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noona96n · 4 months

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Yoh & Segasaki's timeline

According to Episode 7 (around the 00:33 minute mark), Yoh and segasaki have only been living together for four months. And Nikke-sensei's tweet, also clarifies that the proposal was made 3 years ago and that they’ve only been living together since March or April; which explains, in part, their shit communication lmao.

Series timeline: June to July of year zero

Ep 1: June 3rd (Sat)

The sunny weather forecast with Segasaki and Takatsu Reiko around the 12:30 minute mark in the latter part of Episode 1 is for 6月3日 (土). That means the present timeline, as in the drama, starts at the beginning of June; which tracks with the weather in the current episode and the weather in future episodes. Rainy season (梅雨 tsuyu) in Kanto (that includes Tokyo and Yokohama) usually starts in early June and lasts until mid-July, and, by then, typhoons already started ravaging the nation every two days lol

Ep 2: June 8th (Thur)

At the 8:03 minute mark, we find out that Hiyoshi Aika starts her job at EW (AHAHA WHAT A GOOFY ABBREVIATION) on the 8th of June (Hiyoshi Aika starts the broadcast by announcing the date: 六月八日). By June 10th, Yoh full-on became a sad, sulky puppy who’s pouting cutely as he made his sad stir-fry pork dinner (Yoh’s phone screen at the 9:05 minute mark reads ６月10日土曜日).

Around 9:56 minute mark the in-universe weather forecast shows forecasts for the 12th (Mon), 13th (Tue), 14th (Wed), 15th (Thur), 16th (Fri), 17th (Sat), and 18th (Sun) in Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Naha, suggesting that the day that Yoh resorts to making the Teru Teru Bouzu is June 11th. (Teru Teru Bouzu is a small ghost-like white doll people hang around the house in the hope of stopping the rain and bringing about good weather. Yoh’s desperate for some dicking down lol.) So, the day Yoh got frustrated and masturbated for erotic manga inspiration is at least a day after June 11th. Yoh and Segasaki’s clothes changed by then (the most noticeable is Segasaki’s shirt and tie).

Since the tail end of Episode 2 probably takes place on June 12th, at the earliest, we can only assume that Episode 3 and 4 take place over the weekend of the 17th and 18th. Or the next weekend after. I’m tempted to even suggest that both episodes take place on the weekend of 24th (Sat) and 25th (Sun) because of how loud the cicadas were in the background in the 4th episode with Man-san. Cicadas in Japan are no joke, guys, they are so fucking damn loud, RIP ears, you will be missed.

Ep 6: July 24th (Mon)

*** I think canon dates broke down from Episode 5 onward… Around the 14:47 minute mark of Episode 5, Segasaki and Hiyoshi were presenting the weather for the 7th (Thur). There’s no monthly indication but we can assume that it’s in July; July because we were just in June in the first four episodes but also because (the beginning of) July is when the (awful, terrible, no good) heatwave starts taking Japan by storm (it lasts until fucking August and even spills into September this goddamn year, I kid you not; it was horrible). But, in Episode 6, the weather forecast at the end of the episode (around the 21:33 minute mark) was for 24th (Mon). If the 7th was a Thursday, then the 24th should be a Sunday, not a Monday.

That’s why I’m just gonna disregard the 7th (Thur) in Episode 5, though I do think it takes place at the beginning of June or the end of July. Also, if we disregard that and count the days from Episode 1 (Saturday, June 3rd), then Monday, July 24th would make sense in Episode 6. So, let's go with that.

By the end of Episode 6, it’s the 24th of July. I know this is a while from Episode 5 but if we consider Man-san’s My Idol Boyfriend manga, then it makes sense. Yoh was ‘offered a job’ by Man-san pretty much immediately after he got dropped by his editor and by Episode 7, their manga was already in print. It would take them some time to finish their manga; less than a month is a very tight time to write, storyboard, edit, and have it approved but let’s make believe lol

Ep 7: Typhoon No. 5

At the beginning of Episode 7 (around the 00:09 minute mark), Typhoon No. 5 was forecasted to take Tokyo by storm tomorrow. That kinda checks out, to be honest. Typhoon season in Japan could start as early as mid-May and could last until mid-October, depending on how early or late the heat begins and how long it’ll last. So I do think Episode 7 takes place some time after July 24th.

Interesting tidbit: typhoons in Japan aren’t given names but are usually referred to by numbers.

Personal (interesting?) tidbit #1: the first year I came to Japan, the super typhoon Hagibis made landfall in Japan. It was the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in decades and it was one of the strongest and biggest ever recorded. It was hella scary, not gonna lie lol and food was all out, even from the convenience stores. Fortunately, I was living in central Tokyo and wasn’t affected. Still scared though…. And, the crazy thing was, an earthquake struck the coast of Chiba before the typhoon hit so the typhoon’s effect was compounded. Wasn’t a fun experience, 0/10, do not recommend.

Personal (interesting?) tidbit #2: my parents visited me this passing late May to early June, around the time typhoon Mawar wasn’t waging war in the Pacific. It was not a fun experience… we weren’t directly struck by it but the effects were kinda crazy: roads were closed, trains were suspended, rivers were flooded, and shops and restaurants were mostly closed. Felt really bad cause I took my family to Hakone (booked everything ages in advance and couldn’t cancel our reservation RIP) and we were just stranded up there… thankfully the sky cleared by our last day there and we were able to catch a glimpse of Fuji on our Ashi-no-ko’s cruise and on the train back to Tokyo. Still, wasn’t a fun experience, 0/10, do not recommend.

Japan’s a wonderful place to visit though! Just… pick the right time. (I recommend autumn (Oct-Nov) because the weather’s great, the food’s fucking amazing, and the autumn foilage’s pretty rad.)

Ep 8: July 28th

The date after their (mildly) kinky sexy time was July 28th (Fri). The date can be found on Man-san’s phone around the 11:00 minute mark (7月28日、金曜日).

There’s also another time indication later in the episode around the 17:13 minute mark where Yoh and Segasaki last texted on July 26th. Segasaki was telling Yoh about the rain and Yoh’s responses were pretty frosty if I’m being honest. Their texts go like this:

Segasaki: 今日午後から雨降る (It’s gonna rain this evening) Yoh: ありがとう (thanks) Segasaki: 洗濯物取り込んどけよ (bring the laundry in) Yoh: うん (k)

It’s… frosty. Bare minimum from Yoh. Ofc he’s just feeling guilty (about the manga situation and stuff) but, y’know… it feels cold to Segasaki. I honestly feel really bad for the guy lol, especially because, from his perspective, Yoh’s only thinking about leaving and Yoh’s touchy-feely with that editor guy, and Yoh smiles happily and fully at and with that editor guy, and Yoh’s tired from being with him.

Anyway, the series takes place from June to July of year zero and that’s canon. There, I said it.

Yoh moving in: April of year zero

As you can see from my shittily drawn ‘graph’, I place Yoh’s moving in with Segasaki at April. This tracks with the timeline and Nikke-sensei’s clarification as well as in-universe narrative of them only been living together for four months. But, I’m extra so I’m gonna explain why (I found out about sensei’s tweet after figuring out the timeline lol)... and it’s not just backtracking from July.

So, in Japan, the year usually ‘starts’ in April; as in the school year and the fiscal year ends in March and starts in April. This applies to leases as well: contracts are usually for 2 years and will likely end in March. Housing is in very high demand during that time and the prices for each unit are also very expensive because of that. Of course, you can rent a unit any time of the year but the good ones are also mostly available and up for grabs in the March-April period. (Renting a unit in Japan is… an experience lol and not a fun one. My being a foreigner does not help one bit because many landlords do not accept foreign tenants no matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you’re in Japan for.)

Anyways, as Yoh can see, I think that Yoh graduated in year zero… so, that’s a winter graduation some time in February. (People also graduate in summer some time in August but it’s much rarer because most Japanese enter uni in Spring (April). People who graduate in September are either those who extend their uni year or foreign students who enter during the Autumn intake in September because that’s when the English program school year start (in my department, at least… I entered in April and graduated my Master's 3 years later in February but it’s a somewhat special case.)

Anyway!!! Yoh graduates ‘this’ year so, that means his lease will be up too and it makes perfect sense for him to move with Segasaki around late March or early April.

The proposal: mid-Feb — late-March three years ago

I place the proposal at the end of Winter, beginning of Spring in year minus-three. Weather-wise, it’s plausible because we know that the day of the proposal was unusually warm for the time and February is easily one of the coldest months in Japan. And, even though Spring starts in March, warmth doesn’t really come around until later in the month or even April. (It snowed in March, once. In Tokyo. It rarely ever snows in Tokyo but it’s been snowing every other year since I came here.)

I also headcanon that Segasaki graduated (his Master's) that minus-three year while Yoh is only in his second year of bachelor’s. My logic is that because he’s graduating, this could be his last desperate attempt to lock Yoh down and make sure Yoh’s spoken for (Yoh’s just a dumb-dumb who doesn’t recognize a proposal lol). It also makes sense for the proposal to come up at that period if we think about it… Mizuki’s graduating and Yoh could be asking him about his jobs after graduation and whatever else which, in turn, allows Mizuki to start a conversation about Yoh’s plan for the future. It’s also not uncommon for peeps to hang around uni before they start their jobs (for whatever reasons) so it makes sense to me that the proposal was in some time between Mizuki’s graduation in mid-Feb till late-March, when Yoh’s about to start his new school year and Segasaki will have to start his job. (This could be when Yoh finds out Segasaki will be working with EW and starts watching the broadcast religiously.)

Job prospect-wise, it’s pretty solid. Segasaki’s confident that he’d be working in a high-paying job when he proposed to Yoh. If Segasaki’s graduating in year minus-three, then he’d extremely likely to already have a job lined up for him; he’s just gonna immediately enter the workforce right out of uni. This is very common in Japan. University graduates are socially expected and pressured into working immediately after finishing their studies which is why it’s common practice for them to start their job-hunting process during the second to last or last year at uni. It’s generally advised that they start second to last year in uni (B3 if you’re in your bachelor’s and M1 if you’re in your Master's) because the process is long and drawn out and it could be a very long time before a job is offered. It’s also ill-advised to do your job-hunting in your final year because final year can be very hectic for some; some B4 and M2 students need to write their thesis, do graduation projects, finish up their experiments, etc. it’s not fun to add job-hunting into the mix. So, even if the proposal happened right after Segasaki’s graduation, Segasaki would be confident that he’d be able to support both of them just fine.

Why I don’t think Yoh did his job hunting

I honestly don’t think Yoh did his job-hunting because:

As I talked about here, Yoh became anxious about jobs and job-hunting in general in Episode 5 and this could imply that he didn’t go through the process while he was in university. You could do it on your own, but it’s difficult. That’s why many students take advantage of the recruitment offered by universities. Many also make use of other public recruitment services.

Yoh’s the kind of person who does things at his own pace and does what he wants. I.E. 1; Yoh is a slow walker who has always walked slow. Segasaki made a point of commenting about his pace but instead of increasing his speed to match that of his sempai’s, he continued at his own pace and said he’s been told that before, and Segasaki was forced to match his pace. Yoh’s aware of his snail's pace, he was criticized for it but said fuck all and went about walking at his speed anyway. This is very not-Japanese. I.E. #2; He doesn’t really care to socialize. That’s it, that’s the reason. I.E. #3; my guy used 俺 (ore) with the stranger seniors. Peeps aren’t expected to drop 俺 (ore) and go for 僕 (boku) when talking to seniors anymore but they’re strangers… he should be using 僕 (boku). I.E. #4; he made fucking curry rice for a sick person because that’s the only thing he can make. Curry rice. He could’ve googled how to make porridge but nah, curry rice lol. I.E. #5; arguing with his editor that the ‘I love you’ dialogue is necessary in his 20 pages long porn manga. I don’t man, Yoh’s not afraid to do his own shit and he totally seems like the kinda guy who’d fuck around and find out when it comes to his career. Which I think is why Yoh’s secured that he has a patron in Segasaki and decided not to do his job-hunting.

Yoh & Segasaki’s first meeting: May — June four years ago

I think Yoh first ‘met’ Segasaki four years ago; that’s his first year in university, and that would explain why he hasn’t seen Segasaki sooner. I placed their first meeting in May — June mainly because of their outfits. Everyone was wearing a Spring palette when we first saw them at the cafeteria, but they weren’t wearing any thick outer layers so that’s probably very late into Spring and early June. Their clothes also became progressively lighter throughout the flashback and, by the time Segasaki was sick, there were more layers on everyone again, esp. Segasaki, indicating that Autumn could’ve been around the corner. (Though this could just be due to the timing of the filming!)

Also, Segasaki’s friend asked for his notebook, implying that there’s a report/assignment/quiz coming up that he needs to prepare for. So, at least we know it’s definitely not the start of the semester.

On Mizuki’s Master’s level education

I’ll be real… I’m entirely biased when it comes to Segasaki’s educational level. I have a Master's and I’m an old, I want my fav to be an old too haha. (I’m currently doing my PhD, it’s… going somewhere lmao)

Anyway, I didn’t make him have a Master's just because… I think Segasaki has a position of seniority in the workplace despite his young age: he led the discussion and (I presume) implemented the new weather reporting system thing. He was also comfortable with rejecting the welcome dinner (歓迎会 kangeikai) for Hiyoshi… and his co-workers, who are obviously his seniors, just accept it as it is. You don’t just reject invitations to after-work dinners/parties, 飲み会 (nomikai), especially not the kangeikai. It’s a party to welcome new members; rejecting it means you’re not a team player and unwilling to bond with your co-workers to cultivate a harmonious workplace relationship, which is a no-no in Japan (please read up on 和 (wa) if you’re interested in learning why), and definitely a no-no if you’re not high-up in position. (There’s a lot of politics going on in the background that I’m not very familiar with. I understand the most basics; like filling superior’s glasses, ‘hanging out’ with superiors, being frank and up-front and coming away unscathed, power-harassment bosses forcing people to drink, etc.) So, Segasaki must’ve entered the workplace in a relatively high position; which is achievable with a Master's.

Interesting tidbit #1: did you know, you don’t get fired from a workplace in Japan? If the company wanna lay off people, they usually just close the entire department lol crazy, I know, but it’s legit. It’s why people can be employed for life at work.

Interesting tidbit #2: not many Japanese students go for a Master's but when they do, they usually enter right after their Bachelor’s. However, there are certain majors where having a Master’s is advantageous and students are generally encouraged to go for it. I.E. my major, Architecture and Urbanism, and Civil Engineering. These majors typically take 5 years of undergrad for students to qualify as practitioners. In Japan, their Bachelor’s only lasts for 4 years and a 2 years Master’s will put them on the same level as other practitioners from abroad. (I did 5 years of Undergrad in Architecture and Urbanism and another 3 years for my M.Arch degree lol and there are years to go until I get my Doctoral RIP)

wrote this whole thing bcs of this silly lil fic lmao

#taikan yoho #my personal weatherman #yoh tanada #tanada yoh #yoh x segasaki #segasaki x yoh #segasaki mizuki #kohei higuchi #mashiko atsuki #noona96n #mpw meta

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pearlsofthec · 14 days

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To be inspired:

April is like a breath of fresh air after months where it seemed like the gloominess of the days was the norm. My energies were high to the ceiling by the start of the month, and starting off something in such a positive state of mind is always a game changer. Arriving back at Milan from Rome on the 31st felt like a step into the first page of my life. As I checked into a hotel for a night as an improvised way of celebrating easter without my family, I felt renewed - in the spirit of the easter-time, I’d reborn in a way. I guess spring does that to all of us, it inspires a joie de vivre that fades without the blooming of flowers and chirping of birds.

The inspiration of the month, overall, is that one scene from the first tinkerbell movie (BEAR WITH ME PLEASE), just in the beggining, where it shows her being born from the seed of a dandelion. Being re born from nature, embracing our own astral glow, and letting ourselves reflect the balance of our everyday lives. Basic clothing that looks elevated just because you’re wearing it, salutes to the sun, flower pressing and stacks of delicate jewelry are all within the spirit of spring. This season is all about capturing the bliss of mundane experiences and allowing it to multiply inside the ecochamber of positivity that is YOU!

Wear butter yellow and baby pink.

My current it girls:

Amanda seyfried

Phoebe Tonkin

Isabel Lucas

Curating your vibe is way more fun in spring, when your outfits don’t have to be overpowered by layers upon layers upon layers of clothing. Many people say that it’s in the colder seasons when they get to express their style the best, hut I’m the complete opposite: i feel the most like myself when I’m feeling light, wearing airy clothing.

Amanda Seyfried and Phoebe Tonkin are the epitomes of what I want my wardrobe to look like. Amanda style is simple but still personal, and to me, personally, she embraces the girl next door energy perfectly, principally in Dear John. The light pink and jeans combo is underrated and capable of making any girl feel like a goddess I believe. Letters to juliet is another movie of hers that encapsulates the ideal spring summer style. Girly but classic, flirty but simple.

Phoebe Tonkin is the same but different. I think of her as the ultimate Realisation par muse, and I feel like it’s because of the effortlessness of her style. She knows the power of the jeans + cute top combo. I love how naturally she wears her outfots, which might seem like a stupid take, but it’s actually just a way to say it’s clear to me how she takes her time when shopping, choosing pieces that truly reflect her personality.

One of my biggest struggles with having a more down to earth style is the fear of looking more like a hobo than a boho princess ahah, and no one walks that thin line better than Phoebe Tonkin, who also adds hints of romantic style in the mix, which i just love. Another master of that art is the one and only Isabel Lucas, who is one of my ultimate style inspirations both for her amazing collection of dresses and the ability to wear them without making it look… forced or cliché. And her graphic shirt collection is just to die for! If you’re like me and like to look like a woodland fairy adapting to modern life both in spring and on the daily basis generally, you should be taking style notes from Isabel. She is an environmentalist and super into holistic living, which, naturally, is a plus.

Movies and media:

Just like heaven

Princess Diaries 2

Confissoes de Adolescente

Brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao

White Oleander

With the lovely weather outside, I sometimes find it difficult to sit down and watch a movie, because everything around tells me to go outside and live life like one instead. When, however, the evening sets and I have no plans to give me an excuse to wear a silk dress and boots around town, I look forward to making my day even longer, but watching movies that feel inherently bright and sunny. Amazing soundtracks, gentle visuals and upbeat stories: you can’t miss it with these romcoms. I don’t know why, but I haven’t been particularly atuned to my cult-ish side recently and haven’t been watching Films, but with me, that desire comes and goes in waves. I have, however, been reading a bit, and a book that I could simply not not recommend are White Oleander and the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Both completely different, but mystical in ways that I cannot describe, and you’ll have to read them to find out.

As for music, there’s only one album you need: soleil by francoise hardy

To wear

Outfit combos and general essentials I’m currently obsessed with are:

Slinky tops with relaxed pants, extra points if you manage to get a pastel colored top, (a pale yellow would be a DREAM) with a light wash pair of jeans.

Floral tunic dresses, think loveshackfancy… basic I knooww, but that’s kind of what we’re going for here. Jade Butterfield from the 2014 adaptation of Endless Love should be your muse these days, so embrace it!

Your favorite assouline notebook you carry around. I mean… my favourite assouline notebook I carry around ahahah. Not only are they visually adorable, as they also are the perfect notebooks, having a heavy-ish paperweight and perfectly spaced lines, i know I sound dramatic but I’m extra picky with my notebooks, what can i do.

Statement pants, jeans specifically. I just NEED an embroidered pair of jeans so bad, i feel like they’d be perfect with a basic white tank.

Just wearing tight shirts and tanks in general. The charm of the whole outfit being the lack of a need to wear a jacket!

Colorful Sets, i just love buying sets so much. They are sooo low effort but high reward! And I love the fact that they are the source of limitless combinations. Just LOVE THEM so much.

#blog #monthly guidelines #april #spring

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filmdesque · 1 month

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GET TO KNOW ME !

alias / name: noah birthday: april 24 zodiac sign: taurus height: 5'7 hobbies: listening to music, writing, playing viola/guitar/piano/ukulele, reading, cooking, playing minecraft/various steam games, doodling favorite color: depends on what i'm doing with the colors, i'd probably say earthy tones but i like myself a nice calming blue current book: headcase: lgbtq writers and artists on mental health and wellness, edited by stephanie shroeder and teresa theophano last song: james arthur - train wreck last film / show: she-ra and the princesses of power (which i finished last night btw and omg the Feels) inspiration: music, nature/the weather, aesthetics, other movies/shows story behind url: so i came across the aesthetic suffix -esque for rp blogs like a couple months or so before making this blog, and i tacked on 'filmd' as a prefix inspired by jonathan's photography aspirations!! fun fact about me: i have two tattoos - a treble clef heart on my left wrist & a httyd design on my upper right arm - and five piercings - two on each ear and on my left nostril. i'm also a massive nerd and can literally spend hours collecting data on a topic i'm interested in. lmfaoooo

tagged by: @chaos--mode tagging: YOU!! seriously pls yeet this from me .....

#「 ♥︎ 」 » OUT OF CHARACTER. ⋮ ━━ ˗ˏˋ NOAH RAMBLES. ˎˊ˗

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fallenasleepyetagain · 1 year

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Stowaway - Dream x Blue

Dreamswap Fanfic

Media: UTMV/UTAU - Dreamswap

Genres: Pirate AU, romance, slow burn? technically?, flirting, ambiguous ending/up for interpretation

Characters: Dream von Licht, Blue Lebeau, Ink (she/her), Finch, Champion, other characters who are vaguely mentioned, & extras

Pairing(s): Blue/Dream

CW/TW: Near death experience, intense storm, mentions of combat, drunkenness, sickness, and other piracy related things.

Other Notes: This fanfic was inspired by a drawing by @foxxism back in (checks watch) April! It took me a bit to complete it but better late then never right lol?

This is THE longest fic I have written and hoo boy did it take forever to finish. Reblogs are welcomed, even if you don’t read it all.

Word Count: 9050

Dream walked across the length of his ship, The Radiance. The Radiance was a large, intimidating ship that he had liberated from a pirate captain. It was a dark, rich brown wood, accented with golden metal and two cherubs at the bow and the stern of the boat. It was huge, he could probably fit at least five more people onto it without feeling cramped. It was difficult to find sailors who were willing to go against both piracy and the navy, but those he did find were absolutely incredible. Dream was an ambitious man, and his eyes were set on a large battalion of ships, all under his order. Fighting for what was right.

All the way from the bow to the stern, he walked, making sure everyone was in order. Finch was at the helm with Dream’s dog, Champion, keeping the crew on course. Ink was up in the crows nest, most likely doing not what she was supposed to be, but Dream couldn’t be too mad at her. He wouldn’t cast her out either, he was not a pirate. He would never abandon a crew member, despite how irascible they could be. Ink didn’t directly work under Dream, however. She was a bounty hunter that simply decided that she wanted to tag along with Dream and his group. Dream didn’t mind, she was incredible at tracking down and stopping those who went against the law. She was nice to have around, even with her apathetic and sarcastic personality.

Today was an odd day. Although, not as unusual when on the sea. Normally, he’d be the one driving the ship and Finch would be down in the berth, doing his best to read the many maps that Dream had collected over the years. Dream had yet to find a cartographer, or someone of the sort, to be on his ship and his map reading skills were…minimal. At best. But he and Finch worked with what they had and it hadn’t steered them wrong yet.

The mental list he had for all the things he had to do before nighttime was long, and it was a miracle that he remembered to do it all. He had already completed a few of the things he had to do, which helped ease his anxiety a tad, since it lessened the load he had on his shoulders. For now, at least. He’d have to do it all again tomorrow, but that was the life of a captain and he accepted full responsibilities for it. He had made sure everything was in working order, sails were catching air, Champion was fed (he usually got the scraps of last night’s dinner for his morning meal), and everyone was where they were supposed to be. He also made sure to take a good look at every member of his crew for signs of sickness. Two people had already been sent to the infirmary on the ship for scurvy and were currently being treated. Dream mentally cursed himself, how could he let that happen?! Scurvy was treatable, and there was a likely chance that the members that got sick would survive, but Dream couldn’t believe he missed it.

Never again. Dream would make sure of it.

He would never allow another member of his crew to get this sick again. Which is why he went around, taking a good look at everyone. He was looking for flushed cheeks, excessive sweating, signs of fatigue, anything that alluded to his crew being under the weather. Much to his relief, no one seemed sick, he couldn’t lose any more sailors. That allowed him to mentally check that box off. The next step was to check the cargo, to make sure he had enough food to make it to the next port without needing to make an emergency pitstop or catch fish. He had the means to do those things, but that took a lot more work, and sometimes they would have to go off course to do so. And without a good navigator, it was counterproductive to Dream’s mission and his goals.

He walked down into the hull of the ship, where everything was stored. It was dark down there, so he stopped at his quarters and grabbed a lamp before walking down. The hull of the ship was dark and cold, it was slightly moist and smelt of salt water. He walked down into the hull, holding the lantern in front of his face, his other hand resting on his sword, in case any animals decided to go on a joyride in the middle of the ocean.

Every crate was carefully examined by him. He made sure that all of the crates holding the gunpowder, cannonballs, and other tools used in weaponry were secure and tightly shut. Bad things would happen if they weren’t. He then checked the spare clothes and miscellaneous fabrics crates, making sure no rats or large infestations of bugs got in them. No point in keeping spare clothes if you had to beat bugs out of them. They were used in case of torn clothes from either working or combat, as well as a last resort to keep wounds closed. It had been opened, but he made sure to tightly shut it. He was certain that Ink was the one who snuck down here in the middle of the night to grab something. The guy was erratic like that. He then went over to where all of the medical supplies were. There wasn’t a lot of it, and that made Dream’s stomach drop.

Dream hoped that there were no pirates or navy on their path, as he wasn’t sure if he could patch everyone up if they lost. Dream shut it tight, making a mental note to buy more at the next stop. They wouldn’t have to make an emergency stop, not at the moment, so they could keep on their current course. He exhaled, feeling his eyelids droop. He shook his head and made another mental note to make himself some coffee. Assuming there was some left, he didn’t want to drink-

As the ship moved, the rum bottles shook in their crates, a reminder of what was drunk most on this ship. Dream exhaled as he walked over to it, swaying with the waves. There were about five crates, full of various sizes of containers with rum inside them. Rum was used for just about everything out here. Drinking, cleaning out wounds, you name it. Dream would never touch the stuff, unless necessary. His crew needed a leader, someone to follow. Not some drunkard captain.

He checked it, made sure it was secure, just as he did with the others. He was hesitant, a small voice in his head telling him to leave it loose. If it got loose then the glasses would break, and there wouldn’t be rum to drink. But he couldn’t do that, he wouldn’t impose his values on his crew. If they wanted to drink rum, then they could do that. The last thing he needed was a mutiny.

One last set of crates then he was done. He did this biweekly, sometimes weekly if there had been more action than usual. Once he finished, he would be able to go back up top and keep the crew on track. Maybe even make himself and Finch a cup of coffee if everything seemed in order. He walked over to their food supply, taking extra care to check the crates containing their food. There was a variety of meat, fresh fruits, a couple of vegetables still left over, some herbs, it was fit for a lord. If a lord were on the sea, that is.

He rummaged through it, he knew Ink sometimes snuck midnight, sometimes midday, snacks. That was against what Dream had said before, but he knew Ink’s situation and, well, Dream couldn’t blame her for snacking. But…someone else must have been down here too. Too much was missing, entire meals worth. Ink would never have eaten that much, not on her own. Dream was certain that Ink wouldn’t share either. His lips pulled back into a snarl, something was on his ship that he did not allow. He made sure to thoroughly check and secure whatever he had left before going to find the thing that was staying on his ship.

Dream drew his sword, his fingers gripped onto the leather. He was quiet, keeping his breathing to a minimum to hear for any sort of sign. The hatch that led here was kept shut if no one was in it, so whatever was eating his food couldn’t have left. He stepped carefully, making sure the boards wouldn’t creak under his weight. His eyes flashed about the hull, desperately looking for movements in the dark. He cursed under his breath, watching his step as he moved around the edges of the hull. His eyes and ears were open, waiting, watching.

There was a sharp inhale that wasn’t his, clearly whatever was on board was holding its breath. What a clever animal. Dream lunged and the thing scrambled away from Dream and his sword. Dream chased it throughout the hull. He left his lamp on a crate, not needing it at the moment. He drew his cutlass from the other side of his belt, keeping his sword drawn as well. Right as the thing he was chasing went to make a sharp turn to his left, and he tossed his cutlass in that direction. The thing squealed, scrambling to get away. The cutlass had landed square into a crate, going through and smashing into a rum bottle that was on the inside.

Then the boat rocked, sending him and the thing he was chasing starboard. What was going on up there?! He glanced at where the thing possibly was before making the decision to leave it be, for now, at least. Dream lepted to his feet and made his way over to his lanturn. He grabbed it and got back to the ladder with the hatch and climbed up. The moment he got atop the ladder his head was doused with sea water. He scrambled to his feet, slamming the hatch behind him and spitting up salt water. It dripped down his face, the salt forcing tears out of his eyes. He slicked his golden hair back, wiping the salt water out of his eyes.

The bright flash in the sky and the booming of thunder told Dream exactly what he needed to do.

“Furl the sails!” He shouted, his voice echoing and just going above the storm. Members of his crew who were previously stuck in their own fear were brought back and immediately got to work. Other members were already in action, tying down barrels, canons, and other things on the deck.

“Finch!” He shouted and despite him being unable to see Finch, he knew that he had been heard, “Get Champion and yourself into my office!”

Dream knew that he needed as many people alive as he could, and even though he knew Finch wanted and could help him, he needed everyone safe and accounted for. He could handle this himself. He didn’t need anyone else to factor in right now. Besides, he didn’t want to account for the scary possibility that someone could go overboard. If someone went overboard in a storm this bad, then they would be taken by the sea.

On a nearby tied down barrel there was some access rope slipped under the rope keeping it down. Dream grabbed it and ran across the ship, his free hand up and keeping rain and salt water out of his face. The wind was howling and he knew his voice wouldn’t be heard. There wasn’t any time to get everyone down below deck or to his quarters, the storm was getting worse and even he was having a hard time staying on two feet. There was a small group of people still on the deck, holding on to the ship for dear life. Dream planted his feet and leaned against the staircase leading to the helm. He worked quickly and efficiently, slicing the rope into five pieces. He couldn’t be heard, but one of the people knew what was being asked of them and took a piece of the rope and tied themselves down. Dream nodded, and the others followed.

The rope wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but as long as they were tied down to something that wouldn’t go flying off of the ship, then they would live. At least Dream hoped they would. Before he could even think about himself, a large wave hit the ship sending him barreling to the other side of the ship. He slammed against the thick, wooden railing that was on the sides of his ship, knocking the wind out of him. He struggled to stand, his body gasping for air. There was another strike of thunder and he saw the wave coming at him. There was no time to move, no time to react.

The ship lurched and he was plunged into the wave. It was dark and all he could feel was the water surrounding him and the lack of stability under his feet. He landed square on his back on the other end of the ship. His eyes flashed open and he gasped for air. His ears were full of water and his clothes were sticking to him. He flipped himself around, and attempted to stumble to his feet when the ship rocked again. This wave was bigger, stronger. There was no way he would stay on the ship. He was shoved under water again, his lungs flaring and desperate for air. He tried to cling to anything, but everything was wet and he couldn’t grab onto anything. His nails refused to stay gripped onto the floorboards and he went tumbling across the ship again.

This would be the end. There were worse ways to go, he supposed. But dying was not something he wanted, not yet. He had so many goals, ambitions that he had yet to complete. He wasn’t going to be taken so early into his life!

Dream tumbled down the ladder that led to the hull. His head was pounding and his ears were ringing. He had throbbing pains all over his body, he would certainly be bruised by tomorrow. He choked up water, almost throwing up what he had eaten earlier in the day.

The slamming of the hatch door got his attention, a quiet, panicked muttering was heard.

“Oh my god, what am I going to do, this is bad, oh my god-!” It continued as Dream staggered to his feet, holding his head as it continued to pound. It was a voice he didn’t recognize. Was…was this person the thing he was chasing not even an hour earlier? He turned around, his eyes trying to adjust to the pitch blackness that surrounded him. The person had a small lantern attached to their belt. The candle was small, and Dream was a little impressed that they had managed to light it at all. The flame was flickering and doing its best to stay alive. It wasn’t much but it was enough.

Dream drew his sword as the person was off the ladder, and they raised their arms up in defense, squeaking slightly, as they had done earlier.

“Oh goodness- Please! You don’t have to draw your sword! I assure you, I am no threat to you, or anyone on this ship really.”

“Why are you on my ship?” Dream hissed out, keeping his sword out and at the person’s neck. Or at least what Dream assumed to be their neck. That large scarf made it difficult to tell. Dream assumed it was navy blue, but in this darkness he couldn’t really tell.

“My name is Blue Lebeau, and I mean you and your crew no harm, truly! I happened to be at Mirstone when those nasty pirates arrived. As you know, they nearly burned down the whole place, until you and your crew arrived and stopped them! Which, might I add, was incredibly impressive, considering the size of your crew versus the pirates, that you managed to arrest and defeat all of them! Not to mention your own fighting prowess, Captain, I didn’t see much of it, unfortunately but you appeared to be unbothered and unscathed after the whole…altercation, it was absolutely breathtaking! You must’ve been fighting multiple people at once! Now I will admit I am not one for violence, despise it, actually, but even I can admit that is not something to gawk at and-”

“Will you get to the point?” Dream said sharply, taking a step towards Blue, sword at his neck.

“AH! Of course! My apologies Captain, I tend to ramble when I am nervous,” His laughter was shrill, his eyes not moving from the sword, “When the fires started,and I feel guilty to admit this, but I retreated to your ship for safety. I am not much of a fighter, so after I assisted the family I was working for out of the building, I simply ran to the first place that seemed safe. And that place happened to be your ship.”

Dream was suspicious, but he lowered his sword. He wasn’t putting it away just yet. He eyed Blue, the man seemed truthful enough. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure and posture. He kept his sword unsheathed but at his side. He opened his mouth to speak but the boat lurched again, Dream had almost forgotten about the storm. He and Blue were thrown to the side, and his side was slammed into the corner of a crate and he bit back a cry of pain.

Blue struggled to his feet, “How much longer do you think the storm will last?”

“I highly doubt this level of storming will last longer. It will most likely rain sporadically for the next couple of days, depending on how fast we are able to navigate out of it.”

“Oh! I believe I can assist with-”

Dream cut him off sharply, “I do not need assistance from a stowaway. You may not be a threat to me or my crew, but you are still on my boat, using up supplies that are not meant for you, and you are one extra liability that I now have to worry about. Even if I were to allow you to assist with navigating, I’m not even sure if I could trust you with that, considering you snuck onto my ship.”

Blue staggered back, holding his hands up. Dream took in a deep breath, “We will be dropping you off at the next port. You may stay on my ship until then.”

“I…appreciate you not throwing me overboard.”

“I would never harm an innocent person. I am not a pirate.”

“Of course you’re not! But if I may know, what exactly is it that you do, Captain?” He queried, sitting up on one of the crates. “I mean, you aren’t a navy officer, and your crew isn’t military, but you aren’t a pirate.”

“I wish to do good in this world. Pirates are menaces who need to be stopped, but I believe that the navy is doing it wrong. They aren’t assisting the people who have been harmed by piracy, and I believe that is the most important part when helping people. How can you say that you’ve assisted to stop piracy when there are people still suffering from the consequences from it? I am going against the navy because I feel they aren’t doing enough, and what they are doing is ineffective and wrong. And I believe that I am correct. When my crew and I encounter pirates on ports and stop them from doing harm, I have been told by locals that us aiding to mitigate the effects of piracy has been more helpful than whatever the navy is doing right now. I respect and understand the navy’s orders, but I dislike how they are doing about it all. I hope to expand my fleet, into dozens and dozens of ships, and have influence across the sea.”

Blue nodded, listening intently as Dream spoke. Dream leaned against a crate, sword slipped back into its sheath. Despite the aggressive rocking of the boat, Dream didn’t stop talking. He spoke more about his ambitions, long-term and short-term goals, and everything in between. He couldn’t remember the last time he was able to speak in detail about his aspirations. Blue seemed to be taking it all in.

“That sounds absolutely wondrous! I’m not the biggest fan of the navy either, and what you’ve described sounds like the perfect solution to the pirate problem! Why do this though? It seems like a large task to tackle for only one man.”

“An old…companion of mine became a pirate. A long while ago, probably a few years. We were both drafted into the navy and he deserted. Turned to piracy. I never knew his motivations, I doubt I’ll ever know, but I swore to myself that even though I disliked the navy as much as he did, I would never allow myself to go down that path.”

Blue gasped, holding his hands in front of his mouth, he lowered them slowly, face darkening, “I had a friend who deserted to piracy as well.” He twiddled his thumbs, “Not sure what became of her to be honest…I think of her sometimes.”

“I understand the feeling.”

Blue opened his mouth to speak but the shouting above deck interrupted him. The ship had stopped lurching from side to side, and the soft sound that was rain pounding on the outside of the ship had ceased. He didn’t know how long ago, but it was clear that someone, Finch most likely, deemed it safe to come out. They were probably looking for him.

“You should head up there!” Blue told him, going to his side. Blue was very close to him. “I bet they’re worried about you. You did almost get thrown overboard.”

“I- yes. They are probably worried.” Dream walked over to the ladder and climbed up it. He slammed open the hatch and crawled his way up, getting hit with the smell of the sea.

“Captain!” Finch shouted, helping him up and out of the hull. Dream thanked him before glancing back down into the hull. His crew were standing around, watching him intently. They were all in different mental and physical shapes. Some were soaking wet, clothes pressed against their bodies. Others were more dry, but definitely freaked out. Dream would have to up morale soon, and quickly. They all watched as he nodded to Blue to come up. Blue pointed at himself, completely taken aback at the fact that Dream wanted him up there with the rest of the crew.

“Come on.” Dream urged gently and Blue made his way up the ladder, shutting the hatch door shut as he arrived. The sun wasn’t exactly out, but despite the clouds, he could see Blue quite clearly. His guess had been right, the large scarf he wore was a navy blue, and it sat comfortable around his neck and shoulders. Blue was pale, and had rosy cheeks. He had light brown hair that wasn’t styled but still looked good anyway. He was a tad shorter than Dream, and was significantly skinnier. He had a black cloth wrapped around his left eye, and Dream assumed it was because he was missing it.

Dream had dealt with missing eyes before, and had even made Finch a false eye out of metal to replace his heavily damaged one. Perhaps Dream could do the same for Blue before dropping him off at the next port.

“This is Blue Lebeau.” Dream stated flatly, “He will be on board with us until we reach the next port.”

The crew murmured amongst themselves as Blue waved, smiling. “I will be in my quarters. Those who are soaked, please change into dry clothing. We will be having a warm dinner tonight. Finch, I trust you to make the preparations for that.”

The wind howled, but the storm clouds were far away, and the boat rocked gently. Dream glanced around, his heart racing slightly. Everyone was accounted for, he had counted about three times. But where was…

“Has anyone seen Ink?”

The glancing around and shrugging was not comforting. Dream felt his heart begin to pound. His mind whirling, but he kept his face straight. He couldn’t let his crew know he was worried, it would only elevate the situation. Before he could order his crew to stay where they are so he could look for Ink, Champion began barking at the crows nest. Dream walked over to him, petting in between his ears.

“Ink?” He called up. Champion barked again.

After a moment, a groan echoed from the top of the crows nest. A blonde head of hair got into Dream’s view, and relief rushed over him. He called Ink down, and within a few moments, Ink was down on the mast in moments, landing less than gracefully on the balls of her feet. Ink looked, tired? Dream guessed?

“What.”

“Are you alright, Ink?”

“Sure? Why wouldn’t I be?” Ink made sure to accent the statement with an eye roll.

“The storm?” Finch asked, coming over to the two of them, “The massive thunder storm that nearly killed all of us?!”

Ink stared at him and shrugged. Dream sighed but smiled at her anyway. “I am just glad that you are alive and safe, Ink.”

She just rolled her eyes and walked off, most likely to get away from the group of people and to get a bite to eat. She made her way over to the hull and did a brief double take a Blue, her lip curling up into a slight sneer. She opened the trapdoor to the hull and disappeared inside, dropping the trapdoor behind her.

Dream felt his body begin to grow tired. He was sore and cold and now he was starting to feel it. He waited for his crew to start moving before making his way over to his own quarters. He was followed by Champion who licked at his hands. He entered his quarters and collapsed on the ground. He could barely move, the storm and lack of sleep had started to catch up to him. Champion whined and attempted to lift his head from the pillow, licking his face. He chuckled and petted between his dog’s ears. He staggered to his feet and quickly changed out of his soaking clothes and hung them up in the corner of his room, making sure that water wouldn’t drip onto anything. He quickly got into his civvies and collapsed on his bed. It was around evening time, the storm must’ve lasted a few hours. He hadn’t fully slept in a week, and even though he still had duties to do, the adrenaline had worn off and his body hurt. He was so sore and even though he intended just to rest for a moment, the moment his head hit his pillow he passed out.

The sun shined down on his face and there was a pungent smell of coffee. Dream turned over and his face was bombarded with dog slobber. He was jolted awake and in his attempt to back away, Champion jumped onto him. Dream gently shoved Champion off of him, laughing quietly. He wiped the drool off of his face and stood up. He hurried into his clothes, he had wasted enough time as it did. He couldn’t believe that he had fallen asleep. In between clothing pieces, he took small sips of the coffee that was made for him. It was hot, freshly made, and burned his mouth. He had no time to waste.

The gears in his mind started turning, he needed to make sure that everything was running smoothly and that everyone was doing alright. He was sure that Finch was working on navigation. He opened the door and stepped outside. The water was flat and the sails seemed in decent condition. No one was at the wheel, but that was okay. Neither him nor Finch knew where they were. People seemed to be in decent condition, none of them seemed like they caught colds. He would have to double check with the small group that were cut out for the brunt of the storm, to make sure none of them had fevers.

Although that was not his biggest concern at the moment. While the health and safety of his crew was one of the most important things, knowing where they were was taking more of his concern. He wouldn’t call himself anxious about it, but he needed to figure out where they were and get them into a port as soon as possible. He made his way across the deck of the boat, finishing off his coffee. Champion’s attention had drifted and he was now rolling around in the sun. Ink was sitting on a barrel off to the side, staring off into space. She didn’t look hot or feverish, which was good. He would have to make sure later, but he suspected that she didn’t want to be bothered right now. He walked to the opposite side of the boat from his quarters and made his way into the navigation room, where he knew that Finch would be. As he approached the room, there was more than one voice coming from it.

The door was stuck for a brief moment, due to the humidity, but he got it open within a moment. When he entered the room, Finch was hunched over the desk, which had a variety of maps, a compass or two, and some other cartography equipment that Dream was not completely confident in using. He was also shocked to see Blue hunched over the table as well.

“What are you doing in here?” Dream asked, crossing his arms. He wasn’t going to get angry, not yet. He hadn’t told Finch that he didn’t want Blue assisting with navigation. Blue had been amical towards everyone, he would admit, but Dream couldn’t tell his motives. Was he simply playing nice to not be locked in the brig or tossed overboard? Although he seemed interested enough in Dream’s goals; Dream wasn’t sure that was enough to trust him just yet.

“He’s-”

“I’m assisting with navigation!” Blue said happily, wrapping one arm around Finch’s neck and pulling him into a half hug.

“He’s uh, surprisingly good at it. We’ve managed to find out where we are, since Blue…read the stars? Last night?”

“The stars are one of the best ways to tell you where you are! Especially at sea.”

“You’ve been at sea before?” Dream asked skeptically, arms crossed.

“Mhm! I’ve been all over the place. I’ve attempted to settle down a couple of times, but ah..y'know, I can’t really get away!” Blue laughed and then got back to analyzing the map.

“Yeah, right, okay. And you know where we are?”

“Of course! Currently we are about a two days trip away from Lellin’s port! Finch told me that is where you are headed.”

“It is.”

The gears in his mind were turning at an incredible speed. Dream couldn’t help but be suspicious. Before he could properly gather his thoughts into a proper sentence, Blue started speaking again.

“I know you said not to assist with anything, and I know that you do not trust me, which is completely understandable! Might I add! But since you didn’t toss me into the open ocean, or into this ship's brig, have a little faith! I wouldn’t lead you astray. That would be stupid, and I try my best to not be.”

Dream watched his movements, and paid close attention to any inflection in Blue’s voice. There weren't any signs that he was lying. Dream thought for a moment longer. Blue seemed interested in what his goals were, he was very attentive in the hull when Dream was talking to him. Caution was important, especially on sea, but perhaps Dream was tiptoeing around an issue that didn’t exist.

Normally, Dream wouldn’t be so keen on inviting someone onto his ship, especially not having what is basically a stranger assist with something as important as navigating. However, he had been from port to port for almost a year now, and he hadn’t found someone with decent map reading and navigation experience. The only reason Dream lacked that sort of ability is because that was Nightmare’s area of expertise, but the bastard deserted to piracy and Dream started his own ambitions before he had the opportunity to learn. But the guy couldn’t lead a crew to save his life, and that was probably why he had a solid three people, including himself, on that ship of his.

If Blue took Dream and his crew to Lellin’s port, then maybe he would reconsider his original plan of leaving Blue at Lellin.

“Alright listen.” Blue looked at him attentively, much like he did when Dream was explaining his goals down in the hull, “I understand that you, since you snuck upon on my ship, most likely do not have anywhere else to go. I think it would be wrong to leave you in Lellin, especially without knowing anyone or without any currency.”

Blue tucked his hands underneath his chin, turning his head to the side ever so slightly. “If you are able to take us to Lellin, I am willing to allow you a spot on my ship. Assuming you want it, of course.”

“I would normally be all over that sort of thing, being with you and the rest of the crew would be fantastic! But, I am afraid I can’t accept your offer. It isn’t that I don’t believe in your goals or ambitions! It is that you work against pirates and I’m particularly…adverse to violence? Meaning that, I’m not very good with weapons nor do I have much battle knowledge! I am afraid that I would be very unhelpful. Although! I can take you to Lellin, and teach you some of the stuff I know!”

“Well, I suppose I can’t convince you otherwise.”

“Oh! Finch!” Blue turned from Dream to look at Finch who had just been standing there, “To get to Lellin, we need to start heading Northeast! It should be straight in that direction! I’m assuming you know how to use a compass?”

Finch glanced at Dream who gave him the go ahead to go captain the ship. Finch grabbed one of many compasses and exited the room, struggling to shut the door for a moment. The humidity was one of the worst things about being at sea. Normally that would be his job, but Blue had already pulled him aside to the table with maps sprawled all over it. Blue had nearly redecorated the room, with maps and books and other tools Dream had forgotten about. One of the biggest changes was the globe that was once catching dust in the door had been brought out.

“Okay! I’m assuming you have at least some knowledge on map reading, yes? I’d be very impressed that you’re still alive if you didn’t!”

Dream nodded. He was standing straight up with his arms folded across his chest. He wasn’t being aggressive towards Blue through his posture. Blue was hovering over the table, his body nearly at a ninety degree angle, elbows pressed down into the wood and his head resting in his palms.

“I know about the basics, my…old companion was much more prolific in navigation than I ever was, and I’ve never had the chance to learn. Piracy doesn’t stop and neither have I. The thing Finch and I both struggle with is keeping track of where we are when at sea. We usually end up getting to our destinations fine, but we’re usually a few miles short of port, or even just one port away. That isn’t usually an issue, but when you’re chasing pirates, accuracy is important.”

“I bet you don’t like ending up at the wrong place either. I know I wouldn’t!” “I- Yes. I do not particularly enjoy being at the wrong place. No one does. Now, if you could share the information about map reading that would be great.”

“Okay okay! Goodness. I’ll teach you what I can now, and then tonight I can show you some of the stars!”

“The stars.”

“Yes! After a storm or battle, where you aren’t one hundred percent sure where you are, they are one of the best ways to guarantee where you are! They are always in the sky, unless it’s cloudy, and stay consistent!”

“I suppose. Shall we get started now?”

Blue clasped his hands together, “Right! Of course! Let us begin!”

The day felt like it flew by. Dream and Blue spent most of their time within the room, studying and reading maps, the globe, and all the things that Blue felt like he needed to teach Dream. Champion came in a few times to say hi, which Dream enjoyed. He worried for his poor dog sometimes, life on the sea wasn’t always kind to animals. But Champion seemed to be content, his body loose, tail swinging happily, belly full of food and treats. Even when Blue was in the room. Champion didn’t seem to take a liking to him. They had to take a pause or two for Dream to make sure everything was in order, he trusted Finch but he couldn’t help but double check. Perhaps it was paranoia, or anxiety, but he just had to do it. Blue trailed him as he did so, observing how he went about his day.

They spoke on occasion, when Dream was able to respond. Blue asked questions, mainly why he did certain things on his ship. It was slightly invasive, if Dream had to be honest, but he didn’t really mind. Nor did he have the energy to mind. It was nice to have someone to talk about his ideas after so long. The last time he had someone to talk to in length was… “Before we get started, and if I am allowed to know, where did you get that pendent from? I haven’t seen anything like it.”

Dream’s face twisted into a mixture of anger, sadness, and surprise. Blue regretted asking the question the moment he asked. It took Dream just a second to compose himself, once again retaining his poker face. Despite this, his right hand clung to the pendant.

“It was,” He took a breath, “It was given to me by an old friend of mine.”

A knot twisted itself in Blue’s stomach. Dream was being vague, painfully so. The urge to open Dream like a clam and see what darkened secrets hid beneath the surface was strong. But he couldn’t do that. That would probably either end up with him being thrown overboard or with never seeing Dream again. He wanted to understand people, and he wasn’t very good at doing that ‘normally’. He decided that it would be for the best if he kept his mouth shut this time. He had to wonder though, what had happened to this old friend of Dream’s? Death? Illness? Some other terrible fate? It wasn’t Dream’s old companion, that was for sure. The pirate was still around and kicking, and by the way Dream grew salty just by talking about him, told Blue all he needed to know. Dream’s past was almost like the sea itself, dark, mysterious. How many people did Dream know before going deserting the military? How many times had he seen people turn to piracy? Thoughts swarmed his head, and he wasn’t sure where to start.

“It’s beautiful.” He said, placing a hand on Dream’s shoulder. Dream didn’t shove him off, instead making circles around the red gem in the center of it, staring off into the sunset.

“Yes. They made it themself. They had quite the eye for this sort of thing. Always creating, always doing something for other people…”

“They sound incredible.” Dream smiled softly for a moment, “I suppose they do.”

There was a pause before Dream waved him off. Blue placed his hands back down on the barrel he was sitting on and looked out into the water, which reflected the bright colors beautifully. The shimmering of yellows and oranges was a marvelous sight to see.

“It’s a beautiful sunset tonight.” Dream commented, now leaning against the ship's railing. Blue hopped off of what he was sitting on and joined Dream at the railing. “I see something even more beautiful standing next to me.”

There was a faint blush, it didn't last very long but it was there! Dream scoffed, “Do not.”

“Sorry.” He wasn’t.

“When will we be doing the other half of your navigation teachings? With the…stars?” Dream sounded skeptical, but his face didn’t show any signs of him being uninterested or like he didn’t want to learn.

Blue clasped his hands together, “Yes! I don’t get to talk about this often, which is a shame because I do think it’s fascinating, I mean, not many people use the stars for navigation which I think is odd because besides the sun rising and setting everyday, they are one of the most consistent things on our planet! And while, yes, they do shift from season to season, and place to place, but when you know what you’re looking for then it’s easy!”

“I see.”

“Here, come closer to me. I don’t bite.” Blue teased, a playful inflection to his voice. Dream rolled his eyes but complied anyway. When Dream stepped closer, so did Blue, their shoulders touching. Dream didn’t recoil, but he did raise his eyebrows at the action. They had to be close, Dream assumed, since Blue was to show him the stars. He had to accurately point out the stars, and they had to be close for that to work accurately.

Dream attempted to ignore how it felt to be so close to another person, to be touching another person and failed spectacularly. How long has it been? Too long, perhaps. He watched Blue’s face as he spoke. Blue spoke with his hands and was very expressive, a large change in pace from Ink and Finch. Both of whom spoke very still, only using their hands or arms for small gestures, if at all.

Full attention was on Blue and his finger pointing up at the sky. Dream had to admit it didn’t make much sense, but he could make out the shapes that Blue was showing off to him. He had a vague understanding of how to correlate the placement of the constellations with direction but it was somewhat unclear. Blue’s voice held so much emotion in it as well. It wasn’t difficult to tell what he was feeling at any given time. What Blue was thinking, however, was a whole other debacle. The man was a bit of a mystery, but then again so was Dream.

“And this will help you as well, I can tell this is a little foreign you hehe!” Blue said before gently unfolding something from his pockets. Dream took the paper, which was a map, he could tell by the texture alone, and observed it.

“A star map?”

“Mhm! Once you find out where you are via the stars, you can use this and a compass to figure out what direction you need to go in!”

“Fascinating.”

“Isn’t it? I quite enjoy stargazing. It’s really relaxing.”

Dream hummed in agreement, following Blue’s eyes with his own. The stars were so bright that night. Not a single cloud in the sky. Dream wondered how far out into the galaxy he could see.

“It makes me feel small.” Dream said, the words slipping out of his mouth.

“I suppose that’s true. But so does the ocean. It’s kinda crazy; how we’re surrounded by large bodies of unexplored territory. A little scary too hah…” Blue was leaning against the railing of the boat, his back facing the sea. Dream was facing towards it, standing up straight, arms loosely folded over his chest.

“It really makes you think about what is important in life, you know?” Blue said, looking up at the sky, his hand reaching over and touching Dream’s arm. “What really matters. We may be small but the impact whe have on others is big, and it’s important to know what to really focus on.”

Dream eyed the hand on his forearm but didn’t shake Blue off. “You seem to know what you want to do with your life, Dream.”

“You don’t?”

“Not really. I’m pretty good with navigating, and map making too but…I dunno. I like having everything planned in advance but I feel like doing the same thing over and over again would drive me bonkers! I’d like to teach people, I think. Might be fun. But I quite like how my life is now. I can plan things but there’s also a spontaneous aspect to it! I go where the world takes me, like a fish being taken by the current, hehe.”

“That’s not a bad way to live.” Dream commented, “Life on the sea has that spontaneous nature. You need to adapt, change as it does. I…would prefer operating on land, to be honest with you. There’s structure there, no chances of storms ripping your ship apart or anything like that. But I am to stop pirates, so the sealife will be my life. No changing that. I wouldn’t ever send people off to fight without being there with them. I need to help people, not just command from a castle on the land. The navy does that.”

The venom was seeping from Dream’s mouth as he spoke about the navy. Once again Blue found himself wondering how deep that rabbit hole went (or, how deep that underwater trench went). Blue found himself wondering a lot about Dream. He had to admit, the captain was awfully handsome. And he couldn’t be the only one to see it right?! He would be very surprised if that was the case. He had only been with Dream for around twenty-four hours, so he didn’t know everything about Dream, but what he did see was something, someone, he really liked. The two of them were close, only a few centimeters of space between their arms.

“Dream?

“Hm?”

“How would you react if I told you that I think the next place that the current is taking me is with you?” Blue asked, moving his hands to gently caress Dream’s jacket. He was surprised to learn that it was leather. He wondered how Dream even got leather to be that color of yellow. Dream watched Blue’s hand move across the seams of his jacket. Was Blue flirting with him? He wasn’t sure how against that he was. He took in a deep breath and focused back onto the ocean.

“My offer still stands. I won’t turn away anyone who wants to join my cause.”

“I’ll think about it.” Blue said with a sing-song voice. He turned toward Dream, getting even closer.

“It,” Dream took a moment to regain his senses, he and Blue were so close. He could feel Blue’s breath on his face as he breathed through his nose. Blue was looking up at him, expectantly. He wondered if Blue knew how he was going to respond. What kind of response was he looking for in the first place? Blue wasn’t malicious, Dream knew that. He craved information and knowledge. When he would ask Dream questions, they were about himself, his motivations, and eventually the questions were aimed at the other members of the crew. What about them made them join Dream? Did Dream choose them or did they come aboard on their own? He couldn’t tell what Blue wanted.

“It would be good to have you aboard, especially with your abilities in navigation.” Blue could cook too, Dream had learned. They didn’t need more cooks on board, there were already enough but if Blue wanted to help out then Dream wouldn’t forbid him not too.

“Can I ask you another question?” Blue asked, a coy smile on his face. He turned his head away, looking at Dream from the side.

“You’ve been asking me questions all day but yes, go ahead.”

“Do you want me here?”

“Pardon-?” Dream turned his head and nearly smacked Blue in the face with his own. It was so dark, he could barely see Blue’s face. The reflection of the moon was in Blue’s eye, and the ship was rocking slightly as they sailed.

“Would you miss me if I left at Lellin? Would you yearn for me once I left?”

“I-What-?”

“Haha! I’m just teasing you,” Blue booped his nose, sticking out his tongue playfully. “I do mean it though. Would you?

“Would I what?” Dream asked incredulously, still somewhat flustered at Blue being so close.

“Let me reword my question.” Blue scooted back slightly, giving Dream a bit more breathing room. Dream was silently relieved. Blue being so close was making him nervous. “Do you, personally, want me here? I understand my abilities would be handy for your cause, but I’m curious about what you think of me.”

“We’ve only known each other for a day, how could I form an opinion on you in just twenty-four hours?”

“First impressions are pretty important! I mean, I haven’t known Ink very long but something tells me that she doesn’t like me very much…”

“She doesn’t really like anyone.”

“Even you?”

Dream shrugged. He wasn’t sure. Ink was elusive in just about everything she did.

“What! How could anyone not like you?! I think that you’re pretty incredible.”

“Ah well. I’m just doing what I think is right. Doing what is best for the world. Thank you.” “You’re pretty handsome too.”

“What?”

“Hm?” Blue cocked his head to the side. Blue showed no signs of saying anything at all, but under the cover of night it was hard to tell. He could be blushing his face off and Dream would have no idea. He supposed it was a good thing, since Blue couldn’t tell what he was emoting either. Although he didn’t really do that in the first place. The poker face Dream wore was just his default expression. As the captain of a ship, keeping up appearances and making sure that he was someone his crew could be someone to depend on at a crisis.

“I think that you’ve definitely left an impression on me, Blue.” He glanced back down at the water, thinking over his words, “I wouldn’t miss you, when you leave, per se. But I will remember you for a long time. You’re very interesting.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment!” Blue grinned at him. Proud, almost.

The water splashed against the boat, it was quiet and the smell of the sea was comforting. The two sat in silence, it wasn’t awkward, just a peaceful quiet.

“So?”

“So what, Captain?”

“You don’t have to call me that.”

Blue placed a finger to his chin, “How about lord?”

“I- lord?” Dream was slightly taken aback.

“Well sure. You’re not a pirate captain, nor are you a navy officer. You’re commanding a crew though. And a lord is someone who has authority and influence.”

“I…appreciate the thought but I highly doubt anyone would actually call me a lord. Dream works just fine.”

“We’ll see then I suppose! What were you going to ask me?”

“If you were planning on staying. Are you?”

“Hmmm…” Blue glanced away for a moment, gears moving together in his mind. “I’m definitely thinking about it. I do have a great dislike for violence, but I’ve learned that not everyone on your ship goes out and fights.”

“Yes, that is the case.”

“But I’ll think about it. We have a few more days before we reach Lellin.” “I always forget how far away it is…” Dream murmured to himself, “What happens if we get there and you haven’t decided yet?”

“I think I would get off at Lellin. I’m sure our paths will cross again if I do end up staying.” Blue pushed himself off of the fence and stood straight with his hand on the railing. Dream paralleled him, his arms folded loosely across his chest.

“And you're certain of that?”

“Cross paths with you again?” Blue took a step toward Dream and used the back of his hand to gently caressed Dream’s jaw. Dream was stunned, people had been forward before but not like that. “I sure hope so. I’d love to see you again. You intrigue me, Lord Dream.”

“It’s getting late, we ought to be getting to bed now. It’s quite late, I’d hate to decrease your productivity during the day.” Blue turned away and took a step away from Dream and towards the crew’s quarters. In the cover of darkness, Dream touched his cheek, the phantom feeling of Blue’s hand still remaining.

“I’ve stayed up later than this. Do not worry about my productivity.” Flustered wasn’t what he was feeling. He didn’t get flustered, not really, anyway. But he felt a little…ruffled. He hadn’t met anyone quite like Blue before, Blue had made a crack into his carefully crafted defenses. Intentionally or not, Blue made his presence known. Would Dream miss him if he left?

“Well if you say so! Good night.”

And with that, Blue walked across the Radiance and down into the crew's quarters. Dream slowly removed his hand from his cheek, drawing out the touch. He was left alone on the ship, the boat rocking gently. It was dark, and he could only see the vague outlines of things. His crew were all sleeping underneath him in their quarters, apart from Ink, who was probably snacking away right now, and Finch, who was up at the wheel, steering them to their destination. He had a small lantern that Dream could see from across the boat. His heart was pounding, and he leaned against the fence.

“Good night.” Dream murmured to no one in the darkness.

Blue was intriguing. And alluring.

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theladyofdeath · 2 years

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The Viscount Who Loved Me {Two}

TVWLM Masterlist

An A Court of Thorns and Roses fanfiction, inspired by the first 2 seasons of Bridgerton.

Written alongside @snelbz

Ships: Nesta x Cassian x Elain (I said what I said) Feyre x Rhysand Elain x Azriel x Gwyn

Summary:

As the season begins, a new Diamond is named. She catches the eye of a prince whose feelings remain unrequited. However, the man who catches the eye of the Diamond remains off the market, refusing to get married as a jab to his late father. Meanwhile, the Diamond of the Season’s sisters have found themselves in a bit of a quandary. The elder is pushing the younger to get married to help her move on from the horrid disaster that happened last season, but in the process, the elder catches the eye of the younger’s match, even though she is considered to be an old maid and far past her time to be wed at the age of six and twenty. As they say, all is fair in love and war.

A/N: I don't think you all realize how excited I am to share this fic with you all. Like. I'm so excited. I'm even more excited now that Shelb has finished the series (all 2 current seasons, of course) and can now write it with me. Let us know what you think!

Tag list is at the end. If you’d like to be added, please comment below or submit an ask. :)

My lovely readers,

Join me as we all anxiously await the Queen's announcement of this season's Diamond. Is it just me, or after years past have we fallen in love with the tension of waiting for the Queen's announcement more and more? Whoever this season's Diamond may be, hopefully she brings us a season full of undeniable scandal.

I cannot wait to hear of whom will be in the spotlight this season. Hopefully Her Majesty has learned her lesson in picking fools.

Until next time,

The Suriel

“Has April always been so warm?”

Feyre pondered the unseasonable weather as their carriage meandered along the streets of Velaris. The fan in her hand was pointed at her face, but at her bosom as Nesta and Elain had drilled into her. Her chest didn’t feel like it was on fire, didn’t have what felt like an entire pound of cosmetics painted onto it.

“It’s just your bodice and skirts,” Elain said, resting a placating hand on her silk covered knee. “Last season, I nearly passed out on the ride over.”

Nesta said nothing, but nodded in confirmation. Their father was reading a newspaper across from them, not even acknowledging the conversation around him.

As she looked out at the fog filled morning, Feyre was conflicted. She’d spent the early hours getting prodded and pampered, much to her dismay. She wore a dress that she wasn’t fond of but, then again, she was not fond of most dresses. She preferred pants, although she only wore them when she painted. If she were to wear them at any other time, both her father and sisters would reprimand her.

“The key is to find an object just behind the queen and focus on it,” Elain was saying. Feyre was trying her best to listen. “When in doubt, just keep smiling.”

Feyre took a deep breath and met Nesta’s gaze. “Is that what you did?”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed and she quickly looked toward the passing streets as they hurried down the cobblestone path toward the palace.

Elain was participating in the season, as her coming out had only been a year before. Nesta, however, was no longer in the prime of her youth, and would be acting as both Elain and Feyre’s social sponsor, after this initial visit with their father. He would not be in attendance for the rest of the season. No, he would be working, amassing and growing their fortune.

“It doesn’t matter what either of us did,” Elain said, trying to quell the tension growing between her sisters in the tight quarters of the carriage. “What matters is that you be yourself, and let Her Majesty see the wonderful beauty that you are.”

Feyre wanted to roll her eyes but she didn’t, wouldn’t, never to Elain. While Feyre and Nesta had their fair share of squabbles, Elain had been through enough as of late and Feyre would not add to her own burdens by giving her a bad attitude.

As they turned the corner, they could see the palace looming in the distance. It was clear they were not the only family on their way to pay a visit to Her Majesty, which only increased Feyre’s nerves.

She had a lot riding on this.

Her entire family did.

They had already been through enough scandal. It was now Feyre’s job to clear the air, to find a good husband and restore their family’s name.

“Father,” Feyre began, although her eyes remained on the road ahead. “Do you have any advice?”

Isaac Archeron did not look up from his paper. “Listen to your sisters.”

She waited for him to say something more, but when he didn’t, the carriage fell into another tense silence.

For the last few minutes of the ride, Feyre closed her eyes. She imagined she was painting a calming picture of the ocean, but it quickly turned into the ocean in the midst of a storm and when she opened her eyes once more the carriage had come to a stop.

They had arrived.

Elain must’ve sensed the tension that had contorted Feyre’s body because a soft hand rested in hers as the footman came to the door and opened it up for them.

Once her feet were on the earth below, she had to close her eyes to keep her body from swaying. Then Nesta was tugging her forward, tight-lipped as always, dragging her up the stairs and into the palace beyond.

Feyre had been inside the palace twice now, when both of her sisters were presented for Her Majesty, but this time it felt different. The walls blurred as they swept through the foyer and down to the sitting room where the young women of Velaris were anxiously awaiting.

Feyre joined them but kept her distance.

“Elain, go wait with father,” Nesta said, looking warily at the girls in their frilly, white dresses.

Elain gave a quick kiss to Feyre’s cheek before scurrying out of the room, leaving Nesta alone with Feyre. As her eldest sister, the eldest woman in their family, she would be the one to escort Feyre before the Queen. Part of Feyre thought that she would reject the responsibility, but she didn’t even bat an eye.

Although Nesta had never found a husband of her own, it was almost as if she truly wished that Feyre would find a good man to walk with her through life.

No one would ever realize it from the way Nesta stared at the golden-painted walls ahead of her, lips pursed and chin raised high.

There were surely rumors spread of Nesta already that morning among the women they were surrounded by, a fact Feyre knew that Nesta was aware of. She would pretend it didn’t bother her, though, what other people said, the nasty hate they spew in her name.

Nesta Archeron. The woman who no man could love. The woman who scared all men away. The woman who brought shame to her family.

The Diamond that did not wed.

The Diamond who brought shame to the Queen.

Nesta never spoke of it, of her failed season as Diamond, of the year after when she was laughed out of every ball. Elain might have been embarrassed and heartbroken, but Nesta had been shamed.

Yet she stood next to her youngest sister, straight-backed and proud, just as she had done for Elain the season before.

The murmuring in the room was more hushed than that of what was out in the presentation hall. They were sharp laughs and unexpected spikes of voices that signaled Her Majesty was not yet present in the large room and Feyre was thankful for the sounds of normalcy. Last year, she was among those watching, waiting for the Queen to make her decision as to who the grandest prize or the season would be. This year, she was to be judged.

She suddenly felt like a prized animal being taken to the country fairs, to be scrutinized and nudged and gazed at by far too many people. Still she kept the pretty, bland smile Elain had helped her muster on her face. No matter that Elain made the smile look pretty and genuine. Nesta had informed Feyre that it made her look like she had.

The whispers and conversations outside the closed door halted and Feyre stilled, her head turning towards the abrupt silence.

She met Nesta’s eyes.

Nesta’s jaw locked, but she nodded.

It was time.

The doors opened and, one by one, the young women were led out of the room with their escorts and lined up before the doors of the throne room.

Nesta held out her hand.

Feyre took it and for a moment it felt foreign, but she quickly pretended as if it did not.

It was not that Feyre didn’t love Nesta. She did. But, after so many years of bickering and disagreeing and growing apart, Feyre accepted the fact that they would never be the closest of friends.

A muffled voice came from the other side of the doors and Feyre knew the Queen was being announced. It was followed by silence, in which everyone bowed.

Feyre couldn’t help but close her eyes.

She took a deep breath.

The doors opened and Feyre got a glimpse as the first girl entered before the doors closed once more.

Feyre and Nesta took a step forward, along with everyone else in line.

Two minutes passed.

They repeated the process.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Feyre and Nesta were standing behind the double doors, staring at the engraving, next in line.

“Don’t be nervous,” Nesta said, although her words were clipped. “She senses fear. Act like you don’t have a care in the world. Be respectful, of course, but hold your ground.”

Her words had just left her mouth when the doors opened, yet again, and they entered. Feyre’s feet moved without her telling them to, and she was convinced that it was Nesta dragging her along.

When she looked up, she met the eyes of the queen.

Queen Amarantha did not smile as they entered.

“Miss Feyre Archeron, escorted by her sister, Miss Nesta Archeron.”

The room fell nearly silent.

Feyre averted her gaze, as she knew Nesta was likely doing as well, as they crossed the long hall. She felt the eyes of the entire ton on her, felt the weight of their gazes, the judgement and snobbery. Elain and her father were mixed into the crowd, but she didn’t look for them. She kept her eyes forward, found a gorgeous painting of a countryside landscape, the first fingers of night reaching across the cloudless sky. It was serene and peaceful and Feyre found herself longing for the solitude of their country home. The quiet there was different from the quiet she currently endured.

When they reached the front of the hall, they curtsied, Feyre careful not to let her skirts sweep out too far or to let the angle of her head drop. Once they stood, she once again allowed herself to look at the queen. Her dark eyes were already on her, but they slid to her sister.

“Miss Archeron,” the Queen said, the smile on her face not friendly in the slightest. “A pleasure to see you again.”

Nesta bowed her head, reverently. “Your majesty.”

The queen hummed, something like approval in the sound, and she looked back to Feyre.

“Miss Feyre,” the Queen crooned, and Feyre could feel her eyes raking down her body. “I have heard many wonderful things about you.”

Perhaps it was a moment of weakness, or perhaps she was simply a fool, but Feyre met Queen Amarantha’s eye and lifted her chin. The moment their eyes met, Feyre regretted it, but she didn’t back away. The Queen's eyes were merciless, cold, but there was a hint of mischief in there that caught Feyre’s attention. She couldn’t look away. “It is an honor and a pleasure to see you again, your Majesty,” Feyre said, hoping her voice didn’t waiver. She curtsied and was sure to stay low for a moment before rising again.

Queen Amarantha’s lips turned upward. “I have high hopes for you, Miss Archeron. After what your sisters have endured, the ton has still spoken highly of you.”

“That’s wonderful news, Your Majesty,” Feyre said, even as Nesta’s body stiffened beside her. “I hope to be a wonderful example of what a man should expect of a wife. I see it as my duty to restore my family’s name.”

If what she felt radiating from Nesta was shock, than Amarantha looked positively delighted. It was clear that she wasn’t expecting someone to be willing to make a statement like that. Someone that would provide glorious entertainment and poise for the season.

“How old are you, girl?” The Queen asked.

“I’ll be twenty on the Winter Solstice, your Majesty.”

Queen Amarantha tutted softly, resting a pale hand over her chest. “So young, yet already so full of duty for your family.” She looked over Feyre once again and stood from the ornate chair she’d been seated in on the small dais.

The room collectively took a breath.

Nesta had become as still as a ghost.

As the Queen approached, Feyre tried to remind herself to keep her chin high, to stand tall. She’d ensnared the attentions of the Queen and now she must endure them. Each step rang out in the silent hall, echoing almost as steady as Feyre's hammering heartbeat.

As the Queen paused in front of her, she held a bejeweled hand out to Feyre.

Feyre only hesitated for a second before she took the Queen’s hand and kissed the backside of it, softly.

“I see promise in you,” Queen Amarantha said, watching Feyre intently. “You are different from the other young ladies, Miss Archeron. You speak honestly and outright, yet you hold your head high with poise and grace. Any man would be lucky to have you as a wife.” She snatched her hand away from Feyre’s, nearly making Feyre fall over where she stood. She didn’t, though, she stood tall next to her sister. It wasn’t until she was walking back up the dais that Her Majesty announced, “Perhaps that is why I will make you this season's Diamond.”

<.>

Cassian was bored.

He was so bored that he was nearly ready to call it a day, even though he, Azriel, and Rhysand had only been in the woods for an hour. The sunny morning sky was now covered in clouds. He wouldn’t be surprised if they were soon caught in a rainstorm. Hunting in a rainstorm wasn’t uncommon in a Velaris spring.

“Excited for the first event of the season?” He asked, at last, and when Azriel hushed him, Cassian rolled his eyes. “We’ve been here for ages and haven’t seen a thing. I doubt me talking will make it any worse.”

“No, but what a glorious hour of silence it’s been,” Rhysand quipped, shouldering his own gun, standing and stretching.

“Prick,” Cassian said. “You’re both attending the Beddor Ball, yes?”

“Of course,” Rhys responded. “It’s the first event of the season.”

Azriel nodded begrudgingly.

The first event would be the talk of the ton and would set the tone for the rest of the season. Everyone would present, those looking for marriage and those who were looking for…dalliances.

“Given anymore thought to settling down, Az?” Cassian asked as he pulled a flask out of his inner pocket and held it out for him.

Azriel stared at the flask for a moment before taking it and taking a long swig. “No.”

“But—”

“You don’t badger Rhysand nearly as much as you do me,” Azriel interrupted. “Why is that?”

“Easy,” Cassian said, taking the flask back and draining half the contents in a single drink. “Because he lets me have unimpeded access to his cabin in the mountains, and I’m not inclined to lose that privilege. You, my land wielding friend, only have the one home in the country, and share the same title as I do. His Viscountship,” he drawled, letting his eyes land on their smirking friend, “technically has the power to shut me up. You do not.”

Azriel stared at him for a long moment before letting his inner child take over and punching Cassian playfully - for the most part - on his shoulder.

Even though Cassian let out a sharp laugh, he winced. “Besides. Rhysand will marry whether he wants to or not… You, on the other hand, refuse to and won’t hear otherwise.”

Rhysand gave Cassian a warning look before sneaking a glance at Azriel. “Az does not have to marry if he does not wish.”

Cassian opened his mouth to reply but thought better of it. At first, it was playful, but now it was entering dangerous territory. They all knew why Azriel didn’t want to marry, didn’t want to have children. And, although Cassian mostly understood, there was still a part of him that did not.

“Besides,” Rhysand began, breaking the silent tension, “with neither of us looking for a wife, we get to spend our season helping you find yours.”

“Oh, I have no need to look,” Cassian replied, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “I’m going to marry whoever Her Majesty names this season’s Diamond.”

Azriel scoffed, while Rhysand didn’t even try to hide his bark of laughter. “You and every other eligible bachelor in the ton will have your eyes set on her as soon as the announcement is made.”

“The Suriel will have to confirm it,” Azriel added. “You know how she kept us on our toes last season.”

Cassian snorted. “The Suriel. Rubbish gossip is all. The ton cares too much what the Suriel has to say.”

“Including yourself,” Rhysand fought, grinning. “You’ve read every issue.”

“Only when bored,” he muttered, and even Azriel couldn’t help his spreading grin. “I never thought I’d see the day when the opinion of Queen Amarantha was outweighed by a petty, anonymous gossip.”

“You’re only angry because she called you a Rake in her last issue,” Azriel muttered. “As if it’s not true.”

Cassian didn’t deny it. He knew what he was called among the ton behind closed doors. “Doesn’t give me a solid foundation for this season, does it?”

“The only foundation you need includes your handsome face and your riches,” Rhysand said, looking up at the sky as a quiet thunder rolled in the distance. “Women will be lined up for a word with you, I assure you.”

“You think I’m handsome, then?” Cassian asked, batting his lashes at Rhysand who was setting his gun against a tree.

“And arrogant,” Rhysand added.

“But handsome, nonetheless?” Cassian pushed.

Rhysand just shook his head and scanned the horizon as Azriel unscrewed the cap of the flask, once more. “May the Mother bless the woman that ends up with you.”

Cassian had the audacity to look offended. “I will be a brilliant husband, thank you. I have money and, as Rhys says, I’m incredibly good looking. What more could a woman want?”

“Someone who doesn’t sneak off with a whore every night,” Azriel muttered.

Cassian wasn’t offended. “Ah, I did have to tell Tanwyn we won’t be getting on for much longer. It truly is the end of an era.”

“Ten more minutes of not seeing a thing and I’m leaving,” Rhysand muttered, crossing his arms, changing the subject.

“We won’t see a thing with all this talking going on,” Azriel mentioned, gulping from the flask. “And drinking.”

“Then let’s not wait the ten minutes and head to the gentlemen’s club instead,” Cassian crowed, tossing his hunting rifle into the air and catching it again. Any animals that may have been nearby would certainly be gone thanks to his obnoxious volume, precisely what he’d wanted.

Azriel stood with a sigh. “If we’re done, I’d like to—”

“To what?” Cassian interrupted, pausing where he’d begun to head for their horses. “Lock yourself up in your studio and draw?”

“Let him do what he wants, Cass,” Rhys drawled, wrapping his free arm around Azriel’s shoulders. “Though I’m sure it’d be much more quiet in your studio without Cassian’s laughably large mouth,” a protest from Cassian, “if Cassian is to begin courting a young lady soon, this could be our last chance at normalcy for a while.”

Azriel’s hazel eyes bounced between his two brothers before he nodded and wrapped an arm around Rhysand’s middle. “I guess I can come, for a round or two of cards at least.”

“And a drink,” Rhys added, meeting Cassian and clapping him on the back. “In celebration of our brother’s upcoming betrothal.”

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

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