#// THEY JUST FLY AWAY. SO DOES TALON.

[novaursa]

The Veil of Fire (1/3)

- Summary: Your twin sister, Helaena, had her dreams, but you were gifted with something else. Something akin to a terrible purpose.

- Paring: aunt!reader/Jacaerys Velaryon

- Note: reader is referred to as Y/N, is Helaena's twin sister, is bonded with Cannibal (whom she named Morgoth after she claimed him). This is a request made by @witch-of-letters. Enjoy! ❤️

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Word count: 6 000+

- Next part: 2

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff

You awaken with a start, the remnants of the dream clinging to your senses like the lingering taste of copper in your mouth. It is dark in your chamber, the only light coming from the embers in the hearth, glowing faintly. But the darkness does nothing to dispel the vivid images seared into your mind. The dream—it had been more than just a dream. You had felt it in your bones, deep in your very marrow. The wind tearing at your scales as you soared through the sky, the scent of earth and sweat and blood sharp in your nostrils. The primal rush as you descended upon the stag, powerful legs pumping beneath you, muscles rippling as you gave chase.

The terror of the creature, so swift and yet so hopeless in the face of your overwhelming might, fed the fire in your belly. You could almost feel the earth quake beneath you as you landed, talons digging into the soft flesh of your prey, the crack of bones as they gave way under your weight. You remember the feel of the stag's fur against your tongue, the rich, metallic taste of blood flooding your senses as your teeth sunk deep into its flesh. It was alive in your mouth, a creature of warmth and life, and you were devouring it, piece by piece, savoring every ounce of its struggle, every pulse of its weakening heart.

The taste of victory, of dominance, of absolute power was intoxicating. As the last breath of the stag left its body, you were filled with a sense of completion, a satisfaction that was both yours and not yours, a feeling of wholeness that was almost too much to bear. It wasn’t just a dream—it was real. You had been there, felt what Morgoth—no, Cannibal, as you still sometimes thought of him—had felt. His hunger, his pleasure, his savage satisfaction as he fed. And now, even awake, you can still taste the blood in your mouth, feel the last echoes of the stag’s death rattle through you.

You shudder, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream as you sit up in bed. Your hand instinctively moves to your lips, as if to wipe away the lingering blood, though you know there is nothing there. The room is cold, and you pull the blankets tighter around yourself, your mind still reeling from the intensity of the vision.

Your twin sister, Helaena, is already awake, sitting up in her own bed, her pale eyes fixed on you. There is an odd stillness to her, a knowingness that unnerves you, even after all these years.

"I had a nightmare," you murmur, your voice still thick with sleep, and something else—something darker, more primal.

Helaena tilts her head slightly, her gaze never leaving yours. "It was not a nightmare," she says softly, her voice almost a whisper. "It was a transfer. You were not here with me."

Her words send a chill down your spine, colder than the night air. "A transfer?" you repeat, confused. "I don’t understand, Helaena. I was dreaming, nothing more. Perhaps you had your own troubles sleeping?"

Helaena’s eyes narrow slightly, her lips curving into a faint, enigmatic smile. "You were not here," she insists, her voice taking on a strange, faraway quality. "You were flying, far away, with Morgoth."

You shake your head, trying to dispel the unease that her words are stirring within you. "It was just a dream, Helaena," you say, though even as the words leave your mouth, they feel like a lie. You’ve always known your twin to be different, but this—this feels like something more. "You must have had a vision of your own."

She doesn’t respond, just continues to look at you with those unsettling eyes, as if she’s peering into the very depths of your soul. Finally, she lies back down, turning away from you, but her words linger in the air like a specter. "You were not here," she repeats, her voice a mere whisper now. "You were with him."

You lie back down as well, but sleep doesn’t come easily. Your mind is too full of the dream, of Helaena’s words, of the feeling that something has shifted, that a line has been crossed that cannot be uncrossed. You close your eyes, trying to will yourself to rest, but your thoughts keep drifting back to Jacaerys.

Jace, with his warm smile and kind eyes, always so patient with you, so different from the court’s intrigues and serpentine whispers. You’ve missed him terribly since he left with Rhaenyra, Laenor, and the boys. The court has been quieter without them, yet the air is heavier, thick with rumors and distrust. The question of Jace’s parentage has always loomed like a dark cloud, and now it has become a storm, too dangerous for him and his family to weather here.

You think of the last time you saw him, his eyes lingering on yours as they said their farewells. The way his hand lingered a moment too long on yours, the way he looked back at you just before he left, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. You had always been close, closer even than you were with your own brothers at times, and now, with him gone, there is an emptiness in your heart that nothing seems to fill.

You turn onto your side, curling into the warmth of your blankets, trying to hold onto the memory of his touch, his scent, the sound of his laughter. But it’s not enough. The dream still lingers at the edges of your mind, dark and unsettling, reminding you that something has changed, and there is no going back.

As sleep finally begins to claim you once more, your last thoughts are of Jacaerys, of the feel of his hand in yours, and of the unsettling certainty that you will see him again, sooner than you think.

The morning sun bathes the corridors of the Red Keep in a golden light as you walk beside your grandsire, Otto Hightower. The stone walls are cool to the touch, yet the warmth of the day is beginning to creep in, making the air heavy with the scent of the sea and blooming flowers from the gardens below. Your steps echo in the hall, the only sound that accompanies you and your grandsire in this moment of relative peace.

Otto’s face is a mask of calm, but you can sense the sharp mind working behind his serene expression. You know this walk well; it is not merely a stroll for him. This is his opportunity to nudge, to guide, to mold. He has always tried to draw you into the labyrinth of court politics, eager to make use of your sharp mind and keen understanding of people. But you have learned to navigate these conversations with him, dancing on the edge of engagement without ever fully stepping into the web he so carefully weaves.

"My dear," Otto begins, his voice smooth and measured, "you have a gift, one that could be put to great use in the service of the realm. You see things others do not, understand the currents beneath the surface. The court could benefit greatly from your wisdom, if only you would take a more active role."

You smile at him, the kind of smile that is both warm and guarded. "Grandsire, I am flattered by your confidence in me. But you know well that my talents are better suited to other pursuits. The court is a place where serpents nest, and I find I have no desire to dance with them."

Otto chuckles softly, though you catch the slight tightening around his eyes. "You underestimate your ability to navigate those waters, my dear. You could influence so much, bring about changes that would secure the future of our house."

"And yet," you say with a lightness that belies the weight of the conversation, "I prefer to leave the dancing to others. I fulfill my duties, attend the necessary events, but beyond that, I find little joy in the games played at court. I would rather debate philosophy with Aemond than trade barbs with courtiers."

Otto regards you for a moment, his eyes searching yours for any sign of wavering. But you meet his gaze steadily, unwavering in your resolve. He knows this is not a battle he can win today, and so he shifts tactics, as you knew he would.

"Very well," he concedes with a graceful nod, "but remember, the tides of power are ever-changing. One must be ready to act when the moment calls for it."

"Of course, grandsire," you reply with another smile, "and I shall be ready, should that moment come. But until then, I am content with the life I lead."

With that, you part ways, Otto heading off to attend to his duties, and you, seeking out a quieter corner of the Keep where the air is less thick with the weight of expectations. Your feet carry you towards the gardens, the place where you often find solace amidst the chaos of court life. As you turn a corner, you spot Aegon lounging lazily on a stone bench beneath the shade of a flowering tree, his usual air of indifference more pronounced today.

"Aegon," you call out lightly, drawing his attention. "Enjoying the morning sun, or simply avoiding whatever task you’ve been assigned?"

He looks up at you with a lazy grin, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. "A bit of both, I suppose. Though I’m more inclined to say it’s the latter."

You chuckle, making your way over to him. "If Mother knew you were hiding away here, she’d have you by the ear and back to your duties in no time."

"She already did," Aegon replies with a huff, his grin fading as he turns his gaze to the ground. "And now I’m banished to the gardens, like some sulking child."

You take a seat beside him, the cool stone of the bench pressing against your legs through the fabric of your dress. "What did you do this time?"

He shrugs, the motion casual, but there’s a heaviness to it that you don’t miss. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just being me, I suppose. That’s enough to earn her wrath these days."

You study him for a moment, the way his shoulders slump slightly, the way he avoids meeting your eyes. There’s a sadness there, one that he tries to hide behind his usual carefree facade. "Aegon," you say gently, "Mother’s harshness comes from a place of worry, not disdain. She sees the weight of the crown on Father’s head, and she fears for all of us. But she does love you, in her own way."

He scoffs, though it lacks real bite. "Love. If that’s what it is, it’s a cruel kind. Always pointing out my flaws, my failures. It’s never enough."

"It’s because she knows you’re capable of more," you counter, your tone soft but firm. "You’re not as lost as you think, Aegon. You’re intelligent, resourceful. You just have to find your own path, not the one others lay out for you."

Aegon finally looks at you, his expression softening as he lets out a long breath. "It’s hard, you know? Everyone expects so much. And I…I just want to live my life, without all the expectations and responsibilities."

You reach out and place a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. "I understand, truly. But there’s strength in you, even if you don’t see it yet. You don’t have to be what they want you to be, but you can be something even greater, something that’s truly yours."

He seems to mull over your words, his gaze drifting to the horizon. After a long silence, he nods slowly. "Maybe you’re right," he says quietly. "I don’t know what that is yet, but…I’ll try to find it."

You smile, a genuine warmth in it that you hope reaches him. "That’s all anyone can ask, Aegon. And when you do find it, I’ll be here to support you."

He offers a small smile in return, the first real one you’ve seen from him today. "Thank you," he murmurs, the words carrying more weight than usual. "It means a lot."

You sit together in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the distant hum of the Keep. In this moment, it feels as though the weight of the world has lessened, if only a little, and you’re glad to have been the one to ease it for him.

The heavy gown slips from your shoulders with a soft whisper of fabric, pooling at your feet like a dark river. The rich, embroidered silks and velvets, so carefully chosen to display your status, now lie forgotten as your maids bustle around you, their hands quick and efficient as they assist in your transformation. 

You step out of the pile of fabric and lift your arms as one of your maids, a young woman with deft fingers and a quiet disposition, helps you into your dragon riding attire. Unlike the gowns you wear at court, this garb is practical, made for both protection and ease of movement. The underlayer is a tightly fitted tunic of black leather, reinforced at the shoulders and elbows, molded to your form to allow freedom of movement while still offering protection. The leather is soft, well-worn from many flights, and carries the faint scent of smoke and salt.

Over the tunic, you wear a jerkin of thicker, darker leather, fastened with a series of silver clasps shaped like small dragon heads. The jerkin is adorned with subtle stitching along the edges, a nod to your Targaryen heritage without being ostentatious. It is practical, yet elegant, a reflection of the dual roles you play as both a princess and a dragonrider. Your legs are encased in fitted breeches, made of the same durable leather, allowing you to move with agility. Your boots, worn and scuffed from years of riding, reach up to your knees, their soles thick and sturdy, perfect for gripping the saddle as Morgoth soars through the skies.

The final piece is a cloak of deep, midnight blue, clasped at your throat with a small, intricate pin in the shape of a dragon. The cloak is lined with fur to guard against the biting wind at high altitudes, and it flares out behind you as you move, a dark shadow that mirrors the wings of your dragon.

As your maids finish securing your attire, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Gone is the elegant lady of the court, replaced by the fierce dragonrider you truly are. There is a spark of excitement in your eyes, a fire that matches the one that burns in Morgoth's belly. You can feel the pull of the sky, the need to be aloft, to leave behind the walls of the Red Keep and the stifling confines of court life.

"Is there anything else, my lady?" one of the maids asks, her voice pulling you from your thoughts.

You shake your head, offering her a small smile. "No, that will be all. Thank you."

The maids curtsy and quickly leave the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Your hand drifts to the small, secret pocket sewn into the lining of your cloak, where the letter from Jace is hidden. You had read it only once, the words burning themselves into your memory, but you still find comfort in its presence. The letters you exchange are a lifeline, a connection that spans the distance between you. Each one is a reminder of the bond you share, a bond that goes beyond mere affection.

Tonight, you will see him again, on that small, isolated island halfway between Dragonstone and the Red Keep. It’s a risky endeavor, but one you would undertake a thousand times over just to be near him. The thought of it sends a thrill through you, a heady mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. The world fades away when you're with Jace, and in those stolen moments, nothing else matters.

A knock on the door pulls you from your reverie. "My lady, the escort is ready," a voice calls from the other side.

You take a deep breath, steeling yourself, and stride to the door. The servant outside bows as you step into the hallway, and you nod in acknowledgment. The corridors of the Red Keep are quieter now, with the court winding down for the evening. Only a few guards and servants move about, most paying little attention to you as you make your way towards the exit. You’ve done this before, taking lone flights on Morgoth to clear your mind, so it raises no suspicion. 

As you exit the Keep and step into the crisp evening air, you are met by a small escort of guards, their armor gleaming in the fading light. They bow respectfully as you approach. Ser Arryk, a knight who has always been loyal to your house, steps forward.

"Princess, the city is quiet tonight," he reports, his voice steady. "We should reach the gate without incident."

"Thank you, Ser Arryk," you reply, your tone composed. "Let us be on our way."

The streets of King’s Landing are already beginning to empty as the last rays of sunlight give way to dusk. The city is alive with the sounds and smells of the evening—vendors packing up their wares, the distant laughter of tavern-goers, the occasional cry of a child being called home. The guards flank you as you move through the city, their presence deterring any who might think to approach. You walk with purpose, the letter in your pocket a constant reminder of where you are headed.

Morgoth, too wild and too large to be kept within the confines of the Dragonpit, dwells outside the city walls, beyond where the common folk dare to tread. He is a creature of the wilds, as much a part of the untamed lands as the mountains and the sea. His presence near the Red Keep has always been a subject of whispered fear, his black wings casting long shadows over the city whenever he takes to the skies. But to you, he is a part of your soul, a living extension of your own fierce spirit.

As you near the city gates, the guards step aside, allowing you passage into the wild lands beyond. The air grows cooler, crisper, as you leave the city behind. The path to Morgoth's lair is one you know well, the ground beneath your feet familiar with every step. The distant roar of the sea fills your ears, the wind tugging at your cloak as you make your way to the clearing where Morgoth waits.

The last light of day fades as you approach, the sky deepening to a dark indigo, dotted with the first stars of the evening. The clearing comes into view, and there, amidst the ancient stones and gnarled trees, lies Morgoth. His massive form is a dark silhouette against the twilight sky, his eyes glowing like green embers as he senses your approach. 

He is truly a beast of legend, larger and more fearsome than any other dragon, his scales the color of a moonless night, his wings vast enough to blot out the stars when fully spread. The ground trembles slightly as he shifts, his long neck arching as he watches you, a low, rumbling growl vibrating through the earth.

You step forward, your heart pounding with anticipation, the thrill of the night’s secret mission pulsing through your veins. "Morgoth," you call softly, your voice steady despite the excitement thrumming in your chest.

The dragon's head lowers, his massive eyes locking onto yours, and you feel the bond between you flare to life. It is a connection deeper than words, a shared understanding that transcends the physical. Morgoth is wild, untamed, but with you, he is something more—a partner, a companion, an extension of your very being.

With practiced ease, you approach him, your hand reaching out to touch the warm, rough scales of his snout. His breath is hot against your skin, smelling of smoke and ash, a reminder of the power he holds. You climb onto his back, settling into the saddle that you alone are permitted to fasten, your hands gripping the reins made from his own shed scales, as strong as they are rare.

The world around you falls away, the concerns of the court and the whispers of the city fading into nothingness. There is only the sky, the wind, and the thrill of the flight that awaits.

Morgoth shifts beneath you, his muscles bunching as he prepares to take to the air. You grip the saddle, your heart pounding with anticipation as you give the command. With a powerful leap, Morgoth surges forward, his wings unfurling as he takes flight, the ground dropping away beneath you.

The Red Keep, the city, all of it becomes a blur as you ascend higher and higher, the cool air rushing past you as Morgoth climbs. The exhilaration of flight fills you, and a smile breaks across your face as the stars begin to twinkle above.

Ahead of you lies the sea, vast and endless, and beyond it, the small island where Jace waits. The excitement in your chest grows, and you lean forward, urging Morgoth to fly faster, to close the distance between you and the one who holds your heart.

As Morgoth soars through the night sky, the wind whipping past you, your thoughts drift back to the dream that haunted your sleep not long ago. The memory of it is still so vivid, so real, that it feels as if it only just happened. You can still feel the weight of the stag beneath Morgoth's talons, the warm gush of blood filling your mouth as you tore into its flesh. The primal satisfaction of the hunt, the raw power, the unrestrained hunger—it had all felt too real to be merely a dream.

You tighten your grip on the reins, leaning forward slightly as you speak to Morgoth, though you know he cannot answer. "Was it real?" you murmur, your voice barely audible above the wind. "Did I truly see through your eyes? Did I feel what you felt?"

Morgoth’s only response is a deep, rumbling growl, a sound that resonates through your very bones. His wings beat powerfully against the cool night air, carrying you both further away from the Red Keep, further from the world of politics and courtly intrigue, and closer to the freedom that you both crave.

You gaze down at the world below, the dark expanse of the sea stretching out like a vast, endless void. The moonlight reflects off the water, casting silver trails across its surface, guiding you toward the small island where you know Jace is waiting. The thrill of the flight, the rush of anticipation in your veins, mingles with the lingering unease from the dream. Was it merely a manifestation of your bond with Morgoth, or was it something more? Some deeper connection that you had only begun to glimpse?

"Do you see me in your dreams, Morgoth?" you ask softly, your words carried away by the wind. "Do you dream of me as I dream of you?"

There is no answer, only the steady rhythm of Morgoth’s wings and the distant sound of the waves crashing against the shore. But you can feel his presence, strong and unyielding, as if he understands you on some level beyond speech, beyond even thought. The bond you share is ancient, primal, and it is moments like these that remind you of the power and mystery of the Targaryen blood that runs through your veins.

As the island comes into view, you spot Vermax, Jace's dragon, already perched on the rocky shore. His bronze and green scales glint in the moonlight, his eyes glowing with an inner fire. And there, standing beside him, is Jace. Even from a distance, you can see the way he searches the skies, his gaze sharp and eager as he waits for you.

Your heart swells at the sight of him, and you urge Morgoth to descend, your excitement growing with each passing second. Morgoth dips his wings, angling downward in a graceful arc as he begins his descent. The wind rushes past you, carrying with it the scent of salt and seaweed, the coolness of the night air mingling with the warmth of the dragon beneath you.

As you near the ground, Morgoth lands with a heavy thud, his powerful legs absorbing the impact with ease. The ground trembles beneath you as he settles, his wings folding against his massive body. You waste no time in dismounting, your feet barely touching the ground before you are running toward Jace.

"Jace!" you call out, your voice filled with the joy of seeing him again.

He turns at the sound of your voice, his face lighting up with a smile that warms you to your core. "You’re here," he breathes, his voice thick with emotion as he strides forward to meet you.

The moment you reach him, you throw yourself into his arms, and he catches you effortlessly, pulling you close against him. The feel of his body, warm and solid beneath your hands, sends a wave of relief and happiness coursing through you. It has been too long since you last held him, too long since you felt the safety and comfort of his embrace.

"Gods, I’ve missed you," Jace murmurs into your hair, his voice rough with longing. He holds you tightly, as if afraid that you might slip away if he lets go.

"I’ve missed you too," you reply, your voice muffled against his chest. You can feel the steady beat of his heart beneath your cheek, a reassuring rhythm that calms the storm of emotions inside you.

He pulls back just enough to look down at you, his dark eyes searching yours with an intensity that makes your breath catch. "Are you all right? You seem…troubled."

You hesitate, the memory of the dream flickering at the edges of your mind. But in this moment, with Jace holding you, with the warmth of his gaze and the solidity of his presence, the fear seems distant, almost insignificant. "I’m all right now," you tell him softly, reaching up to cup his face in your hands. "Now that I’m with you."

Jace leans into your touch, closing his eyes for a brief moment as if savoring the feel of your skin against his. Then he opens them again, and you can see the resolve in his expression, the determination to protect you, to keep you safe.

"I worried about you," he admits, his voice low and earnest. "The court, the whispers, everything happening back at King’s Landing… It’s dangerous for you there."

You shake your head, smiling up at him with a tenderness that only he can bring out in you. "I’m safe, Jace. I know how to navigate the court. And besides," you add with a playful glint in your eye, "I have Morgoth to keep me safe. No one would dare cross me with him by my side."

Jace chuckles at that, his grip on you tightening slightly as he pulls you closer. "That’s true enough. I just wish you didn’t have to be in that vipers' nest at all."

You sigh softly, resting your head against his shoulder as you let yourself relax in his arms. "We all have our roles to play, Jace. But right now, none of that matters. Right now, we’re here, together."

He leans down, pressing a tender kiss to the top of your head, then your forehead, and finally, your lips. The kiss is soft at first, a gentle caress that speaks of all the longing and love you’ve both held inside for so long. But as the kiss deepens, it becomes more intense, more urgent, as if you are both trying to make up for all the time you’ve spent apart.

Your fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer as you lose yourself in the feel of him, the taste of him. He responds in kind, his hands roaming your back, holding you as if he can’t bear to let you go. The world around you falls away, leaving only the two of you, locked in this moment, in this kiss, in this shared need for one another.

When you finally pull back, both of you are breathless, your foreheads resting together as you catch your breath. Jace’s eyes are dark with desire, his gaze roaming over your face as if committing every detail to memory.

"Come," he whispers, his voice husky with emotion. "Let’s not waste any more time."

You nod, a soft smile tugging at your lips as you take his hand, allowing him to lead you away from the dragons and toward the secluded spot he has prepared for you. The night is yours, and in the quiet stillness of the island, away from prying eyes and the weight of duty, you find a peace and happiness that you can only share with Jace.

The secluded spot Jace leads you to is a small, hidden grove, shielded from the wind by a cluster of tall, ancient trees. The moonlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of silver on the ground. The soft rustle of the leaves in the breeze is the only sound, a gentle backdrop to the intimacy of the moment.

Jace pulls you close again, his hands warm on your waist as he gazes down at you, his eyes filled with a mix of affection and longing. "It feels like a dream," he murmurs, his voice soft as if afraid to break the spell of the night. "Every time I see you again, I wonder if it’s real or if I’ll wake up and find you gone."

"It’s real," you assure him, reaching up to brush your fingers along his cheek. His skin is warm beneath your touch, the faintest hint of stubble rough against your fingertips. "And I’m here, with you. That’s all that matters."

He leans down, capturing your lips in another kiss, this one slower, more tender. It’s a kiss that speaks of promises, of the love that binds you both together despite the distance and the dangers that surround you. You lose yourself in it, in the feel of his lips against yours, in the way his hands hold you as if you’re the most precious thing in the world.

Time seems to stretch, the moment lasting an eternity, yet passing too quickly. When the kiss finally ends, you rest your head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Jace’s arms wrap around you, holding you close, his chin resting on the top of your head.

"I wish we could stay like this," he whispers, his voice filled with a wistful longing. "I wish the world could just disappear, and it could be just us, here, now."

You smile softly, the sentiment echoing in your own heart. "Me too," you admit. "But we have our duties, our roles to play. As much as I’d like to, we can’t escape that."

Jace sighs, his breath warm against your hair. "I know. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it."

You chuckle softly, your fingers tracing idle patterns on his chest. "Neither do I. But we’ll see each other again. We always do."

He nods, though the reluctance to let you go is clear in the way he holds you just a bit tighter. You stay like that for a while longer, savoring the warmth of his embrace, the peace of the moment.

Eventually, you pull back slightly, your gaze drifting to a small patch of moonlit grass where something catches your eye. A tiny insect, its wings shimmering with iridescent colors, flutters by. Your instincts kick in, the familiar habit born of your bond with your twin sister, Helaena. You reach out quickly, your fingers deftly capturing the insect before it can fly away.

Jace watches you curiously, a smile tugging at his lips as you carefully place the insect into a small wooden box you carry with you. "What are you doing?" he asks, amusement lacing his tone. "Collecting insects now, are we?"

You grin up at him, closing the box gently to keep the creature safe. "It’s for Helaena," you explain. "She loves them, you know. This one’s new, I think—she doesn’t have one like it yet."

Jace raises an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "You brought a box just for that?"

"Of course," you reply with a playful glint in your eye. "You never know when you’ll find something she doesn’t have. It’s like a game between us. I find them, and she studies them."

He chuckles, shaking his head slightly in disbelief. "You really are the perfect sister, aren’t you?"

You shrug, a smile still playing on your lips. "She’s my twin. We’ve always been close. It’s a small thing, but it makes her happy."

Jace’s expression softens, and he reaches out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "You’re a good person, you know that?"

You roll your eyes, though his words warm you. "I try," you say lightly, though you know he sees the sincerity behind your words.

But as the moment stretches, you both become acutely aware that your time together is slipping away. The reality of your separate lives looms ever closer, and the weight of the impending farewell presses down on you.

"I hate saying goodbye," Jace admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "Every time, it feels harder."

You nod, feeling the same ache in your chest. "I know. But we’ll see each other again, Jace. We always do. Until then, we have our letters, and our memories."

He cups your face in his hands, his thumbs gently brushing your cheeks. "I’ll write to you as soon as I can," he promises. "And the next time we meet, I won’t let anything keep us apart for so long."

You smile, though it’s tinged with sadness. "I’ll hold you to that."

For a moment, you just stand there, your foreheads pressed together, breathing in the same air, holding on to the last remnants of your time together. The world around you is silent, as if it too knows the gravity of the moment.

Then, with a quiet resolve, Jace pulls you into one last, passionate kiss. It’s a kiss that sears itself into your memory, filled with all the love, longing, and unspoken words between you. His arms wrap around you, holding you as close as he can, as if trying to fuse you together so that you’ll never have to part again.

When the kiss finally breaks, you’re both breathless, your hearts pounding in unison. You rest your forehead against his, your eyes closed as you try to hold on to the feeling of his lips on yours, the warmth of his body against you.

"I’ll see you soon," you whisper, your voice trembling slightly with the effort to keep the tears at bay.

He nods, though you can see the same struggle in his eyes. "Soon," he agrees, his voice thick with emotion.

With great reluctance, you finally step back, your fingers lingering on his for just a moment longer before you let go. The distance between you feels like a chasm, but you know it’s only temporary. Even so, the ache in your chest remains as you turn and make your way back to Morgoth.

Jace watches you go, his eyes never leaving you until you’re back at your dragon’s side. As you mount Morgoth, you take one last look at him, committing his face, his expression, to memory.

With a final nod, you signal Morgoth to take flight. The powerful dragon launches into the sky, his wings beating against the air as he carries you away from the island, away from Jace.

The night sky stretches out before you, the stars shining brightly above, but your thoughts remain with the boy you left behind. You clutch the small wooden box in your hand, a token of your love for your sister, but also a reminder of the love you share with Jace, a love that will bring you back to him, no matter the distance or the dangers that lie ahead.

[alexa-fika]

HEY! HEY! HEYYY! IT'S MEE

Anyways today is now birthday 😍🎂 (A.k.a April 4)

Can I request a whitebeard pirates x fem child reader?

Like the reader is like nezuko from demon slayer

Let's say that reader comes with ace to find a cure

So basically ace was figthing jinbe and whitebeard arrives and then ace and whitebeard starts fighting until ace pass out but before ace can pass out reader attacks then because she's very protective of her family 🥺

Then they basically distract reader so that they can aboard ace into the ship then out of nowhere reader starts running around because the sun was rising and she has no option but to go with the whitebeard pirates

So basically everyone was suspicious because why was reader wearing a muzzle? And why does reader only comes out in the night or stays in shades?

But if anyone tries to question ace gets really defensive because he thinks they'll kill reader because she's a demon

So in the end whitebeard first found out then Marco then thatch (f u Blackbeard) then izou then everyone?

Thank youuuuu ✨✨

Demonically adorable (Whitebeard pirates x f!child!reader!)

Part 2 (Reactions)

A/N, im not gonna lie cosmo, I was totally gonna skip this one and leave it for later but I got to actually reading and looking back at when ace joined and omg the ideas just started flowing, some things are not exactly as your prompt or don’t go as in depth so I really hope you enjoyed this, because I certainly enjoyed writing it

Reader here is replaced by dokucha which stands for Reader in Japanese

Dividers by @/saradika

Dokucha's eyes widen as she runs towards Ace, trying to shake him awake, growling at the giant in front of them

“Hmm? So he has a little brat with him?”

The only response he receives is the sound of hisses and growls behind the child’s muzzle

“Back down, Dokucha, you’re no match for him…my father’s rival,” he grunts out

“I won’t lose,” he growls, beginning to stand up and ignoring the worried fussing of the child

“Heh, so you've still got some fight left, huh? Look, I'm not going to kill you today; you are far too valuable to someone to die here”, the man said, gesturing at the small child next to him

“Join me and become my son,” he says, reaching out his hand to the flame man

“Don’t screw with me, old fart,” he growls, slapping his hand away and launching himself toward the Emperor, only to be knocked back

Dokucha let out a sound close to a cry as she ran towards Ace, trying to shake him awake once again, snapping her head up at the sound of Whitebeard’s steps approaching them

She growls, standing in front of Ace, shielding him, her eyes shrinking to slits as the man continues to approach the two, her eyes glancing behind him as a blue flame approaches them

She watches as a blue flame grows closer until she is able to discern the shape of a bird landing next to the man

“Are we taking him with us?” He asks, glancing at Whitebeard

“Yes, he’s knocked out. He will be no problem, but I reckon the little one won’t go as easily.”

“I can handle her, Pops; Thatch will take care of the boy and his crew.”

“So I said, but you aren’t making this easy,” he sighs, evading another lunge from the girl

“And here I thought the other one would be the troublesome,” he spoke, catching a kick that he sent his way and pushing her back

She catches herself, gripping the ground with all fours as she immediately leaps towards him again, growling at him and showcasing the sharp canines now on full display, the muzzle long gone as her body begins to mature rapidly.

He quirks his head at that,

“That body of yours, is it the Toshi-toshi no mi?” He questions, flying out of the way to avoid her attack

She grits her teeth, looking at the airborne phoenix, preparing to jump up to meet him in the air until he suddenly flew down and trapped her between his talons

He hums, glancing at her expression, noting how the angry expression she had worn at the beginning had shifted to a worried one as she kept glancing around, presumably looking for Where they had taken Ace

“Hey,” he calls, frowning as she ignored his call as she tried to free herself

“Oi, Calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you,” he hollered, trying to settle her down

“You’re just trying to protect him, right?”

She pauses her attempts to free herself at the question

“We’re not going to hurt him; all the contrary, we want to help him,” he explained, huffing as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously

“I promise,” he said, returning his upper body to his human form as he raised his hands in a surrendering motion

“Listen, how about I take you to him? You can stay with him, and we can talk about this in the morning.”

She looks at him, nodding, as her body slowly returns to her original childish state

He kept her for a few seconds, trying to determine if she was really giving up, removing his talons when it was clear she had no more fight on her

She yawned, glancing around her to take in the room she was in; remembering the events of last night, she jumped off the bed, grabbing her umbrella, and poking her head outside of the room.

“Hey, pumkin’, I see you’re awake,” a voice pipes in

She looks towards the voice, spotting a man dressed in Chef clothes smiling back at her

She looks at him for a few moments before reaching one of her hands towards him, opening and shutting it as her other hand held the umbrella

He grins and easily picks her up

“What’s with the umbrella sweetpea?”

She points her hand up

“Hmm? The sun?”

She nods

“Are you sensitive to sunlight?”

Another nod

“Well, I’ll be damned, Marco did mention you were quite unique,” he said, looking her over, deciding not to comment on the bamboo piece between her teeth

“But just as cute, aren't ya, darlin?” He said, tickling her neck

Muffled giggles escape her at the action as she nuzzles deeper into him, trying to escape the sudden attack

They both turn at the sound of a door slamming open, looking as a disheveled Ace left the room, looking around, confused

“Looks like sleeping beauty finally woke up; how about we go say hi?

She leans the umbrella against his shoulder to free her hand as she pulls at his clothes

“Something wrong?”

She points at Ace, puts her hands together, leans her head against it in a sleeping motion, and then puts her wrists together, joining and separating her hands

“A sleeping crocodile?”

She shakes her head, repeating the motions

“Are you… are you trying to say he is snappy when he wakes up?”

She beams, nodding her head

He snickers at that

“I like you,” he said, walking closer to Ace as he threw himself against the walls of the ship, sliding all the way down and gripping his head only to snap it up at the sound of Thatch’s voice

“Hey, there; I'm Whitebeard’s fourth division commander, Thatch. I'm a good friend to have if you’re going to be joining us he said, sitting down on the railing, gingerly placing Dokucha on his lap

“Shut up!” He growls

“And give me back my sister he said, standing up and snatching the small girl from him, returning from his previous position as he hugged her

“Hahaha! She was right; you are kind of snappy when you wake up,” he teased as he continued to explain what had happened when he passed out, teasing him further when he questioned the lack of restraints on him, replying that such a thing was not needed on him.

The next few weeks were but a blur to the small girl, every day following the same pattern for a while. Every day, Ace would ask her to stay behind as he would go after Whitebeard only to be launched back repeatedly. During these times, Dokucha took to bonding with the different brothers on the ship, as they cared for her when Ace was busy with his assassination attempts.

“How many times has it been already?” Questioned Vista as he watched as once again Ace was thrown out of the Captain’s quarters

“More than a hundred”

“How could such a sweet thing be able to deal with that hothead, always madder than a wet hen, ain't that right pumkin’?” Thatch questions as he bounced the small girl on his legs, smiling at the muffled laughs that escaped her.

“Stop moving so much, Izou,” grumbled as he continued to work on the girl’s hair upon her request

“There you go,” he said, backing up with a smile

She beamed, jumping off Thatch’s lap and twirling around, showcasing her new hairdo

“Say, how come you wear that muzzle all the time?” Someone questions

“Mind your own business,” Ace grumbled, dripping wet as he passed them and snatching the small girl up as he went, who gave the men behind her a wave as she left

“I think your brother should be about done with his daily attempt. Should we get this to him?” Marco questioned the girl on his hip as his other hand held a bowl of soup, smiling as she bounced her head up and down

He chuckles at the action as he exits the kitchen and walks over to the spot where Ace laid, gently putting Dokucha and the bowl of soup next to him

A whine escaped the girl as he left, running after him as he took his leave

“Hey, what’s wrong? You can stay here with Ace. “ his actions differed from his words as he picked up the child again

“Tell me, why do they call him pops?” Ace grumbled, watching the interaction between the first mate and his sister

“Because he calls us sons, it’s just a word, but it’s nice, isn't it? Most of us are hated by everyone and don’t have families of our own, so that alone means everything to us,” he said, watching him for a moment and sighing, walking over to him and kneeling down, placing the girl next to them

“Hey, when are you going to stop this? I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but you aren’t strong enough to kill him, so you have two options: leave and start anew or stay and bear Whitebeard’s mark on your back,” he spoke

“Do try to keep your sister in mind when you make your choice, will you?

I do hope you decide to stick around; we’ve grown fond of the little miss.”

Ace found himself deep in thought; it seemed like only a day ago he had been mulling over if he would stay or if he would go; now he found himself mulling over if he should become a commander under Whitebeard or not; he glanced behind him as Dokucha ran circles between Marco and Thatch, the men struggling to keep up with her zigzagging.

He sighed as he made his final decision.

“Dokucha, come here”

So I don’t have full fledged scenarios on the reactions the crew members would react to the news but I do have already thought out how they would react so maybe I can do it in a headcannon format? 👀 Also I really tried to lean in into southern Thatch, without making it too much, what do yall think?

Taglist:

@imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

[dilatorywriting]

Monster Mayhem: Donkeys & Dragons [PART 2]

Gender Neutral Reader x Malleus Draconia Word Count: 3.1k

Summary: Everything's all fun and games until everyone assumes you're just being a Horny BardTM when you have, in fact, actually been kidnapped by a dragon.

🌶️ Obligatory Warning for Mild Spice

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3] [PART 4] [EPILOGUE]

“Wow,” Ace whistled, long and low, and you fought a twitch in your jaw.

He and Deuce were certainly beat to shit, but not quite ‘hurled dozens of feet through the air and a roof’ level of shit, so your spell must have cushioned at least a little of the fall. The pair of idiots stood at the entrance of the cavernous room, shifting back and forth on their heels and faces twisted up in varying degrees of horror. 

“I mean, I know there’s a stereotype about bards and whatever,” he continued, aghast. “But, really? Really?”

You grit your teeth. The pointed chin resting atop your head shifted and you felt claws flex at your hips.

‘My friends will probably be coming back here soon to find me,’ you’d entreated, not five-minutes prior.

‘Your friends?’ the dragon had repeated, slow, like the concept of comradery was something completely alien. And then his eyes had narrowed. ‘Ah. They intend to steal you away,’ he’d said with all the indignation of someone who’d clearly forgotten he had literally just proclaimed his intent to the do the exact same thing.

Sparks had shot out from between his teeth, and the already too-sharp black nails tipping his fingers had curled into talons—ashy darkness trailing up his arms like a seeping stain.

‘What? No,’ you’d lied. ‘They would never. I’m sure they’re just curious. Whether I’m still alive or not, I mean.’

‘Oh,’ he’d blinked, that venomous ire seeping from his gaze as if it’d never been there to begin with. ‘I suppose that does make sense.’

So when your loveable idiots had eventually stormed in—swords drawn, banners flying—you schooled your countenance into something as placid as possible. Something that perhaps conveyed ‘I would love for you guys to help me out here, but also I would really like not to see the three of us become tonight’s entrée. So like. Maybe sit this one out.’ But whatever expression you ended up making clearly wasn’t doing what you were aiming for if Ace’s first instinct was to accuse you of Horny Bard Shenanigans.

Or maybe your face wasn’t the problem. Maybe it was just the nearly seven-foot-tall, naked, dragon man draped across your shoulders. Who’s to say.

“This has nothing to do with that,” you snapped, ears burning.

“Do with what?” The newly dubbed Tsunotarou rumbled. He was pressed close enough that you could feel the worlds roll through his chest—annnnd you were going to stop yourself right there and focus very, very, intently on getting through this conversation alive.

“Human things,” you spluttered frantically.

“Ah,” he hummed, his chin shifting from the crown of your head to dip down and instead rest atop the curve of your shoulder. “You’ll have to explain it to me later, then. I do find our cultural differences very intriguing. You humans are so… new age.”

“Explain it to you later…?” Deuce frowned, and you could see the words zipping around behind his eyes to slowly put themselves together into a cohesive thought. He shot ramrod straight and whipped his arm out accusatorily. “You’re staying?!”

“Of course,” you said, with all the enthusiasm of someone with a knife held to their throat. You locked eyes as obviously as you could—hoping he’d get the message. “It’s in everyone’s best interest.”

You could see the pinched look on his face, the heavy weight of discontentment tugging at his brow. There was a war being waged in that man’s head—a battle between what lingering, frail, shreds of rationality and comprehension remained, and the desire to be a good friend and save our bard! Because mama said I should be good to my friends! You stared him down hard, silently begging, pleading, to just let it go. The fingers gripping his axe tightened and you could hear the leather of his gauntlets creak with strain. Tsunotarou hummed, something like amusement coloring the throaty rumble, and it tingled all the way from the tips of your toes to the cheek he was tucked up against. The claws at your side flexed—not deep enough to hurt, but firm enough to know that funny as the notion of a teeny, human, barbarian hurling themselves at a dragon was, it wasn’t going to be a good enough joke to earn said dragon’s mercy.

“Well, duh, you’re staying!” Ace interrupted slickly, sliding in front of Deuce and his burbling rage like a fox finally skulking from its hole. “Look at what a great new friendyou’ve made! You can’t just leave him here all on his lonesome, now can you?”

The low rumble skirting along your back melted into something that was very nearly a purr. Your eyes flickered to your captor’s face—or as much of his face as you could manage to make out, considering he had plastered himself to your side like an overgrown cat. His lips were curled back into that smug, contented, smirk—the tips of his sharp canines just barely peeked out over his bottom lip.

“We’ll come back and check on you, of course,” Ace continued. He waved his hand at the dragon, like they were old chums shooting the shit over a pint of ale in a tavern. “You know how it is. Gotta make sure they’re settling in all right—make sure you’re keeping with your honorable intentions and whatnot. How’s two weeks from now sound?”

“Two weeks?!” you wailed.

Tsunotarou grumbled, clearly also displeased. “I agree. That seems far too soon.”

“Two months?” the ginger countered easily.

“Ace!”

The dragon seemed to consider this new proposal quite thoroughly. You could feel his long lashes flick down against your cheek as his eyes went hooded, heavy—slipping back into his thoughts to ponder upon this newly proffered timeline. After a long, long, moment, he lifted himself from your neck and plonked his chin back down atop the crown of your head.

“That is acceptable.”

Deuce looked entirely unimpressed. You had a feeling you looked like you were about to shit yourself. Ace, naturally, seemed more or less content.

“Well then!” the traitor chirped. “We’ll see you when we see you then, yeah?”

You grit you teeth, but your gaze flicked to your other, kinder, friend and you bit back the slew of heinous insults brewing on your tongue. Deuce still looked more than ready to jump into the fray, consequences be damned. And you were not going to let your terrible, horrible, no-good, rotten luck end all his valiant attempts at redemption when he inevitably attempted to go toe-to-toe with the business end of a dragon.

“…Are you sure you’re gonna be alright here?” Deuce asked, face twisted up in distaste.  

There was a pissy rumble from over your shoulder.

“Do you doubt my abilities as a host?”

“Of course he doesn’t!” Ace cut in, ever the bootlicker. “And besides,” he drawled, elbowing his companion in the ribs. “You know how bards are. I’m sure this is right up their alley.” He wiggled his eyebrows and Deuce went pale—then green. Ace turned on you with a smile that was all vinegar. “Right?”

‘I should not let them be murdered horribly,’ you repeated to yourself past the crimson rage leaking into your vision. ‘I should not let them be horribly murdered—’

“Righteo!” you forced yourself to spit. And if you somehow managed to survive these next two months, you were going to string that red haired traitor up by his pinkies and feed him to the crows that lived outside your window.

Your friends slipped away slowly, hesitantly—Deuce looking like he’d been struck down by a horrid case of food poisoning or something else equally as stomach churning. Once they were gone, Tsunotarou lifted his chin from your head so that he could crane his neck over your shoulder and look at you more directly. Not that he had to try very hard, seeing as he was gigantic, whether on two legs or four.

“What was the small, ugly, one referring to?” he asked curiously. “About your profession?”

Your life flashed before your eyes.

“Bards are known for their hearty curiosity and drive to experience new situations,” you repeated, verbatim, from the little adventurer’s handbook you’d been gifted by Lord Crewel all those years ago.

“Oh,” he hummed, nodding into your hair. “Of course.”

.

.

The first major hurdle cropped up barely two hours later.

“I need to use the bathroom.”

The dragon blinked slowly, as if mentally tallying through a list of human bodily functions to try and figure out just what on earth you were talking about.

“Ah,” he said after a moment. And then he began to melt away—limbs stretching and cracking, and porcelain complexion bubbling up with inky miasma so thick and dark it may as well have been tar. It was both horrifying and awe-inspiring to watch, like some great creature of old emerging from an arcane cocoon. And not two minutes later, a familiar, ebony, dragon was standing before you in all its glory.

He lowered his snout and nosed around your shoulders for a moment, snuffling and searching. And then he pinched your collar between his teeth and hauled you into the air.

You tried not to scream. Really, you did. But humans just weren’t meant for flying, let alone while suspended between the jaws of a beast that could swallow them whole. By the time you landed, you were so wobbly and windswept that you nearly collapsed to the ground then and there, bladder be damned. Tsunotarou warbled something deep in his chest, and you glanced up past the thin veil of icy sweat dripping into your eyes.

He'd placed you into a blown-out enclave that had probably once been a very nice hallway. And in the corner was the remains of what indeed looked like a bathroom. You straightened yourself as much as you could and began hobbling woozily towards what you hoped was a proper, enchanted, toilet and not just some block of stone with a bowl at the bottom.

There was an echoing thud from behind you and you jumped, startled, and turned to see what the ruckus was all about. Tsunotarou had sat his massive head at the entrance. And he continued to sit there. Watching.  

“Uhm,” you mumbled. “Thank you.”

He stared, unmoving. You sighed and squashed your fingers into your temples.

“…We’re going to have to establish some boundaries,” you said. The dragon’s gigantic, neon, eyes closed and opened—like a question. “Boundaries,” you repeated. “Things that we do on our own.”

The beast’s lips flattened into a grumpy line and he grumbled something unintelligible at you, spitting loose sparks from behind his overly long canines.

However, mouthful of razor-sharp teeth in your face or otherwise, everyone had to draw the line between pride and self-preservation somewhere. And having to piss in front of an audience was apparently yours.

You waved your hands in a shoo shoo motion and those amethyst crests flattened irritably atop his skull. He settled in further, the structure of the terrace groaning beneath the weight of his scaly chin. You worried your lower lip between your teeth. It wasn’t exactly like there was a door or anything that you could just, like, shut in his face. And beating him off with a broom or something like a stray cat was out of the question—just out of sheer impossibility. You were going to have to get creative here…

An idea popped into your head and you leaned forward with a charismatic little smile that you’d unleashed on so many traders, and shopkeepers, and unsuspecting bakers that it ought to be considered a weapon in its own right. You’d practiced it in the mirror for weeks.

“I’ll tell you a story,” you offered, and his slitted pupils rounded a bit—intrigued. “That’s what I was before all this, you know. A storyteller.” You had his full interest now, those purple crests rippling behind his horns. “But you have to close your eyes,” you said. “It makes it easier to imagine that way.”

He stared you down curiously for a heartbeat or three, and then Tsunotarou’s gigantic, luminous, eyes slipped shut.  

You sighed and plopped yourself down on the decrepit, stone, toilet.

“Once upon a time,” you began, sweeping your cloak out in front of you to give yourself at least a little bit more dignity. One of those crests twitched at the sound of swirling fabric, but his eyes remained dutifully closed. “There was a bard who made some very terrible life decisions—"

.

.

The next bump in the road came the following afternoon.

“People tend to wear clothes,” you said.

He canted his head at you. “I am not a person.”

Oh for fucks sake.

Tsunotarou was stretched out along one of the many, grand, banisters lining what you assumed had once been a ballroom—lounging in the dim light like a lizard sunning itself on a rock. Apparently, before your arrival, he’d very rarely, if ever, shed his wings and scales for this more compact form. And he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying spreading himself out across all the new surfaces that the change in size allowed him. Part of you would have thought it was a bit endearing—seeing this eldritch monster merrily falling into the ‘if I fits, I sits’ way of life. The other part was sick of nearly collapsing in cardiac arrest every time you caught sight of his very naked self reclining across some new piece of furniture.

“Yes,” you intoned, deadpan. “But you look like one.”

He blinked slowly, as if putting together a thought. “I see. The dissonance of observing a vestige of humanity which does not actually fit the mold of a human must be disconcerting to you.” He rested a knuckle lightly against his chin as he pondered. “In the same way I may feel uncomfortable if you took on the form a dragon with no teeth or tail.”

“Sure. Whatever,” you bemoaned. “Just. Pants? Please?”

He observed you quietly for a moment, amusement dancing across his features. And then he grinned, putting the pointed tips of those impressive canines of his on full display.

“Well I suppose if you’re going to ask so sweetly.”

He sat up with a stretch that was outright spitting in the face of your plea for modesty, and then spread his hands. His black-tipped fingers twisted gracefully, artfully, and the cavernous room filled with the scent of packed earth and ozone. Soft puffs of emerald light glided along his arms, and in their wake sprouted tendrils of sheer, silken, sleeves. Those dancing lights traveled merrily from his shoulders to his hips, and then back again—spinning magic into fabric like little, ghostly, seamstresses as they went.

The soft glow faded and the silk settled around him with all the delicacy of a cloud. It was stunning, certainly. A true work of beauty. With billowing sleeves that cinched neatly at his wrists, and swept into an open window across his front. The fabric wrapped itself snuggly at his waist and draped low enough to offer at least what should have been the bare minimum of modesty. It pooled across his shoulders, splaying out into a split cape that looked eerily similar to the wings he dawned in his other, scalier, form.

But this lovely new ensemble—as gloriously shiny and magical as it was—was still nearly fucking transparent. And yeah, the shadows curling along the spiraling silk did a decent enough job at obscuring what ought to be obscured. But at the same time, somehow this impression of cloth, of loose fabric that dipped below his collar bones and hung uneven and open across his pale chest, was worse than the outright fucking nudity. Scandalous. Like walking in on a seduction scene in a trashy novel.

“…maybe you should just do whatever makes you comfortable,” you managed to cough out, gaze slipping downwards of its own accord. And then more down. You gulped. “D-Don’t feel the need to change yourself on my account.”

He stared grumpily at his swanky new outfit. And then back at you. His lips pursed into a pout.

“You don’t find it pleasing.”

Your eyes rolled up to stare miserably, tormentedly, at the ceiling, and you began reciting every religious verse you could think of. Thou shall not steal or covet. In the name of the Mother, the Crone, and the Hallowed Throne. Head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Aye, Macarena—

“It looks perfectly nice. I just think that you have as much of a right to be happy in your skin as I do,” you reiterated. “I—I mean, you’re already keeping yourself human more often than not just so we can talk.” Which was true enough, but also mostly an attempt to make it seem like your concern was genuinely aimed at him and not your steadily rising blood pressure.

“…you’re incredibly strange,” he grumbled after a moment, his brow tugging low on his forehead. More pouting. “And impossibly frustrating to read.”

The heat radiating off your face like a fucking active volcano felt ‘possible’ enough to you, but what did you know.

“That’s why you’re keeping me around,” you reminded him.

Ten minutes later, he was sprawled out with his head in your lap, the ridges of his horns bumping your hips and inky black hair spilling over your thighs. Naked as a jaybird.

“Tell me another story,” he hummed, eyes slipping closed.

“Sure,” you agreed, gaze once again firmly locked on the hundreds of cracks in the ceiling. You’d probably have them all memorized by this evening, or at the very least have managed to count them all up a dozen times over.

You were halfway through some yarn about armies made of playing cards and worlds beyond looking glasses when Tsunotarou sighed, heavy and bone deep. Content. And then he turned to bury his cheek into the rough fabric of your traveler’s pants with a rumbling drawl that was not unlike a purr. His nose pressed itself into the inseam of your thigh and your brain fuzzed out like you’d been shot pointblank with a Wand of Lightning Bolts.

“Child of Man?” he huffed after a moment—one, neon, eye flicking open to glare up at you grumpily. “What happened then? To the cat that smiled too wide and the man with the mad hats?”

“R-Right,” you squawked. “Uhm—so as I was saying—”

You stared back at all those cracks and started counting again from zero.

[seruadoric]

Will u do a getian fluff? (If ur still in the r1999 fandom ofc)

GETIAN , WHO ...

content warnings // fluff, various headcanon scenarios , romance ( can be perceived as platonic ) , gn!reader

notes // i absolutely fell in love with getian during notes on shuori, therefore i am very much ecstatic to write for him ♡ i actually have a lot more for him in mind, but i'm not going to be oversharing today ( im actually just too lazy to write )

word count // 580

GETIAN who wants to impress you - and he does that by playing music to you.

➜﹒due to his bone wand, getian is able to play multiple instruments at a time. he conducts a beautiful orchestra of harps, lutes, and drums. the music is extremely clear and loud, but it is beautiful all the same. he wants to share his passion of music with his loved one, and is delighted when you show a positive response.

you have never heard something quite like this, and it was as if he had put you in an infinite trance. the music is carefully orchestrated, harmonizing together perfectly. you'd doubt you would break out of this reverie before the music had come to a stop, the initial quietness returning.

getian's attentive eyes look towards you, in search of finding a reaction of some sort ... and he was delighted seeing your face light up, the soft sound of applause resonating. he cracked a smile, one that was barely even noticeable -

"your music never fails to put me at ease." you spoke, in which he replies with a nod. "i will be sure to play for you more, then"

GETIAN who invites you to fly with him, especially late at night.

➜﹒the nighttime is a perfect time to stretch his wings and get some fresh air. whether or not you have wings like him, he will invite you to fly to the highest building to have the best view of the city (or the wilderness).

"hold on tight, and don't let go." he warned, the sheer pressure of being so high up making his voice barely audible. getian's talons held onto the hem of your clothing, careful not to hurt you, or to rip them - "i won't be able to catch you if you fall."

you reckon you flew a few miles, before he finally placed you down. he perched on the branch of a tree only a few feet away, stretching his wings out. here, you could see the whole city in its glory - the lights of the streets, slowly flickering as time passed.

once each light dimmed down, it was only the moon and its stars to accompany you. he will eventually fly you back down, but for now he does not need to say a thing - just admire the stars in a comfortable silence.

GETIAN who gifts you trinkets and jewelries he might've found in the wilderness; they can vary from high-value objects or literal trash, but you will love them nonetheless.

➜﹒ there will be short periods of time where getian is away, which he makes it up to you by gifting the things he found on his adventures. really, they're just shiny and peculiar objects that he found tossed around, but he managed to make something good out of them. (by giving them to you!)

"emm ... getian, what's this?" your expression, tinged with both mystification and amusement, didn't go unnoticed by the feathered man. "for you." he pushed the trinkets to you, as if urging you to take them.

"help yourself, i have no need for them." he raises his wing to his face, letting you take your pick. among them, there were valuable stones like jade and crystals ... but what caught your eye was a makeshift ring; a pull-tab from a used can of dr. papper, long thrown away by its user.

"i'll take this one."

૮˶- ﻌ -˶ა⌒)ᦱ zᶻ

[six-eyed-samurai]

SUMMARY: A letter from Urokondaki has Giyuu flying back - not knowing he'd wind up back to you who he loves and rejected. A/N: This is possibly the most cliche thing I've written about but enjoy the twist WARNINGS: Reader is female and has a sister because I said so. TAGLIST: (lemme know if you wanna be removed or added): @abadonkori @therabbitthatpostthings MASTERLIST/PREVIOUS FICS

What were you both, exactly? This one Giyuu couldn't answer, because as cliché as it sounded he didn't know.

What were you? This was something Giyuu could answer, although he'd never tell you…or anyone. It was cliché, but you were an absolute goddess he was head over heels with and if he could worship you day in day out, he would. It was cliché, but he wanted to be the one you first set those bright doe eyes on every day, the first you head to when you were hurting emotionally or physically - your first love and he fantasized about being your last.

(A lot more than he should be, Giyuu realized, when Kocho caught him staring off into space and smiling a little too “lovesick-y”, she claimed, and asked who was he so down bad for.)

How you both met sounded like something out of a romance novel too. A romance novel in an ugly world of death and demons, true, but just as romantic and cliché as any story. He had been sent to go help a group of slayers faced with an adversary far beyond their level and when he had arrived it was an utter disaster of blood left, right and center.

Giyuu had made quick work of the demon and turned to check on the exhausted, collapsed slayers. He had been told there were six, so why were there only five?

“Tomioka-san! (y/l/n) ran off to go fight the other demon, where is she?” Other demon? Giyuu whipped around to go after-

And then you arrived, like some goddess of the hunt, leaping from the air and decapitating the lunging demon's head right before its talons could touch him. His eyes widened.

How did you still smile so brightly, like you were genuinely delighted he was here, despite being splattered in blood and bruises? Maybe that was one of the things that made him fall from the start. “Oh, hey, Tomioka-san! You're finally here!”

That should've been that. Giyuu would've been content with that mental snapshot of you in all your heroic glory forever.

But out of the blue you once again showed up suddenly, abruptly, at his Estate with a bento box and persistent knocking at his door.

“Tomioka-san! Are you home? I really wanted to thank you for saving us that day, so I brought you some food. I hope you like it!”

You had saved him, why were you thanking him? Giyuu was too stunned to do anything but let you in and just gape, completely unaware this wouldn't be the first time you would barge in and liven up his pathetic lonely life.

He had assumed you would leave the moment he collected the bento, but…no? You just sat there and chatted away about anything and everything that came to your mind: a recent book you read, the bout of rain lately, demon activity, training, your family. You pushed him to talk about himself too and he found himself opening up subconsciously, heavily infected by your energy - his favourite meal so you could make it next time, something he'd like to do in the future, any hobbies? Giyuu thought you probably knew a lot more about him than the rest of the Hashira after just that one meal.

“Well, it's been nice eating with you - oh no, is your haori torn?”

“…yes. It was from the fight but I hadn't had time to fix it yet.”

“Ehhhh, no worries about that! I'm not too bad at sewing and I'm sure you're very busy, so I could do it for you if you'd like.”

Then it went on for months, a push and pull from the both of you coming up with various excuses to see each other beyond brief lunches. Mostly you suggesting them, true, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't jumped on them as eagerly as a puppy, embarrassingly. You returned with his repaired haori and to thank you he bought the next meal, then you asked for some slaying tips and he awkwardly realized the only way he could explain properly was through practical work, then you brought him salmon daikon for the extra training. So on and so forth.

Even if he had tried to push you away, you were too stupidly stubborn and kept coming like some train of friendliness; something he fell a little more for, other than your care for even the most useless of slayers, your determination to keep training no matter what, your quiet reassurance when grief still clouded his days…no amount of paper in the world could cover all the things he loved about you.

It went on for so long that Giyuu could call you the highlight of his days - his friend. His only friend, not counting Kocho (she doesn't count).

But he suddenly knew when he wanted to be more than that when he apologized for not being as talkative. You blinked, then laughed. “Don’t be! I like challenging myself to get a reaction out of you!”

The corner of his lip half turned up. “What reaction?”

“Y’know, when you smile like that. It’s cute to watch.”

“I’m not smiling.” His face heated up and he busied himself with slurping up the rest of his soba.

“Or when you blush like that,” you added. Giyuu nearly fell into the soup as you laughed.

Luckily he didn’t, but he fell for you even harder.

It was just as cliche then, when it was abruptly at some point Giyuu realized he had no idea whatever it was the two of you were. “Friends” sounded a little too dishonest - did friends turn up in the middle of the night because they couldn’t sleep and decide to stargaze together? Did friends somehow wind up holding hands and falling asleep against each other during said night?

Did friends rush to say goodbye to other before missions and fret so worriedly about their safety? Did friends get flustered so much around each other? Did friends get teased by Kocho, giggled at by Kanroji, be asked when the two of them had started dating by Kamado?

No. Giyuu didn’t have much experience in this but he knew that every day it was getting harder for him not to simply blurt out those eight letters to you.

The problem wasn’t that he thought he was going to get rejected - Giyuu wasn’t as obliviously blind as everyone thought, he’d seen the way you glanced at him to see if he found the joke funny, the extra effort you threw in for his bento when cooking for everyone. He held back because he was afraid. Terrified the moment he’d ask to be yours the gods who had tormented him for so long would awaken and strike you down. He was cursed, jinxed, hexed to never have anyone he cherished, not when the list was so extensive - Sabito, Tsutako. If he were to ever allow you to get close to him he’d just have another grave to cry over.

Giyuu knew he’d have to break it to you one day but he’d never thought it’d be so soon.

“Hey…Giyuu.” You tugged at your hair nervously, something he found endearing. He nodded in acknowledgement. “I…this is so silly and cliched, really, saying something like this under -” you breathed an anxious laugh “-a sakura tree under the moon, but…I think I really like you. Beyond just friends. I’ve never looked at anyone like I do at you before and some days I think I’m going to have to go to Kocho because my heart’s beating at an unhealthily fast rate around you. I - you don’t have to feel the same, but I hope you’ll accept my confession. It’s cliche, like I said, but there’s no one else I want to spend my life with, however short in the Corps.”

“(y/n)…”

You looked at him hopefully and he looked at you blankly. You weren’t to know how hard he was going to cry over this later on.

“I apologize, but I don’t feel the same.”

If he couldn’t push you away, he’d pull away, with distance and the silent treatment. Giyuu never realized how different the both of your worlds were until he made the effort to avoid you at all costs. They spun on different axis, and if you didn’t seek him out or he didn’t go to find you, you both would never run into each other at all.

For the best, right? For your own good.

***

It was hopeless.

You tried and tried to go on being friends but Giyuu didn’t make it easy for you at all. He trained all day to use it as an excuse for being too busy and reject all your invitations. He politely informed you you could stop cooking for him as to not trouble yourself. You were going to break yourself into a million, emotionally shattered pieces if you continued to chase after someone who didn’t want you, you knew, but it was Giyuu, for god’s sakes. You both had poured so much into your friendship, how could you just leave it be?

A small voice still nagged that you were just hung up on him and that he was the one being mature about this whole affair, which led you to finally decide to take a break away from everything for a while and head back to your hometown - your sister had been begging you for a visit for some time. But you still wanted to make the effort, so you wrote to Giyuu that you’d be away from the Corps for maybe a fortnight.

He made a curt reply barely lasting a paragraph and that was that. You balled it up and threw it into the trash, restraining the tears that were going to spill, then resumed packing.

Heading home was the break you had needed after all. Meeting your old village friends and catching up on the times, recounting childhood memories with the people you used to know. After spending so long running around from village to town to slay demons it was just…relieving to set your bags down in your old home and finally have a place to return to again. Your mother and great uncle were beyond delighted you had returned home and needless to say you were coddled and spoiled and stuffed with homecooked meals. Even the chores that once seemed exhausting were nothing to the brutal training you had gone through - absolute bliss, really.

They took your mind off your recent rejection.

Yet somehow your younger sister Yumiko wormed it out of you anyway as you both sat under the giant tree you both used to spend countless days frolicking under when you were kids, watching her grow even more flustered the more you teasingly pushed her about her love life.

“Come on, I’m your big sis, I need to know who’s caught your eye!”

“No, we’re nothing official - he - hey! Sto - oh - op tickling me! Fi - fine, I”ll - heh - tell!”

You sat back, satisfied. “Well?”

“His name’s Sanekhiro…” Yumiko got a little dreamy-eyed. “He’s really clumsy and forgetful, but really sweet! He got me this hairpin the other day; he said it reminded him of me and had been saving up money to buy it.”

Your hand unconsciously reached up to finger your own hairpin - the one Giyuu had gotten you not too long ago. He’d been so funny about gifting it to you, nudging it closer and closer to your soba bowl until you noticed it and asked. Maybe he panicked, maybe he was trying to be cool, but he blanked for a moment before saying “Oh, isn’t this yours?”

The corner of your mouth twitched. It was a very cute memory…although all he did now was walk past you like you were a ghost he couldn’t see.

(If only you knew how Giyuu feared you really would become one.)

“- and then we…nee-san? Are you even listening?” Yumiko pushed her head closer to yours, snapping you out of your daydream. She grinned mischievously. “Who are you thinking of?”

“Eh, no one!”

“Where’d you get that hairpin, then?”

Damn Yumiko and her observant nature. But even she couldn’t have foresaw you suddenly bursting into tears, the heartbreak and hurt you’ve been suffering silently through the past few weeks building up like pressure until it exploded and you were left a sobbing, miserable mess curled up on your sister’s lap while she stroked your hair comfortingly and waited for you to calm down and tell her who’s “head I’m going to cut off - he must be a demon to make you cry like this”.

So you told her everything, ending it with a “He doesn’t even want to be my friend anymore! Giyuu won’t even acknowledge me now.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t hate you, nee-san, don’t think that!”

You cried anyway.

***

Giyuu had been taking on a lot of missions lately - he barely spent a day of rest in between, Shinobu had confided in Mitsuri as they both watched the stoic Water Pillar limp out of the Butterfly Mansion from afar, no doubt off to go ask Oyakata-sama for another.

Something had happened, Shinobu had concluded, citing that Giyuu had been even more sour-faced and gloomy lately - “Well, even more than he used to be. I wonder if he failed to save someone on a mission? That might be it. I would ask his friend but I haven’t seen her around.”

Mitsuri immediately lit up. “What friend?”

“He used to eat with a female slayer every day until recently; I don’t know her name or who she is though. Tomioka somehow managed to make a friend even with that wet cat personality of his, but as I haven’t seen her around much.” Shinobu chuckled to herself. “He probably drove her away with that despondent attitude.”

“Hmm…” Mitsuri considered it, then clapped her hands together excitedly. “He must like her, Shinobu! Oooh, that’s so sweet, I never thought Tomioka would ever fall in love!”

“Him? In love?” Shinobu scoffed. “If he is then I am an insect.”

“Maybe he’s just sad she had to go on a mission or something,” Mitsuri suggested. “Oh, I know! I’ll invite him out to lunch with me and Obanai. That should cheer him up, and I want to know all the tea about his love life!”

Shinobu hid her laugh and turned around to leave. “I wish you the best of luck, Mitsuri.”

“I’ll let you know how it goes!”

With that Mitsuri sprang off to go hunt for the elusive Water Pillar, determined to kidnap him to lunch if it came down to it. Obanai would surely approve of her plan, he probably wouldn’t mind someone extra tagging along if she apologized.

It turned out she didn’t quite have to kidnap him, but it would be stretching the truth to say Giyuu had given a response to her question, having just stared blankly with wide eyes. But he didn’t object when she grabbed his hand and pulled him along, so it must be alright!

(Obliviously the both of them didn’t notice the purple, shadowy waves of indignation and jealousy rolling off the Snake Pillar, but he managed to bottle it up pretty well in front of Mitsuri.)

“So, Giyuu, I heard from Shinobu you’ve been hanging out with a slayer these days! Is it true?”

“Uh…yes…” Yes, a slayer who I fell in love with and promptly rejected when she said she reciprocated, Giyuu finished in his head. Obanai glowered.

“KYAAAH! That’s so cute! What’s her name? What’s she like? How long has she been a slayer? When did you both meet? Do you like her?” Mitsuri leaned forward, practically quivering from anticipation. Next to her a certain snake brightened up not so subtly; Tomioka wasn’t going to steal Kanroji after all! …not that he believed someone like Tomioka would, nope.

Giyuu’s mind was stuck on the last question.

Do you like her?

Cliche, but he didn’t like her. He loved her. Which was why he let her go, right?

But Giyuu was tired. Tired of never being able to be happy, always mourning Sabito and Tsutako. You made him like he might one day see the world in vibrant colors once more, but he was so afraid of never seeing again he’d rather never see it all. You liked him despite his bland, hard personality. Of course he was a sucker for you, absolutely down bad, whipped, whatever it was that Tanjiro had used to describe the blond nuisance’s behavior towards Nezuko.

But on these past missions…all those couples he had seen wandering the streets together hand in hand. You both used to do that - well, almost, if hands brushing hands counted (on idle days he tried to clasp his own and imagine what your touch would feel like). He wanted to be that couple with you. He wanted to be that family he had saved not too long ago, comforting each other despite the demon attack. He wanted to be that elderly duo at the table next to them, still together even after who knew how many years.

Iguro and Kanroji had only added on to it. Giyuu knew Iguro disliked him intensely and in turn he had not much love for him but watching his actions around Kanroji made him miss you terribly - he had that same look Giyuu was pretty sure he had on his face whenever he spoke to her…if only because you had pointed it out to him once. And when Kanroji started gushing about how happy she always felt whenever she received a letter from Iguro…how long had it been since you sent that short letter informing him of your vacation to your hometown (and subsequent abandonment of him? …he did deserve it, he’d admit, but it stung anyway).

Can’t he be allowed to be happy for once? Be in love once? He wouldn’t be able to take it if you died…yet Giyuu couldn’t take it either if you weren’t here. What a conundrum…

“Tomioka?” ”What’s so great about being in love?” He blurted. He had to be sure. Obanai snorted but Mitsuri, though taken aback, eagerly replied, just not what he’d thought she’d reply with.

“That’s something you’ll have to find out yourself, I suppose! Maybe you’re afraid of pursuing it - her - for now, Tomioka, but you should be more afraid of not finding out no matter what happens. Go ahead, shoot your shot!”

“I need to go.” Giyuu stood up abruptly and ran off.

“-eh?” Mitsuri stared after him, startled, then slumped a little. “Aw, guess he didn’t want to have lunch with us.”

Obanai would rather have Kaburamaru strangle him then defend Giyuu, but if it was to cheer Mitsuri up…”I think you just spurred him to go confess to the poor sod he’s besotted with. Maybe he’ll be less sloppy on missions now.”

“You really think that? I’m happy my advice came in handy then, heh!” Mitsuri beamed at him.

“Mmm,” Obanai hummed, averting his eyes. “Do you want another bowl? I’ll pay.”

***

Giyuu had a plan. A really good one, if he could say so himself. He’d go find you and explain, apologize for how horribly he’d been treating you and pray to whatever gods left on his side that you’d find it in you to forgive him and give him a chance to love you like he didn’t before.

A plan that evaporated the moment he got back to his Estate and realized not once had you mentioned where your hometown was.

Giyuu sat on the engawa for nearly the whole evening, trying to recall if you’d ever said anything about your childhood home. He knew you had a sister and your father had died a few years ago, but that was about it. Crap. Thwarted by the crime of not knowing you as well as he had thought.

(He assuaged the nagging little voice saying how could he even hope to be your lover if he didn’t know such a simple thing by promising to get to know everything about you when he found you, right down to what you ate for breakfast.)

As a desperate last resort he sent his old crow Kanzaburo to go scout villages up north, where your letter had come from - not expecting him to return the next morning squawking himself hoarse.

“UROKONDAKI INJURED! GO TO ASAGIRI NOW! UROKONDAKI INJURED!”

Double crap. His search for you would have to wait then; Giyuu would be there in a heartbeat at his old mentor’s side if he could, but as he couldn’t he took off running at once.

Although…strange his crow went to Urokondaki instead of you.

***

Yumiko glanced back at where you lay, silent but inhaling through your teeth painfully. She and your great-uncle had done all they could to alleviate the pain in your broken ankle. The rain from a few days ago hadn’t completely dried up and left the mountain a slippery mud mountain, causing you to accidentally lose your balance and roll down. You were lucky nothing else had happened.

And the mountain wasn’t done causing trouble yet. Your mother had long gone out to go fetch a doctor but with the trails slick and blocked it would take a long, roundabout route for two elderlies. You were handling it well, but with every minute that passed Yumiko verged on a panic attack.

Then that stupid crow had shown up, screeching and cawing at the window. Yumiko narrowed her eyes and approached it, intending to chase it away with a piece of her mind for disturbing you until - oh god, it could talk.

“Tomioka looking for (y/l/n)! Tomioka looking for (y/l/n)!”

Tomioka? Wasn’t that the name of the man you had cried yourself over, the one that had broken your heart so bitterly? What right did he have to come looking for you now? Yumiko scowled. She was going to give him something to look for alright.

Then you groaned and it gave her pause. You had talked about the insane skills of a Hashira before - this good-for-nothing Tomioka would be able to arrive far faster and navigate the dangerous paths easily. Surely Hashira would have some basic first aid knowledge too? He could bring you down to the village, if nothing else. Fine.

“Yumiko! What are you doing?” Your great-uncle appeared behind her, voice laced with worry.

“This crow belongs to a Hashira, a friend of (y/n) or something - we could get him to come here and help bring nee-san to the village. Even if the doctor got here they’d never be able to bring her down!”

His face betrayed nothing, but he nodded and turned to the preening bird. “Kanzaburo, tell Giyuu to come to Mount Asagiri now. A message from Sakonji Urokondaki.”

***

Giyuu made it up the mountain in record time.

He rushed to the old house where he had spent his childhood training with Sabito, opening the doors in a hurry. Of course, if Urokondaki had gotten injured outside, he should go look-

“You!” The both of your mouths dropped open and uttered the same word in the same shock.

“I - (y/n)? What are you - what are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?” You countered. Giyuu’s eyes were wide as saucers and you had no doubt yours was the same.

“My crow told me Urokondaki was injured -” Wait, but you were clearly the one injured here: pale face and horrible bruising on your foot. And his crow was old, not unknown for getting messages mixed up. But if so, that meant - “You never told me you were an Urokondaki.”

“He’s my great-uncle. You’re the one he trained?” How did your brain never make the connection before between Giyuu and the boy from your great uncle’s training back then? For that matter how did you both somehow never mention it?

“And you’re only here to get nee-san down to the village to get treated!” Yumiko darted into the room, hostile and clearly mistrustful. “She broke her ankle and we can’t get her down, so if you want to make up for making her cry over you every day you’ll do something about it!”

Your face burned at your sister’s words but Giyuu felt like somebody had stabbed a katana into his heart. Had you really? He felt like a horrible person. An actual demon. He should probably commit seppuku right now for making an angel like you weep - one thing at a time, he had to help you now.

Without a word Giyuu suddenly scooped you up in his arms, pressing you close to him and carefully adjusting his hold so that it was both tight and comfortable before making his speedy (and hopefully safe) way down the mountain. There would be a time to confess what he’d been holding back all along another time.

Yumiko watched from the doorway skeptically. “Is this really who nee-san fell for? He already broke her heart once. What’s to say he won’t do it again?”

Urokondaki stepped out from the shadows, observing the retreating form of his former student. He laid a hand on Yumiko’s shoulder. “I’m sure Giyuu won’t.”

***

“Why’d you come back?”

“…maybe we should talk when you’re not in pain.”

“Giyuu, I’ve got enough painkiller potions and herbs and things inside of me to subdue Muzan himself. Just - if you’re not going to tell me, don’t - don’t give me false hope.” You rolled onto your side, away from him, so he couldn’t see your expression.

“Do - do you want real hope then?” Giyuu said weakly.

“What?” You twisted your head around slightly.

“I -” Giyuu half smiled, half winced awkwardly. “I think I fell for you from the start. I just didn’t know it until later. I don’t have a lot of friends and I thought after that lunch we had together you’d be driven off too, but you kept coming back. Again and again. You just - invaded my brain and I couldn’t do a thing without you on my mind.”

At least you turned around fully now, even sitting up. “Go on.”

“But…you know what happened to Sabito, my sister. I was so afraid - so afraid the one bright thing in my life would get taken away because…I know I don’t deserve you. Or even worthy of you. I was even more afraid that you’d die because I wasn’t there, or I wasn’t strong enough.”

“Giyuu-”

“Then you told me you liked me and - maybe we both could’ve been happy, but I couldn’t…I couldn’t bear it if you died. You were too close. I’m not supposed to be happy. I’m so, so sorry I pushed you away like that so cruelly, but I didn’t know how else.”

“What made you change your mind, then?” Giyuu had never spoken so much before. Your fingers crept closer and laid on his.

“…I’m not sure, honestly. Kanroji, probably. I just saw everyone and I wanted…I wanted to hold your hand and go walking. I want to get married with you and…whatever married people do. And then if we don’t get killed by demons I want to grow old with you - no, no! Wait, don’t cry!”

Giyuu leaned forward, hastily wiping roughly at your cheeks. You hiccupped but giggled. “Don’t worry, I’m just - you always surprise me and I think I’m so happy I could actually explode.”

“Please don’t.”

“That’s not the end of your big speech is it?” Your hand closed around the one cupping your face.

“No,” Giyuu admitted. “One more.”

“And…?”

“Cliche, but I think I love you.”

“Let me make it more cliche.”

You grabbed his face and kissed him.

***

BONUS:

“And your dad and I lived happily ever after!”

“Waaaah! That’s so rom - rom -ah -tic!” Your younger daughter, Sumire clapped her hands and giggled, snuggling closer into Giyuu. “I wanna be like that when I grow up!”

“Ew. You kissed after saying that?” Koji rolled his eyes, throwing the pillow he had been hugging down. You snorted and yanked at his black hair playfully.

“Why, don’t like that?”

“Maybe he thinks girls still have cooties,” Giyuu offered, poking Sumire’s chubby cheeks.

“Do not! I just meant - argh! Dad, why didn’t you kiss Mom? That’s not manly at all!”

You broke into a peal of laughter at both Koji’s words and Giyuu’s face. Sumire joined you but stopped when she noticed her dad hiding his pink face. “Who taught you what was manly?”

“Uncle Nemi!”

Giyuu looked at you beseechingly. “I told you we shouldn’t have visited Shinazugawa.”

[maiko-san]

The Chain + TP! Reader (2/?)

< Part 1

Plot : You are Twilight's childhood best friend, who like Twilight can turn into an animal, that is a crow. You just happen to follow Twilight into the portal in your crow form and meet the Chain.

( Fem Reader )

Note : The Chain can't understand Reader when she's a crow and only Twilight does. All The Chain hears is cawing from you.

Growl~

Your stomach growls from hunger, you have been spying on the group for quite a while now and they have set up a camp near a small river, some of them decide to go for a swim. You take notice that one of them is cooking dinner, Wild was it?

The aroma of the food he's cooking is too much, it smells delicious and it makes you drool.

"Hey, can someone help me fetch some woods?" Wild asked the others, Twilight stands up. "I'll take care of it!" he said with a smile, "Thanks, Twi!" smiles Wild as he resumes cooking.

'This is....great!' you thought. You watch as Twilight goes into the nearby woods to fetch some woods for the fire.

'Okay! All I need is to get closer and let's see if I'm lucky enough to get some' you thought, smiling to yourself, picking up a shell of a deku nut. You fly over to the blonde and land on the ground, he has turned his body away from the pot.

'Here's my chance!' you said. You perch on the sticks that hang the cauldron and take a scoop of the creamy soup. 'It smells so delicious~' you thought, drooling through your break.

"Ah!" you hear someone shouts. You nearly look to your right to see pinky pointing a finger at your direction. 'Shit!' you thought, panicking. "Come here!" he shouts, swiping his hand at you.

You dodge his hand and perch yourself up to the tree, you blow the steam and take a sip of the soup. The flavour bursts into your taste bud causing you to squeal in delight, 'It's so delicious!' you said excitedly.

Pinky, or Legend stare at the crow in disbelief. 'What did I just witness?' he thought. Well, he'd seen a lot of things but this is new. At first, he thought the crow was going to put a deku nut into the soup but it was otherwise. He never see a crow eat from a deku nut shell and treated it like it was a bowl.

Is it someone's pet? He notices that the crow is in a trance, guess it enjoyed Wild's food. Legend notice something glimmering around the crow's neck.

' A necklace?' it was a golden necklace with a green jewel.

"Hey, Legend. Whatcha looking at?" a voice calls out to him, Legend turns to see the Captain walking towards him. "Just watching that crow so it doesn't do anything funny to our food" Legend said, crossing his arms over his chest. Warriors look up to the tree and see the crow, "Is...that a deku nut shell?" he pointed out at the crow holding a deku nut shell with its talon.

"Yeah, the bird scooped up the soup and ate it" he said. Wild returns and notices the two looking at the tree, he follows their gaze and sees a crow. "Oh, it's the same crow that has been following us" Wild said.

The other two turn their heads to Wild, "Huh?". Wild smiles, "I saw it a couple of times, it has been following us for quite a while" he said. "What?! Why didn't you tell us?" Legend shrieked, "It's just a harmless crow—" Wild gets cut off by Legend. "What if that thing is Shadow's spy?!" he points out to the crow that opens its eyes, revealing a pair of (e/c) eyes.

Wild stays silent for a moment, Legend does have a point. It could be Shadow's spy but he doesn't think so. "Well maybe or it just hungry" Wild said as he takes a bowl and a plate. He takes a scoop of the creamy soup and a piece of bread, he sets down the food on a log and look up at the crow.

"You can have some if you want!" he calls out.

You hear the young man call out for you, he has set down food for you to eat. 'Is it.... for me?' you gasped. Your eyes sparkle at the sight of the soup and bread, you fly down to the log and eat happily.

"See, it's just hungry, Vet" Wild smiles, he takes a closer look and notices that the crow has a drawstring backpack on it's back and a necklace, "Is it a pet?". Warrior takes a closer look, "Looks like it but what kind of a person that tied a bag on a bird?" he questioned.

"A messenger bird perhaps?" he hums, cupping his chin, "What's going on here?". Time comes along with the others, that had dried themselves off after playing in the river. Time's eyes land on the bird, "A crow?" he raised an eyebrow.

You finally notice that you have eyes on you, you lift your head slightly and see the men have their eyes set on you. A bead of sweat runs down your cheek, 'This is bad' you thought. You're not very comfortable when meeting strangers but these people are so different. They look like Link but they are not him but they almost have the same scent, especially the one don in armour. He almost smells like Link, your Link.

The same smell of the forest and soil.

Time's eye and your collides, the hero of Time feels something familiar about this crow especially with those gem-like (e/c) eyes. He had seen those eyes before but where? His memories were blurry and he couldn't put a finger on it.

"It might be someone's pet, it has a necklace" Wild speaks up, pulling Time out of his trance, "It carries a bag with it too!" points out Wind with a huge smile on his face. "It looks enchanted" Four said as he leans in for a closer look.

You take a few steps back, feeling slightly uncomfortable when the blonde leans in. "O-oh, sorry" Four apologies. "Should we find its owner?" Wild questioned, Legend let out a sigh, "It's a bird, Wild. It can fly its way back home" he said.

"I'm back with the woods— (Y/n)?!" a familiar voice enters your ears. There stood Twilight with his mouth open and had a shock expression.

Your feathers ruffles up, 'Fuck, I stayed too long?!' you thought.

[ End of Part ]

[strawberrykidneystone]

the normandy cat

-yk how pirate ships had cats on them to eat mice and stuff? yeah the normandy definitely had a cat on it in ME3

-she’s a grey-striped tabby with one eye missing, so shepard named her winky

-she kinda just wandered on one day and never left

-she gets in the tunnels and airways all the time and edi tracks her movement

-she's usually in the shuttle bay and wacks at the robot dog (sorry kei-9)

-vega and cortez keep her food and water filled at all times (they get her the good wet food and put ice cubes in her water)

-vega insisted he was more of a dog person, but was immediately found with winky crawling all over his shoulders and using him as a living jungle gym with vega laughing like a little schoolboy

-cortez had to start doing "winky checks" because she has snuck onto the kodiak during take-off on more than one occasion

-becomes the ship-wide ESA

-garrus trims her claws whenever he trims his own talons

-tali can frequently be found holding her and baby talking to her, telling her how cute and fluffy she is, 10000x worse when she's drunk

-when grissom academy was saved, the teens had a FIELD DAY playing with her and using their biotics to float her in the air (don't worry she enjoyed it, they also made some of her bird toys fly for her to "hunt")

-shepard usually holed up in her room to read reports, but now she can frequently be found on the couch in the common area with winky purring away on her lap

-liara softly scolds the cat when she tries to attack glyph but it's never serious, she enjoys the cat jumping around as a distraction every so often

-kaidan is such a cat dad, he hand sews her a little N7 vest and makes her an eyepatch too

-ashley is very neutral about the cat, she never calls her by her name but never pushes the cat away when she curls up next to her

-traynor is less than pleased about having a cat on board and has to invest in antihistamines like no bodies business, but she sees how happy she makes the crew and that's enough for her

-the cat almost made them crash one time when she jumped up on the normandy consul so joker is not a huge fan "keep her out of the cockpit shepard!"

-edi likes the cat, at least she thinks she does. she definitely seems to like her.

-javik doesn't get the appeal, but does enjoy the feeling of her fur so he tolerates her near him

[anemos-orca]

Cat Boy Xiao? How About Dragon Boy Xiao!

cw: just fluff, no NSFW :DDD, established relationship (Xiao x Reader), gender neutral reader

summary: DragonBoy!Xiao things :3 Xiao has two little horns, two tiny dragon wings, a long, flowing tail with a crest of fur running from base to tip, clawed hands, slitted pupils, a forked tongue, long fur covered ears on the sides of his head (i think its cuter than them being on top of his head >:3), and heightened senses.

a/n: ahh i have been thinking of xiao as a dragon boy lately so i decided to write some headcanons! I havent seen a dragon boy xiao so i figured itd be neat >:3

series tag: #《》Dragonboy!Xiao

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DragonBoy!Xiao whos wings would flinch at the slightest touch- you knew they were incredibly sensitive, but sometimes you couldnt help yourself! The way they stretched and fluttered in the morning was too cute to resist, even if he bat your hand away like a cat every single time. They were just so small and endearing, how could you not want to touch them? He couldnt fly with them, not in his human form at least- they were too small. If he could choose to not have wings in his humam form, he would do away with them in an instant.

DragonBoy!Xiao whos actual dragon form towered over you- it was bigger than any other animal you had ever seen, even bigger than the Lone Suanni of the Vale. You hated the way he would swoop you up like a little toy and bury you under his wings like a mother bird, even if it was so warm and cozy when he snuggled you up against his fluff. Despite being so huge, he was incredibly gentle with you, even when handling you with his scarily sharp talons.

DragonBoy!Xiao who wraps his tail around you every single time youre close enough. He claims its instinctual and he cant control it, or that his tial has a mind of its own and he doesnt notice, but you know full well hes just trying to save face. He does it on purpose, wanting to hold you close to him and feel your body heat next to his. Clearly, hand-holding wasnt enough.

DragonBoy!Xiao who gets flustered when you play with his horns- theyre supposed to be scary, not intruiging! He would blush intensely and vehemently avoid eye contact so you wouldnt notice how his once slitted pupils were now blown out as he struggled to hold back his purring. Petting them was like petting his ears- speaking of which, they were incredibly soft and expressive. They flicked and rotated and twitched with every little sound and touch, flattening back when he felt agitated and pinning forwards when he felt excited. They were the one thing he didnt ever deny pets for. He always melted right into your touch the moment you rubbed his ears, closing his eyes and unleashing a waterfall of purring.

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a/n: ive got to draw dragon boy xiao omg expect to see some art of him soon :3

[brucewaynehater101]

In my evil era. I've come to spread the misery

So I read a wingfic a while ago and I recall there being a titans tower scene where Tim tried to fly away but Jason grabbed him by the wing and his wing got fucked but don't quote me on that

So here's my idea

=======

Author decision on if anybody other than Tim has wings or other bird features and instincts, but Tim has bird traits like wings, talons, bird noises and maybe a tail if you pick

And for whatever reason, Tim hides his bird features

Who cares if binding his wings and other means of hiding it has proven time and time again to have horrific effects on one's health in studies older than him?

It's annoying how during the night—typically when he's Robin—he needs to take off the bindings and whatnot to keep himself from deteriorating too fast but it is what it is

Besides, his cape covers it up and he's trained in passing for human

It isn't until his wings are used against him in battle—like say a goon or a rogue (maybe even Jason at Titans Tower) being lucky enough to grab them and beat him black and blue due to it—does he reconsider how he views his wings

Tim Drake became Robin with a mission. A mission to restore Batman to the symbol of Justice he was withering from, one that expanded to putting everything into supporting all heroes

But more importantly his generation of Teen Titans and the Bats

His wings were just used against him, and in such a serious way that he's lucky he could nurse himself back to health

It was one time too many

He has a mission

The deadline is Death

=======

The next morning, Luthor Corp down hundreds of millions and they'll never notice until months later. Too late to recover the assets

=======

"Mind letting me in on what it is I'm guarding or even assisting you for?"

"We covered this in the contract Deathstroke; You guard this safehouse and in the future me while I take care of a very time-sensitive case. Benifits are just as negotiated.

"I will be locking myself in the room I will do my work. You are under no circumstances to enter unless told to. Rest assure, it can fufill my physical needs.

"If I open the door and I say 'Asylum,' it means I will be out of the safehouse for a time where you are to protect my room in addition to the rest of the safehouse until I return.

"If I open the door and say 'visitors' or shout it through the walls, it means we're being invaded through my room, and you have all the permission you need to kick down the door to come and assist me.

"If I open the door and say 'mission half-finished,' do so through the walls, or by passing a paper with that text, it means I've finished my mission with no loose ends, but am injured and require your assistance in my recovery.

"And if anybody ever asks; you had to take care of personal matters during your haitus, the Bats will never even come to mind when inquired on this period you're off the grid"

=======

Weeks or Months later (authors pick)

A paper slowly shifts under the door, he picks it up

Mission Half-Finished

he forced the door open to his client shivering on the floor

=======

the timeline is as goes;

Tim tells the bats he's going to be off the grid for a few months for a mission

Tim hacks LexCorp for Lex's future paychecks and assets to-be used for villanous plots

Tim contacts Deathstroke to be a glorified bodyguard + maybe physical therapist/doctor for an indefinite time

gg

25% upfront pay. Deathstroke will only recieve the remaining pay if he fufills his duties as followed and doesn't bail or rat Tim out

Half the reason Deathstroke is being paid six figures is to stay hush

Tim isolates himself in a room that can fufill his needs for a time

Tim isn't working on a case at all. He is preforming surgery on himself to get rid of his wings, tail, and maybe other bird traits, everything short of instincts (or not, your pick lol)

After Tim is finished, he does end up needing Deathstroke's help recovering from the aftermath, but he does everything to make the mercenery believe that it was a mission that fucked him up

Tim recovers and gives Deathstroke the rest of the 75% pay

Deathstroke leaves the safehouse while Tim stays a bit longer to tie up loose ends

Loose ends tied

LexCorp learns of the stolen money and assets, tries, and fails to find where they went

extra notes

That 'Asylum' code word was meant to throw Deathstroke a false trail to follow if he ever gets curious about what Tim was getting up to during their contract

The 'visitors' was in case the safehouse did get broken into, and 'Mission Half-Finished' in the likely case Tim legit needed treating the aftermath or physical therapy after what he did

SO yeah. This could go a lot of ways

(assume when I say wings, I use it as an umbella term for all his removed bird traits)

In Tim's ideal world, he's either bury his wings where they would rapidly rot into nothing, or keep them in his house or safest, secure, and isolated place where he preserves them and looks at them to remind himself to never let anything, anything bring him down again

But he doesn't live there

Maybe the Bats find out that Tim lost his wings, and later on, that Tim did it to himself, and are promptly horrified but Tim is all like "they were pulling me back, I had to for the mission!"

Cue more horror

Esp if Jason was the one to yank Tim by the wings

Maybe whoever yanked Tim by the wings assumes it's common knowledge that Tim is birdy^2 and is confused when everyone says the Robin is human or at least has no wings

Imagine if it's not even a rogue but a goon who even has photo evidence of the Robin's wings but recent photos, he doesn't have them at all?

And word spreads a Robin literally had his wings torn from him literally and it reaches rogues and even the Bats?

All hell breaks loose

Deathstroke thinks he's safe because he was 'busy with his personal life' until he realizes the Robin they're talking about is the one that hired him and needed his help recovering from something

He is screaming, he didn't wanna be caught up in this!

Or perhaps Deathstroke gets suspicious about the possibility he's been lied to on the contract despite how squeaky clean everything seems, and gives up that 75% to confront Tim

Only to find the kid just starting or in the middle of surgically removing his wings

Or maybe Deathstroke sniffs around after Tim needs his help recovering from his mission and find's the stash of wings he's planning to dispose of or preserve

either way he's going "What the Capital F Fuck is this?"

=======

I think any conversation between people and Tim could be dumbed down to this

"Why did you remove your'e wings??!"

"They were a burden, besides, it's not like I'm becoming disabled am I? I'm just becoming more passing for human then ever"

"That's not how it works!!"

Ooh. Okay. I think, in this AU, most of the Bats don't have wings. The exception would be Duke and Babs (Cass used to as well, but they were taken from her). For Barbara, the bullet that injured her spine also went through one of her wings.

I think Cass, who would bond with Tim using their bird instincts and who's wings were forcibly taken, would be especially devastated.

You're absolutely correct that Tim would do such a fucked up thing, but gods does it hurt.

[jester089]

Feathered friend

Original request: "So I was thinking of the TADC crew with an owl reader . You can do whatever you want, fluffy feathers, tall piggy back rides. I got the hots for an owl man now. Maybe have them a be bit softer (The other characters)"

Request from a friend. Yeah I know you're reading this you mf. Love ya! Hope you enjoy it!

Reader is an owl with a human body. Really tall like 8-12 foot (up to you) and covered in feathers. Retractable talons because I say so.

TADC Crew x Owl Reader (May or may not be inspired by Stolas)

Zooble

When you first arrived she was, taken back. You're tall, really tall and covered in fluff. It's a lot of things she hasn't seen before here. And your height and talons are intimidating. So she keeps away at first using the others as test dummies without them really knowing. And you end up being really really kind. It was when you swatted away Jax when he tried to mess with someone that she decided you were ok. After a while she gets really used to you and ends up finding herself really enjoying your company. You also help her out by carving new limbs for her with your talons (It is confirmed by Gooseworx that Zooble has more parts then what is initially episode.) When you pick her up and nuzzle into her, or cuddle with her she gets really overwhelmed by you and your feathers. But she can't bring herself to hate you or them because their so soft and warm and... They get everywhere. You sadly shed a lot and she does hate that. It's a pain cleaning up all of your feathers in and around her and her room. She missed one, one time and went out with it on her. Jax still hasn't let her live it down. Whenever you're around he doesn't try anything though. He has learned plenty of times not to mess with people when you're there. And Zooble makes sure to rub it in whenever she can.

Ragatha

When you first arrived Ragatha was very fairly surprised. Your much taller then anyone in the past has ever been, you're covered in feathers, you can fly, and you have built in weapons (talons). As far as the circus goes you're unique in many ways. And that plus you not seeming freaked out by being digital and an owl are the things that catch her off guard. Once she gets comfortable around you she really appreciates you. You provide a happy and nice presence to wherever you are. She does kind of hate your habit of just picking someone up and cuddling into them a bit. Lies, she loves it. She just overall really enjoys having you around. For many reasons, your useful, you're nice, you have a lovely personality, and your happiness is surprisingly infectious. When you two are more close/dating she will find herself subconsciously following you or leaning into you cause she wants cuddles. If you found out she'd be done for. You were really cuddly before, she wouldn't survive any more.

Pomni

You were the person who arrived after Pomni, you being the first one she saw arrive. And you were, a lot. Not bad. But a lot. She is in an the overall state of being overwhelmed at all times, and you being cuddly and randomly picking her up doesn't help. It will take a long time for her to get used to it. After the first time you picked her up and cuddled into her she got kind of addicted. You having talons, being that tall, being so soft/fluffy/warm, so kind. All of that made her feel weirdly safe in your hold. Like she isn't trapped in a computer with no way to leave. One thing lead to another and suddenly your on Pomni duty. It is your job to calm her down when she had or is having a breakdown. You aren't complaining though. Sure you don't like seeing her with tears streaming down her face and her breath quick and uneven. But you do love being able to hold her. Sadly cuddles only ever happen in your room as hers can't really fit you in it. None the less her bed. You're more then double the height of that thing. One time you saw Jax teasing her about something, you walked up picked up Pomni and placed her on top of your head. One you were sure she was ok you threatened Jax, holding a talon at his throat. She crumbled right then and their burying her face into the top of your head to hide the giant blush she now had. With you here she doesn't feel, trapped.

(I loved writing this. A lot... Shh I may or may not have wrote like 10 pages and only posted this. Don't tell anyone.)

xoxo, Jester

[wolfytae-exe]

🩵⊹₊ ⋆ first and last love | CHOI BEOMGYU

pairing: bsf!beomgyu x gn!reader

genre: drabble; fluff, my attempt at simple humour and suggestive.

wc: 1.2k

synopsis: you've had more crushes than you've properly fallen in love. why is that? because of the boy you grew up with who seemed to take up the space in your heart—designed for him only.

warnings: beomgyu's so flirty, physical affection, beomgyu has a way with his confession, kisses, neck kisses, reader so whipped over gyu :< beomgyu satoori >//< not proofread :')

a/n: hi cici!! I was 🫧 anon <3 I hope that you're looking after yourself and I hope you enjoy this! I'm so sorry this was late!

"I can feel your heart beating so fast right now, you good?" beomgyu whispers by your ear. his arms were stretched out above you, one hand lingers by your waist with a soft grip.

you shut your eyes for a second, trying to work on slowing down the pulse of your heart but how can you when the proximity between you was too close.

"can you please just get him off?" you plead softly, refusing to move in case toto will start flying away, his talons tangled in your hair.

beomgyu chuckles at your stiff frame, making tutting noises at toto so he would move onto his arm and place his feathered friend on his shoulder.

"toto, you made them nervous." he laughs but you knew it was out of endearment, and his hand's still on your waist, rubbing up and down your side, relaxing your shoulders from the gentle touches.

no matter how many times you've visited beomgyu's family, and toto, he still hasn't warmed up to you—screaming, or always going straight to the top of your head.

"a-anyway, um, what do you want to do today?" you hastily walk over to his bench window, sitting up right and still a little on edge in case his green friend flies off of his shoulder and back onto your crown.

looking out the window your eyes flicker at the way the trees dance in the wind. perhaps going outside wasn't on the agenda for today.

"you want to make out?"

"sorry what?" you were quick to catch those words. and the return of your heart palpitating in your chest has your cheeks furiously heating up from embarrassment.

"I asked if you want to make out with me." beomgyu walks into the corner of the room where toto's cage is, shuffling the cage so he wouldn't be in sight.

you weren't too sure if he was joking or if he just wanted to catch you off guard, but him asking you this question was not on your bingo card. he always had a special place in your heart. perhaps the reason why your crushes never lasted so long because beomgyu was there occupying your mind and your heart.

"earth to ___?" he calls out your name.

you shut your eyes for a long blink and when you open them you see beomgyu sitting beside you with a small pout and a raised brow.

"are you sure?" you ask. your face mirrors his expression as you turn your body towards him.

"yeah, I've been wanting to kiss you for years. I know you're not talking to anyone right now, so please just let me kiss you." he says it so nonchalantly like it wasn't the most bizarre thing to process.

your best friend—who you've loved all your life—wants to kiss you—because he's wanted to do that from who knows how long.

you scoff out a chuckle, fascinated by the way he managed to confess to you in a way you never thought or heard anyone ever confess to you before.

"I'm being serious, ___. I like you a lot, but I really want those pretty lips on mine." he leans a little closer, an estimate of ten centimetres between you as he awaits your confirmation.

"did you know that I've like you all my life, gyu?" you lean back on your hands, planting them into the cushion of the bench while you look up at the man before you with doe eyes.

"if I say yes, can I kiss you then?" he wasn't backing down.

"how do I know you didn't just fake a confession just to get me to kiss you? or for you to lure out my confession for you?" you probe, narrowing your eyes at your best friend. you know how he works, his little tricks and deception to get his way with things. but beomgyu isn't like that with you. you mean too much to him for him to do that to you, surely.

he sighs, facing the ceiling for a split second before scooting closer on the seat, the sides of your thighs touching and his hand cupping the side of your neck away from him.

"if you don't want me to kiss you just tell me to stop," he whispers lowly, and you figured his daegu dialect kicked in. "or you can kiss me back and I'd be the happiest guy in the galaxy."

you giggle at his exaggeration, but your heart starts to pick up again, your chest heaving slightly when beomgyu leans into your neck, delicately placing a kiss to your skin and another to the side of it and so forth.

your fingers find their way to tangle in his dark locks, sighing after every searing kiss, setting afire to the spot under your ear. once he heard your sweet whimper he transitions those gentle kisses to open-mouthed light sucking.

"beomgyu-" you sigh, eyes fluttering shut after he hums with his lips still latched onto your skin, the vibrations sending tingles across your body. "kiss me."

he smiles against your skin, the hold on the side of your neck a little stronger.

"that's my baby." is all you make out from his mumble before he connects his lips with yours.

it was like a dream come true, as cheesy as that is. but you never knew you'd ever be kissing your best friend, let alone asking you to kiss him.

he was gentle with it–you could feel the longing and subtle passion he had for you. a familiar hand settles back on your waist again, this time his fingers subtly slide up and under your top, his calloused finger tips skimming against your skin.

the room was silent, but the ambient noise of the wind making the trees rustle outside was a contrast to both your sighs picking up, getting heavier by the second.

"mph- gyu-" you attempt to speak between his lighter pecks, "I really hope you like me just as much. because I wasn't lying when I said I've liked you all my life."

you both pull away, foreheads resting against each other, chests heaving, lips plump and wanting more.

"I would never lie to you about that. okay perhaps I did a little." he admits.

you push his chest away from you to take a look at him properly, a hint of disgust visible on your face.

"I mean I don't like you, because I love you, ___." beomgyu was quick to explain, not wanting to let go of his hold on you.

you roll your eyes at him, playfully shoving his shoulder and feigning an angered manner. "you really made me think you were just using me to quench your thirst of kisses, beomgyu."

he laughs but wraps his arms around your torso, pulling you into a hug with his face buried in your neck.

"mmh, I'm sorry. I love you, I love you. I swear I was just messing with you for a sec. I really do love you." he confesses again in between light kisses against the other side of your neck. the sensation had your head reeling.

"okay, lover boy." your chortle quickly turns into a breathy whine. "that spot right there."

beomgyu acts upon your bidding, harshly sucking onto the area then delicately licking the spot.

"you didn't say it back." you can feel him pouting against you before he repeats and sucks on a different area that has your breath hitching.

"I love you. I love you. I love you so much, gyu." you relay, eyes still shut from the overwhelming feeling of slight pain from his teeth interfering but also the adrenaline from finally confessing to your first and, most likely, last love.

© BOBA-BEOM ; all rights reserved. do not repost, alter or translate in any way or platform.

EEK 🫧ANON IS SMILES REVEALEDDDDD

[mychlapci]

mertwins time? :3c

The two of them slowly opening up and getting more curious and playful is so cute to me. Especially the thing about them slamming their tails against the glass just to say hi ;w; The first time they do that when Prowl walks past, Prowl gets such a shock the noise that he jumps, doorwings shooting up, datapad going flying. The twins think its so funny

They also like to steal stuff like datapads or cleaning equipment so that Prowl has to come get them. They swim around and keep it out of his reach, toying with him, knowing he can't keep up under the water

Eventually, as they get comfortable enough to get physically closer to Prowl, they start poking around his frame. Land mech armour is different in a way, less joints, more exposed cabling. They think its interesting. Prowl squirms and tells them to stop, and initially swats their servos away- but eventually relents when he realises maybe its good to encourage their boldness. The first time he swatted at them they shrank away and he immediately regretted it. So he lets them poke around. He makes it obvious that it annoys him tho. Not that the twins care.

The twins are especially interested in Prowl's doorwings. They behave closely to the fins they are used to, flaring out in aggression and being pulled close to the frame in fear, etc. They like to provoke reactions out of Prowl to see how his little wings move. They think its very cute when the doorwings wiggle. I think they make fun of him too, trying to mimic his little doorwing wiggles with their fins when he does it.

Prowl always sighs heavily and resigns himself to getting his doorwings played with. That's usually something he would never allow- His sensor panels are too sensitive to just let anyone poke around. They're a weakness he will not let others exploit. But these two are different. They're just curious. And mayyybe he has a soft spot for them. Maybe he's not very good at telling them 'no'

The doorwing thing is distracting tho. The panels really are sensitive. Depending on how the twins decide to poke at him, sometimes it tickles, sometimes it feels really nice. Once in a while they will poke or pull too hard and Prowl jerks his doorwing away in pain. The twins do seem to recognise the little pained noises and always pull away, making a little noise that sounds like a whimper, an apology.

Prowl does have to remind himself that the mers dont mean anything by touching his wings. Even when they gently run their talons over the flat of his sensor panels, even when they massage into the tense joints and his wings flutter in response... They dont know what it does to him. And that's okay. He lets them keep going.

After a while, in return, they do let Prowl touch them too. The red mer is a little more eager, the yellow one takes a little longer to let Prowl's servos anywhere near him. But it turns out they both like being touched. Prowl gets to pet them. They seem to like it since they always lay about him and purr their engines when he does. The red one is a little more forward, nudging his helm and sometimes his frame against Prowl's servo until he gets the message. The yellow one likes to pretend he's not interested, but will lay around Prowl anyway until he gets included in the pets.

Prowl is awed to find out how delicate their flowing fins are. They are soft in a way that ripples in the water, usually soft enough that attacks would deflect off them, but also easily torn if caught. Prowl also learns that, when one of the twins accidentally hurts themselves in a friendly scuffle, that the thin mesh of their fins repair quickly. He likes to run his fingers over the soft fins, feeling their almost silky texture under his digits.

One day Prowl gets absolutely no warning as he enters the tank and suddenly gets kissed on the lips. Or he THINKS he gets kissed. He has no idea what happens really. One moment he's getting into the water and the next moment he has one of the mers on him. He squawks in surprise and suddenly he finds the mer's glossa in his mouth.

His optics are wide in panic- Vaguely he notices that he can see red twin off to the side, smiling at him- so the one on him must be the yellow one-

He doesn't have it in him to push away, despite the shock, and is just frozen solid as the mer licks the inside of his intake. The mer's glossa is thorough, pressing against his own glossa, then stroking against the insides of his cheeks, before running over his denta-

Prowl pants. Or he tries to. If he were above water his vents would be throwing out hot air, solvent probably dripping from his intake. But, in the water, all his systems can do is cycle the water through his vents. At least it does a good job of cooling him.

Only after a very thorough lick through his mouth does the mer finally let up. The yellow mer pulls away, servos still on his shoulders, stares at him, cheeks pink with energon, before suddenly darting away.

Prowl is stunned, vents whirring, as he sees the red mer laugh and the take his twin's place, giving Prowl no warning before invading his mouth too.

This one is less intense, in a way. Less thorough. It's a quick lick through his mouth, before the mer pulls off him, grinning. It gently bumps its forehead against his, and then lets him go, swimming around and looking at him then like nothing happened

When Prowl doesn't move, stunned, overheating, the mer tilts its helm at him in question.

What just happened?

YESSSSS we're bringing back mers licking people's mouths!!!! I like that it was Sunny who took his time with it.... he's like a cat. Stubbornly refusing to let Prowl know he appreciates his presence in the tank, but when he shows him affection, it counts.

I imagine it is also a grand act of trust between mers... they're trying to tell Prowl that they finally understand that he won't hurt them. If he meant to hurt them, he would just reject the affections and bite down. That's how this works.

Prowl does not know that that's even an option. Not that he'd consider it if he knew, but he's just overall very confused as to what happened. He's not a mer behaviouralist, he only has special privileges to approach and touch these two specimens because they seem at ease when they are near him, and with everything they've gone through, the staff wants to keep them calm and comfortable. Prowl wouldn't know that mers kiss, let alone know why they do it.

He is confused and weirdly aroused by the action... And probably extremely ashamed of himself for feeling aroused. First they kept charging him up by rubbing his door wings, and they're going to be doing this? How is he supposed to keep his panels closed...

[uzumaki-rebellion]

"King Killmonger: The Golden Jaguar Chapter 10"

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

"Listen, there are waters Hidden from us In the maze we find them still We'll take you to them You take your young ones May they take their own in turn But by our lives be we spirit And by our hearts be we women And by our eyes be we open And by our hands be we whole…"

Sweet Honey in the Rock – "Testimony"

N'Jadaka guided the hover bike above the stern, placed it in neutral, and helped Yani climb down safely onto the houseboat. Afterward, he jetted up toward one of the stinger aircrafts above them and gave a final instruction to their security detail. He returned and parked the bike in its rack and covered it with a pale blue tarp. Yani already had a glass of the Chilza's white wine and finished off the last of it. It was a strong batch and she already looked intoxicated.

She followed him to the upper deck to watch him program their next destination. They cruised downriver, and where the split in the river came that led to Umbono Lake, Yani patted his hand.

"How about we go see Warrior Falls first and then loop back around to the lake?"

"We can't switch up now."

"Why not?"

"Well, I pre-arranged to have the lake closed off to the public so we could have it for a week to ourselves. If we go to Warrior Falls first, we'll have to share the lake with too many citizens on the return, and we won't have any privacy. Okoye won't like that. Too many variables again."

"You're the king and I'm the queen. We can just switch the schedule."

"Baby, it took a lot for me to get these dates of closure for us in secret. We'll see the Falls in a week."

Yani chewed on her bottom lip and her eyes darted toward the water.

"What's the matter? Why do you want to go there sooner?"

"I just heard so much about it from the Chilzas that it got me excited about getting there faster."

"There's no need to rush. All in due time. Besides, we have a lot of fishing to do, and snorkeling. We can go diving in the cove…"

Something was wrong. Her tipsiness didn't hide a tension in her voice and in her body. Yani was worried about something.

"You're right," she said while spinning around and using the steps back down from the engine room. "So much to see and I'm rushing it."

She stopped near the covered hoverbike.

"You know what I'd like you to do while we're on the lake?" she said.

"What?"

"Teach me to ride this on my own. I've ridden motorcycles and Jet Skis back home, and I need to know how to enjoy this by myself. My goal is to learn how to do something new before I go back to Zana. I'll ride the hoverbike solo…I'll fish for the first time. Imagine me living on an island growing up and never picking up a fishing pole! I'll bake yam cornbread the way Umama does and so much more."

Something was definitely wrong. The hoverbike frightened her with any thought of using it on her own. She rode on them with him because he was so good at it. But by herself in the sky?

"I thought solo riding on the hoverbike scared you."

She waved her hand and patted the covered transport.

"Ekuqaleni made me feel brave, like I can do anything because I witnessed the magic of that place. In fact, I want to learn how to fly the Royal Talon Fighter just like you. A queen of Wakanda should be able to do what the king does…in fact…maybe I should be the Black Panther since you are the Golden Jaguar!"

She twirled around and giggled, plopping down on a plush deck chair that overlooked the tranquil river. He smiled. She was definitely lit from the wine. Whatever tension he sensed in her voice and body went away as she gazed at the water.

"One thing at a time. We'll start with the hoverbike," he said.

She clapped her hands and lifted the bottle of wine from the table next to her seat.

"Finish this off, I'm going to get another bottle of champagne that's been chilling and make us mimosas!"

She scurried off with a little skip in her steps.

He grinned and surveyed the landscape. Cloud coverage rolled in on the balmy weather and that would be good for their fishing. The light rain would knock insects into the water and on overcast days, fish tended to cruise more for food. His mouth already watered at the thought of catching fresh chambo and grilling it up with a seafood gravy on top. Their galley had a supply of the best cuts of meat and plenty of seasonal vegetables to create all sorts of gourmet meals.

Yani returned with champagne flutes filled with a blood-orange mimosas. She handed him one and they toasted.

"Slow down with the drinking, we'll be fishing soon. I can't have you stabbing your fingers on the hook with our bait," he said.

"Look who's talking? With that big drink in your hand."

"You had more than me already."

She sipped her drink and he enjoyed the taste of his. He downed it quickly and she unfastened her wrap-around dress. Totally naked underneath, she pranced around for him before settling onto the plush seating again.

He put down his glass and dropped to his knees, pushing her legs apart. Yani laughed and pretended to try and get away, but she rested her head back and parted those thick thighs for him. He wiggled out of his trunks and lifted a pillow from the seating and placed it in front of Yani to protect his knees. Dropping down in a comfortable position, he kissed all over her vulva and licked each one of her piercings with an artful tongue. He spelled out his Wakandan name on her clit with just the tip, and his wife let out a passionate moan. Yani stroked his hair and kept eye contact with him.

He pressed his lips against her inner labia and hummed, allowing the vibration to flow across his beard too. Yani was wet and puffy in her tender parts. He wouldn't push for penetrative sex to give her body a rest. They fucked so much in Ekuqaleni that even he had to slather his dick with a rejuvenating lubricant from all the friction that went across it. Facing her vulva, he looked at it like it was an expensive painting, enjoying the color and the way it glistened with her arousal. Yani touched her clit, rubbing it gently while keeping her gaze on his face. He slid his hands up her torso and held her breasts. Her nipples were big and stiff and tweaking them with his fingers caused her opening to throb. Yani's pussy lips always looked so wide open and welcoming. So pretty. He licked around her clit making sure to touch all of her sensitive spots without using his fingers. She locked her knees around his neck and he grabbed them, wrestling with her thighs to let him push them back onto the seat. He slapped the underside of her rump and Yana shoved his head into her vulva and soaked his beard.

N'Jadaka licked his way up her midsection and sucked on her nipples, taking turns on each one until he gave butterfly kisses along her collarbone. She slid her tongue across his lips to taste the sweetness between her legs. He traced his index finger in soft circles on her clit, mindful of the sensitivity there from their past intimacy. Aligning the head of his dick in front of her opening, he stroked himself while staring at the slick pink that beckoned him to enter her. It took all he had to prevent himself from penetrating her again. He squeezed and rubbed all over his tip, spreading pre-cum all over it. Yani's lips puckered. She kissed her pinky finger and teased it along his slit. He grunted softly and hot streaks spurted, drenching her entrance until he couldn't see the pink anymore. Tilting his dick at another angle, the rest of his cum streaked across her stomach and spilled back into her belly button.

N'Jadaka leaned down and kissed her forehead. Yani lowered her legs and ripped out a loud fart. She started laughing hysterically and N'Jadaka reared back laughing with her.

"At least I didn't fart when you were eating me out!" she cackled.

He waved his hand as the odor reached his nose.

"No more eggs for you this week. That was atrocious," he said.

"No worse than you funking up the bed with your stink bombs after eating up all the plantains last night. Didn't even save me any."

"I did! I tucked them in the fridge with all that candy you bought."

Yani lifted and kissed his cheek.

"Take a shower and then we can break out the fishing poles," he whispered in her ear.

"Don't need a shower," Yani said.

She jumped up from her position and dashed off the back off the boat. Her body dived in the water with a perfect arc.

"Yani! Crazy girl!" he shouted.

The houseboat kept moving away from her and he ran to turn the engine off. They hadn't reached their destination yet. The boat had barely entered the split in the river that led to the lake. Yani swam at the mouth of it.

The houseboat slowed to a halt and N'Jadaka ran back down to check on the position of his wife. Yani tread easily, watching his expression with amusement.

"All clean!" she shouted.

N'Jadaka dived in after her. Yani was an exceptional swimmer, but she had been drinking. He reached her quickly and tugged on her hand to guide her back to the stern. She held onto the ladder attached to the back and pulled herself up. He pushed on her rump to help keep her from falling back. Soaked all over, she shook off her body like a mischievous puppy.

"Be right back," she said.

She traipsed up the stairs that led to the upper deck. He pulled on his shorts and wandered into the galley to grab the container of bloodworms he would use for bait that were stored in a separate fishing cooler. He pulled out their fishing rods and leaned them against the the west side of the boat. Yani returned wearing lime-green shorts and a matching bikini top with yellow topsider slides on. She smothered sunblock on her arms and face.

"Ready," she said.

N'Jadaka opened the container of worms and their moist slithery bodies forced a grimace on Yani's face.

"Watch how I bait mine," he said.

He handed the container to her and she stuck her tongue out and squeezed her eyes shut in an exaggerated fashion.

"Pay attention, silly," he said.

Yani watched him hook the worm at the top of its body and slide it up, then curl it around the hook in two places before stabbing it in the tail, securing it. The worm did a wiggle of its impending death dance and Yani threw a hand over her mouth.

"That is so gross!"

"You want fresh fried chambo with gravy and rice?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, it's your turn," he said.

He took the container from her hand and she stared at the writhing mass of dark red worms.

"Do it for me," she said, hopping up and down.

"Nah, you gotta do it yourself Ma. Like how Grandpop taught me."

Yani whined and reached for a worm.

"Oooh, yuck…oh, it's so gross and squishy!"

"Big baby," he said.

She finally lifted a fat one from the container. N'Jadaka closed the lid on the others and set the container down on the side table near them. He handed her the hook on her rod.

"You are more freaked out by this than when I taught you how to shoot a gun," he said.

"A gun is not a living creature I'm impaling on a…oh yuck, N'Jadaka! It's guts came out…it's all slimy on my hand!"

Yani flicked the hook away from her fingers and jumped around waving her hands about. The hook swung out and N'Jadaka stopped it from piercing his skin where it hit him.

"C'mon girl…you got the first part in."

Yani pressed her lips together into a line and wrapped the wiggly mass twice before stabbing it again with the hook.

"See? It's that easy."

"I have worm guts on my fingers!"

"Take your pole, and watch how I toss my line out," he said, rolling his eyes at her.

He lifted his rod and slid his finger around a bit of line and flipped the reel open, showing her every step.

"Give yourself about two to four feet of line before casting out…see?" he said.

She nodded, keeping her eyes steady on his fingers.

"Step back and just let it go with one fluid motion…"

He cast his line and the worm flew across the water, plopping down in the perfect spot.

"These worms are big and heavy enough to not need extra weights on the line. Try it," he said.

Yani lifted her rod and followed all the steps. She cast out a good line and squealed when she got the hang of it on the first go. She wound the reel handle dragging the line back with the still moving worm and practiced tossing it out a few times.

They reeled back in their lines and rested their rods against the side of the boat.

"Lemme go move the boat into the lake. I don't think we'll do so good in this midway point," he said.

He returned to the engine room and set them back on course manually, easing the houseboat onto Umbono Lake. The fishing map he checked showed him an ideal spot at the entrance of the lake they could try first. There was a small marshland area he wanted to avoid and moved the houseboat further into the lake, heading toward the center. A lake patrolman on a hoverbike zipped past them, clearing out other last minute boats that hadn't gotten the memo that the lake was off limits to the public. N'Jadaka had any and all indicators that their houseboat belonged to the Udakus taken off. Many nobles had boats just as luxurious as theirs but anyone passing by wouldn't know the king and queen of Wakanda were the reason the lake was closed off. Wakandans were very good about keeping their natural environments protected, so it wasn't unusual for lakes and other waterways to be temporarily closed for eco-management tasks. In this case Umbono Lake was rescheduled for an earlier shutdown to accommodate the king's honeymoon and none would be the wiser. It just meant the occasional sighting of a few lake preservationists doing water testing and wildlife management onshore while the Udakus floated in peace.

They anchored a mile away from Umbono Cove. N'Jadaka made sure that all the boat's windows were in tinted mode to ensure their privacy. If Yani wanted to sunbathe nude, there would be no worry about peeping Toms. He joined her carrying an empty white bucket. Yani watched him dip it into the lake and fill it three-fourths full.

"Dump whatever you catch in there," he said.

He brought over two bar stools for them to sit on and they started fishing, keeping their voices low. Above them, the sky was the color of an old penny that had bits of pale green malachite on it. Cloud coverage draped over the lake only letting in streaks of bright light when the sun broke through periodically. The air itself remained muggy, like walking through a never-ending sauna. A bit of a breeze would've helped them not sweat so much. He handed her a cold cider beer and popped one open for himself.

"Bored?" he asked after twenty-five minutes of nothing happening.

"No…I think I see something floating out…there! See it…ooh, something bit my hook!"

Yani jumped off her seat and reeled in her line too soon. Part of her worm was gone.

"What a sneak!" she gasped, staring at him with disappointment.

"You have to let the fish nibble a bit until it actually swallows the hook," he said.

She tossed her half worm back out and fifteen seconds later, her line was dragged deeper in the water.

"Oh, gosh! I got one! I got one N'Jadaka!"

"Bring it in easy…he's hooked on there tight…dassit…slow and easy…"

Yani yanked her catch out of the water and it went flying behind her hitting part of the boat's roof. The fish was a little over seven inches in length with silvery-gray scales. It had a fat and healthy body. N'Jadaka guided Yani in carefully unhooking the fish and she tossed it in the waiting bucket with a proud grin on her lips. He noticed his pole bending from the fishing rod holder mounted on the hull. He reeled in another fat chambo and quickly released it and dumped it next to Yani's bewildered catch. She added fresh bait to her line and he helped her secure sinker weights on it.

"It'll go down deeper and maybe we can catch bigger ones," he said.

He did the same for his pole and they spent a lazy and very serene afternoon fishing. They were able to toss some fish back into the lake because the pickings were good and they didn't have to settle for anything they caught. Within four hours they had amassed a bounty of ten sizeable fish. Five plump chambo, three catfish, and two large Wakandan species of lake salmon. He laid out a fire-proof pad facing the water and proceeded to build a fire inside the portable iron grill/firepit. After placing a protective iron screen over the flames, he joined Yani in the galley to prepare their evening meal. They were both hungry even though they ate huge curried chicken salads for lunch while fishing.

Yani began cooking white rice and started gathering ingredients to make the gravy and vegetables they wanted. He cleaned and filleted all five of the chambo, and wrapped the other fish up to sit in the freezer for another day. Yani handed him fish seasoning after he washed his hands and rinsed the fish again. He sprinkled enough seasoning to make the fish spicy and squeezed lemon on them. Sliced onions, yellow peppers, and oranges were layered around them in a grill basket to add more flavor to the fillets while they cooked.

His task complete, Yani followed him to the grill and lifted the covering for him. They sat around the fire and cooked the fish for about four minutes on each side. Removing the fish and placing the covering back over the grill, they returned to the galley where Yani had a giant skillet on the stove already filled with a simmering gravy of onions, chopped carrots, green peppers, curry spice, and a light fruit chutney. He added the fish and covered them completely in the gravy, letting them sit in the pan simmering for five minutes.

Yani scooped them rice and crispy fried cabbage, and they both salivated when N'Jadaka placed the chambo and gravy over the rice. They ate their fill by the outdoor pit/grill and sipped on white wine. The sun had set and the evening cloud coverage painted the water around them dark and mysterious. It began to sprinkle after their meal, and the air grew cooler. N'Jadaka put out the deck fire and started a new one in the living room section of the boat while Yani cleared their dishes. There were blankets already stacked on the overstuffed couch. They snuggled together with Yani lying on his chest and stared at the flames and also out of the wide windows that let them see the lake in the evening stillness.

Once again, N'Jadaka experienced peace. His wife rested on him. Their bellies were full and they had nowhere to be but with each other. Yani started snoring as a heavier rain poured down outside and he opted for them to stay there and sleep. The couch was wide and soft enough for two and their cozy blankets secured warmth he wanted to enjoy all night. His eyes became drowsy at the pitter patter sounds. A clap of thunder rumbled and lightening lit up the outside for a moment. Yani slept through it and soon enough, he did too.

Another crack of thunder woke him up.

The reddish-orange glow of burned down embers in the fireplace gave him the only light in the room. Yani whimpered on his chest, her fist balled up and shoved against her cheek. Still asleep, her eyes moved back and forth under her lids and her body trembled.

"No!" she cried out.

Her body shot up and the glow of the fire made her eyes look feral and frightened.

"No…" she murmured, glancing around.

"Baby, you're okay. Just a nightmare," he said, soothing her trembles with his large hands rubbing her back.

Her eyes wrenched from the dying fire and latched onto his steady gaze.

"What is it? Can you remember what you dreamed about?"

Yani pulled away from him and curled her legs under her backside. She ran a nervous hand over her fade and her fingers shook. He sat up an put an arm around her.

"Yani?"

Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for something and she burst out crying.

"Hold on," he said, leaving her side.

He quickly padded into the galley and grabbed a cup, filling it with room temperature water from a pitcher.

"Here, drink…" he said.

She took the cup and drank all of the water.

"I was in a cave…a cavern of some kind. I could hear water lapping, and there was light on the walls…firelight…and it was hot…so hot. I walked on sand and then it grabbed me, like quicksand and then I felt hands dragging me down…I couldn't…I couldn't get out of it and I could hear voices…and someone was angry with me. There was no one else there, but I could feel an anger pulsing all around me…"

She stood and paced in front of him, wringing her hands and touching her face like she was making sure she was fully awake.

"Yani, sit down. You can calm down better without all the pacing."

She stopped in front of him.

"I don't want to keep secrets from you. I think my dream was a warning."

"A warning of what?"

She cradled is face with her hands.

"I could lie to you…or tell you something important. But if I do, it might wake up…"

She paused, smashing her lips together suddenly.

"It might wake up who, baby? I'm not understanding what's scaring you."

She shook her head and knelt before him, resting her arms on his thighs.

"Bast. Bast scares me because I have to do something important, but I can't say too much because it'll wake her up inside of you."

N'Jadaka did an internal check. Neither Bast nor Ogum stirred.

"Talk to me," he said, stroking her cheek.

Yani shook her head and rose up on her feet. Turning, she let the mild heat of the embers warm her body. She rubbed her arms and then her right hand drifted down to her stomach.

"Yani…come here."

She glanced back at him and slumped to her knees in a dead faint. N'Jadaka rushed forward and gently lifted her from the floor. He placed her on the couch again and checked her pulse with his kimoyo beads. Her breathing returned to that of a deep slumber once more. Whatever bothered her frightened her back into sleep. He pulled the blankets over them both and leaned on his side to watch her. The sun would be up in a few hours.

If he wanted, he could tap in with the gods that rested in his body. However, he chose not to in order to spare his wife more fear. He wanted her to tell him whatever she needed in her own time. His skin cooled with the flush of creeping dread. The look in Yani's eyes told him that she wanted to reveal something immense…something that concerned him. Bad dreams had never affected her like that in the past.

N'Jadaka watched Yani sleep until the sun rose. The vibrating hum of two stinger aircraft patrolling the lake for them went across the boat and he turned off the tint in the windows so that sunlight could awaken his love. Her return to consciousness was slow, but her eyelashes fluttered and she tossed an arm around his waist and burrowed deeper under the blankets.

"Welcome back," he said.

She kissed his chest and he rubbed her shoulder.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Yani stretched and peeked over his shoulder.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Ten."

"You let me sleep in that late?"

"That nightmare you had got you up for a minute. You actually fainted when I was talking to you about it."

"Nightmare?"

"You don't remember?"

She touched her forehead and thought for a minute.

"Maybe all the wine and beer messed me up. I can't remember waking up."

"You were shook up pretty bad, girl. Said your dream was a warning of something."

She nested in the crook of his arm, the nightmare not even registering in the comfort of his closeness.

"I'm hungry, but I don't want to get up yet."

"Still tired?"

"Just not fully awake."

"I'll make us some breakfast and you chill here until I bring it to you. What would you like?"

"Pancakes and chicken sausage…lots of syrup and butter."

"Luckily we have all of that."

He kissed her forehead and left her side, humming to himself as he washed his hands in the galley sink and gathered up the ingredients. The pancake mix was pre-packaged and only required water added to it. He popped sausage patties in a fast-cook oven and had their morning meal prepared in under twenty minutes. Yani sat up on the couch when he entered carrying a tray with their food and orange juice.

"There you go," he said presenting her a full plate with her favorite sliced apples added.

She appeared famished as she cut pieces of her pancakes and dipped them in extra syrup. Her stomach looked bigger after finishing her meal and he teased her about getting chunky already like the old women at the river market encouraged.

He cleared up the dishes and Yani took a shower. She returned when he finished cleaning up wearing a short yellow babydoll house dress. Plopping on the couch, she pulled the blankets back over her shoulders.

"Thought you wanted to learn how to ride the hoverbike," he said.

"I do, but I'm feeling lazy right now. I'll do it later after lunch. No rush."

He nodded and wandered off to wash up and trim his beard. While grooming himself he thought about what he would cook for their lunch and dinner. He liked the idea of doing nothing all morning. A late lunch of shrimp pasta salad and steak stir-fry for dinner seared itself in his brain menu. Their staff made most of their food pre-prepped for easy cooking and he was grateful that he didn't have to do too much for their meals on the boat.

He rubbed his skin down with coffee and cocoa butter and joined his wife on the couch. The air was cool and the perfect weather for blankets and more cuddling. Yani turned on a viewscreen above the fireplace and binged an American comedy series about an elementary school and their humorous teachers. She laughed a lot and he chuckled a few times.

"That's how you were with me," she said, pointing out a lead character's longing looks at his crush.

"No I wasn't."

"You used to stare at me like that when I walked around the compound. You didn't think I saw you, but I did."

"That dude looks thirsty."

"Like you weren't?"

"I was checking you out."

"You were grinding on me by your third day."

"I was not. Fourth maybe…"

Yani reached back and closed his lips with her fingers.

"Stop lying through your mouth."

"You were doing the same thing to me," he said.

"I had to watch you because you were a bad guy. Auntie always warned me about mercs and their sly ways. You could've been a rapist. I was in a vulnerable position all the time around you."

"Nothing was going to happen to you with me around. That still holds true today, Yani."

He lowered his lips to her neck.

"My protector…always," she said.

He kissed the back of her neck and she turned onto her back to see his face. Her lips were soft and inviting as he pressed his mouth against them. She turned back to watch the show and he curled around her, fondling her nipples through her dress. They were taut and poked through the material. He touched and teased, occasionally dozing between four episodes. She unfastened the ties on the top of the dress and he cupped a breast, allowing her to watch the show as he enjoyed the fullness resting in his hand. She pushed her backside into his groin and he lowered his shorts and lifted up her dress to her waist. He sandwiched his hardening dick against her ass, and her cheeks spread accommodating the thickness pushing against her skin with a light friction. Moving slowly, he acted like a horny teenager afraid of being caught and humped on his wife. His warm breath chuffed against the nape of her neck. She kept watching her sitcom and he continued humping and spilling pre-cum on her heavy rump. Yani whispered titillating things to him.

"You like how it feels on your dick?" she crooned.

"Mmhmm…"

"I know you do…it's all big and soft…your dick is so hard against it. If you're a good boy later, I'll let you fuck me nice and slow."

"Yessss, baby…"

He huffed out a rough breath, the pleasurable sensations rippling all across his dick and balls.

"You want to cum in my pussy again?" she said.

He bit her shoulder and groaned from the bottom of his chest. His nutsack throbbed in anticipation. Her voice became breathy and seductive.

"Fill me up with all of your hot cum…you'd like that, huh Daddy?"

He pushed the covers down to look at his dick against her ass. It was already coated with pre-cum and shiny. The slickness reduced the amount of friction he was able to get rubbing against her. Yani's soft sighs aroused him more, and he continued rubbing against her faster, satisfied with the sensation of his hot dick enveloped in the warmth of her ass cheeks. The softness of her breasts pleased him, their round fullness making him feel proud to have her next to him. She was the mother of his children. Would become the mother of another child in time. Her titties would get even bigger, as big as they had been in St. Thomas when he first met her jiggling around in over-sized t-shirts that couldn't hide the twin blessings he now caressed in his hands. Oh how he missed those afternoon sessions of lying in her lap and sucking milk out of her nipples. Her pussy would be so wet afterwards, hot as lava when he pushed deep inside of her. To be with her from start to finish the next time she got pregnant excited him.

He'd heard from married men back in his navy seal days that pregnant sex was something special. They said their wives hormones were in overdrive and they would be horny as fuck after that first trimester. All he could imagine was palming extra big tits and fucking Yani with a baby inside of her. Some of the most intense sex they had was right before he left her in St. Thomas, and she had been pregnant then carrying their son.

Yani gasped as he dropped his hand down to touch her clit. It was slippery from all of the wetness pouring out of her. Her inner labia were wide open and slicker than oil. She turned her head slightly and he met her lips again, their tongues sliding together amidst groans coming from them both. He fingered her clit like he was strumming an upright bass, plucking mewling sounds from her throat. Gripping his dick, he started beating it against her ass, the hardness exciting him as it smacked against all of her lush rump. He wanted to fuck the sense out of her, but would stretch that need for later in the day. They had all the time in the world to fuck as they wished. To tease as they wished. To indulge in their bodies however they wished.

God, she was soft and warm and pliant in his hands. She would do anything for him sexually and that knowledge made him shout as he came all over her ass.

"Fuck…Yani…baby…"

He squeezed his eyes shut as another thick load pushed through his pulsing tip. His balls throbbed so hard. He had more in store for her.

Yani turned toward him with a frown on her face.

"I'm supposed to cum first. That's the rule," she said with a pout curling on her lips afterward.

"Sorry, baby. That ass was too much for me."

"Lick and kiss my pussy to make up for your insolence," she said.

She didn't have to tell him twice. He burrowed his face between her legs, throwing them over his shoulders as he licked pleasure into her. His lips were glazed with her wetness in seconds and he pushed his entire face against her vulva. All of his fondling and slow caresses on her body had her primed and it only took him fifteen seconds get her off. Her legs shot straight out and she yelped his name. He grinned and crawled across her torso, stroking his dick and aiming it at her face.

"All this pipe belongs to you," he gasped.

She cradled his balls and squeezed them gently and he spurt semen all over her face. He dropped back down and kissed her pussy lips, drawing the kisses into a line all down her ass, before tonguing her asshole. She jerked at the sudden penetration and lifted her legs high so he could get all in it. He paid careful attention to the outer nerve endings. The area was puckered tight and he groaned.

"Can I fuck you in your ass?"

She noticed the begging tone and smirked.

"You didn't follow the rules about eating my pussy first before you came, so no….you can't fuck me there."

She was being playful, but he needed to be in her ass. Her body was splayed out on the couch with her dress bunched up in the perfect sexy way showing off wet pussy waiting to be plundered. Two succulent breasts sat there waiting to be bounced from ass fucking. Denying the king of Wakanda what belonged to him? The fuck?

He asked nicely again.

"Can I please fuck you in the ass right now? You lookin' too fine right now for me not to nut in that ass Yani."

She could see that hard meat waving at her between his thighs.

"No."

She reached across the table next to the couch and plucked out a few moist towlettes and wiped off her face and backside, tossing the used ones aside to throw away later.

"Look at this dick," he said.

"Later. I'm planning to give you a nice treat for teaching me how to use the hoverbike safely."

"Whatchu plan on doing?"

Yani rose up and kissed his dick.

"Making you feel real good."

"You can pre-pay me now. Trust… it will be appreciated even more."

She laughed.

"Such a greedy man. I'm going to change clothes and make us sandwiches. Then we can go riding."

"I was going to make us lunch."

"I got it," she said, bouncing away from him in a cheerful mood. She grabbed the used towlettes

"Baby, don't leave me like this. You know my shit ain't like no average dude."

Yani tossed the dirty tissues in a wastebasket near the stairs. They both heard the mechanism inside that incinerated all trash in the blink of an eye. She returned to stand in front of him.

"Greedy," she said in a sultry tone.

She tapped his shoulders, motioning for him to sit down. She knelt before him and tugged on her dress top so that her breasts were fully visible. Lifting them with her hands, she lovingly placed his dick in between them and slowly titty fucked him.

"Fuck yes!"

He spread his legs wide and she nestled in like the pro she was handling his length. Her lips bunched up when he plucked at her nipples.

"Ohhh…bay-bee…big titties all over this dick…shit you got this dick brick hard. Every goddamn time…fuck!"

She stuck her tongue out to tickle his slit when his dick rose up slightly between her cleavage. Yani had some nice big tits that fit nicely against his girth visually, and watching them slide up and down his meat had him panting as the build-up to release crept on him. He stood up to control a premature ejaculation and his nuts hung for her to lick and suck while she looked up at him the way he liked. She was such a good submissive, and that made him her servant for life sexually. He could think he controlled and dominated his woman, but that gorgeous wife on her knees sucking all over his balls and drawing a huge nut out of him again ruled his soul. She had good pussy, a hot nasty mouth, and an asshole that could bend him to her will. Niggas prayed they had a woman like that. Every time she was on her knees sucking him off, he couldn't think of another woman he had fucked who could do it better than she did. Yani was the whole package. She made porn stars look amateur.

"You promise to fuck Daddy good later?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed on his dick.

"Gon' let me nut as much as I want in your ass?"

A loud popping noise came from her lips as she released his dick to answer. She sucked him so sloppy that saliva ran down her chin.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Lemme fuck that tight little pussy too? Oh fuck! I can't wait to cum inside you. Stretch that pussy and nut all night…nasty little bitch. Keep sucking that dick, yesss, just like that. Good little slut…with them big ass titties…"

His voice had gone up an octave. She was twirling her tongue all around the head and teasing his frenulum. He sat back down quickly and forced her to fuck his dick with her tits again. Fuck! She was doing that shit she did where she pretended to not know what she was doing like some innocent virgin. It never failed to work on him because it brought out the beast in him., like he wanted to spank the shit out of her for playing games with him like that because he knew good and well she could turn a nigga out in seconds like she had done to him over and over and over and over….

"Yani!"

His hips bucked and he ejaculated thick ropes on her neck. White cream decorated her breasts too. More spilled out of his slit in a lazy stream that ran down the length of his dick. He lightly slapped her.

"Clean off my dick with your mouth."

She did so meticulously and spoke nasty things that made him moan. He told her how deep he was going to be inside her and how hard he was going to spank her ass while he fucked her. When she finished, he was so ready to pirate her away to their bedroom loft above.

His chest heaved and he let out a long sigh of satisfaction.

"I'll clean myself up…yet again…and get those sandwiches ready," she said.

She switch her ass in a sassy strut away from him.

"I am one luck man," he muttered.

Instead of going into the second bathroom on the upper deck to clean off, N'Jadaka chose to dive off the back of the boat and swim nude. Backstroking with confident strides, he stared up at the overcast sky and wondered what his children were doing. Umbono lake was wide and vast, almost feeling like an ocean except for the mountain that jutted out in the far distance that led to the inaccessible parts of Wakanda by foot or boat. Eyeing the houseboat, he noticed Yani waving at him.

"Come eat!" she shouted across the water.

He butterfly-stroked back to stretch out his back muscles. Yani wore pink shorts and water sneakers with a pink hoodie jacket. They sat at the back of the boat and ate thick turkey sandwiches with cranberry honey mustard dressing.

Her eyes were shiny with excitement as he uncovered one of the four hover bikes the family kept stored on the boat. He showed her the basic controls she was familiar with and had her sit in the front of it while he held onto her from the back. Yani started the bike up and slowly hovered them above the boat and across the water about fifty yards away. She kept the bike about three feet above the water. Like a jet ski on water encountering buoyant force or a battering of waves, Yani became accustomed to her rides buffeted by air turbulence.

"You got it. Go ahead and shift gears and try out a little more speed," he said.

She did well gliding them across the lake at ten miles per hour.

"Go higher," he said, squeezing her waist and giving her confidence at how well she did.

There was a little hiccup with her gear shifting into more height, but the engine didn't sputter as it adjusted. Twenty feet in the air and she was cruising them like she'd driven one her entire life. She practiced going up and down, hovering in one spot and landing on the water, as well as taking off from water. Once she practiced using the cruise control and turning on the protective rain cover and force field features, he hyped her to go even higher. She rose up to thirty feet and no more. They had gone off a far distance from the boat. It was a speck on the horizon from where they floated in the air.

"Ready to try it alone?"

"I think so…"

He dove off the hover bike before she could protest and made a big splash in the water. She stayed in one spot looking down at him.

"Meet you back at the boat. I'll grab one of the other hover bikes and we can check out that rock island over there," he said pointing to an islet a mile away .

She nodded and flew at a snail's pace. When they were halfway back to the boat, she went a little faster…and higher. Happy with her confidence, N'Jadaka picked up his swimming pace. Yani floated next to the boat and waited for him to join her. He grabbed hydration packs and a couple of snack bars from a bin. Handing a pack to Yani, he eventually started his bike and they took off at a slow pace five feet above the water. The sun broke through the clouds and by the time they neared the lake islet, they could finally enjoy the brilliant hue of the pale greenish-blue water sparkling below them.

"You good over there?" he asked.

Yani nodded and they curved around the island to catch a better view. The islet had a few skinny trees on it that followed along the right triangle shape of the gray rocky formation.

"It's so cute," Yani said.

There wasn't a decent flat space to land the bikes for exploration, but there was plenty to see floating above it. He glimpsed a school of yellow fish swimming close to the surface. The king tapped his kimoyo to identify the species.

"We should move the boat over here, those fish are supposed to taste good in a stew."

"I can make some fish soup with them then," Yani said.

They flew across another section of the enormous lake following along the shoreline. Nature's beauty energized them both.

"Race you back," Yani said.

He grinned and took off before she could countdown. Despite the sunlight appearing, another light drizzle fell on them and they both put up the protective covers to keep from getting too wet. Yani caught up to him and he slowed down so she could beat him. He kept their speed below twenty miles per hour and she zipped ahead reaching a speed of thirty. She could now cross hover bike riding off her list of new things to learn.

He fastened both bikes into their travel racks and covered them up. Yani went to use the restroom and he headed up to the loft bedroom and flopped down on the big bed there. He fully embraced every moment of their day. His wife joined him in bed and they snuggled down for a nap.

"I don't know why you were so scared of using the bike. You did great, baby."

"It's the height and I would feel nervous using it in the city," she said.

"Not everyone flies high and you can always go out to the bush or head to the rivers to ride without a lot of people around."

"I guess so."

He rested his head on her chest and she stroked his locs.

"The kids are going to have a blast out here. Can't wait to see them enjoy all that we've had a chance to do," he said.

Yani lifted herself away from the bed and stripped from her clothes.

"Lay back. I want to give you a little taste of what you're going to get later," she said.

N'Jadaka eased himself flat on his back and she squatted above his face in reverse so that she faced his feet. All he could see was her beautiful vulva. So inviting.

She dropped her ass down and smothered his face and he groaned with happiness. She lifted up again and then began a steady bouncing on his face, letting her ass and vulva nearly suffocate him.

"Drop it on me again," he grunted, feeling his dick stretch in size inside his shorts.

Yani gave him what he wanted, riding his face until he nutted in his shorts.

Good boy.

Sex was going to be the tool Yani had to use to keep N'Jadaka preoccupied so that she could wear him out for a good night's sleep. All day they stayed active and did things that kept him from focusing on her too closely. That seemed to work and it helped her not to act weird in front of him worrying about plotting her escape to Warrior Falls in time to receive Mama Wati's message.

N'Jadaka was so happy that morning and afternoon. She was also happy that she could maneuver the hover bike safely. It was less difficult to control than she had imagined. She was terrified of heights, and riding a machine that held a lot of power scuttled her nerves for the first hour of N'Jadaka's lessons. Luckily that nervousness covered up the other nervousness of plotting a sneaking away in the middle of the night. She would need at least four hours to reach the Falls by hover bike and perhaps another hour to find the Mama Wati statue. To stay safe, she allotted herself six hours, that meant she had to leave the house boat by midnight.

After their return from hover bike riding, she cleaned herself up and used face-riding her husband to keep him sexually drowsy. Some men just had a thing for a woman with a large derriere slamming it on their faces, and N'Jadaka was no different. Before she dated Chez back at her old home, she had an older boyfriend that liked for her to pound her ass in his face. She didn't know why they found it so pleasurable but she did it for her husband and watched him cum through his swim trunks. So far he had ejaculated four times that day. She would make love to him in his favorite position after feeding him a good supper, and then indulge him in smoking some homegrown weed she grew in a part of the royal garden no one ventured into much.

With his belly full, dick drained, and tucked into bed by ten, he'd nod out for hours. All she needed was a large enough head start before he or Bast realized something was amiss.

Guilt shrouded her mind.

She didn't want to deceive him, but Bast couldn't stop her from doing something to protect N'Jadaka and her children.

Yani sat on a stool as N'Jadaka fixed their dinner of stir-fried steak and fried cream cheese puffs. He prattled on about cooking more in the palace once they returned and she sipped on honey wine listening attentively. Piling steamed rice on her plate she held it up for him to cover it with the steak and veggies cooked in a light teriyaki sauce.

"I think we should attend the West African Summit in November," he said, adding rice to his own plate.

They sat across from each other with the galley's table island between them. Digging into their food, Yani nodded and agreed with him.

"If we go to the summit, will Ramonda attend too?"

"She'll be too busy back in the states."

Yani considered how long the summit would be and made a mental note to organize her social calendar in her personal office for the rest of the year.

"You want more?" he asked, offering up the wok he cooked with still filled with food.

"I'm good," she said.

"There's ice cream and pie for dessert."

"Can't eat another thing."

She helped him clear up dishes and put leftovers away. They wandered outside to look at the sunset. The overcast day had given way to a clear evening that doused the last sun rays in dark blues and a small patch of dark orange that reflected on the water. Yani lit up a joint and shared it with N'Jadaka. She made sure not to inhale deep to prevent smoke from going all the way in her lungs. Getting completely high was not on her agenda to execute her plan. Her husband toked and savored the transition into intoxication. He lowered his head to kiss her and she accepted the affection while holding her internal emotions in check. A high N'Jadaka was a less cognitive functioning one and Yani felt secure in luring him to the bedroom. They undressed on the way up and he kept slapping her ass cheeks as she took the stairs seductively, tooting her backside out for him.

She pushed him onto the bed and crawled up his body, joining their lips for slow kissing. N'Jadaka held her face with both hands.

"You make me so very happy, Yani," he said.

She turned on some music and they cuddled, touching lips every now and then.

"I feel like all we do is eat and sleep…and fool around," he said.

"Heaven," Yani insisted.

"What should we do tomorrow? Snorkeling or hiking around part of the lake collecting mushrooms for our next dinner?" he asked.

"Hiking," she said, answering quickly so that her facial expression wouldn't reveal anything false. If her plan went accordingly, she'd be miles away by the time he woke up.

"Okay…turn that down, I want to listen to the night birds call to each other," he said.

Yani turned off the music and listened for the red-throated loons to sing. There…a distinct yodel and a few tremolos that carried across the wide body of water. The bird song enchanted N'Jadaka and he wrapped his arms around her. He smelled so good, like early summer and fresh cocoa butter. His handsome face loomed above hers.

"Tell me you love me," she said.

"Always…I'll love you always, girl."

He was such a beautiful man. His warmth. His spirit. He saved her from an uncertain life and she had to do the same for him.

She trailed her fingers along the side of his shoulder and up along his neck. Fine ass. Plush lips always ready for kissing her. His nose septum gave him a lethal look. The longer locs were tied up in a knot. His feral eyes were narrow from the weed. Yani opened her legs and played with her clit, tugging on her ring piercing. He watched her fingers swipe over plump folds and he licked his lips. She concentrated on pleasure and pleasing him. He reached down and took over fingering her pussy. Tasting the essence from her on his fingers, N'Jadaka smacked is lips and continued his ministrations on her vulva to illicit heartfelt sighs from her.

His lips twisted in that mean way it did when he was ready to fuck. Her pussy sounded sloppy wet and she already knew it was able to accommodate him with a tight grip. She pushed him back and he sat up against the headboard.

"Let me take care of you, Killmonger," she uttered with a calm sultriness that rendered him docile.

Yani threw her leg over his hips and adjusted her position above his already hard dick. He propped it up for her at an angle to help her slide onto him with the best view of his wide dick head stretching open her entrance. Her inner labia gripped the naturally lubricated tip and she added extra clenching to make him feel the good pussy sliding down his length. His mouth dropped open and he let out a shuddery breath. Winding her hips, she gave her husband a special start to her lovemaking prowess.

"Relax, love. I got this," she whispered in his ear, letting her heavy breasts brush against his chest.

N'Jadaka reached out and gripped her ass cheeks, needing to hold onto something as she went up and down letting him feel all of her love. Leaning forward, she continued whispering sweet words in his ear as he watched her ass bounce.

"Fuck me Yani!"

His eyes rolled back and she rocked his shit, listening to him pant, groan, and plead with her to keep going. She wiggled and arched her back so he could see her breasts knocking together from her efforts. That man loved him some big tits and he gazed at the wonders bouncing in his face. He started sucking on her nipples and she slowed down, giving internal squeezes with her walls that made her man weak. His eyes glazed over full of lust and desire, wanting her to go all night. The weed had him locked under her complete control.

Yani kissed his forehead and rubbed her nose against his as she made love to him. Her husband could no longer speak. He held her against his chest and gazed at her ass cheeks. She leaned back and let her breasts cover his face. The girth of his dick tugged on her clit and the wings of her labia stretched around him. He felt so good. So strong. Powerful inside of her. He made her feel powerful…made her feel like a queen.

Yani threw her head back and rode out the wave of tension that sent tingles up and down her spine. N'Jadaka fondled her breasts with tender hands. She peered down at his face and he studied her every expression, the reverence for her fully apparent.

A change came over his eyes. The potency in the gaze revealed the oncoming of his release.

Not yet.

Yani shifted gears and crawled above his face, squatting down to drown him in the taste of them. He moaned against her flesh and she shivered, thrilling to the sensation of the sound vibrating across her vulva. She slid back down his dick again, giving in to the pull and pressure of his fullness inside of her.

"Cum on my dick, baby…cum for me…." he moaned.

Yani fell apart on his dick and N'Jadaka delighted in witnessing her release. She collapsed on him and he rubbed her back with gentle hands.

"You're so beautiful when you cum," he whispered in her ear.

She moved next to him, lifting a leg and he gripped his dick and guided it into her ass. He huffed and grunted while pushing in slowly, checking to see if she was comfortable with his progress. She held onto a large pillow and he covered her vulva with his hand, needing to feel the warmth there as he took her with purposeful strokes.

"…fucking this ass…feels so good on this dick…" he muttered.

She knew it got real good to him when he began shouting her name again, cursing the sensations tugging on his dick.

"Dammit!"

He lifted her leg and pumped faster, crying out to Bast as his dick swelled and ejaculated a gusher of cum. Yani accepted his orgasm with soft sighs. She reached back and stroked his forehead, reassuring him that she was with him in the moment.

Gasping for air, it took N'Jadaka a few minutes to pull out of her. The girth of his dick appeared to not want to go down any time soon. His reflexes were slower and she helped him detangle himself from a hunched over position that put his full weight on her.

"That was so fucking good…goddamn Yani…goddamn…"

She cuddled onto his hot sweaty chest and listened to his breathing become less erratic. He threw an arm around her and she kissed his lips, cooing his deadly nickname until he fell asleep.

Yani stayed next to him for a couple of hours, listening to the steady breathing and watching the rise and fall of his chest. Checking the time, she had an hour to prepare her departure. She showered on the lower deck and changed into a light hoodie and comfortable hiking pants with light hiking shoes. Grabbing a hydration pack and a few snack bars, she pulled it over her shoulders and then uncovered two hover bikes. She programmed one to go remote from her kimoyo beads. She climbed on the other. Stopping for a moment, she listened for any noise from above. N'Jadaka was comatose.

She rode away from the boat five feet above the water and headed toward the shore. If she stayed low and near the land, the Doras above wouldn't pay much attention there, especially when she dispatched the other hoverbike to go around the perimeter she set as a decoy. They would think the king was out riding late at night as he did in Ekuqaleni. She would make sure the inclement weather covering was up so they couldn't tell right away that no one was actually riding the bike around the lake.

Yani's hands shook when she turned off her tracking bead. She focused on safe riding until she reached shore. There was no full moon and the stars looked dull and bored in the sky. She set the other hover bike loose and watched it float away from the houseboat in the opposite direction. Confident that she programmed it correctly, Yani rode low to the ground under the trees to stay hidden from the Royal Talon Fighter and the stinger aircrafts securing their privacy.

Eventually she had to leave the trees behind and follow the Ibukun River. The further south she went, the rougher the dark water looked churning below. Her travel screen mapped the way to Warrior Falls and she finally turned on the headlights of her bike to illuminate her path. Her hover bike was far enough away to not attract attention. She reached a cruising height of twenty feet and kept her speed just under her comfort level. Her heart rattled so hard in her chest that she seemed on the verge of passing out from fright.

Did humans have the right to thwart the future destined for them?

What if N'Jadaka's parents had the chance to do the same? She might've missed her chance at a life with him. She wouldn't have her son, or Joba. She would never have become a queen. As painful and tragic as that past was, Yani was grateful that she could have her husband. What if her unborn child's future had to happen under Bast's watch? Would she inadvertently prevent that child the happy life she now had as an adult?

Yani slowed down the hover bike and let it float in one place. It wasn't too late to return and slip back into bed next to him. She could let the future unfold as is. Skip the day completely and the oracle would have to lose the message. Blinking away tears in confusion, she tried to calm herself. She had to know. Life could follow infinite paths, but she was in a uniquely divine position. It wouldn't hurt to simply listen. It didn't mean she had to act on whatever was in store for her on the other side of Warrior Falls.

She rode on.

One hour ticked by, and then another. She had to pee but was afraid to stop and relieve herself less someone spotted her and reported her wheareabouts. The Queen of Wakanda was not supposed to be sneaking off in the dead of night riding a hover bike above a mighty river. Yani squirmed in her seat. Her bladder had needs. She scouted a spot on another islet in the middle of the river that could hold her bike. Guiding the bike down, she secured it behind a small grove of trees. Relieving herself, she took time to drink water and stretch her legs. She hopped back on the bike and froze. A patrol ship cruised near the islet. Yani was sure they were searching for her, but she noticed a small fishing boat with an old man and a male teenager inside of it floating near the islet. A patrolman used a bullhorn to scold the two and they quickly pulled up a fishing net.

Illegal fishing.

Yani stayed hidden until the patrol boat took off and the fishermen had paddled away before she rode on. She didn't let down the inclement weather protector because it made her feel like she was driving a small car and not a flying bike. Safer that way. She kicked into going faster and felt the wind resistance buffet her course. Keeping below thirty miles per hour, Yani pointed the bike in the direction she wanted. There was nothing she could do to prevent wind drag, so she pushed on.

Another hour dragged by. Still another.

Fatigue set into her arms and legs, but she persevered. One by one the stars faded away. The angry roar of the giant waterfalls were hard to ignore, and Yani hovered below trying to figure out the proper direction to get past them. Tall like unimaginable giants facing each other in battle, the falls dumped tons of water that crashed into gigantic curtains of glowing white liquid against the last of the darkness. Going around either side of the cliff sides they fell from would eat up a chunk of her time and she would miss the rising sun lighting the way from the statue she hadn't even found yet.

Yani was scared to ride high above and over the falls. She didn't think hover bikes were designed to go that high and it was foolish to risk death testing the bike's limits. The cataract and plunge pool at the bottom of the falls looked too dangerous to fly through, even with the protective shield covering the hover bike completely. Her body was drained from riding all night and her mind couldn't shake the fear of what was beyond the thunder of water.

Keep going.

Her own voice in her head pushed her to move along.

She would see how high the hover bike went.

N'Jadaka dreamed he walked through a cavernous room in the palace filled with books containing the history of his people. He was inside the public palace library that housed a magnificent view of Birnin Zana at night. Stars twinkled outside the floor-to-ceiling window and he kept a steady gait moving between shelves stacked with ancient texts. The dream blended into another and he found himself overlooking the Ibukun River at night also. His body felt floaty and out of his control, so he floated in a nebulous cloud of lucidness and a dreamstate.

"N'Jadaka!"

His Wakandan name was spoken with an otherworldly tongue that wasn't human. He turned his head and a tall shadowy figure rose above him, making him seem small and insignificant.

"N'Jadaka…find her…stop her…"

A pressure shifted in his chest and the shadowy figure moved closer to him despite him being unable to make out its features clearly. Upon closer inspection the figure with the disembodied voice was nothing but gray smoky tendrils of dust held together by the will to capture his attention.

"N'Jadaka! STOP HER!"

N'Jadaka gasped out loud and woke up from the sensation of oncoming dread. He reached out next to him.

Yani wasn't there.

He tumbled out of bed with a shaky body and reached for the lights.

"Yani!"

She didn't answer.

He checked his kimoyo. She was nowhere on his tracking app.

"Yani! Baby! Where are you?"

He ran around the houseboat searching for her and checked the lake last. The sky had softened the darkness. The sun would come calling soon.

Yani wasn't taking an early dip in the water. He tapped his kimoyos.

"Okoye…do you see Yani anywhere on the lake?"

He couldn't keep his voice from sounding frantic. His dream still lingered in the corners of his mind and that voice that demanded he look for his wife was Bast. If a god woke you up, something horribly wrong was going on.

"Kumkani, Queen Yani…hold on a second. Security team four has spotted one of your hover bikes, it's heading back your way," Okoye said.

"Thanks, Okoye," he said.

N'Jadaka sighed with relief. She probably wanted to practice more without him so they could ride together later in the day. How she was able to get up at five in the morning after good weed and sex must've been a testament to her youth compared to his. He wanted to crawl back into bed.

Watching the horizon, he spotted the hover bike going along at a good speed. She rode it smooth and he smiled. Tapping his kimoyo again he spoke with a bubbly morning voice.

"Practice makes perfect, huh, baby? How long you been out here?"

He frowned. His kimoyo beads didn't connect to hers and his voice went nowhere. The hover bike zipped past the boat without stopping. He scanned it.

Remote.

She wasn't riding it.

Panic set it in.

"Okoye! Stop that hover bike! Yani isn't riding it. I don't know where she is. Scan this area in a ten mile radius and find her!"

The Royal Talon Fighter shimmered into view five minutes later and used the gravity beam to pull the bike into the aircraft. Stinger ships zipped back and forth across the lake.

"Kumkani, we have widened the search for Queen Yani. She is not within the ten-mile security checkpoint.

"How the fuck did no one see what happened to her? I went to bed with my wife last night and she disappears from under your nose?"

"Kumkani, there appears to be another hover bike missing from your vessel," Okoye said.

The Royal Talon Fighter floated down alongside the houseboat. A ramp was dropped next to it and Okoye ran out with Ayo and Aneka by her side, their spears gripped in their hands.

"No outside intruders broke through our security, and Queen Yani has special clearance to move about freely, so no alarms would alert us to her moving about, kumkani. Perhaps she left on her own?" Ayo suggested.

"Leave? Leave and go where?!" he blasted.

"Kumkani, the hover bike we picked up was pre-programmed to travel around the lake for six hours. The only person who could do that while you were asleep…was the queen. Only your royal codes can be used to run the equipment. I think Queen Yani used one hover bike as a decoy to fool us," Ayo said.

"Fool us for what?"

N'Jadaka took a deep breath and reverted to Killmonger mode. Cool, calm, collected. He paced on the Talon Fighter ramp. Yani had been acting odd the day before, but she was back to her normal self. They had a fantastic day together, made love and made plans to have more fun that morning. Where would she go that would make her program a hover bike to fly around on remote to trick them?

The color on the water changed. Morning had arrived.

He turned and looked toward the mouth of the Ibukun River.

Warrior Falls.

She wanted to go to Warrior Falls.

Bast sent a rush of cool air at the top of his head where she roosted. Her presence was a tremendous pressure on his brain, forcing him to act.

Stop her.

That's what Bast wanted him to do. Stop her from going wherever she snuck off to. His hunch was the Falls. She'd mentioned Bast in her nightmare. Told him in a frightened hysteria that she had to do something that Bast wouldn't like. He'd forgotten about it because the rest of their time had been normal and carefree, as if she never had a nightmare.

"We need to go to Warrior Falls," he said.

He ran back onto the ship still naked as jaybird. In his haste to find Yani, he hadn't bothered to put on clothes. The Doras didn't care. They were used to him being naked at any time when it came to him and his wife traveling or on vacation.

He showered and pulled on a tunic and comfortable pants. When he returned to his Doras they studied his face with questioning looks.

"Warrior Falls, kumkani?" Okoye asked.

"Yani talked about going there first and I denied her from doing so because of the lake schedule. I think she went there in search of something. I don't know what…but my gut is pushing me in that direction. She turned her beads off, so we'll have to search for the hover bike."

Okoye moved to look at the two other bikes. She scanned them with her beads.

"The hover bikes have trackware on them. I've found the code for the one she is riding. As long as it's turned on, we can find her…got it," Okoye said.

She looked at N'Jadaka.

"We'll find her, kumkani. Do not worry," Okoye said.

He followed them into the Royal Talon Fighter.

"Baby, what are you looking for?" he mumbled under his breath.

Bast touched his mind.

Stop her.

Yani rode the hover bike back the way she came for one hundred yards, creating space for her to ascend over the waterfall. Her first two attempts had her aborting and almost crashing into a wall of water. She checked her flight control algorithm and the sensory input from the hover bike's A.I. calculated the correct speed and trajectory point for her ascent. The bike's top speed was forty-forty-five miles per hour. She would have to maintain stability the higher she flew, since the falls were practically mountain ranges in her eyes.

One glance over her shoulder varified the direction the sun would raise itself. The sky was lighter than before.

Blowing out a strong gust of air from her mouth, she psyched herself up and shifted gears with her foot and twisted the throttle hard.

"OhGodOhGodOhGod!"

Yani yelled inside the bike covering and aimed the bike up.

Higher and higher she rose until the first sprays of water struck the covering on the front half of the bike, shoving her out of alignment with her trajectory path to fling herself over the top and keep her there. She overcorrected and commanded the A.I. to take over maneuvers for her to reach safety.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" she yelled as the bike clipped a portion of water wall that had a jagged part of the cliff hidden behind it.

Yani fell fifty feet and the hover bike quickly shifted gears and jetted her like an erratic slingshot over the last section of the falls before falling into the outer edge of the plunge pool. She struck something hard and the hover bike stopped working.

Nothing but angry whitewater touseled her about at the bottom of the falls. The drag of a mean current beneath her threatened to suck her further down, but she ejected her seat. Thrust up at a fast speed, she broke the surface and swam for her life to break free from the plunge pool's powerful drag.

Using the last of strength she had, Yani lunged for the bank along the continuation of the Ibukun River. Gasping and falling onto her back, she shivered from the cold dunking, but thanked God that she was alive. Pain shot through her left wrist. She had smacked it against a boulder under the plunge pool. It was definitely fractured. She awkwardly and with great difficulty took off her hydration pack. Every pack contained a first aid kit and pain killers. She gulped down two pills and her wrist stopped throbbing. It took her a minute to wrap it with synthetic smart bandages that stabilized her wrist and enabled her to keep functioning until she could see another doctor who could do a better assessment at the true damage.

"Fuck," she muttered, noticing she lost one of her hiking shoes. She reached into her pack and pulled out a pair of walking sandals she had tossed in there in case it got too hot on their trip.

Dumping the saved hiking boot on her other foot into her pack, Yani set off to find the oracle once more. She calculated the time from the last time she checked it on the hover bike before it was lost. Forty minutes left to find the statue.

Grateful that the natural trail along the river was flat for the most part, Yani picked up her walking speed and kept an eye out for rocks and other debris. She snacked on a protein bar and drank water from the pack directly. There was supposed to be tributary split heading southeast that would be her signpost that she was headed in the right direction.

The sun began its grand entrance by heralding pastels of soft pink and powdery light blue in the sky first. Yani started running as if she were some desperate vampire seeking shelter before the sun completely showed its face.

She saw the first positive indicator.

A large manta ray statue curved out of the water from its cement base. At least twenty feet high its silvery-black coloring didn't have the chance to show off its grandeur as she hustled by it. She had to find Mama Wati's statue in twenty minutes.

Yani kept her hurt wrist close to her body and listened to the sound of her own pants from all the running she did. Those pants soon turned to ragged exhales of exhaustion. The temperature on her back changed as the warmth from the first rays of light touched her.

Where was it?

Did she miss another turn somewhere that she missed trying to memorize the mapping before the bike went down?

Tears sprung to her eyes and she fell to her knees after curving around a sharp turn that led to a wide pool of water. Yani received her first look at Mama Wati's statue.

It was massive.

The size of two Statue of Liberties stacked on top of each other, Mami Water loomed above the tributary in her seagreen and vibranium blue glory. Manta Ray wings sprouted from her back with a horned crown that matched the color of her seagreen form-fitting dress. Her face was pure Wakandan-birthed glory etched within ebony stone mined from the heart of the River Tribe territory. Her arms were draped at her sides and she looked off into some unknown distance as if she'd been waiting for Yani for thousands of years. Behind her another giant mountain dripped gallons of water from several cracks that fell down its side like joyous tears.

"Show me…please show me the way…" Yani whispered, waiting for the sun to strike the statue. Only Mama Wati could reveal the direction she had to go next.

Sunlight struck the base of Mama Wati's bare feet and inched up her dress minute by minute. Yani kept her eyes glued to the statue, waiting for any directional hint that would lead her to the oracle.

She thanked God that the day was shaping up to be warm and sunny, relishing the increased warmth on her wet clothes and hair. The glint from the statues shine in the sun dazzled Yani's eyes. Mama Wati was maginificent…there! There!

A beam of sunlight struck the center of Mama Wati's crown and a strong ray of light fell at an odd angle toward pale green trees. Yani fretted. The trees were on the other side of the enormous pool. She would have to swim in the water…no!

The light actually struck the side of the mountain rock and hit something shiny and round that bounced the light in a different direction on her side of the pool. Thank goodness! Swimming again was the last thing she wanted to do again in unfamiliar waters.

The light struck another object and Yani headed that way. The light beacon stayed visible for five minutes and disappeared.

"Oh, shit! Shit!"

Yani ran forward faster. Wasn't the light supposed to stay visible until she reached her destination? Even if it wasn't designed to do that, the direction it pointed still wasn't something she could decipher with the density of trees that all looked the same. Had she been too late in getting there?

Fretting and becoming scared that she had failed her family, Yani heard rustling in the trees to her left.

"Who's there?" Yani called out.

She checked for the Mama Wati statue again hoping sunlight would reveal the path again to help her figure out which trees to search for.

More rustling.

She pick up a big chunk of a fallen tree branch and wielded it like a baseball bat hoping to hit a home run.

"I will fuck you up if you try something funny. I'm the Queen of Wakanda!"

Two older men draped in bright forest green robes approached her from behind one of the trees. One was bald and the other had soft white 'fro. The bald man spoke to her.

"Kumkanikazi…forgive us for scaring you. We received the signal from the statue that you had arrived. We've come to fetch you for the oracle. She is waiting for you. Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

His kind eyes stared at her bandaged wrist.

"I had an accident coming over the Falls. It's fine for now. I was so afraid that I had lost the path to the oracle," Yani said.

She exhaled in relief.

"You were on the right path. That light path on her crown was for you and us. It helps you keep going in the direction where we can find you," the bald man said.

"What are your names?"

The bald man smiled.

"I am Uyakhusela, and he is my husband, also named Uyakhusela."

"Your names mean He Protects?" she said.

"Correct," they said together.

"Come Queen Yani, follow us please. The oracle is waiting," Fro man said.

She walked behind them as they passed through trees and traveled further into the base of the mountain. Yani glanced back at the Mama Wati statue. She could only see part of the lower half.

"This way kumkanikazi," Bald man said.

They entered the opening of a cave. Yani stopped walking. Her nerves started to prick up. She could feel a vibration emanating from the cave entrance, a humming in lower decibels that her ears could feel.

"What you are sensing is the birth canal, my queen. You are about to enter the womb of the world. Do not be frightened. Mama Wati would not bring you this far to see harm come to you," Bald man said.

"How many have come here before?" she asked.

"Just you, my queen. The oracle rarely interacts with outsiders. This is why we send emissaries to summon those she wants to see in person out in the world. But this time…this time you will have the special privilege of stepping all the way inside. We will ask you to bathe first and will provide you with something to wear in her presence," Fro man said.

"I'm ready," Yani said.

They entered the opening and the sweltering heat inside felt like a womb. Two young women sat near the entrance with drums between their legs and beat out the rhythm of a heartbeat. The old men led her to the front of three sections of water falling from an opening in the cave roof.

"Beyond these birth waters is the path to your future Queen Yani. We wish for you peace and prosperity," they said in unison.

"Wait, you aren't coming with me?"

"We are not allowed to come with you on this journey. Beyond those waters is a bathing pool. Cleanse yourself and put on the robes left there for you afterward. You will know where to go when you are finished."

"Thank you, Uyakhusela,"

Both men lowered their heads and backed away from her.

Yani took a deep breath and stepped through the birth waters.

Chapter 11 HERE.

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[cannebady]

But what if Blitz starts a habit of hanging around outside the palace just trying to catch a glimpse of Stolas. Not unlike he does to M&M, but with the sharp edge of regret he can pull out to cut himself on later when the time calls for it.

Whatever. He needed a replacement for the mind rending Fizz-Guilt he's been chipping away at since reconnecting with the jester anyway.

He sometimes waits until the palace has gone silent and climbs up to the balustrade like he used to when things were both simpler and shitfuck complicated and stares through the window at a sleeping owl and remembers how soft that bed was (and the feathers that are even softer, not to mention the look that used to cross those eyes when-).

Well, too little too late. Blitz caught up just in enough time for Stolas to walk off the track. Typical.

He keeps staring in his bedroom window though, like a fucking useless creep. To be fair he doesn't have much going on outside of work these days.

It goes on for weeks and fucking weeks because he's a pathetic coward and also obsessive and fuck, he just misses Stolas okay? That's all. Stop asking.

He gets caught because of course he does and it's not like he was even trying to be subtle anymore.

Blitz is sitting on the balcony, cigarette in hand when an elegant talon pops into his periphery. He hands over the cigarette without further prompting but can't make himself turn to look the prince in the eye.

"You've been here every evening for two weeks." Stolas breaks the silence.

Fuck, so much for flying under the radar. Blitz doesn't deny it because it's true and also fuck you.

He shrugs and holds out his hand for the cigarette back. Stolas obliges and Blitz takes a long drag, stunning out the butt on the railing even though it used to make the bird tut at him (adorably).

"What if," he starts, and fuck his voice is rough. How long has it been since he spoke? How many cigarettes has he chain smoked staring at a door and pining like a little bitch?

Stolas turns his head to him and Blitz finally lets himself make eye contact and fuck he wishes he didn't.

The look in those eyes, all four of them, kind of breaks something in him. Where there was once affection and desire, there's now suspicion and a wall so thick and out of place on those features he nearly flings himself from the railing (they could use some work anyway, one wrong move and you'd go right off the side) to get away from it.

"Yes, Blitz?" Stolas prompts and he's all princely proper and Blitz fucking hates it.

He groans but it's time to nut up. "What if I wanted to try?" he says, and it takes everything in him to keep going. "What if," he reaches out for Stolas's hang and only grabs it because the bird is stunned stock still. He clears his throat and fuck when did his collar get so fucking tight? "What if I was all in? What if I finally caught up?"

He holds eye contact even though he feels flayed alive. Stolas's shock melts to something like hope and then finally back to suspicious.

He finally sighs, looks out at the landscape, and says "I'm not sure."

He doesn't let go of Blitz's hand though.

"I've missed you," the owl says, "but, after everything, I need to think about this."

It hurts. He knew it would. But it's not a 'no'.

"Okay," he replies and fuck his voice sounds fucking destroyed, "Yeah, okay."

After another few moments he gives Stolas's hand a squeeze and drops it. Stolas gives him a tight smile but starts back towards his room and Blitz starts over the balustrade to lick his wounds in peace. Before he gets too far he hears the quick click of talons on stone and waits. Just maybe...

"Maybe you could text me sometime, if it crosses your mind?", comes Stolas's soft voice and fuck he'd missed that.

"I could," Blitz replies. They don't look at each other, can't from where they're standing, but Blitz knows there's something the passes between them anyway, can feel the owls presence above him. They both let the tension rise for a beat before Stolas hums his understanding.

After a few moments more, the footsteps retreat and Blitz makes his way back to his very obviously parked van (seriously how is he an assassin?). Before he drives home he opens a very specific text chat and fires off a quick message.

In a fancy room, just inside a balcony that still smells of tobacco and weed, a royal phone buzzes on a nightstand.

When the message is read by four claret eyes, mere seconds after it arrived, something bubbles in the prince's gut for the first time in several full moons.

It simply reads, "Tag, ur it ❤️".

[thatbadadvice]

Help! My Mother-In-Law Buys A New Outfit Every Time She Pours Jet Fuel on Chilean Sea Bass and Throws Their Carcasses, Flaming, Into the Rainforests from the Open Belly of Her Private Plane

Care and Feeding, Slate, 1 May 2023:

Dear Care and Feeding, My husband and I have two children (2 years and 6 months). We recently moved back to my husband’s hometown to pursue a career opportunity for me. My husband has been home with the kids but was just offered a job. We found a daycare, but it can only take the kids three days a week right now (we’re on waitlists for full-time, but it seems like it could be months or more before we find two full-time spots). My mother-in-law has generously offered to watch the kids for the other two days. Overall, she is a lovely, responsible woman, but we have some significant value differences around environmental issues and I’m not sure how to navigate them. Our household focuses heavily on environmental awareness. We drive electric cars, we compost, we limit our air conditioning, we limit our flying, we eat all leftovers, we avoid plastics whenever possible, and we buy exclusively secondhand clothing. My mother-in-law is a big fan of consumption. Her house is full of plastics. She throws away whatever is left on her plate at the end of a meal, she keeps her house so cold in the summer that I need a sweater and she drives a minivan. I’m concerned about the message it sends to the kids if we stick to our values, except when to do so would be inconvenient. How do I bridge our two very different lifestyles going forward? —Environmentalist Mama in Limbo

Dear Environmentalist Mama,

I'm not sure how you can describe a person who air-conditions her home and drives a minivan as "lovely" and "responsible" but I will assume that this planet-hating harpy has gripped you so tightly in her environmentally irresponsible talons that you cannot see the wildfire-ridden forest for the trees (which she is personally cutting down for fun and profit). Do not let yourself be hoodwinked by promises of familial love and generous offers of free child care, as if these things matter more than assiduously composting! This woman is a monster who is single-handedly destroying the only earth your precious babies have to live on. Imagine the tragedies that will unfold if your children experience a loving connection with a person who purchases items made of plastic? They could come to believe that other humans are whole people with their own interior lives and decision-making apparatuses and values instead of ugly nasty baddies who dare to oppose Mommy's One True And Only Way?

You simply cannot bridge two lifestyles as different as the two you describe here. On the one hand, we have your blameless and perfect eco-conscious little household of brave, Dumpster-diving Oliver Twists, and on the other hand, we have an ethically compromised, unscrupulous, indefensibly ignorant shitbird who probably barbecues her factory-farmed meats over asbestos tiles and flies to Australia to distribute the ashes over the Great Barrier Reef. If Planet Earth does not spin out into an apocalyptic ball of climate disaster by the time your children are old enough to be knifing their peers over tire fires for their share of rat rations, it will be because your uniquely virtuous family had the moral fortitude to drive an electric car and limit your flying. After all, electricity comes from magical climate-neutral fairies and the jet fuel industry is waiting with bated breath for the day that you ground your family and send an international behemoth into wholesale free-fall.

If there is one guaranteed way forward through the climate crisis, it is to silo ourselves into individual categories of "good people" who use paper straws (like you! you are so good!) and "amoral reprobates" (such as your mother-in-law, who sucks!) who do not. The very future of humanity depends on demonizing and shaming other people until they behave as we want them to, privileging individual actions over collective resistance to and accountability for the worst global offenders, and rejecting community-building opportunities in favor of being the only best good person ever.

Build no bridge with this woman! She would probably just drive over it with her minivan, and then the blood of billions will be on your hands.

[celestiaras]

ft. voxanne akuma x f! reader — luxiem, nijisanji en

╰₊✧ something horrifying is trying to comfort you┊0.7k words

vent fic, angst, mention of sh, open ending

➤ author's note: i’m safe, just going through it

you cry into her shoulder and drown in your sorrows, clutching tightly onto her in an embrace while desperately trying to stop your tears and pathetic weeping. you thought you were doing such a good job holding it all in and keeping it together, but it all came crashing down in an instant and left you all alone in a dark room for her to pick your shattered soul. you can’t remember when she started visiting you, maybe she’s always been there watching over you and only decided to reach out once everyone else was gone. you aren’t sure if she was an angel or a demon, you couldn’t find yourself to care, you just wanted someone to hold you.

“oh, you poor girl, it’s okay, let it all out,” she hushes you softly while brushing her fingers through your hair in an attempt to calm you down, but you feel her sharp talon-like nails lightly grazing your scalp. you don’t dare to open your eyes and look at her. you’ve always envisioned an unnaturally tall pale woman towering over you at seven feet tall with long wavy black hair, golden eyes, and red makeup. she’s beautiful like someone you only see paintings of, but you know that when you open your eyes, you’ll see something frightful that no human should witness.

she always tries to coax you into gazing back at her so that she can wipe away the salty tears streaming down your face, but you refuse like the stubborn child that you truly are behind the mask of a young adult. she never forces you to do anything you don’t want to, but sometimes you fear that she’ll lash out and hurt you if you continue to disobey her gentle instructions. you know that she isn’t human, no human only appears from the shadows to bandage the wounds of your soul since you’re too scared to sear them into your flesh instead.

even then, you always allow yourself to crawl into her arms, sobbing like the pitiful failure you are who can’t handle the changes of the inevitable future. you’ve gone through these motions more times than you could count, and you’re nothing more than a little girl running back to her mother because she got scared of the dark when she forgot to pray. you aren’t even sure if she truly cares for you, or is only pretending because she wants something from you, but you accept any shred of affection she throws at you because all the love in your life is gone and there is only her left.

“i’m sorry, i’m so sorry” you croak weakly through hiccups. you aren’t even sure why you were even apologizing so desperately, for soaking the fabric of her top with your tears, for growing completely dependent on her for solace, for being a waste of space and a complete disappointment now that you were older— you were inconsolable and trapped within your own hell of a mind that wouldn’t free you. you could never fly away, not because your wings were broken, but because they never existed in the first place.

she soothes you with her sweet and low voice, kissing you on the forehead like a doll, promising that everything will work itself out fine in the end and that she will never leave you even if you are utterly useless. she’ll be your wings and will fly you away from this mortal land of anguish and suffering, you just have to do as she asked.

you don’t know her, but she knows you, better than your own mother does even. she’s the one who will always be by your side and hold you in her long arms when you want nothing more than to scream and throw a tantrum like a baby, she’ll always be there because no one else will ever comfort you as she does even if she eventually consumes you whole when you finally take a peek of the monster who lured you into believing that you were safe and secure thanks to her. she saved you from all that was hurting, and you accept it with open arms the same way she’s always done for you.