#next is customizing their inn

[suffersinfandom]

They are a set, do not separate!

[izzy-b-hands]

sitting here trying to get thru my second shift and suddenly

for no good reason the image of that fuckin iasip meme came to mind ('the economy is in shambles') but it's Ed, Stede, and Izzy (alive and I hate that i have to clarify that but here we are) trying to run the inn*

*Said with love to all three of them but. oh boy.

[fairsweetlonging]

svsss horror game au where shen yuan is first in line to buy the pidw-inspired rpg where you play as a wandering cultivator with amnesia, and are taken in by the cang qiong sect during the head disciple days of the last peak lord generation.

because pidw knows its audience, a large part of the marketing was focused on the romance and action aspect of the game, with additional lore from deleted novel scenes—how could shen yuan not buy this game? maybe the peak lords will finally be more than props in the background! the romance aspect seems to be at least somewhat tastefully done, if he can trust the leaks, with more emotional depth than fetish fulfillment (shen yuan swears that if there is even one unskippable cutscene of some peak lord's feet he's going to chuck his computer out the window).

shen yuan customizes his character, going all out on the clichés because why not, giving him white hair and peerless beauty and all the characteristics of an A+ wife (beauty is power in pidw), actually excited to play the game. the first part is standard, you wake up in a barn with amnesia, only a sword and some items to your name, and have to do some tutorial quests to get used to the game mechanics. it's simple enough. eventually, you end up in a village that shen yuan is certain is possessed, because all the NPC's act very unnatural and strange, and it's pretty unsettling. here, the player is supposed to meet the cang qiong head disciples on their own quest, who naturally think the player is the most interesting person they've ever seen, a super special cultivator, and will take him in because the player is the most coveted character in the universe (apart from luo binghe, that is).

of course, before shen yuan can get very far, he ends up being transmigrated into the game as his own character. it could be way worse: he's a cultivator, peerlessly beautiful, destined to be picked up by the most prestigious sect, and has his own protagonist halo of sorts. he's honestly pretty excited about this

until he finds out that the marketing heavily downplayed the horror elements of the game.

shen yuan is calmly eating a meal in an inn of the village, waiting for the next quest point to start, when suddenly,

[ system notification ]

"you are being observed"

observation level: ???

entity classification: unknown

engagement protocol: do not acknowledge

right after, the windows go dark, not closed or shuttered, dark, as if something large has just leaned against the side of the building. no one else acknowledges this.

shen yuan shakes it off. it's just a game, it's... ambiance, that's all. build up.

he walks through the streets of the town, using his low-level talismans to try and find traces of the entity he's supposed to defeat or uncover to complete the quest. he pauses beside a broken cart, one of its wheels is half-sunk in the mud. the system pings again.

[ system notification ]

"it's behind you."

note: do not turn around.

(option to suppress message: [ ] not recommended)

the street is utterly silent. a prickle begins at the base of his skull. something is there. some deep animalistic part of him is already screaming not to look.

it disappears. he earns 5 survival points. he hopes he won't have to earn any more.

later that night, shen yuan looks for shelter, finding an old shrine visible from the road, just at the side of town. he steps inside and sees old incense sticks, some forgotten offerings. it's simple, but dry. it will do.

he crosses the threshold—

[ mission triggered ]

mission objective: hide

time limit: unknown

condition to complete: remain unnoticed

footsteps crunch in the leaves outside. every nerve in him goes rigid—not human.

too heavy. uneven. it's coming.

shen yuan ducks behind the offering table, body pressed flat against the ground. he slows his breathing, barely daring to blink. a screen in his peripheral vision blinks to life.

[ environmental mechanic activated ]

microphone mode: ON

sound detection level: HIGH

a semi-transparent sound meter appears. with every shaky breath, the bar pulses red. shen yuan clamps his hands over his mouth.

something passes, just beyond the shrine's opening. large. the system does not count down. there is no timer. the floor boards moan faintly beneath a ponderous weight, something drags across the ground.

shen yuan forces his body still, trembling so hard it hurts his teeth.

it leaves. the system congratulates him for surviving. it doesn't tell him what he just survived.

it's a relief when the head disciples of cang qiong show up, and the story delves into romantic cliches and relationship prompts. he gets to see liu qingge shirtless. shen qingqiu is typical tsundere. yue qingyuan is the soft gentle type. shang qinghua acts... off. he isn't what shen yuan thought he would be, less cunningly charming, more, well. nervous. of all the head disciples, he's the only one who actually seems like he doesn't want shen yuan to be here, always looking around.

like he knows shen yuan didn't come alone.

more instances like this occur. one moment, he's farming reputation points and relationship points with the other characters, doing quests and gathering memory fragments that will help unlock the player's backstory, the next, the system seems determined to make the game hell.

it always comes out of nowhere

[ system update ]

"warning: your heartbeat has been logged by another entity."

would you like to mute heartbeat tracking?

[ ] yes

[ ] no

[ ] it's too late.

he can never figure out what's following him, what that creature from the village is, but it's always there. no one else seems to notice, not a single talisman or ward can stop or detect it.

it comes even when he's in bed, still faintly blushing from a wife-plot equivalent where he fell from a ladder and was caught in wei qingwei's arms. he got to pet the pangolins too!

he's just about to fall asleep when the system pings:

[ mission objective: survive until dawn ]

hint: do not scream

somewhere beneath the floorboards under his bed, something begins scraping. like claws trying to memorize the layout of the house from below. shen yuan doesn't dare move. sleep never comes that night.

*

he can farm intelligence points by attending classes, and being the monster and plant nerd he is, qian cao peak is his first choice (it's either that, being beat up by bai zhan disciples that aren't even liu qingge, or running into shen qingqiu).

in the middle of a lesson on demonic poisons, the system pings quietly

[ system message ]

"one of the bodies in the infirmary is not a body"

objective: don't lose sight of it

shen yuan turns his head, slowly, to the curtained recovery beds along the wall. the curtain on the last one is slightly open.

it wasn't before.

mu qingfang continues speaking. shen yuan doesn't dare to look away.

*

one day, the thing starts to catch up

[ mission failure ]

"the sound you made has been registered"

estimated proximity: 00:00:17

do you want to run?

[ ] yes (not recommended)

[ ] no (not recommended)

*

[ emergency notice ]

"you were seen"

objective: hide

time limit: expired

success rate: 2%.

do you want to proceed?

[ ] yes

[ ] yes

*

[ achievement unlocked: it found you anyway ]

*

anyway, can you tell i had fun with the horror prompts? ^_^

i just have sooooo many ideas for the player's backstory, where it seems the character is just a blank slate for the player to project themselves onto, but there is so much more to them than you think. im also having loads of fun with the creature that follows the player around, i love making it as disturbing as possible.

mild spoiler: the creature is real and connected to the player. other characters can't detect or interact with it, but it's slowly growing stronger. shang qinghua is, of course, airplane, and as he was directly involved with the production of this game, he knew that as soon as an OC showed up, that thing wouldn't be far behind.

also, i love the idea of shang qinghua being stuck in a dating simulator as one of the options to romance. now shang qinghua has to play along with his own cringy cliche meetcutes, like showing the player around, flirting with the player, and generally playing the role of suave administrator with a dark secret (he's terrible at it). he had to do the "there's an eyelash on your cheek allow me" move on the player (shen yuan), and almost cringed out of his own skin. though, shang qinghua is the only one who can properly emphasize with the player, because he actually knows what horrid creature is stuck to him and what kind of horror scenarios the player has to go through (accidental cumplane? it's more likely than you think).

it's a bit of a mindfuck too, because shang qinghua can't tell whether the player is also a transmigrator, a puppet controlled by someone from another dimension, or a fleshed out OC of the system. he's also not allowed to ask, so it remains ambiguous. until, of course, they find out they're transmigrators and shen yuan has to deal with the fact he almost romanced airplane.

shen yuan makes a joke about defeating the creature with the power of love. shang qinghua says he wished it was that easy.

[cythena]

REVENGE

ꨄ︎ synopsis . now you're cursed it seemed. maybe it was karma for your relentless attempts to fluster giyuu. they worked out in the end but now he's set on messing with you too.

warnings . oral f receiving, breeding, awkward moments for reader, cowgirl, fingering, messy kissing, really chill tbh

word count . 3k words

notes . part two to this post! since i got a request for it i was a little bit stuck on what to do soooo i reversed the roles now giyuu gets to have fun.

he's doing it on purpose. that evil evil man. there was no way he was that aloof. he's completely aware of what he's doing and he's enjoying it. he loves getting back at you for everything you've done to him.

everything he's done was a calculated move in order to provoke you. whether it was innocently masked questions or touches, they were all done with the intent to fluster you. your words would jumble together and cheeks grow hot. all while he kept that stupid stoic expression like he wasn't messing with you.

you're so upset but can't help but enjoy this game he's started. you even started distancing yourself from him a little. whenever meeting with him, you try to avoid giving him any opportunities. yet somehow he always manages.

he still makes your head dizzy. even from your distance you admire him, his strong jaw, smooth skin, sharp nose. he's so handsome you wish this game would end soon. then you could finally get your hands on him again — or at least even the score.

it's not fair fun anymore. giyuu let your hook up get to his head. you were always hyper aware of how he reacted to you. he avoided you but his eyes lingered. with a gaze so intense and heavy, it was impossible for you not to notice. you relished in his attention and used it as fuel to your advantage.

on mission assignments together, it was nearly impossible to avoid each other. giyuu had suffered previously whenever ubuyashiki made the ignorant and cruel decision to partner you two together. it was undeniable how well you worked together combat wise, but other than that it was insufferable.

the bright side of it was how fast missions were completed. the most time was spent walking together and back, then separating to return home.

"y/n," his voice calls for you from the trees in front. his back is turned to you while he sheaths his sword. when he turns to you, you're flicking blood off the metal of yours with a twirl of your hand.

"yes, tomioka?" your melodic voice rings in his ears. he mentally scowls at the use of his last name once again.

you take few steps to move closer to him, keeping your distance still. he closed a decent amount of the distance to stand in front of you. he bends his neck slightly to meet your eyes.

"we'll stay at an inn for the night."

you're not given time to respond before he's walking to way back to the village. you follow him with a short distance between you until you reach the inn.

the inn is a decent sized place, refurbished and well kept. it's clean and a little busy. a few customers are returning to their rooms with buzzed looks on their faces.

giyuu speaks to the receptionist. he's an older man, sweet faced and kind looking. a woman standing next to him looks to be his tired wife. her eyes are shut and she's wobbles a little.

"good evening. you travelers are out quite late," he smiles and leads you to a room. you trail behind giyuu.

his wife holds freshly steamed yukatas which she hands off to you while a drowsy smile. "have a lovely night you two."

the man shuts the door behind you. from the outside you hear the woman speak again.

"what a sweet couple. the man reminds me of you when you were younger."

your ears perk up now. you glance around the room realizing the circumstances. you were give a single room because they assumed you were together. not that you had a problem with it but still. did you two really look like a couple?

giyuu was already settled near a small table. he begins ridding his haori and sword, placing them on the ground neatly. you remove your outer layers too, opting to be mature about the situation if he is as well.

you face the other direction until he calls your name.

"i need your help, my wound requires bandaging."

"oh, i'll be there in a moment," you reply. you turn your back to him once more to finish taking off your sword.

he takes a seat on the table. his legs spread open, his wrist rests on his thigh and his hand hangs. the other arm props the rest of his body up from behind his back. his collar is loosened and stretched from his neck, revealing his adam's apple.

you swallow thickly at the sight. it's almost...arousing.

you brush it off and focus. "where's your injury?"

giyuu's hand reaches from his thigh and tugs from the opening in his collar. somehow he yanks the buttons open in a single motion. he pulls one side of his shirt away from the center and lets it slide off his arm.

a red wound stretches across the side of his lower torso, next to the eye catching muscles of his abdomen. it makes your mouth water on sight — even though it's nothing you haven't seen before.

your face burns and your eyes go wide. it's inexorable. you notice how giyuu's eyes squint as he watches your face reveal your feelings.

"is there a problem?" he asks, keeping eye contact. "are you able to help?"

that little bastard- you think to yourself.

"yes. just give me the bandages?" you mutter. you try to speed up the process as much a possible.

you kneel down between his legs to reach easier. you're eye to abs with him now. pushing the thought out of your head, you wrap the bandages around him.

giyuu smiles while you're focused on his wound. the sight of your head between his thighs is something he's shamelessly fantasized about. suddenly your head shoots up and you catch the coy smile playing at his lips.

you loose your balance and fall backwards onto your ass. he doesn't react, instead slipping the rest of his shirt off. you take this opportunity to hurry back to your side of the room, far away from him and his stupidly defined abs.

you needed a nice break. finding time in your schedules to meet with mitsuri and shinobu was difficult. a free slot in your schedules aligned on the day of a festival in your town. so the three of you planned a date for that evening.

you all dressed in beautiful clothing, a refreshing change from your corps uniform. you wander the stalls together through the bustling crowds. red and orange lights glow and illuminate your faces. mitsuri stops to sample multiple snacks while shinobu admires handmade crafts.

a cat figure catches your eye and you step to the side for a little.

"i'll catch up with you in a moment," you assure them before heading towards the booth.

it's a cute little wooden cat. you pick it up and examine the delicate woodwork.

"i'd like this. how much?"

"eight yen but for a pretty la-"

an arm suddenly extended over your shoulder and offered what looked to be ten to fifteen yen. the owner happily traded the cat for the generous sum. he gave you the cat wrapped in a pretty box.

you turned to thank the kind person. giyuu stood behind you, shadowing you. he also dorned a deep blue yukata.

"tomioka, i didn't expect you to be the festival type," you said. you both stepped away from the stall and continue walking.

"i'm not." he turned his head and gestured to the three familiar boys and young girl. "tanjiro asked me to come."

"and you were just so willing?"

"it's near your house, i hoped to see you."

his words sent heat to your face once again. such romantic words said so stoically. he was doing this on purpose.

"came all the way here in hopes of seeing me?" you tease.

"if you weren't here," he steps closer to you, "i would've went to your house."

"and if i weren't there?"

"i would've waited." where did he learn this from? he's so forward with his words. he returns to his original position and looks off the the side. his gaze lies on nothing i particular as he speaks again, "but kocho mentioned your plans before."

your path takes you towards a quieter part of the festival. it's just as bright but with more seating and open space available. the loud atmosphere is replaced by a relaxed one. the crickets chirping becomes more apparent now.

you're admiring a particularly beautiful latern when your foot catches an uneven stone in the pavement. you lose your balance and in a flurry of movement, fall forward. giyuu reacts swiftly.

his arms reach out and wrap around your waist and pull you close to his chest. your arms smoosh against his body as your heart races.

"i remember you telling me...not to fall for you," you must be crazy because you hear a chuckle in that statement.

giyuu's soft gaze lingers on you, a faint smile tugging at his lips. you push your palms flat against his chest to get off. before beginning to move, your own lips curled into a playful grin.

"it seems it's too late for me," you whisper.

"y/n!" a high pitched voice gasps.

your head whips to see mitsuri and shinobu joining you and giyuu.

shinobu's eyes close as she brings her fingers to stifle her laugh. "my my, i wouldn't have expected tomioka-san to be so close to anyone, let alone, y/n."

"if you and tomioka-san had a date please don't let us interrupt!" mitsuri's face flushed in excitement at the sight of you and giyuu holding each other.

you quickly push yourself off of him and walk over to them.

"no! we don't have a date, it's not what it looks like." your voice is a giveaway to your humiliation. you hide your expression from all three of them to mask your embarrassment.

a few days after the festival, you don't get any interaction with giyuu. no missions or training sessions bring you together. the distance makes you a bit relentless.

you settle down in your yard, admiring the afternoon. a kakushi calls your attention.

"y/n-sama, i have a letter from tomioka-sama," they say with a bow.

curious and pleased to see some interest from giyuu. you walk over over to the kakushi. they hand you a neatly folded up paper. it's the usual template for any giyuu letter. you'd be concerned if it were longer.

"i need to see you. come to my house as soon as you can - giyuu tomioka."

how dry-

you thank the kakushi and walk back into your house. with no pressing matters at the moment, you decide to visit him immediately. the letter seemed somewhat important.

the journey to his house is quick and you find yourself at his door in no time. you knock firmly. there's a brief pause before the door slides open.

giyuu reveals himself shirtless, his toned muscles and faint scars from battles past on full display. the lighting from the oil lamp highlights the contours of his well-defined chest. he uses his elbow against the frame to hold his head up.

"giyuu what the fuck—" it slips out of you.

his fingers spread through strands of his hair as he gazes down at you. "you're here."

"it seemed urgent," you swallow, trying to keep your composure. he moves aside to let you in. "obviously not that urgent. why are you dressed like this?" you pinch the bridge of your nose.

"is there a problem?" he asks with innocent in his voice.

"when you have guests over—"

"but it's nothing you haven't seen before."

confidence instills itself in you. "so you're dressed like that because i'm here?"

"isn't it more comfortable this way?"

you roll your eyes, trying to hide the heat rising in your cheeks. “perhaps. comfortable or not, it’s still a bit unexpected.”

he chuckles softly, his gaze never leaving yours. “well, if you’re uncomfortable, i can change.”

the playful glint in his eyes tells you he’s enjoying this moment far more than he’s letting on. you take a deep breath, trying to regain your composure.

“no, don’t bother. let's just get to why I’m here.”

as you turn, giyuu steps closer, his presence warm and unmistakable. “if you insist,” he says, his voice low and soft.

he closes the distance between you. your back is pressed against a wall. his lips capture yours in a sudden, fervent kiss. the softness and warmth of his touch make your heart race, and you melt into the kiss, losing yourself in the moment. his hands grasp your face delicately, like glass. you layer your hands on top of his.

he's gentle at first. his lips brush against yours with tender and soft motions. the intensity rises as the pressure of his kiss and fingertips increases. the fervor behind them is fueled by passion, desperation, and yearning. your mouth feels like a fire that only he can cool.

you part with a deep inhale, your chest rises and falls while a string connects your lips.

"that's what i'm here for?"

"not all."

he yanks your shirt off and tosses it. his hands reach to undo your belt while keeping your lips interlocked. you skirt falls onto his floor. he's practically salivating at the sight of your body.

he knew he missed it but not this much.

he pulls back to gawk at your bare body, free from anything barriers. he brings his hands to settle in on your hips.

"nuh uh." you shake your head and gesture to his pants.

he reluctantly pulls away from you to shed his pants. he wastes no time before attacking your lips once again. he trails kisses and bites down your neck until he reaches your nipple. he takes one into his mouth while he tweaks the other with his index and thumb. he uses his other hand to slide across your clit, gathering your slick and then sliding between your folds. his tongue swirls the bud and teeth nibble lightly to tease. you hold onto the base of of his head.

"tomioka," you sigh. you're immediately cut off when he bites harder than usual.

"stop that."

you smile to yourself, pleased with riling him up. you lean back against the wall and sigh. you relax into his touch and in what feels like seconds, you feel yourself tighten around his fingers.

"giyuu! h-hah."

he slows fingers, almost halting your peak completely. your eyes shoot open to see him lowering himself to his knees. you could cum just from seeing his eyes looking up at you. he lets his tongue out before his face disappears between your thighs.

your body doubles over. he matches his fingers to the pace of his unrelenting tongue. he greedily slurps up the heavenly taste of your cunt. you feel the smile pressed against your folds.

high squeals are pulled from your throat. he takes your thigh and rests it on his shoulder. both your hands tangle in his hair and push his deeper.

"oh, i'm cu-mming," you whine.

he spreads your cunt to blow cold air that makes you shiver. his nose pressed against your clit now while his tongue dips into your pussy. a swipe of his tongue is enough to tip you over.

your thighs press against his head while he continues to swallow every bit of you he can get. you're forced to push him away from you. his lips and chin are drenched and all he can do it lick around his lips and fingers.

he looks up you with hazy eyes and uneven breathing.

"ride me?"

you nod, still dizzy. giyuu lies back and rests on his elbows. you straddle him and hover over his cock. your palm wraps around the base to guide him into your hole. he steadies himself by grabbing your hips with a hand.

you slowly rock back and forth, gradually moving to a steady bounce. giyuu lets out soft sighs of relief. his adam's apple bobs with each swallow. he helps you bounce with his hand on you.

"mhm- shit," he groans.

you speed up your pace and steal more sounds from him and force them from yourself.

"hah- fuck fuck, feels good." his breathing grows heavier.

you're practically slamming yourself down on his cock. he reaches that spot that has you squealing every time. you squeeze down on him and your eyes roll back in pure ecstasy.

giyuu pushes your back down so you're flat on your stomach against him. he bends his knees for leverage and thrusts into you.

your head falls into his neck while you relinquish control. his thrusts are dangerously good. your legs are going weak.

"jus' like that...please, i'm gonna-"

he pulls you away and captures your lips in a deep kiss. he holds the back of your neck.

your pussy contracts around his cock. shivers rack through your whole body and you can't stop. "giyuu!" you sob.

your back arches further into him.

"so pretty." his gasp catches you off guard. you're locked into eye contact with him. he whimpers underneath his breath. "can i- cum?"

you're shocked he's asking for permission. a part of you wants to deny and tease but he's been so good to you.

you start to meet his thrusts which pulls a loud gasp from him. you stroke his cheek with your thumb, teasing just a bit.

"you can cum."

timed perfectly, giyuu spurts his load deep inside of you instantly. he refuses to look anywhere else besides your eyes. he's still rocking your hips onto him when he's done.

slowly, he comes down from his high. you settle down against his chest with his cock still inside you.

"hmm, don't wanna get up," you mumble.

giyuu wraps his arms around you. "don't."

[kujiba]

【Mew Mew Bitch】

୨୧ — ꒰ Cat!reader | they/them prounouns | Sagau | cultish behavior

reader who gets transported into teyvat.. As a half cat human

Mondstadt / Liyue / Inazuma / Sumeru / Fontaine / Natlan / Snezhnaya

After your (not so) calm trip in mondstat, you decided it was finally time to stealthy leave the city in order to experience the full time adventure!

Seeing that you were free, Aether then took the chance and offered you to assist him and paimon in their later journeys around teyvat.

Having the creator of the world be their travel companion almost made paimon completely faint from shock! But to you it felt like a silly little adventure, so you agreed.

The next stop being the nation of contracts, Liyue.

Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing; Ningguang had heard about your coming arrival and instantly issued the most luxurious and attractive looking gifts that fitted just for you, she could care less about the price, No matter what the costs it will be done without hesitation for her God.

Despite all the effort, it definitely left ningguang dumbfounded to watch you ignore the jewelry that she had brought which would reach over 100,000,00 mora.. For a life size cat stand that a worker gave as a small token.

Of course their god would prefer something like this, their body is legitimately a human with cat ears and a tail.

Scratch all the previous plans, they're going to have to make a different approach now in order to get your affection.

Ganyu, a adepti working under ningguang felt curious about your cat like traits, specifically your cat ears. Was it like hers but just more furry and soft? Are people allowed to touch them? She needs to know it all.

And so an idea popped inside her head.

Using very simple knowledge, Ganyu and Shenhe would then begin to often fish at Mt.Aozang in the very morning to seize as many fish as possible as a treat for you, this often turned into a competition in who would gather the most fish for their god.

One thing that's certain is that your love at resting in tall heights never fades, the Millelith would get an ocean of reports with countless of witnesses saying that they had seen their creator resting at the roof of wangshu inn making Xiao work overtime to catch you when you accidentally slip off the edge.

Other times would be that xiangling would have to guard you while you joined her in catching ingredients for her next dish. One moment you're eating raw fish straight from the river, the next you're getting kidnapped by some random hilichurls that spotted you from a distance.

The amount of times that you nearly encountered death was enough for hu tao herself to come and approach you, advertising her business to you with a 10% discount for first time customers. She then got scolded for trying to do such blunt move on their creator

Qiqi likes to follow you around, asking if she could touch your ears or tail out of pure confusion, she just decided that you were similar to ganyu and then asked for cocogoat milk. Once you feel something tug the base of your tail you already know who's doing it.

Zhongli has his fair share with animal type companions, so it didn't really bother him much whether you're a cat or human, you're his divine creator! What DOES bother him is that whenever in the open world, you would jump on the rock pillars he would summon WHILE there is an on going fight with an enemy

99 percent of the time you'd just fall off the rock pillar but thankfully land on your two feet like always. However, Zhongli was ready to drop everything he had on him to come and catch you in less than a second

Let's not talk about the mountains.

[sematarygirls]

      FUGITIVE!RAFE x MOTELWORKER!READER

WARNINGS .ᐟ fem!reader, unprotected p in v, choking, exhibitionism if you squint, murder, reader hates the cops, fucking a wanted criminal on a desk pretty much, seedy motel, passing mention of prostitution, drugs, and other illegal activities

NOTES .ᐟ when you're in an idgaf war and your opponent is motelworker!reader... my girl has seen shit, okay.

Sweat glistened on your exposed skin, a fitted top and pair of shorts barely covering your figure as you sat in the front office of your dad's motel. The heat was unbearable, and the humidity practically suffocating, causing your hair to stick to your forehead and your clothes to uncomfortably cling to you.

Leaning back in the office chair with your bare feet propped up on the desk—a fresh layer of nail polish drying on your toes—and a magazine in your hands, you sighed loudly, flipping to the next page. A bored expression was seemingly permanently etched into your features, purely disinterested in anything. Someone could come in and rob you with a gun to your head, and you'd barely blink.

The small square television in the corner was playing some sitcom at a low volume, the sounds of a couple fucking in a room a few doors down drowning out whatever stupid, corny jokes were being told under an ear piercing laugh track

The little motel, named Paradise Inn like this was some sort of really bad porno, was out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. The nearest building was a gas station a mile or so up the road, and the sheriff's department which was about five miles in the opposite direction.

The secluded nature meant that you were always encountering the oddest people. You were sure half of them were serial killers and the other half prostitutes, if you had to guess, but you didn't actually care. Whatever the reason they came in to pay for a dirt cheap hotel room with no questions asked was their own business, and you genuinely couldn't care less.

The little bell above the door chimed, indicating that someone had entered, but you didn't even look up from your magazine, your eyes scanning some Hollywood drama about people you'd never even heard of. Footsteps thudded on the dirty linoleum floor, stopping right in front of you. When you still didn't look up, the man cleared his throat impatiently, clearly irritated and not in the mood for games.

"I'll be right with you," you hummed with disinterest, despite the fact that you were clearly not doing anything even remotely important. You just liked fucking with people, and you didn't like these kinds of people thinking they could walk over you, especially the occasional creepy old fucks that you encountered.

Rafe's jaw clenched at your blatant dismissal of him, the room falling silent—save for the TV and lewd acts echoing off the walls—for a moment as he fidgeted impatiently. "Customer service here is real nice," he said sarcastically, planting his palms on the desk and leaning forward.

You rolled your eyes in annoyance, closing the magazine and tossing it onto the desk before settling back in the chair and looking him over. He was hotter than the usual patrons that frequented this establishment, his biceps glittering as the thin sheen of sweat on his skin caught the light.

"You want a room or not?" You asked, eyes boring into his sharp blue ones. He clearly thought his intimidating presence alone was enough to get you to bend to his every whim, but you'd dealt with guys like him, and worse, since you were like five years old. The whole macho routine was not new to you, and frankly, you were tired of it.

"Obviously," he said, his tone clipped with annoyance. "What the fuck else would I be here for? Your lovely personality?" His gaze raked over you, taking in the sight of your glistening skin, the thin fabric of your shirt that left little to the imagination—he was pretty sure you werent even wearing a bra underneath, and your bare legs on the desk, crossed at the ankle.

"How charming," you deadpanned, his attitude not phasing you in the slightest as you leaned back and retrieved a key dangling from one of the hooks behind you. "You paying by the hour or..." Your gaze flickered back to him, the question lingering in the air. He didn't look like the type that needed to pay for sex, but maybe his delightful personality drove most women away.

"By the night," he replied curtly, looking like he wanted to say something else but decided against it. He dug into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a wad of cash. He peeled off some bills and tossed them onto the desk haphazardly. "Keep the change."

"Whatever, dude," you shrugged, pulling your legs off the desk to sit up properly and grab his money. In the process, something on the TV caught your eye, a breaking news report about a cop killer that was spotted a few towns over.

Rafe followed your gaze, his jaw clenching as he saw his picture flashed onto the screen. His mind started to run through every possible option. He couldn't let you call the cops and report him, but did he really want another body under his belt.

"Huh," you said, your brows furrowing as you looked between him and the man in front of you. "That guy kinda looks like you," you hummed before shrugging, brushing it off without a care in the world. You didn't care whether he killed a cop or the president. As long as he ran off to his room and left you alone, you wouldn't have a problem. "Anyway, here's your key," you tossed it onto the desk, getting up to put the money in the safe.

His brows furrowed, expression guarded as he glared at your figure. Were you playing dumb until he left, so you could call the cops, or were you genuinely an idiot? He watched you bend down, his gaze immediately falling to the way your shorts pulled up and revealed the underside of your ass to him—a fact you were either unaware of or indifferent to.

You punched in the code and put the money inside before closing it. You were surprised, and a little annoyed, to see him still standing there when you stood back up and turned around. "Did you need something else?" You asked, your tone indicating that you were clearly uninterested in helping him with anything else he may need.

He hesitated, staring intently at you for a long pause, as if he was trying to read you. Ultimately, he decided you were more trouble than you were worth, so he just turned on his heels and walked away without giving you an answer.

"I hate this fucking job," you muttered under your breath, plopping back down in the office chair and grabbing your magazine while you attempted to get comfortable for another five long hours until your dad came back and took over.

It wasn't but an hour later that the bell above the door chimed again, making you audibly groan. Could you not have a moment of peace? You look up from your spot, rolling your eyes when the sheriff walked in with his hoity toity, high and mighty attitude.

"Sheriff," you greeted flatly, watching him approach the desk with his thumbs hooked in his belt. He looked like an idiot.

He said your name in a low drawl, the two of you having become quite familiar. It was quite often that you ran into the sheriff and his deputies, considering the kind of no questions asked establishment your father was running here. "You seen the news lately?"

"Does it look like I watch the news?" You asked, your gaze unwavering and your voice dripping with apathy. Obviously, you had seen the news, but you weren't about to give a cop what he wanted, especially not when that cop was Sheriff Swanson—the biggest pain in your ass since your father.

Sheriff Swanson's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. He didn't like your attitude, he never had, but he knew better than to push his luck with you because you sat around all day, bored out of your mind. He knew you'd jump at the chance to pick a fight with anyone, especially him. Instead, he pulled out a photo from his pocket and slapped it down on the desk. "Recognize this guy?"

You hummed, glancing down at the photo briefly. It was the same guy from the news that was now residing in room 212. "Nah, never seen that man before in my life," you shrugged, completely disinterested. You weren't a snitch, and besides, your dad would have a conniption if he found out you went talking to the cops about one of the customers because it would 'ruin your reputation' as if the reputation of this place wasn't in the shitter already.

He searched your face, trying to detect any hint of a lie, but your expression was utterly blank, bored even. With a frustrated sigh, he snatched the photo back. "You sure about that? 'Cause I got a tip that he checked in not too long ago."

You laughed mockingly. "And you believe anything anyone here says? They'd frame their mamas for a packet of smokes and crumpled dollar bill," you scoffed, wondering who would have possibly called the cops. Half the people here were engaging in illegal activities, risking a police raid was a stupid fucking move.

"Well, if he does show up, you call me. Understand?" Sheriff Swanson ordered, stabbing a finger at you. He was clearly annoyed. Most of the people in this town bent to his will like he walked on water or something but not you or your dad. You two were considered outsiders because of your nonchalant attitude and seedy business dealings.

"Oh, so I'm doing your job for you now, Swanson?" You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. "You want me to put on a little shiny gold star and citizen's arrest him?" That stupid fucking gold badge really pissed you off for some reason. What did he think this was? An old western film? It was time to retire the glorified cowboy hat and supervillain mustache. It wasn't cool ten years ago when he became sheriff, and it's not cool now.

"I'm not asking, I'm telling," he growled, his voice low and threatening. "This ain't no joke. That man's dangerous."

"Oh my gosh, a bad guy... whatever will I do?" You deadpanned, kicking your feet back up and grabbing your magazine, already bored with the conversation. You were hoping he would tire of your oh-so-witty and charming banter and just leave, so you could go back to dying of heat stroke and boredom without his grating voice in your ear.

"I swear to god, girl," he growled, slamming his hands down on the desk to scare you, but you didn't even flinch. You just turned the page of your magazine calmly. "You're as infuriating as your old man." He glared at you, clearly wanting to reach across the desk and throttle you.

"Unless you got a warrant, you can go," you said impassively, your eyes scanning the fashion page and debating whether you could pull that skirt off or not, clearly expecting the sheriff to see himself out.

Sheriff Swanson clenched his fists, glaring at you for a long moment. It infuriated him how dismissive you always were, but there was nothing he could do about it since freedom of speech meant you weren't technically breaking the law. "This ain't over," he spat before turning on his heel and stalking out, the bell chiming angrily as he shoved the door open.

"Uh huh," you hummed as he slammed the door behind him aggressively. "Men," you scoffed, rolling your eyes. You hoped that no one else would bother you, but you could only be so lucky. Unfortunately, you seemed to be very popular today, and the heat was making you bitchier than usual—not that you were that much less bitchy on a normal day.

Not fifteen minutes later, the man from the news walked back into the office, and you were sure that you were going to be on the news next if people didn't stop waltzing in here and demanding your attention. It wasn't like you were doing anything that particularly interested you. You just hated drama, and that was all the people of this town ever seemed to bring here.

"Whatever you want, I don't have it," you said the moment the door flung open. Your father told you to work the desk, so that's what you intended to do. Catering to the sleazy whims of all the customers that came in was not your job description.

"Why didn't you rat me out to the cops?" He asked, cutting right to this chase, his eyes boring into yours with an intensity that made you shift a little in your seat. He ignored your attitude, and seemingly, the remarks you made earlier, now just curious.

You shrugged nonchalantly, placing the magazine down for what seemed to be the millionth time in the span of an hour. "Because I couldn't care less about you or whatever you did."

"You should," he said menacingly, crossing his arms over his chest and stepping forward, clearly trying to scare you. Your eyes caught the movement of his biceps flexing before flicking back up to his face.

"Oh, please, spare me," you rolled your eyes, not the least bit intimidated by him.

"I killed someone," he tried to get you to see the gravity of the situation. He didn't like that you weren't afraid, that you didn't seem to care at all. "And you're sitting here acting like this is a fucking game?"

"I killed a man once," you said sincerely, watching his brows shoot up in surprise. "Nah, I'm just fucking with you," you snorted, cracking a smile for the first time since he'd met you, not that he'd known you all that long.

"Funny," he replied dryly, taking another step closer. His tall frame loomed over you, and you had to crane your neck to look up at him.

"Whatever," you breathed out, clearly finding yourself hilarious, even if he didn't. "Listen, I'm not gonna tell Sheriff Shithead or anyone else that you're here," you reassured him, still having hope that maybe he would fuck off and leave you alone. "Now, go find someone else to bother," you waved him off, standing from your seat and walking over to the vending machine in the corner.

You were unbelievably hot, the sweat coating your skin making you uncomfortable and sticky, which wasn't helping. You also couldn't deny that your temperature had gone up significantly when the man—whose name was Rafe, if you recalled correctly from the news report—walked in. Just because you didn't want anything to do with the trouble Rafe clearly left in his wake, didn't mean you were blind.

"You're not gonna ask why I killed her?" He asked curiously, following you over to the vending machine. If a murderer had shown up on his doorstep, he'd be a little more inclined to ask what happened. He watched you intently as you pressed the button for a cold soda, wiping your forehead with the back of your hand. He had to admit, you were hot as hell, even if you were insufferably annoying.

"How many times do I have to say 'I don't care' before people really start to get the message?" You huffed, stepping back and waiting for the soda to fall, but it never did. "Goddamn machine," you cursed, balling your hand into a fist and hitting the front of the machine hard. Almost instantly, the clanging of aluminum on metal rung out. "Aha," you rejoiced triumphantly, bending down to grab the can from the tray.

He watched as you grabbed the soda, then watched as you brought it to your lips and tilted your head back. His eyes dropped to your exposed neck, admiring the long column of your throat as you swallowed. This whole murderer thing had really taken its toll, and he hadn't got any in what felt like weeks, which felt like an eternity for someone like Rafe who loved sex.

You pulled the can away, looking over at him with furrowed brows as your tongue darted out to lick your lips. "You're really just gonna loom over me like a fucking weirdo while I work?" You asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'd hardly call sitting around and reading magazines all day 'working'," he scoffed, crossing his arms again. It's like he wanted to draw attention to his biceps, and damn, it was working.

"Fine, you really gonna loom over me like a fucking weirdo while I don't work?" You corrected, mirroring his actions and crossing your arms, the can dangling from your fingertips as you shot him a look.

"I'm not looming," he said defensively, taking a step back as if to prove that he wasn't. "I'm just standing here, talking to you. Why, is it bothering you?" He smirked mischievously, enjoying the way you rolled your eyes. You seemed to do that a lot, ever exasperated by every word that left everyone else's mouths.

"Yes, actually, it is," you said flatly, sitting on the edge of the desk and setting the half-consumed soda beside you. You stared at him, your annoyance evident in your gaze as you once again, crossed your arms. If he was gonna taunt you with his biceps and smart ass comments, you were gonna taunt him with your tits. Two could definitely play it that game.

His eyes immediately dropped to your chest, his gaze lingering on the way your arms pressed your boobs together, accentuating them. Your lack of a bra definitely wasn't helping, your nipples straining against the thin fabric. Damn, he loved a good pair of tits, and even through your shirt, he could tell you definitely had some of the best he'd ever seen.

"My eyes are up here, Rafe," you snapped, drawing his attention back to your face. He was a bit taken aback by you saying his name, seeing as he hadn't provided it to you, but he'd be lying if he said it didn't sound fucking hot coming from those pretty lips of yours.

"I know where your eyes are," he smirked, not looking the least bit ashamed as his gaze slowly dragged back up to your face, pausing at your lips before meeting your eyes.

"Perving on the girl who can send you to a federal penitentiary with one phone call isn't a wise move," you tsked, planting your palms on the desk behind you and leaning back casually, eyeing him. You didn't mind his eyes on you. In fact, you kind of liked it, but you liked being a pain in the ass more.

"And what're you gonna do, hmm?" He asked, taking a step forward, closing the distance between the two of you. He could practically feel the heat radiating from your body as he loomed over you. "Turn me in?" He scoffed, his smirk never wavering.

"You seemed pretty worried about it earlier," you pointed out, tilting your head to look up at him with a confident grin. You had a no getting involved rule, but you were quite literally hot and bothered right now, so maybe you could make an exception just this once.

"Well, that was before you made it clear that you 'don't care' as you so enthusiastically put it" he said, his voice dropping to a lower octave as he reached out, his fingertips trailing along your collarbone. "You're not gonna tell on me, are you, sweetheart?" He asked mockingly, knowing full well that you wouldn't, especially not after what he was about to do to you.

"Maybe I will," you said lowly, looking up at him with a challenging glint in your eye. "What are you gonna do about it, huh?"

He leaned down, his breath ghosting over your lips as he spoke. "I'm gonna shut you up," he said, his hand reaching up to wrap around your throat, applying just enough pressure to make your eyes widen. You looked up at him, still no trace of fear in your eyes as your lips parted at the feeling.

He leaned in, his mouth crashing against yours in a rough, needy kiss, his hand tightening slightly around your throat. He kissed you like he was starving, like he'd been deprived of oxygen, and he needed you more than he needed his next breath.

His other hand gripped your thigh tightly, pulling you to the edge of the desk, so he could press himself against you. You moaned into the kiss, the feeling of his tongue in your mouth and him manhandling you enough to make your head spin.

He swallowed your moan, his tongue delving deeper, exploring every inch of your mouth. The hand on your thigh slid upwards, his rough fingertips digging into your soft flesh. He was so hard it almost hurt, his cock straining against the denim as he ground against you.

"You should lock the door," you mumbled into his mouth, a little annoyed that his hair was buzzed, so you could run your fingers through it.

"Who cares?" He growled back, his teeth sinking into your neck as his hand slid up higher, brushing the hem of your little shorts. "You're letting a wanted fugitive fuck you. I'd be willing to bet you like the risk."

You let out a breathy moan, your head tilting to the side to allow him better access as your nails raked gently along his scalp. "Asshole," you muttered, not appreciating his rude, but accurate, assessment of you.

"Mhm," he hummed against your neck, his hand sliding higher to hook into the waistband of your shorts. "You like that, though, don't you?" You didn't reply, instead, shifting to help him slide off your shorts and underwear. You weren't really interested in small talk right now.

He groaned at your eagerness, his hand leaving you momentarily to quickly undo his belt and free himself from the confines of his jeans. If you didn't want to waste time with foreplay, he sure as hell wasn't going to fight you on that. After all, he was kind of on borrowed time. He didn't know how long it would be before the cops came back here looking for him.

He grabbed your thighs again, roughly spreading your legs apart and positioning himself between them. With one swift motion, he buried his hard length inside you, a loud groan escaping you as he felt your walls stretch to accommodate the intrusion. You let out a sound between a gasp and a moan, your hand gripping his big bicep for purchase as he thrust into you at a dizzying pace.

He set a brutal rhythm, pounding into you with no care for gentleness. He was too far gone, too desperate for the feeling of being inside you. His hand came up to wrap around your throat again, using it as leverage as he drove his hips forward, causing a needy whine to force it's way past your lips. The burn from him stretching your tight walls coupled with the pleasure of him fucking and choking you had you practically on cloud nine.

"Shit, look at you. This sweet little pussy was made for my dick," he groaned, seeing the look of pure ecstacy on your face as your walls seemed to pull him in with each thrust.

His own face was scrunched up in concentration, his jaw clenched as he fought to hold back. He wanted this to last. He wanted to brand himself into your memory so you'd think of him every time you sat in this office, every time you laid down to sleep, every time you touched yourself in the shower. He wanted you to remember how you let a murderer defile you.

You were a mess of moans and whines as his tip repeatedly hit your g-spot, knocking the breath from your lungs with each thrust. Sure, you'd been fucked before, but never like this, never with a guy that could probably put you in a headlock and choke you out—and you'd probably like it. He was good, and he knew it.

He smirked arrogantly, his hand around your throat tightening slightly. "I'm gonna fill this needy little pussy so full, gonna make you remember that you're a dirty fucking girl for letting me do this to you," he said lowly, his words holding a vaguely threatening edge, but you didn't care. They only served to turn you on more, pushing you closer to your peak as his thumb slid down to play with your sensitive clit.

He could tell you were close, your breath hitching every time he bottomed out inside of you. He groaned as his movements grew jerky, his own finish nearing. "Come for me, baby. Let me feel this greedy cunt squeeze my cock."

"Shit, Rafe," you moaned, your nails digging painfully into his bicep as your walls clamped down around him, your release washing over you. The feeling of your walls bearing down around him triggered his own orgasm, hitting him like a freight train. His vision practically blurred as he emptied himself deep inside of you, his cock pulsing with each spurt. He held you in place, his hand around your throat, as he rode out his climax, painting your insides with his cum.

"Fuck," you panted, your head tilting back and eyes fluttering closed as you caught your breath. Maybe this job had a certain... charm. Though, it was only just now occurring to you that you let this man cum inside you, and he didn't even know your name.

He stayed buried inside you for a long moment, his softening cock twitching with the aftershocks. Then, with a grunt, he pulled out and tucked himself away without another word, not that you expected much from a guy who was so eager to give you a quick fuck on a desk where anyone could have found you.

You hopped off the desk, retrieving your underwear and shorts to slip them back on, trying to ignore the feeling of his cum seeping out of you. You definitely needed a long shower and maybe a moment of silent reflection after what you just did.

He watched you dress with a critical eye, his gaze lingering on your body, as if committing it to memory. "Guess I should be going before the cops decide to come knocking again," he said casually, as if he hadn't just fucked you senseless.

"Guess so," you said, your seemingly apathetic attitude returning as you crossed your arms and regarded him with that same uninterested look that you'd given him when he first walked in here. You knew what you were getting into. You weren't an idiot. He was still on the run from the cops, and you were still just a motel worker in bumfuck nowhere.

He gave you a nod, his expression unreadable as he turned and strode to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob, glancing back at you over his shoulder. "You didn't tell me your name," he commented, his voice low. He wasn't sure why he cared. The chances of seeing you again were abysmal, but he was curious.

"No, I didn't," you said flatly, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips, threatening to betray your nonchalant demeanor.

He studied your face for a moment, trying to decide if he should press the issue or just leave. Something about you, about this moment felt... important. He couldn't quite place the odd but distinctive feeling, but still, he found himself saying, "Next time you see me, I expect you to tell me your name."

You raised an eyebrow at his presumptuous words. You hardly expected to see him again, given the whole fugitive thing, but you decided to humor him. "If I see you again, I will."

He nodded, seeming to accept your response, before turning and leaving without another word, the door shutting a little harsher than he intended behind him. As he walked to the car he'd stolen to keep the cops off his ass, he couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter, this girl, meant something more than just a quick fuck in the office of a seedy motel.

tags .ᐟ   @starkeysprincess / @cometmultiverse / @iheartjjmaybnk / @all4l0vee / @kissesfrmriri / @xoxohoneymoongirl / @bradshawed / @fallbhind

[dynamite124]

In our next update, we're going to be introducing a new face to Riverwood; Ophelia, a breton girl who works at the Sleeping Giant Inn.

I've reached out to many female VAs for this role, but only one replied to my offer; BendyVoices on Instagram. While her forte is voice overs for Comic covers, she gave a nice twist for Ophelia's voice!

Ophelia was created for the purpose of making Taliesin's introduction more immersive (a very popular demand). She'll point the player towards where you can find him, and afterwards, have some interactions with him - Credit to @nevermorepjm for Taliesin's dialogue and performance!

Since Falkreath hold is a popular starting area for other followers, we've added a few lines of observations for Ophelia towards other Custom Voiced Followers, such as Gore, Auri and Nebarra, if you have them installed in your game.

Currently she's still a work in progress, but we hope to have things ironed out by the time we're ready. Hopefully she'll stop dropping her tray of drinks by then.

[solarrclxud]

SUBTLE WAYS THEY SHOW THEIR LOVE

pairing : multi x reader (wriothesley , neuvillette , childe , diluc ,xiao )

genre: fluff

warnings : not proofread

a/n: i had a few thoughts . i put it on here ... bon apple tits .

Wriothesley who secretly waits for you everyday . He says he isn't but he always puts enough water in the kettle for two cups of tea. He gets a subtle smile when you say you like a particular brand. The next day there is a new shelf stocked with it. He loves the look you give him when you realise .

Neuvillette who keeps blankets in his office incase you fall asleep while providing him with your much appreciated company on long boring days. He keeps your favorite snacks and books in a basket in his room , placing kisses on your forehead when you happen to fall asleep .

Xiao who claims he doesn't miss you , but is always there on the balcony of wangshu inn every time you return from your adventures. He will listen to you talk about your trips for hours . Sometimes you catch him watching you , his cheeks flush a light pink when you make eye contact but he doesn't make an effort to break it.

Diluc who writes you long letters describing his days when you're away , always signing off with love and asking when you'll be back. The bed feels cold without you , he is more snappy to the customers who dare to talk too much . When you return from your trip he greets you with a warm hug , a rare show of affection .

Childe who brings you small trinkets (pressed flowers and leaves, jewellery) from everywhere he goes on his business trips. You initially try to stop him , eventually you give in . He once got you a necklace , the pendant reminded him of your eyes , bringing him comfort for the weeks he was away . You watch him slide the clasp close through the mirror , turning around to kiss his cheek . He sees you wear it everywhere you go.

thank you !

[bradshawed]

the holiday + rafe .ᐟ   rafe is driving home to tannyhill for the holidays, but a terrible snowstorm hits, and he finds himself holed up in your little bed and breakfast until it passes !!

drew’s masterlist && christmas celly x

warnings — fem!reader, smut, kissing, cockwaming, swearing, slight fluff, Ward

…

Rafe rubbed his eyes in frustration, running his fingers through his wolf cut as he let out an exasperated sigh. “Fucking Sarah” he muttered, checking his phone for the millionth time.

The Cameron heir was driving back to his “home” in Tannyhill for his sister’s wedding. If he had it his way, he wouldn’t step a single foot on that godforsaken island, much less for her but as always, his father insisted.

Rafe took another deep breath, relaxing his hold on the steering wheel of his Jeep. He was going to need more than a few therapy sessions when he got back.

…

The snow storm raged on as the blonde weighed his options, messaging Wheezie to let her know that he was stopping in the next bed and breakfast to let the storm pass.

Lou: dad wants to know what B&B ur at ??

Rafe squinted at the chipped paint on the blue snow covered sign, smiling at the small yellow flowers drawn on with smiley faces.

Ray: Y/N’s Seaside Inn.

Lou: oooo i know where that is, the owner’s super sweet!! tell her i said hi :)

Rafe liked his sister’s message, pocketing his phone before running inside.

…

The door chimed at the sound of a new customer. “One moment!” Rafe leaned his back against the reception desk, turning around to admire the interior. It was cute, he could see why Wheezie liked this place.

“Hi, sorry for the wait. What can I do for you?” You were cute, your voice was gorgeous and fuck you looked adorable bundled up in your oversized sweater. Maybe coming back for Sarah’s wedding wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“Hi, I was wondering if you had a room available for the night?”

“Hoping to camp it out until the storm passes?”

“Something like that.” He teased leaning on the counter, a renewed twinkle in his eyes.

“Mmhmm, cash or card Mr. Cameron?” You asked, leaning towards the handsome man.

His eyes filled with surprise as you clarified that Wheezie talked about her brother often but clearly failed to mention how handsome he was, bringing a warmth to his cheeks.

“Funny, she happened to say the same about you.”

“Oh yeah, and what else did she happen to say?”

“It’s a secret,” he whispered, zipping his lips and throwing away the key, “you’ll just have to wait to find out.”

“But I’m so impatient, you might have to show me Mr. Cameron.” You both moved towards the stairs that led to the bedrooms, his hands ghosting your hips.

“Jump.”

Your lips were on his, messy, teeth clashing as you devoured each other.

“Key,” you moaned as his mouth sucked on your sweet spot, his hand groping the back pocket of your jeans to retrieve the key to his room. You were made for him.

Once you were both inside, Rafe threw you onto the bed, locking the door behind him.

…

“I’ve missed you.” His admission hanging in the air as he tucked that one strand of hair behind your ear that never seems to listen. You leaned down from your position straddling his cock to place a sweet kiss on his lips. He was made for you.

note — so i took some creative liberties with this and it sort of turned into a smut? and maybe Rafe has been driving back to visit you and Wheezie without telling anyone else. hope you like it sunshine xx

christmas celly masterlist !

[angelcakebunbun]

walk him like a dog!

synopsis: some perverts need a serious reality check.

warnings: NSFW, MDNI, 18+ sub!perv!sanji x mean!dom!fem reader, big dick sanji, non-con voyeurism, dub con, sanji is a nasty perv fr, slapping but he likes it, blackmail?, footjob, mention of zoro x reader, sanji w/ a tongue piercing, cunnilingus, semi-public, choking, edging?, ruined orgasm, unprotected p in v, cum swapping, more stuff that I missed

wc: 3334

notes: image sourced from pinterest, credits for dividers here. not beta-read so apologies for any mistakes, I wrote this all in one sitting and was blushing like a slut the whole time. i wanna step on the stupid cook, he is so baby girl <3

There you are before him, dripping wet and pissed as hell.

He hadn’t meant for you to catch him - he didn’t even know how he ended up in there, honestly! But you knew better than to trust whatever bullshit alibi the cook spewed when you caught him poking around in the women’s changing room.

Sanji had been present when you announced your intention to unwind in an Onsen not too far from where the Thousand Sunny was docked, inviting Nami and Robin to join. Much to both your and Sanji’s disappointment, both declined, opting to turn in for the evening in preparation for setting sail the next morning. But it did not matter, you would enjoy a quiet evening soak and perhaps a nice sake after regardless.

The kindly old woman behind the reception counter of the inn was overjoyed to have a customer, and you were delighted to find the hot spring empty, all for yourself. Once behind the red curtain concealing the woman’s dressing room, you strip away your sun-bleached top and tight shorts, undergarments following suit. You neatly fold the articles and put them into one of the numerous empty baskets on the shelf, placing your shoes aside. Wrapping yourself in a fluffy white towel that the old lady had given you, you entered the bathing area, sliding the door shut behind you. Hanging your towel on a nearby hook, you gingerly dip a toe in the water, before slipping fully in. The steamy water welcomes your aching muscles, tenderly loosening the knots tethered across your neck and shoulders. You sigh pleasantly and relax against the rock behind you, eyelids drooping shut as you sink further.

Unbeknownst that steps away lurks an all-too-familiar face. It had been easy enough for Sanji to slip away after you, claiming he too yearned for a soak. Really, he thought it was a nice idea and meant to enjoy some relaxation himself. But the obvious lack of customers and the late hour were all too tempting, and Sanji easily slipped through the red curtains rather than the blue.

He was just going to take a quick look, and then go to the men’s side. He peeks inside the only occupied basket and goes red in the face as he is greeted by your cotton panties neatly placed on top. Just once and then he’ll leave. Sanji presses his nose against the crotch and inhales deeply. It was intoxicating. His left-hand gropes at his hardening cock through his black pants, and one turned into two, and two turned into three.

Sanji’s gaze steadily lingers towards the sliding doors to the spring, he can hear you faintly humming a familiar tune. Perhaps he can just take a quick glance, and then he swears he will leave. He creeps towards the doors, your panties still clutched in his right hand. Using the greatest care, he inches it open, just enough to reveal a sliver of the scene it obscured. There you are - just a slice but enough to send Sanji reeling - leaning against a large rock, your locks messily done up to keep them dry, the swell of your breasts peeking above the water line, all while the hum of your sweet voice flitters through the air.

His eyes roll back as he raises your underwear to his face again, sliding his hand beneath his pants and giving his dick a firm squeeze. He wants to burn the image of you into his mind, eyes peeping open occasionally to ensure all the details are correct. His left hand fists at his stiff member as he imagines what more lay beneath the water’s edge. Sanji groans lowly while he pictures how your pretty panties snuggly grip your ass, or the heavenly sight of it slapping against his thighs while he drills into you from behind. He swore he could hear the sweet chirps that would fall from your supple lips, begging him for more, harder.

Sanji was close, just a little more and then he could cum and leave, and you would be none the wiser. He moans again, a little less mindful that you were mere feet away. He tugs at his cock, feeling his balls tightening just as he is about to-

BOOM!

Sanji topples backward, his tailbone smacking against the wooden floorboards while his hands fly behind to catch himself. He snaps out of his daze on impact and meets you with a shocked expression.

While enthralled in the depths of his disgusting, perverted mind, Sanji had failed to notice that you had left the springs and toweled off. It was during this that you heard a quiet groan, so faint you almost missed it. Initially fearing someone, perhaps the old woman, maybe hurt, you wrapped yourself up and hurried towards the doors. But then, you halted right before them, noticing the tiniest crack between the door and the frame. Through this, you caught the smallest glimpse of blonde hair and immediately slammed the door open.

So now, there you are, dripping wet and pissed as hell. Your towel is clutched against your nude body, hair now freed from its’ confines. Your jaw clenches tightly, and Sanji swears he can see the steam blowing out of your ears.

“Why you-! You vile little- you, you!” Words cannot express the admonishment you feel in this moment as you take in the cook: his belt hangs unbuckled, button and fly open to expose his hard dick pressing against his boxers, begging to be freed. His face is flushed, blonde hair damp from steam and sweat. And your crumpled panties lie next to him, evident drool marks littering them.

You growl and lunge at him, your hand tangling with his locks and yanking him into the bathing area, before slamming the door shut behind him.

“What is wrong with you!” You shriek, letting go of his hair and flailing your arms around. Sanji falls to his knees and peers up at you, bottom lip slightly quivering. He wasn’t sure if he should be turned on or fear for his life. Likely the latter, but he was more so feeling the former.

“I cannot believe that you would- argh!” You reel back, right hand striking his left cheek with a loud smack! Sanji’s head jerks to the side as he falls forward onto his hands, a loud, shameless moan echoing around you. His cheek tingles and burns as blood rushes back to his cock, reminding him of the orgasm you had stolen from him moments prior. You stare at him for a moment, shocked at his unconventional reaction. Then, you squat to his level, and, using the same hand you just struck him with, you grab at his hair again and force his face up to meet yours.

“You disgust me, Sanji,” you spit, noticing the ill-defined outline of your palm and fingers on his cheek. You might want to fuck him up, but if he is going to behave this way, you might as well enjoy yourself too, “Perverts like you are good for nothing, right?” You give another yank, sending shockwaves through his scalp and down to his cock.

“Right?” You ask again, more aggressively due to his lack of response. His eyes clench shut, afraid he may cum the second he meets yours, “Look at me when I speak to you, mutt.” Your hand moves to grip his face, fingers digging into his cheeks, forcing his lower jaw to hang open. The tip of his pink tongue pokes out as he gazes at you, half-lidded, while your head moves closer to his.

“Yeth!” he lisps through puckered lips, wincing at the crushing force bruising against his tender cheek, dick twitched in his pants. You smirk at his pure patheticness, humming contently in response.

“That’s what I fucking thought.” You stand up abruptly, pulling him back onto his knees by his jaw, which continues to prove just how much he enjoyed this. Sanji could easily free himself from your grasp if he wanted to, and yet he lies limp while you drag him around like a ragdoll.

With one foot planted firmly into the stone ground, your other traces up his thigh to his covered cock. You press the ball into his shaft, eliciting a guttural moan from Sanji’s chest, gurgling on the spit that had accumulated in his mouth as a result of the grip on his jaw. Running your toes up and down his length, you sigh, hand moving to regain his locks once more. You massage the crown of his skull soothingly, tilting his head upwards while you lean over him.

“Why shouldn’t I just tell everyone,” You purr in his ear, biting at the lobe, “the cook is a nasty pervert that peeps on girls. Imagine what the crew would say?” Sanji’s eyes shot open, what would he do if everyone found out about this incident? They knew he could be obsessive, but this was entirely different than just fawning over pretty women. Surely, they will kick him off the ship, drop him on some island in the Grand Line, and never turn back. Or worse, perhaps he will be thrown overboard to whatever creature lurks beneath the waves.

You sense his fear and giggle, placing a wet kiss on his jaw, “Guess you’ll have to convince me to keep my mouth shut.” Your toes curl under the waistline of his boxers, tugging at it so it slaps against his hip bone with a thwack! Sanji leans into the kisses you sloppily pepper along his cheek before a firm pull at his neck alerts him.

“Off,” you demand, fingers wrapped around his black tie. Stepping back, you watch as Sanji’s trembling hands undo his tie and unfasten the buttons of his blue-stripped dress shirt, discarding both to the side. He looks back at you, eyes pleading for your touch once more. You stare at him like he is stupid and scoff, “Everything, mutt!”

Sanji makes quick work of the rest of his clothing, kicking off his shoes and yanking down his pants and boxers in one motion, thumbs peeling off his socks last. He sits back on his forearms, fully nude, dick standing proudly against his lower abdomen. You feel your mouth salivate and thighs clench together at the glorious state of him. No matter how much you want to despise Sanji, you can never deny how beautiful he was, and even more so his dick was. The mushroom head is flushed red, angry, and leaking globs of precum. He is larger than you had expected, seeing as most perverts sported little cocks to juxtapose their massive egos.

But no, Sanji impresses you in both length and girth, possibly rivaling Zoro’s dick which had fucked you stupid on more than one drunken occasion. And his hefty balls that hang between his spread thighs are the cherry on top.

You leisurely untuck your towel and let it slip down your body, exposing your lusciousness to Sanji. He sighs, cock bouncing.

“Well?” you ask, arms crossing and eyebrow quirking, beckoning him to make the next move. He crawls toward you and rests on his haunches, thick hands grabbing at your calf while he leans down to kiss at your ankle. The fine hairs of his mustache tickle with each smooch, and the scruff of his beard drags behind them. Sanji puckers moist, messy kisses up your calf and across your thigh, creeping past your perfect cunt while his hands caress your hips and ass. He licks and suckles marks across your pelvis, pulling you into his body, your hands reaching down to steady yourself on his shoulders.

His striking eyes bear up into yours as he grabs your right leg, hooking it over his left shoulder and pulling your cunt to his face. Sanji flattens his tongue against your damp core, and you jump at a cool metallic feeling on your clit. He licks a languid strip up towards your mound, flicking slowly, obviously showing off the barbell pierced through his fat tongue.

Sanji devours you, switching between fucking your sopping hole with the thick pink tip of his tongue and tickling over your clit with his piercing. The firm grip he has on your waist and thigh is all that is keeping you up, entranced in the methodical rhythm of grinding your hips on his face, one of your hands stroking through his golden locks.

Sanji can feel his dick twitching and throbbing at your sultry gyrations, desperately wanting to feel your sweet cunt milking it. He groans into your cunt at the thought, vibrating your clit.

“F-fuck San-ji,” you keel over him, pressing his face impossibly closer to you. You can feel a familiar pressure thumping deep within your abdomen, a slow ascension beginning. You so badly want to cum all over his stupid face, but you cannot erase the image of his gorgeous cock from your thoughts. Much to your own dismay, you push his head away from your core, dropping your shaking leg and pushing at his shoulders. Sanji gets the hint and lays back across the stone floor, shivering at the coolness despite the billowing warmth of the hot spring steps away.

You drop to kneel above his hips, dripping cunt hovering inches above his thick, weepy cock. You trace your hands across his broad chest, pinching at his nipples and scratching at his pectorals with your nails, before finally taking purchase at his throat. You give a gentle squeeze and his hands, which now rest on your hips, offer one in return. You giggle at the somewhat cute exchange, leaning down to meet his lips with yours. The kiss was gentle, lulling you into forgetting how this exchange even began. His tongue dances with yours, sweeping around your mouth, piercing clicking against the back of your teeth.

You drop your hips to grind your wetness up and down his length, soaking his cock and balls with your sweet juices. Sanji bucks his hips up into yours in response, exchanging moans through kisses. The pudgy tip prods at your hole, hooking at your clit – although this alone was heavenly, you can feel your patience growing thinner with each thrust.

Breaking free from his lips, you left one hand wrapped around his neck, keeping yourself propped up, while the other reached behind you. You position his tip at your entrance, inching yourself downward on his cock, slowly split yourself open. He fills you up almost too perfectly, head massaging your spongy walls as you begin to fuck your tight pussy up and down his length.

Sanji’s eyes clenched shut; he knew he wasn’t going to last long, and it was taking everything in him not to stuff you full of his creamy seed right there. His grip on your hips tightened, alerting you to his nearing peak. You snapped your hips against his harder, ass slapping against his heavy balls while his tip prodded aggressively within you. Your greedy cunt sucks his cock in, clinging like a vise. Sanji’s breaths become shorter and more exasperated, eyes rolling back as he feels his balls tighten with the grip you had on his neck. He was so close, so so close-

And then you stopped, completely halting the movement of your hips within a second.

“Nooo!-“ Sanji whines, but is cut off with a harsh smack to the left side of his face with the backside of your hand.

“Shut up.” You command sternly, a harsh contrast to the sweetness of your earlier kisses, “Why the fuck would I let you come before me? Are you that fucking stupid, mutt?” Your degrading words send a shudder down his spine.

“You’ll be lucky if I let you come at all,” you chuckle at the flash of fear that ran through his eyes, mimicking his earlier panic. Leaning back, you release his neck and rest your hand on his thigh behind you. Your other reaches down to grasp the base of his cock in an ‘o’ shape, acting as a make-shift cock ring.

You grind your cunt down onto his pelvis, his groomed pubic hairs tickling at your clit while his dick kneads your walls. You sigh in contentment as you resume your bouncing, your juices making it easier to accommodate his thick length.

Sanji can already feel his high creeping in again, stomach tightening while he thrusts his hips up into you to the best of his ability. But the tight grip you had on the base of his cock inhibits him from toppling over the edge. He wants to cry, tears pricking the corners of his eyes as he starts to babble at you.

“Pl-please baby- fuck- please let me c-cum inside of you,” He sobs pathetically, drool dribbling from the corner of his swollen lips. His wet eyes peek open to meet yours, hoping to find a shred of mercy but only to be met with malice. You grin wickedly at him as you slam yourself down on his thick cock, abusing your own cunt.

“Wanna fill me up, hmm? Tch- as if,” you jeer, purposefully clenching your walls around his aching dick. Another sob wracks his body as Sanji tenses, trying desperately to loosen your hold just enough for him to cum. But, if anything, you tighten it impossibly more, bouncing on him faster and faster, “You should be grateful I even let you stick it in my pussy.”

You throw your head back, feeling your core tighten and your legs begin to give out. Your own peak was right there, and you barrel towards it like a mad woman. Your bounces become sloppy, turning into messy thrusts as your climax hits. Your toes curl as bliss encapsulates your mind, your essence flooding your walls and coating his length. The clenching of your pussy around his length as you ride out your high is unbearable, and tears stream down Sanji’s cheeks while you selfishly abuse his poor dick.

The roll of your hips becomes more controlled and rhythmic as you come down, rolling your head and shoulders as you ground yourself back into reality. The tight hold you have on the base of Sanji’s cock does not let up once, leaving him dangling by a thread while you revel in your release.

You give him a look of pity, offering a warm smile as you tenderly slide up and down his dick. His breathing is still heavy, tears still flowing.

“Alright, alright,” You give in half-heartedly, slipping him out of your sore, sopping cunt.

“Wait, no!-“

“Cum,” you interrupt, releasing your grip and delivering a harsh flick to his puffy tip. Sanji screams as spurts of hot cum coat his stomach, hips thrusting violently in search of anything to fuck him through his orgasm. He tries to reach a palm to fist his cock, but your hands snatch his wrists and prevent any relief they could have brought.

It takes several moments for Sanji’s incessant whimpering and bucking to subside, leaving thick globs of seed painted across his abdomen. You scoop some of his cum up with two fingers, bringing them to your mouth to suck them clean, moaning at the taste. He is salty and slightly musky, likely from the copious amounts of cigarettes he smokes. But there is a delicate saccharine taste that lingers on your tastebuds. You swish the cum around with some saliva, leaning down to capture Sanji’s pouty lips in yours, spitting the mixture into his mouth. He swallows without even having to be asked.

Your bare chest relaxes against his, skin sticking together, while you gingerly nip and suckle on his lips, arms caging his head and fingers playing with his hair. You lay with him for many moments, relishing in the brief intimacy.

“Chérie…” Sanji groans wantonly, but you hush him before he can continue.

“I think we can work out an arrangement, cook. In exchange for me keeping your nasty secret.”

[deadhands69]

Hi jade,

I’m wondering if you had any thoughts about fantasy au bkg and the nsfw “one bed” trope? 👀👀👀

It’s one of my favorite combinations and there are so many fun scenarios! I’m thinking like legend of zelda world or dungeons and dragons. Fantasy is truly the best au!!!

Yes! Fantasy AUs are so fun, I haven't written a lot but definitely read some!

As a side note, the random thoughts went over 500 wc hence the taglist. So yes, lots of thoughts!

Raw/unedited thoughts:

✴︎ You show up to an inn in the middle of the night at the same time, there's only one room left but that's fine. You both need somewhere to sleep, there's nowhere else to go, and you can easily share it. nbd. The inskeep is surprised, but who is she to say no to happy customers?

✴︎ When you get to the room, there's only one bed. Of course.

✴︎ He would be grouchy about it but absolutely try to take the high road and offer to sleep on a couch or something. That is, until you realize there’s not one. (this is fantasy land and you're not royalty, who just has one of those lying around??)

✴︎ Realizing this, he’d absolutely try to be respectful and draw an imaginary line through the middle or something but that won’t last. That bed is wayyyy too small.

✴︎ Getting ready for bed would be interesting too. Like, if he has armor, he’s taking forever peeling that off and sleeping in practically nothing because there’s no way the padding underneath would be comfortable to sleep in.

✴︎ Even if he’s not, I still can’t imagine him sleeping in much because he seems like someone who’d run hot regardless.

✴︎ Now, for the bed part. If this is DnD, roll a 20 and you slip, fall, and land directly on his dick no questions asked.

✴︎ Roll a 1 and you find yourself knocked out on the floor where you will be sleeping tonight because he just crashed the moment his head hit the pillow and didn’t notice to help you into bed.

✴︎ But more likely, you’ll end up somewhere in the middle and here’s what’ll happen:

✴︎ You both climb into the singular bed in the room, bumping arms and legs because there's not much room. Eventually you settle in, getting comfortable but you're still touching

✴︎ Suddenly,you both realize how attractive the other is to you and find yourself laying there thinking about it while also trying not to think too much of it.

✴︎ I like AUs that have at least parallel life occurrences to canon that lead to the same character development, so I would imagine Bakugo in any universe having been through some shit. Which means, sometime in the middle of the night he wakes up from a nightmare. Initially, he's worried he thrashed around too much but let's you comfort him while he calms down.

✴︎ One thing leads to another, having not felt this calm in years as he does within minutes of being in your arms, he does the only thing his brain can think to do and kisses you.

✴︎ Having been on quests, neither of you've gotten laid in a while. Thus.. Leading to some uncontrollable horniness.

✴︎ The moment you put your hands on him, you can't peel them away. Feeling everything. Muscles, scars, softer skin.

✴︎ He can't pull away from you either. No matter how hard he tries to be chivalrous, wanting to touch you combined with knowing you want him is way too much to overcome.

✴︎ It's been a while, so he's a bit awkward but gets used to being with you quickly. He also probably cums really fast the first time but makes up for it on round two. And three.

✴︎ You're up alllll night together. You don't mean to be, it just happens. Once you both accepted it was happening, the flood gates opened and you can't stop. This is unfortunate for whoever has to share a wall with you too - the bed in the room is pretty rickety and in your excitement you're not exactly going slow here.

✴︎ You leave the next morning together, looking exhausted. The inskeep knows exactly what happened jusy by the looks of you.

✴︎ optional: here's where we find out she set you up on purpose or something.

taglist: @cccandynecklaces @harryzcherry @mynicknameisgasoline @darhinadadragon @ch3rryjampi3

@moonstonejpg @kalulakunundrum @katthekat1234 @touyaeater @kennedyonce

@softknj @minksworldy @gold24fish @nickibunny23 @nyceroni

@chaOskinq @vikizzy @kitkat13001 @kennys-partner @amira-44820

@its-evee16

[tj-dragonblade]

Dreamling Fic Masterpost (2025 June 8)

Yesterday was Dreamling day, which means it's been just over a year since my last masterpost, so now's as good a time as any to update. Links go to Tumblr posts, and each Tumblr fic post has the direct AO3 link as well.

You can also find me HERE on AO3.

(Cut for length so it's not ridiculous when pinned)

📚 SERIES 📚

���️ Cruise Ship Boys 🛳️ (Human AU) 1. Caribbean Sunset 🌶️ Rated E, ~5500 words Hob hooks up with a beautiful stranger on a Caribbean cruise 2. London Fog 🌦️ Rated T, ~3500 words Dream does his best to ignore Possibilities while he copes with returning from holiday

⚔️ Appropriate Applications for Aesthetic Armors⚔️ 1. Anticipation Rated T, ~700 words Dream chooses Hob’s Halloween costume (spoiler alert: it's the Wavemother's robe from BG3) 2. Appreciation 🌶️ Rated E, ~4300 words Hob wears the costume; Dream has his fun. 3. Adoration 🌶️ Rated E, ~9500 words Dream's fantasy of publicly claiming Hob in the middle of the New Inn is played out with a very enthusiastic Hob in his dream, as offered.

☂️ The Umbrella Boys ☂️ (Human AU) 1. A Sweet Romance Beginning in a Queue Rated T, ~4500 words 🎶Bus stop, wet day, he’s there, I say, ‘Please share my umbrella’🎶 2. Love Rain Down On Me Rated M, ~2300 words 5 times those Three Little Words go unspoken, and one time they do not. 3. Weekend Arts and Crafts Rated G, ~1600 words Hob and Dream go on a date; Dream gets to meet one of Hob's friends

🔧 Turbo Lover 🔧 (Human AU) 1. Customer Service 🌶️ Rated E, ~4500 words Mechanic Hob's just trying to fix the rich guy's Porsche but the rich guy is looking at Hob like he's a five-course meal 2. With Every Nerve Alive 🌶️ Rated E, ~4600 words Dream Atelíotes is merely seeking car repairs from a reputable shop; he was not expecting to get punched in the libido by the most beautiful mechanic he could have imagined. 3. Loyalty Rewards Program 🌶️ Rated E, ~9200 words Dream comes back to Matthew's Motor Repairs the next day and Hob gives him everything he asks for 4. Shift to Overdrive 🌶️ Rated E, ~2000 words His beautiful mechanic in a bespoke suit is a tempting vision indeed and Dream is impatient on the limo ride home 5. Love Machines in Harmony 🌶️ Rated E, ~5200 words Passions are running high after the limo ride home, and the drawing room is closer than the bedroom 6. Without Warning Something's Dawning (Listen) Rated G, ~650 words Dream wanders through his thoughts about Hob 7. You'll Know You're Defenseless Rated G, ~1050 words Mechanic Hob might. Possibly. Be pining. Just a little bit.

🌊 Sea Stranger 🌊 (Mer-Hob AU) 1. Telling Tails Rated G, ~3700 words On a university-sponsored research trip in Australia, marine biologist Dream discovers a new form of sea life that he was not expecting 2. Good Luck Charm Rated G, ~3000 words When Dream's merman friend is late to their usual meeting, Dream is worried. And with good reason, as it turns out.

📖 ONE-SHOTS 📖

Use Your Words Rated T, ~2500 words Hob finds mistletoe hung in the bar. Dream is. Insistent. That they adhere to tradition.

Old Acquaintance Rated G, ~800 words It’s New Year’s Eve at the New Inn, and Dream and Hob are on the same page

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: velvet Rated G, 165 words One of Hob's favorite things about Dream

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: memory Rated G, ~230 words Dream is distracted by a memory

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: thread Rated G, ~200 words Hob loves his grey hair

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: daydream Rated T, ~800 words Hob's daydreams are not the only distracting ones

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: enthusiasm Rated G, ~200 words Enthusiasm is one of Hob's defining traits

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: trust Rated T, ~1500 words Dream finds Hob cooking for him (aka The Spicy Omelettes one)

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: grass Rated G, ~330 words A date in Fiddler's Green

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: fireplace Rated G, ~170 words Generic hearth metaphor

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: strong Rated T, ~3400 words Dream helps a drunken Hob get home (aka The Drunken Confessions one)

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: teach Rated T, ~520 words Dream teaches Hob how to summon him; self-immolation discouraged

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: vague 🌶️ Rated M, 465 words Sometimes Dream speaks vaguely. Sometimes he is Very Direct

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: glasses Rated T, ~330 words Sometimes, Hob wears glasses

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: yesterday Rated G, ~470 words Time works different in the Dreaming

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: recovery 🌦️ Rated T, ~2900 words Dream is dating; Hob works hard to just be a good friend while watching it fall apart (aka The Thessaly Breakup fic)

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: snack 🌶️ Rated E, ~1800 words Hob comes home to find Dream waiting from him in the traditional murder-widow robe

Fluffbruary 2023 Prompt: friend Rated T, ~1800 words Dream contemplates friendship, Hob, and the blurring of boundaries

In the Morning Light Rated T, ~1960 words Dream visits Hob on a rainy morning

Built For You 🌶️ Rated E, ~800 words Hob questions Dream on some particulars of his waking world anatomy

Insatiable 🌶️ Rated E, ~3100 words Dream gets rimmed and railed within an inch of his life

Of Cutoff Shorts and Classic Cars 🌶️ Rated E, ~4300 words Hob has made some very distinct wardrobe choices on a hot day. Dream approves.

Little Indulgences 🌶️ Rated E, ~1000 words A spot of fun with lingerie and sex toys

My Song Can But Borrow Your Grace 🌶️ Rated E, ~6800 words Fanfic for Flatter the Mountain Tops by Teejaystumbles (linked in the post). Dragon AU. Hob wants Dream in dragon form to fuck him while he stays in human form; Dream is beginning to see there’s more to it than just a size kink.

On the Edge of a Waking Dream 🌦️ Rated M, ~3900 words Monsterfucktober Bingo Square 'Ghost'. Human AU. Dream never believed in ghosts until his boyfriend became one

The Beauty of the Beast 🌶️ Rated E, ~3100 words Monsterfucktober Bingo Square 'Were-creature'. Recently-turned werewolf Hob wants to protect Dream from this new side of him. Dream is. Not interested in being protected.

Ambrosia 🌶️ Rated E, ~4000 words An exercise in celebrating the human messiness (and messy humanness) that Dream finds so attractive in Hob

Untitled Knight Hob/King Dream Scene Rated M, ~1300 words A synopsis-plus-scene-draft of a potential Knight Hob and King Dream AU that in all likelihood I will never actually go back to, but I like what's here so it goes on the masterlist

The Keeper and the Traveler Rated G, ~1700 words Not-Exactly-Human AU. A campfire folktale about finding what you didn’t know you were searching for, or something like that. Inspired by Nightwish's 'The Islander'

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm Rated M, ~6900 words It’s winter in London and Hob is interested in sharing various cold-weather human experiences with his distinctly-not-human boyfriend

Shampoo Rated G, ~550 words Fluffbruary 2024 prompt 'Scent'. Big changes also mean small changes, and sometimes a loss can bring gain as well

Before I Go Rated G, ~850 words Fluffbruary 2024 prompt 'Evening'. A Season-of-Mists-style leave-taking visit, some time later in their relationship

Vogue Rated M, ~750 words Fluffbruary 2024 prompt 'Photography'. Human AU. Dream comes home and Hob greets him with a camera.

Chaos and Calm Rated G, ~1550 words Human AU. Searching for rain boots and meeting friends in the park. No real plot, just meandering domestic parenting vibes.

Until We Meet Again 🌦️ Rated G, ~2700 words Dream frets over whether or not he could (or should) permit himself to visit Hob more often

Past the Wit of Man (or, Bottom's Dream) 😆 Rated M, ~3600 words Hob is nicely settled in a new career and a new identity and does not expect to see his Stranger until 2089. The universe, apparently, has other ideas.

Til Death Do Us Part Rated T, ~1450 words AU. Dream laments his vampiric nature. Hob offers reassurance, patiently, for the thousandth time

Promises In the Wake Rated G, ~1300 words Hob and Dream go apple picking

Mementos Rated G, ~1200 words Hob waxes nostalgic about an old hobby that's also his newest career.

Baby Got Back 😆 Rated T, ~3900 words Human AU. Dream's sister drags him to the gym. Will the instructor and his assets be enough to convince Dream it's worth his time?

Learning From Old Mistakes Rated T, ~1250 words Hob and Dream are accosted by a thief on their way home one evening

Marriage of Inconvenience Rated G, ~2400 words Selkie AU. Hob is delighted to see the pretty stranger coming back to his cafe, but he has no idea how his life is about to change

Andante Affettuoso Rated G, ~1600 words Five years after their initial reunion, Dream has come to the New Inn on Valentine's Day with specific words in mind.

Tradition Rated G, ~2400 words Dream shares his time and Hob shares his stories, and together they are maybe sharing something else.

[writingescapades]

In the Rain

Fields of Mistria: Balor, Rhys, March, Caldarus

A/N: It's been raining a lot here, so got inspired. Sorry if the characterization seems off. I'm playing the game slow and don't have all the lore and heart events. (I'm dying for an update where we get multiple save files. How will I romance them all????)

Balor

The rain always reduced the number of customers. It made for slippery paths as muddy water sloshed worn clothing. One always became soaked, not matter how well covered they attempted to be. Worst of all, the rain almost always made Balor ill. Suffice to say, Balor disliked the rain.

What the rain taught him was the comfort of shelter. The warmth of an enclosed spaced filled with music and laughter. The fullness of a hearty meal as rainwater serenaded him, and the soft thunder that lulled him to sleep. The rain was a temptation towards indulgence. It was different to experience a space to just exist in and not commoditize. Balor never knew how to feel about that. It enticed him but it also bit at him, as if the rain was attempting to domesticate him. Thankfully, the rain would always end.

It was on a rainy day that Balor, heading towards the inn, stumbled upon you. He instinctively invited you into the inn, especially once he registered your drenched state, but you only shook your head and turned your attention elsewhere. Once inside the inn, Balor surrender once more to the cozy environment. He sat on a bar stool waiting for the familiar warmth to wrap around him once more, holding him there till either the rain stopped, or he stumbled upstairs half asleep. But this time, Balor remained cold.

He kept remembering you. Your clothes and that flimsy hat would not last long under this downpour, yet you did not seem to mind. Instead, you face seemed focused. Balor tried to put his thoughts aside. Tried to chat with the locals, but 30 min later, he felt no different. It was only when Hemlock chided Balor to get on with what he really needed to do, that Balor finally escaped the inn.

He finally found you on the beach, fishing. Had he not been drenched, Balor would have laughed at the scene before him.

“What is so luring about fishing that I find the new farmer paying no heed to the rain?”

You turned and further confused Balor with a smirk. Did the rain not bother you?

“Some fishes only come out in the rain. Also, I seem to get a lot of treasure chests and sunken artifacts”.

Saying so, you pulled in your line to reveal an old treasure chest.

“Open it,” you urged.

It took some precarious locksmithing, but Balor finally opened the chest to reveal, a lump of wood. His expression must have been something for the cackle you let out.

“Sometimes they contain duds,” you consoled as you pulled in another chest.

This time, the box contained a bit of gold.

You urged him to keep the treasure, claiming it as his initiation into treasure hunting. Balor kept the gold, but his eyes locked out into the sea once more, excitement shining in his eyes. As he watched you cast out your line and waited for the next haul, Balor shivered. Maybe it was from the cold, and he probably would have a cold the next day. But the crisp air, the scent of the rain, the roaring of the sea all filled Balor with this familiar ache. He loved the inn and he’d grown on the people of Mistria. But comfort and desire were different, and Balor’s heart beat for this moment right here, where everything was just bit against him and the only thing that would save him rested on a silver line. A line you pulled and cast repeatedly until the moon was up and the rain finally stopped. Many treasure chests and artifacts were found, but for Balor the best treasure was discovered a new way to appreciate the rain.

Rhys

Rain and Carpenters were probably mortal enemies. Afterall, wet wood would worsen wealth for any carpenter. There was always a new customer, unaccustomed to wood composition who got upset when they discovered the damage the rain could do on wood. Like clockwork, the day after a rainfall always had Rhys running around fixing the damages and making repairs.

In anticipation of this, Rhys got into the habit of preparing on rainy days. It just saved time, though it took away from his other hobbies. His uncle always chided Rhys for working too hard, but he couldn’t persuade Rhys much, especially since Rhys’s hard work benefited the business. It was on such a day, where Rhys was walking out to the village square to pick up some supplies that he bumped into you.

You were lying on the ground, spread out like a starfish. Alarmed, Rhys immediately headed towards you to check if everything was well. Your closed eyes did not alleviate the situation, but the smile on your face made Rhys exhale a laugh and call out your name.

You didn’t open your eyes, but hummed along to his questions of concern. Rhys quickly understood that you were just being yourself. For quiet, calm, reliable Rhys, you were interesting. You did what you wanted with little care for the consequences or the opinions of others. It was, interesting and tempting, though Rhys was reluctant to admit it. He was about to go and leave you once more, when you turned towards him, shielding your face with your arm and spoke.

“Stay”.

It wasn’t an order, nor a job. Rhys should refuse. He should go to the market. He should work on new fences, bird feeders, fire circles for tomorrow. He should check the house and make sure everything is intact. He should not close his umbrella. He should not lie down like you, and he definitely should not smile as he got drenched. But Rhys did so.

It felt nice. That was a lie. It felt wonderful. The air really felt different in the rain. It smelled different. And the sensation of raindrops became soothing after a while, each drop a little greeting from nature. It was fun, and suddenly Rhys recalled all the projects he pushed to the side in order to work. All the nights he found himself awake, arms aching not from a hard day’s work, but from the lack of creative output. Rhy loved being a carpenter, and he was good at it. Yet, nothing compared to working on something that had no expectations, were Rhys could just be.

Rhys did not know how long you both lay there. No villager passed by. They were all probably at the inn anyway, passing time till the rain stopped. He probably would have joined them after a few urges, but now Rhys realized, that the warmth of the inn could not compare to the warmth of your hand. Infinitesimally less warm than the inn, Rhys still held on tight to your hand as his heart soared with an excitement he had stored away. He would not go home and work after the rain stopped. He would find those projects and, after a long time, he would have fun.

March

March always worked, rain or shine. A blacksmith’s work was always in demand. Even with his brother, the duo always put in long hours, but the pay off was well worth it. Though it was somewhat egotistical of him, March prided in knowing that he and his brother built this village. Thus, over the time, March became immune to the weather. It was just another day.

He was out making deliveries when he spotted you. You were walking, rather slowly, without an umbrella.

“Are you dumb?” March huffed out when he caught up with you, placing the umbrella above both of you. it wasn’t made for two, forcing March to put up with you drawing closer.

“Where’s your umbrella?”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” you asked back.

March scoffed. Sense of adventure. Please. Just because you went into the mines to discover, didn’t mean March did the same. March went to the mines to collect resources. He did not pick up odd things. He did not talk to statues. He made practical tools and armour out the materials. That was all. There was no adventure to life. There was just the skill one developed when one worked hard.

But you would always ask him this question when he challenged your ways. March knew he should comment on your lifestyle. You never did so for him. But he couldn’t help it. There was something about you that irritated March, and seeing you be so, so, so unlike him yet so beloved fueled that irritation. Years as a Blacksmith trained March for expected results. He knew how to craft complex tools from a series of repeated motions and heat. When you came with your grandiose designs, March immediately rejected them, saying it was impossible. He shook his head when he saw you at the smithing table, failing over and over again. On the odd chance that something actually worked, March only sneered claiming it wouldn’t last long. He never learned if they did.

That’s all he did around everyone. Grumble, complain, ridicule. Even now he complained about having to hold his delivery and balance the umbrella over the two of you. Eventually you rolled your eyes, sighed, and took the umbrella. You both made it to his delivery address when March told you to keep the umbrella.

“If you get sick and die, I won’t have you haunting me because I didn��t give you the umbrella,” he muttered and all but shoved you off on your path.

You clicked your tongue in annoyance before a cold smile crept up your face, sending shivers down March. You walked a few steps with the umbrella, then suddenly flung it behind you and scampered off.

“Oy!” March yelled out to the sound of your laughter. You were moving fast, but he still caught your words in the rain.

“You would make the afterlife interesting for me to hang around?”

March picked up the umbrella and uselessly shook it before placing it above him once more. He made his way home but stopped at the blacksmith table. There was an item, one of your designs. Of no practical purpose and rudimentary. But it lasted. March quickly brought in the item and dried it. Staring at the object he traced the metal as his brain started to plan out ways to improve the object. To make it more attractive for customers, or to offer it as a decorative item detail. He could make hundreds of the improved model, but March would always keep this rudimentary one on his desk. It was a reminder; of that cold smile you always gave him before you set out prove him wrong. The one that sent shivers down March, not because it intimidated him, but because it awoke a slumbering excitement. A competition that had to last a lifetime, because March did not know how to make life an adventure without you.

Caldarus

Caldarus experienced rain for millenniums as a dragon and as a stone. It was different as a stone because though he knew when it rained, he couldn’t experience it as a living creature. It wasn’t until you moved into the acre of forest where his statue lay, that Caldarus was provided the opportunity to experience rain again.

You both developed a habit of sitting together in the rain. It was Caldarus who initiated the activity, concerned at seeing you work in the rain. If the rain was nature’s way to put a pause on life, then why were you working? When you sat beside him the first time, you fidgeted a lot, unused to doing nothing. You began to talk and ask him questions, and though Caldarus enjoyed your conversations, he intentionally slowed his responses to push you into experiencing the moment. It took time, but you changed. You slowed down. Took more breaks. Did nothing. Said nothing, and basked in the comfort only a familiar and age-old company can provide.

Then everything changed and Caldarus experienced rain differently for the third time. Experiencing rain in the human form was quite different. As a dragon, Caldarus paid no heed to the rain. It was more of a bath if anything else. As a stone, it was something he merely sensed through his magic. In both forms, rain allowed Caldarus to watch the world be cleaned. To experience a moment of silence as all sounds fell under the sound of rain. But as a human, the rain altered all his senses. He could hear it, smell it, feel it, even taste it. It was all wonderful and all too much. He now understood why many rushed to shelter, after all, who could endure this onslaught of the senses for longer durations?

In his human form, Caldarus expected rainy days with you to cease. He thought you would prefer time indoors as most humans did. But instead, Caldarus found your sitting on a stone bench, doing nothing.

“Dear one, why are you sitting on the bench? Would you not prefer the warmth of your home?”

You laughed and gave Caldarus a cheeky smile.

“Can’t stand the rain anymore Caldarus? What happened to experiencing nature’s pause?”

Caldarus ducked his head and looked away. The number of times he asked you to sit beside him in the rain, not once it crossed his mind that this act might make you sick. He opened his mouth to apologize for this negligence, when he saw your outstretched hand. Tentatively holding it, Caldarus found himself being pulled towards you. He landed on the stone bench while you sat on the ground beside him. The familiar positions you took when he was stone.

“I want to experience this moment with you, Caldarus”.

He would never tire of hearing you say his name, nor of spending time with you. It was a world you both created, a language you both understood, and a familiarity that long eluded Caldarus. He would forever cherish it.

“Of course, dear one”.

[potatoplace]

You Can Have It - Chapter 2

Alpha!Feysand x Omega!Reader

chapter 1 | chapter 3 | series masterlist

Story Summary: You've been a baker for 75 years, and are finally moving on from the Winter Court to the City of Velaris to start your own bakery after your grandmother passes. After your grand opening, the High Lord and Lady of Night become daily visitors to your bakery for months, every day having your most popular pastry- one that increases fertility for a short time. All the while, the two alphas want nothing more than to call themselves yours.

Warnings: A/B/O Dynamics, mentions of sex toys, I really don't think there's anything else?

Words: ~7.8k

Author's Note: it's here! I struggled a lot to get writing with this chapter, I think it's because there's so much I want to happen! Things should start moving a bit quicker after this chapter, were done with most of the OC introductions (just lil friendos for reader to have outside of the inner circle~). Hopefully in the next chapter reader will meet Rhys and Feyre :)

18+ only pls

🤍🩵🤍💜🤍

You had been reading for a couple of hours before Mor returned to the inn, busting into your room as soon as you opened the door at her frantic knocks.

“I brought dinner!” Mor squealed as she set a bag onto the table in the middle of the room. “I went to Sevenda’s and got my favorite of hers, it’s this delicious pesto chicken pasta with broccoli in it, I think you’ll love it! We just have to make sure to take the bowls back tomorrow, Sevenda made me promise and I’ve forgotten a couple of times already,” Mor said sheepishly, a grin on her face. She sat down and began pulling out the takeaway dishes along with napkins and utensils.

You sat down in the other chair, gladly taking your share of the heavenly smelling food and digging in. Mor followed suit, and the two of you ate happily in a comfortable silence for a moment.

“So, were you able to set up a meeting with Auric already?” You asked Mor before taking another bite- it tasted even more amazing than it smelled.

Mor nodded. “Yes, he agreed to tomorrow at two o’clock at this cute little café just a couple of blocks down from here. He mainly wants to know your plans for the land before finalizing the sale. Auric’s family has owned the land since Velaris was founded, and since he doesn’t have any children he just wants to make sure it’s a business with good intentions, I think.”

“That makes sense, I would probably do the same in his position.”

“Agreed. I think he’ll find a cozy bakery to be a perfect fit, he ran a custom paint and supply store once he took over, and I believe it was an apothecary before that.”

You smile softly at the knowledge that your bakery will be on land with such a long history, one that must have made so many people happy. “The apothecary part will be somewhat carried on with my bakery, I have a few different pastries with special herbs in them to give different effects to the person that eats it. I have one that was very popular in the Winter Court, it helps to boost fertility. We started having a greater amount of births around every major holiday, that’s when I would bake the most of them,” you gushed, always happy to talk about your baking.

“Really? Oh, that will be lovely! Since the war, everyone in Velaris has had their eyes turned to the future, and it seems almost everyone wants to have children nowadays. Once word gets around, you’d best be ready for constant business for that pastry alone.” Mor’s words instilled confidence in you, something that you needed every so often to be sure you’re making the right choices.

A half hour later, Mor stood from her chair and began packing up the dishes. Before she left, she pulled a small metal card from her pocket and handed it to you. “This is your bank card, you’ll need it to make any purchases within Velaris. Kallias and Viviane had me set up an account for you and deposit your farewell bonus. Ten thousand for every year you worked for them, a total of 700,000 gold marks.”

“700,000?!” You asked in a frantic tone. That was to much- far, far too much. “That- they must have made a mistake. That’s a ridiculous amount of gold!”

Mor only smiled at you as she answered, “No, they were very specific about the amount. They said if you were panicking to tell you that five thousand every year was for your grandmother, and five thousand was for you. And to tell you that there is no way to convince them to take any of it back, so don’t attempt.” Mor’s smile turned to a grin when you stayed silent, still processing the immense wealth that you now possess. “I’ll be here a bit before two tomorrow to show you to the café for your meeting,” she said as she left your room, bag full of empty dishes in her hand.

“Thank you, Mor. For everything you’ve done today.”

One more bright, sunshine filled smile. “You’re welcome, Y/N. It’s no problem, you’ve been lovely to get to know.”

You return her smile, and shut the door when she is out of sight. Standing alone in your hotel room, you suddenly feel the weight of your day crashing into your shoulders. You set your new bank card on the table, the weight of its wealth too heavy at the moment.

You made your way into the bathroom, carefully removing your dress from your body to not snag your wings on the fabric. Then you set to drawing the bath- luckily, it was fully enchanted with plumbing, allowing for hot water to fill the tub.

It was a bit smaller than you were used to, not quite the right size to fit a winged body, but it would do just fine until you could have your own custom tub made for your apartment.

As soon as the tub was filled, you sank into the warm water, keeping your wings out of the water for tonight- too much of a hassle to dry with how tired you are already.

You let the steam relax you, sinking into a soft, relaxed state of mind. It drifted to your grandmother- she had died today, but you weren’t devastated. She had been in pain the past thirty six years, caused by the curse Amarantha had put upon her. Your grandmother had accidentally served burned pastries to the revel, one making its way to Amarantha herself. As Nanna’s punishment, the evil queen had cursed her blood to burn away slowly until she eventually passed.

But she was in peace now- able to move on to the next life, hopefully one that’s happier, less filled with psychotic fae.

And here- here, you could believe that. You’d seen so many different kinds of fae today, more than you’d seen at once Under the Mountain. Every one of them got along, there was only minor haggling and bickering to disrupt the peace. Besides that, everyone had sounded happy, unburdened.

It was nice.

The Winter Court, even six years after Amarantha’s fall, was still struggling to find the same freeness that this city radiated.

Your grandmother would have loved it here, the two Palaces dedicated to food stuffs alone might have convinced her to move here.

You would love it twice as much, just for her. She had always wanted you to live a full life, one of joy, hopefully with an alpha and a family of any size. She had been an omega as well, understanding that need, that overwhelming desire to have a family, an alpha that loves you.

When you presented, your mother and father had already passed, taken by a brutal pneumonia that had overtaken most of your village. Your grandmother had been the only family left to teach you, and she had done all she could to prepare you for your secondary sex and all that came with it.

You had yet to take an alpha, ever. During your few heats before being trapped Under the Mountain, you had taken a beta as your lover, trusting him enough to help you through them.

And Under the Mountain… Well, you were lucky enough to have been relegated to the kitchens at all times besides during your grandmother’s punishment. No alphas had been allowed to work at kitchen staff, so you were kept relatively hidden during your heats, though they had been less frequent due to the stress, possibly even from the magic sucked from your body.

Now, though, they had returned in full force, three months apart and stronger than ever. Viviane had been kind enough to show you to the small shop dedicated to sex toys in the square of the capital city, some of them designed to mimic a knot.

The toy you had gotten that day had seen you through your last six years of heats, along with a special blend of herbs your grandmother had created that lessened the symptoms to a close to manageable level.

Now, though, in a new city? Maybe you could find an alpha for yourself, as well as follow your lifelong dream. You let yourself drift off and think about what your alpha might be like as you washed your body.

As soon as you were clean, you got out and dried yourself off. You wrapped yourself in the towel and padded into the bedroom once more, finally ready to unpack your things.

It went quickly enough, you hung up your dresses and put away your romance novels and cookbooks. One of them was your grandmother’s entire catalog of recipes, all of her tricks to making any recipe a bit easier. It was your most prized possession, your own catalog a close second.

Your bags were empty now, and you placed them at the bottom of the wardrobe, along with your pair of extra boots.

All alone. A new city.

You crawled into your bed after putting on your favorite nightgown, long sleeved and reaching your calves in a blue so light it’s nearly white, and a scooped back allowing for your wings to remind untouched by fabric.

The sheets on the bed are soft, and you bury your face in them for a moment, reveling in the feeling of them on your skin. A gentle huff leaves your mouth, and you turn your head to look out the window, to where it’s snowing.

You’ll be sad when the snow is gone, but you can’t deny that you’re excited to see the other seasons come and go as they do outside of Winter.

And your bakery- you wonder how that will change throughout the seasons. Different pastries, outdoor seating, seasonal themes- would you be able to make it snow inside during winter?

You drifted off to different imaginings of your new business, new home as well as you’ll be building an apartment above the bakery itself.

🤍🩵🤍💜🤍

You awoke the next morning to the winter sun shining into your eyes. You stretched for a moment, then got up from your bed, and walked over to the doors leading to your balcony and stepped through them. Outside, the snow had stopped falling overnight, and now looked to be around five inches deep.

That wasn’t bad, not bad at all. This time in Winter there would be nights with a foot or more of snowfall. It looked to be about ten in the morning- that would be more than enough time to go and grab some breakfast, and maybe shop around a little bit.

You quickly pulled on a pair of thick grey wool tights after removing your nightgown, then slipped into your thickest winter dress, making sure to get all of the buttons into their holes to make the fabric wrap snugly around the base of your wings to protect the skin beneath. The dress, made of thick wool with a silvery fabric layered over the top, was one that you didn’t wear too often, as you didn’t tend to venture outside of the High Lord’s palace often when it snowed heavily. Your wings, even after living in Winter for the first twenty five years of your life and the past six, were still sensitive to the cold at times, so you preferred to stay inside during most of the heavy snow season.

This dress keeps the rest of you warm and cozy, and you want breakfast, so you’ll risk your wings feeling a bit chilled.

You pulled on your boots that nearly reach your knees and lace them up quickly, your stomach’s loud growl making your fingers move faster. Then you throw on your scarf, hat, and mittens, taking care to slip your bank card into your right mitten for safe keeping, and then you’re out the door, locking int behind you and bounding down the stairs.

“Good morning, Y/N,” Druana said from behind the counter as you breezed past her, making your way to the door.

“Good morning, Druana!” You replied enthusiastically. “I’ll see you in a little bit, I’m going to explore the city on my own for a while.”

“Have a good time, and be careful in the snow. It gets slippery on the stones beneath quickly,” Druana warned as you opened the door and slipped through it.

“Thank you!”

And then you were in the crisp winter breeze, breathing in deep lungfuls of the clean, snow scented air. You’ll definitely miss this once the season slips into spring, but you’re here now.

And it’s beautiful.

The snow has iced the roofs of the buildings around you perfectly, and everything looks like a little gingerbread town. You made your way through the streets slowly, following the delicious scent of cinnamon, sugar, and coffee that you picked up.

Soon, you were at an adorable café, decorated with soft pastels inside and out, primarily pink. And you could tell that inside there was a cinnamon coffee cake and coffee to go with it, one of your favorite breakfasts- just perfect for your first official morning in a new home.

You entered the building, spotting a slim high fae beta at the counter in the back.

“Good morning,” she chirped cheerily at you as you made your way to the counter.

“Good morning,” you responded, already looking over the display of baked goods she had out. “I’ll have a slice of that cinnamon coffee cake,” you said, pointing to the perfect looking coffee cake. You then looked behind the other fae, taking in the coffee brewing equipment. “And a coffee with a bit of cream in it, please.”

“Of course,” the other fae said, grabbing your order in a couple of minutes, sliding a plate and a mug over to you after you’d slid your mittens off. “That will be two gold marks,” she said, and you handed over your bank card, hoping that you weren’t doing this wrong. The fae opened up a ledger, and pressed your card against it. “Alright, here’s that back. You can take a seat wherever you like, and just bring the dishes up to the counter when you’re done,” she said softly as she handed you the card back.

“Thank you,” you said with a smile. You grabbed your items, and sat at the table right in front of a window looking out onto the street you’d just come in from.

Both the cake and the coffee were delicious, warming your insides nicely as you sat and watched people go by, the city slowly waking as you ate, a few customers walking in as you did. You returned the dishes to the front, smiling at the pretty fae running the café. “Thank you, it was absolutely delightful! Would you happen to know the way to a bookstore near here?” You asked a bit shyly.

“New to town?” The fae asked, and you nodded your head in confirmation. “If you go to the right and head down five buildings, take a left and then in two more buildings you’ll be at Gina’s bookstore- she’s very nice, and loves meeting new people.”

“Thank you so much, I’ll probably see you again soon. My name is Y/N, by the way,” you said.

“My name is Jayla, it’s nice to meet you Y/N. And it’s no problem, I’ll see you again!” The fae said cheerily.

You followed her instructions well, and within a few minutes you were shaking the snow off of your boots and dress and walking into the cozy bookstore. There were rows and rows of shelves extending into the back of the store greeting you, and when you looked to your left there was a counter with a green skinned fae behind it. Further down from the counter, there was a small sitting area in front of a fireplace- a roaring fire already blazing inside.

“Welcome in!” The fae said with a warm smile as she looked to you, standing just inside the now closed door. “My name is Gina, I’m happy to help you find anything, or you can browse around for a bit.”

You moved closer to her, taking off your mittens and tucking your bank card into the collar of your dress as you did so. “My name is Y/N, I was wondering if you had any romance novels?” You asked, feeling a bit shy at the request, especially once the alpha’s scent washed over you.

She probably thinks I’m some silly romance obsessed omega now, you thought to yourself.

“Ah! Another romance lover! Right this way, I’ll show you some of my favorites too, if that’s alright,” Gina exclaimed as she quickly made her way over to you and grabbed your hand, leading you through the rows of books to the middle of the store.

“Right in the heart of the store is where I keep my favorite genre,” Gina said as she pulled a book from one of the shelves. “And this is my favorite romance series! It’s called Healer of Time, it’s about this omega high fae from the Dawn Court. She has these really strong healing powers, and she somehow ends up traveling back and forth between current time and three hundred years ago, and has to choose between two fantastically hot alphas, one from each timeline. It’s just perfect, and I’ve helped make the series all the rage in Velaris!”

She handed the book over to you, which you eagerly accepted. That sounded like the best blend of romance and adventure to you. “How many books are there on the series?”

“Nine so far, but the author puts out a new one every year or so, thank the Mother!” Gina responded, pointing out the other eight books for you.

“Wow, that’s a pretty good turn around. I honestly think I’ll get the first four today! It sounds like a really good read.”

Gina grins widely at you, and her excitement is too contagious to not smile back. “I’ll take these up to the front for you, but if you have any more questions feel free to come up and ask me!” Gina took the book from your hand and pulled three more off of the shelf.

“Do you happen to have any cookbooks?”

“Of course, they’re near the front, off to the right in the row second closest to the wall Y/N.”

You make your way over to the area, and quickly spot the section dedicated to cooking and baking. One catches your eye, titled Night Court Favorites, with a beautiful illustration of a moonlit picnic on the front. On the back, it promised the recipes for the past three millennium of Night Court nobility’s favorite dishes. Probably as good a place as any to start your full cooking journey, now that most of your meals would not be prepared by the other kitchen staff of the High Lord’s palace.

You flipped through it quickly, eyes snagging on a recipe for Night Court traditional curry- it sounded absolutely delicious.

With the cookbook in hand, you ventured slowly back to the front counter where Gina stood talking to another fae excitedly, your books waiting on the counter for you.

“Ah, Nesta, I’d like you to meet Y/N, she’s the customer I was telling you about!”

The other fae turned around, her movements sending a small amount of her scent- a winter bonfire and very alpha- and you were struck by her beauty. Sharp angles and liquid steel eyes, and lovely golden brown hair twisted into an elegant braid crown on top of her head.

“It’s nice to meet you Y/N, are you new in town?” The high fae’s voice was husky and holding a certain power to it, absolutely lovely.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nesta. And yes, I just moved to the city yesterday.”

“Well I hope you find the city to your liking. Gina was just telling me that you like romance novels?” You nodded your head. “I host a little book club here every second and fourth Wednesday at four in the afternoon, and we mainly read romance novels. I always like to extend an invitation to those Gina thinks would enjoy it,” Nesta offered.

“Oh…” you thought about it for a moment. “I’m in the process of getting my business up and running right now, but maybe in a couple of months when things have calmed down?” You asked hopefully.

Nesta nodded her head in agreement. “That’s fine, just talk to Gina when you’re ready to join, she’ll let you know what book we’re reading. Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’ve got to be going now now,” Nesta said, making her way over to the door.

“It was lovely meeting you as well, Nesta. I’ll see you in a couple of months.”

The alpha was out the door after waving goodbye, and you were left alone in the bookstore once more with Gina.

“Did you find everything you wanted, dear?” She asked, taking the cookbook from your hands.

“Yes, I did. Though I’m sure I’ll be back in a week for some extra reading, if I end up having the time.”

“You mentioned a business? What kind?”

Your books were bagged now, and you handed over your bank card after pulling it from your collar. “I’m going to be opening a bakery in the Rainbow, if all goes to plan.”

“Oh, that’s nice! We can always use more food stores, and bakeries especially! I’m a big fan of anything bread,” Gina said with a laugh, handing you back your bank card and sliding the book filled fabric bag over to you. “It came out to 11 gold marks and one silver mark, and if you absolutely hate the first book, I’ll let your return the rest and pick out something else, alright?”

You grin at her. “I don’t think that will be necessary, but it’s good to know! I’ll see you sometime soon, Gina. Thank you.”

“I look forward to hearing what you think of them! Walk safely, it can get slippery,” Gina warned as you stepped back into the snow and cold, door thunking shut behind you.

You followed your route back to the café you’d eaten at, simply names Jayla’s. You walking, taking the path that you think leads to the inn. You end up making a few extra turns, but you’re back in the warmth of the inn after you finally find the building. Druana is nowhere to be seen when you enter after kicking the snow off of your boots and dress, so you simply go up to your room.

Your bag lands on the table, and you immediately pulled out the cookbook, flicking through it again to find the curry recipe. You spy a notepad, quill, and ink pot which you grab and bring over to the table.

On the page, you write all of the ingredients you’ll need to make the curry- tonight, hopefully, if you can find everything you need in the two food centric Palaces. You’ll need chicken, a few different root vegetables, a good variety of spices, and coconut milk- you hoped that one of the various stalls you’d seen yesterday would have some prepared, you don’t quite feel like going through that hassle yet.

You check the small clock hanging on the wall, seeing that it’s only a quarter to noon still, that should be plenty of time to get the ingredients you need and be back here in time to meet Mor.

Next you look in the cupboards of the kitchenette, which hold a large frying pan, a pot with a lid, a cutting board, cooking utensils and small knife set. There’s also two sets of plates, bowls, cups and utensils. The frying pan and pot should work nice enough for the curry, there’s not much point to you buying your own cookware until your building is completed. And there’s a cold box, enchanted to keep dairy and meat fresh.

That would hopefully mean going to only one Palace today, or at least before the meeting. You let the ink of your list dry for a few more minutes, flipping open to the first page of your new book series, quickly reading the first chapter.

Just as you thought, it was going to be a good fit.

You folded your list in half once, then again, and tucked it into the collar of your dress alongside your bank card. You should probably get a purse of some sort soon. But that can wait.

You’re bounding down the stairs again in an instant, and Druana is back at her desk this time.

“Oh, I didn’t even hear you come in! I’ll see you again soon, Y/N.”

You smiled at her and said, “Yes, I should be back at or before 1:30, and Mor will be meeting me here, just so you know.”

“Thank you,” Druana replied with her own smile.

You were back in the winter air, sun shining down on you now. Your breath still made puffy clouds in the air, but you didn’t care. It’s winter, and it’s beautiful.

Slowly, you made your way across the nearest bridge that connected right to the Palace of Hoof and Leaf, your current destination. Upon entering the more tightly packed area, you gravitated towards a large stall, covered in so many different vegetables and large glass jars, only a few still filled to the brim with spices. There was a tall, dark skinned high fae standing behind the stall.

“Can I help you?” She asked in a low voice, and you instantly pinned her as an alpha.

You pulled out your grocery list. “Yes, I needed the vegetables and spices on this list, if you happen to have them,” you said, handing it over to the female when she gestures for you to give it to her.

“I just so happen to have almost all of these spices, and the ones I don’t I can point you to another sweet fae who has them, as well as the coconut milk and rice you need. And I have all of the vegetables you need. Making the traditional curry?” She asked as she began gathering the vegetables for you.

“Yes, I’m new to the city and want to learn some of the common dishes here, and this sounded like a wonderful start.”

“Well, I’ll say that it’s one of my personal favorites, so I hope you won’t be disappointed. My name is Petra, by the way, it’s always nice to see new faces in town.”

You smile at her, so happy that so far you’ve only had positive experiences with the people of Velaris. “I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Now, would you like to buy small spice jars that you can bring back and refill, or just go with the amount you’ll need for the recipe?” Petra asked you, holding up a small glass bottle with a metal lid fitted to the top.

“I think I’ll buy the spice jars, please.”

She fills the three small bottles up quickly, putting them in a thin wooden container with a handle, with six slots perfectly fitting the spice jars.

“You can come back and have them filled up for a slight discount for any spice sellers in the two food oriented Palaces, but I’d prefer if you came back to my stall,” Petra said with a wink, placing the container into the tan fabric bag containing the vegetables. “That will be 7 gold marks, please.” You handed her your bank card, and she quickly passed it back after pressing it to her ledger. “Now, the other two spices and the coconut milk you need, you can find three stalls down on the right, and the male next to her has a good price on chicken, just to give a few suggestions,” Petra offered, pointing out the two fae she was speaking of.

“Thank you so much, I’ll be sure to come back when I need more vegetables,” you said before walking away, exchanging waves and warm smiles.

You made your way over to the other stalls, quickly buying the other two spices, coconut milk, and rice you need, as well as the chicken the recipe called for- one large chicken breast. You trekked back to the inn carefully, switching the bag between hands every so often.

“Grocery shopping, I see,” Druana greeted you as you breezed into the inn after kicking the snow off of your clothes.

“Yes, I thought it would be better than ordering in every night,” you chuckled as you made your way over to the stairs.

“Well, good luck with that. And don’t burn my inn down,” Druana added playfully as you began going up the flight of stairs.

“I’ll do my best!” You unlocked your room, immediately dropping the heavy bag next to the books you’d purchased earlier. Groceries sure are heavy when you have to lug them across town. No matter. You’ll get used to it soon enough, especially once you have to purchase for the bakery.

You put the chicken and coconut milk into the cold box, and the vegetables and spices onto the counter. Right after you had, there was a knock at your door. “Y/N? It’s me, Mor.”

You swung the door open, letting the bubbly blonde into your room. She was carrying a large yellow envelope under one arm, and decked in winter gear from head to toe, but still slightly shivering even in the warmth of the building. “Time to go?” You asked, still holding the door open.

“Yes, getting there a little early is wise with weather like this. Nothing quite like eating shit one to many times on your way to a meeting and ending up late,” Mor said, already moving back out of your bedroom door and into the hallway, and you followed her after making sure your bank card was still tucked safely in the collar of your shirt

The door snicked shut and you locked it quickly, following Mor down the stairs and outside once more. She led you through the streets cautiously, obviously afraid of falling down, but you made it to the café within ten minutes, and to your surprise it was Jayla’s café.

“Ah, welcome back Mor, Y/N,” Jayla said from behind the counter as she wiped it down with a cloth.

“Morrigan!” Exclaimed an older male’s voice, gravelly with age. “It’s wonderful to see you again, come, introduce me to your friend,” the elderly high fae said, beckoning the two of you closer to where he was seated at a table, three other chairs surrounding it.

“Auric, this is Y/N, the lovely young fae hoping to buy your property. Y/N, this is Auric, Velaris’s most experienced paint mixer, including magic imbued paints as well,” Mor said as the two of you sat in the unoccupied chairs.

“It’s wonderful to meet you Auric, I truly fell in love with your family’s property the moment I saw it,” you said right before Jayla came over to the three of you.

“Would the two of you like anything to drink?” She asked, and you noticed that Auric already had a mostly full cup of tea in front of him.

“I’ll take a tea, whatever you recommend please.”

“The same for me, please,” Mor said. “Thank you, Jayla.” Jayla nodded and walked away, going behind the counter to begin brewing your teas.

“So, you fell in love with the land? What did you like about it?” Auric asked you, eyes running over your face. It was then that you scented him- a male omega. It had been years since you’d met one yourself, before the mountain you believed.

“I loved the view looking towards the Sidra, you can see the mountains in the background as well as all of the other beautiful buildings in the city. The land itself is so lovely, it’s nice and flat, and I think it would look wonderful with a little extra landscaping, maybe a tree or two of that would be alright. And the location, on the outside edge of the Rainbow would be perfect for a bakery, close enough to a few residential areas, but also involved in the creativity that the area boasts,” you gushed, still picturing the view in your mind. Being able to bake and look out at such a beautiful river, beautiful city, truly, would be amazing.

Jayla returned, two cups of tea in hand that she placed in front of you and Mor. “A lovely raspberry tea for the both of you,” she said before walking back to the counter.

“A bakery, hmm?” Auric questioned, raising a brow at you as you took a sip of the tea- delicious. “Are enough sure you have the stamina to run it? It’s a hefty job.”

You nodded your head once, fully confident in your abilities. “Yes, I previously worked to bake for the entirety of the Hugh Lord of Winter’s residence, and over the course of… Well, being Under the Mountain, I was assistant to the head baker, my grandmother, for twenty years, and for thirty years after that I was head baker myself. I am confident that I can handle running a bakery on my own.”

The older fae’s eyes narrowed at your for a minute, before they crinkled as his lips spread into a smile. “I like you. I’m sorry that you had to go through that, but it’s good to see you’re stronger for it. Now, what type of baked goods will you be selling?”

You breathed a small sigh of relief before answering. “Well, I do have a few favorite pastries of the Winter Court that I’ll have, as well as loaves breads and cakes. Plus I have a number of recipes made with medicinal herbs or berries that have health boosting benefits. My most popular one by far has been a fertility boosting pastry made with a berry native to the Winter Court.”

Auric hummed as he considered everything you had said. “And what will you name it?”

“I… What?”

“What will you name your bakery? Surely you know what you want your business to be called, Y/N.”

“Of course I do, Auric. It will be called Sparaiya Bakery, after my grandmother. She might have left this plane, but she will always be with me, especially when I bake.”

Auric clapped his hands together once. “Very well, then. I’d like to sell you my land, Y/N. I think you have a good amount of experience, you have a vision for your bakery, and you seem like a strong, loyal person. I believe my ancestors would be proud to have your business on their land,” the older omega said sincerely. “I’ve set the price at 100,000 gold marks, are you willing to pay that much?”

The thought of that much money alone being spent made your stomach churn, but you reminded yourself of the massive amount of money that Kallias and Viviane had given you, and that this land was worth every single mark you were going to spend on it. “Yes, that’s perfectly fine with me.”

“Perfect!” Mor pulled the envelope from between her arm and chest, pulling a few documents out and summoning a quill and a pot of ink. “The two of you can go ahead and sign here, and Y/N, you’ll just need to press your bank card to the top right corner after you’ve both signed.” The two of you do as she says, standing and shaking hands afterwards.

“Thank you so much, Auric, for entrusting your family’s land to me. I hope that if you come by once it’s finished, you will be proud.”

Auric regarded you warmly, squeezing your hand an extra time before letting go. “I’m sure that I will be, Y/N. Let me know when you’re opening, and I’ll be sure to stop by.” He grabbed his copy of the sale documents

“I’ll make sure to. Have a wonderful rest of your day,” you said as he walked out of the café, leaving you with Mor. “I’m so happy he said yes! Oh, I should go tell Marcus that I have the plot of land now, and get everything moving in that direction. Thank you so much, Mor. You’ve been such a help in all of this,” you said, placing a kiss gently on the alpha’s cheek. “I’m going to head over to Marcus’s business now, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, of course!” The alpha responded, already donning all of her winter clothes again to bundle against the cold. “You walk safely over to there, Velaris gets slippery when it snows. Now, will I see you for lunch this Thursday?” Mor asked, and you mentally double checked the day of the week in your head- Monday.

“Yes, three days from now sounds perfect. Do you want to meet somewhere or at my hotel room?”

“I’ll meet you at your hotel room this time, alright?”

You nodded your head in agreement. “That sounds good, I’ll see you on Thursday Mor. You walk safely too!” You were already out of the door with your bill of sale in hand, beelining your way as well as you could to the Palace of Flame and Steel. When you arrived at Marcus’s shop, you swung the door open and stomped off the snow on your boots before entering. “Marcus!” You said excitedly as you met his eyes, waving the paper in your hands at him. “I have land now, will you be able to come assess it in the next few days?”

Marcis stood from his place behind the desk and made his way around it to you. “I can go right now, there it too much to do around here at the moment,” he said, already ushering you out of his shop, flipping the open sign on the door to say closed, and locking it behind him.

“If you’re sure…” you said before grabbing his hand and pulling him with you to the Rainbow as fast as the two of you could manage in the snow. “This is it!” You gesture to the dilapidated building excitedly.

“You are planning to tear it down, right?” Marcus asked, amusement in his voice.

“Of course I am, silly, I wanted the land. It has such a beautiful view of the Sidra and the mountains, come here.” You pulled him past the building, to where you had stood when you’d known that this was the land you wanted your dream to come to life on.

Marcus let out a heavy breath. “Okay, I get it now.” He looked around, taking in where they were situated. “And it’s in the perfect spot for a bakery, you really picked the best possible spot.”

“I know!” You squealed, jumping as high as you could without using your wings in your excitement. “So, what’s the procedure for tearing down the old building and starting the new construction?” You asked, ready to learn the necessary details.

Marcus pulled you back onto the street, and the two of you began to walk back to his business. “Well, we need to submit a request for a permit to demolish, and one for construction. But since I’ve done a good amount of work in the past six years, I doubt that there will be much more than two days of waiting time between submitting it and getting the permits. We can fill out all the forms once we get to my office, and I’ll get them sent up to the House of Wind as soon as I can.”

“Alright, that sounds doable enough,” you said as you threw a smile at him, happy that he’s kind about you not knowing much about the building process.

Soon enough the two of you are back at his office, and he swings the door open, letting you go inside first. He went through a filing cabinet behind his desk before pulling out a half inch thick stack of papers in total. Marcus turned back to you, placing them on the desk and gesturing for you to take a seat.

You do as he asks, and he sets two piles in front of you- both are identical. You give him a quizzical look, not understanding the purpose of having two.

“One pile is for your own personal records, and the other is for the permits and for our contract agreement, for payments and things like that. I suggest you read everything closely, and I can explain something to you if you’d like.”

You read through the stack of documents, finding everything to be fair, both in compensation for the company, and certain protections on promises made to you. You signed the contract documents first, letting Marcus take the pages as you finished to sign them himself. Then came the permit application, you needed to state why you wanted to tear the building down, then what you were going to replace it with.

That was easy, the current building would not suffice for a bakery, it might even burn down if you ride to light a fire in it. And building on top of the land, well, a bakery plus a second floor apartment with a small garden.

Once it was all filled out, Marcus went through every page to make sure that everything had been signed. “Alright, everything looks to be in order. I’ll write to you to let you know when it’s been approved, okay Y/N?”

You nodded your head, happy to be done with the paperwork portion of the day. “That sounds just fine, Marcus. I’ll see you in a few days, most likely,” you said before standing from your chair, stretching your muscles and wings slightly.

“I’ll see you then,” Marcus responded, asking you over to the door. By this point, the sun had begun to set over Velaris, but the city was more alive than it had been all throughout the morning.

“And thank you, Marcus. I look forward to working with you,” you added as you stepped outside and away from his shop.

“It’s no problem, Y/N. I’ll see you soon.”

And the you were off, your new property deed tucked under safely against your body. You were eager to make your way home, wanting nothing more at this point than a hot bath and a warm meal- you didn’t particularly care in which order. You were at the inn soon enough, kicking snow off of your boots and the hem of your dress for the last time of the day.

“Welcome back, Y/N,” Druana greeted from behind the counter, waving a bark skinned hand at you.

“Thank you, Druana. I’ll see you in the morning!” You said, already making your way up the stairs in your rush to finally get out of your winter gear.

The door to your room swung open and shut quickly, and you sat at the table in the center of the room, undoing the laces of your boots as fast as you were able. They came off, then followed by your dress after unbuttoning the back carefully. Now you were only standing in your underthings and tights, and very much feeling the chill that had set in from being outside in your bones. You stripped off the rest of your clothes before heading into the bathroom and starting the tub.

Gloriously hot water spilled out of the faucet, and you didn’t wait for it to fill up, merely settling yourself in as the water slowly came up to your neck. You allowed yourself to soak for a few minutes, letting the cold seep from your bones and warmth replace it. Once you felt warmed and comfortable, you washed yourself quickly after hearing your stomach growl loudly.

After toweling off, you went back into your bedroom and donned a soft set of white cotton underthings, as well as an oversized lilac sweater that you were able to wear like a dress, the back already having had the fabric carved out of it to fit your wings. It was so cozy and soft, you felt buried in it. Just how you wanted to feel after an eventful day.

You went to the kitchenette, pulling out the cutting board, pot, and pan. You grabbed the cookbook from the table and set it on the counter next to the cutting board, reading over the instructions once more. Next you pull out the chicken and grab a suitable enough knife, dicing the meat into bite sized chunks as the recipe called for. You set them in the pan, lighting the charcoal beneath the burner to get the heat started.

You washed the knife and cutting board and dried them off, then grabbed the root vegetables that you’d bought earlier. Similar to baking, you switched between washing and chopping the vegetables to moving the meat around the pan easily, being careful not to burn anything while getting everything else you would need prepped.

Paying attention to the recipe, you measured out the right amount of each spice, mixing them with a bit of water to create a paste that smelled heavenly and spicy.

The chicken was done now, and you added the vegetables along with a bit of water and the coconut milk. Then all you had to do was wash and set the rice to cook, and wait. You rinsed the rice in one of the bowls, getting the water clear before carefully draining it out and placing the rice in to the now boiling water.

In another twenty minutes, you deemed the vegetables and rice to be cooked enough, and dished out a nice serving of rice, with lots of curry on top.

You cleared off the table, moving your new books over to the nightstand by your bed, then brought your dinner to the table. You sat facing the windows and stared out at Velaris as you ate, pleasantly surprised with how nicely the curry had turned out, with it being your first time cooking anything like it.

Soon enough you were full and getting sleepy, so you brought your dishes back to the sink. You plated the rest of the rice and curry into the other bowl that you hadn’t used, then washed all of the dishes you had used that night.

By the time you had finished, your bed was calling to you, and it was such a soft, sweet landing when you finally made your way under the covers, deciding to sleep in your massive sweater instead of changing into a nightgown.

It’s not like anyone will see me sleeping, anyways, you thought to yourself, right as you drifted off into a peaceful sleep, filled with the view from your new property.

Series Taglist: @icey--stars @breadsticks2004

[spirker]

Do you think sometimes after a long day arranging beautiful table settings and charming customers at the inn Ed sits on the porch and smokes his pipe by himself just to recharge. And it’s a bit like what he used to do on the Queen Anne where he’d retreat to his captain’s cabin and sit and smoke and brood, but now, after he’s had some alone time Stede appears with a hot cup of sweet tea and sits next to him and holds his hand while they catch up on the day.

[cocogum]

Yugo should have been an enutrof.

I feel like Yugo loved being himself before he learned he was an eliatrope.

As Yugo began to learn about his past—his siblings, his origins, his identity, and who his mother is—he seemed to almost regret discovering it all. This is ironic because, along the way, he made friends and formed the Brotherhood of the Tofu to help him search for his biological family and reconnect with his lost culture.

Because he had a good life before discovering his true identity. One could argue that he might have reacted similarly to the other rulers in the World of Twelve when they had learned about the Eliatropes in Season 2 and their association with the necromes in Season 4.

It's days like these where he makes me wonder if he sometimes looks up at the sky when he’s in bed and wishes he had been an enutrof instead. Where he could have had a normal family and helped his two dads Alibert and Gustavio (read the wakfu slice of life webtoon eps to know him) in the inn while taking care of Chibi which could have been another lost enutrof too.

Maybe then, he would’ve had it easy. He would’ve met Ruel thanks to Alibert’s connections just as early as when he used to be a kid and might’ve met Dally the same way, too. Amalia and Eva would’ve grabbed some food for the travel by taking a break at Alibert’s inn.

Even when he was a kid who didn’t know he had powers, Yugo unknowingly had trouble with being himself because of his antlers.

Yugo grew up as a mortal and learned life through a mortal. There was no way anyone could reverse that.

Grougaloragran may have chosen the person with the kindest heart, but that didn't necessarily mean the choice had to be a mortal. It really makes you wonder what might have happened if Grougal had selected someone else who not only had a good heart but was also a demigod.

The issue at hand is this: when selecting someone to raise Yugo, it is essential to choose a person who genuinely cares for all living beings, regardless of what they are. However, bringing such a person around mortals poses a significant problem, as mortals have a much shorter and inevitable lifespan. This discrepancy can lead to serious emotional harm for Yugo.

Imagine growing up as a mortal when you’re a demigod, and you become way too close to the mortals who took care of you but it’s already too late. When they die, your brain is unable to comprehend that they’re gone and will not come back no matter how much you try to find a solution. Still, when you finally give up and accept how life works, you keep them in your memory. Years go by, and you get to meet new friends and find a family, but the same cycle repeats itself. And the same one after that and the same again in the next. Now you’re wondering if all that caring and attention put on them might not have been healthy for you. Or useful, even...

Which is why I decided to make an AU featuring Yugo's preferred race and why it would be Enutrof!

Here's what I propose:

An AU where Yugo is not an eliatrope but an enutrof instead. He got adopted as a baby by Alibert and Gustavio (in this AU, these two never broke up and instead got married) when the former found him in an abandonned stroller.

Yugo gets to live his early life in Alibert's inn just like in Season 1. He does not wear an eliatrope hat since he doesn't have wakfu antlers so he's constantly hatless.

He knows Ruel because he occasionally visits Alibert and Gustavio to eat, consistently putting his meals "on the tab."

Alibert is the mayor and responsible of the inn with the food. Gustavio, on the other hand, greets the customers and is in charge of the wine.

Yugo (hatless), still wears the same clothes as Season 1. He gets his kindness from Alibert. His courage is unique and he's selfless, a strange mix for an enutrof but a special one at that. When he'll get older, he'll be the one to inherit Alibert's shovel and upgrade it. Ruel considers Yugo as his own son since they will adventure together like in Season 1.

Since Yugo's an enutrof, there are no primordial eliatropes. Only primordial dragons. So when Yugo finds an abandonned baby Chibi, Yugo immediately takes him in and talks to Alibert and Gustavio about it. The two agree to take him in, with the latter being incredibly enthusiastic about the idea of getting a second baby.

On the other hand, Adamai and Grougal are considered primordial dragons because the Great Dragon formed unions with various other mortals. This unique lineage is why primordial dragons differ from one another. They represent six more dofus from the bunch, which rank just below the most powerful six main dofus in the world, and are now interconnected with all other dofus. (For those who don't know, the World of Twelve has tons of dofus but they're usually pretty minor compared to the actual primordial ones. Dofus like Adamai and Grougal in this AU are part of those special dofus where they birth dragons.)

Grougal and Adamai are living away from humans in Oma island. Adamaï has separate adventures from Yugo.

Since Yugo is not an eliatrope in this AU, Oropo doesn't exist but the brotherhood of the forgotten is very much real and Echo's the one leading it.

Nox is not being manipulated and is just crazy for hearing voices from the cube.

The eliacube was actually an artifact from a mechasm's heart (Orgonax) that got left in the world. Studies by professionals have determined that there's a possibility that the cube is the only thing left from an extinct race, OR it was the only thing left from them after they left. Either way, they know that it's extremely powerful and can change the course of anything just like the dofus.

The Brotherhood of the forgotten wanted to take it so they stole it from Bonta and then ended up on Oma Island to use the place as their base while using it. Unfortunately for them, Grougaloragran, occupied the Island and recognized the cube since he's so old and has actually met a mechasm before.

He attacks them and throws the cube in the ocean. It eventually lands to where Noximilien is at and the rest is history.

Since people know the cube came from a mechasm, they called it "the Mechacube".

Yugo ages normally but he's a bit shorter than Amalia by a few inches for being a year younger than her.

Adamai had been instructed by Grougaloragran to explore the world and develop his own perspective to better understand how it works. At one point, Adamai gets lost and ends up in Amakna. He visits the inn in his human form and meets Yugo. Since Yugo does not recognize him as a resident of Amakna, he assumes Adamai is some kind of adventurer or tourist (though he secretly hopes that Adamai is indeed an adventurer).

Luckily for him, Adamai entertains him by saying that he is one. Since Yugo's great with customer service (and is immensely curious), he and Adamai engage in a good conversation and get to know each other more.

Just as everything was going great, a possessed Dally barges in and wrecks the place. Adamai was about to do something about it but Yugo quickly steps in. Events of the beginning of S1 ensues. They then meet Amalia and Eva after Yugo witnesses one of his dads turning into a leafy statue.

They form the little team and get to know each other while trying to save Amakna.

The only reason why Nox is captivated by Amakna and spied on the group was because he was tracking Adamai for being a dragon with lots of wakfu.

After saving Amakna, Yugo and his friends decide to accompany Adamai back to Grougal. Adamai is concerned for Grougal’s safety, as a crazed Xelor is targeting dragons, and he feels that he has had enough adventures for a while. Yugo wants to help, so his friends choose to support him in this effort. The middle of Season 1 unfolds just as it does in the original storyline.

But they aren't careful when Nox tracks them back in Oma Island, Grougal sends them away and dies before going back to his dofus.

The sadida battle against Nox happens and it goes the same way (except Yugo has enutrof abilities).

Dally dies and then S2 proceeds the same way. It's only when the brotherhood goes back to the Sadida Kingdom that the events change.

Yugo loves the adventures so much that he decides to stay with Adamai to help him obtain more than just Grougal's dofus and gain additional family members to ease his grief over Grougal's death.

But deep down Adamai was also doing all of this because he's secretely jealous of what happened in Dally's case.

After all, how come he gets to come back instantly while he's the one that has to wait for Grougal?

Sure, Grougal will eventually come back but Adamai needs to wait. He at least has his dofus and the Mechacube with him. So at least he's not totally empty-handed.

Adamai has made the decision to search for Phaerys's dofus first. He isn't sure whether his brother is even alive, but he is determined to find the dofus regardless. While traveling by boat, Adamai, Yugo, and their friends encounter a detour that leads them to new adventures in Season 2, where they meet Elaine, Black Ink, and, of course, Cleophee. Eventually, they manage to get back on course and arrive at the island where Adamai can sense the presence of the dofus.

Meanwhile, the Sadida Kingdom receives no meetings with the other rulers because there are no eliatropes. And Rushu doesn't receive an attempt to invade the world.

That's basically all I got for now.

It's like a small little rant slash AU I came up with, but I like the idea.

Not only would we see Yugo having a complete family, but we would also witness Adamai utilizing more of his abilities and showcasing his human form during their travels.

Anyone can use this AU and extend it however they want idc do what you wanna do ✨️✨️