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wwaheoh · 2 months

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hehe, i know im probably not the first and definitely won't be the last to ask, but we need a part 3 of the rejected confession series!! whether its a happy ending of reader and the character getting together or just making up and staying friends (or forever parting ways) we need closure!! so when you think you are ready for it, could we possibly have a final part? :,)

“Reconciliation”, Zenless Zone Zero x gnReader

Von Lycaon, Anby Demara, Zhu Yuan

a/n: thank yall so much for the support! its meant so much! i hope everyone enjoys the "good ending" to the Unrequited Love series.

a/n²: also thanks to that one anonymous requester, loved your ideas and helped a bunch when writing! hope i did well in realizing it!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The day before heading to the scheduled meet, you were stressed out of your mind. Having made up your mind, you decided to go, whether it be for reconciliation or- no, you shouldn’t think so optimistically. Maybe this was just a way for them to berate you for ghosting them before cutting ties forever…

With that optimistic thought, you made your way back home, finally getting off the bench you’d been glued to with thought after the brief encounter with the shark-girl. Sorta embarrassing to be told to fix your relationship by a high school girl but at this point any push that didn’t get you deeper into becoming a shut-in was better than none.

Stepping into your home, you shut and locked the door behind you before heading to your room, beelining straight for the closet. Sliding it open, you began to look through the hanged clothing, contemplating what you should wear. Something cute? Something bold? Something that you’d think he’d like or something you felt comfortable in?

After several minutes of this, you finally picked out an outfit, now onto actually getting sleep. Setting the clothes onto a chair, you went to your bathroom and undressed, putting on sleepwear and throwing yourself onto the bed.

A wave of exhaustion passed through you, wow, you were a lot more tired than you thought…

///

The outing with you had been going well, Lycaon thought, today was a beautiful day, thankfully Rina was aiding Corin today so he had no worries about being forced to cut it short and attend to any accidents their junior was prone to.

Strolling by the pier of Lumina Square, water a sunset orange as thr Sun began to set into the horizon, you stopped walking, with him following, a sign of confusion on his face.

“Hey, Lycaon?” You spoke nervously, demeanor slightly shaking. Worry began to draw in, not outwardly showing it, not wanting to make you more nervous in speaking. Something that he usually did when with clients- unconsciously leading him to thinking of you as a client rather than his friend at the moment.

Then you confessed.

His mind stopped- cool breaking as the words spilled out of your mouth and into his ears. Forcing his tail to not wag, he was about to reply. Yet what came out of his mouth was not what he intended, having forced his brain into ‘work mode’ to protect himself from all the possibilities of what you might have said.

So instead of accepting your feelings, happily rejoicing and telling you that he returned them wholeheartedly. He… rejected you. The words tumbled out of his mouth, rushed, the professional tone he used with clients slipped in. As if he were a prisoner in his body.

The look you gave him immediately showed he screwed up. Unable to approach as you began to cry, not wanting to take back the words- not because he believed them, but because he believed you would think he was simply pitying you and throwing a bone.

“I’ll start the car up. It’s getting late.”

“I- it’s- hic- it’s f-fine. I’ll get home on m-my own.”

“I must insi-”

“I said it’s fine!”

His ears drooping, wild guilt painted on his face, internally berating himself for having somehow messed up the interaction of his dreams. He went back to his car, turning it on and beginning the drive back home.

Atleast, that’s what he led you to believe. Instead, he parked in a nearby alley before shadowing you- unwilling to not see you home.

The day after that, he texted you, yet you never responded. Days of being left on ‘Read’ became days of you not opening his text messages at all.

It had begun to get at him, his voice became colder than usual with clients, still professional but with more sharpness to it. The others noticed their boss acting like this, yet were unable to pry into the why. It was a shared silent agreement between them and their boss, a wall between their professional work and personal lives. He met with Master Phatheon a few times and even they noticed something was off with the butler.

One day Ellen overheard him murmuring, quickly figuring out who he was so hung up about and what had happened- with some aid from Miss Rina. Unbeknownst to Lycaon, she met up with you unexpectedly, getting you to meet with Lycaon at the cafe. With Rina “booking an appointment” with a client, for Lycaon to meet with at the very same time.

///

Stepping into the cafe, bell jingling behind you, looking around the cafe before finding the spot Ellen had directed you to, tilting her head to the farthest seat with her signature bored look and lollipop in mouth. Nodding gratefully, you made your way to the table and sat down. Nerves ablaze, you fixed your clothes, making sure nothing was out of place. Worries bubbled up in your mind, thoughts of what could go wrong swirling in the bubbling soup of anxiousness.

Silver fur snapped you out of your spiraling, the Therian that’d been on your mind now realized in front of you. He mirrored your expression of shock, not having thought to see you again, before he quickly closed the gap, holding you tightly.

“I am so sorry.” Breathless, he looked deep into your eyes, “I had not meant to say what I did. I do wish to be with you. If you’d have me.” Not a man to screw up an opportunity like this- especially after having messed up so badly, any and all grievances be damned- he would say his peace and lay his heart into your hands, to either hold or crush at your whim.

You returned his hold, tears welling up as the two of you embraced, hearts swelling with joy as his hard, fluffy body pressed tightly against you, finally together once more. Sobbing openly as finally, the two of you were together, this time as lovers.

It was a little awkward stepping out of the cafe, with some customers very obviously glancing at the two of you after your two very public reunion…

After Anby had run from your confession, she spent a lot of time rewatching movies. Romance and tragedy specifically, trying to find a solution to what has transpired. The rest of the Cunning Hares were confused about her seemingly out of nowhere interest in those genres, usually seeing her watch action or thrillers.

There was an aching in her heart, one she had originally attributed to the loss of a friend, yet it felt stronger, much stronger. As she watched more and more, she came across an animated film, one of a failed relationship, of how being apart makes the heart grow fonder, ending with the two getting together, stronger than before.

That’s what she wanted.

While originally she was true to herself, only wanting you as a friend, time revealed that she wanted more, especially after forcing herself to dodge into alleys after even a glimpse of your hair, oftentimes leading to odd looks from the Cunning Hares or Phaethon. She wanted to be closer to you, like how the protagonists in the films were.

Standing up, resolution in her heart and an apology on her tongue, she exited the door and began making her way to your abode, moonlight and street lamps lighting the way.

///

You couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t a one-off occurrence either. Thoughts powered by the late night struck harshly, leaving lasting impressions that made sleep impossible. Especially those of a particular silver-haired girl.

Sighing, you shook your head, as if to shake the thoughts physically out, getting up from your bed and heading to the kitchen. Opening up the refrigerator, you grabbed a cold pitcher of water and a cup from the cupboard, turning the pitcher and letting the cool liquid spill into the cup, only turning it back upright as it neared the top.

Putting the pitcher back into the fridge before closing it, you grabbed the cup and steadily began to drink from it. Refreshing, always helping whenever those thoughts arrive…

A notification from your phone rang out, having left it in your bedroom you began to make your way to said room, when a knock at the door stopped you. Nothing good ever came from someone at your door at near midnight.

Grabbing a nearby object- your hand finding the handle of a knife, you quietly made your way to the door. Looking through the peephole, you saw a familiar face that made your muscles freeze.

Anby, staring right back at you. In her usual getup, with the same mono-look, but a hint of anxiousness hidden in her eyes.

Setting the knife down onto the counter, you slowly opened up the door, nerves threatening a rebellion against your body as you opened the door.

Finally face to face with Anby, without the blurriness and fish-eye view that the peephole provided, you could see how less kept she was than usual. Eyes tinged with red- a sign of screen overuse. Sweat, faster breaths, a flush of red coloring her pale cheeks.

The two of you stared at each other for a second before she quickly closed in.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked, monotone as it was, a hint of breathiness from her seemingly having sprinted here from wherever she was prior. “I shouldn’t have ran.”

You didn’t know what to do, worried that nodding or shaking your head would give the wrong impression- whatever the impression you wanted to give was lost to you.

You just stood there, listening to what she had to say.

“In the movies they always get together after the first confession. But it didn’t feel right at the time- but it also didn’t feel right saying no.”

A silence before you decided to share your two cents.

“Anby-” her attention diverted back to you straightaway, “How about this. We date for a bit- say, a year, then if you feel like it’s right, then we can continue. If not, then atleast we tried…”

“Just don’t run again, even being friends would be better than never seeing you again.”

She quickly closed the gap between the two of you, embracing you tightly, with you following suit. “Okay…” her voice was shaky, her grip on you was not.

Okay actually it was too tight- “Anby I think you’re gonna break my spine!”

Stepping out of your assigned police car, you nodded to your partner as they exited the vehicle and went to leave the premises. Qingyi having gone back to Zhu Yuan’s side after the one day the two of you were assigned together, message delivered, you wondered how she pulled off getting to be your partner.

You began to make your way to Zhu Yuan’s desk, with her filling out some final papers regarding what happened to the blimp atop of the Ballet Twins Towers. A situation that had been narrowly avoided ending in catastrophe by an inorganic citizen being insusceptible to the knock-out gasses found in the systems of the victims. Her squadron had been the first to the scene, being stopped at the first tower before being forced to evacuate and find another way up by several explosives being detonated at the bridge.

It was a headache for everyone involved, happy that the worse situation happened but not looking forward to the amount of paperwork needed to be filed, especially since the prime suspect of a major case and now this case had gone off-grid with the blimp to who knows where now.

Thankfully it seemed Zhu Yuan didn’t mind it too much, all too happy to do her work, no matter how monotonous it seemed. Turning off the computer for the day and filing papers into cabinets, she had been adding a sprinkle of water into the tomato plant she’d been growing, thoughts swirling as she continued with the monotonous task.

///

It’d been days since she last saw you. Invitations declined, only glimpses of you before you seemingly disappeared into the crowd or entered somewhere she couldn’t follow. Her days had been growing duller, work becoming a distraction to her problems.

Her mom had commented on this, citing worries about how she’d been seemingly throwing herself deeper into work and training, questioning the near-null appearances of you in recent times. She hated to lie to them, yet didn’t want to confront the facts.

She’d been too late to tell you how she felt. She would never get the opportunity again...

One day Qingyi told Zhu Yuan that she'd have to stay a little later, orders given to her to give to Zhu Yuan a little extra work. While to most, this’d be an annoyance, Zhu Yuan readily accepted the new work, not wanting to go back to her lonely apartment.

///

You knocked on the doorframe- breaking her out of her thoughts, face lighting up as she laid eyes on you.

“Uh, hey Zhu Yuan…” She set the water-can down and stood up hastily. “Hey! Uhm…” The two of you stood awkwardly as you tried to form the words you wanted to say.

“I’m sorry.” Zhu Yuan looked at you, worry on her face, urging you to continue. While she had been hurt from how you were seemingly avoiding her, she still looked at you as a close friend.

“It’s… stupid of me. But I wanted to tell you that…”

You confessed, deciding to put all your trust in Qingyi and just do it. Ripping the proverbial band-aid off, the words tumbled out.

She stood there, wide-eyed as you finished. There was a brief silence before tears began to bunch at the edge of her eyes. Your heart stopped, worried that you’d done something wrong before she closed the gap and embraced you, repeating “Yes!” and “I like you too!”, nearly squealing in delight.

You were dazed from how hard she was shaking you, before finally getting a hold. “So.. you’re not into Qingyi?”

“Huh? No, where’d you get that idea?”

“Ahh…” it was a little embarrassing to admit this in hindsight, “I thought since… you looked at her like that, that you…”

She giggled a little, before stopping quickly, “Sorry- I- I looked like that because I was thinking of you. Just, I looked away anytime you looked at me since I didn’t know if you returned my feelings…”

“Ah…”

Finally love bloomed, no longer covered by the walls of uncertainty.

#zenless zone zero #zenless zone zero x reader #zzz #zzz x reader #von lycaon #von lycaon x reader #zhu yuan #zhu yuan x reader #anby demara x reader #anby x reader #anby #anby demara #angst #comfort #lycaon

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takusan-no-ai · 2 months

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Your Comfort Bubble

PAIRING: Anton x Female Reader (Romantic) (Angst)

SUMMARY: (Y/N) is maid at Victoria Housekeeping with a dull personality, and Anton is her (annoying) client.

It was constant bickering with you two; your coworkers and his would avoid doing work together just to keep the peace. For context, you’re a maid at Victoria Housekeeping, and Anton was your first client ever. With his bright personality and sweet intentions you’d think everything would go fine!

Well…it didn’t. He was hard to understand, he kept talking to a machine and calling it his “bro”. Something that made you believe he wasn’t really working for Belobog and was a fraud. Add on to the constant lectures about you needing to “express yourself more” and it all went downhill.

Eventually you had to leave for a moment and call in Corin to help you finish the commission. At first, she didn’t expect anything to be amiss…and then Anton opened his big mouth. “Why are you so dull in personality? People are more willing to be friends with people who wear their hearts on their sleeves! Trust me, me and my bro–”

“ENOUGH ABOUT YOUR STUPID BRO! You’ve been going on and on about my personality for hours! Well what about yours! You’re annoying, can’t speak f*#@% english, and clearly lack the brain cells necessary to comprehend that you’re speaking to. a. damn. MACHINE!”

Corin had never seen you outburst like that. Poor girl was so scared she just tried to finish the commission as soon as possible to salvage this job; even offered Anton a discount to make up for it.

After everything was said and done, Corin went back to the headquarters with you, promising to keep what happened between you two; she understood how scary it can be to disappoint a client…and to disappoint Von Lycaon.

Since then tension has been high between the two of you. And the strange thing was, neither of you were really upset at each other; Anton understands that he was being rude nitpicking your personality, and you understand that all your yelling wasn’t really necessary to get a point across. But both of you were too uneasy about the situation to mend it.

That was, until, Anton had a talk with his bro. A real bro doesn’t leave uncertainty up in the air, nor walks away from the responsibility of being a good person and apologizing. Anton shed tears at his bro’s poetic words. Never before has he felt more ashamed in himself as a bro!

(Y/N) was waiting outside of Coffe Cafe on Lumina Street for her client. Since the…incident…she began working on her anger, and has since had more of a tolerance towards even the more headache inducing clients.

“Ah, (Y/N), I’m glad you made it!” That voice was all too familiar to her, and in an instant, it was like all her hard work was slowly diminishing. Anton sat down in the seat across from her, coughing awkwardly into his hand.

He took a deep breath before puffing out his chest and bowing at a perfect ninety degree angle. “I’m incredibly sorry for what I said all those weeks back! I don’t ask for your forgiveness, only that we can start anew! My name is Anton Ivanov, I work for Belobog Heavy Industries, and my bro is a machine! I’m rough around the edges and have a hard time reading the room! Nice to meet you!”.

Never before had (Y/N) seen a more earnest apology. She couldn’t bring herself to hold a grudge against him after hearing all that. “You’re forgiven. Oh! My name is (Y/N), I work for Victoria Housekeeping, and I have some anger issues! My personality may not be the most enthusiastic, but…I want to be friends with more people.” She tried to fight back a few tears from falling, but failed.

Anton scooted closer to her, wiping away her tears. They both gazed into each other’s eyes, the sudden close proximity causing them both to blush.

“I’ll be your friend…,” he mumbled.

- Fin

#female reader #zenless zone zero x reader #anton ivanov x reader #anton ivanov #imagine

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im-a-wonderling · 8 months

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White Moves First, Part 5 ~ Edmund Pevensie

Summary: Despite the distance between their two lands, Y/N, princess of Archenland, is close friends with King Edmund the Just. But when push comes to shove, will friendship turn to more?

Warnings: an unhealthy paternal relationship

Word count: 3k

White Moves First Masterlist | Main masterlist

@writing-on-the-wahl you're amazing, in too many ways for me to try and sum up. Thank you so much for everything.

“Never in all my days did I imagine this would come to pass!” My father clapped his hands together, the sound an unnaturally sharp contrast to the excitement of his words.

I tried to match his radiant smile, but failed before I even started.

It was less than ten minutes after Edmund went to go find my father when I was summoned to the king’s study. Cor sat properly on the sofa facing the fire while Corin slouched beside him. Edmund stood by the right corner of the mantelpiece, his back to the fire and his gaze trained on the rich wooden floor. Not knowing where to stand, I stood by the left corner.

My father flitted between his desk in the corner and Edmund, seemingly unable to keep still. “My daughter and King Edmund?” he said with comical disbelief. “How wonderful it is!”

Corin shook his head, looking a bit dazed. “My sister, a queen.”

“Of Narnia,” Cor added, giving his twin a significant look. Not the fourth wife of a prince in Tashbaan, his expression said, likely familiar with the consequences of those words ever leaving his mouth. Most everyone in the room believed I still had no idea how close I’d come to being a princess of Tashbaan and not a queen of Narnia.

Edmund’s gaze didn’t shift from the floor.

To anyone else, his face would speak of deference and humility, but I knew him, like I knew the scratches on my chessboard too well to mistake it for another or the paths of the garden too well to get lost. His expression was one of discomfort. And how could he not be uncomfortable when he was stuck in a room with my father and brothers, discussing the topic of marriage?

He’d seemed so surprised when I brought up how much he loathed marriage, as if it wasn’t plain and simple to see. Whenever Queen Susan or Queen Lucy talked of weddings and betrothals, he looked as if he’d smelt something rancid. What kind of friend would I be if I hadn’t noticed?

Hopefully, we had a few months before we married, to give us time to figure out how this arrangement was going to work.

“I am overjoyed!” my father announced, needlessly. We could all see it on his face. “And your mother would be so happy.”

I pursed my lips. Would this make my mother happy? Would the proposal from Rabadash have worried her? Would she have been relieved? Or, perhaps, like me, would she have been left in the dark, blindly following my father’s choices?

“Father, perhaps–” Cor’s comment was interrupted as the door flew open to reveal Edmund’s older sister.

“Queen Susan!” my father boomed, spreading his hands like he was welcoming an angel.

“I came as quickly as I could.” She glanced around the room as she closed the door behind her. “What’s happened?”

“Your brother’s marrying my sister,” Corin grumbled, and Cor nudged him.

Queen Susan’s eyes went wide as they found her brother. “You…” She glanced at me. “And…?”

“Me,” I finished awkwardly.

To her credit, Queen Susan only blinked once before taking the news in stride. “Well then,” she folded her hands together, “I suppose we’re preparing a wedding.”

My father nodded. “Ab-so-lute-ly. Why, there isn’t a moment to lose!”

“Sorry,” I cut in, “but why do we have no moments for, uh, losing?”

“The sooner we get married, the better,” Edmund said calmly from his spot on the other side of the room. Everyone looked at him, a common occurrence whenever the Just King opened his mouth. But unlike normal when Edmund would hardly acknowledge the attention, he glanced uncomfortably at everyone before meeting my eyes. “It won’t do to wait, not with Rabadash’s presence here.” He started to push his hands into his pockets, and, at the last minute, he clasped them behind his back instead.

“Oh,” was all I said.

“And why would we wait?” My father seized one of my hands, dragging me closer to Edmund with such zeal, I nearly tripped, and would have, if Edmund’s hands hadn’t found my waist to steady me. “This is a fated union!” my father boomed in Queen Susan’s direction as Edmund’s hands flew away from my waist and his feet shifted to create space between us.

I was so distracted by Edmund, it took me a moment to understand what my father had said.

Fated union? Hadn’t he just said moments ago that he never imagined this happening?

“If we work quickly,” my father walked towards the queen, “why, we could have them married by the end of the week!”

Queen Susan jerked out of some pensive musing. “Yes! Yes, I don’t see why not.”

“We’ll get started immediately.” My father offered his hand to the queen, which was quickly accepted. “Now, my lady, we must start with the guest list. Of course, the Archenland nobility will all be invited to this most auspicious event, but we must see about inviting High King Peter and Queen Lucy.” Still talking, he led her out of the room, leaving me and my brothers with Edmund.

Silence fell.

As the fire behind me let out a great pop, I peeked at Edmund, who was already looking at me. The moment our eyes met, we looked away.

Cor caught my eyes, quirking an eyebrow, but Corin was staring at Edmund with the defiant expression he wore whenever someone dared him to do something foolish.

“So why do you want to marry Y/N?” Corin asked.

“Corin!” Cor hissed.

“It’s a valid question!” Corin folded his arms. “You’re wondering it too!”

I looked at Edmund and knew we were silently asking ourselves the same question: did we reveal to them the true motivation behind why Edmund suddenly wanted to marry me? Edmund raised his eyebrows, clearly placing the decision in my hands.

If they knew, they would see how wonderful Edmund was…but they would also see how pathetic their sister’s position was, that I’d found out I was being married off and had to rely on a friend to rescue me because I couldn’t rescue myself. I didn’t want them to be party to my embarrassment. “It’s none of his business,” I said to Edmund, and I knew he understood my hidden meaning. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“It is too my business,” Corin argued, getting to his feet. Cor got to his feet also, putting a hand on his twin’s shoulder, which Corin quickly shook off. “If he’s going to be my new brother-in-law, I want to know.”

Brother-in-law.

The title made me feel suddenly queasy. If it made me feel queasy, it certainly made Edmund—the man who never wanted to marry—uncomfortable as well.

“Corin–” I started, ready to send him off the trail.

“Your sister,” Edmund cut in, drawing all eyes, “is special.”

Special.

That was like calling something interesting—it sounded like you were saying something, but you really said nothing at all.

“Really, Edmund, you don’t have to–”

“Shhhh!” Corin shushed me. Both my brothers faced Edmund, looking expectant. Outnumbered and helpless, I dropped into an armchair, watching Edmund try and stitch his words together.

“It’s not hard to find a beautiful woman,” Edmund said finally. “Nor is it rare to find a well-mannered woman of grace and poise. I’ve met many women of great intelligence or enthusiastic patience or tremendous humanity.”

I looked down at my shoes, my eyes watering from the smoke of my hopes burning.

“But your sister, somehow…is all of those things.”

I glanced up to see Edmund looking over at me. He wasn’t smiling, but there was a soft and undeniable fondness in his eyes. “Any man would be lucky to have her, but none could deserve her.” He shook his head. “Not even me.”

My heart overflowed, brought to the brink of pain with the amount of affection in it.

“I’m quite convinced that if she wanted to,” Edmund tilted his head, “she could outshine the sun.”

His words stole my breath. I fought to regain it, to be as unruffled and mighty as his words made me seem, but air seemed beyond my reach. He didn’t have to say all that, I’d given him permission to ignore my brothers, and yet he’d said it anyway. Did he really mean it? Or was he pandering to my brothers to convince them?

Even as I pondered the question, I could tell by his face that his words were in earnest, and it made me wonder. As underhanded as Rabadash proved himself to be…was he right? Did Edmund truly love me?

Corin pretended to gag. “Gross.”

“Corin!” I exclaimed, feeling my cheeks heat up.

“I didn’t ask for poetry!”

Cor shoved Corin. “Shut up!” Cor stepped forward to clap Edmund on the shoulder. “It will be an honor to have you as our new brother, King Edmund.”

Edmund politely inclined his head. “Likewise.”

“You picked a good one,” Corin told me, begrudgingly. With that, the twins left the room, arguing about Corin’s manners as they went.

And then, Edmund and I were alone.

All our familiarity melted away like snow in the spring. We didn’t touch each other, we didn’t look at each other, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if Edmund was trying to ignore the sound of my breathing the way I was trying to ignore his.

My current position far exceeded my position a few hours ago. Marrying Edmund was a vast improvement over marrying Rabadash.

But…with Rabadash, there was no obligation to pretend it was anything more than an arrangement. I could’ve spent my whole marriage loathing him, and it changed nothing. But with Edmund? I didn’t have the ease of hatred nor the certainty of love. It was still an arrangement, but an arrangement that left me unsure of where I stood.

“Will you stand up for me?”

I blinked, suddenly noticing that Edmund stood in front of my chair now, his hand outstretched. “What?”

“Stand up.”

I did, tentatively placing my hand in his. Edmund was standing so close, I had to tilt my head back to look in his face. This is how we stood in the drawing room, when Edmund looked down at me with an expression I’d never before seen.

He was wearing the expression again now.

Then, ever so slowly, he dropped down to one knee, and a sudden burst of alarm shot through me. “What are you doing?” I cried before clapping a hand over my mouth at the sheer volume of my shrill voice.

Edmund reached out for my other hand. “I’m doing this right.”

I curled both hands into my chest. “You don’t have to–”

“I do,” Edmund said grimly, looking up at me. “In fact, I should’ve done it in the drawing room the moment I thought of this whole plan. You deserve to have this done right.”

“But this makes it–” I’d been about to say ‘real’, but nothing about this was real. If it were real, Edmund would propose because he didn’t want to live life without me. Because he loved me, not because he was trying to save me from an impossible situation.

And yet, it was real. This was happening.

“Will you please let me do this?” Edmund asked.

“But I’ve already said yes!” I said shrilly. “We’re already getting–”

Married.

A measly little word, and yet I couldn’t make myself say it, too aware of its weight.

“You said yes to the plan.” Edmund got to his feet again, something raw in his eyes. “You didn’t say yes to me.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s implied!”

Edmund bent a little so that our faces were on the same level as he looked directly into my eyes. “I don’t want a marriage based on an implication.”

My knees shook a little, weakened by the intensity of his tone. There should’ve been no surprise about this. I knew what kind of a man Edmund was. Of course it would translate into the kind of husband he wanted to be.

“Y/N, please,” Edmund begged. “I-I need to feel like I’m doing this right.”

“You’re…” I trailed off. “You’re already doing too much for me.”

“Then do this for me.”

Why? my head screamed. I knew what Rabadash’s answer to that question would be, and it scared me. But as Edmund looked at me with his wheedling face, I knew there wasn’t much I could ever deny him. I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded, not trusting my voice. For Edmund. I could let him do this.

“Alright then.” Edmund clumsily and awkwardly took my hands, and I wasn’t sure if his hands were sweating or if mine were as he lowered himself onto his knee again. “Y/N, will you marry me?”

For a scary moment, I couldn’t form any words, couldn’t do anything except stare at him. Edmund was gaining new titles with this.

Son-in-law. Brother-in-law. Husband.

And so was I, I realized.

Queen. Sister-in-law. Wife.

I stared down at Edmund, cursing his persistent need to do things ‘the proper way’.

“Please say yes,” Edmund pleaded, his eyes imploring for the word.

Why did he seem so desperate? We were already getting married. The deal was already made. The wedding was being planned. Why did my ‘yes’ matter so much?

It didn’t matter that much to anyone else.

I swallowed hard. “Yes.” The word was strained and indecipherable, so I cleared my throat. “Yes, Edmund, I’ll marry you.”

Edmund didn’t smile. Instead, he released my right hand, shoving his own into his pocket.

“What are you–” My words died as my eyes caught the flash of silver. I gaped down at Edmund. “You got me a ring?”

Edmund laughed nervously, looking down at the band in his hand. “Not exactly. It’s actually my signet ring from when I was younger. I, uh, I outgrew it, and they had to craft another one.” He lifted his right hand to show off the ring on his pointer finger. “I-I just thought, um, that it could work until we could have another one made for you.” His rushed and uncertain words floored me. He scratched his neck. “It’s small, I know, and it’s very simple, but I just, I mean, I thought perhaps, in a way, it’s right–”

“It’s perfect.”

Edmund looked up at me. “Really?” I nodded, wordlessly holding out my hand. Edmund, staying in his position on the ground, gently slid the ring onto my ring finger. It nearly slipped back past my knuckle. “Um…I guess it’s too big.” He started to pull it off.

“Wait!” I quickly slid it onto my middle finger. Still too big.

Edmund rose to his feet. “Really, if it doesn’t fit, you don’t have to–”

I slid it onto my pointer finger, and it stayed right where it was. “It fits,” I said, showing it to him.

“It’s not on your ring finger though,” Edmund said, frowning.

“No, it’s okay. I like it on this finger.” I held it up to the light, admiring the birch leaves right in the center. “And anyways, we match.“ Taking his hand in mine, I spread his fingers until our palms met, the rings matching up with our pointer fingers. “See?” I said softly.

Edmund didn’t reply at first. Then, his eyes met mine. “I guess we do.” He let his fingers slip, intertwining with mine. I held my breath, suddenly anxious as his thumb gently, soothingly rubbed mine. “Are you okay?” he asked.

I let out the breath, sinking into the comfort of my courteous and wonderful friend. “Yes. Are you?”

“Apparently,” his Adam’s apple rippled as he swallowed, “we’re going to be married by the end of the week.”

I knew it, I knew he didn’t want to be married. I loosened my grip on his hand. “You don’t have to do this–”

“Y/N,” he said softly, holding my hand tighter. “We’re not going to have this conversation over and over again.”

“I-I just, I can’t–”

“If the roles were reversed,” Edmund cut in, “would you do the same for me?”

“Of course I would,” I replied without a moment’s hesitation. “I’d do anything for you, because you’re my best friend.”

The corners of Edmund’s mouth turned ever so slightly upward. “And I for you, because you’re mine.” His expression turned a little devious. “Should I be offended that you keep trying to let me out of this?”

I chuckled a bit self-consciously. “It’s probably bad manners, isn’t it, to reject a gift like this?”

“It is,” Edmund said pleasantly. “But have no fear, I’ll still bring you gifts on your birthday every year.”

I smiled. “Except you’ll only have to walk them down the hall instead of sending them across nations.”

“I’ll save on so much postage,” Edmund murmured. I giggled lightly, and Edmund smiled fully. The tightness in my chest eased at the familiar sight. It was the type of smile that promised we were going to be okay. The awkwardness of our impending marriage couldn’t shake our friendship.

The door opened, and we respectfully stepped away from each other.

“Y/N,” said Queen Susan’s melodious voice, causing me to look up. She pursed her lips, clearly trying to conceal a smile. “I want your opinion on flowers for the wedding.” Her eyes flicked towards her brother. “Edmund tells me you like flowers.”

I looked over at Edmund, and the pink dusting his cheeks made me smile. “Yes, I do,” I said lightly, walking over to Queen Susan. She turned to lead me down the hall, and I glanced over my shoulder at Edmund.

He looked the very picture of regality.

His hands were behind his back again as he stood at his full, kingly height. Even the smile on his face was lordly, yet spoke of such warmth, I wondered at his assertion that I could outshine the sun.

Didn’t Edmund know he already did?

Part 6

Overall tag list:

@thelastpyle @valiantlytransparentwhispers

White Moves First tag list:

@thelifeofsecretpenguins @read-just-cant @chesh-ire-cat @emotionallyattachedteen

#narnia #chronicles of narnia #edmund #edmund pevensie #edmund fanfic #edmund fanfiction #king edmund #king edmund the just #arranged marriage #arranged marriage trope #friends to lovers #chess #narnia fanfic #narnia fanfiction #marriage #wedding #royal marriage #marriage of convenience

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volterran-wine · 16 days

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To the Queens! 🐞💀☎️ xxx

🐞 - What does a perfect day look like for you? What do you do? Who do you see?

𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚: Oh what a sweet question, though I do believe I speak for Sulpicia as well when I say we would like to spend the day together. Whilst in the Palazzo we are often pulled between different duties, so we are often not able to spend quality time together anymore.

𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚: I concur, it would certainly be with Athenodora.

𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚: However, I would never mind if Corin or Chelsea joined us as well. One is my daughter and the other our closest friend, of course Jane and Alec would be welcome too but... 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚: My twins find comfort with one another.

💀 - What kind of sense of humour do you have, if any?

𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚: While my sense of humour is nowhere near as morbid as my spouses, they exist within the same universe I would say. It can be a smidge dark...

𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚: I am quite sarcastic, dry and witty humour has a tendency to catch my fancy if it is applied correctly.

☎️ - Do you collect anything?

𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚: I keep a cabinet stocked with all of my daughters early 'inventions', some were more successful than others, but they are all just as precious to me. While Corin would have preferred to see them burn, I am more sentimental in that regard.

𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚: Jewels, preferably in the form of beautifully crafter necklaces, earrings and bracelets. I aim to have a small piece of art made out of every precious stone and rock known to us. Soon enough Aro will have to procure ones from outside this plane of existence.

― 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐴𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑎 & 𝑆𝑢𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎

#Ask The Volturi Summer Edition #Athenodora Volturi #Sulpicia Volturi

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ilhamiman · 2 months

Text

ZZZ Fanart: Indirect Kiss. I was watching anime indirect kiss compilation and it inspired me to draw a ZZZ fanart of my persona (or self insert) and Von Lycaon. It has a story for this. Billy dare me to kiss Von Lycaon. Both me and Lycaon are surprised from that. So, I gather my courage, put my hand on Lycaon's mouth and kiss the back of my hand, I do the indirect kiss. I was blushing while doing this and that caught Lycaon off guard because he didn't expect that. Nicole, Nekomata, Billy and Corin scream in surprised manner, Ellen's surprised with amused of it, Rina's surprised as well and Anby simply jaw drop with wide eyes. After I done, Billy complain, saying he actually dared me to kiss him right at the lips, which I reply back saying he didn't being specific of that like what types of kiss should be and where to kiss and before Billy even start speaking, I told him I won't do a redo cause it took me a lot of mental strength to do so and I book outta there cause I'm blushing beyond reason and head out of the room, leaving Billy all annoyed noises cause he was sure his plan (which is helping me to ask Lycaon out) a success but he failed so bad. Lycaon's blushing so much he stood still from where he's sitting. Ellen try to snap him out of it but soon realize he fainted from that, making the maids all surprised and worried as they try to wake him up.

#art #my art #digital art #digital artwork #my persona #zenless zone zero #zzz #zenless zone zero von lycaon #zzz von lycaon #von lycaon #zenless zone zero fanart #zzz fanart #persona x canon

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sulphuryasecretcloset · 7 months

Text

Leave Him Alone

“I'm sorry.” Zev sighs, plopping some snacks into her mouth from the container she had secured from the first food stall they had encountered.

This was meant to be a quick trip into the village to pick up some supplies and then just head back to the cabin where Mose is waiting with Junior (Neither of them do well in the cold.) and Grogu, but things just got more complicated.

“It's fine.” Din sighs as well. He had known bringing Leave-it along, not just her and Corin, would mean there would be a lot of talking, he just hadn't anticipated the blond making it his personal mission to speak to just about every soul in the village.

“He's just...” Zev gestures vaguely towards where Leave-it and Corin are in deep conversation with some stranger. “Weird. Always have to talk to strangers. He got invited to some baby's naming ceremony last week after speaking to the parents for about ten minutes. I honestly can't take him anywhere.” She rummages around in the container for more treats. Din battles against a smile. They are such complete opposites, her and Leave-it, but somehow it works. Judging by how much she's been eating these last two days, things appear to have worked really well between them. She hasn't said anything about anything, but Din is still willing to bet credits on there being some good news real soon. “Seriously, it's fine.”

Which it is. A bit time consuming, but fine. The trouble emerges when Leave-it and Corin come trotting back over, all excited, to tell them they had just been invited to join in on some big sporting event that takes place on a frozen lake.

Zev'sonya scowls and chews. Din is about to veto the entire thing until he sees the excitement in Corin's eyes and the gorgeous smile that reveals just how much he wants to go to this thing. Great. How is he supposed to say no to that?

He can't.

Which is why Din Djarin finds himself standing next to a frozen lake with a very annoyed twi'lek by his side, while the love of his life and his obnoxiously cheerful friend are attaching skates to their feet to join the people already warming up on the ice.

“Push-over.” Zev'sonya mutters.

“I didn't hear you tell your boyfriend no.” Din mutters back, skilfully ignoring Zev’sonya’s scowl.

Down on the frozen lake, Leave-it shows he's not a lost cause on skates, unlike Din. He's clearly not completely comfortable at first, a little awkward as he moves but improving by the second, and soon he's skating around with a confidence and skill Din has yet to achieve even after an embarrassing amount of tutoring.

Corin, on the other hand, is moving with such talent and grace that Din can't help but to wonder if he'd come rushing out of his poor mother on skates. He’s outshining everyone on the ice and he’s not even trying to impress anyone. If anything, Corin looks relaxed and is just having fun hanging around with Leave-it.

The game is silly and pointless. Six souls on each team, each person with a sturdy stick in their hands, trying to smack a small, black rock across a line about a meter long on either side of the lake.

If not for the bright grin on Corin's face as he skates next to Leave-it, Din would have found this a complete waste of time. That smile makes it worth it, though. That smile is perfection.

Once the game starts and the battle for the rock commences, it doesn't take long before the opposing team realizes what Din had already concluded; Corin is the biggest threat to their victory.

While there follows plenty of bickering over the rock, shoulders knocking against shoulders and the volume of voices rising along with their tempers, Din isn't too worried at first. In the fighting pit at the Covert, tempers always flared during their games as well. Then everything changes.

Corin is racing up the ice, tapping the rock along with his stick, when one man comes rushing in from the left. This one ignores going after the rock entirely and instead, with the determination of a hammerhead corvette, he body-slams into Corin with all of his might.

Din’s entire body jolts as Corin goes flying through the air, slams back down onto the ice and slides a good distance before coming to a halt. Pushing himself up on his arms, Corin shakes his head, as if to shake off the shock and dizziness, while Leave-it rushes to his side to check on him along with a couple of others from their team.

Din takes a step forward, about to call Corin off the ice, but it's too late as the crazy man is already up on his skates again and is sliding over to rejoin the game. He appears unharmed by the attack, though Din doesn't trust that for one second and scans Corin as he moves for any signs of discomfort. He knows only too well that Corin will ignore broken bones rather than inconvenience anyone, thinking a silly game being far more important than his own well-being. If Corin's shoulder droops, like when he broke his collarbone, or if he tries to keep his weight off a leg to ease hidden pain, or anything like that, Din will march over and physically drag Corin off the ice.

It’s not long before there is a new attempt at knocking Corin over. The same guy rushes twoards Corin with every intention of body slamming him into next week and it happens so fast that Din can't do anything to stop it.

Luckily, Corin must have anticipated this and he’s ready for it. When the guy charges at him, Corin turns, twists his body out of the way, and watches as his attacker flies by and nearly ends up face-first into the massive snowbank that circles the lake. Unfortunately, Din doesn't get to feel relief because he sees a second guy rushing at Corin's back with the intent of knocking him over while he’s distracted, but Corin once again merely turns and lets the idiot fly by him, even gives him a little wave. Now Din smirks and actually relaxes. A little. Corin's got this.

Despite several more attempts, no one comes close to even touching Corin. He side-steps, twists and slides out of their path with hardly any effort and mouth-watering elegance. If anything, he seems amused.

Din does the mistake of relaxing. Which is of course when bad luck strikes.

Once the players realize they can’t break any of Corin’s bones, they unleash their anger on the easier target: Leave-it, the other outsider. He’s nowhere near as fast or smooth on the skates and so he has no chance to dodge the guy now rushing at him.

Din flinches at the impact. It’s not as harsh as when that first guy hit Corin, but it is plenty hard enough to knock Leave-it over and for him to hit the ice with a yelp. Din looks over at Zev’sonya, who watches with a frown until Leave-it is back up on his skates and grinning at the fussing Corin before turning her attention back to her snacks. It appears that she’s a lot less worried than Din.

Minutes later, they knock the blond over again. Corin quickly skates over and helps Leave-it back up. Minutes after that, the opposing team knock him over a third time.

Kneeling next to Leave-it, who is gesturing that he’s fine, Corin slowly turns his gaze towards where the opposing team are huddling together with smugness radiating off them.

Corin is too far away for Din to see his eyes clearly, but he does see how Corin lowers his chin and how his shoulders tense up as his muscles tighten and bulge.

“Uh oh.” Din mumbles.

“What?” Zev’sonya asks.

“They just made Corin angry.”

Zev’sonya squints with the effort of trying to see what Corin’s face looks like. “I didn’t think he could get angry over a game.”

“Trust me.” Din says. “They could go after him and knock him down all day and he wouldn’t be bothered, but once they go after someone he cares about… I almost feel sorry for them.”

“I don’t.” Zev’sonya says, indeed without an ounce of sympathy in her voice. “I hope Corin breaks their legs.” She slowly cracks something between her teeth that sounds scarily like bones breaking.

Ah. A slight smile tugs at Din’s lips. Not less worried than Din after all, just better at hiding it.

The game starts up again, but this time Corin is the one ignoring the black rock and makes no attempts at scoring points. Instead he skates nearby Leave-it in what others might think is a purely whimsical way until one guy does the mistake of rushing at the blond with every intent of knocking him down.

Corin turns, faster than anyone should be able to on skates, speeds up, hunches forward and slams his shoulder into the guy so hard that both Din and Zev’sonya flinch. The impact is so violent it stops the man as if he’d run straight into a wall, his feet fly high while his upper body go down like a lead weight. The landing is so brutal his ancestors probably feel it too.

Zev’sonya lets out a low cackle of mean satisfaction when the guy has to be helped back up on his feet. Din, on the other hand, keeps his gaze on Corin, who nonchalantly skates around like nothing happened without straying too far from Leave-it or taking his eyes off the opposite team. Oh, he is seriously pissed off. Those guys have no idea what they’ve unleashed. Dank farrik, Corin is hot when he’s angry like this. Watching him destroy that guy without mercy, he’s gorgeous. Most people who have met Corin once upon a time would describe him as amiable to the point of being an easy push-over, but he’s showing a very different side to himself at the moment. One that Din loves. Right now, Corin looks ready to knock your teeth out if you challenge him.

The next man trying to knock Leave-it down fails to see Corin’s approach, but he certainly feels it when Corin grabs a hold of his shoulders and spins around to fling him face first into the snowbank on the left. Idiot number three who charges at Leave-it eats the ice hard when Corin comes up behind him and swings the stick with all of his might at his ankles. It takes a little while before someone tries to knock Leave-it down again after that, but once he scores two points for his team the tempers flare and one moron can’t help himself and rushes towards the blond.

“Mistake.” Zev’sonya observes,

“Big mistake.” Din agrees, while hoping she doesn’t pick up on the rasp in his voice due to how his throat is snaring up with the urge to admire out loud how hot Corin is right now.

“Down, boy.” Zev’sonya mumbles with a slight grin.

She heard. Dammit. Din clears his throat a little awkwardly, but still savours the ruthless way Corin slams into a guy with all of his considerable strength and no fear. Magnificent. Mandokarla. So karking Mandokarla. This is what he knows is hiding behind Corin’s peaceful front and Din love it when idiots are corrected for mistaking his kar’ta’s kindness for weakness. Just because Corin prefers not to beat the shit out of people, it doesn’t mean he’s not able to if he feels like it.

It almost makes Din a little sad when there are no more attempts to challenge Corin’s defence of his friend. Leave-it gets to skate around freely, oblivious to the ominous presence of his self proclaimed bodyguard hovering nearby, ready to interfere with anyone going after him.

Not trusting things to not go wrong, Din lets out a sigh of relief when the game is finally over. Corin and Leave-it’s team win 16-2. After a quick celebration with their team-mates, the two make their way over to Din and Zev’sonya, who choose to wait at a safe distance from clingy strangers.

“We won!” Leave-it declares with a laugh, one arm around Corin and the other punching the air.

“Congratulations.” Din says, eyes dwelling on Corin and loving how happy he looks.

“We saw.” Zev’sonya drawls.

“Don’t you wanna kiss the most important player on the ice?” Leave-it counters, leaning towards Zev’sonya with a suggestive grin and waggling eyebrows. “I mean, I must have scored ten or eleven of those points.”

“Yeah.” Zev’sonya says, raising an eyebrow to underline her sardonic look. “Because Corin beat up anyone who got in your way.”

“What?” Leave-it huffs. “No!” He looks over at Din. “Tell her that’s not true.”

Corin sends Din a tense look that begs for him to lie so Leave-it can go on smiling like he is.

Din purses his lips for a brief moment, considering his options, before replying. “I think you scored twelve of them, actually. That’s what I counted, anyway.”

“See?!” Leave-it exclaims with delight, only to have Zev’sonya roll her eyes and walk away which of course makes him hurry after her. “Zev, baby, twelve points. That’s awesome. I’m awesome! We should celebrate. Lucky you to be married to a genius. I’m kinda jealous. Zev. Hey, Zev. Wait up!”

Din smirks. Not a lie, no revealing of Corin’s actions, the perfect distraction for the guy famous for his lack of attention span. Raga would have been proud.

Corin inches over to stand next to Din as they watch the two walk away, speaking in a quiet voice: “Thank you.”

Din grunts, then turns to face him.

Offering a nervous smile, Corin shrugs. “I got a little carried away, I know. I’m sorry. I just… There was no reason to go after him like that. They were just doing it because they couldn’t get me; hurting him because they couldn’t hurt me, and I… got angry.”

“Furious.” Din corrects him a little absently.

Corin nods and lowers his gaze, appearing outwardly submissive, yet there is an unmistakable undertone of quiet, hard defiance in his voice as he speaks. “It was just game, I know, okay? I acted like an idiot, I realize that, but they were hurting him and I-”

“You.” Din reaches up and cups his gorgeous face between his hands to make him look up again. Din loses himself in those mesmerizing eyes as if the barrier of the HUD does not exist. “Were magnificent out there. Strong. Gorgeous. I could have watched you for days.”

Corin’s eyes flash with surprise and his lips part a little in a way that makes heat lick up Din’s spine. Yeah, his kar’ta still has no clue in regards to the effect he has on him and Din is starting to think he might never get it. Though, that might not be a bad thing, considering how enticing Corin looks all flustered when Din has to spell it out for him. “Din…”

Breathing a soft laugh, Din decides not to tease him today. He draws a final and lingering caress along Corin’s jawline before letting go and ordering the heat to leave his blood. “You protected your brother. As a Mandalorian should. You did good, okay?”

Corin smiles as the anxiousness leaves his body, but his gaze never leaves Din. Actually, there is something in his mesmerizing eyes that keeps a stubborn ember of fire alive in Din’s veins. “Does that mean I get a reward?”

Din struggles to swallow. Behave. He might mean something platonic. “Sure. What do you want?”

Corin’s smile widens a tiny fraction. There is nothing platonic about what’s on his mind, for sure. “I’ll tell you later.” He abruptly turns to follow the others. “Let’s get back to the ship before Zev’sonya decides to leave us behind and makes us walk back to the cabin.”

Din takes a deep, deep breath, before he follows with a faint laugh. Ice skating with sticks is officially his new favourite sport. It is definitely not a waste of time after all.

Maybe there is some way to get Corin a semi-regular spot on the local team?

#the mandalorian his son and the storm trooper #corin the storm trooper #din djarin #zev'sonya #leave-it aka leo

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crazyfoolish · 1 month

Text

You're So Vain | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Part 4

Summary: Y/N has nightmares and Obi-Wan enters her room. The next day, Duke Castell asks for her hand in marriage.

Prompt: but you gave away the things you loved, and one of them was me.

Warnings: PTSD, severed limbs, assault.

Complete chapter list here.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep for yet another night. My attempt to push Obi-Wan into sharing more about the investigation had completely backfired. Instead of getting him to open up, I ended up feeling more exposed, as if he’d dug deeper into my mind.

On the bright side, I was starting to feel better—stronger, like I could finally leave the palace. But at night, the demons returned—in dreams, in whispers through the walls, in screams. Soon enough, as they started, I screamed too.

In my dreams, I saw my people—Padmé, Corin, and Obi-Wan—lifeless, heaped together on a battlefield. A Sith Lord, adorned in menacing red and black, loomed over them, his yellow eyes gleaming ominously. Had I seen him before?

My eyes snapped open to meet Obi-Wan's concerned gaze.

“Y/N…” he whispered. “Are you alright? What happened?”

Everything, I wanted to answer. But first, I needed to figure out what he was doing in my room, in my bed. His lightsaber was unsheathed, emitting a soft, blue light, humming. He stood above me, head held high, looking around.

“It was a dream,” I murmured, scratching my eyes. “What happened?”

“You screamed, so I took the liberty of entering,” his voice sounded empty.

“Of course you did,” I managed a smile. He came down to the bed, looking curious. “It’s those nightmares… I can sleep now, but they still bother me a bit.” I leaned on my elbows, amused by the intrusion. He sure was effective.

“You should speak to a healer about it, Senator,” he frowned.

“Oh, yeah, I’m sorry to wake you.”

"It's not about that. You should genuinely see a healer. I can request one from the Queen," he said, moving toward the door to summon help.

“No need, Master Kenobi,” I laid back. “I just need to rest, that’s all.”

"I've heard your cries before. These dreams, they're robbing you of peace. You're exhausted."

"I'm actually feeling much better," I protested.

He sighed skeptically and rang for a servant. "I find that hard to believe."

"You make a terrible caretaker," I joked.

"I am not your caretaker. I am your Jedi Knight," he corrected, a hint of irritation in his voice as he left to speak with the attendant who arrived.

Your Jedi Knight.

The phrase hung in the still air of the room.

Within ten minutes, the healer arrived, her hair slightly messy, wearing night robes over a kimono. Her long black hair was neatly braided. As she started her examination, Obi-Wan watched from a distance.

"Could you remove your blouse, please?" she requested, casting a brief glance toward Obi-Wan, who promptly excused himself, leaving us in privacy. A small, knowing smile graced her lips. Despite appearing no older than forty, I was aware of Amala's lengthy service to the Queen. "He's quite concerned about you," she noted.

“Unnecessarily so,” I retorted. “It’s not something that can be fixed, like a broken bone; it’s my mind that is shattered.”

I knew she would understand, and she nodded, but in her eyes, there was some hesitation.

“There is… something,” she said while touching the cold stethoscope to my nude back. “But I’m afraid I cannot help you with that.”

“What is it?”

"I'm surprised the Jedi hasn't suggested it," she mused.

“What?” I grew more curious, turning to her.

“The Jedi have many practices to ease the mind, to rid oneself of anxiety.”

I remember hearing Master Jinn say something similar years ago.

“Are you suggesting I meditate?” I scowled.

“Precisely. He could teach you. It could help you a great deal,” her voice suddenly hardened. Amala knew how stubborn I could be. “Besides your weakness, everything seems to be fine. Continue to eat and sleep, and try to talk with him,” she asked, rubbing my back. I got dressed again. I tried to smile goodbye, but it came out faint. Talk with him about… meditation? Clearing my mind? Closing my eyes was like instantly inviting the demons and the nightmares back in. Could that really help me? If I gained a sound mind, maybe he would trust me and let me help him.

"What did she recommend?" Obi-Wan inquired immediately upon her departure, his examination swift and concerned.

"I'm fine," I muttered, avoiding his gaze.

He seemed unconvinced, his blue eyes searching mine for the truth. Was this a battle of wills? He seemed to forget I was well-versed in the art of patience.

"You're free to leave," I stated flatly. Yet, he remained stationary, as if rooted to the spot. "Don't you see I need rest?"

"You're withholding something," he deduced.

"Congratulations, Jedi," I retorted, my patience waning. "Ever heard of patient confidentiality?"

“Not when your silence harms you,” he moved closer, silently. No amount of shadow could conceal his bright, glowing figure. Jedi were like angels, Corin once said, they are radiant with light. I couldn’t deny it. Though it was not because he was a Jedi, but rather because it was him. “Not when I sense I can help you.”

“So, I must request your help,” I mocked.

"Regrettably, yes," he admitted, his expression clouded with frustration. "I'm at a loss otherwise."

Always so sincere, so humble. But deep down, I knew why he wanted. Why he should. It had nothing to do with helping me but rather keeping me under his control. The Jedi were vain enough to want every piece of information in their hands. For control, solely.

I think...

“If I want your help, I will ask for it, Master Kenobi,” I hissed, anger boiling inside.

"You seek my trust," he whispered, "yet you offer none in return."

With that, I turned away, silently willing him to leave.

________________________________________________________

I grew bitter. I know I did. It's just the way of things for girls who grow up on the brink of war, trained as politicians and spies for the interests of others. We grow bitter, we grow tired, and even when we're kidnapped, tortured, and rescued, we can still be too stubborn to ask for help.

From anyone.

Especially Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“Are you even listening to me?” Eros asked, lowering his weapon at the garden’s table. We were practicing shots at a target on a tiny island in the lake. Some troopers assisted us from the other side, mostly to replace the targets the Duke had already knocked down. I yawned, sitting on the grass on a cloth, exhausted from the recoil of the guns that bruised my arms. I wasn’t made for battle—at all.

“I apologize,” I muttered, frowning at the sunny horizon. “I’m distracted by the view.”

“There’s more on your mind, dear,” he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

“Not really,” I continued frowning, hoping it would shut him up. I only accepted his call because of that blasted Jedi Master, who accused me of shutting everyone out. Yet, he seemed just as displeased as I was, standing in the shadow of a tree, not saying a word. “What were you saying?”

“About when we were teens, and your sister had that huge crush on me. The little one.”

It took everything I had not to roll my eyes. How the Duke Castell loved to live in the past.

“Ah, yes, Li Fren.”

“And how she tried to throw you into this very lake.”

“The little devil,” I bit my lip. “I pulled her in with me.”

“And then I had to rescue you both.”

“A true and noble hero,” I tried not to sound sarcastic, but even if I succeeded, I doubt he would notice—too distracted by his own charms.

“Can you swim now? We should get our bathing robes,” he started to call for the servants.

“Oh, not me, thanks.”

“Why not? For old time’s sake.”

“Fifteen years of no ‘sake’ already killed it off.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“What?”

“You still can’t swim, can you?”

“Of course I can. I swam with Padmé here all the time.”

“Let me guess, in the shallow end.”

“I wasn’t aware I needed to measure it.”

“I’m baffled, my darling.”

Ugh.

“I insist you let me teach you. You need to know how to swim.”

“Why?” I hissed. “I think I’m past the learning curve.”

“Of course not! Oh, dear. Girl, come here at once.”

“I told you not to!” I got up. He picked the wrong day to push my buttons. “I mean, my lord, I’m very tired. Can’t we have dinner and call it a night?”

“The sun is still up,” he said, dismissing my complaints as childish fear. He spoke with my servant, who ignored my protests and ran back to the house to find me robes. Oh, fuck.

“Eros. You’re delusional if you think I’ll partake in this game.”

“Of course you will.”

“Why would I?”

Then something shifted in his face. Seriousness took over, tinged with a bit of embarrassment.

“Your father hasn’t told you yet, so I probably shouldn’t…”

I stiffened. My father?

“We’re betrothed, darling. The queen is aware, and so is the rest of the court. We were going to announce it as a surprise, but…”

I laughed.

“Hilarious, Eros.”

“You must try to spend time with me. You always avoid my visits.”

“Eros.”

“I’ve been in love with you for 20 years.”

“I know, but I won’t marry you because of your affection.”

“Oh, yes, you will.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s already done. Our families are preparing everything.”

“Oh dear, you’re that delusional to think I would do anything my family tells me to, huh?”

“If you don’t, they’ll strip you of your heritage.”

“Eros. Look at me. Do you really think I need any money? I’m a favorite of the Queen, of Padmé, and I have my own wealth. I worked hard for it.”

He grabbed my arm, his features darkening.

“Get your hands off the Senator,” Obi-Wan warned. “Now.”

“Go away, pup.” Eros merely glanced at the Jedi. He was much taller than Obi-Wan.

I forgot he was there, witnessing my humiliation

“You dare speak to a Jedi Master this way?” I scoffed.

“You used to do it all the time.” His expression was one of disbelief.

It was different when I did it. Hearing someone else say it so obnoxiously stung.

“Besides, he isn’t a Master anymore.”

“I beg your pardon?” I yanked my arm free. “Get away from here. Now, Eros.”

Obi-Wan glared at us, waiting for the order to strike.

“He was banished from the Jedi Order. Everyone knows that. Now Skywalker is out there playing the hero, alone.”

“All because he was brave enough to defy orders. To save me.”

“Even so…”

I could feel the heat radiating from Obi-Wan. I wondered if it was the Force or simply the anticipation of his blade, oscillating at his belt.

“Careful, Eros.” I smirked at him.

“He won’t hurt me. They can’t attack someone out of the blue.”

“But you were hurting me.” I cradled my elbows.

“Y/N… You’re mine. The sooner you accept this, the easier it will be. You need someone to protect you… after all that you’ve been through.”

“I already have protection.” My eyes met Obi-Wan’s. Ever so blue. This time, cold as ice.

I tried to speak to him in silence, tried to tell him that I was sorry. That he shouldn’t have to hear this bastard.

Eros took my distraction as an invitation, grabbing my arms once again.

“I know it was fun… playing senator. Even playing spy for your wretched father. But it’s over, Y/N.”

“Let me go. Now.”

“You’re not listening to me…” His fingers dug deep into my skin. My scars burned, and I moaned with pain.

“Oh, that’s it.” Kenobi’s voice murmured behind me, and with a flick of his saber, Eros’s left hand was separated from the rest of him. “Now you’ll learn some manners.”

He screamed. I’d never heard someone scream so hard, not even myself while being tortured. The cut was clean and severed. No blood, just cauterization. Nevertheless, it must have hurt.

Something stirred in my stomach, rising all the way up to my throat.

“Fuck.” I groaned, turning to vomit in the grass. I fell to my knees, breathing deeply.

Eros ran somewhere, because his screams faded.

“Where did he…”

“He went to seek the troopers.” Obi-Wan was beside me, crouched down, one hand on my bare back. “Are you alright?”

“I am… Did he… What did he say?”

“That I was going to regret this.” The Jedi Master didn’t seem at all disturbed. In fact, the twitch in his eyes and the corners of his mouth revealed he found it all rather amusing.

“He can’t hurt you,” I murmured.

“I command the troopers here.” He nodded.

“I’m afraid he’ll come back…”

“It doesn’t matter, Senator.”

His eyes locked on mine, and I tried not to stare, but he was right there, talking with me, and we weren’t fighting or arguing.

This was new.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his eyes widening as if the words slipped out by accident. He closed them and inhaled deeply.

“For what?”

“For what I said before. About you shutting everyone out. I had no idea…”

“That he was disgusting? You couldn’t have known.”

“You tried to tell me. And I decided to blame you. I have no idea how your life has been, about the people around you, how you grew up.”

“It’s okay, Obi-Wan.”

“I have much to learn.” He shook his head, lost in his distress. “And before, when I said you didn’t offer any trust…”

“It’s alright.” My hand found the side of his cheek. “I understand.”

For a few seconds, he simply looked at me. Then, we heard the footsteps of troopers approaching.

In a soft, delicate way, he pushed my hand down and stood up.

But I couldn’t hear a single thing they were saying.

Because Eros’s hand was lying there, in the grass, sunlight glinting off it as if it were just a normal, natural thing to be there.

Suddenly, my Jedi knight caressed my back, helping me to stand, and we walked back to the mansion.

If he weren't Obi-Wan Kenobi—Jedi Master, Pilot, General, and my own personal torment—I’d say:

That was the most fucking romantic thing I’d ever seen.

If only he weren’t a Jedi.

#obi wan kenobi #obi wan #obi wan fanfic #obi wan fanfiction #star wars fanfic #obi wan x reader #obi wan x you #obi wan x y/n #youre so vain

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literary-illuminati · 16 days

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2024 Book Review #45 – Monstress ,Vol. 7: Devourer by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

I originally read along with Monstress as it came out. This was the volume I fell off during and honestly, having now re-read it, past-me was pretty much entirely justified in doing so. It’s not that the story’s bad or anything, but the pacing has gone from unhurried to positively meandering and the plot has by now been nearly-entirely consumed by ancient prophecies, alien gods, and long-dead geniuses. At least the art still verges on the sublime.

The story takes place in the hidden stronghold of the Dusk Court, full to bursting with the wonders of Ancient technology and kept safe from even the hint of war by some terrible magical barrier. After being betrayed by her (now presumably very ex-)girlfriend, Maika is in a coma and being transported to the lair of the Snake Queen for careful study until the power within her can safely be controlled. Not that things are going according to plan – Maika’s soul remains inconveniently tethered to her body, and everyone from Kippa to the agents of the Blood Court have their own interests in helping her find her way back.

The volume can be split between Maika’s wandering through a dreamscape with Zinn and her myriad of family issues, and (primarily) Kippa, Corin and Tuya trying to navigate the frosty reception they receive in the Dusk Court on the other. With several other smaller side-plots - ~30 pages an issue and 7 issues a volume is just not enough for this broad a story. The Dusk Court as a setting left me rather cool, to a degree I can’t really explain. ‘What if we made the Dawn Court somehow seem good by comparison’ just doesn’t seem that compelling to me, I suppose, and all the mystery and intrigue just felt kind of one-note and transparent.

Seeing Kippa and Ren reunite was amazing though. Love those two. At this point continuing to read at least 50% on the promise of seeing Maika wake up and the gang getting together again. The character works remains very good, when someone gets some real focus.

Speaking of, Tuya! We finally figure out what her deal is. And what it is is basically the most literal possible realization of the story’s favourite theme – she is a clone and a host for the original Baroness, an Ancient who has lived on for centuries in one disposable clone after another, collecting memories and using each body up until the next is old and fit enough to slide into. The most literally suffocating parent, a greedy, all-consuming past trying to use and discard children as they see fit.

Corin has, to support the theme, been retconned from a war orphan to the heir of repressed and repressive aristocrats who seem to accept him mainly because he’s less of a disgrace than his sister. His time this volume is mostly spent discovering that some faction of the Court’s Ancients have been slaughtering every Arcanic refugee they can in order to reclaim little bits of their diluted power. It’s all very focused and pointed, thematically.

Maika’s plotline is much of the same – she spends basically the entire volume getting her face rubbed in how her entire life has been lived according to the designs of her mother or the Shaman-Empress or both. Comic books are not exactly a medium well-suited to long monologues and introspective digressions, but it works here because the art for these dreamscape scenes is absolutely jaw-dropping. Easily deserving of awards just on their own. I want a couple pages as posters.

But yeah, character designs and writing remains good enough to keep me reading.

#book review #comic #monstress #marjorie liu #sana takeda #sff

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samsalami66 · 12 days

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Early Ball For My Goalie

Look at that, another part of the soccer au! This time, a little glimpse into my new favourite rarepair, Construction (if you have wondered who the mother of little Lily is... you will find out now !)

This was written for the wonderful @sandman-rarepair-fest, which gave me the motivation to write this thing in the first place!

Prompt: Strangers to Lovers

Rating: Teen and Up

Status: Complete

Words: 1,138

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Tags: First Meetings, Crush at First Sight, Dominant Johanna, Destruction is so gone for her

Summary: John surprises the team during their usual Saturday Drink Night by introducing his cousin Johanna. Clearly, he has an ulterior motive to sitting her directly next to Olethros... and he rather quickly finds out just what exactly that motive is.

Read below or on AO3!

Some music, a good beer and even better company were all the things Olethros needed to enjoy a Saturday evening. And between the 80s’ rock, the New Inn’s craft beer, and his team, there really was no better way to spend a weekend night.

Though this particular Saturday might have the potential to be the best in a row of great ones, all thanks to a new addition to their weekly meet-ups. When John had arrived with a mischievous smile on his face and a beautiful woman on his arm, all silky brown hair and eyes shining with joy, Olethros had simply raised an eyebrow at him. John was really the furthest thing from straight, probably only topped by their resident manwhore himself, Corin Thian. But once he introduced the woman as his cousin, Johanna, things came into perspective.

The guy was up to something.

Not that Olethros had the time to think about that particular fact for much longer, as John ushered her into the booth right next to him, so that they were pressed together from shoulder to thigh. Everywhere they touched, Olethros felt warmth bloom, racing up his body and into his chest so it might send his heart into overdrive.

God, but it had been so long since he had felt this way after a mere glance and touch from a woman, like the blush on his cheeks might go up in flames if she so much as dared to speak to him.

“So, you’re the goalie, then?��

Olethros knew the tips of his ears were growing hot, and he could practically feel the team’s amused eyes staring him down.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he cleared his throat and turned more towards Johanna, giving her his full attention. “The name’s Olethros, but my friends call me Olly.”

As was customary for an introduction, Olethros held out his hand towards her, which Johanna took with a firmer grip than he would have expected from a woman so slight. The look in her eyes spoke of challenge and mischief, a competitive fire that Olethros wanted to meet all too readily. He was a player at heart, after all.

“Olethros,” Johanna repeated, slowly, as if rolling the name around in her mouth. It sounded good in her voice, in her accent. “Eccentric parents?”

A laugh escaped him before he could even try to keep himself back.

“You could say that. Though I think compared to some of my siblings, I got off lightly.” Johanna prompted him to elaborate with a raised eyebrow, and Olethros continued with a smile underlying his words that he couldn’t quite seem to shake. “Alright, from oldest to youngest, there are Potmos, Teleute, Morpheus, myself, Epithumia, Aponoia and Delilah.”

Beside him, Johanna snorted inelegantly, and Olethros almost didn’t feel the pang of hurt at speaking Del’s name over the warmth that rose in his chest.

“Seems like your parents had a bit of a change of mind between child six and seven… But, really mate, seven children? Bet your childhood was a real treat.”

Olethros’ answering smile was weak but genuine, a sad thing that he tried to hide behind a sip of his beer.

“You could say that… What about you? Any siblings to speak of?”

“Nah,” Johanna nodded in John’s direction, who was basically sitting in Cori’s lap with how he was draped over him, deep in conversation. “That disaster of a man is as close to a brother as I’ll get.”

“John’s a good guy. Though he never mentioned you before, which is a true tragedy.”

Johanna tsked at that and threw her cousin a disappointed glare, which the man probably didn’t notice, with how far down Corin’s throat his tongue was now. It would have been impressive, if Olethros didn’t have to deal with them every single day during training.

“Bet he hasn’t, the little shite. I’ve been out of the UK for a while, only came back this weekend. So I’m not too surprised he forgot to mention his favourite cousin before.”

For a moment, Olethros bit his tongue in order to keep in the words which were threatening to spill. But Johanna’s open smile and imploring eyes were all that he needed to let loose what he usually wouldn’t, the words he knew were too much and too soon.

“I don’t know how anyone could forget you,” the words came out stumbling, which made Olethros feel like an inexperienced teenager talking to his first crush, but Johanna’s eyes still seemed to darken at his words, emboldening him to go on. “I know I certainly won’t, after tonight.”

Quite suddenly, Olethros felt a hand on his thigh, lithe and hot and strong as it gave the muscle a firm squeeze, and it took everything in him not to whimper at the touch. God, but he loved himself a woman that took charge.

“Actually, Olethros, I’m currently looking for a place to stay, here in London.” Johanna drawled, her nails scraping along the inside of his thigh, and Olethros was a very weak man if the groan he let out at this teasing touch was any indication.

“You barely know me,” he answered, slightly breathless, and choked at the smirk Johanna threw at him, the way she licked her lips while staring into his very soul.

“Think I’d like to, though.”

Her words were followed by a pinch so high up his thigh it was surely deemed inappropriate in public, which had Olethros gasp a desperate breath and nod, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. “Yeah, yeah, alright. I, I have a couch-”

That sentence was interrupted by a thumb on his lower lip, pressing slightly into his mouth. Olethros felt his knees going weak.

“I think I’d prefer a bed, for the first time.”

Right, he could be so normal about that. No need to whine or moan like a needy lapdog. Except he did both, loud enough that at least six heads turned towards him, and Olethros could feel John’s stupid grin from across the table.

“And we should leave, I think.” she added with a glare towards her cousin, before grabbing Olethros’ hand and pulling him upright. Despite her lesser height it didn’t seem like much of a problem to her, and for a brief moment Olethros wondered if she could throw him around if he let her, once they got home. In the next moment, Olethros realised that the idea sent a small thrill up his spine, and he scrambled to get out of the booth and into his jacket, which Johanna straightened for him with a small grin.

“Have fun, you two!” John called after them as they hurried out of the New Inn, and when Johanna interlaced their fingers with a laugh, Olethros got the feeling that this was the beginning of something truly wonderful.

#sandman rarepair fest 2024 #sandman rarepair fest #the sandman #ship: construction #Johanna Constantine/Destruction #Johanna constantine #destruction of the endless #salamiwrites #soccer au #fuck it we ball

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