#just trying to balance drawing asks and drawing the moon

[loudclan-clangen]

Thinking abt how the kits would have absolutely zero grasp on the concept of mortality and death and how they'd be really confused on why their parents are upset and where Mothtree wen't :^)

Hi friend, I don’t want to be like a major downer but… Rosehipkit is VERY sick. She and Dogwood, more than any other kits, absolutely understand the concept of mortality and death in a way that they should not have to.

[seresinhangmanjake]

The One I Want: Part 9

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x plus size!reader

Summary: You’re new in town and some guy named Jake is about to be your roommate. Being skeptical of new people keeps you lonely and uninterested in any entanglements, but Jake is desperate to change that.

Notes/Warnings: traumatic past, mention of death, very likely typos

Words: 1342

The One I Want Masterlist

“Can you see?”

“Yes,” Jake says, leading you across the sand with only the moon illuminating his path to the shore. But even that can hardly be considered sufficient, to you at least, as night’s clouds move at a good pace, frequently dulling the glow. Your toes dig into the grains in an effort to find some sense of balance in the darkness, but you're no better than a newborn deer, remaining steady only by Jake’s firm hand. “Don’t step there.”

You’re pulled to the left just before your bare foot lands on a sharp shell and you stumble into his side. “Why did you want to tell me here?”

“I like it here.” Abruptly stopping, Jake drops onto the sand. “This is a good spot,” he says, then releases your hand to pat the sand in front of where he sits. 

“You want me to sit there?”

“Mhmm.”

“Between your legs?”

He glances down to the spot in question before staring back up at you. “That’s the idea,” he says. At the apprehension on your face, Jake snickers and lightly wraps his fingers around your wrist, his thumb smoothing over the delicate skin above your pulse. “Come on, you know I don’t bite.”

“You haven’t had much of an opportunity to bite.”

Jake laughs louder, his head briefly throwing back before he raises a brow. “You were on my lap a few hours ago, but this is where you draw the line?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Nope, just trying to get my bearings.”

His smile is impossible to deny. It’s bright and wide and you feel it tugging at your insides, making you want to spread your lips in a grin of your own and nestle yourself into the space he has made for you. Taking a couple of steps forward, you ease yourself down in front of him. When you are where he wants you, he scoots closer until his legs flank your hips and he wraps his arms around your waist, guiding your back against his chest. Any of the budding hesitancy at his closeness on this beach slips away. 

“See, it’s nice, isn’t it?”

You roll your eyes at the playful smugness in his voice and concede. “Fine.”

He doesn't speak again, not for a bit, and in that time the clouds learn to avoid the moon. It reflects clearly off the waves, helping your vision adjust to the darkness, and suddenly you can appreciate why he likes it. It is peace in its closest physical form. And it tells you plenty before Jake even opens his mouth for another word. Whatever he plans to tell you, he wants to balance it out with something within his control: his surroundings. 

“Are you sure you want to tell me?” you ask.

“You more than anyone,” he says. His breath sways the stray hairs by your ear. “It’s not a long story.”

“For whose convenience? Not for mine, right?”

“Not for anyones, it’s just doesn’t contain many added details.” You nod to let him know you understand, then with an exhale heavy enough to shoot a bolt of anxious energy through you, he begins. “I was eighteen, and getting ready to leave for the Academy soon. My sister Amy was already studying at a university about five hours from our town in Texas, but she was coming home for the summer and, as perfect parents do, they went to get her rather than have her find other means of transportation. My father took off work that day just to drive hours with my mother to bring home their daughter when most kids were spending their money on plane and train tickets to get home,” he says. “They were on their way back, and they, um…” With his pause, his head shakes behind you before his chin perches atop your shoulder. You try to twist to face him but his arms encompassing you don’t allow it. For a minute, he just breathes. He stares where you stare, at the waves crashing over the shore before they slink back to join the rest of the ocean. He hears what you hear: the movement of the water, your synchronized inhales and exhales, but hopefully not the pounding of your heart. When his head lifts he presses a kiss to the spot where your neck and shoulder meet. His next words you can feel before they leave his lips. “They didn’t come back.”

Tears prick at the corners of your eyes. “H-How?”

“Rain,” he mutters. “Poor luck.”

Your hand slides along his forearm until your fingers are resting over his. He spreads them enough for you to sneak yours in between. “Jake–”

“It was a long time ago. I’ve made my peace with it in a lot of ways,” he says. “Anyway, my grandmother stayed with me at the house while everything was arranged and settled, and a few months later, I left.”

“Did you still want to go?”

“I don’t know,” he sighs. “They would’ve wanted me to go, so I did. But I realized I was about to be by myself for the first time in my life and I couldn’t believe how much it terrified me when just a couple of months before I was so excited for that freedom. I knew people would be everywhere at the Academy, but I didn’t know any of them.”  

You think of him lost and alone, so unlike the man you know him to be, and instead, so much like yourself. In one place and then another. Familiar with the faces surrounding him and then not. Parents, and then no parents. It doesn’t matter that Jake is stronger than you in every way nameable, finding resilience in the face of such tragedy is damn near impossible, and it breaks your heart for him.

“But then we were assigned roommates,” he continues, “and mine just happened to be decent enough to help me survive the year.”

“Javy?”

Jake hums in agreement. “It’s not that I can’t be alone. I’ve lived alone before, but I like having someone around, sharing my space. It just hasn’t always worked out too well.” His arms tighten around your waist and he shifts as if it might help pull you in closer. The warmth of lips lay a line of kisses up your neck, stopping just below your ear. “But sometimes it does,” he whispers. 

There are more kisses. They make their way over sections of your skin. He presses them into the curve of your jaw, into your shoulder, and when he pushes your hair aside, a few are planted on the back of your neck. Your eyelids flutter and close as you let yourself meld with the tingling sensation. 

“I need to ask you something,” he says softly, and you hum. “You said this is your eleventh new place.” Your eyes shoot open. “Do you intend for there to be a twelfth?”

Swallowing, you reply, “I never intended for there to be an eleventh, or tenth, or nin–”

“You know what I’m asking, beautiful.”

You do, because it’s something you’ve asked yourself plenty of times. No, you don’t intend for there to be a twelfth, but your moves between towns are not planned. They are dependent on the actions of others which are not within your control. You want to stay with Jake, in this town, with people who didn’t think twice about accepting you, but you’re not delusional as to the possibilities awaiting you that might rip everything away. “Jake, I don’t want to leave.”

“Good.” Again, he rests his chin on your shoulder, and again, he lets moments pass in silence. Then he says, “I’ve been meaning to tell you, it’s my birthday next week. Nat’s setting up a party at Penny’s bar. I want you to come but if you’re uncomfortable being there I understand.”

“I’ll come,” you say, because you’re well aware it’s the least you could do for him. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Though you can’t see it, Jake’s smile radiates. “Thank you.”

---

tags: @wkndwlff @kmc1989 @sagittarius-flowerchild @dempy @oliviah-25 @rosiahills22 @xoxabs88xox @matisse556 @hardballoonlove @ssa-sadboi @lynnevanss @pono-pura-vida @tgmreader @amgluvsbooks @ravenhood2792 @djs8891 @shakespeareanwannabe @sailor-aviator @penguin876 @tgmavericklover @athenabarnes @emilyoflanternhill @wretchedmo @shanimallina87 @crowsreadsarahjmaas @mamachasesmayhem @sky2nd @jessicab1991 @rosedurin @averyhotchner @horseshoegirl @elite4cekalyma @buckysteveloki-me @shelbycillian @kissmethric3 @fox-bee926 @hangmandruigandmav @waltermis @fandom-life-12 @a-serene-place-to-be @bruher @tngrace @mamaskillerqueen @emma8895eb @benedictsvestcollection @blackwidownat2814 @himbos-on-ice @hookslove1592 @whoeverineedtobe @alwaysclassyeagle @chaytea06 @cherrycolas-things

[heartss4val]

"COSMIC FEELINGS."

synopsis: you were supposed to go stargazing with percy, but you get carried away. pairing: percy jackson x gn!reader word count: 1.1k

"isn't this like, against the rules?"

it's an hour past curfew. an hour since percy showed up at your cabin with a picnic blanket under his arm and insisted you come with him. he wouldn't tell you where he was taking you; he just held out his hand for you to hold and urged you to trust him.

"not if we don't get caught." percy replies, swinging your intertwined hands back and forth. "woulda brought you earlier, if it weren't for those harpies. you can't even imagine how many times i had to run for my life to avoid getting eaten."

you smile at his comment. a comfortable silence settles between you two as percy continues to lead you away from the chaotic camp and deep into the wilderness.

the night air is cool and refreshing, hitting your skin as the tranquil sounds of crickets chirping and owls hooting echo through the air, creating a serene and soothing ambiance that envelops you. you probably would've been lost in your thoughts forever if it weren't for percy coming to an abrupt stop.

"we're here." percy says, letting go of your hand to smooth out the blanket he brought.

looking around, you realize he's led you to a grassy area that offers you both an unobstructed sight of the stars. the crescent moon shines brightly over the camp, and the constellations are incredibly clear and vivid. you can't help but notice the andromeda constellation standing out in the center of the sky. fitting.

as you were lost in thought, percy's voice suddenly breaks through, prompting you to snap back to reality. "well, what are you waiting for?" he asks, his tone playful yet insistent. you realize that he's already settled himself on the blanket, waiting for you to join him.

you're about to respond when, without warning, he latches onto your hand and pulls you towards him, causing you to lose your balance and fall on top of his chest. a surprised yelp escapes your lips as you try to regain your composure, while percy chuckles warmly beneath you.

"was that really necessary?" you ask in faux annoyance, though you don't put up much of a fight that would match your "complaint."

percy, still grinning, replies, "don't blame me, i was getting impatient."

you sigh, melting into percy as he holds you flush against his chest. you can't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over you. being a demigod isn't easy; or particularly safe. moments like this are rare and precious. you savor the feeling of his warm embrace as he holds you close, cherishing every second of peace and relaxation that you can find together. despite the chaos and danger that often surrounds your lives, moments like this make it all worth it.

percy draws you in closer, kissing the top of your head, and intertwines his hand with yours as if it was made to be held by him and him only.

as his fingers delicately brush against your skin, percy's voice fills the air with a soft whisper, "you know i'd do anything for you, right?" percy all but muttered as his fingers ran down the side of your cheek, awaiting your response.

"where'd that come from?" you ask, slightly caught off guard by his words. not that you were complaining, though. percy only smiled at you in response, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"dunno. just wanted to remind you." he said, his tone gentle and reassuring. "in case you forgot." grinning down at you with a smile so bright it could light up the night sky.

"oh yeah, 'cause i'd totally forget with you reminding me only like 10 times a day." you respond, and percy only laughs a little.

the atmosphere was peaceful and quiet, but not in an awkward way. it was a pleasant silence. nevertheless, you still couldn't help but gaze at the dark-haired boy next to you, taking in his features. his cheeks were slightly rosy, indicative of the chilly weather, and the reflection of stars in his eyes was captivating. you could stare at him forever.

yeah, a sky full of stars and you were staring at his eyes.

percy seemed to take notice of your gaze and quietly remarked, "you're staring." a smile spread across his lips as he looked down at you.

"you caught me." you admitted, putting your hands up in mock defense.

"yeah, well you you made it pretty obvious."

you swatted his chest playfully, but his smile only grew wider. now that you were "caught", you didn't try to hide your gaze anymore. a faint smile curved up your lips as you tenderly ran your finger along the bridge of his nose, playfully booping the tip. he scrunched his face and snickered quietly in response to your movement.

a warmth spread through your heart that could only be caused by hearing the sound of percy's laughter. his laughter, so genuine and carefree, was, as cliché as it sounds, like music to your ears. you know all too well the struggles and hardships he has faced, so seeing him so happy in this moment was truly heartwarming. his face lit up with pure joy, features softened and relaxed. his laughter, whether loud and throaty at a joke someone made, or soft and sleepy like right now, was infectious and you found yourself smiling along with him. his arms tightened around you in a lazy but needy embrace, a desperate attempt to bring you even closer to his body. in this moment, everything else faded away, leaving only the two of you wrapped up in each other's arms.

"damn, thought we were supposed to be stargazing." you comment, taking a quick glance at the stars before turning back to percy.

"oh, who cares about stars when i have you? you're a better sight, anyway." he replies, followed by a soft yawn but a surprising amount of energy peppering the side of your face with little kisses.

"tell that to Astraeus." you remark, and percy only rolls his eyes in response, clearly more interested in showering you with affection.

you continue to lie there with percy, your legs intertwined as he kisses your forehead every few minutes. no words need to be exchanged; just being together is enough.

you're aware that you should go back to your designated cabins before the harpies catch you, but the peacefulness of the night, combined with percy's embrace, is too good to leave so soon. the chirping of crickets and other night animals fill the air while the moon and stars shine particularly bright with a radiance that surrounds you both.

suddenly, percy breaks the silence, "i love you." "to the moon and back?" "to the moon and back."

a/n

kinda got carried away with this one and forgot i was writing about stargazing.. had to change the synopsis so it would make sense, work smarter not harder 💪💪

also in no world should writing dialogue be this hard.

xx val

[allmyloveandyours]

Astrology Observations 3!!!!

Hi I'm back again but these ones are kinda like straight up opinions. Take what resonates! I'm not a professional, if anything I'm a goofy fella who constantly asks to see peoples charts.

Virgo Midheaven creates a very detailed oriented person with an immaculate image. Everything they put out is out together well, their plans to be successful are insanely planned out, and I've never seen one look messy.

Mercury in your Suns element explain the things best to you.

Asteroid Actor (12238) conjunct Ascendant could mean people don't believe you when you're being honest/your sincerity comes off as fake.

Heavy Aquarius placements may love watching long commentary videos. Especially drama breakdown videos with Leo in the mix. I am a victim of this ✊😔

A lot of squares in a natal chart can make an extremely chill person. Whatever inner tension they have makes them oddly calm and forgiving of other people. Especially Sun squaring Mars and or Jupiter, it kinda feels like a cancellation happens where there should be anger. They also may get picked on a lot.

Moon in 10th and 11th house are popular placements for success. Whatever attention you get, your moon sign will tell you what people love about you. Jupiter also tells the same thing, but a less tame affect. Examples can be Moon in Pisces means that your very intuitive when it comes to your audience, and they vibe with you because of that. Jupiter in Pisces could have people going crazy for your intuitiveness and you could be able to gauge how you get attention the easiest.

The most accurate description of a rising sign I've seen is Virgo Rising having Resting Bitch Face. They also age SO well. The stars really balanced it out for them.

Mars in Libra can make a very passive person in relationships, and the house can talk about the problems. They may not want to speak up/will try to appease their partners. Like if the partner wants a cat and the Libra is deathly allergic, they'd rather get the cat than tell their partner there's an issue.

If you're feeling a little lost and need direction, looking at your Vesta could be a good place to start. Vesta represents your undying flame and your spark, so it can help jump-start your passions. Vesta in 5th can point to taking up more creative hobbies such as writing, acting, drawing, or maybe taking care of kids, 6th means starting with a healthy routine, helping others, or volunteering with animals, 1st is taking care of yourself and your appearance, and making even spicing things up a little. All of this is of course depending on the sign.

Cancer Midheavens are the best at being able to gauge audiences/coworkers reactions to things. Although it may seem strange, they're nice in positions of management. Strict enough to make you listen but nice enough to understand if you can't make deadlines/can sense if you're burnt out.

I feel like I can make a billion posts on Saturn since it's one of my favorite planets, but here's a favorite: I'm not sure who said it (it could've been multiple, if anyone knows who I'm talking about leave their @ in the replies) but your chart ruler in a house can show where you may excel, but also have problems based on what body part it rules. A good example for me is Saturn in 5th Gemini, and I have wrist joint/bone issues caused by excessive drawing and writing. I also get a lot of compliments for my jaw so win/win scenario. Another not me example is your rising being Sagittarius, with Jupiter in 6th house. You could be a joyous person when it comes to taking care of people/yourself, with a stable routine that's a bit too rigorous and you could end up hurting your thighs in some way like pulling your hamstring, or just having really thick thighs and contributing it to your routine. S/o to you for that

Uranus in retrograde can point to bad technology skills. Probably the type of person to go "I hate technology" one minute then continue to giggle at memes on Twitter the next. Especially in Aquarius.

Gemini Midheavens/Mars need to do multiple things at once. So like if you're a writer, you might be your publisher as well or your editor, or even make your own book cover. If you do YouTube you'll be your own editor and script writer. If you're an actor you may act and director, the list can go forever. But doing at least 2 things seems to stop the jumping from project to project some Geminis may feel creatively.

I like describing North Node and Vertex as The path you're drawn to (NN) vs What path you're gonna get dragged down (V). Like you can ignore your north node if you want but vertex will force you to deal with it. Like if you have North Node in 4nd but Vertex in 8th. You could ignore any homebody nature, ignore your roots and any family life, but you will be forced to go through transformations, deaths and rebirths whether you like it or not, or even notice it.

Pisces suns kinda flock together, I've never seen one by themselves.

Oppositions to Mars can tell you what makes you quick to anger even if you're not a hot headed person. Mars Opposite Venus could be that you get upset when people criticize your style, love life or appearance. Mars Opposite Sun could mean you don't like when people criticize you period, and it may be very ego based.

Chiron in 1st house may be sore losers, and they don't like looking stupid, especially with positive planets in 9th house. They may need to learn how to deal with showing a bit of that Chiron side in a healthy way, since the 1st house is the thing people see first.

Your descendant could be the moon sign/element you get the most, especially in love.

Squares/Opposites to Neptune can show what illusions you need to break in order to get closer to your intuitive nature. Neptune Square Pluto could mean you need to go through a full transformation and rebirth. Neptune opposite Mars means you may need to deal with bouts of anger, realigning your passions and directing your energy in the proper direction.

Mars in Scorpio are the calmest mars sign of them all. Nothing really ever phases them to be honest, regardless of the house.

ALRIGHT these ones were deadass just things I've noticed. Might be a week or so till I post another one, but let me know if there's any topics you think I should cover next besides the Chiron one I'm planning. See you next time :)

[giorno-plays-piano]

Metamorph

Part III

Pairing: art teacher!Aemond Targaryen x reader (Horror AU)

Warnings: dark!Aemond, obsessive behavior, murder, horror, yandere, kidnapping, misanthropy, general creepy stuff.

Words: 1.1k

Summary: Drawn to the artworks of one of the most esteemed artists in the city, you wish to learn from him and find out what inspires him to create his masterpieces. You have no idea how much his secrets will cost you.

Part I | Part II

____________

You clenched your fancy Kohinoor pencil between your fingers like it's a gun, staring at Aemond already posing in front of all of you. No procrastination, you reminded yourself firmly as you drew a long vertical line across the paper to balance the future drawing. Your teacher hadn't berated you for your mistakes even once. It'd be fine if you got this one wrong, too. Anything was better than an empty sheet.

God, but Aemond was so pretty. His high cheekbones, his strong nose and jaw, and those thin but expressive lips, the long scar across the left side of his face...

You quickly hid behind your easel.

Breathe. Just get out of your head, you repeated to yourself Aemond's very words. You needed to get started, and whatever happened next didn't matter as long as you allowed yourself to draw whatever came to your mind. Explanations and logic be damned. You were an artist! At these rare moments, you were supposed to feel, not think.

Slowly inhaling and exhaling to keep your anxiety at bay, you uncleched the pencil in your fingers and slowly started shaping the figure on a sheet. It's fine. Aemond wouldn't get mad anyway as long as you did what he said.

The more you put your pencil to the sheet, the easier it was getting, something unfurling in your chest, putting a stop to your anxious thoughts and fears of failure as you continued to build Aemond's body, starting to get into details once you finished with the primary form. Regardless of his talent and uniqueness as an artist, he was still only a fellow human being like you. There was no need to magnify his power.

By the time Aemond walked over to you, you were almost finished with the painting, landing the last strokes to color the palms of the man on the sheet. It was that very red paint you had been mooning over for many months, complimenting its unusual vibrant color and a pleasant consistency. It was hard to believe you were now using it for your own artwork, but time was running out, and you didn't have a spare moment to be drooling over the paint.

"What do we have here?" The artist hummed, making you jump in your seat. How on Earth did he manage to walk so quietly in a room full of tables, chairs, and people?

Trying to focus on his question, you suddenly realized you had no clue how to present your idea to the teacher. Did you even draw what he had asked you to? What was that, not changing the silhouette and using mainly paint to express yourself or something?

You felt the beads of sweat promptly forming on your forehead as you clenched your jaw.

"You've been improving," Aemond told you, eye on the drawing as he tilted his head to the side. "Body proportions seem right, and I like the way you shaped the arms and legs. You had difficulties with them before."

Oh, really? You surely had problems drawing arms, but you didn't notice you were becoming better. A pleasant surprise. Not that one wouldn't expect to improve after taking lessons from the most esteemed artist in the city.

"Why did you paint the head and hands in red?"

Oh, crap. Why did you? You frantically searched for an answer other than "no idea, Sir, I think my subconsciousness just took over my body." Shifting in your seat uncomfortably, you looked up to Aemond bent over, intently studying your artwork.

Cautiously, you muttered, "I-I think every change starts from the head, Sir."

Would that qualify for an answer? But Aemond quickly directed his gaze at you and demanded, "And hands?"

Biting your poor lip that no amont of lip balm was going to save after today's lesson, you mumbled, "Hands are the tool that make the change happen, Sir."

"Very logical, yes. Now, forget about trying to give me a logical answer and tell me what you felt when you were drawing this. Tell me about the paint."

He bent over even closer to you, practically breathing into your face, and you almost lost the ability to produce any adequate sounds. Your teacher clearly saw through your bullshit, and the thought that he was upset or even mad at you made you feel miserable.

"It's a metamorph, Sir," you whispered, one step closer to having a panic attack and hoping no student in the room was listening to your rambling, "and red is a color of life. Of change."

Aemond cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at you. "Why do you think red is the color of change? Is it because the change scares you?"

"It's not the change itself that scares me. It's what the metamorph is becoming, Sir," you uttered in a small voice and then added even quieter, praying only Aemond could hear you, "I think- I think he's turning into something violent, Sir. Something terrifying."

It took you a second to recognize what you've just said and what reaction it has provoked.

All of a sudden, you were staring in the face of Aemond Targaryen with his thin lips stretched so wide in a smile that it was even a little creepy. Was he... content? Did he want to laugh at your silly attempt to explain your feelings when you'd been drawing? You wouldn't even be offended, to be fair. It sounded like nonsense to you, too.

But no, he didn't seem to find it funny. Instead, you felt his palm squeezing your shoulder firmly, his smile unwavering as he spoke to you in a hushed voice the way you'd been answering to him, "Very good. My favorite artwork today so far."

As he got up, moving to the next student on your left, you were ready to jump and run away from the studio because, clearly, you were going to burst from the excess of feelings and anxiety in the next five seconds. Your teacher said it was his favorite painting today. This banal, lacking in originality in its every aspect thing was his favorite. When blood rushed to your head, making you sweat and feel disoriented, you clutched the brush between your fingers, squeezing your eyes shut.

Aemond Targaryen liked your painting. Despite being the very inspiration for the beautiful but horrifying metamorph, he actually had some sort of fondness for it because later, before you left, he actually asked you to allow him to keep the artwork for his own collection. Why did he like it so much? You had no idea.

_________

Tags: @heavenly1927 @yazzzmints @devils-blackrose @lost-and-founds @kennafild @toodlesxcuddles @shygardengalaxy

[thesithdiaries]

In The Shadows (Harwin Strong imagine)

In The Shadows (Harwin Strong imagine)

Pairing: Harwin Strong x second-born female Targaryen!reader

Requested: yes, by @astraljedi

Warnings: just overall mutual pining, spoilers for the first episode of hotd, being followed by a drunk man

-

Y/N was the second daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma. Life in King’s Landing was never dull, in fact, it was always chaotic. Before their mother’s passing, her older sister, Rhaenyra was always trying to find new things to do. Riding dragons was fun but she needed other things to bond with her sister. Therefore, they started learning more about their home. Secret passages, hidden places, ways to sneak out undetected. Their uncle, Daemon, was more than willing to share the information. Y/N had a way with words and knew exactly what to say to get him to agree, even though he was going to tell them regardless. He has never denied them anything.

As the attention fell on Rhaenyra for being named heir after Aemma's and Baelon’s death, Y/N was pleased to do what she desired. It stung, at first, but she knew that being second in line meant that her chances were minimum. To spare her future grief, Viserys had mentioned marriage quite a few times, but Y/N always paid no mind to his suggestions. There was no need to make haste, she was content with her life at that moment.

For this particular reason, Y/N loved leaving the Keep at night to be by herself, away from the whispers from the court. Most of the time, she walked around the city, hiding in the shadows to stay away from the men of the City Watch.

It was a noisy night, like usual. Y/N had decided to watch a play. In all honesty, it did describe what happened behind the walls of the Keep well. It was tasteless at times, but she thought it was best for the people to learn about it this way.

The play was describing the issue of who was the rightful heir, Y/N tried to concentrate and try to have fun, but she felt someone staring at her. It made her feel uneasy, maybe it was nothing. Minutes later, the feeling did not fade. Her heart started beating uncontrollably when she turned her head slowly and saw a man staring at her. Without drawing too much attention to herself, she managed to slip away from that area. The man noticed, the drunken fog had not settled entirely. 

Y/N ran for her life. The man was not letting up, he was determined. As she was looking back, she bumped into a hard, cold chest. Strong hands grabbed her forearms, preventing her from losing her balance. 

“And what are you running from, girl?” A deep voice asked. Y/N stood frozen, she knew that voice. Keeping her head down, she tried to shake free from his grasp to no avail. He was not letting go. “Enough. Tell me why you were running.”

There was no doubt in her mind that the drunken man caught up to her. Feeling defeated, Y/N looked up. It was Ser Harwin Strong. He was appalled.

“Princess," he breathed out, “What are you doing beyond the walls of the Keep?” Y/N shook her head, finally looking behind her. They were the only ones standing in the dark alley, it did not stop the panic from bubbling inside her. Harwin seemed to catch on, quickly moving her to another private area. The air felt tense, Harwin was breathing heavily, trying to stop himself from losing his temper. “Princess…," he started, taking a deep breath. “It is dangerous for you to be out so late, especially without protection. If I had not been here, someone could have hurt you.”

Y/N was quiet, arms wrapped around herself. She truly felt disappointed that she got caught but relieved that it was him and not someone else.

“I am escorting you back to the Keep,” he declared, extending his arm to let her walk first. However, she did not move. “Princess, please.”

“No,” Y/N hissed. “I am not going back with you.” 

Harwin was aghast. “You need to be in the Keep, it is not safe here,” he desperately repeated. 

“I have been doing this for many moons, Ser Harwin, I do not need your help. I know what I am doing and where I am going.” The Princess was looking straight at him, serious. “Continue to do your duties and leave me be.” He opened his mouth to ask her, once again, to go with him but she spoke first. “I order you to leave me alone, at once.”

Harwin wanted to disobey. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back, yet he decided against it. “As you wish,” he muttered in defeat, finally walking away.

-

There was a knock on her door the following morning. Y/N felt a fluttering in her stomach. Excitement, perhaps? 

“Come” she called out.

Standing up from her dressing table, she peeked towards the door to see who walked in. The fluttering intensified. It was him.

“Ser Harwin, what a pleasure,” Y/N smiled, walking towards him. “Is there something you need?”

“We need to talk,” he grunted, partially annoyed by her cheeky attitude.

“We do?” She replied, laughing softly. Harwin scoffed, now he was mad.

“Yes, we do!” He cut the distance between him, standing close to her body. Y/N’s breath caught in her throat. Gods be good, he’s so handsome. “What you did last night was unacceptable and you cannot do it again.”

Y/N cocked her head to the side, grinning. “If I am not mistaken, you have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do.”

“Princess, you need to understand the severity of what you do,” Harwin begged. “Why must you be so stubborn!”

“Because I do what I want, whenever I want”

Harwin took off his helmet, throwing it on the chair. He grabbed Y/N’s chin, pulling her face closer to his. Her eyes widened, what is he doing? “Stay in the Keep.”

“No.”

He let go of her face and moved away, running his hands through his soft hair. “You are aggravating!” He growled. “For once, listen to me!”

Y/N sat down, placing her feet on the table, looking unbothered. “No.”

“Then let me be your escort if you desire to go out at night," Harwin cried out. 

Y/N sighed loudly. “I will consider it.”

-

She did not consider it in the slightest.

Two days passed and she left the Keep again. 

Y/N was occupied while buying from different merchants. Many trinkets to use as gifts for her family. It was going well until she felt it. Someone was staring.

After saying her farewells to the kind couple she bought from and promising to return, she walked towards an alley and waited. 

A short minute later, a tall, brooding silhouette approached her.

“You just do not want to lose, Ser Harwin.” Deep down in her heart, Y/N was glad he was there.

“I am just doing my job, Princess. My job is to keep you safe," he reminded her while taking off his helmet. “I knew you did not consider my proposal to be your escort.” And he also knew she would try to sneak out. Harwin waited for her to make her escape and followed her from a safe distance. The thought of the Princess leaving by herself was not to his liking.

Y/N placed her bag on top of a barrel. “Enough of this.”

She grabbed his armor softly and pulled him towards her, finally kissing him. Harwin was startled for a second before he relaxed, bringing her closer to his body. His lips were surprisingly soft and he tasted of wine. His hands were holding her face. It was glorious.

They eventually pulled apart, resting their foreheads together. The alley was quiet, the only sound was their breathing. The Princess smiled, making Harwin's heart flutter.

“Now will you let me escort you?”

“No.”

She giggled when she felt Harwin push her against a wall, kissing her again. If this is what would happen every time they left the Keep together, then she might just say yes to his proposal.

[catcas22]

Literally Dreaming About the DLC

Had a disturbingly vivid dream about an Elden Ring sidequest, and decided to share it 1) to exorcise it from my mind 2) because there might be some potential here?

Content warning for implied dead kids.

Starts out galloping around Liurnia at night, on the lake just north of the Moonlight Altar. Hereabouts, I think:

Tarnished spots a large cluster of spectral animals ahead and investigates. In the center of the herd is a spectral dragon-hybrid, childlike but in a Ghost of Christmas Past sort of way.

The spirit appears morose and rather confused about her current state. When questioned, she drops a few poetically ominous lines about cold and dark, then mentions the name "The Hunter Michigain" [sic] before she clams up.

Tarnished goes to ask her buddy Kalé if he's heard any local gossip about this guy. Kalé explains that Michigain is a madman worshipping some kind of cold-affiliated entity. He sacrifices to said entity by kidnapping small children and leaving them down an abandoned mine to die of hypothermia (What the hell, my subconscious? I think I might have been drawing on SCP-4666 a bit).

Kalé then proceeds to recount an absolutely harrowing tale of how years ago, his three-year-old nephew was taken by Michigain. Against all counsel, Kalé's brother tried to go after the kid. Michigain broke the poor guy's legs and left him a few levels down the mine, close enough to the surface that those above could hear his agonized pleas for help. Kalé finally breaks and arms up to go spring the obvious trap.

Present day, Kalé recounts that he didn't get his brother or his nephew back, just a leg so mangled he can still barely walk on it. Kalé began the story trying to dissuade us from tangling with Michigain, but by the end of it he's ready for round two now that he has the Tarnished for extra muscle.

Kalé directs us to a set of ruins high on the Moonlight Altar, where we find the entrance to Michigain's mine. It's an absolutely hellish platforming puzzle, where we have to drop down level by level through the entire depth of the plateau, balancing on rickety mineshaft scaffolding while Michigain shoots at us with a gatling crossbow and his goons try to run along the rafters and tackle us off.

Thankfully, there are no visible dead kids, no environment-hazard live kids that we have to avoid friendly-firing, and no kids attacking us for whatever reason. There is, however, an omnipresent sound of sniffling and whimpering, always sounding as if it's just around the corner, sometimes louder, sometimes softer.

Kalé is with us. He moves at like 0.2 miles per hour due to the bad leg, and he'll die in a hurry if you leave him behind. But if you stick with him and draw fire, he's got a big hatchet and a box-fed dart gun, and he's quite effective at sniping the cultist highwaymen as they try to rush you.

Michigain looks like a sort of evil coureur des bois, wrapped up in layers of snow-dusted leather and fur. We never see his face. He never says a word. He fights with the aforementioned gatling crossbow, then switches to a pickaxe when we get close.

Before we fight him, we get a miniboss in the form of his two dragon-hybrid henchmen, both notably bigger and older than the spirit who initially tipped us off.

We finally face Michigain at the lowest level of the mine. The sounds of weeping children are loudest here. If we spoke to Ranni after triggering the quest and informed her of what was happening on her land, she shows up halfway through the fight the way Yura does for the Nerijus fight. She gives a monologue to the tune of "You merely adopted the dark, I was born into it" that I dearly wish I could remember verbatim, then wrecks the guy with Ranni's Dark Moon.

It was only in the process of writing this all out that I realized the two dragon-hybrids are definitely the specter child's parents, who sacrificed their own daughter for the sake of Michigain's cult.

[rs-hawk]

Kinkmas: Day Eight

Winter Solstice

Your Witch Girlfriend always tries to invite you to her witchy stuff, but honestly, you just end up blowing her off or tagging along with her, bored out of your mind. You barely even pay attention when you go. However, this time she begs for months for you to come with her to her family’s Winter Solstice celebration. You hem and haw, but ultimately agree. After all, she’s swallowing her beliefs to come with you to your family’s Christmas. Can you really deny her this?

She is buzzing with excitement when she drives you to her family’s remote home, nestled deep in the forest. You always have an on edge feeling that creeps up your back, curling around your spine, whenever you come here. It doesn’t matter the time of year. This time though, it seems intensified. All you can do is try to brush it off.

Her parents greet you warmly, as does her brother. Just like always. After you put your things away, you both join the group at the dining room table. You’re told about the plans for the next day. Apparently their favorite activity is going to the small pond out back and cleansing it under the moonlight. You pause, staring at the crescent moon.

“Don’t you usually do this under full moon light?” you ask your girlfriend in a hushed tone.

She nods in agreement, then explains that it will be cleansed again at the Cold Moon, but this is a common practice, even if it doesn’t always necessarily work. It’s just a custom. You smile in understanding and go back to following her mother’s directions. Once the cleansing is done, her parents and brother head back inside. Just as you’re about to follow them, your girlfriend stops you.

“There’s one more thing we have to do since you’re a new comer,” your girlfriend explains as she sits on the grassy bank. You sit down beside her. “You have to bare yourself to the Moon with me.”

You frown, pinching your brows together. “This just sounds like an excuse for outdoor sex,” you say bluntly, trying to gauge if she’s serious.

She bites her lip as she places her hand on your thigh. “I know it sounds silly, but I promise I mean it. It’s to help draw you into the ceremony personally.”

You frown and pick at the grass beside you. “Well, okay I guess.”

She leans in and kisses you. It instantly relieves all your worries. You dot her lips in kisses before she grabs your face, kissing you deeply. Before you know it, you’re laying on your back, with her kissing down your neck. You groan slightly as she begins to undo your shirt, the cool air stinging your skin. However, when she reaches your jeans, beginning to undo them, you do feel like the moonlight is a bit warmer.

A sigh slips out of your lips as she kisses from one hip to the other, before slipping a finger into your needy hole. You whine as she pumps in and out of you before latching onto your clit, sucking and licking at it, drawing an orgasm out of you.

As you clench and tighten around her fingers, whining out her name, the cool air makes goosebumps spring up on your skin. She slowly stops before removing her pants, grinding against your face. You grab her hips, drawing her closer to you to get your tongue deeper inside of her, curling and twisting it inside of her.

She moans, grinding harder against your face. You hold onto her with one arm and use your other hand to play with and circle her clit, feeling it start to throb as she tells you how good it feels. It doesn’t take long for her to cum on your face, but you don’t let her off that easy. You draw another from her pretty little body, having to hold her tight when she tries to move.

“You’re awful,” she groans as she tightens around your tongue again, acting like she’s going to lose her balance.

You just chuckle as she finally comes down off of it, and let her lay herself down beside you. “You started it.”

She just giggled, cuddling closer to you in the light of the moon, basking in the light of the winter solstice.

[arcadekitten]

Hi Arcadekitten!!! I recently played ‘Sweet No Death’ and I absolutely LOVED it!!! The art was amazing, and It was like a perfect balance of cuteness and horror, and was also kinda…. Deep, in a way? Anyhow, I really enjoyed it :) and Ruuuby was my favorite <3

I have a few questions and headcanons about the game, as well! May I ask you some questions, please?

1) Does Stella like Lambchop back? Or rather… CAN she like him back? In the game it doesn’t seem that she had any sort of attraction to him whatsoever, but is the potential there? Their relationship is complicated, but it’s also really cute in a way :)

2) Where did Stella come from? We know that she arrived on a shooting star, but is there a chance that she came from the original Noisrevverse (did I spell it right? Idk) as well? If so, I have a lot of theories…

3) How did Stella obtain her god-savior complex, anyways? Was she always like this, or did some event in her past that made her this way? Also, how did she get so powerful? Stella is arguably the most powerful Noisrevian (again, did I spell it right?) by far… was she just naturally that powerful or did she have to work her way up to be?

4) Why was Lambchop the only one to gain self-awareness while the others were just… blind? I know that you said he became ‘disillusioned…’ but why was he the only one who thought “Hey, this is kinda freaky??? What the heck???” While no one else did? Is there some kind of symbolism in this, or…

5) Okay, this is technically not a question and more of an observation, but while I was playing Sweet No Death I kept drawing parallels to Venna the Witch from your other game, Crowscare. Her extreme power and controlling, manipulative nature resembling Stella’s, and her love for blood and meat resembling Lambchop’s. Also, the true ending of Sweet No Death (where Stella covers the whole town in fake blood and guts) reminds me of the Blood Moon ending in Crowscare… not to mention the whole ‘shaping the world into my own image’ thing that they both have going on… Was this intentional? If so, that’s pretty cool! :)

6) Relating to the last question, would Venna, Stella and Lambchop ever get along if they met? I personally feel that Stella and Venna would make an unlikely, but close friendship (Opposites attract, but platonicly!) trading potion recipes, talking about their plans for world domination, things like that… though Stella may have to restrain Venna from murdering her friends 😅 As for Lambchop… well, I’ll leave that up to you!

7)And finally… why DOES Lambchop still love Stella, anyways? Hmm….🤔

Thank you so much for reading my questions (even though idk if you’ll actually answer ‘em… I don’t blame you, lol. It is A LOT.) and once again, thank you for creating such an awesome game!! I look forward to playing more of your awesome games as well! :D Have a good day/night/whatever time zone you’re in rn :)

I'm so happy to hear you like it, thank you so much!! ♡ I'll try to answer these to the best of my ability!!

I'd say the potential is definitely there! She may already like him like that without even knowing it herself. I mean, look at the gifts in her room and how differently she describes Lambchop's gift from Ruuuby and Raj's. ---

I don't think she came from like any sort of "more proper Noisrev" or anything like that. She did come FROM the stars! Y'know how everyone says people are made of stardust? Well this girl is like, almost concentrated stardust, y'know? ---

Stella is naturally this powerful!! And if you have this kind of power, wouldn't you try to use it to help others? ---

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ---

Nothing intentional! Kinda just seems like natural similarities between their stories especially being the genre they are. ---

I mean, Stella might be able to get along talking about magic and whatever, but if she found out that Venna was an abusive mother I'm not sure if Stella would be able to stomach her a second longer. She already feels bad for what her friends are going through (even if she helps them after), I don't think she'd be comfortable with the idea of a child having gone through such traumatic experiences with no "out". Also I DEFINITELY wouldn't say that Stella is planning for "world domination". I think some of you villainize Stella a bit too much! Lambchop likes blood and gore. Enough said. ---

Why wouldn't he love Stella? She's a dreamboat! She's adorable! But for real, while Stella is very adorable, Lambchop loves Stella because she makes him feel alive.

[cuubism]

Dreaming attacked?

literally just a shameless excuse to write cool battle scenes ™, or, 'how many ways can dream use the dreaming itself as a weapon to fight off invaders without ever drawing an actual weapon'

--

He makes his way towards Dream, determined to stay by him so he has someone at his back, even if that someone is Hob, whose powers here are meager in comparison to Dream’s.

He finds creatures in the snow and slaughters them, all of his sword work from decades past coming back to him. They come at him with fangs and claws and tails bristling with spines, but Hob isn’t afraid. His desperation to keep Dream safe is far more powerful than that.

Irrational, to want to keep Dream safe in the Dreaming. But he feels it all the same.

“This is my realm,” he hears Dream growl from somewhere in the storm, voice reverberating despite the howling wind. “It bends to my wishes. But you? Let us see how you like the dark.”

And he turns off the sun.

The Dreaming is plunged into absolute, pure darkness the likes of which Hob has never seen. There’s no moon, no stars. Hob blinks and throws his hands out, trying to balance.

And then realizes…

He can see.

Somehow. Not with his eyes, quite. But with some kind of direction at the back of his head, like the Dreaming itself is guiding him. Neat, that. Also quite likely to drive him mad if it lasts for any amount of time.

He follows the direction of Dream’s voice and finally gets close enough to see him again. There are still so many damn creatures, where are they even coming from? They are blundering now, in the dark, but must have other senses for they’re still managing to, eventually, turn for Dream. Hob watches him turn the ground beneath a group of them into quicksand. They scream and flail as they sink.

“Do you not tire?” Dream asks, idly. “Do you not relent? That is disappointing, for I tire. Of gravity, in particular.”

The realm turns upside down.

[raayllum]

Ezran didn’t have to look up to see Callum at the entrance of his tent, the moonlight clinging to his frame the way it had ever since his brother had connected to the moon arcanum a good year ago, shortly after fleeing Umber Tor and before Aaravos’ release... A year. 

It felt like it’d been so much longer somehow, even if his voice still cracked.

“You should get some sleep, Ez,” Callum said, his voice hoarse but gentle. Hints of a bandage poked out under the armour they rarely took off, the knot neat and tidy; Rayla’s handiwork, then, as Callum placed a drink down in front of him and then took a look at his map.

It was one Callum had drawn, when the war map at the castle wouldn’t do and was hardly portable, and they needed ones of the surrounding areas. It was half the reason Callum went flying these days, scouting ahead to bring back reports and then sketch the landscape out. He studied the last piece Ezran had moved, a square one with the sigil of Katolis on it.

“You’re sure you want us by the river tomorrow?” he asked, contemplative.

“Well what do you suggest?” Ezran snapped, and then took a breath, steadying himself. “Sorry, I just...” 

Callum’s hand landed, a warm and comforting weight on his shoulder, unlike the crown at his brow. “It’s fine. You’ve eaten recently?”

“Corvus brought something over earlier.” Ezran rubbed his palm into his eyes, numbers in his head. 500 men for every flagstone piece. Fifteen—no, thirteen, they’d lost two yesterday because of the mud slide and the cavern and stupid dark magic and—thirteen remaining. And they had to move camp tomorrow if they didn’t want to be blocked in on both sides. “What would you suggest instead of the river?”

“I was thinking going up the back end of the mountain, but that wouldn’t exactly provide a water source... Although I could probably spell us up some rainfall?”

“Oh. Right.” Ezran took the centre flagstone piece and dragged it along to the base of mountain. He sighed. “You were always better at this. Remembering battles and stuff. So was Dad. I don’t get why...” He cast a look to the abandoned chess game he’d given up on that afternoon, too frustrated by playing as his own opponent and tormented trying to figure out why Aaravos insisted on the boy king being his.  “Why me?”

“Who knows how he thinks?” Callum muttered darkly, even if Ezran knew that Callum knew more of Aaravos’ mind than his brother wanted to. He let loose his own sigh. “You’re the king. I’m your general. And more than that, you’re my brother. I trust you. Harrow—Dad didn’t always have answers, either. But he relied on the people around him. You’re not like Aaravos, Ez—you’re not alone. I promise.”

Callum removed off his crown, setting it aside on the table before kissing his forehead, and shooing him off the cot in the corner while Callum oversaw the map and jotted down notes in the back of his spellbook. Ezran laid there and wondered how many would (hopefully) match his own in when they went over it in the morning. If Callum would likewise agree he had to be deployed away to lead some troops in the most dangerous part of the mountain range, and risk life and limb like a general, not a brother, would. 

He turned away from the pointed ceiling of fabric, shifting to lay more comfortably on his side—his gaze unintentionally falling to the half-finished chess game. A new lump formed unbidden in his throat.

No, he wasn’t alone—surrounded by friends Aaravos was forcing him to treat as pawns. Ezran swallowed hard, thinking of the last choice he’d made on the night of his coronation, when Lady Justice had forced him to choose—and he’d chosen all three, determined to see humanity in all, to balance the scales, to not too hastily draw his sword.

Justice cannot be denied.

But perhaps there was no justice in war—just winners and losers—and that was the most unfair thing of all.

[starlitcorgi]

AU Where Instead Of Being Sukuna's Vessel, Yuji Itadori is Akaza's Vessel.

*POSSIBLE MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD*

Akaza's main goal is to hone his fighting skills to become the strongest. This comes from a deep desire to protect the people most important to him (his mentor and his fiancée). So instead of working against Yuji, Akaza would work with him so long as he committed to continuously improving his martial arts.

Akaza like Yuji can be extremely principled he refuses to kill women and despises Douma because he only kills beautiful women. He also recognises the skills and strengths of his opponents. He gave Rengoku multiple opportunities to live as a demon because he didn't want to kill him and lose his fighting spirit and prowess. Akaza's morality is warped because of his demon nature. Yuji would help Akaza to reconnect to his humanity balancing it against his demon instincts.

Both Yuji and Akaza would find Mahito repulsive, they would be unified in that, because Mahito will corrupt anyone's soul. He's a bigger sociopath than Douma. It would be epic to see Yuji incarnated as Akaza with his fist speared through Mahito's chest. Mahito's soul clenched in the first protruding from his back (I seriously want to learn to draw just to draw this, that's my 2024 resolution)

Yuji would have a powerful ally and friend and anyone who is important to Yuji would become important to Akaza. I think Akaza would be as protective over Yuji as Choso is. Like Akaza has one of the saddest back stories in Demon Slayer. It would be so great if he got a second chance to live a better life like his father wanted and found a place where he belonged.

Plus where Yuji really looks up to Gojo I think Akaza's opinion would line up with Megumi's. They could have little bitching sessions in the corner while Yuji indulges Gojo's crazy Antics. He'd probably end up being bag carrier in chief for Nobarra because even though such a task is beneath an upper moon demon he can't fight his chivalrous nature.

Maki would constantly be asking to Spar, Yuji would get really excited and a little flattered. Then she'd burst his little bubble and inform him she actually means she wants to spar with Akaza. Of course the others would find this hilarious though Yuta would probably feel a little bad for Yuji and give him a supportive pat on the back.

Akaza and Todo would absolutely get on because Todo shares his goal of constantly honing and improving his strength. Todo also helps Yuji to better understand cursed energy and helps him to achieve his first Black Flash. Though he'd probably constantly remind Todo that he has a fiancée every time he tries to show him videos and pictures of Takada Chan.

Akaza would definitely want to knock Gojo down a peg or two. He absolutely would hate to be seen as weaker than Gojo (probably similarly to how he feels about Kokoshibo) Yuji would constantly have to hold him back from trying to surprise attack his Sensei.

His Curse Technique Would be his Death Compass Needle Destructive Death. Probably his Domain Expansion would be Demon Dojo. Most importantly he would want to achieve greater strength through his and Yuji's own endeavours. Meaning he would not covet Megumi's 10 Shadows technique. Though he would recognise Megumi's strength and skill and want to train together constantly to improve. Gojo would probably be insanely jealous that Megumi would listen to Akaza's instruction over his precious Sensei's. Which would make Akaza very smug and Yuji would probably have to comfort his Sensei's hurt ego.

Finally he would absolutely hate Kenjaku probably more than Mahito because Akaza hates cowards. He would absolutely see Kenjaku as a parasitic coward who steals the bodies and cursed techniques of others. He would hate what Kenjaku did to Yuji, he would absolutely seek to destroy him. Yuji seeing Choso as his brother means Akaza would too. As we know because of what was done to his fiancée he can't stand those who harm women. Knowing what Kenjaku did to Choso's mother and brothers would be enraging to him. He would at least want to help Yuta kill Kenjaku to seek justice for Yuji and Choso.

[ornii]

Adora x Male reader?

I suppose you mean Adora from She-Ra, Princess of Power? Still a great suggestion. The only thing I’d ask is to be a tiny bit more descriptive. Besides that—

Training to be better

Adora (She-Ra) X Male Reader

Note: Muscle Girls Are the best thing like, Ever.

The Grounds of Bright moon were a perfect training ground for the Warriors and Princesses in order to hone their skills for combat against the engrossing evil that arose in the past years. Whist (Y/n)’s Training wasn’t particularly complicated it was not a walk in the park and he took his position as captain of the Guard very seriously. When it came to training recruits he could make a man out of them, but that was before he came in contact with, Adora.

(Y/n) stood at a clearing near the bottom of the village past the castle, tapping his foot. His palm rested on the hilt of his sword. He was waiting Adora who was late, again. He let out a weary sigh and then caught a glimpse of someone approaching from the horizon. Adora finally made it panting.

“Sorry! Sorry! Had… To save.. Baby Birds..” she says through bated breath. (Y/n) raises an eyebrow but ignores the questions he had.

“Alright, anyway since you’re finally on time, we can start the basic training. Now have you used a sword before?” He said. Adora scratches her head.

“Well, Horde training was mostly using combat rifles, drill training and other stuff but.. no. Not swords.” She admits sheepishly, (Y/n) shook his head and points at her sword.

“Alright, raise your blade.” He says, and Adora does.

“First things first, I’ll teach you the basics, and the first thing you learn about a sword is a sword stance. They’re the forms made to be the most effective and efficient in sword combat, here.” He says, he grabs his sword with both handles and raises it upward at a slight angle. He kept his hands near his pelvis and the blade angles outward.

“This is the close stance, a basic form for dealing with quick blocking and counters. Keeping your sword close to your body gives you more control on how it reacts. See?” He begins to deflect, raising his blade. Now you try it.” He says, Adora performs the Close stance without much failure.

“Is this right?” She asks, he walks up to her and around behind her, his hands grasp her waist and a slight “eep!” Creeps from behind her, his foot nudges hers apart more.

“Keep your feet spread more, gives you more balance to block attacks. His palms slide forward and grasp her waist and tilts the sword back to where it’s close to Adoras face.

“Now this is your guard stance.” He says and walks back to face her, “This will be your best friend, and it’ll keep you from getting your face chopped off, which is kinda important.

“Okay? But why would I need to do this when I can just use She-Ra?” She says.

“Because you can’t rely on She-Ra all the time, plus I’m sure she’s not even that strong.” He says.

“You’ve never even seen her fight though…” Adora says under her breath slightly.

“Well, how strong can she really be?” He says, and Adora’s grin creeps along her face, she aims her blade upward and calls upon its power.

“For the Honor of GraySkull!”

In a blinding flash of light (Y/n) had to put his hands up and sharply close his eyes. With the light finally gone, he looks back.

“Okay cute little Skill but it—“ he begins but his voice croaks at the sight, Adora has turned into a tall, strapping and burly woman with long flowing golden hair, a white suit of combat armor. She jams her blade into the ground and flexes her muscles. (Y/n) was at a loss for words seeing this Chiseled, perfect Goddess before him.

“Like what you see?” She asks Leering with a smirk and (Y/n) snaps out of his trance.

“Okay “She-Ra” let’s see this new power you have.” (Y/n) said, She-Ra picks up her blade and he draws his in the low stance, the blade low to the ground, he rushes at her and goes for an upward swing, the blades collide and it felt like he just hit a Boulder. He stumbles back from the recoil and She-Ra just shrugs at his advance. He turns to the high stance, his blade raised over his head and he charges in for more swings. But each swing was perfectly blocked by the Princess of Power. She’s yawning, Yawning at his attacks! Getting more frustrated, (Y/n) swings with even more force, sparks emit and he spins, he changes stances mid spin to go for a stab, almost in instinct She-Ra side steps the stab and extends her plam and roughly jam it into his chest, the impact sends him spiraling. He flies back and crashes back first into a tree, collapsing down.

“So, how’s that for Power?” She Said, she waited but to hear no response, worry began to wash over She-Ra, afraid she just murdered someone and she quickly ran over, calling your name. The wind had been absolutely blown from your body. Causing you to faint from the shock of the impact, you slowly awaken as Adora was back, frantically shaking you.

“(Y/n)! (Y/n) please wake up! I’m sorry I should’ve listened to you! Please just—“

“You can stop shaking me.” You say Pretty calmly, you take a few deep breaths to catch yourself, but it helped little as she hugged you so ferociously, afraid she’s lost someone again.

“Woah! You can stop crying, it’s unbefitting of a Princess to cry.” He says, she slowly stops but doesn’t release you from her hug.

“I thought I lost you, I should have been more careful I… I’m sorry.” She said from the muffles of your shirt. You gently pat her back, reassuring her of your safety.

“It’s fine, im Fine.. Trust me, that’s the last time I’ll question She-Ara.”

She lets go of you and wipes the tears, standing up she offers you a hand and you gladly accept it, standing up you call your training quits for today, but this was the first step, the first step in the right direction.

[sorp-trrmasterlist]

Chasing the Moon, Chapter Two: Finding Her Place

Book: The Royal Romance

Words: 2,550

Rating: Chapter PG-13, Series is Mature

Summary: AU to The Royal Romance where Olivia and Drake were involved before the social season. What would happen when the newcomer from New York arrives in Cordonia and upsets the balance of old friendships and old love?

Olivia was disappointed Drake had not found his way to her room last night. But it was the social season now, and reluctant as she was to admit it, she did need to act like she wanted it.

Olivia thought back to the bonfire a few weeks ago. She sat beside Drake, his arm wrapped around her holding her close. Liam sat with his legs outstretched, silently sipping on scotch. Even Maxwell was quietly sitting cross-legged on the ground. This was the beginning of the end for their group. Liam would become king and was about to choose his future wife. But it wasn't just that. They were all changing.

Maxwell was struggling to maintain his fun-loving mask, and the group was becoming aware that something more was going on with him. Drake was still grieving the loss of his sister. In addition, the strain of their difference in position was becoming more significant as the years passed, creating an invisible divide between the friends. They sat, silently supporting one another knowing that things were soon coming to an end. They could no longer be the 'palace brats' the nickname given to their group by others at court. They needed to grow up and none of them were ready.

"So how are you holding up Li?" Drake asked.

Liam took a long swig of scotch straight from the bottle. 

"I've been better," he answered, trying to hide the burn of the liquor.

"This really sucks, Liam," Maxwell comforted.

Liam stood up pacing as he continued to drink his scotch. 

"I just wasn't prepared for this. Not now. I knew that I would eventually marry but I thought I would have time." He sat back down taking another draw of scotch. "Maybe I was naive, but I thought I would get the chance to fall in love." 

He looked down saddened and threw the remnants of the bottle into the fire, the alcohol causing a burst of flame. They all stood and moved over to Liam. Olivia sat next to him softly rubbing his back. 

Drake offered decisively, "I think we should talk about the social season. Li, you're going to be the king."

"Is it that obvious Drake?"

"Li, there are some fucked up bitches at court," Drake offered. 

Olivia agreed. "We have all met Cuntess Madeline!"

Drake continued. "If you don't find a suitor, I mean someone you truly like, someone that you think can handle the crown and make you happy… then I think you should choose Liv."

All three of them snapped their heads to Drake.

"Drake," Olivia started to protest but Drake stopped her.

"Listen Liv, this is forever for Liam. And it's not just finding a wife but running the country with him." 

Olivia stared at Drake, mouth agape.

"He has a point, Liv.” Liam interjected, “But, only if you're willing." She turned to Liam with tears in her eyes. "You would be an amazing queen, and we would all still be together. You and Drake could still be together, I mean." He shrugged sheepishly.

Maxwell agreed, "It might not be what you want right now Livvy, but Liam needs you....if he can't find someone better."

Olivia chuckled, swiping at the unshed tears.

"Gee thanks, Max."

"Come on, that's not what I meant, Livvy," Maxwell reassured her.

Liam reached out taking one hand and Drake took the other. 

"I know it's a lot to ask but I can't do this alone, Liv. I can't spend my life with someone I despise just because it looks good to the court. I hope maybe there will be someone that I develop feelings for and that can rule with me, but if not...." he looked up, his eyes meeting Olivia's as Drake rubbed soft circles on her hand.

Olivia turned to Drake.

"You would want this?"

Drake shrugged, "You guys are nobles. It's your duty to put the crown first, I get that. I'm not bound by that same obligation. You two may not find the kind of love you were hoping for but you could still have love in your marriage. That's a hell of a lot better than most nobles I know.”

Oliva looked down thinking. The problem for Olivia is that she had already found that sort of love and she was not sure she was willing to give it up. But they had a point. She couldn't leave Liam to the vultures at court. She looked back up meeting Liam's eyes. 

"Okay."

He smiled, "Really?"

She nodded "Yes. But for the record, I hope you can find someone you really love to rule beside you."

"I can't tell you how much this means to me, Liv, " he leaned over, placing a kiss on her cheek then pulling her in, hugging her tightly. He also pulled Drake into the hug and Maxwell joined too.

"Well, House Beaumont still does not have a suitor, so who knows, maybe we'll find the love of your life at the last minute and sponsor her in the social season."

They all laughed while opening a new bottle and sharing a drink.

Olivia pulled herself out of the memory and back to the present.  It was derby day and Olivia always loved going to the derby. She loved the fashion and prestige of it all while Drake loved the horses and the racing. It brought something raw and even more manly out of him and she felt her body tingling thinking about what it brought out in the bedroom the last time they went.

Typically their foursome occupied the royal tent, Olivia and Liam sipping on champagne and Drake and Max enjoying a cold beer. Olivia realized she would likely need to stay with the other suitors this time but she hoped to sneak a little alone time with Drake tonight.

Olivia went down to the boutique to choose her outfit for the derby. As far as Olivia was concerned a derby hat was a must. She chose a large floppy black hat and a white dress with sheer sleeves and white polka dots. It was derby perfection. She smiled at herself in the mirror as she caught a glimpse of Samantha behind her. She smirked, turning to her.

"I'm surprised to see you're still here."

"I'm not planning on going anywhere, no matter how bitchy you are to me, Duchess." She gave her an exaggerated bow as she turned to look over the dresses.

Huh, Olivia considered. She's got spunk even if she does lack class.

"Look, I know you've probably never been to one of these before but you really must dress the part. Hats are a must." She winked at her as she confidently strode out.

Upon arrival at the derby Olivia was guided through the throng of press answering questions eloquently, as always. She was the Duchess of Lythikos and the press and people had fallen in love with her over the years. She joined the suitors’ tent mingling with the other ladies but had not seen Drake or Liam since her arrival, assuming they were having a private party in Liam's tent.

Olivia excused herself to use the restroom and caught sight of Drake leading Lady Samantha over to Liam's tent. Her arm was wrapped through his and they were talking and laughing together. Olivia felt her smile drop as she watched them. They seemed to have an easy comfort despite only recently meeting.

Drake turned as he opened the tent for Samantha and caught sight of Olivia. He offered a quick wink as he entered the tent. Olivia turned on her heel heading for the restroom. She rested her hands on the counter leaning forward attempting to catch her breath. She hated admitting it to herself but she was jealous seeing them together. They even looked good together.  It was almost like they fit, both casual and athletic.

Olivia took a deep breath composing herself and exited the restroom. She started walking briskly back to the suitors' tent when she almost bumped directly into Drake holding three beers in his hands.

She looked down taking in the beer then looked away continuing her walk.

"Liv." She heard Drake call after, catching up to her a moment later. "What, you can't even say hello?"

She stopped turning to meet his eyes, blinking back the moisture. 

"You look busy entertaining other suitors."

Drake cocked his head. "Liv, she's in there for Liam. Don't be like that."

"Still, you two look pretty comfortable together."

Drake smirked. "Are you jealous Duchess?" Olivia rolled her eyes at him. He leaned in toward her. "Liv don't be like this. I'm trying to help out Liam. He asked me to watch out for her. The ladies of court have not exactly been welcoming," he raised his eyebrow knowingly.

"Whatever.  Go deliver your beers. I'll see you later."

"That you can count on," he winked at her as she made her way back to the tent for the race.

Olivia kept busy watching the race and socializing with the other suitors. Several started asking questions about where Lady Samantha was, but Olivia brushed it off, even providing excuses for her absence. ‘Bertrand is probably busy lecturing her about the picnic.”

After the race, she watched as Drake escorted Samantha back over to the suitors' tent. They were both smiling and laughing and she was casually resting her hand on his arm.

Olivia could not help but feel the green-eyed monster stir within her, especially as she watched Drake turn back for a second look as she walked away. His smile instantly fell as he met Olivia's eyes and offered her an uncomfortable wave.

Her heart thumping, Olivia turned and walked swiftly to her Rolls Royce to carry her to the picnic. Once in the privacy of her car, she allowed her feelings to surface.

How could things have changed so drastically in just a few days? Or maybe it had never been to Drake what it was to her. She wiped the moisture from her eyes and pulled out her makeup bag to quickly freshen up. She finished just as the car halted at the picnic. Olivia's driver opened the door for her as she gracefully exited, joining the procession of suitors waiting to greet Queen Regina. Olivia watched as Hana and Samantha joined the end of the line next to her. The two appeared to become fast friends. The Herald sounded and Queen Regina appeared accompanied by Madeline.

Olivia heard Hana and Samantha whispering about who the blonde was.

Olivia scoffed, "That's Cuntess Madeline. She was engaged to the former Crown Prince Leo but he dropped her as fast as he could once he abdicated. I suspect she's not done in her quest for the crown."

"What do you mean?" Hana asked naively.

"Just wait and see."

"Queen Regina" Olivia curtsied, "Maddie" she scoffed taking in the Countess.

"Why Duchess Olivia. Always a pleasure to see you,” the Queen greeted and then lowered her voice to a whisper. "You keep these ladies in line.”

Olivia grinned. "It's what I do best."

She continued down the line greeting Lady Hana and Samantha taking extra time grilling Samantha. It was already clear she was the favorite. The procession then moved over to the croquet field for the ceremonial game. Regina chose the Countess for her partner, officially announcing her as a contender and Liam chose Samantha.

Olivia couldn't help but notice how Liam's face lit up when he spoke to her. It was disgustingly adorable, she had to admit. Olivia made her way over to the refreshments tent when she felt his presence behind her and his breath on her ear.

"Meet me behind the tent?"

She nodded, immediately missing the heat from his body. She sipped her lemonade and then slipped around the tent to find Drake waiting for her. He grabbed her arm pulling her flush against his body. He smirked looking down at her brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.

"Liv," he leaned down, planting a soft kiss on her lips. She returned the kiss but then pulled away. Drake exhaled frustrated. "What is it Liv?"

She shrugged, "I'm not sure. Things are changing. It doesn't feel good."

Drake nodded. "We knew things would have to change with the social season, Liv."

"I know.  It's just not in the way I expected. Not with you."

"What do you mean?" He moved over to her, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. He saw the moisture there.

"Liv…" 

She pulled away.

"It's fine. I just...it's nothing." Olivia felt like a jealous schoolgirl. She shook it off and wrapped her arms around Drake's strong shoulders. He leaned down, capturing her lips, aggressively. Olivia moaned as he slipped his tongue into her mouth tasting her familiar taste. His strong hands roamed down her body pulling her in closer to him so she could feel the effect she was having on him. Olivia let out a soft moan.

"Hey, have you guys seen Sammie?" Maxwell's head peeked around the tent.

Drake and Olivia both turned to him scowling at his interruption.

"Okay. I'm gonna take that as a no.” He slipped back into the tent.

Olivia scoffed. "I swear I have never met a bigger cockblock than Maxwell Beaumont. It's like he has special radar or something."

Drake chuckled cupping her cheek in his hand. 

"Will we continue this later?" Olivia nodded as Drake gave her one more short but steamy kiss before slipping away.

Olivia took a moment to fix her lipstick and compose herself before heading back into the tent. She grabbed a glass of lemonade and walked into the sunlight on the lawn. Her eyes scanned the crowd spotting Liam, Samantha, Lady Hana, Maxwell, and Drake all sitting together chatting happily. She brushed off her feelings as Drake met her eyes giving her a soft smile. She returned it and walked over to Lady Penelope and Lady Kiara who were currently complaining about the Countess's return.

Later that evening Olivia waited in her room for Drake to stop by. She was wearing a red satin robe with nothing underneath. He was taking longer than expected and she found herself drawn to the balcony of her room, breathing in the salty Mediterranean air. She heard voices in the distance and laughter. She looked to see a group walking up the grounds. She made out Liam, Lady Hana, and Maxwell.  Then in the rear were Drake and Lady Samantha. Behind all of them was Bastien, who looked up to meet Olivia's watery gaze.

She pulled her robe tightly around her and entered her room. Olivia slumped onto her bed unable to stop the tears from flowing this time. She had spent most of her life as an integral part of a foursome of friends...the palace brats. But in a matter of days, she had been replaced. It wasn't just the feeling that she was losing Drake that upset her so much. It was no longer having a place, no longer being needed. Their tight-knit crew had changed, and she was no longer a part of it.

@twinkleallnight @kingliam2019 @alj4890 @tessa-liam @walkerdrakewalker @karahallowayalloway

[jenn-the-butterfly]

Next Chapter

Sun’s rays fluttered excitedly, even after his brother’s silhouette had disappeared into the treeline. Turning with a wide smile, he paused upon seeing the troubled look on Jenn’s face as she stared after Moon. It was gone in a blink however, a half-smile replacing the concern as she looked up to him, a playful quirk of her brow denoting amusement at his own excitement. “Come on, bright eyes,” she casually pointed over her shoulder with her thumb, “we got enough cleared off you can use some of the stuff now.”

Step-in-step, Sun tailed behind the human as she moved between the uncovered structures, tying her skirt up around her hips to keep it out of the way. While working, Sun had occupied his mind with trying to determine the use of each piece of equipment that seemed familiar to him, even vaguely. Many of the things Jenn used for her own fitness resembled the ones he and Moon used a long, long time ago–-

Was it that long? Sun asked himself as Jenn twisted the top of a hip-level, flat dais the size of a dinner plate, knocking loose a few vines that avoided the clippers. It sure feels like it. The estate had none of the things they’d used to hone their balance and flexibility; this feeling of recognition was from before then, in the murky days that he could barely recall as he came into himself under the guidance of his builders.

Moon was there, that much he knew, but the rest came and went in waves. If he tried to think too hard, he only got tired–-so many new faces had entered and left his memory since then, it was impossible to fully sort out if they were from before at the facility he was made in or simply the earliest of the visitors to the estate. Many of his strongest memories from then were of Moon and them forming their bond, but the rest…?

Silvon. The name jumped out at him like a rabbit breaking cover from a predator, almost startling him.

The magenta-eyed human that introduced them to that woman-–to Vissara.

Faintly, Sun hoped the well-dressed but cold human was well and hadn’t gotten in too much trouble because of them. It was hard to forget that gaze, even from a time when memories were still a bit blurry with age. Despite being stone-faced and emotionally distant, Silvon had been polite to them and taught them how to behave in the estate, giving them schedules and tasks to keep them out of trouble when they got too curious. Sun had every reason to like Silvon.

It was odd to him that he didn’t.

In fact, he felt nothing in regard to the magenta-eyed human. Not hate or love, he didn’t like or dislike Silvon in any regard. They simply existed in the estate as Vissara’s assistant, while Sun coexisted indifferently to them.

Weird, he concluded, having expected to feel one way or another. He had opinions about everyone he met, however briefly. Shrugging lightly, Sun chose to unpack his less-than-complex feelings later–-perhaps he should ask Moon what he felt about Silvon? That might sway him one way or another.

“These’ll probably help with your balance issue.” Jenn’s voice cut through the golden bot’s thoughts, drawing him back to the present. She’d climbed onto the small dais while he was distracted and stretched one leg out, her other wobbling slightly as she tried to keep poised on the disk as it twitched back and forth in an attempt to knock her off. “Just be prepared to kiss the grass in the meantime. They’re–”

Body jerking sharply as her ankle gave out, Jenn buckled. Hands up, Sun stepped forward, prepared to catch her–-swinging her other leg down, Jenn righted herself enough not to fall. The balancing plate still jerked and twitched at the slightest movement, but she fared much better on two legs.

“I really don’t want to fall on you,” she warned, eventually finding her equilibrium by holding her arms out.

“Well,” he replied, taking a half step back, “catching you would be better than kissing the ground, right?”

“Says the guy made of metal.”

“I’m softer than I look!”

A flicker of her brow dipping suspiciously–-Jenn swung her leg again, making the plate spin in place. As she came back to the front, her expression was back to normal; she nodded beside herself to the neighboring plate. “Go try one.”

Looking where she indicated, Sun could make out a handful of similar daises of varying sizes and heights scattered about the immediate area. Picking one next to his guide, he pulled himself up with a single stride, wobbling just a bit as the pivot slid around underfoot; crouching reflexively, the lanky bot held fast to the edges until it stopped moving. Slowly, he stood, weight bearing down on one leg while his system rapidly adjusted in the background to compensate for every minor change in equilibrium.

“Tall ass,” Jenn muttered in regard to the ease at which Sun could simply do things because of his build being lengthy and mostly leg.

“Huh?”

Staring at him as he found his footing, Jenn repeated, “Tall,” while pointing, a playful pout indicating she was teasing.

“Oh.” Looking down from his new spot, Sun rubbed his neck. “I am, aren’t I?”

“Just a lot. Lucky.”

Chuckling faintly at what he assumed was a compliment of some kind, Sun watched Jenn adjust her center of gravity before taking a wide step onto another spinning plate; it also twitched slightly, pulling her off balance and threatening to toss her to the ground. Thinking quick, the gold bot’s hand whipped out, grabbing onto her forearm. As he did, his own sense of balance twisted out from under him, forcing the lanky dancer to step against the edge of a different dais to keep himself from tumbling with her. It was for nothing, though, as Jenn had only wobbled a bit and recovered herself, face pinched in a look of pure confusion.

“Can I help you?” she wondered cautiously, staring him down with a bright glint in her eyes.

Squeaking, Sun let her go and stood upright, hands tucked to his collar protectively. “S-sorry! I thought you were going to fall!”

Blue stared down teal as Jenn studied him intensely for a moment, still confused but not commenting further as she placed her focus back on the collection of hazardous steps around them. One by one she stepped, hopped or strode across them, sometimes spinning to keep her balance; unsure what that look had been for, Sun followed, vaguely imitating her stance where needed as he picked apart the ways the different steps turned or shook under his weight. Distracted as he was by trying not to fall, it wasn’t until he’d reached the edge of the ‘stepping stones’, as he decided to call them, that Jenn’s presence was notably lacking. Turning once about-face, there was no sign she’d taken a turn back to the center without him noticing.

A metallic smack drew his focus around and up–-Jenn had climbed onto the next structure that was still partially overgrown at its base, her hands firmly grasping one of a series of long metal pipes that stretched the gap between one side of the unit and the other. Swinging forward, she reached for the next bar, making a similar sound as the impact reverberated through the structure. Again, but a more tinny bang as her false arm hit the pipe. Again–-her body swayed side-to-side, picking up speed as she walked herself across the rails using her legs to generate momentum to make the next grab.

At the halfway point of her climb, Sun hoisted himself up from the stones using the metal pegs lining the support beams and peered down, his HUD giving him an estimation of about twelve feet from there to the ground which was still overgrown with trusslin. Plenty of space for him, to his surprise, but far less of a falling hazard to himself compared to Jenn-–it was with a sharp bit of realization that he truly understood why this area was left untrimmed and why something like trusslin had even been placed in the first place. This was no kids’ playground of colorful plastic and metal with padding or wood chips underneath; standing at just over seven feet himself, finding human-sized things that he could use was a bit of a dice roll at times, but this equipment wasn’t built to accommodate four-foot-something children or even six-and-some-odd-inch adults like a normal playground.

Grabbing hold of the first bar, Sun watched Jenn dismount with a graceful arc onto a platform secured at the end of the bars roughly nine feet off the ground, barely making a sound as her feet hit the wood; she turned to him, waiting with her arms crossed. There’s no way this is made for robots, that doesn't make sense, he told himself while swinging down-–gravity took hold with a suddenness he hadn’t prepared for, making him fearful of letting go as he swung forward, then back, grip straining against his mass as it was pulled down by invisible force.

Skilled as she was, Jenn couldn't be immune to gravity or falling, even if she seemed to ignore it with ease. Alerts and warnings flooded Sun’s vision, cautioning him against a fall and estimating damage if he landed incorrectly–-now knowing that he was sturdy enough to survive what should have been a lethal height, the estimates were taken with a grain of salt yet if he could possibly get hurt by dropping and landing incorrectly, the risk to Jenn was far greater. He was metal and springs and bolts--she was flesh and bone, the things that made organics infamous for being squishy and fragile; a bad fall from double her height could be disastrous. What had she said?

“I’ve avoided a few broken bones.”

The next section beyond this one was higher than the bars. This became acutely noticeable as Sun looked up from his hanging position to the structure attached to the platform Jenn waited for him on, fully overgrown across its lower reaches but easily double the height of–-no, wait, only by about half more, according to his HUD’s estimate–-nearly twenty feet off the ground. Knowing she was waiting, the golden bot began to swing, taking a bit of effort to find a rhythm to cross the bars as his lengthy body was a tad unwieldy when swinging if he wasn’t careful. The landing wasn’t quite as graceful as he’d liked, having to tuck his legs in to clear the edge of the platform, but nothing a few rounds of practice wouldn’t fix–-that would be for later though. Sun was too concerned by his observations to think about practicing.

“Jenn?” he asked as she turned from him, grabbing onto the pegs that would carry them up to the next area. Pausing, the human glanced at him expectantly. “How… how often do you use this equipment?” Sounding nonchalant was proving difficult, a tight grin only serving to make him appear more stressed than he wanted.

“All the time.”

He’d been afraid of that answer.

“Just didn’t get to it this time around after getting home.” Looking upward, she bounced and took hold of a peg, beginning to climb. “Don’t let the weeds fool you, it’ll be grown over again in a couple weeks, just you wait. I promise it’s all in good condition.”

Waiting his turn at the bottom of the ladder, a worrisome twist churned his insides. “Um, no, I-I believe that.”

“Then what’s bugging you?”

Would it be insulting to point out how insanely dangerous this whole thing is? Probably. It wasn’t his place to tell her she was risking her health when she wasn’t his to care for… yet confirmation that Jenn was regularly meandering around and climbing on rough-built exercise equipment alone using only plants as a safety guard set off his care programming whether he wanted it to or not. “I… you… do this alone? Every time?”

Reaching the top and hopping onto the edge, Jenn turned and looked down, waiting for him. “Yeah?”

Why are you so calm about that??

“It’s not like Twii and Laa need exercise and Ruk has no thumbs.”

That’s not what I’m worried about!

“And, well… you’ve seen I don’t exactly keep company that often.”

Slowly, Sun hoisted himself up each rung of the pin ladder, not needing nearly as many holds as Jenn did due once more to his height making up most of the distance for him. “I… Forgive me if I’m blunt but isn’t that dangerous?”

She stared a moment, head tilting slightly before answering, “I guess so? That’s why I planted the trusslin.”

“No, I…” At the top, Jenn hobbled to the side to give him clearance to get over the lip of the structure; vertigo washed over him as he caught a glimpse of the ground, voice draining away to a faint whine. Alerts blared caution in his head about the hazards of being so high up, unsecured.

“You good, bright eyes?”

Stiff as a board, Sun turned to see Jenn crouched on the balls of her feet on the beam that was barely wide enough to do so, totally at ease. “W-w-we–this is–it’s very high!” It took focus but he found a way to sit on the small stretch of wood in the least risky way possible for himself.

“Yep.”

“How-–how are you so calm?? Don’t you know if you fall you could…” He hesitated a moment, changing his word choice. “... get hurt??”

“I know.” Standing suddenly made Sun yelp but Jenn’s movements had taken on a smooth gait that felt completely different to moments before on the spinning stones. It was as if being higher up made her more confident somehow. Even the gentle breeze that flowed over the trees didn’t sway her as she walked over the beam to a wider section; scooting carefully, Sun followed, glad to be on more stable ground even if it was higher than he’d like it to be. “I can’t really afford to not have it though. Keeping myself sharp and fit is necessary in my line of work.”

Unprepared for her to continue, Sun hiccuped, “Huh?” as he sat up, avoiding sight of the ground until he’d adjusted for aerial performance. That finicky program was very particular about the conditions needed to auto-run so he opted to manually process it before the vertigo came back. “Your… line of work?”

“Yeah, I have a job.” A light, dry laugh stopped short as she realized he genuinely didn’t know that. It hadn’t come up yet. “Did you think I just lived out here and did whatever every day?”

“Ah… maybe?”

Rubbing her cheek, she nodded, relenting. “Actually, that’s fair, I guess. Yes, I have a job, and it's very hard on the body at times so I need to stay in shape.”

“I…” Sun scratched his jaw. “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you doing anything, I just assumed…”

She laughed again, dry and low. “It’s not an everyday job. I actually just got back from it about a day before you two popped in so no, you haven't seen me working.”

“Oh!” His brow furrowed. What job needs this kind of physical demand? Part of him wanted to ask, but a greater part was afraid to know if it made her so nonplussed about her own safety.

“Let me guess.”

His eyes flashed to hers, which were almost shining in the light of the sky, bringing out the brilliant tones of cyan in her irises–-it was the first moment Sun genuinely realized how vibrant her eye color was. It was very beautiful, but eerie as well at how unnatural it felt at that moment.

“You’re concerned because if I fell and got seriously injured, no one would be around to help me.”

That absolutely was what he felt, but focusing was not on his mind at the moment. Not on her words, in any case.

High up as they were, they didn’t clear the canopy but it opened their field of view enough that the sky stretched nearly from horizon to horizon in all directions, glinting and shining with the yellow aurora he’d seen so many times through the windows of the estate house. Brilliant, shining blue eyes had riveted his attention for some seconds before Sun was able to drift free, caught in how the yellow light cast a shadow on Jenn’s face that only emphasized the unearthly glow her eyes had–-well, that he thought they had at least, given how richly colored they were. Her hair, dyed a deep blue at the ends but grown in at the root into its natural ash blonde, took on an array of colors from gold to brown under the aurora’s glow, even tinting green in a way that didn’t seem natural at first. From these faux colored locks, his gaze followed the light into the sky itself behind her head, drawn into the mass of clouds that scattered the aurora’s light to every corner that engulfed Azil’s sky in semi-permanent cover.

The aurora wasn’t new. From his room, Sun had seen it almost every day: a bright array of light through the single window he had, accompanied by the smallest sliver of Uls in the corner. It was the same aurora now, yet out here he felt for the first time he was really seeing it–-how the edges turned green or sometimes pink as the light twisted around itself, dancing a bizarre, rhythmless dance only it knew the steps to. Within city walls and narrow streets, it was hard to imagine just how big it was, but out here…

Snap snap.

Jolting back to reality, Sun blinked, focusing on the fingers in front of his face. “Sorry??” he blurted reflectively, embarrassed he’d zoned out so hard out of nowhere.

Blue eyes stared back at him with concern; there was no glow in them.

Of course not, that’d be silly.

“Do you want to watch the aurora or keep going?” Though she sounded annoyed, her gaze was gentle–-he thought so, anyway.

“We can… we can keep going, I’m sorry. I’ve…” Words were becoming more and more difficult lately as Sun realized he lacked the right ones to explain himself properly anymore.

Sitting back, Jenn looked up at the sky, a faint smile on her lips that put him at ease. “It’s different when you can see the whole sky, isn’t it?”

A smile of his own crossed his face, relieved she understood what he was feeling despite being unable to say it the way he wanted. “It very much is.” Standing, Jenn offered her hand, pulling the golden robot to his feet despite his hesitation at the act. After what she’d said about fitness, it shouldn’t have shocked him that she was stronger than she looked but nevertheless he was still a bit impressed that she didn’t struggle as much as he’d expected given he was nearly double her weight. Without meaning to, he said as much aloud before clamping a hand to his mouth.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem upset about his wayward comment. “Just wait, you haven’t seen anything yet!” Motioning behind her to the open area of the structure, Jenn half-skipped to the edge, seeming delighted. “I’m much better at swinging than I am at strength tests!”

Now that his aerial programming was in effect, the vertigo was negated, allowing Sun to peer down to the tangled underbrush below without feeling dizzy or unbalanced. They were very high, that much he knew, but unlike the bars this area didn’t have a coherent connecting point between parts. Arches tall as trees with metal pipes running across them stood at attention in random spots, towering over the other equipment like sentinels. Some of them had ropes or additional bars at the half or three-quarters mark but they were nowhere near each other to grab onto easily; at the far end of the clearing was a taller pillar bolted into a tree with an arm that hung over an empty spot but nothing attached to it. It felt unfinished to him, like something was supposed to be there.

Familiarity came first as he understood what the bars were for.

Behind it was fear.

“This is my favorite part to use.” Jenn’s voice echoed in his head as if she were far away, her body moving in slow motion to him as she kicked off the platform, arms extended.

Nothing came out of his mouth when he tried to call out, his own body too slow to stop her until she was already over the edge.

Sun’s knees hit the platform as he tumbled forward, missing her by a hair with everything screaming DANGER at him; Jenn’s hands hit a bar that had been out of sight from their vantage point, just far enough forward that she didn’t slam into it with her head or chest. With the ease of many years of practice, the human swung, the pipe turning in its socket to send her forward and up; she let go, sailing into the air like a leaf on the wind. He gawked, half awestruck and half terrified he was about to witness a tragedy–-Sun’s HUD frantically pinged with estimations as he tracked Jenn’s gymnastics through the open air.

Toes pointed, the human managed a fluid flip as she came down to the next bar, grabbing on and carrying herself around it without a care in the world. Once–-twice–-she spun on the bar before launching again, flinging herself upward to a higher bracket; a rope dangled from the center, only about ten feet in length. Nowhere near the ground.

To his horror, Jenn didn’t make it to the bar–-thank Azil the rope was there! With a creak, she grabbed hold of the end of the safety rope, swinging wildly while climbing her way up to the top with barely a moment of hesitation. Once she was at the peak of the rung, she waved, perched once again on the balls of her feet.

Releasing a held breath, Sun shouted, “ARE YOU ALRIGHT????” as he had nothing else he could manage without growing hysteric.

After a moment, she called back, “I’m fine! C’mon!”

Nope.

Nope, no, absolutely not!

Making a large X with his arms, Sun declined. “I’m okay right now! I… I’m going back to the wobbly things!” He turned to scoot his way back down the ladder.

“Okay! I’ll join you!”

Freezing, Sun’s brain fired off an, “Oh no,” as it assumed what her way down entailed. To his great relief, instead of jumping into the grass, he whipped around in time to see Jenn slide down the pillar making up one leg of the structure, moving as if hand holds were placed along it that he couldn’t make out from that distance. “Oh, thank Azil…” he huffed, slumping down for a moment with pure relief. After composing himself, the golden worrywart was able to make his way down, meeting the squishy human at the edge of the hazard plates; unable to help himself, he took hold of her elbows, speaking quickly while giving her a multi-pass look over. “What were you doing?? That was insane! What would you have done if you’d missed a bar?? I know those leaves are soft but a fall like that–”

Stunned for a moment by the sudden contact, Jenn’s hands moved out of reflex to protect herself, turning over to break his grip and shove his own away–-she stopped at holding one palm to his face, fingers pointing in a way that warned him about his eyes and nose being vulnerable targets. Had he been human that is. Her other hand was tucked against her side, cuffed and waiting in a striking position; it settled quickly, a fraction of a minute, as she snapped out of her automatic self-defense and took a step back.

Occasionally sparring with Moon was paying off it seemed, as he recognized motions as being defensive in nature, though Sun wasn’t very happy to know he’d triggered a fight response by being overbearing. Hands snapping away, he also took a half step back to disengage, eyes wide. “I’m sorry!” The apology tumbled out with the same frantic tone as his worries. “I didn’t mean to touch you! I–I was worried, I–”

Expression changing from blank shock to confusion, Jenn snapped, “Why?” cutting off his fumbling apology.

“Why…?”

“I do this all the time,” she reiterated, forcing her body to relax fully. “I train to do this. Did you not hear me?”

“No, I…” Taking a steadying breath, Sun brought his voice under some amount of control. “I did, I just didn’t know what that… entailed. Seeing you just… walk off the edge of a platform that high… that’s not something I see people do. I got scared.”

“No, I understand that.”

He was more confused now.

“Why do you care?”

“Huh?”

Eyes flicking up and down him with a wary glint, she shuffled her footing, seeming almost uncomfortable at the idea. “You don’t know me, we are not friends. If I got hurt, you could just take my house and live your life.”

Sun was appalled.

“Why do you care if I fall and get hurt?”

Voice fractured with concern, Sun clipped out, “You’re a human?? ”

“And?”

“And?? What and?? Beyond the fact my base programming is literally made to ensure the happiness and wellbeing of the humans around me?? Because isn’t that what people do?? Keep each other safe??” More and more, Sun’s voice was getting away from him, rising and straining with the desire to fracture under his barely contained stress. That isn’t how he wanted to crack–-he didn’t want to crack at all!

This seemed to shake loose the stiff posture Jenn had been holding herself in as she realized the tall robot was genuinely beginning to break down into a panic attack. What do I do-–shekt! Stepping forward, Jenn tried to reach toward Sun but he flinched back, causing her to freeze. “Hey!” she barked loudly, managing to shake him from the spiral with the sudden sound. “I-–I’m fine, right?” Placing a hand over her chest, Jenn tried again to reach out. “I’m alright. And… you’re right, I should… be more careful. I just can’t be. I have a high-risk job, so I don’t get to wait for help. I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but I’ve survived like this for years. I’m fine.”

HUD flashing a collection of warnings, Sun focused on the hand nearing him–-five fingers--the color of the grass--green-–gazing up slightly, he saw the blue of Jenn’s irises once again. Bright blue.

Soft.

A warm hand touched his chest, gentle and slow, the pressure giving him a place to focus on that wasn’t within his own chaotic mind. Peering down between himself and her worried expression, Sun saw the light flashing under his shirt and that Jenn’s gaze was drawn to it; intended as an aesthetic feature, the feature built into his chest had more than once gotten him in trouble for being distracting. In some effort to imitate a human heartbeat, Sun’s makers installed a frosted panel on his left pectoral shaped like a stylized heart and made to glow in time to his system pulse whenever he felt strong emotions. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t consistent, often flaring up when it wasn’t supposed to–-when he was uncomfortable, in most cases.

And afraid.

It was that inconsistency that forced them to deactivate the command when they first caught a break in their escape effort. “A high risk of blowing our cover,” as Moon put it–-and Sun obeyed–-but it hadn’t activated before now, even after Jenn rebooted them. So why now? There was no way to know at the moment why it chose now to make itself known, but it did serve to keep him focused on something long enough for his exhaust cycle to correct itself, forcing a sense of calm to blanket his system.

The light had been unexpected, drawing Jenn’s focus despite her best effort to stay on task to calm the panicking robot; she’d seen the panel and known what it was for during diagnostics, however it hadn’t been used until now. Whichever series of circumstances needed to activate it weren’t something she’d looked into, but now it was clear it at least responded to distress. Intense distress. Both of them seemed drawn to the waning and growing pulse of white light, measuring it as it slowed and faded to a reasonable level before fully going dark.

Grateful he’d been spared from a full meltdown by happenstance, Sun exhaled slowly and steadily, laying his hand over Jenn’s carefully to not trigger another defensive reaction. That was all the farther he got, however, before she beat him to the apology. “I’m sorry.” Just as gently, her other hand covered his as if trying to reassure him she was truly alright.

“You don’t need to–”

A sharp glint as her eyes snapped to his stopped him cold. “I will not apologize for what I did because I will do it again, but I am going to apologize for not warning you better.” She took a moment to relax her expression a bit when it grew stern. “I’ve gotten used to the kinds of people who do this sort of stuff as well, they don’t bat an eye at playground equipment like this.”

Calling these giant thingamajigs ‘playground equipment’ was not something he agreed on, but he kept that to himself.

“I also apologize for not considering you might be afraid of heights–”

This time, Sun was able to cut her off, nearly laughing at the odd conclusion. “I’m not afraid of heights! I was afraid of you falling!”

Pulling her hand away, Jenn folded her arms. “I still don’t know why you’d bother but… well, it’s good you don’t have issues being up high. Whenever you get on your way, you’ll want to be prepared for climbing things.”

The reminder of departing threatened to bring the stress back to the surface if he didn’t distract himself quickly. “Actually!” Pointing to the empty overhang, Sun scrambled for anything to keep from thinking of the future ahead of them. “I was going to ask what that was for! I can’t tell what it is.”

Following his finger, Jenn ‘hm’ed before answering. “It was supposed to be a long climbing rope but I never got around to finishing the actual rope part.”

“So you can hang something from it safely?”

“Yep. Everything here might look questionable but it was built by a friend of mine with engineering experience so it’s up to par.”

It took all his effort to keep his question to himself about her admitting to having friends somewhere. “Is… there any chance maybe we could tie something up there…?” Curious, Jenn tilted her head again; he likened this expression to a confused animal. Sun tapped the tips of his forefingers together. “I really like silk dancing, it’s… relaxing. I figured it might also help me with my …” Gesturing to himself loosely, the golden bot struggled to find the right way to ask this favor, already prepared to be denied. “... this balance issue. But if not–”

Jenn shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”

Sun fumbled a bit at the end, unprepared for her approval. There was no sensible way to respond he could come up with other than, “Ah… thank you!”

“I’ve got some leftover fabric at the house, can you sew? I’m sure if you fasten the ends together it’ll hold up pretty well.”

It was never so easy to get a request approved of at the estate, especially the first time it was asked. A flicker of elation coursed through his circuits, a soft pulse of light following suit. “I can, yes!”

“C’mon, then.” Waving him after her, Jenn turned and began the trek back to the house.

As they cleared the wobbling stones and reached the tree line, Sun caught the motion of Jenn untying her skirt, then rubbing her lower back closest to her tailbone. Fearing she actually was hurt from her ‘exercise’, he reflexively inquired, “Are you alright?” hoping it was nothing too worrisome.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just wishing I had a tail.”

“... excuse me?”

Truly, she was a baffling human.

~

“Ee!”

The little pink thing sat on the rail, crouched and ready to spring at him at a moment’s notice. Moon stared it down, faintly amused but mostly inconvenienced by the sudden appearance of Twii. After satisfying the ‘pet me’ quota for both the avian, Aquila, and the canine, Rukbat–-who’d charged up the steps the moment he saw the bird getting attention from the blue robot-–Moon left the roosting platform with the intention to go inside. This meant coming back to the junction of doors that had vexed him previously; on the left, the unlocked kitchen, on the right, the mystery door that the canine had managed to slip into when he’d walked away last.

For a moment, he’d debated trying his hand at getting in again, but to his own surprise it was dismissed faster than it had come up. Was there truly a reason to go prying into the human’s personal business beyond his own unjustified paranoia? Paranoia that was being proven to be ridiculous again and again.

No.

There was no real reason. Perhaps he’d try this ‘benefit of the doubt’ thing the human-–Jenn-–mentioned. Starting by using their names, at least.

It was not a canine–-he was Rukbat.

It was not a bird–-she was Aquila.

The human was Jenn.

The blots of color–

No sooner had he thought of them, Moon felt something smack into his head with a chirp, dragging him from his thoughts. Moving quickly, he took hold of the bundle on his head and brought it into view, not expecting to see the pink pocket computer kicking against his grip and squeaking at him defiantly. “What the halt–”

A tug on his shirt collar made him spin, losing his grasp on the small robot so she could get away. Turning back, Moon saw the pink blur land on the handrail, tail held up to enforce the authority of the chirp she gave him. Scowling, he folded his arms. “Do we have a problem?”

“Ee!”

Whatever that meant, he couldn’t comprehend. Most of him didn’t care to figure it out either. Huffing, the dark robot spoke, more so to fill the silence than to willfully engage in one-sided conversation. “I commend your effort at protecting your owner’s privacy but I don’t think it’ll work as well as you think it does.”

Twii hopped forward once, the end of her tail pulsing. “Ee–eeee! E!”

“Look, I’m not actually trying to break in this time, so–”

Overhead, a different squeak interrupted him, pulling his attention up. Head poking out over the edge of the roof, Laa peeped sternly, “Aa.”

Well, that explains what yanked on me. Looking between the pair for any sign of what they were trying to accomplish, Moon imitated the purple blur with rhetorical flatness, “Ah?”

Laa’s gaze narrowed at him. “A.”

What’s that look for? Did I say something offensive?

“Eeeee…!”

Turning again, Moon’s brows shot up–-Twii clung onto the rail for dear life, little arms wrapped as far around the rail as she could get them, unable to find purchase for her feet on the smooth metal. Quickly but gently, the blue dancer leaned over and cupped his hand, scooping the small bot up before she could fall. Sluggishly, Twii curled into his palm, the end of her tail pulsing weakly; as he observed her with growing worry, her facial screen blinked to a red bar. “Your battery!” he blurted, realizing sharply she hadn’t attacked him, she’d fallen when her magnetic lifting function shut off!

“A.” Laa floated down from the roof, her expression only reading as ‘finally’.

“Where’s your charging dock?” Moon inquired, holding the pink companion protectively against his chest.

Laa pointed toward the kitchen door with a quiet, “A,” before zipping toward it. Following quickly, Moon tailed the small unit through the kitchen, down the hall and into the lounge; Laa banked left at the entryway, stopping over a small end table with a circular charging dock in the middle tucked into the corner of the narrow room. How he never noticed it before now was beyond him, but at least it wasn’t locked behind the impassable doors that continued to taunt him. Ever so carefully, Moon placed the pink twin on the dock, nudging her tail into place so all of her was in contact with the transfer pad; the dock lit up with blue-white light, the red bar flashing on Twii’s face switching to a white indicator the second after.

A breath escaped him as relief filled his system; had he really been stressing over a recharge? Shaking his head at his own odd behavior, Moon’s eyes found and followed Laa as she approached her sister, sitting patiently without climbing onto the dock directly. She felt his gaze and looked up at him, unreadable as always.

“A.”

“You’re welcome.” With nothing else to do, Moon began to rifle through one of the many piles of notes that filled the corners of Jenn’s house, trying to find something worth reading. “I don’t suppose you know what was in that big binder she was looking for, do you?”

He didn’t expect an answer he could understand, only hearing another, “Aa,” that meant nothing to him.

The stapled pamphlet in his hands had a timestamp in the corner from roughly three months ago; the rest of it was a series of figures and formulas regarding an aurora anomaly that he barely understood at a glance. Putting it back, Moon paced around in a small circle. What were we even doing three months ago…? he wondered, attention continually returning to the recharging Stardust when his thoughts slowed.

Three months felt more like three years.

There was no other way to really explain the sensation as he combed through the memory files that weren’t lost or locked away; even though he knew what the passage of time felt like and could measure it using Adir Standard Intervals, there was a lingering disconnect between fact and feeling that he struggled to reconcile. More and more Moon felt a wall building between himself and the outside world. At first it was barely noticeable, done with such insidious slowness that only by looking back could he feel a marked difference in not only his own behavior, but how he related to things around him. To people.

To his own brother.

Three months ago, the two of them still found quiet solace in the garden, enjoying the scant hours they were allowed outside without supervision. Observe the flowers, but never pick them. Enjoy the cygnus birds, but never disturb them. Walk the designated path, never cut across the grass–-they only made that mistake once.

Afterward, Sun was so terrified to deviate from the sidewalk, he’d stopped walking through the yard altogether. Only because of their Lock was Moon able to prevent him from gaining a phobia of grass entirely with how distraught he was once they were reunited–-not that it was new by that point. Moon himself was well aware that their owner was not a kind woman no matter how she tried to portray herself to the public. Purely by the power of his own denial, Sun bought into her kind words–-though that may have been out of self-preservation, thinking back on it. The grass incident was the tipping point, Moon felt, for his brother developing fear of that woman in place of affection or devotion. The excuses had stopped, their disagreements about fairness turned into mutual understanding, but the outdoors had lost its appeal.

It’s not like they ever left the garden anyway.

Now, though, Moon understood better what they were missing out on–-what had been denied them this entire time by that woman’s obsessive desire to smother them. Even that behavior was beginning to make sense to him in hindsight, much as he detested the idea of understanding that vile woman; she was trying to keep them naive, dependent and, this being merely speculation on his part, Moon had a worry that Vissara had been trying to condition them–-or at least Sun–-into being afraid to go outside altogether.

If Sun refused to go outdoors out of fear of stepping on the grass, then Moon wouldn’t go either.

Thankfully, their bond was stronger than Vissara’s manipulation.

However, it was not strong enough to prevent his own mental state from degrading. Disliking his owner was something Moon had within him from nearly the beginning, despite that being considered odd. Something in her mannerisms and behaviors simply didn’t sit right, but the dislike didn’t truly set in until he noticed how restrictive she was. How fixated she was on Sun and on keeping his attention on herself. How she didn't care that those actions were actively harming them both--how much of his own distress he chose to hide from her to avoid making it worse on them.

It turned out he had every reason to despise her.

But now, they were free. Mostly.

Free to travel, to learn, to do whatever they wished–-assuming his dear brother didn’t get attached to the first human showing them common decency. Not that Moon could blame him really, it was literally programmed into their core identity to seek out human company and attempt to fulfill their wishes. To care for them. Please them. Earn their approval.

Yet it still baffled him that his brother didn’t just ignore that urge like he did. He’d long given up that argument as simply being Sun’s nature.

At least it was up until three months ago–

The nagging sensation surged forward from the depths of his mind, bowling over any thoughts currently meandering through his processes to blanket everything with a haze that demanded attention while smothering any attempt to pull free. Three.

Three.

Three months ago, he and Sun would sit in the garden.

He and Sun.

Three weeks ago, he and Sun were preparing–

Error.

–preparing?

Three weeks.

Three–

Moon’s head throbbed painfully as memories attempted to open but couldn’t.

Preparing…

He and Sun.

He… and Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

ERROR.

/MEMORY FILE INACCESSIBLE/

>Reboot?

No!

Light flooded over Moon’s circuits, his pulse points flashing–-everything hurt.

Sun?

What about Sun?

>Reboot?

“NO!”

The sound of his own voice ripped him out of his mental frenzy, bringing Moon back to the moment; everything spun and wobbled, felt wrong.

A dull roar filled the room, as if--

“... Why am I underwater…?”

Roiling around the dark dancer was a bubble, the light of his pulse casting a glimmer through the surface that made him think of stardust in the Sky-Beyond-the-Sky. But it shouldn’t be there! Taking a few breaths to force his system to regulate, Moon tried to recall the water, dismissing it from the room. It was a struggle for a moment. Hopefully nothing was damaged.

“That… isn’t normal,” he told himself, rubbing a hand over his face once everything settled.

“A.”

Turning, Moon caught the unimpressed eye of Laa watching him from the table. A tired chuckle escaped him. “You saw that, didn’t you?”

“Aa-a,” the small computer replied.

“I’m taking that as a yes.”

Laa slow blinked at him.

“Let’s not tell your mom I nearly ruined her upholstery, alright?”

“Aa.”

[airahscorner]

A little fanfric with a fanart for day 1 of hisakiki week ! @hisakikiweek

The fric just a minor explanation of how the scene I drawed as a fanart happned . I'm not good at writing and I wrote it just for enjoyment, so it may seem off or have mistakes( I didn't even cross check it 😅). But hope you do enjoy the fanart 😁😄

Fated Rendezvous

It's a dark yet moon lit night, hisame returns home after 3 weeks after finishing official matters somewhere else. It's quite late, when he returns, he finds sounds of lively chatters from the living room of Count Lugis and Earl Seiran filling the silence

After greeting he immediately goes for a bath as he's tired and had a long day and wanted to go bed as soon as possible

After he's done bathing he went to the room with the fire place as it was winter,it felt cold. He's in his comfortable home clothes.

As he was entering he sees a silhouette of some one which feels familiar, on going further he silps as his feet were a little damp from the bath.

Before he fell,he that person trying to save him pulls with one hand. But also looses balance and falls on him

To his surprise it was kiki. They were now in a position which was similar to that of a ball dance pose but on ground with his hand on kiki's waist

The moment felt still, they were completely riveted in each other . The room with fire place dark yet also lit, Giving perfect ambience. You could hear nothing but dim distant chatter sounds and crackling of wood.

They stayed in that position for about 10 seconds after which kiki to her instinct gets up and asks "Are you okay" In a little worried way

Hisame felt his tiredness slowly fade away while seeing her. He said "I'm okay, the rug was quite thick so I'm not hurt" smiling affectionately while looking in her eyes.

Kiki asks " when did you get back". Hisame says "just a while ago, but more importantly what are you doing here did you want to give your deaaar fiance a sweet welcome surprise" teasing

After hisame says so, kiki abruptly gets up as they were still in that position as she lost notice of it because of the conversation. "Not really, father insisted me to tag along with him so I've been here since the evening"

Hisame then asks vaguely "since the evening??!", who knew they would click so much" and chuckles

Kiki then makes her way out of the room and tells "if you'll excuse me, I would like to continue reading a book which was in the other room, after this break of exploration".Not looking back she walks

Hisame stops her by grabbing by her wrist and pulls to hug her saying "I missed you"

And tightens the hug

Kiki with her wide eyed poker face snds still

Hisame asks " Where's mine" , "what your's?" She answers. With a slightly unpleased face he says "my ' I missed you'" ,tell me honestly did you miss me even a little?". She says " I guess a little bit only when mitsuhide looked like a lonely lost puppy. And also ummm.... you can let me go now"

" ah Certainly" he replies "but stay for a while, would you" says smiling with a intense lookin the eye, leading her to the sofa to the left in front of the fire place.

They talked for a while after which hisame lays on kiki's lap saying "let me rest for a while" in a exhausted voice

He soon falls asleep. Kiki thinking what to do now, is drawn to his hair and ruffles it slowly, not expecting it to be such a nice feeling continues to do it with a tender smile noticing his earrings which he always wears.She decides to remove them as they seemed pointy. Tenderly looking at him she whispers "I missed you hisame " In a short while she fell asleep too.

It's is dawn and hisame has woken up to do his training before which he yearned to see kiki so goes to the guest room where see is sleeping

hesitating a little before entering. He convinces himself with the excuse of taking his spare sowrd (which he wouldn't use and was under the bed)

He reaches to her bed sitting on the side caressing her and tucking back a lock of hair behind the ear, drawn in the moment kisses gently on the forehead deciding to leave but kiki awakens slowly

Finding him there she sits straight and looks at him, while hisame getting up and straightening the curtains as light was coming through the gap

"Sorry, did I wake you" he says ,she replies "did you need something, ah, could it be your earrings" reaching to the side table picking it up and walking towards him

"No it's not that", smiling away. "I just wanted to see you, I guess u removed them while I fell asleep on your lap, thank you for the consideration "

Taking them and staying still for a while she asks "you're not gonna wear them"

He replies "why don't you keep them for me, no.... wear them"

Kiki- ....sure.. ,unable to decline his sweet look. He tucks back her hair and puts both of them on and hugs gently. "I'll be going now, if I stay longer I won't be able to concentrate while training, sweet sleep. Saying so leaves.kiki reaches her bed,sitting thinking about hisame, smiles softly.

END

Please note the fanart turned out good only because I found a perfect reference😂