often brimmed with mediating Sophie and Howl’s explosiveness, meanwhile, still cooking up meager spells and manning the business with Michael.

In your weariness and delirium, a thought crossed your mind in a drawl: what about Calcifer, did he need more wood? You anticipated his voice bursting out soon, imploring attention in any number of ways. What of the front door? You expected a knock to come soon, and then another, and another, and perhaps a dozen more. That was money well needed.

What of Sophie? Your thoughts continued. Would she need you to help with scrubbing the floors? Maybe she wanted to give you a knitting lesson later, or expand on her tutelage of weaving hats.

Oh, and Howl—

God, how could you forget Howl? The man felt like a job all on its own.

Surely he intended to go out again and woo many of the loveliest in Market Chipping, or hell, maybe he’d move the castle somewhere else for the night to do that. You expected him to hunt you down, throw open your door, barge through the threshold with his hair aflutter and eagerness in his eyes—where did you and Miss Nose stash his suits? His guitar wasn’t where he left it, where was it? Neither of you meddled with the charm over his door, right?

As it turned out, you mumbled in your sleep, or at least in your discombobulated state. Your head rustled the feather pillow, lolling to one side and then the other as sweat prickled your forehead in cold beads. Behind your eyelids, Sophie’s nimble and darkly spotted hands worked on a suit, meanwhile Michael was ran ragged around the castle to try to fulfill orders, Calcifer bellowed for attention and eggs and bacon, and Howl’s hair whipped up in the breeze as he spun round and round with another lovely.

Your entire face twitched when a large hand smoothed across the top of your head, a damp weight of something laid spread across your forward, unpleasant and clammy unlike Sophie’s warm hand. “Hey. Don’t take the newt from the shelf, it’ll get on the floor.”

Howl gave a bemused smile that took a while to dissipate. You continued to babble incoherently here and there about things that didn't matter while the peaks of his knuckles simply rocked across your temple and cheek.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I pray that Sophie has made herself useful instead of sticking her nose in on us again.” He said with lightness in voice, peering across his shoulder towards the bolted doorway to be sure. “Good. She seems to think I only make you worse in these states. I would never.”

You were sure you were hearing his voice at this point, rousing you from the cluster in your head until your eyes fixed with his, wonderful and marble-like. They were softer than usual, glittering like the sea when the sun hung highest, making the water like a trove of dazzling treasure.

“Your eyes are amazing, Howell.” You whispered hoarsely, swallowing through the desert in your throat. “I don’t notice them enough.”

His smile took on something brighter, almost as though delighted you took notice of something that menial. “I would agree with you there! You can look as long as you’d like. Tell me more about it.”

“I think about us sometimes, Howell.” It was a strange feeling right now, the words you spoke were the first to float forward in your mind. You knew you were speaking garbled silliness, still you didn’t think better of it. “I remember college together, before we came to Ingary. I remember how you used to look before you… started doing the enchantment stuff. I feel like I’ve forgotten you.”

The lines in his lips were significantly deeper as they pulled down, his hand halted against your skin. It was either the thought that you felt such a disconnect from him, or the reminiscence of who he once was that brought the sullen look of his on. No longer was there a glitter of childish joy, but rather of anxiety, of concern.

“Nonsense. You’re talking nonsense just like Sophie and Calcifer.” He moved closer to you on the bed, rolling your arm from its spot as the mattress bent. Next, the pillow cradling your head flattened, his hands cuffed into the thick fabric as he leaned across you, your eyes only able to see him. “I… I’m still here. I have not left you, I wouldn’t entertain the thought. Didn’t I tell you that wherever I’d go from here on out, you would have to be right with me?”

You only wished he’d tell you such things in every other state of being, instead of during the peak of being bedridden. “I want to believe you, but in this world I am as ordinary as the hat makers and bakers. I’m replaceable. I wonder if that will happen one day.”

Noticeably distraught from the creases deepening around the corners of his mouth, and his eyes flitting wildly around your face as though in panic. He came down onto his elbows, caging you below him as his fear neared, his hot breath inches away.

“What makes you think I could ever replace you? Has someone put that bull into your head? Was it Calcifer—the pest? Was it a panderer we met the other day?” Now that he was so close to you, his voice had lowered and it rumbled. “Or, are you so sleep deprived, so loopy that you’re finally now telling me your heart?”

“Does it matter what I confess to you now?” you asked, pushing your head deeper into the feathers and farther from him. As you turned your face away, he shifted to gently coax your chin forward with the daintiest touch of his fingertips. “I would be alone in that venture. In a matter of five, six, ten years—I’ll have all the age and lines you hate. I’m sure I’ll shrink even more.”

“You do realize we have someone in our house who already looks like that.” He said this jokingly, of course, but even in your fever, your hand shot up to pinch his arm. “H–Hey, stop! Furthermore, you’re making up stuff, who would be to say you’d be alone with your heart?”

The explanation to that was obvious, considering the whole business with Calcifer and the Witch, but you didn’t want to think about it. In fact, at any opportunity to steer your mind away from that debacle, you found it.

Once again, you tried to look away from him—both sleep was beginning to weigh on your bones more than what you imagine Howl would if he were to collapse, and away from the furor gleaming in his eyes. And once again, he pulled you back towards him.

“Sick as you are, I’d like to prove it to you.” It was an unusual thing to hear from him considering all his caution with appearance and health. You wondered if he was desperate to alleviate your distrust. “Why are you looking at me like that? Close your eyes—yeah, I would rather not risk your germs, but some things can’t be helped.”

You weren’t sure if your eyes slid shut from gravity, or from some sort of internal desire for him to do this. Either way, his hand returned adjacent to the other near your hair, tugging slightly at the strands and his breath came so close you felt it tremble against your lips.

And then, all at once, his breath snagged in his throat as the door was thrown open, bouncing off the wall with such force it vibrated. In waddled Old Sophie, arms conveniently free of anything other than an old wood broom with long, spidery bristles that she held aloft across her shoulder, eyes blazing and the most malicious you had ever seen them.

“I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone with this dog! This cretin, vile imbecile! This complete, utterly hopeless dolt!” She screeched, the layers of her dress billowed behind her as she started into the room as fast as her creaky old limbs could. “Get out, get out, get out! Away with you, you absolute user! Away! Away! Away! Begone!”

Howl yelped in surprise as the tiny old lady swung the broom with enough ferocity for you to feel the air gush and whoosh around you.

“You demented old coot! Swinging brooms and the like around, are you completely classless?!” he propelled himself upright, expertly ducking her onslaught until he was well out the door into the hall. “I won't forget this!”

As luck would have it, their bickering continued on even once they were out of the room, even fifteen minutes later when Michael weaseled through the threshold with your bone broth and bolted the door behind him.

divider by @/anlian-aishang

reposted from my deleted blog officiallytheduchess/cardeneiv

#howl x you #hmc howl #howlscastle #howl's moving castle #howls moving castle #howl pendragon #howl x y/n #howl x reader #howl pendragon x y/n #howl pendragon x you #howl pendragon x reader #hmc imagines #hmc fic #howl hmc #hmc book #hmc #2k writes

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verdantmeadows · 1 year

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Bede and his boyfriend that he must constantly fight with or else he explodes

#arguing as a sign of affection a la howl and sophie in the hmc book #but just!!! using hops name is such an intimate sign coming from bede!!!!#and his smile is clearly fun and friendly!#id like to imagine bede is saying this because it's too flustering for him when hop says it hehe #cheeryfairy #cheeryfairyshipping #bede #hop #pokemon #pokemas #pokemon masters #book of kells

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princessasmosprincess · 2 years

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A live-action adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle with Christian Bale would have been amazing.

#i love him in the ghibli film #But imagine what he could do with the role in real life #howl's moving castle #howl pendragon #christian bale #hmc

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femme-malewife · 2 years

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I propose to you all:

Castle in the Sky, Aizou x Yujiro edition

Howls Moving Castle, Ken x Arisa edition

Spirited Away, Nagisa x Hiyori edition

and for a bonus:

Kiki’s Delivery Service, Kotaro x Hina edition

#artists! do the thing! /j #no but honestly just #IMAGINE IT #CitS aiyuu with aizou swinging yujiro in a circle with yujiro protecting him #HMC with ken moping about not being pretty while arisa struggles with self love #SA with Hiyori doing everything in her power to save Nagisa from the curse #KKDS just. Witch Hina. saving Kotaro. thats all #shibarisa/ariken #nagihiyo #kotahina

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thinking-with-quadrants · 4 months

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I absolutely adore the "Eda is Howl and Raine is Sophie" AU (and am sharing links to art and fics at the bottom of this post because they're all so good!). But may I suggest - that's what the story looks like from Raine's point of view. From Eda's point of view, it looks like this:

Update: here's the coloured version:

Reference, further thoughts and links to other fanworks under cut!

Just look at Raine Rizzpers. They're this handsome, dashing, incredibly powerful magician who wears a dangly earring and a glorious off-the-shoulder coat.

Imagine:

- Eda has to hide from coven scouts and Raine uses their magic to whisk her away. Of course where Sophie is initially terrified of walking in the sky Eda is immediately delighted and laughs instead of yelping. And Raine literally does the same "soldiers/scouts turn away and march away" magic in the BATTs intro as Howl does in the movie intro, right? Same magic! So Raine and Eda have a lovely time together (longer than Howl and Sophie, maybe even the whole day?) because they form an immediate connection, just like in "Them's the breaks, kid".

- Then Eda gets cursed, which makes her age prematurely and run away from home. She finds an old house in the wilderness. Unlike in TOH canon, the house is inhabited not only by Hootcifer but also occasionally by Raine. (Or maybe the house is not the Owl House but the BATTs headquarters, and the 3 BATTs are the equivalent of Calcifer, Markl abd Heen?)

- either way Raine going on BATT missions, disguised as a bat, is the equivalent of Howl going to war in bird form.

- unfortunately Raine doesn't seem to recognise her. She thinks it's because of her curse, but finds out that Raine's heart and memories seemingly have been locked away (Terra's potion).

- since Eda lost her magic to the curse, now Raine is the only magician in this relationship. But even without her magic Eda refuses to leave. She just kind of aggressively adopts Raine, citing old woman privilege, because of course she's immediately worried about the effects of the curse on the person she met that day and couldn't forget since.

- some kind of confrontation between Eda and Terra (madam Suleiman equivalent). Raine was going to go themself, unlike Howl, but Eda somehow preempted them and went instead of them, using an illusion to look like Raine, just like in canon! And then Terra sees through the illusion and everything falls apart but in the end they still find each other...🥺

*Slaps AU* This baby can fit SO MUCH mutual pining in it!

The reason why I love Raeda so much is that both of them are the Howl and the Sophie in this relationship.

Anyway here are the amazing other fanworks!

AND ALL OF THIS TAG ON INSTAGRAM!!

#raeda #raeda fanart #raine whispers #eda clawthorne #the owl house #the owl house au #the owl house fanart #toh raeda #howl's moving castle #my art #thinking with quadrants art

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kamurawaffles5684 · 3 months

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Quick headcannon cuz I haven’t been on here for eons.

If/When loki and Mobius finally get together I’d imagine loki would make a ring or some kind of watch or whatever that Mobius could wear and it could guide him back to Loki if something bad happened to one of them, kinda how Howl’s rings work in HMC when Sophie has to get back to the Moving Castle during the Royal ambush scene. Idk why. I just think he’d do that.

#loki series #lokius #lokius my lifeblood #loki headcanons #marvel headcanons #loki season 2 #loki show #loki laufeyson #mobius m mobius

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blue-sadie · 7 months

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.Random.

.Request Page.

A place for my different fandoms brain rots

Platonic = 🌼 Fluff = 🌺 Smut =🌹 Lime = ⚘️ Angst = 🥀 Yandere = 🍁

Anime

Imagines.

(H) kakeru Sengoku - Her Little Merman 🌺

(H) Keishin Ukai - Assistant Manager 🌹

(HMC) Howl Pendragon- A Thing Of Beauty 🌺

(LOK) Mako & Bolin - Brothers Charm 🌹

(MHA) Katsuki Bakugo - Silly Nicknames 🌺

(MHA) Shota Aizawa - Villainous Love 🌹

(MHA) Shota Aizawa - Little Helper 🌹

Combo.

Incorrect Quotes.

Drabbles.

Oneshots.

(H) Asahi Azumane - Pregnant Hungry 🌺

Different Aus.

Headcanons.

NSFW/SFW Alphabet.

Animation

Imagines.

(QFC) Garrett Touch Says All 🌺

Combos

(A&TAE) Dimitri & Cale Tucker - The Tucker Twins 🌹

Incorrect Quotes.

Drabbles.

Oneshots.

Different Aus.

Headcanons.

Nsfw/SFW Alphabet.

Celebritys

Imagines.

Hayden Christen - Yn Moment 🌺 Jamie Flatters - Admiring The Interviewer 🌺

Henry Cavill - Distraction 🌺

Oscar Isaac - Wavering 🌺

Combo.

Jamie Flatters,Tedros Pendragon,Neteyam - One Room 🌹

Incorrect Quotes.

Drabbles.

Oneshots.

Jack Champion - Past Experiences 🥀🌺

Jamie Flatters - Attention Thief 🌺

Jamie Flatters - Bakery Girl 🌺

Jamie Flatters - When Fate Intervenes 🌺

Stephen Lang Hard At Work. Prt 2 🌺

Combos.

Avatar Cast - Dream Come True 🌺

Different Aus.

Headcanons.

NSFW/SFW Alphabet.

Games

Imagines.

(BG3) Astarion - Love From Cold Lips 🌹

(BG3) Astarion - For Your Pleasure 🌹

(BG3) Astarion - Flaunting Treasures 🌹

(BG3) Astarion - Sweet As Sugar 🌹

(BG3) Astarion - Red As Cherry 🌹

(BG3) Halinsin - Size Difference 🌹

(HL) Sebastian Sallow - Dazzling Smile 🌺

(TLOU) Joel Miller - The Tiredness 🌹

Combos.

(BG3)Astarion & Halsin - Vampire And The Bear ⚘️

(BG3) Astarion & Gale - Love From The Gods 🌹

(BG3) Astarion & Harleep - Jealous Much 🌹

(HL) Sebastian & Ominus - Bros Before... 🥀🌺

Incorrect Quotes.

Drabbles.

Oneshots.

(BG3) Ascended Astarion - Truly Broken 🥀

(BG3) Astarion - My Darling Baker 🌺

(HL) Sebastian Sallow - Lace Me Up 🌺

Combos

(BG3) Astarion & Halsin - Lust Filldd Touches 🌹

Different Aus.

(BG3)God Astarion & God Gale -Praises From The Gods🌹

Headcanons.

NSFW/SFW Alphabet.

(BG3) halsin - NSFW

Movies

Imagines.

(HP) Draco Malfoy - A Bubbly Companion 🌺

(It) Bowers Gang - Plaid Skirts 🌹

(MR) Newt - Second In Command 🌺

(MR) Gally - Soft Spot 🌺

(RH) Prince John - Fall From Grace 🌺

(T) Paul Lahote - Second Head 🌺

Incorrect Quotes.

Drabbles.

Oneshots.

(A) Kane - Stop Your Breath 🌺🌹

(FG) Walter Mckey (keys) - Cuter Then Puppies 🌺

(MR) Newt - Glow Of Embers 🌺

(TF) Santiago Garcia - Friend Of A Friend 🌹

Combos.

(TF) Santiago Garcia & Frankie Morales - Movement Of The Hips 🌹

Different Aus.

Headcanons.

NSFW/SFW Alphabet.

Series

Imagines.

(F) Savitar - A New Day Has Dawned 🍁

(OBX) Rafe Cameron - Uncontrollable??? 🌹

(SN) Dean Winchester - Jealous Much 🌹

(ST) Billy Hargrove - Addicted 🌹

(ST) Eddie Munson - Something A Bit More 🍁

(TVD) Stephen Salvatore - The Classics 🌺

(T) Jason Todd - Cold Stares 🌺

(TW) Derek Hale - Big Bad Werewolf 🌹

(VK) Ivar Ragnarsson - Tracing Tattoos 🌺🌹

Combos

(OUAT) Peter Pan & Felix - Princess Treatment 🌹

(ST) Billy Hargrove & Eddie Munson - High And Mighty 🌹

(TW) Stiles Stilinski & Scott Mccal - Rain Check 🌹

(ST) Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington - You Wouldn't Dare🌹

(T100) Bellamy blake & John murphy - little convincing 🌹

(TVD) Damon and Stephen - Elana Really... 🌼🌺

Incorrect Quotes.

Drabbles.

Oneshots.

Combos.

(911) Eddie Diaz & Evan Buckley-Something To Look At 🌹

Different Aus.

Headcanons.

NSFW/SFW Alphabet.

Tag.List

@sweetirilly @neteyamyawne @greekgods15 @laylasbunbunny

#random fandom x reader #random fandoms x reader #random fandom thoughts #fictional characters x reader #fictional crush x reader #fictional characters #tv show fanfiction #movie fanfiction #video games fanfiction #fanfic #anime x reader #game characters x reader #movie characters x reader #celebrity x reader #celebrities #series x reader

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kingdoms-and-empires · 5 months

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Will our MCs swordsmanship style reflect their current Mental cohesion. For example, the style of MC with high mental cohesion will be graceful, beautiful and a work of art while the style of those who have low mental cohesion are brutal, unpredicatable and animalistic

Actually, HMC MC will be able to choose between Belthean or Argentian styles. At first I was thinking of just letting LMC MC do the same, but this deserves to be in the idea bucket, great suggestion and question!!!

Can already imagine the scary swordsmanship

#kingdomsandempires #questions #ideabucket

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ladymissnose · 7 months

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Hello! It's my birthday, I am now 18.

I'm going to make an elaborate HMC and the sequels fanfic. Where would you read it? In wich plataform? It's like a fantasy poetic novel.

It will later be a comic

Of how I imagine the things the book doesn't show.

#hmc book #howl's moving castle book #sophie hatter #house of many ways #howl's moving castle #diana wynne jones #howlscastle #book howl #howl series #howls moving castle

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hmcbook · 1 year

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When studio ghibli asked Diana about which town was her story based on, one of the locations was the city of colmar in France, and it's so beautiful, it actually reminded of Beauty and the beast which is also set in France.

Imagine sophie on a field singing "i want so much more than this life" 😅

Oooooooh

(Also lmao exactly that song is even on my hmc playlist)

#ask #howl's moving castle #howl's moving castle book

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2kmps · 7 months

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Morning Routine

howl pendragon x reader | 1,534 words

synopsis; it could never just be a peaceful morning in the castle. not while howl was around, not as long as he had time to disturb your bath.

notes; book!howl-coded bc he's a massive fucking brat here, slice of life moment, implied established relationship, roughly proofread, written 2021.

The cataclysm that was your life often began just as dawn broke across the sky, all with its hues of pink and orange spearing through the shroud of night. You knew it not by the caress of light seeping through the slithers of space between your curtains, nor by crowing roosters in their tragically optimistic song. In fact, by comparison to what you typically endured, a rooster would by far be your preference.

At that point, you had become attuned to stirring right around that time as it was; the fog of sleep still sat in your mind like an anvil, inciting your head back to your pillow for just a bit longer. You always resisted because it would never amount to anything anyway.

So there you sat, legs hanging like lead over the edge, shoulders and back rolled forward in such a way you felt the pull of gravity teetering you towards the floor.

You eyes were the last thing to adjust, keeping them closed for the most part until you found the bravery in you to put forth your feet and stand.

Most days, however, you waited for the castle to erupt.

And that it did.

Although notoriously not an early-riser, Howl had quite gotten into the habit recently for reasons you didn’t bother to explore, aside from petty teatimes with Sophie. His gait was unmistakable as he pounced down the stairs, attempting all the lightness of an antelope in his movements, but only ended up like a clumsy giraffe stumbling down them.

You thought you caught a waft of his new cologne or another from the gap beneath your door.

From there, you listened with an increasingly steady heart, anticipating the next things to come.

Below your feet you heard a mishmash of voices, all their owners very distinct, though their words were dulled by the splintery floorboards supporting your feet, and probably the fact your ears were still deafened to most sounds right now.

Sophie was likely asking what everyone wanted for breakfast, encouraging Michael to fetch you out of bed, to jab you a couple times in the ribs with a broom handle if you were being particularly fussy. He gave some affirmative, you were sure, listening to the lethargic groan of staircase.

Next came Howl’s voice, damn bold, bright, and too fucking chipper for this early in the morning. He was speaking with rapid succession, you could only assume it was a complaint about burnt bacon, or insisting he cook up his own eggs. It wasn’t unfathomable the dolt made mention of some travesty Sophie committed yesterday as well.

“Why you—first thing in the morning! This is what you let fly out of your flap?! I should’ve known you’re no good. Eat your bacon! Shush!” Sophie’s screech was clear and loud, jolting you upright from the remnants of your sleep. “The eggs are fine, you buffoon. There’s nothing—no, there’s nothing wrong with them!”

“I shouldn’t have to make breakfast every morning!” Howl rejoined, being the only thing you could discern through the floorboards before an awful, cacophonous contest of bellows erupted from downstairs.

You rose to your feet then, swaying back on your heels for just a second as you propelled yourself towards the door, throwing it open against the wall just as Michael’s knuckles had come forward on it to knock.

“Oh, mornin’, figured you were awake.” Michael said, rubbing away the sleep in his eyes. “I think Calcifer overcooked the bacon, but you know Howl.”

“Mmmya,” came the grunt from your throat as you sidled past him in the doorway, onward towards the bathroom, missing the kid’s utterly apathetic, distant stare after you.

Even with the thick door shut and the ferocious hiss of water gushing into the bathtub, you still heard traces of their argument downstairs. You tried to pay little heed to it as you sat along the rim of the rub, a foot hiked across your knee as your fingertips glided in a dance across the rippling surface, testing the temperature by plunging your hand to the wrist, smacking your palm on the bottom of the tub.

At this stage in the morning, you didn’t have the capacity to understand and express emotion let alone meditate whatever their spit was today.

As the mirrors dotted throughout the bathroom began to fog, steam swirling around you in white puffs that touched your skin the same as a warm breath; familiar yet always new enough, you shucked off your night clothes and stepped in carefully. You had ran the temperature too high, but your shared frugal nature with Sophie made it but impossible to drain the tub—or worse, use even more water.

The heat nipped at your toes, searing the pads of your feet as you bounced from one to the other. It crept higher to your shins, to your thighs and groin, hips, waist, and finally the rest of you as you slowly submerged your body beneath the fragrant waters. The eucalyptus and lemongrass floated inside your nostrils as you breathed; both a classic, yet harmonious meld that brimmed your lungs and parted from your lips.

“Ah! I knew it! You were the one who stitched a patch into my suit! Michael, look at this hideousness! I can’t wear this!” Howl lamented, his sheer agony managed to seep through the crevices in the floorboards into the bathroom.

You weren’t sure how.

There was a pause, presumably of reluctance before Michael offered his thoughts. “Why not? It looks fine to me.”

“Michael!” Howl exclaimed, his voice jumping a to a higher pitch, clearly affronted. “My own apprentice says such things. Where did I fail? Was it when, out of the kindness of my soul—my very being, Michael, when I let Sophie start sleeping on the cot?”

“Can’t you pipe down?” said Sophie in exasperation. “Some people are trying to enjoy their morning. Now, stop being a baby and go put your suit away.”

Of course, the fighting did not end, and you resigned to drowning out their voices to incoherent shouts for the sake of enjoying your bath. Even still, your eyes floated about the bathroom lazily; noting the many absolute useless trinkets that decorated the walls, to the bottles of dyes and cosmetics rammed haphazardly atop the sink, stacked thoughtlessly.

It was much the same on the adjacent rim of the bathtub touching the wall, Howl’s collection of mysterious dyes, shampoos, scrubs, and washes were all in unmarked glass bottles.

You thought some even glowed.

You could barely bring yourself to look above the containers at the white walls stained like an artist’s palette after a time of mixing, dabbing, adding, and stippling. It was mostly curiosity that led you to reaching a hand above water, attempting to dig a nail under a splotch of vibrant red, grimacing once you realized it was not coming up.

“God, he just needs to suck it up and take some bleach from his sister.” You groused, scraping dutifully at the stain with some hope any amount of red would chip away.

You had anticipated for the fighting downstairs to eventually migrate to the top floor. It was less an attempt of escape on Howl’s part and more of his desire to complain to you until the evening at this new wickedness of Sophie’s.

Predictably, feet pounded up the staircase, rattling the oddities on the walls and jingling others as the hallway exploded with all the ferocity of a thundering stampede. You heard first the noise stop at your bedroom door, Howl’s voice echoing your name urgently before tromping onward.

The eucalyptus was getting deep into your muscles at that point, you didn’t even consider the fact that the tips of Howl’s boot-clad toes peeked beneath the bathroom door.

For some reason, you expected a smidge of courtesy and rapping knuckles against the wood door, not it swinging open hard enough to strike the wall behind it and bounce off it.

Howl surged forward into the bathroom, swiping the steamy air with his suit as he thrust it out at arm’s length. “Look! Look at what what that sad old woman did! Can you see it? This patch is hideous, and right in the elbow! I’m beside myself, you need to stop her—”

“What in the living hell, Howl!” You shouted, unsure of what parts of you were appropriate to cover, so you simply ripped the shower curtain over until all except your head was hidden. “I don’t care! Get out!”

Howl let out a horrified gasp, clutching the suit jacket closer to his chest. “You don’t care? What world am I living in that my sweetest, my beloved does not share in my pain? We swore ourselves to share agony and hardships and—”

“Oh my god, Howell! I’m trying to take a bath! Scram!” The first bottle flung was in plastic, an orange dye to be precise. Your hands felt along the cluttered wall for anything else light. “Git! Git! Git!”

Howl ducked around your onslaught, nearing closer to the door as he went. “That awful woman! Look at how she’s rubbed off on you! I won’t forgive her.”

“Holy hell, Howell! Go!"

divider by; @/anlian-aishang

reposted from my deleted blog, cardeneiv

please interact and reblog if you enjoyed!!

#hmc imagines #hmc fic #hmc howl #howl hmc #hmc book #hmc #howl x you #howlscastle #howl's moving castle #howls moving castle #howl pendragon x y/n #howl pendragon x you #howl pendragon x reader #howl pendragon #howell jenkins #2k writes

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isfjmel-phleg · 2 months

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February 2024 Books

Westmark by Lloyd Alexander (reread)

According to GoodReads, I read this years ago. Had zero memory of it. I had a hard time getting into it this time around, so I suspect that was the case last time too.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Such a pretty cover, such an interesting premise. I wanted to love this one. I really did. But sorry, everyone, I struggled with this book.

I had a hard time with its being set ostensibly in 1909 but doing absolutely nothing to ground the narrative and world in that time period. A magical world with vaguely historical flair, like in HMC, would work fine, but the moment you evoke a particular year, you're committing to a definite setting and need to incorporate features of that time into your worldbuilding. No one in this book was living in the Edwardian Era or its equivalent; their thinking and society were very contemporary, so I don't understand what the point was of the 1909 setting.

Besides that, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I'm not sure why?

The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari

Featuring the most endearing little elf I have ever encountered. Yorsh is adorable.

Between Homes by W. R. Gingell

I continue to get further and further invested in the characters while having nothing intelligent to say about the series.

Pog by Pádraig Kenny

Not bad, but not as strong thematically as Kenny's other books that I've read.

Illuminations by T. Kingfisher

Loved the premise of the characters and a lot of the interactions, less captivated by the plot.

The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien

Very effective at the intended creepy tone, but I failed to connect with it.

The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth edited by Leonard S. Marcus (reread)

Picked this up at a bookstore a while back and enjoyed getting to revisit the creative process behind a book I loved as a child. (It is deeply appropriate that Juster wrote the book while procrastinating on another project!)

Ann of Sunflower Lane by Julie A. Sellers

An innocuous book that leans way too hard into its connections with Anne of Green Gables. The eponymous Ann reads AoGG for the first time and is obsessed (relatable), but unfortunately this means that the narrative and many of the characters are constantly drawing parallels between events and people in her life and those in the book. This doesn't allow the story to develop very strongly in its own right. Ann has a different past and some different struggles from Anne, with potential for a distinct story, and the Kansas setting is lovingly depicted and definitely different from Avonlea, but everything keeps coming back to Anne. The supporting cast tend to be pale imitations of Montgomery's characters (for instance, when Ann meets a group of other girls, she mentally designates them as "the practical one...the sweet one...the Ruby Gillis one...the nasty one" and their characterization goes no further than these stock roles). What makes Montgomery's novel work is its very human characters, its sense of humor, and its earnestness. This book was less successful at capturing these elements, so it was harder to get actually emotionally invested.

(I've already mentioned this elsewhere, but the index in the back of every quotation, from AoGG and other books was a little much, especially since the quotations in the narrative were self-conscious enough already.)

Lands End by Mary Stolz

I think this book was making some statements about childhood emotional neglect, which was intriguing, but honestly I'm not sure what the conclusion was. The narrative was contemplative and took quite a while to get to an actual plot. I mind that much less as an adult, but I can't really imagine most children really getting much out of this book, despite its intended middle-grade audience (presumably).

Secret of the Emerald Star by Phyllis A. Whitney

More character-focused and among Whitney's more engaging middle-grade mysteries.

Mystery of the Strange Traveler by Phyllis A. Whitney

But I was less interested in this one. Connected less with the cast and the mystery.

Comics

The Flash by Mark Waid Book Six

Gradually making my way through this series. The stories of course vary in interest, but Waid's characterization of Wally is always well done, and Wally and Linda's relationship is genuinely sweet.

Reading/skimming Tim Drake's every significant appearance, which is still a work in progress.

I am having emotions and tucking things away in drafts, so brace yourselves. Also discovering things that quite frankly are more interesting than fanon (and sometimes funnier).

#random personal stuff #I apologize for the tone #there were not a lot of books this month that I loved #maybe this month will be better!

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heyiwrotesomethings · 2 years

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Kakegurui - Kirari Momobami × She/Her Reader

Could you possibly do one where Kirari and Sayaka are together like they were planning on getting married. However, the clan elders arranged a marriage with Kirari and Y/n to strengthen the bond between the families. Kirari continues her relationship with Sayaka and is constantly around her so much so that they are together in front of Y/n even though she is married, Kirari absolutely hates Y/n and is awfully rude her at the beginning while Y/n is very sweet and kind towards her even making her breakfast before she leaves the house. Kirari slowly falls in love with Y/n. Until Kirari found out that Sayaka been cheating on her the same day she has to meet the elders. Where she truly realizes she loved Y/n as her wife defend Kirari from elders at a moment of weakness before Kirari absolutely rains down on them. They live happily ever after with a family of their own.

Thank you. You're like my favourite author ever!!! Your stories are so amazing and enjoyable to read. Thank for writing my request Spoken For - Kanae. I enjoy very much, thank you. I just want you to know your the best and I love all of your stories!!! There alway very good!!

Arranged Marriage

Kirari Momobami x She/Her Reader

A/N: Thank you very much! I hope you like this one too! Sayaka cheating?! Idk about y’all, but if someone like Sayaka cheated on me, I’d just give up. She is loyal to the point that it’s a self-destructive flaw. Then we got Kiari over here… she is so difficult! I always gravitate towards how head empty she is in Kakegurui Kari because I love that for her, but it makes her so hard to take seriously. Tried to do better this time, but she has a total Howl from HMC moment. Which seems fitting for her, but I don’t really know. AH! Hope you like it! Word Count: 5,004

Kirari couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She, head of the Momobami Clan, was to marry someone chosen by the elders. Apparently all of her years spent terrorizing the other branches of the family came with a price after all. Now her life was crashing down mere months before she and Sayaka were supposed to be married.

Kirari took a deep breath, not allowing her poker face to slip.

“And what makes you all think you have the power to ask such a thing of me?”

“It has been a legal action written in the laws of our family for generations. Sorry you couldn’t be bothered to read them.” Terano explained with a smug smile.

“If the conditions have been met, and believe me, with your record, they have, the heads of each branch get to chose the spouse themselves.”

“And you expect me to comply?”

“You will if you want to keep your position in this family. Otherwise you’ll be left with nothing but the shirt on your back.” Rin chimed in with a cocky grin.

“And what of Ririka?”

“She’s her own person,” Sumika shrugged, “She’s never given us hell like you have. We have no reason to dictate her partner.”

“And you think interfering with my wedding to my dear Sayaka will do what exactly? If you thought I was bad in high school, I will have this family eating itself into nothingness.”

“You can’t,” Terano spoke calmly, “again, a little reading on the the laws and customs of our family would have done you well. With this marriage, you will not be able to pass any decrees without coming to an agreement with the spouse we’ve chosen for you. If you can’t come to an agreement, your legislations will not pass.”

“You really do have everything planned out don’t you, Terano?” Kirari chuckled coldly. “Fine. Call upon whoever you wish, but let it be known that this is far from over.”

Kirari left the conference room and breezed down the hall and out of sight. She found her way to an empty room and after a minute of silently standing in the sunset bathed office, she slammed her fists down on the closest table. Then pounded a couple more times before taking a deep breath and composing herself.

She had to go home and tell Sayaka. She could just imagine the heartbreak. Poor Sayaka had been waiting for their wedding day for years. Kirari shook her head despondently.

No matter. It was just a flimsy piece of paper anyway. Hell would freeze over before she stopped seeing Sayaka. Kirari has seen loveless marriages, heard the gossip of adulterous relationships within the branches of her family. It was just part of having Momobami blood she supposed.

Kirari met her driver out front and signaled him to drive her home. All the while she plotted. She would make her assigned spouse’s life miserable. Perhaps they would find a breaking point that would lead to Kirari getting what she really wanted, to marry Sayaka and make her family pay for dare thinking they could interfere with her life like she was a lowly house pet.

This may just be her most interesting gamble to date.

When she arrived home, heels echoing against the marble floors, Sayaka popped out of the home office, nervous as always when Kirari had to go to family meetings. Though this time the worry was warranted.

“How did it go? What did they want to talk about? Are you okay?”

“Slow down Sa-ya-ka,” Kirari smiled sadly placing a finger over Sayaka’s lips, “let’s sit down.”

They sat down together in a fancy leather loveseat amongst Kirari’s carefully curated aquariums.

“We can’t get married.” Kirari sighed tiredly, looking more like it was a minor inconvenience rather than a life changing statement.

“What…?” Sayaka paled.

“Apparently there’s a silly little statute that allows the family to decide on a spouse for me if there is reasonable belief that I can’t be trusted to make decisions with the family’s best interests at heart.”

“How can you sound so unbothered by this?”

Sayaka, the poor dear, would have collapsed if she hadn’t already been sitting down. She had dedicated years of her life to Kirari, all leading up to this. Kirari was supposed to be marrying her. She was supposed to be her number one. Her one and only.

“What we have is something infinitely more special than what an earthly marriage can convey. If I have to be married to someone else, so be it. But you will always be my first priority, Sayaka.”

Tears welled up in Sayaka’s eyes, causing Kirari to smile as she wiped them away.

“Don’t fret…”

“Can’t we just run away together?” Sayaka hiccuped, burying her face in Kirari’s shoulder.

“I would effectively be disowned, all of my assets liquidated and spilt back amongst the branches. We would have nothing, but coming across it in the most painfully boring way.”

“We can build something new together, Kirari. We don’t need Momobami money. All I need is you.” Sayaka was prepared to live under a bridge if it meant Kirari would be hers and hers alone.

“That’s silly Sayaka,” Kirari chuckled, running her fingers through her now ex-fiancée’s hair, “this is a gamble I have no intention of running from. We may still be married yet.”

Kirari pulled Sayaka into her lap and together they schemed, using the bitterness in their hearts to think of the best ways to annoy the person who would be trying to come between them.

Whatever spouse the family supplied Kirari with, they would need to be resilient to say the least.

***

It felt so surreal to (Y/n), getting married to someone she didn’t really know so she could free her family from the burden of their debts to the Momobami Clan.

Her family made sure to let her know that she didn’t have to do such a thing, but she wanted to help. Maybe it wouldn’t even be that bad. She and Kirari could even be friends. As long as her family could live more comfortably, she could endure anything.

We’re ready to sign the papers, you can come with us now.” Terano beckoned when Yumi opened the door.

“Thank you.” (Y/n) felt butterflies flutter in her stomach as she rose to her feet to follow behind Yumi as Terano rolled ahead.

“I respect your resolve and reasoning for taking this offer, but be sure to protect yourself. Do not show weakness. Kirari is a heartless woman. She will no doubt be looking for a way out of this.” Terano warned.

(Y/n) was one of the first people she had suggested to the committee. She was kind and fair, but also not a push over. They had known each other since childhood, so Terano had a lot of faith in her. She thought that (Y/n) could be the person to keep Kirari in check.

“I’ll be okay, Terano. I won’t forget what I’m doing this for.” (Y/n) smiled.

“Yeah, you can do it (Y/n)!” Yumi nodded excitedly. “Don’t let Kirari try to push you around!”

“I’ll kill her with kindness.” She assured, Terano peered back at her over her shoulder.

“Don’t waste your time. Someone like Kirari would never appreciate the efforts people make to give her comfort.“

“I don’t think it would hurt.” (Y/n) shrugged.

“I just don’t want you to put all this effort into making a working relationship with someone who couldn’t care less. It’s worse than she doesn’t care, she is going to be working against you every step of the way.”

“I appreciate the concern, Terano, but I’ll be alright.” (Y/n) was prepared. Everything Terano was telling her now, she had heard leading up to this day. She could handle whatever Kirari threw her way.

“If you’re certain,” Terano sighed, “Good luck.”

Yumi skipped ahead of them to open the doors of the crowded room. Sitting at the table in the center of it all was Momobami Kirari, legs crossed over the thigh, a cold smile upon her face.

“Not too late to back out.” Kirari teased once (Y/n) took the seat in front of her.

They haven’t even laid eyes on each other for a minute and she was already talking like that? (Y/n) smiled as well.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kirari. I hope we can learn to get along.”

“Hmm,” Kirari hummed, already bored again. “Then if we are going to do this, let’s finish it up quickly,” she motioned to Sayaka seething in the first row, “I intend to take my future wife on a little honeymoon to the Maldives after we wrap up here.”

“I see, let’s not keep her waiting then.” (Y/n) said without skipping a beat. She signed the papers and slid them over to Kirari with a smile. “I hope you two have a good time.”

“We will.” Kirari said, her smile growing tighter though it was not at all noticeable. She picked up the pen and signed the papers, sealing their fate.

***

(Y/n) had two weeks to make herself at home in Kirari’s grand, traditional Japanese mansion before she came back from her trip. Well, from the outside it looked traditional, but the renovations inside looked kind of like a globalization nightmare. Though chaotic, (Y/n) supposed it suited Kirari. Nothing she couldn’t get used to. It was better than how she had been living before anyway.

(Y/n) moved into one of the guest rooms suggested by the staff. It was in the same hallway as Kirari’s. The closeness might prove to be a mistake as time went on, but (Y/n) wanted to try to get along and that wasn’t going to happen if they lived on opposite sides of the mansion.

She made herself comfortable and learned how to navigate the mansion and maybe, she hoped, she’d learn about Kirari in the process. She seemed to enjoy fish of all the aquariums were anything to go by. There were gambling dens, a swimming pool, theatre, library, rock garden, even a modest sized (if you could call it that) baseball diamond.

(Y/n) was lounging in the main sitting room as she liked to do. The mansion was so big she would hate to miss Kirari and Sayaka’s return. She was paging through a book full of exotic fish in an attempt to learn about Kirari’s interests when she heard a pair of approaching footsteps and quiet laughter.

When Kirari and Sayaka came into view, their laughter stopped upon seeing (Y/n). Sayaka scowled and Kirari smirked.

“Welcome back.” (Y/n) closed the book. “Have a good trip?”

“We had a marvelous time. Too bad you had nowhere to go.” Kirari said, studying the blue of her nails, painted to match the beautiful shade of the water near their resort.

“Oh I’m fine. Getting used to this crazy place is a vacation in itself. You have everything in here. You just need to build a roller coaster or something and you’ll literally be all set.”

“A roller coaster?” Sayaka scoffed. “What a childish notion.”

“Come Sayaka, ignore her.” Kirari beckoned, making a show of kissing Sayaka a little too sensually in polite company.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes and turned the page in her book.

“Ooo, do you have koi somewhere in here? You seem like you’d have a nice koi pond somewhere.” She asked, ignoring their obnoxious display.

“I wonder.” Kirari answered disinterestedly, leading Sayaka away by the waist once she realized (Y/n) didn’t care about their public make out.

“Guess I’ll just have to look around some more. Are you guys going to be around for dinner?”

“You think we’d want to eat dinner with you?” Sayaka’s face only seemed to get redder the more she had to be reminded that (Y/n) existed.

“It’s just a suggestion. I know you two aren’t going to do anything you don’t want to.” (Y/n) said, putting her hands up in mock defense. “I was thinking the weather is nice so I asked the staff if it would be alright to eat out on the terrace… and you are both walking away… okay good talk.”

Well, it could be worse she supposed. Hopefully they would warm up to her eventually, but she could handle a little antagonism. She understood that Kirari and Sayaka had reason to be upset. This wasn’t exactly the future she imagined for herself either, but it was for the good of her family and apparently for the safety of the Momobami Clan too.

She did managed to find a koi pond eventually. In a whole indoor greenhouse-type room she had somehow overlooked in her previous adventures. Yeah, this place was overwhelming, but very neat.

She took dinner on the terrace, unsurprisingly alone, but she did video chat with Terano and Yumi while she ate to talk about how things were going, so that was nice.

When she went upstairs to retire for the night, the pulsing music and other noises that (Y/n) wished she could unhear that were coming from across the hall made it a bit difficult.

She would have thought they’d have sound proofing in a ritzy place like this. Maybe she’d have to hire somebody to do that. She had more money at her disposal now then her family had in five generations. Maybe more. She could afford to sound proof a couple rooms. Kirari probably wouldn’t notice anyway if she and Sayaka kept making a habit of being anywhere (Y/n) wasn’t.

But for now she had the next best thing, earbuds and an assortment of media. She put on a movie and turned off the lights, falling asleep sometime in the middle.

***

(Y/n) was surprised to see Kirari walking into the breakfast nook early the next morning for two reasons. A, it sounded like she had a busy night to be getting up so early and B, (Y/n) was already in there so by that logic Kirari wouldn’t be caught within a hundred foot radius of the space.

“Making your own breakfast? Strange.” Kirari hummed.

(Y/n) put on her most welcoming smile and gestured to the stove.

“Do you want some? I swear it’s not poisoned. I can make some for Sayaka too if she likes.”

“Sayaka already left to go to work. But she would rather be force fed literal poison than eat something you made I wager.” Kirari chuckled. “But I’m curious.”

It was already early as is. Getting up as early as Sayaka must have sounded absolutely dreadful.

(Y/n) scooped up the food from the pan and set it before Kirari. She actually felt a little nervous in doing so.

“It’s nothing fancy obviously, but the flavor is there.”

“Hm. How quaint. Looks like something that Saotome would make. Is this poor people breakfast then?”

No actually, that would be called no breakfast. Is what (Y/n) wanted to say before taking the plate and eating it in front of Kirari. But she didn’t. This was the most Kirari had said to her since their ‘wedding’.

She shrugged instead then turned to get a new plate ready for herself and changed the subject.

“So Terano and the elders sent some documents they would like us to discuss. Do you have time after breakfast or is there a better time later?”

Kirari didn’t answer instead opting to pick at the breakfast before her, (Y/n) sighed.

“I’m going to get the papers. Be right back.” She took a piece of toast and jogged out of the room.

By the time (Y/n) returned to the nook, Kirari was gone. In her place a half eaten plate arranged as a winky face with its tongue sticking out.

When she turned to her own plate, she found a bite taken out of every item on it.

“Oh come on!” She griped.

Guess she would be making a third breakfast after all.

***

(Y/n) made a habit of giving Kirari breakfast when she showed up to the nook and presented her with whatever paperwork they needed to get done. That was when Kirari was most insufferable, but they did manage to get the work done.

That’s how the first few months went. Though Kirari was oddly more tolerable when Sayaka wasn’t around. She could still be petty, but she wasn’t as rude as when Sayaka was present. It seemed like she was over the arrangement but still needed to seem spiteful for Sayaka’s sake.

Whenever Sayaka was out, which seemed to happen a lot lately, Kirari would usually hang around (Y/n) until she had to go somewhere. She claimed it was out of boredom, but (Y/n) didn’t buy it. They were becoming friends.

(Y/n) was scrolling through her phone on while laying in bed one night when Kirari made an unexpected visit.

“You could at least knock, that would be nice.” She said without looking up from her phone.

“It’s you, I know there’s nothing interesting I’d be walking in on.” Kirari flopped down onto (Y/n)’s bed. “Unfortunately.”

“Couldn’t you be bothering Sayaka right now instead?” (Y/n) asked, moving her legs out from under Kirari’s body.

“She’s working late again.” Kirari frowned.

“Again?” (Y/n) looked up from her phone.

Kirari looked troubled while staring up at the ceiling and didn’t answer. (Y/n) sat up and gave Kirari a sympathetic pat.

“Alright, what do you want to do?”

“Can we play that card fish game you told me about?”

“Go fish? Sure.”

(Y/n) kept Kirari company until Sayaka finally came home in the very early hours of the morning. Kirari abruptly left (Y/n) to greet Sayaka. (Y/n) cleaned up the cards, unable to shake the feeling that something bad was coming to a head.

***

(Y/n) was searching the whole mansion for Kirari. They were supposed to have a meeting with the elders to discuss matters pertaining to family business, but Kirari had inexplicably disappeared when it was time to go. (Y/n) was preparing herself to grovel at the elders feet when her phone rang and Kirari’s name popped up on the screen.

“Where are you? I swear, if you left me to go do this by myself—“

“Sayaka has been cheating on me.”

(Y/n) did a full stop.

Sayaka? Cheating? The woman who dedicated dedicated her whole life to Kirari? Who fell out of a five story building for her? That Sayaka? (Y/n) was almost too surprised to speak.

“Oh Kirari, I’m so sorry.”

“Jabami Yumeko…” Kirari slurred, “Out of all people, I never would have gambled on those odds… who am I kidding, I would have.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Not yet, but I will be.”

“Where are you? I’m coming to get you.” (Y/n) was already halfway out the door.

“Leave me to die.” Kirari moaned dramatically.

“Kirari…”

Kirari hung up and (Y/n) swore. She tried calling back, but Kirari wouldn’t pick up. Fortunately she wouldn’t have to cruise around the city looking for her because not long after she received a text from Ririka telling her she could pick Kirari up at her house.

(Y/n) drove up and her heart ached for Kirari. She didn’t know it was possible to see her look so broken. Kirari was laying on the floor in front of Ririka’s couch, a wine glass raised high over her head. She waved it at Ririka as she walked past her to greet (Y/n). Ririka didn’t take the glass and pulled (Y/n) into the kitchen.

“She looks awful. Poor thing. How did this happen?” (Y/n) asked, peering out at the lump still visible from the doorway.

“Apparently it’s been going on for awhile. Kirari went to Sayaka’s office last night to surprise her and caught them together. She’s been here since one in the morning.”

(Y/n)’s phone rang again and she put it to her ear without looking.

“Hello?”

“(Y/n), gimme some more wine. I know Ririka is hiding it.”

“No more wine. That’s not going to make you feel any better. I’ll talk to you in a minute when I’m back in the living room.” She hung up and heard Kirari moan from the other room.

Before she could talk to Ririka some more, her phone rang again and she answered it with a frustrated huff.

“I know you’re hurting right now, but give me a minute, please!”

“What are you talking about?”

Oh, that wasn’t Kirari.

“Terano! Hi, what’s up?”

“You were supposed to be here half an hour ago. The elders are getting restless.” Terano informed. “Where are you? I can’t even get a hold of Kirari.”

“Is it possible we could reschedule? We are having a little trouble right now…”

“No, it has to be today. I can buy you maybe an hour more, but you had better be here not a minute later. The elders are already fuming.”

“Okay, we’ll be there. Sorry Terano.” (Y/n) shoved her phone back in her pocket with a groan.

“I don’t know what to do Ririka.”

“I’ll try to help you sober her up, but there is nothing I can really do about this.”

“Could you maybe give her some clothes to borrow and put them in the bathroom? I’ll bring her up.”

“If you’re sure.” Ririka nodded and went to do as (Y/n) asked.

(Y/n) went back to the living room and sat down on the floor beside Kirari. She didn’t even look over at (Y/n), she just kept staring despondently at the carpet.

“I’m really sorry, Kirari.”

“For what? Did you sleep with Sayaka too?” She murmured bitterly.

“No.” (Y/n) rubbed the back of her neck. She really didn’t know what to say. There was no time for coddling. If they weren’t standing before the elders in an hour, Kirari would have even more problems.

“Kirari, I know you’re upset. You have every right to be, but we need to get you ready for the meeting with the elders.”

“Sayaka used to remind me about things like that. Now she’s too busy screwing Yumeko to remember I exist.”

“Yeah, well it’s her loss. Come on.” (Y/n) hoisted Kirari off of the ground. “Right now we have to get you ready. When we get home, you can do whatever you want, okay?”

Kirari kept a sullen face, but made no fuss about (Y/n) having to half drag her to Ririka’s bathroom.

“Can you help her with this part?” She asked Ririka.

The older twin nodded tiredly. The sooner she got Kirari’s appearance fixed up, the sooner she could go back to sleep.

“See, doesn’t that feel better?” (Y/n) asked, fixing Kirari’s bangs when she and Ririka emerged half an hour later.

Kirari still looked far from her usual well put together self, but she was at least presentable and didn’t smell terribly of wine and sadness.

“I can’t feel anything.” Kirari numbly declared.

“We’re almost at the finish line. Try to keep yourself going for just a few hours more.” (Y/n) patted Kirari’s back, startled when Kirari lowered her head to rest against her shoulder.

“Thank you for your help, Ririka.”

“Not my first time I’ve had to clean up a Kirari mess. Good luck with the elders.” Ririka gave her sister a water bottle for the road and saw them out and waved to them as (Y/n) drove away.

The trip there was a little scary because (Y/n) thought Kirari was going to throw up, but they made it without having an accident and had about five minutes to spare.

“Okay, try to hold it together Kirari. I’ll do all the talking, okay?”

(Y/n) tugged Kirari along. They briefly saw Terano who looked surprised by the way Kirari was holding herself, but there was no time to ask. She gestured to the double doors and the arranged pair went inside. (Y/n) tried to take control of the situation right away, but the elders immediately took notice of Kirari’s weakened state and descended like vultures.

“Such an obvious display of weak emotion!”

“Is this why we had to wait nearly two hours?”

“You’re supposed to be the head of the clan, yet you show up looking like this?”

“Are you truly worthy of such a position?”

“I knew she would never grow up!”

“That’s enough!” (Y/n) sharply proclaimed, jolting everyone in their seats. Kirari looked at her through the eyelashes of her downcast eyes.

“You people are incorrigible, really! You all think her to be an unfeeling monster that wants to destroy everything, so much so that you felt the need to assign her a spouse to try to keep her in line. But now that she is showing genuine emotion, you all want to stomp it out! It’s completely asinine!”

The elders stared in shock. How dare (Y/n) talk back to them like that after they granted her such an important task that brought her family out of the dirt? A few got ready to shout at her, but she didn’t give them the chance.

“You can’t treat her like that. And you wonder why you feel the need to protect the families… seems like the families need protection from you and how you think things should be dealt with around here!” (Y/n) declared. She felt out of breath, she was ready to keep going if she had to, but Kirari put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile.

“Thank you, (Y/n), but I can take it from here.”

Kirari seemed to have regained a little life since (Y/n)’s outburst. Her gaze was sharp enough to draw blood and the elders cowered.

She told the elders all the desired points mentioned that were supposed to be discussed and then left them with a warning of the hell that was to come in the following months.

“I have really been wanting to make some changes about the ways our family operates. I’ve been holding off discussing anything with (Y/n), but I think we could find common ground on some issues.”

They elders paled and leapt over themselves to advise (Y/n) on how to conduct herself, but Kirari was already leading her out of the room, their previous obligations met.

Kirari attempted to get into the driver’s seat, but (Y/n) waved her away.

“You are running on alcohol and zero sleep. Also I’m not sure you’ve ever actually driven before. I’m driving.”

Kirari pouted and shrugged, then got in the passenger seat. (Y/n) got in the driver’s seat and took a deep breath.

“Alright. Do you want to go home, or is there somewhere else you’d like to go?”

“Somewhere else?” Kirari tilted her head to the side.

“Yeah, someplace you like that you can’t get the same experience at home. Someplace that manages to make you feel happy or relaxed when all else fails.”

Kirari thought about it for awhile, blue polished fingers tapping against her knees.

“Can we go tomorrow?”

Momobami Kirari, asking (Y/n) for input? She seemed to be genuinely asking too.

“Of course. Whatever you want.”

“Today I want to lounge in my theatre and eat an obscene amount of fast food.”

“That we can do.”

***

The next few months weren’t easy for Kirari. That was to be expected when her girlfriend since high school accused Kirari of not treating her like her number one, but only after she had been caught cheating did Sayaka share that insecurity.

The day after the affair came to light, Kirari and (Y/n) went to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu. They had a good time exploring every inch of the place. Even after they saw everything and their feet ached, they visited their most favorite exhibits once more before heading home.

Day after day they grew closer and Kirari began to fall for (Y/n), through their talks and getting to learn (Y/n)’s perspective, a change was brought upon Kirari. She made sure to make-up for their rough beginnings, wanting (Y/n) to know that she really cared about her before proposing they try turning their relationship into a romantic one.

She hid her nervousness in asking (Y/n) on an official date well, but she couldn’t stop the wide, genuine smile on her face from spreading when (Y/n) accepted her proposition.

Then about two years after that, Kirari popped the question.

“Will you marry me, (Y/n)?”

“…we’re already married?” (Y/n) blinked down at Kirari kneeling before her in front of the arowana tank, her hand in Kirari’s.

“Marry me again, for love this time.”

(Y/n) joined Kirari on the ground and hugged her, her heart leaping for joy when Kirari’s arms quickly snapped forward to copy the gesture.

“Okay.”

***

The Momobami Clan had been fundamentally changed. No more raising children to be gambling prodigies forced to be pitted against their siblings and cousins. No more sneaky, underhanded dealings between branches. The rot was taken out of the family, and the elders that could not change their ways were replaced.

The Momobami Clan was healing. It was slow healing, but healing nonetheless.

Once Kirari was certain they weren’t going to slip back into their old ways, she asked (Y/n) another very important question.

“What do you think about children?”

“I like kids. They’re a lot of work, but the journey can be rewarding. Why? What do you think about kids?”

“Fascinating little things. I don’t know why they make any of the choices they do. I never thought about having any myself. As the therapist says, my upbringing with Ririka was less than ideal for healthy development. I suppose I understood that in a way, which is why I never thought about it. But things are different now, and… I think I want to have children.”

“You sound like you’ve put a lot of thought into this.” (Y/n) smiled and Kirari nodded, she took her hand. “Okay, let’s talk about it.”

Before the end of the year, they had adopted a pair of siblings. Kirari could not imagine having them sent off to separate homes, so she resolutely applied to take them both home with (Y/n) supporting her every step of the way. They had never been happier.

#kakegurui oneshots #kakegurui x reader #kirari momobami x reader #kirari x reader #kirari momobami #requests #anonymous

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