#he's simply a person in our lives - a person we hold dear. he's (and we're) human‚ simply bringing good and bad onto our lives (and his)

[nmakii]

Hi! I'm not the one that requested no one is better than I am.... BUT I loved it so much! I was wondering if you could make a part two say maybe the person we ran away with turns out to be abuse or something like that and we're kinda like 'I fucked up' and realize maybe running wasn't such a good idea.... Anyway you can add your own little twist and you can ignore this if you wish <3

- rose anon 🌹

AND I KNEW YOU’D COME BACK TO ME.

— this relationship wasn’t meant to last long. all is forgiven though. alastor will forgive you.

— tangled reimagined 😮‍💨 didnt even realize it until i finished writing HAHAHAHAHA

a month later, the honeymoon period had died out. to be fair, you hadn’t exactly made a plan…crashing at a motel on the edge of mississippi, not exactly what you had in mind.

living off the scraps of what you took, pawning off your belongings. oh, this was not ideal at all. and, how your lover got when he was angry; he’d bruise your arm from gripping way too tightly whenever you didn’t get enough money. how you started to miss alastor, it’s true what they say— you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

if you were able to run once, perhaps you could just one more time? he is not as smart as alastor, you should be able to get away easily in the night.

yes, you should. after trading away many of your items, all you have left is but a satchel worth of dresses. new orleans is not particularly far with a car either.

and so, a familiar memory of running away at the dead of night. only now, it is you returning to alastor, just like he knew you would.

when you returned home, it was 2 AM. the house was just as it was when you left, albeit quite dusty now without your care.

you dropped your satchel on the dining table, just as you left it. it’s almost as if your home was abandoned when you left.

in the bedroom, your husband, sleeping peacefully— an arm clinging to your side of the bed, as if holding onto what little scent of you there was left.

when you opened the bathroom door, a silk nightgown was hung, simply waiting to be worn.

after you had changed, you sat back on your bed, the familiar smell of home coming back to you. as you laid in bed, you found yourself facing alastor.

your hands moved to bring him closer, the warm touch waking him scarily quick. “my love, you’ve returned.” he smiled, bringing you close.

your muscles tensed at the pet name, frightening reminders of the last month coming back. “hey, calm down, dear. i’m not mad.” he reassured you, awfully calmly at that. “running away; it was a mistake, wasn’t it?”

you nodded as you relaxed under his touch. “he was awful… im sorry, alastor…” you frowned. “oh, darling, i told you, didn’t i? no matter, all is forgiven.” he cooed, brushing your hair gently with his nimble fingers. “i’ll protect you from all that is bad in this world. no evil will meet you as long as i live. all i ask… is that you stay here, with me, forever— take care of our house, cook dinner, and perhaps even care for our little ones in the future?” he rambled on, a wide smile upon his face as he thinks of your future together. “ah, i’m rambling, we can discuss that in the future. in the meantime, could you do that, dear?” he asked, offering it to you as if you had a choice.

you nodded, not even looking at alastor. “good. i love you very much, don’t you know that, my dear? all i want is for you to be safe.” he told you. “…i” you started, thinking carefully of your words. “i love you too, alastor…” you said.

did you truly love him? of course you did. he took you back after you betrayed his trust, he’s a wonderful husband.

the moment the words fell from your sweet lips, a wide smile found its way onto alastor’s face. a kiss pressed upon your forehead.

his little doe finally returned his affections. it’s only a shame of his that he had to hurt your delicate heart first.

why would a single man be in a luxury store? oh, words cannot describe how thankful alastor is for your foolish naivety.

word on the street, that eugene was quite the heartbreaker. not to mention, that criminal record of his.

convincing him to go through with it wasn’t hard either. seeing a new toy that knows nothing of his record, he was more than eager to play with you. all it took was a bit of cash for him to keep up the sweetheart act.

and now that his doe was home, there’s no use for trash like that man in this world. the bruises on your arm, they were not what was intended.

all he asked was a simple grab, but it seems he got carried away, that piece of garbage.

as alastor forcefully swallowed his anger, he held you close, massaging the bruises on your wrist. “rest well, darling. you’ve been through a lot this past month.” he cooed, slowly lulling you to sleep.

oh, how excited he is that his little doe is home. to celebrate, we need a special meal, don’t we? say, there is a rare meat that alastor has been dying to try.

[0rah-s]

Sinbad (Magi) and his divorced wife (modern au please, or if you don't feel comfortable with that, you can do it in the regular world)

Reader divorced him because of how he viewed things and how close he would get with other women, she's kinda gay

And Sinbad is kind of sad because of the fact that the only woman he truly loved wants nothing to do with him.

Even add a gremlin, a kid to the mix if it entertains you!!

Pls 💛

You don't have to if you don't want too!!

Sinbad x ex-wife!reader

Cw: fem reader, written in second person, english isn't my first language, you have an adopted kid, disloyalty from him, idk.

A/n: thank you for requesting and im so sorry for taking so long to do your request, writer's block be hitting harder lately. Hope you enjoy it mwah!!

How many times had he entertained the young women who threw themselves at him in the middle of your dates, right in front of your eyes?

.

Never could you say anything about it as its not like he was really cheating on you, he was "just playing" as he loved to say. It drove you insane.

.

In addition to his borderline unfaithfulness, there was also his questionable morals and the things he did to get what he wanted. All of it always rubbed you the wrong way but you fought to love him anyway.

.

But as we all know, ine can only fight for so long.

.

All of it kept adding up and and you found yourself bothe sat at the kitchen table. You slide him a paper - a divorce settlement document.

.

He tried to give you excuses and promised he would change but you were set, there's no way you'd lock yourself in a toxic cycle of wrong-doing, excises, and forgivness forever.

.

After the divorce,

You went on with your life like nothing happend

Of course it still stung to part from the man you loved oh so much but you had to move on.

.

Weeks pass and he isn't the same anymore. He went out to different bars and surrounded himself with ladies, reminding himself that he didn't need you.

.

What a conman.

.

He desperately needed you. Being a man of his position there wasn't many he could trust, somehow he opened up to you and gave you his heart. He knew how precious your love was to him yet he ruined it - entirely by himself. He'll never experience somehing like this again.

.

Guilt hollowing him as he grieves the missing part of him and as he thinks of the sadness he caused you. He'd become a waste.

.

Fast forward, you grew as a person and became successful, no longer the women you used to be.

Things kept getting better and better for you as if taking the weed out of your life made place for a rich and flowery garden to bloom effervescently.

.

You could finally breath.

.

Long after, you adopted a gremlin a kid!

You gave them the ever best life they deserved and enjoy life as a successful mother and child. Life simply couldn't get better.

.

Then he saw you.

.

Then you saw him.

.

He couldn't belive it's, the then live of his life standing right in front of him after years of no contact.

.

"H-hi..." He uttered, trying his best to make himself sound more confident - it failed.

.

"Hello" you replied coldly.

.

A long awkward silence took over when you decide to walk away before he starts to question about your life or worst - enter it again.

.

"I should go" you sai as you walk past him but barely a couple step away and he grips your wrist.

.

Tho he was strong, his hold on you was gentle, almost pleading.

.

"Please wait? Can we talk?" He asks trying his best to think of ways to have you remain by him even for a little longer.

.

"What is there to talk about sinbad? We're over"

You say curtly, not wanting to go weak and give in to him in the way is face begged you to.

.

He notices the young child beside and questions flooded his mind. 'A child? Was it hers? Ours? Hasd she found someone new? How much of their lives have i missed?' Then guilt came back stronger than ever, not being made easy but the way the kid clutched on your trousers.

.

"Mom, who's that?" They ask innocently.

.

"An old friend, dear" you smile at your child lovingly.

.

An old friend, those words rung in his head like hell bells.

.

He let go of your wrist and she walked away.

.

You sufferd through him, why shouldn't he? Regardless of how he feels you have more to care about.

.

He'll find a way to heal, you wish him that much. But for now the only thoughts in your head is what you're going to do today to make this day unforgettable for your child and yourself.

[besaya-glantaya]

While the previous exorcism was fairly sucessful, new brain gremlins appear with repeated rewatches. So, here's another incomplete list of my rambling thoughts and favourite moments from the Red White and Royal Blue movie:

1. Breaking doors down to get a wedding cake through - actually a thing that happened. Well, almost. Prince William and Kate Middleton's gigantic 8-tier wedding cake was so large a palace door had to be removed to allow it through. Apparently the Queen was "unimpressed".

2. Henry snubbing Alex in the reception line at the wedding is hilarious. Way to ensure Alex doesn't fixate on you for the whole party, Henry. A+ job.

3. Alex drunkly navigating the wedding reception, swiping drinks, petting rich people and hiding foul smelling canapés behind furniture. Adorably comedic.

4. HeNnrrYyy!

5. Aww. I wanna see pictures of Jonathan the Shih Tzu too.

6. Shaan's scathingly dry wit is everything - I can see why he's such a great match for Zahra.

7. "No-one is more mystified than I" is another phrase I am stealing for people who exist purely to vex me.

8. Shaan shoving Alex bodily through the low hanging branches of a chestnut tree to stand beside Henry for a photo op. That had to be at least partially improvised on location.

9. Dogs in jumpers. This must be some British thing that I have simply failed to notice. Is this a thing Americans associate with the UK?

10. The ridiculously small child's costume that Alex is wearing for the puppet show in the hospital.

11. Alex saying "WRONG!"

12. Henry, on the phone, opening with "Good God, man, what have you done?" Honestly, is there any other response when your crush sends you a picture of a caged turkey, in their bedroom, in the small hours of the morning?

13. Nora strutting into the NYE party in that head turning, jaw dropping, red outfit. Stunning.

14. Henry's face after Alex tells him he's going to do "very bad things to him". Every single fantasy he's ever had about him and Alex is flashing rapid-fire through his brain and he just... overloads a lil' bit. Error code 54 [NETWORK_BUSY].

15. The emotional connection between Alex and Henry when they are making love in Paris. The eye contact, the unspoken communication. Ugh. Hats off to all involved - especially Robbie Taylor, the movie's intimacy coordinator - for creating this scene.

16. Alex, talking about being someone his father never had: "You can't know what that means." Henry responding with a heartfelt "I'm learning". Just... yes. All the yes.

17. In the mood for love might be one of the swooniest movies of all time, but it's heartbreakingly sad. It's a doomed romance - two people who are irrevocably in love but can't be together, trapped as they are by the pressures of societal expectations and their own psychological barriers. That this is a version of romance that Henry holds dear is telling and painful to think about.

18. Alex's bloodshot eyes when he's laying on his bed with Nora, hugging that cushion for dear life, pining hard for Henry. Did they do that scene after another intense emotional one? Were there lots of other teary takes of that same scene? Did they rub onions in Taylor's eyes? I need to know.

19. I often think that the core of who we are as teenagers - our hopes, our desires, the things we cherish - are the beings we settle back into as older adults after we're done trying to fit in or live up to other people's expectations. One of Alex's greatest gifts is helping Henry to reach out and reclaim those seemingly distant hopes and dreams. To dance with the person he loves, in a place of beauty that brings him peace.

20. I love the Perfume Genius cover of "Can't help falling in love". It hits you squarely in the feels.

21. God, the casting of this movie was a stroke of genius. Taylor and Nicholas truly become Alex and Henry on screen.

22. On the private air-field: Henry's little overwhelmed smile when Alex squeezes him in the tightest hug and tells him, "I love you, I'll be as patient as you need."

23. Immediately after 22, Alex leaning in for a kiss goodbye but pulling back quickly as he reads Henry's discomfort. Alex might not always understand Henry's reasons but (if he's paying attention), he's so very good at reading Henry's needs and responding to them.

24. In the aftermath of the email leak, Alex has been "hanging in there" - he's had people supporting him, with agency over how to respond. But Henry is understandably not OK - he's been put back in his box, and the Firm has taken over in all matters. There's one scene where you can see Henry shrinking, literally making himself take up less space at the table.  Poor baby.

25. Zahra to the rescue. Truly the MVP.

[slutforalastor]

Say It With A Smile, Part 4

(I have been hesitant to preface the actual text of these posts in order to let them speak for themselves, but I have to be clear, this is the point where this fic really enters territory not suitable for minors. There's only so much I can do to prevent that from happening, and it's not as though we're jumping straight into the kama sutra, but I refuse to let it go unsaid that this is not intended for minors. From here onward, it's also fair to say this will have nsft and nsfw stuff going on. With that warning, here's what you've come here for)

------

You don't know much about him, but given the prolonged silence between you two, you're getting the impression that Alastor loves to savor all things. After thanking Niffty for fetching tea for the two of you, he'd taken his time letting it cool, then taken measured sips from his "Oh Deer" mug while surveying the skyline of the Pride Ring from his bird's-eye view. You're holding a mug of tea no fuller than when you'd been handed it, the warmth on your hands helping to ground you after your near-death experience. Maybe "near-second-death experience" was more accurate. And you're frightened, but that's not the only emotion; there's a very present, yet repressed, writhing feeling squirming out from under the stifling weight of self-preservation. The sort of feeling that had an entirely separate section of Hell to help put it into practice.

You wouldn't dream of initiating the conversation. You can only wait for him to collect his thoughts, or become bored of teasing you, or whatever is making him drag out the stifling silence.

"So, little fawn. My sincerest apologies for losing my temper. I can't expect you to just forget what you saw back there. Normally, when I feel that someone could be a problem, I just kill them, but killing you hardly seems appropriate. For both of our sakes, I'd hope that you'll put that exchange out of your mind. I try very, very hard to only kill when someone's really done something to deserve it, and luckily, I don't know you well enough to judge your morality. And you may be in Hell, but that doesn't make you a bad person, does it?"

You hope not.

"Wonderful! You have my word that I will exercise the utmost restraint around you from now on. You have nothing to fear if you simply stay on my good side." He pauses, the area around his eyes darkening, like they've lost some of their luminescence. His voice, however, drips with knowing sultriness. "But you want to be on my good side, don't you?"

You do, yes. Although not only to avoid being killed.

"That goes nicely into the next point of discussion." He turns in his chair so that he's looking directly at you, his eyes finding yours no matter where they may drift. Using his cane as a visual aid, he continues. "These ears aren't the only thing that are perfectly tuned. I also have an excellent nose, much more sensitive than your average sinner's. And dear, you reek of pheromones. Just the sort that I'd normally change the station on, but these times are hardly normal. My body, powerful as it is, needs to repair itself, and it's putting a strain on the rest of me. The kind of strain that makes it... difficult, to control oneself. There's nothing worse than not being in control, wouldn't you agree?"

It might depend, honestly. Controlling one's destiny, or living space, or boundaries, those are good. But sometimes, it can be nice for someone else to take the lead.

He chuckles, but his jovial cadence loses a bit of its luster. "An area where we differ, then. I prefer to never give anyone the upper hand against me. This will not be the exception." He stands from his chair, one hand on the middle of his cane and both arms behind his back as he paces the floor, his back to you, his voice back to its usual springiness. "You're in a very unique position, little fawn. I can tell without even hearing you say it that you're interested in me, and I just so happen to be in need of a plaything, and a way to make sure that you keep my secret. Why don't you and I make a deal?"

You're not sure how interested you are in a Faustian bargain.

"Come now, this isn't a handshake, or a paper to sign. It's a promise; I'll give you the attention you're clearly craving, and in return, you never breathe a word to Charlie or Vaggie, or anyone else, about what you saw. Oh, and there'll be no touching me. But we're both adults here, so you're free to stop me at any time, and I'll be frequent with my asking permission. Seem fair?"

You can feel the heat rising in your cheeks, your heart accelerating all over again. He's not wrong; there's an animal magnetism that keeps you from thinking straight around him. As dangerous as he is, there's an intoxicating idea of him bringing you right to the edge, and then pulling you back. The relinquishing of power, giving yourself over to something that could easily kill you, but caresses you instead. But this feels so sudden.

"Well, I'm not going to lay claim to you tonight, my dear. Where's the fun in dessert before dinner? This is an arrangement we're making that you'll honor when the mood is right. I'll have a special phone placed in your room, and should I have need of your company, I'll send for you. As long as you honor the agreement that we've made, you will have a wonderful time, and that's a guarantee."

And this is something he'll enjoy, as well?

"You must understand, the act in most of its forms does nothing at all for me. Even in the Living World I had no use for it. But this isn't about that; it's about the control. Any fool can grab whatever piece of control they can dig their claws into, but when someone gives it you willingly?" He turns, his smile curled sadistically. "Now that's entertainment."

You feel a shiver run through your body, a nervous excitement gathering in you that you're sure he can sense somehow. He crosses the distance between himself and you, with methodical steps that you know he's enjoying. Inches away from you, he takes your chin in his clawed fingers, the points settling on your skin so gently you can only feel their very edge, an eyelash away from cutting your flesh, perfectly restrained. He forces your face up, making you keep your eyes on him. In his eyes, you see the gaze of someone who's just found a new favorite toy. "We're going to have such fun together, you and I."

----

Also on AO3! | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Adventure ↠ Dean x Reader

➼ Word Count » 0.6k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Summary » Platonic/Romantic, Fluff

“We’re headed to Vegas, darling! You and I are gonna make a name for ourselves. Stars in the center of the wastes!” Dean never seemed to stop talking in the few weeks you'd been traveling with him. He'd just go on and on about what he wanted the future to hold, and currently, he wanted the end to hold both of your names in neon signs and spotted lights. As lovely as it sounded, you weren't exactly one for big crowds and fancy stages, you'd instead want to do something backstage.

"Vegas? I thought you let go of your 'getting rich' obsession."

"I let go of the Madre, not my career." He retorted, brushing the dust and sand off of his suit. "Besides, we're gonna need somewhere other than a shed to sleep in if we want to continue living out here."

"We?" You repeated, smiling teasingly at the ghoul, "Don't say things like that too loud, people might talk."

His eyes flicked over the rim of his glasses, meeting your own momentarily, "So what? Would that really be so bad?"

You shrugged, noting the shift of tone in his voice as he spoke, "Depends, what kind of reputation do you want to uphold?"

He chuckled, "Let me worry about that, dear, I've got most everything worked out."

"Oh yeah?" You said, curiosity dripping from your speech, "What's the plan for when we make it to Vegas?"

"I'll get myself a job, of course! Be an entertainer in one of the casinos and you could do―well, whatever you do best, I suppose."

Whatever you do best? A bodyguard perhaps? You're pretty decent with a rifle, and you made it out of the Madre alive, didn't you? You could act as a hired gun around the surrounding towns while Dean made a name for himself. Yeah, you decided, that'd work out just fine with you.

"Sure, just don't forget about me when you’re famous." You joked. Well, it came out as a joke, but it was something you were genuinely concerned about, you just didn't know how else to bring it up in conversation.

"Forget about you? No, my dear, I couldn't! It's too late for that! So far, you're the only person I've got! Besides, you're too capable for me to simply hire a hit. No, I'd much prefer that you and I were on good terms, from now until we part to our graves." It wasn't the best response you could've gotten, but it answered your question and gave you a slight surge of confidence in the process.

"Alright, Dean, let's go get rich!" You proclaimed, punching his shoulder.

This certainly wasn't what you thought you'd be doing once you escaped, but it wasn't entirely unwanted. The strange relationship you had with the lounge singer could work out nicely if the two of you compromised with each other and worked hand in hand.

Despite what Dean preached, you weren't sure what your future would hold. Everything here with Dean would continue to be one grand adventure―a chance into the unknown with the unknown, but that was all a part of it, wasn't it? If the two of you wanted to begin again you had to let go of the things you found familiar. It was all a part of this unique journey you both decided to trail behind. The biggest difference in the scheme of it all was that now you’d both have someone to fall back on―a plan B so to speak. Someone that you had shared a part of your history with. You had to admit, you were a little excited about what Vegas had in store for you both.

[harmonyckrs]

DAY 9 in Twisted Strangetown: The Goth in Disguise

THE PREVIOUS DAY

H: Hello, lovely! Harper Morgan at your service. How may I help you?

A: Oh, shoot, I'm sorry. I was calling for my brother.

H: AKTU? Where have you been for the past year? Are you okay? And why wouldn't you answer any of our calls?

A: I'm more confused on why you're referring to yourself as "Harper" with your wife's maiden name.

H: You're dodging the question!

A: Okay, fine! I'm being held captive by SCIA.

???: We're not holding you captive. You're here because we need answers on how you were able to reverse the mind control. We need that information to save everyone else in Strangetown.

H: Save Strangetown from what, darling? They all seem fine to me!

A: Hamza, stop speaking like that.

???: There's an unknown force that's caused everyone's personalities to be set to the extreme, alongside giving them "brain fog" that we recently discovered that made them unable to recall past events and think for long periods of time. Things seem okay now, but there have been cases of the past of these extremities causing people to attack others.

H: Ooh, I get it! So we're preventing something worse from happening, right?

???: Precisely.

H: Well, I'll be more than happy to talk to you, love! In exchange, you can let my dear brother go free. How about that?

???: Depends on what you can provide.

H: Provide, huh? Oh, I can provide much more than you think...

A: Hamza, you're married.

H: Celeste said that it's okay to seduce people for money or power as long as I tell her first! And I hold the same rule to her, too!

???: Well, we'll see. What time works for you?

H: I can actually come by right now, dear! Just...give me some time to get ready, okay?

???: Got it. I'll send you the location. Be quick.

*Beep*

H: Can't believe I have to put everything back on...

NAME: HAMZA "HARPER MORGAN" TERRESTRIAL

AGE: ADULT

STATUS: ALIVE, FUNCTIONAL

I am unsure which of the two names was Harper's real name, but she seemed neutral for both so I assume it's a good idea to continue to refer to her as Harper.

Harper claimed to reside in Bluewater Village, but was temporarily residing in Strangetown for reasons she would not specify. She lives with her two kids, one of which was the product of an alien abduction and both of whom attend private school.

When I questioned Harper about "Celeste," the woman she had mentioned in the recording, she claimed that I misremembered and that she was single. She then proceeded to flirt with me as if she would forget, before I threatened to tell Aktu about what happened. This prompted her to confess that she did have a wife, and that the two were in an open relationship. I may have to confirm this with Aktu later, though I'm unsure if this information is important.

Harper followed this up by talking more about her wife, entering a long tangent about how amazing she was and how she was so lucky to find someone "out of her league." Once she was done, she then told me that there were rumors of gadgets being built in Strangetown that could potentially allow people to mind control others without possessing any supernatural powers.

This would likely mean that the town-wide control is the product of a haywire experiment. And there is one guy in town who already has a track record of haywire experiments that negatively affect the entire town - Loki Beaker. The good news is that Chloe and Lola were already at their place for observations, so I can simply ask them to bring him here.

Once our conversation concluded, Harper and I agreed to let Aktu go on the condition that he wore a tracking device in case we needed to locate him again. Aktu seemed okay with this, and the two of them returned to Bluewater with no complaints.

This concludes our first interrogation. It's time for us to collect our next suspect!

THE NEXT DAY

[decoding-narcissism]

The Grandiose Gameshow: Unveiling the Narcissistic Personality

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the most grandiose gameshow of all time – The Grandiose Gameshow: Unveiling the Narcissistic Personality! Get ready to dive deep into the world of narcissism as we reveal a random trait of narcissistic personality disorder through the lens of a thrilling gameshow. Let the games begin! But before we jump in, let's quickly explore what it means to have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Picture someone who believes they are the center of the universe, constantly seeks admiration, and lacks empathy for those around them. Yes, we're talking about the ultimate show-stopper – the narcissist! Our first trait to explore today is the infamous 'Sense of Entitlement.' Hold onto your seats, folks, because this one takes center stage! In our thrilling gameshow scenario, we have two contestants – Mary and John. Mary, a self-proclaimed narcissist, embodies the essence of NPD like no other. John, on the other hand, is our average Joe, completely unaware of the narcissistic maze that awaits him. Here's the challenge: both Mary and John are given identical tasks, and the audience is tasked with observing their responses. The twist? The tasks are purposely designed to be mildly inconvenient – nothing too extreme, just enough to test their patience and sense of entitlement. As the clock starts ticking, Mary's true colors begin to shine. She demands special treatment, insisting that these tasks are beneath her and should be reserved for others. She expects everyone to cater to her every whim, failing to recognize that she is just a contestant like John. Her sense of entitlement is off the charts! However, let's not forget about our star, John. He acknowledges the inconvenience but gracefully tackles the challenges with a smile on his face, understanding that life isn't always a bed of roses. The stark difference between Mary's inflated sense of entitlement and John's humble approach is simply mind-boggling! As we wrap up this thrilling gameshow experience, it becomes apparent that the trait of 'Sense of Entitlement' sets narcissistic personalities apart from the crowd. While we may encounter moments of entitlement in our daily lives, the extreme levels exhibited by those with NPD distort their perception of reality. So, until next time, dear audience, remember to stay humble, appreciate the little things in life, and never forget that we're all just contestants on this grandiose stage called existence. Keep those narcissistic traits in check, but feel free to join us again for another exciting episode of The Grandiose Gameshow: Unveiling the Narcissistic Personality!

[canvstheuniverse]

Let your Passions Burn, a Manifesto

Without passion and love, life is meaningless.

People who live without things to love, things that are worth coming back to every single day are doomed to live unfulfilling lives.

Every single post of this blog is the result of the blanket topic of passion.

Whether it's my love for my cat Andy and his creative hiding spots, my love for music and how it is conveyed through my favorite movie Whiplash, my love for the home I've lived in for the past 6 years or my love for the Lely Estates where I grew up, every post has been about things I hold near and dear to my heart.

And with that, I extend to you the offer to live a more fulfilling life.

Do not be afraid to stand by the things you love, for it makes you a happier person.

Social media has become this convoluted place of "how can I display myself as happier than everyone around me, even though I'm probably not?"

I'll tell you how.

Post about how your silly cat hides in the fridge when it starts raining and how it reminds you of home.

Post about how examining the architectural nuances of your home reminds you of all those hiding spots your cat has and how that makes you appreciate all the memories you have made while living there more deeply.

Post about the sculptures you drove past every single day on the way to school as a kid when you used to live in the Lely estates. The sculptures that your late neighbor fought to have completed before he passed away and rejoice with those memories of him teaching you all the state capitals when you were in 3rd grade.

Post about the memories you made the first time you took humanities almost a year ago and how you still remember everything about your favorite discussion and how it ended up helping you respond to a prompt in your second attempt of your class.

Post about how an abstract painting reminds you of a city in your favorite anime or cartoon and remember all the good memories you had watching it.

Stand by the things you love and why you love them with pride.

Because it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks about you or your interests.

What truly matters is that you get to look back on all the memories you've created in your life and can truly say you are happy.

Because showing off to other people that you're doing more than them, isn't being happy.

And to those who say "I have no good memories to look back on",

I say "try harder".

Because all that tells me is that you don't have any good memories you think other people would approve of.

But deep down somewhere you have a well of joy that is made up of your own experiences and you can always look to pull a bit of water up from that well in the form of a memory to turn even the darkest days into light ones.

So go forth, delete everything you've posted on social media with the intention of creating the illusion that you're having fun, go out, have some fun for real, and go tell that story without shame.

Because I think we as a collective of human beings have lost sight of what it truly means to be happy, to be passionate, and to love what we do with our lives because we are simply too wrapped up in proving to people who genuinely don't care that we're doing well.

[kiefbowl]

I've seen a lot of other OSA radfems talk about how dating men is feasible if we determine the amount of misogyny we're willing to accept in our personal lives. I'm sorry to ask such a personal question, but what have you found to be the "acceptable misogyny" you can tolerate in a male partner? I excused my last boyfriend watching porn and want to make that a deal breaker for future relationships, but I'm worried how being in a relationship could make me lose all my principles and I don't want feminism to be a hobby, I don't want to participate in another generation of women being lost to a man. I'm independent in so many ways, but I do make excuses for a guy, and not wanting to reform him either makes me worried I let too much slide. How do you balance that?

“how dating men is feasible if we determine the amount of misogyny we're willing to accept in our personal lives” is not how I would put it, I think thats a pretty bleak way of putting it and I think that’s probably a very straight woman viewpoint because a straight woman has more to gain convincing herself the only way to have a relationship is by determining some level of misogyny she can handle. since I’m bisexual, I’ve long come to terms that I don’t need a male partner as a life partner.

I’ve also come to terms with the fact that men are simply misogynistic. I can put them each on an arbitrary scale each time I meet one, but for what? Women are also misogynistic. My government is misogynistic. I’m probably misogynistic, too. Misogyny isn’t a personality trait, it’s our cultures and our histories, it’s required for so many of our systems we hold dear to exist. It’s the very fabric of our myths. I simply just experience misogyny, women simply experience it. they don’t experience a scale of it.

I could come up with a thousand line items of “this is okay, this is not okay” but that feels like an exercise to make dating a man “okay” and to trick yourself into keeping the relationship going for the sake of having a relationship. I’m dating 1 man, a specific man, that’s all I care about right now. If it ended, I could never date a man again and still be happy, I could never date again and be happy because dating is supposed to supplement my life, health, and happiness. I don’t need to have every boundary in my head identified to know when a line has been crossed.

Are you happy? Is your relationship growing you, nurturing you? Does your partner put effort into your happiness? Do they put effort into being the best person they can be for you? These are the things you need in a relationship, whether it’s a man or a woman.

Let me clarify what I meant in my other ask about “reforming.” Ideally, in a relationship, two people learn and grown from each other. I would never try to inhibit change in a man that might occur from knowing me. in fact, love to see it. My bf has absolutely changed being in a relationship with me, has adapted his views, sees things differently than when we first started dating because of things I have said and done. great. However, there are women out there that hold beliefs that women should be reforming men on their misogyny, actively. That women who date men are actually working from the inside, combatting misogyny. That dating a man can be feminist praxis. This is a useless thought. Like I said above, misogyny is not simply interpersonal behaviors. I simply am who I am, and that attracts certain people in my life, and I am attracted to certain people, and I have expectations of the closest people in my life to the kind of character they are. But I’m not taking on a project to “reform” my boyfriend. He could keep becoming a better and better person and yet if he crossed a line I couldn’t tolerate then that would be the end of the relationship. I hope he thinks as much for me as well.

I had other thoughts but I want to publish this now and go to bed. Maybe I’ll add on more tomorrow.

[leviiattacks]

Two Faced | Chapter Ten

↳ levi ackerman, the very person who was about to kindly behead you by a surprising turn of events manages to become your loving husband? you would be elated if this was true love, but it’s all thanks to a mysterious magic spell that your life is spared, for now at least.

pairing :: duke!levi x duchess!reader genre :: royal au ??? (at this point idek) angst, fluff, slice of life etc ?? word count :: 4k author note :: haha.... wowww it's been long since i last updated. honestly my physical and mental health have just been horrible... that's about it, i lost a lot of motivation but if you're still reading i am very thankful and i will try to deliver the story well. i tried my best but writing whilst sick is very tiresome :-) tags :: @patience-is-here​ , @chwlogy​ , @a--nonymousse​ , @imkumichan​ 

→ chapters list

Keeping yourself cooped up within Levi's estate and never daring to step a foot outside should have been what you had done. Blackmailing him to keep you confined within the walls of your bedroom would be much better compared to the problem you have to resolve now. Perhaps if you had done so you wouldn't have collided face first into this muddle.

Jean fiddles with the ends of his button up, he doesn't take the chance to glance up at any of his superiors. He's either much too embarrassed or has nothing noteworthy to start off with.

Erwin chooses to call the shots seeing as neither you or the Viscount by your side wish to begin.

"You both understand why we're here. Correct me if I'm wrong?" The Commander looks between you, Jean and your unfortunate excuse of a husband. Suddenly it looks as if the gears and cogs in Jean's brain move without warning.

Offering a demure nod you expect for him to follow in your footsteps and do the same only he stands there looking between you and Levi.

"Wait...The two of you are? A couple?" Stunned isn't the word, Jean's completely flabbergasted.

"If you figured that out this late, I do not understand why Erwin sees you remotely fit for my team." Levi's beyond insulted at the fact he's only just understood the situation.

Jean, now more intimidated than ever before straightens his back and coughs clumsily, "Sorry." He murmurs chestnut eyes making contact with the hardwood floors.

The Commander's laced hands sit atop his desk, elegant fingers moving similar to honey on a spoon. He sighs not out of fatigue but pride. Whatever plan he's come up with has to be decent at the very least, his body language is telling you that much.

"We have a number of possibilities we can choose from. We owe that pleasure to Mr Kirstein here." Erwin offers him an almost cynical smile, you can't help but gulp thinking about how this is essentially your fault. With all the constant training sessions and team building tasks it makes sense for Jean to have completely forgot about your unspoken rule. Solely blaming him is incorrect.

Raising your arm above your head to intervene you make it known that you're aware of Levi shooting you a look of warning by returning it. It's best he knows you don't care for anyone's opinion let alone his.

"Permission to speak Commander?"

Your request is agreed to immediately with the wave of  Erwin's hand.

"It's my fault for not reminding Jean. I'll take the blame, I hadn't even told him the full story concerning me and Levi."

Levi doesn't enjoy your defense in the slightest. "I don't expect my wife to fling herself at other men and allow for them to snoop around gathering the details of our personal lives."

Scoffing you shield yourself with your arms over your chest.

"Oh dear husband. If you want to get personal do tell me where my family is?" It's an inside joke only Levi will be able to understand.

"If you call those people family your standards are disgustingly low."

"Maybe that explains why I settled for you."

Again, other's opinions are not at the forefront of your priority list. Regardless it's quite enjoyable pushing Levi further into a corner with that sentence. You see the internal struggle play out within him. Jaw clenched, hands balled together. He doesn't have an appropriate response

Jean bursts out unable to hold it in any longer, chest trembling with every quake of laughter that ripples through him you have to shove him with your elbow. For a Viscount his etiquette sure is nonexistent.

"My word, the two of you sound like..."

Levi stares at him most probably expecting something along the lines of "An old married couple."

But, no. It's nothing anyone in the room expects. That includes you.

"It's as if you're unhappy with each other..."

Not a noise is made after that. Jean isn't mistaken, your heart is miserable. You've never had many relationships to begin with, whether it be familial, romantic or platonic and for someone such as your husband to treat you the way he does - it feels futile having to navigate around the complexities. Even if he isn't really your husband it's disappointing to reflect on your marriage so suddenly.

Feeling your face droop a little you bite your bottom lip with your teeth. Hearing the truth from someone you barely expect to hear it from has an effect on you.

You're so caught up analyzing everything it takes you a minute to even register Levi grumbling and lunging forward pilfering the collar of Jean's shirt.

"Every day you prove to be more and more pathetic than I expect." Levi turns to look at you after that. His stare bores into you but he doesn't come off threatening, you assume his last remark is directed solely at Jean.

When he turns back only glaring at Jean now with even more tenacity than before. He's ready to snap but Erwin has clearly had enough of the unwanted altercation in his office.

"Enough. The both of you. This is most bothersome." At the Commander's orders Levi is silenced although it takes all of his resolve to do so.

Finally bothering you take a good look at Jean. He's calm in an incredibly out of character way.

Is this not the man who trembled in his boots the first time he and Levi came into contact? It's almost as if he seems pleased with himself for drawing out such a reaction from his Captain.

Erwin shuffles through stacks of paperwork on his desk. The man needs an assistant at this point. You doubt you could find anything in that haphazard pile. Edges of crumpled paper poke out uncomfortably and Erwin becomes increasingly annoyed when he can't locate what it is he's looking for.

Just as you're about to ask if he requires any assistance it seems he's found what he's been looking for, that's if his eyes are any indication of the relief he feels.

"This." He holds up the paper, all eyes in the room are trained on it. "Under normal circumstances would not have to become an option."

"But these aren't normal circumstances?" Jean's thoughtless question is irksome when the answer is so obviously staring him down in the face.

Nonetheless Erwin nods incapable of losing his cool over something so minor.

"Sign to confirm to my proposition."

The document he places onto the desk isn't what you imagine, you can practically feel the dread climb up your throat once you're done scanning it. Jean's full name placed right next to yours in bold lettering has your stomach lurching. You don't have to read the rest to understand the new circumstances you've landed into.

To make matters worse Erwin places two rings down right in front of the both of you.

A pot of boiling hot water is what you've been thrown in.

Are you supposed to be some sort of replacement for potatoes? What's Jean in this scenario? Carrots?

"It is troublesome to have the two of you put on an act to be involved with one another but I see it as our safest option." Erwin notices your parted lips and slacked jaw. "You need not worry this isn't a marriage contract, you're simply acting."

There's no path out of this pot, you and Jean will simply have to deal with the prospect of being boiled alive.

Ah, you forgot to mention who would act as the hot water but you're sure the suspect is obvious.

Even right now Levi's fury radiates off of him, it's unclear if he was given the details of the Commander's plan beforehand but if his furrowed brow and pursed lips are indicators of the truth he must have had no idea.

Your suspicions are confirmed to be correct once Levi reaches forward plucking the paper away, it just so happens he's snatched it away the very moment Jean leans in to get a closer look at it.

"I was never informed of this."

Erwin gives him a guarded smile. "Do you have any jurisdiction over what I think is best?" Is his freezing reply.

"Yes. When it concerns my wife and another man - Correction. I meant boy."

Jean's taken aback by the subtle jab and shamefacedly shoves his hands into his pockets.

You watch the scene go down with a perplexed look the entire time. Levi's frustration seems to be legitimate yet he has no logical reason for it to ever be present in the first place. Unless he has a plan which outperforms the one you've just been given he's doing this all for nothing.

"I assure you your wife is in safe hands so long as you stop interfering."

Levi's about to bark back until he catches your confusion. He's become aware of your tilted head and telling expression and only then does he silence himself permanently not before sighing deeply, muttering an expletive under his breath.

 "I’ll sign it.” That seems to be Jean’s indirect way of asking what your choice will be.

“I... will too.” Is your hesitant reply.

Levi only becomes avoidant after that. Half way through Erwin explaining how you and Jean have to look believable Levi just ups and leaves without a word. Perhaps you've hurt his pride but for what he's done to you it's a small price to pay and so you do nothing to make amends. He has no reason to feel uncomfortable, you aren't really his wife, you're essentially strangers. Does he even know your favourite colour? Your favourite food? Your favourite pastime?  

You doubt he does.

Jean and you are rather successful with your act. It feels pleasant having him brush your hair out of your face occasionally or lovingly place a hand on your forehead to check if you've come down with a fever. He laces his fingers with yours when others are around and when they aren't he lets the act go. It's satisfying having a cooperative partner.

Naturally Jean is still a tease, even now he makes the odd suggestive comment or two in passing but you can't say you hate it. In fact it excites you to think of a response that borders the edge of teasing and simple fun between friends.

The increasing openness between the two of you is enough for the cadets to deduce that he's most probably the noble man you wed in secrecy.

It's only been a few days since yours and Jean's newfound behaviour, thankfully you haven't been flooded with questions just yet. The higher ups sit nearby during breakfast, lunch and dinner keeping watch over the cadets. It leaves you able to eat and drink without having to handle the constant inquiring of your comrades.

However, you aren't as lucky today. A meeting's taking place and after yours and Jean's convincing act Erwin deems it safe enough to leave you unattended for a short while.

Of course it doesn't go according to plan because when you're involved when does anything ever go according to plan?

The cadets are flocked around your table at dinner as soon as they notice they've been left to their own devices. The opportunity to sit down without everyone invading your space is barely provided to you. Krista is sat to your right leaning into you rather animatedly, Annie has made herself at home sat across you which in itself is completely out of character and slightly unnerving, Annie never and you repeat never concerns herself with you.

"Why did you and Jean hide it?" Armin hovers over your shoulder as per usual. He can't be blamed for naturally being inquisitive and it does give you the opportunity to lay out the foundations of your plan. Now's your time to muster up one of your rehearsed responses.

"It would interfere with work." You respond immediately wanting to appear natural. Pondering on an answer for too long would raise suspicions.

Armin makes a sound of approval and shuffles into the seat next to Krista, that is until Ymir can be overheard telling him to move if he knows what's best for him.

"I have a question." Says a voice across the table, you don't have to look at the blonde parallel to you to know it's her.

For once Annie’s initiated a conversation with you, she’s not particularly great at keeping her intentions discreet. Maybe she doesn’t care if you can tell what she’s up to? But if that’s the case her plan isn’t all that foolproof, there's no way you're to let any details slip away.

Sharply inhaling waiting for what it is she has to say you find that her sentence never comes. Instead she shakes her head and murmurs a "Never mind.". You don't even have the time to ask her to stick around, she's already rose from her seat taking her unfinished plate of food with her, you let her go assuming she feels unwell.

"So how'd you two meet? Jean already told me earlier but I'd like to hear your side." Reiner's taken Annie's empty seat and his gaze is unwavering. The trap they've set up is a clever one. Surveying the hall for Bertholdt you know he has to be observing too. The two never operate alone.

You suddenly hate Reiner. For whatever reason he and his trio are endlessly obsessed with you, they've caught onto something that's for sure but you don't know what it is and now they've completely ensnared you with a backhanded trick. There's no way out of this, you have no idea what it is Jean said to Reiner, the chances of you providing the exact same answer are slim to none.

"My memory is really fuzzy, I don't think Jean gave off much of a first impression so I've forgot." Your horrible excuse doesn't fly by, everyone simultaneously narrows their eyes in disbelief. What you've said isn't convincing at all.

Husband and Wife yet you've forgot how the two of you met?

Fidgeting with the ring adorning your finger the cool metal isn't doing a great job at alleviating the pressure of the situation.

"Jean said the two of you hit it off almost instantly. Who's being dishonest?"

Reiner's either lying to catch you out or he's saying the God honest truth and right now all you can do is hope and pray for a miracle to sweep you off your feet. Mikasa and Jean still aren't within view. At this point you're hoping for Levi to save you, it doesn't matter how so long as you escape unscathed.

"Hey, I think we're just making her anxious with all the questions." Armin is quick to side with you, deep down you know he only does so due to the respect he holds for his Commander. You thank the Heaven's for Erwin's admirable smile and commendable leadership, it seems to be the only reason Armin believes you and Jean.

"Or she's lying." Reiner's resting his head in one of his palms, he's still boring holes right into your frame.

Your eye twitches, this is all unnecessary and uncalled for, whatever it is Reiner wants out of you it better be worthwhile.

He still eggs you on. "You walked out of the Captain's quarters. I saw you."

Standing up and leaning forward you plant your feet to the ground as firmly as you can you.

"And if she did what's it to you?"

Fighting the urge to sigh in relief you've never been happier to hear Jean's voice but something's off. His breathing sounds heavy - like he fought his way to get inside. Turning only then do you notice Mikasa standing by him. She looks equally as exhausted. There's been some sort of a struggle.

"You think it was funny getting Annie to guard the door?" He heaves and runs a frustrated hand through his hair.

"And you think hiding secrets from the rest of us is any better?" Reiner's adamant there's information that the both of you are hiding, he's not wrong but that doesn't change that he's challenging you unprovoked without a reasonable motive.

"We're hiding nothing." Unlike you Jean is sure of his words, he's confident speaking up and he seems to be able to pull off the role of a protective husband perfectly.

“I came out of the Captain���s quarters because he had access to hot water. He said I could use his shower. That’s all it was.”

Reiner quirks an eyebrow upwards and is pleased with your answer. God you’ve said something incriminating haven’t you? It's not incriminating per se but it's without doubt malleable and easy to twist.

“Jean, you were okay with your wife doing that at the dead of night?” Reiner's still leading the interrogation.

“I was the one who suggested it.”

“I don’t believe you’re a couple." If it were Reiner who said that you wouldn't care much, after all it's pretty clear he never believed it but to your displeasure it isn't him who's spoken. Ymir's lopsided grin is all knowing and you're beginning to lose your footing in this argument any second now if any more people start to side against you.

If Ymir disagrees that almost certainly means Krista has her qualms about you too, you've observed beforehand that Ymir tends to speak for Krista on occasion. This happens to be one of those times.

Krista timidly raises her hand and Ymir gives her an approving nod encouraging her to speak.

"I don't like the conflict going on but it is suspicious..."

"Why have I only ever seen you two hold hands?" She asks.

Ymir slings her arm over Krista's shoulder affectionately. "Yeah, I tell Krista I'll marry her every day of the week."

Mikasa mumbles something unintelligible, Ymir gives her a look of warning but Mikasa doesn't seem to care. Instead she repeats what she has to say loud and clear.

"Stick to only speaking when Krista is involved."

Krista holds Ymir by her arm so she doesn't get up, she knows how she gets when she's been provoked. Even if Krista has her suspicions it isn't worth Ymir gaining a permanent penalty point on her record.

Thankfully Armin cuts in. "There's no solid evidence to show they're lying and even if they are the Commander's most probably told them to. Don't you think there's a reason? Leave it be if that's the case. I trust him with our lives."

"We have a right to know." Annie's returned and insists to keep this back and forth going.

Just as you're about to fire back Jean takes a hold of your waist, you look down and seeing his large hands planted securely around your frame has your stomach bubbling with anticipation.

"What are you— "

And then he kisses you, he doesn't ask and instinctively your arms move to whack his chest but you stop yourself in time. You realize it's for the sake of your plan not falling through and so you gently place your hands on his shoulders attempting to ground yourself. It becomes increasingly difficult when you sink deeper into the kiss than you'd like to admit. Blood rushes to the tips of your ears and the thumping of your heartbeat makes it difficult to articulate any thoughts, all you really know is that you like this, whatever this is.

Jean's hands don't feel like they were made to rest against your back, they feel slightly out of place as if he's a key and you're an unmatched lock. In spite of that the circles he comfortingly rubs into the sides of your waist are appreciated, you almost forget you're in a room full of people until you're flooded by cold air.

You've been dragged off of Jean and something in the pit of your stomach has you wishing Levi isn't responsible for the interruption.

To your relief it's just Hange, they're glowing in mischief, the grin on their face shows they aren't mad. They might even find this entertaining.

"Well I be damned... maybe they weren't bluffing?" Connie's been persuaded by the looks of it and Krista's busy whispering to Ymir, you hear the faint sound of the word "Romantic" escape her lips, she's equally as convinced as Connie.

Hange smacks your back light-heartedly and looks to the door for a second. "We leave ya' both for a while and you decide to give everyone a show?"

Erwin's stood by the doorway with a humorous smile playing at his lips, Levi however is anything but amused, he glares at you with murderous eyes, he looks like he's ready to end your life then and there but you know he won't dare do so and for a second you feel braver than you ever have before. Without much thought you grab onto Jean's forearm.

"Me and my husband will get going now!" You allow your gaze to loiter when you get to Reiner. He grunts an apology and you're oh so tempted to ask him to repeat himself but you'd rather not instigate anything.

With that said and done you and Jean leave after giving the performance of your lives.

Slowly but gradually the sky outside becomes dark.

The will to sleep left your body long ago. It's by pure luck that you even manage to catch three hours of rest. Training is the only available distraction and dying out in battle isn't favourable by any means, your boredom may as well be used resourcefully - Strapping yourself up in your ODM gear is the best option.

A quarter way through your warm up you can sense a presence behind you, the leaves rustle and the wind feels noticeably quieter. You'd bother to turn around to see who's intruded but Levi's snuck close enough for you to be able to smell his perfume from where you're stood.

"Feel disrespected? Embarrassed even?" You jab at him knowing it'll rile him up, you don't face him not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing your face.

"Watch your mouth." he warns sharply.

Rolling your eyes you go about your business, it stays that way for a few minutes. All the while Levi stares at you darting from tree to tree, his scrutinizing gaze scalding you repeatedly.

"Y/N!" He yells at the top of his lungs.

For some unknown reason you automatically stop and lower yourself to the ground

"I have something to tell you." Comes his tense follow up. A finger of his latches onto one of the leather straps on your back.

You can't believe he's still denying the undeniable.

"You can wait till tomorrow. I'll be going to bed."

Levi doesn't seem to care for your cold response and proceeds with no warning.

"I'm jealous." His voice shakes. The grip he has on your harness doesn't let up. With your back turned to him you're still somehow able to detect the very obvious crack of pain.

Levi, jealous?

Gritting your teeth together you feel deceived.

How much longer will you have to tolerate Levi's push and pull?

“May I ask, what he is to you, my love?”

Your breathing grows heavy, tensing up you're completely shocked by the term of endearment that falls from his lips. You haven't heard it for so long, Levi sounds eerily different.

You hate to admit it but a flicker of foolish hope lights in your chest.

"Levi why would you ask— "

"Why don't you call me Lev anymore?" He whispers sounding strangled. You can't take it anymore and hesitantly look his way.

His eyes are filled with tears "I'm sorry my love, I don't know what went wrong." you falter for a second not knowing what to think.

At that moment the flicker becomes a flame.

The man who stands right before you is meant to be dead, never to be seen again. By all accounts this should be impossible, but Lev has always been a fighter.

Bitterness stings your heart, the wounds you've collected are still fresh but despite your body's protests you don't flinch when he gently takes a hold of your wrist, bringing it closer to his mouth.

"Lev...? Is that really you...?" You ask desperately.

The warm kiss he presses against your pulse point provides you with the answer you've been longing for.

[mageofseven]

The Undateables version! Here's the Brothers' post~

Also:

Not Obey Me related, but I recently found this picture and felt is was fitting lol

~

Diavolo:

His Queen had only been living with him for a few days at this point.

The couple had been dating for two years and the prince had finally decided to bring up the subject of MC moving in with him.

He had wanted to for a while now, but was a afraid to seem too pushy with his Sweetheart.

Plus, part of him worried that they wouldn't want to. After all, there's always something fun going on at House of Lamentation. In comparison, his castle is a quiet, cold place.

That only made the prince want his human to live with him even more though

So when the two discussed the idea and MC said yes, the man was overjoyed.

It's been three days since his Sweetheart moved in though and they seemed rather anxious.

This night, the prince had been working late and was finally ready to retreat to his room for the night, but upon seeing his bed empty and Queen missing, the man grew concerned.

Diavolo stopped his butler in the hall, who was also retreating for the night, to ask where MC was.

Barbatos had informed his lord that the human was in the kitchen, baking some sort of cookie-brownie hybrid treat.

Diavolo raised an eyebrow before thanking his friend and heading to the kitchen.

Just as the other demon said, MC was in the kitchen. The human sat on the floor in front of the stove, watching the treats bake.

"My Queen?"

The human jumped, but upon noticing it was their boyfriend, gave an anxious smile.

"Oh... hi Sweetie."

The prince sat on the floor next to the human, laying his hand on their leg.

"What's wrong? Why are you sitting on the floor at this time of night?"

The human didn't answer, just went back to staring at the stove and wrapping their arms around themselves.

The big demon pulled them into his arms, embracing his Sweetheart.

"MC, you know you can talk to me."

The human buried their face in his chest, breathing in their boyfriend's scent and letting themselves find peace from it.

"I just...please don't be upset..."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I be upset?"

The human sighed and explained it to their boyfriend.

When Diavolo had asked them if they wanted to move in with him, the human became anxious. They weren't really good with change and didn't wanna leave the Brothers, who had become family to them

But they also felt pressured to. Not by Diavolo, but by unspoken expectations. Wasn't two years a long time to date without moving in together? They didn't have anything to compare it to, but they assumed so.

They worried that by saying no, they'd be halting the progression of their relationship and acknowledged that even if they loved living at House of Lamentation that surely they couldn't do so forever.

MC agreed because it felt like it was inevitable that it would happen at some point.

For the first two nights, MC could push through because they got to cuddle their boyfriend as they fell asleep, but since he worked late tonight, MC became so unbearably lonely

And all they could think about was how if they still lived at House of Lamentation that they could have gone to Levi's room to play games or head to the kitchen with Beel and chat as he ate or be comforted by Asmo when gets back from a party or stop in to check up on Lucifer and bring him coffee

But they couldn't because they weren't there and that made the human incredibly anxious and sad.

The human knew it wasn't as if they'd never see the Brothers again, that it was just that they were restricted to the daytime

But their anxiety about the change was still enough to push the human into keeping busy, hence the baking.

The prince felt so guilty. He kissed his Queen's forehead.

"I'm so sorry, my Sweetheart. I did not know that this would be such a difficult adjustment for you."

"I...I didn't say anything so of course you didn't know. Please don't blame yourself."

Diavolo kept his human close and stroked their hair.

"What can I do for you? Would you...would rather move back in with Lucifer and his brothers?"

MC pulled back and gave a small smile to their boyfriend.

"You're too sweet." The human leaned in and kissed their boyfriend. "Dia...thank you. I want stay here with you though; I want to give this a chance because...I know if I can adapt that we're going to be so very happy."

Diavolo smiled back at his Sweetheart and pulled them back in for a tight hug

...then starting smelled something burning.

After handling the now charcoal-looking treats, the prince carried his Queen bridal style back to their room, loving his human so deeply and cherishing this time with them as they both fell asleep.

Barbatos:

MC was staying the night at the castle with him. It was the first time the two of them have ever slept in the same bed

And ever done some...others things.

Tonight was definitely a milestone for the couple.

After the nights activities, the two had fallen asleep.

At some point though, Barbatos woke up with a sudden gnawing feeling as if something was wrong

And glanced at the other side of the bed to find that the human was gone.

After getting dressed, the man wandered the castle in search of them and found MC in the kitchen.

"My Dear?" The butler stepped inside just in time to see them pull the pie out of the oven.

The human smiled nervously at him.

"Oh...hi." They looked away. "Sorry, I just...yeah."

Barbatos raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something on your mind?" He approached the human as they set the pie on the on the counter.

MC stared down into the pie.

"Barb...are you really okay with settling for me?"

The man pursed his lips and stared at them for a moment before laying his hand on their cheek.

"I am sorry I that ever made you believe such a thing was worth asking, my Pet. I assure you, 'settling' is not the case. Life has gifted me with you and I treasure you above all else."

"E...Even though I'm human?"

"MC, I have no issues with your race. You are a person, same as I, and a lovely one at that."

The human launched at the man, pulling him into a hug. Eyes wide, Barb started stroking their hair.

"Is this why you're out of bed and...baking in the middle of the night?"

"Mhmm." His Dear mumbled from against his chest. "I just...I couldn't sleep after...you know...and these thoughts filled my head and I just wanted to keep busy so I didn't have to focus on them."

"Do you regret it, my Dear? Did we move too fast?"

"No!" MC pushed back. "I was ready...I was so happy. I just...afterwards, it just felt kinda scary. You make me feel so incredibly loved and it's overwhelming since I don't feel as if I deserve it."

The human took his hand and squeezed it.

"I love you. This...this is just me. This is my issue and you help just by loving me despite it, okay?"

Barbatos leaned in and kissed their forehead.

"Alright, my Dear." He told them. "Now, is there anything you need?"

MC glanced at the pie then smiled shyly.

"...Wanna eat some cherry pie with me?"

He gave them a small smile in return.

"If that is what you wish, my Dear."

Solomon:

MC was spending the night at Purgatory Hall with their boyfriend.

It was around 1am when Solomon felt the other human slip out of bed.

Assuming they just needed to use the restroom, the man didn't think much of it and let himself drift back to sleep.

About an hour later, the man turned on his side and reached out to hold his little Minx to his chest, just to find the space next to him still empty.

The sorcerer frowned, not able to fall back asleep with MC unaccounted for.

He gave a sleepy groan before kicking off the blankets and rising from the bed, heading towards his door.

He found the other human in the kitchen with the counter covered with peanut butter cookies and a plate of their own with them at the table with a glass of milk.

"Little Minx, was this really necessary at 2am?" He asked, smiling at them in a mild amusement.

The other human jumped at his voice and accidentally dropped their cookie in their milk, causing a splash and small drops of milk to spill on the table.

MC pouted, causing their boyfriend to give a small chuckle.

The sorcerer took a seat next to them and grabbed a cookie for himself, taking a bite as he watched MC try to fish their own cookie out of their milk.

"Why are you awake?" MC asked him softly.

Solomon raised an eyebrow.

"I believe that's my question for you, little Minx."

Silence. MC stared down into their milk, giving up and letting the cookie somewhat float inside.

The man frowned.

"I cannot help if you don't talk to me, MC."

"W...What's going to happen to us?" MC started to fidget in their seat. "I mean...summer is coming and...the school year is ending..."

Solomon watched the other human, letting them continue since he could tell they were trying to find their words in order to continue.

"Are you...is there..." MC bit their lip. "Are we gonna be invited back next year as exchange students? If not...are we...can we still be together? Or do we have to...ya know..."

"Do you honestly think I'd break up with you if we couldn't attend RAD anymore?"

"....."

The man sighed and pulled his Minx into a hug.

"This relationship isn't just something to past the time during my stay here. If that was all it was, I wouldn't have dated you or anyone." He told them. "I'm with you because...it's simply what I want to do. There's something here with you that I never had with others. Something I don't think I could ever let go of."

"Really?"

"Really, little Minx." He smiled at them. "I may not be sure when or if we'll be invited back here, but that will not be a factor in our relationship. We'll simply be happy in the Human realm for a while."

He pulled them in and gave them a long, sweet kiss.

"Now, let's finish off a few cookies and get back to sleep, alright, little Minx?"

Simeon:

MC was spending the night at Purgatory Hall after a game night. Lucifer allowed it, thinking MC would sleep in the extra room in Purgatory Hall, the one that originally would have been theirs anyway if Diavolo hadn't decided that they were safer at House of Lamentation.

Of course, MC was actually in bed with their boyfriend; the other two housemates knew of their relationship at this point and wouldn't tell others their secret.

At some point during the night, Simeon jolted awake. Did he have a bad dream? The man honestly didn't know since whatever he might have dreamt faded quickly as he focused on his breathing and reached out for his Feather--to find that they were no longer laying next to him.

For whatever reason, he had this sickening feeling in him as if something was wrong. He rushed out of bed and went in search of the human.

He found them in the kitchen, asleep on the floor in front of the oven

Which had smoke coming out of it.

The angel ran over and picked up the human, waking them in the process as he sat them by the entry way and went back to deal with the small fire in the oven.

"S-Simeon?" The human called him, sleepy and confused.

With the fire out, the man sighed in relief and returned to his Lamb's side, lowering himself to the floor and pulling them into his arms.

"Oh, my Feather..." He said softly, not losening the embrace.

MC's sleepy brain had finally caught up with the situation.

"Oh my...I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear!"

"You're okay." The man pulled back and eyed them up and down. "You are okay, yes?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Simeon pulled them back in and held them for a minute more before kissing their forehead.

"Now what were you doing, my Lamb? Why were you out of bed?"

"I was...baking."

"...MC, it's 2am."

The human looked away.

"I know..."

With a pained expression on their face, the human spoke of the bad anxiety they have been feeling as of late, how they were hoping that by staying the night here and sleeping by his side that such anxiety would dissipate, but all it actually did was remind them of all they are scared of.

This relationship...it's so delicate. They cannot openly be with each other without risking ruin. If the wrong person hears, if the Celestial realm even suspects it...everything could fall apart.

"I've just been scared of losing you and it's hard no being able to confide in Lucifer or Mammon or Beel or any of them like I usually do...so the anxiety I've been feeling just built up and I couldn't sleep so I decide get up and I eventually just thought I could bake a few cookies and just busy myself so I don't have to think about it, at least for the time being...but I guess I fell asleep anyway."

"My Feather...you should have told me." He wiped a tear from their cheek, one MC never knew had fallen till then. "I'm so sorry for the stress this has put on you."

"I couldn't...I...I'm scared. I was worried that if I told you how I felt, you'd leave me thinking it was best for me, but in reality, it would crush me."

"MC, I would never. This...you are everything to me. I love you so deeply that I simply wouldn't have the strength to do that."

"You promise?"

"I swear on my very soul that I will do all within my power to stay by your side."

The two stayed huddled together on the floor for awhile, taking comfort in the closeness.

"Well, this...ordeal explains my sudden consciousness earlier."

The angel explained his sudden jolt of panic as he searched for them in bed. When MC asked what he meant, the man continue.

"We seem to have an...unofficial covenant though I'm not quite sure how."

"What's a covenant?"

"It's...I suppose you could compare them to your pacts with the brothers. A covenant is the binding agreement with an angel and a human when they seek protection and Celestial blessings in their life, in exchange for them to serve and help the angel in the Celestial realm for a time after their death. It's to help humans while also serving as another way of expanding the Angelic population." He explained. "However, we have not made such a covenant nor could we if we wanted to...such an agreement cannot be made with those who have made pacts with demons. Still...somehow my soul is reacting to you as if we had made one."

The couple had more questions than answers about their lives together, but it was nothing they could solve that night.

The two talked for a while before Simeon picked his Lamb up and carried them back to bed.

The two fell asleep in an embrace, all worries still in place, but both still feeling that regardless of it all, where they truly belonged was right next to each other.

[ssamie]

ten. “greatest desire”

kozume kenma x fem dazai!reader

(bsd x hq)

tw: mentions of suicide, guns & cementaries

masterlist.      suicide freak!

"uh hi.. i know we don't really know each other that much.." atsushi started off. the boy had a nervous smile on his face as he stiffly waves at kenma, with tanizaki and naomi by his side 

"but have you seen y/n-san?" atsushi asked 

"y/n? why, what happened to her?" kenma asked worriedly 

atsushi, tanizaki and naomi were stood in front of nekoma's gym, trying to look for the girl, as per the president's wishes. "its been about a day since you guys went out to the arcade, right?" tanizaki chimed in "has she shown herself to you, or atleast texted any of you?" 

kenma frowned as he shook his head no. he looked back at the team who were trying to act like they weren't eavesdropping. 

"no.. i just assumed she was busy with work" kenma muttered 

"hmm, i tried to ask ranpo-san but he's too busy" naomi chimed in as she hugged tanizaki's arm to her chest 

"oya oya, sorry to barge in on the conversation-" kuroo interjected. the captain had a sly grin on his face as he walked towards the group. "but we just so happen to overhear something about our manager going missing?" kuroo mused 

"yes, sorry if we're intruding" atsushi bowed 

"but y/n-san went missing again, and the president ordered us to find her in under four hours" tanizaki sighed 

"or else we get our asses handed to us" atsushi shuddered 

kuroo and kenma gave each other a look and nodded along. "we'll try to look for her later" kuroo said "we'll let you guys know" 

"thank you so much!" atsushi exclaimed with a smile "would you mind calling the agency if you find her?" he said as he handed them a piece of paper with the agency's number 

"its really hard tracking her down" tanizaki says with a chuckle "when she chooses to disappear, it's like she never existed in the first place" 

"anyways, we'll be on our way" atsushi excused "we've troubled you long enough" 

"its no problem.." kenma muttered 

naomi waved them goodbye as they walked away. the duo waving back meekly as they watch their retreating figures disappear. 

"hey, you okay?" kuroo nudged his friend kenma nodded and looked down at his shoes "yeah.." 

"i think i'll go look for her now" kenma muttered "eh? kenma, we could just go later" kuroo said with a raised brow 

"im going. bye" kenma muttered, completely disregarding kuroo as he went straight out the door 

"where's he going?" yaku asked as he peeked his head out the gym doors "he's gonna look for y/n" kuroo answered 

"damn. what a simp" yamamoto sneered 

"wow. that's rich coming from you." 

"i swear to god.." kenma grumbled "if she ends up getting found in a ditch and i wasted all that time running around for nothing.." he scoffed 

he's been running around the streets of tokyo, passing through every street and alleyway to try and look for the girl. so far he hasn't seen a single trace of her, not even a single person who has managed to pass by her. 

"y/n.." kenma huffed out. he was currently by a riverbank, leaning against the metal railings of the bridge while he tried to catch his breath. 

"you called?" 

kenma jumped at the sudden emission of her oh-so-familiar voice, and turned around to face her "what the- y/n?! where did you come from?!" kenma shrieked out 

"also, where have you been?! atsushi-kun and a bunch of people from your job came to the school today looking for you" he said 

y/n chuckled and strode over to his side, jumping over the rails and sitting on the flat surface of the bars. "if i told you that the port mafia took me hostage and threatened to execute me, would you believe it?" she mused 

"no." 

"then i won't bother to say" she shrugged 

kenma eyed her warily. her port mafia story could actually be believable, now that he thought about it. given as, her bandages were loosened and torn, almost as if they broke off with too much movement. and along with the dried blood resting upon her cheeks and hands. 

"are you okay?" kenma asked worriedly 

even if it was believable, it could've been just her trying to kill herself yet again. not that it was any better

"of course" she smiled "though my body is a bit sore.. chuuya really doesn't hold back"

kenma froze and slowly turned his head towards her with a blank and emotionless look on his face. 

"chuuya doesn't what." kenma spat out "did you seriously disappear to hook up with that dog? that-that man child? that eyesore? that-" 

"what are you talking about?" she laughed

kenma huffed and propped his elbow on the cold metal, resting his chin on his hand as he pouted 

"you're really funny, kenma-kun" she mused 

"really? cause im not laughing." kenma grumbled "i ran around the whole city for you, only to find out you ran off with some guy" his honey hued orbs eyed her down, watching her chuckle softly as the golden rays of the sun illuminated the surroundings around her

"y/n.." he mumbled "why did you really disappear?" 

"i already told you" she replied with a sigh "the port mafia is truly a force to reckon with" 

"that's why you gotta stay safe, kenma-kun" she mused "you never know who and when they'll strike next" 

kenma sighed and nodded along. it was old news -- the port mafia, that is -- its been stirring up the whole city for the past few months. 

"ne, kenma-kun" she called out "if we do end up dying alongside each other, i suggest we drown ourselves in this river." she said 

she stared down at the flowing water, the golden colour of the setting sun reflecting off of it. "its clear and pretty, not much people are around.. its quite tranquil." she hummed

"i never really understood this.." kenma muttered "but why are you so intent on dying?" 

"and i never understood you, and so many others." she replied "tell me, kenma.." she turned to face him, her bandaged hands loosely gripping the railings, as her legs and feet dangle off the ledge. 

"do you really think there's any value in the act of living?" 

kenma didn't answer. instead he stared at her, and her clouded eyes, each orb holding an unforgivable amount of sin and deciet that he could only imagine. 

"well.. is there any value in the act of dying?" he asked back 

she blinked dumbfoundedly at him, fairly shocked at his question. 

"isn't there anything else you desire? life is kinda cool too yaknow?" kenma said in a sheepish tone 

she stared at him a few minutes longer before averting her gaze. she chuckled and closed her eyes as the cold wind breezed past. "man fears death, and at the same time, man is drawn to death" she said 

"its a singular event in one's life that no one may reverse" she hummed "and that is my greatest desire." 

kenma didn't know how to reply to that, so he didn't. he simply looked down up at the setting sun, letting silence wash upon them both. 

"hey kenma" she called out. kenma looked at her, curious and wary. "yes?" he asked 

"wanna hang with an old friend with me?" she suggested with a soft smile

"me? won't that be intrusive though? i don't really know them.." kenma muttered nervously

"it's fine. he'd probably be happy i even talk to people my age" she said with a chuckle. she jumped off the railings and landed on the ground with a grin. she stretched her aching arms over her head and patted kenma's back. 

"he's a lot like you" she mused "always saying life is worth living and all.." 

"okay then.." kenma agreed reluctantly "but if i sense that person doesn't like me one bit, im leaving." he groaned out

"im pretty sure that won't happen" she chuckled sheepishly 

"why are we in a cementary?" kenma grumbled 

"is this where you kill us both?" he scoffed playfully "i wouldn't be surprised if you already have a hole dug for us" 

she chuckled and shook her head "no, no" she mused "were just taking a small stroll" she cooed as she looked around the awfully empty surrounding  "ah! there it is" she perked up "it's been so long since i went here that i almost forgot my way around" 

kenma followed her as she skipped away, though he was quite confused, he didn't question her. 

"hurry, kenma" she called out as she watched him struggle to walk faster "i hate you" he grumbled back, which she chose to ignore 

she smiled softly as she stood infront of the oh-so-familiar grave. 

"geez." she mumbled "its been so long since we hung out, odasaku" 

"shame we couldn't meet at the usual place" she chuckled and sat down on the grassy ground. she leaned back on the gravestone, resting her back against it as she waited for kenma to arrive 

"y/n?" on cue, kenma chimed in. he was panting slightly, most likely from running and walking around for so long "what are you doing?" kenma raised a brow at her 

"kozume kenma-kun.." she called out

"yes?" he asnwered

"do you know whose grave this is?" she mused, pointing her thumb to the gravestone she was leaning on 

kenma eyed the name engraved on the stone and shook his head. "no..but it's someone dear to you, right?" 

"what makes you think that?" she hummed out in amusement 

"i've never seen you pay visit to a grave before" kenma muttered. the pudding head hesitantly sat down infront of her, bowing at the grave before settling down on the ground. 

"does it look like im visiting a grave to you?" she asked with curiosity 

"it does.. why?"

she smiled softly and leaned her head back, letting it fall and her eyes to land straight at the cloudy sky "well, i thought of it as hanging out with a friend but.." she trailed off 

"i guess that works too" she sighed out 

kenma frowned as he watched her close her eyes. her smile faltering as a wave of comforting silence washed upon them. "im sorry" kenma muttered "i shouldn't have said anything.." 

"its fine." she chuckled "its been years since he died." she smiled bitterly "i guess it's time someone snaps me out of my daydreams" 

kenma didn't respond. he simply toyed with the grass on the ground and the few flowers littered around. 

"yaknow, kenma" she said with a smile "you're the first person i brought here" 

"me? why?" kenma asked in surprise and confusion 

"because this friend of mine was a good man." she said "he told me to try and look for my reason to live."

"and i think i found it" she whispered as he looked into his eyes 

kenma blinked in shock as he basked in her awfully heartwarming words. 

"my reason to live is to die with you." 

"of course. its gonna be about suicide again." kenma sighed dejectedly.  "but y/n, if you think of me as your reason to live.. then i'll take it upon myself to keep you alive" kenma smiled at her, tucking his blond hair behind his ears as he kept his honey hued orbs trained on hers. 

"kenma.." she teared up 

she blinked repeatedly as she opened her mouth to speak. 

"i.. I DON'T WANT THAT! I WANNA DIE WITH YOU!" she whined loudly "i already had our suicide planned! i even suggested the whole river thing a while ago!" she exclaimed 

kenma deadpanned as he watched her ramble on and on about her ideal double suicide. "i really don't care." kenma groaned out "i don't want you to die." he whined "why do you keep trying to kill yourself" 

"just because, okay?!" 

"just for that, im gonna call your agency and hand you over" kenma sighed as he dialled the agency's number 

"traitor!" she shrieked "kunikida-kun will undoubtedly beat me up" kenma ignored her as he started speaking on the phone. 

"yes, she's with me.." he muttered "is she behaved?" he repeated the question as he sent her a pointed glare 

"no, not really" he scoffed 

"kenma, you're heartless!" she shrieked in horror 

"cmon. let's atleast pay respects to your friend before we leave" kenma said with a sigh "dont worry, kenma-kun! i already thought this through" she grinned. she then pulled out a bottle of sake and a book and placed it on the ground. 

"you brought him alcohol? seriously?" kenma furrowed his brows 

"hey, it's two of his favourite things, okay?" she defended with a laugh 

"do you know how ridiculous i looked while buying these things at the store?" she chuckled "they thought i was a madman or something!" 

"i would've too" kenma answered back 

"you're so mean to me, kenma" she pouted "anyways, we should go." she said as she dusted her pants and unravelled a thin layer of her torn bandages. 

"i can't wait to tell you about this suicide method i learned about." she beamed. she tugged on his arm and pulled him away as she continued to blabber on his ear "apparently this one does the job right away!" she exclaimed 

"can you believe it, kenma?" 

"wow. crazy." he replied dryly 

"yeah, and all we gotta do is shoot ourselves with these guns-" 

"no." 

"oh my, this almost feels like a welcome home party!" she cheered. she gave the detectives a close eyed smile while they simply stared back at her with a look of agitation and worry 

"where the hell were you?!" kunikida exclaimed angrily as he tapped his foot on the ground 

"the port mafia!" she answered back nonchalantly 

they all perked up in surprise from her claim. "huh?! the port mafia?!" 

"hai hai! but don't make a big deal about it!" she chuckled as she waved her hands dismissively 

"you could've died!" kunikida exclaimed  "now, now! i'd like to think of it as akutagawa-kun needing some attention that's all" she joked 

"jesus christ" kunikida sighed as he adjusted his glasses "that boy could kill you and you still won't take him seriously" 

"anyways, why is he here?" he asked as he pointed to kenma, who simply ignored him and avoided their eyes as he played on his phone 

"oh! he's the one who found me, so i thought it'd be right for me to repay him" she smiled brightly as she squeezed kenma to her chest, all while he unbotherdly continued on with his game

"i've thought of so many fun things we could do back in my dorm, hehehe~" she chuckled mischievously as kenma's face paled. she only gripped him tighter when he tried to scurry away. 

"i- i see.." kunikida stuttered out. he looked at them with wide eyes as she started squeezing him tighter while kenma tried to pry her off 

"y/n, you're strangling me!" kenma huffed out "i know!" she grinned 

"we'll leave you two alone then!" kenji said with his usual smile as he ushered the others away 

"they're worse than tanizaki-kun and naomi-san.." atsushi shuddered "that's because she's trying to kill him" tanizaki sweat dropped 

"and herself, as well" yosano sneered "go get your man!" she cheered as she sent y/n a sneaky wink 

"yosano-san! don't encourage her!"

[wickedw3asleys]

MINEFIELDS - Pt. 2

George x reader

-> Part 1

WARNINGS: cussing, smoking, some angst, some fluff, mentions of sadness and anxiety..., couple fight...

With a cigarette on your lips, you continued admiring the beautiful lake behind the Burrow; a place George, Fred and you always used to hang out. Even since after leaving the house, you hadn't stopped crying, the emotional reunion with everybody, specially George, and the encounter with Angelina were too much for you to handle in such a short amount of time.

You couldn't say you were not surprised to see her at the Burrow, since Hermione hadn't mentioned her once in her letters, but you guessed that as you needed someone to be by your side like Dean, George needed someone too. And she had been crushing on her since his third year, so you were happy for him.

Except this was a total lie. You wanted to be happy for him, he deserved to be happy, but not with her. Ever since your years at Hogwarts she had been there to remind you how you were only the friend that nobody wanted, how you'd never be enough for anyone, specially the twins.

So the fact that she was in front of you, ready to hex you if she needed to, literally destroyed you mentally. You already knew you had fucked up things with George, and that was a conversation you needed to have with him, but you didn't need her to appear like that and talk for him, or anybody else in the house. Even though deep down, you knew she had all the rights to talk to you like that...

"Hey..."

You turn your head towards the soft voice, quickly wiping out your tears.

"Hermione! Hey..."

"Can I sit down?", she asks shyly.

"Of course you can..."

You pat next to you and she sat down. Both of you took a deep breath, looking in front of you.

"I miss our summer here...", you hear her whisper, "all gathered here, having picnics and throwing each other in the water..."

"Me too..."

Your mind wandered to all the memories you had made around the lake, all the laugh, water splashes, even minor injuries, you had made there, "It surely was great..."

"I'm sorry for Angelina... She's not... She's really protective of George, you know?", you chuckled at that, "Yeah, I can see that..."

"It's not personal-

"It has always been personal, Hermione...", you say, taking another cigarette, "But it's okay, I'm okay, really... I know I've made mistake, and I deserved it..."

"We all made mistakes...", she sighed, "After all that happened, the war... We all lost things, we all made mistakes... We all needed someone to help us heal..."

"Did you heal?", you ask.

"I think so... I still think about everything, and the ones we lost, like Remus and Tonks, Fred of course... Even Lavender sometimes... But the past is the past, unfortunately we cannot changed it... So the best was just... move on with my life and accept the fact that I'd have to live with that for the rest of my life... And Ron is great, he's amazing! He has it harder though... Because of Fred, but he's strong, he really helped everyone..."

You felt your heart crush in your chest at her words. She was right, the only thing left was move on and just live with it... Even if you didn't want to, it was the only thing to do.

"I don't know how to move on, 'Mione...", you whisper as you feel another tear roll down your cheek.

"What about Dean?"

"It's not the same... I like him, I really do...", you sigh, "But when I'm with him, something's missing... He tries! I know he does! And he's always supporting me and helping me but I feel that it's not what I need... And now it seems impossible to heal or move on... I-I just can't..."

Hermione puts her arm around your shoulder and puts your head on her shoulder, embracing you tightly.

"It's okay... I understand what you mean..."

"And I know I shouldn't have left, it's been killing me for 4 years, I should have stayed and help George, and Ron, and Ginny, and Molly and Arthur... And I left...", you didn't know why, but you needed to be blamed for what you did you needed to tell yourself that it was your fault. The way you left everyone.

"No... you did what you thought would be better for everyone, you didn't mean any harm..."

"But look at him... Look at George... Even though the rest is healing, he's not... and I could have helped him, we could've had healed together...", you cried in her arms.

"At least you're here now, Y/N... It's all that matters..."

"I miss him so much, 'Mione... Everyday I think about Fred and it hurts... So bad..."

She hold you tighter as she felt your body become weaker. She understood your pain, and she knew you needed to let it out, so she just hold you, petting your hair, not saying a word, letting you talk when you needed it and letting you cry.

After what seemed to be hours, you finally had stopped crying, still in Hermione's arms, now just talking about your years at Hogwarts... How you missed McGonagall's scolding whenever you ran through the halls, or visiting Hagrid for a cup of tea...

"Yeah... These were good years...", Hermione sighed.

"I wish we could turn back time and live all of it all over again..."

She chuckled and smiled, still looking at the lake.

"Come on, the others are probably wondering where we are...", she says, helping you get up, "And i'm keeping these!", she takes the cigarettes in your coat and shove them in hers, "Smoking is bad"

You rolled your eyes and headed up with her to the Burrow. She hadn't changed a bit, she was still the Hermione you once knew.

"Hey... We're here...", she said quietly while opening the door.

"Oh, hi, dear!", Molly exclaims warmly as she cleaned her hands on her dress.

It looked like no one was around, except for Molly, who was doing the dishes.

"Do you need help, Molly?", you ask.

"Don't worry, darling, I've got this!", she smiles, "But you should go take a rest now, it has been a long morning..."

You nodded and after giving her a hug, you made your way up to Charlie's bedroom. On your way you could see Harry and Ginny, just hanging out in her bedroom, Arthur reading a muggle book in his, and Ron napping. All of them looked peaceful and happy, perhaps you were the only one that still wasn't able to move on...

Just as you were thinking about that, you heard loud voices coming from Fred and George's old bedroom.

"... Angie, I promise I didn't know she was supposed to come..."

"4 years, George! 4 years! She disappeared and abandoned you!"

"She didn't!"

"Yes, she did! Where was she when you couldn't sleep or even look at you in the mirror?! I was there! Not her!"

"This is not what the conversation is about!"

"It is! You can't forgive her and hug her like nothing has ever happened!"

"YES I CAN!", you heard George's voice getting louder, "I need her!"

And with that, complete silence. You decided it was better to not keep listening, it was a private conversation and you've had already heard enough.

You finally reached for the doorknob of the bedroom and when you were about to open it, you heard a loud thud followed by a quiet "fuck you, George".

"Oh, great!", Angelina exclaims when opens George's door.

"Angie..."

"Not. A. Word.", she spits, "I have heard and seen enough of you"

She turns around and makes her way down to the living room.

You raise your head and exchange glances with George, who was sitting on his bed, looking completely miserable.

"Are you okay?", you ask, slowly entering his room, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-

"It's okay... Don't worry about me... She's right I suppose..."

"She is... Look, I can't explain how sorry I am... for everything, for leaving you, for not keeping in touch with you..."

He didn't say anything, he just stood up and hugged you. You had missed him so much, and it's been so long... But nothing had changed, he was still the same George, same hair, same smile, same smell...

"You're here now...", he whispers.

You stayed like that for a few moments, enjoying each other's company, and you could feel how he needed this hug as much as you needed it.

"Can we talk?", he says when he separates from you.

"Yes, of course!"

"I'd rather do it in private, if you're okay with it... There's a lot to talk about and I feel it won't be the same if everyone's around..."

"Yeah! I understand... Tell me when you feel like it..."

"Tonight? I don't want to rush or anything, I just need-

"Tonight is great, Georgie...", you caress his cheek.

"I missed you calling me "Georgie", he smiles, taking your hand in his. He placed a soft kiss on your knuckles and decided to go to the kitchen help his mom with the rest of the dishes, to what you decided to go to your room and take a nap.

Closing your eyes, hundreds of images of you running through the castle with the twins invaded your mind. Memories of them chasing you after pranking them, or simply trying to escape from Filch... You felt a something warm and comforting rushing through your body for the first time after what seemed to be an eternity. Perhaps being there was really what you needed to heal...

☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆…☆

tag-list:

@28cnn , @lindsaytriestowrite , @jenniweaslee , @amityyyjade , @dracossimp01 , @themoonwithprophets , @hufflepuffflowers , @georgeweasley19 , @mendesdelight

[nealiios]

The Supernatural 70s: Part I - Corruption of An Innocent

"We're mutants. There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us - we're soldiers writers."

-- with apologies to the screenwriter of "Stripes"

Dear reader, I have the darkest of revelations to make to you, a truth when fully and wholly disclosed shall most assuredly chill you to the bone, a tale that shall make you question all that you hold to be true and good and holy about my personal history. While you may have come in search of that narrative designer best known for his works of interactive high fantasy, you should know that he is also a crafter of a darker art, a scribbler of twisted tales filled with ghosts, and ghouls, and gargoyles. I am, dear innocent, a devotee of horrors! Mwahahahaha!

[cue thunderclap, lightning, pipe organ music]

Given the genre of writing for which most of you know me, I forgive you if you think of me principally as a fantasy writer. I don't object to that classification because I do enjoy mucking about with magic and dark woods and mysterious ancient civilizations. But if you are to truly know who I am as a writer, you must realize that the image I hold of myself is principally as a creator of weird tales.

To understand how and why I came to be drawn to this sub-genre of fantastic fiction, you first must understand that I come from peculiar folks. Maybe I don't have the Ipswich look, or I didn't grow up in a castle, but my pedigree for oddity has been there from the start. My mother was declared dead at birth by her doctor, and often heard voices calling to her in the dead of night that no one else could hear. Her mother would periodically ring us up to discuss events in our lives about which she couldn't possibly have known. My father's people still share ghost stories about a family homestead that burned down mysteriously in the 1960s. Even my older brother has outré memories about events he says cannot possibly be true, and as a kid was kicked off the Tulsa city bookmobile for attempting to check out books about UFOs, bigfoot, and ESP. It's fair to say I was doomed - or destined - for weirdness from the start.

If the above listed circumstances had not been enough, I grew up in an area where neighbors whispered stories about a horrifically deformed Bulldog Man who stalked kids who "parked" on the Old North Road near my house. The state in which I was raised was rife with legends of bigfoots, deer women, and devil men. Even in my childhood household there existed a pantheon of mythological entities invented explicitly to keep me in line. If I was a good boy, The Repairman would leave me little gifts of Hot Wheels cars or candy. If I was being terrible, however, my father would dress in a skeleton costume, rise from the basement and threaten to drag me down into everlasting hellfire (evidently there was a secret portal in our basement.) There were monsters, monsters EVERYWHERE I looked in my childhood world. Given that I was told as a fledgling writer to write what I knew, how could anyone have been surprised that the first stories I wrote were filled with the supernatural?

"The Nightmare" by John Henry Fuseli (1781)

My formative years during the late sixties and early seventies took place at a strange juncture in our American cultural history. At the same time that we were loudly proclaiming the supremacy of scientific thought because we'd landed men on the moon, we were also in the midst of a counter cultural explosion of interest in astrology, witchcraft, ghosts, extra sensory perception, and flying saucers. Occult-related books were flying off the shelves as sales surged by more than 100% between 1966 and 1969. Cultural historians would come to refer to this is as the "occult boom," and its aftershocks would impact popular cultural for decades to come.

My first contact with tales of the supernatural were innocuous, largely sanitized for consumption by children. I vividly remember watching Casper the Friendly Ghost and the Disney version of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I read to shreds numerous copies of both Where the Wild Things Are and Gus the Ghost. Likely the most important exposure for me was to the original Scooby Doo, Where Are You? cartoon which attempted to inoculate us from our fears of ghosts and aliens by convincing us that ultimately the monster was always just a bad man in a mask. (It's fascinating to me that modern incarnations of Scooby Doo seem to have completely lost this point and instead make all the monsters real.)

ABOVE: Although the original cartoon Scooby Doo, Where Are You? ran only for one season from 1969 to 1970, it remained in heavy reruns and syndication for decades. It is notable for having been a program that perfectly embodied the conflict between reason and superstition in popular culture, and was originally intended to provide children with critical thinking skills so they would reject the idea of monsters, ghosts, and the like. Ironically, modern takes on Scooby Doo have almost entirely subverted this idea and usually present the culprits of their mysteries as real monsters.

During that same time, television also introduced me to my first onscreen crush in the form of the beautiful and charming Samantha Stevens, a witch who struggles to not to use her powers while married to a frequently intolerant mortal advertising executive in Bewitched. The Munsters and The Addams Family gave me my first taste for "goth" living even before it would become all the rage in the dance clubs of the 1980s. Late night movies on TV would bring all the important horror classics of the past in my living room as Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Godzilla all became childhood friends. Over time the darkened castles, creaking doors, foggy graveyards, howling wolves, and ever present witches and vampires became so engrained in my psyche that today they remain the "comfort viewing" to which I retreat when I'm sick or in need of other distractions from modern life.

ABOVE: Elizabeth Montgomery starred in Bewitched (1964 - 1972) as Samantha Stephens, a witch who married "mortal" advertising executive Darren Stephens (played for the first five seasons by actor Dick York). Inspired by movies like I Married a Witch (1942) and Bell, Book and Candle (1958), it was a long running series that explored the complex relationship dynamics between those who possess magic and those who don't. Social commentators have referred to it as an allegory both for mixed marriages and also about the challenges faced by minorities, homosexuals, cultural deviants, or generally creative folks in a non heterogeneous community. It was also one of the first American television programs to portray witches not as worshippers of Satan, but simply as a group of people ostracized for their culture and their supernatural skills.

Even before I began elementary school, there was one piece of must-see gothic horror programming that I went out of my way to catch every day. Dark Shadows aired at 3:30 p.m. on our local ABC affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma which usually allowed me to catch most of it if I ran home from school (or even more if my mom or brother picked me up.) In theory it was a soap opera, but the show featured a regular parade of supernatural characters and themes. The lead was a 175 year old vampire named Barnabas Collins (played by Johnathan Frid), and the show revolved around his timeless pursuit of his lost love, Josette. It was also a program that regularly dealt with reincarnation, precognition, werewolves, time travel, witchcraft, and other occult themes. Though it regularly provoked criticism from religious groups about its content, it ran from June of 1966 until it's final cancellation in April of 1971. (I would discover it in the early 1970s as it ran in syndication.) Dark Shadows would spin off two feature-length movies based on the original, a series of tie-in novels, an excellent reboot series in 1991 (starring Ben Cross as Barnabas), and a positively embarrassingly awful movie directed by Tim Burton in 1991.

ABOVE: Johnathan Frid starred as Barnabas Collins, one of the leading characters of the original Dark Shadows television series. The influence of the series cannot be understated. In many ways Dark Shadows paved the way for the inclusion of supernatural elements in other soap operas of the 1970s and the 1980s, and was largely responsible for the explosion of romance novels featuring supernatural themes over the same time period.

While Dark Shadows was a favorite early television program for me, another show would prove not only to be a borderline obsession, but also a major influence on my career as a storyteller. Night Gallery (1969-1973) was a weekly anthology television show from Rod Serling, better known as the creator and host of the original Twilight Zone. Like Twilight Zone before it, Night Gallery was a deep and complex commentary on the human condition, but unlike its predecessor the outcomes for the characters almost always skewed towards the horrific and the truly outré. In "The Painted Mirror," an antiques dealer uses a magic painting to trap an enemy in the prehistoric past. Jack Cassidy plots to use astral projection to kill his romantic rival in "The Last Laurel" but accidentally ends up killing himself. In "Eyes" a young Stephen Spielberg directs Joan Crawford in a story about an entitled rich woman who plots to take the sight of a poor man. Week after week it delivered some of the best-written horror television of the early 1970s.

In retrospect I find it surprising that I was allowed to watch Night Gallery at all. I was very young while it was airing, and some of the content was dark and often quite shocking for its time. Nevertheless, I was so attached to the show that I'd throw a literal temper tantrum if I missed a single, solitary episode. If our family needed to go somewhere on an evening that Night Gallery was scheduled, either my parents would either have to wait until after it had aired before we left, or they'd make arrangements in advance with whomever we were visiting to make sure it was okay that I could watch Night Gallery there. I was, in a word, a fanatic.

ABOVE: Every segment of Night Gallery was introduced by series creator Rod Serling standing before a painting created explicitly for the series. Director Guillermo del Toro credits Serling's series as being the most important and influential show on his own work, even more so than the more famous Twilight Zone.

[dawnrider]

Dunno if I'm making this a thing or if it's just the mood I'm in today.

Either way, here it is!

Another tree, another field, some more cows, a couple horses... more trees! Hitomi sighed again. This had to be the most boring drive she'd ever done. There were no buildings, aside from a few farm houses here and there, and all the other drivers on the road were clearly not from around there, simply passing through. “Now where is that turn?” she mumbled aloud, squinting at the road signs, trying to find the right county road. Finding it wasn't easy, but as soon as she turned there was a sign that directed her farther west to reach the town she was looking for. “Thirty more miles? This place really is in the middle of nowhere.” A faint sound of discomfort from the kennel next to her made her look over. “I know Jasper. We're almost there. Then you can get out.” The feline whined, turning around again and laying down. He meowed pathetically. Poor thing, that sedative really helped, but it's starting to wear off. Hitomi tried not to speed too much despite her eagerness to get to her new house. A ticket was the last thing she needed in a new place.

When she finally pulled up in front of the small house that was designated as hers, the first thing she did was pull Jasper out. She fumbled with the keys to unlock the front door, struggling with the lock a minute. Jasper yowled a little more loudly until she opened the door to his carrier. In spite of his desire to get out, the cat sat and stared out of the carrier for a long time, sniffing and peeking out of the door. Hitomi shook her head, leaving her pet to get used to the space. She went into the kitchen, fighting her way past boxes, to set out a water dish for Jasper, knowing he would be thirsty after the long trip and the effects of the sedative. “Here Jasper, come get a drink.” Unsurprisingly, she didn't hear him budge. With a sigh, Hitomi looked around the space. There was a lot to do before she could relax. Before unpacking... she needed food.

The grocery store was tiny. Hitomi wondered how it fed a few hundred people, but there wasn't anyone else in it. With the majority of the community making their living by farming, they probably mostly fed themselves, she realized. The older woman behind the counter kept eying her suspiciously. Hitomi had been eyed like that before, but it was when she was fifteen and in a convenience store where stuff got stolen all the time. She'd never stolen anything in her life, but that didn't mean the shopkeeper didn't suspect her. This was a more confused suspicion. Her first day in town and she hadn't been able to introduce herself to anyone yet. It was natural for the woman to be a little wary.

Walking up and down the aisles, she found the essentials she needed. Milk, eggs, cereal, bread. The produce didn't look the best, at least, the things not grown in that area looked a little iffy. She got what she could from the frozen aisle and then decided she was going to have to start a garden. She looked everywhere for cat food and couldn't find anything. She frowned. How could they not have cat food at the store? “Something you need help finding?” Hitomi fought the urge to jump, turning slowly to find the woman standing just behind her. Quiet old bat! She stared a moment before nodding.

“Uh, cat food.”

“Ah. Well you won't be finding that here, darlin'. You'll have to go over to the feed store. He carries all we need for our pets.” The woman's face was a little less threatening now that she was smiling. Hitomi tentatively smiled back. “You're new here.”

Hitomi's smile faltered a moment. Was it really necessary to state the obvious? “Yes. My name is Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki. I'm the new fifth grade teacher.” Sticking out her hand, Hitomi was surprised by the strength of the woman's hold.

“Oh! Pleasure to meet you! We've been wondering when you would get here. I'm Gladys Larson. How's the house?” Her enthusiasm was infectious and Hitomi's smile returned. The house was fine, a little old-fashioned when it came to the decorating, but she'd fix that with time. “Well I'm glad you like it. What was it you were looking for again?”

“Cat food? And I think I want to start a vegetable garden out back so...”

“Now don't you worry dear, I'll just take you right on over. Van's not used to strangers coming in and he needs someone familiar to introduce them.” Hitomi stared at the woman a moment before following her up to the counter. She paid for her things and Gladys had her put them in the big refrigerator so they wouldn't spoil while they were gone. “He's a sweet boy, a little rough around the edges though,” Gladys told her in a conspiratorial whisper as they crossed the main street and walked a few store fronts down. Hitomi glanced back at the grocery, surprised that the old woman had no problem leaving it unattended. “Here we are,” she laughed, opening a door into one of the larger stores on the street. A bell tinkled as they entered. “Van, Honey! I've brought in the new teacher. She needs cat food,” she called. Hitomi heard some shuffling and a head poked out from behind the cash register. Her eyes widened and she took a slight step back.

He was gorgeous. Hearing Gladys call him a sweet boy who was a bit rough, Hitomi had anticipated a teenager who was afraid of people and possibly had an acne problem. This man was nothing like that at all. He was tall, as she saw when he stood up, with dark shaggy hair, a strong chin and intensely brown eyes. She was startled when he frowned in her direction. “Gladys, you know where the cat stuff's at.” And that was it. He didn't try to introduce himself or ask her name. The grocer didn't seem fazed at all, leading Hitomi back toward the food. Apparently this was also the hardware store, the opposite side filled with shovels, mulch, hammers, wheelbarrows and planters.

“Don't mind him dear. It will take him a while to get used to you.”

“I can hear you...” the store owner grumbled loudly, sitting back down behind the counter.

Gladys grinned and shook her head. “Yes I know Honey. Best set of ears in town.” Hitomi bit her lip, glancing back at the counter. She found the food she needed, but she wasn't sure what to do about her gardening idea. Maybe it would be best to come back another time... like never. “That all you need dear? What about your garden?”

“I-I'll come back later once I'm more settled in. I really should get home and feed Jasper. He'll be mad. I'm sure he's freaked out in the new house by himself,” she explained.

“Oh! Poor dear. Well you just run along to my store and grab your things. There's the town social tonight, you should come to meet everyone! Seven o'clock at the hall. It's just down the street from here. Can't miss it,” she pointed down the road the way Hitomi had come in from. She nodded, thanking Gladys for her help.

Stepping up to the counter she set the bag of food down and waited. The man behind the counter seemed to be ignoring her, listening to some soft music from a radio on the floor. “Um...”

“Just take it. It's a welcome gift.” Hitomi bit her lip. He still wasn't looking up at her and she was a little offended. There was no need to be rude to her!

“Thank you. It's... it's Van right?”

He snorted impolitely. “Yea.” Waiting a moment to see if he would say anything more, she sighed when nothing else came. Taking the food and turning away from the counter, Hitomi scowled, leaving the store and marching over to the grocery store to get her things and go home. Once the two heard the sound of her car pulling away, Gladys approached the counter. “What?”

Gladys sighed, leaning on the countertop. “That's no way to treat a young lady. She was simply trying to be nice.”

“I don't need nice,” he huffed in response.

“Hitomi is very pretty. And she can't be any older than twenty-five. You're just about the only person her age.” She shifted, drawing Van's attention. “I saw the way she looked at you the moment she saw you. She thinks you're good looking, and she'd be right.”

“Knock it off Gladys,” he growled, but he couldn't hide his faint blush.

“You planning on staying single your whole life? Has to be awfully lonely...”

“You need something else?” he interrupted. The old grocer smiled slightly, taking the hint. She said her goodbyes and wandered back over to her own store. Van sagged, sighing heavily. She'd sounded young, so Gladys telling him she wasn't more than twenty-five hadn't come as a surprise. She had a nice voice, a bit unsure, but that was likely from being new in a new place. “Hitomi, huh?” He turned the radio up a little and relaxed. There wasn't going to be much of anyone else in for the rest of the afternoon. He took out a book, his fingertip smoothing across the page as he read.

[nurloxx]

tale as old as time

summary: it’s bedtime, and kam’lu is in charge of telling the story

a/n: MAY’LU SHIPPERS COME GET Y’ALL JUICE

"What story do you think papa is going to tell this time?" Brea asked from where she sat on her mother's lap as the older Vapra diligently combed her long pale locks.

"It better not be the one where he got sun frenzy and thought a Hooyim was trying to speak to him." Seladon sighed, running a silver brush through her own hair. She was curled up on a mountain of plush velvet pillows beside her sister Tavra, who was fidgeting impatiently.

"I just hope it's not boring." she said simply.

Mayrin chuckled as she finished up, pecking Brea on the forehead and placing her back down so she could rejoin her sisters on the bed.

"I'm sure whatever your father has planned won't dissapoint." She then discreetly added under her breath. "I hope...."

"Do my ears deceive me or are there four fair gelfling maidens in dire need of a story?"

Four heads simultaneously turned in the direction of a playful voice that boomed from down the hall. The girls squealed in unison as the door swung open to reveal the form of their father, and they abandoned the bed in favor of crowding around his legs enthusiastically.

Kam'lu laughed heartily, scooping his two youngest daughters into his arms, then bending down so that his eldest could climb up on his back.

Mayrin rolled her eyes. "Love, you know they're not supposed to get too excited. It is their bedtime after all."

The Sifa captain gave her a lopsided grin. "Oh but bedtime is the most exciting time of the day, didn't you know? Especially tonights!" He dug his fingers into Tavra and Brea's sides, making them squeal and shriek with laughter.

"Papa, do you have a story for us?" Brea asked, her characteristic curious pools of gold twinkling.

"He better!" Tavra jabbed her tiny finger into her father's chest. "Otherwise I stayed awake for nothing!"

"Fear not my beauties. Tonight's story is a very special one." He gently placed them all down on the pile of cushions, claiming his spot on the biggest one. "One I think your mother will be quite familiar with."

Mayrin almost wanted to ask what Kam'lu was getting at, but the knowing look he threw over his shoulder gave her all the clarification she needed. Smiling, she stood from the vanity chair and got comfortable next to her mate. Their hands interlaced in clear view of their daughters, both not even needing to think about the action. It was practically second nature at that point.

"So, first things first. I have a question for you all." Mayrin gestured between her and Kam'lu. "Do you believe our initial meeting was love at first sight?"

Brea nodded enthusiastically, while Tavra and Seladon shared a look of doubt.

"I'd be surprised if it was..." Seladon muttered.

Mayrin tittered, putting her fingers to her lips. "You'd be correct, my dear. When I first encountered your father, we couldn't have been more different from each other. In the back of my mind I couldn't even begin to fathom how I'd be able to get along with someone so oafish, and thick skulled, and brash-"

"Really feeling the love here...." Kam'lu deflated, ears pinning to the sides of his head. He was actually pouting, and it caused his mate to let out a proper laugh.

"You didn't let me finish." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I truly did believe you to be all those things. However, I'd be proven wrong later on. You were so much more, my love."

The smile slowly returned to Kam'lus face. He kissed her cheek, nuzzling it tenderly. "And to think, all it took was being swallowed up by a sea monster and fighting for our lives trying to escape."

"Wait, you got swallowed by a what?!" Brea exclaimed in disbelief, bouncing around in her seat.

"Sea monster?!" Tavra balked.

"How did you get out?!" Seladon placed a hand to her chest, eyes wide in shock.

The questions continued to pour in at a steady rate.

"Was it a big monster?"

"Did you fight it?!"

"Did you have to light a fire inside it's belly and have it sneeze you out?!"

All eyes in the room fell on Brea with varying levels of puzzlement.

She merely shrugged. "It was in one of my books."

Kam'lu and Mayrin bursted out laughing at that, the older Sifa having to wipe away a tear or two. Such differing personalities their daughters had, but it made them all the more lovable in their eyes.

"That is where our story begins, my young ones. You see, it was a rather dreary and stormy night. The waves had become quite restless..." Kam'lu started his tale, motioning with his hands for the girls to come in closer. They did so without question.

Despite her mate's rather.... eccentric style of storytelling, Mayrin found herself being oddly soothed by it. She studied her daughter's faces with a serene expression. Brea and Tavra seemed the most enraptured, while Seladon appeared more concerned than anything else.

A larger pale hand subtly reached out to grasp hers, and she unconsciously squeezed back.

"..... when we were suddenly face to face with Bobling King himself! Oh he was as helpful as he was fearsome!" Kam'lu made large theatric gestures with his arms, and Mayrin wasn't sure if it was solely for the girls amusement or if he genuinely remembered the King Bobling in that way.

"Pfft, he doesn't sound so scary." Tavra scoffed, crossing her arms.

"That's because he wasn't, dear." Mayrin interjected. She turned to Kam'lu and raised a brow at him. "Love, he barely reached your knee."

"I'm sorry, who is the one telling the story here?"

She pinched the tip of his ear, eliciting a slight yelp from him. "I was there too, you fool." When before the word rolled off her tongue with scorn and exasperation, now there was only fondness present in the Vapra's tone.

This time it was Seladon's turn to laugh. She doubled over on the pillow, clutching her stomach. "Father, you were scared by something so small?" Her sisters soon followed suite, and even Mayrin couldn't resist letting out a chuckle at Kam'lus expense.

The older Sifa's cheeks flared red, and he huffed indignantly. "Well, if that's how you're all going to act, then I think we should cut this story short."

He was only joking of course, but they didn't know that. At least, his daughters didn't. Only Mayrin seemed to catch on to the slight mischievous glint in his eye that told her he didn't really take it to heart.

"No!!!!" Three pairs of arms shot out and latched onto Kam'lu before he could even think about getting up.

"We're sorry Papa!"

"Yeah, really really sorry!"

"You gotta finish the story!"

He looked down at the pleading faces of his little ones, and feigned a look of pensiveness.

"Well, I suppose I can't stay mad at my beauties for long, can I?"

"No, no you can't." Mayrin smirked, playing with a lock of russet colored hair. "We all have you wrapped around our fingers. Forever."

"There's no other fate on Thra I'd rather resign myself to. Now then," He pulled his mate, along with his daughters onto his lap, much to their amusement. It was a tight fit, but they managed. "As I was saying, we had begun our treacherous journey into the belly of the beast..."

Kam'lu smoothly picked up where he had left off, progressing through the rest of the story with little to no interruptions. Though he had to pause multiple times to chuckle at Tavra's starstruck expression when the subject of the flying Zoa and the final battle aboard skekSa's ship came up.

"From that day on, I swore I'd stay by your mother's side through thick and thin. No matter what unholy terrors Thra tossed our way, I'd be right there with her." Kam'lu smiled lovingly, kissing the head of his mate, who hummed in acknowledgement.

"And not long after, we had our first daughter. Our little Seladon." Mayrin cooed, cupping her eldest's cheek and stroking it with her thumb. "Do you remember where your name comes from, dearest?"

"It was the name of a famous Vapran general, right? The one who saved her village from an avalanche?"

Mayrin nodded, tapping her nose. "That's exactly right. I sensed a very stalwart spirit when I was pregnant with you, and I wanted your name to reflect that."

"Can we hear that story next?" Brea asked, yawning.

Kam'lu chuckled. "I'm afraid we'll have to save that particular tale for another night. For now, I think it's time for my beauties to get some sleep."

A low whine of protest sounded from each girl, and Mayrin gently shushed them. "Your father's right. It's already past your bedtime, and you have a big day tomorrow."

"We do?" They all tilted their heads curiously.

Kam'lu grinned. "Yes! It'll be a nice sunny day tomorrow, and I figured what better way to spend it than to take all of you out on the ship for the afternoon."

"So the sooner you go to sleep, the sooner morning will come, and we can ready ourselves accordingly." Mayrin collected her daughters into her arms as she spoke, tucking them each into their respective beds and kissing them goodnight. Kam'lu went around to do the same, saying quiet Sifan prayers under his breath as he did so.

When they were finally laid to rest, Mayrin quietly stepped out of the room, holding the door open for her mate to join her in the hallway.

"Well, let it never be said that I didn't marry a halfway decent storyteller." She jested, elbowing Kam'lu in the side. "Better than I could have told it anyway."

"Ah, so you finally admit I'm better than you at something. Never thought I'd live to see the day." He grinned smugly.

Mayrin popped him on the shoulder. "Don't let it go to your head now. You're a better storyteller than you are a captain, let's put it that way." She ribbed him teasingly. Then she began to saunter ahead of him towards their bed chambers.

"Come, the hour is late and I could use some shut-eye myself."

Kam'lu watched her go at first, making sure her back was completely turned to him before responding.

"Right away, my All Maudra."

In one fluid motion Kam'lu came up behind Mayrin and swept her up into a bridal carry, walking her the rest of the way with a big smile on his face.

She slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter lest she wake the children.

He couldn't see it, but she was wearing a grin big enough to rival his.