#And Each Time It Appears I Was Right to Be Hesitant. Too Often People Have Ego Trips Over Running A Community

[authoralexharvey]

Ngl the reason I don't join more writeblr discords is—well, firstly, I'm already in enough of them—but more importantly, because people get inflated egos over being mods way, way too often. And for no real good reason, either, given they're shit moderators. And I don't have enough energy in me to constantly parse out whether a mod is on an ego trip anymore tbh.

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Yokai Harem x Reader (III)

On your travels with the two demon companions, you stumble upon a fortified village plagued by monster attacks. It would be quite unlucky if the grand finale happened just as you step foot inside, right? Worry not, you're saved by a third mysterious yokai that you immediately recognize. The harem grows!

Content: female reader, monsters, violence

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Character Guide]

“Alright, how’s this?”

You do a clumsy pirouette before the two yokai men.

“That’s...are you sure?” Kiritsubo eyes you, mildly confused. “It’s usually what men wear.”

Of course, you already know. After weeks of walking through feudal Japan, you’ve reached the conclusion that modern clothing isn’t the most practical choice. Not to mention the strange looks you always get from other people upon your arrival in any village. You needed something to blend in, and the typical fashion for your gender might not be compatible with your training. You’d rather not swing a sword while covered in multiple layers of kimono.

Thus, you opted for the hakama pants typically worn by men. With your hair tied up and in this baggy attire, one could think you’re a young samurai. If they squint enough. You chuckle at the thought.

“She’ll wear whatever allows her to not be a burden.” Murasaki concludes with crossed arms.

One way to put it, you tell yourself.

“If you’re done discussing fashion, we can leave.” The dark-haired man continues with indifference, standing up and adjusting the swords in the folds of his sash.

Both you and Kiritsubo hurry and follow behind obediently.

“Where are we going this time?” You ask sheepishly.

“South-west. An old residence of his, although we will have to pass through a fortified settlement first. We should reach it before sunset.”

It’s hard to imagine you’re the supposed savior in this equation. Murasaki has been leading you by the hand each step, carefully considering every detail on the map, and extensively planning your travels every evening. All this on top of your daily training. You’ve now mastered the basics with the katana he’s provided you, as well as some common prayers for exorcising small-class demons.

You glance at the daisho pair of swords under his belt. A long, thin blade, and a shorter backup version, both in elaborate matching scabbards meant to showcase the status and wealth of the samurai wearing them. In this case, meant to express his rank as the advisor and right hand of the famed onmyōji. You certainly don’t doubt Nakamaro’s decision to rely on Murasaki.

In comparison, Kiritsubo carries a nagamaki at his waist. A comically long blade in your opinion, used mostly to bring down horses during battle. Any regular sword would’ve been too small for him. Despite his imposing appearance, you’ve learned rather quickly just how different Kiritsubo is from the other yokai. He’s quite clumsy in combat, often anxious about making mistakes, terribly apologetic, and overall has a heart too kind for his own good. If there’s hesitation coming from his side, Murasaki immediately follows with his ruthless, ending blows. As a matter of fact, even you’ve had to do the occasional killing to spare the man of such choices.

The silver-haired demon notices your eyes on him and smiles, excited. He reminds you of a large dog. A horned, fanged dog of monstrous strength, nonetheless the innocence is there. And he does make a great travel companion.

“How much longer?” You grunt, looking up.

“Are you tired? I can carry you for the rest of the way-” Kiritsubo instantly offers but is interrupted by Murasaki’s barked orders.

“She can walk. Don’t spoil her.” He glares at you, then nods ahead. “We’re almost there, so quit your whining.”

True to his word, you can finally discern the outline of a wall at the top of the hill. A few more steps, and you can even spot two guards standing beside the great gate.

“Stop there!”

The soldiers lift their spears threateningly. Before you can react, Murasaki steps in front of you with a hand placed on his sword.

“We’re just passing through.” He states factually.

“We’re no longer allowing visitors.” One of the guards exclaims. “The village has been raided by monsters recently and our Lord has closed all gates until the matter is solved.”

“That means no filthy demons go in.” The other adds in a mocking tone, his gaze lingering on the horns of your companions. His mouth curls in disgust.

You can tell Murasaki is angered by the disrespectful approach. He is not one to let such insults slide and you’d rather avoid him claiming unnecessary victims; therefore, you push past his arm and plant yourself ahead with a polite greeting bow.

“These yokai are with me. I vouch for their good behavior, so please consider letting us through. Perhaps we can even help you with these monsters.”

“You? How would you…”

The man stops abruptly, switching between you and the yokai. Eventually he inspects your scabbard, and he gasps, confusion twisting his features.

“Could it be? No…He’d be dead by now.”

“What are you talking about?” His partner inquires impatiently.

“That’s the family seal belonging to Abe no Nakamaro.” He explains, pointing to the golden finish at the end of your katana handle. “I’ve heard about him from my grandparents. But it’s been decades!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re saying this kid is a legendary onmyōji?”

“Who else would show up with demons as servants? Everything matches. Perhaps his powers have finally reached immortality”, he concludes solemnly.

The men continue their argument, and you clear your throat, embarrassed. What the hell? You can’t possibly look that manly. Sure, you’ve been skipping the makeup, and the clothes aren’t exactly curve shaping, but to be mistaken for an old man is like a slap to the face.

You’re about to deny their claims, but Murasaki swiftly pinches the back of your neck, and you wince. He lowers himself to your ear and whispers:

“This will be to our advantage. Just go along with it.” “Fine!” You mumble angrily. Then you turn back to the guards.

“V-very well, I see I haven’t been forgotten.” You admit, theatrically. “Lead me to your Lord and we shall discuss the details of your monster attack.”

Thus, you sip on your tea, kneeling at the luxurious table and awaiting the arrival of the feudal Lord. The servants are exchanging words, gossiping fervently next to the wall. “I wonder if he can cure my daughter!” one woman mumbles, visibly emotional.

“Do you think we can finally be saved? He’ll truly exorcise the beasts tormenting our village?” another whispers.

You wipe the sweat from your forehead and glare at Murasaki. You had no idea he’d given you Nakamaro’s old sword. Now you’re stuck pretending to be a pompous, long-dead asshat.

“What if they catch us?” You hiss between your teeth. “I don’t know shit about onmyōdō.”

“Then I’ll just kill them all. Simple as that.” The crimson-eyed man retorts, unconcerned. “Have a little fun, won’t you?”

“W-we’ll help you come up with answers, (Y/N). Don’t worry.” Kiritsubo chimes in, trying to reassure you.

You sigh in frustration and look out the window. The sun must’ve set a long time ago and has since been replaced by a pitch-black sky. What’s keeping the Lord? Surely, he can’t be having important business meetings late at night.

Almost as if your thoughts were read, the door slides open and a servant wobbles in. The rest of the household workers are silent, expecting the entrance of their master, but no one is following behind. You observe the bizarre limp of the woman. Suddenly, she collapses to the floor, revealing her bloodied back torn by deep wounds, caused by some sort of claw. Her body is stiff.

Panic settles in right away, and the servants topple over each other to get away from the fresh cadaver. You struggle to get up among the terrified crowd, but thankfully Murasaki grabs your wrist and pulls you out into a quieter hallway.

“What the hell?” is all you manage to say.

“Rotten.” Kiritsubo furrows his brows, sniffing the air. “Someone in here must be possessed. Could be more of them.”

Murasaki surveys the surroundings and gestures towards his partner.

“We have to see if the Lord is still alive. You go that way. I’ll take the front. Kill everyone suspicious.”

“What about me?” You demand, holding your breath.

“Get out and wait for us. You know how to draw a protection circle, don’t you? I won’t take long.” The dark-haired yokai answers before vanishing.

Judging by the screams and wails coming from all directions, you suspect Kiritsubo is right about multiple attackers. You sprint across the hall, looking for an opening. The self-defense lessons didn’t cover cursed humans with demonic powers. You’ll stay out of this one.

What an absolute mess. You have encountered some demons in your weeks spent here, but nothing to this degree. When the guards mentioned a monster attack, you imagined a ghost with a grudge, or some small fry yokai scaring the workers at night, not a mass curse that ends in a massacre. Of course, it had to happen the moment you arrived at the main house.

You find a room with a door leading to the inner courtyard. Seems isolated enough and it should provide a bit of shelter while you wait for the pair to finish the business. As you rush past the dead bodies, you notice a woman hiding behind a screen divider.

“Ah! It’s you!” she yells, aware of your presence.

From the shadow of her secret spot emerges the small frame of a child. The woman pushes the little human towards you, blocking your path.

“Don’t worry, he’ll protect us.” she gives her child another nudge. “Go on, hold onto him. You’ll be safe.”

What? No, no, no, no, no. Not happening. You’re getting out.

“Ma’am, sorry to break it to you under such circumstances, but I’m not-”

You’re interrupted by a loud growl. One of the possessed creatures must’ve followed your scent, and it’s now sliding into the room on all fours with the bones of the limbs twisting and creaking in unnatural pounces. You purse your lips in a frightened grimace. One advantage of the wide hakama pants – useful to know – is that no one can see your knees shaking cowardly.

Theoretically, you could use the brat as bait and run for your life. It’d make a decent obstacle. Unfortunately for your life span, you’ve been gifted with an idiotic sense of duty instead of survival instincts.

“Keep your distance. If I can’t kill it, get out and don’t look back” you advise, positioning yourself in the learned stance and sliding the sword out of its sheath.

Damn it! Then again, it should be like fighting a zombie, right? Given the pathetic way it drags itself around, it can’t be too difficult to hit. Aim for the head, you repeat in your mind. Your fingers grip around the handle.

The ghoulish beast lowers itself, like a spring about to recoil, and leaps across the room with an ease you did not anticipate. Despite your iron hold, it slaps the blade out of your hands with enormous force. The impact breaks your skin, and you wince. There’s no time to weep, within seconds it could go for your vitals next. While Murasaki hasn’t gotten around to teaching you much hand-to-hand combat, you’ve read your fair share of shounen manga. The first idea that comes to mind is to put the beast in a sumo lock. You bend your knees smoothly and wrap your arms around the monster, feeling for something to hold onto. You grit your teeth and attempt to lift the creature.

A thundering laugh resonates within the walls, and you jolt, startled.

“I never thought I’d see the mighty Abe no Nakamaro wrestling with ankle biters like this. What are you going to do, throw it out of the ring?”

The voice is deep, loud, and unfamiliar. You can’t afford to look back to see the source, but it’s not hard to figure out the possibilities. So far, you’ve only been called by that cursed name by the yokai accomplices. Although now is not the best time to seek revenge.

“Shut up, I panicked”, you snap in frustration. “If you can’t help, keep that trap closed!”

The sudden burst of anger seems to have triggered something within your body, a power you don’t recognize. You watch as your arms effortlessly pick up the monster and swing it across the room, its body demolishing the opposing wall and causing thick clouds of dust to rise and spread everywhere.

The impact must’ve alerted the nearby ghouls, as you can now hear the agitated trample and screeching rapidly approaching. You’re not confident you can pull the same lucky move a second time.

You turn to search for your sword, but it’s already being handed to you by the mysterious yokai who’s been observing your little fight. You have to step aside and tilt your head all the way back in order to fully view the gigantic frame of the man.

Ah, you recognize the features immediately. The same kind of fear you felt when you stumbled upon that old shrine statue is now tugging at your chest.

“You’re Suma, right?”

A proud, wide grin forms on his face, revealing a pair of glistening fangs. His expression is unexpectedly soft and friendly.

“We’re halfway through our introductions then, eh?” You pick up the sword and his fingers stretch out for a handshake. “What is your given name? I’m guessing you don’t willingly go by that…title.”

“I very much prefer (Y/N), yes.” You marvel at the significant difference in size, placing your small hand in his. “Was that your power I just used?”

“Mhhm. You sure surprised me there! It’s not something I did intentionally, but I s’ppose we just resonate that well, huh?”

He laughs again, completely unbothered by the impending danger.

“Alright, you can leave the rest to me. Take the lady outside, it will get a little messy.”

And with that, he casually walks towards the gathering of ghouls. You guide the family to the courtyard and wait for the battle to end.

“Do you think she’ll be fine by herself?” Kiritsubo is resting against the fence, keeping you under a watchful gaze.

“Let the humans sort it out among themselves.” Murasaki responds, somewhat bored.

The morning after the attack, you offered to deal with the survivors: ask them how everything started, if they’d noticed anything suspicious days prior to the event, and if the route to Nakamaro’s old residence was still open. The yokai men had found the feudal Lord in the jaws of a possessed creature and he quickly succumbed to his wounds. Consequently, only the remaining servants could provide them with clues.

A village being targeted like this is highly unusual, and Murasaki can’t shake the feeling it could be related to their master.

“Oh, where are you heading after this?” The silver-haired yokai glances at Suma, sitting lazily next to them.

“Where? After you just told me the whole story? I’m way too invested in this modern reincarnation that just popped out of nowhere, so I’m tagging along!” He announces with a chuckle.

Murasaki frowns.

“We don’t need your help.”

“Don’t be like that.” The giant man pouts dramatically. “Are you upset I saved (Y/N) before you?”

“W-we were on our way!” Kiritsubo retorts, visibly bothered.

“It’s a done deal!” Suma rests his hands under his head and yawns. “Besides, the little human already said he doesn’t mind.”

“He? (Y/N) is a woman.”

The redhead abruptly sits up and gasps.  

“Wait, what?”

“Don’t get funny ideas, man”, the silver-haired demon warns.

[flawseer]

Mail Call #3

Answering comments from @void-the-bear @railway-lands @keabirb @ilikebookssomuch @chezgorman @cartoons-everywhere @dragonra305

Please don't hurt me. I have glasses.

Thank you, to all of you. It makes me genuinely happy to know that I'm able to put something into this world that other people can enjoy. I think this is a great setting that is fun to add to.

Doing a Wings of Fire-themed run of this Smaugust challenge has been very interesting and it's good that the result appears to be well-received. It's not always been easy, I'm actually getting quite exhausted having to post content on a strict schedule like this. But it is worth doing if it makes people happy.

Relating to my comment on this post. I probably will do it eventually, along with some other ideas I had that didn't fit in. But it won't happen while Smaugust is still going, as I am already skirting the limits of what I am physically capable of right now.

Ahh... hm... This is the question that has toppled mountains and started wars. You're going to get hit squads sent after me.

Well, there is the big one, of course. Qibli/Winter. They have such wonderful chemistry whenever they are in a scene together (with one pretty upsetting exception). And Qibli is always teasing him about being his destiny and the two of them getting married, so I think there is some attraction there.

Then uh... I used to feel completely ambivalent about this one, but Starflight/Fatespeaker has really grown on me over time. There's a lot of interesting potential there that doesn't really make it into the story. I need to make a long-winded post about Fatespeaker one day.

Blaze/Glacier is another one that could be cute. I think putting a repressed Icewing together with a highly eccentric and rambunctious Sandwing is going to be a winning combination most of the time. Or well, I guess I should say "could have been cute", since Glacier had to die for the plot, in a very wretched and infuriating way too.

There are a couple more that I think have their moments or could be interesting in one way or another. Some of them even contradicting or overlapping each other. Listing all of them would probably be a bit excessive.

Oh yeah, and I think Sunny is ace.

Ah, a question that'll make me put someone else's favorite character at the bottom of a preference list... After the shipping question I'm starting to fear for my life now.

Let me preface this by clarifying that I generally like all of the DoD. There are some characters in this setting that I loathe and wish they would exit the story, and the arc 1 protagonists are nowhere near that. So being ranked low here translates to me saying "Yeah, they're okay, room for improvement", not "wow, they're the WORST!"

Okay whatever, let's get down to it.

#1 - Sunny

That one's easy, I mean, just look at the pinned post on this blog.

Sunny is so wonderful and charming and perfect in every conceivable way, she is one of my six all-time favorite characters. She is the flower that blooms in the bitter desert. A lot of people may perceive her as this demure and innocent character who is always happy and friendly, and oblivious to the suffering around her. Nah, Sunny knows exactly what is going on. She is keenly aware of all the bloodshed, suffering, and toxicity that unfolds in the world around her. When she remains optimistic and forgiving in the face of darkness, that is not her being meek or passive, it's her steadfastly refusing to let that darkness into herself. She is actively embodying the change she wants to see in the world, even when it hurts her or gets her taken advantage of, because that is what she believes in and the future she will create.

That's pretty inspiring. I wish I had that kind of inner strength.

Also, she is not weak. While she's not a powerhouse scrapper like Tsunami or an invincible stack of bricks like Clay, Sunny strikes quickly and without hesitation when her friends are in danger, and can be deviously clever. This is often overlooked, but she is--to my knowledge--the only character to land an attack on Morrowseer that comes close to actually hurting him.

Well... you got me rambling about Sunny. Let's go through the others more briskly.

#2 - Starflight

I like Starflight a lot. Unfortunately the story really doesn't. He is like, the unluckiest character by far. I don't know what he did to deserve the never-ending cavalcade of misfortune that gets shoveled in his direction throughout all three arcs. Like, it never ends. A couple of friends and I came together and we jokingly called our group the "Starflight Protection Foundation", because someone needs to stage an intervention. Like, wrap him in a cozy sweater and buy him hot chocolate or something. Heaven help this poor man.

He's another one of my favorites.

#3 - Glory

Glory is really cool; I vibe with the "unchosen hero spurned by destiny" theme. She goes through her life and is constantly told "No, you don't have a special destiny. You're the fifth wheel. You are worthless and unimportant". Though she struggles with the constant abuse and devaluation, she eventually finds a way to turn it into strength and declare that the only value that matters is the one she gives to herself.

I really wish the story had NOT made her turn out to be a secret princess. "I was born without destiny, so I'm making my own" is a so much more satisfying character trajectory than "Oh, don't worry. You were born special after all, you just didn't know about it".

So yeah, I kind of tend to put that "secret princess" plot twist on the shelf when I think about Glory, and prefer to think that she managed to sway Grandeur with her skill and determination, rather than a random blood link.

#4 - Clay

Clay is very lovable. He is like the emotional bedrock of the group and acts as a stabilizing force that pairs well with all of the other arc 1 protagonists. He pretty much resolves all of his baggage in the first book and becomes content and steady. That is very good for him, but unfortunately this also kind of turns him into just some dude for the following four books.

Which is fine, it is good for the other characters to have someone behind them who loves them and helps them up when they stumble. It just makes it difficult for Clay to shine on his own.

#5 - Tsunami

Okay, so, Tsunami. I actually like her a lot in arc 1. She's bringing an interesting kind of energy to the group that is like, half-supportive and half-detrimental. Very chaotic. She also has to contend with some heavy stuff; everything to do with her father and the complications in her family life. It's very interesting. Lots of places to go with that.

Arc 2 Tsunami though, really grinds my gears. She regresses into this kind of juvenile, immature personality that is just pointlessly abrasive and confrontational. She acts really condescendingly towards Peril-- despite the latter having saved Clay's life AND it being really important to Clay that her staying at JMA works out well. Her borderline sabotaging this effort by making Peril feel unwelcome seems very dismissive towards Clay's feelings. It also doesn't help that she is the most outspoken about her loathing of Nightwing mindreading and prophecies, which drives Moonwatcher further into her emotional shell and makes things more complicated.

Okay, I have to reiterate: I don't dislike Tsunami. I just think her character arc is incomplete. It feels like she is stuck in arrested development while at JMA. She's mostly running around yelling at people, when she really should be thinking about what to do about Queen Coral, and how to get custody of her siblings. Her sister Anemone is carrying emotional scars from how the Queen has kept her leashed like a dog for her entire life, a process that is now happening to Auklet, even to this day. And then there's the 30 something children who have never known parental love for a day in their life and their mother can't remember the names of.

Someone's gotta step in and save these kids. Or like, at least start vaguely thinking about it.

Turtle???

Hmm....

...

Moose!

[caffedrine]

Ikemen Prince Act 4 Prologue Summary

I pretty much have no idea what I’m doing. I don’t trust me, and you shouldn’t either. This summary is not guaranteed to be accurate, it’s mostly written for myself to follow along with all the lore that was just dropped.

Emma has had a recurring dream where she finds a book in a beautiful rose garden and reads it. Unfortunately, the book is unfinished, and leaves her feeling unsatisfied. We then get a summary of Acts 1 and 2 - Emma was chosen as Belle, the woman to choose the next king of Rhodolite from a selection of 8 princes. She also has to go undercover due to the visit of 3 foreign princes. Ultimately, she gets through her trials, chooses a good king, doesn’t get entangled with anyone, and avoids being chained up in Gilbert’s love dungeon. This should count as a happy ending to the story, but it leaves Emma feeling unfulfilled. She wants to have her own adventures, learn more things, meet new people, and maybe fall in love with someone.

Emma eventually wakes up from her flashback nap only to find that she is still in the bookstore, having fallen asleep while reading a book. Just as she starts to get up to close the shop, she realizes she’s not alone.

The shop’s owner and her adopted ‘too young to be a dad’ not-father has returned. He often travels the world, purchasing and selling rare books, and is back from his last year-long trip.

Though he is not a native to Rhodolite, and still wears the beautiful, eye-catching clothes from his native home in Ruby, he has set up a permanent shop in Rhodolite’s capital city. And, he has taken care of Emma since she was a child.

Akatsuki, the shop owner, reveals that he knows all about Emma’s time as Belle, as Sariel had been sending him regular letters. He had hurried home when he heard that pipsqueak from Obsidian had also shown up, but it looks like Emma got through that ordeal just fine without him.

Emma assures Akatsuki that nothing major had happened during her time as Belle, and she had actually enjoyed it. It had given her a new perspective and opened up new avenues of interest for her.

Akatsuki points at the book Emma had been napping on and asks if that’s why she’s changed from romance novels to studying continental history.

This segues into Emma admitting that she feels trapped in a small world since her last experiences and wants to travel the world just like Akatsuki does. Akatsuki offers to take her with him on his next trip.

Emma is excited, and Akatsuki tells her that as his valued employee, it’s time for her to learn how to purchase books as well. 

Akatsuki unfurls a map and sits with Emma. While not usually a problem, these days things are a lot more dangerous than they were. Emma asks if it’s the 3-country alliance between Tanzanite, Ruby, and Acroite. She heard about it briefly during her time as Belle.

And yes, that’s exactly the problem. Right now, the countries are not hostile, but this could be the calm before the storm. Akatsuki asks if, despite knowing of the danger, will Emma leave the relative safety of Rhodolite and travel to these countries with him.

If this had been before her time as Belle, Emma probably would have refused. But now, after meeting the princes of Rhodolite, Emma agrees without hesitation. 

So, the next step is to choose the country. Each has its own dangers, but it is how Akatsuki will get his rare books. Notably, Akatsuki is somewhat hesitant about going to Ruby. 

Since this is her training trip, Akatsuki generously lets Emma choose their destination. To help her decide, Emma asks Akatsuki to tell her about each country.

Tanzanite 

Tanzanite is the land of divination and illusion. Everything is determined by the living god.

The living god is a person born with silver hair and silver eyes. But - it’s not just his appearance that is unique - he is clairvoyant beyond anyone in recorded history, each of his prophesies/predictions has come true. He is considered a miracle bestowed upon Tanzanite by god.

Meanwhile, in Tanzanite

In the Tanzanite throne room, filled with people bristling with excitement, a huge moon shines down as if protecting the people.

With one word, the living god Azel is able to silence the entire vast room of people. With a benevolent visage, Azel tells the crow that god has this spoken and tells them to develop the policies to follow the divine will. Or don’t, it’s their choice whether or not to follow divine will. Just don’t make a choice that they will regret. The heavens will be watching.

Finished, Azel stands up and simultaneously the crowd falls to their knees, their heads pressed against the floor. Among the crowd, the King of Tanzanite tells Azel that there is a banquet being held in his honor and asks him to attend. Azel politely declines - he can’t imagine anyone would enjoy their meal if god were to attend. He’ll just quietly return home, no need to see him off. He bids everyone a farewell, praying that god will bless them.

As he leaves the group, Azel finds himself alone in a quiet hallway lit only by the moon, the night's natural calm returning. Or almost alone.

A woman is waiting for him, dressed in provocative dancer’s garb. She is carrying a variety of dishes and asks if he’s in a good mood. Azel thanks her for her consideration, but he must decline. The woman points out that he already declined the banquet held by the king, but after that divination, he must be hungry. At this, Azel’s traitorous stomach growls. Again, Azel thanks her and declines, mentioning that he is actually in a hurry, and could she get out of his way?

The woman moves to block his path completely as Azel tries to brush past her. Azel loses it, calling her stupid and refusing to understand him no matter what he says. He trips the woman over his foot, and she falls to the ground, dropping all the food.

Azel feels so sorry . . . For the wasted food. His eyes full of compassion, he laughs and asks the woman to lick up the food. She is stunned, and Azel explains that it goes against his morals to waste food. He gesture at an upturned bowl of soup and tells her to crawl to it like a dog and lick it up so it isn’t wasted.

Of course, Azel isn’t a tyrannical monster, he’s not forcing the woman to do anything. It’s her freedom to choose to follow the living god’s will or not.

The woman hesitates, but in the end, she brings her face down to the soup and licks it up. Soon, her body grows hot and her gaze clouds with lust, and she looks up at Azel. Azel surmises the soup must have been laced with an aphrodisiac- he guesses the poor woman’s fortune isn’t good at all today.

Or rather, she is extremely fortunate. The living god, Azel, will keep this a secret between them and won’t tell anyone about her misdeeds.

Azel walks past the woman and calls over his shoulder that she can feel free to take care of herself, or any other option she might have available to her. He will take his leave now.

The woman reaches out to try to cling to his legs and tells him that she loves him. She would do anything, give up anything for their living god. She asks Azel if these feelings she has for him truly is a sin?

(Azel does not appreciate his almost-rapist declaring love)

Azel turns around and tells her that god doesn’t love anyone, since it doesn’t give him any advantage. Well, maybe if she gave him the same amount of money Silvio does, he would consider it. But as she is, she has nothing he wants.

Azel thinks the woman still doesn’t understand, so he will say it plainer. Get out of his sight, he can’t stand her. The woman gasps as the compassion drains from Azel’s face. His eyes are as cold as a desert night, and he looks down on her as if she is an insect.

Most of the time, it’s not love that people like her feel, it’s greed drowning stupid women like her. Under the moonlight, Azel laughs coldly and without any sense of compassion. 

Everyone in this country protected by god is living a happy dream. On the day the dream crumbles away, Azel wonders when people will get over the shock and laugh with him.

Acroite

The country is built on a steep mountain range where it snows year-round. Everyone follows strict laws, making it the safest country on the continent. The laws are enforced by the Keepers of the Laws, people who can set aside their humanity and rule everything fair and balanced.

Recently, the penalties for lawbreaking have become harsher and more severe, but the country is extremely stable and orderly. If someone commits a crime, the Keepers of the Laws will make you pay.

Meanwhile, in Acroite

Snowflakes, large enough to be mistaken for flower petals, flutter down on the houses, coating everything in a white winter wonderland scene. 

The lamp-lit street is bustling and full of people, but unlike other cities, there are groups of people missing. There are no beggars, drunks, or youths itching for a fight. It is because in this country, those activities are illegal, and one can expect to be swiftly arrested.

However, there is a corner where a large group of women have gathered, all jockeying for position. One woman after another asks Matthias to join them at a party, or for dinner. Matthias politely thanks them and explains that he doesn’t want to be late for work. 

Matthias Osbrink, the First Prince of Acroite, the Keeper of the Law. He has blond hair the color of the fading rays of twilight and sad eyes the color of snow in shadow. While he has a stiff demeanor- he is still considered very appealing. The women around him gaze at him with enchanted expressions.

He combs back his hair with a sigh, to the delight of the women watching, and hurries away. A fellow judge walks next to him, patting him on the back sympathetically. He teases Matthias for being so popular with the ladies.

Matthias complains that his coworker didn’t help him at all, after all, Matthias is famous for not being good at dealing with women.

The coworker agrees that he knows that, but unfortunately, he is too busy being envious of Matthias’ luck with women to help him out. If anything, he wanted to switch places.

Matthias asks if his coworker noticed the look in those women’s eyes. They were the eyes of a warrior, determined to annihilate the enemy.

The coworker is taken aback, he was certain they were just lovely women.

Matthias complains that he doesn’t care if they are beautiful or not, the problem is that they are not his soulmate.

His ideal woman is someone who doesn’t venerate him, nor does she look at him like she’s preparing for war. In fact, she’s the type of person who would kiss him goodbye in the morning while adjusting his tie. Afterward, she would smile gently as she waved goodbye and . . .

Yes, yes, this isn’t the first time Matthias’ coworker has heard this fantasy. Honestly, he would say it is starting to get embarrassing, but they passed that mark a long time ago.

Quietly, Matthias’ coworker asks if he’s okay. Matthias points out that he’s spent the past ten minutes explaining how he’s not okay and needs to be rescued from these warrior women.

That’s not what Mathias’ coworker meant. The defendant for today’s trial is Matthias’ friend.

Matthias summarizes his relationship with the defendant. They were roommates at the Royal Academy, and when they joined the National Guard together, they were in the same unit. Matthias recalls him as being a good person, with a cheerful personality, smart, and witty. And, unlike Matthias’s coworker, was good with handling women and could help Matthias out of the situation before.

(Conflict of interest? What is that?)

Matthias sees no problem with handling the trial. After all, he is a member of the Osbrink family.

The seat of the country’s justice, the royal court, was filled with a solemn crowd of defendants, lawyers, state officials, investigators, and a large number of citizens. The five judges, the Keepers of Law, sit high above with everyone watching them.

Matthias summons the defendant, accused of selling secret Acroite military information, forward to testify. While the defendant looks haggard, there is a gleam of hope in his eye. It is well known that the defendant was friends with the Keeper of Law, Matthias.

After the testimony, Matthias rules that there is no reason to exonerate the defendant from his crimes. The defendant disagrees, he made a mistake, yes, but death is too heavy a punishment for it. Matthias disagrees, the law is the law, and as a citizen of Acroite, the defendant must abide by the sentence. The execution will take place in five days at noon.

The defendant collapses, and Matthias watches him being taken away with snow-shadow eyes. With that, Matthias ends the trial and closes the court.

After everyone leaves, Matthias remains behind in the empty courtroom. In the same emotionless voice, he used when he proclaimed the sentence, Matthias mutters that he did the right thing just now. He’s the Crown Prince of Acroite, the land of snow and laws. It’s his duty to condemn and punish all evil.

Ruby

The last country on the list of options is Ruby, the land of Cherry Blossoms and Turbulent Times. The situation is complicated, the country is in a 3-way civil war, each with foreign backing. In theory, there is a royal family, but they’re all on opposite sides.

There is, however, a safe area, in Kagari-Yaksha’s territory.

Yaksha? Emma asks Akatsuki to explain that.

It’s a title of sorts given to one of the faction leaders, a true battle fanatic who has never lost a fight. If they go under his protection, they’ll be safe. For now. As long as he doesn’t decide that they’re his enemies.

Meanwhile, in Ruby

A group of men run through the forest, hoods low over their heads and swords hanging from their belts. When they near a red-tiled castle illuminated by lanterns, they halt and gather to strategize.

A voice begins counting them, 100, 200, at least less than 400. The men all start and grab at their swords, searching the darkness for the voice.

Without a sound, a man with fiery red hair and green eyes appears before them. He asks if they were planning on launching a night attack with so many worthless people. Honestly, they’re barely even worth killing. Compared to all the other factions, these people are barely more than half-trained children. The man asks if they are still planning on going through with their attack. If they give up and turn around now, he’ll let them leave.

One of the attackers notes his hair and eyes and identifies him as Kagari, the Yaksha. Another attacker laughs, explaining that from the rumors, he was expecting a beast of a man, but instead its just some pretty guy. It’s not bad to be disappointed from time to time. Besides, even if he is the warrior of rumor, he is but one man against –

Another hooded attacker recoils as the speaker’s head falls to the ground. Kagari apologizes, he grew bored of waiting for the speaker to finish talking. He tells the men that he’s kind of busy, so rather than killing them one by one, he would prefer it if they just all came at him at once. Hey, even weaklings like them might give him some entertainment if they work together. When one of the attackers protests, Kagari tells him not to get angry, he’s just telling them the truth.

The difference in their ability was obvious.

Kagari notes that this is what it’s like to be weak. Even if they never met him, these men would have still died young. He dodges their attack like a wildcat, his movements quick and efficient. With each stab of his sword, a vital area is struck, and bright red droplets dance like cherry blossoms in the wind. The final attacker tries to run, but Kagari throws his sword, striking the man. Kagari bemoans how heartless people are these days, leaving their comrades to die alone.

The final attacker explains that they’re not comrades, he’s a mercenary who was just hired to do a job with them. He begs Kagari for mercy.

In this country the strong are good and the weak are evil. Therefore, a weak person like this mercenary has no place in Ruby. If he dies here and now, he doesn’t have to go through life being a weak coward who hates himself. Really, Kagari is doing him a favor.

He kills the man quickly, and then disappointedly notes that everyone else is dead.

The quiet night is interrupted again by the sound of approaching footsteps. Kagari’s subordinates arrive, and he orders them to send the bodies back to their employer. The subordinates complain that Kagari went off without them again. Kagari asks if they want to be killed along with the attackers. The subordinates grow pale and Kagari tells them that he was just joking. Mostly.

Kagari sheathes his sword, and the atmosphere lightens. He tells his subordinates that he’s fine on his own, and if they’re useless in a fight, they’ll just get in his way. But even he understands strategy enough to know that the more pieces one has, the better.

No one chases after the Yaksha when he walks away.

With an unsteady step, Kagari settles beneath a cherry tree, and notes that there is a full moon tonight. He watches some of the petals fall in front of him.

(Some days you just wanna take a nap)

The bushes next to him rustle though there is no wind. Kagari asks if they’ve come again.

A cat pops out of the bush and meows at Kagari. Kagari meows in reply and tells the cat he’s especially bloody tonight, so they should stay away. The cat doesn’t heed his warning and approaches Kagari, tail held high.

Kagari muses that if the cat lives in this country, they’re probably used to the smell of blood by now. He lies down, using his sword as a makeshift pillow. The cat trots over to his side and when he strokes under their chin, they begin to fall asleep.

Kagari complains that the cat is too small, too fragile, and too forgetful to survive. They’re going to die soon. Then again, the cat is choosing to sleep next to the Yaksha, a good choice to live a long life.

A shadow flickers in Kagari’s eyes and he pulls his sword close to himself. He wonders when the next battle will be. Tomorrow, the day after?

Unfortunately fighting doesn’t put food on the table. If things continue, he may starve to death. He needs to hurry up before that happens, and then everything will be easier.

Rhodolite

Finished talking about the four countries, Akatsuki turns to Emma and asks which country she has chosen.

Emma thinks that all the countries are interesting, and any one of them would be a good choice. After listening to Akatsuki, Emma chooses.

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences for redflawedglass behind the cut; they asked for dealer's choice, and I picked "Clark wakes up alive". ( chrono || non-chrono )

“I hope you don't mind me just showing up like this,” he says, gentle and apologetic. Conner never had enough choices in his life, short as it was. He feels like–Clark just wants better for him, this time. “Is it alright that I'm here?”

It was partially his fault, that Conner thought he couldn't choose things for himself for so long. Thought he couldn't have things he wanted. Thought he just had to accept whatever he was offered, more often than not. 

Not always. Not every time. But–too much of the time. 

If Clark can help him learn otherwise sooner . . . 

Well. Of course he's going to try to. 

. . . yes, appears very slowly in Clark's head, and he smiles at Conner again. 

“Thank you,” he says. “I'm happy to hear that. I hope us meeting each other makes you happy too.” 

Conner's face stays perfectly impassive, but his eyes go wet. He blinks, and Clark hears his heartbeat stutter again. 

He could've done this last time. He could've done less than this, and Conner would've had a much easier and much less painful start to life outside Cadmus. 

But he didn't, of course, so he can't do any less than this now. 

“Call security,” Desmond says flatly. . 

“On Superman?” Guardian asks in disbelief. “Sir, even if there was a reason to call security, I wouldn't do that to security.” 

“He’s trespassing!” Desmond snaps. “And interfering with the subject, besides!” 

“I mean, I don’t know if this is interfering . . .” Guardian says skeptically. 

This is absolutely interfering, and Clark is going to be doing as much of it as (in)humanly possible, but he does prefer no one calling security and interrupting the conversation. 

“Don’t mind me,” he says to them, as pleasant and sweet as Ma’s most passive-aggressive “bless your heart”. Then he smiles a little softer at Conner, trying to be . . . careful, maybe. 

He did this so badly last time. Did so badly by Conner last time. 

He doesn’t intend to do anything like that again. 

Ever. 

“It really is so good to meet you, kid,” he says gently. Simple and straightforward, still. Easy for a child to understand, he hopes–or at least easier. Conner had enough trouble understanding other people to begin with, and he can’t imagine it’d be any easier while operating a younger brain and with an even earlier interruption to his education uploads. “Would you mind if I hugged you now?” 

Conner’s eyes . . . flicker, just barely. There’s confusion in them, Clark thinks, but it’s a little hard to tell. He’s even less expressive than the version of himself Clark’s used to. 

. . . was used to. 

Clark doesn’t think about that. Not right now. 

. . . ‘hug’? appears in his head, slow and hesitant over an obviously unfamiliar word. 

Clark debates throwing Desmond through a wall. Just a thin wall. Not a load-bearing one. 

But definitely a wall. 

“I mean I’d like to hold you,” he explains, because if Conner sees him get angry, he’ll blame himself for it. Of course he would, between his current age and the kind of things he’s likely had shoved into his brain so far. “Like you were holding your friend a moment ago.” 

He points at the G-gnome to clarify, and Conner . . . hesitates. Nothing appears in Clark’s head. 

“Call security immediately,” Desmond snaps at Guardian. “Now!” 

“Sir–” Guardian starts, half-raising his hands, and Desmond’s expression turns murderous. 

“That was an order, Guardian,” he says dangerously. Clark half-expects to feel G-gnomes in his mind or for Guardian to change his mind under their influence, but nothing happens. 

He doesn’t look at Dubbilex, but he . . . wonders, a little. 

Conner just barely shrinks in on himself, and Clark wonders how many times he’s been faced with an angry person so much bigger and older than him in real life, or even been out of his pod at all. Is this the first time? A regular occurrence? Something in-between? 

The G-gnome hops up on Conner’s shoulders; leans forward over his head and inspects Clark curiously, tilting its own head. Conner freezes, and Clark sees the faintest trace of fear in the back of his eyes. 

He wonders if the G-gnome’s putting it there, but Conner’s looking right at him. 

So if the G-gnome is putting it there . . . 

If it is, Clark can’t help but suspect it’s not actually a deliberate effort on the creature’s part, as opposed to a genuine by-product of Conner not knowing what to expect from him. 

Not knowing if he’ll hurt the G-gnome, he means, remembering the way Conner had hesitated when he’d called it his friend. 

Considering what he knows of how Desmond ran this place–is running this place right now . . . 

“Hello,” Clark says, and smiles at the G-gnome. “It’s nice to meet you too.” 

The G-gnome stares at him for a long, silent moment, and then slips back down behind Conner’s back and wraps its arms around his neck. Clark hears something like a whisper from another room, but not that clear, and Conner . . . hesitates, again. 

Then the word hug appears in Clark’s mind again, this time tentative and longing, and he doesn’t hesitate himself at all. He scoops up Conner and stands up with him in the same moment, and Conner lets out a little breath as his thrumming heartbeat stutters in his chest, and Clark holds him against his own chest very, very carefully, as if he’s holding something more delicate than melting frost on a sunny morning or cracked porcelain. 

Conner doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself; where to put his hands or arms. If he should hold onto him or lean into him or not. 

Clark keeps him in his arms anyway, and swears to himself he’s not leaving without the kid. Not for anything. If Conner doesn’t want to come with him right now, then he’ll wait here with him until he does, no matter what happens outside. 

If Conner never wants to come with him, well–then he’ll just stay, if that’s what it takes. 

He’s not giving Desmond the chance to hurt or hide him. Not giving anyone that chance. 

He wonders if the Conner he remembers even remembered being this small himself, or if it was so brief an experience that it didn’t stick in his head at all. 

He suspects it might’ve been, and hates the thought. 

Buzzes, appears in Clark’s head, still tentative. He doesn’t understand, for a moment, and then realizes Conner’s ear is practically against his chest. So he’s probably talking about . . . 

“I always thought of it as more a ‘thrum’, myself,” he says, and Conner stares mutely at him. Their heartbeats aren’t a perfect match–even with cloned DNA, Conner isn’t quite Kryptonian enough, and his heart beats a little slower and harder than his does. The separate beats are more audible, too. 

But it does still thrum, when it comes to it. 

Warm, appears in Clark’s head too, and Conner ducks his head just enough to hide his face from Desmond when the tears start falling. 

His expression doesn’t change at all, but the tears on his face are undeniable. 

Maybe a load-bearing wall wouldn’t be so bad to throw Desmond through, Clark thinks, bundling the kid up tighter in his arms and wrapping his cape around him as he does. Then he looks at Guardian, and puts on the most pleasant smile he can manage without needing to actually throw Desmond through a load-bearing wall first. 

“I appreciate you taking care of him, but it’s not good for him to be down in the dark like this,” he says, gently stroking what of Conner’s back the G-gnome isn’t perched on and pretending not to notice the fat, heavy tears dripping onto the El crest on his chest. “He needs the sun.” 

“There’s, ah–a solar suit, sir,” Guardian says, but he looks uncomfortable even as he says it. “I mean–he’s being fed solar energy, not just . . . uh . . .” 

He trails off, and looks much more uncomfortable; like he’s just realized what he’s saying. Maybe he has, given Desmond’s influence over the G-gnomes and what they do and don’t let people down here think. 

Guardian still thinks he’s human himself right now, after all.

[7-wonders]

Never Been Kissed

Morpheus/Dream of the Endless x GN!Reader

Summary: Morpheus cannot possibly wait another moment to let you know how he feels about you. What happens when it appears that you don't reciprocate?

Word count: 2.0k

Author's note: Shitty summary, sorry, but you know the scene in Barbie (2023) where Ken goes to kiss Barbie after the party and she just stands there?

This one? Yeah I got it into my head that it would be funny if eternal drama queen Morpheus was in Ken's position.

Clueless!reader, innocent!reader. This is just a kinda stupid, goofy little fic, idk. If you liked it, I'd appreciate hearing from you! If you didn't like it, sound off as well! My haters are my motivators.

P.S. You might be saying "the Endless aren't allowed to love mortals it leads to their ruin!" And I say that this is my fic so I decide the rules. Buckle up babes.

Death would say that he is head over heels.

Desire would say that it is boringly predictable and far too soon.

Lucienne would not say anything, but she would give him that look over the top of her glasses, the one that says that he had better know what he is doing.

Matthew would say that he is down bad, which is apparently what the youth of today are saying.

They are all right, though Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, wishes they were not. Despite his very best efforts, he has fallen in love once more. With a mortal, a human—you. 

Morpheus has never had much luck in love. Though there were a few occasions (very, very few) where it was not his fault, he is mature enough to understand that he has often been the cause of a relationship’s demise. He falls hard and fast, and he always has. That, combined with his…intensity, is what he believes to doom him each and every time. Perhaps he gives too much of himself to those who don’t deserve it; perhaps he shows his hand too quickly. 

But you, he knows, are different. You won’t hurt him, not in the way that others have. You won’t take him for granted.

Tonight, he has decided that he will finally confess to you his affections. He will bare his realm to you, the parts that no normal dreamer will ever get to see, and hope that you understand that this is akin to him baring his very soul. After all, he is the Dreaming, and the Dreaming is him.

But where to take you? What to show you? Morpheus agonized over these questions for far longer than he would care to admit. Although he hoped to be able to accompany you to the farthest reaches of his realm (a tall task, considering said realm was infinite), to explore so much of the Dreaming with you that he rediscovered lands he had long forgotten about, this first foray needed to be perfect. He needed something special, something that conveyed to you the depth of his feelings.

He decided to start with something simple that most people would like to see: Athens, and specifically the Acropolis, as it was in its glory days. For all of the animosity Morpheus felt towards the Greek pantheon, he had to admit that they, and their worshippers, contributed much to society and humanity as a whole. Next was a glimmering lake that was actually the moon’s surface, followed by a glen in what could be the Scottish highlands populated by dragons—he found himself particularly pleased by your stunned awe upon seeing the mythical creatures.

The penultimate stop was one that Morpheus took great pride in thinking up, for he knew that it would be your favorite. A visit to a fae village, exiled by Titania and given sanctuary in the Dreaming (solely due to Morpheus’s dislike of their monarch), enjoying a Harvest celebration. They were harmless creatures in the Dreaming, devoid of any of the power that fae normally possessed, so Morpheus did not feel any hesitation in allowing you to explore the festivities. Above all else, the fae love a good party, so it was not surprising when a few invited you to join them in dancing, pulling you along with them until you were spinning and twirling as though you had always known the fae folk dance. You reached for him, mouthing “Come dance with me!” but he gently rebuffed you with a shake of his head and a smile, happy to simply watch the way you moved, with a grin on your face and boisterous laughter sounding just as lovely as the music playing.

What you had referred to as a “behind-the-scenes tour” ends in his private gardens, long a place of solace for him. Your excitement, your joy, fuels him. It’s palpable and intoxicating, and Morpheus wishes he could bottle it and keep it with him forever to give him just a hint of this feeling whenever he wants.

“This is…amazing. Your realm is amazing,” you gush, your eyes sparkling. “I feel like that word is such an understatement for what I’m trying to describe, but it’s the only one that comes to mind right now.”

“It pleases me to hear you think so.”

“Thank you for this. For trusting me,” you say sincerely.

Morpheus was right, you do understand the gift that this experience was meant to be. It makes the space in his chest cavity, where his heart would be if he allowed this form to have one, feel warm. It is only the the very least I could, no, would give you, he thinks. 

You’re smiling so sweetly at him, the moon shining down like a spotlight and making you look the closest to holy that Morpheus will ever get. This is it, he realizes. This is the moment where he will tell you of his love for you, and where you will then reciprocate. This is the moment that he will commit to memory for the rest of eternity until his sister locks up the universe behind her. This is the moment that you become his, and he yours. 

There is so much that Morpheus wants to say to you, yet he knows not where to begin. An unfamiliar feeling swells within him—nervousness. What if he says the wrong thing, what if he scares you off with his intensity before he can truly say what he wants to say? No, best to show you how he feels before telling you, that way there is no doubt. With that, Morpheus leans in towards you and closes his eyes, waiting to feel his lips on yours.

That feeling does not come, and Morpheus belatedly realizes after a few moments that it will not come. When he opens his eyes and looks at you once more, you’re still standing in the same position that you were, still smiling, albeit looking a bit more confused

“Is something wrong?” you ask.

All of Morpheus’s plans, his hopes and…dreams, for lack of a better term, come crashing down around him. So you’ve rejected him, then. He has laid his heart bare for you, shown you parts of his realm that no other mortal has been lucky enough to see, and you’ve turned him down. This, he muses, is his fatal flaw. Mentally, he had already declared you his, crowned you his consort, and created an entire life with you.

But the Lord of Dreams should know better than anyone that it does no good to dwell on dreams, for they are nothing but fantasy and can lead only to heartbreak.

“It appears that I was wrong in thinking that my feelings were reciprocated,” he says lowly, looking out at a carefully cultivated rose bush that is rapidly wilting. An icy wind begins to whip up, stripping the bush of its dead petals and sending them swirling off into the night.

Shock, raw and unfiltered, crosses your face. “Oh! You wanted…to kiss me?”

Morpheus pauses at this odd question, for he did not think you to be so obtuse. Did he not make it obvious that that was what he was intending? Are you attempting to shame him further? “Yes? I apologize, since you have made clear that you do not harbor the same affection for me as I do for you.” He has to grit his teeth to keep from spewing anything more vicious, though lightning cracks across the sky and says what he cannot.

“No! I mean yes. I mean–” You take a breath and shake your head as though you’re trying to physically clear your thoughts. “Sorry. It’s just that I’ve never…been kissed. Before.”

The bad weather, which had been threatening since the moment he realized that he was wrong and tried desperately to hide the devastation that was threatening to overtake him, dies down so suddenly that it could have been turned off by some unseen entity hitting a switch.

“What.” It is certainly not proper of Morpheus to sound so shocked, especially when it’s regarding a topic that you are so clearly embarrassed about. But he simply cannot believe that someone like you, someone so delightful and open, so empathetic and, well, attractive, has never experienced intimacy from another before.

“I know, it’s super lame. People just…haven’t ever liked me in that way?” You shrug and add, “Just haven’t found the right person yet,” in a way that sounds so self-deprecating that it must be a line you’ve heard many times before.

“So you have never…”

You shake your head and look away in embarrassment. “No hand holding, no kissing, no dating. Nothing. Sorry to disappoint.”

It goes unsaid what else you haven’t done if those simple, basic acts of romance have been devoid from your life. From the way you brace yourself, you’re obviously expecting him to react negatively to the news, and he assumes that this is from experience. Instead, Morpheus finds that he does not mind in the slightest. No, this piece of information is…rather titillating, actually.

(Perhaps it’s the fact that this means you’re largely untouched by anyone, but specifically mortals, whom Morpheus has seen the worst of for over a hundred years. The filth of humanity has yet to mar you in such an intimate manner. Prior to today, Morpheus didn’t think that he had an innocence kink. Now? He’s starting to see why the gods and goddesses of old so favored virgins.)

He files this revelation away to be revisited later, when he can hope to be in complete control of his emotions and not have them divided by having the object of his affection standing right in front of him.

“I do not find myself disappointed,” he says.

Your eyes meet his once more, and he can see the hope you hold. “You don’t?”

He shakes his head. “It is not your fault that others have failed to properly see the magnificence standing before them.”

‘Magnificent’ does not even come close to doing any justice in describing you, Morpheus feels, but it will do for now.

“Morpheus,” you admonish half-heartedly and bashfully. You are obviously not used to receiving such compliments, which is precisely why Morpheus is now determined to make sure that you shall never go a day without hearing one. 

“Would you be interested in such things with me?” Things, of course, being the list of activities you have never partaken in.

Slowly, a smile spreads on your face. “Really? You like me like that?”

Your naïvete is truly endearing. “I do. Am I correct in hoping that you feel the same?”

“Yeah. You’d be correct.”

“Then might I bestow upon you your first kiss?”

Somehow, your smile widens, and you nod. “I’d like that.”

Morpheus again leans towards you, but this time, his actions are reciprocated. Your lips against his are soft and a little clumsy against his, which is to be expected from someone who has absolutely no experience. The entire time, he can feel the way that you’re trying, and failing, to keep yourself from smiling.

It is by no means the best kiss that Morpheus has ever had. Yet, it will likely remain one of his most fond memories of such an action.

When you pull away, you’re giggling almost giddily. “That was really good,” you praise, as though discussing a book or a meal. It’s simultaneously not at all and exactly what Morpheus was expecting from you, and he can practically feel himself falling further for you.

Tonight will not be the night that he espouses his love for you. He will not whisper promises of the universe against your skin, and he will not whisk you away to his chambers so that he may properly ravish you. Instead, this relationship will be…slow. Although that is not something that Morpheus is used to, something that he’s familiar with, he finds that he is alright with the concept of taking things slow, so long as it is with you.

[pagannatural]

2.09 Croatoan

-my beloved

-The brothers go to Oregon because Sam has a vision of Dean shooting someone who pleads for his life.

-Sam thinks Dean is violent and out of control because of his grief but he’s actually violent and out of control because he’s losing his mind over Sam.

-Sam looks very Scared Little Brother when they realize the town has no phone signal. He stands really close to Dean. Sam is right. I forgot how scary this episode is.

-Sam hesitates to kill the son who had the mom tied up, and Dean berates him. Dean calls the son a “monster” and Sam says “it was a kid.” Dean likes a clean line between monster and human.

-Sam is always the one who comforts the victims and tells people everything will be okay, another way in which his role in the relationship is traditionally feminine. He’s the one women find non-threatening. (And he’s too distracted by Dean to be attracted to them).

-When the mom, Beverly, says “one minute they were my husband and my son and the next they had the devil in them” the camera cuts to Sam and Dean. This line could be Dean describing a blood-drinking Sam: one minute he was my husband and my son and the next he had the devil in him.

-One of the armed men blocking the road out of town asks Dean to get out of the car to “talk a little,” and Dean says “you are a handsome devil but I don’t swing that way, sorry.” It’s easy to forget that in the early 2000s, this kind of throwaway joke on network tv didn’t usually hint at a character’s hidden sexuality, it was just a vaguely biphobic little joke. But I do think there’s a reason it’s here.

The Croatoan virus is a demonic virus spread from blood infection that’s not visible just by looking at someone. So we have a little AIDS parallel. It’s also a similar concept to Sam’s demon blood. His blood represents choice and sin and the human mixed with the monstrous. Blood is also associated with family.

Incest and queerness are taboos that have often been conflated in fiction (and in history), and both have been strongly associated with monstrosity—think predatory sexuality, birth defects, infertility, rejection of the natural order. A desire that’s dangerous and wrong and destructive, that must stay hidden and can only survive in the shadows. The homoerotic incestuous monster hunters are the perfect storm of gothic queer horror.

Whether or not either brother is queer doesn’t affect the plot, and isn’t the point. I can see Dean grappling with being in love with Sam without questioning his sexuality at all. Sam is a category unto himself to Dean, and Sam doesn’t appear bothered about his sexuality aside from his feelings about Dean. But the confluence of these taboos—incest and queerness—with blood is central to the plot of the show and the question of what evil is. Really their love for each other and their shared blood is what saves them, keeps them human.

-Another of my absolute favorite underrated wincest moments is when Beverly is begging for her life from the utility room and Dean asks Sam “are you sure she’s one of them?” Sam barely nods and it’s enough for Dean to shoot her three times point blank. He doesn’t need any more information, just for Sam to nod slightly.

-Sam suggests that they need to leave to warn others of the virus and Dean tells him he has a good point. They respect each other’s input and work together well.

-Duane shows up and the situation becomes very tense. Sam is standing with his whole body facing Dean. In moments of extreme stress, Sam often seeks Dean’s protection rather than focusing on the threat.

-Dean has a gun on Duane with some urgency but Sam says “I gotta talk to you—now” and Dean leaves the room with him immediately.

Sam argues that they should wait and not kill Duane in case he isn’t infected. Dean says “what’s that buy us?”

“A clear conscience, for one.”

“Well it’s too late for that.” Is Dean talking about his guilt over John’s death? Or is this more about his general self hatred around never being enough to be everything for everyone, to give Sam everything that he needs and be the perfect son and soldier and brother and father and mother?

Sam tells him “you don’t act like yourself anymore, Dean. You’re acting like one of those things out there.” Dean does feel lost. He needs Sam to save him so that he can save Sam.

-Sam is so devoted to Dean this season. He spent season 1 gradually giving into his complete trust and commitment to Dean and now he’s been losing him or at risk of losing him in different ways all season. He fights tooth and nail for Dean every step of the way to get him to listen, to talk, to come back to him.

-Dean pushes Sam out of the way and locks him out, aiming to kill Duane. He says “it’s not him, not any more” and “I’ve got no choice.” But then Dean decides not to shoot him.

-When the doctor asks if it’s alright to untie Duane, Dean and Sam seem to have a wordless conversation in which Dean defers to Sam’s judgement, and Sam tells the doctor it’s okay to untie him.

-Sam is Dean’s morality. Dean is submitting to Sam, needing him to help him make the right choice. By doing this he’s also believing in Sam’s ability to stay good.

-Sam says about Dean not killing Duane “you know I’m gonna ask you why.”

Dean replies “yeah I know,” not looking up, focusing on keeping his hands busy making Molotov cocktails.

“So why? Why didn’t you do it?”

Dean looks at Sam with his chin tucked, like it’s hard to meet his eyes. He doesn’t answer. He clears his throat and says “we need more alcohol,” basically asking Sam to leave for a moment so that he can pull it together. He gazes after Sam with this raw, shamed look.

It’s the first of two parallels in this episode to their conversation in 1.19 where Sam says his reticence to date is mostly not about Jessica, and Dean asks “then what is it about?” and Sam just looks at him, implying heavily that it’s about Dean.

The question Dean was asking Sam there was essentially, Why can’t you love anyone else?

The first question Sam asks Dean is why he didn’t kill someone, but it’s also why Dean wants to do the right thing and not lose himself, and the answer is because of Sam.

-After Sam is attacked, he reaches for Dean’s hand to help him up off the floor and then just leaves his hand outstretched after Sarge holds Dean back and tells him Sam is infected. It’s like his muscle memory of reach-out-hand, Dean-pulls-me-up hasn’t caught on.

-The whole time Dean argues with the others about Sam, Sam only looks at the floor or at Dean. He’s not watching the conversation, he’s watching Dean because he’s scared and he looks to Dean when he’s scared.

-Dean says “no one’s shooting my brother”

He’s so protective. He was about to kill someone who might be infected just in case, but when it’s Sam he would simply rather die in a murder suicide and that’s that on that.

-Sam asks for the gun so that he can shoot himself, saying “I’m not gonna become one of those things.” This episode is pure foreshadowing for the end of s5. Sam refuses to become a monster, Dean chooses to stand by him and die rather than kill him. Because of their faith in each other, because they waited, things work out.

-Dean hands over the keys to the impala. He’s not fucking around. He tells the doctor “oh actually we’re not really marshals.” He’s in a truth telling mood, fuck it.

-Sam asks Dean to leave him and keep living, looking at him with incredulity and gratitude and love and fear.

Dean leaving him alone to die or become a monster would fulfill Sam’s deepest fear—left behind, not belonging, because something is wrong with him. But he still asks Dean to go, he throws a fit, he tells him “this is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” It reminds me of that scene from Titanic, Jack telling Rose “you’re so stupid” for staying with him instead of saving herself.

He says “it’s over for me, it doesn’t have to be for you.”

“No?”

“No. You can keep going.”

“Who says I want to?”

This scene is so dramatic and romantic. Close shots of their faces, Sam looking up at Dean with his eyes full of tears, begging him. Dean tells Sam he doesn’t want to go on without him.

Sam asks, what?

For a moment it almost looks like he’s taking this as the confession that it is, before Dean puts some distance between them and leans against the wall. This is the second scene is this episode to parallel their conversation in 1.19, this time even more closely.

Sam thinks Dean doesn’t want to go on because their dad died, but Dean says “you’re wrong. It’s not about dad. I mean part of it is, sure, but-“

Sam interrupts to ask “then what is it about?” and Dean gives him this look,

this look of love and tenderness, like he’s willing Sam to understand.

This time Sam’s question is Why don’t you want to live? And the answer is that Dean doesn’t want to live without Sam.

I love how this scene makes clear that Sam’s romantic partners compare directly to Dean. It confirms what Sam was thinking about in 1.19, because for these scenes to rhyme they must have been thinking about each other.

-The brothers share a romantic beer at the lake. Sam asks Dean what he was talking about last night in a way that honest-to-god sounds like he’s referring to pillow talk. Dean doesn’t want to tell so Sam keeps pushing, but their tones are teasing and light. They really sound like they’re flirting. Dean suggests that they go to the Grand Canyon.

Sam keeps questioning him, gentle but insistent, as Dean talks about taking a break.

-Where is our Grand Canyon episode?

-Sam looks so scared when Dean says John told him something about Sam before he died. I wonder what’s running through his head. There’s this feeling that people with Sam’s negative core belief often get, which is a fear that something is deeply wrong or rotten in them and that eventually other people will find out. He’s probably thinking that’s finally happened.

[lilyinavalley]

The dance of the black feather

Sylus x reader Fluff and a bit mature towards the ending 1749 words

Music inspo ^^

It was evening and I was taking a stroll in Linkon city’s crowded streets, around me there were all kinds of people with so many different ways of life; sometimes when i’m alone in places full of life my mind starts to wander, I often try to imagine the countless lives i could have had if i made different choices, life is such a strange thing, like, what if instead of being an hunter i decided to continue my studies to be a lawyer, or a vet, or maybe i took cooking courses to work in a restaurant and eventually opening one on my own…

My thoughts were interrupted by the cowing of a crow, coming from my … purse? 

Yeah, right, the real question is, what my life would have been like, if i hadn’t met… him.

Under the perplexed gazes of the people that passed by, I removed the phone from my purse and picked up the incoming call. 

“Sylus, are you for real? Have you seriously changed my ringtone again to that cursed sound?”

“Hello to you too sweetie, also, Mephisto wouldn’t be happy to hear what you just said you know?”

His deep voice tickled my eardrums.

“Nevermind, did you have something to say?”

A sneer followed by a subdued laughter came from the phone speaker.

“I just happened to see a lost kitten while I was going back home”

As soon as I heard that, I felt a gaze piercing the back of my head, my heart started to beat a bit faster than normal and I turned around.

About 10 meters ahead of me stood a tall man, he was surrounded by people that were passing by, in his gaze a veiled sweetness.

When our eyes met, a gentle warmth slowly spread, starting from my heart to all parts of my body, my expression started to soften and my lips curved upwards.

Like magnets we started to walk towards each other, the call, that was still ongoing, was by me long forgotten.

As soon as he reached me he quickly ended the call and tossed the phone in his pants pocket, without hesitation he raised one hand and his fingers passed through the hair that framed my face; the surroundings became blurred, the only thing i could see was the bottomless passion in his crimson eyes, the noises of the city disappeared in a second, as the only sound I could hear was the firm beating of his heart.

“Do you mind spending the rest of the evening with me?” 

Said the white haired man with a soft voice.

“What do you think?”

So he moved by my side and the fingers that were previously tangled through my hair touched my fingertips, then they went up slowly, caressing the skin that covered the inner part of my fingers, and when he reached the palm, with a swift motion he intertwined our hands. 

As much as I wanted to stay away from him, I just couldn’t; our first encounter wasn’t the best, but slowly I peeled off layer after layer and the man I found underneath lured my soul.

His long legs tried to keep my pace, way slower than his, but he didn’t complain about it. Everytime he was in Linkon he tried to find an excuse to go out with me, I always found extremely funny seeing him in his bad boss attire in mundane places like Karaoke, playrooms or the vanilla cafès where we could play kitty cards; the lengths he would go just to stay with me.

We walked side by side until we reached an isolated area where a motorbike was parked, two helmets hanging from the handles.

“Are you up for a joyride?”

He said with an ironic tone, as this was the umpteenth time he asked me the same thing.

Without saying anything I jogged towards the vehicle, put on the helmet and hopped on .

Sylus remained flabbergasted for a second and then a satisfied smirk appeared on his face.

“You’ve become quite bold haven’t you?” 

“If you’re not coming I’m going to steal your precious motorbike”

“Mmmh, that’s quite the statement kitten, with what keys exactly are you doing that?”

Oh… right.

Without saying anything further he put on his helmet and got on in front of me, as he turned on the vehicle, I circled his abdomen with my arms and I rested my head on his back. 

Everytime I went on a ride with him I didn’t feel an ounce of danger, as he always rode carefully, our bodies glued to each other, hearts beating in sincro, as he was speeding, the lights emitted by the street lamps flashed my eyes, so i closed them, and I got lulled by the vibration of the engine and the light warmth of his body.

Love often comes with absolute trust, and in every gesture and action, even the unconscious ones, I poured it to him; he, on the other hand, drowned me with raw affection.

After some time we entered the N109 zone and I started to recognize the streets that at that point have become almost familiar; we stopped at the feet of an extremely luxurious building, where at the top I already knew there was one of his penthouses.

We got off the motorbike, he took my helmet and with a natural gesture he circled my waist with an arm.

“What are we going to do tonight little crow?”

“Hah, this is new, it’s kinda cute, but are you sure that the adjective “little” is appropriate to describe me?”

“Oh my god Sylus” I said while laughing.

He also let out a soft laugh and then we reached the elevator inside the building.

“So?”

“You’ll see soon sweetie”

As soon as we arrived at the top floor Sylus disappeared in a cloud of black feathers and red smoke, so I was left alone in an unfamiliar place; the huge living room was similarly furnished as all the other houses I was brought to.

“Sylus?” I shouted. But I didn’t receive any response, so I started to search for him.

After I entered all the rooms of the ground floor I went up the stairs, only then I heard a soft melody coming from the end of the hallway. When I was getting closer, the sound rose in volume and I could finally distinguish clearly the notes of the beautiful song that was coming behind the closed door.

“Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the flowers, good taste”, after whispering this words I pushed the double door open and I entered a circular room, the floor was of black marble with golden veins, corinthian style columns made of the same material created a smaller circle, that still left a lot of space in the center of what looked like a ballroom. The music was playing on loop from a gramophone near a pillar; when I almost reached the center of the room Sylus appeared in front of me in a cloud of smoke and swiftly he took my hand.

“My beautiful lady, will you grant me this dance?” he said with a smug face.

I chuckled a little.

“So this was the reason of your sudden disappearance dear gentleman; yes, I’ll give you this dance”

My hand took his and my other one was gently placed on the blade of his right shoulder, I wanted to reach the back of his neck, but because of his tall stature I couldn't.

His hand laid on my lower back, but it was so large that he almost covered the entirety of my width. 

And then we started to dance, actually we didn’t really know any of the moves, nor have we ever practiced this kind of waltz, the only experience we’ve had with dancing together was at the protocore auction that happened months ago.

Somehow we never stepped on each other’s feet and we twirled trying to follow the flow of the music, at some point he also lifted me up from the ground and the music suddenly melted with our carefree laughter, creating an idyllic symphony.

The lightness of that moment was interrupted, when tired from the frenetic dance, we just swayed while completely abandoned in each other’s arms. His head was resting on top of mine and his hot breath slightly moved my hair. My cheek was pressed on his chest, one ear listening to the fast beating of his heart, the other unconsciously assimilated the rhythm of the music.

In that embrace, our feelings didn’t need to be shared, as our loving gazes soon started to burn with passion. My hands unlatched his back and one on each of his cheeks lowered his head until our gazes were on the same level. Soon after, we simultaneously closed our eyelids and our lips collided, firstly like feathers tickling each other, but then the flame of lust took over.

His hand started to wander around my back, when he reached the area behind my thighs he lifted me up and I automatically circled his waist with my legs, my right hand moved on the back of his head and with my fingers through his silverish hair I pushed his scalp towards me, not giving him a chance to get air.

It was like a battle to gain dominance, two lions fighting for the upper standing.

When we realized that none of the two could surpass the other, we separated, hot breaths miglings and languid eyes crossing.

The adrenaline subsided and he brought me back to the ground, limbs never leaving mine. 

“My lovely lady, thank you for the dance” he brought my hand to his lips and kissed my ring finger while never leaving my gaze.

“It was more thrilling than I expected”

He raised his head and while still holding my hand, he disappeared for the second time, leaving behind only a cloud of black feathers.

When he left, I noticed a silver ring with a black tiny gem resting on the finger he kissed and a piece of paper on the ground.

<Will this beautiful lady also join me for dinner?> was written in elegant calligraphy.

I let out a soft snort and I left the ballroom, the melody still playing in the background.

That’s right, it doesn’t matter how many great possibilities i could’ve had if i walked different paths, this one, where i met this great man, for me, is really the most beautiful one.

[tallsc]

AvA Blue Character Analysis

Starting this analysis, I thought I would have trouble coming up with something important to talk about with Blue. Their character's been pretty stated, right? They're a pacifist potion-creator who likes eating weird stuff and is good with a bow. They're pretty acrobatic, they're a decent builder but not the best, they don't like being in leadership roles. That's their character, right?

No, it isn't.

The first statement in that list is wrong. Or, at least, is missing many key details that explains a lot more about what Blue is actually like.

Blue has been commonly described as a pacifist, and I can understand why. Before looking into this topic, that's how I thought of them too. They've never been one to start a fight with their friends (unlike most every other member of the Color Gang) and in Piglin War, they wouldn't hurt the piglins, only the zombies.

But that doesn't make them a pacifist. It highlights another aspect of their character that I will discuss later in this analysis, but it doesn't make them a pacifist.

Blue has been shown, time and time again, to kill. They killed the ghast with Green in season 1, along with Yellow's ghast friend in one of the shorts. They have fought pillagers with lethal force, and taught villagers to do the same. They even killed piglin brutes along with the rest of the Color Gang in the Ultimate Weapon. They never hesitated to do that, despite going out of their way (and almost dying) to avoid hurting any of the piglins in Piglin War.

Additionally, they seem to enjoy the act of fighting. They happily join sparring matches with the rest of the color gang, and will even initiate them as long as they know it is all in good fun. So they do sometimes enjoy battle, and show no hesitance to kill when the situation requires it.

This doesn't make Blue any worse than the rest of the characters, since they have all fought mobs and killed before and they all like fighting, but it certainly doesn't make them entirely peaceful. So why do they have a reputation as a pacifist? Why do they seem so reluctant to start serious fights, and why were they so careful around the piglins in Piglin War?

Well, the answer to that seems to be that Blue forms a very close protective bond with those they care about, and they form those bonds very quickly. Everyone in the Color Gang cares about each other, of course, but Blue tends to express their bonds in a different way, and forms said attachments so quickly, that their actions tend to resemble pacifism.

Blue has consistently been quietly protective of their friends in a way that none of the others seem to express. They avoid fights - with their friends. They try to stop conflicts - between their friends. They go out of their way to make sure their friends don't get hurt. They risked their life multiple times to save their piglin friends, both in Piglin War and in The King. Their main focus is often to support their friends and, most importantly, keep them safe.

In fact, while they've never backed down from a possibly-dangerous adventure, they also have never (purposefully) started one. The only time they did start anything of the sort, they went out of their way to not bring any of the others. New adventures can be dangerous after all, and the last thing they want is for their close friends to get hurt.

This apparent desire for peace that has led to Blue's reputation as a pacifist is really more a focus on keeping their friends safe by avoiding infighting, rather than them disliking battle in general. But this still seems like a good thing, on a surface level, since being the protective mediator should help to keep those friends they value so deeply safe.

But there is a problem with Blue's thought process. Because their friends have gotten hurt before. And, worse, people who Blue had started to view as a close friend have hurt them. And they haven't taken either scenario well.

Blue often appears to be the one who's hit the hardest whenever it appears their friends have been hurt or killed. Everyone cares, everyone's upset, but Blue always appears the most distraught. They're so afraid to lose their friends that they will regularly risk their own life or even harm their friends on accident - most notably in the Ghast friend short - in an attempt to protect them. Blue isn't instinctual like Orange, but their actions can still be misguided when they don't have time to think everything through.

But there's more than one way to lose a friend. Purple's betrayal seems to have affected them deeply, such that - significantly after the betrayal, even after it appeared Purple was their ally again - Blue was very reluctant to trust anyone who reminded them of Purple. Far before Mango revealed their plan, Blue still did not trust them, solely because Mango reminded them of Purple. Blue puts in so much energy and trust into their friends that losing one through betrayal hits them incredibly hard.

Blue is a lot of things. Like all the Color Gang, Blue makes friends easily. They always do their best to keep their friends safe, both from outside threats and from each other. They're crushed at the idea of their friends dying, and will risk their life to stop that from happening. They're afraid of betrayal.

But one thing that Blue is definitely not, is a pacifist.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed, you thought of this topic in a new light, or at least found it interesting! I'll be honest, I really did think of Blue as the pacifist one up until now, but from what I can tell now that's based in something entirely different.

Thanks to rigatoniiiiiiii for the suggestion to do something for Blue! And sorry for like directly contradicting the one thing you said about them but this was the topic I came up with- 'XD I was considering doing something on their relation with Green here too but this is a long enough analysis already so I'll do that some other time.

[itsdeniini]

How do IVE Rei and ENHYPEN Sunoo feel about each other? ೀ 🍨 ‧ ˚ 🎀 ⊹˚. ♡ 𐙚˙⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩¤

𓍢ᰔᩚ Rei about Sunoo ! ฅ/ᐠ > ˕ <マ

The Moon, The Empress, The Magician

"He is facing a lot of those types of challenges that are not compatible with his personality." Here she comes, kicking in the door with this statement! Rei thinks that Sunoo is looking for affection in the wrong place, and even if he's getting it from his folks, it's not really the sort of affection he needs. Sunoo wants his close people to be possessive of him, or else he'll feel like he doesn't belong around these people. He wants to have proof of devotion from his friends, lovers, co-workers, etc., and if he does not get it, he will sulk, not always understanding that some people are just around him or doing something for him just to get under his skin. She's not familiar with Sunoo's struggles, and that's obvious; a lot of things are kept behind closed doors, but if she could, she would recommend him being less hesitant and cautious, because he has a strong point that is his natural charm, and he can attract with it the right audience, pushing back the wrong one. Moving away from this subject, Rei considers that Sunoo is very dependable and has a strong intellect paired with a tender heart. His wide array of emotions is also helping him to portray different images depending on circumstances, and if he has enough determination to transform his fantasies into something real, then he will do it, as she thinks that their imaginative worlds are quite similar, but how they make dreams come true is still different. Would Rei look out for Sunoo as a potential friend? Probably, but that would be a once-in-a while call, and that's it. That's not much of a friendship, and the initiative will come more from his side, so that's a meh...

𓍢ᰔᩚ Sunoo about Rei ! ฅ/ᐠ > ˕ <マ

The Queen of Swords, 7 of Cups, The Emperor

Sunoo points out Rei's artistry from the start! He thinks that she is a good team player who can be flexible in different sorts of concepts; she does her thing on the highest level, and that's an admirable ability of hers. He doesn't know her as a person in real life, but he wants to believe that she's friendly and has a transparent attitude behind the scenes, because I feel like he think that she might be a bit of a "mean girl," with Regina George being the closest example, Rei being like, "Oh my God, I love your skirt; where did you get it?" to someone, and then the next second slamming that person back, like that's the vibe Sunoo is getting from her. It's like she doesn't like to show her compassionate side to people that she's not so familiar with; she would rather manifest all her compassion and empathy in the light of the reflectors, so it's more of a business image for her. Sunoo also thinks that she's fully concentrated on her career now, so that explains everything that has been said so far. Just like Rei, Sunoo presumes that she might enjoy living in a fantasy world quite often, sometimes dreaming about silly, impossible things. On the other hand of the dreamland, Rei may appear imposing and even intimidating to Sunoo; she has that aura that can make people around her feel insecure about themselves. (She's truly a risky baddie 😭). Sunoo never thought about her in any way, but he wouldn't be against building a friendship with her just because that's his friendly nature. It might be hard for him to find a key to Rei's heart or at least find out more about her interests, and when he'll see that she's too protective of them, Sunoo will want to give up. A one-sided friendship is a no-no for him.

ᯓ★ ⚞🎀・◦・⚟

In conclusion, their aspirations in life are too different, and they are a bit different too. But if you'll try to put them in one room for one hour and then let them out, then voilà! Something more will begin to emerge. Rei is very patient and would take her time with Sunoo's eagerness; he will even succeed in helping her discover many new facets about herself that she was not aware of before, so that would be a good little therapy session from the severe F-type case that Sunoo is >.< She would also try to persuade him to release his strong attachment to past memories and find new excitement in life. This will be a good exchange of advice that both would take into consideration. Opposites can collide or attract, hm? c:

[nar-nia]

3 a.m.

It wasn't your plan to stand in front of Enhypens dorm at 3am, but desperate times called for desperate measures. You didn't dare to knock, instead sending a quick text to the one person you figured was still awaked, and you guessed right.

"Is everything okay?" Riki mumbled a minute later as he opened the door. His face was scrunching up as he tried to hide a yawn, but his eyes seemed awake and full of worry.

"Not really," you huffed, your feet bouncing up and down while you tried to calm yourself. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to be alone right now."

Riki nodded, his hand already pulling you inside before he closed the door and trapped you in a hug. "What happened? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. It has just been a lot."

"Want to watch a movie for distraction?"

Now it was your turn to nod as you followed Riki to their large couch to lie down on it. You had never heard the dorm this quiet, and you weren't quite sure if this was peaceful or eerie.

"I'll just pick one, okay? You can lie down."

You nodded again, your hands grabbing a blanket next to you that you wrapped around yourself, a small place of security while you lied down on the couch.

The movie was okay, it was something without lots of plot but you suspected that Riki had picked it on purpose. And your suspicions seemed to be right as Rikis glance wandered over to you every so often, eyes scrunched in worry. You wished you could ease those worries, but you probably only made them bigger when tears started running down your face. You hoped for a second that Riki might not notice if you kept quiet and that the movie might be a big enough distraction, but you felt him stir next to you.

"I'll get Heeseung, is that okay? He might be able to help better than me."

"I'm sorry," you sighed, your head turning to look at him. "It's not like you don't help. I really appreciate it."

"I know. Don't worry."

"I don't even think Heeseung could help."

"I knowww," Riki groaned before he grinned at you, one hand slapping on your shoulder. "I'll get him. Stop feeling bad."

You were already feeling bad that you barged in in the middle of the night, but okay.

"Hey," you heard after a while. A hand was softly running through your hair and pushed some strands away from your face as you slowly opened your eyes. You hadn't even realized that you closed them. "Riki told me you were here."

"Hey," you whispered back. "I'm sorry if he woke you up."

"I would have preferred your pretty face to wake me up. But it's okay." He grinned. "Scoot over."

You couldn't help but smile while you made some room for Riki and Heeseung on the couch.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I told you she doesn't," Riki hissed, causing another smile to appear on your face.

"I don't think I can, to be honest. There's just too many stressful things happening at once." You shrugged, but you felt the tears coming up again. "I don't know."

The boys looked at each other for a second, thinking about something when Heeseung patted his legs. "Lie down."

You hesitated for a second, but Heeseungs glance was focused on you, a soft smile on his lips that finally convinced you to lie down. His fingers were running through your hair again, a soothing motion contrary to the chaos in your head. The movie continued, but you didn't bother to focus anymore. It wasn't as calming as the hand in your hair anyway, not as calming as the soft breaths Heeseung let out on top of you. You couldn't stop the tears from falling again, but Heeseungs hand never stopped, never hesitated.

"Do you just want to stay over tonight?" he mumbled after a while.

"Can I? Wouldn't that be weird?"

Heeseung chuckled. "I think people might already find it weird that you're in front of our door at 3am."

"Oh." You thought about it for a second. But he was right, wasn't he. It was weird. "Then I'd love to stay over. I don't really want to be alone right now."

"Want me to put some blankets in Heeseungs room?" Rikis chuckle quickly died down when he noticed Heeseung staring at him. You, on the other hand, were trying to avoid looking at both of them, your face rapidly heating up as it got tinted in a deep red.

"It's so late already… I should head to sleep. Goodnight." You couldn't even reply before Riki had already disappeared, leaving only you and Heeseung in the dimly lit room. It was silent, both of you not really knowing what to say now. Especially because Rikis words still echoed in your head.

"He probably just said it because I mentioned I don't want to be alone." Your voice trailed off. "Riki, I mean."

"Ah." For the first time Heeseungs hand froze, standing still for a few seconds before he continued his movement. "Do you want to stay in my room?"

"No!" Your face was growing red again, your eyes squeezed shut so you wouldn't have to look at him. "No, the couch is fine."

Now it was his turn to chuckle. "Want me to stay with you on the couch then?"

"If you want to?"

"Are you still watching the movie?"

You pouted at the sudden topic change, but you shook your head. "No, not really."

"Let me turn it off then. And I'll grab us some blankets!"

Your pout disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. You thought he had rejected you, but this was actually sweet. And it made your heart flutter - did he really plan to sleep on the couch with you? You sat up to let him move and watched as he quickly disappeared into his room, only to disappear again a few minutes later with blankets and pillows.

"Not as comfortable as a bed but we'll make it work," he mumbled as he put the blankets on the couch. He himself lied down, his back pressed against the back of it while he patted the tiny space in front of him. "Come here."

"I-" You were speechless. "What."

"I said come here," he grinned. "Or do you want to risk falling off the couch tonight."

"You're insane." Your face turned red again, especially when Heeseung just continued staring at you, a grin on his lips. "I would probably fall off anyway…"

"I wouldn't let you. Don't worry."

"Okay."

Still hesitant you lied down next to him, but as soon as your back touched the couch you froze. "Uhm… do I look at you or…"

"Please do," he chuckled. "Let me look at your face."

The face that was currently a deep red. You weren't sure if you really wanted that.

"Hi."

Oh. Your face wasn't the only one that had turned pink.

"Hi," he smiled, his hand going back to your hair. "Are you comfortable?"

"If you stop me from falling down the couch." You smiled back, his smile only got wider in return.

"I promise."

"Thank you," you whispered.

His hand was running through your hair again, a soothing motion that led to your eyes slowly closing, a wave of fatigue washing over you.

"You can sleep. I will keep you safe."

this is part 1 of a two part story. the next part will be up on thursday and you can find it here once it's uploaded!

hellooo <33 i am finally back and full of motivation and ideas to write more. my thesis is handed in and now nothing (apart from writing job applications) can stop me from annoying you with new stories. i hope you enjoy 🤭 comments or asks are always appreciated, please let me know your opinions, i love to hear them <33

permanent taglist: @maeum-your @sunoona @hoonsmarsbar @soobin-chois @sjyuniverse @taekbokki

[warabidakihime]

Evermore in Your Arms

Characters: Chuuya x Reader

Synopsis: Love is not just about being with someone when everything is perfect, but standing by their side even when life gets difficult. It's about choosing to hold them close, no matter what, and feeling their warm embrace evermore.

A/N: here's a thank you gift for the explosive support Love's Melancholy Farewell and A Love Discovered in the Darkest of Times! i was genuinely blown away by the reactions it got, so thank you so much! this will be the third and final installment of this fic, so enjoy!

If you haven't read the first two parts, here they are with links:

Love's Melancholy Farewell

A Love Discovered in the Darkest of Times

Enjoy!

--

It had been a few weeks since Chuuya and you had officially gotten back together. You had spent the first few days simply enjoying each other's company, basking in the feeling of being together again. Since then, your relationship has blossomed and grown stronger than ever before.

Chuuya had surprised you by suggesting you move in together like old times. At first, you were hesitant, worried that it might be too soon. But Chuuya had been persistent, and in the end, you agreed. You had spent hours packing up your things and moving into a luxurious penthouse in the heart of Yokohama.

As esteemed executives and basically the current right-hand men of Mori Ougai, the two of you are pretty well-off, and so you spared no expense in creating your dream home.

Your intimacy had also grown in leaps and bounds. You were still exploring each other's bodies, learning what the other liked and didn't like. You had shared your deepest secrets, and you had never felt closer to anyone before. When you made love, it was like the rest of the world faded away, leaving only the two of you together. You were each other's escape from the stressful and dangerous world you lived in, and you treasured every moment you had together.

As per usual, the Port Mafia was always bustling with activity and chaos as members went about their daily business and missions. Chuuya and you were often at the center of it all as two of the highest-ranking executives in the organization. On a typical day, you would wake up early and head to the headquarters to attend meetings and discuss business with Mori Ougai. Chuuya often grumbled about the early mornings and the endless paperwork, but you always kept him in line, reminding him of the importance of your duties.

Maintaining a relationship in the Port Mafia was never an easy feat. There was always the risk of danger, the threat of betrayal, and the constant pressure to maintain appearances. That's why Chuuya and you kept your relationship as discreet as possible, even when you were with other people in the past. When you were with Dazai, you had to be careful not to let your true feelings show. You couldn't risk anyone finding out about your secret romance, especially not Mori, because who knows what could have happened if he ever found out. So you kept things strictly professional whenever you were in public.

At first, it was difficult to keep your love a secret. You longed to be close to each other, to hold hands and steal kisses whenever you could. But you knew the risks, and you were willing to do whatever it took to protect each other.

You would sneak away during meetings and steal moments of intimacy in secluded corners of the headquarters. You would send secret messages to each other, using coded language to hide your true intentions.

In between missions, you went on dates, exploring new places in the city and trying out different restaurants. You had always enjoyed trying new things, and Chuuya was more than happy to indulge your sense of adventure. He was just as eager to explore and find new hobbies himself. One of them is playing laser tag. You also had gone to see movies, taken long walks in the park, and even rented a yacht and enjoyed a nice romantic date by the sea.

It wasn't easy, but you managed to keep your relationship hidden for a while. You knew that if anyone found out, it would mean trouble not just for you but for the entire Port Mafia.

But as time went on, your love for each other only grew stronger. You became each other's support system and your anchor in the stormy seas of the criminal underworld. You knew that the dangers you faced every day were nothing compared to the power of your love.

However, as the saying goes, no secret can remain hidden forever.

One day, when Tachihara rushed to Chuuya’s office to give him an update regarding a mission they did a while back, he caught Chuuya and you in a compromising position and couldn't resist teasing you about your relationship. He was clearly overjoyed and amused that two of his closest friends were in a relationship and, by extension, fucking each other's brains out in either of your respective offices, but most of the time you would do the deed at Chuuya's office. Word quickly spread throughout the organization, and even Mori Ougai eventually found out about your romance.

To everyone's surprise, Mori Ougai wasn't too bothered by it. In fact, he even joked about it during one of the meetings, saying that Chuuya and your love life was more interesting than the latest mission report. Tachihara and Kaji snickered at the remark but were reprimanded by Hirotsu. Meanwhile, Chuuya and you simply exchanged a knowing glance and continued with the meeting. It was definitely a daunting experience to explain and come clean to everyone about your relationship, so much so that it has become a core memory to you. Thankfully, it went smoothly, and everything is well, and it showed in your most recent mission, taking down the Guild.

In the aftermath of the city's near-destruction, the Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency collaborated seamlessly to thwart the despicable plan of the Guild. Chuuya, Dazai, and you played pivotal roles in leading your team to success, while Atsushi and Akutagawa's formidable tag team highlighted a synergy of strengths and weaknesses.

Though Chuuya and Dazai hadn't collaborated in years, their reunion for this mission, while initially marked by resentment, saw them seamlessly fall back into their old dynamic. A mutual respect resurfaced as they flawlessly completed their task.

Chuuya, rightfully upset with Dazai for his past betrayal and the pain he inflicted on you, acknowledged their shared history. He, in his own way, assured Dazai that he would take care of you and even indulged him on the information that you're doing well, subtly noting the detective's softened reaction—it was a confirmation to the red head that his former partner is still very much in love with you.

As Chuuya observed Dazai's softened response, memories of your shared past flooded his mind. He recalled the complicated web of emotions that entangled you and Dazai during your time navigating the treacherous waters of the Port Mafia. It was a period of shared laughter, whispered confidences, and inevitable heartbreak. The bitterness of those memories lingered, alongside the realization that he had stepped into the void Dazai left behind.

Chuuya, with his rough edges and fierce loyalty, became the one who ultimately won your heart. The journey from friends to lovers bore its scars—challenges, misunderstandings, and healing.

Recognizing the significance of the moment with Dazai, Chuuya's focus remained steadfast on the present and the future he aimed to build with you. The acknowledgment of Dazai's sentiments served as a poignant reminder of the winding path that brought them to this point—a point where Chuuya was the one by your side, the one who had earned your heart and trust.

Despite the echoes of the past, Chuuya's determination to move forward with you prevailed. He channeled his understanding into strengthening the bond you two shared.

As the city gradually returned to its usual bustle and activity, Chuuya and you resumed your daily routine, working closely with the Mafia. Despite the chaos and danger faced, a sense of accomplishment prevailed. You had proven your worth and loyalty to the Mafia, and your bond had only grown stronger as a result.

-

And with the chaos gone and the waiting game for the next disaster to happen, you and Chuuya had been looking forward to spending some quality time together, and so you went on a date a couple of times in the past few days. And during work days, you try to find as much time as you can to spend time together like hanging in each other’s office; like right now with you chilling at Chuuya’s office and as you unwind together, things led from one thing to another, and now you’re in each other’s personal bubble, getting as much quality time as you can but your plans were abruptly interrupted by Hirotsu's sudden knock on the door.

The two of you quickly scrambled to compose themselves, but you couldn't resist being a little playful and cheeky, your hand finding its way under the desk and onto Chuuya's lap. The redhead felt his heart racing as your hand began to move, your playful advances making it hard for him to focus on the task at hand. He tried to push aside his thoughts and focus on Hirotsu's briefing, but your touch was too distracting.

As Hirotsu began to go over the details of the upcoming raid mission, Chuuya found himself struggling to concentrate. He could feel your hand and tongue moving, your touch sending shivers down his spine. He tried to stifle a moan, but it escaped his lips, and he couldn't help but wonder if Hirotsu could hear it.

Chuuya's mind was racing as the briefing continued. He was trying his best to stay focused on the briefing, but the pleasure you were giving him made it difficult to concentrate.

"Chuuya-kun, are you listening?" Hirotsu asked, noticing Chuuya's distracted demeanor.

Chuuya's heart raced as he quickly composed himself and nodded. "Yes, of course. Continue, Hirotsu-san," he said, hoping that Hirotsu wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, you were still teasing Chuuya under the table, your fingers tracing light circles on his thighs and wrapping your lips around his cock, your tongue teasing the tip and licking the pre-cum. You could feel him growing harder by the second, and you couldn't resist but to increase your pace.

Chuuya let out a soft gasp, biting down on his lower lip to keep from moaning. He felt your hot breath on his skin, and he couldn't help but squirm in his seat.

"Chuuya-kun, are you sure you're alright?" Hirotsu asked with a concerned look on his face.

The mafia executive cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired," he said, hoping that Hirotsu would buy his excuse.

You giggled softly, knowing that Chuuya was lying through his teeth. You continued your ministrations, your hand moving faster as you felt Chuuya getting closer to the edge.

Chuuya's breaths became ragged, his fingers gripping the armrests of his chair. He couldn't take it anymore, and he knew he was about to come. He silently prayed that Hirotsu wouldn't notice anything amiss.

But just as Chuuya was about to let go, Hirotsu suddenly stood up from his chair, signaling the end of the meeting.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow for the final preparations," Hirotsu said, bowing before he left the room.

Chuuya let out a sigh of relief, his body shaking as he tried to regain his composure. He looked down at you, his face misty with sweat and his Adam's apple bobbing with thirst.

"That was close," he whispered, his voice still shaky from the pleasure.

You grinned mischievously, crawling out from under the table. "Oops?"

Chuuya mimicked you and playfully rolled his eyes while standing up from his seat. He then walked towards the door and locked it shut.

You raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of your lips. "What are you doing?" you asked, your voice low.

Chuuya turned to you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I think you know what I'm doing," he said, his hands reaching for your waist.

You laughed, a sultry sound that sent a shiver down Chuuya's spine. "I like where this is going," you said, your hands sliding up his chest.

“Aren’t you enjoying this a tad bit too much? Have I not satiated your hunger already?" he said with a smirk.

You laughed. "Can you blame me? You were looking so handsome and professional. It's a rare sight to see."

Chuuya chuckled, his hungry eyes fixated on you. "You're such a tease,"

You wrapped your arms around his neck and whispered, "Guilty as charged. You should punish me, Nakahara Chuuya-san."

Chuuya's lips curled up into a mischievous smile as he led you to a corner and pressed you up against the wall, his hands trailing down the curves of your body. "You always know just how to get under my skin," he murmured into your ear, his breath hot against your skin.

Your hands found their way into Chuuya's hair, pulling him so close that you felt his cock twitch from his pants, desperate to be let free. "And you love it," you whispered back, your voice heavy with desire.

Chuuya's hands trailed lower, gripping your thighs as he lifted you up and carried you over to his desk. He set you down gently, his eyes never leaving yours as he began to kiss you deeply.

You moaned softly, your fingers tangling in Chuuya's hair as he trailed kisses down your neck, his hands exploring every inch of your body. "Chuuya," you gasped, your voice thick with need. "I need you."

He looked up at you, his eyes dark with desire. "Anything for you," he whispered before capturing your lips again in a heated kiss.

Your hands roamed over each other's bodies, hungrily exploring every inch of skin. The room was filled with the sounds of your soft moans and the rustling of clothing as you frantically stripped each other.

You pulled Chuuya closer, feeling his hardness press against your thigh. "Please," you begged. "I need you now."

Chuuya lifted you up and positioned himself at your entrance before slowly sliding inside of you. You let out a gasp as he filled you completely, the sensation causing a wave of pleasure to wash over you.

"You feel so good," Chuuya groaned, his breath coming in short gasps as he moved inside you. Your nails dug into Chuuya's back as you cried out in pleasure, the sensations coursing through your body almost too much to bear. "Chuuya," you moaned, your eyes locked with his.

You moved together in perfect sync, lost in the moment and consumed by the intensity of your passion. Chuuya's hands were everywhere, holding you close and guiding your movements as you moved towards the peak of your pleasure.

"Y/N," he moaned as he buried himself deep inside of you. "I love yo–ohh, fuck."

You cried out his name as you shattered around him, your body convulsing with pleasure. Chuuya followed soon after, his body shaking as he spilled inside of you.

The two of you quickly got lost in your passion, forgetting about everything else around you. You knew that you needed this moment of release, a chance to forget about your worries and responsibilities, even if it was just for a little while.

Chuuya and you lay tangled in each other's arms on his office couch, your breathing slowly returning to normal. Chuuya pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, and you smiled up at him.

"Another day at the office," you said, laughing softly.

Chuuya grinned and pulled you closer. "Just another day with you," he replied, his voice filled with affection.

You snuggled into his embrace, feeling content and happy. You may be feared executives of the Port Mafia and, quite literally, the boss' current right-hand men, but when you were together, you were just two people madly and feverishly in love.

-

It was well into the night, the moon casting its enchanting glow over the city, when the decision was made to leave the Port Mafia headquarters and call it a day. Walking together in a companionable silence, Chuuya led you to his car, your hands naturally intertwined. During the drive home, a profound sense of contentment washed over you.

Being with Chuuya had a way of making everything feel right in the world.

Upon reaching your shared penthouse, Chuuya skillfully unlocked the door and ushered you inside. As soon as you crossed the threshold, he pulled you into his arms, your bodies melding together in a heated embrace. "I can't get enough of you," he confessed, his lips barely brushing against yours.

You responded with a smile, a sultry chuckle escaping your lips as your hands luxuriously ran through his hair. "I feel the same way," you murmured dreamily, deepening the kiss with an unspoken understanding.

-

Chuuya and you lay intertwined in bed, your bodies sated and your minds at peace. The night had been spent making love, an inability to keep your hands off each other resulting in this tranquil aftermath, with only the gentle rhythm of your breathing filling the room.

"You know," Chuuya said, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on your skin. "Today was supposed to be a relaxing day, but it turned out to be anything but."

You laughed, rolling over to face him. "I wouldn't have it any other way," you said, your fingers tracing along the contours of his face. "It's always an adventure with you, Chuuya."

Chuuya grinned, his hand finding its way to your waist. "Well, get used to it, because I plan on keeping you on your toes," he said, pulling you close.

For a while, you lay there in a state of peaceful contentment, lost in your own thoughts. Chuuya gazed up at the ceiling, his mind wandering while his fingers idly played with the strands of your hair.

As the night grew colder, he noticed you shivering slightly. Without a word, he pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around you and pressing your body against his. The warmth of your bodies mingled, creating a cocoon of heat that chased away the chill of the night. You snuggled into his embrace, feeling safe and secure in his arms, even more so while listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a comforting sound that soothed your nerves and brought you peace.

You turned to Chuuya with a curious expression on your face. "Chuuya, can I ask you something?" you said.

"Of course," he replied, tracing circles on your back.

"Do you ever think about leaving the Port Mafia?" you asked, your voice soft.

Chuuya was taken aback by your question. He had never really thought about leaving the Port Mafia before. It had always been a part of his life, and he had always assumed it would be until the day he died.

"Why do you ask?" he said, sitting up slightly to look at you.

You shrugged, your eyes searching his. "I don't know," you said. "I just feel like there's more to life than this. Don't you ever want to see what's out there? Have a quiet life somewhere?"

Chuuya considered your words for a moment. He had never really thought about it before, but now that you brought it up, he couldn't help but wonder. The Port Mafia was all he knew, but he couldn't deny that the idea of leaving it behind and starting fresh somewhere else was appealing.

"I guess I've never really thought about it," he said finally. "But the idea of a quiet life somewhere does sound nice."

You smiled, your eyes sparkling. "I know, right?" you said. "Just imagine - waking up every morning to a peaceful life with no worries or stress."

Chuuya chuckled, the idea of a stress-free life seeming almost foreign to him. "I don't know if I could handle a life like that," he said. "I'm so used to the chaos of the Mafia."

You shrugged. "Maybe we could find a middle ground," you said. "Somewhere where we could still have a little excitement but also have some peace and quiet."

Chuuya considered your words, the idea of a compromise seeming more and more appealing. "I like the sound of that," he said, his hand reaching out to stroke your hair.

Chuuya snuggled up to you, his arms around your waist, his face buried in the crook of your neck. Your fingers absentmindedly traced circles on his bare chest, the silence between you two comfortable.

Suddenly, you grew quiet, lost in your thoughts. Chuuya couldn't help but worry, so he lifted his head and looked at you. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked softly.

You snapped out of your thoughts and looked at him. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking," you said, a hint of hesitation in your voice.

"About what?"

You looked up at him, your eyes shining with an unspoken emotion. "Chuuya," you began tentatively, "What do you think about marriage?"

Chuuya's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected that question, especially not from you, who had never mentioned anything about marriage before. "Marriage?" he repeated, unsure of what to say.

You nodded. "Yeah, like...getting married and starting a family. What do you think?"

Chuuya's mind raced as he considered the idea. On the one hand, he had always thought that marriage and family were impossible for someone like him, a member of the Port Mafia who lived a dangerous and unpredictable life. But on the other hand, he couldn't deny that the thought of spending the rest of his life with you, creating a life and a family together, was a tempting prospect.

Now, also in deep thought, Chuuya thought very carefully about his response: "That does sound promising. But let's be real here, Y/N. We're both part of the Port Mafia. Our lives are far from ordinary, let alone stable. The very nature of our work is dangerous and unpredictable. Marriage and family are not something that comes easily for us."

You nodded, understanding the weight of the decision. "I know it's not going to be easy, but sometimes I can't help but think about it," you said, your voice soft and wistful. "A life where we can be together without having to worry about our safety all the time."

Chuuya reached out to brush a lock of hair out of your face. "I know what you mean," he said, his voice equally soft. "But we're not like other couples. We have a lot of obstacles to overcome if we want to make this work."

You nodded again. "I know. But just the idea of it...it gives me hope. A new dream, you know?"

Chuuya smiled, feeling a warmth spread through his chest at your words. "Yeah," he said, "I know."

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I just had this sudden thought of us getting married. Maybe it's because we talked about starting a new life somewhere peaceful."

Chuuya nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. I won't deny that the thought of us getting married hasn't crossed my mind before. But, like I said, we have a long way to go. We're not even sure what tomorrow brings. Let's take it one step at a time, and then maybe, one day, we can make all of our dreams happen."

You smiled back, feeling a sense of contentment wash over you. You knew that your path was uncertain, but as long as you had each other, you knew you could face whatever came your way.

“Oh, and by the way, when I say about starting a family, I meant four-legged babies with fur. I don’t want actual children.”

Chuuya let out a hearty chuckle, “Yeah? Well, given our line of work and I guess our upbringings, we’re not actually fit to be parents.”

“Yeah, and call me selfish, but I only want you for myself. Though I don’t mind sharing you with a cute cat.”

“I don’t like sharing you with anyone or anything.” Chuuya confessed to which you responded by snuggling closer to Chuuya, and then you felt an overwhelming surge of love for him. You suddenly wanted to express your feelings in a meaningful way, and an idea came to your mind.

With your arms tightly wrapped around him, you began to speak softly, your voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

"I vow to love you with all my heart and soul, to be your partner and your friend for all time. I promise to stand by you through thick and thin, to support you when you're down, and to celebrate your victories with you. I promise to cherish every moment we spend together, to make you laugh, and to hold you close when you need comfort."

You paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, before continuing.

"I vow to be your equal in all things, to challenge you and inspire you, and to never hold you back or weigh you down. I promise to be your partner in all things, to share your dreams and your passions, and to stand beside you as we build a life together."

Chuuya looked at you, slightly taken aback by your sudden declaration of love. As you continued, he couldn't help but feel a little flustered by your sweet words.

You paused again, your heart racing with emotion as you gazed into Chuuya's eyes. You felt a warm glow spreading through your body, a sense of contentment and happiness that only he could bring.

"I vow to be your rock, your shelter, and your safe haven in the storm. I promise to be there for you, to lift you up when you're feeling low, and to never let you go. I vow to be your love, your light, and your soulmate forevermore."

Chuuya couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at your last statement. He had never heard you be so mushy before, and he was both moved and amused by your words.

He sat up, pulling you up with him, your bodies entwined beneath the sheets. As the duvet slipped, your nude bodies were briefly exposed to the cool air, sending shivers down your spines.

But it was the look in Chuuya's eyes that made you shiver the most. They were filled with such intense love and emotion, it was as if they were staring straight into your soul. And in that moment, you knew that you were completely his, heart and soul.

Your lips met once more, igniting a passion that almost brought you both to tears. It was a love that words could not describe, a connection that was beyond physical. As you kissed, you could feel Chuuya's love for you pouring out of him, his hands gripping you tightly as if he never wanted to let go.

As you pulled away, Chuuya's eyes were misty with unshed tears. "I love you so much," he said frantically, as if he couldn't contain the overwhelming emotions that were welling up inside of him. "You're everything to me—my world, my heart. I can't imagine my life without you."

And in that moment, you knew that you loved him more than anything in the world. You were two halves of the same soul, bound together in an unbreakable love that would withstand the test of time.

As the sun started to rise on the horizon, casting a warm glow across the room, Chuuya and you lay tangled in each other's arms. You had come a long way, from the pain of your heartbreak at the hands of Dazai to the fragility of your initial relationship. But despite all the challenges you faced, your love endured and prevailed.

Like two shooting stars that had been separated, you found your way back to each other. Your love grew stronger with every passing day, until it shone brighter than the sun itself. You had overcome obstacles that once seemed insurmountable, but your bond had only grown stronger for it.

Now, as you lay together, gazing into each other's eyes, you spoke of the future. Of growing old together, of a love that would stand the test of time. Your resolve was unwavering, and your love unbreakable and everlasting.

And as you held each other, you knew that your love would endure for all eternity, shining as brightly as the stars in the sky—so much so that it showed in your faces as you caught some much-needed sleep.

-

Bonus Chapter: Tempting Twilights and Celestial Nights

[factorydefaultlu]

please do anything involving Aegon, I have a thing for whores I would probably hate in real life.

maybe one where he's madly in love with a mysterious woman, and who just doesn't give a damn about him, who appears when he wants and leaves, she sleeps with him, but then disappears, and he craves her like he never craved another, he still hasn't married Haelena, he's grumpy the way he is, but never raising his voice with the woman, maybe she's a prostitute or something, and he wants to marry her too.

Aegon Targaryen x Fem!Sorceress!Reader

"That woman, that damned woman." Aegon thought, his bed sheets ruffled and haphazard from the night before. He never expects her to be there when he wakes, but he always has that sliver of hope. What would he expect from a supposed sorceress he had met at a brothel. She may have magic yet, as she seems to have tamed him of all people. Aegon rises and gets ready for the day, he has hopes he'll find the woman later; If only just to see her beauty, a rare thought from the Whore Prince.

Aegon slips out of the castle soon after lunch, much to his mother's displeasure. She hates when he leaves the castle unattended, for his safety and the women of King's Landing. He ignores her nagging slips past the Kingsguard. Making his way to poor streets of Flea Bottom, the inhabitants there tripping over themselves to get out of his way. He bites his tongue; He doesn't want this power, he is a human just like these people. Aegon wishes people didn't fear him for his position. Soon he stands in front of a dilapidated building, an apothecary sign hanging by a rusty nail on the door. He takes a deep breath in and opens the door, inside the smell of herbs, oils, tinctures, and blood wafted through the air. The shop was warm, lit by a large fire in the middle of the room, shelves lined with jars, bottles and books covered the walls. The room was vacant, he looked around but saw no one. Aegon began walking around the room, looking at each of the jars and books, he finally came to a table in the corner. Red and black candles created a semi circle around the table, crystals and bones littered the spaces between them. Finally his eyes came to land on an ancient looking book in the middle of it all, the page it was opened to was in a language he couldn't even begin to understand. The pages were threadbare and stained; "Hopefully with potions and not with blood" Aegon thought to himself. Beneath the books page holder was something white poking out, he had reached for it and picked up a tiny dragon skull. It looked just like Balerion's, his father's deceased dragon in the lower levels of the castle. "Could it be a baby dragon skull? Where'd she even get a dragon egg, and why kill it?" Aegon's head was racing with questions, when suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder. He jumped out of his skin almost dropping the skull, he whipped around to find the sorceress in all her beauty.

"You shouldn't be here." she said sharply as she grabbed the skull from his hand.

"You weren't there when I awoke."

"I never am." she quipped

Aegon frowned, he wished he could find some way to get her to love him.

"Why do you share my bed so often if you're hesitant to stay?" he questioned, furrowing his brows.

"The dozens of girls you've brought into your bed could ask the same of you." the sorceress pushed past him and put the dragon skull back in its place. She was right, many of the women he had bedded multiple times have always been abandoned the next morning.

"Why do you have that?" Aegon changed the subject, covering up the aching pain in his heart at her words.

"It was a gift." she didn't look at him as she turned away to walk down a row of bookcases. Aegon quickly followed.

"From who? Only Targaryen's and Valaryon's have dragons, you're a peasant why would they give a baby dragon?"

The sorceress stopped in her tracks. "I'm a peasant am I?" Aegon immediately regretted his words. "No, I didn't mean it like that, I just-" he stumbled over his words.

"Oh no I understand, I'm just a peasant woman you keep around to wet your cock. I get it." the sorceress began walking again.

"Please I really didn't mean it like that, I do enjoy your company. It's not just about sex." Aegon pleaded, he truly did enjoy their conversations before and after the bedding. The woman was fascinating to him, he could dare say he was in love with her.

The sorceress smirked, "The skull was gifted to me many moons ago when I was in Asshai. I do not know if the man was of Targaryen or Valaryon blood. I do know that I saved his wife's life in childbirth, and he gave me the most valuable thing he had." still refusing to look at Aegon she began organizing the books on the shelf.

"You've been to Asshai?" Aegon was shocked, a woman living in Flea Bottom has typically never been out of the city let alone another continent.

"I was born there." the sorceress finally turned to look at the prince. His face plastered in shock, "Then why live here, a sorceress from Asshai can live anywhere she pleases, place herself in any court she wished."

"Magic, my dear prince, is greatly feared in Westeros. It is safer to practice here in the least monitored part of the city." the sorceress went back to looking at books.

"Come live in the castle, with me. You truly won't be monitored there, not if you're my wife." Aegon's words poured from his mouth without thought.

"Are you asking for my hand?" to say the sorceress was shocked was an understatement. She knew he was falling for her, but not like this, not this fast.

" I suppose I am. We have many private rooms in the castle where you can practice, I'm sure I can convince my mother it'll be a good way to overthrow my sister." Aegon took the sorceress' hands in his. She looked into his eyes, they pleaded with her. The prince was desperate and she knew it. She enjoyed it, having a man so powerful at her bend and will.

"We shall see."

[torahoes]

(IDOLiSH7) Touma Inumaru - An Idol's Daily Life Rabbit Chat: Part 1 - Send-Off with an Idol's Smile

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Please note that I am not a professional translator. If you come across any mistakes, feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Inumaru-san, good work. Thank you very much for appearing as a guest on MEZZO"'s radio show today!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Both of them seemed very happy and said they had a lot of fun talking with you about various topics!

Touma Inumaru: Good work today, Takanashi-san! I love music and often listen to MEZZO"'s radio show, so I had a blast too!

Touma Inumaru: I was so caught up in the deep conversation with Sougo that I forgot I was at work and got really fired up lol

Touma Inumaru: So much so that when Yotsuba kept asking me stuff without hesitation, I wanted to share so much with him, but time flew by too quickly.

Tsumugi Takanashi: You all were chatting in the waiting room after it ended too! And thank you so much for the King Pudding you brought for him!

Touma Inumaru: No problem at all! I was really glad that he was so happy! His eyes were sparkling when he went, "Can I eat all of it!?" It was adorable.

Touma Inumaru: Although Sougo immediately stopped him, saying, "You can't eat ALL of it" lololol

Tsumugi Takanashi: He said he planned to eat one tonight and one tomorrow morning. Lol

Touma Inumaru: I did that when I was a kid too. Whenever I bought a box of ice cream, I always wanted to eat several at once.

Touma Inumaru: I didn't think anyone would notice because there were so many, so this one time I secretly ate like three at a once and ended up with a stomach ache lolol

Tsumugi Takanashi: Three at once…? That's enough to freeze your stomach...

Touma Inumaru: I was dumb lololol. My mom found out immediately and got mad, so I started planning when to eat them over the week.

Tsumugi Takanashi: When you're a kid, you take snack times really seriously, don't you? Lol

Tsumugi Takanashi: It wasn’t ice cream in my case, but when my dad bought me a tin of cookies, I would get excited and carefully choose which one to eat each day.

Touma Inumaru: So you actually stuck to the plan? That's impressive!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Well... sometimes I couldn’t resist and secretly ate two at once… > <

Touma Inumaru: We're all the same lolololol

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Tsumugi Takanashi: By the way, I saw on the morning show that you're going to appear in the "Send-Off with an Idol's Smile!" segment!

Touma Inumaru: Thank you! I'm just a guest for a week, so I'm going to do my best to leave a good impression.

Tsumugi Takanashi: It's a popular segment, so I think it will have a big impact…!

Tsumugi Takanashi: I often hear how people are thrilled to receive a "Have a great day!" from their favorite idol right after the weather forecast.

Touma Inumaru: I heard it gets a lot of buzz on social media with tags like "Today's XX-san" trending!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Yes, they make posts with the "I'm off now" tag right when the idols say, "Have a great day" on the show. It trends every morning!

Tsumugi Takanashi: I'm sure when you’re on, "#Today's_Inumaru-san" will be a hot topic.

Touma Inumaru: I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also a bit nervous lol

Touma Inumaru: Honestly, when I got the offer, I was really surprised. Like, me? Seriously? The people that come on this show have a fresh image that fits the morning vibe, so I wondered if my smile would be a good fit.

Touma Inumaru: The other day, I offered my hand to a kid who fell in front of me and he started crying lolol

Tsumugi Takanashi: Maybe he was just startled > <

Touma Inumaru: I don’t have a friendly face like Haru or Mina, so maybe I scared him. I was also wearing a hat pulled down low and a mask.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Perhaps it was because of that disguise...!

Touma Inumaru: Now that I think about it, I was also wearing sunglasses, so that might be it lol

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Tsumugi Takanashi: Riku-san also said that he feels he would be energized being sent off with Inumaru-san's smile.

Touma Inumaru: Rikuuuu!! He’s such a nice guy!!

Touma Inumaru: I’ll send him a Rabbit Chat later!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

Touma Inumaru: Actually, I wanted to thank you, Takanashi-san!

Tsumugi Takanashi: Eh, did I do something!?

Touma Inumaru: When you sent MEZZO" to the booth saying "Have a great day," it felt so fresh and warm. I thought it was really nice.

Touma Inumaru: I was like "I definitely have to learn from this!" and made sure to take mental notes lol

Tsumugi Takanashi: I’m honored you would say that > <

Touma Inumaru: Do you have any tips?

Tsumugi Takanashi: I haven't thought deeply about it, but I always try to convey a sense of "Do your best!" when I send them off.

Touma Inumaru: I see, so it's all about conveying that feeling. That's important!

Touma Inumaru: I hope I can send off the viewers with a feeling that energizes them too!

Tsumugi Takanashi:

End of Part 1.

[lady-severus-snape]

My brain is on fire with headcanons/prompts/plot bunnies.

🌠after getting Potter the memories he needed, Severus let himself slip away into the abyss. Finally, he could rest.

🌠Lily appearing in his minds eye. "Severus, I'm so sorry for being a shit friend. It's OK, let go of the past. You couldn't have known it was me that the prophecy spoke of." "But Lily-" "No, Severus Snape, you have done more than enough. Gave more than should have been asked. I want you to LIVE. Fall in love and be loved in return. Go. All will be well, I pinky promise" Severus ends up back in his body.

🌠magic sweeps him away and deposits him in another area. He comes to, people yelling and screaming out instructions, machines are beeping. He blacks out from the pain.

🌠you start your shift at the hospital, there is a new patient added to your rounds. You get the report from the day shift CNA.

🌠he is handsome despite looking like he had been through hell and back. Something took quite a chunk from his neck. Though you wasn't aware of a snake big enough that would deal that kind of damage, nevermind venomous....around these parts anyways.

🌠every night you started with him, Mr. Silver streak and ending. While cleaning and changing him, you noticed a wide singular streak of silver hair leading from his temple into his blue black hair.

🌠Severus felt like was floating, the pain a dull throb. He shouldn't be feeling pain if he was dead, right? It was weird, he could sense someone near him, the darkness brightened a little each time.

🌠there was something about Mr. Silver streak that kept you coming back to see him often during your rounds. And you would spend your break visiting, reading or singing a tune or another. Talking to him about your day and what is planned for him.

🌠severus felt himself lighten, he didn't know how much time has passed but he felt lighter and less burdened in his heart. One day, he heard the sweetest voice. He couldnt see where it was coming from or even answer.

🌠Severus realized it was on a schedule. He would hear their voice in intervals. They would talk to him, read, and even sing. He could feel them touching him, no hesitation, no disgust, soft, firm, gentle. They were bathing him. Severus blushed when he realized the feel their hands in his hair. Oh how he wished to see them.

🌠 Mr. Silver streak was responding well to therapy. His neck was recovering beautifully. It would scar tremendously and he would perhaps have difficulty speaking. You start to tell him tidbits of the world. The date, time, what new book was out or about this song that you were listening on repeat because it scratched your brain itchies the right way.

🌠About 6 months into your care, as your washing his hair he opens his eyes. You are so happy and excited. "Hello there sir" by the gods his eyes were dark like onxy. They shown with intelligence and something else as he glanced at you. "You are in Community Hospital. I'm (y/n), your CNA for night shift".

🌠Severus was absolutely breathless at the beauty he saw before him. He finally had a face to the voice that kept him company in the black void. Their chocolate eyes, so deep and warm. The curls of their hair framing their face. Was it as soft as it looked? Glowy sun kissed skin. The accent registed as American. He tried to speak but his throat was dry and lips chapped.

🌠you gently shush him "hey, don't strain and don't move too much. You've got a nasty tear into your throat. Might be awhile before you can speak." Severus sagged into the hospital bed, that's right. Nagini chewed into his throat at Voldemorts order. His eyes scanned the room he was in, white sterile walls faced him with boxes that made beeping noises. A muggle hospital.

🌠From there on, y/n was the ONLY one that Severus would allow to provide personal care. The others made his skin crawl and it wasn't a good of job anyways. The doctors were amazed at how quickly he woke from the coma. They didn't think he would come back.

🌠As time passed he got stronger, his voice slowly returned though it would forever have a rasp and lack volume. His favorite CNA held many conversations and discussions over the course of their shift. "Hi Sev! Ready to get changed? I got a new book to share with you" y/n greeted.

🌠When he was able to walk again, the first thing he did was hug y/n fully, the way he had wanted to when his eyes first landed them. He had fallen in love with y/n. When the dreaded day came for his discharge he waited until he saw you to leave.

🌠you were so happy when you heard the news that Severus was finally able to go home after being your patient for a whole year. You cried happy tears for him. "Severus! I'm so glad you get to walk out of here."

🌠you gave him your number and address so he could call, write, visit. He is so cute when he admits to not having a telephone but promised to write once he got settled. You two become the best of friends, calling each other....you always called him right after your shift ended and talked until you got home ok.

🌠Severus decided to stay in the US after going to the gringots branch there. Thankfully he had locked down his vaults and all his priceless possessions had been sequestered away.

🌠He started a new life, no masters, no potter brat, no teaching dunderheads. Pure bliss and relaxation and working on potions to his heart content. He was in the middle of bottling up an order when the phone rang. Looking up at the time, it was to early for y/n to call. Dread pooled into his stomach. Answering the phone his eyes hardened. Y/n was crying on the other end distraught. Quickly he asked where they were.

🌠Severus packs everything away and gets a taxi (he was still leary about apparition, his magic was still wonky after the whole thing). Arriving to the parking lot where he knew y/n always parked, he spots them crouched by the car, muffling their cries. Not only were they covered in questionable fluids, but through coaxing, they tell him that they are being sued for 'medical malpractice/neglict)

[definitelynotafurinasimp]

“I’m not going anywhere, my dear. I promise”

or: Bronya comforting you while you’re having a nightmare

characters: Bronya x gn!reader

warnings: hurt/comfort

a/n: Based on a request I got

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Bronya

Ever since her mother’s… passing, Bronya had a lot more work and responsibility than before, a situation made even worse considering that her workload had never been anywhere close to light. But not once did you or anyone else hear her complain. Sure, there was a lot to do, but she wasn’t the first supreme guardian to work this late and probably wouldn’t be the last.

…that being said. Not being able to see you as often as she used to and often coming home so late in the evening that you were already sleeping did take a toll on Bronya… and you, judging from the way your sleeping form hugged her.

It didn’t take Bronya long to recognise that you were having a nightmare, shifting and turning in bed while letting out a distressed noise and muttering a random word every now and then. It wasn’t the first time she returned home at night, sneaking into the bedroom to avoid waking you up, only to find you in such a state, and she honestly couldn’t blame you. Nightmares were rather common in Belobog, from orphans to soldiers there weren’t many people left alone by unpleasant memories, and Bronya definitely wasn’t a stranger to them herself.

“...bronya.”

If the windows had been open, she would have believed she was just hearing the wind, but since they were shut closed like they were most of the time, your murmur was just loud enough for her to hear. What part she played in your nightmare didn’t matter to her, as she made her way over to your side of the bed without hesitation before kneeling down next to it and softly grabbing your hand, trying not to wake you up while still hoping to offer you at least some comfort.

“It’s alright darling, I’m here”, she spoke calmly while drawing circles on your backhand using her thumb, whether to reassure you or herself she didn’t know, but seeing as your face seemed to relax ever so slightly, it might have actually succeeded in both.

“...don’t leave”, you murmured once again, only for something that sounded somewhat like a “please” to leave your mouth not long afterwards. Whatever nightmare you were having didn’t seem to involve any monsters from the fragmentum or demons from the past… but her.

A part of her felt something akin to relief in the revelation, having feared you were once again reliving unwelcome memories… another part however, did not. 

You had never been too open about your insecurities, was it with her or anyone else. Some might have even been fooled into thinking you didn’t have any, but Bronya knew better, your self-conscious behavior whenever any guest of importance came to talk with her ingrained in her mind. How, in such moments, the supreme guardian had to reassure you over and over again that you weren’t dragging down her image simply by associating with her. Considering how severe your worries were each and every time, Bronya was surprised you managed to keep up appearances so well the rest of the time.

Or at least you were managing while being awake, as right now, those thoughts seemed to haunt you even in your dreams.

“I’m not going anywhere, my dear. I promise”, she continued to whisper gently before reaching towards your head with her other hand, slowly stroking your hair while continuing to reassure you with her words until your breaths and movements eventually calmed down, you seemingly finally being able to sleep at least somewhat peacefully.

By that time however, quite some time had passed during which Bronya refused to leave your side, and while it helped to end your nightmare, every minute she spent knelt down next to the bed was a minute she would have a less to sleep, a realization she had once she finally dared to take her eyes from you and looked outside the window, seeing the moon already high in the sky, causing a yawn to escape her mouth as she finally made her way to bed.

Once she layed down, all of the tiredness she had, up till this point, been able fight off, washed over her as her eyes quickly grew heavier and heavier with each time she blinked, and before long, she found herself asleep, with your arms hugging her as they always seemed to.