#beginning of feelings
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
tired-truffle · 1 year ago
Text
The Art of Pointed Questions
A DamienxAmma Fic
Word Count: 2.7k
Part 1/1 - Complete
Based off the prompt from tumblr user @creativepromptsforwriting
P.S.: If you haven’t read this series but you like my other fics, i highly recommend reading Villains and Virtues by A.K. Caggiano, its literal gold 💯
Tumblr media
Masterlist
“Have you ever had a friendship bracelet?”
The ridiculousness of that question echoed across the rocky walls surrounding their path as it wound through a small craig. It wasn’t the first absurd question that Amma had asked in their seemingly never-ending journey toward Faebarrow, but this one had to be one of the most egregious yet. 
Had Damien Maleficus Bloodthrone, Son of Zagadoth the Tempestuous, Ninth Lord of the Infernal Darkness and Abyssal Tyrant of the Sanguine Throne, ever had a friendship bracelet? 
The better question would be if he’d had any friends at all, to which the answer would be a resounding no. He was evil, evil beings did not have such childish things as friends. 
Damien didn’t justify it with an answer, instead, he released a heavy, long-suffering sigh and debated using the talisman’s power to get her to stop talking - it seemed he was debating this almost every minute he let her have free reign of her own speech. 
Kaz had scrambled off somewhere a half hour ago and had yet to come back, however, Damien could sense his presence skulking behind them. The imp had been keeping Amma busy chatting - though it had in truth been Amma chatting at him and Katz shooting back cruel names and annoyed looks. But even his loyal minion couldn’t withstand that brand of torture forever and had fled in a burst of rage, leaving Amma with a new target who was much less engageable than Kaz. 
Damien thoroughly debated - for what felt like the millionth time - leaving Amma behind just to avoid her inane questions. Yet he couldn’t leave the talisman unattended, could he? Hence his constant debate on ordering her to shut her mouth. He’d done worse to others for less heinous acts, surely this wasn’t unreasonable.
“I know you heard me, Damien, don’t pretend you’re too dark and broody for a friendship bracelet.” Damien could practically hear the eye roll in her voice and he stifled an irritated growl. “You were a kid at some point, right? Kids give each other friendship bracelets, half-demon or not. I bet you were just like all the other kids, playing with your toys and frolicking in the streets or whatever it is kids do in creepy cities - skulking through the streets?” Amma giggled, apparently, the image of a tiny Damien, pout on his face as he skipped around was too much for her to contain herself. 
“I am evil, Amma. Evil people do not frolic, no matter their age.” Damien shot her a withering look. But like a fool, he’d fallen for her bait, and he watched as a wide smirk pulled at her round cheeks. Not wanting to admit to having been beaten, he hissed, “Sanguinisui, do not talk until we reach our camp tonight.” Amma’s mouth snapped shut as her teeth clacked together. Knowing her - as he had unfortunately come to in their time travelling together - she’d been about to gloat and Damien had managed to catch her before she could, thank the hells. 
She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly irritated, which only succeeded in painting a smug grin across his lips. Gesturing to the surrounding forest, she put her hands to her throat and made a strangled sound, her tongue comically sticking out the side of her mouth. He supposed he couldn’t blame her after the last time they’d been attacked and she’d been unable to make a shout for help because of his orders. 
Somewhere behind them, Damien heard Kaz make a wretching sound. 
Damien rolled his eyes but conceded - he couldn’t risk losing the talisman. “Sanguinisui, you may only ignore that last order if you are in danger.”
Satisfied that she wasn’t at imminent risk, Damien turned away from her, clicking his heels against his ‘horse’ to spurn it on faster. The last thing he needed was to look back at where she sat, dejected and fuming. He didn’t want to feel any sort of pity for her, like how he’d feel pity for a weak little kitten caught out in the rain. He had other more important things on his mind, like getting his father out of the crystal, his main objective. He didn’t have the time to spare her any sympathy. 
The peace and quiet that had accompanied his order had been truly blissful for about thirty seconds before Kaz took it upon himself to sit behind Damien - now that Amma couldn’t speak to him - and glare at her, making rude gestures along with some snide remarks. Amma had then taken it upon herself to pull stones out of the bottom of her boots and chuck them as hard as she could at Kaz’s impudent face. Unfortunately for Damien, said face was right behind his back, and Amma’s aim was by no means her best ability. She ended up mostly pelting Damien with the pebbles. When one had the audacity to bounce off the back of his head, the scathing glare he shot her way had been enough to make her rethink her actions. Perhaps throwing stones at the man who was in charge of all your actions and would soon be killing you, wasn’t the wisest course of action, unless you were trying to speed up said killing and subsequent death. 
By the time they made camp, Damien was in an even fouler mood than he had been after seeing Xavier - which was saying something since that lecherous blood mage never failed to make his blood boil. Damien spat out his usual commands to Amma, told Kaz to guard her, and trekked off into the woods to find them some dinner. Surely hunting a creature would make him feel better.
Kaz took that as his opportunity to discipline Amma himself. “How dare you anger Master Bloodthrone, he does not have time for your petty grievances, you are his captive.” And for good measure, “Whore.”
Damien didn’t bother listening to Amma’s indignant response, he’d heard enough of their banter to know what she’d say, and he was sure it would only serve to piss him off further. 
By the time he returned to camp an hour later, a small hare in hand and much calmer after releasing his magic on some unsuspecting trees, he was feeling much more collected. 
Amma had her back to him, facing the small fire she’d built and was hopelessly trying to start by spinning a stick in between her hands on top of another slightly larger stick. 
“That won’t work,” Damien said in lieu of a greeting. 
Amma yelped - the sound much too high-pitched to be at all dignified - and spun around, having been so focused on her task that she hadn’t heard the crunch of dead leaves under his heavy boots when he’d walked up behind her. 
Damien smirked. Good, scaring unsuspecting innocent girls was something evil people did, evil like Damien. 
“You don’t have to startle me, you know, I was only trying to help.” Amma dropped her sticks, a light blush tinging her pale cheeks. 
Damien shrugged and with a wave of his hand, he’d quickly lit the fire. Magic was a wonderful thing. 
“Showoff,” Amma muttered under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest. Kaz cracked an eye open from where he was resting on a rock, satisfied that Amma looked dejected, he closed his eyes again. 
Amma turned away from the fire, picking at the long grass and small wildflowers that were bordering the little clearing they’d found. Damien paid her no mind and set to work preparing their dinner. By the time it was cooked and devoured by all participants, it was time for bed. 
Damien gave Amma her nightly commands, - sit, stay, play nice - and settled down to sleep, turning away from where she sat, staring off into the dark woods, fiddling with grass in her hands. If she didn’t want to sleep, that was on her, but she better not be cranky tomorrow. He didn’t know how he would cope with more irritation after today, he had his limits, and Amma being here was already pushing it. She’d already steered his evil plan off course. He now had to go all the way to Faebarrow to get the amulet out of her - so he didn’t have to kill her. It was out of pity of course, like that cat stuck in the rain, he wasn’t evil enough to push it under a carriage wheel, even if it would end its suffering. 
And if his dreams were filled with horrible images of a lost blonde cat, shivering in the rain, no one had to know but him. 
***
When Damien woke, the first thing he noticed was that Amma was not where he’d left her sulking by the fire. The second was that said sulker was no longer looking so miserable and had moved to hover over the small sleeping form of their resident imp. 
“Do I want to know what you’re doing?” Damien asked, rolling to his side and propping himself up on his elbow, swiping a hand down his face. It was much too early to be dealing with this, but the sooner he got whatever ridiculousness was going on out of the way, the better the rest of his day would be. 
Amma whirled around, eyes widened in surprise and hands clasped guiltily in front of her chest, pulling Damien’s eyes to the ample cleavage her shirt did very little to cover. He quickly looked back up to her face, pleased to see she showed no indication that she’d noticed his brief lapse of control of his gaze. 
“Have you finally smothered him in his sleep like he deserves?” 
Amma squawked indignantly. “Of course not!” 
Damien shrugged, sitting up and stretching his arms out from the little aches and pains he’d gained from their sleep on the hard, unforgiving ground. 
“That’s too bad.”
“Damien!” Amma hissed, her forehead pinched. “Don’t be so mean to him, look how cute he is when he’s sleeping.” 
Cute wouldn’t be how Damien would describe Kaz, his protruding lower jaw wide open, drooling onto the rock he’d made into a pillow, his spindly body spread out haphazardly. In a way, he looked almost dead, if it weren’t for the rise and fall of his chest. Damien could see how he could look peaceful, perhaps, but cute felt like a bit of a stretch. 
Damien had prepared another retort, unable to help himself, when a small band of green and white caught his gaze, pulling it toward the imp’s wrist. He rubbed his eyes to ensure he was seeing correctly, and when he blinked away the black spots, he saw that the small band was still there. It was made of thick grass interwoven with small white flowers into a delicate braid pattern and tied in a neat bow. 
Damien looked between the bracelet and Amma, his eyebrow raised. 
“I think it suits him,” Amma said, smiling down at the sleeping imp. “And I’m very good at making friendship bracelets.” 
Damien felt a headache coming on, he thought they’d left this conversation yesterday, “Imps don’t have friends.”
“They do now.”
Stubborn as ever, Amma refused to relent, and Damien no longer knew why he even bothered arguing about this. Kaz would wake up, tear off the offending item, and call her some rude names, to which she would insist he keep the bracelet and be unnecessarily kind to the hateful creature. 
And Damien had to pee, something he had no plans of putting off for a pointless argument. 
He stood up, brushing off his clothes as he popped the joints in his knees. She frowned, that was odd, there seemed to be an unfamiliar object moving on his wrist. Anger built in his chest before he laid eyes on the object. He already knew what it was. 
“We aren’t friends either,” Damien growled, eyes flashing as he looked at where Amma stood, a sly smile on her face. It was unnerving that she’d been able to get the bracelet on his wrist whilst he slept without him noticing, and he would have to add a new line to her commands about not touching him when he was unconscious. He would have noticed earlier, had this grass and flower bracelet not somehow been entirely black, blending in with his black sleeves. 
“I even covered it in ashes so it would match your moody aesthetic.” Amma flicked her fingers at him and he felt an indignant jolt run through his chest. He wasn’t moody, though arguing that point would not help his case.
And he would never in a thousand years admit that he couldn’t help but feel it was also strangely…. thoughtful, that she would take into account his preference of colour, or lack thereof. 
He grunted, unable to come up with a proper retort so early in the morning, he turned swiftly on his heels to march towards the forest. 
“I’m not keeping it,” he called, not bothering to face her as he lifted his arm up and yanked the bracelet off. The bow came apart, ripping slightly as it did. 
“No!” Amma’s disappointment was clear in her tone and Damien ignored the tug in his gut from some stupid emotion he didn’t bother putting a name to - likely pity, that was about all his evil heart was capable of in this situation - and he continued his journey to find some quiet and private place to pee. It shouldn’t have been as difficult a task as it had been.
“Fine, be a miserable loner then!” she yelled after him. 
“I’m evil, Amma, evil people don’t have friends, and they certainly don’t wear friendship bracelets,” Damien drawled, grinning to himself. “Right, Kaz?” He raised his voice so the imp could hear him. If he hadn’t been evil he would have felt bad about sicking Kaz on her, who at Damien’s call, realized what Amma had bestowed upon him, and was reacting just as he had expected. 
Damien chuckled, revenge felt good, these were the consequences of her actions. Including him throwing that damned bracelet away and never looking back. 
He twirled the bracelet between his fingers, the ash rubbing off as he did so. It was strange that she’d gone through so much effort to give him something she knew he wouldn’t like. The son of a Demon Lord wearing a friendship bracelet, how absolutely ludicrous. It would get him laughed out of Yvlcon, and he could only imagine what his father would say should he show up to free him from the crystal with an ash-covered, grass and flower braid around his wrist. 
He went to toss it into a bush, but at the last second, he hesitated. He couldn’t name what had stopped him, but the image of Amma, eyes wide and glistening with tears over all her hard work going to waste, of him rejecting the gift… it made him seethe quietly, but at the same time, he found himself unable to let go of the offending item. 
Resisting the urge to stomp childishly, he shoved the bracelet into his pocket. With any luck he’d forget about it and it would become crumpled beyond repair, and at last, he could part with it, if it didn’t turn to dust first. 
It would serve as a reminder that he didn’t need such things, that they weren’t for people like him. Bad people don’t deserve nice things. But if he kept it in his pocket, if he ruined such a nice gift, then maybe he could keep it, if only as a show of how evil he truly was, to hurt someone who had only tried to be kind.
He didn't have friends, nor would he ever, no matter how hard Amma tried, he was sure that he would be a ‘miserable loner’ for the rest of his life. It was his fate, no friendship bracelets would ever change that. 
Damien shook himself, he should really be more concerned that that thought upset him, but as he listened to the sounds of Kaz and Amma bickering, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth light somewhere within the deep, dark recesses of his heart. 
That damn girl and her damn kindness, surely it would be the death of him. He wasn’t sure what was worse, that his tombstone may read ‘Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne, Killed by Kindness” or that he wasn’t sure he would mind it, as long as it was Amma, with her bright smile and even brighter laugh, who did it.
A/N: I adore this series and it needs so much more hype!! Its literally the funniest and the cutest and had me giggling and kicking my feet???? Irl??? Wild.
Brb gonna go consume everything this author has ever written ✌️
33 notes · View notes
soapbbox · 6 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Like does the high guard know about what’s been going on or
Technically a continuation of this
12K notes · View notes
fleshadept · 1 year ago
Text
looking at (vetted) gofundmes for people trying to escape palestine and i don't know how many of you actually click on the gofundme links you reblog but i would like to point out, for what it's worth, just how amazing it is that so many have raised so much money. it may overall feel like a drop in the ocean but the fact that several gofundmes have raised tens of thousands of dollars is amazing. it is so expensive to leave gaza right now, and people still need money after they escape. but regardless of what propaganda the US, UK, canada, and other western nations are trying to pump out, people across the world are doing what they can to help these people survive. many of them are still very far from their goals (like this one and this one and this one) and some of them are very close to high goals (like this one), and some of them have reached almost double their original goal.
and that's not even addressing direct aid or organizations that take continuous donations for distribution of food, menstrual products, etc. the PCRF has raised $16,000,000 of their target goal of $20,000,000 to fund current aid and long-term relief efforts in gaza. ANERA's febuary 13th update discusses the material ways they helped palestinians today:
Tumblr media
(ANERA donate link)
my point is, it often feels like the world is turning a blind eye to palestine. but i would like to point out that there is an important difference between "the world" and "western political leaders and media narratives". a breathtaking amount of real people, the people who make up the world, are trying to help. in the face of israel attempting to commit genocide, the world is saying No. These people deserve to live. and literally sending millions of dollars internationally, through the internet connection that israel has desperately been trying to destroy.
it may not feel like it matters in the grand scheme of things. but to the people who get fresh clothes, or a hot meal, or blankets, or the kids who get new toys, or to the people who are able to bring their families to safety, it matters to them. go make someone's day better. i've linked so many options with ways to do that.
27K notes · View notes
butchjesus · 8 months ago
Text
alright friends. you have to rename yourself using the NATO phonetic alphabet. which one are you choosing?
Tumblr media
8K notes · View notes
fluentisonus · 5 months ago
Text
the thing is I am still thinking about that bit in conclave right before they're about to vote when the breath of wind & birdsong comes in through the window that had recently been violently blown in to let the light and air into what has til then been a suffocatingly still & sterile & dark & enclosed environment & it ruffles all the pages on the desks & they all pause and look up. like oh god is there
3K notes · View notes
drdisasterartz · 7 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
stardust to stardust // inspiration -> "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt
edit: reblogs r appreciated plsplspls😖💕‼️
4K notes · View notes
anbaisai · 10 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
how it felt to wake up today
5K notes · View notes
bet-on-me-13 · 10 months ago
Text
The cult of...Danny Fenton?
So! Way back when Danny first moved into his new neighborhood in Gotham, he had some trouble controlling his Powers. The different Types and Levels of Ectoplasm in the air when compared to Amity had thrown off his control.
He was used to being in places where his Ectoplasm meshed well with the Atmosphere, like a Water Balloon in a Pool, but in Gotham that analogy would be closer to a Water Balloon in the sewers. It was too different from what he was used to to fully control his Powers.
So it's understandable that he messed up a few times and his neighbors found out about his Abilities.
They took it well at first, Danny wasn't going to go Rogues or anything, and he never used them maliciously, but eventually they got curious.
They asked what his limits were, how he got them in the first place, and what the hell the Ghost Zone was. The answers "None Really", "I died and was reborn", and "A Collective of every Afterlife at once" did spark some interesting reactions from them.
Most importantly, a few of them joked about him being an Eldritch God that they needed to worship. He was good enough friends with them that at that point they felt comfortable pranking eachother, so they did just that.
Danny woke up one day on his birthday, and saw all of his friends and neighbors surrounding the makeshift Throne they had made and put him on while he was asleep. The entire day they chanted stuff like "The Great One requires Ms. Smiths Apple Pie for his day of birth!" And "The Great One Wishes for us to sing the Ritual Song! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birth-"
After his birthday, they kept up the joke.
It didn't help that his powers had evolved Again! And now he could bestow abilities onto his friends. The jokes they made about their God granting them Supernatural Powers to rule the world with were insufferable.
Then, one day while he was just resting at home, watching a movie on his TV, he felt a Pull at his Core. The same kind of Pull whenever he was being summoned. But why would they summon hi- Oh Shit! It's Mr Jenkins Party today! He was supposed to meet them at the Warehouse they used for special events an Hour Ago!
He quickly accepted the Summoning, but was met with a suprising sight. His Neighbors all tied up in a pile to his right, a spilled table of party food to his left, and right in front of him, Batman and his Family watching him with wary eyes.
Slowly, he opened his mouth. "...so, did you come for the party or..."
7K notes · View notes
brainrotcharacters · 10 months ago
Text
wade's undiagnosed ADHD (giggling everytime Logan stabs him) is only ever matched by Logan's undiagnosed autism (stabbing Wade with his claws when he's overstimulated)
7K notes · View notes
chloesimaginationthings · 1 year ago
Text
Tumblr media
I know Vanessa regret saying this in the FNAF movie,,
6K notes · View notes
ninja-knox-ur-sox-off · 4 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Okay 3 things
1. I was thinking about an aroace Sonic who says things that can be taken as wildly flirty/romantic but he just means them genuinely. “You have beautiful eyes, I keep getting distracted while looking at them,” not cause he’s interested romantically in them but because eyes can be really cool and pretty man I dunno what to tell you he likes looking at cool things and he thinks his friends are neat. “You’re the most beautiful person here,” because he really thinks that, he loves his friends
2. Sonic randomly dropping heartfelt genuine comments on his friends out of the blue completely blindsiding them and then moves on like nothing happened while they’re left going ?????? Bonus points if he does something immensely stupid or jerkish just before or immediately afterwards and they can’t tell if he was serious or not with the compliment (yes he was)
3. Sonic usually being so allergic to truly vulnerable moments that when he expresses something heartfelt randomly Tails thinks he’s been stabbed or something and does not believe him when he reassures him that he’s fine he’s fine he’s not dying yeesh
#KNOX ART (me)#Sonic the Hedgehog#Aroace Sonic#Rouge the Bat#miles tails prower#amy rose#knuckles the echidna#Shadow the Hedgehog#how to explain the fact that I think Amy crushing on aroace sonic is lovely. I love you but not like that and you liking me doesn’t make me#uncomfortable so you can keep doing it its okay i won’t’ ask you to get over it quickly no ones as fast as me#dysfunctional in the sense of Sonic says stuff like that without meaning it in that way and it feeds into Amy’s crush even though she knows#he’s not going to return her feelings#ALSO I DREW ROUGE!! SHE’S LOVELY!! OUGH!! I LOVE DRAWING WOMEN!!!!!#sonic dropping the fact that he views shadow in a very positive light after they’ve been at each others throats arguing for thirty minutes#multi-ship but make it mostly one-sided who isn’t’ a little bit in love with sonic romantically or platonically or anything else in between#look at him#then he scarfs down a chili dog and no one can take him seriously#drives them all absolutely insane with his nonsense#imagine hearing this dude say something genuinely heartfelt and for a second it flips your perspective of him#and then he’s telling you your eyeliner is crooked or pointing and laughing at you cause you stumbled or doing a handstand and bragging#about it and nope he’s exactly the same except IS HE?#hyper-competent sonic that leaves everyone wary of him#heartfelt sonic that makes so no one can ever quite hate him#jerk sonic so that no one can ever quite worry for him#I’m mentally ill over the hedgehog can you tell CAN YOU TELL????#HAPPY AROMANTIC AWARENESS WEEK IG THIS IS NICELY TIMED HGLKJSDLFAKS;LDJ#are we getting into ooc territory? I honestly couldn’t begin to tell you I’ve seen 3 clips of of rouge and Amy between the two of them HGLK#i forgot i wanted to do one of sonic asking shadow ‘can i hold your hand now’ and shadow looking at him like he’s insane
2K notes · View notes
vexanari · 6 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Hehe thought it'd be fun n indulgent to draw Kieran (and Carmine) as the zorua line !!
2K notes · View notes
buckybarnesj · 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
- 'I gotta deal with the fact that now I know you.' - 'Well, you don't really know me.' - 'Doesn't matter. I know you enough.'
2K notes · View notes
hinamie · 3 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
wonder if they know what he's on about
2K notes · View notes
baeshijima · 10 months ago
Text
thoughts on being engaged to duke!sunday, the head of the oak family, an incredibly influential figurehead within society, the close subordinate of emperor gopher wood who brought him and his sister in and raised him like his own, and the villain who faces a tragic ending in a novel you recently finished — the very same one you just so happen to find yourself transmigrated into. he is as cunning as he is blinded, a trait which brought ruin to many in the empire, and one which ultimately brought ruin to himself at the hands of the protagonists.
as luck would have it, you became a barely mentioned side character from a marquis family, whose role was to be the villain's wife stuck in a one-sided love who, too, would get caught up in the tragedy alongside him. however, now that it's you who is stuck in this position, you're determined to try any means necessary to deter him from going down that path, all in an effort to escape your predestined doomed fate!
of course, you didn't expect it to be easy. the day of your arrival in this world was already the night before your wedding, so you had little time to prepare yourself for the nonchalance of your supposed family, how they viewed you as but a means — a tool — to boost their influence and prosperity, the dismissive mannerisms of the household servants, and the absolute beauty of a man you will be married to.
(seriously. the novel descriptions did not do him justice. he was like... like... like he was handcrafted by god himself! and not to mention his sister, robin, was the very epitome of an angel! perhaps you're destined to perish by the god-tier visuals instead...)
to say the least, the wedding ceremony went by quickly. safe to say you didn't spend the night; he was cordial and gentlemanly upon letting you know that he won't do anything until you're ready, that you can take this relationship slow, but somehow you ended up feeling a tad insulted. like, who leaves their newly wedded alone in a big cold bed as they walk out on their own? a sick bastard that's who!
well, whatever. it's not like you need nor want to consummate with him! besides, you have bigger things to worry about — things such as your impending death. and, of course, the only way to stop sunday that you can imagine working is by chipping away at his resolve bit by bit, and opening his eyes to reality.
he is a tragic character, one who cares more about the well-being of penacony and its people than anyone else, but was manipulated into getting his hands dirty in the emperor's stead. you knew this. you sobbed over his story, cursed out the protagonists, and even fought internet randos on novel forums about sunday's motivation and how,
no, he is not just a stupid villain. he is a complex character with flaws and humanity and was cruelly taken advantage of by someone he considered family. he was deceived through the suffering the emperor wanted him to see to make him easily manipulated, creating a rift between him and robin to have that prominent separation. you know what? maybe you're just a !%#@ who can't even #@?"% read properly!
and yet you still find yourself at a loss when faced with the walls he has in place. your initial efforts went as well as it possibly could have; you trying to earnestly help him, while he "kindly" dismisses your offers! well, "kindly" being more condescending since you could read between the lines of his mannerisms and amiable demeanour, but that's fine! you expected this! that just means you have to double down on your sincerity, get through to his heart (somehow), and help him realise humanity isn't as weak as he's led to believe!
you have three years until the novel's plot officially starts, and another year after that until your demise. that's plenty of time to get him to warm up to you!
it was easier said than done, but after your valiant effort and abundance of time put into this relationship, which admittedly you could do with some of that lost time back, you could give yourself a pat on the back with the progress you made! while you definitely could have done without a lot of the headaches, it's safe to say sunday has significantly warmed up to you in comparison to your wedding day. he now willingly eats all his meals with you with some real conversation, takes garden strolls with you in the early evenings, invites you out for dinner at a restaurant at least four times a week, hell he's even joked and laughed with you more frequently! but most importantly, he has begun asking for your opinion before finalising any decisions he is required to make. and he actually listens and considers your side! now, that certainly is the best outcome you could hope for after all this time, and it most definitely will help in your endeavour to save you both from the protagonists!
however, you've noticed he's been more... affectionate? well, at the very least he now willingly holds your hand when in private (not just in moments when you're in the public eye and he has to make sure the family's reputation is spotless), sometimes he will hug you out of the blue ("i just need to... recharge. you have a way of calming me down. i hope you don't mind." ...how could you say no to his supreme god-tier face card? that's just a losing battle you won't even bother fighting against.), oftentimes he opts to just gaze wordlessly at you (robin had mentioned over one of your tea times how it almost appears as though there is no one but you in the world when sunday gazes at you with, in her words, "the eyes of a man so deeply in love!" ...whatever that's supposed to mean...), but a more recent development has been his sudden interest in kissing you; well, more specifically giving you a kiss to the back of your hand or on your forehead — certainly not anywhere near the lips! (besides, he's probably just gotten comfortable with you, enough where he can freely act without judgement. nothing more, nothing less.)
well, either way, development is development! soon enough, the time for the main plot to start has arrived. it of course follows what you remember, from the organised balls to the protagonists meeting to the political aspects of it all. the only difference is sunday's less active involvement in all the schemes and the emperor's ploy. rather, he seems more focused on you and the future of your marriage and even displayed a sudden interest in your practically non-existent relationship with one of the foreign diplomats, aventurine— wait...
"[name]," he calls your name out so sweetly you nearly disregarded it as someone else he was talking to. well, perhaps you would have done had he not suddenly appeared before you, a tight-lipped smile tugging the corners of his lips as he steadily approaches you.
oh. he doesn't seem very happy, if his tense figure is anything to go by. you wonder if one of the nobles grated his nerves a little too much this time?
sunday comes to a halt a step away from you. "i don't like that... gambler being so close to you. it... it brings me a rather unpleasant feeling." there's a slight, trembling pause. not a moment later does he close the gap between you, one knee on the ground as he matches your seated height on the fountain rim, your hands gently enclosed in both of his.
you idly wonder if this is what robin meant by the so-called "eyes of a man so deeply in love" she constantly gushed about, for the way in which he gazes up at you is enough to render you breathless.
"tell me, [name]," he begins once more. there is an underlying desperation woven within his tone, one which has your head spinning and heart thumping wildly as his trembling gaze holds you in place. "tell me, what am i to do with this fervent love and overwhelming adoration i hold for you?"
oh.
...oh.
perhaps your impending doom should be the least of your concerns when you now find yourself in the arms of a clingy husband...
(though, it's safe to say you did, in fact, manage to prevent him from succumbing to his tragic fate! you just gained a loving, yet slight slightly emotionally challenged husband along the way.
well, you can help him work through it; you have the rest of your lives now to figure it out, after all.)
3K notes · View notes
ziggystqrdust · 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
they danced
2K notes · View notes