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shadowynn · 1 year

Text

| the paradigm complex | one |

pairing: ot8 ateez x fem! reader

genre: yandere!vampire!cult!poly! ateez au

warnings: yandere behavior, some cursing

They'll do whatever you ask. Anything you need. Anything you want. It's yours. They'll fulfill your every desire and whim. Give you the life you had always dreamed about.

And in exchange, you wouldn't just give them your soul. Oh, no. They weren't demons. What good was your soul alone when your purpose was better served alive and well? Your soul was nice, sure but it wasn't all they wanted. It wasn't all they needed. They needed your body, your mind. Your blood. You entirely. Every single fiber of your being was essential and would soon be theirs and theirs alone.

The moment you signed that contract, everything would change. For them and for you.

You just didn't know it yet.

And there was nothing you could do about it.

wordcount: 4.8k

a/n: it's here! perhaps a bit shorter than i expected, but as i was getting into things, i figured this was a good place to end the first chapter. i am so incredibly excited for this project and can't wait to start getting into the nitty gritty of it all. if you weren't around for the preview a while back, or just missed it, this piece is inspired by the movie 1BR with the addition of vampires, because I just can't help myself. (though, these types of vampires won't be like your typical vampire) this work will be a lot different than my other, in both writing style and in content, as it will have an overall, much darker tone. sure, they'll be plenty of fluff pieces. like i have so many scenarios in my mind i want to do (helping mc move in and putting furniture together, random shopping trips, movie/game nights, letting mc do laundry at their place when your machine just so happens to 'break' etc.) but their relationship with mc will not exactly be the healthiest. hope you all enjoy :)

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“So, what do you think?”

You were startled from your thoughts at the voice that spoke up next to you. The empty seat beside you now occupied by the sweet-talking man who had been your tour guide for the day - Yeosang if you were recalling it correctly. It had surprised you how young he had been when you had signed in for the open house an hour or so ago and you were once again struck by that very same notion as he plopped down next to you, pocketing his phone and propping his head up with his right arm.

“It’s very nice,” you replied, eyes once more taking in the scene around you. After touring the available unit for the first half of the showing, you had been brought to the center of the complex that was used as a community center. The outdoors area was enclosed by the building around it and included everything from a garden and greenhouse to a swimming pool and grilling area. “And the community also seems great.”

You referred to the young boy currently sitting in your lap, content with scribbling over one of the applications you had been given at the end of the tour to fill out. You didn’t know anything beyond his given name, Junseo, but he had become attached to you when you had noticed him crying on the ground near the edge of the garden. While the others in your group had swept their eyes right past the sniffling child, you had approached him, rustling through your purse for the bandages you kept there when you noticed the cut on his knee. His mother had thanked you profusely when he had led you to her, too busy attending to another part of the garden to notice what had happened. And though you had left him with her, it didn’t take long for him to return to you, preferring your calm company over the few other kids scattered around the grounds while his mother worked.

You thought it strange, but the wave his mother sent you when she saw him with you told you she didn’t mind. It made you wonder just what sort of community there was here for her and the others to be comfortable letting their children run unsupervised, especially with people they didn’t even know.

It was just another piece of evidence of how nice this place was. You had heard the rumors, but seeing it in person was something else. There wasn’t a single factor about this place that deterred you in any way, and the longer you spent here exploring it, the more you fell in love with it. It was absolutely perfect, everything you could ever wish for, but-

“But…” As though he had read your mind, the man finished your train of thought, a hint of a smile tracing his lips as his eyes traveled to the papers you had left for Junseo to scribble over.

“But it’s a bit out of my price range, I’m afraid.”

A bit was an understatement; the place was double what you could reasonably afford. Though you had known that going in. Since The Paradigm had popped up a few years ago, it had quickly risen the ranks to become one of the most prestigious and highly exclusive apartment complexes in the city. You had known the price for the available unit would be high above your budget, and yet, you couldn’t stop yourself from signing up for the open house the following weekend when you noticed a few spots were still available. It wasn’t often units opened up, with the last one being nearly a year ago, and the timing had been impeccable.

You weren’t really looking for a new place to live. You had one in the south end of town with your boyfriend, and yet, that hadn’t stopped you from looking at available housing in the city on your laptop late at night when he was still at ‘work’, but you wanted out. You had wanted out for months now since you had first caught wind he was cheating, and still cheating, but it had always seemed so impossible. You were still finishing up your last year in school, and even with working enough hours to be considered full time at the bookstore, you could barely afford your half of the rent. A fact he readily reminded you of any time you threatened to leave him. As much as you hated every time he said it, he was right. You did need him. Unless you were willing to sacrifice your own safety and move into a shitty unit in a sketchy part of town, you were stuck exactly where you were. You needed him and he was more than happy to hold it over your head.

Perhaps it was because of this that you had come out today. He had been scheduled weekends at the hospital for the month, leaving you more than free and able to come to the open house without him questioning you on your whereabouts when you left. The Paradigm was a life you could never afford, and yet, it was nice to escape reality for a few hours. To sit and imagine what your life would be like if you hadn’t landed yourself in such a sticky situation. And yet, you hadn’t expected the stab of melancholy that had hit you as you had roamed the studio apartment available, nor as you sat here in the courtyard with the pleasant buzz of the complex’s current tenants as they took advantage of the beautiful day.

“Does that mean you’re looking for a place on your own, then?” he asked, attempting to blow back the piece of hair the wind had cast in front of his eyes.

“Myself?” you asked, unable to stop the tiny stab of panic that ran through you at the mention of you being on your own. Was that something you could really do? Was leaving him something you could really do? “Uh, yeah, it would just be me.”

“Well, if you ask me, it doesn’t hurt to still apply. We’re always more than willing to negotiate prices for the right person,” he hummed, fingers tapping against the table. “Though it would probably be best if I grabbed you a new copy. Junseo seems to have taken yours for himself.” At the mention of his name, Junseo looked up and matched the goofy smile Yeosang sent his way.

“That’s very kind of you, but even then…” You turned your face away, fighting the blush the embarrassment your current situation brought. Despite attempting to dress up for the event, you still stuck out from the others who had signed up. The designer clothes and custom handbags a stark contrast from the outfit you had thrifted the day before. Hell, even Junseo had nicer clothes than you to run around the garden in. “To be completely honest, I really just wanted to get an inside peek of this place. I knew I couldn’t afford to live somewhere like this at the moment, or perhaps ever, but I thought it might be fun to just imagine it for a moment.”

You resituated Junseo’s position in your lap, taking in the people milling around the grounds. It was a beautiful day, bright and warm compared to the rainy days that had plagued the city for the past week. It was the perfect day to spend time outside and enjoy what little remained of summer and you could see yourself fitting in well here. Helping out in the garden in between playing with the few children scattered about. Maybe even take a dip in the pool afterwards to cool off from a hard day’s work before lounging in a nearby chair to soak up the last bits of the summer sun.

It was just too bad it was a lifestyle you could never afford on your own. Not while you were still in school and already struggling with bills and debt as it was.

“But you are currently looking for a new place to live, right?”

“It’s not an immediate necessity at the moment, but yes,” you nodded, “if given the opportunity, I would move in a heartbeat. Not just here, but anywhere. As long as it was safe and something I could call my own.”

“Then fill out an application.” He ruffled around in his bag, pulling out another application and pushing it towards you. “I’m close with the owner and can put in a good word for you. Just fill it out, list the rent you can feasibly pay at the moment, and we might be able to work something out. After all, we’re much more concerned about quality than quantity here at Paradigm.”

“You would do that?” Your eyes widened, wondering why on earth this man would do that for you when the rest of the group you were with would be willing to pay twice the starting rent just for the opportunity to say they lived in the most exclusive complex in the city. “Why?”

“I like to think I have a nose for good people,” he smiled, fingers tapping against the application, “and you’re a good person, y/n, I can smell it. So, come on, Junnie,” he reached for the boy on your lap, ignoring the pout that crossed his lips as he took him from your hold, “let’s get you back to your mother so the pretty lady can fill out her application.”

He left you at that, but only made it a few feet before he was stopped by a nearby couple in the tour group. By the glance they sent your way, you knew they had overheard Yeosang’s mention of putting in a good word for you and hoped to earn a similar feat for themselves. After all, it didn’t matter who was the first person to apply for the unit or who was the highest bidder when it came to The Paradigm. You didn’t get to choose whether or not you lived here. They chose you. And a good word from the tour guide was exactly what you needed to get in.

Not wanting to stick around for the conversation, Junseo wriggled his way out of Yeosang’s grasp and made off in the direction of his mother with one last toothy grin in your direction.

You turned back to the second application he had handed you, twirling the pen in your hand as you mulled it over. None of it made much sense in your mind. Why would they select your application when there were hundreds of others that would willingly pay triple what you could? But even if that was true, and the chances of you getting in were close to zero, what did you have to lose? What was the worst that could happen? That you’d be left exactly where you started. In a shitty situation, but no shittier than it already was. And on the tiny chance it did go through, well, your entire life could change. You would have that fresh start you had been yearning for so long.

That and, well, there was something charming about Yeosang, something about him that was enticing. It didn’t slip your notice that he had called you pretty in passing, and though you knew it was just the way his personality seemed to be, you still felt a pull towards him. He was someone you could get along with, that much you could tell. Someone that you would enjoy getting to know and become friends with if you had the chance to.

So, before you could overthink it and talk yourself out of it, you pulled the application closer towards you and began filling it out.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

If there was one thing in life that stressed you out, it was phone calls. You never knew what about them always caused your anxiety to spike each time you saw an incoming call flash up on your phone screen, but you avoided them as much as you could, preferring to either text or talk in person. So, when a call from an unknown number interrupted the song coming from your car’s speakers, you made to silence it knowing that if it was important, they would just leave a message. However, something about the number on your screen seemed familiar and made you pause.,

You didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment, not after all the shit you had dealt with the first half of your shift for the day, but your finger still hovered over the accept button as you quickly searched your brain for the reason behind its familiarity. Thinking it might just be your doctor finally returning your call for the refill you had been waiting for or even possibly a call on one of the countless job applications you had been filling out the past few weeks, you grudgingly accepted figuring it would be better to get it over with now instead of living with the stress of what it might be the rest of your shift.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this l/n y/n?”

“Um, yeah.” You shifted the phone in your hand, trying to place the familiarity of the voice on the other end. “This is y/n.”

“This is Kang Yeosang from Paradigm. I’m calling to let you know that your application for unit 604 has been accepted.”

“Wait, are you serious?”

You couldn’t hold back the gasp his response elicited, but you were able to catch the string of curse words before they slipped out. Despite Yeosang’s promise of putting in a good word for you, you had never expected anything to come out of it. Not when you had followed through with his suggestion and wrote down the actual amount you could feasibly pay for the place. And though you had held on to some hope something would come from it, you had already come to accept the fact you would never hear from them again.

“I can assure you, I’m quite serious,” he chuckled. “I talked with the owner about your application and he was more than willing to accept it as long as you were willing to accept a few additional stipulations that I’d like to discuss with you now if you have the time.”

“Oh, okay.”

You did your best to hide your disappointment, already fearing the worst. Despite Yeosang’s insistence they were willing to negotiate on pricing, you should have known they would never just drop the rent in half for you because he had felt pity towards you.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like we’re going to ask you to sell your soul,” he chuckled. “You see, one of our administrative assistants recently put in her resignation and we’re in need of a replacement. When we looked over your application, we noticed the address of your current residence and place of work are on the other side of the city and came to the conclusion you would likely be in need of a job with a better commute if you were to move here.”

You felt yourself begin to relax; the dread his earlier statement had caused slowly being replaced with excitement once more as he began to explain himself. Was he alluding to what you thought he was?

“We’d like to extend a job offer towards you here at The Paradigm, which if you were to accept, would cover the cost of your rent in addition to a biweekly stipend to cover any other expenses you might have.”

“And what exactly would the job entail?” you asked, trying hard to cover the shock his reply gave you and trying just as hard to not let your hopes get too high before you figured out exactly what it was he was offering you. There had to be a catch. The offer was just too good to be true. So what was it? “I’m finishing up my last year of university online, but I would still need some flexibility in my schedule to account for my classes.”

“Oh, it would just be your typical administrative work. You’d mostly just be assisting myself and the other managers here and we’re more than willing to work around your class schedule,” Yeosang replied without skipping a beat. “I understand this is quite a bit of information for you to go through and a big decision to make, so please take your time. I’ll be sending an email to you here soon that includes a detailed description of the job alongside the logistics of your pay and housing for you to look through when you have a moment. It will help in giving you a clearer idea of just what you would be signing up for if you were to accept.”

You were silent, unsure of what exactly to say. What could you say? Everything you had wished for the past few months was finally being extended towards you. A new job, housing of your own, and most importantly, a way out of the toxic relationship you had been stuck in for so long. All of it. Everything you dreamed of for so long, now within reach.

There had to be a catch, right? It couldn’t be as good as it seemed, right? So, what was it?

“Like, I said, you don’t have to give me an answer now. Read through the emails I’ll be sending you and just give us a call back sometime within the next two weeks when you’ve decided.”

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You had briefly looked over the emails Yeosang sent you over the last few minutes of your lunch break, but it wasn’t until the next morning that you had a chance to sit down and really go through them, bogged down with school work when you had gotten home from work the night before.

You were curled up on the couch with a blanket, nursing a cup of tea as you read through the email for the fifth time that morning, trying to figure out what the catch was. But just as always, you couldn’t find anything. Everything seemed straightforward and in order. No loops or holes or questionable activities in sight. The hours were flexible to account for your current classes, and they only required you to start working full time when you graduated at the end of the year. And yet, despite only having to work half the hours you currently were, it was still enough to cover your rent and utilities, as well as a more than generous stipend as long as you agreed to stay with them for the next two years.

There were a few other stipulations lined out towards the end of the agreement, but they were menial tasks compared to what you had been expecting, and something all occupants were asked to follow. It was mostly spending a few hours every month volunteering in the community garden - which also paid out in receiving part of the harvest for free - and then donating blood every other month as long as you were in fit condition to do so. You had found this last one strange until you remembered reading about how The Paradigm also ran their own blood bank which served the nearby hospitals, and requested their residents give through the program as part of their fee for living there.

You sighed as you reached the end of the email once again, eyes glancing up at the apartment around you. As usual for a Monday morning when he was working weekends, your boyfriend was nowhere to be found. He claimed work as the culprit per usual, but you weren’t oblivious to his charade anymore, not like you used to be. It wasn’t work that kept him out so late. It wasn’t his twelve hour shifts running long that kept him sleeping at the hospital instead of coming home. And when he finally came home tonight long after you had already gone to bed, you’d be stuck acting like nothing was wrong on the following days he had off.

You had wanted out of this hell for so long, but just always assumed it would be impossible, especially at your current stage in life. He was several years older than you and had a steady, well-paying job as a nurse at the nearby hospital. His offer had been so enticing when he had asked you to move in with him nearly two years ago, but that had been a different time. A time where his pretty face and charismatic character had swept you in before trapping you here with him with no way out.

You didn’t understand why he was so intent on having you stay. It was clear his interest in you had waned over the past year, but anytime you mentioned leaving, he flipped. Those were the nights when everything became blurred. You always went into the conversation with the full intent of leaving, oftentimes bags already packed and ready to go, only to find yourself curled up in bed with him once again the following morning, head pounding, memories blurred, and bags unpacked and put away.

He was always sweet to you in the days that followed, giving you his full attention and telling you how much he needed you and how much you needed him. Of just how important you were to him and how he would never be able to survive without you. But his words were only ever short lived, and he’d be back to his old habits a week or so later, creating an endless cycle with no way out. Or at least you had always thought.

All you had to do was accept the offer in front of you and you would have that fresh start you so desperately craved. No more shitty relationship. No more shitty job. No more shitty apartment. And no more feeling like complete shit because of all of it.

In front of you was the opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity to live at one of, if not the most, prestigious complexes in the city, and for all intents and purposes, being paid to live there. All you had to do was accept. Accept the offer they had handed you and start your life over again.

And as Yeosang had joked, they weren’t even asking for your soul in exchange. It was simply being the right person at the right time. Not that it had mattered, you’d probably give it to them anyways if they had, gladly giving it away for the hell you lived in now.

Your hand hovered over the phone beside you, debating whether or not to call the number Yeosang had left for you and make the active decision to finally change your life.

“Thank you for calling The Paradigm Complex, how may I help you?”

You didn’t recognize the voice at the other end, signaling it wasn’t Yeosang you were speaking to this time around. And though it did make you a bit nervous, unsure of what the other workers might be like, Yeosang had promised everyone there was a delight to work with, including the upper management.

“Um, hi, this is l/n y/n, and I’m calling about my acceptance into unit 604.”

“Ah, Miss l/n, it’s a pleasure to hear from you. I’m Jung Wooyoung, one of the other Property Managers here at the Paradigm. Is there a question I can help you with or do you by chance have an answer towards your acceptance here?”

“Well, I’ve gone through the email you sent me a few times now and I think…” you paused for just a second, taking one final look at the apartment around you. “I think I would like to accept your offer if that’s okay with you.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear! We’ve all been very excited to have you on board with us here after everything our Yeosang has had to say about you. He has a great eye for people, after all,” he chuckled, easing some of your earlier worries. Yeosang was right. He seemed nice. And if these were the types of people you would be working with, it would be a vast improvement over your current workplace. “We’ll need you to come in sometime within the next week to go over and sign some paperwork before everything can go through and we can hand you your keys. Is there a time or day that works best for you?”

“Oh, well, I’m free today if that works,” you reply, feeling more eager than ever to finally go through with it now that you had finally made that first step. It was really happening. You were getting out of here. “It’s last minute, I know, so if not, I don’t think I’d be able to come in until Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.”

It was only a partial lie. You would probably have time to make it in before their office closed tomorrow or any time on Thursday, but then your boyfriend would start to get curious as to why you were either out late, or going out when you didn’t have work. And until all the paperwork was signed and everything was certain, you didn’t want to mention any of this to him. Not when he would do anything and everything to keep you from following through and leaving him.

“We could definitely fit you in sometime today if that’s what works best for you,” he replied and you could hear the distant clacking of a keyboard. “I don’t think Seonghwa is too busy today, so I’ll send him a message and let him know you’re coming in so he can help you get everything signed and situated. Does around two work for you?”

“Yeah, that works great.” It was impossible to keep the smile off your face as you switched your phone over to your other ear. “Do I just come in the same entrance I did for the open house?”

“The gate to the parking garage will be locked, but just page the front desk when you pull up and I can let you in. From there, just park where you did before in the visitor section and I can once again let you inside the building when you get to the door.” He paused for a second and you hear the muffled sounds of voices as someone approached him. “Sorry about that,” he continued after a few moments, “Seonghwa just popped in, so I let him know you’d be headed this way in a few hours. He told me to let you know that either Mingi or Yunho should also be free around that time to draw a sample of your blood for testing. That way we can see if you’re fit to be a donor with us during your stay, so make sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat beforehand.”

“You do it all there?”

“We have our own clinic on the property, yes, and though it’s mostly used as a blood bank for our give-back program, our staff on hand is also available and qualified to help with any other medical needs you might have during your time with us. All of which is completely covered.”

“Oh, wow.”

“It’s just one of the many added benefits you’ll have while you’re living and working here with us. All of which will be gone over with Seonghwa when you’re finishing up your paperwork later this afternoon,” he replied, and you could hear the chuckle your earlier response caused. "We like to think of The Paradigm as its own individual community here in the city and aim to be as self-sufficient as we can, so if there’s anything you ever need, just ask. We’re always more than happy to help each other here. Our only request is that you return the favor for us whenever the roles happen to be reversed.”

And they will. Oh, they will. You could count on that.

They'll do whatever you ask. Anything you need. Anything you want. It's yours. They'll fulfill your every desire and whim. Give you the life you had always dreamed about.

The moment you signed that contract, everything would change. For them and for you.

You just didn't know it yet.

And there was nothing you could do about it.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

taglist: @penguichuu @peppermint-tea-life @mrcarrots

just let me know if you would like to be added/deleted from the taglist! :)

#ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez x reader #vampire ateez #ot8 #ot8 x reader #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x reader #yunho x reader #mingi x reader #san x reader #yeosang x reader #jongho x reader #wooyoung x reader #yandere ateez #yandere

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lichenaday · 1 year

Text

I thought it might be nice to share a bit about what PhD student life is like since before I started it, I really had no idea what to expect.

I have an office that I share with 3 other PhD students at my institute. It is in an old, historical building at the Munich Botanical Garden.

Let's take a tour around my desk:

First, my homemade Darwin crossstitch (pattern compliments of @shitpostsampler) to remind me that all scientists have bad days.

It sits behind my wonky dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) who I rescued from the trash outside my apartment. Who throws away a whole ass tree?

He's recovering beautifully, considering how fucky and sad he was when I pulled him from the bin.

Above my unnecessarily giant computer monitor I keep part of my expansive plant collection. Pink princess philodendron (Philodendron erubescens) w/handmade moss stick, my beloved jewel orchid (Macodes petola), zebra plant (Tradescantia zebrina) in owl pot (courtesy of my labmate, since I am the bird person) and poorly mounted staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum).

Little baby jewel orchid! He flowered recently and I am so proud of him.

Then there's my Cladonia collection, and my bottle of Icelandic lichen (Cetraria islandica) booze.

On the top shelf is my Calathea musaica 'Network', and jar of discarded lab lichens. I will figure out a use for them eventually. For now they are just aesthetic.

Then there's my monstera Peru (Monstera karstenianum) in a pot I "salvaged" from a cemetery. Pretty sure it's cursed, but nothing I can do about that now. Also the baby succulents off my mystery flea market sedum. Behind my desk you can see my German sailing cookbook, Florentine bat notebook, Pikachu of encouragement, and turtle postcard. The turtle is one of many who live in the greenhouse that I visit when work gets stressful. Also a magnet of my favorite Minoan goddess--tits out, snakes in hands, cat on head.

This is desk ant. She appears to have no colony and just hangs out with me all day. I have tried to track her and find where she comes from but she just runs around in circles on my desk for hours so I have given up. Sometimes I give her a little bit of my tea to drink. She is the backbone of this working group.

Anyway, if you ever see a scientist's office that isn't cluttered and chaotic, they are doing it wrong.

#scientist #science #PhD student #STEM #women in STEM #queers in STEM #lichenology #lichenologist

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youwouldntlietopapa · 5 months

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"I'm not jealous, you are jealous."

With Primo

This is anon and it’s definitely not Beth ❤️

I love you and I like you thank you bye

Oof, okay, this one got more feelsy that I was aiming for. Sorry not sorry.

_________________________________________________________

“Buongiorno, sorella.” Primo’s greeting sounds unusually formal and a bit flat when you walk into the greenhouse. Not his usual warm welcome or his smile. In fact, he hasn’t looked up from his work table where he was fussing over one of his plants.

“… Good morning, Papa.” You respond, sounding more like you’re asking a question than offering a hello. “It’s nearly tea time.”

It’s become a habit over the last few weeks. Tea with Primo in the greenhouse at 10:30. Late enough in the morning that he’s ready for a break and early enough to give you some time to spend together before lunch. It’s… something. Neither of you have been willing to name it or put rules to it. It simply is what it is and you’re content knowing that you’re both comfortable and happy with your arrangement, without worrying too much about the rest. Sharing his bed (or work bench, or chair, or whatever else is at hand) when the mood strikes, and enjoying his company just as much.

You walk over, setting the tea tray down on the bench next to where he’s working. Primo still doesn’t look, shifting his weight subtly to make any attempt at a kiss on the cheek awkward if not impossible. It’s not like him to behave that way and definitely not like him to not even offer a thank you for bringing pastries from the kitchens.

“Not today, I think.” He says bluntly. “I am very busy.”

You blink at him for a long moment. “Replanting that hosta? Primo, if you’re going to lie to me, could you at least make it less insultingly transparent?”

He huffs. “I did not think you would come today. I have things to do.”

“Why wouldn’t I come today, of all days?” That’s all the patience you have for talking to his back and you walk around him to actually see his face. “If I did something, I wish you would tell me.”

“You did nothing. I just assume you would be with Cardinal Doyle this morning. Too busy for tea out here.” He says Doyle’s name like a curse, his mouth twisting sourly.

It takes a moment for the meaning to sink in, like an unexpected slap in the face. You had been talking to the Cardinal or, more like, he was talking to you. The other Sisters had already warned you about that man and his wandering hands. He was a menace and a pest, and also had seniority. It was very hard not to talk to him once he got it in his head to talk to you.

“What on Earth are you talking about, Primo? Do you mean at breakfast?”

“In the hall, si. You seemed very interested in what he had to say. I hear him telling you to come to his office later.” He finally looks at you, trying to keep his face neutral but his pale eye glows in the muted light of the greenhouse. “You are not obligated here, Sorella. If you wish to meet with the Cardinal, I am capable of entertaining myself.”

“Are you being serious right now?” You stare at him, stunned. “Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

“Are you forgetting who you are talking to?” In all the time you’ve known him, you’ve never heard Primo play the I am Papa card. Definitely not with you. He’s told you more times than you care to count that he’s too old for juvenile dick measuring contests. I always win those anyway, he winks every time.

But not today, apparently.

“I thought I knew. But I’m starting to wonder.” You pause and look at him, pieces clicking together. “Are you… Are you jealous???”

Primo scoffs and dusts the dirt off his hands, marching across the greenhouse to look for a larger pot. “Now you are just being ridiculous!”

“Me!? You’re the one who’s all bent out of shape because I was talking to Cardinal Doyle – who approached me by the way! He’s my superior, what was I meant to do? Walk away? I’m so sorry, Cardinal, Papa Primo will be absolutely miserable if I talk to anyone else! A rule I was supposed to just intuit, as it happens. I know, very odd, but you must know that I can read Papa’s mind and know exactly what he wants without him ever actually telling me!”

That certainly got his attention. Primo turned back, pulling himself up tall. It was easy to forget how imposing he could be. Easy to forget that Papa Secondo was his little brother. His little brother who still wouldn’t cross the eldest Emeritus. But you are quickly reminded, fighting the urge to try and shrink down, to back away.

“You may speak to whomever you wish, Sorella. You do not belong to me, clearly. If it is Doyle you want, you have my blessing. May the Old One bring you both nothing but happiness.” His tone was icy cold.

“You are jealous!” Is all you can think to retort. Maybe not your finest comeback and definitely not ideal timing, but no one ever said you were good at keeping your mouth shut.

“I am not jealous. You are jealous!” Primo snaps.

This time you do stand there, looking like he slapped you. Part of you wants to laugh at the absurdity and part wants to scream. Not able to make a decision, what finally comes out of your mouth is simply, “Who in all the depths of hell is it I’m jealous of, exactly?”

“I see you yesterday, and several days before that, Sorella. Don’t think I am so old and feeble I don’t notice. The way you glare daggers at Sorella Abigail when she comes to talk with me.” There mockery in his tone meant to get under your skin and it works all too well.

“Abigail???” You are very aware of how loud you’ve both gotten and the greenhouse walls aren’t thick. But to hell with it. “You think I’m jealous of Abigail???”

“Si, Sorella.” He fires back snidely. “You deny it?”

“Satanas, I think I had better just go get your brothers because I think they may need to take you to the doctor for whatever head injury you’ve apparently suffered. Jealous of Abigail. Lucifer be merciful. Of all the absurd things you could have said. The last person I will ever be jealous of is that catty, manipulative, power hungry little social climber. You can talk to her whenever you want, Papa, I just thought she was making a damned fool of herself, aiming to be rejected by the third Papa this month!”

“And you were, what? Going to Doyle’s office just for a nice chat? Hmm? Everyone here knows who he is. What he does. Don’t tell me you don’t know. I see right through you. You want to fuck that stronzo, you go ahead. And when you are sorry and disappointed, don’t come back here crying to me. I try to warn you.” He slams the bigger pot for the hosta down on the bench so hard it cracks.

“I don’t want to fuck Doyle!” You shout back at him. The shadow of a ghoul on the greenhouse wall freezes, pressing a little closer to listen. You know that silhouette. “SWISS, FUCK OFF!”

The shadow skitters away, leaving you to your shouting match.

“I was only talking to him because his fucking sister is a florist and she knows people who deal in rare flowers, you absolute dickhead! All I wanted was her number so I could surprise you because it’s your birthday next month! But I suppose I won’t need to worry about that now, will I? I don’t need to ask you what this is or if you want more. I don’t need to tell you how I feel. You’re the brilliant Papa who’s already got it all figured out. It’s Doyle I want, right? Just my type. Creepy scumbag who keeps trying to feel me up. Not the man I actually spend all my free time with. Not the man I actually get excited to see.” Your anger and your hurt collide and your voice cracks. All the energy you’d had for yelling vanishing at once.

“Not the man I actually love.” Your eyes drop to the floor because it hurts to look at him, and all you can manage is a tired sigh. “I’m so sorry I bothered you, Papa. Please forgive me. I won’t keep you from your work any longer.”

His hand catches your elbow before you can reach the door and when you look back at him, there’s something panicked and uncertain in his eyes. A hope he’s afraid to give voice to, half certain it will crumble to dust if he tries.

“You don’t mean that.” It’s not angry or even accusing. Just disbelief.

The tears on your cheeks burn like acid. Traitors, every one of them. “You’re going to call me a liar now too?”

“Tesoro…”

“Don’t snip at me about treating you like you’re old and feeble and then tell me you didn’t know, Primo.” You hang your head and give in to the exhaustion. “I love you. Of course I love you. I spend every morning waiting to come out here just to see you. To be with you. To be close to you. You had to know.”

“Why didn’t you say?” His hand slips from your elbow to your hand.

“Say what, Primo? That it wasn’t enough? Because it was. It was enough to just… to just have you to myself for a little while. A few minutes. An hour. Whatever I got. I could make it enough because it was better than nothing. And if… if I said it and it was wrong… it would vanish. I couldn’t… I couldn’t risk that.”

His warm arms envelope you, wrapping you in the smell of fresh turned earth and a dozen different herbs you can’t hope to name all of. The sound of his heartbeat, faster than its usual steady rhythm. His hand rubbing your back, soothing and calm.

“Mi dispiace.” That voice, that’s the one you know. Primo’s voice. “Mi dispiace, angelo mio. Forgive me. I don’t have an excuse. I am a fool. A fool who doesn’t deserve you.”

His finger hooks under your chin and lifts it to look you in the eye. Gently drying your tears, cupping your cheek. “I thought…” He sighs, shaking his head at himself. “I see the way he hangs around you. Like a fly, always buzzing. But you smile, you laugh and I think… Satan knows what I think. Stupid, ridiculous, petty things. Because he is still young, he is flashy and confident… And I am…”

“Perfect.” You finish for him. “You are perfect.”

Primo presses his forehead to yours and closes his eyes. “Far from perfect. But for you, fiore mio, I will keep trying to be.” His lips brush against yours softly. “Anch'io ti amo… from the start. The very beginning. No matter how many times I tell myself you don’t need an old man holding you back. I can’t help it. I don’t want to. Ti amo. Ti amo tanto. Ti amo così tanto che non riesco a pensare lucidamente.”

When you stretch up to kiss him again, it’s no light brushing of lips. Your hands catch the back of his neck and you kiss him deeply, passionately, the way you’ve held back from anywhere but bed. Worried it would overstep some line. Break some unwritten rule. But he leans into the kiss, meeting you with equal desire and need. His arms crushing you to himself.

When you finally break away and look back at him, it’s like seeing a new man. “Does that mean we can still have tea?”

“No.” He says firmly. Letting you go and taking your hand, he starts walking quickly toward the far end of the greenhouse, hidden by a thick layer of foliage, to the private room you two have made use of before.

“No. Today, amore, I still have apologies to make and lost time to make up for.”

________________________________________________________

Anch'io ti amo = I love you too

Ti amo. Ti amo tanto. Ti amo così tanto che non riesco a pensare lucidamente. = I love you. I love you so much. I love you so much I can't think straight.

#ask prompts #ghost fanfic #Primo x reader #MDNI

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thelampisaflashlight · 8 months

Text

Everything Goes On Pt. 6

[Ritual night preparations. Not suitable for younger audiences. Previous part here.] Below the cut.

The shift in the air is palpable as the raging sun of summer draws ever closer to the cloudy gloom of fall.

Not yet here, though already on the minds of so many.

Mountain can feel the shift in his bones, bonded to the Earth as he is, but as he looks to the heavens, he cannot but feel a great sense of unease.

The sky is overcast, heavy storm clouds move at a snail's pace overhead.

An ill omen for a night already destined to be touched by the light of a rare blue moon.

Worse yet...

Mountain watches as the siblings gather for mass, their usual uniforms or casual clothes cast aside in favor of the traditional robes of their forbearers.

...there is to be a summoning tonight.

Turning his gaze to the lake, barely a puddle in his vision, he can already see the groundskeepers placing the lanterns to mark the path to the sunken chapel.

Three ghouls stand guard as they work, wearing the silver masks of a now bygone era, sentinels sent by Sister Imperator to ensure no ill business takes place on this most sacred of occasions.

The guards eye him from a distance, one of them, a smaller, slighter figure than the rest, swishes their tail -a threatening crackle of green energy sparking from the spade- at him irritably, and all Mountain can do is hold up his hands and return to his own duties to show he isn't a threat.

"Everyone's so worked up today..." Swiss comments, striding out of the courtyard holding a rake and a compost bag full of dead leaves, "What do I do with these, big guy?"

Mountain gestures towards a small pile between the greenhouses.

"It's because of the summoning tonight."

"I almost forgot about that." Swiss hums, tossing the bag, "I guess since Sunny's summoning was the only one I've ever gone to, I didn't think, ya know, it was a big deal?"

"Sunny's summoning was kind of an outlier, since it was not safe for the clergy to attend en masse." Mountain says, "Tonight's summoning is also special, because we not only have to contend with the weather, but the moon as well... Papa has already ordered several members of the clergy into seclusion to avoid, uh, unwanted side effects."

"What's the moon got to do with it?" Swiss asks, coming back to stand beside Mountain, looking out over the valley.

"You can't feel it?" Mountain questions, placing a hand over the middle of his chest, "Here?"

"Nope, aside from how warm your hand is." Swiss shakes his head, "I mean, I am half human, so it's probably another one of those things that doesn't affect me the same way it does you guys."

"I suppose so." Mountain nods, "But, to explain it a bit, the moon tugs."

"Tugs?"

"It pulls at us like the tides. Water ghouls are especially effected by it, hence why they make themselves scarce during the full moon, as do members of the clergy afflicted with moon based curses such as lycanthropy." he says, "Hence why Rain isn't able to attend the summoning tonight."

"Cause he'll go feral or something?" Swiss asks.

Mountain thinks back to earlier this morning when he'd encountered the ghoul in question rolling around in a pile of spilled laundry when he came to retrieve his clothes from the dryer, thoroughly out of his gourd, tail slapping on the ground like a pleased puppy.

"...Yes... feral..."

Swiss blinks at him.

"What about Dew? Since he's a hybrid?"

"Dew has a remarkably firm grasp on his water side, so he'll still be in attendance." Mountain says, "He'd likely have to attend in some capacity regardless though."

"Why's that?"

Mountain stares down at Swiss.

"What? What, is there something on my face?" the multi-ghoul questions, patting his cheeks.

"...You really don't know?"

"Know what??"

"Satanas... Well, I won't ruin the surprise."

"Ugh, these robes are so fucking heavy..." Dew grimaces, readjusting his vestments for a third time, "This is such a pain in the ass..."

"You do not get to complain." Copia sighs, coating his face in powder, "Mine are twice as heavy, and I don't have any of your unnatural ghoulish strength to help carry the weight."

Dew's tail swishes trapped between two layers of fabric.

"If I knew becoming a bishop would mean wearing so much clothing, I wouldn't have studied so hard."

"You had your entire deaconship and stint as a priest to consider that, now didn't you?" Copia points out, "Having to dress the part of your role only happens once in a..."

"Don't."

"Once in a blue moon." he chuckles, eliciting a groan from the already agitated ghoul, "Ah, lighten up, once the ceremony is over, you can go back to wearing what you want or nothing at all. Hell, you could even strip naked as soon as the rites are done, but, for now, you need to look presentable for the clergy."

"Half the siblings have seen my bare ass-"

"Sister will be in attendance tonight." Copia says, eyeing him from the mirror, laughing once more seeing the ghoul's conflicted expression.

"-which I will keep covered at all times this evening."

"Very good."

Copia stands back to admire his handiwork, checking his make-up for imperfections, "...Ghoul?"

"Yes, Papa?"

"I've been meaning to ask... How have you been since your packmates' departures?"

Dew clicks his tongue.

"I miss Sunny, it was fun having her around while it lasted." he says, "But I know you're not really asking about her."

"Things are still... complicated." he continues, "But Aether is the furthest thing from my mind tonight."

"That is... good." Copia says, "There's a high likelihood that something may go array during tonight's ritual, so I need you focused to ensure that if things do get out of hand, we can put a stop to it as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Papa."

Cirrus sits in her room getting ready for the evening, she doesn't really need to get too dressed up for the event, after all she'll be sitting amongst the siblings along with the rest of the ghouls.

...Save for Cumulus and Dewdrop that is.

And maybe that's why she's putting the extra effort in to look nice even though it will be impossible to really pick her out of the crowd, it's more so for after the rites are spoken.

After Cumulus is freed of her obligations as a sister of sin and they can fuck off while the actual summoning takes place to have a little fun.

At least, that had been the plan...

"Since Aether left, I have to stay as a witness." the smaller ghoulette had informed Cirrus earlier during breakfast, "You know how it is..."

"I don't, actually." Cirrus had grumbled around her pancakes, "You don't tell me anything about your duties as a sister, or why it's so different from being, I dunno, like the rest of us."

"I have though, Cir, I explained what my role is when I took my oath." Cumulus had frowned, patting her hand, "This is one of my duties as a sister, to attend these summonings and bless the new ghouls in the name of the lord below."

"Yeah, but why does it have to be you?" Cirrus groused, letting her fork drop onto her plate.

"I was requested personally, and you have to understand what an honor it is to be chosen for something like this..." Cumulus said, "I'll be standing beside Papa..."

"We hang out with Copia all the time, Lus, it's not that special."

"...Well it is to me." Cumulus whispered, "Plus, Dew could use the support right now. You know him and Aeth-"

"Oh, so it was Dew who asked." she'd scoffed, "Of course it was."

"Cir... what's that supposed to mean?"

"Ever since Aether left, you've been babying Dew." Cirrus hissed, "You even disagreed with me when I said our relationship wasn't like theirs, but it's not. You and I have been together since the pit, those two were just fucking around the way humans do, it wasn't even serious!"

"Wasn't even... Cir, they were engaged!"

"Engaged, but not bonded!"

"Cir..."

Cirrus looks at herself in the small vanity atop her dresser and frowns.

"It's not the same." she tells herself, "Our relationship isn't..."

"Dew could use the support right now."

Cirrus grabs her mascara and uncaps it.

"I hope he fucking trips and falls in his stupid robes tonight..."

#lamp writes #nameless ghouls #dewdrop ghoul #mountain ghoul #swiss ghoul #cumulus ghoulette #cirrus ghoulette #copia #papa emeritus iv #ghost band #the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost band fanfic

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lady-necropolis · 11 months

Text

Ghost BC Whump Month Day Three: Infirmary

TW: for descriptions of a minor injury and some blood

It was pretty common that one of the ghouls ended up injured, given all the shenanigans they got up to when they weren’t touring. The second they got the tiniest bit of freedom (and boredom), the infirmary was packed with the lot of them. In fact, just the other day, you had to treat Rain for a rash he’d got helping Mountain carry some new plants he’d foraged back from the woods. Then yesterday, Swiss threw his back out trying to impress a sister of sin (yet again). Frankly, you couldn’t wait for the band to get back out on the road. Things were a lot more predictable that way.

The doors to the infirmary crash open, slamming into the walls, followed by a string of rather creative curses.

“Lucifer’s fucking dickhole!” You sigh, all your resolve and patience leaving your body as you crumple in your habit. Dew. You look up from your paperwork to find him clutching his hand in a bloody towel and you groan, throwing your head back to whisper a silent prayer to the ceiling.

“Satan give me strength,” you mutter, whipping out of your chair to guide the fire ghoul to an examination room. “What did you do this time?”

“The fuck you think?” Dew growls, slumping into the chair. You scowl at him as you unwrap the towel. A deep bloody gash circles around the tip of one his fingers. Part of his nail is torn and the gash extends to his nail bed. You hiss, grimacing at the cut.

“Jesus, how’s your guitar?”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” he deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Look, can you just fix it?” You sigh again, grabbing an antiseptic and some bandages.

“Gonna sting a bit, okay?” You say, soaking some gauze in the saline.

“Yeahhh, I know.” He winces, taking a sharp inhale as you clean the cut.

“Sorry.”

“S’fine.” The gash doesn’t look so bad now that you’ve cleaned it. At least, it’s not as deep as you originally thought. It’s still bleeding, but it seems to slow, dribbling out slowly. You hold a clean pad of gauze to his finger, putting pressure on it. At this point, you’ve honestly lost count how many times you’ve had to patch Dew up. So many finger nails ripped clean off. Broken bones. You huff.

“You really have to be more careful you know,” you say, looking up at him from under your lashes. He quirks a disgruntles brow at you.

“Pffft. It’s a little cut. I’m fine. Besides, I thought you loved our little meetings sister,” he shoots back sarcastically, a wry grin on his face. You roll your eyes.

“Dew. I like spending time with you. I’d just rather it not be cause, you know, you’re seriously maimed.”

“You saying you wanna spend time with me off the clock, Sister?” You feel the heat of a flush bloom across your cheeks and you glare at him. Dew smiles wryly at you, and you frown, eyes flickering back down to your work. The bleeding’s stopped now and you replace the gauze, wrapping it up with some tape.

“Just, be careful, please?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he sighs. “Am I gonna live, doc?” Dew teases, and you grin.

“No amputations today,” you joke. A puff of laughter escapes from his lips, and he smiles down at his hand.

“I wasn’t playing.” You furrow brow in question. “Guitar. I wasn’t playing when I hurt myself,” Dew explains.

“Oh, then what were you doing?” He shrugs, and his eyes don’t meet yours this time. His good hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck, and his eyes flicker to the door, like he can’t wait to leave the room.

“Uh, Well, I—I was helping Mountain out in the greenhouse. Nicked it on some pruning sheers.” His eyes finally meet yours, and you tilt your head curiously as the fire ghoul studies your face. “You like lilies, yeah?” You frown, but nod. They’re one of your favourite flowers. Dew nods. “M’kay.” Then he stands up abruptly to leave, opening the door to the examination. “See you around sister. Maybe without that habit next time.” He shoots you a mischievous wink over his shoulder before striding out the room, leaving you blushing furiously. You really couldn’t wait for tour to start up again.

#whump month #the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost bc fanfic #dewdrop ghoul #dewdrop x reader #nameless ghouls #sodomizer ghoul

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bunny-atsunset · 1 year

Note

hi hi, hellooooo!! noticed that you came back recently and that there is space for a request! so if you can and would like, could I request for Leona with an s/o that's afraid of being in a relationship with him because they are disabled? I have beta thalassemia for life and I'm constantly falling ill and afraid that my life will end because it's such a hassle to live with and I'm afraid that any partner I may have won't want anything long-term with me because sometimes I can't even function like a normal person. I'm sorry for the rant, but some comfort would be nice :) hope that you are doing well and taking care of yourself!

[Leona with a Disabled S/O GN] COMFORT

Content warning: NONE really, MOSTLY F L U F F, cursing, implied long-term relationship, mentions of illness

A/N: Your request touched my heart and I wanted to give you something nice! I tried my best and please let me know if you enjoyed it dear anon! I kept the details of the disability vague so I hope that is okay. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write something so heartfelt and special with Leona. I feel that contrary to popular belief...he would be an attentive S/O and that's why I created this blog in the first place!

I am wonderful and hope you are too! I wish the best for you and hope you are also taking care!💕 Enjoy~

Leona is very observant of your emotions and needs. He knows when you've got something on your mind and this day was no different. When you had gotten sick the last time he took you back home with him for a short break, enduring his overbearing family so you could have all the comfort you needed while you were recovering. He pulled out all the stops for you, as much as his privilege would allow.

He found you in the royal gardens. It was a balmy spring morning in the Sunset Savanna and you were kneeling on the cobbled ground, tending to some succulents you had planted the last time you visited Leona’s family. They were a bit overgrown and a few that had gotten lost in the shade were missed by the royal gardeners. That's when you heard the telltale footsteps behind you.

You sighed as you turned around, knowing that you were in big trouble with your mate. He stood with his arms crossed, his usual stern expression a bit wavering in the pink light of the greenhouse. “Think I wouldn’t notice my bun was missin’?” He said, tail whipping behind him in irritation.

If you hadn’t known your lion so well it may have sounded a bit harsh to a stranger's ears. You swallowed the lump in your throat and shrugged him off, laughing and wrinkling your nose up at him. “Pfft. Go back to bed, Lion.” You ordered him casually. Bringing your attention back to your precious plants, you counted the various abandoned pots you had found all around the garden, making sure you had enough. You were planning on bringing a few back to your room so you could enjoy them there.

“Nope.” He yawned loudly, squinting into the sunlight. “Not unless you're comin’ back with me,” He said simply, his dark hair was extra messy from sleep and his golden robe hung crookedly from his slumped frame. “C’mon you can do this later, Bunny.” The timbre of his words held a subtle longing that made your chest ache.

Your mind had been…heavy lately with a few unrelenting thoughts, but mostly you were worried about him. You knew your lion was more sensitive than even you about these sorts of things, even if he didn’t show it. “I’m fine,” You insisted, standing with a large repotted desert rose in your hands, reaching up to swipe a bit of sweat from your forehead.

Unfortunately, it was a bit heavier than you thought and one hand was not enough. It slipped from your fingers with a clatter, shattering dirt and glass on the ground. “Damn-!” You stumbled forward, almost going down with it when strong, warm hands caught you around your arm and your waist. “Oops.” You tried to laugh it off, feeling a bit lightheaded from the whole thing. You looked up to your partner who wasn’t amused at you overdoing it. “Bun...” He said a bit firmly, ears lowering to you.

Oh no. Leona couldn’t hide it. He was…worried for you. Your guilt bubbled up, and a few tears spilled over your eyes in shame. You blinked them away before he could see but, of course, he did. That was your lion after all. “I’m fine.” You repeated. “Just a little dizzy.” You whispered and he gently turned your body to face him, steadying you in his arms. “B-besides…” You continued clumsily. “...Gotta get used to not having me around sometimes.” You shrugged, keeping your eyes down.

Leona scoffed, using his clean robe sleeve to wipe away the tracks of your tears and the specks of dirt from your face. ”And why the hell would I do that?” He gave you one of his crooked smiles and he was holding himself together much better than you. “Because.” You continued. “You know-” You shrugged, thinking of your limitations, you knew it was a burden on him sometimes, even though he wouldn’t admit it or ever hold it against you. “What if…I won't be aro-”

Before you could finish your sentence he cupped your jaw with his hand, urging you to look at him, and squished your cheeks with his fingers affectionately soft. “Hm? What’s that? You wanna come back to bed with me, Bunny? Order some breakfast from the kitchens?” He mused, his eyes didn't quite match his cheeky grin, but he kept on teasing you.

He reached around your body, using his other free hand to pinch your sides where he knew you were ticklish. “Stop, Stop it!” You cackled and wiggled in his arms and he continued his one-sided conversation, reeling you closer to him. “Glad we’ve agreed.” He chuckled in your ear calmly.

“Lion, don’t you fucking dare!” You scolded him with a warning. “Hey! When I feel better I’m gonna-” You gasped when he picked you up with much care, interrupting your hollow threats as he put you over his shoulders, lifting you from the ground in a loose fireman’s carry. You were miffed, tugging on one of his braids to let you go, “Wait, wait, my desert rose!” You cried out, reaching back toward the mess you made of the broken pot and your poor, poor cactus.

”Eh, I’ll get someone else to come 'n rescue it.” He droned before carrying you away, you complaining the whole way, laughing through the halls of the sunny palace at his antics. The passing servants knew at this point you and your lion were just playing and these sorts of shenanigans between you two were so normal that none of them even reacted anymore.

You convinced Leona to let you try to make breakfast for the two of you. At least on days when you felt better, you preferred to cook your own meals or help out with the palace kitchen staff. Though…today wasn’t one of those days. On days like today, you accepted you were gonna be on the losing side of any argument with your overprotective partner.

However, a miracle did happen though, your lion actually took over kitchen duties for the first time you’d been together. It was a…disaster but he was trying at least. Intently, he listened to your instructions on how to make a few fried eggs and ham for the two of you, one ear perched toward you. It was entertaining to see such a proud man out of his element, fumbling so hard. He was so apt at judging food, you thought he might be a little better at this.

You watched him with an amused and somewhat smug expression, sitting on the countertop behind him, snugly wrapped by him in his silk robe. You were still a little bit tired from your excursion earlier but you couldn’t help intervening. “Oh here, let me do it!” After having enough, you came up behind him and tried to show him how to crack an egg properly… without magic. “What would you do without me?” You snickered, judging him harshly as you flipped one of the crooked eggs, saving it from burning on the edge of the pan.

By the time it was over the two of you ended up switching positions and he stood behind you now, chest pressed against your back while you seasoned and finished grilling the meat. It was…a lot for you considering how tired you were, but whenever you got dizzy he would make sure to hold you up or steady your hand when you lifted the heavy pan. You saved breakfast but unfortunately for the sad eggs you couldn’t fix their form, deciding to make them scrambled as he rested his chin on your shoulder. Leona nuzzled into your neck, distracting you, all the while making soft sounds of contentment in your ear.

After breakfast, you promised to never let him live it down that he tried to use a spice grinder upside down. He dusted the dirt from your knees and the two of you shared a bath for your sore body. Once dry, Leona insisted you wear one of his tunics instead, even dressing you despite your playful protests. You weren't in any condition to refuse.

Your lion made good on his promise to carry you gently back to his bed, drawing the curtains for you as it was now almost noon. He laid you over him and brought your sleepy face to his chest. He sighed as he hooked his arms behind you, occasionally tracing his fingers over your spine under your top.

It turned out to be a good morning after all. You burrowed your face into his chest, his steady heartbeat beating against your ear. The strong, familiar scent of cinnamon, star anise, and orange comforted you. In this quiet time, you gathered your thoughts from earlier, finally coming down from your playful mood. “L-leona,” Your voice cracked a bit, playing with the end of his long hair. “Do you ever…regret us, you know…getting together…?” Was this really the future mate he imagined he’d have?

“Hm?” He seemed to have almost been asleep when he responded. “Ah,” You tsked. “Nevermind.” You shrugged, hiding your face behind his robe, realizing you shouldn’t have said that. He tugged down the fabric to look at your pouty expression, laying his head back on his pillow to see you better.

You were caught now, so you tried to explain your complicated thoughts. “It sucks…” You lamented. “Just feels like… we wasted so much time.” You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I… just don’t want you to have any regrets when it comes to…me…”

You could feel him tremble but he stayed brave, releasing a small, unsteady breath. “Awe, bun.” He started through a soft scoff, his green eyes never leaving yours as he spoke, “...If you think for one second I regret any of my time with you, you are even crazier than I thought.” His voice softened over his words, and then he tapped your temple for emphasis, ending with a small smirk. “Hey!” You puffed your cheeks at him, flicking his nose like he was a common cat, in a familiar gesture of yours.

“Tch.” A small laugh rumbled in his chest before he swallowed, and another shuddery breath left his mouth, wrapping you further into his robe. “C’mere.” You obliged this request to move even closer, chuckling as you looped your arms through his robe sleeves so that you both shared it. You laced your fingers with his after you popped your hands through.

“Mmm.” The man rubbed his pinky against yours. “Listen, none of that shit matters anyway, you're here now.” He muttered his words into your hair, inhaling softly before saying something in his native language. ”Tuliumbwa kuwa pamoja...” (We were created for each other…) You'll always be my Bunny. Alright…?” He chuckled again, hand settling on your lower back. “Long as you’ll have me, I…never wanna be apart from ya.”

You were at a loss so you laughed along with him, your chest squeezing. “Oh.” Your eyes burned, drawing a few circles in his palm. You couldn’t see his face now but maybe it was better that way. “Thought you didn’t believe in always.” You teased your logical mate through a whisper. He only snorted in response and then pretended to be asleep, something he usually did when you outmatched him.

Oh well, neither one of you wanted to ruin another of your warm and lazy mornings. The two of you didn’t need to say it out loud. Both of you would take the good days…and the bad. And Leona didn’t mind acting as your own personal pillow on days you weren’t able to do much. You glanced at the rows of plants he had arranged for you by the windows, leaving a sliver of light for them at your request.

Closing your eyes, you soaked in the warmth of your lion beneath you, who was breathing in time with you. His tail fell across your back as you drifted off to sleep in his arms.

#twst #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #leona x reader #leona kingscholar x gn reader #leona x gn reader #twisted wonderland #twst fic #twst writing #twst wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #leona twst

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eastwindmlk · 2 months

Text

Written for @jilymicrofics prompt: Insignia Word Count: 721

In the days after the post-O.W.L. disaster, James made an attempt to get her alone. To apologize for what he now realized was a terrible, terrible move. But it seemed an impossible task.

Wherever Lily Evans went, so went the other 5th-year Gryffindor girls. And none of them were even so much as giving him the time of day, never mind allowing him a moment alone with the redhead.

Which was why he thanked his lucky stars when he spotted her making her way from the greenhouses all by herself.

For the first time ever, he resorted to being late for Quidditch practice as he ran back up the hill to meet her. Arm extended as he called over, “Evans! Evans, wait!” Only to watch her walk away faster after meeting his eye.

Cutting through the grass, James caught her right before she could make it to the door. Practically leaping in front of her, hands grabbing the tops of her arms. Keeping her in place.

“Evans, I need to talk to you,” he announced, still panting.

Lily turned up her nose and looked away from him, shaking off his hands. “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Potter,” she spat at him, attempting to sidestep him and him following her motion.

“Then don’t say anything, just listen.” She scoffed at that, giving him a dangerous side-eyed glance. But at least she stopped trying to escape.

Taking this as a go-ahead, he launched into his apology; “I just wanted to tell you that I am really sorry about what happened after the exams. It was never my intention for you to get hurt,” he swallowed thickly and carded his hand through his hair nervously, “things just got out of hand. I should have never involved y-”

-” You should have never tried anything in the first place,” she challenged. The fact that she was regarding him directly now only made him more nervous. His words clearly had done little to soften her up to him.

He pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, waiting her out for a moment. Pulling up a shoulder indifferently at her remark. He did not regret going after Snivellus. He just regretted the collateral damage.

“I’m not here to apologize for that. He had it coming.” His hand lifted to brush along the slash that had escalated it all. “If he had not used that nasty curse first, things would have gone differently.”

Lily rolled his eyes at him. Clearly she disagreed with him there. “As I said, I am sorry you got hurt. I did not intend that. I hope you know that.”

Her lips curled into a sneer, her palm hitting him on the shoulder hard enough to make him stagger back. “What is this about, Potter?” His name sounded dirty on her tongue. Dirtier than normal. Her eyes were full of contempt for him.

His hand gripped his shirt, pulling the tight fabric away from his heart as if it would help with the sudden stabbing ache in his chest. “I just wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay.” His voice was suddenly small, unable to meet her gaze head-on.

What James did not expect was for her to start laughing, barking and humourless. “See if I am okay?” Lily repeated, her tone snide. Closing the distance between them, raising up to meet him almost nose to nose.

“What? Are you some type of Girl Scout trying to earn insignia?-” Her eyes flashed at James as he attempted to interrupt her, asking what a girl scout was. His mouth snapped shut as she continued her assault. “-’ I was nice to a Mudblood’ on a pretty shiny badge?” She bit the slur towards him, making him cringe.

Rolling her eyes, the redhead shoulder-checked him as she passed him by. “I am not going to let you use me to make yourself feel better. Give you a pat on the back just because you are doing the bare minimum.” Her words made his stomach knot painfully, starting to doubt his own intentions for seeking her out.

“I hope you choke on your stupid apology!” She spat at him before pushing the heavy door open with such force the hinges creaked.

Leaving him standing there, completely undone.

#jily #jily fic #james potter #lily evans #jple #jily microfic

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pandorascripts · 1 year

Text

Absent

pairing: poison ivy x reader

warnings: mediocre angst, proofread once.

note: wrote this at like twelve last night. I just need to get something out lmao. I’m going to start writing a bit more DC stuff until I get get my spark back. Currently writing another Ivy fic based on the comic, Harleen.

———

The door creaks as you slowly open it, peeking in. Pamela’s mixing green and purple liquids, mumbling to herself as they bubble and ooze.

“Hey, what are you doing? It’s, like, three am,” you say.

“I’ll be up soon, just need to do a couple more things.”

You frown, never knowing Pamela to not look you in the eye when she’s speaking.

“Alright.” You turn to head out, leaving her to her work. “Love you.”

“Yeah.”

You close the door, swallowing harshly. This is ridiculous, it’s been going on for months now. The neglect, the off-handed responses to meaningful statements, and it hurts. It hurts so much, and you swear to God you can feel your heart shattering.

You blink a coup times, rubbing at them.

Why are you crying? She’s got more important things than you, you know that.

You walk up the wooden steps, but stop short. You’re way too tired to climb up another flight just to get to your room. Curling up on a way-too-short step, you let yourself weep.

The step above you digs into your shoulder every time you let out a sob, but you don’t adjust. The pain somehow grounds you, keeping you from actually bawling your eyes out. Your hand sits in your mouth, stifling what should have been louder cries. You don’t care about the bite marks that will be there tomorrow.

Pamela didn’t come up to bed that night, not did she bother to put you in an actual room.

You’re thinking about leaving, ditching Pamela in the night. You cant go on like this, but you’re way too worried to confront her about her behavior. She’ll just put you off, gaslight you and tell you you’re just being dramatic.

You want her to notice your bruised hand, you want her to notice your puffy eyes the next morning, you want her notice your pain.

She doesn’t.

She ignores you all day again, sitting in her lab and talking to her plants. You know she loves those things more than you, she used to tell you that she loved you more. It’s a lie. It always has been.

You open the door to her lab again, forgetting to knock.

The creak of the door must’ve thrown her off, because the next thing you know Pamela’s cursing and yelling. Things are spilling over her desk, papers are soaked and burning.

“Pam! Oh my God! I’m so—“

“Get out!” she yells, pulling her hair as she finally faces you. “GO!”

You close the door with a slam, mortified. Pamela’s never yelled at you before. She knows you hate it, you hate arguing and screaming, she knows what your past was, and she promised to never yell. It was a mutual agreement, and even when you both made each other upset, it didn’t last long. You’d both apologize and talk about it, get over what was causing bumps and come out stronger. You didn’t know if you’d make it out of this one.

You can still her Pamela yelling, things smashing against the door your head is lain on.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, and after that, the only noise you hear is her yelling and your own tears hitting the floor.

Your knees give out and you slide against bumpy and splintered wood. Your face is soaking, tears painting an ugly portrait on your face.

As your sobbing against the door, the only thing you can think of is leaving. And right now, it seems like the smart thing to do.

You don’t bother Pam for the next week, you leave her to be in the greenhouse, actively skirting around her when she leaves for her lab. You don’t like being like this— awkward strangers. For God’s sake, you’ve been dating for five years, you know her inside and out. But she feels different, unstable. It scares you, mortifies you. You don’t know what she’s capable when she’s like this, and you don’t know if you want to find out.

The letter you write is long, it takes up two full pages of paper, and your handwriting is neat. The only thing screwing it up are the copious amounts of wet spots, which smear the ink. You place the note on her side of the nightstand, and start grabbing essentials. You take everything you can think of, everything that seems important.

You don’t realize your crying until your vision is completely blurry, but still, you push onwards. You grab a couple sweaters and a couple pairs of jeans. You don’t fold them, instead slamming them into a suitcase as you zip it up.

“What are you doing?”

Everything stops. Your hand, the loud zipper, your breathing, even your tears don’t flow anymore. It’s like everyone’s waiting, waiting and waiting for Pamela to understand. You take in a shaky breath, finishing the zipper. “Leaving.”

You don’t turn to face her, instead you pretend to do more with the suitcase, checking empty pockets and extra compartments. You hear her footsteps getting closer and closer and closer, her hand rests on your shoulder. You still don’t face her, you can’t. The moment you look at her you’re screwed, you’ll melt into her and fall into the same pattern. It cant happen.

“Stop. Please.”

Another hand rests on your other shoulder, slowly turning you around. Pamela looks so heartbroken, and you let out a sob. It’s useless to fight her, you can’t, you’ve never been good at sticking up for yourself. She tucks your head into her shoulder, apologizing from some stupid thing that doesn’t even matter. Pamela cant even figure out what she was doing wrong, she’s reaching, apologizing for yelling, as if the months of emotional neglect aren’t a problem.

“I’m so tired, Pam.”

You know she’d be crying if wasn’t stopping herself, the last thing either of you wants is you to be covered in bubbling blisters.

“I’m sorry.”

You don’t bother trying to correct her, to tell her that you miss her. How could you? She’s always there, she’s never not fifteen feet away from you. You cant miss her. But still, you do.

“I miss you,” you cry out, repeating it over and over again.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m right here, okay? I’m right here.” Her voice is soothing, lulling you into hopeful security. It isn’t until your eyes are drooping shut, you’re breathing heavy and loud, that you realize what she’s doing.

You don’t know what time it is, how long you’ve slept, or where you are, but it doesn’t matter, because the familiar scent of spring wraps around you like a blanket, and you sigh. Everything feels right, a sense of calm eases you, and you really can’t remember what you were so upset about last night.

“Morning,” Pamela whispers.

You feel her hand slide up to your shoulder and her chin softly pressing into your head. This is right, everything is okay.

You mumble back an obscured “G’morning” and bury yourself deeper into her.

Her chest shakes as she laughs lightly, and you grumble in protest from the movement.

“Can we just stay here?” you ask, threading your hand in her hair as you do so.

“I wish, but we’ve got plans, darling.”

You grumble, clearing annoyed. “Yeah but this is so much better.”

Pamela starts playing with your hair, careful not to tangle it. You feel happy at this, happy that she remembers how bad your bed head is.

“It is.”

“So we can stay here?”

Pamela starts laughing again, her chin rubbing against your head as she shakes her own. “No.”

“Plans, shlamsh! We don’t need to go anywhere.”

“I suppose we don’t need to, but we should. Selina and Harley are waiting on us, though.”

“They’ll entertain each other just fine without us.”

A moment of silence passes through the two of you, each taking in the thought of those two alone together.

“Yeah we need to leave.”

“Oh God, why did I tell them to wait for us?” Pamela asks, you don’t need to see her face to know she’s mortified.

“Selina’s probably at Harley’s throat about now. You told her not to bring those mutts right?”

No response.

“Right?”

“No…. I figured it would be common sense!”

“Harley doesn’t have common sense! She has Harley sense! She probably brought Bud and Lou!”

“We really need to leave, darling.”

Pamela’s up and out of the bed, dressed in a green blouse and black shorts before you even know it. You get up too, looking to the end of the bed. Frowning, you unzip the suitcase.

“I-I’m sorry, Pam. I don’t know what I was thinking last night. It was stupid, really.”

Pamela closes the suitcase, handing you a sweater of hers and a pair of leggings.

“It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have yelled.”

You nod your head, still taking the blame. Pamela smiles, giving you a kiss on the cheek.

The first kiss you’ve gotten from her in months.

#pamela lillian isley #poison ivy #poison ivy x reader #pamela isley #dc x reader #dceu fanfiction #dceu imagine #dc x you #pamela isley x reader #poison ivy x you #reader insert #x reader #x you #ansgt #hurtfic #dc fic #gotham sirens #pandorascript

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writingwhimsey · 10 months

Note

Happy birthday, Whimsey!~ 🥳 Here’s a little tale for you,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What started as a little gift for his girl quickly morphed into much more the more Motonari worked on it.

You see, when he first met his girl, it was when summer was in full swing, and she was covered head to toe in flower motifs.

Naturally seeing her in that state made him think of the nickname flower girl for her.

He really didn’t think the two would go past casually flirting, but here they were, a year later and living in the same house, so deeply in love.

Since he liked to keep everyone at a distance for the longest, no one would have been none the wiser (except Hiroyoshi) to his rather kind, and rather romantic side, and this project he was working on was just the pure example of it.

For his flower girl, he wanted to make a whole garden that looks like her. Though it was a bit of a challenge getting the right shade of green flowers for her eyes, Motonari was a perfectionist through and through, and was willing to pay any amount to make sure the garden turned out just right.

What he didn’t really anticipate when he was working on the garden for his girl was a sudden infestation of pests that seemed to come out of nowhere, threatening his perfect garden that he so carefully tended to.

He would constantly be cursing like a sailor in Portuguese every time he would catch a slippery snail threatening to munch on the beautiful petals of his flowers, or the creepy spiders trying to make their dreary webs in the garden. It took everything within himself to keep his composure, since he wanted to appear cool and collected to his girl.

As always, however, Ava would see through him, and caught on to his little project rather quickly, though she didn’t let him know that. She found it quite cute the distances Motonari would go to please her.

“You know, the garden looks just fine as it is, Motonari. I like all the vibrant colors here.” Ava would tell him with a small playful grin on her face, a hand on her hip as Motonari would hold back the urge to pout. “But I ain’t tryna strive for just “fine”, mi vida. I want the flowers to look perfect!” He would whine, as she would softly roll her eyes, and giggle.

“I have been wanting to ask you for a while… What are you planning with this garden, anyway? It’s huge, and as far as I can tell, these plants aren’t of the edible variety like the plants I am used to you planting in your greenhouse.” She asked, despite already knowing the answer. She was curious what his answer would be to her question.

“Well…” Motonari clicked his tongue, going to run a hand through his sun bleached hair for a moment, before his ruby eyes seemed to light up with an idea, as his hands then gently grabbed a hold of her own. Since he was just inspecting the garden now, he went without gloves, a habit he picked up since he felt comfortable going without them when around his girl.

“Follow me, I guess I can show ya now.” He told her, before he was then leading her into their spacious home, and to the overarching balcony that they had that was as swanky as the rest of the place. Motonari took good care of all of his things, and he took even better care of his love. He was absolutely smitten with her, but he always liked to play it off cool, though there was no need to. Ava liked all the sides there were to him. It made her love him even more.

At the very top from their balcony, Ava found herself having her breath taken away by just how meticulous the garden look, and how close it looked to her. The flowers in her eyes were the very same shade of green as her very own. The flowers that made up her hair were also the perfect shade of yellow to compliment her blonde hair. Motonari even arranged the flowers in a way that it matched the usual hairstyle she would wear. Though she was in the know for quite a while, she found herself shocked by just how amazing the garden turned out.

Motonari cleared his throat, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. “This… Was why I was working so hard in making everything perfect. After all…” He then turned to her, an affectionate look shining in his eyes.

“You are perfect to me, mi vida. Te amo…” He told her softly, going to gently caress her cheeks, before bringing her in for a rather gentle kiss.

By the look of the garden, and by his love’s face, he would say all that tending was worth it.

Omg!!!! *dying of happiness* thank you!!!! Perfect birthday present!!!!

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fumikomiyasaki · 2 years

Note

💦 with Mel and Tyler, (or Fabio) 🛌 with Pluck and Peko or 🌼 with James and Carol

Find my muse ask

💦- Crying (makes more sense for Fabio)

It was late at night... although Fabio tried to keep his usual kind and cheerfulness... there was something inside him that made him feel uneasy... as he chatted with the usual group of him, Melanie, James and Carol, he tried to come up with an excuse to leave the sleepover and go earlier... Melanie did notice however something was wrong and so she left James and Carol alone and said her goodbye trying to follow him.

She found him hiding in the courtyard, crying his eyes out... in his hand a necklace she never saw with him.

"Fabio... do you-"

Before she could ask anything he walked up to her and lightly pulled her into a hug, trying to calm down from his tears... although she was basically lifted up by him, she tried to comfort him how she can...

"I am so sorry miss Mel... it's probably stupid why I am crying but... although I left my village... letters of my sisters and brothers... they make me happy but also they hurt me..."

"I see... I can understand it... after all it's family. But know you can always come to me and cry yourself out with me."

She held both her hands to his cheeks and wiped his tears away... causing him to lighten Up a little.

"What would I do without you? You always know what to say..."

🛌- Bedridden (Evolnation story spoilers)

Peko was still in the infirmary a bit week from all the things that happened. Macies spell... the attacks Emma caused.... her legs felt weak and she slept a lot to recover... Pluck came in to at least try to cheer her up...

"Plucky... mornin..."

"Peko-Sama... can I do anything for you... I would do anything to make you feel better."

"Your sweet... but I think just some visits make me happy enough..."

Her hand was moving weakly. "Could you hold my hand?"

"H-hold your..."

"I just need some energy back and I feel... the warmth of others could help..."

He took her Hand causing her to smile... it was still moving weak... he wanted to ask why she was much more weaker than Gregory and Emma who recovered much quicker but... Peko didn't want to tell him that it was Macie... she didn't want to give her more trouble...

"I will be fine Plucky... eventually I am back to doing songs in no time."

"I don't care if you do music... I just... want to see you happy again."

This little line made her happy enough to tear up a little.

"You really are sweet..."

🌼- Caring for some plants

A break from tutoring led Carol to be surrounded by the flowers she tended to... what surprised her is she did mention to James that she liked gardening but she didn't expect him to actually show up in the greenhouse of her school. She was just about to water some pickles and listened to music so she didn't even notice him come in and was just humming some songs... as she turned around after he tapped her shoulder... causing her to accidentally hit him with the water stream...

"Ack- Oh no... I am so sorry... "

"It's fine... I should have waited till you are done."

"Lets get behind the shed, this way you can get the water out..."

She led him by her hand and handed him some cloth she usually used for the plants instead... so this way he could at least wipe some of the water off him... he took of his jacket and shirt to wash it away... at least it only hit his upper party but she cursed herself again cause not only did she mess up something again, seeing him like this right now made her thoughts spiral into a not appropriate direction. She is pretty red trying to not look until he dried up and led her the cloth back.

"Thank you..."

"It was my mistake I wish I just was more careful... but when I am lost in the music... It's hard to get me back. Anyways I still am glad you came to visit."

"You did Talk a lot about the flowers you take care of, can I see them?"

"It would make me happy to show them."

And so she walked with him around the green house showing him some of the plants and relaxing a little chatting...

"So you like daffodils the most?"

"Yes... it's a dumb reason... Given I was born in April I saw them the most... and took kind of a liking to them."

"I see... I'll take note of it."

"Hmm?"

He just smiled back at her lightly... what did he mean with that... and again she had to not overthink it which was hard for her and just continue... in the end she was proud to show him around...

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

#twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland ocs #twst #disney twst #twistedwonderland #twistedwonderlandoc #twst ocs #twisted wonderland fanschool #fabio x melanie #fabio vierunar #peko chunya #peko x pluck #carol ann #carol x james

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simp-ly-writes · 4 months

Text

To New Adventures with Old Friends

Can be read as a standalone: What is Left by the Lakeside (pt.4)

Pairing: God!Gale Dekarios x Sorcerer!Reader & Tara

Summary: While Gale awaits your decision to ascend or not, you need space in order to make a clear decision on your future so yet another adventure awaits you with some familiar faces alongside a new one waiting to join the story.

Warnings: mentions of sadness and regret, teasing.

A/N: the story that just keeps on giving, thank you so much to the anonymous reader who gave me the idea for this and the next chapter!

Masterlist | Taglist | edited.

What is Left by the Lakeside Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5) (pt.6) you are here

“I am going to need more than a few moments in deciding these life changing decisions, Gale Dekarios. And I am going to need that space in order to make a clear decision, you will know when I summon you for my answer, not a minute sooner or later- that I can promise,” you tell the God of Ambition, speaking over him while squeezing his hand- trying to convey your sincerity.

Gale looks at you closely, his eyes glowing softly as he takes in your words. The room becomes that bit dimmer as he closes his eyes, taking a breath in and out deeply before he responds, “I understand, my love....” his voice trails off, words becoming stuck in his throat as he drops your hands and stands up.

“...The time I can comprehend, the space I cannot-”

“Then you should have thought of that before leaving me here on this “mortal plane” you speak of,” you retort back before quickly walking yourself out of the room and giving the guard a small smile on your way out. They bow to you- watching you scurry down the hall in search of your belonging with a locating spell.

Gale stands still where you left him in the study. He observes the spot where you sat closely, a part of him still imagining that you are there with him- overjoyed to join him but alas that projection is not the truth as he ushers over the guard with a flick of his wrist once more before returning back to his realm.

You rip the purple gown from yourself, throwing it back in the chest with a cry as you stand there still- looking at yourself in the long mirror that stands beside the wardrobe. Your hands shake as you cup your face, your appearance, as horror strikes over you- of what you almost became. I need to leave, I need to go far away from here soon, you think to yourself before sending a bird before the shadows of the nightfall.

You later join back with Mrs. Dekarios who claims that you make her sound bedridden with such titles, “Morena will do more than fine, for you are family,” she says with a broken smile as you both sit with a plate of dinner. Guilt begins to eat you alive, you feel horrible about leaving her so soon yet your heart can't bear anymore reminders of Gale and this house appears to be full of them.

As you begin to tale all that happened in the study moments ago, Morena places a hand over her mouth, shielding a gasp before grasping your hand in hers tightly, “Please do save me some grace by saying that you will not be accepting such an offer- even if it is for my son, I do not have the heart to let go of yet another child of this family” she strains.

Tara joins in on the sentiment, quipping, “There are greater evils than your own mortality, dear. It is a gift to live and a curse to exist- do not tempt fate into prolonging the inevitable for it will not serve you well.”

You take their words to heart, giving a solid not in return as you sigh heavily. The weight of the world has appeared on your shoulders once more yet this time all you had to save was yourself. Who knew that this would be the hardest of them all, you think to yourself before topping off a glass and picking at the dinner set before you.

Morena picks conversation back up, making commentary on all the new flowers she is growing in the greenhouse as you offer to give her some of the seeds to plants you had found from throughout your travels. She eagerly accepts your offer, asking the details of each species' environment and background as you both happily chat amongst yourselves.

Yawns eventually fall upon your tired bodies as you hug your goodnights, Tara has made herself comfortable on Morena’s duvet cover as you softly close the door behind and enter your own guest space. The room is exactly as you left it besides the set of flowers that sit atop your bedside table. Observing them more closely- you find them to be your favorites but are confused as to how they were obtained. They are still not to bloom for many more months, you question to yourself while giving them a small sniff, smiling and producing a vase from your supplies before settling yourself in for the night.

As birds begin to chirp outside your window, you stretch and pat the spot beside you. Your face falling in recognition of this habit for Gale's presence was no longer with you. Not wanting to sour such a bright morning you hoist yourself out of bed and begin to pack your belongings for the long journey ahead. You needed to make your way to the closest waypoint in order to meet up with some familiar faces.

You have breakfast and the morning paper served to your room as Morena and Tara join you in your bed. You all chat happily with one another as they both pry for who you are travelling with and to what direction you are headed. To the best of your ability, you keep your lips sealed and promise to fly notes back on your adventures. Tara threatens you to uphold that promise as Morena scolds the tressym, she simply rolls her eyes in response before picking up another bite of fish.

Bags packed and your boots fashioned to your feet, the green robe you wear matches the flowers blooming on the trees that you observe through the windows of the foyer. Morena stands from atop the stairs, Tara in her embrace as she waves you off. The door-greeter from earlier stands tall, awaiting your presence with a purple tint to their eyes.

You observe them closely, offering your hand as they hesitantly shake it goodbye yet you grip it tight, pulling them in closer so that your mouth is right beside their ear as you observe the tip of it become pink from your warm breath. Whispering harshly you convey the utmost seriousness in your tone, “I expect to be the only present here when I am gone and for you to be alert for when I return. Is that clear?”

They only nod in reply as you let them go and motion for your luggage to follow you outside the house and down the path once more. The waypoint by the watersedge awaited you as did Halsin, taking what he quoted, “a prolonged vacation” once more from the grove. And along that way you both would be picking up Astarion later in the night.

Your body lurched, still not being used to the waypoints pull on your form as you ended up a mile away from Emerald Grove. Smiling to yourself at all the memories you obtained from this area where your adventure started all those moons ago, you continued your journey to the Grove only to be met by a pair of large arms scooping you up and cheering excitedly in your ear.

“It is good to see you, my old friend!” Halsin cheered as a few other druids called out their celebrations of your presence.

“It is always good to see you as well, Halsin, the grove looks to be in better shape than ever!”

“Yes, much work has been done that deserves an award I think not? Let us continue our adventures together, right where they left off.”

“That is the plan I suppose,” you humble back while patting the tops of children's heads that had run up to you, excited to be in their saviours presence once more.

Halsin looked at this image sweetly, a large smile growing over his face that soon fell when he looked closer into your eyes. He was expecting great news of your return as the letter he received answered yet all he felt now was growing concern.

You mouthed, later, to the bear-druid before the kids grabbed your hands and ushered you to play with them. Using your magic, you conjured up a sheet of ice as you skated with the children. Their laughter and smiles filled your senses with pride as you joined in their joyous expressions.

Halsin watched from afar, the healer deeply concerned by this facade that you held yet he would wait for you to open up. It appears a long conversation is ahead of us, he thought to himself before addressing his successor and packing his belongings for the road ahead.

As the children got called for their meals you and Halsin left the grove silently. The sun still held high in the sky as you ventured up the mountain path and towards the waypoint you agreed to meet Astarion by sunset.

You could see Halsin struggling with himself to keep quiet about asking about your condition, always the healer, you thought to yourself before starting the conversation to ease the increasing wrinkles that framed the man's face.

“Please rest assured I am plenty more than fine-” you begin to say before Halsin holds up a hand, stopping both of your walking and turns to face you.

“I can observe that clearly with the plain eye yet nature speaks to me when I say that you are rotting away about something internally, tell me- where is the root of your worries, dearest friend?”

His gaze holds you accountable as your image breaks, your shoulders slump forwards as his arms pat your back reassuringly.

“You have always been the truest seer I have met, Halsin and an even better friend at that,” you sigh out, “you see- I have fallen for a man that has left this plane and I am left here in his wake. Here with my memories, here with my many emotions that I cannot help but feel conflicted on where to venture forth. I have the option to stick with a fragment of what is left or to be left remembering all that happened and all that could have been. It is torture to be found in the place between decicions, especially when those decisions stem from the heart.”

“You are wise for your journey thus far- you have always been, Y/N. I am happy to be of company, yet there is little I am willing to offer in swaying your opinion. It is of your body, mind and soul to discover the answers you speak of and I am here for as long as you need me to be- so that you can find those answers yourself,” Halsin replies, pulling away to squeeze your shoulder in reassurance before dropping his arm and continuing up the path.

You stand there still, contemplating his words before jogging up to match his strides. The sun has begun to set and you can feel the runes pulsing in the wind, beckoning you towards another friend here for your support.

“My, I was beginning to worry you had forgotten about me like that Gale has done with you!”

“Astarion!” Halsin shouts out, his body stepping in front of you in an effort to shield you from the vampire's words. You whole-heartedly laugh out from behind the druid before trying to shove the man aside as you give Astarion a wave hello.

“There are no hard feelings to be held, Halsin. I can take a joke or two in this state better than most,” you retort before signaling Astarion to come closer as you fling open your bag.

“I have been studying your condition thoroughly and have shed some new light on it so to speak. Please take this, it is only a temporary solution- yet it could save you some skin,” you say as you hand over an enchanted ring. It glows in the beckoning moonlight as Astarion looks at it carefully.

“I do not think it to be my style, but it will have to do for now,” he replies before slipping the ring on one of his fingers with a small smile, “Thank you for the help today and always, Y/N” he replies with heart as you return the smile.

“Are we good to go forward?” you ask the group while readying your bag across your back once more. “We are golden,” Halsin simply replies as your team makes its way southwards in search of a new and dangerous artifact that had mysteriously made its way to market once more as the newspaper clipping in your hand noted.

Travelling through the night, and sleeping through the late morning, your team made great pace towards the village where the artifacts location was last known. Searching the perimeter of the area you all looked high and lows for clues as to its possible whereabouts and asked the locals who replied with utmost terror that you were trying to find the damned thing.

“What good is it asking for help when all they do is look up at you- scared to the high heavens of your presence and scamper back to their homes” Aatarion comments boldly into the crowd that you navigate through.

“Speaking from experience,” Halsin questions lightly, a slight teasing tone in his voice as Astarion tenses and shoulders fall after a quick breath in and out.

“I just think that there is something odd stirring in the air. Heavens I should be the most of their concerns yet it appears that our sorcerer friend here is what drives the information away, why is that?” Astarion turns to question you, a perplexed expression coats his ivory skin.

“That I do not know the answer to among many other things, I think that this is our sign to camp for the day and restart later in the next,” you rally the group to their nods of agreement as you all head out into the woods in search of a clearing for your belongings.

The next night your camp is awoken to the sounds of hurried footsteps rushing around camp. Waking confused you ready a witch-bolt before rushing outside of your tent in your nightwear. A scratch can be heard as the figure cowers before you, jumping behind a rock with their hands outstretched- pleading, “I bring you no harm I swear- you are the great saviors are you not? And I am the legendary bard Alonzo! I have journeyed long and far to meet your crew- to sing others your stories in praise! If you would put down that magic in your palm and allow me to accompany you?”

You look past the shaken bard to see two sets of eyes glowing behind, one red the other yellow as you signal for the boys to come peacefully from behind the treeline. As they join you back at camp you wave out the spell in your hand while offering your other hand to raise the man up. He stands impressively tall before you, a thankful smile coating his feature as he dips down to kiss the back of your hand. You notice as his long red hair shines in the moonlight, his high ruffled collar almost comical in shape and the pointed ears that he bares. His trousers hold minimal stains or blemishes as does his skin that has been painted in a pink hue from your prolonged staring.

You giggle awkwardly in reply and remove your hand from their embrace before motioning everyone to sit on the louds surrounding the firepit as you call fire a spell to light the area. Alonzo claps impressively at your simple magic as he begins to scramble words in his journal. You watch his hurried writing strikes across the muddied pages as a violin sits idly beside him on the log. His shoes appear polished in the moonlight as he clicks the two together while beginning to humm a tune before peering up at you and smiling brightly as their eyes fall over your appearance slowly backtracking to their notetaking once more.

“Do make sure to capture my looks in this tale of yours,” Astarion assures while observing the new ring you gave him. Halsin sits back watching the scene unfold, curious as to the outcome of it all while you can’t help but laugh to the melody of the violin that echoes across the forest and into the night.

╰┈➤ A/N: and another part bites the dust, this is defiantly a longer series than I expected it to be and expect to have more coming its way!

What is Left by the Lakeside Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) (pt.5) (pt.6) you are here

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giannathetopgunfanwrites · 1 year

Text

I posted 1,102 times in 2022

That's 966 more posts than 2021!

118 posts created (11%)

984 posts reblogged (89%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@a-republican-mind

@peaches-in-a-pancake

@animeandcatholicism

@bunjywunjy

@giannathetopgunfanwrites

I tagged 238 of my posts in 2022

#top gun - 22 posts

#top gun maverick - 21 posts

#top gun: maverick - 20 posts

#spy x family - 18 posts

#rooster - 16 posts

#my hero academia - 15 posts

#mha - 15 posts

#personal - 13 posts

#damianya - 13 posts

#bradley bradshaw - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 103 characters

#ive never seen lotr but i have seen the homeschooler memes referring to second breakfast so yeah ill rb

My Top Posts in 2022:

Loid senses a disturbance in the force.

83 notes - Posted July 30, 2022

Imagine you and Neville...

-sitting in the Gryffindor common room, your head in his lap while he reads a book about plants to you

-helping him feed Trevor

-walking in the snow to Hogsmeade, holding hands and trying to keep each other warm

-drinking butterbeer at The 3 Broomsticks and wiping the foam from his lips, him blushing at your action

-cheering him on at his quidditch matches and kissing him after he wins a game (and when he loses one)

-smelling herbs, citrus, and musk* in the amortentia in potions class

-being in the greenhouse with him, listening to him excitedly explain what various plants do, how to care for them

-Neville sitting and listening to you talk about your interests, looking at you with love in his eyes

-him giving you a bouquet of your favorite flowers he grew himself

-visiting his grandmother and having a home-cooked meal with her while telling her about all the adventures you've gone on

-comforting him after the battle of hogwarts, telling him how cool it was he killed the snake

-saying yes to Neville when he proposes <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*A/N: I googled what Neville smelled like a found a fan-made candle that had those fragrance notes so I was like "ok this works"

It's past 1:30am, when inspiration strikes you take it and run with it.

I'll probably have that long-awaited mcdonald's fic coming out next month. Thank y'all for being patient even tho I haven't uploaded a fic in 1.5 months. Requests will be back open soon!

No thoughts lately, just Neville.

please don't steal my work. remember you are loved and to drink water! <3

likes/reblogs appreciated but not required!

151 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

Happy birthday Captain!!

178 notes - Posted May 20, 2022

*slams fist on table*

IF MIKASA IS PRETTIER WHEN IT'S IN EREN'S POV

AND ANYA LOOKS PRETTIER IN DAMIAN'S POV

DONT TELL ME THAT EREN AND DAMIAN DONT LOVE THOSE GIRLS

223 notes - Posted May 19, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Mine Forever?

Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir x F!Reader

Word Count: HELP MY STUPID SELF JUST REALIZED I NEVER PUT THE WC AND ITS BEEN 6.5 MONTHS

Started: November 2021

Finished: 5-13-22

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Request description: Where Adrien Agreste has a fiancée and they were engaged since they were kids, Y/n is the one who is cold and distant towards him but secretly cares for him. She just doesn’t know how to express her emotions. Everyone doesn’t know that Adrien was already engaged to someone else, by the time the reader accidentally discovered that Chat Noir was Adrien, they both started trusting one another. They always got each other’s backs, Y/n would help Adrien to sneak off just to save Paris. Whenever Adrien was badly hurt, from the fight, Y/n is ready to help him. They care for one another; she would always comfort him when he feels down when he has a tiring day. That’s why Y/n is the hardest to akumatize, even Gabriel tries to, but she trusts Adrien the most.

Edit: This just hit 400 notes today, 10/27/22. I posted this back in May. Honestly I'm shocked. (Dont stop liking it, it just baffles me because it's my hated child😭.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Genre: Fluff, Fanfiction

Warnings: Arranged marriage(?), lil' bit of angst, brief mentions of blood/wounds, cursing(a bit)

A/N: I am SO SO SO SO SO sorry this took so long! Life just was one big punch in the gut after the other after this request came in, not including school. Also forgive me if this turns out to be garbage, I'm trying.😭

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 years old

Your mother was taking you to the Agreste mansion today. For what, you didn’t know. However, it would change your life.

Born of a rich Paris family, it wasn’t uncommon for children to have an arranged marriage for when they got older. Your mother and Emilie Agreste have been friends since high school, and your father and Gabriel are business partners, thus at this meeting, they decided you would marry their son, Adrien, when you came of age.

9 years old

Growing up with Adrien was fun but also hard at times. He would spend a lot of time with that Chloe Bourgeois girl, and while you wanted to be like her, it was hard as you had a hard time expressing emotions. Mostly due to the fact that your parents were always busy with their work so you spent most of your time alone in the house or with Adrien. Adrien came home from the Bourgeois residence one day, you were with your mother while she was having a business meeting with Gabriel, so she sent you upstairs with him. He talked about how much fun he had with Chloe and you wanted to say how you wanted to spend more time with him, but, due to lack of emotional expression, you kept silent and gave him a sad smile. But it was worth it to see that look of joy on his face.

14 years old

Today was your first day of high school, and your mother had dropped you off at the Agreste home that morning so you and Adrien could go to school together while she went to work.

“Hello Nathalie,” you said as you entered the house. “Good morning, Miss Y/N, Adrien is in his room.” “Thank you, Nathalie,” you said as you walked past her. You knocked on Adrien’s door, and he opened it a few seconds later, slightly disheveled. You had an amused look on your face and asked, “Did I wake you up?” He responded with a mumble which you took to be a yes. “Adrien it’s 7:30.” (A/N: pretend they start school at 8am like in America lol) He opened his eyes wider, as coming to terms with your statement. “Crap.” He muttered, and quickly let you inside while going to get dressed in the bathroom. You sat at his computer, staring at the image of him and his mother, smiling fondly. You missed her, she was always so kind and inviting. When she disappeared, you comforted Adrien the best you could. Gabriel got stricter on him, making you want to smack him. Little did either of you know what would happen later that day, when Adrien got his miraculous.

15 years old (1/2)

It was Friday evening, you were sitting in his room waiting for him to get home from his Chinese lesson* when an akuma struck the city. You figured Adrien was safe since he had his bodyguard with him wherever his lesson was held. (*Pretend his Chinese lesson takes place outside of the house) After 10 minutes, the akuma was defeated. You had to use the restroom, and when you came back, there was Chat Noir standing in Adrien’s room. But he didn’t see you, and detransformed. Adrien had scratches on his face and a bruise on his arm. He turns around and sees you staring at him in disbelief. “Um- hey Y/N-“ he says awkwardly. "Adrien…how- whatever that doesn’t matter, what matters is you’re injured.” “How did you get this bruise?” “I tripped on the stairs running to transform, but the scratches came from the akuma.” "Okay let's get you patched up."

Needless to say, it was very awkward between you two that afternoon, but you swore you would always protect Adrien’s secret.

15 years old (2/2)

Hawkmoth attempted to akumatize you twice while you and Adrien were 15. Here's what happened:

1st time- Gabriel threatened to remove Adrien from school. You stood up to him but he basically kicked you out of the house so you couldn't see Adrien at home until you straightened up. Of course he was planning to akumatize you. It failed because Adrien called you asking where you were, he wanted to talk to you about a project.

2nd time- You saw Adrien and Marinette laughing and talking together. However illogical, due to the fact that you were secretly engaged to Adrien, you were worried he would fall for her and try to get his father to call off the marriage. You walk into class one day, seeing Mari and Adrien talking and then when they notice you, they immediately go quiet. You run out of the room crying, and slump against the wall somewhere. Adrien went after you, but while he was looking for you, Hawkmoth's akuma landed on your necklace Adrien made for you when you were 6. Upon seeing Adrien running toward you, you renounce the akuma. Adrien pulls you into a tight hug, and confesses that he loves you.

And that he was asking Mari for advice on planning a surprise party for you for your 16th birthday.

17 years old

See the full post

611 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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abluescarfonwaston · 3 years

Text

“I’m looking for-”

The guard cut him off. Pointing into the grounds. “He’s usually in the gardens this time of day. Take a left at the circle. It’s on the right.”

He blinked at the guard. Took a hesitant step forward.

No one stopped him.

Why did Oxenfurt even have guards if they just let strange men in? He definitely qualified as strange. He was a fucking witcher after all.

No wonder Jaskier was so strange if this was where he was educated.

The gardens were beautiful. They smelled wonderful.

He wandered through it. There was little point trying to sniff Jaskier out. He’d undoubtedly switched perfumes since last they’d met.

His ears ticked up. Jaskier was humming.

He turned down the path. Stopped. Looked around.

The only person was kneeling in the dirt wearing an absurdly large brimmed hat. Gardening.

He looked around again.

Nope. The humming was definitely coming from the person gardening.

He opened his mouth to call out-

Someone squeeked behind him. He turned.

A woman - girl really - with her hair up in another comically large hat and a trowel covering her mouth was staring at him.

That at least was normal.

She waved him over. Eyes flicking between him and the man that could not be Jaskier. She motioned for him to be silent leading him behind the elderberry bushes.

“Sorry Master Witcher, do you need something? I can get it for you- just - just don’t bother Professor Pancratz please? We only just started on the Skellige plants an hour ago and he gets so distracted-”

“I understand.” He nodded seriously at her. She deflated with a sigh of relief. “I’m looking for Jaskier? The bard?” It seemed silly to add that. Everyone knew Jaskier these days but it might speed the conversation along.

She squinted at him. “Yes. I- I did gather that. Did you need something for a potion? He says were not allowed to charge Witchers for potion ingredients because no one pays witchers fairly for their services but it does cost money to maintain the gardens so if you wouldn’t take too much then-”

“I don’t need ingredients.” Although now that he looked he could see that the majority of the plants were ones used in potions. Witcher and human alike. He reached out, touching the leaf of one. “Myrtle pepper? This doesn’t grow in Oxenfurt.” It didn’t grow in the northern realms even.

“Oh yes! He brought that one back a few years ago. Apparently the whole department bet that it would die but he got it to grow. He’s a genius.”

“Hm.” He stood up. “Jaskier?” He questioned. Trying to steer her back to the point.

“I’ll let him know you stopped by?”

He frowned. He didn’t want to stand here all day waiting. “Tell him I’m at the Barrel and Brug.”

She mock saluted. “Will do!”

When Jaskier entered hours later he smelled of flowers and soil.

“Thought you didn’t like flora.”

“Ugh.” He collapsed next to him at the bar. Stealing his drink. “You do one professor a favor and next thing you know you’re the leading thinker in plant science! I’m a bard! What is wrong with this world!”

“Hm.” He smirked amusedly taking his drink back.

“Jakob asked me to bring him a few seeds back for him because he was too old to get them and then bam! Next thing I know everyone's asking me the ideal soil conditions to maximize the Beggertick blossoms! I am a poet Geralt! This is absurd!”

“Given you’ve mistaken Vetch for Lupins I have to agree.”

He snorted. Resting his head against the sticky bar top. “I refuse to learn any of their names. If I don’t keep misnaming them they’ll make me publish a paper. An Academic paper mind you. No verse allowed. They’re Horrendous to read and worse to write. I refuse. I won’t do it. I won’t!”

The barkeep dropped off another drink that he’d motioned for. He slid it to Jaskier consolingly.

“Oh no. You might write something useful for once.”

His head snapped up. “How dare you! My music is incredibly useful!”

“At getting folks drunk.”

Jaskier shoved him hard. He didn’t move.

He let Jaskier sputter and curse at him for a bit longer before interrupting him.

“Got a contract for a Griffin.”

He closed him mouth. The tirade abandoned. “In Oxenfurt?”

He nodded. Near enough.

He sipped the beer. Propping himself up on the table. Swirled it. “How long do you think that’ll take?”

He cocked his head at the hesitation in his voice. “Few days maybe.”

“Oh.” He sighed. Relieved. “Then we can head south?”

“What, worried we’d leave tomorrow?” Jaskier grumbled noncommittally into his drink. He blinked. “You are.” Surprised.

“I just need a few days to make sure the plants settle in alright, that’s all!”

“The ones from Skellige?”

He nodded sheepishly.

“Your assistant.” He started. “The plants are.” He tried instead. He fought with the idea and words in his mouth. “You don’t charge Witchers?” He finally settled on.

Jaskier’s lips drew into a thin line. “No. Told them not to.”

“Bad business.”

“School’s not a business. And its not like you use that much anyway.”

“Treading on Nenneke’s territory there.” Oxenfurt’s garden didn’t compare to Nenneke’s. Not with her greenhouse full of plants long extinct. But it was impressive.

“Ugh don’t tell Nenneke about this- Swear it to me Geralt. If she decides I’m decent company then next time you end up there we’ll both be trapped! She’ll never let us leave Geralt!”

“She would never count you as decent company Jaskier.” He assured.

He smiled ruefully. Toasted to that and drained his tankard.

“Why those plants?”

“Hm?” He questioned, trying to catch the bartenders attention.

“Why’d you choose those plants?”

The garden full of Witcher plants. From all across the continent. Elderberry, Beggertick, myrtle pepper. The fountain full of blood moss.

“Why not roses?” Jaskier loved roses. He’d once proposed he’d grow them if the world had no more need of poetry and song. Which it never would. Not that Jaskier could give it up even if it did.

Jaskier’s eyes stayed trained on the shelf of alcohol behind the bar.

“They’re useful aren’t they? More useful than roses.” The bard playing tonight started a jig. His attention shifted to the folks gathering on the floor to dance. “I’ll grow roses when you retire.”

“You mean when you retire?” He called out after Jaskier as he leapt into the procession of dancers. No answer coming beyond the stomping of feet and laughter.

Witchers don’t retire. You know that Jaskier.

Roses symbolize love. Jaskier educated him, stealing a few from a garden for his then paramour. Pure love in its many forms. He’d said, smacking him with a blossom.

No. He thought watching Jaskier flit and spin through the song. They don’t.

Love was a garden of myrtle peppers, elderberries and bloodmoss.

#Geraskier #Geralt x Jaskier #Jaskier stumbles into becoming a botany major #geralt #jaskier #idk man there's just something so soft about Jaskier taking up gardening to me #and the guard didn't turn Geralt away cause at this point they expect Witchers to come and take plants for their potions #JASKIER HELPING WITCHERS IN MORE WAYS #don't think about them growing old and retiring to corvo blanco and Jaskier finally gets to start growing roses #don't think about the garden of witcher plants he still keeps in a seculded section of the vineyard for Ciri and Lambert and Eskel #and all the other witchers he's quietly befriended over the years #don't think about all the students he's taught to love and respect witchers #Or the healers he's provided rare plants to for medicine going -oh you're Jaskier's friend #writing

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golden-barnes · 3 years

Text

Plum tarts and red carnations

Pairing: Florist! Bucky Barnes x F! Reader

Summary: Bucky is enamored with one of the employees of the bakery in front of his store.

Category: Fluff

Warning:s some self-doubting thoughts and cursing .

Word count: 2.5k

Author’s note: I have been thinking about this since that one anon and thank you @buckycuddlebuddy because you helped to inspire me further with this. Also think of Bucky as Beefy because I'm a softy for a gentle giant. Comment and reblog pls and thank you!

“Damn Jerry. You’ve been growing nicely. A little bit more, and you will be ready to find a new home, bud.” Bucky whispered to the little sprout he was watering. Bucky loved his morning routine.

Before opening up his shop, he would check on his nursery. Water the plants in his greenhouse, checking them to see how they have grown. He liked talking to them; they never judged him or ignored him. He even named them. Sam would help, too, though he treated it more as a joke.

After checking on the nursery, he would focus on making bouquets and arrangements for the store. Nobody knew he was the one who made those beautiful arrangements, and he liked it.

It was like therapy for him. Matching the flowers and creating bouquets with meaning was a talent Bucky didn’t know he had. By this point, the shop was opened and ready for business.

While preparing a rose bouquet, he saw a woman in an apron running out of the new coffee shop from the table next to the cash register. Oh shit, she’s pretty. He thought. He kept staring at her and forgot the fresh roses next to him, grabbed one carelessly.

“Fuck.” He accidentally pricked his finger with a thorn. He applied pressure to his wounded finger.

“Oh, are you okay, sir?” The pretty woman from the bakery asked. Bucky didn’t notice her entering the shop, and now she was here. Looking disheveled but incredibly beautiful.

“Yeah, happens all the time. What can I help you with?” He said, trying to sound as composed as possible. He could hear Sam’s voice in his head. “Play it cool, Buck.”The woman let out a sigh.

“I’m co-owner of the coffee shop, and it’s our opening day. I was encharged of the decorations, and I ordered some flowers from this other place, but when they got here, they were horrible. Like really bad. And oh god, I’m rambling, but I need a brand new arrangement.” She said all in one breath. Bucky had to fight a smile from appearing. Adorable.

“It’s okay. What colors did you want?” Bucky asked. The woman smiled at him.

“We wanted white and purples. Something simple. But honestly, I know nothing of flowers. I don’t understand why Wanda put me up with this? Now we are late, and I still have to finish decorating the cupcakes.” She explained while Bucky started to search for the flowers in his shop.

“Lilacs, with white peonies and lavender roses, would make a nice bouquet. How does that sound?” Bucky showed her the flowers he was referring to. The woman gasped.

“Oh, they are so pretty! You, sir, are a genius.” She gushed, still looking at the flowers. Bucky felt his cheeks getting red from receiving praise.

“I can bring it to you,” Buckywhispered, afraid that she might not like that idea. “You know, because you still have some stuff to finish, so you can do it, and I’ll bring it to you in less than 10 minutes.” She looked at him and went to hug him. Bucky tensed, not expecting the hug, but soon relaxed.

“You are literally my hero. Just ask for Y/N,” She said, walking towards the exit. “Wait, what’s your name?” She added, opening the door to leave.

“Bucky.” Y/N smiled at him. “See you later, Bucky.”

Bucky has never worked on an arrangement as hard as this one. He was already meticulous, but he really wanted to impress Y/N. Can you blame him? The pretty girl needed his help, and he wanted her to be happy. He even added some baby’s breath and this new white ribbon that had come in for weddings. He was very proud of it but also very nervous.

With a deep breath, Bucky entered the coffee shop. A brunette was at the door, cleaning the tables.

“Sorry, Sir. We are still aren’t open.” She said. Bucky gulped.

“Uhm. I’m looking for Y/N.” He told her; she looked at the flowers in his hands and understood. She yelled for Y/N, who came out of the kitchen with icing on her check, giving him the brightest smile.

“Hey, Bucky! That’s beautiful! How did you make such a pretty arrangement in less than 20 minutes?” She grabbed the vase out of his hands and set it on the counter. Bucky blushed and scratched his neck, shying away.

“It’s nothing.. I’m just happy you liked it.”

“How much do I owe you?” She asked. Bucky put his hands up.

“Oh, it’s on the house. Don’t worry. Call it a welcome gift.” He explained; Y/N jumped and gave him another hug. This time Bucky wrapped his arms around her.

“You are the nicest person on this fucking planet. I have to make it up to you. What’s your favorite fruit?” She pulled away from him and looked at Bucky in the eye. Bucky felt his breath hitch, and his palms get sweaty.

“I-I like plums.” He stuttered. She gave him a big smile and handed him a cookie.

“Hmm, I can make something with that.” She winked at him.

“I still haven’t named you, but honestly, I don’t know. You look like a Janelle, but also, I feel like that doesn’t fit.” Bucky said to the new cactus that arrived yesterday, in the afternoon.

“I think she looks like a Lucille.” Bucky turned around and saw Y/N with a box in hand.

“Oh, hi.” He felt embarrassed. She had heard him talk to his plants. Not even Steve had seen that. It was his private thing.

“She’s cute. What type of cactus is it?” She looked at it, not looking weirded out or anything.

“It’s called a Bishop’s cap. They grow to be very pretty and sprout a yellow flower. Not very popular in the shop, but there’s this new cactus crazy going on, and I thought to stock up.” Bucky explained, putting the cactus down next to the others.

“Do you name all your plants?” Bucky gulped and turned around to face her.

“Yeah, and talk to them too.” Bucky fought the urge to punch himself. Why would he say that? Fuck, now she is gonna think he is a fucking weirdo.

Much to his surprise, she smiled at him. She suddenly remembered the box she brought and opened it.

“For saving me yesterday, I made you a plum tart.” She opened it and pulled out the tart. Bucky felt his heart beating faster, and his hands get clammy.

“You didn’t have to.” “Ah! I beg to differ. Everyone that walked into our shop loved the flowers. They were really something. Like I couldn’t stop looking at them. So I had to show you my gratitude the only way I know how. With treats.”

“I couldn’t possibly eat that all alone. Want to share?” Bucky asked, giving her puppy eyes so she wouldn’t say no.

“You drive a hard bargain, Bucky. Has anyone ever told you can get away with murder with those eyes?” Y/N joked.

“I think my grandma’ probably said it. I have some silverware in the shop’s kitchen. When you have to be at your shop?” Bucky said, signaling her to follow him.

“I’m on break—perks of being the boss.” She explained while Bucky grabbed a few paper plates, forks, and a knife. She grabbed the knife and cut a big piece, and gave it to Bucky. Then she cut a piece for herself.

Bucky took a bite and accidentally let out a moan.

“I take it; you like it.” She winked at Bucky. He diverted his gaze from her. Why the fuck did I do that? Bucky screamed internally.

“It’s delicious. I can see why your shop has been packed since yesterday. Reminds me of my ma’s.” Bucky admitted.

“I’m glad, but I can’t take all the credit. You should see the coffee mixes Wanda came up with. They are the real star.” Bucky smiled at her. Nice and pretty… She let out a cough.

“How did you get really good with plants? Like sorry for the personal question, but you have a talent.” She inquired.

“Well, uhm. After getting discharged, my friend Sam suggested that I take classes to handle stress and PTSD. One of the classes was gardening, and I just found it so calming. So I started taking more courses and learning ‘till I decided to start my own business. I don’t think I could ever work anywhere else.” Bucky noticed her staring at him. “What?” He said, smiling awkwardly at her.

“Nothing. Just thinking about how you are the nicest man I’ve ever meet.” She said nonchalantly. Bucky chuckled.

“It’s nothing major. I just found my calling.” Bucky stated.

“I feel the same. I baked a lot in college, and then suddenly I was like fuck, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” She recalled. Her eyes glowed under the light of the kitchen.

“I felt the same way when I started this shop.” Bucky admitted, she bit back a smile.

“By the way, I like the name—Howling’s flowers. Oh, and how pretty this store is, it looks like I walked in a magical forest.” She complimented.

“I- thanks. I named my store after my squad and the decor well; that’s kind of an embarrassing story.” Bucky chuckled nervously. She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please. I own a coffee shop named Magic café, and all of our items are named after magical things. I am the last person to judge.” Bucky bit his lip nervously while listening to her.

“I based it on The Hobbit. It was my favorite book when I was younger, and I just couldn’t imagine decoring this store anyway else.” Y/N looked at him with an open mouth.

“Okay, are you government android? Because you are friendly, great with plants and well-read. You are too good to be true.” She laughed. Bucky needs to find a way to blush less in her presence because this is like the fourth or fifth time it has happened.

They finished eating their pieces of tart and talking for a while. Y/N decided to go back to the shop, not realizing how much time she spent there. Before leaving, Bucky gave her some more lavender roses.

“Oh, Bucky, you don’t have to.” She protested.

“It’s just to add to the arrangement. I feel like it was missing a few more roses. You’ll be doing me a favor.” He assured. She grabbed the flowers and smelt them before smiling and giving him a small thanks.

Little did she know that lavender Roses mean love at first sight.

They played that little game for weeks, almost 2 months. Y/N would take her lunch break at Bucky’s shop. Feed him some food and pastries that she was experimenting with, and he would give her flowers.

“To put on the counter. Your store deserves fresh flowers every day.” Bucky claimed. But in actuality, all the flowers meant something. The white camellias? He was telling her that he admired her. The amaryllis? That he found you beautiful. The white and purple stocks? A silent plea for bonds of affection from your part. But he couldn’t bring himself to say these things out loud.

Speaking to Y/N in flowers was much easier. Maybe because she didn’t know and couldn’t reject him.

“Bucky, you gotta tell her, man.” Steve would try to reason with him. “She likes you; you like her. Just tell her that you like her or ask her out on a date.”

“You don’t get it, Steve.” Bucky would argue, which led to an entire discussion on how Bucky is being a coward that ended with him telling Steve and Sam to fuck off.

But they were right; it was simple. She has been an absolute doll with him. She doesn’t mind hearing his rants about the new book he read and helped him water his plants. She even bought waterproof labels to put their names on their planters. She even asked (more like demanded) Bucky to send her the pictures of every bouquet and arrangement he made. She loved seen his creations.

And he loved being her test subject. She would bring him new pastries to try. He was her official taste tester. Anything new in the store, Bucky had already tried it in every one of its variations. Y/N would speak to him of all of her special interests and all of her new hobbies. He had even met all her friends, and they loved him.

So why was this so difficult? Bucky groaned while arranging the flowers at the front of the shop.

“What’s got you all groaning and gloomy, Bucky-bear?” Y/N asked him. She looked radiant in her work clothes. Ugh, Bucky had it bad.

“Nothing, j-just thinking.” He nervously replied.

“Don’t overthink. You might over-heat your brain, bubs.” She joked, entering Bucky’s shop. And like the hopeless romantic he is, he followed.

“Soooooooo I have been trying out this new pasta recipe, and you are the only one I trust to give me the truth.” She said, opening the Tupperware she brought. Bucky’s heart fluttered at her words. He felt light-headed; maybe that’s why he couldn’t stop himself from opening his mouth.

“I like you.” He blurted out. He slapped his hand over his mouth. Y/N turned to him, widen eyes, and mouth gaped.

“Bucky, do you mean that? Because if you are playing with me, I will fight you with this.” She warned Bucky, threatening with a spoon.

“I like you a lot. Actually love you. I- that’s what those flowers meant.” Bucky explained. Y/N put down the spoon.

“What flowers?” She asked, in the softest tone he has ever heard her speak in. Bucky turned his gaze to the floor, embarrassed that this was his confession.

“All of them. They all meant love in one form or the other.” He admitted. Y/N stood in front of him and put her hand on his cheek. He felt his heart do backflips.

“What flower means I’m in love with you, Bucky?” She asked, caressing his cheek.

“Maybe red carnations.” He joked, leaning into her touch.

“I’ll ask this handsome florist with a heart of gold to make me a bouquet to give you.” Bucky chuckled while she let out a little giggle.

“I would love a bouquet, but I would much rather have a plum tart from the sexy baker on the store out front.” Y/N hummed.

“I think I can make that happen.” She said, pulling him closer. “Can I kiss you, Bucky?” She asked; Bucky could only nod.

She grabbed his face and pressed her lips against his. Bucky wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer, molding her body against him. Their lips gliding over each other smoothly, as if they were made for each other.

They pulled away to take a breath, and they both had the same dopey smile. Tarts and carnations. Who knew they mixed so well?

#bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you

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carewyncromwell · 2 years

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“I am still a sovereign prince of Egypt: A son of the proud history that's shown, Etched here on the wall! Surely this is all I ever wanted... All I ever wanted... All I ever...”

~“All I Ever Wanted” from The Prince of Egypt (musical)

x~x~x~x

Hi, all! Here is my post centered on how the events of the Mirror of Erised TLSQ went down in Carewyn’s canon! Get ready for some platonic bonding between Carewyn and Tulip, Talbott, and Barnaby! 💚

One key difference between the TLSQ’s plotline and how everything unfolds in Carewyn’s canon is that the focus is much more narrowly concentrated, with us only focusing on Tulip and Talbott, and to a lesser extent Barnaby. (Because I’m sorry, Jam City, but I’m kind of exhausted of Penny and Merula being in absolutely everything, and I don’t think this sidequest really developed Ismelda in any particularly interesting or sympathetic way.)

When the Mirror of Erised first went missing, Carewyn caught wind that Tulip wanted to find it right away. The Slytherin Cursebreaker tried to gently discourage her friend from going after it since it would get her into unnecessary trouble, but honestly had no real interest in tracking it down herself. As far as she was concerned, Dumbledore could go scouring around for the Mirror -- Carewyn’s focus was on the Cursed Vaults, and she was not about to be distracted for something that didn’t even seem to be a pressing danger to anybody. So when Carewyn ended up coming across Professor Sprout in the greenhouses with the Mirror, she expressed some sympathy when Sprout explained that she’d borrowed it so as to make it easier to let go of her beloved Puffapod plant, but didn’t think anything more of it after Sprout decided it was more than time to return it to Dumbledore.

That is...until Dumbledore asked Carewyn if she told anyone that Sprout had the Mirror of Erised in her possession -- for it seemed it once again had gone missing.

Carewyn lied to Dumbledore that she didn’t know, but immediately after the meeting, she followed up with Tulip.

As Carewyn had suspected, Tulip was the one who “relocated” the Mirror, thinking to look in it herself and then withhold it just long enough to cause a bit of extra trouble for the staff. When she did look into the Mirror, though, she was so thoroughly disappointed and upset that she didn’t even want to be in the same space as it. After she’d cleared her head and returned to the Artifact Room, she found it gone once again. Yes, indeed, it turned out that after Sprout��“borrowed” it without permission, the Mirror was stolen not once but twice during this whole ordeal.

Tulip, for her part, wasn’t too upset about the Mirror being gone again, though. She quite frankly wanted nothing more to do with it, after what she’d seen.

As much as Tulip acted angry, though, Carewyn could tell there was more to it than that.

“Tulip, the Mirror of Erised doesn’t show the future. You don’t have to work for the Ministry if you don’t want to...”

Tulip shook her head, looking more agitated than ever. “But that’s just it, Carewyn Cromwell! The Mirror is supposed to show you your deepest desire!”

Without any hesitation, Carewyn brought a hand onto Tulip’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“I don’t really understand why you saw what you saw...but you shouldn’t do anything just because some magical object tells you to do it. Maybe it’s a good thing, if your reflection makes you think more about what you want out of life. You didn’t just see yourself at the Ministry -- you saw yourself looking older and happy. Even if you do end up joining the Ministry someday...well, what’s so bad about that? Tonks wants to work at the Ministry after graduating, right? But she still loves pranks, just as much as you do. She’s still fun, and reckless, and mischievous, just like you.”

Carewyn gave Tulip her bravest smile.

“You’re a Ravenclaw, Tulip,” she said encouragingly. “There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to think, once and a while.”

Tulip was grateful for Carewyn’s support, but she still looked a bit unsure as she left the Artifact Room. Carewyn, however, knew that she’d almost have to track down the Mirror now, if someone had managed to steal it from Tulip. After all, if Dumbledore caught wind that Tulip had taken it from Sprout, then she was bound to get in a lot of trouble.

Fortunately it didn’t take long for Carewyn to put together who might have it when she noticed that Talbott wasn’t in any of their classes that day...and sure enough, it was ultimately up in the Owlery that Carewyn found her friend, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the Mirror of Erised. He’d been sitting there so long that he hadn’t even realized how many hours had passed -- instead, all he could do was gaze into the glass, his face consumed with a bizarrely wistful, longing happiness.

When Carewyn came to find Talbott, he broke out of the trance slightly, apologizing for having caused any concern. But even with this, he had a lot of trouble breaking his gaze away from the Mirror, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. Carewyn had learned about Talbott’s past earlier that year, about how he’d witnessed his parents’ deaths at the hands of the Death Eaters as a young boy and had only just barely made it out alive himself. After experiencing that kind of trauma, it was pretty obvious what someone in Talbott’s shoes would see in the Mirror of Erised.

Carewyn gently reminded Talbott that he couldn’t keep the Mirror forever, and Talbott vocally acknowledged this...but he still wanted to stay with it just a little longer. And so Carewyn settled herself down on the floor next to Talbott and said firmly that she would stay with him until he was ready to give it back. The gesture was just enough to ground Talbott enough that he was a bit more aware of his surroundings and the reality of the situation than he was before, even as time once again started to blur. Therefore his expression was a lot less dreamily happy and far more pensive when he spoke again.

“I’d started to forget,” he confessed. “Just little things. My dad’s way of holding his quill in his fist, when he was focused...the way my mum’s eyes used to crinkle up, when she laughed...how cluttered my dad’s office always was, compared to Mum’s garden. All things that the Mirror seems to remember effortlessly...”

Talbott gazed into the Mirror almost hungrily, desperately.

“...It’s like the Death Eaters never came, Carewyn,” he mumbled. “They’re here, and we’re older, and we’re happy. I can’t see that anywhere else but here -- I can’t feel like this anywhere else but right here...”

Carewyn took Talbott’s hand and gave it a supportive squeeze, even as Talbott just barely managed to choke back tears.

“I know,” she murmured.

She gazed up into the Mirror silently, her blue eyes running over the frame before she spoke again.

“I wish I could see your parents too,” she said softly. “Your mum must have been beautiful, when she laughed.”

Talbott choked around his sad smile, his eyes still locked on the Mirror. “She is beautiful.”

“Did she look like you?”

“No...everyone used to say I resembled my dad more. But I have her nose, I think. It’s also ‘beak-like.’”

He laughed a bit despite the emotion clutched at his throat. Carewyn leaned her shoulder beside his to show some support.

“What did her laugh sound like?”

“...A shriek, I guess,” Talbott admitted with a self-conscious laugh. “She used to laugh really loudly...loudly and fully, without any abandon. Once I had to attend this wedding of her sister’s when I was six, and I made up a silly little poem on the fly about how uncomfortable the suit was. My mum laughed so hard she was crying...”

It went on like this for a while, Carewyn coaxing Talbott to talk even as they sat in front of the Mirror together, all in an effort to keep him in the present even while helping him through the sorrow of parting with the wonderful, fanciful image of his parents. It went on so long that Talbott’s hunger and exhaustion, which had escaped his notice while he was lost in obsessively staring at the Mirror, finally caught up with him. As the sun started to set, he found himself starting to nod off, his comments becoming softer and farther apart. Finally his head fell down beside Carewyn’s as he drifted off to sleep.

Even once he’d fallen asleep, Carewyn sat on the floor with Talbott a bit longer. Her eyes drifted from her friend to up into the glass and back, but she didn’t speak or move, not wanting to disrupt Talbott.

Not long after the sun set, someone else entered the Owlery. It was Tulip. After noticing that both Carewyn and Talbott were missing, Tulip put together that Talbott probably had the Mirror and, like Carewyn, had thought the Owlery would be a good place to look for him. When she arrived, Carewyn quickly signaled to her to be quiet, so as not to wake Talbott up.

“I’ll wake him up in a minute,” Carewyn said quietly, her eyes trailing along the carved words along the edge of the Mirror. “...He’s just had a rough day.”

Tulip sighed. “He’s not the only one.”

She looked up into the Mirror, her expression faintly uncomfortable, as she settled herself down next to Carewyn.

“I thought about what you said, Carewyn Cromwell,” she admitted, her eyes locked on the glass above her, “about what I see, in the Mirror.”

Carewyn turned to look at her.

“I think you were right about one thing, more than any of it: I don’t just see myself working at the Ministry. I see myself with Tonks. Both of us are older. Both of us are happy and laughing, like we are right now. And I think...”

She swallowed, even if it appeared somewhat painful to do.

“...I think that’s why I see what I see. Even if I’m at the Ministry of Magic...I’m happy, because Tonks and I are still able to work together. We’re still friends...even after so much time passing, even after we’re grown up and it’s not as easy to pull pranks on our teachers and we actually have to worry about stupid grown-up stuff like paying taxes and who gets Employee of the Month...”

Something oddly sad flickered in Tulip’s eyes.

“...I don’t lose her friendship. She still wants to be my friend. Even after everything changes...”

“...That stays the same,” Carewyn finished.

Tulip nodded. There was a palpable silence, before Tulip felt Carewyn take her hand.

The Ravenclaw prankster looked up. Her friend’s almond-shaped blue eyes were also on the Mirror of Erised rather than her, but her expression was very calm.

“After falling out so badly with Merula...I understand why keeping Tonks in your life would mean so much to you.”

Carewyn’s eyes softened, even without shifting in the least.

“...I hope what you see comes true, Tulip. Not the part about the Ministry, but the part about Tonks. I hope you will be friends forever. I hope you’ll fight for that, no matter how much you or she might change.”

Tulip watched Carewyn for a moment, almost stunned. There was something so strong and full of conviction in her eyes as they gazed up into the Mirror, even despite the soft calm of her expression. It made her wonder for a moment what it was that Carewyn saw up in the Mirror of Erised, as she spoke...

Once that thought germinated, though, Tulip’s lips came together tightly -- for truly, she thought she knew exactly what Carewyn saw. Or rather who.

“...Thank you, Carewyn Cromwell.”

Finally, after a minute or so more of sitting together, Tulip helped magically shrink the Mirror of Erised and Carewyn gently woke Talbott up. The rest seemed to have helped Talbott get his head on straight -- he was ready to return the Mirror to the Headmaster. Fortunately Dumbledore didn’t punish any of them for having “borrowed” the magical artifact -- he seemed to think that they had all learned a valuable lesson from it and so merely sent them to bed forthwith. It was on her way down to the dungeons that Carewyn found Barnaby waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her.

“Carewyn! There you are!”

It seemed that Barnaby and Rowan had been worried when they hadn’t seen Carewyn at dinner. Barnaby had decided to, after taking his, Liz’s and Carewyn’s bat Lune out for his nightly hunt, wait around at the base of the stairs for her, thinking that something must’ve happened if she risked breaking curfew.

“I probably would’ve searched the halls too, but...well, Filch always tends to catch me, when I’m wandering around at night alone,” said Barnaby sheepishly. “Merula used to say it was because I’m too stupid to pay attention to my surroundings...”

“You’re not stupid, Barnaby,” Carewyn said very firmly, feeling another surge of dislike toward her old school rival. “I’m glad you stayed here, though.”

And so Barnaby and Carewyn walked back to the Slytherin commonroom together. Along the way, Carewyn explained why she’d been out so late. When she was finished, Barnaby looked oddly thoughtful.

“What is it?” asked Carewyn.

“Sorry,” Barnaby apologized at once. “I was just wondering what I would’ve seen, if I’d looked in the Mirror of Erised...but honestly, I don’t even know what it would’ve been, or what I’d want most! Which I guess would be the same thing...”

Carewyn gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s probably just as well. Tulip almost had an identity crisis, thanks to that thing. And Talbott had so much trouble letting go of it...I can’t imagine that’s uncommon.”

Barnaby frowned slightly. “Mm, yeah...it must’ve been really hard for all of you.”

Carewyn blinked, and Barnaby struggled to explain.

“Well, if it was hard for Tulip and Talbott, it must’ve been hard for you too, Carewyn,” he said lowly. “Seeing this thing you want so much, even though you don’t know if it’ll ever come true...I reckon it must be like seeing some really yummy dessert behind glass -- just out of reach.”

Barnaby immediately brought a hand up behind his neck awkwardly.

“...That’s a really bad comparison, isn’t it?”

Carewyn, however, looked up at her friend with fondness and indulgence.

“No, it’s not.”

This was all she said about the matter, though, as she stated the Common Room’s password (“Ashwinder”) and the two headed to bed.

Carewyn wasn’t surprised to see Jacob in her dreams once again that night. Just as he had been in the Mirror of Erised, he held her shoulders from behind, smiling and mouthing out words of encouragement and pride that she couldn’t hear. And even though she found her eyes moist with tears when she woke up that morning, Carewyn wiped them away and soldiered through without complaint, all the more determined to make sure that the next time she saw Jacob’s face, it would be accompanied by his voice and by his arms hugging her in that wonderful, suffocatingly fond vice grip he’d always held her in before.

((OOC: And now you see why I had to draw something, rather than just leaving this GIF as is. At least he doesn’t have that awful black lipstick on, since Carewyn isn’t wearing make-up in year 4!! 😆 #GiveJacobCromwellHisCurls))

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #mirror of erised #my art #animation #gifs #carewyn cromwell #jacob cromwell #tulip karasu #talbott winger #albus dumbledore #pomona sprout #barnaby lee #gameplay #my writing

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