#was reluctant to give away her pendant

[ssaeri]

for your eyes only

☆ tags: elliott x gn!reader, elliott and farmer are married, he writes love poems for his spouse and is told to monetize them, oh boy is he not happy about that ☆

You pat your pig's backside encouragingly and coo as it digs its snout into the ground, unearthing yet another truffle that you add to your basket. Can't believe you were worried about this one being the runt of its litter—it's quickly proving to be one of the fastest learners, taking to truffle hunting like a duck to water. It'll do just fine with the rest of the adult pigs.

Taking care of the farm by yourself has always been a gargantuan task, but as the years go by, everything grows bigger—the coops, the barns, the ponds, the crops, the expectations—and exhaustion wears you down to the bone. You sigh and push to your feet, ready to head into the nearest coop to collect more eggs. Collect animal products, drop them into churning machines, harvest and sell. It feels like the cycle never ends. Against your neck, the small mermaid's pendant slides on its chain, another reminder of your absent husband. An extra pair of helping hands made the daily work light; you wonder if it's selfish to ask him to stay home more often.

"I know, I know," you say to your angry chickens once you open the door. You miss your husband, but these girls like to remind you that they miss him more. "He'll be home soon. Bear with me, okay?"

After giving each of them pats on the head, a motion they accept with reluctance, you dig around the hay for eggs. The large chicken and dinosaur eggs are easy to spot, but for the delicate duck eggs, you prod every corner with your fingers until you come across something warm and smooth. You push away your hens as they peck at your hands. The ducks are fine with you. The chickens, however...how in the world did Elliott win them over?

Outside, your dog barks. A single warning to the intruder before the tone shifts into excitement. Someone familiar, then. Maybe Marnie is stopping by to give you some hay like she mentioned last night. With winter approaching, any addition to your reserves is appreciated, and you're already wiping your hands on your overalls to greet her.

"Hey, Marnie! I'm just in here—"

You stop in your tracks when the visitor raises his head, though he's not exactly a visitor. Elliott smiles as you draw close, ignoring the horde of chickens now lining the fence for his attention. Their wings flap, clucking loudly as they hit each other.

"Good morning, my love," he says over the noise, as if it really is the start to a normal day. His thumb reaches out to rub at a dirt smudge on your cheek. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Just some leftovers and coffee," you reply, dazed. Your husband tends to have that effect, and after two weeks apart, you feel it more than ever. You lean into his touch, comforting against your wind-blown skin. "I thought you were coming home tomorrow?"

"I decided to come back early. The office didn't need me today, anyway."

"You should've messaged me! I would've picked you up at the train station," you say. Behind him sits his traveling suitcase, the wheels speckled with mud from being dragged through the road. He steps in front of it. "Why don't you go get unpacked? I'll be done soon."

He leans his elbows onto the fence, tilting his head until his fiery hair spills over one shoulder. "You're rather quick to dismiss my presence. If I didn't know better, I'd say that you're unhappy to see me," he says, though his words hold no accusation. It's merely a way to boost his ego when you reassure him. After all, you practically radiate by his side. "Would you like me to help?"

You glance at the dress shoes, the slacks, the spotless cardigan that he's already shrugging off to reveal a clean pressed button-down. Not exactly farm-friendly attire. "No, I'll be alright by myself."

"I could go change really quickly," he offers in a suspicious rush.

You search his expression then, and underneath the joy of being back, there's...something. You squint, unable to make it out. Sure, he must've missed you, but this feels like it runs deeper than that. When you give him a nod, he hurries towards the house, your dog chasing and barking at his heels. True to his word, he's back in minutes.

The chickens are much more cooperative now, and you roll your eyes at how they parade around your husband. They even hop around the coop, showing him where they've hidden their eggs from your intrusive searching.

"Thank you, dearies," he says to the hens. You swear they swoon.

"A real heart breaker," you deadpan. "Have you told them you're married?"

He chuckles, taking your hand as you move into the barns next door. While you lay out new hay on the feeding bench, he unhooks the stools and milk pails and sets them on either side of the door. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago he barely knew how to approach your animals, let alone help you with the chores.

He whistles lowly, and the first cow trudges to his station, ready to be milked. You get settled at your own station. One of the newer goats skids to the front of the line, eager to be let outside. It's not quiet in the barn—it never is, not with twelve grown animals waiting for their turn—but when you call Elliott's name, he looks at you. His ponytail needs to be retied.

"So why'd you come home early?" The young adult goats don't have much milk, just enough for a small container. You pat its hind leg, and it runs into the crisp autumn air with an excited bleat.

"I missed the atmosphere of our farm. The fresh air of the valley is good for my creative soul, unlike the bustle of Zuzu City."

You only raise your eyebrows, and he sighs from your all-knowing gaze.

"You read me a little too well, my love."

"I sure hope so, after all this time together. Did something happen at the office?"

Since the release of his last collection of short stories, he's been invited to the city more often for author-related events. This latest stint, running a series of writing workshops in partnership with Zuzu University and the local community, was organized by his agent in hopes of bigger opportunities. Maybe even a guest lecturer contract, they've said on more than one occasion, though Elliott refuses to be apart from you for too long.

Elliott gives another sigh. "Something like that. I just...it was admittedly negligence on my part. I was in the middle of writing you another letter when someone required my presence down the hall. I thought that it'd be a quick matter, so I didn't clear my desk. But apparently one of the secretaries came looking for me while I was out."

"Did they read...?" You wrinkle your nose, knowing how private Elliott is about his unpolished work. He's even more private about what he writes for your eyes only. "I'm sure they were embarrassed."

"That's what bothers me the most! She had the audacity to bring it up in front of everyone when we had a meeting, even quoted a few lines—"

The cow groans as he moves particularly rough. He gives it an apologetic scratch under the chin.

"So for the past two days, everyone has been trying to talk me into releasing a collection of love poems, which I would have no issues with if it didn't stem from such a personal...I mean, the poems were addressed to my muse, and when I explained that it was you, they said that was even better. Something about how the romance will really sell." He frowns. "I like being able to support myself—contribute to our funds, you know—with my writing, but it's not...a commodity. I'm allowed to make art for the sake of making art."

His forehead is furrowed, and you would reach out to ease the frustration if your hands weren't busy.

"What's your plan now?"

He scoffs. "There's no plan regarding that. I completely refuse. It's quite insulting, in fact, the idea that I'd put my love on display for a paycheck."

It's relieving, you have to admit. Even after getting a taste of success, your husband remains the same person you said your vows to. The same romantic who holds you in such high esteem. There's so many emotions—namely affection—swirling in your chest, but you're not the writer so all you manage is a simple Okay.

"Okay," you say again for good measure, but he must understand you because his expression smooths. "So what do you want for lunch?"

#stardew x reader #stardew valley x reader #sdv x reader #sdv elliott x reader #stardew x farmer #stardew valley x farmer #sdv x farmer #sdv elliott x farmer #stardew valley scenarios #sdv scenarios #sdv elliott scenarios #stardew scenarios #saeri writes;

[nevermoremagic]

foxglove to adorn thy dells. (xavier thorpe x dryad!reader)

Immediately fell in love with Xavier and I got this idea for a series stuck in my head ever since I finished Wednesday. Hope y’all like it!

Summary: A forest nymph transfers to Nevermore Academy and has her first encounter with the brooding Xavier Thorpe.

Word count: 1.1k

Warnings: none

You stood in front of the botany classroom, silently praying that the teacher finished her introduction and let you sit down - preferably in the corner of the room, away from the two dozen eyes watching your every move and next to the shrouded foxglove flowers.

You were a transfer student at Nevermore Academy; after an accident at your old school involving a tree sprouting and crashing through the cafeteria roof, your parents thought it best to send you to Nevermore and learn to control your powers. You were reluctant to leave your hometown, but after hearing about Nevermore’s botany classes and the sprawling woods in the Jericho wilderness, your parents eventually convinced you.

Dryads, or forest nymphs, as defined by the Greeks, have been in your lineage for hundreds of years. With the power to control vegetation, you usually didn’t cause too much trouble around normies - dryads were known for their passive nature. But the day of the accident, something had pushed you over the edge; now you faced the consequences of losing control of your powers.

And so, here you were, a fake smile gracing your face as you were being introduced to your classmates - a pitiful attempt to look approachable. Making friends was never one of your fortes, but you’d gotten used to the chronic loneliness you felt. On particularly bad days, your plants could keep you company.

You internally wince at the thought. God, how pathetic.

“Please give (Y/n) a warm welcome!” The teacher, whose name you couldn’t remember, looks expectantly towards the class. Everyone claps half-heartedly, except for two students sitting in the far back: a girl, with a black school uniform and a permanent frown on her lips, and a boy next to her, shoulder-length golden brown hair capturing your attention. His eyes never strayed away from the girl in black.

As you walk to the corner of the room - finally, you think with relief - the foxglove seemingly perks at your appearance. When you sit in your seat, the violet flowers bloom, its petals forming an elegant bell shape. You give it a small smile. Maybe Nevermore won’t be so bad.

–

That thought quickly faded as the day continued.

Each class, you would walk in and be met with curious stares and chatter. “What is she?” they would whisper, eyes zeroing in on the emerald green pendant hanging from your neck. It was a little eccentric, but it was a family heirloom passed down from dryad to dryad, and you treasured it deeply.

You didn’t pay too much attention to your botany teacher’s speech, but apparently she didn’t share the fact that you were a dryad. All the more reason for people to stare, you thought bitterly, feeling a bit like a zoo animal on display. In the corner of your eye, you saw a group of boys look at you and snicker.

Now, back at your dorm, you decided it was well past time to venture out into the woods and recharge.

The woods were your refuge, no matter where you were. Dryads, by default, spent much of their time in nature, but being in the woods had a medicinal effect on dryads, with the ability to soothe worries, ease fears, and wash away sadness.

With the gossip circulating around Nevermore already driving you nuts, a trip to the woods was overdue. So, you changed out of your school uniform, grabbed your foraging basket, and snuck down to the courtyard, following the pathway leading to the edge of the forest.

Snow covered the ground, remnants of the December snow storm that swept Jericho during winter break. On the way, a dilapidated shed comes into view. Although the curtains were drawn, light shined from behind them. Someone’s inside, you realize.

Just as you pass by the door, it slams open, nearly hitting you. You gasp in alarm, clutching your chest in panic. Standing in the frame is the boy with the long hair in your botany class, looking up a second too late. His eyes widen at the sight of you.

“Sorry!” you say instinctively, hands raised in apology. You’re not even sure it’s your fault, but apologies are second nature to you. Green eyes meet yours. “I wasn’t watching where I was going,” you trail off, puzzled. He stands frozen in the doorway, a deer caught in headlights.

“It’s fine,” he mumbles eventually, gaze moving downwards.

“Xavier!” A voice calls from inside the shed. The boy - Xavier, you guess - looks inside. The girl in black from botany class appears out of nowhere behind him, a lurking shadow that, despite their height difference, seems to loom over the boy.

“Attempting to murder the new girl with a door? A subpar strategy at best,” she says mildly. She looks towards you briefly, but disinterested. Xavier looks down at her, eyebrows furrowed.

You begin to think it’s high time for you to leave. “Anyway. Sorry, again!” you say, already steering away from the strange interaction and marching back towards the woods, eager to escape the awkward air. You don’t dare look back at the two.

–

It was pitch black by the time you finished your visit to the woods. The basket is filled to the brim with mushrooms and medicinal plants you found. You were eager to explore some of their properties once you got back to your dorm room - Vermont had plant species you’d never seen before.

Nevermore emerges from the trees as you walk along the path. The shed you’d passed earlier - Xavier’s shed - is still lit inside; they were still in there. At the window, a silhouette stands in front of the curtain.

Apprehension fills you. Were they watching me?

You slow down, hovering between the edge of the woods and the shed. Before you could take a closer look at the silhouette in the window, it steps to the side, disappearing from view.

A breath you didn’t know you were holding in leaves your lips. This would be the last time in a while you venture into the woods after dark.

As you trudge up to the castle, racing to get back to your warm and cozy dorm room, you ponder over today’s weird turn of events. The girl in black, Xavier, the encounter at the shed. What is the shed doing on the outskirts of Nevermore? Was it Xavier’s? What was the girl doing there?

Well, you think, they did seem close in botany class. You blush, thinking of the implications of them being alone in the shed all-day, curtains drawn.

You change out of your dirtied clothes and into soft pajamas, going through the motions of getting ready for bed. Your bed feels particularly inviting as you settle into it, tired muscles relaxing. The darkness in your dorm room stifles your ruminating thoughts, a sudden sleepiness over taking you. You succumb to sleep with the image of curious, green doe-eyes peering into yours.

--

I’ve got Part 2 all written up, it just needs to be edited. I might post it if this gets enough traction. I’ve also got a Pinterest moodboard for the series that I might also post. Let me know what you guys think!

Ames

Part 2

Part 3

#wednesday #Wednesday imagine #xavier thorpe #Xavier Thorpe imagine #Xavier Thorpe x reader #Wednesday addams #xavier thorpe x you #xavier thorpe x y/n #nevermore #foxglove series

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Take Shelter 4

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon, stalking, possessiveness and other elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You keep to yourself, until you can’t anymore. (another short reader because why not)

Character: Thor Odinson

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all the way to Asgard. Take care. 💖

Peter has a whole basket of candles and a few other goodies with them. He's good enough company, he does enough talking for the both of you. A skill you've never had. And he's tolerant of your silence, many people are more likely to take affront to what they mistake as indifference.

"So, what do I owe ya?" He asks with a grin as you hover by his shoulder, hands folded reticently.

"Owe me?" 

"For putting up with my mindless browsing. I saw you eyeing that opal pendant…"

"I was only looking," you squeeze your hands tight, "you don't owe me…."

"I do, you're just too nice to admit it," he insists. 

"No, really, I can't…" you wonder for just a minute at how adamant he is about giving you something. You think of the box on your counter but can't figure how he could be behind it. 

"I'm getting it," he sidles past you and goes to the shelf of dangling necklaces.

"Peter," you follow him hauling your bag higher on your shoulder.

"Too late," he says as he plucks up the oval pendant, "it's already in my hand."

You've never been good at confrontation and this is edging close to an argument. You clamp your lips and swallow your protests. You let out a hollow breath through your nose.

"Thank you," you murmur.

He's unfazed by your reluctance as he sweeps over to the counter and greets the cashier. The same blue-haired girl that welcomed you in. You watch her ring him up, her long clawlike nails painted a shining silver ombre and her hands and arms decorated with intricate tattoos. You were never cool enough to pull all that off.

"Awesome," Peter says as he takes out his card, "the necklace is for her, can you wrap it separately?"

"Oh, that's sweet. You two are such a cute couple," she preens, "oh, beautiful stone."

She admires the stone as your mouth drops open at her insinuation. Peter just laughs lightly, "friends but I'm flattered."

You give a nondescript mutter and sway nervous. Your shoulder is starting to hurt from the weight of the bag.

"Ah, my bad," she says as she folds brown paper around the necklace and slips it in a small bag, "opal symbolizes hope. It's supposed to be lucky."

She holds out the bag and you take it with a quiet thanks. Peter steps up to pay and you wait awkwardly, staring at your feet anxiously. When he's finally done, he lifts the heavy bag of candles as if it's nothing.

"Onward, companion," he declares  getting a chuckle from the clerk.

He leads you to the door, holding it for you as you emerge onto the street. You drop the necklace into your bag and squint at the sunshine. You stop on the pavement and turn back to him.

"Um, I should…" you begin, looking down the street.

"Yeah, sorry for keeping you," he says, "maybe I'll see you around?"

"Maybe," you shrug, "er, bye, uh, have a good day."

"You too." 

You slowly turn and slink away. You feel awkward as you sense him watching you. You only get a few steps before he calls your name.

You stop and face him as he bends and picks something off the sidewalkm he holds up the gleaming shape and examines it.

"You dropped this," he nears and offers the coin. That same damn coin.

You take it from him, not sure what to say. You give a tight smile and back up. "Thanks."

"Cool coin. Is it a collectible or something?"

"Something like that," you utter, "uh, see ya."

Abruptly and nothing less than awkwardly, you spin and flit away. You scurry down the block and don't stop until you're around the corner. You open your hand and look down at the coin. It's almost glowing against your hand and warm. A sudden crack of lightening ripples in the clear sky and you look up at the deafening clap of thunder.

But all is calm. No one else is affected by the noise and the sky is unsplit by the furor. You wince and clasp the coin tight, pressing your hand to your chest as you quickly carry on. You just want to be home, safe and alone.

🌩️

You go along the shelves, slipping new tags on as you go through the list of price changes in your hand. Another tedious but mindless task. The sort you enjoy. You don't have to talk to anyone, you don't have to fake anything, you can just put your head down and get it down.

Eli yawns loudly and tries to drink from his empty coffee cup. You peek over at him as he pouts at the plastic lid before tossing it in the bin behind the counter. He looks up at you and sighs.

"You mind if I go grab a refill?"

"Go ahead," you say as you peel off another sticker.

"I can grab you a tea," he offers.

"I'm okay," you assure him, "pretty slow."

"You're telling me."

He comes out from behind the counter and shuffles out of the store. He leaves you in the low buzz of metal music coming from the Bluetooth speaker. You go down the aisle, searching for skus and rearranging some misplaced product. As you get close to the door, a shadow approaches but you don't look up, assuming it's only Eli.

"Hey," Peter's chipper tone draws your head up as you nearly drop your clipboard.

Your voice catches in your throat as he's not alone. You look between him and the much larger man. Broad and blonde and blue-eyed. You recognise him. He came to but dice a few weeks ago. Eli said he was famous... what was his name?

"Thor," the man offers as if he can see your confusion, "lady. We did not have a chance to introduce ourselves upon our last meeting."

"Oh, uh," you look between him and Peter, "hi?"

"We're just here to look at gaming mats. This guy," he points at Thor with his thumb, "some king or whatever, thinks he needs all the fancy things in the world."

"I am only excited for your game. I love gaming. On Asgard, I did much of it."

Peter gives a look like he's heard it all before. You bite your cheek sheepishly. Thor reaches up to toy with the string of his grey sweater and you follow the gesture with your eyes, realising too late that he's watching you too. You back up, hugging your clipboard tight.

"The gaming mats are down here," you stand flat to the shelves on your other side, "right by the plushies."

"Come on," Peter nudges Thor with his elbow and pass you in the tight space.

It takes a moment before the other man moves. You keep your gaze on the floor as the turns sideways and slips past, brushing you slightly. You face the shelf again and check your list. You pause before you can start again.

"If you need anything..." you say quietly.

"We'll let you know," Peter assures you, "pick a colour."

"Hmm," Thor hums thoughtfully.

You go back to the price changes as you let their chatter fade to drone in your ears. You get to the end and flip the page. Before you can go on to the next aisle, Peter comes down towards you and calls your name.

"Actually, I did want to ask you something," he nears as you see Thor examining a bright pink dragon plushy behind him. He smiles at it and makes it fly. Your attention is quickly drawn back to Peter, "we kinda need a healer for our part. We had a drop out and... yeah, no one else thought to get any healing spells."

"Um, you mean, er..."

"If you're free, yeah. You could come play. I have a premade character but if you want to make your own, that's cool too."

"Oh, uh," you're surprised by the offer. "I haven't really played in a while. I'm not the best."

"There's no way you can be bad," he counters as Thor comes up behind him.

"She'll join our party?" Thor asks hopefully.

"I don't know," Peter says over his shoulder, "we were just discussing that."

"Ah, sorry, sorry, I was distracted," Thor looks away guiltily.

"Anyway, you don't have to answer now. But you can let me know. I can give you my number."

"Um, okay," you tap your fingers on the back of the clipboard, "my phone is behind the counter."

"I'll just write it down," he offer points to your armful, "if that's easier. I'm sorry to get in the way of your work."

"It's alright," you assure him and flip the clipboard and slide out the pen, flicking towards the corner for him to write.

He scribbles down his number and grins. You stand cluelessly and turn the board back around as you take the pen back. Thor plops the dragon plush on Peter's shoulder and bounces it.

"Can I have the dragon?" He asks.

Peter's forehead creases and his cheek dimples. He gives an amused snort and shakes his head. "I think we're gonna look around a bit more."

"Okay," you say as you tuck the pen back under the clip.

"Thank you, lady," Thor bows his head at you.

You meet his sky blue eyes and feel a zinging sensation up your spine. Gersamr... the word crawls behind your ears, not a whisper, just a memory. You wince and back away. A stirring starts in your stomach as you tuck your chin down and retreat. He stays as he is until Peter pokes him.

"Better wall than a door," Peter grumbles.

Finally they go back down the aisle and you let out a willowy breath. Your hair feels like it's standing on end. Your fingers are tingle so much you can't even peel away a sticker.

Eli comes back in as you try to hide your confusion. He greets you but stops short as the smell of coffee wafts in with him.

"He's back," he hisses as he stands at the end of the counter, "God of Thunder.... wow, should I say hi?"

You peek up at him and give a shrug. He takes a deep gulp from his cup and pushes his chest out, "yeah, I'm gonna."

He steps around you and you sniff as he boisterously offers his help. Thank god. You don't know how much longer you could've managed on your own.

🌩️

You come out of work, headphones in, mind off. 

As you cross the large grey parking lot, the sky seems to reflect the grim asphalt and ripples darkly above. Another storm is coming. You never minded them much, almost found them comforting before, but now there's something about the roar of thunder that makes you want to shrink into nothing.

You can smell the rain as you cut behind the grocery store and see your building just beyond. It's like deja vu. The almost mirror reflection of the past makes your ears ring and your skin burn. You break into a run without thinking, hurtling towards the brick facade until you're breathless.

You unlock the door and fall through. You drag yourself up the stairs and to your apartment. Inside, you slide the chain into place and let out a heave. You drop your phone, your headphones, and your bag on the counter, staring at the emptiness there.

The box. It was there. When you left this morning it was exactly where it has been since you brought it home. You shake your head and back away, turning as you search the room. Maybe you moved it. You were tired and sometimes the small things can just fall through the cracks.

You enter your bedroom and find the dress spread across your blanket. No, no, you didn't do that. You know you didn't. You don't understand.

You go to the window and try to open it. It's locked. Your heart pounds as you spin around and rush back to the front door, making sure it's locked. You go from the front room, through the kitchen, around to the bathroom, and back to your bedroom. Nothing! You even tear open all the closets. There's no one there. You're alone but why is this happening?

"Who are you?" You cry out desperately, "what do you want?"

You stare at the wall. It stares back. Nothing. Silence. You don't know what you expected.

A sudden boom and a flash followed by a shatter. You spin as the glass litters the floor and a spray of rain blows through. You cover your ears as you watch the storm invade the space, sweeping around you violently, swallowing you up in a cyclone that's suffocating, circling around and around until all is dark. Until you feel yourself plummeting into an endless void.

#thor #dark thor #dark!thor #thor x reader #Fic #series #dark!fic #dark fic #mcu #marvel #avengers #take shelter

[kissingmilfs]

✏️book club: bells and whistles au 📚

cw: pet play, exhibitionism, voyeurism, humiliation (kinda), cockwarming, overstimulation, mention of alcohol, slight violence, degrading, brief mommy kink

a/n: switched a lot between referring to reader solely in third person (buttercup, she/ her + they/them pronouns) or in second person (you). so a warning <3

wanda maximoff x reader

other characters mentioned/interacted with: natasha romanoff, valkeyrie, okoye, kate bishop, monica rambeau, agatha harkness

━━━━━ • ஜ • ❈ • ஜ • ━━━━━

wanda planned this day weeks in advanced. the book store is closed on sunday’s and once a month, she holds a special book club. it´s not entirely too different from any other book club. they pick a book for the month then meet the last sunday of the month to discuss. there’s snacks, tea, and some of wanda’s treasured companions. the only key difference about book club is wanda can freely discuss all matters pertaining buttercup. some of her friends have pets of their own, all various levels of ownership. both buttercup and wanda feel most comfortable engaging in the full extent of their relationship around wanda’s book club. the ladies of the book club are more than fond of wanda’s kitten. you receive your fair share of attention, pets and treats. there’s always someone willing to dote over you. most times wanda allows, as long, as people are respectful and appropriate.

buttercup was in a particularly antsy mood of all days. wanda hadn’t anticipate having a hard time today. but honestly…she can never predict what type of mood you’ll set on for the day. it started first with your clothes. wanda picked your outfit for the day, laid out perfectly on the bed. she does it every morning—it’s part of buttercup’s routine. immediately, you decided against the outfit. wanda walked in on buttercup halfway dressed in a completely different ensemble. she desperately wanted to lash out and force you into the outfit. but her plans for the day were enough punishment as is. plus butercup’s reluctance meant wanda presented you with only two options.

wearing the outfit or you’d be naked for the entirety of book club. you decided to test wanda today. she couldn’t be serious, right? would wanda have her most prized possession on display for all her friends? buttercup refused to believe wanda would treat her with such little care. wanda already knew which option buttercup would pick — thinking wanda would not follow through.

wanda’s words rung true and so did the instant regret for buttercup. wanda made you a comfy bed by the front door. only wearing the pretty pink collar with wanda’s initials engraved on the heart pendant. she originally only intended on making buttercup cockwarm a dildo for the entire book club meeting. but wanda’s a little upset with her kitten and intends to further extend the humiliation. buttercup’s entire body heats up the closer it is for bookclub. wanda’s last minute punishment, she decided to position a vibrator — on the lowest setting — pressed directly on buttercup’s clit. she instructed buttercup not to move, no noises and no begging the guests for attention. wanda’s positive buttercup will fail in some way. buttercup’s surprised wanda never mentioned not coming. though with the lowest vibrational setting, both wanda and buttercup know, it’ll take her a frustratingly long time to cum.

another detail buttercup could not see is right above their head, wanda printed out a sign, “Property of Wanda Maximoff. No touching today.” wanda knows her buttercup a bit too well. with your head cloudy from arousal and embarrassment, you’d rope some sucker into giving you attention. monica couldn’t make it today. wanda didn’t have to worry about her and her soft spot. natasha tends to mock you more than dote on you, leaving you even more frustrated. though, wanda might keep an eye out. she’s caught natasha on multiple occasions—letting you rut away on her boot. even when she’s explicitly told you, you’re not allowed to bother nat.

okoye mostly spoils you with treats. wanda’s comfortable with you being fed today. agatha’s, well, agatha. sometimes a wild card, but wanda can trust her to heed the sign. agatha likes messing with you. agatha refuses to spoil buttercup like the others do. agatha prefers reminding buttercup of her place. the only two people wanda’s suspicious of today are kate and val. kate, completely harmless, but gosh is she obsessed with buttercup. wanda’s guaranteed, at least, one text a day from kate about “the baby.” kate’s main focus throughout book club is normally finding you and making you sit next to her. with val, wanda can never tell.

sometimes val can behave. on another day, val is chaos in human form. regardless, wanda’s prepared for either of them. the penalty for touching you is a three month ban from book club.

wanda’s guests start trickling in. they open the front door and greeted by your flustered form along with sign above your head. you’re too out of it to notice people pausing to read the sign either. you flash everyone the biggest pout with saddened yet lustful eyes. but no one seems to care about you. natasha laughed after she read wanda’s sign. she never likes getting on the woman’s bad side though.

natasha returns buttercup’s fake pout. “im sorry, buttercup. i’d love to play with you. but book club starts soon.”

you’re devastated by nat’s words—emotions heightened by your vulnerable state. your fingers clutch the blanket covering your thighs, holding back tears. natasha, instead, peels the blanket off of you. gasping, natasha shakes her head at how you’ve completely soaked your kitty bed. she leaves you even more uncovered for everyone to see. you desperately wish you could reach out for her, wrapping yourself around her leg, and begging her for quick relief. you might have done it. if wanda weren’t watching every last second of the interaction. wanda’s eyes never left buttercup. every time someone entered the bookstore, wanda made sure they followed her rules. it would teach buttercup and everyone else a lesson. at the end of the day, buttercup belongs to wanda.

wanda thought, maybe, kate successfully keeping her hands to herself and not falling for any of buttercup’s tricks was a good omen. she even gave kate a sympathetic pat on the back. her younger friend felt dismayed leaving you all by yourself. not peppering your face with kisses ruined her mood. she sulked for the most of book club, casting you sad looks every few minutes. but wanda should have known. she should have known kate wouldn’t be the issue. no, it would be the person that’s always ten minutes late. always reeking of a bottle of jameson and some woman’s perfume.

val disregards the sign above you and squats to your eye level. a hazy smile flashes on your face. she’s the first person you’ve gotten a proper look at. one of val’s handsome and dashing smile is plastered all over her face. it reeks of trouble. but you don’t care. maybe she’ll give you what you want. you don’t bother uttering a word — there’s no way you can formulate a coherent thought. val cups your cheek, immediately you’re leaning into her touch for more.

“wanda must be keeping you here long, buttercup. you smell…deliciously sinful. i can smell how needy you are. wanna play a little game, kitten?” you barely nod your head in response, but val knows. “my guess is mommy cuts off my fingers.”

you’re not sure what she means yet her hand’s in your hair and tugging your head back. something flashes in her eyes before she sinks her teeth into your neck. the pressure feels too utterly good. it makes you even needier. somehow wanda’s instructions leave at the same moment. somehow your hips start moving on their own. rocking back and forth on the toy, grinding your clit into the vibrator. somehow your hands reach out for val, silently begging for more. you’re not even sure what more means. val chuckles against your skin and within two seconds wanda’s pushing her off of you.

you’re in such a state of shock. wanda’s hurling some pretty nasty insults towards val. most of them pertaining to val’s drinking habits. not that val seems to mind much—she’s used to gorgeous woman yelling at her. val salutes wanda once the woman finishes and tells her she’s banned until further notice. the three month ban extends longer, until wanda’s blood doesn’t boil at the thought of val attempting to mark you.

once val leaves the bookstore, wanda focuses her attention on buttercup. some of buttercup’s senses has returned, promptly stopping the rocking of her hips. you’ve done a lot of stupid things before, but this might take the cake. wanda’s hardened stare definitely shouldn’t be turning you on. but she can see you squeezing your legs shut. “you’re a pathetic slut. maybe i should throw you out on the streets. you’ll survive if you keep offering your cunt to any random person.”

the thought alone leaves your lips quivering with fear. but you don’t dare say anything. wanda loops her finger into your collar, forcing you to keep eye contact with her. “do i need to brand your silly little cunt, so you have a constant reminder of who you belong to? hm? would that help your dumb little brain remember? or maybe i should let you live with agatha for a bit? she’s house broken a few pets.” you immediately shake your head, no. overhearing how agatha trains and treats her pets puts fear in you.

“i thought so, buttercup. too bad you’re not the one in charge. mommy can do whatever she wants.” wanda emphasizes the point by kicking you in the stomach. the pain shatters throughout your whole body. flopping down on your kitty bed, you let out a sob of pain. it’s music to wanda’s ears. wanda makes you crawl into the center of the circle with all her friends. she made you kneel there until the meeting was done, never once acknowledging your presence again.

#wanda maximoff x reader #bells and whistles au #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #natasha romanoff #kate bishop #wanda maximoff x you

[sl-newsie]

Query: Q x 00 Agent- Ch. 16: Frustratingly Unpredictable

“You mean… I’m grounded?”

M holds up a hand to quiet me. “Not grounded. You’ve accumulated too much vacation time and are required to take some time off.”

I don’t believe this. I’m torn between my two loves: Q, and my nagging desire for adventure. I’ve just returned from Scotland, having delta with some incredibly rude spies, and now M tells me I’m supposed to stay home?

“For how long?” I ask in a low tone.

“Two weeks tops, that’s all,” M assures me. “If you’re so keen on doing something I can always give you my chores list.”

I hold up a hand. “No offense M but I’m not going to use my vacation time to do your chores. I’ll use this time for something much more enjoyable.” And I know exactly what to do.

I pivot and walk out before M can say more. After I grudgingly slump down the familiar basement stairs I spot my target looking into a microscope. Without making a sound I sneak over behind Q and reach down to swipe his glasses.

“Hey!”

“Guess who,” I snicker.

Q gasps. “0011? You’re back!” He turns around so I can see his smiling face and leans in to kiss my cheek- only to kiss my eyebrow. “Um, sorry but I really do need my glasses.”

I chuckle and replace his specs. “You look handsome either way, genius. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for a while. Mallory says I’m basically being forced to take a vacation, so you have me all to yourself, Quartermaster.”

Though I don’t expect much. No doubt he’s too busy right now to join me on my holiday-

“That sounds marvelous, love.” Q adjusts his glasses, then gives me a proper and deep kiss. “I hope to keep you entertained yet still functionable to head back on duty in one piece.”

I’m getting that excited feeling again. This vacation is starting to seem more and more appealing.

“Is that a challenge?” My voice waivers by a fraction.

Q quirks a brow. “You’re the decisive 00 agent. You tell me.”

Great balls of fire, Q’s getting to me. “Don’t tempt me, Geoffrey. Wait until tonight.”

He groans and buries his face in my neck. “That’s a long wait.”

“You’ve been waiting for two weeks. You can hold on for 2 more hours.” I give him a squeeze and push away. “I’ll head back and start dinner. Oh by the way, any word from Bond?”

The Quartermaster’s attention shifts to his computer. “Funny you say that. 007’s going on holiday as well. To Matera.”

“After the Hell he’s been through he definitely deserves it.”

“That’s also where Vesper’s buried,” Q says softly.

The name brings a stale silence to the conversation. The subject of Bond’s former lover has always been a sore subject; after all it was what turned Bond into the man he is today, someone who is against emotions. His reluctance towards love is partially what made me so discouraged about finding a relationship in the first place.

“He never told me much about her. I never asked. I figured it wasn’t my business and he didn’t need his partner stirring up unwanted memories.”

Q nods in understanding. “Vesper meant a lot to him.”

I sigh heavily. “She was his first love. Might I daresay his only love.”

The Quartermaster reaches out to touch the pendant around my neck. Even though it’s ‘dated tech’ I still wear it to remind me that I’m never alone.

“You seem more open-minded to love,” Q remarks.

A small smile tugs at my mouth. “Never used to be. Never thought twice of it. My job always came first.”

A few seconds go by before Q speaks again. “What about now?”

I can tell he’s nervous and I don’t blame him. Our jobs hold so much uncertainty that I don’t know what type of answer to give him. Yes I love you and wish our relationship didn’t have to be so unpredictable? Part of me wants to back down. It isn’t fair to keep Q’s hopes up every time I go on a mission. But the other half of me selfishly wants to be with him just as much.

My thoughts get interrupted when an alarm starts beeping from across the room. Q jogs over and examines another computer screen.

“Bond’s been attacked.” He pauses a moment before continuing. “In case M didn’t tell you, we believe Dr. Swann might have more connections that may be trying to kill her or Bond.” 

This catches my attention. “I didn’t take her as a double agent type. Is Bond alright?”

The geek gives a quick laugh. “The security footage is incredible.”

He turns the screen for me to see the Aston Martin DB5 doing a donut maneuver as its machine guns spit bullets at Bond’s pursuers. After a while a smoke screen engulfs the car and we see Bond speed away.

“I love that bloody car. Is he headed back here?”

Q shrugs. “Who knows.”

I roll my eyes. “Predicting that man is like trying to understand quantum physics.”

“It’s actually not that-”

“Q, I love you, but you need to remember I’m not a brainiac like you.” I pat his head. “That mind of yours can work its wonders without trying to drag in mine.”

The man smirks. “You’re right. It can work wonders.” He takes my hand. “Such as thinking of things to do during our vacation.”

“Our vacation? Since when do you get to skip work, Quartermaster?”

“Since I also have accumulated enough time off. M’s been after me to go on holiday for months but I was too engulfed with the past mess to give in. Now we both have an excuse to spend time together.”

A grateful smile finds its way to my face. “Well, I have always wanted to go to Italy… Maybe it’s time to-”

Beep! Beep! My phone buzzes and I take it out to see M’s calling. Dear Lord, what now?

“0011, are you still in the premises?” M sounds concerned.

“Yes, sir. I was just about to leave for my mandatory vacation.”

“Well I’m afraid that’s going to have to wait. There’s been an attack in Nuremberg and you’re the only 00 who’s available. You're expected to depart in one hour. I’ve already sent Q the details.”

I frown. “How did you know I was with him?”

“Intuition. Good luck.” Then M hangs up.

“Um, I’m assuming he mentioned what this is all about?” Q points to a new file on the computer screen. It shows footage of what’s left of a small lab. From a distance it wouldn’t look too serious but when I look closer I see a small sign advertising the building’s purpose: a private MI6 hospital. No doubt some bloke meant to target one person and ended up destroying the whole hospital. Now it’s my job to deal with the mess.

“Sorry to say this Q but I have to take a raincheck on that getaway.” I let out a deep sigh and squeeze his shoulder before walking to the garage door. 

“I suppose,” Q groans sadly. “Promise to come back before next year?”

His sad tone tugs at my heartstrings. Should I just throw in the towel and tell Q not to wait up? It’s not fair to him.

“Geoffrey… I don’t know if we should do this,” I try to say as evenly as possible without faltering. 

Q’s face falls and he rushes over cautiously. “W- What do you mean?”

His chocolate eyes seem to melt into sadness and trips up my guilt even more. “This whole mission business, it- it’s not worth it. I- I’m not worth it, Q. You deserve a stable relationship with someone who’s not running around the world like a maniac or who might end up dead.” I hold up a calming hand. “You are an incredible man who has enough stress on his plate without having to worry about me. Maybe we should back off for now-?”

Q steps forward and gently caresses my cheek. “I’ll always worry about you, relationship or no relationship. You’re under my watch as 0011. But you’re also under my watch as Eleanor, the only woman I’ll have eyes for.” He leans closer with a soft look in his eyes. “You are worth it, Eleanor. And this relationship isn’t strange to me at all. We both knew it wouldn’t be easy when we started this. Right now we need to do our jobs.”

God, how does this man exist? Of all the Quartermasters I could have been assigned to and I’m blessed with this caring and astonishing marvel? He can say what he wants but I don’t think I’ll ever live up to earn someone as considerate as Q.

“If you’re sure about it,” I say softly. “If you ever have second thoughts-”

“I doubt that, but I won’t hesitate to speak up,” Q finishes with a nod. “This relationship is built on healthy communication, which is one of the many things I love about you.” He presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “Now get going before M gets suspicious.”

He’s right. I must snap out of this ridiculous doubt to focus on cleaning up that hospital.

I start the engine and salute the handsome geek as I speed out into the street, racing off once again to put my life on the line to serve my country. 

#quartermaster x reader #quartermaster #q x reader #james bond #daniel craig #ben whishaw #skyfall #spectre #no time to die #007 #james bond 007

[novankenn]

Reluctant Hero?

= Fifteen = (Chapter List)

Much like Pyrrha, Weiss had passed out due to pain partway through Jaune's desperate amputation of her lower arm. He had Cardin toss it as far away as he could, while Nora pulled the ribbon even tighter.

Dropping to his ass, Jaune sat amidst the gore, his chest heaving. He had a far away look in his eyes, as he unconsciously rubbed the pendant that hung about his neck with his thumb. A minute or so later, a bullhead began to lower itself towards them. Leaning out the side door was once again Glynda Goodwitch.

Glynda: You're the last! Hurry!

Jaune: Cardin grab her (points to Ruby) Nora take Weiss.

The pair of powerhouses nodded and without hesitation set to their assigned tasks. Unlike when the bullhead picked up Pyrrha, this time it actually touched down. Jaune drew his shotgun. This was the perfect time that this power would launch an attack.

/==/ Five Minutes Later - Beacon landing Pads /==/

A host of medical staff met them, and quickly loaded but Ruby and Weiss onto gurneys. Jaune, Nora and Cardin watched as they were wheeled away. The trio coated in gore.

Glynda: Mr Arc...

Jaune: How many?

Glynda: Mr Arc?

Jaune: How many were saved?

The click of a metal tipped cane striking stone cause Jaune to turn his head. His azure eyes narrowed as Headmaster Ozpin approached.

Ozpin: Mr. Arc, I want to...

Ozpin hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, after Jaune's fist connected with his jaw. A fraction later, Jaune's saw was started. Ozpin lifted his hands in surrender as the teeth of Jaune's weapon closed upon his face.

Glynda: Mr Arc!

Cardin/Nora: Jaune!

Jaune: (Through clenched teeth) How many?

Ozpin: Mr Arc...

Jaune: How many, you fucking bastard? How many didn't make it?

Ozpin: Seventeen... out of forty-four.

Jaune: I warned you... I FUCKING WARNED YOU!

Jaune then pulled his saw away from Ozpin and walked off. Cardin and Nora looked between the two adults and Jaune's retreating back.

/==/ Five Minutes Later - Locker Room /==/

Anyone in the locker room gave Jaune's gore soaked form a wide berth, but he didn't care. He was focused on a single destination, and couldn't and wouldn't give a fuck about anything else. Reaching his locker, he yanked it open, pulled off his chainsaw hand and tossed it into the bottom with a clatter. A second later, his shotgun and harness followed.

Reaching into the bag he had set upon the top shelf, he withdrew a cybernetic hand. With a twist, followed by a click, he attached it to his right stub. Still ignoring everything about him, he once again reached into the bag, and pulled out a warm can of beer. Without any hesitation, he punched open the tab with his cybernetic thumb.

Nora and Cardin arrived a minute or so later to see Jaune guzzling down the can. Once finished he looked at them, crushed the can and tossed it towards a nearby garbage can. Missing it entirely. With a belch, he reached back into the bag, and pulled out the remains of the six-pack he had just opened.

Kicking his locker closed, he looked at the similarly gore coated pair.

Jaune: Go have a shower. You guys need one, desperately.

Nora: What about...

Jaune: What about me?

Cardin: You could use one as well.

Jaune: No, right now, I need to get a buzz on.

Jaune then shouldered past the pair, and walked away.

#rwby #ash vs evil dead #horror themed #jaune arc #deadites #deadite grimm #cardin winchester #ruby rose #weiss schnee #nora valkyrie #glynda goodwitch #headmaster ozpin

[itbmojojoejo]

For this post: 🌤️

AH OH ARCIE! THANK YOU. I want to scream about a certain one.

ahem - from my rework/alternative version plans for A Good Man - This exchange between Finan and Osferth was always my favourite so to rewrite it was so much fun and it turns into a bit of running joke/theme through out the chapters...

“You are staring,” Osferth spoke quietly, giving him a pointed side glance.  “I am not.” He rolled his eyes taking a sip of ale.   “Yes, you are.”  With a shake of his head, Finan’s eyes returned to the brunette who held his attention, she was leaning back in her chair with arms crossed over her chest and playing with the small silver cross pendant that hung from her neck.  “I’m going over there.” Finan declared as he stood.  “Finan do not.” Osferth sharply objected, trying to take hold of his arm to sit him back down, but it was too late.  “Oh would you look at that, I’m walking away.” He stepped backwards from his friend, a smug smile plastered on his face ignoring the disapproving look Osferth fixed him with.

And to prove that I AM writing the angsty (if you can call it that) Finan x Reader fic -

“Is that disappointment I hear?” A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he took a small step closer towards you.  “No, more like reluctant relief.” You sighed, “So, was it terrible?” “Which part? Things didn’t exactly go to plan at Bebbanburg, I nearly drowned, got pulled into the fight at Tettenhall, had to look after a bunch of kids, could have caught the sickness trying to hide one of those kids from some bastard, and then a bunch of Danes tried to hang us all-”  You cut him off flatly, “I meant the siege.”

Ta-dahh...💜

ask game for teasing wips/upcoming projects

#thank you my love xox #ask game

[wangsejabin]

Chapter 54

The Prince said he would help Pan'er find her birth parents, and Pan'er did not refuse.

The jade pendant was so common that it was hard to find them just on the basis of that. If it hadn't been for a coincidence in her previous life, she wouldn't have actually known her origins, so she could only say that everything was destined by the heavens.

But since the Prince was willing to help her find them, she wouldn't refuse, just as a precautionary measure, if things were to coincide with her previous life.

This month, Pan'er's menstruation was delayed and Aunt Qing was vaguely excited. Pan'er told her not to think too much about it, that it might just be a delay, it's not unheard of before, it's normal to delay for a few days.

She felt that there were some things she could not avoid, in her previous life she had not conceived at the same time as Hu Liangdi because of the crown prince's consort until she had conceived her second child and then died, Hu Liangdi was pregnant earlier than her and gave birth to the second prince, she was a little later, so Yue'er was third in line.

She thought that things would follow the same path as in her previous life, that she would conceive at about the same time as in her previous life, but after a delay of ten days, her menses still did not come. Aunt Qing didn't say anything, but she instructed Xiang Pu and Qing Dai to be more careful on a regular basis and to eat more carefully.

The three of them kept this secret, but they usually looked at Pan'er with a kind of fervour in their eyes, giving her the illusion that she was pregnant with a golden lump instead of a child. At the same time Aunt Qing suggested that Pan'er sleep in a separate room from the Prince, a matter that left Pan'er torn for a few days, but before it could pass her by, the Prince knew about it.

"How many days has it been delayed?" Pan'er said it had been half a month, and there was always a feeling of shame and embarrassment when she spoke to the Prince about such intimate matters. "I don't think you can take a pulse at this time yet, right?" This was a question for Aunt Qing, who was older after all, and Pan'er was still a young girl, who didn't know anything about a woman's pregnancy.

"Your Highness, it will take a few more days for the pulse to reflect the change, but a doctor who has been practicing medicine for a long time may be able to tell."The Prince nodded and said to Pan'er, "In a few days' time, the Southern Tour will arrive in Yangzhou, and there is a doctor named Wang who is not bad at healing.

Pan'er nodded her head, but was also a bit stunned that she was arriving in Yangzhou so soon. On second thought, it was time to come, after all, the mission of the southern tour team was to tour south, they couldn't always stay somewhere. But then, they would have to move away from here.

As she looked around, she felt a sense of reluctance to leave the house.

In the evening, after dinner, the Prince spent some time with Pan'er and then intended to go to the front study. He had never done this before, so Pan'er tugged at his sleeve and asked, "Your Highness, are you leaving?"

The prince patted her hand and said, "I'm going to sleep in the study."

"What are you doing sleeping in the study?" Looking at the prince's meaningful eyes, she realised that she was suspected of being pregnant and that it would be best for the stability of the foetus to have separate rooms.

But Pan'er felt that this would not work, and that was why she had been struggling with it for so many days. She was the only one with the prince now that they were away on their southern tour, and those people were already fond of sending him beauties and other things, and it was only because she kept a close eye on them that they didn't succeed.

"The Prince's wife, the Prince's wife, was a very good person, but I am afraid to sleep alone at night in a place I am not familiar with. I often couldn't sleep night after night, or after arriving in the Palace……"

Just as Pan'er was talking, Zhang Laishun was already gesturing for Xiangpu and the girls to go down, including himself, who also hastily retreated and cats outside. The private conversations of the masters could not be listened to; if they heard too much, not only would their ears fall off, but perhaps their heads as well.

The prince nodded, extraordinarily meaningful: "What do you mean then?" Pan'er climbed onto his arm and smiled ingratiatingly, "I was just thinking, it's not certain whether I'm pregnant or not, so why don't we not share a room now?" The prince considered the matter, taking a little too long, and Pan'er looked at him nervously.

"All right then, let's wait until the Imperial Doctor comes and asks for a pulse."

Pan'er was pleased and thought to herself, "When the doctor comes, I have other methods, I don't believe you won't give in.After they had washed up and gone to bed, Pan'er resumed her old ways and pressed herself to the Prince's body as she slept, but in fact she was not quite asleep yet and was still vaguely aware of the outside world.

She heard the prince say, "You're so silly."-- The arrival of the southern parade brought the whole city of Yangzhou to a boil.

Yangzhou has many docks, and the southern patrol fleet stopped at the dock outside the east city gate, causing countless commoners to go and watch the spectacle, and even though there were quite a few official soldiers standing guard next to it, they still couldn't dispel their enthusiasm.Even if they could just look at it from a distance, they could brag about it later.

Because of the limited manpower, the officials were all busy with the enthusiastic crowd, so the governor of Yangzhou, Lu Pingshan, had a group of labourers drawn from the docks to help carry the goods accompanying the southern tour.

The labourers, dressed only in thin shirts in the middle of winter, were carrying wheelbarrows with boxes and cages on them, and were guarded by soldiers on both sides of the road, with their eyes gleaming as they looked around. The labourers were naturally carrying the personal belongings of the officials accompanying them, and the Prince's belongings were not to be carried by them either. The large quay was divided into two paths, one for carrying goods and the other, guarded by more soldiers, for walking.

"That's our Crown Prince of Great Zhou?" The labourers took advantage of the unloading process to wipe off their sweat and talk about it.

In fact, from their distance, they couldn't see anyone's face at all, and could only watch from afar as a man in a yellow garment was hailed by a group of people and marched out."Born with golden dignity, you say that if we could be entrusted with becoming a prince, no, even a prince, we wouldn't have to be here now."

Someone said admiringly. "If the foreman hears you, you'll be whipped!" "Don't even think about it!" "Look, there are women at the back, they're not all the Prince's concubines, are they?" With a thick voice deliberately lowered, the labourers in the vicinity looked up in a flash.

There was a woman with a veiled hat, surrounded by several maids, walking slowly behind her, and those who knew something snorted, "There's only one. That one is the lady of the palace, the others are all palace maids.""Even if they are palace maids, they all look good to me ......"

It's not clear, but just the sight of the delicate colours in the men's crowd is enough to keep these labourers, who can't afford a wife and can only find the occasional prostitute to relieve their desires, entertained for a long time.

Su Hai glanced over his shoulder with some annoyance, and then lowered his head to wipe his sweat. When people saw his movement, someone teased him, "What's wrong, Hai Zi? Usually you are the most lively when talking about this, but why are you silent today?" Su Hai shoved the man who had approached him, "Do you think I'm like you guys, with no place to use my strength all day long, just thinking about women's crotches?"

"Ouch, say it like you don't want that ......" Dazhi came over and said, "Come on, Xu Zi, hurry up and get to work, if the foreman finds out about this, it's not a big deal to get whipped, that's a noble man from the capital."

Dazhi was a hard-working man, and he was also a righteous man, so he was always willing to help others with anything, so he had some prestige among the group. Seeing that he had said so, several labourers stopped talking and got busy with their work. Dazhi helped Su Hai carry the boxes off the car and said, "What's wrong with you lately, Hai Zi? You've been so distracted all day, is there something wrong with you?"

"What can I do? Nothing!" Su Hai said, putting the scarf on his shoulder around his neck and pushing the wheelbarrow farther away. Dazhi looked at his back with worry in his eyes.

--

The prince, with Pan'er and the others, had boarded the imperial ship yesterday. Today they followed the procession and came off the ship again, especially the Prince who showed his face. When they left the pier, a caravan was waiting. As they boarded the car, the caravan moved slowly, and the sound of people outside was heard on the way, but it was only after a short distance that it gradually quietened down. There was no special palace in Yangzhou, and the Emperor and his predecessor used to stay in the Jiang family's compound for their southern tour.

This is the glory of the Jiang family. Who doesn't know that the Emperor and the late Emperor always stayed at the Jiang family's home during their southern tour, and because of this, the Jiang family has been able to sit at the top of the top ten salt merchants in Yangzhou, and is currently the chief of the two Huaihai salt merchants guilds.

The chief merchant has the greatest power, and every year the chief merchant takes the lead in bringing together the salt tax of the court, and all public and private fees and subsidies with the government are assessed by him, making him half government and half business. The Jiang family was also a hereditary merchant, and had close relations with the government.

The Jiang family's backer was not a particular official or force, but the current emperor. Several generations ago, the head of the Jiang family was known as a 'friend of the emperor with his cloth', and since then, every time the emperor came to the south of the Yangtze River, most of the Jiang family received him. Whenever the court was in trouble, the Jiang family would actively raise money for the court for disaster relief and military pay, and all the heads of the Jiang family were given official titles by the court.

So every time when His Majesty went on a tour of the South, it was the time for the Jiang family to be proud. No, everyone else wanted to get in but couldn't, and the Jiang family had already made the Prince their guest of honour. When they arrived, Pan'er and Aunt Qing and the others were busy settling in, and the Crown Prince had been cleared away, saying that he was going ahead to the banquet.

A maid also came to report at the door, saying that a banquet had been prepared for Feng Yi and asking if she wanted to pass the meal. Pan'er was not hungry at the moment, so she said she would have them serve it later. The prince was expected to stay in Yangzhou for a month, during which time he would be staying in the Jiang Yuan garden, so many things had to be unpacked and put away.

It was almost noon before Pan'er had the meal passed around and asked Aunt Qing and the girls to go and eat as well, as they had been tired all morning. After the meal, she rested. Meanwhile, Pei Yongchang was standing outside Jiang Yuan, arguing with the concierge and the guards of Jiang Yuan. Even though he said that Su Fengyi, who was serving the Prince on his southern tour, was his sister, the concierge did not let him in.

Normally, Pei Yongchang would not have been able to argue with a concierge, but today he was blocked by a brat. He did not know that every time at this time, there are countless people who want to come to the door to get close to the family or to get into the eyes of the royal family, so as to take over the position of the Jiang family.For this reason, the Jiang family had already taken precautions. At such times, even if the king of heaven came, he could not just let people in. When Pei Yongchang was leaving, he fiercely pooh-poohed.

#mtl #yingchong

[101flavoursofweird]

1 for the short fic challenge?

For any fandom, if that's ok.

((Thanks!)) 1: A conversation you wish had happened in canon.

Angela stands by, smiling, as Henry places his hand on Randall’s shoulder. 

Randall flings his arms tightly around Henry’s neck, almost knocking Henry off his feet. Perhaps that’s a bit forward of Randall, after eighteen years without contact and an attempt to ruin the city, but it’s Randall. 

Henry looks flustered. He peers apologetically at Angela over Randall’s shoulder. Angela shrugs lightly.

Henry has been waiting just as long as her to see Randall again. No one has worked harder than him to bring Randall home. 

Why shouldn’t he be the first to hug Randall? 

It’s only right that Mrs Ascot should go next. 

Mrs Ascot wheels her way over to Randall, ignoring Sheffield’s warnings about the cracks in the ground. 

Randall still can’t quite comprehend that his now-elderly mother is in a wheelchair. Still, he’s shocked by her strength as she pulls him to his knees. She gives him a small shake and a scolding, before she embraces him. 

After a few minutes, Angela steps towards them. Randall glances up at her tearfully. 

Angela smiles (though, it feels a bit forced) and offers him her hand. 

Mrs Ascot releases Randall and Angela helps him up. 

The two of them stare at each other. 

Angela has imagined this moment for years. In her dreams, Randall always looked more like his teenage self— paler and scrawnier, with shorter hair and glasses. 

But the man before her is tanned and robust, his hair untamed. Some might even call him a brute. 

What does he make of Angela? Gone is that sweet, angelic girl from Stansbury. Now, she’s formal, reticent, and tired of waiting. 

“Angie—“ Randall coughs. “Angela…”

She folds her arms. “Randall…” 

He chokes out, “I’m sorry—“

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Angela says. Henry’s sincere, heartfelt words sound like a dismissal from her. 

Randall holds his hand up. “Please, let me…” She nods and Randall continues in a rush, “I’m sorry for kidnapping you, for acting like I owned you… and f-for making you wait so long. You never had to wait for me, but you did— even if I don’t deserve it.”

“It wasn’t��just about you,” Angela murmurs. 

She turns; behind her, Henry is chuckling as Dalston eagerly waits in line to talk to Randall. 

Hershel is watching them with a smile, but he’s standing further back besides an older bearded man she doesn’t recognise. 

Hershel meets Angela’s gaze for a moment. There is fondness, forgiveness and sympathy in his eyes, but reluctance too. 

Then he glances away— to Luke, the twelve-year-old boy Randall had threatened mere hours ago. 

(Was that part of Jean Descole’s plan? How could Randall so blindly go along with such a senseless, cruel act?) 

Angela looks back at Randall. 

“In all honesty,” she whispers, clutching the pendant he gave her eighteen years ago, “I can’t forgive you yet. I’m not ready to be with you yet…”

Randall’s face falls, and Angela resists the urge to take back her confession. 

She isn’t like Henry, who can forgive Randall, his parents and even Dalston in an instance. She can’t bury two decades’ worth of sorrow, solitude and anger just like that. 

She held an underserved grudge against Hershel, for Randall’s fault. It’s only right that Randall should take some of the blame now that he’s home.

“But maybe… maybe we can start over?” Angela wonders, her voice wavering. 

Randall gasps and beams at her— his smile is just as bright as she remembers. 

He grabs her hand again, shaking it ecstatically. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Angela!” 

Angela’s smile is no longer forced. She squeezes his hand. “You too, Sir Randall.”

#Professor Layton #Angela Ledore #Henry Ledore #Randall Ascot #Hershel Layton #fanfic #my fics #Pl fic #RanHen #Randall/Angela #Rangela #They could get back together just not RIGHT NOW

[goblinmodewrites]

Movie Night

Pride month story no. 1

Thank you for reading this! Hopefully you like it :) Story is under the cut <3

TWs: None

Word count: 1k

Please, do not repost or translate my work :)

Short summary Billie and Siobhan are old friends about to discover the beauty of something completely new.

Enjoy!

Cars pass by in a blur, seamlessly carrying their passengers to their destinations. 

The air, despite the nearby road, feels light and clear. The last rays of the sun shine down on the ground, drowning it in molten gold. Rich green grass shimmers with droplets of water left after the last spring shower. The idyllic scenery is finished off by the wonderful smell of summer just around the corner. 

Billie doesn’t have time to inspect the world around her, however; She’s late. 

Really, really late.

“Oh, crap, crap!” she curses, fishing around in her bag blindly while trying her best not to trip over any holes in the pavement. “Where the hell is it?” she hisses under her breath, huffing in relief when her fingers finally wrap around her phone. It’s been blowing up with messages for almost a minute now.

She slows down a little, throwing her backpack back on her back, and checking who’s trying to reach her. She has a guess of who it might be, a guess that turns out to be correct when the name ‘Siobhan’ with a little heart icon next to it shines into her face. 

Where r u? 

Did u get snacks?

U better

Doors open btw

Ur late

R u ok?

Billie curses under her breath, eyes only briefly skimming over the messages. She’s almost there, so she’ll have a chance to explain soon. 

If only she didn’t get held up at the damn store getting that stupid pendant.

Her throat runs dry at the thought of the small piece of jewelry, followed by a prominent blush rising to her face. She realized only recently just how bad she has it for Siobhan - a fact made even worse by the years of their friendship. By the uncertainty of the future. 

She wonders if today is the right time to confess. Maybe she misread the signs, and Siobhan wasn’t flirting with her to begin with? What if this ruins their friendship?

Goddamnit.

Siobhan paces the room. She’s already checked herself out in the mirror over a million times in the extra time she found herself with when Billie didn’t show up on time. Does she look okay? Why is she even worrying about that? Her and Billie are just friends. They always have been, and it won’t change today. A fact that has her chest straining with disappointment. 

She’s also worried. Billie hasn’t replied to her messages, and she never runs late.

Maybe she should go look for her? 

She gives herself one last look in the mirror, tugging the faded pink strands behind her ears, and trying to smile at herself. She straightens out her yellow summer dress and makes for the door.

The bell rings.

The apologies are quickly forgotten in favor of inspecting the food Billie brought, as well as sitting down and actually putting on a movie. Both girls, unbeknownst to each other, are reluctant to let go after their initial hug, eager to cuddle up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and some drinks.

The movie night finally begins, with a horror movie playing on the screen, lights flashing in the darkened room. 

Billie shifts on the couch. Her thigh is touching Siobhan’s. They’re close. But Siobhan hasn’t said much before putting on the movie. Does that mean she’s mad? Billie holds her breath, unwittingly staring at Siobhan’s face, inspecting how her freckles stand out under the artificial light. A strand of wavy hair falls over the ethereal constellations dotting her pale skin. She wants to move it out of the way. Tug it behind Siobhan’s face and trail kisses over her cheeks. Her fingers thumb over the pendant in her pocket. 

“Are you okay?” Siobhan suddenly turns to her, her eyes so wide, and beautiful and deep. Billie doesn’t know what to say, it’s like all her words are lost somewhere far away. 

Billie watches as Siobhan tilts her head, slight concern creasing her brows. Her eyes fall to Siobhan’s lips. They’re parted and so inviting, like a magnetic field. And Billie is completely trapped. “Hey, should I pause the movie?” She tries to get off the couch, but Billie stops her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Siobhan’s skin is soft and warm. She wants to do nothing more than to embrace her, and fall asleep in her arms, like she’s dreamt so many times before. 

“No, wait,” Billie whispers. Her voice is back, though barely. Will she ruin their friendship? Or is this the start to something new? Maybe she’s rushing it?

She moves closer to Siobhan, eyes locked on her lips. She’s tense in her grip, but she isn’t pulling away.

She’s barely a breath away, so close she could just lean closer, and they would kiss. Billie looks into Siobhan’s eyes. She sees her friend, one she has known for years, and she hesitates. If what she’s doing is wrong - if she messes this up - she will lose her forever? Can she really risk that? What if-

“Can I kiss-” She doesn’t get a chance to finish her question. Siobhan’s lips crash into hers, her long fingers tangle Billie’s cropped hair. She almost screams, ecstasy filling her entire being. 

Billie wishes the moment could last forever, completely enveloped in Siobhan’s warmth. She feels safe, loved. So incredibly loved. Her own fingers come to be entangled in Siobhan’s hair. Their bodies press closer together, the movie completely forgotten behind them. 

“Guess that was a yes?” Billie laughs awkwardly when Siobhan pulls away to take a breath. Her friend rolls her eyes, smirking. The expression reveals her uneven dimples, and Billie’s heart skips a beat. She is so damn beautiful.

“I’m going to have to check,” she laughs, already moving closer. Before she kisses Billie again, however, she stops, and Billie almost whines with disappointment. Is she having second thoughts? Is something wrong? Will this be the end? What if-

All those worries dissipate when Siobhan rests her forehead against hers, holding her face with her palms, and she whispers a quiet, barely audible ‘I love you’. 

#wlw #sapphic #writeblr #writing #lesbian pride #pride month #happy pride month #lgbtq #creative writing #fluff #original fiction #short story

[crossroadsdimension]

As the Crystarium began moving forward despite the starshower shake-up Elidibus had brought in, Cross attempted to busy herself as best she could.

The surprise call from Moren one morning after a night in the Pendants didn’t do much to shake up her plans for the day (since that mostly involved going to check on Konogg...and maybe Gaius on the Source for information regarding the Garlean Weapons). The information he had to share surprised her, though. The “Warrior of Light” title was something that had been used for centuries on the First, as far back as a realm of darkness when a hero had first arisen.

But the title went back a fair distance on the Source, too, and if Elidibus was raising heroes on the First, did that mean he was responsible for the same in other places, when Hydaelyn wasn’t the one to do so?

It was a disturbing thought, but some eavesdropping kids drew their attention away. In a nicer way, but still something with an underlying worry.

The kids wanted to be Warriors of Light. At least the Mystel girl wanted to learn how to be that way with medicine and potion-making, but the two boys...mm. Their expressing want to do this even before the Warrior of Light title came into their minds made things a little better, but not by much.

(Alisae’s dizzy spell reminded her too much of Thancred’s and Urianger’s, before they went down to the ruins under the sea. It was...concerning.)

Still, Cross’ mind wandered a little at Alisaie’s words, at how she’d felt a longing to remember when seeing the sunken city, and the starshower. Something about it made her think of Ardbert, and the last place they’d spoken in the Crystarium.

The last person she was expecting to join her on that watchtower perch was Elidibus.

The Echo vision was static-filled and confusing, faces and features marred by something. Time, perhaps? Elidibus seemed annoyed, but not put-off. If anything he seemed confused, and maybe a little off-kilter, especially if he wanted to know what Emet-Selch had seen in her.

Cross was reluctant to mention Hythlodaeus. The shade who was more free with his words wouldn’t get in trouble, but she didn’t want Elidibus to know before she did. At least he let the subject drop when G’raha showed up.

Stabbing G’raha with aether was not fun to watch, though.

(”You don’t need to stab someone to know their soul is dense,” Cross muttered after G’raha assured her he was fine. “Beq Lugg can do it just by looking, you bastard.”)

Any further conversation between Cross and G’raha was put on hold when Ryne rushed to them -- Thancred had apparently fainted in the middle of reporting on Elidibus’ movements. That was not a good sign.

Cross rushed to the infirmary ahead of Ryne and G’raha, only to see Thancred conscious again and already sitting up. Her relief was fleeting, and she scolded him for not telling them about his light-headedness and dizzy spells sooner.

(”Don’t give me a scare like that again! I’d rather you be on bed rest until we find a way to carry your souls back across the rift, but I know you’re not going to listen.”

Thancred turned his gaze away from Cross. “I can think of a few people who would love me to do that, but I’m not an invalid, and I won’t be treated as such.”

“I’m not saying--”)

Alphinaud and Alisaie brought the conversation back on track, asking Cross to make a trip to the source to check in with Krile and Tataru, as well as inform them of the progress with the spirit vessels and G’raha’s plan to add his Allagan-royalty-infused blood to the mix.

Cross just hoped nothing worse would happen in the meantime...

#cross' rambling #cross sylvan #miqo'te warrior of light #miqo'te oc #miqo'te wol oc #warrior of light oc #wol oc #shadowbringers #shadowbringers 5.3

[getlostsquidward]

The mile high club (NSFW)

Lou Miller x Flight Attendant!reader

A/N: THIS IS MY FIRST SMUT FIC apologies if this is poorly written. Let me know what you think about it! Also, I remember an anon asked me if I would write smut, I said maybe in the future. This is the future

WARNINGS: 18+, NSFW, SMUT, oral, fingering, gagging, light bondage, light daddy kink, semi-public sex, light D/s themes

MINORS DNI

“Good evening, welcome aboard!”

You chuckle as you hear your co-worker say for the nth time. The plane wasn’t even flying but you can already notice the tiredness laced in her enthusiastic voice. After all, it was going to be a non-stop flight, from New York to Sydney.

Hearing the door close, you straighten your uniform and made sure you look presentable. You took the items you needed as you wait for the announcement of the in-flight safety features, which you will be demonstrating.

“Now we request your full attention at the flight attendant…”

In your years of doing this, not really everyone gives their full attention at the demo. Most are engrossed in their phones, some are looking outside the window, there are those who are afraid of take-offs that they can’t focus on the announcement. Still, you make sure you glance at everyone on your eyeshot, except one.

Though you don’t explicitly look at her, merely seeing her out of your peripheral vision, you could make out the twitch of her jaw, and her eyes boring into you. Using the oxygen mask to hide your grin, you can’t help but think about what’s going on in her mind.

Lou doesn’t know that you were on the same flight as hers. You always tell her where your destination is, but this time, you told her a different one.

You told her you were assigned on a flight to Los Angeles, a 5 to 6-hour flight from New York, and then you’re free for the day. It made Lou complain about how she misses you since you haven’t really spent much time with her, both busy with your jobs and how boring the long flight would be.

You take a quick once-over on her outfit. She was wearing a grey tweed suit with an unbuttoned black shirt underneath. Her layers of necklaces and pendants, of course, weren’t absent. Eyes lingering on the exposed skin on her chest instead of on her face, provoking her so she could have another reason to punish you.

Lou looks absolutely divine you would drool if you weren’t supposed to look decent in front of everyone.

“Would you like something to drink?”

You pulled the service trolley over the row where she is. Her seatmate only shook her head and went back to her phone. Turning to Lou, you aloofly asked, “How about you, ma’am?”, giving her a polite smile.

She squinted her eyes at you before answering, “Just water. Thank you.”

At the corner of your eye, you saw her fiddling her thumbs, aching to feel you. As you gave her the drinking glass, her fingers brushed yours, dawdling as if she’s reluctant to let you leave. Eventually, she let go.

-

The lights in the cabin were now dimmed. Everyone was either asleep or keeping themselves busy as not to bother other passengers. You would have used this opportunity to get some nap yourself and rest your feet, but not now. Not when there’s a far better option to pass the time.

Lou was most likely still awake. You head to Lou’s seat with a glass of wine in one hand and a complimentary gift in another.

“Compliments of the house, ma’am,” you purred, leaning down on her ear. Once she accepted the glass, you put the gift in her suit pocket. “And this one’s from me,” you sultrily whispered. With a smirk on your face, you walked away with your hips swaying, knowing that she’ll be looking. You gave her a subtle wink before disappearing from her sight.

Lou was slightly annoyed at your behaviour, but at the same time, teeming with desire. She loves how your uniform hugs your body in all the right places, and her hands were itching to have you whimpering under her touch.

She knows exactly what you’re doing, and she hates that you know how you have her wrapped around your finger. Curious at the gift you gave, she reached out to her pocket to peer at it. The moment she touched it, she knew what it was right away. The soft and silky material of your underwear was cool to her touch. She didn’t expect you to be this brazen, always choosing to be a good girl. Her good girl.

Lou waited for a moment and glanced at the rest of the cabin. When the coast is clear, she got up and followed you like a lost puppy. The lavatory’s light indicator was off, meaning you didn’t lock the door. You knew that she’d come after you.

Abruptly opening the door, she saw you waiting for her seductively perched in the corner. Lou attacked your lips hungrily, wasting no time to show you how much you’ve riled her up. You were (not) surprised, to put it mildly.

The cramped space of the room makes your movements restricted, bodies pressed together heatedly against the wall. The taste of the wine from Lou’s mouth is enough to have you intoxicated. The sounds of your mouth and heavy breathing were all you can hear along with the loud thud of your heart, then you remembered where you were.

Pressing your hand on Lou’s chest as you pulled away slightly to whisper, “Door. Lock it.” She seemed to realize too, making both of you share a giggle.

Once it was out of the way, you went back to business. It was the same bruising kiss, but more passionate and sweet making your heart skip a beat. Lou was the perfect mix of rough and gentle.

Your hands sneaked their way to fumble on her shirt so you can cup her breasts, but a hand gripped on your wrists.

“Nah uh, babygirl. No touching for you,” Lou growled as she stared you down.

She hiked your skirt up, and strong arms hoisted you to sit at the bathroom counter. Standing between your legs, she pinned your hands above your head, pulling your tie and wrapped it around your wrists. A finger trailed on your jaw, going down on your top, popping the buttons one by one revealing a black lacy bra.

“First, you told me you’re on a different flight,” she purred, her fingers trailing down your thighs. “Then you ignore me like I don’t make you scream my name, and now you’re at work, with. no. underwear.”

Her teeth gritted, stressing the last three words. You let out a low grunt as she cupped your cunt, thumb and forefinger pinching the hood of your clit.

“I can’t believe how wet you are already, and I haven’t done anything yet,” Lou said, voice dropping an octave. You bucked your hips against her hands, getting impatient. “Lou, please-”

You felt two fingers graze up and down your slit, collecting your arousal. “Be quiet,” she said as she inserted the same fingers on your mouth.

“Wouldn’t want them to hear how much of a slut you are, would you?”

You eagerly sucked onto her fingers, making them nice and wet, just how she likes it. “As much as I want to take my time with you baby, we don’t have the luxury.”

She took her fingers from your mouth and replace them with your panties. Lou’s digits found their way slipping inside you, the feeling making your eyes roll in the back of your head. Three fingers plunged in, stretching you out. No teasing for tonight.

Broken moans escape your lips, thanks to the gag stifling your noises. Her fingers sliding in and out of you, and curling into a come hither motion. Thumb working on your clit, fucking you senseless.

“Hngg- Hmm-” you whimpered against the gag.

You arched your back, clenching around her. Lou knew that you were close, so she picked up her pace and latched on your nipples. She stared up at you while swirling her tongue around your peak, grinning at the sight of your contorted face.

Just when you were about to cum, she pulled her fingers out as well as the gag in your mouth.

“Beg for it. Don’t be loud.”

“Lou,” you breathed. “Fuck- please, daddy, let me cum? Please?” You begged, giving her your best doe eyes you know she can’t resist as you pleaded for release.

She pressed two fingers against your clit and rubbed fiercely. “Cum for me,” Lou mumbled on your ear, her breath hot making you shiver. You were literally and figuratively in heaven as you reached your arousal.

Before you knew it, she was on her knees, mouth attacking your pussy as you cum. She lapped at your folds, licking at all the juices she can find. You haven’t even recovered from the first orgasm but you can feel another wave coming as her tongue pushed in and swirled around your bud.

You bit your lip to suppress the moan as you came for the second time, grinding your cunt on Lou’s face as you rode your orgasm.

She came up to face you once again, pulling you against her to tongue-fuck your mouth.

“You’ll get more when we get home,” Lou promised, pressing a kiss on your lips. She sucked her fingers clean, moaning at your taste.

“Welcome to the mile high club, Lou.”

The blonde chuckled and rolled her eyes, “Welcome to the mile high club, Y/N.”

Still feeling hazy, she helped you put your uniform back into place but not before she sucked in a bruise on the valley of your breast. “I love you,” you softly whispered as you pulled her in for a hug.

She gave you a tender kiss, “I love you too.”

-

You were positioned at the connecting door, greeting everyone as they exit the plane. Your eyes already caught Lou’s blonde locks, still navigating through the crowd. As soon as you stand before each other, her lips tugged to a smug smirk as she praised, “This flight has the best dessert I’ve ever had.”

#cate blanchett #cate blanchett x reader #cate blanchett imagine #ocean's 8 #lou miller #lou miller x reader #lou x reader #ocean's 8 fanfiction

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LUNATIC PARADE ;; Shuu Route ー Chapter 4

Monologue

Afterwardsーー

We were genuinely gifted,

many props to decorate the party venue,

by Aji-san,

who had been deeply moved by the Ghost Flower.

We were also able to get information from the gondolier

on how to set up the gondola

to resemble the way it looked when Riegel-san and his wife met,

in an attempt to please him,

as much as possible.

And then...

ー The scene starts at the Rubin Canal

Yui: ( Phew...I guess we’re about halfway done with the decorations. )

Shuu-san, what do you think...?

Shuu: Looks fine to me. Not bad.

ー The gondolier runs up to them

Gondolier B: Ooh, what a surprise! These decorations are identical to those from the past. For a second, I thought I had gone back in time...

ーー Oh. Whoops, silly me.

The owner of the sweets shop came to the docks. He’s looking for you two.

Yui: Yes!

ー The scene shifts to the docks

Sweets shop owner: ーー Aah! There you are!

Yui: Good evening.

Sweets shop owner: Save those formalities for later! More importantly, take a look at this!

Here’s your order.

*Thud*

Yui: Waah! Looks delicious...!

Sweets shop owner: I think it turned out excellent, if I may say so myself. Will this do?

Yui: Of course! Thank you so much!

Sweets shop owner: Aah, I’m glad!

I should probably head back to my shop then.

Aah, so busy, so busy!

ー The sweets shop owner leaves

Shuu: ...His lack of composure is a huge flaw, but I can’t deny his skill.

Yui: ( I’m sure Riegel-san will be pleased with this as well, right? )

ーー Well then, we should probably make a quick stop at the hotel then. We have to get ready as well.

ー The scene shifts to the main street

Yui: ( Okay, everything is going smoothly so far...! )

( Ah...But there’s one more thing to do before we return to the hotel... )

Shuu-san. Is there a shop where we could borrow some clothes around here?

It’s a party, so I figured I should probably prepare a dress.

Shuu: ...Hmm.

This way then.

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the hotel room

Yui: ( I guess most of the preparations are done... )

Shuu: The Familiars will arrange a picture of Riegel-san’s wife to put inside the pendant.

They should bring it to us before the party starts.

Yui: Thank you very much.

I guess we should start getting ready too then.

You can go ahead and take a bath first. I’ll go through the list one more time to confirm we’ve got everything.

Shuu: Nn...

ー Shuu leaves for the bathroom

Yui: ( Okay... )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: ( ...Yeah. There’s nothing we overlooked. )

( Now we just have to wait for the party to start. )

( I hope Riegel-san will like it... )

*Flap flap flap*

Yui: Ah...

( It’s one of Shuu-san’s Familiars. They’re holding the photograph... )

*Flap flap flap*

Yui: Thanks!

*Flip*

Yui: ( So this is Riegel-san’s wife. What a beautiful person with such a lovely smile. )

( That’s a younger Riegel-san standing next to her, right? )

( The two of them really did look happy together. )

( That’s why...I feel sad thinking about how much emotional pain Riegel-san has to go through right now... )

( We have to make this party a success at all costs! )

ー Shuu enters the room

Shuu: Hm...Oh? The Familiar’s back already?

Yui: Yes. They brought this pictuーー

Wah!?

S-Shuu-san, your clothes...

Shuu: I just got out of the bath so what did you expect?

Yui: A-Anyway, hurry up and put something on!

Shuu: Good grief, what are you so flustered about still...?

ー Shuu walks towards the wardrobe

Yui: ( That shocked me...! )

*TIMESKIP*

Yui: This is Riegel-san’s wife.

Shuu: Hm...

Yui: I...Seeing them standing next to each other, I thought to myself once more.

I want to make this party a success. I want to lessen his pain even just a little...

I want to do anything within my power.

Shuu: ...Anything, huh?

But haven’t you forgotten how we ended up in this situation in the first place?

It’s not like we were trying to help Riegel from the very beginning.

We approached him in hopes of getting information on the Count and find a way to retrieve your heart.

Yui: That’s...true but...

Even so, I can’t just leave him in the cold...!

Shuu: ...Why not?

ー He steps closer

Yui: ( Shuu-san...? )

Shuu: You’re awfully persistent about helping him out.

Did you fall for him or something?

Yui: ...!? T-That’s not it!

Shuu: I wonder? Then who is it you like?

Yui: W-Well...

ーー You, Shuu-san. You’re the only one I love.

Shuu: Heeh...

Yui: ( Uu, this is kind of embarrassing... )

A-And you...? Who do you like?

Shuu: Go ahead and think about that question a bit. If Iーー

*Thud*

Shuu: Pin you down on the bed like this, I guess the answer should become a little clear?

ーー Nn.

*Smooch*

Yui: Ah...!

Shuu: Once the party starts, you’ll take on the appearance of Riegel’s wife for a while, right?

So keep still and let me have my fun nowーー

Yui: ( ...Shuu-san... )

Monologue

And then,

it was finally time for the party to start.

Together with Shuu-san,

the two of us once again,

headed towards the candy house where Riegel-san lives.

Before knocking on the door,

I put the picture of Riegel-san’s wife,

inside the pendant hanging from my neck.

And voila ーー

Yui: ( ...This feels kind of odd. Like I’m no longer myself. )

Um...How do I look?

Shuu: On the outside, you’re a split image of the woman in the picture. But...

Yui: ( ...? I wonder what’s wrong? )

Shuu: Your little quirks when you’re lost in thought are still the same as usual. You haven’t changed on the inside.

Well then, guess we should get going soon.

Yui: Y-Yes!

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the candy house

Shuu: Riegel should be even more wary now of potential humans trying to visit him.

So it’d probably be best if I greet him first.

Yui: I’m counting on you.

Shuu: Yeah...

*Knock knock*

Shuu: Riegel. It’s me.

*Knock knock*

Shuu: I’ve decided to hold a party for you today.

Riegel: ...A party?

Shuu: Yeah, exactly. A party.

Riegel: I’m not taking part in such a thing. Just do as you please without me.

Shuu: ...I don’t mind either way, really.

But there’s a little guest for you.

I’m sure it’s someone you’d kill forーー

*Thud*

Riegel: Aah! Could it be!?

Yui: ( Riegel-san... )

*Rustle*

Yui: ( Wah! H-He embraced me... )

Riegel: Marian! Aah, Marian!!

Shuu: ...

Yui: ( Shuu-san walked away... )

Riegel: I missed you...! I’ve wanted to see you again so badly, Marian! This whole time, ever since that day... 

Yui: W-Wait. I’mーー

Riegel: You finally returned to my side, didn’t you? Aah, I’m so glad...

Yui: ( He totally thinks...I’m his actual wife, doesn’t he? )

ー The scene fades to black

Yui: ( But I’m not. )

( ...Shuu-san knew this would happen, hence why he was so reluctant to using the pendant... )

( Yet, I... )

...Ugh.

ー The scene shifts to the Rubin Canal

Shuu: ...

Yui: ( Shuu-san’s napping in the corner, huh...? )

Riegel: ...Aah...Well if it isn’t the place where we first met!

If I recall correctly...I fell for you at first sight.

Meanwhile you were rather frightened of me at first.

However...After our feelings became mutual, you let me in on your secret, didn’t you?

That back then, it was love at first sight for you as well.

You remember, don’t you? There’s no way you could ever forget.

Yui: ...

Riegel: Fufu...Aah, anyway, this food is amazing.

This cake in particular...It’s delicious.

You should give it a try as well.

Yui: Eh? Sure...

( What should I do? I have to tell him the truth... )

Riegel: What’s wrong? Do you feel sick?

Yui: No...It’s...

There’s something I have to tell you.

I’m sorry. I...I’m not the real Marian.

Riegel: ...

Yui: This pendant around my neck holds a mysterious power, and that’s how...

Riegel: ...

Yui: I’m sorry...

Shuu: ...Good grief...

ー Shuu walks up to them

Yui: ( Shuu-san... )

Riegel: ...

...I don’t mind.

Yui: Eh?

Riegel: I don’t sweat the details.

I knew from the very start. That you were just a fake.

The dead won’t come back to life. I know that much.

...That’s exactly why.

Because I know that death is permanent...

I want to at least...Hold onto you while you look just like my wife.

Forever!

ー Riegel grabs hold of Yui

Yui: Kyaah!

Shuu: Wha...!?

ー The scene shifts to Aizen Alley

Riegel: Haah, haah, haah...!

Yui: R-Riegel-san! Please, let go of my hand...

Riegel: No! If I do that, you’ll leave me! I’m sick and tired of being all alone...!

Yui: ( What on earth should Iーー )

*Woosh*

Yui: Ah...!

( I-I can’t breathe...!? )

*Woosh*

Riegel: O-Oi! What’s wrong!?

*Woosh*

Yui: ( My heart...The Kleinod...It’s at its limit already... )

Shuu: Oi!

ー Shuu runs up to them

Yui: ( Shuu-san... )

Shuu: ...Finally found you. Enough of this vain struggle.

Let go of her.

Riegel: I won’t. I’m not letting go of Marian!

Shuu: Then I’ll force you. She’s mine.

Besides...Her heart won’t last much longer.

I don’t have the time to play along with your elopement act right now.

You know better than anyone how much it hurts to lose the woman you love, don’t you!?

Riegel: ...

Iーー

*Woosh*

Yui: Aah...!

Shuu: Yui!

Riegel: ...Ugh!

Yui: ( I...can’t...no more... )

Monologue

As my eyelids gradually grow heavier,

my body somehow becomes light.

It feels as if I am floating mid-air

Seeping through the darkness,

a light shines upon me.

Somebody is standing at the other side.

I can’t see their face because of the reflection,

but the person I treasure more than anyone,

is holding out their hand towards me.

I want toーー grab hold of it.

I can’t stand being separated,

not even for a single second.

While writhing around in the darkness,

I continued to extend my hand straight forward.

And then...

ー Yui wakes up inside of Riegel’s house

Yui: ( ...Where am I...? )

Shuu: You’re awake...?

Yui: Shuu-san...

Shuu: ...Don’t make me worry too much.

Yui: I’m sorry...

Um...What happened to me afterwards...?

Shuu: Youーー

ー A flashback ensues

Shuu: Hang in there!

Yui: ...

Shuu: Oi, Riegel.

Riegel: W-What...What should I do...!?

Shuu: Riegel! Calm down.

Can you tell me everything you know about this Count?

I’m begging you.

Riegel: Shuu...

...I’m sorry...It’s true that the two of us were close in the past.

But I’m afraid I don’t know much more than that his manor’s security is impregnable.

He would never talk about himself after all...

Shuu: ...Ugh.

Riegel: I’m sorry...I truly am...

Shuu: ...Fuck...I...

Yui: ...Uu...

Shuu: ...!

It’s too early to give up just yet. The Kleinod is still moving!

ー The flashback ends

Shuu: ーー Then we carried you here afterwards. Your condition gradually became more stable after all.

Yui: So that happened...

*Thud*

Riegel: ...

Yui: Riegel-san...

Riegel: ...My bad.

This happened because I lost sight of myself...

Yui: No. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.

Riegel: Oh no...I felt so happy I was able to see Marian again, even for just a split second. From the bottom of my heart...

That’s why I didn’t want to let go of her.

But...Then I realized that was wrong of me.

Because Marian would never approve of hurting someone else like that.

I’m sure she’s scolding me right now in the afterlife.

Besides...

Even if she’s not next to me, she remains within my heart forever. I finally realized that.

Yui: Riegel-san...

Riegel: I’ll help you two out to retrieve your heart.

???: That won’t be necessary.

Shuu: ...!?

Yui: This voice...It can’t be...

Riegel: Walter!

Count Walter: Hello there! It has been a while, hasn’t it? Riegel. And...You as well, young lady.

Yui: Y-You’re...Count Walter!?

Count Walter: The one and only.

Shuu: ...So? Now this is quite the nifty show you’ve put together, approaching us yourself like this.

Not that I care. I guess this saves us a lot of trouble.

I’ll make sure you return her heart at once.

Count Walter: ーー Of course. That is what I came here for after all.

Yui: W-What do you mean?

Count Walter: Fufufu...

ーー You see. I have been watching you to observe your behavior after you lost your heart.

To test whether or not you two are fit to hold onto one of the treasures of this world...That is.

Yui: ( I-I see... )

Count Walter: And the answer became clear just now.

You chose not to abandon this man who had been stricken with grief, but instead tried to bring the light back in his life.

Wonderful!

Thereforeーー

*Ba-dump*

Yui: Ah...!?

*Ba-dump ・ ba-dump*

Shuu: Yui!

Yui: Shuu...san...

( ...Huh...? )

( My body feels light. And warm...? )

Shuu: Are you okay!? Hang in there!

Yui: Ah...I-I’m fine.

If anything...It seems like I’ve got my heart back!

Shuu: ....What on earth...? 

Walter: Fufu...

Well then. I will excuse myself now.

ーー Thank you for the great show.

ー The Count disappears

Monologue

Leaving said words behind,

Count Walter vanished into thin air.

Looking off to the side,

I locked eyes with Shuu-san,

as we somehow both forced a smile.

As for Riegel-san,

he seemed to have completely,

regained his sanity.

After he told us that the least we could do,

was enjoy the remainder of the Parade,

Shuu-san and I,

left the candy house behind us.

ー The scene shifts to Saint Nore Park’s venue

Yui: ( Seems like the Parade hasn’t ended yet! )

( A bunch of things happened, but I’m glad we made it in time... )

Shuu: ...

Yui: ( ...Oh. Maybe I’m the only one getting excited now. I’m sure Shuu-san must be exhausted. )

Um...

Shuu: Nn?

Yui: We’ve been running all over the place, so shall we call it a day and head home?

We can always come to the Parade next yeーー

Yui: ...?

Shuu: Let’s go.

Yui: Eh...?

Shuu: Let’s go to the Parade.

Yui: Are you sure...?

Shuu: What are you saying when you’ve got ‘I want to go!’ written all over your face?

Yui: T-That’s...I would like to go, but...

I’m sure you’re tired, so I want you to be able to get some rest soon...

Shuu: ...Well, I’m pretty much always lacking energy.

I don’t mind making an effort at a time like this.

Yui: ...

Shuu: ...What?

Selection

→ Nothing

Yui: Nothing. Fufu...

Shuu: Look at you talk when you’ve got that grin on your face. Heh...

Yui: ( I’m just so happy, I can’t help it... )

→ Thank him with a kiss (☾)

Yui: Um...Shuu-san?

Shuu: Yeーー

*Smooch*

Shuu: Wha...!?

Yui: You know...To show my gratitude.

( I did it on the spur of the moment, but I’m kind of embarrassed now... )

Shuu: You...Honestly...

Nn...

*Smooch*

Yui: ( ...! This time he kissed me... )

Shuu: ーー Come on. Let’s go to the Parade before I change my mind.

ー Shuu walks away

Yui: Ah, w-wait!

( I’m happy he’s so kind to me... )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

← RETURN TO CHAPTER 3

→ PROCEED TO NORMAL ENDING

→ PROCEED TO FINALE ENDING

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #shuu sakamaki #lunatic parade #diabolik lovers translation #lpshuuchapter4

[shoutogepi]

Heartbeat

Todoroki Shouto

word count : 6.0k

[ ☀︎, ✘ (nsfw!) ]  bitta fluff, mostly smut oop

themes : doctor/healer!reader x pro-hero!shouto, mild temp play (quirk use), confession, dirty talk

bio : You ditch your boring dinner date to tend to your favorite coworker’s latest battle wounds... though upon healing him swiftly, you find an excuse to stay.

author’s note : this is for bnha bookclub’s bingo event, for which i can now cross off the “hero x doctor” slot ;) bingo masterlist here! special thanks to @fanfic-me-up​ & @savagetrickster​ for beta’ing! tysm lovelies <3 

side note: this fic is dedicated to my special peony @shoutodoki for her birthday!! val honey i love you so much. you’re my oldest friend in this fandom and every time we talk you fill my day with sunshine. please wish this sweetpea a happy birthday!!!

also available on AO3 here

  ─── ・°* ﾟ✧:* • ｡ﾟ:*･☽･*: ｡ﾟ•*:✧ ﾟ*°・ ───

Sparkling droplets of rain run off the plastic of your umbrella and onto the marble floor in the hallway. Setting the drenched thing against the wall, you wipe the soles of your shoes against the doormat. Stretching your lungs with a fresh breath of air, you push the handle until the door opens soundlessly, allowing you entrance into the shadowy apartment. None of the lights are on; the only source of luminescence is from the soft glow of the street lamps shining through the downpour on the sidewalk far below. The silence of the seemingly empty place is only interrupted by the steady rainfall outside, and you fidget with the strap of your purse on your shoulder, suddenly feeling like you shouldn’t be here. Sure, you’ve been to Shouto’s apartment, but it’s always been daytime before, and somehow the storm outside makes you feel even jumpier than usual.

A soft groan rips you away from your overthinking, and your feet immediately slip out of their shoes, taking you toward the source of the noise without hesitation. As you round the entryway corner, you can see his figure slumped on the end of the leather sectional. He’s bathed in a gloomy grayish-yellow hue from the dim light that pours through the ceiling-tall windows, red and white locks looking tousled and hero suit plenty disheveled.

“Shouto!” you gasp his name when you register the scarlet on the front of his jacket, your body moving to kneel before him without so much as a thought.

The pro-hero Shouto coughs as he tries to sit up, a large hand clutching his ribs when he starts to sputter out a greeting. You hope he cannot see the flush that blooms in your chest and cheeks as he murmurs your name, his voice gravely and low, as if he hadn’t said a word in hours. How long has he been sitting here like this— how long has he been waiting for you? Before you can talk, he forces himself to speak. “It’s not my blood,” he says, meagerly attempting to comfort you.

His eyes are barely open, squinting at you through what must be quite some discomfort— his face is contorted into a grimace and his hand still covers his side, his breath ragged. His fingers feel cold as your hand lands on top of his, thumb stroking across the surprisingly soft skin on his wrist. “Let me help you,” you whisper, and he nods, your locked gaze sizzling as he takes your hand in his.

Shouto bites back a whimper as he moves his other hand to burn off the material of his hero costume, head falling back onto the cushions of the sofa in pain. His palm is cool atop yours as you examine the purple and red tainting his pale skin, a frown forming on your lips.

“It’s not broken, so that’s good,” you say quietly, fingertips dragging along the tight muscle. When you prod the flesh along the top of the bone, he sucks in harshly, which only causes him to yelp, his fingers tightening around your wrist. “It is bruised, though…”

He exhales an icy breath, nodding at you when you give him a look for permission. Placing your palm on top of his battered skin, you close your eyes and concentrate. You let yourself envision his healed body, the pale muscle of his obliques rippling on his healthy physique. The image makes you feel hot, and you try your best not to let the thought of his naked body distract you from the task at hand.

Meanwhile Shouto watches you work, his gaze glued to you as your eyelashes flutter on your cheekbones, your lips a flat line in determination. There’s a soft, golden glow beneath your hand, bathing his flesh and your face in an heavenly light. Shouto wonders if you know what you look like using your quirk— if you know that you look simply angelic while illuminated in gold and tending to his wounds, taking away his pain. It’s over swiftly, and he’s not sure if he’s more relieved that the pain has stopped, or reluctant his time with you is over already.

“You could’ve gone to the hospital, you know,” you sigh, the light from your palm fading as you lean back, nails brushing against his abdomen before you take your hand away.

He frowns as your touch leaves him, sitting up and breathing deeply. His lungs stretch and empty without any pain, and his lips curl into a thankful smile. “But then I wouldn’t have an excuse to see you.”

You wonder if he notices the effect his choice of words has on you— if he sees how you bite your lip and turn away, too flustered to look at him in all his handsomeness. You don’t need an excuse to see me, you think, hands folding together in your lap.

It’s then that Shouto notices your appearance is even more gorgeous than ever— your earrings dangle and sparkle in the moonlight, your dress hugging your figure snug and hanging just low enough to show a stretch of cleavage. Your collar bones stand out against the thin, plum-colored straps, and your hair falls perfectly on your shoulders. Wow, is he glad he called you tonight.

“Speaking of, you look… stunning. I thought you looked cute in your white coat and everything at work, but this is really something else,” he comments, eyes trailing down your chest to stop on the gemstone pendant shining brightly between your breasts. He feels heat rise to his cheeks, tearing his stare away and instead examining your bashful expression. “I’m sorry if I interrupted your evening.”

You laugh at that, a short sigh falling from your lips. “Don’t worry, you weren’t interrupting much of anything,” you say, playing with the sparkling bracelet on your wrist. You chance a glance up at him to see him looking at you, curiosity shimmering in those captivating, mismatched orbs. “Date was a bust, the guy would not stop talking about microbrews the whole time, and then— get this— he ate my lava cake when he said he didn’t want dessert!”

Shouto laughs at your clear display of upset, a hearty, rich chuckle sounding from deep inside of him. The sound causes butterflies to flurry in your stomach, a grin conquering your pout as you watch his laughter come to an end. “That’s definitely a red flag,” he smiles, pink lips turning up and warm eyes falling on you once again. “The lady has to have her own dessert. Shame on him, screwing up his chance with you.”

“He never had much of a chance anyway,” you mumble, your gaze tracing the shadows stretched across the salt and pepper rug in faux interest. Before Shouto can ask what exactly you mean by that, you cut him off, standing up and brushing off your thighs, smoothing out your dress. “I’m glad you’re okay, though. You don’t feel any more pain, do you?”

“No I’m—” his lips part before he closes his mouth, brow furrowing before he sits upright, hand coming to land over his chest. “Actually right here is a little tight, do you think you could look at it for a second?”

You blink owlishly as he moves, lithe fingers unzipping his shirt and exposing his chiseled torso to you. Desire stirs between your legs at the sight of him, half naked and gazing up at you expectantly. If you didn’t know any better… you’d think he’s trying to make a move on you. Hesitantly you sit on the edge of the couch cushion, reaching out for him. The muscles on his chest jump when you make contact, his flesh warm and smooth beneath your skin. “Here?”

Shouto watches your eyes widen as his other hand slides around your waist, pushing your body toward his. His fingers wrapping around your wrist, he steers your stretched palm across the expanse of his pecs, stopping when it’s positioned on top of his heart. “Here,” he replies, feeling the muscle start to move rapidly underneath your caress.

“S-Shouto, I—” a part of you wants to believe he really is coming onto you, while the other side of you knows that first, you two work together, and second, he could have any woman he wants— he would never choose you. “What are you..?”

“Is it supposed to beat this fast?” He tilts his head, expression earnest, his fingers dipping into your flesh through the silky fabric of your dress. “I always feel like this when you’re near.”

You don’t know what to say— you don’t know if you can even speak at this point. It’s so hot in here, and his gaze, his touch— the frantic thumping of his heart beneath your palm— it’s all completely overwhelming you, so much to take in.

“Is something wrong with me?” Shouto asks, and his arm around your waist tightens, causing you to tumble into his chest. Your soft breasts press up against his firm chest, both your hands splayed open on the expanse of his pecs. You can feel his heart pounding underneath your hand, leaping in his chest like it’s trying its best to reach you. It’s the exact same as how your own feels at this very moment.

You start to tremble in his arms, your face so close to his. You can see each shade of blue and gray in his eyes, every freckle and scar on his skin. He’s never been so close to you before, and you can feel your composure melting away rapidly, his flames licking your body and warming you to the bone. “No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you,” you answer, your voice barely above a whisper.

Then he’s leaning into you, cologne faintly wafting off his throat. His head is tilted slightly, eyes dropping to your lips— oh god, he’s going to kiss you. “So this isn’t all in my head, then, is it?” His voice is low, so low— as if he fears he’ll scare you off if he raises it even just a hair. “The lingering glances, the touches, the flirting— you want this, too, right?”

His hold on you finally breaks through the layers you’d built so carefully, your hesitance slipping away like smoke in the wind. There’s only a brief moment that the two of you stare into each other, questioning if you really want to cross this line or not. If you’re ready to drop the charade, the game of cat and mouse.

There’d be no going back once even just one toe sneaks over that threshold.

But it doesn’t matter, because just like that, you’re kissing him, a muffled moan sneaking out from between your lips and reverberating through his. Shouto kisses you back with fervor, eager hands gathering your body closer to his— fingers kneading into your flesh and rubbing over your dress. Your lips slot together perfectly, his soft and plush as they move in synchronization with yours. When you push, he pulls— and when you moan, his tongue roves over your lip before dipping inside your mouth. You’re panting, fireworks exploding underneath your skin with every caress, mind and body completely drunk off of him. Your heart is pounding furiously in your chest, any inhibitions good as gone. Todoroki Shouto is kissing you, ravaging you on his couch in his apartment— and he’s shirtless, and he’s touching you, and he’s holding you so tight and so close that you can barely even think to kiss him back.

Shouto breaks away from you, breathing slightly labored as a bright grin morphs his mouth. “I’ve wanted that for so long,” he confides, pressing his forehead to yours. One of his hands wanders up and down the curve of your spine, smoothening the fabric of your dress. His bottom lip shines with a mixture of your saliva, glistening brightly in the dimly-lit room.

“Shouto,” you whisper his name, cautious not to shatter this perfect moment. You take a second to gather your courage before you secure your arms around his neck, your thigh slipping over both of his as you position yourself above his lap. Shouto’s eyes are wide as you shyly meet his gaze, tingles zipping through your limbs when your panties brush along his muscular thigh. “I can’t… I can’t pretend that I don't want you for another second…”  

You can’t bear to look at him, so you close your eyes and press your lips flush against his once more, your fingertips twirling in his messy locks of red and white. There’s a temporary pause, Shouto laying still beneath you as you kiss him, petting his chest and his hair as your legs tighten around him.

And then you’re on your back, hair fluffed out on the pillow behind you as Shouto hovers over you, his strong arms holding himself upright as his lips attack your own with ferocity. He’s in between your legs, a large hand cupping your jaw and guiding your face so your lips can dance flawlessly, tongues swirling together with ease. A wave of lust crashes over you, Shouto’s hand wandering beneath your waist, your spine curling to arch your chest into his. He groans as he feels the plushness of your breasts against him, hugging you tighter as his tongue traces the bottoms of your teeth.

“You dunno how happy I am to hear that,” he pants, tracing the wet muscle along your jaw and down your throat. He starts to suck on the sensitive skin there, and your hips jerk up into his instinctively, a strangled whine tumbling from your mouth. He kisses your neck messily, trailing down to the soft skin at the neckline of your dress. “So responsive,” he purrs, and you can feel your pussy clench tight beneath your lace thong, excitement gathering between your legs. “How long have you wanted me?”

You close your eyes, swamped with anticipation as you feel him shuffle between your legs. His hot mouth nips at more and more of your skin, shuffling the dress down so your tits spill out of the ensemble, nipples stiff and begging for his attention. “So long, Shouto,” you moan as his warm mouth engulfs the pebbled bud, the tip of his tongue rolling around it easily. He sucks gently, and your legs twitch together, your thighs desperate to create some kind of friction to relieve the wetness gathering in your panties.

Shouto smirks at you, lazily lapping at you as a hand wanders down the front of your dress. He takes your nipple between his teeth teasingly, cool breath only making the poor bud harden even further. His fingers gather the bottom of your dress at your hip, pushing the fabric up so your cunt feels the cool breeze of the air conditioning, your thong not offering much protection. “All that time, I could’ve been touching you like this,” he sighs, fingertip running along your slit through your underwear. He tugs at your nipple when he pulls his hand back, rubbing the ample, sticky evidence of your need between his fingers.

You squirm underneath him, flustered and impatient, sinful embarrassment surging through you at how slutty you must look in his eyes. “I— I’ve thought about you… l-like this, on so many nights,” you squeak out, your cheeks bursting with heat from the mortification. But you need him to know that you’re only like this for him… because of him.

He groans in response, letting your nipple free before he moves to devour the other one. His hands grow impatient, fingers looping under the sides of your panties before he slips them down the length of your thighs, flinging them off into the darkness of the apartment as soon as they’re around your ankles. Immediately he cups your dripping folds, peeling his digits apart so you’re left completely exposed to him, revealing your glistening hole and puffy clit. “You touch yourself and think of me?” he reiterates, a dangerous tone lacing his low voice.

He slips two fingers vertically between your folds, coating them in your ambrosial slick, and rubbing the pads of his fingers over your twitching entrance. His mouth suddenly turns cold, and he grins as he feels your hole quiver violently in response. “Yes,” you breathe out, the word slipping through your lips like a snake. “Oh, yes!”

Shouto slips the fingers inside, each two knuckles deep as his fingerprints rub along your shivering, slick walls. He washes the bud in his mouth with his searing tongue, his quirk tossing you left and right in the throes of pleasure. He allows you time to stretch, casually pushing his fingers out and then back in, never going deeper than that initial thrust. It’s not long before you’re gasping, your body trembling underneath his, and aching for more of his touch. Your tits fall from his face as he cranes his neck back up to look you in the eye. “And did you ever make yourself feel this good?” he queries, and before you can answer, he thrusts the digits all the way inside of you, his knuckles grinding against your quivering entrance.

Your eyes roll back as he begins to move his fingers, the tips of them reaching places you’d never been able to reach yourself. He’s so long, and thick compared to the equipment you’re accustomed to; his genetics blessing you and filling you better than your own hands ever could. “N-Never— oh, god— Shouto!” you cry, just as his lips capture yours again. You whimper and whine into his mouth, legs switching between spreading wider and tightening around his ass, trying to pull him into you. His tongue dominates yours, claiming your mouth as his own. You let him lead— too lost to try and fight him— happily submitting and allowing him to guide you through the pleasure. His fingers work diligently inside of you, alternating between pumping into you, curling to press into your spongy walls, and sliding out all the way to tease your sopping hole.

His mouth leaves yours as he moves to kneel on the floor, gathering your frame to sit upright with his free hand. His slender digits still pressed deep inside of you wiggle, and you bite your lower lip as he begins to kiss along your inner thighs. “Did this tight little pussy cum around your fingers, wishing they were mine instead?” he asks, words rumbling against your skin.

Your thighs shake as he holds them open, his wide shoulders pressing against one and the other in his white-knuckled grip. “Yes, yesyesyes,” you mewl as he ducks down, lips pressing a sweet kiss to your throbbing clit. “I imagined you between my legs, ah!— f-filling me so many times!” Your confession seems to be exactly what he was waiting for, for his mouth sucks in your clit and he starts to shower it with attention— licking and rubbing the flat of his tongue up against it for complete stimulation. You cry out, his fingers continuing their assault on your tender walls deep inside, bending to put pressure against just the right spot.

“Come on then,” he gasps for air, your clit buzzing as his cool breath washes over the aching pearl. His lips shine in the low lighting, glossed with a generous film of your essence while his dual-colored gaze burns into yours with fiery determination. “Don’t you wanna cum for the real thing?”

He attacks you again, this time less merciful than the last— his fingers pummeling into your gummy insides with determination, his tongue lashing over your clit and sucking on it so hard that his cheekbones stand out on his handsome face. The intensity of it all is too much, your body feeling electrified by another’s touch— it had been so long since you’d been satisfied by a man. And this was no ordinary man, not to mention— it’s Shouto who’s pleasuring you— the man who makes your heart race and your stomach burst with butterflies. The pressure heightening in your stomach, your walls flutter against him, attempting to suck his fingers even deeper. You’ve wanted him for so long; gazed at him from across the conference table or tended to his wounds with extra care, even spent who knows how many lunch breaks by his side. Now that you have him, here between your legs, here for you to touch and hold and kiss, your body falls apart for him. Just for him.

Shouto moans as your orgasm ripples through you, the tip of his tongue twirling your sensitive pearl as his digits press against your slick, quivering walls, only delivering more pleasure to you and intensifying your climax. His cock throbs along his thigh, wondering how heavenly you’ll feel wrapped around his length and clamping down around it instead of his fingers. You’re still entranced by your orgasm, ecstasy coursing through your veins like fire and ice combining explosively, just like the quirk of the man who had caused such a phenomenon. When your grip on his disheveled hair finally unfurls, he pulls his fingers out of you, mouth making quick work of kissing your dripping, twitching cunt all over. With one last kiss to your pulsing clit, he moves back onto the couch, hovering over your fatigued body.

Your head already clearing of the static, orgasmic fog, your fingers slide around the back of his neck, underneath the cool fabric of his hero suit and along his broad shoulders. The muscles adorning his back are firm beneath smooth skin, the heat of him radiating through and greeting your fingertips pleasantly. Shouto gets the message, sitting back and shrugging off the jacket. Just as he does so, you make your move, pushing his shoulders back just hard enough to get him off balance, falling back onto his ass with wide eyes. Instantly you take your place before him, your knees hitting the carpet as your hands travel up his slender thighs, sinew twitching beneath your caress.

He doesn’t say a word as he watches you undo the top of his pants, your lips trailing along the prominent contours of his abdomen. Even in the dim lighting, you can see the outline of his cock struggling to be freed against his inner thigh, aching to be released and touched by you. You share a heavy look with him as your hands pull down his pants, his boxer briefs going with them. His length springs out of its confines, standing thick, long, and deliciously hard against his pelvis. You can’t help but stare at it, your tongue wandering out to wet your lips as you take the sight of him in before you.

When you glance up to catch his expression, you’re shocked to find his cheeks slightly darkened, his brow furrowed as he gazes down at you. “Y/N, you don’t have to—” he gasps as your mouth envelops the head of his cock, the hot, wet suction enough to steal his breath away. “F-Fuck…” Shouto sighs as you begin to slide even more of him into your mouth, your tongue gliding against the underside of his throbbing length. You make it halfway down his length before you lean back, pressing a chaste kiss to the very tip of him, just as gently as he’d kissed your clit moments ago.

“I want to,” you murmur, your words reverberating against his hard cock, a coy smile curling the corners of your mouth as it jerks against your lips. “I wanna take care of you, Shouto,” you hum, your hand wrapping around the base of him and beginning to pump, “Let me taste you.” His head falls back onto the top of the sofa, a muffled groan trapped in his throat. It’s ripped out of him as your mouth descends onto him again, your spit allowing you to take him deeper and deeper into your throat. You do your best to keep a steady tempo, bobbing up and down on his cock as you suck in your cheeks, tongue swirling and massaging the bulging veins along his shaft. Beads of pre-cum stain your tastebuds, bittersweet and urging you to continue your ministrations. The head of his cock brushes against the back of your throat and he groans loudly, lithe fingers gripping your hair tight.

Shouto tenses beneath you, his abs straining as he holds your head flush against his pelvis, his cock sheathed deep into your throat. “You feel… so good,” he moans, pulling your head back and letting you catch a fresh breath of air. You take the opportunity gladly, wasting no time before you take his engorged length back into your mouth. Carefully you suck on the tip of him, your hand moving to jack off his length as your other hand cradles his balls, your thumb rolling them easily in your palm. The effect is immediate, Shouto’s laboured breath coming out in harsh pants as your fist slides along him flawlessly. He bites his lip, his free hand pushing his snow and scarlet locks off his forehead as he chokes out, “T-Too good— slow down, baby.”

When you don’t adhere to his instruction, he reaches down and touches your cheek, guiding your mouth off of him before he leans forward and pulls you into his arms, your knees dipping into the soft cushions of the sofa on either side of his hips. He wastes no time snagging your dress over your shoulders, leaving you completely naked on top of his lap.

“You are so fucking gorgeous,” he nearly whines, eyes raking over every curve, his hands coming to rest along the top of your hips before they wander around your back, cupping an ass cheek in either palm. He guides your body forward, your dripping folds dragging against his slick cock. Your hand lands on his wide chest, the other coming to rest on his cool cheek to steer his gaze unto yours. His eyes seem alive with passion, boring into you with unrestrained desire, filled with emotion as he whispers, “I want you so damn bad, Y/N.”

You smile and touch your lips to his, enjoying the moment of tenderness between the two of you, your bodies finally pressed flush against each other, with nothing to separate your skin from his. “Then take me,” you reply, voice hushed and gente, your thumb stroking against the edge of his scar, “I’m all yours, Shouto.”

A simultaneous moan overtakes the silence in the room as his cock sheathes completely inside of you, your sticky, velvet walls stretching wide around his intruding length. He’s so big, and hard— you can feel every single inch of him, all the way to his swollen tip that nearly brushes against your womb. Your pussy struggles to accommodate him, pulsing and clutching onto him as every time you think you’re adjusting to his size, more pleasure flows through you and you clench onto him again.

“H-Hot,” Shouto groans, face buried in your shoulder as his fingers dig into the plush of your ass. “So hot, and wet… and you— you’re so fucking tight.” He takes a few deep breaths before his biceps flex, and he pulls your body up slowly before he allows gravity to take it back down, your sweltering cunt swallowing him inside again.

His length pushing into you elicits a loud moan from you, the feeling of your walls stretching so deliciously around his width only causing further bliss. Not to mention how the head of his cock prods into a sacred spot as your ass meets the top of his thighs, his length disappearing completely inside of you as your toes curl behind you. Your body tingles, electricity zipping through your veins as you strain your thighs, pushing yourself back up so his cock slips mostly out of you before you fall back down, spearing yourself onto his waiting length. “S-Shouto,” you gasp, trying to find a tempo as you repeat the action, your slick dribbling out to coat his cock even further, “you’re so big, I— your cock, it—aha nnn— it feels so good!”

Shouto’s hands stray from your ass, traveling up your spine, your waist, your thighs, your tits. He’s examining your body, his lips parted as heavy pants tumble out between them, eyes soaking in every part of you and committing it to memory. A hand cups your breast, squeezing and flicking a nipple back and forth with his thumb. He notices how your cunt squeezes around his cock when he does that, and he licks his lips as he continues to toy with it, pinching and rolling the hard bud between his fingertips.

Meanwhile you can barely keep your eyes open, your jaw fighting the opposite battle and losing, quite frankly, as it hangs unhinged, choked moans tumbling out from the bottom of your lungs. Your hips fire relentlessly, his cock pushing in and out of your slippery walls as easily as a hot knife slipping through butter. With every meeting of your hips against his, his cock drills into your sweet spot, stars dotting along the corners of your vision. You’ve never been so full, your body nor your heart, certainly not both at the same time— nothing like this.

This is something else— incredible, ethereal.

You’re with Shouto, and he’s with you.

The lewd, wet slapping of your pussy against his pelvis fills his living room with noise, the sofa wheezing ever so slightly with every roll of your hips. You cry out when Shouto takes your other nipple into his mouth, sucking and tongue writhing against the perky bud mercilessly. Your fingers curl into his two-toned locks, securing a harsh grip while your other hand stays on his shoulder for balance, your body rocking itself onto his hard cock like it’s the only thing keeping you alive. You want to reach down and rub your clit, the pleasure already beginning to build up in your stomach.

Shouto can feel your cunt fluttering, your desperation to cum clear as day. You squeak as his arms envelop you, one curling around your waist and the other up your back as he plants a firm grasp around the bend of your shoulder. With his grip secured on you, he starts to thrust upwards, his cock slamming into your trembling pussy with vigor.

You cry out, his hips drilling into you from below faster, harder than you’d been able to provide. The brutal onslaught catches you off guard, leaving you breathless for a moment as you allow the sheer pleasure to take over. “Shouto! You shouldn’t— ohh, god yes!— fuck, y-you should— your ribs!” you try to say, but he doesn’t give you a second to think, nor to catch your breath. He just keeps hurling your body down onto his waiting cock, spreading your walls with his thick length and driving into your pussy without relent.

“That’s okay Doc,” he chuckles, sucking in a short breath through his bared teeth, his lips tracing along the column of your throat, “You fixed me up, so— hah, fuck— just… let me make you feel good t-too.” He begins to sloppily kiss your neck, marking your skin and stating his claim on you for all to see. His cock easily glides into you, despite your tightening walls as your impending orgasm draws closer and closer. The bouncing of your body onto his allows your clit to be stimulated too, rolling against the firm muscle of his pelvis as he thrusts up, meeting you halfway.

The inferno in your belly only grows more powerful as his cock continues to plunge into you, your pussy sinking down onto him willingly while your excess slick drips down onto his lap. You’re so turned on that the only thing you can focus on is Shouto, hammering away underneath you as he sucks on the fragile skin on your neck. Surely there’ll be hickeys there tomorrow morning, but you can’t find a single fuck to give, too occupied with the thought of being his and everyone knowing it. You find your pussy gripping onto him tightly at that, desperate for you to seal the deal, your months of yearning coming to an end as his hips stutter against yours, his fingers digging into you as he clutches onto you. You want to feel him finish inside of you, for him to coat your walls in his essence and claim your body as his.

Shouto seems to be on the same page, for his arms lock around your waist now, pressing your chest flush against his. Your eyes find his for a brief moment, all that pent-up longing shattering as you look at him and he looks at you. He closes his eyes as your lips meet, ragged breath mixing as your tongues ravel, and it’s then that you let out a sinful moan, the rubber band in your stomach snapping.

Euphoria floods through your system, every nerve in your body lighting up like the night sky on the fourth of july. Tidal waves of pleasure crash through you, your body trembling in his arms as your cunt wrings snug around his cock like a vise. Shouto groans against your mouth as your walls clamp and flutter, milking him for everything he’s worth. His own orgasm hits him too, his seed spurting into your womb as thick, white ribbons spray deep inside of you. Your fingers nestled in his hair, you keep your lips on his— the only anchor you can keep ahold of as your body is cast out to a sea of ecstasy. His hands slide down to cup your ass again, leisurely rocking your body against his as you both ride out your highs and cling to each other.

As you catch your breath, you lean into his strong frame, nose buried in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. His palms trace your spine up and down, one cool and one warm. When you finally lean back to look at him, you can’t stop the smile that spreads across your lips, tired laughter bubbling up in your throat. Shouto smiles back at you, a large hand coming to cup your jaw and bring your lips to his once more.

You sigh into the kiss, content blooming in your chest as bliss from your orgasm still lingers, simmering on the backburner gently while you bask in his embrace. This kiss is sweet and short, unlike the ones from earlier that were all-consuming and overflowing with passion.

“Can I take you to that restaurant you went to tonight sometime?” Shouto whispers, words barely loud enough for your ears to catch, even though you’re right before him.

Blinking at him curiously, one side of your mouth quirks upwards at his proposal, your eyebrow following its lead. “What? Does it have to be the same one?”

Shouto frowns. “Yes. So I can order you your lava cake,” he states nonchalantly, expression completely serious. His biceps flex on either side of you, chest puffing out slightly. “I promise you can have every bite to yourself.”

You laugh wholeheartedly at his bluntness, unable to stop yourself from absolutely beaming at him, and shooting him your gooiest heart eyes. He feels his heart skip a beat, his cheeks flushed with pink at being the target of your affectionate gaze.

“If it means you’re taking me out… I guess I wouldn’t mind sharing.”

  ─── ・°* ﾟ✧:* • ｡ﾟ:*･☽･*: ｡ﾟ•*:✧ ﾟ*°・ ───

.

.

as always, thank you for reading <3 villain!denki coming tomorrow~

➥ masterlist

➥ BINGO masterlist

#todoroki shouto smut #todoroki shoto smut #bnha smut #mha smut #todoroki shouto x reader #todoroki shoto x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #todoroki shouto fic #todoroki shoto fic #bnha fic #mha fic #my fics

[itssuppertim3]

Ghost Story

Welp, this is my first one shot so far

You’ll probably be seeing a lot of Miraak & Teldryn on here lol, but I’ll most likely be adding more characters in the future😗

The rough echo of boots clomping against stone could be heard throughout the vast and lonely crypt. Well, perhaps not as lonely as one would think. 

My knuckles clenched white, gripping the hilt of my blade at an impressive strength. Danger lurked around every corner. If I lost focus for even a moment— “Watch out, serjo. A ghost might snatch you,” I heard a certain mercenary whisper spookily into my ear. Upon instinct, I flinched away and wacked Teldryn where his nose would be.

“For the last time, I’m not afraid of those! And if you don’t watch it, we’ll be caught in a draugr ambush. Again,” I grumbled through my teeth. The male elf reached underneath his mask to soothe the tip of his nose while shrugging his shoulders in reply. “All I’m saying is, those rumors could still be true.” I chuckled weakly at him. “It’s no rumor, it’s just a myth; an old wives tale used for scaring children.” Teldryn seemed to have perked up at my words, for he picked up his pace until he was matching mine.

“Huh... well, it must be a pretty damned good wives tale if it scares the almighty Dragonborn,” the Dunmer teased. I could practically feel the grin cracking through his mask. I felt hints of a embarrassment settle into my cheeks and I immediately tried to hide it by facing the other wall. “You’re really insufferable, you know that?” The words came out a tad more harsh than what I intended.

I waited for another taunting remark from him, maybe even a small tut, but alas I was only given silence. I whipped my head around to confront him, but he had completely vanished!

In a heap of confusion, I halted in my steps and didn’t think twice about yelling his name. “This isn’t funny, Teldryn! I know you’re just trying to scare me and it’s not going to work!” No answer. A sudden chill crawled over my skin and for some reason, I couldn’t control the rapid tempo of my heartbeat. This feeling was somehow kin to the one I felt when losing sight of my mother in the town market when I was young.

I balled my hand into a fist, whether it was from anger or fear, I hadn’t a clue. “You... you’re dead meat, you hear?” my words fell weak against the hollow, stone walls of the tomb. I knew the fool was just hiding, simply watching me from the shadows in amusement. The mere thought had me clicking my tongue and spinning on my heel. Oh, I’d show him! 

As I ventured onward with great reluctance, I began to recall the story the farmer told us a day prior:

“She was an old hag who lived around here bout’ a hundred years ago. She was a rich one, too. Dozens of times little brats would be takin’ her jewelry, pendants, even a few septims here and there. Then the brats started disappearin.’ One by one, children would be plucked away gods know where. The townspeople couldn’t find a single trace of em’! The Hag, Talos forbid I mention her name, was declared guilty by the townsfolk. They seized her house, searched it, and found the cellar a bloody mess! All six children were down there, bits of em’ scattered about and such...

They say her body resides deep inside a crypt a small ways from here, though I wouldn’t go wanderin’ around in there. Much like those children, adventurers like to search for treasure down there, but often go missing just the same!”

A shudder slowly raked through my body, and my legs started to tremble with each step. To blazes with the treasure, I just wanted to leave! But I couldn’t leave without Teldryn, and I knew he would only tease me for it afterwards. 

But what if he didn’t tease me. What if he didn’t give me one of his goofy remarks like he always did? Teldryn and I grew to be close friends, but I still knew so little of the man beneath that red cowl. I didn’t want to show fear in front of him. I didn’t want someone I cared so deeply for to see me in such a weak and feeble state. I was the Dragonborn, not a child who needed a hand to hold. I thought quite often of him leaving my side, always conjuring up some wild scenario of him abandoning me in random moments. I hated feeling like this. I hated stressing over such a trivial thing. Followers always came and went as they pleased, so why was this one so different?

All of my pent up anxiety fled my senses as I heard Teldryn’s footsteps approaching from behind. I whirled around with a relieved grin dancing on my features. I wasn’t even upset with his antics anymore. I was just happy that he was back at my side. However, my stomach flipped upon meeting a familiar pair of eyes emitting a chilling blue glow. It was a draugr, and a wight lord at that.

I yelped as a burst of frost magic was shot in my direction and I rolled out of the way. But due to my slow reacting, my shoulder managed to pay the price. Luckily I remained mostly unscathed, but a frostbiting sting seeped through my shoulder plate and sank its teeth into my skin. I jumped to my feet and readied to lunge at the monster, only to be left gawking at the sight of a blade penetrating through its chest.

The draugr gargled in agony before slumping forward, and Teldryn discarded the body to the ground with a loud thud. He then sheathed his sword, chuckling to himself as he did so. “You know, I think I deserve some gratitude--” I cut his words short by throwing myself into his arms. The mercenary let out a small grunt of surprise and he stumbled back a bit. “Easy, now. You’re injured,” he warned. 

“I’m sorry,” I voiced quietly. I could feel his gaze linger on me. “You’re sorry? What in the world do you have to feel sorry for?” he asked in complete bafflement. This caused me to only bury my face deeper into his chest. “I yelled at you and called you insufferable...” I felt Teldryn’s body quiver as he barked in laughter. “Oh, my poor serjo,” he began, clearly out of breath. My face reddened when he held me ever so tighter.”You act like this is the first time we met. I mean seriously, there’s no need to feel bad. Any normal person would be furious with me!”

I brushed away from his warmth and proceeded to firmly jab my knuckle into his chest. “You’re right. Maybe I should be a little more furious with you,” I snickered. This earned a few pained ‘ows’ and ‘ouches’ from the fearless mercenary. “You know what? I change my mind. Your guilty side is much cuter.”

“Die.”      

This has been chilling in my drafts for over a month mainly b/c of procrastination and a LOT laziness lmao                                           

#teldryn sero #skyrim x reader #one shot #help me it's 1am #dragonborn #fanfic

[thedragonnerd]

my soul may be damned, but my heart is still yours

(Concept Art AU 1/2)

Raya meets Namaari when she is seven years old, at her first Council of the Five meeting. Her Ma has recently passed, and Ba is reluctant to let her out of his sight, so he decides last-minute that she will accompany him to Fang on their diplomatic mission.

‘The lands of Kumandra may have been divided for 500 years,’ he tells her as they set out for their neighbour’s land, a large group of Royal soldiers surrounding them. ‘But the Council of the Five has ensured for centuries that trade and diplomatic discussions are still carried out, so that our lands do not fall into war and our people are protected. You are Heart’s Princess, and one day, these meetings will be yours to attend.’

To her disgust, Raya is provided a bodyguard for protection; this may be a mission of peace, but clearly Ba does not trust those no-good binturis in Fang even so. She resigns herself to an incredibly boring three days, where her father will talk with other adults for endless hours, and she is sat alone in a corner…But then, when they arrive in Fang and are greeted by the host delegation, she spies another small girl around her own age, peering out from around Chief Virana’s legs.

‘I’m Raya,’ she says, as soon as the adults are distracted. The girl gives her a small wave.

‘Namaari, Princess of Fang,’ she introduces herself. Around her neck lies a pendant in the shape of a dragon – Sisu, to be precise. Raya decides in that instant that her and Namaari will be best friends.

Indeed, they spend the first hours of the day in deep discussion. Namaari has been attending these Council meetings since she was five years old, and she’s a useful source of information, such as when the best food is brought out, or when the adults are too busy to notice small children sneaking away. At dinner later that evening, Raya slips handfuls of sweet desserts into her pockets, and grabs Namaari’s hand, ducking through the legs of everyone around them in order to lose her bodyguard. They sit in a dark corner and eat their stolen treats, laughing over silly jokes and their combined love of Sisu and all things dragons.

Being the Princess of the land, Namaari also knows amazing places to visit, and even better places to hide from the adults. Instead of three dull days, Raya spends them all with her new friend, talking, playing with serlot kittens, or getting into all sorts of mischief.

She can’t help but feel upset when it is time to return home.

‘See you next year in Heart?’ Namaari asks shyly, when Raya’s delegation is about to leave. Raya beams at her, scooping her into a hug before running after Ba.

--

They don’t speak in the interim year. Although Raya feels like Fang is now the land of new friends rather than binturis, the political situation is far more complicated than two young girls wanting to talk.

Raya thinks about Namaari often though, and when the first Council parties begin to arrive at Heart’s palace, she half leans out the window to see if she can catch sight of the other girl. Her frustration mounts as Spine and Talon are greeted by Ba, and then she sees in the distance the shining white of Fang’s uniforms, and almost falls out the window in her haste to go down to meet them.

She’s worried that Namaari might not remember her, or that their brief friendship didn’t mean the same thing. But as soon as she enters the courtyard, Namaari is already waving her over to say hello.

Later on, they are sat in Raya’s bedroom, talking non-stop until their voices start to crack, when Namaari pulls a small package out of a pocket, and thrusts it towards Raya.

‘A gift for the Heart Princess,’ she says, a light dusting of red across her cheeks. Raya takes it reverentially, and opens it to find a golden dragon pendant, with a shining blue stone in its center.

‘I love it,’ she clutches it in her hand for a moment, and then eagerly hangs it around her neck.

‘It’s so we can be matching forever,’ Namaari reminds her, holding up her own pendant.

--

Raya wears the pendant always. After the last Council meeting, her Ba and Chief Virana had agreed to allow letters to be passed back and forth between their daughters, and so Raya writes diligently to Namaari at least once a week, telling her of her lessons and training, of tasty food she’s enjoyed, of silly things Ba has said or done. It’s difficult to make friends as Princess, and the other children are wary of her when she wants to join their games, too concerned about causing offence by mistake. It seems to be similar for Namaari, from what Raya can glean from her own letters, and so they share their thoughts with each other instead, pouring out their young hearts in their correspondence.

Their meetings in Spine, Talon and Tail are similar as before. Raya is annoyed to see that Namaari is growing at a much faster pace, but besides that, it is wonderful to be able to hug her friend and hear her voice. And in the months between the Council meetings, they continue their letter writing, sharing their thoughts, their fears, and their hopes for the future.

‘I hope Kumandra can be reunited again,’ Raya writes when she is eleven, and frustrated with the amount of time left before she can see Namaari again.

‘When we are both leaders of our land, we will be the first to take that step, dep la,’ Namaari promises in her reply.

--

When Raya is twelve years old, the Council meeting should be hosted in Fang once more. But a week before the gathering, Raya finds Ba rushing around, throwing out orders to everyone in his vicinity.

‘Is there a problem, Ba?’ she asks, surprised at how stressed he seems.

‘Fang can no longer host the Council of the Five this year, so we are instead,’ he replies, before rushing away to organize more details.

‘Food is scarce, this season,’ Namaari had written in her last letter, and Raya re-reads it with more understanding this time.

She resolves to ask her friend more details when the Fang delegation arrives, but when she first catches sight of Namaari, there are no smiles sent her way. Namaari instead stands staring straight ahead, adorned in more formal clothing than Raya is used to seeing. As soon as the diplomatic greetings are held, the parties start to walk back to the palace together, and Raya deliberately falls back so she can walk with Namaari.

‘Alright?’ she asks her friend. She sees Virana grip her daughter’s shoulder tightly, and then Namaari is sending a fake smile in her direction.

‘All is well,’ she tells Raya, but her eyes say differently. Raya wants to question her there and then, but first comes the large feast where everyone must attend. At her age, she knows Ba will notice if she misses it, but she is almost tempted to forgo manners and drag Namaari away.

‘I must speak to you,’ Namaari whispers at her when they are finally sat with their food. ‘But in private.’

The meal feels the longest Raya has ever had to sit through, so when the food ends and people start to split off into groups for discussions, she gestures to Namaari and they run out the side door.

‘Let me take you somewhere private,’ Raya says, hooking her arm with Namaari’s and pulling her up the pathway. ‘I’ve been waiting to show you this place for ages anyway.’

It is forbidden to take outsiders to see the Dragon Gem, and as its newly-appointed Guardian, Raya knows she should act in a more sensible way. But this is Namaari, her dragon-nerd-in-arms, and she’s been wanting to share this special place with her for several years now.

When they cross the threshold and enter into the glowing chamber, Raya can see her friend’s eyes growing wide at the Dragon Gem shining brightly before her.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Namaari breathes, and then her expression turns serious. ‘Raya, this is what I needed to talk to you about. I need to warn you…I think Ma has something planned in regards to the Gem – I heard her speaking to-’

She stops speaking abruptly. The hairs on the back of Raya’s neck prickle, and she knows before she turns what she will see. The sounds of weapons being drawn confirms her fears.

‘Leave her alone!’ Namaari calls out to the Fang warriors, trying to step in front of Raya. But Raya is a Guardian of the Dragon Gem, and she steps into fighting stance, determined to protect both the Gem and her home.

She is only a child, however, and no match for a group of seasoned Fang warriors. She takes one strong hit, and falls to the ground winded, struggling to stand again. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Namaari pull out a flare and shoot it into the sky, and in what feels like the next instant, Ba is beside her, followed by a large crowd of Fang, Spine, Talon and Tail delegates.

Yelling ensues, and then there is nothing but chaos. The only thing Raya can focus on is the fight for her life.

‘The Gem!’ she hears someone cry suddenly, and time seems to slow down as she watches the Dragon Gem topple to the ground. The crash echoes through the chamber, and everyone pauses in their fighting.

‘It’s alright, it’s alright,’ Ba is saying, on his knees and with his hands hovering over the Gem. For a split second, Raya believes him; then there is a *crack* and a small fracture starts to run up the side of the Gem. The room’s glow turns from a serene blue to a sickly shade of green, and people start to scream and run away as the ground begins to tremor.

The Gem is now alit with green flames, which grow larger and wilder as something tears open the ground beneath their feet, and Raya sees a large mechanical arm reaching out of the darkness, attached to a monstrous body. The movement dislodges the Gem, and it rolls towards her, a flaming ball of now corrupted magic. Raya tries to scramble away, but the ground is still trembling and she falls backwards, watching in horror as it comes closer.

‘Raya!’ Ba cries in the distance, and she closes her eyes.

Then there is a warm weight on top of her, and a terrible, terrible sound fills her ears. Raya drags herself forward with her hands, her fingers getting scratched and bleeding in the dirt, and she pulls her legs out from under whatever is pinning her down. Twisting around, she finds Namaari lying on the ground next to her, screaming in pain. Namaari’s left hand is clutching the Dragon Gem, and Raya watches as the green flames dance across her fingers, a green glow emanating from her veins.

‘Raya, we have to go!’ Ba says, just as she is reaching out to help Namaari. He scoops her up by her waist, and starts to run in the opposite direction.

‘’Maari!’ Raya screams, trying to fight him off and get back to her friend. Ba’s grip is too tight however, and she watches helplessly as she’s carried away.

The last thing she sees before being dragged from the chamber is Namaari, writhing on the ground in pain as several mechanical Druuns crawl closer to her prone form.

--

Her Ba does not make it that night either. Instead, she watches as he is touched by one of the cursed Druun, a green light flaring in his eyes before he is turned to stone, frozen in his last moment of pain and terror.

--

It takes Raya two years before she can bring herself to return home. The Druun have moved on, searching for more populated areas, but she can’t shake the trauma witnessed that night. She wouldn’t go back at all, but her supplies are running low, and of all the places she knows that should be filled still with well-preserved food, it will be the kitchens at the palace.

She aims for a quick in-and-out mission, but once she has collected the food and packed her bags back onto Tuk Tuk’s saddle, she can’t help but hesitate and glance over her shoulder.

‘I’ll just be a moment,’ she tells Tuk Tuk, patting his nose when he grunts at her in concern.

Her first visit is to her father, still suspended in time leaning over the bridge’s wall, his face contorted into one final call of her name, and his arms reaching out. She still remembers seeing his face as she fell into the water, and she hopes she was the last thing on his mind also in those final moments, rather than the fear of the Druun.

After she sits with him for a while, she takes a deep breath, and turns to go to the very location where it all started. Her feet drag as she nears the entrance of the chamber, but she steels her nerves, and ventures inside.

The image before her is even worse than she recalls. Debris is littered across the floor, tossed aside when the Druun emerged back into the world, whilst every corner of the room is full of stone people – all those who were too slow to escape, or too stubborn to back down from a fight.

And there, in the middle of the room, on her knees with one arm reaching out, she finds Virana. The fear etched onto the Fang Chief’s face sends a shiver down Raya’s spine, but when she turns to follow Virana’s eyeline, she sees nothing. Namaari isn’t there.

‘I didn’t expect to find you here, dep la,’ comes a voice from behind her.

Raya whirls around, her hand flying to her father’s sword. There is a subtle movement from within the shadows, and then a figure steps out into the open.

‘Namaari?’ Raya whispers, shocked at the sight in front of her. ‘I thought…When did you…How did you..?’

She can’t even finish a question, and Namaari chuckles bitterly at her surprise.

‘How did I avoid turning to stone?’ she asks, her gaze drifting from Raya and towards her mother instead. ‘It would have been better if I had done so.’

And then Raya sees it – her left arm, no longer human but metal and shining with the same sickly green of the Druun’s magic.

‘What happened to you, ‘Maari?’ Raya asks, taking a step forward and holding out her hands. She pauses when Namaari backs away, shaking her head.

‘Don’t come any closer, Raya,’ she warns. ‘I’m not safe to be around. I’ve…I’ve been cursed.’

‘The Druun cursed you?’ Raya demands, confusion in her voice. ‘Why would they do that? HOW did they do that?’

‘Not the Druun – the Dragons,’ Namaari thrusts up her left arm, and shakes it twice towards Raya. ‘This is what I get for touching the Dragon Gem. I guess being a traitor from Fang would do that…even the Dragons didn’t like us.’

‘I don’t believe that,’ Raya says softly, and she inches forward slowly. Namaari’s eyes are unfocused as she stares into the distance, and so she doesn’t notice Raya until their fingers brush. She flinches away.

‘You saved me,’ Raya continues, ignoring her reaction. ‘That shouldn’t mean you’re cursed for it…the Dragons wouldn’t have judged you so.’

‘Well, there’s no longer any dragon magic to place judgement anyway,’ Namaari informs her, and their eyes meet for the first time in years. ‘It’s inside me, Raya…I can feel the power of the Gem burning. And they’re in here too.’

‘The dragons?’

‘The Druun…I can hear them calling. They’re looking for me.’

At this, Namaari suddenly grabs Raya’s shoulder with her human hand, opening her mouth to say another warning, and Raya can see the moment she is distracted by something.

‘You kept it?’ she asks instead, and her hand goes to cover the pendant around Raya’s neck.

‘We said forever,’ Raya jokes feebly, fingers rising to hold Namaari’s wrist in support. ‘Namaari, let me help you, please. You saved me once, let me save you now.’

They pause for a moment, staring at each other, and then an unearthly shriek pierces the air.

‘They’re here,’ Namaari breathes instead. ‘Run.’

Namaari disappears into the shadows in a split second, almost as if she were a ghost. And for the second time in her life, Raya finds herself fleeing from Heart’s palace without Namaari beside her.

--

PART TWO tomorrow...

OK, so this was meant to merely be a Concept Art headcanon list as suggested by an anon, but it kinda ran away with me, and I found myself writing endless 'childhood friends' points to build up to the moment Namaari even got cursed, let alone to the point that everyone wants to actually read where they have a showdown later on. Woopsie. It then went from ficlet to...sorta fic, so I will have to post the rest tomorrow since it is late in my timezone. I know lots of other people have been doing amazing fics, headcanons and art for this concept, so this is just my lil contribution.

#rayaari #raya and namaari #raya and the last dragon #ratld #raya #namaari #rayaari fic #concept art au #once i started writing i couldn't stoooop #also i want to give proper attention to the cursed years #so part two tomorrow i'm afraid #i have work i have to wake up for #woe #no beta we suffer like the druun versus the dragon gem