#usually people know <<of>> the language of flowers as in its a thing and may know basics like roses but not enough to have a long list of

[togenabi]

with flowers under the stars

inumaki toge x fem!reader (royalty au)

♡—Toge does his best to impress you, even when others might not want him to.

previous♡— [PART 1]

word count♡— 4.1k words (oml)

genre♡— fluff, romance, royalty au

aged up characters♡— 18+

content notes♡— potential lovers to actual lovers, mutual pining, courtship, dating, everyone is a prince or princes, older brother!gojo satoru, no use of y/n, romance, very fluff, mentions of engagement and marriage, toge uses sign language, some characters may be ooc >&lt; pls forgive me

author's note♡— after rising from the grave (I'm so sorry this took so long! buT! I'm graduating! AAA) I finally finished the sequel to my first toge fic. thank you so much to those who have appreciated my previous work! now that I'm back, I hope you enjoy this as well! (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)♡

Exchanging letters with prince Toge occurred frequently before you finally met again. He talked about many things, but they all ended the same way: mentioning how lovely you are and how he wishes time could run faster so he could meet you.

Toge's kingdom was a week on ship and a day by train away, so visiting was saved for important duties or events. ‘Maybe I should ask your brother to appoint me an official position in the council so I can stay in the palace.’ He wrote to you once. You reply that he doesn't deserve it, since he wouldn't be working with the empire or its people in mind.

He writes back that he fell for you a little more, and you trace that line an infinite number of times before tucking the letter away.

When the day of the banquet finally arrives, Satoru notices that you appear a bit more lavish than you usually care to look during events.

“Why! My dearest sister! How stunning you look! And for my birthday, no less! I love that color on you, your taste has improved so much!” He suddenly gasps dramatically and loudly—so loud, that the maid helping you with your earrings flinches.

“Are those... the earrings I got you last year? But I've never seen you wear them! I would give you a hug if it wouldn't ruin your clothes!”

You ignore him the entire time he fusses over you. He looks nice today, you admit. His hair is styled down which gives him a softer aura, and his white suit with gold details looks pristine. A midnight blue cape drapes over his shoulders and flows down his back. It would be difficult for anyone else to pull it off, but you don't tell him that. Goodness knows he would never let you hear the end of it.

You sigh as you watch him through the vanity mirror, but he only becomes even more giddy at your silence.

“Hey, give me that.” Satoru says to the attendant holding your brush. “Leave us.” He says as he stands behind you to brush your hair. You stare at him in disbelief.

Satoru knows you love when he brushes your hair. Even if you never outright told him, it was obvious that you enjoyed it when he cared for you. But because you were embarrassed to ask him as you got older, he hasn't done it since you were children.

He's silent and focuses on brushing your hair gently. The moment feels strangely emotional, and your resolve to ignore him cracks a bit.

“So...” Satoru meets your eyes in the mirror, then winks. “You and Toge, huh?”

You tsk, letting your resolve fully break. “I should've known you would notice.”

He laughs and places a hand on your shoulder. “Well, he wrote saying his father wanted to trade silk from their territory, and that he would like to stay at the palace to handle the negotiations.”

“...Add that to the letters you're receiving everyday, and it wasn't too hard to piece things together.”

You groan and cover your face in embarrassment. You and Toge weren't exactly a secret, but you didn't want your brother to know until it got more serious.

“So what now?” You dread having to ask. “Are you going to tell me to call it off?”

“Nope.” Satoru says, smiling. “Besides, if you're anything like your dear old brother—which, you are! Don't deny it!—I'll end up driving you into his arms if I try to keep you away.”

His eyes suddenly turn serious as he considers his next words. “He's a good kid... Good enough for you, though? We'll have to see.” He places the brush on the dresser, and takes your hand to help you on your feet.

“But what's important is to know yourself and decide for yourself. Don't let anyone else make that choice for you.” He looks sincere as he places your hand on his arm. “Shall we?”

“Satoru...” You call him, touched. He grins and kisses your forehead.

“And of course, if you end up marrying him, that saves me and the ministers the work of looking for your match!” You slap his shoulder, but he only laughs harder as he escorts you out.

The ballroom was sparkling when you arrived. There were already plenty of guests partaking in the revelries as the event had begun half an hour before. Satoru had insisted on the importance of being fashionably late. Normally, you wouldn't have let him actually be late, but you caved only for today.

“Entering, their Royal Highnesses, The Imperial Crown Prince and The Imperial Princess.”

As you descended the stairs with Satoru, the people bowed and you took that as an opportunity to look for a head of white hair, a mask or a high collar covering half the face.

“You're being too obvious.” Satoru whispered. “He'll show up, don't worry.”

He led you to the center of the hall. You were so caught up on looking for Toge that you had nearly forgotten you were to share Satoru's first dance; as he still wasn't engaged. The both of you took your positions gracefully as the music started to flow through the air.

“I'll spin you a few times.” He was grinning. “Try to spot him.”

And yet, the song ended without you seeing Toge anywhere. After giving a hasty bow to your brother, you went on with your search once again.

Your eyes caught princess Nobara the same moment she did yours. You were about to go greet her when her eyes trailed off to something behind you. When her gaze returns to yours, she's smirking and it makes you turn to look at what she saw.

Toge takes your breath away as he walks up to you. He wasn't wearing a mask, or a high collar like he had been during the previous ball. His suit was pitch black and every bit as elegant as him. Your eyes were immediately drawn to his lips and you blushed when he caught you staring. All you wanted to do was to dance with him so that you had an excuse to be close.

It seemed that he picked up on that, as he bowed and offered you his hand.

“It's good to see you again.” You greet him. He kisses the back of your hand with a smile before sweeping you away to dance.

Suddenly nervous, your words get stuck in your throat as the beginnings of a soft waltz reach your ears. “I... tried looking for you when I arrived.”

Toge leads the dance as effortlessly as he did the first time. It almost amazes you how natural it feels to move and sway with him. He seems pleased to know that you were paying him as much attention as he gave you.

Not wanting to simply dance, you took to asking him questions. “Did your journey here go smoothly?” Toge nods.

“When did you arrive?”

‘Today.’ He mouths.

“Ah. I'll have to take you sightseeing then.” You grin up at him. “Would tomorrow be alright?” You get your answer in the form of Toge grinning back, and before you could prepare yourself, he twirls you around and catches you in an embrace as the song finishes with a flourish. A number of people around you started to clap, and you couldn't help but blush in his arms.

After settling at the less crowded side of the ballroom, Toge explains, ‘I also tried to find you. I arrived as early as I could, and yet you and your brother were late.’ He looks at you almost as if to scold you, but you see mischief in his eyes. ‘I thought that you might be by the window where we met... So I went to check.’

“Oh, I see.” You respond, a bit embarrassed. “I should have warned you about my brother's flair for dramatics. He tends to do that when he's the star of the event.”

‘Do you have any remaining commitments here at the ball?’

That makes you think for a moment. “No, Satoru's the one the people want to bother today. Why?”

Toge gives you a look that makes you want to agree to almost anything he asks. ‘Will you allow me to whisk you away?’

And so you were both running, hand-in-hand and laughing, on your way to that secluded hall with the stained glass window. It shouldn't have been possible, but it felt more magical than before to be with him here again.

Toge slows his steps when you both reach the window. You realize that despite coming to cherish this place, you never sought it out when he wasn't around. Something tells you that would have only made you miss him more.

Looking at you with a serious expression, he begins to sign, ‘I know I have been very upfront about myself caring about you... But I want to ask this properly, because you deserve nothing less than the best.’

‘I would like—if it is alright with you, to formally court you.’

The smile on your face glows before you can help it, and you throw your arms around him.

“I would very much like that as well, my dear prince.” You lean to kiss his cheek.

Toge looks dazed and happy as if drunk on something you had given him. Maybe he was.

The moonlight shining through the glass paints him in a kaleidoscope of colors. Before, the only colors on him were the purple hues in his eyes. And now he stood before you, bright and shining.

‘You look beautiful.’

He took the words right out of your mouth.

⋆｡˚ 🌸 ˚｡⋆｡˚✨˚｡⋆

Satoru came to find you the day after the banquet. Naturally, he entered your office without knocking, and unceremoniously dropped a heavy document in front of the one you were already working on.

“What's this?”

“Toge's proposal...”

The floor seemed to sink, your heart and your breath gone along with it. “What?”

“—for the trade negotiations.”

It took everything in your power to not throw the block of papers at him. “You're unbelievable.”

Satoru only hummed. “So is your boyfriend. I can't believe he's making me work right after my birthday! He should be kissing up to me, not giving me paperwork!”

“Last time I checked, he's courting me. Not you.” Nevertheless, you take a few moments to sift through the document. It was very detailed and efficient. You note that the length of the proposal was due to the many alternative plans Toge had prepared. This would certainly help the negotiations go smoothly. Satoru and the ministers merely had to look at the options.

Looking back to your brother, you couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. What was he complaining about, when all he had to do was select the best plan and tweak where it was necessary?

“We're to begin the negotiations in two days. I think his plans have potential—” You couldn't help but snort at that, from what you'd seen, Toge was already excellent. (You were not biased. Not at all.) “But, I don't think the older ministers will be kind to someone who acts like a know-it-all.”

“Toge doesn't—”

“A-ah,” Satoru waves a finger at you, as if you were a child being told what you did wrong. You scowl at him but he ignores it. “This will be a test for him, to see if he's able to win against those old goons.”

“You mean yourself, then?” His expression drops at that, and you don't bother to hide how satisfied that made you feel.

⋆｡˚ 🌸 ˚｡⋆｡˚✨˚｡⋆

As the weeks flew by, Toge ended up being a lot more busy than you both anticipated. Despite officially dating, lunches together turned to having tea during breaks; then that turned to catching him in the hallway for a few moments before he had to go.

You didn't understand why his workload only seemed to grow, no matter how much effort he put in. Once, when you caught him just before he entered his chambers, you had asked him if anything was going wrong with the negotiations.

Toge looked exhausted, and yet he gave you a smile that made your heart melt. ‘No, the talks are going well, I suppose I'm just having trouble adjusting to the empire's work culture.’

You must have looked unconvinced, because Toge suddenly leaned in and rested his forehead against yours. Mischievously, he stared into your eyes until you were too flustered to be worried anymore. He laughed when you had to push him away.

That night, he bid you farewell with a kiss to your cheek.

‘Good night, darling.’

The next time you had Toge to yourself for an entire day, it was due to a holiday celebration. Everyone was too occupied with the festivities to work. You were supposed to be at another banquet Satoru had hosted, but you were determined to monopolize Toge's time today.

So you showed up at his door at the earliest respectable hour of the morning, dressed for warm weather and a picnic basket in your hand.

“Will you allow me to whisk you away?” You asked when he answered the door.

You took him on a tour of the parts of the palace he hasn't seen yet. Your office, the private library, and even some of the secret passage ways. His eyes lit up with curiosity when you showed him one behind a portrait.

You had lunch in the gardens, under a tree that offers wonderful shade. A soft blanket laid across the grass, with a spread of the empire's specialty dishes arranged all over it.

“This one,” You show Toge a cookie with flowers piped on top. “Has been my favorite since I was a child. It has just the perfect amount of sweetness, and goes beautifully with tea.”

You move to hand Toge the cookie, but he doesn't take it. Confused, you're about to ask him if anything was wrong when he leans forward and opens his mouth expectantly.

Wordlessly, you raise the cookie to his lips. The moment feels oddly intimate as he takes a bite without removing his gaze from yours.

Toge hums and moves his hands to sign, ‘It's indeed delicious.’ He leans to you and opens his mouth again.

You push the half-eaten cookie into his hands and turn away to hide your blush. “If you're able to tell me what you think about it, you can eat it yourself.”

He breathes out a laugh. Smirking at you while he chews the remaining cookie.

It was so peaceful, just sitting there with him. And it seemed as though you weren't the only one who wanted to sit with Toge. A tiny white butterfly fluttered about before landing on his knee. He looked so enchanted by it. Staring close, but being careful that he didn't move his knee or disturbed it.

The butterfly flying away made you want to explore too. Getting yourself up, you look over your shoulder and gesture for him to follow. He offers you his arm once he catches up, and you rest your hand on it. Birds chirp and leaves rustle in the wind as you walk towards the shimmering lake at the edge of the gardens.

Bracing yourself on Toge's arm, you kick your shoes off. You set them aside to dip your toes into the water. “It's so refreshing!”

Toge feels his chest grow as warm as the sunlight kisses your cheeks. He gets down on one knee to untie his shoes when he's abruptly hit by a splash of water. Flabbergasted, he looks up at you, blinking away the water droplets in his lashes.

Of course, Toge isn't one to back down from a challenge. The result is the both of you shivering and drenched by the time the sun has set. Your maids fuss all over you when you get back to the palace, and the other staff almost faint at the puddles that trail after you and Toge.

It was useless to insist that you could walk alone and that you both should get cleaned up at the soonest. Toge didn't leave your side until you entered your chambers, your gazes only being broken by the door once it closed.

⋆｡˚ 🌸 ˚｡⋆｡˚✨˚｡⋆

You got the most dreadful fever after that day with Toge. Satoru, wanting you to rest properly, made you swear not to lift a finger for work related reasons until you got better. Which, you followed without complaint. You took a break for a few days.

Toge did his best to see you, but he only got busier. His eyes looked more and more tired, dark circles under them when you caught him in the library one morning. He stayed there to work overnight. You were barely able to convince him to rest.

On another night, one of your maids caught him trying to sneak in your room, screaming and kicking him out. You could have sworn half the palace had woken up to that, and you couldn't help but hide under your sheets due to the embarrassment.

What irritates you most, however, was that the first thing you heard when you get back is, “Oh. Finally decided to return to your duties, eh?” from a delegate who spent most of his time gossiping, and whose biggest contribution to the empire was refilling the inkwells in the conference room...

The conference room has five inkwells.

Those ministers and court members were proving more and more to be nuisances. You gave them an earful when they had assumed you were slacking off when you were sick.

Not to mention, you suspected that they have been making Toge do more work than he needs to. Even if he never complains, you don't fail to notice how some courtiers turn their noses up at him just because his kingdom was distant and smaller compared to the scale of the empire.

The thought of Toge being belittled makes you pause during work, frowning at a chart of kitchen expenses as if it's done something offensive.

Dropping your pen, you head out of your office with brisk steps. You had to speak to Satoru.

⋆｡˚ 🌸 ˚｡⋆｡˚✨˚｡⋆

“Overworking Toge? Why, dear sister, I can't believe you're accusing me of such a thing!” Satoru puts a hand to his heart as if he was wounded by your words.

“Maybe not.” You're not going to let him weasel out of this one. “But you let the other ministers and court members walk all over him! Is Toge supposed to just sit there and take it? He's a prince, damn it!”

“Listen,” Satoru leans forward, his elbows on his desk as he uses his hands while explaining. “The ministers are just a bit frazzled, that's all. They think he forced you to skip the holiday banquet, and that he got you sick. He's good at his work, sure. But in their eyes? He just looks like a bad influence on you.”

You scoff.

“Now,” Satoru interrupts before you can say anything, “They were going to try and match you with prince Megumi—”

“Megumi's already engaged.”

“I know, I know. And that's why they're planning on pitching you with prince Yuji or princess Nobara.”

“I'm already with Toge.” You say sternly. “And what happened to not letting others make my decisions for me?”

“As far as those old goons are concerned, Toge is only the third best for you. ‘For the greatness of the empire’ and all that.” It doesn't escape you that he dodged your question. “They're going to try to push you apart until you break up or get hitched.” He leans back, crossing his arms on his chest. “Whichever comes first.”

“Why don't you stop them?” Frustrated, you run your hands through your hair. “Tell them I really like him and that they should leave him alone!”

“Sweetheart,” Satoru's tone becomes deeper, and you hate how it instantly makes you shut up. “The thing is, if Toge isn't capable of handling this, or if he backs out of your relationship because of it, he's not worth your time.”

You stare at him, unlinking. The thought of Toge leaving you had never occurred to you before, and Satoru could tell.

“I told you I would test him.” He shrugged. “It seems I'm testing you too.”

Rushing back to your office, you grab a piece of parchment and your pen from your desk. Not bothering to sit down as you write: Meet me at the gardens, by the tree. Midnight.

You fold it and hastily stuff it into an envelope. Delicately melting wax, you stamp your seal onto it before calling for your most trusted maid.

Handing her the letter, you instruct her, “Deliver this to prince Toge and prince Toge only. If anyone hinders you or attempts to read it, report back to me immediately. Go.”

She bows, and exits the room.

That night, Toge arrived before you. You note that he has a penchant for being early as he reaches to squeeze your hand. He looks you over to check if you're alright, and despite seeing nothing of concern, he asks anyway, ‘Are you okay?’

“We need to talk.” You nervously purse your lips. “The courtiers, the ministers... My brother. They've been making your work difficult.”

He sighs. ‘You found out.’

“You didn't tell me!” You rest a hand on his cheek, absentmindedly grazing your thumb over the marks near his mouth. “Do you understand what they're trying to do?”

‘Testing me.’

“Yes.” A lump forms in your throat. “Satoru said it's until you give up on me, or if you... propose.”

Heart racing, your hands can't stop fiddling with things. His face. His hair. The fastenings of his suit. “I'm just so worried. I care a great deal about you, and I just wanted to ask if you're enduring this because you want to.” You bite your lip in thought. “If it's because you're sure about... me.”

You can't look at him. You suddenly feel foolish. You should have given it a night and slept on it to gather your thoughts. You should have—

Toge embraces you. Everything stops.

You take in the view of the gardens over his shoulder. It was dark, and there was barely any light save for the stars twinkling above. You closed your eyes and let yourself be held.

Pulling away, he doesn't seem as fazed as you do, if at all. He turns to you slowly, and after taking a deep breath...

‘Marry me, then.’

You choke on air.

“Wh-what?!” A warmth creeps into your cheeks. “What are you—”

He places his hands on your shoulders and stares into your eyes. He gives you a look and mouths, ‘Breathe.’ And you do.

Once you've calmed down, he begins to explain.

‘We can come forward and make a statement that we've been seeing each other with marriage in mind. Which...’ He pauses, suddenly shy. ‘I have. I've been thinking about swearing everything to you... Intertwining my future with yours.’

‘I know it's only been a few months, so we could have a long engagement if you want. For us to get to know each other more. And if—’ Toge's hands freeze, his movements are slow as if the next words pain him.

‘...If you decide to break off the engagement, I will not force you to stay with me.’

You immediately stop his hands, holding them tightly with your own.

“Toge... I wouldn't even consider this with anyone else,” You feel genuinely happy as you smile at him. “But I'm willing to try. With you. Only you.”

He glows in a way that reminds you of when you first met. His expression is soft as if he's melting, and he smiles at you brightly. You think of how lucky you are that he looks at you this way.

‘This isn't the way I wanted it to happen, but...’

Toge picks a small, white flower from a bush nearby. It faintly reminds you of the butterfly that had flown to him the last time you were here together. His eyes are focused and he frowns in concentration as he fiddles with the stem. Your heart stutters as he makes... a delicate ring.

He kneels.

You say yes.

⋆｡˚ 🌸 ˚｡⋆｡˚✨˚｡⋆

A letter from you and Toge arrives on Satoru's desk the next day.

‘Dearest brother,

Please approve this statement that prince Toge and I have been seeing each other, and that we have decided to get engaged. You will find the formal document stamped with our seals attached to this letter.

We expect your approval posthaste, and I will not consider any objections. Please let us know when you will be available to discuss the engagement ceremony.’

“Your highness, what should we do with these documents you had forged?”

“Oh. Hand them over.” Satoru waves a hand to dismiss the attendant after retrieving the files.

He gets up from his desk and walks to the fireplace. “I can't believe he proposed before I could falsely accuse him of treason.” He tsks and throws the documents into the fire.

His eyes find a framed photograph on the fireplace mantel. It was of him and you as children. Satoru was laughing after you ran to him for a hug. His gaze grows sad yet understanding... He won't be the first person you'll turn to anymore when you get married.

Sighing, he considers that he should be thankful you chose someone determined and true like Toge. But then Satoru grins.

“I suppose I can always mess with him as his brother-in-law.”

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© togenabi 2023 | see here to be added to my taglist ♡

#inumaki toge x reader #inumaki toge fluff #toge x reader #inumaki toge oneshot #jujutsu kaisen fluff #toge fluff #inumaki toge imagine #inumaki imagines #inumaki x y/n #inumaki x reader #jjk fluff #jjk x reader #inumaki toge royalty au #jujutsu kaisen x reader #toge x you #togenabi-toge-02

[perfectsunlight]

𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞

𝗮𝗵𝗻 𝘆𝘂𝗷𝗶𝗻 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝘂! 𝘆/𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗳...

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 𝟯,𝟯𝟲𝟬

ahn yujin was out of your league in every way, shape, and form. you were the most quiet and antisocial person in the entire school, and if it wasn’t for the fact that you were partners for a paper, you wouldn’t have even met her. yujin was talented and gorgeous, a deadly combination that left others pining after her for god knows how long. unfortunately, you were one of those people. you knew better than to fall for the girl who was good at everything. 

from her vocal skills to her dancing, she was the epitome of what everyone wanted to be. usually her locker was surrounded with confession notes and the occasional flowers, and truth be told those flowers made you sneeze whenever you walked past them, so you couldn’t imagine how annoying it must be for her. the girl who was good at all things could not avoid the mob of people that followed her everywhere.

however, there was also one other thing ahn yujin was not good at: english papers.

Its the reason why you and yujin got paired up in the first place. yujin’s grades were anything but stellar, and yours were practically perfect. your teacher had asked you to help yujin and not just do the entire paper yourself, which made you internally groan because that had been your plan all along. unfortunately, that landed you into your present predicament with the brunette in front of you. 

“yujin, that’s not how you spell it.” you timidly pointed out on the google doc in front of her. you two were currently writing a paper on the impacts of shakespearean literature, but unfortunately ahn yujin kept misspelling the word “shakespeare.”

yujin’s brows furrowed, her eyes glancing over the sentences she wrote, scanning to look for her alleged mistake. “oh, sorry.” she apologized before hitting the backspace to fix her misspelling.

to say the past hour had been awkward would be an understatement. since the final draft of the paper was due in a week, you both agreed to start on it as soon as possible since your schedules may clash. 

little did yujin know that your schedule was entirely empty, and only consisted of studying and watching the newest netflix series available. you would never tell her that, though. 

your fingers twitched as you stared at the screen in front of you. the two of you had divided the work up by sections, you each taking a pretty even split. you were a good writer, and you knew that, but with the prettiest girl in the school sitting in front of you, it truly was difficult to focus.

ahn yujin was gorgeous, but seeing her this close only made you realize that there was not a word in the history of languages that could describe her. she was beautiful, and you had to keep sneaking small glances at her in case you stared for too long and she would notice. it was going to be very hard to finish this paper, especially when she just looked so cute when she was focused. 

her eyebrows twitched every few beats, and her lower lip was tucked in between her teeth out of nervous habit. sometimes she would even mumble to herself, and it took everything in you to not blush at the sight.

truth be told, you had known yujin since elementary school. you two were not friends or even close to it, but you saw her on the playground with her friends all the time. in all honesty, you could probably count on one hand how many times you two had ever even spoken to each other directly. you were always there, just in the shadows observing the girl you had had a crush on since the 2nd grade.

“hi.” 

you looked down from the swing to see yujin standing to the side of the swingset. “hi yujin.”

the girl in the ponytail pointed at the jacket that was tied to the other leg of the swing. “i need that,” she said as she shifted her weight in the grass. “but you’re swinging, and i don’t want to get hit by you.”

“oh,” your attention was drawn to the object of inquiry as you tried to slow down your swinging to hopefully hop off and grab it for her. except before your feet could hit the ground, yujin s voice stopped you.

“no, keep swinging. Its okay.”

your head tilted to the side as you looked at her, still swaying forwards and backwards. you were confused. she wanted her jacket back, so you should stop and get it like she wanted. why would she ask you to stop?

“but what about your jacket?” you asked sincerely, trying your best to not stop swinging like she asked. the other girl smiled brightly at you, not breaking eye contact as you swung back and forth in front of her. 

“it’s okay, i can wait for you.”

you were brought out of your thoughts as yujin shut her laptop and began packing her things. “thank you for your help today.” she said with a small smile, slipping her laptop into her backpack before swinging it over her shoulder. you sent a nod in her direction, mirroring a small smile in return. 

“no problem.” 

“i’ll call you friday, okay?” the brunette pushed her chair in as she stood, waving a goodbye as she walked out of the library. you rubbed your temples and laid your head on the table, doing your best to not shout in frustration.

the paper was already stressful, but you seemed to underestimate the impact of your crush on the girl who was out of your league. 

a few days passed, each consisting of the same school day routine that included your wandering gazes to the girl who sat in the front of the classroom in every subject you two shared. 

you were usually good at focusing, but ever since you two got paired together for your project, it ended up putting yujin in the forefront of your mind far more often than you were used to. you weren’t complaining, of course. 

yujin was pretty to look at, but she danced in your mind for hours on end. the mental picture was almost as good as the reality. it was just a happy crush, truthfully. the two of you never even had a conversation more than 2 minutes long before now. you didn’t understand why you still liked her.

especially since she was definitely out of your league, and there was no way she even knew more than your name. did she even know your full name? she should, considering how long you were in classes together for, but did she care to remember such a minute detail? 

you made your way through the hallway, following the familiar path to your locker. once you turned the corner, you saw your crush standing in front of your locker. confusion laced your features as you slowly approached her.

“yujin? what are you doing in front of my locker?”

the taller girl turned around at the sound of her name, her entire face lighting up at the sight of you. “hi y/n, i brought you cookies. consider it a ‘thank you’ for being the best partner.” she shoved a box of homemade cookies into your hands, the soft smile never leaving her face as she stood before you.

you looked between the cookies and then her a few times, mentally processing what was happening. “oh, you didn’t have to, really. thank you, though.” you mustered up a small half smile.

as you turned to open your locker, you noticed that yujin wasn’t turning to leave. you grabbed the binder you needed before turning your attention to the taller girl once more. “did you need something else?” you asked gently, not really knowing what to say.

yujin’s smile faltered a little, her gaze looking from you to your locker until finally landing back on you. “are you free tonight?” she asked.

you shook your head a little too fast, feeling slightly embarrassed of yourself. “i can’t work on the paper tonight, i need to study for the biology exam. sorry yujin.” you smiled softly. 

yujin’s shoulders sagged a little, but she quickly straightened her posture. “no worries. i’ll just see what i can do on my own then.” she shot you one last smile before she turned to leave. 

you shut your locker before shouting back one last comment at her. “don’t forget to spell shakespeare correctly.”

the taller girl turned around at the sound of your voice, a genuine smile gracing her features as she heard your comment. 

“it would be easier if you were there to remind me.”

as she disappeared into the sea of people, you couldn't help but shake your head at your heart racing in your chest. “she’s just being nice,” you muttered to yourself before turning on your heel and walking the opposite direction to your class.

the next day arrived, thursday, and you couldn’t help but feel as if someone’s eyes were on you the whole morning. you shifted in your seat, trying to focus on your notes and the teacher writing on the board. however, once you turned to glance at the glock, your eyes met yujin’s. 

wait, yujin? your brows furrowed automatically, earning a timid smile from the brunette across the room as she practically shrunk in her seat. she gave you a small wave before turning and facing the front of the room.

your heart fluttered in your chest for a moment, but it was short lived as you cursed yourself mentally. yujin was your project partner, nothing more. you two hadn’t even scratched the surface of “friends” in your book yet. 

shortly after, the bell rang, signifying the end of the class period. you got up to collect your things, but the moment you did, you saw yujin moving towards your desk from the corner of your eye. except, when she was a row of desks away from you, you saw her stop in front of the desk of someone else.

your eyes glanced over to the direction of the girl, trying your best to not feel your heart squeezing in your chest. 

yujin was talking to someone else, one of the other popular girls in her clique. you reprimanded yourself for even thinking she would possibly talk to you outside of your assignment. 

you spent the rest of the day avoiding her, but you could only do so much since tomorrow you two were supposed to facetime and finish another part of the paper. if only you could have been more talkative in elementary school and could have made more of an effort to be social. maybe you and yujin would be more than just english partners. 

it was all just wishful thinking, but even so, it was hard to not blame yourself for not making more of an effort to be more social.

once you got home, you spent the rest of the evening writing more of the paper. you knew you didn’t need to since yujin was doing her best to pull her load, but you still felt the need to do more just in case she wasn’t able to finish anything last minute.

your head hurt from staring at the screen for so long, but eventually you managed to finish another three paragraphs to the body of the paper. it was due tomorrow, after all. a hand ran through your hair before you checked your phone.

right as you were about to turn your attention back to the daunting assignment in front of you, a notification popped up at the top of your screen.

from: yujin :3

hey r u up??

sent: 11:01 pm

confused as to why yujin was even awake at this hour if she wasn’t working on the assignment, you shot a response back.

to: yujin :3

yeah?

sent: 11:01 pm

from: yujin :3

so about tomorrow

sent: 11:02 pm

you watched the small dots dance as she typed as a twinge of anxiety rose in you. she was going to cancel your last work session together since the assignment would be over tomorrow evening, wasn’t she?

deciding you didn’t want to make her feel bad about ditching, you hurriedly typed a reply before she could finish writing out hers.

to: yujin :3

hey dont even worry about it. i can cover what u don’t finish tonight or tomorrow afternoon. u don’t have to worry abt showing up tmr, its all good

sent: 11:02 pm

the tiny three dots disappeared after your message had been sent, and you breathed out a sigh of relief knowing that you had successfully lightened the load on the girl. taking yujin’s lack of a response as a good sign, you decided to work on the paper for another 30 minutes before calling it a night.

once your head hit the pillow eventually, you were able to rest well knowing that ahn yujin didn’t have to worry about misspelling “shakespeare” after tomorrow. 

since school got out early on friday, you were looking forward to being able to spend the rest of your afternoon alone at the library in peace and quiet. it meant you could easily finish the paper before sunset. except, once you turned the corner around one of the shelves, you did a double take.

yujin was sitting at your usual spot, a fresh bouquet of flowers sitting atop the table on her side. you assumed easily it was given to her by one of her many not so secret admirers. slowly, you made your way to the desk table and put your belongings down.

the taller girl immediately straightened up and smiled at your arrival, but her gaze faltered a bit once yours was one of just genuine confusion. “what are you doing here??” you asked genuinely as you took your seat across from her.

you didn’t see the expression on her face since you turned to pull your laptop out from your bag. however, the look on her face consisted of furrowed brows and a pout on her lips. it was quickly wiped off once you turned to face her fully.

“well, i came here to see you.”

your hands didn’t falter in your movements as you began typing away once again, “but i told you it was okay. i’m almost done with it anyway, you didn’t need to.”

yujin’s hands suddenly reached across the table and pushed the screen of your laptop forward gently, not shutting it completely on your hands. “i came here to see you, y/n.”

you tilted your head to the side, still not fully processing what was going on here. yujin came here to see you? for what?

“for what?” she mimicked, and it was only then that you realized you must have accidentally said the last part out loud. she only shook her head and grabbed the flowers next to her before extending them to you. 

“they’re pretty right? do you like them?” she asked. you only nodded and admired the bouquet of tiny daises and a few sunflowers. “i think they’re pretty, yes. whoever got you them has very good taste.”

yujin let out a chuckle before sending a witty reply. “i know, i bought them.”

“oh,” your heart squeezed in your chest. she bought flowers for someone? the brunette across the table took note of your visible confusion before finally doing something about it.

“i got the flowers for you, y/n.”

she placed them in your hands for you to take, a proud smile beaming on her face as she did so. “oh, you didn’t have to get me anything yujin. it was just a paper, really.”

the school’s most popular student cursed slightly under her breath before she stood up and leaned over you. even with you sitting, her height managed to make you tower slightly over you. 

“consider them an invitation, then.” she whispered, making intense eye contact with you. “go out on a date with me, y/n.” 

your jaw dropped instantly, and you almost looked around the library quickly to see if there were any hidden cameras or people recording secretly. was this some kind of joke?

“a joke?” yujin did her best to not look hurt, so she laughed it off. “why would you think this is a joke?”

you realized you accidentally thought out loud for the second time, mentally cursing yourself a thousand times as yujin’s head tilted to the side while she waited for your response. 

“you’re really asking me that?” you asked as she nodded in response. you sighed and broke your gaze away to stare at a particularly interesting spot on the wooden table.

“honestly, i have had a crush on you for a while, but you’re just,” you bit your lip trying to gather your thoughts. “as cheesy as it sounds, you’re just out of my league, yujin.” 

yujin’s jaw dropped this time, staring at you in disbelief even though you couldn’t see her face. “y/n,” she snickered as she used her hand to gently move your chin up to face her. “i felt the same way about you.”

“me?” you gawked at her in disbelief, truly not believing the words coming out of the other girl’s mouth. “yujin, you’re literally everyone’s dream girl. anyone would be lucky to even have a chance with you. ” 

yujin rolled her eyes playfully, “then i guess you will be the luckiest girl in the world, huh?” she smiled softly. “i’ve had a crush on you since i frist met you on the swingset in second grade. i still liked you during your middle school pokemon phase, and i still liked you when you became the smartest person in our grade.”

she grabbed your shoulders and shook you gently. “i’ve never accepted anyone else’s date invitations or dance invitations because i was waiting for you to make a move. but i knew you would never notice me, especially since we didn’t talk much.”

she continued speaking as she sat on the edge of the table behind her. “it was me who actually asked to get teamed up with you. once we got paired up, i knew i had to take a chance, but you just kept dodging me every time i tried to make a move. i brought you cookies, i tried to ask you out twice, including yesterday night, but you just didn’t seem interested.”

yujin paused before she cupped your face and committed your features to her own memory, burning into her mind every detail there was. you were too lost in your own thoughts, realizing that the girl who was out of your league for years was finally confessing to you. it didn’t feel real, and if anything you were waiting to pinch yourself to see if you were dreaming. maybe she wasn’t so out of your league after all?

finally, you responded to her confessions. “i feet the same way about you, yujin.”

she couldn’t fight the grin that formed on her lips, and the sight of her smile this close made your face heat up slightly. she took notice and placed a small kiss on your forehead. once she pulled away, the two of you stayed like that for a little while. just leaning into each other’s touches and admiring each other’s features.

“yujin,” you moved her slightly to re-open the google doc with the english paper in it. “we have to finish this.” the brunette rolled her eyes and shut your laptop. you shot her a knowing look, “i promise we can go out and do whatever you want after we turn this in.”

she reluctantly agreed, opting to pull out her own laptop to help finish things up as well. “if we both work on it, we can finish faster.” she reasoned with a smile. you couldn’t help but laugh at the other girl, and shook your head lightly.

“only if you spell shakespeare correctly.”  

“don’t make me leave you alone in this library.”

a/n: i wrote this for silan and kept it hostage from her so MWAH

#ahn yujin #ahn yujin x reader #yujin #yujin x reader #wlw #kpop fluff #fluff #yujin fluff #perfectsunlight

[cinnbar-bun]

i loveeeeeeeeee your robin writing!! would love to see you do more nico robin x gn! reader

A/n: you didn't specify anything so I made some general hcs!

Rating: SFW

Notes: GN!Reader, Fluff

General Nico Robin Relationship HCs

Likes to learn about different hair styles and types in order to best fix your hair or care for it. She’s been reading up on the best way to treat your specific hair type, don’t worry. Her many hands makes it a breeze. 

Occasionally, some jokes/phrases fly over her head and she will take it at face value, not understanding what you mean. If you explain them to her, though, she’ll have an amused smile and chuckle. 

You’re one of the few people she’ll trust with her in a bath. This is especially big for her since her Devil Fruit powers no longer work in the water, but she know she can fully trust you. 

Enjoys dates where she can dress up in full glam and be by your side. Things like a night at an opera or a fancy restaurant are her type of thing (when/if she feels like going out).

Little tidbit: after eating at the restaurant/seeing the opera, if you two walk around the city at night, she’ll have this far out, dreamy look on her face. It’s beautiful, her shoulders are so relaxed and her eyes are wandering everywhere as if its the first time seeing the world. 

If you detour to say, a small art exhibit or even a flower field, watch as her smile reaches her eyes as the stars pale in comparison to her beauty and radiance. 

She has imagined getting a cat with you. Of course, not now, and especially not if you are allergic/afraid of them. But if you’re cool with it, she’s absolutely looking up the best kind of cat for you two to get and how to care for it. 

Robin has a habit of asking very personal and very philosophical questions at random times. If there’s a long period of silence, she might just drop “what do you think is there for us after death?” 

If you ask sillier questions like, “would you love me if I were a worm?” she would say, “why would you be a worm?” 

“Of course, I would still love you. I’d make sure no birds or other predators dived at you and ate you up. Maybe I’d get you a nice terrarium. But still, why would you be a worm?” 

Is always interested in your home traditions. This is especially important to her as she’s never really had a “home” ever since the Ohara incident, so enjoying you/your family’s traditions makes her feel welcome and like she belongs to a family. 

Very self-indulgent but could you imagine maybe taking her to your hometown and introducing her to your family and then she begins trying to learn everything about it? Enjoying the celebrations, trying the meals, listening to the elders… she is ecstatic. 

If you don’t have any family/cultural traditions (for whatever reason, no judgment here), Robin will elect to have you two make your own traditions. Sure, you two may not have the usual “family” or home most people may have, but it’s something the two of you made, and it’s special to her. She finds it irreplaceable. 

Happy to do cheesy couple things if you suggest them. It’s very unlikely she’ll suggest them, but when you do, she’ll have a smile on her face and agree to it. 

Often tries to flirt with you in other languages. She makes it sound so beautiful so even if you have no clue what she’s saying, you’ll melt. 

She’ll probably also say something silly but make it sound romantic even though she’s saying like “I ate a wasp and then cooked a hundred hot dogs”. You don’t need to know the truth. 

Probably considers making a secret language just for the two of you to communicate. She says it’s for fun to keep things private or joke without the others knowing, but it’s also for another reason. If, for some reason, you or her are ever separated and have a chance to communicate, the language could come in handy and have you send messages without them being intercepted or interpreted by others. 

Likes when you two share blankets when doing things like reading, or even simply when you two are sitting. Watching the stars or listening to the others talk is more romantic when she’s with you in a blanket.

#one piece x reader #one piece #x reader #one piece hcs #reader insert #nico robin #nico robin x reader #robin x reader

[slaviclore]

cheatsheet to your slav folkloric downfall

Since several people had questions about the lore that inspired this poll, I'll jot some notes down about what I was thinking. All of these have long and complex tradition that can't possibly fit in a tumblr post, but there's tons of great content on tumblr alone, so pls feel free to scroll through my tags for more info (you may like "demons", "witches", or "original art" for contemporary interpretations of the lore...) or use this post as a springboard for more research.

Because much of Slavic folklore was passed down orally and not written down, and because it covers a wide geographical range and is told in different languages, there are many versions of common stories, tropes, characters, etc.

***

Baba Yaga is a witch, super popular, tons of great lore about her, historical and contemporary. She was never just one single entity, but rather a version of herself in many different stories (more like fanfiction than like canon). Her character is inherently unpredictable, existing outside our societal rules and moral compass, and the variability in lore makes her even more impossible to predict. A young woman named Vasilisa did manage to perform all of Baba Yaga's tasks to her instruction, but not without her own magical help. Sometimes Baba Yaga is helpful and reasonable, and sometimes she will just casually eat you like a handful of berries. You never know what you're going to get.

The fern flower is a beautiful mythical flower that offers its holder immense knowledge and magic. It blooms very briefly only once a year during Noc Kupały (in Polish, the EN is Kupala Night). If you want to find it, you'll probably grab your boyfriend (gender neutral) around dusk and poke around your local woods for a while before giving up and just making out and then meeting up with your friends afterwards like "did you find it?" "no we didn't find it :( did you find it?" "nooo :(". Really, this is about seducing the boy you like, since you probably need magic just to see the flower anyway. If you do manage to find it and pick it, tons of greedy demons will appear and chase you to attempt to take it from you (and your life). You have to outrun or outsmart the demons. The demons may be metaphors for the corrupting forces of great power.

There are tons of ways to get lost in the woods. Some people help themselves by tying ribbons to trees as they go, but anything can spook you -- you can run into a demon, a werewolf, a ghost, a witch, a cat, anything -- and if you have to run away, you will most likely lose your way in the process. More specifically, if you have annoyed a leshy (a forest spirit/god-type thing who protects nature), he will use magic to confuse you, and even if you're very good at Not Getting Lost In The Woods, you're kind of screwed. You think YOU won't piss off the Leshy? Oops you just stepped on his favorite beetle -- screwed. Leshy can be placated with offerings of food and drink, but sometimes he needs something bigger...

There are actually lots of hot girls who live in lakes, much to the delight of about 20% of you, but probably the most common are the rusalki -- dead girls who experienced some tragedy in life, probably ending in drowning, and are now exacting revenge on the living, especially men. They will seduce you, take you into the water, and drown you with their hair, or possibly tickle you to death. Baby marry me, amirite? The original rusalka lore was probably nicer to them, treating them more like water spirits than vengeful ghosts. Rusalki are not mermaids and appear as women with legs. We do have mermaids, but usually these are river or sea beings -- the most famous is probably Syrenka Warszawska (the Warsaw Mermaid) who lives in the river Wisła and will not attempt to kill you unless you're trying to invade Warsaw, but also she's a warrior queen and you have no shot.

Slavic mythological entities love riddles, and if you're good at riddles you are really going to help yourself, but you don't want to get into that situation unless you have no other choice. A common demon you meet on the side of the road will probably not give you a hard one, but Poludnica (the Slovak name) will find you at high noon while you're working hard in the fields and the sun's been beating down on your head since dawn and you're feeling woozy and dehydrated, and she'll give you the hardest riddle you've ever heard, and you're going to blow it, and she's going to cut off your head with her scythe or give you heat stroke. If it's any consolation, she may be hot (pun intended). Pro tip: you may also wield riddles to your advantage. Demons are as egoistic as you are and can be enticed into solving your riddle. If you stump them, you may assure your safe getaway.

Human characters in Slavic lore tend to be young and naive, representing the listener of the tale, since they can't use magic or navigate the world they are entering. Knowledge and magic are two sides of the same coin, so if you want to survive, you will need to gain some wisdom (learning some riddles will help). Being nice is not good enough, but! If by being nice you manage to seduce someone who has access to knowledge and magic, or get adopted by a bored witch with an axe to grind, you'll really help yourself out.

The path to the endless dead wood is guarded by a giant magical cat, whose name I never knew but have recently learned that the Russians call him Baiyun (latinized name, obvi). If you ask Vasilisa, she'll tell you that sometimes he lives with Baba Yaga, but generally he hangs out on the boundary to some other dimension. Probably, if you go to meet the cat, it's because somebody sent you there to get rid of you, so if you survive the cat, whoever is trying to kill you will probably keep trying so fyi. Baiyun will purr or tell a tale in such a soothing way that you fall asleep, and then he'll eat you. If you manage not to fall asleep, you may attempt to catch him and earn magic. But probably you're cat food.

***

There you have it. If you learned your story differently, let me know! And if you're ever lost in a Slavic forest, you can put your clothes on inside out and maybe that'll break the magic. Good luck.

#slavic folklore #your slav folkloric downfall #demons #witches #deities #baba yaga #leshy #original art #original writing #rusalka #poludnica #poludnitsa #cat baiyun

[our-t4t-experience]

hi Evan! Big fan of what you do on your page. I very recently got a boyfriend who is also a trans man. Do you maybe have any tips on how I can make this relationship last more than a month? (Knowing my luck…)

-🦦(if I ask anything else)

there are some things that are in your control and some things that are out of them. its worth mentioning that if you have been abused before, its more likely that you will either perpetrate those behaviors, or on the flip side, allow people to perpetrate those behaviors against you

in my experience i have had a lot of unstable relationships where the instability wasnt necessarily caused by me (or me alone) as much as it was the other person being abusive to me and me letting it happen

so this advice IS coming from a place of "ive been abused," if this isnt applicable, my apologies

-communication is very important and remembering that people communicate in different (and sometimes incompatible) ways is also very important. you may be extremely direct and dating someone whos a little sensitive. you may want to de escalate an argument by being by yourself and they may want to talk about it. its important to be able to compromise sometimes and for them to compromise sometimes if your communication styles arent aligned. my girlfriend has to be very direct with me because shes learned that while we're both southern and she has learned to approach boundaries and conflict in a passive, sugar coating way, because im autistic, that approach doesnt work, for example

-how do you express love? how does your partner express love? its important to show your love in a way that is fulfilling to you, but its also important to show your love in a way that your partner receives it. ive heard mixed things about the "5 love languages" test but honestly i did the test and it was decently accurate and may be a good start, its also worth noting that neurodivergent people may also express love in different ways than the "norm"

-never stop dating your partner. yall like flowers? get each other flowers! go on cute dates! send each other memes that make you think of the other person! never stopping trying to impress your partner can make for a more fulfilling and exciting long term relationship

-time together, especially later in your relationship, is super important. distance can make the heart grow fonder (trust me, we're long distance lol) but you dont want to be away from them all the time. work and family obligations can make that hard, but having time to yourselves is important, me and caspian sleep together on the phone every night, and thats one of my favorite parts of the day

-specifically trans advice, but your trans partners transition should be a celebration. ive heard from one trans man that you should be responding to your loved ones transition like you would if someone was having a planned and wanted baby, and thats good advice. get excited! get funny with it! get romantic with it! my girlfriends excited for me to get top surgery and that makes me feel very good about my transition

(past this is longer term advice)

-i dont usually like those "3 weeks 3 months 1 year" rule stuff, but in my experience, you can usually tell if youre compatible with someone by 3 months. this is enough time for the "honeymoon phase" to chill out a bit and youre more receptive to their flaws. by some point you should be able to know if these flaws are a dealbreaker (unless youre like me and have a fawn instinct lol), and ive also found that i can tell when a relationship is unhealthy USUALLY by around 3 months, at least in my subconscious

-i knew i wanted to marry caspian by 6 months of us being together, and we're not getting married right now for a couple different reasons mostly boiling down to we're just not ready yet, but id recommend waiting 6 months before you start thinking seriously about a future with this person

-a rule ive had for a long time regarding marriage with anyone is that i want to have lived with them for a full year before we get engaged. i dont live with my girlfriend and wont until probably the end of this year (our 7 months os tomorrow!) but i have lived with a partner and have found that you can find out a lot about a person by living with them for an extended period of time

if i missed anything lmk, anyone else is also free to give advice in the comments (:

#🦦 anon #trans #t4t mlm #tm4tm #gay t4t #t4t

[sodaonskateboards]

your post ab sugarbaby! denji is just *chefs kiss* 🤌 i couldn’t stop thinking ab it!!

sugarbaby! denji who thought that his life couldn’t possible get any better until he became your sugar baby, you’re around his age and have always been so kind and welcoming to him ever since he started working at public safety<3

sugarbaby! denji who loves being able to spend his lunch breaks with you! he orders practically everything on the menu, even if he doesn’t know what it is because well…free food is free food! he truly believes you’re some sort of angel sent from above

sugarbaby! denji who goes absolutely wild when you let him use your black card to his heart’s content. he buys all sorts of manga, video games, and snacks (which never last more than a day…power def raids his snack drawer and then proceeds to blame it on aki)

sugarbaby! denji who wants to gift you things too because a lovely angel such as yourself deserves to be spoiled too!! he may not have much money but when he does he’ll buy you a bouquet of your favorite flowers with a cute heart-shaped box filled with yummy chocolates<3

Anon, we are holding hands and kissing, this is delicious <3

Sugarbaby! Denji who still wants to use your shampoo and your soap because he likes to smell like you and he just likes sharing with you!

He shared with Pochita all the time, always hand feeding him, so sharing one thing, eating off the same plate, wearing each others clothes, etc is like his only little love language. It makes him feel close to you.

Denji can be dumb, but I think he's good with numbers and money as he's able to calculate his debt and costs quickly, so he's actually good at keeping track of your money, it's just that large purchases don't feel very real to him because he could never imagine something as simple as buying a new console.

On the flip side, small purchases can make him anxious. He actually checks that he has enough for the littler purchases, but when he's done triple-checking, he gets all excited and will go wild!!

Watch out this man could probably eat cardboard fine but he will eat himself into tummy aches :[[

If you pay for Denji, you end up paying for Power (and Meowy) too, she will throw a bit of a tantrum if all three of you are together and you only get Denji and yourself something. She also tells you that it's unfair to not buy Meowy something on the way back, and that you need to get him a cat tower. She will bite and steal and claw and whine, but somehow you two don't mind.

Denji desperately needs more clothes and he finally gets to chose what to wear! Imagine him at a thrift store or simple warehouse looking at shirts and wondering what he likes and whats comfy, not what's cheapest. He dress in some god awful patterns and colours at first, but it's good for him to explore, so you encourage him

Denji probably has never even touched silk in his life, so when you want to get him some clothes with nice material, start small, otherwise he'll overwhelmed. Gift him a fancy shirt to start and he loses his mind over how soft it is, then work up and you can take him to a department store and a tailor, he looks so damn good in a black, silk dress shit with a low cut

GET THIS BOY BATH BOMBS!! My guy is happy just to bathe everyday, bubble bath, bath bombs and oils, romantic candles, flower petals, blow his mind!! Spoil him in every way!!

Speaking of, Denji also loves doing activities together!! Take him to a quiet onsen in the country for a weekend, where its calm and peaceful, lord knows he needs more of it. Denji usually doesn't mind being around a lot of people, but some venues, like a concert is a lot for him, but please also gift him experiences like theme parks, bath houses, fairs! He loves spending time with you!

When no one else is around, he'll talk to Pochita in his chest. It makes him feel a bit better about missing him. He'll talk about how you dote on him and show him yummy foods, that he's in his lover arms playing video games and so much more they didn't even dream of. Pochita loves you too for taking such good care of Denji

Most people in his life try to buy him or use him, so to be with you, kind-hearted lover you are, is a first for him. To have someone give with no expectations of giving back, purely to make him happy, its so foreign to our baby boy that he just might cry. The only relationship comparable is with Pochita, and while they do love each other unconditionally, it did start off with a deal.

Denji loves his gifts, but when he thinks of the best times with you, its because you two are together, trying out a new restaurant or cuddling in bed, or even giving him a cool rock you found, he loves it all. He always wants to be your lover-boy, money or not

#denji x reader #csm denji #csm x reader #chainsaw man x reader #hcs

[theraggedygirl11]

New analysis on the way. As soon as I saw the new Bojan's photo, I immediately searched for the flowers and their meanings, as the self-proclaimed flowers expert of this part of the fandom.

I'm pretty sure the flowers are hydrangeas/hortensias (like @anxious-witch already said in his analysis).

Hydrangeas symbolize so many things based on their colours, and the meanings may change even based on the country or the historic era!

So prepare yourself for a dive into hydrangeas meanings (everything is from the internet, I will link everything I've found)

It's a long analysis, I'm sorry

Also, this is my opinion on this specific photo, feel free to add anything you want

Brief history facts here and here. In these links you'll find also other facts about this flower, and its meanings too, which I'll summarize down here.

White Hydrangea

They symbolize purity, innocence and honour, but also arrogance, vanity and boasting (maybe from the Victoria era, when this flower carried a negative meaning since it was gifted from men to women who rejected them and it was a way to indicate women's frigidity). Besides, these flowers are well known to have a huge inflorescence but produce very few seeds.

Blue Hydrangea

In ancient Japan this flower is linked to apology and remorse (there's a legend about and emperor who neglected the woman he loved, so he gifted her these flowers as an apology), nowadays it also means serenity and gratitude.

Pink Hydrangea

It symbolizes thoughtfulness, grace and love. It's the perfect gift to express affection and admiration for someone special.

Purple Hydrangea

It represents the desire for deep understanding. The colour purple is usually associated with royalty, pride and gratefulness across many cultures.

Brief summary from this website:

Unfortunately the photo is in black and white, so we can't really know the colour(s) of the flowers in it, but we don't care.

Let's go through every colour and connect it to Bojan.

White has pretty conflicting meanings, for sure. This colour is linked to purity, but, as I said above, it may also mean boasting and vanity. Let's focus on this last meaning. Bojan never showed himself to be openly vain, except for one thing: his hair. He complained about his gray/white streak more than once (cue to Plastika "koža ni več sveža in sivijo mi lasje,/ pa triindvajset jih imam šele"-"my skin is no longer fresh and my hair is going grey/ and I'm only twenty-three", then corrected to twenty-five in Groningen), and I'm pretty sure he's used to dye his hair because the white streak sometimes magically disappears. Now, white/grey hairs are a sign of old age and it's not unsual for younger people to get them (I'm turning 27 this year and I too have some random white hairs). Bojan's complaints, even in a jokingly way, show though that he's in some way affected by this. Beauty is linked to vanity, both in art and in literature.

Blue hydrangeas carry/carried a specific meaning in Japan, as already stated, which is linked to apology and remorse. Is he sorry for not reaching some of his goals, like winning Eurovision? Is he apologizing to us, his fans? To Slovenia, the country he so proudly represented at Eurovision and failed to make it proud of his work with their lower position in the final chart? To someone else we don't know about? We also know that they became a phenomenon despite the fact that Eurovision was a "disaster". Slovenia became famous, now people want to visit this country or even moving there to live. People are learning a language that only about 2 million people speak (it's still a pretty big group of people, but compared to other European countries, like Germany, France or Italy, it's a small amount of speakers). Is he grateful for the huge opportunity that Eurovision gave them to let the world know that Slovenia exists and that it's a nice country that deserves to be known? Is he saying "thank you" for other things?

Pink is often linked to nice feelings and emotions. In this case the flower symbolizes true feelings and sincere emotions. Bojan is a lyricist, he pours what he experiences and feels into his lyrics, and thanks to this we have Padam, Novi Val, Vse Kar Vem, and so on. Is this a wish for him to be even more open and truer on what he writes? A wish for him to be more free to write what he wants and feels and not what the public wants him to write? Being true and honest with yourself has always been a focal point in so many artists and has affected their work thoughtout the centuries. They have to live thanks to their art, so what do you do? Do you listen to your heart or do you please the people who give you the money to live?

Purple is the last colour but not the least important. It's a royal colour, also linked to pride. Being proud can be a double edged sword: one can be proud of what he's doing and achieving, but the line between pride and arrogance is narrow and one can easily slip into arrogance. Personally, I've never seen Bojan as arrogant, but this colour might remind him to be proud of his work, also the future one he'll do, and to not let arrogance conquer his spirit, to stay humble like he is now.

#is this an obsession? maybe #but i find interesting that even the flowers damon choses have a meaning behind them #are these purple hydrageas because bojan's showing his pride? #or are these white hydrageas and mean vanity? #we'll never know #i wrote this analysis while listening to padam lmao #joker out #bojan cvjetićanin #damon baker #annies rambles

[withoutyouimsaskia]

Remember Me, Special Dreams

Part XVIII.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17

GIF: Originally posted by @khun-sam​​

Summary: Self-insert. You're having trouble with recurring night terrors and Morpheus pays you a visit. (Title from the lyrics of Placebo’s Special Needs)

Warnings: language, angst, mentions of night terrors.

Word Count: 1.5k

A/N: Hello there, how are things? Many of you may be aware that it’s Tom Sturridge’s birthday today so I’ve decided to release this chapter a day early to celebrate! I really hope you like this one, let me know. I’m squeeing at the thought of you reading it! Take care, all my love, Saskia <3

Sandman Masterlist

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

Morpheus meets you at the end of the bridge that is furthest from the palace. He stands with his hands on the stone side as he surveys the lake. 

“Hi, Morpheus,” you begin, your tone as bright as the sun above you. “Where are we going today?”

He looks towards you with a mischief loaded smile. 

“There is something that I would like to show you.”

Your curiosity is ignited. “Okay. I’ll let you lead the way.”

The King of Dreams sets off with his usual powerful gait.

“How was your day?” He asks.

“It was quite lovely, actually. The summer weather is doing me a lot of good.” Seasonal affective disorder usually hit you hard. “What did I miss when I was awake?”

“My sister spent some time with me.”

“Your sister?” 

“You seem surprised.”

You fumble for words. “Well, um, it’s just that you’d never really mentioned your family before and now you've made contact.”

"Our conversation last night inspired me.”

Happiness literally radiates from him and it warms your heart.

“I’m really pleased for you, Morpheus," you say warmly.

“I told her about you.”

Your eyes widen with shock. You were not expecting that at all and the thought of people talking about you was a sensitive issue. “What did you say?”

“Just about your nocturnal abilities and how we are managing them.”

Your chest caves in with relief; it was nothing too embarrassing thankfully. “Which sister did you see?”

“My elder sister, Death.”

“What is she like?”

He looks down, selecting his words. “She is wise and compassionate beyond measure and I admire her a great deal. I think you would like her.”

“It sounds like you have a strong bond.”

He nods. “I would go as far as saying that she is my preferred sibling.”

You laugh. “I’m not sure you’re supposed to have a favourite. From what I’ve observed, it tends to annoy the others.”

“I can assure you that there is no shortage of friction-inducing incidents in my family, regardless of whether I declare that I prefer my sister.”

“Oh.”

He comes to a stop and you follow suit.

“We’ve arrived,” he announces. “This is Fiddler’s Green.”

You stand at the mouth of something that instantly reminds you of an illustration of a glade you would find in a fairytale story book.

Swathes of green grass stretch out before both of your boot-clad feet. Pockets of wildflowers create a mosaic of colours giving detail to the viridian background. Delicate ox-eye daisies contrast against the electric purple splashes of cornflowers. The cowslip look like little yellow fireworks. Foxgloves of every colour imaginable rise up higher than the rest of the flowers with confident majesty.

Tall trees, heaving with blossom fill the upper third of your vision. In the distance there is a waterfall. It flows with torrents of aquamarine into a pool below that is as blue as Morpheus’ eyes. It has been so long since you have seen one that it makes your soul sing.

Pink blossom petals scatter in a gentle breeze, falling like fragrant snow. You notice that the breeze moves like breath. Rhythmically. It flows languidly in and out using the glade as its lungs.

You are completely silent, overwhelmed by the scenery. It is another one of those moments where you feel humbled.

"Is something amiss?" Morpheus questions.

"Not at all."

His eyes narrow a fraction; he is completely unconvinced.

"You've become very quiet all of a sudden."

“Can you blame me?” You look down feeling self-conscious.

“I suppose not. This place is supposed to have that effect.”

You take a couple of steps, sending dandelion clocks into dizzying spirals. They disperse far and wide. There’s a suggestion of a path so you take it, walking right up to the edge of the body of water.

Shafts of sunlight refract spectrums through the liquid. Its surface is lightly dappled by the action of the waterfall. The sound is serene. 

You carry on strolling absentmindedly until you decide to take a rest a few paces from the tree line.

There’s a cluster of bee orchids nearby, you notice them as you sink into a cross legged position. Morpheus, who has been walking beside you the entire time, sits next to you. The sun is warm on your face and you feel so contented that you close your eyes.

However, not long after, you are forced to open them again because your sixth sense starts pinging.

You find Morpheus staring at you.

"What?" You ask as a nervous blush bleeds across your chest and up your neck to your face. “What are you thinking about?”

"I am recalling the first time that I met you,” he replies.

Your stomach muscles pull inwards. "I'm still really sorry about that. I was quite stubborn wasn't I? And talkative. I can’t begin to imagine what went through your mind when I immediately told you that you were attractive. You must have thought I was a right odd duck. Not that there's anything wrong with ducks. Ducks are great... Sorry, I've started babbling.”

You look at your hands resting in your lap.

"I cannot deny, it was one of the more eccentric encounters that I have had with humans.” His tone changes from playful to reassuring. “But I cannot hold it against you. You were dangerously sleep deprived, and I have since got to know you as a person.”

“I’m sorry about that too,” you deadpan.

“I’m not.” He replies abruptly, missing your sarcasm. “You are a remarkable being and spending time with you brings me great pleasure.”

“I feel the same. Your friendship means a lot to me.”

You both become silent.

Out of the corner of your eye you see a strange movement from inside Morpheus’ coat. You tilt your head to one side inquisitively.

“Have those stars always been there?” You ask as you focus in on the galaxies tracking across the lining of the garment.

“Yes," he says softly.

You wonder how you missed them before. You lean in, wanting to see them in greater detail.

“They’re beautiful,” you breathe. “Are they real?”

“Yes.”

Your fingers extend instinctively but you pause before you get too carried away.

You find his eyes.

“May I?”

He nods and pulls the coat open a little further to aid your endeavour.

You shuffle closer, reaching out with your dominant hand.

A thrill goes through you as you make contact. Your gaze widens and a little gasp falls from your mouth. The sensation is nothing like you expected it to be.

The stars swirl trails of warmth over and under the layers of your skin with the faint tickle of an ASMR reaction. You wonder what it would be like to actually wear the coat and whether it would feel like heaven.

You look back to Morpheus. His eyes are closed and there is a peaceful expression on his face.

The whole thing suddenly strikes you as feeling very intimate.

You pull your hand a centimetre back and Morpheus' eyes flutter open. You make to retract even further when his own hand captures yours.

Your lips part in surprise. He relaxes his grip.

"I apologise.”

"It's okay.”

He takes a deep breath through his nose. “I oftentimes recognise that I am touch deprived and may find myself craving it."

“It’s okay,” you repeat again. “I understand that feeling too."

To add evidence to your reply, you return your hand to his, releasing a wave of shivers from the residual energy of being in contact with the constellations.

Morpheus’ eyes are locked with yours as he speaks. "You're trembling." 

"There's a lot of power in that coat," you murmur.

He hums in response, and the sound goes right to your chest.

“There’s a lot of power in you too.”

All he can give is a controlled nod in return. You can literally feel the anxiety seeping out of him.

There are candyfloss coloured petals flying about you, settling on both your bodies and the grass you are sitting on.

You are getting delirious. You question if you should have touched the coat for as long as you did.

Your heartbeat thuds in your ears. It’s galloping away, showing no signs of slowing down.

You can’t handle the intensity of his gaze anymore. You close your eyes.

Morpheus’ breath is cool on your cheeks. Then, his equally cold fingertips graze your cheek, your jawbone. 

Suddenly the touch is gone. You are crestfallen, about to open your eyes again when his lips brush yours.

The act is so tentative that it makes tears prick from behind your eyelids. You daren’t move.

He kisses you again. It’s fleeting and chaste, loaded with care and respect. It makes you feel as if you are the most delicate thing in the universe.

You decide that you like the emotion it invokes within you. To be treated with reverence; it was something you desperately wanted to receive and also share with someone. And so when Morpheus’ lips find your own again, you return the sentiment with as much of your being as you can muster.

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

"What a way to go to bed with those thoughts inside your head."

 Taglist: @pinkcyclewitch @layla2-49 @shoidy-cat @silverhart93 @boofy1998 @dotieeee @ponyboys-sunsets @fangirlmary @littledollll @fatimakinney @jamiethenerdymonster @rosaren2498 @mr-sandman-bring-me-a-dream @madiebear @sandman-33 @sallysal9 @asiludida164

#The Sandman #Sandman #the sandman netflix #the sandman 2022 #the sandman imagine #The Sandman Fanfic #The Sandman fic #fanfiction #fanfic #the sandman x reader #sandman x reader #morpheus #morpheus x reader #morpheus/dream #morpheus/dream x reader #dream #dream of the endless #dream x reader #dream of the endless x reader #the dreaming #the endless #tom sturridge #angst #romance #Fanfiction series #slow burn #fluff #reader insert #Spotify #saskia writes sandman

[bookloure]

This is perhaps my most anticipated read of the year, and I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint. This novel has a lyrical, almost feverish prose that is brutal in (a lot of!) places. If you do not like flowery writing, I don’t think you’ll appreciate this.

On a sentence level, “But for the Lovers” demands a lot from the reader. The prose is dizzying, challenging, and is rife with code-switching. It is not a book that will coddle purely English speakers, which I laud. In the novel's foreword, Gina Apostol wrote that every time the Filipino employs the English language, the purpose is always subversion. BftL perfectly demonstrates this point. The way Nolledo used English in this book is very Filipino and very weaponized. And as I read, I got the sense that he was having a lot of fun writing this masterpiece. This book is not an easy read, but one that is worth the trudge.

So what is it about? “But for the Lovers” follows a cast of characters living in a rundown tenement building in a Japanese-occupied Manila at the tail end of World War II. This is a war novel with much waiting; the characters await their American “liberators.” And the reader waits too—knowing full well that when Americans do finally arrive, Manila will be razed to the ground.

The way Nolledo employs language in this book is really unique. It reads a lot like magical realism with its lyrical and flowery prose, but this book is very much grounded. And brutal. The seemingly magical things are actually happening in the physical world. For example, the opening sentence reads: “He was beginning to eat flowers, and the crescent moon was in his eyes when he awoke again.” It sounds a lot like a work of magical realism. But later in the chapter, we find that the man was literally eating flowers because he passed out under a flowering tree. And when he awoke, he saw the crescent moon. This push and pull of seemingly fantastical language against the physicality of the scenes continues throughout the novel. In magical realism, the fantastical elements are also usually employed to shield against the brutality of the physical world. In Nolledo’s novel, the brutality of the physical world disrupts the reader's enjoyment of its fantastical language. When brutality happens to the characters, it punches you in the gut.

So much trust is put in the ability of the reader. Whenever a chapter opens, the reader is plunged into the middle of the narrative and is expected to make sense of what’s happening—who’s the speaker in this chapter? Where am I? What is happening? And it’s only in the latter part of the chapter where things will start to make sense. Then, you’re on to a new chapter, and the disorientation starts again. I enjoyed trudging through the book, but can understand why people may be turned off by that.

Another marvel of this novel is that from start to finish, everything moves parallel along two realms: this is a physical novel, but it’s also very much an allegorical one. This beautifully reflects the poetic quality of our history and experiences. Of how we always seem to repeat the mistakes of the past. Of how, many years later, we seem to find ourselves in the same situations. And if we extend this to the rise of the Marcoses and the historical revisionism happening in the present… hay nako.

Which leads me to the way Nolledo wrote the novel's climactic moment: this war novel culminates in an overlap of memories. The parallel sentences hone in on the point that things that have happened before will happen again. America fooled us twice—first when they colonized us in 1899 and now in 1945 as they shelled Manila to the ground—both done in the pretense of being our liberators.

I found the allegories too in the nose at first. But thinking about it now, I’m glad the subtexts are simple and obvious, because the text itself is already challenging enough. Kung mahirap pa pati subtext san na lang ako pupulutin?

Some things I did not enjoy: I did not like the dream sequences in this novel. I did not like the woman (or, in the case of BftL, girl) as a nation trope employed. Especially since the waif who is the stand-in for the nation is worse than Maria Clara in Rizal’s novels. I don’t appreciate the sexist language (i.e., penetration), especially around the awakening of the nation’s soul. That said, I forgive Nolledo for his sexism. He’s a genius but still very much a product of his time.

The novel ends on a hopeful note, a promise of becoming, of blossoming for this nation. (Reading it today under another Marcos administration is bleak and depressing.) But one has to hold on to hope.

This novel is breathtaking, audacious, and blatantly anti-imperialist. It also tells us that the poor, the masa, carry the nation’s soul—not the educated middle class, not the wealthy landowners, not the ruthless authoritarians in power. But for the Lovers is a challenging read, but one that is well worth your time.

More photos from the book on my Instagram!

#philippine literature #but for the lovers #book review #bookblr #booklr #wilfrido nolledo

[ggomos-maribat]

Petals of You

To one of my most amazing friends, a light of my life and inspiration, Robyn @the-coffee-fandom <3 I wish you a happy birthday and I hope you like this little angsty gift :3

To others, it seemed like a blessing but to her, it was a curse.

Marinette had her powers manifest at the age of five. She began seeing crimson threads, wispy and light, wrapped around everyone's pinkies. The threads would cross over, intertwine, and loop around places, connecting two or more people who were fated to be together.

Soulmates.

That was what she could see.

She wouldn't go around telling people about what she could see, of course, unless she trusted them. She'd only keep everything to herself, thinking that people didn't have to be with their fated to be happy anyway, and she'd hate a life spent on matchmaking.

As Marinette accepted her ability into her life, she started to notice soulmates who were together. She would feel a rush of happiness seeing old fated couples looking fondly at each other, shy teenagers sneaking glances at each other, and fated strangers meeting each other. One way or another, those who were soulmates would find each other in time, even without her influence.

And each passing day, she grew excited about meeting her own, smiling down at her own pinky finger with its thread loosely tied around it. Since she moved to America, the string had gotten tighter, which meant that her soulmate might be close.

Marinette looked up, hearing the bell at the door ring. She beamed, tying up a bunch of white lilies to store away for later.

"Dana! Andrew!" She greeted the middle-aged couple. "The usual hyacinths and roses?"

"Can we have red chrysanthemums for today?" Dana smiled back. "They'll look wonderful in our photos."

"Twelve roses and three red chrysanthemums, coming right up!" Marinette chirped. "How about a white wrapper?"

"That will be lovely, thank you," Andrew replied.

Even without her vision, she could tell that the two were clearly soulmates. They were regulars of hers, buying flowers either separately or together whenever they went out on dates. Apparently, flowers had been important in the beginning of their relationship, so they paid careful attention to the languages and meanings.

"Drew gave me these chrysanthemums during our third date," Dana giggled. "I kept them in a vase next to my bed."

"That's really sweet," Marinette said, plucking a ribbon from the shelves to wrap the whole thing up.

Just as she handed the bouquet to the couple, another customer entered the shop. His hair and clothes were disheveled, and his tie was loose around his neck. There was a subtle stain on the hem of his dress shirt and his shoes were frayed.

But what made Marinette freeze was the thread attached to his finger.

Which led back to hers.

Her breath caught in her throat but she tried her best to maintain her composure. She nearly couldn't hear her own voice over the sound of her beating heart when she said, "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Hi!" Her soulmate gave her a blinding smile, his blue eyes almost glittering. "Uhhh, do you have some flowers for confessing to someone?"

Marinette's smile wavered. Be calm, Mari. It might be a platonic thing right? I can't jump to conclusions. Her traitorous heart welcomed a twinge of pain. But you can't control who your soulmate will be with . . .

"Sure," she breathed out. "Err—sorry sir, I'll need more information before I can put together an arrangement."

The man raked a hand through his hair while Dana and Andrew quietly left, leaving Marinette waves of goodbye. "He doesn't even like flowers in the first place," her soulmate muttered. "Why am I doing this?"

Her hand involuntarily twitched as she glanced briefly at her own pinky. "May I suggest starting off with something light? Or do you plan on confessing right away?"

"I think we should go with that, yeah." The man nodded. "To be honest, I'm still nervous about doing it."

"I take it he doesn't really know about flower languages?"

"Probably doesn't care," he groaned. "I just want a sweet gesture. We have something, but I just wanted to make it official, you know?"

Marinette felt tears at the back of her eyes. She resisted them, refusing to break down in front him. What did I expect? That we'll meet, fall in love, and get together flawlessly?

"Subtle first, then." She shuffled to another corner to pick out the flowers. "What do you value in him? In your relationship?"

He shifted awkwardly. "We started off as friends actually. We were really close. He's . . . reliable. We've gone through a lot together and I treasure our memories." His shoulders rose and fell. "I don't know if that helps but I trust you on that."

He sounds so sincere, she thought inwardly. He must really love him.

"You can call me Marinette." She pointed to her nametag. "And let's see . . . alstroemeria and pink tulips for friendship, daffodils for joy and new beginnings, white carnations for faithfulness and pure love."

As she spoke, she took the flowers one by one, ignoring the string between then fluttering idly.

"Tim. You can call me Tim," said the man. "Thank you so much. Should I come back to get a different bouquet next time?"

She fidgeted with her fingers. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that already. But if you want to express a deeper love, you can come back if you want."

When he held the bouquet close to him, Marinette found the colors striking against him, contrasting against his eyes

"I'll definitely come back," Tim promised, handing her the cash plus a generous tip.

As he walked to the door, Marinette watched their string lengthening, phasing through the walls until it was pulled tightly once more. After checking that no one else was around, she rubbed the wetness from her eyes and went back to work.

---

Marinette gently placed a bouquet of daisies inside a vase. She barely got any sleep in the recent days, with one boy plaguing her mind and all her time devoted to working at the shop. She put a palm on her mouth to cover an incoming cough and found a stray yellow petal wedged between her fingers, probably from the daffodils she worked on earlier.

Was I too busy to notice that it got there?

Sighing, she wiped her hand on her skirt to brush the petal off. How evil, for me to find a daffodil of all flowers. It just had to be a symbol of unrequited love.

The bell at the door chimed and Marinette felt her string being pulled. Her eyes momentarily widened at the sight of Tim, looking tidier than when she last saw him.

"Good morning!" He waved a little, coming up to the counter. "Marinette, right?"

Why did her chest twist painfully when he called her name?

"Hey, Tim," she said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "How were the flowers?"

He grinned. "Kon loved them. He won't admit it to my face but he definitely loved them. That's why I'm here to get another bouquet."

"I'm glad to hear that." Am I, really? "What will it be this time? Are you guys officially together?"

"Not just yet, that's why I need to make one more move. Oh by the way, here's something I picked up as an extra thank you for helping me out last time." Tim pulled out a coffee cup from a paper bag, setting it down in front of her. "Sorry, I wasn't sure what you liked so I got something sweet."

Astounded, she stared at the steaming cup in front of her. Why does he have to be so kind?

"Thank you. You didn't have to." She flushed. "And I love coffee in any form."

He put a hand on his chest. "That's a relief. I'm a junkie myself."

"For the next bouquet . . ." Marinette took a sip from her drink. The frothy milk was heavenly, coupled by the sweet caffeine. "What about something more classic? Red roses—twelve of them to be exact. That number is a declaration of love."

He hummed pensively. "I wouldn't want to be too cliched though. Is there anything you can add to the roses?"

"What about three stalks of sunflowers, for adoration and loyalty?" Marinette offered.

"That sounds great! Can I have a really big bouquet?"

Tim came back regularly after that. She'd suggest combinations of different flowers adhering to him and Kon's love and friendship and often, she picked out the freshest and brightest flowers out of her stocks. While she wrapped up his bouquets and attended to other customers, they would chat with each other about themselves and the meanings of flowers.

She would tell him the meanings of each of the flowers she sold him. Lunaria for honesty and sincerity. A protection plant. The reddest of jasmines for romantic love, sprinkled with yellows for optimism and happiness. Delicate carnations for admiration and gratitude.

Tim would remember all of it. He was keen in being fluent in the language of petals, and even picked out a combination of his own as a gift for one of his friends for their birthday.

And Marinette was just as eager to talk to him, nevermind the tugs in her heart and the swaying of their thread in the corner of her eyes. She found him charming. Adorable. Witty. Easy to talk to. She could see them growing close, clicking together perfectly if they had the chance outside of her work.

But in the end, she knew she was only a flower shop worker to him. Every morning, she'd wake up seeing petals next to her on the pillow, not acknowledging where they came from or how they got there. She'd only sweep them away out of sight before coughing a fresh batch.

One day, Tim came to pick up a bouquet he pre-ordered in celebration of one month of being with Kon. As Marinette put the flowers on the counter, she also brought out a smaller bunch, tucked away daintily in a decorative basket.

"What's this?" Tim raised an eyebrow.

"Just a little freebie." Marinette clasped her hands in front of her. "We had some extra flowers lying around and I figured you could use a bouquet of your own."

"It's beautiful," he marveled, carefully picking up the basket. "Does it have flower meanings?"

She laughed nervously. "I just put together random ones, regardless of the meaning."

It was a lie.

She had arranged that basket deliberately, pouring her unspoken emotions into each of those flowers in hopes of easing the dull pain she felt. Yellow acacia and gardenias for my secret love. Forget-me-nots so you could remember me from time to time. Calla lilies for my unreturned devotion. Lily of the valley shaped like tears. Buttercups for my naivety.

"Thank you so much." Tim smiled softly. "No one has ever given me flowers before. Ironic, I know."

Her voice cracked. "Thank you too. Those flowers are better off in your care."

---

A couple weeks after giving her bouquet, Tim brought Kon to the flower shop. He was exactly like how Tim described him: rough-looking, leather jacket, piercings, cropped hair. She stopped watering the potted plants the moment they came in.

"So this is where you get your flowers." Kon looked around, hands buried in his pockets.

"Yup," said Tim. "Hey, Mari, this is Kon."

"It's nice to finally meet you. Tim told me a lot about you." Marinette hoped her smile wasn't stiff when she shook hands with the tall boy. Looking down on their joined hands, she noticed something.

Kon didn't have a red string.

She blinked a few times just in case she was only seeing things. But it wasn't a trick or illusion. Kon wasn't bound to another by fate at all.

This kind of occurrence wasn't the first for her. If a living being wasn't technically born 'human', they wouldn't have a string attached to them. She had observed this in some sentimonsters who paraded as real people during her time as Ladybug. But still, she didn't know what Kon was, and she didn't have any intentions to pry.

"Good things, I hope." Kon eyed Tim, who rolled his eyes.

"I suggested we put together our own bouquet today," Tim told her.

"Sure! We have a selection over there. Feel free to pick out the flowers and I'll put them together for you." Marinette gestured to one of the walls, feeling a lump in her throat again.

"Taking this as a chance to show off your flower language skills?" Kon nudged his partner.

Tim scoffed. "I'm an expert now! Watch me."

Tim interlocked his fingers with his boyfriend's, dragging them over to the array of colorful flowers. Marinette looked away when they started whispering to each other, exchanging teasing but fond gazes.

She busied herself with wiping the counter and thinking. If Kon doesn't have a soulmate  . . . maybe I could . . . ?

She hadn't done it before, but she knew she had the ability to. The thought of taking things to that direction scared her, fear injecting right down to her fingertips. But if I want to make them happy . . . if it will make Tim happy for them to be together in the realest way possible . . .

Marinette glanced at the couple again. They were irrefutably in love, absolutely perfect for each other. It would only bring her grief if she didn't take the step she needed to. Maybe I'd still have a chance to find someone else, right?

She gingerly lifted her hand, looking at the string that connected her and Tim. She pinched a part of it between her thumb and index and pulled, severing the string completely. Her hand went up to her lips to give the thread one last goodbye before she blew it towards Kon's direction.

It worked like magic. The lost thread immediately wrapped around Kon's pinky, giving him a fated one, an eternal connection to Tim.

Meanwhile, tiny flowers began to bloom at the base of Marinette's finger. Flowers only she could see.

---

Tim entered the coffee shop with a skip in his step. He was on this way to work and decided to stop by the flower shop to bring Marinette coffee. But when he slipped through the door and past a small crowd inside the shop, it wasn't Marinette who was manning the counter, but instead it was an elderly lady.

"What can I get for you dear?" The lady asked with a sad smile that couldn't reach her eyes.

Tim scanned the pre-ordered arrangements prepared on the counter and shelves. Lilies. Chrysanthemums. Gladioli. Orchids. Aren't these funeral flowers?

"Sorry, is Marinette around? I brought her some coffee," he said sheepishly.

The lady's smile quickly fell at the mention of the girl. Her eyes locked on the ground. "Marinette is . . . Marinette's not working here anymore," she replied quietly. "She passed away two days ago."

Tim almost dropped the coffee cups. Marinette? Gone? Without a word? Was there an accident? Was she caught up in a Rogue attack? He swallowed. "Can—can I ask what happened to her?"

The old woman's lips pursed together, irises glistening. "We don't know. She passed in her sleep and the doctors found nothing. She wasn't sick at all before that except for a mild cough."

His hands went cold. No, there has to be some explanation. With a hitched breath, he looked at the flowers for mourning decorating the shop. It's all for her.

"Our regular customers ordered lots of flowers. They loved her so much, that sweet girl." The woman dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, touching a branch of a fake plum blossom in a pot next to the register. "Would you like to offer some as well?"

"Ye—yes." Tim cleared his throat, still stunned by the disappearance of his friend. "Some marigolds and pink carnations, please." 

Taglist: @tinybrie

On AO3

#timkon #timari #timinette #maribat marinette dupain cheng #maribat tim drake #maribat #ggomoz #maribat fic #angst no happy ending #major character death #hanahaki au #soulmate au

[theghostzonedictionary]

Phandom Dictionary

Disclaimer: None of these definitions are set in stone. People can interpret what these words mean any way they like. This is just so people in the DP fandom generally understand each other when using these terms.

If you know of a term used in DP fandom that is not on this list send in an ask with the word and its definition.

Ancients: A group of very old ghosts that took down the tyrant ghost king Pariah Dark. Some believe ghosts like Clockwork, Pandora, and Nocturne are Ancients but others think they are a separate unknown group of ghosts. (Ghosts may also use Ancients in the place of where one might say God, such as "Oh Ancients" instead of "Oh God.")

Blood Blossoms: A rose like flower that has bright red petals with black or dark purple stems and thorns. The flowers give off a haze that is horribly painful to ghosts but harmless to humans. Humans are even able to eat the flowers.

Child Ghosts: Ghosts that either died as children, or never born children. These ghosts can grow and mature into adult ghosts but can also remain children forever depending on the interpretation. However, it is generally accepted that Ghost Children need an adult to guide and protect them as a parent. (Other terms include Baby Ghost and Ghost Pup)

Core: The central organ of a ghost. Acts like the brain and heart. Is often located in the chest but can be anywhere else in the ghosts body.

Ecto-Entities: Another term for ghosts. Used in more scientific or legal contexts.

Fading: The equivalent of death for a ghost. Can happen from a ghost loosing or not fulfilling their obsession, damage to their core, or other factors. Most assume the ghost simply stops existing after they fade.

Fraid: A group of ghosts, typically all family and close friends.

Fright: Usually means the same thing as Fraid, but some differentiate with Fright including close friends while Fraid is just family.

Ghost Speak: Also called the Language of the Dead. It is a language that only ghosts can speak and understand. Often said to come from the ghost’s core rather than actually spoken. Some depictions are animalistic nonsense while others have it as terrifying incomprehensible sounds, and others say it’s completely inaudible to humans.

Halfa: A being who is equally living and dead. They have both a living body and an ectoplasmic form, and the ability to switch between forms at will. (Also called Gateway Ghost, Bridge Spirit, Earthly Spirit or simply Half ghosts since some people consider Halfa to be a derogatory term.)

Haunt: A place in the living world that a ghost has claimed as theirs to exist and defend.

Infinite Realms: Another name for the Ghost Zone. Sometimes considered the proper name since it was said by a ghost while Ghost Zone is used mostly by humans.

Lair: A ghost's home in the Ghost Zone. Usually a floating island or building, or a pocket dimension behind a floating door, but can also be smaller parts of other more powerful ghost's lair's.

Limbo ghosts: The ghosts of people who've died.

Liminal: A living being that has been exposed to enough ectoplasm to gain ghostly traits and possible powers. Half ghosts are a type of liminal but not all liminals are half ghosts. (Also called Death Touched.)

Mirror born: A ghost word for clone.

Never born: Ghosts that were never alive and formed in the Ghost Zone.

Obsession: (Called Purpose in AGIT) Something a ghost fixates on. How much an obsession affects a ghost's behavior can range from a compulsion to a special interest.

Overshadowing: A ghost phasing into a living person's body and controlling it. The person the body belongs to is unaware of what is going on while the ghost is doing the overshadowing. (Some use it interchangeably with Possession while others make a distinction between the two.)

Possession: When differentiated from Overshadowing, is usually seen as a darker more sinister version, although it varies.

Shadow born: Similar to Mirror born but with a more sinister implication to it.

Still Warm: Referring to a ghost as young or recently dead. Their body is still warm.

Walk In: A ghost possessing a recently dead body after the original soul/consciousness has left.

#Danny Phantom #master post #Dictionary

[zipitmythicalsunset]

Chapter 2: BloodBath River

(ALL SONAS HERE YAYAYAYAYAYAAYA)

(This is all from X.Gs pov, an important note is that due to the area she had grown up in, she has learned to speak all 3 (kelpie selkie and siren) main mer languages fluently, also Tw. This chapter is called Bloodbath river for a reason, I think i got a bit graphic but i have no idea where that border is so- E)

It's been an hour since dawn, and the town is already up and busy, people raiding the cafe for coffee to keep them up and going, others walking their dogs or chatting blissfully to one another. Unaware (or uncaring) of the lady with blue eyes piercing through a black veil with the gray, ominous Sunday hat sitting up top of a closed bookstore.

X.G has been so…tired

Everyones been. None of the other kelpies who she's been so close with she considers family have been active on their group chat. Life on land seems to have also been rough over the course of a few weeks. Most of her family live among humans, how, she can never know.

Maybe it's because they were born on land, and they had found the appeal there that she was blind to. Even then, the second their true form is revealed, no matter how good of a person you may have been. you're immediately a monster. Someone that deserves to be locked up and soul sucked out in a disgusting smelling lab. And be treated as a mere object, and when you finally die, nobody will remember you. Why run this risk? What was the appeal that she couldn't see? She wanted to know. It’s kinda her thing, to understand things she probably wasn't capable of understanding.

X.G looked around to the sea of humans below her, watching them all scatter to do whatever they had planned to do today. There's more than usual, that's odd. In the sea of busy people, she had spotted a familiar figure. blonde hair with strands of green slaying a white dress. X.G perked up and bounced off the building she was sitting on (earning a few gasps from a few bystanders. heh) and ran over to the blondie.

“Nora!” she basically yelled out, and Nora had spun around at the call of her name, perking up when she saw her friend running to her. “Hey X! how have you been?”

X.G held Nora in a one arm hug, in which she happily returned. “M’tired, life in the forests feels slow and the fog is starting to pick up. I almost lost my kitty bag yesterday when trying to get to Momma Yami’s home cave thing..” she grumbled, looking down midway through her sentence and patted her purse just to confirm she still had it. wandering around in the foggy eerie woods searching for her dropped bag was not fun. Nora simply chuckled. “I can imagine, the flower shop has been very busy. I’m closing it for the weekend because I somehow ran out of stock.” That. That right there had caught her by surprise. Nora tended to overbuy stock. So the thought that she ran out was shocking. “That busy?”

“Mhm, mainly tourists. Heard some point of interest or something opened up to tourists to check out and they came flocking, hotels packed and well yeah,extra money but nobody was ready for that.It's all haywire.” Ah. That explains why there's so many people around, and the extra boats, seriously, they appear out of thin air…speaking of..“Hey, that does mean you're free for the weekend, right?” She questioned hopefully. Nora had begun walking again, X.G following along behind her. “Yeahh, you got any plans I can tag along with?”

“No but we can maybe go- '' A familiar ring cut X.G off, coming from both of their phones. Someone had pinged them in the group chat, that used to happen a lot. But ever since these tourists had come and eaten everyone's free time. This is the first Ping this month. The girls looked at each other and whipped their phones out. X.G scrambled her phone out of her purse in the sea of other objects she purchased yesterday, out of its many waterproof covers, and clicked the notification.

🥗🥗🥗 Salads and sides🥗🥗🥗

Bloo: @everyone hey i know we’ve been busy, so sorry for the ping. But me and Vi are going to walk from the exit of the river and upstream to the cove at its start. just to take a breather from all the humans. Probably gonna spend the night there. Anyone else free to come hang with us?

Bloo, you goddamn life saver.

X.G and Nora looked at each other “Well, that solves that problem.” Nora said, laughing. X.G chuckled “Bloo is always there when you need her, even unintentionally, isn’t she?” Nora hummed in confirmation while she texted the group chat.

The former looked back down at her phone after a few moments of just laughing at the coincidence. she can see through her black veil that there are already 5 new messages, including nora.

bloo: @everyone hey i know everyones been busy, so sorry for the ping. But me and Vi are going to go from the exit of the river and walk upstream to the hidden cove near its start at around 12 pm. Just to take a breather from all the humans and chit chat. Probably gonna spend the night at that cove. Anyone else free to come hang with us?

(replying to bloo) Finnick: Eh, why not, nothing more entertaining to do anyway.

(replying to bloo) Cici: HECK YEAH! I'VE BEEN SO BORED AND I MISS YOU GUYS >:D

(replying to bloo) Whisper: ooo~ well i don't see why not, I'll bring some snacks and a couple of drinks! :D

(replying to bloo) Nora: shops closed for restock, it will be nice to get some fresh air :>

(replying to bloo) Beetle: hm…sure! Sounds like fun!

Smiling, she has typed out her response.

(replying to bloo) X.G: a walk would be nice, count me in.

sent.

Not 2 seconds after, Bloo had started typing again and had sent another message.

Bloo: all right! It's nice to see that almost everyone has free time this weekend!

It's something to look forward to, and she can feel Nora’s buzzing excitement next to her. It's a break from the town and work- with 8 out of 10 members of her family, she couldn't blame her. She herself missed listening to them chatter away and doing less than responsible things. It can get annoying trying to keep them out of trouble, yes. But if her friends weren’t chaotic children, what fun would there be?

——————————————————————

The meeting time was 12PM

Everyone was here by 11:30AM

The part of the beach where the river was is kept untouched by everyone, including tourists. After all, you'll never know when you'll get bonked by a gator.

The residents of the town found out the hard way

Poor fucker.

Vipera and Bloo had just arrived, ironically last, to be fair, they were technically 30 minutes early. Nora basically rushed X.G out of her jacket and sweatpants to show the outfit that fit much better with her kelpie form and hurried them over to the river at 11 AM so they wouldn't get side tracked and be late. X.G didn’t like to be rushed, but she still couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's shenanigans. Nora didn't wanna be late. Not at all

The river itself was maybe 100 feet wide and gashes into the land, carrying anything along that happens to fall into it.

Well, almost everything.

The river's current may be strong to a human, but a kelpie's powerful tail can easily swim against its current, though slow and inefficient… X.G and her family will know, they are no stranger to walking up this river to the cove.

“We are all ready, right?” asked whisper. Snapping her once again out of her thoughts. Vipera and Finnick were nodding, Finnick was holding a pretty big, black cooler bag. That probably has the stuff Whisper brought along. “Mhm, all ready for freddy.” Beetle joked. “I'm ready to go already!” Cici practically shouted impatiently. Nora and Bloo were holding a thumbs up “Me and Bloo are up and ready, how about you, X.G?”

She looked at each of her friends under her veil, she had removed her blue contacts- sky blue eyes have been replaced with blood red ones- and nodded

“ready”

And they were off

——————————————————————

At 3pm, all was well, everyone had switched to their true forms. Everyone was talking, telling stories they haven't had the chance to tell anyone, doing a few goofy things here and there, playing chess without a chessboard- actually a couple of games without their respective items. Vipera and X.G were in the middle of a tic tac toe match when Cici decided to make the first moment of the walk.

Cici was talking to Nora and making plans about one thing or another, when she looked at the river they were walking to the right of, dramatically gasped, and jumped inside. Giving everyone a heart attack until she surfaces 10 seconds later, jumping out the water with a fucking massive bucket, big enough to hold a child, and pretty well intact.

“GUYS LOOK A BUCKET” Cici yelled out with pride, holding the bucket like it was that baby lion cub from that one popular movie Bloo made X.G watch a while back.

silence…

Somehow, Everyone but X.G and Finnick had the same idea, and had gotten to their knees and began praising the bucket like it was the motherfucking lord and savior Jesus Christ himself.

….It took almost half an hour to convince everyone to continue walking, Cici kept the bucket though.

-

At 6 pm, They had stopped to take a break and eat some of the snacks that Whisper had gotten. Some cookies, water, and sandwiches . Bloo had snagged a few fish out the river to snack on. Some didn’t like raw food though. Whatever, it was eaten anyway. Bloo has always been the best at catching fish bare handed. Never ever lost any contest before, even if 3 people were working together, Bloo somehow always got more. X.G has always been VERY curious where she got her skills from. But she always says she's self taught. Fine then, keep your secrets, you blue tinted sentient plant.

-

At 9 pm, they had a simple conversation, a release of information about a pretty random topic. One that they had no idea would be relevant later.

“Hey X.G!” CiCi called, swaying the bucket around. her kelp hair swinging around almost smacking Vipera, who was chit chatting with Finn.

“hmmm yeah whats up?” X.G responded, pausing her game of connect 4 with Beetle- well, imaginary technically, the setup was in their heads and where they placed their next piece by saying which column out of 9 they wanted to place their piece in. They’ve done it for years now, it's second nature to remember such things.

“You spend your time out in the wild and all, seeing deers, traversing tree roots, and swimming with the fishes, yeah?”

“What about it?” she asked.

“well i’ve had this question for a long while now but never had time to ask because busy month and all, but how the FUCK do you keep your clothes clean and not even torn up in the slightest?!” CiCi nearly shouted.

“Actually, that's a good question. X, I know you're careful and all. But I don't think anyone is that careful, and your kelpie outfit doesn't even have a blood stain. how?” Asked Beetle, now also curious.

“Huh? Oh, Atlan tech. Neat shit aint it?” X.G responded casually. “Pardon me, what tech?” asked Nora, now interested. Great, everyone was interested now, all eyes were on her. hhhhhhhhhh-.

“Atlan tech.” she replied again. All of her friends looked at each other, each confirming with one another with a simple look they had no idea what she was talking about, and looked at her and gestured for her to elaborate. Why did she expect them to know what she was talking about?

“well….you guys know the atlantis myth right?”

Everyone nodded in confirmation. Well, here goes nothing…

“yeah that's a real thing”

silence. they have stopped walking, nonhuman eyes gone wide, staring at her through her veil, this feels ominous now.

“Holy crap…” gasped Whisper, shocked, and so was everyone else, now looking at each other processing that information, some in disbelief, others fully believed her.

“Wait really?!” yelled CiCi, flabbergasted. “Not in the way you think, however.” She added, and now all eyes were on her again, just like that. “It ain’t an underwater city that was run by humans and is full of gold or whatever the tale was. It's actually a Country sized city run by seafolk. Works like humans, just less tech advanced because it’s underwater, and, well, its under fucking water. Also they all hate humans. Funny isn't it?”

“And…nobody knew about this… because?” Finn asked, still doubting X.Gs admittingly pretty unbelievable claim.

“With all due respect, Finnick. Do you really think a COUNTRY SIZED CITY OF SEAFOLK THAT HATES HUMANS WILL LET A HUMAN LIVE TO TELL THE TALE?” Bloo pointed out.

“Pfft, that too, but really it's because there's a weird barrier that prevents anyone from seeing it and you gotta sing a certain song to an underwater shrine to enter.” X.G stated bluntly, not really questioning it.

….

“Ok normally id question that but then i remembered im arguing a civilization that made the most durable clothes i’ve ever fucking seen thats quite literally right in front of my eyes- just how are those two related mind you?” Finn asked, giving up on questioning X.G’s words. After all, she’s no liar to those close to her. They’ve been each other's family for a long time now. Everyone knows each other like a book they’ve read a million times. They know well the most X.G can do is half lie without stuttering her words or start avoiding eye contact.

“Long story, make it short, combined a bunch of animal genes together to create a genetically modified organism that produces a substance that which combined with a different genetically modified organism’s GUTS and a couple other things makes the most durable and questionable shit ever fucking created.” She said without a second thought. She can feel eyes piercing through her veil. She didn’t look away, or show any of her giveaways when she lies. Because she isn't.

“Hold on …how did they figure that out?” Vipera asked, Whisper and Nora hummed in agreement, having the same question.

“To be honest not even i wanna know” The Blood-eyed kelpie half chuckled out.

“Im wondering how the fuck they made a gentically modified organism that assumingly can mass produce this stuff.” Cici said, still baffled. “That…isnt my area of expertise.” X.G replied with a small giggle.

“Well, the Alfredton Marine Institution or whatever has a lab base right next to the left side of the river, we'll be a few minutes from the property line at like 3:30 am or 4:00 am, why not go ask them?” Finn said sarcastically. Earning a few laughs from the other seafolk.

“Jokes and clothes aside, you gotta take us there someday.” Beetle said jokingly, Whisper nodded her head in agreement. “I wanna see this barrier thing.” The blue eyed selkie Joked too. “Alright bet, when yall free to go on vacation to Atlantis? Outsiders are free to come and visit as long as they dont eat someone. ” X.G stated as if oblivious that the two were messing around.

“Wait fr?” Beetle said, shocked that their joke can actually happen.

“Mhm!”

“Oh heck yeah.”

Beetle won that Connect Four game, by the way.

-

At 10PM, the group took a small detour to a nearby open field to mess around with the fireflies. Beetle became the crowned heir of the fireflies since they insisted on following them around. Fitting. It was fun too, Cici had caught Finnick + 10 fireflies with the bucket she got. Which spawned a “game” of chase between the two idiots. They were back on track on the river within the hour, but only because Cici had run out the field and back to the river with Finnick on her tail and everyone else had to run after them, also prevent one from killing the other.

-

At 12:30 am,when their destination was maybe 4 or so hours away, her gut told her something was TERRIBLY wrong.

They've been walking for maybe 13 hours now, and everyone was starting to get droopy, but Whisper had also brought a bunch of energy drinks. God bless her for thinking ahead. But that means all her senses were not being dragged down by sleep. And every single one was screaming at her to be prepared to fight something, something she couldn't see or hear at all.

This didn't go unnoticed, however, not at all.

“Hey X, what's up? You seem to have lost your stride .” asked Beetle. “Yeah, I was about to ask the same thing, your energy is quite tense. '' said Nora. Of course those two will notice, they’ve always been more aware of their surroundings, they would have noticed X.Gs stiff posture a mile away.

“My protective instincts are screaming at me that something is wrong” X.G replied, it was true, but that instinct has been wrong before, but she was highly alert nonetheless.

Whisper immediately went stiff, turning around to look at her red eyed friend. “I'm…not the only one who's getting a strange feeling?” Ok, something is definitely wrong. If her instincts were nudging her, she would pay no attention to it, but they were screaming at her to protect someone. AND Whisper was getting the same feeling, who just so happens to have just as good hearing as her. Fuck no, something is wrong and she has to be re-

“Guys, chill out, if something happens, it will happen. Just don't ruin the good time before something else ruins it.” scoffed Finnick. “We are in the middle of nowhere, worst case scenario we get jumped by a bear or something.”

…..As much of an asshole Finn is and how rude of a brush off was, he was right. nothing could be done about it now, and nothing worse than a bear can attack them. So for now, she stayed on alert.

-

And X.G’s glad she did.

It all started at 3:05 AM, an hour and a half away from their destination.

she heard something

It sounded like a scream.

a human shriek.

The air had all tensed in as she stopped walking and looked across the river where the noise had come from, eyes widening as goosebumps prickled every scale on her body.

“Whisper?” she heard someone ask. maybe it was Vipera, or was that Nora? Whoever it was- they are implying that Whisper had heard the scream too, so it's not just her. “Hey, X.G what’s up?” asked Beetle- wait was that Finn? She couldn't care to check, nor to respond.

“Hey guys you good?”

“Did they hear something?”

“I don't hear anything”

“X and Whisper have the best hearing here, They probably hear something we can't”

“X.G looks like she's watching ghosts strip dance in the sky and Whisper looks like she had watched someone deepthroat some cacti.”

“What kind of simile is that, Finn?!”

“It's been a few minutes, X.G, Whisper, come on we gotta go”

She heard something again. Another shriek, in the distance. but it wasn’t human….it sounded like…like…

. . .

Changing to her higher form has always been a painful process, she always did it slowly. So when she threw her bag at Whisper to catch (which she barely had time to do, being distracted and all) and changed into her higher form in 5 seconds, everyone was alarmed.

Vipera got the hint, and changed into her higher form, not as quickly, but still quite urgently. Whisper had heard it too it seems, and had run over and jumped onto X.Gs back, immediately looking up at where the sound had come from once she was settled. Finn and Beetle decided that this was pretty serious, and had followed Whisper's footsteps. Her horse-like figure allowed them to do that easily. Nora, Bloo, and Cici all stood by the water, ready to jump in and swim against or with the current

“What is happening exactly?” Bloo asked, alarmed

“No idea, but it seems like Whisper and X.G had heard something alarming enough that we gotta be ready to move.” Nora said, trying to keep her cool, but the worry and alarm was obvious in her voice.

“No shit! But what did they hear!?” Cici nearly screamed, emotions of terror, alert, and weariness fused in one.

“Bro we dont fucking know! Jus-“

“SHUT THE FRICK FRACK UP YOU BROKEN BOBBLEHEADS WE ARE TRYING TO LISTEN!” Whisper yelled abruptly, cutting Finnick off before he had a chance to really start.

For a few minutes, nothing can be heard besides the current of the water. And their alarmed breaths.

And then she heard it.

it was loud enough for everyone to hear it, in fact.

selkies, kelpies, and sirens, the most intelligent creatures in the ocean. Each having their own similar yet unique languages, but there is ONE phrase that is the same across all three, and in that moment, her fellow companions understood why she, and Whisper were so alert. Why her instincts were screaming at her to protect someone. Why Whisper has had a strange feeling for the same amount of time.

“PLEASE HELP ME!!”

She’s never moved so fast in her life.

She was running so fast upstream. Kelo flying everywhere as her hooves smacked the river so hard that it made bubbles that she can run on, and run she did. It was draining her energy fast-but she had more energy than the average Kelpie, especially in this form. She can hear Vi somewhere to her left. and the sounds of splashes behind her as powerful kelp tails move against the powerful current of the river behind her.

There was still screaming, cries for help.

A child’s cries for help, they were begging, pleading cries.

They needed to go. Go and save the child from whatever danger they were in.They needed to get there YESTERDAY.

…The screaming abruptly stopped. She can hear voices now, but she didn’t care what they were saying and focused on her hooves to keep herself running correctly on the water. But whatever it is, it has the kelpies on her back riled up as they were now rambling in their anger. Mainly Finnick and Whisper, they were livid.

When they finally arrived, she realized why.

10 guards, and more approaching. Every single one had malice on their faces, which quickly turned to terror and shock as she ran on the grass where they were. She can hear Vipera getting out of the water somewhere behind her. and the sounds of Cici, Nora, and Bloo bursting out the water on the left and right sides of her.

her eyes looked around for the child that had called out for help. Then she spotted them—There, on the floor, next to a guard who was holding an active taser, definitely injured

Was a red, four armed siren kid.

“SURPRISE, YOU SCALES FUCKS” yelled Finnick, as the three kelpies jumped off her back.

And thus, the fighting began.

“Whisper, get the child to safety on the other side of the river” X.G demanded in their native language. Whisper didn’t think twice before following the order.

The red eyed mare wasted no time before bolting to the one closest to her and ripping their intestines out , listening to their screams of agony as blood tainted green kelp red..before making a human pancake with a hoof to the face and a satisfying crunch.

She looked up in search of her next target, catching a glimpse of Whisper putting her foot through the taser wielding man's chest. Thankfully without getting shocked. before scooping up the child and doing what she was told to. Good, Good. X.G had found her next victim, turning around and bucking their upper half off and began trampling their body. Organs, blood, and other bodily fluids exploding out like a piñata hit with a wrecking ball. She didn't fail to notice the glint of a shiny, used needle on the floor where the little siren once was and happily trampled that too with merely a thought.

Agonized Screams of terror and pleas for mercy filled the air while red tainted their kelp and clothes. The ones in the distance have caught up, the smarter ones ran back to wherever they came from, while the foolish ones had attempted to intervene a few had tried to shoot at them, stupid, stupid and cruel and foolish and COLDER THAN ICE. The bullets only made them stop taking their time and marked who died first. The kelpies slaughtered and fought. Tearing limbs off , listening to the terrified, wonderful screams, filled to the brim with agony and PAIN and DREAD and REGRET for their actions. For whatever harm they have caused to the innocent siren Whisper whisked to safety. Speaking of, While Finn rips heads off, left and right, what they deserve- they don't deserve their minds, they are far too cruel to have them. While Bloo rips them apart for their livers like the amazing hunter she is. While Vipera eats the terrible, cruel humans in one bite. While Nora makes sure they are unrecognizable to whoever comes and finds the bloodbath they leave behind. While Beetle leaves holes where their hearts should be, as they do not deserve them. They were fake anyway. EVEN while Cici makes sure there isn't a body, just a few organs, maybe a few limbs, skin scattered around, smashed bones, no name to put on it even if they tried. What they deserved, what humans all deserve is this birthday party of crimson and copper and screams right here. Among all of that, She also can hear Whisper maniacally laughing, even though she's trying to keep herself quiet for the child's sake. Her heightened hearing can still catch the laughter through all the screams and pleas for mercy and gunshots and the crunch of bones and dripping of blood and organs falling on the floor and the RED. That wonderful usually innocent laugh now also tainted beautifully by blood. X.G hears something else too, but she’ll address it later, but right now.

They have far too much blood to spill.

She wasn't sure about her comrades, nor had time to make sure they were ok, but besides the few hisses from pain, none of them ever cried out. Too bad for those even more idiotic humans. They made quick quick work of them all. When they were all done, the best way to describe the battlefield was a messy 3rd grade group collage, the blood being the canvas, with bones, organs, skin, and dead bodies being clumsily glued onto. Withthe occasional accidental flicker of what little green grass that didn't get tainted by the blood .

…

But now it’s over, the moon highlights the glimmers of blood on the now red grass and kelp that is their “art” project…Speaking of kelp, X.G looks at her friends. she herself besides a bit of kelp damage, has come out unscathed..

Well, Also Vipera, everyone else has maybe a few bruises, maybe a few stab wounds. Not sure why the ones in the distance didn’t immediately run at the sight of eight “monsters” tearing up their fellow coworkers, but X.G didn’t really bother to understand human logic. They were just stupid most of the time.

“Hey X.G, you know alot about sea mons- seafolk, right?” Whisper called out from wherever she was in their language. “Yeah, why?” X.G replied back. “…Do you know what I'm looking at?”

huh? Did Whisper find something? Or was there something wrong with the kid? She looked around at everyone else, who was walking towards the other side of the river, diving in the water to help remove the blood and jumping out to where Whisper probably was.

“Holy shit X.G GET OVER HERE!” Finn yelled out back in common tongue, flabbergasted by whatever he was seeing. Well then, if it's that serious.

She slowly turned back into her kelpie form…slowly…and painfully, the tough skin shrunk and hooves turned into claws until she was back in her kelpie form. X.G looked down at her…perfectly fine outfit and dusted it off and adjusted her hat. She really didn't know how the Higher form works and honestly she doesn't really wanna know. She’s so tired now. All that running on water and fighting for an undetermined amount of time really drained her energy, not to mention switching to her higher form so quickly. Pray to all that is holy that there's still an energy drink in that cooler bag. Speaking of, where is it?

“X.G!” Vipera shouted like a mother being ignored by their child being told to come downstairs. “COMING, I'M COMING!” X called back, running to the river and jumping in, the current tried to take her, but even when tired as she is right now, she was far too strong for that and easily swam to the other side before jumping out. Spotting Whisper and everyone else surrounding her. Sighing she trotted on over. “Ok what is going on?” She looked around, spotting the cooler bag on the floor- and the bucket too, seems like Whisper went back for them. She opened the bag and thank god there's still 4 Monsters. Grabbing one and immediately chugging it, she looked around to find what everyone was losing their minds over with new found energy.

And then her eyes landed on the kid. She spat out some of her drink and made her spit out words she’d thought she'd never say when talking about a sea creature.

“What the jesus christ FUCK am i looking at?!”

And for a good reason, That siren has TENTACLES, FUCKING TENTACLES. THE SIREN HAS TENTACLES. WHY?

“Wait, you don't know?” Bloo asked nervously. “Nope nada never have i never seen this in my life.” X.G blurted out. Holy shit. She’s never seen anything like this before. She thought she had seen all seafolk types, she thought wrong. “Why is it only showing itself now?” Nora asked, furrowing her brows. And everyone grunted in confusion…until she remembered something…

“I saw a used needle on the floor next to where the kid was laying. Maybe they paralyzed him with some toxin or whatever.” She recalled, yeah, she trampled it in her anger and spite.

Nora hummed, satisfied with that answer, but pretty fucking mad now. And so was pretty much everybody else, how could they not? Who were those people and why were they trying to capture a baby siren with tentacles? She looked from the baby siren to her friends as if their eyes had answers.

And in a sense, they did. After all, they can read each other like a book. She can tell who's thinking and who has an idea by that look in their eyes.

“Whisper, don't be shy. Ican't be that weird, state your theory.” X.G asked bluntly, Whisper was always the kind to listen to other people's thoughts and ideas before speaking her own, but right now she’s the only one with one. And now suddenly all eyes were on her. oops.

“W-well…” The shy sky eyed kelpie started. “What if this little one is genetically modified , and wherever that blasting alarm is coming from is the lab? And- and it was trying to escape and got caught?” Ah, right, the other thing she heard during the fight. that blasting alarm. Issue for later, but that idea, That's… “Ok yeah that IS a weird idea” Finn stated.

“But she's right…” Nora started, attracting all eyes to her. “I mean, the folks at Atlantis with a lot less tech were able to fuse a bunch of different animal genes and traits together to create two for their own benefit. What is stopping a lab of ice cold, cruel humans from giving a siren an octopus trait- wait do krakens exist? Doesn’t matter, point across, besides, Finn, you yourself said that we will arrive at some Marine institution at around 3:30, and it was 3:05- maybe 3:10 when X.G looked like she was watching, and I quote “ghosts strip dancing in the sky” Nora was glaring at Finnick now. “Well, it's like 3:40 ish now, so this has to be it, right?”

“Ye-Yeah! EXACTLY what I was thinking!” Whisper said more confidently.

The next few seconds were deafening as the realization of what that could mean slowly but surely made its way into the others' heads.

“There are more in there….” Beetle pointed out, despair overtaking their face.

“We don't have the energy,time or even a plan to save them all!” Finnick pointed out, “Come on, let's just take the kid and go already!”

“Wait, can we atleast go and cause some destruction? I haven't gotten all the rage out of my system yet!” Cici whined.

She let her friends argue about their next move, while her eyes drifted to her kitty bag that Whisper was now wearing.

Whisper had never gone in the water, she probably jumped across the river, As her bag isn't wet. It was a durable little thing, meant to withstand the harsh environments she climbed through. Yeah, it is true she almost lost it in the foggier woods, but she wasn't quite looking for Yamitsukis cave when she did. She had planned on going there, yeah, but that was before she bumped into a red headed selkie. Said Selkie was heavily armed, a rifle, a pistol, and a bunch of other weapons she could see from her carrier-like bag she was using.

Ironically, that Selkie was a darling to chat to, a lovely lady, a traveler, in fact, from Atlantis. It is not frequent she sees another like herself, so that was a pleasant surprise. She also had a mini shop, she was going to buy something from it when she realized her precious cat bag was gone. That kind Selkie- Eleanor, had helped her find it. And then they split paths.

Not before X.G had purchased five hand grenades from her and put them in her purse. With a discount too, at the promise she won't mention her to anyone else. Something just told her to do it, and she understands now. You see this is why she listens to her gut most of the time.

She looked at all her friends, Finn, Whisper, and Beetle seemed pretty calm and collected and just concerned about the child. However, Bloo’s hands are clenched in fists so hard to the point it's probably cutting skin. Nora's eyes are twitching and her foot is tapping. Vipera’s claws keep bracing around nothing and her eyes keep glancing over at the fence. And Cici, as per usual, is letting her rage be known to the world with clenched fists and pissed stomps. Yeah, They gotta get that out of their system before anything, lord forbid what happens later if they don't.

“What are the kids' injuries?” X.G thought aloud, cutting off whatever argument they had going. “Some bleeding bruises we gotta patch up later, a pretty deep stab wound in their top right shoulder, but a bit of kelp can keep that fine for a few hours now, besides that and he's probably sick. He's pretty ok.” X.G took the time to stare at the little guy. He was mostly blood red, Besides his dull orange-gray fins and his odd sunray-like orange and yellow head frills. Wearing a dirty old white gown. Along with having four arms, He also had four eyes, that definitely isn't normal. His tentacles have a pattern of dull orange spots with red ovals. His scales looked so dehydrated she kinda wishes Whisper had dunked him in the river. Even through the black tint of her veil she could tell he was definitely neglected there, poor kid. He didn’t deserve this.

“Whisper, can you give me my bag? I have an idea.” She asked, stretching her arm out to her cat bag expectantly. In which Beetle took the bag off of her and gave it to X.G, since Whisper was still holding the little siren-kraken kid. “What idea can you possibly have?” Finn scoffed. “And is it a good one?”

“Ok, who else here still feels unhinged and angry and wants to kick more ass still?” She asked just to confirm. As expected, Nora, Bloo, Vipera and Cici happily raised their hands. “Great, go run hop that fence over there and get it out of your system. We don't need a hole in the wall later. When we see them hop that fence to come back, we do what these legs were built for and book it.” She explained. “Yeah but, where do we run too?” Beetle wondered aloud. “To Momma Yamis house.” Finn Deadpanned. Yamitsuki was basically their mother, and the cove wasn't a better option, and eight suspicious looking “humans” pulling up to town, 6 of them having their clothes stained with blood (Vipera was in her higher form during the whole fight)with a tentacle siren isn’t a smart idea.“She lives a few miles away from here though, we should probably all chug an energy drink, those four morons will be high off adrenaline anyway.”

“Wait, you won't just send them over the fence, how exactly do you want them to get it out of their system?” Beetle asked suspiciously. For a good reason, Nora and Bloo are both on steroids when pissed. If Nora and Bloo are using steroids as a pick-me-up, Vipera and Cici is just straight up cocaine abuse. “well…i have the perfect solution” X.G giggled, opening her back and revealing what she had bought the day before “NUKES!” she joked. Getting a mixtures of panicked screams and joyful cheers from her friends, this was such a stupid idea but who the fuck cares.

The girls grabbed the nukes, really liking this terrible idea, and bolted over the river and over the fence to set off the hand grenades. Yeah, they are small, but causing a bit of chaos and destruction is what they need right now. Lord have mercy if one gets too riled up and makes the roof fall in at Yami’s cave.

“X, what the FUCK were you thinking?! Has the sleep blocked your common sense?!” Finn snapped at the red eyed kelpie. “First of all, I was thinking about the consequences if they punched a wall in the cave out of rage, and it caves in on us!” X.G snapped back. “Second of all, probably, but there's no point in arguing it now* She pointed out, turning her head to Whisper. “Whisper, give me the kid and the three of you guys crack a monster in there, we are gonna run for a few miles without break so you better be ready.”

“No, actually putting the kiddo in the bucket will be easier since you'll be able to use your other hand to help traverse the trees.” Beetle suggested, pointing at the bucket Cici had found all those hours earlier. “Good idea beetle! Finally someone who isn't on crack with the ideas” Finn scoffed. “I mean yeah we just killed maybe 30 or so people and our clothes are covered in leftover blood that will probably stain. But holy shit, fucking GRENADES X.G?! WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE FROM?”

“Look mate I promised not to speak of the buyer, that's for you to find out for yourself.” X.G replied back while zipping her cat bag closed. Earning a grumble from Finn, his eyes piercing through her veil. Whisper had placed the kid gently and comfortably in the bucket and took out three monsters, which she tossed two to the other two kelpies before grabbing the cooler bag and basically forcing Finnick into it. “Guys, seriously, enough arguing, just Chug and be ready. They'll hop the fence any second now.” The normally shy kelpie pointed out before cracking her drink and chugging it all down. Finn mumbled a complaint about how it's not supposed to be chugged normally before doing the same with him. Beetle had already finished theirs and just threw the can at Finn before picking it up, taking the other now empty cans and yeeting them back into the cooler.

They can't really Litter.Momma Yamitsuki will lose her mind if she finds out they did that, and angering the 9 foot tall Kelpie is not a good idea, no siree.

The four kelpies stood there, waiting in anticipation for their other four members to jump the eerie barbed fence on the other side of the river. The bucket is big and firm enough for Whisper to put it over her shoulder like a carrier bag. The little mer curled up inside in a fetus position comfortably. ya know, If he wasn’t badly hurt, dehydrated, and probably starving, it would've been pretty adorable.

Ah, and there's the screams. Looking away from the little one and over at the fence, Nora, Bloo, Vipera, and Cici were running over screaming wildly.

“RUN NOW!” Cici screamed, alarmed and maybe a bit of terror in their faces.

Well that's all they needed, but they hadn't heard the explosion yet, and they took quite the while. So what the fuck is going on? Didn’t matter, they had hopped the fence now, and they were all off. Eight pairs of animal-like haunches slamming the earth, going faster than any human racer can ever dream of going with heavy breaths. Oh and the baby siren passed out in the bucket.

“What's going on!? Where's the expl-“

BOOM!!

That wasn't a hand grenade explosion. No way.

The explosion was so powerful, rattling the floor around them like an earthquake, causing them all to nearly trip, but they somehow managed to quickly regain their footing and continued to sprint forward. Not an idea where they were running, but that doesn’t matter, all they know is that Yami’s cave is to the right of the massive river, so that's where they went, and were going. Don't stop, the Adrenaline and Energy drinks were doing their jobs pretty well, well enough? Only one way to find out.

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!” Someone yelled. Theres no way in fuck she was paying attention to who was saying what. she needed to put her focus on her surroundings, to determine where they are and where they need to go. Yeah, she knows the woods like the back of her hand. But let's be real, why will she go anywhere near any human civilization while in her true form?

To save a neglected and abused siren kid from a lab of torturers, apparently.

“Well at first Cici dropped her grenade and we were looking for it-” started someone, probably Bloo. “NO TIME FOR BUILDUP, JUST SAY WHAT HAPPENED.” shouted someone else through gasping breaths for air. “OK, I FAILED TO NOTICE HOW CLOSE TO BLOO I WAS WHEN I THREW MY GRENADE AND I HIT HER ELBOW WHILE SHE WAS MID THROW, HER GRENADE MISSED OUR TARGET BY A LONG SHOT AND LANDED UNDER A BUNCH OF THOSE MASSIVE TRUCKS IN THE PARKING LOT.” Another blurted out.

Oh, of course, Big trucks mean a lot of gas, the fact that it landed under them adds salt to the wound. “HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MESS THAT UP?!” screamed someone else. “EVERYONE SHUT YOUR DARN CRYHOLES YOU WET DOG SMELLING PLANTS, YOU GONNA WAKE UP THE BABY!” ok that one was whisper.

“But where are we going?!” someone pointed out. “I'm working on it!” X.G yelled in reply “I'm waiting to see if we can find a landmark that I've seen before or something!” Her heart was pounding and the exhaustion from running had started to take over, eyes darting around like a hawk looking for any kind of landmark as to where they were going.

and finally, she spotted something, for a flick of a moment. Two trees that had grown weirdly and had fused together. She knew those trees. With that landmark, and the direction they were running…that meant…

..OH SHIT

“EVERYONE STOP RUNNING NOW!!” X.G screamed, trying her best to slow herself down and not run into Finnick, who was ahead of her. It took a few devastating seconds, but eventually they all came to a halt, heaving and holding their knees while their throats took in the much missed air.

“What's wrong X?” Bloo finally asked after she caught her breath, concerned. “Yeah, what happened?” Beetle also questioned. “I saw something I recognized. Two trees, we are way too far north” X.G unconsciously looked at where she saw the trees. “Yamis cave is maybe another 10 minutes run down south if we continue at that pace.” Fuck, right, her friends knew her better than this. She can feel everyone's eyes piercing through her veil. “X.G what are you leaving out?” sighed Beetle. “We don't have time for this, the fact that none of us have passed out yet is a miracle.” They complained.

“Andddd we are running head first into a massive sinkhole.”

“O h”

“yeah”

“Let's just go to Yami’s cave, lead the way X.G, you seem to know what you’re talking about .”

-

It all started at 3:05 AM.

Safety was reached at 4:35 AM.

And off they went, easily the worst 15 minutes of her life, the exhaustion quickly began to slow down her steps and made the journey much longer then she hoped. Yeah, it was only 5 minutes extra, but still. Also why were they still running? Good question, because fuck their health, the kid’s is more important. Oh yeah lets not forget that their bloodbath masterpiece will be found much sooner than they would have liked.

At last, they had reached the vine-blocked cave. Yamitsuki somehow had been able to find a way to control the vines in the area. These ones are near indestructible. They were all so tired, lightheaded, and on the brink of passing out. “MOMMA OPEN UP ITS AN EMERGENCY.” yelled Bloo in their language urgently and tiredly.

“HOLY SUGAR ICED TEA!” Yelled a familiar voice. as they heard aggressive stomping towards the cave entrance, and suddenly the vines were gone.

“CHILDREN- WHAT HAPPENED?!” screamed the purple eyed kelpie. Actually they probably looked terrible, eight adult kelpies, most of which clothes have some almost hour old blood stains on them, not to mention

“EXPLAIN…IN THE MORNING…” Finnick said in between breaths.

The older kelpie wasted no time rushing them inside the cave, settling them all down in the beds in one of the many “rooms” of the cave. Usually there were young seafolk in this cave, but the youngest had recently grown out of it. Momma Yami always knew how to care for anyone. She was grateful for that, sleep is now blurring her vision so much she can't see anything and she can’t even say a coherent word. You see this is what happens when you switch to your higher form too quickly, run on water, then run a marathon all in an hour or so.

“The bucket!” She heard Whisper yell somewhere. “Baby…bucket…lab…hurt…” the blue eyed mumbled.

“Baby what?” asked Yami, probably grabbing the bucket and seeing the little one still unconscious in it. Actually how did he stay unconscious through all of that chaos? “oh sweet heavens- CARRIE DARLING PLEASE GET OVER HERE AND HELP ME OUT.” Yamitsuki called out.

Ah, right, Carrie, the other kelpie that didn't reply to Bloo’s message in the group chat. She's in college for marine biology. So she’s…. probably…very…busy….

“WHAT HAPPENED……..IS THAT……. FINNIC…SIR… TENT…..X….” were the last words she heard before exhaustion had finally pulled the crazy kelpie under into its pitch black waters.

(Not really words if you asked her, more like a pile of junk.)

@intistone ive made a mistake somewhere it was suppose to be a oneshot with maybe 6k words NOT A WHOLE FIC THAT ALREADY HAS OVER 10K WORDS- im so so sorry yes there will be more chapters but rn ima go cry i reread this SO many times theres probably so many mistakes and shit that dont make sense.

[friendlyfatbee]

Flowers I Associate with Angels of Death Characters!

*Note, not necessarily always perfectly matching with flower language, of course this is all just my own opinion! Tw for religious topics with some flower meanings.

⚠️Zack⚠️

Cardinal Flowers! Majority of the time they’re bright red, easily recognizable wildflower for its flowers that aren’t perfectly perked up like how flowers are typically imagined to be. I’ve seen it before in wet areas like streams near bogs, so it isn’t hindered by “dirty” environments. This flower is also extremely toxic to humans and pets, deadly just like Zack! Just not in a slasher killer fashion. While this next idea might be a stretch, these flowers supposedly will bring love to the lives of elderly women (by touching the root, not gifting), and Zack just so happens to bring light into a certain elderly man’s life before his untimely death.

Ironically, these flowers have been associated with the red robes of cardinals in the Catholic Church, even though Zack could care less about God and religion.

👓Danny👓

Crabapple Blossoms, specifically Sargent Tina Crabapple with red buds that bloom into white, pure flowers, only to change to bright red, shiny crabapples. Crabapples are actually fairly related to Rose, which can be tied to how Cathy and Danny had a history far before Gray’s experiment, according to the prequel manga series. These gradually whitening flowers caught my eye immediately from the fact that despite the abundance of red buds, not a single white flower was red. Morbidly enough, the red to white transition reminds me of both Danny’s plethora of injuries during the course of the story staining his coat, and also the fact he stopped the bleeding due to his medical knowledge.

Crabapples are toxic to animals due to a compound within the seeds that can transition into cyanide, while in most cases this cyanide doesn’t pose a real threat to humans but can be harmful in large amounts, mirroring how Danny may not always be a lethal threat with his eye stealing, but is capable of plenty of harm.

Ironically and sadly, crabapple blossoms are associated with fertility, marriage, love, and joy, things that Danny was doomed to never have over the course of the main story as an antagonist.

🪦Eddie🪦

Tulips, with its wide variety of colors including orange, along with flower meanings that all relate back to deep and understanding love, something that Eddie offers (though this is partially due to his yearning to “own” something and give a proper death to things he believes he should own.) In areas where I’ve seen tulips, butterflies and other insects definitely crawl about, reminding me even more of Eddie’s death and the butterflies present in the anime. Orange tulips in particular convey understanding and appreciation between two people (usually in a relationship,) which further relates to Eddie’s views on Rachel and his family.

Tulips are, surprisingly, toxic, and in most cases of poisoning, the bulb was confused for edible onions. It may be a stretch to say that this deception matches Eddie’s childish personality (though understandably because he is a literal child) and his ability to kill.

🧨Cathy🧨

Roses, specifically bred ones as opposed to wild or cute Chinese roses. Roses have always been a symbol of wealth, power, passion, and slight danger, and we already know how Cathy circulates through money faster than blood in the circulatory system. I can confirm from falling into rose bushes multiple times that they do indeed hurt, only reminding me further of Cathy and how she craves to judge and punish sinners in the most painful way possible. Roses are not toxic and depend on their thorns for protection, paralleling how Cathy doesn’t directly kill or punish sinners and uses expensive technology to do so.

For those who have read the manga, yes Cathy reminds me of specifically red and white roses, which signify unity (which I associate between Cathy and Lucy, even with Cathy still wearing a ring as if to show that sense of unity is still strong. Even if it was slightly one sided…)

📖Gray 📖

Hyacinths, but particularly from the fact that Hyacinths are strong and sweet smelling (like a certain sweet smelling gas Gray uses.) When I came across a group of Hyacinths, the smell is what hit me first before I even saw them. They come in a variety of colors (white, pink, etc) but also notably purple. While purple Hyacinths are typically associated with sorrow and desire for forgiveness, they can also let a mourner know you’re thinking of them after a death in the family. This can’t be linked to Gray in any significant way, but it is still worthy to note.

No, I did not even think about the whole Hyacinthus myth of Apollo being gay, but if you told me that Reverend Gray was immortal like how Hyacinthus was immortalized, I would 100% believe you. /hj Hyacinths are also toxic to ingest and skin irritants due to oxalic acid.

🕊️Rachel🕊️

Lilies of the Valley, for a variety of reasons. White, small, delicate, and with a mixed history of both youthful and pure things (when in loving arrangements) but also sadness and pain (in funeral arrangements.) This flower also has supernatural associations, such as the belief that these flowers can communicate with an outside world. Despite being treasured by some cultures, they’re actually seen as a nuisance where I live, which could be tied to Rachel’s sense of being unworthy and hated by God. These flowers also are associated with tears, such as the Virgin Mary’s tears when Jesus was crucified, and the tears of Eve when she was expelled from the Garden of Eden, which once again ties into Rachel’s feelings toward God rejecting her. These dainty flowers are also toxic, which is more than fitting for Rachel’s deadly history.

Of course these flowers are what I associate with the AoD cast from my personal experience with the plants, not what plants best fit them. If you have a different opinion, that’s great and feel free to comment it!

#shopping cart of thought #angels of death #angels of slaughter #satsuriku no tenshi #Issac foster #zack foster #AoD #Rachel Gardner #Danny dickens #Daniel dickens #Cathy ward #reverend gray #Abraham gray #Eddie mason

[sehnsuchts-trunken]

Hi, may I get a match-up for the hobbit please? I'm genderfluid they/them) and would like to shipped with a masc character please.

I'm an INFP-A, 9w1. My horoscope is gemini sun, leo moon, and libra rising. All of those are extremely accurate lol. I'm very whimsical and distant, but once you get to know me I'm even MORE whimsical and very emotionally intense lol. I'm a bit of a manic pixie dream girl lol. My intensity usually intimidates people, but otherwise I'm very open and friendly once you get to know me. I'm observant and introspective, which ironically makes it difficult for me to make friends and makes me a bit sensitive. I'm extremely compassionate, empathetic, patient, and understanding. It's one of my worst traits as well, since i struggle with forming boundaries and being angry at people who mightve wronged me. I'm also incredibly indecisive. I'm not a pushover though, and have no problem gently letting ppl know when I disagree with them or something.

The animals that my friends/family say remind them of me are bears and elephants. My favorite color is yellow, and my favorite flowers are honeysuckle and jasmine. My favorite season is a tie between summer and winter, even though I HATE the cold.

With my friends I'm very chaotic and they describe me as "a silly gnome/goblin". When with them i initiate most hangouts and have always been a sort of ring leader.

My giving love language is quality time and words of affirmation. Receiving they are physical touch and quality time.

I come from an abusive household and had to look out for my younger siblings (2 younger sisters and 3 cousins who are basically brothers).I've been through a lot and that's given me a unique perspective on the world and what it means to be alive.

For hobbies I really enjoy reading, crafting, writing poetry and am very good at it, and just spending time outside. I love listening to music and listen to absolutely everything and enjoy it lol. I'm very go-with-the-flow and am down for practically anything and everything at least once. I don't like mean-spirited things/people, the cold, and being man-handled lol.

My style is very hippie/70s with goth influence. I have very long dark straight mahogany hair and blue eyes, and a very small/petite frame (hence not liking being manhandled lol). I'm very pretty in a free-spirited way, and I'm quite graceful.

My ideal type is someone who can get me out of my shell a bit while still appreciating my soft/whimsical side. Someone who can have my back and we can be our inner children together, if that makes sense. I'd do well with someone who could understand me, and help me be the best version of myself. I believe love and empathy are the only things worthwhile in life, in all the various forms they take, despite what I've been through. It terrifies me though, so id need someone to convince me to take that leap with them. Its easy to scare me off as well so someone who could understand how to approach me without overwhelming me would be best. In relationships I'm very much drawn to a twin flame sort of dynamic lol.

((I'm sorry if I did this wrong, I couldn't find any rules through navigation on mobile or anything other than your post about opening match-ups, I'm so sorry if I did this wrong! Thank you so much💗))

you did everything right, no worries!! there actually should be a post on rules and stuff tho so um, i'll have to go check what's wrong with that soon. but you're all good!!

im a bit insecure about just how this turned out, cant really tell if you'll like it but we'll see!

I ship you with...

Fili!

You've known Fili your entire life. You were born at around the same time Kili was and you're pretty sure that's the reason why you're so close to them. It makes sense. Your parents had never been the best and you had a lot of family that you were happy to escape from now and then, plus Dis was lovely and more of a mother to you than yours ever was. So you spent the better part of your childhood with Kili - and with Kili meant with Fili as well, because they came in a package deal. Always.

While Kili grew to be your best friend, much like a brother, Fili... you'd always felt a few butterflies around. You could've written it off as some kind of childhood crush, of an infatuation in your teenage years, but honestly, you'd never quite got over it. You were older now, old enough that you should have long since been normal about the whole thing, old enough to have found work for yourself and left your parents behind. But you were still just as close to Kili and Fili and no, you were not over your crush in the slightest. Over the years, you'd just gotten better at pushing it down and suppressing it.

So you're there with them when Thorin calls on them for the quest of reclaiming Erebor. You're there because you're practically family, because Thorin knows and trusts you, and you're just as quick to agree as his nephews. And why wouldn't you go? You love them all dearly, you'd never been on an adventure before and Erebor was your home too, after all, or would have been at least, under different circumstances. So a few weeks later you start out on a life-changing journey with your two favourite dwarves in the whole world and you're honestly only a bit wistful because you'd had to leave your books and paper behind.

The three of you are a force to be reckoned with. Kili matches your chaotic energy exactly and Fili is - though certainly being the most responsible out of the three of you - still not nearly as responsible as his uncle, so your journey to Bilbo's little home all the way in Bag's End is some of the most fun you've had in your entire life. Daily life with them is obviously great as well, but what with your work and all, you haven't seen them this much in a long, long while.

It quiets down a bit when the rest of the company joins (most of them you know, some of them you can't remember), but you're still enough to get on Thorin's nerves quite a lot. You do make friends with Bilbo, though, who's drawn to just how whimsical and open you are. He may have been a bit put off by your joking about with Kili and Fili at the start, but you have him charmed a few days into your journey. You talk about books and plants and really, anything at all, and by day six you think you may have found a new life-long friend in Bilbo.

But even though you're now spending your time getting to know someone new, you're still as observant as ever, and you notice - of course you do - that the closer you get to Bilbo, the less you see of Fili. Kili is always close by and you certainly spend at least half of your time joking about with him, but whenever you ride or walk next to Bilbo, talking and laughing, Fili seems to disappear somewhere into the background, so much so that you actually have to search for him to spot him. It hurts, a bit, because you can't seem to pinpoint just what's wrong for a while. Wasn't everything just fine when you started out on this journey? Had you said something, done something wrong? You knew this kind of thing from your parents, but never from Fili, especially because he knew about... well, about everything, really, so he knew just how sensitive you could be about things like these. You did your best not to let it bother you too much.

Instead, you focused on Bilbo. He was funny and sweet, intelligent and understanding and for as much as you love the dwarves, for as much as you love your kin, you like that he's not as rough and intense. He's different. And maybe you're a bit different than the rest of the dwarves, too - you'd always been a bit slimmer and smaller and more petite than the rest and maybe that had shaped your personality in some way, too, you weren't sure. Maybe that's why the two of you grew so close in such short time.

You express your feelings for him quite the same way you do for everyone: loud and chaotic, just the way you are. You tell him that he's funny and sweet, intelligent and understanding because that's exactly how you show people that you like them, so, well, you do. But every time when, in the spur of the moment, you give Bilbo a friendly compliment, out of the corner of your eyes you see Fili scoff. You frown and try not to interpret too much into it, but it's hard - after all, you've been doing nothing but interpret and think and imagine because you've kept all of your feelings for Fili bottled up inside of you for your entire life, analysing and wondering if maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny little chance that he liked you that way, too. Not that you've ever really found anything. He was always just Fili.

But not this time. No, not this time. This time he's scoffing and turning away and staring gloomily at you when he thinks you don't notice because you're too deep in conversation with Bilbo. You do, though, definitely, because he's not being as secretive as he thinks he is. You watch him argue with Kili one evening, which you're sure hasn't happened this severely in years. Simply put, he's being weird.

He stomps off and Kili plops down next to you right after - you ask, of course, what's wrong with his brother, but you've asked Kili multiple times already and he simply won't tell you. And as much as Fili's behaviour is upsetting you, you won't go up to him either, because you're not that kind of person that pushes others - you're not even really angry, you rarely are, because whatever the reason is why Fili is behaving this way, there surely is a reason and you know him well enough to be aware that it's a good one too.

It all comes to an end in Rivendell. Most of the dwarves are in a bad mood, Bilbo hasn't been as ecstatic the entire journey and Gandalf seems to be much happier here than travelling, so the company is a bit split when it comes to their opinions on this place. You don't mind it much. You like being clean for once. Bathing had become a luxury. So while the dwarves keep complaining and brooding moodily, you're talking happily with Bilbo and Gandalf.

The elves seem a bit put off by you, but you're used to that, and after a night in Rivendell, when the dwarves have started brooding less and - well, no, they're still complaining just as much - some of the elves are conversing more and more with you. Maybe it's because you're spending most of your time with Bilbo and Gandalf (and Elrond in tow) or maybe it's because you're open and friendly, but either way you're meeting new people left and right. And that's when Fili's behaviour changes yet again.

Instead of staying out of your space and scoffing, suddenly he's by your side everywhere you go, every step you take. You're happy at first, excited that he so surprisingly comes back to you (now you're glad that you weren't all that angry in the first place), but it becomes clear after a few minutes already that he's not there to talk to you very much. It seems that he's made it his mission to stand gloomily beside you, glare at everybody who comes close to you and generally answer everything you say to him with an unmotivated "hmpf". It irritates you.

But when you get woken up by an annoyingly loud knock in the middle of the night, that's it for you. You open the door to see Fili and you're not even angry, you're really just... tired. In every sense. He's standing there in his night clothes and he seems to have had an epiphany of some sort, he looks starstruck and you're so done. You're so done you just pull him in, close the door, get back in bed, pat the empty space next to you and tell him that if he wants to talk, he should do it quickly, before you fall asleep again.

He stands in the middle of your room for so long you've actually almost fallen asleep again when he speaks up. Stuttering, which isn't what you're used to at all when it comes to him, and stumbling over his words, admitting that he's been acting stupid, that he's been acting dumb, admitting that the reason, that reason that you were sure was there, is that he's in love with you. Deeply, desperately, for so long he can't remember a time when he wasn't.

You don't really think you've heard him right but you also don't care. It's too late, you're too tired, he's looking too warm and broad and comfortable and before you can think about much anything, you've reached for him and guided him to your bed and cuddled up to him - he smells familiar, he feels safe, and he's reaching his arms around you and placing a kiss on your hair and telling you good night and somewhere in your hazy mind, you recognise the weird feeling in your stomach as butterflies.

The next morning, you wake up warm and cozy and when you open your eyes, you're facing Fili. You're actually, honestly, truly facing Fili. It takes two seconds to register. Then you feel his breath on your lips and his forehead against yours and your eyes fall closed all by themselves as you listen to him ask if he can kiss you now. You let him. Of course you let him.

You actually do talk it out that morning, though. Between a lot of kisses and a lot of cuddling, there's also a lot of talking. You're a bit nervous (even though that feeling settles after about the third or fourth kiss) but Fili has always been good at convincing you that you were brave and strong enough to do anything, and with the rhythmic stroke of his hand on your arm, the way he beams at you when he makes you giggle, how happily he listens to you talk, all of that convinces you in just a few hours how very right you were to pine for him your entire life.

When you don't show up for breakfast, you guess the others were worried some elf had killed you in your sleep, so Kili comes knocking on your door some time before noon. In full Kili fashion, he doesn't really knock at all, he more like just comes barging into your room, so you have barely enough time to look up before he stands at the foot of your bed with a dumb grin on his face that tells you he was very much aware of what was going on with his brother the past few weeks.

You don't mind. You don't really mind anything anymore. Because you spend your days in Fili's arms now, with his hand in yours and courting braids in your hair, and you're happier than you've ever been before. Now the people you'd always considered family more than your real family did become your real family, a few years after you'd recovered Erebor, on the day that you marry Fili. The happiest day of your life, because Fili made you feel exactly the way you'd always wished he would, because he was exactly what you'd always wanted, because you loved him. And because he loved you.

#matchups #hobbit matchups #the hobbit matchups #matchup #fili durin #fili #fili durin x reader #fili durin matchup

[emotionalillusions]

All the pretty asks. Mwahahahahaha!!!

As you requested, here are all of them <3 ...even if you only asked for payback lol

angel; is there anyone you’d do anything for? Yes, a small few. 

galaxy; what fascinates you? A great many things inspire my fascination, first I am intensely fascinated with you @mishaps-and-mixtapes , otherwise in general I'd say history, traveling, the universe, books, the human mind, relationships, Ayurveda, writing, parenting.

melody; favorite artists? I have a lot of favs, a list thats far too long to put here. I will answer who I've been listening to most in the last month or two - Ella Mai, Kehlani, H.E.R., Erick the Architect, Mahalia, 6Lack, Banks, DaniLeigh, J Cole, Sade

silk; what outfit makes you feel confident? A pretty dress usually ups the confidence level but I can also feel great in a pair of jeans that hug my curves and a tank top. Ooh, also lingerie! Nothing says confidence like a lace chemise or corset and garter belt.

rose; favorite flower? Lilies, sunflowers, and daisies. And cherry blossoms.

sun; favorite season Autumn, but Spring is a close second.

film; favorite movie/tv show? This topic/question requires a few blunts and an overnight discussion. I can't even narrow it down. 

gorgeous; what do you like in a person? Everything that you are. 

diamond; favorite color? Purple, teal, mauve

infatuation; first crush? Oh, can I even remember the first crush? I'm pretty sure it was in elementary school, I don't even remember the kids name, but I remember he was funny and made me laugh.

dream; how long do you sleep on average? hahahahahaha. Oh, is this a serious question??? I get a few hours whenever my eyes refuse to stay open any longer. 

brilliant; what celebrity do people say you look like? Um, no one has ever really said I look like a celebrity.

perfume; favorite scent? You, yes you are definitely my favorite scent.  

fleece; have any pets? A little scrapper kitten, who is as adorable as he is mean.

pigment; what color is your hair naturally? if you could dye it any color which one would you choose? Naturally dark brown. I've had my hair a ton of different colors. I really like a dark red or purple.

charcoal; do you have a good relationship with your parents? Its always been kind of complicated as both my parents have issues with substance abuse, but I was really close with my mom before she passed. I don't have a bad relationship with my dad currently but he's not a reliable person and not someone I turn to during times of need. He is great for helping with some bigger home related projects when he's around.

ocean; do you take a yearly vacation? I've been trying to make it a tradition to go somewhere once a year, and the last couple years I've made it happen. 

murky; biggest fear? Something devastating happening to any of the kids. Death in general, even knowing it's an inevitable part of life. 

devotion; are you taken? Answered but I'll answer again. I belong completely to @mishaps-and-mixtapes

lingerie; what do you wear to bed? Depends on the night, but typically very little, tank and panties.

daydream; best memory? In the delivery rooms when they put the baby in my arms and get to see their sweet faces for the first time. 

joy; best feeling you’ve ever experienced?  Love and understanding. I've only truly felt that in a relationship with you. It's beyond comparable. 

masque; what’s your skincare routine? I wash my face lol. I've gotten better about using moisturizer and sunscreen since moving to a desert area. Holy dry skin batman.

valentine; best gift you’ve ever received? I appreciate a thoughtful gift, but they aren't my love language. I'd rather make memories than have something material I think. 

parchment; favorite book? I can't pick one favorite. The best book I read in the last year was A Gentleman in Moscow. 

garden; do you have a garden? plants?  A lot of plants. I'd love a garden, to grow my own fruits and vegetables. Oooh, a greenhouse!

oasis; dream destination? Ah, many! Petra, Tibet, Japan, Rome, Bali... 

sense; best subject? favorite subject? I was always good at Math and English, but I love Psychology & Philosophy

footprints; do you want kids? There's a few running around and want more with you, let's practice making them.

rainbow; what’s your sexuality? Straight, with a sprinkle of bicurious.

sweater; do you prefer loose or baggy clothes? Isn't loose and baggy the same thing?

nail laquer; punk or pastel? I swing both ways.

1975; if you could time travel to any time period, what would it be and why? Hm. Maybe the Renaissance period in Florence Italy for the appeal of the cultural and intellectual richness with figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo.

tattoos; do you have/want and tattoos and piercings? I have a lot of tattoos, I stopped counting after getting to double digits. I also used to have more piercings. I'd love to have them redone and intend to.

[loreleilarai]

This Au belongs to @starlightcloudbaby

I loved the concept of Moon and Sun being guardians of the forest. Always watching and guarding, I decided to make a short story about them.

Tw: Moon hunts the reader for sport as usual, nothing new. Also Moon hates doors and messes with electricity.

The reader may not be afraid of mythological beings, but he's definitely afraid of humans, you're more likely to get murdered by a human rather than something whose existence is questionable. At least you'll be afraid as long as you think Moon is human.

I made this quick before bed and Moon will haunt me in my dreams because of it.

(English is not my native language so I apologize in advance for any mistakes).

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

Even if it was daytime, the clouds accumulated in such a way that the sun could not pass through it, the light was scarce even when it was noon, the wind shook violently the leaves of the trees, all the birds hide in their nests except a couple of rebels in search of food, the whole forest knew that a strong storm was approaching fast.

Thanks to the high ground a couple of gentians settled their roots between the soil and the cement under your kitchen window, in your old botanical garden you learned a lot about that plant; they usually bloom in areas with low temperatures, a place where there are few pollinators to help the plant reproduce, it could not self-pollinate so the pollen was the flower's treasure, it could not risk losing it to the wash of the rain so its petals were hermetically sealed. Leaving aside that wet flowers discourage pollinators even when the weather is favorable. Aside from washing away the pollen, rain also dilutes the nectar, reducing its energy content and thus reducing the reward obtained by any bee that will visit the flower.

That was enough to know of the impending rain when you barely stepped outside in the morning, curious about the strange circle of fungus you could make out when you peered through said window with a cup of coffee in hand.

The gentians had a scientific explanation, with years of research and the efforts of dozens of people behind them. An evolution necessary for adaptation. But the mushroom circle was something more... Complicated.

When you saw it you couldn't stop your mind from splitting into two sides.

On the logical side, it could be because a small nest of ants was in the center, devouring everything around it, but no matter how hard you looked at the soil, you did not find a single ant. Perhaps some animal, be it rabbit or something else, had made a nest in the past and left the soil inaccessible because of the amount of stones or the continuous wear and tear, but the grains were totally normal, there was no excess of stones and no lack of water. Perhaps there was something else that you did not take into account; it was impossible to have all the knowledge in the world. That they had appeared just like that could be something as simple as you hadn't paid enough attention to those little things that were no bigger than 10 cm.

On the other hand, this place was uninhabited enough for a fairy colony to make its home.

Maybe the fairies had done a dance under your window and unconsciously created a ring of mycelial fungi? As far as you knew, the more time passed the bigger the ring got, it wasn't small, but it wasn't big either. You could bring a tape measure and try to make a little hypothesis of how long ago it was, the last time you saw the tape measure it was on the shelves in your room from when you measured the trunk of a tree to find out its age-.

There is movement in the corner of your eye.

It's quick, slight, a fading yellow blur, you're standing staring at nothingness itself after taking a sharp turn.

There is a pause, the wind rustles the leaves and this time the birds are silent, you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end as if someone is watching you, as if there is more than just tension in the air.

You last a few eternal seconds, your gaze searching the air.

Maybe it's the paranoia of being away from civilization for a while with the only company of nature, but you don't feel alone.

You find your voice not long after.

"Is anyone there?"

No answer, you're not surprised either.

You shake your head and sigh, laughing at your delusions as the rain touches your face. That's your cue to leave.

"It must have just been the bad lighting."

Not wanting to get wet, you walk into the safety of your house even with the feeling of a stare burning the back of your neck. The mushroom circle would still be there in the morning.

[ . . . ]

"He could see me! He saw me! I don't know how, but he saw me!"

"There's no way he could have seen you, Sun. Humans never managed to see us. He's no exception. So why were you around his house?"

"... The sun was hidden, maybe my magic failed a bit because of that."

"Don't dodge my question."

"I was just curious what you would do when a storm approaches!"

"Of course humans would shelter from the rain, they're not that dumb, even wild animals have that instinct. And you know it well, he's not the first human in this forest."

"Yes, but not all humans have a book with the name, the location, the level of moisture in the air and the components of the soil when they find a flower.It seems nice!"

"Maybe it doesn't have the same behavior as the other humans, but you know better, it will go away just like all the ones before it. I'll make sure of that."

"You shouldn't go out, in the rain you won't be able to fly!"

"I don't need to fly to scare some humans away."

[ . . . ]

Thunder lights up the forest as night falls.

Everything is black outside the windows, and you are thankful for the existence of electricity when the banging of branches on your roof gets louder, you turn up the volume on the TV when the rain gets louder and you are unable to coherently listen to what is being spoken in a horror movie you found wandering through the channels.

Being alone, hours away from the nearest city, without the annoying noise of cars, with absolute darkness outside your house with a storm whose water drops sounded like stones being thrown towards your sweet home, with an interesting movie and a pack of cookies in hand is an experience you enjoy.

You stop enjoying it when you only have a millisecond when the lights go out before the television freezes in a character's horrified expression as he stands in front of the killer. Then there is absolute darkness.

You dart for your phone, your only source of light in the darkness currently. Luckily it was on a small bedside table next to the couch you were on, right at your fingertips.

The flashlight gives you some relief, but when you see the battery at 28% you curse yourself. No signal either.

You had some candles in the kitchen for just such cases, you use the flashlight so you don't crash into the furniture when another clap of thunder hits nearby. With the mission in mind the bag of cookies dangles from one hand while the other lights your way.

The way to the kitchen is short and quick, you're searching the countertops and drawers in desperation when you see 25%. The search is in vain.

You have 23% when the sound of stone hitting is clear, you freeze. The rain is loud but it doesn't compare to the sound of a few seconds ago. You don't know where it's coming from, and maybe it's just a rock falling from the roof. You ignore it and continue your search, there are no candles and you are in a cold sweat. The image of the movie character screaming in terror under the shadow of a knife flashes through your mind.

There's another knock, it's even louder, and this time you recognize the sound of glass cracking.

You turn to the kitchen window and see him.

At the tree line, behind bushes, with bright red eyes, he has a strange hat.

He is tall, thin, and stares at you.

His head tilts to one side, you practically hear it crack, and he has a sharp grin.

Your feet are jelly.

You feel dizzy.

It's cold.

The darkness is suffocating.

Her eyes shine so brightly that they illuminate her figure, it's the only thing you can see in the black emptiness.

And you can see the front page of the newspapers; "Botanist decides to leave human company to live among plants and becomes compost."

A clap of thunder lights up the forest, you can see his figure clearly, he seems to have a cape on his back, blue and wet, he is light skinned and has strange clothes, his face is painted like a clown would have in horror movies. And when the light goes away that strange being also withdraws.

You don't know how long they held a stare, but you know your feet feel numb and hurt when you move forward.

Where is it? It was there a second ago! It can't just disappear!

You don't know what it is that moves you, fear or curiosity, but you hear the crunch of crackers that slipped from your grip as you move to the window and search for him with a desperate look.

The raindrops form paths that cross and part, but you swear you saw it, it was as clear as day.

You know you're freaking out, it was just your head giving you a bad joke after watching a horror movie, it's normal. You're talking to yourself to calm yourself down as you bring a hand to your face to wipe away the cold sweat that's bothering your forehead, closing your eyes for a moment.

"It's okay, I'm fine. It's just the effects of rain and darkness after a horror movie. I'll be fine, in the morning none of this will be a big deal and I'll laugh in the future. It's just my imagination."

As soon as you finish that sentence you look up at the window one more time.

There is another clap of thunder.

He's there, inches from the window, his eyes gleaming with ferocity and his pointed fingers scratching the glass, he's smiling with fangs and murderous intent.

You scream.

The cell phone breaks free from your grip and flies away as you recoil. You can hear his laughter.

You're on your back on the ground before you notice him, the packet of cookies strewn everywhere is your least problem as your hands crawl and hit the floor in a panic until you reach your phone, you get up and run, stumbling as your flashlight shakes all the way.

You run as fast as you can, slam the door to your room behind you and lean your shoulder against the door.

You hear the door to your house open, but no footsteps.

There is silence, there is only rain and darkness, the storm lights up the forest.

There is a knock on your door.

A quick glance reveals that your phone screen is broken, and you have 20% battery.

There is no signal.

There is a loud knock on the door, so loud you hear the wood splinter and you press your shoulder harder.

You hear his laughter, it's sinister and he's having fun having you on the verge of tears.

The window in your room is big enough for you to get out.

It's a bit excessive, but your only way out at the moment. If there was something in the afterlife you weren't going to explain that you died because you didn't want to go out a window.

You charge at the door, the wood near the hinges splinters and the knob swears loudly, all your weight isn't enough and you're being dragged backwards slowly, but there doesn't seem to be a great effort behind it. You almost feel humiliated.

Your cell phone falls from your hand as you reach for the nearest piece of furniture, you can't see clearly what or where you grab it from but the adrenaline manages to drag it towards you, you swap places and quickly move away, breaking into a run as you leave the flashlight behind, pointing upwards and allowing you to see where you're going.

The piece of furniture doesn't hold for long, your hands are clumsy with your shaking and erratic movements, turning your head paranoidly every couple of seconds, the window doesn't seem to want to open.

"Come on come on come on come on! OH YES!"

The window opens as you push it open with a loud bang, you have half your body out as you look back.

The door creaks, his fingers slowly peek out, then the dark half of his head peeks out, the cap hangs down and a couple of drops of water fall.

He's smiling and it makes you feel sick.

Both feet touch down and you're thankful you're lazy enough not to have put on your pajamas, running with bare feet wouldn't have been favorable at all. You run as fast as you can when you hear him behind you.

His voice is thick, dry, like something out of a horror story.

"Naughty humans must be punished."

You're beyond the tree line when you turn to see him, he's slowly making his way out behind the window, as if he has all the confidence in the world that he's going to catch up to you. Even if his body appears to be too tall to climb out the window, he somehow manages it.

His body bends in ways that should not be possible for a human, he keeps smiling, first one hand, then his head, one foot and then the other, all with controlled and fluid movements, even for you it was harder to get out with your size.

The rain has no mercy, your clothes are heavier than they should be, it's uncomfortable to walk and you're freezing. You're going to get sick from the trauma and the cold if you survive.

It's behind you, you can see its shadow.

Nothing but instinct and the thunder lighting up through the treetops guide you.

It is not enough.

The forest is unpredictable and seems to be against you, a root makes you trip and fall on your face with an embarrassing scream, your hands stop the blow that could have broken your nose, but your clothes are covered in mud, it's hard to get up.

When you turn around he's there.

Sharp teeth, red eyes poking you, hands raised as he swung, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

His cloak is wings that lift just a little but you see them, they glow and look heavy as whole jets of water slide off one after another, his face is not human and after a millisecond you understand it's not a mask.

This... Thing. You don't know what it is. But you know it's not human.

You stand up, not backing down, and he approaches.

"It's past your bedtime."

"What's your name?

His movements are held back and he stares at you.

But he doesn't attack, he looks surprised, as if he didn't expect that response.

Why weren't you scared anymore?

#I'll probably regret this in the morning #Anyway #Y/N now has traumas and a cold but knows the reason for the fairy rings. #Now I'm going to go to sleep #Sun is definitely so anxious that he goes after Moon #and when he finds him he's with the human #and he's just like; YOU CAN TALK TO HIM? #and they proceed to argue #Moon broke the hinges of the door even though Y/N didn't notice it because he saw him enter the room. #Mywriting #Sun&Moon #FantasyAu #Idk what i did #They will most likely erase your memory #and you won't know why your door falls down when you open it. #moondrop #sundrop #fnaf sb au #Lorelei being a fan