#the short version is that the green one is a knight and the pink one is a prince from a neighboring country-

[puppyluver256]

[Image Description: Three characters resembling younger feminine versions of three different characters deemed “Tumblr Sexymen”, from left to right based on Dr. Habit from Smile For Me, Ingo from Pokemon Black and White/Pokemon Legends Arceus, and Troupe Master Grimm from Hollow Knight.

The first character is a teenage girl loosely resembling Dr. Habit from Smile For Me. She has green skin, long curly red hair in a ponytail, and red eyes with orange sclera. She is wearing a blue coat with turquoise accents and a pink flowery collar, a turquoise belt with a silver buckle, a small dark blue hat, a yellow lily flower in her hair, dark blue tights, and blue high-heeled boots with turquoise accents. She is smiling, revealing a missing tooth. The text on the image is transcribed as a bulleted list after the “keep reading” break, along with a paragraph that is not featured in the image.

The second character is a teenage girl loosely resembling Ingo from both Pokemon Black and White and Pokemon Legends Arceus. She has light skin, short silver hair, and silver eyes. She is wearing a lavender sweater with the circular Pearl Clan insignia on the front, a grey conductor’s hat with a blue and white circular logo on the front, a grey jacket with brown stripes and silver accents resembling train tracks, a brown skirt with silver accents to match the train track design elements of the jacket, lavender leggings, lavender socks, and brown shoes with silver soles. Beside her is a Litwick, a small candle-like ghost Pokemon. It has a white waxy body, a blue flame on top of its head, and green eyes partially hidden by dripping wax resembling “emo” bangs. The text on the image is transcribed as a bulleted list after the “keep reading” break, along with a paragraph that is not featured in the image.

The third character is a teenager resembling a humanoid version of the Grimmchild from Hollow Knight. They have pale grey skin, long red nails, light red eyes with black sclera, and short black hair styled to resemble horns. They are wearing a red sleeveless puffy jacket-style top, a short black cape, a black ribbon accessory that trails down their back, black shorts with black leggings, and black slip-on shoes. On the collar of their cape is a pin resembling the final state of the Grimmchild charm. The text on the image is transcribed as a bulleted list after the “keep reading” break, along with a paragraph that is not featured in the image.

End ID.]

---

okay guys i caved and joined in the sexyman descendants trend despite having never payed attention to the sexyman trend overall, i literally only know that two of the guys these kids are based on were on the poll and grimm has a sexypedia page that i only checked to confirm its mere existence and that + “fashion doll line” was all i was working on, yes i know other people have at least done kids based on habit and grimm but in my defense this has been sitting in my drafts for a while okay i was nervous and also too lazy to write up the text under the readmore for the longest time leave me alone /j

Lilya Habit (she/her), daughter of Dr. Boris Habit

always trying to make people smile

loves flowers and puppets, has a lookalike one called “Miss Habby”

has a passing interest in dentistry from other dad

big sis to Putunia

lost tooth in a model train incident

Of course I had to do one based on the teeth man, even if he apparently didn’t do nearly as well in the tournament as he did in last year’s and losing to someone who shouldn’t be considered a sexy-man at that, Nagito is a minor so if he has to be included it should be as a sexy-boy for the teens to latch onto, but I digress hehe. I realize I coulda gone with a Carla for this, but the joke is kinda to make these kids resemble their sexyman dads, so she’s Lilya instead! Even with a biological daughter in this weird universe I figured Boris and Kamal would still adopt Putunia, and she is the best big sister to the little hero, even if it leads to some punched shins sometimes. ...man, I realized I missed a fun opportunity there in not also drawing Miss Habby XD

Stacey Anville (she/her), daughter of Subway Boss/Warden Ingo

always seems bored

not nearly as loud as her dad and uncle

loves trains just as much tho

loves battling too

feels bad for Lilya’s tooth despite it being an accident

shiny Litwick was bred from Ingo’s Chandelure

Ingo wears black, Emmet wears white, so of course I’d go for grey for Ingo’s kid. Originally I was gonna name her “Donna” as in “downline”, but then I figured “Stacey” would be a better neutral-ish train pun hehe. And of course “Anville” comes from Anville Town, idk what sort of pun that is but iirc that’s one of the places connected to the trains hehe. As for her design, I wanted the outfit to combine both of Ingo’s “homes” so to speak, his original home of Unova and his new home of Hisui. And, of course, the daughter of one of the strongest trainers in both Unova and Hisui is going to have Pokemon of her own, hence the Litwick! I mostly picked Litwick because I like Chandelure most out of Ingo’s team, and because it could cause some silly shenanigans with the third descendent I’m sharing.

Nikki Grimm (they/them), child of Troupe Master Grimm

troublemaker

loves scaring people

sometimes can’t tell when they might be going overboard

tried to eat the flame on Stacey’s Litwick once

very acrobatic

caused Lilya’s “train incident” by sneaking up on Stacey at a bad moment

will hiss at people they don’t like

If you were thinking that this was basically just the Grimmchild (even without reading that image description up there), you’d be right! I figured if anyone was gonna make one of these based on Grimm, that’d be the best direction to go in since he already has a kid of sorts. The fandom generally refers to the Grimmchild as they/them or it/its, right? Someone please, correct me if I’m wrong, I haven’t been able to access the meat of the Grimm Troupe dlc yet in my own playthrough due to not having knowing I didn’t have to have the dream nail powered up enough quite yet. I mean, I might, but I haven’t gone back to the Resting Grounds since I got more essence in order to check. (see if you can guess why I named them “Nikki”, you guys are smart so you’ve got a real good shot at piecing my punnage together ;3 )

Soooo...yeah, that’s my offering to this nonsense, idk if it’s even still a Thing but whatever, sometimes an idea grabs you and you take forever to share the results. If I were drawing these three normally and not with the “fashion doll line” idea in mind, they’d prolly have more varied body shapes. I know Lilya would be much taller than the other two and Nikki prolly wouldn’t have anything resembling boob curvature, but I copy-pasted the body structure and posing to give this thing the exact amount of effort it deserved /j

#sexyman descendants #smile for me #smile for me game #pokemon #hollow knight #jess drew a scribbly mess #no i am not putting this in my main art tag #sfw #image description

[hellohimawarihana]

My Analysis about Binan Koukou Transformation

Do you remember magical girl? Being female and has superpowers from aging up to fighting baddies weren't a rarity in the genre today. But what if we gender swap them and make some parody about something?

That's where Binan Koukou comes in. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu (or "Boueibu" for official short name) is the series where the male quintet from Defense Club are forced to fight the monsters created by people with negative minds, and there's a villain trio (or duo in one case) that were responsible to this. If you watch Binan Koukou franchise until the end then you'll know how those teams will end up. And it's one of the anime series where All characters are boys! Even children are boys too! Whereas there's some characters mention girls on it, there's no single female shown in this Binan Koukou universe.

*cough* Well that aside, let's jump into the transformation part, shall we?

First off, are you familiar with Sailor Moon? For me, yes since it’s one of the anime I watch when I was young and it’s the first anime to have stock footage henshin. Unlike Sailor Moon, Binan Koukou has five members start transforming all at once in the first episode, so what will the staff do then? You’ll find out soon enough...

Protagonists

First off, Battle Lovers from LOVE. The red one, Yumoto has to kiss the bracelet after saying ‘Love Making!’, and the scene goes of him naked, he then creates glazes and start forming his battle suit step-by-step, before introducing himself as Battle Lover Scarlet (those familiar with GoPri that aired on the same year will compare him with Cure Scarlet by name). Notice these scene one by one?

How about the rest of the team? Just look at them, they just form a glaze to surround them, and burst off in full cloth, unlike Yumoto. Long story short, they make a similar case to Sailor Moon’s member. They even keep their hairstyle and even glasses for Atsushi/Epinard (green). The main point of this henshin is the dark-colored background turned lighter upon the completion and the colored naked bodies. Out of all the kissing scene, Ryuu/Vesta (pink) has the best one because of happy face and open eyes during kissing. Anyway, does these scenes remind you of Sailor Mercury’s transformation? Yep, because they’re showing back by the revealing the clothes instantly.

Now you understand? Then let’s move onward to the second season of the first series.

Even with less step, Yumoto still show that he’s the only one with step-by-step henshin. Now with expression to put the cherry on top. The henshin was completed with the formation of the ribbon.

The rest of the team are still shortened and it’s not even good. They surround themselves with the glaze in different way and without any revealing sound, they appear in full cloth. The main point of the henshin is the colored line of their naked bodies and the sparkles in kissing scene, which has different fist pose before kissing. They keep both henshin sequences from here and the first series in the OVA.

Now we'll move on to the second team: Karurusu Knights from HAPPY KISS. Given the same studio that animate the previous season, they kept the traits of: theme color lined nude body, and the activeness. But this one has a weird start.

(unlike previous seasons, these transformations from HAPPY KISS were darkened a LOT, so most pictures are corrected by me. I know that the BD version will fix this, but I can’t find the torrent anywhere...)

The mascot transforms into human and lands to create a wide water barrier. Then the user enters the barrier without getting wet and the mascot reveals a symbol on his hand to be kissed by the user, with no incantation! Although not pictured, there are 5-colored rays of light surrounding Kyotaro/Fiore before activating his transformation.

And in the stock footage, the red leader, Kyotaro, appear naked alone and perform magic by the rod to form the suit step-by-step, starting with right boots. I kind of not liking the one with short shorts because only showing navel at first, and a rising shoulders before summoning gloves. Like Yumoto, Kyotaro completed his henshin by forming a ribbon.

The rest have almost the worst shortened henshin. With similar method (minus the rays of light). They spin their rod (except Ichiro/Spazio [pink]) and encase their naked body in ice shaped in respective theme and quickly breaks. As the scene fades in, they’re fully clothed, keeping their hairstyle like Kyotaro and even glasses for Taishi/Neve (blue). Sailor Moon fans will notice they’re similar to Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus henshin from the first anime. Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto are also the same as the four from Happy Kiss, but without lip scene. Does Ichiro’s full cloth scene reminds you of Atsushi’s from the previous season?

In case of the name, I've been wondering upon watching it: since the series named HAPPY KISS, why they need to have ‘Kiss’ in their warrior name? (like Fiore Kiss, Stella Kiss, Luna Kiss, Neve Kiss and Spazio Kiss) But since they kiss the mascot’s hand, it makes sense, however at that time they felt unmatched for me at all.

Villains

How about the villains? Well, let’s see... for LOVE, there’s Caerula Adamas. For Kinshiro (Chevalier Orite) he scans his right leg and he’s done. The rest of the trio (Ibushi/Argent and Akoya/Perlite) aren’t even a sequence at all aside of roll call and pose.

They’re pretty much the same in terms of the two version of their battle costume (S1's black and S2's white) so I’m not gonna say much, but Kinshiro’s pose with his ring in S2 are very badass at least.

Season 2 introduces the singer duo Haruhiko/Salty Sol and Akihiko/Melty Luna from VEPPER. Where Sol handles the arm, Luna handles the leg. Then there’s split screen then another separate scene for them.

HAPPY KISS introduces Edelstein with the same treatment as Caerula Adamas and Karurusu Knights because their mascot must be in human form to activate their battle form. Ata (Ritter Diamant) has the full body ping while Taiju/Rosenquarz and Masa/Amethyst aren’t even a sequence. But posing-wise they’re better than the previous trio, especially Masa/Amethyst.

And their pose with the rings are cool too, and I especially love their transformation phrase. "Die Verwandlung!!"

Now can you realize the similarities? If you’re familiar with Sailor Moon then yes, the trio are alike Outer Senshi while Beppu siblings are alike Sailor Starlight. In my opinion, among all villain transformations in the franchise, Beppu brothers from S2 are the best one.

Others

Aside from those, there's some transformations where it occurs very short with just posing, though it's reasonable for a number of reasons.

Battle Lovers are forced to de-age into kids that their battle outfit were oversized for them to wear. And the group roll call at the end is simple but cute.

Karurusu Knights reversed this as they become grandpas! I can't imagine them actually transforming in that state, but I really like Taishi/Neve's pose here, it's so funny.

Okay, guess I covered the entire thing from the series and let's end this session with ''Happy Powder!''

In conclusion, these two series has only the red leader performing like the regular transformation do, and the other four and almost all villains just do something to be instantly appear in full cloth afterwards, just like the rest of the member of Sailor Moon. While LOVE members can transform by their own, Happy Kiss requires their respective mascot in human form which it felt a bit like PriMagi (for beginning part, at least). I’m feeling the rest of the four’s transformation animation are just getting worse season by season, but the flow without worrying about it is still awesome, though. But give this franchise a pass if you want all members including the leader have longer step-by-step henshin because you might be disappointed if you watch Binan Koukou and even Sailor Moon’s transformations (because I'm a fan of step-by-step transformation and that's why the males from non-magical girl shows had one of the best transformation in my opinion). That’s enough analysis for now and I’ll see you in my next post!

#henshin #my henshin review #binan koukou #binan koukou chikyuu bouei bu love! #binan koukou chikyuu bouei bu happy kiss!

[yolkcheeks]

a very special episode of catgirl captain planet

this is a livewatch and i am drinking wine so, you know, mew mew new, in your face!

I was bracing myself for the OP after going right to the chokeout, grateful they held back as much as it would have been hilarious

force ghost emo boyfriend!! u tell him baby, boku wa taking my body back

oh no, black lightning

the power of hope and also magical musical instruments are on her side

hand grasp powers! just like with Lettuce

poor Pai he’s re-WHAT THE FUCK

tiny pupils psychosis has taken hold

damn, aoyama really is the ultimate mahou boyfriend, even functions as a no-roaming cellphone

shabon spray everyone back to full HPm hell yeah

aww one last glimpse of the blue knight

girl your ears are so big you know what you [didn’t] hear.

oh, sweet, yelling works! I am certain she would have tried CPR next, tho

aww Mint. I love a good mina-san scene [also that was a long time between bubble resurrection and running upstairs, the girlfriends were totally making out]

I do not get Purin/Tart but I can get down with Purin & Tart, if you get me. They’re too young for me to get it as romantic but I dig them as found family

Pai shut the fuck up, no, you don’t get to be a sweetie with a change of heart after THAT. I’m mad for your characterization, you deserved better.

Lettuce, my love, your design has too many shades of green, but I really love your growth, I didn’t even remember the Beckies when we saw them and neither should you.

ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa kishigo fans i am happy for you, what a lil scamp bwahaha

girl bye

their angel wings should have been pastel versions of their colors rather than white so it would be less weird that Mint gets wings on top of her wings

[i looked for an xzibhit gif but I guess that was from the jpeg memeternet]

Aww, Ichigo is carrying Aoyama like how Mint carried Zakuro, I guess they really are romantic >:3

omg watercolor stills with exactly what I asked for

aww Miwa & Moe, hi gorls

ANOTHER ZANY ZAKURO PLAN love this for her, I am immiediately deciding she & Pudding spent the better part of the last week planning this

I am gonna need to analyze their different ninja uniforms at some point

new party outfits!

also I wanna make that spread everything looks so gooood

we can talk about this later, i gotta get to bed soon, short list of not in this shot, some sorta cream thing decorated with blueberries, tea and coffee service, a big pink straight walled tart, christmas cake

oh everyone’s little gasps

MAN GETTING A HUG GOODBYE AT THE AIRPORT shit u can’t do anymore( T-T)

all the animals!

Mint corporation!

Zakuro being impulsive!

FOUND FAMILY! the pudlings climbing all over tart, I love that, molto bene

Lettuce got herself a GLAM internship! we love to see it.

I know she’s gotta list everyone but ouch Keiichiro really didn’t get much characterization time did he? I guess he was busy with his successful top surger between the seasons, wearing a binder with all that moving around in the kitchen was a pain *nodnod*

aww groupshot cute, I love Zakuro playing with Pudding

Well, Berry fans, I am sorry. I am also sorry for me, but I kinda knew we weren’t gonna get a Ringo cameo/easter egg

Okay, bedtime, but I am so excited to read everyone’s thoughts tomorrowwwww

#yolkcheeks watching #tokyo mew mew new spoilers #tmm new s2e12 #tmm new #tmm new spoilers #mew mew amiche #kinda #generally gonna try to resist the urge to use tag asides #as a courtesy #but i am not making promises i can't keep

[elderbwrry]

Girls' Night

tags: the knights of ren, All Women Knights of Ren, Girl's night, Girl's Knight, haha please like me, Fluff and Humor, Adversarial Kylux, Very much a WIP, Kylux, although fair warning it might not be that relationshippy

Read it on ao3

Summary: Hux is surprised by what the Knights of Ren get up to in their free time - it's strangely humanising. Unfortunately, Ren is still being the Lord of all Assholes. Hux needs a way to get back at him. It gives him an idea.

Hux marched down the corridor in the Finalizer's quarters deck, the section dedicated to command personnel. The immaculately tiled and polished floors glinted as he whipped past them. He was walking a little faster than usual, he noticed with distaste, but it wasn't surprising; this was his last task before he could officially count his shift as “over” and, instead of standing stiffly on the bridge checking reports, he could settle down to checking them in the comfort of his quarters. His sofa beckoned, along with another three hours of beloved admin, then five necessary hours of sleep before his next shift.

Moments ticked by as he had to pause and wait for a security door to open, and he felt his frustration manifesting itself in his brow. He was currently delaying himself by heading approximately six minutes out of the way of his own quarters, all to give Ren little more than a telling off. This wasn't the first time the glorified poser had caused him this kind of issue – trust Ren to get in the way, he excelled at it – but it was the first time Hux was personally carrying the message round to his quarters that he needed to file a report for the mission he returned from over a week ago.

Hux had tried the usual ways of getting hold of Ren; on his return to the ship, Hux had informed him a report was due; an automated reminder had been sent; a follow-up reminder had been sent; Hux sent a reminder himself. Today, when his agenda noted that Ren still remained unresponsive, Hux hailed him over internal comms. No reply. He called Mitaka in, intending to send him to Ren's quarters, but the poor man had paled at the knight's very name. So, Hux had dismissed him, and undertaken to deliver the message himself.

Hux didn't bother to wonder the reason why Ren wasn't completing the report – undoubtedly it was because he was irresponsible, disrespectful, possibly illiterate – he only amused himself to wonder what foolish excuse would be employed this time. “Meditation,” Hux's mind supplied in a mocking approximation of Ren's voice without that ostentatious helmet, “important Force matters,” “training,” “I was just really tired and forgot :(”

He was just shaking his head disapprovingly at the imagined pout as he drew up outside the door itself. He pressed the button to request entry, pushing it harder than necessary until his thumb joint hurt, as if somehow that would convey through the automated, equalized buzz sound how annoyed he was with Ren taking up his time like this.

The door puffed open, and Hux's mouth was already opened to give Ren a piece of his mind when he realised that the person in front of him was not, in fact, Ren. Instead, stood before him was a woman nearly a head shorter than himself, her long, black hair piled on her head in a decidedly non-regulation messy bun, drawn away from her face, on which was slathered some kind of light pink paste. She was wrapped in a fluffy, pink dressing gown, under which appeared to be heart patterned pink pyjamas.

Hux's planned rebuke of Ren fell away into an, “Uh.” Usually, he had time to prepare himself for any kind of non-work-related interactions, but he had planned to go into this with a clipped, righteous annoyance and come out of it with a self-indulgent bit of riling Ren up, and now that Ren was not available for that, he had nothing.

“Yes?” she said, about as neutrally as Hux supposed anyone would, when called upon while attired as she was.

“I must have the wrong quarters,” was what he managed to reply.

“These aren't mine,” she explained, pointing behind her, around a corner which Hux couldn't see, “You looking for Kylo?”

“Yes,” Hux said stiffly, “is Ren here?”

The woman leaned back inside the door, around the corner Hux still couldn't see. “Kyle!” she called, “visitor.”

“He's not getting up, wet nails!” someone called back, another female sounding voice.

Just what was happening in there? How many women were there, and what were they doing in Ren's quarters, of all places, clad in such unofficial wear? Hux shuddered to think. Was he also going to have to remind Ren of the rules against fraternisation with inferior officers? That was sure to be a fun conversation of Ren not giving a kriff and Hux being able to do little but barb his words and maybe mention the situation to Snoke. Odd, though – Hux had never thought Ren had showed any preference for women... or perhaps that had just been wishful thinking.

The woman before him remained still for a moment, her brown eyes glazing over just slightly in a way which made Hux think she wasn't entirely mentally present. Then the look was gone as soon as it had come, and she frowned, annoyed. “He wants you to leave,” she informed him, “but he wasn't very nice about it, so you're coming in.” She turned and retreated back inside, beckoning casually for him to follow.

After a moment, once Hux's brain had caught up – Ren had just communicated with the woman through the Force, and now he was being invited in against those wishes. He slipped through the door, letting it puff closed behind him.

The first fact of the place was that Ren's quarters were larger than Hux's. Hux had known this, of course – he'd scoffed over the confirmation for the allocation when Ren had first transferred over, perfectly happy to take moderately sized quarters himself – but, as he walked down the grandly inlaid corridor from the entrance antechamber to what was presumably a living space, it contributed to the sense of an impending mystery as to what, exactly, he was about to discover. He hoped it was nothing too debauched.

“You're that General, aren't you?” the woman a step in front of him asked over her shoulder. “Hanks? Hugs?”

“Hux,” he corrected. He disliked intensely when people got his name wrong. He was the General of the ship they were all currently hurtling through space on, he was the General Starkiller – how could she not know who he was? “Who are you?”

“Ushar,” she replied easily. No rank, no designation of any sort, no actual deference to him as a General; all things Hux made a mental note of for later, when he could check the ship manifest.

“Might I ask what you're...”

Hux had begun to speak with an acerbic self-confidence – it was his ship, and he demanded to know what was happening on it – but it all became clear when Ushar opened the door to the central living area and the situation was revealed. It was the second time Hux had been caused to falter in his words in the last five minutes, and he didn't appreciate it. “What is this?” he asked, minorly horrified, as he took in the scene before him.

Ushar shrugged. “Girls' night.”

The room looked like some kind of stereotypical, tacky imitation of a Zeltronian spa had taken over. There were tall glasses of something bubbly scattered around, half-drunk, the bottle chilling in a bucket of ice on the coffee table, which was scattered with cosmetic items. A holo-romance was playing off to the side. Boxes of chocolates fountained forth crunched up wrappers. There were four women – two humans, a zabrak and a twi'lek – lounging around in the pit of cushions the room had been turned into. The cushions were allpink to match the identical pink bath robes and headbands and fluffy slippers the room's inhabitants were sporting. And, at the centre of it all; Ren.

“You...” Hux started, under his breath just enough that no-one would take notice of the stammering. He had certainly not expected this. “I...”

Ren, clad too in pink fluffy bath robe, seemingly with nothingunder it this time, finally took notice that Ushar had led Hux in, as he sat up quickly and angrily, removing slices of some green vegetable from over his eyes. The woman who had been painting his toenails – black, possibly the only thing that could reconcile the Ren Hux was used to with this strange, pink perversion before him – protested, but he ignored her, instead hurrying to his feet and wading his way out of the pillows.

“I told you to make him leave,” Ren growled at Ushar, but the effect was considerably diminished thanks to his appearance. The bathrobe he wore was the short, fun kind of style which only came to his knees; the pink headband kept all his hair back from his face gave him a kooky sort of bird's nest; his face was slathered with a light green version of what Ushar had on, all except for comical spaces around his eyes and lips.

Ushar glared at him. “You shouldn't have ordered me like that, then,” she said, going over to sit next to the zabraki woman, shuffling in closer than was strictly platonic and picking up one of the glasses. “I'm not some stormtrooper.”

“You're ruining the night,” Ren brandished the vegetable slice at her. It wobbled.

“You'reruining the night!” the woman Ushar was sat next to shot back. “He's here after you!”

“Yeah, Kyle,” the twi'lek said from the sofa in a tone that was very much mocking, but still friendly, popping a chocolate in her mouth. Who were these people, that they could speak to Kylo Ren like this and get away with it?

Ren turned back to Hux, glowering. The face paste made him look like a clown. The outside finally reflects the inside, Hux thought to himself while wondering if Ren had waxed his legs or if they were just like that naturally, and had to force himself not to laugh. He obviously didn't mask his expressions quite as well as he should have, however, because Ren seemed to sense that Hux was amusing himself at his expense. Seizing Hux's upper arm in a grip to rival that of a hangar-bay droid, Ren manhandled Hux back to the door of the room, away from the group.

“Unhand me, you oaf,” Hux admonished, shaking Ren off him and lowering his tone a little so as not to disturb the ladies, who, in their disregard of Ren's plumped-up edginess, had endeared themselves to him.

“Why are you here?” Ren demanded before he'd even finished speaking, also at subdued pitch.

“Why are you here?” Hux returned, hissingly. “Who are these people? Why are you not completing the mission report which you have had no fewer than five requests for? Why the hells are your quarters this gods-awful colour?”

Ren took a moment to glare at Hux.

Hux interpreted this as having the upper hand. “Well?”

“I'm not completing any more of your stupid kriffing reports,” he said as if it were obvious. “I told you that already.”

Hux cycled through his memory quickly. He remembered Ren slamming down the last report onto his desk and threatening something similar, but he'd disregarded it, because reports were Necessary, and it was not a possibility for anyone to simply not do them.

“You will do the report,” Hux replied.

“No.”

“You'll do it now.”

Ren snorted. “No.”

Hux bristled. “Ren, I have been forced to come down here – well out of my way – to extract this report from you, only to find you sitting around like some... pampered princess, when I could be-”

“Good point actually, let's return to it. What are you doing down here?” Ren frowned and crossed his arms, but his lips curled cruelly, ready, Hux was sure, to make some insult about his doing such menial work.

“That brings me to the next matter,” Hux plucked the opportunity of throwing in this additional argument, squaring up. “You have intimidated my administrative staff to the point where it is necessary that I waste my time in a way which is thoroughly unacceptable to me.”

Ren widened his eyes in mock sympathy. “Did you forget how to use a comm?”

This only pissed Hux off more, because something about the movement was ridiculously attractive. He wasn't sure whether it was the slight shrug which emphasised Ren's muscular arms, the fact that the pink really brought out the rich shade of his hair, or even the cruelty behind the act itself, but it could not stand.

“I'm quite familiar with the comms system,” he spat, “it seems that you are the one having trouble, since you failed to reply to my hails. As my co-commander,” (Hux had practised in his bathroom mirror not grimacing as he said this) “you are expected to answer your comms when I call. It is highly unprofessional of you to shirk your duty like this.”

Ren momentarily pursed his lips. His next words were caustic. “I don't intend to waste my life away at work like you do, slaving over a tablet until I look like the living dead. At least I know how to relax.”

Hux's eye twitched. “I know how to relax.” An imagined image of himself on his icy blue sofa in his black and red robe, his cat to one side, his data-pad in hand, appeared in his mind. That was relaxing.

“No you don't,” Ren scoffed. “You should see the bags under your eyes. You look more drawn out than all the Starkiller blueprints put together.”

Mentally, Hux's self-image adjusted so that his porcelain skin turned grey, the lines of his face more prominent, the room dark until only he was visible by the harsh light of the data-pad. It could not have been more different than his current surroundings of pink and fluffiness and companionship and soft lighting.

“Get out of my head, Ren,” he said, putting the warping of his imagined scene down to some Force meddling.

“I'm not in your head,” Ren replied, “you're just sad and lonely and jealous that you have to go do a report while I have a nice night with my knights – my friends. You,” he pointed sassily, “could never have this,” he pointed back to the ladies. “Now kriff off, I'm not doing the report. Maybe you should do it yourself, since you have such a boner for that kind of thing.” The door far behind Hux puffed open, presumably manipulated by the Force.

“I expect the report before the end of my shift tomorrow,” Hux said, voice dangerous and low. How dare Ren speak to him like that. How dare he judge what Hux did to relax, while he was being a layabout with these random, cool ladies... doing... fun things like... painting nails and getting tipsy... and watching holo-dramas... and... he wasn't jealous.

“Leave,” Kylo told him.

Hux narrowed his eyes. “You will regret this, Ren.” He turned on his heel and marched from the room, commenting to himself once more as the door puffed closed behind him, “You will regret this.”

[line break]

Kylo watched Hux retreat from the room, waiting until the door had closed to turn and make his way back to his knights. He flopped himself back down onto the floor, jostling Ap'lek's sofa cushions in the process.

“Ah kriff,” he complained as he saw his black-smudged toes stretched out in front of him, “he made me ruin my nail paint.”

“I'm not doing them again,” Trudgen said, tossing the little black bottle at him, shifting around to watch the holo and grabbing a chocolate. “You shoulda been more careful when you got up instead of rushing off to be a bitch.”

Kylo sighed over-dramatically and called out, “Cardo!” She and Kuruk were in the kitchen, probably making an unsightly mess of the place, but Kylo knew only she would be willing to finish the paint for him. Of course, he would have to take the chance that the stuff would end up even more smudged than it already was, and, now he was thinking about it, he would probably be better off just dipping his entire feet in nail polish.

A chocolate wrapper hit the side of his head. He turned to see Ushar had thrown it. “Just do it yourself,” she told him, “it's not like it's hard.”

But he wanted to feel spoiled, that was the whole point of this spa evening anyway. He called Cardo's name again, whinier this time.

“What?!” came the shouted reply, “We're making mug muffins!”

Vicrul frowned, straightening up a little where her arm was thrown around Ushar's shoulders. “In the microwave?”

“Yeah!”

“Huh,” Vicrul shrugged, settling back down again. “Good luck cleaning that.”

Kylo groaned, letting his head fall back onto the sofa cushion behind him. First Hux was on him about a report, then none of his knights would do his nails for him, now Cardo was splattering his lovely microwave with chocolate batter. This was all Hux's fault. Kylo wasn't sure how yet, but it was.

He opened his eyes to see Ap'lek looking down at him, where his head rested by her left elbow. “What's this about a report then?” she asked flatly. Kylo just groaned again and re-closed his eyes.

“You can't be procrastinating this stuff again,” Ushar nagged him over the sound of footsteps, accompanied by a smell of chocolate, and a thunk-clink of a tray with spoons being set down on the table as the cooks brought the muffins through. “Your job is important, here, Kylo. Snoke wants you to do well.”

“To hell with Snoke,” Kylo mumbled, hoping the crusty fart wasn't spying on his thoughts as they spoke. Paperwork was a fate worse than a fate worse than all the Sith hells combined.

“Then we want you to do well,” she continued.

“Plus we blew up so much shit on that mission,” Vicrul added, and Kylo opened his eyes to glare at her as she accepted a mug from Kuruk.

“You have to tell the General about that some time, why not put it in a report? You'd save him lots of time, probably. I bet he'd be so appreciative.”

Kylo accepted a mug proffered by Kuruk and waved it about a bit. “Since when do we care about saving Hux time? I meant what I said, he loves paperwork so much he probably,” he picked up a spoon and stabbed it into the fluffy top of the muffin, watching steam come out as he tried to pick a suitably ridiculous image of Hux. “He probably sleeps with all the files strewn over his bed and like,” he made a face, “rubs them on his body, gets all cozy with them at night. I don't know.”

“I'm pretty sure he does paperwork on his data-pad,” Ap'lek said, and she was right, though Kylo resented that she'd killed his roll.

“Just do the kriffing report, Kyle.” Trudgen hadn't pulled her attention away from the holo enough to face him as she'd said it, but apparently had been paying enough attention to comment, “Anything to stop him showing up and interrupting us. Girls' night is a no-business zone.”

Cardo chose that moment to vault over the back of the sofa and land heavily on the cushions. “Ooh, General Hux came over?” she asked cheerfully. Her hands were, predictably, still coated in chocolate powder. “I can't believe I missed him, I want to see if his hair is gelled that solid from close up.” She grabbed her mug and dug into the muffin.

“The General shouts too much,” Kuruk said, sitting cross legged on a cushion by the coffee table. “He should check his blood pressure, it can't be good for him.”

“Hey, a bit like you!” Cardo added, “You must call me through next time. He's cute.”

Kylo opened his mouth – partly to gape at what had just been said, and partly because the muffin was too hot and he hadn't had the impulse control to prevent eating a large spoonful. “Hey!” he started a few times, mouth full and burning. Finally, he was able to swallow. “He is not cute, and there will be no,” he wobbled his mug and spoon in a no-fingered version of quotation marks, “next time.”

“Then do the report,” Ushar shot back.

Kylo made a loud complaint noise.

“He's not gonna do it because he wants the General to come over again,” Ap'lek teased, and, to Kylo's horror, all his knights laughed. Traitors. He didn't want Hux to come over again.

“I don't,” he replied vehemently, “I want him to kriff off and stop annoying me.”

“I think that's against his job description,” Kuruk said, prompting further laughs.

“You should just do it,” Ushar said, getting to her feet after a moment more.

“Hey, where you going?” Vicrul asked sadly, not letting go of Ushar's hand.

“Babe, I gotta peel my face.”

“Wait, let me come with, it's really satisfying.”

The two disappeared off, and Kylo had to add 'his knights screwing in his bathroom' to his list of sub-par things to happen this evening. He wasn't going to do the report. He couldn't be bothered, he didn't want to, he hated writing things and making them sound 'formal'. No, tonight he was going to finish his mug muffin, paint his nails and fall asleep with his knights in front of a trashy holo-romance. Hux would get the hell in eventually and do the report himself. Give it a few more days, and Kylo was sure Hux would drop the issue.

#kylux #fanfiction #my writing #girls night #armitage hux #kylo ren #knights of ren #the knights of ren #star wars #star wars sequels

[mysticalmusicwhispers]

lovers’ dreams

Summary: “A day fit for a spring dream.” And then he kisses Roshan, and they become lost in each other.

Characters: India (Aditya), China, Iran/Persia (Roshan, genderfluid). Human names used. Indran, Churan, and Indchu for ships!

Notes: 100% distilled surrealism! This was supposed to be a writing exercise that ran away from me rip. There are many footnotes that explain Many things. Enjoy!

also on AO3! (there are bonus thoughts and explanations there for anyone who’s interested or slightly confused 😅. everything necessary for you to understand the story is here too but I ramble about my thoughts going into the piece on AO3 lol)

———

The willow’s drooping branches hide Yao’s face like a beaded curtain, a bride’s sheer red veil. The spring breeze snakes through the tree, and the sound of wedding suona—sorna rings through the silence. A flutter of phoenix wings brushes past their ear, a whisper on the wind. Roshan walks languidly until they are in front of Yao; it takes a minute—it takes a month. Yao’s face is sharp and his eyes glint, like the jade in his belt. But the kiss is soft when they take his lips in theirs, and it tastes of the rose’s tender petals. The clean sweetness of flowers is warm against Roshan’s face and the fragrance of tea drifts into their nostrils. 

Yao pulls away, and Roshan opens their eyes to polished jade thorns sprouting up from the earth around them—crisp green, sharp-tipped; elegant, dangerous. So these are the fruits of our love. It is fitting. They lean to kiss Yao again, and this time, a laugh peals through the air when they part. It is not Roshan’s, and it isn’t Yao’s. But it is clear as spring water and tinkles like a bell, a joyous sound, and it makes Yao smile—a smile that is gentle, calculating; sweet, dangerous. A copper coin hides in the corner of his lips. “A day fit for a spring dream.” And then he kisses Roshan, and they become lost in each other.

When Roshan opens their eyes again, Yao is gone. They are standing in nothingness, a shell of a dream. A liminal plane. A wedding song echoes in the empty space, loud and cheerful, although there are no musicians to be seen playing the dohol, the sorna. Then sprung from the air, a mirror of fate, Aayeneh-ye Bakh, with its customary candelabras flanking it, and with their dots of golden light—miniature suns, sparkling stars. Its face shimmers, clear and gleaming: a pond on a full moon night—and in it, Yao stands, his reflection bright, splendid robes shimmering like gold scales and fine silk. Roshan reaches out a hand, and pulls him into a kiss.

“Welcome back, my dear.”

———

It is sunset, and a chill brushes past Yao’s shoulders and winds through his hair. The sky burns red, and fork tongued flames lick at the sun. A world bathed in fire, on the cusp of night. A lotus pond sits before him, and a figure is at its edge—Aditya, adorned in gold, the perfect figure of a prince. He, a dream of glittering palaces and beady emeralds, bright against the glow of the setting sun, sharp against the bloody sky. He holds a lotus blossom out, and Yao takes it. It is pure, tender in his calloused hands. A drop of blood drips from a petal. He lets it float into the water, and Aditya watches with him as the peach pink petals drop before their eyes—the lotus head balloons, then falls with the weight of seeds; it withers, a shell of its fruit. Divine beauty is short lived—seasons turn with the winds of change.  

Aditya loops an arm around him, bare skin on bare skin, the warmth of the sun hanging around them like a curtain. Their lips meet. The kiss is long, and lingers even after Yao pulls away; it is slightly bitter, but how could it not be? Aditya’s eyes are like black tea, and Yao tastes acrid lily bulbs. The sky has faded into burnt orange, the aftermath of a blaze. Autumn leaves fall from ginkgo trees, golden yellow, bright with memories of the past. Aditya closes his eyes, and Yao watches him sink into a dream.

The scene shifts before his eyes. The lotus pond morphs into a giant chessboard, and they are on opposite sides. Aditya plays white. Cream colored pawns meet chocolate brown knights, and they watch as kings rise and fall, as steady as the spinning of the world. Chariots race and elephants trumpet; the cavalry fight with long swords and bows, and the peasants use polearms, raised fists. Yao meets Aditya’s eyes, warm but gleaming with an ambition that has never gone away. He nods to his neighbor to the west, to his rival, lover, partner, equal. Aditya smiles.

“So we meet again.”

———

It is afternoon, and the sun is warm on his face. Roshan sits on a bench in the courtyard, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, a pomegranate in the other. Aditya nestles into their side, and they give him a feather light cheek kiss, gift him a wisp of air. They hold out the pomegranate, offers it, and Aditya takes a bite. Roshan takes the other half. They watch as the fruit regrows, seeds become jewels, glittering rubies in folds of red fabric. Roshan holds one up to the light with a critical eye. They spread tawny wings, amber eagle eyes alight with the pride of the past present future. A lion and the sun. The wings disappear—a trick of the light, reality fallen away. Then they hold up the cup of coffee.

“For you.” Aditya smiles, and offers a cup of black tea in return.

We have shared many things, and fought over equally many. How will it be in the future? He takes a sip, and falls through the cup.

A cemetery of swords surrounds them, a memory of things gone by. Afternoon sunlight filters through the trees, winds into Roshan’s hair. Idly peaceful. Flowers sprout through the earth; wither; climb up the rusted metal once again. A vine of roses twists around the hilt of a ceremonial spear, supple and full against cool, glinting steel. The leaves flicker, green yellow dead green again. Its blossom is still fresh red, like passion, like their love, pooling around them like a million memories, a still night in the river of time. Aditya looks at Roshan, different yet the same, a reflection of what they once were. Familiar, always, despite the changing tides and shifting dreams.

———

Notes

this part might actually be longer than the fic itself rip 😔 reminder that there’s extra rambling on ao3 lol

Suona/sorna: suona (唢呐) is a traditional wind instrument often played at wedding and funeral processions in northern China! (also used in Southeast China + Taiwan) It’s very loud and has a super brassy sound, but personally I think it sounds alright! The instrument came from Central Asia and is also used at weddings in Iran (where it’s spelled sorna/sarna), where it’s played with a dohol, a large cylindrical drum.

Phoenixes: wedding imagery in China, where a dragon symbolizes the groom and the phoenix the bride. There’s also an analogue to the phoenix in Persian mythology, a simurgh, which is a benevolent creature that is said to purify the land, roosts in the Tree of Knowledge, and apparently has seen the world be destroyed 3 times. Can symbolize healing, divinity, wisdom, and life. (the simurgh symbolism doesn't have much relevance to the fic but I thought it was incredibly interesting to read about lol)

Spring dream: very loosely referencing the Chinese phrase 一场春梦 (yi chang chun meng), which literally translates to an episode of a spring dream. It means the feeling that past predictions or events were actually totally wrong and fruitless, like you expected something (probably really good), but then woke up to reality not being up to your expectations? I can’t translate 😔

Mirror of Fate: In traditional Iranian weddings, a large, elaborate table with flowers and food and different spices is set up (sofreh aghd). A mirror of fate and 2 candelabras are also placed in the center of the table. The mirror represents how fate brought the bride and groom together, and the candelabras represent light and fire. The mirror is there so that when the groom looks into it, the first thing he should see is his betrothed's reflection.

Lotus blossoms: in China and India and many other parts of Asia, lotuses represent purity (they grow from dark mud but the flowers are pure white/pink), the divine, elegance, spiritual promise, the good part of humanity. so, a lotus with a drop of blood in Yao’s hands would be interesting.

Lily bulbs: this is purely self projection but lily bulbs (baihe) are used in Chinese medicine and I despise them. They're not super bitter but they taste starchy, bland, and off. Also lilies and lotuses are pretty similar and I thought that would be interesting :>

Chess: idk if I need a note for this but chess originated as an Indian game called Chaturanga and spread over to China and Iran, among many other places in Asia.

Tea and Coffee: nothing really special about this besides that Iranians Really Like tea. Decided to make India drink coffee instead for contrast; realistically he’d also be drinking tea lol

Eagle eyes: the Iranian/Persian symbol of the Faravahar, from Zoroastrianism has wings that are supposed to be eagle wings (I think? correct me if it’s just unspecified). You’ve probably seen it; it depicts a man with spread wings, half kneeling in a side view. Nowadays it’s also a symbol of Iranian culture, history, and national pride, besides being representative of Zoroastrianism.

Rose: national flower of Iran, and obv I don’t need to explain the other rose connotations. Also I’ve fully adopted the hc that Roshan and all their stuff smells like roses so that’s there too.

Lion and the sun: getting lazy with the explanations, but the short version is that it was a very important Iranian national symbol for many reasons, moreso tied to the state than culture (imo); it was also on the national flag up till the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although I’m still debating how much Roshan is associated with the state, I also think sun and lion imagery fits them (glory, golden days, pride and courage). It’s super interesting, go search it up if you wanna read more!

This whole fic was somewhat inspired by this one, and the indchu bit was also somewhat inspired by this fanart.

If you made it down here, you have all my gratitude. Feedback is welcome and appreciated! Thanks for reading <3

#fic musings #the three sections *can* represent specific historical time periods; even if it's very vague; however my original intention was to just have #them kiss in a surrealist painting's landscape; so you can really read it however you want. there are more thoughts on ao3 tho! :> #aph india #aph china #aph persia #musings #aph iran #hws india #hws china #hws persia #hws iran #indran #indchu #churan #hetalia fanfiction #hetalia #aph #hws #hetalia fanfic #hetalia fic #aph china fic #aph india fic #indran fic #indchu fic #churan fic

[mediocre--writing]

Favorite Crime

S- I was your willing accomplice, honey

Bad news. Bad news, bad news, bad news.

Nobody had a single good word to his name, besides a praise for his party facade or his skills in bed.

But there's always a deeper story behind a headline, or that's what Nancy had always told him. That this unflattering headline covered a hurt, poor person who was, more than likely, being villainized for a story. That's what happened with Jonathan, right?

Bad guy has a shitty family life and it turns out he's not the villain at all, just different in a way people don't yet understand.

But how can someone so cruel and crude have a deeper story than just being a jackass?

Turns out, it's always more complicated than calculus homework Steve still doesn't understand.

A short word from Max itched a scratch inside Steve's head that had been bothering him since the first day. The way he sauntered, never just walked, nor did he ever cower, the way he always looked so fine, so perfect, so okay.

Just like Steve does, he guesses. The focus on his hair and his clothing and how he's perceived, it doesn't matter to him how he looks, he just wants people off his back.

So, it's not surprising that it was an uphill journey, more like a completely vertical wall standing between them, but they somehow made it to the top, made it together.

Somehow, despite the fights and denials, despite the reluctance and the running, it was rough, and it seemed like gravity was strongest at the top, trying to pull them down the closer they got together. They're standing at the top, this once unattainable point that seemed like the top of the world where the sun shined brightest on them and only them. Nobody else.

Except there's always someone else, isn't there?

It's not always someone falling in love with someone else or falling out of love with the one they were destined to be with, sometimes there's pressures you can't fight on your own, sometimes they're even too strong to fight with someone else. Sometimes you can't defeat your enemy like the knight slays the dragon. Sometimes you don't live happily ever after with the princess and she just stays locked in her tower until someone can actually save her.

B- Doe-eyed as you buried me

The eyes, the lashes, the soft glances in the hallway and the sweet smiles shared during practice. They all pile up over time, creating this deep, strong warmth that keeps your body warm. The warmth that you don't notice until you're separated from it for a second too long.

The fire ignited in a once ice cold heart that gives meaning and light to a corrupted soul begging for help.

Those big, brown eyes that were once referred to as "ugly cow eyes," a statement that Billy couldn't disagree with more. Because even if they were cow eyes, they were sweet, beautiful, innocent eyes that were so willing to love.

Eyes that opened his own, opened his eyes to a bright, new future he didn't even know existed before.

It was smothering, the feeling, which he hadn't felt in almost ten years now, one he didn't realize he'd forgotten what that love felt like, what being cared for felt like.

He fell into love like a poor, unexpecting animal would fall into a hunter's trap.

It was like he knew it was happening, he noticed he was falling and tried to grab onto the sides of the trap, try to claw his way out, but he inevitably fell to the bottom, laying on his back, but he noticed that this trap wasn't so bad. He could still feel the sunlight on his cheeks and there was someone there, laying next to him who offered great comfort as they waited for the predator to kill them both.

But it felt safer when there was dirt being put on top of him to keep the burning heart warm, it was like the predator wouldn't be able to spot them if they hid for long enough under this false hope, because they were still stuck in the bottom of the trap and they were only digging themselves deeper.

S- And now, every time a siren sounds, I wonder if you're around

Steve's favorite color was always purple. He liked the harshness of red and the calm of blue and purple always seemed to fit the blend. It was a strong color, something he'd associated with his best days and reminded him of this innocence he loved.

He doesn't love purple so much anymore.

The neon signs above shops and restaurants, composed of this beautiful red and dashing blue turned the dark mall into a bright purple.

The fireworks bouncing off the walls and their faces glowed in bright yellows and greens and blues and reds and purples.

And that purple hue covered everything that night. Not a single light was burning brighter than that purple color.

The red blood gushing down his chest wasn't beautiful and the sight of his dashing blue eyes closing was more horrifying than any sight he'd ever been forced to watch.

He hated purple. He hated the mix of blue and red and he hated the beautiful purple color that highlighted his face while he struggled to breathe, while he searched for Steve’s eyes and reached out for his hand before he just--stopped.

And the sirens, God, the sirens.

They were loud and blaring and the god damn red flashing lights were mixing with the blue lights from cop cars and Steve was so fucking sick of seeing those colors everywhere. So fucking sick of that loud blaring noise, but that also could have been a result of the concussion and blood loss he’d experienced within the past 48-ish hours.

And, he gets it, that sometimes people just don’t get lucky enough to make it.

But it’s been close to three months and every time a cop car or ambulance passes him, he just wants to sprint after it, like he wanted to that night, just to see him one more time before the inevitable ends it for good.

The inevitable, isn’t it always funny that you can stop it? Or--could have stopped it. There’s always a solution that could have prevented this “unpreventable” event, yet people pretend it isn’t so. That people die because it’s “meant to be” and not a tragic fate that no good person deserves.

The inevitable, isn’t so inevitable, turns out, on a day in November when Max admits a hidden truth.

And they meet again, but it feels the same. They missed each other unlike any person they hadn’t seen. They just sit for hours, barely talking but just holding hands, squished on this tiny hospital bed where a, supposedly dead, teenager and his boyfriend sit and silently cry.

And as they hear an ambulance pull up outside of the hospital, Steve doesn’t tense like he has been for the past months, he just squeezes Billy’s hand tighter and feels his breathing from where they’re touching.

B- But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face

The camaro, the doctors warned him that he may not like driving it, some form of PTSD from the night and the accidents that had occured, but Billy felt more released from his problems as he drove the car than when he had to sit in a hospital room or talk with his step sister and the nerd herd about...well, anything.

And the sunrise, how beautiful sunrises were above treelines as you release your problems with a loud rev of an engine.

He’d done his morning like he always would, made coffee when he woke up, got dressed, poured an extra cup for Steve, kissed him on the forehead when he left it on the nightstand, then lounged around the living room for a while.

Except today was different.

Billy wasn’t getting up at 6am, he was getting up at 5.

And he didn’t get dressed and lounge around, he got dressed and loaded his favorite things into his car.

But he was making the cup of coffee for Steve to wake up to when he got up at 7, it just probably wouldn’t be as hot as it usually was.

There’s a new step, but just for this day. He rips off a piece of paper from the notepad that they left by the phone.

He rips off the corner, enough to fold in half so it sits upright on the nightstand.

He draws a sloppy heart, one Steve always said just looked like a fat ‘X’, and signs a little ‘B’ in his “fancy prince handwriting” as Steve always called it.

He set the paper next to the cup of coffee, pulled up the sheets on his side of the bed, pushed Steve’s messy bed head back and left a soft peck on his forehead, then one on the tip of his nose. Steve’s pink, chapped lips moved into a soft, dopey smile as Billy pulled the blankets over his chest more, it was starting to get cold with October approaching.

The camaro roared under him as he started it up and pulled out of the driveway, working his way West, all the way to California: somewhere where his abusive dad wasn’t around and neither was the pressure to hide himself.

He hid everything, his sexualities, a majority of his home problems, his mental issues, how he’d see things, things that weren’t there and never had been. He’d continue wearing himself thin trying to keep up this facade, it was like he’d pushed himself down so far he forgot what he was supposed to like, what he used to hate.

For the best. This was better because he didn’t feel like Billy, he felt like different versions of some other person who was acting the role of Billy. Felt like his personalities didn’t match from person to person, lost the cathartic feeling of exposing all his thoughts to Steve, it made him feel guilty.

And Steve didn’t deserve that. Never did.

Billy was never good for him. He split everything up. Split up his own parents' marriage, he was the cause of most of their fights, and he ruined any and every relationship he’d ever been in, even the ones with Max or other people his age that he could have been a real friend to.

He still thinks about Steve, often. Thinks about him with a fond smile but hates how he was around him. Hated that feeling of hiding who he really was any time he was with this person who was supposed to be the best thing for him.

Hated the way Steve made him feel the need to pull at the reins to stop but made him want to go faster, faster, faster.

Hated Steve. Hated the way he loved him, but he just couldn’t force himself to be that happy.

Well, I hope I was your favorite crime...'Cause baby, you were mine.

#lots of symbolism and stuff and lots of confusing spelling mistakes but im kinda proud of it #also it switches perspectives between the lyrics #stranger things #harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #mediocre—writing #mw harringrove #billy x steve

[symphonicdream]

Call to Arms

Note: This drabble contains one instance of racism. In no way do I condone racism. So, here’s your warning against it. Read at your own risk.

For those involved, you are allowed to write your version of events that happen in this drabble.

----

There was no tear of paper to alert anyone of the portal’s presence. An alleyway was what greeted them as they exited through the portal. Kamijou Touma, Maira Espoir, Bowen Chuuno, Megumi Aino, the Hunter, Violent Violet and Melanie Sinclair all stood in the alleyway. The noise of people was considerably dampened, and she knew that they would probably be overwhelmed with the amount of people walking the streets at this time of day.

It was at least 8AM, Friday morning.

Melanie took the lead, taking them out of the alleyways and to the sidewalks. This was the shopping area of her town, and it was definitely something. Populated by various men, women and children of different sizes, colours and fashion tastes, some stopped to see watch the seven of them walk by. Touma’s misfortune manifested as him tripping over a cat and falling into a teenage girl. Said teenage girl punched him with the force of a scorned woman, causing him to shout aloud and draw more attention than they needed.

Of course, Melanie had to diffuse the situation and tell them that he was a foreign exchange student here to study English while ushering him away to the group. The remark the teenager said, though, had been something along the lines of a racist remark towards both her and Touma. She’d told them “You ching-chongs should just go back to China!” and stormed off.

Ouch.

Melanie ignored it and got Touma back to the group and continued their trek to the City Hall. It was where she’d been first summoned, and she would go back. To deny that spot entirely, and to face him down. It was quiet, save for some idle chatter from Megumi and Touma as well as Maira chiming in every so often. Bowen, the Hunter and Violet were quiet, which seemed different from what she knew of Bowen and Violet. The Hunter, though? She expected that from him.

But she didn’t expect that from everyone.

The trek to City Hall was waylaid by stoplights and crosswalks. Melanie had to drag Touma back onto the sidewalk before he got hit by a car, and then had to deal with the Hunter just crossing the street and holding up traffic. People angry honked while they crossed, and some cussed them out. All the Hunter had to do was look in their direction and they suddenly quieted down. The third time, the light somehow was green when it shouldn’t have been. Melanie pressed the light changing button but no sound emitted.

It was broken.

So, yet again, the Hunter crossed the street and held up traffic. There was even a Police Car. Melanie had to explain the situation and gesture to the light while traffic was stalled. It turned into the officer getting someone on the situation and letting them off scot-free.

However, the fourth time of street crossing got a bit dicey.

The light was green and it was okay for them to cross. Unfortunately, one of the cars almost hit Touma, screeching to a stop before they hit him and honking the horn.

“Get out of the road, asshole!” Came the voice of the driver.

“Right of way!” Melanie shouted back. “You’re running a red light!”

The driver got out of the car. A burly 6′0″ man with a shaved head and who looked like he got a chip on his shoulder. Immediately, he walked up to Melanie and shoved her, causing the group’s hackles to rise as they prepared for a fight. “You wanna go, you little whore?! Huh?!”

Melanie stumbled back from the shove, before gripping her fist tight and shouting, punching towards him but the fist never connected. In a near instant, the man’s body was blown backwards by the sheer force of the punch. Standing straight, she dusted her hands off and started walking again.

“Are you alright, Melanie?” Maira asked, concerned. Melanie nodded.

“That guy was a jerk.” Megumi commented.

“He nearly hit me with his car!” Touma was still a little shaken up by that.

At least the rest of the way there, which took an hour, was uneventful besides that. When they started to approach the City Hall, Melanie stopped walking for a few minutes. Staring at the building, looking at what it looked like. As if she’d never seen it before, but she had.

“This is it. This is where he resides. Let’s go... and stay close to me.”

They walked up the staircase leading to the automatic doors, with them sliding open and allowing them to walk inside. But Melanie knew where she was going, heading to the Administration Office. As requested, her friends did stay near her and watched as she opened the door.

The world around them faded away, replaced by the corridor she’d walked down not even a few days ago. She walked down it, and so did they. It was quiet, the sound of their footsteps the only thing they heard. The corridor seemed to stretch on, but Melanie gestured at Touma.

He reached out, touching the air in front of them with his right hand. Shattering it completely and forming the door only a few feet away. She walked forward, shoving it open and being greeted with the same greenery and waterfall that had been there when she last came here.

“I thought I’d cut off all avenues to this world. It seems I underestimated your pocket dimension.” Out of nowhere, a man clad in black appeared. His long pink hair was tied back in a ponytail and he seemed almost infuriated. “What is the meaning of this?”

“I’m here to reject your offer.” Melanie said.

“Nonsense. You’ll do as you’re told and take the seat. Become my bride as I have made you to be!” The man shouted.

“I’m not becoming anyone’s bride, shitface!” Melanie shouted back. “I’m not some doll you can pull around! I’m a human being, and I’m going to be free to choose what I want to do!”

“Melanie is not your toy!” Maira said, irritated.

“She’s our friend!” Megumi pulled out her PreChanMirror and Card.

The Hunter pulled out the red gun he usually wielded, training it on the man. As soon as he fired, the man vanished and appeared behind Melanie, kicking her in the back and sending her flying into the nearby clifface. She fell backwards onto her back, and turned over to get up but was covered by rocks except for her arms and head.

The battle began at that exact moment.

“Precure Rolling Mirror Change!” Megumi was surrounded by a pink light and changed into Cure Lovely. Immediately after, she called an attack, only to be grabbed in the face and tossed aside into the river nearby. Touma, too, was quickly taken out with a knee to the gut. The Hunter started to shoot at him again, firing with precision, but the man would disappear before any shot connected. Maira summoned a bright, glaring light, which stunned him for a few moments while Bowen also began to fire on the man.

It was clear, even with the help, they were outmatched. Violet went in to attack but he avoided it cleanly. “Hmm, even bringing a God Hunter...” The man seemed to already know about her, and that was shocking. “No matter, I am not a God, so your tricks will not work.”

The Hunter moved, sheathing the red gun and holding the golden, cylindrical casing to his chest. Melanie, who was struggling to get up from under the rocks on top of her, recognized what he was going to do. The familiar magic was starting up again.

“Soil is my power!” A circular part of the casing withdrew, extending out what seemed to be a drill. Long, black blades appeared shortly after and started to turn, creating a torrent of black wind. The Magun formed from the casing, from the blackened wind, and the man turned to face the Hunter. Unlike with the others, this was new. Noting his shocked expression, Melanie realized something.

Unlike the others, he couldn’t see to Wonderland. He knew nothing about the Hunter, nothing about what he could do. And that was their advantage. After the Magun had thawed, with the Hunter saying as such, he extended out a hand, pointing in the man’s direction. She remembered this clearly. He’d used it before during her tenure in Wonderland... The Magun.

“The Soil Charge Triad to use on you has been decided!” He reached into his belt, plucking a familiar Soil from its place.

“A bladestorm of bonds, Sword Viridian.” The bullet held a teal-ish green hue in its casing, and it was easily inserted into the Magun with a resounding Click.

Maira looked over, hazel eyes widened. “That magic-”

“The squall of fortitude, Kingdom Blue.” This bullet was a shining blue, as if torn from a kingom itself. It, too, was inserted into the Magun. Click.

“And finally... A prideful gale, Warrior Platinum.” The final bullet was a silvery-white colour, shining brightly as it was placed into the Magun. The final click resounded as the Hunter aimed at the man.

Melanie reached out a hand, finding a thread and gripping it tight. A tearing sound was heard and the man’s appearance faded away to show... a demon. With spiky, long horns and a muzzle for a mouth. It was as if the man was the Devil himself. A hellish roar echoed throughout the area, causing the ground to shake.

It was nothing short of horrific.

Cure Lovely pulled herself out of the river, getting to her feet. Despite being drenched, she yet again called forth an attack. The hellish monster opened its muzzle and shot out a stream of fire at her. It was quickly intercepted by Kamijou Touma, who blocked it with his right hand. The fire dispersed after a few seconds.

“Slaughter! I summon you, Knights of the Round!” With a bang, three colours flew from the barrels of the Magun, twirling and twisting as they flew. The Knights of the Round Summon the Hunter called forth seemed to materialize from the colours, and started their assault upon the hellish being.

Melanie finally got up, the rocks falling away as she did so. The being was avoiding the attacks everyone was trying to attempt on him. Even the summon’s attacks were being avoided. It was like a strange scenario in which the only winner would be the hellish being. She shuddered to think of what would’ve happened had she taken the offer.

But her friends were in trouble.

Melanie started to run towards the hellish being. There was no hesitation as she did so. Her skin started to glow.

“BALWYSIALL NESCELL GUNGNIR TRON!!!!!” She screamed, seemingly tearing her clothes off. But no, they only just vanished to be replaced by a quick transformation with Gungnir forming. She went to punch the hellish being but he avoided her as well. And then appeared in front of her, grabbing her by the throat and starting to choke her as he raised her up into the air.

Melanie couldn’t breathe, which meant she couldn’t sing.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The sound of a clock ticking filled their ears. The world around them grayed out, and even the hellish being was surprised enough to drop her. Footsteps echoed throughout the area, and Cure Lovely was the first to speak up.

“Who-”

“How did you escape my timelock?” A voice asked. It belonged to a young woman, who looked to be about twenty-two years old. She had short black hair tied back in a half-ponytail and teal eyes, wearing a long dark blue dress and black boots. But the odd thing was, she looked almost like an older version of Melanie. The hellish being roared, but soon turned gray himself. The young woman walked up to the group, and looked at all of them.

“They call me Azem, the Traveler.” She said. “Time magic is... somewhat of a pain to use, but I’m getting used to it. Anyways, it looks like you need more help. Fellow Traveler, who are the friends you hold close to your heart?” Azem looked to Melanie, who lowered her head and closed her eyes.

“Why are you here?” Touma asked.

“I’m here to help my counterpart, of course.” Azem said. “The one born from the orchestrations of a deluded demon. She and I are cut of the same cloth. I can see a shard of my own soul within her.” A chuckle came from her, and she inclined her head. “So, Traveler. Tell me who are your friends you hold close to your heart.”

“......” Melanie nodded. “Yukine Chris, Kazanari Tsubasa, Kohinata Miku, Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Regal Bryant, Meteor Survivor and G’raha Tia.”

Azem laughed a little, before holding out an orange stone. “Here, Traveler. Use this and summon them forth to your side.”

Melanie took the stone, staring at it. She’d seen Meteor with this same stone once before. Hythlodaeus had given it to him, and he’d called them both New old friends. Was this because she, too, was a shard of Azem? The woman who called herself Azem smiled a bit.

“Call forth those you hold close and dear to your heart. Your allies of other worlds.”

Melanie closed her fist around the stone, holding it close to her. From where she stood, golden areas started to form. A glyph surrounded her, with eight circles that soon emitted light from them. Azem kicked the hellish being away, sending it sliding across the grayed floor. She stood straight again, looking at it before pulling out a claymore from what seemed to be thin air and assuming a fighting stance.

The lights dispersed one by one, revealing each person whose name Melanie had said before. But there was no time for introductions, as the world soon faded back to normal and the hellish being roared. Melanie handed the stone back to Azem, who pocketed it. The hellish being summoned forth demons of its own kind. There seemed to be many.

The song originating from Melanie’s Symphogear faded out, to be replaced with a different one. Chris, Tsubasa and Miku’s Symphogears did the same, once they summoned their Gears from the pendants they wore. A Unison.

One brings shadow, one brings the light Two toned echoes, tumbling through time Three score wasted, ten cast aside Fourfold knowing, no end in sight

“Let’s end this!” Melanie shouted.

The music gave way to the girls singing the song together. The hellish being roared and charged Melanie, who moved out of the way as fast as she could. Azem made a taunting gesture, causing the hellish being’s focus to be turned onto her instead. Provoking him to her. She pulled something dark out of her chest, letting it rise. A shadowy figure.

As the battle began, the sixteen of them split off into groups of four each, which meant each group had at least one Symphogear user with them. Swords swung, guns fired, magic was cast and punches thrown. Weapons were used without end, and the battle raged on without a seeming end. The Knights of the Round moved independently of the groups, helping decimate the demonic hoarde attacking them.

Melanie could feel power swelling up inside of her. She remembered this once before. Everyone could feel it. A swell of power from within them, from origins unknown. The groups fell back.

As if in the back of their minds, they all heard a shing sound. It was time to pull forth all their respective power and finish this off. Destroy this monster before it got any worse. It was like four Limit Break bars had filled up, and it was time to use them all.

A song resounded out, as if sung by all of them in their hearts. The Swan Song of the Valkyries, a song of Finé’s thoughts of causing the Curse of Babel. It resounded loud, though none of them were singing. The four Symphogear Users’ gears transformed into a different form of X-Drive. Their hair brightened with a gradient to it, and flared out. Wings made of fire expanded out, and they lost some of the clunkiness of the Gear.

Burning X-Drive. The one they’d used before, against Shem-Ha.

Glowing runes surrounded the group, and it was time.

LIMIT BREAK

The group rushed the hellish being, each one attacking with various weapons and spells. It was like a charge attack, with each person going after another. Each attack pushed the hellish being more and more towards the clifface that he’d thrown Melanie into. The Knights of the Round proceeded to pin him to it, and Melanie stepped forward.

She put both hands together, connecting the gauntlets and letting the spear form from it. She then pointed it towards the hellish being, in a form reminiscent of Elidibus during the fight at the Crystal Tower on the First. Her friends stood behind her, readying themselves for another attack.

“We are salvation given form!” Melanie shouted, and two ghostly hands placed themselves on hers. She knew who they were. Elidibus and Kanade, lending her a hand. How odd was it that an Ascian was helping her.

“Mankind’s heroes, and their final hope!” The words were foreign, coming out of her mouth, but this was true. The sixteen of them were the hope of this world. Even though they were from different worlds, they had all come together for this. Melanie delivered the final blow, empowered by her friends.

Piercing the hellish being with the cursed spear, Gungnir.

As if crumbling to dust, the hellish being lost form. Crumbled from his head to his feet, and was blown away by the wind. Melanie stood there after all was said and done, still holding the spear out. The ground rumbled and started to shake. The ceiling seemed to start to fall.

“We need to leave now!” Azem shouted. They all booked it to the door, leaving behind the battlefield they had fought on. Once outside and on the sidewalk away from City Hall, they watched as it crumbled to the ground. No one ever went there, but the people of the city stopped to watch the empty building crumble.

It was as if something changed. The world seemed to brighten up, and Melanie felt... lighter.

This was the beginning of a life orchestrated by herself alone.

--

Saying goodbye had never been her strong suit.

Melanie had opened fifteen portals, each pointing to different destinations. The worlds she’d brought them from.

One by one, they left. Each given a “see you later” by Melanie, who hoped to actually see them again. Once all fifteen portals closed after the respective person walked through it, Melanie was left with Azem. She looked to the Traveler and tilted her head to the left some.

“Do you need me to-”

“No. But before I go...” She held out the stone Melanie had given back. “I’ve learned all I can from the memories held in this stone. It’s time I passed it on to my counterpart, my fellow Traveler of the Stars.”

Melanie took the stone and put it in her pocket. “....Thank you, Azem.”

“See you again.” Azem turned away and walked off before seemingly vanishing into nothingness. Melanie was left alone, standing there on the sidewalk. She walked back towards the now-crumbled City Hall and felt no magic. It truly was over.

“So the imposter has been vanquished. Quite a feat.” The voice of the Overseer had Melanie on edge, immediately turning around to see-- a young man with long black hair and eyes that looked like they contained galaxies. Wearing just a plain graphic tee that had the Disney logo on it, slacks and velcro shoes. Nothing like the Overseer she’d seen before.

“Who--”

“I am the Overseer, Ryan.” The young man bowed. “The true Overseer. I assume this form is capable of being seen by you, as you addressed me.”

“Yeah, it is-- but why-- who--?”

“I am here to offer you the seat of God of this World. This will not change anything, though I will require you to come back every now and again. No staying away for years on end anymore.” He offered a smile. “And no, I will not be attempting to take you as my bride. You’ll find someone in your eternal lifetime, Melanie Sinclair.”

“....So, this means...” She didn’t know what it meant.

“If you take it, you will become a God. An immortal being, with powers unimaginable. And I would like you to take it, as you are the only mortal who can. The others ended up like...” He could only glance at the City Hall behind him. So, the false Overseer was a man who was once given said position? Melanie could barely believe it.

“What if I don’t?”

“Then I will wait until another few centuries. But I would like you to take it. You are compassionate, kind and do not kill without cause or reason. I did not orchestrate your birth like he did, but I have been watching. And you are currently the only one who can do this. I implore you-”

Melanie shrugged.

“At this point, I think it’s obvious if we leave it for someone else... That’ll happen. So yes. I’ll take it.”

Ryan chuckled just a bit and held out a hand. A pulse of energy emitted from it and went into her. For a few moments, nothing happened until Melanie suddenly clutched at her chest and groaned. It hurt. But she endured, and soon stood back upright. The Overseer smiled.

“Welcome to Godhood, Melanie Sinclair.”

Melanie gave a small smile. Nothing would change from here, she was just an ordinary girl with God powers now. It was just another Tuesday.

And things would remain as they were for her.

For the rest of her immortal life.

-----

@project-rebirth @tetsuwan-atom @rosecoloredmuses @kazeofthemagun @lunar-mage-mare @xbloodsoakedx

Thank you for allowing me to use your characters for this drabble!

Final Word Count: 3,701 words

#a story of might and magic ;; [ drabbles ] #tw racism #racism cw #this is it y'all. this is the full drabble.

[rayne-storm]

AUgust 6 - Gaming

Title: MOON QUEEN

Fandom: Hyperdrive

As always, Hyperdrive belongs to my beautiful and talented BFF @rad-infiniitum / @starburnedfarrago

This was just super fun to write, and although the logistics as presented are just absolutely whack, I hope you enjoy!!

She smiled as she hit the buttons with routine familiarity, starting her stream. She smiled gently as she addressed her followers and her little intro video played.

There was her channel name: STELLA-PY , and the letters rearranged themselves to some bubbly synth music to: LETS-PLAY and faded out to reveal the title card for the game that she was tackling today.

"Good afternoon, guys! It's me, Stella-Py!"

"Py" in this case was pronounced "Pie," and the comments she had received about the similarity mixed with her heavier frame were old news long ago. She kept herself in a small frame at the corner of the video, just because she knew she tended to make silly faces playing spookier games, and if anyone really got a sense of her size from that, she applauded their eye for detail. Any hate got pretty quickly removed from the chat thanks to a friend who maintained it, and her lovely (if few) fans.

"Today, we're doing something new and short, while I recover from the awful, awful fetus monster. This is one you guys have been telling me to try!"

She pulled up the application on her computer, and a solid wall of blue illuminated her screen. From the wall, white letters in a vintage font appeared one by one to reveal:

"QUEST FOR THE MOON QUEEN"

Stella smiled and let the elegant chiptunes that came after the letter play for a moment before starting to speak again.

"That's right, folks! Quest For The Moon Queen was published seven years ago to itch.io by an anonymous, indie developer that only called themself 'BL00 SCR33N.' It's remained relatively obscure since then, which is a shame because it looks so cute! From what I've seen, this is an adventure game where the player is this adorable little knight, trying to rescue and woo the titular Moon Queen. I'm super excited to get into it, and please make sure to put asterisks before any spoilers to hide them!"

She paused to let the chat catch up, answering a couple of questions about her day, how the baby cow was doing, and when she would do a baby cow reveal (the poll for the baby cow name was still going, Moomin being the leader by far). The chat satisfied, she hit ENTER on her keyboard, and the screen slowly darkened.

First came a little tutorial.

There was a little blue knight in front of a white screen, and little floating text walked the player through the various movements they could do. It was relatively simple, arrow keys to move, space to jump, and a couple of keys or mouse clicks to shoot a little spark.

After the tutorial came an adorable side-scrolling adventure where the little blue knight jumped over hurdles and shot sparks at bees and little black boomerang-like shapes.

Three levels of slightly increasing difficulty later, there was a boss fight.

The boss was labeled "THE DICTATOR" and a chiptune-version of ABBA's "Voulez-Vous?" played. The knight grew a little taller, and was faced suddenly by a giant black tarantula with a hundred glowing red eyes.

The sparks were ineffective, and Stella began to panic when she noticed a small sword icon. Interacting with that froze the boss and brought up an option screen:

"CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON"

MY STRENGTH

MY SPIRIT

Well, wasn't that unique?? Stella immediately chose to fight with "SPIRIT" and the scene dissolved into a cute little cutscene.

The little knight stood before THE DICTATOR, trembling only slightly in the presence of the fierce enemy.

"I must go!" The knight proclaimed in chiming little chirps

"But why?? You have served me loyally all this time!"

"I must find my own path, and you must care for your fallen kingdom."

The scene dissolved again, and the spider rolled over, defeated.

Stella felt there was more to the story, but could only really comment on how sweet that was.

"This is such a cute little game! You guys are the best, and if anyone has any idea how to get in contact with the person who developed this, please let them know that I love it so much!!"

The next levels were water-themed (of course), leading up to a new boss fight:

THE EXILE.

This boss was a massive squid, with pink tendrils that acted as hair. The blue Knight's sparks again were ineffective, and again Stella was presented a choice:

THE EXILE HAS REPLACED YOU. CHOOSE YOUR REACTION:

COMPASSION

CRUELTY

Stella again went for the softer route, and again, the screen dissolved.

Surprisingly, the squid-like creature shrunk to being smaller even than the Blue Knight.

"I am afraid, Knight."

"Why are you afraid? You have everything you could ever want, now."

"Because I am so small, and this world is so big."

The knight knelt and gently hugged the little creature.

"Take heart, EXILE, for there are many large things, but there is only one of you. Develop your skills, grow your talents, and the world will bend for you."

The EXILE bobbed happily, nodding.

"Thank you Knight! Good luck on your journey!!"

The EXILE swam away, and the Knight progressed.

So it went, with such bosses as:

THE CORINTHIAN, an eagle dressed like a glam-rocker, who the Knight could either PLUCK or APPLAUD. Applause led to the Knight clapping and giving the creature a CD to sing along to.

a giant troll THE BEAST that offered a stealth option to SNEAK around or SLAY.

THE PRETENDER, a shadowy silhouette of a woman, and the Knight could choose KILL or KINDNESS. Kindness led to the Knight patting the shadow on the back, and with each little pat more of the sprite filled in until the shadow became a dark-skinned woman in a space suit.

Finally, about two hours of play later, the knight was jumping on clouds and was faced with the final boss:

THE DEMON.

This boss was a massive metal insectoid, and Stella waited for the choice to appear, but a minute of waiting led to her health being knocked down halfway, and a message popping up:

NOT EVERY BATTLE HAS A SOLUTION. DRAW YOUR SWORD AND FIGHT.

That felt… wrong.

The chat was exploding to fight back as the monster hit the Knight, but she just couldn't.

Tears in her eyes, she removed her hands from the keyboard.

The health bar was knocked down to zero.

NOT EVERY BATTLE CAN BE WON the screen proclaimed, as it began to fade.

Suddenly, a shower of pink and green lights fluttered down.

The chat began to go crazy. This, it seemed, had never been discovered before. Everyone always fought the monster, and gained a trite little victory screen, the little Blue Knight doing a little dance.

This was something completely new.

NOT EVERY BATTLE CAN BE WON.

BUT SOMETIMES LOSING YOURSELF ALLOWS ANOTHER TO LIVE.

The metal shell of the boss began to melt, and out floated a beautiful woman, pale-skinned with pink and green hair, and nearly translucent green wings that shimmered and glowed.

She floated down to the body of the little fallen Knight and kissed his head. The knight slowly stood.

"Thank you, Blue Knight, for your compassion. Thank you for setting me free. You do not have to hide yourself any longer."

The armor melted away from the knight, and an adorable little creature with blue skin, long ears, and yellow eyes remained.

The descriptions of the characters changed. The Blue Knight became THE REGRETFUL SOUL, and what once was THE DEMON became…

THE MOON QUEEN.

"Thank you, my lady," the REGRETFUL SOUL chirped, and they took each other's hands.

The MOON QUEEN scooped up the little creature, and began to fly up the screen with him. As they reached the top, they turned and faced the screen.

THANK YOU, PLAYER, FOR ABSOLVING OUR GUILT AND SETTING US FREE.

The screen faded to black, and Stella initially thought it had completely ended. She was about to exit out of the program (still sobbing), when a little message slowly flowed up from the bottom:

TO LUNA.

I LOVE YOU.

I LOVE YOU.

I LOVE YOU.

-NEIL

Stella couldn't help crying harder, and blubbered out her closing spiel. The chat still kept going absolutely crazy, some claiming that this was a hacked copy of the game, or that they totally knew about the secret ending. Suddenly a new kind of message began exploding:

The game was gone.

It wasn't on itch.io, or any other site that the chat could find.

What in the world…?

Stella figured that she would deal with the implications of that later, saying goodbye and logging out of her stream.

She gave herself a few more minutes to cry before she heard the soft ping of a new email.

She sighed and opened it, ready to be assaulted by some kind of anger (per usual when she streamed), and was surprised to see the sender was going by "BL00 SCR33N."

She opened the message, and it simply read:

"You saved the knight and the Moon Queen. Congratulations. Want to meet up?"

After that was a phone number.

This was a terrible idea.

She called.

#au gust 2021 #rayne writes #my writing #fanfic #Hyperdrive

[pwnyta]

Genshin Impact character opinions (alphabetical)-

0/10 Albedo is my least favorite design... He looks so fuckin goofy and from what I know about his character the fact he looks so goofy is not great.... The shorts look so dumb and the blue of his shirt looks weird...

Just wanted to visualize my issues with his goofy outfit... wont be ‘fixing’ anyone elses.

10/10 So fucking cute. The colors are beautiful and well spread through the design, Zettai ryōiki. bunny theme...terrific. Ambers just perfect. Look at that fucking adorable face as well... look at her big ol smile and tell me she aint a 10/10. She’d get a 10 if all I ever saw was that big ol smile.

9/10 Barbara is adorable. Her costume is gorgeous. I love the white with blue and the gold accents. Very pretty my only gripe is the lighter blue on her bow...

10/10 Beidou is just gorgeous.... I love that shade of pinkish-red with the off-black and purple with the gold trim. Shes just so hot... also her English voice is also top tier which is irrelevant to my ranking... maybe but--

1/10 Bennetts not as bad as Albedo but god hes annoying to look at... and listen to....  he looks like hes a Kingdom Hearts knock off, the colors are weird, and he has the personality of s1 Ash Ketchum.... Im sure hes a swell lad... but

6/10 Chongyun I mean I love the color pallet and over all its fine. I think the onesie with the cropped jacket and the weird half robe is weird but it looks fine if I dont think about too much.

7/10 Diluc is pretty but not as fun to look at as some others. I do really like those red palm gloves. My biggest gripe is his shirt.... with the belt? WHAT? Sir do you know what a belt is for.....

8/10 Diona... so cute. I kinda just wish her hair wasnt pink. I dont like the pink in her design at all but other than that... super cute. I just noticed her gloves had little peets on them.... THATS SO CUTE.

4/10 Fischls color pallet (other than her hair) is gorgeous but other than that... hate the overall design... Im not opposed to sexiness... but come on....

7/10 Ganyu is very cute but idk whats going on with her outfit at all.... its a very confusing piece.... but I dont hate it...

7/10 Whoops forgot the new girl... Her designs cute... but it is a bit dampened by the fact I think about toilet boy Hanako.... but other than that very cute!

9/10 Jeans a hottie. Love her tight pants... is it too much to ask for more hot girls in tight pants? IS THAT SO WRONG?! I dont really like the weird open top bit or the red bits but I dont hate it either.

10/10 Kaeyas design is one of my favs. His color pallet is gorgeous, the design is cool, tasteful tiddie window... its great. Good for him. I’ll even excuse the spiked fingerless gloves which no other character could possibly pull off.

10/10 Keqing is gorgeous too. Again with the beautiful colors, a really charming outfit design combined with those little cat-ear buns. I do often see up her skirt when flying and climbing however and it makes me feel like a bad person LMAO IM SORRY KEQING!! I DONT MEAN IT. She seems like the type thatd be really embarrassed about it!!

10/10 Klee is so fucking cute. I kinda wish her eyes were green like her charm but the red is good too. That red and white with the warm brown is really nice, and you cant go wrong with a poofy hat! Shes so cute.

10/10 Lisa was designed to be a smoke show but she pulls it off better than Fischl. Love the roses throughout her design, the color pallet is on point, her hair matching the dull gold of the accents is really nice, a peak of Zettai ryōiki and her green eyes just POP. Shes beautiful.... I love her.

3/10 My issue with Mona is mostly her bottom half... I get that her tights design looks cool but with the rest of her vibe having her main clothing piece be like... a bathing suit? ITS A CHOICE and it ruins her design for me. Also I hate the baubles on the ends of her hair.... but her color pallet is real nice. I also like her bigger eyebrows...

10/10 Ningguang... also a total smokin hottie. Her colors are beautiful and really feel RICH. That brassy color and gold on white with the ginkgo designs... the bitch is just poppin. She looks fantastic.

8/10 Noelle is so cute... I like when I add her to my party and she gets all excited and eager to help... very cute. Her design is an endearing mix of badass knight and dutiful maid.... my only issue is her skirt.... looks kinda weird. Wish she had some petticoats to fill it out more. Also dont like that her roses pop out the way they do... reminds me of Shreks ears....

10/10 Qiqi is adorable I love Jiangshi, love the colors, wish she wasnt wearin horni thigh highs(I only ever see thigh highs squeeze thighs like that in l00d art dont come for me... I didnt design her.) but lolis gonna lol. But again her design is top tier. Shes so cute.

5/10 Razor... is kind of a mess but its largely the colors.... its a lot of weird colors. Also his design makes me think of the male MC... I literally thought he was like an AU version of the MC....

10/10 Sucrose is so cute. Again that white blue and gold look great... I like her frilly shorts and thigh highs.... her boots are cute... her hair color is a little weird but I dont dislike it. Kinda wish her eyes were a different color tho.

4/10 Childe is fine... but after seeing all the other Fatui designs and his own monster form I look at him like this and go.... REALLY? Thats what were goin with... alright... Also his whole design screams ‘fire’ to me not just colors either the shape of his mask and the pattern on his scarf thing.... its weird that hes Hydro.

10/10 I love the female MCs design... I chose the male MC because his colors popped more and im a dumb animal and was like ‘ooh shiny‘ but I think her design is a bit better over all...

9/10 Male MC is still good... its very cute. I like how she looks more suited to the Anemo and he looks more Geo... Thats pretty cool. I really like his colors... the browns/gold/white... its a striking look.

6/10 Ventis pretty cute... I dont get the weird... corset thing hes wearing, dont like his shoes,,, but other than that its pretty cute but nothing special imo.

10/10 Xiangling is so fucking cute. everything in her design makes me clutch my heart at how endearing she is. Love her. Weird color palette... its even weirder that it fully works.

7/10 Look I love Xiao hes a good lad so I cant be too harsh... but all the colors on his design look a bit weird which really brings his over all design down... which I think is cool over all.

9/10 Really cute design for Xingqiu! The colors are beautiful... I love blue and white and gold obviously and he even does it with more of an emphasis on the blue and its a greenish blue and it looks great. the top is just gorgeous, those frilly sleeves are super cute... not a huge fan of the shorts but I hear theyre comfy and easy to wear.

10/10 Xinyan just looks terrific. Cool and punky, great fiery color pallet, cool theme, cheeky personality without it being obnoxious....  Shes great! Weird voice tho... lmao

11/10 You cant tell me what to do! Zhongli is the only male smoke show in the playable cast for that he gets an 11 ok? I love a dumb old man. I do think the coat over his longer coat is a bit weird but I aint mad at it. Love the colors, very earthy, the subtle gold design on his pant legs are cool and really hes got a lot of cool bits on his coat, his face/hair are lovely. Hes a total babe.

A SUGABABE

#GI tag.

[lonelypond]

Idol Protection Program: Vintage

NicoMaki, Love Live, 827 words, 1/1

Summary: Nico gets a hot tip about something mysterious and Maki and Dia follow her into Tokyo

Vintage

Dia, green eyes serious, stared at the chessboard. Her hand hovered over the knight. Maki smiled. Dia, now nine, had been playing chess for a year now. She struggled with the L movement of the knight, preferring the pieces that swept the board. So Dia had recently been reading through piles of chess books, forcing herself to use knight openers.

“Maki-chan!”

“In here, Nico-chan.”

Nico popped her head into the entertainment room of the Nishikino manor, “Just got a hot tip. I’m heading to Shibuya-ku. Do you and Dia want to come? Your mom took Ruby to get pastries for dessert and snacking.”

“Dia?” Maki raised an eyebrow at her daughter.

“What are we going to Shibuya-ku for, Mom?”

“Fashion.” Nico had a sparkle in her eye.

“Ooohh.” Dia had been to several runway fashion shows with Nico and she loved sitting in the front rows, watching the tall models come down the runway in their pretty clothes.

“We can finish the game later.”

“Okay, Mama.”

“Just let me get my coat, Nico-chan.”

“Already grabbed it.” Nico handed Dia her puffer jacket and then helped Maki into her cashmere coat. “Let’s go, Nico’s best girls.”

###

Dia was now nervous on the Tokyo trains, since Umi had lost her for a few minutes a couple of years ago, but other than sticking close to Nico, hand held very tightly, Dia seemed mostly curious. Nico of course had her trenchcoat collar up, a scarf covering half her face, and mirrored sunglasses. Maki could see her own reflection smiling in them.

“Here we are.” Nico was on her feet and out the door as soon as it opened, sweeping Dia along with her.

“Mom?” Dia sounded confused. This wasn’t what she was expecting.

They reached a pedestrian steet. People who dressed like models were coming out of izakayas, calling out to each other, checking their phones to catch up to friends, the glare of neon and the noise of pachinko parlors were everywhere as crowds rushed forward in wide clumps. Dia was used to the kawaii cosy scale of Harajuka, this was so much grander. Nico’s pace picked up and Maki had a sudden flash of Yazawa Nico, Otonikazaka third year on the hunt for exclusive Idol merchandise.

“Here we are.” Nico stopped at a dark wall covered in graffiti, stairs leading down, calling out. “Hey, Ikeda Tamiko-san, Nico Ni has arrived.

A tall woman, tattoo sleeves, long, blingy nails, purple mohawk, screamed and skittered toward Nico as they entered the shop jammed with mannequins, clothes, and color.

“Tami-chin!” Nico had her arms open for a hug, and the woman slammed into her.

“Wait ‘til you see it, Nico-sama.”

Maki and Dia both looked at each other. They’d never known Nico to accept the sama honorific from anyone. Tamiko-san noticed them standing there awkwardly, “Oh, Nico, is this Maki-chan and Dia-chan? They’re so cute I could crush-hug ‘em.”

“Yep, two of my best girls.” Nico slipped an arm around Maki’s waist and kissed her on the cheek, her other hand on Dia’s shoulder. Dia had just noticed a mannequin with a pink retro spacesuit dress covered in sakura blossoms and rhinestone stars.

“Mom, is that...” Dia pointed, twisting to look up at Nico.

“Yep. They make their own versions of the coolest, trendiest stage costumes here. Nico, Gaga, Madonna.”

Maki giggled. Of course, Nico listed herself first. Dia was now standing in front of the costume, staring up at it.

“Here it is!” The sales clerk-store owner-smuggler? Maki wasn’t sure which, pulled out a pink check short jacket, open front, raw unfinished edges. Nico leaned forward on the counter while Tami-chin rambled, “Yohji Yamamoto, practically unworn, I spotted it screaming “Nico Ni in a dusty warehouse.” Tami-chin did the full treatment, both hands at her temple.

“Nico is flattered but…”

“For you, 300,000 yen. You won’t find one anywhere else. At any price.”

“You won’t find Nico wearing it for even half that.” Nico sighed, arms crossed, shaking her head.

“Mama?” Dia pulled on Maki’s hand, whispering.

“What is it, bun?”

“Can’t we afford full price? And new?” Dia was half watching Nico, gesturing wildly, body language reading “you are trying to take money from empty pockets.”

“Of course, we can afford it, bun.”

“Then why is Mom...”

Nico had superhearing for daughters, siblings, and wife. She held up a hand to stop Tami-chin’s new plea and waved to Dia to come.

“C’mere, bun, you’re old enough to learn how to never pay full price.”

Dia glanced at Maki, who nodded. Dia walked warily toward Nico, while Tami-chin wailed, “Nico-sama, you’ll break me with cuteness.”

Nico winked at Maki, “Nico knows.”

“Vintage Nico,” Maki chuckled to herself, and leaving Nico to indoctrinate Dia into the ways of the haggle, started to look for something Ruby might like. Although she might just pay full price for the spacesuit herself, when Nico was out of earshot. Maki’d always liked that costume.

A/N: The Idol Fanfic Heaven server is having Promptober, which is fun. Today's was "vintage." This is a little long, but I'm leaving it that way. Dia and Nico insist ; )

#Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #Kurosawa Dia #NicoMaki #fashion #Parenting #Tokyo #Idol Protection Program #fluff #fun

[knittingdreams]

Fireheart - Chapter 20

Short and sweet, enjoy this chapter my lovely peeps! <3 Masterlist and Ao3 link on previous chapter down below because I’m a lazzy bum (kidding, I have a lot of deadlines, sorry!).

@tillyrubes10 :)

CHAPTER 20

Burning hot

Celaena sped through the streets as fast as she could, the duffle bag hanging across her shoulder making the pain come back all over again. Her side was still aching, and she felt drained and tired due to the blood loss. The cold air hitting her face was a blessing, it was helping her keep her mind focused and alert. 

Once she got to the hotel, she parked in the underground parking lot, jumped on the elevator, and headed straight to her floor. Luckily, it was still early and she didn’t run into anybody on her way in, as she was sure she still looked sickish. 

When she was finally in the safety of her room, she turned on the shower and stood in front of the big mirror while undressed, waiting for the water to heat up. The scar over her hip bone was sealing nicely, and the red rim around it was mostly gone, just a faint pink remaining which meant the infection was under control. She grabbed some ointment from the cabinet and left it out so she could dab it around the wound once she was out of the shower. Her face was another deal altogether; she had big dark circles under her eyes, and the side of her face had turned all shades of green, yellow, and a little bit of purple. She could probably conceal most of it, but the cut on her brow would be visible no matter what she did to cover it.

Shaking her head, she jumped under the hot water and scrubbed her body, trying to get rid of any remnant of Cain’s disgusting scent that could be lingering on her skin. Once out, she dried and styled her hair as fast as she could, applied a ton of makeup, and then arranged her hair in curls so they would be covering the scar as best as possible. Hopefully, not many people would be paying enough attention to notice. She put on bright red lipstick to draw attention away from her eyes and added a nice big necklace over her uniform.

She looked at herself in the mirror one last time, and happy with the result, she headed out. If she rode fast, she’d make it just in time. She called the elevator button, and it showed up almost immediately. She looked at the going down arrow and smirked before the door was even fully opened.

“Good morning,” she said as she stepped in.

“Good morning to you, Celaena.” Dorian Jr. smiled broadly at her, while an older version of the lad smiled politely.

“Morning,” Dorian Sr. nodded once, and crossed his hands in front of his body.

“Dad, this is Celaena, the new exchange student I told you about.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” She stood to one side, Dorian Jr. in the middle as they rode the elevator down in silence until they reached the third floor.

“Celaena,” Dorian Jr. said then, turning to her and resting a casual hand on her shoulder. “Would you like a ride today? I’m coming back to the hotel after school, so I could give you a ride both ways.” His tone was too polite, and she had to school her face not to lift her brows at him.

Dorian Sr. glanced at them so quickly, that she almost missed it, but his lips were pursed into a straight line as he looked back towards the doors.

“Sure thing, I’d love a ride.” It wasn’t necessarily true, but riding her bike had been painful, and she was curious about the way his father had reacted to the question. Dorian Sr. tensed again, making Celaena’s curiosity peak. As the elevator reached the lobby, she wrapped an arm around Dorian’s shoulders. “Let’s go,” she said, stepping out. “Nice meeting you!” She yelled over the shoulder, smiling at Dorian Sr.

Dorian Jr. held her by the waist as they stepped out of the front doors, and she took a deep breath not to flinch away from the touch. Dorian’s car was already at the door, an usher holding the door open for him. They both jumped in, and as the car left the parking lot, Dorian raised a brow at her.

“What was that about?”

“What do you mean?” She faked innocence, making Dorian roll his eyes.

“I’m a little surprised you accepted the ride to start with, but showing yourself so friendly… I know my charms, and that’s precisely how I know you’re not affected by them.”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, prince charming, but if you don’t want my help, just say so and I’ll be back to ignoring you.” She smirked, and Dorian took a corner faster than needed, glancing at her and smiling back. With the way he was driving, she was sure they’d make it to school in time.

“So sassy, I love it. How did you know I wanted to piss off my dad?”

“I’m good at reading people.” She shrugged, trying not to give the matter too much importance. 

She knew what it was like to want to piss someone off just for the fun of it, and also to get attention. Dorian was desperate for it, desperate for any kind of attention he could get. It was so obvious, and so cliche: the boy trying to show his daddy he was good enough. Good enough to take over the business, good enough to not have to follow every step laid in front of him but to choose for himself instead. But that never worked, so they always rebelled and tried to get attention in other ways. She knew that was what she was for Dorian, even if he couldn’t see it himself. And she was going to use it to her own advantage.

“So, how about we make a deal?” Dorian asked after a moment.

“I’m listening.”

“There’s this event I need to go to next weekend, and I have a plus one. My father gave me a list of girls I should invite as good options, but I don’t like those options.”

“And you want me to be that plus one instead?” 

They reached the school’s parking lot, and Dorian killed the engine and twisted to face her. “Celaena, would you honor me with your company for the Havilliard’s annual masquerade?” he asked in a mocking tone, but she knew the proposal was real.

“What do I get in return?” she asked, crossing her arms as she faced him.

“Isn’t my amazing company enough?” Dorian took a hand to his chest dramatically, almost making her laugh.

“I wish I could say it is, but it is not.”

“I’m hurt,” Dorian said mockingly, and then jumped out of the car, and rushed to the other side. He opened the door for her and offered her a hand. Begrudgingly, she took it and stood up.

“This is still not cutting it,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “But don’t worry, I’ll think of a way for you to pay me back. Let’s just say you owe me one. Deal?”

One side of Dorian’s lips turned up in what most would have thought to be a flattering and sexy half-smile. “Deal.”

Celaena patted him twice on the shoulder as she walked past him, aware of the stares other students were giving them. “Pleasure to do business with you.”

As she walked towards the building, the eyes of the few students still outside traveled between her and Dorian, but she kept her chin high, her eyes on the door. So much for not getting people’s attention for a day. But it was worth it, getting closer to Dorian Sr.’s business could gain her the information she hadn’t found in his office, she wasn’t ready to give up on the search. She knew her parents and the Havilliards had had a lot of business together, and they hadn’t always seen eye to eye. Hell, Aedion and Dorian Jr. didn’t even speak to each other, so she guessed that showed things were still tense between the families.

Nehemia intercepted her as soon as she stepped through the doors, hugging her by the waist and leaning against her. Celaena flinched at the pain exploding on her side but composed herself fast enough for anybody to notice.

“What was that? You and Dorian? Tell me you spent the weekend together! I knew you were dating someone!” Nehemia was so excited, she was almost jumping as they walked.

“Chill down, everybody’s looking at us,” Celaena said in a hushed tone, and couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I ran into him at the hotel and he gave me a ride, that’s all. I haven’t seen him all weekend.”

“Then why did you ignore most of my texts? I missed you!”

The first bell rang, and Nehemia pouted as she let go of Celaena’s waist. “I told you I had family stuff on this weekend, I didn’t pay much attention to my phone, sorry.”

“Okay, let’s say I believe you. See you at lunchtime?”

“Of course.”

Nehemia marched down the hall as Celaena entered the room to her right, getting ready for a long day of school. Her ribs were still sore, and her head was starting to pound with a headache. She sat down slowly on her usual seat, the stitches on her hip pulling a bit, and looked for her phone as an alarm started blaring inside her bag.

Confused, she looked at the message popping on the screen. It wasn’t her everyday phone, but the one she used as a burner, which wasn’t password protected.

The name of the alarm read: ‘How’s our fire girl doing? Are the flames still burning up? XO Your sexy blond knight in shining armor. Text me to let me know.’ It was followed by a phone number that she didn’t recognize. Celaena covered her mouth with a hand, not knowing if she should laugh or be infuriated at the intrusion. She wasn’t sure when Fenrys could have gotten to her phone, but she guessed it was while she was in the kitchen with Connall. She knew he couldn’t have seen anything relevant, so there wasn’t a whole lot for her to worry about. 

She considered texting back for half a second, before throwing her phone back into her bag. It was better if she kept her distance, she could get whatever information she needed at the fights. She shouldn’t risk getting mixed up with the guards outside of work anymore. Especially not after knowing Lorcan Salvaterre was involved with them, that had hit too close for comfort. She didn’t have many classes with Lorcan but had seen the dark-haired guy at a few of them. He was always by himself, quietly sitting in the back of the room and not interacting with anybody. Another pair of eyes to be wary of.

The class went by painfully slow, and Celaena was relieved to stretch her muscles as the bell rang and she stood up with the rest of the class. Not even two steps towards the door, she felt her phone vibrating against her back as another alarm rang from within her bag.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

She pulled it out, and read the message on the screen. ‘I knew you wouldn’t text me. Come on, I just want to make sure you're alive. PS. I know you miss me.’

She shook her head as she deleted the alarm, and checked if he had set any more while she kept walking.

Sam found her at her locker, as usual, a big smile on his face. “Hey there, how is it going?”

“Not bad.”

She dug through her books, leaving some behind and pulling some more out.

“Look at me,” Sam’s tone was suddenly serious, and she turned around slowly, dreading the look she knew she was about to see on his eyes. “What are you hiding?” Sam leaned closer and looked around the hall to make sure there weren't many people around. 

“Nothing, Sam, this is not the place and you know it.”

He reached a hand towards her face, and lifted a strand of her hair, looking at her brow. She grabbed his hand and snapped it down, frowning without thinking, which made her head hurt again.

“That is not nothing.” Sam’s jaw was clenched as he spoke, and he had moved to a guarded stance on instinct.

“I was fighting, what did you expect?” She replied between clenched teeth.

“Celaena, I’m not stupid. You’re wearing a huge amount of makeup and I don’t want to know how many more bruises you’re hiding. This is not the result of just a fight, not your usual fight at least.”

She slammed her locker closed and started walking away, but Sam reached over and grabbed her from the shoulder, turning her around to face him. The pain that shot down her arm was so intense that she couldn’t help but flinch and step back. Sam’s eyes were full of worry as he looked her up and down, trying to assess the damage. But there was no way he could see the amount of damage; not the real one. Not the one that laid within.

“Sam, this is none of your business, just stay out of it.” She could deal with a lot of things, but she couldn’t deal with the pity in Sam’s eyes.

“Celaena, you need to let me in. You can’t do this alone.” The bell rang, and they were the only students left in the hall, only a few people lingering in the distance.

“And who says I can’t? I’ve been doing perfectly fine without you until now.”

“It can’t always be just you. One day, you’re going to have to let someone in.” Shaking his head, Sam turned around and walked towards his next class, leaving Celaena alone in the middle of the hall.  

She wanted to scream after him, or punch something. How did he dare talk to her like that? She could do it all alone, she didn’t need anybody. As she walked towards the classroom, she pulled her burner phone out and stared at the words written there. How’s our fire girl doing? Before she could think about it too much, she texted the number that had been given to her.

‘I’m still blazing.’ 

‘And I am not your fucking girl.’

#fireheart #chapter twenty #tog fanfic #throne of glass fanfiction #tog fandom #rowaelin #fenrys #sam cortland

[inviouswriting]

Engagement

Inspired by @whitherliliesbloom​ s headcanons for a double date.

Aymeric x Kiya and Alphinaud x Illya

I know I have one version of his proposal. I got inspired to write a newer version of it.

Fluff - and long!

A rare chance to date, and enjoy it with friends. When Kiya was asked to invite a friend for a fancier party and to dress formal. She thought of her friend Illya and Alphinaud. Surely they would appreciate a chance to be treated like royalty for an evening. 

Now here she was fixing Illya’s hair into a neat braid carefully tucking all of her long hair into intricate braids to suit her in an elegant green dress. Kiya smiles to herself, she rarely gets the chance to spend time on others with how she runs around. She herself was dressed to turn heads, she already knows it will be a shock to Aymeric.

“There, done and looks almost as good as Jaudelain’s hand did it.” Kiya muses aloud, drawing her tiny friend’s attention.

“You sure this looks fine?” Illya glances up at the miqo’te having second thoughts about how she looks.

“You look as delicate as a flower.” They exchange a smile, knowing they needed to go meet the boys soon. Once the girls were set in their appearacnes they head out to transport to Ishgard. They were meeting in front of the Aetheryte Crystal both teleporting to it through the aether. 

Aymeric was already waiting to receive the girls with Alphinaud next to him. Talking brisk about minor politics much to Aymeric’s lack of interest in them out of office.

“The place we’re going to, it’s expensive right?” Alphinaud draws the taller elezen’s attention.

“It is a bit pricy, but nothing we shouldn’t be able to handle. Why is that?” 

“Oh, Illya is a bit modest when it comes to expenses.” Alphinaud folds his arms.

“So, you want me to handle ordering so she doesn’t see the prices?” Aymeric offers, and Alphinaud nods. They exchange a smile and Aymeric nods in agreement.

“Thank you, that would be most kind. She does like spicy things and flavor of course.”

“I’ll keep in mind.” Aymeric had his own nerves as this was a specific night for him in getting courage to ask his own beloved’s hand. He and Kiya have gotten serious, he wanted to be bonded to her eternally. Now to just ask her. Both men were dressed in similar blue suits, Aymeric’s a dark almost black vest with a white shirt. Alphinaud sporting a light blue identical looking his own level of sophistication for the evening.

Both men look up when they hear Kiya and Illya’s laughs as they land on their feet from the crystal.The girls straighten themselves up, and Kiya scans the crowd for their dates. She smiles bright seeing Aymeric. Alphinaud feels himself blushing at how adorable Illya looks. He glances at Aymeric who is awestruck over Kiya.

Of all the rare chances anyone gets to see the Lord Commander blush it was seeing how radiant his beloved looked in formal wear. Alphinaud and Illya start walking towards the place they’re going to, to give the taller two a moment.

“Illya, you look cute. That dress is very fitting on you. Did Kiya help you? I really enjoy what you did with your hair too.” He breaks the ice between them, and she smiles looking up at him.

“Yeah, she did. It’s not too short?” She raises a hand to touch the under part of her hair the way it kind of feathers out.

“It suits you, as long as you are comfortable.” They smile and he glances over his shoulder seeing how Aymeric is stunned in his spot. A light laugh from him.

Kiya brushes hair out of her face and sees Aymeric staring at her with love written in his eyes. 

“Ah, my love, you look so beautiful tonight.” Aymeric stutters just brief but catches himself. A light pink to his cheeks as he looks away bashful for a change almost losing his nerve for the evening wondering if he truly deserves this woman if she can pull off this style.

“Thank you, I take you like this?” Aymeric kneels brief and takes one of her hands to place a kiss on the back of it. Gaining his nerve again.

“I love it, blue looks so good on you.” He straightens as he stands and keeps hold of her hand in his entwining their fingers together. Aymeric leads the way to catch up to the other pair.

The place was a fancier dining spot in The Pillars. They were shown inside and to a spot that could easily fit another couple. The food that was ordered was a bit rich in taste, and when it came to eating it. They enjoyed their meals with casual conversation.

Aymeric and Alphinaud lightly bickering over recent agendas enough for Kiya to snip at both of them to keep politics out of their date with a firm glare. The woman could freeze a room figuratively and literally. Both girls could since they had met through the thamaturges guild. Kiya taking the black, while Illya took the red and white path. The twelve know, for these men have seen them in action.

“So, what made you call for a double date Aymeric?” Alphinaud was curious.

“I felt like tonight would have been better spent in company. It’s rare to get invites to places like this and even better to share it with friends and beloveds?” Aymeric worded his sentence to sound like a question but it was left as a statement. His eyes drifted to Kiya, who seemed off in her own world gazing at the dancers on the floor. Her eyes following their rhythms and a wistful smile on her lips.

“Kiya, would you like to join them?” Aymeric draws her attention, and Kiya looks down at her lap fiddling with the edge of the dress. A rich blue formal spring dress. She nods, and feels her hand lifted and tugged when Aymeric reaches across to take it and lead her out to the floor. Leaving Alphinaud and Illya time to themselves.

They two share talks of their lives, Illya going into some of the gardens around the black shroud. Alphinaud smiles knowing they will take a trip out to attend to the broken building’s plants. Alphinaud notices that Illya is staring off at the other couple seeing them engaged in a slow dance with a gentle smile. 

“Ahem, Illya.” Alphinaud clears his through as he starts to ask. He wasn’t as graceful when it comes to things like this. Not like the other pair, he was still clumsy in his approaches, still has years to reach the level of suave he has seen in Aymeric and Thancred.

“Yes?” Illya looks up at Alphinaud as he stands up to take one of her hands. Nerves writ in the poor boys demeanor.

“Would you like to dance?” He manages out, and earns a smile from her.

“I would be delighted.” She hops down and they join the other couple a little more off to the side. To not draw attention to them as much as Aymeric and Kiya have. 

The two seemed so comfortable with each other. They radiated their love for the other clear on their faces. Gentle smiles, and kind eyes directed to the other. How far they’ve come since the events of the Vault. Aymeric grips Kiya’s hands tighter when he holds them, as if he never wants to let go of her. Kiya returns his grip sensing emotions behind his touch.

They were naturals to the floor and flowed as such. Even as they made their escape off the floor, Aymeric making his love spin a few more times as he guides her back to their spot. Alphinaud and Illya joining them soon after, finding it a little crowded once the two left the floor.

The bill was presented to them, and the men almost bickered if it weren’t for Kiya’s glare the moment their voices started getting those tones of who should handle it. Instead they split the costs. The men paying their their respective dates.

They parted ways outside of the place, Illya and Kiya waving each other off. Alphinaud and Aymeric giving respective bows. Once free from the formalities of a fancy spot. Kiya gives Aymeric a mischievous look and takes off running. Aymeric follows after her hot on her heels. How she can run in heels amazes him. Let alone how fast she is.

He catches up to her at the platform to Last Vigil, she had jumped onto it with grace and he bounded after her taking advantage of her stumble to catch her around her waist.

“Gotcha~” He murmurs into an ear lifting her up with ease. Kiya laughs in joy, and Aymeric sees a genuine smile on her mouth. He knows now, he isn’t making a mistake. He feels his heart full with her like this. Seeing her let her guards down, seeing the real her without the fancy titles of warrior of light, or savior. This is his beloved, the girl he has fallen for. One he does not want to lose at his side.

“Kiya, whilst I have you. Would you entertain me a little longer? A little more mischief on my behalf?” Kiya looks over her shoulder to him, and smirks a bit, even her tail thrashes at the idea of a little more fun.

“Yes?” Kiya is set down, and Aymeric takes her hand to lead her off the platform and up towards the stairs towards The Vault. He had informed the guard their earlier of his plans, and they were let inside.

Aymeric feels Kiya tense a little walking inside the building where they lost their friend. His grip reassures her.

“Trust me.” He tugs her with him leading her towards The Quire. They walk in silence, Kiya a little behind him but her grip in his hand is tight. His guess memories were flooding her. This place meant a lot to both of them as much as Last Vigil does.

Once to the front of The Quire next to the fountain. Aymeric stands in front of Kiya, keeping her grip in his hands.

“Aymeric?” Kiya looks up at him, moonlight drifted in enough to cast a unique glow to him. Very much the knight at this moment. Very much the man she loves underneath that exterior. There is a gentleness behind the icy stare, life, hope, nervous. As if there were a thousand things on his mind and he is trying to muster them into what he wants to say.

“Forgive me... while I muster my words together. I just wanted to pause here before we go up the stairs. You truly look radiant.” He brings a hand up to the back of her hair and threads his fingers through silky soft black. He shakes his head, and leads her by her hand the rest of the way climbing the stairs slowly. The sound of their feet echo from her heels and his soft footfalls from his boots.

They pause in the center of The Quire. Both of them have their memories from different events. Hers the first time she ran in here. His, the second time. They both lost a friend to tyranny, and treachery. A dear friend they wish could witness what was about to take place.

Aymeric finally has his nerves, and kneels holding Kiya’s left hand in his own left. He places a kiss on the back of her hand on her ring finger. Kiya finally realizes the gravity of this night, the formal, the date, the mood. Her eyes go wide, and feels like her knees are about to give. Fear running down her spine, not of him, but what he was about to ask her. She keeps the emotion off her face, for fear he’ll lose his nerve if he saw that expression.

“Moons ago, we entered this place to stop tyranny. In doing so... we lost a friend, a brother. We lost Haurchefant.” He pauses and looks up to see at the edges of her eyes tears dot them. He expected it and nuzzles the back of her hand with his face reassuring. She was so close to Haurchefant, a brother she never had, in a family that showed her no racism. That accepted her after she had lost everyone she cared so deeply following the Bloody Banquet. How a family made her one of their own following Haurchefant’s death. Edmont had lost a son, but gained a daughter.

“Moons ago, we entered this place to save others. You had risked your life, over and over and over without a single care of your own well being. Just doing what needs to be done, because if you didn’t someone else would either lose life, or someone unprepared would accept that role. I for one would not be standing here if you didn’t.” He keeps his stare on her face. She did save his life, he had felt her flare rattle the entire Vault on the man who tried to kill him.

“I owe you my life for that day. I owe you many things. A debt that can never be repaid as you have given us new hope, a new future. So, I hope that you can accept mine love and be bonded to me. For eternity. Not just in Ishgard, but for the entire realm.” His hand grips hers tight as he asks her. Her eyes are wide, and tears have fallen but he notices they’re happy ones.

“Aymeric, I... love you. More than any of my words can convey.” She kneels down albeit she is a lot shorter than this elezen man. He sits on his knees as she scoots forward to him. What he doesn’t expect her to do is pounce on him and knock him backwards arms around him and her face nuzzling his.

“So, is this a yes?” He feels like his heart is about to burst from joy. Kiya raises up and looks down at him with him on his back. She reaches a hand forward and ruffles his bangs messing it up.

“Of course it is a yes! Yes! Yes! and Yes!” Kiya is pulled down and kissed. Aymeric kisses her in such a way she feels her head spin. Kiya laughs between their kiss, and Aymeric hugs her tight thankful in her agreeing. He feels elated and light like he is on a cloud and won’t come down for a while now.

His right hand cups her face, and she mirrors him leaning into his hand while he leans to hers. He pauses brief to bring out a ring he had made for her. One made of gold and sapphire. An engagement ring, he fits it onto her hand and kisses the top of it when it is settled into place.

“I promise from here on, to protect you and love you. If not to protect you physically, then your heart and all the burdens you bear. Let me be your comfort when you seek it, and your shoulder when you need to cry. Halone knows you use mine a lot. I want you to keep coming to me, now as an equal. Promise me?” Aymeric hooks his left ring finger with hers in similar to a pinky promise but made with their ring fingers. To make a pact to never break it.”

“Of course. You’re going to make me cry if you keep showing me so much love. I feel unworthy of this. You would see love in an outcast like me.” Kiya’s words makes him frown a little.

“My love. Even you are worthy of love. If it takes me years to make you see that. I hope to start now. You are worthy and worth fighting for. I love you too, Kiya.” He sees fresh tears spill over at being called worthy and loved. 

“You’ve given so much to me...” Before she can say anything more it is his turn to pounce on her, placing a hand behind her head to cushion it as he pins her down to the floor and gives her another deep kiss. His other arm around her waist holding her there, ignoring her protest to the cold on her shoulders.

He kisses her for a few minutes, nibbling her bottom lip, or small pecks to keep her from doubting or dismissing herself till he is sure her eyes glossed over from the affection. 

They descended the stairs and Kiya hopped up onto the edge to look at the fountain not getting the chance to view the place properly. Aymeric folds his arms and looks at her with a sense of amusement watching her. Kiya’s body finally catches up to all she was feeling, and missteps toppling over and into the fountain.

Aymeric is stunned at this sight, he couldn’t help what happened next in laughing. He earns glares from her, and all he does is laugh harder at how she was so composed one moment ago, and the next she lands in the fountain with her tail up. She even splashes him for laughing and they spend the next few minutes in a small water fight.

When they leave the place they stop before House Fortemps, Aymeric seeing her inside to talk to Edmont informing him of their engagement now. The older man smiling, but to his dismay, he notices Kiya and Aymeric are both drenched.

“While there was not a cloud in the sky for rain. Why are you both soaked like this?” He questions.

“She fell in the fountain.” Aymeric answers truthfully.

“And did you join her?”

“I splashed him for laughing at me.” Kiya answers and starts towards her room to change out of the wet clothes before they freeze to her. The men exchange good hearted laughs. Aymeric was about to leave when Edmont gets his attention.

“Ser Aymeric, be good to her. Dating is the easy part. Engagement and marriage are hard. They’re built on trust. Don’t do anything to hurt her.” Edmont shares his concerns.

“Fear not, I have no intention of seeing her in grief ever again. You have mine promise.” Aymeric bows, and swings by his beloved’s room to steal a kiss from her. He witnesses through the crack in her door, her excited and elated. She was dressed in warmer clothes, black sweater and tights to match.

“Kiya?” She turns at her name being called and sees Aymeric leaning against her doorframe. 

“Yes?” She walks to him, and he takes her hands in his own.

“What would it take for you to gather clothes for the morning and come with me? Would you spend tonight with me? Not for “that” but be in my arms? I think I might be too lonely without you next to me.” Kiya smiles warm seeing the look in his eyes. He is genuine in his promises. 

“Not much at all. I think I want to be curled next to you too.” Aymeric helps her gather what she needs, and they both leave the house together. By the time they got to Aymeric’s home, Kiya felt worn out from the day, it was well in the evening almost midnight. When she crawls into Aymeric’s bed she lays face down while her beloved goes and changes his own clothing to fit for sleep. When he returns he sees his cat has chosen to curl up on top of Kiya’s back at the small of it.

Kiya had already fallen asleep, and does little to help him fit into his own bed next to both his pet and his love. He moves the cantankerous one off his beloved’s back and tugs her to fit into his arms. The cat eyes him then moves to be in front of Kiya’s waist. Swiping at Aymeric’s hand.

Aymeric smiles to himself and ruffles the feline seeing he is playful naturally at night. Aymeric entertains before he follows his love to sleep.

#aymeric #ser aymeric #ffxiv aymeric #aymeric de borel #kiya shinikami #aymeric x kiya #illya skawi #Illya x Alphinaud #whitherliliesbloom #omg this got LONG!

[speedybooksandcreativeheaven]

The Temptations of My Family

Part 3

Story Summary: Sometimes all connections soon break eventually. Harold Anderson the CEO of Anderson Toy Factory had a secret, he sold his own soul to study and perfect demon magic. It soon took all of his free time studying the effects of the magic leaving their son, David to grow up without a father figure. When David was a small boy he was shocked when he found his father badly beaten due to the demon magic. Since that moment, he made a vow that demon magic would never touch him or his family. Fuelled by rage, David makes sure to protect his daughters from his wrath, as he claims that bad things happen with magic. Sadly, he can't control everything as he kicked out his first born, Kayla due to spending time with their grandfather learning demon magic. Soon enough Kayla becomes head of the household as she is left with five attractive incubi to take care of and her innocent sister, Mika.

Word Count: 2,173

Trigger Warning: Past is in italics

Its been a couple of minutes since Mika stormed back inside the party, leaving Kayla alone to gather her thoughts. Her fists were balled up as her heavy breathing was the only thing that was keeping her warm as the cold breeze whistled through the night. She shook her head as she should have known that Mika is going to be innocent with everything going around her, she was pleasing father because she is scared to follow her own dream. To see Harold Anderson’s Toy Company, fail.  She shudders as she try’s to ground herself as she lifts her hands up to view a large black ball that was circulating with dark demon magic in her right hand. She was so focused during the fight that she couldn’t hold back her magic.

Her angry expression soon turned into fear as she was muttering to herself. “No, no, no, no. Not now! I don’t need this!” She is pacing on the grass as she was so focused on her hand that she didn’t see Sam observing her from the back deck afar.

He stood on the deck overlooking and overhearing everything. The breeze was allowing the incubi inside to control his rage energy on Mika. He could understand Kayla’s anger at her sister for taking her fathers side, what really ticks him off is that Mika believes in this so-called curse. He rolls his eyes at the thought as he notices a small form become closer. He looks to see a pissed off Mika as she glared back at Sam when her shoes clunk on the wooden floor.

“Tch. Daddy’s girl.” Sam scowls at her as she bumps into his shoulder on purpose.

He pretends not to notice her presence as she stops at the glass door to put herself back together. She grabs a tissue out of her bag as she cleans herself up. After five minutes, she sighs before taking a deep breath and opening the door. She walks in with her head held high as Sam gave a disapproving smirk after the door closed. It takes a second for Sam to let his golden eyes go back to his normal forest green colour as he sighs and starts to walk towards Kayla. He’s hoping to be her so-called knight. This time he will be the one to make her feel better, not like James.

Kayla was so lost in the moment that it wasn’t until she could feel the grass move from someone approaching her as her senses were improved from her studies. Sam sighed when she didn’t even look up to see his face, he decided to be playful to let his large black shoes hit her small silver flats.

“Doofus..” Sam trailed off as he tried his best to comfort her, “Is everything alight?” his forest green eyes met her beautiful brown ones as he carefully touched her face, rubbing it as she was hesitant to lean into his touch.

“Is everything alright!” she yells dramatically at the sky, “No, Sam! Everything is terrible!” she spat back pulling away from him, “Mika thinks that she all that but she so clueless to see that father is manipulating her! He is using his own fear of misunderstanding demon magic to persuade Mika to follow her like a lost puppy! He’s using her to his advantage and what was worse that he belittled me next to the company big wigs!” she went on a rampage not caring as they were on a small patch of grass away from the company that is facing the quiet lake front.

As Sam watched her pace back and forth he noticed that with every insult that she was throwing towards her father and sister that her long straight brown hair started turning pitch black. Strand by strand until it started to float on its own. He could feel some sort of dark demon magic encasing her form almost as if she didn’t see it. He tired to reach her, to calm her down but when he saw her brown eyes turn black and a large clear dome encased her and growing towards him. He started to panic as his only mode of defence was to scream her name in hopes that she would snap out of it but to no avail. He ran inside the factory to get James since he studied dark demon magic in the past and he needed help, even if he needed it or not.

Inside the dome, Kayla could feel her form drop into something cruel, dark as the magic circled around her outfit to change into a black short dress with white demon symbols encasing the dress. She is screaming for help, but she only hears her echo’s that surround her. She falls down towards the grass as she desperately trying to fight this thing. She cowers at the edge of the dome as she sees the demon in dripping black smirking down at her. She remembers that the last time this happened was with her grandfather and she hurt him. Kayla swore that she would never use this magic again, but it was like it had a mind of its own.

Soon enough, Sam got James to come outside to witness what he saw; Sam was running so fast that as he stumbled when he reached James carrying a plate of drinks. He was going to scold him but with the look of fear on his face, James asked him what was wrong. They stopped on the deck to see the impossible, Kayla was singing a dark melody as everything the dome touched started to die on its own command. The dome was still intact as James just stood still for a moment taking everything in. He then turned to Sam with an angry scowl on his face.

“Sam! What happened! Is that really Kayla inside that dome causing this!” he barked as Sam tried to defend himself.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but she was really pissed off and then that thing!” he pointed to the dome as it continued to cause damage, “It took a hold of her whole spirit, it was really scary man!”

James sighed as he took a scan of his surroundings, “Come on! We need to get everyone! We need to stop this thing before anyone says anything.” He rolled up his sleeves as he and Sam took off back inside the part to grab his brothers before running towards the lake where the dome was taking Kayla.

By the time they reached her they were miles away from the party as they all were catching their breath. There feet were clunking on the wooden boards as they were on a dock. Damien was the first to recover as he used his mind reading to see what was going on within her head. Sam’s eyes narrowed as he could see the black dome almost in reach of him. In that moment, he wanted to hold her, be her knight in shinning armour. He didn’t care about his brothers, or hell even himself. He vowed that his will do anything in his power to save her. He heard Damien gasp quietly as his brothers all turned towards the youngest as he was receiving a direct memory from her past. His brothers nodded to each other before they all held hands as they were transported to a new location.

The boys all land inside the mansion to see Harold in all of his glory as they figure that they were in a basement of some kind. His salt and pepper hair was still shinning as if it was the first time that saw him. Standing beside Harold was a younger version of Kayla. Her soft brown waves framed her face as she was looking with a curious eye as she was in her lesson. The boys looked confused as to what was going on, but they were broken from their thoughts as Harold was parsed facts about the demon chemical that was in front of them.  

“Now this chemical here my young apprentice is very dangerous, if you even think about a bad thought or action towards any living thing the demon Samael will come and take over your body.” Harold warns her.

“So,” Kayla looks back at him, “What makes this Samael guy so bad?” she questioned him as she tilts her head to the side.

Harold sighed as he explained, “Samael, or he is better known as the Grim Reaper... He is a fallen angel that fell from heaven that takes pride on his ability to seduce anyone, accuse anyone, and when he is provoked he can destroy people and turn them against each other. He has no boundaries and he usually gets what he wants.”  

“That sounds terrible! Why would the demon world have a chemical that would do that?” she slams her hands down on the table as she backs away, almost in fear of the object. Harold tries to calm her down as he heard something crash at the far end.

“The demon world can be a dangerous place; their magic can be full of wonders.” Harold quickly grew a beautiful pink rose in his hands, to show the beauty that magic can hold despite her fear. “This magic in the wrong hands can cause destruction, terror, and fear.” Looking down again, the once beautiful pink rose that was full of life was wilting away. Tar black was dripping onto his hands as he could feel another presence in the room. He shook his head at the thought as he guided the girl back towards the table to witness someone standing at the far end. Without missing a beat, Harold quickly threw the chemicals as he told Kayla to hide in the corner as he took care of the intruder. She could hear the screams as they echoed around the stone walls in pain. He suited up as he was ready to face whatever got down there, but his granddaughter poked her head out see the intruder laughing as he walked around like he owned the place.

Standing in the dark corner of the room the demon steps forward into the dim light as Kayla notices his long slender fingers covered in a black like tar substance. Black markings surround him as his curved horns glimmer in the light. She could sense his nightmarish magic around the room as his red menacing orbs glance around the room. She couldn’t lie as his magic is wickedly powerful as she held onto the table in the corner for dear might.  His laugh is heartless as he sets his gaze onto Harold as he takes his stride to face him head on.

“Well, well, well, is this how you welcome an old friend? By blinding them. Harold you have become weak. You didn’t even sense my presence before it was too late.” He fiddles with his markings as he dismisses his hand from him, “Anyways, it’s been a long time, since I have seen your face old friend. Time hasn’t been the nicest towards you has it?” Samael coldly states as he sighs around the room, “Ah! Still using this old shit.” He laughs as he purposefully tosses the many test tubs and beakers on the floor causing an explosion.

Harold sighs as he casts a quick clean up spell to clear the area, “Are you finished?” He asked in annoyance as he raised his eyebrows at the demon.

Samael chuckled as he rounded the next corner to see a trembling Kayla with her brown eyes staring wide at him as she has never seen a real demon up close before. Harold snarls at him as he get closer to her. He would never forgive himself if anyone in his family got hurt because of his hobby.

“Don’t you touch her! Samael your fight is with me remember!?” He yells as he stalks his prey.

“Oh,” his gross tar filled fingers ran through the girl’s soft brown hair as he sighed at the touch, “You have a lot of unreleased anger, have you?” She nods at his words as if he was controlling her, “Well, with my help we are going to take that anger out in a very fun way.” He gives her a sadistic smile as he continues, “We are going to have some fun together you and me. Okay sweetness.” He cooed at her head nodding as he was able to cast his spell to invade her mind with nothing but a simple touch and sweet words.

Samael was grinning like a mad man as he was able to see Kayla’s whole life in front of him. Every core memory from when she was small to a growing young woman that she was today. He smirked as he finally had a human to explore his power on others.    

Damien opens his eyes as he looks to James with a hopeful gaze, “What are we going to do Reastreo?”

#the temptation series #seduce me #seduce me the otome x reader #seduce me the otome #seduce me x reader #James Incubus #orgininal female character #erik incubus #Sam Incubus #Matthew Incubus #damien incubus #Seduce me x OFC #james x reader #sam x reader

[hockeyluver-1995]

Chance Meetings: Morgan Rielly Chapter 2

Morgan Rielly Story

Chapter Two:

Word Count: 4.6k

September 2018

Two days was all it took for one blue eyed blond haired boy to take over my mind.  No matter what I tried I couldn’t stop thinking about Morgan. This made me question why him? Why was I so captivated by someone I had one conversation with? Was it the way his blue eyes popped in the blue suit he was wearing? Or was it the way he interacted with his fans throughout the evening? These were the thoughts that had me staring at the ceiling as I lay in bed.

Man those blue eyes, they captivated me the minute he looked me in the eyes while I talked. It only took 10 minutes, ten minutes of talking to Morgan and having his undivided attention before he was pulled towards the stage to participate in a couple of games for the audience with his teammates for my heart to skip a beat.

10 minutes for my walls to start to crumble after I worked so hard to build them up. The intense connection that was formed in such a short period of time was what terrified me the most. It was like we were two strings being pulled together by some higher power. Even now I still couldn’t put into words the feelings I felt in that moment of meeting Morgan.

What scares me the most is that since Lucas I hadn’t even thought about another guy and now Morgan was all I could think about.  Nevertheless if for some crazy reason he decided to pursue me I wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight.  

When I saw that he had added me on Instagram I couldn’t help the excited giggle that came out of my lips as all kinds of thoughts flew through my mind. What if he felt the same crazy connection I felt when we started talking? What if he was just being polite and being Morgan Rielly the PR version.

With Lucas, I felt like I was always fighting for his attention but with Morgan, for some crazy reason, it felt like he was giving me his undivided attention even if it was only for the ten minutes we spoke.

These feelings made me question everything, especially all the walls I have been slowly building up since Lucas. My dilemma is do I listen to my heart or my brain? My brain says one thing and my heart says another. On the one side, these feelings make me want to run away and hide so that I won’t get hurt again but my heart is pulling me towards getting to know Morgan.

My mothers' words echo through my thoughts “When you are ever questioning anything follow your gut! It will never lead you wrong.”  I guess now the question is do I follow my gut, heart or brain?

I quickly climbed out of bed and opened the curtains, heading towards my walk-in closet to get dressed.

                                                            I could hear my phone vibrating on my bedside table from the bathroom. I grabbed the phone and saw that Katie had messaged me.

BitchesForLIIFFFE: The doctor prescribed us coffees for our hangovers haha. Will you please supply the goods??? We totally shouldn’t have drunk that much wine last night.

Katie, Dani and I had a girls night last night which resulted in us finishing 3 bottles of wine.

Hailey: Hahaha I’m not feeling wine hung over! But I will bring your prescription lol.

Hailey: Did you really have to change your name in my phone to that? LMAO

BitchesForLIIFFE: You love it and MMEE ;)

BitchesForLIIFFE: 10th floor first set of elevators in the lobby. Loooooove you.

I quickly finished getting ready and headed to the front door. The Greens had just arrived back at the house from a morning at the park so I quickly gave the children a big hug and cuddle before heading out the door. One thing you should know about me is that I love walking especially on sunny days. I continued walking until I found a Starbucks just down the road from sick kids.  

I grabbed the coffees and made my way to the hospitals front doors. Katie told me that they were on the 10th floor and to take the first set of elevators in the lobby. Just as the doors of the elevator started to open I noticed a pair of blue eyes looking at me. Once they were fully open I was face to face with the guy who I couldn’t get out of my head for the past 48 hours. I smiled as I locked eyes with Morgan stepping into the elevator.

“Hailey. What are you doing here?”

“I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of shocked you remember my name. You met a lot of people that night” I added as I look towards Morgan

“How could I possibly forget the name of the girl who is so beautiful that she took my breath away?”

I couldn’t help but smile as I heard what Morgan had just said. Morgan scoffed “Oh god that was so cheesy... feel free to laugh.”

“You’re so cute...” I stuttered over my words as soon as I realized what I had just said. “I mean I think what you said is cute.”

“That hurts Hailey... I can’t believe you don’t think I’m cute.” Mo said flashing me his gorgeous smile as he laughed.

Feeling a new wave of confidence I stepped towards him and got on my tippy toes whispering into his ear “Well, that’s because I think you're not just cute but you’re also very hot.”

Stepping back you look into his eyes and you could see his cheeks turn light pink at what you had just said. “I’m actually delivering coffee for Katie and our friend Danni. They are nurses here actually on the Tenth floor.”

“Really that’s awesome, I’m hanging out with the children today. I think we are going to make cookies and slime.”

Ding ding the elevator interrupted the moment and we quickly separated like we were caught doing something you would only see on Greys Anatomy and walked out of the elevator.

Katie just happened to be sitting at the nursing station that was closest to the elevator and saw the two of you step out of the elevator. Of course, she sent you a wink and wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.  Rolling my eyes I made my way over to her handing her the coffee.

Katie quickly stood up and grabbed my arm leading me to the nurses break room.

“Have fun in the elevator? It looked just like a scene from greys anatomy where they get caught making out.” Katie whispered into your ear as she gave you a hug.

“Nothing happened but I did kind of flirt with him,” I said as I looked down at the floor. I still couldn’t believe I did that.

“Dam Hails! Get that,” Katie said as she smacked my butt.

“You know that’s sexual assault,”

“Not with you it isn’t.... you’re my wife nothing will ever separate us,” she says sending me a wink as we both burst into a fit of giggles as you guys made your way to Katie’s break room.

“Well, what happens when you and I both get married… to guys?”

“Psh they will just have to get used to the fact that you’re my wife and nothing will ever separate us. The Meredith Grey to my Christina Yang,”

About 15 minutes later Katie’s break was over so I headed towards the elevator. As I was heading in the direction of the elevator Morgan came out of nowhere and grabbed my arm pulling me into his chest and whispering into my ear “please stay and save me from a couple of the nurses! They are slowly undressing me with their eyes.”

Laughing you whisper, “fine, I can be your knight and shining armor.”

“Thanks.” He whispered as he let go of me.

I couldn’t stop the feeling of dread that washed over me now that I was no longer in his strong arms.

He grabbed my hand and interlaced his fingers with mine walking me to the nurses' station to tell them that I was going to stay with and help.

Morgan put his hand on my back as he led me into the room they were baking and making slime with the children. Once their Morgan announced from the doorway

“I know I was supposed to help you bake the cookies but Hailey here should help make the cookies instead! I heard she is an excellent baker... I will just eat them”

A couple of the kids came running over to me and gave me a big hug. The one girl grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the kitchen area. I looked up and saw that Morgan had made his way to the slime-making Centre. Morgan looked up every once in a while and we locked eyes and he would send me a wink that made my heart skip a beat.

I walked over to the group of children who were standing in front of the cookie making section. “Hi everyone my name is Hailey.”

A little girl who must have been about Ella’s age walked up to me and gave me a big hug. I bent down to her level and she climbed into my arms whispering, “you’re really pretty.”

“Awe Thank you, Elsa.” I said giving her a squeeze.

She gasped “you know Elsa?”

“I love frozen! My favourite is Ana”

I could hear choruses of “I love Ana too” “Elsa’s my favourite” “I like warm hugs like Olaf.” From the corner of my eye, I saw that Morgan was looking at us with a big smile on his face.

I helped the children mix, pour, stir and knead the cookie dough before it went into the oven. I looked over to see how Morgan was doing at his station and I could help but laugh at the scene in front of me. Morgan had a blue smile all over his hands, arms and even some in his hair.

The little girl in the Elsa dress grabbed my hand and we walked over to Morgan.

“Do you need any help?” I asked as I reached up and pulled some neon blue slime out of his blonde hair.

“Haha, what gave it away?”

“Blue slime is a good look for you! It makes your eyes pop!” you stated as you started laughing.

Quickly I started helping the rest of the children with their slime until I heard the ding from the oven. I took out the cookies and placed them on a plate so that they would cool down in time for the children to eat.

One of the nurses went up to Morgan and asked if he would read the children a book before he had to go. He quickly agreed and sat down on the floor with the children and started reading the book ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the way Morgan interacted with the children. You could tell that he really enjoyed spending time with the children. What impressed me the most was that he came on his off day, without anyone from the maple leafs organization. He wasn’t expecting credit for visiting a hospital for sick kids he just wanted to spend the day with the children.

Once Morgan finished the story the children came towards you for their cookie. Morgan followed closely behind and stuck his hand out for a plate. “I have to test the final product or I won’t believe what Katie said about you being the best baker.”  Laughing you hand him a plate and he takes a big bite.

“Katie was right! That is an amazing cookie. It’s only missing some ice cream on time.” He whispers.

After saying good-bye to the children Morgan and Hailey made their way back to the elevators.

“Any chance I could get your number?” Morgan asked as he fiddled with his hands.

After a couple of seconds of thinking it over you reach your hand out and say “sure.”

Morgan quickly reaches into his back pocket for his phone and hands it to you.

You type in your number and hand it back to him. He then texts you so you have his number as well.

“Uhm would you like to come to Trinity Bellwoods Park with me?” He asked as he looked toward the floor for a second before looking up into my eyes.

“Sure, it’s a beautiful day out today.”

“Perfect,” Morgan says as he places his hand on your back as you both walk out of the hospital and towards the subway.

The subway was packed so we had to stand close together. We were talking about how much fun the children had this afternoon when the train stopped suddenly which caught you off guard and you flew into Morgan. He quickly caught you in his arms and set you back upright whispering in your ear “don’t worry I got you. I didn’t think it would be this easy to get you to fall for me!”

I could feel my cheeks turn bright red as he said those words. I quickly composed meself and said “I was just testing your reflexes for the season. We can’t have our star defenseman having slow reflexes can we?”

“I think you just wanted to be in my arms.” He answered back sending you a smirk that made his blue eyes shine.

Once we got to Osgoode station we walked down Queen Street until we got to Trinity Bellwoods Park. Morgan suggested that we get some tacos from a place across the street and eat them in the park.

We sat down on the grass and ate our tacos as we talked about Vancouver.

“So why did you go to Vancouver?” Asked Morgan before he took a big bite from his taco.

“They had the best program for the ECE degree in Canada. After I graduated I wanted to stay in Vancouver so I found a nanny job. Originally it was only a one year contract, but I’m still working for them today and it’s been 3 years.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. You must really love them if it’s been that long.”

“It’s not even a job because they are my second family”

“You must love your job as well?” I asked as I reached down to grab a drink from my water bottle.

“I love the hockey part, interacting with fans, and being able to accomplish my dreams. The business side of hockey though not so much.”

“When does the hockey season start for you guys?”

“Training camp starts this week for 4 days. Tomorrow we do the fitness testing and on Tuesday we head up to Niagara for practices, and scrimmage on the ice.”

“That sounds like a tiring couple of days,” I said as I got lost in his blue eyes.

“It’s tiring but worth it at the same time because it means the hockey season is about to start.”

“Nate the six-year-old I look after just made his rep team!” I said as I moved closer to Morgan to get a better view of the CN Tower in the distance. It looked beautiful with the trees in front of it.

“Really that’s awesome! If you can you should bring him to Niagara for a day so he can see practice and scrimmage.” Morgan said as he pulled the ‘move’

You know the one from cheaper by the dozen when Sarah goes on a date with Elliott and he puts his arm around her at the movie theater.

I couldn’t help but quietly giggle as I pictured the scene as Steve Martin and Eugene Levy get in the shoving match and Steve falls over the railing.

Morgan notices your quiet giggle “what?”

“Not that I don’t love your arm around me because I do, but you just pulled the move from cheaper by the dozen.”

Morgan burst into laughter, as he knew exactly what scene you were talking about.

“But about training camp, I will ask Jess but I can’t see it being a problem.”

“Perfect, just let me know.”

You nodded your head as you slowly leaned back into his chest so you could look at the CN tower as the sky slowly turned into night.

Pulling you close Morgan asked, “So tell me about your family?”

“I grew up about 45 minutes east of here in a small town.  I lived with my mother, father, sister and German shepherd. They always encouraged us to find what we are passionate about and to pursue it no matter what. They were very supportive of me moving to Vancouver for 7 years.” I said smiling.

“What about you?” I added

“I grew up in North Vancouver with my mother, father, brother and my dog Maggie. I was drafted to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL so I left home when I was a teenager. My family has always been very supportive of my dream and has done everything they could to help make it come true.”

We looked out towards the CN tower as the sun began to set. Today I had the opportunity to talk to Morgan more. After today I can see that he isn’t how I stereotyped him as. He is funny, charming, kind and very down to earth everything Lucas was not.

Looking down at your watch you see that it’s getting late and decide that you should probably head home even though you don’t want the night to end. Looking at Morgan I say, “ I should probably head home.”

We both stand up and Morgan pulls me into a long hug whispering “I really want to kiss you right now.”

I giggled as I said, “well I don’t kiss on the first date.” Slowly giving him a kiss on the cheek instead.

“When can I see you next?”

“How about when you come back from the training camp I will make you some cookies, just don’t tell your coach!”

“Mmmm sounds amazing! Can’t wait.”

Jess and Tom were watching TV in the living room when I got home.

“Come watch with us. We are watching survivor”

“Okay, just let me get changed into my pajamas.”

I quickly changed and joined them on the couch. While the show was on a commercial break, I started talking to Jess about Morgan.

I explained everything that had happened between the two of us and the feelings it is being up.

“Hails he sounds like a really good fit for you. You just need to follow what your heart and gut instinct is.”

“They are telling me that the connection between the two of us is undeniable”

“That’s your answer then. Continue to go on dates and see if there is something.” She said as she gave me a smile “who knows he might be the one!” She added as she sent a smirk my way.

You nodded your head as you leaned back further into the couch.

“I told Morgan about Nate playing hockey and making his rep team. He asked if I wanted to take him up to Niagara for the day to see training camp.”

“Wow, he’s really trying to impress you eh?” Stated Jess as she smiled at you.

“I’m sure Nate would love that. He can take the day off school and you can take my car to Niagara for the day. I will just work from home and watch Max and Ella.”

“Thanks, Jess, I’m sure Nate will enjoy a day with just the two of us.”

“What days is the training camp?”

“He does fitness testing tomorrow in Toronto then they are in Niagara from Tuesday to Thursday.”

“You guys can go on Wednesday!”

“Perfect I will text him now”

I looked down at my phone and saw that I already had a message from him.

Morgan: God you looked so beautiful tonight as the sun set behind you. I hope you got home safe.

Hailey: such a charmer.

Hailey: Talked to Jess and we are a go for Wednesday to come to see your training camp.

Morgan: Perfect! I will let security know so you can get passes to see me after it’s done for the day.

Morgan: try not to distract me while your there. I need to make the team haha

Hailey: As if you won’t make the team, haha but I will try really hard not to distract you.

I looked up from the phone as I hit send and I saw that Jess was just shaking her head at me and smiling.

“What?”

“You’re already smitten with him.”

I couldn’t help the blush that took over my face as I thought back to the date with Morgan. Maybe I was smitten?

I looked over at Tom and he was just shaking his head and muttered “girls” like we were crazy.

The show came back on and I was once again distracted by the show.

“Goodnight guys,” I said as I made my way back to my room.

The days seemed to fly by and it was already Wednesday. I got a bag ready for Nate and I and we headed to Niagara Falls for the maple leafs training camp.

I found an empty parking spot and quickly parked. Grabbing our bags and headed to where Morgan said to meet. When I got there I walked up to the ticket lady and told her my name. She quickly handed me two passes and told me that Morgan had left something for me. She quickly reached behind her a pulled out a blue drawstring leafs bag and handed it to Nate. We moved off to the side and Nate looked at me as if to ask if he can open it.

I nodded my head and Nate pulled out a children’s sized Reilly Jersey. He flipped out over and saw every player had signed it. Dam Morgan, I thought.

Nate quickly threw it on over his jacket and gave me a bone-crushing hug. I quickly hugged him back and we made our way to where everyone was heading to watch the practice. As we walked into where they were practicing a security guard walked over to where we were and nodded towards our passes. He walked us towards the glass and pointed to two seats. He whispered to me so that the people around us couldn’t hear

“Morgan told me that he wants your right at the glass so Nate can truly enjoy the day.”

I nodded and thanked the man as he made his way back to where he was originally.

We sat down in our seats and Nate asked if we could take a selfie to send to his parent. I handed him my phone and he took a couple of pictures of us.

He handed me back my phone just as the players started to step onto the ice. Morgan skated by us and gave me a smile and then got back to work.

Nate sat beside me enthralled in everything he was witnessing. He studied the defenseman worked on their drills, and he cheered when the players practiced their shoot out skills. Towards the end of the practice, the players started skating around and throwing pucks over the glass for the fans. Morgan stopped right in front of us as he nodded at me and smirked as he threw a puck over the glass for Nate. Nate quickly caught it and Morgan grabbed another puck and threw it to another fan.

Nate noticed that the little boy beside him was upset that he didn’t get a puck so he handed him his and said, “Here have this. I already have a signed jersey.”  

I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my face as I saw what Nate had done. I was extremely proud and I pulled him in for a big hug.

The whistle blew signaling that the practice was over. The players quickly filled off the ice one by one and made their way to the locker rooms.

The same guard that came up to me before the practice came up to me again and said: “Morgan wants to meet you guys in the hallways once he was done.”

The security guard led us to a hallway away from other fans. Nate stood beside me excitedly talking about his favourite things about the practice.

Not long after we arrived Morgan walked into the hallway.

“Hailey, Nate! How did you like the practice?”

Nate looked between the two of you before saying “it was amazing! I want to be a defenseman like you.”

Morgan walked up to Nate and gave him a big hi-five and said, “I’m sure you will be better than me.”

You couldn’t help the feeling in the bottom of your stomach that erupted it’s was like a million butterflies were dancing as you watched the way Morgan interacted with Nate.

Morgan looked towards you and pulled you in for a hug.

As Morgan kept his arm around you Nate looked between the two of you and asked, “Are you guys, boyfriend, and girlfriend?”

Morgan and I both looked at each other. I’m sure my face was turning bright red before Morgan answered, “no we aren’t but I wish she was.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as Nate answered for me “you need to impress her, she really likes flowers and chocolates.”

“Noted,” Morgan said as he sent me a wink.

“Let me take a photo of the two of you guys so I can send it to mom and dad Nate,” I said as I pulled out my phone and nodded my head to both of the boys.

I quickly took the picture and hit send.

Nate reached for my phone saying, “now I need to take one of you and your boyfriend Hails.”

Man, that guy was on a mission to embarrass me in front of Morgan.

Morgan winked at me and said, “Come on Hails your BF is waiting.”

I teasingly stuck my tongue out at him and walked towards him. He put his arm around me and Nate took the photo.

Nate walked over to us and showed us the picture. Morgan whispered in my ear “please send me that.” I nodded my head and I stepped away from Morgan.

Morgan looked at his Watch and said, “I have to go and sign some autographs for fans. I hope you had a good day Nate. Hailey text me when you guys get home.”

I nodded my head and Nate gave Morgan a big hug. We made our way out of the arena and headed back home to Toronto.

When we got home Nate couldn’t stop talking about our day. After all the children were in bed Jess pulled me aside and gave me a big hug “you made him so happy today Hails. Morgan knew one way to your heart was my children and he made sure to make an impression on both you and Nate.”

I nodded my head and showed her the picture of Morgan and me that Nate took.

“Wow Hails, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy in a photo before.”

I nodded my head “ he is really making an impression on me and is making my walls to start to come down.”

I got ready for bed and sent Morgan a text

Hailey: thank you for everything you did for Nate and I. It’s all Nate is talking about.

Morgan quickly replied

Morgan: If you can’t tell I’m really trying to impress you.

Hailey: you’re doing a good job because it’s working.

Morgan: Goodnight beautiful. I hope you dream of me ;)

Hailey: Goodnight superstar. I hope you don’t dream of me because I can’t distract you remember.

Morgan: haha too late for that.

#morgan rielly #morgan rielly fanfiction #morgan rielly imagines #nhl imagines #nhlfanfiction

[castlecrackers]

its time. the knights...theyre here. 😳

oh yeah baby its TIME FOR MY VERSION OF THE KNIGHTS!!! LOTS OF OTHERS ARE DOING THEM SO ITS INFODUMP TIMEEEEE

SCREAMS

____

Carvin Mancer -Blue Knight

Appearance: Long, blue braid to the knees, when out to the ankles. Freckled but scarred face, one of the tallest. Very lanky and skinny (6'7), dark blue eyes and usually in armor. If not, usually dressed in long sweaters and jeans, needs to be..comfy...

Personality: Very apathetic mostly, quiet and stern, usually a leader. Really likes building up and creating things, very perserverant and determined with things. Dating Dayn/Necromancer.

____

Jackson Melesion -Red Knight

Appearance: Very scarred face, deep maroon eyes and very well built. Really toned, 6"3. Curly red hair that goes down to the ears, good for fluffing. Burn marks on hands and shock scars on his back. Full stubble.

Personality: Angry alot, kinda has anger issues. Agitated easily and can diss you out in like 3 seconds, but hes actually a big softie on the inside, especially for his wife, orange :)

___

Lia Melesion/Orange Knight

Appearance: Curly, short orange hair. Freckles! Fairly plump lips, she's fairly short and light hazel eyes. Burn marks on the face, naturally red cheeks. Really likes comfortable tank tops and dresses! 5"3

Personality: She's trans! Her old name used to be Liam, but she decided she wasn't happy and was self destructive. Shes happy now! And is now married to Jackson :) She's very happy go-lucky but can often feel down, she loves to bake and help her husband paint!

____

Alec Silvester/Green Knight

Appearance: Mullet, dark green wavy and tangled hair down to the neck. 5"11. Needs glasses in order to see properly after incident in training. Half of left ear ripped off and in process of healing. Fairly chubby, not the best built, but good for hugging! :) Weak-Stomached and often scared of things.

Personality: He's very shy when it comes to new people but if you know him he'll talk your ear off. He's in a relationship with a Grey knight! He likes to be clean and likes things in order, he has middle-spectrum OCD and that can mess with him while in battle.

____

Vincent Smith/Blacksmith

Appearance: You can see him in game go find for yourself stinky. But here he has heterochromia, his eyes are two different colors! He also has freckles.. He's really big and toned, gives good hugs.

Personality: He's usually a quiet, keep to himself type of guy, except for around his HUSBAND!!! He's been in a relationship with pink for a long time! Pink got him out of his shell. But he's very assertive and very ordery at times, he likes things to go his way and gets really flustered and pissed off at times when they don't.

____

Noah Smith/Pink Knight

Appearance: Poofy!! Poofy blonde hair that goes down to the shoulderblades!! Freckles, light blue eyes and scarred up from the chin to his eyebrow. Likes to steal blacksmiths clothes.

Personality: ABSOLUTE BABY. He's so happy!! He can get sad at times but its seldom! He's married to Vincent and he loves to bake and take care of things. Has a little garden!! He loves drawing little rainbows on everything. Very touchy feely and needy at times, cuddly!!

#ill do the rest later #my fingers hurt #castle-crashers #my version

[lukes-writing]

Chapter 2: Out of Body

Project introduction | Previous chapter | Next chapter

Word count: 2900 Warnings: Soft drugs usage

September 22nd, 10:33 AM, Great Moors district, Trinity Gate

The blinds of the large room are impenetrably closed, all the lights are switched off. The only source of light is the flickering flame of a scented candle in front of the girl who is the only person in the room. She is sitting in a lotus position with hands resting on her lap. She inhales the heady smell of the candle, helping her to relax even more, to let go of all the tension and focus only on her own thoughts.

The room is silent except for an occasional screech coming from one of the four budgies which reside in a large aviary occupying the corner of the room. The girl has them named - Godric (pink), Rowenna (blue), Helga (yellow) and Salazar (green). It’s no wonder she chose such names - another prominent part of the room is a massive wooden bookshelf carrying hundreds of books.

However, the girl doesn’t focus on either the birds or the books. When she feels completely relaxed, she lays on a soft carpet like a plank and starts to detach. She soothes her mind to get on the verge of sleeping, but she doesn’t fall asleep. Instead, she starts to visualize two versions of herself - her physical body and her consciousness as two separate entities. It took years to master and the first attempts were usually unsuccessful, but now, at nineteen, she’s able to detach rather easily.

She already doesn’t feel her body, but not in a numb way. It’s almost like her body was something unnecessary she can leave behind freely. Then, something starts to happen behind her closed eyes. A light, almost like an open gate. When she saw the gate for the first time, she backed off and woke up immediately, afraid to go further. Now, she just embraces it and completes the detach.

The girl’s astral body, or a soul, as some people prefer to call it, slips out of the body, almost like peeling a sticker off a surface. Then, when the last bit of her astral body leaves the material body, she slips through the light which guides her into the Astral Plane. The girl can see again, even though her physical eyes are closed. The room she sees is seemingly unchanged, except for the unexplainable feeling of unreality it gives now.

She looks down and sees her sleeping physical body, visible only faintly in the candle’s glow. The thing that glows brighter is a rope made of silver light which emerges from the belly of her physical body and ends in the same spot of her astral body.

The two parts of her being are now apart, but still connected. The girl’s astral face smiles. Now she’s not restricted by the limitations of the physical body. She can… fly! She spreads her arms and, with a mere thought, ascends through the roof, above her house, into the morning sunshine. The silver rope, called a “lifeline”, extends according to her needs, always connected with her physical body.

This never gets old, she thinks as she looks at her surroundings from above. She sees the solar panels on the roof of the eco-friendly mansion her family owns, the garden in front of the house, the greenhouses, fields and farms typical for the Great Moors district.

She can roam anywhere she wants. Just a thought is enough to carry her into any direction. Maybe today, she will make it all the way to Hestia, the capital of the Commonwealth of Great Moors located on the borders of Montana and South Dakota. A few days ago, she made it all the way to Iowa before her physical body started to get restless and violently sucked her astral self back into it.

She has heard about people who can cross thousands of kilometers in a blink of an eye while in the Astral Plane, but she hasn’t reached such levels yet.

After spending a little longer floating above their mansion, the girl’s astral body starts flying to the west. Like always, her detach is accompanied by feelings of happiness and absolute freedom. The slight toothache she suffers from is also gone - the tooth is a part of her physical body she left behind.

“I’m going on an adventure!” she shouts even though nobody in the material world can hear her and the Astral Plane is usually empty. She accelerates, flying towards the fence which creates a border between the city of Trinity Gate and the state of Indiana, a part of the Commonwealth of Great Moors.

Then suddenly, her astral body is violently taken back into her physical body. In a matter of seconds, she flies all the way back to their mansion, through the roof and into her body. Her soul is screaming the whole time.

Whisper Johanna Archer-Gutenberg sits up, gasping for breath. Her head is spinning and it takes her a while to get oriented - like every time her soul returns to her body too abruptly. After she settles up a bit, she realizes the blinds in her room have been open and there’s someone in the room with her.

“Libby!” Whisper yells at the girl who woke her up. “Just… just how many times do I have to tell you not to wake me up when I’m out of body? It can be dangerous! You have to be crazy!” She hates that her voice is ridiculously high-pitched and keeps changing tone when she’s angry. It makes her sound… less intimidating.

Her sister sneers at her. “Out of body? Sure. I bet you were tripping on this,” she looks at the remaining half of a joint resting in a small ashtray on Whisper’s bedside table.

Whisper already gave up on explaining the astral travel to her sister who is a skeptic just like their parents. “Are you going to judge me for that?” Whisper spits out.

“Nah, that shit is legal for some time now, isn’t it?” Libby replies. She is a slim, pretty girl with short, blonde hair and intelligent brown eyes. Judging from her outfit, a skirt suit which subtly accentuates her curves, she’s heading to work soon. She is twenty-five, six years older than Whisper.

Her full name is Liberty Camilla Archer-Gutenberg. The Archer-Gutenberg siblings discussed their parents’ strange name choices countless times - the two sisters have an older brother who goes by the name Knight Edward. They came to a conclusion their parents wanted to somehow compensate for the fact their names are Jack and Mary, the most basic names anyone can think of.

“I hope you at least have a good reason for waking me up,” Whisper mutters when she finally gets on her feet. The four budgies in the corner of the room greet the sun with an apparent whistling contest and Whisper strides towards them to feed them.

“I do,” Libby replies. “Uncle John is here to speak with you.”

“Do you mean uncle Wiccan?” Whisper corrects her.

The older girl rolls her eyes. “No, I mean uncle John. Maybe you play along with him, but I refuse to deal with the bullshit he sticks to since he married that Ophelia woman.”

Whisper once again ignores her and leaves her room. Wiccan Salisbury was born as John Archer, younger brother of Jack Archer, Whisper’s father. Later, he took the surname of his wife and changed his first name, too. Wiccan fits him much better, Whisper thinks.

The girl descends the stairs to the large, airy atrium of the Archer-Gutenberg mansion where she’s greeted by the three dogs the family owns - a female golden retriever, a corgi and an especially large specimen of the Irish wolfhound. They follow the same naming pattern as Whisper’s budgies - Arwen, Frodo and Gandalf.

Wiccan is already standing there, just like every time - casual, smiling, dressed in a leather jacket, white T-shirt, basic jeans and sneakers. “Wisp, good to see you!” he greets her with his trademark, slightly breathy voice, probably affected by the fifteen years of smoking he quit some years ago.

“Uncle Wiccan!” Whisper cheers and her voice grows into falsetto once again, this time out of joy. “What brings you here? I haven’t seen you in a while!”

“That’s for a longer talk,” Wiccan replies. “What would you say about a short walk?”

After looking at the uncle and the niece together, one has immediately an idea which one of her relatives has the biggest impact on Whisper.

Just like her uncle, the girl wears her hair braided into long, fair dreadlocks, long enough to reach her waist. She’s wearing an airy green sleeveless dress with floral pattern, soft and thin like a spider web, ending above her knees. On principle, she always walks barefoot unless the situation asks for some kind of shoes. This is, however, not the case, so the girl walks beside her uncle with nothing on her feet.

It would be unfair to say Whisper is not pretty, but not all people can appreciate her authentic type of beauty. She doesn’t wear any make-up and her face usually shines with a smile some people may consider strange or even uncanny. Her dreamy eyes usually have a spaced-out look. They are hazel-colored, fluctuating between brown and green according to the lighting.

This combination can make the girl appear a bit like a lunatic, but those who know her know it’s nothing but a part of her complex, dreamer personality.

Whisper and Wiccan walk together through the Great Moors district. They pass several eco-friendly, futuristic-looking houses and mansions similar to theirs. They also see large greenhouses whose glass walls reflect the golden sunlight. The gardeners are working on the fields and garden beds inside. The greenhouses can simulate any type of climate thanks to advanced technology, allowing them to grow many types of fruit, vegetables and crops. Outside the greenhouses, there are also vast animal farms and ranches which successfully combine traditional methods and modern technology.

The girl loves this district - besides the farms and greenhouses, there are also beautiful parks, forests, lakes, adorable ponds and natural swimming pools. Whisper is a nature lover and taking a long way in the woods is her everyday ritual. She sometimes meditates or practices violin there when nobody is around.

Whisper picks a flower from the flower bed lining the pavement they’re walking and weaves them into her hair - that’s what she frequently does. Then she turns to Wiccan. “So? What did you want to discuss?” she asks him with a smile. While she loves all of her family, she always prefers the presence of her alternative uncle over her boring, materialistic nuclear family.

“Where should I start,” Wiccan thinks out loud. “Wisp, remember when I taught you the techniques of astral traveling? Have you been perfecting this skill?”

“Of course I have! I once made it to Iowa before my physical body disturbed the travel!” Whisper boasts. She speaks with a singsong voice which frequently changes tone and loudness. It makes her sound like she was a part of a theatrical play even though she’s just shopping for groceries.

“Very good,” Wiccan nods. “The thing is - me and some of my friends, including Ophelia, are trying to assemble a team of people with special talents and abilities for… a certain job.”

“Really?!” Whisper’s eyes brighten up; they appear green in the sunlight. “Like… a Hogwarts letter? Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters? Like the…”

“Not really,” Wiccan interrupts her before his niece can overwhelm him with fictional schools and academies. “In order to join, you have to give up some romantic ideas about such things you have from books.”

Whisper scowls. “Why so?”

Wiccan looks at her with a strange expression. “I haven’t interacted with you much lately, did I? Now I can tell you it was because one of my closest friends died in action. Even though it’s not the first time, it’s always an off-putting experience.”

His niece looks at him with a betrayed look in her eyes. “Uncle Wiccan! Since I was little, you kept telling me you’re working as a researcher in AgriCo Trinity Gate,” her voice starts low, but once again escalates into much higher pitch as her emotions grow stronger. “And now you’re just casually telling me you have a job which involves people dying? Have you been lying to me all this time?”

“Well,” Wiccan sighs, “it’s not the kind of job I can talk about. I’ll try to explain.”

Wiccan examines his niece with his eyes and, for the first time, he feels doubt. Does he have a right to expose his niece to the dangers of working for The Society involves? Whisper is tiny. Rather short, with a thin frame. Not slim or lean. Thin.

Her limbs look gentle and fragile. There are only slight hints of feminine curves underneath her clothes - people often find amusement in comparing Whisper to her beautiful, tall, curvy sister. It looks like God forgot to distribute certain things evenly here. There is also a running joke claiming Whisper changed the way she looks and acts because she likes the nickname “Hippie girl” more than “Surfboard”.

On the other hand, the man knows Whisper is intelligent and headstrong. And her ability to detach her soul from her body can make her a valuable ally.

Whisper catches the look he’s giving her. “No need to worry,” she says with a firm voice. “People think I’m weak, but I’m not. Whatever job you have for me, I can do it.”

This is not the first time Whisper appears to be capable of mind reading. However, there’s not anything supernatural about it. The girl is naturally empathetic and can read anyone’s body language like one of the many books she has in her room. She can work as a natural lie detector with surprising accuracy. It can be both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes people feel things that make Whisper hurt.

“Are you sure about this, Wisp? You don’t even know what does it involve.”

“Look, uncle. I was born as a third daughter of the Archer-Gutenberg family, the founders and owners of Sagittarius Plantations, the biggest agricultural company in Trinity Gate. They expect me to study economy, something I hate with all my heart, and they also expect I will be as successful as Knight and Libby. Which I can never be, at least in the fields our parents consider important.”

Wiccan silently listens to the girl’s vent. This is the first time she talks so openly about her position in the family. So far, she always seemed ready to do what she has to do, but now it seems she has doubts.

Whisper continues: “They don’t see I’m… yeah, it’s a cliché to say this, but I’m different from them. I don’t give a twig about the company. I… I just want to be myself, nothing more, but they want to mold me into a businesswoman, an heiress of the empire. Like they didn’t already have two.” She looks at Wiccan. “You are the only one who understands this. So I’m willing to follow you no matter where you take me.”

First, Wiccan has to resist the urge to laugh at the girl’s habit to replace profanity with innocent words - Whisper’s legendary phrase Egg this! successfully made its way into his own vocabulary. Then, he gets overwhelmed by Whisper’s sincere loyalty.

He knows that Jack and Maria, Wiccan’s brother and sister-in-law and Whisper’s parents, are boring people with money on their minds. But he wasn’t aware they make Whisper this unhappy. She seemed reconciled with her fate which involved studying at the First University of Trinity Gate and then starting to work in the company alongside her older siblings.

But now, she probably saw a chance to escape this fate and grasped it firmly.

“But first,” Whisper says, “so we can be sincere with each other, I have to know who you really are and what you do. It seems that everything I know is a lie, isn’t it?”

“Not everything,�� Wiccan replies. “The only thing I lied about was the true nature of my job. But as I already said, it’s not something I can talk about with people who don’t need to know.”

“And do I need to know now?”

“I guess so. In fact, I’ve been preparing you for this moment for some time now - it cost me many arguments with Jack, but screw him. He blamed me that I’m attempting to steal his daughter away, like you were some kind of commodity. From the start, I knew you’re destined for something better than sitting behind the desk and counting money. Now it’s your turn to prove I was right.”

The girl’s eyes are once again shining with zeal and enthusiasm. Maybe she’s a bit too eager, Wiccan thinks. He didn’t allow ELIPSA to create a file about her, just like they did with Parker and yeah, also about him when he was a new recruit. Even without the file which would contain everything from the girl’s privacy, he decided Whisper is perfect for the job.

“I can’t tell you much right now, but if you follow my instructions, you will know everything soon,” Wiccan tells the girl. “Now let’s just continue the walk, should we?”

Whisper seems that the idea of waiting isn’t pleasant to her, but she doesn’t object.

Author’s Note

I hope you enjoyed meeting Whisper, one of my favorite characters I’ve written :)

I also wholeheartedly thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if you did, please leave a comment, send me a message or share and let more people know about this story! You can also consider a small donation at www.paypal.me/lukassladky. Have a great day and stay tuned for the next chapter!

#writeblr #writers #my writing #urban fantasy #original fiction #TeamDreamcatcher