#aaahh I want to know which fic it was

[pretchatta]

I want you to know one of your fics have me close to tears in a toyota dealership

this might be one of the best compliments I've ever had??!

[babyblueetbaemonster]

Tesinktober 2022 Day 23 --- Darkness

"The Grove of Reflection can show men who they truly are. Only after facing the truth will the Tree of Shades give up its branches to you." --- Dyus.

What if the shade we fought in the grove is our Shadow...

I'm not a professional in Psychology, but basically: The Shadow personifies everything that one refuses to acknowledge about themselves. The part they repressed.

(long post, 600 words to against town)

Deep in Milchar, Acelta carefully approached the Standing Stone. The still water around it seemed strangely dark. Green writing on the obelisk shined brighter responding to his presence.

He thought back on what Dyus said, "the tree will not surrender its secrets to one who has not earned them". Acelta knew he had to prove himself to the Tree, but felt anxious for the unknown trial he's about to face.

Magical green light flew out of the stone, landed on the dark water, spawning a thick cloud of black smoke. Acelta noticed the ripples under the smoke. Then he saw a humanoid figure.

That shadow figure stepped out of the smoke, walked toward him. Acelta immediately stepped back. To his surprise, he saw himself. The shade raised from the dark water almost looked identical to himself, except for the black color they possessed.

The shadow clone kept getting closer. Acelta backed away, readied his spell, and waited for the other to make the first strike. Instead of fighting, the shadow started to whisper.

Acelta froze.

The shadow used Acelta's own voice to whisper his dark secrets. Hurtful feelings he tried to forget. Destructive thoughts he tried to ignore. Painful guilt he tried to repress.

Before Acelta came to the Shivering Isles, he used to be called a hero. The truth is, he never felt worthy of that title. People thanked him for closing the gate, yet he counted every life he failed to save. Martin sacrificed himself so he could live, yet he couldn't stand to live in the world without him in it. What kind of hero, what kind of FRIEND he was? Tried to start a new life in the plane of Oblivion. Forgot everything triggered his painful memories. Pretended there was nothing for him back in Nirn. Ungrateful for everything Martin saved with his own life. How dare him…

The shade walked closer and closer. The whispers reopened all his unhealed trauma. Acelta was overwhelmed and collapsed onto the dark water. The shade stopped in front of him. The world seemed to get darker and darker. The shadow towered over him. The darkness consumed him.

In the darkness, Acelta saw the shadow's tears.

He thought back to everything the shade said to themselves. That is to say, everything he said to himself.

Throughout his life, Acelta could empathize with people's feelings when they're hurt. He'd tried everything he could to heal their pain. He never realized his blind spot. Only when he saw himself from the outside point did he finally understand. It's not fair for him to do this to himself. No one deserves this cruelness.

"I'm… hurting myself." Acelta's tears fell down his face. Those destructive thoughts he said were self-sabotage. "I'm sorry." He reached out to hold the shadow in his arms. "I'm sorry I didn't take care of myself." To his surprise the shadow returned the hug. Despite all the darkness, the shadow is part of himself. They both tighten their embrace and wept in silence.

Acelta pulled back a little, looked them in the eyes and whispered: "I deserve love, too." He said this both to the shade, and to himself. Maybe his vision was blurred by his tears. The shade didn't look that black anymore. The darkness around them faded away without his notice.

The shade looked up abruptly. Acelta followed their gaze. A branch fell down from the Tree of Shades. In his panic Acelta missed the branch. The shade caught it, and handed it to him. They looked at each other for a moment, then the shade returned to the water.

The water still looked strangely dark, but… clearer.

[glitterjay]

FAKE DATING | 박성훈.PSH

summary: when two friends find themselves in need of a convenient arrangement, they make a plan to fake a relationship. what starts as a simple facade quickly spirals into a web of emotions. lines blur between what's real and what's pretend.

genre: fake dating, smau (with narrations), crack with fluff (kind of), hoon and reader are in their mid 20s

warnings: may contain smut, cussing, more to be added

in case of wanting to be part of taglist, please send an ask with what fic you would like to get @ for as I will make one list for each one. series masterlist

prev | next

taglist (open): @drunkhee @minniejenseo @pkjay @sunghoonsgf @riizenextdoor @m1sskz @yorukoshii @heelee-01

you were deep in thought the whole ride to gunghoon's apartment. your parents kept trying to set you up with men from your father's work, who were incredibly old, and it was starting to bother you. giving in to the thought that gunghoon's mom was pestering him about his lack of a girlfriend, it made you think of something.

you shoot him a quick text saying you were almost there so that he could wait for you by the door. you had known sunghoon for quite a long time, but you were still quite shy to enter his apartment without him greeting you at the door.

he waved at you from where he was standing as soon as your cat entered his field of vision. it was quite a pretty and welcoming neighborhood; it never failed to put your mind at ease.

-

sunghoon had ordered takeout before you got there, which arrived with perfect timing just a few minutes after you did. after playing and eating for a while, you both settled down to have a can of beer on his front porch, admiring the beautiful sunset decorating the sky.

"must be tough, huh?" he asked, looking at the way the cars passed in front of his apartment. you simply gave a nod as an answer, knowing he could see it from his peripheral vision.

"i don't want to lose my life being attached to someone who would most likely ask me to grow up."

it was his turn to nod in response. you left the can that was in your hands on the floor, fidgeting with your fingers. sunghoon, on the other hand, seemed to be lost in the colors of the sky.

"do you mind if i ask you something?"

it caught you off guard to hear him speak first. you were trying to find the right words to let him know of what you had thought about on your way here.

"not at all, go for it?"

"what if we started dating?"

-

you sat there in disbelief for a minute. sunghoon had taken a long sip of the beer he was holding, then looked back up at the sky.

"i mean, you don't want to date the men your parents are setting you up with, and i want my mother to stop pestering me. so, why don't we just fake date? it's convenient for both of us."

he was right. announcing a relationship would not only stop his mom from bothering him with those comments but could also make your parents give up on the idea of you dating older men for money.

"it's crazy what I'm about to say," you started. he snickered. "but I was thinking the exact same thing when I was driving up here."

"then i think that settles it."

first update, aaahh. im really excited about these fics and how they turn out. if they get attention, i might start making longer stories more often rather than just simple drabbles. but we'll have to wait, i suppose. please do leave an ask, comment, or reblog with your opinion on the update! I promise things get better. this is just the start, hehe.

[baby-tini]

If I’m being honest, literally all of them. You write Mikey and Hanma so well.

But if I’m gonna go deeper with it….it was the tiny blurb about being in a poly with Draken and Mikey. Im always desperately searching for Fics about it but can almost never find any…..and the idea of play fighting with Mikey while Ken watches has me HOT. You know damn well you couldn’t beat Mikey in a fight even if you tried but there’s something about watching you struggle while Mikey forces you into a submission lock..the animalistic look on Mikey’s face because his ego is through the roof…has Draken feeling a little hot under his collar as well.

AAAHH I COULD GO ON BUT I WANT TO WAIT TO PROPERLY REQUEST IT 🙏🙏

Honestly, I feel you on this. I think a Mikey and Draken poly would be such an amazing relationship, plus it's one of the polys that are very non-toxic. But I also feel this way with like, a Mikey and Baji poly, which I'd love too write. But yeah, literally no one could beat Mikey in a fight, and all three of you know this but I feel like it'd be one of the quickest ways too wind Mikey up. Because, he literally has the tittle of "The Invincible Mikey." Also, some people forget that he's literally a prodigy in martial arts, no one's beating that.

I just like the thought of egging Mikey on though, like when girls tell their boyfriends, "I'm stronger then you" just so they can get pinned down. Draken knows what you're doing, but Mikey... he genuinely thinks that you think you're stronger then him and he has no problem proving you wrong. I'd like too think that Draken loves watching you two play-fight, he loves the both of you so much and it's fun for him too watch Mikey pin you down, and while Mikey has you pinned down, smirking in your face. You just look over to Draken and give him those big eyes with a plead of, "Ken can you please help.." with the cutest little pout and Draken just laughs and shakes his head. Telling you, "Sorry pretty girl, but you got yourself into this mess, now get out of it." He knows damn well that you can't get out of your own little mess, Mikey has your arms above your head and he's mocking with the, "ah ah, he can't help you baby.. c'mon I thought you said you were stronger then me, I'm not even trying." And it's true, Mikey's not trying, at all. He's just so strong and tbh Draken couldn't help you even if he wanted too, your on your own silly girl.

[findafight]

WAIT OKAY I just read your supernatural st au and AHHHHH now I need that one too holy shit token human Steve!! Token human Steve!!!

Even here everyone’s just like I love him he’s a neat little guy he’s literally thrown himself around and been mortally wounded for the party when he’s literally the only human and everyone’s just like - him!!!! Selkie Robin and how they find out they’re soulmates!! Aaahh!!!! And that final line…… I am obsessed putting in my little request for a full fic when you can, pretty please!!!

Anon you're spoiling meeeee I love you I love hearing from people who like my writing/ideas!! Original post

This one is definitely something that has high potential of me actually writing too. Because like, yeah. The Party is Marge Simpson "I just think they're neat" potato meme about Steve. He's so shaped.

This has a readmore because it's actually got two different mini scenes in it. Enjoy~~~ (also note I included a bit of another non kinky kinkmeme prompt about supernatural baby sitter Steve in this!)

I imagine a scene where Dustin, early fall of '85, is complaining to Lucas and Mike about another failed attempt to get Steve Officially (as he can't actually be Pack unless he KNOWS he's pack, ya feel? Like he IS their pack but also he doesn't know so not really but yes but no...) In their pack at lunch, and Eddie, who as mentioned is a vampire that feeds off energy and is therefore The Most Dramatic Bitch Ever, overhears and is like

"Steve? Steve Harrington is part of your Pack??"

And Dustin goes "well he would if he stopped being DENSE about it!!! We've been trying to tell him-"

"you've been trying to tell him" says Mike.

"-since before Christmas last year! But he keeps thinking we're-"

"you're-"

"-talking about DnD!!"

Eddie is just a little shocked his newest sheepies have been trying for nine months to tell Steve, King Steve, of all people, that his preppy human ass is such a firm part of their Pack that they haven't given up on telling him.

Lucas pipes up. "To be fair to Steve, he was concussed before Christmas last year, and then again this summer."

Dustin shakes his head. "Need to get the guy a helmet. Protect the braincells he has left."

"did he have any to begin with?"

"oh, can it, Mike." Lucas says. "At least he knows about Robin, now. So maybe you should ask her for help. He believed her!"

Ohhh? Eddie was curious, because he had heard certain...rumours, about a Robin and her possible tie to Steve Harrington.

Dustin scoffs. "Okay, yeah, but she's his literal actual soulmate who he still refuses to date, and she transformed in front of him. But I don't want to freak him out. A seal is one thing, a wolf is another!"

"Dustin, you're basically a dachshund."

"fuck right off"

Eddie waves his hands in front of them. "Wait wait wait. Are you talking about Robin Buckley? The selkie in the marching band with Gareth?" The sheepies nod. "You're saying Steve Harrington, former captain of laundry basket sport-"

"actually pretty sure he wasn't ever basketball captain, just swim team-"

"-former Head Jock, is dorky little Robin Buckley's soulmate? Like full on, Selkie coat magic woo woo, Soulmate?"

They all nod, but it's Lucas who speaks. "Yeah. They worked together over the summer. Became, like, inseparable. She told him in August sometime I think."

Eddie does not know how to process that.

-----

ALSO!!!

I imagine Steves parents sitting him down, after his nineteenth birthday (which I headcanon as April first) and very carefully explaining to him that Monsters Are Real.

And Steve sitting there, nearly eight months into knowing that, trying to pretend he doesn't. Pretending that since Robin told him she was a Selkie and the Party told him about being werewolves, he'd sort of, kind of, become any supernatural beings' go to babysitter. Sort of.

It started with a litter of pups he stumbled across in the woods who seemed really friendly for being abandoned in the woods and welcomed the water he brought them and the ear scritches he gave, that he didn't even realize were werewolf children until a couple came crashing through the trees frantically and stopped to watch as he helped a puppy get a leaf off its paw. And the pups are waggled over to the woman and the man looked at Steve with a twitchy nose and then Steve realized they were scenting him because ohhhh. Werewolves.

And Steve went "uh. I think they forgot how to change back? Good luck?" And left. Because what else was he going to do?

So it became a thing. Little magical creatures were told that if all else fails, Steve Harrington will make sure you're safe and looked after until your parents could get to them. He amassed a Rolodex of the contact info near-human folk of Hawkins, and a reputation for being a damn good babysitter. And also somehow having a gaggle of kids around him whenever he went to the park.

So his parents go on and on about things Steve already knows about and he's wondering why they're telling him all of it and also how they know and then they mention how these things are dangerous. How they must be removed. Destroyed. Killed.

Because that's what Harringtons do, they hunt monsters in the night and keep the good, normal, human folks of america safe.

And Steve, who knows that there are supernatural creatures in Hawkins; who knows what actual monsters in Hawkins look like and has hit them with a spiked bat and an axe; who can't go three blocks before some pup or fae or gnome or whatever decides to follow him like a duckling; who little lost kids of all shapes and sizes flock to in order to get back home; sits there and listens as his parents tell him how to kill them. How to salt and burn the remains.

He grips the edge of the table with white knuckles and purposefully evens his breath. He will not betray The Party, or Robin, or any of the families who have found a safe haven in Hawkins to live their lives peacefully. And isn't it ironic, that the place the Harringtons supposedly live, the place they are barely in because of legitimate business and the family business takes them across the country, is a hotbed for supernatural activity. It happened right under their noses, and their only son and heir was at the centre of it. The Human in a Pack of werewolves, platonic soulmate to a Selkie, potential.... something to a vampire, babysitter of all the little creatures of the county.

So Steve tries to make a plan. He can't let his parents know that Hawkins is anything but a quiet human town, but he can't let them keep hurting innocents either. It's either a long con of taking up his family mantle and changing things from inside, manipulating the system like he did in highschool to his whims, or dismantling it loudly and more dramatically which could back fire.

Either way, as soon as his parents leave again (for human related business), he takes the family Grimoire, his birthright, and calls an All Party Meeting.

He slams the tome onto the table and says, simply,

"we've got a problem"

[ssreeder]

SREEDERRRRRR!!!

I finished “risking it all” yesterday and omg. I know I already talked about the plot twists from liab (which are still shocking btw) but ARA?? My bbg I love her so much. I know she’s been fucking awful but she’s my little meow meow. Poor girl she’s been groomed her whole life and mistreated. She’s not a violent dog she’s just responding to her surroundings but a violent dog is still violent. and dangerous.

I was so happy when hakoda wasn’t homophobic like yay!!! Acceptance!!

But omg bato..he’s so interesting. I love the way you wrote him it makes his character so much more deep. You better give him a bf in “into the fire” (I haven’t started it yet so) my mans needs to let go of that high school crush. But I get him. He’s so real. I wish he was MY cool uncle. But I’m glad sokka can find comfort with him.

Reho is pretty chill he just needs to learn to not be so trusting. He’s a D1 yapper and he’s so me.

When you have us that spicy zukka and you had to ruin it…

but whatever…

speaking of zukka.. the GOODBYE KISS ☹️☹️☹️☹️ I was so sad like they’re showing public affection but its the last time they ever get to!! I’m literally shaking and crying on the floor!! They’re so tragic I love them. They’re my Romeo and Juliet atp. zuko you self-sacrificing angel please just love yourself!!! sokka my baby you can’t just fix everything!! learn to grieve first!!! Aaahh!! I love them and the way you write.

You’re amazing sreeder. I hope you know that.

Bless your soul and the pen which connects to your incredible mind.

HIIII FRIEND YOU DID IT!!! you finished RIA!! super exciting haha.

I will say I am SUPER SURPRISED how many people like Ara??? Not only is she a controversial female character but she also caused harm to everyone’s favorite meow meow zuzu the purrrrrrrfect wittle baby. So I know she’s on people hit list lol… love that you like her though!!!

YOU WANT MORE BATO CONTENT?!?! *squirms happily* you should enjoy reading ITF haha.

& YES HAKODA WAS NEVER HOMOPHOBIC - Just prince zuko phobic but he gets over that as one does in a zukka fic haha. Ok ok ok thank you for complimenting RIA it’s my hot mess book I learned a lot while writing and I experienced a lot of life stuff so I’m happy you enjoyed so much it always makes me smile when people enjoy the middle part.

GET EXCITED FOR THE LAST BOOK WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY BE DONE IN THIS CENTURY!!

you’re amazing seriously from the depths of my soul thank you.

[lumiereandcogsworth]

you might’ve written about these already (and now I’m blanking on if I have asked already??? I don’t think I have?) how did Maurice and Maria react to finding out they were having a baby? did they disagree on if she’d be a little boy or girl? did they have any preference? did it take them awhile to pick out her name? how did they react when they felt little Belle move for the first time? I’m stuck with baby brain at the moment, as you can tell 👁️

AAAHH!!!! I wanna write about the moment Maria tells Maurice SO badly. You KNOW. How I FEEL. About PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS!!! I am so excited to gush about all this to you AAAAAHHH thank youuuuuuuu

In short, they were OVER THE MOON when they found out. I have a little fic about it but they were soooo excited to start their family. They wanted their home to be filled with children and chaos and laughter and love. When Maria realizes she’s pregnant, she has a whole plan to tell Maurice when he returns home from his day of work. But he throws a wrench in her plan by coming home for lunch!! She plays it off like it’s fine and normal but he can see right through her and can tell she’s being Weird. And she really can’t keep a secret from him, so she says something like “Oh, I had a whole plan to tell you…” “Tell me what?” “There’s… There’s going to be a child.” and Maurice Knows what she means but he’s just so in disbelief that he says “You mean… we… are you…?” and she nods so happily and puts his hand on her belly and says “We’re going to have a baby.”

And all at once Maurice just turns into such a mess. He starts crying and hugging her so tight and cupping her face in his hands and kissing her over and over. He cries a lot, more than she does. He’s just so happy to start his family with his beloved Maria. It’s a path in life that he thought was closed off to him for a long time, so he just… he can hardly believe that it’s actually going to happen. And Maria is JUST as thrilled. She’s beside herself with glee. She started talking to him about how many children they were going to have like right when they got married, lmao. She comes from a big family and despite the problems she has with them (long story, but she’s from the aristocracy and she left them to marry a street artist… so they aren’t on the best of terms) she loved growing up surrounded by her siblings and she just can’t wait for that to be her home with her darling Maurice.

They absolutely LOVED feeling her kick and wiggle around. Maria said that it felt like there was a little bird in there, flapping its wings against her belly. That first time was definitely very magical. Maria felt movements earlier on, ones that Maurice couldn’t quite feel yet, but eventually, the first time Maurice COULD feel it, his face just lit up. That’s his baby in there!! Maurice loved to lay in bed beside her and rest his head on her belly, just to feel their little one and to talk and sing to her as well. Maurice and Maria sang ALL THE TIME, there was very rarely a quiet moment in their home during the day, and that only escalated when they now had a little darling to sing to!! They also definitely noticed that certain songs made their little bird dance around more than others, which always made them laugh.

Funnily enough, they actually very much agreed that this baby would be a girl. No rhyme or reason to it, they just both had the same instinct, and it ended up being right. They would have been just as happy had they had a little boy, but for some reason they just knew that this first one would be a girl. They never even really discussed boy names - which is so funny to think about, if they had had a boy, the poor little guy probably would’ve been nameless for a few days while they tried to come up with something!

I actually have a bit of dialogue that is so very THEM that I just haven’t put anywhere yet. But when Maurice first comes in, seeing Maria holding their newborn baby, Maria says “Darling! Look, she’s here🥹” and Maurice is just so overcome with emotions and he says “It’s a girl?” because even though they had been referring to her as such this whole time, obviously they still didn’t REALLY know. But Maria tisks and says “Of course it’s a girl! We already knew that🙄” And Maurice just laughs and cries and goes to meet his daughter.

All throughout the pregnancy, they kept circling back to Annalise. They tossed around some family names, Maurice’s mother Henriette, Maria’s favorite sister Charlotte, but they always fell back to Annalise. They just loved the name, they thought it was so pretty and sweet. As the day drew near, they were all ready to name their baby girl Annalise. But then when she was born, Maria just kept calling her Belle. Ma petite Belle! Purely because she WAS such a little beauty, so it became her nickname. They called her sweetheart and angel and darling and all those other sweet words too, but they ultimately just kept calling her Belle. A couple days went by and they realized that they hadn’t called her Annalise ONCE. Belle sort of accidentally became her actual name lmao. So, a few more days later when they had her baptized, they put her name in the church records as Belle Annalise LaRue :”)

[littlestsnicket]

ship ask meme: Twin Peaks?

(good choice; need to start shifting into twin peaks more for the wonderfulxstrange exchange

otp: cooper/diane. they are everything to me, the mutual pining, the distance, the way cooper talks to her in the tapes, the way they interact in the return?!? simply obsessed.

favorite canon pairing: lucy/andy. they are just such a necessary contrast to literally everything. (also i’ve recently been thinking a lot about shelly/bobby. divorced co-parents that are still in love but can’t or won’t make it work :D )

worst pairing ever: it’s difficult to think of something i can’t get behind/find speculative narrative interest in some capacity. uhh… shelly/gordon as an actual long term relationship (i think gordon would be good for shelly in a one night stand situation, but as an actual relationship? both boring and squicky.)

guilty pleasure pairing: albert/cooper. i’m don’t actually feel guilty about it at all, but i do think it draws more on fandom tropes than what’s actually on screen. which in this case isn’t really a bad thing, a lot of the fic is so good and explores interesting things.

pairing that you want to see more: andy/dick tremayne; i just made this up right now but, yeah. i can be a big fan of hate sex. also josie/harry truman; i’m not super into what we see on screen but josie is almost so interesting, there’s so much untapped potential to explore josie’s interior and how she feels about everything but especially harry.

pairing that everyone likes but you’re like, lol no: i don’t know? i think when i was first reading fic for twin peaks i was surprised by how much audrey/cooper fic there was. and i’m not like, morally opposed to them crossing paths and getting together after audrey has idk… gone off and graduated from college but the idea is kinda boring to me. they’re actual canon relationship, and how it just kind of fizzles out, is one of my favorite things about the original show.

favorite non-romantic pair: shelly&norma!! the parallels with their bad taste in men! the cross-generational friendship!! aaahh! (i could also get behind this romantically in the AU where shelly doesn’t stay at the RR, but i don’t really read romance into their on screen dynamic)

[supermarine-silvally]

🫣

💕

yara and ace

Aaahh thank youuu!! <3 Hope you enjoy!!

OC x canon ask game

🫣 Who stumbled the most with their feelings around the other? How much did the other person notice? 

Ace, absolutely. He grew up in a jungle. The most experience he had with women of any kind until he left the Goa Kingdom at 17 was 1) Dadan (his surrogate mother) and 2) Makino (who he was canonically shy around). He basically had no interactions with girls his own age (that we know of) until his Spade Pirates days, and even then, the two major women he meets in the Ace light novels are Marine Ensign Isuka and his crewmate Banshee, whom he is mostly just polite and respectful to. Yara is… an entirely different experience for him. From the moment he first meets her, he’s a mixture of awestruck by her beauty and confused because she’s a Whitebeard Pirate and therefore supposed to be his enemy. Plus, she initially hates him. Ace did NOT know how to deal with her (or, frankly, with any of his other frustrating emotions about being repeatedly beaten by Whitebeard while being strangely accepted by many of the Whitebeard Pirates, including Thatch and Marco) and kind of ended up making an ass of himself, leading to the infamous “you’re really beautiful” scene in chapter 5 of my fic lol. 

As for Yara… it’s not that she doesn’t notice that Ace blushes and stammers and is generally kind of awkward around her, but moreso that she refuses to acknowledge it. She intensely dislikes him at first and doesn’t want anything to do with him until he stops trying to kill her surrogate father, so she mostly tries to ignore him and, when that fails, tells him off quite harshly. 

Things don’t really start to change until Ace stops trying to kill Whitebeard and slowly warms up to the Whitebeard Pirates, at which point Yara finds him tolerable enough to form a friendship with, and Ace’s initial adolescent infatuation grows into a genuine love that he can’t help but express however he can. As Yara begins to fall for him in turn, she becomes a lot more careful with her feelings, unsure if his unwavering kindness towards her means that he actually likes her in a romantic sense, or whether he’s just being Ace (since he’s such a sweetheart towards mostly everyone he meets). 

💕 Who confessed first and how? Did it go as planned or did shenanigans ensue?

Oh, I’ve come up with SO MANY confession scene ideas for them lol and I’m still not 100% sure how it’s gonna play out in And I’ll Surrender (Myself to You), which I consider their ‘canon’, but here’s a few ideas I had:

Ace confesses. Sort of. Well, he tries to. But he ends up getting so nervous that he sets himself on fire, and Yara has to douse him with a bucket of water before he burns down the ship. He’s about to give up and try to recover some dignity when Yara gives him a kiss and asks him, “That’s what you were trying to say, right?”

Yara confesses-- and by that, I mean she drops the first “I love you” in a moment where Ace is at maximum self-hatred after getting mistaken for his father by some random old lady on an island they stop at. He feels like his blood is a curse and his existence is a prison, and Yara is desperate to let him know just how much she cares for him; that he is loved so, so much, damn the world. Ace then initiates their first kiss. (This is the one I’m leaning towards in AISMtY).

They both end up confessing at the same time when they end up in a really romantic setting on some island somewhere (I had this idea while wandering around a botanical garden when I was in France about a week ago) and the moment just feels right for them to share a kiss after dancing around their feelings for each other for so long. The least angsty version. 

There’s probably more than that tbh but do let me know which you prefer-- or if you have any ideas if you want! I’m always open to suggestions <3

[yuujispinkhair]

*Holds Microphone to face*

Which do you like more? True form Sukuna or his appearance after her reincarnated into Yuji

Ahahaha I love this ask!!!

Personally, I prefer reincarnated Sukuna! He looks like Yuuji, and you all know how much I am into Yuuji bae!! So yeah, having two guys with that pretty face and that sexy body is really yummy af to me!!

True form Sukuna still scares me tbh. He is just so much with his four arms and two dicks aaahh. I guess I am not an actual monster fucker lmaooo. I am always like, "ok, but that would hurt! I could NEVER take his dicks. He is too much." But I love to read stories about him by my moots, and they always do such a lovely job making me want that big monster!! So yeah, I like reading fics about him, but I wouldn't write them myself because I am sure I wouldn't be able to write him in the right way because I am too much of a chicken when it comes to his monster-body.

My favorite version is human Sukuna, though. Modern AU Sukuna. I know this is more of an OC than the real thing, but that's the version that made me first fall in love with Sukuna, so he will always have a special place in my heart. I love writing him in all kinds of modern AUs. He is such an interesting character when you put him into a modern setting and try to adjust his personality to fit into that universe and still make him recognizable. I love that!! Tbh I needed to write a version like that of Sukuna to be able to truly love him. Now I love all versions of him :)

Thank you so much for sending me this!!! It was so much fun <3<3 Which Sukuna is your fave? :)

[shibaraki]

Holy shit your fic was so well written, im all in for the whole story, it really shows that you wanted to work on the plot as a whole and you really laid the groundwork perfectly with that first chapter. Also Bakugo not knowing how to show his affections outside of the bedroom where its just the two of them is so cute. Obvs not great but he's this big strong man with a whole ass dragon and everything but he gets all shy, gaaaaaaaah. Cant wait to read the rest!

GAH YESSS !!! honestly with bakugo the issue is that he hasn't got a clue! it isn't that he only shows his affections though sex -- we see a little of it in how he leaves her thoughtful gifts and he sleeps in her bed and gives her awkward affections whenever their paths cross. biggest of all is that he lets reader make their own choices, which she is completely blind to, the same way he is blind to how isolated and confused she feels. because he genuinely sees her an an equal, it never crosses his mind that we might feel compelled to be subservient to him, or waiting for a purpose. thats just not how his brain works. he's bakugo katsuki!!!! he makes and takes his own purpose!

so it is a matter of upbringing and culture, ultimately! *clenches fist* it's the miscommunication!! he's a little emotionally constipated yes but his model of marriage comes from his parents and surroundings the same way many others do. the same way readers do! and for reader, being a wife has never been synonymous with being an equal. worse, actually. and it doesn't help that she was used as a political tool either alksjdfljk

aaahh OK I'M SO SORRY I rambled a bit there, thank you very very much (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc) for reading and for taking the time to send me some love. it is my first attempt at building an entire world from scratch! I didn't expect it would be perfect, but I atleast wanted it to be natural, so that is such a huge relief to hear!!!! I'm super happy you're enjoying it thus far!

[prismarts]

Boop! Ask time! This time for more about Douxilly!

Any sweet names they have for each other? Or are they not fond of them?

Name at least one little quality they love about each other.

Love letters! Have they ever written one to the other? Did they ever share them with the other?

How did they first realize they were in love with the other? How did they respond to the realization of these feelings?

Boop! AAHHH Thanks bab! I love these wizard dorks! This ended up so long oh my gosh but I hope you like it aisjsjdjbsbs I'm on mobile rn and can't figure out how to do the keep reading thing but AAAHH I'LL EDIT IT SOON I SWEAR

Oh they adore having sweet nicknames for each other, I think Douxie loves calling Illy sweet names a little more cause he loves how flustered he can make her. There are the regular culprits of darling, love, my love but he has a special one for her,  fluturaș which is little butterfly in Romanian. Illy gets really flustered calling him names at first since she's shy like that but she does start calling him darling and love too and it makes Douxie so happy and flustered! There's also them calling the other their favourite flower! Illy calling Douxie, her darling dandelion and Douxie calling Illy, his sweet little forget me not.

Douxie adores how nurturing and creative Illy can be, sometimes he just kinda wonders how he ever noticed that about her when they spent time together in Camelot but he loves it when she shows the nurturing and creative parts of herself like him being in awe when he sees the sketches she makes of him. Illy always looked up to Douxie for his determination but if there's one thing she loves, it's his heart of gold. She adores how much of a big heart he has for everyone, how open he is and how easily he connects to people and being able to be friends with them.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OF A SPIRAL THIS SENT ME ON CAUSE I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE BUT ITS SO PERFECT FOR THEM. I'M WRITING THIS AS A FIC BUT TO SUMMARIZE: Illy has written love letters to Douxie back in the past, but those are always more to help her express her feelings without hurting their friendship, she has kept them safe and to herself for 900 years after. Douxie, maybe hasn't written love letters but during his 900 years of traveling the mortal realm, he starts to write letters of what he learns and sees and how he feels for Illy...cause one day he does want to give them to her, to share everything he's seen and learnt...despite during that time, unsure of where she is.

I imagine Illy and Douxie meeting to be about at least a year or 2 before everything with Killahead and Morgana came to fruition, with Illy being in Camelot about a few months earlier than Douxie, for context. Illy, being demiromantic/demisexual (she doesn't discover this until centuries later but still), definitely took some time until she falls in love with Douxie but when she does after they form a strong bond of friendship, she falls hard. I think maybe she realizes one night while they were both trying to study and read up on magic in the library together, Douxie may have dozed off and Illy just has a small moment of silence to just remember all the good times they have together and slowly realizes how much she cares for him...how much she loves him. AND IT THROWS HER FOR A DAMN LOOP. She's never really fallen in love before and it's something she wasn't sure how to deal with, she just knows that...she doesn't want to lose her best friend. So she decides to quietly pine for him..maybe leave subtle clues for him to figure it out but...for the most part? She was content to just be there for Douxie as his friend. Douxie realizes....very very much later on....like towards the end of Wizards late and that's only after Past Illy finds some confidence to kiss him before the Killahead Battle that not only does he finally realize that Illy has feelings for him but I think he also starts to realize the same... that Illy had always been there for him, believing in him and hell, the proof was there, Past Illy immediately being on his side when she realizes the time travel mess he was in. And I can only imagine his reaction to be FUZZBUCKETS cause in retrospect, he should've realized her feelings for him sooner and maybe if he hadn't been so focused on earning a staff back then...he would've realized his own feelings for her much sooner too. Overall though, after Wizards, they both have an awkward period of romantic tension... with Illy finding herself falling for Douxie again after spending most of the months leading up to the events of Wizards, thinking he was dead and grieving and Douxie trying to figure out how exactly to go about a relationship with Illy after everything that's happened. (They do get together before the hypothetical my version of RoTT tho, it's all good, Nari and Archie were there to push things along the best they can.)

[pokemonhealingvillage]

Village of Healing Ch. 1.2

Author note: I want to continue the fic, but I sort of want to make the lengthy chapters important. So here's a little more informal ficlet(?). I'm not really sure what to call this, but it's a part of the story anyway! As always, everything will be under the "Read More" !

In the Forest Center, most Pokemon are closing their trade booths for lunch. Luna is strolling about, her eyes half-lidded and her strides are slow. She almost didn't notice the Chansey that approached her.

Ms. Hope: So, how was your first night here in the village?

Luna: Rough... I kept tossing and turning and waking up in the middle of the night... I didn't get up until noon...

Ms. Hope: Oh dear... I'm so sorry about that. I suppose it takes a while to adjust. I've been here for so long, I always end up forgetting that new arrivals need to get used to this way of living.

Gale: Ms. Hope!

A Gallade catches the attention of both Pokemon, one with a notch out of the fin on his head. Hope smiles and turns to him while Luna glances between them.

Ms. Hope: Oh, Gale! I'm glad you're here! This is Luna, the new arrival I spoke about yesterday.

The Umbreon gives a small smile and a polite nod. Gale returns the gesture, bowing his head slowly.

Gale: A pleasure, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to chat. There's a huge batch of Oran berries that need to be taken care of. The Audinos wanted to know what you'd like to do with them.

The Chansey hums and turns her gaze skyward as she ponders.

Ms. Hope: Well... I'm sure we can turn some into a berry mush for the young ones... Oh, I'd have to see how much we have.

She perks up and turns to Luna.

Ms. Hope: I know! Why don't you come and help me? I have just the task for you!

Luna: Hm? What can I do?

Hope just smiles and leads the way, waving good-bye to the Gallade. Luna keeps close to her. Gale rushes along to carry out his Guardian duties.

The next morning, Luna is seen with two large satchels hanging over her back, held by Caterpie string and twigs. The bags are a little uncomfortable, pressing against her sides, but she takes her time as she tries to remember her route.

Luna: Lets see... One bag for someone named... Phobos?

A large, beautiful Absol perks up upon hearing his name and turns to the Umbreon. He excuses himself from his group and strolls over to her.

Phobos: Excuse me. Did you need something from me?

Luna turns to him, wide eyed. She never encountered an Absol before, let alone one with a shimmering silver coat and large, powerful looking claws. One of his paws was as big as her face!

Luna: Aaahh.... I take it you're Phobos, then?

He nods.

Luna: Then, um, Hope wanted you to have one of these bags of Oran berries.

Phobos: Ah, thank you. Here, allow me.

Phobos goes to her side to retrieve one of the bags from her back. Luna stumbles a bit, unbalanced now, but quickly recovers. Phobos then helps Luna readjust the remaining three bags on her back.

Phobos: So, Ms. Hope has you doing deliveries?

Luna: Yeah... She say's it'll be good for me.

Phobos: I'd take her word for it. She's wonderful with new arrivals. Though, I don't think it's fair to put them immediately to work...

Luna: Oh, no! I don't mind doing it! If anything, I'm kind of thankful for it. I won't be just laying in my den doing nothing but feel sorry for myself.

Phobos: Hm. So long as you feel it's best for you. Don't let my thoughts sway you.

He picks the bag up with his teeth. With his mouth full, he simply bows his head to gesture his farewell. Luna returns the gesture. She then continues to make her deliveries, first at a Slowpoke family (which took about an hour), then to the Guardians and...

Luna: Huh... She didn't say where the last bag should go to...

Luna sits on the ground, staring at the bag for a moment. It's only now does she notice the little note sticking out from it. She takes the tattered piece of paper and reads it. It's from Hope, herself, explaining that the remaining bag is for Luna to use however she likes. She had figured Luna hasn't eaten since she got here and wanted to make sure she was taken cared of. Luna smiles, touched by Hope's letter and takes the last bag to her den.

Meanwhile, with Gale, he faces the entrance to the waterfall cave. He's motionless with a stern expression. He can feel such a strong power within the darkness. Even from here, he can feel his skin tingle. Every sense of his is heightened, feeling some kind of pressure in his head. Something here doesn't want to be found.

Gale: I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to know why you're here in the first place.

His reassurance doesn't seem to sway the being inside the cave. It doesn't seem to make it worse though. Gale takes a deep breath and sits down with his legs crossed.

Gale: I can stay here, if you like. I just want to talk. It's just me. I came alone, if that's what you're worried about.

Again, no answer. However, the intensity of this power seems to have weakened. Whatever this thing was, it's only lowered it's guard down a little. Then, there is this... Prodding sensation. Something that feels like claws gently scratching at his head. Nothing forceful or violent, more like... Coaxing, almost. Gale sits up straight as a board. This thing was prying his mind, trying to read him. The moment takes him off guard, causing his defenses to flare up. Gale isn't sure what he did, but it was enough to make the being flee deeper in the cave. He sighs and stares at the grass below him. Today was going to be a long day...

[moonlightreddie]

BESTIE! hello!

I saw that you were back online and I had to give you the good news! I am finally in the process of writing my first actual fic! <33 it’s a byler fic but I will admit that I am stealing some stuff from my greatest hits (aka my favorite reddie hcs I sent to you <3) lol

have you gotten around to finishing the last four episodes? I’m surprised you were able to stop when you did, I was so hooked I watched the whole 4th season in one sitting :,)

anyway yeah, I just wanted to lyk bc you’re one of the main reasons I’m even attempting this! your encouragement and support on my silly little drabbles really gave me the push I needed to get out there and write. as much as I love drawing and creating art, I’ve always had an inclination towards writing so, ig what I’m trying to say is thank you! you’re awesome and I love you and I miss you!

Happiest of Halloweens Sunny! <33

-🫀

OMGGGG BESTIE HII I AM SO SORRY ;-; I SAW THIS ASK WAY BACK WHEN YOU FIRST SENT IT BUT THEN I WENT ON MY BREAK AND WHEN I CAME BACK I FORGOT TO REPLY BECAUSE I DONT GET MANY ASKS ON THIS ACC SO I FORGOT ARHBFAEJRHABFEB IM SORRY!!!!

aaahh how is the fic going?? i'd love to read any snippets you have if you're comfortable!! obvs you don't have to share if you don't want to, but id love to hear about what the fic is of (aka which of your greatest hits you've chosen to include!!)

everyone is gonna be so mad at me for this..... but...... i still haven't finished s4 yet ;-; I KNOW I KNOW ITS TERRIBLE sjhebrks its just that it hasn't felt ??? like the right time to watch it if that makes sense ??? like when i first started s4 i only got a few episodes in before i became very busy with work, which made me very exhausted and when i came home i'd only be in the mood to watch lighthearted things sjafbksjdfa. so then i told myself that i would save it and watch it in the fall, bc yknow ~spooky season~ but then ofc all of october was very busy as well with school this time, so again i didn't have much free time to watch it :[ and now it's almost december ;-; i have been ACHING to watch it, but i've just been wanting to save it for when im in a good mood to watch it, yknow??? so right now im planning to binge it during winter break! i only have 4 more weeks of school so i just need to get through that and then i can watch it :] im very excited!! please bear with me,,, the slowest st watcher in the world,,

and bestie!!! you're going to make me cry!!! i feel so honoured that i've had some sort of part in helping you write this fic :'] but you are already such a great writer, your ideas are just *chefs kiss* and literally every time i see you in my inbox i KNOW im about to read something great, so you should really be proud of YOURSELF!!! you have always had it in you, im glad you were finally able to take the step to start writing your first real fic <3 mwah!

[jessamine-rose]

꧁⪡ Alea Iacta Est ⪢꧂

Aaahh so here is part 2 of Housecat!! This continuation is written from Pantalone’s POV and features much darker content. Read the first fic before you proceed :>

Once again, thank you to @bye-bye-sunbird and @ddarker-dreams for the inspiration!! Same goes to @diodellet for your entertaining peer review and @yandere-romanticaa for your interest in reading this  (*´∇｀*)

Tw:: YANDERE, unhealthy relationships, manipulation, coercion, electrocution, offscreen death, psychological damage, Dottore is here, mention of drugging, mention of nsfw, dubcon, spice, MINORS DNI

Note:: Female cat-hybrid reader, pre-release Pantalone based on current lore crumbs

♡ 5.5k words under the cut ♡

i. the red string of fate 

Love is nothing more than a contract.

The Regrator, of all people, is well aware of this fact. Love is an agreement easily forged and broken, an attraction founded on set conditions and self-serving fantasies. In a world of inequity, it is impossible for any relationship to be purely selfless nor unconditional.

The illusion of love persists, however, supported by centuries of myths. Soulmates. Star-crossed lovers. The red string of fate spun by the will of the gods.

How romantic.

Many would claim that Pantalone’s feelings are anything but love. They would dub him greedy, ambitious, obsessed, possessive, and so many other negative traits which ironically constitute the true essence of love. What he finds most insufferable are the claims that his efforts are futile against destiny.

If the gods deem him unworthy of love, he will pursue it on his own volition.

If the red string of fate ties his beloved to another, he will sever the threads and bind her to him with his own chains.

If his precious jewel rejects her owner, he will ruin her until she finally accepts her place in the world.

⬩◈⬩

Since her horrific revelation, his darling has become an amusing juxtaposition of obedience and defiance.

“What do you think of the present, my darling? Isn’t it a perfect fit?”

Pantalone clasps the jewelry around her neck. ______ blankly stares at her reflection.

The necklace is a simple accompaniment to her collar. The silver bell pendant makes soft tinkling noises with every little movement.

Its luster cannot compare to his darling’s tears.

“It’s…minimalist,” she answers. Her ears fold back. “But the bell is in poor taste. Do you expect me to wear this at all times?”

Pantalone smiles at her in the mirror.

“You wound me. And you are normally so enamored with my choices,” he replies. His hands rest on her shoulders. “The collar is already a perfect statement piece on its own.”

Zero wounds from the Electro Crystals. Sandrone’s craftsmanship is commendable.

Her tail relaxes. The violet bow is slightly askew; she must have been extra agitated today. Pantalone unravels it and reties the ribbon.

His hand brushes against her Vision. ______ immediately covers it with her own.

“You should get back to work,” she tells him. “I saw the reports on your desk earlier. What would the Tsaritsa say if she knew you were wasting your time on me?”

How foolish of her to bring up Her Majesty’s name.

“Matters of the heart do not concern Her Majesty so long as my work is unaffected. I can assure you that I am perfectly capable of separating my private and professional lives.”

His hand wraps around her tail. His grip is light but he can already feel the soft fur standing on edge.

“You know, it has been a while since I last saw you use your Vision,” he muses. “I’ve been waiting for a chance to watch your enchanting display again.”

“...All right.” His darling stares at her collar this time. “If that is what you want.”

Her hands are shaking. The sparks and red threads are thinner than usual.

Her fire is such a pretty spectacle. But it can only be viewed from a distance, a beacon of hope untouchable to its audience.

“There is no need to hold back, my love.” Pantalone waits for the fire to extinguish before he wipes her tears with his handkerchief. His other hand taps her collar. “You will only get shocked if you abuse your Vision. You won’t do that again, will you?”

She does not look at him. Recalling her previous attempts, most likely. 

“I won’t. The last thing I need is to wake up to another one of your lectures.”

There is a bitter edge to her voice. Her tail slips out of his grasp and knocks over the empty necklace box.

He pats her head, smiling. “What a well-behaved pet. If I finish work early, I can take you to the shopping district tomorrow. We haven’t gone out in weeks.”

“I see. Do keep track of my purchases. I might just exceed my allowance.”

With that, ______ takes off the necklace and leaves the vanity table. She makes a point to push her unused shackles onto Pantalone’s side of the bed.

Despite her denial, she truly does act like a housecat at times.

As petty as she has become, his darling is making the most out of her cage. A pampered pet can never hope to gain the self-sufficiency of a stray. Any escape attempts would only bring her back to her owner.

Pantalone returns the necklace to its box, humming an old tune from Liyue. ______ covers her ears with the pillow.

Her neediness is sorely missed, however. He could easily demand her affection through more threats and gifts, but that would not be enough to satisfy his greed.

He would rather have her seek him out willingly.

ii. fool’s gold

A formal invitation announces a grand ball held in the capital of Snezhnaya. Another opportunity for the Regrator to make new business connections and to show off his darling wife.

“There should be a limit to the number of times I wear your colors,” she tells him. “By now, they likely view me as your little dress-up doll.”

“You are overthinking this.” Pantalone fastens the final accessory and fluffs up her tail. “We would not be the first couple to wear coordinated outfits. And think of it this way: An object takes after its master.”

He stands beside her in front of the mirror. They are only wearing matching jewelry this time. The violet jewels twinkle like artificial stars against their dark clothing.

______ frowns. “This necklace is too ostentatious, wouldn’t you say?”

Ungrateful pet.

“My priceless treasure,” he replies, the smile leaving his face, “you would do well to appreciate one’s generosity.”

A necklace of this price could feed so many empty stomachs in Liyue.

He grips the chain, allowing the jewels to press against her throat, and glares at her in the mirror.

“I’m sorry!” she says quickly. Her hands move to her neck in a futile attempt to relieve the pressure. “It must have been expensive. The…the design simply isn’t my type.”

“It is either this necklace or your collar, ______. Or are you secretly impartial to showing off my marks to the world?”

His other hand touches the love bites dotting her neck and chest. He had chosen an off-shoulder gown and an elaborate festoon necklace for that reason.

She averts her gaze. “...No, I’ll go with the first option.”

He lets go of the chain and readjusts the necklace.

His darling grips her tail with both hands. Her nails are newly trimmed and manicured after their last night of intimacy. Pantalone’s back is still healing from her scratch marks.

Even when he was kind enough to pleasure her, his darling took the opportunity to spite him. He had to use the shackles for their remaining rounds and her declawing session.

He adjusts her Vision this time. “I trust that you won’t cause a scene.”

“Of course.” She turns around and gives him a false smile. “This was part of our marriage contract, after all. I will assume the role of a loving wife for my sake.”

That is all. No clauses requiring loyalty or affection.

Pantalone’s smile is equally deceptive. “Stand by your promise. I will keep a close eye on you.”

⬩◈⬩

The ball is a waste of time—just the usual congregation of humorless businessmen, proud aristocrats, and annoying social climbers. The gilded superficiality of high society is no longer an otherworldly realm to the Regrator, but he is still grateful to have a companion.

It is more enjoyable when his darling is clinging to him like a frightful pet.

“My dear, you don’t need to stick to my side all night.” He shakes her tail off his wrist, smiling. “Are you that afraid of losing me in the crowd?”

“I’m not,” she whispers. Her hand grips his arm. “I don’t know anyone. They will just rope me into some meaningless conversation and gossip about ‘the Regrator’s trophy wife’ later on.”

They are nothing more than a crowd of foolish sycophants. But his darling is no different from them. If not for his riches, Pantalone is certain that she never would have spared him a glance.

Another admirer greets them and initiates a long speech about their loyalty to the Tsaritsa—a desperate farce before a Harbinger of all people. ______ smiles and nods along.

Well, the same may be said for his own attraction. He could have been apathetic to his darling’s existence had he not glimpsed her at the Shang family’s gala. She had looked so reserved, so pristine, until he came close enough to notice her cracks. Until he decided that he would be the one to break her.

The orchestra begins playing a lively symphony. The guests disperse to the dance floor and the edges of the ballroom.

“Would you care to dance?”

His darling’s thinly-veiled desperation is truly entertaining, especially as her gaze darts to the still-blabbering admirer.

He takes her hand, smiling. “Of course, my love.”

iii. odi et amo

Another letter is intercepted from Liyue.

Pantalone dismisses the messenger and opens the envelope. The letter is from his sister-in-law this time. Less valuable information, then.

It is just the usual family update, sans the necessary details which his darling would like to know. It ends with a sermon about marital conduct and the importance of “not being a nuisance to the Regrator.”

He smiles at the last line. The Lai family must have been quite shaken after the visit of the last Pyro Agent. Their previous letters are written in a similar fashion, all formal lectures with no ounce of concern for their little ______.

Had they met years ago, he would have envied his darling to the point of hatred. But now he can only feel pity for her.

Unfair as the world may be, there will always be certain pros and cons to one’s social status. Competence or inadequacy. Independence or loneliness. Ambition or sorrow.

Another agent knocks on the door.

“You may enter.”

They open the door and kneel. “My lord, your wife is returning to your office. As per your orders, she and her guard were only permitted to roam the eastern wing of Zapolyarny Palace.”

“You are dismissed.”

His darling’s letters are beginning to take up space in his desk. Pantalone adds the missive and locks the drawer.

The Fen wife recently wrote about a charm bracelet which his darling might like. He should add that item to his shopping list.

⬩◈⬩

Another obstacle to the Fatui brings extra work hours.

“Are you almost done? It’s late.”

Pantalone opens a new document. “I still have mountains of paperwork to go through. If you are tired, you may go to bed without me.”

The Northland Bank will be flooded with blood as soon as he catches those traitors.

His darling remains on his lap.

“It’s fine. I’m not sleepy yet,” she replies. She points at the stack of unchecked reports. “What are these about, anyway?”

“A few traitors. Some unforeseen interferences. A pesky little Traveler who has proven themselves to be quite the infernal threat.” He takes off his glasses and polishes the lenses.

He is due for another all-nighter.

______ turns her head. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He gives her a wry look. “You seem awfully concerned about my wellbeing. If you plan to take advantage of my current state, you are better off using subtler tactics.”

Her ears twitch. “You are still my husband. If anything happens to you, my welfare is at stake. I can’t assist you with work but I can at least provide some stress relief.”

Stress relief, huh?

His darling faces forward again. Her ears are pushed back, a clear indication of anger. It is an ineffective warning—they are nothing more than the soft, fluffy traits of a domestic cat.

Pantalone puts his glasses back on and pets her ears.

Her gasp is preceded by soft purrs. “What are you—? Stop! My ears are—”

He laughs, pressing a kiss against the back of her ear. “I know. So sensitive.”

His hand moves to the front of her dress and pulls down the neckline. Her love bites have already faded to near-invisible spots. It is about time for him to renew his marks.

“Pantalone.” She stands up and turns around, tail puffing up. “You still have work.”

“It won’t take long. Besides, was it not you who offered to alleviate my stress?”

He pulls her towards him, forcing her to straddle his lap, and touches the base of her tail.

“But still!” She bites back another purr. “Could we at least do this in the bedroom? The servants are still in the corridor. They might hear us—this is hardly appropriate!”

Until now, she still finds it necessary to retain her modesty. Her debauched noises during the act say otherwise.

It only takes a kiss to shut her up. He cups her face, smiling at every hitched breath and plea for air.

He will never grow tired of tainting her.

“My love,” he murmurs. He breaks off the kiss and presses their foreheads together. “Just think of it as fulfilling the contract you agreed to.”

⬩◈⬩

“Pantalone?”

“Yes?”

“Do you…plan to have children in the future?”

The pen hits the desk. It rolls across the wood, stopping just short of falling off the edge.

This is unexpected.

Pantalone clears his throat. “Can you repeat that?”

For someone who had made such a serious inquiry, his darling refuses to even look at him. She shifts in his lap, staring at his unfinished report.

And to think that he would not be the first to initiate this conversation.

“If this is about the contraceptives, I already told you that we are using a high-quality medication with no side effects. It is my turn to take them, anyway.”

Her tail thumps against his chest. “It’s not about the birth control.”

“Then what is this about? If you remain ambiguous, I may assume that you are asking for children.”

That would be a delightful surprise. Families do make for efficient binding agreements.

“I don’t know if I want that,” she mumbles. Her hands grip the desk. “It’s just…if you have any plans for the future, I want to be prepared for it. I spend enough time idling about and causing trouble for you.”

Not a direct refusal. What an interesting answer.

Thinking about it now, she had broached this topic in the early days of their marriage. Something about her lack of responsibilities and the Fen wife’s maternal duties.

Pantalone picks up his pen and continues writing. “As of now, starting a family is of low priority to me. We may continue this conversation once the Tsaritsa’s perfect world has been achieved.”

And when that happens, he will have all the time in the world to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Ironically, that statement only makes his darling more agitated.

“I see. I’ll enjoy my last pieces of freedom,” she mutters.

He puts down his pen. “My darling, are you merely bored with your current routine? Or are you looking for an excuse to devote your time to someone other than me?”

At the last statement, she turns to face him.

“Not at all!” she exclaims. Her eyes are wide with panic. “I like your company; I really do! Anyway, I couldn’t possibly treat a child with your degree of care and attention.”

It is good that she knows that.

“That is good to hear.” Pantalone smiles and wraps his arms around her, pressing her back against his chest. “I won’t demand a child or anything else from you. End of discussion.”

“I see…thank you for telling me.”

His darling stares ahead, but the relaxed positions of her ears and tail are a substantial response. He rests his chin on her shoulder.

“Besides,” he adds, “I would rather have you all to myself for the time being.”

iv. faustian bargain

The next few months are relatively peaceful. A pattern of gifts, dances, galas, red threads, intimate nights, banter, and mind games. Pantalone is pleased to note that his darling is gradually becoming more resigned to her cage. She has almost reverted back to her needy, pliable self.

Unfortunately, the gods always choose the best of times to tip the scales.

“I’m home.”

Pantalone has barely closed the door before his darling stomps over to him.

“My necklace is missing,” she informs him.

He pauses, coat in hand. “Which one?”

She leads him to her dressing room without so much of a word.

The farthest corner of the room is reserved for her old accessories. It is a haphazard mess of half-opened drawers and scattered jewelry boxes.

______ opens the topmost drawer and points at the necklace section. There are large, even spaces in between the necklaces.

“Someone rearranged it. My brother’s wedding gift used to be on the far left,” she explains. “It was a gold necklace with a pendant shaped like a Nilotpala lotus.”

Pantalone glances at the boxes on the floor. “Are you sure that you didn’t misplace it?”

“How could I? You don’t let me wear it to begin with,” she snaps, gesturing to her collar. “This isn’t the only one. I can’t find the box holding my Sango pearl necklace.”

A thief in his own estate. What a wonderful surprise.

In their entire marriage, this is his first time seeing his darling in such an incensed state. Aside from her swishing tail and folded back ears, her eyes are filled with enough burning fury to rival his own glare.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “My darling, for what reason would I engage in petty theft behind your back? I could easily confiscate your possessions.”

“I don’t know. But I am not trusting the same person who chose what I could bring to Snezhnaya.” She glares at him, eyes filling with tears. “I am fine with wearing your gifts, but is it too much to even look at my old belongings?”

“Wild accusations will do more harm than good,” he shoots back. “Did it not occur to you that someone else could have done it?”

His darling only laughs. “The servants, maybe, but they wouldn’t dare to steal from you. Unless you paid them to do it on your behalf.”

She opens the closet and takes out her coat.

“______.” It takes effort to maintain his composure. “Where are you going?”

“To the gardens. Forgive me for not being able to stand your presence.”

She leaves the dressing room. Pantalone follows her.

He reaches for her hand. “Darling, I—”

“Just go away!”

A burst of flames appears out of thin air, almost grazing him. Pantalone stumbles back, glasses clattering to the floor.

The sound of glass breaking is followed by the shock of Concentrated Overload.

His darling screams and collapses to the floor.

Pantalone takes a step closer. “You shouldn’t—”

“Don’t get any closer!” she shouts. She claws at her collar, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You ruined my life. I wish I never met you!”

Her honesty could not be any more brutal.

Pantalone draws back as though he has been slapped. His darling’s glare remains fiery.

At this point, diplomatic attempts at reconciliation are futile.

He picks up his glasses. The frames are warm from where the fire touched them. The chain is broken and one of the lenses is cracked.

“I do not blame you for your lack of trust in me,” he says coldly. He walks past her and opens the door. “I will give you some space if that is what you truly want.”

More sobs. Pantalone leaves the room and almost crashes into one of the servants.

“Lord Harbinger!” she squeaks. She bows immediately. “I apologize for not seeing you!”

“It is all right,” he replies, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. He glances at her uniform. “You are one of my wife’s handmaidens. You go by the alias Myshkin, correct?”

“Y…Yes, my lord!”

A glint of silver flashes in her hand.

He frowns at her. “What are you holding? Have you found my wife’s missing jewelry?”

She jumps and averts her gaze. “What? I…yes, I did!”

Her hands are trembling. She opens her palm to reveal a familiar Vajrada Amethyst ring.

That little rat.

Myshkin is speaking a mile a minute. “I found it in the living room and was just about to return it. As soon as I saw it, I knew it must have been the ring Lady ______ was looking for!”

His darling has not worn it once in Snezhnaya. Neither did she mention the disappearance of that ring.

Pantalone takes it, a grateful smile on his face. “Thank you, Myshkin. I will remember this.”

She turns to the door. “Is Lady ______ all right?”

“Just a little shocked. Go tend to her.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Had she entered the room a second later, Myshkin would have witnessed the Regrator’s death glare directed at her.

⬩◈⬩

The Doctor’s office is a place of nightmares. Beyond the laboratory, his section of Zapolyarny Palace is filled with preserved specimens, glowing test tubes, anatomical sketches, and a pervasive aura of malevolence. Even the meeting room is far from welcoming.

“Ninth, I assume you summoned me for another private commission. How is your wife? I believe your wedding anniversary has recently passed.”

“Spare me the formalities, Dottore.” Pantalone takes a seat on the sofa. “I received your request for additional funds. The numbers are out of proportion, but I can overlook that if you throw in a personal favor for me. I believe you will find this commission more suited to your preferences.”

Dottore puts down his test tube and sits across from him. “What do you mean?”

Pantalone gestures to the package on the table.

“I would like you to soak these garments in a flammable substance, one so potent that it would guarantee inescapable death for the wearer once they come into contact with fire. The chemical should have an inconspicuous scent and remain effective after numerous washes.”

“What an interesting request. And who is this unlucky victim?” Dottore opens the box and takes out a set of maid uniforms.

That Myshkin had been stupid enough to steal memorable jewelry. Everyone knows that the wealthy are less likely to notice the disappearance of smaller pieces, moreso if those items are sold to a reasonably far-off pawnshop.

“You are quite literally playing with fire, and it seems that your employee is not the only target. Tell me, is it not easier to deal with them and your darling separately?”

Pantalone straightens his glasses. The new chain twinkles under the dim light.

“Think of it as killing two birds with one stone. It would be uncharacteristic of me to ignore an opportunity when it is presented to me.”

Dottore snickers. “Your poor little housecat. And to think you started out with something as innocent as catnip-laced perfume.”

“That is none of your business. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal.” Dottore sits back, a maniacal grin on his face. “Though I must demand payment. A chemical of this potency will be costly to produce, especially if I am to ensure maximum quality by using test subjects.”

Pantalone clasps his hands together, smiling. “Name your price.”

v. alea iacta est

Pantalone upholds his promise and grants his darling her desired solitude. He moves her to a different bedroom and works longer hours in Zapolyarny Palace. On the rare occasion that they cross paths in the estate, he scarcely acknowledges her.

Myshkin and her fellow handmaiden provide daily reports of ______’s activities and behavior. The former wears her new set of uniforms.

His darling holds on to her pride. She makes no requests for gifts or company. She continues her flimsy pastimes, sans the use of her Vision. She bristles at his silent treatment but makes no effort to approach him.

This is what her life could’ve been like had she married Chairman Jin. If she knows what is good for her, she will not compare that nullified fate to her reality.

The days are longer for Pantalone. The situation reminds him of their former days, that year spent patiently waiting and working behind the scenes and settling for the lightest of touches. But the reward had been worth it.

This time, he must only wait for his darling to come to him.

⬩◈⬩

“Lord Harbinger!”

The door slams open. The agent does not bother to kneel.

Pantalone barely looks up from his contract. “We are in the middle of a meeting. What matter is so important that you must disturb me and my client?”

“It concerns your wife, my lord! An accident has occurred in your household.”

About time.

He faces his client. “My apologies, but I must ask that we resume our negotiations some other time. I am afraid that my wife’s situation seems to be of dire urgency.”

“Naturally! It isn’t a problem.” The diplomat bows and puts away their reports. “Thank you for your time, Lord Harbinger.”

Pantalone leaves the conference room and faces the agent. “Tell me what happened.”

“Your wife attacked a servant with her Pyro Vision. We have already extinguished the fire and summoned a doctor, but her handmaiden is in unstable condition.”

All according to plan. “Are there any additional details which I need to know?”

They pause. “I was not present during the event, but I was told that the incident took place in your wife’s dressing room. She is currently afflicted with her collar’s Concentrated Overload as well as psychological shock.”

He resists the urge to smile. “Anything else?”

“Your wife asked for you, my lord. She specifically requested your presence as the guards were restraining her.”

How endearing.

“Cancel my remaining appointments for the day. That will be all.”

⬩◈⬩

The collateral damage only costs a few hundred thousand Mora. A singed carpet. Scorched closets. The doctor’s fee. The silence of the servants.

Pantalone barely regards the charred corpse in the servant’s quarters. According to the doctor, Myshkin had succumbed to her wounds shortly before his arrival.

In the end, she paid back her debt in blood.

Not a sound can be heard from his darling’s room.

He unlocks the door. Warm light spills into the dark room, highlighting the figure chained to the bed.

His precious jewel has never looked more pitiful. Her ears lay flat against her head and her tail is tucked between her legs. There are tearstains on her face.

Her Vision is on the floor. He wonders if it was her or the servants who had thrown it.

“You’re back.” She looks up, a fresh wave of tears trickling down her cheeks. “It was an…I didn’t mean to! I just…”

“Shh, I know.” He presses his handkerchief against her cheek. “They told me what happened. We couldn’t have predicted that your Vision would cause such a disaster.”

Her voice comes out in choked sobs. “It is my fault. I caught her…I was angry but she didn’t deserve—I can still hear her screams. What will I do?”

No friction burns or signs that she struggled against the shackles. Pantalone frees her wrists and hugs her.

“It is all right,” he whispers. “I will take care of everything.”

Another sniffle. She buries her face into his coat, soaking the fabric with her tears.

“I am more concerned about you,” he continues. He breaks off the hug and looks her in the eye. “My love, how are you feeling? It must have been such a difficult experience for you. If you need anything, just tell me.”

For a moment, his darling only stares at him with glassy eyes. Then she shakes her head and holds his hand, gripping it so tightly that her nails dig into his gloves.

“Stay,” she pleads. Her tail wraps around his wrist. “Please, I…just don’t leave me.”

Pantalone kisses her hand, a kind smile gracing his face. “I promise.”

vi. diabolic waltz

Myshkin’s death is covered up as a furnace accident. The false notice is sent to her relatives, along with a large sum of Mora for financial aid.

It is the least the Regrator could do for a desolate family.

His darling moves back to their bedroom. She spends the majority of the first night crying in his arms and seeking out his comfort. The next morning, she meekly accepts the Nilotpala lotus pendant and Sango pearls he had bought back from the pawnshop. The subsequent days are filled with silent apologies and thank you’s.

A week after the incident, she leaves their room to visit his private office.

“Are you still working?”

Pantalone looks up from his report. “This can wait. Do you need anything, my darling?”

“Not at the moment.” She stands in front of his desk, tail tucked between her legs. She is wearing only her nightdress and collar today. “Take this.”

She places her Vision on his desk.

He reacts with a carefully crafted frown. “______, why are you giving this to me? I believe you know the risks of losing a Vision.”

“I am better off without it,” she mutters. She pushes it into his hands. “It has always been wasted on me. You deserve to have it.”

In the end, fire is just another illusion. Despite the light it offers, it can only consume.

Pantalone lifts it up to the window. The Pyro Vision is brighter than any false star in the sky. He can feel its powerful warmth through his gloves.

The gifts of the gods, now in his grasp. But there is a far greater treasure standing before him.

He sets it aside. “I will take good care of it, then.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” His darling moves closer to him, tail raised. “You’ve done so much for me. I will do whatever it takes to repay the favor.”

Pantalone smiles at her and leaves his desk. “You only need to stay by my side. Though, I would not be opposed to other modes of payment.”

She nods and walks into his embrace.

⬩◈⬩

“I have a new gift for you.”

“Another one?”

His darling frowns at the package. “You know how I feel about your gifts. Just being with you is already enough.”

“Think of it as a gift for myself, then.” Pantalone pats her head, ruffling her ears. “I do enjoy spoiling my beloved pet.”

She purrs and hugs him again. “Fine, all right. That just means more cuddles for you.”

His precious jewel has shattered. She is much more affectionate nowadays.

The servants finish unpacking the phonograph. They pull back the curtains and leave the room.

______ regards it with curious eyes. “A Witch’s Chorus. What sort of music does it play?”

“Why don’t we find out?”

Pantalone places the record on the turntable and flips the power switch. The instrument begins to play a slow, festive orchestral arrangement.

Her ears prick forward. “This…it sounds familiar. Where did I last hear it?”

“Quite nostalgic, isn’t it? It is the musical score from our first dance.”

“That explains it.” She turns to face him, eyes shining brightly. “It was a waltz. How could I forget?”

The fire in her eyes has been completely extinguished. Though her gaze never fails to light up at any mention of their lost memories together.

Pantalone holds out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Her hand feels soft in his grip. “It would be my pleasure.”

No red threads this time. His darling follows his lead, a peaceful smile on her face. During the final spin, she is quick to return to his grasp.

“Pantalone?”

“Yes, my darling?”

She meets his gaze.

“I love you.”

Pantalone almost stumbles. He stops in the middle of the dance floor.

It is difficult to hide his surprise. “Please repeat that.”

“I love you.” She says it clearly, still holding his gaze. Her expression becomes anxious. “Is there…something wrong with how I said it?”

He never imagined that those words could be said to him with such utmost sincerity.

Pantalone only laughs and resumes the waltz. At this point, they are dancing off-beat to the music but there is no crowd to judge them. Only the stars visible through the windows, twinkling across the sky like unfathomable jewels.

“No, it was perfect. You just caught me off-guard,” he admits. He smiles, pulling her closer. “I love you too.”

♡

Read the Author’s Note here!!

It is done……I am finally free from this fic. I never want to see Pantalone’s pretty face ever again. This greedy man rlly made me write a two-part fic that was longer than Herbarium and Fairytale combined  (੭ ˃̣̣̥ ㅂ˂̣̣̥)੭ु

 I hope you all enjoyed the Regrator’s twisted love story. I hope you all liked my yandere characterization of him. I hope you all suffer from brainrot while I get some rest and question my life choices. Thank you for reading and have a lovely day, everyone <3

[lost-between-letters]

Nap Time

Pairing: Stanford!Sam Winchester X Reader (she/her)

Requested by: @this-is-me19

Word Count: 862

Warnings: none

Summary: long study sessions led to exhaustion, everyone knew that. What else could help better than a little nap?

A/N: finally a Sam fic!! Oh how I missed him, I'm so giddy right now aaahh

"I think the letters are dancing," Sam said flatly and rubbed his eyes. A few wayward hairs fell into his forward as he did so.

They had been at it for the last few hours now, researching an old case for their class. Y/N had to admire the methodic way with which Sam did the research. It was almost like he had been doing this all his life.

But it was still exhausting as hell. "Maybe they're practicing for a performance?"

Sam snorted. "Entirely possible. This doesn't make sense anymore."

She nodded in shared agony and closed her book for the moment. A break was inevitable by now.

"Any smart technique to make the words stop mocking us?" Sam asked, half joking, half honest hoping for a cure.

"We could…take a nap together?" Y/N said. Shrugged as she untangled her legs from being crossed so long. Damn, there had to be ants under her skin somewhere.

Sam's face suggested that she might as well had offered him her hand in marriage. Jesus, this guy didn't get action at all - that much was obvious. Or, well, didn't know that he could. Y/N had more than one group of people fawn over the boy next to her. "I'm sorry, what?"

If it wasn't for Sam's cute face, she might have actually been offended. Lucky for the guy, his scrunched up forehead added to the charm instead of taking it away.

Yeah, Y/N was crushing on her study buddy, what about it? He didn't have to know and it wasn't like she wasn't physically affectionate with all her friends. The very fact that they were using her bed rather than the shitty sofa to hang out on should have been proof enough.

That gave her the confidence to push Sam's books out of the way and grab a blanket to spread over his thighs instead. "You clearly aren't getting anything into your head until you give it a break. Trust me on this, I've been there. Just relax and take the damn blanket."

Sam stared some more. Maybe to prove a point. Y/N didn't know who to. Then, he sighed and leaned back, head tipped against the wall. "Fine."

"Cool," she said. Then, "scoot over."

Once again, she was rewarded with his puzzled gaze. One could think that that boy got into college with sheer luck from the denseness with which he was handling this. But Y/N had heard him discuss in class. Sam deserved his scholarship more than anyone else and he knew how to prove that.

Well, most of the time.

Y/N sighed. "I said we'd nap together, didn't I?"

"Well yes but-" he gestured to the blanket over his knees and the shrinking space between them, "-I didn't think you meant it together*"

Oh.

"If you don't want to, you can just tell me, and I'll back off." Y/N did just that while speaking. The last thing she wanted, was to make Sam uncomfortable. Shit, she had worked so hard to gain his trust.

Only that a large hand on her knee stopped her. It wasn't remotely restricting but it was evidently there.

"No. Let's take a nap together." And once Sam Winchester had made up his mind about something, he stuck to his guns.

So it shouldn't have surprised her when the hand was followed suit by his other arm wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her closer. It was awkward, the half tugging, half repositioning them both - so awkward that for a brief moment, Y/N regretted ever mentioning it.

But then, they were lying down, Sam's left hand resting on her back, careful not to touch dangerous territory, Y/N's pressed between them and on his chest. She could feel his heart beat in his ribcage where her own chest was pressed against. It was slow and steady. Again, not what Y/N had expected from his earlier behaviour. But it helped to calm her own fluttering heart.

"Is this okay?" Sam whispered into the loud silence.

Y/N listened into it, then herself. "I think so."

"Should I set an alarm?"

Oh right, they were on a schedule. Papers were a bitch.

She sighed again. "Probably."

Sam moved around a bit more but Y/N didn't bother opening her eyes for that. Eventually, he settled back down, pulled the blanket higher up with him and suddenly everything was more comfortable now.

"I gave us two hours," he murmured and rolled to his side.

She stayed on her back and guided his head until it was resting just above her sternum. This was exactly what she had thought it would be like.

Only that she hadn't anticipated herself being brave enough to actually take it. Sleep deprivation had to be good for something, right?

Sam breathed out that kind of breath that loosened up the muscles in your head to lower back, that spoke of a few stressful days. But also of an oasis of peace. "Sleep well, Y/N."

"You too." She carded her hand through his hair long after his body had grown heavy with sleep.

Forty five minutes before the alarm was supposed to go off, Y/N finally drifted off.

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