#farewell my childhood god

[withoutzeuzey]

Stray god (affecionate)

[astrxealis]

thinkin abt parallels between my FAVES from DIFF FANDOMS (i mean lucisan and wolgraha)

[gretavanbrie]

Landslide (J.T.K.)

Summary: You’ve loved him for as long as you can remember, does he feel the same?

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x F!Reader

Warnings: no smut for this part just pure ANGST ;), established friendship, swearing, unrequited love, light portrayal of anger, jake & y/n are a little dramatic but aren’t we all?? mentions of childhood, alcohol consumption… if I missed anything lmk, I’ll fix it no issue!!

A/N: I’m actually really excited for this one!! This is based on the winning answer of this poll I did, if you guys are looking for a bit more context on what this is about. I may have hurt my own feelings a couple times amidst writing this, I had my Jake lane friend read it and she was not too happy with me so hopefully this will strike a nerve for you guys as well!! If not that’s cool too! My writing is pretty sporadic so I’m gonna try and put out as much content as I can if you guys end up liking this story. I’m a waitress so my hours are long and unpredictable I do apologize in advance lol. I’m debating on if I should leave this as is, or make two long parts, or even start a mini series…not too sure yet but lmk what you think!!! Also this is vaguely proof read. If there are any mistakes, bare with me.

Part 2 | Part 3

Here you were, standing in front of the mirror, clammy hands nervously smoothing down the fabric of the dress you adorned. You made it a point to pull out all of the stops today, you’d washed and beautifully dried your hair. You gave one last look at your makeup before running your hands through your hair and heading to grab your bag. You let out a shaky breath picking up your phone.

The boys were back from tour and some mutual friends were having a little gathering as a welcome back. Any other time you wouldn’t have been so uneasy but the conversation you had with Josh had been replaying in your head the entire time they’ve been gone.

“Are you ever going to tell him?” You immediately recognize that voice.

Everyone was outside as the small farewell party for the commence of the tour had somehow migrated towards the backyard of Josh’s lovely home. You clear your throat in an attempt to rid the uneasiness in your voice.

“Excuse me?” You turn setting down the bottle of wine you were going to pour for yourself. He stood at the entryway of the kitchen as you feigned a confused expression to which he saw right through.

“Y/n..we may not hang out as much as you and my brother do but I still know you just as well. If not more, it seems” you just stared at him for a moment trying to find a good way out of this before quickly turning around and finished pouring yourself a glass. With your back still turned you speak up knowing there’s no use in hiding it anymore, if there was one person you could trust with this information it would be him.

“It’s just not a conversation to be had, he’s my best friend nothing more. It’s just a silly crush it’ll go away” you waved your hand to seemingly brush it off as you turned to face him. Not the whole truth, but not necessarily a lie? God you didn’t even believe yourself, how could you expect him to. You brought the glass to your lips letting the smooth red ease your nerves.

“A silly crush that’s lasted since senior year?” The minute those words left his mouth your eyes widened in shock. Quickly swallowing to refrain from spitting your drink all over his nice white shirt.

“What do you mean by that?” you stare inquisitively not knowing he was privy to just how deep this ‘silly crush’ had run.

“Oh c’mon don’t play coy. Like I said, I know you. We were friends first..lest you forget.” You giggled recalling the vague memory of 2nd grade recess, he stepped further into the room before continuing on.

“You keep too much to yourself, you’ve gotta stop sacrificing your own needs for the sake of what you think the other person wants. Disregard me as his brother for the time being, right now I’m coming to you as a friend. I’m not here to pressure you into telling him anything, that is your own decision to make. I just want you to ask yourself if this is what you really want. I mean come on your twenty-seven now y/n. You think I haven’t noticed that you’ve refused to see anyone since summer going into senior year?’

“That’s not true” you cut him off, defending yourself.

“I wasn’t completely celibate I was seeing that one guy Liam for some time… a-and Henry my sophomore year of college. I’m just not looking for anything.” Truth was, you were at one point. You convinced yourself getting under someone was the only way to get over another. Until you realized neither of them were Jake and that’s why you could never see them as a part of the long haul.

“And did you ever make it official with them? Or better yet, did they last any longer than 8 months?’ He challenged. You looked down at your feet defeated knowing there’s no use in denying any more. You know he knows. There was a beat of silence before you spoke up once more.

“I’d rather him be my friend than nothing at all, Josh.” you said quietly looking up at him as he embraced you in a hug running his hands through your hair.

You hear him sigh before he quietly speaks into your hair.

“I know.”

———————————————————————————

You shut your eyes and shook your head as if to rid the memory. You had wracked your brain enough about it. Josh was right and you knew it, it’s been nearly 10 years but you hadn’t always had feelings for Jake. For a while actually you would nearly gag at the mere thought. Albeit there wasn’t much room for romance during the pre-pubescent “cootie” stage of your life.

Your parents and the Kiszka’s became rather close throughout the years. You and the Kiszka clan wreaked borderline havoc growing up. With all the trouble you got into it was only a matter of time your parents would cross paths. Once they realized the five of you were inseparable they decided there was no use in staying strangers. Danny and his family soon came into the picture and you considered yourselves a bond to never be broken from that point on.

Although Jake had deemed you guy’s best friends summer going into 5th grade year, you were closest to Ronnie in high school. You were girls together. During the time of first periods and finding out boys can be attractive you migrated towards each other and found solace together within the testosterone-tainted group you had formed. You’d always struggled making friends, you didn’t normally speak unless spoken to. You weren’t necessarily shy, you just always felt like you didn’t really fit in with all the rest.

Once you crossed paths with Josh 2nd grade, he left you no choice but to be his friend. He was overly inviting and basically dragged you to join him on whatever crazy idea him and his twin had gotten into next. You chose to not complain given he was actually nice to you and took time in making sure to include you.

You had remained school friends for the years following, hangouts limited to recess and lunchtime until around the summer before 5th grade when you moved a few houses down from their own. You saw them playing outside from your bedroom window one day and begged your mom to run down there and greet your friends.

You and your ponytail came flying out of the house screaming “Josh! Jake! It’s me!!! From Ms. Crowley’s Class!!! I live by you now!!!”

“Y/n!! Is it really you!! We can play at home now!!” Josh exclaimed, his twins' smile growing ten fold.

“You have to meet my brother and sister, we can all play together now!” Jake said, calling out for Ronnie and Sam. You were quickly introduced to the two and although they were a couple years younger, you were kids, and found joy in whatever silly games you had come up with together nonetheless.

As you sat up against the tree cooling off from the intense game of freeze tag you all had just played, you saw Jake walk up and sit beside you.

“I can’t believe you moved close to my house, loser. Today was fun.” the boy said, ruffling your hair.

‘Hey! Quit! I’m not a loser.” you laughed pushing his arm away.

“Yea-huhh, that’s why you couldn’t catch me during tag.” he mocked, you squint your eyes at him playfully before pushing him away from you.

“That’s why you have cooties!” You retaliated feeling defensive now.

“See! Sore loooserrr” Jake sing-songed.

‘You’re being a meanie now Jakey, it’s just a game” you pouted looking to your feet. You probably were just being sensitive but you hadn’t known better. His expression softened realizing his words might’ve stricken a nerve.

“Oh come on, you know I’m kidding, you’re my new best friend. Especially now that we live so close” he said, lips tugging into a shy smile as he softly elbowed at your side. You whipped your head up to look at him

“You think I’m your best friend? You promise?” You said as hopeful eyes met his own. No one had ever made it a point to deem you as such. A friend is one thing, but a best friend was something far more special in your mind.

“Pinky promise.” he assured, hooking your smallest of fingers with his own.

————————————————————————————

The sentiment was sweet and you were thankful you had friends like them growing up, it made life a little easier knowing you had a constant. Easier until teenage hormones came into the picture and Jake was no longer your boy-ish ‘best friend’ and had started growing handsomely into his features. His face became more chiseled, his chest a bit more filled out, voice dropping a couple octaves lower and not to mention he grew taller. It all happened too fast for your awkward teenage self to process. One day he was regular old Jake and the next he was…hot.

So, you did what you thought was best. Denied any and all attraction and gaslighted yourself into thinking it would go away. It was Jacob for fucks sake, your life-long friend who you considered a brother to you. You and Ronnie had gotten suspiciously closer that year, you brushed it off as ‘needed girl time’ but as years passed you realized you were just trying to distract yourself from Jake in hopes that if you saw him less, the attraction would eventually metastasize.

Boy were you wrong because Jake was adamant on including you in every hangout as he began to gain popularity. You had convinced yourself things would drift off throughout high school, thinking the boys would deem themselves ‘too cool’ to hang with you now and the silly pinky promise he made would be brushed off as immature to him. But it wasn’t, he instead kept his promise. His friends soon becoming your own, girlfriends never lasting long because ‘you and Ronnie are more important to me than any other girl’ he says. Finding yourself at their house more often than you had expected for this new chapter of your life and before you knew it, you had grown closer than ever, and your growing crush more suppressed than ever.

You were shaken out of your thoughts as your phone began buzzing. An incoming call from none other than Veronica herself. You quickly picked it up, bringing the phone to your ear.

“Girl where are you?! You promised you’d be here by the time I got here” you heard her whine on the other end. “Everyone is already mingling, the boys are late yet again and I have no one!” You laughed into the line knowing she was just exaggerating.

“Oh come on Ron, it can’t be that bad you know Mike a-and Dave’s girlfriend.” You tried reasoning, knowing you’d be just as anxious if your friends hadn’t showed up just yet.

“I’m sure they’re already there, talk to them for a little bit okay? I’m sorry, I’m leaving now I just got caught up finding what to wear” you continued, not necessarily a lie although you didn’t want her to know the real reason you were stalling was because today could possibly change the entire trajectory of your life. Dramatic to say the least, but true.

“It’s okay y/n, I was giving you shit. I’ll be fine… wait a minute. Did you say you were looking for something to wear?? You’ve never cared about that stuff, who are you trying to look good forrrrrr?” she teased.

“‘Oh hush Ronnie, it's just been a while since I’ve gone out and felt hot. Just needed a boost of confidence today is all, no secret fella or anything” you giggled.

“Yet…” she laughed.

“Yea yea whatever, let me go so I can head over” you said grabbing your keys and slipping on your shoes.

“Okay okay, byeeee love you!” She said before quickly hanging up.

“Love you too” you said to no one in particular, smiling to yourself at your dear friend's abruptness.

There was no reason for you to be so nervous, it’s just the boys and Ronnie. It was Jake that had you so uneasy. You had replayed yours and Josh’s conversation enough times to knock some sense into yourself. You weren’t going to lay it on him full force but tonight was your chance to let your guard down and not shy away from him. Maybe even flirt, as best you could anyway, if things were smooth sailing. He’s been single for some time this was your chance to maybe plant a couple seeds. You wanted to see if there was even the slight off-chance he may just like you back and you’d be able to look back at how foolish keeping it from him was.

It was easier said than done as you started second guessing your entire look. You felt as though everyone would think you were trying too hard but that wasn’t the case, you’d gone out in more extravagant looks than the white linen sundress you settled on. It was flowy and stunning, casual but beautiful enough to make you feel at your best. Your hair cascaded beautifully down your back from your blowout, you put on your expensive perfume. You felt great, the only significant difference was that you wore a little extra makeup and you took the time to do your nails. You knew it was purely the anxiety talking. Plus, no one even knows how you feel about him other than Josh.

In attempts to calm yourself, your hand reaches for your phone as you stop at a light. Opening your Spotify you hit shuffle on your playlist. You sighed and smiled as the familiar guitar from Cannock Chase by Labi Siffre started playing. You and Jake loved this song, singing it on too many drunken nights to count. It truly was a beautiful song. You decided to just enjoy yourself and let the evening take its course rather than stressing out about it.

————————————————————————————

You pull into the long driveway of your friend Spencer’s house seeing all the cars parked out front. You find a good spot and walk up to the door seeing a few others talking by the front steps, you recognize his fiancé and smile politely walking towards her.

“My god, y/n is that you? You look absolutely stunning.” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around you before pulling away and linking arms, guiding you towards the entrance of her and Spencer’s shared home.

“Mmm and you always smell amazing, have you been inside yet? We missed you like crazy, Ronnie’s been inside waiting. I think the boys are here already though-“

“Thank you Claire, I appreciate it. I’ll be sure to find them” you cut her off smiling gently as you gave her hand one last squeeze before stepping inside. Claire is a lovely woman but has a bad habit of rambling, you find it endearing but others seem to tire of her rather quickly.

Upon crossing the threshold into their home you’re immediately greeted by the short brunette.

“Finally! The boys are here, come on, we've been wondering where you were.” You nervously laughed as Ronnie grabbed your hand and dragged you towards the backyard.

You weave through the small bunch of people gathered in the living room and kitchen before you walk through to the sliding door, stepping onto the patio. Josh spots you and immediately heads over to give you the warmest of hugs.

“I knew it was you, I’d recognize that perfume anywhere. Glad you could make it little one” you smiled in his embrace at his terms of endearment, your cheeks warmed at the sentiment.

“Thank you Joshy, I’m so happy to finally see you. It’s been far too long.” you smiled up at him before you were quickly swept away.

You startled as you felt strong arms wrap around your waist from behind lifting you up and twirling you. You laughed recognizing the familiar cologne, you see his chestnut brown locks as he sets you down.

“And who might this lovely lady be?” Jake jokes, stepping back to get a good look at you.

“What an extravagant greeting, I see you’ve been gone long enough to forget about a girl like me” you joked back, hand coming up to rest on our chest as you feigned a look of hurt. Your favorite bit with him now taking it’s course.

“Ahhh, nonsense. A girl like you? Unforgettable'' he assured in his familiar cockney accent flashing you that infamous smirk you’ve grown to love. You looked down bashfully as you blushed yet again. You’ve almost grown sick of how quickly he can turn you into mush, you know he means nothing by it. You can’t help but wish maybe he did.

“Oh come on, you’re just saying that.” You laughed as you walked over to pour yourself some wine. Opting for a white this time given your attire. God forbid your nerves get the better of you and you spill it all over yourself.

You can’t help but notice you and Jake had accidentally coordinated outfits. He bore a cream colored blazer, akin to his cream colored pants. The muted brown button up he had on underneath was unsurprisingly left open with a couple of his pendants decorating his chest. He looked handsome, to say the least.

“Hmm you don’t sound so excited to see your lifelong friend, I’ve been gone for months and this is the treatment I receive?” He exaggerates, giggles escaping between words not able to take himself seriously.

“I thought we were besties y/n” he laughs, feigning a hurt expression knowing that would make you crack.

You can’t help but let a giggle escape your lips, the joke now running dry.

“Alright, alright. I guessss I missed you '' you say, wrapping both your arms around his waist. He gives the quickest peck to the top of your head.

“It’s good to see you sunshine, been too long” he gives you one last squeeze, you smiled at the old nickname he called you as you pulled away.

“Did you forget about us?!” You hear Danny exclaim. You whipped your head towards the back door sliding closed as the self-proclaimed “better half” of the band stepped outside.

“How could I? With the million random voice notes I’m sent a day…not a chance” You tease walking up to hug Sam.

“Glad I could aid, you look fantastic y/n. Definitely better than when we left” Sam teased tapping his chin as if in deep thought.

“Hey! Not cool man.” you jokingly retort as Danny comes up to give you a side hug.

“Yeah your hair’s longer or something or..you put on blush? Fuck, I tried. I don’t know what girls do but you look great” Danny says pulling back to examine you, you blushed at all the sweet gestures.

“She’s always been a looker!” Josh blurts in his exaggerated Midwest accent, raising his brows giving you a cheeky smile. You giggle at his candor.

“Yeah? You’re like…glowing, I’m glad to see you so happy. Also I didn’t tell you when I saw you but I don’t know why you were nervous on what to wear, this dress looks beautiful on you” Ronnie says smoothing out the flyaways on the top of your head. You and Josh make eye contact, he flashes you a look knowing exactly why you were nervous before averting his eyes and taking a sip of his mixed drink.

“Thank you guys I really really appreciate it, but this is a celebration for you! We haven’t seen each other in quite some time, let's make the most of it yeah?” You say raising your glass.

Jake would never say it out loud because he loved teasing you, but you did look rather beautiful today. Sam was right, you looked different. Good different. Maybe it was the hair, or maybe it was having some stress-free months without them. Jake knew they could be quite the handful and maybe this time away from each other caused this new glow, so he thought.

Whatever it was, he admired the way your hair blew softly in the wind. How the midday sun had created the perfect glow on your skin. He especially loved how the sweetness of your perfume matched your sweet personality. He was extremely proud to have you in his life.

“Cheers to that!” Sam exclaims raising his seltzer can.

“Alright! First order of business now that we’re all here "Josh butts in, waving a finger in the air. We wait patiently for his supposed plans, all you hear is the faint music for a second before he speaks up again.

“Yeah.. I’ve got nothing. Although it is a rather beautiful day..” he continues looking around at the beautiful midday sunlight. The six of us break into laughter at his wit.

“Doesn’t Spencer have a pool table? I say we play a couple rounds and catch up?" Sam offers looking around for approval.

‘I’m in, everybody down?” Jake speaks up, moving to stand beside you. Hums of approval circulate as we all migrate inside towards the billiards table. Before you fully enter Spencer’s spare room you feel a hand on your lower back. Turning, you're met with Jake's familiar caramel eyes.

“Hey.. whenever you’ve got time, you mind if I get a word alone with you?” He asks. You should feel worried given the question but he seemed…excited? You couldn’t precisely read the emotion clouding his irises.

‘Um, sure. I-is everything okay” you couldn’t help the anxiety that burned in your chest.

“More than. Just gotta share something special with you.” He says flashing you a warm smile, quickly easing your nerves.

“Okay then, I’d love that.” You smile before you two make your way inside the room seeing a couple of others have also decided they wanted a go at pool. You spot Ronnie sitting next to Danny on the loveseat and plop down beside her. Taking a long sip from your wine.

“Thirsty?” She laughs, boy she has no idea.

“Yea just needed some refreshment in my life, you know?” you wink at her before setting your glass on the table beside you. She giggles before continuing her conversation with Danny. You watch as the boys argue over who gets solids and who gets stripes.

“You ever gonna learn how to play pool y/n?” Jake teases knowing you’ve never been the best at it. You decide to entertain it.

“Only if I come across a good enough teacher.” You quip smiling up at him.

“Come on then, I think I know a guy” he smirks, reaching his hand out to help you up. You gently take his into your own, pulling yourself onto your feet. Josh takes your spot on the couch as Jake walks you both towards the table and hands you the stick.

You smile at Sam on the other side of the table. You immediately try and get into position going solely based on what you’ve seen. You hear a chuckle behind you as Jake presses himself against your back and adjusts your aim so it’s pointing towards the white ball. Your breath hitches in your throat at the proximity. He clears his throat before abruptly stepping back and shoving his hands in his pockets. Weird.

“Your position was correct, but you were pointing at the black one..you definitely don’t wanna shoot at that just yet” he laughs. “The white one does your dirty work, use it to bounce a striped ball into the closest hole. You and Sam will take turns shooting at your respective balls unless-“ you can’t help but snort, you quickly cover your mouth realizing you’ve interrupted him.

“Hey, get your mind out of the gutter” you just shrug as he smiles. He continues on demonstrating and explaining the rules until you feel confident enough to play a match by yourself. You were grateful Jake has always been so patient with you.

‘You got this y/n!” You hear Ronnie cheer, flashing you her bright smile. You blow her a kiss as Sam initiates the game. Your turn comes and you throw your hair over your shoulders and lean into position. Jake quickly averts his eyes to be respectful although Josh wasn’t shy with it at all.

“Damn mama, lookin good.” he playfully winks, raising his glass to you.

“Oh hush” you laugh before making your first shot that unfortunately didn’t go in but after a couple tries you got the hang of it and you and Sam were down to a close match. You hear Danny and Josh narrating the match like some football game as it comes down to the last few balls on the table until eventually only the 8-ball remains.

This was it. You were one hit away from winning, if you missed this Sam would win and you wouldn’t let that boastful man win any time soon. You may have calmed down over the years but you were still just as competitive as your younger self. You adjust the stick between your fingers, closing one eye to aim just right.

Point. Shoot.

The familiar thud of the ball falling in sounds. You swiftly turn to the long-haired man standing behind you.

“I did it Jake, I did it!!” You exclaim getting lost in the short high of your win. Letting your excitement get the best of you, you tackle him in a hug wrapping your arm around his neck.

“Can’t believe it took you so long to give in and actually play” he says, arms still wrapped around you, pulling back and staring at you. The realization settling in that you may be way too close for comfort. You swore you saw his eyes flicker down to your lips, you brushed it off as wishful thinking. You allow your eyes to run across his face a couple times. Seeing how the tour has treated him. His stubble subtly grew atop his lip, focusing on how soft they looked. His hands tighten around your waist as his breathing picks up. You realize you’ve lingered for too long as silence washes over the room.

You loosen your grip on him and step away from his embrace. You look around seeing everyone had dispersed talking with others. Suddenly feeling very awkward, you clear your throat adjusting the fabric of your dress before combing your fingers in your hair in an attempt to recollect yourself seeing as you now feel incredibly flushed. You clear your throat before speaking up.

“I think I’m gonna step out for a sec” you smile meekly, grabbing your glass.

“N-no yeah, by all means” he gestures towards the door adjusting the lapel of his coat that you had so desperately clung onto moments before.

————————————————————————————

You rush out smiling politely at everyone you pass on your way to the back deck. The sun has started to set, the beautiful golden hour shining brighter than ever across the yard. You step outside feeling the breeze brush past your skin, quietly thankful there was no one out here. You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear as you sit on the porch swing.

You stare off trying to process whatever the fuck that was. God, he just made your heart flutter without any thought. The way he leaned up against you. The way his eyes seemingly locked onto your lips for a split second. It was all too much, were you being delusional? Either way you needed a breather before you made any mistakes. He was your friend, he would never deem you as anything more. He’s seen all your ugly awkward phases, there’s no way he’d see you in any sort of romantic light especially with the amount of beautiful women he meets, he could have anyone.

“Can we talk?” You heard his voice as the sliding door shut. You turn and meet Jake’s eyes as he steps closer in your direction.

“Of course! Sorry, I didn’t mean to just run off. I think the riesling might’ve gotten to me a bit” you force a laugh.

“Come sit” you continue as you pat the spot next to you on the swing. He adjusts his coat before taking a seat and running his hands through his hair.

“Ahh don’t worry about it, I just figured I wanna tell you sooner than later. This is special to me and I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while” his tight-lipped smile showing as he toys with his bracelets before looking up and turning to face you.

He grabs both your hands in his and your heart beat quickly accelerates.

“You’re important to me, y/n. And I think it’s time I share this with you, I can’t hide it any longer. I've been avoiding it because I couldn’t find the right words to say…” he says as his eyes lock in on your own, his thumb gently rubbing over your fingers.

What the fuck is happening? You think to yourself.

“What is it, Jake? You can tell me anything you know..” you say hopeful eyes gazing up at him.

If this was going in the direction you’d hoped, all your dreams would come true. You quickly brushed it off not wanting to get your hopes up.

“I know, sunshine.” He chuckles softly.

“Um, I wanna start by saying I value how close we are which is why I need to make this known..”

Oh my god, is he…

“I’ve been deciding on wether or not I want to pursue this and I don’t think the answer could’ve been clearer, its been in front of me this whole time for fucks sake” he gives a breathy laugh as he scoots closer, eyes boring into your own. His eyebrows furrow for a moment like he’s unsure if he should continue but it's quickly replaced by a smile.

This is it.. is this his way of telling you he feels it too?

“Fuck it I’m just gonna say it..”

Please say what I think you're gonna say..

“Yeah?” You prod, the hope in your tone making you internally cringe.

“..I started seeing someone from our crew…i really like her y/n” he smiled looking at his shoes.

Oh.

The minute those words left his mouth your world seemingly went mute. Your ears rung like you had just been dunked under water. Your smile faded as your face became agonizingly hot and your throat tightened. How could you be so foolish? You should’ve known better. Of course he wasn’t about to confess his undying love for you as you would to him, you let your hopeless romanticism take over and now you’ve hurt your own feelings. Your dress suddenly feeling too tight on your body. You hair was touching all the wrong places. There probably was no need for the internalized dramatics but you wanted to crawl out of your own skin right now.

“Earth to y/n? Aren’t you gonna say anything” he laughs, scanning your face for any sort of emotion. You’d learned how to keep a good poker face dealing with his plethora of girlfriends. You faked a bright smile as tears threatened to spill over.

“Y-yeah!” You clear your throat realizing your voice has broken.

“Is everything okay?” He asks cutting you off before you could continue on. You still kept the insufferably wide fake smile on your face.

“Everything’s great! I'm just so happy for you Jakey, she must be a very special girl and I'm glad you’ve found someone who can put a smile like that on your face” you said, taking your hands from his grasp and rubbing his arm. You made sure to bring out your old nickname for him to convince him you were being sincere.

Jake was listening intently but knew you were lying. He’s known you for years, if he had know any better he’d say you looked heartbroken but decided not to press on it.

‘There’s no way she’s upset, she sees me as just a friend.’ Jake thinks to himself.

“Y-yea i just wanted to tell you today ‘cause she’ll be here any minute now and i’d love for you and Ronnie to finally meet her” he says, now seemingly unsure of himself.

“Wow! Y-yeah.. I mean I’d love to!” You say nervously running your fingers through your hair. God, how were you gonna get through meeting her so soon after the love of your life, who didn’t know he was the love of your life, had just single-handedly shattered your heart.

“Great, i'm so happy you’re my best friend sunshine” he says standing up opening his arms signaling he wants a hug. You rise and give him a quick embrace.

“Yea… me too.” You say as you try and fight off the tears once his arms wrap around you.

You excuse yourself to grab another drink. You rush inside but of course you just had run into Josh on your way to find the strongest bottle of alcohol this house could provide.

“Woah slow down little lady— hey… you okay?” he says, noticing your glossy eyes.

“Peachy. Now, if you’ll excuse me for just one second” you say trying to squeeze past.

“Ah-ah-ah, not until you tell me what’s got you in such a hurry.” He says grabbing your wrist.

“I just need a second alone, please josh..” your voice trails off into whisper, you were trying your best to stay composed but the more he kept poking and prodding at this fresh wound the more afraid you were of completely imploding.

“Oh, okay..” he complies, releasing his grip as he watches you snatch the entire bottle of wine and make your way to the guest bathroom. You were gonna need some liquid courage to withstand meeting whoever this chick is. You didn’t mean to be so sour but you felt foolish.

————————————————————————————

You sat down on the closed toilet seat after locking the bathroom door and thanked whomever that this wine bottle was a twist cap. You took a few sips before processing everything.

10 years.

10 years of convincing yourself that this would go away, but it somehow only grew stronger.

10 years of being irrevocably in love with one of your closest friends.

You were stupid enough to think he would feel the same way when he’s legitimately touring the world and has any girl he chooses at his feet.

Why couldn’t it be me?

I should’ve spoken up sooner. It’s all too late. Would he have even liked me back?

You let your head drop as tears clouded your vision, you succumbed to just letting them fall freely now that you were in private.

You wept for your inner teenage self knowing all she wanted got squashed right before your eye. Life can turn on a dime, you shouldn’t have wasted so much time hoping one day he just might make a move. I mean josh was right, you pathetically remained single because you only had eyes for his brother… for the most part. You’ve mingled but none of them could ever truly get your mind off of him. And for what? He’s just a guy. Albeit, a guy who is incredibly kind to you, knows all your in’s and out’s. How you like your coffee, all your favorite songs. He knew that you had to sleep with one extra blanket in bed because the only way you can fall asleep is if you're wrapped up in it. He knew that you would only ever accept flowers if at least one of the petals has wilted because lest we forget, we too are all but a little damaged. He’d grown to know all your weird habits as if it was second nature to him. He was what every girl desired.

You'd devoted yourself to him, built your life around him almost. Your earliest memories are plagued with him and his family and now everything has come crashing down faster than you can handle. You had a feeling deep down that you needed to get over him years ago so who are you to sit here and feel sorry for yourself. You knew better than to think he could ever love you back. You knew blind faith would come back to bite you in the ass.

It was stupid to wait so long with all these bottled up feelings towards him, you feel like you’ve wasted so much of your time helplessly hoping in silence and now who were you meant to seek advice from. You can’t tell your best friend he’s just broken your heart because you’ve been madly in love with him since you were seventeen. You can’t tell Ronnie because, although you’re incredibly grateful for it, she would come to your immediate defense and the last thing you wanted was a big fallout at their welcome home party. You’ve never been in more internal conflict than now.

You allowed yourself to shed a couple more tears before touching up your makeup and chugging down some more of the cheap Riesling. They would come looking for you any second now.

You collected yourself taking one last glance in the mirror before exuding a shaky breath as your hand reached to turn the knob. Stepping outside your met with Josh leaned up against the wall. Was he waiting for you to get out?

“There you are..” he whispered, swiftly grasping your arm and dragging you right back into the bathroom.

“J-josh what the fuck? What are you doi-“ you were cut off by him shushing you and locking the door.

“Listen, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think he would actually make it official with her. I thought she was some fling of his. If I had known I would’ve warned you.”

“So you know about our conversation?” You softly ask, trying to tame the lump growing in your throat.

“Yea, she’s here and Jake said you ran off after he told you he wanted to introduce you to her”

“Oh my god, I probably embarrassed myself. I wasn’t thinking Josh, I was just afraid I’d lose it in front of him” You say bringing your hands up to rub your temples. Josh reaches to grab your wrists, holding your arms in front of you.

“Hey, hey.. stop stressing yourself out. Everything happens for a reason, okay? You didn’t embarrass yourself, no one suspects a thing. I just wanted to make sure you were alright, it's pretty big news for you” he says, thumb rubbing gently on your forearms. The waterworks were conjuring up again, a small tear slipped as you met his eyes.

“I waited too long Josh…” you whispered.

“You were right. I shouldn’t have done this to myself. I-I mean, am I crazy for wishing someone could love me the way I love them?” You questioned rhetorically, your teary eyes staring into Josh’s pity-filled ones. You hated how he was staring at you. You didn’t need pity, you knew the mess you got yourself into.

"Not crazy at all, sunshine.” Hearing Jake's nickname for you coming out of Josh’s mouth felt wrong. Especially right now.

“Come on. let's take a deep breath and greet the guest, shall we?” He offers. You inhale a sharp breath before nodding your head in compliance, it was gonna happen one way or another, might as well man up for now and wallow in the privacy of your own home.

————————————————————————————

You both make your way into the living room seeing everyone gathered around the couch. A few people seemed to have gone home, there were a lot less people than when you showed up. Sam, Dan, and Ronnie sat on one couch.

Your eyes peered over to Jake in the kitchen talking to a beautiful blonde. She was wearing black silk blouse and some mom jeans. It was casual but elegant, you envied how effortlessly pretty she was.

“Hey.. stop getting in your head.” Josh whispered in your ear. Claire and Spencer waved for you to come join everyone. You took your seat as Ronnie got up from her spot next to Sam and came over to sit next to you.

“Where were you? You like..disappeared” she giggled. You smiled at her as best you could.

“The wine wasn’t sitting well, I needed a breather” you laugh hoping she believed you.

The only reason you never told any of your friends about your feelings for Jake was because at first you were convinced it would go away, so why embarrass yourself by telling someone something only for it to not be true in a few weeks and potentially jeopardize an entire friendship. Then as the years went on of you gaslighting yourself into thinking it would go away, all of a sudden 10 years had gone by.

“Ugh I feel you, Sam made me the nastiest marg earlier. I thought I was gonna yak” she says clutching her stomach. You laugh along with her, thankful she didn’t pry any further.

You were broken from your conversation as Jake walked in the room, his hand locked in hers as he guided her in.

“Alright everyone, this is Laura. My beautiful girlfriend.” He says leaning in to kiss her cheek. Jake seemed like he’s had one too many, his words slightly slurring but you don’t question any further. She politely smiled and greeted everyone. Jake notices you, his eyes twinkle before shining you a bright smile and gesturing for her to come meet you.

“Y/n, Laura. Laura, y/n.. this lovely lady has been one my best friends since elementary school” he introduces, slurring his words a bit gesturing towards you with an open palm. You smile wide and rise to give her a quick hug, Josh watching you intently. Your hospitality is admirable.

“Oh my gosh! You’re y/n! I've heard so much about you, I love your dress” she compliments.

Fuck. She’s actually really nice, it sounds terrible to say but you were secretly hoping she was bitch so you wouldn’t feel as bad for being so upset. Your moral compass however, refuses to allow you to feel negatively towards anyone undeserving.

“Thank you, you're so kind. It’s a pleasure to meet you” you smile bright as your cheeks flush from the sincerity of the compliment. She excuses herself to the bathroom, as Jake gestures for the two of you to take a seat yet again. The constant sitting and standing was starting to wear you out.

“Soooo what’d you think?” He says

“Short interaction, but she seems like a great girl Jakey. As long as you're happy I’m happy.” You give a tight-lipped smile, toying with a loose string on your dress.

“That’s it? That’s all you're gonna say?” he asks, stumbling over his words. There’s a certain tone he brought on that you didn’t like.

“W-well I don’t know what you want me to say… a-are you drunk right now?” You say, now adopting a confused expression.

“You could at least act a little more enthused for me. I mean do you even care at all? I was excited for the two of you to meet” he says, scooting back in his spot. He seemed offended, where was all this coming from?

“I-I’m sorry? I don’t know why you’re getting so upset with me. What do you want me to do Jake?” You say lowering your tone so the others around you do catch wind of whatever disagreement this seemed to be.

“You know what…just forget it, you could at least act like you care.” He spat, harshly grabbing his drink and abruptly leaving from his spot beside you. You sat there in shock.

What the fuck.

Your face suddenly felt hot, your throat tightened aggressively. You needed to get out of this house. You did care, too much. That’s why you felt your entire body go numb as tears clouded your vision. Why was he being so mean? Today has been the worst day ever. You swiftly get up from the couch and collect your things. You think you’ll make it with a successful Irish goodbye but of course with your luck, Josh catches you just before you slip out the front door.

‘Hey, where are you going” he asks.

“I can’t josh, I need to leave. I’m so sorry I just- I don’t know what came over him or how much he drank in the amount of time between our conversation and now but suddenly I’m the bad guy?? I don’t even know what I did wrong, apparently I don’t care enough? When you and I both know that’s far from the truth. I just wanna go home josh…please. I think I really fucked it this time and I need to process everything a little bit, okay? I really don’t mean to ruin your welcome home party, truly. I’m so glad to see you guys and maybe you and I could grab lunch this weekend to make up for me leaving so soon and bringing this drama.” You ramble, furiously wiping the tears streaming down your face. Josh doesn’t say anything, he just frowns and pulls you into a much needed hug.

“Alright mama, don’t worry about it.. you haven’t ruined anything. He probably had too much to drink. As far as I’m concerned I’m the only one who knows about this little fallout. Text me when you’re home, okay? Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” He questions.

“I’m okay, I was only kinda tipsy and that whole thing really sobered me up.” You let out a pathetic laugh at how humorous this all was. He rubs your arm before allowing you to make your way out.

You felt guilty for leaving so early, you didn’t mean to make it about you and you would’ve stuck it out but given Jake's newfound attitude towards you, you didn’t feel very welcomed anymore. Maybe you could’ve been more enthused but this was also heavy news for you. You start feeling regretful as you realized you had been a bit insensitive. You would have shown more joy for your best friend but how were you meant to give any more than that?? I mean she left for the bathroom in the middle of the greeting for fucks sake.

You sighed feeling at a loss. Granted, your feelings weren’t his responsibility but how exactly was he expecting you to react? You weren’t necessarily jumping with joy at the idea. But then again, he had no idea about your feelings. In his eyes, his best friend wasn’t matching his energy on something he deemed important. You start wracking your brain on everything you could’ve done to avoid this, essentially kicking yourself while your already down.

You make it to your car, hoping to just go home, have a night of reflection in a warm bath. As you sit down your phone vibrates in your hand.

Message from: Sam Wam Bam🕺🏻

-some friend you are..

Sam?? What the fuck? Why is he saying that?

Message from: Jake ❤️

-don’t even bother reaching out anymore.

wow.

He must’ve said something to Sam. Now sam probably thinks you were being a shit friend and ditched him and his brother at their own welcome back party after sharing the news with everyone.

You dropped your head to rest on your steering wheel as you realized you seemed inconsiderate to the people who didn’t know about your repressed feelings for the man. You felt like you ruined everything. You knew better than to get your hopes up, why did you think today would be any different and he would spontaneously have feelings for you? Foolish.

You let out a sob at their messages knowing this whole situation has been misunderstood. Because of it, everything was crumbling down around you.

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So…thoughts? How we feelin’?

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

book 7 part 2 thoughts~

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 7, PART 2 OF THE MAIN STORY AND DORM UNIFORM LILIA’S VIGNETTES.***

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

As expected, Malleus did get invited to the party (he was the first person Lilia thought of).

GAO-GAO DRAGON-KUN OMG Malleus’s silly virtual pet actually ties into the themes and concerns of this episode!! Every 30 days, Gao-Gao “leaves” (I think it dies, Tamagotchis have short life spans. Either that, or it actually moves away) and you have to start over with a new egg. (Malleus cried the first time it happened and ran to sob to Lilia about it.) It reminds him of the brevity of human lives compared to his own…

Lilia drops a bunch of depressing lines about how it’s because something comes to an end that you have to cherish the time you spent with it… that it’s hard to say goodbye the more time you spend with something, etc.

More Silver lore too?? Malleus got Gao-Gao Dragon-kun around this time; Silver was found in a forest, etc.

DORM UNIFORM LILIA SPOILERS BTW (and more Silver lore): BRO HOW IS LILIA’S SPECIAL TALENT “BABYSITTING”, IT SOUNDS LIKE HE RAISED SILVER KIND OF. UH. ROUGHLY???? And once Lilia left baby Silver in his cradle… outside, unattended… WHEN SILVER WENT MISSING LILIA’S JUST LIKE, “Oh, I’m sure he’ll come back eventually!!” The Zigvolts had to intervene and teach (well, scold) Lilia that babies don’t come back on their own???????????? Since then, the Zigvolts insisted on having Silver over whenever Lilia is away for extended periods of time.

Lilia’s farewell party… I’m surprised that everyone showed up as intended, even people that aren’t close with Lilia or Diasomnia (lookin’ at you, Leona-san), but it’s nice that everyone is coming together for this moment 😭

AHHHHHH TREY TALKS ABOUT LILIA BEING HIS CLASSMATE AND FELLOW VICE and indirectly dunks on his ability to follow a recipe.

Cater takes one last selfie with Lilia and even talks about how lonely it will be… OH GOD, COME TO THINK OF IT this would hurt Cater a lot, seeing as he has had to move away from a lot of his own friends in childhood, and now a friend and club mate of his is doing the same…

RIDDLE SHUT UP DON’T BRING UP EPISODE 2, WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT. (… Real talk though, it’s sweet that Riddle’s showing Lilia so much respect, he’s observant of Silver and Sebek as their Equestrian Club senpai too (commenting on how he notices that Silver and Sebek speak highly of Lilia). It feels like Lilia is leaving his children in Riddle’s care adhabsodbasasdfewpqf)

Mmm, it sounds like Leona came for social grace reasons (comes with a heavy side of sarcasm).

DNLFDSOIYFWF BAHAHAHAHA OF COURSE RUGGIE CAME FOR THE FREE EATS

WHJ AT THE FUCKING ADSKJ ADFLH ISDBILADFBIUOLADFLI FUFKCCVKKFKKKKKKL???????? LEONA SUDDENLY STARTS SPEAKING REALLY. ELOQUENTLY?????????????????????

Leona wants to peace out now (before Malleus shows up), but Ruggie fights him because he wants to eat more of the fuggin’ food asdlihbasbiydasbibfasdbiaqwh MOOD RUGGIE 

Haha, Leona’s kind of coerced (?) into staying.

SEBEK IS HOLDING HIMSELF BACK FROM PICKING A FIGHT WITH LEONA FOR TALKING RUDELY TO/ABOUT LILIA

Malleus is nowhere to be seen. Silver goes to look around the party for him. Sebek wants to go too, but his stomach growls and he is excused to go eat.

AYYYY The Mostro Lounge is catering the party. Making their coin honestly for once! They even gave some free seafood fishes and desserts, how kind of Azul…

GOD THEY’RE BRINGING UP EPISODE 2 SO MUCH, I realize now that that’s when a lot of the characters got caught up with Diasomnia??

AHHH THE STAFF ARE AT THE PARTY TOO, I SEE SAM AND TREIN 

OH MY GOD, IS JADE REALLY FISHING LILIA FOR INFO ON MALLEUS AT HIS GOING AWAY PARTY. THIS MAN NEVER STOPS

Kind of ominous, but Lilia mentions (in response to Floyd) that he doesn’t want people (Diasomnia) to see “this side” of him. His weakness??? I’m guessing???? He doesn’t want Silver, Sebek, and Malleus to see him on his death bed???????

Not gonna lie, I fully expected Kalim to be BAWLING about Lilia going. I’m glad that he was able to be emotionally mature and hold back his sadness to see Lilia away with a smile.

Silver comes back to Lilia to report that Malleus is nowhere at the party. He then runs off to search for him. (Lilia was about to say his farewells without Malleus, but Silver raises his voice at Lilia and says that’s NOT okay to do.)

adhbVOSYDvdiabid SEBEK COMES OVER WITH HIS MOUTH CRAMMED FULL OF FOOD HE SOUNDS SO CUTE

Lilia’s age is confirmed to be roughly 700 years old. biuabo8ysdyasbiiafb SEBEK TELLS VIL AND ROOK TO STFU WHEN THEY REACT WITH SHOCK TO LILIA’S TRUE AGE.

OH????? ZIGVOLT GRANDPA NAME DROP, IT’S “BAAL”???????? Not sure if that’s how you spell it, but it is pronounced like “Baul”.

Malleus is confirmed to have ancestors that were actual dragons. It seems that dragon fae are indeed a cross between dragons and fairies.

For dragon fae, 200 years is considered still a baby/child, 500 is still young, and 1000 is an adult.

Lilia says that his own species can live up to 1000 years, but that due to his own recklessness his age is starting to catch up to him sooner than anticipated. Sooo… 1000 years is the maximum lifespan for Lilia’s species (~80ish years old average for humans), but Malleus’s species appears to live longer (since 1000 seems to be like a dragon fae’s 18-year old equivalent).

At this point, I realize all the first years are not included in the dorm meetings with Lilia. Pretty sure they will get their own segment later (from future Raven: yes, they do).

DFNADLIBYABILFIAAFB CUT TO IDIA’S ROOM, ORTHO’S TRYING TO WAKE HIM UP FOR LILIA’S PARTY

Idia’s crying about his long-time friend Crimson Muscle quitting gaming and totally going offline (wiped his Magicam account). This is killing Idia emotionally and he cannot bring himself to go to attend the party. IDIA’S FINALLY REALIZING THE magic VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP… 

Ortho offers to find Crimson Muscle’s real identity out using his Robot Hacks??? But Idia cancels the idea because he thinks it would kill the magic to know about his friend’s irl self it’s creepy.

Idia tells Ortho to go to the celebration without him. OH MAN, THIS IS THE LOOPHOLE TO KEEP IDIA FROM GETTING CAUGHT UP IN THE (anticipated) SLEEPING SPELL MALLEUS WILL CAST.

Cut to a snow-covered Main Street, Silver has finally located Malleus.

NAUUUUR Silver is outright sobbing in front of Malleus 😭 He’s so sad about Lilia leaving, he had always intended to be by his side until the end. Lilia has still done so much for him… Lilia raised him as a single parent and Silver feels like he disappointed his dad for not fulfilling his wish (to send him off with a smile) before he left, and Silver will never have the strength nor the time to truly be worthy of Lilia in his “final moments in a foreign country” (IS THAT IMPLYING LILIA IS HEADED OFF SOMEWHERE SO NO ONE HAS TO WATCH HIM SLOWLY WITHER AWAY AND DIE… .… ….. .. …. … …. . )

B r u h Malleus just listens to Silver and says some uh… cryptic sad stuff. “Grandmother always told me that the Draconia line was blessed with great power to protect the smiles of everyone under our rule” but now Malleus is sad because even with all that power, he cannot protect what he loves most.

I think. Silver crying about his mortality and not being able to be with Lilia until the very end triggered something in Malleus.

OH NO YABAI YABAIIIIII MALLEUS THINKS ABOUT HOW HE SHOULD DO ANYTHING IN HIS POWER TO PREVENT HIS LOVED ONES FROM GOING AWAY… He then crazy laughs and poofs himself and Silver off, which is followed by a ton more blot pooling. NOT A GOOD SIGN AT ALL.

Cut back to the party on that ominous note 🙂

ORTHO IS FINALLY AT THE PARTY, EVERYONE POP THE BOTTLES

I’m so glad Grim is fucking eating well, he deserves it!!!

OH MAN ORTHO CAME SO CLOSE TO FIGURING OUT LILIA IS CRIMSON MUSCLE……… ….… .… . .. .

IHDBAYOBFOY8QEFQB LILIA IS SUPER INTO HIS BERRY JUICE????? It’s like his alcohol, I swear…

Yup, I was right adhabildsbasda Lilia’s hanging out with the first years, thanking Jack for episode 2, talking about VDC with Epel, etc. His dad energy is really coming out strong, he imparts wise words to Jack and Epel.

Okay, so it looks like the Land of Crimson Long doesn’t…???? Have???? Internet?????? HUH???? So no gaming for Lilia… RIP IDIA HIS GAMING BUDDY REALLY IS GOING BYEBYE FOREVER

Aw, Lilia thanks Yuu for being Malleus’s friend and says that he hopes they will continue being that for him, as Malleus still has a lot to learn.

Oh no 🤡 Yuu’s dreams are now prominently seeping into their consciousness too; they got a vision of Maleficent right after Lilia talked to them. Yuu gets briefly disoriented, which concerns Adeuce and make the group think about leaving the party early since they already greeted the host.

Lilia offers a comment that makes me rethink the “Silver and Yuu are somehow tied” theories 🤔 Basically, Lilia thought Yuu was falling asleep standing up like Silver??? Which. Could just be a one-off comment, but what if it means something more…? Does Silver actually also have those prophetic Disney movie dreams????? 👁️

NAUR THEY MENTIONED EPISODE 2 AGAIN MY BELOATHED A DHOBYISDBdpgeophfasp Adeuce remember Lilia helping them during the stampede incident!! They’re sad because they never had a chance to repay him, and now Lilia is up and leaving… but Lilia says it’s okay, they can repay him by helping out Sebek (who is still struggling to get along with others due to his attitude).

LMAO Ace is all like, “no one at this school is the type to kindly offer their hand to help”, and barely anyone will accept that help either. Methinks this smells like setting up some foreshadowing for when the tables get turned when the conflict gets resolved.

ADFHBFADIYLFAIQFEILADFAD THERE’S AN AWKWARD ASS SCENE WHERE SEBEK IS FORCED TO FACE THE OTHER FIRST YEARS (Ortho included, yay!!) AND TRYING TO… JUST BE CIVIL…………… … . .… . ….… . . (spoiler: Sebek fails, he calls them all shallow–)

The first years are interrupted by Crowley announcing that it’s time for Lilia to go now. Wait, so soon?????? It felt like the party only just got started… SILVER AND MALLEUS AREN’T EVEN BACK YET????????

Of course, Sebek tries to stop Lilia from departing before Malleus and Silver come back.

Lilia gives a big speech to everyone about his time at NRC, asking Sebek to communicate this same message to the other two later. Lilia first got invited to NRC 500 years ago but had no interest in enrolling until Malleus was later invited as well. Aw… Lilia says he’s grateful he was able to spend three years with everyone 🥺

Right as Lilia finishes?????? Who should arrive but Malleus and Silver in a burst of green flames!! (From the sound effects, it sounds like there was also a strong wind blowing.) Their eyes are red, and they’re covered in snow. Lilia wonders if Silver has been crying (yes, he has).

OH MY GOD MALLEUS SAID THE THING, HE SAID IT. It’s basically his equivalent to Maleficent’s “Well, quite a glittering assemblage. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and … how quaint. Even the rabble,” line.

Malleus apologizes for his tardiness; he says he was mulling over what gift to bring (even though the invitations Lilia sent out said “no gift required”). HIS WORDING IS SO FUCKING SUS, HE’S LIKE, “I wasn’t sure what gift to give to you (Lilia)”, then changes it and says “to you all/everyone”. Finally, he settled on bestowing a blessing on them for this special occasion.

IT’S HAPPENING IT’S HAPPENING OH NO 🤡 Malleus tells everyone in attendance that there’s no need for them to feel sad or worry about anyone leaving anymore… It’s no longer a celebration of farewell, but the celebration of a new beginning, for he will send them into a world where no one will lose anything–not friends, nor family.

ORTHO BABY MY BELOVED 😭 He senses a really fast blot accumulation and warns the guests to evacuate!!

There’s a battle here (Crowley allows it) and if you thought the episode 6 battles were bad, YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHING YET. Malleus has like 300,000 health and regens a ridiculous amount of health. I think it’s a scripted loss???

Ooooh, I think Lilia’s deteriorating magic is legit?? He tries to stop Malleus but can’t because his magic isn’t manifesting. (I can’t think of a reason why he would restrain himself from spellcasting when the family he loves is in very real danger and lashing out at his school companions.) NO MALLEUS DOnmT CALL LilLIA PITIFUL ShUT UP

SHIT’S HITTING THE FAN, MALLEUS IS LOSING IT, HE’S SHOUTING AT EVERYONE, DIASOMNIA IS SHOUTING BACK (Silver and Sebek are just. GOD. Silver tells Lilia to get away, he realizes that Malleus is not being himself… Sebek’s trying to calm Malleus down but of course it isn’t doing ANYTHING.)

“IM DOING THIS SO I WON’T LOSE YOU!!!” – Malleus to Lilia

NOOOOO

NOOOOOOOO OO O O O O OOOOOO OO O O O O O OO OOO

Malleus unique magic reveal!!! “Fae of Maleficence” (in Kanji, it is written as “The Blessing”). We get the chant too!! “Spin the thread of disaster on the spinning wheel of Fate. For I, the King (/Ruler) of the Abyss, shall bestow it upon you.” EPISODE TITLE DROP??????

Thorns engulf the whole island and send everyone into slumber… Students, staff, Grim, Ortho (the robot), and it seems even Yuu. RSA is most likely fucked too 😔

I think Idia is probably spared since he’s still in Ignihyde, which is considered a pocket dimension of its own outside of the island??? (Malleus’s magic probably loses range after the pocket dimension of Diasomnia and Sage’s Island?) So it really IS up to him to be the hero…

IMAGINE IDIA STEPPING OUT OF HIS ROOM AND HE SEES ALL OF THIS. THIS IS EXACTLY WHY HE BARELY LEAVES, THERE’S ALMOST ALWAYS SOME CATASTROPHIC WORLD-ENDING SHIT GOING ON WHEN HE DOES.

OH SHIT MALLEUS OVERBLOT ALREADY?!?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?!!! IT’S ONLY LIKE PART 37, MY DUDE

afhalidbasbda WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE A SEASICK VAMPIRE WITH THE SLICKED BACK HAIR AND CAPE AND WEIRD TINTED SKIN (Yes, I know it’s meant to look like Maleficent’s skin color but it still looks weird to me 💦)

“All of you will become heroes in a fairy tale” HUH, KINDA SUS THERE, MALLEUS. (It’s probably just referring to Malleus seeing them dreaming as putting them in a better place than in reality???) This makes me think of the line he says in early marketing/promo of the game… “Come, let me show you to the true happy end” or something.

QEFIYQGUP9F9AFPBAOF;OA IGEBAD MALLEUS STOP HUMMING “ONCE UPON A DREAM”, TRHIS ISN’T A HAPPY OR NOSTALGIC MOMENT THIS IS ACTUAL HELL

HFIYBFFIF;OAF;  THAT’S WAS AN ABRUPT ENDING, IT JUST CUT BACK TO THE OPENING SCREEN WITH THE TWISTED WONDERLAND LOGO

Um. Well. That was… wild 🥲 I feel like not a lot actually happened, and yet EVERYTHING happened at the same time…?? I definitely was NOT expecting Malleus’s Overblot to come this soon, but I did expect the sleeping spell (curse?) to be cast since the party setup was very similar to the one in Sleeping Beauty. I super enjoyed Lilia interacting with all the different dorms; the fact that everyone is coming together in spite of their differences already shows tremendous growth in the entire cast. Then they had to rip out our hearts with the dramatic escalation…… ……… …… ….. .… .… . ..

THIS IS GOING TO BE REAL AWKWARD BECAUSE THE YEAR III TWST ANNI WILL SHOW MALLEUS AND LILIA POSING HAPPILY WITH THE OTHER THIRD YEARS MEANWHILE EVERYONE IS SUFFERING IN THE MAIN STORY UPDATES.

SDBSIHP9DBBHDyodVS The “it’s a dream” theory is seeming more and more real by the second… Early on in the update, Malleus related Gao-Gao Dragon-kun, a virtual character, to his current plight, saying that it would be better if a character that exists in a fictional world could exist forever??? And we know that Gao-Gao and the TWST boys live in a world where time advances and changes things (episode 7 opened with acknowledgement of Lilia losing his magic and the fourth year internships; ie everyone is “moving on” like how Gao-Gao does at the end of every month). Then Malleus has a lot of dialogue about how everyone will be protagonists of a fairy tale, how he will show them to a happy ending… PLUS THE OMINOUS ENDING WHERE HE BOOTS YOU TO THE MAIN SCREEN OF THE GAME?????? The part of the story when he casts his unique magic is also called “Forced Game Over” which seems oddly specific; why the forth-wall breaking title???? (It’s in the same vein as the title having “Wonderland” being an allusion to Alice’s Wonderland being just her dream.) AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THE VAGUE CONNECTION BETWEEN SILVER AND YUU’S DREAMING… What does this all mean????????

Malleus and Lilia are both trending–F

[bones4thecats]

A/N: This guy is one of my favorite Gods in Record of Ragnarok to write for, I also like Apollo and Thor, maybe Odin as well. Anyways, I added my own little twist to this prompt to make it fit a bit better with the reader. Now, I hope you enjoy this @yey56, and thank you for the request!!

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🔱 Poseidon never expected this to happen.

🔱 He had thrived his whole life, living perfectly fine without any human's life interfering, until you showed up.

🔱 Hades had called upon his three younger brothers, Adamas, Poseidon, and Zeus about a soul of a young mortal female soul who had somehow, without his knowledge, escaped the river STYX.

🔱 His eldest brother's guards dragged you in per his command, and Zeus immediately looked at you with hearts in his eyes.

🔱 " Damn idiot. " Poseidon thought, watching his youngest brother stare at you, his intentions obviously horrible inside.

" Poseidon! "

🔱 The Tyrant of the Sea may have looked in the opposite direction, but everyone knew he was listening to the ramblings of Adamas.

🔱 His main focus was on the deceased maiden seated at the table's opposite end, glancing around the large room, waiting for one of the male gods to ask her about her escape.

🔱 Hades' gaze shifted from his youngest brother, Zeus, to you, looming before tapping his eye piece and asking you the question you were awaiting.

" How did you escape from the river STYX? "

🔱 You pondered for a moment, your memory was quite limited, the main things flying through your head was your childhood and eventual death, then, the exact things he asked you popped up.

🔱 You shifted as the guards stiffened, probably believing you were gonna try attacking the brothers, which you knew would be fruitless, as one was staring at you with heart-eyes, one glared, another stared with curiosity in his one visible eye, and the last basically looked into your soul.

🔱 Poseidon was the least patient at the moment, and he was close to yelling at you to answer them, but he stopped himself when your mouth opened to answer Hades' question.

" My memory isn't the best as of now, but, by what I can ponder up, I had died and, for some random reason, reached up for breath, as if I was drowning, and pulled myself out of the river,"

🔱 " I guess my body wasn't ready to die yet, huh? " You joked

🔱 The brothers just stared, and at that point, you glanced at Zeus, and he just smiled the creepiest smile you had ever seen in history, way beyond any image someone could use to scare you.

🔱 Adamas just looked at Hades and asked what they were to do with you, in which he answered with a fairly bland and further pondering question.

" We will have to find someone to watch over her for the time being. I would allow her to stay here, but, I am not sure what may happen if another soul sees her as they vanish down here. Adamas, could you take her in? " " Nope. I got quite a bit of stuff happening at the moment, brother. I would if I could, sorry. " " Zeus? " " Glad- " " I will. "

🔱 All heads snapped to the sound of Poseidon's voice ringing through the dining room.

🔱 Had he just said he's take in a human? For real?

" Um, Poseidon, Zeus was just saying- "

🔱 " I will take the human to my castle underneath the ocean's waves, we all know what Zeus would do to the mortal when she arrives at his residence. " He said, glaring in the direction, but not fully looking at the younger, yet elderly appearing, brother.

🔱 Hades smiled faintly before nodding to his guards while Poseidon motioned for his to grab you before nodding to his brother and saying his farewells as he, you, and his guards walked out of the castle of Helheim.

🔱 Once arriving at his castle, your eyes widened and sparkled with admiration for the beautiful building.

🔱 Poseidon stared back at you, seeing the vert obvious awestruck face you had on.

🔱 He motioned for his guards to return to their placements in the castle as he gave you a miniature tour around the building so you'd know your way to certain rooms, like yours, the throne room, dining room, and more.

🔱 " And this, " He said, " Is your new room. I had the maids get it cleaned and ready to befit you from what Hades had mentioned in his letter about you. "

🔱 You smiled at him, thanked him, and before retreating into your room to get ready for dinner that night, you asked him a question just about as interesting as Hades had been.

" Why did you decided to take me in? You could've left me for dead with your brother. "

🔱 Poseidon stood there and held his trident, the blades pointing to the ground, for once in his life, he really had no answer. He had no clue why he did this.

🔱 But maybe, just maybe, over that night, and many years to come, he'd figure it out

🔱 Newsflash, he does.

[merchelsea]

can we go back? - oscar piastri

pairing: oscar piastri x fem!bestfriend!reader

summary: you and oscar decided to take a step forward on your friendship to become more and maybe that wasn't the right thing to do.

author’s note: i love oscar i had to write him

warnings: friends to lovers but also idiots who fell in love and can’t deal with it

masterlist

THURSDAY as you stood before the grand mirror in your room, you hurried to complete your makeup before oscar arrived. preparing for your first date was no easy task, especially when you were going out with your childhood best friend.

during all the years you spent together, that was the first time he actually seemed interested in being more than friends. it turns out he'd been harboring a crush on you since high school, though he had hidden it well.

you were filled with excitement, but a tiny part of you was also gripped by fear, worrying that things might go wrong.

you couldn’t give that thought space to grow into you, but it was there, in the back of your mind.

sooner than expected, there was a knock on your bedroom door, and when you opened it, you were greeted by a bouquet of white roses, your first ever. "oh my god, oscar, these are so beautiful. thank you," you smiled, genuinely touched. oscar was dressed in a white long-sleeved button-up shirt and beige shorts, looking as handsome as ever.

"you're welcome. I know these are your favorites, so I thought..." he began to explain, somewhat nervously. "well, I'm glad you like them," he finished, handing you your purse as you both prepared to head downstairs.

after finding a vase and placing the roses in water, you bid farewell to your mom and left the house. oscar had chosen to take you to lunch, a familiar choice to make the date feel less strange. there was no room for strangeness, not after taking this step forward.

upon arriving at the restaurant, the waitress promptly approached your table, leaving little room for conversation. you both ordered drinks first and decided to select your meals later.

you tried to get into every topic you could think of, both of you making an effort to keep a conversation, but it was just weird. it didn’t feel right. oscar looked like a whole different person.

you tried to engage in various topics, each of you making an effort to keep the conversation going, but something felt off. oscar seemed different, like a changed person. he was nervous, his usual habits absent. this wasn't the oscar you knew.

you wondered what might be going on in his mind but couldn't come up with a reasonable answer. finally, the waitress returned to take your food orders, but your meal was consumed in an uncomfortable silence.

it was frustrating to be sitting across from your best friend, sharing a meal in such awkward silence. "this is so strange," oscar commented once the waitress collected your empty plates. you nodded and managed a smile. "I'll pay, just to make up for putting you through this." he offered, reaching for his black leather wallet.

"no, you won´t." you protested, taking out your wallet as well, but he managed to snatch it away from you. "yes, I will!" he grinned.

after paying, he walked you home. in front of your door you invited him to come in, and he declined but stopped you from getting in as well.

after paying, oscar walked you home. at your doorstep, you invited him inside, but he declined, though he stopped you from entering as well. "hey, I'm sorry for this. maybe asking you out on a date wasn't a good idea..." he began, and your heart raced, fearing the break. "maybe I messed everything up," he continued, running his fingers through his hair. his words came out in a rapid stream, and you had to piece together the meaning. "not that I don't like you; I love you, but... this date didn't go as I expected."

love. he loves you. that was all your heart could hear and before you knew it you were smiling like an idiot.

“I don’t know what got into you but you were not my oscar in there.” you point your finger in the streets direction.

"I was trying to impress you, I don't even know. lando gave me some tips, and I just followed them. I guess it didn't work." the british might be skilled with women, but you didn't love oscar for his ability to please the opposite sex. you loved him for his care, his lousy jokes that always made you laugh, his habit of crossing his legs, and how he always maintained eye contact.

“oscar, I fell in love with my best friend, not with lando’s tips.” you took his hand into yours and with the other one, removed his sunglasses. “if you wanted to impress me you could’ve just been yourself.”

he squeezed your hand and remained silent while looking into your eyes. the sentence "i fell in love" playing in loop inside of his head.

"fell in love?" with his free hand he tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"fell in love, osc." you placed your hand on top of his and caressed it with your thumb.

oscar smiled as much as he could before leaning in. he looked deeply into your eyes, just as your mother appeared, wondering why the door had been left open for so long.

"oh, I'm sorry. I just- you two continue whatever you were doing." she rushed in with a grin planted on her lips, as she had been fantasizing about the two of you getting married since he took you to prom.

"oh my god." oscar laughs. "she's going to call my mum." you chuckled. "she absolutely is."

you both stood in an akward silence for a while, uncertain whether to pick up where you left off or not.

"i should probably go." oscar said, not wanting to but feeling the need to.

"yeah, you probably should." agreeing was the last thing you wanted to do, but what more could you do? "when will you leave for the US?" you asked, trying to make sence of the timeline.

"this sunday. my flight is at 4 p.m." you nodded, and he indicated his intention to leave. your mind wanted to stop him, but your body felt paralyzed.

"well, goodbye, osc."

"goodbye, y/n."

SUNDAY you rushed into your car, determined to get there as quickly as possible. making a last-minute decision was already risky, but this one was even riskier. if you missed this opportunity due to overthinking, you'd never forgive yourself.

oscar would be leaving in thirty minutes, and with the distance between your house and the airport, you were unlikely to make it on time.

but what would this world be without a little faith? you had to believe.

that "believing" might result in a few traffic violations for running red lights and overtaking where you sh(c)ouldn't, but you were undeterred. when you finally reached the airport, you rushed inside, scanning for a papaya-colored shirt, not even certain if he was wearing one.

your watch displayed 4:46 p.m., and you quickly realized you wouldn't find your long time bestfriend anywhere. you reluctantly accepted defeat and returned to your car; you were too late.

closing the door of your bmw, you heard a brake noise coming from your left and shoot your head in that direction. your eyes fell over a papaya colored shirt and its owner. oscar was right there.

you immediately hopped out of the car and hurried toward him. he was beginning to sprint, trying to catch that plane, so you yelled his name before it was too late again.

the McLaren driver turned to face you, initially looking puzzled but breaking into a smile once he realized it was you. "what the hell are you doing here?" he asked, walking toward you. you wrapped your arms around him in a tight hug.

"I need to talk to you," you whispered, and he closed his eyes, savoring the moment. realizing he had indeed missed his flight, you both decided to head to a coffee shop a short distance from the airport. oscar ordered a much-needed coffee, and you asked for a bottle of water.

"you don't want anything to eat?" he asked again.

"if I eat now, I might throw up," you replied, your nerves being a wrcking mess on your system. the thought of almost kissing him and then not speaking to him left you in turmoil. you couldn't help but imagine what life would be like without him, and it was a depressing thought.

"you can't get into that plane without having a proper conversation about what happened." you demanded, panic evident in your voice. "what would you do if you hadn't lost it? never talk to me again?"

you knew he could never do such thing, but the mere thought of that made you sick to your stomach. he remained silent, not wanting to overstep.

"why the hell did you leave, that day?" you asked, bewildered.

"why the hell did you let me leave?" he retorted.

"i couldn't stop you."

"you know you could. one word and i would have came back. you know that."

"it didn't seem like you wanted to stay." you replied, a hint of frustration in your voice.

emotions were running high, and no matter how heated the words felt, you were getting closer and closer, with onlookers easily sensing that this was not a "I'm going to slap you" kind of proximity.

"I damn sure wanted to," he admitted, his eyes shifting between your eyes and your mouth. your eyes betrayed you when they did the same.

as the emotional tension grew between you and the papaya driver, the coffee shop around you seemed to fade into the background. the undeniable chemistry and connection you shared couldn't be ignored any longer.

without another word, you closed the distance between you, capturing oscar's lips with yours. the kiss was filled with all the unspoken words, the longing, and the pent-up emotions from the past. it was a moment of pure clarity, a confirmation of the love that had been silently brewing for years.

when you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless and wide-eyed, caught up in the electrifying moment. it was a defining point in your relationship, marking the transition from best friends to something deeper and more profound.

[ppomumgranatum]

when time runs out, what comes after?

Available on Ao3

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC; Ominis Gaunt x Anne Sallow

tags: one shot, you POV, post-Hogwarts life

word count: 6.9k

Warnings: 🔞 angst as fuck, use of profanities, smut, 18+ explicit sexual content, adult characters, mild fingering, grief sex?

Summary: Because time is like a relentless river that will eventually run its course. Yet, amidst the uncertainty of what lay ahead, you found solace in the knowledge that new beginnings awaited. And you can’t wait to start your new journey with Sebastian.

Notes: I was watching FB and somehow Queenie and Jacob reminded me of Ominis and Anne. Then it led me into thinking about what life could've been for our MC and it got me feeling sappy as fuck like???? Tbh idk what this is? but enjoy it, anyway.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the quaint hamlet of Feldcroft, the autumn breeze enveloped the village in a serene embrace. The sky was painted with hues of orange, pink, and purple as if nature itself was bidding farewell to the day in a grand display of colours.

Over the years after the quaint little village was free from the gruesome terror enacted by goblins and dark wizards, Feldcroft has beautifully regained its liveliness.

In the centre of it all, a lively marketplace had sprung up, illuminated by the soft glow of lanterns and fairy lights. Stallholders peddled their wares– handcrafted jewellery, knitted scarves, jars of homemade preserves– their voices mingling with the laughter and chatter of the crowd.

The place that Sebastian once called home now truly feels like home.

His childhood house is now occupied by Ominis and his sister Anne. His best friend had promised that when they graduated, he would stay with Anne and take care of her with whatever time she had left. That was three years ago, and they’ve been living together ever since. Meanwhile, you and Sebastian found purpose living in the city. Your careers are thriving and you found solace in each other's company, living in a little space you happily share.

After your triumph over Ranrok, you had managed to gradually learn how to wield your ancient magic to its potential. Although you’ve not truly mastered how to completely cure diseases or curses yet, you found a way to somehow ease it. And that’s what you’ve been doing for Anne. Your effort managed to give more years to her life, hoping one day you would eventually master your magic to cure her.

You and Sebastian would regularly visit Feldcroft to do your mending routine on Anne, and this weekend was one of the occasions.

The breeze enveloping the hamlet felt like a gentle caress as it danced through the narrow path you were sharing with Sebastian. You were returning home after a quick grocery trip to the marketplace, accompanied by your boyfriend, who gallantly carried the grocery bag with one arm while the other was wrapped around you.

When you entered the house, Ominis and Anne were seated at the dining table, already eagerly awaited for your arrival. Your brows furrowed at the sudden lively greeting from the couple, “What’s going on?”

“There’s something we’d like to share.” The grin on Anne’s face was suspicious yet delightful.

“Come, have a seat.” Ominis’ tone was rushing the both of you to do as he said.

You and Sebastian quickly exchanged glances, feeling just a tad worried at what the other two had in mind, before finally doing what Ominis had asked.

After Sebastian put aside the grocery bag on the table, Anne quickly grasped his brother’s hand with that grin that has yet to dissipate, “You guys are freaking me out. What’s going on?” Sebastian said.

“Okay, Ominis and I were talking and we’ve been thinking about this for quite some time now..” Anne began slowly, “We have decided that..”

“We want to get married..” Ominis quickly picked up on Anne’s sentence, tone filled with excitement.

“Oh my god!” You exclaimed, equally excited, “That's wonderful news.”

“..Tomorrow.” Anne completed the sentence that was apparently unfinished.

“What?” The tone of Sebastian’s voice dropped, “What do you mean tomorrow?”

“As in the day after today, Sebastian.” She clarified like Sebastian was a Flobberworm.

“Yes, I know what tomorrow means.” He was ticked off by the treatment, “But what– how– why so soon?”

“Why not?” Anne sounded disappointed that Sebastian wasn’t as excited.

“Are you pregnant?” Sebastian bluntly and inconsiderately shot his chance.

“What?!”

“Sebastian!”

“No, I am not!”

Sebastian's face winced at the overlapping aggravation that came out of everyone, “What? It’s a valid question.”

“You don’t think it’s a good idea?” The timbre in Anne’s voice made you feel bad for her.

“Of course, I think it’s a fantastic idea to get married.” He was quick to reassure her, trying not to sound lacking in spirit, "But don't you want more time to prepare for something like this?"

Anne sighed softly, her disappointment evident as she exchanged a glance with Ominis, who seemed equally deflated by Sebastian's response, "It's just.. we've been together for quite some time now." Anne began, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "And we don't want to wait any longer than we have to."

“And it’s not like we got a selection of family to invite.” Ominis added, “You guys are our family.”

Sebastian’s turned to you like he was looking for an extra pillar of certainty. And his expression softened with understanding dawning in his eyes when he was met with your supportive smile.

“I’m sorry,” He tightened his grip on his sister’s hands, “I didn’t mean to dampen your excitement. If this is what you both want, then I’m behind you one hundred percent.”

You nodded in agreement, "We're here for you, whatever you need. And if tomorrow is the day you want to have a wedding, then we'll make sure it's perfect."

Anne's face brightened at your words, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you," she said softly, her voice filled with emotion.

“I can’t believe tomorrow you’re going to be Mr. and Mrs. Gaunt.” You're basically kicking and giggling at the thought of your two best friends finally sharing their names.

“Sallow.” Ominis corrected, “It’s going to be Mr. and Mrs. Sallow.”

Sebastian couldn’t help but smile ear-to-ear, “That sounds even better.”

Everyone seemed to be filled with joy at the decision. But you understood where Sebastian’s suspicion stemmed from. If they were so worried about waiting, why not three years ago? And if there wasn't any particular urgency, why does it have to be tomorrow?

While everyone was exchanging joyous hoots and gazes, your eyes met with Anne’s and you almost didn’t notice that tiny twinge of gloom behind the yawning grin on her face. But it was there, ever so subtle. The sight gave you a small discomfort but you didn’t want to ruin the mood.

So you pushed the thought aside and were ready to get on with the dinner you promised everyone you’d prepare. There’s no room for anything but delight when a celebration awaits everyone tomorrow.

-

Since the wedding practically only had an invitation for two, naturally, you became the maid of honour. Today your service and dedication were solely in the courtesy of Anne Sallow to make sure that you had everything perfectly prepared for her.

As the bride settled into the chair in front of the vanity, you stood behind her, ready to assist with her makeover. With gentle hands, you brushed through the thinned and fragile strands of her hair, feeling the delicate strands beneath your touch. Taking Anne's fragile hair into account, you opted for a gentle half-up, half-down that would be both elegant and comfortable. Soft tendrils framed her face, lending a touch of romance to the look without adding any unnecessary strain.

Once it was arranged to perfection you moved onto her makeup, selecting colours that would enhance her natural beauty without overpowering her delicate features. You couldn't help but notice the prominence of her cheekbones like a stark reminder of the weight loss she had endured. Her complexion, though still beautiful, lacked the healthy flush of vitality it once held.

While you were intently putting your best work into Anne, both of you shared jokes and stories to accompany the duty. She had a way of making even the most mundane moments feel effortless and joyful. Her laughter was infectious, and her ability to find humour in any situation never failed to lift my spirits. Despite everything she had endured, Anne's eyes still sparkled with a glimmer of mischief and resilience.

As you shared laughter and fond memories, Anne suddenly clutched her abdomen, her face contorted in pain. Your heart skipped a beat as you realised the source of her distress—it was the curse. With a surge of panic, you hurried to grab your wand and kneeled beside the chair where she was sitting. Anne attempted to contain the pain at first, her efforts were evident in the furrow of her brow and the tight grip of her hands on her abdomen. But soon, the intensity became too much to bear, and despite her best efforts, a soft yet pained groan escaped her lips.

You had one hand holding hers, allowing her to clutch into yours while your other hand began to work your wand, channelling your ancient magic to help her ease the pain. Your heart clenched at the sound of her agony and your hands trembled with fear.

“Hang in there, Anne..” Your voice provided soothing comfort. You could tell the magic was slowly doing its work as the grip on your hand loosened and Anne regained control of her breathing, “I’m here..”

You stayed by her side, hand never leaving hers like a silent comfort as the magic continued to work its healing touch. After Anne's strength gradually returned, she managed to open her eyes and gave you a knowing smile, “I’m alright now.. Thank you.”

You put down your wand so both of your hands can grasp into hers. Worry still settled over you. It was only yesterday since you did your mending on Anne. The effect would usually last her a month– or two even when she was doing so well. But for it to not even last twenty-four hours meant the curse was only getting stronger, and your magic was becoming futile.

“How long?” You began to ask. Your voice was soft but still laced with anguish.

Anne let out a heavy sigh before answering, “Almost six months now..” Her breathing was still a little bit unsteady, "I’ve noticed the effects have been getting shorter and shorter.”

“Oh, Anne.. why didn’t you tell me.” Your heart ached even more knowing she must have endured it on her own.

“I didn’t know how to.” She admitted.

As a deep sense of despair washed over you, you couldn't help but grasp the gravity of the circumstances. Meeting her gaze, you glimpsed a reflection of your own emotions mirrored in her eyes. While kneeling beside her, you took a moment to observe the woman before you, her faint smile betraying the anguish she must have been enduring.

How awful it must’ve been to pretend everything was fine while she was crumbling inside.

“Does Ominis know?”

She nodded, “Not long ago.” Anne didn’t have to say it, but now you understand the underlying reason for the impulse on the wedding, "I tried to hide it for a while, but that man knows me too well not to find out something was wrong."

"How are you feeling?" You gently asked like a fragile little petal that she was. There were layers of concern in your voice.

She hesitated for a moment like she was contemplating whether to share the truth, "Not so good." disappointment coloured both her expression and tone, “I knew it couldn’t cure me. But I truly thought it would still last me forever, you know.”

“I know..” Your thumb caressing the back of her hand, "I thought so, too."

She let out a heavy sigh, "Well, it was good while it lasted."

“Have you told Sebastian?"

"Not yet. Not today," she said, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I just want to get married to the man that I love and pretend, at least for this day, that I am not withering."

You felt a surge of empathy for Anne. Despite her hardships, there was a quiet determination in her voice. She just wished to find joy amidst the challenges she faced.

"You don't have to pretend with us."

"I know that." She smiled softly, "But it makes me feel a little bit better. Just for today."

She lifted her trembling hand to gently stroke your hair. And when her eyes met yours, the sorrow that reigned over her eyes pierced through you, shattering your heart into a million pieces.

"You have no idea how grateful I am that Sebastian's questionable behaviour ended up being the thing that brought you two together.” You chuckled at her remarks, and the twitch in your eyes finally allowed the tears that had been so desperate to fall to cascade down your cheeks, "And I'm grateful to have found a sister in you."

At that moment, neither of you could hold back the tears any longer. The floodgates of emotion burst open, releasing a torrent of tears that had been held back. Amidst the overwhelming grief, there was also a profound sense of gratitude for the strength you had found in the brief but powerful bond you shared with her.

"You can fight this." You choked out, "Please.. Just a little bit more, Anne. I'm getting better with my magic. I think I'm almost there."

"No.." She shook her head, "I don't think I can wait anymore."

You nestled your head on her lap, finding solace in her gentle touch as she continued to stroke your hair. It felt as though she was the one offering comfort.

“Promise me.” She said softly, “That you’ll watch over them when I’m not around. Merlin knows what those boys will do without supervision.”

And once more, amidst the tears and sobs, a faint chuckle escaped from both of you. It was a moment of bittersweet release.

And when you lifted your head, you met Anne's gaze with a solemn nod, though your heart felt heavy with the weight of her request. "I promise," You vowed, "I won't go anywhere. But you have to know, Anne.. I could never replace you."

“You already have.” She reached out to wipe the tears that streamed down your cheeks, “When I'm gone, they’ll have no one but you in this world. You are their family– my family. You have to understand that you mean the world to all of us.”

You took a heavy, deep breath, trying to stifle the uncontrollable sobs threatening to consume you. But it was no use– each inhale and exhale only trembled more with emotion. The thought of Sebastian and Ominis losing Anne, the person they loved, filled you with crushing despair. You couldn't bear the idea of witnessing their pain, knowing that you held the power within you to help her, if only you knew how.

Everything felt agonisingly close yet impossibly out of reach, leaving you feeling utterly helpless in the face of Anne's impending fate.

You don't want to lose her.

"I wish we had more time."

“You gave us more time when we thought there was none left. You gave me a chance to live, to love Ominis, and Sebastian..." Her voice trembled from the emotion, "You have no idea how much joy you've brought back into his life. And you've given me the gift of witnessing that happiness.” She managed to put up a smile and you wished she didn’t. Pretending was no longer necessary, and you wanted her to feel free to express her true emotions, “You have given me a lifetime. And for that, I owe you everything.”

You reached out and pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close while trying to imprint every moment of this precious connection into your memory. This could be one of the few last hugs you'd be able to share with her, and you wanted to cherish every second of it.

"Alright, that's enough tears for now," she said gently, pulling away and wiping your tears. "You've got to save it for when I'm actually dead."

“Anne!” You protested at the inappropriate joke. Although you’ve got to admit there was a mix of amusement inside of you at her attempt to lighten the mood.

“I’m sorry.” A faint smile playing on her lips.

The both of you shared a final chuckle before you set to work on redoing Anne's makeup, realising that almost everything was ruined from the intense sobbing. But you didn't mind– in fact, you welcomed the opportunity to spend more time with her, cherishing every moment you had left together.

After you finished, you picked up your wand and cast a spell on Anne's clothing. In an instant, she was adorned in a stunning white dress, radiating an ethereal beauty that took your breath away.

You took a moment to cast the same spell on your own clothes, transforming them into attire more suitable for the event. You left Anne to rest inside and headed outside to begin setting up for the ceremony this evening.

Working your wand with precision, you crafted a beautiful yet intimate setting in the confines of their backyard. Despite the limited space, you conjured an enchanting atmosphere, transforming the modest surroundings into a magical haven fit for a wedding. The flowers bloomed in colourful bursts, intertwining with lush greenery to create a picturesque backdrop for the ceremony.

Despite the simplicity of the setup, every detail was carefully curated to evoke a sense of intimacy and romance, ensuring that Anne's special day would be nothing short of unforgettable.

While you were immersed in the enchanting setup, you were surprised by the sudden embrace that came behind you, “Hello, beautiful.” Unable to resist the exposed skin from your updo hair, he planted tender kisses along your neck. Sebastian is always such a tease.

With a soft smile, you leaned into his embrace, “I’m doing something here.” you teased, but still couldn't help but enjoy the affectionate gesture.

Sebastian chuckled then nuzzled his head into your neck. His warm breath sent shivers up and down your spine, "Anything I can help with?" he whispered in your ear. You could feel his strong arms wrapped around you, holding you close.

Just as you finished with your setup, you leaned back against his strong frame, feeling completely secure in his arms. "You can be here with me, holding me."

A comfortable silence settled between the two of you, taking in the intimate moment and the romantic decor. The scene before you stirred thoughts of your own future wedding, prompting a gentle curiosity about when that moment might come.

"How's Anne doing?" Sebastian's voice broke the silence, drawing your attention.

You turned to face him, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you loop your arm around his neck, drawing him closer. "Very happy," You replied softly, "She's ready."

“Ominis is, too.” There was a mix of joy and relief in his face,“I’m so glad they finally get to have their happy ending.”

His words hit you hard. Sebastian remained unaware of the true extent of Anne’s condition. Because the happy ending he thought she’s having isn’t as perfect as it seemed.

“Are you alright?” He noticed the change in your expression.

You nodded, masking the trouble brewing inside.

“Are you sure?” He persisted. His voice sounded more concerned this time.

You wanted to confide in him, but it didn't feel right. Anne deserved to share the news with her brother herself. "I just think it's a beautiful day for a wedding," you lied.

Sebastian smiled, leaning in to give you a sweet kiss on your lips, his affectionate gesture momentarily distracting you from the weight of the secret you carried.

-

As the ceremony finally commenced, you and Sebastian stood side by side, bathed in the glow of the evening sun. The gentle breeze carried the soft rustle of leaves and the sweet scent of wildflowers, adding to the serene ambience of the outdoor setting. In the distance, the rolling hills provided a breathtaking backdrop for the intimate gathering.

Anne, radiant in her flowing white dress, walked down the aisle with grace, her eyes sparkling with love and anticipation. Ominis stood at the altar, his expression a mixture of nerves and excitement as he awaited his bride.

The sound of their vows filled the air, heartfelt and sincere, weaving a tapestry of promises and dreams for the future.

It was time for them to exchange rings. And finally, as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife, the world seemed to stand still, capturing the beauty and magic of this momentous occasion. You and Sebastian watched with pride and happiness, your hearts overflowing with love for the newlyweds.

But the joyous atmosphere shattered in an instant as Anne fell to the ground, her agonising scream piercing the air. Shock and fear gripped everyone present as they rushed to her side. The curse had struck once again.

The pain seemed to be worse than before because Anne's consciousness began to fade. Ominis lifted and carried her inside while his face etched with fear and worry. You and Sebastian followed closely as Ominis gently laid his bride on the bed.

You quickly tended to her side and began using your magic to ease her pain once again while Ominis sat beside you, holding Anne’s hand tightly in his own.

Sebastian stood by, watching his sister fighting her pain, feeling utterly helpless. Her screams tore at his heart, shredding it into pieces.

He finally began to realise the true situation of Anne’s condition.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, he stormed out of the house, his breath ragged from the onslaught of negative emotions. He wandered aimlessly, searching for a space where he could calm himself down and gather his thoughts.

-

After tending to Anne's needs and ensuring she had something to eat to regain her strength, you realised that Sebastian had been conspicuously absent. Concerned, you stepped outside and immediately knew where to find him. Following the familiar path atop the hill that overlooked the hamlet, you remembered how Sebastian always loved this spot for its breathtaking view of the village below.

Upon reaching the hilltop, you were greeted by the sight of your lover, standing at the edge and gazing out over the village. The fading light of the setting sun casted a warm glow over the landscape.

Sebastian's shoulders were tense, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he stared into the distance. You approached him quietly, the soft crunch of gravel beneath your shoes barely audible over the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.

You stood just a little bit behind him, giving him the space he needed to collect his thoughts. Despite the distance, you could feel the stress emanating from him.

"You knew, didn't you?" He finally said, breaking the silence. You expected something sharp and judgemental coming out of him, but there was none of it. His stare remained fixed in the distance.

You nodded even though he couldn't see it, "Just today."

"Did she tell you how long ago?"

You hesitated for a moment, "Six months."

Sebastian scoffed and his expression hardened, his eyes narrowing with a hint of anger. "Six fucking months," he muttered, "Why didn't she tell us sooner?"

You felt a pang of guilt at his tone, knowing that Anne's decision to keep her condition a secret had hurt him deeply, "I think she was trying to protect us."

He shook his head and his jaw clenched tightly. "Protect us?" he repeated, voice rising with emotion. "From what exactly? From the tremendous amount of pain we’re already living with every single day? We're her family, for Merlin’s sake, we should have been there for her."

You knew that Anne's silence had shaken him to the core, and the road ahead would be filled with challenges as they grappled with the consequences of her decision.

"I should’ve been there for her." The quiver of regret was evident this time, “How many times have we gone to visit her in the past six months? And not once did she mention anything. She pretended like she was alright.”

“That’s exactly why, Sebastian.” You replied gently, "She didn’t want to keep pretending. She just wanted to cherish the time she had left without constantly dwelling on her illness. By allowing her to live her life the way she wants to, we were already there for her."

“But she’s my sister.” His voice cracked with emotions.

“I know..” You murmured, feeling the weight of his pain.

Then, a single tear escaped from the corner of his eyes that was clearly betraying the emotions he struggled to contain. He instinctively turned his head, his hand moving swiftly to brush away the tear.

You wanted to give him space to be in his own vulnerability, so you stood in place.

“To think of the fact that she decided to endure it on her own..” There was so much guilt in his voice. Then he fell quiet for a moment before continuing, “It's funny, isn't it? How time seems to slip through our fingers, no matter how tightly we try to hold on."

You listened in silence, feeling the weight of his words settle over you like a heavy blanket. The realisation that time was finite– that eventually, it would run out.

"We spend our days chasing after hope, trying to cure Anne," Sebastian continued, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "But the truth is, time waits for no one. Even for those who possess magic, it marches on, indifferent to our hopes and desires."

It was the first time you’d seen Sebastian being this vulnerable. It only showed how much love he carried for his sister.

"And when it's gone," Sebastian murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, "all we're left with are the memories of what could have been– what I could’ve done for Anne.” His tone carried a sense of despair and it unsettled you deeply. It felt as though the fierce determination of a man who would move mountains to save his sister had been extinguished.

"I just wish I had done more for her," He admitted.

“Hey,” Closing the distance, you gently lifted his chin, urging him to meet your gaze with compassion while his eyes were shimmering with tears, "You've been there for her in more ways than you realise. And she knows that.” His tears flowed more freely at your comforting words. Without hesitation, you cupped his cheeks and brushed away the tears, “She’s made her choice, Sebastian. The most important thing now is to cherish the time we have left with her and make every moment count. Because you can’t go back in time, it only runs out."

As harsh as reality was, Sebastian knew you were telling him what he needed to hear. Because if you don’t make the most of your time, the only thing that will remain is regret.

“I can’t promise you that it will be easy," you continued. "But I can promise you that I'll be here every step of the way."

He closed his eyes, leaning into your touch as if seeking refuge in your warmth. Taking your hand, he pressed a tender kiss to your palm before meeting your gaze, "I don't know what I'd do without you." He whispered,

"You won't have to find out." You replied with a reassuring smile.

Sebastian's eyes held yours, filled with gratitude and a hint of vulnerability. In that shared moment, you both understood the depth of your connection and the support you offered each other.

Then he pulled you into a tight embrace and you yielded to his warmth, feeling the comforting strength of his arms around you. Resting your head against his chest, you listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a reassuring cadence amidst the uncertainty that surrounded you.

He fell quiet for a moment. Stroking your hair with one hand while the other rubs your back with comfort.

“Thank you.” He finally said.

“What for?”

“Everything.” He whispered as he reflected on how different things could have been for Anne, and how her current happiness was beyond anything he had dared to hope for. “If you asked me five years ago what life would be like for Anne today, I’d say she’d be long gone and buried deep in the ground. I never thought I’d see her get married. This is all happening because of you.”

“You know I would do anything for Anne.” You replied softly.

He pulled away to meet your gaze, “And I would do anything for you.”

There was something special about the way he looked at you, the way his dark eyes were captivated by yours. The warmth of his embrace and the tenderness in his touch made you feel cherished in that moment.

It felt like the world had faded away, leaving just the two of you in a bubble of intimacy. Everything else ceased to exist as you were enveloped by his presence, captivated by the depth of his gaze and the warmth of his embrace.

Sebastian drew nearer, his eyes locking onto yours with intensity. His hand trailed through your hair, tenderly caressing your cheek as he leaned in closer. The sensation of his chest against yours sent your heart into a flurry of anticipation.

It was kind of funny to you, how this man could still make your heart flutter in the most exciting ways ever even after sharing hundreds of kisses.

Right before his lips touched yours, he paused, looking at you intently. The intimacy grew with each passing second as he leaned closer until finally connecting his lips to yours.

Sebastian's touch was sensual, yet tender. There was a delicate balance of passion and tenderness in his kiss. His lips felt warm and inviting, like the gentle warmth of a summer in the middle of the cold autumn breeze.

The kiss deepened and the intensity rose with every passing second. Lost in the kiss, you could feel all the worries and stresses of life wash away– like maybe Anne wasn’t dying, or Ominis wasn’t about to face his worst heartbreak, and Sebastian wasn’t going to lose his sister, and all that was left was the warmth of his touch.

As the weight of everything going on amplified the intensity of your emotions, it also seemed to intensify your desire, heightening every sensation, every touch, every whisper of longing. It was as if the urgency of the moment fueled the fire burning between you and Sebastian.

You didn’t want this to end. You wished you could live in whatever intoxicating illusion this feeling was.

The kiss went on and Sebastian tightened his grip, pulling you closer to him. The sensation of his lips and the heat of his body pressed up against you had your mind spinning. Every touch of his lips on yours was more arousing than the last.

The heat was becoming too intense, and you wanted more.

Sebastian continued to explore your body with his hands, grazing his fingers along your curves. He moved his hands upwards towards your chest and your breath hitched at his touch.

Despite the lust that was slowly eating away your rational thinking, deep inside, in the back of your mind, you had a sudden realisation. Sebastian’s griefing and this felt like an unhealthy outlet. The guilt weighed on your mind but the brunette began trying to unzip your dress.

“Sebastian..” You pulled away and whispered breathlessly against his lips, “You’re grieving.”

He shook his head, “I want you..” He put trails of kisses along your jaw and neck, making everything even more irresistible.

You bit your lip. “Not like this.”

“Please..” He whispered in your ear and you couldn’t hold the soft moan that escaped your lips.

The sensation of Sebastian's kisses sent shivers down your spine, his breath hot on your skin. You tried your best to resist him, but it was becoming too much to bear. And when his hand slid under your dress and touched your heat, temptation took over you and your body yielded under his touch.

“Fuck.. Sebastian.”

"I know you want me, too," He whispered. Your body betrayed your words as you grew wetter with desire. The sensation of his touch on your clit, using your own fluids as a lubricant, sent waves of pleasure through you. At that moment, you no longer wanted him to stop.

Your body responded instinctively to Sebastian's touch. Your back arched into his hand as pleasure washed over you and your hips rolled around to the movement of his finger. Giving in to the pleasure, your eyelids fluttered shut and your head fell backwards.

As Sebastian kissed your collarbone, your dress slipped off your shoulder, exposing more of your skin and eventually revealing your breasts.

Sebastian groaned softly at the sight before him, unable to resist the temptation of your hardened nipple. With eager anticipation, he lowered his lips to take it into his mouth, his fingers continuing their skilful movements. The combination of his touch and his lips against your skin sent your senses reeling.

Your moans were like music to his ears. With each gasp and whimper that escaped your lips, his craving only intensified, driving him to seek out more ways to please you, “Oh darling, I can’t take it anymore.”

He pulled away, allowing your dress to fall to your feet with a soft rustle of fabric. With gentle yet firm hands, he lifted you, then carefully guided you to lie down on the ground beneath you.

As you lay there, the cool earth beneath you provided a stark contrast to the heat of your desire. You watched Sebastian undress himself, his muscles rippling beneath his skin with every movement. With each article of clothing he shed, your anticipation grew, knowing that soon you would be able to feel his warmth inside of you.

When his thick, hard cock came into view, your hand instinctively reached out to touch it, but Sebastian was quick to grab your wrist and pin it above your head. Leaning in close, his hot breath washed over your skin. While his cock, wet with precum, brushed against your stomach. "So eager now, aren’t we?" he whispered huskily.

“Just fuck me already,” you begged so desperately wanting to feel him inside of you.

Sebastian's lips curled into a wicked smile at your boldness. You didn’t have to tell him twice.

With a low growl, he released your wrist and positioned himself between your thighs and without a word, he entered you slowly, savouring every inch of the delicious friction between your bodies. His hand slipped under your thigh and pushed your knee so he could gain better access into your depths.

And just as he expected, the position allowed his length to slide inside you so gracefully deep. As he settled fully inside you, a groan of pleasure escaped his lips.

He began to move and each thrust sent waves of pleasure coursing through you, you surrendered completely to the ecstasy of the moment, lost in the rhythm of Sebastian pumping you, “Ah.. fuck– yes..”

Your moans echoed through the silent night, mingling with the rustling leaves and whistling wind. The sounds of nature seemed to fade into the background and were replaced by the sound of your lusts.

His movement was slow but he hit you deep and right exactly where you wanted him to be. You clenched hard around his cock and it sent him frantic, “You feel.. so damn good..”

Your hand gripped his toned arms, your back arched, and your head leaned back in ecstasy. Without missing a beat of his thrusts, Sebastian seized the opportunity to lavish on your bare skin, trailing kisses along your neck and collarbone.

Then, he took the moment to give your bouncing breasts some attention, taking one in his mouth and sucking it gently. And by Merlin’s beard, this man knew how to multitask.

You spread your legs wide and angled your hips, meeting each of Sebastian's deep thrusts with equal fervour. When his rhythm intensified, the nails of your hand dug into his arm and it elicited a sharp intake of breath that came out of him.

With each thrust, you felt a different kind of connection with Sebastian, a deeper sense of intimacy. It was as if every movement, every caress, carried the weight of the world and the depth of your emotions. This felt more than just physical pleasure– it felt like a shared understanding of the fleeting nature of time and the preciousness of the moments you shared together.

Sebastian brushed aside the strands of hair that obscured your face, his gaze penetrating, filled with a tumult of emotions—lust, grief, love, all swirling together. At that moment, when his eyes locked with yours, you felt the depth of his presence. The way he looked at you, the way he felt inside of you, it was overwhelming– it was so, so good it made you want to cry.

Your legs wrapped around his hips, urging him to delve deeper. Sebastian's deep, husky voice filled the air with a moan, your name escaping his lips in a desperate plea for more, “I.. I love you..” He declared breathlessly, his words laden with raw emotion, “I love you.. so much..”

“I love you too..” You cupped his cheek, pressing your foreheads together, “I-im so.. so close..”

He tightened his embrace around you, his thrusts becoming more urgent as he chased his own climax. With a fervent kiss, he whispered against your lips, "Come with me, darling.”

The intensity built and you felt the tension coil within you, ready to unravel at any moment. And then, as if on cue, you felt it—the wave of pleasure crashing over you. Your body tensed, every nerve ending alive with sensation as cries of ecstasy escaped your lips, filling the air with the sweet sound of your orgasm, “oh fuck– Sebastian!”

With a guttural groan, he cried out your name and reached his peak, his body shuddering with release as he spilled inside of you.

Sebastian collapsed against you, his chest heaving in an attempt to catch his breath. You wrapped your arms around him, basking in the afterglow of your moment.

He kissed the line of your shoulders, then your cheek, and eventually your lips.

As he pulled back slightly, he took a moment to stare at your face, his eyes filled with all of the emotions that were left, like he was trying to memorise every detail, every curve, every expression– he never wanted to forget this moment.

“You’re so beautiful.” He said with a smile that reminded you of all the reasons you fell for him.

“Oh, shut up.” You kissed him to mask the way your cheeks flushed red.

When you both pulled away from the kiss, you found yourselves lingering in the intimacy of the moment. Your noses brushed together softly, eliciting a gentle smile from both of you. Sebastian's fingers traced the contours of your jaw with delicate precision, his touch telling you how much he loves you.

You reciprocated by running your fingers through his hair, feeling the silky strands intertwine with your touch. The closeness between you felt electric.

“Marry me.” He suddenly said and your loving gaze swapped into confusion in an instant.

“What?”

“Marry me.” He repeated, “Today, tomorrow, next week– I don’t care.”

Sebastian's sudden proposal left you speechless as his words sank in slowly. His eyes bore into yours and you searched it for any hint of uncertainty. You know he’s grieving, and this could be just that. “Sebastian..”

“This is not grief talking or merely an after-sex impulse.” He assured you as if he could read your mind, “This is something that I’ve been thinking about for some time. With everything that’s been going on with Anne, don’t you think it’s telling us something?”

He was begging for your consideration, wanting you to believe that he meant every word.

“Cherish every moment we have left, you said.” He stroked your hair with a touch so gentle it felt so tender and reassuring, “You gave me a life to live. And I want to spend the rest of my time loving you.”

You took a deep breath, trying to gather your thoughts amidst the chaotic feelings swirling inside you. Sebastian's proposal was unexpected, but you know it felt right. There was something about his sincerity that was hard to deny.

"Do you really mean it?" You whispered.

"Yes." He brushed a loose strand of hair from your face, his hand lingering by your cheek. "I mean it with all my heart. I want to marry you."

A smile painted across your face, your lips curling into a wide grin. Without any inhibitions, you pulled him into a kiss, expressing your love and acceptance through the tender gesture. The passion ignited once again.

You lost yourself in the intimacy of the moment, wrapped in Sebastian's firm grasp, letting your mind and body surrender to the joy.

Sebastian quickly pulled away, eyes flickered with anticipation when he realised you hadn’t really given your answer, “Wait, is that a yes?”

A playful glint danced in your eyes as you nodded, a grin spreading across your face. “Of course, it’s a yes.”

Sebastian's face lit up with a radiant smile, relief washing over him as leaned in to resume the kiss.

Because time is like a relentless river that will eventually run its course. Yet, amidst the uncertainty of what lay ahead, you found solace in the knowledge that new beginnings awaited. And you can’t wait to start your new journey with Sebastian.

[jiubilant]

AND. if I may be so bold. 46 for Ayo <3

46. shimmer

"You are an exception to our order's every stricture, Dragonborn," says Arngeir in farewell, handing her his own stout walking-stick. "Your power, your Voice, is a gift from the gods. So long as you use it in service to their purposes, you cannot stray from the Way."

His pupil of two months shoulders her traveling-pack. She's young, Arngeir thinks, watching her straighten beneath its weight: not so young as his last student, who had come to him in childhood with three wolfskins on his back, but new. Untried. She looks at him with a strange, belligerent eagerness, her face a sun half-eclipsed.

"How should I know," she says, her smile like the shimmer on the snow, "how the gods wish me to use my Voice?"

"For tutelage in the Way, you climbed this mountain." Arngeir does not smile back. "For the answer to that question, you must climb down again."

The Dragonborn, accustomed to such answers, makes a rueful face. She kneels to him in the way of her far folk, her knees crunching in the snow—then springs up to kiss his cheek, heedless of her burdens, in a way that is only her own.

"I'll return with Jurgen's horn," she promises, then grins. "And more parsnips for Borri's stew."

Breath and focus, Arngeir reminds himself, and does not grimace. "No more parsnips."

"Ripe cloudberries!"

"They'll be more than ripe," says Arngeir, "by the time you bring them back—"

"Honey, sadonvum," says the Dragonborn, walking backwards, "for your tea!"

Her housecarl, dressed for travel and waiting with dogged patience at path's edge, catches her before she can fall down the Seven Thousand Steps. At the sound of the Dragonborn's laugh, the wind that knifes through High Hrothgar stills, then swirls up the snow of the forecourt in a delighted dance.

Not even then does Arngeir smile. He watches his pupil of two months, not long enough to learn a single tenet of the Way, start down the mountain—a tempest of his tutelage, like the one who had shattered Markarth with his thu'um.

Behind him, the door of his monastery scrapes. Someone tugs his sleeve: Borri, who has always, since they were boys, walked through snow with a hart's silent tread.

I do not think that one, he signs with ancient hands, will Shout High Kings apart.

"No," Arngeir agrees, his troubled eyes lingering on the Steps. "No. But what will she do?"

* * *

The Dragonborn does a cartwheel in the first open field she meets, or tries to; her pack overbalances her, and she flops into the heather with a whoop.

"The sun!" she says in greeting, and basks in the warm grass. A vole dashes across her hand. She beams at it, half-drunk on freedom and the sweet lowland air, and hails it in the tongue of voles and dragons: "Lok vah, malfahdon!"

Lydia prods her with a foot. "My Thane, we have leagues to travel today—"

The Dragonborn grins and yanks her legs out from under her. The wrestling-match that ensues is brief and unheroic: they crash through the heather, startling a family of grouse, and then Lydia is sitting on the Dragonborn's chest.

"Don't be cross," she laughs, seeing the look on her housecarl's face. "Aren't you glad to be gone from that mountain?"

"Yes, my Thane," says Lydia with utmost patience, breathing hard, "but—"

"No more parsnips!"

Lydia's stubborn scowl wobbles.

"No more parsnips," she concedes, and ducks her head to hide a smile.

Her hair tickles the Dragonborn's nose. Something tugs in her chest, as though a lock of it has snarled around her heart.

"Look," she says, smiling. "Everything listens, down here. Not like those lazy mountain stones." She stretches her arm across the sunlit grass, cupping her hand in invitation. "Malfahdon!"

The heather rustles. The grass parts. The vole, quivering with terror or joy, crawls obligingly into her palm.

[send me a number, and i'll write a microfic using the word or phrase!]

[jungle-angel]

To Build A Nest (Bob Floyd x Reader)

Summary: In which the Daggers are working really hard on a project that you and Bob left unfinished

“Jake for the last fucking time! We are NOT painting that on the walls!” Natasha argued. 

“Oh c’mon, where’s your sense of humor?” Jake half whined. 

“Up your ass with the rest of you,” Natasha mumbled before her phone began to vibrate. 

Quick as she could, Natasha answered the FaceTime call from you and Bob, finally happy to see Baby Auggie’s tiny little form snuggled into Bob’s bare chest under the little blue Peter Rabbit blanket. 

“Oh look! Little Man’s out of his incubator!” Natasha exclaimed happily. 

“He’s coming out alot more often,” you told her. “Still having some trouble regulating his body temperature, but if we give it another two weeks, he should be able to come home.” 

“Oooh is that little man?” Mickey asked excitedly peering over Natasha’s shoulder. 

A loud noise snagged Mickey’s attention before he could get a closer look at Auggie, disappearing to go and break it up. 

“How’s the work coming?” you asked, a laughing grin threatening to crawl across your face. 

Natasha grimaced when a loud “MOTHERFUCKER!” flew from Jake’s mouth. “How do you think it’s going?”

You and Bob both laughed but when Natasha turned her phone camera to show you the half done mural on the wall, your jaws practically dropped to the floor. “Oh my God!” you quietly exclaimed. 

“It’s a work in progress but hopefully it’ll be done soon,” Natasha explained. “Hopefully these morons quit their bitching and keep working.” 

“No, no, you guys are doing an amazing job,” you assured her. “Shit, the nurse is on her way in. Can we call you back again tomorrow?” 

“No problem,” Natasha answered, before bidding you and Bob farewell for the evening. 

She dove right back into the work, rinsing the brushes in the paint spattered mason jars while Mickey turned the bluetooth speaker back on to keep playing their music. Of course there had been pinched fingers, paint splatters on clothing and faces and things that had gotten mucked up along the way, but in all it hadn’t been bad. 

Two weeks it had taken to get the whole thing complete. Two weeks of arguing, bickering and slugging through the work, night and day to get it done, but at last, the nursery was done. The paint had dried and soon, the Daggers were looking at the completed mural that had been absolute hell to paint....a Thomas Kinkade style painting of Disney’s Pinocchio. 

“We did it,” Natasha said to Mickey. “We fuckin did it.” 

“I still say we should’ve done Star Wars,” Mickey teased. 

“Hey this was Bob’s idea, not ours.” 

On the day that you and Bob finally arrived home with Auggie, the gang led you upstairs to the room, finally completed after having waited so long. It was beautiful, the mural catching your eyes immediately as well as the wood crib and the old rocker in the corner near the window. You and Bob were both nearly in tears when you saw the quilt hanging off the bed, embroidered with a large image of Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket and a little bluebird. 

“Oh my God, you guys are the best,” you said tearfully. “It’s absolutely beautiful.” 

“What can we say, we’re the best of the best,” Payback told you as he gave you the biggest hug you had in a long time.

“Oh but wait there’s more,” Jake informed you and Bob. 

Off of a shelf, Coyote pulled a little yellow box that had been painted once again with those familiar images in the nursery, this time one of Pinocchio and Geppetto. “Your dad and my dad got together and fixed this a few days ago,” Jake explained. “Your Meemaw said she and your grandfather had cleaned out the basement and she found it in a box that had your baby stuff in it.” 

“Is the box still here?” Bob asked. 

“In the closet.” 

Before Bob had a chance to look, he opened the little box in his hand, the little tines hidden within playing “When You Wish Upon A Star.” The whole room had gone silent when they heard it, Bob’s eyes soon filling with tears at the childhood memories that had come flooding back to him. 

You two couldn’t thank your friends enough for what they had done for you both. That night, everyone had stayed over to help, Bob’s parents informing him that they were coming out from Oklahoma to help as well. You two ate dinner with your close friends and when it grew dark, you finally put Auggie to bed, bringing him up to his new room. Bob sat in the rocker, the tiny little one snuggled deep into his bare chest as the music box played away, his sleepy little coos filling the room. 

And that night, the stars seemed to shine a little bit brighter over Fightertown.

[bambisnc]

seunghan as hindi songs is a NEED

seunghan as hindi songs!

chogada. seunghan is literal the human incarnate of this song i take no argument tyvm. the softcore + lovecore vibes are just so pure :( i can so see him singing this to you with all the earnestness of the world in his eyes; and imagine him pulling you in mid performance during the dance think that one rapunzel scene :((

next we got ishq wala love~! cutie coded songs for the cutiest bbg ever c'mon,, and the love triangle vibes of the movie... but no because think of him being the soft, sweet childhood friend male lead of the love triangle tm but the thing is : with him you'd also get the lowkey possessive, mysterious, quiet guy AND the sunshiney one..

moving onto a black and white one; pyaar hua ikraar hua. this is THE old timey forbidden, star crossed lovers song ,, the sharing of a single umbrella out in the rain <3 the guy being like "why is your heart afraid of love..?" and the girl answering "its saying that the road to love is difficult and that the final destination is unknown/hidden" (loosely translated) siiiiighs

one of my other fav old songs -> likhe jo khat tujhe. i mentioned in my op : true love hc for riize, seunghan is such a "writes long love letters (w cute self-written poetry,,) on perfumed paper, decorates the envelope with kisses, puts in dried flowers w the letter" kinda bf <3 the lowkey playful (dare i say coy), teasing vibes of the song fit him so well tooooo

also for your consideration, mere sapno ki raani !!! like yess girl (gn) he is the type to chase after your train in a car - probably with sohee's company - and serenade you mid journey yk ?? also the lyrics. the way he describes the female lead. it's seunghan. it's him. and again the vibes of the music really remind me of him

back to like 2018 music,...... hawayein. okay but this song was really popular at my school for the longest time and i swear i thought i'd never wanna listen to it ever again - but i happened to hear it recently and oh my god./// the softness and the yearning which i think is really well captured w the high notes and clinky music :(( the ease and smoothness really make me think of seunghan.. imagine a strangers to lovers/summer fling with him except he totally is the type to get attached and track you down after you've bid what you thought was the last farewell. prob shows up with like a rose at your door while it's raining like ".. hi."

(okay alsox2 -> radha from the same movie ._. LIKE IMAGINE js screaming out songs at the top of ur lungs w him, full on vibing almost like ur drunk and mid way he'd grab your hand and intertwine the fingers with his own uff)

special mentions : ZAALIMA. he's so in love with you and he WILL make it known to people whether they wanna know or not. + apna bana le - the malewife vibes are strong w this one <3 he'd be so down bad that everyone except u and him would know about it fr,,

notes : pushing my good old fashioned lover boy hani agenda fr !! + why do i feel like w each member the posts r getting longer.. + [m.list]

tags : @nicholasluvbot <3

-

[wonbin's vers] [eunseok's vers]

[the-daiz]

Where I stand | Kaeya

Genre: hurt/comfort, angst

Pairing: Kaeya x sibling!reader

Younger sibling reader

Warning(s): Diluc backstory spoilers, um, running away?

Side note: inspired by: In a house, Not a home. I rushed this ☹️ hope y'all enjoy

Posted on: 2/ August/ 2022 (oh my god its already August????)

Day 3. Today marks the third day of your escape. Your escape from the shackles of the warm abode you once called 'home'. Dawn winery, the house you lived in with your family, your caring father, and your two much older brothers, who both adored you more than anything else. That house is the chamber of your childhood memories, holding the most sacred and secular reminisces of the joyful past with your dear spouses.

Now that place was no longer home, it didn't feel like home anymore, only a lavish prison where all you did was cry in your lonesome bed. There was no loving father there to console you anymore. Oh, how you wished he'd suddenly appear out of thin air and offer solace. Pull you into his chest and hug you tightly while his gentle hand combed through your hair. Hushing you and whispering words of reassurance in your ear, not letting you out of his embrace until you've finally calmed down. Like he always did, like he always used to do.

It wasn't only your father who had disappeared. But your brothers as well. As you wept and wailed in his bed after witnessing his death, Diluc and Kaeya were out in the rain, surrounded by the gloomy forest and a suffocating atmosphere. The menacing glares they exchanged radiated a call for battle, urging them to draw their blades and end this fateful night with a signature occasion of despair and sheer regret.

It was only Diluc who returned back home that night. You hadn't the slightest clue where Kaeya went, however, you knew he was gone, you knew he had left, and you knew that you weren't going to see him for a good, long while.

Then it was Diluc's turn to walk out the door, to seemingly vanish from your home. From your life. You didn't even get the chance to exchange a brief glance with each other, and he had already bid his farewells to Mondstate. Leaving you. Alone.

You had practically lost your whole family that dreading night, a night where you all were supposed to be celebrating Diluc's coming of age together.

Elzer, Adeline, and the staff were much too busy taking care of the work Crepus had left behind and had little to no time to comfort you. Though, they did feel immense pity for you, having your life fall to shambles at such a young age... They couldn't even hope to imagine how you felt. So they tried to shower you with gifts instead, but it did nothing, all the gifts were left untouched at the foot of your bed, long forgotten.

You had spent most of your time in your father's room, sleeping on his bed and sobbing into his pillows, trying to convince yourself that he wasn't dead, that it was all but a long night terror. Alas, no matter how hard you tried to fool yourself, the fact still stood that he was gone.

You wanted to leave your house, it felt suffocating, it reminded you of the old days, when everything was fine. When you all lived happily together. It felt agonizing. But you weren't allowed to, Adeline had made it painfully clear. She was scared you might get hurt all on your own, and there was no one to accompany you. You tried to stifle your desire to leave by walking around the city of Mondstate, but it only made the ache in your heart worsen, with the way everyone glanced at you with sorrow flashing in their gaze, murmuring and Whispering words of pity amongst themselves. What made you shutter, however, was Kaeya's obvious and desperate attempts to avoid you. You really had lost everything.

That was the day you decided to put an end to your drowning. The day you decided to run away.

Now you sat down on the moist grass, your back against a sturdy tree as you examined the forest beyond the cliff. Capturing virtual images of every detail you eyed. The pigeon huddled with its children on a branch. How one of the branches on a tree was twisted unusually, resembling a heart. A group of three knights with oil lamps clutched in their probably cold hands, using the illuminating light as a guide to look for something someone.

You leaned your head back against the tree and smiled to yourself, relishing in the soft breeze brushing against your face. Those three tranquil days you spent venturing around the layouts of your home region, running around freely, and sleeping under the watchful gaze of the moon, were the best three days you've ever experienced in your life.

You couldn't feel the invisible hands squeezing your throat anymore. You felt like you could breathe again. You finally felt free.

"Excuse me?" A bright light shined from behind you, inching closer, in sync with the loud footsteps. You knew who it was, and you didn't mind. It was time for you to return anyway, you'll get another chance like this soon, you were certain.

"Yes?" You murmured, peering up at the tall Knight who now stood beside you, raising his lamp high, hence to get a clear look at your features.

"Are you (Y/n) Ragnvindr, by any chance?" He asked. After a few moments of wordless staring, you spoke, tearing your eyes away from the Knight's curious stare to look across the luscious green field one last time.

"Yes."

--

It was quiet. Eerily quiet. You're not sure what you had expected from the residence of the knights of Favonius, but you hadn't thought it would be so void of sound, especially these troublesome days where monsters were at every corner of the land.

You let out a soft exhale as you waited for something to happen. The same tall knight that found you earlier was now sitting before you, glancing at you from time to time.

"Um... when do I get to leave?" You muttered, wrapping the blanket tighter around you.

"A carriage is coming to escort you back home, soon." He replied, sending you a curt nod. You hesitantly nodded back, peering over at the office's window. 

You both snapped your head in the direction of the door when you heard the sound of the main doors slam open, followed by frantic footsteps approaching master Jean's office, the one you currently sat in. The knight stood up with his hand clutching the heft of his sword.

The door slammed open, revealing a panic-looked Kaeya, panting heavily with lines of sweat tainting his face. Once he locked eyes with you, he leaped forward and wrapped his arms around you, securing you in a captivating hug. Your eyes dilated as he squeezed you tight.

"Oh my god. You're ok. You're ok. Thank Barbatos you're ok." He whispered, cradling your head with one of his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Your arms slowly raised to reciprocate the gesture, your eyes now brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry I worried you." Your voice wavered.

"Don't apologize, please don't apologize." He inhaled sharply. "Just... don't scare me like that again."

[zeenimf]

zeenimf | Writeblr Introduction

Hello everyone~ New Name, New Theme, New Me! But still sticking to Dutch url's starting with z. Zeenimf translates, perhaps not unexpectedly, to Sea Nymph. Even though my prose could be described as lofty and swirling without clear direction, is there any difference between the currents of the wind, and those in the depths of the ocean? Regardless, life has thrown me two curveballs, but we're not out yet, and I'm excited to start posting a little more again~! much love x

⁕ I'm in my mid-twenties and speak Dutch, English, Japanese and Swedish. ⁕ I don't think I can pick a favourite book, but I just finished Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club and am currently reading the short story collection yoru ni kakeru. ⁕ My haiku can be found on my new blog @kitsuimiko. I will be slowly moving my poems to there in order to free up my main blog for... sapphic nonsense, probably. ⁕ zeenimf is pronounced [zeɪnɪmf], roughly zay-nymph. ⁕ Apart from writing I like to play musical instruments, games, and do anything that can be done with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. My integrity will melt into a puddle when presented with a strawberry shortcake. Do with that information as you wish.

※ Phei of the Wind ※

NA Introspective High Fantasy A lost spirit guide abandons her home in the clouds to prevent the surface world from collapsing under the weight of a betrayal long forgotten. There mysterious forests have swallowed cities whole, and the spirits she is meant to guide are nowhere to be found. Follow her as she travels east to learn about her ancestry, meeting a cast of eccentric characters and lush surroundings. introduction post | masterpost

※ Farewell my Eyjafjörður ※

YA Sapphic Supernatural Thriller A piano prodigy loses her connection with her instrument as she struggles with her sexuality and her relations to her three childhood friends. Only when vengeful spirits take over the secluded fishing town of þokuvík, is she forced to confront her own emotions in order to ensure her body remains just that, hers. re-introduction post coming soon, let me know if you'd like to be tagged

※ Where the Sea Ends※

NA High Fantasy An elf is faced with the death of her Mistress, leaving the realm without the one prophetised to save them all from the rising tides. She does what anyone else would do, travel through the foreign human lands in order to find a way to resurrect her Mistress and prevent the world from vanishing completely. And although gods and monsters are no struggle for her, navigating the world of human politics and relations isn't something she will be able to do on her own. introduction post | masterpost

※ Starpath ※

NA Mystery Science Fiction By smuggling antique furniture from his home planet, Brim can finally allow himself to take it slow. But when a deal goes horribly wrong, he is pushed into a conflict between the ruling corporation and cultists claiming the existence of an ancient home called ‘Earth’. introduction post

※ So Long, Traveller ※

Short Story A traveller finds himself in an eerie train station surrounded by faceless passers-by. Unsure how he got there, he ventures deeper into the station where the only way out seems to be the train departing from platform fifteen. Yet he can't shake the feeling that something—or someone, perhaps—wants nothing more than for him to get on that train, and didn't that conductor seem eerily similar? full story

※ The Tale of Rook ※

Short Story Everyone will walk a trail one day, but only when they are ready for it. But Rook did not expect to find herself walking the trail of the Fox, a creature whose existence itself is questioned. They've spotted a fox in the darkest and coldest caves on the island of Rinth, as well as in the centre of the scorching deserts of the east. But nobody has met the fox and come back to tell the tale. Yet Rook wakes up on the sandy beaches of the trail, without a fox to guide her, or the dozens other lost souls ensnared on the trail. full story

※ Other Projects ※

All my other projects, from short stories to poems will be archived using a separate post, which can be found using the link below. short fiction masterlist

[jmojellybae]

Waiting For A Girl Like You - Part 1

Pairing: Robin Buckley x Fem!Reader

Word count: 4.7k

Summary: Having to spend spring break in a new city as a stranger wasn’t going to be easy, but fate sometimes comes through when you need it the most. Or: It only took you one week to fall for the weirdest girl in Hawkins.

CW: Language. Robin being hard on herself. Period typical homophobia (I’m sorry, but it’s brief in this chapter and I promise it isn’t the main focus of this story) Reader has divorced parents. Reader has an asshole dad. Reader is from New York City.

A/N: This was requested but I wanted to turn it into a series. This story will be 7 parts. Each part will be equivalent to a day so the story will take place over a week! This first part is more like an introduction, but don’t worry, there will definitely be more Robin in the next parts.

Masterlist

🎶Enjoy my 80’s Robin playlist here🎶

Sunday, March 20th 1986 - 10:35 AM

“God, I can’t do this anymore.”

You cross your arms defiantly as you inspect the plethora of moving boxes that cluttered your semi-empty room. You’ve been unpacking for the last two days straight, but it’s like the damn things were never ending. For every box you emptied, two more seemed to have popped up from thin air and you're certain that you’re no closer to seeing the floor then when you started. Your mom wasn’t fairing much better either. Who knew two women could have so much shit between them?

You moved to Hawkins, Indiana a few days ago leaving your life in New York City behind after your parents had the world’s messiest divorce. Your dad was a grade A asshole and has been your entire life, so it wasn’t the hardest, or the most surprising decision that you chose to stay with your mom, but the move from a big, bustling city to a quaint and, to put it nicely, dull small town was an adjustment you weren’t quite prepared for. Having to leave your friends so far into the school year was the most difficult part of it all. You begged your mom to push the moving date till after spring break so you could at least spend the week with your friends as a final farewell, but it wasn’t feasible. You couldn’t really blame her though, she was miserable in that city, and she wanted to get as far away from your dad as she could as fast as she could, but now you’ll be spending spring break in Hawkins as a total stranger to everyone and everything. What the hell were you supposed to do for a whole week besides unpack boxes?

“Who knows, maybe you’ll grow to love it.” Your mom said to you on the first day you got here.

You remember smiling at her, trying to be optimistic. You didn’t want to break your mom's heart anymore than it already was. You could definitely handle this new life for a couple of months anyway. Hopefully the rest of the school year goes by in a flash and you’ll get into a college that is not anywhere near Indiana.

Ugh. School. It was hard enough making friends back in New York, how the hell were you going to make any here? This is the kind of town where everyone knows everyone since childhood. Did you even want to make friends if you plan on leaving this place as soon as you graduate? You ran your fingers through hair exasperated. You needed some fresh air. You needed to do something that wasn’t unpacking anymore damn boxes.

You rushed down the stairs of your new home, suddenly feeling suffocated by your unfamiliar environment. Your mom was humming away in the kitchen, carefully putting away plates and other various knick knacks. You explained to her that you were going out. “Sight seeing” you said amusingly. You aren’t sure if Hawkins even has a “downtown” worth exploring, hell, you knew next to nothing about this place, so maybe driving around wouldn’t be the worst idea ever. Your mom seemed happy with the thought of you wanting to get to know Hawkins better, so she excitedly tosses you the keys to her car.

“Do me a favor while you’re out and about and try to find a decent pizzeria.” You’re mom says as she ushers you out of the front door.

“Yea right mom, I doubt Hawkins, Indiana is known for their pizza.” 

“Hey, you never know!”

You hop into the car and give your mom a sharp finger salute before backing out of the driveway, eager to see what you will discover in this seemingly unsuspecting town.

It was late morning on Sunday, so the roads were rather barren. It was unusual, unsettling even, how truly quiet this place was. There was no traffic, no constant honking or people screaming about nothing to one another. The whole town lacked the usual perpetual buzz of life you were used to hearing your entire life. You’re not going to lie to yourself though, a part of you is kind of enjoying the placid nature of Hawkins. 

As expected, there wasn’t much to see. You managed to find the library, police department, your new high school (go Tigers?), and a few restaurants but nothing that immediately jumped out at you and unfortunately there wasn't a pizza place sight. You’d only been driving around for about 20 minutes or so and you’re certain that you just saw everything Hawkins had to offer. You were about to head back home, ready to suffer through more boxes until you spotted a shopping center that was painted orange and purple.

“Oh an arcade!”

You never thought something as mundane as an arcade would get you so excited, but it was probably the most interesting thing you’ve seen so far. You pull into the shabby parking lot that had a few cars scattered about and parked in a hurry. You get out of the car and walk up to the double doors attempting to open them but they were locked. You notice a small sign with times on the window and see that the arcade didn’t open till 3pm. You check your watch: 11:00am

“Of course.” You sigh, shoulders sagging with defeat

All the excitement drains out of you in an instant. You lean in close to the glass and cup your hands around your eyes determined to get a better view inside.

“This place is actually rad…” You mumble to yourself.

“Hey, the arcade isn’t open yet.”

You nearly jump out of your shoes at the voice behind you. You whip around harshly, making yourself dizzy with the motion.

“Whoa, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you!”

A boy, about your age stands behind you with outstretched hands and an apologetic look. He’s wearing a hideous green colored vest that says ‘Family Video’

“Sneaking up on people like that usually scares them!” You shout, voice shaky with fear and adrenaline. You put your hand over your chest to keep your heart from beating out of it. The nerve of this guy!

“Yea, yea you’re right. Totally my bad.” He eyes you curiously.

“Ok well. Thanks for the info. I’ll just be on my way.” You say, tiptoeing cautiously back to your car.

“Wait! I actually work at Family Video. It’s just down the end of this building.” He points. “We uh. We just opened up for the day.”

You briefly look into the direction of where he’s pointing, still wary of his presence. You shrug your shoulders and turn back waiting for him to continue.

“And?”

“And I feel bad for scaring you. How about you stop in and pick out a movie to rent? Free of charge of course.” He runs a hand through his voluminous hair, making it impossibly fuller, and puts on what you think might be a smoldering look. You can’t help but roll your eyes.

I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name…?”

“Oh it’s Steve.” He puts his hand on his chest and stands up a little taller. “Steve Harringto—”

“Are you hitting on me, Steve?” You ask bluntly.

“Yes…?” He answers with a grimace, and you snort.

“Sorry, not interested, but I’ll definitely take you up on that free movie.”

Steve’s mouth hangs open for a bit before he shuts it with a resounding click and shakes his head laughing, clearly not offended at the rejection.

“You know what, that’s fair, I did offer.” He puts his hands in his pockets and scuffs the tip of his shoe against the concrete. “And what did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.” You walk past him smirking.

A bell chimes above the glass door as you enter Family Video. It’s much bigger than your average movie rental store, which doesn’t surprise you to some degree. With not much to do in Hawkins, it’s only fitting that they have an above average place like this to cater to weekends and school breaks much like this week. Steve walks in just after you and shouts into an empty store.

“Yo Rob! Got someone you can help out!”

“Alright Dingus, no need to yell! Geez!” A disembodied voice calls out from somewhere.

“You’re not helping me?” You turn to Steve with a cheeky expression.

“Yea no. I’m taking my bruised ego and going to do inventory out of sight.”

You genuinely laugh, and so does he. Despite an awkward first encounter, he doesn’t seem so bad, at least he’s being a good sport about earlier. Steve leaves you standing in the middle of the store as he disappears behind a door in the back. You look around, taking in all of the movie titles packed on shelves and the fun posters plastered on the walls. You hear mumbling and rustling coming from behind the register. You walk over and lean on the counter only to see a young woman sitting crossed legged on the floor, sorting some empty VHS cases into stacks.

“Hello?” You say gently, careful not to startle the girl, unlike some people.

The girl looks up from her spot and you feel your breath catch in your throat the moment she locks eyes with you. Her eyes are a beautiful deep blue and her face is littered with the most adorable freckles you’ve ever seen. She smiles, crooked and toothy and you would have fallen over if you weren’t leaning your weight on the counter top.

“Oh hi!” Her voice is raspy, and it cracks slightly, making your ears twitch. She stands up and brushes off her vest. She’s wearing a loose fitting suit with the sleeves rolled up, complete with a tie and blazer. Even though her clothes seem to be oversized in every aspect, she still looks incredibly dashing. “Sorry, I kinda got lost in what I was doing. My coworker said you needed some help?”

You look at the lopsided name tag she has pinned on her vest.

Well, hello there Robin.

You slightly shake your head to clear your thoughts and remember you need to stop staring and say actual words like a normal human being.

“Y—yea. Your coworker graciously offered me a free rental on account of him walking up to me like a creep in the parking lot and scaring the hell out of me.”

Robin groans and runs a hand over her face. You immediately take notice of the pretty, silver rings she has on her fingers, particularly the ring with a small chain connected to her bracelet.

“Oh no. I apologize for whatever he did.” She says flatly.

“Nah. It’s fine. I know he didn’t mean to, but I think his attempt at flirting scared me even more.”

Robin laughs with a minor squeak at the end, and you swear you felt your heart do gymnastics against your sternum.

“Leave it to Steve to flirt with every pretty girl that crosses his path.” Robin sighs.

Your eyebrows quirk up when you hear the word ‘pretty’ and Robin seems to have caught on to what she said rather quickly. For a split second, you see a flash of panic in her eyes, but it disappears just as fast as it came. She clears her throat and tugs on the collar of her button up.

“Did uh—did you have a movie in mind?” She asks shakily.

You didn’t really have a whole lot of time dedicated to watching movies as of late, considering your parents divorce and all the time that took up from your life. You don’t even know what’s out or what’s good. You're so out of the loop of what’s popular right now.

“Ah, I don’t know. Maybe something funny? My family could definitely use a good laugh.” You try to smile, hoping your voice didn’t come off too sad.

“Y—yea, a good laugh never hurts.” Robin lets out a breath she was holding. “Our comedy section is over here. I’ll show you.”

Robin stumbles out from behind the counter, knocking over an organized stack of VHS’s she was compiling. She makes a frustrated sound and waves her hand dismissively at her now ruined work. You follow behind her, quietly admiring the full ensemble that is her suit.

“I like your suit.” You blurt out. So much for quietly admiring.

“Oh!” She spins on her heels to face you and walks slowly backward, rubbing the back of her neck meekly. “Thanks uh. Sometimes I get weird looks from customers.”

You scoff. “Well, those people obviously have no sense of style. You pull it off very well.”

Robin beams and shyly ducks her head, you definitely don’t miss the light pink blush colored on her cheeks, making her freckles stand out even more. She spins around again and almost trips on her untied shoelaces of her converse, but she tries to play it off like a skip. You giggle behind your hand and see the tips of her ears go adorably red.

“So um, here’s the comedy movies, and this shelf has the newer releases”

You examine the numerous titles on display, none really stand out to you immediately. Hell, renting a movie wasn’t even on your agenda today, so you go completely blank trying to choose.

“Have a recommendation?” You ask after a moment.

Robin hums and taps at her lips, pondering. You stare at her pursed mouth and at the way the tendons in her hand shift every time she moves her finger.

God, keep it together and stop being weird.

“I’m not like, the biggest comedy connoisseur, but—”

Robin reaches for a movie on the newer release shelf and holds it up with both hands framing it.

“Have you seen the first Vacation movie?” She asks.

“Oh I actually have! I enjoyed how stupid funny it was.”

“Well—” She hands you the case. “This is the sequel, European Vacation. I think most people like the first one better but that’s usually the case when it comes to sequels, right? The first one is always better, but this one is still good. A lot of hilarious moments. Of course, you don’t have to choose this one, you can choose something else—”

Robin is suddenly talking a mile a minute, gesturing wildly with her hands while doing so. You’re taken off guard with the sudden outpouring of words, but you keep up, hanging on to everything she says. You study her, totally fascinated with her scratchy voice and how animated her face is. You don’t ever want her to stop talking.

“—I’m not sure why I picked this one out, maybe it’s because I saw it with my dad last summer and it’s kinda the only comedy movie I know of right now. Or I—um.”

You smile softly and nod your head, letting her know that you were listening, but she frowns, internally scolding herself and she deflates.

“God, I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to go on like that.” She runs a hand through her tousled honey hair and pulls at the roots in obvious frustration.

“Hey no, don’t apologize.” Your heart cracks at the sight of her looking so visibly upset with herself and you wonder if it happens often. “You sold me, I’ll get this one!“

“Oh, are you sure?” Robin looks unconvinced.

“Of course. I’ve always wanted to see this one anyway, I just haven’t had the time.” You smile trying to assure her.

Robin takes a deep breath through her nose, spinning the ring on her middle finger with her thumb.

“Cool, cool. I’ll get you rung up.”

You follow Robin back to the register. She quickly finds the tape in a drawer and puts it in the case snapping it shut. You open your bag pulling out your wallet, riffling through its contents for some cash. Robin tilts her head, looking at you quizzically.

“Hey, the movie is free, remember?”

“Oh I can pay for it. I know your coworker was just being silly, I really didn’t expect a free movie anyway.”

“Steve is always silly, but uh—what if—what if I insist?”

You freeze, and look up from your wallet. Robin is crimson red, and you feel like an arrow just penetrated your heart.

“Oh, you insist huh?” You tease.

You lean your elbows on the counter, cupping your face with both hands and boldly flutter your eyelashes. You think you might have laid it on a little too thick when Robin goes rigid where she stands, but then she starts choking on nothing and pulls at the collar of her shirt again.

“Yea. Yea I—I do.” She stutters and attempts to smile, voice cracking again. It’s an octave higher than what it has been this whole time and you feel your knees buckle again.

“Well I can’t argue with that.” You giggle as you put your wallet away.

Robin laughs nervously, clearly flustered, but you don’t want to think too much into it. You can’t, right?

“I still need to take down your information, you know, company policy and all.” Robin says with a wave of a hand as she boots up the computer behind the counter. “Name?”

You give her your name and Robin repeats it as she types it into the system. You know she’s just doing her job, but the way your name sounded falling from her lips sends your insides into a frenzy.

Chill out.

“Address?”

“Hmm? Oh, uh…”

You say your address after it took you a few seconds to remember it, and you watch hypnotized as Robin expertly types away on the keyboard, fingers dancing between each key, never missing a beat.

“Okay, you’re all set!” Robin chirps. She hands you the VHS and you grab it, fingers slightly brushing against hers. The contact was so light but it still made your stomach drop with how warm her skin was. Robin yanks her hand back quickly and you swear you hear her mutter an apology.

“Thanks for the help.” You clutch the VHS tight against your chest like it’s your most prized possession. “And thank Steve for me too, you know, for scaring me and offering a free movie as an apology.”

Robin shakes her head and laughs. “No problem. Uh, I’m Robin, by the way.” Robin points to her name tag and curses under her breath when she notices how crooked it is.

“Nice to meet you, Robin.” You smile.

And it really is. You feel fortunate that the first couple of people you meet in Hawkins seem to be decent. It’s like an enormous weight has been lifted off your shoulders. The weight of the unknown, the weight of your parents' divorce, the weight of moving over 800 miles to a strange, new place. You weren’t entirely sure what kind of people you were going to meet in this small town, but at least you know there could be some cool people out there. Maybe even people you could call friends in the future. 

Robin’s expression softens, and she starts spinning her middle finger ring again, mouth opening and closing repeatedly like she’s searching for the right words.

“Hey, so are you new in town? Because I—”

She’s cut off by the bell chiming above the store door. A gaggle of kids, a few years younger than you, burst through the threshold chatting loudly at one another, penetrating the otherwise quiet store. A petite older girl with tight brown curls follows behind them, carrying a couple of coffees in her hands and looking completely miserable. Robin groans, and bonks her forehead a couple of times against the counter top softly.

“Okay so I’ve got a long list of movies we need for this week.”

“I don’t want to spend the entire spring break watching movies, Dustin!”

“I’m with Max on this one dude. We gotta do something actually fun.”

“Fun? Mike, talking to your girlfriend on the phone all day isn’t fun.”

“Shut up man!”

The group rushes up the counter, still talking over themselves, and Robin was having none of it.

“Nope, nope, nope! Go to Steve! He’s in the back room! I’m with a customer!” Robin says assertively, putting her hands out in front of her like a force field. Funny enough it seems to work, and the kids stop dead in their tracks.They quiet for a moment, blinking at one another, before they resume their bickering and storm off toward the back.

“Hey wait you can’t actually go back there—! Ah screw it. Steve’s problem.”

The brunette walks over with a sincere contrite look and slides a coffee on the counter top to Robin. Robin catches the sliding cup without looking, like they’ve rehearsed it a million times before.

“Sorry Robin, got you a coffee.”

“Thank you, Nance.” Robin says, devoid of any emotion.

She gives Robin one last apology before walking away toward the back, attempting to wrangle up the kids. You stare at Robin, the group, and then back to Robin, extremely intrigued.

“What was that?” You ask, giggling.

“Ugh, don’t ask.” Robin replies, gripping her coffee like a lifeline.

You shrug, still curious. “Well alright. What were you going to ask me?”

Robin tilts her head in confusion like a little puppy.

“You said something about me being new in town? Which I am by the way.”

“Oh!” Robin exclaims.

She’s suddenly very interested in a particular chipped edge of the counter, picking at it with her finger nail and trying her hardest to avoid eye contact with you.

“I was asking because, uh—you’re probably unfamiliar with our rental policy!” Robins snaps her fingers. “Yea, yea that was it. It’s um, 3 days.”

Disappointment hits you like a freight train, knocking all the wind out of your lungs. You’re not exactly sure what you wanted Robin to say, she barely knows you, and you barely know her, but the discontent you’re feeling is kind of surreal.

“Ah.” You say, trying very hard to mask the despondency in your voice. “Yea, I’ll be sure to remember.”

Robin doesn’t notice, at least you think, and maybe that’s a good thing. The welcoming bell chimes again as actual customers rush into the store, and you take that as que to leave before you make a fool of yourself.

“Well, I better get going.” You stuff the tape in your bag and take a deep breath. “Thanks again, Robin. I’ll see you around?”

“Y—yea. For sure.” Robin chews on her lip. “Have a good day.”

You give her a small smile and a half hearted wave before turning on your heels. You feel eyes burning a hole on your back as you leave the store, or maybe you’re just imagining it. 

You look back over your shoulder, just as Robin seems to look away and take a sip of her coffee.

You drive straight back home.

You greet your mom, who’s still taking things out of boxes. Even though you weren’t gone for that long, you feel guilty for leaving her alone to deal with the moving mess. She’s surprised to see you back already. You insist that she take a break, and she fortunately relents after some convincing. You both sit on the singular couch in your living room, and you tell her about your brief adventure. You mention the places you found, (and places you didn’t find), how you scored a free movie, Steve, and Robin, but you end up talking about Robin more than anything else. 

“Do they go to Hawkins High?” Your mom asks, elated that you met some people your age.

“I actually don’t know, maybe?”

You chat with your mom about anything and everything for a few minutes. It’s probably the most talkative you've been since you arrived at Hawkins and your mom is delighted to hear your voice sound happier than it has been for a while. She gives you the “I told you so” mom look, and you playfully swat at her arm, feeling a tad embarrassed, but having your mom laugh and smile with you completely unabashed makes your heart burst with familial love.

You clutch at your bag that's still wrapped around your front, and you feel the familiar shape of a VHS inside.

“Hey mom, feel like taking a longer break?”

You pull out European Vacation and wiggle it in your hand. Your mom sighs, but nods her head and grins ear to ear, knowing you both desperately need this reprieve, and spending quality time with each other wouldn’t hurt either. You’re grateful that one of the first things you and your mom did on move in day was set up the TV and VCR system, because god forbid your mom misses any episodes of General Hospital or All My Children. You hop off the couch and shove the tape inside, pressing the play button excitedly. Your mom pats the cushion next to her and you plop yourself back down, getting comfortable. 

It doesn’t take long for your mind to start wandering during the movie. You’re enjoying it, and hearing your mom laugh so joyously and unrestrained when you haven't heard her sound like that in years almost makes you want to shed a tear, but you can’t help but think about Robin. Your stomach flutters every time her freckled face flashes through your mind. You find yourself smiling like an idiot, and it’s not because of the movie. Sure, you’ve only known her for a whopping 30 whole minutes, but it’s been a while since you were hit with a crush this hard so fast and you’re not quite sure how to handle it. 

This isn’t New York. This place is completely different. You need to be careful.

You briefly glance at your mom, her attention fully glued to the TV screen and oblivious of your inner turmoil. You sigh softly. New York wasn't exactly the pinnacle of acceptance, but it’s without a doubt better than most places, and compared to a small town like Hawkins, it might as well be a sanctuary. You mentally scrub your mind, not wanting to overthink something as insignificant as a crush. Still, you have this inkling feeling that Robin might be, well, like you, or she could just be an extremely nervous person and it’s better not to deep dive and over analyze some of her reactions. Her nervous laughter, her blushed cheeks, the way she would spin that damn lovely ring on her finger over and over again–

“Honey, did you hear me?” Your mom’s soft voice makes you jump.

“What? S–sorry mom, what did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted some lunch after the movie is over.”

Oh yea, the movie. You refocus your eyes on the television and remember that you’re suppose to be watching. You only feel slightly bad that you’re not really paying attention, but you’re not going to let your mom know that.

“Yes please.” You smile and readjust your position on the couch to be more attentive.

You are already in so deep, there was no point in trying to snuff it out. A few days into your new life and your heart is already going to get you into trouble. It’s infuriating how badly you want to get to know Robin more. Can you be hung up on someone you just met? It doesn’t seem right, or maybe it’s perfectly right? You wonder if Robin is thinking the same things right now No, no, definitely not. There is one thing you know for sure…

It’s going to be an interesting week.

[darkgenesis]

Farewell

Minamoto Teru x Reader!

Tw: angst!

How long have you been in a relationship with him? How long were you in his warm arms and embrace? How long have you missed that?

It was so long ago, yet so long has passed.

Being together with you and him, your fiancé- ah, more precisely, your ex-fiancé really intoxicates you like marijuana. Marijuana makes other people addicted when they consume it. Like a warm embrace at their lowest time.

You're willing to do anything to make him happy and comfortable, make him laugh and also share your blanket of warmth and comfort.

At first you thought like that, your ex fiancé when you met him as a child, you were childhood friends and close friends. Many times you play and can't let go of each other.

Always accompanying you, at your lowest point and giving you a warm hug, the two of you are the ones who share a warm blanket to warm yourself.

The beautiful memories that you keep in your memory and your heart for the rest of your life, you really really appreciate them.

Despite all that, it's all in the past.

What happened? Is this purely your fault? Or purely a destiny from God. You don't know, you don't know about that.

Your fiancé, Minamoto Teru is absolutely perfect in every way. The eldest son of the Minamoto clan, intelligent with his handsome face as well as his beautiful and threatening ocean eyes.

You really like everything he has, and you really love him.

You like this place because of him. He's the one who makes you comfortable with this place.

But after you love it for so long, it all has to end just like that in the place you like.

You maintained your engagement with Teru for so long, it just ended. Teru, his clan broke off his engagement with you, instead Teru got engaged to another girl.

You don't know whether to be angry or what... the problem is, he's engaged to your best friend. Aoi Akane.

You admit that she's really beautiful and cute, nicknamed the school princess. Perfect and gentle, it's no wonder Teru's parents set him up with Aoi.

Ah, right... This also cannot be separated from Teru who often rejects various school girls who confess their love to him that he has feelings for someone. Instead he is engaged to you. You didn't know who that person was, but now it's clear that you definitely know.

It hurts so much to know that his behavior is just his job as your fiancé. You think he really truly loves you.

Really naive.

It's so sad, having to hold these beautiful memories in your eternal arms. Even if you try to let it go, you still feel uncertain.

You're really mad with this place, this country where you have to set foot here because of him... but you love this place as much as you love Teru.

Even though he had promised to love you, a sweet pinky promise tied to your little finger, but now there is no clue anymore.

"I'm sorry, but you're really naive, it's all just empty words to fulfill the engagement between your parents and my parents. I had no intention of making that promise."

His words are like a bullet that penetrates right through your heart. How cruel, this tragedy. This way you stop making him laugh, stop giving him your comfort blanket. Stop giving everything away.

With steady footsteps, you try to let go of him, let him go. Him and also this place.

Go far from Japan and promise not to look back again, and go to another place or your homeland. A wise but also painful decision, with the support of your family and your closest friends.

The stitching of your blanket with it untied, had a nice escape under this warm and bright weather and sunshine.

There's only a farewell word left for this place.

"Farewell, you find someone and I'll find someone"

a/n: I DON'T HATE AOI! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER SM!! Just angry and shocked by the latest chapter when she gets engaged to Teru.. haha, fuck u Teru..

This is just a silly scenario in my mind that bothers me in my break time and i'm forced to put it into a story, idk why. But, I was inspired by the song "So Long, London" which is really a beautiful song and my favorite on the TTPD album><.

[sheikahwarriork]

Edelgard and Dimitri are doomed siblings, not for the war but because of the multiple instances of confidence destroying bulling during childhood that could had happened between them.

Dimitri: I didn’t want to do this, but you left me no option!

Dimitri: …Forehead.

Edelgard: What does that eve mean?

Dimitri: Fore-HEAD!

Edelgard: Mom, he is doing it again!!!!

HDHDUSUAHJAHAJAJAJJA ANON YES YESSSSSS im crying fr oh my gOD

el bullies dima saying she's the big sister bc she's 6 months older than dimitri; dima answers back age doesnt matter when you're as tall as a shrimp

*them playing mario party, el wins* dimitri: "i didnt lose!! you broke my controller before the game admit it!!!" edelgard: "i won because i'm clearly the best... farewell, delusional prince"

they make a lot of pillow fights

... but in the end they love and care about each other no matter what because that's what siblings do <3<3

THANK YOU ANON i love thinking about edelgard and dimitri as chaotic siblings. i'm still thinking about that modern au where byleth is edelgard's best friend and she helps byleth getting together with her little brother, i'm taking suggestions u.U

[everlastiingiimmortals]

Dynamics of Interest

As stated, this is a brief list of dynamics I'm interested in building more of, and why. This list is not exclusive, nor does it encompass all that I'm willing to develop! Of course, each mun and muse is different, and that naturally applies here too. This is mostly to generate thoughts/inspiration!

Those marked with an asterisk are those I'm more hesitant to write outside of with a few people or that I'd like more extensive development for due to being picky with characterization. I also am choosing to not state whether these are romantic or not, because I'd like that to happen organically through mun-mun conversation.

Jing Yuan

Blade* - a tale of loyalty to old friends, a wish for a peaceful farewell, lingering regrets and bitterness, a haunting sense of betrayal

Dan Heng - a bond that transcends time, patience and support, seeing one's true self without judgement, homeward bound

Jingliu - a mourning for a childhood lost, missing the person that raised you, fearing history repeating, a loss of trust, wishing for approval just once

Yukong - mutual grief, the struggles of parenthood, an understanding that all things come to an end and change, raising the future

Fu Xuan - faithfulness, familiar bickering, reliance on an unexpected comfort that one's presence brings, care that needs not be spoken out loud

Yanqing - a story of coming of age, balancing expectations with reality, guidance and nurturing, fatherhood

Trailblazer - loyalty earned through merit, lessons taught through challenge and play, skepticism wrought through selective truths

Kafka - a game of chess, a dangerous dance, woven lies and half truths, a mutual understanding of the stakes at play, thunder webs and lightning claws

Zhongli (genshin AU) - a lord and his general, reminiscing over old times, unwavering faith and loyalty, a shared interest in the finer things in life

Dr. Ratio

Aventurine* - conflict of philosophy, cooperation through contracts, tentative trust, slow growing understanding and compassion

Topaz - a conflict of naivety and pessimism, mutual understanding of intellect, GO NUMBY! ZERO POINTS!, believing in the system vs. daring to change it, honesty and righteousness even in the face of consequence

Sunday* - what is a god to a nonbeliever?, dreams vs. reality, a challenge of authority, the threat of knowing all and seeing all

Gallagher - a refuge in an overwhelming world, appearances not being all they seem, risking one's sense of self, teeth and claws

Screwllum* - of man and machine, an unfair rivalry, chasing a standard you can never meet, spite towards the meritocracy, the cruelty of time

Black Swan - forbidden knowledge, a mutual exchange of memories, embracing the beauty of the human existence, to be is to be perceived, preservation against the test of time

Trailblazer - a teacher, challenging naivety, trials as both guidance and investment

Stelle

Welt - a sense of awe, comfort and reliance in experience, apprehension of the past and known secrets

Dan Heng - kinship through shared troubles, i've got your back, the utmost trust in each other's abilities

March 7th - opposites attract, breaking the ice, comfort in inclusivity and encouragement

Trailblazer - multiverse meta, my other self, identity crisis, an exchange of experiences and comparing of personalities (note: I will not do any twin AUs/dynamics with anyone but @celestial-narwhal!)

Kafka - hostility, a sense of betrayal, no second chances, fear

Silver Wolf - fair and fun rivalry, putting differences aside for the sake of fun

honestly pretty much anyone, I want Stelle to interact with more folks the most

Gepard

Landau Siblings - only brother remaining, patriarchal pressure, overprotectiveness and worry, wishing for the old days

Bronya - unwavering loyalty, pressures of heirhood, the shield to the scepter

Seele - misunderstandings and competition, culture shock, swallowing pride for the better of the people

Topaz - hostility and mistrust, guarding against outsiders, forced cooperation

Trailblazer - loyalty and trust, a desire to step beyond one's station, curiosity about what lies beyond

As a reminder, these are mostly general thoughts at the top of my head! Dynamics I haven't listed are those that I either haven't had much thought on or are a little more exclusive/already exist (eg. Jing Yuan and Luocha or Ratio and Himeko) and thus I'm not actively looking for, but I'm still open to potential exploration! You just need to approach me first!