#and yet...everyone lived happily ever after...

[noctiva]

Who would regret breaking up, would they want to get the relationship back? I need some male suffering and HUMILIATION! Especially from CODY!!!! <3

Toby: IMMEDIATELY regrets it. like the moment all that anger cools into grief he is a goddamn fucking wreck. tries to convince himself it was for the best but doesn’t believe that at all. might go out looking for some random girl to hook up with in attempts to get over you, only for him to close his eyes and imagine it’s you the entire time. like. it’s rough.

He cycles between anger and sadness on a constant loop. Cries himself dry. Trashes his room in an attempt to get all of these horrible feelings out, and it doesn’t work.

he is either a) stalking you and trying to win you back over like i detailed in a prior post, or b) straight up showing up at your doorstep begging for you to take him back. he’s pathetic.

-

Jack: Regrets it after a week or two. He thought he’d get used to it - he’d been icing you out for the last few months of your relationship anyway, so what’s the difference in just not having you there at all? Turns out, it’s a big one. His body aches for you. Any flesh he sinks his teeth into tastes rotten compared to how sweet he knows your blood is.

Your absence weighs on him heavy. Like he had accidentally given you a piece of himself when he sent you away. Despite this, he’s not seeking you back out. He did what he did for a reason - and he’ll suffer if it means you don’t have to.

He truly, wholeheartedly believes that you are better off without him. And though sometimes he debates being selfish and crawling back to you, he can never bring himself to actually do it.

-

Brian: Sort of kind of regrets it? But more so missing the familiarity than the actual… relationship itself. He had just grown used to having someone to come home to, some to talk to, someone who was always happy to see him. He thought he could go back to being alone since he’d done it before, but for some reason this one sticks.

He stays up late watching back old tapes he took of you over and over again, trying to work up the courage to delete them. He never does.

There’s a 50/50 chance on whether or not he asks for you back. If he does, it’s him calling you from a pay phone late at night, not even giving an introduction because he knows you know his voice. To the point, just like how he had been when he broke up with you. ‘darlin’, i fucked up.’

-

Tim: Misses you the moment he steps out of the door, but doesn’t regret it. Even if it hurts, he knows it would’ve just ended up being more painful if he stuck around. The two of you weren’t made to last, despite how much both of you wanted that to be wrong. He was just the only one with the courage to actually end things before they got messy.

He doesn’t forget about you, not ever. Doesn’t find a new partner - partially because everyone else just falls short in comparison to you, and partially because he knows that any other romantic endeavour would just end up the exact same way.

He prays that you’ve moved on. Checks up on you sometimes in hopes that you have. Maybe one day he’ll watch you from the other side of the street, happily walking along with a new boyfriend. It’s equal parts soothing as it is gut wrenching.

-

Cody: Tells himself that he doesn’t regret it, but he most definitely does. You were the only one who really, truly got him. The only one who was patient enough to break down his walls. The only one who didn’t scoff, didn’t berate him for the way he acted - you encouraged him. Loved him. He doesn’t realize how much he really needed that until it’s gone.

Finds himself forgetting you’re not there. Turns to the spot you’d always sit next to him at his lab bench, a half-formed question on his lips that dies the moment his eyes fall on the empty space.

But, despite all that, he doesn’t ask for you back. This was his choice. He could’ve kept you, and yet he chose to let you go. It’s a fact he’ll force himself to live with.

-

Habit: Doesn’t regret it. Well, maybe a tiny bit deep down. But not because he misses you, or feels remorse for his actions. It’s just because you had just been such a treat while it lasted.

You just took everything he gave you. We’re so blinded by your love that you were so easy to just push and push. To take you to your brink and then push past it. It was a treat every time, watching how much you could take before you broke.

Of course he picks up new victims, fresh meat - but they’re just not as fun. He finds himself getting irritated when they can’t take as much as you could.

[offbranddrpepsi]

Verso: A moment of peace

Summary: You step away for a moment of peace before confronting the paintress

Spoiler warning: None/Vague. Occurs directly before going to the monolith

TW: appropriate to game content. Mentions of death that align with the game

Pairing: Verso x GN!Reader

Readmore to make it more dash friendly, SFW only.

Never had you imagined you'd ever get this far yet here you were. At the foot of the monolith. Spending what very well may be your last night alive.

You'd signed on for similar reasons to Maelle. Both of you just wanted out of that damn city. You wanted to see the world, see something, anything...anything other than people waiting to die and grieving loved ones that had yet to pass. So, despite everything keeping you tied down, you joined the expedition. You didn't care for the fight, content with documenting everything you could and appreciating the vast dangerous world before you, but you didn't get let off that easy. No one had.

And now you were here. You were actually here! And it was terrifying. There was no twisted beauty you could find in this moment, just dread. Hanging dread that loomed over you like a waiting to fall blade. What would you face at the monolith? Could you even take this giant woman who dangled your end above you? You'd taken everything else up until this point, every hurdle and every wound that still festered, it was just one last leap. But this was a leap into the unknown. No one had actually faced off against the paintress, at least not that you knew. yeah some of expedition zero returned but they were a rescue team, no where close to what you all were now or what expeditions had been since.

While the others celebrated, basking in both accomplishment and savoring what may either be their last night or the night before the rest of their lives, you wandered. Not too far but just on the edge of ear shot, running a hand through the stream that ran by camp.

A part of you had been like Sciel at the start of all this. You didn't necessarily fear death, you accepted it though weren't keen to meet it before you needed to. It was something that was bound to happen regardless of if you left the safety of your city or if you just counted the days you had left in that comfort. So, joining an expedition just seemed smart to escape and get some thrill before that end. Now...now you weren't as sure. You loved this life. You loved being around your team, loved the nature and adventure. Part of you wished you'd done this sooner but then you'd only died sooner. If only you could freeze time and have no weight of death so you could properly enjoy everything. Defeating the Paintress now seemed like an after thought, but only a bit. Once she was gone you could explore happily, blissfully, but then what? What would a world without her be like? What would you now have to figure out? How could you live like your next moment would be your last if you now knew how certain your future was?

Your stewing didn't last long. Running of water was overwhelmed by a heavy boot on the short grass by the bank. Only one person walked like that, Verso.

"You know, the parties over there." He started, voice not loud but audible to you. Teasing and trying to push you back to enjoyment rather than bothering what ever creatures lived in this stream.

You sighed, "I don't feel much like partying."

He came to crouch next to you, staring at the water you dangled your hand in. Verso was odd, suspicious, but weirdly kind. After the travesty on the beach you were more wary of strangers, especially charming ones that wanted to talk instead of cut you down. All of you were on edge but he managed to joke his way within arms reach of everyone. Still, you wouldn't say you trusted him entirely. Between Nevrons who wanted to kill you and nature that wanted to kill you too you didn't really get much choice in who you trusted. Verso had remained civil, he'd even been helpful, and he'd not cut any of your dwindling expedition down; the man had at least earned his place.

"Me either," He admitted quietly. You'd notice him wandering off, normally with Monoco, so you weren't overly surprised. A lonely life out here had to be peaceful and he'd probably gotten used to it over the years. A, not rowdy but sometimes loud, group of people coming in and pulling you in had to be jarring as well as a lot to get used to. Still, he was at least apart of the festivities more than you'd been which said something.

"I was so focused on dying I don't think I ever really thought about living," you admitted, kind of killing any joyous mood. Verso had lived for a while, you all knew that, but most importantly he'd always had a tomorrow. Maelle still had a tomorrow, if she got back home, but the rest of you? You'd be lucky to reach your gommage. You knew exactly how many tomorrows you'd have until you only had today, everyone in Lumiere did. Verso didn't. He didn't have to count tomorrows and soon, with luck, you'd not have to either. It wouldn't feel real until your gommage passed and you were still standing with a seemingly unending list of tomorrows.

"Then, lets focus on something else. Ever danced before?" Verso asked. Dancing? You'd danced some in your youth but stopped to work with the expeditions. There wasn't any music and to be honest you felt a bit too down for dancing.

"Yes? Have you?" You asked as you stood, him standing alongside you. This area was also too small and you did not want to be dragged into Sciel's drunken dancing should you go back. She was sweet, fun, but so so clumsy when drunk. The last thing you needed was to trip and fall in a fire or on top of Maelle.

He gave you a half smile, "Yeah, some. I'd dance with my sister sometimes but she was always better. I'd step on her feet all time."

"So, are you offering to poorly dance or are you trying to get me to go back to the others?" You asked, amusement ghosting through your voice. It was funny to picture him fumbling, stepping on his poor little sisters feet, but you still weren't too keen on it. But it was something? If you died it was fine, if you lived it was also fine. Dancing crudely wouldn't change anything but it might be fun. At least you could laugh at him if it wasn't.

"If you'd like, I can't make promises I wont step on your toes though." He said playfully before holding out a hand. You know what? Sure. Taking it his smiled widened, a little twinkle in his eyes as he started. it was simple like little kids trying to be 'fancy' . You'd seen people dance similarly when Lune played her guitar though they were not nearly as messy in their movements as Verso was. In an attempt to spin you around his leg collided with yours, hooking them together and sending the two of you falling into the shallow stream.

It was just deep enough you were drenched but shallow enough you could sit up and be fine. Verso coughed next to you, pushing his now wet hair out of his face as he kneeled in the water. In the light he looked honestly beautiful which made up for him also looking a little like a wet rat. He let out a deep, but hollow laugh, looking to you as he sat back.

"So, was the goal to get me in the river?" you asked playfully. It felt nice, you had to give him that. The water was cool and flowing just slow enough it wasn't pushing you. You also did kind of need a bath and your clothes had certainly seen better days. Maybe his whole goal was to make sure you confronted the Paintress looking your Sunday best?

He laughed and shook his head, "No, but the water isn't that bad and I made you laugh." Well, he was certainly right about both of those things. A cheesy smile was plastered on your face, one that he mirrored. It was sweet. All he wanted to down as to cheer you up before confronting the end and he did succeed. You would have preferred to not be soaking wet but you still appreciated it, more than you could tell him.

Maybe tomorrow was less scary than fighting the Paintress. Maybe you could fill it with more moments like this. Still, it felt bittersweet. It felt cruel to dream like that. Yet looking at Verso, who was now wringing out his jacket, gave you a little bit of hope. No, not hope, a want. A want for that tomorrow and more of this. More time with Verso and the other people you cared for. All that you needed to do was survive the next day or so.

[honeybuns-bb]

wow that was simultaneously an extremely satisfying and extremely unsatisfying ending

[luna-the-cretar]

So I got a couple comments on chapter 2 of my most recent Frostbek series addition, and idk if they’re actually annoyed or not, but like. One guy was saying how they’d think The Other would actually react *this way* instead of the way I wrote him in the chapter, and another person under their comment agreed and like.

Dude, I’m sorry that my interpretation of The Others relationship with Frost in my fic in my series is different than your interpretation. But I’m not writing him this way to be like “oh he didn’t intend to hurt Frost and will be upset that he did :(“.

Like, the reason why The Other initially apologized to Frost when he realized he had accidentally hurt him was because Torbek was partially in control still (and fully gained control shortly after). The reason why The Other is hurting Frost now—intentionally or otherwise—is because he no longer has Torbek reining him in like before. He sees Frost as his, an object more than a person, a thing that he can do with whatever he pleases. It’ll probably never be mentioned in the remaining 2-3 fics, since idk how I’d even bring it up naturally, but Frost does in fact have a couple of deeper cuts underneath his robes that will never quite heal right, and more or less become scars (saying this as someone who had relatively minor injuries that became scars bc they didn’t quite heal right for some reason).

The Other enjoys the fact that he can mark Frost however he wants, thinking that Frost wouldn’t ever tell Gricko out of fear.

Of course, if you still don’t like this interpretation, then you can just. Idk. Not read it? The back arrow is right there. It’s free. Nobody is forcing you to read a fic if you feel a character is ooc.

[childofthestone]

everyone: did you make maevaris or dorian archon? the quest is so interesting because hfekduowjskekfkfkkf

me, who saved treviso: the what

[enigma-the-anomaly]

all stories are time loops some are just more up front about it than others

[luminnara]

Protector | Feyd-Rautha x reader

ANON REQUEST: your marriage to Feyd-Rautha is an arranged one, and your only task is to provide an heir. When you finally become pregnant, your new husband suddenly grows obsessed with you—but does he care about you, or is he simply protective of his progeny?

Warnings: pregnancy, labor, and related talk; canon typical violence

MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

Your marriage was one born out of duty, not love. You couldn’t even call it a marriage of convenience; there was nothing convenient about leaving your homeworld and traveling across an entire galaxy to marry someone you had never even met before. Yes, the Houses had agreed beforehand that you were to marry Feyd-Rautha, the Na-Baron of House Harkonnen, and immediately after the deal had been struck you had seen his face and read his writing, but you hadn’t met him until your wedding day.

You had chastised yourself for thinking it could be like the fairytales of Ancient Earth. You, a princess, your betrothed a handsome prince…in the stories of your childhood, he would have whisked you away, off to a great, shining palace full of magical wonders, and you would have lived happily ever after. Instead, your prince had proved to be disinterested in you, busying himself with his arena and his concubines, ignoring you most of the day. The Harkonnen fortress did not shine, nor did it hold any great wonders, and Giedi Prime felt far from magical, with its harsh black sun and polluted landscape.

After your vows, you had naively thought your wedding night would be full of romance. Perhaps you had been holding onto hope as a means to protect yourself, clinging to optimism to distract yourself from your harsh, sad reality. You had been all too eager to shed your dress and veil in Feyd-Rautha’s living quarters, though had not expected them to be ruined by his blade, and you had not expected him to greedily conquer you as if it were yet another battle in the arena. He had slept next to you that night, but had made it painfully obvious that he had no interest in holding you or even touching you, keeping far to his side of the bed while you remained far to yours. In the morning, you had awoken alone, and had realized that it was the beginning of a long and lonely road on your new planet.

Everyone expected an heir. That was the entire point of this marriage, a legitimate heir for the Harkonnen line. Anyone else could have done it—you were of fine breeding, yes, but any of the other Houses could have offered up a daughter to suffer at Feyd-Rautha’s side. Why it had to be you surely came down to the only things powerful men seemed to care about—money and spice. An allegiance with House Harkonnen protected your family, and your small share of spice harvesters on Arrakis added yet another drop into their vast bucket and one less smuggling operation to worry about. Your parents were happy. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was happy.

And you were miserable.

Two months after your wedding, your monthly cycle continued as normal, and you were forced to shamefully inform the na-Baron. After an annoyed sound and a grimace, he bent you over the nearest table and took you for a second time, leaving you to clean yourself up and cry at your husband’s callousness. You didn’t know why he couldn’t bring himself to care. You supposed he already had everything he could possibly want; wealth, concubines, a throne to inherit…you brought nothing of real value to him, save for the ability to produce an heir.

Time passed, and it became clear that Feyd-Rautha would have to touch you more than once a month if he was to have any hope of fathering a child. You cursed yourself for your apparent inability to conceive—fertility had been one of your parents’ selling points when negotiating with the Baron, and now, you couldn’t even do the one thing that was expected of you. It brought you to tears every night, the stress of being reduced to this and yet still being unable to perform your task. It was maddening, though you knew you were hardly the first woman to find yourself in such a situation. You did worry, however, that you may have been the weakest.

One evening, as Feyd performed his husbandly duties, he noticed a tear slipping down your cheek and paused. You felt a rough hand cup the side of your face and opened your eyes to find your husband staring at you with dark eyes, his head tilted to suggest he was curious.

“Tears?” He asked in his raspy voice that was still so alien to you.

“My apologies, na-Baron,” you looked away from him.

“You are crying.”

You stifled an annoyed sigh. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Do not worry yourself with me, husband.” You said.

“Tell me.”

This was perhaps the longest conversation you had had since marrying him, and part of you didn’t want it to end. You looked at him once more, finding him still watching you with that unwavering, predatory gaze, and another tear rolled down your cheek and onto his hand.

“I am sorry I have not given you a child.” You whispered.

“Then let me put one into you.”

His tone sent a chill down your spine, frightening and exciting you all at once. That night, Feyd-Rautha did not let you sleep, shocking you with his determination. It was simply because the sooner you conceived, the sooner he could return to his own concerns, you reasoned.

Sure enough, your period did not arrive when expected, nor did the next. A medical test confirmed what you already knew—you were pregnant, with Feyd-Rautha’s child. A Harkonnen child, who would grow up to be just as ruthless and savage as its father, you thought.

Upon receiving the positive result, you immediately set off to tell the na-Baron. He should not be made to wait; you wanted him to know that the entire point of your union was finally achieved, and that you could both go back to ignoring each other as usual. As you walked, you had the worrying thought that he may not even keep you alive after the delivery.

“Na-Baron,” you addressed him upon finding him in his armory.

He looked up from the blade he was sharpening. “Wife.”

“I bring news,” you said, folding your hands in front of yourself.

“Then tell me, before I grow bored of waiting.” He returned to the hunting knife, looking away from you once more.

“I am with child.”

You watched as Feyd-Rautha paused, tilting his head to look at you. “My child?”

“Yes. Who else could it possibly belong to?” You asked, exasperated. “The physicians confirmed it just now. I wanted you to be the first to know.”

He nodded slowly, looking back at the knife in his hand as he thought. “I see.”

Whatever hopes you had once had for him to suddenly flip his entire personality at the news were quickly dashed by his lack of emotion. You left him there, a hand over your mouth as you tried not to cry, returning to your bed to be alone once more.

-0-

In those earlier days of pregnancy, you were often ill, sprinting from bed to the wash basin nearly every day to be sick. Usually, you were alone; Feyd-Rautha rose early, spending his mornings training and sometimes killing his instructors. Whenever that happened, he would come back, wearing blood and a grin on his face as if he had just won some great contest.

Today, however, he was enjoying a rare occasion of sleeping in. He had begun spending his nights in the center of the bed, crowding you as you attempted to stay away from him. One morning you had even woken up to find his arm throne over you, his body closer than ever. Now, he was sleeping, and you would have been content to let him remain there were you not busy launching yourself over him as you ran to the adjoining wash room.

You missed the way your husband sat up, eyes wide and frenzied as he pulled a dagger from beneath the pillows. When he found the room to be empty and free of danger, he grew confused…until he heard your retching in the next room, and slipped out of bed.

“Wife?” He asked from the doorway.

“What?” You groaned, leaning your cheek on the cool basin.

“…are you alright?”

You sighed. “No, na-Baron, I am not. I mean…I am, I just…”

“You are sick,” he pointed out.

It took every bit of willpower you possessed to swallow down the part of you that desperately wanted to throttle him. “Yes. I am. It’s the pregnancy, the pills from the doctors haven’t been working—“

“This has happened before?” He interrupted.

“Most days, yes,” you felt another wave of nausea coming over you and hunched your shoulders, preparing for the worst.

You never expected to feel a cool hand brushing your hair away from your forehead, nor the feeling of your husband’s chest against your back as he held you.

“Harkonnen women don’t have this problem,” he commented as he held your hair.

It was the least helpful statement he possibly could have made as you vomited once more, and yet it was also quite possibly the best.

“If Harkonnen women have no hair, then what do you pull?” You asked wryly, too ill and too exhausted to hold yourself back.

Feyd-Rautha stared you, unblinking, before a smirk found its way onto his lips. “If you are feeling brave, perhaps I will show you one day.”

You let out a laugh as the nausea ebbed, leaning back against him. “Perhaps one day I will finally stop seeing my lunch so many times, and then you can regale me.”

-0-

Your sickness faded as your pregnancy progressed, thankfully, but Feyd-Rautha’s company did not. By the time you were beginning to truly show, he was refusing to leave you alone, demanding your presence wherever he went. As a result, you sat in on many a sparring session, and he made up his mind to abandon the arena until after the baby was born. His sudden change in attitude was shocking; he had never paid so much attention to anything before, and now, his hands were constantly on you.

“I must keep you safe,” he had said when you first asked about it, and had acted as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe.

You assumed he was protective due to the baby, the precious new heir to the Harkonnen throne. As its vessel, you were afforded some luxuries, but you fully expected that to change after the birth. For now, though, you were content to receive any and all attention your husband saw fit to pay you.

“That went well,” you said one day after the doctor examined you.

“He should not have touched you like that.” Feyd-Rautha growled.

“What do you mean? He’s a doctor,” you laughed, somewhat nervously.

“I did not like it.” His voice was tense.

“I could tell.” You grumbled, dropping your happy façade. He had nearly chased the doctor out of the room, hunting knife in hand. “Examinations are unavoidable, I’m afraid.”

“No more.”

“But—“

“No more strangers touching you.”

"Doctors help," you protested. "Don't you want your child to be healthy?"

At that, Feyd paused in thought. "...You may have a Harkonnen midwife."

"Because a Harkonnen doctor is too much?" You asked dryly.

He glared at you briefly before looking away towards the door. "Come."

You audibly groaned, one hand on your lower back. "Na-Baron, I am tired. I wish to retire to bed."

He looked back at you, and you caught an expression of distress on his face. "I need to train."

"You train every day."

"Yes." he said it as if it were obvious, but something in his tone suggested more; he made it sound urgent, as if it were something he had to do daily, and missing a single session would be disastrous. "Come."

You heaved a sigh and followed him.

-0-

In the months that followed, your unborn child grew, as did your body. You found yourself becoming large and bloated, your gait slowing as your flexibility waned. New maternity gowns were brought to you, an interesting mix of styles--the flowing, heavy garments of your homeworld meeting the simple, stark aesthetics of Giedi Prime. You found them strange, but at that point, you really didn't care; you would have walked around naked if no one would have stopped you. You spent your days feeling uncomfortable and awkward, with swollen feet and a sore lumbar region. Harkonnen servants brought whatever you needed, and your husband ensured--no, demanded--that all of your food be tasted by someone else while you watched so that there could be no chance of poison passing between your lips.

You wondered if this was simply some aspect of Harkonnen culture that the other Houses weren't aware of or never cared to talk about. Perhaps on a planet as harsh and toxic as Giedi Prime, infertility and infant mortality were more commonplace than the rest of the known universe. Perhaps this possessiveness was common among Harkonnen men, if conception was more difficult for their people.

Whether your theory was correct or not, Feyd-Rautha had certainly become even more attached to you. Not a morning went by when he wasn’t there next to you in bed, and as of late, he had begun waking you up by reminding you exactly how you had ended up like this in the first place. Before your pregnancy, he had acted as though bedding you were a boorish duty he had no choice but to perform; now that you were heavy with child, however, he was more than interested in you physically, constantly touching you with those rough, murderous hands.

You enjoyed the attention, and you enjoyed the way he squeezed and massaged you with surprising gentleness. He didn’t want to break you, you supposed, not right now; after the child arrived, perhaps, but not now. That was a grim thought, and one you had often—what was to come of your after the birth? Would Feyd-Rautha want more children, in case this one died some horrible, brutal, Harkonnen death? Or would you be disposed of, no longer needed after his legacy was secured?

You tried not to dwell on it.

One morning, you roused on your own, without Feyd’s interference. Wondering if he was even still there, you reached out to the side, feeling for him—and you nearly jumped when you felt bare flesh beneath your hand. When you rolled onto your back with considerable effort and turned your head to the side, you saw that your husband was there, still sleeping, and that what you had felt was his exposed chest.

You took the moment to look at him, really look at him. He seemed so peaceful like this, when he wasn’t fighting and killing. You had seen him take lives so quickly that his victims hadn’t even known they had died, and you had wondered how someone could be so dismissive of those around them. The first time you had watched your husband slit a throat, you had nearly vomited, and he had found your revulsion amusing; the most recent, however, you had simply sighed and looked away. You were desensitized, it seemed, just like he was, and now, you slept just as easily after watching him commit horrendous acts of violence as he did now.

Feyd-Rautha was handsome as far as Harkonnens went. His skin was smooth like marble, free of the scars and bruises one might expect to see on a warrior. His face, usually so harsh during the waking hours, was relaxed now, and you realized he was beautiful. You couldn’t keep yourself from brushing your fingers over his lips and feeling how surprisingly soft they were, though in a way, this felt wrong. Feyd-Rautha didn’t strike you as the kind of person who would allow this sort of touch, but when would you have this opportunity again? He always rose first in the morning and slept last at night. You never caught him with his guard down, and you kept your hands to yourself during the day. This was the only time you could marvel at him like this.

As your fingers ghosted across his cheek, he twitched, and you froze. Then, to your horror, an eye cracked open, and you knew that he had been awake all along.

When you moved to pull away, he caught your wrist, then covered your hand in his. He held your gaze for several long, strange moments, and you realized that he hadn’t simply been awake—he had been allowing you to touch his face, to explore him in a way you had never been brave enough to before. It felt like a gift, in a way. In his way.

“I apologize,” you breathed, unable to look away from him.

“Why?” He asked, voice deep and rough with sleep.

“I should not have touched you without permission.”

“I am your husband,” he said. “And you are carrying my child. You do not need permission to touch me.”

Somehow, you knew his words carried a deeper meaning. You knew you were one of, if not the only, one on all of Giedi Prime whom he had said those words to. And for the first time since marrying him, you felt that Feyd-Rautha was truly your husband.

-0-

He was with you when the labor began.

You had been lounging in your shared chambers, enduring the final week of your pregnancy. It felt bittersweet, in a way; you had no way of knowing then if you would ever be experiencing this again, and a part of you desperately wanted to hold onto it while the rest was fed up with feeling massive and uncomfortable every day.

Feyd-Rautha had been agitated all morning. It was as if he had known something was about to happen, and he had spent his time barely containing himself as he paced and sharpened knives, attempting to keep to himself and leave you alone and doing a piss poor job of it. You had been ready to chase him out of the room—or at least attempt to—when you felt your waters go and the panic set in.

That had been three hours ago.

Now, you were in your bed, and a shockingly-diligent Harkonnen na-Baron had yet to leave your side. He had briefly stepped into the corridor to bellow at the nearest passerby and your midwife had arrived very quickly as a result, but after that, he had sat down next to you and refused to go anywhere else.

“Is it agony?” He asked as you stood.

You shot him a glare. “I would not wish this sensation on even you.”

He was taken aback by your tone, impressed, even, by the venom in it.

“A short walk about the room may help,” the midwife suggested. “I will assist—“

“No.” Feyd-Rautha was up and at your side in an instant, taking your elbow. “I will.”

You didn’t care who did what, you just wanted it to be over and done with. The labor was progressing quickly, the midwife assured after another check once you were back in bed, and soon, you were wailing and grunting, your face was sweaty, and the na-Baron was staring in awe. You were focused on the task set before you, one hand on Feyd’s arm as you pushed with all your might, and so you could not see the way your husband was looking at you.

When your son was born and crying at the top of his tiny lungs, Feyd-Rautha cut the umbilical cord with a hunting knife and then he stared. It seemed that the entire time, he was incapable of looking away, his eyes glued to either you or the new Harkonnen heir. You supposed he had been too enthralled to order the midwife out of the room, and the woman was smart enough not to push her luck—she did the necessary examinations as quickly as she could, then handed the baby off to you, busying herself with cleaning what looked like a murder scene and gathering the afterbirth when it came. Then, satisfied with her work and the health of the child, she left, and you were alone with your husband and son.

You cradled the infant, tucking him against your breast and pulling the edge of your robe over him in an attempt to keep him warm. He was born pale, like his father, but with a soft layer of hair that made you wonder how much he might grow to look like you. The midwife had said it before she slipped out, and you had to agree—he was beautiful, and you smiled down at him.

A thud startled you and you turned to see that Feyd-Rautha had fallen to his knees at your bedside, looking at you with a reverence you had never seen in anyone before.

“Feyd?” You asked.

He looked between you and your son, and you saw then that something had changed within him over those many months. Gone was the dismissive, uncaring husband you had wed; this Feyd-Rautha had grown to become a protector, one who would fight until his muscles tore from his bones, who would bleed himself dry for you.

“You are stronger than I knew,” he murmured, brushing a thumb over your cheek much the way you had with him all those nights ago.

You felt a lump in your throat. “Come here. Join us.”

He did.

Feyd-Rautha sat with you there, in your bed, the very bed your first child was born in. He watched as your son woke from his peaceful, short nap, and he was privy to the private, intimate moment of his first feeding. He held the baby, staring at him in wonder and what may have been a touch of fear, supporting the both of you as he helped you to the bathing room when you were well enough to stand.

“A son,” he said, watching the baby sleep that night.

“Yes.” You mumbled, exhausted and nearly asleep as well. “Are you pleased, husband?”

“I would have been just as pleased with a daughter.”

That surprised you, and you glanced over your shoulder to see him propped up on an elbow, watching your son as he slept in his simple Harkonnen manger. “Really?”

“Yes,” he said, never once taking his eyes off the child. “I can teach a daughter to fight just as well.” Finally, he looked down at you. “Are you well?”

“As well as can be expected.” You sighed.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes, I am,” you answered him, sleep already dragging you down.

You barely felt his lips as he pressed a kiss to your temple, and you barely heard his voice as he said,

“I am as well.”

-0-

You had expected Feyd-Rautha to grow cold in the weeks following your son’s birth, but he never had. He was attentive, caring for you in a way that suggested he felt some primal urge to drag back great beasts for dinner every night but modern living prohibited that.

Now, you watched as he stood before one of the massive windows within the Harkonnen palace. It was evening on Giedi Prime, but the black sun casted no shadows over the landscape. Feyd-Rautha held your son, whispering to him, and as you watched, you wished the moment could stretch on forever.

“Husband,” you said, approaching him.

“Wife,” he greeted you, turning.

“On your evening walk together, I see.”

He chuckled. “I am showing him everything he will one day rule over.”

“I am surprised you haven’t taken him into battle with you yet,” you said sarcastically.

“I will strap him to my chest so that he might taste the blood of House Atreides,” he said with a grin.

“The youngest Harkonnen warrior the world has ever seen.” You smiled, leaning in to check on what appeared to be a perfectly happy, albeit possibile bloodthirsty, baby.

“What are you doing walking alone?” Feyd-Rautha asked.

“Looking for you.”

“And now that you have found me, what do you intend to do?”

You leaned into your husband, resting your head on his shoulder. “Drop the baby off with the wet nurse, seduce you, take you to bed and then have my way with you.”

“You have my attention.”

“I thought you might be interested in trying for a girl this time…”

In a blink, he had spun you around and was dragging you down the corridor, and once the baby was safely tucked in with a nursemaid watching over him, you did indeed have your way with your husband. And again. And again. And you realized, as you retired to bed that night, that you were truly glad to have been arranged to marry Feyd-Rautha, heir to the Harkonnen throne and father of your children.

[mofromgaza]

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #235 )✅️

My dear friends,

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your immense generosity and unwavering support for me, my family, and our cats. I deeply appreciate your noble spirit in helping us through these challenging times.

I apologize for the delay in updating you on our situation. My family and I are deeply touched by each and every donation, which brings us comfort and eases our hardship during this ordeal.

After the ceasefire announcement, we had hoped to return to our home, a place that would shield us from the bitter cold and allow us to live like everyone else in the world. However, we were shocked by the sheer devastation we witnessed in my city of Rafah, particularly in our neighborhood of Tal Al Sultan.

A picture of my city Rafah before and after the genocide.

|| THE FAMILY HOME ||

The family home where we had a small apartment was partially destroyed, rendering it uninhabitable. It's surrounded by massive piles of rubble, making our street look like a ghost town.

|| THE DREAM HOME ||

About five years ago, our family decided to pool all our savings and invest in building a new house, which we fondly called "The Dream home." We purchased a plot of land and began constructing a two-story house with a small garden for my mother, who loves gardening and raising poultry. We were close to finishing it when the machinery of destruction turned our dream into ashes.

|| THE LAND ||

Our beautiful farm (the land) , which was our last hope and located a bit away from the military operations zone, has now turned into a pile of sand and rubble , its trees reduced to firewood. This destruction was the final blow that made us weep bitterly for those trees, the poultry, and the cats that used to live happily with us. That shattered our dreams of ever returning home.

Sadly , We are still living in tents in the Mawasi Khan Yunis area, and we can't even go back to see our neighborhood safely. The area is extremely dangerous because it's close to the Egyptian border ( Philadelphia Corridor) , from which they have not yet withdrawn until this update .

I know this has been a lengthy explanation, but I needed to explain everything to you in detail.

I hope you will continue to support and help us in our efforts to rebuild a small home where we can live safely, like any other human being. A home is the most basic human right, which we now lack.

Save us from the bitter cold, and alleviate our pain and suffering. Stand by us and support us, for you are my family.

Thank a lot to everyone who supports us!

Follow me on Instagram to stay updated on our daily lives👉🏽 M.ib89

Help me to spread the word

[deikshen]

Hear me out: a sort of spiritual communication array that works like a group chat of some Binghe's wives where they gossip and live together more carefree behind their husband's back... where the transmigrated and current rogue cultivator Shen Yuan is accidentally added.

Shen Yuan probably ignores all the messages at first as, well, fuck. A group of gossipy women. He's been in worse group chats, and the company is entertaining when he's been through more two weeks without a trace of another human being hunting a beast. However, you could send some useful answers, some knowledge about plants or medicines that they appreciate!! And they call him "Meimei", so Shen Yuan assumes that they have surely made a mistake with his communication array password... Which is weird, he suppose, because who uses "blessed heavenly pillar" as their password? Anyway. Shen Yuan appreciates the gossipy friends he's making.

Apparently they all live in the same place, are they like, a community? Given certain comments and insinuations between them, perhaps a community of lesbians living under someone's protection? Cool! He was sure that the heavenly pillar definitely wasn't something that could treat lesbianism like a sick and "cure" it (even if he knows that the bastard Airplane would have considered it, nor would he have been capable of that disrespect), so good for them! He liked them too much to end up like part of that harem!! Although being Binghe's wife is a privilege, of course, but one in three hundred...

Shen Yuan doesn't talk much in the group, but he has his favorite "Jiejies"! They're all sweet and nice to him, and even the most unfriendly ones become fond of it after a good recipe for scented soaps or moisturizing creams. Sometimes they even ask him privately with any questions. Shen Yuan feels bad when he has to decline invitations to eat or go listen to music, because he's not even there!! In fact, at this point he's already embarrassed to admit that he was added by mistake and he remained silent about it!!

And, in the midst of one of his travels, Shen Yuan encounters the core of the world. Binghe! Emperor Luo Binghe! They share a small adventure hunting the beast — Luo Binghe looks quite haughty and arrogant, yet vulnerable when he's cooking, illuminated by the fire and with that tiny disheveled braid in his hair. Shen Yuan enjoys his meal and read in the chat, commenting that he remembered some flowers that can be used to dye fabrics, sending the specifications and receiving tens of happy comments about it.

Ah, actually, he doesn't have a bad life. He thinks so. He keeps randomly running into Luo Binghe on his travels, and his friends in the group chat are as gossipy and fun as ever.

And then, one day, Shen Yuan wakes up with an exaggerated amount of messages:

» "I think we'll have to add another one soon"

» "Another one? Damn. How many of us are there?"

» "Three hundred and twelve?"

» "Not everyone is here, in this group there are less than a hundred. The main wives have their own group, too."

» "I thought lady Mingyan was at the beginning?"

» "She was, but she got bored. Mingyan never wants to be in our groups since we criticized thata bad novel about the ice king and his spy"

» "Hualing neither, but she caused the first group to collapse with her rudeness"

» "But why add another one? You're getting off topic, ladies. Husband's been away again?"

» "Phew, honey. If only you knew. He goes off and comes back like a puppy. I've never seen that look on his face"

» "He looks young and adorable. Hualing was complaining about that the other day"

» "I mean, husband always looks handsome, but he has this glow. The glow when he's falling in love, again. I haven't seen him like that in a long time"

» "Me neither! I thought I'd never see him shine like that again after the third week of our wedding"

» "Same sis. Since the second one. It's nice to see him shine happily even if he's not looking at me"

» "Do we know who she is? From which realm? A demon? A cultivator? Details, details!!"

» "We need more demons, badass girls"

» "Husband says he's going hunting. He comes back with beasts and flowers. But also with that smile. So I'm guessing a cultivator"

» "Hell, more? They'll beat us by a landslide"

» "Girl, don't complain. More to bite on"

» "When you stop being being super close and eating together, we can talk about how we can't let husband ruin it with this?"

» "Why would a husband ruin it?"

» "He is our husband"

» "You're absolutely right. Fuck he's going to ruin it"

» "What should we do?"

» "First, find out about her! Warn her! Tell her that our husband is a fool but has a good heart deep down!! Who has permission to leave the palace? Has anyone spoken to Yingying lately?!"

» "We have to warn her about the size of his dick"

» "That too. I would have appreciated being prepared"

» "I married him after reading the yellow books about him, AND I WASN'T PREPARED"

» "No one is. My poor flower"

» "Too much information"

» "I'm not sorry"

» "Girls GIRLS GIRLS. For heaven's sake. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I JUST FOUND OUT."

» "If it doesn't have to do with our husband's new conquest, it's irrelevant gossip."

» "It has to do with"

» "SPIT IT OUT"

» "His new conquest is not a woman"

» "what"

» "WHAT?"

» "?????"

» "Listen, but it makes sense, right? Husband could be a cut sleeve that didn't notice until now. So that's why there are so many of us. None of us can be enough because we're missing something, you know, important."

» "A dick"

» "I was going to say a pillar, but you get the point."

» "Where did you hear that from?"

» "Our husband was telling General Mobei. That he should prepare a trunk of fine men's robes, that he would soon bring his new traveling companion to see the palace. That he plans to move him into his private chambers."

» "NO FUCKING WAYYY"

» "Hualing will explode"

» "I haven't seen a good attempt in years, do you want to bet?"

» "Do we know anything else?"

» "I don't know his name, sorry, that's all I have. He is a small rogue cultivator"

» "How small?"

» "By the measurements that husband requested for his robes, 5'6"

» "Damn it"

» "Short"

» "Oh damn, his poor chrysanthemum"

» "OH FUCK"

» "NO WAY"

» "HOW THE HELL DOES OUR HUSBAND'S COCK FIT IN SOMETHING SO SMALL? FUCK"

» "I will put incense in the name of his hole"

» "Oh girl, me too"

Shen Yuan stops reading with a mixture of horror, shame, and panic. What. The. Fuck. HOW THE FUCK DID HE END UP IN THAT GROUP? In the DAMNED BINGHE WIFE GROUP. Fuck. Oh fuck.

And yes, HE HAD agreed to visit Luo Binghe's palace, BUT only because he had mentioned that it had been a long time since he had slept in a bed and had a nice hot bath!! And Luo Binghe had been an exceptional gentleman and good friend offering to visit the palace and receive some care! Nothing perverted like those wives talked about!!

Oh, those wives. Damn. How come he'd been infiltrating that chat for MONTHS without realizing it!? Yes, it was true that when there were MANY messages he would ignore them and just skip them... But he would have stopped immediately if someone had mentioned Binghe directly!! But FUCK. They only mentioned him as "husband" and Shen Yuan's radar on anything where Binghe was mentioned didn't go off. Fuck.

Well, that's fine. He's not... a conquest. Nothing like that. Shen Yuan is sure of that! The protagonist is 100% heterosexual, no matter what those wives say!!! They're his wives damn, they should know how straight he is!!

He'll go to that palace, prove that he's just a good friend of Binghe, and that's it!

(In the future, when he is already married with Luo Binghe and one of Binghe's many wives asks for his communication array password to add him to a group chat to, he know, chat and share, Shen Yuan runs away with a red face. That same night, everyone is saddened because the kind and sweet Meimei who knew a lot about beast, flowers and remedies left the group.)

[suninia]

Dragons and flowers

Dragon Sylus x fem!MC/Reader Tags: fluff, dragon sylusss Words: 3.7k (sorry) 𐙚⋆°. I watched Barbie Diamond Castle again recently and thought of this with Sylus after reading lots of dragon Sylus fics muwehe. First long fic, hope everyone will enjoy it <3

Are you going to die?

You probably will.

You sobbed quietly as the harsh air hits your face. One minute ago, you were just happily transporting your fresh produce of flowers to the townhall, now you're 100 feet off the ground, carried like a helpless kitten by the scaly arms of a terrifying 8ft tall man with half draconic features. 

You should've seen it coming from the times you felt like the air seemed to carry something heavy. Something overwhelming. Something that a lone girl living in a small wood cottage by a river cannot simply fight off. You've had lots of close encounters with bears, or even wolves, but this feels different.

This feels like your end.

Yet it never came.

You're always on alert, looking through the woods across the river to see anything, sometimes looking over your shoulder as if a pair of eyes are locked on you all the time but there's nothing. You never caught anything. Not even a mere shadow. Not even when you're wandering in the woods to fetch a few herbs requested to you by the village botanist. There's only ever silence and the strange musk of wild animals in the forest.

Nothing.

"Miss flower! G'morning!"  you looked over the river to see a group of hunters with their weapons about to enter the forest for their hunt. You stood up from tending to your garden to approach them wearing a friendly smile.

'Miss flower'. You've made a name for yourself from supplying such good batches of unique and beautiful flowers that adorns the humble homes of your small village. You set up shop every few weeks in the town’s market to deliver fresh flowers to the hardworking housewives and young ladies who ordered them. You even sell special mixes of perfume pouches and floral essential oils which are quite popular to both married and unmarried women.

Although simple, seeing their smiles really makes all the sleepless nights and fighting for your life against terrible storms all worth it.

"Good morning, gentlemen. Early hunt today?"

"Yup! Gotta feed the village y'know. Seen anything lately?"

"Well, aside from the usual animals I feed here then everything else is up to you."

"Ones you marked, right? Aightie, we'll drop by for some sandwiches earlier in exchange for a whole deer, how ‘bout that?" a younger man among them blurted out. The rest of the seemingly older men nudged him in a teasing manner, you just smiled.

"I'll make sure to prepare some!"

You went inside your cottage to make some sandwiches for the hunters’ return later for lunch. You pan-fried some dried meat and eggs, topped it with some fresh vegetables from your garden and some mayo you recently made. You smiled from your hard work and slowly placed them inside your picnic basket when you heard a loud thud from outside your house.

The hunters are back so fast?

Washing your hands and finishing the basket with some of the fresh fruits you sliced earlier, you head over to your door to feed your guests but all you’re met with were field of flowers and your long rows of fresh vegetables. Thinking it’s just some lost animal, you sighed and was about to turn around when your gaze fell downwards, only to gasp from the sight of a dead deer lying on your porch. It looks big and mature, fur all shiny and silky. It's like something you'll get as a first prize for the annual village hunting competition or an offering to the mountain gods. You looked around to see if any of the men were around. No, only silence. The usual silence.

Chills went down your spine.

Who delivered this to your front door?

As the hunters returned, they confusingly looked at the deer that was supposed to be their catch that very afternoon but it mysteriously disappeared. They still managed to hunt a few animals, however, so their trip was not in vain. They offered to butcher the deer in house but you shyly refused, not really good with blood or slaughter. They came back to share a most of the portions back to you the next day so you made a nice roast for them as a gift, then they went on their way.

You wondered how that deer ended up dead on your front porch… but decided to brush it off. It’ll only spawn unwanted thoughts that you’ve been desperately avoiding and that is something you’ve decided to do religiously given your circumstances of living alone.

And once again, peace conquered your small cottage in the woods.

A few days had passed when you observed that your stock of firewood wouldn’t last for more than a week. You admit that you were not the strongest woman out there to chop a big tree by yourself but you try anyway, it's hard to commission lumberjacks to do it for you sometimes because the festival had them busy in the town square so this is a matter to be solved by your own hands this time. You grabbed your axe and a few pieces of rope from the shed and went on your way.

"Awe, here to accompany me today?"

It was one of the deers that you marked. You had saved this little one not too long ago after his mother was hunted and injured by other wild animals, dying shortly after in your peaceful garden which you took the responsibility of letting it rest within the quiet hug of your fresh flowers. You always strive to nurture life while respecting its natural cycle, but perhaps… a little touch of humanity will let your heart rest a little peacefully. Even just a little.

You finally found small trees that are okay to be harvested but you always make sure to plant new ones as a trade. After chopping down a few to nice pieces and tying them up with the rope so you can easily carry the pile on your back, you proceeded to pick up some firewood scattered along the ground on your way back to your cottage. The cute deer helped you out sometimes, bringing you pieces of wood with its mouth which earned him pieces of food and lots of headpats. 

You failed to notice dusk approaching until the fiery colors peeking through the tall trees and the howling of wolves from afar caught your attention. You instructed the deer to quickly hide in the hiding spot you made for it a while back then sprinted yourself. Biting your lip, you were afraid that you had wandered too far and possibly…

No. No such thoughts.

Along with your light footsteps, heavier and faster legs surrounded you in no time making your heart beat erratically. 

Lucky gods, you were independent but athletically incapable at times. In panic, you tripped over a rock that made you fall face flat into a pile of leaves. You heard growling and the footsteps getting closer just as you're about to get up which made you freeze. You closed your eyes, whether in acceptance of your end or in hopes that the playing dead tactic will work on wolves too… you're not quite certain.

You silently prayed to whichever God is listening out there to at least let you live for another day. Quietly sobbing, this isn't how you planned to go, but is the world that merciful?

Tap. Tap. Tap. In large numbers, four legged creatures circled around you howling in a choir. You bit your lip and held back a sob by capturing your mouth with your palm, wishing that this quiet response will trick these predators from pouncing on their prey.

Closer… closer… and closer. Growling a few feet away from your legs. Sniffing your heels and your basket of wood until they stepped back, preparing to lunge to finally feast on their meal.

Gods. Please.

Save me.

As if the heavens actually listened to your pleas, the wolves stopped their attempts to attack in almost an instant. Chills ran down your spine when you felt this overwhelming energy once again. This familiar heaviness and bloodlust in the air. The strange movement of the wind and the ominous swaying of leaves and branches, this unexplainable ringing of danger in your head… it’s a warning you absolutely cannot ignore.

Something far more dangerous appeared before you... and it wasn't heaven's.

Your heartbeat stopped upon hearing a much deeper, raspier, and mature voice that growled right behind you. It was terrifying. It was territorial. It was overpowering. It made those wolves’ cries sound like that of a 1-month-old puppy. Every heavy footstep the monster made had you counting your remaining seconds of life on this planet. You didn't know what to do other than to write your own elegy inside of your head as the first and only guest to your own funeral.

You closed your eyes shut in silent surrender when you felt something sharp crawl along your spine that made you shiver, reaching for the strands of your hair on your face and gently pulling it. As if it’s checking if you’re alive, you didn’t notice that you’re already holding your breath in suspense, fear crawling into your skin as the last of your days were cut short into ten seconds… nine… eight… seven…

Until you finished counting to one while waiting for the grim reaper to pull your leg towards the afterlife… realization hit you that you were not dead.

Death didn’t come for your soul.

No pain, no suffering.

Just silence.

You raised your head and turned to look around, mouth dry and unable mutter words, your cheeks warm with rivers of your tears, hands and feet bleeding from blisters and scratches as a result of your fall, and breaths slowly returning to your lungs after nearly suffocating yourself. No matter how ruined you looked, the fact that you weren’t mauled to death by a pack of wolves was evident.

Around you were nothing but silence. No wolves, no big scary monsters, not even the small noise of birds and crickets...

Only the quiet trees, the soothing air, and bright moon that came to light up your way.

You were spared from death.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"

"No!" you exhaled loudly, seemingly frustrated while telling your friend Tara what happened that evening. She wouldn't believe you! What is there not to believe?!

"You wouldn't be here if you encountered man-eating wolves."

"Exactly!" you let out an exasperated sigh and leaned on the table lazily, looking at your reflection on the glass of orange juice in front of you when the long ribbon on your hair smoothly fell to your palm.

That encounter was weird… but what was more unusual was you discovering your scattered firewood neatly piled up and tied with red silk on your front porch when you woke up this morning. You got it checked earlier by the seamstress and they claimed that it was one of the expensive silks that’s only woven by rare materials found in the eastern regions. You ended up getting it sewn into a ribbon and wore it, can’t tell if you should be scared or thankful to whoever delivered your wood back to your house.

She pouted, reaching for both of your cheeks to stretch it.

"You need sleep, darling. Thank you for the flowers for this year's festival. You deserve the rest. Also, never go out at night again on your own!"

You walked back home with your empty wooden cart and a bag of coins that the town gave you as payment after supplying a ton of flowers for the upcoming festival. You don't know how to explain what happened to you last night because you didn't see much either out of fear.

But it happened. Terrifyingly so.

You heaved a heavy sigh and opened your gate as you arrived back to your house only to be greeted by a big tree lodged into half of your garden where your precious flowers are planted. 

You froze on the spot, eyes blinking, mind blank as paper at what you’re seeing. The tree is bigger than your house, enough to block the whole river and certainly enough to knock your home down like a pile of rocks.

You ran towards your garden, tears welling around your eyes at the sight of your poppies, lilies, and hydrangeas crushed by the sheer weight of a 500-year-old load of wood. Your legs weakened like jelly, collapsing to the ground with utter disbelief. 

"My flowers..."

It was heartbreaking, truly.

The wind blew harshly; a silhouette of a flying object flew over you for a split second before a heavy thud and cracking of dirt rang from your back but you didn’t even bother to look at what it was. Your eyes blurred, warm tears staining the dirt as each drop slid along the beautiful petals of your white lilies. Your heart felt like it was being torn into pieces, hands trembling as you caressed the leaves of your once healthy buds that bloomed beautifully under your attentive and utmost care.

Why do these things keep happening to you?

From your sorrow, you momentarily forgot the thing that landed in your garden until fast approaching footsteps rushed towards you, mists of red and black danced around your figure in a fluid motion before a sharp claw captured your chin and gently pulled your head to turn to the side.

Your mouth parted at the sight of a large man… with horns as sharp as blades, scales in the color of charcoal, red piercing eyes that reminds you or rubies, plush lips and soft cupid bow pressing into a think line, and eyebrows knitting together. As if he was frowning… or disappointed? enraged? You’re not certain. His sharp teeth gritted; growls laced with a tremendous amount of savageness that poisoned your heart with fear.

"You are crying." he mumbled, voice breathless, jaw tightening and growing more and more dangerous by the second.

You didn't expect him to speak but you didn't reply either, feeling your chest heavy and your breaths slowly escaping your lungs. He muttered a few words in a language you don’t understand before growling once more. You noticed a sharp and scaly object, moving slowly towards you like a snake. It reached for your face which made you close your eyes, only opening one of them when you heard a deep sigh from the person in front of you. The snake like limb of some sorts was holding your hair up from blocking your face, giving him a clear vision of your flushed cheeks that’s stained with tears.

It's a dragon. A dragon in form of a man crouching right in front of you.

"Was the tree not enough? Do you need a bigger one? Or five more? Tell me what it is that you need. I'm strong. I can get it for you."

His increasing frustration strikes fear into your heart. You let out a soft sob and covered your face in fear that this will trigger this creature into harming you. What will you do now? Who is this? What is this? What does he want? Did he put this tree here in hopes to destroy your house but missed the target? Or did he hope you were there to be crushed by it?

And why is he asking you questions like that?

"My flowers..."

It was your only form of salvation in that fearful moment. The flowers you held so dearly. The ones you've been tirelessly cultivating over the past few months… gone. Just like that.

The dragon's ruby eyes turned to the large tree and noticed the flower beds ruined under it. He stiffened, face met with horror and anger upon the realization of his mistake.

He cursed and turned to you again, gaze sharper than newly polished swords. 

That’s it. If you're going to die, at least let you die beside your flowers!

The dragon stretched its wings and grabbed a hold of your waist to pull you upwards in a gentle manner using the same scaly limb that was brushing your hair a few moments ago, which you finally figured out was his tail. Your mouth let out a small cry for help and shrieked when he crouched a bit before stepping back to gain momentum and eventually darted high up in the air carrying you in his arms.

This is the end for you, right?

You closed your eyes in anticipation, prepared to get dropped immediately. But while your eyes are getting disturbed by the large force of the wind that’s making you lose your focus and drying your tears in an instant, the dragon’s large claws lightly covered your face… as if shielding you from the wind’s assault.

You blinked your eyes when it suddenly went quiet and you felt like you were slowly descending. You shook your head to clear your mind a bit before looking ahead, meeting a solemn view of a large field of flowers running towards the horizon. It’s a place that you've never seen before. It was beautiful. It was like a dream. A dream you never knew you can witness with your very eyes like this.

The dragon settled you carefully into the bed of flowers, the sweet scent of the fresh variety of flowers rushing to your nose as you took in a deep breath. Gentle petals brushed against your skin like a gentle greeting, their pollen dancing around you as acknowledgement and announcement of their divine presence. They scattered in the wind like confetti, colors shimmering against the blinding sunlight, almost sparking like stars in the night sky.

You were in awe. Completely pulled away from the agony you were in earlier, heart now filled with gentle joy and fascination.

"Your flowers... I don’t know how to properly ask for forgiveness, I did not mean for that to happen either. Still, I hope I'll earn to be forgiven."

You turned to the dragon that’s now sitting beside you with wings half folded, forgetting that you were basically taken by a dragon that you’ve only heard of in the legends, heavy scales and leather armor draped across the flower bed providing it with a nice shade, silver hair glistened like snow against the bleeding sunset and tail squirming behind him, wagging in quick, graceful motions… reminding you of a happy puppy’s. The red gem on his chest reflected rainbows into his eyes. Sharp, brilliant, enchanting, and oh so beautiful.

"You needed wood so I gave you the biggest one I could find. I did not mean to destroy your nest."

My nest?

"I should've stuck with the deer."

Deer?

"What…?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I am attempting to court you."

Your jaw dropped, hands quickly covering your mouth in shock. Your eyes stayed on him. His eyes burning through you with a fierce, sincere, and surprisingly honest intention. 

"M-Me?"

He nodded and held out his hand which you hesitantly took, but did anyway when he waited for you to take his offer or maybe reject him. His eyes looked shocked for a moment when your palm pressed on his rough talons but quickly brushed it off and led you to sit beside him, looking away for a second to wipe his cheek.

"While I don't know how to properly court someone. I would like to try." He muttered earnestly that left you in awe. He searched for something inside his robes and brought it out. His sharp claws pointed to your hand so you hesitantly held it out and yelped from the heavy bag that was placed on your palm. It was small, but really bulky. You looked back up at him, noticing how much you need to crane your head upwards to meet his eyes from your obvious height difference before tilting your head a bit in confusion.

"What is this?"

"Open it."

You gulped before pulling the string and let the pouch's mouth open to reveal shiny pieces of gold ingots trapped inside the fancy pouch. You let out a gasp and quickly turned to him.

"Why are you giving this to me? Don't dragons never share their hoards? I can't accept this..."

"Not to their mates." he gasped for air. "Never to you."

"Why?” you sniffed, thumbs circling on the shiny glare of the pure gold in your palm that you can only dream of having. “But… I’m a human?"

"I do what I want." he stated so firmly that it almost startled you. He clenched his fist. Whispering gentle reminders to himself that you cannot comprehend but it effectively made him calm down.

"You have a soul that I am... inexplicably attracted to and I would love to have you with me. But if you refuse, then I will do as I'm told. As long as you’ll allow it, I would like to be your mate."

"And this..." his tail reached for another thing from his robes and carried another pouch by its string, dropping it towards your palms. You were so overwhelmed with gifts, but he doesn’t look like he’s willing to let you return it.

You opened it and saw a bunch of seeds inside that look like crystals. Once again, you were filled with confusion.

"I've been meaning to give this to you when I saw your garden empty back when the trees were dying. It makes your soil nourished. Fast and abundant. Good for harvest. Take it along with the gold as compensation and gift for the damage I did."

“Been meaning to? Since when?”

“Since last winter.”

“So not that long ago...” that’s a relief.

“No. Last winter. When you first planted your white flowers.”

“You mean last year?!” your eyes widened. He pursed his lips and held his chin in thought, slightly shaking his head.

“I don't have the paper with numbers you humans use.”

“A-And you only approached me now?”

“I wasn't proud of my hoard. My den wasn't warm enough for humans. I couldn't speak in straight human sentences before I read a human book. I wasn't good then, but…” he grinned, his sharp fangs poked out from his plump lips. “I can say I have more than a lot to offer if you're willing to see for yourself.”

“So… you planned all of this…”

“Not this. Never to make you shed tears.” he shook his head.

“Not fear. Never fear.” he gasped, collecting himself first. “I wanted to see how delicately you look at your flowers up close. How your laughs sound like gentle wind chimes when you're with other humans. How your embrace must feel like the warmth of home. How your fingers must feel taste like solace. How your eyes must glisten like shiny coins when you’re full of happiness.” he drew his breath and nodded his head, exhaling loudly before his sharp pupils dilated while reflecting your face.

As if you’re all he sees. As if you’re everything he ever wanted.

“I want it. I want all of it to be mine. I want it to be given to me willingly. Happily. Freely.” he growled and leaned closer, holding your chin with utter softness. You felt like he was taking your breath away as he inched closer to press your forehead against his. 

Like a mortal praying to his saint.

Your fears from earlier quickly dissipated from this simple declaration, hoping the flowers sent it along the wind with a sweet goodbye. You have never seen anyone look at you like this… with so much devotion, raw passion, and intense desire to prove that he’s worthy of your hand. 

It sent you to the clouds. How can a man of another species make your heart feel like it’s going to burst when no other human person could? 

It made you think. All of the efforts he made that you perceived as ‘terrifying’ was his innocent attempt to catch your interest all along. The deer, the tree… so the wolves must be…

“Was it you… when I was almost attacked… and my firewood?”

“You were scared. I didn’t know if it was a good time to introduce myself. It wasn’t. I gave you a big tree to last you a while so you wouldn’t go out in the woods on your own. And if you run out, I’ll get you a new one again. I’m strong. And…” the wind suddenly blew that made your hair sway. His eyes locked on the ribbon tied to your hair, mouth parting as his claws caught it. He closed his eyes momentarily, letting the silence sink in before opening them again, eyes now filled with determination.

“If you’ll give me a chance… I will show you that I am a man who can give you everything.”

A man that can give me everything. 

You lied down on the bed of flowers and glanced at him. He signaled to lie down beside you when your eyes met, in which you gave a quiet nod of agreement. He looked uncomfortable, yet he still chose to lay on his side just to level his face with yours, his own eyes hiding an intense feeling of love and admiration.

A dragon’s love, huh? 

You didn’t know fiends can be affectionate like this. But isn’t his existence enough to prove that?

Although sudden, it felt strangely warm to be the receiving end of someone's passion like this. You know how easy it is for him to harm you, but he only ever touches you with pure fondness, silently hoping his sincerity will reach you somehow.

And it did. In the most surprising way.

You took a deep sigh and reached for a single flower in between your noses, inching closer to pick it and display it on the dragon’s delicate silver hair, moving gently along the whistling wind. 

You spoke out your name, your real one, only for his ears to hear. You grabbed two more flowers and planted it on the hard scales right on his left chest where a human heart would usually be.

“Flowers are my most favorite thing in the world. Nice to meet you…” you closed your eyes when your noses touched, breaths playing along the red of each other’s lips, still etched with a gentle smile.

“Sylus.” he whispered, seemingly losing air to breathe. “Your Sylus.”

You’re still quite unsure with this strange proposal… but looking at this being in front of you that’s ready to surrender his possessions just so you’ll stay beside him, maybe it won’t harm to see for yourself.

And maybe you’d like to learn more about him too.

“And you’re my most favorite thing in the world.”

[deathbxnny]

Arcane women seeing you again after cheating on you. | Vi, Caitlyn, Sevika x Gn!Reader

(Part 1)

Here is the part 2 that you guys asked for! I hope you'll like it!<3

Summary: Arcane women see you after they cheated on you a year ago. How will you react to seeing them again? And most importantly, who's that person you're with that seems to have stolen your heart from them?

Content: TW!Past cheating, angst, jealousy, swearing, probably ooc, sfw

Reader has no mentioned pronouns.

((Not proofread))

》VI

She never got over you.

It didn't matter how much time passed or how long she spent trying to forget you. You were always there at the forefront of her mind. And it drove her mad, not to know where you were. She looked all over for you after the mission, yet it seemed like you had disappeared off the face of earth, never to be seen again even during the war. Vi couldn't even find you in the aftermath of it, her heart empty and broken without you.

Her relationship with Caitlyn was practically non-existent now, as the woman felt near insecure of Vi's idealistic image of you she could never compare to. It was depressing and toxic until it eventually blew up in her face, and the Kirammann distanced herself as well for good.

And now the woman was alone.

Your words rang true, and yet you weren't even here to tell her, "I told you so". She had lost everyone she loved, being driven mad by the solitude she had brought onto herself. It was unfair and unjust, even if some of it was deserved. Just some. Eventually, the sadness turned into anger over the last year. Anger towards you. Why couldn't you be here after what happened? Why didn't you understand that it was a mistake? Hadn't she atoned for her sins enough? What else did she have to lose for you to come back? Rage, frustration, irritation. It all plagued her, as she thought of how your meeting would go if she ever sees you again.

But nothing she ever prepared was enough for when it did happen. She never thought it would. She never thought she'd see you again. And yet there you were, happily holding onto another person's arm, as you beamed up at them. You never looked like that with her. You were never this bright and giggly at her side. There was always something to be stressed about. There was always something to argue about. There was always something that made you frown around her. Whether it was because of the circumstances you were in or her own actions, you were never content.

So she stood there, in the shadows, as she gazed at you intensely from under her hood. For a moment, she considered just turning and leaving, but the internalized rage was bubbling up dangerously. She lived with survivors guilt every single day, and you go to have your happy ending? She couldn't believe it. She couldn't ever dream of you moving on from her. Marching up to you, your partner saw her first before you did, their eyes hardening protectively. Pulling you closer, they stood unmoving in the face of doom. "Can we help you?" They asked when she was close enough, but her words died on her tongue when your eyes met hers. And then there was deafening silence.

"I..." "Vi. What the hell do you want?" You hissed out, clearly not having it. You were sick of her after what happened. You, therefore, refused to let her wedge herself into your life ever again. "Actually, I don't care. Get lost." You tried pushing past her with your partner, but she wasn't moving. Instead, she blocked your way. "Please just... hear me out! I've lost everyone whilst you're out here fucking around with some randoms! Do you know how long I've looked for you? How much I've suffered?" You stopped your lover from saying anything with a hand against their chest. You can handle this.

"And I get that I fucked up! But don't think that you're completely innocent in this either." She was breathing heavily, the slightest smug relief filling her at finally saying what she had always dreamt of... but alas, you gave her the most unimpressed look possible as you scoffed. And then you began laughing. Right in her face. "Hah... that was funny... anyways, as I was saying, get lost." Finally being able to push past her, you two casually continued doing your shopping as though nothing happened.

She was left behind in shock at your uninterested reaction, as the realisation finally set in that she truly has lost everything.

》CAITLYN

The aftermath of the war was nothing short of agony to everyone, especially to Caitlyn, who had yet to find a trace of you. Last she heard, you left the city via skyship and disappeared into the blue skies forever, leaving her behind for good. It was miserable to live without you, near unbearable, and yet she kept it together with the smallest hope for your return to her.

It was pure delusion to everyone but her to hold onto such a ridiculous wish, considering she was the cause of it.

She lies awake at night thinking of your heartbroken gaze, the memory, and the words lulling her to sleep in tears. And a year later, the day of your disappearance felt as vivid as ever, as though no time passed. She could never move on. Never rest for as long as she couldn't tell you about how remorseful she felt. You were right in not trusting Maddie for a multitude of reasons. But she was so stuck in her ways due to the grief and pain that she lost the best thing that happened to her. The one person that kept her together and sane.

How was she ever going to live on now?

Whenever she did sleep, she dreamt of you coming back to her, allowing her to apologize and move on from everything she had done. It was perhaps selfish, and she was at least self-aware enough to acknowledge that, but it didn't matter to her in the long run. She just wanted you back no matter what. It didn't matter how or when. She just had to have you. And as though the gods momentarily heard her prayers, a small part of her wish finally came true after twelve long months of waiting.

There you were, under the sparkling lights of the ballroom, happily conversing with long-lost friends as you sipped on a refreshing drink. She had heard the rumor of your return a while ago, skillfully ignoring the part mentioning your unknown companion, and made sure to attend this grand event best dressed, of course.

If you saw her, then you didn't turn to even glance at her once.

She understood why but wouldn't let the opportunity to fix things slip out of her fingers now. You were so close. So unbearably close at last. Cait approached you carefully, a simple clearing of her throat being enough to drive your company away for some privacy. And you were clearly not happy about that. But as usual, she ignored your disdain for her own gain unknowingly. "It's nice to see you again." She was hiding how excited she was, practically bursting at the seams with how hard she was containing it. Your reply was less thrilling, however. "Unfortunately so... I have nothing to say to you, so leave me be, lest my partner has to see you out." You huffed, a frown hiding behind your glass.

Dumbfounded and blinking, she raised a brow in surprise. Partner? Were the rumors true after all? She was in denial. Very deep denial at that. She must be hearing it wrong, yes, that's it! "I... I beg your pardon? Partner? As in companion or...?" She must've looked silly and disheveled as she stumbled over her words like a drunk. A hand pressing against her shoulder made her pause, as she felt a very irritated presence behind her. "It seems that the wine is getting to you, Ms. Kirammann. I believe it is, therefore, time for your departure. The car's outside." Your dearest partner has come to your rescue. And it seemed that this was a setup for your own small revenge.

Your lover owned this estate. It completely slipped Caitlyn's mind in her haste to get to you. How funny.

You hid in their side, wanting her out already, and the Kirammann decided to keep the last of her dignity intact by leaving with a curt nod. She definitely cried in the cab, though, unable to complain that all her waiting was for nothing.

You were never coming back to her.

》SEVIKA

If you fuck around, you'll certainly also find out.

That was your life motto, something you lived by and your enemies feared about you. Sevika often found it amusing to watch you enforce this to those willing to face your wrath, a certain pride welling in her chest at the pure violence you could display. Until she became the receiver of it. The scar on the back of her head proved it and left a bit of a bald patch, a constant reminder of what she had done. Also, a great humiliation tactic on your end, she has to give you that.

But that's all she had left of you too.

You up and left without a trace a year ago, and made sure she'd never see a glimpse of you again. The war came and ended, resulting in her becoming a councilor, but even then, nothing she did drew you back to her. You were supposed to share this glory with her, but she knew she was the reason why you didn't. She wasn't delusional or in denial about it. No, she was a grown woman who just made a stupid mistake, in her humble opinion. Nothing more or less. So why couldn't you see the same?

It was impossible to track you down, and for a while, she thought that you may have left the city entirely a while ago. Maybe you even died in the war somewhere. She didn't know what was worse, but either thought kept her up up night to ponder about all the what ifs.

If she hadn't done what she had done... would you still be laying at her side sound asleep? Would you be proud of her and support her for finally achieving her goals? Would you praise her? Love her? Cherish her so loyally like you used to? You were absolutely right in the end, after all. She never will and never wanted to find someone else like you. She wanted you and only you from day one, but it all seemed like a distant dream now.

And then, when she was just about to move on from you by force, you appeared in her life again so casually. You were dressed in foreign clothes, a content and sweet look on your face, as you conversed with your partner, who just so happens to be an emperor of a different land.

They have come here for some trade negotiations with the council, and of course, you had to come along. Their sweet, stunning spouse they couldn't talk enough of. Your partner spoke of the riches they spoiled you with, the endless servants at your feet, the way they too were very clearly wrapped around your bejeweled fingers.

You pretended not to know her, practically avoiding her gaze as you held onto your lover tightly as they talked away. God did it hurt her, too. She was burning up in jealousy, her gaze hardened and angry enough to make the other councilors scoot away from her.

And when she saw your partner give her an evil, knowing grin, she finally realised that this was all on purpose. Your spouse couldn't give less of a shit about Piltover. They just wanted to get back at Sevika for what she had done to you, just out of pure spite. She can't do anything about it either, something she acknowledged in defeat.

Her heart was empty and broken, but she'd never admit it, as she simply concluded the meeting and took her leave. If you were happy... then she supposed she'd be content with it, too.

[ovobawrites]

The Background Character is Avoiding Death in This Life!

Dying? Hard. Reincarnating into a dating sim? Even harder. Doing everything to prevent your predetermined tragic fate? Might as well give up at that point. The bell tolls for you, but you refuse to let it claim you just yet!

(Leona Kingscholar x Reincarnated!Reader)

A/N: I tried to make the reader as gender neutral as possible, but the implication here is that the reader is afab/capable of becoming pregnant and giving birth.

The carriage jostled over gravel as you sat there in silence, clothed in pure white. A marriage to a man you've never met. One that you had done everything you could to prevent.

Waking up with memories of your past life wasn't the worst thing in the world, at least at first. As the third born Royal of the empire, you weren't given many duties, nor were you interested in competing for the throne. All you had to do was study (which you did with ease thanks to your past life), attend balls and tea parties (which at the very least served delicious food), and survive without falling victim to a plague (and the holy magic in this world, thankfully, made this task as easy as the rest). That was until your world came crashing down.

Outside politics weren't much of an interest for you. All you knew was that your older brother, the Second Prince, was a general who would fight and win wars alongside the Emperor, your father. Until you learnt of the development of a protectorate, representative of an alliance between seven kingdoms.

The Night Raven Protectorate was established in Imperial Year 1302. You had just turned 17, and realized who you were.

NRP: Battles of the Heart! was a tactical rpg with dating sim mechanics you had played in your first life. It wasn't the best game, but the art and soundtrack were lovely, the characters were nice to look at, and the gameplay was good enough. Here's the problem: the characters in nrpBoH (as the fandom called it) were at war. War with the Empire you currently resided in. A war the character you were reborn as had inadvertently caused.

The Third Royal of the Empire was engaged and promptly married to Leona Kingscholar, the only Duke of the Sunset Savanna. The two resided in the Night Raven Protectorate, as Leona had been chosen as a diplomatic envoy for his kingdom while his brother Farena, the crown prince, remained in the capital. Leona worked alongside the other diplomatic envoys of the alliance: Crown Prince Riddle Rosehearts, Marquis Azul Ashengrotto, Marquis Kalim Al-Asim, Duke Vil Schoenheit, Duke Idia Shroud, and Crown Prince Malleus Draconia, to establish unity and peace across their kingdoms.

The Third Royal died a year into their marriage with Duke Leona. The Empire, distraught at the loss of one of their royal family, declares war two years later. The Hero of nrpBoH arrives a year before the war starts, and ultimately helps the Seven Kingdoms win the war, capturing the hearts of the envoys and their closest aides on the way.

Essentially the timeline was as such: 1304 > you get married to Leona 1305 > you die 1306 > the Hero arrives and charms the cast of nrpBoH 1307 > the Empire declares war 1315 > the Seven Kingdoms defeat the Empire with the hero's aid, and everyone lives happily ever after

What do you mean you die before the events of the game even start?! And, just to make things even worse for you, your character was barely mentioned and the circumstances of their death were never discussed! Obviously it must have been suspicious, why else would the Empire declare war?! And why was it so easy for your husband, of a year, to get over you and date some floozy so soon after your death!

Okay maybe that last one was stretching it a bit, after all, it's not like Duke Leona had ever loved the Third Royal. When asked in game, all he said was that "They were a suitable partner for me. What, jealous? My heart will always belong to you, herbivore." with a cocky smirk on his face!

And so, you made it your life's goal to do anything to stop your marriage to the Duke from going through. You took a bigger interest in politics, encouraged the Crown Prince to form diplomatic alliances. Hell, you even got your brother, the warmongering Second Prince, the hardest boss in the game, to return home from the battlefield for the first time since he left at 16!

Yet every single action you took ultimately amounted to nothing. Your father, the Emperor, declared that you would marry Duke Leona to solidify the Empire's alliance with the Seven Kingdoms, and that was that.

You had begged and pleaded of course. Both the Crown and Second Princes had fought your father on this decision. Hell, even your younger brother, the Fourth Prince, had argued against the necessity of a marriage alliance. But your father's word was law, and so you were sent to the Night Raven Protectorate clad in your pure white garb, with nothing but your carriage, your luggage, and an entourage of guards and servants who would leave you at the border.

Which brings you back to the present. Slumped over in a grand carriage, with nothing to do but embroider and scheme. Your brothers were not even permitted to attend the wedding (at the Kingscholar family's request and the Emperor's decree), and none of your personal servants were allowed to join you in the protectorate.

So here you were, alone and unsure of if you could even avoid the wretched fate you'd been saddled with. If you couldn't prevent your marriage, were you just destined to die once a year was up? Would any of your actions even prevent the war that would happen in three years?

The carriage stops, and the coachmen knocks on the door to inform you of your arrival to the Night Raven Protectorate. You thank him and listen to the horses being switched out, your guards and maids leaving with the coachmen as your new one announces his presence to you.

"Ruggie Bucchi greets Your Highness." A voice calls out from behind the carriage doors. The windows are veiled, but you can make out the silhouette of a thin beastman with rounded ears. "I will be bringing you to the Duke's Estate to prepare for the wedding."

You sit there and try to ignore your world splitting into pieces. Dread curls in your stomach. You don't reply.

A beat of silence as your new coachman awaits any questions from you, before you watch his shadow pass over and the carriage start to move once more. The ride is much smoother this time. It does nothing to stop your shaking.

You didn't even have a second to compose yourself upon arriving at the Duke's Estate. A whirlwind of maids and valets descended upon you to prepare you for the wedding. You were bathed, dressed and had your make up done over the course of hours, the day going from early morning to evening without you even having a bite to eat, lest you risk 'ruining your figure'.

Your wedding garments were traditional to the empire. Shining white and decorated with diamonds as a display of wealth, a delicate veil hiding your features from the world. The servants beamed in pleasure as the head maid sang praises to your beauty.

"Trust me, Your Highness. His Grace will not be able to keep his hands off of you during your wedding night!"

You doubted it. If Leona had been spending regular nights with the Third Royal, a mention of their pregnancy would have been somewhere in the game (after all, the death of his unborn child would have made his backstory all the more tragic). But you took their praise with gentle nods and thanks, waiting until you would be led to the altar.

A knock on your door came a moment later. "Sir Jack Howl wishes to greet Your Highness and escort you to the altar."

You stood up and let a maid open the door for you. A wolf beastman dressed in armor stood before you, his ears twitching as he offered you the crook of his elbow. You took it with grace, each step making the death knell in your ears ring ever louder.

The Duke's estate was large enough to host hundreds of servants, but thankfully someone had the forethought to dress you in a guest room close to where the wedding would be held. Your garments were made for you to be displayed, as evident by how hellish it was to walk in them, the weight of them making each step feel laborious. Sir Jack graciously matched your pace, the heels of your shoes clicking against tile as you reached the altar.

Your husband-to-be stood in front of you, dressed in Empire wedding garments. Based on the in-game marriage cg, you'd expected him to be wearing the colorful wedding attire of the Sunset Savanna. Yet he stood in front of you, clad in black.

You thought it was fitting for him to be clad in the colors of a reaper. His green eyes pierced through your veil, flitting over the death grip your hands had on your bouquet before returning to the priest, looking ever so slightly bored.

The two of you stood through a lengthy speech about the union of two countries and the solidification of the alliance between the Empire and the Seven Kingdoms. Sir Jack stood behind you in parade rest, while a blond beastman stood behind Leona in a more lax pose.

A quick glance through the crowd saw that the rest of the game's main cast, from Crown Prince Riddle to Sir Sebek, all sat in the cathedral, with Crown Prince Farena sitting with his wife and son at the back. It was, by all means, a perfect imperial wedding.

Eventually, the priest's prattling stopped as he gestured for the rings to be presented to the betrotheds. The rings were simple. Gold bands rested on a white velvet pillow in a white cathedral adorned by white flowers on white tile and-

"-take Leona to be your husband in life, death and the lands that lay beyond?" The priest gazed at you, and you snapped back to attention.

"I do." You said in a lilting voice, taking the ring and placing it upon Leona's ring finger as he did the same to yours.

You couldn't hear what the priest said next through the pounding of blood in your ears, the polite applause in the cathedral barely registering.

Sir Jack offered you his arm once more, and you took it to be readied for the reception.

You could faintly make out Duke Leona being surrounded in congratulations from his friends and colleagues. You glanced at Sir Jack through the veil, and for a second saw your second brother instead.

Your heart ached in time with your hollow steps.

Here's the thing: Out of all the diplomatic envoys, the only one you could ever be married to was Leona.

The Emperor never had a blood heir, his kind heart instead adopting children he'd find during his conquests of other lands. Neither you nor your brothers had a drop of royal blood.

The nobles of the Empire took issue with that, or they did when the Crown Prince was adopted. The Emperor's threats quickly shut them up.

The Empire would not accept you being married to anything less than another land's prince, but the Queendom of Roses and Briar Valley would never accept one of common blood on the throne.

Leona was the only option for you to marry to solidify your lands' alliance.

(It was too bad the Third Royal's death caused the alliance to dissolve anyways)

The wedding reception was a blur to you. Faces passed by and congratulated you and Leona (mostly Leona), presenting gifts upon gifts as the hours ticked by. Marquis Kalim offered you a littany of jewelry. Prince Riddle gave you books on the history and etiquette used throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Duke Vil gifted you a variety of beauty products, with a guide for when and how they should be used.

You could barely eat the wedding food provided to you. You numbly watched your husband scarf down his steak, avoiding each and every vegetable. A flicker of amusement ran through you at that, and a smile quirked up your lips.

Duke Leona noticed, of course. "What're you smiling at?" He asked, voice flat.

You ducked your head down at that. "I simply was admiring how gracefully you cut your steak."

A moment of silence as he looked at you before he went back to eating without a word.

The Third Royal's death in nrp14 was rarely brought up. There were two things the playerbase knew about it:

It happened on the exact anniversary of the wedding

The Empire found it suspicious enough to declare war against the Night Raven Protectorate, and by extension, the Seven Kingdoms that the Protectorate belonged to.

A suspicious death was all you had to go off of. The Third Royal was likely murdered, and all you knew was when it happened. Honestly, it might not have even been a quick assassination. It could have been a gradual poisoning that eventually killed them on the day of their anniversary, a 'quiet' heart attack, hell it could have been a freak horse riding 'accident' for all you knew.

The Empire declaring it suspicious was, in itself, suspicious. It might have been a genuine accidental death, but was a convenient excuse to declare war. It might have even been your own Empire that killed the Third Royal for this reason.

All you knew was when you were meant to die. Therefore, everyone was a suspect. If Duke Leona did it (which, judging from how flippant he was about his spouse, he very well might have), then all you could do was be the model spouse in hopes to please him. If one of the other diplomatic envoys did it, then you have to make yourself invaluable to their diplomatic maneuvers to avoid it. If the Empire did it-

If the Empire did it, then you had to make yourself as nonthreatening as possible to it.

The room you shared with Leona was beautiful. A wide balcony adorned with plants opened the room up, letting you watch the night sky. The bed was grand, populated in numerous feather-soft pillows. Colorful rugs, trademarks of the Sunset Savanna's weaving expertise, lay across the floor. A carved chessboard and pieces rested on the table.

Leona noticed you looking at it. "D'you play?" He said as he threw his court coat across the room without care.

You brushed your fingers over the pieces. "Not really, Your Grace. That was more of my brothers' thing..."

Leona's eyes trailed you as you carefully placed your veil on a sofa cushion, before he turned away as you started to fiddle with the clasps of your outfit.

He spoke up after a moment. "I didn't ask if your brothers played." You heard the rustle of clothing as you put on your nightwear. "I asked if you played."

"I do, but I'm not very good at it."

"I'll be the judge of that."

He strolled over to the chessboard, clothed in a thin silk shirt and pants. He gestured for you to sit across from him as he reset the board, black facing him.

You moved your white pawn to D4, wondering if this would be your wedding night. A preferable outcome, really. You barely knew Leona. Plus he might kill you if you performed badly enough. You chuckled at the thought.

Leona raised a brow. "Something funny?" Knight to F6.

"Just a passing thought, Your Grace." Knight to H3.

A grunt of acknowledgment. Pawn to D5.

You played through a few more moves before speaking up again. "Is this..." You tossed the words around in your head. "Will you be..." Your fingers brushed over the queen.

"If you're asking about our wedding night, I'm plannin' on sleepin' after this." He tapped his finger on the table as he waited for your next move.

"I-" Thank you, you wanted to say, but you moved your pawn to H4 instead.

He checkmated you with ease, barely losing any pieces. But instead of gloating, he simply went to bed, expecting you to follow.

Being the master of the duchy was different from being a royal. You were in charge of managing all the internal affairs, while Leona was in charge of the external ones. While this would usually mean that you'd be managing the servants and budget of the Duke's Estate, in your case it meant that you were doing not only your paperwork, but the late paperwork Leona had neglected to do.

You looked at the towering stack of paper leaning against the desk in your new office. It would take more than a week to get through all that.

Ruggie laughed nervously by your side. "The rest is in Leona's office."

You sighed and reached for a quill. "Right. Shall we get started then?"

Sir Jack, who you soon learnt was Leona's most trusted knight, and Ruggie, Leona's aide, were invaluable to you running the duchy as smoothly as you did. While Leona napped, you had Ruggie deliver the needed letters and replies to the other diplomatic envoys. While Leona trained the knights, you were stamping all the paperwork he hadn't finished the day before. And when Leona finally entered the office, you were hurrying down a lunch you barely had enough time to eat.

Still, you never said a word about it to Leona, even when the workload threatened to swallow you whole.

You needed to be a model spouse; to be invaluable to the duchy. If you did most of the work, then what reason would Leona have to kill you? If he did, then he'd be the one stuck doing paperwork in the office all day.

...You barely had time to eat dinner with him. You entered the bedroom hours after he went to bed, and woke and ate breakfast when the sun rose.

You would be running on fumes soon, and there was nothing you could do about it. Ruggie started to slip you snacks during the lulls between one stack of paperwork and the next. Jack started pulling you away every so often, if only for a few minutes, just so you could get some sunlight.

It still wasn't enough to get you to leave your office for more than an hour or two each day. The paperwork seemed never ending, impossible for one person to do. Until, eventually, Leona stepped in.

"I'll do that." He muttered as he swiped a pile of paperwork off your desk.

You blinked through bleary eyes. "There's no need, Your Grace. I can-"

"Where'd this 'Your Grace' stuff come from." He shot back. "Call me Leona."

"I- fine. I can get through that stack of papers Leona, there's no need for you to burden yourself with it."

His tail swished as he glared at you. "Then why're you the one doing it? If it's a burden, then give it to Ruggie or someone."

"...Because it is my duty as the Duke's Spouse to complete any paperwork necessary to the functioning of the Duchy." You tucked your hands in your lap, twisting your fingers through each other in a facsimile of a hand holding your own.

"Is that so?" A dangerous smirk played at your husband's lips. He started to glance through papers, separating them into two piles.

"I- Your Grace- What are you doing?"

He didn't reply, merely continuing to sort through the stack on your desk.

Was he seriously going to ignore you until you called him by his name? What kind of immature, childish-

"Leona, what are you doing?" You asked through gritted teeth.

"Makin' sure you're only doin' paperwork necessary to the functionin' of the Duchy, dearly betrothed." He replied with ease, holding the larger stack of papers in his arms.

"But- you- let me do the larger stack at least, you're already so busy-" You attempt to appeal before you are cut off.

"Busy doin' what? Sure, my naps are incredibly important." Leona ignored Ruggie's eye roll. "But I'm sure I can fit in time for this somewhere."

You gnawed at your thumb, before trying again. "There's really no need, I've been managing fine on my own-"

"Ruggie told me you fainted yesterday." Leona's eyes flashed as the room turned cold. "I'm not lettin' you do this at the expense of your health."

"It was only a minor occurrence, really I'm fine! I'll take better care of my health, just let me-"

"Why are you so insistent on this?" You froze, and Leona's eyes saw right through you. He scoffed. "You don't need to be walkin' on eggshells around me all the time. I can handle my own work."

"Obviously not if you let it pile up to this point!" You snapped back, teeth digging through the flesh of your thumb. "If you don't want to do it, then why not let me? You can keep your naps, and I can do the work, that's perfectly alright with me!"

"And watch my spouse waste away? I barely see you at dinner, and when I do you're picking at your food like some kind of bird. You barely eat, you barely sleep, Sevens, you barely even talk to me!" You flinched at Leona's raised voice, and he paused, taking a breath. He continued with a gentler tone. "We may not have married for love, but I expect a life partner. I don't want to watch my spouse overwork themselves to the grave just to please me, okay?"

You hesitated, scanning his face for any hint of a lie. Leona's eyes met yours, a steady green. "Alright. But, in exchange-" You looked at him for any sign of objection before continuing. "I- I want to help with your diplomatic envoy meetings." At his crossed arms, you struggled for an explanation. "It doesn't even have to include me being present, I can just help with your appeals. I don't even have to look at any of the documents I just-"

"It's a good idea." He stopped your rambling with a raised hand. "The others've been asking how you were doin' anyways."

"I- really?"

"Why'd you ask if you didn't even think I'd say yes?"

You ignored his snarky comment and moved past your desk, legs shaky like a newborn fawn. Still you persevered, Leona moving closer to hover over you. You grasped his hands in yours, ignorant to the shocked expression that flitted over his face. "Thank you thank you thank you! I won't disappoint you, I promise!" You squealed as you bounced up and down.

Now you just have to make yourself useful to the envoys, and that's two death flags down! Leona seems to care about your continued well-being, which removes him from the culprit list. Jack was way too noble to even think about hurting you (He almost cried when he saw the slight bruise around your wrist. He had gripped you a little too hard to save you from falling during your fainting episode.). And Ruggie saw you as a comrade against the paperwork Leona kept leaving for him to do. (He had cried tears of joy when the two of you had gotten through that first stack. Apparently it had been tormenting him for a month.).

If things kept going your way, then you could probably prevent the entirety of the main cast from killing you. Then, it's just making sure to stay far, far away from the Empire until the year is over.

You will get through this year! And then, once the hero arrives, you can take a backseat and graciously allow Leona to pursue them, then return to the Empire with a war averted, divorce papers in hand! You just have to continue to be useful to the main cast, before taking a bow and exiting stage left.

Surely you could just get through your lines without issue. Right?

Leona frowned as he looked at your hand. Your thumb was bleeding. He glanced at Ruggie, and with a tilt of his head the hyena was off to grab you some gauze.

An unbidden, soft smile came to his face as he basked in this moment with you. He'd been apathetic to this union from the moment it was clear he'd have to marry you, a royal he'd never even seen before. But looking at you, you with your bright smile and your warm hands around his, he could admit to himself that a marriage with you as his spouse couldn't be too bad.

A/N: And that's a wrap folks! I'm not sure if I will be continuing this story, I mostly wrote it to get it out of my system, but if people seem interested in a continuation, I might write one. If you can't tell, this is based off of the many, many otome isekai manhwas out there. If you're looking for a fluffy one like this story, I recommend "The Villainess Wants to Marry a Commoner!!". You can read it ad-free on mangadex.org <3

[yuvany]

"MS.UGLY DUCKLING" ft SIM JAKE

SYNOPSIS : growing up "ugly" was not for the weak. Being absolutely ignored both in and outside of school was not for the weak. No one is ever ugly forever though. Changing schools and meeting new people, but most importantly meeting him might have been the best choice you've ever made in a very, very long time.

CONTENT WARNINGS : angst (with a happy ending) + bullying + insecurities + strangers to friends + friends to lovers + written in second perspective + self deprication + fluff + long + little rushed + partially proofread

ACTORS : ENHYPEN JAKE x FEMALE READER

WORD COUNT : ~ 4k

CHECK BOX !!

i. "WHY WON'T THEY EVER PLAY WITH ME," you asked your mother after returning home from a long and harsh first day of school. Your hair looked a mess, and dirt was scattered across your clothes, yet your voice sounded like childish innocence and pure wonder. Maybe it was too much for such a young child to realise that her newly made friends maybe weren't actually her friends?

(Read more under the cut)

"I'm sure they didn't mean to?" She replied, her voice sounding soft and vulnurable, feeling like she was responsible for the sorrows and grief that her child had been put through, since she was the one who had bought you into this world. Instead of confronting the problem, she told her child that the world wasn't as evil as it seemed, that thinking on the bright side, or the possibilities, were the correct way to live life.

Eight-year-old girl walked up the stairs with heavy weights glued beneath her feet after dinner was finished. You threw yourself onto your bed that was neatly made in the morning before you went to school happily, just to come home opposite of the way you left. The softness of the pillow and blanket laying on your bed was enough to comfort you as you buried your face deep into it and wrapping the blanket around you tightly. You wished for friends, and you wished to be happy, but most of all, you wanted to be like everybody else.

ii. ONE MORE DAY at school, the daily mistreatment never seeming to come to a halt. You walked through the corridors anxiously holding onto the straps of your backback tightly with your pair of eyes wandering all over the place in case of danger. This was certainly not nessecary for a child your age, but when nobody chooses to help, you've got to start taking care of yourself.

Maybe it was your nerves that made it feel as if everyone's eyes were on you, but their mouths would open to release a fit of laughter that they had held in until specifically you walked past them. You crossed your arms, feeling extra aware of yourself now, guessing that they were laughing and giggling at you, which you didn't appreciate, but you were also too insecure and scared to speak up against them.

You reached your locker, looking forward to being able to collect your throught, away from everyone else, the locker shielding you away from their piercing gazes and judgemental stares and whispers. As you look up from your shoes, you see piles of gum stuck onto your locker, the gum being pressed onto the metal aggressively by the people you wished you didn't see. It was them; the popular girls of the school, and few of many people who seemed to despise you. They saw you standing there, shooting you an all too familiar look before walking away with their hips swaying from side to side dramatically.

You approched your locker to finally see what they were doing up close, "UGLY!" it read. You felt embarrased imagining all the people who passed by and saw this. Did they laugh? Did they feel bad for you? What did they think? You wanted to run away and hide in a deep hole you'd dig up with all the stored up shame inside of you.

iii. "MOM, DO YOU THINK I'M PRETTY?" You asked your mother once more, years after the first, but soon to the recent encounter. "I think you're very pretty." She says, but your gut tells you another story. "Really?" You ask, awaiting her response that takes a long while before she hums lowly. That just confirms it, she wasn't being honest. "Thanks," you say, with no emotion in your tone. She looks away and eats her dinner quietly.

You quickly finish yours, and wash it in the faucet, the soap bubbling up and covering your fingers as you scrub and rub the plate, utensils and glass that you used. After finishing that up, you return to your room, locking it behind you. You hid under the covers for a while until it got too suffocating and warm, leaving you itchy and irriatted before sliding out and standing in front of the mirror. You inspected every inch and detail of your face, feeling not so content with some parts. You sighed at your reflection that looked back at you with tired, red eyes. At just fourteen years old, you began caring about how you looked, and how others precieved you, so you took matters into your own hands. That night, you stayed up all night searching for 'how to be prettier' and scrolled endlessly through social media.

The next day, you had decided to get a new hair cut to maybe fix the way you looked, you knew excatly what you wanted, and how to cut it. Before anyone else woke up, even before the first birds chirped their morning tune, you made your way to the bathroom and grabbed a pair of scissors in your grasp. You carefully cut strand for strand, the same way you remebered how the video showed. "It doesn't look too bad." You think to yourself, and then you hear footsteps outside the door. Your eyes quickly scanned the hair that layed on the tiled floor and faucet, wondering what to do with it.

Too late. The door slowly swung open and in came your mom. She was silent upon seeing the scene, the horror only showing in her eyes. "What happened here?" She asked like a sharp whisper. "I just cut my hair..." You reply equally quiet. You see her shake her head in disappointment, so you turn your head down, looking at all the hair that had been flying everywhere while you had fun cutting your hair, and suddenly you weren't as proud of your hair cut like you were before. "Go get the broom, y/n." You obeyed your mother's order and hurried out of the bathroom feeling tears of embarrassment reaching your eyes.

iv. YOU STARTED WEARING MAKE UP to cover up, but to everyone else, you told them that you wore make up becase you thought it looked pretty. Still, they'd give weird glances toward each others, which you knew was their way of judging you.

Each morning, you woke up early to sit in front of your mirror examining your appearance like you always did. Hoping and praying to somehow change over night, you hated how your features looked together. You opened the drawer of your vanity and picked up sponges and brushes, leaving them aside for later use while you chose the different essintials. You had prepared the whole summer break to look pretty. Every day, you followed a new tutorial, improving as you continued. You did all this to look presentable at school.

You thinly spread the foundation across your face, dabbing the liquid evenly all over as you moved onto the next step. You sat there for a long time, perfecting each detail and mole, brushing your brows and coating your eyelashes with mascara, and lastly smacking your lips together after applying lipstick.

You stood in front of your larger mirror that you had ignored and hidden away since you never wanted to see yourself ever, but now you felt prepared. In your eyes you looked prettier. You wore your hair differently, you had earrings and necklaces, the school uniform from last year looking a lot better than you remembered. The confidence boost put a smile on your face as you made your way downstairs and made yourself breakfast.

In the kitchen, your mum was sipping her coffee calmly, but as she saw you walk in, her eyes widened in shock, but she didn't say anything. "Good morning!" You greeted happily, and she waved her hand slowly, still trying to process what was happening. "You look different." She comments, and you are content with that reply, and answer, "Thank you, mum!" You proceed to eat your breakfast and then made your way to school.

At shcool, you felt everyone's eyes hooked on your face. The corridors got quiet when you walked by, and you heard murmurs and whispers about you, "Is that really y/n?" "No way..." "What happened." You didn't know what context to put it in and just walked with hurry in your steps, wanting to get to your class and focus on your studies.

Lunch also happened to be no different compared to before your make over, the group of three girls made their way to your table, cackling amongst themselves, planning what to do today. You, who already finshed your lunch stood up to walk away, not wanting to have an encounter with them, until one of them, the blonde barbie, knocked into you with her lunch tray, spilling her food and drink all over you. "oops!" he chuckled cheerily, enjoying the laughs and fingers pointed at you from around her in the cafeteria. You angrily stood up and rushed over to the bathroom, feeling embarrassed once again.

v. "I WANT TO CHANGE SCHOOLS." You say to your mother after a long while of thinking, fearing that you might make the wrong decision, but what could possibly go worse than how it already is? Your mother is sneering at you from the side as she puts down the bags of groceries by the sink. She hums, and you wait for her reply, feeling your heart beat through your ribs, beating so hard that you start belive it'd jump out of your body any second. To be fair, you'd rather for that to happen than to be rejected of this preposition. "Are you sure?" She asks with uncertainty in her voice after silence, and you nod your head, "Of course." "Think about it for a little more, and then we can ask your father when he returns home." She says and walks away. How much longer could you ponder it when you're already certain.

You help her organise the groceries, washing them in the sink to sterilise it of bacteria before placing it in either the fridge or freezer and taking your sweet time, not knowing what else to do other than lay in your bed or be on your phone scrolling through social media.

So, that's exactly what you did for the past hour or so after your chores.

Of course it was boring, but you had nothing else to do. Homework was done, your room was clean and you could only wait for dinner with your father. You heard the sound of the stove from your room, and rushed down to help prepare with your mother. You plated the dinner table, helped your mum with the dishes and washed them afterwards, now you waited in your seat for your father to arrive home from work.

You hear the door slide open, the sound of keys jiggling from the entrance. You sit straight in your seat, resembling a meerkat on its legs as you inspect the person who enters the kitchen. Your father walks in with his coat still slung over his shoulders, his briefcase slamming onto the kitchen counter while he sighs. "Hello, dad!" You greet him cheerfully, and he simply nods his head in your direction. Your mum rose from her seat to help him with his jacket and hat, but he just shrugs her off, and you notice both of their irritated moods.

Dinner was quiet - the sound of utenstils hitting each other and then being left on the plates filled the house. "y/n wanted to ask something." Your mum blurts out, wanting something to happen, being too awkward in this stale atmosphere. You see him look at you from the corner of your eye and he clears his thoat. "Really? What is it?" He asks, and you manage to utter the same statement from before. It takes a moment before you get a reply again, but he says, "I'll think about it." You pleaded with both your parents to let you change schools until they finally caved in with an extended sigh.

vi. YOU WALKED INTO THE FULL CLASSROOM feeling everyone's eyes glued on you, the feeling being vagualy familiar yet different. Some leaned over to their friend, whispering something, but as you saw them and they made eye contact with you, you wanted to shove yourself inside a locker. "Everyone, this new student ..." You zoned out her speaking until she placed her palm on your shoulder and asked you to intruduse yourself to everyone. "Hello, I am y/n l/n, and I really hope we can all be friendly," You said, and then walked over to the empty seat that the teacher pointed at.

As you take a seat, you take extra notice of your bench mate. Oh, how beautiful she was, her hair looked neat, her skin looked perfect and her eyes... You finally took a seat and did what everyone else did - copying what the teacher wrote. After class, you observed your schedule, confused by where to go. This school was big, and you were a new student who just joined, there was no way you could ask anyone else for help except the teachers, but the one in you room had already left. The girl from beside you tapped you on the shoulder and you turned your head curiously.

"Do you need any help?" She asked, and you nodded. "Help would be appreciated, thanks."

You spent the day with her, laughing and talking like never before. It was comforting to have someone like her beside you. At the end of school, she walked you outside of school and there you saw a group of other people gathered, and they waved in your direction. You turned to see your newly made friend, Yoona, waving back. Her pace quickened as she rushed over to the group, pulling you along by the sleeve of your uniform when she noticed you standing still.

It was a fairly small gang, but they still stared at you as you arrived. They all greeted each other, hugging and chatting till Yoona introduced you to the rest. Her voice sounding so smooth.

As she spoke, you noticed this guy. His hair was long and swept in waves, his eyes soft and brown filled with warmth and kidness. You learnt that his name was Jake from your friend's introduction. "Y/n, wanna come to karaoke with us?" She asked, and you shook your head. "Sorry Yoona, but I gotta head home now" you say, not wanting to interrupt the harmony established amongst the people. She nodded understandingly and let you go, waving her farewell.

On your way home you realised you had made a new friend. A real one at that, but thoughts of insecurities snaked its way into your mind. What if she was just being kind? To say that this could possibly be one of many occurrence was high, and the possibility that you'd fit in was low.

vii. YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN THE PARK with them. You've come to the realisation that a new start was exactly what you needed. Your feet swung you back and forth on the swing, hearing the laughter of everyone around you and feeling the warmth in your heart expand. You had gotten close to everyone, but Jake seemed to have a special place in your heart for some reason.

"Anyone wanna go to the arcade?" Someone called out, and everyone said yes, including you who never went along with them. On the way there, you walked along side Jake, chatting with him and joking. "So what made you change schools so suddenly." He questioned, and you shook your head with an awkward chuckle, "Nothing, I just wanted to." Jake had this friendly smirk on his face as he nudged his shoulder against yours, "you can't be serious. You probably had a lot of friends there." You had your eyes focused on the road as you tried to comply a decent reply. "I mean-" as you were about to answer, everyone had already arrived at the arcade. You found this to be the perfect escape.

Everyone rushed inside, being bombarded with games and bright lights. Almost immediately, you spotted the claw machines. You eyed it like it was candy. There were many plushies, but you really really wanted the bunny one. Jake who was close by saw the way your eyes lit up and approached you with his hands in his pocket. "If you beat me in any game, I'll get you that plushie." He says, and you turn to look up at, his lips being extremely close to your face. "Are you sure you wanna bet?" You asked and he nodded his head, "Go ahead, choose a game." You pointed at an air hockey board and Jake ushered you over there with his palm resting on your shoulder.

You played a couple of games, and you were determined to win. Jake, not so much. His eyes roamed everywhere except for the hockey puck, his eyes landed on your concentrated face a handful of times, observing your reaction to each goal. You easily won and rushed over to his side, cheering. Your smiles were contagious, and Jake laughed, exposing his pearly teeth. "You wanted that white bunny, right?" He asked, and you nodded. "You could get whichever one, really." He made his way to the machine, you standing beside him. Jake kissed his coin before inerting it into the machine. It took him many tries before he sighed and collected his calm once more. "You don't really need to continue, Jake." You tell him, but she shakes his head and stretches his arms and back. "I'll get it this time. I might need more luck though." You see him point at his cheek with a smug smile. "That's silly." You reply sarcastically and he pleads with you giving you the puppy eyes before caving in. You stand on your toes and quickly peck him on the cheek shyly. Your heart was pounding and you could feel your cheeks turn rosy at the act.

He winks at you once before turning to the machine with one last try. His focus is evident in his fierceful gaze and you also hope for him to win this time, mostly becuase you start to feel bad for all the coins he's lost.

While being consumed by your own thoughts, Jake celebrated his win. He turned around to hand you the bunny, but saw you spacing out. He snapped his fingers in you face and you shook you back into reality. You finally processed the fact that he had won after staring at the plush in his arms. Jake gently hands it to you and you take it with a smile. "Woah! Thank you so much!" You thank him over all the other people's conversations around you two.

The rest of the evening was spent with silent glances that held adoration between the two of you. and eventually, it was time to go home. You all gathered outside the arcade to wave each other off before going their separate ways.

You notice that Jake was taking the same way as you and you stopped in your tracks to let him catch up to you. "Do you also take this way?" You asked him. "Kind of, I actually wanted to walk you home." He rubbed the back of his neck before you two began walking again. "You could've told me before, you almost looked like a creep." Jake chuckled at your remark and said, "I would've, but I guess I got shy." with his thick accent seeping through.

The sound of crickets and owls hooting filled in the silence during the short walk to your front door step. "Thanks for walking me home, Jake." You say as you search for your keys in your purse. He was silent for a while as you unlocked your door. "Y/n, I have something to ask you." You turned to him curiously and arched an eyebrow. He was obviously nervous as you saw him fidgeting with his own fingers and clearing his throat over and over again to muster up the courage to ask,

viii. "WILL YOU GO TO PROM WITH ME, Y/N?" It had totally slipped your mind that prom was soon. You stood there wide eyed at the question. "You're not joking with me right." You wonder if he's pranking you, but he shakes his head. "Why would I joke with a pretty girl like you." His tone sounds genuine, but you still can't shake this feeling of uncertainty. "There's many other people you could've asked, but instead you chose me." The identical feeling of hopelessness returned after finally being chased away. "Becuase I only want you. Y/n, please." It takes a while for you to open your mouth an reply, but you feel the cold sweat coat your hairline and seeing Jake's soft expression was not helping you to calm down.

"I need to think about it, sorry."

You take notice of how Jake's expression turns dark when you shut the door and lock it behind you. You rush up the stairs and sprint into your room, ignoring your mother's calls. The plushy you had gotten from Jake was thrown onto your bed as you hurry to look out the window, observing him walk away from you. To your surprise, you see him look back at your house. Hurriedly, you pull out a diary that you had hidden under your mattress and write about everything, it isn't until after you're done taking notes that you feel bad for Jake. How must he feel?

You take a look at the plush he gifted you, and groan at the dilemma.

ix. THE NEXT DAY at school you searched for Jake everywhere, but you never saw him. Your mood visibly worsened as the day had come to an end without seeing him once. Yoona took notice of this and decided to question you. "Is everything okay?" She asked you and you nodded your head with a hum. "Yoona, have you seen Jake today?" She shakes her head and pulls out her phone. "He sent me a text this morning that he wouldn't come today since he felt under the weather. Why?" "Nothing, just wondering." You quickly blubber, grabbing your stuff quickly. "Hey, what's the rush? Wait for me alright." You hear Yoona chuckle as she packs her stuff. You apologise and wait for her.

You two part ways at the split road with a hug, and you gradually start to jog your way to his place. You stand there on his door step, bag slung over your shoulder with your fingers twisting the hem of your skirt. "Is it too late to turn around?", you think you to yourself. You shake away these thoughts, and raise your curled up fist to knock, but to your surprise, Jake opened the door, his eyes looked equally as shocked as yours. "Uhm, so I wanted to talk to you." You utter, and see Jake sigh. "Sure, I'm going on a walk if you wanna follow along." You nod and walk behind him.

"So, I've been thinking." His interest perks, and he glances your way. "I'll go to prom with you, but I don't understand why me? I'm not pretty. I'm not that ....good." You voice comes out weak, and Jake stops walking. "Don't say that. Not only are you incredibly beautiful, but you're also so, so kind and caring." He approaches you, his hand gliding up your cheek. "Are you not angry at me?" You ask, trying to avoid his eyes. "Angry? At you? That's ridiculous." He scoffs playfully, and you finally get the courage to look him in the eyes. "I might've been slightly upset since I thought you rejected me, but i guess I have a date for prom!" He smiles brightly and you look at him awestruck. "Of course," you reply and kiss him on the cheek once again with your arms swung around his neck, and his arms instinctively wrap around your waist. "You make me so happy." He is smiling widely as he pecks your face with butterfly kisses.

TAGLIST :: @swaivy

[onlyquinns]

Pt. 3 of Quinn and readers wedding? Maybe the boys make a speech??

you and quinn sit side by side, hands clasped together. the two of you smile at each other, whispering softly over dinner. it’s been hours since the wedding, but the magic of it hasn’t set in yet, even as the reception dinner comes to a slow.

everyone around you eats happily, chattering and the sounds of silverware clinking together. someone whispers excitedly next to you about how gorgeous you and quinn look, and how much they can’t wait to see the two of you dance together after dinner, but you pay no attention to them.

“you look beautiful, mrs. hughes,” quinn whispers, grinning shyly as he squeezes your left hand. he holds your hand just right, the centerpiece stone catching the golden setting sun coming through the giant windows. “you always are.”

you look down at your plate, a silly smile plastered to your face from the compliment. it’s not rare for quinn to say nice things to you—he makes it a point to compliment you at least once a day—but it still makes you fluster.

you’re about to respond when you hear chair legs scrape along the floor, followed by the repetitive clinking of a fork against a crystal wine glass. quinn groans next to you, all half hearted,

“oh, god,” he says, nudging your shoulder with his as if he’s annoyed, but his lips are tugged into a large grin.

you look up as jack and luke stand to your left, nestled amongst the rest of quinn’s groomsmen. the two of them squabble over a microphone and a sheet of paper, muttering and bickering over who gets what. a soft ripple of laughter goes through the room as they finally settle on luke holding the mic and jack holding the slip of paper.

luke opens his mouth to talk, but jack clears his throat dramatically, a silly smirk on his face. “hey, party people!” he starts, and quinn sinks into his seat, a hand coming up to cover his flushed and rosy cheeks and the gorgeous smile on his face. “this goes out to our sister from another mister, the greatest baker of this century, another woman in our lives that knows what it means to sacrifice; this goes out to you, y/n.” jack makes a point to look at you, eyes softer and his smirk more tender. someone in the crowd sniffles, and that’s luke’s cue to take the microphone back.

luke runs a nervous hand through his hair as he looks at you and quinn. “before you,” he starts, “we all thought q was going to marry hockey—“ the crowd laughs, and you turn to quinn with a eye-crinkling smile, “—but you changed that.” luke smiles at you, “i have never—and i mean never—seen quinn so head over heels for anyone. i promised him to secrecy, but i’m the youngest so we all knew that was a bad idea, but the day he met you… it was his second year at umich and he told me that he was going to marry you. he told me—and mom, obviously—that you were the brightest person he’d ever seen.” you let out a watery laugh at luke’s words. “i didn’t know what that meant. i asked him, ‘bright as in smart?’ and he went off. he said that you were the smartest, kindest, most caring person he’d met—and when he got drafted, he told me he was going to propose to you then and i had to convince him not to because he hadn’t even asked you out yet.”

quinn groans in his spot, hiding his face behind his hands. you laugh at him and squeeze his thigh.

“so you knew you had a crush on me since college? i thought you started liking me after we ran into each other in canada,” you tease, reminiscing on the day you’d moved to vancouver for a job offering and had literally run into quinn, who’d offered to tour you around the city.

quinn sinks even lower in his seat, “i mightve lied,” he mumbles, and you giggle to yourself.

jack lets out an obnoxious ‘ahem,’ “we aren’t done yet,” he says sassily, rolling his eyes.

you snort, “i’m the bride!”

“uh, who cares? lukey—back to you,” jack says, dramatically turning to luke and displaying his hand out to him as a little flair.

luke laughs, the sound gentle and somewhat awkward. “uhm… after i met you, i knew quinn hadn’t lied about a single thing. you really are smart, pretty, and super kind. i’m so glad quinn found you and that you found quinn. i hope your guys’ marriage is filled with laughter, love, and a lot of baked goods—because, fuck, you make a mean lemon loaf.”

you laugh, bringing a hand up to wipe away stray tears. you sniffle and quinn tucks you against his side, wary of accidentally crushing your hairdo.

“you better treat her right, q,” jack says. “because that’s our sister, and even though we’re biologically related to you, mom taught us to always treat a lady right. i’m not afraid to call you out.” jack narrows his eyes and points at quinn, making sure he gets his point across.

quinn laughs, cheeks still red from embarrassment. “i promise to cherish her for my entire life, and the next.”

jack nods and sits down, finally satisfied, and pulls luke down with him. the other attendants burst into applaud, sharp whistles coming from some of quinn’s friends. you laugh and tuck your face into quinn’s neck, not caring about how your makeup might look after.

“i love you,” you say into his skin, breathing in the intoxicating aroma of his cologne.

quinn smiles, eyes soft as he tilts his head atop yours. “i love you more,” he says.

and you believe him, because he’s never given you a reason not to.

[shewas-afairy]

One of the things that makes Ever After High so amazing is how every character, main or side, has their own complicated story.

Obviously we have Raven not wanting to follow her destiny because she doesn't want to be evil, and Apple wanting a secure and safe future because she's scared of the unknown and wants to meet her mother's expectations

But at the same time, we also have characters like Briar Beauty, who, on the outside, may seem like she has her life all straightened out and is the life of the party, but in reality, she's so terrified of having to sleep for a hundred years that she is determined to live every day to the fullest so that she doesn't have to think about her grim fate.

Ashlynn Ella, who's desperately in love with Hunter, but they are just not meant to be, at least according to the book.

Duchess Swan, who, behind the mean girl facade, just wants a happily ever after, and is determined to do anything to get one.

Darling Charming, who is not content with being a damsel in distress and basically has a double life so that she can be a hero.

CA Cupid, who helps everyone around her find love, yet is stuck crushing on a boy who doesn't like her back.

Lizzie Hearts, who has so much love in her heart and misses her mother and homeland so so so much, but hides her true feelings behind her harsh exterior.

Cerise Hood, who's guarding her family secret with her life.

Kitty Cheshire, who pranks others just so she could have her mother's approval.

Blondie Lockes, who just wants to fit in with her fellow royals, so she's constently trying to prove herself, however much of a gossip she may be.

And there are so many more characters who each have their own story. Their own tale to tell. And that's what makes Ever After High one of the best shows ever.

[cokoakeostuff]

Legend, Koholint.

i’m not real

He’s a talented and experienced hero, someone who has faced countless challenges and saved everyone more than once. But the spark he once had has faded. His adventures stopped being exciting and began to feel like a burden.

The events of A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, and Oracle of Ages left their mark on him, but what truly shook him was his visit to Koholint Island.

There were no kingdoms in danger, no imminent threats, no grand destiny awaiting him. For the first time, Link had no one to save. And the more time he spent on the island, the more attached he became to its people, especially to one person: Marin.

He fell in love with Her and with the peace of the island. But he couldn’t help to continue in his journey to uncover the mysteries of the place. The monsters that arrived with him seemed to be trying to stop him, and the warnings were clear: if he kept going, he would only bring misfortune. Yet Legend continued.

In the end, he discovered the truth. Everything he had lived through on Koholint was nothing more than a dream created by the Wind Fish. Waking the Wind Fish would erase the island and all its people.

And what else could he do? He completed his mission, because that’s what heroes do, right? But this time, it didn’t feel like a victory. Nothing about it made him feel like the hero he once was. Even if Koholint wasn’t real, for Link, it felt like sacrificing an entire village just to save himself.

And if it was all just a dream… why does losing Marin and all those people hurt so much?

Koholint was a reminder that not all adventures end with a "happily ever after."

——

I just need to talk about him, he has been living in my mind rent free, Im gonna post this later but it’s 4AM and I can’t sleep because IM THINKING ABOUT HIM, anyway, short comic about Legend, his thoughts and what he is going trough. And come on, he is a teenager, nothing hurts more at that age than a broken heart.