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#the way shes playing her extended spell list. love her
karimwillia · 11 months
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I don’t know why I wanted to do a close to Bridgeton fic on our girls but here is my attempt. This is part one.
Warnings:Fluffy
“But your Majesty, I beg thee you must listen. It is time for our Lady to stop playing dress up in the observatory and court. She is now twenty and one years of age far past the age any good bachelor would want her. And she must be wed to take the throne…” Queen Ramonda turned to face her Kingsman and royal advisor Okoye giving a death glare. “Enough Okoye I understand concern but you will no longer speak of your Lady in that manner. Shuri has always been off beat but she will not be disrespected. You know better.” Okoye bows with great shame she was not intending on being disrespectful. She just gets ahead of herself. Okoye has been the royal Kingsman for years now starting when she was the tender age of ten and seven. Her service to the crown is unmatched.
“My Queen forgive me. May I speak freely?” With a tap of the foot the Queen allows her to speak while she is bowing. “I only want what is best for our Lady Shuri. She is more brilliant than any one man and I want the day of her rule to be long. Yet the rumblings that she is not fit are in the air. Please forgive my words, they were not meant to be ill of will.” Ramonda felt better but she demanded Okoye leave to fetch Lady Shuri at once.
“Ahh! Aneka do you know what this means!?” Shuri exclaims as she sits back in awe of her nearly completed diagram of a new motorized carriage system that could be used in place of using horses. It was a fascinating design. “My Lady I believe as you have stated we can move about the land without horse power needed is what it means.” With a chuckle Shuri crosses the room and hugs Aneka tightly. “Yes! It will be called a motor cart. I must get to work building! I will need this list ordered right away. I-“ Before the first item could be said Okoye enters “My Lady your Mother requests you at once.” Shuri spins around and faces Okoye who is summoning her to her Mother. “Mother, is everything ok? Is she ill again?” With a change in demeanor Okoye softens her face. “My Lady please do not worry that spell is over, thanks to you no less. She just wishes to speak with you about a social matter.” Shuri relaxes but is very confused about social matter.
Aneka quickly interjects. “Please allow a moment Okoye the Lady will be right out.” With a nod Okoye exists and waits for them with the door shut. “Aneka I cannot be told what to wear anymore! My trousers do not bother anyone. I spend my time alone I have no need to impress anyone a corset is very uncomfortable. Oh dear!” “Breathe my Lady please if anything it maybe the conversation we have been waiting on about your bid to rule. Which could be worst.” Shuri anxiously looks up at Aneka. “They have already said I must wed in order to have a bid. Aneka you understand why that is of no interest to me to wed a man. This is disastrous, Mother assured me I could still have a bid to rule without a prospect.” Aneka was well aware of Shuri’s interest because they shared the same preference. Shuri became aware long ago of her attraction to women. She has had a short fling or two on holiday but nothing more. Shuri is a lone individual who rarely enjoys someone’s company for an extended period of time. It is just her way.
“My Lady, you are confident and intelligent beyond measure. Please do not fret, we will go and meet with your Mother and hear her out.” Aneka has been Shuri’s handmaiden since she was of 5. It has been an amazing journey considering they are only 5 years separated. Aneka is like a sibling that Shuri never had. The King and Queen both adore and support Shuri no matter her interests and they never allowed her to be questioned. But after her Father’s death society has made it difficult for her to navigate. First it was the issue of her affinity for science; they wanted her to have “proper studies” for a lady. Next was her desire to wear trousers and not formal clothing for a Lady. Lastly it has been her status as heir to the throne. All of it has been fought by her Mother but tradition is a hard wall to take down. With a deep breath Shuri regains composure. “I am confident that just like Mother I can rule with no husband. I am highly intelligent, clever and charming. I can influence good changes.”
“You are ready.” Okoye popped back into the room and they went to meet with the Queen. In the time of solitude the Queen happened upon a decree from the late King. “Mother!” Shuri holds time with her Mother daily but it is still the highlight of her day. They have a fairly close relationship. “My child you are stunning today. These trousers suit you. Now please come and chat with me in the garden.” Leaving Aneka and Okoye behind they step into the garden for a stroll. “Mother I will hear you but please allow me to speak. You know as well as I that I am capable of ruling. Having some nobleman as a husband will not enhance my ability.”
Shhh with a small hushing and a smile Queen Ramonda laughs before she responds. “My child please be calm and listen to me. I have found the answer to your issues. The need to wed a nobleman is a simple old time formality. One your Father despised and wanted to reverse. He just met his death before it could be written so I plan to do so.” Romanda shows Shuri the half drafted degree from her Father. “So by this I must just seek a mate and if one is not found by age twenty and two my bid to rule will be valid no matter marital status.”
Shuri’s face was lit up with the news but the degree being half written could prove to be a problem. “Do not fret my child. I know that look of worry. I will complete the degree by way of stating that one Spring Courting is satisfactory for seeking a mate. I know you will fail to find someone so it is a win.”
Spring was around the corner and Shuri had to prepare for the fake courting season. Her Mother and Father would have loved to see Shuri find someone but it could cause some tensions in society at best if she is with another women. The hope is still there and within the palace she would have full support. The Princess on the other hand has never seen love in her future. Her taste in women is impeccable but something never seems to fully click for her. She thinks it’s because while most women are clever she yearns to have someone interested in science as she is. A rare find at best and impossible at worst.
As she is being fitted for clothing she rejects all dresses in favor of tunics and trouser sets. The tunics are long and robe-like but are simple, the trouser sets have a bit more embellishment, they all look very regal and worthy to be on a Princess. Once all wardrobe is approved Shuri is bathed in soaps and oils for her first social in the Morning. “Aneka, how am I to act? I do not know how to flirt, especially with men.” “Princess you are charming and can hold a wonderful conversation so that is where you should start. Don’t force yourself to speak to the uninteresting is all the advice I can provide.” Shuri lays at rest thinking of the advice and rest easy.
In the morning Shuri is loaded into her carriage when in another part of the city a young Lady by the name of Rihanna Williams is being loaded in on the docks. She is of a noble family from the Caribbean and this is her first courting season also despite being ten and nine. Her family is headed by a Matriarch much like Shuri’s so she has been able to forgo courting for sometime because her Mother would never force her to do something. But it is time, her eldest sister married for love another Caribbean family so she is settled and it is time to be settled says her Mother Ronel Williams the Duchess of Martinique. Rihanna has always been more clever than anyone on the island has seen. She has studied and mastered all 4 languages, she is an amazing writer and very strong in Mathematics, but building and working with her hands is her strong suit. She can tool an entire carriage herself with not much help but to reach the high parts. She is not your average.
This season is very crucial because her Mother will allow her to stay single if she cannot find someone to accept her for herself. And that means anyone, Rihanna has always been vocal with her Mother about preferring women to men but she is attracted to both. It made life an interesting time on the Island. Now on the main land is headed to the home of Lord and Lady Martian to start the formal courting season. She is invited to stay at another black family estate in the area, a one Udaku family. She will meet the young Princess Shuri today, she is told. She hopes to become friends with Shuri right away so they can suffer through this process together. “My Lady, has your illness of motion subsided?” “Yes Xavier I feel fine now I am more nervous than anything considering this is the first social of the season.” “Deep breaths my Lady you are more than beautiful and clever. Any Man or Woman in your case will find you interesting. This season will be a success.” Rihanna huffs. She is unsure if she wants it to be a success. The single life is good to her; she is free to be who she is with no ruler. Once married that changes in all ways.
Shuri arrives to the Lord and Lady Martian’s estate and inhales with relief. Her Mother informed her she will be looking for a house guest by the name of Lady Rihanna Williams of Martinique. This task will help her not need to focus on the uninteresting and find who is supposed to be in her home. She has been told some of her background and it is impressive. “Aneka, why did Mother hold this information until today? To arrange a house guest for the courting season takes time. When did she decide I was going to participate? And why this particular young Lady of Martinique?” Aneka smiles almost snickering. The Queen is being strategic; several young Lady’s requested to board at their estate due to them traveling a far distance. But Queen Mother only approved Rihanna due to her letter being forthcoming about her love of mathematics and science. The Princess at the least will have a kindred spirit around for sometime but the hope is for love to blossom with the girls. Aneka knows of this plan and believes it to be brilliant. “So many questions my Lady please just have patience for once in your years. Just focus on finding and welcoming her to your home. I am sure you all will be kindred spirits.”
Lady Rihanna and her footmen Xavier arrived just a hair before Shuri and upon entering she tripped on her longer gown. Rihanna is unaccustomed to them being on the island allows her to dress in a more casual manner with shorter and less fabric heavy dresses. But she is stunning in a powder blue with her hair in a style not normal to their land but it is resembling almost rows along her head. Shuri exits her carriage when she sees the young Lady stumble she instantly catches her and cannot believe her eyes. Shuri is sure she has never seen anyone more beautiful in life even her Mother’s radiance could not compare.
The young Lady had soft velvet like deep mocha skin that smells of lavender and vanilla, her hair frames her face so magnificently and lastly her smile seemed to light Shuri a blaze when she saw it. Dazed Shuri gains her composure once they are approached by both Aneka and Xavier. “My Lady are you ok I am sorry I was readying the carriage and the next I see you stumble. Forgive me” Xavier pleads for forgiveness for his oversight. Rihanna looks at who was holding her upright and she has close to the same reaction of Shuri but she must speak. “Xavier it’s ok I was assisted.”
Flustered Rihanna could not get past how strong yet gentle Shuri’s hold is. She can’t believe her eyes either at how handsomely gorgeous Shuri is. Her light ebony skin is glowing and she smells of sandalwood. Her hair is cut short as a man wears but it does not look the same. She is in a tunic and petticoat which is a cream color. It's so intriguing.
Aneka finally arrives and states. “Princess that was very heroic of you but let us see if the Lady is alright?” With that Shuri moves to help the woman she is now enamored with to her feet, Shuri’s hands linger on her frame a bit too long at no protest by Rihanna but soon embarrassment sets in under the eyes of Xavier and Aneka. “Yes! Apologies are in order my Lady, you seem to be steady on your feet now. Do you require anything more?” Rihanna smiles warmly at the swagger of Shuri as she speaks. “No Princess, I do not require anything at this time. I just want to thank thee.” With a look of fluster Shuri stammers. “I-it is the least I could do. It was a pleasure.”
As Shuri bows, the host of the event walks to the end of the stairs. “Oh dear Your Majesty! I apologize deeply. I came as soon as I heard that there was an accident.” Lady Martian rushes to see to the commotion. Because Shuri is the highest ranking Noble in attendance nothing can go wrong. Shuri chuckles with a cynical chuckle. “Lady Martian I am wonderful but the Lady…” Shuri pauses not knowing the name of her interest in that moment. “Williams” Rihanna’s warm tone interjects. “Yes Lady Williams has taken a nasty stumble on your stairs. I suggest a stair escort for your next function. Safety must be your utmost priority.” Rihanna giggles and moves to enter the mansion. “Yes Lady Martian it would not be the best for your reputation to have an incident reported on property.” With a wink she moves on. Shuri watches as she enters with her mind unfocused on anything around her. This young Lady is far from uninteresting; she's clever as well as beautiful. Who is she?
@somethingcleaverandwhitty @mal-urameshi @pantherheart @shurixriri @shuriris-stuff @neptoons1998 @dominiquesheart
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eaglebow09 · 5 months
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-This is a scene from later in my BOTW Fancomic. Much has happened up to this point between Anya and Revali that I have yet to draw but I really wanted to ink this page. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Revali found himself in the palace's music room, a place filled with a vast assortment of instruments. He moved silently through the room, his expression initially one of disdain for the Hylians' seemingly excessive collection of musical devices. He couldn't help but feel a touch insulted by the thought of how long these instruments might have been sitting there, neglected.
As he wandered about, his gaze fell upon a violin, and his typically stern face softened ever so slightly. Revali had always been a private individual, guarded in both his actions and emotions. However, like all Rito, he had a deep love for music that was an undeniable part of his soul. His hand reached out, gently lifting the violin from its resting place.
In the quiet solitude of the empty music hall, he began to play. The music that filled the room was nothing short of breathtaking. Revali lost himself in the melody, his heart calling out to his home, Rito Village, in ways he couldn't put into words. The tune he played was a traditional Rito melody, warm and light, reminiscent of the gentle wind that carried their village's spirit.
Anya, on a mission to gather the champions for a meeting at Purah's request, heard the faint strains of music echoing through the palace halls. Intrigued, she followed the melodic sounds, guided by their ethereal beauty.
As she reached the source of the music, she stood before the closed door of the music hall. Unable to resist her curiosity, she gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. What she saw inside left her utterly shocked and captivated.
There, in the soft, golden glow of the tall and beautiful windows that lined the room, Revali stood playing the violin. His usually stern demeanor was softened by the music, and he seemed lost in the melodies he created. Anya couldn't help but be entranced by the sight of the proud Rito champion, a master of the wind, surrendering to the enchantment of the music he played. She watched in awe, her presence unnoticed by Revali, as he poured his soul into the song. Anya's surprised exclamation broke the spell of the music, “Oh! Umm.”
Revali lowered the violin as the final note echoed throughout the hall. He turned to face her, his usual composure quickly returning, though there was a hint of fluster in his demeanor.
"Oh, indeed," he replied with a touch of his usual arrogance. He turned fully to her, his back to the grand windows. "I didn't know I had an audience."
Anya stepped further into the room, a faint blush on her cheeks from being caught listening. "I didn't mean to intrude," she said apologetically, "I was sent to gather everyone for a meeting with Purah, and I heard the music... it was beautiful."
Revali's feathers ruffled slightly as he looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Well, I suppose it's good to know my talents extend beyond just that of combat," he quipped, attempting to steer the conversation away from his moment of vulnerability. There was a moment of silence, "Well out with it. What is so important that you all need me this very moment?"
I was listing to this awesome cover of Revali's theme by
Patti Rudisill Go and check more of their stuff out. But it just originally made me want to write and draw this scene.
youtube
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yurimother · 2 years
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The 2022 Yuri Pride Guide - Games and Visual Novels
Your ultimate guide to Yuri with over 170 diverse titles from every genre and medium
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Pride month may be over, but that does not mean the celebration has to end! With a priority on quality storytelling and positive representation, this curated list features anime, manga, light novels, games, and webcomics that showcase love and passion for Yuri.
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Blackberry Honey
• Shakaijin • Drama • Romance
Forced to work for fourteen hours a day, with little chance to rest, Lorina, the newest maid to the Lennard family, is bullied by the senior maids and the youngest Lennard daughter. One of the only maids who deigns to speak to Lorina is the mysterious Taohua – but Lorina wishes she wouldn’t. Her aloof, almost cat-like personality, coupled with her peculiar complexion, eyes, and name, have inspired more than a few rumors around the Shropshire countryside that she might be a witch. Lorina knows she should keep her distance from Taohua, and she wants to most desperately… but maybe there’s a pinch of truth to all the rumors, because she soon finds herself under the older woman’s spell.
~Developed and Published by ebi-hime~ Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac, and Linux
Black Closet
• School • Drama • Romance • Mystery
A noir story that places you in control as the student council president. To protect yourself and the school’s reputation, you must command your minions to solve mysteries by investigating scenes, looking for clues, performing surveillance, and interrogating students. Remember, never let your attention falter, no matter what sweet nothing your minions whisper or sly glances they give you. Because one of them… is a traitor.
~Developed and Published by Hanako Games~ Available on PC, Mac, and Linux
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Butterfly Soup
• School • Slice of Life • Sports
Laugh-out-loud funny and featuring characters that each feels like one of your best friends! This gentle visual novel by Brianna Lei follows a group of four, queer Asian high school students living in California. The girls join an all-female baseball club together and spend their time playing the game, falling in love and memeing.
~Developed and Published by Brianna Lei~ Available on PC, Mac, and Linux
The Curse of Kudan
• School • Horror • Mystery • Yuri Harem • Friends to Lovers 
Feelings start to bud between student Sakuya Kudan and culinary instructor Touko Shima after coincidence brings them into one another’s orbit. However, their peaceful lives are abruptly shattered when Touko sees Kudan, the harbinger of calamity. The rumors say that anyone who lays eyes on her is doomed within seven days. The hours tick down as Sakuya rushes find a way to combat the curse, and her search brings her to the academy’s Occult Research Club and its president, Koto Ashinaki. Now she must face off against the unknown in order to protect the people she loves…
~Developed and Published by SukeraSparo~ Available on PC
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The Expression Amrilato
• Isekai • Slice of Life • Romance
"...Why is the sky pink...?" Rin should know this area well, but the unreadable letters on the signs and the strange language the people are speaking have made things unrecognizable. Suddenly transported to a parallel world, Rin is saved when Ruka, a girl so cute she could be an idol, appears and extends a helping hand. Now a guest in Ruka’s home, Rin, and by extension the player, must learn Esperanto through interactive lessons to navigate this strange world. This is the story, pure and sometimes frustrating, of two girls intertwined through their fumbling efforts to communicate.
The sequel, Distant Memoraĵo, continues Rin and Ruka’s story and romance and reveals the secrets of Ruka’s past. Two storeis of the struggles that come with attempting to connect with one another across age, language, and even worlds.
~Developed by SukeraSparo, Published by MangaGamer~ Available on PC, Mac, and Linux
Fatal Twelve
• Isekai • Supernatural • Adventure • Mystery
One day, Shishimai Rinka dies in an explosion—yet she finds herself continuing to live her ordinary life as if nothing had happened at all. That is, until a few days later, when she encounters the Goddess Parca in the dream world.
"Good evening, my lovely little slaves to fate." Rinka discovers that she is one of 12 people the Goddess has invited to her game. A game that could undo their deaths. In this maelstrom of life and death, Rinka must face a myriad different emotions, as well as the truth behind her own demise. What will her final decision be...?
~Developed by LYCORYS, Published by Sekai Project & PROTOTYPE~ Available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, and Linux
Flowers
• School • Adventure • Drama • Romance • Mystery • Multiple Couples • Yuri Harem • Friends to Lovers
In the middle of a forest isolated from the rest of the world lies Saint Angraecum Academy, an all-girls school. This private boarding school is isolated from the rest of the world, allowing the girls who attend the space and freedom to develop into young ladies under the guidance of their teachers. This is where Suoh Shirahane, a painfully shy girl, will begin her first year of high school. Follow her and her classmates in this four-game series as she navigates new friendships and attempts to unravel the many mysteries at the academy, including occult rituals and the mysterious disappearance of fellow students, all while trying to pass her classes. Suoh must learn to overcome her anxieties as she navigates new friendships. These bonds of friendship grow even stronger within the academy's special Amitié program, and Suoh's heart will open for the first time. But is it okay to like a girl?
~Developed by Innocent Grey, Published by JAST~ Available on PC
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Heart of the Woods
• Adventure • Drama • Romance • Supernatural • Mystery • Multiple Couples
Maddie Raines has had enough. After years of serving as manager, editor, and general business-handler for her best friend Tara's popular paranormal vlog channel, she's finally ready to move forward with her own life. But when she agrees to take one last trip with Tara to the mysterious village of Eysenfeld, she's suddenly surrounded by wondrous and dangerous supernatural events. One in particular captivates Maddie in a way she’s never been before: the ghost of a young woman, Abigail.
~Developed by Studio Élan, Published by Sekai Project and Sekai Games~ Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac, and Linux
Heaven Will Be Mine
• Sci-fi • Action • Romance
It’s 1981, and the dream of a new home in space for all humanity is dead. After fighting for decades against an intangible and ephemeral existential threat from beyond the solar system, Earth command has declared the war effort a huge waste of time. The honeymoon is over, and a future of glittering cities across the solar system and cosmic battles between giant robots just isn’t going to happen. The outcome is clear: it’s time to come home.
But we don’t care. Giant robots may not make any sense. Celestial cities across the solar system are silly dreams. They are, however, extremely awesome. We, the girls who were raised in space, to be special and incredible and pave the way for a new future, aren’t giving up so easily. We’ve got invincible Ship-Selves for ferrying human bodies through time and space, and we have the weight and power to make a fantasy of the future real.
~Developed and Published by Pillow Fight & Worst Girls Games~ Available on PC, Mac, and Linux
Letters From a Rainy Day -Oceans and Lace-
• School • Romance • Drama • Mystery • Senapi/Kouhai 
The prestigious private girls’ school, Kikyou Academy, educates young ladies from elementary age to university. With cell phones forbidden on school grounds, letter writing is a pastime for many of the girls… for better or for worse.
Student Mikoto Kurahashi receives a disturbing blackmail letter, forcing her to ask out younger student Shiori Minato to protect her sister. The story switches between the two girls’ viewpoints, displaying both sides of this unconventional romance as Shiori works to discover the reason and the perpetrator behind the blackmail and Mikoto longs to get her new partner to engage with her more.
~Developed by Lily Spinel, Published by Hublots and mirai works~ Available on PC, Mac, and Linux
Lilycle Rainbow Stage!!!
• School • Slice of Life • Comedy • Multiple Couples • Friends to Lovers
Sweet, heartwarming, and bursting with cheerful, colorful illustrations features a swarm of adorable Yuri couples. As every character’s perspective is shown, you could say that they’re all the protagonist! A love triangle between two friends and a recent graduate, a young maid and her precocious mistress, student council rivals, a wallflower and her socialite companion, and more. This Yuri buffet is overflowing with cuteness!
~Developed by PARTICLE, Published by MangaGamer~ Available on PC
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Linghua
• School • Drama • Romance • Multiple Couples • Fated Lovers • Tragedy 
A Yuri visual novel series about young couples bound by fate and tragedy at an all-girls’ private academy. In Melancholy Love, an elite student, born into privilege, and a delinquent who longs to break free of her chains meet amidst the garden of scented dreams. In Symbiotic Love, a devastated Zihua discovers a mysterious diary after the death of her lover, Jisuo. One by one excepts begin to appear, revealing the truth behind the tragedy.
~Developed by White Dew Game, Published by Kikai Digital~ Available on PC
Lingua Fleur Lily
• Drama
The introvert Yuyi arrives at school every day with a secret deep in her heart, a truth she has kept hidden from everyone, even her beloved old tutor. But when she is paired with the excitable Yile, the eager girl helps Yuyi come out of her shell, confronting the bittersweet memories of her past and coming to terms with her identity. This tender hidden and emotional hidden gem is not a romance story, but a story of healing and accepting oneself, a gift given to Yuyi by an earnest and caring friend. Its gentle illustrations and enchanting soundtrack heighten this simple but poignant story. 
~Developed and published by Narrator and STORIA~ Available on PC
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A Little Lily Princess
• School • Drama • Historical • Slice of Life
Sara Crewe was raised like a princess by her doting Papa, always given the best of everything. Now that she is old enough, she must be sent away to boarding school in a foreign land, relying on her love of books and fairytales to help her make friends. But, what would happen to a little princess if she lost everything? This Yuri retelling of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic children’s novel gives players the option to plan Sara’s daily activities and bond with her peers, leading to several potential romances. 
~Developed by Hanabira, Published by Hanako Games~ Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac, and Linux
Mizuchi 白蛇心傳
• Fantasy • Romance • Slice of Life • Mystery
Abruptly finding herself at the bottom of a snake pit, an impoverished girl named Linh is bound and helpless for a crime she did not commit. Left to the mercy of the village snake god, a mysterious entity appears before her, offering to save her in exchange for her soul. Finding herself in a new reality, she is torn between staying with the beautiful temptress, Ai, who had rescued her from death, and the resourceful wanderer, Jinhai, who promises to set her free.
~Developed and Published by Aikasa Collective~ Available on PC, Mac, and Linux
a new life.
• Romance • Music • Slice of Life • Slice of Life • Love at First Sight
A short, simple, and beautiful experience. A classic love story: Meet, marry, grow old. But when your loved one hurts you, what do you do? Is it better to love and be hurt, than never love at all? From their first meeting in college until the bittersweet end, this short visual story is a beautiful and emotional highlight reel of two women in love.
~Developed and Published by Angela He~ Available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Linux
Nurse Love
• Fantasy • Slice of Life • Horror • Mystery • Yuri Harem • Slow Burn
Surviving a near-death experience as a child left Kaori Sawai with the dream to become a nurse and heal others. And today is finally the day, as she leaves school to join the Yurigahama Hospital, mending injuries with the magical touch of her hands and navigating sweet, strange, and exceptionally disturbing relationships with her quirky coworkers in Nurse Love Syndrom.
Set in the same world, Nurse Love Addiction follows Asuka Osachi, a ditzy and easy-going girl, who graduates from high school and enrolls in Teito Nursing School along with her younger sister, Nao. With their two classmates Itsuki and Sakuya and their instructor Kaede, the girls will experience what it means to be an adult... and a nurse.
~Developed by Kogado Studio, Published by Degica~ Available on Nintendo Switch and PC
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OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos
• Comedy • Slice of Life • Romance • Already a Couple • Love at First Sight
Akuru Hayahoshi is an unlucky otaku office worker who just can't pull her husbando in the gacha game she's obsessed with, no matter how much money she throws at it.
Until one day, she runs into the garishly gorgeous and freakishly lucky Ren Furutachi. A series of misunderstandings causes Ren to full-on pursue Akuru. One thing leads to another, and in order to bring her husbando home, she ends up... bringing Ren home?!
In the sequel ~Love・or・die~ a fit of jealousy and more misunderstandings lead to a Akuru unthinking accepting one of Ren’s many joke proposals… and by the time she realizes what she's done, it's too late. Ren is in bridezilla mode and starting to plan the wedding!
~Developed by SukeraSomero, Published by Hublots and mirai works~ Available on Nintendo Switch and PC, iOS and Android (Game 1 Only)
Perfect Gold: The Alchemy of Happiness
• Fantasy • Romance • Enemies to Lovers
Marion LaRue is not having a fun day at all. What was meant to be a harmless little fire turned into an explosion that has her stuck in detention, missing out on one of the rare opportunities for her to enjoy life outside the academy. And of course, she just had to be stuck with Audrey Clary, of all the high-class LeFay students she could be in detention with.
Determined to not miss out on the long-awaited festival, these former lovers begrudgingly work together to escape detention and find their way to the festival. As they explore the city and celebrate the Sunflower Festival together, an old friendship is rekindled, and new feelings begin to bloom.
~Developed and Published by Yangyang Mobile, Published by Mama Morin (Console/Mobile)~ Available on Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android
SeaBed
• Romance • Drama • Mystery • Tragedy • Slow Burn
A mystery told through the perspectives of three women: Mizuno Sachiko, a designer plagued by hallucinations of her past lover; Narasaki Hibiki, Sachiko's friend and a psychiatrist researching the workings of human memories; and Takako, Sachiko's former lover who has been rapidly forgetting her past, including how or why the two women drifted apart, despite being together since childhood. All three live in different worlds but seek the same goal. To separate truth from illusion. To make sense of their own lives.
~Developed by paleontology, Published by Fruitbat Factory~ Available on Nintendo Switch and PC
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A Summer's End - Hong Kong 1986
• Shakaijin • Romance • Drama • Historical • Love at First Sight
Michelle is a young professional working woman living in Hong Kong during the heydays of the 1980s. She meets Sam, a free-spirited woman and an unconventional entrepreneur, by chance after an incident involving a broken heel. They share a mutual attraction. As their relationship progresses, Michelle is forced to make a decision between traditional propriety and her newfound feelings.
Inspired by classic Asian cinema, this beautiful game depicts the intense curiosity, confusion, and desire whirling around this incredible romance. Michelle A Summer’s End is a modern romance. A dazzlingly vibrant and intimate experience that explores identity, family, queerness, and love in a rapidly changing and highly political world.
~Developed and Published by Oracle and Bone~ Available on PC
Synergia
• Action • Sci-Fi • Mystery
Cila, a veteran cop with a sour outlook and anger issues expects nothing more from life besides the smell of ozone, blinding neon lights and the ever-present manhole steam. At least, until a shady friend replaces her broken-down housedroid as a favor. Advanced, more efficient and remarkably perceptive, unit M.A.R.A. begins to penetrate Cila's toughened exterior and possibly even heal her new owner's old wounds – if Cila can decipher the recurring nightmare the process brings. Soon Cila and Mara forge a unique - if sometimes uneasy - bond. Unbeknownst to Cila, just as her life begins to find its new normal, the technological giant Velta Labs gets wind of Mara's existence and takes a mysterious interest in the android. A war unlike any before it is brewing on the horizon, its players are silently being selected and one android's fate may spell the difference between peace, war, the blossoming of a new religion, or a technological singularity beyond comprehension.
~Developed by Radi Art, Published by Top Hat Studios~ Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, Mac, and Linux
Yumeutsutsu Re:Master
Slice of Life • Mystery • Slow Burn
Set in the town of Koenji, not far from the imperial capital of Tokyo, where a small game studio called Eureka Soft has set up shop. The heroine Ai, a country girl, joins her sister Kokoro who works there, after receiving a mysterious email from studio head. There she meets the quirky all-girl (and a dog) cast: the big sisterly head of the studio, her sister, giving her a cold shoulder, the maid/voice talent, the "tiny dinosaur" scenarist, the uniformed artist, and Banako, the dog and vice-president. Ai starts learning about game making as she slowly pieces together the mysteries of her colleagues. Ai's world will expand bit by bit, as the game production begins.
~Developed byKogado Studio, Published by Degica~ Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC
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luverofralts · 10 months
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Arkhelios Adventures
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Queen Claudia watched as her father talked the ear off Ulyssa's brother in the yard. It was just like her parents to take in strays who showed up on their door, regardless of the danger. They were frustrating that way. They'd learned it from their own family members and perfected it while working for their boss. The current Grim Reaper was a softie with a soft spot for families since his own fathers had been so absent in his life. It had been the Grim Reaper, Gee's fault that Claudia existed in the first place. Her parents were too important in living society to qualify to be reapers, and should have at least been told to wait a few centuries before reapplying to the program`. Gee had recognized the same devotion to family within the couple and approved them anyway. It was only when it was too late that Gee realized that he'd approved the former heirs to three thrones to return to the living world and allowed them to procreate. Many other reapers would have solved the problem by killing Ewan and Anna's children before they could become complicated political entanglements, but Gee had other plans. Children would never have to die to fix his mistake, especially the children of his good friends.
Claudia could see the danger that the Durant siblings posed, even if her parents didn’t. It was incredibly suspicious to find Maura’s wife loitering around Claudia’s secretive parents and if she had to guess, Claudia assumed that this encounter hadn’t been approved by her cousin. Whatever game Ulyssa was playing was all her idea; Maura would never show such an interest or be so bold. Maura had always been fine with keeping her distance from the Goldmans. Even as kids, Claudia and Maura had been instructed to play together, but Maura had made convenient excuses whenever Ewan or Anna came to spend time with her.
So what was Ulyssa’s game here then? Claudia knew that the queen consort didn’t have the magical skill for a curse or spell against Pleasantview. She didn’t even likely have the skill for a voodoo doll made from Claudia’s hair, so that explanation was out. Jorah was clearly the distraction for some other plan, so while Ulyssa sipped tea with Claudia’s mother, Claudia ran through her list of possible schemes. Ulyssa would slip eventually and when she did, Claudia would be ready for it.
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"So what's it like dying?" Jorah asked, moving his game piece as he spoke. He and Ewan were bonding over a fierce game of Don't Wake the Llama. He could see Ulyssa's irritation through the window where she watched them, but he ignored her. His plan had saved them from Claudia's wrath and he had spent over an hour bonding with an actual reaper. A reaper who had already promised to come to dinner one night in Arkhelios to grill some burgers with Jorah.
"Truthfully I don't remember," Ewan replied, countering Jorah's move with his own. "I died as an infant and it was a long time ago. It's peaceful from what I've seen. A quick moment and then freedom from pain or suffering. Reunification with your deceased loved ones. It's nothing to fear."
"Do you ever work in Arkhelios? Have I seen you around without knowing it?"
"We work in teams," Ewan confided. "Every nation has a team assigned to them so that we can collect the correct souls at the correct time and ensure that the correct functioning of the living world is unharmed. I work in Pleasantview, so no, I don't work in your area, but rest assured, there is a team in place to protect Arkhelios."
Jorah paused to consider Ewan's words. He'd never thought of a supernatural team sent to harvest souls as serving as protection over the living realm. If anything, he'd always thought of them as villains or threats because of the nature of their jobs, but it was true that people were going to die naturally regardless of a reaper being there to help them pass. Having policies and trained professionals in place to help ease that transition was really a kindness extended to mortals by Death when he thought about it.
"So I was reading about the Great Demon War and the reaper sightings from that period. Would that be an example of how reapers protect the living? By fighting threats from beyond the living world? Have you ever been to the Void? Does the Demon Sovereign have to obey your rules? Can she be killed by Death if she breaks the rules? Is she actually evil or just misunderstood? I'm asking for a friend."
Ewan laughed.
"I'm afraid I can't answer all of those questions. There needs to be some secrecy maintained or life just isn't as fun. It's meant to be lived first and then the gaps are filled in once your life ends. It'll ruin all the spoilers you're meant to enjoy one day."
"Do you know when I'm going to die?" Jorah pressed. "All of my kids are going to outlive me, right? You can tell me that much, right?"
"Unfortunately that's above my pay grade," Ewan laughed. "We get told who to escort to the afterlife shortly beforehand. I can't change the death and I don't decide anything about it. Not even the Grim Reaper can. It's above even him."
"What's above him?" Jorah gasped, completely ignoring everything else around him. "Death? He decides when someone dies? What if someone is murdered? Does he know that's going to happen or can he prevent the murder if he wants to save the person?"
"That's a spoiler, I'm afraid," Ewan said with a wink. "Some things have to be a surprise and some questions can't be answered. Honestly, you're better off not focusing on all of that. Life is so short and eternity is forever. Live your life before you lose it and you'll find out the answers to your questions soon enough."
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"Fair enough," Jorah grudgingly conceded. "I get it. Can I ask you about your family then? I've read so much about your parents and great-grandparents in books but you're the real thing. You know them."
Ewan fidgeted in his seat while he processed the request and Jorah immediately regretted asking about it.
"Hmmm, maybe when I stop by Arkhelios," Ewan promised, his eyes hooded with secrets. "If you've read about them, you know how difficult it can be to come to terms with the actions of your ancestors. My dad is the best dad I could ever hope to have. My other father is a monster who can't go ten minutes without committing some kind of war crime or monstrous act. I've tried to raise my children to be just like my dad and be happy and loving and kind to others. Unfortunately, these days my daughter seems to be happy following the path of my father. There are so many devious voices in her ear and demons happy to lead her into darkness. That's why I try to demonstrate kindness whenever I can. There's a darkness within her that I fear the throne will encourage. There's a darkness in all of Casper Maricourt's bloodline."
Jorah paused, unable to think of an appropriate response to this admission. The closest example that he could relate to would probably be the Bellamy family and he only had limited contact with most of them. Ever since the affair with Ulyssa, Jorah hadn't seen much of the Bellamys. Roman's mother certainly was evil, though not on the same scale as a ruthless king…not that Jorah knew about anyway.
"Do…do you see him at all?" Jorah asked quietly. "Is there a hell that he's in? Did they just send him to the Void when he died? Is there a king of the afterlife? Do people fight over it?"
"I…I have seen him. Just once and not alone. He…wasn't kind to me," Ewan sighed. "Always choose to be kind, Jorah. Whenever you can. It separates us from the darkness. You strike me as a man who already knows this, but never let yourself forget it."
Jorah paused, realizing that Ewan was upset by the conversation and had ignored all of his secondary questions.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just have so many questions and I love learning about new people and places and I'm afraid that I'll never have the chance to speak with you again."
"I promised you a barbecue, and I don't break my promises. I understand your curiosity, I would feel the same way in your shoes. Maybe we could just pivot away from my father for now. It's bad enough looking in the mirror and seeing his reflection." Ewan gestured quickly at his face. "The hair is a dead giveaway in Pleasantview, especially with the Maricourt eyes. I'm glad none of my kids have inherited them. I'd be tempted to dye it or wear contacts, but it doesn't seem fair. It's my hair and eyes, why should I have to change them because of someone else who died years ago?"
Jorah nodded compassionately at the reaper, who seemed to be working some personal issues out across from him. The last thing he wanted was to scare away his new friend and on top of that, Claudia might murder him if she saw him making her father upset. 
"So reapers eat obviously," he said quickly, gesturing at the grill beside them. "Do you have to sleep? How did you get a body? Is it different from the body that you died in? Can demons possess you?"
Ewan smiled, grateful for the change in subject. 
"We don't need sleep, but we can if we want," he replied. "Our non reaper romantic partners seem to find it unnerving when we're up all night without them and still refreshed in the morning. Death assigns us a body when we graduate training and yes, it's connected to our previous physical body, but it's not completely the same. As for demons, I've never encountered one with the ability to possess others, but they stem from a corruption of life and we stem from the natural course of death, so I'd wager that we're immune to their threat. But enough about me, what about you? How many children do you have? How did you get into autograph collecting?"
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"I have three beautiful children," Jorah gushed. "Two daughters and a son, Hamnet, Judith and Susanna. They're turning six this year and they're amazing. Hamnet and Susanna are twins, so it was like having triplets when they all arrived, thank god that my husband was only carrying one kid, though we've talked about more. Maura actually introduced us to the idea of autograph collecting. I would never have thought about it in tiny Arkhelios, but with my sister suddenly meeting world leaders and famous people, it became easier to find people to sign our books. Maura was our first signature and we've got all of Maura’s family too, even her mother, watcher rest her soul."
“How fun. Claudia would have liked that when she was younger, the boys too probably. They’ve always been more hands on with things while Claudia will sit back, evaluate her options and then act. Oliver and Travis would like chasing down people to sign their book. Claudia would probably make them do it for her.’ Ewan laughed and Jorah joined in.
“Yeah, my Susanna is very similar,” he admitted. “She has her siblings under her spell when she wants to. I’ve found them making her bed for her a few times. Kids, right?”
“Exactly. I wouldn’t trade mine for the world though.”
Jorah smiled. Despite all of his excitement about finding rare supernatural creatures, Jorah seemed to have found something even rarer- a kindred soul.
“I completely agree.”
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While Jorah was busy making friends, his sister set about her mission. Claudia was talking with her mother about an upcoming lunch event she was hosting and her watchful eye on Ulyssa was currently occupied. Where to begin though?  The bedrooms upstairs might be filled with secrets worth blackmailing a queen with, but the stair were being blocked by Claudia. To get upstairs, Ulyssa would have to sneak outside and teleport while no one was around..
A car pulled into the driveway, alerting Ulyssa as she tried to innocently explore. Claudia’s brother was home with his guest. This could be just the diversion Ulyssa needed to get past Claudia. Everyone would come out to welcome Oliver and Ulyssa could excuse herself to “use the washroom”.
To her surprise though, she recognized the friend exiting the car with Oliver. She would know him anywhere.
“Junior?”
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Theo stood behind Oliver, almost hiding from the godmother he’d never expected to see in Pleasantview. It had been years since he’d seen her in person and he’d nearly forgotten the nickname she had for him. This wasn’t just his godmother though, this was his dad’s affair partner. The reason he had a half-sister no one talked about. The reason his parents decided to have a band aid baby that neither of them would have wanted otherwise.
“Hi Aunt Ulyssa. What are you doing here?”
‘Are you sleeping with Oliver’s parents too’ was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t dare say it. Oliver was a cool senior in the fanciest school in Pleasantview and had a lot of powerful friends. When the witches’ council had paired them for an assignment, Theo had leapt at the chance. There was no way that he would offend the coolest person he knew just to insult his godmother.
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Ulyssa beamed and stepped towards her godson, only to have him back away from her. She wanted nothing more than to hug him and catch up with the drama in his teenage life, but she could see the betrayal in his eyes. Her godson hated her. He was named after her, but she’d broken his trust and now he could barely stand to be around her. All of her Claudia related schemes flew out of her mind with this realization.
Theo hates me, and he deserves to. There’s nothing I can say that will fix what I’ve done. His eyes though- they’re just like Roman’s. I can’t bear miniature Roman glaring at me like this.
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Claudia watched the reunion derail on the front lawn with interest. Ulyssa’s weakness was laid bare before her and Claudia didn’t even have to do a single thing to force it. Whatever game Ulyssa thought she was playing was doomed to fail. All Claudia had to do was invoke Roman Bellamy and the queen consort would fold. Ulyssa posed absolutely no threat, but Claudia was still interested to see what her cousin’s wife was up to. Knowing where an enemy thought you were vulnerable was valuable information for the future.
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List 5 things that make you happy and send this to the last 10 people who liked/reblogged something from you. Get to know your followers and mutuals!
I have never posted anything on here, but I was tagged by @red-hibiscus so I thought I could use this opportunity to start.
My dog. Technically my mom's dog but who cares. I had been a cat person all my life until i moved out and my mom decided to replace me with the most beautiful, softest and most empty-headed yet surprisingly capable creature I have ever laid eyes on. Just looking at this little sister of mine makes me instantly happy and I can never be mad at her even when she keeps me up all night because she heard a pebble fall down somewhere and now she's scared and making it everyones problem.
Theatre. (normal spoken plays, think Shakespeare, not musicals) I love the theatre, weather going to see a play as a spectator or participating myself. The small-ish theatre in the town I grew up in sometimes feels more like home than any house I've ever lived in. Lying on the painted-black wooden floor behind the backdrop, listening to the slightly muted sounds of others rehearsing scenes I'm not in. That's a feeling of true contentedness for me.
A view of mountains. I was born close to the mountains, and even after I moved away at the age of five, I came back for almost every school break until I was old enough to be on my own for extended periods of time. And though I'm not an increadibly enthusiastic hiker and lost all enjoyment of skiing when my younger cousins, who live there year-round, inevitably got much better at it than me, the sight of a mountain range still makes me feel happy and grounded.
Water. I love existing in water, be that swimming or just lounging or even diving (not too deep, my ears can't handle it). I used to dream of being a mermaid as a child and if I'm honest I might have still not entirely grown out of that.
Hugs. I'm quite the loner. I prefere not being perceived by humans about 90% of the time. Unfortunately, that often leaves me somewhat touch-starved so a hug from a friend or, depending on the right circumstances, a stranger usually goes quite a long way to filling that persistent small hole, hidden somewhere between my liver and my stomach.
If you made it through my weird writing, please note that English is not my native language and I can only write in one of two modes: extremely casual with no sign of cohesion, punctuation or correct spelling OR borderline pretentious run-on sentences with made up punctuation and variably successful spelling attempts.
Since this is literally my first post, I don't have anyone to tag. So if you somehow came across this post and haven't been tagged yet, feel free to consider yourself tagged, or not.
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charaday5e · 2 years
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ASI Continued, Wisdom Races
I've started this huge thought and the format might take me 5 post to get through it all.
I've already discussed Charisma Races, holding off to post about Tieflings by themselves. So now, following the Caster stats, let's talk about Wisdom based races.
Hill Dwarf
I can easily say this is one of my favorite races of all time. I've played Boafer, a Dwarf Barbarian, and Cleridain the Wizard, and Kive the Fighter, and even Valttore the Rogue. I have played too many Dwarf Clerics to count and I've also played mono-class characters that were Hill Dwarves as a Monk, a Warlock, a Ranger, and even a Sorcerer. I think the only classes I haven't played as a Dwarf must have been Bard and Paladin, but as I am writing this, I am thinking up a back story for them now too.
With that said, I clearly have an affinity for the Hill Dwarf culture and background since I've gone out of my way to make "acceptable" characters that don't have a maxed primary stat that is in-line with the primary stat of their class.
Regardless, we are listing the gap combos and trying to highlight the synergies. It shouldn't need to be stated but all Hill Dwarf characters have an extra hitpoint per level.
Dwarf Bards can sing, maybe not that well, at least they are really good with a low hum. Droning away with a scratchy voice, he could mesmerize a crowd with beatnik poetry and foot stomping that puts everyone into a trance. Wearing a hat that looks like a sleeping cap and bells on his shoes, the drone bard sounds like a cross between a salty pirate and the "Crash Test Dummies", "Once there was this king who. Tried to dig a hole into the center of the earth." As I picture this character, it's almost a shame I don't make him with a 14 starting Charisma. However, he can have a 16 Charisma to start and let's give him a light hammer or a rapier so +1 Dex. Some chain mail armor and a shield and you've got a stout bard with a deep voice and extra hitpoints.
The Dwarf Paladin was probably born into human society and worships the sun and not the stones. He's got Dragonborn stats, so +2 Str and +1 Cha. You might give him a battleaxe and shield instead of a longsword.
Dwarf Rogues are short and Stealthy, they have an eye for appraisals and get a racial bonus that doubles their proficiency when stealing art like sculptures or jewelry with gems. Having a +2 Dex works great with his light hammer, stowed rapier, and hand crossbow. He also has a +1 Int and training in History and uses blacksmithing to make forgeries of the priceless sculptures that he steals.
The Dwarf Sorcerer uses wild magic and favors spells that buff his physique, like enlarge and stoneskin. He uses metamagic extend to make those buffs last longer. With +2 Cha and +1 Con, he uses thunderwave and gets into melee combat whenever he can, to show off his enormous hitpoints.
The Dwarf Warlock has been touched by a Patron of the Underdark. He has ties to his Dwarven heritage but has taken on an even older mantle from the elder Dwarf God's that have died long before. Also has +2 Cha and +1 Con for effective melee and hellish rebukes.
The Dwarf Wizard gets +2 Int and loves to put an illusionary layer of dust onto himself and people around him. He casts buffs like his Sorcerer counterpart and uses +1 Con to add to concentration checks.
Finally the Dwarf Barbarians and Fighters use battleaxes and +2 Str
Wood Elf
When it comes to ASI builds, the Wood Elf can take a page from Hill Dwarf because neither of them typically get a melee boost to strength and so barring the dexterity and finesse builds Wood Elf can be a Paladin with +1 Cha and shifted into a human pantheon or she can be a Bard with a beautiful voice and sings in elven, or even a Sorcerer who can hide behind trees.
The Archfey Wood Elf Warlock makes too much sense. With her +2 Cha, she is blasting through demons to preserve the fey wild.
A Wood Elf Wizard could be an adopted sister to a family of high elves. She has a +1 Int and always wins foot races as a child because of her fey wild heritage.
The Eldritch Knight Wood Elf makes a lot of sense, wearing magical eleven mail and casting magic while heavily armored with an elven longswors, +2 Str, +1 Int
Finally, the Wild Wood Elf Barbarian, "What are they feeding you", she looks like a pro wrestler and only eats a high protein vegan diet. +2 Str, +1 Con.
Intelligence based races next...
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starsandthorn · 3 years
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MERILWEN.
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barnesbabee · 3 years
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ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ - ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅ
WONDERLAND MASTERLIST
⇜ ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ - ᴛᴇɴ-  ɴᴇxᴛ ⟿
CHARACTER LIST:
White Rabbit - Choi Jongho Absolem (Blue Catterpilar) - Kang Yeosang Cheshire Cat - Kim Hongjoong Mad Hatter - Choi San Haigha (March Hare) - Jung Wooyoung Tweedle Dee - Song Mingi Tweedle Dum - Jeong Yunho Bloody Red King - Park Seonghwa
ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ: @myunvillage @mirror-juliet @jess-1404 @earth-to-leiki @miraculoustaytiny [Send me a DM, an ask or comment to be added to the tag list]
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The King wasted no time. After getting you back, he immediately scheduled the coronation, as he couldn't wait to call you his Queen. The Castle was in a frenzy, the sound little frog feet slapping against the marble floors echoed in every division. Seonghwa refused to have the coronation in the same room where he got married, he didn't want to re-live the awful moment when his wife got stolen from him... So the maids and butlers found new decorations, moved the paintings and transformed another one of the King's dark and cold rooms into a place worthy of a welcoming party.
"Let's do it in the throne room. Place her throne by my right." He had said.
The tradition was for the throne to be moved in front of everyone present, so they could witness the changes and their new reality first hand, but Seonghwa was a little tired of following tradition.
You and him stood in the middle of the throne room, with every single maid and butler running around frantically, trying to get everything done on time. You looked on proudly, enjoying the way it was all coming along.
The excess of red and black was gone, it was now balanced with white and gold, and with the new paintings and lights giving the room a new life it looked like a completely new place. The blinds behind the throne were finally opened, revealing the most beautiful stained glass images. There were four people, who you assumed were Seonghwa's family.
You reminisced the first time you had come to that room, panting and confused, standing in the dark, cold room being judged by the merciless man Seonghwa once was. The contrast was almost unbelievable, but you were glad you had gotten this far.
You felt a pair of arms wrap around your figure and a chin on your shoulder.
"I'll have it replaced. First, just the two of us, and then, once we have our little prince, or princess," he paused, caressing your stomach, where you'd carry your future child "I'll have it replaced once more, with a full picture of our family."
He kissed your cheek and you smiled.
"But Seonghwa, are you sure you wanna take down the picture of your family?" You questioned, feeling honoured yet a little wrong, replacing the original King and Queen.
He stood straight, and his cheerful expression was immediately replaced by one of pain and confusion, remembering all of the memories alongside those people.
"Why not? They have given me nothing but a lifetime of suffering, you have given me nothing but happiness and a chance of redemption. You deserve to be up there, immortalized, as a part of the new Royal family."
"Thank you..."
That was all you could say, as there were no words that could possibly describe how you felt.
One of the maids stole you away from your husband for a second, so you could change from the dirty, ripped-up wedding dress for the new ceremony. She helped you switch to a princess-style dress, all in red silk. The revealing heart-shaped neckline was covered with black lace, that extended all the way to your hands and wrapped around your index finger.
"You look lovely, Miss." The maid said as she fixed your hair.
You thanked her with a small smile and headed towards the throne room. Usually, it would be packed with people, but due to the previous altercation, the only people attending the coronation would be the castle staff, aside from the knights who were assigned to protect the castle during the event.
You carefully sat on the throne, feeling Seonghwa's eyes (or... eye) inspecting you. He leaned over, so he could whisper in your ear.
"You look marvelous in red."
He sat back straight in his throne and smiled at your shy expression. A tall man soon entered the room holding two boxes. He opened one of the boxes and slowly (and carefully) placed the crown on the King's head. It was exaggerated, yet classy and sophisticated like Seonghwa. You could tell it had been specially done for him.
"We shall now begin the coronation of Miss Y/N." The man announced.
He opened the box in front of you, revealing the most beautiful, victorian crown. It was made up of white gold and adorned with the most beautiful red and white stones.
"I hereby declare, by the powers given to me by His majesty Park Seonghwa, the new Queen of Wonderland, Queen Y/N."
The man slowly placed the crown on your head, and it was a perfect fit. He stepped away so the painter could see your smiling faces, as he immortalized the moment on a canvas.
The castle staff smiled and cheered for you, their new Queen.
"Bring her!" The King shouted, and the whole room froze.
The thought on everyone's mind was 'Who's her'.
The heavy doors to the room opened, and a chained woman, dressed in a black cape with her white, disheveled hair showing stepped in, with the help of two guards.
"Unchain her."
The guards obeyed the King, and unchained the woman, who rotated her wrists with a sigh of contentment.
"Finally, what do I owe the honour, Sir?"
The crowd in front of you looked on, petrified. Who the fuck was she?
"Undo the room." Seonghwa commanded.
"Hm there have been some changes, I see." The woman said, her voice cracking mid-sentence.
She looked at you, with her bright purple eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Yes, there have. Now please do as I asked."
"Very well Sir."
The woman removed her black cape, revealing a small, crooked young-looking woman. She lifted her hands in the air, creating a small green fog in her hands, that she aimed at all beings in the room. The people, who were previously humanoid frogs, were turned back into their original form. Tears of happiness formed in everyone's eyes and cries of thankfulness echoed in the room. One maid approached you and knelt by your feet.
"Thank you... Thank you so much!"
You recognized the voice, it was the maid that had thanked you the other day for staying with Seonghwa, and the one that usually helped you dress. You smiled and held her hands.
"No need to kneel around me Miss, thank you for your hard work."
She bowed to you as she walked back to cheer with her peers.
Seonghwa stood up and held out his hand for you to take, and so you followed.
"Iracebeth, follow us. You two," the King said, looking at the two guards who had brought the witch "make sure everyone is gathered at the town center by the time we arrive."
The guards nodded and immediately headed out. Seonghwa took your arm and started walking with you, headed to the town center, you guessed.
You looked behind you to look at the witch, that stared at you with a sinister expression.
"Are you sure it's safe to bring her along, won't she like... curse you? You know, for keeping her locked up?" You whispered.
"Oh, no that won't be an issue."
You tilted your head to the side.
"How come?"
Seonghwa blushed, embarrassed to recall what he had done.
"Well, I tricked her into falling in love with me so I could get her to cast a spell on herself that would only allow her to cast the spells I request her to. I then locked her in the dungeon because I didn't want to deal with her constant crying and blabbering about how I tricked her, that's probably why she's looking at you like..." He glanced over at the witch "... like that."
You hit his arm.
"Park Seonghwa!"
"Ow! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I regret doing it but if I undo it now it could have severe consequences, not only for me but for you too. And we can't have that."
You sighed and nodded. It's true that it was cruel, but you didn't want any consequences headed your way, you'd had enough.
You stopped in front of a black and gold carriage, the one that would take you into town. Seonghwa helped you get on and then sat beside you. The witch rode in front of you, her creepy smile and envious eyes staring into your soul the whole ride. Seonghwa held your hand tightly, also feeling uneasy by her presence.
"We're here, Sir."
Seonghwa took a deep breath. You could tell he was nervous, as all of the people from the Kingdom looked at the carriage, expectantly. You kissed his cheek and held his hand tighter.
"It will be okay." You assured him.
Seonghwa smiled softly and exited the carriage, alongside you and the witch. The expressions of the people once they saw the witch were the same as back in the castle, and they braced for the worst.
The King said nothing, he only turned to the witch and said 'do it'.
Once more, she cast the spell, that supposedly returned them to what they once were, but it didn't go as planned. Some people returned to their original state, but the ones who had turned from animals to humans, not so much... Some had the luck of being completely turned back to who they were, others were left hybrids, mixes of animals and humans. You found Cheshire, still as a human, happily playing with his ears and tail, and Haiga, the Hare, jumping about with his hare feet about the return of his long ears. It didn't take much for those two to be happy. There was a mix of emotions among the crowd, however, some people that had married into families who were previously human, were happy they got some of their old life back and they would still be able to maintain their relationship, others were sad (and mad) that they would never be able to return to whom they once were.
"What happened!?" Seonghwa whisper-yelled to the witch.
"The curse has been cast for far too long, I wasn't able to undo it completely." She explained, ashamed of her own skills.
"People, I apologize," as soon as he spoke those words the commotion calmed down, and everyone seemed shocked. The King? Apologizing? "it seems the curse has gone on for too long and is irreversible in some cases. I ask that whoever has been affected attends the castle tomorrow so I can offer a proper compensation for all of the damages caused, that would be all."
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deadbiwrites · 4 years
Note
hey, for the ask thing, can you do #9 under random: “You come here often?” “Well, I work here. So I think I’d have to say ‘yes’.”
This one was so fun!!
--
Kara doesn’t drink, usually.
It’s not like, a thing, that she doesn’t drink. Some sort of moral or religious blah blah whatever, it’s just that she… doesn’t.
So when she’s dragged out to the bar for Nia’s 21st birthday, she expects it to be more of the same- her friends will get drunk, Brainy will dominate at the trivia game that’ll inevitably be crawling across a screen at the bar, Nia will flirt with Brainy, Alex will stare and sigh at Sam all night, James and Mike will inevitably get at each other’s throats (how they manage to play on the same team without killing each other, Kara will never know), Mike will flirt with her and be hurt when she shoots him down, James will pull out his camera and take candids that Alex will doubtlessly demand to see and then delete immediately, and Kara will eventually wrangle them all into her minivan and drive them back to campus.
A typical Thirsty Thursday with her closest friends (and also Mike, for some reason).
Except that tonight, instead of Al’s, the dive they usually flock to, they’re at some martini bar downtown. And though the reasoning makes sense (Nia can’t really openly celebrate her 21st at the bar she’s been frequenting for the past 2 years with a fake ID), and it is her birthday and she wants to go someplace-
“Swanky,” Alex murmurs as Sam lets out a low whistle behind them.
This is barely a bar, it more closely resembles a set from a 30’s noir movie, with the large chandeliers dripping crystal overhead and the rich, polished wooden floor underfoot. For crying out loud, there’s a live jazz band- not a quartet, a full band- across what is clearly a dance floor, and the waiters and waitresses are all dressed in vests and ties (and not the cheap kind Kara had to wear for the week she worked at the catering company).
In short, it’s gorgeous, and glamorous, and she’s infinitely glad she’d asked Nia what she should wear because her usual jeans-and-a-sweater combo surely wouldn’t fly here, but the suit she wore to her cousin’s wedding this past summer definitely does.
They’re greeted by a friendly but slightly harangued-looking hostess, who quickly ushers their group to a large booth in the corner. Each of them peruses the drink menu, and quickly realize that they have no idea what any of the cocktails listed actually are.
"Yeah, great, this is- I love doing a Google search to get drunk," Alex grumbles sarcastically as she scrolls through her phone, pulling a face at something or other. "How many of these have absinthe in them? Jesus."
Kara laughs. "What, no green fairies for you tonight?"
"It was one time!"
"Aw, we still like you even though you're afraid of the mean, scary alcohol," Sam coos at Alex, smile tinged with an edge of teasing and Alex melts like so much wax before a flame.
Ridiculous. 
"Make out already," Nia jeers. When they both flip her off she turns to Kara, seemingly confused. "That was a legitimate suggestion, though?"
"I know. One day," Kara hums, throwing her arm around Nia’s shoulder and pulling her into a half-hug.
Their waiter appears, smooth and charming and managing to get Winn firmly under his spell in a matter of seconds. But in Winn's defense, he has a perfect smile, great hair, and a British accent.
Poor boy never stood a chance against all that. They each place their orders for a fancy drink, and when the waiter, Jack, turns his attention to Kara, Alex interrupts with, "She wants a Potion D'Amour."
"Oh, a love potion," he muses, smiling at Kara. His eyes catch on something and his smile widens. "I know just the lady to make it for you. Back in a tick."
And he's off before Kara can protest. Resigned, she turns to her sister. "Why?"
Alex rolls her eyes fondly. "Just take a sip. If you don't like it, one of us will finish it for you.”
“Fine, fine.”
--
So, as it turns out, Kara likes the love potion. A lot.
“It tastes like berries,” Kara marvels.
“We know, Kara, you told us when you were drinking the last one,” Alex chuckles.
“And the one before that,” Nia adds.
“You guys are so nice. I love you all so much.”
“Well at least she’s a happy drunk,” James chuckles.
“‘m not drunk,” Kara insists. “‘m always happy, ya butts.”
“Sure Kar, and the sky is red.”
Kara frowns as her friends all laugh. “Rude. Who wants another one?”
They all raise a hand, and Kara moves off in the general direction of the bar.
Or, well, she does her best.
“Hey there! Did you need something, luv?”
It’s Jack-the-waiter, looking at her with some bemusement.
“Yeah! Hi, sorry. Um, they all want more drinks, and I just, um…”
“Needed a break?”
She slumps in relief. “Yeah. Is that bad? Like, I love them and all, but I think I’m kinda drunk and they’re… a lot.”
Jack chuckles. “Trust me, I understand. If you want a minute of quiet, there’s a stool on the end of the bar that no one ever sits in. Got your name on it.”
“Thanks! You’re a very good waiter. Hey, d’you have any drink recommendations? Maybe one a little, um… lighter?”
“‘Course I do luv. Really fancy, too. C’mere, I’ll tell ya,” Jack says, motioning her close. When Kara is a few inches away, he tells her the secret. “It’s called ‘coffee’.”
Kara laughs as he winks and moves away to another table. She spots the empty barstool he’d mentioned and ambles over, dropping into it with a sigh. From here, she has a view of approximately nothing, given its location behind a pillar, and she leans back against the wall, the cool wood paneling chilly even through her jacket and shirt. 
“Long night?”
Kara’s eyes flutter open (when did they close? Maybe she is drunk…) and across from her is quite probably the most beautiful person she’s ever seen in her life.
“Wow.”
The girl smirks, quirking a brow upward. “You okay there?”
“Yeah. I um, I think I just had too many love potions.”
“Oh, so it was you ordering those,” the pretty, pretty girl drawls. “They’re a pain in the ass to make, you know. Mostly the garnish, but still, I’m tempted to be annoyed with you, for being so high-maintenance.”
“Oh, Jack said he knew the girl for the job!” Kara says. “They were really good, I usually don’t even drink, but those were great.”
“Well well, keep talking, I thrive on flattery,” the girl jokes. She extends a hand. “Lena.”
“Kara, Kara Danvers. Wow, your hands are big.”
Lena barks a delighted laugh. “You have all the subtlety of a hand grenade, Kara Danvers.”
Kara flushes. “Oh, that’s- wow, sorry.”
“You’re fine. Like I said, I thrive on flattery,” Lena says, throwing her a very cute two-eyed wink. She turns suddenly, fixing a polite, professional smile on her face. “Good evening, sir. What can I get for you?”
“Another round for my friends. And your number, gorgeous.”
Mike.
Lena remains polite, face impassive even as Kara hastily ducks out of sight under the bar. “What drinks did you and your friends have?”
“I dunno, fancy stuff. The waiter guy probably knows- my friend was supposed to come get us another round, but she probably bailed.”
“Oh yeah? Not much of a partier?” Lena asks, eyes darting to (hidden) Kara.
“Nah. Don’t get me wrong, Kara can be cool, but she’s a little… uptight. Needs to relax every once in a while.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So what’s your story, beautiful? You come here often?”
There’s a beat of silence before Lena drawls, “Well I work here, so… I’d have to say yes…”
Kara claps a hand over her mouth to muffle the laugh she can’t keep inside.
This obviously throws Mike off whatever game he thinks he has. “Oh, that- right. Um. That was a joke.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll ask your waiter what your order was- do you know who he is?”
“Um… he has a beard?”
“Jack, his name is Jack,” Kara mutters under her breath.
“Right. I’ll ask him. Did you need anything else?”
“No, thanks.”
There’s an extended silence before Lena says, “You can come up for air now, Kara Danvers.” 
Kara peeks over the edge of the bar, flushing again when Lena snickers at her.
“Good friend of yours?”
“No. He’s- I don’t even know why he’s here? Like one day we all hated him and then the next he was always around. Nia doesn’t even like him, and it’s her birthday.”
“Really? Good that she doesn’t- seems like a douche.”
Kara barks out a laugh, smothering in quickly and grinning behind her palm as Lena grins slyly over at her without turning her head. “He is a douche. He always asks me out even though I’ve told him no, like, a million times.”
Lena frowns at this, turning her attention fully to Kara. “Does he?”
“Yeah. My sister hates his guts, and so does our friend James, but somehow he just… sticks around.” Kara shrugs. “He’s pretty harmless, just really annoying.”
Lena hums, gaze narrowed. “He’s not worth your politeness, Kara.”
“Eh. Besides, I’m kinda doing the same thing to you, right? Just like, demanding all your attention?”
Lena bobbles her head side to side. “I’d say it’s a bit different.”
“Why, because I’m drunk?” Kara laughs. “‘m sorry about that, by the way.”
“First off, I don’t think you’re all that drunk,” Lena confides, leaning over the bar so . “Those drinks really aren’t all that strong. And secondly, there’s a difference because I am actually enjoying your attention, Kara Danvers.”
“Oh. Oh, okay. Cool,” Kara mutters to herself.
Lena smirks. “So, Kara Danvers- even though I already know the answer to this-, do you come here often?”
“Um, no. But I think I might start…”
Lena’s sly grin morphs into a broad smile, dimpling her cheeks and making her eyes shine in the low bar light. “Good.”
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wolvesandpetals · 3 years
Text
Loki x Sylvie fanfiction: Playing house (Rated T, Humor) Part 1
In which the ones at the end of time place them in a reality where they are a married couple in a suburban town, à la WandaVision.
Master list of my Loki x Sylvie fanfiction can be found here.
---
They didn't know what to expect at the end of time. But they certainly didn't expect to open the door to the citadel and walk into a town.
"This must be an illusion", Loki says in horror as he takes in his new surroundings- two storied houses in every shade of pastel, gardens of roses, lillies and lilacs, wide open roads, pavements lined with freshly cut bushes. "This isn't real."
It looks real enough though. It feels real too.
This is the quintessential suburban town. And they are in a quintessential suburban house.
"They have trapped us in a nightmare", Loki concludes, scanning the new neighborhood again, this time spotting the children playing tennis in the front lawn of the house next door.
Sylvie touches the door frame with the words "Mr. and Mrs. Low-key" etched in the wood in gold. Her fingers trace the letters. It feels so surreal and impossible, yet it feels just as real as she is. "Apparently, we're married in this reality."
"It's not all bad then", he concludes cheekily.
She gives him a death stare. "I don't have time to play house with you right now."
He shrugs. "Until we find a way out, we have to." He checks out the neighborhood one last time for any identifiable imminent threats, before walking back into the house- their house. Holding the door open, he gestures to Sylvie. "Coming?"
She smooths the wrinkles in the sundress she has ended up with, vowing to definitely kill the bastards that did this.
-
The interior of the house does not suit two gods of mischief at all. It's all very... quaint. The sofa is soft and snuggly, the telly hanging from the velvet painted walls is huge, her wardrobe has way too many dresses and skirts, and the knives in the kitchen look like they'd be hard to kill a man with.
"Can you conjure me up something less-" she vaguely gestures at her figure, her lips arched in an angle that spells distaste.
He understands exactly what she means, but does exactly what he wants. With a snap of his fingers, he conjures up an entire rack of clothes for her.
She checks them out one by one, noticing how every jeans, every top is designed a specific way. "These look very tight."
His grin tells her it's intentional.
"You know I can still wipe that smug look off your face in this reality, right?" Her voice expresses how serious she is.
He waves his hands again, and this time, a second rack of clothes materialises, ones which are more functional.
She picks a jeans and oversized top and disappears into the bedroom.
He plops down on the sofa, staring at the Van Gogh hanging from the wall, wondering what their next move should be.
---
The ring of the doorbell breaks them out of their contemplation.
Sylvie grabs every single knife she can find in the kitchen drawers, Loki grabs the mop. Gesturing to each other, they open the door at the count of three, to find a woman standing there with a casserole in her hands.
"Hiya neighbor", she says cheerily. "I heard that you two just moved in. Oh my, that's a lot of knives."
Sylvie holds one up to her throat. "Who sent you?"
The woman grimaces, keeping her eyes fixed at the spot where the knife touches her skin. "My husband. He thought we should welcome our neighbors."
"Liar", Sylvie barks, and increases the pressure on the knife. "Tell me who sent you here before I cut your tongue out and feed it to the cats."
It's at this moment that Loki decides he has to intervene before the situation escalates to unnecessary murder.
"Sylvie, Sylvie, honey", he coos, slowly guiding her away with a gentle touch to her shoulders. "This lovely woman is not the friend I was expecting." He pushes her inside the house, at a safe distance from the lady, before throwing a charming smile in her direction. "I am so sorry. My friend was supposed to visit, I asked my wife to help me play a prank on her. She thought it was you. It's all a giant misunderstanding. Allow me to apologize profusely on behalf of my wife."
Sylvie switches between glaring at the lady and at her "husband".
The lady laughs nervously. "It's quite alright."
Loki extends his hand. "Hi, I'm Loki." He wraps his other arm around Sylvie's waist to pull her close. She tenses, and for a moment he thinks the knife will end up aimed at his throat, but she relaxes a little and gives the neighbor a tiny smile. "And this is my wonderful wife, Sylvie."
The lady shakes his hand. "I'm Agnes. So nice to meet you. Where are you from? Low-key, that sounds Nordic. Are you from Norway?"
"No."
"Yes."
They answer at the same time, then glare at each other, as if their answer was the only acceptable one.
Loki rushes to fix it before Agnes gets suspicious. "What my wife means is, we are from Norway originally, but we moved here from Alabama."
Agnes smiles. "That's a long way from home. Welcome to the neighborhood."
---
Sylvie erupts the moment the neighbor leaves and their doors are closed. "Why the bloody hell are we playing along with this ruse?"
Loki looks at her seriously. "What is the alternative? Murder our way out of here? Slaughter an entire innocent town?"
"No, no, no no." She paces till she is standing directly in front of him, holding her chin up in a posture of challenge. "Why slaughter a town when you can rule it, right?"
He lets out a sigh. Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, he takes in a deep breath. He needs all the strength in the world to reason with her. He opens his eyes again and begins. "We don't know how we got here. We don't know what dangers are here. We can't plan an escape like that. We need to gather information and learn everything we can about this place."
"This place is clearly hell", she roars, letting out a scream that shoots a wave of energy out of her hands and shatters the coffee table.
"Perfect", he mutters under his breath, as he picks up the mop.
---
"I'm hungry." She announces after an hour of sitting on the sofa, sulking, while going through the hundred different channels and trying to pick even a single thing worth watching.
"Oh yes, me too." He agrees quickly. "Starving, actually."
She motions at the cell phones on the table that the house came with. "I suppose we should order something like humans do."
"Yes, of course." He nods in agreement. He picks up the phone closest to him, swipes up the screen, and sees the wallpaper of him and Sylvie, on a beach, hand in hand, in matching Hawaiin shirts, with matching grins on their faces. He knows this isn't real, this has never actually happened to them, but it makes him smile anyway. Swiping to the side, he notices the phone comes with too many games. There are also apps that he knows from advertisements. Opening one that promised good food in no time, he stares blankly at the incoherent list that pops up.
She gets impatient after a few minutes. "Well?"
He purses his lips. It's difficult to admit defeat. "I don't actually know how to order."
She blinks in disbelief. "What?"
"I don't know how to order food." He repeats.
"How can you not know how to order food?"
"Well, I've never had to do it myself." He says, irritated, before his tone turns boastful. "I've always had someone do it for me." Food was never even a concern in Asgard. On earth, he has always had some human gladly do it for him. No God would ever bother with the trivial details of food ordering.
"Lucky you." She says dryly, before snatching the phone out of his hands. She pauses to look at the wallpaper as well, at the waves and the sand and the two happy people that represent a life that they can have if they choose to. Before the thought can take its root in her mind, she quickly focuses on ordering.
He stares at her in awe. "Where did you learn how to do that?"
"I didn't exactly grow up in an Asgardian palace." She rolls her eyes. "I had jobs, Loki. I know how to look after myself."
"I am so glad I'm stuck here with you." He says with a grin. "It makes everything easier."
"It's not that easy. We still need to pay for the food." She points out. Then a horrifying thought occurs to her. "Do we even have money?"
He wants to point out he can just conjure some, but before the words can form in his mouth, she rushes to the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers. He follows, and opens the refrigerator, staring at the inside of the freezer.
"People don't keep cash in the freezer, Loki."
"I knew that." He lies.
She switches to the bedroom, and he follows her there as well. She looks through the dresser drawer, the wardrobe, and searches under the pillow. He looks under the bed.
"Look at us. Searching for money to buy food with. What a shame." He muses out loud. "Mortals used to offer food to Gods."
"Food and virgins." She spits the words out angrily. "I hate these archaic ways."
"Oh, me too, me too." He pretends to agree. He likes being worshipped. He likes the food and the offerings. The virgins? Well, he took virgins in a very different, very alive way, and they were all very willing.
"I don't think we have money in this house." She announces, sitting down on the bed with a huff. "Is this his masterplan? Make us starve to death?"
"Allow me." He snaps his fingers, and wads of cash appears in her hands. This is what he was going to do before Sylvie started searching and he decided it's best to first find out what useful items they have in this house.
"That's handy", she notes. "I suppose it'll be easy for you to do chores around the house."
"I don't do chores." He declares.
She glares at him.
"I don't know how to do chores." He clarifies.
Her glare never loses its edge. "Well you better figure it out soon then, before I cut your fingers off."
---
They eat in complete silence, adjusting to this new reality they have found themselves in. Loki tries to make conversation, tries to tell her a story of banquets in Asgard, but she stares absent-mindedly into the distance, and he takes the hint.
Night arrives quickly.
"I'm exhausted. We should sleep." Sylvie admits. She gets up, ready to change into something more comfortable for the night.
He gets up too, and heads in the direction of the other bedroom. Of course, all he wants to do is snuggle up close to her. He can think of a hundred excuses to talk her into it too. But he holds back. "Well, I wish you a very merry slumber."
She doesn't want to focus on why she does it, but she calls out to him. "We should stick together. Just in case the enemy decides to attack while we're asleep."
He stops in his tracks, smiling like a fool. "I agree. Clever plan."
Ten minutes later, they are both awkwardly lying side by side in bed.
Sylvie stares at the ceiling, at the glow-in-the-dark stickers that are shining. "Is that what people's ceilings look like?"
"Mostly children's."
"The constellations..." She notices. "They're slightly different."
"Yes." He smiles. "This is the view from Midgard, not Asgard."
"Oh."
It's quiet for a while. Loki wonders if she fell asleep. Then he hears her whisper. "I hate this."
"Why are you suddenly acting like this?" He finally asks. "You have been patient your whole life, planning everything for years. You always have a plan, and a good one. Now you're suddenly in a rush to get out of here. Why?"
She doesn't answer. She doesn't even open her eyes. With her focus on the darkness behind her eyelids, it is easy to forget that this is the most peaceful evening she has ever had, that this is the life she always wanted, the life she has been fighting for.
He studies her features, memorizing the way she looks when she tries to fall asleep. Tentatively, he touches her hand. Her fingertips twitch involuntarily, before she responds by taking his hand. He gives it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get out of here, I promise you."
---
(To be continued)
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tomtenadia · 3 years
Text
A Little Braver - 25
Helloooo world. 
I had the week from hell so far, but tonight i felt a bit more energetic and I had the time to have a look at ch 25 and have it ready for publication.
But if you see any typos or errors, I am sorry I am still on the exhausted side. 
So, we have Elorcan to open the dances, because those two are cute.
Aelin and Rowan share a deep moment and Rowan finally closes a chapter of his life. 
A bit of angst that affects Aelin more than she expected and get ready for the hint of a crazy snowstom that will happen in ch 26.
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Lorcan woke up all of a sudden and when he noticed the time on the clock he cursed his military training causing him to have a natural alarm at the crack of dawn. He tried to move but realised he was blocked by a female presence sprawled on him. Her dark hair all over his chest tickling him with a sweet scent invading his nostrils.
He was getting used to that presence at his side making his miserable life better with each passing day.
He felt his lips tug up in a small smile, something that he had been doing more and more lately thanks to the woman in his arms.
Rowan and the others joked but he was starting to realise that Elide really was doing a miracle on him and in he was willing to secretly admit that he was actually enjoying the end result.
Elide had been exhausted after her shift so he had offered her a lift and they had gone to his place claiming that it was the better option since it was closer. He had stayed with her all day at the firehouse and offered to cook for everyone. The day had been brutal and he was glad she could finally have a day off. 
With his hand he gently stroked her hair. He was never one for love gestures like caresses, but Elide had been changing his mind about that too. He would not admit it to a single soul but he also had started to enjoy cuddling. Lorcan still believe in his stone-cold attitude with other people but for Elide he was happy to drop the mask.
Slowly and carefully he disentangled himself trying very hard not to wake her up and shifted his legs off the bed, only to remember he was naked.
Something else he had discovered since having started to date Elide was the joy to have sex for a person he cared for. With Elide it meant something from the beginning especially when she was still scared. He had allowed time to get to terms with the idea and they had taken it day by day allowing Elide to take charge and let her dictate the pace. Slowly, with time Elide has started to become more curious and he showed her. That had in the end been something new for Lorcan too. In his life he had a long list of partners and then a spell with Essar which was just pure sex. Never with feelings involved. Because of one thing he was certain, what he had confessed to Rowan was getting truer each day. He was positive what he felt was love for Elide. He was doomed. Utterly lost. 
He got off the bed, wore his boxers and walked to the kitchen taking his phone with him. Finally Lorcan  got off the bed and walked out of the room closing  the door behind him not to risk wake up Elide and phoned Rowan, knowing that the man was an early riser like him.
“What?” A very grumpy Rowan answered the phone.
“Are you still sleeping?”
“Yes, you idiot. It’s 6am.” He said quietly.
“Why are you whispering?”
“Because Aelin is still sleeping.”
Lorcan started pacing the kitchen “remember when I told you I thought I was in love with Elide?”
“Yes,” growled Rowan on the other side.
“Well, I am now positive. I am in love with her.” Panic thick in his voice “What do I do?”
“Deal with it like all of us.”
“Damn it, Whitethorn I have no fucking clue what to do.”
“Tell her.”
Lorcan froze in his steps.
“Practice with me, Elide I love you.”
“I don’t think I can.” He went back pacing, running a hand through his hair.
The reply took a bit longer to arrive.
“Salvaterre, grow a pair and tell her. And don’t fucking call at 6am ever again.”
Aelin had answered and then hung up on him.
He placed the phone on the counter and went back trying to make breakfast. Maybe Rowan was right, he should just tell her, but he was terrified of messing this up. Worried that she might not feel the same way. He was not an easy man to love. 
He turned to make some coffee when he felt a pair of hands on his waist and a gentle kiss on his back and a groan left him because he had woken her up and Elide deserved some rest.
“Why are you up at this ungodly hour?”
He turned and smiled at seeing Elide in his shirt which on her was gigantic reaching her knees.
“Sorry,” he kissed her head tenderly. “Go back to bed.” With his hand he gently pushed her away.
Elide instead buried her face in his chest “you come too.”
He abandoned the coffee and followed her back.
Once they were again under the blankets he pulled her to him and gathered all of his courage. It was the perfect timing. He was an airforce pilot. He had seen combat. He could surely talk to Elide and tell her about his feelings.
“Eli, can we talk?”
“Uh oh…” she said, looking up to him “you are bailing on me.”
“I am not.” He took her hand and played with her fingers gathering time to think. “Are you okay with me? As in happy?”
She gave him the most beautiful smile that reminded why he was in love with her “you can be grumpy, but yes, I am happy with you.”
He nodded “neither of us have ever done this before so I am going to improvise.” He hadn’t been that nervous in a very long time “I…” he took a deep breath “please don’t be scared by what I am about to say.”
Elide pulled back from him staring at his weird expression.
“I love you.” He had said it. He had doomed himself.
Elide moved closer and kissed him deeply and he thought that surely was a good response.
“I do too.” She caressed his head “I know we haven’t been going out for a long time but yeah I have these strong feelings for you.” She kissed him again “and I love that I feel safe with you.” She chuckled “having a giant of a boyfriend helps.”
Lorcan’s mind locked on the word boyfriend. That was something else they hadn’t discussed yet. They had been dating but no labels. But he had to admit he liked the sound of it.
He grabbed her and pulled her half on top of him “so, I am your boyfriend?”
“Yes sir, and I am Commodore Lochan now.”
Lorcan laughed “considering how bossy you are, you can be the CO in the relationship.”
Elide straddled him and he realised that under the shirt she was still naked “Good. Now shut up and kiss me soldier, it’s an order from your superior.”
Lorcan pulled her down and, like a good soldier, kissed her. Deeply, showing her just how much he loved her.
***
Aelin and Rowan had fallen back asleep when Aelin’s phone buzzed on her nightstand.
“What now?” Aelin groaned, turning and slamming the phone with her hand “what the fuck is going on this morning?”
Rowan growled and pulled her to him hating the loss of contact with her body.
Aelin grabbed the phone and saw the text from Elide “good, your boss has told Elide he loves her. They are officially together.”
Rowan muttered something and Aelin smiled at his face smashed in the pillow, his eyes still shut and his hair, which was getting longer, was all messy. She took a picture of him. She loved watching his sleepy face. The hard lines of his face disappeared and his features relaxed. She scooted closer and his arms folded around her as of on instinct and buried her face in the crook of his neck then angled her face and kissed his cheek and felt a hint of stubble. Now that he was during his time off he was far more relaxed and he hadn’t bothered shaving. She admitted she kinda liked it. Aelin brushed his hair, enjoying a side of him that no one knew about.
She heard him moan gently at the touch. In the morning it was when he loved to cuddle the most. He liked contact with her any time of the day but the mornings were his weakness. He cracked open one eye and groaned again squeezing Aelin against him. Skin touching skin. Clothes in bed had become very quickly an annoying accessory and Aelin adored snuggling against him and wake up with the contact of his warmth against her.
“You are so needy in the morning.” He nodded energetically and Aelin kissed his lips. 
She felt his hands sneak down her back cupping her buttocks “come on buzzard, we can have breakfast and then we can go and do grampa things and go to the theatre later.” In response he held her tighter and Aelin smiled at this interesting side of him. She had a feeling the six months apart had made him crave even more contact with her. Not that she complained. She loved it.
She disentangled herself from him among his protests, got off the bed and reluctantly she wore her house clothes.
Rowan sat up slowly, his face still sleepy “what’s wrong with you this morning?”
“Blame Lorcan, he woke us up at the crack of dawn.”
He collapsed back on the bed, staring at the ceiling “I am going to kill him.” He groaned and then extended his arms to grab her “come back in bed.”
Aelin instead pulled his arm “food.”
“I am pretty sure you can make toast without me.”
She dropped his arm and stormed to the kitchen almost annoyed.
Rowan huffed loudly, threw his legs off the bed and sat down, grabbing his boxers. Once he was dressed he stood and joined Aelin. He reached her side and bumped her hips with his pushing her away “you are dangerous even when you toast bread.”
She gave him a very rude gesture and sat on the counter but instead of making toast, Rowan started making pancakes “and don’t say I am not nice to you.”
Aelin scoffed and folded her arms at her chest “sure, if you are in the mood.”
Rowan gasped and pinched her side “you little devil.” Then went back to cooking “I was thinking that we could go to my place and get my stuff. I have a lot of kitchen things that we can still use and I can move the last of my stuff here. If you are still up to the idea.” He suggested quietly wondering if it had been a spur of the moment suggestion after he had come back.
“Getting cold feet, captain?” She smirked “you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
Rowan switched off the hob and moved to her “But I want to. My mind hasn’t changed from two days ago. I do want to move in with you. Officially.”
Her arms went around his neck “then let’s make this moving in day. We can go to the theatre tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
Aelin nodded “today is when it officially starts. Our life together. This will become house Whitethorn-Galathynius.”
Rowan’s heart started racing madly in his chest at the weight of her words. She was asking him to commit to her, to them. And although some of his fears still gripped his soul from time to time, he realised that, being with her, was all that actually mattered. He stepped closer to her “I am yours,” he had so many more things he wanted to say to her but that’s all he could muster. Her hand ran through his hair and the smile she gave him almost brought him to his knees “I am yours and you are mine.” She said softly against his lips.
“I am yours and you are mine.” He repeated.
Then her mouth moved to his neck and closer to his ear “now get a move on and finish those pancakes.”
Rowan laughed and pulled away “how did I end up with such a bossy woman at my side?”
She dunked her finger in the pancake mixture and smeared his nose with it “because you love a woman who likes to be on top and take charge.”
He cleaned his nose with a towel “you are a terror.”
It was an hour later when they arrived at his flat. It was the first time for Aelin and she was curious to see how he lived. He was very neat and tidy and super organised while she was the tornado. He would fold his clothes and put them away, she would throw them on a chair. In that aspect they were two complete opposites.
They stepped in and the flat was cold.
“Sorry, I haven’t been here in a while.” And went to turn the heating on.
The living room was simple with a bookshelf with a few books, a tv on a table, a sofa and a coffee table. There were no photos in the house and Aelin wondered if that was the house he had shared with Lyria.
“I never bothered much decorating.” He added when he noticed her expression “I moved out of the house I had with Lyria after I came back from deployment. I donated all of her stuff and got out of that place. I just couldn’t.” She saw the sadness in his eyes. No matter how horrible the woman had been she could see that he had loved her. “This has always been a place where to crash at night. It never felt like home.”
She brushed his hair “we now have our home.”
He nodded and kissed her then pulled away in case the kiss led to more. He had no intention of having sex with her in that flat.
“I have boxes,” he said “I’ll do the kitchen, could you please start with the living room?”
She grabbed some of the boxes he had pointed at and moved to the bookcase. That was a fun task at least, although he did not have many books.
“Almost all of your books are about flying.” She commented while browsing some of the titles with interest.
“I tend to have fiction on my e-reader. I can’t take physical books on a mission so my e-reader is my best buddy. I have hundreds of books in there.”
Slowly and methodically she emptied the bookcase and packed away his books. Once at the bottom shelf she noticed an hidden photo album at the back of the books.
She opened it and “Oh.” Surprise hit her when Aelin discovered it was a wedding album. Rowan and Lyria’s wedding album.
With a hint of curiosity she flipped through the pages and noticed that Lyria had been lovely. All that Aelin remembered of the woman was the bloodied and battered victim at the scene of an accident. Lyria was petite and graceful. She looked stunning in her wedding dress, then looked at Rowan in his dress mess uniform and her heart sank. He was gorgeous and much younger. He seemed happy.
She was so engrossed in the photos she did not notice him arriving at her side.
“Where did you find that?” He asked almost annoyed at her.
Aelin lifted her gaze and met his hurt stare “I was boxing the books. It was at the back, hidden.”
“I could not get rid of it,” he said, sitting at her side and grabbing the album “that’s why I hid it. 
“This is not something you bin.” She whispered. She had stashed all of Sam’s photos in a box full of memories about their life together. A box that was carefully hidden in the small attic her house had.
“We were happy in those photos, or so I want to believe.” He was silent for a while “I proposed before I left for a mission and promised we would get married upon my return. Once I was back Lyria had the wedding organised in a month.” He sighed, closing the book “soon after she started being unwell and we discovered she was pregnant. I should have known.” Aelin took his hand to offer silent comfort “it happened too soon to be mine, but I was so happy at the idea of becoming a dad that I ignored everything.” He stood and walked back to the kitchen and kept packing his stuff.
Aelin placed the photo album in the box and kept packing.
Once Aelin was done with the few belongings in his living room she joined him in the kitchen and noticed his full boxes “you really have loads of stuff for cooking.”
In response he gave her a wide grin, the sadness of a moment before completely gone “I was going to get us new stuff for our place but then I realised my stuff here is still in great condition so there is no need to waste money.”
Aelin raised her hands “you are the one doing the cooking. As long as you are fine…” She moved at his side and stared at him packing “can I do the bedroom or you don’t want me snooping?”
“Go on. Most of my clothes are already at our place. There’s not much there.”
She waltzed to his room and noticed it was even emptier than the living room. She opened the closet and found very few items in there. She folded the clothes and placed them in the bag and then moved to the nightstands and opened the drawers and took out the few items inside. In one of the drawers she found a box at the very bottom, hidden in the corner. She had a look and found out it was wedding rings. Hear heart ached. She had stashed away her engagement ring in her box of memories in the attic. A few times she had thought about selling it but never had the courage to do it. That ring was a promise she made to Sam and she would leave it with all the other pieces of a life that was probably never meant to be.
Aelin placed the tiny box in the one used for packing. Just like the wedding photos it was something that could be hidden away but never binned. No matter the hate. He had been married. Before they met they both had loved other people and that was a part of their lives that could not just be thrown away. It was part of who they were.
She finished packing the room and joined Rowan still in the kitchen finishing up the last few things.
“I think that’s us.” 
They did one final walkthrough and made sure they took everythin. Aelin helped Rowan load the boxes in his car and then he walked back to lock the door behind him but not before giving one last look at the place, ready to close that chapter of his life forever.
Once back in the car he took his place at the wheel and Aelin placed her hand on his knee “are you okay?” noticing his strange stare.
Rowan nodded shifting the gear into drive “I feel as if I finally closed a painful and chaotic chapter of my life and I somehow feel relieved.”
She kissed his temple “now it’s time for our chapter.” Then she giggled “just make sure there is a lot of smut.”
Rowan burst out laughing “no pressure, then?”
They got back to their house and dumped the boxes in the spare room except for the kitchen one. Rowan unpacked it and confessed he was looking forward cooking in an adult kitchen.
“Look at you. I am going to dress up like a frying pan maybe you will find me hot.”
Rowan stood and walked to her and pulled Aelin to him “I always find you hot.” His mouth close to her ear, his hand sneaking up her t-shirt, while the other one found its way in her shorts, pushing her closer to him, making her feel just how much he found her attractive.
Aelin kissed him fiercely and pushed him toward the counter “I want you naked, captain.”
Rowan pulled back and tugged off his t-shirt and his shorts, standing naked in front of her. “Your turn now.” Aelin removed her clothes and stopped in front of him “what are you going to do now?” She placed a hand on his chest and he grabbed her, lifting Aelin on the kitchen island. She lay on her back and locked her legs behind him, pulling him closer. Rowan bent over and kissed her belly “what about we started writing that smut chapter?” He added against her skin, then slowly moving down between her legs. Aelin moaned and her back arched “write away, captain…”
*
Aelin arrived at the fire station the next morning with a big smile on her face. She walked to the ambulance and climbed in when she noticed Lysandra in there working. She jumped on the gurney “Can I ask you something?”
“Go,” she said while storing away some medicines.
Aelin took a deep breath “when did you know that Aedion was the one?”
Lysandra stopped and turned “did something happen between you and the captain?”
“We officially moved in together. We went to get all his stuff from his flat.” She explained “we might have said things.”
“As in? Did you guys fight?”
Aelin shook her head remembering how they spent the rest of the afternoon before heading for the theatre.
“I don’t have an exact moment of when I realised Aedion was the man. All of a sudden I wanted him at my side forever. I just realised that he was the one.”
“I think the relationship with Rowan shifted.”
“Bad or good shift?” Lysandra abandoned her box of supplies and went into full gossip mode.
“Good. I think things between us just got serious.”
Lysandra smiled at her friend “and you are okay with it? Are you fine?”
Aelin nodded “Yes,” she brushed her hair “yes. I love the idea and it feels right.”
Lysandra squealed “I am so happy for you two. I knew you two were going to marry next.”
Aelin rolled her eyes “no one spoke of marriage. Yes, things developed but that is still very far away.” Then she looked at her watch “gotta go and get changed.” She jumped off the gurney “this stays between us.”
“Yes, mrs Whitethorn.” Aelin rolled her eyes one more time and left to get ready for their shift.
Once she arrived back in the common room she found it empty. That was strange. She walked out in the yard and found her answer.
Aedion, being the crazy military man that he was, was running rope rescue drills with Borte and the rest of the team was helping by playing victims.
“Captain,” said Aedion noticing her arrival “I just thought to use these quiet moments to do something useful.” She looked at Ress and Brullo playing victims and their face clearly showed that they would have been happier lazying in the common rom in front of the tv. A treat that Aedion allowed them only after he had executed his daily cruel routine. He believed in drills and training and Aelin was more than happy to give him free rain. When her workload would allow it, she would join in as well.
“Go on lieutenant.” She nodded, then turned to Borte “listen to him and you will do well.”
The woman nodded and they went back to training. 
Aelin on the other hand, went back to her office and buried herself on paperwork. That was the downside of being a captain, she had to deal with all the staff related issues for both shifts; holidays, rosters and any other issue coming her way. In front of her she had a small pile for staff requests, most of them time off requests she had to squeeze in in the next roster. The next bigger pile were the reports for the last call they had. It was her job to finalise them and file them. She hated writing reports. That’s why she was now procrastinating. One report lay in front of her abandoned while she was texting with Rowan. He told her he was having lunch with Gavriel later on. She told him to have fun and leave the other women alone. Aelin was about to go back to her paperwork when dispatch alarm went off and she laughed that she had been saved by the bells.
She ran out of her office and to her engine donning her turnout gear left on the floor with the others, jumped on the vehicle and put her jacket on while Nox drove out followed by truck and the ambulance.
“Structure fire,” said Nox.
“Don’t you just love mornings?”
The drive did not take long. Aelin jumped off the engine followed by her team. Luckily the house was small “Ansel, Luca I want you to vent the back.” Then she turned to Aedion “I can see a basement, take Ress and Brullo and do a search there.” Then she looked at the new recruit “Borte, Manon, you are with me, we’ll do a sweep of the first floor.” The three women moved inside “we don’t have much time,” she shouted over the radio “the fire is deep in the structure. Sweep and once you are clear you get out.” She turned right and indicated to Borte and Manon to cover the rest of the floor.
“Fire department, call out.” She shouted. Crouching low Aelin began to sweep methodically the room, visibility was bad and the fire was quickly spreading. They did not have much time.
 “Fire department, call out.” She was about to turn around when she saw a foot peeking from behind the sofa. “I got someone,” she shouted over the radio.
Aelin was about to grab the elderly lady when she perked up and started screaming “let me die.” The woman shouted and resisted Aelin’s help almost pushing her on the ground.
“We need to go.” Aelin grabbed the woman’s arms but she was much stronger than expected and pushed her away again “I need assistance in the living room.” She called over the radio and Manon appeared a moment later.
“Let me die. Let me die.” Kept repeating the woman fighting Aelin.
Aelin nodded to Manon and they grabbed one the shoulders and the other one the legs and carried out the elderly lady who kept trashing all the way outside. They placed her on the gurney and Lysandra and Elide took care of the woman who was now weeping hard.
Aedion joined her “basement clear.”
Aelin removed her mask “guys scene is clear, get the water going now.” Then she stared at the woman on the gurney and wondered.
They did a secondary search “fire originated in the kitchen,” said Brullo joining her outside “cooking oils fire gone wild.”
Aelin nodded “let’s pack up and return to quarters.”
The journey back to the station was quiet and Aelin could not remove from her head the plea from the woman to let her die. What kind of pain would drive someone to beg to let them die in a fire?
Once back at the station she hid back in her office and tried to work again, but after an hour she gave up. She got out and called her team “engine, let’s go for a ride. Aedion, keep truck here. I have the radio with me. If we get a call we’ll see you on the scene.” She jumped on the engine and Nox was at the wheel waiting for her orders “Orynth General.” The man nodded and the engine drove out of the station.
“Do you think she did it?” Asked Asterin from the back.
“I don’t know,” replied Aelin, her gaze fixed outside.
Nox parked the rig just outside of the hospital “you stay here just in case.” She got off the vehicle and walked into the building and then the A&E reception “Hi Sorscha,” she said to the woman.
“Hi Aelin.”
“I believe Lys and Elide dropped off an elderly lady we rescued from a fire. I was wondering how she is.”
“Yes, Mrs Perkins.” She typed something in her computer “smoke inhalation mostly and some first degree burns.”
“Did you manage to contact any family?”
Sorscha nodded “her daughter is driving from Illium just now.”
Aelin nodded “can I go and see her?”
“Med bay three.” And the doctor pointed her in the right direction.
Once there she knocked against the beam to announce her presence “Mrs Perkins?”
“Yes?” Said the woman shakily.
Aelin moved a step in “Hi, my name is Aelin, I am one of the firefighters who rescued you.”
The woman looked away “why did you do that?” The woman’s voice was strained.
“It’s my job. I can’t let people burn inside buildings.” She explained quietly.
The woman’s hazelnut eyes met hers “I begged you, though. I wanted to die.” Her voice broke and Aelin noted again the pain in the woman’s voice. 
She sat on the chair at her side and took her hand “why?”
The woman was silent for a moment “I lost my husband six months ago. We had been together for fifty two years.” Aelin’s heart hurt at the pain in the woman’s stare “it might make me weak, but I miss him and without him I feel lost.”
Aelin took a deep breath, fighting the tears threatening to appear. For a brief second her treacherous heart showed a life without Rowan and she could share the woman’s pain.
“You are far too young to understand.”
“A year and a half ago I lost my fiancee. He was a firefighter too. He died in a fire,” she confessed, pain gripping her heart. Yes, losing Rowan would probably break her completely, but Sam’s death had pushed to an abysm that she struggled to come back from for a while. “it almost destroyed me. I gave up on everything for a while. I felt like I could not go on without him. My friends brought me back from the darkness.”
“What was his name?”
“Sam.” She gripped the woman’s hand “I am sure your husband would like to know that you are still alive and well. He wouldn’t want you to give up for him.”
The woman nodded and in that instant her radio went off.
“Go,” said the lady “go and save someone else.”
Aelin rushed out and joined the engine “let’s go, guys.” And they rushed to another call.
An hour later engine and truck made it back to the station. Everyone went to their duties and Aelin walked back to the office, finally trying to catch up to all the paperwork. At least she had a good excuse for Dorian if it was late. Saving people had the priority.
She was finally in the zone and making some progress when someone knocked at her door.
“Come in,” she almost snarled.
Aedion popped his blonde hair in the crack “someone for you at the front.”
Aelin sighed and followed him on the apparatus floor and saw a woman waiting for her with a box in her hands “Hi, are you Aelin?”
She nodded.
“My name is Ellie, I believe you saved my mum from a fire this morning.”
“You are mrs Perkin’s daughter.”
The woman in front of her nodded and offered her the box “as a thank you to all of you. I got it from the bakery down the road.”
“Thank you,” Aelin grabbed the box and placed it on the big bumper of the engine “how’s your mum?”
“They will discharge her tomorrow. Given her age they want to keep her in for a night to keep an eye on her.”
“I went to see her.”
“My mum…” the woman started and Aelin knew she was restraining the tears from coming “since dad died, she has barely left the house. My husband and I live in Illium. I go once a week and do a big shopping for her, help her in anyway I can. But she gave up on everything.”
“She told me.”
Then the woman sighed “I convinced her to come and live with us. The climate is much milder. Plus she has grandkids and I hope playing grandma will cheer her up.”
Aelin smiled fondly “I am so glad.”
“Thank you for dragging her outside. I could not have been able to cope with losing my mum so soon after my dad.”
“No need to thank me, it’s my job.”
The woman gave her a nod and a smile “I need to go back to the hospital. I just thought to come and say thank you.”
“Give her our best.”
“Will do.” And she walked away.
Aelin stared at the woman disappear for a moment, then she grabbed the box and went to the common room.
“I bring goodies,” the box high up and eyes turned to her at the announcement “from the daughter of the lady from the house fire this morning.” She placed the box on the table and her team ran to it as soon as they recognised its origin. They w ere all fan of the bakery.
“Leave some for Lysandra, Elide and Evangeline. They are the only ones working.” She smiled and walked away ignoring the sweets, something that Aedion noticed and followed her into her office.
“Are you okay?”
Aelin nodded.
“It’s not like you to pass on sweet treats from the bakery down the road.”
Aedion sat down across from her, worry deep in his expression “ok, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Will you stop it?” He almost shouted “I can totally tell there is something wrong but all of a sudden you have decided that you don’t need Lys and me anymore. I know you have posh boy but we have known you longer than him.” It was petty, but he was not letting her shutting down once again.
Aelin stood in a swift motion, facing him “that lady is what is wrong. She lost her husband of fifty two years six months ago and it just opened up wounds I thought had finally started to heal.” She paced behind the desk “her pain reminded me of my own. And every time I think I am getting better my fears come back, reminding me that Rowan has a dangerous job too and makes me want to bail on him and go back being on my own because I cannot go through that pain again.” She let out a ragged breath “this time it could destroy me for good. And I am so scared.”
He moved a step to her and hugged her tight “have you told him?”
Aelin shook her head “it’s just stupid fears,” her voice on the verge of a sob.
“No they are not and he needs to know. He deserves to know. The man is crazy about you.”
She sobbed in his arms her limbs lightly shaking “I love him, but I am so damn scared.”
“You should talk to Lys.” He said against her hair “even after years she is still terrified every single time that alarm goes off.” He sighed “and although her job is less scary, I worry every time she and Elide go out on their own. Until the ambulance comes back in here.”
Aelin pulled back from the embrace.
“Talk to him, okay?”
She nodded.
“Now come and eat some delicacies before the hungry hungry hippos we have in the common room polish up the entire box. You should have some. You saved that woman after all.”
Aelin was back in her office after she had managed to eat the last bits of cakes left. She also felt better. The chat with Aedion had helped and she had texted Rowan. She had to talk to him. Aedion had been right. Rowan deserved to know.
She was about to go back to work for the billionth time that day, when Aedion joined her again “hey, I know you are trying to work, but Orynth just got a snowstorm alert. It’s quite bad.”
Aelin got into action “I want to make sure we have supplies, have Ress check that the backup generators are in good shape. Make sure the truck and engine and the ambulance are in good shape if we get a call.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Aedion left and Aelin texted Rowan to get to the firehouse quickly. She did not want him around town when the storm hit. He texted back saying that he was driving Gav home and heading to the station.
Once in the common room she joined the others in front of the tv to listen to the news. The meteorologists expected high levels of snow and extreme temperatures.
“Ok, people we are in for a treat and probably a long shift. Let’s close the doors for now to keep the storm out.”
The squad spread out and went about their duties. Aelin went to phone Dorian for an update and Dorian gave her permission to use the house for shelter for anyone requesting it.
She tried to phone Rowan again and when he didn’t answer she started to worry. The weather was taking a turn for the worse.
The dispatch alarm went off calling for the ambulance assistance. The three paramedic ladies ran to the ambulance and Aedion joined Lysandra “be careful out there. It’s getting worse. Just drive safely, please.” He gave her a deep kiss “I love you.” She kissed him back and the three left.
Five minutes later they were on the scene and Lysandra gasped when she was off the ambulance and saw who was with the victim.
“Is that Rowan?” Asked Elide joining her.
“I took Gavriel home. I went to get something for Aelin before heading to the station and then I saw  her on the ground. I think she bashed her head on the pavement.” He explained not leaving the side of the injured woman.
Lysandra noticed the good job he had done “you blocked her neck.”
“She was unconscious when I found her, but she has been breathing and has a pulse.”
“You’d make a good paramedic. You have the right instincts. ”
Lysandra grabbed the backboard while Rowan placed the collar around the woman’s neck.
“I’ll help you ladies.” And he lifted the board on the gurney with Lysandra.
“Go to the station, she is waiting for you.”
“Be safe, the three of you. The roads are nasty.”
Lysandra nodded and they climbed in the ambulance. He shut the doors and patted the door to tell them they were good to go.
Rowan walked back to his car and dumped the food on the passenger seat. Aelin had been craving a burger from Emrys in a while and they haven’t been able to go so he decided to surprise her.
Getting to the station took him longer than usual, the storm had worsened and visibility was almost non existent. He hoped they didn’t have to go out on a call.
He walked through the door and found the firehouse quite hectic. It seemed like the guys were busy getting ready.
“Captain…” Brullo waved at him.
“Is Aelin in her office?”
“She is in the gear room doing equipment checks.”
“Thanks Brullo.”
Rowan walked into the gear room and found her sitting on the floor playing with the oxygen tanks.
“I bring food.” He waved the bag at her and Aelin looked up at the sound of his voice.
“Ro.” She stood and jumped quickly in his arms “you made it.”
“I also bumped into Lys and Elide. And helped. I am the one who called for the ambulance.”
“Paramedic Whitethorn indeed.” She kissed him gently “now sit,” and snatched the bag of food from him.
“You really love the food more than me.”
Aelin kissed him “I love you but Emrys burgers are amazing. And I love you even more for bringing this.”
He sat on the floor with her and stole a few fries. “You should have gotten one for yourself.” And pushed her burger to him “come on, take half.��� He took a bite and pulled his arm around her shoulder while she munched away happily.
“Can we talk?” She said softly after a while, taking the last bit of her burger.
“Of course we can.”
Aelin turned and kneeled in font of him, placing her hands on his knees “we got a call this morning. An old lady we think torched her own place to kill herself.” She told him “when I tried to save her she begged me to let her die.” She looked at him “I went to the hospital to see how she was and we talked.” Her hand grabbed Rowan’s, twining her fingers with his “she lost her husband of fifty two years six months ago. She could not live without him anymore.” She sighed deeply “it opened some wounds. Wounds I thought had now healed and my fears came back and with them the need to bail. To not get attached because the pain could be too much this time.” She sniffled “ but I am not leaving you, no matter how scared I am.” Rowan cupped her face and kissed her “I have the same fears. The night you told me what happened while I was away and walked on the balcony and left you I had the same thoughts. I wanted to bail too.” He kissed her again “I am not leaving you, though because although we haven’t been together for fifty two years, I can’t imagine not having you at my side.”
Aelin sobbed and nested against his chest, incapable of utter any more words. It terrified her sometimes how quickly she and Rowan had become involved after they stopped fighting, how deep the connection. She hoped they were meant to last, because in his arms she could only imagine a future with her silver-haired man.
“We are okay, Fireheart.” And hugged her tight “we can talk about our fears. You can talk to me, you know.”
She nodded “I know.” She sat back down “thank you for the burger.”
A kiss in her head “it was my pleasure.”
“So what do you do for equipment checks?” Rowan changed the topic trying to cheer up Aelin.
“Mostly checking that the tools are working, but most importantly check that the oxygen tanks have been filled.”
He stood and went to grab her jacket and tried it on “this is heavier than I thought.”
Aelin smiled and went to get a bundle “remove your shoes.”
He looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“The boots are always inside the trousers. We leave this near the trucks so when we get a call we just remove the shoes, step into the boots and pull up the trousers and then wear the jacket.”
Rowan put his feet in the boots as instructed, then Aelin helped him pull up the trousers and the suspenders and placed the jacket on him.
“So, so sexy right now.” She took a photo of him and then walked closer and kissed him “I have so many naughty thoughts right now.”
Rowan pinned her to the wall and kissed her avidly but she stopped when she heard the sound of the backup generator kick in “that’s the backup generators. Which means a possible power outage. The fun is about to start.”
Rowan removed the uniform very quickly and together they joined the rest in the common room.
“What’s the update?” She asked.
Aedion was about to reply when the dispatch alarm went off.
“Let’s get moving.” Shouted Aelin while running to the engine. Rowan joined her “be careful, all of you.”
“You play host here. Sometimes people come here for shelter.”
He nodded and gave her a quick last kiss before shutting the engine’s. In silence he watched the three vehicles roll out of the firehouse and disappear quickly in the heavy snowfall. 
All he had to do now was wait and hope they would make it back safely.
He left the apparatus floor and sat on the sofa in the common room, the place eerily silent.
And waited…
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overlordred said: Heyyyyyyyyyy Doll Face, it me again 🥸🤓, so I saw that you’ve had Porco on the brain and it made something in my brain click again. I don’t know what it is with my need for characters with devoted animal companions but it’s just my thing. Like Porco’s S/O has had her tortoise since she was a kid and it’s HUGE now and since I’m sure you’ve mentioned Udo loves turtles, in a last ditch effort to keep the kids occupied while babysitting them Porco’s like I have a turtle and the kids just lose their minds from this tortoise (who for some reason has a name like Speed or something 😆) If you don’t see it I very much respect that but I just thought I’d share lol. I hope you’re having a beautiful day and good fortune smiles on you. Laters!
Porco & you babysitting pt.2
{ Porco x reader | tw:none | fluff, light drama | modern }
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{ "De Forest Interior" 1878 by Walter L. Palmer  1854-1932 }
"What's wrong?" He said with a frown, stepping back to give you space. "Did i do som-"
"No. It's just that…" you interrupted him, "Porco, what are we exactly? Is this a relationship or are we just friends wit-" 
Before you could finish, a high pitched scream came from where the kids were, snapping your attention to the closed door. Porco was the first to move, not wasting a second in pushing it open before hurrying to the living room, you followed behind.
The room was dark, with the tv blue screen illuminating it, whatever was on it was forcefully turned off. It was mostly quiet except for the shallow breathing you'd hear the closer you got to the couch.
Your eyes landed on a small figure, curled into a ball beside the couch, wasn't it for his glasses reflecting the tv light you wouldn't have spotted him.
Before Porco would trip and fall on his face, you flicked the light switch on, so he could avoid the pillows littering the floor.
Udo was looking sickeningly pale, glasses pushed to his head with his face buried in his arms while hugging himself.
Falco was kneeling to him, hands visibly shaking as he tried to soothe the other, growing more nervous as you approached them. "We… we were playing this game and then this-" he hiccuped between his stuttering as he tried to explain what happened.
Porco quickly carried Udo who clung to him like his life depended on it while Falco continued trying his best to form coherent sentences.
You went around the couch where the other two were. Gabi was hugging a pillow in a tight grip, eyes damp as if she's holding back tears while glaring at the floor to avoid meeting your eyes.
She only shook her head when you asked if she's okay.
Meanwhile, Zofia was just...sitting still, too still. Her stare blank and empty at the tv screen, keeping silent and barely acknowledging you when you approached her.
Part of you felt responsible for leaving the kids alone with a horror game when seeing their state now.
"Let's just move them to the kitchen, it'll be okay. Can you carry Zofia?" Porco said with Udo in his arm as Falco trailed after him while clutching his shirt.
You nodded before going to pick her up, she didn't resist but she seemed too stiff and uncomfortable. 
Falco actually came back to hold Gabi's hand and guide her with him after Porco, she took her pillow with her too.
When All of them were huddled in their chairs near the table, you could clearly see how visibly shaken they were.
You attempted to soothe them as Porco gave them some cookies and milk that they drowned quickly.
After time, reassurance and Porco lighting up the mood by making some snarky comments about the horror game they were playing that got them giggling, they slowly calmed down.
Falco was the first to feel better
Gabi soon enough followed. 
He was telling Porco about how he got the highest score in the game so far which made Gabi object and say she's the one who got the highest score, soon enough forgetting why she was scared in the first place.
They started another fight that basically was one saying "no you didn't!" and the other replying with "yes i did!!" over and over.
That actually managed to make Zofia laugh, more at them than with them. 
The only one left who hasn't spoken a word since the beginning was Udo.
Still holding onto Porco with shaky hands.
You and Porco watched as the three of them attempted to cheer him up, each with their unique way.
Gabi saying it's okay he shouldn't be scared because she will protect him and beat up the scary monster if it showed up.
No one dared to bring up the pillow on the table.
Falco said they can just go back and watch some Minecraft let's play instead.
It almost worked but the mention of going back to the living room made Udo even more scared.
Zofia suggested that they can play some animal crossing together and she'd even water all his flowers for him.
That made him perk up, only to frown again when he realised he forgot his switch at Reiner's place.
They kept listing off suggestions but nothing seemed to work or make him smile.
And the fact he still was actually scared and shaking made you and Porco more concerned by the second.
And then Falco said, "maybe we should...call his mom, she usually knows what to-" 
"Absolutely not" only to be interrupted by Zofia, "she'd never allow him another sleepover for at least a month."
You and Porco shared a look, as the adults in this situation it was your responsibility to make sure he's safe and call someone who knows what to do. 
Holding Udo closer to him with one arm while the other reached for his phone from his pocket, Porco scrolled through his saved contacts. "I think i have his mother's number saved somewhere...here it is, ms-"
In a quick motion, Zofia snatched his phone away. Surprisingly not only you but Falco and Gabi too with her strong reaction.
"No. You don't understand she won't allow him near us again." She explained in a firm tone, grip strong against the phone while looking at Porco in the eye. "Call Reiner instead."
Porco stiffened at the mention of the other's name, a sour look on his face. He was about to refuse but seeing at Zofia's pleading eyes made him stop at the last second.
He looked at you, you gave him a nod.
"Fine." He caved in, running a hand through his hair, "I won't call her, I promise.". 
Some seconds passed by as Zofia was eyeing him to determine if he's telling the truth, her grip only softening when her gaze fell on Udo who's still clutching the other's shirt. She reluctantly handed him the phone.
You watch the weirdly intense scene unfold, unsure if you should say something or not.
In the end, you decided not to interrupted. Although noticing how unusually quiet Gabi and Falco were, you realised that they weren't even in the room anymore.
Porco seemed too busy glaring at the air while murmuring something under his breath as the phone rang, while Zofia had her full attention on Udo.
Thankfully, you didn't have to say anything since Both Gabi and Falco came running back into the kuchen, huge smiles on their faces.
"Udo! Udo you won't believe this, there's this giant turtle in Porco’s room!" Falco yelled in excitement.
"It's this big!" Gabi stretched her arms as wide as she can, "and it's black all over with yellow dots! It looks so cool!"
That seemed to get Udo's attention, slowly turning his head from where he was burying it against Porco’s now ruined shirt.
"Really?" He whispered, eyes hopeful and colour returning to his face.
"You went inside my room?" Porco said, alert in his voice.
"What?" Came a voice from his phone, "why would you call me to ask that?...no i didn't. Are the kids okay? I can hear them yelling." Reiner said.
Apparently, that was what it took for Udo to finally calm down.
You watched as Gabi and Udo sat on the ground, faces pressed against the tank glass while attempting to coax the shy turtle out of hiding.
"Her name is lady dash, and if you step back and stop scaring her like that then i might let you feed her some meat." Porco said.
With that, both of them were under lady dash's love spell in no time. 
Gabi thought she was the coolest thing in the world, Udo agreed while counting the yellow dots on her shell.
Keeping true to his word, Porco let them give her some food.
They watched with anticipation as she emerged from the shallow water, slowly gliding towards the food.
They both held their breath as she extended her neck, opening her mouth as wide as she can before taking a big bite of the meat, slowly munching on the piece she cut off.
As soon as it ended, they turned around begging Porco for more food to give her.
Zofia and Falco joined too complaining that it isn’t fair since they didn't have a turn.
Porco looked at you for support, you just smiled before saying how come you don't get a turn too?
In the end he gave you all strawberries to give her to munch on.
After that roller coster of emotions, it came no surprise that the kids started getting sleepy and yawning, having used all their sugar energy from ice cream in the previous freak out.
If there's something you know, is that you should never tell a kid that needs a nap, that they need a nap.
Never ever.
Apparently Porco didn't know that.
And now you have four sleepy kids being defensive and offended that you'd even suggest that.
Thankfully tho, they seemed too tired to agru too much as they decided to finally sleep.
Gabi said she isn't even tried, she's only joining because Falco wouldn't stop whining.
Udo and Zofia agreed, despite the three of them being minutes from dozing off.
Falco ended up being their excuse for a nap, but he didn't complain...too much.
Realising that there's still two hours remaining before Reiner comes to pick them up, Porco seemed too eager to get them to sleep to get some time alone with you.
Hell he even grabbed the blankets and pillows and made them makeshift beds in the living room himself just so him and you can go back to his room alone.
"What…no we're not sleeping there." Said Gabi, standing in the middle of the doorway to the living room, arms crossed as the other three stood behind her.
"Yeah...it's still scary." Added Udo, stepping closer to Zofia. 
"Can we just sleep in your bed instead? Please?" Falco too was hiding behind Gabi, eyes avoiding the tv at any cost.
Porco gave a stern look, lifting an eyebrow as he too crossed his arms. "No. You're big kids you can handle it." 
"If you say so" Zofia poked her head from behind Gabi, "although, it'd be a shame if these pictures of Udo crying, Gabi drinking energy drinks and Falco eating a hot pepper pizza reached Reiner huh." 
And in that moment, you remembered exactly the fimilar sense of unease you felt about these kids some hours ago. 
You looked at Porco’s unbelieving eyes, knowing fully well he must accept this defeat gracefully. 
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kuroos-babie · 4 years
Text
Falling in Love with a Single Mom
Iwaizumi x fem!Reader | Bokuto x fem!Reader | Ushijima x fem!Reader
[ Headcanons/MiniFic ]
Request: Can I please req headcanons for Iwaizumi, Bokuto, and Ushijima falling for a single mom? — anonymous
a/n: this one’s looong but i really enjoyed writing it pLS GIVE ME MORE like anything concerning babies id love that please thank u :’] I HOPE Y’ALL WOULD LIKE THIS ONE :D i’d love to make these a full blown fic if any of yall want that hehe
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❀ aside from the hushed chattering of students waiting for the professor to arrive, the college lecture hall was fairly quiet
❀ that was until the high-pitched cries of a baby ripped through the room
“hey pipe it down!”
“who would even bring a baby to a lecture anyway?”
“can’t you just bring it outside jeez you’re interfering the class”
“class hasn’t even started yet”
❀ iwaizumi was the last one to speak, your classmates’ snarky comments annoying him more than the baby’s crying
❀ he saw you walk out the hall, pushing the stroller with your head low, muttering apologies
❀ letting out a sigh, iwa stood up with the intention of following you outside, but not before he shoots your classmates a threatening glare
❀ he finds you not too far from from the lecture hall, bouncing your 5-month old daughter on your hip as her wailing turned to quiet sobs while she laid her head on your chest
“there there, were you just sleepy?”, iwa doesn’t miss the soft but tired smile gracing your face
“uhh do you need some help with that?”, you jumped at his voice, startled
“oh no, we’re fine! thank you though...uhh..?”
“iwaizumi, i’m iwaizumi hajime, i believe we haven’t met before” he extends his hand for you to shake which you curtly did
“y/n! yeah i believe we haven’t”
❀ since that encounter, iwa would always sit beside you in class and glare at anyone who so much as attempts to make any unnecessary comments
❀ he’d often offer to look after your baby while you took class notes for the both of you
❀ it didn’t take long for iwa to grow fond of your blubbering baby and, of course, you
❀ he noticed how hard you worked; juggling classes, part-time jobs and taking care of your daughter and he admired you for it, so much so that he spent almost every weekend over at your place, insisting on helping you take care of your daughter
“y/n, i don’t want to seem rude but if it’s alright to ask, where’s her dad?”, he’d ask while holding your child, who was curiously pinching and smooshing at his face, as you prepared lunch
it was a question that’s been bugging him for so long, noticing that there was no sign of any other person in your small apartment except for you and your baby
“oh,” you started with a small laugh, “he left when i told him i was pregnant”
the amount of restrain it took iwaizumi to not curse in front of the baby is unthinkable but the bittersweet way you smiled dissipated his anger and he was filled with something he couldn’t quite comprehend
“it’s alright though! we’ve managed to get this far”, there was a wistful pause before you continued, “i’d love it if she grew up with a dad though.”
“then let me” with a voice so steady, unwavering, and as dependable as he was these past few months he continued, “i’ll take care of you.”
he didn’t even let your tears fall as he pulled you in his embrace together with your child, placing a soft kiss on your forehead, 
and for the first time in so long, you’re comforted with the feeling that everything will be fine —and you believed that it will be, as long as he was there
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❀ it was just another run to the grocery store with akaashi, him picking out everything on the list while bokuto sluggishly pushed the cart through the aisles
“akaashi what’s taking you so looooong? i want to go hooooome”
“bokuto-san we wouldn’t be spending so much time here if you regularly shopped instead of calling me for help when you’ve eaten the last bit of food in your house and you have nothing else to eat anymore.”
❀ the tall owl-like man deflated more, if that was even possible, as he followed akaashi around
❀ skimming through the snack aisle, he noticed something was tugging on his shirt, but when he looked down..
“daddy?”
AJDKDAFJHKSD DO I LOOK LIKE--
“uhhh akaashi???”
❀ the toddler clutched at the hem of bokuto’s shirt, tear-stained cheeks puffing out as he pouted
❀ bokuto picked the child up and held him in his arms with a bright smile
“what’s wrong buddy? are you lost? should we help you find mommy?”
“we should probably leave him at the security desk, bokuto-san”
“are you my daddy?”, the toddler asked again, teary eyed, ignoring akaashi’s words
“well do you want me to be your daddy?”, he grinned and the child nodded gleefully 
“bokuto-san, no”
he turned to his junior, tears welling up his eyes, “akaashi, i’m a father!!”
“bOKuTO-sAN” 
❀ the tragedy of akaashi keiji
❀ the rest of grocery shopping went by with bokuto picking out stuff for his “son”
❀ it was all fun and games right before you spotted them
“uhm, excuse me but i think that’s my son”
“mommy!” the child’s eyes lit up as he turned to you
“hi baby, let’s go home you’ve troubled this man enough.”
“mommy i found daddy!!”, he said while hugging around bokuto’s head, earning a chuckle from him
you laughed lightly, turning to the two men, “sorry he has a knack for trying to find a dad during grocery runs”
bokuto and akaashi gave each other a look before the latter spoke, “it’s alright you must’ve been worried, bokuto-san please give back her son”
“but akaashi--”
“give him back :)”
bokuto hesitantly placed your son in your arms, the both of them have matching pouts
your son nuzzled against your shoulder, stifling down his sobs and quietly whispered, “but i really wanted him to be my dad”
“maybe we can meet up some other time again so you and bokuto-san can play?”, you eyed the man pleadingly which earned you a giddy nod from both your child and him
❀ that was how you and bokuto started seeing each other regularly
❀ he’d visit your house every weekend, come with you to pick up your son from kindergarten, take you both out for dinner and even stayed over on some occasions 
❀ your son loves him so much and always calls him “dad/daddy”
❀ bokuto calls him “buddy/kid”
❀ your son would often tease bokuto when he catches him stealing glances at you while you walked around the house, getting chores done
“you like mommy don’t you?”, he’d snicker
“i-- whAT? kid where do you get those ideas from?”
you peered through the doorway of you son’s playroom, “baby do you want some snacks?”
“yes please!” the both of them answered at the same time, bokuto turning beet-red while you just stifle down a laugh and went to prepare their snacks
when bokuto was sure that you were out of earshot, he whispered to your son, “kid do you still want me to be your daddy?”
“yes! yes!! YES!!!”, the little boy bounced on his heels happily 
“okay good because i think i want to marry your mommy”
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“wakatoshi-kun isn’t that y/n-san?”
❀ ushijima grunted as he had his eyes fixed on your form from across the room
❀ it was your high school reunion and even though you both haven’t met in a while, the former volleyball team captain still felt his spine tingling at the sight of you
❀ you’ve always been pretty, pretty enough to catch his eyes and fascinating enough personality-wise to keep his attention on you
❀ though he never spoke of these feelings throughout high school, it never really vanished even when you’re well on your adult years
❀ and seeing you right now, with the same pretty smile but seemingly tired eyes, he can’t help but yearn for you as he did when you were in high school
❀ while walking to the other end of the room to where you were, he thought of anything to try and hit up a conversation with you but he was pulled from his musings the moment you’re standing in front of him, a mere arms-length away
“y/n..”
“oh ushijima-san! long time no see, how hav--”
“mama!”, you were interrupted as your 5 year old child clung to your hips, “mama the scary man’s coming for me!”
“ᶦ ʷᵃˢ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵗʳʸᶦⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃʸ ʰᵉˡˡᵒ“ :’/
“baby don’t be rude that’s just uncle goshiki, go on play with him” you urged your son with a gentle hand on his back
“no! his hair looks weird!!”
❀ rip tsutomu bb
❀ ushijima doesn’t know what to make out of the situation
❀ you have a child? does that mean you were married already? was he too late?
“i didn’t know you got married”
“huh? oh no! i didn’t..”, you were hoping he would get the hint but you remembered that it was ushijima wakatoshi in front of you, so you had to spell it out for him, “i got pregnant shortly after college, his dad left the moment i dropped the news though”
the laugh that came from you was humorless, and that didn’t go unnoticed by ushijima
“would it be alright if i took you out on a date, then?”
❀ with face flushed deep red, you bit the inside of your cheek and nodded, sheepishly squeaking out a quiet “yeah”
❀ you both agreed to meet the next weekend for lunch then take your son on a playhouse while you two catch up
❀ then came the weekend, everything was going well, except for one thing
❀ even at the playhouse, your son didn’t leave your side and instead opted for glaring at ushijima across the table in the parents’ waiting area
“baby it’s rude to glare at people, please go play with the other kids”
“what do you want to do with mama!”, he said pointedly at the mountain of a man 
“talk?”
“what do you want to talk about with her!” 
you couldn’t help but smile at your tiny little bodyguard acting so tough even with a man probably five times his size
“i wanted to know if she would consider marrying me”
at that, you whipped your head to look at the man across the table who was casually talking to your son, the prospect of marrying someone who you secretly pined for for all of high school sending a wave of hot blush on your face
“why?”, your son continued with the questions
“because i would like to marry her”
“why?”
“because i love her”
“since when??”
your face grew incredibly warmer every second that passed by but his answer dealt the finishing blow and you thought your heart would burst
“since all of high school”
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iwantitiwriteit · 3 years
Text
Slow Burn: Book I - Part 7
The Lunch - Small Thank You’s
Pairing: Chris Evans x Famous!Reader
Summary: You and Chris get to know each other better over a flirty friendly lunch.
Warnings: Fluff, spinkle of Angst, Profanity, phonetic spelling of words said in a Boston accent because I needed a laugh
Notes: Hey loves! Hope you all are well! It’s been a while— praying I didn’t forget how to write too bad and y’all enjoy this installment lol. Little FYI: I’m basing the reader’s music off of that of Banks and SZA. Before you dive in, set the mood with the moodboard + music specially curated to go with this part! Read the previous part here.
The GPS said the drive from the museum to the restaurant would be… well, you were distracted from that bit of information. Not that it would matter. Chris keeps making turns against the suggested route, citing that this was “his city” and that he’s a “real Boston boy”.
What you do know is that the talking and laughing with Chris made the car ride seem all too short. Pointing out familiar streets and landmarks, he lit up telling you his childhood stories laced within the city. Pardon, his city. The glint in his eyes and excitement in his voice sent tiny sparks up your spine, but you did your best to ignore it.
Chris tried to guess where you had the two of you going for lunch. You, however, wouldn’t give in to his guesses. Eventually, you arrive at a market of sorts, a culture clash of small businesses and patrons. It’s in an area Chris is familiar with, but he never thought much of coming to.
“I thought we were going to a restaurant?” Chris inquires, not seeing a food establishment from his spot in the driver’s seat.
You puff out your jaw, squint your eyes, and proceed with your best ‘Godfather’-like impersonation as you tell Chris,“I thought you would’ve learned to stop asking me questions by now, hm.”
“That... was horrible.” Chris’ deadpan causes you to giggle in response.
“I know! Now c’mon; I’m starved!” You draw out as you reach to let yourself out of the car.
“Woah, woah, hold on,” Chris stops you with a gentle hand on your arm. You questioningly look over your shoulder at him. He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car. Settling back into your seat with a huff of delighted shock, you realize what he’s doing.
Chris jogs to your door, the returning drizzle giving him a sense of urgency. He opens the door for you then offers his upturned, open hand for you to choose to take. You hesitate for a millisecond before obliging, delicately placing your smaller hand in his large palm.
You’re unsure of the last time anyone was this... chivalrous to you. Trying not to dwell on it too long, you give him a soft-spoken ‘thank you’. Chris responds with an equally soft ‘of course’. You both find it difficult to meet each other's eyes, missing the shy smile the other is sporting.
“Lead the way,” Chris gently prompts with a hand extended in the market's direction.
Mildly busy, the market is livened by business people, college students, housewives and househusbands alike. Store fronts of small businesses ranging from sustainable fashion to high-end housewares line the long cobble stone path, accented by fairy lights for added whimsy. Chris curiously takes in the sights from beneath a low baseball cap and hoodie. He’s sure to not let his eyes linger too long for fear of locking with anyone.
Meanwhile, you’re walking with purpose, leaving a distracted Chris behind. He catches up when he notices you turn a corner in his periphery. When he follows the path you took, he finds you by a green, white, and red beaded archway.
You pause and look up at Chris, a playful grin on your lips that makes his heart skip a beat. He’s looking down at you, brows raised with utter anticipation. You think this might be your favorite expression on him. You pull back and step through the beaded entrance, Chris following suit closely behind you.
“Woah…” It was almost as if that small act of stepping over the threshold transported you both to Sicily. The faint notes of Italian standards play in the background as Chris gawks at the charming restaurant.
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The mostly occupied dining area is quaint, housing about 10 tables max, including a couple of booths. The walls are decorated with floor-to-ceiling built-in shelves of libations from Italy. The alcohol display is interrupted by creeping vert vines that add that little bit of spice to the space.
As a waiter walked by, Chris breathed in deeply, the warm aroma of marinara sauce, freshly baked bread and Italian spices filled his nose and lungs.
“How’d you manage to find the one Italian restaurant in the greater Boston area I’ve never been to, much less heard of?”
“Hmmm… must not be as much of a Boston boy as you think,” you say with a wink, and Chris scoffs through his lopsided smirk.
“There she is!” a bellowing voice familiar to you draws yours and Chris’ attention away from each other. Chris looks on as the short, husky man pulls you in for a cheek-to-cheek kiss. “It’s been too long! Mi sei mancata la faccia!”
“Charlie, you know I have no idea what you’re saying, but I like the way you say it!” You share a laugh with your Uber driver-turned-friend. “And what do you mean ‘it’s been too long’! I was just here last week.”
“5 days ago to be exact. 5 days since you, ya castmates… most importantly ya directah,” Charlie stresses lustfully in his strong Boston accent, “have swarmed Ma’s restaurant. Whassup with that, huh?”
“The real question here is what’s up with your crush on Sonya, huh?” you tease him. Charlie’s smitteness with your director has not gone unnoticed.You can practically see the hearts forming in his eyes at this moment.
“I doan know what ya tawkin about.”
“Uh-huh, sure.”
“Enough abowut it! Let’s get ya seated and you can tell me who’s ya new friend,” Charlie says, motioning to Chris.
When you’re seated in a corner booth by a rainy window, you introduce the two men.“ This is Chris, my, uh…um…” You hadn’t really thought about what to call your relationship with Chris. It’s been… rocky up until this point, and while you’ve been friendly, you’re certainly not friends. Not yet, at least.
Chris notices and understands your hesitance, a small part of him hoping it’s because you don’t want to friend-zone him. “It’s alright, don’t worry your pretty, little head about it,” he teases you, earning him an eye roll. “We’re… acquaintances, right?”
“Right! Acquaintances… I guess?” It didn’t feel right, a little too impersonal, but you’ll roll with it for now.
“‘Acquaintances’?” Charlie sizes Chris up, a comical sight considering the dramatically different statues of the two men. He tilts his head and squints at Chris’ face, his expression melting from intimidation to inquisition. Chris tenses, knowing the look he’s being given all to well. “Been here before, Chris? You look mighty familiah…”
“Umm… no... I don’t… don’t believe so,” Chris answers almost timidly. The avoidant gaze into the plastic covered menu, the heated cheeks that shone the same color as a tomato— you know that look all too well. You decide to do what you hoped someone would do for you.
“He’s just got one of those faces! But um, I’m ready to order if you are?” you try to deflect. Charlie doesn’t think much of it and takes down your meal decisions, but that small act means the world to Chris. He mouths ‘thank you’ from across the booth, and you smile and tip your head in a slight nod, sure he would’ve done the same for you.
You order your usual, spaghetti with vegan meatballs, and a glass of the house white wine. Chris has what you’re having except he’s ordered a “tonic”, which you learned the hard way the other night is Bostonian for soda. Charlie is back promptly with your drinks and breadsticks and ensures that your food will arrive shortly with a small smirk on his face that you don’t think too much of.
It’s quiet at your table for quite some time. Both you and Chris take small sips from your glasses, nibble at the garlic-y bread, look out the window and around the restaurant. As you do so, you run through a list of conversation starters in your head but you’ve deemed them all too dumb, too boring or too invasive. Why the hell do I care so much? You glance up at Chris and wonder if he’s going through the same irrational inner turmoil you are. Maybe he’s not, or maybe he’s overcome his when he finally breaks the silence.
“So, um… how long have you been a vegan?”
“Um… how long have we been shooting this movie? My character— she’s very, uh… power to the people— and plants,” You chuckle out. “Figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try myself. Go a little method,” you say with a shrug.
Chris waves his breadstick at you as he asks, “You believe in all that method stuff?”
“I don’t know… I’m really new to this whole acting thing, but I guess I just like the idea of really connecting with this character in every way I can. She reminds me so much of myself at that age.”
“How so?” Chris presses on.
“She’s… sure. She’s sure of herself… of her judgements and decisions. She’s sure of her hand in her own success. And that breeds this really un-fuck-with-able confidence in her that if I had an ounce of, it’d be over for you hoes,” you end with a slow nod and look off into the distance.
Chris laughs at your dramatics, but it dawns on him what you’ve shared. “Wait… you’re telling me that’s not you now? I mean, I know I’ve only known you a short time, but you seem pretty un-fuck-with-ably confident to me.”
“Ha! Guess I’m a better actress than I thought,” you mutter. Chris knows it’s meant to be a joke, but watching as you fiddled with the rings on your finger, his chest tightened. A look of sympathy must’ve shown on his face, because you start to wish you hadn’t said anything at all. Did I just overshare? God, I thought I outgrew that.
To save you from your minor embarrassment is Charlie with the same smirk from earlier. He gently places the order in the center of your table, and you finally understand what his face was trying to give away earlier.
“We’re, uh… runnin’ low on plates...” is Charlie’s half-baked explanation. “Buon appetito!” he offers before hastily leaving.
Sat between you and Chris was the meal you ordered, yes, but on the single largest plate you think you’ve ever seen. One plate of spaghetti for two people— two practical strangers— to share. The embarrassment just won’t stop, will it?
Elbow perched on the table, your hand acts as a visor of sorts on your forehead as you massage away the headache forming at your temple. You can’t see Chris, just hear him chuckling and breathing out an “oh man…” under his breath. His fork comes into view as he twirls the pasta onto it. You peek under your hand up at him.
“What? Not gonna just look at it!” Chris insists. “Now, let’s see what this vegan meatball is about… DAMN! That tastes legit!” You giggled at his enthusiasm and felt your tension melt away.
You began to dig in as well. It was fine, normal even, for a few moments. You could almost forget you’re sharing one big ass plate of pasta with one of Hollywood’s most sought after stars at a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant. Yep, very normal. As long as I keep from oversharing the rest of this afternoon, everything should be fine… you thought to yourself.
“Tell me… how are you liking Boston?” Chris asks.
“It’s fine.”
“‘Fine’?! Just fine.”
“It’s great Chris, no need to get your panties in a twist. But, ya know… It’s just not…”
“Home? Yeah, I get that. Where’s home for you?”
“Um… well I guess home has never been a single place for me. It’s with people I love, as cheesy as that sounds. Home is where my heart is…” you trail off as you remember you shouldn’t share too much.
“And your heart is with family, friends… a boyfriend…?” Chris slips in.
“What is this? 20 questions?” You quip as you sip on your white wine.
“Maybe... if you want. You can ask me something.”
“Hmm… Ok…” You ponder over what to ask him as you twirl your pasta around your fork. “What is… mm no. How about… nah, wait.” Chris huffs impatiently as he awaits your first question. “Ok! I got it!”
“Alright, lay it on me.” Your breath hitches at his word choice and you hope doesn’t notice. Why’d he have to say it like that?! You clear your throat and ask your question.
“What’s your favorite song of mine?”
“Really? That’s your question? So conceited…”
You giggle before explaining, “Well, I only ask ‘cos a little Scottie told me he saw you, and I quote, ‘full on rocking out’ to one of my songs. I’m just curious which one it was.” You sip on your straw and peer up at Chris, watching for his reaction.
Chris groans, covering his face while sinking down the booth seat. You can’t hear too much of what he's saying behind his hands and over your laughter, but it sounds like he’s cursing Scott’s name. When he finally restores some gumption, he places his hands on his napkin, eyes fixated on his fingertips picking at the dampened corners. Teeth sunk into your bottom lip, you try your best to bite back your amusement to not further Chris’s obvious embarrassment.
“Ok…” Chris sighs out, “ I’ll admit it! I’m man enough to own up to it,” he shrugs. “Yes, I was ‘full on rocking out’ to your music. You’re amazing at what you do.”
Your face heats up, not expecting the compliment. You don’t know what to say. It’s not like you’ve never heard it before. In fact you’ve heard it a lot the past couple of years, you’d thought you’d become numb to it. Yet, for some reason, sitting across from Chris, his eyes looking tenderly into yours, the compliment you’ve heard a million times before just… hits different. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
You clear your throat and break eye contact with Chris. “You still haven’t answered my question, though...”
“Right! Hold on…” Chris says as he fishes his phone from his front pocket. He scrolls through his music app to find the playlist he’s made of his favorite songs of yours. Your cheeks burn even more intensely as you watch. “‘Gemini Feed’ is my favorite to dance to; hands down! But I also really love ‘Drew Barrymore’; it’s fun… but sad, ya know? What am I saying; of course you know; it’s your song!”
You giggle in somewhat disbelief of watching Chris motherfucking Evans geek out over your songs!
“Well… this is a rare opportunity I have, to talk to the artist herself, that is. So, I have to ask, how did that song come about? From personal experience, I suppose?”
“Yeah… um, gosh. You want the full or abridged version of the story?”
“Full! Are you kidding me?!”
“Ok, ok! Well, it was right before my album was set to come out, and my boyfriend-at-the-time dumped me,” you laugh lightly at the now-funny memory. “After weeks of heated arguments and projecting his career insecurities on to me, he picked his final fight with me about how I was “acting too famous for him” and just ended things.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah... It completely caught me off guard. I couldn’t think straight in the studio that day, so I ended the session earlier and went to a party, per my best friend-slash-manager’s coercion. She’s a bad influence.”
“I like her style! Did the party help?” Chris asked.
“Well, it was on the higher-end of house parties, and I just wasn’t used to being around such an expensive lifestyle yet. But guess who was there because why wouldn’t he be?,” you exhale and roll your eyes as you reminisce.
Chris leaned in with intrigue. “The Ex?”
“Mm-hm. In my standard walk-in-the-party-scan of the room, I spot him. I should've known because that party was very much his scene, but what I wouldn't have guessed is that he'd be there with some other woman.”
“What?!”
You nod your head as you proceed to spill the tea to Chris. “This dude is there with another woman, after being out of a relationship for all of 8 hours. I think the worst part is that she looked nothing like me. Like, imagine the complete opposite of me to the hottest power, that was who was hanging all over that idiot.”
“He is a total idiot for letting you go.” You don’t know what to say to Chris’ statement and quite honestly forgot where you were, what you were talking about… “What happened next?”
“Right! We locked eyes for a moment and there wasn’t anything from him. No emotion at all. Like, he didn’t care that our relationship just ended. But then I had the thought that maybe we’d been over for a while and I had just been too distracted to realize and accept the party was over.”
“Jimi peeped what was up and got me out of there. I hoped that we could go home so that I could cry on her shoulder all night. Instead, she dragged me to a real house party. I so badly wanted to pity myself, but the energy there was too infectious to not enjoy; it felt like a 90s movie!”
“The next day, I went through my crazy ass camera roll, and I couldn’t help but... smile… and laugh! Then I thought about him, and how stupid he made me feel, and I don’t know… I kinda put all these weird, conflicting emotions into this one song, and felt better afterwards. Like I was turning a page.”
Chris didn’t immediately say anything, taking in the very personal story you shared. The somewhat unfortunate event that fueled his favorite lyrics. He looked at you carefully and quietly. However kind he looked in this moment, it didn't matter much to the creeping thoughts in your mind.
The silence made you self-conscious. You took inventory of your physical, how your face was hot, how your chest felt tight. Your left hand had somehow migrated into Chris’ right hand in the middle of the table. “I, uh— my bad…” you start as you take back your hand.
Chris quickly grabs your hand before it gets too far. “Thank you for sharing that story with me... and your music with the world. Your confidence in your vulnerability is really fucking inspiring. Thank you. Seriously, thank you,” he gives your hand a gentle squeeze for emphasis. He’s looking at you with a boyish smile and tilted head that makes you break down and smile at him, too.
“Thank you,” you return, just barely above a whisper.
——————————————————————————
You and Chris spent the rest of your time at L'amore Della Madre exchanging stories of love lost and life wins, sharing loud laughs and silent signs of admiration. To anyone on the outside looking in, it may have seemed like two had known each other longer than you actually have.
“I gotta say, I don’t like this,” Charlie whispers to you. He pulled you aside for a moment to say your goodbyes, while Chris waited for you outside. “Mostly becahse it was supposed to be my jahb to set you up with a nice Italian boy, but you’ve brought your own,” he says with a smirk.
“Oh, no! It’s not like that! Chris and I aren’t— wait… how’d you know he’s part Italian?“
“I have my sources… which may be the wait staff who are big fans of the guy. Here this is from them,” Charlie hands you a to-go box.”It’s tiramisu… for two,” he winks.
“Oh my god! I told you, we--”
“Will thank me at your wedding!” Charlie says as he waves you out of the door to the sidewalk where Chris is waiting.
“Wedding? Who’s getting married?” Chris asks.
You let out a sigh and shake your head. “Nobody. Want dessert?”
You and Chris small talk and walk and eat tiramisu on your way to the car. It was nice. It was normal. It felt… real. You didn’t realize how much you needed and missed small, yet meaningful moments like this until right now.
The pair of you stop in front of a pet shop window and watch the puppies play together for a moment. You pointed out a pair of snuggled up puppies to Chris. “Hey, they kinda look like us!”
Chris chuckles when he looks, “They do!” A chocolate brown puppy and a tannish-white one lie peacefully in one another’s presence without a care for the world on the other side of the glass. The tannish-white one starts to lick and nudge at the chocolate brown one, eliciting what you made out to be a sleepy smile from the brown pup. You don’t know why, but witnessing such intimacy causes you and Chris to straighten, fidgeting and giggling nervously.
“I had fun today.”
“As did I. You’re better company than I thought you’d be,” you joke.
“Uh… thanks?” He answers reluctantly, causing you to giggle. “Maybe we could… hang out again sometime…?”
“Maybe we could.”
“Cool.”
“Cool.” There’s a beat of silence as you and Chris hold each other’s gaze. “So… you wanna take my number down?” you prompt him.
“Right! Right. Yeah, I should probably do that…” Chris stammers as he pulls out his phone. You take it from him, replacing it with your phone. You put in your number along with taking a silly picture for your contact, and he does the same.
Chris laughs at your shared child-like humor, and you revel in the moment. It was nice. It was normal. It was the first time you’d felt unmistakably connected with someone without feeling anxious of their motives or what the world thought of it in a very long time.
Time moved slowly when you were with Chris, it seemed to good to real life. But just like that, a flash snaps you and Chris out of your daze and back to reality.
You both look in the direction of the camera flash to find a young woman trying to pretend she didn’t just take a picture of the two of you. Chris turns back to you but doesn’t meet your eyes. Instead his head is hung low as he says “I really… hate that shit.”
“Preaching to the choir.” Chris looks up to your face, your gaze steady in the general direction of the perpetrator. “Makes me feel like an animal in a cage.” You say.
This is why Chris doesn’t mind celebrity companionship. You get it. You understand this strange aspect of his life that not many other people truly do. You also get the value of normalcy and privacy… and leaving when the party’s over.
“Let’s get out of here.” You say coldly and walk in the direction of the car.
Chris was baffled, to say the least. This was usually the part where you talk about how “fans” will cross invisible boundaries just because they know your face and name. However, you seemed uninterested in trauma bonding.
You were already buckled in when Chris caught up to you in the car. The energy the entire drive to your sister’s brownstone was… off. Nothing like it was earlier in the day. A simple flash changed your mood, and Chris was aching for it to go back to before. But no joke, or crank of the radio volume seemed to work.
When Chris pulls up to the curb, you immediately hop out, mumbling a final thank you to him.
“Hey,” Chris grabs your wrist gently, halting you, “You get kinda used to it. Ya know... after a while,” he says hoping you’d find comfort in his words.
You look down at where his hand was wrapped around your wrist. “Yeah… that’s what I'm afraid of... but thanks anyway.” Taking back your wrist from Chris, you turn to walk to the front door.
Chris is calling after you. He doesn't want to be emotionally intrusive, but he hopes you'll give him a chance to understand you. Help you. Comfort you. If only she'd turn around. You can't bear to look back at Chris. It will only remind you of everything good today, and why you can't have it.
Part 8 coming soon! What’d you think?
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gameofdrarry · 3 years
Text
Wizards Hearts Recs: Healer!Draco
Wizards Hearts was a four-month-long Drarry reading fest. Players were given a playing deck of 52 tropes, and were asked to find 52 different fics to read and comment on to fill their decks. To prevent the same few fics from being read, fics were restricted to only being used for the game three times before being considered ineligible for further points. The tropes and submissions list can be found here.
Check out the masterlist of fics for this trope below the cut!
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📜 The Four Doors by fluxweed Rated:  Explicit Words:  48845 Tags: Mind Healer Draco Malfoy, Legilimency (Harry Potter), Memory Loss, Memory Magic, Sexual Fantasy, Masturbation, Power Imbalance, Auror Harry Potter, Dubious Consent Due To Identity Issues, Dubious Consent Due To Patient/Healer Dynamic, Mind Fucking (Literally), Not Epilogue Compliant, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE Summary:  It’s been four months since Harry lost his memory. Four months of dead ends and no answers. With time running out until his memories are gone for good, Harry agrees to a course of Legilimency therapy with a renowned specialist: Mind Healer Draco Malfoy. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Where The Falcons Fly by MyNameIsThunder Rated:  Mature Words:  283177 Tags: Healer Draco Malfoy, Seeker Harry Potter, Quidditch, accidental magic, Blood and Injury, Not Epilogue Compliant, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Post-Hogwarts, Scars, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Whump, POV Third Person Limited, Mutual Pining, Power Couple, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Eventual Fluff Summary:  Where the Falcons fly, there’s blood. Where Draco goes, there usually is too. That’s his job, after all – heal morons and the people who get in their way. He could deal with that, he thinks, if only there wasn’t Harry fucking Potter, Seeker, who gets injured a lot even by the Falcons’ standards and seems to have made a habit of inserting himself in Draco’s private life. Draco just wants to heal people – normal people, that is – and do his research in peace. Well, when does he ever get what he wants? ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 A Better Kind of Love by MalenkayaCherepakha Rated:  Explicit Words:  25768 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Hogwarts, Quidditch Player Harry Potter, Healer Draco Malfoy, St Mungo's Hospital, Hospitals, discussion of injuries, Broken Bones, Injury Recovery, Skele-Gro, Physical Therapy, Nightmares, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Quidditch, Masturbation, Rimming, Shower Sex, Locker Room Sex, Semi-Public Sex, H/D Erised 2020 Summary:  Harry, along with the rest of the Puddlemere United team, is determined that this year will be the year they finally win the Quidditch League Cup. But when a Bludger-induced fall leads to a missed Snitch, broken bones, and an extended stay in St Mungo's, that conviction is put to the test. If Harry wants to have any chance of returning to the pitch this season he has to put all of his faith in his assigned Healer. Which is no easy task when that Healer is Draco Malfoy. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Meet Cute by rewmariewrites Rated:  Teen and Up Words:  4203 Tags: Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, St Mungo's Hospital, Hospitals, Healer Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, POV Draco Malfoy, Pining Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry is a Little Shit, Banter Summary:  It may be important to note that Draco Malfoy meets the love of his life when he is twenty-five years old. Well. In the spirit of fairness, that statement is both technically inaccurate and incredibly vague. Draco isn’t just twenty-five years old, when he meets the love of his life, he’s also in his fourth year of the Healing Programme at St. Mungo’s, and this isn't actually the first time they've ever met. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Don't Waste Your Eyes on Jealous Guys by EvAEleanor Rated:  Mature Words:  9667 Tags: MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, Auror Harry Potter, Healer Draco Malfoy, Roadtrips, Music, Implied Sexual Content, on the bonnet of a car, Pining, jealous boyfriend, mentions of Abusive Relationship (emotionally and verbally), First Kiss, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Hopeful Ending, Choose Your Own Ending, Touch, hearing, TasteofSmut 2020, First Time, Bittersweet Ending Summary:  For two years now, Harry’s life has been different. Not only does he work in New York City as the Auror liaison to MACUSA on an international murder case, but he’s seen more of Draco Malfoy than he’d ever thought possible. Working with him, and spending time with him after work. During all of this time, Harry has watched Draco going back to his shitty boyfriend over and over again. The worst thing about all of this, he’d fallen in love with him. Maybe there’s hope for Harry though. Maybe for just one night... ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 All is NOT well... by iStiz Rated:  Mature Words:  65500 Tags: HP: EWE, Not Epilogue Compliant, Slow Build, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Healer Draco Malfoy, Quidditch, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Physical Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Depression, Substance Abuse, Rehabilitation, Cuddling & Snuggling, Mild Sexual Content, vague sexual content, Happy Ending Summary:  The war may be over but all is NOT well. Harry feels lost, the Ministry is still trying to control him, his friendships with Ron is rocky at best, he doesn't sleep enough, and then there's Draco Malfoy. Things haven't turned out quite the way Harry expected them to, but at least he still has Hermione to help him (and maybe some new friends if he can trust letting them into his life). ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Harry Potter and the elusive day off by pleasebekidding Rated:  Explicit Words:  71753 Tags: Sleep disorders, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, in all honesty this has a bunch of pain, problematic therapist/patient stuff, mind healer!draco, auror!Harry, no seriously the therapist/patient stuff is super problematic but welcome to fanfic, Child Abuse Summary:  Auror Potter needs a fucking break. He is wiped. He is exhausted. He probably didn't intend to put himself into a magical coma but these things happen. And who cares, really? He is comfortable in a house where he has hidden away all the shit he can't deal with. Guaritore Christopher Black is an exceptional psychiatrist with a specialisation in sleep disorders. He is also Draco Malfoy in a Glamour. Minister Hermione Granger knows the dangers and the complications, but she needs her best friend back. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 oxygen by MaesterChill Rated:  Teen and Up Words:  4065 Tags: Healer Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Post-Hogwarts, Smoking, Cigarettes, Talking, Breathing, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Minor Character Death, A Kiss, Fanart, POV Second Person Summary:  Draco doesn’t smoke. Except when he needs to breathe. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Indebtedness by RecIt_Ralph Rated:  Teen and Up Words:  50685 Tags: HP: EWE, Healer Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Slow Build, Fluff and Angst, forgiving Harry, Chaptered, My First Fanfic, Swearing, Snark, Eventual Happy Ending, Second Chances, Getting to Know Each Other Summary:  Of all the Healers in all of St Mungo's - why does Harry always end up with Malfoy? ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Best Laid Plans by CreateImagineWrite Rated:  Explicit Words:  10105 Tags: Marriage Proposal, Lust Potion/Spell, Secret Relationship, Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Barebacking Summary:  He hadn’t intended to be fully clothed with Harry naked at this point, or to have just made him take an antidote to a poison or have had to Incarcerus him to the bed. But they’ve never had a very normal relationship anyways. And damn him if he’s going to let Ginevra Weasley get in the way of him marrying this man. Fourshot. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Iustitia & Prudentia by skeptique Rated:  Explicit Words:  36302 Tags: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Hogwarts, Post-War, Auror Harry Potter, Healer Draco Malfoy, Bisexual Harry Potter, Gay Draco Malfoy, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Mental Health Issues, Everyone is going to Therapy, Taking their Meds, Calling Their Person, Slow Burn, Procedural That's Fairly Light on the Procedural Part, Canon Content Warnings Apply, brief discussion of infertility, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Discussion of Ongoing Food Related Issues, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Canon Typical Violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Pansexual Theo Nott, Case Fic, Mystery, Draco Malfoy in Glasses, Minor Character Death Summary:  Draco Malfoy’s entire life fell apart after the War. He’s putting it back together as best he can with what is available to him. But Harry keeps interfering and won’t leave him alone. When he agrees to be an Auror consultant to help Harry, is it more than he bargained for? The world shifted under Harry Potter’s feet and he found himself lost and purposeless. He anchors himself in uncovering the truth about a dangerous pureblood terrorist group. Is Draco the key to solving these crimes, or is he a distraction? ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 To Do No Harm by Lokifan Rated:  Explciit Words:  58114 Tags: Post-Hogwarts, HP: EWE, Quidditch, Getting Together, Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Recovering From The War And Becoming Better People, Quidditch Player Harry Potter, Healer Draco Malfoy, Community: hd_erised, Break Up Summary:  Draco hadn’t planned to end up as team Healer for the Chudley Cannons, but it’s a Healer job, so he’ll take it - and then Potter shows up, the glorious centre-of-attention Seeker, as ever. And someone with a grudge is sabotaging Quidditch teams, and it’s only a matter of time before the Aurors’ eyes turn to Draco. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 To Prove We're Not in a Rut by gracerene Rated:  Explicit Words:  2140 Tags: Established Relationship, Post-Hogwarts, Healer Draco, POV Harry Potter, Bottom Harry, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Wall Sex, well it's actually against a door, Top Draco, Bottom Harry Potter, Top Draco Malfoy Summary:  Draco and Harry are not in a rut. Draco sets out to prove it. ❤️ Read on AO3
📜 Tell Me the End at the Beginning by harryromper Rated:  Teen and Up Words:  36591 Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-Hogwarts, St Mungo's Hospital, Healer Draco Malfoy, Auror Harry Potter, Auror Hermione Granger, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Christmas Presents, Christmas Decorations, 25 Days of Harry and Draco, Food Hall Turkeys, Advent Calendar, Healer Luna Lovegood, Kreacher, Minor Neville Longbottom/Ginny Weasley, Yule Logs, Misheard Christmas carols Summary:  St Mungo’s is the last place anyone wants to spend the festive season. Harry finds himself there anyway. Or: Harry's an Auror suspended from duty, Malfoy's wearing the hell out of three-piece suits, Hermione is entirely over everything, and Kreacher just wants to be left alone to decorate for Christmas. ❤️ Read on AO3
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twstdreams · 4 years
Note
I've loved your non-romantic/platonic content that you've done so far! Adding on to that list, could I please request a short story surrounding MC, Ace, and Deuce? An accident occurs which ends in MC turning into a little kid and now it's up to the two boys to put their differences aside and babysit their friend until she's back to normal. Girl pronouns plz! Lol I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue. If you don't feel comfortable with this ask you can skip it! Thx for reading :)
I am always up for platonic content and shenanigans! Long story, so the rest is under the cut!
Warning: Minor spoilers for side stories (briefly alluded to)
Length: ~2.3K
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“It’s this one!” Deuce declares with unfounded confidence.
“No, it’s not!” Ace rebuttals despite not making it past page 10 in his textbook.
“It’s mine!” Grimm shouts even though he most definitely does not understand the experiment at hand. 
The magicless student can only sigh. Deuce and Ace suck at potions. So when the two bicker about what to add to their cauldron, the prefect doesn’t even blink an eye. Deuce mispronounces an ingredient, Ace corrects him, but neither are even talking about the right thing. She can practically sense Crewel’s glare despite her eyes remaining on the cauldron, cautiously waiting for bubbles to appear so she could add the indigo milk cap mushroom. 
What is added next to her cauldron is not the mushroom in her hand but a random root Grimm throws in. In Deuce’s haste to catch the gremlin, he spills over his own cauldron and some of their potion spills into hers.
“What are you doing?” she asks, but it’s too late. The mixture in her cauldron is boiling profusely and suddenly envelopes her in a cloud of smoke.
“Funya! MC, are you okay?” Grim inquires. Deuce and Ace also call out her name but there is no response. When the smoke clears, everyone in the room is left speechless.
The potential beast tamer hasn’t moved but an inch but she’s at least two feet shorter and with rounder cheeks and wide eyes. 
“WHAT?” she screeches in disbelief, suddenly too short to even reach the cauldron, “Fix this!” 
And this is how the group’s long catastrophic day begins.
Adventure 1: The beginning
“What?!” Grim shouts. If looks could kill, Crewel’s glare would have toasted the monster.
“Yes, it is hard to predict when MC will return to normal because you carelessly threw together that potion. It should wear off in a day, but there’s no guarantee,” the teacher explains through gritted teeth. The bell rings but the quartet barely registers it.
“Go to the headmaster! It’s not my problem anymore,” Crewel declares. 
Unfortunately, as most meetings with the headmaster are, the conversation is fruitless.
“Hah? We’re supposed to babysit her?” Ace asks.
“Yes! It’s your fault, is it not? Take care of her until the spell wears off,” Crowley declares.
“Isn’t there any way to break the spell?” Deuce inquires while nervously glancing towards MC.
“It’s hard to tell because you added in unknown amounts of various ingredients,” Crowley answers before muttering, “It takes too much time! I need to know what happens next in my novel.”
“Tch, what a lazy adult,” MC comments with a bored expression. She figured this would happen. She can’t even recall a moment when the headmaster had actually been helpful.
“What did you say?” Crowley demands. Deuce immediately picks up MC and heads for the door.
“Nothing! We’ll take care of her! See you later headmaster!” Ace explains while the two boys dash out of the office. They book it out of the hallway and then set her down on the ground.
“Hey! What was that about? It’s usually Grim saying stuff that gets us in trouble, not you,” Ace comments.
“Don’t tell me…Now she acts like a little kid too?” Deuce wonders.
Adventure 2: Stranger Danger
“Oh? Ramshackle prefect, you seem to be caught in quite the predicament.” MC glares at the Octavinelle dorm leader in return. Ace and Deuce are in the midst of calling Cater and Trey to ask for advice, giving Azul the perfect opportunity to approach her.
“I have an offer for you,” the second year begins.
“No.” MC is firm in her answer and has no intention of making any deals.
“Are you sure? I treat children well,” Azul adds but it only results in her frowning. There’s suddenly a glimmer in her eyes but before Azul can deduce what it means, MC begins shouting.
“STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!”
“Stop that!” Azul insists but his wide eyes give away his flustered state. With a smile that looks a little too much like Chenya’s, MC continues her call for help. Soon enough, Deuce and Ace rush to her side.
“Stranger? That’s Prefect Azul! Have you forgotten him?” Deuce inquires with a look of concern. MC decides this is the perfect time to practice her puppy eyes and simply looks up at Deuce, wide eyes and with a pout.
Azul silently admits defeat as he forms a tight-lipped smile accompanied by some false pleasantries before exiting the area. 
“I’m hungry!” she announces before anyone can question her further. 
“Yes! Let’s go eat!” Grim agrees.
Adventure 3: Sweet Dreams
Getting lunch is a surprisingly painless affair. Though Night Raven College students could be quite self-centred, even they balked at harming a little girl. MC easily orders her favourites before sitting with her friends, though she has to sit on her knees to be at a comfortable height compared to the table.
“Wow! It’s true!~” Cater chimes while taking a seat at the table.
“How are you feeling?” Trey asks.
“Okay! It’s kinda weird but at least it was easy to get lunch,” she replies while taking a bite of her food.
“Now you really look like my minion!” Grim declares. MC shoots the monster a glare but doesn’t give him a response.
“You’re actually a little kid, huh? So, what do you wanna do when you grow up?” Ace teases.
“I want to control all the ghosts and have an army,” MC answers nonchalantly as if she had been discussing the weather.
“What?” Trey asks, slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this the person who was gullible enough to think that oyster sauce went in tarts?
“A ghost army,” she repeats confidently.
“Anyway! Aren’t you lucky? You get all these handsome guys to help you today!” Cater interjects, not wanting to unpack why the prefect wanted an army of the dead. 
Her gaze scans the table before looking up at Cater, eyes wide and expression void of malice, and asks, “Where?”
Grim howls with laughter while the four Heartslabyul students try to recover from the blow to their ego. It’s definitely going to be a long day for them.
Adventure 4: Smiles and stares
“Hey wait!” MC whines. One disadvantage of becoming short is that her stride decreased accordingly, thus her struggles to keep up with her classmate’s pace.
“Just walk faster or we’ll be late for class!” Ace retorts, glancing up ahead to see how far away the next building is. 
“AHH!” Ace turns around to see MC a couple of meters behind him face-first in a patch of grass. 
“Uwah! Are you okay?” Grim asks while flying above the fallen girl. Ace groans at the predicament. Deuce ran ahead to warn the other teachers of MC’s unfortunate condition so the redhead was the only babysitter at the moment.
The situation only worsens when MC begins to sit up, knees scraped, eyes glistening with tears, brows furrowed, and lips pressed tightly together. Ace’s eyes widen at the sight.
“Please don’t cry,” he mutters under his breath before trying to think about how to soothe kids.
“Oh my, that was quite a fall. You’re okay now though, right?” Jade asks while extending a gloved hand. His face is calm, showing no signs of concerns or worry with only a placid smile to demonstrate any emotion. MC stares at his face, analyzing his expression for a few moments. After finding the answer to her unsaid question, she accepts his hand and quickly sniffles before nodding. 
Ace watches in amazement as all signs of pain and panic vanish from her expression. He decides not to question her mood change before ushering the prefect to their next class.
Adventure 5: What came first? The egg or the chicken?
“You have to!” Deuce insists.
“NO!” MC shouts back, sitting firmly on the ground. Deuce is startled by the force of her words but stands his ground.
“It’s for your own good! Kids need exercise!” Or at least that’s what Cater told him before going to light music club.
“You can’t move me an inch!” MC retorts.
“I’m older, you should respect your seniors,” Deuce adds, doing his best to retain some level of patience.
“At least I know where chickens come from!” she rebuttals and Deuce feels at a loss for words. It is certainly not honour student behaviour to yell at a young girl but the first year is at his limits. He came to NRC to learn about magic, not dealing with children!
“Let’s play tag,” Jack suggests. Being the only one with little siblings, he is quickly enlisted to help. While disappointed in Deuce and Ace’s carelessness, he didn’t want to risk MC’s safety by leaving her in their care. Thus making him a reluctant member of the babysitting team.
“Tag?” MC echoes before a bright smile forms on her face. “Can it be teams?”
“Sure,” Jack agrees nonchalantly. 
“Jack and I are on the same team! We get to chase Deuce and Ace!” she declares gleefully.
“Huh? I didn’t agree to this,” Ace interjects.
“We need even teams!” MC responds with puffed cheeks.
“Too bad, so sad!” Ace replies without remorse.
“This is our fault Ace. Plus we promised the headmaster to take care of her. As Heartslabyul students and men, we can’t go back on our words!” Deuce declares. Jack’s firm gaze and Deuce’s blazing spirit give little room for negotiation and Ace sighs in defeat. Ace really does hate alchemy class from the bottom of his heart.
Adventure 6: Idiots, all of them
MC closes her eyes and enjoys the breeze while resting. Deuce and Jack had gone to the cafeteria to get drinks for everyone after several rounds of tag while Ace lay on the ground to catch his breath. It was quite entertaining to see the fastest first years engage in a game of tag and even more fun to watch Ace try to avoid his inevitable fate. Agile as he was, Ace couldn’t run fast enough to outdo Jack with his insane stamina and speed. She giggles at the memory.
“Bonjour petite princesse!” Rook looks down at the little girl with a shining smile. Her eyes snap open and follow the source of the cheerful voice. 
“Isn’t it delightful to see a new side to your friends? Like escorting someone on their first dance, like watching a lazy lion transform into a beast for the sake of the hunt, like observing night flox bloom under a full moon!” Rook beams but MC merely shrugs in response.
“Yeah but I’ve also seen Ace fall off his broom, Deuce compliment plants, and Jack mistake onions for a chemical leak.” 
“Oh? Is it not like having several princes tend to you?” he inquires. 
She scrunches her nose in thought before replying, “If my prince got stuck in a tree and I had to go save him.”
“Dear me, and I thought you were une petite princesse mignonne [1]! Perhaps that was a misunderstanding,” Rook remarks though he doesn’t seem displeased with the discovery.
Adventure 7: Mandatory nap
“Let’s go to the infirmary,” Ace suggests, “MC needs a nap and it’s the closest building with beds.”
“I’m the one that needs a nap?” she asks while side-eyeing her tired friend.
“She hasn’t even run for 3 hours,” Jack comments.
“Kids need naps! Plus, who knows what the side-effects of the potion are?” Ace adds, “We shouldn’t take any chances with her health.”
“You do need proper sleep to grow strong!” Deuce concurs.
“Sure, sure,” she concedes. When they arrive at the infirmary, there is no staff in sight. Ace guides her to a bed with an expectant smile.
“Well, go to sleep now!” Ace announces.
“It doesn’t work like that. I’m not sleepy,” she responds.
“Just lie in bed and close your eyes!” Ace insists with a huff.
“Shut up. You’re so noisy,” a voice growls. Leona appears on the other side of a room divider. Jack lets out a sigh, disappointed but not surprised by his dorm leader.
“I was having such a nice nap and now I’m… hah?” His sentence trails off as he eyes the little girl before him.
“Well,” you launch into an explanation of what happened, Leona shooting a judgemental look towards Deuce and Ace midway, before concluding, “It should wear off by the end of the day.”
“Tch, what an annoyance. I’m going back to sleep, don’t be loud,” Leona warns before flopping back onto the bed.
“How do you fall asleep so fast?” MC inquires. Leona glares at her, lips pressed together to form a thin line, but he lets any threats die in his throat.
“It’s nap time. Count sheep like a good herbivore until you fall asleep,” he instructs before turning his back towards the group. More than she’d like to admit, her small body requires rest and what better excuse than this? Besides, it’s not like magical history homework was particularly appealing, so she plops onto the bed to rest.
“I’m exhausted. Taking care of kids is tiring,” Ace says before falling onto another bed.
“It’s been a long day. I’m glad MC is okay, though. Haaah…I’m sleepy,” Deuce murmurs before resting on a different bed. Jack doesn’t comment but quietly begins his homework while keeping watchful eye on the little girl, not that he’d admit it if asked.
Adventure 8: The End. For now, anyway
She stretches after waking up, pleased to find her body back to its normal size. Ace snores lightly, Deuce’s mouth is agape, and Leona is nowhere to be found.
“Are you feeling okay?” Jack asks.
“Yeah, I actually feel pretty good!” Their conversation awakens their friends.
“You’re finally back to normal! I’m relieved,” Deuce interjects.
“You’re a lot of work for a minion, ya know? You’re lucky I’m so great,” Grim comments.
“That was a pain! You owe me big time!” Ace adds. MC shakes her head and wonders if she has the greatest or most chaotic friends.
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[1] une petite princesse mignonne = a cute little princess
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