#fish lantern wish

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 2: Fish Lantern Wish

Narrated by Luming.

Narrator: The usually quiet city is now bustling with New Year just around the corner.

Narrator: Are there more stalls by the riverside than I remember? They must be new. I can't believe the trees by the water are so tall.

Narrator: Even on tiptoe and with antlers atop my head, I still can't reach the flowers hanging on the branches.

Luming: This isn't what I remember seeing in the goldfish's Lantern of Wishes, though...

Narrator: Everything seems blurry in my dream... I don't remember seeing the crowd, these lanterns and brocade.

Cake Shop Owner: Hey, what are you looking for?

Narrator: The cake shop owner, seeing me pacing back and forth, strikes up a conversation with me.

Narrator: Pieces of steaming sugar rice cakes coated with a thick layer of icing sit in front of him.

Narrator: The cakes taste pleasantly cold and aren't as sweet when ripped into pieces and put in water.

Cake Shop Owner: Fancy some cakes? Want to try some "New Year's Tiger" and "Fish Over The Rainbow"? Kids your age all love these two!

Narrator: He passes over two adorable cakes with a smile on his face. I never knew he was so nice because I never spoke to him before.

Luming: Would you like to try some, [Your Name]? People speak highly of their cakes.

Choose "You seem really familiar with this place, though?"

You: You seem really familiar with this place?

Luming: Yes. The plum trees by the shore, the blurry light of the lanterns, the cakes the tourists throw into the water for the fish, and the cake shop owner...

Luming: I saw everything on this street through the goldfish's wish.

Narrator: The flowers in Yue Prefecture City only blossom for a short period of time. The goldfish in the river, however, swim all year long.

Narrator: One day, a goldfish swam under a bridge and befriended a single alga growing on the bank.

Narrator: Spring sprinkled petals gently onto the water. The goldfish wiggled its way up to the surface and picked out a petal for the alga as an accessory.

Narrator: In the scorching summer, they cooled off under a giant lotus leaf with other fish, listening to the chorus of cicadas.

Narrator: Autumn trees by the river stained the river with red and orange. The two best friends blew bubbles at maple leaves and watched them drift away toward the sea.

Narrator: In the winter, the goldfish had to leave for warmer waters. But promises were made between them to reunite when the year begins anew.

Narrator: But the goldfish found something blocking it from returning.

Narrator: There was a newly built lotus pond in the goldfish's home. Faux rocks and bamboo groves blocked the water flow, forever separating the two best friends.

Choose "Are you trying to help them?"

You: So, you're trying to help them see each other again?

Luming: It is a simple and pure wish. The goldfish doesn't have a great memory, but it never forgot its promise with the alga.

Luming: It would be such a shame if they can't have this wish fulfilled.

Narrator: I know most of us should work hard to fulfill wishes. The goldfish's wish is so simple, but hard to realize for itself.

Narrator: If I could help it get back to where it came from, it will be able to see the flowers blossom with its friend next year.

Narrator: But before I arrived, the lanterns had yet to be put up across the sky, and the streets were not as bright.

Narrator: The goldfish's Lantern of Wishes showed me where the goldfish and the alga said they would meet, but I can't seem to find where the goldfish lives now.

Narrator: We need to find the goldfish by New Year.

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

[extraordinarilyextreme]

大理寺少卿游 / White Cat Legend (2024) eps. 11-12

[4-trenchcoat-cats]

[nostalgicstickers]

[asidian]

Set breakdown time! Next up: Tragic Mick's shop.

As before, I've circled the points of interest and numbered them to make them easier to talk about. Cool? Cool. Let's do this!

1: Individually labeled... paper goods? Packets? It's hard to see what these are, but they seem to be priced per item. One is 3 for [off screen]. One is $5.25. If anyone can read more of these, please feel free to chime in!

2: Drawers full of spell components. I can't read them all, but three of them seem to be Whiskers, Vertebrae, and Bezoars.

3: An alarm clock.

4: An array of playing cards.

5: A wall phone.

6: Paper currency. Antique, maybe? It doesn't seem to be designs currently in rotation.

7: A miniature coffin. Incredible.

8: A random mushroom just hanging out on the shelf.

9: An antique-style ceramic phrenology brain map.

10: Some sort of taxidermied animal in a jar.

11: Various dried botanicals.

12: Looks like more spell components.

13: Individually labeled drawers. I can make out: Crow's Feet, Pigeon Brains, Chicken Eyes, Pigeon Eyes. If anyone can read more of these, please feel free to chime in!

14:  A bunch of little drawers.

15: A collection of lanterns.

16: A pair of rabbit statues.

17: Looks like another set of labeled drawers, but I'm not able to make out any of the writing. If anyone can read these, please feel free to chime in!

18: The music box they use to calm the sea monster.

19: A typewriter.

20: The cursed sheet music that calls evils seagulls.

21: A collection of mirrors.

22: Some sort of taxidermy creature. It looks vaguely like the Fiji mermaid and similar fake taxidermy mermaids that used to be put on display to draw an audience.

23: More jars of spell components.

24: An old-fashioned cash register.

25: A statue of what looks to be a Bodhisattva.

26: A bell.

27: A whole lot of books.

28: A mantlepiece clock.

29: A barometer.

30: Is... is this mannequin gradually breaking out of its bindings as the series goes on?? How did I not notice this before this very moment??

31: An assortment of lamps.

32: An antique telephone.

33: The token Mick gives to Niko, a bear of carved out of some sort of dark stone.

34: An array of what look like wood-carving tools.

35: And last but certainly not least… Mick's lunch, which seems to be an entire fish on a piece of toast. Incredible. I wish him the best of it.

[aangelinakii]

SEA SALT AND SCALES.

— you wanted to be where the people are, now you're there.

summary : you're a mermaid with an adoration for the human world. when a ship lingers in your waters, you go ashore to investigate. a storm attacks, and you save a man.

note : this fic contains a female reader, but almost all of my other works are gender neutral, so check out those if that's what you're looking for, or send in a request so i can cater closer to what you'd like !!

overhead, the storm was fast approaching, sky darkening, navy waves harshening. from the furious clouds, rain hammered against the water you floated in. if not for your expert tail, you would've provably been swept away in the strength of the waves and currents.

you lingered just far enough away from the vast ship to not be seen by the leg-people. father had told you they were called "humans," but your name for them made much more sense than that.

loose barrels rolled over the railing as the ship rocked in the wind and waves, some heavier kegs sending splinters into the dark air as they crashed through the wood and into the bottomless waters. little crew members, barely illuminated by the aggressively swaying lanterns, rushed about, trying to secure any more crates from escaping the decks.

with one sudden jolt of the ship, a white body toppled overboard, unable to catch themselves as they slipped through a broken gap in the railing.

despite having told yourself you wouldn't get involved in any leg-people antics as you surveyed their ship, your curiosity, along with the pull in your stomach, got the better of you.

being a mermaid, most of your days you spent swimming the caribbean waters you resided in, meeting turtles and fish as they thrummed lazily past. it was beautiful, with turquoise waters everywhere you swam, but you became accustomed to it quickly, especially when you'd been born there.

to change things up, you would swim to the surface, watching boats and ships as they sailed by, watching from afar as the children from the island city splashed in the shallows. oh, how you wished to join them on the sand, sinking your toes into its plushness; if only you had feet.

fighting against the rough waters, you zoomed forward, arms outstretched straight before you, allowing you to zip through with ease.

illuminated vaguely by roaring orange lights overhead, you caught sight of him – whoever he was – sinking quickly into the depths of no return, and you sprung into action.

in these depths, on a usual day, a body would sink much slower, but, aided by the currents and winds, he was falling at a much faster pace. you needed to move quick.

once you reached him, your arms wrapped around his torso, toned, you could tell, through his cloth tunic, and began to lug him to the surface. his body fell limp in your arms, making no effort to help on the journey up; he must've either been hit whilst still on deck, which caused him to fall overboard, or knocked out upon contact with the water. both of which seemed like bad options.

by the time you'd beached him on the shore of the island, the clouds and thunder and lightning had subsided, though the sky was still dusky in the early, early hours of the morning.

street oil lamps from the promenade above illuminated the black beach with amber, casting shadow across the man's face, which was littered with specks of sand. his breathing came out laboured – no help to the salt water he'd inevitably consumed upon his descent – but his eyelashes began to stir.

when they opened, pale blue merged with the shadows and distant lamplight, and his lips parted slightly. you'd been perched over him, edge of your fins lingering in the calming water, but as soon as those eyes met yours, you flinched away.

before either of you could take each other in, he doubled over in coughs, the burn of salt water infesting his lungs.

"a-are you okay?" you asked quietly, a crease in your brow as you looked over at him. you'd never spoken to a leg-person before, and if father ever found out, he would rage across the seven seas in search for and kill him. talk about controlling.

after a moment, once the coughing fit had ceased, the man leaned back onto the sand, eyes closing from exhaustion. a heavy sigh exhaled from his chest, any gravel from the water having been eliminated.

although you had to squint to see through the dimly-lit night, he nodded, raven shag most definitely becoming a sand magnet in the process. he gave another sigh.

"i... fell..." he hummed. his voice was soft, owning a frightened texture to the edge of it – nothing like how father had described leg-men to sound. when you glanced back up at his face, his eyes had reopened, gazing wistfully up into the constellation-speckled sky.

in one push, he was back on his behind, staring out onto the horizon with a creased brow. "my ship..."

following his gaze, you trailed along to admire the soft ripples of the ocean ahead. at the dead of night, one couldn't distinguish the sky from the sea, apart from the great moon perched in the middle of the darkness above.

"you saved me."

when you turned to look back at him as he spoke, part of you was surprised to see his eyes on you, cloudy and lost as they were. they lingered on your face for a moment, before trailing down the rest of your frame, and landing on your tail. your... tail? shit.

gasp ripping through your throat, you pulled yourself back into the shallow, allowing the sea foam to cover your scaly fins. "i shouldn't be here," you scrambled as you escaped further into the waters.

"but—"

and he was on his knees, daring to venture into the beginning of the waters, so soon after his fall.

"you saved me. can i ever see you again?"

for a moment you paused, the only thing causing you to sway being the soft lull of the waters. his eyes seemed earnest, nothing like father had said.

"i shouldn't be talking to you..." you continued, descending further into the ocean.

and you were gone, swiftly escaping the encounter, leaving the nameless man alone on the surf. but at least you were nameless to him, too.

[queenendless]

🎆❣️A Future Bright (Adult!SatoSugu x Adult!Fem!Reader ft Various JJK)❣️🎆

A/n: So short cause I have officially run out of JJK fuel. It might not be the best but I wanted to get something out today so sorry about that. S2 is done. I will miss it and writing for this show. But I need a long ass break from JJK. Like 5 months. Make sense to me.

Referring to everyone by their first names in this, side ships, mainly poly SatoSugu x Adult!Fem!Reader.

And thnx u to everyone whose followed, liked, reblogged and enjoyed my JJK fan content these past few months. Imma work on other anime fanfic content after I take a break. Tbh? I wanna write for BNHA Hawks. He's growing on me. And maybe Demon Slayer stuff with Tengen and his wives. Idk yet, we'll see.

PLEASE DON'T PLAGARIZE STEAL COPY TRANSLATE AND/OR REPOST MY FANFIC WORK. Rather reblog like and follow please and thnx u.

Booths and stalls lined up both sides of various roads.

Rows of lanterns hung from the treelines to the lampposts.

Droves of people flocked. From wearing kimonos to just plain snuggly attire to battle the coldness.

Praying at the shrines to make wishes for the coming year came first.

After that, chaos ensued.

A squealing Nobara hurried over to embrace her lifelong friends Fumi-chan and Saori-chan before introducing them to Maki who was keeping it cool to Nobara's admiration.

Kento brushes something off Yu's scarred cheek only for the younger man to kiss his stern partner fully on the mouth.

A teasing Mai and Momo along with a reluctant but curious Kasumi dragging a stubborn blushing Kokichi off to doll him up with various trinkets and hats they spotted at various booths.

Ieiri and Utahime trying to catch some goldfish at one of those booths. Utahime shouting out her constant success at catching them fishes; her competitiveness shining through, and Ieiri calmly cheering her wife on.

Yuji laughed while Megumi and Junpei smiled at his radiant expression while chowing down on barbecue skewers together.

That was long before your salmon haired boi yelled out in alarm as a heated Todo chased him in his fervent pursuit to drag his brother off to see the Takada-chan's New Year's Eve live special screening at Shibuya crossing.

Noritoshi eating a kebab as Yuki filmed the whole chase beside him, aimed at Choso as he let Yuji jump into his arms and speed off with Todo right at their heels, dust clouds left in their wake.

Riko and Misato shooting darts at a gaming booth all to get the familiar looking, long as hell, rainbow dragon plush to the girls delight.

Atsuya dragged his bae Hiromi by his collar into the nearest bar just to get away from your group and drink to their retired hearts content.

Masamichi and Yoshinobu sharing sake in the place across from said bar.

Yuta kissed both Rika and Toge on their stuffed cheeks as their mouths were full of sweets; mochi cheeks he spotted in his mesmerized gaze.

Right before Panda, carrying plushies by the armful, dumped his winnings all over his ecstatic buddies.

Spotting Toji and Shiu amiss the crowd, eyeing his son as his protective brother instincts creaked out as he played tug of war with Tsumiki who was stubbornly set on kissing a dopey grinning Junpei some more as her lipstick marked his rosey cheek.

Toji snorted at the sight before being dragged off by the arm by Shiu, opting to get a better view, a less crowded spot at that.

Nanako and Mimiko running around with sparklers lite.

Tears filled up your eyes to the brim.

Seeing so much happiness.

So much positivity.

All amassing here.

All in this moment.

Together.

Your mind flashed.

What could have been …

Buildings sliced and diced to mince.

Magma erupts from the streets, encasing all in its range.

A circle of darkness that continues to grow.

No lights.

No life.

Barred from all.

You were getting caught up in your mind too much lately.

Thinking too much, wandering in too deep, letting intrusive thoughts cloud the light.

Your knees trembled, your grip slipping, you wrap around your belly, prepared to not let it get the brunt of the fall.

“Y/n!”

His long raven locks flowed in the breeze. His almond brown eyes are so vibrant and sharp and alive.

“Sugu!” You weeped immediately into his charcoal robes, grasping handfuls of his front, alarming him tremendously.

“Y/n! Be careful! What's wrong!?”

“I'm just so happy we're all together celebrating tonight!” Your waterworks hit him right in the face as he led you two to a bench to rest your bloated sore self.

“Tiredness, mood swings, they do come with pregnancy, love.” Suguru calmly explained as you clung to him, pulling your legs up to rest on the space left on the bench.

“Perhaps we should take you home early. I am terribly sorry if we pushed you too much with coming here … jeez. Now where did Satoru go this time?”

Warping right by your side nearly gave you a heart attack. Even still, you were never quite prepared for Toru's spontaneity.

Getting down on one knee, Satoru tenderly caressed and smooched your clothed bump. “Right here~!”

“Toru!” You yanked the man up by his sleeve, having him sit beside you as well as he draped your legs over his lap as he let you cuddle him and weep in his neck.

His shades titled down to reveal his devoted gaze as he carefully pulled you atop his lap, nuzzling your head as he exchanged smooches with Suguru. “Aww, wifey. It's okay. We're here. Just think. A new year. New hijinks. New possibilities!”

Suguru's head rested on your shoulder as his heated breath made you mewl. “And a new addition to our family.”

Viewing the kids all animated, the adults mingling, the buzz in the air, it all helped to ease the unrest in your hormonal self.

“I hope we can continue living out our somewhat sense of peace in the new year.” You murmured, humming as they gently smothered you in their plush chests and secure arms.

“Agreed.” Their giant sculpted hands felt your bump together, wistfully grinning as you smiled shedding tears of joy.

An upbeat song blared out through the speakers.

Next thing you know, few turned to many dancing.

Lost in paradise.

For a dance mob has formed.

Yugi, returning out of the blue, took the lead, bopping with his usual upbeat finesse.

Megumi wasn't dancing, more like bashfully scratching the back of his head, too shy to look anyone in the eye, until a beaming Yuji had him, helping his boyfriend loosen up.

Nobara twirled and swirled, tugging her girls in to all get in sync and flaunting their beautiful strong selves.

And Gojo, in all his glory, was swaying with style, cause of course he wanted to get down most of all. Yuta, Yuji, Megumi, even the twins flanked both his sides, strutting their stuff.

From Takuma to Choso to even Panda, everyone you knew found the groove. From found family to your work buddies. Even the tipsy adults. Even the former assassin and his handler buddy. Even a well disguised Nobuko who had her bodyguards on standby also in disguise warily kept their eyes on the heart eyed Aoi Todo.

The dancing flash mob you never expected to happen did in fact happen.

They clapped, they swayed, they spun, they did it all!

The ships sailed as many familiar faces knew how to dance so acrobatically well. Leave the sight to the imagination.

Fireworks began littering the sky.

The billboard's timer struck 00:00.

Cheers and claps rang as embraces were exchanged.

You giggled as Suguru Geto swept you up in his arms, cupping the back of your head and your cheek to kiss you passionately.

You just had to ask.

“Where would I be without all of you?”

Satoru warped again back to you just to smirk at your jump scare. “Probably bored out of your mind.” You and Suguru shut your white haired husband up by slapping his shoulders to his snickering amusement.

“It goes both ways, Satoru.”

“Aw, I love you too Suguru~” He pulled his shades up to rest on his head as those Six Eyes glowed with love for the growing life in your belly you three made together. “All of you.”

You two peppered kisses all over Satoru's laughing face as the rest of your found family danced the first night of the new year away.

[binibininghermosa]

Giving him the love he deserves (Sanji x Reader) Part 2

Phew, wipes brows, I think it’ll be a good idea to continue until it comes to a conclusion.

Reader is still Mc (Main Character), but I made it sound like it's a name! I'm still too lazy to think of a real name. Forgive me!

The prompt for the story is: "The reader gets sucked into One Piece after wishing that someone would love Sanji like he is supposed to be loved, as nobody has given him a chance. She would love to give him that chance if only she could. One time, she was in her room, falling asleep while recording her voice for a cover request sent to her. When she woke up, she found herself in a boat floating, wearing pieces of jewelry fit for nobility. Her neck, ears, and bracelets were all glittering in the darkness."

Part 2 under the cut. Part 1 here

Under the soft, flickering glow of the ship's lanterns, Sanji found himself engulfed in a sea of emotions, his heart tumultuous and restless. Mc's melodic soft singing floated into the room, a gentle lullaby to his troubled thoughts. His worry for her, his anticipation for their future together, all clashed within him, a storm threatening to overwhelm his senses. Her decision to join the crew, made without their usual shared deliberation, left him touched by her independence yet troubled by the absence of their partnership in this significant choice.

As Mc entered the room, she seemed to sense his unease, her steps light and graceful. Her touch, like a caress of understanding, brushed against his cheek, her eyes filled with tenderness and compassion.

"What's wrong?" she inquired, her voice a soothing melody that wrapped around him like a comforting embrace.

"Darling, my love, I..." Sanji's voice wavered, his emotions a tangled mess. "I was worried. Worried that you made this decision without me."

"I'm here in your room, aren't I? I'm just about to talk to you..."

"But you already said yes."

Her eyes narrowed playfully at him and tapped his nose. "Unless you got ears around me, you wouldn't have heard the condition I placed before saying yes."

His heart sank. He doubted her, but she shook her head, her eyes softening with understanding. "I told him the condition I gave Luffy was that he takes you as our chef or I would have had to decline. He already asked for you, Ji."

Sanji's eyes widened in surprise, a mix of relief and gratitude flooding his senses. He cupped her face gently, his touch tender yet desperate to convey his emotions. "I... I'm sorry for doubting you, Darling. I love you. You know I do, so much-I was just-"

Her fingers traced a reassuring pattern on his cheek. "-I understand," she said, her voice filled with unwavering determination. "Zeff had already agreed to it a long time ago, and I would never leave you behind. I'll fight tooth and nail, even kill if I have to, to stay by your side."

Sanji felt a surge of emotion, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Her words, saturated with love and determination, washed over him, cleansing his worried soul. He realized he had been anxious for nothing; her commitment to their love was unyielding, dispelling his fears like dawn breaking through the night.

In that moment, Sanji's heart swelled with profound gratitude for the woman before him. His eyes, usually sharp and confident, softened with the intensity of his affection.

"I swear. From now on, I'll always believe in you, Darling," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. "I adore you"

Mc smiled, her eyes shimmering with unwavering resolve. She placed her hand over his, pressing her lips against his palm. "And I, you, Ji," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Just ask me, and I'll always be honest with you."

In that moment, the storm within Sanji's heart calmed, replaced by a profound sense of peace.

---

Under the twinkling night sky, the Baratie resonated with the lively sounds of a party in full swing. Sanji, momentarily taking a break from his culinary duties, made his way to the fish head, where an open space and a bustling bar awaited him. His keen eyes scanned the room, but they always found their way back to his darling. She glided about the ship with a purposeful grace that mesmerized him. The tray she carried was a culinary masterpiece, a feast fit for kings that elicited appreciative sighs from those lucky enough to catch a whiff of its fragrant aroma.

Whispers of gratitude followed Mc like a sweet melody, a chorus of appreciation that echoed her every step. Usopp and Zoro, their steadfast resolves easily swayed by the promise of a good meal, succumbed to Mc's delectable offerings. Sanji's brow furrowed, an unsettling pang of jealousy pricking at his normally composed demeanor. He scoffed disdainfully, dismissing their newfound friendship as mere bribery, drawn in by the irresistible allure of her food and drinks he made.

Nami, the ship's sharp-witted navigator, kept a watchful eye on Mc from a distance, her gaze as sharp as the swords Zoro carried at his side. Suspicion etched lines on her face as she observed Mc's interactions. Unperturbed by Nami's icy demeanor, Mc extended a warm invitation, her voice carrying a friendly undertone. "Why not join them, Nami? Our sous chef whipped up a delightful dessert tonight."

Nami’s response was a simple shake of her head, a refusal that hung in the air like an unspoken challenge. Sanji, known for his admiration of women, felt an unexpected surge of protectiveness for Mc. His irritation with Nami deepened, a storm swirling beneath his calm exterior. He was hot-headed when it came to someone being relatively mean and cold to his loving girlfriend.

"More for us, then!" Usopp chimed in, oblivious to the tension. His grin toward Mc was genuine, a testament to his genuine appreciation for her culinary talents. Zoro nodded in agreement, mischief glinting in his eyes.

With a final glance at Nami, Mc continued on her path, her spirit seemed undeterred by the navigator's indifference. Sanji watched her graceful retreat, his heart swelling with admiration for her unwavering kindness.

But he couldn't contain his frustration any longer. He walked to Nami, his voice tinged with annoyance yet laced with politeness. "Was the dessert not to your liking, madame?"

Nami met his gaze, her expression unwavering. "Your little girlfriend shouldn't keep bringing us food. She's drowning us in debt," she replied, her words sharp and precise.

Sanji's protective instincts flared, but he held back, maintaining the gentlemanly qualities instilled in him by Zeff. "That food is deducted from her pay. She's merely extending kindness to the crew, especially since you're the chore boy's friend.” He paused, letting that sink in. With a gallant bow, he added, “If something is not to your satisfaction, Madame, feel free to let us know.”

He turned away, but the unspoken tension still hung heavily in the air. Meanwhile, Luffy, blissfully ignorant of the brewing storm, bounded over, his usual enthusiasm cutting through the discomfort like a beacon of light.

"Hey, what's going on?" Luffy asked, his eyes darting between Sanji and Nami.

Sanji clenched his fists, his frustration evident. "Nothing, chore boy." He frowned. “How did you escape the dishes?”

“Escape? Mc sent me here to get you," Luffy scratched his head, confusion etched on his face. “She said I can just come back tomorrow?”

Sanji's gaze softened at Luffy's words. He took a deep breath, his anger dissipating like smoke in the wind. "No need, I'll be there."

Nami, too, seemed to relent, her shoulders relaxing slightly. With a nod, she acknowledged his politeness.

---

After the tense encounter with Nami, Sanji made his way to Mc's chambers. His knuckles rapped gently on the door, and it swung open to reveal her, bathed in the soft glow of the room's lanterns. She was halfway dressed in her night clothes, an enchanting sight that would have distracted any man, but he managed to keep his focus.

"You know, you can just come in, silly," she teased, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Sanji smirked, refusing to let her playful remark derail his manners. "A gentleman never forgets his courtesy, my love," he retorted, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

The frustration from his encounter with Nami still lingered in his chest. Mc, ever perceptive, sensed his mood. She moved closer, her hand finding his, her touch like a calming breeze. "What happened, Ji?" she asked, concern etched in her eyes.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's Nami," he confessed, his voice tinged with annoyance. "She's been unnecessarily cold towards you. I can't stand it when someone treats you that way."

Mc's gentle fingers traced soothing circles on his palm. "My love, you know Nami has her own struggles. We all do. Maybe something's bothering her."

He grunted in frustration, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness. "I forgot for a moment how well you know all of us," he admitted, his voice heavy with exasperation. "But what will happen now? Will she continue to treat you like this?"

"Of course not," Mc's touch was grounding, her presence a balm for his frayed nerves. She guided him toward the bed, and he sat down heavily, his frustration dissipating slowly under her comforting touch. "Come here," she said softly, pulling him closer.

He allowed himself to be pulled into her embrace, his head resting against her chest. She hummed gently, the soothing sound reverberating through him. The scent of her hair, the warmth of her body against his, all of it calmed the storm inside him.

"Let's not worry about tomorrow, Ji," she murmured, her voice a melodic whisper. "Right now, in this moment, it's just us. You and me. That's all that matters."

He closed his eyes, allowing her presence to wash over him, grounding him in the here and now. His frustration melted away, replaced by a deep sense of contentment. In that moment, he realized that no matter what challenges they faced, as long as he had her by his side, he could weather any storm.

And so, in the quiet of her chambers, under the soft glow of the lanterns, he let go of his worries. He let himself be enveloped by her love, finding solace in the knowledge that they were in this together, bound by love as unyielding as the ocean that stretched out before them. With her singing softly, he drifted into a peaceful sleep, secure in the arms of the woman he loved.

======== In the midst of the soft, flickering glow of the ship's lanterns, the once tranquil atmosphere shattered with the arrival of Mihawk, the formidable warlord whose mere presence sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest souls. Zoro, their steadfast swordsman, never one to back down from a challenge, boldly stepped forward to confront Mihawk. The crew stood in stunned silence, their wide eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them, panic rippling through them like wildfire.

======== Already drafting part 3! I have fluffs between Mc and Sanji though lined up though that could be a filler. I spent writing those more than preparing for Part 3. Part 3 here

P.S. I didn't know anyone would read it so thank you so much for reading!!

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD Closing Artwork – Hidden Meanings, Part 2

The amount of thought that went into the artwork of LBFAD (Love between Fairy and Devil) is astounding! Parallel to the opening artwork, the closing artwork has 12 images, with the last showing events after the close of the series :D The images are grouped into themes and have many hidden meanings. Images 5-12 are discussed here (see Closing Artwork Part 1 for my discussion of images 1-4).

Image 5: Oblivion River bordering Cangyan Sea (image above)

Images 5-8 as a group show important locations within the series.

The Oblivion River itself is very significant as the warfront between Shuiyuntian and Cangyan Sea, and the resting place of spirits. Xiao Lanhua’s (XLH) simple wish at the Lantern Festival is for Oblivion River to be free of war. Besides war, Ronghao’s (RH) actions have added to the tragedy here, as the tortured spirits of both Moon Tribe and Fairy Tribe members are unable to rest. The first step toward peace is achieved here as DongFang QingCang (DFQC) and Changheng (CH) work together to bring relief to these poor spirits.

The hunters’ camp that DFQC and XLH visit in ep. 15 is located not far from the banks of the Oblivion River. The people of Cangyan Sea work hard for their sustenance and rely on hunting and fishing. The hunting aspect of their culture is represented by the injured deer in image 5.

The deer is also a good metaphor for CH. From ep. 26 until the series end, he wears antler-like headgear. Where a finger of Cangyan Sea stretches into the Oblivion River, on two occasions he receives profound psychological hurts. In ep. 27, he first learns from DFQC and XLH that RH is not the man he thought he was. RH was his only friend, and someone that he had trusted completely! But he didn’t know RH’s true nature at all. This shock is followed by a heart-breaking conversation with XLH. They had just married each other in the mortal realm and he tells her that he meant every marriage vow they made to each other. He finally reveals his feelings. But she rejects him all the same. As he tells Yunzhong (YZ) later in this episode, she was the only colour in his grey world and he now has no reason to live. He practically forces YZ to sentence him to execution. Like the dying deer in the image, at this point he is on the cusp of death.

In ep. 30, CH returns to this area to confront Xunfeng prior to the war. He learns that XLH’s life will be sacrificed when the war begins. Against his strongest instincts, CH had entrusted XLH to DFQC, and now it seems that DFQC is throwing XLH’s life away! D: CH hadn’t wanted any part of this war, but he is forced to lead the army to protect his love.

Also in ep. 30, Jieli confronts Dieyi by the Oblivion River, tricks her with an illusion of XLH, and bluffs her way into getting the antidote for Shangque. A great final act for Jieli, as she now expects to die from her own poison. Her only thought had been of protecting her friends, knowing the price she would have to pay would be her life.

Image 6: Tree of Emotions

During their hunters’ camp visit, XLH and DFQC discover that his metaphysical Tree of Emotions has started to sprout leaves! XLH walking beneath the Tree is a reference to DFQC telling Taisui in ep. 36 that “she has left traces all over the sea of my emotions.” From the very beginning to the very end, XLH has been the focus of DFQC’s emotions. She has triggered all seven emotions in him to intense degrees: joy, worry, sadness, pity, love, hate, jealousy (hate towards her enemies and jealousy towards CH, all because of his love for her).

Image 7: Lucheng

What’s not to love about the charming city of Lucheng? :D 500 copies of XLH’s likeness are posted all over town! DFQC and XLH spend a lot of time being jealous of each other’s engagements :D They spend months living together in Mr DongFang’s compound. A flower is bought with one gold bar. And wishes are made during their beautiful Lantern Festival date.

The wishes that XLH made come true! She wishes that DFQC “will always be safe and happy, surrounded by friends, brothers, loyalty and love, and never lonely again.” The effect is seen as early as ep. 26 as DFQC bonds with Xunfeng (XLH says “I think my wish seems to have come true.”) Later, his three “brothers” Xunfeng, Shangque and Changheng, and the Kings of Northern and Southern Youxin counties band together to save him when he is comatose. Finally, they loyally follow his orders to aid Shuiyuntian in the last episode! XLH’s wish that the Oblivion River be free of war also comes true.

DFQC’s wish, “XLH, I want you to stay by my side forever,” is partially fulfilled when XLH proposes to him a few episodes later. And by the end of the series it has come true :D

Image 8: Haishi

Haishi, the seaport city hiding a big bad den of evil, doesn’t have a lot of screentime. It appears in eps. 2-15 but not after that. The image shows the terraces of Haishi next to the central bridge. This view is seen only once in the series very briefly in ep. 3. (I discuss Haishi in more detail here).

Image 9: XLH against Shuiyuntian

Images 9-12 as a group show important events that occur after Lucheng.

The scene in ep. 26 where XLH faces off against the Shuiyuntian army is a pivotal moment for her. She is given the option of returning home to Arbiter Hall or Fountain Palace, which is exactly what she has been dreaming of since ep. 1. All she has to do is sacrifice DFQC. Easy choice, right? And so it is; she doesn’t need to think twice to realise that her idea of home is now wherever DFQC is. As DFQC says in ep. 35, she made an enemy of the world just to follow him. (This is repeated in the OST song Amnesia, “I once made the world my enemy.”)

This is the second time she has faced the might of Shuiyuntian. In ep. 9, she is accused of being a Moon tribe spy and would have done anything (except endanger Da Qiang) to protect her right to be accepted in Shuiyuntian. Now, she will do anything to protect DFQC.

Image 10: War

War between Cangyan Sea and Shuiyuntian strikes again. Unlike the images of the war 30,000 years ago seen in the opening artwork, this war has key differences. DFQC and CH are unwilling adversaries of each other. The Moon Tribe have very few soldiers, and their women and children are on the battlefield. YZ fabricated a blatant lie in order to attack and annihilate the Moon Tribe :(

Image 11: Our hero returns

This is the very last scene of the series (this artwork is my favourite!) After a long, cruel, 500 years of absence, DFQC has finally found his way back! He emerges as the ultimate hero, after his long journey from the heartless villain who tried to kill an innocent fairy. This ‘fairy’ now means everything to him.

His lovable mannerisms are shown in the image. One hand is behind his back (regal) and one cradles XLH’s head as he pulls her in for a kiss (dominating). The robes he wears are the same as in the last scene. Both have their eyes closed to savour this long, long, long-awaited moment :D

Image 12: The Rest of Eternity

As in the opening artwork, the twelfth and final image of the closing art is of the OTP’s life after the series end! They might be sitting on a boat on the Oblivion River. Then again, it could be a location we haven’t seen in the series - travelling on their honeymoon! DFQC has removed his crown, and hence his responsibilities at least for the moment, which supports the idea that they are on holiday. The lavender dress that XLH wears is of very special significance (covered in my ep. 5 review). And finally, they can watch the sunrise together every day for the rest of eternity :D

Here is a link to my article: LBFAD Closing Artwork – Hidden Meanings, Part 1

All of my LBFAD articles can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[dani-luminae]

So this post introduced me to posters for Wish that I hadn't seen before and BUCKLE UP FOLKS CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO GO NUTS

REFERENCES GALOOOOORRRRE! There's Rapunzel's lanterns reflected on the water as well as her sun symbol painted on the cottage pillars, Moana's (Te Fiti's heart) spiral on the rocks to the left, a racoon and the partridges which I chose to believe are a Snow White reference (of course the racoon could be Meeko from Pocahontas, too.) The flower resembles the Sundrop flower (with the wrong amount of petals and no glow.) There's also a carving on the rocks just below the cottage, but I can't make out what the carving is. Can you?

EVEN MORE REFERENCES GALORE AND FOLKS I'M GONNA SCREAM! In Wish bubbles at the top of the screen we have: the Elephant Graveyard from The Lion King; Ariel from The Little Mermaid; an unknown for certain man standing at a ship's wheel, possibly Eric; Sleeping Beauty's dress; an unknown scene that looks like water; Be Prepared from the Lion King (the crescent moon finale); a figure with a staff or a flag, maybe Radcliffe from Pocahontas?; Gaston, flexing; and someone reaching out for what looks like the moon, sitting on something that looks vaguely like a fish (Aladdin? Quasimodo? Milo in Atlantis?)

BELOW the Wish orbs, though, we've got Disney Villain props all tossed around! At the back worktable we see Dr. Facilier's hat, next to a Sundrop flower, and a rack of antlers and fur that I'm gonna take as a Gaston reference. On the front worktable we have the Poison Apple from Snow White, some Tarot cards of Facilier's, bottled polyps from Ursula's lair, and in the stacks of scrolls below we can see Judge Claude Frollo's hat.

Aladdin's lamp and Bruno's ruana are sitting on a rock to the right, and between them are colorful bugs from The Lion King! The trees have faces which made me think of Grandmother Willow but not sure fully. Up at the top we can see a silhouette of Lumiere on one of the branches, and a racoon holds Chip the teacup! The owl and bluebirds are of course typical "princess in the forest" companions and I'll let you draw your own conclusions, but we also have Bambi and Faline (both adults) in the background! One of the chipmunks in the foreground holds a piece of broken green stone like the kind that stores Bruno's visions, right above a turtle that I'm certain is a Snow White reference! Also, the flowers covered in visible dewdrops as well as the mushrooms remind me of "The Nutcracker Suite" animations in Fantasia!

And last (and with the least references I could find,) on the left we have one of Belle's books sitting on the steps! A farmer with the giant pumpkin that might have been Cinderella's carriage has just gone past in the background, and Simba's symbol from The Lion King can be seen on the opposite side of the steps, close to the yellow pinwheel. The two children are sitting on a pirate ship under two stars... maybe the Second Star to the Right? The last woman on the right has a pattern on her vase that I can't quite make out, and Valentino has a dandelion in his mouth (my first impression is the dandelions that Belle holds while singing her I Want song, but I could be wrong!)

Did I miss any references? Can you spot any that I didn't see? Please let me know!

[lizzy-calaxio]

Ok, well, this didn't turn out like I originally planned, but have some late transition lizzy/krile

Chirin downs his third drink within the half hour at the Forgotten Knight. He drunkenly feels his horns, and slumps down onto the counter, “Another please.”

Gibrillont looks at the au ra, looks a little concerned, but relinquishes another full drink.

Chirin downs it immediately, his tail whipping back and forth.

A voice startles him, “Whoa, hey, watch the tail dude.”

He glances down towards the voice, “Oh, hey Krile.” for a flash he looks sad, but he swiftly hides it by asking for another drink.

Krile looks up at the counter, then at Chirin. He sighs, and lifts the lalafell onto the counter next to him.

“So what’s up, you seem more down than normal.”

Chirin looks away, a hurricane of emotions swell within him but he quashes them swiftly, “Ah, just, the everything.” he gestures vaguely around himself.

Krile’s echo tells her his intentions – he’s hiding something. She tilts her head and examines him, trying to get a gauge on what the problem is.

“I’ve also been thinking about my family, I miss them. I could be fishing with my brother on a warm beach right now…” his sentence doesn’t quite end so much as trails off in thought.

“Why not visit them?”

He shakes his head, “Nah, I’m needed here. If I just keep my head down, and keep trudging forward, eventually I can go back with a clear conscience.”

Krile gets the feeling that this isn’t the actual issue, “Is there anything else going on...?”

Chirin looks at Krile, the lantern nearby flickering, causing the light to catch her eye in a very particular way – Chirin begins blushing, but shoves the feelings down.

“N-no.”

It’s unconvincing.

Krile scooches closer to him, “C’mon, you can tell me anything. I promise.”

Chirin glances at the empty glasses around him, he’s pretty sure there’s six glasses, though he doesn’t remember ordering that many. A deep twisting thought in the back of his mind nags and pulls at him, but he shakes it away.

He sighs, “I dunno. I’m unhappy. I just wish….” a thought almost spills over, but it vanishes before it can, “I wish things went differently in my life. That’s all. Maybe next life I can do things right.”

Krile looks confused, her echo isn’t helping much here and she can’t interpret the vague thoughts spilling out from her friend. She presses forward with her desire to help, “Well, what things do you wish were different?”

Chirin’s eyes glaze over, his limbal ring glowing brightly in the dark bar. A profound sorrow reflects in his face, as he thinks he grows more depressed, “I dunno. I…” his voice cracks, and his throat chokes at the words, “I...I…..I feel guilty.” the continuing wavering sound in his voice betrays any concept of him having a cool demeanor, “I have feelings for you. I shouldn’t, I know you don’t have an interest in...people like me….I…” he trails off, his head laying on the counter, tears welling up in his eyes, “I wish I wasn’t born…”

Krile’s face mirrors his sorrow, his intentions spilling forth and into her mind. A single thought grabs hold though, that last sentence isn’t finished.

Chirin lightly sobs, before continuing, “I wish I wasn’t born a boy.”

Krile gently runs her fingers through Chirin’s hair, unsure of what to say. She glances at the glasses around him, and is unsure if it’s the alcohol, or his true feelings.

The two sit in silence for an eon, before Krile speaks, “Hey, why don’t we go for a walk?”

Chirin nods, and stands upright, his entire body betraying how depressed he truly is.

As they step outside, they’re met with the gentle glow of moonlight reflecting off of fresh snow. Light snow falls, and Chirin tightens his jacket.

Krile puts her hood on, stifling her echo, “Ok. So, you don’t want to be a boy. Talk about those feelings.”

Chirin shifts uncomfortably, and starts walking. Krile keeps up, eyeing his tail to ensure she doesn’t get hit. He regrets saying what he said, but is thankful Krile doesn’t hate him for confessing his feelings.

“I feel wrong. Every day I wake up crying because I’m wrong. I wish I had been born correctly.” he doesn’t know what he’s saying, the words just spill out like an overflowing cup of coffee.

Krile hesitates, but reaches up to grab his hand, unsure of what to say.

Chirin continues, “I’m too tall, too muscular, too masculine, my horns are wrong, my face is wrong, everything is wrong and bad and and and….” his voice chokes, he’s unable to continue as he starts crying.

The two sit down on a bench, in utter silence as the snow muffles any traveling sounds. Chirin’s light sobs are the only sound that breaks the silence, as Krile rubs his back.

Chirin composes himself enough to whisper, “I just wish I was a girl.”

Krile thinks about how to help, “I...I mean, you still can be?”

Chirin looks at Krile as if she had four heads, she actually only has two. He mentally scolds himself for getting this drunk. He wants to take everything back. Undo this night.

Krile continues, “I’ve heard of a magic potion, that could change your body. Why not use that?”

Chirin blinks, trying to process the information, “What?”

“Fantasia, I think it’s called. A very rare, very expensive potion, that when drank will transform your body overnight.”

“…..WHAT.” his entire mood turns on a dime.

Krile lightly smiles, “I think I could probably procure one for you, if this is truly what you want?”

Chirin grabs Krile, “I do! I mean,” he lets go, nervously, “I...Yes, I would want.”

Krile giggles a little in response, “Oh! Do you have a new name you’d like to use?”

Chirin thinks for a couple minutes, “Elizabeth. I think that’s a pretty name.”

“Elizabeth, huh? Lizzy suits you, I think.”

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Luming: Lanterns of Fish

Designer's Reflection: Lanterns of Fish

Obtained: Blessed Blossoms top-up

Rarity: SSR

Attribute: Green/Fresh

Awakened Suit: Lanterns of Spring

Story - transcripts from Designer's Reflection

Chapter 1 - Fish in Yue

Chapter 2 - Fish Lantern Wish

Chapter 3 - Glittering Night

Chapter 4 - Awaiting Bloom

Story - summarized

Luming is on a mission to fulfill a wish in Yue Prefecture City. One small problem: the wish belongs to a goldfish, and he has no idea where to start.

He gets a fish lantern to store the Wish Lantern in while he searches. The marketplace is filled with hot, sweet cakes and passionate storytellers, and he runs into you, the player. The two of you decide to fulfill the wish together.

The Wish Lantern guides him to the nearby pond where the fish used to live. Luming finds out that someone had gathered fish from the pond earlier this morning to sell at the market.

Finally, they find the right vendor... but someone just bought the last goldfish. Luming hurries to catch up with the family. The little girl with the goldfish sees the bright lantern that Luming has. She offers her fish for the lantern.

He gladly accepts. As the family walks away, the lantern inside dissolves into stardust. The wish is almost complete. You and Luming return to the pond and release the goldfish into the water. It reunites with its old friend, a piece of alga floating on the surface.

The both of you return to the festival, determined to enjoy the snacks and the entertainment. One such play you pass is Qin Yi's play about sacrificing a goldfish to be accepted by others. He spots you two in the crowd, and he swears he saw a goldfish.

Connections

-We met Luming during the first Chinese New Year event, Wishes on the Cloud. It was the first time he was able to leave the Lake of Wishes, and we learn more about his birth, existence, and job in his Reflection for Cloud Benediction.

-Goldfish are usually a good omen, but in Qin Yi's memories for Mind Maze 3, he ended up killing his beloved pet fish in order to convince the Qin family to take him in as their "long-lost son."

-The story of the goldfish reuniting with the pond alga parallels the story of Lingwu the Tiger and Yuntan the Flower: two friends promise to meet each other again later, and encounter obstacles along the way.

Fun Facts

-"Yue" means moon, and it's pronounced "yuAY" (all one syllable).

-Alga is the singular of "algae," and it encompasses all aquatic, photosynthetic organisms, from plankton to kelp. Algae are neither plants nor animals, but instead protists.

[scaredpigeons]

It’s always the smart ones, isn’t it?

Artist link: https://x.com/rueleaf_art/status/1720131112150695939?s=61&t=mQAX9COmvfjstwJ6klO6CQ

Please give Rue a follow, i just found them on twitter, and this piece is a part of their Huevember series.

WARNING: NSFW 18+ MDNI

Albedo x fem!bimbo!reader fem pronouns and anatomy used.

Word count: 2.9k

CW: albedo is pretty manipulative in this, but reader is willing, so dubious consent warning. Monsterfucking(literally, it’s a hydro slime.) ovipositon, pretty heavy voyuerism, i intended to write reader as a true bimbo, but i kinda lost it so she’s just a little ditzy. Use of an aphrodisiac. Use of leg restraints (inappropriate use of vision.)

Authors Note: listen, this came from the nastiest, most depraved depths of my brain, and its not even that bad. If you don’t like this shit, don’t read it, hands down. If you do like this shit, please let me know if you’d like a continuation, as i left it pretty open ended. This sat half finished in my docs for so long, so if the ending feels rushed, im sorry 🥺

“Right this way, please. Watch your step.”

Albedo led you through the entrance to the cave, a winding tunnel descending deeper into the earth, glowing stone and mushrooms popping up every few steps, illuminating what his lantern couldn’t reach.

“So, what did you say was wrong with the slime again? It’s… copy-lating?” You try to remember what it was that he’d said to convince you to assist him, but you ended up being distracted again by his vibrant blue eyes, and the way his mouth moves when he speaks.

If your crush on the Chief alchemist wasn’t evident to him yet, you’d swear he was more dense than the rocks he so carefully studied. You didn’t exactly hide your admiration, his pretty looks and seemingly limitless intelligence had you hook, line and sinker from the moment you met him.

He’d been kind in the beginning, but had held you at arms length like most others, polite greetings and updates on upcoming projects were the most you could pull from him. It took getting a glittering character review from Lisa and one babysitting trip with Klee—that surprisingly didn’t end in disaster— for Albedo to finally come to see you as a friend.

Now you just wished you could step past that carefully drawn line of friendship into something more.

Albedo sighed, but even with his back to you it sounded as if pushed through a half grin.

“Slimes are baser elemental beings, created from the sedimentation of elements dispersed throughout nature.” He turned slightly to look back at you. “Due to this fact, their intelligence levels are extremely low, resulting in a limited set of desires for their own survival.”

“Right…” you said, touching some of the glowing blue algae on the wall, before noticing the ground becoming more and more damp.

“They congregate around the elemental sources in which they formed within, seeking out other sources when those are no longer sufficient, and defending those sources when necessary.”

“Right,” you said, rolling your eyes with a grin. “That's why when a girls tryna fish, those little shits think that’s the most disrespectful thing I could ever do, and throw themselves at me until I’m either forced to run away, or stab them until they pop.”

“Precisely.” Albedo stepped through a rock cluster that seemed to cut the pathway in half, stepping over the bottom ledge and bending his way under the jagged top. He reached out his hand to offer assistance. You took it, and slid through.

“They have no reasoning, no cognitive ability to differentiate between someone who is harmlessly just passing through, or something that is a threat to their survival. All they know is to feed and attack.”

Albedo kept his hand in yours as he guided you around the corner, stopping to let you stare in awe of your surroundings.

It was a ruin of some sort, at one point it had probably been some kind of place of worship, but now it only housed the rubble that might have been walls, and the massive stone Dias surrounded by glowing water.

The Dias was easily twice the size of your house, a perfect circle carved with intricate swirls and patterns.

“This place is beautiful…” you whispered

Albedo smiled at you, gesturing for you to take a closer look.

You stepped across the stone path to the Dias, smiling at the little fish that swam through the glowing algae. Albedo followed you in your awe until you reached the centre, and looked up at the top of the cavern, grinning at the lights reflecting off the jade and lapis jutting from the rock.

“We will conduct the experiment here.” Albedo dropped his bag down, taking out some strange bottles and his notepad.

“Wait!” You said. “You still haven’t told me exactly what is happening, Albedo. This cavern is beautiful but what does it have to do with slimes?”

Albedo kneeled at his pile of things and began working. “I was exploring a series of caverns networking from Dragonspine to old Mond, when I came across a hydro slime behaving strangely.”

He uncapped his travel beakers, pouring tiny amounts back and forth between them before he seemingly got the right mixture.

“I believe this particular specimen is displaying clear evolutionary characteristics that would completely change the way that slimes are formed, and thus cause unforeseen consequences to the ecosystem not only of Mondstadt, but Teyvat as a whole.”

“Wait, slow down, what?” Your face reddened as Albedo stepped closer, flustered by his proximity and your inability to keep up with his explanation.

“I believe I’ve come across a slime that is evolving. Its actions make me think that if they continue down this evolutionary path, they could become smarter, stronger, and more dangerous.”

You released a tense breath, grateful for his slowed re-iteration. He was so close again, you could feel the gentle warmth he radiated, and see the lights of the cavern reflecting in the pretty blue of his eyes.

“What did it do? That made you stop and think, I mean.”

He paused and gave a soft smile, happy you were still interested in the experiment.

“Well first of all, it did not attack me. In fact, it was rather friendly, and approached me with cautious curiosity.”

“What! Really?” You could practically feel the sparkle in your eyes.

“Of course, would you like to meet it?”

He took your quick nod as intended, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and sprinkling slime bait on the Dias in front of you.

Within a minute, a medium sized hydro slime surfaced from the water, hobbling its way up onto the Dias and to the bait.

“Oh wow!” You whispered, looking between Albedo and the slime. “It’s so calm!”

“Yes, I noticed that too. I’m glad your presence is not alarming to it, that makes the experiment much easier.”

You looked at him in question, but he just handed you the mixed travel beaker.

“Here, this should be ready now.”

“I trust that it's safe,” you laughed. “May I ask what I’m drinking before I do?”

“It is a stimulant created using fire flower stamen essence among other ingredients, meant to warm the internal temperature of your body to create a climate that might be more suitable to the specimens requirements for the experiment.”

You couldn’t help but feel Albedo's eyes raking up and down your body, even though he tried to hide it— and so without hesitation, you drank the beaker in its entirety.

“What, you think it likes warm hugs or something?” You chuckled a bit.

“Something like that. Would you mind sitting down? I know it's damp but it will make interacting with the slime easier for you.”

“Oh not a problem!” You began to feel the effects of the potion take effect as you sat, and immediately the slimes interest was piqued, causing it to bounce in your direction. It was a little intimidating, but you trusted Albedo wholeheartedly, and knew that even if he was wrong about it being docile, he was more than capable of protecting you in case of an emergency.

The warmth in your body pooled outwards from somewhere deep in your belly, pulsing and pulsing until you could feel it in your fingertips.

“Wow…that took effect really…uh, quickly. why am I all… fuzzy?” Your words took longer to come to the forefront of your brain, feeling strange as they rolled off your tongue. A strange buzzing formed between your legs, which immediately embarrassed you.

You reached out to touch the slime, no longer thinking straight. Your fingertips ran across the top of its round body, sliding through the slippery substance it was coated in.

“Oh wow…. S-slimy, hehe.” You giggled, feeling like a child. “‘Bedo? What’s… what do I do?”

Albedo walked closer, leaning over you and causing you to feel incredibly small in his intense gaze.

“You… trust me, right?” Albedo asked.

“Pffft,” you snorted. “Of course I do, silly.”

He seemed to run his tongue over his teeth in thought. “You’d do whatever I ask of you, yes?”

Even through the fog clouding your brain, there was no hesitation in your answer.

“Anything for you, ‘Bedo.” You smiled at him, dizzy with the heat pooling between your legs. “I’ll be a good girl, so good for you.”

He smiled a bit at that, brushing some of his perfect blond hair from his eyes.

“I’ll remember you said that.”

Albedo pulled two chunks of lapis from his coat pocket, and suddenly they flew towards you. You flinched, almost reaching out to protect the slime, until you realized they were moving with the power of Albedo’s vision.

They seemed to melt and mold themselves mid-air, wrapping themselves around your ankles. With a flick of his wrist, Albedo had you thrown to your back, legs high in the air above your head.

You screeched, scrambling to cover yourself with your skirt, but to no avail.

“Now now,” Albedo tutted. “Your cooperation is vital for this stage.”

With cheeks heavy and hot, you lowered your arms back to support your upper half, trying to look at Albedo as he shuffled closer towards you.

“Please, try to relax.” He said, hovering beside you, so incredibly close now that your fingertips buzzed with the desire to reach out and touch him. He flicked a pocket knife from somewhere in his coat, and moved overtop the slime that was in between your legs.

“Hopefully, this shouldn’t take long,” he said, lifting your skirt and eyeing you as you squeaked in alarm but didn’t move to stop him. “And if you stay still, you shouldn’t experience any discomfort. Though from the looks of it, you wont experience any discomfort regardless.”

The way Albedo eyed what you knew to be a sizeable damp patch on your underwear embarrassed you to no end. You were so flustered, he shouldn’t be seeing you like this! Even as he lifted the edge of your panties with a gloved finger and ran his pocket knife through the cotton, exposing you to the cavern, you couldn’t help but chastise yourself for being so uncomfortably wet.

You were probably messing up Albedo’s experiment! You shouldn’t be feeling this way, yet the way he eyed your glistening core sent shivers up your spine.

“A—ah” you stuttered, feeling a single gloved fingertip run through your folds. The pleasure of such a simple touch was overwhelming, and you felt tears pooling in the corners of your eyes as you watched him raise his finger to the light, embarrassed he could see how startlingly wet you were. “I’m sorry B-bedo, I… I don’t know what’s w-wrong with me, I—“

“You’re doing perfectly,” he said, and something in his eyes seemed… hungry. “Everything is as it should be.”

You felt something strange against your behind, wet, slimy movement.

“Look,” Albedo said, looking between your legs. “It seems my potion worked just fine, and the bait made its way to your body’s natural lubricant.”

You stared down between your legs in absent horror as the slime shimmied its way up to your aching core, its front moving and rubbing around at your folds as if it was searching for something.

“B-bait? W-wait—“ you stuttered, moaning as you felt pressure at your entrance. “Albedo!”

But Albedo just watched hungrily as the slime pressed a small portion of itself into your waiting hole, the thick, slimy appendage sliding in with nearly zero resistance thanks to the slick pooling from your core.

Wait, you thought. Did the drink Albedo give me make me this wet?

“Yes.” It took him answering to realize you were mumbling your thoughts out loud. “I gave you a potion that would both enhance your natural lubrication and entice the slime to investigate, to see if my theories were correct.”

The slime moved completely over your core now, its gyrating form moving against your clit as the thick extension of its body began to thrust in and out of you.

Through the thick fog of delirious pleasure, you noticed something glowing within the slimes main body, small, yet bright orbs forming as it essentially fucked the thoughts from your brain.

You were so embarrassed, yet could only lay there and watch as Albedo eyed your exposed hole through the near-clear body of the slime, watching with a dark gaze as your walls pulsed around the appendage.

“Fascinating,” he murmured, only looking away to jot short notes in his notebook.

The glowing grew brighter, and you looked down just in time to watch as a small, egg shaped orb moved from the slimes main body down, down down until you felt it push past the ring of muscle at your entrance.

“It’s depositing the eggs now,” Albedo said almost reverently, watching with rapt attention as the egg was pushed deeper by the thick appendage still thrusting inside.

“‘Bedo…” you moaned, the pressure inside you causing a rushing heat to form, and you felt as if you might orgasm at any moment. The slimes appendage pushed at your walls, pumping another glowing egg past your entrance, and Albedo’s eyes bore into your core as he watched the glowing orb be thrusted deeper inside you.

You realized with a squirm that due to the semi-clear form of the slime, and the glowing nature of the eggs, Albedo was likely watching the entire process and clearly seeing everything happen. The idea that he was watching your insides be filled in such a way was what sent you over the edge, yet this only seemed to make the slime more invested in pumping you full even further.

Albedo looked as though he might drool as you clenched around the appendage, and you blushed even harder at the idea that the alchemist was gaining more than just scientific gratification from this.

You leaned up a bit to gaze at his crotch, and sure enough, a noticeable bulge strained against the fabric, tenting his pants.

The fact that he was enjoying this made your brain melt even further, and you threw your head back, no longer caring to hide your moans.

The slime pumped you full of its eggs, one by one it thrusted the glowing orbs deep into your guts, stretching and pressing sinfully up against your cervix, as if it meant to push them deeper within you.

And the appendage did, it pressed them deeper, and suddenly the pleasure turned to dull pain as it pushed and pushed against your natural resistance.

Albedo must have seen this, and must have seen the panic in your eyes, because his sword suddenly materialized in his hand, and with one swift motion, he cut the slime down while it was still inside you.

You screamed as it burst, coating your lower half in its residue, making you even more sticky and uncomfortable.

But the way Albedo called your name out broke you from your frazzled daze, and you looked up to see his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes still staring hungrily at your sopping entrance.

“Push them out.” He said simply.

“W-what?” You murmured, legs still suspended in the air, brain still heavy with the fog of whatever was in that potion.

“Push them out for me.” He glanced at you, holding your stare just until he saw the command register, and then he watched as your body clenched, and suddenly your hole opened up, pushing a slimy, dimly glowing egg out and onto the ground beneath you.

You groaned at the strange feeling, overwhelmed and yet so enraptured by the way Albedo was staring at you, you never wanted it to end.

“Good.” He said quietly. “So good for me, just like you promised.” He crouched down between your legs, spreading you even further with his fingers to look into your pulsing hole. Your insides clenched at his praise, and you could feel the eggs shifting inside you.

“Keep going, I want to watch them all come out of you.”

So you pushed again, this time, two popped out in rapid succession, and Albedo licked his lips as he murmured soft words of praise, though you could barely hear them over the sound of your own labored breaths and tiny moans.

You pushed again, feeling the remaining eggs shift and rub up against that sweet, sensitive spot inside you once more. You cried out, an egg barely breaching your entrance before your body sucked it back in.

“Come on,” Albedo thumbed gently over your swollen clit, rubbing tight circles with the perfect amount of pressure. “Orgasm if you need to, but keep pushing them out for me, darling.”

You keened, the word darling had barely left his lips before your body crashed over the precipice of orgasm, pulsing outwards in hot bursts from the point of connection between his thumb and your clit.

You managed to push the rest of the eggs out, and as the last one fell from your gaping hole, you heaved in a relieved breath, sweat running down your exposed thighs.

You watched as Albedo turned a couple of the slimy eggs over with the end of his pencil, eyeing them inquisitively before he stood over you once more.

Your eyes were so heavy, the effects of the potion still weighing in your chest and between your legs.

Just as you were about to whimper out your discomfort, Albedo’s boot stomped down on the pile of eggs hard, splattering the condensate all over your lower half. He stomped until they were all destroyed, then gazed upon your disheveled form with eyes that screamed danger, though to you it just looked like desire.

“A-Albedo?” You mumbled, legs shifting uncomfortably in their restraints.

“You’re still under the influence of the potion, yes?” He reached down and flicked his belt from the buckle, popping the button of his slacks with one hand. “Let’s take care of that.”

[xxnghtclls]

Permission

Chapter 33

(Chapter 32; Chapter 34)

True Form Sukuna x Reader

Rating: Explicit

Warning: Graphic Depiction Of Violence

Please see Chapter 1 for tags!

The Chosen One

”No.” he sneers his lips at you, before he turns on his heels and starts walking back to the shrine.

“What do you mean “no”?” you imitate his voice, as you tap after him. “They’re celebrating you.”

He doesn’t respond, just waving his hand at you in a dismissing way. You gather some speed and grab his bottom left hand. He stops and throws you a pissed glance.

“Maybe they have food?” you ask carefully. He doesn’t answer. “Seasoned… meat?” you try to be as cute as possible, giving him doe eyes. “Please?”

The corners of his lips twitch in a suppressed grin, before he rolls his eyes at you and wordlessly walks back into your direction.

Yes!

Happiness spreads in your chest, as he walks past you. You don’t let go of his hand, feeling the soft skin of his palm against your tiny fingers, before you notice his nails. Your eyes widen in horror, letting go of them as if they’re poisonous, as you remember the trails your very own nails left on his exposed back. Blood pumps into your ears and cheeks.

“What about your back? They’re gonna-“

“We’re going!” he interrupts your nervous blabbering in a serious tone, while he keeps walking.

Fuck!

You nervously bite the insides of your cheeks, thinking about the consequences of your actions.

Everyone’s gonna see it.

You slam your hand against your forehead, while following your King through the forest a few steps behind him.

The music turns louder and louder, the more you approach the village. Different scents crawl into your nose, smoke, meat, fish, sweets. The sky turns yellow from the torches and lights that are illuminating the scene. Trees turn into silhouettes, as you finally see a big festival happening between them. After a few more steps, you leave the forest and… you’re there.

Standing to the right of Sukuna, your eyes grow wide, looking everywhere. There’s food, musicians, dancers, lanterns. People are celebrating, drinking and eating.

“Oh dear.” you snort as you spot some kind of statue standing on an altar, having four arms and an angry grin. It looks like a goblin.

“Yea.” he sneers, visibly not pleased about the lack of resemblance and obviously not seeing this kind of homage to him for the first time.

“THE KING! THE KING HIMSELF!” suddenly a voice from a man echoes through the scene. You notice Sukuna rolling his eyes, before he turns to where the voice comes from.

The man runs to the both of you. It’s the same man who begged for help in the audience. You lower your gaze, as soon as you recognise him.

“PLEASE! Your majesty…” he says, before you see him nodding at you in the corner of your eye “…and company. Please be our guests! Drink and eat and celebrate as much as you like!”

“Get lost.” Sukuna says and the man looses the colour on his face, chuckles insecurely, bows down and steps away again, making your King huff. He leans down to your ear.

“Good girl.” he mumbles, before he starts to walk into the crowd. Your cunt responds with a tingle to his words, while your cheeks proudly paint themself in a dark shade of red, before you start to follow him.

The music is very rhythmic, heroic drums reach your ears and you love it. It suits him.

You make your way through the people, aiming for a booth where meat is prepared. As you walk, you notice a lot of the people admiring Sukuna. Women, too. Some start to whisper and giggle to each other whenever they see his back.

Hhhhhhggg

Ears as red as fire, you lower your head even more and want to sink into the ground. Sukuna notices your shame.

“See? They like my little souvenir.” he smirks.

“It doesn’t help that you’re twice as tall as everyone else here. Everyone can see what I’ve done to you.” you complain. He chuckles, obviously enjoying your shame more than you wish.

“So dramatic.” he coos.

“How do you feel being ripped into shreds by a mere mortal like me?” your dramatic tone increases. “Those flesh wounds must hurt.”

“It’s fine.” he says, before stopping you in your tracks and leaning down and whispering at your face. “A keepsake, reminding me of how good I fucked you.”

Why did I ask him to come here?

Your heart flutters heavily at his words. Wetness pooling once again between your thighs. He cocks his eyebrow and takes a sniff, before a shit eating grin forms on his mouth.

“I see, you agree with me.”

Asshole.

“Master Sukuna!” a familiar voice appears behind you. Sukuna doesn’t react, keeps grinning into your embarrassed eyes for a second, before he raises his head again.

“Uraume.” he says, you and him nodding to them, as they lower their head.

“I didn’t expect you here, y/n.” they say, before they turn to Sukuna. “I almost had the impression you wouldn’t attend the festivities this time, Master Sukuna.”

“I had some urgent business to attend first.” he says casually, as if that urgent business didn’t mean that he fucked your brain to mush. Sukuna turns around and continues his way to the meat booth. You don’t dare to look at Uraume, yet feel them looking at you, as you bite your lips.

They start to walk past you and follow Sukuna and you tipple after them.

You arrive at the booth and the cook offers you three small plates of delicious smelling meat along with three small bowls of fresh rice. Although you’re starving, you don’t want to be rude and wait until Sukuna takes one of the plate along with the chopsticks.

I’ve never seen him eat with chopsticks before.

He looks at you and then to the plates, wordlessly ordering you to take one of them, before he takes a bite. You take it, bowing to the cook in gratitude, before you try the food. A wholesome feeling shoots through you, as you taste the incredible well seasoned pork on your tongue. Uraume denies the food.

“You instructed the cook well.” Sukuna says after swallowing the last slice of his plate, before he takes Uraumes portion.

“Thank you, Master Sukuna. Enjoy your meal. I will now excuse myself and see you later.” they bow their head “Y/n.” Then they vanish back into the crowd.

“I had the impression you never ate prepared meat before I cooked it for you in the woods. Why do you keep eating it raw?” you question him. He cocks his eyebrow at you.

“I never said I didn’t.” he smirks with a voice that melts in your ears. “Uraume cooks it best, but they have other business to do.” he keeps munching. “Those other bitches can’t cook, so I rather take it raw.”

You hum at his answer… and feel so happy about his insult.

Bitches.

“Mhmm.” you pick up your second slice about to eat it. “… how do you refer to me when I’m not around?” you tease him. His smirk grows wider, the wrinkles on his eyes increasing, as he keeps chewing, focused on his now empty second plate.

God.

He looks so good.

Your King doesn’t answer, instead he steals the last slice of meat on your plate with his chopsticks and shoves it in his mouth.

“Oy!” you exclaim. You don’t like sharing food when you’re hungry.

Asshole.

“Don’t “oy” me, Princess.” he grins at you, intimidating in a way, before he casually leaves the booth you were standing at. You hastily shove some rice into your mouth, thank the cook again, before you follow him through the crowd.

People are everywhere, you have to tipple and excuse your way through the crowd, in order to catch up to him. If he wasn’t so tall, you would’ve lost sight to him by now.

“My King!” you call him, hoping he would hear and wait for you.

Boom!

Another firework flies up into the air behind you. Your attention is caught and your eyes wander up into the sky to see it explode into a million pieces.

“Pretty!” you breathe, while stumbling further into Sukunas direction, not taking your eyes off the vanishing fireworks.

Step.

You bump into him. Face against the skin of his left side.

Ouch.

Apparently he indeed stopped and turned around to wait for you. A dull pain drives through your nose, before you look up to him. He sneers at you, before he turns back around and continues his way.

The scene around you is very loud, not only the chatter and laughter of people, but also the music. You notice the dancers, groups of men and women, each of them holding a sensu in their hand, moving it so elegantly, throwing it into the air and catching it back into their hands, their steps and moves so elegantly but fierce at the same time. On the opposite side of the dancers, you notice another podium. This one offers enough space for a handful of people to stand on it, pillars rise up from the corners, decorated with leaf carrying branches.

“Princess.” his voice interrupts your analysis of the place. You turn to him, only to see him offering you a small ceramic cup.

Sake!

“Oh.” your eyes grow big in curiosity and anxiety at the same time, as you carefully take it with both hands.

It’s warm.

Enjoying the warm feeling on your hands, you think about having never tried it before. You look up to him, seeing him taking a sip already, keeping his bottom pair of eyes fixated on you. Looking back to your own cup, you chew on your lips, while you remember the last time being drunk. His hand reaches your sight, before his index finger delicately pushes against the bottom of your cup. Your hands obey and rise the cup for your mouth.

Despite watching Sukuna before, you swallow it all at once and the warm alcohol burns down your throat, making you cough and your eyes wet. Sukuna watches and rises his eyebrow at you.

“What?” you feel your cheeks already heating up.

“Thirsty.” he sneers.

“How else am I supposed to drink it? The cup’s so tiiiny!” you babble, ignoring what he just said. “It’s all just. Gone.” you emphasise your words, with your hands and eyes.

Sukuna watches your already drunk behaviour with half lidded eyes, as a hungry smirk creeps on his face, before he takes another sip. Your heart squeezes, before the alcohol crawls into your legs. Having not eaten much today, it’s no wonder it spreads in your body quickly.

You place the empty cup on the table Sukuna got it from and ask for another. Your King stands right next to you, watching the crowd and dancers, while you get your next cup. After another sip, you start to feel dizzy.

“I have to sit down somewhere.” you sigh to yourself and start walking to a nearby area, a bit hidden next to the booths where you spotted a bench, leaving Sukuna standing there, not even waiting for his reaction.

You sit down and sigh, as you keep watching the dancers, the cooks in the booths and the flickering in the lanterns. It’s new for you to experience these kinds of things as a normal visitor.

The festivities in your village were way smaller and you never could enjoy what was happening. Either you were not even allowed to go or you had to work behind the scenes.

You kick your feet, while you take another sip. A feeling of contentment spreads in your gut, a feeling of joy and peace. Closing your eyes, you raise your head, as you keep listening to the sounds, as you keep smelling the scents. Your cheeks are tingling, as well as your legs, almost feeling like you’re floating on a boat.

Suddenly you feel someone sit down right next to you. Opening your eyes, you look to your right, ready to lean your head against Sukuna, when you notice: it isn’t Sukuna. You flinch, the picture in front of you is swimming. A young man, which you have not expected sitting there. He smiles at you and your mushy brain tells you to smile back.

“Do you enjoy the festivities?” he seems to be nice and you’re overwhelmed. You nod, before you retrieve your smile and squint at him, not sure what you should say or if you should talk to him at all anyway. He chuckles at your behaviour, his eyes jumping down to your cup of sake and back to your eyes.

“Would you mind to have another dri-“

“You have two seconds.” Sukuna’s threatening voice interrupts him.

The poor man can’t even react in time, before Sukuna just shoves him off that bench and sits down right next to you. Your King throws him a threatening glance, as the man stumbles to the ground and quickly hurries away.

It all happens too fast for your drunk brain, that you just accept what just happened. Sukuna leans forward, supporting himself on his elbows on his thighs, before you softly poke your right index finger into his side. He doesn’t react and you look down to your cup.

“I apologise for leaving you at the booth.” you sigh, fiddling with the ceramic. He throws you a glance over his shoulder, before he turns back forward.

“It’s fine.” he grumbles.

You sigh another time, your brain running circles, before you let your head lean against his side. He stays silent and you know he very much wasn’t pleased seeing your interaction with this man.

“Don’t be mad at me.” you pout, trying to soothe your angry King.

Suddenly a woman steps in front of Sukuna, making you quickly retrieve your head from his side, sitting back straight. As soon as you see the womans face, you blink.

She’s beautiful.

“Master Sukuna” her voice as smooth as butter. “I would like to thank you for your duty as our King.” She kneels down before him, lowers her head and offers him a folded sensu.

You watch how Sukuna watches her and jealousy crawls up your gut. He nods and accepts her gift with a smirk and takes the sensu.

Why did I never make him a gift?

You get angry at yourself.

She gets up again, bows and before she leaves, she leans in and whispers something in his ear, making his smirk grow.

You chug your remaining sake in one angry go.

After she’s gone, Sukuna fiddles with the sensu, folding it open, revealing a beautiful red and blue pattern, feeling the material, before he closes it again.

Enough.

You turn away.

“How do you like it?” he mumbles, referring to the hand fan.

“It’s fine.” you grumble. “I hope it will provide you the coooldest breeze.”

You hear him huff softly behind your back, before the sensu reaches your eyesight. Looking at it and back to Sukuna, he motions it to you.

“Take it.” he says, making you frown.

“It’s yours.” you sneer, your vision still blurry.

“Now it’s a gift for you.” his voice suddenly smooth in contrast to his grumpy attitude from before. You blink and take the sensu, your fingers brushing against his in the process, before you turn your back to him again.

“Don’t you wanna know what she told me?” he teases you.

“Did she ask you to come visit her in her chambers?” the alcohol keeps burning on your cheeks, your vision keeps swimming.

He grabs you by your chin and harshly turns your face around to him. After a second of just looking at you, he whispers.

“She told me how pretty the woman is who is sitting right next to me.” his eyes dancing between your eyes and lips, as the hungry smirk crawls back into his face. “And she’s right... Do you have any idea how pretty you look with those eyes of yours?”

Your face flushes red, drunk ears listening to his words, being not the words that you expected to hear.

“The way I have to contain myself to not drag you up that podium and fuck you for everyone to see. For everyone and that stupid little bastard from earlier to see, that you’re mine and only mine. How dares he speaking to you just like that?”

Pressing your thighs together at his words, you sigh into his hold, almost melting into his hold, as another batch of fireworks starts shooting.

“Do it.” your shy cheeks are burning and your cunt is tingling, his possessive behaviour so hot to you. His lip twitches at your words.

“Don’t tempt me.” he hisses.

Boom!

“What about a kiss then?” you tease, making him cock his eyebrow at you. Your voice turns seductive. “…I bet you’re not even brave enough to kiss me in the middle of the crowd.”

His lip twitches once again and you just stare at him for a second, before you stand up, your jaw leaving his grip. You walk back into the celebrating crowd, swaying your hips with every step. It doesn’t take long, before you feel his huge presence go after you. Step by step, you walk between the people, while he’s walking a few meters behind you, like a predator sneaking up behind its prey.

Step by step.

Boom!

The alcohol in your blood makes situation this so exciting, the wetness between your thighs so dripping.

Suddenly someone bumps into you. You stumble to your right, making you loose your sensu.

Quickly you kneel down, but Sukuna grabs it first. Standing back up, you see the excitement in his eyes, his pupils blown so wide, eager to prove you otherwise, as he kneels right in front of you. With one swing of his hand, he folds the fan open and places it next to your cheek, covering one side of your face. Sukuna gently holds your chin with his upper left hand and leans in.

Boom!

Everyone around you looks up to the biggest explosion of this evening. A beautiful shrine like pattern paints the sky, as his lips gently find yours. Heart skips a beat, as you reach for his hand that’s holding the sensu. Hiding below the lights and behind the fan, his lips glide so smoothly against yours. Your breath is knocked out of you, as his tongue licks against yours, before he breaks the kiss again.

“You lost.” he breathes with a grin against your lips and you don’t care. A smile spreads on your face, as he leans back and you drown in his eyes, the reflections of the fading lights in the sky sparkling in them.

A loving feeling overwhelms you and you jump forward, letting your arms fall around his neck. You almost lose balance, before you feel him putting his hand against the small of your back.

“Do you have any idea how pretty you look with those eyes of yours, my love?” you sigh into his ear, squeezing him tight. He purrs and you feel his nails dig into your back, before you realise what you just said, as suddenly the drums grow loud.

Bong. Bong. Bong.

You flinch, quickly retracting your arms from his neck.

In a steady pace, they keep drumming, while Sukuna loosens his grip on you and rises back to his feet. People are already looking at the both of you and you quickly unfold the sensu and hide your face behind it. Heat rises to your face, still embarrassed about what you just called him, before a loud voice echoes through your ears.

“King Ryomen Sukuna! Please be our guest and come up here! Enjoy the ceremony!”

Bong. Bong. Bong.

His eyes pierce into your for one more second, before he turns around and makes his way to the podium. Quickly fanning yourself some air, you step aside, as people gather behind you with goods in their hands.

You watch him climbing up the few stairs that lead up to the wooden podium and sitting down on it’s surface. Uraume walks up and comes to a halt right next to him. A servant walks by and throws a black cape over his shoulders.

Bong. Bong. Bong.

Silence.

The drums stopped, only the crackle of the torches reach your ear.

“Your Majesty! Please accept our gifts of goodwill and gratitude. You blessed us with peace and fortune, we will be forever in your debt.” the man says, while people build a queue and start to carry their goods to the podium. Crops, fruits, dried meat, jewellery, fabrics. You watch them, one by one take a step forward and bow to him, laying their gifts at the bottom of the stairs. Uraume is waiting patiently with a lowered gaze. People around you watch the ceremony in a reverent manner, like he’s a god. You seek his gaze, his face rather stoic, even a bit intimidating and bothered, before you notice that the eyes of his mask are looking into your direction.

To you.

As soon as you realise, you smile and bow your head to your King as well. After a moment you raise your head back up, only to see him break eye contact with you and focus on the people in front of him. One after another lay their precious possessions at the feet of your King. After roughly half an hour, you notice a group of five young women forming at the end of the queue. They are all pretty looking and nervousness spreads in your gut, as you remember the words the bitch told you.

A prize.

They follow the queue, until the last person carefully laid down their gift to the bottom of the stairs.

“Now that we offered you our gratitude, please honour us and choose a woman! A woman suitable for a King.” the man comments, while the women gather up in front of the podium.

No! No No No No No!

She’s not right. She’s not right.

You look to Sukuna, his eyes fixated on them and only them. All of the women have their head lowered, standing so religious in front of him. Your breath grows nervous. Everyone looks at your King in suspense, before Sukuna raises his head, staring at each of them. After a moment on contemplation, he opens his mouth a little and licks his teeth, a smirk crawling onto his lips. He looks hungry.

No! Not again!

Being a prize is better than being garbage.

Your heart is beating in your throat, as you watch the fingers of his hand that’s been resting on his left knee fiddle with each other and you notice his bottom right eye looking at you for a second. After a moment, he raises his index finger to point at the one in the middle.

The people applaud and cheer.

“A wonderful choice. May she serve you for her lifetime. Who knows, maybe even as a Queen?” the man chuckles, while the woman steps forward onto the podium.

Nausea comes over you and you feel like you need to throw up.

“Excuse me.” you say to the people around you, while you quickly leave the event, heart beating out of your chest.

The bitch can’t be right…

You hurry in between the houses standing close to the forest, away from the people and spew on the ground. Coughing and shaking, you don’t know what to do or feel.

“She can’t be right.” you mumble. “He’s not bored of me. I’m not garbage…” you chant to yourself, trying to reset your brain from the low self esteem you’re feeling.

Heartache.

“Your majesty, we do have a lot more to offer y-…uh?” you hear the man say in the distance, as you throw up another time. You stare at the ground in a delirium, while holding on to the side of the house to your left.

You hate that you’re feeling like this, despite how sweetly he acted towards you this whole evening. Her words messed up your brain.

“Oy, Princess!” the voice you love comes up behind you.

Your face feels numb from the anxiety, but you try to overplay it.

“Just got sick from the sake I guess.” you say, before spitting.

He knows when I lie to him.

“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be up there.” you complain to distract him from the situation.

He looks at you for a second, before he grabs your wrist and drags you back into the forest.

“What are you-?”

“We’re leaving.” he growls.

Your eyes are fixated on his hand on your wrist, not knowing how to react, not knowing what to say. Looking down to the dark ground, you listen to the leaves and twigs cracking under your feet, until you finally reach the meadow in front of the shrine again.

The sounds of the festivities grow silent in the distance.

Sukuna keeps dragging you to the shrine, but you notice he’s not going for the entrance. Going to the right side of the shrine, he stops. You look at him questioningly. Without explaining anything, he leans down to you and lifts you up.

Huh?

You just function and your hands find the edge of the shrines roof. With a push, he shoves you on the elevated surface. You climb further on the roof, carefully using the spikes that protrude there, until you reach the top. The curved roof converges on a long broad wooden beam. You sit and look back to Sukuna. With a jump, he holds on to the edge and hoists himself up. You watch him climb to the top of the roof like you did, his four arms almost making him look like a monkey while he does so, the sight causing you to suppress a grin.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing.” you lie and turn your back to him. “What are we doing here?”

He sighs loudly, before he sits down on the wooden beam behind you and lays on his back. You notice and turn around to see what he’s doing. His right leg is up with his foot resting on the surface, while he lets his left leg dangling down the side of the roof.

“Enjoying the silence.” he says calmly, while closing his eyes. You blink and smile to yourself, wondering if he did this for you. Leaning down, your back finds its way to the wooden surface as well, your head finding its place right next to his.

Some moments pass in silence. You watch the sky and the stars and wonder if he does too or keeps his eyes closed. The situation from earlier however, still sits in your mind.

“She’s pretty.” you start in a quiet voice. “I would’ve chosen her, too.”

He huffs amused.

“Really?” you hear him smirk. “Mhm… Interesting.”

“Don’t you think she’s pretty enough to be your queen?” you ask.

“Would you like that?” he smirks.

“No… I would strangle her in her sleep.” you answer in a serious tone, while closing your eyes. “Then you can eat her. You looked so hungry while choosing her anyway.”

He snorts and chuckles loudly at your words, making you feel his head move next to yours. You smile along, glad that you could make him laugh.

“You watched very closely.” he adds.

“I did.” you say quietly, smile fading. A weird mix of happiness and sadness fills your stomach, making you chew on your lip.

“Do they always offer you a bunch of women, hoping one of them to become your Queen?” your voice quiet again.

“Mh Mh.” he hums in confirmation.

“They have good intentions, wanting a Queen for their King.” you chuckle nervously.

„They’re a bunch of fools.“ he sneers. “And you are, too.”

Ouch.

The sounds of feet on grass reach your ears and you elevate your head to look down to the meadow. You see Uraume and the chosen girl walk back to the shrine. Having their hands full, they carry a lot of the good that were offered to Sukuna. Uraume seems to explain her something, probably the same things they explained to you when you arrived. You watch them for a moment and look back to Sukuna laying next to you, until you lay down again and the emotions in your gut keep building and building.

Feeling happy, that he’s here with you despite choosing her. Feeling sad, that he chose her despite having you.

And now she’s on her way, walking right into the shrine.

Your lips start to tremble and you sit up, as suddenly your emotions overflow and tears fall from your eyes. The rest of the alcohol in your blood doesn’t help with this situation at all. In fact it’s making it worse.

“Why’re you crying?” Sukuna’s eyes bore into your back, as you sniff and wipe away your tears.

“I can’t say.” you sob, while the palm of your hand swipes over your right eye, feeling ashamed that your brain and the bitch is making you feel so insecure.

Sukuna smacks his lips in annoyance, before he looks up into the sky again.

“Stop it.” he demands, his strict voice punches you hard in your guts.

Sniff.

But after a moment, it somehow eases your mind, brings you back to the here and now.

He’s here with me.

With me and only me.

Right now.

Slowly, you calm down and grow quiet again.

“You looked fierce on the battlefield.” he continues, making you turn around to him. “Using that bow and arrow suited you. So stand proud… and stop crying.”

He’s looking to the sky, while he says his words and hearing them makes you want to bawl your eyes out even more.

“Ok.” you swallow your tears and lay back down, while he grumbles in response.

Sniff.

A moment passes, before you tilt your head a little bit and look up to the moon. It’s shining so bright onto the two of you.

He didn’t want to go to the festival in the first place…

“While you were gone, did you look up and watch the moon sometime?” you ask him.

“I did.” he whispers, making your heart ache. The reminder, that not only you longed for him, but he also longed for you.

“Me too.” you breathe.

”I know.” he answers quietly, making your heart skip a beat, before it starts racing.

The stars keep shining down on both of you, as you watch the sky, while your heart keeps beating heavily in your chest. Just you and him laying there, just feeling his existence and yours, just feeling the warmth of his face next to yours. Thoughts tingle in your mind.

Stand proud.

Boom!

Another firework.

Maybe the last one.

“Sukuna…” you breathe. Heart racing, as you keep thinking, while staring on the dark blue, glittering space above your head. Eyes dancing between the stars and sparkles that you see. His face softly tilts against yours, waiting for you to speak, while you ponder. Trembling fingers start fiddling gently with the fabric of your kimono, before you inhale, before your lips start moving.

“I love you.”

[musicallisto]

clara my dearest role model, clara my devoted friend, clara my delicate muse... i am sending this right as i'm finishing the final chapter of romancing mister bridgerton on audiobook, so forgive me for being so inexcusably brief </3. might i request one of these 💿 lovely surprises with literally any f1 driver, i want to see a violent characterization of these loser men from my most respected author friend yuki tsunoda? i am, in all things, horribly on brand.

· · · · ♡ EXILE (yt22)

… starring yuki tsunoda x f!reader ... based on exile by taylor swift ft. bon iver ... 1.2k words ... in which yuki tsunoda, fresh from his formula 1 debut, returns to a tokyo both familiar and foreign, where ghosts and feelings still linger. ... i really hope you enjoy this my darling olive!! when i saw i had pulled exile out of all songs i freaked out a little,, this song has gotten me through a lot so i had to pay homage </3 happy august 1st to those who celebrate!!!

"I can see you staring, honey

Like he's just your understudy

Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me

𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓, 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄 comes to Tokyo, always brings her heat with her.

More than the temperatures, it's a joyous sort of effervescence that coils around the street corners, trickling down like the first monsoon rains. Day after day, Tokyo attires itself in the most festive of summer colors, until all of a sudden all the festivals, open-air markets, and traditional dances flood the city like budding poppies. Here, rows upon rows of sunflowers sway to the soft breeze in Kiyose; over there paper lanterns float off into the night sky over the Sumida river, each cradling an unspoken wish.

To Yuki, August is always the best time to return to the capital. Or rather, the second best; nothing beats the cherry blossoms of late April, but late April is home for Imola now, and it's been years, really, since he last saw the sakura of home.

He doesn't mind the heat—he never did, and his Japanese friends joke that he was already a fiery character before his time in the West made him brazen. He's always glad to be back home over the summer break. Even more so since he debuted in Formula 1 six months prior.

It's Yuki's first time returning to Tokyo since he started racing with AlphaTauri, and one of his increasingly rare visits to his homeland. He's been eagerly anticipating the break; to recharge, certainly, and most importantly to meet with his family. In the cloudy skies the plane traverses, Yuki can see his elders' crinkled eyes, beaming with pride as he, the picture of practiced humility, answers every question about the sport, about Italy, about the world he made it big in. It matters not they won't understand much about racecars, or the FIA—he's coming home aureoled in a gladiator's glory. Honor to his family, to the Tsunoda bloodline! He smiles to himself as the plane touches down on the tarmac.

Yet as Yuki steps into the urban jungle he's so ardently missed… he finds the city changed. Not transformed, entirely, but… almost misplaced. As if street names and trees and playground slides have been shuffled over his time abroad, all of them still there but in a disposition unknown to him. Sure, he is a child of the suburbs, and Tokyo a fidgety creature—maybe Italy's stone roads have eroded his memory. But wasn't there an old laundromat on this corner, on which the papier mâché dragons would cast fantastical shadows as they snaked down the street? And the brand new KFC—this was a pet store, where he'd press his nose against the glass to watch the colorful fish and guinea pigs until his mother forcibly dragged him away.

This is still home, he tells himself to soothe the unease away. Things change, but they don't leave you behind, he repeats as he checks his phone to make sure he's going in the right direction.

They're all little details. Like when he stops at a food vendor's cart and has to repeat his order twice, taken aback by the sound of his very own mother tongue coming out of his mouth. Six months without speaking Japanese to another person, other than the odd calls to his parents, have left his voice chalky. The woman looks at him for a brief second, quizzical, but hands him the sugary buns; he thanks her, seamlessly this time, and it's all back to normal. Yuki Tsunoda is home.

They're all little details until they aren't. Until he turns on his heels, biting into the snack, and catches sight of her.

It's unmistakable, and it's her. Even with the facemask, it's the same silky hair and smooth skin, same little bounce to her step, and even the same linen pants she used to wear in high school. Tokyo's immutable certainty on the other side of the street. Y/N.

Yuki stops dead in his tracks as their eyes meet, thirty feet away, and a flash of recognition has her almost recoiling, but she holds firm onto the hand she's holding and stays immobile. A man's hand; he's a little taller than Yuki, black hair in a neat middle part and dark eyes distracted by an advertisement on a screen. Wearing nice clothes, sunglasses hanging from his neckline, shoulders relaxed but holding Y/N with the casual affection of a man who cherishes a great treasure.

Yuki's throat dries up. He thinks about reaching out—to say what? Giving her a polite wave—but what for? High school confessions play in his head, back when he loved her as zealously as he raced, and when her laugh ringing in his ears, more than the trophies and the European circuits and the million-dollar contracts, was his only belief.

"So when do you plan on coming back?" she'd asked him the last time they'd ever seen each other, sitting on a park bench that cherry petals flecked.

"Eight months to a year, maybe," he'd answered after a little while, knowing there was no return once he said it.

"Eight months?" she'd exclaimed, disbelieving. "Yuki, I can't… I don't think I can go eight months without seeing you."

"I don't think I can ask you to do that, either," he'd said, sounding sadder than he'd wanted, though he had rehearsed the moment over and over in his head.

She'd stared at him wordlessly, her incomprehension feigned. She knew what he was about to say, but pretended not to. He'd wished she'd piece it together on her own, admit it to herself so he wouldn't have to say it out loud, but…

"I think it's best for both of us if we just… go our separate ways. I don't want to hold you back, and you deserve to be happy here. With someone who's here with you."

You are among the twenty best in the world, Yuki, had told him Franz Tost after some F2 race he couldn't remember, when news had broken out into the world the Japanese rookie would be AlphaTauri's shiniest, newest addition. It's rough getting here and it's only gonna get rougher staying here. The engineers may cut out what's slowing you down… but you need to do it too.

"All right," was all Y/N had said, her eyes glassy. Steel. Dignified, like he'd always known her. Like he sees her right now, staring at him from the other side of the street.

Her new boyfriend taps her shoulder to show her something in a shop, and she turns her head, breaking eye contact with Yuki. Up the road, the lights turn green, and a flock of cars of all shapes and colors buzz past, invading the crosswalk and hiding the couple from view.

Twenty seconds later, when the street is quiet once more, and Y/N eagerly turns her gaze from her boyfriend to the opposite sidewalk, she finds moms pushing strollers and well-behaved Inus on leashes, but no trace of Tsunoda. A flame, gone in a flash. Her heart drops.

She squeezes her boyfriend's hand, and they keep walking.

I'm not your homeland anymore, so what am I defending now?

You were my crown, now I'm in exile, seeing you out

I think I've seen this film before

So I'm leaving out the side door"

… tagging @retvenkos @heliads @faerieroyal (the f1 girlies🥺)

… masterlist here

[satorkiees]

love at first sight `` ~ ୨୧ ♡ ·

synopsis- prince todoroki is on the quest to find out about his mother's death when he meets you - a mermaid. what will come of it when you both really get to know who the other one actually is?

content: not proofread, the little mermaid au, prince!todoroki x mermaid!reader, gn reader

wc: 1.5k - part 2, part 3

for the todoroki family, being cut off from the wider kingdoms put them at a slight disadvantage in many ways - namely trade. however, whenever endeavour, shoto’s father yabbered on about it, all he could do was daydream about what was beyond their island, what was there to see beyond the walls of the shore.

for you, being underneath the sea was first nature for you, you knew nothing else of it. however, maybe due to you human mother, you had always had a fascination for the human world, for how they worked and lived. though, whenever you mentioned that thought to your father, your relationship became ever-strained. since your mother died at the hands of an unknown man on that island, your father had become cold and distant just like the rest of your 6 sisters. and though you knew humanity was to blame for the death of your mother, you couldn’t help but feel a strong calling towards the surface - towards a new life.

however, as the light shimmered through the clear blue waters, you swam gracefully throughout the sea determined to find more human ‘gizmos' for your ever growing collection in your cavern. your long iridescent tail propelled you throughout the waters, your sea-creature friends following behind you worried. with a mischievous look in your eye, you’d tease a passing school of fish by catching them off-guard before playfully darting away leaving the fish to continue on their journey. the water caressed your skin as you made your way towards another (more recent) shipwreck. carefully, you rummaged through the remains seeing fragments left behind from the humans up above: photos filled with love and adoration, letters that confessed their love for one another explaining concepts like ‘dancing’ which were so foreign to you. hours passed you in a flash and the clear blue waters turned navy but flashes of warm orange light flickered on the service.

enchanted, you made your way to the surface, a sense of never-ending wonder growing bigger inside you by the moment. an array of stimuli hit you at once: the loud booming of bright lights in the sky, exploding stars; fresh air hitting your face; sounds of boisterous men echoing loudly on the boundless expanse of sea. as you approached the festivities, you felt that for once in your life, you were so close to a dream that you had always wished for.

the men on shoto’s ship were loud, boisterous and he could hardly blame them - they were celebrating his birthday after all. january 10th. the weather was colder than usual and as dusk had rolled around, the only lights they had were the warmth of the lanterns strung on the ship. he tried his best to revel in the festivities of the ship however he had a nagging feeling. though his trip from the neighbouring kingdom was successful, he doubted his father would be impressed enough. his father’s assistant - keigo takami - warned him on multiple occasions he should stop living in this fantasy that he’s find something, someone, out here. 

shoto was busy essentially brooding in the corner of the ship when takami ushered him to join in on his own festivities. 

“it’s your birthday for god’s sake!” takami beginning to slur on his words due to his lack of self control. “ you need to give up on this fantasy of trying to find shit that isn’t there. you’re going to be a king.” though takami said it lightheartedly, built-up anger seethed in his chest. he knew something was out there - something or someone had saved his mother that night many years ago. that night, a beautiful melody rang out throughout his kingdom which echoed throughout his mother’s dying body. she had fallen off the ship but was brought to shore somehow. in his heart, he knew someone had brought her to them and though she never woke up, he was given the grace of never being left wondering about the whereabouts of his mother. through gritted teeth and an unwillingness to fight with keigo, he joined the festivities once again. 

you watched all of this play out on the side of the ship, entranced by the events playing out. how they sang and danced and were smiling so bright, it competed with the explosions of stars in the sky. you watched eyes widened, particularly interested in the man they all seemed to be praising. though he tried to reject the contagious festivities in the air, not even he was immune to it, a small smile tugging his lips. he was beautiful you though, his hair was split - one side as white as the pearls in the sea and one side as red as the coral that was plentiful in your home. that prior dream burned inside of you, wanting to be one of them, you had to stop yourself from boarding the ship too. a cute animal had come to you, a black cat, one with the silkiest fur that was quickly taken away from you from a gentle calling from the dual-coloured hair man. 

the festivities lasted for hours on end and as you were finally ready to go back to your home under the sea, a turbulent rumbling entered the atmosphere. all of a sudden, the calm waves became violent, hurling themselves against the boat, unbalancing the sailors on the ship. once a boisterous crowd became deathly serious. the sailors struggled to maintain their footing as the vessel tried its best to fend against the crashing waves. torrential rain hurled from the clouds tearing the lanterns from the strings causing an onslaught of fire to dominate the ship. paired with the winds that picked up with an eerie howl which helped the spread of the fire.

“abandon ship!” shoto demanded, his crew immediately following his orders. he searched frantically, making sure everyone was able to get off the ship. you did your best, underneath the water, guiding those towards the ship pushing away excess wood that had been ripped off the ship. 

todoroki heard a distant meowing. one he knew well, he made his way towards his inky black cat, athena. quickly, he was able to save her from getting squashed by burning wood. as gently as he could, he hurled her towards his crew which were eagerly waiting for her (and him) to board. underneath, you gently guided athena towards the crew members wishing her a safe travel. the ship became more strained than ever, its timber groaning and creaking in protest, unable to withstand it anymore, it split in two, causing shoto to fall off the other side from the rest of his crew members.

overwhelming. water flooded all of his senses, it consumed him and he had no will to fight back against it. all he could wonder if this is how his mother felt all those years ago. alone and cold but at peace in a way. he lost consciousness, the thought of those who he loved easing him into a deep sleep.

adrenaline was present in every fibre of your body as you grabbed the dual hair coloured man and brought him to shore. you stayed with him till daylight (after making sure he would be okay till help arrived in the morning) admiring his features and how the rising sunset kissed them so gently. and as the sun rose, you sang your siren song to call the other sailors over to come and find him. a sense of disappointment washed over you as you were coming to the end of your song as the man interlaced his fingers with yours, becoming more conscious by the moment. though not fully awake, as he locked eyes with you, he felt as though his whole spirit had been restored and time had stopped completely so he could take you in. you were beautiful, stunning, the finest person he had ever seen. it felt like the atoms in the universe had conspired so they could be together, their souls respectively noticing something profound in one another.

though, he was too weak to convince you to stay, you hurried away, giving him a final squeeze and a quiet ‘good luck’. as soon as you left, time returned to its steady march continuing on as it did prior. and as he drifted back into a deep sleep, he could only see the way your kind eyes locked with his own.

a/n - requests are open!!!!! also i loved the new movie. i want prince eric rn