#like there is also grace and elegance to the sport too so it would fit her well | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tu-sugar-mami · 2 years

Text

Tales of the side of the road #4: a friendly fella

(i can't find the previous chapter but you can read them in order on AO3)

Edit: i found the previous chapter so uh, you can read it here if you want to

(also, i realized i couldn't find this part to link it to the next chapter because i hadn't posted it, me is forgetful)

As always, sorry for the long post, Tumblr mobile won't let me cut it.

__________

"Did you enjoy the drinks I gave you the other day?" It's a simple question, an effort on your part on starting small talk.

"Uncle Heisenberg didn't believe we would drink anything other than wine. He was so wrong! We loved them!" Daniela replies while looking at the new delectable snacks behind the glass on the counter.

Your hands move with expertise and skill, spinning bottles in the air and putting up a show for the ladies. You've been working here for years now and you can count on one hand the times you've received visitors this handsome (the memory of that gorgeous lady licking the whipped cream overflowing from the dome lid of her 'pink' frappe is still fresh in your mind) so yeah, who can blame you for wanting to show off a bit to impress the pretty visitors?

"I'm glad you liked them." A small smile graces your features and you fail to notice the odd looks you receive, instead focusing on your current task.

You presume that the tall lady, Alcina, isn't one to throw herself to new things easily so you decide to take the safe path by preparing her the same thing you gave her the last time; a 'red' coffee with three sugars and white chocolate essence that goes perfectly with the heavy but smooth texture of the drink, a personal favorite of yours.

"You know, I never really learned your names." Three elegant cups are placed on your side of the countertop.

"I'm Daniela!" She extends her hand to you, going for a full handshake. You take her hand after wiping yours on a rag. Wouldn't want to leave her hand sticky, right?

"Nice to meet you, Miss Daniela." You flash her a bright smile, shaking her hand firmly. You barely notice her own smile faltering for a moment and a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she realizes how pretty your smile is and how warm your hand is against hers even through the glove she's wearing.

"You can call me Cassandra." Says the brunette. It's nice to finally put a name on that handsome face. Her piercing eyes take you in. She doesn't offer a handshake, instead holding your own gaze. You can sense the challenge behind those golden eyes and subtle smirk.

Oh, but you can play this game too.

"I wanted to ask, Miss Cassandra, were you okay the other day? All that blood loss can't be healthy. Perhaps you got hurt while hunting? It's such a dangerous sport for those inexperienced." You barely conceal your smirk when her own changed to a scowl. You hit the nail, or well, her ego.

Before Cassandra can return a snarky remark at you for even daring to assume she was a novice, she's pushed aside by the blonde sister.

"My name is Bela, the eldest daughter. This is our mother, Lady Dimitrescu, one of the rulers of our village and head of house Dimitrescu." Bela says as she gestures to the tall Lady.

Huh, Alcina Dimitrescu is a name that denotes authority. Fitting.

"And this is our aunt, Lady Beneviento. She is another one of the rulers in our village and the head of House Beneviento." Bela gestures to the new visitor. It's a pretty last name. Donna, as the doll called her earlier, nods in acknowledgement. You can't know it, but under the veil is a shy smile.

"You forgot about me, Bela!" Says Lady Beneviento's companion, crossing her arms and throwing what you think is a nasty look to the blonde woman.

"That's Angie."

A moment passes and Bella offers no more context.

"I'm Angie! I'm Donna's best friend!" Angie gestures at herself proudly earning a small giggle from you.

"It is nice to properly meet you My Ladies, i'm honored to have you here today." You bow your head showing respect and this time a blush does tint Donna's cheeks. "I hope you find my services to your liking."

"Do you have a name, little mouse?" Lady Dimitrescu asks. Your smile drops.

"I uh… i can't remember…" You look down to the left side of your chest, where your blank name tag is. "Anyway, it doesn't really matters."

Your gaze shifts to the three girls as you try to read them. What could be good for them this time? The pale color of their skin along with the thick clothing they wear despite being one of the hottest months of the year gives you a hint that they get really cold or might be susceptible to low temperatures, so you follow the hunch in your stomach and decide for a warm beverage with a faint taste of caramel, vanilla and a splash of red syrup. That should do.

"Say, are you really not afraid of us?" The tall Lady asks, eyeing you curiously.

"Not really. Honestly i've met worst individuals. You seem nice." Straining your neck up to be able to look her in the eyes, you give her a tentative smile. "At least you haven't tried to eat me yet."

"Yet…" Cassandra whispers while looking intently at you.

Your gaze shifts to Donna and her little companion. For starters, you're not really sure if the doll can actually have any food, but you feel it would be impolite not to offer her anything, so just in case you prepare her a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and tiny M&M's on top, the same you would make for a little kid. It's fitting, you think, seeing as the doll does act like a toddler. Now, Lady Beneviento is a mystery waiting to be discovered, a new land ready to be explored. There's nothing that can give you a hint of what she would like or anything specific that can give away what she would prefer in a drink. Hot or cold? Caffeinated with a strong flavor or a fruity little drink? Would she like something colorful and attractive to the eye or is she the kind of person who doesn't really care for the looks of her drink? You're not even sure she needs any of the special syrups at all...

Your eyes fall to the only visible part of her body. Slight scars litter those long fingers that twitch in a nervous tick as soon as Donna notices you looking. Inspecting her hands a bit closer you can see that her black nail polish is a bit chipped. You swallow thickly, your gay is showing. You focus on the drink instead of wondering what those chiseled hands can do.

The lightbulb above your head lights up when an idea strucks you.

How about a purple butterfly pea latte? A bit strong with the espresso shot but sweet nonetheless. The nice baby blue color shows really prettily on the crystal mug and the swan latte art on the light foam makes it one of your finest pieces up to date.

All of them have been watching your movements closely. Even Alcina lets out a small hum of approval at your speed and dexterity that makes it hard for you to control your smug grin.

"So… you never answered my question the other day, ma'am. Are you pretty ladies with the cult of Eiddelte?" You casually ask while finishing plating the crepes you promised them. Feeling a pinching pain between your shoulder blades you roll your eyes as you chant the whole ass title the entity living in the same body as you insist on being addressed by. "Oh Eiddelte, goddess of the meek and wronged, the one who punishes the ones who betray her and her followers with fates worse than death. The one who reigns with terror and–" A wicked smile forms on your face as you think better. "You know, she's just a local deity who is honestly a pain in the ass!" You say the last part loud enough that you're sure this unwanted roommate can hear.

"Eiddelte?" The blonde daughter asks, giving you a curious look.

"Yeah, she basically just lives for revenge and destruction. Her biggest goal is to finally find a vessel to walk on this earth again and conquer everything on her path… a bit bitchy if you ask me." Another pinching feeling on your back. Worth it.

"Seems like you're familiar with this Eiddelte gal." Says Angie from her owner's arms.

"Well yeah, you'd be surprised."

You see Daniela lean towards the brunette woman and whispering "Mother Miranda does dress like a cult leader, Cass…" Daniela fake gasps. "Maybe we are in a cult and don't know it!" Cassandra makes a face, presumably trying to keep down a giggle.

"You know, little mouse, you really shouldn't dare to talk to us so friendly. Much less questioning us like that, but i'm in a good mood today, I'll indulge you this time. We are not in a cult." Alcina takes a threatening step towards you as you walk around the counter with a neatly arranged tray on each hand

"Okay ma'am, i don't need to know but i was just wondering. It's not everyday i see new people around here aside from the usual creatures."

"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" The doll yells. You're starting to like this extravagant personality of hers, it's always too quiet around here.

"Well Miss Angie, you see, this is not just any coffee shop. We welcome many types of customers everyday. Peculiar as they are." You motion them to follow you to a nearby table, big enough to fit all of them. "Please take a seat, I'll be right back." You place the trays on the table next to that one before disappearing into a secluded room.

"This human is weird." Cassandra's gaze follows you until you're out of her eyesight. "Can't we just eat her?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not on the menu anytime soon!" Everyone looks at you surprised that you returned so quickly and also a little shocked.

You're carrying a big chair, big enough to know who will sit there. It's a sturdy chair, comfy looking but undeniably heavy, and you, a simple human, are carrying like it weighs nothing? How in the world…?

You help the tall Lady sit on the chair and proceed to give everyone their respective drinks before taking away the trays.

"Enjoy! They're on the house." You say while starting to clean the already spotless counter.

The water clock is still under the red line, Chuy is already fed, The Raccoon is pleased, ice man is under control and for the first time in a week you feel relaxed… until the blob toothy guy from earlier comes back the same way it left; the window. It roars to you when you stand in front of it to shield your new visitors.

"What the– you already got a drink for the day, man! Get out!" The thing snaps at you and its teeth miss your flesh by a few centimeters.

"What the heck is that!" Angie yells.

"What the fuck is that thing!" Cassandra stands from her seat so fiercely that sends her chair flying back.

"A customer that should be on its way." You say between your teeth. The humanoid blob snaps at you as you push it back with a chair trying to stop it from getting to the counter, presumably to fetch Mark's unfinished order. You had forgotten about it after the ladies arrived but now you remember that Mark told you not to leave it out in the open. "Don't worry, everything is under control. Don't mind me!"

Damn it.

With effort you manage to make the blob go on his way. It took a bit more effort than you thought but none of your guests was at risk. Quickly finishing wrapping up Mark's order you go on and try to chat with the Ladies.

"Sorry about that. It seems that Reginald smelled another customer's unfinished order and got hungry."

"Reginald?! You know that thing?!" Bela asks, a bit shaken up.

"You're kidding! That thing was terrifying!" Daniela says with a hand on her chest.

"Hideous!" Angie says.

"It had a lot of teeth! What was that!?" Cassandra comes back from fetching her chair and sits again.

"Care to explain? Who, in the name of Mother Miranda, are you?" Alcina asks you, her eyes never leaving your own and you feel like she's looking directly into your soul.

Sighing, you grab a chair and take a seat on the table next to lady Beneviento.

"Well…"

#re8 #alcina dimitrescu x reader #alcina dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu x reader #lady dimitrescu #donna beneviento x reader #donna beneviento #lady beneviento x reader #lady beneviento #my fic #tales of the side of the road

48 notes · View notes

ratsoh-writes · 3 years

Note

If the boys had to choose one item to represent themselves, what would it be?

Ooo how about all of them?

Sans: he picks a ketchup bottle, but instead of ingredients on the label, it’s the periodic table.

Papyrus: oh oh! He picks a blowtorch!! Because he’s on fire!! And he like building things

Star: lol does his shooting star tattoo count?

Honey: he isn’t sure and after a lot of thought, he’ll pick out a translation book. Probably a Spanish to English one since that was the first language he learned after English

Red: he holds up his middle finger and says it represents his feelings for you ❤️

Edge: he picks his sports car. Because it’s cool. Nuff’ said

Mal: he’ll pick a fancy rock of course, but what rock depends on how he’s feeling that week

Cash: a rubber chicken

Oak: an actual chicken. Oak says the clucking noises are cute

Willow: he picks his massive mixing bowl that you could probably fit a child in

Charm: he picks out a chocolate flavored bottle of lube he forgot he had. Charm wishes he was chocolate flavored

Sugar: before Winnie, he would’ve picked out the mannequin in his room. Now he picks a #1 dad mug

Lord: he blushes and reluctantly shows you a keychain of one of the characters from mutts books. He says it represents his love for reading

Mutt: he points to his trashcan and goes back to writing

Wine: he hands you a beautiful gold knife. Pretty to look at, but with a deadly edge~

Coffee: he picks out a rather sharp looking fountain pen. And a sketchbook. No peeking though!! He’s not done with that one

Pop: duh, he’s obviously that weird looking dried out lizard skin he found in the vents

Rhythm: he’s a mirror. He doesn’t really know why he picked it, it was just the first thing he saw

Pluto: he’s a magnifying glass to symbolize his curiosity!!

Jupiter: he picks his old royal guard armor because he still sees himself as a guard despite being a firefighter now

G: he picks a little test tube. He only gives a mysterious smile for his answer

Green: he picks a pair of scissors and says it represents taking things apart.

Peaches: pie. Any pie. You’re giving that back right?

Rancher: he picks his trusty shotgun of course. Because he’s dangerous!!

Snipe: he also picks a gun. A small tommy gun. Snipe flicks the side and out pops a knife too. He winks

Bruiser: he points to his shoes and says he’s a runner so do they count?

Ace: he pretends to look thoughtful, then hands you a handheld mirror. Ace doesn’t explain why he gave you it

Slim: he’s a computer. Now stop bugging him, he’s busy

Butch: he laughs and says just pick a random rock. Cause he’s tough like one

Boss: he’s a beautiful teapot. Something elegant made by years of mastery

Rust: he looks over his shoulder and sighs when he sees one of the daycare kids watching. Sadly rust cannot give you his middle finger so he picks an apron instead.

Noir: he picks his old rapier from the underground. It’s retired like him

Lilac: he gives you a deadpan look and just motions to his prosthetic leg

Pepper: he grins sharply and picks out a pair of sharp looking heels. They represent beauty and grace

Basil: he blushes and picks up a baby tomato. Basil signs that it’s grown fast like him.

Lush: he looks you up and down, winks, and flips 1G into your palm

Sparks: oh oh oh! He can’t decide?? Salt tells him to go with a microphone for his acting. Sparks likes that idea

Salt: he picks out a set of white makeup brushes. He shrugs and says he can’t really think of anything else

Gears: he cheerfully holds up a cute brown leather satchel and tells you his whole life story and how this was the first thing he ever made successfully

Compass: he nervously picks out a lump of clay. He says he can’t decide what to choose so he wants something with a lot of potential

80 notes · View notes

luminarai · 4 years

Photo

the old guard but make it sports i guess??

to the surprise of everyone (mostly me tbh) i actually put some thought into these! read on for weirdly specific meta

some sports lend themselves quite naturally to the old guard (fencing, horseback riding, martial arts etc) but i got to thinking about what sports would they go into that wouldn’t be related to their ‘jobs’ or maybe in a modern au and THUS:

for nile i thought something that would suit her quick thinking and way of pushing her own limits would be rock climbing. it’s the kind of sport that takes a lot of physical and mental strength along with endurance and agility which i think would be a great match for her. also consider her reaching the top of whatever she’s climbing and just standing there, looking out over the landscape, the wind against her skin, at peace, just taking it all in... it’d be a thing she’d do just for herself, a way to cement her self confidence in new areas and experience a combination of adrenaline and intense focus that she can really revel in

for joe and booker the obvious choice would be football/soccer of course but here’s my niche scandinavian take: handball! it’s a team sport, quite fast paced compared to football (we’re talking like. 20 goals per game) and quite physical. (it also enjoys popularity in both north africa and france if that matters!) i also considered tennis, squash (the sport) and even badminton but i think joe would dig the social aspects of it and drag booker along because damn boy, you need to get out of the house and talk to people, ok. i call the pose for their picture ‘don’t throw that fucking thing at me and don’t give me those eyes i can see you lifting it you absolute walnut’.

(nicky dutifully attends their big games and usually drags nile along - neither of them have any real interest in the sport but nicky buys the best snacks and they sit in the back the entire time practicing italian shit talking and listening to podcasts with shared headphones) (andy used to go too but she got a little too uh enthusiastic and got banned. oops)

my knowledge of roller derby is limited to that one ellen page movie BUT holy shit can you imagine andy and quynh tearing up the rink??? fucking lethal my dudes. we know they’re both quick, elegant and strong af so their games would be fast paced, at times brutal and they’d both have the best fucking time. in an au they’d probably meet while on opposing teams and flirt via basically mauling each other - esp with quynh as a jammer, the player who scores points by lapping the opposing team who have to stop her. nobody knows whether to be annoyed when they finally get together because the public flirting gets outright dirty or relieved because the injury percentage drops SO MUCH, oh my god how are they both still standing. and yes, their derby names would be pit wiper and androma kills because get fucking wrecked. the boys all get too caught up at their games and make a lot of stupid bets that nile inevitably wins because she’s the only one with critical thinking skills in these scenarios

nicky’s was actually the one who kicked this whole thing off for me; aerial silk is a very cool type of acrobratics - it’s basically yoga played on Extra mode and also in the air?? it’s all about stamina, flexibility and body strength. it looks super graceful but is also very challenging and it’s a fairly individual sport, which i think would suit nicky very well. i was honestly also inspired by the fact that the most aerial silk guys at my gym (i do pole fitness which has some overlap with the aerialists) have the same kind of figure as nicky: not bulky or cut, but still very strong with broad shoulders, lean arm muscles and strong legs. i don’t think he’d be interested in performances or competitions but he does occasionally invite joe to watch him practice when he has the studio for himself (the first time, joe nearly faints because his blood doesn’t know which direction to go and you know it doesn’t get any less heated from there wink wonk)

all that being said please don’t ask me about sports because i genuinely know next to nothing about most types of it - but i did have a lot of fun making these!

2K notes · View notes

carters-coffee · 3 years

Text

False Gift

Word Count: 1089

Warnings: minor/brief mention of blood and animal death

Subject Name: Alcina Dimitrescu

She was a beautiful creature of elegant stature. Born into nobility and wealth, she conducted herself with a grace that made her seem startlingly out of place in the small village tucked away in the mountains. A ray of light in the dusk, bright and charismatic, always sporting a smile that belied the turmoil within. The loneliness she had endured.

She had been incredibly sheltered as a child. If her societal status wasn't enough to quash common play with other children, her condition certainly was. A curse of the blood, her father had called it. Others in the family had it. Cuts and scrapes didn't cease their flowing, bruises took far too long to heal. One accident would be all it took to drain her body dry. Of course little Alcina had to be protected. Locked away from danger. From the world.

Make no mistake, it was a rich and favorable life she lived. She had a good relationship with her parents and the maids. She was taught proper etiquette and how to conduct herself, as all ladies must learn. She read and wrote and painted and learned to play piano. Always enriched. Always cared for. She would grow into a fine woman.

Yet when she sat in her room on that lavish window seat, looking out to the beautiful spring day, she could feel a cold creeping in, wrapping its gnarled claws around her heart.

Cadou Affinity: Most favorable

Stoic. Prideful. These were the words that would come to mind when one watches the sophisticated woman perched on the cracked oak examination table, the epitome of poise as Mother Miranda approached her with that wicked needle.

Alcina was by no means large in stature; in fact she was shorter than The Mother, but her straight shoulders and bright eyes boasted of great importance. One could not see her eyes only shone from the anxiety that twisted in her chest. Couldn't feel what she felt when she tried to swallow and found her throat was dry as cotton.

Brain Functions: Normal

She had seen the effect the Cadou had on Mother Miranda's… peons. The way they had lost themselves, their humanity. The ravenous beasts they had become. Mother Miranda promised she wouldn't share their fate. She was special.

She couldn't bring herself to watch the gleam of metal disappear beneath her skin, so she looked to Her Mother for reassurance. The cold still clutched at her heart, but this would make things better, right? This would fix everything. Mother's gift would free her of the blood curse. She would be important.

Regeneration rate is incredibly fast. The subject can heal any external wound within seconds, and grow her nails into claws in mere moments. Rapid regeneration also means an increased body size.

Pain ripped through her like hellfire as muscles grew and stretched far faster than humanly possible. The agony made her want to claw her way out of her own body, to scream or thrash or anything that would make it go away, but she didn't have the energy. All she could do was curl in her bed, seeking comfort in the fetal position as she rode out the storm that ravaged her insides. Cries of pain echoing through the halls subdued to exhausted whimpers as the hours ticked by.

Like all great storms, it eventually passed. Like all great storms, the damage lasted long after the wind and rain ceased.

Flawless skin was now marred by stretch marks from the sudden growth- jagged streaks on arms and thighs and breasts.

The great castle Mother Miranda had bestowed upon her was suddenly far too small. She found she had to duck simply to pass through doorways, and she wasn't used to the cramped quarters, often painfully hitting the corners of desks, or filling the hall with the deafening sound of shattering glass as she knocked over a vase.

Her clothes, obviously, no longer fit her. Of course Mother Miranda had new dresses tailored right away, but even resized, they didn't fit the same. Where once supple curves were gently sculpted by fabric, now bulging muscles were strained by the seams.

Alcina thought of her Mother, her true Mother, and the lectures she had to sit through as a child on being a proper lady. A proper lady is delicate. A proper lady is feminine. A proper lady is soft. Ladies conduct themselves with grace and flow like a flower in the wind.

She didn't feel very lady-like when she gathered all her old clothes and threw them into the fire, the light of the flames reflected in her eyes. Flickers of gold within gold.

Note: Due to hereditary blood disease the subject must ingest human flesh and blood on a regular basis to maintain regeneration properties.

I suspect that if the subject's regeneration is not properly balanced then she may mutate uncontrollably.

She couldn't bring herself to do it. She had always been a gentle soul. One of her most vivid memories as a child was the meltdown she'd had when her father came back from a hunt with a magnificent red stag. Much to her father's frustration, she refused to eat any meal made with the beast's meat. Try as she might, she could not banish the image of its cold glazed eyes staring blankly ahead, the steady drip of dark blood from the wound in it's chest.

Now, the metallic aroma emanating from the gilded chalice made her gag. How could she possibly drink it, knowing it came from one of her own kind? Someone's life blood swirled in this chalice, someone who once had a love and family and interests and quirks. A real person. A person like her.

But her body did not accept her probity. The Cadou pulsing through her blood cared not for morals or guilt. It cared only for flesh.

So hellfire ripped through her body once again, worse than ever before. Muscles tore and bones rearranged and anguished cries fell from her lips while tears of crystal fell from her eyes.

Her body was not her own anymore. Or perhaps it was more her own than it had ever been. Was this what she was now? A monster? The cold no longer clawed at her heart… It had spread in tendrils beyond the confines of her ribs, like fungus.

Like mold.

Only Mother Miranda would see her in this form. The disappointment in her eyes was almost too much to bear.

An unfit vessel for Eva

My Ao3

#lady dimitrescu #alcina dimitrescu #resident evil #resident evil 8 #resident evil village

165 notes · View notes

thearchvillain · 3 years

Text

of horsefairs and maidens. part 1

nikolai lantsov x reader

link to part 2

summary: The weather is warm and the air thick with the scent of summer blossoms at the epicentre of horse auctions and races, Caryeva - and Nikolai Lantsov has been bored out of his mind for the past... what feels like an eternity. When even counting how many times his brother has made a fool of himself lost its appeal and became nearly tragic to watch, Nikolai retreated to the edges of the fair only to find that pretty girl Vasily had been dragging around all day hiding on the outskirts, seemingly desperate to escape the supposed Lantsov charm. Or whatever version of it Vasily had offered. "Tomorrow then.", he leaned down beside her, "I'll buy all your father's horses if that's what it takes." Watching her from the side he could just see the tiniest of smirks grace the corner of her lips, "That's an expensive sport you're wanting to try out." "Well, have I ever told you that I have a lot of money?" "Silly me, and here I was thinking you were a mere peasant." "Was it the humility? The rogue charm?"

word count: 2085

warnings: mentions of animal abuse, also Vasily being generally shitty as always

A/N - this is my first attempt at writing this sort of AU/imagine/excerpt, and I’ve gone overboard with the word count (as always), but I hope you will like it! i thought i might fit it into one part, but both Nikolai and the main character had so much to say I figured there would have to be another part thrown in there haha also we have some (briefly) confused!Nikolai, so I hope you enjoy that!

She'd hidden herself well, standing at the very edges of the fair where the trees cast their shadows long and wide in the evening sun, offering a pocket of peace to both the animals and the humans looking for a moment of silence, or cold breeze not laden with the scent of alcohol and sweat and horses.

Nikolai had been watching her for a while, straight-backed and still in her rider's outfit, standing near the rickety fence and looking at the horses not quite suited for the finer crowds that milled around the crown prince back at the heart of the fair. He supposed it was a good place to hide, not so much because of the forest behind them, but because his brother was far too vain to venture this far out.

"I saw you before, you're the girl who's been entertaining the crown prince.", he said, casually, noncommittally. She'd been ignoring the sound of his steps as he'd approached her from behind, drawn in by some sight before her, and even now she didn't so much as glance over her shoulder. Instead, she let out a sound that might have been a snort, but more lady-like, "Well, he's certainly not been entertaining me, so someone had to get the job done."

Nikolai stopped just short of the fence, to her left, and finally when the girl turned her head to see who she was speaking to he could see the brief flash of recognition in her eyes. So she hadn't known who she was speaking to. The surprise stayed there only for the briefest time, then morphed into something that might have been calculation, as if she were weighing her options - to speak of the prince to his brother this way was a dangerous game, at least if one wasn't familiar with Nikolai.

She finally settled on a slight nod, as graceful as it was superficial, "My apologies.", then she cocked an eyebrow, "Tell me, your highness, could this cost me my tongue?"

Cheeky. He smirked, "Only if it's me you're speaking of this way, and even then only because it would be a terrible lie. I'm wonderfully entertaining."

She made a noncommittal sound and looked back at her horses, "Does it run in the family?"

Nikolai felt personally slighted that the giant lump of muscle that was a horse a few meters away from them seemed more interesting to her than he did, but it wasn't like he was going to just back off, "At least give me a chance, it'd be a shame for you to think we're all like that."

"Like what?", she turned her clever eyes back to him and smiled, "You make it sound like I've implied the crown prince is not charming."

"Oh, you haven't. I'm the one implying it.", this seemed to draw out a chuckle from her. Take that, horse. "You're rather good at hiding distaste, I'll give you that."

"Who says I'm not hiding it now?"

"Ouch.", his hand went briefly to his chest in a theatrical display of hurt, "How come you're not nearly as charming to me as you've been to Vasily?"

"Because you don't seem like a jackass. How's that for the capital offence?"

"Personally, I see none, merely a good judge of character."

This time the chuckle she let over her lips was a bit less restrained, and he'd be damned if he didn't take that as a win. Now her eyes slid back to the meadow in front of them, beaten down by horseshoes and boots until it was nothing but mud, and Nikolai watched her watch that same horse she'd been staring at since he'd first spotted her. One could claim it was nothing special if it weren't for its size - he'd be damned if that wasn't the largest horse he'd seen since the army, and probably the roughest-looking.

"Do you have a penchant for the uglier specimen or are you just wondering about his size?"

The girl gave him the dirtiest look he'd been given in a while, "He's not ugly, just old and overworked.", then as if to sound less stern, "But he is a big boy, even for his breed."

Well, that attempt at a joke about his looks fell flat. He wasn't used to that. "How do you know?"

This seemed to be more her tune because she perked up and pointed one long, elegant finger at the horse, "Do you see the way he's walking? And the scars on his flank?", she didn't wait for the answer, he could hear the urgent irritation in her voice, "He's been severely abused - his hind leg has been broken and never set properly, and you rarely see a valuable work animal this scarred from beatings and equipment."

Now Nikolai looked, actually looked, he could see the ridges of old scars crisscrossing his entire body, and something off about the way he ambled around as if to put a distance between himself and the people. "I thought he was a warhorse, that those were battle wounds. Not something his owners would do to him."

He could see her soften a bit when she heard the shock and disgust that laced his tone, her eyes going briefly to him before she looked at the horse again, "Vasily wouldn't even look at him."

"You tried to show him to my brother?"

She frowned at his tone, "I had no choice! My father won't let me buy him, and he's going to be sold for meat if I don't get him before this hell show is over."

"You want to buy him?"

No, actually, this was the dirtiest look he'd received from a woman, "Well, of course. He deserves a peaceful, loving retirement. He's suffered enough."

Now it was Nikolai's turn to look incredulous, "I thought you were letting my brother drag you around like a prized mare because you wanted an actual prized mare."

She sputtered, incredulity lining her features before she finally found her voice, "Excuse me?"

"Not like that --"

"Like what then?"

Nikolai cleared his throat, if only to buy himself time, "Well, this went off the rails fairly quickly."

She turned her entire body towards him now, and he could feel the anger vibrating off her tiny frame in waves, all directed at him, "You were never on the damn rails."

Fair enough. "It says nothing of your character, anyone who listens to his drivel for an entire day should be well-compensated for their emotional trouble."

"I'll need to be well-compensated after this conversation."

"I don't think that old horse will do it though."

She smacked him on the arm. It took Nikolai a second to process what had just happened, as he looked down to his arm where her fist had punched him with all the righteousness of a woman scorned, then back up at her, incredulous once again. "I was joking."

"Try doing it again, but this time make it funny."

When Nikolai didn't answer quickly enough she put her hands on her hips and raised a brow, "Well?"

"Well-- my extensive education in diplomacy tells me I should ease off with the jokes and perhaps try to apologise?"

Her brow somehow went even higher, it made him feel young and squeamish.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were accompanying my brother for your gain."

"Oh, please, of course I've been advising him on horses because I want something out of him, why else would I listen to him compare me to a mare and act like he'd written me a sonnet."

"He compared you to a horse?"

"An expensive one, so it's fine in his mind.", she let out a shaky breath, the anger still simmering beneath the soft rosy tint that coloured her cheeks. Nikolai couldn't help but stare, taken aback by the simplicity of her intentions, her irritation - she'd been keeping her cool the entire day, nodding prettily whenever his brother said something, offering him her expertise only to have it thrown back in her face because she was not meant to be listened to, only showed off. And she was not a girl that wanted to be showed off or ignored, that much was clear.

"What?"

She turned to look at him, and Nikolai caught himself mid-stare, too absorbed in his thoughts to recognize that he'd been looking at her a bit too long. "Nothing, I'm just impressed."

"With what?"

"You.", he smirked, "I mean you've been suffering under his charms all day, then mine, and at the end of it you're restrained enough to only punch me in the arm?"

She frowned, her eyes sliding to his arm, uncertainty on her features, "Can I get in trouble for that?"

"Oh no, I'm into it."

She raised a brow, and Nikolai couldn't help the smirk that passed across his lips. Then he said, out of nowhere, "Will you come to dine with me?"

"As you said, your brother thinks I'm his prized mare."

That was only half a no, so he thought he might still have some wiggle-room left there, "Well I think you're far prettier than that. At least a good racehorse."

"Saints I want to smack you again."

Nikolai leaned in, his voice conspirational, "Well, yeah, that was kind of the point."

That chuckle again. He noticed that the feathery hair at the back of her neck curled delightfully when she turned to look at the fair and wondered briefly what she might look like when she let her hair down from her ponytail. His thoughts were interrupted when she said, "I can't. My father wants me to keep him amused, so Vasily might buy from him instead of the breeder from the next town over."

Nikolai frowned, "So he sent you out to entertain the creepier of the two princes like a well-trained monkey?"

"You just physically can't say a sentence without petting your own ego, can you?"

"Oh, you're noticing that just now?"

She leaned her forearms on the fence, staring out at the distance, "Are you really surprised? My sister probably knows even more than I do about the horses, but it was never about the knowledge."

Nikolai wished he could tell her he was, but he'd been made all too familiar with how these things worked in court, why his mother had paraded him around so much, with his pretty golden curls and charming smiles.

"Tomorrow then.", he leaned down beside her, "I'll buy all your father's horses if that's what it takes."

Watching her from the side he could just see the tiniest of smirks grace the corner of her lips, "That's an expensive sport you're wanting to try out."

"Well, have I ever told you that I have a lot of money?"

"Silly me, and here I was thinking you were a mere peasant."

"Was it the humility? The rogue charm?"

He'd just turned his head to look at her, a smirk playing on his lips, ready to come up with another joke to try and get another laugh from her when his brother's voice carried over from somewhere behind her, "Brother. I see you've met my advisor.", there was an edge to his voice, even if he was all drunken smiles, "She's pretty isn't she?"

"The prettiest.", Nikolai replied, pleasantly, even if he knew that wasn't quite the most interesting thing about her, "Come to save her from me?"

"Always.", Vasily's eyes went to the girl, and Nikolai realised he'd never asked for her name, "Did he bore you?"

"Not at all.", the mask slipped back onto her face, as empty as it was pretty, not that Vasily would ever notice, "I see he's inherited your charm."

"Yes, but not quite all of it."

Nikolai cast a glance her way and offered a slight smirk, something unspoken about it, an intimate joke, "I shall leave you two alone, I'm sure you've found another horse to bore her with, brother."

Vasily cleared his throat, "See you at dinner, little brother."

As he walked away, he could hear Vasily ask her for the details of their conversation, the jealousy seeping into his voice like poison. Then something about the workhorse they'd been looking at, wondering why she'd ever want that broken halfbreed. Nikolai knew why his brother had raised his voice when saying that, knew those words were meant for him more than her, but he was too tired to care. Tomorrow then. Hell, he might actually get himself some horses of his own tomorrow.

#nikolai lantsov #nikolai lantsov x reader #nikolai lantsov imagine #grishaverse #shadow and bone #of horsefairs and maidens #reposting this to the new standalone blog!#for practicality's sake #really sorry for the confusion tough <3 #i'll be posting part 2 and other excerpts on this blog from now on :)

137 notes · View notes

whitherliliesbloom · 3 years

Text

towards a tomorrow

[ ffxivwrite2021 ] ★ [ masterlist ] ★ [ prompt #28 - bow ]

[ illya & kirishimi ] ★ [ 2,062 words ] ★ [ period drama au ]

for matchi’s period drama au. briefly mentions illyanaud, laurelis and kaye.

bow- to bend your head or body forward, especially as a way of showing someone respect or expressing thanks

kirishimi didn’t care for frilly dresses or etiquette unless it was to make a statement - so she gets lessons from the most ladylike friend she knows

“Gods, shite! How do people breath in this stupid thing?!”

Amongst the light breeze of the midafternoon wind, the melodic chirping of the songbirds and the sound of water splashing freely from the white marble fountain, Kirishimi’s less than ladylike words pierce through the air as she puffs her chest in with a low grumble and is followed by the soft and gentle bell-like chimes of a younger girl’s giggles a few feet next to her.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think the corset can be loosened any further, I made it as loose as I could for you already.”

“Can I just take it off then?” Kirishimi asks, hopeful even as the shorter lalafellin girl shakes her head calmly with am apologetic frown, her vibrant violent eyes swirling with sympathy.

“I wish you could but... Laurelis designed the dress with your corset in mind.. It just wouldn’t fit if you didn’t-”

“Shite.”

Yet another swear tumbles carelessly out of Kirishimi’s lips, and Illya lets out a soft, barely audible sigh before flashing her taller friend yet another gentle smile.

“How about a short break then? I think you’ll feel a little better if you take a breather.”

“Yes please!”

Without even a seconds’ hesitation, Kirishimi grabs the frame of the hoop skirt beneath her bright orange dress with her hands and marches to the gazebo before slumping down onto the white garden chair and kicking her matching pair of high heels off. She leans down to massage the soles of her feet with a grimace, feeling light indents where the rim of the heels had dug into her feet and wondering if there was going to be blisters forming under her hosiery by the end of the day.

In contrast to the almost unruly way she’d retreated under the shade of the white and purple gazebo, Illya in comparison was the very picture of elegance. With only the tips of her thumb and index finger, the young lady lifts the hem of her frilly lavender dress before climbing the steps up to the gazebo. Despite wearing lacey embroidered heels that seemed like they were even more of a pain to wear than her own, Illya’s balance was perfect, each footstep graceful and deliberate so much that Kirishimi could barely even hear the little tap of her heels against the floor.

Even the way she sat upon the chair, taking her time to tuck her dress beneath her thighs before sitting herself down and folding her hands neatly upon her lap - it wouldn’t have made Kirishimi felt self-conscious any other time before today. But it was exactly because she was here now, for the exact same reason she’d even agreed to commission an over the top ball gown from Laurelis that she swear to never wear outside of it’s intended use, that she quickly decided to correct her posture.

The taller woman feels out of place - as she typically does, but especially next to her considerably more demure, ladylike friend. Surrounded by the jewel toned walls of the Skawi mansion, the flawless marble tile paths that circled the garden and practically shined in the sunlight and the bed of delicate spring flowers that filled the air with a light floral fragrance, it would be hard for her not to feel even a tiny bit like a fish out of water.

“Thanks again, Illya. For agreeing to teach me.” Kirishimi opts to speak, breaking the long hanging silence as if in sheepish apology. She knows she isn’t the best student, and so the least she could do was be cooperative and nice to the girl who is graciously lending her her time and efforts.

“You’re very welcome, Kiri.” With a radiant smile, Illya nods her head, her innocent expression bright and at home with her subtle movements of grace. The birds that sat upon the mansard roofs sing in tandem with the sweetness of Illya’s voice. “I’m honored that you would come to me for lessons about etiquette. Even if it is to...um... break the social construct.”

Mismatched eyes widen in a panic, and the older woman leans forward over the table and raises her voice a tad.

“Hey, I hope you don’t misunderstand me! There’s nothin’ wrong with being prim and proper! I’m not tryin’ to do anythin’ to disrespect you! I just-”

“I know.” Illya speaks, her brilliantly pure white hair fluttering gently in the breeze like a wavy silken veil over her head. “You’re just trying to be you. You have the courage and strength to stand up to people who would try to tell you do otherwise. I like that about you.” With yet another euphonious, soft giggle, Illya raises a hand up to press against her chest. “Besides, you wouldn’t have come to me for a favor if you truly did have malicious intent, would you? The fact that you called Laurelis and I for help means that you trust us.”

A soft blush rises up to Kiri’s face where speckles of white snow glowed lightly from the heat from her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her gloved hand moves up to rub the side of her neck sheepishly, and she cannot help the toothy grin that adorns her face.

“I guess you’re right.” the woman murmurs. “I also... admire you a lot, you know? You’re so sweet, and nice... a bit too nice, honestly. You don’t even get angry when idiots spout lies about you...”

Kirishimi would be lying if she said she didn’t feel an immense amount of admiration for Illya’s ability to stay as calm and collected as she does - even above the seemingly effortless way she’d conduct herself like the society’s perfect definition of a ‘lady’.

But there wasn’t envy... it wouldn’t be warranted, especially since Kirishimi knew that behind the perfectly immaculate way Illya would hold herself as the young mistress and future heiress of her family name, came a set of troubles and insecurities that she too was struggling with.

It’s evident by the flicker of melancholy in Illya’s eyes, like a field of delphiniums and hydrangeas that were drooping in the midst of a drizzle of rain and grey storm clouds, even with a forced, stepford smile gracing her delicate and fair features. They were lovely, beautiful even in their imperfect sadness.. but Kiri could not bring herself to feel anything but sorry at the sight of them.

“And I wish I were even half as strong as you. You’re able to stand up for what you want, for who you are... If I had a fraction of the courage that you possessed then perhaps... I could have...” The girl looks down, the silver band that she’d refused to wear hidden deep in the depths of her dress pocket weighing far more heavily than it ever did before. “I could have stopped my uncle from calling for the engagement...”

The Skawi family had well deserved respect from the capital, and with it came a reputation and image they had to uphold. And with their fame, came the inevitable greed from the current head of the family - the man Illya could barely even bring herself to think of as family, the younger brother of the long deceased patriarch, Lachlan Skawi.

Selling himself and the name of the Skawis wouldn’t be enough for the man - and so he’d sold the dignity of his niece as well by calling for an arranged marriage.. something that Kirishimi knew would not be solved with a few simple social statements and protests. It involved the name of the Skawi family, and worse still, it involved the capital.

Internally, Kirishimi wonders what Young Master Alphinaud intends to do. Word about mistress Skawi’s engagement to one of the members of the royal bloodlines has spread far and wide by now, and he would undoubtedly be working tirelessly for a way to stop the marriage.

But if the combined efforts of Laurelis’ family, the Leveilleur household, Hien’s influence as a well respected foreign emissary wasn’t enough to convince Illya’s uncle to call off the engagement, what else could they hope to do?

“You’re stronger than you think you are, Illya.” Kiri reassures, her tone gentler than is usual for her, as is the light, reassuring smile upon her face. “You took the first steps to realize your own dreams, didn’t ya?”

Kiri gestures to the carnation earring she wore that dangled lightly with gleaming white pearls, and Illya raises a hand up to brush against her ear lightly. The earring was a gift from Master Alphinaud, the man she owes much to... Her mentor, her dearest friend and...

A dust of red rises up to Illya’s cheeks and spreads to the tips of her pointed ears as she nods.

“It’s... It’s thanks to everyone... and especially Master Alphinaud that.. that I finally started to learn medicine. If it weren’t for everyone’s support, I wouldn’t have-...”

Illya holds her tongue, pressing her lips into her fine line as Kiri allows the silence to fester, until she grins at the look of renewed determination upon the young maiden’s face.

No, Kirishimi is right. She certainly may owe much to her friends and loved ones, and she wouldn’t have taken that first steps towards realizing her dream to become a doctor had she not met Alphinaud... but it took great strides of her own too, a strength and new found courage to stand up to the ones who doubted her - one that she felt determined in full to carry on for as long as she needed until her dreams are fulfilled and she can be free from her own social constructs that are weighing her down.

“Once all this is over.. could you teach me how to fence, Kiri?” Illya asks, eliciting a surprised hum from her taller friend.

“You wanna learn how to fence?” The woman asks... not in dissuation, of course... but in mild disbelief that a girl as sweet and gentle as Illya would be interested in the sport. She’d say yes, of course, regardless of Illya’s reasons. She’d teach Illya whatever she wanted to learn especially since the girl had been kind enough to be teaching her etiquette. But she still cannot help but to be a bit curious.

“I admit I’m not the strongest or physically well built... I’ll probably be a really bad student but-”

With a wave of her hand, Kiri dismisses Illya’s words with a hearty, loud laugh that echoes throughout the garden, warm and bright in the midafternoon sun.

“You’ll be great, I guarantee it. You’re quick on your feet and I think you’re a lot more fit than you give yourself credit for.” If Illya’s ability to function without fault all way in tight corsets and high heels are anything to go by, at least.

With a bright smile of gratitude, Illya thanks her friend warmly with a bow of her head before standing herself up from the chair, circling around the table and gesturing to the haphazardly abandoned orange heels that laid on their sides next to Kirishimi.

“Let’s continue, Kiri. We still have much to practice for the day!” Illya shrugs her shoulders when Kiri groans, slipping her feet back into her heels before reluctantly standing herself back up. “You remember what I said about the proper way to curtsy is, right?”

To demonstrate, Illya holds the sides of her dress, barely pulling the hem up from the ground and crossing her legs before dipping herself down gracefully like a ballerina... and Kiri could only let out a lazy grumble in protest.

“Can’t we rest for a little while longer? I hate this curtsying shite.”

“The faster we get this part of the lesson done, the faster we can move on to table manners.” Illya’s innocent smile is bright and radiant, belying the little hint of mischief laced under the tone of her knowing voice. “I’ve already asked for the pastries and sweet tea to be prepared, you know? Kaye should be arriving with them any second now.”

“Curtsy? Got it. Left foot behind right???” Mismatched blue and red eyes fly open, and the woman does a full curtsy that elicits yet another light and airy giggle from Illya.

“It’s the right foot behind your left. Not too quickly, now. Let’s try that again.”

#ffxiv #ffxivwrite #ffxivwrite2021 #kiwisffxivwrite2021 #illya skawi #kirishimi #period drama au #fanfic #mine #YET ANOTHER AU I'VE NEVER WRITTEN FOR GOD #I quite like this even if I feel like it's missing a lot of context that i had to explain with just a few #expository sentences #but that's just the nature of writing for aus you've never established before hah

11 notes · View notes

t0wnspersonb · 4 years

Text

Don’t Hold Back (Iwaizumi Hajime x Reader)

Anonymous said:

Hi there 🦋anon here! Would It be posible to request a scenario in which iwizumi s/o is an ice skater and she has a pretty bad fall during a competition resulting in her getting her ankle pretty bad injured and has a result is not allowed to skate for months. As a consequence she starts doubting her abilities for sports, she is scared of junping and making figures and tries to hide it from him until one day she collapses unable to hold it back anymore but iwa is still there for her? Please!

~~~

Word Count: 2,171

~~~

I apologize if this is absolute shit anon and that it took so long for me to write it😭😭😭 I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new so I apologize for that too! I’ll hopefully be updating more, I’m finally looking through my inbox and seeing what I want to write. I’ll be doing two more requests before I close it. I have a couple more stories I want to get out. I will let you guys know when I’ll be taking more requests! I hope you guys like this one and please give me some feedback:)

~~~

“Does that hurt?” the doctor looked at you expectantly, carefully rotating your ankle.

You shook your head.

“Good. It looks like the physical therapy has paid off. I was worried that the surgeries weren’t -”

You had stopped listening at that point, your eyes trained on the window behind the doctor. A brightly colored butterfly floated effortlessly in the wind, its wings beating softly as it fluttered about.

That was how you were on the ice; it was effortless, elegant, beautiful, it was everything that butterfly was… until you ruined it all.

Six months.

You haven't skated in six months.

All because of your ruined ankle.

After three surgeries, countless hours of physical therapy, heartache, and far too many tears, you were finally at this moment.

So then why did you feel so incredibly empty?

Why weren’t you excited?

“- with the right precautions and easing your way back in, I don’t see why you can’t begin skating.” the doctor finished, giving you an encouraging smile.

“O-Oh. Really?” you stuttered out nervously.

“Of course. But like I said, you need to ease your way in, I don’t recommend doing any competitions just yet. But an hour or two on the ice won’t hurt.” He said thoughtfully.

You simply nodded.

The rest of the checkup finished in a blur and you found yourself walking on the sidewalk, deep in thought.

It was wintertime, your hands were stuffed deep into your coat pockets as you trudged through the snow.

Normally you loved this kind of weather, but recently… recently the gloomy weather seemed to seep into your very being, leaving you exhausted and cold.

“Hey.” a familiar voice called out, you looked up to see Iwaizumi leaning against the entrance to the park you were planning to go to. A place you often frequented when you wanted to be alone, when you wanted to think.

“Hi.” you said quietly, walking towards the tall ace. Iwaizumi didn’t say anything as you pressed your head into his chest, nor did he make any movement to pull you closer.

You guys just stood there.

“Why didn’t you text me back? I was going to pick you up from the hospital.” he finally said once you pulled away.

You guys began making your way into the park, sitting down on the swings.

“I’m sorry.” You said softly, eyes casting up to the dark sky. It was snowing again, meaning that you should head home soon. “I didn’t even bother looking at my phone. Too much on my mind.”

“Well what did the doctor say?” he asked, his gloved hands holding onto the chains linked to the seat.

“Said I could start skating again. Slowly. No competitions for a while.” You said, frowning slightly.

“That’s good though. You haven’t been on the ice in months.” Iwaizumi said pointedly.

“Yeah. It just seems weird… like it’s been years rather than months.” You sighed.

You felt a gloved hand gently pull a strand of hair away from your face. Iwaizumi gazed at you with a soft expression.

“Well don’t push yourself. We don’t need you falling again and breaking your ass or something.” he said, smirking as you laughed at his statement.

“Or something.” You repeated, eyes glancing down at your snow-covered shoes now.

“Shut up.” he rolled his eyes, tousling your hair, causing you to pout and push at him. “It’s going to be fine. You need to calm down. I better get going, Crappykawa wants everyone to meet up for practice early today.”

He stood up, dusting the snow off his pants before he grabbed the chains right above your hands, he leaned down closer to your face.

“Kiss me.” he demanded, staring into your blushing face, while you wanted to blame it on the freezing weather, both of you knew exactly why you were blushing.

“This is a public place.” you countered back, your heart racing in your chest at his demand, and how close he was to you.

All thoughts of skating and your injury went out of your mind, and all you could think about was Iwaizumi now.

The sly bastard.

He knew you too well.

“And?” he scoffed, carefully grabbing your chin. “You’re my girlfriend. It’s not like that’s indecent.”

Before you could counter his lips were already on yours. They were cold and slightly chapped, but his mouth fitted against yours perfectly. He angled your face up more, causing the kiss to deepen.

Your hands gripped at the front of his coat, either to pull him closer or to shove him away, you weren’t sure. But the kiss ended far too soon for your liking.

“Get home safe. I’ll call you after practice.” he said huskily, pressing his lips to your forehead briefly before pulling away completely.

That man was incredibly infuriating.

But you loved him anyway.

It was like fate the way you guys ended up dating. Your friend had dragged you to one of Aoba Johsai’s games, she was crazy over their captain and had hoped to talk to him afterwards.

But you were completely disinterested, you couldn’t care less about the sport, or any sport for that matter. If it didn’t involve figure skating, it didn’t matter to you.

And then you saw him play.

You were always a sucker for muscular ruffians. It was his arms that drew you in.

When the team won, you and your friend found yourself in front of the captain of the team and captain muscles.

Once you laughed at his ridiculous comments aimed at Oikawa, the rest was history. You guys hit it off instantly and soon began dating.

You thought that it was going to be hard at first, considering how busy you guys were, but it worked out somehow.

You appreciated all the effort and support he put in the relationship. Iwaizumi was your rock, a constant comfort in your life.

You knew that he was worried about you, ever since your injury you knew you were being distant but… you couldn’t help it. You also didn’t mean to either. It just happened.

Figure skating was your entire life, something that you’ve done since you were little. You were damn good at it too. It was the competition right before nationals when you injured your ankle.

You were crushed.

It was a simple mistake too. A jump that caused your complete downfall.

You didn’t want to skate anymore. You didn’t want to taste that humiliating defeat again, you didn’t want to feel powerless anymore. You remembered the comments, the circling doubt that after you healed, you wouldn’t be in the top anymore.

You hated it all.

So then why were you here?

You stared at the rink, the ice was smooth and ready to be used… but… you felt sick to your stomach.

It had been several weeks since the doctor’s visit.

You wanted to get out of the house for a bit and then you found yourself here, at the skating rink. Where you had spent countless hours and countless days practicing.

But it was now or, never right?

You had to find out. This was the moment that was going to determine if you were going to continue skating.

Carefully you set yourself on the ice. Your lower lip ached from the way you were biting it so hard.

Then you started to move, gliding against the ice easily, like a fish in water.

It felt familiar.

It felt good.

It felt free.

You felt truly free in this moment, your eyes slipping shut as you moved around.

Maybe… maybe you could still do this. Your heart has never felt lighter until now.

This was what you were missing.

Feeling a bit more confident, you decided to try a triple Salchow.

Your form was wonderful, the spins were graceful… but then. Fuck. You panicked when it came to the landing which caused you to fall on your bad ankle.

You could feel your lower lip quiver as you stared at your hands placed on the ice. Your ankle throbbed in pain for a moment before subsiding.

But your heart was throbbing in pain now.

You couldn’t do it.

You failed.

Again.

Frustration and anger gripped at your heart; tears were now falling onto the ice below you.

You screamed, your hand balling up into a fist, your knuckles slamming down into the ice as you cried out in anger.

You didn’t even notice the pain in your hand now, nor the blood dripping down your fingers when your skin split.

“Y/n!” a strong familiar hand grabbed your bloody fist, preventing you from hurting yourself further.

You looked up into familiar dark eyes. Iwaizumi was staring at you in worry.

“What are you doing?” he scolded, tenderly uncurling your fist, assessing the damage. “You idiot! Look at your hand! Why would you do this to yourself?”

“I can’t do this anymore.” you whispered angrily, wiping at your eyes with your good hand.

“What are you talking about?” He frowned.

“I can’t skate anymore Hajime!” You wailed out, the emotions you were suppressing, the emotions you kept hidden from him, came bursting out. “I can’t do this! I’m not good anymore! I failed! I can’t jump! How can I be a figure skater when I can’t jump!? I’m a failure!”

“SHUT UP!” Iwaizumi roared, causing your hysterical words to die down. Was he… was he actually mad at you right now?

“You’re being stupid.” he scowled, his eyes gazing at you with intensity. “Of course, you can’t jump right now. You just got the okay from your doctor to start skating again! You shouldn’t even be trying to jump right now!”

You sniffed softly, remaining silent as he continued to scold you.

“You were supposed to ease into it! If you mess up your ankle again you definitely won’t be able to skate anymore, is that what you want!?”

“How can I start skating again when I know I’ll just fail! How can I start skating again when everyone in the competition believes that I can’t make it!?” you snapped back, tears welling up in your eyes again.

Iwaizumi’s angry expression melted into something incredibly soft as he stared at your tearstained face.

“What are you talking about babe?” he cupped your jaw carefully, gently titling your face up so he could look at you properly. “You’re not a failure. No one is doubting your abilities but yourself.” his rough fingers wiped at your tears softly. “So, what that you injured yourself? Accidents like that happen all the time. Look at Shittykawa and his knee. An injury isn’t a reflection of what you’re capable of. Everyone knows that you’re an amazing figure skater. Everyone is waiting for you to get back on the ice. But you can’t rush it.”

His eyes softened further as he took in your beautiful face. “You need to take things slow; I won’t let you injure yourself again. I definitely won’t let you quit either. Besides you really think that I would be dating you if you weren’t an incredible athlete? I don’t date losers babe.” he teased, smiling once you began giggling softly at his statement.

He pulled you into a gentle hug, his muscular arms securing around your shoulders easily, pulling you against his chest.

Your fingers gripped at the sides of his jacket, burying your face into his warm chest. His familiar cologne filled your nose, easing the tightness in your chest and filling you with warmth.

“Don’t hide your feelings from me.” he mumbled, a soft blush coating his cheeks as he stared off towards the far wall. “I want you to tell me these things. Don’t keep me in the dark, I can’t be a good boyfriend if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you.”

He grabbed your shoulders, carefully pushing you away so he could stare at you once more. “Rely on me more.”

You stared at him in awe. Your heart thumping in your chest pleasantly. Iwaizumi was the epitome of your ideal man. You loved him completely.

“You’re so manly Haji.” You blurted out, red rushing to your cheeks at your confession.

“S-Shut up stupid!” he scowled, looking away from you. He liked that though, he liked that a lot, fuck why were you so cute?

You couldn’t help but reach up, softly pecking his flushed cheek. He looked at you in shock until he grabbed your face, his mouth pressing against yours in a searing kiss.

The kiss spoke volumes in how you guys felt about each other. The admiration of each other's strengths, the mutual adoration and love you guys shared. It was all said in that kiss.

“That’s disgusting Iwa-chan! Other people use this rink!” a familiar voice called out.

The kiss ended all too soon, and your sweet boyfriend turned incredibly angry.

“Shut the hell up Shittykawa! You’re such a crappy guy! At least I have a girlfriend!” he snapped angrily.

“That’s mean Iwa-chan!”

“Go die!”

He was definitely the man of your dreams.

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x you #haikyuu fluff #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi fluff #iwaizumi oneshot #iwaizumi #haikyuu iwaizumi #iwa chan #iwaizumi hajime #request #requests are closed #fluff #one shot #iwaizumi scenarios #haikyuu headcanons

485 notes · View notes

bqstqnbruin · 4 years

Text

The other end of the spectrum

I don’t think I’ve written for any av besides Tyson, but don’t worry, he’s in this fic, I just kinda had to. But this was requested like a decade ago (no exaggeration there since you know I’ve had my account for about a year), and I still have three (maybe ?) more to work through. That being said, though, because I suck, Teach me something 3 is probably going to be dropping v soon since that is almost done.

Again, ignore typos (or point them out be like ummm excuse me)

I hope you like it! -------------------------

Should you be skating with your AirPods in? It wasn’t something that you had ever tried before, but it might be worth a shot now, right? But they were expensive, what if they flew out of your ears during your Biellmann spin, or while you’re trying to land your triple axel and ended up breaking on impact when they hit the ice? What if they fell out and someone skated over them? You could argue that whoever did that would have to buy you new ones, but you really weren’t that type of person to do something like that. Maybe, you could just try with something slow and see how they felt?

If only the rink weren’t open to everyone right now. Then you could lose yourself in the music of your routine like you did every time you were on the ice alone. You couldn’t make everyone get off the ice, either. Free skate was just that: free. There were parents with their children teaching them how to skate, some teenagers messing around on the ice, laughing, and making fun of how they look with their shorts and skates since it was the middle of the summer. None of them seemed to realize beforehand that the rink would still be cold since it was, you know, ice. One guy seemed to catch your interest: the only one skating around with a puck and a hockey stick. Hockey players and figure skaters were the exact opposite of the skating spectrum; you were all about delicacy and grace, hockey players were brash, crude, and rough. You were even on the ‘rougher’ side of a figure skater, and that only meant that you swore a little too much and didn’t really have an indoor voice. And yet, you were still infinitely more elegant than any hockey player you had ever encountered.

Whatever. You had managed to be on one end of the ice while it seemed like everyone else besides hockey boy was on the other. If you started your routine or even just practiced some of the elements of the routine that you knew you needed to work on, maybe that would get him to go to the other end. Sure, it wasn’t completely fair, but, hey, it’s worked before.

The AirPods were going to stay in, you decide, praying that nothing happens to the small expensive things in your ear. You start your routine, drowning out the sounds of the other skaters and letting the music fill your head. You close your eyes, not fully doing each element as you imagine a crowd around you. Competitions used to terrify you; the idea of a bunch of people holding their breath every time you did any sort of jump to let out a gasp if you fell or faltered, people averting their eyes if you had any sort of wardrobe malfunction that wouldn’t necessarily hurt your ability to skate, but would definitely hurt your ability to earn points from the judges, the overall sense of being watched was enough to almost make you quit the sport altogether. Now, it’s just natural, not being able to skate unless you know someone was watching you.

And someone was. Hockey boy, of all people, had stopped what he was doing with his stick and puck, standing against the boards, mesmerized by your fluid movements. He could tell that you weren’t doing everything to completion, but there was something about the way you seemed to take control of the ice that he couldn’t help but just stare at you. Your eyes were closed, it looked like you were muttering to yourself. Your hair was in a bun perched messily on top of your head, random strands framing your face seemingly perfectly. Who were you?

You decide to practice your camel spin; something that you were struggling with was making sure your leg was parallel, so might as well try now. You knew how it felt when it was right, you just had to actually get it right. Your music hits the place in your routine where you start to gear up for it, looking around you and seeing that you have open ice, you go for it. You do the move going right into it without problem. You can feel your leg just out of place as you speed up into the camel spin, not quite there. The music surrounds you in your AirPods, until one of them goes flying out. You stop your spin, trying to orient yourself and figure out where the small white ear piece went on the ice.

“Shit,” you mutter to yourself, scanning the ice to see if you can find it. If someone skates over it, you were going to throw a fit. Not at them, of course, because it was your own damn fault for wearing them in the first place, but a fit nonetheless.

“I think this is yours?” a deep voice comes from behind you. You spin around to see the hockey player standing in front of you, AirPod in hand. He almost looks nervous to be standing in front of you.

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” you say, taking it from him and putting it back in. The music fills your ears again, only to realize that his mouth was moving. “Sorry?” you say, pausing the music so you can hear him.

“Oh, uh, I was just saying that what you just did looked really good.” His eyes dart between you and the ice, shifting his weight between his skates as he runs his hands through his hair. There was no way a hockey player could be this nervous in front of you. While you weren’t frail, you weren’t exactly made of pure muscle. People could tell you did some dainty sport just by looking at you.

“Um, thanks. It wasn’t right, though,” you admit, looking at your phone to try to get back to where that move came in the music.

“What do you mean?”

Was he actually interested? He could have skated away already if he weren’t and you were about to start talking to someone else to get rid of him, nor were you going to try to be rude to him. “My leg is supposed to be parallel to the ice when it’s in the air, and it wasn’t. For some reason, I’m struggling getting it up.”

You look at each other, both blushing at the unintentionally sexual thing you had just said, “I’m willing to ignore how bad that sounded if you are.” Neither of you can help your laughter, but wow, he had a really nice laugh.

“Can I help you in any way?” he offers, putting his stick down against the boards.

“Uh, just watch me I guess? See if it looks like my leg is parallel or not?” you suggest. He nods, backing up to give you space after you hand him your phone with your music playing. You go on with the move, knowing that it didn’t feel right. “I have done this element hundreds of times, and yet in this rountine, I can’t get my leg parallel.”

“I mean, it looked parallel,” he says, skating back to you. You scrunch your face, obviously frustrated. Maybe you didn’t know how it felt when it was parallel? Or maybe you had stretched differently? No, you knew exactly how it felt. Maybe he didn’t know what parallel was. “I could help in any way you need me to, I just don’t know what I would do,” he spits out, his voice shaking again. Was he really nervous to be around you? Since when was a figure skater more confident than a hockey player?

“No, it’s fine, but thanks. I see my coach tomorrow, so I’ll have her check it out,” you shrug, bothered by the fact that you can’t get a simple move.

You start to skate away, muttering a goodbye when hockey boy speaks up, “Wait! Are you going?”

“I was going to. I’ve kind of been here all day working on my routine, so I was going to go grab food.”

“Maybe you’d like some company,” he asks, shuffling his weight between each skate, looking down at the ice. He brings his eyes up to meet yours, a smile on his face as his face turns red in anticipation of your answer.

“I don’t know if I should be going out with someone who hasn’t even told me his name,” you say, watching his face go from horror to relief.

“I’m Nate.”

“Well, Nate, where do you want to go?”

---------------

Nate walked up to the Pepsi Center, feeling weird that he wasn’t in a suit and carrying a cup of coffee, but a bouquet of flowers, dressed in a normal t-shirt and jeans and also using the same entrance as everyone else.

“Do you even like figure skating?” Ryan asks, him and Tyson trailing behind Nate as they struggle to keep up with Nate’s anxiously fast-paced walking.

“I think he likes his girl more,” Tyson says. “Hey, man. Slow down.”

Nate didn’t know why he was so nervous. It wasn’t over seeing you; you had been dating for nearly four months now. He might be more nervous about seeing you perform in general. You weren’t nervous about the competition and for some reason, it made him nervous; sympathy nerves? Were those a thing?

“She’s going to be fine, you know that, right? You said you’ve watched her practice this routine like a million times or something?” Tyson asks, hoping that it’ll calm him down. Nate didn’t even get this nervous when they were about to play a game. They were about to play game seven of a playoff game last season and Nate was the calmest guy in the room.

“I know, I know. She’s just been struggling with that camel spin since the day we met and her coach said that she was doing it fine and I said that she was doing fine but she didn’t think she was doing fine, and-” he rambles as the boys try to find their way to their seats.

“Dude. You’re not the one performing. Calm down,” Ryan says.

“I just want her to do well,” he says, shaking his leg, driving Ryan crazy. Tyson didn’t care much, but he just couldn’t figure out why his teammate was this nervous.

“She’s going to be fine,” Tyson reassures him, hoping that that was enough.

Nate’s leg kept shaking the entire time. They watched routine after routine: men’s short, pairs, ice dance, no one he knew since it was a United States competition and he had no idea who even came to these things. The only reason he remembered figure skating existed at this point was because of you.

You were waiting your turn to perform, running through your routine in the back area they had set up for the skaters to warm up, practice, stretch, calm down, do whatever they needed to do without pulling a Tonya Harding. Your coach was watching you intently, not nagging you enough to stress you out, but enough that you were fighting the urge to roll your eyes at the trivial things she was telling you. You already knew what you needed to do, and at this point, so close to you stepping on the ice, nothing in your routine was going to change unless someone hit you with a bat.

It’s your turn, all the nerves you thought you would be feeling melting away. “You’ve got this,” your coach says before pretty much shoving you on the ice.

You hear your name called over the speakers, waiting for the judges to give them the alright for the music to start and your routine to begin.

“Yeah, Y/N!” you hear three voices call, trying to be in unison, but just off enough that you could make out one of the voices: Nate. You didn’t even know he was coming. You can’t help but smile, a real genuine smile, unlike the practically forced one you normally had on when you were performing.

The music starts, you going through your routine like it was second nature. Knowing Nate was there made the routine feel so easy; every move you did felt right, the crowd seemed to be on their feet, not that you even paid much attention to them. You had no idea where Nate even was in the stands, not bothering to look for him until your routine was done. You wave to the crowd, everyone cheering, you hearing your coach screaming from the side. You find Nate, Ryan, and Tyson, excited to see them after the competition was over.

“That was amazing kid! You looked like you went to a whole other place while you were on the ice!” your coach boasts. You forgot you were even actually skating a competition for a moment there, “That might be a winning routine right there.”

You hadn’t even thought about winning, you just needed a high enough score to be invited to the next competition. It was the road to nationals, the road to the national team for the next world championships. But winning? That would be amazing, and definitely help your case for the national team.

You and your coach sit down, waiting for your score. You scan the audience, trying to orient yourself and find the boys again. Ryan looked like he was there because he had to be, which was fine; he didn’t really strike you as the type to want to go to a figure skating competition. Tyson seemed like he was enjoying himself, for the most part, maybe he actually liked the routines. But then there was Nate. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off you, even when you were just sitting down, pretending to listen to your coach ramble on about the next competition. You couldn’t believe he would come and surprise you like this. Or that he would not only make two of his teammates come, but also make them yell your name like they were teenage girls about to see their favorite boyband.

The score was in, you were just waiting for the judges to announce it. This was the part you hated the most: the waiting. You were one of the last skaters, so whatever place this put you in was probably going to be your standing, maybe one place lower. Your score was in: five points higher than the next. “Holy shit!” you say, your coach hugging you as you sit there shocked.

“That’s first place! That’s first fucking place!” Nate starts screaming, Tyson and Ryan trying to get him to calm his excitement down, especially since there were children around. He couldn’t help it; his girlfriend probably just secured first place at the competition, especially after he watched her struggling with the routine in the days leading up to it.

The next few skaters go, coming close to your score, but none of them really able to break it. There was one more skater, a girl who’s made the national team for the last four years in a row. If you came in second to her, you wouldn’t be that mad about it.

She does her routine, you watching on the TV in the back while you know your phone was blowing up with texts from Nate. He knew that you wouldn’t look at it until the end of the competition, but that didn’t stop him from sending texting you about his excitement anyway.

‘You were amazing’

‘I’m so proud of you!’

‘We’re going out after to celebrate’

‘But if you can’t tonight then we will tomorrow after the game’

The other skater finished the routine, she looked a little shaky in Nate’s opinion, but then again, what did he know. He was just so proud of you. “So after this, if Y/N can, do you guys want to come with us for a little celebration?” he askes Ryan and Tyson.

“Something tells me this celebration should be just the two of you,” Tyson says.

“Yeah, I really don’t want to be involved in whatever it is you guys are going to do,” Ryan adds.

“You guys don’t have to be gross,” Nate says.

The score came in for the last skater: Y/N had a score 0.04 points higher than her.

You came in first place. You couldn’t believe it. Your coach practically lifted you off the ground, you were speechless, Nate was losing his shit in the stands. You couldn’t wait until after the medal ceremony for you to go see Nate.

After you get your medal, congratulate the other skaters, and finally gather your things, the only thing on your mind was finding Nate, knowing that he had already waited for so long. “Nate!” you squeal when you see him, tossing your bag to Tyson, causing him to accidentally fall into Ryan as Nate picks you up off the ground, arms wrapped around you as he kisses you.

“Get a room,” Ryan mutters playful under his breath as you two pull away blushing. “I’m joking,” he says, throwing his hands up in protest, “only get one if you both want to.”

You can’t help but laugh as Tyson tries to hit him with your bag. “God, Y/N, I thought hockey bags were heavy, what do you have in here?” He asks, handing it off to Nate.

“Costumes, skates, tights, warm-up clothes, headphones, makeup, hair stuff,” you start to list off, Nate throwing his arm around you as the four of your start to walk, “I think I have a mirror in there, some books.”

“Books?” Nate asks.

“What? We have a lot of free time,” you shrug. “But I’m curious: did you bring those flowers for one of your boys?” you tease him.

“Yeah, they’re for Ryan for not pouting the entire time,” he jokes, sending Tyson into a fit of laughter while Ryan punches him in the arm. Nate hands you the bouquet filled with sunflowers and roses, your favorite flowers. “These, I hope obviously, are for you.”

“I love them,” you beam, stretching up to kiss him on the cheek. “You had mentioned going out tonight? Are you two coming, too?”

“Nope, we’re going home,” Ryan says, jingling his keys in your face.

“I was hoping to get a ride with you?” Nate asks, “Ryan drove the three of us here.”

“Sure, where to?”

“His house,” Ryan says, Tyson smacking him in the chest. “What! They could order food and be in private that is a perfectly reasonable suggestion!” Tyson pulls him away before he can say anything else, Ryan defending him while Tyson just tells him to quit while he’s behind since he has no chance of getting ahead.

“Interesting choice of teammates to bring,” you tell him as his free hand intertwines in yours.

He shrugs, walking with you to his car, “They were the only ones who I could convince to come.”

“What did you have to promise them?”

“I may or may not have to tie their skates for a few games,” he says, throwing your bag in the back seat as the two of you climb into your car.

“You did that for me?” you say, pretending to swoon to make him laugh.

“I think we’ve established that I would do almost anything for you.”

“Great, because I need to go rob a bank real quick,” you joke, getting another laugh out of him as you pull away from Pepsi Center and head towards his place.

In the middle of his laugh, you hear him let out, “I love you.” His eyes go wide with shock, surprised he just let that slip. He had planned on telling you how he felt soon, but not like this. Not on some night in your car on your way home from a competition.

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see him starting to freak out over what he just said. That was the first time you had heard him say it, but you knew he meant it. “You do?” you ask anyway, not bothering to hide the smile on your face.

“Well, uh, yeah,” he says, trying to calm himself down. Great. Now he was more nervous than he was before you did the routine. “You don’t have to say it back, I don’t know where you stand and I definitely don’t want you to think that I’m pressuring you into saying it or anything,” he starts to ramble.

“Oh, be quiet jitters,” you say, cutting him off before he takes it back altogether, “I love you, too.”

#nathan mackinnon #nathan mackinnon imagines #colorado avalanche #colorado avalanche imagine #avalanche #avalanche imagine #ryan graves #tyson jost #nhl #nhl imagines #hockey #hockey imagines

179 notes · View notes

numbaoneflaya · 3 years

Note

8, 21, 22, 26 for Caz , 25, 27, 29, 39 for Felria, 23, 30, 40, 43 for Suds, and 21, 25, 26, 35 for Nirn? 👀👀

HERE THEY ARE IM SJORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG GDSHEDG...

Caz

8. How does your character feel about religion?

Not a big fan! Hates the chantry and Andraste and the Maker and the Qun. Being raised in the circle run by templars and nuns and seeing the corruption of the church firsthand from the inside really left a bad taste in her mouth for organized religion.

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

She has the ability to flip her manners on or off depending on who shes with. If shes comfortable then shes going to be more crass and impolite, but shes capable of really cleaning up her act and pretending to be professional if she needs to be. Her type of hero is anyone who goes against the status quo and disrupts systems of oppression- She considers Thurwen/the HOF and Hawke personal heroes (if Hawke sides with the mages) as well as Anders. Has read all of Anders manifestos and reports on Thurwen and Hawke and would geek tf out meeting them.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner?

Friends are anyone who accepts her for who she is and doesnt snitch on her, people she can trust to do the right thing or atleast try to, and people she can have a good laugh with. Lovers are only a couple in the past as she needs to get to know someone well/find them interesting to want to sleep with them. Her type is large, charismatic and rugged. Anyone who looks like a good brat tamer but is also intelligent and keen. Iron Bull.

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?

Everything is covered in tomes and journals but theres a method to the madness. She likes to keep her things organized, surprisingly. She likes cool colors like greens and blues, likes dressing comfortably. Oversized shawls that second as blankets and loose pants. Her hair she likes to keep down with the sides pulled into little braids in front of her ears.

Felria

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

People watching and painting! She knows how to blend into a crowd pretty well or how to find a hidden vantage point where she can just sit and watch people… for hours. She finds peoples behaviors/reactions fascinating and makes little journals of interesting things she sees. Finding how other people work differently than her is vital to figuring out how best to manipulate and control them and she loves learning new ways! And painting because she has an artist's eye and enjoys beautiful things. A few bottles of blood and a quiet evening in front of an easel is a great way for her to unwind.

27. How do they relate to their appearance? How do they wear their clothing? Style? Quality?

She relates her appearance with how easily she will be able to blend in or stand out of her surroundings, and how to dress in order to play the role she wants to play. Because of her line or work (professional assassin and information gatherer) she has to have a lot of costumes available to fit the personalities she plays. Shes a performer at heart but only for herself and the joy she gets in deception. Her own style, if shes not performing, is simple reds and blacks and silvers. She keeps her hair long so shes able to do more with it.

29. What is your character’s weaknesses? Hubris? Pride? Controlling?

Her pride could definitely be her downfall as well as her curiosity. She believes shes just better and different than everybody else and that its her right to play with people as much as she wants, I can see her eventually trying to play with the wrong person. She believes she can get out of any situation by herself without help and that she deserves the finer things in life, and if someone gets in her way, they deserve whatever harm befalls them.

39. What do they like to ridicule? What do they find stupid?

She will really ridicule anything and anyone because she finds most things stupid or benign. She likes to ridicule any of the gods and aedra, and anyone who worships them. She ridicules mortals and werewolves and any other creature that's not a vampire.

Suds

23. What do they want from a partner? What do they think and feel of sex?

Back in his youth he wanted spontaneous fun, a charming and outspoken person to sweep him off his feet. He always wanted someone to take him on adventures and be dangerous and in the moment. Now? Poor guy just wants commitment and someone genuine. Hes tired of charismatic liars who he always seems to fall for. He wants someone to help tend his garden and bond with the bees. He feels that sex is a sacred thing to be shared with people you trust, not something thrown around haphazardly. Relationship and trust come first with him, and he casually waves any flirtation most of the time as if he hadn't noticed it. He's been hurt too many times to trust easily like that.

30. Are they holding on to something in the past? Can he or she forgive?

Yeah hes holding onto a long ass past full of betrayal from the people hes held dearest to him :/ He by nature is a very forgiving person and believes one must be generous in forgiveness. Hes holding onto his past hurt from Felix and cant seem to get away from it- hes forgiven him many times and each time Felix just does the same things as before.

40. How is their sense of humor? Do they have one?

A little dual natured in this aspect. Generally pretty reserved and soft with other people and can seem serious to those who dont know him. Underneath that is his reputation as a trickster- fond of pranks and revelry. The little twinkle in his eye is the only thing that would give him away as the culprit when everyone is looking for who filled a bucket of mud over Nirns chamber door. His favorite kind of jokes are the really long ones, the ones that have a seemingly normal storyline and go on forever and then end in a way where the joke is really on the person listening. And everyone around goes “AAAUUGHH!”

43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back?

A lot of them! Hes a very good secret keeper as hes who many people go to with their problems. After being alive so long and being somewhat involved with politics he probably knows more than a few that could take down nations, and always seems to know whats going on wherever in the world. He has his connections, his mushrooms and his bees and such have eyes everywhere. And don't tell anyone but he is an ardent fan of juicy gossip.

Nirn

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

Impeccable manners. The posture of a God, obviously. Always eloquent and polite, knows which spoons to use for certain dishes and common diplomacy practice from all over the world. Nirn has no heroes, hes never held anyone to a pedestal or been one for hero worship. If he had to choose hed say his mother, for how graceful yet ruthless she was in politics and trade. He also does not hate anybody, he considers strong feelings a weakness and to harbor such resentment would only make him act rashly. He dislikes the slovenly, though. Not the common man but the drunken aristocrat with wine breath who gambles his savings and acts impolitely.

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

Chess and games of strategy are some of his favorites in the odd chance he has any free time. He also plays the violin and the harp and the lute, instruments he's known since he was taught them as a child. Wine tasting as well! Hes one of those mfs who can just sniff a certain drink and say with precision the date time and location it was made.

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?

Everything is refined and elegant with a certain air of someone who enjoys the arts. Many expensive paintings and sculptures on display. He prefers the colors red and gold and white, sometimes a darkish blue or purple. He is always dressed to impress, satin and velvet and exotic leathers. He keeps his hair long to the small of his back, or tied up in a bun. In appearance hes intimidatingly tall and knows how to stand to look even taller, does not tilt his head down to you but moreso stares down his nose.

35. Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures?

Failure is only a means to greater success to him. To win a game sometimes you need to sacrifice a few pawns, etc. Takes them calmly and with little indication that hes upset at all. He usually has four or five backup plans for any endeavor, so hes able to quickly jump tactics if something isn't working. In game or battle hes typically a good sport at losing, though he very seldom does. Hed be more impressed that someone managed to make him fail, and get to thinking on how to get them in his employ.

#caz #riley #nirn #suds #basically two babis and two asshols #thank u beloved i missed my babs....#my ocs

4 notes · View notes

macybeckham7 · 4 years

Text

Olympic Dreams - James Maddison

In the skating world everyone who was anyone was raving about the uprising star that was YN YLN. She was the perfect figure skater, she had grace and elegance along with the strength to do all the difficult jumps and lifts. She was perfect doubles and even better as soloist. Everyone dubbed the 19 year old to be go to the Winter Olympics 2022 and get Team GB atleast two medals.

YN dream for a young age was get into the Olympic program. Wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. At a young age she always felt alive on the ice, had no fear and always was the first to try a new move without a thought. Her coach and mother always stood on the sidelines and winced at all the near misses, but she always go up and brushed herself down and tried again. Practice always saw YN the first one on and the last one off.

Her whole life has been dedicated to skating, her eyes on the next upcoming competition and going out their and smashing it. Also being the skater to beat and making a name for herself, people often saying she’s the Serena Williams or Lebron James or CR7 to the figure skating world.

Nine months ago anybody would say YN had her world at her feet, most likely to be on the plane to China with her spot in Team GB. She was in a relationship with James Maddison, who met at an event and they instantly just clicked. With him being an athlete he understood the grind, he understood the rollercoaster of emotions and he just knew she needed him. He would be her medic and always look after her, and he was always her ice bath buddy because ‘nobody deserves to go to hell and back alone’. They were eachothers biggest supporters, they even taught eachother their sport. Her favourite member was getting James onto the ice, he had a strong grip on her waist as they did a two person train, she skated faster as she held onto his hands and all she could hear was him shouting and swearing. Definitely showing her he wouldn’t be hanging up his boots for skates, anytime soon.

Thursday 23rd of September was when YN’s whole world came tumbling down. Rehearsals with the three of them on the ice was normal, the coach telling the pairing where they need to clean up more. While YN and Isaiah listener fully.

James sat high up in the stands and watched eagerly.

He has already been in complete awe when she skates, how elegantly her body moves and the sheer power she has for the jumps. He loved watching her as a soft smile sits on her face as if it just can’t naturally to her.

He felt himself grimace as the pair didn’t do a lift correctly, Isaiah managing to put her down gently as YN put her hands out on the cold surface. The coach called out for them as the duo talked it out before they went from the top. They got through the dance, James smiling like a Cheshire Cat as they managed to nail the one-hand exit with Isaiah holding her above his head.

It all went wrong in a blink of moment without YN falling, her knee caught Isaiah head and she went down cold.

James jumped from him chair and raced down as her coach instantly skating towards her lifeless body.

...

YN felt her heart rate raise as James parked the car in the training rink car park, her mind instantly going back to last time she was here.

‘Hey, you’ve got this’ James says softly as he takes her hand and gently squeezes.

Her eyes water. ‘I don’t think I can’ she whispers.

He could see just how distraught she was and how traumatised she still was. The last nine months have been tough on her as she nursed her injuries and was back on the road of recovery.

‘Hey you are YN fucking YLN, she can do anything she puts her mind too’ he gives her a goofy smile.

He climbs out of the car and walks round to her side, he opens the door for her as she rubs her knee and climbs out. James holds her hand as they walk in together, her eyes look around the training centre where she had so many good memories but all it was painted with painful ones.

In her head she could see hear the ambulance sirens and the medics and James’ voice as they put her in the back to get her to the hospital.

She walked into the changing rooms, she changed in her normal skating outfit her black leotard, her cardigan, her tights, her little skirt and her leg warmers. She took a deep breath as she put on her sparkling white skate boots. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself, if you were to tell her she would be back she would of laughed, with her injuries she thought her dream was over. She ran her fingers through her hair before feeling the scar, she turned her head to see the 4cm war wound.

She quickly tied her hair up and walked, her eyes fell on James, she took the guards off the blades and walked to the edge.

She put her foot out and everything froze. Her breathing fastened as she felt her heartbeat in her stomach. Her eyes scrunched closed as she replayed the moment she hit the ice.

‘So what does that mean?’ James questions the Doctor.

She cleared her throat trying to stop her emotions. ‘It means there’s a 50% chance I could get back to full fitness and an even slimmer chance I could get back in the rink, right?’

The doctor gave her a sympathetic look and nodded. James spoke to the doctor more as YN zoned out. She completely breaking down as the doctor left them.

‘It’s all over J, all my dreams crushed in that moment’ she broke down with James instantly pulling her into a hug.

‘It’s not over, you are YN bloody YLN, you will show everyone that you’ll fight and beat the odds. 50% chance that you’ll get back, no that 100% and you will be at the Olympics’ he confidently. ‘Chilly and I are pretty excited to go to China and you are not getting in the way of that’ he joked making you laugh.

‘Come on’ her coach appeared infront of her. ‘You’ve defeated the odds, don’t let yourself get in the way now’ she puts out her hand which YN takes and gets back on the ice for the first time in nine months.

They skated around the rink, with her coach keeping a close eye on her, she was instantly like duck to water. She still had some stiffness in her knee but she was able to skate. A few weeks went by and her difficulty level of spins and jumps increases, everyone could see that she had lost that sparkle in her eye, it was as if she had put on the safety breaks, and she often looked like bambi on ice.

YN let out a frustrated moan as she puts her hands on her head as she just slides across the ice. She directs herself towards James who is calling her over.

‘Don’t push yourself too hard, I know you are blind-sighted because of all the pressure on you and the dreams, but is this all really worth it?’ He questioned. ‘You are not fully back and you are working towards tryouts to get on the team?’

She started to get aggravated by him.

‘Is all this worth a gold medal? One more bump to the head and then-’

‘DON’T!’ She shouts. ‘If it was the other way round you’d do anything to go to the World Cup! I can do this, and I’m going to do it’ she states. ‘I can get whatever I put my mind too, remember’ she mutters before skating off.

James letting out his frustration as he kicks the board making everyone look at him.

....

Fast forward to February 2022 and YN was at the Olympics, living her complete Olympic dreams. James and Chilly was there supporting her just like they planned.

Her leg shook slightly as she stood in the changing room with James, they were holding each other as he tried to control her emotions. The last few months have been hard work and James saw that first hand, whenever it went bad they would argue just because he was trying to look after her. But it never went down well, but she knew he always had her back.

‘You’ve got this’ he whispered as his arms tightened around her. ‘You’ve beaten the odds, show the doubters wrong’

He gently caresses her cheek as he sees her eyes glisten and sparkle.

He leans in and kisses her. ‘Now go get that gold medal’ he smiles.

It was the second day of the competition and YN and Isaiah was still in the running. They were the last to perform so they knew exactly what to do. As they appeared on the rink the audience cheered waving the England flag.

James was on the edge of his seat, he felt sick to his stomach as he did the whole routine with you. He felt himself stop breathing at every lift and solo turn. He relaxed a little more every time you both executed your skills so cleaning and perfectly. Everyone was so awe struck of the two skaters we they gave the perfect story, his eyes landed on their coach and he could tell she was pleased. By the end of the routine James had tears in his eyes, as YN tried to keep her emotions in check.

There was a bit of a wait until the scores came in, YN instantly fell to the ground as she felt her heart burst as they got a 159.31 which had just taken the gold medal from the Germans.

James ran down and engulfed his girl, she wrapped her legs around him as he spun them around.

‘You done it’ he gushed. ‘I love you so so much!’

Her lip quivered as she realised that all her hard work has paid off.

#olympic dreams #james maddison imagines #james maddison blurb #james maddison

50 notes · View notes

cloudphillips · 4 years

Text

There Is A Place

Summary: A place where Seungwan and Joohyun could be free.

The kingdom of Daegu was in high spirits as citizens of different ranks chattered on excitedly when they went about their day. The market was even more crowded than usual and the merchants not only to sold their wares much cheaper than the usual amount but also added a little bit of gossip with every successful purchase made. Delighted squeals and laughter could be heard from the street children near the local pastry shop since the baker decided to give away his baked goods for free. Some people from neighboring kingdoms travelled far and wide just to hear the news. The academy was void of students since the headmaster announced that classes would be suspended in favor of celebrating this momentous occasion.

The princess was betrothed. She was to marry the prince of Seoul.

It was the king himself who announced the engagement. Standing by the balcony of the royal palace alongside his wife, he had his subjects gathered in the square to declare that there will be a matrimony of royal blood. The union of the two kingdoms will bring peace and prosperity for the future to come.

The citizens were beyond ecstatic that they could barely find the motivation to do mundane tasks. Instead, they chose to dance on the streets and sing praises to those who were willing to listen. Everyone was in a festive mood. Today was a special day. It might as well be considered as a holiday.

Although, the palace was more subdued. The imperial guards patrolled the halls with marked vigilance, checking for any unusualities and occasionally helping the palace staff with the heavy lifting. Every once in a while, a servant would rush along the corridors carrying trays of food, loads of books and numerous expensive gifts just to cater the whims of every noble. The king was currently having a council with his most trusted advisors to discuss matters on how to improve the economy while protecting the land borders of Daegu. Meanwhile, the queen basked in the well-wishes and congratulations from the courtiers when they talked about the engagement as they drank tea in the gazebo.

Everyone was happy with the prospect of marriage.

All except for one.

On an empty field just a few yards away from the castle wall, there was a worn down path that wound through a series of twists and turns which eventually led to the forest. Graveled stones and dried twigs soiled the ground and the path opened deeper into the wild. The tall canopy of trees provided shade against the blaring heat of the sun and kept the place relatively cool. Birds and other wild animals sang a music only mother nature could know. The long twisted path eventually led to a clearing, big enough for a small pond to fit in the middle, and a variety of flowers that grew untamed with the lush green grass.

As soon as Seungwan arrived at the clearing, a small, almost heavy, sigh escaped her lips. She was drenched in sweat and tried to catch her breath. Her short blonde locks clung to her neck in sticky waves and her listless brown eyes searched the calming waters of the pond for comfort. It was a good thing that she wore a loose white linen shirt today since it allowed room for movement and felt a little less constricting. Removing her ragged boots and bending down to fold her black trousers, Seungwan walked towards the pond and gently dipped her feet in its cool blue waters. She closed eyes and let the calm wash over her weary soul but even that wasn't enough to quench the heaviness in her heart.

Seungwan left as soon as she heard. The news of the princess' betrothal left her numbed with shock. Her mind at lost for words and she didn't know what to do. She needed to escape to a place where she wouldn't feel trapped. So she ran to the forest until her feet ached and her lungs burned. She ran until her eyes blurred with tears that watered the ground like droplets of rain.

The princess was to be married to the prince of Seoul in two months’ time. It was expected since she was in the appropriate age but it was too soon and Seungwan wasn't quite sure if she was ready for that... If her heart was ready for the inevitable... if she was ready to spend the rest of her life being incomplete. Seungwan closed her eyes and felt her soul resonate within. This was bound to happen. She had seen this for a long time coming and she had no right to object for she was merely a servant. Their worlds were heavens apart.

But why can't her heart accept that?

"I thought I'd find you here."

Seungwan's heart raced once she heard that familiar lilting voice and she quickly jumped to her feet. She smoothed out her clothes to a more presentable manner before bowing deeply.

"Your royal highness." Her eyes stared hard at the ground and she didn't dare lift them in fear that her heart might betray her. It was already traitorous enough as it is.

"I told you not to call me that Seungwan-ah." The princess sounded annoyed at the honorific. She did hate formality especially coming from the little servant girl. Seungwan could just picture the intense glare emanating from her eyes. "Look at me."

But the servant girl made no move to look at her, opting to study the ground instead.

A beat of silence.

"Please."

It was her little plea and Seungwan didn't have it in herself to deny the princess from her wishes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and prepared herself to become undone.

As usual, the princess took her breath away.

There she was, in all her stunning glory, wearing that ocean blue summer dress that emphasized her smooth pale skin, sporting that soft gentle smile she always reserved for Seungwan. Her raven black hair tumbled past her shoulders in silky waves and there was an excited glint in her chocolate brown eyes as she pulled the servant girl into a swift embrace. Seungwan found it difficult to breathe, much less even think. Her touch burned Seungwan's skin and left tendrils of fire in its wake. After all this time, the princess still had the same effect on Seungwan.

"Joohyun." Seungwan whispered breathlessly and lifted her trembling hands to return the princess' embrace. Sanity has long left her now and she wondered if Joohyun had some sort of magic within her... If she somehow bewitched Seungwan with the charm she wielded.

But of course, Joohyun wasn't a sorceress. She wasn't some kind of mythical being that existed in the minds of people. She was very real and beautifully flawed and Seungwan loved her for that.

Joohyun lingered for a moment and Seungwan thought she saw her features turn forlorn the second she pulled away but quickly dismissed it as one of her imaginations. The princess straightened her composure before a mischievous smirk graced her lips. Seungwan knew that look. She'd been the recipient of that smirk too many times throughout the course of their friendship and it was never a good sign for it spelled trouble.

"I'm supposed to be having tea with the court ladies today but I feigned sickness and somehow managed to avoid my responsibilities." Joohyun seemed quite proud of herself and Seungwan could only frown in disapproval as she watched the princess slip out of her heels, hike up her dress and dip her feet into the cool waters just as Seungwan did earlier. "Now I'm free to spend my afternoon with you."

That didn't seem wise but Seungwan knew better than to scold her. Joohyun was as stubborn as it gets. Arguing with her was completely pointless because she rarely ever listens.

Seungwan settled beside Joohyun and the princess proceeded to recount how her day went. How she was caught in a dull conversation with the ambassador of Seoul during breakfast. How she couldn't escape her lessons about Daegu history and most of all, how she tried hard to convince her father to call off the engagement.

"I've told him many times but he wouldn't listen. Marriage isn't what I want." A scowl marred her elegant features when the princess slapped the water in frustration, sending splashes of fluid in all the wrong directions. Seungwan thought that anger didn't suit Joohyun. "It's like my opinions don't even matter."

The servant girl could only patiently listen to the princess as she droned on and on about her frustrations. She stared at the princess the whole time not only because she liked hearing the sound of her voice but mostly because Joohyun was being herself. She didn't play the game of pretenses when she was around the servant girl. She would always let her guard down and allow Seungwan to witness the vulnerable parts of herself that she didn't let others see.

To Seungwan, Joohyun was just Joohyun.

The same Joohyun whom she grew up with and treated her like family. The same Joohyun who snuck out at night to visit Seungwan in the dungeons after being punished for accidentally spilling wine on a noble's trousers. The same Joohyun who defended her when she was accused of stealing food from the kitchens.

"Seungwan-ah?"

The servant girl was completely immersed in her thoughts that she failed to notice the change in Joohyun's mood. The princess had gone very quiet.

"What if my heart longs for another?"

That statement alone pulled Seungwan out of her reverie and she stuttered out a reply. "W-What do you mean?"

"What if I want-" Joohyun was looking at her now, staring directly into her eyes in search for something, and Seungwan was unable to look away. For a moment, she was afraid... terrified that Joohyun would see through her barriers and discover the feelings Seungwan had long kept hidden. "-to marry whom I choose?"

The air was thick with tension and Seungwan tried to lighten atmosphere by cracking a joke. "Why? Is the great princess having a hard time asking someone out?" She knew she was being a coward but her heart can't - wouldn't - shouldn't hope. The path to Joohyun was a lonely road and wishing for the impossible would only end in heartache.

The smile on Joohyun's lips didn't quite reach her eyes and Seungwan's attempts to lighten the atmosphere backfired. Both of them lapsed into an awkward silence, with the princess gazing at the sky and the servant girl fidgeting listlessly in her seat.

"Why did you come here?" The princess asked after a while.

"Oh. I just came here to think." Seungwan shrugged noncommittally, trying to brush it off like it was nothing, when in reality she came here to forget.

To escape the reality that the love of her life was betrothed to another man.

To accept the fact that the more Seungwan yearned for her, the more she realized that they could never be together.

The princess furrowed her brows and pursed her lips into a thin line, a clear indicator that she didn't quite believe the servant girl. "So you came to our place? You only ever come here when something's bothering you." The intensity of her eyes was enough to melt away whatever control was left in Seungwan.

Our place

For this little clearing by the forest had become their sanctuary ever since they were children... their little safe haven that shielded them from the cruel world. This is the place where the magic occurs. This is the place where everything is possible. This is the place where Seungwan was free to love Joohyun in silence.

"Yes."

"But-" The princess tries to press further but the servant girl shook her head and kept silent.

"Let's just enjoy the moment." Seungwan found the courage to hold her hand and joined the princess in watching the skies.

She closed her eyes and dreamed of another life where Joohyun could be hers.

=============================================================================

Two weeks have passed since the announcement and now the kingdom of Daegu was preparing for the upcoming visit of the prince of Seoul. Banners of blue and silver hung on every house and stall and lanterns lit the cobbled streets. There was a shortage of red roses and the florist was at her wit's end trying to resupply her stock. A demand for heart-shaped cookies and chocolates caused the local baker to create more pastries. Expansions for the church were fully underway so as to accomodate the attendants from Seoul. Music could be heard from the academy since the students were tasked to be the lead choir for the welcoming ceremony. Artisans reknowned from far and wide, hired by the king, came to help decorate the plaza square.

Meanwhile, the palace was plunged into madness. Imperial guards were stationed at every exit and entrance, still observing for anything unusual while servants darted on and about the palace, scrubbing the walls immaculately clean, replacing old flowers from vases, dusting away dirt from large marbled statues, stripping off the soiled linens in each sleeping chamber and changing them into new ones. All the while still catering to the whims of every noble. The cook and his apprentices busied themselves in preparing the food and sometimes, a little servant boy would steal a freshly-baked muffin from the kitchens. The king had a private assembly with his trusted advisors to discuss how to strengthen Daegu's pact with Seoul while the queen made a quick visit to her royal tailor for her gown measurements.

Everyone seemed preoccupied for the special day.

And Seungwan wasn't exempted from that.

She was on stable duty and spent the whole day shovelling manure, cleaning the stalls and grooming horses. Once or twice, she was whisked away by the matron and ordered her to fetch some things from the market. Seungwan complied with every demand that was requested of her since it kept her from thinking about Joohyun. She hadn't been the same since the announcement. She spent her days lost and confused while at night, she could barely fall asleep. So in order to keep her mind off of things, Seungwan busied herself with work.

Maybe this way, she could stop dreaming the impossible.

Maybe this way, she could finally come into terms with the inevitable.

And maybe this way, she could learn to let Joohyun go.

But why was there a constant ache in her heart that refused to disappear?

The servant girl sighed and continued brushing on the horse's mane. She just finished removing the saddle from the animal's back when Johnny, one of the Imperial guards, appeared out of nowhere and shoved a small piece of parchment to her face. "Oi Seungwan! A letter for you." He marched off before Seungwan could ask any questions. Cautiously unfolding the paper, Seungwan immediately recognized the elegant script written in cursive.

It was a letter from Joohyun asking her to come visit her chambers tonight.

Seungwan furrowed her brows. What did the princess want?

No matter. She'll find the answers sooner.

For now, she has to finish cleaning the stables.

When the night came, Seungwan snuck out of the servants' quarters and crept along the dark hallways of the castle. A guard almost caught her lurking around the throne room but thankfully she managed to evade him. Standing outside the princess' chambers, she knocked gently on the mahogany doors. There was no answer. She was about to knock again when the door opened and the princess abruptly grabbed her collar and dragged her into the room. Joohyun pushed her against the wall before securing the locks to her chamber. "Did anyone see you?" And when the servant girl shook her head, the princess sighed in relief and slowly wrapped Seungwan in a tight embrace.

Seungwan felt her throat closed up and mouth go dry when she noticed their apparent closeness. Her mind had a hard time recovering its sanity and it also didn't help that the fine lace robes Joohyun was wearing did nothing to cover her undergarments. The valleys of her breasts and the curves of her hips were tantalizing. It was a sin to look at her and Seungwan should be punished for having such lewd thoughts about the princess. She held her breath in the hopes of preventing herself from being overwhelmed but it was hopeless. She was already intoxicated with Joohyun's scent.

"I was beginning to think that you wouldn't come." Joohyun buried herself on Seungwan's neck and breathed in her sweet fragrance. The servant girl was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that they were by themselves... alone... in the princess' chambers. She imagined the scandal it would cause if someone discovered them. "I missed you."

Seungwan felt her breath hitch. She tried hard, tried to resist whatever enchantment the princess cast upon her, but she was fighting a losing battle and her traitorous heart wouldn't stop beating Joohyun's name. In the end, she stopped fighting and eventually succumbed to her touch.

She allowed herself to enjoy the simple pleasure of having Joohyun in her arms.

Spare me a little taste of forever with you.

Her grip on Joohyun tightened.

Just this once.

"I missed you too."

The embrace lasted for a minute longer before Joohyun took her by the arm and led her towards the bed. Together, they rested on the soft mattress and silken sheets. Seungwan kept her distance but the princess had no concept of personal space and simply scooted closer and draped her arms around the servant girl. Seungwan wondered if she had always been this masochistic. Wanting someone she can't have and wishing for the impossible felt more like self-destruction but she was happy with it. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Then Joohyun asked a rather unusual request. "Tell me your dreams."

Seungwan thought for sure that she had stopped breathing. The answer was right there, almost at the tip of her tongue, but she didn't dare say it because she was terrified of giving it meaning once she voices it out loud.

To spend my life loving you.

Seungwan was a coward because only a coward would choose to love in silence. "I want to find the place where I could be free."

"Have you found that place already?" The princess traced random patterns on her arm and the servant girl found herself lying again.

"No."

Yes.

Right here beside you.

A moment of silence passed and Seungwan cherished every minute of it for this might be the last time she'd ever feel Joohyun's touch.

"Seungwan-ah?"

"Yes princess?

"Why is it that the burden I carry flies away when I'm in your arms?"

Seungwan suddenly lost the ability to speak and the wild beating of her traitorous heart felt difficult to control. This is what those poems authored by dead men must feel like. To long for someone you cannot have. To have all love contained within you and have no one to give it to. To have your soul wither away. This is what must it feel like to slowly die inside.

She wondered if this was the God's punishment for her because she loved a woman. She loved her best friend. Maybe this was His punishment for her, for not knowing her place, for asking the impossible, for thinking that she and Joohyun could ever be equals.

The princess had already fallen asleep by the time Seungwan could find the courage to respond and as she watched Joohyun sleep contently in her arms, she finally found an answer. If the heavens wanted to punish her then she would gladly face its wrath because Joohyun was worth the sacrifice.

And there was no greater sacrifice than laying down her life for the one that she loved.

"Sweat dreams Hyun." Seungwan gently caressed the princess' cheek and planted a soft kiss on her head.

Her eyes suddenly fluttered to Joohyun's mouth and for a moment, she felt the deep-seated longing to kiss her. Seungwan wanted to taste those soft lips and ingrain Joohyun's essence deep into her mind forever so that when the time comes when Joohyun finally leaves, Seungwan will have something to remember her by.

Seungwan wanted her. God, she loved her.

She leaned closer until she could almost feel the warmth of Joohyun's breath brushing against her cheek. Seungwan traced the outlines of her lips, slow, gentle and even reverent, taking great care not to break Joohyun with her caress. She was unworthy to touch her this way. "Just this once."

If equal affection cannot be, let the more loving one be me.

She leaned closer and closer until their lips were only inches apart.

No. Stop! This is wrong.

Seungwan felt the tendrils of guilt wrap her heart. She took advantage of her best friend Joohyun. Sweet and kind Joohyun who trusted her with all her heart and yet Seungwan almost betrayed that trust by giving into her desires. Her love was not pure. Her love was dirty and tainted. The universe was right to punish her.

With an aching heart, she carefully extricated herself away from Joohyun. The servant girl felt disgusted with herself. Only a lowlife would take advantage of their best friend like that. What she did was unforgivable.

“Seungwan?” Joohyun stirred when she felt the warmth disappear and when she noticed Seungwan leaving her chambers, she grabbed hold of her arm and begged for her to stay. "Please stay with me until the sun rises."

Seungwan could never deny the princess so she relented to her wishes. She went back to bed and Joohyun wasted no time wrapping her in an embrace. She clung to Seungwan desperately as if her life depended on it and the servant girl found it difficult not to care.

"Don't go." Joohyun yawned when the remnants of sleep finally overtook her.

And as Seungwan laid in bed, her thoughts wandered to the sleeping woman in her arms. There was no going back now. She had fallen way too deep. Her gaze landed on the ceiling and she sighed.

"You're making it hard for me to let you go."

=============================================================================

Prince Bogum of Seoul and his entourage finally arrived to the kingdom of Daegu and the citizens celebrated his coming. A ceremony was held at the palace square to laud this joyous occasion. The royal family, along with the trusted advisors and nobles, received him and gave him a warm welcome. Seungwan was one of the onlookers, moving through the crowd to get a better glimpse of the prince. She was supposed to be in the palace, cooking in the kitchens and doing the laundry, but she snuck out and joined the crowd. Of course, she'll surely be punished by the matron but she can worry about that later. For now, she's focused on knowing the man who'll be taking Joohyun's hand in marriage.

"I welcome you, Prince Bogum of Seoul, to the illustrious kingdom of Daegu." The king beamed proudly as he swept his hand over his beloved nation. Behind him, the queen and princess stood graceful and elegant. Joohyun was great at acting calm. If she was nervous then she was certainly doing a good job at hiding it.

"The stories I've heard about your kingdom doesn't do much justice. I thank you for giving me this honor of witnessing for myself the greatness of Daegu your majesty." Prince Bogum bowed respectfully. "I come bearing gifts!" With a simple flick of his hand, his servants emerged bringing caskets filled with gold and fine linen. The king seemed quite pleased with his thoughtful gesture.

The prince was strikingly handsome with his charcoal black hair neatly styled to perfection and fair skin unblemished by scars. His chocolate brown eyes sparked with youth and he carried himself with poise and vigor that immediately charmed the king and his regents. Prince Bogum seemed like a respectable man. Anyone would be lucky to have him.

"I'd like you to meet my daughter, Princess Joohyun of Daegu, whom you'll be marrying in a few weeks' time." The king gestured for his daughter to come forward and proceeded to introduce her. Seungwan could tell that Bogum was rendered awestruck by her beauty. She could relate to him. After all, Joohyun always took her breath away.

"I've heard tales of your beauty princess and it's such a blessing to finally witness it for myself. I am a truly lucky man to have you as my wife." He stumbled upon his words while trying to greet her and everyone seemed to find it a little endearing.

Everyone except Joohyun.

She remained passive the whole time.

"A pleasure to meet you too my prince." There was a subtle frown on Joohyun's features when the prince gently kissed her hand.

Seungwan observed the interaction with a growing heaviness in her heart. Prince Bogum was perfect. He had perfect hair, perfect eyes and perfect smile. He would be the future king of Seoul. He would be good for Joohyun. They would get married, yield beautiful offsprings, have a family and live their lives in utmost happiness. Meanwhile, Seungwan could only watch from afar as she tries to mend the pieces of her broken heart.

This sudden realization struck Seungwan like lightning and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. She felt trapped, constricted, and the crowd was suffocating her. She needed to escape, somewhere far away from here.

Joohyun scanned the crowd and was surprised to find Seungwan amongst the people. Her surprise turned to worry when she noticed the tears threatening to spill from Seungwan's eyes. The princess moved to approach the servant girl but she was stopped by her mother, who gave her warning look and urged her to strike a conversation with Prince Bogum.

And Joohyun stayed rooted in her spot as she helplessly watched Seungwan escape to the forest.

...

The sun had set and it was already night time when the sound of jovial music and laughter could still be heard throughout the whole kingdom. The people were still celebrating the festivities and sang songs on the streets. The local pub was handing out free drinks, much to everyone's delight, and provided a place for merriment. The Baker was too drunk from the ale to notice that his pastries were slowly getting eaten by the children who visited his shop. An imperial guard left this post and started flirting with the local florist. A ball was held in the palace in honor of the prince's arrival. The king and queen were having a merry chat with Prince Bogum and courtiers wasted no time socializing with the guests from Seoul and getting into their good graces. The servants busied themselves by ensuring that the whole event ran smoothly while catering to the whims of every noble.

Everyone was having a good time.

Everyone except Seungwan.

The servant girl didn't join the merriment because she didn't feel like celebrating. She stayed by the clearing to drown herself in solitude. Prince Bogum's arrival felt like being struck by the cold harsh truth and Seungwan was far from prepared to face reality.

She can't, not yet.

She still needed time.

Time for her to let go.

She laughed hollowly, a strange broken sound that echoed through the night, when feelings of despair started to settle in. What good will wanting Joohyun do? She was a princess and Seungwan was a servant. Even then, she knew that they could never be together. There was nothing she could give Joohyun. She had no riches, no kingdom and she wasn't even of noble birth. Seungwan could only offer her heart but it wasn't enough, it will never be enough. Prince Bogum was perfect and he would be able to provide Joohyun the things Seungwan never could. They would be happy together.

So why can't her heart accept that?

"I knew I'd find you here."

Seungwan would recognize that voice anywhere. There seems to be no escaping the princess now, is there? She sighed in defeat and bowed deeply in reverence.

"Your highness." The servant girl could barely look directly into her eyes. Seungwan never displayed this kind of formality towards Joohyun in their long years of friendship but it needed to be done. A line was needed to be drawn in order to remind Seungwan of her rank.

"I thought I told you not to call me that." Joohyun wasn't at all annoyed but she did sound a little sad. She took a step towards Seungwan but the latter backed away. She didn't bother to hide the hurt she was feeling. "Did something happen? I saw you by the square earlier and I wanted to come to you but you ran away." Joohyun reached out to caress her cheek but Seungwan stepped out of her reach.

"This needs to stop." The finality in Seungwan's tone terrified her completely. It's as if she was about to say something drastic and Joohyun didn't know if she was prepared to handle it.

"S-Stop what?"

"This friendship. It needs to stop." What was going on? Why was Seungwan acting like this?

"But why?" Joohyun's heart ached and her tears threatened to spill. "We've known each other for so long. Why suddenly end this beautiful bond that we have?"

"Exactly that. We've known each for so long that I forget myself when I'm around you Joohyun. You're a princess while I'm merely a servant. It's time you start treating me like one." Seungwan wanted to take back the words she said but the damage had been done and Joohyun was already fighting back tears.

"What are you saying?" Joohyun told herself not to cry. She would not cry, not for her, not for Seungwan.

"I'm saying that no friendship should ever exist between us." Seungwan didn't dare look into her eyes.

"So are you just gonna throw away all those years of us being together? Is that it?" For the first time in Seungwan's life, she became the recipient of Joohyun's harsh glare and it saddened that it had to end this way.

No. She should not feel remorse now. She was only doing this for Joohyun's sake.

Be strong Seungwan.

"Yes."

Then she left and fought hard not to look back.

=============================================================================

The kingdom of Banora was in a solemn mood. The palace was decorated with white roses and ribbons while lanterns hung on every household. The streets were deserted and no merchant could be seen selling their wares in the market. The local bakery and flower shop were closed. Children, together with their parents, dressed in white formal attire gathered in the square to witness the holy matrimony of Prince Bogum and Princess Joohyun. The imperial guard were stationed at every entrance to ensure the safety of the event. The king and queen and the rest of the nobles settled inside the church, all hushed in excitement as they prepared for the ceremony to begin. Prince Bogum stood by the altar and tried to calm his nerves as he waited for the princess to arrive.

Seungwan stood by the entrance of the palace with the white chariot parked behind her. Dread was creeping to her bones and she was starting to think that this was a bad idea. As punishment for having skipped her chores, the matron thought that it would be fitting for Seungwan to safely escort the princess towards the chariot where the rest of the handmaidens would be waiting. She wondered if this was the universe's cruel way of punishing her, to see the love of her life for one last time before she was whisked away to marry someone else.

But the servant girl thought that it was only appropriate. No amount of punishment could take away the hurt she inflicted on Joohyun.

The sound of sharp heels hitting the floor signaled the princess' arrival and Seungwan looked up from her feet to see Joohyun looking as breathtaking as ever. Flowers adorned her head and her raven locks were pulled into a braid. She was wearing a silk lace white gown that clung to her body like a second skin and the diamonds resting on her neck couldn't compare to the sheer magnitude of her beauty. She held in her hand a bouquet of white roses and Seungwan couldn't help but think that Joohyun looked so beautiful in white.

The second their eyes met, a fond, almost melancholic, smile graced Joohyun's lips when she tentatively approached Seungwan. "I never thought I'd find you here." She stopped just a few inches away but she was close enough for Seungwan to revel in her beauty.

"I'm here to escort you to the chariot your highness." The servant girl swallowed the lump in her throat before bowing reverently.

"Right... I'm the princess after all." Joohyun sounded helpless and Seungwan berated herself for causing this mess in the first place. She rose to her full height and their eyes met.

There was a beat.

A moment of silence.

Both of them stared at each other, committing every detail into memory, realizing that this would be the last, knowing that things would never be the same again.

A beat.

Silence.

And Seungwan decided that she was tired of denying her heart.

"Run away with me."

Joohyun's eyes went wide and she stuttered out. "W-What?"

"Run away with me." Seungwan found her courage and declared the love she had long kept hidden. "We'll go somewhere far away, just you and me, and start a new life. You can be whatever you want to be and I-" She let out a shaky breath. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling. "-I will spend the rest of my life making you happy."

"Why?" Joohyun couldn't stop the tears from falling. It was the first time that Seungwan saw her cry. "Why did you have to say this now? Just when I'm about to get married."

"I just thought-" Seungwan tried to explain but the princess cut her off.

"I waited for you Seungwan! Ever since we were children, I always adored you. I was even willing to forsake the crown for you! But when I already made up my mind, you decide to profess your undying love and hope that it would somehow change a thing?" Joohyun shook her head in disappointment. "You are a cruel person Son Seungwan."

"I just thought that you should know. I'm sorry if it took me long enough." Seungwan tried to wipe away Joohyun's tears but caught herself at the last minute. She had no right to touch the princess, not after all the pain she inflicted upon her.

"I have a duty to my people Seungwan." The princess looked resolute and there was finality in her voice and just like that, Seungwan knew that this was the end. She had resigned herself to a life without Joohyun.

This is what dying must feel like.

She gathered her courage and flashed Joohyun a smile, though it was a little strained. "Meet me at our place if you ever change your mind." She gathered the princess into her arms and inhaled her scent for one last time. "I will wait for you there."

Even if you never come

Joohyun trembled against her and the servant girl tried her best to comfort her. The princess held on to Seungwan tightly, desperately, as if her life depended on it, then softly whispered into her ear.

"My heart will always belong to you."

And when they pulled away, Joohyun bid her a final farewell before heading to the chariot and Seungwan could only watch as the love of her life walked away.

Maybe in another world, their lives wouldn't be so different.

Maybe in another world, Seungwan would be the one that makes Joohyun happy.

Maybe in another world, they'll both be free

But not in this world.

In this world, Joohyun was a princess and Seungwan was a servant.

In this world, she was betrothed to another

In this world, they could never be together.

It's time her heart finally accepted that.

...

Seungwan grunted in exhaustion as soon as she saw the clearing. After the chariot drove off, she quickly gathered her things and ran to the forest. The pond's clear waters was inviting but no amount of comfort could alleviate the ache in her chest.

Then the sound of the cathedral bells echoed through the whole kingdom and dozens of white doves soared to the sky. Seungwan released the shaky breath she had been holding.

It was over. The wedding was over.

Joohyun will never come.

She was all alone now.

For now, Seungwan has decided that she will run away, away from the prison that once felt like a home, to chase her dreams and find the place where she could be free. She gazed at the clouds above and the image of Joohyun flashed into her mind and made her smile. Her friend did love the sky.

"Someday, I'll learn how to live without you."

Seungwan uttered her final prayers before she stood up to leave. Just as she slung her pack over her shoulders, there was a distinct sound of hooves pounding against the ground and the shrill whine of an animal. She turned around, only to be rendered speechless at the sight of Joohyun riding on horseback, all happy and free, forgetting the burden of the crown that she used to carry, laughing in delight as she called out her name. "Seungwan!"

Seungwan couldn't believe her eyes and stood rooted in place. She didn't dare move and wouldn't even dare breathe. This is what dreams must feel. After dismounting off the horse, Joohyun approached the stunned girl with a single purpose. Her eyes burned with intensity when she grabbed Seungwan's collar and pulled her in for a kiss.

It was a kiss that contained worship and reclamation. It was a kiss that shattered the distance between heaven and earth. It was a kiss that brought two different worlds together as one.

In this kiss, Joohyun wasn't a princess and Seungwan wasn't a servant.

No more crowns and titles.

In this kiss, they were equals.

No more barriers and inhibitions.

In this kiss, Joohyun was just Joohyun and Seungwan was just Seungwan.

When Joohyun pulled away, tears cascaded down her cheeks as she gave Seungwan the promise of forever.

"I'd go anywhere with you."

#red velvet #red velvet scenario #wenrene #irene #wendy #seulgi #yerim #joy #royal au #childhood friends #angst #fluff

14 notes · View notes