#fluffy prince is also an option

[thelovelylolly]

Hi. I have a request for a loki x female reader. I love his character so much. I would like it too be a short fluffy one.

Can you write a fic about loki and a reader who likes him but is afraid to tell him that, so she avoids him but he realizes that she likes him because he can read her like an open book. And it ending with them kissing for the first time.

Sorry if this sounds confusing. If you can't write this that is fine.

--sam w

Avoiding

Summary : you're a goddess on Asgard, and you've fallen in love with Loki. Warnings: fem! reader, r has long hair but texture and color isn't desc., some self doubt but it's very brief, let me know if i missed anything! Word count: 1.3k (not proofread) Notes: this is so cute! i did give them some more backstory so i hope you enjoy! (also dividers by @saradika-graphics !!)

You loved Loki.

It was plain and simple. You were a goddess on Asgard and had grown up with him while Frigga taught you how to harness your magic. You and Loki clicked instantly, sometimes getting into trouble together or spending quiet afternoons between lessons together. You helped him with his pranks against his brother, he helped you try new things with your magic.

You had a crush on him when you were both children, but you thought it was just a silly childhood crush.

Then, you grew up and it didn't go away.

If anything, your feelings grew stronger and deeper.

You didn't want to ruin the friendship you had with him and he was a prince. You held no title other than 'goddess' and you had heard about all the suitors his father had set up for him. Loki didn't want any of them and always said he'd rather spend his life with you or no one at all.

Surely, he didn't mean that he wanted to court and marry you, right?

He always went straight to you after meeting with suitors, which is where he found you one late afternoon. You were lounging around in the library, re-reading one of your favorite books, when he slipped through the large library doors. He closed them behind him and let out a sigh as he leaned against them.

You looked up from your book with a soft smile. "How'd it go?" You asked, even though you knew the answer.

"Terrible," Loki answered, walking over to you and sitting on the opposite end of the couch you were on. "I don't think my father understands that I'm not interested in these spoiled princes and princesses."

"Aww, you poor thing," you said teasingly, putting your book aside and scooting closer to him. "You have all these perfect options to choose from-"

"You know I don't want any of them," he quickly cut you off, smiling over at you. "But at least this one brought me a present."

"Oh, did they? What was it?"

Loki held his hand up and used his magic to make the gift appear. It was a delicate, gold crown that looked like a vine full of leafs.

"It's beautiful," you quietly said, leaning closer to get a better look.

"I was nice about it, but I knew it would look better on you than me," he replied, taking the crown between his hands and turning to face you. He gently placed it on top of your head, gently pulling a few pieces of your hair out to frame your face.

Your smile fell when you noticed how close the two of you were, your lips slightly parted as your heart raced. His soft smile made your insides melt and all you wanted to do lean forward and kiss him.

"I was right," he whispered, just loud enough for you to hear, "it does look better on you. You look like a queen."

Your gaze fell to his lips. All you had to do was say three little words and lean forward. But that could ruin everything.

Instead, you pulled away and stood up, clearing your throat awkwardly. You grabbed your book and turned towards him as you walked backwards to the doors. "I-I'm sorry, I have to go..." You quickly said before turning and leaving.

Loki watched the doors close behind you, leaving him alone in the library. His smile fell and he leaned against the back of the couch, letting out a sigh.

Something was up with you, and he was going to figure out what it was.

A few days had passed since what happened in the library and you had done your best to avoid Loki. You felt embarrassed and you didn't want to face him. You started to avoid the places the two of you usually frequented and found a nice beach area to escape to. It was hidden by different types of flora from the palace gardens.

However, you kept the crown he gave you. You only took it off to sleep or do your hair, which was always in a style that let you wear the crown. You had gotten compliments from others around the castle and when they asked where it had come from, you simply said it was a gift.

But it was more than a gift to you. It was a slight bit of hope that Loki requited your feelings.

Yet, you were too afraid to tell him and decided that avoiding him would help. Even with your peaceful beach and your favorite books, Loki still took up most, if not all, of your thoughts. Maybe he did know you had feelings for him because he knew you so well.

He knew you well enough to eventually find you on the beach. The sun was just starting to set and it caused the clear, blue waves to sparkle in the late afternoon light. The sun also shined off of the crown on your head, making you easy to spot for Loki.

When he called your name, your heart skipped a beat. You stood up from where you were sitting and reading before turning to him, watching him as he jogged over to you.

"There you are!" He said with a large smile. "I've been looking for you everywhere the past few days, why have you been avoiding me, dear?"

Dear. Gods, you loved him.

"I...I just needed some space, I guess," you replied softly, looking out at the waves next to you two.

"Space to think about your feelings for me?" He asked with a hint of teasing in his tone.

Your head whipped around and you looked at him with wide eyes. "W-what do you mean? What feelings-"

"Darling, we've been friends since we were children, I know you," he reached for your hands, taking them in his, "I figured out you had feelings for me only recently, so don't think I've been leading you on or anything. I've been trying to figure out how to tell you that I love you."

"You...what?" You were still surprised he found out, but now he admitted he loved you? Your mind was racing and so was your heart as you stepped closer to him. "You love me, too?"

"Of course I do, darling," he said, trailing his hands up your arms to hold your waist as he pulled you closer. "Why else do you think I've rejected all the suitors my father set up for me? Why do you think I gave you that crown?"

He leaned closer, pressing his forehead against yours before saying, "why do you think I spend every second I can with you?"

You took a deep breath, letting out a relieved sigh. "I was scared I was going to ruin what we have," you whispered.

He reached one hand up and cupped your cheek, running his thumb across your skin gently. "You could never ruin it, darling."

You slowly started to lean closer, the gap between you and him closing. He met you half way and pressed his lips to yours.

You had imagined his kiss many times, but none of it compared to real life. He was soft and gently, but still held you tight and close. He knew where to place his hands, how to move his lips against yours, and when to pull away.

It wasn't a short kiss, nor was it long, but you immediately missed the feeling of his lips on yours. However, the look he gave you silently told you that more were to come.

"Would you allow me to court you, darling?" He asked softly, still holding you close to him.

"Of course, Loki," you answered, smiling up at him, "but does your father know?"

He laughed. "No, but I don't care if he approves or not. I want you, I choose you, and he'll have to be okay with that because I'm never going to change my mind."

[koinotame]

word count: 1.7K content warnings: general yandere content warnings and allusions to nsfw/sex but nothing super explicit

summary: it's your birthday!!!! what it's like celebrating with my ocs

a/n: i can now legally drink in a country i'll never visit 🎉 + bc i'm feeling nice another sneak peek of the new guys as well

gacha isekai group:

first prince: only finds out after your birthday has passed because he's still doing the hot and cold act and genuinely breaks down crying. is lucid enough to realise maybe you're trying to be discreet so only hosts an elaborate dinner for the two of you instead of a national banquet and a barrage of gifts he think you'd enjoy

first hero: terrible gift giver who spends the entire day fussing over you. holds open doors, carries all your things, flexes when you ask because you like his muscles even if he's burning from how embarrassed he is, reminds you you could do anything to him and he'd still love you forever and ever and ever and— and so on

second hero: between the fact that you're almost definitely already overwhelmed from your entire harem and you treat (unfortunately most of your harem and not just) him like an object anyway, he doesn't dare get close on the actual day. a couple days later he just kind of silently presses something small but meaningful into your hands and wishes you a happy belated birthday. you pat him on the head dismissively and send his stomach soaring, but you look happy with it so it was worth spending his entire month's salary on

vampire: shows up in your bedroom in the morning dressed in basically nothing except a rose in his mouth and offers himself to you. he's your toy any day anyway but you can make extra use of him today… when this doesn't land he's distraught and attempts to make it up to you by buying you some really extravagant tools or materials you'll make use of

werewolf: doesn't have much to offer, so… you mentioned you were interested in seeing his true form a while ago, right? do you… want to see that now? he'd tower over you like this if he wasn't so busy rolling up at your feet and showing you his tummy. you can take him out on a walk with a leash, humanoid or true form, but to be fair you could do that any day

playboy: his gifts are surprisingly practical; think something like a water canteen or some very soft, very fluffy towels. he takes you out on a little tea party date as well, ready with all your favourite pastries, then offers to play and/or sing you a couple songs. overall focuses on giving you a nice, calm couple hours, partially because he loves you and partially because he's trying to cement himself as the better, more thoughtful option lol

immortal: brings you breakfast and surprises you with several hand sewn, incredibly sturdy and very much your style pieces of clothing. since your own had been getting a little ragged, and you complimented his sewing once… see, this one's even in the style of your clothes from back home! seeing how you've been homesick lately, he thought he could alleviate that a little for you. and if you'd really like him to, he could give you a kiss as a gift too…

living doll: since they don't technically have any living expenses, the army just kind of… doesn't pay them… so they don't have much to work with for gifts and frankly they don't really get the point of celebrating something like the day you were born on, but they let you dress them up really nicely and offers to match so they can at least make you look better throughout the day

lab experiment: gives you a handwritten light collection (it's a whole book) of poems and little pieces of art they've made of and/or for you. the contents are kind of concerning but the gesture is really sweet. also gets you some pressed flowers and your favourite treats, then ends up rushing back to their room to hide because they're worried none of this is enough for you

mage's apprentice: spends the week before your birthday asking you strange questions and hiding away in their atelier. you don't see much of them on the actual day until the evening when they shakily wish you a happy birthday and drag you out to the gardens, where they've prepared a special fireworks show just for you

disgraced god: doesn't know it's your birthday at first because the concept is kind of entirely foreign to them, but is not about to be outshined by the rest of your harem. they're always at your beck and call anyway, but they make sure to up the doting (and monopolise you as much as possible) to the max on your special day

servant: it's not really his intention, but he ends up coming off as if he's trying to prove what a good husband he'd make to you. he gets you some trinkets you've been eyeing for a while, but also some of the officials who'd been giving you a hard time recently have seemingly vanished off the face of the world and he seems extra proud of himself today…

otome game group:

crown prince: national banquet!!! no i'm serious he throws an incredibly extravagant banquet for you. his father isn't super pleased about the misuse of funds but allows it since the two of you will be married soon anyway. gets you so many gifts it's a little scary. at least one of those is a collar and leash he wants you to put around his neck and absolutely wants you to dig in to him

heroine: doesn't really have the financial means to get you much, so instead she invites you to meet her family and spend the day in her house. apologises for how it's not much but expresses how happy she is that you're willing to spend the day with her and makes sure to cook all your favourites

villainess: invites you to spend the entire week surrounding your birthday at her estate, and then spends literally every single day celebrating your birthday, including daily banquets and a massive pile of gifts. expressing worry that this is too much just makes her go harder, because clearly you don't understand how important you are to her and spoiling you more will fix this

1: not to worry! he's already chased off your three persistent noble suitors, so you can spend all day at your own leisure. and if you're upset—either at the hassle with the other three, or at his actions—well, you can always take it out on him? he's already always there, but like today he really turns up the doting. overjoyed when you push him out of the way while pulling on his hair at one point

2: pools together some of his savings to buy you a nice piece of jewellery. presents it to you shyly when you have a moment to yourself and offers to take you out to a restaurant if you're willing to sneak out… or you can have him in the comfort of your bedroom, if you'd like

3: just kind of shows up at your estate with a bouquet, a couple handmade plushies in what they hope are your favourite animals and some blessed protective charms. if they have reason to believe you'd react well, they might as well just straight up offer themself. not in a sexual way (unless you want it to be), you just own every part of them already so if it pleases you you might as well make it official

4: playing 4d chess with the crown prince and villainess to ensure she's the only one who gets to celebrate with you on your birthday. takes you out on a fun day to the capital, where she gets to buy you tons of gifts and also play the role of your personal princely knight

5: can't take the day off (spends a long time bemoaning this) but since it's customary for you to stop by his place of work for your birthday anyway he decides he'll just give you your gift then. gives you a very professional congratulatory speech, a slightly less professional brooch set that fits you to a t, and (if he thinks you'll react positively) a considerably less professional offer for you to be the one to give him nipple piercings

misc group:

house husband: makes you take the day off work to spend it doting on you. you best believe he's spent the last couple of months saving up some money to buy you gifts so tailored to you it's almost a little creepy. also brings you breakfast in bed, bakes you the best cake you've ever had and has a reservation planned for dinner at your favourite… and is definitely the type to tell you you have one more gift to unwrap at the end of the day (it's him)

horror protagonist: lol. she bounds up to you super cheerfully and gives you the eyes of her teammate, since you said you liked them so much a bit ago… you don't question how she knows your birthday at this point. is glued to your side the entire day (though you begrudgingly admit she's less annoying than usual) and offers to cook or bake something for you. doesn't mind (at all) if you want to take your stress out on her, but… she's trying to be sweet for today

6: takes the day off from his work despite your many complaints and spends it with you, insisting it's his turn to spoil you for once. you're actually kind of impressed at how accurate his gifts are to your tastes and how he managed to get them without you noticing. it's sweet until he takes the opportunity to attempt to coax you into taking advantage of him, lingerie in your favourite colour and style and all

7: spends his entire allowance on giving you the best day possible, but he's fumbling so hard for most of it. a special limited edition for your favourite game that's not worth the money, some admittedly very soft plushies of your favourite animals, and a new bag since you'd been complaining your current one was falling apart… spends the entire day trying to hype himself up to give you a kiss but doesn't quite manage. feels terrible about how lacklustre his attempt was (despite how happy you are) and vows to himself to make the next much, much more enjoyable for you

[esta-elavaris]

I have half a mind to make this a cute little miniseries but I don't know whether I will or not.

Modern AU meet cute -- originally for flufftober, before I decided I would not be doing flufftober. I hope you guys enjoy, just a bit of cute fluffiness for this far too warm Wednesday evening.

I'll post it on AO3 eventually, but for now it's just here.

Main, tenth walker, modern girl in Middle-earth fic of these two can be found here 💜

Dividers by cafekitsune

Boromir/Sybil [Boromir/OC] ~ 2,880 words

Sybil was having what was quite possibly the worst day of her entire year.

Striding through Gondor’s vast parkland, she turned her head this way and that, tears stinging her eyes and a lump lodging itself in her throat.

“Sarah? Sarah! Oh come on, damn you – Sarah?!”

Nothing. No response, no glimpse of ruddy red between the trees, nothing. What was she going to do? What could she do? Going home alone wasn’t an option, but how much longer should she search? When did it become a matter of informing authorities? Did one even inform authorities, in circumstances such as this?

…Was she hurt? Had she been taken?

“Sarah? Sarah!”

She was so concerned with her search that she didn’t bother looking where she was going, and she realised the stupidity in that only when she tripped.

Tumbling into the grass, she managed to roll as she did, taking the brunt of the impact to her hip rather than her tailbone. She was apologising before she’d even registered the pain.

“I am so sorry!” she exclaimed to the owner of the slack-clad legs she’d tripped over.

A businessman, judging by his dress, reclined on the grass, the remnants of his lunch gathered in a paper bag at his side. He was already sitting up, caught between grabbing at her to make sure she was already and the knowledge that laying hands on unknown women was not a welcome thing.

She tried to right what she’d knocked over – a paper coffee cup, which she realised had thankfully already been empty – and then accepted his help to rise, which he offered as he did so, too. Her heart thudded in her chest as she already wondered how quickly she could leave without being rude, more concerned with her search than with this stranger who was making enquiries as to her wellbeing that she only half listened to.

Then, though, she registered who she was looking at. Boromir. Lord Boromir. The Steward’s son.

Her panic – it had to be the only reason she hadn’t recognised him from the start. How many times had his face been flashed across the television screen in her home growing up, usually accompanied by her parents shaking their heads? When she was very young, the news pieces usually despaired at his teenage antics, often debating (just a touch too gleefully) whether any typical youthful foolishness was actually an indicator of a deeper, more troubling character flaw. But as he aged into young adulthood, and Sybil grew old enough to heed the goings-on of Gondor at all, those stories shifted, instead hailing him as the people’s prince – despite the fact that he technically wasn’t one – and singing of his wartime achievements.

These days, the press took on a decidedly different turn, focusing instead on when he would finally marry. And, more importantly, whom.

Naturally, Sybil found the whole bloody thing ridiculous. Not only that, but also intrusive to any unlucky enough to be involved, and – most of all – entirely irrelevant to her life. So she paid it little mind. But now he was smiling at her, he was handsome, and she was blushing.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I? I wasn’t looking, it was stupid of me – I’m so-”

“I’m uninjured,” he cut in with a warm laugh. “Truth be told, I’ve been debating on whether to offer you my assistance. You’ve lost your friend?”

If it was a friend she’d lost track of, she wouldn’t be wandering the park on the brink of tears. She wasn’t quite that pathetic just yet.

“Sort of,” she offered an embarrassed smile. “A four-legged one.”

Mostly, she just wanted to end this encounter with as much dignity and speed as humanly possible so she could get back to her search without worrying about creating a diplomatic incident.

“A dog?” he understood her meaning easily. “You…you named your dog Sarah?”

Sybil met his eye, then quickly looked away, and finally looked at him again, knowing what she had to do but doubting she had the strength.

“It’s…it’s a stupid joke.”

“Now you must tell me,” amusement coloured his tone.  

“Look, I really need to-”

“The sooner you tell me, the sooner you will secure my aid. I’ve quite a lot of confidence that I can help you.”

Quietly, Sybil muttered the dog’s full name. He didn’t catch it.

“Pardon?”

“Sarah Jessica Barker,” she repeated.

There was no way he wouldn’t understand the reference. Sex and the White City had been filmed here in Gondor, after all, continuing to shut down the fancier levels of Minas Tirith whenever an additional movie or season was dredged back up.

Lord Boromir’s lips stretched into a wide grin, his chest stuttering a little as he swallowed down a laugh, before he cast his eyes out into the distance, visibly trying to school himself back into seriousness. Great. Being laughed at by one of the loftiest men in the land in this moment, of all moments, was packing salt into a wound that still bled – and whatever momentary bedazzlement had struck her upon coming face to face to him quickly faded into annoyance, her lips thinning and nostrils flaring.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she said flatly.

She spun on her heel but his voice stopped her.

“Wait – wait. Miss! I’m sorry,” he held out a hand as if to snatch at her wrist, before he seemed to remember that grabbing strange women in parks wasn’t particularly well-received in civilised society. “Please. Allow me to help you. Truly, I didn’t mean to laugh.”

He was so contrite, and so damn earnest, that she couldn’t continue to be annoyed. Not outwardly, at least. And whatever ire still had her chest feeling tight was more panic masquerading as anger than anything else – the latter feeling somehow more palatable to feel.

“Fine, but unless you’ve seen her, I’m really not sure how you can help.”

“What does she look like?”

So sincere was his contrition that any who saw them without knowing who they were might think him her assistance, standing and regarding her solemnly, his hands behind his back as he waited, prepared for any request she might have. And then there were his eyes. So warm, and shining with true concern. It was enough to do away with the last of her annoyance.

“Tall, blonde, with a fondness for high heels,” her attempt at a joke was weak, but it earned her a grin, and he at least stopped looking so damn guilty. “She’s…she’s a spaniel. A red spaniel. She doesn’t bother much with strangers, so she wouldn’t have come up to you. I’m sure you would have missed her, if you weren’t specifically looking for her.”

“Perhaps, but hope is not lost. Come – please.”

And follow she did. Not because she ascribed to the belief that his station gave him mystical powers of capability, but just for sheer lack of anything else to do. What was the alternative? Refuse, and continue to wander, her calls for Sarah going ignored? And he seemed pretty sure of himself, at least. That gave him more going for him than she had for herself.

Boromir led the way to the pond that the park boasted – a manmade feature in a rough oval shape that curled in on itself, spanning almost the full width of the park, with a bridge stretching over it that was a very popular scenic spot for proposals.

“Ah,” he stared at the water. “It’s just as I thought.”

Still addled by panic, it took her a second to realise what he was talking about, beyond a look that confirmed that her dog was not, in fact, lurking beneath the surface. The emerald green algae that coated the surface of the water by the stony shore was disturbed, broken up here where it was otherwise a thick undisturbed carpet all the way to the left and right.

It was with a heavy sigh that he spoke next.

“The ducks like to gather on a hidden ledge beneath the bridge there,” he explained. “And the dogs like to bother the ducks.”

As he talked, he stood on one foot, lifted the other with not even the slightest wobble, and began to untie his shiny black leather shoe. He was moving onto the second one by the time she broke through her shock.

“What are you doing?”

He grinned at her, the impact annoyingly devastating.

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Something ridiculous – you can’t go in there.”

“I must reunite you with your, forgive me, ridiculously named hound. The ends justify the means.”

“If she really did swim under there, she can swim back,” she protested.

Apparently willing to entertain her theory, but visibly unconvinced by it, he gestured at her as if to say by all means. Then he stood, rubbing at the back of his neck as she called out to her hound. The ledge that he’d spoken of was only barely visible from where they stood, but at her call, a black nose poked around the corner of the underside of the bridge, followed by fur that usually glowed a beautiful golden red on sunny days like this, but was now a sodden algae-ridden ruddy mess.

"Sarah!" she called, hunkering down and holding out her arms. “Sarah, come here!”

The dog panted, and she might’ve wagged her tail, but otherwise she regarded the water, and then Sybil, as if she was asking far too much. As if she hadn’t just been in that very water.

“Oh, for the love of…”

With a groan, she toed off one trainer, and then the other. She wasn’t wearing white today, at least that was something – nor anything particularly nice. Just workout leggings and a long, baggy tank top reserved for dog walking and generally not being seen by anybody of consequence. So much for that.

“What are you doing?” Boromir echoed her earlier words, placing himself between her and the pond.

“I’m getting my dog.”

“I’ll do it,” he laughed as if her idea was ridiculous.

“She’s my dog.”

“It’s my father’s pond,” he countered easily. “Technically speaking. And I was the one who presided over its opening ceremony, so I suppose it’s also part mine.”

“You can’t-”

“I insist! I can’t have you stealing my thunder when I have an opportunity for heroics.”

Those brilliant, handsome grins of his could easily have her giving him the damn dog if he kept it up. As he made his insistences, he took the cufflinks from his cuffs, handing them to her for safekeeping before he began to roll up his shirtsleeves. Too stunned for words, she may have ended up staring at his forearms…and he may have caught her. The grin on his face became just a touch more boyish for it.

“Are you sure?” she asked, shielding her eyes from the sun as she squinted up at him.

“I insist,” he repeated. “On one condition.”

“Oh?”

“Tell me your name.”

It beggared belief. How swiftly, without being able to even pinpoint when it had happened, the atmosphere between them felt charged, somehow, now that she wasn’t driven by panic. When he saw how his condition surprised her, he looked just a little too smug, so Sybil gave herself a shake, cleared her throat, and breathed a laugh.

“Well?” he prompted, removing his socks next.

“You haven’t held up your end of the deal yet.”

She almost regretted her words when he stepped into the pond. Gritting his teeth, he hissed sharply at the cold, then looked at her as if to make sure she was still watching. When he found that she was – little could persuade her to look away – he schooled his features back into an amused sort of determination, his brow set with a smirk tugging at his lips.

Sarah watched the spectacle with curiosity.

As he waded deeper into the pond, Sybil couldn’t help but be relieved that he’d volunteered himself for the task. The water, when it just reached his hips, would’ve already been well up to her waist.

“She doesn’t bite, does she?” he called back towards the shore.

“No. I’m more worried about her making a break for it.”

If she decided she’d rather not be captured by the strange man, she could easily jump back in and swim further up the shore. All right, if she did that, Sybil could run and try to beat her to whatever patch of land she emerged at, but it would complicate matters. Especially if the dog decided this was a very fun game to play.

“I’ll catch her, if she does,” he replied, unfazed. “I’m a fair swimmer.”

Yes. She’d heard that particular tale. Although she’d never be so insensitive as to bring it up. Although the knowledge of what he’d seen, fought, and lived through, did make the sight of him wading through a pond to retrieve her dog all the more surreal.

“Faster than a dog?” she asked doubtfully.

“My lady, if you keep doubting me, I shall have no choice but to take it personally,” he levelled her with a boyish grin over his shoulder before he turned back to the pup.

She was glad for his divided attention, for it would hopefully mean he’d miss how she blushed.

Boromir continued wading towards the dog, her brown eyes fixed on him with a sort of interest Sybil knew well enough to recognise as mischief, but even still hoped she might be mistaken. It was all for naught, though. Once Boromir was just out of arm’s reach, she yapped, and then threw herself into the water, paddling happily past him and towards the shore. Once out of the water, she shook herself off with ease, and then trotted to Sybil, sopping tail throwing algae with each wag.

Yes, there would be absolutely no living this down.

Lifting the dog into her arms just for something to occupy her hands with, she slotted the lead back onto her collar, and then watched in mortification as Boromir waded his way back out of the water. They’d drawn rather a crowd.

“I am so, so sorry,” she said when he drew near, trailing water in his wake.

His white shirt was now a very strange brown-ish green, clinging to his abdomen in a way that was determined to draw the eye.

“Don’t be,” he insisted, “I mean it. A more novel lunch I’ve never had.”

Wriggling in her grasp, Sarah panted, writhing and trying to struggle in the direction of her would-be rescuer. Unhesitating, Boromir extended his arms, looking to her for permission. When Sybil granted it, he accepted the dog with warm laughter, keeping her easily in his grasp despite how she jolted, holding her just far enough away that her attempts to lick his nose would prove fruitless.

"Hello, Sarah," he greeted, eyed Sybil warmly for a few moments, and then returned is attention to the pup. “Your mother is very pretty when she’s embarrassed, did you know that?”

“Technically, I’m her aunt. She was my sister’s before she was mine.”

“I think I shall make it my mission to have her grow more comfortable with compliments, too,” he commented idly, holding the dog in one strong arm so he could scratch behind her ears with the other hand. “What do you think?”

He spoke to the dog but he looked to her, his face more tentative than his words, as if worried he was making her uncomfortable. Sybil acted on impulse. Later, she’d blame it on the sun beating down on them, the collective of people who were pretending (poorly) not to watch, and the sheer amount of genuine kindness in his smile.

“I…live nearby. And I have a tumble dryer, clothes that may just fit you, and a collection of coffee options that beggars belief. If any of that would do as thanks.”

“Ah, but you have not yet offered the thanks I am truly interested in,” he said – and then balked, appearing to realise how suggestive his words sounded, and quickly added. “Your name.”

She wasn’t the only one, she thought, who was pretty when she blushed. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she stifled a smile at how he appeared to be in no rush at all to return her dog – nor was Sarah in any rush to be unhanded.

“Sybil,” she answered finally. “My name is Sybil.”

Extended a hand, her cheeks blazed when he accepted it and then lifted her knuckles to his lips. He had to bend a little at the waist to avoid yanking her arm up at an uncomfortable angle, such was the height difference between them – and his beard tickled her skin when he kissed her hand.

“Sybil,” he repeated with a smile when he’d released her hand, “it suits you. Now, tell me more about this coffee collection.”

 She took up his shoes, seeing as he was in no hurry to release the dog, and he nodded his thanks before nodding that she should lead the way out of the park. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she didn’t owe Sarah a treat or two after all.

[mothgardens]

i crave a sastiel royalty au.

cause like UGH it could go two ways:

It would be one of those stereotypical balls meant for the princes to meet a court-able companion:

1. Royal Angels!! Princes: Michael, Luke (called Lucifer behind his back for his cruelty), Gabriel, Raphael, and the youngest, Castiel. With unmarried egotistical narcissist King Chuck and his sister Amara in command of the Shurley Kingdom.

In this one, the Royal Family hold a ball for the nearest elite families to join in and mingle with the five heirs to the thrown. But, the Winchester boys, Sam and Dean, who come from a family living in poverty, sneak into the royal party in the fanciest attire they could scrounge up. Castiel takes a liking to the quiet and clumsy boy he finds in the crowd, Sam. Curious because the young prince should know all the families attending, and yet, he doesn’t recognize the handsome attendee in front of him.

Potential Characteristics and Tags: Not slow burn nor fast burn, a steady middle burn. Lots of Pining and Fluffy Flirting. Angst as well <3 Stereotypical Homophobia, Classism, and more :)

2. Royal Winchesters!! Tough and cunning Prince Dean, Knowledgeable and atypical Prince Samuel (commonly called crude names behind his back for his oddity and stubbornness), and youngest, admirable Prince Adam. With King John ruling the Winchester Kingdom.

Similar to the first idea, the Winchesters are also throwing a ball for their heirs to find a suitable girl to be their princess. The goal is to have elite and elegant attendees meet with the princes who are wondering the crowd. Samuel finds himself enthralled with a fellow in a long beige coat across the room. He has never seen this man and he knows better than to show interest in him. So he allows himself to watch the man move about the crowd. He notes his awkward yet endearing tendencies and the absolute pleasure that fills his face when he eats the party treats. Sam falls harder and harder until the man’s friend spots him staring and points straight at him. The beige coat spins as the man follows his friend’s finger and makes eye contact with Sam (oh no, he’s hot). As the two begin to trek through the crowd towards Samuel, he makes a run for it. Guilt and regret follows him through the next few weeks until the next ball where he sees the men again.

Potential Characteristics and Tags: Slow burn and angsty: John and Sam squabbles, Sam feeling outcasted and different. He wants a normal life, not to be royal. Internalized Homophobia, Stereotypical Homophobia (John), maybe some secret nonconformity from Sam gender wise.

[dogfight-if]

Demo TBA

Fantasy/Romance

Windwood is an interactive fiction game following you as you go on a quest to prevent the end of the world. You play as the youngest of a minor noble family in the fae city of Premxine.

Surrounded by the forest of Windwood, the city is covered, hidden from the human kingdoms. After an attack, you flee the city and forest with three companions to warn the king of a threat.Face to face with your own mortality, you must put a stop to that which poses a danger to the world as you know it. Do what you will, but know that failure will result in an untimely death.

With a long time best friend, a loyal protector, a fierce beast, a prince, princess, noblewoman, a priestess, an angel, a fae hunter, and even an ex-friend turned dark lord, there’s no shortage of romance.

Features

Play as male, female, or somewhere in the non-binary range. Cis, trans, or intersex.

Customize your character to the max with extra unnatural features.

Romance or befriend one of 10 characters, including the dark lord you must defeat.

Uncover the secrets of the gods- or god.

Discover the garden of Eden.

Develop skills in fighting, politics, intelligence, leadership, or stealth.

Choose from 8 different hobbies to pursue.

Dabble in magic, wield a sword, or both if you’re an overachiever.

Get betrayed. Twice.

Survive life threatening injuries.

Find out what you really are.

Romance Options

The Best Friend

Marian Moller (M. he/him)

“As long as i’m here you’ll be safe, i promise,”

Marian, the best friend and prince of Premxine. Marian Moller is fiercely loyal and stubborn, having always been there for you no matter what. To everyone else he’s brash and irresponsible, but you know that’s not the case.

At 5’7, Marian has short, curly pink hair and yellow eyes. He has tan skin, sharp teeth, and has often been said to have an almost childlike face. Marian also has long, pointed ears with feathers framing them.

The Dark Lord

Ness Lodima (M. he/they)

“What have we become? I never wanted this to happen,”

The estranged childhood friend turned evil dark lord. Previously a softhearted optimist, what Ness had been put through changed him. When you knew him as a child he was training to be a druid, but it seems his plans have changed.

5’9, long wavy blond hair with matching yellow eyes, fair skin spotted with freckles. His ears may not be as pointed as any other fae, but they are pointed nonetheless.

The Angel

Foster (M. he/him)

“God never saved me, never helped me when I needed it most, so why should I believe?”

The angel that doesn’t believe in god with repressed memories of heaven. Foster is the holy statue at the church of Andermyne. Short in both height and temper, it’s easy to rile him up, but maybe a more gentle approach is what you need. Foster is key in your plans to stop the end, but can he be convinced to help?

Foster has short fluffy black hair, olive skin with a smattering of scars, and dark brown eyes. Foster stands at 5’2 with a wingspan twice that length. Over his right eye is a large scar that resembles stone cracking.

The Prince

Casimir Kozanaft (M. he/him)

“I do what i must, and if that’s getting rid of you, so be it,”

As the human prince of Afturella, Casimir has a reputation to uphold. With all eyes on him, he can’t afford a slip-up. Taking care of his younger sister Sonja and younger brother Myla, Casimir has his hands full. As independent as ever, Casimir is fully capable of taking charge.

Casimir is 5’8 with shoulder length auburn hair he keeps tied back. He has soft hazel eyes and tan skin with a mole under his left eye. Casimir is commonly said to look pretty, almost like a girl.

The Ranger

Amihan (M. he/they)

“You don’t have to worry about a thing, i’ve got you”

Your protector, the sylph ranger. Amihan’s only goal is to keep you and your group alive, even if it’s at the expense of their own life. With a martyr complex and no regard for human life, Amihan makes a great bodyguard, not so much a great friend.

6’4, smooth brown skin, curly white hair and silver eyes, Amihan is often described as imposing, towering over most. Over his left eye Amihan has a black sylph tattoo, spiraling over.

The Beast

Freyja (F. she/they)

“Don’t touch me, don’t go near me, don’t even look at me,”

Freyja is a wild thing. Living in the Windwood forest, she’s been isolated for so long. She rejects humanity, fighting against all she sees until there is only peace. Hostile and aggressive, Freyja sees nothing in you, but can you change their mind? All she is may just be a damaged soul.

Freyja is 5’5, with long, curly chestnut hair and fierce yellow eyes. If you catch her smiling you’ll see sharp canines. She has light brown skin, spotted with white freckles. Leaves and twigs tangled in her hair around tall antlers. Freyja has ash speared across her eyes and covering her hands.

The Princess

Sonja Kozanaft (F. she/her)

“You don’t know me, stop acting like you do,”

A stone faced, cold hearted woman who only cares about herself. Sonja is closed off and aloof, not wanting to open her heart up. Sonja doesn’t trust easily and her default response to anything is disbelief. Sonja seems like an ice queen, but is there more to it?

5’6, Sonja looks as royal as she is. Sonja has long wavy blonde hair, spotless fair skin, and blue eyes.

The Huntress

Maeryn (F. she/her)

“Such a shame you’re fae, i would’ve loved to have you as my partner,”

Maeryn is what most would call ruthless or crazy. So much blood is on her hands but she’s proud of the fact. Her words can be sharp, but they can also be sweet. You never truly know what’s on her mind, hard to read and conniving. Once she likes someone, she sticks to them, ever so loyal. Is there a motive behind her actions?

The tallest out of the bunch, Maeryn stands at 6’6. She has long blonde locs, violet eyes, and brown skin.

The Priestess

Lumina Durren (F. she/they)

“May Andermyne bless your kind soul,”

Lumina is a kindhearted priestess in the church of Andermyne. Everything she does is gentle- the way her hands clasp together in prayer, even when she lifts a book she treats it with the care you would give an animal. The caretaker of the church’s orphanage, they teach the kids that have nobody left to turn to. But in good, there is always evil.

Lumina is 5’3, with long curly ginger hair, two front strands blonde. She has green eyes and pale skin. With her priestess outfit you can see a four pointed star tattoo on her collarbone.

The Noble

Eliana Derlot (F. she/her)

“Don’t say that, I gave you what you wanted, didn't I?”

Lady of House Derlot, Eliana knows her way around the intricacies of the court. Used to facades and snakes, Eliana has a hard time believing things said, yet values honesty at the same time. The young Lady knows what she wants and how to get it, making her a valuable addition.

Eliana is 5’7, with long wavy brown hair and tanned skin. She has sea green eyes with a mole under her left.

[vee-beeee]

Barbie Bros

HELLO

I am currently working on a dbh 2 parter so this is a little story in between

Premise: You get passed the aux lol

You know Barbie Girl by Aqua? That's the song

Warnings: fluffy, barbie, its short im SORRY

Chocobros x reader (can be taken as platonic)

SORRY IF THIS HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE

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You had been in the car for HOURS.

It could sometimes be incredibly boring, and you wished you could knock out like Noctis. Oh how you yearned to sleep peacefully like that.

Alas, here you were. Squished between a snoozing prince and a huge burly man, who was also deeply into his book.

Ignis was driving( per usual) and Prompto was busy taking pictures in the passenger seat, hanging dangerously far out of the car. You wished you had something to entertain yourself, but you forgot your book, your knitting is in the trunk (and you didn't want to make Iggy pull over just for you) and your phone had no interesting games on it. You sighed and leaned forward, placing your elbows on your knees. You stared at the slightly dirty ground of the Regalia and tried to think of what to do to entertain yourself.

What you didn't see, was a certain someone looking at you through the rearview mirror, hearing your sigh.

"Miss Y/n?" Ignis called to you over the wind. You perked up, meeting his gaze in the mirror and seeing his eyes almost twinkle.

"Would you be interested in taking control of the music for this journey?" as soon as he said that you beamed up at him, forcing his lips to twitch up-wards at seeing your reaction.

"I thought you'd never ask" you replied, graciously taking the cord Prompto was handing you. He had overheard the Ignis's suggestion, and gave you a reassuring thumbs up

"You've just been given a very important honor." he bowed a little as you finished the cord transaction with him. You smiled at him and chuckled, watching him turn back around in his seat to continue taking pictures.

"Make sure its not to loud, you'll wake sleeping beauty and make him cranky" a grumble came from beside you, and you glanced over to see Gladio still invested in his book.

"Okay, just to make sure, you said play it as loud as possible right?" This earned you a harsh eye-roll form Gladio and you snickered, going back to your phone to look for music while he commented about how childish that remark was.

Looking through your songs, you realized you had so many possible options. But one song instantly stuck out to you as you were scrolling down the list of downloaded music.

Barbie Girl by Aqua.

Currently the hood was down, and causing your hair to whip around in your face. If you played this song, it would definitely be heard and turn some heads.

You knew what you had to do.

You clicked on the song and turned the volume up a couple notches, getting settled in your seat and ready to loudly sing some music.

The songs opening lyrics started playing, and you took a moment to observe everyone's reaction. Ignis sighed and lifted one hand to rest on the door, leaning his head into his palm with a resigned look, his expression filled with regret. Prompto turned around to gape at you, giggling and putting his camera away, also getting ready. You had started to turn to see Gladio's reaction, but instead you felt it.

Gladio literally shoved you so hard you almost fell on the ground. This had also made it so you fell into Noctis, waking him up with a snort. But neither you or Gladio noticed, being to absorbed in shoving each other and laughing breathlessly. But you blocked his attack's just in time to start your karaoke.

Then the most beat drop happened. And the party started

"IM A BARBIE GIRL."

"IN THE BARBIE WORLD"

"LIFE IN PLASTIC, ITS FANTASTIC"

You are Prompto started yelling out the lyrics, holding up fake microphones up to each other. You were so absorbed in each other that you almost didn't notice a small voice start to join you and Prom, and it was coming from beside you.

Noctis was sleepily singing along.

You and Prompto grinned widely at each other, both of your faces filled with pure joy, and continued to sing your hearts out.

"COME ON BARBIE LETS GO PARTY"

"AH-AH-AH YEAH"

"COME ON BARBIE LETS GO PARTY"

"OOH-WHOA-OHH, OHH-WHOA-OHH"

Gladio released a long groan from beside you as Noctis started to sing louder, getting more into it. Eventually you three were bouncing up and down, singing out for the world to hear.

And the world did get a chance to hear, because Ignis rolled up to get gas all of a sudden.

So from an outsiders perspective, a car just rolled up that was literally shaking from how loud the music was, holding 3 full-grown lunatics singing, and 2 very tired looking men.

You loved these guys.

Ignis turned the car off just as the song finished, heaving another breathe out before getting up out of the car to get gas. You and Prompto were giggling, and Noctis was genuinely smiling.

He even got woken up before he was ready, so his reaction was definitely a surprise but a welcome one.

Gladio suddenly grabbed you and shoved your head into his arms. You squealed and punched at him while he heartily laughed, giving your head a good noogie and messing up your hair in the process. Noctis tried to grab your waist but Gladio held firm, and past Gladio's strong muscles you heard Prom wheezing out laughs.

Ignis didn't let you have the aux again after that.

But it was so worth it.

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Just a little short goofy one for now :D

Still working on the detroit become human 2 parter, its taken some time LOL

Ive also got and ao3! Its under the same username lol

[gerec]

Favorite and/or recommended professor X/wolverine fics? (Your cherik recs are always immaculate.) You're the reason I even considered xavierine as a pair and now I love it

Hi Anon! I'm always THRILLED to talk about Xavierine and rec some excellent fics! You've definitely come to the right place. Enjoy!!! :D :D :D

Here is a masterlist I made (last updated 2018) of my Xavierine faves:

XAVIERINE MASTER REC LIST

Here are some newer faves added since 2018:

Readjustment by softforsummers (orphan_account)

Looking at how sweet and trusting the prof was, Logan realized that letting Erik into his life was never an option.

Daylight by orphan_account

"What do you want, Logan?" Charles attempts to sound hostile, but his voice trembles instead.

Logan doesn't know either. But he knows that Charles is much more than the sum of his insecurities.

Sword and Sorcerer by TurtleTotem

Logan hates working with sorcerers, but Charles is offering enough gold to make him leave his comfort zone. He might be offering something else, too, if Logan is interested.

Diversions and Distractions by still_lycoris

Logan thinks he knows a good distraction but it might not have been the best idea.

an empty hearth by Ireliss

The nighttime city, shrouded in fog.

(Logan works for Shaw, guarding his pretty young boyfriend. They grow closer than they should.)

And here are some fics written by me (my personal faves) under the cut:

Setting A Different Course

On the way to Paris, Charles has sex on the plane with Logan instead of Erik.

The Professor is the Key

Based on this awesome prompt: Logan is a colossal, callous asshole, and doesn't care who knows it, unless Charles is involved. Then he's a darling fluffy bear, prone to cuddling the professor and making him tea. This surprises everybody, Logan in particular.

or Charles and Logan, from friends to lovers.

All of You and All of Me

Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto is King of Genosha, forty-three and the veteran of countless wars against the British Empire.

Charles Xavier is his new husband, in a marriage arranged by the King of England as part of the peace treaty between their two kingdoms.

Logan Howlett is Charles' long time friend and bodyguard, in a secret love affair with the married Prince Consort.

Or Regency/Arranged Marriage/Age Difference/House of M style/Love Triangle AU

The Choices We Make

Soulmate AU: The minute he meets Erik, Charles is positive he's found his soulmate. When Erik's name fails to appear on his body, he's confused, but dismisses it as being too faint to see yet or some other quirk that happens occasionally. Time goes on and he still can't find Erik's name, through the beach, through Kennedy, through Vietnam, even though he looks every day, then every week, then only every so often.

Then as he's showering to pull himself together and go to break Erik out of the Pentagon and he sees the dark letters on the inside of his wrist: LOGAN.

We'll Always Have Paris

Charles Xavier disappears from Paris without a word, leaving Logan to start his new life alone. Six months later, in a tiny bar in the Canadian Rockies, Logan gets an unexpected visitor - a man he's tried very hard to forget.

A Casablanca AU, where Logan is Rick, Charles is Ilsa and Erik is the dashing Victor Lazslo.

From Lovers to Friends and Back Again

Logan Howlett meets Charles Xavier on one of his first real auditions, for a T.V. series about World War II. Charles gets a part; Logan does not. They also agree to go out on a date.

Somehow it takes them ten years to make it happen.

Frost & Darkholme

Men's fashion house Frost & Darkholme is shooting an ad campaign for their brand new underwear line, starring one of the faces of F&D Charles Xavier and his new partner, Logan Howlett.

Sparks fly, which may spell trouble for Charles and his long time partner at work and at home, Erik Lehnsherr...

[toreii]

Tamashina-Mina spoilers part 7

Lilia comments that he will also buy souvenirs for Malleus. But, as often as he’s traveled, Lilia has always picked similar souvenirs. He has to be careful. He settles on a t-shirt for Malleus, but remembers he already gifted one to him a while ago. Lilia contemplates figurines, but after giving Malleus a gargoyle, the challenge got difficult. Silver and Sebek tend to cause trouble if he buys them different things. He’s worried. Kalim says Lilia is thinking hard, it’s amazing! Lilia replies it is also part of the fun of traveling. Their journey through Sunset Savanna continued. They should look some more.

Kalim turns to Grim, and asks what he will do. Grim replies that he and Yuu also look for souvenirs. Kifaji recommends textiles as a souvenir. Kalim adds that it’s sure to be sold in many stores. Tapestries, carpet, scarves, and towels. Leona explains that by valuing nature very much, and avoiding mining of underground resources, large-scale farming and industrialization, handmade textiles developed as an important industry.

Grim asks Leona what he recommends for him. Leona asks why he has to look after him. Kifaji recommends a rug. They have various sizes. Grim exclaims that it’s expensive. He can’t buy something so costly. He imagined he would be taking a nap in such a fluffy rug. He’s shocked to see the price tag of 100 thaumarks. Leona tells Grim it’s not going to happen. If he wants to nap, then use a hammock.

Leona says that there is a popular item woven with the motif of an oasis plant. It’s so comfortable that there is a story that the lion used it to rest in the old days. Grim says that it’s interesting. More than the 100 thaumarks. He’ll buy it! Grim laughs adding that he’ll trouble Leona to guide him for his sake. Vil comments that it is an item just like Leona who sleeps. After all, Grim is lazy, so it’s a good match and just right.

Leona tells Yuu if carpets are impossible, then maybe a tapestry. Vil says they’re sold pretty much everywhere and embroidered with with a lion cub. Leona reminds you that they saw the fountain celebrating the birth of the prince. The tapestry depicts the prince. Blessing the birth of a child in the royal family in the age of the king of beasts, a famous shaman painted a mural of the prince using the juice of the baobab fruit. It’s said that the pattern is based on the mural. It is a classic design that is very popular in the country. Vil comments that it is a specialty of Sunset Savanna. Lilia adds that will make a good souvenir. He turns to Yuu, speaking their name.

Choice A: “Make it a lion tapestry.”

Leona praises Yuu for their honest decision. He apologizes for the troublesome exchanges. The shop owner thanks them for their patronage.

Choice B: “I’m lost.”

Vil tells Yuu tapestries are good. They make good interior decor. Kalim adds that it’s also good that the pattern is a lion. Lilia agrees. He says that the royal family of Sunset Savanna is a lion beastman. He thinks it’s a perfect way to commemorate Yuu’s visit to this country. Leona says it’s decided. (This second choice is such a wholesome option.)

Grim exclaims that they got it. Kalim asks Lilia if he’d like to buy Cater a souvenir. Lilia replies that if they give it to him during club activities, he’ll be happy. Kalim says that the classic souvenir for the Pop Music Club is still sweets. Leona tells them that if they want sweets, they can buy them in the stalls around them. Kifaji tells Leona that telling them is not enough. He needs to think more on how to explain it. Leona tells Kifaji to shut up. In a country already cramped, how can he be so strict?

Leona storms off. Kifaji apologizes to the others, and says Leona really is hopeless. Lilia tells Kifaji they don’t mind. They’re used to it. Kifaji tells Lilia that many of the sweets sold in the stalls are unique to Sunset Savanna, and are popular as souvenirs. Kalim asks about what Leona is eating at the stall across the street. Kifaji explains that it is candy made by seasoning the fruit of the baobab in sugar, food coloring, and chili powder. Leona has always loved that candy. Kifaji adds that Leona grew up quite cheeky, but that part of him hasn’t changed.

Lilia wonders what the sweet tastes like. He asks if they should buy some and eat it. After purchasing the candy, Lilia says it’s delicious. The acidity of the fruit, the pungency of the spices, and the sweetness of the sugar is a complex taste mixed with everything. Kalim agrees saying it tastes a bit mature, and is tasty. He says Leona’s favorite food is recommended, so they should buy this for Cater. Lilia comments that it looks vivid, so it will look good with a magic camera. Cater will be happy. The shop owner thanks them.

Leona asks the group if they are done shopping at Raintree Market. Vil says that he’s been wondering for a while, but there are soldiers standing all over Raintree Market. Leona explains they are guards patrolling the city. Kifaji adds that the central part of Sunrise City is maintained by the Royal Palace’s guards since it is the capital of the kingdom. Leona continues by saying that no matter how much security there is, it’s not recommended to walk alone at night. Vil says he will be careful.

Kalim says that he thought Sunset Savanna was full of beastmen, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Leona replies that more than half of the population are beastmen, but not everyone. There are also regional differences. Kifaji further explains that there are many species of beastmen, and there are species that live in small settlements in Sunset Savanna. Kifaji says that he is a bird beastman, but there aren’t many like him. There are only a few in the royal capital. The beastmen have different cultures and customs, so it’s difficult for the royal family to bring them all together. It seems that Falena, who is in charge of national affairs, is struggling.

Leona comments that he’s being ridiculously honest and adding more trouble. Kifaji tells Leona if he thinks so, then he should be at Falena’s side helping him. His father wants that, too. Leona says it would be easy for his brother to do if he weren’t in the country. He will not go home because of his country. The only reason why Leona did not participate in Tamashina Mina until last year was for the sake of the country. He’s taking good care of himself. So kind of him!

Kifaji says it’s deplorable. His heart aches when he thinks of Falena’s heart. He wonders how Leona became so twisted. Leona doesn’t know. Could it be because some chamberlain with a twisted personality has been strict from long ago? Kifaji says he never imagined that the cute child who cried a lot after losing to him at chess would start to hate him like this. He understands. Perhaps it was because he was too strict.

Leona tells him to be quiet. He wants to know how long he intends to follow him. Kifaji replies he is attending the state guest, Kalim. Kalim says he feels bad. He tells Kifaji to not worry about him, and take it easy. Kifaji replies that he cannot do that. Leona says that it was unexpected that he would accompany them. It can’t be helped. He’ll do whatever it takes to banish him somewhere.

Grim wonders what he should eat next. Leona says it’s the end of the stall tour. It’s time to go to Elephant Legacy. Vil is excited to go. He’s looking forward to it. Kifaji informs that there is a charter bus nearby.

Sunset Savanna - Sunrise City

A big man is waiting for the group. He tells the boys to get in the bus. Lilia comments on the bus saying it looks good. Vil mentions that you can sit comfortably, and enjoy a leisurely bus trip. Leona asks if everyone is on. They are leaving.

Lilia points out that there are many cars running in Sunrise City. Leona says that the city has a well developed road network. Although, many roads are not paved. Kifaji adds that the main means of transportation are buses and taxis as well as motorbike taxis. However, Leona says that if they leave the city, they will be in the savannah. It will be an unpaved off-road. He tells them to be prepared because it will be bumpy. Lilia doesn’t think it’s going to be a safe and comfortable bus ride. Leona says that because the road is bad, it’s easy to blow out a tire. On top of that, the smoke is intense, and engine troubles often occur.

Kalim excitedly exclaims it’s like entering the savannah. Suddenly, loud banging is heard. The bus driver informs them that he got a flat, and his engine blew out. The boys scream. Leona mutters that he told them this would happen. Lilia says that flag retrieval is too premature. (Lilia is using a gaming term here. It’s basically slang for a future role, or status of a character in anime, games, and so on such as death, love, or survival. Flag is also a computer programming term. But, in Lilia’s case, it’s more of the former definition.)

The bus driver is lamenting his bus. It looks like it can’t be repaired, and they may just have to scrap it. They have a large reservation tomorrow. What should he do? Without his bus, he’ll lose his income. His family can’t survive. Kalim says that’ll be hard. He decides to buy the bus driver a new bus! The bus driver cannot believe it. The others exclaim in shock.

Lilia tells Kalim not to help others so easily. He just met the guy! Grim wonders for Kalim, buying a bus isn’t a big deal. Vil says that’s not the problem. The bus driver says they are right. It’s troublesome to receive a bus from a student he is not familiar with. Kalim points out he has to take care of his family. He adds that there are a lot of people looking forward to booking tomorrow. He’ll buy the bus and gift it right away. The bus driver breaks down crying and apologizing. He says this will also be for his family. He will endure his shame, and be graciously selfish. However, he will return the bus cost with all of his ears.(?) He asks Kalim for his name. He tells the bus driver his name, and says to not worry about it. It’s natural to help those in need.

Vil comments that Kalim really bought a bus. Even though the man can’t be trusted. Lilia says that’s just like Kalim. Leona replies that Kifaji charted the bus, so the guy’s background checks out. It’s quite doubtful Kalim would have acted with that much concern. Kifaji says it can’t be helped that the bus broke down. He will arrange for a car right away. Leona is silent for a moment. He then tells Kifaji to wait. There’s a much faster way than arranging for another car. Leona tells him to follow. Leona tells the others that he’s making them walk for a bit. Their destination is the royal palace.

To be continued

Tumblr is glitching on me with images. I add them to make my posts interesting and lively, but it’s been quite the struggle. I don’t feel like struggling anymore today, so I apologize for the lack of images. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Thanks for your support!💕

[lily-blue]

Uncharted waters

☆ characters: poseidon’s son!chenle & mermaid!you ☆ genre: royalty au, greek gods au, the little mermaid au, fluff, horror(ish) ☆ warnings: violence and death ☆ summary: you’re so in love with Prince Chenle, the boy you rescued when he was knocked overboard, that you’re willing to sacrifice everything to be with him - little do you know, everything is exactly what he wants to take away from you ☆ words: 6,2k ☆ also: a massive thanks to @dat-town​ for her help with this story ♥ your questions made me realize how important details are in every fantasy, even in fantasies where you already have a world to work with! 

Your body felt heavy, like shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea, and your lungs were on fire, a sensation you had only ever heard in those magical tales Kunhang, the seagull, had told you whenever you had visited him on the surface. 

For a long time, the eccentric albeit friendly bird had been your sole connection to the human world; your only resource, when you had had yet another question about those treasures you had found during your adventures with Yangyang. But the more stories you had heard about human inventions and people with two beautiful, long legs who could dance, walk, and run, the more curious you had become. Curious and bold enough to save a human boy when he had fallen in the ice cold water on a stormy night and make a deal with the sea witch just to get a chance to have your happy ending by his side.

The contract you had signed consisted of three simple statements: The sea witch gave you two human legs in exchange for your voice. To keep them permanently, you had one week to make Prince Chenle fall in love with you. If you failed, and he didn’t give you the true love’s kiss by the seventh sunset, you had to choose whether you killed the prince and turned back into a mermaid or took your own life, offering your undying soul to the wicked. 

Which meant failure wasn’t an option. It couldn’t have been one.

Groaning without any sound, you rolled onto your back and opened your eyes. The overcast weather dulled the colors of your surroundings, but you still found the shore beautiful. Unlike when you had been staring at the barely visible Sun while lying beside Yangyang and your moody babysitter, Kun, the sand, now dry, stuck to your skin and made you feel itchy. It penetrated places you didn’t want to think about (and couldn’t have named), but that must have been a part of your new, scale-less life, so you embraced the sensation. It was alright, because your new legs would take you to your prince: to the one you were destined to be with.

A pair of beautiful legs. Your legs. The thought alone made you feel exhilarated. It was like electric eels were rushing through your veins. Your heart was pounding in your entire body.

You couldn’t have told how long you were lying on the beach while you were smiling at the gray clouds, but then a faintly familiar woof-woof gained your attention and knocked the thoughts out of your mind. You snapped your head in the sound’s direction and rolled on your stomach just in time to see the fluffy animal whose steps came to an abrupt halt in front of your face.

‘Daegal! What are you doing there?’ A second intruder ran up to you, this time, a human boy whose voice played on your heartstrings. Prince Chenle looked different from how he had looked at the night when his ship had fallen victim to the storm. Then, his clothes had been torn and his dark locks more disheveled. Now, he seemed more of a safe place than an exciting adventure. Yet, you couldn’t tear your gaze away from him.

Your eyes widened in shock when you felt something damp against your cheek, although you let out a soundless giggle as soon as you realized that it was Daegal’s doing. Chenle’s animal greeted you with a lick across your face, then licked your nose, too, for good measure.

‘Oh?’ The soft sound came from the prince who walked up to your duo in the meantime. He sat on his knees in an arm’s distance from your figure, and pulled Daegal in his embrace. Following the movement with your lingering gaze, you pouted, disheartened, at the thought that he might have felt the need to protect his friend from you. ‘Who are you? And what are you doing here so late?’

You opened your mouth to tell him everything: that you were the one who had pulled him to the shore when the sea had been about to swallow his body; that you were here for him. But no sound came out of your throat.

‘You cannot speak?’ The prince asked, and you nodded with a pout. How were you supposed to make him fall in love with you if you couldn’t make yourself understood? Ursula might have been right about your pretty face and the possibilities that came with body language, but you still felt somewhat lost while you were thinking about what you should have done next.

You winced when something cold poked your shoulder, then did it again when the same, ice cold sensation hit the small of your back. You were familiar with the rain. However, the drops definitely felt different now that you were out of the sea. You turned your head towards the gray clouds.

‘Come on! We need to find shelter,’ Prince Chenle said as he stood up and held his hand out for you. You hesitated only for a fleeting moment, your curious gaze boring deep into his coal orbs, before you accepted his help.

Standing on two legs was a harder task than you had initially thought. First of all, your body’s weight was a real thing on land, unlike when you were in the water; you found it hard to divide it equally. Which automatically led you to the second most crucial problem: your weak sense of balance. You managed to take one tiny step forwards before you lost your footing and fell head first into the prince’s arms. Completely naked, save for the seaweeds that stuck to your skin.

‘Are you oka—? Oh, goodness! Here! Take this,’ he said with one of his protective arms around your figure. He didn’t look at you while he shook his midnight blue jacket off his shoulder and threw it over yours. In fact, his gaze kept sliding from one thing to another until it fell on everything in your close proximity but your exposed skin.

Determined to not be a nuisance, you quickly adjusted the fabric so that it would hide your chest and thighs, then tapped the prince’s shoulder twice in order to gain his attention. It was still very new to you to communicate without your voice, but when Prince Chenle finally looked at you, a newfound wave of confidence surged through your whole being. You could do it. He had understood what you had wanted. You could do it.

The walk to the castle where the prince lived was mostly silent, but you didn’t mind the lack of conversation. Instead, you observed your surroundings and tried to burn every tiny detail in your memory: the dull color of the sand under your feet, the deep red, almost black flowers down the road that led to Prince Chenle’s home, and those iron gates that opened for you seemingly out of nowhere as soon as you reached them. You supposed, there must have been guards who controlled them from somewhere, but no matter how eager you were to lay your eyes on them, you saw no one.

‘You can stay here until we find your family,’ the prince told you while he led you towards the stairs. ‘It is just me here, Daegal, grandpa, the cook, and the maids. So it is no problem at all,’ he reassured you further before he called for someone named Yuqi, and pushed you into an empty bedroom.

The palace in Atlantica was nothing like the castle that had suddenly become your new home. Because even though it was at the bottom of the sea, far from the Sun, it was brighter and full of life. There, your bedroom barely had walls and everyone could easily swim from one place to another, even those who were only visiting your family temporarily.

This place isolated its habitants. The dark paint on the walls, the black baldachin around your bed, and the heavy curtains in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows gave you the impression that you had to ask for permission before you left your room; you weren’t sure that you liked it. It didn’t sit well with your adventurous nature.

However, it could have easily been the storm’s doing: your anxiety. Thus, you tore your gaze from the decoration and turned towards your prince with a smile. As expected, his presence worked wonders on your mood.

‘I will tell Yizhuo to bring you something nice to wear. She will prepare your bathwater, too,’ he informed you with a warm smile on his face that reflected on your own.

Recalling those stories Kunhang had told you about human habits, you pinched both sides of the jacket you were wearing and lifted it gingerly. You wished to put your immense gratitude on display while showing the prince that you were an educated woman. Although, when your gaze slid from the floor to his comically wide eyes, the scandalized look on his face told you that you might have been mistaken.

You opened your mouth to ask what you had done wrong, however, no words rolled down your chapped lips. Still, your pathetic attempt at communication brought the prince back to his senses and revived his numb limbs.

Prince Chenle rushed up to you and grabbed the jacket you were wearing. Your lips parted in horror when you realized that he was fixing the fabric on you as it hadn’t been covering your front anymore.

‘Do not ever do this again,’ he pleaded, voice barely above a whisper. The prince’s handsome face looked pained while his black eyes bored into yours, like when you upsetted a jellyfish and suffered the consequences. So you gulped and nodded in understanding.

You had no idea how long the two of you were just standing there, in the middle of the room, but you were aware of countless other things. For one, you couldn’t ignore the prince’s warm breath that fanned over your skin and dressed it in goosebumps. Then, your heart was beating faster than ever, even when you were racing with Yangyang under the sea. Not to mention, if only you had been a few inches taller, your eyes would have been in line with the boy’s rosy lips. He was so close.

‘Khm… dinner is in an hour. Yizhuo will show you the way,’ the prince said when he took the first step backwards; his hands falled back by his sides.

You once again nodded - you wished you could have done more, but the human alphabet was different from the one you used under the sea which meant you couldn’t have even written notes so early into your new life - and smiled at him. You smiled until he turned his back to you and walked out of the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You wished Yizhuo arrived soon.

The dinner with the prince and his grandfather was better than you had imagined; the food melted in your mouth and the company welcomed you with open arms, although not literally. Humans, at first glance, weren’t too affectionate creatures, but they had many other qualities that fascinated you. They ate their meals with two equally long sticks, kept the side dishes in different bowls and sucked on the snarfblatt instead of blowing it.

Fueled with curiosity, you could have easily stayed at the dining hall all night to learn new things about humans and human objects, but once the dessert was gone and Prince Chenle’s grandfather called for their maids to clean the table, it was time that everyone headed back to their room. And you had no right or way to protest.

That night, buried under a comfortable, warm blanket, your thoughts wandered in directions you wished they hadn’t. You thought of your father and the molten fury in his otherwise loving eyes. You wondered whether he had already known that you had made a deal with the sea witch after he had destroyed your collection of human inventions. Was he looking for a way to get you back or he refused to call you his daughter anymore because of your actions? Based on how much he despised humans, you wouldn’t have been surprised if it had been the latter. Still, the possibility made you sad. He was your family, after all.

The more you doubted your bond with your loved ones - Yangyang must have felt betrayed that you had left him behind when he had followed you into danger time after time despite what a guppy he was -, the louder the voices in your head became. They told you that you had sold your soul the moment you had set tail in the sea witch’s cave. They called you immature and stupid. They said it was inevitable that you would become a murderer.

You tried to convince them that they were wrong and true love didn’t work like that, but by the time you managed to silence them, the first rays of sunlight shone upon your bed, and the second day began.

Before breakfast, Yizhuo was kind enough to not make comments on your disheveled hair and overall disoriented appearance. Not that you weren’t aware of how you looked even before you were sat in front of the vanity table.

There were dark circles under your eyes and angry red scratches all over your arms, although you had no recollection of when you had injured yourself so badly. As far as you could tell, once you had gotten in bed, you had been tossing and turning around for hours before your body had given in to exhaustion. You had been troubled, but safe. Your scars made no sense.

‘Do not worry, miss. I have the perfect long-sleeved dress for you,’ the maid reassured you with a warm smile. ‘It might be a little warm for the summer weather, but it will hide your scars from unwanted eyes.’

You thanked her for her kindness with a beaming smile and took the hair brush out of her hands so that she could fetch your outfit. Before Prince Chenle had bid his goodbye last night, he had promised to show you the town around the castle after breakfast and you didn’t want to waste a second. Especially because it had already felt like hours while you had been waiting for Yizhuo to knock on your door and prepare you for the day. 

The dress the maid brought for you was simple but gorgeous. It consisted of a blue skirt that reached your ankles, a black corset, and a white shirt that hid your arms, but emphasized the lines of your neck and collarbones. Completed with the blue ribbon in your hair and the light make-up Yizhuo put on your face, the outcome was magnificent. It fitted those images you had in your head - that you had seen in human books - whenever you daydreamed about dating.

Feeling restless, the breakfast went by both quickly and painfully slowly, but your chair was right next to the prince’s, therefore you weren’t complaining. You ate your soup diligently and put some rice in the broth when you saw that Prince Chenle and his grandfather did the same. There were so many things you still didn’t know about their habits, you couldn’t wait to tell Kunhang and Yangyang about your own discoveries.

“As if they wanted to hear about them, you silly girl. You will never see them again. Never see them again. You will never see them again.”

The voice came from behind you, but when you snapped your head in that direction, you saw no one but the maids who stood by the door, waiting for your requests silently. You gulped and shook your head. You could have sworn that you had heard this scolding tone before, but you had no idea where.

‘Is everything alright, dear?’ The prince’s grandfather inquired; worry evident in the way he pronounced each syllable.

You reassured him with frantic nods and a beaming smile. Although, if you had wanted to be honest, you weren’t entirely sure whether things were indeed quite alright. But to explain the situation to them in detail, you needed more than your limited arsenal of gestures and mimics. Hence, you chose to not address your concerns. You were a big girl. You were determined to prove to everyone that you could fight your own battles.

Your father and Kun might have never believed in you, but neither of them was present in your life anymore to doubt you.

The books that sank to the bottom of the sea were too fragile to read after a certain point. But once you had realized that it was because the material they were made of changed form under water, you had gained the habit of opening them at your favorite pages as soon as you found them so that you could at least stare at them when you were bored.

The drawings you had seen in these books portrayed humans in beautiful ball dresses while they were laughing and dancing. They depicted lovers on romantic dates as they were kissing. And they also showed how human towns were always crowded and full of life.

The town around the royal castle wasn’t any different. It was loud, but well-coordinated. At first glance, it seemed that everyone had somewhere to be, even the youngest children who ran past you and the prince near the market. Their energy reminded you of your carefree childhood and the day when you had first met Yangyang. 

The tropical yellow fish had gotten lost on his way to school, so you had helped him get home safe while you had been having fun getting to know each other and munching on seaweed cookies. You had been his first friend. And he had been yours.

“He could help you, if only you had told him about your plans. But you didn’t think about anyone or anything, did you? Do you really believe you can make him fall in love with you in six days? You can’t even tell him it’s too warm in your dress or that you’re thirsty. You’re pathetic, you silly girl. Pathetic. You’re pathetic.”

You flinched when someone grabbed your hand, but relaxed immediately when your eyes fell on Prince Chenle’s delicate fingers around your wrist. He pulled your hand away from your neck and squeezed it lightly the moment it swung back and forth by your side.

‘Do not be nervous. I will be here the whole time,’ he reassured you kindly; his thumb was caressing the back of your hand tenderly. You furrowed your eyebrows, confused, but then you noticed the softness of his fingertips against your skin and your mind went blank. With your sanity out of the way, you didn’t question why he would have thought you were nervous. What you focused on instead was the fact that he cared.

Therefore, you pressed your lips together with a newfound determination and looked around in the vicinity in search of a place where you could get some refreshments. There was a house on your left with breads of different shapes and sizes in its windows and another one on your right with stalls of apples in front of it. You saw a shop that changed one’s hairstyle and a building that had a dining hall in its garden.

You pointed at the latter.

‘Are you hungry?’ The prince asked and you shook your head. ‘Well, that is a restaurant. But we can have shaved ice at the shop two corners from here. Do you like shaved ice?’

You knew what an ice cube was and you didn’t particularly like the stinging numbness you felt when you touched one. However, shaved ice was most probably different because you had never seen anyone eating plain ice cubes before, thus your brain decided that not even humans would have enjoyed chewing on them willingly.

Seeing your contemplation, Prince Chenle patted the top of your head with an affectionate smile and pulled you towards the aforementioned direction. By the time you reached the shaved ice shop, you completely forgot about the reappearing voices in your head because your mind was filled with all the stimuli you had encountered on the road. You had seen old people reminiscing about the good, old days; children scolded by their parents; and animals like Daegal running after a round toy.

Humans were fascinating; and so were their animal friends. Smiling at the vendor behind the wooden counter, you wished you could have shown your father that they weren’t as malicious as he made them to be.

“They are monsters, you silly girl. They are monsters. All of them.”

‘… a different flavor every time, but their red bean shaved ice is really good,’ the prince said, pulling your attention to your options while quieting the scolding voice. Your lips parted in wonder. Ah! So this was shaved ice. ‘They have fruit flavored ones, too. You seemed to like the peach slices last night,’ he nudged your shoulder with his arm that encouraged you to take a closer look at the variety of desserts.

Prince Chenle was right. Although they weren’t as good as seaweed cookies, you had enjoyed the fruit slices during dinner, even more when they had been coated in warm chocolate. Thus, you pointed at the displayed topping that resembled yesterday’s dessert the most, then put one of your palms on the counter to support your legs. When feeling excited, you had gained the habit of bouncing up and down a little; it messed up your weak balance.

‘Easy,’ the prince scolded you with a chuckle, before he asked for two portions of peach and two portions of  mango shaved ice, one of each in your separate cups.

It tasted amazing. And not just that. One spoonful of the delicious, cold dessert managed to make the hot weather less suffocating. It lifted your spirit and gave you an energy boost that urged you to see more, taste more, feel more. Hence, when Prince Chenle suggested looking for an empty bench in the shade, preferably in the royal garden, you disagreed with him for the first time since you had exchanged your voice for a chance to be with him.

The prince’s steps came to an abrupt halt, and your eyes opened wide when you snapped your head in his way and your gaze fell on his figure. His face and posture looked a little different, but you couldn’t pinpoint why looking at him gave you this impression.

Especially because a couple of heartbeats later, he shot you an amused smile.

‘So you have a better idea? Now, I am intrigued,’ he raised his left eyebrow, and you giggled soundlessly, because his sudden playfulness took you by surprise in the best way possible. It must have been a sign that the two of you had grown closer.

You nodded with a beaming smile and walked up to him with your loose steps so that you could take his big hand in yours again. You craved for the damp feeling of his palm against your own and the warmth that this gesture ignited in your chest.

During your morning adventures, you visited a huge shop where people could eat mooncakes, drink bitter and sweet beverages, and borrow books that were placed on huge shelves in the back of the building. You also met children who invited you to draw on the road with them - they had these short, wooden sticks they could write in the hard sand with - and bumped into two adorable animals that looked exactly like Daegal, just with brown fur.

‘Should we check out the lighthouse, too, before we call it a day?’ Prince Chenle asked after you bid your goodbyes to the two puppies and their owner.

Honesty, a part of you felt that it would have been too early to head back to the castle even if you had visited the shore, but you were a royalty just like the prince. In the back of your mind, you knew that he couldn’t spend his entire day with you: that he must have had his own duties and responsibilities. So you squeezed his hand and nodded. Since he had offered, you saw nothing wrong with prolonging the time that you two had a little more.

The more steps you took towards the shore, the more exhausting it became to move your legs, but you did your best to shut out the numbness. You didn’t want to cut your program short with unnecessary complaints, especially because you couldn’t have been sure whether it was normal to feel so drained after a couple of hours of walking. There was a fat chance that you were overreacting and you were determined to not let your lack of knowledge sabotage your happily-ever-after.

Still, you barely reached the borders of the town, when your limbs gave out and you lost your balance. A silent scream stuck in your throat as you held onto the prince’s hand, desperate in a way you had only ever experienced when Yangyang and you had been attacked by a shark during one of your impromptu adventures. You closed your eyes, unsure what else you could have done to prevent the fall.

‘I have got you,’ Prince Chenle whispered against your cheek; his arms keeping you close to his chest in an awkward hug. Perplexed, you opened your eyes and turned your head to the right slowly.

Prince Chenle’s hair smelled like salt and peaches; it blended your world into his and pushed your already mushy brain into overdrive. You didn’t even notice that your nails were digging tiny crescents into his bladebone or that he turned his head in your direction in the meantime. You were lost in your fantasies: all you could think about was your future together and how much you yearned for his kiss.

You choked on air when the prince’s nose brushed against yours. His inviting lips were mere inches from your mouth like in those books about romance. This was it. This was the moment you had been waiting for. Therefore, you pursed your lips and leaned forwards. Three inches. Two inches. One in…

The prince pulled away and sat on his knees in front of you with his back to you.

‘Hop on!’ He encouraged you, shooting a warm smile at you from above his shoulder when he realized that your feet were rooted to the ground. ‘Come on! I will carry you.’

Brushing aside your confusion mixed with disappointment, you climbed on the prince’s back and linked your arms in front of his neck. His muscles tensed and relaxed repeatedly under your body while he stood up and started to walk towards the lighthouse.

‘You know, next time you should tell me when you are not feeling well. We can always finish these tours another day,’ he scolded you worriedly, his words awakening dozens of butterfly fish in your tummy.

You buried your face in the crook of his neck and nodded. Your lips grazed along his soft skin when you smiled.

Your days as a human girl were filled with delicious meals, town tours, and lazy strolls on the beach. Despite his busy schedule, Prince Chenle made sure to take a few hours out of each one of his days to spend some time with you, showing you new places and free time activities that made you bounce up and down in excitement like when he had showed you the oldest books you had even seen in your life: books that told tales about gods and goddesses who blessed the world with as many wars as miracles.

Your nights, however, got more tiring, the closer you got to your seventh day on the land. The voices haunted you in your sleep and poisoned your happiest memories with your loved ones. By the fifth afternoon, whenever you saw something that reminded you of your life in the sea, your chest felt heavy and the urge to scrawl your way out of your own body clouded your mind. Your skin was dressed in crimson and rose-colored scars, some deeper than others, all of them painful nevertheless. You were a mess.

A hopeful mess desperate for her happy ending.

You couldn’t have picked a favorite; you thought of the beautiful colors of the sunrise just as fondly as you thought of those sunsets you had spent on the shore with Prince Chenle by your side. Then and there, it didn’t matter that you couldn’t speak or that you had the trident of Poseidon hanging over your head. You were happy listening to his stories while he played with your hair, lying on the sand.

It was one of those days when the prince asked you to accompany him for a walk after dinner. The Sun was still shining down on the world, painting the scenery in an orange-gold hue and you couldn’t contain your smile while you were listening to the prince’s stories about pirates and monsters nearly as dangerous as the kraken. His love for the sea was evident; you could see it in his big hand gestures, the way he kept stealing glances at the tides, and the smile that adorned his face while he was reminiscing. You wished you could have shown him Atlantica. You couldn’t picture a single scenario in which he wouldn’t have fallen in love with your old home within a heartbeat.

‘That night, I thought that this was it. I was going to die,’ he said animatedly, pulling you in with the intensity he told you about the happenings. You swore, you saw the hopelessness in his eyes when he talked about his inevitable death. ‘But then this girl saved me. She showed up out of nowhere and pulled me to the shore.’

You almost fell over your own legs when your brain processed what he was talking about. It was you; you were the girl who had saved him.

‘Grandpa says it was just a hallucination, but I know she is out there somewhere,’ Prince Chenle kept insisting, his gaze stuck on the waves. You gulped. ‘One day, I will find her and ask her to be my wife. I will make her my queen.’

He wanted to make you his queen. The revelation kicked the air out of your lungs, making it even harder to think straight, collect your thoughts, and communicate. However, you had to find a way, because this was the perfect moment to confess your feelings for him. He yearned for his savior, he would have forgiven you for exchanging your voice for your legs, making it harder for him to find you.

With time, you could have learned how to tell him the truth.

So you pulled on the prince’s arm and demanded his full attention. Your steps didn’t come to a halt, but they didn’t need to, because the moment your gazes met, everything else became secondary. You pointed at yourself, then pointed at the sea.

‘What? Would you like to swim?’ Prince Chenle inquired, frustration rising in your chest. It was more difficult than it should have been, but you couldn’t afford losing.

“You have to kill him, you silly girl. Kill him. You don’t have much time.”

You shook your head. You pointed at yourself again, then at the sea. You slotted your palms together and imitated the unique movements of your tails when you were swimming. Yet, he didn’t seem to get it.

“So you’re ready to die. Because that’s what will happen. You will die, you silly girl. You will die.”

You gulped and lay down on your side on the sand. You rested your chin atop of your palm while you were staring at a random spot where your imaginary prince was lying. You opened your mouth to sing him a song, and while no sound came out of your throat, it did the trick.

Because the next thing you knew, Prince Chenle was lying next to you on the sand, his eyes dark albeit happy.

‘It is you,’ he breathed as he reached towards you with a trembling hand and the pads of his fingers grazed along your jawline. You fluttered your eyelashes and nodded.

The voices were still there, in the back of your mind, they still laughed at the inevitable, but you had even fewer reasons to believe them now that the prince was looking at you so fondly. He looked at you like you were irreplaceable, like you were the key to his happily-ever-after, too, and your heart was about to explode.

A silent yelp escaped your throat when Prince Chenle pushed you on your back and towered over you with his entire body. The situation was thrilling and terrifying at the same time, although you blamed the paralyzing dread you were feeling on the voices that didn’t stop chanting: “He’s a monster. A monster. He is a monster.”

For the first time, they sounded like Yangyang when he was panicky, but your best friend was living his life in the bottom of the sea, hence you deemed it a cheap trick. How could Prince Chenle have been a monster when he was about to make all your dreams come true?

You licked your lower lip when he adjusted his position and placed one knee on the sand on each side of your body. He sat on your hips and leaned forward for what you assumed was a kiss. So you pursed your lips the way lovers did in your beloved books and waited, flames of anticipation licking your being from the inside slowly.

Although your older sisters had already gushed over mermen in front of you and told you how kissing could make one’s lips feel as though they had been touched by a jellyfish - if you kissed someone for too long, that was -, the intensity of the prince’s kiss still took you by surprise. It was suffocating in the way your brain forgot to remind you that you should have breathed through your nose; messy with his tongue coating your pink flesh with saliva; and mind-shattering when you felt his fingers sneaking around your neck.

You furrowed your brows in confusion when he pulled away, but his hands remained on your throat. He was smiling down at you and you tried to reciprocate the gesture, but the grin he shot at you was unsettling.

“Kill him! You have to kill him! Kill him!”

Yangyang’s voice filled your senses, confusing you even more. Meanwhile, the prince’s hand squeezed your windpipes and one of his knees put a light pressure on your chest.

‘It’s okay. It won’t take too long,’ he taunted you, his chuckle making you sick.

A part of you tried to convince you that this was a sick joke, a nightmare, but the voices said otherwise and for the first time, they sounded less mocking and more desperate to make you see the monster behind the charming facade.

You dug your nails into Prince Chenle’s arms, but he didn’t budge, so you quickly moved on to his face until your body still had the energy to fight. You scratched his cheeks, pushed his head to the right, and went for his eyes. But the more determined you became to survive, the more amused his laughter sounded.

‘You signed your father’s death. How does it feel? To know that he will die because of you?’ He asked before he leaned down to press a kiss in the corner of your mouth.

You bit into his lip and kept pulling on it with your teeth so harshly, you could feel the iron taste of his blood in your mouth. He pressed his knee against your lungs harder.

“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”

You didn’t understand what was happening. You didn’t understand his reasons and the sudden change in his behavior, but you knew you wanted your father to be safe. You tried to kick him with your legs, push him off yourself with your arms, but he was too strong. Your head started to hurt from suffocation while your vision was already a bit blurry. The voices were screaming at you, scolding you for being so weak, but you couldn’t kill him. Heartbroken, you wanted nothing more than to swim back to your father and beg for his forgiveness. You wanted to see Yangyang and Kun.

Although you were certain that you were still on the shore, it felt like your lungs were getting filled with water. You furrowed your brows, eyes wide in horror. Prince Chenle’s hands weren’t around your neck anymore. They were pointed at you, fingers curled.

You coughed up water. It was salty on the tip of your tongue.

‘I should thank you I guess. Without you, I might have never gotten my happy ending,’ he mocked you, reciting the words you had told the sea witch when she had asked you about your heart’s desire. ‘It’s all thanks to you, love.’

When he balled his fists, your coughs became more aggressive. The water burned your lungs and your tears ran down on your cheeks.

Your death tasted like home.

the end.

[emblematicemblazer]

World building and theories of Engage

Dishes of Brodia

The dishes of Brodia come in these categories:

Celebratory dishes - Sour cream congee

Cheap recipes which can use leftovers or cheap ingredients - meat pie.

Preserving recipes - oatmeal

Exotic dishes - chicken tomato curry.

Crisp bread -  Crispbread can also be known as 'Glasgow morning rolls' or 'Scottish rolls'. They are very light and airy, and very, very crispy on the outside. Some people prefer almost black and in very odd differing shapes. The lifespan of these rolls is 24 hours so they must be eaten fresh. Some people eat them for breakfast while others make sandwiches with them. They are not the healthiest dining option but they are a well loved Scottish tradition. People make hot filled rolls with them which can include: square sausage, black pudding, bacon, potato scone or egg. Sometimes they are eaten with a very thick layer of butter. They can be made easily and cheaply which makes them perfect common folk food.

Sour cream congee - Congee is normally made with rice so I believe that this recipe is closer to rommegrot rather than congee. Rommegrot is a traditional Norwegian recipe meaning 'sour cream porridge '. Romme means 'sour cream' and grit means 'porridge'. It has a thick consistency and is often eaten with butter, cinnamon, sugar or cured meats. Traditionally it was eaten at celebrations including weddings and births, however it was not uncommon for peasant families to eat a plain version several days a week as a staple part of their diet. 

Crepe pancakes - The recipe is very similar to Scotch pancakes. In some parts of Scotland they are known as 'dropped scones'. They are different to French and English crepes because they are smaller, thicker and slightly risen. Traditionally they were eaten before lent to use up ingredients to avoid waste. The common folk would make them to use up ingredients before they spoil. 

Jam cake - This recipe seems to be based on Albert cake. This came has a short crust pastry base, jam and a light and fluffy sponge. It was a cake created in the Victorian era and made after Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.

Tree cake - This recipe is for Sakotis ('Tree cake) which is a layered cake made on a spit. It is a celebration cake which takes a lot of time to make. It is often decorated with sugar iced flowers or chocolate. This is not an everyday cake in Brodia, unlike jam cake and crepe pancakes.

Fish Dango -  Dango is a species of fish but the recipe doesn't suggest that it is a recipe solely for this species. The recipe suggests this is battered fish, a popular dish and chip shop meal. You will find a fish and chip shop in every high street in the UK. The original recipe comes from Spanish and Portuguese Jews. In the 15th century Judaism was outlawed in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. The Jews fled to Portugal. In 1496 King Manuel I mandated the expulsion or baptizing of Jews. The Jews fled to the UK where they introduced their version of fried fish. The Jews preferred their battered fish cold. It is a way to preserve fish.

Cheese wedge - This is just a big slice of cheese. Random cheese fact; the British are the most lactose persistent population in the world. Cheese was an important source of animal protein in the diet of mediaeval commoners, for people who could not afford meat, it was the only source. The byproduct of a cheese wedge could be used to make whey cheeses.

Oatmeal - This is a porridge recipe.  Oats have been grown in Scotland since late medieval times. There was no way to preserve oats, so they were turned into a paste and stored in a wooden drawer. The paste porridge would be eaten for a few days until it hardened, then it was eaten in thick slices.

Baked potato - Potatoes, also known as 'earth apples' changed from being an exotic ingredient only nobles sampled in the 16th century to a household staple in the 18th century. Generally it was recommended to serve them with butter or cream.  

Nut compote - Candied nuts could be an alternate name for this dish. Compote comes from the Latin  word 'compositus', meaning 'mixture'. In medieval medicine it was believed that sugar syrup balanced out the effects of humidity on the body. At a feast compote would be served at the beginning of the last course of a feast.

Traveler's egg - This is a recipe for Scotch egg. There is debate about the origins of the Scotch egg, Yorkshire and India are two of the potential origins. From the name 'Traveler's why's I gather the origin of choice is that it was created by luxury food sellers Fortnum & Mason in 1738 as a quick and convenient snack for city folk travelling to their country homes. 

Chicken tomato curry - This dish could be a reference to Chicken Tikka Masala. The origin of the dish is debated, but it is believed that spiced recipes were developed in both England and India thanks to the spice routes. In medieval times, spices helped make aging meat more palatable. In medieval Europe spices were considered an exotic ingredient purchased by the affluent, likewise in Brodia, spices would be a luxury traded commodity from Solm. 

.

 Haggis - Medieval manuscript calls it 'hagese'. When cattle drivers were taking their cattle to market, rations were made from any available ingredients and stored inside a sheep's stomach. When an animal was slaughtered, the nobleman would let the butcher keep the offal. I can imagine haggis being taken down mines when mining operations would take several days.

Crumble cake -This recipe can also be called 'crumb cake'. Fruit cakes were popular because they could be kept for many months. 

Marinated herring - Herring was a very important fish in Medieval Europe. Great Yarmouth, the port of Copenhagen and development of Amsterdam were founded due to herring fishing. The marinate would help but fermented and spoilt fish palatable. 

Meat pie - This recipe is a reference to 'Scotch pie'. In medieval times ours were known as 'pyes'. In royal courts they were used to entertain, an example of this can of merriment is live birds hidden in a crust that fly out when the pie is cut into. For the commoner, pies were a way of using and preserving meat and vegetables

[royalpain16]

Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Just four ingredients

English rich tea biscuits

Look for English rich tea biscuits in larger supermarkets and specialty stores. Cost Plus World Market carries them as well. I used McVities Digestive Biscuits which are very similar to rich tea biscuits. These not too sweet wheat biscuits remind me a little bit of American graham crackers. (some say these are very similar to graham crackers)

butter

granulated sugar

if you happen to have superfine bakers sugar, that’s ideal, but otherwise, regular white sugar will do.

dark chocolate

melted chocolate is used in the filling and also as the icing on top. Honestly use whatever good quality chocolate you like, whether chips, or bar chocolate. Dark chocolate is specified in the original recipe and that’s what I used

Egg (not used is optional)

Method

1. Break or chop the biscuits into pieces. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in melted chocolate. At this point the British recipe has you beat in a raw egg, but I left that out.

2. Fold in the biscuit pieces so that everything is evenly blended.

3. Fill prepared cake pan, cover with plastic, and refrigerate until chilled and firm.

4. Invert cake out onto a rack. Remove plastic wrap.

5. Pour melted chocolate over cake and spread over top and sides with an offset spatula.

6. Allow the chocolate to set up at room temperature, and slice.

This cake is vey good, and unique, at least as far as American desserts go. It’s quite rich, so thin slices are best. It actually reminds me of a KitKat candy bar, in cake form! I hope you give it a try, I think you’ll love it like I did.

From the British royal kitchen

Chocolate biscuit cake is Queen Elizabeth’s favorite cake ~ she would take a small slice every day with her tea, until the cake was finished, and then she’d start on a fresh one! She reportedly had her chefs bring along this special chocolate cake wherever she traveled, and the cake was so popular in the royal family that it was Prince William’s groom’s cake at his wedding to Kate Middleton.

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF S1 Ep 1

Note: I have just seen all 12 episodes of Season 1, and I’m watching the entire donghua in English. Now here we go!

-Is that a Jiao? (The red palanquin the servants are carrying the woman in)

-Welp, it sure got gorey fast, and the Jiao has been dropped.

-That Origami Crane has seen better days, and it doesn’t even have eyes!

-Don’t go out there… don’t go out there… don’t go out there… don’t go out there… *Bride gets snatched* Okay, maybe you should’ve gone out there.

-An intense first start to a really interesting Donghua!

-Now I know not to skip the opening song this rewatch~!

-It’s an actual live Crane!

-It’s Laputa from Castle In the Sky (So need to actually finish that movie)

-It’s that town background from Genshin Impact (I literally know nothing about that game, and I’m not interested in playing it)

-It’s that bright light column from Legend of Korra (I haven’t seen the full series and I also don’t plan to watch it, Die Hard Last Airbender fan here)

-That was good animation, and the person running towards that light beam inspired a scene I’m writing my TGCF OCs Hong Hai and Qing Tao are running towards it to see who just ascended.

-Right after XL ascends, Hong Hai and Qing Tao then go, “Huh, Who is that?”  Then everybody yells at them, “PRINCE XIE LIAN!”

KOI FISH!

-Why didn’t they have the “Most likely to be cast out of Heaven reward” in my High School Yearbook, heck I could’ve gotten nominated that easy…

-I wasn’t kidding when I said Xie Lian’s English voice was like butter melting on warm fluffy flapjacks!

-Ling Wen is a savage!!!  She might the Chinese Equivalent of Athena or Themis.

-He has a fanclub?!?!?!  (I might be one of the members)

-The Official’s Okay!!! And a badass!

-So much property damage…

-Yeah it kind of is, (Hehehehehe Last airbender quote)

-They are using Yuan as currency right?

-Not like the Matrix movie right?

-That’s Lucien Dodge

-Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!

-Really?  He got banished over a tea break?!

-Woah they’re all just harsh on his return to heaven

-Those translucent viewing cloths…

-Is ‘mana’ how they say ‘qi’ in the Dub?

-Magic Sleeves of Holding!  count: 1

-Aw he thanked her!

-He said his famous line people “And may all taboos be shattered…”

-It’s the Jasmine Dragon Tea shop from The Last Airbender

-And ‘Hear no Evil’ to complete the iconic Monkey Trio!

-Awww it didn’t land on his finger like in Book 1 (Oh yeah, I’m reading the first two books I purchased JSYK)

-She has him on Speed Dial (DCAU Justice League reference)

-I love how they both looked really pissed off at him, yeah XL it’s totally the latter option.

-And then she hangs up on him

-Green tea!  (I hope it’s Jasmine)

-Hahahahaha he spat out his tea! XD

-Fu Yao, *Is sarcastic and rolls his eyes* Basically me: He’s just like me fr!

-Oh and they’re staring daggers at each other!

-FIGHT!  FIGHT!  FIGHT!

-Xie Lian’s such a peacemaker!

-The fact they responded in sync

-That explains the intense cold opening

-That mission briefing took the whole afternoon?

-See what did I say?  Ghostbusters!

-Those people in the wedding procession do not look professional at all

-Hey I’m half Asian with freckles, and I think I look awesome so I’m taking full offense at your insult!

-I think it’s an unwritten rule that Alejandro Saab is typecast as a self serving asshole I’ve seen it in Nomad of Nowhere

-Wow brutal Fu Yao

-Well I honestly hope he dies

-He ripped her skirt, freaking bastard!

-How is he doing that without mana????

-Yeah beat his ass!

-Thanks Nan Feng!

-Yeah you better run

-No!  Not the Tea shop!

-Aand he got slapped W H E E Z E!

-An abacus!

-The tea shop got fixed!

-Well Fu Yao ain’t wrong

-Hehehehehehe Dick joke XD

-Fu Yao’s giggle!

-“Go sweep the floors!” “What was that?” OOOOOHHHH!

-Don’t give him Cinderella’s chores Nan Feng!

-OOOHHHHH!

-FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

-That poor poor altar!

-Not only is it dirty but you’d be disrespecting the god it was offered to SMH

-Wow diplomacy really does solve everything

-He’s got her on Speed Dial too

-The fact that they stared at him together! XD

-Sees Bride!XL: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I’m Sorry XD!

-Honestly, Fu Yao, VALID.

-She fixed her skirt.

-Yeah right a few alterations, she totally fixed his make up calling it.

-Oh so now you’re smart enough to know Proverbs SMH again

-U said it Fu Yao,

-*Sees Bridesmaids NF and FY like* W H E E E Z E XD XD XD XD

-Is he smiling?  I can’t really tell in the animation.

-I can see why this episode literally came out on Halloween

-The Jiao got dropped again!

-So basically ancient Chinese zombies

-So that’s how he was able to last longer than the previous bride

-That Owl again

-There’s that butterfly

-Well there’s his groom (Not the Ghost groom obviously that’s for sure)

-Oooooohhhh! Backstory!

-Pass me the Aux cord!  You better not be playing mainstream garbage! *Turns on One Flower and One Sword and vibes like there’s no tomorrow*!

-My favorite song out of the Season 1 soundtrack!

-He’s out of the Jiao and in strong arms!

-Yep that’s totally gonna be important later

-Oh that’s how he was able to confront that bald jerk at the tea shop!

-That battle animation is so freaking fluid!  *Chef’s Kiss*

-There go the wolves

-That looks really bad, and it explains his bad reputation in heaven

-Aiaigasa!  AIAIGASA people!!!! *Fangirls like there’s no tomorrow!*

-It’s the same umbrella!

-I knew that kid was gonna be important, called it~

-I now pronounce you both husband and husband!  You may now kiss the gro- I mean, bride!  

-Don’t mind me, just gonna go jam to the rest of the ending!

[daylightaftertherain]

hiiiiii sea!!! how r u bestie???

3 and 22 for the meet uglys <33

ellaaaaa hii!!! I'm pretty good today :D

3. meeting in the bathroom at a house party, battling over who needs the bathroom more

A hand closes over Simon's hand just as he grabs the door handle to what's hopefully a door that locks, and he jerks back, heart racing. Is it-

A tall, blonde boy cocks his head curiously. "Uh, hi? Sorry if I scared you, but I really need the bathroom," he says. "I'm Wille, by the way."

"Yeah, I know who you are," Simon sighs, "Prince, friends with the richest girl here and all that, blah blah blah. Anyway, I need the bathroom, and I got here first. Fuck off." He usually would be more polite, but avoiding Marcus for the entire party had been grating on his nerves already.

"Well, excuse you," Wille replies, unimpressed. "I'm hosting this party with Felice, and I know for a fact that you've been sitting in a corner for the last two hours without touching anything, so I'm guessing I need the bathroom more than you." If Simon wasn't so frustrated, he'd probably find the way Wille runs a hand through his hair absentmindedly cute, but right now, he's about two seconds away from punching him.

"I don't don't if you've ever heard this in your life, but no. Go find another bathroom. There's probably ten of them in this place."

"Why don't you do that, then?" Simon's going to claw his own eyes out.

"Okay, fine, I don't need to go, but I just need a place to like, chill for a minute or so," he admits, aware of how desperate he sounds already. Wille's face goes from closed off to mildly concerned in a heartbeat.

"There are other bathrooms, you know?" he offers. Simon wants to bash his dumb, blond head through a wall. And also maybe kiss him. He hates it here so much.

"I can't, seriously, just move, Wille. Sorry if I'm being rude or something, but I'm kinda out of options here," Simon groans. Then, before he can stop himself, "this is cliché and stupid, but I'm kinda avoiding my ex, who thinks he's still with me, and he just showed up at this party. I just- I don't want to do the whole screaming match with your asshole ex thing in front of everyone tonight."

Wille blinks. Simon can practically see the cogs turn in his head. "Uh, hello?"

"Oh- okay. Um, who's your ex?"

"Marcus."

"Wait, Marcus from the stables?"

"Yeah, him."

"Fuck him, then." A surprised sound erupts in Simon's mouth, and he sees the corner of Wille's mouth quirk up.

"Fine, you can have the bathroom. The door locks, and uh, I'll go find another one, and after that I could find you and make sure Marcus doesn't try to approach you or something. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Simon says, "and uh, thanks? You're nicer than I thought you'd be." Wille chuckles drily.

"Did August get to you already?"

"Just go find your other bathroom, asshole."

-💜🚪-

22. hammering on their neighbor's door to make them turn off the music since it's 3 am

(oh my god I have ideas for this ahsskfasdfjk. also the music is obviously still taylor :))

The first night, Wille thinks, okay. His neighbor's probably just having fun with friends.

The second night, he's slightly more annoyed, but reasons it has to stop by tomorrow, right? He can handle two nights of interrupted sleep. Not like his insomnia wasn't already doing that.

It doesn't stop. Not on the third day, or the day after that. After a week, he's gotten tired of listening to reputation blast through his walls at three in the morning. He has a headache, and he has to get up early for Madison's birthday party in three hours, and the music hasn't stopped blasting from the other apartment for seven fucking hours.

He wraps himself up in a blanket because a) it's November, and b) he's too tired to worry about his asshole neighbor judging him for trudging down the hall in fluffy pajamas and a Tangled blanket he'd stolen from one of the girls. It's three in the morning, he could give less of a fuck.

He raises a hand and promptly starts hammering on his neighbor's door for a full minute, until the music stops abruptly and he hears a muffled curse and something falling. A mean little voice in his head hopes his stupid neighbor broke something. The door flies open, and Wille gets a good look at the asshole for the first time.

Asshole neighbor is pretty. Fuck. He needs sleep.

"Uh, hi? Sorry, is this about the noise? I didn't realize how late it was, and I'm just now realizing how much that makes me sound like a dick." Wille comes out of his half-asleep haze, then reminds himself of why he's here.

"Hi. Yeah, I was just going to ask you if you could um, turn down the music? I haven't been able to sleep properly in over a week," he says, voice scratchy from disuse. "I'm your neighbor, by the way. Wille."

"Simon. And sorry about the music, seriously. I can only focus if there's music in the background, and I try to limit it to the day, when everyone's out, but I keep losing track of time."

"For a week?" Wille's voice comes out incredulous, and cracks on the last word. Simon winces.

"Again, I'm really sorry about that, won't happen again. It's just," he waves a hand behind him, "college assignments, and memorizing sheet music for a performance, and the painting thing I'm doing to cover my rent. Is there like, any way I can make it up to you?"

Wille shrugs. "Just use headphones or something," he says tiredly, and because his mouth has apparently seperated from his brain, "you're really pretty, by the way." He wants to throw himself into a black hole. Why.

He shuffles off double-time before he can register Simon giggling behind him, and buries himself in his bed until his demonic alarm starts beeping the the devil spawn it is three hours later.

There's a cup of still-hot coffee waiting on his doormat, with a sticky note that reads, you're really pretty too <3 and below that, hang out with me some time other than three am?

-💜🌙-

[heronchild-haven]

HIII! I don't know if you are still taking these or if I am even in the right place, but it is so hard to find good heronchild content on here and you are one of the only good ones I have seen. Could you possibly do a drabble or fanfic where their families find out that heronchild is a thing? Possibly in one of the worst ways to come out ever or they just decide to tell them, I don't really mind. Anyway, love your work !!!!!!!!

Hi! Yes, I’m still around, always happy to receive a request! Even though it took me a while to write this time, since I‘m busy with college. But you asked so you shall receive! I decided to go with a fairly fluffy coming out, because my main fic is already an angst fest right now. Hope you enjoy! 🤗

“Are you ready?” Matthew asked, turning to face James as they reached the door to the institute library. He offered a reassuring smile, but James knew him well enough to recognise all of the small mannerisms betraying how nervous he actually was. The way he kept fumbling with his initial ring, the slight twitching in the corners of his mouth, and the vulnerability reflecting in his wide open eyes. Seeing him like this made James feel helpless. If there were a better way, one that didn’t risk Matthew being hurt, he would take it.

But they had decided on this together, and really, it was their only option. They couldn’t keep sneaking around everyone forever. Not only because it wasn’t fair to their friends and families, but also because they knew someone would find out eventually. People were already wondering why they’d been pushing off their parabatai ceremony, Thomas had made multiple ambiguous sounding statements about how he would always remain a friend to them no matter who they chose to be with, and then there was Lucie…

She had been incessant about reciting her writing to James over the last few weeks, inundating him with stories about the extravagant pirate king Matthäus, who spent suspiciously little time actually pirating, instead having it made his mission to charm the evil prince James into ceasing his villainous antics.

James assumed that Lucie had either chosen a particularly bad time to be absolutely insufferable, or was beginning to catch on to what was happening between them.

Matthew was still looking at him, patiently waiting for a reply, and James nodded slowly. “Yes.”

He knew it was the right thing to do. He also knew that his parents loved him and that so far, he’d always been able to trust them. But would they understand?

Pushing down his doubts, James opened the door to the library.

Will and Tessa looked up almost simultaneously from were they were leaning over an assortment of books at one of the wooden writing desks. “James,” said Tessa: “do come in. You wanted to speak with us?”

They entered the room together and Matthew presented the Herondales with a blinding smile: “Oh yes, in fact, both of us do.”

“What is it?” asked Will. “Please tell me you boys didn’t cause damage to any institute property- again. You know how Jessamine gets with these things.”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” James glanced briefly at Matthew, then cleared his throat: “Do you remember how you told me that, if I ever were to find the right girl, I would know, and that I should fight for her no matter what?”

“Of course,” said Will, smiling fondly.

“I know that you feel this way about mother. But… I also know how much you love uncle Jem. And that this is the reason you are so happy about Matthew and I becoming parabatai. And- I was wondering… if you could imagine someone finding both these things in just one person.”

James turned to Matthew again, searching for assurance in his green eyes. Yes, they were doing this together. Matthew grabbed his hand and James held on to him demonstratively as he turned back to face his parents. Will stared at them, mouth slightly parted, and Tessa’s grey eyes were brightly lit with attention.

James kept going, undeterred. “Well, that person would be what Matthew is to me- what we are to each other. He’s not a girl like you might’ve wanted for me, but I love him and there’s no changing that. So we won’t be able to become parabatai, after all.”

His parents looked at him in bafflement, and James was suddenly overcome by a nauseating wave of doubt. There was nothing he could do but stand frozen in place as his parents' silence seemed to stretch on forever. Matthew’s grip on his hand tightened.

Then, like the first rays of sunlight suddenly breaking out from the horizon, a wide smile spread on Will’s face. ”And here I was worrying about your delayed ceremony. You don’t even know how relieved I am to hear that we will be able to take Matthew into the family, after all.”

James blinked a few times, stunned at the unexpected reaction.

Tessa stepped forward. “What he means,” she took Matthew’s hands into her own and squeezed them briefly, “is that we could not imagine anyone better for our Jamie than you. No matter the nature of your relationship.”

Matthew stared at her, flushing slightly. He looked vulnerable, wearing an expression that most people never even got to have more than a glimpse of. “Thank you, Mrs. Herondale.”

“Please, call me Tessa.”

James looked back and forth between his parents: “You… don’t mind?”

“Jamie Bach,” Will said, sounding more serious this time. “I never meant to make you doubt yourself. I simply- when I said that, I was thinking of your mother,“ his voice melted into the warm tone it always did when he was talking about Tessa, “but I don’t expect you to do things exactly the same way I did. What I meant is that, when you love someone, you fight for them, especially as a Herondale. And I’m proud of you for doing precisely that.”

He patted James’s shoulder. “You understand?”

James had to let the words sink in for a moment before he could reply. “Yes- yes I do.”

Will smiled, seemingly satisfied, and turned to Matthew: “Now…” He slung an arm around his shoulder in a fatherly manner: “As an official member of the Herondale family, there are some matters of great importance that I need to discuss with you. We value our traditions and you will be expected to follow along.”

Matthew’s disarming smile was back, and he directed it at Will now: “Of course Mr. Heron- Will. Please enlighten me.”

“To start with, you must abstain from associating with any types of Anatidae, and -if existent- recant previous allegiances immediately.”

Matthew nodded politely, clearly confused and expecting an explanation, and Tessa sighed. “Ducks. He’s talking about ducks, and he just made that up.”

Will went on blithely: “Furthermore, every year on Christmas, we hold a performance of the demon pox song among the inner family circle, which I assume you are familiar with already…”

James, knowing very well that the performance Will was referring to was usually a one man affair, was deliberating how to interject before his father would break out into a demonstration right then and there.

“James,” Tessa said, interrupting his train of thought. “I appreciate that you have been so open with us, even though it might’ve seemed daunting. But you will never need to fear judgement from us or apologise for anything that you are, you know that, right?”

“Yes. It was just… because he’s a man- the way people talk about it sometimes- I don’t think the clave would ever tolerate us-“ the tension he’d been holding in for months must’ve shown on his face, because she swiftly pulled him into a hug. Being slightly taller than his mother, James had to lean down to drop his head on her shoulder.

“Oh, darling.” Tessa sighed and stroked his hair consolingly. “I know very well how intolerant the clave can be, which is why they never need to know any of this, least of all from us. Within our walls the two of you will always be safe. It makes no difference to me wether you want to be with a man or a woman, as long as they make you happy. And I know that Matthew makes you happy.”

James lifted his head at that and smiled. “He does.”

“Good.” She stepped back and threw a skeptical glance over to where her husband was cheerily holding Matthew hostage. She was just about to say something else when, suddenly, a high pitched yelp from the door made James whirl around. “Matthew!” Lucie had apparently taken on the task of rescuing Matthew from having to recite the demon pox song by barging in and throwing herself around his neck. Before he could respond, she’d already let go of him and begun chattering excitedly. “I am so very, very glad that you decided to tell us! You see, I had thought maybe a famous duchess or a pirate king for James would do fine, but you are so dear to me already, it is even better this way. To be entirely honest, you were somewhat of an inspiration for the pirate king in my latest story- Oh, I almost forgot, shall I address you now as my brother-in-law?”

Matthew seemed amused. “Please, Luce, you can keep calling me Matthew, if you don’t mind.”

“Lucie, dear,” Will chided her mildly. “Were you eavesdropping on us just now?”

“Oh no,” her eyes widened. “That would never occur to me! I simply happened to be lacing my shoes outside in the corridor when I overheard you.”

Matthew followed their conversation, but glanced furtively at James when he came closer. He reached for James’ hand again, slowly interlacing their fingers, almost shyly, as if he were doing it for the first time- and in a way, he was.

Something had shifted. It was like a weight had lifted off them, and James felt a kind of pride in being able to show to his family how much he felt for Matthew.

Gently, he pulled him closer by his hand and placed a kiss on his temple. “Are you alright?”

“Mhmm,” Matthew hummed and leaned against him, nuzzling his face into his neck.

James noticed his mother’s warm smile as she glanced at them before turning to break up whatever battle of wits had unfolded between Will and Lucie, to say something about arranging for afternoon tea. A wave of comfortable warmth spread from James’ heart throughout his body at the sight of his family like this, knowing that he and Matthew were welcome in their midst. Right now, there was no place he’d rather be.

Suddenly, Matthew chuckled. He lifted his head to fix his mischievously glinting eyes on James: “Pirate king, eh?”

James suppressed an eye roll. With how much Lucie seemed to support their being together, he could hardly be mad at her, no matter how well she fulfilled her role as little sister in embarrassing him. “I suppose it was her way of letting me know that she would accept you.”

[viexports]

Why export-quality Basmati rice is preferred globally

Basmati rice, often referred to as the “Prince of Rice,” has been a staple of Indian and Pakistani cuisine for centuries. Its long grain, distinctive aroma and delicate flavor set it apart from other rice varieties, making it a favorite among chefs and home cooks. But what really brings Basmati to global prominence is its export quality, which follows strict standards to meet the expectations of international markets.

The Importance of Export Quality

Not all grains are the same when it comes to Basmati rice. Export quality Basmati rice has to undergo rigorous quality checks to meet international standards. This includes everything from grain length and texture to aroma and cooking properties. Certified by global food safety organizations, Basmati rice guarantees consumers around the world enjoy the finest product available. According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the demand for high-quality Basmati rice is constantly growing, driven by its premium quality and authenticity.

Global Demand for Basmati Rice

The global appeal of Basmati rice is undeniable. Major importing countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom have witnessed a steady rise in the consumption of Basmati over the years. Its versatility in various dishes from Middle Eastern pilaf to British biryani has made it a household name. The rise in the number of health-conscious consumers and the growing interest in international cuisines have further fuelled the demand for Indian Basmati rice.

Health and Culinary Benefits

One of the major reasons for the global popularity of Basmati rice is its health benefits. Basmati rice is low in fat, gluten-free and has a low glycemic index, making it a healthy option for those suffering from diabetes or seeking a balanced diet. Moreover, it is rich in essential nutrients such as fibre and vitamins, which contribute to overall health. Its light, fluffy texture and ability to absorb flavors make it a perfect base for a variety of dishes, from traditional Indian curries to modern fusion cuisine.

Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing

In today’s market, sustainability and ethical sourcing continue to grow in importance. Many basmati rice producers prioritize sustainable farming methods, ensuring that the rice is grown with minimal environmental impact. Additionally, fair trade practices are often employed, providing farmers with better wages and working conditions. These efforts not only contribute to the global demand for basmati rice, but also ensure that the rice you enjoy is produced with integrity.

Export quality basmati rice has truly earned its place as a global favorite. Its unmatched quality, health benefits, and commitment to sustainability make it a preferred choice in kitchens around the world. Whether you are a culinary enthusiast or a health-conscious consumer, basmati rice performs well on every front, making it a staple beyond borders.

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Top Heli-Skiing Destinations in Alaska for Thrill Seekers

Introduction

Alaska is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and untouched wilderness, making it a premier destination for thrill-seekers and adventure enthusiasts. Among the numerous adventure sports available, heli-skiing stands out as a unique and exhilarating experience. For those looking to conquer pristine snow-covered peaks and enjoy some of the best powder in the world, Alaska offers unparalleled opportunities. This article explores the top heli-skiing destinations in Alaska, where thrill-seekers can find the best heli-skiing experiences.

Best Heli-Skiing Destinations in Alaska

1. Valdez

Valdez is often hailed as the crown jewel of Alaskan heli-skiing. Known for its consistently deep snow and expansive terrain, it’s a haven for those seeking a pure and unadulterated skiing experience. The Chugach Mountains, which surround Valdez, offer a variety of slopes, from steep chutes to wide-open powder fields. The region benefits from heavy snowfall throughout the winter, ensuring that the snow is always fresh and powdery. Additionally, the stunning views of Prince William Sound make Valdez a picturesque setting for an adrenaline-pumping adventure.

2. Haines

Situated in the northern part of the Inside Passage, Haines provides an incredible heli-skiing experience with its diverse terrain and spectacular scenery. The area is known for its challenging slopes and deep powder, appealing to advanced skiers and snowboarders. The proximity to the Tongass National Forest ensures that the snow quality is top-notch, while the rugged terrain offers a variety of runs to suit different skill levels. Haines is also less crowded compared to other destinations, offering a more intimate and unspoiled experience.

3. Girdwood

Girdwood, located just outside of Anchorage, is another prime destination for heli-skiing in Alaska. The Alyeska Resort and surrounding areas provide a range of terrain, from mellow slopes to steep and technical runs. Girdwood is known for its reliable snowpack and stunning alpine scenery, with views extending over Turnagain Arm. The accessibility of Girdwood makes it an attractive option for those who want to combine heli-skiing with other outdoor activities, such as dog sledding or snowshoeing.

4. Thompson Pass

Thompson Pass, located near Valdez, is famous for its incredible snow conditions and diverse terrain. This area is often favored by experienced heli-skiers due to its challenging runs and deep powder. The pass offers a range of terrain options, including steep couloirs and open bowls, catering to various skill levels. The snow conditions in Thompson Pass are often described as some of the best in the region, with powder that remains fresh and fluffy throughout the ski season.

5. Cordova

Cordova, a small town located on the eastern side of Prince William Sound, is a hidden gem for heli-skiing enthusiasts. The area boasts some of the most pristine and untouched snow in Alaska, with terrain that ranges from gentle slopes to rugged alpine features. Cordova’s remote location means fewer crowds and a more exclusive experience for those who seek solitude and adventure. The combination of excellent snow conditions and stunning natural beauty makes Cordova a compelling choice for any heli-skiing enthusiast.

Conclusion

Best heli skiing in alaska destinations offer some of the best experiences for those craving adventure and pristine snow. From the renowned slopes of Valdez to the hidden gem of Cordova, each destination provides a unique and exhilarating opportunity to explore the Alaskan wilderness. Whether you are an experienced skier looking for challenging terrain or a thrill-seeker eager to enjoy the deep powder in stunning settings, Alaska has something to offer. Embark on a heli-skiing adventure in Alaska and experience the thrill of skiing on some of the best slopes the world has to offer.