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#the way it smells. the way the reflected cold white light lights the room
needahugfromesme · 4 months
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The Magic of Snow
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Carlisle & Esme 2023
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fangirl-dot-com · 2 months
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Chapter 28 - Always Bet on Red and Navy
As promised you hungry demons. But I love you all! My midterms were absolutely awful and have kind of put me back in a mindset that I have desperately tried to break out of. So, writing this was a bit therapeutic because there aren't any teachers grading this. It's just you all who take everything with such love.
So please enjoy this!
Your eyes glimmered with the reflective lights as you walked through the turnstile. This year, a white body suit was not on your body and your neck was void of an iconic red scarf. But, each breath you took filled your lungs with familiar air. The small crowds of people, who showed up early for qualifying, chanted your name with each step you took. Your eyes were squinted into half crescents by your smile. To your left, Vito was typing things on his iPad, a Bluetooth speaker in his ear as he talked. 
His words were mumbled as the two of you kept walking to the garage. He looked heated as his voice began to raise. He walked right passed you and into your driver’s room. You guessed you wouldn’t be using it for a while. 
A yawn escaped your lips as you looked around. Max hadn’t arrived yet, along with mostly everyone that you normally talked to. Your eyes flittered across the paddock. A light shone from the Mercedes garage. A smirk rose on your lips. You hadn’t been able to talk to Lewis for a while and you missed the Brit. You grabbed your blanket and wrapped it around your shoulders. This was nothing like Singapore where you wished you could escape the heat. Here in Vegas, you wanted to escape the cold. 
You gingerly stepped into the lighted garage, feet barely making an echo. You knew where the back room was. A coffee sounded really good right now as you were fighting sleep. Your eyes widened at the sight of Lewis all bunched on a couch. You could tell that he was sound asleep, since his eyes were shut and his face looked so relaxed. You took a couple of steps and sat down next to him. When he didn’t move, you knew you were save. You watched as he shivered next to you, neck outstretched in a weird angle, resting on the back of the couch. His arms were wrapped around his torso
You lightly pouted at the sad sight. Thankfully, your blanket was big enough for two people. You lightly draped the cream colored fabric onto most of his body. You watched him unconsciously relax underneath the blanket. You quickly situated yourself next to him, and gently put your head on his shoulder. 
Lewis stirred at the new weight on his left side. His eyes barely opened as he tried to blink the sleep away. His face was met with blond hair and the smell of your vanilla shampoo. He now noticed the cream blanket on him and you cuddled up close. 
“Kid?” 
“Shhhhh, sleep now, questions later.” 
Lewis didn’t even have time to argue before he was being dragged back to sleep land. His arm rose up to lie behind your head, inevitably giving you more room under his arm. You scooched closer to the warmth of the 7-time world champion. 
Toto sighed as he walked out of his office. Everything was falling quickly. When Lewis mentioned that he wanted to initiate the escape clause in his contract, Toto thought that he was going to be retiring at the end of the season after another failed attempt at the world championship. He just wasn’t expecting his star to leave him for another team. The Austrian’s hand rubbed over his forehead. 
He didn’t want to think about that now. He could only focus on the next three races of the 2024. Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi was all he had left. Toto rounded the corner to the little kitchen station where their multiple coffee makers were. Nothing could beat Ferrari’s authentic Italian espresso, but hopefully a regular coffee pod could do. 
What Toto didn’t expect was for you to be snuggled up to Lewis on the couch that resided there. A sad smile made its way to his face. The two of you looked so innocent together, faces void of the usual wear and tear from the life that you lived. He quickly sent a text over to Christian to let him know where you were. His phone showed that they still had a few hours left before qualification started. The team principal just knew that you were going to win this weekend. Max had done a good job, trying to get the jump on you. But, when one’s name tops the P1 spot for all of the practices, there’s no choice in fighting it. 
You owned this track. 
A homecoming of sorts. 
Toto had barely payed any attention to you last year as you walked around in your sparkly outfit, following the reigning world champion. He knew of you. Just another name of a rookie trying to get into Formula 1. Looking back now, the Austrian wishes that he had done more to sign you. 
His phone softly dinged, and his eyes adjusted to the brightness of his screen. A text from Christian let him know that Max was on the way to come get you. Inside, he truly wished that you could have maybe been what you were to Max, to Lewis. But he lost out on you and he now lost out of Lewis. His days of complete domination were over.
Toto lightly stepped closer to the sofa and crouched down. His arm extended and lightly pushed on Lewis’s shoulder. The Briton’s eyes fluttered awake as he looked around, trying to get his bearings in order. Lewis’s eyes stopped on you, who was still sound asleep. Your eyes flitted behind your eyelids. 
“Should we wake her up?” Toto asked. “Max is coming to get her in a moment.” 
Lewis shook his head. 
“She’s dreaming.” 
A soft smile formed on his face as he watched you puff air and inhale harshly sometimes. You murmured gibberish, which the Mercedes pair had a hard time trying not to laugh. Footsteps announced someone else’s presence. The duo’s head jerked in the direction and watched as Max rounded the corner. 
Max froze at the sight of you snuggled into Lewis, your coveted blanket laying across yours and Lewis’s laps. 
“I’m quite jealous Lewis. She rarely shares the blanket.” 
Lewis’s eyebrow rose. “I just saw here sharing with Logan last race.” 
Max laughed softly, still not wanting to wake you up. 
“That was a different blanket. This is her Dior one. See the monogram? She doesn’t share that with anyone, not even me.” 
There was humor in the Dutchman’s voice as he explained. Max took a couple of steps before stooping down. He gently picked you up in his arms. You didn’t move a muscle as he adjusted you in his grasp. 
Lewis stood up and popped his joints. He took the blanket off his lap and layed it back over you. It draped weirdly across you and Max’s arms. It was silent as the three men watched you try to get closer to the warm that was Max Verstappen. 
“Well, I will get her back to the garage. You two have a good night.”
After Max said that, you talked a bit loudly. 
The Red Bull driver stopped in his tracks, wondering if Lewis and Toto heard. 
Lewis snorted. “Was that Dutch?’ 
The blond nodded as he looked down at you. There was a proud smile on his face. 
“I’ve been teaching her some words, but she always claims that it’s too hard. But here she is, sputtering out fluent sentences.” 
Toto asked, “What did she say.” 
“That’s the funny thing. She said something about a king. Must be a weird dream. She had a few weird ones the other night.” 
Lewis smirked up at him. “Care to share?” 
“No.” 
The three laughed a bit before Max bid goodbye, complaining that his arm was falling asleep. Max brought you back to his driver’s room and layed you down on his extra couch. There was a lot of time before qualifying, so he thought he would follow suit and try to get a nap in. His thoughts melted away as soon as his head hit the pillow. 
A few hours later, you and Max were woken up for qualifying. You scratched your head as you tried to remember some of the dreams you had last night. Max had told you that you were able to sputter out fluent Dutch, which then he got onto you for complaining about learning it when you were awake. Now he knew that you knew more than you were letting him know. 
Thankfully, there were no loose drain holes to rip up the floors of the cars. You had easily put your car in the P1 spot, certifying your claim on this track. 
Before the race, you were hunched together with Logan, Lando, and Oscar. Another one of your blankets was around everyone. Your cream Dior blanket would not have been big enough and you didn’t want it touching the dirty floor. On a small chair that sat in front of you, a computer played Cars 2. 
It felt so much like déjà vu while watching it. The movie took you back to your first free practice as a rookie last year, cuddling up with Logan and Oscar on a shared chair. At least this time, the four of you had upgraded to a sofa that was dragged to the outside pit lane. The officials were going over the circuit one last time, just to make sure that it was safe to drive. The chilly air would have raised goosebumps, but the four of you were in the race suits already. The scratchy fabric combined with the fireproofs really kept you insulated. This year, they brought back the Elvis suits. 
Max, Alex, Charles, and Carlos were standing off to the side, checking up on you four from time to time. 
“Anyone else feel like a parent watching them?” Alex questioned out loud, leading to many groans from the group. 
Max sighed, hands on his hips. “All the time. You know how many juice boxes I have to make sure I pack just in case? The answer is a lot.” 
Carlos watched Lando snuggle more into the blanket and into Oscar, still trying to warm up. The Aussie just rolled his eyes, but let him snuggle anyway. 
The Spaniard agreed. “Lando still has his little stuffed animal from a few years ago. Doesn’t leave or go anywhere without it.”
Alex nodded his head. “Oscar and Logan were both in my driver’s room the other day, looking so tired. Turns out, they weren’t sleeping because they watched a horror movie and were too scared to just go to bed. They’ve spent the last couple of nights in my room.” 
Charles shrugged. “Yeah mate, I don’t know. Y/n is just Y/n. She’s always acted like this, with Arthur.” 
Max rolled his eyes. “Surely she’s done something while being at Dams.” 
The Monegasque thought for a moment, before his eyes widened. 
“Ok, there was this one time that Arthur called me to their room. Dams gave them like no money and they often shared a hotel room if they could. And when I got there, they immediately through swim trunks at me. Apparently, they couldn’t go to the pool or water park without adult supervision. The worker there thought they were like younger than 18.” 
The group laughed after the story, making the other group of four turn their heads. 
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Lando questioned, eyes still on the movie. 
“Probably weird adult stuff. Like how one time Max showed up to Milton in his pajamas because he thought it was just a big debrief. No, it was actually a meeting with board members and sponsors.” 
Logan started to laugh loudly at the story, a bit too tired to contain the giggles. 
That made Alex look over again as he sighed. 
“I’m glad Williams kept him on. He was so sure that he was going to be booted after what happened in Qatar.” 
Max looked with sad eyes at the blond, who was currently in a you and Oscar sandwich. 
“Are they going to be renewing his contract after this?” 
Alex had a wicked grin on his face. “Mate, the kid gave Williams their first win since 2012. Of course they extended his contract.” 
Carlos jutted his head. “What about you mate.” 
The Thai shook his head as he lightly laughed. “Logan said he wouldn’t sign unless I got the same amount of years he did.” 
Charles’s eyes widened. “Congrats mate.” 
Logan had started to look over. “They must really be talking about adult stuff.” 
You carefully turned his head back to the movie. 
“Shhhhh, Lightning McQueen is on.” 
This year, you were able to actually finish the movie instead of having to promise that you’d finish it later. 
As you sat on the circuit, Mitch did a quick radio check. 
“Ok kid. You ready to win Vegas?” 
You shrugged in the car, even if she couldn’t see you. “I don’t know about win, but I will try my best. You know what Lego Batman says?” 
Mitch rolled her eyes lovingly. “What does he say?” 
“Always bet on black. But our colors aren’t black. So I’m changing the saying. Always bet on red and navy.” 
“And they are ready to go. I’ll keep you updated when you need it.” 
With that, Mitch let you be as you took off for the formation lap. You knew you had to keep the tyres warm. You watched in your mirrors as the cars behind you started to swerve right to left and then left to right. 
However, you were doing a more subtle approach as you constantly braked hard and then accelerated hard as well. It was a trick you picked up when watching Kimi do the same. 
Charles was a bit worried as he was swerving behind Max. 
“Are her tyres even warming up? Oh, never mind. She’s doing what Kimi always did.” 
It wasn’t long before all the cars were lined up, back in the starting positions. You watched out for the dust on the asphalt, knowing that it caused lots of troubles last year. The lights went off and you were drastically pulling ahead of the pack. 
A bit into the race, you watched as your wheels smoked white as you went around a corner. 
“Lock up in turn 3.” 
“Copy.” 
You hadn’t expected it to happen again, but it did. 
“Damn it. How much are we loosing on the corners?” you questioned, trying to get your car back under control. In the mirrors you saw how Charles and Max were slowly creeping back up to you. 
“Two tenths.” 
You sighed angrily. 
The two male drivers had caught up with you and now it was an all-out, three car battle for first. You were struggling to keep your position. You prayed and hoped that your tyres wouldn’t lock up again. But, they didn’t seem to work as they locked up again, letting Max and Charles fly past. You cursed under your breath. However, you had an idea. 
“Mitch, box for hards please.” 
“Are you sure?” 
You smirked under your helmet. “Always bet on red and navy.” 
You watched as the Red Bull and Ferrari kept going away as you pulled into the pits. If you’re breaks were going to lock up, then the stopping would cause more friction to go to the tyres. In the end, you hoped that the hard tyres would warm up quicker than if you just swerved or waited for them to warm by just driving. 
At the first corner, your breaks locked up once again. 
“How are the temperatures of the tyres?” 
“Heating up quickly.” 
The smirk returned to your face. 
“Perfect.”
You were still behind Charles and Max by the time that they had done their one pitstop. They had also gone out on hard tyres. Your car was still locking up, but you made up the time since your tyres were much more hot. 
It was the third to last lap when you finally made it to the males’ radars. 
“How the hell did she make it this close?” Charles asked, looking in his mirrors as you kept gaining. 
“Last we heard, she was locking up. Keep pushing.” 
The Monegasque saw white puff out of your brakes, yet you seemed to shake it off quickly.
The last lap finally came. 
You watched as your car was getting close to the two leaders. It was time for the all or nothing. 
“Kid, play it safe. Lock up happens on the last corner.”
“Gotta play something.” 
“Kid.” 
You shut the radio off. 
It was a “Never back down never what?” move time. 
You turn on DRS and got side by side with Charles and Max. The two were paying so much attention to each other that they didn’t see you slip by. 
If your brakes were to lock up, then you’d be sent into the barriers going 300+ k/m an hour. It would be deadly at this rate. Your heart started to pick up as you came closer to the corner. You had the outside racing line. You just had to get in front of Max and break as late as you could. 
You held your breath as you finally braked. 
Mitch watched with wide eyes at the pit wall. 
“What is she thinking?” Christian questioned, watching as you finally braked. 
Yet, your tyres never locked up. 
Mitch finally got what you were saying. 
“She had to win a bet.” 
You wanted to cheer as you came out in front of Max in the final chicane. Max, in his car, couldn’t believe it as you slipped past to cross the line in P1. 
You finally let out a deep exhale as the race completed. You pulled into Parc Ferme. You undid your steering wheel and got out. You raised your arms at the crowd before walking to your team. Helmet pats came from everyone as you made your rounds. 
A soft punch landed on your arm. You turned around to see Max, faux anger in his eyes.
“What were you thinking? Braking that late with lock ups? You should have retired the death trap.” 
You rolled your eyes as his over protectiveness. 
“Would you have retired the car?” 
The silence from the Dutchman was your answer. 
“I had to bet on something. We are in Vegas after all.” 
“Sure kid.” 
The limo was squished with you in the middle of Max and Charles. However, this year, the three of you got to Maxsplain, Leclerify, and Y/n-strate on the way to the anticlimactic fountain show during the interviews. 
Nico was the one conducting them this race. After Charles and Max gave their pieces it was your turn. You walked up to the spot with a bright smile, still feeling the high of yet another race win. Nico’s smile was a reflection of your own. 
“So, Y/n, how many race wins does this make for you.” 
“Three, I believe.” 
“Wow, so you’ve already passed Lewis’s record for points during a rookie season, how does that make you feel?” 
You thought for a moment. “Well, the points were definitely different back then, so I don’t know if it’s an good comparison. I know Lewis won four races his rookie year, but I’d be very happy with my three.” 
Nico hummed. “Your race was magnificent. Want to tell us a bit about it? Especially that last overtake.” 
“Well Nico,” you started, “my brakes weren’t being very lovely.” 
You heard snorts from behind you from Max and Charles.
“Lock ups are always tough. I asked my engineer if I could pit for hards because if there was enough friction between my brakes stopping the wheels and then the circuit, I could heat the tyres faster. And then I kind of just went for it on the last corner. I really thought that I would lock up again and go straight into the barriers.” 
The blond could only let out a strangled laugh at the thought you just full sending it without having any caution to your wellbeing. You made him glad that he retired in 2016 because he would not be able to keep a calm heart racing against rookies who only had a mindset to win. 
Max snuck up behind you. 
“I told her that it was stupid and that she should never do it again.” 
You could only pout. 
“Why?”  
“Maybe so I don’t have to plan a funeral?”  
“But Max, I put the fun in funeral.” 
"nO!"
redbullracing has posted
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redbullracing always bet on red and navy - y/n l/n, 2024
liked by maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc, y/n_updates, and 1,382,309 others
y/n.nation THRID WIN THIRD WIN THIRD WIN
rookie&co the ride to the fountains with everything
leclerify_me ikr, now we have the big three: maxsplain, leclerify, and y/n-strate
box_box_express we need to call y/n the tyre whisperer along with Charles
red_bull_bros like who thinks to pit to hards and use the lock ups for benefit - she really is her own strategist
y/n.89 so glad I wasn't sprayed in the face, thank you Charlie
maxverstappen1 yeah...thanks Charlie 🙂 charles_leclerc yeah, I was aiming for your eyes, I want another win oscarpiastri GET IN LINE BEHIND THE ONES WHO HAVEN'T WON landonorris you good mate? oscarpiastri I'LL BE GOOD WHEN I GET MY OWN WIN y/n.89 chill shawty - it's coming 😌
formulala_delulu max and Charles >>>>>
author lestappen for ever formulala_delulu HUH?
mericanf1_fan wish Logan was on the podium for Vegas but I'll take p5 🦅
y/n.89 has posted
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y/n.89 🪩 what happens in Vegas....
tagged: lilymehe and alexandrasaintmleux
liked by arthur_leclerc, lilymehe, carmenmmundt, and 1,462,923 others
y/n.nation we're not even going to talk about the third picture...
arthur_leclerc hot damn 😳
y/nxarthur bro is done hiding rookiesboyfriend FINALLY y/n.nation is he in vegas?? max&co HOLD UP
maxverstappen1 kid...
y/n.89 yes Max? maxverstappen1 want to pick up your phone? y/n.89 no. maxverstappen1 PICK UP YOUR PHONE lilymehe uh, y/n can't come to the phone right now, she'll get back to you in 3-19 business days lewishamilton I fear this is bahrain again max georgerussell63 I'M NOT EVEN THERE THIS TIME
box_box_nightmare the dress, the disco balls, the chapel, lily and alex - I fear that Vegas has taken our girl
charles_leclerc Alex, amore, please tell y/n to text Max back...I'm nervous that he's going to have an aneurism
alexandrasaintmleux Alex can't come to the phone right now, she'll get back to you in 3-19 business days charles_leclerc OH COME ON - ALEX YOU TRY NOW alex_albon I'm smarter than that (lily said that y/n is texting max now) y/n.89 snitch 😒
formula_gossip twitter is saying that y/n did NOT get married in Vegas but was picked up by a random couple to be a witness to the marriage
y/n_fan THAT WAS ME AND MY HUSBAND! leclercbros God has his favorites
formula_fan she's going to be MASSIVELY hung over tomorrow
TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @glitterquadricorn @laura-naruto-fan1998 @treehouse-mouse @sam-is-lost @kagatinkita @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @myxticmoon @angsthology @cmleitora @fly-me-away @graciewrote @ashy-kit @slutofmultifandom @aexitizen-ln4 @sugarvibez @vellicora @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @33-81 @hoetel-manager @xcharlottemikaelsonx @jayda12 @ilove-tswizzle @justme2042 @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @stopeatread @cha-hot @sadg3 @iloveyou3000morgan @s4turnsl0ver @alessioayla @torchbearerkyle @leptitlu @awekbachira @shreks-sugar-daddy @v1naco @stan-josie @mellowarcadefun @badassturtle13 @beskardroids @callisposts @poppyalice2001 @juniper-july19 @lizzypiastri
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saturnville · 5 months
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congratulations, mr. president
pairing: young!coriolanus snow x linnea lowtower. content: coriolanus is announced as president of Panem with his wife by his side. warning: none. an: idk this is short and simple. just randomly thought of it. I was gonna add smut but decided against it. tags: @fastlikealambo
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Coriolanus knew that the stars were aligned for his future. And, he knew that they one day, would align as a stepping stone to the seat of the presidency. The odds were ever in his favor. Though, life threw him arils of sour pomegranate and his support system was minuscule once his father passed, life had proven that good things come to those who wait. He had waited long enough. It was finally his time.
Election season was brutal, but unlike his peers, Coriolanus could easily admit that he enjoyed it. He was full of charm, class, and intelligence that made everyone fall for him. He became the President of Panem at the tender age of 24. The world was in the palm of his hand.
It was the day of his swearing in. The sun rose early and the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled his hotel suite. He spent the evening alone, per his request, to collect himself before his swearing in. His blue eyes darted to the clock on the wall. He had an hour to prepare himself before he’d be whisked away to the center of the Capitol. He stepped to the bathroom to begin getting ready.
Hot showers were something he still was not used to. For thirteen years, he lived just above the poverty line, and cold showers became a norm. It was better than no water at all, he reasoned. Coriolanus ran his fingers through his short, damp hair as he fumbled around for his toothbrush and toothpaste.
Through the foggy mirror, he caught his reflection. He looked much different than he did during his time at the Academy and at University. He no longer had shaggy, blond curls, but rather a platinum blond and a haircut with short sides and considerable length at the top, that was always strategically brushed back. It made him look older, more mature. More powerful. His shoulders were stronger and more broad, and he oozed confidence with every step he took. A complete 180 change.
Coriolanus flicked off the bathroom light and whistled his way to the main room. Near the window was a rack of clothes. The option he’d chosen hung pressed and wrinkle free against an iron hanger. His fingers danced along the thick fabric. The circular buttons, his fingertips touched. Tigris’ design.
He dropped his towel and proceeded to get dressed. He eyed himself in the mirror as he buttoned his shirt. A small smile graced his lips. Patience was a virtue and it proved to leave him victorious.
A soft knock came from the door. Coriolanus dropped his coat on the bed and went to open it. “Who is—hi.”
“Good morning, Coriolanus.” Right past him walked his wife. His eyes followed her with every step she took. He let go of the door slowly and let it close behind them. “How are you feeling?” She sat elegantly at the foot of the bed. She crossed her leg at the knee, her brown skin a stark contrast against her white dress. Coriolanus released a shaky breath.
To say his wife was stunning was far from an understatement. Their marital union began once they graduated from the Academy. Coriolanus proposed to her the day of graduation with a unique ring—a two diamond band, one silver, and one ruby red. Six years with her by his side through the ups, downs, and in-betweens.
She was a sensual being. Even in her most classy and elegant attire. She picked out her dress for the occasion and she picked it well. She wore a figure-hugging white dress with a slit going up the left thigh. Her dress was sleeveless with feathers along the chest. On her feet were a heel a shade of the deepest crimson. Her makeup was bold, eyes and lips bleeding with crimson. Her locs were curled and curtained her back. His beautiful wife. His First Lady. His Queen of Panem.
“Fine,” he said shortly. He extended his hand and took hers into his. She was careful not to rest her head on his white shirt; she’d hate for his outfit to be tainted with makeup. “Even better now. I’m almost ready. Just need my jacket.” He nodded at his crimson trench coat that rested on the edge of the bed. She broke from his embrace and swiped the coat from his hands.
“Go.” She pointed to the full length mirror on the back of the hotel door. He followed her command with ease. Though shorter than him, the crown of her head could be seen behind his stature as she stood behind him. She took the coat in her hands and gestured for him to slide his arms in the sleeves. One by one.
Her hands smoothed the non-existent wrinkles on the shoulders of the coat. Coriolanus lifted his chin, an unfamiliar sense of power coursing through his veins. On Linnea’s lips played a smile of approval. “Well, Mr. Snow, it’s about that time, yeah?” Right on cue, a knock on the door. It was time.
Coriolanus met her eyes through the mirror and nodded. “It’s that time.”
“It is with great pride that we welcome your new president of Panem,” Lucretius Lucky Flickerman said lowly. His dark eyes scanned over the crowd who itched with anticipation for their new leader to enter. “Coriolanus Snow!”
A pair of titanium doors opened. The logo of the Capitol split in two and slowly, Coriolanus and Linnea came into view. Capitol citizens roared with excitement. Coriolanus glanced at Linnea, who was already looking at him with a smile on her lips.
They were guided toward two chairs in the center of the suite. It was an overwhelming sight to see. Tens of hundreds of thousands people, proud and ecstatic for the arrival of the man who was determined to make Panem the greatest it could ever be. They were here for him, for Coriolanus Snow. The man who fought and clawed his way to the top. The man who went from something, to nothing, to everything in a short amount of time. Who could stop him? Coriolanus squeezed her hand tightly.
“Please, everyone, give it up for President Coriolanus Snow, and his First Lady, Linnea Snow!” A roar of cheers erupted. Dreams had become a reality.
Linnea leaned up and brought her lips to his ear, “Congratulations, Mr. President.” The words rolled off her tongue smoother than molasses. And the look in her eye was killer. Was she trying to make him weak in the knees in front of everyone? Putty in her hands, he was. Desire glazed over her brown eyes. She would pay for it later.
Coriolanus’ arm draped around her waist and his hand ghosted over the swell of her bottom. He brought his lips to her ear. “Save the congratulations for later, sweetheart. We’ll celebrate the right way, my beautiful First Lady…”
She smiled softly. “I love you.”
Not caring about the crowd ahead of them, his lips ghosted over hers. “Mhm, I love you, too.”
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fintan-pyren · 27 days
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Sometimes, life is busy. You shouldn't let that stop you from enjoying a good book, but who has the time to read the same words over and over again?
For your enjoyment and convenience, I have removed all duplicate words from the first Keeper of the Lost Cities book.
blurry fractured memories swam through sophie’s mind but she couldn’t piece them together tried opening her eyes and found only darkness something rough pressed against wrists ankles refusing to let move a wave of cold rushed as the horrifying realization dawned was hostage cloth across lips stifled cry for help sedative’s sweet aroma stung nose when inhaled making head spin were they going kill would black swan really destroy their own creation what point project moonlark then everblaze drug lulled toward dreamless oblivion fought back clinging one memory that could shine tiny spot light in thick inky haze pair beautiful aquamarine fitz’s first friend new life ever maybe if hadn’t noticed him day museum none this have happened no knew it’d been too late even white fires already burning curving city filling sky with sticky smoke spark before blaze miss foster mr sweeney’s nasal voice cut blaring music he yanked earbuds out by cords you decided you’re smart pay attention information sophie forced open not wince bright fluorescents reflected off vivid blue walls amplifying throbbing headache hiding sweeney mumbled shrinking under glares now staring classmates pulled shoulder-length blond hair around face wishing hide behind it exactly kind went way avoid why wore dull colors lurked blocked other kids who at least foot taller than survive twelve-year-old high school senior perhaps can explain listening your ipod instead following along held up like evidence crime though probably he’d dragged class natural history balboa park assuming his students be excited about all-day field trip didn’t seem realize unless giant dinosaur replicas came started eating people cared tugged loose eyelash nervous habit stared feet there make understand needed cancel noise hear chatter from dozens tourists echoed fossil-lined splashed cavernous room mental voices real problem scattered disconnected pieces thoughts broadcast straight into brain being hundreds tvs different shows same time sliced consciousness leaving sharp pains wake freak secret burden since fell hit five years old she’d blocking ignoring nothing helped never tell anyone wouldn’t you’ve above lecture don’t give asked pointed enormous orange duckbill center how lambeosaurus differs dinosaurs we’ve studied repressed sigh flashed an image card front display glanced entered photographic recorded every detail recited facts twisted scowl classmates’ grow increasingly sour weren’t fans resident child prodigy called curvebuster finished answer grumbled sounded  know-it-all stalked exhibit next over follow thin separating two rooms block muffled grabbed little relief nice job superfreak garwin chang boy wearing t-shirt said i’m gonna fart sneered shoved past join they’ll write another article child teaches lame-o-saurus still bitter yale had offered full scholarship rejection letter arrived few weeks allowed go parents much pressure young end discussion so attending closer smaller san diego college year fact some annoying reporter newsworthy enough post local paper chooses ivy league complete photo freaked wasn’t strong word more half rules unnecessary front-page articles pretty worst nightmare they’d newspaper complain editor seemed unhappy story run place on arsonist terrorizing trying figure mistake bizarre white-hot flames smelled burnt sugar took priority everything especially unimportant girl most ignore or used caught sight tall dark-haired reading yesterday’s embarrassing black-and-white looked seen particular shade teal smooth sea glass beach glittered flickered expression gaze disappointment decide shrugged leaning closed distance between smile belonged movie screen heart did weird fluttery thing is pointing picture nodded feeling tongue-tied fifteen far cutest talking i thought squinted brown uh yeah sure say reason felt conversation accent british somehow crisper which bothered know are suck words soon left mouth course boys cute made mushy perfect returned told hulking greenish standing albertosaurus all its lizardesque glory me do think that’s it’s absurd
isn’t see saw small t rex: big teeth ridiculously short arms fine laughed i’ll get meet turned leave just classes kindergartners barreled fossil crushing screaming knock step whole realm pain kids’ stinging high-pitched needles many once angry porcupine attacking hands darted rubbing temples ease stabbings skull remembered alone reaction locked forehead pained imagined seconds hushed blood drain mean created plenty racket shrieks squeals giggles plus sixty individual chattering away gasped solved earlier everyone boy’s distinct accented speaking totally completely silent possible whispered widened moved whisper telepath flinched skin itch gave can’t believe backed exit reveal total stranger okay holding sort wild animal calm afraid froze my name’s fitz added stepping name searching sign part joke joking thinking wobbled spent seven find someone else world tilted sideways steady here looking twelve we better question: want air jerked bolted door stumbling shaky legs rhythm sucked breaths ran down stairs burned lungs bits ash flew ignored wanted space strange come shouted picked pace raced courtyard base steps wide fountain grassy knolls sidewalk got inside because poor quality footsteps gaining wait pouring energy sprint fighting urge glance shoulder halfway crosswalk sound screeching tires reminded both ways terrified driver struggling stop car plowed right die second blur swerved missing inches jumped curb sideswiped streetlight heavy steel lantern cracked plummeted instincts hand shot pulling strength somewhere deep gut pushing fingertips force collide falling gripping extension arm dust settled floated feel weighed ton put familiar warned bringing trance shrieked dropped without hurtled watch yanking split crashed ground impact knocked tumbled body broke fall landed chest stretched flurry questions swirling coherent idea sat replaying sense need witnessed miracle tighten panic let’s overwhelmed plan resist street reached intersection north zoo where crowd during firestorm running missed hearing changed terrifying scenarios involved government agents throwing dark vans experiments watched road ready bolt anything suspicious zoo’s massive parking lot relaxed outside milling cars happen witnesses slowed walk breath promise sincere easier opened hesitated supposed am trust won’t considered father sent specific age observe report always talk frowned disappointed himself does means expected threw what’s wrong touched eyelids suddenly selfconscious figured again awe us stopped whoa hang ‘one us’ frowning spotted fanny-pack-wearing within earshot deserted corner ducking green minivan there’s easy we’re human stunned speak hysterical laugh escaped repeated shaking riiiiiight insane trusting kicked stomped telling truth minute last listen plea humans vanished gone reeling leaned argued taking clear set pole minutes ago almost three managed finally saying alien erupted laugher cheeks grew hot also relieved compose elf hung foreign object belong visions tights pointy ears danced giggling expect guess stick wavy spikes rock star good crazy agreed refused serious frodo ring save middle-earth toys hid corners showed oh ought folded slender silver wand intricate carvings etched sides tip round crystal sparkled sunlight magic asking rolled actually pathfinder spun latch top dangerous you’ll faded depends take concentrate matter happens proof prove whisk land curious harm someone’s willed palms sweat fingers laced stupid tingled everywhere scanning warning look scowled bit tongue concentrated racing seriously become those silly girls counted raising facet beam refracted tightened grip forward warm tingling million feathers swelling underneath tickling giggle melted goo keeping oozing blanket warmth wrapped faster blink eye might squeaked stood edge glassy river lined impossibly trees fanning emerald leaves among puffy clouds row castles walt disney throw rocks kingdom golden path led sprawling elaborate domed buildings built brick-size jewels each structure color snowcapped mountains surrounded lush valley crisp cool
cinnamon chocolate sunshine places exist less appear forgotten released realized hard squeezing unable castle towers oddly our capital call eternalia heard shangri-la lost cities you’d stories rarely ridiculous things elves burst quiet gentle breeze brushing soft murmur traffic hammering unspoken very silence rising tiptoes view streets ghost town building towered others stones emeralds banner flying tribunal progress everyone’s watching proceedings council basically royalty holds broken law they’re deal laws well shook wrap cringing question funniest glared funny regained control try cling remaining strands sanity sun casting ray onto leaping hitched ride headed impossible infinite travel haven’t theory relativity stumped dumbest i’ve albert einstein huh dumb argue confident unnerving harder waited feather sensation dryer scattering directions until rubber band later shivering ocean whipping glowed carved moonlight failed passed bring herself true science book read confused observed ‘hey learned smug grin best minds begin comprehend complexities reality elves’ ahead slowest trump proper education shoulders sagged sank four scenery blurred whether tears entire lie nudged hey fault believed taught i’d done works bells chimed large gateway floor-length velvet capes draped tunics emerged followed creatures marching military formation rocky pants muscles prominently flat noses coarse gray pleated folds armadillo goblins signed treaty hating trembling dressed forbidden lumenaria worlds gnomes dwarves ogres trolls mentioning focused motioned farther squatting betrayed ancient councillors intelligent rule planning war ancients violence disappeared forbid any contact devices working defend race famine problems chilled frigid wind licking who’d known must’ve after eventually evolved myths simple yes peeked glowing crucial identity clicked spinning thousand loud clang gate stepped shadows sleek cobalt home jolted mom bus bland boring stole incredible blinding swept smoky fresh surprised recognized plain square houses narrow tree-lined house ask lived coughed handle putting pollutes planet these aren’t normal chemical smells usually wildfires smell barbecue melting cotton candy burn rain arsonists admitted pocket hoping notice dad wants knows neither important meant mystery he’s happy careful please shown today thank act family doesn’t suspect squared courage telepaths special ability rarer ones thirteen six months corrected liking youngest manifest start reverberated scanned positive waking hospital moment forget hooked kinds machines hovering shouting barely separate hold happening group adults haunted worry brows narrowed doing extra private keep wall weak hated bossed answering concerned action worked imagining stretching shadow mine blurted pale process hardest worries live fumbled answers long trouble knees link amazing will tomorrow panicked battered cluttered living phone she’s receiver having reeled daggers calling wandering worried police sorry stammered convincing horrible liar scared mom’s anger concern nervously curly guy realizing lies based freaking walked trolley train teacher guard ugh complained closing adult rubbed wrinkle appeared stressed upset safe stand weirdo understood dangers teased tormented bullied deflate wish trailed close rest sister slipped pin painful tight hug welcome honey dinner ten amy upstairs kitchen unease twist stomach worn linoleum pastel tacky knickknacks ordinary glittering kissed cheek shabby briefcase table how’s soybean wink baby apparently pronouncing thousands times lid simmering pots garlic cream filled handed silverware turn crackin’ scooted plopped usual chair nine role mastered opposite lower average grades popularity sisters wondered definitely powers lowered breathing: inhale exhale repeat care nickname dizzy must lay should eat skipping acting fettuccine night favorite rich sauce sudden nausea tug eyelashes chewed bite swallow fork official thanks great homework sprinted bed hiss shattered marty pounding fluffy cat sitting tail slunk settling lap marty’s purring
confront downstairs settle explained blonde chubby brunette screamed throbbed deeper ripped apart blinked related change lots adopted poked brought e l fudges plate cookies milk getting sick palm fever tired cookie stumbled routine crawled blankets wrapping pillow dreams kissing tucked tradition breathe ella yep elephant stuffed sleep tonight um guys hugged tighter hours labor endured switched birth daughter doubt wondering anymore dreamed keebler perfected recipes liked oreos drown vat fudge woke overrated morning quick shower jeans shirt buttery yellow stripes item closet self-conscious wear gold flecks admit clipped toyed lip gloss snuck check crept yard blinking stuck contained next-door neighbor perch middle lawn forkle rearranging garden tableaux nosy checking effect beady bored hers loved sentences complaining 911 obligated gnome fraction inch gives headaches yapping interrupted ball fur streaked barking spandex jogging shorts chased grabbing dog leash clumsy lunge kneeled stroking wild-eyed panting creature drew growled strained mad sister’s hates displaying several halfmoon wounds bleeding scar suppose willing carry blocks seems winked piercing certainly yelled jogger guy’s louder chaos wonder grab drag should’ve trick react stopping tracks side man straightened height quite intimidating ordered glowered promised snorted grumbling moving explaining whenever appearance waiting incident eyewitnesses frustrating confusing bell rang lurking scream demanded loudly heads bad flashing cocky rush blush unanswered tries creepy snatch slow replayed scene remember growling forkle’s quietly quieter we’ll we’d eyeing suspected impending mischief leap english ditch yesterday strangle pull disappearing fail willingly use telepathy brushed whispering pushed further test tested permission assignment frustrated matters invading offense scrunch nod movement nearby oak drowned could’ve sworn jogger’s campus gestured tree either imagine adjusted shouldn’t anyway who’s committee sidelong heat breaking automatically furious enjoyed caused determines grinned future shield surveyed surroundings metal nearly everglen leading doors absorbs directly likes privacy stressful doubted king kong faint click swung inward striking clearing growing midnight cape fastened clasp diamond-encrusted wings lean vibrant resemblance alden introduced bow curtsy shake greet shy pleasure prominent kidding unusual flush smiled embarrassed fire alden’s injury muttered son shared kidnapping considering such might’ve paranoid has touch rude assure love kidnapper searched reassure kindness agree placed gently jacket ticked indeed fascinating sounding triumphant perfectly specifically nexus forgot covered dug cuff coat clamped bracelet wrist twisting fit snug comfortable accessory single jewel rectangle symbols letters spelled gibberish odd decorate finality safety precaution break particles carried concentration circumstances bare early fools overestimate skills fade cautious answered lose yourself able fully reform pulls forever goose bumps dimple cleared throat prefer reproving send mission collect long-lost guests wiped blooming red pink purple rainbow perfume flowers dizzying testing qualify foxfire paused fungus insulted prestigious academy named represents glow darkened comes ‘fungus’ strongest talent kiss goodbye excuse proud attend accomplishment earliest levels develops abilities continue studies elvin sneak work knowingly chills mixed night’s troubling revelation sickening councillor bronte difficult impress feels upbringing lack disqualify surprises existed miffed votes squat brown-skinned huge tended fairy tale plants slantways shuffled carrying basket twinkling fruit guessing pictured men hats statues servants stare choose safer gardens enjoy privileged taste gnomish produce lunch treat dig slimy tubers slugs hoped menu peeled meadow elegant manor entirely intricately numerous turrets gables rose tower resembled lighthouse braided foyer prism widest hallway fountains spouted streams colored water hall dead-ended encrusted jeweled mosaic
diamond unicorns amethyst spoke wealth squeezed formal dining sheer silk curtains drawing chandelier waterfall shimmering crystals platters fancy goblets figures jewel-encrusted circlets plush thronelike chairs surrounding curtsied necks clasps keys horribly underdressed fabrics except disguise kenric oralie football player toothy princess rosy ringlets met smallest cropped features finger pairs floor laughter squirmed joined pleased shape it’ll transformed noticing autorepeat: scooting oralie’s one’s died yet hurt immortal trace sorrow bodies aging reach adulthood wrinkles belongs yourselves guest uncovered grimace strips glop goop tasted juiciest cheeseburger stuff mashed carnissa root umber leaf tastes chicken animals tone ate toxic waste squirming grimaced vegetarians horror vegetables cheeseburgers tells swallowed mouthful thud discussing openly respond kenric’s jaws dry remembering warnings stay begun eight pass mentioned learn relax bronte’s icy gust common announced jaw flushing chagrined incredulous impenetrable key sentence ‘almost breached guilt conscience sounds infallible thinks likely exceptionally lift weight telekinesis recovering embarrassment shrank goblet accident raised lifting invisible scoffed unimpressed limitations unlike physical confidence clue giving blew pretending imaginary extend sharper worth saucers applauded excellent praise couple glasses determined stronger ounce core empty collective gasp including breathed celebrate cramped strain knocking thunderous collision open-mouthed shock hollered sealed clapped language guys’ enlightened leaped instinctive interesting babbling teasing noisy gripped ‘soybean’ mispronouncing blushed chuckled beside dusting waved insisted sighed suldreen stretch line rare species bird puzzle solve uncomfortable coincidence convince decision barked shoving moonlarks vote otherwise fight favor final fragile lovely empath emotions extended grasped delicate fear confusion sincerity describe azure settles revisited till adjust invoke demand probe planned arranged quinlin busy decipher fun training looks iffy ‘bothered’ dad’s reluctant emptiness exploded choked saving colder implications ditched stall punishment atlantis nowhere patch white-capped waves signs seagulls screech poop hardly continent tide pool triangular slip slick shoes match gown begged status noble members nobility offices empire waist beaded neckline dress costume seeing clothes: tunic embroidery edges pockets sewn sleeves exact size sit boots completed thankfully knowing biana comparison changing subject ledge engineered catastrophe compartment revealing bottles label bottle whirlpool uncorked flung blast whipped faces roar churning ladies suggested worse gulped maelstrom beneath salty sprayed jump push count dignity drowning flailing idiot formed tunnel dipping weaving craziest waterslide starting launched vortex sponge licked toe pack kittens minus kitten sprang cushion smoothed wet incoming rocketed slightly squishy packed sand gleaming metropolis dome beyond soared skyline bathing radiating spires network canals interconnected arched bridges pictures venice modern clean despite bottom underwater muted hum background seashell ear build stores power precisely amount changes plated reflect firelight illuminate sink wandered shops renaissance fair women’s gowns shifted advertised two-for-one specials bottled lightning fast approval spyball applications strolled hybrid chicken-lizard invented main canal hailed carriages floating almond-shaped boat rows high-backed benches elbow-length steered bench reins skimming surface eight-foot-long scorpion deadly pincers reared curled sting eurypterid stroked shiny shell eurypterid’s slice emitting low hissing petted harmless carriage quinlin’s yours fiber mutant insect doom probed gritted pressing hideous sonden’s office thrashed heebie-jeebies commute while secure needs protection file highly classified business district windows tracing bearing names treasury registry interspeciesial services unreadable random strings runes nonsense writing
alphabet clueless chin jumble nah affected gap kid option country tests dropping member broad kelp ornamentation precise read: sonden: chief mentalist cube swiped elbow ping assurances humiliating bypassed receptionist dim damp stone desk dark-skinned chin-length seat ceremony unique understatement squirm handing lick dna unsanitary tiniest hologram center: rotating unearthly breathing prentice sacrificed double helixes sacrifice reasons fears hundred seventy-eight murmured began pacing invaded she’ll greatest keeper older midstep record share trained charge protecting currently hidden karaoke game sing off-key notes clearly eavesdropping strip slid winding stairway climbed oval footage brush projected chill aerial southern california lines circle area images deepened valleys ruled reflections note interrupting communicate waving warn turning overreacting glancing shuddered desperate kidnapper’s threatened easily implied nameless faceless entity quickly threatening authorities would’ve shivered accelerant chemicals leads lighting spilling oil blowing investigate council’s position here: takes visit babysitter decent equally spying steam secrecy existence discovered hoax search updated slight bypassing distracted evillooking matches keepers lagoon glint shimmery dunes lake west shore statue topped hollow iridescent film shimmered loop apparatus resemble bubble lifted clung shrieking levitate forming touching bubble’s rumble coming geyser shoot eleven crash below bobbed where’s scary pure joy popped whisked glaring gates flash strode olive contrast youth shone nerve summoning personal shorter intimidated difference sooner exiled clench fists backward tiergan aware opinion summoned convinced tiergan’s fierce crumbled crossing expert inventory widening whatever foxfire’s newest mentor puppy officially weirding becomes provide retired given persuaded return resentment mixture surprise hone assistance reasonable restrictions pretend opportunity silencing bet terrible mood mumbling mostly irresponsible manage choice benefit stares notify dame alina returning kept bruise meantime session listed remedial schedule lessons dummies correct assumption warmed tuesday brilliant panel everglen’s grounds sessions study student subjects one-on-one nerves one-onone succeed mention level grade relearning self-doubt heavier fragmented disappear explanation aside pleasant dis arguing overstuffed armchairs woman squealed snickered wife della pinched gesturing dear vanishers smiling musical hint della’s beauty tossed pursed heart-shaped parents’ combined gangly troll interceded borrow errands frumpy files requested denied request approve grady edaline case torn radiant parcels strobe unwrapped packages clasped cord neck choker pendant elf-y anytime fund’s activated fund register money standard dollars lusters laughing luster dollar crinkled ew insult afford differently limited seventy eighty makes sad curved window overlooking silvery floor-to-ceiling aquarium wingback facing piled books scrolls anxiety remind stacks newspapers circled crossed news removed drawer theories irritation super stuttered discuss faced solution allow ours they’ve effective immediately too-simple accept kick constant discovery longer unbearable loneliness friends grasping overwhelm areas access severely restricted dead deciding gravestones became vivid: grave tearstained draw suffer struck complicated relocated jobs erase tear obvious believing shutting function erased armchair scrubbed forbade sob occurred risking twenty alert plans clothes sees wiping focus bent unshed horrors cringed buried trembled bouncing busted eavesdrop grounded hugging worrying pouted pettiness bratty obnoxious pain-in-the-butt embrace struggles play daughters mouths senses hook hurry daze rememorize room: dusty available quilt mother tripped furry crouching releasing pathetic meow disk sleeping gas release drugging physically ill backpack slung giggled elizabeth clutching anywhere couch fingered ordering thirty crumpled burying recognize crouched smearing drool snot drugged sobs
overcame jerk washers bags regret bear slept finish hawaiian family’s limp determination taken fourteen cried assured stranglehold haunting gets hope personally oversee relocation flared wrung guardians title selected enthusiasm strangers elwin’s blue-crystaled temptation shiver raked bones orphan conservatory lead backyard security choosing saved ache suffering gift raise ended abandoned wipe elwin physician medical hate doctors brave regular nightmares brief stays struggled dragging direction drop free implying biana’s glare escape punch bathed gigantic glued cushioned cot syringe goes fidget spectacles scientist snapped painless orb flasher manipulate skilled orem vacker show eclipse biggest celebrations traditions damage permanent tensed food chance innocent cells dashing depending orbs squinting lenses stunningly lit dramatic expecting toxins research rifled satchel vials liquids major detox braced medicine syrups nectar unknown fruits tingly drink youth legends enzymes essential health refreshing downed contents gulp drank medicines list follow-up checkup whistled sometimes heated lame stinky stegosaurus shame horrified production wimp doctor phobia jumping needle strap bunch shots allergic how’d concrete nine-one-one unconscious genes kicking trigger bedroom canopied chandeliers room’s gotten deserve ruined chanting mantra shut pajamas tuck asleep belonging alive twenty-five catch breakfast clock shop furniture detoxes materializing clutched ghostly exotic heartbreaker fitted glamorous shopping explosion behold wardrobe outfits extras pick beat-up sparkly casual packing leaked days unpack hungry knotted sadly dampened preserve havenfield exciting jolie deny loss wonderful booming fenced-in pastures spread scrambled versions rehabilitation centers sanctuary protected trap nessie artist endangered gorillas lions mammoths extinct thriving herd woolly colonies saber-toothed tigers slack exists rob qualities provides thrive feeding hunt diet steep cliffs caves flower-lined using ropes lasso lizard neon beast protest drama queen husky male commanded beast’s heave feat twice snaarrll bucked guardian lunged tangled writhed losing balance verdi tyrannosaurus comments meeting jaculus winged serpent feeds support contain bloodsucking snake claws snout tremble lowering fangs glinted slobber motioning glimpse dinosaur-riding chiseled feather-covered james bond robin hood balding relate handsome feathery banged pet rub rex’s stayed docile unblinking separated verdi’s wound plugged slime death rot tuna fish combination kelpie dung bites jar swear edaline’s grady’s wary compared palatial estate mansion standards columns cupola roof entryway central upper floors cascaded ceiling wispy fabric turquoise amber curls similar circles fluff presentable rex picking playing rodeo cowboy nope wash staircase sadness lingered tea mallowmelt insist gooey cake fresh-baked chip soaked ice frosting butterscotch dripping hasty slices served nook grazing linens painted china homesick woken lushberry juice pop possessed conjurer form teleporting objects coolest unfortunately scraggly slurps burps letting friend’s ached grieve fished imparter simply strangled pounded reassuring deafening third star-shaped dangled glittery weaved carpet scent canopy occupied dressing bookshelves brightly volumes bathroom bathtub swimming biting awesome assumed jolie’s tour awkward delicious soupy pizza unpacking wrinkled scrapbook wherever welled remnants dried sixteen sunrise streaks blending mirror darken awake finishing hovered doorway interrupt riser shades clap bruises conjured bowl spoon banana bread tempted impose sloppy handwriting upside symbol corner: bird’s beak tickled babble scare extremely documents cipher moisture particularly believable prescribed drawn eager fidgeting ruffles simplest bought hi kesler groaned island mysterium identical mold vendors spices sweets buzzed crowded sidewalks working-class social rank ‘talent simpler correspondingly unfair born lesser lives type designed village avoiding whispers ruewen pretended different
store crooked nursery rhyme burps: merry apothecary belched maze shelves pills laboratory beakers bubbling burners rainbow-colored lab skinny tousled strawberry periwinkle blob tubes add amarallitine dex tongs vial experiment poured beaker sparked plume dirty gag concoction exclaimed hello ‘hello impersonation sludge eda scrap sheet kesler’s brother-in-law nephew practically monday al freaks dimples burped beanpole hooded cloak vika annoyance handiwork written girl’s bald scalp meanwhile stina ’cause twitched battling sell solutions sasquatch dent bony appendages children throttle hairoids stock week wailed ogre wicked misses responsible friendly rage here’s spat helping customers potent hat flinch useless buy countered retort stina’s oooh slammed fist timkin heks helps situation traditional absolutely brings stuffy nobles happier grinning mess tweak supplies armful worktable sneaky beard dex’s evil mortar pestle teach tingle attempt fifty-seven solo property collapse practiced checked displayed sliver percent chose he’ll hawk mentors monitor weakness expelled pushes transferred exillium swallowing bile mounting attack messy juline riveted gossip interruption interest hilarious bookshelf mounted cover camera summer flipping pages naked mouse suit disneyland dizznee photos honestly movies outlets flipped technology solar powered rifling sir conley’s luck lady galvin highest rate rig calming flooded seventeen gadgets chimes arrive uniform skirt leggings shirt-vest-cape combo laceup jerkin long-sleeved slacks waist-length superhero captain blueberry rescue meaning order demonstrate rid wimpy halcyon mastodons mascot birds storm mastodon ceremonies costumes glad idiots appealing crest triangle heart: scarlet eagle soaring talons chemistry equipment theirs adopting adoption adopt temporary enrollment manticore themselves parties dies span cope calmed orphans wylie whose recover connection blames wylie’s hanging leapmaster 500 lucky authorized 250 tons rotated five-story pyramid sharply angled u stained seventh amphitheater extensive fields grass hopelessly prodigies uniforms building’s finding ducked starts orientation principal reads announcements attendance collar track peal close-up stunning porcelain caramel-colored foremost whoever reekrod weekend mark punished fullest extent threat dangle continued detect ah spotlight hissed viper’s nest ssssssophie hole crawl concludes today’s nearest exception divided wing banners bore midflight halls quad throughout sparkling sapphire chatted doorways lining atrium spectacle creating marked rune locker mirrored lock uses gross faculty picks flavors pepper sneeze croak yelped stench rotten eggs dash diaper muskog wheezy snicker whirled towering mass frizzy cackling hags stalking hairs shave earth serum friday retorted raven swishing behavior phasers ashamed apologize obviously spend detention alexine stinks beet minions kinda frog fumes catching jensi rapid-fire speech talked buckets redder instructed honest ‘human girl’ ‘sophie’ whim elementalism pride backtracked twists turns drops warped wooden session’s zapped ‘zapped’ thunderclap eighteen tray electrocuted quiver conley hitting fluted botched sending tornado tornadoes mastering elements entering foods series stalls court mall recognizable eaten tables cafeteria whom discourage joining verge perceptible message clear: focusing bigger jensi’s acne braces fairly slicked greasy ponytails drooled setting bang c’mon dude unison ‘e’ duh drooly volunteered singed universe daunting exaggerated messing ‘dude’ killing explode cough pixielike rescuing tossing petite balled braids suicide overeager marella mare nicknames obeyed enemies honored pucker licorice lemon fan prettypants rather grumpy brat brother’s dreamy willpower copying sip looped defending dizznees triplets says ‘bad match’ genetically incompatible inferior aunt uncle superstrange celebrities famous vackers superimportant marella’s sympathy grandma heartbroken helpless veins hopeless cases guarantee scooping mammoth shudder awful afternoon feared astronomical
learning astin whispery complex maps planetarium effortless excelled hour survived approaching dragon hateful invited feelings letters: extinguished stuffing fill animosity deck ‘nice uncanny royal highness bothers remembers talented ‘deck beaming nineteen thursday disaster goal sandwiched colosseum pe vanity near door: sneakers ponytail owned ship slap reply lasted compare redek squish may fool stops idle threats grouped twos tromps manifested fifty-fifty manifesting mysterious remark required variable reign terror ‘everyone’ impressive jolt supervise caton titan god informed channeling supereasy channel parts body: heights speeds normally unimpressive attempts threes bumped defense appetite startled spaceship unremarkable studying superintently snapping scraping probing concept unsettling establish forcing eighty-seven puckered brow assume cheerful scraped intended drained steadying suggest ethics attached meganeura exercise annoy fidgeted cocked wanna buzzing dived vulture-size dragonflies patted freaky-looking bug blown gargantuan proportions creepiest disco balls grown monster enclosure phys ed intense emergency weirdest part: proven trustworthy receive assignments lectured responsibility detecting discover elite avoided mesmer nauseated wow sheesh inflicting curiosity won causes dara lecture: pyramids tidal army hairy hollowing himalayas strangest mumble creeped exile interested dying supertalented fundamental guilty underground eternity ruin fluke churned abandoning illegal washer alter dump brother secluded sorted reminding effort flavored flumes spritzed shove disturbing failing smirked alchemy pupil encouraging cracking melody ominous ingredients trophies gilded items pointy-toed suspiciously midas milky liquid dancing rushing rustle red-brown updo hunter silky decorated patterns swished slightest alkahest universal solvent stored itself dissolves wood flesh taxes substance alchemist wise teaching masters tincture poultice basic serums yellowed box flask jars iron transmuting metals recipe formula labeled instructions fiddled rechecked mistakes plunged whip fizzed rumbled jelly galvin’s exquisite dissolved luxurious damaged salvage welt healing ma’am murder retrieve afterward muttering incompetence flunk sprawled hallways stark ditching keefe gulon disheveled untucked popular belva crush blame 90 certain paid accidentally cue epic alina’s ugly crying treated whiter phobia consisted rooms: treatment beds brewing physician’s paperwork slinky scurried bullhorn demented ferret banshee adorable fellow dramatically wanting seize mmm-hmm acid mimed effects destroyed salve measured whap wash present laughs clarification confirming twenty-one embellished version destruction joked bottling anwen multispeciesial 324 faxon metaphysics complimented requests brown-eye create overnight granted incredibly challenging explosions occurrence unlearn lifetime knowledge levitating rainbows constantly messed highlight skill effortlessly amazed unwanted transmit else’s psychic photograph needing patient plague suspicion snotty maruca i-hate-sophiefoster club reaching growl jealous prettiest bedlam subdue chasing rabbits antlers swinging trunk lump verminion pen boosted mammoth’s trumpeted earthshaking squeal ringing mound timid twig hiiiissssssssssss uncurled rodent bulging hamsters rottweiler-size hamsterzilla trample japanese hamster cooed snaarrrlll impressed chase steer dashed catches fifty stupidest clod mud nailed grooowwwwllll fatal flaw pinned grunted press snarling squeeze verminion’s unlocked assortment spewed whined pile gloves shed trade trudged oversize squirrels rats identify burlap sack quivering snarl steeled shriek batlike heaved wool scratches leg outbuildings carefully organized veterinarian’s laid sterile spreading limbs smeared eyedropper dripped creature’s rewarded squeaky rumbling crackly purr smiles cage barrel soapy chain-sawesque snores vibrating brattail tuber sausage imp guessed six-inch venomous stings snoring vicious describing tame yetis outnumbered conked chipper iggy strand swell
generous hugs touches gestures glistened dubious trails twenty-two sharing congested warthog roommate snuggly sleepless spoil caring ultimate splotching championship sacks cheered sympathetic secretly celebrating partnered naturally teamed splotcher splattered loses winners person wins marks smugly win splotch splat deserved colorful prize contest pardon hopes wonderboy gagging rounds beat opponent knots backing aim ow raw telekinetic flushed compliment disqualifies pumped victory hotter cheering opponents experience duel beginner’s talents mighty competition grumblings battle odds experienced evidently four: sixes trella dempsey paired hopeful muster bested winner fluttered appears competitors betraying butt preference keefe’s chant ladies’ float clenched adrenaline surged audience back-up splotches rebound phenomenon weightless collided simultaneous fate collapsed twenty-three placing compress wincing muscle injured whermiwhahapped worse: laying banshees mortal danger stirred lucid winced stiff glands zinged collected rebounded bounce specialized hammered controls actual mix matched draining practice evenly awfully sidelines wobbling auditorium applause teensy annoyed copied blushing elbowing ribs tie protested declared excused lesson rejoin splotchers acted delivered p congratulations confirm bath lathering bathers soggy instinctively besides creased drive twenty-four meter one-third younger that’d wonderboy’s precious midterms score seventy-five recommend nissa tutoring consider tutor projection gagged flavor yell daily tore prattle chewy caramel peanut butter pouch cracker jack horse mane prattles’ unicorn pins collection examined digital 122 185 number eighty-five super-rare bitterness vaguely compute unexpected development century too-little-too-late branch other’s replaced beeline simultaneously sniff aw stuck-up snob wasted invite humiliate walking ambush capable teeniest details clanged cricket chirped embroidered satin sash wringing exhaled seeming makeovers wrestling polite fortunately braid flutter dirt pitter-patter eh sayin’ shooting quest grateful team jealousy guarded raid questers tagged sentry tabs isolate general nail targets listened softer instantly presence tremendous connected forest thundered vision racked credible crashing bushes partner deceive insists hasn’t secrets toes staying chain apologizing visitors sulking funk snipe wagged there’ve weekly jokes havenfield’s defied exams panicking passing guide narrowing shipped exam brass copper transmutations ideas challenges thwarted spilled gashrooms reek pored frozen cause shattering cheated accomplished cheat ideal dreading twenty-six tri-angular apex streamed pane angle reflection examining confessed forgave neutral violated ethical regulations expulsion suggesting argument ruling obey flourish bother violating reporting stifle closely icily respect authority advises wedding flapped nor pointless cheating tolerated huffed regrets confess serve minimum assigning becoming theme slipping unnoticed what’d gloomy atmosphere desks thumbs-up siren song appreciation art nature clapping earsplittingly shrill whine whale nails chalkboard toddler uncover broadening horizons claiming repentant company brand torture ballroom belva’s sirens dances edwardian claimed valin ponytailed promenade dancers valin’s sweaty chime stars shined brighter spit wickedly slobbery octaves fanned hmm irritated flattered scored points empathy forked smirk ironing holes stack detained increased practicing leaps eyebrow empaths powerful mundane purification vein easiest transmutation lockers traded twenty-seven banging annoyingly caps disqualified chorus groans nonstop cap smurf amalgam telepathic integrity wrote essay betrayal over debate automatic 100 last-minute mentally repeating tips negative vibes stress ethic claim fame skipped skip supportive doubting brag mercifully stalled magenta berries rusty discipline chosen purify ruckleberries fifty-five nasty impurities elderly human’s alchemists methods dive knife pierced berry dribbled pinky haggard glacial quarters
deducted mediocre performance forth whirlwind crack exhausted brutal slamming slumped that’ll public hooks presents spine cards schools hassle babysitters edged obstacle tugging stressing rigid suitable gifts jewelry charms charm twenty-eight unrecognizable streamers shrub toilet-papered tinsel confetti bubbles prizes popping appointment teal-wrapped package uglier hurrying plowing regain literally prying trademark smirks spoken sapphire-encrusted navy-blue intently hairstyle contrasted pristine infamous deflated wilted father’s oily insincerity resigned flame cassius lord performing unremarkably radiated apologies fos er disappointing scores fake critical said: creeps prize-filled prattles dwarf lollipop topple snappy comeback comment loser fails organize overflowing half-empty month misunderstanding shushed slim parcel chiming signaled parent-mentor conferences celebration feast unwrap snatching self ‘dear dance sometime vice president boyfriend rattled reader tease ribbon tapped gadget fingernail speaker thingies coloring dunno disbelief variety edible glosses speckled spider snapper plant fed spiders riddler writes riddle miniature violet thanked showing misty seventy-nine improvement range sensing tomato congratulated comfort sobbing partying included sneer party note: f snap k sugarplums boy-craziness necklace cuffs wristbands vanisher platter customs gelled perfection gym ornate immaculate alvar talks often rumpling fizzleberry wine juggling girlfriends hero beamed piddly quicksnuff emissaries tend conspiracy possibility myself pieced undivided swan’s curve pattern term replied active recently unauthorized investigation frustration twenty-nine alternate spending smelling clues accomplish consumed trapped counting resumed vacation finals received eighty-one eighty-three unacceptable prepared chorused poufy thrown towel drooped oven roasted frosters transmitting charts transmitted peed suffered rested cryokinetics freeze manipulating pyrokinesis mesmers inflictors monitored pyrokinetics inflict fire’s unpredictable truly forbidding pyrokinetic library surely three’s librarian banned archives libraries bust problem: section dire wolves peek promising bins mountain littered haphazardly spaces scan unrolled flip papers helpful lacy dulled childhood: strung lanyards dolls framed bone picture: breathtaking tragedy drinking leftover junk trunks piles unopened bin disturbed murky midterm roll scroll shelf sample starlight moonglade: fireflies flickering stellarscope upside-down spyglass view’s billions wad tag amaranthis memorized fourth lambentine bag spout wider scope knobs cluster dials stiffened lever thumb clinked rubini orroro azulejo cobretola indigeen scratching spectrum rearranged indigo zelenie isolated this’ll bluff scrounging elementine adjusting fidgety hummed shining teared welts frantic thirty-one blackish-purple blisters pot burns sprinkled powder adventure soaking numbs balm miserably regulate temperature palace crown nicer handful roots mutilating blades destroying bashing stubbornness reappeared ointment knelt furrowed fingertip rags longest hottest soapiest griffins discreetly boring-looking firecatching bode bundle solid downright incoherently darkly quintessence fifth element myth truest conditions blow metallic-toned bronze wildly flamed audible unmapped locations merit thirty-two platform thrones remotely procedure involving throne cushions tourmaline sturdy polished dotted onyx heard: clarette velia terik liora emery ramira darek noland zarina flicked mere evacuated three-thousand-year task undisclosed location trial salivating convict straighter dozen marched stationed bodyguards swordlike weapons belts fanfare blasted crowned amateurs seated sapphires shall world’s ungraceful consuming detector fuzzy lying endlessly jell-o hobbled astin’s honesty assigned emery’s argento auriferria pennisi merkariron styggis achromian slower plotting map cowering submit lists convenient judgment frightening hardened remained expressionless mediates telepathically consensus united aspirin unanimous
rise violates actions intentional accountable foster’s involvement addressing agreement millionth wished exchanged dimpling kiddo thirty-three banks sienna bark paintbrushes purfoliage palmae calls pures filter pollution freshest crispest tinge fuzzed hesitation observant instruction lurched sunset farthest councillors’ steadied emerald-encrusted circlet bowed pleasing honor beg refuse descryer response delightfully potential clamoring backfired speaks beginning optional 327 sensed crane sweeping peacock log dream softly regularly useful one-armed fiancé’s projecting vividly replace album dinner’s stroke retracted apology hurting tricks arches replica model thirty-four planted curl plotted page difficulties rivaled protect quieted los angeles hollywood trash conspicuous spider-man batman posed mann’s chinese theatre blended beams issued ‘forgot’ oblivious ourselves stubborn softened unwillingly seeped ‘got of’ ant pavement explore warring hurried consequences captured pleaded mercy prentice’s behalf oversaw shatters society metaphor insurgents rebellion kindest whatever’s decisions encouragement revelations ability-detecting exercises cornered superbusy insistent significant elf-ish onetime played envy tracked master tracking switch spots conspiracies investigating headway ignorance ever: permanently jarred conservation legitimate scientific principle nagging elixir nogginease limbium mineral supposedly resisted bike wheels giddy week’s supply unnaturally syrup absorb nauseating unfastening vest skin’s collapsing allergy dimmed cradling thirty-five fluttered chafed sandpaper wildhaired soothed sensations spectators cleaned vomit upright moaned allergies wits bullhorn’s trite soiled airtight vomiting swollen blotch-free humiliated undershirt noticeably absent dazzling alvar’s raptor disgusting decade spare injected steroids tied budge scolded showers heels crisis ushered deathly tough disasters blankly rests brothy soup elsewhere shadowy comforting yawn snuggled thirty-six squealing hundreds eagle-size pterodactyl somersaulted screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech stability rein speed momentum gained screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech torch pasture dispersed uncannily fried engulfed birdbath sparks jerking possess flareadon fire-resistant replay triggered animal’s cares octave higher killed resting flareadons volcanoes occur gildie strayed ‘flareadon female correcting wade debacle breaks wrestled socks shredded apparent vague emotion animals’ distances qualified lightened results defined iggy’s gildie’s paw tummy reward downy fury paled out-of-breath aura recoiling imperative vital violate risk humiliation fled her: cooperate freezing peered railing partial drifted bars errand thirty-seven mush nights begging blend processing forgetting tearing fluorescent locker: insider’s librarian’s timing shoe absolute librarians plastered sinking confirmed dog-ear chapter everblaze: unstoppable blind thirty-eight paper-strewn something’s ‘everblaze frissyn x stands detailed extinguish overruled excluded unheard indecision warred babies hatch extract unregistered code name: egg cast conventional purpose determine pregnant fertility posing implanted embryo manipulated outstanding retain discovering affects genetic anomaly renegades weapon ‘prodigy illegally forgiving messages suffocating choke word: controlled puppet issue triggers twilight proudly soothe facade crumble table: throaty fix drove wedge messenger delivering seal reseal rampaging limits chaise skimmed bead luminous nonluminous generated lumenite drilled clarify rip grubby paws riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip chunk possession skittered treasure retrieving tattered assess rug glue document accordance canceled thirty-nine heartbeat scrubbing choked-back muffle misery acknowledge gaping owe regardless charade  obeying command churn yeti ricocheted ooooookaaaaaaay slinking acknowledging attempting library-appropriate slothlike triple-check echoing phew scrutiny shrug candleshade overhead clipping playlist jarring numbness bass mature speakers bands sarcastic tune swirled seeping cracks triumphed
tiptoed rustled creaked padding crawling lonely forgive forty cheer stricken envelope headline: claims victims scrawl announcement corridor stark-white gulps sneaking suggestions weigh resolve admirer flood applying replacement heal eased uncertainty brothers recent discoveries recording spy undetected textbook dreaded licensed pathfinders restriction threatens ‘everblaze’ accusation fintan pricked balefire fintan’s requires fuel supported cosmic ‘fire ignite conclusive example surveillance ruining depths former dealing approved overrule objection trusted phantom rebels snatched emissary citizen confidential duly noted digging forty-one partly imprisoned sorting reminders pity tension distant lately preparing prejudice megacrush cave commands successful method unwrapping names: connor kate natalie freeman apply permit huddled thinner echoes evacuee note’s unquenchable abandon supporter afar forty-two stashed drawers ‘you threaten chaperone global dumped significance supplied clothing resistant fly willful punish facets stagger hills screeched tying pried displays seals survival glinting corneas swoop thickest raspy coughs locate singeing shift current overcome coughing inferno ouch thrashing clouded watery beads capped treats paced treating scorched angrier contorted squatted pee severe scalding plunked sticky-sweet healthy grim balled-up yelling homes camped affairs mesmerized desperation launching steal dumping tenderness justified reacts offer unintelligible agreeing concerns forty-three relatively illness actress w-what admitting lifeless freaky dumber connections traitorous resisting grasp peace decency furball storm’s appropriate cliff reveling shard clatter soothing relishing pulverized smithereens boulder violent frightened irrational fallen possibly smothered meaty cloaked swooped sickeningly nostrils sedative cursed rallied scuffle scuttled captor circulation rasped viselike lolled rescued forty-four bonds staging unfortunate complication fog scrambling muddled funerals pendants vise sweetness blackness necessary loomed constricted heaving choking gruff hyperventilating suffocates coated hacking nods croaked relocate stolen grunt syllable drugs mist strapped bound shivers eerie breathy wheeze venom trail gumption predicament footfalls disposed disappearance guts throb ignorant cackle toy reserve widen contorting poison ple clarity struggle overwhelming happiness rocked jostling rescuer foggy occasionally elevator altitude delirium parted flimsy fumbling promises caress weary forty-five searing heightened awareness sensory overload barrage cigarette butts alley surveying hideout interrogation kidnappers scoured alexandre desperately operates anyone’s him: upcoming rounded apologized broom peeking roofs yards landmark eiffel gaped graceful paris france french indian saris currency exchange robbing bank machine atm watches account measures ‘make work’ cameras covering buttons alarm bills robbed technopath froster internet café sandwiches cheese once-living boxy computers navigated web browser googled number-one result pont iii bridge seine lanterns shopkeeper sped excitement decorations horizon lamp nexuses lasts mathematics applied dawn forty-six melder stun evening strolls cloaks leader obscurer bends distortion coil rope goons goon pathways underestimate wire enhanced wishful swirl severing rapid duck whizzed seizure dusted flailed gurgling blank forefinger crescent shaped jagged cowl stumble scarred heft frenzy hatred writhing strengthened pumping pulse heavyset figure’s hideouts options battering crushed nearing tug-of-war lessened allowing glorious drift fading surrendered mind’s imagination funeral weariness overtaking hazy snow labored conscious sparkle freedom sweep forty-seven brightness peaceful wove persisted appeal surge newfound pooled aches splintered clearer enveloped strawberry-blond-haired numbing sedated tingles luxuriating gulping wetness numb shhh sniffled recognizing propped girly seasons faltered proves meaningful floppy snickers emergencies conversations flirting scratch
blasts streaking injuries concentration’s cell half-drained gaunt fleeing canceling flitted nuzzling scratched there’d yawned lights forty-eight covers washed sandor goblin bodyguard inflictor paralysis semiconscious incapacitated dormant trauma latent polyglot languages advance interrogated sandor’s bunny seven-foot-tall buffed-out overtime blindfolded seared monitoring proved arrested custody awaiting deaths tragic innocence error motivate condemning madness reluctance single-handedly now’s crescent-shaped recalled epiphany overweight swells digest explains operative guarding subliminal advantage activate developed who’ll address database detectives arson reigned supreme wisest greater questioned decades measure influential amok globe rejected imprison devastated uprooted supporters initiative resign outspoken recruited activity satisfied handled poorly kidnapped prisoner resolved disposal stamped justice voiced revenge birthday birthdays indefinite spans thirteen-year-old crushes plots rebellions grown-ups understands teenager accepted bargain relented insisting uncertain responding arrange forty-nine pedestal charges bylaws sub-bylaws committed transgressions minor tortured regal express safely accused drafting addressed firmly murmurs debated arguments raging attitude disrespectful rebellious overlooked gratitude however static rulers experiences inappropriate assign ‘already served’ sang admission din bursting provisional basis due aforementioned cannot proceed suggestion issues seats smoothing occasion fancier signaling require records indicate provided remain appreciated despised gladly nicely dipped textbooks someday squash toughest earn deserves murderous successfully fingering justifiably displeasure smirking retake propose alternative state events revealed therefore practical prudent career prospects shifting internal logical volatile qualifies majority erupting directing registered cuddly earned oneon-one immediate tangle concluded gathered twirling nudging trades sidestepped congratulate surviving multiple tribunals swirls diamonds feminine unlatch decides woven triply journey
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nocturnowlette · 5 months
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The Dragon
The dragon walks up behind me. I'm in a nondescript white room. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all the same material: something ethereal, almost seeming to glow but only when I'm not directly looking. The light emanating from seemingly nowhere seems to infinitely reflect off every surface, making it sometimes hard to tell if the walls are even there, or how big this space really is. Though I haven't turned around, I know it's the dragon. I've seen him before, but I forget where. More importantly, I've felt him before. It feels like it's something I've always known, some part of my DNA, maybe my entire lineage. This dragon's presence is known more to my instincts than my mind. His name is - translated to something I can understand - is Sunny. Though, honestly, I don't think there is a name that can accurately represent a creature like this. He's right behind me now.
I haven't turned around, in a way it doesn't feel necessary. I've known his ears, half cones tapering off to a point at the back. I know his horns, between the two ears, bowed outwards and bending in 90 degree angles. They rise until they're just above the ear, tilting gently forward just past the ears before sharply bending straight backwards, then bending one more time downwards, ending in a sharp point. I know his tail, seemingly large and yet ever-changing in its largeness. Dulled fins, equally spaced, line the top; the bottom half, a lighter pink than his short-furred purple everywhere else, runs with slight waves along its surface. They feel like waves frozen in time. I sense waves of something wash over me. Energy? Pressure? Like a dull droning hum without any sound. It's surrounding me.
As he kneels down behind me, the presence seems to double, then triple in intensity; the air feels tough to move through, and so I don't. Cutting through the invisible waves assaulting my mind, thoughts come flooding to me; Where am I? What is this? What's going to happen to me? A sense of danger starts to creep over me, the hair standing on my back, heart rate increasing- The dragon puts his arms over my shoulders, gently, and places his head over his arm on my left. He seems almost impossibly peaceful. A moving statue. The presence seems to have disappeared entirely, giving me room to think. And yet, I'm paralyzed. All I can really do is stare.
The dragon, whose gaze was near immobile and dull moments before, seems to have the shine of the room gently reflect in his eye. He takes a deep breath in, holding for a short moment, before breathing slowly, slowly out. His breath is a light purple. Due to his snout and head position, the breath is missing me entirely: likely a good thing, perhaps he's purposefully avoiding my nose? We sit there for a while. A few minutes, maybe. He breathes in, slowly, holding it for a moment, then out, slower. I find myself starting to sync with his breaths, so steady that it feels like a gentle rhythm. As much as I don't want to admit it, it's giving some comforting solace in the middle of the confusion. That, and the slight smell of lavender.
The contrast of the artificial coldness of the room and the smell of pure nature is dizzying. Or, something is dizzying. I close my eyes, trying to take in fewer senses and get my mind sorted. He starts to purr. Can dragons purr? Apparently, they can. The rumble has a strong feeling to it, like snoring, but I adjust quickly to it. It reminds me of game controllers and earthquakes and dryers. Definitely dryers. It has that slight rumble to it, like something light is tumbling, and the warmth. I'm surrounded by warmth, like a dense blanket.
The arms around my shoulders are like a scarf, the dragon seeming to be ever closer than before. When did he move? Wait, where am I? Why am I thinking about all of this? I open my eyes. The room looks different. I swear, it does. The color is slightly different, but only in the corners of my vision. A light purple? It smells like lavender. I look to my left again, the breath still steadily pumping out. Is there no ventilation? It feels harder to breathe, like the air is dense. I need to breathe in more, but I'm only getting dizzier. I need to find a way out-
"Breathe in, deeply."
I feel my lungs work on their own, taking a breath that feels impossibly large.
"Breathe out, slowly."
My lungs empty as if there was nothing there in the first place.
My brain feels heavy, exhausted.
"I'm sure it does."
What?
"Don't think too hard."
My thoughts are like molasses.
"Isn't that such a nice feeling?"
It's hard to disagree. It's actually very, very hard.
It feels like I've always loved this feeling.
"You have."
I have?
"Yes. You ask a lot of questions for a pet."
I'm a pet?
The dragon chuckles.
"Of course. Why do you think you're here?"
Why am I here?
"To meet me, officially. You've always known me."
I have?
"You have."
I have.
"There we are. Don't you feel lovely?"
I do.
"Isn't that all that matters?"
It is.
"Good pet. Let's go home, now."
Anything you wish.
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talesofesther · 1 year
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cinnamon and spice
Wednesday Addams x Reader
Summary: You share a hot chocolate and a few smooches with Wednesday.
Requested by anon
A/N: This story is part of my Christmas Special event.
Masterlist
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Christmas eve in Nevermore had to be one of your favorite times of the year, the whole school was decorated in warm orange blinking lights and there was at least one Christmas tree in each dorm; the big one standing tall in the middle of the garden outside, between the lunch tables.
The nights were exceptionally cold and the days were usually warm with sunlight reflecting upon the fresh white snow. Most classes were tuned down this time of year, giving the students a break to enjoy the many holiday activities if they so desired.
Your day had been filled with snowball fights and best snowman competitions with Enid, Ajax, and Xavier. But right now, you were carefully preparing two mugs of hot chocolate for you and a certain raven-haired girl.
You had tried to get Wednesday to participate in all the fun today, but she had been more than happy to just bury her boots in the snow and enjoy the cold in peace, discreetly keeping an eye on you at all times. So now, when most students are sleeping soundly and the school is finally quiet, it's time to enjoy some alone time with her.
Steam came from both red mugs — that you managed to snatch from the school's kitchen — as you carefully walked up the steps to Wednesday's dorm. Enid was having a girl's night with Yoko and Divina, so it was just you two.
You pushed open her door with your shoulder and closed it with your foot once you were inside. Wednesday was sitting on her bed, cross-legged and wearing her comfy black and white sweater that was just a few sizes too big on her, making her look all the more adorable — though you'd never tell her that.
Wednesday watched the steady falling of snow outside the big round window, only pulling her eyes away when you came to sit beside her. She shuffled a little to the side on her bed, making room for you but still keeping her knee and shoulder pressed to yours; secretly enjoying the warmth your body provided.
"Alright, I know you said you're not big on hot chocolate, but you have to try this one," you told her, giving her one of the warm mugs and watching lovingly the way her hands closed around it, "I promise you'll like it."
The hot beverage smelled divine, Wednesday had to give you that. She leaned a tad closer to you before saying; "I don't like sweet things."
Even on the coldest of nights, you could feel white hot warmth blooming inside your chest every time Wednesday chose to be a little closer to you. You raised a hand, gingerly pushing back strands of her fringe so you could have a clear view of her eyes; "you like me though."
Her dark eyes turned to you instantly, her hold on the mug tightening slightly, "single exception."
"Just try it, please?"
It was annoyingly unfair how she had trouble saying no to you. With a sigh, Wednesday took a single sip of the hot chocolate, it faintly burned on her tongue before soothing it with the most delicious of tastes. She swallowed and frowned down at the red mug; before raising it to her lips once more.
Wednesday could feel your smirk even without looking at you.
"Don't say it," she mumbled.
You smiled big and bright, one finger going to Wednesday's chin so you could turn her head to you.
"Wasn't planning on it," you whispered, your upper lip grazing her own as you spoke.
You kissed her all sweet and warm. She tasted like chocolate, all cinnamon and spice and something so sweet you could only ever find on her lips.
⋆* ☾ ⋆*・゚:⋆*・゚
Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are very much appreciated. <3
Wednesday’s taglist: @heelaechan @imagine-reblog @gayestfeels26 @sakurarukas @bluetreecloud20 @the-night-owl-blr @imlike-so-gaydude @user284747 @dreifhraniquo29 @emeraldevan @witchyhs-blog @tobylikesfire @simp4nat @boobabietch @impossibleliv1031 @deadpool-in-a-snood @rainbow-love4ever @maria-403 @pompompuri
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ohimsummer · 5 months
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✧˖°. satoru, a fragrance fiend
— You sense that something’s off long before your eyes even open. It’s a smell, so familiar, and then it hits you: that’s the scent of your favorite perfume.
Through your drowsy state, you hurry up off the couch, by the kitchen, and shuffle down the hallway. On your way to the bedroom, Satoru wordlessly creeps by on his way to another part of the abode; his lackluster reaction to your presence is strange, though you choose not to dwell on it now. You reach the bedroom and it takes a bit of searching, which is already enough for you to know your perfume’s been tampered with, but you finally discover the small bottle on the floor of the walk-in closet. Lifting it up to the tinted light, you’re distraught to find the glass of fragrance noticeably emptier than it once was.
Your first and only thoughts are to find the dog. This is clearly their doing because Lord knows Satoru doesn’t watch them as close as he should. How they would have gotten hold of it in the first place, you’ll never know, but you want to check on them just to make sure they haven’t ingested any of the glitter that was inside this perfume.
The pup isn’t under the bed, hiding in the closet, nor the bathroom, and so your search extends to the front of the house. You make your way to the kitchen and find Satoru, where you’re surprised to find he’s not butchering another meal (yet). He’s silently studying the contents of the fridge, clad in his favorite jacket with the hood pulled over his head and fingers gently thrumming against the counter. The scent of your perfume is strong in this room, so the puppy must be somewhere in here.
“Satoru, have you seen D/N? I think they got into my spray.”
“Nope.”
His answer is short, curt. Like he doesn’t want to talk. Or like he doesn’t want your attention on him.
“Are you cold?,” you ask. Gojo’s still bumbling around in front of the fridge, hasn’t turned to face you once. This behavior coming from the man who’d live under your skin if you let him. “I can turn the heat up.”
“No, baby, it’s fine, I’m fine.”
You stop right behind him, arms crossed and tapping your foot. “Whatcha looking for?”
“Ju–just something to snack on.”
You raise an eyebrow at that. Maybe he really is cold.“It’s sure taking you a minute.”
“Yeah, I-I, uh, don’t know what I want.” Another stutter, another tell.
“Satoru, look at me.”
He gives a dramatic sigh, but you don’t miss the waver in his voice. “Babe, I’m b-“
Gojo senses your hand at the last minute, too on edge to be paying close attention to your movements. He ducks, though it’s in vain, and he knows he’s been caught.
You’re speechless. Satoru cuts his eyes over at you to study your expression, but all you can do is stare at the radiance in his hair. It’s shiny with glitter. Tiny, reflective specks littered throughout the white shine of his hair.
“Baby, I can explain.,” he starts.
Hands to your hips, and still staring at his hair, you just shake your head. Your lips purse as you fight back a smile because you’re supposed to be mad, dammit. But he’s just such a dummy, so silly-looking, what explanation could he possibly make up on the fly for this?
“I mean, I look pretty, right?”
Fuck, now you’ve done it. Satoru sees you battling the upturn of your lips, the entertainment in your eyes, and now he thinks, no, knows he’s in the clear. Scolding him is futile at this point, you’ve already lost.
You give in to your amusement, letting him lean into your embrace and cradling his cheeks at your fingertips. “Yes, Satoru. You’re so, so pretty.”
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it's cold outside | charles leclerc
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🍪 synopsis: The weather forecast predicts a blizzard for the next three days and a couple turns their shared apartment into a cozy hideout. warnings: just pure fluff, christmas drabble, 400 words
| listen to my christmas playlist |
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In the background, the TV announced the impending blizzard like it was the end of the world. I glance at my boyfriend, Charles, who is scrolling through his phone, checking for the hundredth time if the world was indeed ending.
“Three days of snow? We’re gonna be stuck here, aren't we?” I say, pulling my favorite blanket around me.
“Looks like it’s just us and whatever’s left in the fridge.” Charles smiles, throwing an arm over my shoulder.
I squint through the frosty windows, but it’s hard to see anything outside. Our living room is fully decorated for Christmas and the fairy-lights reflecting on the glass makes it even more difficult to see the street outside. It’s like the cold transformed everything into a white void and not even our decor can turn the winter wonderland outside into something lively. I give up and turn to Charles.
“Come on, be useful and at least help me with dinner.” I half-complain.
“Excuse me? And what do you mean ‘at least’?” Charles sounds offended but there’s mischief in his eyes.
“Well, I decorated the living room practically by myself!” I jab my index finger at him, pointing the blame.
“Babe, that’s not true. I hung the stockings!” He defends himself with a grin.
Charles, in full defense mode, lists off every little thing he's done since coming home. As he goes on, the storm outside intensifies. We decide to raid the kitchen, on a mission for the ingredients of a turkey breast with pancetta, figs, and leek. The weathermen's voice faded as we became fully engrossed in prepping our meal. Slicing veggies, measuring the salt.
Our kitchen gets attacked by different smells and sounds, with the sizzle of pancetta, the earthy aroma of figs and the fragrant smell of leeks. Charles decides to be in charge of seasoning, as he freely sprinkles pepper and rosemary anywhere he can reach.
“Behind!” Charles yells, his tone playful, as he goes out of his way to pass behind me on his way to the oven. 
I chuckle, pretending to be surprised. “Yes, chef!”
As the oven door creaks open, the turkey breast, now a masterpiece of pancetta-wrapped goodness, finds its home. Charles, wearing a satisfied grin, nods approvingly at our creation.
With the meal complete, we plate up and go back to the living room. As I share each bite with Charles, in those simple exchanges, I realize with certainty that there's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be.
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lavenderhhaze · 3 months
Note
An I.N. oneshot with a lot of angst (I just want to cry pls)
got you babe
[05:03] RADIAL — Y. JEONGIN (0.5k words)
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It's well past midnight when Jeongin feels concious again, the burn of his last three tequila shots still stinging at the back of his throat. The armrest of the couch presses into his spine uncomfortably, his legs compressed under something — someone heavy. The eerie red glow of his deskclock stares back at him from few feet away : 05:03.
He grumbles under his breath, a faint ‘fuck’ leaving his mouth as he attempts to straighten himself. He can't believe he actually enjoyed drinking at some point of his life.
Jeongin's living room is a mess — remnants of every college frat party he remembers going to. There's Changbin passed out at the foot of his couch, his head angled uncomfortably on one of the throw pillows. There's a couple he can't quite remember exiting his bathroom, her lipstick smudged beyond comprehension. The guy flashes him a knowing smirk, ‘Thanks for inviting us, Innie.’
God, he fucking hated New Years Parties.
And yet, he'd sent out invitations blindly. To his friends, to the friends of his friends and their girlfriends and his entire fucking college. In hopes of meeting you again.
He pushes his way to the bathroom, scowling at the condom wrappers littered by the sink. How the fuck was he going to clean this up. He's biting back a smile remembering what you'd said: ‘just call it the horizon, then you'll never reach it.’
The lazy thrum of the bass still pulsates in the back of his head, so he's rummaging through his medicine cabinet and dry swallowing two advil. The porcelain of the sink is cold against his palm and he sees his distorted reflection staring back at him as the water drains down the filter. He wonders who he's looking for because you don't go to parties anymore.
There's still a few people wandering around the porch, he hears them giggle and whisper and then there is that little bit of hope — an ugly thing with teeth and claws that scratches at his heart some more.
And hope makes him walk out again, picking up empty solo-cups and beer cans with his exasperated sighs, his hoodie smelling of the same cheap supermarket beer. Jeongin peers outside, the liminal space of his lawn mostly empty, save for the one couple sitting cross-legged, laughing at something the girl said.
There's Hyunjin, walking the driveway with his phone to his ear. He seems to be talking animatedly, his hands moving wildly as he describes a hydrangea bush he saw on the way to the party. No,no, it wasn't powder blue. It was, like, almost purple, y'know? To his girlfriend, Jeongin supposed.
“I like your lawn."
Jeongin shivers, he hasn't heard that voice in a while. There was you, same hair, only longer and the same stare in your eyes, lined by lashes that cast a shadow under his neon lights. They remind him of spider silk, he notes.
“Happy New Year," you say, smiling into your beer can. It's not strained, it's not malicious. And that makes him feel slightly more miserable.
"You're still drinking?"
"Can't be hungover if you're still drinking, huh."
He chuckles, despite himself. He wonders of he owes you an explanation or an apology. There is a mass of white noise lingering between you and him.
"Happy New Year."
He finally responds to your greeting, mostly apprehensive. What he really means is that he's missed you, despite seeing you everyday for the last six months. The last time you spoke is far ahead on the road, so much so that it's already behind him. He'd be lying if he says he hasn't hoped to stumble across you in a supermarket, reaching for the same box of pasta. Then he'd smile awkwardly, apologize and let you take that box home, along with a piece of him that never seems to subside.
"I missed the fireworks this time," you sigh, sitting on the ledge and folding your legs underneath. Your hoodie hangs off of your shoulders like a shadow. And he feels a funny feeling in his chest when he takes a seat next to you. It's a funny thing, how his heart feels at rest when you're shoulders touch — it's an innate need to be felt, he thinks.
He closes his fingers around yours, too tight to hold a strangers. And you hold back and squeeze tight. The sting from the tequila is long gone. Jeongin finds it in himself to grin, dimples popping in his cheeks and his eyes almost closed, when he looks at you. He'd almost mistake it for regret if you didn't grin right back.
If he relaxes his body, he'd fall apart, crumble into pieces he doubts he can hold together anymore. He'd scream your name into the city and wait for it to echo back too him; but it's too soon to force intimacy like that, not when you've not spoken for months. So he swallows the guilt the size of a cherry pit that doesn't quite budge from his throat. He didn't miss the fireworks. He missed you — radiant as ever.
"I didn't."
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shy-urban-hobbit · 2 months
Text
@elmonstro , I ended up combining three of the prompts in the end 🤣.
Lambert has a confession to make in the only circumstances he feels he can.
Lambert lay rigid in the hard, narrow bed - made even narrower by the presence of the other occupant.
"Lambert?" Aiden turned his head to look at him, eyes flashing as they reflected the scant light afforded to them in the middle of the night thanks to their mutations. It was one of those nights where the Wolf was thankful that their ability to see in the dark wasn't nearly as powerful as the rumours suggested (shockingly, it wasn't Jaskier who'd given rise to the exaggeration that it was exactly the same as moving around in daylight for them).
"What's got you smelling so anxious?"
"Nothing." Lambert replied, resolutely staring at the ceiling. He could practically feel Aiden raise a disbelieving eyebrow in response. Lambert gave his own answer in the form of turning over so his back was now to the other. The first time Lambert had done this, Aiden had taken slight offence. Now he merely followed suite, the bed creaking as he moved into the same position, pressing his foot against Lambert's calf in a silent 'whenever you're ready.'
Lambert curled his fist into the pillow momentarily, trying to get his thoughts in order. He'd never been particularly good at opening up to people - not face to face anyway. He'd catch himself searching for the looks of pity or disgust from those he'd chosen to confide in, or for them to outright laugh in his face and the words would just die in his throat and be reborn as harsh barbs instead, designed to push away rather than reach out. If they were back at Kaer Morhen, his solution would be to get shitfaced drunk to the point where he wasn't coherent enough to feel self conscious and none of them would remember the conversation the following morning anyway. As it was, that level of drunkenness on The Path just wasn't possible. Taverns weren't known for stocking White Gull afterall and no Witcher ever had the coin spare it would take to buy the required amount of wine and ale needed to achieve the same result (as proven by the fact that he and Aiden had spent the last of their coin current coin on this room, so waterskins and jerky it was for the foreseeable).
They'd discovered this workaround purely on accident one night. Lambert had sat with his back to the other, venting his spleen in the dark. His ranting about comments made by a particularly unpleasant alderman had started to turn a little too personal and he'd been so caught up that he'd mistaken Aiden's meditation for true sleep and hadn't realised the other was still awake and therefore had heard everything. Aiden had never offered anything which could be described as pity in response to these night time confessions, but the fear of seeing that or worse on the Cat's face still froze Lambert's tongue in the cold light of day.
"You know I'm shit at stuff like this." Lambert started lamely and immediately wanted to smack himself upside the head. He didn't need to see Aiden's face, he could see perfectly in his mind's eye the slight smirk that always danced on the others lips whenever Lambert stated the obvious - always amused, never condescending.
"But I just...I've been doing some thinking and there's something I have to say."
Aiden's brows would be slightly raised in the way they always were when something piqued his curiosity.
"I...that is...I" Lambert grit his teeth. This had sounded so much easier in theory.
"If there's one thing I've learnt about dealing with you Wolves over the years," Jaskier started as they all sat together in the Keeps great hall, leaning forwards slightly in his chair and steepling his fingers as if he was about to impart great wisdom, "It's that trying to be subtle just goes straight over your god's damned heads. You have any idea how many hints I dropped to this one over the years? The flirting, the innuendos! The straight up propositions!"
"And what was stopping you from just telling me outright how you truly felt?" Geralt asked, bumping his shoulder against the bards as he took a gulp of White Gull, "Would've saved us both shitloads of time. And headaches."
"Lambert?"
Aiden's voice jolted him back to the present. Shit, how long had he been quiet? His heart was absolutely deafening in his ears so Aiden would definitely be able to hear it and God's, why were his hands so sweaty....
"Lambert, you're starting to worry me now. Please say something."
Lambert closed his eyes to be met with the image of the little frown line that he now had to resist the urge to try and smooth out whenever it appeared between Aiden's wide, worried green eyes as he chewed on his bottom lip, a habit he'd been trying to break himself of because of the amount of times he'd accidentally made himself bleed.
"Iwanttobemorethanfriends."
"....one more time?"
Lambert took a steadying breath, forcing himself to speak slowly, "I want to be more than friends."
"Best friends?"
"Stop joking for once!"
Lambert bit back a noise of frustration. If he deflected with anger, Aiden deflected with humour.
"Sorry."
Lambert felt a slight pang of guilt at his outburst for the look of chastisement he couldn't see, but he knew would be there.
"I'm being serious, Aiden." He carried on, focusing on the texture of the wall, the feel of the blankets on his skin. Anything to stop him from panicking and shutting up. Anything other than the picture of Aiden's face.
"I miss you as soon as we part ways, I keep finding myself thinking about how you'd react to certain things - how funny you'd find it or how much it would piss you off. It rains and I'm wondering if you've got somewhere to shelter...I know this is all normal friend shit and I thought I was happy with that, but..."
They lay in silence until Aiden pressed his foot slightly harder against Lambert's leg, as much a silent prompt as it was an offer of comfort. Lambert focused on a chip in the wall that was starting to look more and more like Roach in the night time shadows he'd been staring at it for so long.
"I don't know what changed, but seeing Geralt and his bard this winter it made me realise. I want that...with you and I don't want shitloads of wasted time and headaches over it so, now you know." The room suddenly felt far too small.
"Lam."
Lambert couldn't place Aiden's tone of voice as he moved around, but it wasn't one of the usual ones for when he was happy. Nor was his scent, which was the struck match sharpness of surprise. He squeezed his eyes tight shut as the other placed a hand on his shoulder and gently but insistently guided him onto his back. He didn't want to see the look on Aiden's face for this next part.
"Lambert, please look at me."
The Wolf shook his head no and felt Aiden's breath ghost over his face as he let out a sigh.
"Alright... Answer me honestly, pup. Do you trust me?"
Lambert hesitated slightly before nodding, unsure what that had to do with anything right now.
"Words, Lambert."
"Yes." Gods, why was Aiden dragging this out, just get it over with and turn him down already!
He felt the soft ends of Aiden's hair brush his face before lips fell on his. Lambert's eyes snapped open in surprise and met Aiden's. Colourless, but full of a fondness he never thought would be directed at him. The Cat gave him a soft smile as they broke apart, running a finger gently over his scar where it bisected his eyebrow.
"Will you look at me now?"
Lambert's response was to pull him in for another kiss. He didn't need to when he had Aiden's look of love committed to memory already.
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formulapai · 4 months
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Can u write a song about Haunted or Let You Break My Heart Again by Laufey?? (Thank you btww 🙏)
hi dearest !! I’ll choose the first one and pick Pierre !! thank you ♥️
warning : alcohol, mildly +18
“One more kiss, wine stained lips
I don't want to go to sleep yet”
It always ends like this, it shouldn’t surprise you anymore. Your lips are interlocked, fingers clawing at each other’s clothes, breath ragged as desperate sounds leave your lips. You’re a sight to see, an absolute treat for Pierre’s eyes and he takes his sweet time savoring each details of your skin as if he’s not acquainted with them already. The taste of red wine on your lips is almost as tantalizing as the taste of your essence, a divine nectar he finds himself craving when he’s away from you. He’d spend hours, days even, quenching his thirst for you, drenched in your perfume. Who needs sleep when he has you ?
“Pale moonlight, misty eyes
I'll allow myself to have him just tonight”
You haven’t learned your lesson as you let him drag you to the bed, pieces of fabric falling on the floor rhythmically. The blinds are not yet closed, a mesmerizing silver light embracing your curves and reflecting in his blue eyes, obligating you to focus your gaze somewhere else in fear of drowning in them once again. It’s always his damn eyes and their earnestness, telling you things his mouth could never. You wish it would, you wish it could, tell you everything you want to hear, everything he’s confessing with his touch but he’s not letting himself break his walls down, not now, probably not ever. So you let him push you on the bed once again, let him love you with his body once again. It’s the only love you’ll ever receive from him.
“I swear to myself as he leaves at dawn
This will end, 'til he haunts me again”
His back is marred with scratches as he gets up, muscle flexing under the red skin before it’s covered with his white shirt and out of your reach. For once, he spars you a longing glance, a silent goodbye before he strokes your hair and silently leave the room and the apartment, leaving you in the now too big, too cold bed. Your heart prays it’s the last time but your body already calls for his, not caring much about anything but the way his arms feel wrapped around your waist and the smell of his breath on your lips.
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clown-gore · 7 months
Text
SFBF23-> week 1
Prompts: Fire. Wound(s). Suburbs. Bondage
Keywords: Acrid. Malignant
His Souvenir
Micheal Myers X GN!reader
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Halloween was a cursed time at Haddonfield, and that was a fact. Every window and door got locked during the night. Parents dreaded their children going trick-or-treating for it might be their last time seeing them.
Every year the town holds it’s breath waiting for the Boogyman to strike again. Sometimes he doesn’t, but that doesn’t make the situation any better.
And every year there were people foolish enough to roam the town at the dead of night and taking the situation lightly, unaware of the dangers their actions hold. Guilt doesn’t begin to describe the feeling that dawns after that.
And here you are, as guilty as ever…
Unfortunately you were one of those foolish people, and now you’re tied in the basement of some stranger, but that stranger is no other than the Shape Of Haddonfield himself, Micheal Myers.
You were tied and way that left you exposed. Hands behind your back tied at the elbows down to your wrists, thighs and knees bound with painful knots to the old heater behind you that scraped your back, and your mouth taped shut. Even your neck had a rope around it that threatened to choke you with every move.
Looking around you frantically, you tried to understand what is going on. Last thing you remember was Micheal chasing you and then nothing, something it you on the head and you didn’t know whether it was him, or you hit a brick wall or a tree, but the ache in your head is very much true.
The basement had an acrid smell of mould and smoke, smoke so strong it brought tears to your eyes. The only light came from a small window next to the sealing. Looking up, you could make out flames, and panic rose up again. The place was burning…
Your breath was frantic, and you started to fight against the ropes bounding you.
What made you stop your movements close to none was the figure emerging from the dark, far end of the room. The Boogyman himself.
Fear doesn’t begin to describe the feeling that crept through your body. The sight of his chalky white mask sent shivers down your spine.
Your throat went dry, more tears sprung to your eyes and your breath quickened with each silent step he took towards you. The blooded knife in his hand shined, reflecting the light from the fire up ahead. Is he staying her to burn with you? You kept asking…
You thrashed away at your restraints as they burned through your skin, definitely leaving marks. Micheal kept coming closer as you screamed through the tape on your mouth. Whatever plans he had in store, you were sure they won’t be empty of blood, and that knife was a witness for his never ending thirst
Hopelessness started creeping in, the realisation that the situation you found yourself in is inescapable started pouring down on your soul like cold water..
Micheal stood in front of you, inches away, the fire burning behind him made his form look large and looming compared to you. Death personified. He took one step closer, and went down on one knee to closer at you as your restraints make you vulnerable beneath him. His gaze under the mask make you feel ten times smaller, it was dangerous, malignant, yet curious, like he was looking at a shiny toy.
Michael’s right hand that was holding the knife moved and you jumped shutting your eyes close, bracing yourself for whatever’s to come, but it never did. Scratching sounds hit your ears and when you opens your eyes to look, he was carving something on the wooden floor.
When he was done, it was a singular crooked looking word that made your heart sink like it gained a thousand pounds over..
Mine
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ilovefanficbooks · 10 months
Text
Run In The Woods (Robin De Noir X Reader)
Summary: Y/n is Maria best friend and is staying with her with Maria uncle, but the De Noir thinks she is a Merrywether so Robin tries to kidnap her
Pronouns: she/her
Pairing: Robin De Noir and Y/N Y/L/N
Warning: nearly kidnapped, knife threat, swearing, pet names, kissing
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Y/N Pov
Moving with Maria was not on my to do list. Moving and dealing with my friends family was not on my to do list. So why am I even hear?
Well me and Maria have been close friends since we were a baby we basically grew up together. Maria was there when my parents died when I was twelve. And I was there when her parent's died.
But as Maria was the only closest thing I had to her as family she did not want to lose me, so here I am staying in the Moonacre mansion with my best friend.
To be honest I find this place a bit strange like there is something hidden in the walls for me to find. Or something that can pop out and kill the living life of me. Like for example a dog that can turn into a lion. How crazy is that!
"Hey Maria, I'm going to head down to the steam again" I told my friend walking into her room.
"Let me guess, to clear your head?" Maria asked raising a brow. She knows me too well. We are almost like sisters.
"You know me" I said chuckling.
"I'll be back soon. Promise" I told my dear friend while she said bye to me.
Ever since I got here I have a thing with nature. I love the green trees when the sun hits them. The soft grass when you walk with no shoes on to find the glass tinkle your feet. The sounds of birds when they fly about. The smell of fresh new flowers being grown and of course the sound of the steam that shimmers in the light and the feel of the cold water touch my hot hands.
That is what I love about nature. And I feel free when I walk in these woods not feeling any danger or lost.
I got to the steam and I sat down on a rock near the steam, I smile at my reflection and put my feet on the cold water. It feels good.
Even though back at London was boring and all this place is more quiet then London is and I wonder if something is wrong or it is just my brain talking.
I heard a branch snap behind me making me gasp as I turn my head I noticed a few boys maybe about my age in black reach me. I stand up to turn to them as they gather in a small group.
"Well, well, well, look what we have here boys" a boy with curly brunette hair that wears a hat, and brown eyes said with a cocky smirk on his face.
I then recognize him as the boy at Maria's dad's funeral and the bit trying to take Maria when we were in the carriage.
"Can I help you?" I asked sarcastically with eye brows raised while I look at all seven boys.
I zoom out what he was saying while I just stare at this boy. He is hot for sure but he seems bad news and someone that gives me red flag straight away.
"Did you not hear me little dove" I zoom back in at the mention of he's voice.
"I'm sorry you were saying?" I asked sarcastically. I really don't want to put up with these boys.
"I said my fathers wants to see you. Your coming with us" he said as I just stare at him unamune at all. This dude I just meet wants me to meet he's father? Yeah good luck with that.
"Is that supposed to be a threat? Cause it's sure not scary" I said sarcastically while rolling my eyes.
"Listen hear Princess" he said pointing a finger at me getting annoyed I can tell by he's face.
"We can do this that hard way or the easy way" he said while he brought out a pocket knife that suppose to scare me.
I swear today is going to be a real long day for me and Maria would come looking for me if I'm gone for too long.
"Wow scary!" I said sarcastically while acting as I'm scared then when back to normal while laughing myself while showing my white teeth.
"Grab her!" he said. This boy seems to be the leader of this group but these boys don't scare me. I have always stand up to myself over boys back in London. And when one boy tried to hurt Maria in he was dead in two seconds cause of me.
"I'm warning you. You're messing with the wrong girl" I pointed out which they all chuckle at me thinking it's funny.
They won't be laughing when I kick there ass to the ground.
"Oh shit" I curst to myself while closing my eyes for a second.
I open my eyes to see the first boy to grab my shoulder. I think fast and twist he's arm back hearing him yell out in pain and then I kick real hard making him fall to the ground.
I was kind of getting carried away that I did not notice I have a pair of eyes on me.
Once I finish kicking these boys asses I dust my hands and turn to where he was standing.
"Wow I'm impress" he said with raise brows. I rolled my eyes and start to walk away. But then he grab my arm and pined me to the tree.
I was shocked on what he did. But what do I feel like I wanted that to happen by him.
"Did you think I would let you go Princess?" he asked looking at me as I look back at him. He is quiet hot for he's age.
"I told you once and I'll say it again you're messing with the wrong girl" I said glaring at him.
But he just gave me a cocky smirk my way. He thinks is funny say that when your be crying in the floor in a minute.
"You got fire. I like fire" he said giving me a smirk. There it!
I then punch this guy straight in the face as he groan at my punch and I then kick him where it hurts the most. He then fell to the floor hands over where I kick him as he's hat feel off he's head.
"You should of listen to me but you didn't" I said.
I then took of in a run going to head back to Moonacre but before that I took that cute guy hat.
And I bet when I tell Maria what happened she would be proud of me. I just hope I don't see him again.
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It's now night I'm just about to go to bed any minute. But right now I can't seem to get that boy out of my head. And I wonder what he would want with me.
I then sigh as I walk inside my room where I was standing where my balcony was. I blow out the candle in the room and got in bed.
But I seem to can't fall asleep. I normally can fall asleep straight away. So why can't I?
I then heard the sound of my balcony door being open. I sat still trying to make a sound.
I heard the sound of someone looking through my things. I sit up to see he's back towards me. I look to see if I can defend myself with anything and I found a book. I grab it and got up quietly I then made my way over to this guy and then I hit him multiple times with the book in my hand.
"Ow! Ow! Ow, okay stop it! Stop it!" he said. It was the bit from earlier. What the hell is he doing here? Here for a round two?
"You" I said glaring at him who just grin.
"Me again" he said. Oh yes got some nerve showing up here.
"Do you really want to die here?" I asked shuffing my book in he's chest.
"Look I only came here because you stool my hat. I'll just take it and leave it Merryweather?" he asked. Wait he thinks I'm a Merryweather?
"Wait what did you called me?" I asked with a confuse look on my face.
"Merryweather. That's your name right?" he asked stepping forward in front of me. He is taller than for sure so I have to look up at him.
"No you dipshit I'm not a Merryweather. I'm a friend of the Merryweathers" I said while he looked at me confuse.
"So why are you here then?" he asked with raise brows.
"Look Maria and I need up together we are like sisters and when my parents did her father took me in and now I'm here" I explained quickly to him as he looked at me then start walking around my room.
"Huh so you really not a Merryweather princess?" he asked. Here we go with those name calling.
"Yes and can you stop calling me that!" I said kind of getting annoyed by him now.
"Calling what?" he asked. Oh he knows exactly what.
"Oh my god. Stop calling me Princess or little dove or what ever name you call me" I said throwing my arms in the air.
"Okay what's your name?" he asked sitting down in my chair.
He can not be serious right now.
"Are you serious? You tried to kidnap me a few hours ago and now you want to know my name after you threatened me with your knife!?" I said that in one breath.
Ge then put a hand on he's chest and fasp dramatically.
"I'm offended by your words" he said. I rolled my eyes yet again.
"It's Y/N" I said after I sigh.
"What?" he asked looking at me.
"My name. It's Y/N" I said with a slight smile.
"Y/N" he reaped with a smile on he's face and not a grin or that cocky smirk.
"I'm Robin," he said as I walk over to my trunk to get he's hat out.
He's name sounds like it has fallen from the sky but I seem to can't help and smile at the mention of he's name.
As I turned around to face Robin with he's hat in my hand. Robin was behind me and up close. I gasp at the space between us. I don't why I have this affection with this boy.
Robin look in my eyes while he were he's lips my eyes can not tear say from those brown chocolate eyes. Robin then put a hand on my cheek while I step closer to him. For some reason I'm listening to my heart and not my head.
I then lean into Robin and plant my lips on he's soft lips. Robin kissed me back but he seems to know more about this then I do. I have never done this before but Robin knows what he is doing.
Soon it felt like hours we're been kissing and we pulled away. I lean into he's chest while we catch our breathe for air.
"That was any kiss I ever had before " Robin said making me laugh. We then pulled away but are eyes never leave each other.
"Now as much as I love to stay but I must leave before my father realized I'm here" Robin said as I walked him to my balcony.
"I will see you again will I Robin" I asked him as he was about to jump down.
"Of course you will. I'll find you in the woods Princess" Robin said.
I laugh at the name he called me.
And before he jump I gave him one last kiss on the lips before I when the sleep. Thinking and dreaming if Robin.
He maybe a cocky boy but he is my midnight prince and I'm he's sunshine princess.
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minty-mumbles · 9 months
Text
And the Universe Said I Love You (Ch. 2)
Summary: Late one summer night, a half fae child being hunted for their magical blood stumbled into the temple of the gods and claimed sanctuary. Years later, Hyrule is still living in the temple, working to keep it tidy and operating smoothly. And for some reason, the gods have taken a keen interest in them.
AN: Thank you to @breannasfluff for being a huge help with this chapter! I also have a list of the gods/ their domains at the end of this fic
TW: Child sacrifice is discussed in this chapter
(Read on AO3)
~~~
The temple always got eerily dark at night. After the worshippers had left and the sun went down, Hyrule would snuff out all the lanterns that hung along the walls. The only remaining light came from where the moon shone through the windows and the two torches outside Wild’s shrine room that burned with strange teal flames. Hyrule knew better than to try and snuff out the holy flames of the wild god. It wouldn’t work, and would only serve to irritate Wild. 
Back at the beginning of Hyrule’s stay in the temple, they’d been afraid to wander at night. That was before they’d been given a permanent position as the temple's tender, and they were simply a child looking for sanctuary. The temple at night had seemed dark and cold back then. It had been too strange, too foreign to see the halls silent and empty. 
During the nights, Hyrule would do their best to hide away in the windowless storeroom they’d claimed as their sleeping chamber. With no moonlight to illuminate the room, it had still been dark, but at least it hadn’t been the cavernous hallways that felt like they would swallow Hyrule whole.
Even after the gods had given Hyrule their job, they’d tried their best not to wander after the sun went down. They’d snuff out the lights as quickly as they could and scurry back to their room, which by then had been filled with a simple bed and chest to store their clothing.
Now, after two years of living and working in the temple, that uncomfortable feeling Hyrule got at night had long since faded. The darkness of the temple at night was comfortable, and the silence gave them time to reflect on the day. The nights were peaceful and serene, now, no longer haunted by bad memories. 
Even the cold flickering light of the Wild’s holy fire served to remind Hyrule that even if Wild- who Hyrule now considered a friend- preferred to remain out of the city, he was a constant presence in the temple just as the other gods were. 
When Hyrule couldn't sleep, they often took to wandering the halls. That was what they were doing tonight. It had been a slow day at the temple. Nothing exciting had happened and Hyrule hadn’t needed to do much physical work, so they weren’t tired yet. 
The wind was strong tonight, blowing in through the windows. It came from the north, and if Hyrule concentrated enough, they swore they could smell the scent of the Lost Woods carried on the breeze. They breathed in deeply, letting the familiar smell soothe away their worries.
‘Hyrule.’ The sound of someone’s voice startled them. Barring a few special rituals dedicated to Twilight, people didn’t come to the temple in the middle of the night. As it wasn’t the full moon or new moon tonight, they hadn’t expected anyone to be here. 
They whirled around, half expecting to see someone who had come to ask for sanctuary, just as they themself had. But no. It wasn’t even a Hylian- or any other kind of mortal. 
The figure that towered in front of them was monstrous in a beautiful kind of way. It would’ve been difficult to see them in the dim light, if not for the faint white glow that the figure emitted. 
Distantly, Hyrule noticed the blue flames of Wild’s torches spluttering and going out as the night wind picked up speed, blowing clouds over the moon. In response to the newfound darkness, the creature began to glow brighter, its shine lighting up the whole hallway.
The figure was tall, towering so far above Hyrule that its head nearly brushed the ceiling. It had two pairs of arms, each held neatly in front of the creature, folded as if in prayer. From the knees down, its legs gradually faded from tanned skin to white feathers, and instead of feet, the legs ended in the golden talons of a bird of prey. 
A large red bird of a species Hyrule didn’t recognize was perched atop the figure's head. Its wings were stretched forward, covering the majority of the figure’s face from Hyrule’s view. 
The bird tilted its head, eyes locked onto Hyrule as if it were inspecting them. They wondered, briefly, if the figure was seeing through the bird’s eyes instead of whatever was hidden beneath the bird's wings
The figure was clothed in draped pastel robes that were cinched at the waist with a belt of gold studded with opals. Around the figure’s knees, the fabric of the robes faded into swirling clouds, filling the hallway with a sweet-smelling mist. The belt wasn't the only piece of jewelry that adorned the figure. It was practically dripping in gold, with a thick gold band around its throat, and its ears adorned with delicate chains. Clutched in the bottom pair of its hands, a necklace with the symbol of the triforce swung slowly in the breeze.
Hyrule should have been frightened by such a creature appearing suddenly behind them, but they knew who this was. They’d never seen him appear in such a form, but they’d heard of it and seen drawings in books held in the ancient library that filled most of the second floor of the temple. 
This was Sky, appearing in a form usually reserved for when he showed himself at royal ceremonies or when he decided to bless someone personally. None of the gods had ever appeared before Hyrule like this, in a form that was so obviously Hylian yet not at the same time. Sometimes things seemed off about the forms they took, like Twilight’s eyes, which remained the eyes of a wolf no matter what shape he took. (And sometimes Twilight appeared as an animal, But an animal was much different than this)
Sky’s presence was oppressive and although Hyrule wasn’t afraid, they couldn’t help but take a stumbling step backwards.
Sky’s lips turned downward for a moment. Hyrule couldn’t figure out what the god was thinking without being able to see his eyes. The thought that they might’ve displeased Sky enough for him to appear like this before them sent a bolt of terror through their heart. 
‘Be Not Afraid.’ Sky’s mouth did not move as he spoke, but his voice rang through Hyrule's head like a bell.
“I’m not afraid.” Hyrule managed to speak without stuttering even as they lied. They knew that anyone else would have fallen to their knees in reverence by now. Their familiarity with the god was the only thing keeping them on their feet. 
Sky did not answer, but he continued to frown down at Hyrule. After a moment, Hyrule felt compelled to speak to fill the silence. 
“I just didn’t expect you- you're very large, that’s all.” Hyrule cringed. Why did they say that? Gods, they were an idiot. They didn’t even know why Sky was here, but they were already saying things that the god could very easily take offense to. 
At least they managed to stop themself from mentioning how unnatural it looked for something shaped like a Hylian to possess two pairs of arms and bird-like talons instead of feet, and that it also didn’t help that Hyrule couldn’t see their eyes which prevented them from gaining a better understanding of what the god was thinking. Saying that probably would not have gone over well, no matter how much Hyrule was in Sky’s good graces.
Sky tilted his head slowly as if considering something, and Hyrule waited with bated breath for him to make his next move. Their heart pounded as they gazed up at the gigantic figure, and their body remained tense as if they had any hope of outrunning the god.
Suddenly, a strong wind howled through the temple. It was fierce enough that Hyrule instinctively brought their arms up to cover their face, stumbling back another few steps. When the wind had died down, and they gained the courage to peek out from behind their arms, they saw that the towering figure of the god was gone, replaced by a much more reasonably sized person.
Sky was still tall, nearly seven feet, but he could no longer pick Hyrule up in one hand if he so desired. It did help Hyrule relax a little. The bird had shrunk too, and as Hyrule watched it seemed to come to life, withdrawing its wings from where they were stretched in front of Sky’s eyes and ruffling its feathers. 
The bird’s movement revealed Sky’s eyes. They were a piercing blue, the exact same shade as the morning sky on a clear summer’s day. His eyes held such fondness as he looked at Hyrule that the breath stuttered in their chest. 
Knowing that Sky wasn’t angry at them made the last bit of tension bleed out of Hyrule’s shoulders, but the affection shown just made them blush in embarrassment. Despite their embarrassment, they didn't dare turn their eyes away from the god.
In a burst of movement that drew Hyrule’s attention away from studying Sky’s face, the bird atop the god’s head took flight. As it flew, it seemed to shift, changing midair. Its size diminished so rapidly that for a moment Hyrule thought it was going to disappear completely, but by the time the bird landed on Sky’s shoulder, it had stopped shrinking. Its form was more familiar now. It looked like a little songbird, although Hyrule was still unable to identify its species. 
They realized that it must be Crimson, Sky’s.... pet? Hyrule had never asked what Crimson was exactly, but they knew that the bird was very precious to Sky. 
Sky reached up a hand to his shoulder, letting Crimson hop onto his fingers. He absently pet the top of the bird's head, all while continuing to stare at Hyrule. His gaze was no less affectionate than it was before, but now there was an undercurrent of contemplation. 
‘Hyrule, do you know how gods are made?’
The question that rang through their mind caught Hyrule completely off guard. That was one of the last things they would expect a god to ask them, let alone Sky after he showed up in such an imposing form. 
“No more than most mortals do. I-” Hyrule cut themself off, not knowing if Sky would want to hear the specifics. Sky tilted his head curiously, an action that made him look remarkably bird-like, and Hyrule felt compelled to continue. 
“You made most of them? Except for Wild and Wind. They used to be mortals, and you turned them into gods.” Hyrule hesitated to say anything more, as that was all the information they had on the subject. How gods were made was knowledge that had been kept away from the minds of mortals, and Hyrule had, for once, not been an exception in this. 
‘Do you know how I made Wind and Wild into Gods?’
Hyrule shakes his head slowly. Where was Sky going with this series of questions? Why was he here in the first place? Although Hyrule had told Sky they weren’t afraid, and Sky shrinking to a more reasonable size had elevated his more primal fears, Hyrule was still uneasy. What had prompted the god to appear to them in such a form?
 ‘The world is full of magic, Hyrule. Gods depend on that magic to survive. It is what makes us what we are. Sometimes, magic starts to build up in the world and when this happens I can, if I choose, create a godling. Something that is not a god yet, but has the potential to be.”
Hyrule knew their mouth was hanging open, but they couldn't help it. Why on earth was Sky telling them this?
A frown came over Sky’s face. Crimson chirped, nudging at Sky’s fingers, and attempting to comfort its master. ‘Godlings… they do not always survive long enough to become full-fledged gods.’ 
Hyrule sucked in a deep breath, surprised. They’d had no idea that gods could die. This was something deeply personal, more invasive than anything the gods had ever told them before. They reached out hesitantly, wanting to comfort the god, but thinking better of it at the last second and withdrawing their hand. “Sky, I’m so sorry. I never knew…”
Sky sent him a sad smile. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for. It is the way of things. One of these godlings was named Spirit. I intended for him to watch over the dead. He did not live long enough to even make his first physical form.’ 
For the first time since he had revealed his eyes, Sky broke eye contact with Hyule. He looked away, and Hyrule was horrified to see that tears were gathering in the god’s eyes. 
The entire hallway grew darker as the glow Sky emitted dimmed. Even the light from the moon outside seemed to weaken, as if Twilight had been listening to what Sky was saying and was also reliving the anguish of losing a sibling. 
Crimson screeched, flying off Sky’s fingers and disappearing out a window as the atmosphere grew more oppressive by the second. 
In a split-second decision, Hyrule moved forward, throwing his arms around Sky’s waist. They doubted they could offer much comfort to a god, but they couldn’t let someone who they thought of as a friend stand there crying from grief and not do anything.
Sky made a startled noise- still in that strange echo in Hyrule’s head that wasn’t truly speaking- before relaxing into the hug, and returning it. It was a bit awkward with Sky being two feet taller than Hyrule and having an extra set of arms, but Sky didn’t pull away so Hyrule didn’t either.
After a while, Sky’s glow returned to normal, and he drew back, so Hyrule followed his lead.  
‘You’re so sweet, Hyrule.’ Hyrule blushed.
Sky sighed, deciding to continue his story. “Spirit didn't have time to absorb much of the magic I had gathered for him. Soon after that was when we met Wind. He was such a sweet boy, so lively and mischievous. At first, he simply reminded us of Spirit, but as he grew, he quickly became his own person in our eyes, and the thought of losing yet another person we cared for so soon- We just couldn’t stand it. What happened to him is Wind’s tale to tell, but suffice to say we found out that gathered magic can also be fed to mortals to make them into godlings.”
It was strange to hear someone talk about magic as if it were a physical, tangible thing that could be eaten but Hyrule supposed, to a god, magic would be very different. “So after you figured that out, you met Wild, grew fond of him, and…” They tilted their head. 
Sky smiled. ‘And I made him a godling too, yes. I’m sure you already know most of the story of how he died. Wild is more open to speaking about it than Wind. I think mortals know the tale?’ 
Hyrule nodded, but they were growing more and more curious. “Why are you telling me this?” 
Sky didn’t respond, but continued to look down at them with soft eyes. Hyrule realized rather abruptly that during the course of their conversation, Sky’s eyes had shifted from a soft summer’s-day blue to a lovely pastel purple. 
The god sighed again, but this time, it was less heavy and more affectionate. Leaning down, Sky gently cupped Hyrule's cheek and smiled at them. His touch was gentle and warm, but his skin was rough with callouses covering his fingers. Hyrule couldn’t help but lean into the touch just slightly. 
Between one moment and the next, just as quickly as he had appeared, Sky was gone. In an instant, there was no trace of him anywhere. The moon was just as bright as it should be outside, and Wild’s torches were lit again as if they had never gone out.
The temple was silent once again. The only sound was the distant yells of people in town who had taken more than their share of ale. 
Later that night, Hyrule lay in their bed, ears pinned back in a show of discomfort as a headache pounded against their skull. Apparently, listening to the voice of a god echo inside your head for an extended period of time could be bad for you. Who knew?  
It didn’t escape Hyrule that Sky had never answered them when they’d asked why he’d told Hyrule all that he had. It didn’t make any sense. Why would Sky feel the need to offer up that information voluntarily? It wasn’t like Hyrule had asked him. Sky had just appeared in the middle of the night and told Hyrule of his own free will.
It didn’t make any sense. Why would Sky tell them about how mortals could become gods? That seemed like something that would be a carefully kept secret.
Hyrule’s swirling thoughts mixed with the throbbing pain in their skull until there weren’t any coherent thoughts left. They hovered on the brink of sleep, unable to rest while their brain still sent shockwaves of pain through their head. 
It could have been their imagination, but suddenly they feel a hand brushing their hair aside. 
A gentle palm feeling their forehead. 
A soft voice, and instant relief as the pain subsided all at once.
As they slipped out of consciousness, they could have sworn they heard a familiar voice softly singing a strange melody. 
The strange conversation with Sky didn’t leave their head for weeks. They don’t see Sky again for a while, and the absence of the god is more noticeable than Hyrule thought it would be. They missed seeing him around. When had Hyrule gotten so attached, they wondered?  
The other gods continued to visit, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but every so often Hyrule caught one of them shooting them a strange look when they thought Hyrule wasn't watching.
~~~
Not all weather could be attributed to the actions of a god. Most of it was simply due to nature acting the way it had been designed to act by the gods when they’d first created the rain and snow and sun. 
But even Hyrule was starting to suspect that this wasn’t a natural storm. The rain had been lashing fiercely against the sides of the temple since morning, and not a single person had been brave enough to venture out into the weather to come pray.
Never in their time living in Castle Town had Hyrule seen it rain so hard. Thunder seemed to echo through the temple every thirty seconds, and the downpour was unrelenting. Hyrule could hear it pounding on the roof of the temple from inside his small room.
Hyrule sat on their bed, a blanket spread over their lap, and a book laid open over that. Lit candles were scattered around their room, giving them enough light to read by. The book they were inspecting was one that was usually kept in the temple's library, but Hyrule hadn’t felt bad about squirreling it away to his room today. It wasn’t like there was anyone else there who would need it.
When Hyrule first came to the temple, they didn't know how to read. Their mother hadn’t seen any value in teaching them and hadn’t known Hylian letters anyways. Legend had been personally offended when he’d discovered this and had made it his mission to teach Hyrule how to read. After two years, Hyrule had advanced greatly. They were able to read most things without help now. 
The book spread across their lap was a collection of ancient fairy tales. It wasn’t the most engaging thing Hyrule had ever read. It had been written for a child to read and was simple in its word choice, but it was something to take their mind off the howling winds outside, so Hyrule couldn’t complain. 
They twitched as a crack of thunder echoed through the temple. Their eyes didn’t leave the page but they were no longer paying any attention to the words. That was the loudest thunder they’d heard from the storm so far. Hyrule wondered briefly if lightning had struck the temple itself. 
That would be a very bad omen.
Hyrule wondered which god was angry. Realistically, it could only be a few of them, only those who had domain over the sky and storms. Sky, perhaps, or Wind, maybe even Wild.
Right as Hyrule bought their attention back to the book on their lap, they became aware of a quiet dripping sound. Was there a leak in the roof? Hyrule frowned, twisting around to find the source of the noise.
What they saw startled them so badly that they let out a small yelp and slammed their book closed. 
A soulful-looking child stood behind them. He looked so bedraggled that Hyrule almost didn’t recognize him as Wind. 
He wasn't wearing the blue tunic he usually favored, instead dressed in the typical garb one would find in some of the poorer villages along the coast. The god was barefoot, not even wearing sandals. His golden hair was slicked down and turned a duller color from the water that plastered it to his head.  
Water dripped from Wind’s clothes and air, creating a pool at his feet which grew too quickly for the amount that was dripping off of him. His head was tilted down, and Hyrule couldn’t make out his face, but his skin had an unhealthy blue tinge to it. He looked like a drowned ghost, coming back to haunt the living.
Hyrule suppressed a shudder. Now they knew which god was causing the storm.
They waited patiently for Wind to speak, but minutes dragged by and Wind didn’t move his eyes up from the ground to look at them. 
After a while, Hyrule hesitantly set their book and blanket aside, slowly scooching their way off the bed. They planned to approach the god slowly, just in case, but the first step they took towards the god made Wind’s head snap up to face him.
Wind’s lips had a purple tinge to them, and his eyes were sunken in. Tears dripped continuously from his eyes, faster than any Hylian should be able to produce tears. 
Hyrule shivered. “Wind, I can't help you if I don't know what’s wrong.”
Wind stared at them soulfully for a moment, and Hyrule started to think he wasn’t going to say anything before the god spoke. “You can’t help. Not unless you're able to beat some sense into every single mortal who thinks that they know the will of the gods.” Wind's voice was quiet, but filled with boiling anger. 
His voice grew louder as he continued. “What gives them the right? What makes them think they know what I want!” The god gave a short, wordless yell, his hand flying up to tug on his hair. 
Instinctively, Hyrule reached out, gently trying to remove Wind’s hands from where they were tangled in his wet tresses. Tugging on his hair like that can’t feel pleasant, god or no. Wind allowed Hyrule to take his hands into theirs, but he didn’t look calmed in the slightest. Wind seemed to be working himself up into a true temper, and it made a sliver of fear appear in the back of Hyrule’s mind. 
They knew by now that Wind would never hurt them on purpose, but a god’s anger could be destructive. 
“When has that ever been okay? Why did no one stop her? Why, why, WHY?” Wind was screaming by the last word, and a chorus of thunder echoed from outside to accompany his cries. His anger had morphed into hurt.
Hyrule didn’t know what had happened, or who “she” was, but they could see it was time to do some damage control before Wind summoned a storm inside Hyrule’s bedroom and accidentally fried them with a lightning bolt.
With a sharp tug on Wind’s hands, Hyrule drew the young god into a hug starting a mantra of soft reassurances and soothing words. Wind, who wasn’t paying attention to Hyrule by this point, was taken off guard. He fell into the hug with a wheeze, his next yell stolen from him.
It took a while for Wind to calm, for water to stop pouring from his eyes, and for color to start to return to his skin, washing away the unhealthy pallor he’d had before. As Wind’s cries grew quieter so too did the storm outside, being reduced to a steady but much less forceful patter of rain on the Temple’s roof. Hyrule managed to draw Wind over to his bed and sat the both of them down, not minding how wet the god would make their blankets. 
When Wind has been reduced to quietly sniffling at irregular intervals, Hyrule finally felt like they could ask what happened. What could cause a god to become so upset? And why would he come to Hyrule for comfort instead of any of the other gods? It baffled them.
Hyrule asked, but Wind simply shook his head into Hyrule’s chest, obviously not wanting to speak about it. But by then, Hyrule's curiosity has been thoroughly roused, along with their concern and no small amount of protectiveness over the child clinging to them. 
Wind was a god. He could protect himself, and he certainly didn’t need protection from Hyrule. Knowing that didn’t soothe Hyrule’s anxieties. “Come on, you don’t have to say much, just let me know what’s going on, okay?”
Wind eventually pulled back from the embrace, wiping away the last of his tears. He looked much better than before, no longer looking like a dead body at least. He looked more like a sick child who fell in a puddle
Wind looked up at Hyrule with fresh tears welling in his eyes. “One of the fishing villages along the coast was going through a rough spot- the fishing was just getting worse and worse. People were going hungry. There was a woman, who had just given birth to a baby girl. The woman wasn’t… well. Something went wrong with her birth, and she nearly died. Wanted nothing to do with her daughter after that.”
Hyrule nodded along with the story but was no closer to understanding what had caused Wind to become so upset. It was a sad tale, yes, but it happened sometimes- mothers falling into agony, trapped in their own minds after they give birth. There must be more to the story than that if it made Wind so upset.
And indeed, Wind carried on. “When the famine started, she got it into her mind that we had sent her child to her as a test of some sort. She became convinced the only way to end the starvation was to kill the child. She waded out into the water and held her baby under until she stopped moving. She just- didn’t stop. And she kept praying to me the who- whole t- time.” 
Wind’s voice started hitching like he was about to cry again. “Everyone sa- aw her. There was a whole crowd there. No one stopped her. Why did no one stop her?” 
Despite the waver in Wind’s voice and his hitching breath, he didn’t start crying again. Instead, he simply leaned forward, burying his head in Hyrule’s chest and returning to their positions from earlier. He sounded so defeated.
“Oh,” was all Hyrule could force out. That was worse than he was expecting. They shuddered, suppressing the urge to make noise in reaction to that, but they were sure Wind could feel their shiver. 
When times got hard, people got desperate. If they got desperate enough, they would be willing to try anything to gain the gods’ favor, even Hylian sacrifice. It was illegal, of course, and doubly so if the victim was unwilling, but people still did it occasionally
But child sacrifice? That was beyond cruel, and even people who weren’t as well acquainted with the gods as Hyrule was would know they wouldn’t approve of that. Mentally, Hyrule offered up a prayer that the child’s soul would find peace.
“She will. I made sure of it.” Wind spoke, startling Hyrule when it seemed he had replied to their thoughts. Then they realized that was exactly what they’d done. Hyrule hadn’t directed the prayer to Wind specifically but the spirits of the dead, afterlife, and reincarnation was Wind’s purview. Of course he’d heard Hyrule’s prayer. 
“And the mother?” Hyrule inquired hesitantly. They couldn’t imagine that Wind had granted the woman’s prayer for more food, not after she had killed her child in Wind’s name. Especially not when he seemed so distressed by it.
“They killed her.” Wind spoke softly, and monotone, all emotions leaching out of his voice. 
Hyrule tightened their grip on Wind. They weren't surprised she was dead. Not really. The courts would never be kind to someone who killed their child, especially when it was indisputable that they had done it. Hylian justice was strict in that regard. 
“I didn’t save her.” Still, his voice was flat, unusual for the overly expressive god.
Hyrule was left floundering at that. “Ah, did you want to save her?” The woman had offered Wind a sacrifice, after all. Had Hyrule misunderstood why Wind was so upset? Maybe he had accepted the sacrifice, and he was upset the woman had been punished so severely.
The thought of Wind accepting Hylian sacrifices made Hyrule’s blood chill, and for a split second, Hyrule felt more fear than he ever had around Wind. They were also insignificant to the gods. Half fae they may be, but they were still mortal.
Wind shook his head into Hyrule’s chest. Relief flooded Hyrule, and they barely managed to keep their voice from shaking as they asked, “Then why are you upset?”
“Because I didn’t want to save her. I thought she deserved to die.” Wind looked up at Hyrule with wide mournful eyes. “Did she?” 
 It was as if he was waiting for Hyrule to cast judgment- as if Hyrule was in any position to judge a god for their actions, let alone their thoughts. When Hyrule didn’t speak one way or the other, Wind continued. “I should have stopped them, but I didn’t.” 
Wind sounded so defeated. “Why is murder the answer to murder? Why do Hylians take others' lives? We gave Hylians free will. We try not to interfere. But sometimes it just goes so badly… And to do things like that in our names, as if we told them to...” Wind trails off, seemingly at a loss for words. 
Hyrule could have said something about Hylian law listing death as a suitable punishment for the murder of a child, that by the judgment of a Hylian court, what had happened to the mother had been lawful. 
They didn’t, though. They were sure Wind was already well aware of that and didn’t need a reminder. 
Wind seemed to go slack in Hyrule’s arms, allowing them to support him. It was as if he was waiting for them to cast judgment- as if Hyrule was in any position to judge a god for their actions. When Hyrule didn’t speak one way or the other, Wind looked up at them. “She could have gotten help. She might have gotten better.” 
Hyrule wondered again why Wind had come to them for this. Why hadn’t he gone to one of the older gods? They would no doubt be better equipped to deal with this. But Wind hadn’t. He’d gone to Hyrule, so they would just have to help the best they could. “Maybe, but you can’t control what other people do.” Wind probably could but that wasn’t the point.
Neither of them spoke anymore after that, simply sitting on Hyrule’s bed in silence. Wind’s hiccups slowly pestered out until his breathing was even, and after a while, Hyrule realized he was asleep. It was strange- sleep seemed like the last thing a god would require but here they were, cradling a teenage god who was dead to the world. 
On the upside, Wind no longer looked like a sickly child who had fallen into a puddle. He looked more or less like himself again, even if he was rather damp. Paying no mind to the moisture soaking into their blankets, Hyrule laid Wind down so he would be more comfortable. Tucking him in, Hyrule hesitated, realizing this meant they would have nowhere to sleep. 
They considered it. Their bed would be big enough for both of them, yes, but it might be more cozy that was strictly comfortable. Shaking their head, Hyrule climbed into bed next to Wind. The boy had already cried in their embrace for at least an hour. Hyrule doubted he would mind them sleeping in the same bed.
Hyrule soon followed Wind into unconsciousness. When they woke in the morning Wind was already gone, but to Hyrule’s relief, when they stepped out of the temple, they found the morning had dawned bright and sunny. 
~~~
Hyrule had only stepped outside for a few moments to go to the market to get something to eat for lunch. They returned with a meat pie wrapped in wax paper and a few apples tucked into their basket. There was a pep in their step as they looked forward to finding a quiet place to take a break and eat lunch. 
Maybe they could head up to the roof? They thought about it as they entered the building, quickly bypassing all the shrine rooms as they headed towards the staircase in the back of the building. The roof of the temple was accessible by a small staircase tucked away in the back of the library on the second floor, but Hyrule was convinced that most people didn’t even know you could access the roof. They’d never seen anyone but themself and the gods up there
Hyrule spent a lot of time on the roof. It was a nice private place to take in some fresh air and get some sun, but they also spent time tending to the rooftop garden.
About a year and a half ago, when it had become obvious that Hyrule would be staying in the temple permanently, a large section of the rooftop had been transformed into a garden for them to tend to and harvest from.
Twilight had been the one to give Hyrule the garden, although Hyrule suspected that Time was also involved in the making of it. The god had woken them one early morning, demanding they accompany him to the rooftop. Hyrule, who at the time was much more cautious around the gods than they were now, had agreed hesitantly. 
They had worried slightly that Twilight was going to push them off the roof but followed him obediently up the staircase anyways. When they’d reached the top of the stairs, Hyrule was shocked to discover that the rooftop had been transformed overnight. There were now several large planting beds in the middle of the roof, each already filled with rich black soil. Twilight had handed them a shovel and a handful of seeds- both of which had appeared out of thin air- and instructed them to get to work. 
Twilight had handed them handful after handful of seeds and sprouts, all the while talking their ear off about proper growing techniques. It had slowly dawned on Hyrule that Twilight was expecting them to tend to this garden and harvest it when the time came. 
When they’d asked what the food was for, Twilight had looked at them like they’d grown a second head, and said “It’s for you, of course. Ya don’t think we expect you to live just off the salary we give ya, do ya?” At that, Twilight knelt down in the dirt next to Hyrule and helped them finish planting. 
So taking care of the garden had become part of their daily chores. The garden wasn’t large, nothing that would take Hyrule’s whole day to tend to, but it was nice to have something else to do besides clean.
Between the garden- which Hyrule suspected was producing more food than the amount of space allowed, but what did they know? They weren’t a farmer- and with the occasional rabbit or pheasant that Twilight or Wild would give him, Hyrule was less reliant on the markets for his food. 
After Wild had seen the garden for the first time, he’d perked up like an excited puppy. The next thing Hyrule knew, the roof also had a hearth, cooking pots, and a stack of firewood that never seemed to grow any smaller. Retroactively, Hyrule was grateful Wild had the foresight to give them a place to cook. The temple wasn’t designed to be lived in permanently and therefore lacked even a basic kitchen. 
(More often than not, Wild would take pity on them and cook for them. He said they were dismal at cooking, and Hyrule didn’t know enough about cooking to disagree.)
But some days, like today, Hyrule preferred to get out of the Temple and find something to eat in the marketplace. It's not like they lacked the money to do so. Twilight had said that he didn’t expect Hyrule to live off the money that the gods gave them, but in truth, Hyrule could easily do so. Some months he wasn’t even able to spend it all before he was given more.
Just as Hyrule reached the bottom of the stairs that led up to the second floor, their thoughts were abruptly cut off as a scream sounded from behind them. Someone was wailing in terror inside one of the shrine rooms. Hyrule turned on their heel and sprinted back in that direction.
A group of worshippers had already clustered around the door to Time’s shrine, so it was easy to locate where the scream had come from. People parted like water around a rock as Hyrule approached, recognizing him as the temple’s keeper and letting him through. Those who didn’t were grabbed by the people who stood next to them and hauled out of the way. Hyrule didn't spend any time reflecting on the authority they now held when it came to the temple and the gods, but it was definitely a weird feeling. 
Besides, it was probably less that the crowd respected them, and more likely that no one else wanted to be the first to enter the room. Firstly because whatever was that had caused the room’s inhabitant to scream like that couldn’t be good, and secondly because it was rude to enter a shrine while someone else was praying. Hyrule was mostly exempt from the second point, meaning it would be better to let them deal with the danger, whatever it was.
Before Hyrule could even reach the door, it burst open. A young man dressed in typical farmer’s garb came barreling out of the room in a flat sprint. The man was down the hall and out the door before any of the onlookers, including Hyrule, could get a word out.
The crowd around them murmured uneasily, but the sight eased Hyrule‘s worries a little. They’d been afraid that they might walk into the shrine to find a dead body. Thankfully, it seemed like that wouldn’t happen now.
The man had left the door to the shrine- a solid oak door carved with harvest motifs- open, not bothering to close it in his haste. It swung back and forth gently with the force the man had slammed it open with. Hyrule caught the door with a hand, steadying it. Steeling their nerves for whatever they would find inside, Hyrule entered the room. 
The first thing to hit them was the smell of the room, as it always did when they entered Time’s shrine room. It smelled like freshly grown grass, and deep dark forests, and if they concentrated it even smelled a bit like their mother’s fairy fountain. In short, it smelled like home and it always made some of the tension in their shoulders seep away 
The second thing they noticed was the towering figure standing in the middle of the room. For a second, Hyrule was reminded of the time, months ago, when Sky had appeared before Hyrule in a gigantic inhuman form. At least in this case, the figure had the correct number of limbs and was a more reasonable height. 
It was obviously Time- there was no one else it could be. Even if this form was different from what he usually took, it still looked remarkably like him. He wore silver armor, and a great double helix sword was strapped to his back. His hair was pure white, as were his eyes. The marks on his face remained, but they seemed brighter than usual, the only streak of color on the man’s body.
Both of his eyes were open, which was usual. Time preferred forms that had a large scar over one of his eyes. Hyrule had never heard the tale of how he’d gotten the scar, but it must have been a fight to boast of, if the god willingly kept the scar in all his forms.  
Hyrule could see why such a sight would frighten someone who was not accustomed to seeing the gods, even if this appearance was very similar to a Hylian’s. The god’s pupil-less eyes seemed to bore into your very soul as he looked at you.
“Lord of the Seasons,” Hyrule greeted, using one of the god’s many formal titles. They bowed low and didn’t rise from the bow or dare look up at the god before they were told to. Their basket tumbled out of their hands as they did so, but they let it
For perhaps the hundredth time since Hyrule had come to the temple, Hyrule thanked their mother for teaching them proper manners. Fae were notorious for their politeness, and their mother wasn’t going to send Hyrule off into the world without teaching them manners, whether they were only half fae or not. 
That meant that they had fit in quite well at the temple, back when they still maintained proper decorum with all the gods. Most others, unless they were nobility and had been raised in such environments, wouldn’t have known proper behavior.
Of course, those manners weren’t really needed anymore, but they still served Hyrule well in situations like these. They may have gained respect from the people of Castle Town by being the caretaker of the temple and they may be regarded as an authority on the will of the gods, but even then they couldn’t go around acting so casually toward them in public. 
Time’s voice responded to his greeting, albeit deeper than it normally was. ”Rise, supplicant,” He ordered.
Thankfully, it seemed Time also recognized the need to keep a formal distance between them. Hyrule pushed down a feeling of hurt that Time would call them a supplicant, as if they had been reduced to simply a worshiper at his shrine. There was no need to take it personally. Time was playing a part, just as Hyrule was. 
Hyrule rose, meeting Time’s eyes. (At least they were pretty sure they were meeting Time’s eyes. With no pupils, it was impossible to tell where the god was looking.)
With a wave of Time’s hand, the door to the room slammed shut in the faces of all the onlookers. It might have been Hyrule’s imagination, but they could have sworn that Time’s shoulders relaxed when they no longer had an audience. 
Hyrule knew Time hadn’t come here for them. If Time had wanted to speak to Hyrule, he could have appeared before them directly. Which meant that the god couldn’t be angry at them for some slight Hyrule hadn't realized they had committed. 
That and the fact Hyrule had gotten over being fearful of the strange forms they took. After being espoused to it for so long, the novelty of it had worn off. It took something very shocking- like Sky’s gigantic form- to startle them. 
Lacking any fear, Hyrule said, “Didn’t expect to see you here.” It was a casual greeting, one that you might give to a friend you met in the market. It seemed absurd to give such a greeting to a god, but a lot of things in Hyrule’s life were absurd and they had learned to live with it. 
 “He wanted advice.” Time spoke. Time’s face remained impassive and completely still. Hyrule yet to see any movement on the god’s face. It was as if the god were wearing a mask carved of wood. Time had an excellent poker face and rarely let emotions show, but he was usually a bit more expressive than this.
Hyrule blinked in confusion. “Who- oh, the young man who was in here before me?”
Time sighed, voice slightly irritated. “Yes.”
Hyrule knew that many people sought out the gods to ask for advice on a whole range of topics. Still, it was very rare for any of the gods to answer in person, let alone Time. Out of all the gods, he was the most seclusive, preferring to keep to himself and do his work from a distance. 
“What did he want advice about?” Hyrule said, wondering what would have drawn Time to visit.
Time lifted a hand to rub over his face, sounding exhausted when he spoke. “He wanted love advice. He said that since I was the only one of the gods who was married, I might have some wisdom for him.”
That certainly wasn't what Hyrule had been expecting. It was true- Time was the only married god, as far as Hyrule knew- but he wasn’t known as a god of love or anything like that. If you wanted advice on the softer aspects of things, you were better off praying to Sky, or perhaps even Four or Warriors.
Time nodded, perhaps seeing confusion on Hyrule’s face. “It’s unusual that I get a supplicant asking for romantic advice. I wanted to answer him in person, but it seems he was too much of a coward for that.” Time’s face remained as impassive as ever, but Hyrule heard scorn in Time’s voice. 
Courage was something that all the gods valued, and Time was no exception. All of the gods were warriors of some kind, and none of them took kindly to cowardice, so it didn't surprise them that Time was displeased that the man had run. ”But I think I might stay for a while longer and hear more supplications from those who are brave enough to face me.” 
Not wanting to offend, but also slightly amused by the whole situation, Hyrule said. “Maybe you could take on a less frightening form? Other people aren't as used to seeing gods as I am. He was just scared of that, I think.” 
There was a long pause as Time seemed to consider this. While he did, Hyrule turned to gather their basket off the floor. The basket and meat pie had stayed where they had dropped them, but the apples had rolled away. Hyrule found one of them easily, but the other was nowhere to be seen. 
Most likely it had rolled into a corner or under an offering table. Hyrule could find it later, after the worshippers had left the temple and this whole situation had died down.
But when they turned back to Time, they were pleasantly surprised. Hyrule hadn’t thought that Time had moved when they’d turned their back on him, but they found that the god was standing closer than he had been, and holding out the apple Hyrule had lost. 
He had also changed his appearance. Time looked more like he usually did, now. He still wore the armor, but it was no longer unearthly silver, but a normal iron. His hair was no longer white, but a bright blonde, and he stood at a more reasonable height. If Hyrule had seen him out in the city, they would have assumed that he was a knight, and wouldn’t have looked twice at him.
At least, if it hadn’t been for the mask the man now wore. It was white and pearlescent, with a swirling symbol Hyrule didn't recognize carved into it. It also had no eye holes, but Hyrule got the unnerving feeling Time was still staring at them.
With a smile, Hyrule took the second apple from Time’s outstretched hand and tucked it into their basket. “That’s better,” They agreed to Time’s unspoken question. “Much less intimidating, I think.” Then they hesitated. “But, if you still wanted to speak with that young man, I’m afraid that he’s, um, already gone.”
Time snorted at that. “No need to be delicate about it. I know he ran away like a child.“ 
Hyrule nodded, not bothering to defend the young man. He had run away, after all. 
They would have to warn those who were gathered outside that the god would still be there if they entered his shrine, and then they would have to prepare for a flood of people coming to see the god in person. Hyrule would probably seclude themself in their room. No need for them to get caught up in that mess.
“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Hyrule sighed. “Here’s hoping I won't have to fight through a hoard of people all asking questions the second I step out of this room.” It was a fruitless hope, they already knew. News of the god’s presence would have already spread, drawing even more people to crowd around the door.
Time said nothing, but patted them on the shoulder consolingly before they headed towards the door, leaving the god where he stood. 
~~~
The Pantheon:
Sky: God of the sky, divinity, sleep, and children (The first god, Mother of the gods)
Four: (They/Them) God of the four elemental spirits, and the forge. (They created the world out of the endless cloudy void Sky had been living in. The void is now the realm of the gods, the world is now the realm of the mortals)
Time: God of time, the seasons, the harvest/farming (He began the turning of the seasons)
Twilight: God of the night/day, animals, and the sun/moon/stars (He created the stars, planets, moon, and sun, and helped populate the world with animals)
Legend: God of myths, adventure, and music (He worked together with Twilight to create mortals. He also helped create the constellations)
Wind: God of the ocean and the dead (He helped deal with the overpopulation of mortals. Psychopomp. Started out as a mortal)
Warriors: (Xe/Xem/Xyr) God of war, strategy, and battle, (Also a psychopomp, but only to the effect that xe delivers souls of those who die in battle to Wind. “Battle” is very widely defined. Lots of things can be battles Ie: childbirth, battle with sickness)
Wild: God of the hearth, hunting, and the wilds (He moderates how much Hyians encroach on nature. Started out as a mortal)
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cabezadeperro · 2 months
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kiss prompt: 🧡 dealer's choice, star wars
hiiiii!!
i went with codex, with the inquisitor rex au, because apparently i haven't had enough. T, ~640w.
---
Tinny music, crackly and too loud. Rex grumbles into his thin pillow, shifts in his bed, tries to fall back asleep. Someone curses, and the noise stops; Rex sighs and relaxes, his limbs heavy. 
He’s well on his way to actually falling back asleep when he remembers why he shouldn’t.
The bunk room is small and bare. Rex blinks in the dark and sits up on the narrow cot, shivering in the cold. Cody’s armour stares back from the blankets, the black plasteel reflecting the light from the emergency striplights. The door is open just a crack, and a clean slash of white light cuts through the narrow room, shining on boots and undersuits and Rex’s lightsaber.
Rex stays there for long minutes, very still and very afraid, his heart beating very hard inside his chest. He’s safe: of this, he is certain. He can feel it in the air, in the Force, in his bones. He can’t quite believe it, can’t quite remember how or when that happened, not at first.
And then—Cody, across the ship, tired and focused on something and vaguely worried but… happy. Incandescently happy. He burns brighter and hotter than a star.
Rex lies back down, but he doesn’t fall asleep. It’s warm under the blankets, and the pillow smells like Cody, of his hair and his skin. Rex sighs and tries to breathe through the fear that lives in his chest.
The burns on his side complain every time he breathes in or out. First Fourteenth’s lightsaber and then the depot explosion, hot air and burning tibanna eating through body armour like they were flimsi. 
That will buy them some time. Vader will know he’s not dead, but Rex wants to think that he won’t—care enough. That he will be made to let him—them—go.
Cody’s coming back. Rex keeps his eyes closed and focuses on the sound of his footsteps on the ship’s creaky metal flooring, on the well-loved, well-known feeling of his mind. He steps into the bunk room and closes the door at his back once again, and then he sits on the edge of the bed to start unlacing his boots.
“Nav computer’s still working,” he says. Of course he knows Rex’s awake. “How’s your side?”
Rex sighs. He doesn’t open his eyes, but he reaches out until he can touch Cody. He’s not wearing a shirt or pants, just his underwear.
“Itchy,” he replies. “It’s fine.”
Cody hums. He slips under the blankets, and then there are arms around Rex, warm and heavy, Cody’s cold feet sliding between his. 
The cot is narrow, and the metal bulwark is cold against Rex’s back. He shifts closer to Cody and opens his eyes to Cody’s own. He’s watching Rex in the dark, the emergency lights reflected in his eyes. He still smells of the Empire’s harsh cleanser, but underneath Rex can almost find his own smell—warm skin, the smell of his hair. Rex closes his eyes again and kisses him, off-centre and clumsy. Cody smiles under his mouth.
He’s so warm. Rex shifts until he can place his head under his chin, tucks his nose in the hollow of his throat, Cody’s heartbeat quick but steady under his lips. He can feel it against his own chest when Cody sighs shakily, and then there’s a hand on the back of his head, rubbing at the buzzed hair with careful fingers.
This can’t last. If not Vader, someone else will find them. Rex stretches out his senses, Cody like an anchor back to his body: he reaches out to the galaxy, and the Dark reaches back.
Dry lips on his forehead.
“I have you,” Cody mumbles. He’s half-asleep.
Rex returns to himself, to his aches and to his fears, to a shared bed on a stolen shuttle.
Yeah. Yeah, he does.
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the-widow-miller · 8 months
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March
(Joel Miller x F!Reader, Tommy)
*TLOU2 Major Spoiler*
Summary: You wait for news.
Word Count: 1120
Warnings: ALL the angst, some fluff, mention of sexy times, implied character death, something else that I don’t want to give away.
A/N: My first fic in many years. This is something I’ve been wanting to write for a while. I hoped it would help me come to terms. Did it? Yet to be determined. Let’s be honest… nothing will truly prepare us.
…………………….
It was snowing again. Thick, dark clouds hung heavily in the night sky. The world outside the window glowed an ominous purple-orange, unnaturally bright, light reflecting off the fallen snow. The wind howled outside the solid walls of your home in Jackson.
You’d been standing at the window for longer than you realized, staring out into nothing. Waiting. Hoping. A street lamp flickered across the road bringing you back to the present. Blinking, you shook your head and inhaled deeply. Your knees were stiff from lack of movement. The pain in your hips and lower back returned as you stirred from your trance. You placed both hands on your lower back and leaned back into them, desperate for some relief. But it did nothing.
Only his hands, large, warm, and strong, provided any comfort now.
You laid naked, facedown on your bed, with your arms folded under his pillow. Your clothes and his tossed haphazardly around the room. Hot, autumn sunlight, soothing and syrupy, streamed in through the open window in the bedroom. Kneeling astride your thighs, his hands pressed into your back, kneading your sore muscles. Eyes closed, you focused on the strength of his touch and the smell of your bed linens: you, him, sex. When he finally lifted his hands from your back, you grumbled. He laughed softly as he placed his hands on either side of you and leaned forward. His warm lips placed a gentle kiss on your right shoulder before trailing a line of kisses towards your neck. A small moan escaped your lips as he nipped that spot at the base of your jaw; the familiar white-hot heaviness growing at your core. You turned your head to look up at him, your lust-filled eyes meeting his, dark and needy. The corners of his mouth curled up into a small smirk. Turning over on to your back, you placed your cold hands on his chest, and smiled back up at him. Shifting his weight, he raised his hand to your neck, stroking your jawline with his thumb. Heat radiated outward from his fingertips, warming your very soul. He lowered his lips to yours and kissed you feverishly.
Your cheeks burned briefly at the memory before the cold seeped back in. You swallowed thickly and turned away from the window. Your living room was frigid and bathed in that strange purple-orange light that only ever made an appearance in winter. So deeply lost in your thoughts, you hadn’t turned the lights on or started a fire before the sun had set. You toyed with the idea of turning on the lamp closest to you and maybe making a pot of tea. But as quickly as those thoughts came, they fled, replaced by that sinking feeling of dread. It had been building for hours. Crawling its way into the deepest recesses of your brain, like frost creeping across a pane of glass. You caught yourself slipping and took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts back again, keeping them at bay. You crossed the room, grabbing his favourite quilt from his chair and wrapping it around your shoulders. A cloud of his scent enveloped you. Musk, wood smoke, whiskey. Sinking down into the worn, plush couch, your eyes drifted to the empty seat beside you. His spot. A memory of you curled tightly into his side as he strummed the guitar flashed in your mind. Without thinking, your eyes snapped to his guitar, immediately regretting it; you had been so careful. It sat in the corner, alone, bathed in the cool, winter light. A thin layer of dust covered its surface. He should play more. Again, you felt the dread creep back in and your eyes fill with tears.
It had been too long. Their usual patrol of the lodge had never taken this much time. But you knew. Deep down, you knew.
……………………
A loud, hesitant knock startled you awake. The stagnant room was still cold and dark. Your head shot towards the door, relief flooding your insides momentarily, before you reprimanded yourself for your own stupidity. Why would he be knocking on his own front door? The fear quickly replaced your self reproach. Someone was knocking again. Your mind was telling you to run as fast as you could to the door, desperate for news. But your body was paralyzed. You knew.
You licked your dry, chapped lips and uncurled your limbs. Your body was stiff and cold. Standing up from the couch, you grabbed the edges of his quilt and wrapped them even tighter around your shoulders, desperate for warmth and comfort. And for him. The hardwood floor creaked under your bare feet. Reaching the door, you grasped the metal doorknob, and turned. A strong gust of icy wind pushed the door inward and swirls of snowflakes blew in through the crack. You took a step back to allow the door to open fully.
Tommy.
His face was sickly pale, his brow furrowed, his eyes glazed. You frowned and stared deep into those dark eyes. They had such similar eyes. But in that moment, you remembered Joels’ were splashed with a trace of amber. Even his eyes exuded warmth. Tommy’s hands reached out and grabbed your own from the edges of the quilt. Your immediate reaction was to pull back from his frozen touch but he held firm. He took a deep breath, slowly closing and then opening his eyes, steadying himself.
That was all you needed. The confirmation you’d been waiting for. You cursed your intuition. The intuition that had kept you alive more times than you could count. The intuition that alerted you to the changes almost seven months ago. You just knew. Your body started shivering uncontrollably then. Your eyes filled and you swallowed repeatedly, not allowing the tears to fall. Tommy watched you carefully, unsure if he even needed to say it. The words he’d been rehearsing in his head. You stepped back suddenly and ripped your hands from his. The threadbare quilt fell to the floor behind you. The frigid wind and blowing snow continued to invade your home through the open door. But you didn’t feel it. You felt nothing. Emptiness. Numbness.
A kick from your insides, strong and hot, suddenly jolted you back to reality. Your hands instinctively pressed to your swollen belly as you stared straight through your brother-in-law, unseeing. Another kick directly under your palm. Tommy stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Silence blanketed the entryway. He bent down and picked the quilt, Joel’s quilt, up off the floor. Gently, he placed it back over your shoulders then wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest.
Then, and only then, did you let the searing tears fall.
………………………
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