#every time I draw the arctic MC

[xaeneron]

It occurred to me that despite drawing Fate(/GO) characters for multiple Inktobers, I never actually drew Gudako. That's awkward. Gudako it is then, because she's adorable.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Chizuru Town (Part 1)

In the game you wake up on the beach in Chizuru with NO IDEA how you got there.

I have a little fun with it. Enjoy!

“MC!”

The children’s voices were happy and oddly squeaky. They draw you out of unconsciousness. Your body feels a bit cold, and you shiver. 

“MC!” They keep calling you. You’re lying face up but their hands are pressed against your back. They keep pushing you from below.

You take a breath and feel the cold shock of water up your nose. The choking sensation makes you want to bolt upright but something is holding you up on the surface of the water. You catch a glimpse of silver grey, rubbery skin. A thin slit in that skin opens and sprays a mist with a sharp whoosh. The children’s voices are replaced by the squealing and whistling of dolphins.

Dolphins! Their sharp pointed fins are cutting through the water. You can see their bright eyes turn to look up at you. The way their mouths curve in their snouts gives them a smile. But they were powerful, insistent creatures. The moment you tried to swim on your own, they pushed you out of the water again.

The salt water in your mouth, the frigid breeze against your sun warmed skin told you this wasn’t a dream. You’d heard stories of dolphins rescuing people before, but you’d never actually thought you’d get to experience being carried on these muscular bodies. 

There were more surrounding you. Their sparkling backs broke the surface, no doubt watching. One eventually peeled off and another replaced them and you realized they were taking turns carrying you along. The sun was about halfway across the sky now and you could see the sparkling white sand of a small beach. The beach was only a few yards wide before it hit the seawall. You could climb up the seawall by what looked like stairs that led to a main street.

You gather your arms about yourself. What little clothing had survived the ghost tooth dragon vipers was torn away by the water and water-born debris. You were completely naked. You already were in the country illegally. You couldn’t imagine what would happen if you just showed up completely exposed like this. But how would you get any clothing?

The dolphins didn’t care about this at all. They pressed forward. If they knew anything about humans, it was that humans belonged on land and, for whatever reason, they had made it their mission to get you to the land as soon as possible. They pushed you with their snouts so hard you thought you might bruise and swam so quickly, you formed a wake in the water. You were already weak from fatigue and dehydration. There was no way you could fight them.

So you are pushed like a buoy towards the shore. When the water got too shallow the dolphins were forced to turn back or risk beaching themselves. Still, they swam a close distance away. Your body was shaking at a steady constant rate and the warm sand was irresistible. You lay down and sigh.

After a bit of rest, you pick a shadier spot against the wall, out of the sun and hopefully out of the prying eyes of people walking by. The dolphins follow you, spy hopping and watching. This was all so surreal.

You were supposed to be dead.

Again.

When you were younger, you read a book about a world where there was almost no difference between heaven, hell, and the living world. People died and woke up again to a place they found familiar and only vaguely strange. The book was deliberately unsettling, meant to blur the line between reality and dreams. The protagonist wasn’t sure if he was still alive, in heaven, or in hell, and the reader was not to know either until the end.

You’re feeling this way now. You thought you had died in the Arctic ocean, only to be thrown into a chaotic dragonslaying academy. Now you thought you died, only to wake up to a school of dolphins after nearly getting eaten by a dragon.

How are you alive after all that has happened? Maybe you weren’t alive. Maybe this was hell and you were suffering multiple deaths. The dolphins chattered brightly ahead of you, but now their sounds seemed more like they were mocking you, naked, on the sand alone, alive again with no friends.

There was no sign of Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang or Caesar Gattuso. Were they saved by dolphins too? Or left to drown and be eaten? Was God only with you and not with them? Your mind starts to form an idea. You can test out this theory. Worst case scenario was that you died for real and you’d long since gotten over that fear.

You stand up and brush the sand off your bare bottom. You would take your time to rest and hide out until night fell and then use the dark to your advantage. 

Fatigue made you sleep longer than you wanted. Darkness has truly fallen when you wake up, stiff and achy. A greyish mat of sand has stuck to your whole body. You look back towards the ocean, but the dolphins are gone. You waddle out on wobbly legs and wash the sand away. After so much time in the water, the feel of it on your skin was suddenly abhorrent and you would be happy if you never spent another day in the ocean as long as you lived.

The theory that you’re actually dead and none of this was real was again challenged by how hard it was to make it up the stairs. You were so exhausted, starving and dehydrated that you swayed. You’d give anything for a bowl of hot ramen, served up fresh with a bit of egg floating on top.

You heard a voice cry out. A young couple was out for a stroll and had spotted you. You must look like a monster, hair long and matted and no clothes at all. Sure enough, they back away moaning with trembling voices before turning to run off, screaming something you can’t understand. Further up towards the street, you see bright lights. The smell of vendors cooking street food makes your stomach rumble. You couldn’t be out in the open, but maybe if you got close enough, you could dumpster dive and find some clothes. You sneak behind the back of the nearest building, a stucco box with a small front yard. The young man of the couple returns with a few other people. He’s speaking breathlessly, pointing towards the ocean. Poor guy. No doubt he thought he’d seen some ghost girl come from the ocean. This is probably something that would traumatize him for life.

You hear a small noise next to you. A little black cat is pawing at you. You could barely see it in the shadows. It didn’t care that you weren’t wearing clothes. Its fur was soft and warm and its purrs were comforting. You run your hand over its head and ears and it crawls into your lap. You would have liked to own a cat someday. You always liked them. They were funny and cute and very affectionate like this one. When you raise your eyes, your heart leaps. There are clothes hanging on a clothesline from a house not too far away!

You scramble quickly towards it, careful not to step on anything that might make noise. You check every gap to make sure that no one can see you. Then as soon as you reach the clothing, you carefully yank it off the line. It was just one of the local school uniforms. The white button down top was a bit small, but the wine-colored skirt fits you just fine around the waist. You were only a bit older than Renata when she died so this was probably the outfit of a highschool student.

Your eyes fall on the back door of the house. That’s right, Japanese don’t wear shoes in the house. These shoes were laid out neatly on the rack. You glance around and carefully approach, snatching what you hope will fit you. They’re just the right size, much to your shock. This surprise is enough to send a jolt of happiness through you. Now clothed, you return to the cat and pick it up in your arms and walk out on the street. The first thing you saw was a sign that said, Chizuru.

Before arriving in Japan, Norma, the school AI had told you about a place called Chizuru being a safe haven and to find an Internet Cafe there if you ever got into trouble. The hairs rose on the back of your arms. How could this be possible that dolphins not only save your life, but take you directly to the place that you needed to be? You sang the song that said ‘God is with you’ but it was supposed to be a metaphor right? 

You approach a man on the street who looks at you with a stunned expression. “I… excuse…”

Before you can ask anything, he shakes his head again and again and flees from you. “Wait! I need…”

You try again, this time of one of the vendors, an old craggy-faced man who stares at you with a black expression until you give up.

Burned, you just decide to wander around until you see something that looks like an internet cafe. It wouldn’t be in a neighborhood. More likely closer to the city center, on a main street. You head that way, away from the beach and the houses. The city center seems much quieter than you would expect it to be. You stop.

A group of people are standing on the street, five men in black leather jackets displaying flaming Oni masks. One had a wild looking tall mohawk dyed red. His black jeans reached down to black leather boots studded with silver spikes. It was as if the black dragon that tried to eat you had turned human and walked on land.

He turned his head and spotted you. It was too late to hide. His eyes ran up and down the length of you and he grinned, and made a slow whistling noise. You may have been raised in an orphanage but you weren’t that naive to not know what that smile meant. You’d seen it before on some of the staff who liked to take advantage of the older girls there. 

So you didn’t need to know the vulgar words coming out of their mouth.  You set the kitten down on a nearby trash can and pat it on the head, quietly telling it to stay in Russian. The cat obliged, and started to clean its paws.

In the orphanage, you were taught hand to hand basics until you were strong enough to actually use it in a fight. The trainings were very light against each other and you weren’t allowed to cause injury, but there was no gender splitting. You were only hybrids. Whether you were male or female, it didn’t matter so long as you had dragonblood in your veins.

Because of your background, you didn’t show the same innocent fear that these men may have been accustomed to from someone your age, in that clothing. You stared them straight in the eyes, your arms at your side, not moving forward or back. This nonchalant attitude made them stand there in brief bewilderment. The one with the mohawk was clearly the bolder of the five and he shouted something at you that you don’t understand. You just shake your head.

“I need to find the Internet Café…” You make a gesture with your hands to pantomime typing at a computer. They started to laugh, elbowing each other and nodding. You sigh. You’re so tired and it showed on your face.

Your lack of Japanese and your weary expression was an invitation to attack and they approached you now.

In the orphanage, no one would approach you like this in such a joking manner. Especially not on the training grounds. The Mohawk’s hands were relaxed. He was confident. He wasn’t watching your hands ball into fists as tight as stones and he wasn’t watching the sudden shift in your feet as you moved into a sturdy stance. He reached out with his hand to your elbow. So he was unable to block or dodge your fist that struck him like lightning.

He didn’t just feel pain or stagger back. The man felt flat to his side, straight to the pavement, and he didn’t get up. The eyes of his four friends followed him down with a stunned feeling. You knew that feeling. Like they suddenly found themselves in a fantasy world where a high school girl in a school uniform could knock out a gangster with a single hit? 

Maybe this was a fantasy world and you were a fantasy high schooler. After all, you were carrying a cat!

They all turned to you in unison and you attacked the next one, levering back on one leg and slamming him with a kick to the solar plexus. He staggered back, wheezing, curling in on himself, once or twice.. 

The next one now had the wherewithal to produce a switchblade. He swung it wildly at where your heart should have been, but the blouse was a bit open where it was too tight and he caught a glimpse of the fact that you’re not wearing anything underneath. Your hand caught his wrist and you pulled hard, driving your knee directly into his crotch.

His grip on the knife released as he slowly sank to the ground and you swiped it easily. You give it a toss and catch it by the handle. Now the smile is on your face and there’s no pleasure in it as you stare down the final two gangsters.

One gives up and turns to run, arms pinwheeling comically as his oni mask jacket flapped in the breeze created by his own flight.

The last one was backing away, stumbling over his feet, crawling back upright. And when he does get up, you see something in his hand, shiny and black.

A gun. You hadn’t seen one in a while and you stopped. You couldn’t do anything about this. He just needed to pull the trigger and you were gone. But this was a world where you couldn’t die… right?

A man in a white shirt and black slacks leaped out from behind a car and a bright metal arc gave off sparks as it neatly cut the gun in half. Chu Zihang’s sword then rested its edge on the man’s throat

The man stared at his severed gun in silence a moment before he noticed the blade.

“Senpai!” You joyfully run forward and wrap your arms around Zihang.

Zihang looks bewildered, unsure of what to do. His free hand hovers over your shoulder… head… and then he settles on patting you on the back.

The man at his mercy is trembling in terror at the discovery that this warrior girl in a school uniform somehow has a ‘Senpai’ at all. His companions are already staggering away, one of them limping and bowlegged as he flees. 

Chu Zihang raised his hand and rubbed his thumb and fingers together in the universal sign for ‘money’. You stick his tongue out at him.

The man was quick to oblige, tossing him his wallet.  Chu Zihang lowered his sword. After examining the contents, he picked out a few bills and handed the man his wallet back but he was already running away.

“Were you just going to let him shoot you?” He asked.

You opened your mouth. “Yes… but!” You raise a finger to halt objections. “I knew something would happen to keep me from dying!”

Chu Zihang shook his head slowly. “Where’s Lu Mingfei and Caesar?”

Your expression sobers. “I don’t know. I was looking for the Internet Cafe…”

He walks over to a vending machine and puts in the money to buy you something to eat. You return to where the cat is resting on the trash can. “What a good kitty!” You whisper, ,gathering it up in your arms.

“You shouldn’t keep that.” The Machine is pouring out noodles with soup broth base. Your stomach rumbles and the cat meows.

“Is there something for Kitty?” You ask.

Chu Zihang sighs again. The man gave the whole wallet, after all. Chu Zihang orders some dried squid for the cat.

In a few moments both you and Kitty are sitting against the building. You’re so hungry that you scald your mouth on the soup, but you don't care. Chu Zihang is silent, still standing guard and watching. With your hunger sated, you look up at him. “You’re the team lead right?”

“Only if I find out Caesar is dead.”

“You think he’s alive? Do you want me to call you boss?”

“No.”

“Okay boss.”

You look up at him and he’s scowling at you, not in the mood for your jokes, or your kitten. “How did you survive?”

“You’re not going to believe this. A pod of dolphins brought me all the way here.”

Much to your surprise he believes you. “That’s true. The dolphins here are very friendly to the locals. In fact there was a story I read about that...”

There was a sudden cacophony of roaring engines. Chu Zihang grabs you and together you duck behind the parked cars. Motorcycles, dozens of them, are all roaring off in one direction, their lights streaming towards a single destination. Among them were vans filled with people with automatic weapons. Right after that, all the lights go out in Chizuru. From the tallest building, to the smallest house, even the lights illuminating the advertisements go dark. 

Chu Zihang sighed deep in his chest. “I have a bad feeling Caesar is that way.”

[xxtraord1nary]

Fantasy

Fandom: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!mc (Charlotte West)

Word Count: 1.3k

A/N: This is my first published work wish me luck! Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Summary: Ethan gets caught up in a steamy situation with his sexier than ever protégée who continues to run through this mind.

Warnings: Foreplay, Mild Language, NSFW!

Tags: @katkart122 @justanotherrookie @missmiimiie @starrystarrytrouble @openheartfanfics @dr-colossal-pita @heauxplesslydevoted @the-pale-goddess @rookie-ramsey @perriewinklenerdie @ernestsinclairs @writinghereandthere

As she slowly dragged her impeccably manicured ivory polished nails up the expanse of his mildly hairy broad chest Ethan found it quite hard to control his breathing and remain impassive to the bewitching woman before him. One thing about him was that he was not intimidated by anyone, and certainly not a first year resident for that matter but the divine woman had the ability to turn a highly intellegant diagnostician like himself to a puddle of mush.

For if she told him to jump he’d dutifully ask how high in attempts to please her. Her luminous golden brown eyes shone as bright as the afternoon sun through a glass of whiskey as they bore into his never ending sea blue ones challenging him. Almost daring him to stop her.

But that was the fun of it. He couldn’t no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t. For how many times he unsuccessfully attempted to remind himself that a relationship between them was highly inappropriate and would be detrimental to her development as a doctor. As if she could hear his repetitive mindless thoughts, she rolled her eyes so hard she could’ve sworn she saw the back of her damn brain.

But instead of starting another asinine argument which would draw them to the same conclusion of him once again pushing her away and ultimately hurting them both she pushed him onto the couch behind them and she stood her grond in front of him and dropped to her knees. And without word began to run her hands over the front of his slacks which by the minute became increasingly uncomfortable as just the intense eye contact between the pair made him want to get on his knees and worship her body all night long.

“We seem to have quite the situation on our hands now don’t we Dr. Ramsey?” she remarked in a faux surprised voice as she ghosted her dainty fingers over his covered member. The combination of her heavenly touch and the use of his title rolling off her tongue in her paradisiacal french accent made him choke out a strangled groan. She moved herself upon the couch next to him leaning over his tall and domineering stature reduced to a dazed mess of a man.

“Would you like me to take care of this for you? Hm, is it my hands you want all over you and making you feel pleasured?” she asked once again, always being one to derive more pleasure from her lovers verbal affirmations of her actions. Trying and failing to form a coherent sentence after her line of questioning once she immediately applied more pressure and began to gently stroke him through his slacks.

Unable to produce words he instead looked down at her hands as they worked their magic he had to put his hands over hers to halt her ministrations to prevent him from unraveling so soon as he much preferred to be inside her. “Rookie-” he tried to protest but was quickly brought to silence by a finger to his lips. “I want you silent,Dr. Ramsey. Wanna know why?” he wordlessly nodded completely transfixed by the melanated enchantress.

“Because I’m in charge, and you're gonna and obey. Understand?” he eagerly nodded and with the consent she craved she continued her ministrations with more pressure this time and delved between the crook of his neck eliciting a loud moan from the object of her desires.

“Good god Charlotte.” he rasped out in a haze of pleasure causing her smirk and nip at his throat and making her way down to his adams apple. The confirmation of his pleasure only increased her own as well as her name on his lips which she wouldn’t mind a taste of at the moment. And with that thought she wasted no time in detaching herself from him only to straddle him and strip her scrub top from her body revealing to him a sight that could bring a hundred men to their knees in submission full mounds that hypnotized him at their every sway to which he hurriedly took handfuls of.

She wasted no time in tugging him roughly by the back of his neck causing their lips colliding together in a mix of unrelenting longing and pent up lust that had been expressed through their longer than necessary glances and not so innocent accidental touches throughout their work days that left him a flushed mess and her a smirking bundle of arrogance. Releasing this pent of lust he began to palm her generous backside and dig his nails into her wide tantalizing hips hard enough to surely leave a mark. As she choked out a moan from the pleasure of him unofficially staking his claim.

Somehow the woman on top of him could do what no woman ever had the avail to do, and that was have complete and utter control over Ethan Ramsey. So infatuated with the woman she could break his heart a million times over and he’d still come back dutifully on his knees. As bad as it may be within the short span of a year Charlotte Adora West had the key to his heart and soul and virtually owned him. Her other hand leaving it’s firm grip on his throat ventured down between them and free him from the confining space of his underwear held him firmly in her grasp and next he did something that shocked the hell out of her and turned them both on by belief all at the same time.

He brought her fingers resting on his face into the warm enclosure of his mouth and expertly sucked his fingers with profound experience and she began her quest of bringing to his peak with skilled adept and in response he dipped his hand into her scrubs and began to skillfully rub her bud with his thumb and forefinger causing her moan and breathe harshly. Replacing her fingers with her mouth they became a mess of panting and moaning tangled tongues and limbs.

As she climaxed her voice rang out in the empty space bringing him to his peak of pleasure to let out a husky growl and her to speed up stroking before-

A loud resounding smack on his desk bringing him out of his scandalous daydream and back into the present expanse of the diagnostic teams office to be met with the inquisitive prodding amber eyes of the subject of all his desires. Dr. Charlotte West herself.

As she just so happened to glance down at the tightening of his slacks she laughed quietly to herself and muttered something he couldn’t understand in french and returned her gaze to his with a knocking smirk.

“What were you fantasizing about Dr. Ramsey?” she seductively inquired, never making the move to break eye contact. He sputtered clearly embarrassed as he was no more than a blushing mess at the moment. “Dr. W-west, what are you doing in here?” he fumbled trying to look anywhere but her beautiful face. “This is the team office, remember? And I needed you to sign this.” she said slyly, still smirking subtly as she handed him a patient chart. “Oh.” he said, snatching up the chart and hurriedly signing his messy signature. “Merci.” she remarked on her way out the door but not before turning back to not so subtly eye his obvious hard of which he tried unsuccessfully to hide.

“Next time you’ll have to call me to fix that, try not to daydream too much of me sir.” she said chuckling before adding, “This is a hospital, Dr. Ramsey” not forgetting to send a suggestive wink his way on her way out leaving her once again victorious at his misery.

The most rewarding in her opinion.

And a flustered Ethan Ramsey, a world famous diagnostician, was left a muddled mess in his chair admiring the view of Charlotte's curvy figure that her scrubs did little to nothing to hide as she effortlessly swayed her way out of his office.

Fin.

Thanks for reading!

[grapenamjams]

French Knot

Genre: Fluff 

Character: Muriel from The Arcana 

A/N: I just need to tell you all that I am in love with this mountain man he has my whole heart!  

I also wanted to tell you a little bit of my apprentice MC who will be in this story. 

Her name is Eliza (she/her). She is 5′2 has brown wavy hair, brown eyes (with specks of green) she also has adorable freckles across her nose, lastly she has a artic fox, named Nell as a familiar who is enchanted to keep cold during the summer and whenever Nell walks she leaves behind snow prints on the ground (think of what Olaf from frozen has lol) 

oh! she is good at embroidery hence this stories premise, where she is teaching this big boy how to embroider. sooooo  yeah that is my apprentice I hope you like her!  

It was another calming day in the forest, the sound of birds filled the air and a rustle or two amongst the brush could be heard. The warm sun combined with a gentle breeze made it the perfect atmosphere for being outside.

Underneath the shade of the trees lay Inanna with her head resting on her large wolf paws as she tried to ignore the white arctic fox that was running around her wanting a chance to play, leaving white paw prints in the green grass. A few feet away from the canine familiars a little ways from the front of the hut, sat Muriel and Eliza both holding their own embroidery hoops. Ever since Eliza told Muriel that she loved to do embroidery when he was teaching her how to carve small animal figurines from wood he wanted to learn.

 “I want to learn to do something....you like too.” He said as he picked up his animal figuring suddenly finding something to fix when indeed there was nothing else he could do to it. Eliza spotted the red on the tips of his ears and and happily agreed that she would teach him. Muriel loved arts and crafts, if it was carving into wood, creating protective charms, Ever since he was little, when Asra and him would make masks to sell for the masquerade He liked the feeling of knowing that he could create things with his own hands and that they were not only used to destroy. and so, if he could create something of his own in a craft that Eliza enjoyed and made her happy he would do it, no matter how many pricks to the finger he would get by moving the needle through the Cotton fabric. 

 Eliza had showed him the basics. how to create a design, how to outline and how to fill in spaces using satin stitch, with that knowledge he could complete any design he wanted. He had been practicing for days now, if these were the basics then why were they so hard? He grunted when he poked his finger again, a tiny pinch not enough to draw blood. Muriel glanced at Eliza sitting next to him, her face had a peaceful look on it with a small smile pulling on her lips as her hands wove the needle and thread effortlessly, leaving in its wake a Beautiful forest design with different shades of greens and browns. Muriel looks back at his design and huffs in disappointment. His outline was a bit messy the stitches different sizes, but he was determined to finish it so he continued his work in filling the yellow petals.

 Eliza was lost in concentration, her hands moving on their own. repeating the same movements over and over calmed her usually racing mind down. She loved the sound of the needle piercing the fabric and the soft hum of the thread making its way through when she pulled. As she finished her thread and tied it she heard Muriel grunt in annoyance. She couldn’t help but smile, looking over at him she saw his eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed together. It made her heart swell to see him so determined at doing something that she found enjoyable. Eliza loved seeing him thread, his large calloused hands gently pushing and pulling the small needle through at his own pace. although in the beginning he would pull to hard and snap the thread or create a hole in the fabric and he would turn red and apologize for doing so but Eliza laughed softly and reassured him it was okay.

 Peeking over his arm she could see why he was annoyed, he had managed to create a tangle while filling a petal. he was trying his best to undo it but was Causing it to be tangled further. She didn’t want him ruin his work that he had done already.

“How’s It going?” She asks

 “Not.good.” He mumbles back

 She chuckles “I see, you want help?” Muriel nodes shyly and gives her the hoop, she takes it and examines his work. “Muriel you did sunflowers! They look great!” She beams at him, he averts his eyes “I know you like them.” Her heart swells again at the thought of him doing her favorite flowers for her.

 She looks at his piece again and can see that he got better at outlining his filling is a bit loose in some areas causing the tangle. “Looks like you got a tangle, these are common in filling” she picks at the tangle “remember to try to keep your thread a bit tight when filling or else your threads get intertwined when you push the needle back up again.” Muriel hums in understanding beside her, peering over her to see what she was doing. After a few moments she was able to salvage his work and undo the tangle.

 Eliza smiles, happy that she managed to save his carful handiwork. “There you go! You were lucky, some tangles can’t be saved and you would have to start again” she hands him back the hoop, which Muriel takes from her. She pulls her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around her legs as she looks at Muriel finish up the petal on his last flower and tie it off. He gets the brown thread from the box which holds all of Eliza’s embroidery supplies. He separates the thread causing him to move his arms making the muscles there move and Eliza feels her face get slightly warm from watching. He is good at putting the thread through the needle first try once done he goes to start on the center of the flower but Eliza speaks up.

 “There’s a stitch that is mainly done for sunflowers to make it seem a bit more realistic, I can teach it to you?” She looks up at Muriel and automatically smiles at him. he looks at her, notices her smile and his face has the smallest tint of red on his cheeks, he nodes “okay.” Enjoying the feeling of how teaching him something new makes her happy. Eliza scoots closer to him to see his hands. “Alright! So this is called a French knot.” “What’s French?” He asks curiously from above her. Eliza pauses she never really had given thought to the name before. “Um, I’m not sure? Maybe it’s from the place it was created? Or maybe... it sorta sounds like a bread” She thinks, Muriel gives a chuckle “you always think about bread.” She hums at the idea of getting some warm bread from the bakery, “because bread is good! I can’t help myself, it’s soft goodness is a blessing I say” Muriel shakes his head and chuckles at her, ‘so Appreciative of the small things.’

Eliza Focus her attention away from the idea of fresh bread and starts to explain. “So the knot is pretty simple but might take a few tries so don’t worry. First, start your stitch” Muriel pulls the thread through at the center. “Then you wrap some of the thread around the needle twice” the big man follows as instructed “good, now pierce through near the same point you came through, and make sure to keep holding the rest of the thread in your left so it can make the knot tight...aaaaand go through” Muriel moves the needle through but dosnt manage to create the knot instead the thread disappears all the way through. She sees him pout “I didn’t do it.” He says, she pats his shoulder “it’s okay, it took me a bit to get them too but you have the movements down, it’s all about this left hand here that’s holding the rest of the thread, depending how tight you pull determines the firmness of the knot”

“Hmm I wasn’t pulling that hard...that’s why it disappeared” Eliza nodes “right!”

“How...tight does it have to be?”

“Hmm it’s best if I show you, so you can feel it” Eliza leans over him placing her hands on his, she could feel Muriel suck in a breath at her closeness  and it makes her blush. This was an awkward angle she was leaning sideways and couldn’t really help him thread. “hold on I can show you better like this” Eliza Scoots towards Muriel and gently moves his arms away so they are opened as if for a hug, she then sits down in front of him her back resting lightly against his broad chest. She places her small hands on his large gentle ones and begins to do the same motions she taught him guiding his hands.

 Once she was seated in front of him Muriel’s head stopped working. all he could focus on was her body pressing against his large one, he covered her with his body protecting her from all sides. They had sat like this many times in front of the fire at night but it never fails to make him flustered, he doesn't know if he will ever get truly used to touch from all of the years he was starved from it. But despite that He finds himself leaning forward seeking out her comfort, he can feel his heart beating hard against his chest as Eliza moves his hands while explaining to him the technique, but his concentration was elsewhere.

He looked at her pink lips as they moved, he tried to count the small freckles that laid across the bridge of her nose and looked at the way her eyes turned a honey brown with hints of green hidden inside them underneath the sun. The light from the ever descending sun touched her face making her seem to glow. Or maybe that was just the way he always looks at her, a glowing light in his dark world.

He loved her. In all his life he didn’t think he would fall in love with Someone the way he had with her. In moments like these is where he thanked every being that was in charge of fate and chance for bringing her into is life and was especially thankful to her for not giving up on him, for understanding him and staying by his side even when he pushed her away. of course thoughts of her forgetting him and leaving still haunted the back of his mind. They brought a great pain to his heart at the thought of Eliza forgetting about him and all they had shared together. For so long he wanted to be forgotten by the world, saw it as a gift come true, when it was made possible. but with her, he never wants to be erased from her memory, her remembering him is enough even if they do part ways he wants to live in her memories. her being with him right now is more than he could ever ask for and he would hold on to her for as long as he could.

 Muriel realizes that he had rested his chin on her shoulder when Eliza gives a tug on his left hand finishing off the center of the flower with the knots she taught him. She ends the thread and holds up the hoop for both of them to look at as she fully leans back into him. Muriel raises his head to look and feels a bit guilty that he hadn’t been listening to her.

 “And there you go, it looks so nice Muriel! You did good” Eliza exclaims, she turns her head to look at his face and finds that he is looking down at her with a soft smile on his lips. Her eyes widen a bit as she realizes how close they are to each other. Muriel must have realized too because his face goes red. his eyes flicker to her lips and back up to her eyes quickly then back to her lips “you...um...are a good teacher...I guess”

 recovering Eliza smiles as his flustered state “Oh am I?” she says.  He nodes. “Well...I think it’s because you are a good learner” her hand reaches out to cup his cheek and with that she gives him a kiss, she pulls back slowly wanting to see what Muriel would do with the action. To her satisfaction, Muriel leans forward capturing her lips again with his. He drops the hoop and wraps his arms around her small waist pulling her into his large frame. He lets out a small hum against her as he kisses her again.

 Eliza pulls back with a smile on her lips to catch her breath and let her heart calm down, making the mountain man let out a grunt of disappointment, but just as quickly as he did  a blush forms on his cheeks, Muriel hides his face on the crook of her neck in embarrassment.

 “You must like these lessons, huh?” Eliza teases him.

 “I think I might need more of them....if you want that is” Muriel mumbles against her shoulder. Eliza laughs “of course” she reaches her hand to his head and brushes her fingers through his dark hair “we can have all the lessons you want” Muriel tightens his hold on her from the feeling of her hand in his hair. He gives a small peck to her neck “good.”

 For a few moments they stayed like this hearing the sounds of the forest as the animals within were getting ready to say goodbye to the day. each other’s presences was so soothing that Eliza was tempted to fall asleep. But a loud grumble Broke through the serene atmosphere. Eliza’s face turns bright red as she jolts up and clutches her stomach who was the one to blame for the grumbling. “S-sorry!” She squeaks, Muriel laughs at the noise coming from such a small figure and how its now her whose hiding her face against his chest. “I guess that means it’s time for dinner?” He says with a smile and he rubs her stomach, Eliza giggles at the sensation. There was a small pause until Muriel speaks up again “how about we go to that bakery you like?”

 Eliza sits up surprise on her face. “Really? Are you okay with going? We don’t have too, there’s food inside. I’m good with eating the food that’s here” Muriel smiles at her rambling, knowing that she would settle for eating here so he wouldn’t have to go out makes his heart flutter. she always wants to make him comfortable as can be, always looking out for him he’s so appreciative of it that’s why he wants her to be always happy and content. and so if that means going out to the city to go to her favorite bakery then he will do it. for her.

 He shakes his head “if you want. We can go. There’s maybe not a lot of people out” he looks at the evening sky, the wind changing into a chillier breeze. He looks back down when he feels cold paws on his thigh, he reaches and pets the Arctic fox who closes its eyes at the affection. He turns back to Eliza “I think Nell wants to go too.” He says, earning a laugh from her which catches her familiars attention and goes to her sitting on her lap. Eliza scratches Nell’s head, making small snowflakes fall onto her skirt. “Well I think that settles dinner then?” Eliza talks to her fox and looks up at Muriel “I would love to go with you” he feels the all to well known warmth on his face and dares himself to lean over to her and kiss Eliza on the forehead “then let’s get going.”

[leo-interactive-fiction]

I'm absolutely fascinated by The Residence of Reeker Hill, I'm very excited to see what you do with such an interesting premise! Would you be okay with sharing some info on the ROs, and what you mean by an unreliable perspective on your ROs?

Unfortunately, Residence of Reeker Hill is being put on the backburner as I work on my other two books, but due to that I don’t mind being a bit generous and going over some of the inner workings and ideas I have regarding it, but fair warning they are not so fleshed out and some of the ideas are in my mind at this point and not on paper. So spoilers from this point on haha.

So I had planned 7 ROs for this book: The Gardener, The Maid/Butler, The Cook, The Elusive Servant, The Failed Actor/Actress, The Salacious Twins, and The Nightmare. I’ll go over each one in detail later, but first I’ll detail a bit about the setting.

Setting: So I have this set in a mansion, colloquially known simply as the Residence. It’s detailed as more of an ethereal place, unable to be seen or entered by common folk. I kinda wanted to give it something of a Hotel California feel, but with a mansion. There’s a big lawn garden in front, the two story mansion in the center, and some open space in the back, while the entire area is surrounded by a thick forest. I have the mansion set up to have most of the residential and recreational stuff in the first floor east wing, while the utilities like kitchen, laundry, servants quarters are located in the first floor west wing. The second floor is divided into three sections, with the west being for an extremely large library, the middle serving as something of an observatory/drawing room, and the east being a forbidden area that no one is ever ever allowed to go into. This place would basically serve to move the plot along later once the MC gets (somewhat) more comfortable with their surroundings.

ROs: Each RO I have planned has a specified reason for actually being in the residence. The residence specifically targets those who are essentially down on their luck with no where else to turn, so each RO in turn has a problem such as that. Unfortunately, the residence is a cruel and toyful place, and while it allows each individual a new beginning and allows everyone to be the best version of themselves they can be, it also essentially works to personify the darker nature that caused the RO’s problem in the first place. This dark nature is showcased as a unique monster that symbolized each RO’s past that they run from.

Berry/Bonny: The first RO you meet is the gardener of the residence. They’re typically seen in dirty overalls and a straw hat, and tend to always carry around their watering can. They enjoy tending to the plants and have a considerable fear of flame and anything involving it, so they don’t eat anything cooked.

Burns/Burna: This is Berry/Bonny’s respective monster, a figure with charred and blackened skin, wearing a ragged jumpsuit, gasmask, and carrying a gasoline can. Wherever they show, a blazing fire is sure to follow. They represent the RO’s involvement with the fire that burned down the entirety of their family estate and killed those inside in the process.

Victor/Victoria: A raven haired butler/maid of the residence. They’re reserved to a fault, and talk only in short, submissive statements. The most efficient individual you’ll ever meet, they have a routine and timer for every action they take within the residence.

Viscer/Visceris: Victor/Victoria’s inner demon, a white haired, sadistic and hedonistic figure. While the only appearance change that happens is their hair, red eyes, and appearance of fangs, their personality takes a dramatic change to one of a self-seeking and human-loathing nature. They represent the repressed stress the RO faces from being a servant all their life and the pent up aggression that ultimately gets released. They are the reason for a past incident where they ultimately ended up murdering a family of five.

Cecil/Cecilia: The red-headed chef of the residence. Slightly snappy to those they feel have no common sense, they are on average a fairly kind individual, if a bit asocial. With a high sense of duty, they find great reward in having others enjoy the food they dedicate themselves to make.

Canibel/Canibella: The regret that haunts the RO, a stickly, long limbed monstrosity with rows of teeth in a mouth that stretches across the majority of their face. With sunken, hollow space in place of where their eyes are, they represent the blinding hunger they faced during an expedition they took with fellow friends in the arctic. With no more resources, Cecil/Cecilia turn to murdering and cooking the rest of the group, eating and acquiring an infatuation with human flesh.

Istellen/Istella: The shy young adult that accidentally mistakes their room for yours near the end of the book. Their name had yet to be revealed, but it is in the coding. They appear to personify a natural innocence. They are a failed actor/actress, due to the rise of an inexplicable case of stagefright that stained their reputation and ruined their chances in the industry. They have yet to recover and now very rarely talk to strangers and have a hard time being looked at by even a single person.

Inseen/Inseena: The creature responsible for the RO’s massive stage-fright, this short, sickly looking boy/girl stares unblinkingly with black, empty space where their eyes would be, an unknown black liquid seeping out of the sockets as an ever-present thin smile completes the face. The creature represents the RO’s past unreasonable desire to be the center of the spotlight, showcased by the creatures still figure until someone were to look away, then inexplicably they are one step closer. Unlike the rest of the monsters, this one is detached from the RO, and haunts them as well as you. The sleepless nights they caused the RO caused them mental fatigue that led to a psychotic episode on the stage.

Quinn/Quill: The elusive fourth servant of the house, seen so little that even the other servants forget their presence. A young adult who begins appearing to you like an apparition a little bit after the dining room scene, on the way back to your room alone. They wear a more Victorian-gothic era attire compared to the other residents. In all actuality, this servant is an apparition; a ghost of a long-dead servant that haunts the halls of the residence and has made themselves known to you due to your specific ability to see Vice (I'll explain the MC's actual vision meaning later). They wish to pass on, but require your help to find the person responsible for the accident that killed them all those years ago.

Sin/Sina: Quinn/Quill's alter-ego, a poltergeist spirit with a deep-seated hatred for humanity due to the accidental death that took their life along with Quinn/Quill's. They believe their was no accident, and it was a conspiration of several of the servants to see them killed. Unable to forgive, they seek to haunt and corrupt Quinn/Quill in order to enact their revenge through Quinn/Quill's more physical form, since they are unable to.

Penn & Lann/ Penta & Lana: The salacious twins. Pe can be identified by their more brightly colored hair and energetic attitude compared to the more muted color and personality of La. While two individuals, they are never seen apart. Consistently quoting each other as one body and mind, the two partake in every action together, from monotonous tasks like brushing teeth and sleeping to the more intricate duties of talking and sleeping with others. Being of similar spirit, they both enjoy the hunt and chase of finding partners to bed, leading to a considerably tainted reputation that eventually led to their excommunication from their community.

Pelatin/Pelatina: A grotesque and malformed clump of limbs sticking out of a singular misshapen body. Two heads can be seen vying for control of every limb, and the body juts in awkward ways due to this. This malformation represents the unnaturally strong dependency each of the twins has developed for the other, despite each wanting to be their own individual. This desire for independence and the inner competition between the two is what lead to them seeking sexual respite for validation, but eventually it lead to their invalidity.

The Nightmare: Not just a nightmare, this is Your Nightmare, and the reason for your spiral into insanity and eventual denouncement from your family. Showcased a shadowy and bloody figure, either masculine or feminine, they represent different things depending on your decisions through the game. If you embrace the nightmare, it represents your bloodthirsty desire. All of the events from before you entered the mansion weren't visions: You sought to murder every individual you met until your eventual escape from the family who attempted to shelter you. If you attempt to rehabilitate from your waking nightmares, they represent a malevolent dark spirit seeking to corrupt and possess you to undertake their gruesome actions. If you remain neutral or simply coexist with the nightmare, it represents your repressed stress from attempting to lead a normal life. It is an altered coping mechanism from the inability to successfully lead a fulfilling life.

Now about the visions, and what they really are. Most of it has to do with what Your Nightmare is to you, but one thing is certain: The visions are very lifelike. Basically, depending on your decisions and standing with the nightmare, there's different ways the visions can be determined: Sick and twisted hallucination of a demented individual attempting to justify their slaughter, The supernatural ability to see a completely different world known as Vice, or moments in which your Nightmare is attempting to possess you. This, and the decision of RO, will correlate to the ending of the game, of which there are several different interpretations for what actually happened, and what is or isn't real. So basically, the player chooses how the game interprets the symptoms you have haha.

Obvious disclaimer, this would be the fundamental basis that I have to work with, but is always subject to change as I flesh out more of the story at a later date haha.

[riverteatime]

A burning soul (MC, Snatcher, Vanessa fic)

“Warning : Mention of blood, pain, torture, violence, hurting feelings of love, painful past, a very angry noodle and an ice bi*ch. I warned you !

“Snowing ?! At this state of year ?! But we are not even in winter !” You thought at watching the news in your TV

It’s the evening and like every days you have regain your spaceship after passing a day on the planet. It’s the autumn so you are not very surprised that temperature are more and more colder. But at the point of snowing…Yes you are very happy to see the snow but the air of this part of the planet is much hoter than in the Arctic.

“Perhaps it is the consequence of climate change. I mean that maybe that temperature raise in this planet too. I hope that this planet is not going to change as a big desert” You say sarcastically to yourself. But that thought brings back painful memories about your past. You shake your head to not think about that and you switch off your TV to sleep on your bed.

—————————————————————

Meanwhile in a certain ice castle…

“WHAT? SHE AGAIN PASS THE DAY WITH MY PRINCE?” Yells a feminine voice in the shadow

Even if the ice statues are headless, they don’t like how their queen scream. Even if they can’t see her head they can feel her expression. The expression of surprise, anger, rage and disgust. And they know what is the cause. This human-alien who land on their planet some months ago had build a very strong relationship with what would have become their king if this accident did not arrive. Now that this person is very close to her prince, the queen is so jalous. She hate her, she want to murder her.

“But maybe if we make her disappear, MY prince will be mine.” She says thinking “Headless statues, I know your power of destruction is explosive like a dynamite. But pay attention to my words! It’s clear that you are not lights but we are talking of queens and even you can think about this. So prepared of the chance of your life, be prepared sensational news !!! A shining new path open in front of us…

“…And what we have to do…?” Asks one of the statues

“Just don’t cut your queen. I know it sound morbid but you’ll be rewarded and become my minions! Do what I tell ! BE PREPARED !!!”

“S-sorry to cut your speech majesty, b-but they love each oth-” Starts an headless statue. But with a movement the icy-queen destroyed him.

“Fool! I know that” Says the queen with a disgusting voice “But she is not immortal like us. My statue, today is the day that start our freedom ! Stick with me and you’ll never going to be banish again of this kingdom!” And with this fact the headlesses statues jump of happiness and say “Long life the queen!” in harmony. 

“But at one condition. Capture this human alive, BUT NOT DEAD !!! I deserve her a nice treatment for her. She will remember my face even in the death. No one take the prince of the queen Vanessa” Says the icy-queen before laughing cruelly.

——————————————–

You wake up earlier today. You thought that it would be nice to see Subcon Forest covered up by the snow. So you dress up warmly because you don’t want to catch a cold like the other day. And you set you teleport destination to Subcon Forest.

Arrived at Subcon Forest you feel something different in the atmosphere. Subcon is always a quiet place good for the rest of the dead people that are buried in all the forest. But it is too quiet. Normally some minions are walking through the forest and spirits are flying. But you see none of them. And the snow start to be a snowstorm. You decide to go in the house of Snatcher to protect yourself.

In front of the house you knock at the hardwood which serves as a wall. 

“Snatcher?” You ask, waiting for an answer. “And you are not there. Geez, what’s happen here?” You ask yourself while you enter the house. Your friend is not there and his minions are not guarding the forest. “Maybe he is at the village or with Moon.” You think.

So you go outside. The snowstorm calmed down but you cannot see very well because of the cold. You walk in direction of the village despite of the road that is cover by the snow.

But before you can arrive at the village you see something at your right… or seemed to have seen something. Indeed with the snow that covered the ground and trees, it’s difficult to recognize something. But you are certain that you have seen a shadow. 

“Snatcher? Is that you?” You ask immediatly. But no one answer. 

“Come on! I know it’s you! And it’s not Halloween so you have not reason to scare me!”

No answer

“Don’t be stupid with me! I’m here since five months and I know you!”

No answer. Just silence and the wind.

“Snatcher?” You say, starting to shaking. You start to walk on the direction of where you seem to have seen your friend. But you see what it is and it’s not your friend. Instead of, you see something else. Two humanoid creature are in front of you but they seem to not have seen you. Your reaction is to hind behind a tree and to watch what they do. Wait?…. Is that a Subconite laying on the ground ? 

“What we have to do with this living soul?” Asks one of the humanoid to the other

“Bring him back to the queen and find others insurgents. And if you see the human catch her” Says the other

The humanoids monsters go on opposite direction. When you certain that they are far enough, you get out of our hiding place. What was these things? And why one of them as a Subconite. Suddenly you have a revelation. Perhaps they are ennemies of the Subcon Forest and they bring a Subconite for torturing him !!! You yell but you think that if they hear you they can make the same thing to you. You have to find Snatcher and quickly. But you can’t let this poor Subconite with us. And don’t know where THE HELL is Snatcher. 

So you make the choice to follow the humanoid who have the unconsious minion. You follow him, paying attention that you don’t make ANY noise. You hide sometimes behind the trees when the humanoid turns around. Fortunaly, you were the one the most quiet in your colony when you hunted for surviving in your former planet.

After following the humanoid thing for what you seem an hour, you arrived at a big old mansion covered by ice. Here, the snow is more heavier, like a snowstorm. But you keep your goal. When the forest end to an cleairing you think that is safest to wait behind a tree. The humanoid go inside the house and you follow him.

—————————————

You slowly open the door. You watch if they have no danger and you go inside. You walk carefully in the woody-corridor. Painting are hanging on the wall and a elegant red carpet is on the floor. The one who live here have a wonderful taste for luxury objects. You watch from the opening doors if there have the minion. 

Suddenly you hear some noise at the first floor. You go upstrairs, walking slowly and carefully and hid at one of room. It is a nice bedroom with a big bed and others furnitures that can make think of a room for a woman. A diary is on one of the tables. You open it at the middle and start to read.

     “Why? What have done wrong? In his letter he talks about her. A ‘tutor’

      He say he loves me. But SHE see him. I get letters and SHE get his time

      He is MINE. Once his studies are finished I will have him back”

“What the hell?” You ask to yourself 

The other pages talk about a “princess” that wait for his prince. But at what it is write you think that the princess is like possessive with her prince. You think instantly at a bad fairy tale. 

You hear again some noises but now closer. You watch where you can hide. A wardrobe is your choice and fortunally it is empty so you can go inside. Two humanoids enter the room. They are like earlier but you can see a detail that you don’t pay attention before. They are both headless. One of them try to immobilize a Subconite. And you cannot let the minion fight two headless things. 

So you jump of your hidding spot. Earlier you saw two spears hanging on the wall. Even if it is a decoration you grab one of them. And even if you haven’t fight for years with a spear you try to hurt the headless. Key word is try. Indeed, they are like stone statues or ice… Ice headless statues. Even you don’t hurt them you succeed of to draw the attention and the Subconite is now free.

“FLEE!” You yell at him. With reluctance the minion ran away.

You fight with your spear and you paying attention to the door of the other room which is open. An idea come to your mind. With your spear you protect yourself and at the ideal moment you give at one of the headless a violent kick. The headless fall with his companion behind him and you shut the door. You move the wardrobe in front of the door. You succeed of trapping the headless on another room.

“Headless! It’s more brainless!” You tell

“Indeed. I’m agree with you” Says a feminine voice behind you.

“Oh NO!” You think. You turn around to be face to a shadow. “Oh peck” You say.

“I am very surprise that you come here without hurting you! But you cannot stay here safe, MC” Says the shadow

“What the f-… You know my name?” You ask holding your spear and ready to fight.

“I know you. And you know me.” And before you can say no she tells “I’m HER”.

“HER? … Wait you are the rival of Snatcher it’s right” You ask. But behind you the headless are breaking the door. You are surround by enemies now.

“Yes and no. I’m his … Killer? It is like that you call this type of person?” You think at something. She as a crown in her head. She is the “princess” of the book? Right?

“You are a princess?” You ask, keeping her in front of you. 

“I was a princess. Your shadow friend was my prince” At this though you gasp “We were happy before he let me here for his studies. I waited him for years. For so long years-” She grabs a glass and and throw it at you. You protect yourself but you feel cold on your hands. Your spear start to be heavier and turn to a ice spear. You drop it. Now you are in front of a wall and you are ready for fleeing. 

“When he comes back I was so happy… But. I saw him. He was with a girl. He was holding HER hands. I ran away.” She walks at your direction. “When he go to my castle he try to convince me but I ordered my guard to bring him to the jail” She is now in front of you. You shake like a leaf for the fear and for the cold. Indeed, even if you have warm clothes, you are cold.

Suddenly she grabs you to the neck, strangle you with so much power. “You are a beautiful lady. Perhaps on another life we will be friends but. I . AM . THE . ONLY . QUEEN . HERE .”She yells at you. You try to breathe but you can’t.

Suddenly a big blue fireball breaks the window, making melt one of the living statue. Surprised, the queen throws you. Strings that come to the door fly to the other statue, wrap the headless like a cocoon. The headless break up with a detonation noise. 

You are lying on the floor and try to stand up. Two hand that you know grab you and help you to stand up. You raise your head to be face to Moonjumper.

“Moon…” You say with no voice. The corpse ran away in the house with you in one off his arm. “What you do?” You ask now with your voice. 

“I keeping you safe” He says quietly.

But you don’t think the same way. You succeed of being free. You run to the bedroom, grabing the other spear that is laying on the floor. You think at one thing : help Snatcher with this demon. Moonjumper try to grab you but he lost track of you. 

When you enter the room you look at ruins. The bedroom is totally destroyed. The bed is now laying on the floor with the ice shards of the headless statues. Wood furnitures are now burn and the two shadows are looking to the other like deadly carnivorous animals.

“My prince~~~!” Says Vanessa

“Don’t approach me !!!” Says Snatcher, hissing like a dangerous snake

But the two are tired and you can fell it. Vanessa run in the direction of Snatcher with her clawed hands. You know that he cannot dodge this. So you go in front of him making a shield with your body.

“MC !!!” He yells but too late

You fall on your knees. You let your spear fall. You touch your stomach. A warm red liquid sink of your clothes. Blood, she have hurt you. 

Snatcher looks at you, then look at Vanessa “What did you do?” He asks to her “You. Have. Hurting. My. Wife” he says before jump on her, making everything to kill her. 

“My prince! Stop this! I have to kill her for you!” She yells at him trying to breack free. And she succeed. She ran to one of the wall. “I am your wife! Your queen! But if you don’t hear me so die for a second time!” She yells at him

“NO!” You scream. And with a invisible power you stand up. Your spear that was ice is now make of fire. Like a zombie you walk to the dead queen. “NO ONE KILL MY HUSBAND” You say with a shaking voice. You turn to yourself, hurting her so badly. You kicking her with your spear, backing her to the bathroom. When she is in front of the door, Snatcher opens it and you kick her to the room. Then Snatcher closes it more violently than you with the headless. He locks the door with some incantation. When the fight is done Snatcher breath heavenly.

“God!” He whisper. “What a day.”

But your invisible power that keep you stand up leave your body and you fall again on your knees.

“What?! MC STAY WITH ME!!!” He yells and grabing you in his arm. You touch again your bloody stomach and now you can feel the pain. Moonjumper who was in some part of the manor finds you and your friend.

Then you don’t remember the rest of the day. You fall unconscious but your eyes are opening. You watch with no reaction your friend carry you to the house.

————————————-

You slowly return to the consciousness. You are laying on a cushion. And you can see Snatcher reading a book. 

“Snatcher…” You slowly whisper

Like an electro-shock Snatcher jump of his chair and float to you very quickly.

“MC? MC YOU CAN SEE ME?” He asks very conscerned by you. He grabs you but your stomach is hurting.

“Ouch! You silly! I can see you!” You yell at him.

“Oh excuse me! You were unconcious before. Don’t make such things again.” He tells to you

“Such things like what?” You ask slowly trying to sit on your cushion.

“Such things like become a super fighter and be a shield-body with no warning.” He says frowing at you.

“What your are saying?” Then you remember what you done earlier. The Subconite kidnapping, the headless, Vanessa and the fight, it was not a dream.

“I am very impressed by you of your surviving but the next time don’t go to the danger” He says.

“But it was for keeping you safe…” You start.

“ENOUGH” He yells.

“But…” You try.

“DON’T” He lays you on his body.

“But…” You whisper.

“TALK” He grabs his book to continue his reading

“Umf…” You whisper grabing his fluff

On Snatcher’s book it is writing :

 “Fire souls

  A very rare soul that can survive of the spell of the ice soul. A strong fire soul      can destroy an ice soul with one shot. A very rare portion of the people who       have a fire soul can become strong fighters near the death. But, causing of   the immense power that is require for this, the people who have become the       fighter become unconscious after this fact. It is primordial of a fire soul people     to regain strengh after such a fight.”

[grapenamjams]

Summers Day

Genre: Fluff, slight NSFW 

Characters: Muriel from the arcana and my apprentice Eliza

A/N:  I have an announcement...... THIS MOUNTAIN BABY NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS.... thank you for hearing my announcement :) 

a little bit about my MC

Her name is Eliza (she/her. Female.) She is 5′2 has brown wavy hair, brown eyes (with specks of green) she also has adorable freckles across her nose. lastly she has a artic fox, named Nell as a familiar who is enchanted to keep cold during the summer and whenever Nell walks she leaves behind snow prints on the ground (think of what Olaf from frozen has lol)

It was a unusually warm day in Vesuvia and the forest wasn’t spared from the heat waves that came through the clearing were Muriel’s hut was. Eliza is laying down on the grass with Nell on top of her, it’s on days like these when Eliza is extra grateful to have a enchanted arctic fox that is constantly cold during the summer as a familiar. She pets Nell with both hands humming as she lets the cold seep into her warm skin, she has her eyes close when she senses Muriel’s presence near her. She opens her eyes to see him looking down at her  crouching down resting his arms on his knees having a soft expression on his face.

Eliza gives him a small smile. he tilts his head a little to the side and she can see his eyes move from Nell then back to her. she truly does love his eyes, Every time his eyes land on her own brown ones her stomach does a flip and she sometimes forgets to breath. they hold the emotions that sometimes Muriel can’t express with words. The same forest green eyes she can  get lost in so easily, and lost in them she did get at that moment because before she knew it, Eliza was nodding to something he had said. Muriel was standing up reaching a hand down on the way to help her up. Nell jumps off her chest and Eliza takes his hand standing up as well. 

“I’ll go get the food so you can get ready” Muriel says before turning back towards the hut leaving A still confused Eliza behind. ‘Get food? Get ready? Ready for what?’ Eliza Had completely zoned out when he was talking to her a few seconds ago. She looks down at Nell for help and sees that the fox was excited about something. She wags her tail and puts two cold paws against her leg “going to lake! With big man and wolf Friend!” Her excited voice rings inside Eliza’s head before Nell darts over to the hut as well. understanding what is going on, again Eliza is grateful to have Nell as a familiar who can relay information to her when she gets distracted by things and by things mainly by Muriel. She shakes her head and smiles as she starts her way towards the hut to get ready.

* * * 

They had been walking for about 30 minutes and the sun didn’t show any signs of easing up soon as it’s hot wrath continued through the sky. Muriel wanted to take Eliza to a lake that he had found some time ago it was different from the one he usually gathers water from, meaning it was farther away but the two lovers didn’t mind, in fact Muriel was happy to see Eliza smiling and laughing despite the long walk and the heat. She had changed into a long lightweight skirt and a white shirt that exposed her shoulders and the top part of her abdomen, just that small sliver of exposed skin made Muriel blush when he saw her come out the hut not wearing her usual attire.

 Muriel had insisted in carrying everything but of course Eliza wouldn’t let him. so he compromised letting her carry the towels and blanket. She stayed close to him, over the months they were together her presence became something his body got used too, becoming a part of him. at times when she would leave, he found his body missing the sound of her footsteps next to him, her soft breaths or how sometimes there bodies would occasionally brush against each other. Their walk consisted of talks (mainly Eliza talking Muriel listening) or just comfortable silence as they listened to the sounds of the forest , watching their familiars run along.

 “We’re almost there.” Muriel spoke up seeing the tree that he had marked with a line, that would go unnoticed by someone who wasn’t paying attention. “Really?” Eliza says looping an arm through his “then come on let’s hurry before the sun truly bakes us!” She says as she tugs his arm to walk faster, he lets out a chuckle at how cute she looks, eager to get to their destination. When they pass the trees they come to a clearing that holds a well sized lake and a small river that trickles it’s way down some rocks. The trees surrounding the scene provides the perfect shade on the bank and on the water providing them with a refreshing breeze that cools their skin.

 It’s so nice Eliza can’t help but let out a gasp “Muriel it’s so pretty!” She goes on her toes and back down again excitedly. Muriel feels a warmth of proudness spread in his chest at the fact that he found this place for her. “There’s a nice spot over there.” he says as he leads her over to a section of the lake we’re the ground is filled with brightly colored flowers shaded by the trees, he drops the bag that he was carrying and takes the one that Eliza has as well. 

he looks back to Eliza who hasn’t said anything and sees a look of surprise on her face. “Do...you like it?” He asks nervously, not being able to stop his wondering mind. ‘was this to much?’ ‘Is there not enough shade’ ‘does she think the water is to dirty? ’he had come here prior to make sure it was clean. ‘Did he bring enough food?’ ‘What if she-‘ his thoughts were cut off by a small body hugging him tightly “I love it Muriel! It’s-it’s perfect, this- you....” Eliza stammers over her words just overwhelmed with happiness that Muriel did this, that he thought of bringing her here. She finalizes her rambling with a “thank you”

 still hugging him she goes on her tippy toes and kisses his cheek. And just like that all the doubts in his mind went away. He places a hand on the back of her head and smooths her hair “I’m glad you like it” Eliza gives him a smile and he blames the heat for the red that tints his ears and cheeks. He clears his throat “do you wanna go in the water? it will be refreshing.” Eliza pulls away from the hug a smile still on her face “that’s what we came here for right?”

 Eliza lays down a blanket and takes out the towels so they’ll be ready to use. She glances at Muriel who had already discarded his cloak and is petting Inanna and Nell by the lake. Eliza quickly takes off her white top which has her top part of her bathing suit underneath, she glances again at Muriel to make sure he isn’t looking as she begins to slide down her skirt.

 She doesn't know why she feels embarrassed in removing her clothes in front of him even though she is wearing something underneath, it’s nothing that he hasn’t seen before, there’s been plenty of times where he has accidentally walked in on her changing and among other situations... she shakes her head to Dispel the thoughts going through her head. When suddenly she sees Nell bark at her causing Muriel to turn around looking at Eliza with her skirt half way down her legs. His eyes quickly take in her figure from the bottom to the top until he locks eyes with her. Both of their eyes go wide and both turn bright red. Muriel turns back so quick that Eliza worries about his neck. She ignores the warmth on her face and body and slides the skirt all the way off stepping out of it, returning her clothes to her satchel. She draws in a breath to calm her pounding heart and walks over to where Muriel is. She wraps her hands around herself even though her bathing suit is not very revealing, just a baby blue two piece with high waisted bottoms.

 Muriel sees her come up to his side and becomes red again trying not to glance up at her exposed legs next to him. So instead he stands up, but this action makes him be able to see all of her. she looks good in her bathing suit, it hugs her body the right way, exposing parts of her she usually keeps covered. Muriel finds himself secretly hoping she doesn't look up at him so he won’t have to look away from her.

 “Is the water cold?” Eliza asks looking at the water by her feet. “not really.” He replies without thinking, looking at the way the breeze moves her light brown hair against her back. Eliza moves forward and puts a foot in and she lets out a Yelp retreating her foot from the water making the tall man come back from his thoughts. “ah! it is cold!” She giggles. Muriel laughs at her reaction, he steps into the water acclimating quickly to the temperature, it was kind of cold but refreshing nonetheless against the heat around them.

 ”it will feel better. if you just jump in fully” he says to her and hesitantly she steps in again, she gets both feet in and walks towards him as he takes a step back making her walk further. She stops when her calves are submerged and she shakes her head “it’s cold ! How are you fine?” She brings her fisted hands to her chest as she sucks in a breath through clenched teeth. Muriel laughs again at how tiny and cute she looks. He takes another step back “it won’t feel cold if you do this” he says before  he ducks down into the water, letting the chill  water cover him fully.

 Muriel resurfaces pushing his wet hair back and Eliza forgets how to breath. She’s seen Muriel shirtless, heck he never wears a shirt, only on some rare occasions he would. So she shouldn’t have been this wide eyed at seeing Muriel in the lake with the water reaching his waist. 

But one thing is seeing him on land , skin and hair dry without a shirt and it’s a whole other thing seeing him without a shirt with wet hair and water droplets going down his tan...very muscular...skin. She snaps her jaw shut and refocuses her vision on Muriel calling to her.

 “The only way imma do that is if you carry me out there, it’s to cold to walk over there” she laughs joking with him. However She didn’t see the flicker of amusement that passes through the mountain mans face as he starts walking towards her. Before she realizes it, Muriel picks her up bridal style and walks back to the middle of the lake. “Wha-wait Muriel!” Eliza says wrapping her arms around his neck and before she can say anything else she feels herself be submerged under the cold water with Muriel. Initially there was a slight shock to the water hitting her hot skin but quickly her body relaxes with the feeling of the water against her, refreshing her and giving her new energy.

 Muriel Resurfaces again still carrying her and shakes his head to get the hair out of his face and looks at her with a smile. “Feel better?” He asks. Eliza removes the water from her face with a hand and places it back on his shoulder  letting out a laugh “yeah I really do” Muriel gives her a look that says told you so but she knows he will never say it out loud. Then the both laugh together, happiness washing over them. a pause comes between them as their laughs die down but their smiles staying. They both look at each other, Eliza lost in his green eyes once again and Muriel lost in everything that is her.

 Muriel brings her closer and Eliza’s eyes flicker to his lips a light blush growing underneath her freckles, he leans his head down tilting to the side. They both begin to close their eyes as their faces come closer together, but before their lips could touch They suddenly feel a splash of water come over them making them both open their eyes and see that Inanna has jumped into the water and is swimming towards Muriel with big splashes. Both of them laugh at Inanna and being caught off guard, Inanna makes her way in the middle making Muriel let go of Eliza so she wouldn’t get squished by the large wolf. Eliza takes the chance to swim enjoying the feeling of floating in the water. she looks towards the bank to check on Nell and sees her chasing a butterfly, she wasn’t much of a swimmer preferring  running on land better, also with her spell she would find the water way to cold rather than refreshing. Eliza Turns back to Muriel and Inanna enjoying the lake as much as they can.

 At one point Eliza does magic with the water, bending it into spheres and letting Inanna swim after them until she pops them with her nose. Eliza accidentally manages to create a large one making it harder to control and it ends up popping above Muriel, drenching him completely. Eliza pauses and looks sideways to Inanna and she swears she can see the wolf smile. Eliza looks back to Muriel whos hair covers his face like a curtain. Eliza lets out a laugh she covers her mouth to stop laughing but it doesn't do much help. “I- I’m sorry Muriel, I didn’t mean to-“ her ‘apology’ gets cut off by a splash coming at her. She looks at Muriel with her mouth open in surprise but quickly turns into a smile “oh you did not just do that!” She splashes at him, Muriel looks at her with what seems like a smirk “you started first” he splashes at her again. “Did not!” She sends another splash. Inanna barks and joins the splashing and soon it’s a full on chase.

 After a bit Inanna retreats to the bank calling it quits from the water fight, she shakes herself off and goes to lay down in the sun to dry off, Nell already bounding towards her. Eliza tries to get away from Muriel before she's splashed again by him “alright alright truce! I call truce!” She says before she feels a pair of strong hands go around her waist that bring her towards him, she twists in his arms so she’s facing him. Muriel lifts her up slightly his hands going to her hips as Eliza wraps her legs around his torso under the water. “That means. I win.” Muriel says making Eliza laugh, he doesn't show his competitive side that often but when he does she finds it adorable that she can’t help but give him the win, even though it’s a truce. “Fine you win this time” Eliza laughs again resting her arms on his shoulder, looking down at him.

 From this position Eliza is taller than Muriel, a rare occurrence that Muriel loves, of course he would never admit it out loud. He can see her features in a different angle, he liked how her warm brown eyes would look down to his dark green ones, liked the smile she had on her face taking on a form of a smirk, liked how her wet hair was all to one side framing her face. liked feeling her smooth skin as one hand went up her back making his stomach do a somersault, he liked the way the sun was hitting her body making the water droplets become small shining crystals. No. He didn’t like these things. He loved them. it wasn’t the sun making her shine it was her entire self that was making her beam brightly in front of him. His light in the dark, his light. and he loved it. she looks so Beautiful, he never wants to forget this image of her. He wants to tell her all of this and so much more, he wants to let her know how much he loves and cares for her. But words never came easily to him and sometimes he curses himself for it, for not providing that for her.

 Muriel realizes that he had pulled her closer to him and there faces were inches apart, Eliza looks into his eyes seeing something in them as he sees something flicker in her own eyes. He gathers all the courage he can and leans up to kiss her softly, sighing at the feeling. Then after he makes sure she wanted him by pausing for a second and letting her reach out for him, he places his hand on the back of her head deepening the kiss, letting all the words he wanted to say into the kiss. But the ones he wants her to know the most are ‘I love you.’ He feels her hands slide from his shoulders into his hair threading her fingers through and tugging lightly making him hum against her. His hand leaves her hip to tighten around the back of her thigh making her let out a soft noise, which makes Muriel’s heart quicken.

 When they finally part to catch their breath Muriel sees Eliza’s flushed face and in turn his goes bright red, he hides his face by placing it on the top part of her chest, his head finding its self in the spot underneath her chin. He can feel her racing heart that matches his own as he hears Eliza let out a soft laugh “I love you too” she says hugging him back around his head resting her cheek on the crown of his head. Muriel face heats up again happy that she understood what he meant...she always did, one look at his face and he knows that she understands. He squeezes her slightly, “good. That’s good.” He mumbles against her skin.

* * * 

 After they had dried themselves off the couple sat on their blanket to eat underneath the grateful shade. Eliza feeds Nell who was laying on her lap bits and pieces. Muriel had turned his back to them not wanting Eliza to see what he was doing after he finished eating. Eliza laughed at how he shifted and grumbled whenever she would peek over his arm curiously. She stopped and let him do whatever he was doing. 

Giving the last piece to Nell Eliza puts her hands behind her and leans on them closing her eyes letting the descending sun warm her face, it was cooler now the heat wave finally making its leave for the day. Eliza hums for a few moments enjoying the sound of the river and the rustling of leaves, until she feels something on her head, she opens her eyes to see Muriel drawing his hands back from whatever he had placed on her. She reaches and grabs at the item and sees that it’s a delicately made flower crown. Eliza sits up, her heart clenching, adoring the crown that he had made for her using the flowers around them. “Aw Muriel it’s so pretty! Thank you” she places it on top of her head and gives the big soft man a kiss on the cheek making his own go pink. “Your...welcome. It looks nice on you.” He mumbles the last part but Eliza still feels Butterflies in her stomach at Muriel’s compliment. She puts her head on his shoulder weaving her arms through his. “How did you learn to make them” she asks still in aw at how he made it so quick and precise.

“Asra taught me. To entertain ourselves when we were kids.”

“Ah I see” she smiles at the thought of the two boys making flower crowns together in the forest. “I guess you will have to show me how to make them?” Muriel hums in agreement “okay. But... another day we should get going. Suns going down.” And at that moment a chill wind passes through sending a shiver down her spine “sounds good.”

* * *

 Muriel and Eliza pack up their site. she quickly changes into her shirt and skirt while Muriel packs up the left over food. They both fold the blanket and she puts it in her bag. “All done!” She says looking over the spot they had used, making sure they didn’t leave anything, Muriel grabs her small hand in his and leads them out and away from the place were they both enjoyed the day, it would soon become a place that was frequently visited by them two, there own little oasis in the forest. 

As they were making their walk back the weather turned cooler, the evening sky presenting its orange hues above them. The silence was a comforting and relaxing sound for Muriel, he takes in a big breath and let it out slowly. he then feels Eliza bump to his side again for the third time and hears her mumble a soft “sorry”. He looks down at her to see what was wrong and is surprised to find  that her eyes were half closed, tiredness clearly Displayed on her face. The days activities were finally settling in, making her body want rest. 

“Are you alright?” Muriel stops walking. “Hm?” Eliza looks up at him slowly, Muriel suppresses a smile. “Are you tired?” He asks fully knowing that she is even when she shakes her head no “I’m fine, I’m...super duper fine” she says with a tired smile and Muriel knows that she’s getting to the state we’re she starts acting weird, he’s Encountered this side of her a few times. The first time he got so confused and worried, he didn’t know what to do. He asked Asra about it the next day and his white haired friend laughed telling him not to worry, she was acting like this because she was really tired and all she needed was rest. Muriel notices that she’s slightly swaying on her feet. not wanting her to get to that weird state and not wanting her to walk anymore knowing that she is tired, he lets go of her hand and sees her pout at the loss of contact. He steps in front of her with his back facing her and lowers himself to one knee. “Get on.” He states

“Eh?” He hears her reply

“My back. Get on.” He says again.

“N-no I’m fine! I can walk really!” She says, but he still doesn’t move. “Besides” she continues “you’re carrying stuff and I’m heavy” Muriel tries not to laugh at that last excuse, he looks back at her. “Eliza, let me carry you, please” Eliza’s eyes widen a bit and a tint of pink goes across her nose as she looks down to the ground. “O-okay” she says and steps forward putting her arms on top of his shoulders. his hands grab her thighs and he lifts her from the ground keeping her close to his back, Eliza lets out a small surprised Yelp at how high she is from the ground and she can’t help but let out a giggle as she presses her self against him fully, nuzzling her face into his neck, breathing in his scent. 

she hums as she closes her eyes letting the tiredness come over her. “Strong man Muriel” she mumbles and the said strong man chuckles as he continues walking. “I love you” he hears her say sleepily all of the sudden and Muriel tries not to trip as his body fills with warmth and his heart beating faster, a smile appearing on his face. He turns his head and kisses her forehead “I love you” he mumbles ever so softly he’s pretty sure she didn’t hear it but little did he know it was the last thing Eliza heard before drifting off to sleep.