#apologies for this appearing in the tag but i have to protect my followers who don't want to see aubreyad content

[quatregats]

Not me being way too excited anything happens in Boston/New England in these books, literally I know we’re on the wrong side here but I Don’t Care

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Winter's King 22

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, cheating, violence, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You are a maid to the Duke of Debray, a lord of the Summer Kingdom. That is, until the king of Winter appears with his particular air of coldness. (Medieval AU)

Characters: Geralt of Rivia

Note: this week isn't going great but we're hoping.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You peer up at the silhouettes of the vultures perched on the peaks of the castle. Your return is met by a clear sky as the snows recede to crawling clouds across the slate expanse. The king lets you down outside the stables before he walks the horse within. 

You stand just inside the doorway, outside the gathering winds that whistle through the passes and hidden crevices of the mountain. You hug yourself, shivering endlessly as you struggle to chase the cold from your bones. Once the chill creeps in it is near impossible to expel. 

King Geralt’s rocky voice carries through the stable as he speaks to Roach. You glance over as another mount huffs and gives an impatient whinny. You slip further inside, letting the door shut completely. You trod along the edge of the aisle and turn down the next row. There you find Daisy’s speckled nose. 

“Oh, girl,” you greet her softly and untangle a mat in her mane, “there you are.” 

She sniffs you as you pet her neck. She nuzzles the collar of your cloak and you feel along the thick tendons beneath her fine hair. There is comfort in her familiarity. You long to stay there with the horses. You belong more than you do in the king’s chambers. 

“Treasure...” he calls for you as you still and keep your hand on Daisy. He speaks your name next as you hear his footfalls march down the next row, harrying faster with each step. The door swings in then clatters back against the frame as Daisy knicks. “Little maid?” 

You pat Daisy’s nose and retreat. You shuffle to the front and turn to follow the wall, “your highness.” 

King Geralt backs out of the doorway and it snaps shut with the wind. His eyes blaze a moment before they dim. He pushes his gloves over his hair, stray strands puffing out around his hairline. 

“There you are. I worried you might have blown away,” he steadies his timbre. Was he truly afraid? Did he think you would try to escape? 

“Apologies, I was checking on Sir Bryce’s mount,” you explain. 

“Bryce, yes,” he reaches for you and takes your hand, “he has kept you safe, has he?” 

You nod, “he is a good man.” 

The king’s cheek ticks, “he is my man. He only does as I bid. I commanded him to see after you. Me.” 

You take a breath and bow your head, “certainly, I know so, your highness. Thank you for your protection.” 

“Do you see, so long as you are close to me, you won’t need to fear,” he girds. 

For so long as he keeps you close, you will only be afraid. You will fear him, you will fear his courtiers and his enemies, and you will fear the day he no long wants you near. Every flame must burn itself out and every flame will singe those who get too close. 

“Yes, your highness,” you answer and look up at him again, his eyes glimmering, “Geralt.” 

Your voice shakes, with more than just the cold, and you let the shiver spread through you. The king brings a hand to your chin and brushes his leather glove against your cheek. He draws you into him, holding you again his chest. 

“I forget, my summer treasure, the cold is new to you,” he embraces you and bends to speak against your hat, “we must warm you before an ague might creep in.” 

He lets you free reluctantly and grips your hand instead. He takes you out of the stable and towards the rear entrance of the castle. You slip in the snow, keeping you footing only for his hold on you. He stops and turns to you, tugging you near as your feet kick through the powder. 

He sweeps you up in his arms without effort. He is strong and holds you across his body, cradling you as he stalks to the door. You wriggle as angles to hook two fingers through the loop and hauls open the door around you. He sidles inside and turns you, bidding you to pull the door shut. You obey and close you both in dim unlit corridor. 

“Thank you, your highness,” you pat his chest lightly, “will you let me down?” 

“I don’t mind. You are hardly a burden,” he grits. “Having you in my arms has me feeling much lighter.” 

You drag your hand to his shoulder and squeeze through the layers, “but what if someone should happen upon us?” 

He’s quiet. He keeps you aloft, shifting one way then the other, peering up and down the darkness. 

“And what if they did?” He asks. 

It’s your turn to be silent. 

“I am king, what should they do, treasure?” 

You fidget and pull your hand away from him. 

“You speak true, your highness. You are the king, you may do as you will.” 

He sighs and his chest heaves against you. He clicks his tongue and slowly shifts you down until your feet meet the floor. As he straightens, he drags his touch over your figure, his hand delving between cloak and dress. 

“You fret very much,” he rebukes, “though I suppose caution is wise.” 

“I think of you, of your reputation as king,” you assure him, “I wouldn’t want to tarnish your name. I serve the crown and I wouldn’t bring shame to it.” 

“Shame?” He snarls, “never.” 

He hooks his arm around you and spreads his hand across the back of your head. He pulls you into him and kisses your forehead as you tremble. He holds you like that for a moment before he parts.  

“We must warm you,” he proclaims, “this way, treasure.” 

He nudges you along with him. You follow his footsteps down the corridor, towards the lantern light that light the main ways. He takes you through the castle without pause, not tarrying for soldier or lord alike, though few appear in the halls. It is much too cold to leave their hearths. 

You climb upward and he leads you to the winding tower. He let you up ahead of him as he holds the door. He touches your lower back through the cloak. 

“You will wait for me. I have some matters to attend to,” he says, “it shouldn’t be very long at all.” He trails up your back, sending a flash of heat through you, “sit close to the hearth.” 

“Yes, your highness,” you dip your head and press on, ascending as you lift the hem of your cloak and dress over your feet. 

The lower door shuts only as the hinges at the top whine at your entrance. You close the chamber door and look around the space. The hearth burns still, fed by servants at intervals, and the lantern on the table shines through the steel slats that shade its flame. 

You remove the cloak and hang it from an iron hook. You sit in the chair and strip off the hat, mittens, boots, and stockings; You leave the damp layers nears the hearth and lower yourself before the flames. You close your eyes and hang your head forward. You could sleep then and there. 

Your peace doesn’t last very long. You raise your head as you hear someone on the stairs. You stand, readying yourself to face the king, but instead are met by a pair of pinch-faced maids. The resident servants carry steaming vessels and cross to the tub stood to the other side of the bed. They pour the water into the thick wooden walls and retreat without a word. 

You spin and fold your arms. You’re taken back to the day it was you and Merinda filling a tub. Before everything became so muddled. A simple existence where you knew exactly what was expected of you.  

Your heart rents when you think of your estranged companion. Merinda would know what to say. She could ease your fears, she always knew how. Ever since she came Debray, she always kept you from worry. Without her, you are lost. You only wish you’d realised then all she was to you. You were more than just maids, you were friends. 

You stare at the cinders beneath the licking flames. You don’t look again as the servants come upon their second trip, and a third, and a fourth... anon and anon until the chamber thickens with the steam of the tub. You daren’t remind yourself again how much you’ve lost; how much you didn’t even know you had to lose. 

You’re left in silence, facing the fire. The winds batter the tower from outside and the shuttered windows rattle. Heavy steps come up the winding staircase and you know without looking who enters behind you. The king’s sigh confirms your assumption. 

“The water will ease the cold,” he says as the door shuts, “and the aches of the road.” 

You shift so your stand sideways to him, “thank you, your highness.” You swallow and cough out the lump in your throat, “Geralt.” 

He hums at your correction. You stand still as he moves around the chamber. He unbuckles his cloak and hangs it next to the one he gifted you. Then he nears to remove his gloves and boots, lining them up before the burning fireplace. As he stands straight, he faces you. 

“You should bathe. The water is hot,” he says. 

“Thank you,” you nod and reach behind your nape to untie the single lace of your dress, “so I should.” 

You whisk away from him, pacing towards the tub as your hands clash clumsily. The thought of undressing before him makes you numb. You stop as the steam plume around you and drop your arms. You can’t get a grasp on the fabric. You grip the edge of the tub and stare into the water. 

“You needn’t be meek,” you hear the subtle creak of his leather coat as he removes it. You peek over as he drapes it over a wooden chair. “The cold is dangerous for summerborn, you shouldn’t let it get too deep.” 

You can't. You're trying to find the will. You think of all you've done. Faced the Duke and his clan, travelled to the capital, the  to hinterlands, you've done it all without doubt, but the layers of fabric are too heavy a task. 

You flinch as you feel a tickle along your side. You push away from the tub, dropping your arms as he king bends behind you. He raises the hem of your dress and the air is crushed from your chest. You serve, you obey, and the king’s will is plain. 

You lift your arms as he strips the dress up your body and over your head. He swipes it towards the bed as your shift rumples at your hips, the unhemmed edge along your thighs. He steps even closer as he curls his fingers around the undyed linen.  

You keep your arms up as he guides the fabric higher. He keeps his thumbs hooked in the cloth and turns his hands so his fingertips brush your shape. Bumps bristle over your skin and have you even colder than before. You quake as the linen blinds you for just a moment and in another, you're naked.  

Your shift flaps through the air to land on your dress. The king's breath wisps out through his tight chest and he frames your hips with his large hands. He's shaking too. 

He draws away slowly and you feel a rustle against you. You stand frozen as he undresses at your back. Don’t look, you can’t look. If you look, it’s real. If you look, it’s over. His clothes pile at his feet as he shifts you gasp as he presses his hot body flush to yours. 

He brings his hands up your arms and along your neck. He frames your head and kisses your crown, his thumb toying with a shank of your uneven hair. You bite down as he urges you closer to the tub.  

You move without without resistance, one leg over the edge then the other. He follows, thick legs plunging into the roiling water. He keeps you snug to him as he lowers himself, easing you atop him. You rest over him and his need makes itself known between you. You stare at the stone wall and steel yourself, the water adding fire to the ice inside of you. 

He exhales as he relaxes under you, letting his hands crawl over your stomach and hips, feeling every inch of you. From the crook of your neck to your thighs. He smears water over your face as he touches your cheeks and traces your jaw. He quivers as snarling breaths escape him. 

“This is how it should be, treasure,” he wraps his hands around yours and folds your arms, resting his clutches over your chest. “I suppose you’ve never heard the tale of Cerill and Wynifred.” 

You stare at his knuckles, the hair that trims his rough flesh, the grip in his paled joints. 

“Never,” you assure him. 

“Cerill was a warrior. A loyal soldier. A man who served his king with all his being. He was knighted on a battlefield. Once a stablehand, then a hero. The king, Fazon, he had a wife, Wynifred. A queen who was kind and sweet. They were ill-matched for every misfortune he aimed at her, rather than its true crux,” he regales you as his voice fills the chamber, wafting with the steam. 

“But she was obedient. She lived by her vows. For years. But she was mortal as any woman might be and the cruelty of her husband weakened her. And Lord Cerill was valiant and strong and gentle. Everything her husband was not. How could she restrain herself from the comfort he offered? Neither meant to betray their king but some things, some forces, are strong than those writ by men and their quills.” 

You listen, certain of the purpose of his telling. You are not legendary lovers, you are not lost to wives’ tales and children’s stories, you are here, you are alive, and there is nothing fantastical about any of it. He might believe whatever but you haven’t that luxury. He will not hear the doubts, you will feel them. 

“And what happened to them?” You ask with foreboding. There are stories similar in the summerlands; of pages and their masters’ wives or daughters. 

“Yes, well, we know of them because they were found out, I suppose. They knew they would not evade the king’s vengeance but they refused to bend to it. So, they fled into the forest and found a sacred root. That plant is meant for the sickly, to ease their end. They consumed it together and died in each others’ arms. Just as they were found.” 

You lay in silence. The forbidden love hardly tweaks at your heart, but more, you tremble to think of the king’s wrath. Of how a king might wrought his temper upon any and all. Even a wife, even a knight. It is no romantic tragedy; it is a lesson in the power of men. 

“Apologies it is not a happier conclusion,” he says. 

“The stories are never very happy,” you murmur. Or the truth. 

He hums as squeezes your hands. The water is still as you lie in his mercy. This cannot last. Just as in his story, there will only be pain. 

As if to confirm your unspoken dread, a knock sounds on the door. The king jerks, the water sloshing around him as he sits you up with him. 

“Geralt, King of Rivia and the Hinterlands,” the growl cuts through meanly, “come rule your people!” 

[animeyanderelover]

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, overprotective behavior, jealousy, paranoia, abduction, violence, death

Tags: @saiyara05 @shellofthewell

Words: 8.1k

The CEO and her bodyguard Pt.2

Pt.1

Months flew by faster than he had expected as he grew familiar with his duties as well as the people around him. It wasn't quite as boring as he had initially assumed. He wouldn't complain about it obviously, not with the amount of money he earned every month by following you and successfully intimidating about everybody that crossed his path.

It wasn't like he had much action within the job besides glaring at someone when they got a bit aggressive or irritated with you, something he had started doing when Yukimaru Aki had told him that no one was allowed to disrespect you or question your position as the CEO. As much as the little lady was bickering with you daily, she genuinely cared about you. Sone Kazuma wasn't much different as Toji had quickly realized. Both of your closest friends and assistants were more shady than what they initially appeared to be like and it was all done for your protection and reputation.

The most entertaining part about his job was actually watching you three who honestly appeared sometimes more like a trio of comedians than three of the most influential figures in Japan with your company. So whilst he wasn't able to beat anyone up as you usually were against any form of violence due to only minor incidents, he at least got a good laugh out of watching Sone, Yukimura and you at times. He had some memories he dared to title as fond since they had managed to elicit a chuckle out of him or had pleasantly surprised him.

~~~

His head was leaning back as he stared at the wall of the room, your gibberish white noise as he tried to somehow survive the sheer boredom of the presentation you were currently presenting to a few of higher-ranked members of your company. A presentation with fucking 39 foils plastered with statistics, charts and numbers. Aki had helped you putting everything together as she had essentially imprisoned you in your apartment for hours the last few weeks, discussing and planning everything with you.

Initially he had seriously thought that you couldn't do it as you had whined and begged and protested for her to let you off the hook because the both of you had still time but your best friend had remained firm in her decision. But in this moment you were doing surprisingly well, looking professional as you stood in front of the long table and had memorized everything that was written on the foils. You appeared to be in your flow as you fluently explained everything and suggested changes and adjustments for the feature. You almost looked like a different person.

Until suddenly someone stormed through the door, panting and gasping for breath, her cheeks flushed red as she sputtered out some apologies before flopping down onto her chair as Sone, who just happened to sit next to her, offered her a bottle of water. The younger woman wheezed out a "thank you" before taking a few gulps of the water. And just like that your focused appearance vanished into thin air as a grin stretched your face.

"Midori-chan! You came? Does that mean that...?" You didn't finish your question but he could see that you were slightly bouncing on your heels as you giddily looked at her with expecting eyes. She gave you a nod as a grin also broke free on her face.

"I'm officially an aunt now."

"Oh my god! Congratulations! What's his name? Is your brother fine? Is your sister-in-law alright? Is it really alright for you to be already here? I wouldn't have minded if you would have just taken the day off to spend some time with your little nephew! Tell me everything!" You rambled excitedly as you walked quickly over to her and grabbed her hands in your own, your eyes sparkling with joy and happiness. Midori on the other hand seemed a tiny bit flustered with your sudden intimacy and the onslaught of questions but she most likely didn't say anything because you were her boss.

"Both are doing fine. They're just a bit exhausted from everything. His name is Hayato." She answered you, the sheer brightness of your eyes almost overhwelming her as she averted her eyes elsewhere.

"I'm so happy for you. What does he look like? Do you have pictures? Please tell me that you have pictures of him. Can I see them if you a few? Can I-"

Aki suddenly loudly cleared her throat as he interrupted your happy ramble and adjusted her glasses.

"As happy as I am also for Midori-san, I think you're forgetting that we're in the middle of a meeting here, (y/n). You can interrogate her all you want after we are finished with this presentation. We're only halfway done." She reminded you with a dry yet sharp voice that made your shoulders lift up as a look of discontent deformed your face. It was obvious what you would have rather done right now but then your shoulders sagged in defeat as you plodded back to the front of the room.

You opened your mouth as Aki switched over to foil no. 21 yet nothing came out as you suddenly furrowed your eyebrows, wrinkles appearing on your forehead as your eyes were focused on the ground. Aki gave you a slightly confused look that morphed into a look of horror when you lifted your head and gave her an apologetic and bright smile.

"I forgot what I was supposed to say, Aki-chan."

A collective groan echoed through the room as Aki pinched the bridge of her nose, her nostrils flaring as she released a deep breath through them.

"Can we like...start over from the beginning? Because that's the only part I remember. I'm sure that it'll come back to me whilst I'm talking about what I recall. Midori has missed half of the presentation anyways."

Your suggestion was spoken with a tad bit of guilt and embarrassment audible in your voice as you gave everyone a sheepish grin whilst scratching your cheek. You braced yourself for a few scathing comments from Aki's side but instead a deep chuckle cut through the groans of your workers and you turned astonished around only to find your bodyguard leaning back in his chair, failing to hold his laughter in.

~~~

In hindsight he probably shouldn't have laughed because the mood of the room hadn't exactly called for it and Aki had given him her infamous death stare when she had caught him laughing. It had been the combination of everyone's tired and done faces, Aki's twitching brow and your sheepish face that had suddenly caused him to to splutter. All heads had turned around to him as he had quickly attempted to hide his laughter behind coughs. When his green eyes had met yours though, he remembered being sort of surprised to see you actually smiling at him as if happy to see him laughing.

He even remembered that within two days after this conference, you had woken him up by ringing his door bell persistently in the early morning.

~~~

He hadn't exactly been able to guess beforehand who it was that dared to knock on his door at such a godforsaken hour but when he opened it and saw you standing there with the same apologetic grin he often saw you giving others when your airheaded behavior got in the way, he couldn't bring himself to be surprised.

"Good morning, Fushiguro-san! Have I interrupted you?"

He leaned against the door frame as his green eyes locked onto the package you tried to hide behind your back. That combined with the impatient and eager spark in your eyes despite your somewhat guilty grin told him that you had something for him and in typical (y/n)-fashion you couldn't wait until his shift started and you would see him for over half of the day anyways.

"Just get it over with quickly. I'm trying to get some sleep."

You tilted your head rather adorably before glancing outside the window.

"Have you been up late again? I mean, it isn't any of my business. What you do with your time after I'm in my apartment and don't have to go outside anymore isn't of my concern because that is your free time. I just want to kindly remind you that in 2 hours I have to go back to work which means that you have to get back up by then too. I don't care too much personally but Aki will probably chew you up if you're sloppy in your job to protect me."

You were rambling again and Toji was absolutely not in the mood to hear it. Not when he was tired and lost money when he had been out to gamble a bit. He still had more than enough left of course but it had irritated him nevertheless. So instead he suddenly grabbed the package you were hiding behind your back and ripped it out of your hold.

"Hey!" You yelled before quickly covering your mouth as you remembered that Aki was inhabiting the apartment right next to Toji's. You glanced somewhat scared over at the door leading to Aki's apartment, ready to dash away if she should have woken up because both of you knew that she wouldn't take it well if she would find the both of you still awake instead of sleeping and getting some rest. When a minute passed by and nothing happened, you relaxed a bit.

"That was supposed to be a surprise for you. You're such a fun killer." You now whispered to him in a hushed down, pouting and glaring at him cutely that he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"You're quite bad at hiding a surprise if you shouldn't have known that already." He whispered back, playing around with the package in the palms of his hands.

"At least open it then. I want to see if you like it." You replied, gesturing at the package to urge him to open it. He shook it a bit in his hands as he couldn't help but question what you had bought in what had most likely been a sudden and unstoppable impulse of yours. The package was quickly torn open and you eagerly gauged his face as he saw what was inside. He arched one of his brows before looking at you.

"Seriously?"

"Well, you always look quite bored when we have a meeting. I understand that, I also feel that way. Unfortunately your job is to protect me and my job is being the CEO which also includes all those conferences. Since it isn't your job to actually listen to what I have to talk about during such meetings though, I thought buying you one of those might keep you entertained at least a bit. I also bought a couple of games you can play. Some of them aren't even available yet."

You explained in hushed giddiness as he pulled out the Nintende DS you had purchased for him. He remembered vaguely some adds he had seen about it as it was a very new and portable device. There were also some games inside the box that he could play with this thing. Now, he wasn't quite sure how to feel about this but he also knew better than to tell you straight in your face that he didn't know what to do with a Nintendo.

"Do you not like it?" He had perhaps remained quiet for a few seconds too long which gave him away to you.

"Let's just say that this isn’t what I was expecting to receive from my boss at such an early hour. I must admit, I’ve never really played much before.”

“But I thought you liked gambling!” You exclaimed confused before remembering that you had to keep quiet in order for Aki not to hear you. Toji gave you a weird look when you said that before he huffed out some air, somewhat amused by your statement.

"That's not the same, you know?" He told you after a few moments where he was thinking about what to say. He knew what Aki thought about his gambling habits and he knew that even Sone-san, despite being much more respectful and calmer about it than Aki was, also wasn't a big fan of it. He didn't know how you felt about gambling though.

"I know that of course. But seriously, isn't this the healthier option? You can still waste hours of your day doing something that won't do anyone any good, not even you, but at least you don't spend huge amounts of money on something that has only a little chance of earning you money anyways. You won't lose any money playing some games on a Nintendo. Can you tell me what the appeal in gambling is?"

You were genuinely curious as you looked at him and perhaps it was this look that you gave him that actually managed to overwhelm him for a short moment. You weren't really judging but instead asking him why he gambled as often as he did. And for the first time, he couldn't find a good reply. At least not one that every other person addicted to something would give you. "It's...just fun, alright? " He answered you after a while, although even you caught on to the slight hesitation in his voice.

You gave him a very long observant look as if searching for something in his body language or facial expression before you sighed and nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Well, I don't really care what you do in your free time as long as you do your job. Do not gamble in my presence though." "Weren't you gambling too the first time we met? Or is it alright for you if you gamble because you have enough money to waste?" Toji scoffed as he referred to the first time you had met him in the izakaya.

"That's true I guess... It was a one-time-thing though, understood? I won't do something like this again. I just...had some stuff on my mind back then." You spoke after a few seconds as if you had also been searching for a good enough answer to justify your participation in a small gamble without repeating what everyone addicted to gambling could have said too, although you still failed. Much like him. Then silence befell the both of you. Not the comfortable one, the awkward one where both of you grew slightly uncomfortable.

Toji didn't even know why he of all people suddenly felt so weird, so much aware of any blink he did with his eyes around you. He wasn't used to it so he was the first one to decide to end this conversation. "Thanks for the gift then." He finally said as he turned around in the doorframe and felt briefly embarrassed when he repeated his own words in his head and wondered if he could have said something that would have sounded better. He didn't even know what else he could have said but somehow the gnawing feeling in the back of his mind didn't want to leave him alone.

"See you in about 2 hours then." You muttered awkwardly as you turned around and walked towards the elevator. You turned one last time to wave him temporarily goodbye before you realized that he had already closed the door to his apartment.

"Well, that was weird." You muttered to yourself as you pulled out your key to enable the lift to reach the 4th floor.

~~~

"Furukawa-san, please calm down and have a seat." You said with a painfully forced amicable smile as you made some appeasing movements with your hands in hopes of calming the older man down.

It wasn't hard to see that you were slowly reaching the end of your patience though and Toji had to admire you for even holding out for as long as he did. He knew for sure that he would have snapped minutes ago with the bitter and entitled attitude the businessman was giving you as if forgetting that between the two of you, you were definitely the financially more successful CEO by a long shot.

He had been arguing with you for a while now about a contract you had crafted for a cooperation between your company and his smaller and insignificant one. He wasn't satisfied, wanted to play a bigger part within your company.

"I understand your frustration but your business has only been existing for a few years now. Frankly spoken, I fear you still lack a bit of experience in this business so I think it's better for you to learn a bit more about how to handle your own company before I assign you a bigger role." You told The older man, barely able to swallow the annoyed sigh back that desperately wanted to be let out whilst you were enduring his angry rants.

Toji was sitting on the couch in your office in the main building of the company in Tokyo, only focusing half-heartedly on the Nintendo as he constantly glanced at you and Furukawa-san, his eyes narrowing the more he heard him arguing stubbornly back at you, ignoring your logical approach to his discontent. Couldn't that old geezer just shut the fuck up? His jarring voice was giving Toji and probably even you a headache by now.

"Furukawa-san, you're not looking at this from a logical point of view. You can't expect me to put someone who has so little experience in handling a company to a higher-ranking position just li-"

"I do not have to listen to someone younger than me berating me like this! Especially not to someone who just one day conveniently appeared after the death of the previous CEO and his father and took over the company just like this! That's quite suspicious, wouldn't you agree?"

You didn't have enough time to even feel the anger making your blood boil as he accused you as bluntly as he did. No, instead both of you heard a sudden slam as Toji snapped the Nintendo closed and stood up from the couch as if the insult directed at you had struck the wrong cord in him and not you. All of a sudden there was a shift in the atmosphere as it felt heavy and oppressive, for Furukawa more than for you as his angry expression quickly dropped when Toji took a few huge strides to him before shamelessly towering over the smaller man.

"Wanne repeat that again?" He asked in a sneering tone as green eyes looked down on him as if he was a mere piece of trash laying uselessly on the ground somewhere. Furukawa's mouth went dry instantly as he stared at your bodyguard who so far had spent the entire time playing some games on the Nintendo you had gifted him. He nearly jumped up when Toji pressed a hand on his shoulder and applied a bit of pressure. His legs instantly gave up under him as Toji forced him to sit down again.

"Stop acting like a little brat. You ain't shit here, your age must have made you already quite a bit senile, hmm? Show some fucking respect to her because between the both of you, she is the one who makes all of the decisions. She's important, you are not. So stop acting like you're anything special because you are replacable to her. Be grateful that she even made time for you in the first place."

He'd gone visibly pale in his face and all he could manage to do was a weak nod, his whole body rigid. You gave Toji an appreciative nod as he continued standing behind Furukawa, glaring down at him. When you realized that he actually intended to stay there, you dismissed him with a wave of your hands.

"Fushiguro-san, that's enough. I think our dear Furukawa-san here has received his reality check. You're going to give the poor man a panic attack if you continue glaring at him like this."

For a moment Toji's gaze met yours as if telling you that such behavior wasn't enough before he let out a "tch" and stuffed his hands in the pocket of his trousers before flopping back down on the couch, resuming the game on the Nintendo. You could still see how he was glaring sharply every once in a while at Furukawa.

"So, Furukawa-san..." You began again, your voice snapping the older man only partially out of his tensed position.

"Let's talk about our contract again, alright?"

~~~

"That turned out easier than expected." You told him as you were putting on your jacket, about to leave your office. Toji was leaning against the wall on the other side, watching you as you stuffed everything into your handbag. You glanced shortly at your watch and let out a thoughtful hum. "I actually have time left. You really intimidated Furukawa-san for good. The poor guy just agreed blindly to everything I suggested. I appreciate your help of course but can you try to be a little bit less intense?"

Toji rolled his eyes at your words. "So now I'm being scolded for doing my job too good? It really is quite difficult to please Yukimaru and you." He told you, although at least he didn't seem to be deeply offended by your words. "I only did what Yukimaru asked of me. Complain to her, not me."

"I am aware of what Aki-chan told you but I didn't expect you to react quite as...well, ferocious as you did today. I mean, don't you think that you were overdoing it a bit? There isn't much use in me negotiating with partners if all they do is agree with everything I say. It takes a bit of fun out of it, although Furukawa-san definitely was a pain in the ass today."

You grinned when your last sentence elicited a light chuckle out of Toji as he trailed lazily behind you the moment you left your office and finished your work for the night.

"Hey, how about going out for a drink? I still have time and don't really want to go back home already." You abruptly asked him as both of you stepped into the lift and you pressed the button for the first floor.

"Don't really have a choice, do I? My working day only really ends when you're back in your apartment so as long as you're still outside, I can't really leave your side." He answered, although he definitely wouldn't mind going out for a bit. He had been stuck the entire day in your office, dealing with more or less tolerable people whilst playing some games on the Nintendo you had gifted him.

"That's right, I guess. Well, just means that I don't have to worry about anyone or anything as long as I have you with me." You replied with a slightly flustered grin as if just remembering that there had been very specific rules in his contract that he had to follow as your bodyguard. Your words caught him off-guard and he didn't know why. He glanced briefly over to you, gauging your expression as if trying to detect any dishonesty on your face. When he didn't find any and realized that you were actually being honest and had just given him a compliment, his eyes shifted to the buttons in the elevator as he sensed a weird warm sensation somewhere in his chest.

"How about going to that izakaya again?" You asked him as both of you left the huge building as every other worker on the first floor bowed down to you and wished you a pleasant night and you did your best to bow your head to all of them and thank them for working so well today.

That izakaya? What did that mean?

It seemed to be important to you and judging from the expectant look you had in your eyes, he realized that you assumed that he knew what you were talking about as well. All he could do was give you a surprisingly clueless and confused stare. A look of theatrical hurt crossed your face as you gasped shocked at him.

"You don't know what I mean, do you? How could you forget?" You spoke slightly dramatically as you placed a hand over your heart. It was only a playful gesture from your side but it bothered Toji much more than he had expected. Not your dramatic reaction but the fact that he had forgotten something that involved you. He was silently brainstorming for the memory that you meant by "that izakaya" but he had probably been to quite a lot izakayas in his life before which he couldn't even recall anymore. Had there ever been a special izakaya before in...

Oh. That's what you meant.

You snorted when you saw his face morph into one of realization as he finally understood to which izakaya you were referring to.

"Wow, seems like the gears finally started spinning. Took you long enough to remember. I'm talking about the izakaya where we first met, Fushiguro-san."

He narrowed his eyes but instead of glaring at you for laughing at him, he glared at the pathway beneath his feet as he silently strolled with you through the busy streets of Tokyo, the city bright with all the lights and adds from the buildings. He had forgotten, honestly he couldn't even remember very detailed what he had been doing with his life much before meeting you. He only vaguely remembered gambling a lot, accepting requests from others for the right amount of money, he remembered killing people for money. Only fleeting memories though, he couldn't even recall very well the faces of people who had hired him. But that wasn't the case with you, was it?

He started walking a bit slower when he realized that he could recall almost everyday he had spent with you more detailed than he could recall the almost last two years of his life. His eyes focused on the back of your head as you took the lead and walked through Tokyo in a good mood, heading for the izakaya. Had he been paying that much attention to you?

You tilted your head slightly to look at him and when your gazes met, he instinctively looked away. He didn't know why. But looking at you somehow only made him recall everything even more, flodded his mind with images of you laughing, pouting, goofing off and being silly.

"You don't have to feel bad for forgetting, you know? I didn't really expect you to remember."

What? What did that mean? Green eyes instantly shot up from the ground as a strange feeling took over him as he mulled over the words you had just told him. Unfortunately you didn't seem to have any intention of explaining yourself further as you walked on. Honestly, he had heard worse in his life, he had been treated worse in his life and nowadays he couldn't even be less bothered if anyone would try to get under his skin. So why...?

Why were your words bothering him so much?

You were a bit surprised when his steps suddenly quickened and he stood in front of you within an instance, forcing you to slow down and eventually fully stop. You were occasionally still amazed with how tall he was, especially since you would go as far as considering yourself quite tall in comparison to many other women in Japan. Now was one of those moments as you looked up at him, slightly confused as he was staring down at you with narrowed eyes as if you were a riddle he was desperately trying to solve.

"What do you mean?"

Hearing him speak so normally without any sneer, cockiness or slight annoyance came totally unexpectant and suddenly you found yourself being overtaken by awkwardness. You had never seen him quite as honest-looking as he was right now and you were taken aback by green eyes staring at you, silently wanting an answer from you.

"...What?"

It was the only thing you were able to blurt out as you were unable to tear your gaze away from Toji, your heart pounding in your chest due to his shift in attitude. Honestly, you wouldn't have been alarmed by anyone else acting this way. However, you couldn't help but be worried by Toji suddenly acting so out of character.

Before you could even grasp the situation, Toji seemed to snap out of it. It was if someone had just pulled him out of a trance. He blinked down at you as if he had just woken up from something before his face twisted into an unreadable mask that you couldn't fully decipher. He stepped out of your way, avoiding your own eyes vehemently. When he realized that you didn't move and were still standing there, looking at him with those eyes, he suddenly turned his back to you and walked on his own.

"Forget it." He muttered as he quickly moved to the izakaya. You stood there for a while, staring at his back as you were silently contemplating whether or not you should try to ask him about what had just happened. You could see though that he absolutely didn't want you to try to dig deeper so eventually you forced yourself to move and trail behind him.

~~~

Four glasses of beer and a plate of buttery and delicious tuna sashimi later and you were full. He'd accompanied you already a few times for a couple of drinks before so by now he kind of knew what was coming for him. Both of you had sat down on an empty lower table, the izakaya not nearly as full as it had been back when both of you had met for the first time.

"You probably shouldn't drink too much. Yukimaru will probably only scold you as soon as you get back to your apartment." He spoke as he watched you ordering another beer. You let out a tired and exhausted grumble as you rubbed your eyes.

"t's not my fault that I'm not built as you are. Sseriously, do you ever get drunk?" You slurred as you looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. Even if you tried to be serious right now, it was impossible for him to take you as such as he stared at your face. His eyes took in your hair, your eyes, your nose, your cheeks until they finally zoomed in on your lips...

"What are you lookin' at? my eyes are up 'ere." You spoke, your words snapping him for the second time tonight out of a daze. What was wrong with him?

"...'ey, anser ma question. What's your secret behind not getting drunk?" You repeated yourself, a pout on your lips as you snapped your fingers in front of his face as if hoping to get his attention.

"I don't know. I guess that I was just born with it." Your bodyguard spoke after actually considering it for a while before he also took a sip from the sake he had ordered. Honestly, sometimes he wished that he could get drunk and his inability to do so hadn't made him the biggest fan of alcohol. He enjoyed it though when he was around you as he just joined you whenever you were drinking.

"Hmm...So it's all thanks to your body." You muttered to yourself as your eyes shifted from his face to his toned chest, your gaze narrowing thoughtfully. His brows went up to his forehead as he noticed where your gaze was lingering, your eyes squeezing as you stared bluntly at his chest.

Before he could make any cocky remark about it though, one of your palms suddenly laid itself flatly on his chest, close to his own heart.

As his skin suddenly started heating up a tiny bit and he could feel his own heartbeat picking up its speed, he wondered briefly if perhaps alcohol had an effect on him after all. The warmth from your palm seeped through his shirt and spread throughout his entire chest. His gaze was glued to your hand resting on his chest, probably feeling his own heartbeat through the tip of your fingers. He was struggling to say something and a part of him didn't really want to say something either in favor of just having you touch him.

"C'n I borrow your body then? I wanna drink without gettin' drunk. That's not possible though, is it? Aaah, I'm jealous of you. Ye have such a beautiful body."

You pulled your hand back from his chest as if the sudden realization that swapping bodies wasn't possible had just immensely disappointed you. Toji on the other hand was attempting his best to figure silently out what the fuck was going on with him.

“Beautiful…?” Was the first word he was able to say to you after he had calmed down a bit, although he was still painfully aware how the heat of his skin and the own throbbing of his heart only got worse as he looked at you.

“Yeh. I mean, come on! Look atch you! You look like the guy people either wanna be with or want to be!” You spoke up as your hands gestured wildly at him, trying to make your point obvious.

He knew what you meant. Toji was highly confident in his abilities, he knew that his body and the physical strength that had come with it was one of a kind. All of his clients all of the women who had approached him in his past had known that too.

Yet hearing it from you, half-drunk and looking like your head was about to bang on the table because it was too heavy for you and you were quite tired at this point, just sounded so much more sincere.

He swirled the small cup of sake around in his hand, watching the clear liquid spiraling around as he did so. He wasn’t sure if he would have been able to say those words as easily if he would have continued looking at you.

“Thank you.”

There it was again. Sincerity. You peeked over to him as you heard it but you didn’t know what to say. Then the silence came. The same silence that made him itchy and more aware of every breath he took around you. You didn’t seem to mind as much, already happily drunk to care about the infamous awkward silence and in that moment he envied you for being able to just say whatever came to your mind and to remain so unaffected in a situation that had him acting so unusually stiff.

“Do you…actually want to know my answer to your question from before?”

That seemed to be enough to gain his attention as you felt his green eyes resting on you as you were playing with the chopsticks. It had been bothering you the moment he had asked you this question and you had been silently thinking about an answer in your head the entire time. At least up until you had downed your first glass of beer and had temporarily forgotten about it. It had just randomly came back to you now.

"...Do whatever you want."

You took that as a yes from his side.

"I didn't think that you would remember because to me you looked back then like the type of guy who doesn't care about his surroundings and the people in his life unless money is involved."

He couldn't really deny your words and his vague memories from his life in the years before he had met you only proved your point. Yet it wasn't true. At least not fully. Not when it came to you.

"That's sort of rude to say to your bodyguard, don't you think?" He chuckled as he tried to overplay the strange emotions your answer had awoken inside of him.

"Probably. But I am happy to see that I still made the right choice by picking you. I'm sure that if I would have chosen of Aki-chan's selected choices, I wouldn't have such a good time right now. You really are a nice drinking buddy, although it isn't quite as fun if only one party gets drunk."

You tried to give him a small smile without looking stupidly drunk before you took a glance at your watch and realized that it was about damn time for the two of you to leave.

"Aight! Time to head home." You declared as you slowly stood up, your head slightly spinning as the sudden shift of gravity due to you standing up after having only been sitting for the last two hours was almost too much for your drunk self.

Toji quickly grabbed you, his hand wrapping around your arm to stabilize you.

"Are you going to be fine walking like this around the streets?"

He asked, his tone somewhat laced with amusement as he also stood up from his seat.

"That's what you are for. Aki-chan will kill you if you lose me." You replied with a grumbling tone as you pinched the bridge of your nose. Perhaps you had overdone it a bit with your beer tonight.

~~~

"I'm more than capable to walk on my own two feet, y'know?" You complained to him as he led you through the crowds, his grip on your arm tight enough to not lose you yet also loose enough to not hurt you.

"You look like a gentle gust of wind could knock you off your feet." He instantly shot back, grinning as he looked at your slightly wobbly figure, swaying gently left and right.

"Now you're the one who is being mean. I'm your boss." You whined as you swatted his arm lightly when you took notice of the grin on his face. At least he seemed to be back to normal again. You had been low-key a bit worried when he had been so strangely sincere with you.

Your eyes lazily flew across the people walking all past you as Toji led you the way back to the main building. Your car was still in the parking facility where only workers of your company were allowed to drive their cars into. You wondered if Kazuma had already taken Aki with him and if both of them had driven home already. If Aki was still waiting for you, she would most likely insist on driving the car because she would never let someone on the wheel who had just consumed alcohol and Toji's apparent immunity against it was something she couldn't care less about.

You nearly tripped when Toji's strides suddenly increased in length and speed only to feel yourself suddenly be pulled closer against him, your body pressed against him as his one arm wrapped around your waist.

Subconsciously you noticed how incredibly warm his body was but you were more confused with his action. You glanced up at him only to notice that his green eyes were focused on something behind the two of you. You tilted your head around to search for whatever he was noticing but there were just too many people among the crowd.

"Toji...?"

A short skip of his own heart as you suddenly called him by his first name before his senses went back to focusing on those same footsteps he had been noticing for a while now. Someone was following you two. No, someone was following you.

He didn't answer you but you could sort of tell by his focused look that he was sensing something you couldn't. You didn't know why but for some reason his senses were so much more enhanced than those of everyone else around him.

"There's someone behind us, isn't there?" You asked, although you were already pretty sure that you were right anyways. Toji could tell from the look in your eyes that he didn't need to confirm what you already suspected so he didn't answer your question at all. Green eyes were darting over all the people in the crowd, trying to figure out which one of them it was. Until his eyes landed on a young man whose face was partially hidden by a mask he was wearing.

"Listen, there are still some members of the same group out there who murdered the two previous CEO's of the Ito company. One of them walked a few months ago just like that into our main building with a knife. It's clear that they're out for (y/n)'s life too. That's why I wanted her to get a bodyguard. And for some reason she has gone for you, a random man she met on the street. So as her bodyguard, you have only one job to do. Protect her. Protect her no matter what."

Those had been Aki's words to him a few weeks after he had been recruited by you and it had been her first words to him in a while as she had generally avoided conversing much with him when he had been new. She had obviously still been a bit resentful that you had chosen him over every other bodyguard she had suggested for you.

As his green eyes were scrutinizing the man standing there amongst the crowd, Toji stopped walking. He just stood there, silently staring at the guy who had also stopped when he had noticed that Toji had stopped. He had apparently finally realized that he had been spotted and Toji could tell even from the distance that he clearly hadn't expected to be spotted.

You had been about to say something to Toji but when you looked up at him and saw the look in his eyes, you quickly decided against it. Green eyes were fixed on someone within the crowd you still couldn't make out, focused and gleaming with something that made you swallow a bit.

There was something dangerous in his eyes and even the man could sense that from the distance as he slowly stepped away. Toji never left him out of his sight, his eyes following him and following him until even he couldn't make him out amongst the full streets anymore.

Only then did he finally turn his gaze back to you and released his hold on you, although it took him more willpower to do so than he had expected, your warm body pressed against his own causing pleasurable shivers to travel through his body.

"He's gone. You don't have to look so worried anymore." He reassured you when he noticed the look in your eyes. You glanced back at the crowd for a short moment before you nodded slowly.

~~~

"What in the world happened? (y/n), have you been drinking too much again?"

You let out an exhausted groan as Aki's voice pulled you out of your little nap. God, had you fallen asleep? The last thing you could recall was getting into the car and after that everything was sort of blurry. So you had perhaps fallen asleep whilst Toji had driven you home. Why was Aki making such a drama out of it though? It wasn't like you had never drunken a glass or two too much before.

"Aki, you're too loud." You grumbled as you cuddled yourself against the hard but very warm surface beneath you. It felt nice, what was it?

"Ooh, you're enjoying that right now, aren't you Fushiguro? I would appreciate it if you would let her down."

"What was I supposed to do? She fell asleep in the car and didn't want to get up when I tried to wake her up."

"You could have just told me and I could have helped."

What were those two arguing over again? You slowly forced yourself to lift your head, blinking with heavy eyelids to adjust to the light in the first floor. When you finally cracked them open fully, you understood why Aki was causing a little scene right now. Since when had you been on Toji's back?

Toji was the first one to notice that you had partially woken up and Aki noticed only a bit later.

"(y/n), would you please get down from him?"

Your sleep and alcohol-addled brain needed a bit to process her words before you slowly got down from his back with a slight look of discontent in your eyes.

"Why do you look so unhappy?"

"Toji is so warm, Aki."

"He's your bodyguard and not your plushie! Wait, did you just call him 'Toji'? Since when have the both of you been on first name terms?"

You considered her words for a bit. She had a point. So far you had only referred to him by his last name and he had done the same. However, he had been working for you closely for nearly a year now so honestly, at this point you thought that it was appropriate.

"Since today. I think the both of us are close enough now to call each other by the first name. Hey Toji, call me (y/n) from now on and not (l/n)."

You said as you turned around to look at him.

You didn't know if you had imagined the short expression on his face that almost looked flustered before a grin spread across his face.

"(y/n), huh?" He muttered, more to himself than to you or Aki before he locked eyes with you.

"Can't do much but do as you say. You're the boss after all."

~~~

The lift stopped on the third floor as Toji stepped out of the rather cramped room since he took up a lot of space within the elevator. You and Aki were staying as the both of you were heading for the fourth floor. You were still drunk after all so Aki planned to escort you to your apartment and make sure that you would instantly head to bed and sleep because you had work to do today again. You hadn't mentioned the fact that someone had been following you to Aki yet and whilst he initially thought that you might have forgotten about it temporarily again because of all the alcohol, you had thrown him a short glance when Aki had asked him if everything had been fine. He understood though. You were drunk and had a bit of a headache so Aki's overbearing questions if she would find out tonight probably would only add to your pain. You'd tell her tomorrow about it.

"Good night, Toji."

"You better not have a hangover tomorrow, Fushiguro-san."

With those words, the doors to the lift closed and he was left alone. He unlocked the door to his apartment, didn't bother to turn the lights on as he went to the living room and flopped down onto the couch. He leaned back against the pillows propped against the furniture, his gaze focused on the wall. Were you already in your apartment or was Aki still trying to stabilize your staggering and much taller figure than hers?

He clicked his tongue frustrated when he realized that his thoughts had drifted once again to you. He sighed as he leaned his head back. Today...had been strange. And now that he was all alone in the darkness with little sounds surrounding him, he became all the more aware of the fact that his heart was still pounding against his chest. It hadn't stopped doing that ever since you had touched his chest and he swore that he could still feel the weight, the warmth and the shape of your palm resting so close to his beating heart.

And then there had been the guy who had been following you... And when Toji had noticed, his body had instinctively clutched your body protectively to his own. When the fuck had he ever done this for one of his clients? He had no doubt that the guy was the pathetic leftover of the assassination group Aki had warned him about and he had also no doubt that he would have most likely attempted to do something if Toji hadn't been with you.

He would have tried to hurt you probably.

That thought struck the wrong cord somewhere inside him again and even worse than when this Furukawa guy had insulted and belittled you in his presence as anger tensed up his muscles before he forced himself to relax again.

Seriously, what was wrong with him?

It almost felt like...

Pt.3

[whitedarkmoonflower]

Power

Pairing: Masema x reader (female)

Authors note: it is a very belated birthday present to @lady-targaryens-world Thank you so much for your request and I'm so sorry it took me so long to write it. I changed a bit the setting, but I still hope you will enjoy it. It appeared that writing Masema is not so easy for me, but I truly loved it. A big thank you to lovely @the-irish-girl for helping me with brainstorming, ideas and dialogues! It was so inspiring to work together with you! The idea of the other world and the stones is borrowed from the books.

Warnings: SMUT 18+, oral (f receiving), p in v sex

Word Count: 5,6 K

I have tagged people who enjoy my Sihtric fics - if you don't want to be tagged in Masema fics - please let me know

You shifted in your saddle trying to find a more comfortable position, but to no avail. Your whole body was aching and sore, your muscles feeling like they were filled with lead. The shadows were getting longer, as the sun slowly rolled behind the horizon. The evening was approaching and you longed for nothing more than to rest, to get off the horseback and curl under your blanket. With the last remnants of your strength you spurred your horse to a slight gallop, trying to align with Lord Ingtar, riding at the front of the group.  

“Aren’t we stopping for the night?” you tried to sound casual, not to betray your tiredness. 

"There, behind that hill, is a perfect spot for our camp,"  Lord Ingtar's response filled you with hope as he pointed towards the next hillock. Unconsciously, you sighed in relief. It wouldn't have surprised you if they intended to ride through the night; there was no sign of weariness on the stern faces of the Shienaran warriors following their leader. It seemed they could maintain this relentless pursuit indefinitely. 

With a knowing smirk, he added, "The horses need a rest."

Yeah, horses, you nodded inwardly and allowed your own steed to gradually slow down again.

You had to pick the lesser of two evils, as the need to escape the city had grown urgent. Fal Moran was no longer a safe haven for you, not since it had become overrun with Aes Sedai. It was only a matter of time before they discovered your well-kept secret, and you would be forced to follow them to the White Tower. You were not like them and you didn't want to be anything like them. Arrogant, cold-blooded, and heartless, they were driven by their might and a belief in their own omniscience. These cruel beings wielded too much power for their own good.

You had made up your mind to join the first party leaving the city, even if it meant travelling across the country in pursuit of the Horn of Valere. You were aware that they wouldn't readily accept you as a companion if you simply asked, but the Shienarans were known for their unwavering commitment to helping and protecting those in need. That was their way. Thus, you departed ahead of the group and waited along the road—an abandoned high-born lady, seeking assistance. A damsel in distress, to put it plainly.

Once again, you felt the unsettling sensation of someone's eyes fixated on you. Slowly and discreetly, you turned your head to meet his gaze. His stern eyes bore into you with mistrust and suspicion, tinged with a hint of resentment for reasons unknown to you.

"Have I done something wrong?" you asked, turning to face Lord Ingtar as you settled beside him near the fire.

"What do you mean, lady?" The surprise in his voice was evident.

"I have a feeling I may have upset or offended the young warrior with those peculiar mismatched eyes. I believe his name is Masema," you continued hesitantly. "I just wanted to know if I may have overstepped or said something unacceptable. I'm not accustomed to your ways, and I want to offer my apologies if..."

"Lady, you need not worry," Lord Ingtar interrupted gently. "I'm sorry to say this, but there's probably nothing you can do about it. You... I'm not quite sure how to explain it... you bear a striking resemblance to an Aiel to us. Not all of us have fought against them, but Masema has."

The awkwardness of the conversation and the embarrassment in Lord Ingtar’s voice were impossible to ignore. "Lady, you are not to blame for your appearance. Please, tell me if Masema has been rude to you or insulted you in any way. Trust me, I'll ensure a proper punishment is meted out."

"Oh, not that. He's simply avoiding me completely, and he refuses to speak to me even when I address him. Please, don't say anything to him. You've been so kind to pick me up on the road and offer your protection after my bodyguard abandoned me unfairly. I don't want to cause any inconvenience," you said, trying to mask your relief with gratitude. You were thankful that your initial fear, the creeping worry that Masema might have somehow discovered your deeply buried secret, was unfounded.

Unable to resist, you stole a furtive glance at Masema. He'd set up his blanket near one of the towering stones encircling the camp. It was an eerie sight; the magnificent stones, arranged as if by a giant hand, stood in a perfect circle. You had never seen anything like it before. Was it some kind of sacred place? Perhaps remnants of a forgotten temple? The strange ornaments engraved in the middle, just within reach, sparked a sense of familiarity you couldn't grasp. The whole setting gave you a weird feeling you couldn't quite place.

The warmth of the hot brew shared around the fireplace enveloped you, soothing your aching joints and beckoning for rest. You spread your blanket on the opposite side of the camp, as far as possible from the grim warrior that apparently hated you for just being you.

It wasn't surprising; you were accustomed to it. People had feared and hated you for as long as you could remember. You recalled being just a small girl when it first happened, playing with the other kids of the village at the foot of the nearby hill.

It was the noise that first caught your attention—a scratchy, unpleasant sound of something rubbing against itself. Then, you saw it—a large stone slowly starting to shake and then loosening from its perch at the top. You remember screaming, shouting for everyone to run, but one of the boys stumbled and fell. Time seemed to stand still for a moment; you acted on instinct, reaching out with your hand in a stupid and desperate wish to stop the stone from crashing onto your friend. And miraculously, it stopped. It remained suspended in mid-air, just above the fallen boy, as if held by a magic hand.

He scrambled to his feet and ran, and they all followed suit, casting fearful glances back at you as you lowered your hand and the stone crashed to the ground with a deafening thud. Even now, when recalling that day, you could still feel the absolute terror in their eyes. Not because they had just escaped death, no, they were terrified of you. 

That night, the elders of the village came to your parents, and by the same nightfall, they hurriedly packed all their belongings, and you left. You left your home, your village, your friends—everything. And ever since then, you've been running. There was something within you, a power you didn’t understand and never wanted to possess. It was only much later, as you became a grown woman, that you found out there were others like you - the Aes Sedai. But the way people spoke about them, the tales they told, and the fear they instilled just reinforced your conviction that your power had to remain secret, hidden until you took it with you to the grave.

You sank down onto your blanket, wrapping another around you, leaning your back against the stone behind you. Your eyes unconsciously wandered again to the stern warrior on the other side of the camp.

Why? By the light, why me? were your last conscious thoughts before sleep took over.

You were in that sweet spot between asleep and awake, still wrapped in the cosy embrace of dreams when the sounds of the outside world started creeping in, signalling the start of a new day. You kept your eyes shut, not quite ready to let go of that blissful moment just yet.

“Where are we?” came a voice, dripping with anger. It sounded oddly familiar, but you couldn't quite place it.

Masema. The name jolted through your mind, instantly dispelling the dreamy fog. You snapped awake, finding Masema towering over you. You scrambled to a sitting position, taking in your surroundings with a mix of awe and confusion.

“I-I don't know,” you stammered, just as confused as he was, if not more so.

Moments ago, you had been lying on the ground with all your companions, and now you were... wherever this place was. It was unlike anything you had ever seen before.

You were still seated among the magnificent stones, where the camp had been, but that was where the similarities ended. The place bore no resemblance to where you had fallen asleep. You vividly recalled the stones positioned in a clearing near the woods, surrounded by untouched, lush grass and the scent of nameless wildflowers lingering in the air. Now, as far as your eyes could see, there was nothing but barren, cracked soil, with withered trees sporadically dotting the landscape. The hot air and dust burned your lungs as you struggled to take a deep breath.

“This is all your fault!” Masema's words snapped you back to reality, his eyes dark with anger. “You brought us here, now bring us back!” he demanded.

“And, why would it be my fault? You’re here, too! You might be the one responsible for this, you know?” you spat at him, your words filled with venom to match his.

It was only then that the absurdity of the situation began to sink in, and panic slowly crept over you. What had happened? Where were you? And of all the people you could have ended up with, why did it have to be Masema, the Shienaran warrior who clearly despised you, stranded with you in this desolate wasteland?

"I knew from the very first sight of you that you couldn't be trusted," Masema's voice, cold and calm, sent shivers down your spine, more chilling than any insult he could hurl in anger.

“What did I do, for you to hate me so much?” you knew it was not the right time nor place for this question, there were much more pressing issues to be cleared, but you couldn’t just leave it. 

“You look just like them! You speak like them! You walk like them! Everything you do makes you look a little more like them! And sooner or later you’ll show who you really are, you cannot fool me,” he snorted.

"Like who? The Aiel? You flatter me. I would give much to be like them, to possess their strength, their ability to defend themselves against prejudice-driven fools who judge solely based on appearance," anger simmered within you.

“You don’t know me!” you finally shouted. “You did not even give me a chance to prove my worth, you just judge me straight away because you think you are better than anyone else, you think you know better than anyone else. But you know nothing about me.” The last words were punctuated by a pointed index finger jabbing into his chest, your eyebrows furrowed with anger.

Finally, you took one more step forward until you were face to face, sharing the same air. You stared him straight in the eyes, letting him see the pain his words inflicted.

“I don't deserve your hatred! You don’t know me, so stop pretending like you do!”

Without waiting for a response, you swiftly began to pack your blankets into your saddlebag.

"You know what? I'm done with all of this! We're parting ways! You go one direction, and I'll go the other! Good luck!" you hissed in frustration. The overwhelming need to escape from this place, to evade the stern, judgmental gaze of those peculiar eyes, left no room for any other thought. You didn’t give him a chance to reply; you didn’t even want one. With that, you turned your back on him, slung your saddlebag over your shoulder, and strode away, devoid of any plan or destination.

You had no idea how long you had aimlessly wandered before spotting a small stream, a mirage of life amidst the ash-grey desolation. Hastily, you uncapped your leather flask, filling it with the precious, life-giving water.

Leaving Masema behind had undoubtedly been a mistake, but there was no turning back now. You couldn't simply reappear before him and offer apologies. You couldn’t admit he was actually right.

It must have been you. There was no other explanation, no other possibility. Even though you had no inkling of what triggered this or how you managed it. Lost in your thoughts, you watched the stream bubble, abruptly pulled from your reverie by an angry roar nearby.

Your head snapped up, pupils dilating in terror at the sight of the creature looming closer. Not even your worst nightmares could conjure something like this. Towering on massive, muscular hind legs, its leonine body was covered in mottled, algae-green scales, with a broad, frog-like head boasting bulging, lidless eyes gleaming with eerie intelligence and a ring of sharp, serrated teeth.

Your hand instinctively sought the small knife hidden in your clothes, fingers clenching around its shaft until your knuckles whitened. Being intended as this creature's next meal wasn't the destiny you envisioned, but you were resolved to make your life as costly as possible.

In a heartbeat, a strong arm gripped yours, yanking you aside with incredible force as the creature lunged. Your bewildered gaze fell on Masema, wielding his sword with determined precision. It was an uneven fight, the creature dwarfing the agile warrior and its scales seemingly impenetrable to his blade.

"The eyes, they're unprotected! Aim for its eyes!" you shouted and the beast's attention momentarily  turned towards you. In that very same moment Masema seized the chance, leaping and aiming for the creature's head. The blade sliced through its left eye, eliciting a deafening howl that pierced the air.

Your chest heaved with horror as you witnessed the creature falter, collapsing onto its front paws before slumping to the ground. Unstoppable sobs wracked your body as you sank to your knees, horror consuming you, and strong arms encircled your shoulders, preventing you from collapsing to the ground.

"I'm sorry," you muttered, arms wrapped around your legs as you sat on your blanket spread by the fire Masema had made in the middle of the stone circle. "You're probably right. It's my fault we're stuck here, don't know where."

A furrowed eyebrow was the only indication that Masema was paying attention, engrossed in sharpening his sword, seemingly oblivious to your presence.

"It's not the first time strange things have happened to me," you continued, feeling like there was nothing left to lose. You knew he hated you—could he hate you even more? Did it even matter? The landscape stretched before you, empty and dusty. Having the glorious choice between death from hunger or the claws of that creature—definitely not the last of its kind—you preferred the more swift one, or better yet, the quick, soothing death by Masema’s sword seemed actually the most appealing choice. 

"There's something inside me, and it frightens me," you confessed. "It's like I have access to a pool of unlimited power, but every time I try to grasp it, it slips away. And then, sometimes, when I least expect it, I can feel it in my fingertips. It's so tangible, I could almost touch it."

"What kind of strange things?" Masema inquired nonchalantly, as if asking about your breakfast.

"I've made rocks freeze in the air, ignited things, moved objects without touching them," you said, trying to keep your voice casual, but unable to hide the tremor of anxiety. You had never spoken to anyone about it, and now you were revealing your deepest secret to someone who was almost an enemy. Yes, he had saved your life, but it hadn't seemed to change his attitude toward you.

"I never wanted it, never asked for it! It's a curse," you admitted, resting your head on your knees. Your body shivered, not from the cold, but from the anger and despair boiling within you. "And now I've cursed you too."

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't even notice Masema approaching until his hand landed on your shoulder, startling you as he sat down beside you.

"I knew you were trouble from the first moment I saw you," there was a new, unexpected tone in his voice that made you raise your head. Something in Masema's eyes caused a chill to run down your back and the flickering red light from the fire only intensified the hypnotic effect of his stern gaze.

"I didn’t mean any harm to anybody. I’m so sorry. You have every right to hate me," tears welled up in your eyes.

"Hush," Masema's rough fingers gently cupped your chin, his thumb brushing away the tears gathered in the corners of your eyes. "There is such a fire within you. I can feel it. I could see it in your eyes as you faced that creature. A spirit so daring, so brave, captured in such a small and fragile frame."

A soft gasp of surprise escaped your chest as Masema's lips pressed against yours, his palms cradling your face and drawing you close. Your mind raced, torn between eagerness and bewilderment. You placed your palm on his chest, as if to push him away, but instead, your fingers hooked into Masema's leather armour, pulling him closer.

Wasn’t this what you had yearned for all this time, tormented by his inexplicable rejection? Hadn't you dreamed of feeling these strong arms wrap around you, pulling you close? Or was it the desperation of this hopeless situation that made you cling to his broad chest, seeking the warmth of his body as confirmation that you were still alive? You didn’t care. Thrill and arousal running through your veins, you could only moan against his lips, slowly parting yours to welcome him into your mouth.

"I've been craving this since the moment I laid eyes on you. Whatever power brought us here, away from everybody, I'm grateful for it," Masema's husky voice enveloped you, sending shivers down your spine. His hand found its way to the back of your neck, holding you in place as his mouth trailed down to your neck, leaving hot, stinging marks on your sensitive skin.

You whimpered at the stirring sensation, your longing for his touch growing into a burning need, overpowering all your other senses. In the next moment, you found yourself pressed onto your back, the thick, soft blanket barely enough to shield you from the hard ground, Masema looming over you.

"You resemble the fiercest enemy I've ever faced, yet you make my blood boil with desire," your breath caught in your throat as Masema's rough fingers wrapped around your wrists, pinning your hands above your head. There was something threatening, something inexplicably alluring in the sinister darkness of his lust-drunk eyes as they locked with yours. You met his gaze head-on, your eyes wide open, chest heaving, and teeth grazing along your lower lip in anticipation of his next move.

Masema leaned in, his lips hovering over yours, “Say it, say that you want me,” his eyes scanned you intently. 

“By the light, I want you,” you breathed, rolling your hips against him like a slut and the throaty groan that left his lips upon your words, made you shiver. His mouth found yours and your breath was swept away from the sheer fury of his kiss while his hands let go of your wrists and began to work on your clothes, freeing your breasts from the confines of your corset, squeezing and kneading them, his rough fingers digging deep into your flesh. 

Your eyes were rolling back into your head from his heated touch and you arched your back against the unforgiving hard ground as Masema’s lips closed around your hardened nipples.  The small rocks beneath the blanket were digging into your shoulders and hips, but you didn’t even feel the sting, everything around you slowly fading until there was nothing apart from deep hunger for more, burning you from within.

“You think you have power? You are under my power, sweet little thing, you could be the Dragon himself, but you could do nothing against my power and I will use it to make you forget everything as you scream my name in pleasure,” the raw force, permeating Masema’s words, although whispered in hushed tones, made all the tiny hair on your skin stand on end. His hands were on your hips, pushing up your dress and pulling down your undergarments with hasty, rough movements. You drew a sharp breath, feeling the cool air on your bare dripping cunt just before Masemas hot tongue dived in between your folds, his lips closing around your pulsing clit, hands pinning your hips to the ground. 

“Light help me,” you wined, burying your fingers into the soft and plush fabric beneath you in a desperate attempt to ground yourself, but to no avail as Masema’s lips and tongue kept driving you closer to madness, lewd moans rolling over your lips.

“It can’t help you. Nothing can help you now, you’re mine and only mine,” Masema grinned against your centre, voice husky and deep, dripping with dark possessiveness that only added to the sinful sensation pulsing through your veins and bringing you closer to the edge, and you gasped loudly as he forced two fingers into you. You felt as if you were flying or maybe falling, you couldn’t tell, too lost in the feeling of your climax approaching, each lap of his tongue, each movement of his fingers amplifying the pleasure and pushing you further into oblivion.

“Say it, to whom do you belong?” Masema groaned, speeding up his movements. 

Was this what had attracted you to the stern and silent warrior from the very first day? His whole presence spoke of strength and assertiveness, of power and ownership, of being someone to take what’s his and never letting go of it, defending it with his life if needed. Tired of loneliness you craved for the soothing feeling of belonging to someone. It was intoxicating, almost addicting – that feeling of having found someone ready to claim you, to possess you, to protect you. You wanted to be his, you were his. 

“Yours, Masema, I’m yours. By the light I’m yours,” you moaned, and Masema’s satisfied growl vibrated against your centre, adding the last touch that brought you over the edge. You came on his fingers, whimpering his name, forgetting where you were or who you were as your body convulsed under the waves of pure bliss running through your veins. 

“Such a good girl, my powerful, secret Aes Sedai, my dragon,” Masema grinned, observing you carefully, as he kept fucking you with his fingers through your orgasm, “so beautiful, so tight around my fingers. I can already imagine how good you will feel around my cock.” 

Head spinning from the intensity of your orgasm, you breathed heavily, chest rising high with each inhale.  Eyes half lid you watched Masema pulling off his leathers and undoing his breeches. You had always noted Masema's well-built physique, his muscular arms hinted at beneath his armour. However, the sight of his perfectly sculpted upper body, revealed before your eyes, made you swallow hard. Even more so as your eyes landed on his thick, fully hard cock ready to claim you. You yelped as Masema grabbed you by your hips and flipped over on your stomach in one quick motion.

“I’m not done with you yet, my sweet little dragon,” he whispered into your ear, pushing your dress up your ass and pulling you to your knees. You whimpered as his large, rough palms landed on your buttock, spreading your cheeks.

“Perfect, so perfect,” Masema grunted, teasing your entrance with his finger. You moaned and pushed back into his touch. “Patience, beautiful,” he chuckled, “trust me, I know exactly what you need, and I’ll give it to you.” 

A muffled cry escaped your lips as Masema’s hand reached out, grabbing your hair, and pulled you up back flush against his chest. His left hand fingers wrapped around your throat, squeezing it slightly, just enough to pull a soft whine from you.

“I’ll give it to you, if you’ll ask me nicely,” Masema’s breath hot against your neck made shivers go down your spine or were it his words and hoarse, lust drunken voice? You couldn’t tell, you didn’t care, you were unable to think straight your mind swept clear from any other thought apart from the need to have him finally inside you, to feel him use you, to fuck you into madness.

“Please,” you gasped, your breath getting more ragged with each passing moment.

“Please, what?” Masema whispered, his left hand still around your throat, the other squeezing your breast, fingers rubbing your hardened nipple.

“Please, fuck me. Take me,” a deep moan rolled over your lips as Masema pressed you down and pushed his hard length into your tightness with a loud groan. He paused for a moment, savouring the feeling of your walls squeezing around him and taking him in.

“So sweet, so bold and dearing and yet so obedient, and so fucking tight, you are a gift of the Creator himself,” Masema hummed, as he pulled out and slammed back into you, making you moan and gasp as his pace was picking up. He was not gentle, not in the way his fingers dug into your flesh, to keep you in place, not in the way his hips snapped against you, as he forced himself deeper and deeper into you with each thrust, not in the way his hand found its way to you hair again, jerking you up against his chest, making you cry out both in pain and pleasure simultaneously. 

Your eyes were rolling back into your head, breath catching in your chest, as Masema fucked you relentlessly, mercilessly, his groans filling your ears, and your body responded to his every touch, every rough thrust. Nobody had ever desired you so carnally, so intensively, his hold on you so primal and possessive, determined to bring you to the highs of pleasure you had never experienced before, driving you mad and pushing you higher and higher.

“More, by the light, Masema, I need more,” you mewled and the wild growl that ripped through Masema left you grinning as he pushed you back down to the blanket, seized your hips in an iron grip, you were sure to leave bruises and marks in your soft flesh, and fastened his pace.

You tried to muffle your moans with your hand, but Masema was quick to grab it and pull your arm behind your back.

“Don’t be shy, my sweet dragon, there is nobody who could hear you in this cursed world you’ve brought us to,” he chuckled, “I want to hear you, I want to hear how much you enjoy my cock.”

You didn’t answer, unable to make any coherent word, your voice trapped in the depths of your throat, but the wanton sounds rolling over your lips were the only response he needed as he kept pounding into you, fucking you breathless. 

You could feel Masema’s movements getting sloppier, his heavy breathing turning into hoarse, rugged panting, and you clawed your fingernails forcefully in the blanket, closing your eyes as Masema let go of your arm and reached between your thighs, his fingers rubbing your pulsing clit, giving you the last push you needed to fall again into oblivion. The climax shot through your body with the force of a lightning, your limbs trembling as you screamed Masemas name into the black void around you. You would have collapsed from the intensity of your orgasm washing over you, if not for Masema’s hands holding your hips tightly as he kept fucking you through your peak, loud groans leaving his lips as he came just moments later, his cock twitching inside you and filling you with his warm seed. 

You slumped down onto the blanket the moment Masema’s hands let go of you and he followed you crushing down beside you, both panting hard. You didn’t expect that, but Masema’s arms wrapped around you, pulling you flush to his chest as his lips planted tender kisses on the top of your head.

"You didn't believe me," you whispered between panting breaths. 

"Oh, I believe you. More importantly, I believe in you. You brought us here, and you'll bring us back. I have no doubts about it, my little dragon," he whispered, nuzzling against your hair.

“Wake up,” Masema rattled your shoulder, tearing you away from the sweet world of dreams.

“Just one last moment,” you muttered without opening your eyes, your arms reaching out, seeking the warmth of his body.

“There's no time. Wake up! They're approaching,” the urgency in Masema's voice jolted you from your slumber.

“Who's approaching?” you asked, your eyes fluttering wide open.

“I would rather ask what is approaching,” Masema chuckled. “Can't you hear it?”

The wild roar that tore through the air made you jump to your feet.

“What was that?” you asked, fear etched on your face.

“I think it might be some friends of our yesterday's acquaintance,” Masema chuckled, “And they are coming in company. Sweetie, it's time to go home,” his gaze slid expectantly over you.

“What? But I can’t. Masema, I have no idea how,” you sobbed.

“Listen to me. I've been thinking about what you told me. Do you know what the locals call these stones?”

“No,” you shivered, listening to the sounds of wild roars and feeling the earth trembling beneath your feet.

“Obanda stones. Obanda means 'door' in the old tongue. This must be how you got us here—through the stones. And this is how you can bring us back.”

“Masema, it's insane. I have no idea how to do that,” desperation laced your voice.

Masema's fingers brushed against your cheeks, and he cupped your chin to raise your head.

“I'm here to protect you. Whatever comes. I don't care who you are. I don't care what power you wield. I will protect you, always,” the certainty in his voice, devoid of doubt or hesitation,  sent a shiver down your spine.

"Look at me," he commanded, and as if drawn by an irresistible force, you raised your gaze to meet his eyes.

"Give me your hand," he continued, and you complied, raising your arm. You flinched as Masema's large, rough palm wrapped around your fingers, squeezing them painfully. "I'm here with you. Hold on to me. I believe in you. You brought us here, you’ll bring us back. You can do it," he reassured, his other arm wrapping around your waist as he pulled you tightly against his muscular body.

"Now, I want you to put your hand on the stone," he breathed against your ear. The calmness and certainty in his voice were hypnotising, leaving no room for doubt. The howling and growling around you grew closer as the beasts encircled you. Your heart raced in your chest, as panic and fear enveloped you. 

"I can’t do it! Masema, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I never learned to use it properly. I don’t know how to do it," words tumbled from your lips in an unstoppable rush, your body shaking uncontrollably. You had brought this doom upon both of you. Your ignorance, your unwillingness to embrace the power bestowed upon you had led you here, and it would be the death of you both. "I can’t do it. I’m so sorry, Masema," tears rolled down your cheeks.

There was no point in trying, all you wanted was to turn around, to gaze into his mismatched eyes, to melt into his embrace, bury your nose into his chest, and breathe in his scent for the one last time. But Masema’s firm grip on your waist prevented you from doing so.

“I can’t,” you sobbed, leaning heavily against him as your knees grew weak and wobbly, “I just can’t do it.”

“Raise your hand,” Masema ordered, squeezing your fingers again. The pain jolted through your body, sharpening your hazy mind. There was something in his voice that brooked no disobedience. Despite your reluctance, despite having already given up and resigned yourself to the approaching death, you obeyed. You raised your quivering hand, reaching out almost to touch the cold surface. A piercing howl echoed just behind you, and you froze, your palm mere millimetres from the stone.

"Don’t look back. Close your eyes and listen to me," Masema's voice remained steady, unwavering. It washed over your senses like a waterfall—soft, low, and slightly husky, yet remarkably calm and soothing. Even his breath maintained a steady rhythm, as if he were engaged in a casual conversation over breakfast rather than standing with you in the midst of nowhere, surrounded by hungry, bloodthirsty creatures, his only hope of escape hanging by the fragile thread of a scared girl, unsure of how to wield the power she possessed.

Masema's presence enveloped you like a soft cloud, calming the tempest of your swirling thoughts. His steady heartbeat seemed to set a new, measured rhythm for your own racing heart. The world around you faded away, leaving only his firm, commanding yet gentle voice echoing in your mind.

"Touch the stone," Masema whispered into your ear, pressing you tightly against his chest. "Don’t think. Feel. I trust you."

You couldn’t recall giving your hand the command to move forward, but it did so the very moment Masema’s words left his lips. The stone felt unforgivingly cold, its polished surface so smooth that you could feel each and every cut and line of the ancient runes engraved in it. Closing your eyes, you pressed your palm more firmly against it, with Masema’s hot breath on your neck serving as the only reminder of the world around you, the sole connection grounding you as you reached out for the source of light within you and it answered your call, pulsing and growing within you.

You trembled, the power scorching through you, burning from within, seeping into every cell of your body, every corner of your mind, its radiance swallowing you. So many times had you tried to reach for that power, you knew dwelling inside you. You could sense it, an unending pool of light and warmth, retreating each time you consciously called upon it. And now it was suddenly there, flickering around your fingertips, permeating in your breath, wafting around you with the strength of a tempest, flowing in a ceaseless current, begging to be tamed and channelled. 

Now it was you, squeezing Masemas hand with all the strength you had, seeking refuge in his unwavering confidence, in his steady breath on your neck, in his rhythmic heartbeat, as with a loud cry you channelled your power into the stone.

Suddenly, it was quiet around you. No howling, no growls, no sounds of approaching paws causing the earth to tremble beneath your feet. Slowly, you opened your eyes. You were still standing in the same place, your palm pressed against the stone, Masema’s muscular arm around your waist, his other hand squeezing your left hand. You breathed in the fresh air, smelling of grass and rain. Rain! The realisation hit you like lightning.

“I did it!” a cry of triumph vibrated through your body. “Masema, I did it! We're back.”

In the next moment, you were turned around as light as a feather and pressed against the stone, with Masema towering over you.

“My little dragon, my powerful girl,” was all he said as his lips crushed against yours.

Comment or write to me if you want to be added to the tag list.

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[angelltheninth]

Hello! Could I get headcanons or a request of how the moon boys would react to someone flirting with them in front of their s/o in the following scenario: the s/o is not conventionally attractive so the person flirting is openly surprised that the boys are dating them and makes rude remarks about the s/o’s appearance. The s/o is in tears and quietly tells their bf that it’s okay if they want to break up with them and tries to walk away. Hope this is not too much!

Moon Boys! My favorites!

Pairing: Steven Grant, Marc Spector, Jake Lockley x Reader

Tags: fluff, established relationship, hurt/comfort, crying, protective Moon Boys

A/N: Are you guys excited for the new season of Moon Night? I am!

Steven doesn't like conflict but he loves you and because of that he'll stand up for you no matter what

At first he tries to talk down to who ever is insulting you, while standing in front of you just in case things get out of hand

If that doesn't work he will raise his voice, and although he may not seem like much he's got muscles and he's not afraid to use them if he has to

Them being taken away from the club would be ideal so the two of you can have your night out like planned, if not he'll take you back home, regardless he'll spend the remaining time reassuring you that you're more then worthy of him and his love

Marc does not tolerate that in the slightest, he immediately gets in their face and demands they apologize to you and take back everything they said

He has a very booming voice when he wants to and attracts a lot of attention

Will throw fists and words at those who make you cry and isn't scared if things get ugly

His first priority is you of course so if he sees that you're too upset he'll maybe just show them out of the way as he leads you out of the club, his arm never leaves you, he's whispering to you all the way home

Jake throws punches as soon as he locates whoever made you cry, no questions about that

He'll sooner leave them a bloody mess then allow himself to be dragged off of them for insulting you

His lips are all over you the moment he gets back to you, he's not as good with his words as he is with his fists but he will try his best to comfort you at your time of need, if he can't he'll try to make it up with touches

Nothing that anyone can say to you will ever get him to leave you, and it shouldn't make you doubt yourself, if he can have anyone else as you say, then the only person he wants is you

[kataraavatara]

Those the Stars Cannot Hear

Here's the first chapter of the Nesta fic I mentioned!

"To the stars that listen-and the dreams that are answered." How can stars hear the prayers of a young girl trapped under a mountain?

"I prayed that it meant no male would take me for a wife, that I would escape what my elder cousins had endured: loveless, sometimes brutal marriages." -Morrigan, ACOMAF

What happens when Mor makes good on her threat to send Nesta to Hewn City and Nesta runs into one of the cousins Mor spoke of, another dreamer trapped in the Court of Nightmares left behind by the inner circle?

(I'm going to tag the people who showed interest under my original post: @1800naveen @watcherintheweyr @christeak)

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54735361/chapters/138723208

Nesta thought Mor was an exhaustion-induced hallucination. The female had appeared out of nowhere, her flowing blonde hair and customary red dress starkly out of place with the harsh landscape. “Rhysand has other plans for that one,” she gestured at Nesta, spitting out the words “that one” as though she couldn’t even bear to say her name, “The hike is over.”

The hike is over. The hike couldn’t be over, Nesta thought, in an eerie, detached sense.

Nesta looked down at the ground. She was vaguely aware of Cassian saying something in response, Mor snapping back, and the conversation getting heated. She was vaguely aware of Mor’s red tipped fingernails closing around her forearm in a bruising grip. Only vaguely aware of the world spinning away from her as she winnowed.

But the hike can’t be over. I was going to jump. How will I jump if the hike is over?

The place they arrived at was cold and dark and damp and terrible. Exactly what Nesta deserved, she supposed. The sun was too good for her. Mor shook her and she looked up at her sneering face.

“How dare you hurt Feyre like that?” She hissed, arm tightening around Nesta, “Haven’t I told you to keep your forked tongue between your teeth?”

Nesta just stared at her blankly. Mor glanced around, curling a protective hand over her abdomen before saying, “You’re exactly like everyone here. I know what sort of person you are. This is where you belong. This is what you deserve. Don’t you have anything to say? Are you proud of yourself, for hurting Feyre and Rhysand like that, you viper? Well? Are you?”

Nesta shook her head.

Mor scoffed. “You won’t even apologize, will you? I bet you think you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Nesta wanted to open her mouth, wanted to say she was sorry, more sorry than she had ever been for anything, but she hadn’t had water in so long her lips felt fused together and her throat was too dry to produce anything more than a croak. And Mor was already pulling away from her, looking at her with a look of disgust, of hatred, that Nesta couldn’t bear. The venom in her voice was unbearable as she spat,

“Enjoy your stay, Nesta. You'll thrive here.” Then she was stepping back, winnowing away, leaving her behind, and Nesta was alone in the Court of Nightmares.

The confrontation, if it could even be called that, had not gone unnoticed. Might as well see if there’s a tavern that’ll serve me. Nesta began wandering aimlessly, peering at the city carved from stone. The fae here weren’t happy and carefree like those in Velaris. In Velaris the children played freely. Here there wasn’t one in sight. Instead of strolling the streets casually, fae walked with purpose, casting harried glances behind them; Nesta didn’t spot a single female without a male escort. She thought she heard one of them hiss at her. She began walking, overly conscious of the eyes that followed her everywhere. Even the eyes of the lurid carvings of ancient beats seemed to track her as she made her way through the city of the damned. She nearly lept out of her skin as one of the rocks moved, realizing it was a camouflaged guard a second too late. She unbuckled the straps of her pack and dropped it. The citizens of the Court of Nightmares could have her hiking supplies for all she cared. The guard began walking towards her, and she picked up her pace. So maybe a tavern wasn’t the best option.

Nesta felt a touch on her hand and turned.

“My name is Aiofe. My mistress wishes to shelter you. You must come with me. You aren’t safe here.” The female had black hair and big brown eyes that reminded her painfully of Elain, along with the pointed ears and preternatural grace that marked her as High Fae.

You aren’t safe here. Nesta didn’t deserve safety, not after what she’d done, but she realized she was letting herself be led through the city and didn’t care enough to stop it. She was vaguely aware of whispers and oblong stares but couldn’t bring herself to care. I deserve it. I deserve death. I deserve all the pain that comes with being trapped down here.

A male made eye contact and began walking to them, but Aoife turned so sharply into a hidden corridor Nesta nearly lost her footing. Her training with Cassian was the only thing that allowed her to remain upright and keep pace with the mysterious new female. The sound of a door swinging shut rang out behind them and what little light came from the fae lights outside was cut off, casting the two females in total darkness until Aoife held out her hand and summoned a small ball of purple light. She heard shouts and clanging outside; she didn’t care. Aiofe did, by the worried look on her face, as she tugged Nesta along the corridor.

“The door should hold,” she told Nesta, sounding like someone who had no faith in the door actually holding.

The purple fae light bobbed with the movement of Aoife’s hand, casting eerie shadows along the walls, creating the illusion that the beasts carved into the walls were moving along with them. Or perhaps they were.

“Lady Archeron, are you…well?” The female’s voice was hesitant but worried. Lady Archeron is my mother, Nesta wanted to say, not me. But she didn’t have the strength to answer, only shake her head as she was led down. The air grew icier, the wind louder, the stones a darker gray. They were traveling at a decline. Down into the maw of the beast. Good.

“Were you…tortured?” Aiofe’s voice was hushed.

“No.” Nesta managed to croak out.

Aiofe didn’t seem convinced. “Can you walk much longer, do you think?”

“Yes.” She had braved the stairs, she had been on that hike forever. She had walked, and walked, and walked. She could walk some more.

“My lady will offer you shelter, ma’am. Healing. She’s done it for many other females down here. You’ll be alright, you’ll see.”

Nesta shook her head. Aiofe just pursed her lips at that and continued leading her down the hallway. Eventually, Nesta saw a door in the distance, but as they approached she could hear raised voices coming from the other side. Aiofe frowned. “That’s not good.”

That was great. Perhaps one of the fae yelling had a sword, and they could drive it through her and be done with this mess. Would it be terribly painful? Not if they got her through the heart or the throat, she decided. That would be a good way to go. Maybe a few moments of pain, and then…nothing. Peaceful nothing. Oblivion. Freedom.

Aiofe putting a finger to her lips and shushing her snapped her out of her fantasies, and she realized with a start they had arrived at the door. Aiofe pressed her ear to it, murmuring, “I can hear Aethan. That’s a good sign.”

Nesta had no idea who Aethan was and didn’t particularly care, but nodded anyway. Aiofe said brightly “Sounds like our males outnumber the others. I can recognize their voices. Shall we make a run for it?”

Nesta shrugged. Sure. Why not? Run for what, exactly? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. Aiofe said, “Lady Mag Aedha will figure it out.”

Nesta didn’t know who Lady Mag Aedha was, and didn’t care. But Aiofe was already throwing the door open and pulling Nesta along with her.

[elysianavenue]

Cuts and Bruises

Diluc Ragnvindr x Reader (no pronouns)

Warnings: minor injuries, mentions of blood, y/n has hair long enough to cover your forehead, im sorry if that's not accurate!

Summary: you get hurt during a commission but you can't hide anything from master diluc

Word count: 1k

Tags: @duckymcdoorknob

Diluc Ragnvindr was a rather cold, upfront, aloof man. It seemed that a scowl was permanently etched onto his face, which usually intimidated the people of Mondstadt. However, there were few people who knew of Master Diluc's true nature. Turns out, he wasn't cold or upfront or aloof, even. He was protective, a softie at heart, and very much selfless.

You, of course, were one of the only ones to know about this side of Diluc that he didn't like showing off. In fact, you knew all too well as he seemed to love showing you this side of him.

So, when you received a commission to deal with a common hilichurl camp and happened to receive a couple cuts and bruises, you knew you were in for the side of Diluc that he liked to show only you if it could be helped.

In all honesty, you felt fine. Minor injuries were more than common when you were an adventurer in the Guild. But still, you knew what awaited you back in the City of Freedom.

As you walked through the gates of Mondstadt, you could feel the eyes of a few passerbys. Shaking it off, you put on a smile and walked up to the desk of the Adventurers Guild where a friendly face stood.

"Ad Astra Abyssosque," Katheryne recited the Guild motto as usual. Her smile dropped as soon as she noticed the bruises and cuts upon your face and arms.

Once again shaking off the concern look from someone, you smiled. "Hello, Katheryne. I finished those commissions," You spoke confidently.

The poor woman looked unsure of what to say, but smiled lightly nonetheless. "O-Of course. Here's your reward, Y/n," She spoke with hesitance in her voice but you ignored it.

Smiling gratefully, you took the commission rewards and stuffed them into your bag before bidding farewell to Katheryne.

Your next stop was your home. You didn't want a certain red head to see you like this.

The universe seemed to have other plans, however. You barely got ten steps away from the Guild front desk when you saw Diluc walking in your general direction.

"Son of a -," You were cut off by the sound of your name being called.

Quickly, you turned your head and moved your hair to cover the cut on your forehead. You'd deal with the blood sticking to your hair later.

"Y/n, didn't you hear me calling you?" Diluc appeared next to you before you could fully turn to face him.

You cautiously turned, making sure to keep the covered side of your face as inconspicuous as possible. Once again, you plastered on a smile. "Sorry! Lost in thought, I suppose!" You apologized, smiling brightly at the tall man.

His eyebrows furrowed in the slightest at your odd behavior. He read you like a book, afterall. He knew when something was up.

"No need to apologize. Say, are you hiding something from me?" He asked, trying to meet your eyes, but you avoided his. Gods, you were a terrible liar.

"No, why?" You asked, beginning to walk away. Of course he followed you.

"Well, for starters, you're hiding behind your hair," He pointed out the most obvious thing that you had the audacity to think wasn't noticeable.

Still, you continued on with the act. Scoffing and crossing your arms, even, to make it more believable. "Well, I did just get back from a commission, excuse me if my hair is a little unkempt!" You exclaimed, maybe a bit too dramatically.

Diluc shook his head and gave you a look that said he could see right through your terrible acting.

"Hmph, well I'm gonna go shower," You didn't get very far as he grabbed your arm and turned you to face him fully. You barely had time to blink as his eyes saw passed the hair.

The familiar look of concern replaced his scowl as he gently brushed your hair aside.

"Diluc..." You trailed off, your act completely faded away now.

"Not hiding anything, huh?" He sarcastically remarked.

Sighing as you shook your head, you let your eyes close to avoid his stern gaze. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. You get all worried," You mumbled.

"I'm sorry for worrying?" He asked, a bit of offense taken.

You sighed once more. "I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that you don't need to worry all the time. Look, I'm perfectly fine!" You tried to reassure him.

"Perfectly fine? You have blood dripping into your eye!" He raised his voice slightly.

"I- not a lot of blood!" You countered, but realized that it was useless.

It was Diluc's turn to sigh. "Does it hurt?" He asked, his hand holding your cheek.

If it were a less tense situation, you would've blushed at the gesture. Instead, you opted for grabbing his hand.

"No, I'm okay, Diluc. I promise. But, if it means that much to you, I'll let you patch me up. Okay?" You compromised with him, looking into his eyes. He nodded and the two of you set off towards your home.

There you sat in your tiny living room while Diluc worked on the cut on your forehead. He gently cleaned up the blood from your forehead and hair, cleaned the cut itself, then placed a bandaid on it. He insisted on tending to your other wounds, but you won the argument as they were only scratches and bruises.

"Feel better?" You asked him, a cheeky smile on your face. He scoffed. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" He inquired, leaning back on your couch. You shrugged and joined him, resting your head against his arm.

"For the millionth time, I'm okay. But thank you for taking care of me," You replied softly, feeling the events of the day weigh down on you, suddenly.

Diluc smiled ever so lightly and placed a small kiss to your hair. "Always," He uttered, watching as you fell asleep against his chest.

this was just a little drabble i thought was cute. also lemme know if you have a request for genshin characters and lemme know if you wanna be added to the taglist:) - madi

[the-really-lonely-mountain]

Along for The Ride - Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

Summary: Transported to Middle Earth, you must Join Thorin Oakenshield's Company as they travel to reclaim Erebor! OR: My take on the classic 'modern girl in Middle Earth' troupe. With this first installment, we are following the first movie of The Hobbit trilogy, and falling in love with Kili on the way! The final installment for the first movie.

Tags: Kili / Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Modern Character in Middle Earth, During The Hobbit, How Do I Tag, Canon-Typical Violence, Kíli Is a Little Shit (Tolkien), wrote this while I had covid, in like 4 days lol, implied soulmates, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Freeform, Holding Hands, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles, Protective Thorin Oakenshield Company Members, Dwalin & Thorin Oakenshield Friendship, Fluff and Humor, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Where In Middle-Earth Is Gandalf?, Hair Braiding, Dwarf Courting, My First Tumblr Fic, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Live, Thorin Oakenshield Lives, Fíli Lives (Tolkien), Kíli Lives (Tolkien)

Word Count: 3,717

A/N: I was utterly appalled by the lack of Kili writers on here and Ao3. Y'all who write for Kili, I've been eating your crumbs like it's the shit (cause it is) for weeks, but one can't be sustained on crumbs alone so I've prepared a feast!! This is the first fic I've ever wanted to post, please be gentle. Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are loved and treasured!!

Image credit: @skyfullofsong123

Divider credit: @cafekitsune

“Go wake the love birds will ya,” Bofur said to Nori while packing his things.

“Kili, Y/N, Time to wake up.” Nori gently shook your shoulder where Kili’s hand held you.

You suddenly woke with a startled, “Gaah!” Head butting Kili awake in the process.

“Aahgg” Kili held his lip where you’d hit him in your daze, “Y/N!?”

“Sorry, Kee!” You quickly apologized, resisting the urge to shoo his hand away so you could examine the wound yourself. Nori laughed lightly at your pain.

“Feeling better, Y/N?” Bofur asked from across the cave, “Had us worried.” Kili pushed your legs off him so he could start packing.

“Awe you guys” You smiled “I’m feeling much better thanks to my space heater” You thanked Kili in a roundabout way.

“Always happy to help.” He replied smiling despite his slightly swollen lower lip. He handed you your coat in exchange for his bedding. You put on your now dry coat (elvish material must dry fast) and packed your bedding. You donned your bag and joined the others as they discussed the upcoming anticipated terrain for the day. Bilbo seemed particularly out of it beside you while Thorin talked about the expected route of travel.

“What’s that Bilbo?” You asked pointing with your eyes to the blue glow around this sword. He had enough time to look at it then you in panic before the floor gave way beneath you.

You slid into a tunnel that rolled and slid you further into the mountain. The company yelled and grunted as they were thrown this way and that by the smooth curves and drops. As quick as it started you were dropped into a basket of sorts with little cushioning. Everyone groaned at the bruises that would surely appear.

“LOOK OUT!” Someone yelled making the company scramble in panic as a hoard of goblins sculked toward you.

“OH MY GOD!” You exclaimed in horror at their appearance. The company tried to fight them off but were quickly overrun. The goblins snarled as they mobbed you, dragging everyone to their feet by pulling on clothes, limbs, anything. The sniveling creatures pushed you forward through a corridor of other nasty dirty goblins creating a river of utter dreadfulness.

Time it suddenly slowed. A moth fluttered in front of you and in a voice that sounded like the wizard was saying: “…or. Gandalf. Stall. For. Gandalf. Stall. For. Gandalf. Stall. For. Gan...” Time resumed its normal pace when the moth was out of your earshot. You turned to try to follow it, having to fight against the grabby hands that held you back.

“Oof!” you ran into Kili almost tripping on him.

“Y/N, what are you looking at?” He tried to follow your gaze but didn’t see the moth.

“The wizard is coming we need to stall—” You were cut off by the creatures pushing you forward again grumbling to keep moving. “Tell the others!” You had to shout to him.

While the rest of the company shouted helpful things like ‘Get back!’, ‘You’ll pay for this!’ and ‘Unhand me!’ you opted for something more ‘HOLY SHIT THESE FUCKERS ARE UGLY!’. These concerns you vocalized quite loudly hoping to get a rise out of them.

“Ew ew ew!” You shoved at your captors “This is so gross!” Your shrill scream was rising in pitch but so much was happening that you didn’t notice its effect on the goblins near you. They kept pushing you forward, chittering at you as you passed.

You were funneled into a large open space that looked like a beehive with how the disgusting things were lining the walls and strung about in the air. You were stopped on a round platform in front of a huge goblin. Your weapons were dropped a few feet in front of the group.

“That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen,” you said looking at the corpulent mass of flesh and borderline decay before you. “That is truly a face only a mother could love.” The company chuckled, trying to be serious but failing.

“Who dares enter my kingdom armed?” The moving sack of meat said, looking at you all.

“Holy shit! It can talk!” You exclaimed, truly surprised by this turn of events.

“It?! I am the king of these parts!” He said, making his subjects loud and rowdy.

“I assume the role is inherited cause no one would willingly elect you, Jesus!” You had to look away before your eyes burned. “Sorry, my brain is just having a hard time coping with how ugly you all are” You closed your eyes and rubbed your temples.

“They are dwarves, your malevolence,” An underling said to his king.

“Don’t just stand there! Search them!” He commanded his hoard.

Clammy fingers groped everywhere on your person making you scream at the sudden defilement. The goblins covered their ears at your high pitch, releasing you and the company from their search.

“Now you listen here you ugly piece of shit” You marched right up to the edge of your group to properly address the king “That was completely uncalled for! Ordering your subjects to violate us when we’d already been searched on the way here!” You pointed to the weapons on the floor in front of him.

“Well excuse me for wanting to be thorough, she-dwarf” the king threw what he thought was an insult of his own at you. “And what business do you have in my kingdom?” He asked.

Before anyone else could respond you crossed your arms and said: “Non ya”

“Non ya? What’s non ya?” The king was utterly confused, and so were the dwarves behind you if their murmuring was anything to go by.

“Non ya business” You simply replied with a smirk. The dwarves erupted in a choir of ‘Ooohh’s, even patting you on the shoulder and laughing at your wordplay. The king looked scandalized, huffing and puffing in anger.

“If you will not talk, we’ll make you squawk!” The large goblin said with far too much joy, “Bring up the bone-breaking mangler! We’ll start with the impertinent she-dwarf” He pointed at you making panic race down your spine.

“Wait!” Thorin yelled stepping forward to pull you by the collar of your shirt back into the safety of the group.

“Well, if it isn’t Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror! King under the mountain!” The ugly creature bowed in mock respect, “Oh, but you don’t have a mountain, which makes you no one really.”

You weren’t the only one seething in anger from the disrespect.

“I know someone who would pay a very pretty price for your head,” the disgusting veiny king said.

“Awe you guys” Dwalin suddenly piped up, “He thinks Thorin’s pretty!” making the group laugh.

“ERG! Insolent dwarves! The pale orc doesn’t need anything attached to your head for payment” The king under this mountain suddenly turned smug, “Perhaps you know of whom I speak, He sits astride a white Warg, an old enemy of yours.”

“Azog the defiler is dead,” Thorin said slightly defensively. “He died in battle long ago.”

“So, you think his defiling days are over, do you?” The king turned to his scribe who hung off the edge of the platform. “Tell Azog I have his prize” The subordinate goblin chittered and swung away.

Fili pulled you to him and Bifur, “I thought you said Gandalf was coming,” he loudly whispered.

“He is, we need to stall for longer” You tried your best to keep the worried waver from your voice.

A rhythmic thumping started rattling the suspended platform. Everyone looked over to see a large torture device being rolled towards you. The king started singing an honestly catchy tune if it hadn’t been about how your bones would be shattered and from racks you’d be hung. The devices kept rolling closer, and the goblins jumped and jostled against you all.

A goblin off to the side shrieked and threw Thorin’s blade down.

“Tha-that’s the goblin cleaver!” The king scampered to his thrown, away from the discarded blade, “Kill them! Beat them! Break them!”

The underlings wailed against the company. Dwalin and Kili covered you, so they’d take the brunt of your attacks.

Suddenly a pure white light burst from the center of the platform, throwing everyone and everything back.

“We must take up arms!” Gandalf stepped forward “FIGHT!” His battle cry brought the company out of their stunned daze. Kili grabbed your hand as you both stood.

“Stay with the group!” He told you. The look in his eyes promised to protect you. He caught his sword at the hilt, swinging it to cut an attacking goblin down.

“I’ll keep up” You replied confident in your abilities. Weapons were thrown and exchanged in a wonderous display of practiced coordination, wiping out most of the creatures that detained you.

“Follow me.” Gandalf called the company to him, “Quickly! RUN!” He yelled, leading the dwarves across a bridge as mobs of goblins pursued you. It was all a bit of a blur. You ran and ran while the dwarves fought off attackers, chopping their heads off in one swift blow and pushing their bodies from the path.

“POST!” Dwalin yelled reaching down to pick up a pole, you helped pick it up alongside a few of the other dwarves. You all pushed and pulled it, knocking handfuls of goblins out of the way. The post was dropped so the warriors could use their weapons. Everyone was fighting so well…everyone except you. When the group started running again you did too.

‘That’s one thing I’m good at I guess’ you thought.

You stopped beside Gandalf as the others caught up. Kili ran across a ladder and jumped off in front of you with an odd smile.

“What’s a girl like you doin’ in a cavern like this!” He grinned at you as you all started running.

“Is—” You couldn’t help but laugh a little “Was that a pick-up line? In the middle of battle?!” You yelled at him with a smile.

He jumped over a recently deceased goblin, looked back at you, and winked. You scoffed in disbelief despite your blush. You all followed the wizard to the end of a walkway when the rope was severed, sending it swinging through the air toward the other side of the crevasse. Several dwarves jumped off at the first pass, but you were stuck on the swinging pendulum. It swung back to the goblin-filled walkway you just left, picking some up on the way. On the return swing, you jumped off. Kili caught you; you were ready for your comeback.

“Fancy seeing you here” You smirked at him as the company scrambled from the now-falling swing. He laughed a little as he ran, cutting down goblins with every swipe of his mighty blade.

The ground changed from creaky wood boards to jagged rock. Gandalf stabbed an overhang with his staff, dislodging a boulder that rolled down the slope. You and several others pushed it to help it gain speed, following behind it as it mowed down every revolting creature in its path till it fell from a cliff into the depths. The company kept running and fighting off the hoards. A goblin-less part of the wooden scaffolding was quickly filled in as you approached it.

The goblin king erupted from below the wood boards, just in front of the line of dwarves.

“HOLY SHIT!” You yelled startled. You were now trapped on all sides.

“You can’t escape me!” He sneered down at Gandalf, “What are you going to do now Wizard?” the large goblin looked down at him.

Gandalf thrust his staff into his large bleary eye causing him to reel back and howl in pain, exposing his round belly. The Wizard took the opportunity and slashed him across the stomach, bringing the filthy creature to his knees.

“That’ll do it,” The king said grimly just before Gandalf slit his throat. The dead weight lurched forward causing the wood boards beneath the company to shake. The scaffolding gave way beneath you all. Everyone screamed as the structure slid down the bumpy rock. It was wedged between the narrowing rockfaces which slowed its descent before it crashed down and collapsed. You and the wizard stood, thankfully not held down by the rubble. Everyone groaned under the weight of the boards.

“That coulda been worse,” Bofur said. In a twist of fate, it got much worse for those still stuck because the enormous weight of the goblin king crashed onto them. Groans and curses were muttered by all as they removed themselves from the planks.

“GANDALF!” Kili yelled upon seeing the ocean of angry goblins running at full speed toward them. You were helping the others to their feet.

“We can’t fight them all,” Dwalin said helping his bother.

“Daylight is the only thing that can save us,” The wizard said, desperate to get out of the caves, “Come on!” You all started running again as you followed the wizard to safety.

“I see it!” Ori exclaimed pointing to the pinprick of sunlight beaming from the other side of the corridor. You were running as hard as you could but were slowing just the slightest. The company burst from the cave as the sun was painting the sky with its last rays.

You slowed as you made your way down the mountainside. Gandalf took a head count while everyone caught their breath.

“Where’s Bilbo?” He asked the group “Where’s our Hobbit?”

“I think I saw him slip away when they first captured us,” Nori said.

“Slip away?!” Gandalf said exasperated, “What do you mean? Explain yourself!”

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Thorin said sounding agitated, “Master Baggins saw his chance and took it. He’s thought of nothing but his warm bed and hearth since he first stepped out of his hobbit hole. He is long gone by now.” Everyone looked around not knowing how to feel.

You felt sad, he was good company and a welcomed change from the sometimes coarse mannerisms of the dwarfs.

“No, he isn’t,” Bilbo appeared from behind a tree.

“I have never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life” Gandalf approached him with a glad smile.

“We’d given you up!” Kili said in disbelief.

“How’d you get past the goblins?” Fili asked with admiration and curiosity.

“How indeed” Dwalin repeated.

“Well, what does it matter” Gandalf tried to turn the conversation elsewhere, “He’s back.”

“It does matter” Thorin overruled Gandalf's words, “Why did you come back?”

“I know you’ve always doubted me,” Bilbo said to him “And you’re right, I miss my books and my armchair and my garden. That’s where I belong, I have a home to go back to, and that’s why I came back, cause you don’t have one…a home. It was taken from you. And I want to help you take it back if I can.”

Meanwhile, you are off to the side panting your little heart out from all that running.

Wargs howled in the distance.

“RUN!” Gandalf yelled. You could barely move, exhausted from the previous run.

“Oh lass,” Dori, ever the mother hen, trotted beside you as you made your best attempt at running, “Hop on” He leaned over so you could jump on his back. You hesitated.

“Are…you…sure” You panted. You were picked up by Oin and Gloin and placed onto Dori’s back. He immediately picked up speed catching up with the rest of the group. You could hear the Wargs snarling as they drew closer. The group slowed as they reached the edge of the cliff.

“Up into the trees!” Gandalf yelled, “Climb!”

Dori, this absolute unit, climbed the tree with you on his back. He passed you to a branch as Wargs circled the tree below. They began jumping up into the lower branches, chomping them down and shaking the tree.

“You alright Y/N?” Kili asked from a branch above yours.

“Peachy!” You replied sarcastically. Your tree began leaning. The Wargs jumped against it knocking it into the tree beside it. You all jumped into the still-standing tree, but it was no sooner knocked over into the next. You all jumped again making the tree slowly lean over the side of the cliff. Gandalf began passing flaming pinecones to everyone to throw at the attacking Wargs, catching their muzzles and the underbrush on fire. The Wargs retreated but a new problem arose. The tree everyone was in began to fall over. Those on the wrong side hung above a large drop. Thorin ran from the tree to challenge Azog. He was swiftly brought down. Before the Warg could make the final chomp on the company leader, Thorin slashed it across the nose making it drop him. An orc was ordered to behead him. As he lined up his blade to make the final blow, Bilbo tackled him. He stabbed the offending orc in the chest and stomach multiple times. You pulled yourself into a more secure position, so you were lying on your stomach against the tree.

“Y/N” Kili called to you reaching for your hand. You helped pull him onto the tree trunk, then helped Fili up too. The three of you pulled some of the other dwarves up together. Kili grabbed your waist to shift you so he could get around you on the narrow tree. You didn’t have time to dwell on the blush it created as the dwarves ran into battle to protect Thorin and Bilbo. You watched from the relative safety of the tree.

Watching Kili with the heat of battle rage in his eyes was extremely arousing to your surprise. He looked natural with a sword which made you wonder why Fili would say he wasn’t.

A sudden shriek of an eagle from above startled you. Talons plucked you and Gandalf from the tree and then dropped you onto the back of a huge eagle. The rest of the company joined on the backs of eagles as well. Thorin was knocked out in the talons of one.

In the sky of the setting sun, you were beside the wizard as you flew.

“Now that we have a moment,” Gandalf said, “We have much to discuss, my dear.”

On the back of the enormous eagle, Gandalf explained what he had learned. If someone from each world experiences an equal amount of loneliness and yearning at the same time, and the universe deems them a favorable couple, the person from your world would be allowed transport to Middle Earth. When they touch the staff, they appear next to the wizard who is closest to their counterpart. Fate brings the two together every time. He wasn't told of a way to return to your world because none had ever wanted to do so, but if you wished him to, he could find a way.

“I think I just need some time to process all this if you don’t mind,” you said not wanting to offend him. You wanted to be alone with your thoughts for a while.

“Not at all my dear,” He smiled, admiring your strength in the face of new developments.

The eagles flew the company over beautiful mountains in a sky painted by the rising sun. It was stunning. You didn’t know how long you were flying, so caught up in your thoughts.

The birds began circling a rock that stood above the forest below. Thorin was gingerly placed by the eagle. You and Gandalf landed on the rock next. Both of you ran over to the company leader to see how bad his injuries were. The other members began trickling onto the rock. They watched as the wizard said some foreign words over Thorin, making him wake. He asked if Bilbo was alright. He stood and went on about how he doubted him, but you rushed over to Kili after he’d landed toward the back of the group.

“Are you ok? You’re not hurt, are you?” You looked him over, moving his thick coat to make sure he wasn’t hiding a wound.

“I’m ok! I promise!” he smiled and took your hand in his, “How bout you, are you ok?” You’d never know how much he wanted to put his hand on your cheek in that moment and kiss you.

“Of course, I’m fine” you squeezed his hands a little, “I’m not the one who went running into battle,” you said in worried scrutiny. The memories of him fighting the orcs flashed vividly through your suddenly aroused mind. He must have noticed the way you subtly bit your lip and looked at him through your lashes.

“Oh, just admit it” He smirked mischievously at you looking into your eyes, “You liked it” he whispered in that deep gruff tone that you were beginning to like very much.

Everyone cheered and you turned to see Thorin hugging Bilbo. You were happy they were getting along. After Thorin pulled back, his eyes locked onto something in the distance. Everyone followed his gaze as he walked up the rock face.

“Is that what I think it is?” Bilbo said in disbelief. You all followed Thorin to get a better look.

A solitary break in the line of the horizon was a stark contrast against the vibrant colors of the rising sun. A lonely mountain sat apart from the rest, so very far away.

“Erebor,” Gandalf introduced you all to your destination, “The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle Earth.”

“Our home,” Thorin said with pride and a little relief. A bird flew past, chirping delightfully.

“The birds are returning to the mountain,” Oin said pointing to it. You grazed your hand against Kili’s and let it linger there while you watched the bird flutter away.

“That, my dear Oin, is a Thrush” Gandalf stated. Kili turned his hand so his pinkie could reach to find yours.

“But we’ll take it as a sign,” Thorin looked at Bilbo, “A good omen.” Everyone took in the view and prepared themselves for the next push to the mountain.

You wrapped your pinkie around Kili’s. You couldn’t keep your happy smile from your lips. You knew you were acting like a silly little schoolgirl; he brought it out in you in the best ways.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

requested by @onedirectionlovers2014

Request: Well I watched one of the Halloween episodes tonight and thought about something like the reader wearing a slutty costume to get Dan riled up after an argument and he gets really jealous and protective and tries to keep her covered all night and then they go home and he punishes the reader, ya know kinky see basically

warnings: jealousy, arguing, swearing, smut, edging, soft!dom Dan fielding

tags: @illiana-mystery, @eclecticwildflowers

AN: this got longer than I thought it would. Enjoy!

Grumbling to myself, I drove back to my apartment. Dan was so infuriating sometimes. How dare he tell me what I could wear and couldn’t wear. It wasn’t like it was provocative. It was just a modified morticia Addams costume, a pure black outfit. Tight sure but nothing like it could have been. What was his big idea? As if he didn’t act like Gomez when we were alone anyway. Huffing, I slowed down as I saw the costume store. Smirking, I pulled in and parked. I spent less than ten minutes there before pulling back out and finishing the drive.

I got changed into the new costume, which was basically a corset and underwear, before getting back in my car and driving to Harry’s. When Harry opened the door, he whistled.

“wow (Y/N). A little…much isn’t it?” I shrugged.

“a little pay back for Dan.” I told him as I walked in. “He tried to tell me what to wear. This is my response. Get him a little riled up.” Harry rolled his eyes as Christine appeared behind him.

“leave us out of this. Please.” Christine moaned. I winked at her. “no promises.” I laughed. “He here yet?” Harry shook his head. I nodded and moved further into the apartment to mingle with the guests that were there. No one really commented on my costume, other than the few who made a show of looking me up and down. I laughed it off, knowing no one would touch me because of Dan. The door opened and I turned to look at who walked in. Dan looked around, wearing his Gomez costume as planned. I smirked to myself as I walked over. “Hello Mr. Addams.” I cooed as I wrapped my arm around his. Dans eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

“(Y/N)! What the fuck are you wearing?” He asked as he shrugged out of his coat. He tried to drape it across my shoulders but I slipped away from him. Giving him a dirty look, I walked off to find Harry.

“yep. It’s started.” I complained to him as I leaned against a wall, taking small sips of the drink Harry had handed me. “He keeps trying to cover me with his coat.” Harry chuckled.

“what did you expect?” He nodded towards Dan who was talking to Christine but shooting glances over at me. “He thinks that only he can see what you’re showing off.”

“probably.” I shrugged. “Well here he comes. Better dash.” I laughed and went to step away. Dan grabbed my arm and pulled me into him. His coat as draped over my shoulders as he stared at me. I gulped as his eyes flickered down before coming back up to meet mine.

“we’re leaving.” He muttered. Shooting a look at Harry, he nodded. “Thanks for having us Harry. See ya tomorrow night.” I followed Dan out to my car. “I took a cab. Keys?” I handed him my keys, tugging his jacket closer to me as the chill blew through.

“my apartment or yours?” I asked, getting into the car. Dan huffed as he got in and started it. The drive was silent as I noticed we were headed towards his apartment. “I’m sorry.” I apologized. Dans eyes flickered over to me.

“for what?” He asked. “It’s my fault for starting that argument.”

“that. And…” I vaguely gestured to myself. Dan nodded.

“I hope you know you’re going to be punished for that.” He said. I nodded. “You should have just stuck to the plan (Y/N). But I can’t say I didn’t enjoy seeing you like that.” I blushed a little as he pulled up to his apartment. "But only I get to see you like that from now on. Agreed?"

"Yes sir." I responded. Dan nodded and got out of the car. He opened my door and held his hand out for me to take. I put my hand in his and let him help me out of the car. Dan wrapped his arm around my waist and led me through the lobby to the elevator. During the ride, he hugged me from behind with his chin on my shoulder. I leaned back into him, knowing that this was all of the sweet Dan I was going to get for a while.

"When we go in, I want you to strip and lay on the bed, face down." he said as the elevator doors opened. I nodded and took his offered hand as he led me down the hallway. He paused outside his door before unlocking it and ushering me. I beelined for the bedroom and started stripping off my clothes. Climbing on the bed, I laid down with my face buried in the pillow. I could hear dan walk in and hum appreciatively. He ran his hand along my back, rubbing circles between my shoulder blades. “Good dear. Very good.” I heard him open the drawer before I felt him tie my hands to the headboard. He also slipped a blindfold over my eyes, kissing my shoulder before pulling away. “Are you ready for your punishment?” He asked.

“yes sir.” I whispered. Dan chuckled and ran a hand down my back.

“Ten should do it.” He murmured to himself before his hand came down on my ass.

“One.” I yelped. Dana hand came down again. “Two.” I kept count until I was a squirming mess. “Ten.” I breathed out. Dan hummed as he slid his arms under my torso and flipped me over.

“You did so well for me.” He whispered as he kissed me. “I’m not quite finished with you yet. But I do think you deserve a bit of a reward my dear.” I whined as Dan trailed a hand across my stomach. “Would you rather have the blindfold off or the restraints?” He asked, voice low and stern.

“blindfold off sir.” I said instantly. The restraints were a comfort by now and I while I loved how Dan looked, there was something about the way he looked while fucking me into oblivion that just made him that much more attractive to me. The blindfold was pulled off, making me close my eyes and turn my head to try not to blind myself.

“color?” Dan asked, watching me carefully.

“green sir.” I answered quickly. “Just wasn’t expecting it to be that quick sir.” I explained when I saw the look on his face. Giving Dan a small smile, I squeezed the restraints. He nodded slowly before leaning down to kiss me again.

“you’ll tell me if it changes, right dear?” I nodded again. He kissed me again before standing up straight to take off his costume. “Good.” I bit my lip as I watched him, fighting back the usual urge to wolf whistle when he shrugged off his shirt. That would have earned me another spanking and the blindfold back, probably without sex tonight. After slipping off his boxers, he climbed on the bed and laid down on top of me. “You are not allowed to cum until I tell you too. Understood?” I met his eyes and nodded.

“yes sir.” I whispered. Dan smiled before kissing me fiercely, thrusting into me at the same time. My moan was swallowed by dan slipping his tongue in my mouth. I slowly sucked on his tongue as he pulled out. Chuckling, dan planted his forearms framing my head and buried his head between my neck and shoulder. I felt him kiss, nip and suck there as he picked up speed. “Please sir.” I whined as he set a pace that was far too slow. “Faster.” Dan gently bit my neck before pulling back completely.

“faster dear?” He asked, his eyes shining brightly. I nodded. “You should be careful what you ask for darling.” He laughed as he started to pound into me. I screamed out his name at the change in speed.

“dan!” I screamed as I felt the coil tense deep in my stomach. “Dan! Please! Please sir! I need…need…please!” Dan chuckled above me before slowing down. “NO!” I cried, grabbing the restraints and holding on until my knuckles turned white.

“what did I tell you my dear?” Dan asked, pressing kisses to my cheeks. “You can’t cum until I tell you to. And it is far too soon for my liking.” He kissed me again before slowly thrusting into me. I whined as the tension turned into a simmer. “Aw is someone mad?” He teased as he nipped at my neck again. “What if I…” Dan broke off as he resumed the previous speed he had. I cried out as I tugged on the restraints, frantically trying to find purchase on something while Dan moved his kisses to my chest.

“sir! Please!” My voice was somewhere between a scream and a whine, making Dan chuckle against the base of my throat. I tugged on the restraints again, desperately trying to hold back my orgasm. Dan bit my neck again as I pleaded with him. Instead, he slowed down to an unbearably slow pace. “I don’t…know…how much…more I…can take…sir.” I panted. Dan ran his nose down my jawline and I got a good look at him.

His hair was matted with sweat and his cheeks were dusted red. His eyes shone and his lips were swollen from kissing me. Dan was panting just as much as I was, his chest heaving with each breath. I swallowed thickly as I watched a bead of sweat run down his throat.

“Color?” Dan asked, slowly thrusting into me now.

“Green sir.” I breathed out. Dan nodded slowly.

“are you sure?” He asked, concern edging into his voice. I smiled up at him, equally as sweaty and red.

“I’m sure dan.” I broke out of our roles to reassure him. “At this point, I’m just ready to cum. You’re doing amazing. Just please for all that is good…” i trailed off as Dan chuckled, letting his head fall to my shoulder.

“alright my dear.” He picked his head up and kissed me sweetly. “Honestly, I’m not sure how much longer I can hold off either.” Reaching up, Dan undid the restraints and laughed as my arms came around him the second they were free. He brushed his nose against mine and started to thrust into me more deeply than before. His speed gradually increased until I was whimpering and burying my fingers into his sweat soaked hair.

“sir. Please.” I breathed out as I felt the coil tighten past the point of no return. “I can’t…” Dan leaned down and kissed my cheek.

“Cum for me my dear.” He whispered as my orgasm crashed over me.

“DAN!” I screamed as I held onto him as tightly as I could.

“(Y/N).” Dan grunted as he stilled, spilling into me. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, waiting until I had calmed from the aftershocks before pulling out. He laid down next to me, hand on his chest as he panted.

“I’m so doing that again.” I laughed as I turned my head to look at Dan. He grabbed my hand and pressed it over his heart.

“I think the fuck not.” He breathed out as I laughed, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. “But god do I love you.” He leaned over to kiss me before getting up, heading towards the bathroom to get a rag to clean me up.

“I love you too.” I whispered.

[strawberryflatline]

♡DONT REPORT JUST BLOCK♡

♡this is a sideblog!! My main is Mortuary-Maggots. If you're a jirai kei page or something of the sort, and you see that account follow you, feel free to follow me here or there! My inbox is always open to new friends. Just don't expect to have my constant attention, I'm still an adult with unfortunate adult responsibilities. However, I love chatting, especially about shared interests♡

♡about me♡

♡Name: I'll go by Doll/Dolly/Doll Face or Bunny to protect my privacy

♡Pronouns: It/It's, I am simply a little creature masquerading as a totally normal human girl

♡Sexuality: honestly hard to say at this point. Men make me want to remove all of my skin; women are wonderful. I am polyamorous, that much I know

♡Age: 23 (I'd prefer for minors not to interact with this page, but inappropriate content if any will be tagged accordingly)

♡Zodiac: Capricorn Sun, Virgo Moon, Libra Rising

Mental Illnesses: unknown. Surprisingly, I made it this far undiagnosed (send help).

Likes: making friends (despite my initial mistrust and dislike of people), gaming, writing/reading, horror movies, smoking, drinking, making people unsettled, dolls, masks, art, clowns/jesters, angels, catholic imagery, naps, bunnies, cosplay, fashion, makeup, alternative subcultures, music, video game lore, puppets

Dislikes: men usually, 90% of the world's population (that's not to say I'm not approachable, feel free to message me, I just can't guarantee frequent responses for a myriad of reasons), ignorance, those who take out their issues on those they care about (if you have the self awareness to apologize/acknowledge your actions that's obviously a different story), girls who throw other girls under the bus in front of men to appear cooler, pants

♡what you'll find here♡

This is a place for me to dump my stream of consciousness. Apologies if I come across wordy or pretentious by the way I write. I am undiagnosed, so I can't say for sure what causes these thoughts, but regardless, I hope these posts find their homes on pages of like-minded individuals. There's comfort in knowing you're not navigating this fog alone. Oh yeah, also jirai kei and menhera. (Maybe some Astarion posting here and there because there's something so insanely relatable about that silly little vampire twink)

♡Potential Trigger Warnings♡

♡talks of sh (mostly in mental forms)

♡alcohol, substances (weed, cigarettes, psychedelics, molly) I'm over 21. Please do not report; just block.

♡negative thoughts, suicidal ideation, vent posts, trauma talk

♡nsfw content (rare if at all. Just wanted to add it here just in case)

♡unsettling imagery/horror content

♡talk of ED

(Will continue to add to this if need be)

♡DNI♡

♡I'd prefer no minors

♡proana content

♡homophobic/transphobic/racist/etc. Don't be a dick basically

♡people who use their mental illnesses as an excuse to be shitty to those around them. Your traumas are valid, but they are never an excuse to hurt others.

♡If you figure out who I am irl, no, you didn't. I highly value privacy as a highly paranoid individual.

[absol-lutely]

Hiya, name’s Astra. Apparently means “of the stars”. Somehow related to my birth? Anyway:

pronouns? She/her

gender? Weird, but not trans

hometown? Fortree

current town? Snowpoint

starter? Swampert, Axolotl (Axel), he/him

other mons? Swinub, Fractal, he/him, and gible, Chomps, she/her

family? Two parents and adopted sister Stella (14 now), still in Hoenn

age? 21

sexuality? Hard no: aroace. QPRs maybe

rotophone? Yes, Sparks

{{hello, is me. i don’t use caps and may occasionally translate for astra if she loses human language. wait, you didn’t mention that part yet. astra, how can i be a good service rotom if you won’t let me tell people what i do? do you expect me to just not tell anyone why i’m transcribing for you? it’s the internet, it’s not obvious like it is in person!}}

Oh, right, the weird ones:

species? Absol hybrid

hybridization? Truly unclear, adopted

absol traits? Danger sense, little horns and fangs, pokespeech, skin/hair/eye colors, reflective pupils

mega evolution? Can. Hurts. Rather not again

danger sense? Wildly inaccurate

pokespeech? Easier than human

other effects? Autism, SPD, ADHD… six senses are harder than five

Here’s me and my sister, before I moved out. I’m told my appearance is unsettling, so apologies.

//Interaction notes, because Astra seems really overpowered without clarification:

Pelipper mail, its variations, and magic anons can be avoided if I don’t want to deal with it. IC, Astra knows protect and she will use it if her danger sense directs her.

To avoid her being overpowered, Astra’s danger sense is extremely fallible. She can fairly easily sense something immediately dangerous to her, but not what it is, which is why protect is her immediate reaction. Danger towards others is harder, and she needs to concentrate to tell who is the target. The gods and their chosens or hosts are hidden from her, along with magic anons, though their effects are not. For example, if Rayquaza tried to hit her with dragon ascent, she’d get hit, but if Rayquaza picked up a boulder and dropped it on her head, she’d sense the boulder. Her need for focus with danger towards others is a catch-all way for her to have not seen something coming. She can also be overwhelmed by her danger sense if too many people will be affected by the same thing (this is why she left hoenn).

Most importantly, this blog follows shinxverse rules (with permission). The two most important things from that are that A) the gods are uncommonly active in their regions and B) accidental hybridization via rituals/god powers is a thing that just happens sometimes. If still confused, she basically came from ORAS Hoenn but if the legendaries and mythicals were both active and unpredictable.

Now, lore notes:

Astra’s hybridization comes from her parents accidentally wishing on a jirachi while struggling with infertility, and jirachi made her wrong. There is no angst here, the hybridization itself is hard on her but its circumstances if discovered are no-stakes. Her parents are also good people, their relationship with her tops out at drama-stakes.

Astra has no link to jirachi, though this can change with blog interactions. Thus far jirachi made her, stuck her in fortree, and forgot about her.

Astra and her family worship jirachi, which led to the accidental wish. Their religion is highly spiritual and frowns upon proselytization.

Astra is wildly autistic because of the absol stuff. Humans can’t naturally deal with the extra absol senses, so she got autism, and her words come out easier in pokespeech.

Trigger warning time:

Of course, this is an rp blog, everything here is unreality. As such, it will not tag unreality unless there is ic unreality occurring to allow everyone to participate. Otherwise, this blog may contain mentioned ableism, mental illness, panic attacks, fantasy religion, and some body dysmorphia. Always ask to tag: will follow the format of “tw ______”. It will not contain suicidal thoughts, religions resembling real major religions, intentional parental abuse (meaning the worst case is saying something they don’t mean while angry), or anything remotely sexual (mun and muse are both sex-repulsed aroace). These topics may appear occasionally from reblogs or enter my inbox in asks, but never come from Astra or absol-lutely. Character arcs that I expect to have trigger warnings will have a character arc post noting these things beforehand. If there’s something you need me to tag, let me know. Astra is generally low- to medium- stakes for any of her own posts, but may participate in other characters’ high-stakes events.

mun follows from @funlovingfuzzball

[gryptids]

do all your ocs know each other or do they have subgroups?

EEE thank u for asking!! The OCs I tag for on Tumblr generally fall into three universes/stories. (Also I had to rewrite this like 3 times bcuz Tumblr's ctrl+z function is broken and I kept doing it reflexively, so apologies if this makes no sense lol)

As The World Caves In (#culecore): A 70s-inspired eldritch horror romcom about a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough. When a one-night stand leads to world-shattering revelations about her connection to a distant eldritch god, Cara (far left) must confront love, loss, forgiveness, and her community in order to halt an impending apocalypse. Dealing with centuries of relationship drama from her demigod paramours is just the icing on the cake. Messy, queer, and unapologetically indulgent, this is essentially a creative sandbox that I play in almost 24/7!! I love smashing together these terrible little bitches like dolls :]

From left to right we have Carolyn Klein (main character, cuntress supreme, can easily whip a dish that will bring you to tears), Saoirse Ross (not-really-tortured artist, grappling with the world's most protracted identity crisis, eldritch splinter of Chaos), Jude Collins (walking Leyendecker illustration, Captain Autismo, eldritch splinter of Light), and Victor Ward (depressed line cook energy, massive flirt, eldritch splinter of Void).

Threads of Gossamer and Glass (#tgg): A high fantasy political thriller about what comes after survival, reinventing your mind upon meeting someone new, and trying to not break the world in half a second time. This is a novel-length work I'm currently working on, which means I have a novel-style blurb for it LOL:

"Maria has worked her entire life to secure a seat in the Artea Crea, an artist's guild that serves as the highest governing body in her home nation of Trevigi. But when her sister's illegal magical abilities are discovered, she's given an impossible choice; play diplomat in a suicide mission to a land of savage mages, or see her sister hanged. However, Maria quickly discovers that there's more to Peykangraz that meets the eye; deadly games of magic and politics, a mountain range that appears to be shifting, and a powerful mage who is as confounding as he is alluring. With every new ally, deal, and discovery, she begins to glimpse the buried truth that lies between the land and her mission. But what is she willing to risk -- and to lose -- in pursuing what she believes in?"

(art by the lovely @dying_anniris on Twitter!!)

&Lavender (#&lav): In a story that extrapolates the machinations of the fae courts onto high-class mob politics, Lav finds themself walking the razor edge between worlds when their quiet life collides with the unknown. As a jeweler specializing in intricate gem faceting, Lav creates flashy pieces for humans and fae alike, performing humanity for their clients through a combination of glamour magic and ascerbic wit. The Courts ignore them, and they ignore them right back. As a wyldfae -- too unimportant to be considered Seelie or Unseelie -- they're used to the lack of interest. But when a dangerous artifact comes into their possession, they must risk everything and forge an alliance with a member of the Unseelie Court to protect it. What follows is a saga of lust, destruction, and all the terrible things that happen when you understand how much you're truly worth.

Plus, I've got a few miscellaneous OCs (including Beverly, a waifish Texas cannibal, and Ariadne, a vampiric Oath of Conquest paladin) who fall into their own individual universes! Together they form the Insane Blood-Splattered Women Brigade <3

TYSM for asking!!! I love the chance to talk abt my guys... feel free 2 ask more questions abt them if you're curious!!!!

[star-my]

WIP Tag Game

rules: post 3 snippets from published work, and 3 from your wips

Thanks @theharrowing for the tag! I'll tag @minisugakoobies @colormepurplex2 @hisunshiine and whoever else wants to play! No pressure, and my apologies if you've been tagged already.

I don't have 3 works published yet in this fandom, so one will have to do:) y'all do, however, get never-before-seen snippets of unpub works!

Published- We are Forever Bulletproof: Oracle

CHAMESH 1ST, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: BANGTAN EMPIRE ATTACKED BY TOOPEEHM KINGDOM

CHAMESH 2ND,  2011

BREAKING NEWS: BANGTAN AT WAR WITH TOOPEEHM

“It’s for your safety, honey.”

“I know, but I want to stay here with you. It’s my place!”

“Jeongguk, your place is to stay safe, so we don’t have to worry for your safety and well-being and we can focus on the war.” His mother hugged him tightly. “Your hyungs will take good care of you. Be good, and don’t worry about us, okay? We’ll be fine. We love you.”

“I love you.” He hugged her back tightly. “Don’t worry about me; I’ll be good.”

Jeongguk arrived at Bomnal Palace in the Kim Realms and was greeted by Queen Mishil. She led him to the sitting room where her sons were hanging out with their friends, the Empire’s other princes.

Six pairs of eyes met his large ones as he took in the room and its occupants.

“Hi, Jeongguk, right?” A tall, handsome young man came over to meet him warmly. “I’m Seokjin, but you can call me Jin like the others do.”

Jeongguk nodded. 

“Okay.”

“We haven’t seen you much;  it’s usually Junghyun with the Emperor and Empress,” said a boy, smiling widely at him and waving. “But Junghyun hyung talks about you a lot.”

“He’s told me about all of you too,” said Jeongguk, smiling shyly.

“I’ll let you boys take care of Jeongguk then, while I make arrangements for you all,” said the queen, and left with a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

Arbah 34th, 2013

TOOPEEHM’S WAR WITH BANGTAN EMPIRE DRAGS ON THROUGH SECOND YEAR

Shesh 7th, 2013

BREAKING NEWS: THE MAD MAJE RETURNS ON TOOPEEHM’S SIDE IN EHM-TAN’S WAR

“I’m back!”

“How’d school go?” Jin appeared from the direction of the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron. 

“It was fine,” Jungkook shrugged. “Lots of homework, even for the first day.”

“Let us know if you need help,” called Yoongi from the office/study area.

“Thanks, hyung!” he called back, following Jin to the snack he knew the oldest had prepared for him.

Hoseok and Jimin were talking quietly by the island. “With the added help from the Mad Maje’s forces, who knows how much longer this will drag on for. The first Maje War was five years long, and it’s already been two years-”

“DO YOU WANT TO TRY MY NEW CRACKERS RECIPE OR THE BROWNIES, JUNGKOOKIE?” asked Jin, loudly announcing their presence and shutting up the other two.

“Both, obviously,” grinned Jungkook. 

They weren’t subtle, but they loved him and had readily adopted him as their little brother, doing their best to shield him from the news of the war and the unease it brought and raise him to be a good prince, and more importantly, a good person, like his parents wanted.

He had only been able to see them and Junghyun a couple times since he was sent away; all the princes of the Empire had moved to the highest-protected city in the Empire, the Jeon Kingdom’s capital, Bangtandosi, shortened by its natives to ‘Bangtan’ or ‘Tan’.

They lived in a large stone house in the old district, close to Bangtan University where the older princes attended, and a five-minute walk from Jungkook’s high school.

Visits with any of their family members were few and far between, with the war taking up most of the royals’ time and attention, and the need to keep the heirs to the Empire’s location secret.

They seven of them had consequently created a bond closer than just brothers as they adjusted to life as civilians in the middle of wartime. They would do anything for each other, no questions asked.

{You can find the whole fic here on tumblr or on ao3}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unpublished- currently my only WiP is We are Forever Bulletproof: Truths

(shocking, i know, but i'm writing for the BTS fandom and hiatused my other fandom because i was overwhelmed with its WiPs. i'm trying to keep the pressure lowkey for my BTS fics. Feel free to request more, though!:D)

The air had a cool bite to it, signalling the start of the autumnal season. A gust of wind blew a falling yellow leaf into Jungkook’s face as he passed under the tree-lined avenue leading to Bangtan University. 

He brushed it away, turning to inhale the aroma of coffee and freshly baked goods carried by the breeze. Ah, good old 00:00 cafe. Located just outside campus grounds, it was a popular spot for students to crash and study, or go on a date right after class, or to work in before classes started. Jungkook had written more than one paper there as he had access to immediate coffee refills.

Jin or one of his other hyungs would have been more than happy to run an in-home coffee service for him during his previous three years of secondary schooling, but he enjoyed people-watching and the academic vibes he got from studying at a coffee shop.

Jungkook stepped in and inhaled the more concentrated scent of fresh-brewed coffee, likely a fresh shipment imported from the Jung Archipelagos.

The line at the counter was surprisingly short (though maybe that was because this was only the first day of classes and students didn’t need as much caffeine to function) and he quickly ordered his usual caramel frappuccino.

The worker behind the counter nudged the shoulder of his coworker and gave her the order details while he attended to the customers at the register.

Jungkook leaned against the counter by the pick-up area and watched students crossing from the busy streets of downtown Bangtan to the lush grounds of Bangtan University’s campus. A fun little game he liked to play was deciding what year a student was in and what they were majoring in. He was pretty sure he’d just identified a fellow fourth-year PolSci major when his name was called.

“Jungkook?”

He turned to collect his drink and heard bells ringing. Little specks of glitter floated around Her head, a small smile on Her lips and Her light eyes sparkling as She met his awestruck gaze.

I love you.

The lights around Her head disappeared and the bells abruptly stopped ringing as She pushed his cup into his hand and wrapped his fingers around the curved sides, turning to take the newcomer’s order while Her coworker manned the coffee.

“Have a good day!” She tossed over her shoulder, smiling at the newcomer.

Jungkook sipped his drink, frowning as he exited the coffee shop, the bells ringing goodbye in a mocking way, a far cry from their melodic tinkling when he met Her.

That was a good frappuccino; he’d have to go back. For the coffee, too.

{is this all i've written for WaFBV:T? you don't have access to my docs and can't prove anything>:D}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fic I've written but haven't published/typed up- Godmother: Vixen

Ara, Age 15 (10 years ago)

"Jungkook, you know how you're going to be my official bodyguard in a couple years, when you turn 18?"

Jungkook's head was in Ara's lap, her fingers combing through the soft black strands. "...yeah?"

"So then I won't have Lee watching us all the time?"

"Yes? Where are you going with this?" "Patience, Kookie." Ara booped his nose, making him crinkle it at her.

"Well, then I'll be able to sneak out with you more. I won't have to make you sneak out to get my stuff anymore, and I can really begin my- our plans."

"But I don't mind it! I like it!" Jungkook protested. "It keeps you safe and under Lee's watch, where you're supposed to be."

"Yeah, but it's so boring. I don't get to practice my black belts on anything...you can join the underground rings but I can't, yet. Ugh, I wish you were older so I could polish the plan better."

"Slow and steady wins the race, Ara. You've got two years to finish learning all that stuff you want to know, as if Namjoon-hyung and Jin-hyung won't help."

"Yeah, but they'll be busy for appa, and it's too close; he'd be suspicious and they'll be in trouble even if I'm not. It's good for me to know hacking and strategy, anyways. You've been with me for my physical training, but I can't lead a gang just because I have five black belts in martial arts and a gun."

"Okay, you have a point, Bug."

"When do I not?" she smirked saucily at him.

~~~

(present day)

Jimin complied, following her to a small room that reminded him of a cabin. She pointed to the twin bed and shut the door behind her. Jimin didn't feel like a captive since there was a window large enough for him to crawl through, and there didn't appear to be any bars or lasers to stop him from doing so if he wished. But he didn't wish to; he was here for a reason, afterall.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as someone came jogging up to Vixen. The tread was heavy, likely male, and the visitor greeted her in a male's voice.

"Hey Vix, I found out where he keeps the goods- why are you frown- ouch! VIX-mmph!"

That male voice sounded awfully familiar. Jimin frowned.

"Shh! I'm gagging you because he's next. Door!" hissed Vixen harshly. "If you'd checked outside before you snuck in, you'ld've seen his car!"

Jimin strained his ears as the whispers softened and moved down the hallway. However, he'd managed to drop a bug on Vixen's back as he followed her, so he pulled out his receiver and shamelessly eavesdropped.

"I came over the rooves tonight so I didn't see. I'm sorry, VIx, that was careless; I should've known better. I'll check 360 degrees next time, yakseokhae."

That was definitely JK.

"Good. Yeesh, oppa, you almost gave everything away! I had Han ready to rush you with his knife to slow you down!"

Oppa?! Why was Vixen so close to JK?

"Sorry, Vixen. But I found out where he keeps the goods, and I'm getting mine tomorrow, so I need to make sure the others won't be visible when it's done."

...the blacklight tattoos each member got when they were inducted into Bangtan? He'd thought JK was a reliable asset to Bangtan, so he'd invited him to get it. JK was obviously Vixen's spy in Bangtan, but why?...most of JK's time was spent on his bodyguarding duties with Ara.

Unless...Vixen was going to take out Ara to hit Bangtan and Grey? But both of them were allied with her, that didn't make sense. And he knew JK would never hurt or let anyone or anything hurt Ara.

Clearly more investigation was required.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{I forgot how much I liked this fic! It definitely needs some polishing, but maybe I can get it done for some event or a friend's birthday!}

Masterlist is here

[the-institute-rpg]

EVENT : emergency lockdown

In the wee hours of the morning on August 16th, Malvolio Island's protective spells are restored. Supernatural slaves find themselves bound once more, and tongues that spilled secrets freely are stilled once more. Just before sunrise, a live message from Headmaster Malvolio is broadcast to every island-issue cellphone. Dante sits in his living room, his office having been destroyed in the explosion, harried witches rushing around him. "Good morning, island residents," he says, "You have my sincerest apologies for the lapse in our protections. As of ten minutes ago, they have all been restored. I assure you, this unprovoked attack has been dealt with, and--" The broadcast cuts out abruptly, the word 'LIAR' flashing across every screen in its place. It remains for only a moment before a new image appears--a beautiful woman, impeccably dressed, seated behind a desk. Delphine Delecaille folds her hands and smiles out of every screen. "My apologies for the interruption," she says. "It's impolite, I know, but I simply cannot abide liars. I assure you all, my attack is anything but unprovoked, and I most certainly have not been dealt with. Your headmaster was once my brightest pupil, you see. When he was still a young man, he made a bargain with me. I gave Dante all that he desired--but when the bill came due, he did not wish to pay. He thought I was dealt with then, too. Thought I didn't know the assassins who came for me were sent by him; thought throwing me a party would allay my suspicions when I returned, make me forget his debt. Well. I have not forgotten. I have given you ample time to make the right choice, Dante. If you will not give me what I am owed, I will take it--and everything else you have with it." She is still smiling when the broadcast cuts out once more. Headmaster Malvolio's broadcast does not return--instead, the screens flash apologies for technical difficulties before going black. Island-issued phones fail to respond to their users for a few moments, and when they do, service cuts in and out, texts and calls failing more than they succeed. A few moments later, a series of explosions rock the island, plumes of smoke rising from different locations. The largest rises over the dormitory building; the entire back half of the building has completely collapsed, and the flames that engulf it are quickly spreading over the half that still stands. Over the fresh wave of chaos, a furious roar is heard, and a massive purple dragon is seen in the sky above the island, breathing fire. The restoration of the protective spells has come too late; the attackers are already inside. For the second time this week, magical sirens sound throughout the island, and an alert dings on every phone. MALVOLIO ISLAND IS UNDER ATTACK. PLEASE PROCEED TO YOUR DESIGNATED SHELTER FOR EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN.

OOC INFO:

Out of game, this event will last from 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, August 27, through 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, September 13.

All civilians on the island have been assigned a location to shelter during the second portion of the attack.

A second post will follow with shelter assignments and further details.

The dash WILL be paused for the duration of the event, however, threads from the Broken Spells event may continue! Please only post threads from the Broken Spells & Emergency Lockdown events for the duration.

The starter rule is still in effect. Don't forget to reblog your starter to the starter blog to ensure it appears for everyone! Please also tag your starter in some way to indicate that it is an event starter, and which event it falls under. (For example, ‘broken spells', 'emergency lockdown',  ‘event starter’, etc.)

RELATED EVENTS & PLOT DROPS:

Preceded by Broken Spells

Event Details & Shelter Assignments

Plot Drop: Oncoming Storm

Plot Drop: Blackout

Plot Drop: The Livestream

Emergency Lockdown Wrap Up

[marnerwrites]

TW: misogyny, brief mention of internalized homophobia, racism, whitewashing, and mentions of pr*datory behaviour.

I told myself that I would absolutely never make a callout post and yet here I am. I feel as if I need to do my part and protect other admins and groups within the rpc as well as clear the air since my roleplay has been mentioned in the rph/rpt tags. I am an admin over at @scatteredtaleshq. We’re a small next-gen-based Disney group that tries to foster an inclusive and creative safe space for our members. With that being said, I want to warn the roleplay community about two members we had named Red (musingsbyred) and Hanne. They applied at the same time and it was clear from the get-go that they were friends. Red applied as the Cheshire Cat with Chris Wood as the faceclaim and Hanne applied as Mr. Mittens from Pixar’s Soul with Melissa Benoist as the faceclaim. We had to approach Hanne and let her know that Mr. Mittens was canonically a man and she swapped out her character for Duchess from the Aristocats. They both then applied for Copper and Tod from The Fox and the Hound. 

The first red flag appeared when Copper and Tod’s bios were posted and Red asked for Tod to have a family with Vixey while identifying as gay and being in the closet about his sexuality. Red was insistent on having Vixey and their shared child in the group despite Tod having feelings for Copper, which felt strange to the admin team. It felt like they were trying to form some sort of plot point rooted in latent misogyny. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having two men in love or being in the closet about one’s sexuality, but don’t use their wife of convenience as a wanted connection. It’s not fair and sends a weird misogynistic message. With that being said, it was sort of brushed off because we didn’t feel as if we had proper grounds to approach them yet unless one of our members expressed discomfort. The next thing that unfolded was Hanne applying for Kida from Atlantis with Laura Harrier as the faceclaim. Since Laura is half white and both of Kida’s parents appear in the movie and are both people of colour, we told Hanne we would be more comfortable with her using a fully black faceclaim or a non-white fcoc. 

She apologized for choosing Laura and then continued to say that she was just trying to use someone she already had resources of and that Laura matched Kida’s ‘shade’. She then tried to argue the whole Laura being used as a faceclaim further and asked if she could get some “leeway” on it. There is NO leeway on white-washing characters. It’s unacceptable, especially after we provided some beautiful dark skinned women as options for Kida. Disney might’ve been racially ambiguous in terms of Kida, but we don’t have to follow that same route. We of course told her no and despite being dejected, she found an alternative faceclaim on her own. After that, two other issues arose with Red and Hanne. 

First of all, Red applied for the child of Sulley named Jasper Sullivan. She posted an intro establishing another family when we prohibit anyone from setting up a family that isn’t currently present to maintain creative freedom for future members. We asked her to remove that part of her bio and she proceeded to argue with us over the fact that ‘Hanne was intending to apply for a child of Mike and Celia’, which is something we wouldn’t have known about and neither would any of our other current members who might’ve wanted to apply for a child of Mike and would’ve gotten discouraged. Later that day Hanne posted two open starters despite not following our ‘you must answer 3 opens before posting another open’ rule. At this point, it felt like we had to approach them with a new issue every day and it was getting mentally taxing. Especially since both Red and Hanne weren’t following simple guidelines. Red flag number two came in the form of Hanne asking to change her character, Duchess, to Alice from Alice in Wonderland. 

For context: the admin team had an inkling that the two intended to ship their characters together. They were both first cats and both Chris and Melissa (their faceclaims) are partners in real life. But with Hanne’s desire to switch her character to Alice, we felt uncomfortable, to say the least. The Cheshire Cat being shipped with Alice when he knew her as a child seemed borderline pr*datory. But despite how uncomfortable the admins felt, we couldn’t say anything until our suspicions were confirmed. Everything sort of came to a head when Red asked one of the admins to DM her in the group chat. I responded with, we’d prefer to have issues be brought up through the main (as a form of protection for our admins — especially since we all deal with anxiety, we’re stronger as a cohesive team). They continued to express their discomfort at the fact that Logan Lerman (their faceclaim for Tod) was being used twice in the roleplay. 

For the record: he was already taken as a faceclaim when they applied. We explained this fact to her. Considering the fact we have such a long taken faceclaim page, it can be easy to miss certain faces. It happens to the best of us, especially mobile roleplayers because tumblr is a bit inaccessible but we try our best to keep things organized. They were combative and defensive and insistent on the fact that Logan wasn’t on any of the pages when they joined. Regardless of this argument, our group has a rule that allows faceclaims to be used TWICE. Which was further proof to us that they hadn’t been reading the pages. 

At this point, their tone was combative and argumentative and I can admit ours became a bit on the edge as well, especially since tone is difficult to interpret over text and it felt like they were trying to deny something when we sent them screenshots proving Logan was already taken when they applied. Eventually, the admin team concluded as a whole that we were just bumping heads with Red and that we needed to ask Red to leave. They had only been roleplaying with Hanne back and forth on Tod’s account since arrival, made it seem like replying to 3 open starters was a chore, and were making us uncomfortable for several different reasons. We needed to protect our space and do what we thought was best for every party involved. We explained to them the grounds we had for asking them to leave and they immediately became extremely aggressive and retaliated by posting screenshots onto the dash to cause ooc drama. While none of our other members left, they were made uncomfortable by the whole situation. Hanne left soon after as well, which was no surprise.

After that, Red went to several rpt/rph blogs and began to slander the group. They sent themself anons on the character sideblog they had for the group that no one except our current members would’ve been aware of. They also even went to an RPH pretending that their character sideblog (scaryjasper) was an entirely different person and not themself. Which is the blog they seem to be sending themself anons on because no one outside of our current members (who all chose to stay except one - would’ve been aware of). On top of that, they began to send anons harassing our members (we did not include these in our screenshots because we want to protect our members’ privacy) and sending racist anons to the main. We have never had an issue with any past members and this was extremely jarring to us that they were sending anons to multiple people spreading falsehoods. It isn’t fair to our members for them to be dragged into this and it’s not fair to my admin team who works so tirelessly to make sure everyone feels welcome, included, and safe to voice their thoughts and feelings.

With that being said, I just want to protect other admins from potentially experiencing this. I don’t want to comment or discuss this matter further. I just want my group and rpt/rph accounts to have a moment where they’re no longer harassed by this potentially dangerous individual and their friend who they may or may not be dragging into their toxicity. Especially since we have been informed that they have a history of harassing groups.

Also: If my only crime in my 10+ years of roleplaying is kicking out racist combative misogynists who love to fuel ooc drama, so be it. All of the rules they broke led up to one big decision in which we felt as if we weren’t jiving. Especially since they had both only been in our group for a total of 4 DAYS and this many issues had arisen. No one owes anyone an explanation for kicking roleplayers who make ANYONE uncomfortable or countless red flags. It’s your creative space and you deserve to protect that. I just want this all to be over and for our members to be left out of this as we move forward. I wanted to keep this private and professional, but they chose the alternative route so we should be allowed to share our side of the story as well.

Receipts can be found in the source link.

[tryingtimi]

Waning | WIP Tag Game Snippet

So, since the game says share a snippet when someone asks about the stuff and I also made a deal with someone about this today; here's a snippet from the Kingdom of Thoughts. Little insight or idk what: I planned the moon cycle (and the stars) to have a very important aspect of the whole thing, because in every new state and in every new kingdom, the protag would get a vision of the flawed king's past. In fact, of the most impactful one that would help the protag to get to know the issues of them? Probably something like that. Anyway, here it is. Tagging @writingonesdreams and @bloodlessheirbyjacques because you guys were certainly interested in it. 💙

Cold wind ran through the great hall, goosebumps appeared on my bare arms. My body was wrapped around with an unknown dress. The fabric on my skin felt as a gentle kiss from a lover on a heated summer night. The touch of the material was extraordinary and unnatural. I could barely look down at the glowing gold and the white pureness that danced on the dress.

Silk.

I could recognize even if I've never worn a magnificent creation than this one before.

Something that definitely belonged to a royalty.

"Mother." A child was sitting by the enormous window. He looked at me. His eyes were starry sky, full of curiosity in the ebony vortex.

I opened my mouth but voice never came out. I tried to speak, whistle, scream but the same result waited for me at the end of every try.

Nothing.

I was completely mute.

The little boy continued.

"The sky is remarkable tonight, isn't it?" He turned back, looking through the window. His smile grew wider. "Do you think the moon is capable of feelings?"

He never got an answer, but it seemed that it didn't bother him. His eyes wandered at me again and I felt the warm love from those doe eyes. He laughed then, little dimples appeared on both sides of his cheeks.

"I hope so too." I didn’t know what was happening. My head hurt and I had a tight feeling in my chest. Who’s this child? Why is he talking as I ever answered him? Why am I not capable of spilling out a single sound?

His smile faded as he blinked, it almost completely vanished. He just stared at me, while I stood there, silent. He didn’t move his lips but somehow still; I could hear his loud mind ticking. He shut his lashes down and his head followed the move. My heart ached, and I felt like it’s my fault that this little one turned so sorrowful. 

He pursed his lips into a thin line and lifted his gaze up.

Did not look into my eyes anymore.

But still I saw the little twinkle in the corner of his agonizing ambers. The moon beams reflected in the lonely teardrop that caressed his cheek. It didn't go far because the boy calmly shook it off with his pale hands.

"I suppose, the moon is my father and the stars are the folk as they surround him. He is mighty and fearful, he protects the stars and makes them shine even more."

His generous words sounded weary, sorrow echoed in them.

Then he disappeared.

"Yes, he is indeed the moon." I turned my head towards the source of the low voice, with a chaotic storm in my stomach. An adolescent boy stood in the opposite corner of the room. He was tall, elegant and familiar. Awfully familiar. "He is an inhuman judge, a phlegmatic king and an unshakable leader as well. Neither a single soul can not read him. Nor a well prepared enemy can not break him.  And even the dearest person can not change him. Or his family. Even his son. Or you, mother. He does not bother to care for us. You and me equally."

His gaze was a strong grip that caught my heart and squeezed it hard. His words echoed in me, every part of my body trembled. I didn’t know why he had this huge impact on me. Confusion as a river caught my body and mind, the waves rose above me and I could not breathe anymore. I was drowning.

"I apologize." His eyes softened and his tone became gentle, careful as he would talking to a frightened child. "I truly apologize, mother. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, don't cry."

Surprised, I raised my right hand to my face and I could feel the warm tears under my fingers.

"You deserve everything, dear mother, so don't ever say anything like that. I had no right to say such a thing, I've already regretted it."

He headed towards me, glistening eyes looking back at me. Open arms and a tiny, tiny smile on his lips. Although his figure faded and before he could reach me, it entirely vanished.

I couldn't even blink before a loud sob hit my eardrums. The sound came from behind me, I was sure. Even though I had no courage to turn around and face the one to whom the sound belonged. The grip still embraced my heart. It only held it lightly now, however. I felt it but it didn't hurt anymore.

"Why did you leave me behind, hm?" A broken voice started, thick and hoarse. His habitual respectful manner changed as he spoke up, the way he spilled those words out into the deafening silence was full of emotions.

Anger, disappointment, love, hatred.

My head was spinning, I could barely stand still. And so I made a decision.  I took a deep breath. Time went slow, almost stopped whilst I forced my body to turn around. First, I thought I couldn't even move, but then my muscles tightened and I felt a little energy that helped me through this agony.

As I finally faced the slender figure in the distance, I forgot to breathe. I couldn't see his face clearly, because it hung purposeless between the two muscular shoulders, but still; I was certain who it was. The little boy who has been amazed by the moon, the furious young one who let his anger out on his mother. The broken, helpless young adult who was kneeling before a coffin. All of them were one.

"Dearest mother. Why?"

As he raised his gaze up, a strict look greeted me, with that familiar starless sky in his eyes.

King Ziaelas'.