#Tumblr stop telling me to tag my posts I can’t see the posting window

[apatosaurus]

I have a birthday coming up, and today was the best day to celebrate, given some other calendar items. My family made me feel really loved with everything they did to prepare for the party.

I asked for a brunch, thinking people would have lower expectations for fancy or perfect, and that they would be less likely to bring alcohol.

I didn’t do a great job of really thinking through the invitation list, mainly I looked through my text messages and calendar for the last year to figure out who I’ve actually been in touch with. There are a few more people I should have thought to invite. It was a short list, made shorter by various conflicts that people had. We ended up with a small group of people from different parts of my life who don’t know each other, but it worked out fine. We didn’t get good photos because we were busy being present and introducing people to each other. No pics, but it did happen.

[skazoo]

slow and blue and endless.

↳ kim taehyung x f!reader

someone stared at you through the window. you had always felt safe in your own home, shutting out the scary, real world. but a window is just glass, and glass… oh it breaks so, so easily.

length. 1.7k

genre. angst, yandere

warnings/tags. language, obsessive behavior, implied stalking, yandere themes, mind break, emotional manipulation, love bombing(?), mention of mental illnesses, physical violence, kinda gruesome allusion to murder, dark themes overall, minors advised to dni.

networks. none for this.

notes. [THIS IS A REPOST BC TUMBLR TAGS WON'T WORK AND I ALMOST CRIED<;3]

GAH these photos are so 80s serial killer making a creepy videotape that's gonna get edited in a true crime documentary coded...... i know you're seeing my vision, i KNOW it.... anywayyyyyy this is kinda not proofread, and i wrote it while i was supposed to be studying for my exams a while back!! because when am i inspired if not when i shouldn't be?? i hope you like it and i swear something is almost ready for me to publish please wait a little longer (for my engenes and atiny besties)

⚠️ it goes without saying that i in no way condone any obsessive/stalking/creepy/violent behavior and despite this being "x reader" i'm not in any way romanticizing anything i'm writing. also this, as you all know, is fiction and names are merely a narrating mean. ⚠️

i'm desperate for feedback and i love comments with your opinion!

(cross-posted on ao3 only)

navigation

in a way you’ve always loved him. he knows. you don’t even have to say it out loud for him to be happy. 

but sometimes it feels like you take him for granted. sometimes you make him really, really angry and that, he can’t let pass. and it's not for his sake but for yours. always everything for you. he has to make you understand that there are things you can’t do if you want to stay safe from the outside world. safe from him, sometimes.

running away is one of those ugly, wretched things you know well he hates, and he slams you against the wall and drags you back through the front door into the house by your hair, he bashes your head on the kitchen counter, near the fire of the stove he’s been preparing lunch with to make you understand a concept you're apparently too dumb to grasp.

“what the fuck did i tell you about running, uh?” seething with undiluted rage .

“i just wanted to go outside, tae. i swear!”

“i said what the fuck did i tell you about running!? do you understand how much it would hurt me to see you go?!” his voice booms inside the walls of your head, an endless echo that makes bitter tears gather at the back of your eyes and spill over.

your face is burning. tongues of fire lick at your cheeks, a scorching caress that reminds you of taehyung's. his palm always leaves a brand behind, reminding him and yourself that he’s there. 

your hands scramble for his in a miserable attempt to lessen his hold. “i’m sorry, tae! so sorry, please! please!”

his closed fist in your hair pushes your head closer to the heat. “i’ll fucking kill you if i have to, you know that right–” it’s not a question, merely a promise, but you nod anyway, frantically, desperately– “they’ll never stop finding your body, baby. do you understand?” he screams and shakes you with his hands tight in your hair when you only cry in response.

“i said,” leaning in, mouth brushing over your ear. chills go down your back as his voice turns sickeningly mellow as if he’s whispering sweet nothings instead of threats, “do you understand?”

“yes! yes! god, yes i understand! tae, i’m so sorry! it’s all my fault! it’s all my fault!”

your mindless babbles seem to humor him and he moves your head at a safer distance. “and why is that?”

“ ‘twas my fault! i put myself in danger if i run. tae, please! i’m so sorry!” 

and you cry and cry and cry until you have nothing to give. until there’s only emptiness in your head that’s resting on his shoulder. until his shushes really feel reassuring. until he sits you down at the table to eat the lunch he prepared, the one that was so close to killing you. you nibble on it, too weak to really even taste the flavors.

he breaks the empty silence between you with a question. you startle at the sound of his voice and force your heavy eyes to focus on him.

“aren't you curious? about why i chose you?”

“no.”

he scrunches his eyebrows and regards you with a slightly displeased look that has you shrinking back on your chair. 

“but i want to tell you…” he whines.

you don’t say anything about his antics. despite him behaving like a child you’re terrified of what his reaction would be if you actually treated him like one, so you press your lips together and wait. 

“i like people that like me.” and it’s so simple how he says it. obvious, even.

“but why do you think i like you?” quietly, meekly.

he seems to like the question, his boxy smile one full of teeth that in other circumstances you would have found endearing. now it only makes him look like a predator, an animal, drool dribbling down his fangs, jaw ready to snap close around your neck if —and ultimately, when— you say or do the wrong thing. 

“oh, i was so happy, Y/N,” he coos, your name curling in his mouth with ease, as if you’re always been around each other, as if it belongs there, “that when i chose you, you came with me.”

your mouth gapes open at the absurdity of it all. you wonder if he really thinks that you wanted all of this, that you wanted to be taken from your home. you’d ask your old psychology professor if you’d be correct to label him as a narcissist of sorts. a man with too much power, and free time, and loneliness to exhaust all on himself that he had to go around looking for a scapegoat for his secret misery.  

“i didn’t– i didn’t come to you, taehyung. i didn’t have a choice.”

“so you were almost forced to come?”

“no,” it comes out more as a question than an answer and you lower your head in search of a way to rationalize the conversation at hand, “i was completely forced–”

“that’s what you tell yourself,” he retorts before you can even finish your sentence.

“it’s what i know is true,” you spit somewhat offended by his insinuation.  

his smile is a sick thing when you raise your head from the food on your plate —cold and uninviting. the smell alone makes you want to throw up. 

“are you sure?”

your anger leaves space for an unnerving sense of confusion. “what does that– what?”

your frown deepens as you watch him play around with his lunch. you follow his hands pushing back his glasses on his nose. the sick look of complacency that dances on his face seems to speak words that make the hairs at the back of your neck raise in dreadful anticipation. i know something about you that you don’t, his eyes say, and that alone is enough to make you want to scream.

he knows nothing!, you’d be shouting to the usually calm neighborhood, i haven’t told him anything about myself. he can’t know anything! he knows nothing! he knows nothing! you’d holler to the kids walking home from school hand in hand with their mothers who’d be looking at you with contempt, unaware of who lives among them. a wolf in sheep's clothing that could easily make you look like a psychopath. 

you’d do it, you swear to yourself that you’d do it all if it weren’t for the fact that you’ve got the inkling fear that you’ve truly gone mad. the doubt that crawls on your back and makes its way in your ears, slithering then, with much glee into your delusional brain.

how long have you been in this house? his house or the one you bought together once you finished college? did you meet him on a slow rainy day outside a coffee shop or did you catch him staring at you from the window before he broke in and took you from your bed, leaving behind torn sheets and a broken frame with a picture of your friends? does your mind deceive you? are you sane? is he?

it feels like you've had this exact same conversation with him an infinite number of times, always stuck in a loop of unease and sadness that you really can’t explain. loving looks sent your way melt into scary grimaces sometimes and all you can feel is guilt because that’s tae. your tae. the man you chose, the man that chose you.

you realize your vacant eyes are crying when you feel a thumb swipe your cheek with a gentleness that makes your stomach churn in disgust and again a voice tells you that there’s something wrong with you.

“baby, are you alright?”

the way you look at him does nothing to the sick warmth brewing in his stomach. your shiny little doe eyes peeking up at him from under wet lashes, asking for forgiveness that taehyung would never deny you. nose red from the frustration of being lost in your own mind and mouth parted as if to ask him to show you the way, the truth that you seem to have lost.

he stands up and rounds the table to you for you to bury your head in his chest. sobs shake your tired form.

“shh, it’s okay, baby. i swear everything it’s okay. it happens to forget.”

“i’m sorry, tae,” you plead through broken breaths. “i’m so sorry, please.”

he shushes you. lips plant themselves in the crown of your head, a hand rubs at your back soothingly.  

later, in the late evening, you lie in your bed. a bed. the sheets smell of him and the air you breathe does not feel like the one you're used to, but you’re calm. you think you are. maybe.

soft snores sound from behind you and you attempt to turn your head to make sure it’s him. 

“tae?” you let out a whisper. not one that expects itself to be heard.

“yeah?” voice hoarse from sleep.

“nothing.”

he buries his nose in the hair at the nape of your neck, inhaling the shampoo he bought for you. “what?”

“just wanted to make sure you were still here.”

“i’m always here, baby.”

you hum.

minutes pass slowly, like molasses, as if the hand of the seconds inside the alarm on your nightstand is fighting an invisible force, a wall of rubber that threatens to bounce time back. you think he’s fallen back asleep. breath slowing, chest heaving, lulling you to slumber.

you close your eyes. “tae?”

he doesn’t answer. a car alarm sounds from outside the closed curtains, its prolonged blaring bringing a certain agitation in your otherwise silent night. a breath of summer wind leaves bumps on your skin in its wake. you sigh and his arms tighten around your torso. an unconscious gesture, soft, loving.

“i dream of you–” you let your words sink into the air, into the boiling water you carry around in your lungs that doesn’t let you breathe properly, and you shiver again but not from the chill bite of the wind “–and it’s slow, and blue, and endless.”

behind you, taehyung’s mouth stretches into a smile.

in a way, you’ve always loved him. he’s certain of it now as he was before. and even if you didn’t, he will always make sure to make it a reality, one way or the other. wether you want it or not.

taglist: @taevestr @fa1ryjoons @vcutvante

[randomposterofstuff]

A Tale of Swords and Crowns

Rating: M

Summary: When a group of rebellious knights and soldiers threatens the Realm’s peace, the Lord Commander of the Crown’s Grand Army takes a host of loyal soldiers to bring justice to the outlaws. Meanwhile, the Heir to the Iron Throne meets with the reigning monarch and one of the royal advisors.

OR

The Game-of-Thrones/House-of-the-Dragon-inspired RivaMika fic that no one asked for.

---

Author's Note: Hi, all! So, as mentioned in a previous post, I've been working on a Rivamika AU that's based on GOT/HOTD. It took me a while to write my ideas out, but I finally did it! Haha.

For the purposes of transparency, I took a lot of creative liberties here. After all, this is a fanfic. Hahaha. At any rate, I hope that this story still gives off a decent GOT/HOTD vibe. I also hope that you guys will like it!

This story is on Ao3! Here's the link:

But if you guys prefer reading here on Tumblr, then the story's just below!

Tagging: @onigiri-dorkk Hi, friend! I saw your comment on the post which showed a sneak-peek of the fic. So, I thought of tagging you. Hehe.

Sheep bleat as they are ushered by shepherds down the wide dirt path which serves as their village's main road. On either side of the said road are rows of wooden-and-stone cottages, and families can be seen having breakfast inside their homes through the open windows of their homes.

Also walking down the same road are men and women with baskets in hand, carrying varieties of produce and vegetables grown at the small farms on the village's western perimeter. As the men and women walk, a small group of children run by them, laughing and chasing one another.

“Bet you can’t catch me!”

“Oh, I’m goin’ to get you!”

The adults pause momentarily to tell the children to be careful.

“Be careful!” one woman yells, adjusting her hold on her basket. “You might get hurt!”

One man, whose carrying basket is secured to his back by leather shoulder straps, also calls out:

“Watch out for incoming horses or flocks!”

Save for well-meaning warnings, life in the small village goes on quietly and without much fuss. Shepherds tend to their flocks, farmers to their lands, tradesmen to their shops, and mothers to their children.

The children eventually find their way to the humble archway, which serves as the entry point of their village. The first four children turn around, wanting to continue their game without leaving the village. The last child, a young boy of six years, moves to follow them but stops in his tracks when he sees something approaching in the distance.

The young boy squints his eyes, trying to see what is coming to their village. He sees men on horses, and his eyes widen in amazement when he sees that they are a big group. He wonders if they are wandering travelers. And when he sees that some of them are carrying banners, he starts wondering if they are an entertainment fair.

“Micah!”

The young boy turns to his right and sees his father coming toward him.

“What are you doing here standing in the middle of the road?” the man, looking to be around 30 years, asks.

“I think there’s a fair coming to the village, father!” young Micah exclaims with a smile. “Look!” he excitedly points to the ever-approaching group of men on horses. “There must be a hundred men coming!”

His father looks in the direction he's pointing, and sure enough, he sees a large group on horseback.

“That’s a huge number of people. And it looks like there are more than just a hundred,” he comments. “Seems like too many people for a fair.”

Squinting his eyes, the father tries to make out the colors of their banners, thinking that he might recognize the sigil of a noble House.

But as the men and their banners come closer, he realizes the banner does not belong to any noble House. His eyes widen in alarm when he sees the image on the banners: a broken castle in flames. A bead of sweat forms on his temple when he spots the red-haired man at the very front of the group.

“That ain’t no fair!” He exclaims before quickly grabbing his son. Young Micah barely has any time to react as his father hoists him on his shoulder and starts running down the road like a madman.

“Father! What’s wrong?!” Micah asks, clearly confused.

“Everyone run!” his father hollers, ignoring his son’s question. “Ser Floch and the Kingswood Brotherhood are coming! Ser Floch and the Kingswood Brotherhood are coming!”

At his exclamations, people begin panicking and screaming. Tradesmen cease their laboring to grab weapons, mothers fearfully shout for their children, and families hastily exit their homes and load whatever they can on their small horse-ridden carts.

One man gets on his horse and gallops down the main village road, urgently ringing a bell in one hand and screaming a warning to every household he rides past: “The Kingswood Brotherhood is coming to raid us! The Brotherhood is coming to raid us!”

---

A quarter-mile outside the village, 200 men on horseback ride toward it. Despite the unified formation of the group, the men wear no uniform. Instead, they are dressed in different colors and are wearing different kinds of armor and chainmail. As they get closer, they unsheathe swords, unholster war hammers, and prepare torches to be lit later.

At the head of the marching formation is a young man with distinctive red hair, dressed in black chainmail and dark armor. As they get closer, they start hearing fearful screams and cries.

“Take this village!” the red-haired man screams, raising his long sword. The men pass beneath the village’s archway, and the screaming and crying become louder. “Burn their farms! Steal their wares and coins! Kill their cattle! Strike down any man who gets in your way!”

“Yes, Ser Floch!”

The group storms the village, and the ground shakes as their horses collectively rampage down the streets.

Upon the orders of their Ser Floch, the Brotherhood begins its pillaging. Cottages and shops are looted for coins, wares, and anything of value. Granaries and farms are burned to the ground, while sheep and other cattle are slaughtered. Any bold men who try to fight back or defend their properties are stricken down instantly and mercilessly.

The inhabitants are thrown into an even greater panic as they flee towards the exit at the other end of the town. As the Brotherhood lays waste to their village, they run and ride as fast as they can, not daring to look back.

---

“Long live the Brotherhood!”

“Huzzah!”

The rowdy cheers ring in the open air as the Kingswood Brotherhood rides across open fields., Fresh from a successful raid, the men laugh and cheer, feeling emboldened and powerful. Their sacks jiggle with their stolen bounties as their horses traverse the lands beyond the recently-sacked village.

“Cheers, my brothers!” Floch hollers from his position at the head of their formation. “Cheers to yet another successful mission! Together, we will save this kingdom! The smallfolk and the Realm may not understand us now. But once our goal has been realized, history will know us as heroes!”

The men behind him roar in approval.

“Long live, Ser Floch!”

“Huzzah!”

They cheer and roar as they ride onwards, looking for their next conquest. The rowdy laughs and merry-making continue as they move toward a large, sloping hill.

And just as they reach the very bottom of the hill, they suddenly feel a rumbling from behind the hill itself, and their merry-making slowly fades.

“Halt!” Floch yells, yanking the reins of his horse to command it to a stop. Behind him, his men follow suit, and dozens of horses neigh forcefully at the abrupt halting.

The men then feel the rumbling move from behind the hill to its very top. A sense of foreboding bleeds into the air as it becomes stronger, and the boisterous, jovial mood is now completely gone.

Soon, another group on horseback appears on top of the hill and rides down toward the Brotherhood, causing the ground to shake with the marching of their mighty steeds.

Unlike the non-uniformed thieves, the group from atop are all dressed in uniform gray steel armor and have numbers of 300. This group's right and left flanks carry banners – all banners are dark-blue, with the image of three intersecting swords enclosed in a circle.

At the head of this group's vanguard is a dark-haired man with razor-sharp steel-blue eyes. The dark-grey sash across his armored torso distinguishes him from the rest of his soldiers.

"Surrender at once! In the name of the Crown!" the vanguard leader demands, deep voice imperious with absolute authority.

At the bottom of the hill, Floch grits his teeth in anger at the sight of the incoming forces.

However, the rest of the Brotherhood men exchange panicked yells as they watch the incoming forces ride toward them.

“That’s Ser Levi Ackerman!”

“The Realm’s Strongest Warrior?!”

“And that’s House Azumabito’s sigil! Those are men from the Crown’s Grand Army!”

“We should flee!”

“No, we should surrender! We might be spared that way!”

Fearful and rattled wailing spreads like fire amongst the Brotherhood, filling Floch’s ears. Exclamations about surrendering and pleading for mercy continue until he has finally had enough.

“WE WILL NOT SURRENDER!”

The Brotherhood men instantly go quiet at their leader’s angered exclamation.

All their eyes land on Floch as he instantly steers his horse to face them, his features set with fierce determination.

“Now is not the time to falter!” Floch yells. “We are the Kingswood Brotherhood, and we do not cower before danger!”

Even with the impending battle just behind them, the Brotherhood leader remains steady and unyielding as he faces his men.

“We’ve already come this far! To lose heart now would render all our sacrifices for naught!” Floch yells, eyes igniting with furious uproar. “Remember, we are the true vanguards of the Realm! Not the false knights who fly the Unworthy Monarch’s banner! And if we yield to them, we lose any right to call ourselves men!”

His men, who were previously unsettled by the sudden appearance of the soldiers, steadily become less wary, their leader’s words having touched their pride.

“We came together with the purpose of freeing the Realm from the Unworthy Monarch! And to surrender to the Unworthy’s forces would be going against everything we stand for! Better that we stand our ground with honor than to lay down our arms to them! If we yield, then we are nothing but spineless cowards!”

The Brotherhood men still look uneasy. Yet, they become more resolved, finding strength in their leader's conviction.

Floch then unsheathes his sword and raises it in the air with a mighty battle cry.

“Are you with me, brothers?!”

The men follow suit and grip their weapons.

“Yes, Ser Floch!”

“To battle then!”

---

As he and his soldiers continue riding down the hill, Levi observes the brotherhood of outlaws speak amongst themselves. From his viewpoint, the band of thieves stays completely still, not making any move to flee – an indication that they might surrender quietly.

However, the red-haired man leading them suddenly screeches that they will not surrender. Levi then watches their leader speak to the rest of the group. When the redhead raises his sword and screeches a battle cry, the thieves follow suit, also letting out ferocious battle cries and unsheathing their weapons.

Whatever the brat knight said must’ve worked.

Moments later, the outlaws begin marching onward, meeting them head-on with raised swords and war hammers.

“They’re not going to surrender!” Levi calls out to his soldiers. “So, we’re riding to battle! Archers! Nock your arrows!”

The mounted archers riding at the left and right flanks of the throng of soldiers grab arrows and draw their bowstrings.

“Loose!”

At his command, they unleash a volley of arrows into the sky and onto the outlaws charging at them.

“Get out of range!” Floch yells to his men, already yanking on the reins of his horse as he looks at the rain of arrows.

The Brotherhood riders scream as they scatter, breaking their unified formation to avoid getting hit. However, several men are still struck by arrowheads and fall from their horses.

“Archers! Halt!” Levi bellows. At his order, the archers instantly lower their bows.

“Their ranks have been scattered!” Levi announces. “All soldiers prepare for battle! Engage with discretion! Don’t you dare get killed by these bastards!”

“Yes, Lord Commander!”

The soldiers behind him instantly charge forward on their horses, swords raised and letting out battle cries.

As he charges into the fray, Levi sees 6 outlaws riding directly toward him, swords and spears in hand. Levi takes his own bow from his saddle and reaches for the arrows from his side quiver. With immense speed, he draws and shoots arrow after arrow, with each pointed tip piercing through the throats of each outlaw.

Sliding his bow onto his back, Levi draws his sword from his hip as he swerves around the now-riderless horses. With one hand on his horse’s reins, he charges toward a Brotherhood outlaw who drew out his own blade. The outlaw raises his arm, poised to strike. But before he can bring his blade down, Levi steers his horse to the right at the last minute and rapidly swings his sword, seamlessly hacking his enemy’s arm.

As the now one-armed soldier screams in horror, Levi rides onward and swings his sword again, slicing the throat of another incoming enemy. Some blood from the fatal gash land on Levi’s armor as he thrusts his sword through the chest of yet another Brotherhood brigand before quickly pulling it out to swing at another foe.

As the battle rages on, battle screams are roared, steel clashes against steel, and blood is spilled.

---

“We finally tracked down the Brotherhood and defeated them for good. They won’t be terrorizing anyone anymore.”  

“Aye. We finally did it after months of following their traces all over the Crownlands.”

The voices sound distant and muffled as they register in Floch’s ears. A moment later, he also hears the faint sound of armor clinking and boots thumping against the ground.

“I still don’t know how they managed to evade us all this time. More than half a year passed since we left King’s Landing to start this military campaign against them.”

“Ser Floch used to be an army captain, remember? He’s good at evasion tactics.”

As the sounds and voices become louder, Floch blearily opens his eyes, rousing himself from unconsciousness. He shakes his head slightly as he gathers his bearings. Still feeling groggy, he realizes he's slumped against a wooden pole. He then tries to lift his hands, only to find that his wrists have been cuffed together behind his back. The short chain linking the metal cuffs is connected to a longer chain wrapped around the wooden pole.

“He’s awake,” he hears one voice say. “Go and tell the Lord Commander.”

Lifting his head, Floch sees that he's in a makeshift holding cell made of thin wooden beams. His head throbs with a persistent ache as light filters through the beams. The throbbing pain dulls his presence of mind, and he also finds that he can't remember what happened to him. Incoherent thoughts swirl in his head as he tries to process his situation. A few seconds later, he sees two figures dressed in steel armor enter the open doorway of the cell.

“Ser Floch. You’re awake,” the first figure greets with a grim but otherwise expressionless voice. Still dazed, Floch manages to register the man’s appearance – tall, slim with nape-length light brown hair and a growing beard.

"In case you're wondering how you ended up here, you were unhorsed in the middle of combat and fell unconscious," he explains as he and his companion work on unfastening the long chain linking his metal cuffs to the wooden pole. "We found it dishonorable to slay you while you lay sleeping. So, we placed you in this holding cell to wait until you awoke. But now that you've woken, you'll face sentencing and execution for your crimes."

Floch barely has any time to process what he just heard before the two armored soldiers grab him by the arms and roughly haul him up to his feet, his wrists still bound.

When they step out of the holding cell, Floch sees they're in the middle of camp – dark grey tents are propped up all around, and soldiers unload supplies and weapons from carts.

Still in a state of shocked confusion, Floch’s eyes spot the banners flying on top of the tents. A moment passes before the sight triggers a sudden rush of memories in Floch’s mind.

He recalls furiously rousing his brothers to take up arms and go to battle. He then recalls leading the charge against the incoming forces and quickly ordering them to get out of range when a hail of arrows rained on them.

Lost in his own recollections, he barely hears the japes and jeers of the crowd that had gathered around him.

“Prisoner to the execution block!”

“Death to the traitor!”

“Down with Floch the Menace!”

The flood of flashbacks ends with a memory of him swinging his sword at an armored soldier before being struck in the stomach with a hammer. The very last things he witnessed before losing consciousness were seeing and hearing his brothers scream as they fought.

“My brothers!” Floch sputters, snapping back to reality.

In his new-found state of alertness, the red-haired knight turns his head wildly, as if hoping that he’d see any of his brothers-in-arms amongst the crowd.

Turning to his right, he gets a good look at the soldier holding his right arm captive in a vice-like grip. His eyes widen in incredulity when he sees that the soldier is a young woman with dark-brown hair tied into a ponytail.

“What is a woman doing here wearing armor?!” Floch bellows. “Are you trying to insult me?! A camp of soldiers is no place for a woman! Unhand me at once!” 

Floch thrashes and attempts to yank his arms free. However, his captors hold fast and continue to drag him to the executioner block.

“You are correct that I am a woman, Ser,” the woman soldier states as she and her comrade tighten their hold on the prisoner.

“But I am also a knight. I am Ser Sasha of House Braus,” she explains, introducing herself. “And my companion to the left is Ser Jean of House Kirstein,” the rogue knight's thrashing has slowed their pace, but they still move onward. "Under the new royal decree, women are now allowed equal opportunity to serve in the Grand Army and to earn knighthood. And I’ve earned the right to both through proving my valor and martial skill!”

"Preposterous! I do not recognize this new decree!" Floch yells, his features becoming distorted with fury. "It is ridiculous and goes against tradition! There are reasons why only men go to battle while women stay at home with the children! But the Unworthy Monarch pays no heed to these reasons because she is a woman herself!"

The crowd of soldiers jeers in response to his outburst.

“The Queen is a good ruler! And women can be just as capable warriors as men if not even more!” another female soldier hollers from within the crowd. “The Crown Princess herself is hailed as being worth a hundred warriors for her feats as a commander of both the Vale’s and the North’s regional forces!”

“Aye! All of it is true!” another soldier, this time male, exclaims in concurrence. “The Good Queen is just as good as the late Good King! And speaking of the Princess, you and your Brotherhood could’ve used someone like her during the earlier battle, Floch!”

The surrounding crowd laughs uproariously, and Floch can only see seethe – too enraged to retort.

The knight known as 'Floch the Menace' recalls that, before he deserted his post as a captain of the Crown's Grand Army, only men were allowed to serve as soldiers. However, each constituent kingdom has its own rules for its own regional forces. In particular, the Vale and the North allow both men and women to serve – something that the rogue knight always found uncouth and ridiculous.

---

The armored soldiers have gathered around a clearing some yards from the encampment. In the center of the clearing is Floch, who had been brought down to his knees in front of a wooden stump. On either side of him are Ser Sasha Braus and Ser Jean Kirstein, who keep him kneeling with strong grips on his shoulders.

“Commander on the floor!” comes a loud voice.

Save for Sers Sasha and Jean, the soldiers thump their fists against their breastplates as Ser Levi walks toward the executioner’s block.

“Make way for Ser Levi of House Ackerman of the North!” the announcer, a tall soldier with emerald green eyes and short brown hair, proclaims as he walks beside the knight in question. “Prince-consort to the Crown Princess, Heir to Winterfell, Lord Commander of the Grand Army of the Crown, and the Realm’s Strongest Warrior!”

The rhythmic thumping continues as Levi makes his way to the executioner stump. A man of 30 years with raven-dark hair, cutting steel-blue eyes, and an ever-calm expression on his pale and angular face, Ser Levi Ackerman exudes an aura of quiet confidence. His fitted steel armor, which is decorated with a velvet grey sash that signifies his high rank, and his sheathed steel blade at his hip, all serve to bolster his presence with an undeniable air of authority.

Levi stops a foot away from the stump, looking down on the rogue knight kneeling on its other side. The Lord Commander then raises a hand in the air. The moment he closes it to a fist, the rhythmic thumping stops, and all the soldiers go quiet.

The Brotherhood leader grits his teeth and glares at the Lord Commander impertinently. Ser Levi merely stares back coolly.

“Ser Floch of House Forrester,” Levi announces the name of the rogue knight, his voice ringing loud, clear, and even. “You are charged with violating the laws of the Realm and the laws of men. You are charged with the crimes of treason, rebellion, murder, theft, plunder, and arson.

“What say you in your defense?”

Eyes burning with unadulterated rage, Floch’s face twists into an ugly sneer.

“This is what I say to you and your fucking Queen!”

Tilting his head up, Floch makes a show of spitting at the Lord Commander’s feet. The spittle lands a mere inch away from Levi’s boots.

"If anyone deserves to be sentenced for my crimes, it should be the Unworthy Monarch!" Floch screeches. "Had she heeded the Kingswood Brotherhood's demand to abdicate the throne, then none of the pillages or killings would have occurred! She is the true traitor to the people!"

The rogue knight then turns his hateful stare toward the crowd of soldiers. “She could’ve stopped us by surrendering the throne, but she didn’t!” he yells, voice laced with pure venom. “Don’t you fucking cunts ever deny that! My brothers and I only proved that a woman cannot protect the people of the Realm! Any leader who cannot protect their people is unworthy! You fucks are defending an unworthy monarch!”

Levi is unmoved by the impassioned accusations.

“For someone who was once renowned as a skillful tactician, you embarrass yourself with such awful logic," he remarks wryly. "You chose to kill and destroy on your own free will, yet you blame another for your actions. Any decent Maester would deem that you’ve regressed into a half-wit.”

"Furthermore, lest you forget, the lords of Westeros had already deemed the Queen worthy when they confirmed her position as the late King's heir during the Great Council of Harrenhal two springs ago. They decided that the King’s only child, who learned all she knows at his knee, was more worthy than an unknown distant male relation who never set foot in court,” Levi states, remaining calm in the face of the rogue knight's heated provocations.

“And I will not hesitate to remind you, Ser Floch,” Levi adds, steel-blue eyes piercing through the Brotherhood leader, “that your own lord father was one of those lords.”

The Lord Commander remembers how the typically empty halls of the monstrosity of a castle were filled to the brim by over one thousand people. Lords of both great and vassal Houses attended with their families, household knights, and servants. The decaying ruins were cleaned and decorated for the occasion wherein all the lords would vote on who would rule them next after the old King.

In an unprecedented historical moment, the Lords Paramount and Lords Vassal elected the then-Crown Princess, Keiko Azumabito, as the Heir to the Iron Throne. The Crown Princess eventually sat on the Iron Throne as the first Queen of the Realm a mere month after the Great Council when her father passed.

“Huzzah for the Queen!” one soldier proclaims proudly and vigorously in response to Levi’s statements.

“Huzzah!” the rest of the forces echo.

The Lord Commander’s words and the cheering of the soldiers only serve to heighten Floch’s fury, and the rogue knight’s face becomes as red as his hair.

“My father and the other lords were fools!” he bellows, growling with undisguised loathing.

"Only kings have ever brought peace and prosperity to the Realm! The Conqueror from Valyria who united our previously war-torn lands was a man. And from him, a long line of intelligent kings came! All of whom maintained peace and stability in the Realm ever since!” Floch screeches.

“Putting a woman on the throne breaks this line of Kings, and therefore, it will break the unprecedented era of prosperity! Mark my words; the Realm will fall under her rule! All seven kingdoms will burn to ashes!”

The Brotherhood leader’s screams ring through the open clearing, startling nearby birds into taking flight into the sky.

Face still red with anger, Floch heaves heavily, winded from furiously screeching his views and accusations.

Levi looks at the rogue knight for a moment. He wonders how a promising knight who faithfully served the Realm for years could have fallen so deeply into disgrace.

The Lord Commander then raises his eyes to the two soldiers who had been holding the traitor down by the shoulders. Once Ser Sasha and Ser Jean meet his gaze, Levi nods down to the stump.

The two knights push the prisoner down onto the stump, with his head hanging over the edge.

Levi then walks over to the right side of the stump and unsheathes his sword. He points the blade to the ground and grips the handle with both hands before he speaks:

"Ser Floch of House Forrester, for the crimes of theft, plunder, and arson, you are hereby stripped of your titles and declared as a false knight. And for the crimes of treason, rebellion, and murder, you are hereby sentenced to death," the Lord Commander states, deep voice reverberating in the clearing.

“In the name of Keiko of House Azumabito, the first of her name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. I, Levi of House Ackerman of the North, Lord Commander of the Grand Army of the Crown, hereby pass these sentences.”

Levi then raises his sword in the air. Sunlight catches in the steel blade as he swings it down and cuts cleanly through the false knight's neck.

Floch’s head falls and rolls on the grass, features still twisted with rage.

“Down with the traitor!” one soldier exclaims.

“Down with the traitor!”

The rest of the forces holler and cheer, celebrating the end of the menace who led the terrorizing of innocent villagers.

"Jean, Sasha," Levi calls out to the two knights amidst the cheering. "Store Floch's remains away. Afterward, go to the nearest sept and ask for some Silent Sisters to return to camp with you. Once they've preserved his remains, take 15 soldiers and escort the Sisters and the remains to King's Landing. Forrester's head needs to go on a spike at the Traitor's Walk as soon as possible. The rest of the military host and I will depart in a few days."

“Understood, Lord Commander,” Jean and Sasha reply before preparing to collect the headless body and the severed head.

“Eren,” Levi calls out the green-eyed knight who heralded his arrival.

Eren instantly approaches and stands at attention. “Yes, Lord Commander?”

“Clean my sword,” Levi says, handing over the bloodied blade. “And once you’re done, prepare a raven. I’m sending word to my wife.”

Eren takes the sword and bows. “Understood, Ser.”

---

- A fortnight later -

In a sprawling, bustling city leagues away, three figures spar against one another under a roofed courtyard.

“Hragh!”

Wood beats against wood as two knights wearing gilded armor and white cloaks swing their training swords against their opponent. Their cloaks flutter behind them as they attempt to land hits, only for their common opponent to parry them at every turn with expert swings of her twin training swords.

The lady's short ponytail of dark hair, which is sticking out from beneath her helmet, flutters behind her nape as she continues to strike back, with the force of her strikes steadily causing her opponents to move backward. She twirls herself as she parries, her movements swift, quick, and graceful. If she wore a dress instead of a plain tunic, dark pants, and breastplate armor, the common bystander would assume she was dancing instead of fighting.

The three move across the smooth marble floor of a wide and open courtyard facing the calm waters of the nearby bay. Tall, wide pillars support the thick granite roof providing shade to the training combatants. The grounds beside the courtyard are lush with blooming flower bushes and well-trimmed grass.

One knight attempts to strike low, swinging his wooden blade at chest level. Seeing an opening, their lady opponent strikes his helmeted head. He groans in pain as he crashes onto the ground. As his sword clatters from his hand, the lady sets her dual swords onto the last knight standing.

“Hnng!" the remaining knight grunts as he raises and tilts his lone sword to defend himself. He can only keep up with the lady's quick pace for a short moment before she disarms him and sends him tumbling down on his back.

With one last fluid twirl, the lady stops and holds her twin swords aloft by her sides. She then turns to two nearby squires – young boys around the ages of 13 who had been spectating. The eyes of the boys are widened in wonder.

“Come,” she beckons them to her.

The squires snap out of their stupor and approach, bowing when they are standing in front of her. When they upright their torsos, the lady hands them her training swords, helmet, and breastplate armor.

“Kindly take these to the armory for me,” she says, voice as gentle as her smile.

“Right away, Princess,” they say in unison, bowing again before departing.

She watches the two boys leave before turning to her defeated adversaries.

“My good Sers,” she addresses the knights with a slight smile, “I hope I did not seriously damage you.”

"You did not, Princess," the most-recently vanquished knight replies as he sits upright. "Although, I fear Ser Gelgar and I will be sporting bruises for a week.”

“Ser Mike is correct, Princess Mikasa,” Ser Gelgar, the first one to have been beaten, comments as he removes his helmet to cradle the side of his brown-haired head. "Though, I think I will grow a bump instead of a bruise."

Princess Mikasa laughs lightly as she approaches her sparring partners.

“Arise, good Sers,” she says, offering a hand to Ser Mike first. The knight smiles as he accepts the proffered hand. Once Ser Mike stands upright, she goes to Ser Gelgar and likewise helps him rise to his feet.

Dressed in simple training garb, no one would have suspected that Mikasa, who is 28 years of age, was a woman, much less the Crown Princess. However, her manners and poise give away her noble upbringing.

“Two men of the Queensguard defeated by a single warrior. I fear for her Grace's safety," a deep voice remarks, slightly amused.

Turning to the pathway leading to the courtyard, Mikasa sees another knight wearing gilded armor and a white cloak. With his helmet resting in the crook of his arm, his head of blonde hair shines under the sunlight.

“Lord Commander!” the two knights greet the newcomer as they stand at attention.

“Ser Erwin,” Mikasa greets with a smile. “How much of our sparring session did you see?”

Tall with sea-blue eyes and a stately appearance, Ser Erwin Smith is the image of a storybook hero with the skills to complement his looks. A renowned battle strategist with proven valor and skill, the second son of the noble House Smith of the Vale was given the white cloak 10 years ago, at the age of 25, for his service during the Greyjoy Rebellion. When the previous Lord Commander passed away 3 years ago, he was elevated to the position, with his gift for strategy making him the best candidate for the post.

Ser Erwin stands a foot away from the Princess and bows deferentially before replying.

“Just enough to see you soundly defeating my Queensguard brothers, Princess," Erwin responds with a slight smile. "I admit it is a blessing that the only one in the Realm who can match your prowess is the Prince-consort, or else the Queensguard would need more than seven members.”

"For my mother's sake, I quite agree," Mikasa states, sounding amused. "However, I think that you did not come here to spectate. And speaking of the Prince-consort, have you come to tell me that Levi has finally returned? It has been days since we received word that they annihilated the Brotherhood.”

She asks the question in a jesting tone, but the sentiment behind it is genuine. Mikasa has not seen her husband for more than half a year since he left King’s Landing to lead the military campaign against the notorious outlaw group. Although he’s sent her letters, she still longs for his company every night.

“I’m afraid not, Princess,” Erwin says, a knowing gleam entering his blue eyes. 

“I see,” Mikasa says, a feeling of disappointment settling in. “So, why have you come here?”

“I was ordered by Her Grace to inform you to meet her in her personal study in an hour,” the Queensguard Lord Commander states.

Mikasa raises a brow in surprise. “Did she say why? If I recall correctly, I do not have any meetings to attend today.”

"Her Grace said that she is meeting the Grand Maester today and that she would like for you to join the meeting," Erwin replies.

Mikasa briefly wonders what her mother wishes to discuss with her and the Grand Maester. But then she realizes that she’ll find out soon enough.

“Very well, then,” Mikasa says before turning to the other Queensguard men.

“Ser Mike, Ser Gelgar. Thank you for training with me today,” the Princess states with a cordial nod.

The two knights bow at the waist in response.

“It was our pleasure, Princess.”

---

Warm afternoon sunlight enters through arched open windows as Mikasa walks down the corridor leading to her mother’s study. When she turns a corner, she straightens the wrist cuffs of her long dark-gray dress, having changed out of her training garb earlier. If the meeting was just between her and her mother, she would not have bothered to change. Within the close circle of her family, there was an understanding that they could be lax about appearances when it was just them.

But in keeping with the rules of decorum, she always makes it a point to appear properly dressed when meeting with any of her mother’s advisors.

She eventually reaches the far end of the corridor where a Queensguard knight guards the double-door entrance of her mother’s study. The knight bows when she approaches before opening the door for her.

Saying a quick 'thank you' to the knight, she enters the study and sees her mother writing letters at her desk. The older woman looks up and smiles when she sees her daughter.

“Hello, my dear,” Queen Keiko greets, placing her quill down and rising from her desk.

“Mother,” Mikasa greets back with a smile as she walks toward her.

When her mother walks around the desk, Mikasa observes her state of dress. Even though she is the monarch of the entire Realm, Queen Keiko Azumabito dresses modestly. Her dark-blue dress is made of fine silk and fabric, but is cut and styled simply. Her long dark hair is also tied into a neat, simple bun without any elaborate hair pieces. The only noticeable adornment is the silver pendant around her neck, which has three intersecting blades enclosed in a circle – her House sigil, engraved on it.

The two women kiss each other on the cheek when they reach.

"Come, let's sit," Queen Keiko says, gesturing to the sitting area at the right corner of the study. Cups of wine and some biscuits have been placed on the table. "I've already called for the Grand Maester, and they should be here soon."

“What are we meeting the Grand Maester for?” Mikasa asks as they walk to the table. “Are you feeling sick with something? If so, shouldn’t Father also be here?”

Keiko laughs lightly. "I'm not sick, my dear," she says as she and her daughter take a seat. "And your father is overseeing the preparations for our trip to the High Sept later. So, he's busy at the moment. As for why we are meeting with the Grand Maester, you'll know soon enough."

The moment the Queen says the words, the doors of the study open. A second later, the Grand Maester enters.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” they bow to the Queen. “And to you as well, Princess,” they say as they turn and bow to Mikasa.

“Good afternoon, Grand Maester Hange,” the Queen greets. “Come and join us.”

Grand Maester Hange’s heavy, long, multi-linked chain rattles audibly when they straighten themselves upward. With a smile, they walk toward the sitting area, with the bottom end of their simple dark robe swishing across the floor.

With her eyes on the Grand Maester, Mikasa muses that she is still amazed by their youth even though she had already met them a long time ago. The previous Grand Maester who served on her late grandfather's Small Council was a wise, learned, but nearly ancient old man. In contrast, Grand Maester Hange is young, with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail. They look less than 40 years old – much younger than her mother, who is  more than 50. The Princess can only wonder just how intelligent and brilliant they are to have been chosen by the Citadel as Grand Maester at such a young age.

“I was told that you were about to leave for a stroll in the city when I asked for you to come here,” Keiko says when the Grand Maester sits in the chair across from her. “I do apologize for that, but I have a matter I wish to address immediately.”

“It’s no problem, Your Grace,” Hange says with a smile, “I am at your service after all!”

They then look at the treats laid out on the table. "May I?" they ask, eyeing some cream-colored biscuits.

“Please do,” Keiko says with a sweeping gesture of her hand.

With a delighted grin, the Grand Maester grabs a biscuit and munches on it. The Queen also takes one and starts chewing at a more moderate pace.

"Grand Maester, if I may ask," Mikasa says, tone curious. "What were you planning to do in the city? I always hear that you spend a lot of time mingling with the citizenry in your free time. Do you have close friends in the city?"

Ever since the Grand Maester came to court, there have been reports of them being spotted in the streets of King’s Landing. They’ve been seen speaking with workers, asking merchants about their wares, and even offering medical aid to sick people on the streets.

Hange drinks from their cup of wine before responding.

"I'm not really close with anyone in particular, Princess. I just enjoy spending time with people," they reply, smiling. "And as for what I was planning to do in the city, I was going to visit a local sept to teach children and workers how to read. I offer my services to anyone interested, and I found that a fair number are!" they state with an animated gleam in their eyes. "I give lessons as often as I can."

Mikasa’s eyes widen in mild surprise before a small smile forms on her lips. “I see. It’s very kind of you to spend your spare time educating others,” she says before reaching for her own cup to take a drink.

“Thank you, Princess. I find it rather fulfilling!” the Grand Maester says enthusiastically. “And to be honest, I also learn many things from the people. I also get to hear a lot of interesting stories!”

“You seem very enthusiastic about teaching and learning, Grand Maester,” the Queen remarks, smiling. “That’s very commendable. And very fitting considering your position.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Hange beams widely, cheeks a bit flushed from the praises. Their grin lingers for a second longer before their expression becomes a bit soberer.

“However, I believe that you did not call me here to discuss my activities in the city,” the Grand Maester says, their tone knowing. “So, with what matter can I be of assistance?”

The Queen’s smile turns bashful. “You are correct on that score, Grand Maester.”

Hange and Mikasa look at the Queen with rapt eyes, both of them wondering what important matter the monarch wishes to discuss.

The Queen drinks from her cup of wine before speaking. When she lowers her cup, Mikasa sees that her smile has faded.

“As you know, when we convened with the rest of the Small Council a fortnight ago, the Princess relayed word that the Prince-consort and the host of soldiers he took with him have finally tracked down the Kingswood Brotherhood and vanquished them,” Keiko states, expression becoming more serious. “And that their leader, Ser Floch Forrester, had already been executed for his crimes against the Crown and the Realm. The false knight’s embalmed remains were also delivered to us by Silent Sisters two days after the meeting, and I had already ordered that his head be put on a spike at the Traitor’s Walk.”

The previously pleasant and amiable atmosphere becomes solemn at the shift in topic, and the Queen's expression turns more grim and pensive. The Princess and Grand Maester sit straighter, sensing that a vital discussion is afoot.

“And you are both also aware that when I first heard of the Brotherhood’s demand for me to abdicate as Queen more than half a year ago, I seriously considered it,” the Queen says. “While the throne was mine by both birthright and by vote of the lords of the Realm, I did not want innocent people to needlessly suffer because of me. The Brotherhood demanded my abdication in exchange for sparing defenseless villages from harm. So, at the time, surrendering my crown seemed like the right thing to do."

“But the Small Council advised me that to do so would do more harm than good,” Keiko remarks, a contemplative gleam in her eyes, “and that it would cause great instability in the Realm by stirring political strife.”

“In particular, I was counseled that abdicating due to pressure from a mere band of outlaws would have resulted in a disastrous fallout. I would have been viewed as a weak leader by everyone, even by my staunchest advocates. The lords of the Realm would have withdrawn their support for both me and my House. And the most logical consequence following that would have been a civil war for the throne, which would have resulted in massive causalities."

As the Queen continues to speak, her features become even more drawn, to the point of being forlorn.

"I was faced with two choices: to spare innocent smallfolk from the threat of a band of outlaws or to spare the entire Realm from the horrors of war. Neither choice was desirable. Yet, I still had to pick. So, I chose the lesser of the two evils – I remained on the throne and let the Brotherhood continue pillaging until the Crown's forces put a stop to them," the Queen says with a quiet, resigned tone. "I heeded the advice of the council because it was wise. But that doesn't change the fact that there were still people who suffered because of my choice."

From her seat, Mikasa notices that the gleam in her mother's eyes has become more melancholic. The Princess feels a pang in her chest, knowing that her mother still feels guilty even though her choice was the most practical one under the circumstances.

“The fault was with the Brotherhood, Mother,” Mikasa says, voice certain and confident. “It was never with you. You were not the one who set fire to their farms. Nor were you the one who stole from them, slaughtered their livestock, or killed them. You did not command them to do any of these atrocities, either. Under the laws of the Realm, and truthfully, even under the laws of basic sense, you are in no way responsible.”

“The Princess is correct, Your Grace,” Grand Maester Hange states firmly in agreement. "And if I may say so," they add, tone becoming gentler, "you should not be so harsh with yourself. The situation itself was unfair, and you had to make the least damaging choice."

Their statements prompt a smile on Keiko’s face. Even so, it’s still a sad one.

“I appreciate both of your kind words,” the Queen says. “Yet, the fact remains that my refusal to abdicate was the reason for the continued attacks. As Queen, it is my burden to accept and live with the consequences of my actions, no matter how I wish they never happened.”

"In the same vein, it is also my responsibility to make things right when I can," Keiko says resolutely.

“Floch Forrester’s crimes are not the sins of his father or his House. Even so, his crimes still destroyed the lives of innocent people. On this, it was agreed that it would not be just to seize all of House Forrester’s lands and fortunes since only one of its members is responsible. So, as a compromise, Lord Forrester was ordered to answer for his son’s deeds by surrendering all of the incomes derived from his lands and estates during this current year to make reparations to the affected smallfolk.

“And you both know that during our last Small Council meeting, I likewise decreed that a portion of the Royal Treasury funds shall be allocated to help with the reparations,” the Queen continues to elaborate. “While House Forrester’s annual income is already a handsome sum, I feel that the victims of the Brotherhood deserve to receive compensation from the Crown itself, considering that their suffering is a consequence of my decision. I cannot undo what has already been done. But I can help them rebuild."

“However, the day after the meeting, I started thinking that mere reparations aren’t enough – that financial aid is only the first step. I feel that there’s more that I can do. But I do not know what,” the Queen admits quietly.

She then directs her attention to the Grand Maester. “This is why I’ve called you here, Grand Maester Hange.”

Hange immediately straightens their posture as the Queen regards them intently.

“I admit that this kind of matter should be discussed with the entire Small Council present. However, the rest of them had already left King’s Landing to attend to official businesses,” Keiko says with a wry smile. “But I can no longer leave this concern unaddressed. And in truth, the presence of my other advisors would have probably been superfluous because I think you are the only one who can give me a good answer.”

The Grand Maester’s eyes widen in surprise. “I am, Your Grace?”

“Yes,” the Queen nods firmly. “Out of everyone on the council, you are the one who has spent the most time with smallfolk. You said it yourself: you have listened to them, taught them, and learned from them. I daresay that you understand their perspectives best.”

“So, I ask you… if you were in the place of the victims of the Brotherhood,” Keiko begins to say, voice turning soft, “Beyond mere financial aid, what else can I, as the Queen, do to make things right?”

The Queen's tone and expression are earnest, making it clear that the question is genuine. Her desire to do more is as plain as day, and Mikasa feels her admiration for her mother grow. Her grandfather was a dutiful king who did right by his people, but this is the first time the Princess has seen a monarch go out of their way to do more than what is required by duty.

Mikasa shifts her eyes to Hange and sees a look of wonderment on the Grand Maester’s face.

"That's an excellent question, Your Grace. And personally, I find it touching," Hange says, smiling with a sparkling gleam in their eyes, “And I do have an answer for you: emotional reparations.”

The Queen and the Princess exchange visibly confused looks, not understanding the Grand Maester’s answer.

“’Emotional reparations’?” Keiko asks, brows raised. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I,” Mikasa admits.

Hange chuckles lightly. “I will explain, Your Grace.”

“During the Small Council meeting, the Master of Coin said that he needs information from the affected villagers to determine allocations of coins for specific needs,” Hange begins to elaborate. "Concerning this, the Hand of the Queen said that he will send envoys to the villagers to collect such information. This is a practical measure, Your Grace. However, it also feels rather impersonal because the people are not interacting with you directly."

“On this, I suggest that instead of having the envoys collect information, Your Grace ought to make a royal progress to visit the villagers,” the Grand Maester explains with a gentle smile. "Now that the Brotherhood is no longer a threat, you can now venture the Crownlands without fear. And according to reports from both our Master of Whisperers and the Prince-consort, only farms and granaries were put to torch. Other infrastructures in the raided villages are still mostly intact. So, with a royal retinue of guards, courtiers, and servants, you can hold townhall meetings in the villages. This way, the villagers can tell you their needs directly. You will also have the opportunity to express your compassion for what they have suffered. In addition, you can also bring with you food and supplies that will help sustain them while the official reparations are still being arranged.”

Both Mikasa and her mother listen attentively as they follow the Grand Maester’s line of logic, with each statement making more and more sense.

“Based on my observations and experiences, people appreciate it when they are listened to. It makes them feel respected and that they matter. They also appreciate it when someone shows them kindness after the hardships they endured – doing so gives them hope that better days are coming!” the Grand Maester speaks animatedly, the gentle kindness in their voice mixed with enthusiasm.

“These things are particularly important because the Brotherhood’s victims would have felt traumatized, vulnerable, and helpless after being attacked. So, being heard by Your Grace personally will make them see and feel that you truly care about their needs and that their well-being is important to you. It will give them a sense of comfort, knowing that the Queen is there for them and with them. And hearing you express compassion will make them feel a sense of connection with you, Your Grace. And all of these things will do wonders for their morale and emotional healing. Hence the term ‘emotional reparations’.”

At that, the Grand Maester concludes their proposal with a quiet look of assuredness, confident in the advantages of their suggestions.

Mikasa remains quiet as she ponders over the suggestion. She never would have thought of it herself, but she definitely sees the intangible benefit it can provide to the smallfolk. The Princess then shifts her eyes to her mother. The Queen’s eyes seem to shine, as if she had been enlightened. A smile slowly forms across her lips, banishing the previously dreary expression that marred her features.

“Yes…” Keiko says quietly. “That is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for," she says, smiling widely. "Thank you, Grand Maester."

Hange beams at the positive response. “You’re welcome, Your Grace!”

---

The rest of the meeting goes smoothly as they speak about other related concerns. In particular, Mikasa expresses her support for the idea but raises security concerns. The Princess states that because they anticipate meeting large numbers of villagers, the Queensguard should be supplemented by a host of household knights and a host of Grand Army soldiers in case anyone tries to instigate violence.

“I understand that the purpose of the royal progress is to express our compassion and to personally hear their concerns,” the Princess states. “But given the extent of the damage caused by the Brotherhood, we must anticipate that some, if not all, of the affected villagers will feel some resentment because of their losses. And where there is resentment, there is always a chance that violence might occur. Therefore, we must also be cautious while being open.”

Both the Queen and the Grand Maester nod their heads in understanding.

“That is prudent, Princess,” Keiko says, smiling. “The King-consort and I will make arrangements with Ser Erwin and the Prince-consort.”

The Queen then turns to Hange.

“Well, that is all I wish to discuss with you today, Grand Maester. Thank you for your counsel. It is truly appreciated,” Keiko states, her tone earnest.

Hange beams widely. “I’m glad to have been of service, Your Grace.”

With that, the Grand Maester rises and bows to the two royals before heading for the door.

When the door closes, the Queen turns to the Princess.

“I understand that by calling you here, I interrupted you in the middle of your training regimen,” Keiko states. “With all your studies and our Small Council meetings, you don’t get to train as much as you used to. So, I know how much you value your designated training days.”

“On that score, I do apologize for interrupting you, my dear,” she says as she reaches for her daughter’s hand. “But I thought that you could learn something valuable from our meeting with the Grand Maester.”

Mikasa smiles as she gently grips her mother’s hand.

“It’s all right, Mother,” she says quietly. “I had actually just finished my training for the day when you called for me. And even if I hadn’t, I would not have minded being called to this meeting. I understand that as your Heir, I need to be well-versed in governance and politics. And I found Grand Maester Hange’s counsel to be very insightful. So, I’m actually very glad for this particular meeting.” Mikasa says, her smile widening. “And truth be told, I learn more from participating in and listening to actual discussions as compared to reading about the successes of our ancestors.”

The Queen chuckles lightly and regards the Princess with a proud look.

"I am pleased to know that you are taking your responsibilities as Heir seriously," Keiko says before kissing her daughter's forehead.

Just then, the doors to the study open again. When the two women turn their heads, they both smile at the newcomer.

“Hello, husband,” Keiko greets warmly.

“There are my two favorite ladies,” King Mikhail says, smiling as he sets his eyes on the Queen and Princess.

As he enters the room's threshold, sunlight from the open windows catches in his short dark-blonde hair, making it look brighter and shinier. He stops when he's a foot away from the sitting area table.

“I just saw the Grand Maester on my way here,” Mikhail comments. “I hope that your meeting with them was fruitful.”

"It was. I finally found the answer that has been eluding me these past few days,” Keiko responds with a smile. “So, are you here to collect me so that we can begin our trip to the Great Sept?”

“I am,” Mikhail states, placing a hand on the hilt of his longsword. “The Queensguard and City Watch retinues are ready, and so is the carriage. We are ready to embark if you are.”

The Queen chuckles lightly. “As always, my sworn protector never fails to make things easy for me.”

Mikasa lets out a small laugh.

"I swear, Father," the Princess begins to say with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "You are likely the first-ever royal consort in history who is also the monarch's sworn sword and shield. There is nothing wrong with it. But we have to admit that it is not very typical."

As Mikasa notes her father's state of dress, she muses that he does not look like a typical king either. Instead of wearing robes and fur coats, he wears a knee-length dark leather coat tied with a brown leather belt at the waist. On the lapel of his coat is a silver emblem depicting a shield with the letter 'A' emblazoned on its left side and a white falcon in flight on the right – the sigil of House Ackerman of the Vale. The coat's upper half is closed while the bottom half is open, revealing dark trousers and a pair of polished knee-length leather boots. The round collar of his silver chainmail also juts out from above the pointed collar of his coat. A sheathed longsword is also attached to his right hip.

King Mikhail is still dressed finely. Yet, his manner of dress allows him to be ready for combat at a moment’s notice – fitting for the two positions he holds.

The King laughs at his daughter's remark. "I made a vow to always protect your Mother when I married her, my dear. And what better way to do that than to pledge my numerous years of combat experience to her safety and protection?"

Mikasa raises her hands in mock defeat. "Fair enough," she jests.

“I’m just glad that your late grandfather didn’t raise your father to the Kingsguard when we were younger,” Keiko interjects with an amused smile. “With how skilled your father is, a part of me was worried that our courtship would’ve been cut short.”

"Well, I'm thankful that never occurred," Mikhail states, amused. "But I'm afraid we mustn't keep the High Septon waiting, my Queen. We did agree on meeting him before sundown.”

“Quite right,” Keiko nods. When she pushes her chair back, her husband offers a hand to help her stand. Mikasa also rises from her seat.

“Well, daughter, we will be departing for the Great Sept shortly,” the Queen says, turning to the Princess. “Ser Erwin and two other Queensguard knights will remain here should you require anything from them. We trust that you can keep yourself entertained and occupied during our absence?” she asks with a teasing look.

Mikasa smiles. “Of course, Mother.”

---

After bidding her parents farewell, Mikasa watches the royal carriage and the retinue of knights and soldiers depart beyond the gates of the Red Keep. Once guards begin to close the gate, Mikasa turns back to the castle’s entrance.

The Princess walks through the vast hallways of the Keep, nodding politely at servants who bow to her as she passes by them. She then reaches the wing of the castle where the Great Library is located, intent on reading some books before supper in a few hours.

She is just about to turn a corner when she hears someone call out to her.

“Princess, wait a moment.”

Halting in her tracks, Mikasa turns around and sees Ser Erwin approaching her.

“Ser Erwin,” she greets as the knight bows to her. “Is something wrong?”

"Nothing is wrong, Princess," Erwin states as he uprights himself. "I am here to inform you that the Prince-consort has returned, and he wishes to see you," he says with a slight smile.

Completely surprised, Mikasa’s eyes widen. The Lord Commander says it so plainly and without any preamble that it takes her a moment to process the news. Earlier in the afternoon, she asked about her husband, and now, she’s hearing that he has returned to her. It seems somewhat strange and surreal.

When the shock dissolves, a broad smile breaks across her face.

"That is wonderful!" Mikasa states gleefully. "When did he arrive? Was it when I was speaking with my mother and the Grand Maester?" she asks, imagining that he probably arrived about an hour ago and must have entered through a side gate on horseback. Mikasa thinks he's likely still in travel clothes and is resting somewhere, probably in the gardens.

Erwin’s slight smile widens at her queries. “He arrived earlier this morning, just before daybreak.”

Mikasa’s glee is briefly dampened by great confusion, and she is unsure if the Lord Commander is joking or not.

“Ser Erwin… are you joking?” she asks, scrutinizing the knight’s slight smile.

“I am not, Princess.”

Mikasa’s brows rise, her confusion increasing. A moment later, her eyes narrow.

“If that is the case,” the Princess begins tentatively, a tinge of suspicion and mild annoyance in her voice, “then why did you not inform me sooner? And why has he made his presence known only now? Is my husband up to something?”

The blonde knight’s expression turns bashful and apologetic at her interrogation.

“I apologize for not telling you sooner, Princess,” Erwin says sincerely, looking a bit wary at the irritated gleam in the Princess’s eyes. “But the Prince-consort arrived very early before you or Their Graces awoke. And he instructed everyone – all the servants and all the knights, not to announce his presence just yet. He had some servants prepare a spare bedchamber for him since he did not want to wake you so early. He said he wanted to finish the written reports on the recently concluded military campaign against the Brotherhood before greeting you and Their Graces. In his own words, he ‘did not want a shit ton of unfinished paperwork hanging over his head’ when he reunites with you.”

Mikasa’s eyes remain narrowed for a second longer before she suddenly laughs.

“That definitely sounds like my husband,” she quips, lips twitching. Her irritation instantly vanishes as she now understands the secrecy surrounding his arrival. Levi has always been meticulous and never does anything half-assed. He always makes sure to finish one task before moving on to the next.

"So, now that he's made his presence known, this means that he's already done with his reports, correct? Where is he right now?"

---

A lone man sits at the very front of the room, where the Iron Throne sits on a raised dais.

Levi taps a finger on one of the smooth metal blades of the throne's armrest, carefully minding the placement of his arm to avoid slicing himself on any jutting spikes.

Once he's satisfied that he won't accidentally cut himself, his eyes wander around the throne room. Sunlight enters in beams through the arched windows on either side of the hall, casting a bright strip of light in the middle of the room.

At this time of day, the throne room would be filled with chatter amongst courtiers. But the Queen had decided not to hold court today due to prior engagements. Hence, the large hall is empty and its farthest corners, including the front where he sits, are dim since the candelabras and braziers are unlit.

One of the grand double doors of the throne room opens, and Levi shifts his eyes forward. In the doorway, he sees two figures.

From her spot at the entrance, Mikasa makes an amused sound when she sees him sitting idly on the Iron Throne. The metal braziers on either side of the throne are unlit, allowing dark shadows to fall upon it. Even so, the gleam in his steel-blue eyes is still clearly visible.

“You were right, Ser Erwin,” Mikasa comments while keeping her eyes on the man on the throne. “No one would’ve expected him to be here.”

“The Prince-consort did not want to be found by anyone except you, Princess,” Erwin replies. “Hence, he chose the throne room.”

Quickly shifting his gaze between the Princess and Prince-consort, the knight sees that the two have locked their eyes on each other. Erwin quietly muses that it is somewhat incredible, considering the distance between the doorway and the throne.

“Thank you for escorting me here, Ser Erwin. That will be all,” Mikasa says, entering the doorway.

“Very well, Princess,” the knight says, excusing himself and moving to close the door.

Once the door is completely shut, the pair are left alone together. For a long moment, they just simply stare at each from their respective places. The longer they hold each other’s gazes, the more the air around them intensifies.

“So, the valiant hero has returned,” Mikasa says in a coquettish voice, breaking the quiet. “And apparently, he has claimed the throne for himself,” she adds teasingly.

“I’m not claiming it. I’m just borrowing it,” Levi says airily. “I wanted to wait someplace quiet while you and your mother had your meeting.”

Mikasa raises a brow. “And you couldn’t wait anywhere else other than the throne room?” she asks, stepping forward.

Even though she has longed to see him for months, Mikasa saunters toward him slowly. She thinks that if she waited for hours before being made aware of his arrival, then her husband could wait for a few more moments before he could hold her.

“The throne room is quiet when court is not being held,” Levi reasons. “It’s also spacious. Quite a good place to rest after traveling and pouring over papers.”

Mikasa laughs lightly. “Fair enough, I suppose.”

Levi watches his wife languidly walk toward the throne. She moves gracefully, shoulders poised and head held high. The light streaming in from the throne room’s arched windows shines on her, casting her in a brilliant glow and making her fair skin even fairer.

Levi thinks she looks just as glorious as she did on their wedding day.

He and his wife hold each other’s gazes as she continues moving forward. In the quiet of the room, her footsteps tap audibly against the stone flooring.

“For your service to the Crown, you are definitely entitled to rest in a quiet place,” Mikasa states in concession. “Although, there are many in court who would say that what you’re doing right now is treason,” she playfully warns.

Levi scoffs lightly.

“Tch. I’m just sitting. There’s nothing treasonous about it,” he drawls, crossing one leg over the other to support his point. "Treason is the Brotherhood's business. Rather, it was their business before my military host and I crushed them for good.”

Mikasa makes an amused sound at the comment. Even so, an earnest smile forms on her lips amidst the playfulness on her features.

“Yes, we received news of the success of your military campaign a fortnight ago. My mother and the Small Council were overjoyed. And the Realm owes you and your soldiers a great debt,” she says, her tone becoming sincere with the last statement.

“The campaign was only a success because of the collective efforts of all, that is true,” Levi says, accepting the compliment modestly. “Although…”

He props his chin on one hand as he watches his wife intently, "I still would have preferred it if the Council allowed you to come with me," he says quietly. "The battle against those bastards would've ended much more quickly if you had been there. You're not the 'Woman Worth a Hundred Warriors' for nothing."

Mikasa laughs lightly, her amusement returning.

She halts when she's halfway to the raised dais where the throne sits. The only thing separating them now are several yards of stone flooring and the steps leading to the throne.

“Perhaps, but you still managed without me,” she counters. She folds her hands behind her back as she smirks at him. “Besides, the ‘Realm’s Strongest Warrior’ was more than enough to lead the soldiers to victory.”

Levi smirks back at her.

“Well, the ‘Realm’s Strongest’”, he counters, uncrossing his leg and standing up, “wanted his wife with him.”

At that, Levi begins walking down the steps of the dais to make his way to her. When he steps out from the shadows and into the sunlight, Mikasa fully beholds his presence. Even when he's not anticipating battle, her husband always keeps his longsword at his right hip. The sword is attached to a leather belt tied around his waist and over his silver-clasped, dark knee-length overcoat. On the right breast of his coat is a sigil woven with white threading depicting an image of a shield with the letter 'A' on the left side and a direwolf head on the right – the sigil of House Ackerman of the North.

As Mikasa’s eyes flit to the sigil, she briefly recalls her childhood septa teaching her that her husband’s House and her father’s House have not been connected by blood for centuries.

She shifts her eyes back to his when he gets off the last step of the raised dais.

“You are one of the strongest fighters in the entire Realm,” Levi states as he walks toward her. “And you and I have always been stronger together than apart.”

“But those aren’t the only reasons why I wanted you with me,” he says, voice becoming softer as he gets closer to her. When he finally reaches her, he raises a hand to hold her cheek.

“I missed you, Mikasa,” Levi tells her before moving forward to kiss her. Mikasa leans into his touch as she gladly meets him halfway.

All teasing and playfulness dissolve when their lips meet, and their arms wrap tightly around each other as they kiss heatedly. For a long moment, no words or banter are exchanged, with the pair expressing how much they longed for each other through fervent brushes of lips and frantic swipes of their tongues.

After a long while, Levi trails his lips from Mikasa’s mouth down to her chin and eventually down to her neck. He nuzzles her neck as he plants hot kisses on the column of her throat and nibbles the soft skin there.

Mikasa giggles as she closes her eyes, enjoying the touches she’s missed so much. She lets him linger on her neck as she lightly strokes the back of his head.

But when Levi moves down and starts mouthing at her exposed collarbone, that is when she gently takes hold of his chin.

“Behave yourself, husband,” Mikasa chides lightly, face flushed red. With her hand on his chin, she nudges his face back to hers. “As much I’m enjoying this, I’d rather not desecrate the throne room,” she says, moving her hand to the side of his face.

"Pity," Levi murmurs, shifting his head to press a kiss on her palm. "I would've fucked you all over this room if you'd let me."

Mikasa laughs heartily. She’s missed everything about him, including his dirty mouth.

“I missed you too, Levi,” she says quietly, voice brimming with affection. She braces her hands on his shoulders as she presses her forehead against his. “I am so glad you’ve finally returned to me after such a long time.”

Levi sees the unmistakable fondness in her stormy gray eyes and feels himself soften inside. He’s yearned for her warmth after months of being apart.

“I’m sorry I took long,” he whispers, pulling her closer to him. “Forrester and his merry band of traitors made us chase them all over the Crownlands for months. The bastards were good at hiding and evading.”

A frown mars Mikasa’s face at the mention of the traitorous leader of the Kingswood Brotherhood. “So, I’ve heard.”

The Princess remembers the Small Council meetings during the months which preceded the Brotherhood's defeat. The progress of the military campaign against the traitorous outlaws was always the first order of business. And everyone on the council would always feel disappointed whenever they received reports that the Brotherhood somehow disappeared after yet another raid on a village.

At the time, Mikasa wondered how a skilled tactician and a once-promising knight such as Floch Forrester could stoop so low as to use his intelligence for sinister purposes.

As she recalls her past ruminations on the rogue knight, her eyes fall on the hilt of Levi’s sword.

“Did you use this very sword to execute Floch Forrester?” she asks, reaching down to grip the handle.

Levi follows the direction of her gaze. “I did.”

Mikasa hums contemplatively. She wonders how Forrester had acted when he was faced with the sword.

“What were his last words?” she asks, knowing that her husband always gave criminals an opportunity to speak during their sentencings.

Levi observes the pensive gaze in her eyes as she continues to look at his sword.

"Just a load of hateful and nonsensical shit about how your mother is going to ruin the realm just because she's a woman," he answers honestly, knowing that his wife can handle the truth. "He even had the audacity to say that it was your mother's fault that he and his Brotherhood attacked those villages."

The look in Mikasa's eyes hardens, and the curves of her mouth draw downward.

“So, he expressed no regret or remorse…” she says, her voice lowering with disgust. “Hearing that makes me wish that I executed him myself.”

Mikasa grasps the sword handle more tightly, and she envisages herself standing in front of Floch Forrester. For a moment, she can hear him right now, spewing scornful accusations toward her mother and casting all the blame for his own actions onto the faultless monarch. She also hears him cursing her personally, hatefully proclaiming that if the Realm survives under her mother’s reign, then it will fall when she becomes Queen.

Mikasa's knuckles turn white as she grips the handle with even more force. She imagines quickly unsheathing it and swiftly silencing Forrester's maddened ramblings with a single slice through his neck.

Levi sees the righteous fury in Mikasa's eyes; her revulsion and contempt for the Forrester bastard brew the storm in her dark-gray orbs.

"Yet another reason why you should have been allowed to partake in the campaign," Levi says, covering her hand on his sword with one of his own. "It would've been poetic, the woman-hating rogue being executed by the woman-warrior who will be Queen one day."

Levi glides his fingers over the back of his wife’s hand, stroking her skin gently.

"Bards all over would have written songs about it. About how the Warrior Princess slew the half-witted fool who thought that a cock is required to rule. They'd sing about her fierceness… and beauty," he says, using his other hand to caress her cheek.

The fury on Mikasa's features gradually relents at Levi's words, and she eventually loosens her grip on the sword handle.

“It truly would have been a great song,” she comments, smiling wryly as she shifts her eyes back to her husband. “Alas, it was not meant to be by the counsel of the Council.”

Mikasa actually wanted to join the campaign to personally fight the detractors who opposed her mother. However, her parents and the Small Council advised against it, saying that she shouldn't place herself in unnecessary danger since she is the only Heir to the throne. They also further argued that Levi and the host of soldiers he selected for the campaign are more than sufficient to deal with the outlaws. Therefore, her participation is not necessary.

“It was still a wasted opportunity,” Levi states. “You are oh so magnificent in battle. I still remember the time you single-handedly took down seven hill tribesmen while we went hunting in the forests near Runestone. You looked as if you were dancing,” he says, a tinge of nostalgia in his voice. “I’ve heard tales about your feats as the regional commander of the Vale, but seeing you in combat for the first time was truly an experience.”

Mikasa lets out a short laugh.

"Ah, yes. It was a fortnight after you and your uncle came to the Eyrie to arrange our betrothal," she says, smiling fondly. "We traveled to Runestone for a hunting trip with Lord Royce and some other nobles. When we separated from the main group, we encountered the hill tribesmen. I took on seven of them while you took on the other nine. You were quite a sight yourself. I'd never seen anyone swing a sword as quickly as you."

Levi smirks at the memory. He recalls the band of hill tribesmen charging at him and his then-betrothed with their crude weapons. The poor bastards actually thought that they could win.

“That was the first time we fought together,” he states, coaxing her hand to let go of his sword handle. When she does, he entangles their fingers together. “And we continued fighting together long after we married and took residence in Winterfell. So, I found it rather odd marching off to battle without you.”

Mikasa smiles a bit ruefully at that. Before her mother's ascension as Queen, she and Levi had resided in Winterfell. After their wedding, she ceded command over the Vale's regional forces to another warrior so she could move to the North with her husband. While there, they acted as commanders of the North's regional forces and were active in patrolling the lands to maintain the peace there. But when her mother became the new ruler of the Realm, the pair moved to King's Landing, where Levi was made Lord Commander of the Grand Army and Mikasa started taking a more active role in politics as the new Heir.

"I agree that I am definitely useful on the battlefield," she says. "But the Council and my parents were right. I need to be more careful now that I am Heir. And being Heir also means spending more time in council meetings than battles."

Levi hums in acknowledgment.

“I know, and I don’t disagree,” he says, bringing her hand up to his lips. “It’s just that fighting isn’t the same without you.”

He kisses her knuckles, and Mikasa smiles as her cheeks turn red.

“I share your sentiments, husband,” she tells him, caressing one side of his face. “But I think we’ve spent enough time talking about Forrester and politics. I’d rather enjoy having you back without anything unpleasant dampening the joyous occasion.”

Levi huffs amusedly.

“Fair enough,” he says, putting the discussion to a close. “So, I heard that Their Graces have departed for the Great Sept. I’ll make myself known to them when they return. Shall I escort you to your next activity?”

Mikasa shakes her head with a smile.

“I actually don’t have any official activities today,” she explains. “Today’s meeting with the Grand Maester was unplanned.”

An idea then crosses her mind, and her smile turns playful as she tilts her head. "This means I'm free to do as I please today."

The energy in the air changes with the shift in the discussion, and Levi watches as his wife's hands trail down to his chest. His interest is immediately piqued when she subtly starts sliding her palms upward and downward.

“Very well,” Levi says lowly, wrapping his arms around her waist. “So, what does my Princess wish to do today?”

His fingers trace random shapes on the small of her back, and Mikasa moves even closer to him.

“Your Princess…” Mikasa’s voice drops to a whisper, “wishes to properly reunite with her Prince-consort.”

---

Mikasa’s hair fans out behind her as Levi unties her ponytail. His calloused fingers then dance on her back as he deftly unfastens the strings of her dress.

In seconds, the back of her dress opens, and Mikasa sighs when the warm summer air hits her bare skin.

“I’ve nearly forgotten just how fast you can undo my dress strings,” she comments with a breathless laugh.

The Prince and Princess are now in the privacy of their bedchambers. After their conversation in the throne room, the pair reencountered Ser Erwin and instructed him that they were not to be disturbed for the rest of the day. Afterward, the couple strode down the corridors arm-in-arm, their pace hastened.

"I was tempted to rip your dress off you altogether," Levi whispers in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "But then I recalled you telling me that I've ruined enough of your dresses and that I should spare the royal seamstresses any additional labor."

Levi kisses the nape of her neck as he slowly slides the dress off her shoulders and down her arms. The satin fabric smoothly glides across her skin, and Mikasa leans back against her husband as he continues undressing her.

Levi then grips her hips and yanks the bottom half of the dress down. The dress, still whole, pools down her ankles, leaving her completely bare before him. His calloused hands slide up and down her sides before moving to her toned stomach. He trails his palms over the firm muscles there, and Mikasa moans lightly.

“I see that you’ve kept up with your training, my dear,” he whispers, grazing the firm divots of her abdominals. His cock twitches when he feels her muscles flex under his touch. “Your body feels as glorious as I remember.”

“Of course,” Mikasa giggles, her face turning red. “I may be the Heir, but I am still a warrior. And one never knows when they’ll face combat.”

Levi feels his chest purr with pride. Hearing his wife speak with such certainty and confidence never fails to rouse him.

“Well said,” he chuckles lowly.

He drags his lips across her shoulders as his hands rise to her chest, cupping her ample bosom. He kneads her breasts and tweaks her teats, causing Mikasa to whimper and press further back into him.

“Oh, Levi,” she mewls.

Levi says nothing, preferring to let his actions speak for him. With one hand still massaging her breasts, his other one slides down the valley between the mounds, going further down until it reaches the apex between her strong thighs. His fingertips graze her outer lips, and Mikasa shivers with anticipation.

“Levi…” Mikasa whimpers, arching her back and yearning to be touched.

Levi briefly considers teasing her but decides they've both been deprived of each other for far too long. So, he delves into her warm core, sliding one finger inside and pressing his thumb against her clit. He pumps the single digit inside her while his thumb rubs her sensitized pearl in circles.

"Ah!" Mikasa jolts in his arms at the double stimulation. Her eyes close, and her mouth hangs open in a wordlessly cry as he stirs and builds up her pleasure.

Levi buries his face in the crook of her neck, feeling the vibrations from her throat as she vocalizes her pleasure through shameless moans and groans. He curls and twists his fingers, causing her sheath to tighten and drench his digits.

“Fuck. You’re even wetter than the Riverlands.”

Mikasa's face turns even redder at his filthy remark. Levi pulls her even closer to him, and she feels his stiffness pressing against her backside. Opening her eyes, she notices their reflections in the mirror on the other side of the room. She sees herself naked, arching and writhing against her husband, who still remains clothed and whose breeches have begun housing a bulge.

Oh, that won’t do.

She swiftly grabs his hands and pushes them away. Before Levi can ask if something is wrong, Mikasa quickly turns around and silences any potential question with a searing kiss.

“It’s rather unjust that I’m the only one naked, husband,” she whispers against his lips before her hands move to the leather belt around his coat.

She unties the belt quickly and casts it to the ground. There's an audible clang as the attached sword scatters on the floor, but neither pay it any mind. Mikasa then makes quick work of the clasps, deftly undoing them in seconds. Once it's completely open, she shrugs it off his shoulders. She then grabs the bottom of his tunic and pulls it upwards. They break their kiss long enough to pull it over Levi's head.

When the tunic falls to the ground, their lips reconnect, and Levi wraps his arms around Mikasa's waist while her hands roam over his front, palming his firm abdominals. She then gently trails her hands to his broad chest, rubbing the hard muscles.

“Your journeys have made you even stronger than I remember,” she purrs, ducking her head to nip at his jawline.

Her excitement builds as she drags her palms over and across his upper torso, feeling the toned definition of his pectorals and the contours of his deltoids. She marvels at just how well-built her husband is.

Levi groans appreciatively. He’s missed her heated but delicate touches, and he closes his eyes to savor their sensations. Her hands move to his back, her palms tantalizingly sliding down the muscles there before gliding around his waist and landing on the front of his crotch.

Levi’s cock twitches again when Mikasa’s fingers tug at the drawstrings. Soon, the waistline of his breeches loosens, and his wife yanks them down his legs. Levi then steps out of them easily, having already taken off his boots earlier. When his fully erect cock springs out, Mikasa grasps it and thumbs his tip, causing him to groan loudly.

“Fuck… Mikasa," he hisses, his hips instinctively jutting forward when she starts pumping him.

Still nibbling at his jawline, Mikasa tightens her grip on him as she continues pumping, earning her an even louder ‘fuck’ from her husband.

She then trails her lips from his jaw to his ear. “Would you like me to kneel, my Prince?” she asks, tone teasing and velvety.

Levi breathes in deeply as his cock gets even harder at the offer. Yet, as tempting as it is, he has something else in mind.

“That’s a generous offer, but…” he says, voice low and raspy as he grabs the wrist of her hand pumping him, “I’d rather have you in bed.”

Mikasa shivers delightedly. “Take me to bed, then.”

Levi presses their lips together and moves his hands to her ass, cupping them firmly and crushing her to him. Their sexes brush together, and they both groan before Mikasa slides her shoes off her feet and coils her powerful legs around his waist. Levi then quickly strides to the grand four-poster bed at the far end of the room.

Once they’re at the foot of the bed, Levi bends down and places Mikasa on the mattress. With their lips still pressed together, Mikasa uncoils her legs from around his waist before she starts sliding herself across the bed. Levi crawls over her as she does so, moving along with her and planting kisses on her neck.

When they reach the top end of the bed, Mikasa places her head on one of the many pillows and lies down properly. She grabs Levi's head to pull him to her for a proper kiss, to which he gladly obliges. Levi then uses a knee to gently nudge her thighs apart, and Mikasa readily spreads them apart for him.

Levi settles himself in between her legs and positions himself before her entrance. His spine tingles with anticipation when he feels the warmth emanating from her core.

“Are you ready for me?” Levi whispers against her lips, breaking their kiss.

His hot breath fans her face, and Mikasa feels her heart race when their eyes meet.

“Yes,” she answers, wrapping her legs around his waist again.

At her go-ahead, Levi presses into her. They hold each other’s gazes as their connection deepens, not once looking away.

When he's fully sheathed inside her, Mikasa releases an exhilarated gasp while Levi hisses in pleasure. The time and distance apart created an ache inside both of them, and reconnecting instantly soothed it.

They meet again for another heated kiss, and Levi reaches for one of her hands and pins it beside her head, entangling their fingers together. Mikasa hums into his mouth and slides her free hand to the back of his neck, bringing them even closer.

After brushing their lips and tongues together for a few moments, Levi starts to rock against her, still fully sheathed inside her. Their kiss breaks when Mikasa whimpers and gasps as she starts moving against him from beneath.

They match each other’s tempo, eventually finding a rhythm that satisfies them both. Levi groans when he feels his cock shift and brush against her inner walls with every synchronized roll of their hips.

“Feels good to be reunited at last,” Levi purrs, smirking.

Mikasa laughs breathily in between her gasps of pleasure.

“Welcome home, my love,” she smirks back at him.

They continue rocking together, rolling and grinding their hips against each other. Soon, their current pace isn’t enough anymore, and the bed starts to creak when their movements become more frantic.

"Mikasa…" Levi grunts out, feeling sparks in his groin. "You have no idea how much I missed this…."

With one last roll of his hips, Levi draws back before plunging inside his wife. He growls at the delicious friction and buries his face in the crook of her neck before pulling back and thrusting in again.

Mikasa moans loudly at the sensation of her husband thrusting in and out of her, and she squeezes their joined hands as he sets a gratifying pace.

“Ooohhh…” Mikasa’s eyes close shut as more pleasant shockwaves rock her core. When she matches her hips to his new rhythm, Levi groans loudly against her neck.

Beads of sweat start forming on their backs, and their gasps, moans, and the sound of their skins slapping fill the large, ornate bedchamber. With each thrust, they draw out more and more pleasure from each other.

But soon, they start craving for even more.

“More… faster!” Mikasa gasps out, shifting her head and whispering hotly into his ear, “Show me how much you missed me, Levi.”

Her vocalized need for more unleashes a fresh surge of lust in Levi. Gladly obliging, he increases the pace of his thrusts. His hips slam against hers, and the bed starts rocking against the wall behind it.

Mikasa’s moans increase in volume, and she clutches their joined hands more tightly.

“Oh, Levi! Ah!” she whimpers. “Levi! Oh! My Levi!”

Still thrusting, Levi lifts his head from the crook of her neck. Peering down at this wife, he sees her cheeks flushed with heat and her dainty mouth opened in pleasure as she chants his name.

Mikasa peers up at him, and her cheeks become more heated when she sees the nearly feral look in his eyes.

“Can you… feel… how much… I… missed you… now, Mikasa?” Levi asks, his words staggering in between his rapid thrusts.

“Yes…” Mikasa answers, throwing her head back as her pleasure continues to mount. “Yes… yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Beyond the silk curtains covering the room's large windows, the afternoon sun streams pleasantly on the castle grounds, servants and knights go about their daily tasks, and small birds chirp amongst the treetops near the gardens. Yet, the Prince and Princess pay no mind to the world beyond, being too lost in each other.

---

The setting sun colors the grounds yellow and orange as the guards stationed at the Red Keep’s gates man the watch towers and patrol the surrounding walls.

One guard standing watch scans the horizon for any incoming horses and carriages. For a while, he sees nothing but the dirt path and the grassy fields adjacent to it. A moment later, he sees men in golden cloaks followed by an ornate carriage riding towards them.

“Royal carriage in the distance!” the guard shouts. “Their Graces are arriving!”

“Open the gates!” another guard commands.

The iron-wrought gates of the Red Keep creak noisily as the guards on duty crank the levers to raise them open. Within the courtyard, guards, knights, and servants form orderly lines in preparation to greet the Queen and King.

Just as the gates are raised completely, the sound of horses clopping and neighing becomes more audible as a retinue of golden cloaks on horseback ride through. Following them are four Queensguards, their white cloaks billowing in the wind as they guide their horses to slow down upon entering the castle grounds.

The host of knights and soldiers then guide their steeds to line up at either side of the pathway as the royal carriage enters, followed by yet another retinue of golden cloaks. When the last horseman enters, the iron gates creak again as they are lowered to a close.

The knights and soldiers lower themselves from their horses when the carriage comes to a halt. The carriage driver then steps down to open the carriage door.

Still holding the door open, the driver bows deferentially when King Mikhail steps out first. Once the King alights, he offers his arm to Queen Keiko.

“Thank you, dear,” Keiko smiles as she takes her husband’s arm.

Once the Queen steps out of the carriage, she loops her arms through the King's and faces forward. As soon as she does, everyone present bends their knee in greeting.

“Everyone rise,” the Queen announces with a small smile.

At her order, all persons rise to their feet but keep their heads bowed as the royal pair walk arm-in-arm toward the steps leading to the Red Keep’s main entrance.

At the very foot of the steps are Lord Commander Ser Erwin Smith and the other two Queensguards who were instructed to remain at the castle. The three knights bow at the waist when the royals reach them.

“Welcome back, Your Graces,” Ser Erwin greets as he and his Queensguard brothers straighten themselves.

"Thank you, Ser Erwin," Keiko replies with a smile. She then turns to the group of knights, guards, and servants still standing behind them. "Thank you, everyone. You are now dismissed so that you may tend to your tasks and duties."

The crowd bows and curtsies in response before dispersing. The servants make their way to the servants’ entrances, the guards return to their posts, the gold cloaks get on their horses before riding to their barracks, and the four other Queensguards make their way to the King and Queen and flank their sides.

“So, I trust that everything was well during our absence?” the Queen asks, turning back to the Lord Commander.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Erwin replies with a nod.

“Good,” Keiko states with a smile. “Now, let’s go inside, shall we?”

Erwin and the other two Queensguards with him instantly move to the sides to make way for the Queen and King. Mikhail offers his arm again, and after Keiko takes it, they walk up the stairs. The Queensguard retinue follows after them, with Erwin at the very front.

"Has anyone notified the Princess of our arrival?" Keiko asks as they walk through the grand doors of the main entrance. "Where is she?"

“The Princess is with the Prince-consort, Your Grace,” Erwin replies from his place behind them.

The King and Queen pause in their tracks at the news, and the Queensguard likewise halts. The royal pair turn to the knights with visibly surprised looks.

“Levi has already returned?” King Mikhail asks, eyes widened in astonishment. “When did he arrive?”

“Just today, Your Grace,” Erwin answers. “The Prince-consort met with the Princess not long after Your Graces departed for the Great Sept.”

The Lord Commander elects not to tell the King and Queen the entire story of the Prince’s arrival, thinking that the Prince and Princess will likely tell them the tale sooner or later.

"Well, this is good news!" the King exclaims. "Although I wish he had sent a raven informing us about his expected arrival date."

"That would have been preferable, but what matters is that our son-by-law has come home safely," the Queen states with a smile. "We must prepare a grand dinner in his honor! This is the least we can do for him until we arrange an official ceremony to celebrate him and the soldiers who were part of the campaign!

“Ser Gelgar,” Keiko turns to one of the Queensguards. “Kindly instruct the head chef to prepare his finest dishes! We want to make sure that the Prince-consort is well-fed.”

Ser Gelgar stands at attention, pressing his arms to his sides. “At once, Your Grace,” he says before bowing and departing for the kitchens.

“Ser Erwin,” the Queen turns back to the Lord Commander. “Kindly escort the Princess and the Prince to my private study. The King and I would like to speak with them.”

Erwin hesitates for a moment, not replying immediately.

The King notices and raises a brow. “What is the matter, Ser Erwin?”

The blonde knight clears his throat before responding. “I apologize, Your Graces. But the Prince and Princess have… retired to their bedchambers. They also gave specific instructions not to be disturbed until supper time.”

The hidden meaning behind the Lord Commander’s words is clear to all present.

Hilarity flits across the faces of the Queensguards, but they all school their faces to look neutral, not wanting to cause offense. Meanwhile, the King and Queen exchange a visibly knowing and amused look.

“Well, I suppose they were eager to see each other after months apart,” Mikhail quips, lips twitching. “Perhaps it would be best not to interrupt their reunion.”

“Quite right,” Keiko remarks, slightly smiling. “In addition, this reunion might lead to continuing the family line. So, let’s let them be.”

---

End Note:

So, there you have it! I know that it's pretty long, but that's the direction my writing went. Haha.

Some notes:

1. Yeah, I know that Floch is a woman-hater here. Hahaha. I was inspired to make him the villain because he was one of the biggest enemies to the 104th gang in the final leg of the AOT storyline. And as for him being a woman-hater, I took inspiration from HOTD, where the general populace preferred Kings over Queens.

2. The situation in this fanfic is the opposite of the situation in HOTD. Haha. In this fic, the Queen is generally accepted even though there are a number of people who do not want a woman for a monarch.

3. For all those who are following my other story 'Soldiers by Choice', I'm still working on future content. I will update as soon as possible!

Thanks for taking the time to read this fic! This is actually my first-ever AU where the characters from one story/series live lives in the universe and setting of a different story/series. I hope that the AOT characters are still recognizable in this GOT-verse fic. Hehehe.

What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts! Comments, reviews, and critiques are most welcome and would be very much appreciated!

[neonpaperlanterns]

His happy ending

[part one]

A/N: I said it in the tags but I'll say it here to, this work is heavily inspired by everlasting rain-fall. They created the pages au and with their permission I am posting this on my tumbler. Also you should totally check out their Tumblr. Also Minors do not interact. That is not a place for you.

With a heavy sigh Moria shifted in his bed. The effort to turn over was too much and he gave up halfway. His arm hung over the side limply as his face squished against the pillow. 

“Get me something.” his hand waved half heartedly as Doppleman slunk out of the room. He didn’t know what he wanted but he wanted something. Food, ale, a corpse in need of a purpose; really anything would do. Moria stared at the wall as he waited, the shadows in the room danced in the low light. They formed abstract shapes as he felt his eyes start to droop. 

Thunk

“OW!” he screeched as a pile of things was dropped on him. Roasted meat, bags of salt, and papers obscured his vision. A hollow version of his laugh slithered around the room as Doppleman dissipated into the gloom. Grumbling, he tossed off the somethings he had requested until his hand brushed something solid. Feeling a moment of curiosity he adjusted himself to see better. 

Moria blinked slowly as he took in the cover of a book.

A large vibrant moon encompassed most of the cover. Its light glimmered over a darkened ocean as a lone figure extended their hand as if they were reaching for something. Letting out a hum his gaze drifted to the looping script of the title.

Under the same Moon

Moria scoffed and went to toss the book into some forgotten corner. But something stopped him. The more he looked at the reaching silhouette the more he felt compelled to at least take a look. Almost shyly he turned to the first page. Quickly he glanced around the room to make sure he was alone before he started to read.

Chapter One~

Water gently lapped against her ankles as the cool breeze ruffled Junko’s hair. Her hands clasped in front of her chest as her feet slowly sunk into the sand…..

Chapter Two~

Junko’s breath caught in her throat as her feet slipped out from under her. The ground was approaching fast but the impact never came. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and suddenly she was being dipped….

Chapter Five~

“Run away with me.” Sota grabbed onto Junko’s wrist, preventing her from leaving. Her tear filled gaze tore at his heart.

“I can’t.” her voice came out a hoarse whisper as she ripped her arm from his grip….

Chapter Twelve~

“Release Junko at once you!” Sota bared his teeth at the man looming above him. The masked figure scoffed and pointed an accusatory finger at Sota.

“I will not. You will never see my dearest light nor ever hurt her again!” his voice rang out, shaking the very foundation Sota stood upon. Shadows leaked from the cracks writhing and lashing out at anything they could reach.

Chapter Seventeen~

“Junko my light you seem upset.” Ankoku kneeled down in front of his love. She wasn’t looking at him, instead her gaze was focused on the barred window. Grasping her hand he ran his thumb along her soft skin.

“Please tell me what ails you. Let me make it better.” He spoke softly pleading with Junko. Yet still she remained quiet. 

Chapter Twenty Five~

“I love you So-”

Moria slammed the book closed. His chest heaving and his eyes burning as he tossed the offending piece of literature against the wall. His jaw creaked as he ground his teeth together. A vein throbbed on the side of his forehead as he felt compelled to pace.

How could Junko leave Ankoku like that?

How could she choose Sota?

Didn’t she understand how much Ankoku loved her? Cherished her? She was his light and she just left him. How could she just leave him? This could not be the correct ending. Junko could not pick Sota over Ankoku. She just couldn't! Stomping over to where he threw the book he glowered down at it. It had landed on its front so he was greeted with the soft smiling face of the author. Her head was leaning against her hand as she stared at the photographer. She looked so sweet. So unaware. 

He hated her. She did this to him. She was wrong to write an ending like this. Snatching the book off the floor he scrutinized her face. He wanted to find her, hurt her, make her change the ending. Change it to the right ending. 

Moria’s lip twitched.

“ABSALOM!” He shouted for his minion. His voice rang out and bounced off the walls. He could hear it echoing down the halls along with the sound of rushing footsteps. His door was thrown open and Absalom tumbled into the room. 

“Yes Moria-Sama?” The smaller man stood at attention. A large grin split across his face as he shook the book in Absalom’s face. 

“I need you to find this woman.” His nail scratched across the smiling visage of the author marring the surface. The whiskers on Absalom’s face jerked as his eyes crossed slightly.

“Of course Moria-Sama.” Dutifully he took the book and ran from the room. Moria didn’t care how long it would take. Didn’t care how many resources he had to pour into this. He would find that woman and make her correct her mistake.

Moria was getting his happy ending. He would make sure of it.

[the-math-hatter]

I posted 12,637 times in 2022

29 posts created (0%)

12,608 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@what-even-is-thiss

@bambiefangirl

@leaking-fountain-pen

@agreyshirt

@triangleguy

I tagged 1,927 of my posts in 2022

#long post - 290 posts

#for jace - 124 posts

#loud sounds - 87 posts

#ask away - 72 posts

#3m&j - 61 posts

#religion - 51 posts

#art reference - 45 posts

#writing reference - 40 posts

#mental health - 27 posts

#pspsps cinna - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#the neighbor's husband provides enough torque with his kebab like ministrations to keep one of the lights lit disconnected from the rest of

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Heyy just passing spreading love 🍓

Evidently I haven't cleared my askbox in quite some time, as this one is old enough that the user has deactivated. I hope they know their offering of love is appreciated. I hope they know their strawberry is filling. I hope they know I would like to see them again someday.

7 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

#4

Just figured out how to make these. This is a remix of the Gravity Falls Main Title Theme for @gobblewanker ‘s Pirate AU. Enjoy!

13 notes - Posted April 21, 2022

#3

♪

"This is for the snakes & the people they bite" from "Twin Size Mattress" by the Front Bottoms

13 notes - Posted July 6, 2022

#2

Calling All Pines

I have been trying my hardest to find this, and I know it exists, but it’s elusive. It’s an extremely well drawn Gravity Falls double sided poster.

Both "sides" are on one side, so you can turn it so that the top becomes the bottom and vice versa. Both sides are triangular, making a kind of sideways bowtie shape.

"Side One" features the young Pines twins, Dipper and Mabel, with Dipper holding the receiver of a rotary telephone. Dipper appears to be talking, and both seem intrigued. The backdrop is deep in the woods, the trees stretching tall enough that you can't see past the canopy.

"Side Two" features Dr. Stanford Pines in the middle of working on the Portal. He is frantically grabbing at his own hair and holding a rotary telephone receiver with the other hand. One of his eyes is bleeding. Behind him is his basement, with a large portal, also triangular, completed but turned off behind him.

I remember it distinctly as being posted to Tumblr, and possible tags to search, in addition to the obvious, would include things like "Touch Tone Telephone" and "Lemon Demon", as the iconography is highly inspired by that song.

Thank you for your time.

19 notes - Posted June 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

STOP SHOOTING MY CHIEF ENGINEER! Okay? You done? Good. No, don’t start talking, don’t fucking talk, listen to me, I have heard your self-aggrandizing guilt-tripping speech a dozen times already, you can shut your trap for once. Let us get a few things clear. I am not an engineer, I am not a builder, I am not a designer. I am not responsible for the flimsy glass windows, or the asteroid defense, or the cryogenic pods, or the sun energy source, or the fact that there is a Goddamn warp core in the middle of this colony ship! I arrived five minutes before warp! My job is to push buttons and steer the ship, but everyone here pretends like they can’t even shit without my express written permission! I have been trying every conceivable variation on fixing this ship and everything going wrong with it. I. do. not. know. Why there is a wormhole in this ship, why I’m trapped in a loop, or how any of this got started. I just want to get out, and get the colonists out safely. I’m fucking sick of everyone pretending I’m acting out of malicious intent! I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON! So here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to tell me how all this got started. You are going to tell me how to stop it. And I will. And then we can both go on our merry ways, riding into the sunset. Do you understand me?

50 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[hyeque]

better than the aliens [kuroo tetsurō]

Notes: wrote this while on zoom in class, but it’s okay I swear I was still paying attention to what was being said. Please be gentle, this is the first thing I’m writing in like almost a month of not posting anything substantial. Kuroo brain rot is always on my mind. Anyways, I’m picking up writing and content again so I’ll be working away on stuff again soon. Thanks to everyone who has supported me even when I was feeling extremely insecure and down about my writing.

**Reposting, sorry for those who are tagged, tumblr is being difficult atm**

5:45 p.m.

“You know I can’t cook if you don’t let me move.”

This is what you tell your husband, Kuroo Tetsurō, as you cook dinner for both of you. The man had just gotten home from a long, grueling day of work. The minute that he stepped foot into your shared home, the 6’5 mass of muscle clung to the back of you, professing how much he missed you. While you appreciate the sentiment, your arms were tied down by his hold.

“That’s okay, I can starve.” He mumbles into your shoulder, nuzzling the skin of your neck with his nose. You can smell the subtle scent of his cologne and aftershave, a fragrance mixed with mint and sandalwood. Something you became used to not long after dating him and something you associated with comfort and home.

You sigh, clicking your tongue. “So you want me to starve, too? You don’t sound like a good husband if you let that happen.” A smirk appears on your face when the teasing statement leaves your lips and you feel Kuroo push back and let you go out of protest.

“‘Don’t sound like a “Good husband” my ass, I’m the world’s best husband and you know it.” He puffs out his chest, a cute pout on his face as his eyes follow you.

“I’m glad that worked.” You say, resuming your cooking activities in peace.

But if you know anything about your husband, it’s that once he’s riled up, it takes a while for him to calm down. “I’d walk through fire for you, yanno?” He’s leaning over you again, but not completely immobilizing your space. “If you told me to hide a dead body for you, I’d do that too.”

“You’d throw your safety and morals out the window for me? That’s a bit concerning, Tetsurō.” You continue fixing dinner and act unfazed just to see what he’ll say next.

His left eye twitches. “Are you just going to ignore my first statement? You’re not even going to agree? Hey.” He gently pulls you away from the stove, turning it off (because safety first, folks!) before turning you towards him.

You blink. “Kuroo, seriously?”

“Yes, Kuroo. Seriously.” He challenges.

Pulling him into you by his waist, you push back his disheveled fringe so you can look directly into his golden eyes—your favorite feature of his.

“Are you the world’s best husband?” You hummed, your thumb tracing over his cheek. He closes his eyes once feeling your touch and leans down slightly into you. He can feel the discomfort from stretching his joints and neck, but he doesn’t care. He’ll do anything to be closer to you.

“The world’s best husband answers my calls during a work meeting—even when he shouldn’t. He’s the same person who always makes sure I eat breakfast and lunch since I tend to skip out on one of those meals. The same person who massages my feet when I wear heels after a long night of attending a gala that he has for work—“

“It’s fair compensation. I know you don’t like heels.” He says, playing with your left hand where your wedding band sits. He always begged you to wear heels—ones that he bought you, of course—because he claims he ‘likes to show off his pretty wife’.

You laugh, shaking your head. “I keep telling you to stop wasting your money on them, but you don’t listen.”

Kuroo makes a noise of disagreement. “Anything I spend on you isn’t a waste. I like spending my money on you.”

“And I appreciate that. But you should at least be responsible about it. Sometimes you get carried away.” It’s true that you feel like the luckiest person in the world, but you didn’t consider that because of Kuroo’s money. The two of you had been dating since high school. You’d seen him at his worst, the two of you persevered through college and survived on instant ramen while getting three hours asleep at night because of homework and classes. After all, you have been through, it was no mistake that you two would get married. With Kuroo, you have made many brilliant and beautiful memories, and that alone is more valuable than anything else.

“But as I was saying, Tetsu, you’re the greatest husband in the universe. I couldn’t be any luckier than with someone else.” The smile you give him almost easily relieves him of his day’s stress.

He lifts his head off your shoulder. “Better than the aliens, then?”

“Yes Tets, better than the aliens.” You giggle, the sound making the man swoon.

His shoulders relax and he hums a soft ‘thank you’. You let him hold you some more in silence.

Realization hits you and you can’t help but ask. “Was that all just a way for you to just hear about yourself?”

“N-No! I—“ A faint blush appears on his face and he looks away. “I just thought that—“

“You thought you did something wrong.” You finish.

“…”

You know of Kuroo’s past with his parents. While for the most part, it seemed like he was never really affected by it, he admitted before the two of you were married that he didn’t have any good examples of healthy relationships besides the one that his grandparents had. But then, that was different. You know he does everything he can to be good, to please you, but you don’t want that to come at the cost of his own happiness.

“You know I was just teasing you, right?” You remind him gently. Usually, Kuroo could pick up on the social cues of your joking demeanor, it’s how the two of you functioned. But whenever he has a stressful, exhausting day, he doesn’t always catch it. Today must’ve been especially hard for him.

You continue, “I’m very lucky to have you. And I’m reminded every day that I wake up, and every time I go to sleep because you’re the very first and very last thing that I see.”

“I know.” He responds, voice uncharacteristically small. “I didn’t mean to get so upset, I just—“

“You don’t have to apologize for having feelings. I understand what you mean, Tets.” You hug him tightly, your head resting over his chest where you can feel his beating heart.

“How do you do that?” He says.

You look up at him. “Do what?”

“Know what I'm thinking without me having to say.”

You hum before running your fingers over his back in a soothing manner. “If I didn’t, that would make me a terrible wife, wouldn’t it? It’s the same way you do it with me. I call it our spouse senses.”

“I see. I guess you would be a terrible wife then.” He tries to hide his smirk but you catch it easily.

“Hey!” You jab your finger into his rib and he feigns pain as a way of pity.

“Your words not mine, sweetheart.” He argues.

“Sure.” You sigh, pulling away from him fully. You walk back into the kitchen and he follows you, not wanting to be far from you.

Kuroo perks up. “Can I help you cook the rest of dinner?” He asks.

“You’re tired, Tetsu. Just sit down and I’ll be done in a minute.” You reply, kissing him on the cheek. Before he can protest anymore, you pull him towards the dining room and sit him down. “Now stay.”

He scoffs. “I’m not a dog.”

“I know, but what you are is stubborn.” You remind him, and luckily he grows silent as to not prove your point.

Before you know it, you've finished dinner and bring over two plates to the table. Kuroo holds out his arms, inviting you to sit on his lap. The two of you share how your days have gone.

“You’re better than all the aliens too, you know.” He says, leaning down when you go to feed him food.

“Huh?”

“You could never be a terrible wife. You’re the best in the universe. You’re it for me.” He explains, looking up at you with a look only reserved for you. The same one he’s been giving you for the past ten years.

“Really?” You slip your left hand into his larger one. “Even if I stole something?”

“Fuck capitalism.”

“Even if I hit someone?”

“You probably had a good reason for it.”

“You’re ridiculous.” You laugh before kissing him. His antsy nature calms down at your touch and his hands fall to your waist, squeezing gently.

“But you love me.” He says, resting his forehead against yours. He looks at you with a sleepy smile and your heart warms.

“Yeah,” you tip his chin back before leaning in to kiss him again, “I sure do.”

taglist: @sabyss @boo-kugo @melianlmfao @ohtobiors @duckymcdoorknob @explicitlyfine @suckerforsugawara @little-nightowl @strqndedstones @tetsoda @jeansbabycake @lunaevangeline @pelicanpizza @cirigiri @ray-lol @oikawas-milk-bread

do not copy and or repost.  reblogs and comments are appreciated though! © 2022 hyque

[popopretty]

The Day I Picked Up Dazai - Side B (2)

Links to Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Final

This is the translation from page 11 to page 18 of Side B of the Dazai novel which was given out as free bonus for those who come to the cinema to watch the BEAST live action movie in Japan.

I HIGHLY recommend you to read Side A first before moving on to this one, especially part 2-5 for more context, better understanding, and easier comparison between the two sides. You can find the link to the tag with all Side A translations I have done in my pinned post.

Please also carefully read the notes below before progressing. - This post contains spoilers. If you plan to read the novel later yourself and think this would ruin your expectation, please stop here.

· I tried to keep the translation as accurate as possible, but as I don’t speak English or Japanese as my native language, I may make some mistakes or use weird words etc. This translation might not be final. I may come back and fix it later if I find any mistakes.

· This is a moviegoers-only benefit, so please be extra careful when discussing it about on Twitter. Use a #spoilers tag on your tweets or your fanarts. You can share the links to this post but don’t take many screenshots.

· Don’t retranslate it. [UPDATE MAY 9, 2023] You can retranslate it but please keep in mind that my translation is not perfect and some meanings will be lost through re-translation. If you are not sure about the meaning at any part, please let me know! Don’t repost this translation anywhere else out of Tumblr.

· DON’T GO TO THE AUTHORS’ OR OFFICIAL TWITTERS TO COMMENT ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF IT.

I’m sorry if that’s too much but honestly all I want is for everyone to have a good experience, for those who wants to read the novels to be able to read the novels, and for those who don’t want to be spoiled, to be safe from it as much as possible.

If you have read and are okay with all the above, please continue to move forward and enjoy the novel. Have a good day!

...

The time the police appear at my house, is one of those times.

“Excuse me, we are from S River Station. Someone reported seeing a man covered in blood collapsing in this neighborhood. Can we ask you a few things?”

Through the window designed for lighting on the door, I see male figures. Two of them.

I freeze. I am in the middle of boiling water to make coffee in the kitchen at that time.

“Excuse me. This is the police. Is anyone home?”

The unreserved knocking shakes the door again and again. I glance at the young man. The young man whose name I don’t know. He is not showing any human-like reaction even to the voices outside.

What will happen if they find him? I quickly think. In all probability, this guy has been involved in some kind of criminal activities. And he is also seeing and committing crimes like breathing… Someone from the other side, the side of the night. Otherwise, there is no way someone who had been shot all over his body like that would not have gone to the hospital. In other words, the cops will see him as a treasure, instead of an injured person. So that they can improve their arrest record.

On the other hand, I haven’t committed any crime so far. I just took care of an injured person I saw. It is the duty of a citizen to report as soon as they find someone with gunshot wounds, but if I tell them, “I didn’t realize it was caused by gun”, the cops will have no choice but to back down. Like, I thought he was stabbed or something. It is not that difficult to identify a gunshot wound, but there is currently no crime defined in the criminal law for failing to do so.

In other words, even if I sell this young man to the cops, I can walk away without any claim.

I walk to the front door. To talk to the cops.

I will come up with an excuse to send them away. I think so. If I am going to sell this young man here and now, I would not have treated his wounds in the first place.

But that stupid dedication of mine can’t be achieved. Something completely out of my expectation has happened. The young man rushes to the door.

He is ridiculously fast. Like a tightly shrunken spring being released in an instant. He slams open the front door and attacks the cops.

It is an unpredictable action for everyone. It never crosses my mind that he can possess such agility. He leaps with a speed no one can expect from an injured person, and jumps onto the shoulder of the surprised cop, before sinking his fingers into the man’s face.

The cop lets out a brief scream. He goes berserk and slams the young man against the wall near the doorway. But still the youth doesn’t let him go. He clings onto the cop in a piggyback position, and shoves the fingers on both of his hands into the man’s ears. He put all the strength in as if he is trying to rip his ears apart. From the young man’s throat comes a fierce roar of a beast. He pulls his fingers out. The fingertips are soaked in blood. He thrusts them in again.

The cop uses his free arms to grab his attacker’s body and falls into the room just like that. The wooden floor makes a cracking sound as it breaks.

The slightly younger cop who isn’t attacked finally pulls out his gun as if he just remembers it now. That is a swing-out double-action revolver. He aims it at the young man.

No warning is made. I see the future where that gun is fired.

I start to move too. I approach the cop and grab his pistol. I slide my thumb between the barrel and the firing pin. This way, the firing pin won’t be able to hit the primer and the bullet will not come out.

I look at the cop. He looks back at me angrily.

There is a light sound of something dropping behind my back.

Something metallic. I want to look back but I am in a bad position. My right hand is holding the gun. The wall is on my left. I cannot turn around. This is bad.

Something white is weaving at the edge of my vision.

I didn’t see the moment that thing was thrown. But it is probably the cop who threw it. Because I don’t stock such dangerous things at home. A gas grenade.

That is a black, cylindrical personal weapon. It emits non-lethal coma gas. It lasts for twelve seconds, and can emit 2.8 kiloliters of gas. This gas was once used as a substitute for anesthesia for surgery in the Great War. Those who inhale it will find their consciousness fading away. It depends on the concentration of the gas, but generally most will faint before they can even count to ten. If inhaled in large volume, it can be fatal.

I grab my mouth and nose with my hand. Then I try to find the young man. A gas grenade is not something city police officers can carry around on patrol.

These guys are not cops.

But something is moving at the edge of my vision. The younger cop has let go of his gun and thrown himself at me.

We tangle together and fall onto the floor. He hits my chest so hard that all the air left in my lung is pushed out.

The white smoke wriggles in and fills my vision as I roll on the floor. It is as if I have fallen into the bottom of a white sea. But I can only see that white for a short moment.

I cough, breathe in the gas and lose consciousness almost instantly.

***

There is a sound.

A cold and damp sound.

It is so familiar that it does not sound like a meaningful sound at first. It is a sound that will slip past your consciousness, like the sound of dead leaves rolling, or a train passing by in a distance, that kind of noise. However, it cannot be the same as those noises.

Because it is the sound of Oda Sakunosuke being beaten.

The sound is low and muffled. It does not sound dangerous. It sounds like a sand bag falling. But it is, in fact, a dangerous sound.

Dazai knows that.

Because he has been living with it soaking up to his throat for a dauntingly long amount of time.

“Before we start, let me tell you this.” said a voice. The voice of an aged man.

“I don’t like violence.”

The man is holding a blackjack as he speaks. Dazai sees that. Dazai is looking at the man. He is looking hard at him. Through those sharp and dark eyes behind the face hidden by bandages.

“I don’t like it when people use violence. I don’t like to use it either. So just think about this as business.”

The club is swung down. On the back of the tied up Odasaku. Dazai is staring at that.

Dazai is standing in the corridor of the bunker, where it is completely dark. The distance between him and Odasaku is more than ten meters. Because of the darkness and the distance, Odasaku and the other guy cannot see Dazai. In fact, they wouldn’t even notice Dazai if he came within an arm’s reach. That is how much Dazai has melt into a dense shadow and become one with the darkness himself.

Dazai is looking. He is simply looking hard at Odasaku being beaten.

The club being swung down. Odasaku groaning.

Seeing that violence doesn’t even make his eyes move. His eyes are as still as those of a dead man, not showing the slightest flicker of emotion.

However, every time the club goes down, Dazai’s fingers twitch. His joints automatically jump and his muscles tense up. And every time, thin white streaks rise to the surface of his fingers. His fingers bend as if they are grasping something invisible. It is as if he himself is being beaten.

Dazai has become one with the darkness. That is why no one is able to find Dazai.

However, the elder torturer reacts to the killing intention he emits, which pulsates with every downswing of the club.

“Who is that?”

The man turns around toward the darkness. He can’t see anything. The darkness is deep and dense as mud.

He stops the torture and walks out, to check if anyone is there. Because he cannot help it. Because his experience is giving him a warning.

He finally reaches the place where Dazai was.

However, there is already no one there.

There is only darkness. As if no one was there from the beginning. It’s as if darkness has taken the form of Dazai, and has finally turned back to the original darkness and disappeared.

The man is confused. There is only the unchanging, endless darkness that has been there since the beginning of time.

...

[hurting-fictional-people]

Idk how long ago you posted this (Tumblr needs a time stamp smh), but maybe you do remember the Villain - Hero prompt you wrote, where the villain decided to help the hero after he found out that they're repeatedly abused by the superhero?

Yeah, this one right here.

Without exaggeration, this was the best thing I've ever read in my life. Just found it today, and I cannot stop reading it over and over. It's just *chef's kiss*.

If you ever decide to add a part 3, I am SO ready to see it!!

Anon I am so so sorry that I took so long to answer this 🥺 your ask made my day when I first saw it and then again every time I opened my inbox since, and it means the world to me that you liked those so much 💙

I hope that giving you the continuation you asked for makes up for the long wait (and that you're still around to see it!)... and I promise I'm already thinking of a part four to fix the angst at the end hehe

Also, special thanks to @snowflake4275 who sent me the prompt that gave me the push I needed to finish this <3 (tumblr isn’t letting me tag you :c )

Continued from here

-

Hero had said that they'd leave whether Villain let them or not. They wouldn't be held captive, no matter how comfortable the cage may be – even if it is better than their own house. And yet, a week later, all they've done is checking to see if the window is locked as well as the door and pretend they didn't notice it isn’t.

They tell themself it is because their wound is not healed yet. Because Villain is a known criminal, it’d be dangerous to risk their anger when Hero is still hurt.

None of the excuses sound any more believable than the truth.

They don’t want to leave.

Meals are delivered every day, filled with taste and variety, nothing like the tasteless though nutritious food they are used to. No one demands anything from them, they don’t have to train until they are a boneless heap on the floor or prove their strength to earn a place. All Hero does is rest – with Villain by their side. The part of them that was raised and taught by Superhero knows that the price for so much kindness will come at some point. The part that sees the way Villain’s eyes flash with anger every time they catch sight of their scars, knows that might not be entirely true. 

“What about Tangled?”

Hero frowns at Villain, holds in a grin. “Don’t tell me the grand villain who terrorizes the innocent people of my city spends their free time watching animated princess movies?”

“I don’t think that wreaking havoc on companies big enough to buy the whole city counts as terrorizing the innocent, sweetheart,” Villain rolls their eyes before parting their lips and holding a hand over their heart in mock incredulity. “Also, excuse me but Tangled is the best animated princess movie, thank you very much.”

The smile breaks free despite Hero’s best efforts, and they laugh softly.

Sitting in front of the tv in the wide room Villain’s been keeping them in, Hero leans back on the couch and pulls their legs to their chest, relieved that the closing wound barely hurts when they do. Villain, lounging on the seat next to them, places a cushion under their head and presses play.

They can’t remember the last time they spent time just… enjoying themself. It feels nice, peaceful. But mostly, it feels wrong. Like a thorn underneath their skin, always poking at their heart in a constant, albeit dull ache. 

How can they do nothing when there are so many people out there suffering, praying for help that won’t come? How can they call themself a hero if they choose Villain and television over the city they’ve sworn to protect? How disappointed would Superhero be if they saw them now? 

It’s a bittersweet kind of pain. The kind that makes them laugh and have fun when Villain is around, only for reality to come crashing down once they are alone and the beautiful lie they are pretending to live in shows its true face. 

They are everything Superhero always tried to discipline out of them. Selfish. Self-centered. Weak. A traitor. And every minute they spend here, pretending they couldn’t leave if they wanted to, is just proof of how much they deserved all the pain after all.

Carried by the thought of Superhero’s disappointed frown, their mind travels far, to stern gray walls they were taught to call home. To a cold base with an even colder mentor. Trapped half in the past, half in the present, Hero realizes they haven’t been paying attention to the movie. They stare at the singing girl on the screen, heart hammering, hummingbird’s wings hitting their ribcage in a frantic beat as they sit straighter, hoping not to give away their lack of attention.

When Superhero asks what the movie was about, they won’t know what to answer. Hero zoned out, were bad bad bad, a pitiful excuse for a hero who’s a waste of Superhero’s time. They’ll have to be punished for not being alert, they’ll have to learn to treasure their mentor’s time, to take the pain and learn their lesson quietly– 

“Hero?” Villain calls as they sit upright too. Hero turns wide eyes to worried ones, holding their breath when they find gentle concern instead of the anger they were prepared for. “You okay?”

“Yes, I– I'm okay.”

“Do you want me to pause the movie? We can change it too if you don’t like this one.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Sorry.”

Villain narrows their eyes but doesn’t argue. 

Hero swallows and silently digs their fingers into the soft cushions beneath them, not at all like the thin mattress they have at the base. Their gaze darts around the room, letting the wallpaper and wooden furniture sink in, so different from the one at home. The one where Superhero is, far away from here.

They aren’t there anymore. They should miss the heroes’ base, shouldn’t they? Miss Superhero. And yet all Hero feels is relief for being away. We are family, Hero, and that’s why I have to be so harsh, Superhero used to say when tears slipped down Hero's cheeks despite their best efforts to hold them back, if I don’t teach you to behave, you’ll be alone, unwanted. Now get me the whip so we can take care of this crying problem.

Family. What a lousy family they are to the one person who taught them all they know. 

Through the corner of their eye, Hero watches Villain as they look at the tv, a stiffness to their shoulders that wasn’t there a moment before Hero lost their grip on reality. Words bubble up and fill their mouth with pleads, but Hero makes sure to clench their teeth and keep them inside. Am I a bad person? Is there something wrong with me for not missing Superhero?

Villain gives them a side glance, and Hero turns their gaze to the movie, words and questions still stirring inside of them, nowhere to go as they pretend that their eyes don’t sting and their stomach doesn’t flip.

They can’t say anything. Not to Villain. The both of them had come to a silent agreement of not mentioning Superhero after the third fight burst out. There was no middle ground to be achieved there.

They are abusing you, you can’t go back to them, Villain would snarl. They saved me, you have no idea who they are, Hero would shout. 

So they stopped. Villain showed up one day with a bowl of popcorn and the remote control for the television and they settled into an unspoken truce. It was disturbingly easy to ignore who they were and pretend to have a friend. 

It’s only in the darkest hours of the night that Hero allows themself to grieve what that friendship could be like if it was real.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” Villain asks, pausing the movie. 

Hero takes a deep breath and lets the blank mask they’ve learned to perfect fall over their features. “Talk about what?”

“About why you look so sad,” they say in such a careful tone, Hero’s heart squeezes inside their chest. 

“I’m just tired.”

“You don’t have to talk to me specifically, you know… We can find you a good therapist if you want to.”

“We?”

Villain stops, closes their mouth, blinks at Hero. When they speak again, their eyes are locked on the cushion that sits between them. “I just meant that I can help you if you let me. That’s all.”

They don’t look nervous. Villain looks as composed as they always do, but Hero doesn’t miss the way their eyes refuse to meet Hero’s nor the unnatural stillness that takes over their body even as their voice continues leveled and laid-back. Maybe it’s that hidden anxiety or perhaps Hero’s own need to erase the tension on Villain’s shoulders that makes them uneasy enough to lean forward. Whatever reason it is, it leads their hand to hesitantly hold Villain’s.

“Thank you.”

They don’t say the rest – but I’ll be gone soon, so it won’t be necessary. For some reason, it doesn’t feel right. Not when they know exactly how Villain’s brows would knit together and their jaw would clench if they did. How they’d immediately hide that flicker of emotion behind their eyes.

“C’mon, I want to know if Rapunzel’ll find out she’s the princess,” Hero says after a moment, offering a small smile.

Villain nods and presses play, but a slight frown remains on their forehead even after the movie has ended.

-

They are reading a book when the house goes eerily silent. It’s a weird thing, to read with no other worries but the story they are diving into, so it is no surprise it takes Hero so long to notice the quiet. 

They look up at the room they were given, the comfort they were allowed like never before. It looks as beautiful as always with the gentle light of the evening sun warming up the wooden floor, but the lack of noise is enough to make something twist in the pit of their stomach as Hero kicks the quilt away and stands up slowly, a hand placed on top of their wound as they stride to the door.

Hero takes all of three steps before a familiar smell reaches their nose. A smell that should’ve been comforting, but instead sends bolts of terror through their veins. 

They topple over even before the incapacitating agent hits their lungs, half out of fear, half out of sadness. 

The smell isn’t known only because it is Superhero’s mark but also because Hero’s felt it enough times to know not to fight its effects. Their cheek hits the floor just as the door slams open and their mentor’s face appears above them, a smirk on their lips outlined by something so vicious it drags an involuntary whimper out of Hero.

Superhero’s mouth moves, but the drug takes Hero away before they can make out the words.

As they sleep though – if the numbing daze they are forced under can be called sleep – the words become clearer and clearer until they are all they hear in between muddled dreams and scrambled memories.

Hi, little traitor.

Minutes, hours, days later when they wake up, it’s to the sound of a gasp they barely realize comes from their own lips and a wave of nausea that makes them curl up with a moan.

When they open their eyes, several deep breaths later, Hero is faced with gray walls that are as familiar as the cement under their body. 

Home, at last.

“Aren’t you going to thank me?”

Hero’s eyes snap to the door, to where Superhero stares down at them, and they try to pull themself up onto their elbows only to fall back down when the world spins and their head pounds at the quick movement. 

“Was really a week of captivity all it took to undo everything I tried so hard to make you into?” Superhero sighs, pure disappointment dripping from the words and sinking into Hero’s heart like acid. “One week and all of my efforts to turn you into someone worthy are gone.”

“I don’t, I’m not, I’m sorry,” they whine and instantly cringe at the weakness they know Superhero hates to hear in their voice.

“So you sided with Villain now, is that what I understand?”

“No. Superhero, I swear, they ki–“ but, somehow, it feels like a betrayal to call the time they spent being cared for a kidnapping. Still, under their mentor’s watchful eyes, it slips through their lips in a whisper. “They kidnapped me.”

“And you’re telling me you couldn’t have escaped? I had the doctor check on you, Hero. All they found was a healing wound.”

The wound you gave me.

But along with the thought, what comes isn’t anger. It’s fear. “Where’s Villain?” Hero asks without thinking.

Superhero’s brows shoot up to the middle of their forehead and an incredulous smile splits their face. “You care for that delinquent now, do you? You truly are ruined, then.”

“Did you catch them?” they grit out before Superhero’s anger wipes away their defiance. With Villain’s playful smirk and gentle eyes in their mind, it isn’t so hard to roll to their side and carefully prop themself up into a sitting position, slouched against the wall but a little closer to their mentor’s eyes. They’ll take whatever punishment they deserve, but not before knowing if their fr– if Villain is alright. “Please, I need to know.”

“Why should I answer you anything? After you’ve disappeared and let yourself be captured, after I rescue you and you come back like the little brat you used to be, why should I oblige you?”

“Please.” They have no other answer. Nothing else to offer but the broken plead, the hope that there isn’t a cell in the heroes' base where a snarky, funny, kind villain is being kept.

“I’m so disappointed in you, Hero. You haven’t learned a thing I tried to teach you. Do you have any idea of what happened to the city while you were playing nice with Villain? Do you even care?”

“I do! Of course I do, please. I’m so sorry.”

“You do realize I have to punish you, don’t you?” they say, and all Hero can do is try to stifle the tears that fill their eyes. “I don’t even know where to start fixing you. And I don’t think that simply being locked away is enough for you to realize the extent of your failure this time.”

Hero tries to get up. Against their best senses, they lean against the wall and push themself up as Superhero leaves the room, but they can barely stand upright before they return, a straitjacket on their hands.

“No,” they breathe, but their legs are still weak from the drug and the wound hurts and the ground swirls and when Hero tries to take a step away, instead they tumble to the ground. “Please, please, I’ll do better, I can be better, please–”

“You know I hate it when you beg,” Superhero hisses, crouching in front of Hero as they weakly try to crawl away. “You are already staying here for a month, Hero. Don’t give me reasons to raise that number to three.”

Even if they wanted to struggle, all fight leaves their body at the words, the finality that encases them. 

As their mentor straps the straitjacket around Hero’s torso, pulls their arms taut against their abdomen and buckles in the straps, they stay quiet, still. They know that they deserve this. 

“Heroes don’t make friends with villains, Hero,” Superhero says as they fasten the last strap. “I never thought you were stupid enough not to know that, but I’ll make sure to teach you this lesson well enough so you never forget it again.”

It gets harder to breathe with Superhero this close, with fabric forcing their arms to stay crossed in front of them. Most of all, the fear of Villain having been caught is what makes their chest heavy with dread.

“I won’t forget how you tried to pull away from me, dear,” Superhero continues as they get up. “Or that you still haven’t thanked me for rescuing you.”

They open their mouth to say it, but all that leaves in place of the ‘thank you, Superhero’ is a soft sob. Superhero grimaces, disgusted.

“You know I hate to do this, Hero, but I can’t have an apprentice of mine be this much of a wreck. You need fixing, and I’ll make sure to have you fixed to the best of my ability, don’t worry.”

Hero only watches as their mentor leaves the room and locks the door behind them, leaving Hero alone in the barren room they’ve been inside so many times before.

They know the drill. Know not to fight or scream, and know that if they do, they will be charged for those weaknesses. Still, Hero can’t help the tears that fall down their temples and pool on the concrete underneath their head as they curl up and writhe in the stiff fabric that holds their hands in place.

Too tiny. Too tight. Too alone.

Hero sobs on the ground, and even though they know they deserve this, they cannot help but wish for Villain, wherever they are, to come and get them out.

[mrpenguinpants]

Genshin: When you’re cold [V1]

Whenever I write these it’s always when I have a pile of requests on my desk that I said I was going to get to but never do. I even missed a day yesterday because I crashed and burned and slept the entire day haha. Might miss today too since I’m going out to see my mum. 

This is like 90% crack and 10% actual content. I’m gonna post this and proceed to have shock therapy and wipe it from my memory.

I just want to be happy and it’s cold af where I live. I’ve also learned from maagdalen that Russia is insane with snow.  

---

Today’s appreciation post goes to asoundofdrop. Ty for the love on the Childe HCs hehe. Honestly, just the fact you tag everything blows my mind because I hate tagging so just seeing you do it with my mess of tags (back when I screamed my feelings before tumblr dropped the ban hammer on me) is like wow. That’s some next level effort, wish I had that haha;; I’m just gonna say this in advance, I am so sorry for the mess of tags I’m about to drop on this. 

---

Genshin: Holding Hands [V1]

Genshin: University AU [V1]

Genshin: Roommate [V1]

Genshin: Royalty AU [V1]

[Masterlist]

---

[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji  @mikeysbike @unionwitch @musekala @twistedsunnshiii @stanzastic @akaasea @xoneaboveallx @adoring-ghost @asheseiler @childelover @dilucsz​

@youaskedfurret @snowy224 @mayumintsu​ @tigerpriestess

---

Xiao

Excuse me? What is this cold you speak of? He’s an adepti he doesn’t know what cold is. Is it a demon he’s not aware of? Should he go beat it into submission if that’ll make you feel better? He’s already gone with his spear and out to go slay this cold demon before you can explain what the hell temperature is. 

By the time he’s back, he seems so proud of himself for killing a dragonspine yeti that you don’t have the heart to tell him that was literally not what you wanted or expected him to do. Your fingers are about to break their finger kneecaps. pLEASE sir just hold my hand. 

Bad idea, he’s been outside in the cold and he’s not exactly wearing mittens so your fingers end up colder. But you’re finally holding his hand that you suck it up and cry when he does actually break your fingers because he doesn’t know what muscle control is. 

Keqing

Ruthless business woman one second and then you show up, tell her you’re cold, and she’s reduced to flustered mother hen. All she has on her are these long sleeves that all Qixing wear. Would you like some warm milk? She knows you like your milk heated to a simmer right at 187.7975 degrees Fahrenheit.

Okay, first off, who measures in fahrenheit anymore this is China Liyue. Second off, how the hell does she know that and why is it so precise? She’s already throwing whatever Liyue duties she had back at the poor worker that has no idea what possessed the normally confident and admirable Keqing into this...creature. Making new plans for a heating system in Liyue while also coddling you. 

Catch her outside at 3am pounding the snow ground, crying, as she curses Rex Lapis for making it so cold in Liyue when he’s not even the Cyro archon. Zhongli sneezed while looking over papers burning the 3am oil. Maybe he needs to go home before it gets too cold, he might be getting sick. 

Diluc

God you’re such an idiot. Didn’t you see how hard the snow was falling? I can’t believe I married someone with 2 braincells. Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What would father in the sky think if my partner died because of frost bite when I’m a goddamn pyro vision user? I can commit arson to make a make-shift fire place, I have the money for the damages. 

Dilu- NO I DON’T NEED YOUR SHIRT. IT’S -20 DEGRESS. IT’S OKAY. YOUR COAT IS ENOUGH. PUT YOUR CLAYMORE AWAY WE CANNOT SET THE KNIGHTS OF FAVONIUS HQ ON FIRE WE AREN’T EVEN NEAR THERE. KAEYA IS INSIDE- DILUC - NO COME BACK. 

Your make shift fireplace is Kaeya’s “ugly” scarf. That’s it. That’s the post. 

Amber

Oh you’re cold? It’s okay, here take her baron bunny to cuddle with while she lights a fire. She thinks she saw some boar’s in the forest, she can make her specialty and that should warm you right up! So sweet, so wholesome. Don’t worry this baron bunny won’t explode in your face, she tripled checked she wasn’t giving you a dancing bomb.

While you’re huddled around a summoning circle of baron bunny’s, nice and warm, is when she relaxes and joins you. She grins to herself and pats herself on the shoulder. See that haters, she can make her partner nice and happy without your #buffamberwhen. 

Kaeya

You’re cold? Maybe you’ve just fallen so hard for him that whenever you think of him you get cold. He never knew you cared so much it’s so cut- okok you can stop hitting him now. He’ll offer his scarf if he had one but Diluc might have burned it but he does have his tit window. 

Basically impenetrable, you could bounce bullets off it so naturally the cold bounces off. You have to tell him up front that he sound borderline crazy and the fbi are already at his door. The fbi is Diluc. So instead he offers his overcoat and asks you if you would like to join him in some cozy tavern that hopefully has heating. 

It’s a nice and comforting experience until he drags you to Angel share and you know it’s just to 1v1 Diluc in the parking lot. 

Scaramouche

lol perish 

So naturally, you grab his ridiculous hat that he wears to compensate for his gremlin height and throw it like a frisbee. 

Go fetch 

---

God, why is there no official content of you scaramouche you bitch, you’re ruining the aesthetic. This is why I only give you one point of dialogue. This isn’t even funny. It’s a therapy session. This entire post was just for me to say tit window because I didn’t get to say it in my last Kaeya fic. 

Wow, I wonder which characters I like in genshin. Could it be “wow I hate everything and everyone don’t fucking touch me” male characters??? Could it be “Head strong but are secretly adorable” female characters?? Kaeya is only there because Diluc is there. 

I had to redo all my headers because everyone was taking up so much space in their 240p quality. Keqing is the only one that actually stepped forward when it was picture day. I don’t have enough energy to care about sizing I’m sorry. 

[angryschnauzer]

No i In Team

Summary: Having been dumped, you find yourself standing in the mud and rain as a bootcamp instructor yells at you. Finally you snap, telling him your mind before storming off. Later when he appears at your room to see if you are ok, he makes sure you are fully over your ex, proving that some men are a lot better than others.

Pairing: Captain Syverson x Female Reader (no race or body type mentioned) Fandom; Henry Cavill, Sand Castle - Movie

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Unprotected Sex, Rough sex, vaginal sex, doggy style, cowgirl, inappropriate use of a mini sombrero. 

I do not operate a tag list, however please follow @angryschnauzerwrites​ and put that blog onto notifications. You will then get an alert every time i post something.

My masterlist got too large for tumblr, so now you can check out my AO3 on THIS LINK to find my previous stories.

No I In Team

This was it. This was the worst decision you had ever made. In fact, the worst collection of the worst decisions. Ever. In the history of decision making. 

The rain continued to pour. Any sane person would not be standing in the middle of an assault course in this weather. They certainly wouldn’t be joining in on a ‘team building get-away’ when you had in fact already quit the company and it just finished your notice period. And they really wouldn’t have come when their ex was parading his new girlfriend around and they were on the same team as you. 

Okay, so the last bit wasn’t in your control; your ex had in fact dumped you - via text - whilst you were in the cab there. Which honestly was a bit of a surprise seeing as you were meant to be sharing a room, and you had splashed out on one of the luxury rooms in the hotel where the corporate events were held at. He was a little surprised - which proved how much of a dumbass he really was - when you refused to let him and his new girlfriend take your room, and you stay in the smaller and cheaper one she had paid for. It was simple, you had paid, they could fuck off.

The other girlfriend, now that was a surprise. You didn’t want to hate her, she seemed very sweet but there were definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic going on with her. Your weasel of an ex had cited a number of reasons for the break up, all laying blame on you, but really you had known it was coming and were quite relieved in a way… he was now someone else's problem.

However, because of being blindsided by the break up, you had continued on autopilot and now found yourself soaked to your skin, and the enormous brute that ran the bootcamp was doing his best to yell at every single person to ‘encourage’ them. Jesus christ you weren’t built for climbing up ropes and flinging yourself over 10ft walls, and with each passing obstacle you were falling further and further behind.

“COME ON! GET YOUR SORRY ASS OVER THAT ROPE NET!”

Rolling your eyes you let out a huff and slid-ran through the three inch deep mud, starting to climb the net that led up to a rope ladder you were expected to climb across as it was suspended over a pool of muddy water. You looked into the distance, your ‘team mates’ having well and truly left you behind, and as you reached the bottom of the net you looked up at it, taking in how muddy and slippery it was where 11 other people had already climbed up it;

“ARE YOU AFRAID OF A NET? PULL YOURSELF UP AND STOP FUCKING AROUND IN THE MUD”

The ‘Captain’ yelled at you from six feet away. Jesus you were fed up with him. The guy looked like he lived, breathed, and slept military. At the start of the course he had introduced himself as Captain Syverson, but everyone was to refer to him as Captain. His fatigues and t-shirt were plastered to his skin, his beard soggy as puffs of steam came from his mouth as he continued to yell at you. 

You turned to him, watching as he took a single stride and was just a foot from you, taking a deep breath to yell again before you pushed your hand up and pressed a single finger to his mouth;

“No”

He stopped, unable to hide his surprise as his eyebrows shot up before you pulled your finger away.

“Get your ass up that net, NOW!”

Crossing your arms you repeated yourself;

“No. I will not”

“THERE IS NO I IN TEAM!”

“No. There isn’t. But there is an i in Vibrator”

“W-what?”

“Vibrator. Dildo too. And i quit”

“You can’t quit”

“Unless you are going to throw me over your shoulder and carry me across that net and ladder, i quit. I am going to go back to my expensive hotel room, stopping at the bar to buy a bottle of the hardest liquor they have, have a hot bath, and give myself something a man has never been able to”

“What’s that?”

“An orgasm”

You turned on your heel and started towards the hotel building in the distance, leaving the Captain speechless in the rain. When you were halfway across the lawns you could hear him yelling at the rest of the team, but you couldn’t give a fuck, you’d had enough.

-

The bath was amazing. You’d spent a good hour if not two in it letting the spa jets send streams of bubbles over your body, and had in fact given yourself the first of many orgasms you had planned for your evening. You had been disappointed when you’d discovered that the bar wouldn’t sell bottles of alcohol, but the bartender had quietly told you that if you ordered the corporate entertainment tray over room service they were obliged to send up a selection of miniatures with mixers and nibbles.

You were still standing in your towel when you heard a knock at the door, puzzled to be interrupted as you had the Do Not Disturb sign hanging on the handle. Approaching the peephole you looked through, surprised to see who was on the other side. Opening the door a few inches you looked out, and saw him leaning casually against the doorframe, now wearing dry clothes that accentuated how he was 101% muscle, from the kingfisher blue sweater that made his eyes even brighter, to the dark denim that clung to his muscled thighs, a smirk played across his face when he saw what you were wearing;

“Hi”

“Captain?”

He shifted and held out a bottle of Tequila;

“The bar doesn’t sell liquor by the bottle”

He motioned for you to take it, and as you did so you swung the door open a little more, seeing him look you up and down, his eyes growing a little darker as he licked his lips;

“I thought about what you said…”

“Which part”

“About what words the letter i are in” you didn’t realise but he had shifted a little closer, his toes now over the threshold of the room; “Cos’ i thought of another word that has the letter i in”

You cocked your head to the side, a smile tugging at the corner of your mouth, already gauging the reason his thickly muscled man was at your hotel room door with a smile and alcohol;

“Dick has got an i in”

“You’re absolutely right” you pulled the cork from the bottle of Tequila, taking a sip and grinning at the captain as you fiddled with the little hat that hung from the neck of the bottle, taking a step back as he slowly crept further into the room. A flash of lightning from the bad weather outside illuminated the room, and yet the air between your bodies almost sparked from the energy you were giving off.

“But my favourite letter is U”

“Ok… i’m waiting for the punchline…”

“Because that’s in the word Tongue, and i would very much like my tongue to be in u”

Closing the gap between you, you pressed two fingertips to his chest, the soft blue sweater he now wore warm to the touch;

“That…” you paused, walking your fingers up his chest with each word: “Was the best pick up line i’ve ever heard, Captain”

Pushing the door shut behind him, his slid his hand into the split of your towel, his warm palm resting on your hip before pulling you flush with his chest;

“You can call me Sy”

-

He had lifted you into his arms, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist, the towel trapped between your bodies but now unraveled as it dragged along the floor, your naked back and ass cooling in the air of the room, but soon warmed by two large hands as they roamed over your skin. His kiss was rough, his tongue licking into your mouth as his beard tickled your face. 

You hadn’t even realised he’d gotten to the bed until he had pulled away and sat down, pulling you down with him so you were straddling his waist;

“Ride my face, let me give you what you need” he growled, his hands on your ass pushing you up his body.

You’d quickly scrambled to set the bottle onto the nightstand before straddling his face, his eyes sparkling with mischief as his massive hands cupped your ass. He pulled you down until you were literally seated on his face, his thick beard brushing against your thighs and ass, his tongue burying itself between your slick folds, teasing you open. 

Winding one hand through his short brown hair, the soft chocolate curls caressed your fingers as your other hand rested against the headboard of the bed to steady yourself, his eagerness already rapidly pushing you towards an orgasm, your body still buzzing from the one you’d given yourself in the bath. 

“Oh fuck… Sy, Jesus Christ your tongue…”

You’d never met a man with a tongue so wide and juicy, the thick muscle pulsing within your cunt as his nose teased your clit, and soon you were shaking above him, attempting to push up on your legs from the intensity of it, only for his strong grip to tighten on your ass and pull you back down onto his face.

“Ride my tongue Darlin’” you heard his muffled voice, and as you looked down you saw his face was flushed but his eyes held nothing but mischief.

Tossing your head back you let yourself go, calling out his name as you unashamedly rode his tongue to an intense orgasm, flooding his face with your juices. 

Limp and pliable, you felt him lifting you before setting you down on the bed, his lips finding your neck and shoulders as he pressed kisses to your skin. The storm raged outside the window, rain lashing against the glass and making you feel even more enclosed in as Sy’s body covered your own. Finally enough of your senses returned that you grabbed his face and pulled him in for a fierce kiss, tasting yourself on his tongue. When he finally broke away from your lips he started to kiss down your body, only for you to tug at his soft blue sweater, wanting the knitwear gone;

“Okay ok Darlin’...”

“Want to see you… feel you…” you were lust drunk now, a fire in the pit of your belly where you wanted nothing more than this beast of a man to split you open and fuck you raw.

He let out a low belly laugh, pushing off you and standing, a grin on his face as he saw you watching him as he stripped for you.

With his sweater tossed aside, he toed his boots off as his hands made quick work of his jeans, revealing a pair of tight black boxer briefs that were obscenely bulging at the front. Clenching your thighs together did little to satisfy the arousal, and as he tucked his thumbs under the elastic of his underwear you bit your lip as he teased you, pulling the elastic down to reveal the thick bush of hair and a tantalizing peek at the thick root of his shaft. Inch by inch he lowered his underwear until they dropped to the floor, and your mouth was agape as you took his size in all his glory;

“Wow, you really do have the equipment for the BDE you give off...” He paused and looked at you, cocking an eyebrow as you started to explain; “It means big…”

“I know what it means” he smirked, hooking his finger at you and watching as you crawled over the bed until your face was level with his rapidly hardening dick; “Why don’t you show me how good that mouth of yours is?”

Wrapping your hands around his hot flesh you could feel him growing harder and thicker under your touch, leaning your head forwards until you could take him into your mouth, tasting him on your tongue as he grunted above you;

“That’s it Darlin’, get me nice and wet, gonna have this buried in you sooner or later, the harder you get me the more dick you get inside you”

He rested his hand on the back of your head, guiding you to take him deeper but without being pushy about it. When his tip nudged at the back of your throat you fought back the feeling, looking up with watery eyes as his own bored into your soul as his dick tried to do the same to the back of your skull.

Holding you deep he finally with a gasp pulled himself out of your mouth with a string of curses, stroking your hair as you coughed and sucked in precious oxygen;

“Fuck, that mouth of yours is a thing of wonder Darlin’... but i want to get into that sweet cunt of yours… how do you need it?”

“N-need it?”

He gently pushed you onto your back, crawling over you until he was poised and ready to go;

“Yeah, need it. You’ve just broken up with some limp dick, how do you need me to fuck you?”

“W-what are the options?”

“You want slow and gentle, or you want me to fuck you like a beast and toss you around like a rag-doll”

“Beast mode please”

With a low growl he grinned as he surged forward and caught your lips with his own, his tongue pushing its way into your mouth as he took complete control. You felt him gripping his dick as he swiped it through your soaked folds, dousing himself with your wetness before he pulled away and grasped you by the hips as he knelt on the bed, pulling you up his thighs before thrusting his fat girth into you with one swift movement.

“HOLY FUCK!”

“That’s it Darlin, take my dick all the way. I’m gonna fuck you so good you’ll forget about anyone else that has ever disappointed you”

Gritting his teeth he moved your body like you were a rag-doll, pulling you onto his hardness as you could do little but to go limp and let your mind get flooded by the pleasure he was giving your body thanks to the best sex you’d ever had. Gripping at the sheets you felt an orgasm start to building within you;

“Sy… keep doing that… i’m gonna cum…”

With a smile and a grunt he did exactly as you asked, keeping his pace fast and steady as you lost control around him, your back arching as your legs shook and you came hard. You were trembling from the force of the aftershocks as he slowed down and finally stilled, letting you relax onto the duvet as he covered your body with his, pressing openmouthed kisses to your chest, murmuring against the soft flesh;

“These titties are spectacular”

He moved a little and you felt that he was still hard, a smirk back on his face;

“Oh i’m not done yet Darlin’, that was just an intermission”

He pulled out of you and you found yourself being flipped over, your ass pulled up as he filled you from behind this time, his thickness splitting your walls open and his massive hands found their way to your breasts, pinching your nipples between his thumbs and forefingers as he pile drove into you from behind;

“Feel so fucking good Darlin, love the way your cunt feels around my dick, wanna feel you cum again before i shoot my load in ya’, then you can have a breather before round two”

Your eyes went wide; this was still only round one? Fuck, Sy was an utter beast and as he tilted his hips and his dick hit just the right spot, your eyes rolled back in their sockets and your jaw hung open, the pleasure running through your veins turning your brain to jelly and all you could comprehend was Sy fucking the living daylights out of you. 

Starting to tremble, your sighs became squeaks which became screams of his name as you started to cum and it kept going, your body squeezing him tighter than a vice before he finally came with a beastly roar, shooting ropes of his creamy seed and coating velvet walls. 

The pair of you slumped down onto the bed, your bodies still joined as he pressed kisses to the back of your neck. Finally he pulled out and you whimpered at the loss of his warmth and weight on top of you, instinctively rolling and curling up against his side as you rested your head on his chest, the song of his heartbeat strong and steady beneath your ear;

“Fuck… that was amazing”

He gently stroked one hand over your back;

“You can say that again Darlin’. Your pussy is like heaven… never had a cunt grip me so tight and be able to take me balls deep before...”

You smiled and let your eyes rest for a moment, before you felt him shift and the sound of a cork being pulled from a bottle disturbed your post orgasmic bliss. Looking up you saw him oof the cork out of his mouth before bringing the bottle of tequila to his lips and taking a large mouthful. Holding the bottle to you he grinned as you sat up and took it, following suit and still wincing at the burn as the expensive liquid slid down your throat. 

Just at that moment there was a massive crack of thunder outside and an immediate flash of light, before the electricity fizzled out, plunging you into darkness. You weren’t afraid of the dark but the suddenness of it made you squeal, Sy pulling you close;

“Shhh its ok Darlin’, this place gets its power knocked out all the time cos’ its up on the hill here. That’s why there’s candles in every room”

He deftly slid out of your grasp and you heard him fumbling around on the floor before he illuminated the room with his phone, and you watched as his silhouette made its way across the room and you heard the click of a lighter. Moments later the room had a pale glow from the candles that had sat on the side table, and as he carried one back to bed you saw that he was still hard;

“How are you…”

“Still up? Oh Darlin’ i can go eight or nine rounds before i droop”

“Eight or… nine…”

He flopped down onto the bed beside where you sat, his hands behind his head and a wide smile on his face;

“So, what do ya’ wanna do next?”

You laughed softly  before taking another sip of tequila, toying with the little hat that was attached to it before a sudden urge overtook your senses. With a look of amusement on his face Sy watched as you took the hat from the bottle and softly tied it to his dick, the hat standing proud on his tip;

“A perfect fit” he remarked, but before either of you could say anything else a knock at the door interrupted you.

“Babe?” a quiet voice came from the other side of the door; “You in there?”

Your heart sank;

“Its my ex… I’m gonna go tell him to fuck off…”

Sy caught your arm gently, a grin on his face;

“Let me”

What happened next was something you could only have dreamt of, and as you pulled a pillow in front of you to hide your nakedness, Sy basked in his own naked glory as he strode to the door and pulled it open;

“Yes?”

Your ex stood in the hallway outside your room, his bags at his feet;

“What are you…?”

“I’m busy keeping my girl happy. What’re you doing here?”

“I got dumped…”

“Well champ, that sounds like a you problem…”

Without another word Sy stepped back and shut the door, making sure to flip the security lock extra hard so that your ex could hear it from the hallway. Striding back to the bed you couldn’t help but to laugh;

“I can’t believe you answered the door completely naked, hard, and with a mini sombrero on your dick!”

Climbing onto the bed he lay on his back, his hands behind his head as he grinned at you, wriggling his hips so his hard dick swayed to and fro with the hat still attached;

“Oh i think it made the moment all that more memorable Darlin’”

“He’ll certainly remember it, that’s for sure”

You carefully took the little adornment off of Sy, tossing it aside as you straddled his hips and grasped his hot shaft, helping to find your waiting entrance before sinking down onto him. 

The feeling of taking him inch by inch was almost overwhelming; thick and gnarled, his fat dick stretched you in every direction, and you were thankful for the added lubrication of his cum already dripping out of you.

As you started to ride him you could feel your body already deceiving you and climbing towards a rapid orgasm, and you found yourself cupping your breasts and twisting your nipples to distract yourself and let it last just a little longer. However when Sy’s massive hands rested on your hips and he started to thrust up into you, it was the beginning of the end. The final straw was when he slid one hand to your front, his thumb finding your clit and rubbing quick circles firmly against the engorged bud did it send you over the edge and you were coming again, back arched and head thrown back as your bodies moved as one in the candlelight.

-

Sy fucked you until the storm cleared and the candles fizzled out, just the moonlight illuminating your room when you both crawled under the duvet and fell asleep, sweaty bodies cooling in the night, sated from your energetic lovemaking.

Come morning and you were woken up by a series of featherlight kisses to your naked back and shoulders. For the briefest moment panic set in, but then you remembered your bed companion from the night before;

“Mmm Mornin’ Darlin’” he drawled, his voice low and coarse from sleep.

Turning you smiled at him before his lips caught yours for a gentle kiss. What followed was the best oral you’d ever received, followed by a steamy session of shower sex where for the first time in your life you’d felt confident that your partner was strong enough to not let you slip and injure yourself. 

The following room service breakfast had been thoroughly enjoyable where the two of you had talked and laughed, swapped numbers and both made it clear you’d like to see the other again. Sy had even driven you back to the train station, where you’d attracted the odd few stares as he’d kissed you with tongues and teeth before giving your ass a squeeze. 

-

Two weeks later.

Sy fiddled with the zippered pocket on his fatigues as he waited nervously outside the meeting room at the corporate offices. After what had seemed like an amazing night with you, he’d arrived at work on Monday to discover one of his boot camp cadets had made a formal complaint about his ‘lewd behaviour’. He knew it wasn’t you, but it had distracted him from the string of text’s you’d shared in the following days. He was thankful that you’d told him not to apologise, having started your new job and that was full on from the word go.

The door to the meeting room opened and his name was called, standing he smoothed his shirt down and nodded before entering the room. This was probably the most nervous he’d been since leaving the army; at least there if you fucked up you got a court marshall, now he was a civilian if he lost his job it meant he couldn’t pay his bills.

-

You were attempting to get a file out of the huge stack that sat on your desk without knocking your coffee over when your office door opened and a friendly face peered around the corner;

“Hey, you ready for the disciplinary hearing?”

“The what?... Oh, right… let me find the file…”

“Did you read it?”

Shaking your head you grinned at the manager of offsite contractors;

“Don’t worry, i’ve skimmed it. You guys brought me in to sort through this mess my predecessor left behind, I just wasn’t expecting it to be this much of a mess…”

Grabbing your coffee and the file with that day's date on, you followed your colleague through the building, attempting to scan over the complaint, frowning when you saw that the printer been running out of toner and had omitted the two parties names. Nevermind, you could always write those in.

Chewing on your pen as you shut the meeting room door, you quickly took a seat at the end of the table, looking up and only then your eyes going wide. On one side sat your ex, and someone that looked like a low rate lawyer judging by the cheap suit and even cheaper briefcase. On the other side sat Sy - Captain Syverson - whose eyes were as big as saucers and you saw the slightest hint of a smile start to tug at the corner of his mouth before he restored his poker face.

The manager introduced himself and then you;

“This is our new Human Resources manager, she’ll be overseeing this meeting”

Taking one last look at your report you took a sip of your drink before standing, keeping your face neutral;

“So, your client alleges that our employee acted in a lewd manner whilst on a team building exercise two weeks ago?”

“That is right Miss, you see…”

“And that your client wishes to pursue a lawsuit based on ‘emotional distress’ and that our employee caused the breakdown of his relationship”

“Yes Miss, Its like this you see…”

Cutting the lawyer off again, you looked pointedly at your ex;

��So, did you or did you not actually end the relationship with your partner, before even meeting Captain Syverson? Actually there’s no need to answer, i have a transcript of the text messages here…” you looked down at your your file, although you knew the texts by heart; “And i quote “I’ve found someone new, someone prettier than you, she’s better in bed too”

You looked up at your ex who was now sinking down into his chair;

“And by lewd behaviour, did you or did you not approach your ex’s bedroom at the hotel in the middle of the night, and continue to knock on her bedroom door whilst there was a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door?”

The lawyer attempted to talk, but yet again you cut him off;

“So therefore, you had no emotional or romantic relationship with the person whose room it was, and therefore as fully consenting adults, our employee and your ex, were perfectly within their rights to start a romantic relationship, were they not?” you took a deep breath; “And, as you have a history of making civil lawsuits against companies that you have deemed you ‘wrong’, this frivolous attempt at extortion has now been recorded, and will be submitted to the authorities”

You lifted your phone before setting it back down onto the table. You hadn’t been recording, but it was enough for your ex’s lawyer to stand and leave the room quickly, your ex scurrying close behind. Leaning to the manager you cleared your throat;

“You might want to make sure security escorts them completely offsite”

“Absolutely. Can i leave you debrief Syverson?”

“Leave it with me”

You shut the door behind him as he left, and felt the warmth of Sy’s body behind you;

“This is a very unexpected, but oh so pleasant surprise”

Turning in his arms you were thankful that there were no internal windows to this meeting room, kissing him deeply before the giant bear of a man pulled away and smiled softly at you;

“I need to buy you dinner for what you did… you’re fucking badass”

“How did you not know what the meeting was about?”

“They just told me it was ‘lewd behaviour’. I’d been wracking my mind for the last week to figure out what i may have said or done… yeah i yell at people for a living, but i’m never lewd…”

Placing your palm on his cheek you smiled at him;

“Dinner sounds good by the way”

“Come over to my place tonight, i’ll cook you dinner”

“Will there be dessert?”

Sy licked his lips, his gaze travelling down your body and back up again;

“There definitely will be for me… i’m sure i’ve got some cookies you can have too Darlin”

[lokifantasies]

Healing PART 1

Summary: You and Loki try to help Jade the best you can.

A/N: Remember! The more you guys interact with the characters' blogs, the more you can help influence and shape the story and dialogue!

Character(s): Loki & Jade

Read the Mischievous Life series here!

Follow Jade, Loki, and Reader!

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@1marvelnerd3000 @agentkinghorn @donttouchmylaevateinn @emerald-alone @eyesbluelikethetitanic @fa-me @geeky-politics-46 @holdmytesseract @itsybitchylittlewitchy @jeongadelarinia @lokistoriesblog @lougy @melianisnothere @mm2305 @mortallythoughtfulgurl @nms224 @shraddhadeveshvikram @xoxoloverb

True to his word, Loki's there when Jade wakes up – having not shut his eyes for a moment while his daughter slept the best she could.

However, you and Loki made a decision during the night, via text, that Jade needs some kind of professional help.

"What?" Jade scoffs as Loki tells her that he's taking her to see a therapist. "Dad...no. Hell no!"

Loki gives his daughter a sympathetic look. "Jade...we just want what's bes -,"

"No," Jade harshly cuts him off. "You just want me out of your hair."

The god sighs in frustration. "No, Jade," he argues. "You know damn well that's not true." Loki approaches his daughter and places his hands on her shoulders. "I can't stand seeing you like this...do you understand that I had to physically stop you from hanging yourself?"

The sixteen-year-old scoffs and turns her back to her dad – forcing him to let go of her. "It's just funny that you think I'm actually going to speak to some stranger."

Jade gives her dad the silent treatment the entire way to the doctor's office – angrily staring out the window – feeling disgusted with Loki's and your decision. Loki bites his fingernails the entire way – knowing that Jade is beyond angry with him, but he tells himself that you and he are doing what's best for her. Loki sits with Jade in the waiting room until her name is called. Begrudgingly, Jade gets up and walks towards the stranger that she's supposed to talk to. Jade being Jade – of course, she does nothing of the sort. The teenager sits on the large, comfy couch with her legs crossed – taking out her phone to scroll on social media and talk to some of her online friends about how angry she is with you and Loki. The therapist, whose name is Dr. Alice, talks to Jade anyway.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask, Jade?" Dr. Alice nicely asks the teen. Jade looks up at the doctor, scoffs, and rolls her eyes before going back to her phone. "Okay," Dr. Alice says with a calm smile. "That's fine...it's your first time...it's normal to be nervous."

Oh, honey, Jade thinks, if you only knew how furious I am at the thought of having to be here at 8:30 in the morning.

Dr. Alice continues to talk, and Jade continues to block her out – giggling at memes and posts she comes across on Tumblr – venting to her friend about the situation she's being forced into. Time goes by slow for Jade, but finally, she notices that she has thirty more minutes before she can leave.

And as soon as the clock strikes 10:30, Jade jumps up from the couch and rushes out into the lobby – storming past her father and out to the car. Loki gives the doctor a sympathetic look before turning and following his teenager.

"What was that?" Loki asks – becoming angry with Jade. Jade doesn't respond – choosing to bury herself in her phone instead. "Jade, I know you're mad," Loki continues calmly. "But...please, my love...please let us help you."

"Thanks for making me miss my trigonometry test," Jade mutters under her breath – looking out the window as Loki begins to take her to school. "How can you help me with that? I'm not allowed to do a make-up test."

Loki looks over to Jade when he comes to a red light. "I'll figure something out, okay? You'll be able to make it up."

Fifteen minutes later, Loki pulls up to Jade's school – the angry teen slamming the door to her father's Mercedes as she storms inside. Loki sits for a while – pondering what he can do to help her heal.

A thought occurs just before Loki is going to leave.

"Hello?" a female teacher calls out – hearing a knock on her door. She had been told minutes earlier that a parent wanted to meet with her. Loki approaches the math teacher – his hands behind his back and a fond smile on his face.

"Hello, Ms. Matthews," Loki begins nicely. "I'm Loki...Jade's father. I would like to talk to you about how Jade can make up her trigonometry test that she missed this morning."

Ms. Matthews motions for Loki to sit down in the chair across from her desk.

"Jade's a fantastic student," she smiles at the god. "But I'm afraid I don't give make-up tests." Her tone is sympathetic – making it seem like she wishes she could help. "Jade's grade only went down to a 92% from a 100% with the zero for the test, but I'm sure she'll be just fine."

Loki takes a deep breath. "My daughter didn't miss it because she overslept or decided to skip class."

"I make it very clear at the beginning of each school year that -,"

"I'm the reason she missed it," Loki interrupts – practically pleading with the teacher. "You know what Jade's gone through...she needs something in her life to go right for once. Her grade being affected so much will break her heart, and honestly, I'm sick and tired of seeing my little girl's heart broken. Something that may seem small and insignificant to you may not be to someone else." By this point, the God of Mischief has tears in his eyes – trying as hard as he can to fight them back. "Honestly, I don't think she even cares about the grade. She needs something to help her feel better about herself...and math does that."

About half an hour later, Jade is walking into the cafeteria when she's halted by the sight in front of her.

It's Loki.

He's sitting at a table with no one else around.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Jade mumbles under her breath – pulling out her phone to text her friend and let her know how insane her dad is being. "Why the fuck are you here?" she asks herself.

As Jade tries to slip out of the cafeteria, she's approached by one of her friends.

"Hey, Jade?" her friend, Sarah, calls out to the goddess. "Um, so, what's up with your dad over there? Why's he crying?"

Jade's heart drops at the knowledge that her father is crying. Not only is he crying, but he's doing it in public...not caring who sees him.

Jade slowly approaches the table that Loki is sitting at. His elbows are on the table, and he's crying quietly as his hands block his eyes – letting his tears drop onto the blue table.

Carefully and quietly, Jade sits down in the chair across from her dad. "Daddy?"

[tsukiyamavalentine]

Gone Fishin’ (Be back in a while or something)

Hey y’all. So I am not back. By any means.

I’m just coming on super quick to tell everyone that I’m safe and alive, and I’m taking a break from Tumblr. I also wanted to give a little explanation of what happened and just generally apologise to y’all for having to see that.

This is a very long post, so it’s under a cut.

I’m guessing most of you saw what went down, and I am genuinely so sorry that y’all had to see that. It was awful, and none of you deserved to have my mental breakdown on your dash.

I’m sorry if any of you saw the updates I put on my fics too. That was completely inappropriate and out of order. I should never have done that. It was disgusting, I’m truly so sorry.

I am so sorry if you had to see that. It should not have happened.

I’m also sorry to everyone who reached out or trued to reach out to me during that time. I was a complete mess, I wasn’t making any sense - the fact that none of you guys just up and left is baffling to me. I am so sorry that you had to talk to me when I was like that.

Thank you so much to those of you that reached out / tried to reach out. It means so much to me, and I am eternally grateful for the kindness that was extended to me in such a time. Thank you so much.

It’s extremely embarrassing that I acted in that way on here, and I am deeply sorry to everyone who saw it happen. It’s embarrassing that I’m even still alive to be honest. I feel guilty that I’m still here. I’m so sorry that all of you have to put up with me being a mess most of the time. I’m just really sorry.

To explain what happened;

Basically, for a few months now (basically since the beginning of my time on tumblr) I’ve noticed that a lot of TG accounts have blocked me. I’ve never interacted with these people before, and didn’t even know most of these people existed until I found out that they blocked me.

This, paired with a few other issues I’ve had in the fandom, have basically led me to have this almost constant feeling that no one wants me in the fandom. That everyone hates me and is trying to get me to leave. I just feel very unwelcome.

I don’t know why so many people have blocked me. I don’t really think it’s anything bad, and I doubt it’s a glitch or Tumblr being Tumblr, bc only people in the TG fandom specifically have blocked me. I don’t think it’s malicious, bc I’ve never interacted with any of these people and didn’t even know they existed, so I doubt it’s bc they hate me or anything.

I think the reason I’ve been blocked is most likely due to spam. As we all know, I kind of like one character in TG and I post about him…a lot. So I’m assuming the reason these people have blocked me is simply because of the amount that my posts clog up the tags. And that’s fine.

Also, I was a huge mess when I started on Tumblr last year, so it could also be that. Again, completely fine.

I don’t mind if it’s about that, and I know that’s probably all it is. However, I just start worrying and all common sense goes out the window, and suddenly everyone hates me and there’s a plot to remove me from the fandom by force.

It makes zero sense now, but sometimes I just get invasive thoughts and they spiral and spiral and I just can’t stop thinking about them, until I’m convinced that my thoughts are the truth.

What happened last week was kinda a chain reaction and lots of spiralling. It wasn’t the fault of any one individual person, rather lots of events building, me overworking myself, and my shitty mental health.

Basically, the day before Shuu’s birthday, a mutual I really liked and enjoyed blocked me on most of my social media. I felt really down about it, because I enjoyed their content, and had no idea why they’d block me do suddenly. I saw a post later that day about drama in the TG fandom, and quickly became paranoid that maybe something was going on that I was unaware of, and that it had something to do with why I’d been blocked. No one seemed to know what the drama was, so I assumed it to be a coincidence. I hadn’t done anything wrong or been in any drama, so I had no real reason to be anxious.

I was working really hard on finishing my art for Shuu’s birthday, finishing chapters and trying to sort out the Build-A-Bear poll, so I guess I just forgot about it. I’d also had my second covid jab, so I was more exhausted than usual.

When I woke up the next day, I was all excited bc it was his birthday, and finally all my hard work would pay off. I was in a lot of discomfort bc of my covid jab, but I was determined to make that day a good one. Not long after waking up, I saw another creator I rly liked had blocked me, and that really upset me. I didn’t interact with them ever bc they were 18+ and I’m 17, but they’d been here since like, the start of my time on Tumblr and I genuinely have a lot of respect and admiration for them.

So, with everything that has happened to me lately, what had happened the day before, my covid jab, being stressed abt making Shuu’s birthday perfect - I just kinda broke down when I saw that.

I think it was the overload of emotion I had at that time, paired with stress and general paranoia, but as you all saw - I freaked out and basically ran around my social medias begging people to tell me what I had done wrong.

It felt like everything was crumbling down and no one would tell me why. All I could see was that more and more people in the TG fandom were blocking me and I didn’t know why, and I just thought that it was only going to get worse until I had nothing left and I was forces to leave. All I could do was beg and beg for someone to tell me what I’d done wrong.

In reality, I don’t think I did anything wrong. I probably just clogged up the tags with my annoying ass again, or that person had blocked me bc I wasn’t 18 or bc they were friends with someone I don’t feel comfortable with. Or they just blocked me, which they’re well within their right to do.

At the time, I couldn’t see any of that though. I just kept begging my followers to tell me what I had done. And everyone said the same - they didn’t know, and it was probably nothing.

I think they were all right, but at that time all I thought was that everyone hated me and wanted me to leave.

Things escalated pretty quickly after that. As I say, it wasn’t this one incident that led me to do what I did. I’ve had so much stress lately, and I haven’t known how to deal with a lot of it. I just had panic attack after panic attack, and just kept crying. I just wanted it all to end, and to be blunt - I took an overdose. My parents found out, and I had to go to hospital for the rest of the day and night, which is fucking hell bc I hate my local hospital and having a drip in ur arm all night is absolutely awful.

Anyway. Normally when I do something like that, I have a few days where I feel really clear and stuff, but this time I just didn’t. I just kept thinking about everything, and my thoughts kept spiralling. I was just so focused on the idea that I was unwelcome, that I was an awful person and didn’t know why I was awful, so I wouldn’t ever change. I thought about other things in my life that are shitty and I just hated being alive. It’s fucking sad, but all I wanted to do was just not be here anymore.

I don’t want to say what I did next. My parents had to sleep with me for a few nights. It was so embarrassing and even now, I can honestly say I wish I had succeeded. That was genuinely the worst week of my life.

Things only got better when I just decided to get away from Tumblr. It didn’t help at first, but away from somewhere where I felt so hated and out of place really helped soon. Thinking about coming back has given me lots of anxiety, so I know I’m not ready to return yet. As I said, I’m only here to give an explanation.

Looking back with a clearer gaze, I genuinely don’t think I did anything wrong. Not that I know of. There are a million reasons why that person and others have blocked me - as I said, it’s probably me being an annoying lil fucker in the tokyo ghoul tag.

What made me think I’d upset someone was bc later that day I saw a notification saying one of the ppl that had blocked me had followed me, but I was literally being treated at the time of the notif, so when I looked at it, they had blocked me again. That was very confusing for me, and it basically just made me spiral even harder.

I choose to believe that it’s just bc I’m annoying though, but I couldn’t understand that at the time, and just thought that everyone hated me and I didn’t know why. I thought I’d been doing my best and that I was improving as a person, and the idea that I wasn’t and everyone actually hated me has really affected me.

If I did do something wrong and anyone knows what I did - please tell me. I genuinely only want to get better and grow as a person, so telling me if I’ve done something shitty is only going to help. I wanna be better and learn from my mistakes, so please let me know if you can!

So just. Yeah. Honestly I haven’t really ever felt welcome or wanted in the Tokyo Ghoul fandom. For the last few months I felt like I was finally getting my footing and finding my little niche with people I liked, but recently things have made me think otherwise, so now I feel like I have to start all over again. I can’t leave, I don’t have anything else. So I guess I have to deal with these feelings or give up the only thing keeping me alive.

I’m sure my feelings will change with time, especially time away from Tumblr, but for now, it feels like I’m not welcome and very few people want me here. I feel like people are mad at me for continuing to be here, for even existing in the first place. I know that’s probably not true, but being blocked by so many, for reasons I’ll never be 100% sure of makes me feel so unwanted and hated, and it also makes things difficult sometimes, bc my beautiful mutuals tag me in posts and sometimes I can’t see them bc the op or a reblogger has blocked me.

That’s just something I’ll have to accept though. If I want to stay here, I have to accept that my feelings aren’t true and are just feelings and thoughts. That people probably don’t care if I’m here or not - they just blocked me bc I’m kind of very extremely annoying and cringe.

I also do feel quite scared of this fandom. Of certain people in it, but also just, in general. I can’t explain it, but I feel like I live in fear of this fandom sometimes. I want to stay, I want this to be my home, but I just have this constant fear. I’m not sure what it is - probably a culmination of all the bad experiences I’ve had here, paired with anxiety - but I just get so scared sometimes that I want to delete everything and run away.

I don’t know what my future is in this fandom. I have nowhere else to go, so I guess that means I’m here to stay, even if I do feel so unwelcome and scared here.

I try to remember that I’m blessed to have some wonderful followers who I truly enjoy and adore talking with. I don’t want to leave those amazing people behind because of how unwelcome I feel, and I worry that more of these amazing people will block me for something I don’t know about, but I guess that’s a risk I have to take if I want to stay.

I guess, what I’m saying is, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll take breaks and stuff, but I’ve been here six years and I’ve survived everything else so far. I wish I could interact with more people and make more friends, but that’s not exactly a possibility rn and that has to be okay with me.

So I guess I’m here to stay. I can only hope that things get better for me here, and one day I won’t feel as alien.

I’m safe now and I can look at things with a clear view now, but I’m not going to be back just yet. As I said, even thinking about coming back here has given me lots of anxiety. It’s taken me three days to prepare to come online and post this.

I won’t be back until I don’t have a panic attack everytime I think about my Tumblr. I also do not want to return until I feel healed over another situation I’ve been dealing with for almost three months now.

I’m sure many of you know about that situation bc of my ventings, but up until the end of January, I felt like I was really doing well and moving on from this in a rly healthy way, but then - to be very blunt - someone came along and pissed on my fireworks, and it just made everything ten times worse.

It feels like all the healthy progress I made was just wiped away. I’ve been trying to deal with it all healthily and in a way that’s fair, but the truth is, I’m very angry and upset, and I think I have a right to be so. I can’t say anything nice about the person involved anymore, because I’m so angry at how that person acted and spoke to me, even after I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with that person. I genuinely don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive that person ever, and I don’t think I have to to move on. That’s all I want to do - move on and forget it ever happened, and I don’t think I can do that whilst being on Tumblr.

So I want to take some time away from Tumblr - where this person is. I want to allow myself to heal on my own, in my own space. I want to come back with that situation fully behind me. I don’t want to vent about it anymore. I hate that it takes up so much room in my head. I hate that I care so much about one shitty friend, and that I think about it so much. I hate that I’m unable to forget or find some kind of peace. I hate that I ever let someone like that in my life for so long.

So, I’ll be back when I feel like this situation is behind me, and I feel some sense of peace surrounding it. I wanna just come back and forget it ever happened to me.

I’ve been trying to do that online since it happened, but I don’t think it’s a possibility rn, not on Tumblr. No matter how much I try to forget or get away from that person, reminders are everywhere and I need to take some time away, in a place where there are fewer reminders.

I hope y’all can understand that, and I hope this post was able to clear things up.

Again, if any of you know anything about what I mentioned - if I did anything wrong, etc - please feel free to let me know. It would only be helpful to me, I promise.

I don’t see myself posting any fic updates for a while. I want to take this time for me, and write whatever I feel like. I hope y’all can understand that there’ll be very irregular updates from now lol.

To end this post on a positive note, I went to Build-A-Bear after the hospital. I got this bear. He’s a fairy bear called Ruby and he makes the most wonderful noises! I love him very much and I love dressing him up.

I also went to an animal park thing (not a farm or a zoo) and saw this wonderful peacock called Kevin!

He was amazing. He was showing off so much too. I love Kevin.

There were also lots of baby bunnies and I saw some amazing little ponies too but I only took pics of the bunnies.

I’m not doing great, and everyday is a struggle to live through, but for now, I’m alive. I hope it’ll stay that way, and I’ll start improving soon.

I hope you can all understand. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I want to come back when I feel ready. I think taking lots of short breaks wasn’t helping at all, and I need a bit of a longer break to fully try and heal from everything.

When I come back, I hope we can finally celebrate Shuu’s birthday, and look to the future in a positive light.

I am still partially active on Instagram, and I have a Deviantart now! Please consider checking it out!

I also have the most amazing Discord server with wonderful people. Please come and hang out if you want too!

[solinarimoon]

Sarah’s 100 Followers Challenge!

Firstly, thank you to all those following me! I did not expect to get into writing fanfiction (even though I’ve been an avid fanfic reader for years) when I started using Tumblr at the end of last year.  I really just needed to try and find more Hvitserk fanfics to read so I turned to Tumblr and it did not disappoint.  Then I certainly did not expect to meet such wonderful mutuals and reach 100 followers after I did start writing back in April.  So to celebrate this milestone I’m doing a challenge!  Participating in @maggiescarborough​ - 500 followers challenge is how I got the courage to start writing and sharing that writing.  They’re really fun and creative and I would love for anyone and everyone to participate if you wish!  They’re a great way to make friends, try something new, or challenge yourself!

Sarah’s 100 Followers Challenge - a few rules:

Writing, moodboards, artwork, whatever you’re inspired to do is welcome!

Send your request for a prompt (list below) you wish to use as an ask. (It will be the easiest way for me to keep track of everyone)

I will update this post as people request prompts - two people per prompt before it will be closed.

I have many fandoms I am a part of even though my writing has only been for TLK so far, so please feel free to do something outside of The Last Kingdom.  I love Vikings (especially Hvitserk), Black Sails, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and many others, so just ask me.

You are free to write anything you wish - AU, canon, OC’s, X Reader, angst, fluff, smut, anything!  But I do ask that if you write on a sensitive/mature topic you use appropriate trigger or ratings for any smut.

My prompts are song lyrics below (golly I hope you guys like my music taste or at least find something inspiring).  You can use just the lyrics I’ve picked or add other portions of the songs if you wish.  Break the lyrics up, keep them together, whatever inspires you. A link to a spotify playlist is at the bottom of this post if you want to listen to them.

Use the Read More function if it’s more than 500 words.

The deadline will be September 30th.

Please tag me in your submissions and use the tag #sarahs100followers

Have FUN!

1. “That's when she went away Away from the light of day Standing by the riverside Patiently waiting for the tide”  - Awakening by Aurora ( @morosemagick​) 

2. “And if the night is burning I will cover my eyes For if the dark returns Then my brothers will die” - I See Fire, Jasmine Thomas Cover ( @emilyhufflepufftlk​ )

3. “Hearts are strong, and our hearts are kind Well, let me tell you just exactly what’s on my mind You are the best thing Ever happened to me” - You Are the Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne ( @geekandbooknerd​ @lauwrite1225 )

4. “When you came to me With your bad dreams and your fears It was easy to see you'd been crying Seems like everywhere you turn Catastrophe it reigns But who really profits from the dying?” - Hold You in my Arms - Ray LaMontagne

5. “As the daylight sinks As I fail to stop and think Once I cursed the things I've done Won't you please forgive me” -  The New Love Song - The Avett Brothers ( @maggiescarborough )

6. “There's a darkness upon you that's flooded in light And in the fine print They tell you what's wrong and what's right” -  Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise - The Avett Brothers ( @artemiseamoon )

7. “That's when you need someone Someone that you, you can call When all your faith is gone And it feels like you can't go on Let it be me” -  Let It Be Me - Ray LaMontagne

8. “Take me back to the night we met When the night was full of terrors And your eyes were filled with tears When you had not touched me yet” -  The Night We Met - Lord Huron ( @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie​ )

9. “Kiss me like you wanna be loved You wanna be loved” -  Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran  ( @mrsalwayswrite​)

10. “It's a stage of stone out in the woods Our spotlight was the sun Where far too many times I stood Til the weary day was done” -  Secret Place - Mia Lynne Rose ( @93xdiagonxalley​ )

11. “My past has tasted bitter for years now So I wield an iron fist Grace is just weakness Or so I've been told I've been cold, I've been merciless But the blood on my hands scares me to death” -  I’ll Be Good - Jaymes Young ( @morosemagick​  @magravenwrites​)

12. “All alone scared in your room, would you swear there's nobody home On the bed laying awake as you prayed he'd leave you alone I'll let the darkness swallow me whole I need to find you, need you to know” -  Salt and the Sea - Gregory Alan Isakov

13. “Oh, 'cause they will run you down, down 'til the dark Yes and they will run you down, down 'til you fall And they will run you down, down 'til you go Yeah, so you can't crawl no more” -  Way Down We go - KALEO ( @for-bebbanburg @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie )

14. “You are my sweetest downfall I loved you first, I loved you first Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads But they're just old light, they're just old light” - Samson - Regina Spektor ( @serasvictoria )

15. “I can't look out the window I can't look at this place I can't look at the stars They make me wonder where you are” -  Stars - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

16. “So, help me decide Help me to make up Make up my mind Wouldn't that save you” -  Save You - Matthew Perryman Jones

17. “The stones you throw can make me bleed But I won't stop until we're free Wild hearts can't be broken” -  Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken - P!nk

18. “I talk to you but it's not the same as touchin' you And every time you whisper my name, I want to run to you” -  Missing You Now - Michael Bolton ( @emilyhufflepufftlk​ )

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6lWKtehGxnFEqIWeRSK2zt

No pressure tags for my mutuals who may be interested: @maggiescarborough @morosemagick @emilyhufflepufftlk @lauwrite1225 @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @serasvictoria @for-bebbanburg @mrsalwayswrite @geekandbooknerd @magravenwrites

[goatsandgangsters]

Tagged by @electricbluebutterflies

1. Why did you choose your url?

I used to have a Doctor Who url but had stopped posting about dw regularly, but I’d routinely get dw followers. So I was saying to someone that I should change my url because it felt like false advertising, “since my blog is just goats and gangsters now” AND THEN!!! 

2. Any side blogs?

yeah, but my main is my only personal blog

like I have a sideblog where I review teas or some fandom blogs that I’m a mod on, but those are all Public Facing about a specific topic

I don’t have any personal sideblogs that are like “oh this is my sideblog for fandom, this is my sideblog for aesthetic,” cause it all just goes on here on the main 

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

Since March 2010

4. Do you have a queue tag?

No because I queue everything so that’d be redundant 

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

in high school @l8rhader was like “you should get a tumblr” and I went home and went on tumbler.com and found nothing and was confused, but somehow I figured it out 

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

I like Charlie, and I like purple, and I already had this screenshot edited and lying around. 

fun fact: it’s a reject from this edit. but because he has the bright window behind him, it didn’t take the purple well so I didn’t use it for the edit but wound up making it my icon (I didn’t edit the background to make it white, it’s legit just a brightly lit window) 

7. Why did you choose your header?

I like succulents and the purpleness of it matches the aforementioned Charlie

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

this post about les mis that I made in 2013 that somehow got 51k notes??

anyway, thanks nick-from-high-school-on-facebook. you netted me a popular tumblr post.

9. How many mutuals do you have?

.........how does anyone check that? 

10. How many followers do you have?

2,433 right now, but that’s also buildup over 10+ years on tumblr and only a portion of those people are still active

11. How many people do you follow?

546, with the same caveat that only a portion are actually active blogs 

12. Have you ever made a shit post?

I assume this is asking about shitposts and not just, a post that is shit. but I definitely do shitpost. why bother if you don’t shitpost ever now and again?

13. How often do you use tumblr a day?

that depends on the day and how bored I am! but definitely I open it at least once a day

14. Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog?

ehehehehehehehe yes and I remember each one specifically. but I’ve NEVER sent anyone anon hate, I can tell you that with certainty. 

15. How do you feel about the ‘you need to reblog’ posts?

Well Now I’m Not Gonna 

16. Do you like tag games?

I can’t guarantee they won’t languish in my drafts, never completed, but I like getting tagged

17. Do you like ask games?

do I always manage to actually ANSWER the asks from the ask games? no! rarely, in fact! but do I like ask games? yes! 

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

I doooon’t think any of my mutuals are tumblr famous, but I do Know the people involved in several famous tumblr posts 

For Example, you know the one post everyone hates about the professors who teach various subjects and are all fucking each other? I know about half of them from college. do I follow any of them on tumblr? no, but I see them and I’m like “oh hey [first name last name]” 

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

shh don’t tell anyone but I have a crush on @meyerlansky

20. Tags!

@meyerlansky who I definitely don’t have a crush on or anything, @l8rhader who brought me to hellscape (affectionate) in the first place, @thefractaldragon (who is the “somebody” I was talking to in question #1 about my url being false advertising), @naomisnagata, @runn0ft, @fancykraken, @waltzingtostars, @hacash

and also anyone who sees this and wants to do it too (I didn’t want to tag too many people at once, so I kept it short and sweet)