#don't worry about it. i'll get over it someday surely.

[familyvideostevie]

you have me, you have me only

joel miller x reader you get (minorly) injured on patrol. joel does his best to patch you up and not worry too much. | jackson!joel, hurt/comfort, wound-patching, some blood, a jesse cameo, joel being joel, all that good stuff. | 4.2k a/n: part of the just and just as verse. not too soft but not too angsty, either. just another day after the end of the world, you know? thank you @mrsmando for your eyes on this! <3

___

"Almost there," you mutter. "Fuck."

The icy winter wind dulls the stinging in your palms to a numbness. The leather gloves you've had for half a decade stay tucked in your pockets. You don't want to ruin their lining with dirt and blood.

"How's the head?" 

Jesse pulls up alongside you in a trot. The adrenaline from your patrol-gone-wrong pulses heavy at the top of your spine, your vision sharp and the whole world a little too loud around you as Jackson comes into view at the bottom of the hill. Your head, like the rest of you, throbs.

"I'll live."

He scoffs and his horse snorts as if agreeing with him. In truth, you're more pissed than injured, though it certainly looks like you lost a fight. Jesse's cheekbone will no doubt bloom purple tomorrow and his lip is still bleeding sluggishly. His jeans are splattered with gore, same as yours.

"Thanks for back there," he says.

You shrug and wince when it pulls at the skin of your side where you fell. 

"You, too," you tell him with a grimace. "That was quick thinking with the brick."

You like him -- he's good at his job and he's a good friend to Ellie. You know Tommy and Maria are not-so-subtly training him to run this place someday if he wants to. As a patrol partner, you can't ask for much better. He knows all the routes and he's a good shot and his mom knows everything there is to know about everyone in town and sometimes he passes tidbits on to you.

But knowing your shit doesn't mean a damn thing in this world, sometimes. You can still get ambushed by infected on patrol and it can still fuck up your day.

He waves you off. "I just can't believe an elk chose our station to fucking die in."

"Tommy is going to shit himself when you tell him," you laugh. It pulls at your ribs. God, is there any part of you that didn't take a beating?

"He'll just be pissed he wasn't here."

Your horses reach the bottom of the hill and Jesse hesitates, the green scrap of cloth in his hand. The red one indicating an injured party peeks out from his pocket.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the clinic?"

"I'm fine," you say firmly. "I can patch up at home."

He eyes the cut on your forehead and your scraped palms but caves under your glare and waves the green flag.

"Joel makes the same face," he mutters. "Ellie does, too. Freaky."

The gates open and you grunt when you get off your horse, palms back to stinging.

"Joel's two expressions are pissed and annoyed," you say. “Not hard to pick one up.” You press the back of your hand to your forehead and it comes back tacky with blood. "Fuck."

"I don't think you'll need a stitch." Jesse holds his hand out for your patrol rifle and pats the neck of your horse. "I'll debrief and get these guys settled. You go home."

Normally, you'd protest. But you really just want to take a hot shower and sleep for twelve hours, so you nod and shoulder your pack carefully.

"Make sure you tell Tommy about beating a stalker to death with a brick," you call over your shoulder. "He'll be impressed."

Jesse laughs.

Snow crunches under your boots on the way home. Fuck, you're exhausted. The adrenaline fades with each step and the aches become sharp pains. There aren't too many people out today on account of the cold but you nod and wave, ignoring the double takes at the blood on your clothes.

It'll be a pain in the ass if you can't patch the ruined knees of your jeans. Maybe you can convince Joel to carve something for the woman down the street who can sew better than anyone in town. Finding new pants is damn near impossible.

You’re practically dragging your feet by the time you reach your house. The mailbox labeled Miller, the wind chimes gently swaying on the porch, all of it puts you at ease. You made it home.

The porch steps groan as you climb them and the front door opens from the inside as you reach the top. Joel steps out, hand still on the knob when he looks up and sees you. His eyes widen.

He was on patrol today, too. You left at the same time but he had a shorter route and must have gotten back a while ago.

"Are you coming to meet me?" you say with a grin that's genuine despite the way your body pulses with pain. He does this sometimes -- milling around the gate, chatting with people on the wall as he waits for you to return. You never really feel like you're home until you see his face.

Joel does not smile back. His eyes rake over you the same way he surveys a room, cataloging all of the important things. The gash on your temple, the rips in your jeans, the way you're favoring your left side. The blood, too -- it's everywhere, you're sure. Palms, knees, collar. Jesse helped you wipe your face before you rode back so that you could see without blood in your eyes, but you must look pretty fucking rough.

"Jesus," he says. His hand twitches like he's going to reach for you. "You okay?"

"I'll be better when I'm not standing out in the cold."

His nostrils flare and he heads back into the house, you on his heels. You dump your pack and sit down heavily on the bench to take off your boots. Joel beats you to it, lowering to one knee with a slight groan, fingers working at your laces.

Normally he'd ask how patrol was, how Jesse did, if you saw anything interesting. Instead, his cheek twitches like he's clenching his jaw so hard it hurts. He unties your double knots with practiced ease and his silence fills the entryway of your house.

In another life, the sight of him on one knee would set your heart aflutter. As it is, you want to run a hand through his hair and smooth the worry lines on his forehead. You know him and this is how he handles it -- he chews on blame that doesn't belong on his shoulders until he can fix it.

"I'm fine," you say softly. You open and close your hands, resting them on your knees. You got most of the gravel out but there's dirt and god knows what else embedded in the tender flesh. Joel pulls off one boot with a firm hand on your calf and then the other before finally looking up at you.

"You wanna explain...this, then?"

His hand waves up in your general direction. There's no tremble in his palm but his brows are furrowed, his shoulders set in that way of his, like he's bracing for bad news. You have a rule about not lying to each other. So if you say you're fine, you're fine. Achey, bloody, and gross, sure. But you made it home in one piece and now you'll let him take care of you and he has to be okay with that.

But you don't mind reassuring him. He worries, and you know the feeling.

You shrug and fail to hide your wince. Joel wraps a hand around your ankle and squeezes lightly.

"I've had worse," you say. "I'll tell you about it if you patch me up."

He softens a little and sighs. It won't do anything to remind him that he can't go back in time and stop you from getting hurt. Joel knows he can't fix everything, can't keep everyone he loves away from harm, can't save the world. Won't, if it comes at the expense of the people in his heart.

But you can give him something to do -- a way to make it better. You could probably bandage your hands and your forehead and the rest on your own but it'll help him just as much as you if he does it.

Life in this world is a constant give and take. You have to be okay with some things, with cuts and bruises and ruined clothes if it means you survived. There's no safety, not anymore.

"Alright, c'mon," he says, standing with a groan. "Upstairs, 'fore you bleed on the furniture."

He holds out a hand for you to stand but you show him your mangled palm. Joel clicks his tongue and grips your forearm gently instead as you rise.

"Gotta clean that," he says.

"That's the plan." You leave your coat and pack behind in a heap and head for the stairs. "A hot shower sounds so fucking good right now."

Joel stops you with a hand on your elbow and you turn on the bottom step. He traces the cut on your forehead with light fingers and you try not to wince.

"Shower," he says.  "I'll patch you up after." His tone leaves no room for argument.

You ghost your fingertips along his jaw and smile at him.

"Yes sir, Mr. Miller, sir."

More tension melts from his shoulders and he rolls his eyes at you. You laugh all the way to the bathroom, even though it hurts a little.

It's been a while since one of you returned from patrol with any sort of injury. Winter means the hoards are sluggish and easy to track and tends to keep groups of people from coming to the valley and making trouble. Today was bad luck and could have been much worse.

You both know how quickly all of the good in your lives can be snatched away. Everyone does.

But you just can't dwell on it. Joel knows it, too, and letting him fuss over you in that way of his will remind him. You're home. You're okay.

You leave the bathroom door cracked as you shower under the gentle spray. Your various injuries sting but you manage to clean the scrapes on your knees and hands and wash the blood from your skin and hair, the water rusty brown as it swirls around the drain. 

Joel knocks when you're almost done and the hinges groan when he steps into the bathroom.

"Leavin' you clothes," he says, voice raised so you hear over the spray. "You okay?"

"Still alive," you call back. "Almost done."

The water starts to turn lukewarm so you switch off the stream and drag back the curtain. Joel is nowhere to be found but he's left you loose shorts so your knees are exposed and a big, faded graphic t-shirt that you brought home for him as a joke last year as well as fresh underwear and warm socks. You gently pat your skin dry with an old and scratchy towel and do your best with your hair before sliding them on. 

Joel knocks again and this time he has the bag with all of your first aid stuff in his hands. The steam from your shower rushes out into your bedroom and you shiver.

He jerks his chin at the counter. "Wanna get up there?"

You haul yourself up with a groan and he stands between your knees, arms crossed and head cocked.

"What're we dealin' with, here?"

You look down at your messy palms and rattle off what hurts.

"Cut on my forehead, bruised rib, probably, fucked up hands and knees, and..." You look up and find Joel running a hand down his face. "That's it."

"You sure?"

You glare at him. He glares back. His eyes drift to your forehead gash.

"Cut could use a stitch." 

He's still tense, you can tell, probably will be until he wakes up tomorrow and you're still next to him in bed. Until the wounds turn to scabs turn to scars. Maybe not even then.

"I think I've had enough cuts over the years to know what needs a stitch."

His eyebrows rise just a little bit, turning his expression from interrogative to exasperated, but he knows better than to tell you to do something when you’ve set your mind against it.

"They're offerin' medical degrees on the Creek Trails, now?"

"Joel."

He holds his hands up in surrender. "Fine," he says. "Let me feel your ribs."

You raise your arms a little and he slides his palms under your shirt and up your torso, pressing gently as he goes. Braless as you are, he brushes the underside of your breast, and your breath hitches. His eyes are soft with quiet amusement but he doesn't tease you.

"Your hands are warm," you murmur. He reaches the place on your side that took the brunt of the impact and you hiss.

"Sorry," he says. "Doin' real good. Deep breath for me." You obey and he withdraws, satisfied.

"Nothin' broken," he says.

"Told you."

He hums and pulls out the precious few disinfectant wipes from your first aid kid. You can get Joel to do a lot of things just by asking, but arguing with him about wasting supplies on you never works. He washes his hands in the sink and glares are you like he knows what you’re thinking.

"Forehead first, then hands, then knees," he says. "Okay?'

You nod, eyes fluttering shut. He grips your face with gentle fingertips to keep you still.

"How was your patrol?" you ask him.

He makes a noise low in his throat that's halfway to being a laugh.

"C'mon," he says. "You don't want to hear about mine. I know you're dyin' to tell me what happened."

The alcohol wipe stings as he swabs at your forehead and you tense. Joel's thumb rubs slow circles at the corner of your mouth and you press your knees into his hips.

Funny how you've had broken bones, been stabbed, shot, pretty much everything over the last twenty years but it's the small stuff that hurts the most. Stubbed toes, sliced fingers, alcohol wipes on shallow wounds. Some things just don't change.

"Okay," you say. "Well, you'll never believe it, but a damn elk decided to die in the station where the logbook is."

You tell him how you and Jesse rode up and saw the blood trail immediately and heard the moans and groans. You kept the horses on the other side of the fence and checked the first floor and the overlook, but the elk had weaseled its way under the collapsed staircase.

It smelled like death, rust and decay heavy in the air. The animal must have died just after the last patrol.

But it wasn't the problem. It was the group of Infected it attracted -- two runners and four stalkers. You have no idea where they came from but, since you were on patrol, the priority was eliminating them. The runners were easier, although one of them was responsible for the gash on your forehead when it managed to push you into the wall. You and Jesse cleared them quickly, one bullet each.

You thought you got all of the stalkers. One of them was munching on the carcass and went down fairly easily with your good aim. Jesse helped you clean your forehead so you both could clear the passage to get to the upper level and sign the logbook. The corpses went over the side of the station into the forest below. The Infected had eaten so much of the elk that it wasn't too heavy, though you both were sweating and dirty by the time you finished.

"Lemme guess," Joel says. You open your eyes as he carefully pulls the wound closed with two butterfly bandages before he gestures for your hand. He holds your wrist gently and tilts your palm side to side, looking for dirt. "There were infected inside the station, too."

"Look at you," you tease. His eyes flick to yours for just a second, intense as always. "It's like you were there."

"Smartass," he grumbles. The disinfectant stings on your palm, too, but you keep talking and keep your gaze on his face.

"Jesse climbed the rope up to the control room first but had to fend off a stalker at the top so he didn't see when another one grabbed my ankle and pulled me down mid-climb, which fucked my hands. The fall is how my rib got bruised and I tore up my knees fending it off."

Joel's cheek twitches. He wraps one of your palms in gauze and turns his attention to the other.

"Fuckin' hate those things."

"Me, too. When I got to the top, finally, Jesse was tugging a pipe from the head of a corpse. There was one more -- it jumped out of that supply room on the side, the one where Ellie found a bong, once, I think. I dodged it but my gun jammed and my hands were bleeding."

"Should've been wearing gloves."

You tap his leg with your foot and ignore him. Not taking your bait about the bong means he’s still pissed. "And then Jesse killed it with a brick."

"I taught him that," Joel grumbles.

He ties off your other palm and as soon as he's done you frame his face. Joel allows it, allows you to stare at him for a few seconds like you're memorizing him. You're telling the story like it was a fun adventure -- and it was. You're plenty capable and he knows it, too.

But you were scared. You don't tell him that right now, instead grounding yourself in the man in front of you. His hands are rough and dangerous to most, but tender and careful to you. The broad, firm line of his shoulders, always braced for the next hit.

The gash on the bridge of his nose, the lines at the corners of his eyes. His beard, greyer every year. You swipe your thumbs along his cheekbones and he sighs.

"Lucky me," you say softly.

You lean in to kiss him, just a light press of your lips to his. His wide palms rest on your bare thighs and he kisses back with a kind of desperate firmness, as if he's proving to himself that you're real. That you're here in front of him, under his hands, in his care.

Joel drags his lips along your cheek.

"Knees," he says.

He steps back and releases your thighs with a squeeze. He treats more of your torn skin, a frown back on his face.

"I do want to hear about your patrol, by the way."

He shrugs. "Not much to tell," he says. "Didn't even get to shoot anythin’.”

You swing your foot back and forth, tapping the side of his thigh with every pass.

"But you had the nice route," you whine. "Tell me what the lake looked like."

"Quit distracting me," he grumbles.

"Like you don't have the steadiest hands in all of Jackson," you say softly.

He snorts. "Are you flirtin' with me?"

"I'm always flirting with you, Joel Miller."

You lied to Jesse earlier -- Joel has hundreds of expressions. He just keeps most of them for you. For Ellie, and Tommy, too. You know every one of them by now.

The look on his face now says he's thinking about kissing you again, maybe just to shut you up.

You grin at him. "Tell me about your patrol, now, seriously. Unless talking and using your hands at the same time is too much for you."

He smirks back. "Think we both know that ain't true."

"Now who's flirting?"

Lazy heat curls in your belly but fatigue stops it from turning into anything. Joel must see that in your eyes because he simply taps your chin with a knuckle and starts talking.

You start to slump as his Texas drawl wraps around you. He tells you how the lake was still, how he and Astrid saw bear tracks but no bear. How he found a tape for Ellie that he's going to give her tomorrow, how he wore his gloves today like you've been telling him to.

Some people might say that Joel is a man of few words. You thought he was the quiet type when you first met him, another stoic survivor in a world that demands hardness of everyone. But not shy, never shy. Just...waiting. Watching.

He and Ellie can shoot the shit for hours -- a dynamic they've fallen back into easily enough since they started spending time together again. He's funny, he's clever, he's annoying as shit when he wants to be.

And Joel is quite the storyteller. If you had to guess you'd say it comes from having to entertain Tommy when they were kids, from getting Sarah into bed on his own over and over. Keeping Ellie occupied, keeping her talking when things were scary and hard and fucking awful.

It's just another way he takes care of people.

"Still with me?" he says. You realize your eyes have closed. When you open them you find Joel looking at you with tenderness and a spark of amusement. The tense line of his shoulders is nowhere to be seen. "All done. Tired?"

"And hungry."

He washes his hands and throws away the various wrappers and blood-stained wipes.

"Sure you're awake enough to eat?" he teases.

You roll your eyes at him. He laughs.

"Joel," you say, catching his elbow. "Thank you."

"C'mon, now."

He looks like he wants to argue with you for saying it but reaches for you instead. He traces the cut on your forehead just like he did at the bottom of the stairs, brow drawn again. You can't tell what he's thinking as he drags his thumb down and around your eye, cupping your cheek fully for just a breath before releasing you and stepping towards the door.

"I'll heat some soup."

Dinner is quick and quiet, your energy sapped from you to the point of exhaustion. Everything aches, despite Joel's thorough care. When he suggests turning in early you don't protest.

He takes longer than you to get ready for bed. You slide under the worn duvet and wait, trying very hard to keep your eyes open. Your bruised ribs throb in time with your heartbeat and when Joel finally turns off the light and gets in bed next to you in his threadbare sleep pants he practically hauls you into his embrace.

You go willingly, tangling your legs and laying your head on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. You press your palm to his chest, fingers threading in the coarse hair. His heart thuds and it grounds you.

"I didn't get any good gossip off Jesse," you whisper. "On account of the whole surprise-infected thing."

He yawns. "S'pose it's a good excuse."

"Can I tell you something else?" you whisper. "A secret?"

Joel hums, lips brushing your temple as his hand snakes up your sleep shirt to press against your lower back.

Even though you know each other down to the bones, some things remain inexplicable. Parts of your pasts that linger in the darkest parts of you, the parts that stay shrouded until the moments like this. You don't have to be brave in the quiet hours of the night, entwined with him as you are. It's the safest place you'll ever be. Safe enough that you can crack open and let Joel in, let those steady and worn hands keep you together.

"I was scared today," you say into his neck. "When the stalker dragged me off the rope. I panicked, I --"

You don't tell him how your initial thought when you hit the ground was of him, how you closed your eyes tight and thought of your name from his mouth, of his smile when you come through the door. The stalker had its bony fingers digging into your ankle and you wondered if you'd ever feel Joel's hands on you again.

Death will come for you sooner or later and when it does it'll be Joel's face that you hold in your mind before it all ends.

But today, you kicked death until its stupid fucking mushroom skull caved in.

Joel presses his lips to your temple. You can feel his heart beating faster, as fast as yours. It's the only thing that betrays his own fear.

Wounds in this life often go deeper than the skin. When Joel comes home with bloody knuckles and shuttered eyes it's one thing to stop the bleeding, to bandage him and get him to eat something. It's another to hold him, to coax out the story, the fear. To follow him downstairs when he has a nightmare, to look for him in every room. It's all part of what you do as partners, as lovers, as people in this world. You take care of each other.

Neither of you can fix a lot of things. But you can ensure the scars heal into something light, something you can barely see.

You can hold each other in the dark.

"Scared me, too," he rasps. A secret for a secret. "Lotta damn blood."

You kiss the underside of his jaw. "Can't get rid of me that easy."

Joel pulls you closer, somehow, mindful of your side.

"Rest, now," he says. "You ain’t goin' anywhere."

It's a command, a promise. You hum your agreement and let sleep drag you under.

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here!

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

maaan it'd be so EASY for chaggie to end up with an adopted cannibal kid after the battle with heaven, tho

with Vaggie's past (and that being a Thing she can Charlie can talk about now), her having her big WAIT THIS IS EVIL IM BEING EVIL moment over a cannibal child she couldn't bring herself to kill....

add to that Charlie, who is now the DIRECT reason quite a few cannibals are Extra Super Dead, thanks to her inspiring them into battle with her song-

"Have you ever felt like you're willing to die-"

very rousing, maybe less fun for her to remember after some of them DID die-

oh hush y'all eat ppl im sure dying isn't the most shocking outcome of a night out that you can imagine

Charlie legit pitched facing final death as a "chance to travel" and "see more of hell" and she did it with a jolly song and dance and GOOD ON HER for getting a fighting force to protect the dream of sinners someday being redeemed! ....but yeah. kinda heavy for her to remember later on, i'd think

and Cannibal Town residents are so tight knit with each other that it's a literal PLOT POINT Charlie has to face off against- no way they don't have families, no way there weren't families broken up by the battle at the Hazbin Hotel- at Charlie's hotel

No way Charlie wouldn't feel guilty about and responsible as FUCK for any little cannibal kid who ended up orphaned as a result....

ahem

(is that kid wearing like frisbee on their head?? whatever. it looks kinda like a halo don't it. kinda ironic. isn't it)

Rosie would even have to SUGGEST anything! She's got a good read on Charlie now and she's 100% on board with Alastor's plans to "guide" Charlie (cough manipulate and use cough cough)

and what would make a better leverage point than introducing a little cannibal kid for Charlie to worry and feel guilty over? an ORPHANED cannibal kid. Orphaned by the same fight Charlie led the cannibals into. Orphaned when the kid's parents DIED fighting for Charlie

(great way for Charlie to always keep Cannibal Town in mind anyway. Good way to make sure she's protective of it)

but oh the irony if Rosie didn't even MEAN for chaggie to end up with the kid!

if Rosie DIDN'T fully understand- just how much Charlie would want to give a loving family and childhood to someone, when she herself had one and is now dealing (trying to deal) with all that crumbling away as an adult-

ALSO THO. IF. Hypothetically. the orphan was the same kid Vaggie spared. Like how many sinner kids are there in hell. Not too many running around. If it was the same kid. if Vaggie saw that

....if the kid saw her- or, no, even better- if when she tried talking quietly with them, and when they heard her voice like that they looked up at her suddenly like

cannibal kid: "...Go."

Vaggie: (instantly standing up) "Right, sorry- I'll go get Charlie, or- would you rather Rosie-" (stops) (looks down)

Vaggie: "...?"

cannibal kid: (is holding onto the end of her hair ribbon)

cannibal kid: (whispering) "Run."

cannibal kid: (hopefully) "Now...?"

Vaggie: "...you, remember?"

cannibal kid: (nods)

Vaggie: (slowly sits back down)

Vaggie: "Yeah, hey. That was... that was a thing, wasn't it. It's, been a while. Three years... didn't think you'd recognize me."

cannibal kid: "Didn't. Look different."

Vaggie: "The long hair, missing eye and missing wings is a lot of change, huh?"

cannibal kid: (shrugs) "You're happy." (sniffles) "It's different."

Vaggie: ".....well, Charlie's the one who did all that. She's, pretty great at that stuff. And she'd like make things different for you too now. If you want."

cannibal kid: "........if I stay at the hotel... can I play with Razzle every day? Not, not just when princess Charlie brings him over?"

Vaggie: "Kinda looks like your stuck with him either way to me. Maybe check he's getting enough air, stuffed down into your coat front like that?"

cannibal kid: (unbuttoning an air hole for Razzle) "But he belongs at the hotel, where Dazzle's murmur- marble- um- murder dial-"

Vaggie: "Memorial..?"

cannibal kid: "Where Dazzle's memorial is."

Vaggie: "If you're okay leaving Cannibal Town, you can belong there too."

cannibal kid: "I'm okay leaving town."

cannibal kid: (beat)

cannibal kid: "It's boring."

Vaggie: "Yeah well, the hotel is definitely not gonna be boring."

cannibal kid: "Does it get blown up EVERY week, or just on special occasions?"

Vaggie: "It sure felt like every week but we're trying to cut back."

cannibal kid: "Dang."

please imagine tho, Charlie seeing this sad orphan kid who won't talk to anyone, maybe even "hasn't so much as had a nibble on anyone, the poor little biter" according to Rosie, since being orphaned-

and the next time Charlie visits she brings RAZZLE

and she introduce the two of them, then stands back and watches her childhood plushy turned demon win over this kid SO FAST, disappearing into their tiny but fierce little hugs, getting them to share a donut with him, showing them how to do a little song and dance routine (one him, Charlie, and Dazzle used to do) bringing a bit of normalcy back to a kid who's parents are dead because of her-

Charlie thinking to herself, that the least she can do, really, is give this kid as many of the best parts of HER own childhood as she can

[neptuneiris]

Behind the Scenes (03/05)

Behind the Negotiation

pairing: actor!aemond × fem!reader

summary: knowing that you can't run away from your past forever, you receive unexpected visitors in your home that make you fear for your son's future.

word counter: 8.9k

previous part • next part • series masterlist

warnings: angst, arguments, language,mention of abortion.

guys, I'm sorry for the delay, with this chapter a lot of unexpected things came across my way, but I've finally finished it and I'm satisfied with the result, although I'm not sure if you will like it, it might bore you but I don't know, please let me know :)

without more to say, enjoy it and thanks for all the support, really! let me know your comments too, I'll be waiting for them!

You still remember it all too well.

You remember how you accepted Aemond's terms, the terms of his agent Criston and also of his entire team.

You agreed to keep the existence of your child a secret, to hide in the shadows with him and to keep a low profile until it was "safe" for Aemond's career to publicly and legally acknowledge the baby.

But you only accepted to take that worry off everyone's mind and especially his, so you could run away. Although the reality is that you were scared.

At first, Aemond's power, influence and connections kept you paralyzed, thinking about the consequences of breaking all ties with him.

And running away from him, disappearing from his life along with your son was a decision you had to make carefully and then had to live with in fear and dread of being found someday.

And the fear of possible legal reprisals for your escape and uncertainty about the consequences were present at every turn. But you did everything to live in freedom, not to destroy Aemond's career and to protect your son from all public exposure.

You always knew that Aemond with his celebrity status possesses power, not only in the entertainment industry, but also in the media and social sphere, that was obvious, just like any other celebrity.

So finding you could be as easy as snapping his fingers.

So to prevent Aemond from tracking your movements so he could find you, you began by discarding any means of transportation that could be easily monitored or tracked.

You avoided airports and bus terminals, opting instead for small train stations and local buses, always paying with cash. You left King's Landing and the entire state, going all the way to the Iron Islands.

In Pike, with the money you had left over, you were able to rent a room to yourself in a cheap hotel, then quickly began to look around for a job in the surrounding area in search of an opportunity that could provide you with support and stability.

You knew you couldn't get a job like the one you had before, on a recording set with a big salary. So downtown, you found a job at a beauty salon.

Not only does she own a beauty salon, she also owns a few small apartments in the city and offered you one of them at a lower price, considering you were just starting out with a new job.

The owner of the place, Becca Waters, a kind and understanding woman, saw potential and also the need in you.

Knowing your condition and that you practically came to live in a place where you knew nothing and no one, she also offered you a place to live and be safe.

Mrs. Waters became a fundamental support for you, providing guidance, encouragement, flexibility and stability in your financial need and also in your pregnancy.

With her you felt completely safe and supported at a time when you needed it most. After all you had gone through to get here, leaving your life behind and pregnant, she was your reward.

But still nothing was easy after that.

Your pregnancy process was a roller coaster of emotions, challenges and moments. Facing motherhood as a single mom was an overwhelming reality.

On the one hand, even though the baby was unplanned, you were excited to know that you would soon be holding him in your arms, but on the other hand, you also felt fear and anxiety at the responsibility of raising a child alone with no knowledge of anything really.

The first few months of pregnancy were especially difficult.

You experienced pain, symptoms and discomforts that you had no idea about and had to endure, as well as a slight state of depression and anxiety about dealing with all of this on your own.

But through it all, Becca was your pillar of support at all times, who became your confidant, giving you comfort and encouragement in difficult times. And she was the one who helped you throughout your pregnancy and also the one who was by your side when you gave birth to your child.

And even though you didn't want to, being in a very vulnerable state, you couldn't help but feel lonely and miss Aemond, just as you missed everything you once used to be.

But remembering everything that happened the last time you saw him, even though the feeling disappeared, you also couldn't help but start crying.

And to protect yourself emotionally, you decided to stay away from news about Aemond.

You avoided social media and any content that could remind you of your past with him. Your determination was great to be able to raise your child alone, without relying on Aemond's presence or acknowledgement.

And the day your son finally came into the world, it was a moment of joy and wonder that could not be compared to any other moment in life, filling your heart with indescribable happiness.

However, the birth also brought with it a torrent of new worries and challenges.

Childbirth was exhausting and intense. Nothing you've ever experienced before. And in the days that followed, the constant care of the newborn, the lack of sleep and the adjustment to your new life were heavy challenges that pushed you to the limit many times.

But in spite of that, every smile, every little gesture of your son filled your world with immense love, as well as Mrs. James' help in guiding you in practical aspects of motherhood increased your unwavering determination to go forward for him, being your driving force.

Although also the arrival of your son into the world increased your fear in you.

The fear that Aemond and his team might find you and take your son away from you was a constant worry. But despite this, there were moments of uncertainty when you thought too much about it.

You wondered why Aemond would bother looking for you and your child. Clearly the baby was a risk to his career and he didn't even want to support you from the start, only accepting it later because that was your decision.

You knew he wouldn't but you were still afraid.

Would Aemond really seek you out after he initially supported the idea of abortion?

Would he really seek you out after he supported your decision even if he didn't want to but in the shadows, avoiding any public acknowledgement and hiding you and your son?

But just when you had gotten used to it, had found stability with a job and a permanent refuge in the beauty salon with Mrs. Waters, a few months after the birth of your son, Mrs. Waters was forced to close the salon due to unforeseen financial problems.

That place that had been your refuge and where you found support and friendship, suddenly disappeared, leaving you with a feeling of emptiness, uncertainty and nostalgia.

Mrs. Waters would have to leave town and although you didn't want to, you also decided to do the same, convinced that you would be safer with your son in a place you knew well, avoiding at all times the places you used to go with Aemond and where you knew you could meet him.

So after looking for a job, with your resume and previous excellent references, in the city where the entire film industry resides, you got a job as a makeup artist in a different recording studio than the one you had worked in before.

There was no way you could meet Aemond, or so you thought.

Previously the TV network was BBC, now it was HBO for whom you would be working on a new TV show, so you really had nothing to worry about, especially since the pay was very good and you could survive just fine on that for you and your child.

But right on your first day of work, life decided to surprise you.

And now you are here, in your new apartment where you were planning to live temporarily until you find a better one, but now with you running away on your first day it means definite dismissal for sure, so you have no idea how you are going to pay for a better one or how you are going to pay for this one next month so you won't get kicked to the street.

But you can't even think straight as you are still shaking, your emotions are running high, you have no idea what really happened, it was all very fast between talking and remembering the past.

And the only thing that gives you some peace in the midst of your own thoughts and everything you're feeling, are the sounds of Aenar's toys and babbling in the living room, playing on the floor and touching everything he can.

His silver hair shines from the sunlight coming through the windows and he giggles as his colorful toys bump into each other, showing a world of happiness and innocent curiosity, completely filling your heart but you still feel that sharp ache in your chest.

You move towards him with a soft sigh and take a seat next to him, keeping a small genuine smile on your lips but with some melancholy, when he starts showing you all his toys and asks you between babbling and giggles to play with him.

You move the toys back and forth, ask him questions in honeyed tones and he laughs, making you laugh too, but you continue with the tumult of your overwhelming thoughts.

You think about what you will do now, that you should probably look for a job at a new beauty salon, which is what you should have done as soon as you got back, find a subtle job instead of going back to what you were doing before so suddenly.

However the paycheck was what made you take it and you need it too much, so you'll have to look for other alternatives.

You find yourself thinking about it when you suddenly hear the sound of the door completely interrupting your thoughts and also your game with Aenar.

You look towards the entrance, confused, with a strange feeling growing in your chest, immediately giving you a bad feeling. For who would come knocking at your door?

No one knows you're back… except Aemond.

Oh Gods.

The thought makes you paralyzed, feeling your whole body tense up, your heart starts beating fast and fear invades you completely.

Could it be him?

You wonder, struggling to stay calm, even though there's no way he could have figured out so quickly where you're living.

Or has he?

The thought leaves you completely paralyzed, with a mixture of anxiety and fear flowing inside you.

The knocking on the door becomes more insistent and you carefully get up and leave Aenar still amused in his game on the floor, then walk towards the door feeling a lump in your throat and a growing uneasiness.

You reach for the doorknob and as you turn it to open, your heart skips a beat when you find Aemond's agent standing in front of you, Criston Cole.

A trace of surprise and confusion flashes across your face, feeling your body tighten further and the fear linger.

How did he know where you were?

What is he doing here?

Criston returns you a serious but understanding look, beginning to feel the tension between the two of you, while you feel the fear invade you again because of the old memories and being him one of the main reasons why you decided to run away.

His mere presence triggers a series of emotions that take you by surprise. With no trace of Aemond or anyone else around you, yet your mind races.

Nervousness invades every fiber of your being, while your heart beats faster and stronger than usual. A sense of discomfort invades you and you also feel alert, afraid, unable to control it.

"Y/N."

He pronounces your name with a slight nod. His tone tries to be reassuring, but confusion and bewilderment wash over you.

You say nothing for a few seconds, feeling unable to speak and unable to formulate any words, barely trying at that moment to process the situation. Anxiety creeps through your chest, as he gives you and respects your space, aware of your unease.

"I understand that you're surprised by my visit and I don't want to make you uncomfortable, I really don't. But we need to talk."

The confusion inside you increases and so does the fear, to watch him completely bewildered and on the verge of collapse.

"H-how—

You try to ask with your voice cracking in the midst of all your emotions, but he interrupts you in response, knowing what you're going to ask.

"My team," he lets you know, "They handled finding you."

He tells you seriously and with that touch of professionalism in his tone, but his response only surprises and puzzles you more, to which Criston notices.

You feel the questions pile up in your head, but you barely manage to articulate a word, besides all the emotions you're feeling, fear mainly.

"Aemond informed us of your return," he adds, "After he didn't find you again, he asked us to look for you," he tells you calmly, trying to make his eyes convey an attempt at empathy for you.

But you don't believe that one bit. Not after what happened the last time you saw him and his entire team.

You feel a surge of vulnerability wash over you, leaving you suddenly helpless before him. You don't have the slightest idea how you will be able to cope with that situation, how to get away from them again now that they have found you, especially him.

"What have you really come for?" you question, not hiding your distrust.

Criston keeps a serene attitude and look, seeking to soften the tension, but notices your demeanor and posture, of fear and alertness altogether.

"Just to talk," he tells you softly, "Believe me the last thing I want and Aemond too is to cause you trouble. We just want to talk and nothing more," he explains, but you are having none of it, "He was going to come himself, but he had to film some scenes. But he'll come as soon as he can."

This just adds more weight to the anxiety and nervousness you're already feeling, so it triggers an alert in you that makes you feel completely freaked out, definitely not wanting that.

"No," you try to retort with a firm tone, but your vulnerability shows in your trembling voice and nervous expression, "Please leave."

Concern flashes across Criston's face for an instant, unconsciously taking a step towards you.

"Y/N–

"Please," you plead, "Just go away and don't come back, none of you, not even him."

"Y/N, please, just let me—

"No," you interrupt him again, more desperate than before, "Please," you repeat.

The atmosphere is filled with a silence full of tension, where your words, full of desperation and longing to get away from the situation, float in the air, also asking for urgent distance and tranquility.

And Criston lets out a sigh.

"Just a few minutes," he says, struggling to find some control in the situation, "Just-let us talk to you, Aemond and me."

"If it's to talk about his career and his son, I'm not interested," you say firmly, but your trembling voice gives away your emotions, "We've talked about that before," you say with some bitterness and sadness in your tone, "You can go now. I don't plan on staying anyway."

Without having let go of the door frame, you try to close the door, ending all of this, but he instantly speaks again, stopping you.

"Please Y/N, Aemond is very worried and wishes to speak with you," he insists, "He hasn't been the same since you left, you should know that," he adds in a persuasive tone.

You let out a snort in disbelief and with some bitterness, as you look away from his gaze for a moment.

"I highly doubt that."

"Y/N—

The sound of Aenar's innocent laughter while playing with his toys catches Criston's attention, stopping his words, who unconsciously catches a glimpse inside your living room where Aenar is playing and also catches a glimpse of his small figure on the floor with his characteristic silver hair.

This immediately triggers your concern and increases your protective mode and you quickly close the door a little behind you, blocking his view, while your heart is pounding.

This is what you meant.

You don't want anything bad to happen to your son, in any way. And you will do anything to protect him, because they decided everything except to protect you and now you will not allow them to intervene in your son's life now that they know he is here.

"Y/N," he calls to you in a softer voice, watching you completely intently and desperately asking you with his gaze for a moment.

"Please don't," you plead with him, at the point of collapsing from worry and frustration.

Again you enter the apartment as you hold the door frame tightly to close it, but Criston stops you again.

"You must understand the gravity of what happened," he tells you seriously, "Your disappearance put Aemond's relationship with his son in danger. There are legal implications for you to consider, such as custody," he says and your heart flips, "I can explain all of this to you and resolve it in the best way possible," he looks at you in insistence, "But only if you let me in so we can talk."

And there they are again. Your greatest fears.

The word 'custody' repeats over and over in your mind, like a loop, causing you greater fear, worry and pressure than before, the gravity of the situation and the looming legal implications being clear.

The air weighs on you, heavy with uncertainty and intense tension, as well as you are overcome with the urge to cry because of your doubts and fear.

"Wh-what-" you try to speak in a whisper, your voice cracking and your heart in a fist, "Custody?" you repeat under your breath.

Criston watches you with some pity and understanding, then lowers his gaze, lets out a sigh and watches you with that sympathy and also a little expectant.

"May I come in?"

Try one more time and maybe it's because of his words that your mind is in a state of alarm that makes you recognize that you can't run away again or else things will get worse. And you don't want that. You are afraid for yourself and Aenar.

Feeling more of your anxiety, you finally allow him to enter and Criston at this thanks you with his gaze and moves carefully, noticing your visible discomfort and also your fear, not wanting to alter you any further with absolutely nothing.

And once the door closes, you immediately stand in front of Aenar with a weak and vulnerable posture trying to look strong, this catching his attention and feeling something warm in his chest at the presence of the little one.

But he also knows exactly why you react this way and he doesn't blame you for it, much less does it bother him because he understands you.

"I'm very honest when I tell you that we really don't want to create more trouble, Y/N," he tells you in a soft tone, "Aemond…. he really is very worried. And since he is my client, we don't want any legal implications or further conflict."

You try to keep your composure, but your thoughts are a storm of confused emotions. The very idea of dealing with legal issues, especially regarding your son, is overwhelming to you.

"Why now?" you ask in a trembling voice, your gaze searching for answers, "All this… why?"

Criston exhales slowly, trying to find the right words.

"The situation has changed, basically since you left. Aemond was wrong at the time and I admit I was too, so now he's willing to acknowledge your son, in every way possible."

You can't help but look incredulous and bitter once again.

"It's already too late for that, don't you think?" you ask him in a bitter tone.

Criston looks down for a moment, his expression one of compassion and understanding towards your perspective.

"Yes, we know," he nods to you, "And that's why we're here, trying to keep all this from becoming a bigger problem. But please Y/N, understand that Aemond doesn't want to hurt you or cause you any more trouble than he's already caused."

"And until now you say that?" you inquire sad, worried, fearful and indignant, "That's what I needed to hear before when I was scared, because I was scared too Criston, not just Aemond," you let him know, with tears in the corners of your eyes, "But you treated me like a problem you needed to get rid of, you and him."

Criston listens to your words with a gesture in his eyes that reflects the heaviness of the situation, just as you see shame and regret wash over him, suddenly seeing him as the vulnerable one and you as the strong one compared to years ago, the roles reversing for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. We didn't mean to make you feel that way," he says in a regret-laden tone.

"Sorry doesn't change anything," you say, fighting back tears.

You watch him with your hard stare and sad eyes, feeling several tears fall down your cheeks, making you remember once again.

And once again without letting it drown you, you force yourself to push those memories away, all your moments of uncertainty, fear and pain, to brush your tears away from your cheeks with a strong look of determination.

"I will accept any legal consequences if there are any," you say suddenly, trying to keep your composure, "If there are legal actions, I'm willing to face them. But for now, I just want to be left alone, please."

"Y/N," Criston calls you cautiously, "I just want you to understand that we want to do the right thing now. And what we want to do is find a solution that works for you and for Aemond regarding him," he points to Aenar with his gaze behind you, "Something that guarantees your privacy while not damaging his public image."

Then all the effect of his words completely disappear on you.

You feel a surge of frustration, annoyance and despair at the realization that still the main concern remains Aemond's career.

"Do you still think about his career?" you ask with disappointment and resentment in your tone.

"Y/N—

"The most important thing here is my son," you stand strong, "But he seems to be only one aspect of Aemond's image, doesn't he?"

"Even after all this time that has passed, Aemond's career is more successful and even promising than before, that is something that neither you, him nor I should forget, let alone ignore," he tries to explain to you, "Aemond wants to fix things but his career must also be contemplated, please understand this Y/N."

"Then why do you say you want to do things the right way now if that is not true?" you inquire.

"Yes it is true," he clarifies, "But within all of this, his career must still be contemplated."

You shake your head in disbelief, unable to believe it.

"You say a lot of things Criston, but it's clear what matters most to you," you say with no emotion in your voice, "And sure, why shouldn't his career matter most to you? After all… you don't know what it's like to get pregnant, without support and go through the whole process by yourself, and then raise a child on your own, without the support of his father."

"I don't mean to—

"Please go away," you plead once more and this again alerts him.

"Y/N—

He tries to speak but the sound of the door echoes throughout the living room, drawing your full attention and Criston's as well.

The atmosphere again becomes heavier than before, as well as all your confidence disappears, already knowing who it is and you are confirmed by the fact that the person behind the door knocks more insistently, sounding desperate.

With your fearful gaze and your whole body tense, you quickly move towards Aenar, who is still playing completely oblivious to everything that is happening on the floor and you take him in your arms with haste but also care.

You hold him tightly against your body, as a way to protect him from everything outside and also from all people especially while trying to contain all your emotions.

And Criston, who also knows who it is, rushes to the door to open it.

And there on the doorway, the figure of Aemond comes into view, with all the desperation and longing in his gaze, the worry and anguish too, as you muster the courage to be able to look him in the eye again, holding Aenar a little more firmly against your chest.

But your son's body is visible to the eye and that's what makes Aemond completely paralyzed at the sight of you with his son in your arms.

Surprise is completely reflected in his whole look, immediately followed by a bunch of emotions that start to pile up in his whole being and want to come out, as he feels his whole body tense up and a feeling in his stomach invades him.

This leaves him and you in a state of momentary restlessness, where time seems to stand still and the silence is too loud. You, with your gaze fixed on him, try to keep your composure with a mixture of fear, insecurity and some determination to protect your son at all costs.

It didn't take long for Aemond's surprise to turn into a moment of awe and a surge of overwhelming emotions. The mere sight of you with his child in your arms triggers disbelief, pent-up longing and a feeling of suppressed joy.

"Y/N," Aemond calls your name in a whisper, his tone laden with surprise and visible regret, where his gaze can't tear away from you and Aenar.

You say nothing, just watch him back without saying anything, with all your emotions reflecting in your eyes.

The moment is just the three of you, so Criston turns away completely, not interfering and saying absolutely nothing, while you continue in your protective mode and Aemond is still processing this whole moment.

With excitement clashing against the surprise in his eyes, he tries to process the reality of having his son before him for the first time.

He searches for the right words to speak, but his stuck mind won't let him, nor will the lump in his throat and stomach as he continues to watch the scene in front of him; you with his son in your arms.

He tries to say something, but his lips barely half open and the words won't come out, feeling his heart beating too fast and hard.

And you with your gaze full of expectation, fear and caution, Aemond finally looks at you again, aware of all the emotional charge you feel, just like him, as well as your fear and distrust after everything that happened.

"C-can… can I come closer?"

He finally asks cautiously, his voice with a tone of longing and nervousness barely contained.

You hesitate at that moment.

Feeling the weight of the situation and the emotions that are triggered at that moment, despite everything, you feel very vulnerable and you also feel his vulnerability, also that longing to touch Aenar and hold him.

And despite the way he acted with you almost two years ago and also the way Criston and all his team treated you, you don't feel able to be as cruel as they were with you back then.

You don't want to be like them and also aware that this day would come sooner or later, you watch Aenar for a moment, leave a soft kiss on his forehead and again watch Aemond, then nod in his direction with a barely perceptible gesture.

You allow Aemond your closeness and he with extreme care begins to approach you slowly, as if fearing that a sudden movement could fade the magical and longing moment.

Aemond's heartbeat echoes in your ears as he finally stands in front of your son.

Aenar, completely oblivious to everything, senses the nearness of someone else and raises his curious gaze to Aemond, watching him with those bright blue eyes.

And upon seeing that man with the same hair color as his own, his eyes light up with a gleam of curiosity, lightly waving his arms and also his body.

With his teary eye, he watches you for a moment, to again focus on Aenar and with a mixture of excitement and awe, he extends one of his trembling hands towards his small, delicate face.

And when the touch of his fingers against his soft skin of his cheek makes itself felt, Aemond feels an unfamiliar sensation invade him completely.

A sad but honest smile full of melancholy appears on his lips as he gently and carefully traces his face, running his hand up to his silver hair, gazing intently into those blue eyes just like his own as Aenar watches him with that playful innocence but also just as curious as his own.

You, unsure of exactly what to feel or think, watch as he carefully reaches out both arms and begins to hold his body, feeling the warmth and weight of his small body now resting in his arms.

That unfamiliar, overwhelming feeling from before comes over him even more strongly as he holds his son for the first time, when Aenar lifts one of his hands and touches his left cheek, where his scar is.

The emotion makes his breath hitch as he struggles to hold back the tears of restrained happiness that will come at any moment.

It was a moment he had imagined countless times, but had never believed possible until this instant.

Aenar, captivated by the newness and warmth in the arms of Aemond, his father, laughs innocently, his eyes dazzling a happiness as he notices the familiarity in that new face above him. And at his gesture, Aemond lets out a choked laugh, completely captivated by him.

And unable to contain himself any longer, the first sob escapes his throat and the tears fall, instantly pulling his son's face to his chest, embracing him with gentleness and that security that makes him feel so vulnerable when Aenar settles perfectly in his arms.

Guilt, sadness, joy, emotion, everything invades him in that moment.

And he lets out more tears for the comfort that Aenar gives him in his arms, that feeling of protection and even… love, that makes him feel even more vulnerable.

And you are still there, close to them but giving Aemond his space, watching everything attentively with your heart in a fist and feeling sensations you had not felt before at the scene, with tears also wanting to slide down your cheeks.

After a few more seconds, Aemond slurps his nose and looks over Aenar's small shoulder at you with all the vulnerability in his gaze.

"I-I know I don't deserve this," he says with his voice cracking, trying to control himself but he can't.

And he is about to say something else but you watching his expression, a mixture of regret and deep sadness, you step forward to speak.

"In spite of everything, he deserves to know his father," you murmur with your trembling voice and teary eyes, "Aenar deserves this," you assure him, accepting it as you watch the scene of the two of them.

Aemond nods, unable to articulate words, still feeling the lump in his throat, his face reflecting pain, regret and a sadness you have never seen in him before, as his tears continue to fall as he embraces his son.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, unable to contain the emotion, turning to him and to you. "I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know how to face it…how to be there."

Silence again settles throughout the apartment, only being filled by Aemond's soft crying, as you silently weep and continue to watch the two of them.

A few minutes have passed since Aemond and your son met for the first time.

Aenar laughs with delight as Aemond plays with him with one of his toys. They are both immersed in a little world of fun where it's just the two of them, surrounded by Legos blocks, small plastic cars and puppets.

You watch everything, or almost everything, without interfering and giving them both their space, watching your son enjoy a special moment that on another occasion, could have been a daily routine with a different life.

Criston doesn't say or do anything either, he at all times stands in the corner watching the whole interaction, letting Aemond have his moment with his son, genuinely feeling happy for him.

And even though the scene makes you feel warm in your heart, being a scene you longed for before, you still still feel insecure, afraid and overwhelmed by this whole situation.

This doesn't really change anything. You have only given Aemond the opportunity to meet his son because your son deserves it, nothing more.

Inside you are still just as scared and in expectation that at any moment this whole 'beautiful' moment will fade away. And that's exactly what happens when you hear Criston's voice all over the living room.

"I wouldn't want to ruin the moment, truly," he says seriously and honestly, "But it's important that we talk about all this so we can resolve it properly."

This immediately catches your attention and also Aemond's, with whom you exchange a quick glance, again feeling your whole body tremble and out of the same nervousness you are overcome with the impulse to take your son in your arms to feel safe.

"It is important that we talk about the child, about what you are going to do now," he turns to Aemond, "Custody is important and all that goes with it."

"I don't understand why you keep talking about custody," you look at him nervously and annoyed, "I alone have cared for and raised Aenar all this time."

"I know this is complicated and sudden, Y/N," Criston tells you, "But we need to approach this whole thing responsibly."

"Responsibility?" you repeat incredulously, "What responsibility are you exactly talking about?"

"Y/N," Aemond immediately interjects, "Listen to me, please," he gets up from the floor leaving Aenar playing alone and walks towards you, "It's not my intention to take our son away from you, truly. But we must make sure we have legal rights to be in his life," he explains to you, "You were the one who ran away, who disappeared without a word. I didn't know what happened to you."

You look at him uncomprehendingly, with your hurt and desperate gaze.

"You talk about custody and rights when in the beginning that was the last thing on your mind, Aemond," you observe him incredulously, "And you keep reproaching me for running away when you know perfectly well that I did it so I could live and so I wouldn't ruin your career, which was all you were thinking about."

Regret again invades Aemond's face, as the atmosphere becomes denser, full of mixed emotions where fear and anger resurfaces with everything else.

Any trace of calm and peace, has ceased to exist, only being perceived by Aenar, who continues oblivious and innocent to all this in his games.

"I-I…" Aemond tries to speak, "I'm sorry for everything, Y/N. But back then...

His sentence hangs in suspense, not knowing what else to say, trying to find the right words without wanting to generate more tension, but that's what he involuntarily does.

"Back then," you repeat, your emotions running high, "Back then you were too busy taking care of your public image, supporting the idea of an abortion without consulting me, then supporting the idea of hiding me and my child as if we were a problem, which in fact we were and as if it was my only option, leaving me with no alternatives," you express with frustration and pain marked in every word.

Regret remains in Aemond's facial expressions, looking visibly affected by your words, grief-stricken and with a regret throughout his body that affirms to him that you are absolutely right, each word being like a dagger straight to his heart.

"Y-you don't know how much I regret and blame myself for all of that, Y/N," he tells you with vulnerability in his tone, "And I know I don't deserve it, any of this, not even that you allowed me to meet him and that I'm now in the same place as him," he says with regret, "But I want to find a solution that works for both of us," he whispers sadly.

The room is again consumed by silence, except for the sound of Aenar's toy movements, which is what catches Aemond's attention for a moment to smile a little more melancholy.

The situation becomes increasingly complex as your emotions continue to run high between anger and sadness, with the memory of past times still latent, but also with the uncertainty of the future.

And Criston, trying to keep calm, intervenes again.

"I understand that you both have different perspectives on what happened. But now we need to think about the future, of your son," he says seriously, "It's not just about custody, it's about finding a way to strike a fair balance, but… thinking about your career too, Aemond."

You let out a disbelieving, ironic snort again, shaking your head.

"His career,'" you repeat with a bitter tone, your voice a mixture of sarcasm and disappointment.

Aemond, watching you sadly and remorsefully, speaks in a calm but regret-laden voice.

"I don't want you to look at this that way, Y/N—

"That's just the way I see it," you interrupt him, serious and sad, "This is exactly why I left. This is why when I saw you again, I decided to run away again," you say hurt, "Now that you've met him, you want to be in his life, but you still prefer to hide us. This kind of life is the one you wanted to give us at the beginning and now you still do too."

Your revelations Aemond had already heard, but at that moment, again that sharp pain in his chest becomes present, as well as guilt, remorse and regret at seeing your sad face with such honest words.

"All I want is to come to an agreement, Y/N, please—

"You're not going to hide us," you interrupt him firmly.

"Aemond," he calls him seriously.

"No, that's not my intention—

He insists desperately but Criston intervenes.

"Don't," Aemond interrupts him instantly, turning serious and with an annoyed expression towards him, "We can't hide the truth anymore, Criston. Things must change."

"Look, I understand that this is difficult for you," he begins in a serious and cautious tone, "But still, we must consider the consequences. There's a lot at stake here, your career," he reminds him, "You have numerous job offers. Your show on HBO is the most famous show on the platform and the most watched show on television so far. How do you think people are going to react when they find out about your son?"

The room sinks into another silence, as you watch him with your hard, sad face, frustration, annoyance and irritation inside you, watching as Criston continues to treat your son like he's a problem.

And it hurts you.

Because Aemond doesn't even say anything.

"We can find a way to handle all this without putting at risk everything you have achieved, Aemond. And if you get a share of the custody, your son will be under your protection without harming your image," he proposes with an insistent look, seeking his approval.

You look away again, completely incredulous and with helplessness all over you.

It's not Aemond, it's Criston.

It is he who continues to manipulate Aemond to prioritize his career over his son, so that everything revolves around public image and fame, diverting attention from the well-being of your son.

And what can you really do there?

He is his agent, the person who has positioned him where he is now, making him famous, relevant, telling him what roles to take in movies or TV shows that are going to ensure one more success to his career.

"If you listen to him…" you begin to say in his direction with a trembling but firm tone, "If you do what he tells you, I swear I won't care what I have to do, even go into debt to get a good lawyer," you warn, "I will fight for the custody of Aenar and when I get it, I assure you that you will never see him again, ever."

Your words slip from your lips with a determination that completely surprises Aemond, surprise and concern visible on his face, watching you hurt for a moment, his mind a complete mess.

But it is not he who speaks, but Criston who takes the floor once more.

"If that's what you want, Y/N… that's fine," he tells you seriously, his gaze cold and calculating. "But let me warn you, we're trying to come to an agreement—

"The two of you or you specifically?" you snap at him.

"That doesn't matter, Aemond is my client and my job is to secure and protect his career," he tells you seriously, "And if you'd rather take this to fighting for full custody of Aenar, then so be it," he nods at you, "But I assure you, you're going to end up losing."

"That's enough."

Finally, Aemond's voice rises from where he stands, aimed directly at Criston, with a serious, hard stare that reveals a newfound determination.

"We are talking about our son, an issue that concerns her and me, this has nothing to do with you," he declares, his tone firm and his posture defiant.

"Your career has to do with me," he clarifies to her also serious, "You must think about what you are going to sacrifice. Your future, your career, the opportunities that await you-

"I said that's enough," he spits back at her, serious and annoyed, watching him with a hard stare, taking Criston by surprise.

And before he can say anything else, there is another knock on the door, drawing your full attention and making you feel completely alert, especially when Criston is the one who again goes to open the door, as if he knows exactly who it is.

And as you open the door, just like that day, Aemond's publicist, an assistant and the PR people enter your apartment.

Surprise flashes all over your face, watching with your eyes wide open the unexpected arrival of that group of people, whose intentions are not good.

"Thank you for coming," Criston tells them as he closes the door behind him.

"Of course."

Their eyes flick to you for a moment and then focus on Aenar, watching them back with curiosity in their gaze, while you feel confusion and fear completely take over you.

Despair, fear, your future, Aenar, everything mixes together in a horrible way that makes you want to vomit, letting out a couple of tears to quickly turn to your son and hold him in your arm, turning your back to them and starting to cry silently.

And Aemond, seeing your reaction, equally as surprised as you, quickly turns to Criston, his gaze full of confusion and annoyance.

"What is this? Why have you called them?" he inquires with his voice full of restrained anger.

And Criston, unabashed and uncaring of his actions, responds with a calm but calculated determination.

"We are not going before a jury to settle this, Aemond, it will be a waste of time and she will cause us more trouble," he says regardless, "This is necessary for your career, to address this whole issue strategically to protect your image, whether she likes it or not."

Aemond's expression transforms to one of frustration and helplessness.

But before he can intervene, his entire team begins to act.

"We need to establish an immediate plan, now," Criston says.

"Will the strategy be to minimize the impact on the media?" asks the publicity man.

"No, I want it hidden," Criston clarifies, "The approach must be careful and calculated. The priority is Aemond's reputation and career."

"I suggest we limit the exposure of Y/N and the child in public."

"We could create an alternative narrative to deflect attention by highlighting Aemond's professional accomplishments and minimizing the focus on his personal life."

"This must be handled with discretion. We cannot allow this situation to interfere with Aemond's career opportunities," Criston says firmly.

And so your entire living room fills with the sound of all those voices, each voice contributing ideas to control the situation, the problems, Aenar and you.

The tension intensifies, as everyone meticulously plans how to run the public narrative, completely ignoring Aemond's and your personal needs and concerns.

Tears slip down your cheeks silently as you hug Aenar tightly to your chest. This instantly catches the attention of Aemond, who steps worriedly towards you, placing his hand on your shoulder, positioning himself in front of you, but you abruptly pull away from him, watching him with an expression of pain and anguish amidst your tears and suffering face.

"Y/N—

"Why are you doing this? Why are you allowing this?" you ask in your broken, desperate voice.

"No, I swear to you I had no idea that he—

"I left, Aemond," you remind him with your voice cracking, "I left to save your career. And everything was fine, with you and me, our lives," you sob, "Why did you ask Criston to find me? Why do you care and insist on saying you want to be in our lives, when your career is still the most important thing?"

Pain and confusion echo in your words, lingering in the mind of Aemond, who in his gaze reflects a mixture of guilt, bewilderment, pain and sadness.

But everything hurts him more the moment you turn away from him, with a defeated gesture, turning your back to him and your whole body trembling in fear, Aenar in your arms being what gives you strength not to fall apart at that moment.

"We can prepare official statements to control the leaking information to minimize any negative impact on his public reputation."

"Rest assured that we need to maintain full control of this situation. We cannot allow any details to slip out," Aemond hears Criston's voice.

And that's when something snaps inside him.

Every repressed feeling bursts out in a whirlwind of emotions that were fighting to get out, your worry, the anger at himself and the guilt that invades him.

Everything explodes and ignites into a fury that he can no longer contain, seeing your state, causing him anger and feeling completely guilty.

Because everything is in fact his fault.

So without waiting a second longer, he walks to the center of the living room and with a hard, serious, completely annoyed look on his face and with his jaw clenched, he acts.

"Get out of here, all of you, now!" he exclaims, instantly drawing everyone's attention and yours as well.

For an instant everyone watches him and nothing else, slightly surprised and expectant, Criston too, unmoving and doing nothing, causing you a wave of despair.

"I said everyone out!" he exclaims in a firm voice and his gaze full of determination.

And it's only then that one by one the team finally leaves your apartment, except for Criston.

"What are you doing?" he inquires with a touch of disbelief in his tone, challenging Aemond.

"You get out of here too."

He orders him annoyed and with irritation, his voice charged with a frustration that has already reached its limit.

"Aemond, this is important, you can't just—

"I need to talk to Y/N alone," he interrupts her with his tone in a mixture of anger and determination, "I'm warning you, Criston. If you ever do anything else again without consulting me and interfering with this, I'm going to seriously consider firing you, which is what I should have done long ago," he shoots back at him with his defiant stare.

The pulse of the room beats with unbearable intensity as Aemond and Criston hold a duel of intense stares. However, in the face of Aemond's firmness, Criston finally resigns himself with a serious, annoyed look, full of frustration and resignation.

And finally he heads for the door, his footsteps sounding in the room as he leaves the apartment.

Aemond watches him leave with a mixture of relief and exhaustion, no longer feeling his shoulders tense. The silence expands once more as soon as the door closes and he turns to you with a gaze filled with a quiet, worried intensity.

The silence lingers for a few moments longer, a dense atmosphere charged with unspoken emotions. When he takes a step toward you, hesitantly.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice ringing with sincerity and regret, "What happened, my insistence… none of this was my intention, much less to cause you pain and hurt you," he admits with his vulnerability again reflected.

And even though it's just you and him in your apartment, your fear lingers.

"P-please don't take my son from me," you plead between sobs, your voice filled with anguish and fear.

Aemond's heart contracts in suffering and worry at your words, his gaze instantly reflecting it.

"What? No, no, Y/N… that is not what I want to do, it is not my intention to take our son from you."

He tells you instantly insistent but in a serene and sincere voice, taking a few more steps towards you, placing himself in front of you, trying to reassure you. But tears continue to slide down your cheeks.

"This is why I left, so I wouldn't cause you any more trouble, so I could live and keep our son safe," you repeat with your voice cracking.

"I know, Y/N, I know," he tells you sympathetically and with a soft tone, "And you don't know how much I hate myself for having been the cause of you deciding to leave, for having hurt you so much to the point of having made that decision," he says sincerely, his eye beginning to tear up, "And this is not just about him, about our son," he tries to explain, "Yes, it is important, but it is also about us," he speaks with a longing, "Since you left, I never stopped thinking about you, and I-I...

He hesitates, unable to fully express his feelings, as he stands in front of you and wants to hold you, you and your son, as he faces his deepest emotions, feeling a tear run down his cheek and looks at you with all the sincerity and pain in his gaze.

"I love you," he finally says, in a completely vulnerable whisper, trembling, lowering his gaze, unable to look you in the eye, "Despite everything, despite my mistakes, despite my work, despite everything that happened…. I-I still love you," he declares in a whisper laden with longing and regret, "And our son too."

His words get stuck in your mind.

With your heart clenched by the surge of emotions, your eyes watch him back with a mixture of surprise, pain and longing. Aemond's sincerity and vulnerability... it's all too much and makes you feel completely helpless, definitely not expecting that.

You can't speak, your words get stuck in your throat, your heart fluttering with the intensity of the moment, your surprise.

And Aemond completely understands your silence.

"I understand that you don't love me anymore and that you can't love me again, I also understand that things can't go back to the way they used to be because of my job. But please… don't keep running away," he pleads quietly, "We won't fight over custody, there will be no legal repercussions, I'm not going to do any of that," he assures you, "Just…" he lets out a long breath, "Just get back to work and let's face this together."

He proposes with his voice full of fragile but hopeful determination, unexpectedly causing you to feel a relief and a warm feeling in your chest.

"I just want Aenar to be okay and let's consider his well-being as the most important thing," you say quietly, while Aemond listens attentively with his face full of longing, regret and understanding, "But we need time and patience. Also that no one else interferes."

Aemond nods, with a slightly more relieved expression, but keeping in mind that there is much to resolve, to heal and to build.

"I understand that and… I'm willing to do whatever it takes… for him and for you," he says sincerely.

You nod too, as silence takes over again, but this time it is permeated with a shared understanding and a determination to face whatever is necessary for Aenar's well-being.

And finally after so much, you feel calm and fortunately, this time with the support of Aemond, who hesitantly leaves a gentle kiss on your forehead and another on Aenar's forehead, taking him back into his arms.

taglist:

@imaegonstargaryenswife0 @bellstwd @gibbsgirl7 @toodlesxcuddles @imsoshygirl @croatianprincess @gemini-mama @a-little-roony-mara @mysteris-things @zenka69 @at-a-rax-ia @fan-goddess @duds31 @urmomsgirlfriend1 @eternally-passionate @bellaisasleep @ttkttt @aemshaircare @mellowdreamlandpost-blog @noodle81937 @mooncalvin @queenofshinigamis @n4tforlife @vexladin @dixie-elocin @wotcherpeak @watercolorskyy @shiny-trashs-blog @strangersunghoon @elysian0612 @skzenhalove @iloveallmyboys

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@anehkael

[dotster001]

Neutral End

Previous Chapters: One Two Three Choose Another Ending

"Congratulations Mister Ashengrotto," Grimm extended a paw to Azul.

Azul shook the paw with pride.

"I assure you I won't let you down," Azul said with a grin.

"See that you don't. The second your restaurant goes under, Y/N gets wind that you're a jerk behind their back, and Idia protected me from you," Grim said coldly.

"I would expect no less," Azul bowed with mock bravado, knowing full well that he would win the twins back before that could ever happen, and would have no issue subduing a tiny cat monster.

"Good, be ready and well dressed at Ramshackle by tomorrow evening. Do not cheap out on the dinner, or it's over for you before it's even begun," Grim snapped before scampering off.

….

"A blind date?" You asked, unconvinced.

"Yes, I just think that you and this other person would be great together!" Grim said, putting his hands on his hips.

"I don't know, Grim-"

"Listen, Y/N," Grim turned on his saddest kitty eyes, before crawling into your lap, curling into a ball, and purring, getting very happy when you started scratching behind his ears.

"Y/N, the two of us don't have any family here. And I just worry that you spend too much time focusing on my happiness, when you should take some time for yourself. What if, one day, when I'm the world's greatest sorcerer, I have to go far away from you? You'll be all alone! Sad and alone! And I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

Your scratching behind his ear faltered for a moment, and the two of you sat in silence. Grim turned his face more into your lap so you wouldn't see his triumphant grin.

"Okay Grim, if you're really sure about this…"

"Yes, Yes! I'm so sure!" He cupped your face with his paws, and nodded earnestly. "You'll be perfect together! I'll help you pick out an outfit!" 

.…

You stood outside Ramshackle with Grim, and stared out into the night. At exactly 6:30 pm, Azul emerged from the night, a shocked expression on his face.

"Prefect? Can it be you're my date?" He bowed deeply and said, "when Grim had told me to meet him at Ramshackle, I had assumed it was simply for convenience, not that I would have the honor of getting to date you."

You couldn't say you'd never thought about yourself and Azul as a power couple, but he was one of the last people you expected Grim to match you with. You'd make the most of it though.

….

"Azul, look, you're a great guy-"

"Oh sevens, you're friend zoning me,"Azul interrupted, his face turning a sickly shade of green.

"Let me finish," you smiled warmly and took his hand in yours.

"You're a great guy, and I can see a future with you, someday. But right now," you took a deep breath, "Grim gave me a lot to think about in terms of my place in this world. Right now, I need to get some footing, and take care of my little rat, before I can start dating you. Because you deserve better than that."

You kissed his cheek, gave his hand and firm squeeze, then pulled away and opened the front door to Ramshackle.

"Thank you for a lovely evening. I hope we can do it again someday, if some lucky somebody doesn't scoop you up," you said, before closing the door behind you.

Azul froze in place, and touched his cheek with trembling fingers. He thanked every one of the seven that Floyd and Jade were still pouting, because if they saw him now he had no doubt he would never hear the end of it.

"Someday," he whispered to himself, a lovesick smile on his face.

"It's a deal."

….

"How'd it go?" Grim asked excitedly.

"I thought I told you to be in bed by 10…"

"You're not the boss of me, henchhuman!" He shouted, before smiling brightly again. "How was your date?"

You sat down next to him, and scratched behind his ears.

"I had a lot of fun. Azul was a good choice for me. But we aren't going further, right now."

"What? Why?" Grim asked, sounding absolutely devastated.

You leaned down and nuzzled your nose against Grim's.

"Cause right now I only have room for one little man in my life. And I wanna make sure he's happy and achieves his dreams before I expand our family."

Grim sniffled, and wiped his nose with the back of his paw, looking away so you wouldn't see his eyes welling up.

"Whatever, you wanna die alone, that's your choice," he muttered half heartedly.

You giggled, before ruffling his fur. 

"Yup. Now come on, it's time for bed. Can't be the world's greatest mage if you fall asleep in class."

You hopped up, made your way up the stairs, and smiled when Grim quickly followed.

The End

[heartsforseo]

Monster trio x fem! reader

Summary: Reader has period cramps and monster trio tries to comfort them. request=open requested: <yes> <no> wc: 895 ft: monster trio warning: talks about cramp

You woke up, groaning in pain and clutching your stomach. Five more days and it’ll be over, and in your opinion, the second days were always the worst.

And so, you had made up your mind and decided to hang around your bed until the day ends, maybe even get some sleep to ease up the pain.

Luffy was upset. He woke up early in the morning and caught a huge fish with Ussop and Chopper.

Obviously, he wanted to show it to you, but you never came out. The first time the door had opened he was already climbing up the stairs, but his face had met the door instead, and right behind it was Nami in her signature bra and pants.

The second time the door opened, he was standing right next to it. He let out a small snort and quickly tackled the person that came out. But, he was met with a hand smooshing his face away and the person stood up. Oh, it was Robin.

“Why hasn’t Y/n come out yet Robin? The fish is in the aquarium already!” Luffy whined.

“Maybe you should check up on her, Luffy. Make sure to not make a mess though, Nami will be mad.” The archeologist replied.

Luffy’s face contorted into a cheeky grin and left the area. He went inside the girl’s room and there he saw you; curled up like a cocoon, your hands clutching on your stomach and your head nestled on your legs.

“Y/n!” Luffy said cheerfully. “I have so many things to tell you! So basically I caught this HUGE fish and—Y/n?”

Luffy looked at you, your body slightly shaking and you bit the bottom of your lips.

“H-hey, should I call Chopper or something..?” Luffy muttered, shaking your body relentlessly.

You touched the poor man’s hand and he finally stopped. “Don’t worry Luffy, it’s nothing serious. It’ll go away eventually.”

“What do you mean by that? Aren’t you in pain?”

You chuckled, “Yes I am, but it is a different type of pain. I’ll explain it to you someday, but for now—I just want to stay with you.”

“So you ARE in pain. Why didn’t you tell me?” Luffy asked, completely ignoring the other words you had said.

You sighed and sat up, still clutching your stomach, “Fine, I’ll explain it to you.”

“Do you get it now?”

“Not really. But that’s unfair. I don’t want you suffering for a week every month! Hmm…I know now! I'll ask Sanji to get you your favorite food!"

With that said, Luffy left the room and came back, "Here, I got you your favorite food, Y/n! Though I ate the other four..." 

"Thank you, Luffy. How about you tell me what happened with the fish? You never finished did you?"

Luffy sat on your bed and flashed a big smile, ready to tell you what happened while you were away.

You had promised Zoro that you were going to train with him. You may be in pain, but you're a man of your word.

You went up to the crow's nest and saw the swordman meditating. Waiting for you, you presume.

"That's ten over two. Have you been slacking off?"

"Of course not!" you tried defending yourself, "I'm just not feeling it today…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You were holding your stomach after all." The swordman replied, not failing to notice your grip on your stomach.

Zoro walked away and sat down where you first saw him, "Attack me when you're feeling better. I'd want to fight you at your best."

Not one to accept snarky remarks, you picked up the sword beside you and stood up. You charged at the green-haired man, and your vision turned upside down.

"Stupid woman," the man muttered.

He puts his hands out and catches your falling figure, "I'm not gonna let you go until you tell me what's wrong."

"…Just some cramps," you finally let out.

Zoro sighed and let go of you, "You should've told me. No wonder why you weren't in shape."

"Hey!"

Zoro sat and pulled you to him, "You're probably cold, right? Well, I'll be with you, so don't whine no more."

That sleep was a breeze. First, you were being cuddled by Zoro in a quiet room, and second, you were being cuddled by Zoro in a quiet room. The only time you guys were woken up was by Sanji fuming outside the window.

"I don't wanna get up," you muttered to yourself.

If it weren't for the sound of knocking, you probably wouldn't get up.

You open the door and see Sanji with a tray of your favorite food and some heating pad.

"S-sanji, what are you doing here…?"

"Can I not see my lover anymore? Go get dressed up, and I'll clean your bed."

You let out a little smile and took a shower. You could hear a few shuffling outside here and there. After a few minutes, you stepped out of the bathroom and saw your side of the room neatly cleaned.

Sanji was waiting patiently, sitting at the bedside.

"Are you ok, my love? Can you walk?" He asked.

"Yes, of course, Sanji," you replied

"Do you want to stay in your room or leave? I'd like to stay by your side."

"I'd like to stay here…with you, Sanji. I'm happy that you are my lover."

"No, I'm glad that you said yes that day."

DAMN THAT GOT CHEESY T__T AND UH... I HOPE YALL ENJOYED IT. I RAN OUT OF IDEAS FOR SANJI ND ZORO SO IT GOT SHORTER. NO FAVORITISM HERE YALL. ALSO IF SOMEONE GETS THE REFERENCE I'D BE SET FOR LIFEEEE

[jpitha]

If Humans tolerate a greater amount of ambiguity than other Sapients, their risk tolerance is off the charts. Even a baseline human's risk tolerance would make any non-deathworlder sapient excrete themselves with fear and run the other way.

Timothy the human is with his friend Selleg, who he has offered to take to Earth for a week to "see the sights." They are at the spaceport, having just disembarked.

Selleg struggles with his new wheeled luggage. "Ugh, it's so heavy here."

"I'm sorry. I forget that you're not used to Earth gravity. Do you need me to wheel your luggage?" Timothy looks on with genuine concern for his friend.

"I'll be fine. I just hope we don't have to walk too far."

"Nah, the car-rental booth is right here, I'll get us a car and we can drive to my parents."

At the rental booth, Selleg is fascinated with the whole process. Timothy and the clerk go through the options and different kinds of vehicles available. Timothy is asked if he wants "the extra insurance" and he agrees immediately. He exchanges payment and with keys in hand, they walk to the lot.

"I had no idea there were so many different cars to choose from." Selleg remarks. Back home, everyone takes mass transit. Personally owned vehicles don't really exist."

"Really? Huh. I'd love to check it out someday!" They approach a red, low slung vehicle. It has that look that most human machines do of being alive and ready to pounce. Leave it to a predator species to make everything look like it's also a predator. "Okay! Here, I'll put your suitcase in the trunk and we'll set off."

They get in, and Timothy shows Selleg how the seatbelts work. "Just across your body like this and then click the silver part into the slot with the red button there. With a satisfying clunk, the seatbelt is secured. Selleg stares at all the buttons and dials and screens and switches. "Why are there so many displays?"

"What? Oh. Some tell me things about the car, and it's speed, temperature, mileage, things like that, others are for the entertainment system, and still others are for the heating and cooling."

Selleg stopped "The operation of the car is not automatic?"

Timothy shook his head "Nah, it's all manual. Don't worry, I know how to drive."

"You. Operate. This. Vehicle?" Selleg was clearly nervous.

"Sure! I've been doing it since I was 16. Only had one bad accident that whole time." Timothy pushed the start/stop button and the car roared to life. It settled down into a burbling idle. "I sprung for the sports car. It's been a while since I've driven, and I probably won't get another chance for a long time, so I decided to treat myself!"

"You haven't driven in a long time and decided to get a more powerful car anyway?"

"I'll be careful." Timothy promised. Let's go!" He put it in gear and pulled out into traffic.

****

"THAT WAS INSANE! YOU ARE INSANE!" Selleg was yelling.

"That was a perfectly normal drive!" Timothy pleaded. "Selleg, there was nothing unusual about it."

"You were driving less than two meters from the other cars!"

"It was heavy traffic."

"You were going over 100kph!?!"

"All the other cars were too" Timothy answered weakly.

"We passed three crashed cars!!"

"Yeah? Cars crash. Usually it's the drivers fault. I didn't see any ambulances, so everyone was probably all right."

"DON'T YOU THINK THEN THAT MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T ALL BE DRIVING???" Selleg's fur was bristled and he was pacing.

"I'm sorry you were worried Selleg, it was a perfectly normal drive. I thought you'd be nervous about your first car ride so I drove carefully."

"That was carefully?" This is normal for humans?"

"Driving? Yes. that was by all accounts a perfectly normal drive. Some humans even like it"

In the high gravity of Earth, Selleg sat down heavily. "What have I signed up for?"

Timothy looked at his friend. "I'll just go ahead and cancel the skydiving tickets." he said sadly.

[ddejavvu]

I was reading your fic about Spencer coaxing reader out of subspace, and was wondering if you would want to write something similar with Bradley from TGM? No pressure though!!!

this post is 18+, minors dni. (reader is penny's niece but she is an adult, don't worry)

The soft brush of Bradley's fingers against your cheek makes your eyes flutter open, where you'd been relaxing with them shut for the better part of five minutes.

"You with me?" He murmurs, and you lean into his touch to nod. His thumb brushes against your nose at the motion, and he molds it over the bridge to stroke at your skin.

"You're all clean," He pats your thighs, and you vaguely remember feeling him run a wet washcloth through your sore cunt, "Can I get you dressed?"

"Mm, okay," You nod, but when he pulls his hand away to reach for your dresser, you change your mind.

"No!" You whimper, hands suddenly wrapped tight around his wrist, "No, Bradley, stay."

"Honey," He croons, leaning down to kiss your forehead. You feel the slight tickle of his mustache against your skin and lean into his lips, dragging him closer by pinning his bicep to your chest.

"I have to let go if I'm gonna get you dressed." He laments, keeping his face pressed to yours in soothing skin-to-skin contact, "Just for a minute, okay? I just have to go and get your clothes, then I'll be back to put them on, and- and then I should go, honey."

He knows you won't like what he tells you, he knows you'd rather lounge in bed all day and get kissed to high heaven, but Penny's going to be back soon from closing the bar, and he's not sure he'll be welcome anymore if she finds out he's been shacking up with her niece.

"Please don't," You react just like he thought you would, all big teary eyes and heartbreaking sniffles, "Bradley, I just want you to- to hold me, please."

"I know." He hums, kissing the crown of your head over and over again, like each one will drill at your brain and help alleviate some of the foggy bliss that has you captive, "I know, sweetheart. But your aunt won't like me if she finds out I was here."

"I want you to stay anyways," You seem a little more lucid at the memory of your aunt, but your fingers cling to his arm still, "Please? I'll tell her I- I invited you over. To watch a movie or something."

"She used to hookup with Maverick," Bradley shakes his head, this time kissing at your flushed cheek, "She knows every trick in the book."

"I want you to stay," You whine, trying to cling to the haze slowly clearing from your brain, "I want you to hold me all night long."

"I will," Bradley vows pressing one last kiss to the corner of your mouth when you finally let go of his arm before he gathers your clothes, "Someday, honey. I promise."

[factorialsotherfandoms]

Philza comes with his evidence backpack, and Cellbit wants the ground to swallow him whole. Too much, its too much, he can't-

"Is now a bad time?" Philza asks, concerned but voice still light. "I can come back Friday?"

"No," Cellbit sighs. "No, I guess... Just..."

He waves a hand in a direction, and hopes Philza can make some sense of it.

"..." Philza doesn't move. "You alright mate? You seem a bit... off?"

"I'm just tired," Cellbit replies. "I just..."

Does he say, does he not? Philza has been one of his few defenders on this island, trusting him even when there's been nothing to trust, thinking on his wavelength and beside him.

He has to, doesn't he?

Cellbit can't make this sort of decision and tell anyone.

"I'm stepping down," Cellbit says. "From investigating. Cucurucho... I'm not working for the Federation, but I can't keep working against them either. Can we just... I'm sorry, I'm sorry I can't be what you need me to be."

"You're not? But-" Philza's brow furrows, and Cellbit fears the yelling he heard in the maze.

He didn't hear the words, but he heard the tone; he knows he is too exhausted to survive that.

"Please, Philza," he says. "Let it rest. The Federation, the Order... I have no part in them any more. Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for someday."

There is a long pause and Cellbit thinks, maybe, that the silence is worse than the yelling could ever have been.

"Alright," Philza's voice is gentle as he deflates. "Alright... I understand."

Cellbit expects that to be that, watching Philza put the evidence bag away. It stings more than he thought it would, but even that struggles to bring him strength through the haze. He has failed Philza - failed everyone - in giving up. So of course he is now turned away. He knows he's only wanted for what he can give, why did he expect different?

But then the bag is gone, and Philza is still there. He reaches out, takes one of Cellbit's hands, and cradles it in his own. Calloused hands are soft and gentle, and Cellbit understands why so many on the island call him father.

It doesn't feel as teasing any more.

"Are you safe?" Philza asks. "Cucurucho isn't going to come down on your ass, is he?"

He is. Cellbit cannot answer - he just wants to sleep.

But maybe none is needed, because Philza's grip tightens a little, before thumbs start to smooth over Cellbit's knuckles.

"Fuck," Philza says, then he breathes. "Alright. We've got you, King. If anything happens, I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't worry about that dumbass bear, okay? No matter what there are people here who love you, and we will save you."

Cellbit closes his eyes, and nods, and tries to be strong again. He opens his mouth, and-

"None of that," Philza interrupts. "I do it because I want to. Now, when's Roier coming to bed? I don't really want to leave you alone right now, mate."

There's something in Philza's tone, but Cellbit doesn't care to interpret it. Instead he shrugs, "not sure. But really, I'll be fine. I just need to rest."

"I'll bet," Philza looks almost heartbroken as he says it. "Let's get you somewhere safe, then. You good to warp to my place? Phil and Missa?"

"Why?" Cellbit manages to ask as he takes out his warpstone.

"I'm not going to ask you to show me your bedroom, Cellbit. I can make choices about my privacy, not yours."

It sounds so obvious like that, but it's not quite the question he meant. Still, Cellbit just follows along. It's easier, far easier, to just get whatever this is over with so he can get home and to his bed.

He warps and, as soon as he arrives, Philza takes his hand again. He's led to the hatch, and down - "be careful on the ladder" Philza reminds him - to the children's room. Then, not content to leave him there, Philza takes him to the right, through another two security doors - its not hidden, but its certainly protected - to a room all in orange. Around the walls are photographs, and there's an enchantment table in the centre, but Cellbit does not really think of that.

"This is Chayanne's room," Philza smiles sadly as he says it. "But, I'm sure he won't mind. Here, if we just-"

Cellbit tries to make a response, to compliment it, to offer condolences, but instead he is led to the side of the stairs, and then beneath them. Tucked away there, in the dim, behind five security doors and still hidden, is a heap of mattresses, covered in blankets and pillows and even the odd bean bag.

"Get yourself comfortable," Philza pushes him a little towards the pile. "I just need to adjust the doors. Make sure Roier can get in, and Felps. Pretty sure Fit just lets Pac and Mike in anyway. And Forever," Philza's breath hitches very slightly, almost inaudibly. "has access anyway."

Philza hurries off, and Cellbit remains where he was left. He doesn't need the mothering, he is sure, but- But maybe it is nice, to not have to think.

He thinks so much, for everyone, what's wrong with this?

Soon enough Philza is back, carrying two bowls of something.

"I've let Roier know where you are, and Felps as I saw he was awake," Philza says as he passes over a bowl. "I know I ain't your family, but hopefully... Anyway, Chayanne made these before he vanished, always was a better cook than me. Just heated it through - I'm sure he wouldn't have minded it being shared."

"Are you sure?" Cellbit asks. "This is your son's? I'm not-"

"Eat," Philza is a little more pushy this time, even as he sits on the mattresses himself. "You're family, if you want to be. A bit extended, but aren't we all? Forever is my family and he's also yours, and that makes us family too. By some definition, anyway."

"Oh," it's said so simply, and Cellbit has no mind for a puzzle right now. Instead he takes the bowl of soup, and he drinks it.

They eat in silence and, once done, Philza tucks both of the bowls away. Cellbit is nudged again towards the mattresses as Philza cleans up, placing his hat and his coat beside the nest.

Great, ruined wings shudder a little to escape their hole, and despite the feather growth over them Cellbit can see the scars still deep in the flesh, the unevenness where muscle has been ripped away, how they shake with the effort of holding themselves up.

He feels like he needs to do something, to have some response to seeing such fantastic wings laid low - or perhaps to the trust shown to him in their display - but he's just...

He's just tired.

Philza is a little unsteady as he, too, comes into the nest. He shifts the pillows and the blankets and opens his arms and Cellbit- Cellbit can't.

He can't be being offered this, he barely knows Philza, he can't be trusted this much, not when people so much closer to him don't. It feels like a lie, a kind one at that.

"Come on Cellbit," Philza says. "I don't have all night; some of us sleep at reasonable hours, you know?"

"It's not unreasonable," Cellbit manages to retort, even as he gives in.

Stone crumbles to the wave, in time; Cellbit pulls off his outer layers, and slowly climbs into the nest.

Crawls into Philza's arms.

The arms close around him, and ruined wings hide him from sight.

"There we go," Philza whispers. "You've done well, more than enough. Just rest now, mate; I'll keep things ticking over in the meantime."

Cellbit doesn't want things to stay 'ticking over', he just wants them to end. Part of him knows he doesn't really, that he'll want those things later, if only because Cucurucho /will/ betray him, and Forever still isn't home, and its only with them carrying on that anyone he loves will be safe.

Philza runs a hand through his hair; Cellbit's thoughts still.

It's a little while before either of them speaks. To his own surprise Cellbit is the one to do so, with another childish feeling question, another "why?"

"Because I trust you," Philza replies. "And if I trust you, I care about you. If I trust you, you are my flock, and it fucking sucks right now, but we take care of each other. You're alive? That's /all/ I need from you, mate, just for you to stay alive."

Cellbit wishes it was that simple, he really does.

"If I'm here, your house isn't safe," he tries to reason, unsure why he's even fighting it now.

Philza holds him a little tighter, "if my flock safe, what's the point of a house? I'd take you to the real nest, but human lungs don't like being that high for long."

Real nest? Cellbit didn't think Philza had a secret base. It's a better kept secret than most on the server, it seems. To even know it exists, and presumably in the sky...

The idea is crushed by exhaustion, and apathy, and a desperate, desperate need to sleep.

Fingers brush in his hair once more.

"I've got you," Philza says. "Get some rest, mate; nobody will hurt you here."

And if they do, Cellbit has no doubt Philza's scythe will find its way into their eyes.

He curls up, presses his head to Philza's chest, and desperately tries to sleep.

[factual-fantasy]

@octonauts16 (Post in question) TLDR at the bottom!😅

Yeah, that was Wally <XD I doodled that on the screen while kind'a forgetting all the stuff I've talked about Welcome Home recently. How I don't wanna join the fandom and such..

But to be honest I've been kind'a torn on Welcome home over the past few days. I recently developed 3 big main reasons why I don't want to join the fandom and draw the characters. But those reasons are quickly starting to dissolve-

Reason #1. Now I don't know if I just saw the wrong side of the fandom, but it felt like everywhere I went there was shipping content. Cannon or not, it was everywhere. And of course I'm known for not liking ships or really drawing any lovey dovey content.. I was worried enough about people tagging all of my Welcome Home art as shipping, that I figured I'd save myself the trouble and just.. not post any art of it all together.

But then I thought about it.. I mean, Undertale was a huge shipping fandom too. And I was able to weasel my way around all of that and come out unscathed. Surly the Welcome Home shipping fandom wouldn't be much harder to navigate.. right?

Reason #2. I wasn't really sure.. what to draw exactly. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation for the story of Welcome Home. Wally's the Bad guy, no House is the bad guy and he's controlling Wally, no no Wally and House are both the bad guys together. Their world is real- no actually its all make believe and Wally is the only one who knows its fake- aaaa so many stories!

I felt like it would take a lot of work and research to make my own version/interpretation of the story and the characters. So I just dropped it and didn't want to bother. I'm still so busy...

...But then its like 4 AM and I have ideas for redesigns of every character, a story is being constructed, angsty situations are being plotted, lore is growing- I hardly know much about Welcome Home truly, yet I already have a whole world built that I wanna start drawing-

But! Its reason #3 that's kept me from drawing anything. Clown, the series creator.

Looking around the fandom.. It seems that Clown is like me. They have certain boundaries when it comes to their characters and what they do and do not approve of others drawing about it. I know about the copywrite issues they're dealing with.. people selling merch of their characters and profiting.. its really sad. But there's more to it.

I saw some artwork for Welcome home and went to the comments. Everyone was like "I'm so glad to finally find an artist that respects Clowns boundaries!" And I'm like uh oh- are people drawing things that make Clown uncomfortable? Has Clown been dealing with that? What are those boundaries? Is anything I would like to draw something that would cross said boundaries?

So out of laziness to not dig deeper to find these boundaries, but also wanting to RESPECT said boundaries.. I just cut off any artwork from being made all together.

But my interest in this series is definitely getting stronger. And maybe sometime after these projects are finally off my chest, I'll look into Clown and see if any of my artwork would cross a line..

For now I'm too lazy, and too busy to make any artwork for Welcome Home <XDDD Maybe someday though!

TLDR; The #1 reason why I haven't drawn Welcome Home fanart is because I think Clown has certain boundaries when it comes to fanart. And I don't know what they are, I am also too lazy to look into it. So I just decided to not draw anything at all until further notice <XDD

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Gaming - "Beautiful Adeptus, Sky Weaver"

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

In which the Traveler and Paimon unknowingly come across a mysterious adeptus by the name of Sky Weaver while the two are exploring near the sparsely populated cliffsides of Mt. Mingyuan. Or; In which the long-forgotten tale of the adeptus Sky Weaver is uncovered by Aether from the lips of the various Adepti of the Nation of Liyue and the people who know them.

Prologue | Part 1 | (1.5) | Part 2 | (2.5) | Part 3 | (3.5) | Part 4 | (4.5) | Part 5 | (5.5) | Part 6 | (6.5) | Epilog | Extra 1 | Extra 2

                                                                                                   

🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆

The silhouette of Yilong Wharf draws nearer and becomes larger with each step taken toward it; the distant view is rendered unfocused by the uneven terrain being traversed. The sleepy sun is drooping down behind the teal hills to the west, bathing the sky in an ethereal medley of pinks, yellows, and reds. The afternoon today seems to hold an air of melancholy that wasn't present in the last, yet it still has enough beauty to overshadow that faint sadness.

Aether sighs for what could've been the hundredth time today; his mind playing the memory of the events on Mt. Mingyuan on a loop. He did regret leaving the mountain, even if it was on request out of concern for his and Paimon's safety. There were so many questions he wanted to ask them, the possibility of also gaining more information about Lumine meant that most of them were about her. Yet there was also the mystery of Chenyu Vale's skies that he longed to uncover; the curiosity that it stirred in him tumbled about in his mind.

‘But… that's not too important right now…’  

The golden blonde thought as he gazed down at the snoozing fairy-like girl in his arms with soft eyes, gently moving a lock of white hair from her face.

“Don't worry, Paimon, I'll make sure to cook you something extra delicious once we get back to the Inn. I shouldn't have scared you like that.”  

Aether mutters to her as he strokes her head.

The small girl peels her eyes open just a bit and smiles sleepily at her traveling companion; her eyes are all red and puffy with dried tears in the corners of her eyes. 

“Hehe… Paimon will make sure… to hold you to that, so make sure you keep your promise, okay?”  

She whispers between yawns in her hoarse and scratchy voice; a little fist going up to rub at her eyes as the other takes a handful of his shirt.

The golden blonde only nodded and chuckled softly at her cute mannerisms, the display reminding him of a small child. He watched as she made futile attempts to fight sleep; eyes drooping and head bobbing to the side. The soft smile on his face only softened further as he took the initiative and began to gently rock her back and forth. Paimon seemingly finally relents and falls into slumber; her little hand still holding onto his shirt.

Aether sighs once again, somehow traveling with Paimon has made him miss his sister even more with each passing day. Instead of being the younger sibling, he feels like the older one. He'd always wanted a younger sibling, to be looked up to and relied on, to be sought out for protection or advice. Somedays, he wonders if Lumine is relieved now that he's not tagging along with her everywhere; since he fished the small girl out of the water on the beach under Starnatch Cliff, the golden blonde has learned how much responsibility is required to take care of someone younger than you.

The familiar sight of charcoal gray shingled white walls closes in as the golden-eyed boy approaches the side entrance of the wharf. He can already see the adeptea filled shallow baskets that were sat out to dry in the hot sun a couple days before. The children that usually wandered about and played had long retired back to their homes and into their beds at this time of day.

The setting sun, now just barely peeking over the rolling hills in the distance, has blanketed the landscape in a warm peach film. 

Hopefully, tomorrow will be far more productive.

It had been a few days since the incident at Mt. Mingyuan and Aether had thought it best to begin making their way back towards Liyue Harbor. At the moment he and Paimon were behind Mt. Lingmeng on the side opposite to river Jademouth; about halfway to Qioaying Village. The two were now enjoying some of the golden-eyed traveler's cooking as they relaxed after the days of walking that they had endured.

In the peaceful atmosphere, the only noises were the rhythmic sloshing of the river beside them, the bubbling of the water cooking pot, and the crackling of the fire beneath it, Paimon's munching, and—

“Oh! Hey Traveler!” 

A familiar voice called out to the golden blonde and broke him from his observation; the figures of a certain aspiring wushu dancer and his suanni companion coming into view.

Aether smiled, it had been a while since the two had last seen each other. Gaming's refreshing grin never failed to put the otherworldly blonde at ease when he was stressed; not to mention he always carries around that delicious winter melon cake.

Paimon grins as she floats off the chair that she was sitting on previously; overenthusiastically waving to the ochre-eyed boy and Man Chai. A chunk of chicken on the skewer that the girl was violently waving around flew and landed on the ground, making her whine and pout. The golden blonde chuckles at her as he pulls more food out of the cooking pot that he was kneeled over.

“I hope I'm not interrupting you both. I saw you from the road and thought I'd say hi!” 

The red-brunette goods transporter chirped kindly as he approached the small camp that the traveling pair had set up just off to the side of the nearby dirt road.

Aether only shakes his head in response and offers the other boy a few skewers; piercing steaming and fragrant chunks of chicken and mushrooms onto a few more of the still bare sharp ended sticks. Gaming thanks him and grabs a few, though the golden blonde suspected that it wasn't out of hunger but to be polite.

The four of them –well, three, since Man Chai can't really talk– caught each other up on what they had been up to while the other was away. In the midst of it all, however, a certain otherworldly boy had an epiphany. Didn't Gaming know Cloud Retainer? If he knew her, he might also know that mysterious adeptus that was on the mountain! Although it might be a small stretch, it was worth a try at the very least.

“Hey, Gaming. Do you know of any adepti that live on Mt. Mingyuan or like to visit it often?” 

The golden-eyed traveler eagerly inquired during a moment of comfortable silence between the trio.

Aether's sudden question had brought an expression of deep thought to the red-brunette's face; the boy's brow and nose crinkling as he contorted his face in contemplation. It was truly a cute display, though Paimon and the golden blonde wouldn't dare to say it out loud just in case they embarrassed the other.

Tapping his chin, the ochre-eyed boy glances to the side as if he had found an answer, but was unsure if it was the correct one. But, he nodded to himself with resolve before turning his gaze back to the long haired boy.

“I think I know who you're talking about. I don't know his name since he never told me, but he let me give him a nickname instead. Uncle Měilì is what I call him.” 

Gaming replies, yet his answer only seems to raise even more questions.

“Uncle Měilì? Why did you call him uncle? Ah! Are you half adeptus!? Hey! How could you hide that from Paimon!?” 

Paimon exclaims, spewing questions while placing a hand on her chest and giving Sword & Strongbox goods transporter a scandalized look; leftover food scraps still clinging to the corners of her mouth.

The ochre-eyed boy chuckles in a bashful way as a cartoon sweatdrop falls down the side of his head in a slow and comical fashion. Scratching the back of his head; he looked away in embarrassment at the sound of the name Měilì coming from another person's mouth. He was really bad at naming things when he was young, it seems.

“No, he's not my uncle by blood. He's just taken care of me from time to time since I was little,so I call him Uncle. It's like how I call Aunty Xianyun, Aunty.”

The red-brunette explains, adjusting his position to sit cross-legged instead of crouching just above the grass covered ground.

Paimon bobbed her head in understanding, her white hair bouncing and swaying along with the movement before Aether grabbed her chin and turned her face in his direction. He brought a small rag up to her cheeks and wiped away the leftover crumbs from earlier that had been bothering him; muttering something about how the small girl was 'so messy'.

“Did this adeptus you're talking about have the form of a glowing cloud of mist? Maybe glowing as well?” 

The golden blonde asked absentmindedly, his focus still occupied with cleaning up his fairy-like companions' appearance.

Gaming's eyes seemed to glimmer with familiarity at the other boy's words. He grinned widely, holding up his weight with his palms pressed into Chenyu Vale's token blueish-greenish grass. His body rocked back and forth with giddiness as memories flooded in and swirled around in his brain.

“He let you see his illuminated beast form? You both are lucky; he's usually not comfortable enough to allow people to know he's there, let alone see him. I even have a hard time convincing him to let me see it.” 

The goods transporter gazes at them both with admiration, clearly impressed by their normally impossible feat.

Aether raised a brow, his mind stewing with the new information. That was ‘Uncle Měilì’ true illuminated beast form? Weren't the adepti all some iteration of the ancient beasts of Liyue? Considering the other known adepti and their adeptal forms;

Zhongli is a dragon, Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper are cranes, Moon Carver is a stag, Madam Ping….?, Xiao is some type of bird, Ganyu is Half Qilin, Yanfei is Half… something, Tubby and Chubby are finches?, Changsheng is a Serpent, Fujin is a Carp, and Lingyuan is a Suanni?

All of them are some type of animal, so what's with the adeptus on Mt. Mingyuan?

“Is he not an illuminated beast? I mean- I know you called it his illuminated beast form, but all Paimon and I saw was a cloud of mist.” 

The golden blonde asked as he finally pulled away from his little friend, turning his gaze back to Gaming.

“You sure are curious about Uncle, but I don't mind answering more questions. Uncle is an illuminated beast; under the cloud of mist is a tortoise. The cloud is kind of like a tortoise shell from what I've seen.”

The red-brunette answers him calmly, tilting his head back to look up at the darkening sky, the sun beginning to hide itself behind the hills in the distance.

Golden eyes follow the aspiring wushu dancer's vision, taking note of the time. Aether then turns to his travel bag, opening one of the pouches and pulling out a sleeping bag.

“How about you stay the night with us, it'll take a while for you to get to the next village.” 

The Outlander suggests, lifting the sleeping bag towards Gaming with a kind smile that had an underlying pleading look to it.

Ochre eyes curve into crescents as the boy grabs onto the offered sleeping bag, carefully bringing it towards himself as he beams at the golden blonde in gratitude.

“Im- I'm heading back to Wangshu Inn in the morning to let Miss Verr Goldett know that their goods have been delivered… Do you want to come with me, since you're heading that way anyway?” 

The red-brunette suggests, shyly diverting his gaze to the side and scratching the back of his neck.

Both boys get under the covers of their respective sleeping bags, facing each other as their companions also slide themselves into the warmth of the makeshift bed.

“That would be nice, it's been a while since I've traveled with someone other than Paimon.”

Aether spoke in a whisper, golden eyes heavy with fatigue; he paused for a while before speaking once more.

“Goodnight, Gaming.”

“Goodnight, Traveler.”

The red-brunette whispers back, snuggling deeper into his sleeping bag.

“Goodnight, Traveler and Gaming don't let the cincins bite.”

Paimon's sleepy muffled voice called out the two from her place inside her and the golden blonde's shared sleeping bag.

“Rrmph”

Man Chai grumbles, softly headbutting Gaming's chest in complaint.

“Hehe Yes, you too, Man Chai.” 

The ochre-eyed boy chuckles as he softly pats his suanni companion on their furry head.

As the four fell into slumber, the moon rose into the sky. Vibrant colors weave themselves into the dark tapestry that was the blackened night sky, creating a colorful masterpiece.

🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆•♡•🎆

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

Wanna see similar content? Check out my Genshin Masterlist and Series Masterlist!

If you want to be added to the tag list, please let me know! #thetaleofskyweaver @itztaki @sassy-cat-in-town @xharisrealm @lupicalbestwolf @pjmsies @just-here-reading @chibiduck @dellalyra @kiiyoooo @heavenlysilence0vx @2nd-number @yourfavoritefreakyhan @mshope16 @paastaboi

[wookiez]

♡ — I H3ART Y0U

“can you kidnap me, can you really chain me to the floor and just murder me, cut my heart out in the dark.”

— I H3ART Y0U by Boy Fantasy

-

pairing : banda sunato x flirty gn!reader

genre : fluff(?), suggestive

synopsis : you're aware that the man you're flirting with has murdered four women before, but what's wrong with a little fun? and lucky for you, you've caught the eye of that particular serial killer.

author's note : I'm well aware of the high demand of banda fics, so I'm here to serve you banda lovers(including me)...he might be slightly ooc(?) I don't know. my man has short screentime, we don't know much of him really 💀

solitary confinement, huh? you thought, standing in the area upstairs, in the central guardroom, after you've put on your collar. you notice chishiya there, the man you've been with when you were at the beach. he caught your interest due to his cunning demeanor and how he could always clear the games with high risk. you were sure he'd clear this one too, so you didn't worry much about him.

what did catch your interest currently, is the guy who came in last. you knew who he was. the infamous banda sunato, who has killed four women and was on death row. how do I know this? you may ask, well, i just like reading about crimes.

as cruel and psychopathic as his actions were, you still considered him attractive. he had such a pretty boy look, how could you not fawn over him?

amidst your thoughts, you decided to walk up to him. "heyy, pretty boy~ say, why don't we make an alliance?" you say, sending him a little smirk as you accentuated the 'pretty boy' part.

his head turned towards you as he made eye contact with you, you felt your whole body turn tense. his eye contact is so...intense. you can't help but feel tense. he gave you a small smile, "I see, you're quite the bold one, aren't you? you don't mind taking risks, I like that. but that's going to give you consequences someday."

he paused, then "yes, let's be allies. friends, even. let's have fun in this game, shall we?" he said, his smile growing a little bigger. to you, it looked quite...menacing but you found it attractive at the same time. maybe you really are crazy.

suddenly, a guy with bangs blocking one of his eye came up to you and banda. you think he looks emo and quite edgy.

"tell me what my symbol is, and I'll tell you yours." the emo says, in quite a condescending tone.

"that's a pretty aggressive attitude to take..." banda says as he stared him down.

"that kind of childishness makes you painfully transparent. you're ashamed of the darkness inside you, which makes you petty and jealous. you try to keep yourself safe behind those bangs. you hide your face so that people won't see your ugly, empty soul. you're a pathetic excuse of a human being who judges others to feel better. pathetic and small. but that's what I like about you–"

he pauses, "–we should be friends." he smiles.

you observe the interaction from the two, you could tell banda was devoid of emotions. his eyes are intense but soulless. you keep feeling oddly attracted to him more and more.

round one was over and you were standing beside the little serial killer boy. matsushita was away to get snacks from the food area.

you pretty much were openly staring at him, seriously. you can't help but stare at little details of his face, until he caught you.

"you know, if I were you, I would've been more subtle with it." he says, as his eyes locked on yours.

"why should I be subtle? the whole point of me being obvious is so you'd know I'm openly staring at you due to me finding you rather appealing. you're really really really pretty you know. I'm being so serious right now." you respond, amused by your stupid directness.

"you're quite entertaining." he smirked, staring intensely into your eyes.

"I'm having fun with you already and the game has only just begun." his eyes never breaking contact with yours, you find yourself lost in his empty eyes.

that is, until you looked away, slapping your cheeks. no way bro I thought I was supposed to be the flirt!

you thought of something smooth to say to counterattack banda quickly, "well, you can have even more fun with me in bed." FUCK! why did i say that?! dont forget he killed people! he might even kill me because of this later!! well, actually nevermind. he can murder and torture me all he wants. I don't really have anything to go back to anyway... unfortunately.

you were pulled away from your thoughts as you heard a low chuckle beside you, oh no...even his chuckle is hot.

"you never fail to amuse me"

"you're quite something to be able to say that to someone like me with ease. I'm sure you already know my past, don't you? is this your attempt to seduce me?"

"haha...what, no, hahaha who said that??" that was the most terrible attempt to lie ever...

"you've definitely seduced me, you're quite the compelling one you know? I didn't expect to meet someone like that in this world." his eyes still fixated on you, you were malfunctioning. thank goodness, it was already the start of the second round.

the only people left now were you, serial killer, emo buddy, the girl, suit man and cheshire boy. you've noticed that chishiya has lost his partner, that poor guy was too kind hearted.

you go to the food area for some snacks and notice two people there interacting, you decide to observe the said interaction. then the girl walks pass by you. you then turn towards chishiya and notice the snack he is holding, "promoting the snack aren't ya, chishi?

"you could say my marketing is pretty good. but I was just deducing something through the snack. matsushita and kotoko kept picking the same brand of snack, suspicious isn't it?" he gives you that sly smirk of his. you know that he's already deduced who the jack of hearts already is.

"by the way, you know that sunato banda guy murdered four women, right? are you seriously risking your life for that man?" he questions, you could tell it was genuine.

"I'm well aware, I don't mind risking my life for him. I have nothing to live for and nothing to come back to. all I can do is have some fun with him and get myself killed, I guess. if I die though, you gotta live for me, chishiya."

he lets out a little chuckle, but doesn't say anything.

"but anyway, do you want me to tell you what your suit is or do you want to rely on your gut and risk your life like always?" you ask

"as much as I'd like to risk my life, it's better you tell me, y/n."

"well, your suit is diamond. also I might actually try that snack of yours."

ah, the sweet air of the last round. you're currently waiting in your cell as what chishiya has ordered you to do. you could hear matsushita's goofy little laugh outside the cell.

then you hear a door opening, which you know is chishiya, he expresses how he found matsushita suspicious and then banda came out. you came out at the same time as well.

"most people won't even talk to a guy like me. but you wanted to kill me. I could sense that in you right away. so I wanted to see if you were smart, or just stupid, or whether you were a true psychopath."

"b-but they talked to you! they came up to you first before me! they're more suspicious!"

"that's true, but unlike you, they're just the type to take risks. you're the type to not trust strangers easily, yet you trusted banda." chishiya says

"you thought you were controlling me this whole time. but I was manipulating you into thinking that way. ultimately, it was your huge superiority complex that gave you away." banda then says

they go on and on as you zoned out, you really don't care about monologuing so you just decided to stay quiet.

you decided to wait outside the cell as you heard matsushita's scream as banda tortured him. you began to ponder on the different ways banda could've tortured him, you're quite knowledged in some torture methods. you liked to research about them before.

as he finished, he walked towards you whilst yaba had begun to walk outside of the prison.

"shall we go now, y/n?" he asks, as he stared at you with those empty eyes of his like every other time.

"I guess so, your job here is done anyway. say, you have some sexy shoulders." you say as you winked, god were you insufferable.

"speaking of which," he pushed your back towards the wall and leaned close to your face,

"I haven't passed up the offer of having even more fun with you in bed, have I?" he smirks

I swear I could write better please, I just half assed this because I've got little time so just bear with me here. I still hope you liked it a little bit at least. I think I wrote chishiya a little ooc too 😭

©wookiez

[betasquads]

FORGOTTEN, Niko Omilana

———————————

———————————

summary: you and Niko were friends right before he got famous. One by one, day by day, he started to forget that you even exist. Months started to pass by, and you found yourself questioning if he ever thought about you. It began piling up to years. On a random workday, you bump into the least expected person.

warnings: mentions of death, maybe some curse words?!

A/N: sorry to break but there won't be a part two for this! (maybe if I get an idea on how to complete it then sure)

"That is going to be disgusting." you cringe at the ingredients put in the blender. Infront of the camera, an 18 year old Niko Omilana sat there blindfolded.

You both decided to do a challenge that was currently trending on youtube where you get the most random ingredients and pile them up with numbers. One person says the number while blindfolded and the other makes the drink. Then the one with the best ingredients wins.

"Is it that bad?" A worried Niko speaks.

"It's horrid." You remark with a nervous laugh, pouring it in a cup where he can't see the contents and how the drink looked like.

"Alright– let me take this off." You say as you capture your lips between your teeth. You takes the blindfold off gently and that results to Niko's heart fluttering, butterflies in his stomach erupted at you just doing a simple task to him.

"This is going to be really delicious!" You smile at the camera and Niko tries to sniff whatever that was in the cup but you immediately tut in disappointment.

"That's cheating! Come on just drink. It's really tasty." You bring it up to his mouth and you make him take more than a gulp, before Niko chokes and begins to gag at the taste. Your mouth is wide at how Niko tries to keep it down, despite the disgusting ingredients in the drink.

"What is that? Did you poison my drink? It tastes like the entire sea in there." He forcefully swallows it, bringing the cup down.

You just laugh until tears began forming in your eyes, "Your reaction is priceless!" You say through cries of laughing as you clutch your stomach.

Just the sight of you laughing, made him let out small laughs, "What was in there?"

You let out a huge amount of air when you finally stop laughing, "Anchovies, nutella, cereal, an egg, and pomegranate juice."

"Why was yours much better?" He wonders. Yours only consisted of spinach, chocolate milk, ice cream, beans, and the chocolate Aero. The spinach and the beans barely effected the drink and it resulted to you having the tastier drink.

"We already know who won. It's me, again." You point at yourself with both of your index finger.

"She's rigging every challenge, it's not fair." He shakes his head and drinks the leftover of your drink. Deep down inside, he'd get excited by just looking at how excited you get when you win. It was like he won aswell.

"I guess that's it for the video. Unless you want me to win you over again." You shrug and aggressively take your drink back.

"Crazy how this drink has beans and it tastes quite nice–" You hum pleasure at how tasty your drinks was.

"Shush. Nobody cares. Alright that's the end of the video. We'll see you again next Sunday." Niko finishes the outro and right after he was done, you both began cleaning up and setting everything in its place.

When you place some of the stuff in the fridge, a thought hits you when you look over at Niko and you let out a small laugh. He turns around, confused on why you were laughing.

"What is it?"

"I just have a feeling you'll be big someday. As in millions of subscribers and all of that." You smile at the thought. Niko's dream of doing pranks and becoming big was the only thing he'd talk about.

"Impossible." He says under his breath, chuckling.

"Oh you'll see. I'll be the first person to tell you that I told you so. Just don't forget about me, Omilana."

He scoffs in disbelief, "You're my best friend since childhood and you're the most annoying person i ever met," He starts, placing all the dishes in the sink.

"it'll be impossible to forget about you, y/l/n. " He snakes his arm around your waist to pull you into a side hug. You thought this was a friendly hug, but nevertheless, you felt the exact same familiar butterflies errupt in your stomach whenever he would hold your hand or pull you into hugs.

"Plus, you'll be there to see it for yourself. You're not getting rid of me that easily." He narrows his eyes at you and walks off to get the rest of the things that were in his room.

You really hoped his words were true, because even if he didn't like you back, you wanted to spend your lifespan with him as his best friend.

—

4 months later*

Niko: the last video that we made

together got over 10,000 views,

I can't believe it

Link attachment

Y/N: not surprised, your videos

are entertaining especially when

I'm in it!

Niko: shush. that's not true, you

always lower my views you schmuck

Y/N: whatever helps you sleep at

night! I'm coming tomorrow to

celebrate

Niko: thought you had work?

Y/N: convinced my boss to let

me off for tomorrow, that's how

much I hate you 👍🏻

Niko: say whatever that helps you

sleep at night! mcdonald's worker 🤣

Seen

8 months later*

Y/N: do you wanna hang out? just

came back from vacation and It's

been like 4 months since we've

seen each other

Niko: sure, but it'll be like for an

hour and then I'll leave since I

have to edit something

Y/N: I could help you?

Niko: No its alright. I'll see you

in 10

Seen

5 months later *

Y/N: congratulations on your

recent video !!! It really has a

huge amount of views, very

proud like always

Niko: it's not that much but thank you

Y/N: of course it is, idiot. Do you

wanna hang?

Niko: later, I'm busy and I have got

something to do

Y/N: that's what you've been saying

for the past few months but alright.

Seen

4 days later *

Y/N: it's a saturday, don't tell me you're

busy on a weekend

Niko: I'm not, but i'm really exhausted

Y/N: alright then... text me when

you're free since you keep refusing

all my invites

Seen

—

2 years later*

And that was the last time since you've heard from Niko. He wasn't even that famous at that time, only around 50 thousand subscribers to his channel. So you sometimes wondered why would he be busy at the time?

You even thought if he ever thought about your name or if he ever felt ashamed whenever the thought of it just popped up in his mind.

You even thought that the little crush you had on Niko would be gone after a few months of him never getting back to you, but no, your feelings just got stronger.

Today, a 21 year old you was seated across the laptop since you had to do some work about searching for a topic to speak about. You sip on your hot coffee as you sigh deeply, too exhausted to do anything.

That was until you came across an article about a special someone, your back immediately straightened up. He had hit 1 million subs today, August 26th 2019. You scoff, clicking on the article and pressing 'not interested.'

Even though you both might've aren't friends anymore, you couldn't help but feel proud of his success. You just knew it from the bottom of your heart, that he'll be big someday. And he was. You knew it wasn't far from becoming millions.

You knew him and you knew his personality would get him famous.

You just wished you were there to see him grow big with his following.

—

1 month later*

Your parents death hit hard. You could feel your life crashing down at the decisions that life had been giving you lately. It seemed like it just wanted you to suffer in life.

The strings in your heart was slowly starting to be ripped apart, you were sure that your life has come to an end.

You arrive at a random hotel since you sold your family house to get by until you find a job since you had been fired. The hallways looked a little too depressing to you or maybe it was just your thinking made everything look sad and horrible.

When you finally makes it to your room, you stand infront of the door and you put your hotel key and twist the door knob once it makes a click noise.

You close the door behind you and you take a glance at the hotel room, for some reason you used to always be excited whenever you got into a hotel room because you had someone with you and it would be for an exciting reason, like being on vacation, visiting your family and friends, and laughing so hard and becoming annoyed because the sheets were tucked in and they couldn't get it out.

But walking in and looking around at the room, made your heart ache. And when you felt it, tears began falling and so did your body. So you immediately got closer to the bed and sat down, your hands instinctively going to your mouth to at least muffle your cries.

When you heard your parents had died from the car losing control and driving off of a bridge, you were completely numb. You couldn't even cry. You just nodded and clarified that the two lifeless bodies were indeed your parents. You felt the pain in every part of your body, but still couldn't shed a tear. Now that it all hit you and your life was possibly over, you just felt the feeling of heartbreak and it was the complete worse.

All the voices going through your mind like the strings of the guitar when it goes smoothly towards your auricle, always hits you with guilt. For what it's worth, you knew there was no going back when the car lost control, fear, was all you felt.

The screams you heard before the car hit the water was constantly replaying in your mind, because you were also in the car, yet somehow you managed to live and escape the car and not your parents. Survivors guilt.

No one there to help you stop thinking about those thoughts. When you pathetically tried to help your father was no use, because you blacked out. You accepted your fate, only to wake up without your parents surviving, or even next to them. The rescues told you when they found you, you had already gotten out of the car so it was easier to rescue you.

You even thought about calling Niko, you needed him terribly.

You needed him to give you a break from overthinking it and replaying the events back. The thoughts of you being alone forever attacked you at most nights, you drowned into the depths of trauma, when your life flashed before your way to death. You were the only family member of your own that was still standing.

You were given a second chance at life, but why? You thought you didn't deserve it. Your brain constantly kept reminding you that you weren't worth being alive, your heart telling her that life was no use.

The way your heart ached when you realized your parents passed, all your surroundings weren't important. Nothing was important. It was all one nightmare that had came true. All you thought as a kid was growing old without your parents, and your thoughts became reality.

You were angry at yourself, you wanted to just scream at yourself for thinking that you were going to grow old with your parents and they could see you finish college and for you to get married one day.

But nothing like that will happen, right?

—

11 months later*

You finally got your bachelor degree and you were now working as a director and an editor at a young age, and everything almost seemed great for you.

That was of course until you heard rumors about Nicholas Omilana getting a girlfriend. You couldn't careless about him anymore in which you were convincing herself, but It was all over the place that even the people you worked with always teases you since they seemed to have watched Niko's old videos.

It was starting to get annoying that you threatened to fire them if they weren't professional enough.

You aren't just a film director, you usually edited for YouTube channels and directed for them aswell. So it was really easy to find people to work for you.

You loved youd job so much, it was something that you always wanted to work as, especially with Niko.

Now his name was everywhere, but he was still nowhere to be found.

—

3 years later, present*

"I've been trying to find Henry, but he's nowhere to be found." you say to the phone that's clutched in your hands as you walk around the rented mall.

You rented the mall only for the first floor to advertise some brands and it was going to be a long hectic week. You were currently in Germany with one of your biggest clients, renting an entire floor wasn't something you'd tell someone daily.

You didn't know you could make it this far. You were an actress, a director, and a model aswell.

"Just go to the second floor and see if he's there."

"I don't think we're allowed to step in there since im pretty sure some other people rented the second floor." You say confused as you look up, finding it a huge coincidence that people are renting a mall at the same time.

"If we don't find Henry, we'll be making them wait and they'll probably spit in our faces. They're sending me very mean stares. They look grumpy." You hear your boyfriend describe them which makes you giggle.

"Alright, babe. Just ramble and ramble like how you always do so they don't get bored. I'll be right back." You turn the call off and you go to the non working escalator and you start walking up.

When you reach on the second floor, you look around, trying to find the familiar face. You get startled once you hear your phone ringing, starting to walk around the mall.

You checks your phone and you roll your eyes once you see on the screen that it was written Henry.

You accept the call and you places the phone to your ear, "Henry, where are you? We've been trying to get to you after you just randomly disappeared!" You yell angrily since you could easily lose your client if one of the most important people weren't there.

"Yes, yes– I'm just meeting up with other problems since I have other clients aswell so it's a bit hectic." You hear him ramble, and it seems like he was out of breath.

"What ?! Another client? Why didn't you just tell me to move it to another day–"

"You don't understand. I'm still in the mall with other clients. They're just on the second floor." You grip the side of your forehead in disappointment. You we're practically just walking so fast around the mall without a thought.

"Yeah well our clients are currently very grumpy. They look like they'll about to sue our ass Henry! Get your ass down or I swear to–" Your words were cut off when you're bumped into a tall, large masculine body.

You scoff in anger, too pissed off to mutter an apology, "Watch where you're going dickhead–"

You were immediately slapped on the face with shock when you're met with the face you haven't seen since years, words were tied to your tounge, and suddenly there was no words to say. The mean words that you had in mind was now completely gone.

Your eyes are wide and filled with betrayal and his are wide and shocked. "Get my ass down or you'll swear to what?" You hear Henry with a little bit of an attitude, but you're too focused on the face that you haven't seen this face since you were 18.

Now you both were 25 and even matured in looks and definitely the way you acted around people.

He stares at you and he was even surprised at how much you've grown into your looks. Your facial structure matured since you were 18 and you became a little taller. Your hair was let down, not like when you used to put into a bun. You've abandoned your usual tracksuits and you were now wearing a suit.

"Hello? Where the hell are you–"

"Im sorry, I'll have to call you back." You mumble into your phone and close the call immediately.

"y/n."

"Niko."

You both say in union.

You hear Niko swallow and slightly tense at your name being spilled from his mouth, as if it was foreign on his tounge.

"How have you been?" You were shocked at how there was so much change in his voice. He can't seem to say anything except this sentence, too lost in how much you've changed and all the memories in the depths of his brain that were locked away we're being unlocked by each second he stared at you.

All those years went by too fast and in this exact moment, you asked yourself how it would've been like for you if this friendship didn't come to an end too soon.

"How have I been?" You scoff in confusion, disgust, and disappointment at the stupid question, shaking your head.

You try to compose yourself and try to hide the pain that twisted in your heart. Even after all these years, deep down you knew you would never be over him.

You sigh at how rude you sounded in the beginning, "Everything's great. It was great seeing you again, but I have somewhere to be." You try to walk past him, begging silently for him to beg you not to leave.

"Hey, hey–" He grips your hands, too scared let go after he's seen you after all those years. Just like you hoped for how this would work, you were still contemplating whether it was worth it even yelling at him or even talking to him. You turn around reluctantly, looking again at those familiar brown eyes.

"I want to talk." He says hesitantly and you scoff.

"We had plenty of years to talk. You didn't. You didn't even try contacting me, Niko. You just completely forgot about—" You didn't know what was the sudden pause, but you couldn't even complete the sentence.

You wanted to cry in his arms and you wanted him to run his fingers across your hair, like he always did before whenever you cried about something.

But, he didn't deserve your yelling.

"I don't see the point in telling you everything, or anything at all because you never cared. Did you?" You say aggressively, your arms crossing.

Niko was tall, but at this moment, he felt like he was the shorter one and you felt like you were taller than him.

"Of course I care. I swear I care. But–" He says immediately without thinking, but you cut him off.

"We were kids. I don't think this conversation will work because clearly you don't know who I am now." He felt his heart break at your statement, and he felt true fear if you actually did change.

He felt hurt that he couldn't see you grow up into the woman you were, or see how your personality evolved over the years.

He felt his heart twist and his stomach turn, realizing that there was no returning back.

"It was good seeing you–" You were cut off when you hear another familiar voice calling from behind.

"I guess you've seen– my other client." Henry pants, he's out of breath. But there was a nervousness that played in his eyes, like he knew he did something wrong.

"You work with Henry?" Niko's eyes are wide, surpised. Henry was a famous producer in the UK, which meant only one thing.

You were successful and Niko wasn't there to see you. And you weren't there either to see him grow like this.

It went both ways.

You and Niko were battling with your eyes, wanting so badly to hold each other with the other's arms and you both knew it. You both knew how much you both missed each other.

You could see a layer of tear on his eyes, but he tried so hard not to let it go. He felt like he was dumb at the moment and also wanted to yell at you for not letting him tell his reason before Henry interrupted.

"Yes I do." You mumble, feeling that all of those years were wasted.

You wanted him to see the struggles you went through and wanted for it to be him that helped you stand up back again, but you did it all by yourself.

But you? You helped him in every way. You were the one who pushed him to do everything, you were the one who encouraged him to start it all.

He didn't deserve having you, did he?

You wanted for this to never happen.

"Told you so, Omilana." You walk past him, and he was so confused with the sentence, and he was left dumbfounded.

This had just proved to you that he has forgotten every memory and every moment you both spent together. He forgot the moment where you promised him you were going to tell him 'I told you so.' He forgot.

And just like that, the void, the emptiness that he felt before seeing you, came back again. He wanted to run after you, apologize, and kiss the shit out of you. Something that he should've done a while ago.

You left for a reason.

Because you knew the older you both got and one of you leaves the earth, you'd always remember the things Niko taught you and he will aswell. Those were just memories. Something that we had in the past and are meant to be forgotten.

But it hurt the both of you for it to end this way.

Tears fell down as you walked off at the memories that came like a storm, wishing your ending included Niko Omilana by your side.

taglist: @bigdikzaddy (if you wanna be included in the taglist just ask !)

———————————

[lovesick-feelings]

can i req sun/moon yandere hcs?

Sorry this came very late darlings! A part of the reason is that i've been going through a lot in life and i haven't had much time to catch up but don't worry as i'll still be here for anything! (´⌣`ʃƪ)

Another reason was because of how indecisive i was for teamwork headcanons between the two. There was supposed to be more explaining how the two work together to watch over their dear but I decided to add it later in the future. I know it'll take another decade to write it out and I really don't wanna hold up this request more than I already have. ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

Note: This takes place before the Security Breach incident making Moon way less aggressive and sadistic to that Moon.

SUN

♡ *GASP* A NEW CO-WORKER!?! What wonderful news that is! He barely has any older friends (mostly cause adults find him creepy), so he finds the thought of having you around thrilling! When you show up, his visits start as occasional checkups, but soon they become more regular. You are such a caring and kind person to him and the children. He loves getting attention from you so much that every time you look at him, he feels like he's going to burst!

♡ His obsession grows so strong it goes against his intended programming to frequently focus on you. He knows he’s supposed to report problems like this, but he’s sure it can’t be so bad if he feels this happy around you! This has gotten him in trouble with staff and Moon multiple times, but he doesn't understand why. He’s doing his job of making someone happy and that’s his bestest friend in the world!

♡ Sun wants to do EVERYTHING with you. Despite protests, he doesn't want you to feel left out and all gloomy in the corner, so he’s bringing you along on all the things he considers fun! It’s scary when he suddenly scoops you up in his arms and skips at lightning speed across the daycare to where all the activities are. You’ll often find yourself surrounded by children playing games or making crafts. 

♡ Your happiness together is all he wants. When you laugh at the sock puppet he made of you, he feels all warm and fuzzy inside. He wants to make you laugh like that all the time! Anything you guys make is immediately stored and displayed proudly in his room. Now that he thinks about it, he should probably organize it better for the on-growing collection of your belongings and things that remind him of you.

“Wasn’t that so fun, Sunshine!?” 

“Yeah it was but I really gotta get back to work”

“Oh - oh wait! I got another game we can play together!!”

♡ Touchy-feely does not begin to describe how Sun behaves around you. Hand holding, cuddling, hugs, you name it, he wants to do it all. When Sun sees you, he just wants to squish you, and love you, and hold you in his arms forever and ever!! Even when you're busy, he can’t help the urge to pull you into a surprise hug. He would love to try kissing you someday but he gets bashful just thinking about it.

♡ Every time you come back to your desk he’s already got a gift waiting for you there. All four flavors of Fizzy-Fazz (He didn’t know which you wanted, so he got all of them) with a couple of chips and bars. A lot of the drawings with you and him together with hearts all over or the occasional origami around your work desk with sweet messages like “You’re my sunshine!” and “You look very pretty today!”. As cute as it is, it's gotten excessive to the point where you have to clean your desk on a basis.

♡ Like a kid, he’s relentless when getting you to pay attention to him. Unfortunately, this turns him into a huge distraction because, instead of getting your work done, Sunny boy is dancing around insisting you join him for more playtime. This transitions into interactions with co-workers. When someone comes to check on you, he’s already got your attention on something else while he shoos them off the daycare grounds.

♡ Nothing is worse than an unhappy darling. If Sun senses something is wrong, he will panic. Because he's built to recognize distress when he senses it, he's very understanding. So, when he feels you’re hiding something from him, he can’t help stressing over it. Now every minor gesture can be interpreted as a huge sign. You're not in the mood for hugs one morning and he looks at you as if you dropped-kicked a baby. God forbid he finds out he’s the reason you’re unhappy 💀

♡ He’ll try so hard to make it up to you but it only worsens as he realizes it’s becoming futile. He will cling to you more if he thinks you're mad at him. While trying to reassure you of his love, he sounds like he's just reassuring himself. He'll invent any excuse to keep you longer as well. He hates making a mess, but if it means you’ll stay longer, it doesn’t matter! He takes whatever desperate measures are needed, except for violence. The shame and guilt would outweigh whatever reason he had to lash out.

“Sunshine, please don’t go! No! No! NO! I CAN’T let you go!”

MOON

♡ Was it really necessary to have you around…? As grateful as he is to have a helper, he’s been doing fine alone. He’s mostly reclusive, only approaching when needed. It takes Sun’s endless gushing about you and a few approaches for him to warm up to you. When he realizes you are someone he can trust, he’ll make an effort to talk to you more while the children sleep. His biggest comforter becomes you, someone he can watch and protect. Your genuine care turns his curiosity into fascination.

♡ Moon could care less if he’s not supposed to cater to you. He already attends to a group of children so it shouldn't be a problem if he wants you as well. He keeps it discreet around you and other staff though. It’ll only cause trouble if he’s caught acting out. Lucky for him, he can be patient. If it means having you all to himself he has no problem going the extra mile into making you his compliant little star~

♡ Despite being a staff, Moon has a habit of urging you to sleep. Some days he’s more persistent than others. He can be pretty stubborn and, because of that, you often agree with him, so he can stop staring at you from across the room. If you’re really adamant about disobeying him, he has other ways of convincing you too~ Like placing Moondrops in your drink and waiting for them to melt before giving it to you.

♡  He always tells you this is for the best. He only wants what's best for you because your safety and health are his priority. Before you know it, he’ll have you tucked in the softest pillows and blankets. He’ll stroke your hair, whispering sweet nothings as you’re lulled to sleep. There's nothing more addicting than holding your still, peaceful form in his arms. Caressing your soft face while hearing your gentle breathing, he wishes it could last forever. Anyone trying to wake you up is signed up on his hit list. 

“Now now rest, Starlight~” 

“Moon I can’t I really have to finish-” 

“Shhhh… work has no place at bedtime~”

♡ It’s always a battle for him to choose whether he wants to hold you. His intrusive thoughts keep telling him to pick up and cradle you so he can see your cute reactions. On the other hand, he couldn’t risk anyone else seeing him being so clingy. He becomes the stiffest and most awkward bot for physical affection because he can't choose what to do! He is much more daring and demanding when you two are alone. You’ll spend hours locked down in his arms while he’s snuggling against the crook of your neck. Behave and he’ll leave a couple of pecks here and there too.

♡ Moon is deliberate when it comes to his gifts. You won’t receive them from him often, but when you do it's something he knows you needed or wanted. Like the time he saw you shivering, he handed you a daycare-themed sweater or hand-painted mug for all the pens and pencils you've collected. No matter how the gift is, it must be neatly presented to you. Even the energy bars he gets for you are wrapped in a cute blue bow. He prefers to hand you his gifts in person so that way he can see what you like and what he can improve on (also because he really loves the attention he gets from it).

♡ Moon is a sly one. As he prefers a more tranquil darling, he attempts to win you over though it would be easier to kidnap you. His way of doing so is making you more dependent on him. He takes his time studying you before making any moves. When he’s not stalking you he’s manipulating everything around you to his favor. If you’re a kind person he’ll draw you in by making himself look all alone because of those awful rumors of him being scary. If you’re more wary of him he’ll take his time gaining your trust, obeying your every word, and making you feel you’re the only one that can tame him until he can finally claim you as his own.

♡ Moon can be clingy but he never goes as far as to become suffocating. He’ll allow you to have space until he senses someone is trying to interfere. His possessiveness only drives him to stalk your co-workers as well. Everyone is considered an obstacle some more than others and is to be dealt with accordingly. Moon isn’t one for violence but he’s familiar with fear tactics that will surely leave your so-called friends to regret their decision.

♡ If he senses that he is at fault he’ll change himself to be softer but the same can't be said if he believes your co-workers had a hand in your change. He’s working behind the scenes causing “accidents” to happen. Your co-workers will drop like flies and you haven't a single clue why. He hasn't shown you this side because he knows you’ll only make it harder for the both of you. But let’s say you had suspicions. Moon would either downplay the whole thing or put you in "time out". Depends if he believes there's some way he can salvage the last bit of trust in him.

“Naughty Starlight, you are not allowed to leave timeout until I said otherwise~”

[closurechilde]

WILL YOU GIVE HIM THIS?

LOOK AT HIM HES SO SILLY!!!11 I would let him step on me-

ANYWAYS saw this tiktok and this just came to my mind lol

Cw. KITTY WANDERER (he can transform into one), student!reader, he tolerates you -read as has a crush on you-, usage of y/n (1) *cries*, fem!reader

"What? Visitors? Again?" Wanderer sighs frustrated. It was common for Lesser Lord Kusanali to have people over at the Sanctuary of Surasthana, especially students seeking some sort of help for their thesis. "Fine. But I'll ignore them." He says before getting into his cat form.

Nahida sighs but smiles softly. "You could at least try to be nice to some of them. You'll have to work with someone someday." She says, petting him.

A knock on the door of the sanctuary makes Nahida leave him be before she gets to open the door.

"Oh, hi! You must be y/n! Come inside, please." Nahida chirps as you get inside and bow respectfully at her after she closes the door.

"Lesser Lord Kusanali, I'm so grateful for your help!" You smile and Nahida giggles.

"Oh, dear! There's no need for such formalities! Call me Nahida." She says as you two walk to her library. A space that was mostly used by Wanderer when he studied there.

And where a Kitty lied on a chair, curled up.

"Oh, don't worry about him. He'll probably nap all throughout the session." She says as you two get inside and sit down in front of the other.

"Yeah... I wasn't aware that Lesser lord- I mean, you, Miss Nahida, were a cat person." You say.

Wanderer's head shoots up at the sound of your voice. A sound that he found... tolerable. Well, more like sweet and to his liking than tolerable.

"Oh, sorry, mister. I didn't mean to wake you up!" You say softly and Nahida smiles at the interaction.

But then, something that she didn't expect to happens.

Wanderer jumps from his seat and walks to you. He rubs his head and body against your legs before jumping over the couch where you're sitting and curls on your lap.

A bold and unexpected move from the person that it's behind the cat.

"Oh, dear. You must have your way with animals, Don’t you?" She says. "He never does that! Not even with me."

You chuckle and smile as you scratch the Cat's head, earning soft purrs from him. "Well, I feel honored then."

Nahida smiles and offers you something to drink before you two start this lesson for your thesis.

Throughout the talk, Wanderer never moved from your lap and you did your best to not bother the cat because it's a sacrilege to bother a cat that's on your lap. Even more, so if it's an Archon's cat.

After talking and taking notes, you two finish the session. "I hope I helped you with everything, dear." She says as you two walk to the door.

Nahida's cat was reluctant to let you go, so you decided to take him in your arms until it was your time to go. "You did, Miss Nahida! Thank you so much for having me." You thank her and leave her cat on the floor.

You rummage through your backpack and take a little bag with handmade candy you did for Wanderer. "He won't be happy about this, but you were a very sweet boy! I hope to see you more." You say, giving him one of the little candies before getting up and giving the bag to Nahida. "I know that Wanderer spends lots of time with you Miss Nahida. Can I ask you to give him this as a thanks for helping me with my thesis? You can take if you wish to, too."

"Sure, dear. Oh, these are his favorites even if he isn't that much of a candy guy. I'll give them to him, then." She says.

You thank her and bow again before getting out. Nahida smiles and closes the door before she hears a *puff*. "So, mister 'I will ignore them'. Care to explain?"

"Ugh, shut up." He grumbles. "And give me that." He says before taking the candy bag.

Nahida laughs. "She seems to be a sweet girl. You should invite her to study together."

He rolls his eyes and clicks his tongue. "I'll go to the library to work on my thesis."

Nahida nods in response. "I'll make you some tea."

He nods and gets in where he was a few moments ago. The scent of your perfume still lingers in the air and it makes him smile for a bit before he hears that Nahida's coming.

He tries to play it cool as he gets his notes and his pencils and everything as she brings him a cup of tea.

But she's the Goddess of knowledge. There's only little she doesn't know.

[tokoyamisstuff]

Dad! Mark Hoffman HC's

A/N: Thanks for all of your Requests! I'll try and get them done over the holidays.

In the meantime a lil' treat for you.

Before the death of his sister and involuntarily association with a serialkiller, it had been Mark's absolute dream to have a family of his own someday - sadly, life happened and he deemed himself undeserving after everything he had done.

The two of you are an open secret to anyone, yet were never official - even though you were basically living like a married couple for a long time already.

You knew he was terribly afraid of commitment, so as long as he never had to label your relationship as such, he could continue lying to himself.

So obviously, when you realize that you had become pregnant despite precautions, you panic.

How would he even react to the news? Furious? Afraid? Indifferent?! Either way, you were certain his fight or flight instinct would kick in.

You had already made up your mind, yet don't dare confronting him directly - but hey, he can't really blame you.

He'll find the positive test on his bathroom sink, together with a letter from you explaining that you intend to keep the child but him not having any responsibilities shall he not want to.

You don't hear from him for days and it breaks your heart - until he suddenly appears at your doorstep with a bonquet and a bigass stuffed animal.

Tells you he needed to settle some things which definetly involved murdering Jigsaw and any other possible danger before he could face you again, but from now on he'll always be here for you and the baby.

This will be the first time he'll actually open up about how much you meant to him all this time - yet the fear to lose you as well made him keep his distance.

You'll end up having a long talk throughout the night, just lying in each other's arms and speaking about both your worries and wishes for the future.

Afterwards Hoffman will make a whole 180, turning his life around from this day onwards. Immediately becomes sober and gets his shit together. Time to become a functional human being!

Man is unrecognizeable in his efforts. No more half-assed bonds, asks you to move in with him in a better part of the town as soon as possible. You won't get rid of him anymore.

He's not really a fan of marriage, but reconsiders because it'd be easier to care for each other, at least officially. Good luck convincing him to host an actual wedding ceremony, though. Most likely only celebrates with your close family and some mutual friends.

Is really traditional with other values, however. Shall you not want to keep working, he'll be so happy to provide. And damn, you'll be taken good care of!

Backrubs, feet massages, holding your belly or bringing your cravings - Mark's love language is acts of service!

Sadly misses most of the appointments du to working his ass off, but hell make it up in other ways. At least tries to come to some birth prep classes.

It's hilarious seeing this gloomy old man so invested in baby-stuff. He is so clueless, but gives it his utmost to learn.

Mark is an overthinker, after all. Makes plans and preparations years in advance. The house will be baby-proof before you even hit the second trimester.

More overthinking. What if there's still students of Jigsaw alive, after all? And even if there isn't, as a cop his family would always be in danger! This man has seen so many traumatizing things in this cruel world, he will go to any lenght to protect you.

Underneath this behavior he's actually afraid to be a bad father due to his past. Sure, he cared for his sister a while but a baby is on a whole different level. He never got to experience what a real family is like, so he is both incredibly excited and scared.

Contemplates leaving the state to somewhere safer, but only if you want to. You have family there, after all.

Will shamelessly beg you to name this child after his sister, shall it become a girl. At least only the second name, pretty please?

Discovers that your pregnant state is a huge turn-on for him. Cant take his hands off of you, gosh you make him weak. Would've never thought you could become any more attractive but there you are, proving him wrong!

Definetly gains some weight together with you during the pregnancy. Jokes about his belly almost being bigger than yours.

Advocates for you in the hospital. Your body, you decide how it's done. Good for you this man is used to seeing worse. He won't leave your side even for a second, like a guard dog until you're discharged.

Definetly cries when holding his child for the first time. Utters neverending words of gratitude and adoration at both of you.

Is a little hesistant to handle the child at the beginning. I can imagine him being way more comfortable as soon as it can hold it's own head and he's safe to play with them.

Tries to take some time off of work until you're feeling well enough to be on your own. He'll take good care of the household and your healing body.

My man is old, let him rest. The nights really are killing him, no coffee in the world will help.

Enjoys bonding with the baby so much! He could look at it all day, and gosh as soon as you show him how to babywear you probably never get it back except for feedings lol

He's one of those dad's who has his whole wallet full of photos of you and the baby. Will proudly show them everyone at every possibility - may they want to or not, they'll have to listen about how amazing you are.

In the end Mark will always say that you and the family you gave him has saved him in more than one way - and you were blissfully unaware about the extent of that statement.

[marchiekana]

Hiii, Anon H is here and is very happy that you're back I loved what you did with my prompt. And I hope you had a good time camping !

Y'see I'm very sleep deprived because of my work lmao. Then I thought, 'yeah let's just be super self indulgent I'm too tired for this'. Like a reader that's either overworked, physically drained and / or has a hard time sleeping overall at night. They keep doing the same thing everyday but with less and less sleep. Sorry if it doesn't make much sense, I might just fall asleep any second now.

😔 I feel ya

And also, anon H please take care of yourself!

Asta x reader

March 7th x reader

Kafka x reader

Himeko.

I think I made kafka's and maybe Asta's a bit angsty(not very much)

✨ some angst in kafka's, mentions of death, fainting and falling sick, overworked reader, physically tired reader. Tell me if there anything else!

Also not proofread so there might be some grammer mistakes

Asta

Asta and you are twinning. She's got loads of work and bills and reports that need to be filled and so do you, all because of one uninterested owner of the space station.

Asta's worried about you more because in the end, she can assign someone else to do some of her work but yours I'd different, but she'll still try to make sure that you get some rest and stay fit. She's scared that you'll faint if it's too much work and to make sure you don't she stuffs you with food.

Will force you to sleep no matter what! And she'll even offer to do your work even when she has a lot herself, all cause she's scared you might fall I'll or hurt yourself more.

And if you can't sleep she'll take you out of your room instead of letting you drown in your work. You'd go to see the stars near the main lobby of the spaceship, even though it's the same as always.

Overall she's always ready to do anything for you, as long as you're happy she's happy too

March 7th

(Your one of the astral crew members cuz I say so.)

March and you are polar opposites. She's the bright, energetic one while you look like your gonna commit crimes and die any moment now. That's just how it is.

Everyday, while she does her skincare routine and have fun the whole day, you'd be busy lying around and recovering from a mission, absolutely drained and your body aching all over.

She worried for you to say the least, she can see the fatigue in your eyes and how tired you look but no worries cuz March always comes to the rescue!

Will force you to get some rest and not overexert yourself for a tiny battle. I can basically hear her saying "no need to worry, when I'm here!" Or "I'll protect you !" She just cute like that~

And she'll teach you how important it is to eat well and take good care of yourself! You'll have little sleepovers where you both do each other's nails and wear face masks while watching a movie or just talking, spending time with eachother

And when you can't sleep, she'll be by your side, braiding your hair, combing it, or just hugging you to sleep💜 (I love her)

Its her no.1 mission now, to make sure you take care of yourself properly!

Himeko

Your not getting enough sleep? No worries, just take a sip of Himeko's coffee and you're out cold.

Jokes aside, she's gonna make sure you stay healthy and stay back with her and welt for most missions. Its not like she wants you to not go out and enjoy but more like she's worried that you'll get hurt and overwork yourself trying to help others.

I'm sorry that's all cause now my brain ain't running.

Kafka

Kafka is amused more than worried about it. She questions why you joined the stelleron hunters if you're gonna get tired after every mission. But she sets such thoughts aside and warmly smiles at you as she takes care of you

She'd first make sure you eat so that you're more stronger physically. If she sees you sleeping on the couch she'd go get a blanket to drape on you with a pillow for support.

She's scared that someday your fragility will be the end of you, scared that you'll leave her and that she'll never be able to see her again.

And if you can't sleep shes there by your side massaging your hair or your shoulder so that you relax. And if you can't sleep no matter what she does, even though she hates to use her mind ability on you, she'd use it to tell you to sleep.

She finds it pathetic honestly. Sad that she has to resort to such methods just so you could sleep. But she'll never show it, even when shes worried about you she'd still act chill and laid back. And she'll never let you know how she feels. She loves you after all and doesn't want to lose you.

Iahh himeko's is too short! But I just can't think of what she'd do

I was listening to first love/late spring while typing kafka's and now blame the song for making me feel angsty.

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© marchiekana do not repost, copy, translate or plagiarize my work!