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shywritersblog · 6 months

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Here are 100 random quotes from Mammon!

Sourced from the OM! Wiki, chats, devilgram, screenshots I found, etc. I made this list to help with studying to write the characters in character. (Not really proofread, sorry if there are mistakes. Also, there may be spoilers. If so, they're minor spoilers)

✧༺⚜️༻✧

“I want to [CENSORED], [CENSORED], and [CENSORED] like there's no tomorrow!”

“Hey! No touchin'! Grrr..!”

“Hey! So you're just gonna ignore me, are ya?! ...Also, I SAID you're too close! Don't get near MC! And NO touchin'! I won't allow it!”

“I don't want to have anything to do with someone like you! That's it. we're done! It's over! ...gr ...! ...! Dammit! Like I could ever really say that to you! I love you, MC! And I'II NEVER break up with you, okay?! NEVER!

“Hey, whoa! Whaddya think you're doin', huh?! You want a piece of me?! IS THAT IT?!”

“Come on, I was just kiddin' around! Now go on and unblock me. ...I'll tell ya a funny joke if you do. "Who's got two thumbs and needs some company?" 👍 "THIS GUY!" 👍 At least gimme a pity laugh, will ya?!”

“Right now it's just you, me, a bed, and no one to bother us.”

“Oh yeah? Well do me a favor and look into your crystal ball and tell me how many times I'm gonna sock you for that smartass comment.”

“I don't THINK so! Like, don't go marryin' Asmo, MC! If you're gonna marry someone, marry m...m-m-m…..m-m-ME! MARRY THE GREAT MAMMON!”

“Y'know..I wouldn't have pegged you as someone who likes to stir up trouble. But you have some pretty interestin' ideas up there in that head of yours, don't ya?”

“Whoa, hey there. Those are some pretty harsh words. Is there some sorta bad blood between you?”

“Look at those cheeks of yours. What's up with those, huh? How'd ya like me to give 'em a little poke? ...Like that! ...And that!”

“Would ya look at that? The Great Mammon really has an eye for spottin' shiny and expensive things! Who knew such a little shop would have uncut gems like these? Hehehe, come to daddy...”

“What's this here...an emerald? You're a looker, aren't ya? Wanna come home with daddy?”

“Lemme go! I'm not gonna rest until l've landed one really good hit on Levi!… Beel! Lemme go, ya muscle-bound son of a...! …All right, bring it on! Do it...see what happens!”

“Man, what's got your panties in a wad all of a sudden?”

“Yeah-heah-HEAAAH! Sweet, sweet treasure! COME TO PAPA!”

“No frickin' way!”

“Geez, I oughta wrap you up for pullin' a stunt like that!”

“Y'see, I was plannin' on hanging out with MC in my room today. And I wanted to create a romantic atmosphere, y'know? So I lit about 500 candles, and the room caught on fire. Scared the bejeebers outta me!”

“You think a little w-warnin' like that would be enough to s-s-scare me off? He thinks I'm gonna stop s-s-spyin' on him because of that? As if!”

“Folks around here won't let us forget it. But they're just labels. By now, no one knows better than us that labels don't mean anything.”

“Th-That's so coooohohohohold! Ahahaha! Why you guys gotta be so meeeeean?”

“C'mon, man. Make with the mouth openin'. The rest of us are waitin' for our turn.”

“Yeah, I know what you're thinkin'. How'd I turn out to be so awesome? You can tell I've been through both highs and lows, and that I'm self-assured and totally sexy.”

“If I can land a nice, clean blow on Lucifer just once, then whatever happens, happens.”

“And I hate the way you lock eyes with Lucifer...and then like smile and stuff... Don't do that, okay? Don't even breath in front of him, okay?!”

“Exactly. Nothin' of value is missin', except for the stuff I sold.”

“That's rough, buddy.”

“You might not know what I'm talkin' about, but I know what l'm talkin' about! Quit showin' up in my dreams uninvited! Ya gotta give me time to prepare before you go bustin' in like that!”

“D-Dummy! Don't go makin' me say it!”

“Have you forgotten? I AM evil! Demon, remember?”

“What? No, you must be mistaken, Your Wonderfulness. I said absolutely nothing of the sort.”

“Whoever's disturbed my...*yawn* my sleep... I got a pile driver with your name on it”

“Hey, you sure you'll be satisfied with just leaving things at my head?”

“If you're wondrin' where I'm at, that means ya got it bad for me, don't ya? ...Please don't pull that "stay" thing on me.”

“Levi, you son of a-- You just full-on PUNCHED me!”

“Eh, still... It feels nice when you run your hand through my hair like that. So l'll go ahead and let it slide.”

“Wha? No, I wasn't tryin' to make fun of ya... Little guy.”

“Damn straight.”

“Anyway, he said he'd be willin' to lend me money again if I managed to pay back everythin' I owed. Obviously, there's no way I can, so I pretended not to have seen anythin' and ran like hell.”

“Nighttime's when I kick into gear! Let's go out on the town! Your treat!”

“I'm still laughin' my ass off over here!”

“You're the only thing more dazzlin' than a gold credit card! Almost blinding, I'd say!”

“Final boss, my ass! Listen up, 'cause the Great Mammon's got some truths for you haters!”

“Just this once, l'II let ya film me in a bathtub full of money! How's THAT for fan service?!”

“So? Waitin' like a good boy's gone and earned me some kinda reward, right?”

“I'll raise my favorability score with MC lickety-split, profess my love, and win this game before you even know what hit you!”

“...Aww. ...I mean, now listen, you! Dammit. You really play dirty, you know that...?”

“Ah, there ya are! How'd you like to hit the casino with me, huh?! Right now! I'm feelin' lucky today. REAL lucky!”

“Just so we're clear, I ain't afraid of no horror movies. Not even a little! Not even a teensy-tiny bit, all right? Like, seriously.”

“Just to be clear, it's not like l'm afraid Lucifer might catch me if I go alone. That's not what this is about. Seriously, that's not what this is about! For real, it isn't!”

“I've got some serious business opportunities lined up for after classes tomorrow. I'm talkin' makin' some mad cheddar, yo! If Lucifer asks about me, tell him I was called to the human world by the witches, would ya?”

“You don't sleep until I do, you got that? And would ya look at that?! The ol' Sandman forgot to sprinkle his magical sand in my eyes! So strap in, buddy! We got a looooong night ahead of us!”

“Listen, Lucifer is gonna be all over my ass once he finds out…”

“No need to worry your pretty little head. I'll be around for meals and sleep. The bed's pretty big, after all”

“Yeah, a real gold digger, that one.”

“I wasn't about to give in to that jerk's demands. I've got more self-respect than that. So, I told him what the deal was: I get the room rent-free and he can shove his two-year contract where the sun don't shine. But then that snake threatened to snitch to Lord Diavolo and Lucifer if I didn't pay up.”

“Cheap shot callin' a guy stingy cause he's lookin' out for his pal.”

“Bet your wonderin' how a guy like me-drownin' in debt, frozen credit card, more lint in his pockets than Grimm-“

“Using my power and influence, I'll push you through the auditions and get you the chance to model, no strings attached! Well, maybe one string: front and center's all mine. Hope the edge is good enough for ya!”

“I swear, I'm not tryin' to pull a fast one on ya, MC, ol' buddy ol' pal!”

“We're pals, right? If ya really wanna know the details, I'll tell ya for 500 Grimm. If you've got the cash on-hand now, I'll tell ya for half the price. So, what'll it be?”

“Hey! MC! Why ya runnin' BUDDY?”

“Ya know, just a peek! So, help me out by opening the door, just a little?… But I caaaaaaaaan't! Open the door and let me see already!”

“My dear sunglasses just took their last breath... I kinda accidentally killed them. I crushed them...with my rear end. That's right, my poor sunglasses...and bum.”

“I'll whip up my special cup ramen! I'll bring it up in a bit, so just sit tight.”

“Look, l'm sendin' ya a ping! So get your butt over here, pronto!”

“Seriously, I'll bust my ass and get there at Mach speed!”

“Crap, that really does make me feel all warm and fuzzy. Thanks, MC. I love ya a whole bunch, too!”

“I got a raffle ticket when I went shoppin' today, so I tried my luck, and booyah. Jackpot, baby!”

“I've got jack all to do! JACK ALL!”

“Listen to what I'm saying, dammit! Can't someone shut this guy up?!”

“Huh, ya don't say. Whoopsie.”

“If you're thinkin' of saving that picture of me on your D.D.D., I swear I'll put a curse on ya! I'll make it so that you never find money layin' on the street again! And don't you forget it...”

“Jealous? Wanna join me, right? Well, this isn't the sorta place that humans can just go lollygaggin' about in, so keep your pants on.”

“Haha! That's all ya got?!”

“It's an honor to be fightin' ME!”

“Muahahaha. ALL points for MAMMON! Bow down to me!”

“Hehehe, I'm feelin' GOOD today. I got ya somethin'!”

“Oh...? Yeah, that's the spot! Right there!”

“That's a good human. You're gettin' the hang of it, aren't ya?”

“Yo. So ya dropped in to pay Mammon a visit, eh? Good on ya!”

“Missin' the Great Mammon, were ya? Heh, welcome home.”

“Hey, not there! That tickles!”

“What are ya, a spoiled brat?”

“I guess everyone's like that with their first. Who knew ya could be so cute. Hey, why dontcha be more greedy? That way you'd really win my heart.”

“Hey... Oi... All right, already! Pay attention to me!”

“Hey, can't ya be gentle?!”

“Ya know what do to, doncha? Thanks!”

“Eeeew, take that back. Give it to someone else.”

“Hahaha! Is that all ya got? It's nothing compared to Lucifer's swing!”

“Don't think you can get away with this!”

“Here, I got a present for ya! Beach time, you and me! Let me show you how well I can swim!”

“Also, I'm goin' wakeboarding but... I'm gonna bring you along too, 'cause ya know, I like hangin' out with ya and stuff.”

“A Red Demonus after a long day's work is the best! Why doncha grab one too?”

“It's cool if we chill here and drink together, yeah?”

“This looks so flippin' good!”

“Hey, why don't we go this year? Keep the date open, all right?”

“They're very nice, so I thought it woulda cost ya a pretty penny!”

Couple extra for my boy

“You wanted to match with me, ya say?! Cute!”

“Someone put a photo frame in your room, right? That was me. You were eyein' it up in the shop so I bought it. You put a picture of everyone in it, but I really wanted you to put one of just us t... Never mind.”

✧༺⚜️༻✧

I love this goofy fucker

𝑀𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉

𝒮𝒽𝓎 𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒𝓇 ༝༚༝༚

#obey me #obey me shall we date #omswd #fanfic #obey me mammon #obey me quotes #om! mammon

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nbyue · 28 days

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UIS Chapter 2

June 1st, 20XX

It's been at least 3 hours since I, Father, and Mother have been set free from that... uncomfortable ink scroll, and after a questionable time at the beach, the newdle boy has given me a gift. I am currently writing in it. THE GREAT RED SON DOES NOT NEED A PERSONAL DIARY!!!! Although the cover is pretty nice. It's made of leather, and very nice to the touch....Perhaps the newdle boy has SOME taste after all. Hopefully my parents do not find this I will hide it under my bed tonight.

Anyway it's quite nice to be back in the fortress, I have already missed this old thing. I'm glad to see none of my inventions have been stolen by those pesky mortals as well for their """ world saving """ nonsense. BAH! We can do better! But I do applaud that newdle boy for saving the world, hell, even the ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!! I still hate him though.. I am supposed to hate him, as Father and Mother said so...

Speaking of which, they have been acting odd lately I hope they are okay. Probably side effects from being in that lousy scroll. WE WILL BE BACK TO POWER IN NO TIME!!! >:)

June 2nd, 20XX

Another day in the realm of greatness, and I, Red Son, shall document it for posterity. This diary, a gift from that insignificant newdle boy, was under my bed, and Father and Mother have barely noticed it! MWAHAHA! Maybe I should use this for writing down my inventions... YES YES! PERFECT! Is this lavaproof? May have to test later during my bath.

I must admit the newdle boy's gift is growing on me. The leather cover does have a certain charm, even if it's a bit cheap-feeling for my taste. But I'll give credit where it's due; he does have a knack for surprises. Doesn't mean I'll stop plotting his downfall though it's a matter of principle you see.

Speaking of the newdle boy, I cannot shake the feeling of begrudging respect for his foolish actions, no matter how much I despise him. These actions may have saved the universe, nut mark my words I shall reclaim our rightful place atop the cosmic hierarchy. DEMON BULL FAMILY FOREVS! >:D

And, as for Father and Mother, their behavior continues to perplex me. I was welding armor for Father earlier this day, and he has been looking rather off. A bit dull don't you see? He seems tired too. Burnout? Father never experiences burnout. And Mother has kept herself isolated all day today. I wonder what happened?

No matter, they'll regain their strength soon enough. We shall rise back to power and the world will tremble before us once more. Victory is inevitable! >:)

June 3rd, 20XX

This journal continues to evade the attention of Father and Mother. Their ignorance amuses me to no end. Maybe I shall indeed utilize this tome to write down my awesome inventions! I can finally stop using those flimsy parchments. A stroke of brilliance if I do say so myself. Also journal did not pass the lavaproof test. I, Red Son, am a bit sad about it.

But enough about the newdle boy and his paltry gifts. Today, Father had asked me to throw out some Demon Bull Clones. WHAT?!?!! I threw them out anyway didn't want to dissapoint Father. Such weakness is uncharacteristic of him. And I heard Mother crying in her room today and the banging of the walls. I'm beginning to think she is not okay.

Therefore to display my duty as the Prince of the Demon Bull Family, I shall check in on her tomorrow like a good son would! Maybe Father will be proud of me for caring for Mother. The thought excites me. >:D Speaking of which I've been noticing trails of ink around the fortress lately. I took it upon myself to clean it up and I accidentally some got on my precious coat! EW! Will be doing laundry tomorrow too.

I've been using this pathetic journal more as a book to write down my thoughts rather than my inventions, and I have to say it's rather calming gets rid of the chaos inside my brain cage. Of course I note down potential inventions too I don't write down my thoughts all the time. Otherwise I'd need to ask for a new journal from the newdle boy.

It's late now must sleep. GOODNIGHT PATHETIC JOURNAL! Yes, that's what I will call it from now on! >:O

June 4th, 20XX

I woke up at 3AM to write this entry! What an eventful day! First off, Father has indeed been acting more sour lately, asking me to do this and that and this and that. There are only so many things a Prince can do! At times like these, I wish he was more like other fathers.

Anyways, Mother cried in her room last night too. I felt really worried, but luckily she seemed fine when I checked on her. Her tears looked really black though has she been using too much mascara? Eh, whatever.

After that, I went to help Father with the machines he wanted me to repair. It was difficult to get all the parts needed for repairs in one go, especially after hearing Father complain for several hours about how long it takes me to build stuff. So I decided to take a short break before finishing everything.

I was eating a bowl of noodles given to me by the newdle boy, I suppose. A tacky drawing was stuck in front of the bag too of me and him. Not that I care. It's stupid but a bit endearing. I guess it makes me feel less alone or something.

Speaking of the newdle boy, why hasn't he tried to contact us? I haven't seen him since the beach but not like I'm looking out for him or anything, well I wonder if something happened to him. Oh dear. I hope he isn't dead or dying.

It's getting late now, I'll be sure to finish this entry tomorrow. Goodnight! >:)

June 5th, 20XX

Father attacked me today. I don't even want to think about it let alone write about it. It just doesn't make sense to me. It's like every time I leave them alone they somehow manage to screw something up and it's ALWAYS my fault. I guess I shouldn't blame them for my own incompetence after all I was there for most of that mess.

Anyway, this morning was horrible. Mother wouldn't look me in the eye and Father just kept staring into space. They were acting so strangely I wasn't able to concentrate on my duties. Something is going to change, I can almost feel it. All my work for Father and Mother was nothing but dust.

Oh well. Whatever.

Maybe I should write about the time Father attacked me that might help. Yes it did happen. I was just fixing up one of my inventions (my awesome race car) and then Father grabbed me by my neck and slammed me against the wall. His eyes were glowing blue and the next thing I remember was waking up on the floor.

So yeah that was fun to tell, wasn't it?

I feel strange.

Next (TBA)

#lmk #lmk au #lego monkie kid #unidentified ink syndrome #lmk redson

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duckprintspress · 8 months

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Meet the Merch! Check Out the “Many Drops Make a Stream” Extras

It wouldn’t be a Duck Prints Press pre-order campaign if we weren’t offering some absolutely awesome extras to go with your book purchase! When we open pre-orders for Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley TOMORROW, we’ll also be offering some merchandise – and you’ll be able to choose to buy a package that includes merch, or you can mix-and-match to get exactly what you want, or you can get just the book, if merch is just really not your thing. (You can preview the campaign deets here).

Wondering who Droplet is and why there are so many animals? This is a good moment for a refresher on the Many Drops Make a Stream blurb!

A memory-stealing cult. The ever-watchful City of Eyes. Making small talk. Join Droplet as she faces all these horrors and more…

Vigilante shapeshifter Droplet has trained her entire life to take down those with more power than scruples, but she still makes mistakes. When a rescue mission goes wrong, a memory-stealing cult of blood mages escapes with kidnapped captives in tow. To save them, Droplet reluctantly teams up with the outgoing, tenacious Azera. Droplet knows better than to trust a human—she made that mistake once, and that person’s betrayal scattered her community across the known world—and she can tell Azera is hiding secrets behind her sunny smile. But if they can’t learn to work together, even Droplet’s own memories could be lost.

Shapeshift main character? A chance to show off lots of fun animal forms? Heck YES that’s the direction we went when planning out the extras!

So what have we got for you?

An enamel pin of Droplet mid-transformation from a tiger to her signature goose form, 2 in x 2 in/5 cm x 5 cm, with glitter in the background color, featuring art by Aceriee (Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter). (Manufactured by Alchemy.)

Goose!Dux, the Droplet books’ custom Dux, as a die-cut sticker approximately 3 in x 3 in/7.5 cm x 7.5 cm. Designed by Alessa Riel. (Printed by Vograce.) “Goose” is Droplet’s favorite form (for good reason!) so when Dux got decked out for this book, of course we designed a Dux-goose.

An art print of the front cover (8 in x 10 in/20.25 cm x 25.5 cm), featuring Roui Cris’s (Tumblr | Twitter | Artstation) gorgeous artwork of Droplet and Azera flying over Sacarus, the City of Eyes. (Printed by PrintKeg.)

Patreon-exclusive extra: a wooden coaster (4 in./10.25 cm circular) engraved with art TO BE REVEALED. (it. might be a goose. just sayin’. there’s a Theme.) The artwork is by Aceriee, and the coasters will be manufactured by E. Conway, who also works with DPP as an editor.

How do you get the Patreon-exclusive extra? Easy! You just have to do two things: 1. Back our Patreon at the $10/month or $25/month level; and 2. Support this campaign by buying at least one of the pre-order offerings.

We’ve also got some merch-related stretch goals – depending how much money the campaign raises, we may also make a bookmark featuring the front cover artwork, an engraved wooden pendant with the Eye of Sacarus (that’s the eye motif featured on the cover!), and a wooden key chain featuring Goose!Droplet. We really hope we’ll be able to make some of this merch, too.

There is only ONE MORE DAY until this pre-order campaign launches on the Duck Prints Press website. Are you excited? Cause we’re hella excited. <3

(btw, in case you’ve been wondering when tomorrow, I expect to make the shop listings live sometime in the AM, EDT, and to make all the related updates to the Pre-Order Page and announcements on our social media shortly thereafter. Also, hi, I’m Claire Houck/unforth, the book’s editor and owner of the Press. I’m handling our marketing for this pre-order campaign! Nice to meet ya. 😀 )

#duck prints press #adrian harley #dux #merchandise #crowdfunding #queer books

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gojosattoru · 2 years

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heya guys im doing this post to thank you all for the birthday wishes and for all your beautiful gifts (SERIOUSLY THEY WERE ALL SO FREAKING GORGEOUS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING YOUR TIME CREATE SUCH WONDERFUL GIFTS FOR ME LOVE THEM ALL!!!! and most them were gojo gifts gosh i have a feeling i will sleep better tonight *wink wink* XDDDD) 🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️😭😭😭 you are simply amazing and i couldn't be more lucky to be around such awesome and lovely people!!! you bring so much love, joy and fun to my life!!! thank you for everything guys!! seriously you're the best and i love you all with all my heart!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰 sorry for being so slow and late at replying, i have been on trip with my parents and then at dinner my sis and brother in law came so i spent a lil time with them!!! it's getting late and our energy power went down so I will be answering the rest of the messages tomorrow cuties!!! 💕💕 hope you don't mind!! i really appreciate all your wishes and messages babes it made my birthday even more enjoyable darlings hehe!!! *HUGS YOU ALL* thank you again and hooe you too had a great day and may weekend be a amazing one for all of you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ THANK YOU AGAIN!!! LOVE YOUUU!!!

#personal #seriously there's no wifiiii #the hell it was so sudden gsjwhevdod #oh well i will be going to rest and sleep!!#see you guys tomorrow #and thank you so much for everything!!!!#it was such a awesome day!!!#and having you guys being part of it it was even better hehe #love you loads!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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squidsquadlove · 10 months

Note

Do you think keeping Joey means saying goodbye to Driedger (or did you mean Gibson)? I know Driedgs has a big contract but I wonder if Joey will come up to the Kraken, Driedgs anchors CV, and it’s Jonesy who takes a contract elsewhere (equally heartbreaking for me, I love Martin Jones so much, but feel like I’ve been preparing for that for longer)….

Martin Jones was signed for one year specifically to replace an injured Driedger. A lot of us wanted to see Joey get the call-up, but Jones had a much stronger background in NHL games played, so I'm not surprised we went that way. I can't imagine we'll see him back, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't get another gig elsewhere! If I had to take a guess, I'd say maybe Anaheim. Maybe Winnipeg, if they move Hellebuyck.

As for Driedger, yes, I think Joey's contract means Driedgs is going, and for the sake of the cap. probably sooner rather than later. If we stash him in the minors, we're using $3,375,000 of our big league cap on him for one year (saving $1,125,000); if we buy him out, it's $3,000,000 for two years (saving $1,500,000); if we can get someone to trade for him, then if we retain max salary on him, we spend $2,250,000 (saving $2,250,000), and it could theoretically be less. But the fact that no one picked him up when we put him on waivers last year-- and he hasn't really shown anything since then, not his fault, but Joey was on FIRE-- means quite possibly no one wants to take a swing on him. 🥺 He's the kind of candidate who screams "future considerations" to me, and that's very sad and I don't like it one bit, but that's as much as two fourth-liners' salaries... $2,250,000 last year would have paid for Sprong, Borgen, and half of Froeden or Hayden, say. Or allowed us to pay for another UFA who had potential.

I think Driedger is awesome and would be a great 1A/1B goaltender. Grant Fuhr thought he looked good physically and just needed to get more playing time to get back to full speed. I would love to see him get a real chance at a full time job somewhere in the NHL. I will miss him immensely!

Meanwhile, the Coachella Valley fanbase will be DEVASTATED to lose Joey, even though it's a great opportunity for him. 🥺 But after his spectacular playoff performance, and EFFING JEFF MAREK pointing it out on his dumb show, THANKS MAREK, you big butthead, there is absolutely no way Joey would clear waivers to go back to CV. I don't want to lose him, and he's 3 years younger and way, way cheaper than Driedger. Plus he is absolutely getting a goalie goal in the NHL someday, just you wait. (At the cost of a few "IYAGTTG" moments, but such is life for a puckhandling goaltender.)

Last year I was ready to drive to KCI daily and hold a boombox over my head with a sign that said "RE-SIGN DONATO", and this year I'm not nearly as attached to him. I'm bereft at the thought of losing Geekie, but I've been saying for a full season that we won't be able to keep Sprong at a salary we'll pay for him. But who WILL we end up with?? Will Shane make the team for real? Surely Kartye is a lock! What about Kole Lind?? I think this year I am much, much more zen about roster changes. (Though I do snarl like a vampire exposed to sunlight every time Eliot Friedman suggests Shane Wright is in play for some deal. BACK THE FUCK OFF, FRIEDGE. HE IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. OUR SHANE. OUR PRECIOUSSSSSS.)

All that to say: tomorrow may be a big news day for us. And we better lock down Dunn!

#seattle kraken #damn you salary cap #I have a Driedger jersey so this really really hurts

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stargazer-sims · 2 years

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Journal Entry #41

previously…

Victor

Hey, everyone! How's it going?

Long time, right? I know Yuri finally had the chance to record something last week, and I figured I'd better grab the opportunity too, while I have a spare minute.

I guess Yuri already mentioned that Seiji and I were in Nagano on the weekend for a competition. Not to brag or anything, but guess who absolutely crushed it? Spoiler alert: it was me and Elsa. That’s the name of my snowboard, if anyone doesn’t recall. Actually, Seiji also totally rocked this competition. He competes in freestyle events, and he got silver in the half-pipe and bronze in slopestyle. As for me, my events are the alpine ones. You're currently looking at a parallel giant slalom gold medalist right here.

It's crazy to think that Seiji and I could both qualify for the All-Japan championship this year. My Olympic dreams may be over, but at least I can aim for the FIS World Championship next year, and it would be awesome if my friend made it into the competition alongside me.

In case you're wondering, the World Championship is only held every second year, and they move it around to different countries each time. Next year it’s going to be in Switzerland.

I've been in the World Championship twice, and did absolutely horrible both times. Like, I didn't even place in the top ten of any of my events. This time, though? I've got a good feeling I'm going to make it in again, and that I'm going to be awesome.

Before I get to that point, there are more competitions to get through. Right after Winterfest, there's going to be an amateur competition here in Mt. Komorebi, which Seiji and I are thinking of entering just for fun. Then, in the middle of January, we have a qualifier for All-Japan, and that's here on Yukimatsu as well. I'm super excited for that one, because Yuri promised he'll be there to watch. He couldn't come with us to Nagano on the weekend because he had a bunch of important commitments, which I understand. It was a little disappointing that he wasn't there, but at least he'll get to see me do my thing here in January. You didn't hear me say this, but I might show off for him a little.

Anyway, I could talk about snowboarding literally all day, so I guess I'd better use some self-restraint and tell you about the rest of the stuff that happened over the past week or so since Yuri's update.

It'll soon be Winterfest!

Winterfest is my favourite holiday ever. We got our tree yesterday, and last night, Yuri and I went to the city for his work Winterfest party.

He looked so cute in his holiday vest, but then again, I may be biased. I think he looks cute in everything. He told me that I had to dress up too, which I actually didn't mind. I recently got my hair done, because Yuri said I was starting to look like a sheepdog, and the results of my salon adventure were very good, even if I say so myself. With my new hairdo and the new outfit Yuri helped me pick out, I'm pretty sure I made a big impression at the party.

Yuri got his hair done too. I think his new look suits him. Everyone says we both look more mature, which is kind of funny to me. Maybe Yuri is more mature. I don't think I am, but if my appearance gives that impression, I'm happy to go with it.

This morning, we put on our holiday sweaters and decorated our Winterfest tree. If it ever stops snowing up here, Seiji and Taka are going to come after work and help me put some lights on the outside of the house. The weather's better in the valley, so tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to go help them with theirs.

Yuri said he could help me put the lights up, but I don't like the idea of him doing all that climbing. Going up and down a ladder multiple times might be too much for him. Health-wise, he hasn't been exceptionally sick, but he's been getting tired really fast lately and he's starting to lose weight again, and that worries me a lot. I told him I'd be more comfortable if he stayed on the ground.

To my surprise, he eventually agreed. He says he thinks we should invite Fox over when Taka and Seiji come to do the lights, so he'll have someone to keep him company indoors while we're outside beautifying the place. Then, everyone can stay for dinner.

I like this idea, and there's nothing like a good challenge in the kitchen. I need to plan a meal that both Yuri and Fox can eat, and that'll also be appealing to everyone else.

I've got to say, I'm kind of surprised that Yuri and Fox have hit it off so well. Yuri doesn't make friends easily. It's not that he's antisocial or anything, but he has a really hard time trusting new people even a little bit. Fox seems like a friendly guy, though, and he's got this sort of innocence about him that you don't usually see in adults. It's like he hardly knows anything about the world around him, even though he's nearly twenty-six years old. I guess maybe that makes Yuri feel safer around him than around most people.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of people Yuri has taken an instant liking to, I should mention that we had a video chat with Robert and Kim MacAllister this evening. Remember them? They're my mom's neighbours across the street; the couple that moved into the former vampire house which is now a haunted house, thanks to their ghost, Sachiko.

If you don't remember, Robert is a Canadian and his wife Kimiko is Japanese. They've been living in Willow Creek for a really long time, but now that they're retired, they want to move back here to Mt. Komorebi, which is Kim's hometown. Yuri and I met them when we were staying with my mom back in late October and early November, and they told us all about their plan to sell the house and move. They also told us about Sachiko, and how they accidentally brought her to Canada in an antique vase they bought in Senbamachi about four years ago.

The more Yuri and I talked about it, the more we started to seriously consider our future plans. It was Yuri who mentioned that we should try to buy the house when it officially went up for sale.

At first, I could hardly believe he was actually suggesting that we should leave here and settle in Willow Creek. I mean, there's nothing that'd make me happier than going home to stay, but not at the cost of uprooting Yuri from everything he's ever known. I know how hard that is. I did it myself, in order to come here to be with him, and sometimes the sense of being so far from everything that's familiar is overwhelming.

Yuri says he doesn't feel like he'll be giving up as much as I did. There's not as much tying him to Mt. Komorebi as there is tying me to Willow Creek, and he says, above everything, he wants me to be happy. Going home would definitely do that, but I'm concerned that a move to a whole new country might be too drastic a change for him. My mom says I have to trust him to know how much he can handle, and I know she's right, but that's not going to stop me from being worried.

The other big hurdle for us right now is the money. With Yuri's monthly allowance from his trust fund, we're certain we can make mortgage payments even if we don't manage to find jobs straight away when we get there. But, sadly, we came to the conclusion that to be able to afford a down payment, we'd have to forego our planned trip to Selvadorada and use the cash we'd saved for that to make part of our down payment instead. I don't think Yuri is overly disappointed about cancelling our Selvadoradan adventure, but I am. I have to keep reminding myself that I can't have the proverbial cake and eat it too, and our future is more than just two weeks in the rainforest.

As for the house itself, while we were there visiting in the autumn, Robert and Kim gave us a tour. Yuri immediately fell in love with it. My favourite part is the heated indoor pool, but I also like the blend of Japanese and Western influences in the design. It's really perfect for me and Yuri, honestly.

I was really hoping to see the ghost when we were there, but unfortunately, we didn't see her. Yuri thought I was being silly. He doesn't believe in ghosts. Or at least he didn't before today.

Yeah, you heard that correctly. I now have absolute proof that Sachiko is real and that ghosts exist.

We were chatting about this and that, and the MacAllisters were describing some of the renovations they'd done to get the house ready to put on the market. Kim was about to pick up her laptop and show us the updates they'd done in the kitchen when I noticed a weird light suddenly appearing behind Robert's chair. After about half a second, the light sort of solidified, if that makes sense, and then I saw the shape of a young woman in a kimono.

Kim must've noticed a change in my expression or something, because she settled her hands back onto the tabletop and asked, "Victor, is everything okay?"

For my part, I was pointing at the computer and no doubt gaping like an idiot. I turned to my husband. "Holy cowplants! Yuri, do you see that?"

"See what?" he asked.

"That!" I gestured with my hand at my computer. “It’s… I think it’s the ghost!"

Yuri leaned forward and peered at the screen. "Is that...?"

Sachiko was waving at us, and I was freaking out. Like, utterly losing it with incredulity. I didn’t know ghosts would even show up on camera, much less that they’d know about stuff like FaceTime. Yet, somehow, there she was, as large as life. Or afterlife.

Robert turned slightly to glance over his shoulder. Obviously he’s used to her, because he barely reacted to her presence at all, and said simply, "You could've let us introduce you properly, Sachiko-chan."

The ghost laughed, and then I swear I heard her say, "This way is more fun."

"She's impossible," Robert told us. "Loves getting up to mischief, this one. I think she wants to see all the potential new owners, to make sure she approves."

"Knowing her, she'd likely haunt the new owners if she didn't approve," Kim said. "Wouldn't you, Sachiko-chan?"

Sachiko distinctly nodded, and said, "But, I like these two. The little one is cute."

Beside me, Yuri was blushing furiously. I'm not sure he was impressed by the fact that a ghost thinks he's cute. Personally, I thought it was cute that she thinks he’s cute. Clearly, she has good taste.

"You're about seventy years too old for him," Robert told her. "Besides, those boys are married."

"To each other?" she inquired.

"Yes."

She pretended to pout for a second, but then seemed to brighten again and asked, “Do they have any cute friends?"

Robert laughed out loud. "What did I tell you, boys? Impossible."

In response to that, the ghost only giggled, and then vanished just as suddenly as she'd appeared.

I'm telling you guys, if I didn't already want this house, I one hundred percent want it now. What could be more awesome than living with a cheeky, playful ghost?

Of course, now the trick will be to convince Yuri.

#ts4 #sims 4 #eagames #snowy escape #victor nelson #yuri okamoto #victorsworldadventures #stargazersims

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iamazadkhan · 2 years

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Har Ghar Tiranga: Happy Independence Day 2022 Message Wishes GIF Status Videos Quotes Images Photos Greetings

Photo Source: The Financial Express Independence Day is something that everybody waits for the whole year. Kids who go to school started their preparation from very early as they have to perform some functions in their school. In the same way, locals organized some functions and arrangements to celebrate Happy Independence Day Wishes in their own style. Keeping in this, many people are very fond of sending Happy Independence Day 2022 Images, Happy Independence Day Wishes, Happy Independence Day Message GIF, Happy Independence Day Status and Independence Day Quotes to others to mark their celebrations. So in this post, we try to bring some Happy Independence Day 2022 gif, images, photos, short videos messages that are so awesome that everyone must share it to their near and dear one. Happy Independence Day Wishes Happy Independence Day Status Happy Independence Day Images 2022 Happy Independence Day 2022 Independence Day Quotes Happy Independence Day Drawing Happy Independence Day Background Happy Independence Day Greeting Card Happy Independence Day GIF

Happy Independence Day 2022 Images

Photo Source

Happy Independence Day Wishes

Let’s salute the martyrs for the sacrifices they made and thank them for giving us our freedom. Happy Independence Day 2022. Latest Posts This Independence Day we should take some time out and remember all those who sacrificed their lives so that we could enjoy our freedom. Happy Independence Day 2022. On this special day here's wishing our dreams of a new tomorrow come true! May your Independence Day day be filled with patriotic spirit! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall. Independence day is a good time to think who we are and how we got here. Freedom doesn’t see colours or shapes. There is enough hate and violence in the world, and now we need to build a better future, full of love, unity and understanding. Here's to a wonderful Independence Day! Happy Independence Day Message GIF via GIPHY GIF Source India Independence Happy GIF from Indiaindependence GIFs GIF Source via GIPHY GIF Source Happy Independence Day Colorful GIF from Happyindependenceday GIFs GIF Source Happy Independence Day Indian Independence Day GIF from Happyindependenceday GIFs GIF Source via GIPHY GIF Source Happy Independence Day Status https://youtu.be/YFdkfqWfjbg https://youtu.be/d2dwj2ga-RY https://youtu.be/JvOgJW89tTY https://youtu.be/p5hwIswAJ_o https://youtu.be/3qPPxe4FOaA Read: Happy Independence Day Wishes 2020 Messages, Quotes | 15th August | Also Read: Good Morning Messages for Friends with Pictures, Images, Wishes, Photos, Status Independence Day Quotes Thousands laid down their lives so that our country can celebrate this day. Never forget their sacrifices. Happy Independence Day 2021! Freedom is something that money can’t buy, it’s the result of the struggles of many Bravehearts. Let us honour them today and always. Happy Independence Day 2022! Today we celebrate the glory of freedom. We don’t understand the value of it until we lose it, so let’s remember about that and never let it go. Joy to the nation. Happy Independence Day! Freedom is the most precious thing in every human’s life. No one has a right to take it away, and we need to do everything to protect our society from cruelty and violence. Happy Independence Day! My love for my nation is worthiness. My love for my people is endless. All I desire for my country is happiness. Let me be the first person to wish you a special Happy Independence Day 2022! Read the full article

#celebration #indianmemoir

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dbs-scans · 6 months

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Halloween Event 2023 — The Kamome Monster Nursery Monstagram Account (OLD)

Hello all! In this post, we've compiled the event hosted on AidaIro's Twitter account in 2023 to celebrate Halloween: a return to the Kamome Monster Nursery!

This time, we take a look at the nursery's new social media account...

This post is broken when viewed on our tumblr desktop theme! Check out the new version of the post by clicking here!

If you're on mobile, you should be fine. Go ahead and continue reading!

🎃Announcement🎃 To all nearby residents: First, allow us to express our gratitude to everyone for always being such good neighbors to our monsters and researchers. Tonight, we have taken it upon ourselves to review a common concern we receive: that our facility seems dangerous and gives people the creeps.

In light of this, we have decided to set up a social media account to allow all of you to see our monsters and researchers in action. By viewing the feats and day-to-day lives of our nursery, we hope it may help you better understand our noble mission. 🎃🎃🎃

—The large-scale social networking service, "Monstagram"... Apparently there's an account on there that posts not just the day-to-day lives of humans, but monsters as well...

What spine-chilling lives could these monsters possibly be leading? With shaky hands, I decided to take a peek at this "Kamome Monster Nursery" account on "Monstagram"...

There are already a few posts here. Now, which one should I view first...?

POLL:

【We're gonna bite'cha!】✅

【The Monster Prodigy】

【Aim to hollow out your opponent, and... Punch!】

【Who's up? ～Whispering Sweet Nothings・For Eternity...～】✅

Alright, let's open up Monstagram...

【Who's up? ～Whispering Sweet Nothings・For Eternity...～】 Oops! I accidentally clicked on a weird video! This man is treating me like a kitten. Is the sexy voice really necessary...? I think I'll go to sleep early tonight...

【We're gonna bite'cha!】 It's a video of three monsters practicing their dance moves. Their footwork's a mess, but you can tell they're giving it their all. I wonder if they're going to put on a show...?

—Setting aside that researcher's cryptic video, it seems to me that the monsters are planning something. What could it be...? Now, which one should I look at tomorrow?

POLL:

【The Monster Prodigy】✅ 【Aim to hollow out your opponent, and... Punch!】【Outing With the Older Boys】✅

OK, let's open up Monstagram again...

【Outing With the Older Boys】 Three monsters are being lead through town by an adult monster and an adult human male. The monster in front is leading them with a flag. He's so cool and collected... wow... I've decided: in my next life, I want to be reborn as a flag!

【Target Spotted!】 I found the continuation to the last photo. It seems they went to the city to go shopping. The monster is pointing at a hat shop. I guess she found what she was looking for. That's nice.

【The Monster Prodigy】 The three monsters are practicing writing. There are envelopes and stationery nearby. Are they writing a letter to someone...? The one with the best handwriting out of the three of them seems to be the one with all the wings growing out of it. That one's so skilled, I... I can't even read it...

—I feel like I'm beginning to get an idea of what the monsters are planning. I'll take a look at the rest of the posts tomorrow...

I'm going to go on Monstagram today, too!

【Secret Nightly Routine】 I-I didn't know monsters could be this adorable...!! The secret to keeping her tail so fluffy is by brushing it daily and bribing it with cookies, it seems.

【Aim to hollow out your opponent, and... Punch!】 The Three Monsters are training. No way — are they preparing for battle...!? Maybe they're planning on beating somebody up. Monsters are awesome... ...

—Tomorrow it will finally be Halloween. I wonder how they're all going to spend it......

Looks like they didn't post any updates on Monstagram today. The monsters and researchers must be too busy to post anything.

Judging by the posts I saw, those monsters were probably doing all that work in preparation for today. I wonder if the three of them are enjoying Halloween with the researchers right now...? If they come to town, I'll hand out treats to them. ...

🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃

#jshk #aidairo #twitter #tbhk #toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #jibaku shonen hanako kun #halloween

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dailyaudiobible · 2 years

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4/27/2022 DAB Transcript

Judges 7:1-8:17, Luke 23:13-43, Psalm 97:1-98:9, Proverbs 14:7-8

Today is the 27th day of April, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian, it is awesome to be here with you. It’s wonderful to come in around the Global Campfire, find a place and ahhh, let it go and look to the Scriptures to inform the choices that we need to make, the decisions that are out in front of us and help us reflect and interpret what we've already gone through in our past. So, let's dive in. We’re working our way through the Book of Judges and we’re meeting the different judges of Israel, but we met one yesterday named Gideon. And it will be Gideon's story that we continue forward with today. We’re reading from the English Standard Version this week, Judges chapter 7 verse 1 through 8 verse 17.

Commentary:

Okay so, reflecting back on what we read today in the Book of Judges, we’re certainly understanding the story of the Judge Gideon, much better and we see the counterintuitive ways in which the Lord is showing Himself, Powerful and the Redeemer of Israel. They have a pretty big army that has assembled to fight, but the Lord says it's too many. Like, basically we have to whittle this down to the point that you all realize that you could not have created this victory in your own strength. It's kind of the lesson of the wilderness, we are utterly dependent on God, utterly for everything. And so, this large army of tens of thousands, 30,000+ people, they…they are whittled down to 300 people and that would have had to been unnerving for Gideon but the Lord had shown him a sign, two signs in fact, with fleece and then he went down and heard a dream in the camp, which certainly gave him courage about what the enemy was thinking, they were disrupted and afraid. And so, all it took was these 300 men, stationed in different areas that made it look like the Army, the enemy army, was surrounded and all they had to do was make a lot of noise, which is what they did. And so, it looked like an army was coming in from all sides. And of course, the enemy army freaked out and started fighting each other and that is how that battle was won. We aren't done with the story of Gideon yet; we’ll continue it tomorrow. But once again we see God redeeming His people, who are covenant and oath breakers and have done exactly what He said not to do. I mean if you remember when we were reading Deuteronomy, and even the end of Joshua, the leaders of Israel, they knew how stiff-necked and stubborn the people were and they told them what was going to happen in which way to go and told them to choose who they're gonna serve; of course, they chose the Lord in that moment, but as we see, time went on and they started serving the gods of the nearby region, exactly what they were warned against. And so, to take away any kind of misunderstanding about who the deliverer was, when God came for His people again, it was against all odds and victory was given.

Then in the Book of Luke, we just need to note that once again, we are at the scene where Jesus has been nailed to across in agony, dying unjustly, pouring out his love for our rescue. And we can see all the different ways that God comes for His people in the Old Testament, through the prophets, through the judges, even through Gideon as a Redeemer will not stop coming for the people that He loves. And we see that on the cross, that never changed. He never stopped coming. He never stopped trying to redeem His people, until He came in person to do it once and for all. And so, may we spend some of our day reflecting upon that. There’s only one more time that we’ll pass by this story this year. There’s only one more gospel to read this year and it is a central piece, it is a central piece of the Bible, the story of the passion of Jesus, but it is the central piece of our faith and so it's not something to blow-by, even though we've heard it a thousand times. There will never be enough times to look at this situation and realize the injustice of it and the profound humble love of God for us.

Prayer:

And so, Jesus, we love You and once again we thank You, and once again we confess that words are not enough. Once again, we confess that nothing is enough, there is nothing that we can do. But we love You and our hearts are given to You and we want our lives to look like Your life and there's nothing that we can do to make that happen, other than surrender who we are and allow You to live within. And then it is You that lives within, Christ, who lives within, no longer we. And so, as we surrender to that posture, we invite Your Holy Spirit to lead us deeper and deeper and deeper, day-by-day, step-by-step. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com, that is home base. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, which you can download free from your app store, whatever app store works with the device that you use, that's home base as well, so check that out, stay connected. Check out the Community Section, that is where to get connected on social media and it is also where the Prayer Wall lives and so it's important to always know that resource is available, no matter what happens in our lives, no matter what the day may bring. There is a place we can reach out and ask for prayer and share our story and there is also a place that we can go and hear stories and pray for one another and respond to one another, and that is the Prayer Wall, so check that out. Check out the resources that are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. They exist for the journey that we are on, to take this journey deeper and wider and knit us together and so, check…check out the Daily Audio Bible Shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible and humbly, humble gratitude. Thank you, we would not be here if we were not in this together, and it's remarkable that we are in this together and that we get to move through the world at this time, where there is such a technology, that every day we can create a space for ourselves that is serene and hopeful and allow the Scriptures to speak into our lives and hear from one another and pray for one another. It is a beautiful thing. A beautiful oasis, that we have. And if it has been life-giving and meaningful to you, then thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage dailyaudiobible.com. If you're using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app, that is the little red button up at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that is it for today, other than to say happy first birthday, to my sweet granddaughter Reagan, born to our daughter China, who reads with Jill on Daily Audio Bible Chronological and her husband Ben. It's hard to believe, in some ways, it's been a year, but what a year of joy it’s been to watch her, sort of, become aware. And of course, if she smiles at me, then I turn into a puddle on the floor. It's just she melts me. And so, we’re rejoicing on this day. Happy first birthday Reagan. And that's it for today, I'm Brian, I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hey, Daily Audio Bible, this is Susan again, from Mississippi. I had called about a month ago about my children and granddaughter, that we have taken custody of, we’ve actually adopted her. And I was calling about the family not supporting. Well, we have her birthday party, her actual two-year-old birthday was yesterday, April 22nd. Today, is the 23rd and so, we’re having a birthday party on the 30th, we’re actually having it at a goat farm, believe it or not, where you can play with little goats. And so, I'm praying that the family will show up, they’ve all been invited. And my daughter-in-law and son, they have been drug-free now for six weeks, which is a praise. And I continue to ask for prayers for them that they stay that way. They were so excited yesterday, that they got to spend the day with their daughter because they remembered last year on her first birthday, they were nowhere to be seen because they had better things to do, such as drugs. So, continue the prayers for that. Also, I want to pray for Susan in Canada, who had lost her husband seven years ago. It broke my heart listening to her and all her struggling. And Susan, all I got to say is I’ve not been in your shoes and you know, I still have my husband but just, I am praying for you to make it through the stress, that God is with you, no matter what. And remember He doesn't give you anything that you can't handle.

Hello, Daily Audio Bible, this is Jesus Freak NE and I just want to say thank You Lord for blessing me so much this year. It’s been an incredible, I have met so many Christians and new people that are interested about You and Your word and I am so grateful to Brian, for this ministry. I pray that God does His will in every single one of your lives. Please, let him do his will okay. And I’m saying this to myself too. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God, do what You gotta do and give us the strength and the wisdom to be open to it. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Hello my DAB family, this is Jamie in New Jersey, Standing on the Word of God. Please pray with me. Dear Father in Heaven, we come to You in prayer, as we look at the world around us and see so many that are struggling, in trials and in desperate seasons of their lives. Father, we know that You love them all. We pray that You will comfort all in their suffering. Lord Jesus, You came into the world as one of us and suffered as we do. As we go through the trials of life, help us realize that You are with us at all times and in all things. Give us all such confidence in the power of Your grace, that even when we are afraid that we can put our whole trust in You. God of all comfort, are very present help in trouble, be near us. When the evil darkens our world, give us light. Be near us in our times a weakness, struggle and doubt. Sustains by Your grace, that our strength and courage may not fail. When nothing seems sure, give us trust, keep us in that perfect peace, which You have promised to those whose minds are fixed on You. Give us the fresh vision of Your love. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Thank you for praying with me, my brothers and sisters. May God richly bless you and answer all your prayers. I love you all. I thank you all for praying along with me. Have a good night.

Sabbath Day, Father, is here once again And I’m overflowing with praise, from deep down within My favorite bird is singing real strong In his usual spot where he sings all day long Praises, my father, we both sing today And I can't speak for him, but I can speak for me Thank you, my Father, for all that You do For sunshine and flowers and skies, not quite blue Because today they’re grey and it looks like it’s gonna rain But I still praise You, my Father, for the absence of pain Feels full of grain, hardship and strength And that deep rooted peace You give us, after the rain Deep in my brain, that cleanses my heart to see the truth really plain A world so mundane, You’ve freed me from so many things that are clearly insane Yet still lives in my brain and I look back over my life now and see the years lost in vain Your forgiveness, Your patience, Your mercy and grace Are all clearly here, Father, right in front of my face And I’m thanking You this Sabbath Day, Father, for thinking of me You gave up Your son at Golgotha for me Let me always remember the blood that He shed And let my praise produce works and not just words from my head [email protected] I’d like to give a shout out to little Ezekiel. Wow, little Ezekiel, you are really reading very well. And your insight into the principles of the Scriptures, the meaning and what, what we can take away from, is really great. Brian and Jill, you did a magnificent job raising up Ezekiel and I want to thank you for this wonderful podcast for God’s Holy Spirit to flow. Keep it flowing ya’ll.

Hey DAB, it’s Emmy from Illinois, just calling in with a praise. My husband decided, out of the blue a couple weeks ago that he wanted to go to church on Easter. And originally it was gonna be to a random church in town and then the day before the weekend, he decided he wanted to go to our old church that he said, he would never go back to. Mostly out of, in my opinion, pride, because he’s been gone for over two years. So, we ended up going last week which was super exciting and so many of our friends and the pastors were so happy to see him and just loving and encouraging. And then I was going to be, they encouraged him to come back this week. I was gonna be out of town so I didn’t think he would end up going and he ended up going to church by himself last week, er, yesterday and the pastor caught him and ended up talking to him for over an hour, after church. So, super encouraged to know that he’s, something is going on in his heart that he’s wanting to go back to church. And I’m gonna take it as a, as a good step in the right direction. However long it takes, just I guess, prayers that I would continue to be patient and kind and faithful in this transition phase of moving from antagonism to working on his relationship with God and us. So, thank you so much for your prayers.

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twstarchives · 3 years

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Valentine’s Gift Messages

● Info: From Jan 20 - Feb 14, 2021, Aniplex offered a Valentine’s Day Gift where you could order a scarf & charm set of your Twst boy and send them a letter. These are the response cards that each of them sent back to you on May 15. ● Note: All of these were originally in English; I didn’t translate or edit them in any way.

Here is a thread of all their signatures!

Edit: Initially the Mostro Lounge was misspelt as “Monstro” in Azul’s card, but on May 25 this was acknowledged as a typo and those who had purchased the card were offered an exchange.

Riddle Dear friend, Thank you for the present. Your choice in gifts has absolutely delighted me. Tell you what, why don’t I invite you to a lovely afternoon tea later? Just as a way to express my gratitude. Of course, you won’t turn down the invitation, I trust?

Ace Hey you, Thanks for the present. But what’s up with the sudden gesture? Are you trying to apologize for something here? ...JUST KIDDING! I actually need to talk to you about something, too. See you in class later!

Deuce Friend, Thank you for the present. You surprised me a bit with that since we don’t often get chances to give our classmates gifts. I’m so happy! Today is going to be a great day. I’ll thank you again when I see you in class later!

Cater Helloooooo, Thanks for the present! It was totally awesome! I didn’t know you were an expert at choosing thoughtful gifts ♪ I already took a picture and put it up on Magicam, so go and give it a Like! ;)

Trey Hey you, Thanks for the gift. I didn’t expect anything from you, so you kind of surprised me. Now what should I give in return... I don’t want to give you something you don’t like, so please tell me: Is there anything you want? If there is, I’ll try to find it for you! Hope you have a great one!

Leona Good day, Etiquette dictates that I must express my gratitude for the thoughtful gift you have given me. Your offering is commendable as a show of loyalty and respect. If the mood takes me, I may even give you a little something in return.

Jack Friend, Thank you for the present. Just letting you know I got it. Let me treat you to a meal tomorrow. Whatever you want. ...I don’t like the idea of owing you a favor, so make sure you keep tomorrow open.

Ruggie Hey you, Thanks for the awesome gift. I’m gonna cherish it forever! Even if you ask for it back, you’re not getting it! Wow, this made my day so much better!

Azul My dear friend, Thank you so very much for this absolutely wonderful present. I am positively overjoyed to receive such an affectionate gift. When you have the time, please do drop by the Mostro Lounge. Present the enclosed card at the door and you can enjoy a complimentary drink on me.

Jade To my dearest, My most sincere gratitude for this splendid gift. I am truly moved by your careful consideration and good taste, and will cherish this present. In fact, I shall even display it in my room. Truly. Would I lie to you?

Floyd Little shrimpy, Hey, thanks for the gift! I don’t think it’s my birthday though, so what gives? It’s a little weird just getting something out of the blue. Don’t worry. I’ll get the reason for this outta you. Just you wait.

Kalim Hey love, Thank you for that wonderful gift! Getting something like this from you just put a smile on my face! Let me throw a feast to show my gratitude! After that, I’ll take you on a magic carpet ride, it’ll be really fun!

Jamil Dear friend, Thank you for the gift. To think I would receive something from you... Well, it caught me off guard. I’d like to give you something in return. Hmm... What should it be? What might you like? Why don’t you come down to Scarabia sometime and we’ll discuss over a cup of tea.

Vil My dear, How very brave of you to attempt finding a gift for ME. And I really must say, it is...not half bad. I suppose I will give you something in return, so be a dear and take this card I’ve signed for you. Now, hush. No need to do anything so gauche as weeping in gratitude. You’ve earned this.

Epel Dear friend, Thank you for the present! It’s really nice to get gifts from people other than my own relatives. I tried to get you something to say thank you, by the way. I think you’ll be pleased with it. Well, I hope so anyway. See you later.

Rook Hey love, Little birds, flying and singing among the flowers, with the warm rays of the sun shining above. The beautiful scenery of spring comes to mind whenever I close my eyes, and this is all thanks to your lovely gift. Merci! You have my sincerest gratitude, from the bottom of my heart.

Idia @YOU whatta shock thought i was sleep shopping or sth but then i opened the package and found ur gift. ur a bit of an oddball huh? y give someone like me a present? still, thx and all that. Kthxbye

Ortho Dear friend, Thank you for the present! It was wonderful! I was so happy to get it. Sooo, I tried to search online for some things you might like, but there are so many choices... I can’t pick just one! Promise me that next time I see you, you’ll tell me what you would like.

Malleus Dearest, My thanks for such a truly wonderful present. It is only fitting that I should give you something in return. How about the gift of beauty? Perhaps the gift of song? Or... Well, never mind. Just a joke based on the legends, you know. I shall give you something I picked out myself.

Silver Hey you, Thank you for the gift. I just got it. A heartfelt gift really does brighten someone’s day, huh? I actually did pick something out for you, and I hope you’ll be happy with itttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

Sebek Human, I thought you had passed me an offering intended for Lord Malleus, but I was surprised to discover that it was meant for me. I see through your subterfuge! In truth, you simply wish to hear of Lord Malleus’s many great exploits, yes? That is WONDERFUL! Come to my room later, and I will tell you many stories of Lord Malleus!

Lilia My dear, Thank you for the present. Aren’t you the witty one, preparing a surprise for me like that? Who would have thought something like this might excite me so. It really is unbefitting someone of my age. I have enclosed my signature as a gesture of gratitude. Rejoice! It is a most rare and prestigious gift!

Crowley Dear student, Thank you for the present. You don’t think this gift will buy you anything, do you? I jest. I will gladly accept this. Seeing you excel in your duties as a janitorial staff...ah, I mean...as a dorm prefect... Well, to be honest, I am quite impressed. My expectations for you remain high going forward. Do keep up the good work.

Crewel Dear student, Thank you for the present. However, sending gifts to the faculty members is not appropriate. Evidently you still require discipline. If you wish to please me, then perhaps you should focus your efforts on improving your performance on your next test. Is that clear, puppy?

Trein Dear student, You have sent a present...to me? I am not especially fond of people stepping beyond their station. Students should focus their attention on other students, and behave accordingly. ...Having said that, I do appreciate the gesture. If there’s anything you don’t understand from my lectures, you are welcome to ask me.

Vargas Dear student, Thanks for the gift. I see you have become hopelessly obsessed with my impossibly perfect physique. In response to your understandable admiration, I will put together a training regimen just for you. Stick to it, and you will have the same bargelike physique that I do!

Sam My little imp... Hey, what’s up! I thought you were looking to sell me something valuable, but no! A present just for me! Well, my thanks for such a wonderful gesture. If there’s anything you may desire in the future, just drop by Mr. Sam’s Mystery Shop. So long as you want it, it’ll be in stock. You have my personal guarantee!

Grim Dear underling, Myahaha! So you remembered to present me with an offering, huh? I see great things in your future! Now just keep your every waking moment dedicated to serving me, the great Lord Grim, heart and soul, as I will one day become the greatest sorcerer in the world! You got that, partner?

#twisted wonderland

3K notes · View notes

scuttling · 3 years

Text

Happy Accidents

Fandom: Criminal Minds Pairings: Aaron Hotchner/Female Reader Word Count: 6,300 Tags: 18+, NSFW, Art, Neighbor Hotch, Shy and Oblivious Hotch, Flirting, It's soo sappy I'm sorry, Oral sex, Unprotected sex Summary: Aaron's new neighbor is out of his league for so many reasons: she's young, beautiful, artistic, unique, free-spirited, the kind of person who turns heads when she walks down the street. It's no wonder he ends up falling in love with her. *Requested by anon Link to A03 or read below! Against all of his better judgement, Aaron is kind of creeping on his new next door neighbor.

He is absolutely the type of man, any other time, to approach a woman he’s interested in and introduce himself, look for a way to connect, some common ground, but this is no ordinary woman.

She is out of his league in so many ways: young, beautiful, unique, free-spirited, the type of person who turns heads when she walks down the street. There’s not a chance in hell she would look twice at an old, stuffy, monotone suit with a seven year old son and perpetual bags under his eyes. That’s not him feeling bad about himself, it’s just the way the world works.

The first time he saw her, she was getting on the elevator while he was getting off of it, and they’d bumped into each other; she was wearing a short, flowy dress, and she’d smiled at him, apologized, eyes sparkling, smelling like she’d spent all day in the sunshine. It was the only time since Haley he’d ever entertained the idea of love at first sight.

She keeps to herself most of the time, gives off the air of being really cool and mysterious; their paths have crossed a few times since then—at the bank of mailboxes downstairs, in the hallway they share, once during a false alarm fire alarm—but he enjoys watching her paint more than anything.

They have balconies next to each other, and one night when he was tending to his herb garden—Jack enjoys watching the plants grow, and picking the herbs, Aaron likes to eat them—he spotted her standing on hers, facing away from him, in cut off jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt, barefoot. She’d been painting the city, the sky, with the sunset glowing behind her like she was the work of art, and he actually felt an ache in his chest, the feeling of missing someone he’s never really met.

Since that night, he’s started taking his work outside in the evenings after Jack goes to bed, and sitting in near silence while she paints, hums—sometimes songs he knows, sometimes songs he doesn’t. The first time he goes out before she does, she says hello when she drags her easel out, so he starts to say hello to her when she beats him there, too, but that’s pretty much the extent of their interaction. One evening when Aaron and Jack are getting home from dinner, she is lugging a canvas bigger than she is through the hallway and Jack almost runs headfirst into it; when he looks up, he exclaims about how big it is, and pretty—it’s covered with colors, something abstract and cheerful, and even if he’d seen it on the side of the road, he would have just known that she painted it. (That may be a good indicator that he’s getting in a little too deep.)

“Wow, that’s the biggest painting I’ve ever seen! And so many colors,” Jack says, awed. Aaron puts his hands on his shoulders to keep him out of her way; they’re already bothering her enough, when she’s clearly trying to get that giant thing home.

“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? I carry bigger pieces around at my studio, believe it or not,” she says to him, poking her head around the side to look at him.

“You have a studio?” His eyes are wide with interest; his favorite subject has always been art, as evidenced by their refrigerator, which is covered in drawings. She offers him an even brighter smile.

“I do! It’s not far from here; it’s called Live in Color. There’s a big rainbow painted on the side.”

“That’s so cool; it must be awesome to have your own studio.” Aaron loves that Jack seems to be so passionate about this, but the way they are obviously holding her up has him feeling awkward; he tugs gently on Jack’s backpack.

“That is really cool, bud, but we should let her go. I’m sure that’s heavy.” She smiles, shrugs.

“It’s no trouble. Hey, actually, we have some children’s art classes at the studio, and you look like you’d fit right in with the Green group—ages 7-9?” She looks up at Aaron, who nods. “Maybe we can talk dad into bringing you down sometime. We do painting, drawing, and crafts, it’s really fun.” She’s still looking right at Aaron, gives him a little wink, and he swears to god he gets butterflies in his stomach.

He’s a grown man. A federal agent. With butterflies. It’s insane.

“Oh man, dad, please? Can I take classes at her studio pleeease?” Jack tugs on the sleeve of his suit, and he nods, smiles down at him.

“Yeah, absolutely, Jack. We’ll go down and get more information tomorrow?” he offers, to both placate him and finally free the poor girl from the conversation; he nods excitedly, and she smiles, looks sweet, genuinely happy Jack is so excited to take the class.

“Cool, I look forward to seeing you guys there. Actually, if you give me one sec, I can grab my card for you.” She passes them, carrying the canvas and looking effortless while she does it; she props it up against the wall to get her keys out, unlocks her door and heads in, pops back out with a business card in a vivid watercolor yellow. “It has the address and phone number for the studio on the front, and I put my cell on the back; I figured it couldn’t hurt, considering we live next door to each other. Now you know who to call if you ever have an art emergency.”

He takes the card from her fingers, flips it over just to see the handwritten name and number; he knew her script would be lovely, and it is, easy and flowing and natural. It suits her. He tries not to grin, or flush, or otherwise be awkward about the fact that she just gave him her phone number, however innocently.

“Thank you. We’ll see you tomorrow.” They turn to head for their apartment, and she clears her throat; he smiles a little, turns back, and she’s leaning casually up against the canvas with her arms crossed.

“You know my name now. What’s yours?” She’s just being polite, but he gets the goddamn butterflies again.

“Aaron.” She smiles, something beautiful and a little wild.

“Okay, Aaron. See you outside.” From then on, most of their free time, be it evenings or weekends, is spent at the studio. Aaron isn’t the only parent who sticks around—it’s an art class, not a daycare, he doesn’t feel right just dropping Jack off and leaving him there—and he’s also not the only parent, it seems, who is aware of his beautiful young neighbor.

“She’s incredible, right?” another dad says to him one evening, over by the coffee. Aaron looks him over briefly—it’s a job hazard, he sizes up everyone, but he already has a weird feeling about this guy. “I’ve been bringing my kid here for a month just to look at that little ass running around. My wife just thinks our daughter is just really into art.” He says it with a laugh, like that’s a ridiculous concept. Aaron feels himself start to boil.

“You shouldn’t be disrespectful. She’s doing a great thing here, for the children; she’s not doing it for you to ogle her.” He feels a little hypocritical, because he is also looking, but not like this guy. He knows guys like this. He puts away guys like this.

He glances over at Aaron, looking a little taken aback that someone actually commented on his behavior, then rolls his eyes.

“She doesn’t need you to defend her honor, buddy. She wouldn’t run around here in those overalls if she didn’t want us looking. It’s job security.” She’s wearing the overalls tonight, denim shorts with one of the straps unhooked, a t-shirt underneath, but it’s not as if she’s performing a striptease. She just looks like an artist, covered in drips of paint, smiling as she looks at the kids’ pictures over their shoulders. Aaron really, really hates this guy.

“In my experience, women usually dress for themselves; they probably have pockets, easier to keep things at hand that she may need, and it’s warm in here, so she’s likely dressing for comfort. She’s certainly not dressing for you.”

As if she can sense the tension, she looks over at them, flicks her eyes over Aaron, then the other guy, and walks over with a soft smile on her face.

“Hey, Aaron, Jack really wanted you to see what he’s working on.” She reaches out a hand, wraps it around his wrist and guides him over to Jack’s table. “I figured I’d save you,” she says when they’re out of earshot. “That guy sucks. He’s always saying creepy things to me and Alaina.”

“You should ask him to leave if he makes you uncomfortable,” he says, looking down at her with worry. “I can do it.” She shrugs.

“I would, but his daughter really does enjoy the class, and it’s not fair to her that her dad’s disgusting. It’s nothing we can’t handle.” She squeezes his wrist lightly. “Thanks, though. Hey Jack, show dad your project.” He peers over his shoulder, and it’s a pink and orange skyline, much like the one he saw her painting that first time on the balcony. “I asked the kids to paint my favorite thing today, and that’s sunset.”

“I saw you painting this one night,” he says, and then he feels abruptly like an idiot. She just smiles at him though, nods.

“Yeah, I’m a sucker for a beautiful sunset. It makes you feel like, just because the day ends, it doesn’t have to mean things are over; it’s just one of life’s beautiful natural transitions. And the colors are to die for: peach, coral, jasmine, rose, tiger’s eye.” He finds himself unexpectedly touched by her description, smiles softly to shake himself of the emotions.

“The way you see the world is extraordinary. To me it’s just kind of… orange.” She returns his expression, but softer, and squeezes his wrist again; he didn’t even realize she was still holding it.

“Sounds like you need some art in your heart. I give lessons for adults, too; you could even come over and paint with me on my balcony, some time. Special neighbor privileges.”

The thought of being with her on her balcony while she paints is almost overwhelming, which he finds funny, considering he currently sits no more than twenty feet away. There is an intimacy about it, while they both do their work in the cool, quiet breeze, but standing like this, close enough to touch, with the late day sun on her face while she talks about colors… he’s not sure he could handle it without falling in love.

She pats him on the back, moves on to another child, and he tells Jack what a great job he’s doing; his face is lit up, so happy, and regardless of the neighbor, he’s glad they stumbled upon this hobby.

When they pack up to leave, the jerk from earlier comes up to him, leans in to speak in a hushed voice. “You should have just told me you were fucking her. I would have backed off.” He blinks, but the guy and his daughter are walking out the door before he finds himself able to do more than that. About a week later, he goes over for that lesson almost by accident. Jack is at Jessica’s for the night at his request, and Aaron was planning to order takeout and have a paperwork cramming session, but when goes out onto the balcony, phone in hand to place an order, his neighbor is standing on hers like she’s waiting for him.

“Hey. I saw you don’t have Jack; I made some pasta with vodka sauce, if you’re hungry. I always prepare too much.” He sets his phone on the table, walks over to the railing to get a little closer.

“Uh. Sure. I have fresh basil growing here; trade?” She smiles, nods.

“Yeah, sounds delicious. I’ll be right back.” She ducks inside, returns a few moments later with two dishes of steaming, saucy pasta, sets one down on her table and gets right up against her railing, hands the other over to him across his. “That one’s for you,” she says, handing him an orange plate, and he sets it down, picks a few good looking leaves from his basil plant and tears them up, drops them on top. “And this one’s for me.” She reaches, holds a green plate over the gap between their porches, and he adds some basil to it before she pulls it back, takes a deep sniff. “God, it smells so good and fresh. Thank you, Aaron.”

“Thank you, it looks great.” He goes to sit at his table with it, but she scoots her chair closer to the railing, closer to his balcony, so he does the same. They make easy small talk while they eat, mostly about Jack, a little about her studio and his work.

“FBI, huh? I can definitely see that, with your suits, and your… neutrals.” She cringes when she says it, and it makes him laugh.

“I’m sorry I can’t wear paint covered overalls to the office,” he teases, and she shoots him a playfully affronted look, grins.

“You love my paint covered overalls—and for the record, you’d look great in them. You should find a pair. Preferably not black.” He flushes a little at that, but she doesn’t notice, just finishes up her pasta with a sigh of contentment. “That was so good, thanks again for the basil.”

“You’re welcome; thanks for feeding me something other than the takeout I planned to have.” He stands up, gestures to his apartment. “I’ll wash the plate and then hand it back over.”

“Why don’t you just bring it over and come paint with me for a little while? If you want,” she tacks on, and for the first time she seems a little nervous. “I’m not trying to be pushy, I just think it would be fun.”

It��s not that he doesn’t want to; it would be amazing to watch her paint up close and personal. He’s just also afraid he’ll pass the point of no return if he does it, and he can’t handle any more heartache. He only very recently got to a place where just waking up in the morning no longer causes him agony.

It’s the look on her face, though, soft and sweet and open, that makes his decision for him.

“Yeah, okay. I’d like that.” She grins.

“I’ll unlock the door.”

She’s dragging out her easel when he walks through the door; her apartment is stark white walls with vibrant furniture, artwork, canvases propped up against every bare spot along the wall, paints and brushes and charcoal and pencils on every surface. It’s exactly what he would have expected, warm and lived-in and comforting, very unlike the mostly black and gray interior of his own apartment. She smiles when she sees him.

“Hey! Can you grab that tray of paint on your way out?” she asks, and he picks up what looks kind of like an ice cube tray filled with many different colors, carries it out to the balcony with him. She has a canvas propped up, a little larger than a computer monitor, and she’s gotten started, but he can’t tell what it’s going to be just yet. When he hands her the paint she looks down at it, peers around the edge of the canvas like she’s comparing something. He’s so intrigued, curious about the way her mind works, what she’s thinking.

“What are you painting?” he asks when she picks up a brush, sets it down, picks up another. She smiles at him.

“Well, we’re painting that.” She points to the street, where there’s a rusty, pale blue antique car parked—he says that loosely, because it looks broken down—in the alley. Aaron chuckles softly.

“We’re going to paint that? It’s a little… grim.”

“Yes. It’s part of a series I just decided to create: ‘Beauty in the Ordinary.’” She sighs, and he’s surprised to see that her eyes are a little wet. She wipes the back of her hand over her eyes. “You know Bob Ross, right? Everyone knows Bob Ross.” He nods.

“Yes; the guy who paints the happy trees on PBS.”

“Right. I used to watch him growing up, and I vividly remember something he said once, about needing both darkness and light in life and in painting. ‘You have to have a little sadness once in a while to know when the good times come. I’m waiting on the good times now.’” She sniffles, exhales softly. “I’m waiting on the good times too. Sometimes looking at things like this car, and forcing myself to find something beautiful in it, is the easiest way to get through the day. Does that make sense?” He swallows hard when she looks up at him, because aside from Jack, she has been the lightest part of his life since the first time they passed each other on the elevator.

“Yeah, it really does.” She shoots him a soft, slightly sadder smile, and then explains about the paints a little, shows him the difference in the brushes, lets him feel the weight of them, the textures of the bristles.

She starts painting the car—the background is mostly finished—and he’s more than happy to watch, to hear her talk about her process. She asks if she can use his forearm to mix paints, and he turns it over, wrist up, tries not to smile too hard when she puts some dark blue on him, then white, mixing them and then comparing them to the car on the street. He looks down at her, the concentration on her face, the softness in her eyes, and is met with the sudden desire to brush a line of paint over her nose and make her laugh and kiss her breathless.

“Okay, your turn,” she says when she’s about halfway done with the car. She puts her hands on the backs of his arms, pulls him in front of the canvas so she’s between him and the railing. “You’ve been watching me, so you know what to do.” He has been watching her, but not necessarily for her technique, so he’s a little nervous; he dips the brush in the blue paint but hesitates to make a stroke. “I have faith in you, Aaron. Here.”

She wraps her fingers around his hand, guides him toward the canvas, and together they make a wide, curved line, rounding out the bumper. It doesn’t look half bad.

“It gets easier once you understand the relationship between specific paint, specific brushes, and your hands,” she says softly, and she helps him paint another line. “Are you having fun? You look stressed,” she teases, and he makes it a point to relax his face.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” he says, looking down at her; they make eye contact for a long moment, and she leans a little closer, and he leans a little closer, and then he accidentally dabs a blob of blue onto the canvas. He pulls back, grimaces, deflates. “I made a mistake. You can’t erase paint, right?” She laughs softly, takes the brush from his hand.

“No, you can’t erase paint, but as Mr. Ross would say, ‘There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.’” She gets her fingers close to the tip of the brush, makes a few quick movements, then grabs another brush, dips it in green. When she pulls back, there is a little blue flower growing out of a patch of grass where his blob used to be. He exhales, a little amazed.

“If only the mistakes we make in life were that easy to fix,” he says, and she nods.

“Yeah, that would be nice, but a lot of the time we find a way to turn them into beautiful things eventually. Are you willing to give it another shot?” He says yes, and she guides his hand for a while, then just hovers near it, then just instructs him on what to do. It’s dark before their painting is finished, and she carries it inside to dry, then takes him to the kitchen sink to scrub the paint off of his arm.

“Thanks for having me over; I had a really good time,” he murmurs as she dries his clean skin. She looks up, smiles softly, nods her head.

“I had a really good time too. I’m glad you came over; you’re welcome to join me any time.”

He says goodbye, heads home, looks at his stack of work with a groan, and brews a pot of coffee. He’s in for a long night, but he wouldn’t change his evening for anything. Life is much the same for the next few weeks: school and work, Jack’s art class at the studio a couple times a week, painting on the balcony on the weekend, with and without Jack. When Jack joins them for the first time, she pulls out a big box of markers and thick sheets of paper and he draws elaborate scenes while they talk and paint together. When Aaron makes mistakes, she’s never upset, just turns them into perfect little details that end up being his favorite parts of the paintings.

“What ever happened with your ‘Beauty in the Ordinary’ series?” he asks one evening while they’re painting some ocean waves. “Did I cause you enough trouble with the car to give up?” She looks down at the ground, looks a little shy, then shakes her head and smiles.

“No, you didn’t make me want to give up. I’ve been working on it at the studio. You’ll see it when it’s all done, I plan to hang them there.”

“Looking forward to it,” he tells her, and then Jack tugs on her shorts, shows them the picture he drew of the ocean, too.

Later that week, the team takes a case, and on the day he’s set to come home, Jessica drops Jack off at the studio with the plan that Aaron will pick him up when his flight lands. Due to some weather between where the team is and home, they get a little delayed; he doesn’t want to make Jessica head back out that way almost immediately after dropping him off, but he’s not sure who else he could ask to pick Jack up. It’s almost a stupid length of time before it dawns on him to call the studio.

“Life in Color, this is Alaina.”

“Alaina, hi, this is Jack’s dad—” He has his whole spiel prepared, but she cuts him off.

“Oh, sure, hang on a sec, she’s right here. It’s Jack’s dad,” she says, but it sounds further away, like she’s trying to cover the receiver. After a moment, his neighbor picks up.

“Aaron, hi. Jack said you were working.”

“Yeah, I was, and I’m supposed to pick him up after class, but our flight was delayed.” He doesn’t know how to ask for help with Jack; even with all the time they’ve been spending together, she still makes him a little nervous. Luckily, he doesn’t have to figure that part out on his own.

“Hey, that’s no problem. If it’s okay with you, I’ll just take him home with me. I’ll order pizza, we’ll draw, and you can just stop by when you’re home and pick him up.” He breathes a sigh of relief, runs a hand over the back of his head.

“That would be perfect. Thank you—I’ll owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything. Hanging out with your mini me is reward enough; he’s painting something special for you today, won’t let me see it.” That makes him smile, and he feels so warm at the prospect of picking him up from her bright apartment, seeing his artwork, her smile. After a long, draining day like this one, it’s exactly what he needs.

“I’ll have to remain in suspense until tonight, I guess. Can you let him know I said hi? And thank you, I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Of course. We’ll see you then.”

It’s late, after nine, by the time he makes it home. He doesn’t even take his bags inside, just drops them outside his door and knocks softly on hers. She answers with a smile, ushers him in, asks him if he’d like a drink and gets them each a beer.

Jack is in her room, asleep, so they have a little time to chat; she asks about his flight, his case, and he asks about the studio, and she gets a little shy when it comes to that topic, clears her throat.

“Um. I have Jack’s secret project, if you want to see it. He said I could show you.” He’s not sure why that would make her nervous—at least, until he sees it.

The background is all watercolors, a gradient of rainbow colors starting with pink at the top and ending with a soft purple at the bottom. Over that, in black marker, he’s drawn the three of them, with a big heart around them.

“Tonight’s theme was the thing that makes you the happiest, and he said he’s the happiest when the three of us are on the balcony together. It was… really, really sweet.” She looks up at him, brushes a hand over the crown of her head. “If I’m being honest, that’s when I’m the happiest, too.” He takes the picture from her hands, runs his fingers over it, and smiles, feeling a warm ache in his chest—not like before, not like losing someone he’s never really met, but like finding something he never really planned on.

“That’s when I’m the happiest, too,” he agrees, and when he looks up, she looks determined, like she does when trying to find just the right shade of paint. She takes Jack’s picture out of his hand, sets it on the counter, and then pulls him down by the lapels of his suit, kisses him long and slow. His hands move to her waist, keeping her close, and eventually she pauses for breath, looks at him again, and then wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him some more.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the first time I saw you—tall and dark and serious, striding out of the elevator. So intriguing, mysterious,” she breathes when they separate again. “I wanted to know everything about you.”

“Are you kidding?” he asks, huffing a laugh. “I’m boring, but you are so vibrant, so full of life; I felt like you were everything I wasn’t, and I wanted to know you so badly.”

“You know me now; would you like to keep getting to know me?” It’s one of the easiest questions he’s ever been asked; he nods, and she beams, and he lifts her into his arms and carries her to the couch, drapes himself over her while she leans back against the cushions, pulling him closer.

They make out like neither of them have a care in the world—god, how long has it been since he’s made out with someone?—her fingers scraping through his hair, his hands on her bare waist when her shirt rides up, and she’s in the process of pushing his jacket off his shoulders when they hear a sound from the other room that startles them apart. Jack.

“I’ll go check on him,” Aaron says, and when he goes into her room Jack is still snuggled up on her bed sound asleep. It looks like some canvases fell over, though, and he stoops to pick them up, then spots the car they painted together. He turns and she’s right behind him, skids to a stop. “I thought you said these were at the studio?”

“They were,” she says, and she looks nervous again. “But I changed my mind about hanging them there. They felt too personal.” He runs his hand over the car and sees where she’s coming from; this one feels personal to him, too.

“Can I see the rest?” he asks. “Only if you want to show me them.”

“You’re the only one I want to show them to,” she says with a soft smile, and she grabs a few more canvases, carries them into the light of the living room. “Beauty in the ordinary, remember.” He remembers, could never forget.

She turns one over, and it’s a kitchen sink, and in the kitchen sink is an orange plate with a fork resting on it—like the plate she’d given him with the pasta on it. She turns one over and it’s a man’s hand, holding a paintbrush, with pale blue paint on his forearm. The next one is a little herb garden on a balcony; the next one is a view from above, of a sandy haired boy with markers all around him. The last one is an open elevator—ripe with possibilities.

When he looks up at her, she’s got tears in her eyes, and one slips down her cheek.

“So, I think I’ve found my good times.” She smiles through her tears, and he takes her face in his hands and kisses the salt from her lips. “I love you,” she says when he pulls back to wipe her face with his sleeve, and he kisses her softly, again and again, and tells her he loves her, too. The next weekend, Jack is at Jessica’s for a sleepover, and Aaron has been enlisted to help with an art project. He walks next door, knocks lightly, and enters the living room; he is met with a very deep, passionate kiss and a smile, and instructions to help move the furniture out of the way.

“I’m really curious what kind of art requires this much floor space,” he says, shoving her couch back against the wall, and she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip, a move he has been unable to resist since she did it the first time they had sex. She knows it’s a weakness, exploits it, and he loves every minute of it.

“You’ll see, but I promise you’re going to like it.” When they clear the floor, she grabs a large, rolled-up fabric canvas and lays it out in the middle of the room, then drops three bottles of paint—one is yellow (jasmine), one is orange (peach), and one is kind of pink (coral? He’s still not sure.)—onto it. “You can obviously say no if you want, but I wanted something over my bed with the sunset colors, and I found this…” She steps closer to him, runs her hands down his chest, guides him down for a kiss so delicious he loses his train of thought. “It’s sex art; we put the paint on the canvas, and on ourselves, and… you know, go at it. What do you think?”

He thinks he really, really loves art now, even more than he thought possible.

“So we have paint-covered sex and then you just hang it on the wall? Like regular art?”

“Yep, I got the supplies I’ll need to hang it; letting it dry will probably take the longest. I figured we could shower while it’s drying, maybe go for round two, if you’re up for it.” She moves her hand to his waist, slips it inside his shorts, and he pulls her closer to his body. “Are you up for it, Aaron?”

That is an understatement.

Undressing happens extremely fast, because this is really sexy and they’re kind of in a phase where they can’t keep their hands off of each other anyway. She pulls her hair up onto the top of her head to try to minimize the amount of paint in it, and then she pours paint on the canvas, turns around and drizzles some on his back and tells him to lay down.

“I think we should probably change positions often so we get a lot of motion on the canvas; I apologize to your old knees in advance,” she teases, but she soothes the sting of her words by pouring paint on herself and then laying between his legs and licking at his dick. “Do some stuff with your hands; I want to see those big handprints on my wall,” she murmurs, and he groans, puts his palms down in the paint and drags them through it.

She leans up a little, sliding her knees through some yellow paint, sucks him fully, deeply into her mouth for couple of minutes, and then stretches forward and puts an orange hand right in the middle of his chest; the look in her eyes is playful, and he reaches out with one finger, hooks it under her chin, and guides her off and up so they can kiss.

“Your turn,” he says with a smirk, and then he gets her onto her back and ducks between her legs, hopes she doesn’t grab for his hair like she usually does. He rubs his pointed tongue over her clit, waits for the mmm it always elicits, and looks up at her, covers each of her breasts with a paint-covered palm and squeezes. “Leave handprints for me,” he leans up and reminds her, kissing her stomach, and she plants her hands, then presses up and grabs his shoulder, smearing pink down his back. “Oh, you wanted more of that?”

“Don’t tease me, the paint will dry,” she whines, and he spreads her thighs wider with his elbows and licks her pussy quickly, until she’s squirming against the canvas and panting for more. “Come here, come here.”

He’s not ready for that, though, paint or not, wants her to come from this; he takes his hands off of her, dips them in the paint again and presses down, then puts his hands under her ass and brings her closer so he can fuck her with his tongue, quick and deep and slick.

“Aaron, Aaron, god.” She slides her hands down his arms, over his neck, digs her nails in when she comes moaning like music.

While she catches her breath, so gorgeous, she sticks her arms out like she’s making a snow angel, and he catches her while she’s off guard and turns her onto her stomach, puts his hands on the smears of paint he’s already left on her ass, and slides inside.

“Oh my god; I was trying to impress you with this sexy art project, but you’re rocking my world.” She’s breathless, pressing back into his thrusts and painting with her entire body. God, he loves her mind.

“You know I always take your projects very seriously,” he says, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, and she groans, laughs.

“Yes you do. From the side? Let’s lay diagonally.” They shift, and he hooks his chin over her shoulder, kisses her neck and huffs hot against her hair. “Hmm, love it like this,” she sighs, and she reaches back to press her hand to his hip, holding him while he moves inside her. “I love you.”

“Love you. I want you to finish on top of me,” he instructs with a wet kiss to her throat, and she nods against his lips.

“Yeah, next; I’m getting close.” A few more strokes and she gets up onto her knees, lets him lay back, propped up on his arms, and climbs on top of him; she kisses him slow and dirty and then runs her hands over him, sits back on his dick and glides up and down. “You wanna come like this too? I owe you a little world rocking,” she says with a flick of her tongue over his bottom lip, and he nods, squeezes her thigh.

“It’s the least you can do after making me move all the heavy furniture.” She rolls her eyes but kisses his chin, down his throat, and bounces harder on him, all delicious eye contact and moans. “Mmm. Just like that, baby, come for me.”

“Fuck. I will, I will.” She wraps a hand around the back of his neck, kisses him kind of rough and with lots of tongue, and then tips her head back and climaxes, clenches, wrings his orgasm out of him so quickly it’s almost jarring. “Oh, yes Aaron. So good,” she mumbles, and then he lays back, out of breath, and she slides out of his lap and lays beside him, out of breath too.

After a moment, she looks over at him, smiles, and swipes a pink fingertip over his cheek.

“This is the hottest thing I’ve ever done with anyone. I’m glad I got to do it with you.” He rolls on top of her, presses a kiss to her nose, and nods.

“Me too. You know,” he adds after a moment, “my bedroom could use some artwork, too.” She grins, wraps her arms around him and squeezes tight.

“You’re right; I think we should do yours in blue: liberty, that’s dark blue; periwinkle, that’s light blue; maybe steel gray, too.”

“You’re the expert. I’m just your paintbrush.” Her hands smooth up his back, and contentment washes over him like a warm breeze.

“Hmm. I like the sound of that. Want to get cleaned up?”

Cleaning up is almost as fun as making the mess, because they’re well and truly covered, and when the canvas dries, the sunset colors are almost as beautiful as the ones she used the first time he ever saw her paint. Taglist ❤️: @arsonhotchner @mrsh0tchner @ssahotchie @sleepyreaderreads @mintphoenix @meghannnnnn @disgruntledchowchow @azenpal @g-l-pierce @my-rosegold-soul @ssamorganhotchner @heliotropehotch @angelhotchner @qtip-blog @gspenc

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner fanfic #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfic #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner x female reader #hotch x female reader #hotch x reader #ask answered #anon #prompt

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arc-misadventures · 2 years

Note

For the friends au: With with everyone dealing with Jaune not seeing them as friends, maybe Nora realizes she's not really close anyone in RWBY either?

Friends X.V

Nora: H-Hey guys…

Yang: Oh, hi Nora, you want something?

Nora: Yeah… A-Are you guys busy…?

Weiss: No, no not really. Just getting our stuff ready for when we leave tomorrow.

Nora: Oh okay, okay good…

Ruby: Is something wrong, Nora?

Nora: I-I’ve been thinking… About how Jaune doesn’t see us as friends and all…

Blake: No offence, Nora, but I really don’t want to talk about that anymore. I just feel so… depressed after think about it…

Weiss: Me neither. Can we please not talk about it, Nora?

Nora: I didn’t want to talk about that, honest! I-I can’t really handle talking about that anymore either… I can’t stand how sad it makes me feel either…

Yang: Oh… If it wasn’t that then what was it?

Nora: Well… It just, it got me thinking… am I really that close to any of you either?

Blake: Uhh…?

Weiss: I don’t think so…?

Yang: Oh no…

Ruby: Not again!

Nora: Don’t freak out!

Ruby: But, we failed another person! Once was bad enough, but two!

Nora: Wait, I came here to fix that problem! Not make it worse!

Yang: Eh?

Nora: I don’t have any girl friends that I can hang out with, talk about cute boys, do make up with; you know, silly girls stuff… So I was wondering if… if you wanted to do something…?

Blake: Y-You wanted to see if we could hang out and do girl stuff?

Nora: Yeah… W-We may have lost, Jaune. But, we haven’t lost each other! And I don’t want to lose anyone else I see as friends! S-So, could we hang out some… Ooph?!

In a burst of rose petals Ruby was in front of Nora, hugging her in an embrace so deep it felt like they were one and the same.

Ruby: You are my friend, Nora. You always were, Nora. Please, please never forget that…

Nora: Don’t make it seem like it is, then.

Ruby: I won’t… I won’t let it happen again… N-Never again…!

The duo slowly start to burst into tears as they embrace. One by one, the rest of Team RWBY stand up and embrace Nora in a group hug of love and support.

They stay embraced like that for a while before they slowly separate, whipping away the last of their tears.

Nora: Hehe… I didn’t know you could cry like that, Weissy…

Weiss: Only when the timing is right.

Yang: Hehe, looks like our little Ice Cream is finally starting to melt! Better not make a mess every Weiss Cream.

Weiss: Haha…

Yang: Wait…? Was that a laugh?

Weiss: For once I found your puns a little, a little funny.

Yang: Whoo! I win!

Blake: Don’t let it get to your head, Yang. You’ll come up with something bad in a bit anyway.

Yang: Wha! How rude!

Ruby: You will. Just you wait sister! N-Nora, you said you wanted to talk about, make up and stuff…?

Nora: Yeah, yeah I did.

Ruby: In that cause… Do you think you could show me how you do that eye shadow thing! It looks really cool! What do you think if I did it in black, no, red!

Yang: You, and make up? This should be good.

Nora: What if we tried silver instead, something to bring out your eyes?

Ruby: That sounds… Awesome!

Weiss: That does sound good… let me get my bag, I think I might have some silver eye-shadow.

Yang: Really, you have silver eye shadow?

Weiss: I have several different shades, I have to look my best at all times after all!

Yang: Cool, think I can pull of a black?

Weiss: Depends on the tone, we can try it at least.

Blake: Dibs on purple! I-If you have one…?

Weiss: I believe I do.

Nora: Yay! Whoo! Girls night!

RWBY: Girls night!

///

I wanted it to make this a happy one, so it was happy!

Also the, .V, is meant to be a, .5, in Roman Numerals. Just wanted to make this a small spin off thingy. Just wanted to clear that up.

#rwby #jaune arc #nora Valkyrie #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #ruby rose

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linksthoughtbrambles · 2 years

Text

[Link's love for someone is directly proportional to how badly he wants to stuff food in their face.]

Part 27 of Link's Thought Brambles

“I suppose I should call this dictation three, though I’m now aware it may be interrupted by Link should he slip into a dream.

“It appears my power was mine all along. Invisible. Had I been a farmer’s daughter, helping to haul loads, build fences, and wrangle stubborn cows, I might have known. It does not escape me that my own tendencies toward intellectualism contributed to our ignorance.

“Link… Reviewing his thoughts today was a more arduous task than usual. He had returned to his silent self as we ascended the steps back to our chambers and apparently spent the entire time ruminating on how he could have avoided angering my father. I would have much preferred him to have focused on the feel of his arm about my shoulders as I supported him. To- to perhaps have turned his face toward mine, needing comfort. I might have rested him on the steps, taken his face in my hands, and kissed him. Instead, I got him to his room where he all but collapsed into bed. I’ve insisted that he take tomorrow entirely off again. He need not be off his feet, but I refuse to saddle him with any obligations. He, of course, attempted to argue, but I refused to alter my position.

“My father—while he is no fool—has once again failed to discern what’s important. He has a political sense, to be sure. But people’s opinions of their king are not as important as the hero’s state of mind. I do not believe my affection for Link has blinded me in this.

“I find myself—each night, I swipe the screen up, toward the top. Less than a week ago, he was anxious and conflicted, yes, but also with a joyful way of examining the world around him. Seeing value and humor in nearly all things. It hasn’t disappeared entirely—but the stresses of the past days have been too much. I am shocked that he actually believed, for a few moments, that my father might execute him! How quickly that spiraled out of control in his mind. How do I… How do I help?

“My father, I’d imagine, is already well on his way to devising a plan addressing his public relations problem. It’s up to me to help Link. Perhaps… perhaps the place to begin is honesty. I ought- I truly ought- to tell him of the slate. Or might that make things worse? He would certainly be disappointed in me and likely embarrassed in the extreme. I’ve no wish to inflict that on him.

“But If he discovers this before I tell him, that would be worst of all. The longer this goes on, the easier it would be for me to unintentionally mention something he has never voiced. I could of course attempt to stop reading this. Perhaps that is an acceptable middle-ground for now?

“I must think on it.”

-----

Hehe. Okay, okay, I know you missed me, you’ve been showing me so for the last half hour. Ah- hey, hey, that’s my sleeve, you’re gonna chew a hole in it. Let me finish brushing- ha- ah hahaha- wow, fine, fine, I’ll stay still. Hair HAIR ugh. Wet. Who likes making my bangs stick up? You do. You want chin scratches, too, don’t you? Yes you do.

It’s great that you still have all your shoes. I was being paranoid. If I felt better, I’d take you out today. Probably isn’t a great idea, though. If I get dizzy and fall off you, I could be back at square one. And someone could steal my awesome pouch. That would be a shame, wouldn’t it? I still have all those monster guts in there. Not that anyone else would know. I wonder if it works if you reach in there and you don’t know what you’re looking for?

Lucky for you, I know EXACTLY what I’m looking for. Heeeere it is!

Good thing they put these on my breakfast tray this morning. I still… well, I haven’t been back in the mess. Not yet. Next time we’re out I’ll try to pick a bunch of apples for you, okay? If you’re really lucky we’ll see some wild carrots, but probably not.

There you are. Feel nice? Heh. Good. Other side. After you, I’ll check on Tass, too. I know the stablehands groom you all, but he gets sullen when his rider doesn’t tend to him. Which, you know, is all the time.

I should really talk to her about that now that we’re on speaking terms. Have to be wary about criticizing her, but hopefully all of that will ease up now that it’s clear she has magic of her own. Even if it’s not what people expected.

Advice, Link. Advice, not criticism.

Sorry girl, I still don’t have any sugar. I never went shopping in town. Aw. AW. Don’t give me those eyes! Next time, hopefully.

You’re really in great shape. They take good care of you, here. No need for me to keep brushing except that you like it. One more minute.

Okay. Nose rubs for you. I’ll say bye before I leave the stable, too. Promise.

“You sent for me, father?”

Alright, Tass. Your turn.

“Yes. We’re drawing up plans for a celebration in honor of you, my dear.”

Oooh hoooo hoohoo. That’s some testy look. I know I don’t ride you but you still like my scratches, not to mention my apples. I brought one for you, too.

“Oh.”

Woah, watch the teeth, boy! Holy Hylia. You’re in a mood, aren’t you?

“I thought you might wish to review the arrangements ahead of time.”

Apple dribbles. Blech.

“The meeting will occur this afternoon at 2 o’clock. Council room.”

Here’s my palm. That’s right. There. Yeah, you like that. Even if you’re pissy. You want the brush?

“I will be attending to other things, but I thought you’d like to be there.”

Okay.

“Yes. Thank you, father.”

Your coat really is stunning, you know that? Pure white. Not at all common. Well, I guess that’s why you’re the Princess’ horse, huh? You look all fancy. Too bad she doesn’t know what to do with you. I’d feel bad for you, except I’d like her to ride me whether she knew what to do with me or not.

I’m… glad I didn’t say that out loud.

Wow, Link. Your mind went to the gutter quickly. Stop doing the things that got you in a huge mess.

You can love her and not be all physical about it, can’t you? You can separate those things, right? In theory? Even though he was majorly, majorly pissed off, the king specifically mentioned loyalty and affection for her, and didn’t seem to think it was a bad thing. Saved my ass, really. I f&@#ed up royally, yesterday.

Hahaha. Royally. Wow, Link. Your brain was gnawing on THAT one in your sleep.

I wonder what he’s going to do. Make me write a speech or something? Apologize?

Huh?

Oh! Hi! What’re you- ?

I- smile, Link, smile, yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Mending- She’s glowing already? No, no no, Mipha, that’s not necessary, I’m not dying.

Someone else could actually be on their deathbed!

Mipha-

Like entering a pool of warm water. Entirely submerged. She really didn’t have to… feels good, though. Thigh knitting. Headache ebbing. Swelling down. Joints easing.

It’s always a little hard to read her eyes. Their shape isn’t the same as a Hylian’s. And when she smiles, it’s so small. I know when she’s amused because she crinkles up and closes her eyes. What her expression means now, though? She’s sure intense. Focused. Concentrating. Her hands are expressive. She reaches out to reassure and lifts one to her mouth when she giggles. The Zora like to talk with their hands.

I think I miss that. I’m so bad at interpreting Hylian innuendo that the Zora’s honest hands are a relief, even if their faces are different. I don’t think a Zora has ever tried to imply something to me without just coming out and saying it.

Then again… you’re pretty dense, Link. You might just not pick up on it. Not one bit.

The light. It’s fading. Why- why am I still so tired? And what’s that tight feeling in my chest?

Um. A lot better, thanks!

Oh. You didn’t manage a real smile, Link. Can she tell? Are Zora as bad at reading your face as you are at reading theirs?

Hmm. Bazz is easier. He makes big grins.

Better test out the legs. Even if you do feel a little funny.

Hop!

There’s that giggle-hand.

Thanks, Mipha. Really.

Oh, no, this is the Princess’ horse. His name’s Tass.

Huh? Let me see.

You’re right. I never bothered looking at the nameplate. What does Taciturn Morphology mean?!

Well, yeah I get taciturn I guess…

Wow, Princess. You named your horse after his not getting along with you very well? You need help.

Yeah, I’m just going to keep calling him Tass. It’s nicer.

Nope, I don’t know what morphology means, either. How much you wanna bet it’s a math word?

Yeah, she’s super-smart. So what brought you here?

Oh.

Ooooh. So you heard about that, huh?

Yeah, it was unpleasant.

How did you get here so fast?!

Ooooh. Oh, that makes sense. Bet you had to travel light.

Heh. Yeah, I’m trying to talk a little more.

Well- I would, actually, but would you mind if we did that a little later? I was just telling Rionee I’d take her out to stretch her legs if I felt better. And, well, now I do. I feel bad just leaving her. You want to get your other business finished and I’ll see you later?

You really came here just for me?! You didn’t have to do that.

Wow. Uh. Well, you could ride with me-

Right, yeah, you don’t ride. Makes sense. Do you think you could hold on to my back?

Oh. Yeah, sure. I’m not sure if she’s heading to the training yard or not this morning.

So, that news didn’t reach you, yet, huh? I won’t spoil the surprise. See for yourself!

Yep, see you later. Hey Mipha- good to see you. Oh, did Bazz come? Or Rivan?

Aw. Okay.

Hey, girl. Guess what? I can ride you today!

I should feel really bad that Mipha's not coming. Especially since she came here because she heard I got beat up. I kind of want to be alone, though. At least for a little while.

Don't beat yourself up, Link. You offered to let her come. She said no. Not your fault. Yeah, you did the polite thing. And you'll talk to her later.

-----

You LOVE these things, Link.

So much that your mouth reflexively flooded at a whiff of the smell. Kind of nice to stand in line drooling like all the other foodies looking for an unreasonably early lunch WITHOUT people wondering if I’m drooling over a woman instead.

Not that she isn’t worth drooling over.

Gross, Link.

Why do you think gross things? Stop thinking about her for ten minutes. Buy your meat cakes. Buy two rolls. Stuff one meat cake onto a roll and stuff the whole thing in your face. Save the other one for later in your magical time-stopping pouch. Then go get your poor horse some sugar.

What’s taking so long? Is this lady actually arguing with the guy who makes the best food in town? What can she possibly be upset about? They make ONE THING here and they sell it for the same price every day. It’s not like there are options. Maybe she wants to see what mysteries he keeps under the stall. Hylia, I’d love to see that.

Er.

Again, I’m glad I didn’t say that out loud.

Of course, it would be pretty easy to explain I meant how he cooks these things.

And how he keeps it going ALL DAY. It doesn’t seem like there’s enough room to fit all the food he goes through. Then again, I’m not around here all the time. Someone probably delivers him ingredients or something. He must take bathroom breaks. Right? He can’t just be standing here all the time. What if he is, though? How does he stand it? Does he not eat or drink anything so he doesn’t have to relieve himself all day? That would be terrible. How could anyone stand here smelling all that deliciousness and STARVE THEMSELVES?! No… no… relax, Link… this is all in your head. Look at him. Does he look like a guy who’s starving? No. He’s all happy-chef lines on his face. No cook looks like that if they’re not sampling the wares.

Oh good. She’s done.

Next.

Almost there. This person seems reasonable… they’re ordering food… and handing him rupees…! AND DONE!

Hi!! Two, please.

I got a funny look. Guess I got overly-excited.

Thanks.

Come on, Rionee. Just around the corner. It’s not the best bake-shop in town, but it’s the closest to that cart. Their rolls are good enough. You don’t want a heavily flavored roll with those meat cakes. Too much competition.

Wow. Lots of mini-fruitcakes in the window. LOTS.

Hi. Yeah, can I get two plain rolls, please?

What’s with all the fruitcakes?

Huh?

Uuuh.

How did you... how did you know about that?

You WHAT?!

You- you! You- ooooh! Do you have any idea what you caused?!?!?! Holy CRAP!

Get a hold of yourself, Link. Don’t beat this guy up. Don’t even reach across the counter. Clench your fists, sure. Breathe like a pneumonic hinox. Feel free. But do NOT hit him. He’s just an idiot. It’s not a crime to be stupid. Fortunately for you!

Look, Mister- okay, Toureni- next time you submit a recipe that involves a person, do a little research first, okay?

Because she thought it was an insult.

Because fruitcake.

FRUITCAKE.

Yes, yes, it is her favorite, that’s not the point. The word FRUITCAKE. What does that mean? Yeah, I know it’s the cakes behind me, I mean what ELSE does it mean?

Yeeeeeah, you get it now, you’re starting to see. Okay. NOW, let’s inspect the rest of that ridiculous blurb you wrote. I read it so many times I have it memorized. ‘Eating this dish will apparently clear your head and help you focus on things such as ancient technology research.’

What do you MEAN what’s wrong with that? Are you fricking kidding me?!

Alright… look, I’m sorry. You clearly don’t get it. Eating this dish will APPARENTLY clear your head.

APPARENTLY.

Like oooOOooo, APPARENTLY, my bakery just isn’t good enough, I have to make people think I sell the Princess’ favorite food! Which I do, but I have to make sure you KNOW IT!

No?

Wow.

Look, I’m bad with innuendo, but I’m pretty good with words. Your words were NOT COOL. They were words of- of- desert-ruiningness!

I AM good with words, I’m just flustered!

Well, if I were you, I’d write a note of apology to the Princess and bake her a gigantic fricking fruitcake with the silkiest icing you’ve ever made.

No, she 100% believes that description was meant to criticize her interest in science.

Yep.

Nope.

Can I have those rolls, now?

Of course I still want them. I’m still hungry.

Nope, I’ll skip it. Just the rolls, please.

Thanks.

And apologize!

WOW. WOW. It was NONE of them! NONE of the cooks in the kitchen wrote that nasty fruitcake entry. Color me Pink Link. He didn’t even KNOW!! He’s just oblivious!

I have to tell her about this.

I have to tell the cooks in the kitchen about this. And ask them to make a special celebratory fruitcake. I'll stuff her full of so much of it she'll be sick or be fat. Eh, she'll need the energy anyway if she's going to be more physical. Maybe she'll be like me. It doesn't seem to matter how much food I snarf, I stay the same size anyway.

This does mean I have to go to the mess.

You can do it, Link. You can do it.

For now... Yes. One meat cake. One roll. Squish meat cake on bottom half of roll. Place top half on top. Inhale deeply, otherwise it's over too fast. Breathe out your mouth. HUGE BITE. Chew slowly, Link. Sloooowly. Savor it.

Oh, it's like... it's like... I don't even know what it's like, that's part of why it's so amazing. Is it like a meatball? Kind of. Far, far softer on the inside. A lot bigger, too. Is it like a meatloaf? Again, kind of. Heavily flavored but not even sort of with the same stuff, and again way, way softer. How do they keep it so soft? Is that... are there itty bitty tiny pieces of celery in there? Like a quarter of a centimeter wide? Softened from the cooking? I never picked up on that before. The grated chickaloo nut is just absolutely perfect in there. It goes straight to the nose.

Ooh, and here we go again. People in the street are staring at me. At least this time I know it's only because I look weird when I eat.

-----

Rionee wanted to run as much as I wanted to get out of that place. She’s a small horse but WOW can she pound her hooves fast, like she’s trying to beat an imaginary racer beside her. Oh- Oh, I guess we’re not stopping at those little dappled woods. That’s okay. We can circle around the ceremonial ground and look for apple trees. Not the best day for laying around in the grass with a picnic. Too cold. The doublet’s okay but with Rionee’s wind flapping in my face I’ll get cold quick. Especially my eyeballs.

Rionee just wants to go. I can relax. Trust her. Just ride.

Lots of clouds coming in from the east. Looks like rain later.

“This is perfect.”

Maybe an hour or two?

“Absolutely perfect!”

Puffies above me right now, though.

“Oh—where is Link? Where did he get to?”

That one looks like a Royal Guard’s Shield.

“There’s time before this meeting, to be sure.”

Not that it’s hard to look like one of those.

“Of course this opportunity would present itself when I gave him the day off.”

A couple points in the right places and two sloping sides, and you pretty much have it.

“For all I know, he’ll be gone all day.”

Make some effort, clouds!

“I must find him.”

Look at you, Link. Blaming the clouds for your lack of imagination. Though granted when you really want to imagine something, you conjure up plenty of details… Don’t think about such details on your horse, though. Look up. Find some more complicated shapes.

What’s that? Did someone lose a banner or something? It’s shiny. The wind must be fierce up there to keep it up like that.

Wait. It’s moving the wrong way.

This is very strange.

Looks like it’s losing parts of itself in the wind. Maybe.

Rionee’s galloping awfully hard and it’s not getting any bigger. Must be very far away? If it is, though, it’d have to be huge.

It… it’s not the Calamity, is it??? Is it????

No. No, I don’t think so. You’d think the Calamity would be heading toward the ground to… I don’t know… eat people or something. Not fluttering around peacefully in a blue sky full of cloud puffs. Despite the rainclouds coming closer.

If it IS far off in the distance it'd be hidden by the plateau and the hills to the east from most angles. I’m in just the right spot.

”Ah- pardon me, have you seen Sir Link?”

Aaaaaand there it goes.

“Yes, Princess, he was on the path to the first gatehouse earlier.”

Behind Scout’s Hill. Holy Hylia, it WAS absurdly far away.

“Stable most likely, then. Thank you. May I ask your name?”

Wonder if they could see that from East Post?

“M- MY name, Highness?!”

Probably not… too close to the hills.

“Yes.”

“I- I’m Lundun.”

“Thank you, Lundun.”

I’ll have to ask the Princess about it.

-----

“Good morning, Princess!”

“Good morning, Irst.”

There have to be some left around, here, right? Keep an eye out, Link. Any left are likely to be way high up the tree at this point. It’s very very very VERY late in the season and all the kids in central Hyrule have been picking apples for months.

No…

None there, either…

AH! Rionee, you are far too sneaky for a critter with hooves.

Hehe, okay, yeah that’s my shoulder. I already know you love me, do you have to get my doublet all wet?

Lookiiiing for applllllles doo do doooo

And trying not to look toward the ceremonial grouuuuuund… because that was really reaaaaaaally unpleasaaaaant…

It should’ve been nice to kneel at the Princess’ feet and be blessed. It probably would be now, but- oh. Oh, are the clergy going to expect me to make good on that blessing thing now that we know her power’s awake? Maybe I should talk to her about thAHF-

Pttwf. Yuck. Leaves in my mouth. Watch where you’re going, Link.

Oh, ugh. Dry leaves. Thptw. Oh come on, get out of my mouth. Stuck to my tongue. Nasty- thptw thptw

Yeah, Rionee, okay, that’s not helping, horse kisses are great but not exactly effective- nothing for it, gotta pick the bits out. Happily, there is not a single person around to see this. Good thing I have a second sandwich for my second lunch. This has totally ruined the lingering meat cake taste- oh, that was far back, how did it get there?

Pretty sure I ate some of that. Oh well. Yet more evidence the chosen hero was chosen by an idiot.

Ooooh. Oooooh, Link that was sacrilege!!!! Sorry. Sorry sorry sorry sorry and I said it right by the ceremonial ground, too, SORRY!!!! EeeeEEEeeee.

What’s wrong with you, Link?!

You know what, the answer is everything. EVERYTHING is wrong with you. You’re short, skinny, distractable, gluttonous, thick-headed, and lately you’ve been an absolute mess of nerves. Even the things about you that're supposed to be good aren’t helpful for what’s coming. Mom always said I was the kindest, gentlest boy she knew. That’s probably not such a good thing if you’re fighting a merciless, ancient demon. I should be grateful I truly am unnaturally good at swordfighting. That’s something. And it’s clearly why it’s me. I just wish the rest of me made any sense.

Maybe that's why the sword doesn't talk to me. It's flabbergasted at my unheroicness.

Uuuugh, stop thinking about it. Still no apples. Maybe-

Huh? What did I step in?

Eww. Well. That apple was long past its prime. By like two weeks. But….

Yup! Apples!

“Hello, Brinn.”

I can, and will, get the rest of them.

“Ah, Princess, will you be taking Tass out?”

JUMP. Haha!

“Actually, I was looking for Link.”

Yeah, even these ones aren’t in the best shape.

“He’s out on Rionee.”

“What?!”

A bunch probably blew right off the tree in that wind yesterday.

“Do you know where he took her?”

Wow. That was only yesterday.

“I’m afraid not, Princess.”

When we found out the Princess has powers after all.

“Forgive me, Brinn. He’s still recovering. I’m concerned.”

I’m not with her today, am I?

“He seemed well enough when he rode out.”

She gave me the day off.

“Oh…. Oh, I’d better-“

Doesn’t really need me now, does she?

“Better what, Highness?”

Not if she can lift 400-pound rocks on her first shot.

“N- never mind. I’d better NOT. Not again. Perhaps… well. I know as long as nothing goes terribly wrong, he’ll return here with Rionee. Perhaps I shall wait here.”

Yeah, Rionee, I’ll give you one. Just a sec.

“Well, Link already gave Tass a quick grooming, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind his rider paying him mind today.”

“Link? Link groomed Tass?”

“Yeah, does it often.”

“Truly?!”

“Yes, Highness.”

“…Why?”

“Well. Well, Highness. It, ah- that is, Link has a great horse sense. He can tell Tass is a might lonely.”

“…Lonely?”

“Apologies, Princess, I mean no offense-“

“No, of course not. I just- ahh.”

Many apples in pouch. Good.

“Well, then. Brinn?”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Would you oblige me for a few minutes? I’ve never groomed a horse.”

“I’d be pleased to, Highness.”

Here you go, silly.

Not bad considering how long they’ve been on the tree.

“It’s simple, really. Let’s stick with the soft brush and mane brush since he’s already had a once-over. It’s not all that different from brushing a person’s hair. Watch me.”

What’s wrong with you, Link? You’re with your horse, eating apples. No one’s eyeing you or judging you or making snide comments or staring you in the eye so hard your soul implodes. There aren’t eighty soldiers who should be your allies bearing down on you.

So why do I still have that weird feeling in my chest?

“May I try?”

“Sure.”

Yesterday. It was so simple. I should have said, “You have your power after all!” Nice. Positive. Not sarcastic. No reason to piss people off. Downright stupid to insult the king in his own castle. Maybe trying to talk more isn’t such a great idea after all. It hasn’t worked out. Neither way has worked out. What did the king say? That I had to be more deliberate in my speech?

“Oh, heh. He likes it.”

Filter yourself, Link.

“That he does.”

We know how much trouble I have with THAT.

It’s basically why father wanted me to keep quiet.

Guess I’d better head back. Rionee seems much happier now. I can brush her down again and eat my other sandwich. Maybe… maybe I should just go in the mess when it’s off-meal time so I can talk to them in the kitchen. No reason to stay and eat there. Yeah. I’ll do that.

Link! You forgot about Mipha! Granted, she has things she can discuss with the Princess, but you shouldn’t just leave her wandering aimlessly around the castle.

Too bad we’re not kids anymore. We could play in the moat. I definitely can’t get away with that anymore, though.

“I- I’ve seen Link scratch him under his chin. Does he like that?”

“Only one way to find out, Highness.”

-----

Read Next: Give people a party and they'll forget.

Read this fanfic from the beginning. (It makes more sense that way).

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#linksthoughtbrambles #zelda #botw #fanfic #zelink

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syndxlla · 3 years

Text

More To Love

Part two of the More to Love series

Summary: As you start adapting to Mandalorian culture and life in the palace, you have to start thinking whether or not you’ve made the right decision.

Word Count: 6.2k, NO USE OF ‘Y/N’

Warnings: Non-Consensual kiss, mentions of loss of pregnancy

Author’s Note: Wow wow wow, the support I’ve gotten for this fic already has been so awesome thank you so much especially to the people who have direct messaged me you’re all so kind I love you guys!!!!

Part One here

“Good-morning, Your Highness.” A Handmaiden said as she pulled open the heavy curtains, letting the bright morning light shine into your elegant room. You softly moan as the sun hits your eyes, and roll onto your side to try and sleep more. “Today you will be having brunch with Her Majesty the Queen and a few members of her court and we have set aside a bit of time for you and The Prince to get to each other this evening before dinner in the library.” Her accent was thick like the Prince’s. You sigh and roll around onto your back, letting your limp hand rest by your face. “I trust you slept well?” She asked as she walked towards your bed, in her hands was a golden tray with a teapot on it.

“Not enough sleep.” You groan, trying not to sound annoyed but failing.

“Would you like to sleep longer, Highness?” She asked.

“No, I’ll be fine.” You sigh before scooting to sit up in your bed, and she places the tray on the table by the mattress.

“I wasn’t sure what type of tea you liked, so I brought a chamomile, do you have a preference?”

You stop to think for a moment, “Chamomile is fine for today, but do you have any hsuaberry tea?” Hsuberries are native to Corellia, and you could use a little taste of home.

“I’m not sure, but I will check for tomorrow?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.” You nod.

“I’ll return in a half-hour with the other maiden’s to prepare you for the day then?”

“Alright… Miss?” You stop her as she turns to leave. “Do you have a name? What can I call you?”

“Oh… of course, Lady Soniee would be fine.” She smiles. “Thank you for asking.”

“It’s my pleasure.” You smile in return. “Lady Soniee, is my guard outside?” You ask.

“Yes, he returned to his post with my arrival, in the night we have the night guards patrolling so our individual day guards get some time off.” She explains.

“Would you… Would you send him in, please?” You ask.

“Yes, Highness. Is there anything else you would like?” Soniee asks.

“No, that’s all, thank you, dismissed.” You released her from her duty and she turned to leave the room. As her back was turned to you, you rub a bit of the sleep out of your eyes and run your fingers through your hair in an attempt to tame your bed head. You wanted to look presentable for the knight. Truthfully, you haven’t quit thinking about him since last night’s endeavor. You fell asleep picturing what he looked like under his armor, and brainstorming what his name might be. You even wondered if you dreamed about him, but it’s all gotten hazy now. You knew this was inappropriate, and that you were here for your wedding with another man, but something about the secret relationship the two of you were forming was exciting, you were addicted to it. You sigh deeply as she closes the door behind her and then quickly looks down at your nightgown, proceeding to pull the cap sleeves down your shoulders a bit to show more skin and more of your collar. You laugh slightly to yourself, “You are ridiculous.” You mumble, chuckling. Before you could consider anything else, however, he walked in, his stature at attention.

“Is there something wrong, Your Highness?” He asked.

You felt your cheeks heat up in his presence, “I just wanted to thank you again for last night.” You tried not to gush as you spoke.

“Oh… Yes, anything for you, your Highness.” He nodded in response. Your chest filled with warmth as you looked at him.

“You’ll be accompanying me today, correct?” You ask.

“Of Course, Your Highness.” He nodded once again, you really wanted him to call you princess again.

“Wonderful, I hope you slept well last night.”

“I did, Princess, did you?” You smiled a little too wide at the title, and tried to cool your cheeks, not wanting to look like an absolute child in front of him.

“Yes, I did, thank you once again, I’ll see you later.” You sigh in response. “Dismissed.” That word felt like poison to you, you didn’t really want him to leave but didn’t know how to keep him around longer. This was an accident waiting to happen, and you had the power to stop it in its tracks, the only problem is that you didn’t want to.

—

The Gardens were even more beautiful in the daylight, the sun shone spectacularly off the fountains and the various statues scattered throughout the estate contrasted lovely with the bright flowers. You sat at a round table ornately decorated with various different pastries, teas and sandwiches on it. Around the table was the Queen, the women of her royal court, yourself and of course the Elf. You really wanted to speak to the elf, unfortunately, you asat across from her, and was forced to mostly converse with The Duchess Wren and another woman you had never spoken to before. The Queen introduced her to you last night but you were having a hard time remembering her name. The women weren’t in such heavy gowns this time, and none of them wore the jeweled headpieces they had on the night before except for the queen. You wore a light beige and white dress which ruffled at the sleeves and had a scooping boat neckline. It was very beautiful, however the corset back didn’t go nearly as high this time as the last dress did, which meant you couldn’t use it as an excuse to spend more time alone with the silent knight. He stood a few feet behind you away from the table, watching over the event. Every now and then you would turn to glance at him, ceiling every time you laid eyes on his armor.

The tea was fine, not as good as the winter teas you had back home, they were far more bitter. Mandalorians clearly enjoyed more bitter-tasting food as you noticed the longer you’re here. Once again, you were being mostly ignored as the Women who knew each other talked about drama within the Mandalorian Royalty. It was all much more conspicuous than anything you would talk about at home, and you found yourself quietly listening in on the various conversations instead of applying yourself to them. The women most likely thought you were some sort of strange claude, not social enough and far too boring for their culture. Again, you tried convincing yourself that you were overthinking, but you had a hard time believing yourself.

“And what about you, Your Highness?” The Elf spoke up, interrupting your deep and self-centered thoughts.

“Huh?” You were not listening.

“What do you think about the conduct to come out of Coruscant?” One of the fatter women sitting by the queen asked.

“Oh… I think they’ve rather lost their integrity since the assassination of their Emperor…” You clear your throat. You were just saying what you remember hearing your father say, attempting to fit into the conversation and hopefully gain some affection, knowing how much Mandalore despised Coruscant (you were rather indifferent, however).

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” The Queen smiled, “I believe you will be well suited for the politics of Mandalore.”

“Oh yes,” you began, “I had been preparing to be Queen of Corellia my whole life, I find politics rather exciting.” You admitted.

“Hm, I prefer to leave the politics to the men.” The fat woman scoffed and sipped her tea.

“I nearly forgot, you’re the only hair to the throne of Corellia, aren’t you?” The elven queen asks.

“Yes, I am.” You nod in response.

“Ah yes, your mother got sick and lost a baby-” The fat woman laughed. Your face dropped and went pale.

“Excuse you-” You began.

“Lady Aryn, have you no respect?” The Queen frowned.

“There’s nothing wrong with it, just a rumor I heard.” She shrugged, not seeming to care that she offended you or The Queen.

“Well it’s not a rumor.” You swallowed thickly, wanting to put her in per place for such an inappropriate comment, “My mother lost a baby when I was all but five and you have the audacity to bring it up like there’s nothing rude about it.” You spit out.

“Well who is to take the throne once you marry the Prince?” The fat woman asked as she sipped her tea. Many of the other women involved stayed quiet, timidly watching the drama play out.

“I don’t believe that is any of your business.” You chuckle out of frustration.

“It is my business, whomever rules Corellia during the impending war will directly affect how Mandalore responds to it. Considering my husband is the Grand General of the Mandalorian Army, it is very much my business.” Lady Aryn raised an eyebrow and dread washed over your body as she finished.

“I believe that your Cousin will be taking the throne?” The Elf Queen vouched for you and you were thankful she did, but still found the entire situation rude and out of hand.

“It should be me, but I’m being married off and getting my title stripped away from me.” You blurted out and immediately regretted what you said. You looked around at the faces of the women at the table. Each one showing a different expression of shock or betrayal, everyone but the Queen. The Queen’s face was stern, her lips dangerously straight and thin and her eyes dark as the two of you made eye contact. You had offended the Queen of Mandalore, you had offended the most powerful and wealthy monarch in the world. You sighed, and closed your eyes for a moment. “May I be excused, Your Majesty?” You asked with your eyes closed, waiting to open them until you finished speaking. You looked up at her through furrowed eyebrows, awaiting her response. The air was deathly thick, the tension grew as the court looked around at the scene. Your anger was justified, the remark on your unborn sibling was out of turn and incredibly rude, and after feeling ignored and unwanted for twenty-four hours by the very people set up to be your family, you snapped.

“You are excused.” The Queen said quietly, almost too quiet to hear, and you slowly stood from your chair before turning to leave. You looked to your knight as you did, and he followed. After you made distance between yourself and the other Mandalorian women, you could hear faint whispers. That went so much worse than you could have ever imagined. You want to disappear, you want to go home. You swallow a tear and sigh of relief when you get back into the Palace, strolling the halls until you found an empty sitting room. You sit down on one of the blue sofas and bring your fist up to your mouth. The Knight waited at the door, watching your every move. You felt ridiculous, and the absolute last thing you wanted to do was cry in front of the only person who’s shown you any decency since you arrived in Mandalore. You look over to him with dewey eyes before clearing your throat.

“I apologize for my conduct, I didn’t want you to see me like this.” You shakily sigh out. He didn’t reply, and you laugh once, “I suppose you have your code to uphold here.” You look down as you place your hands in your lap.

“No, I’ve sworn to protect you, that comes before the code of arms.” He takes a step forward and you were almost startled at his voice, you weren’t expecting him to speak up, but you were incredibly happy he did. You look up to see him a little closer, and smile just slightly at his gesture. “I didn’t protect you out there, I’m sorry.” He nodded his head.

“There’s no way you could have known,” You shrug, you didn’t want him to blame himself for your mistake, “Besides, I wasn’t in any danger.”

“Maybe you weren’t in any physical danger, but.. I really shouldn’t say this but that was out of hand. You’re family with the Queen now, she should have defended you.” He continued to step closer to you. “I deeply apologize for being so careless and allowing you to be hurt.” He bowed after saying this, and you smiled.

“Your apology is accepted, Sir Knight.” You slightly teased. “Thank you.” Your chest and stomach was filled with that warm and welcoming feeling again, and the negative endeavor from outside was forgotten even for just a moment. You knew you would have to face it eventually, and formally apologize to the Queen for offending her, but until then, you would allow yourself to feel okay for now. “You’ve been the kindest to me since I arrived.” You tilt your head, “You have no idea what it’s meant to me.”

“As I said, I vowed to be there for you, I will honor that vow.” He said, you didn’t want to feel like he was only being nice to you because he had to. You suck your lips in for a quick second as you absorb his response, unsure of how to respond. “But-” he interrupted your thinking, “It has truly been a pleasure to serve you, and I would be happy to undress you when you ask.”

Your eyes widened, “Excuse me?” It’s not that you didn’t like what you said, you just weren’t expecting it so casually.

“That- came out wrong, forgive me.” He corrected himself. “I mean, I’m happy to help you with anything you like.” He clears his throat and you smile, blushing at his sheepish correction.

“I understand.” You look down at the floor again. “I’m sorry they only give you the nights off.” You switched the topic, not wanting to linger on the last one in case someone was walking by or overheard anything.

“That’s fine, I... enjoy my time with you.” He stopped mid-sentence to consider what he was saying. You smile and laugh a little again.

“It must be tiring, wearing the armor all day, standing at attention, only getting a handful of breaks every few hours…” You think out loud.

“I’m used to it,” He shifts to his weight on one leg, lightly poppin his hip out as he speaks to you. “It’s not so bad, anymore.”

“Is the armor heavy?” You ask, trying to distract yourself.

“Yes, but that’s another thing we get used to. Our bodies adapt to it.”

“So… are you saying you’re strong under all that metal.” You raise and eyebrow, flirting just a little. You could hear a light chuckle come through the helmet when you said this.

“I guess you could say that.” It was like you could hear his smile.

“I’ve found that all Mandalorians are very attractive, do you fall under that assumption?” You knew very well you were playing with fire, that this was uncharted territory and everything was screaming at you to stop before you got too far but you couldn’t. Everything about him was so intriguing to you.

“I’m.. I’m not from Mandalore, actually…” He slowly responded.

“Oh?” You tilted your head, “I thought you had to be in order to be a part of the guard?”

“Well, in a way, you do. You have to be either born in or taken in as a foundling, and that’s what happened to me.” He shrugged.

“Oh, I didn’t know that.” You blinked, “Where are you from? Or can you not tell me…”

“The Nevarro frontier.” He responded, “I probably shouldn’t have told you that.” He groaned. You felt a shiver run down your spine at the sound of his rough voice groaning in such a way. You swallow your thoughts.

“You’re a long way from home.”

“I guess you could say that.” You smile at him again after he says this before turning and looking behind you, taking in the room. This was a larger sitting room, and there was a baby-grand piano in one of the corners. Outside of the windows you could see a courtyard, not the same courtyard that the garden is placed in, but one that was stoned and had a large tree in the center of it. There was so much of the palace you hadn’t seen yet, it was far larger than the Corellian one. You stood up to walk over to the piano, feeling a bit better now, and sitting at it. “Can you play?” He asked.

“Yes, I learned at a very young age.” You bring your hands up to keys and begin playing a song, one you have memorized. It was your mother’s favorite song. You played it with such emotion that the Knight was drawn into it, relaxing from his attentive stature and enjoying the sound.

“You’re... very talented.” He nodded.

“Thank you.” You said, looking up at him from the instrument. “I’m a bit rusty I must admit.” You shrug.

“I know someone who would really love it, no matter how rusty you say it is.” He explained.

“Who?” You ask as you stop playing, wondering who he may be talking about.

“I-I shouldn’t say, I’ve already broken the code so much-”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I fully understand.” You interrupt, “But just know that anything you say is safe with me, If you vowed to protect me from both physical and emotional harm, the least I can do is keep your secrets.” You nod. He sighs, you can’t hear it but you see it in the armor.

“My.. Uh, my son.”

—

“Soniee, do you know if any guards are fathers?” You ask as the handmaiden tightens the corset on a different dress, tying it to your body. You were preparing for some time alone (chaperoned) with the Prince. You knew you promised the Knight you would keep his secret, and you would do everything in your power to uphold that secrecy, but you figured there was no harm in asking a few questions here and there. As far as anyone is concerned, you’re just curious about the customs and traditions of your new kingdom.

“Well many of the Knights have families of their own, some have illegitimate children as well.” She said behind you.

“So, they don’t have an oath of celibacy?” You ask, hoping it didn’t sound too strange or specific.

“What? No,” She laughed as she said ‘no’, “No, marriage and families are incredibly important to Mandalorian society, the only thing stronger than power or war is love and family. Blood before anything else.” She explained, she had clearly said those words before.

“Maybe that’s why everyone is so cold towards me.” You sigh.

“Maybe.” Soniee confirmed, “But I also believe any new member of house Kyrze is going to be given a hard welcome.”

“And why is that?” You ask, wincing afterwards due to a tight pull of the corset.

“Well it’s taught in every Mandalorian history class: House Kyrze is the royal bloodline, but it wasn’t always that way…”

“What do you mean?”

“There was a civil war some years ago almost immediately after the assassination of Queen Satine. A bad man came in and tried to overthrow Queen Bo-Katan. He was successful in his endeavors for a while, and that's why the Elves and the Queen are so close-” The handmaiden explained.

“I never knew about a Mandalorian war that happened among themselves?”

“It’s shielded from the outside world, we fear that if it gets out, people will stop coming to us for their wars out of speculation that we are not strong enough to fight them if we can’t control each other.” She finished the corset and took a step back, admiring the beautiful dress. “Many Mandalorian’s blame Queen Bo-Katan for the civil war even though she gave up everything she believed in to protect the royal family. You see, she used to be on the side of the Bad Man, but switched after her sister’s death. Many see her unfit for the crown, including members of her own Court.” You didn’t need any more explanation from Soniee to assume who that might be. Considering your previous endeavor this morning, the fat woman probably did not approve of the queen.

“That is why it’s essential that this marriage happens. The people love Korkie, they always have. He is the true heir and the pride of his mother, who was revered and loved throughout all of the kingdoms. When he is back on the throne, not only will anyone who disapproves of Bo be silenced, but they will also see it as one of her many successes. Having to raise and prepare a child who isn’t even yours is not easy.” Soniee concluded.

Great, another weight to be placed on your shoulder based on your ability to fall in love.

“I had no Idea any of that happened.” Your eyebrows furrowed together.

“Personally, I believe that is why you’ve received such a harsh welcome, Korkie is the golden boy of Mandalore, and many will not see you fit for his wife.” You sighed, your belly filling with stress.

“Highness, the Prince is waiting for you in the library.” Your Royal Guard interrupts the conversation, and you smile at him.

“Thank you, Lady Soniee, you’ve been incredibly kind and helpful.”

“Of course, Princess. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” She curtsied and you walked out of a your suite into the hallway.

This dress was simpler than the last, a soft pink with embroidered flowers running up and down the smooth tulle and puffy sleeves. It was very beautiful, one you brought from Corellia that was gifted to you a few years ago. You wore pearls from Naboo, and had a soft look to your ensemble. You wanted to be perceived in a specific way by your fiancé, pure of heart, and genuine.

You open the doors to the hallway, and your guard is standing at attention.

“Would you escort me to the library?” You ask, smiling with your lips afterwards. He nods and holds his arm out for you to take, looping your own arms round his and walking down the hallway.

“You look very beautiful, your highness.” He said quietly through the metal, quiet enough that you were the only one who would hear it if anyone would be listening in. You got the lightest touch of goosebumps at his deep and gruff whisper in your ear.

“Thank you, do you think The Prince will like it?” You ask, looking up at his helmet with beady eyes.

“He would be a fool if he didn’t.” The Knight responded, and your stomach filled with butterflies. You blushed as you experienced the addictive feeling of his presence, and pulled him just a bit closer to you. The two of you walk in silence for the remainder of the journey to the beautiful library. This was a part of the palace that you had never been to before, and it was just as stunning as the rest of the castle. Books from all over the world in countless languages sat upon towering bookshelves that reached the tall ceiling. There was a large fireplace and in front of it was a number of red velvet armchairs and sofas. As you entered the quiet room, your eyes immediately found the Prince, who sat in one of the chairs reading a book, his head resting against his fist. You and the Knight walk towards him, and as you pull to unhook your harm, you feel him stretch his hand out to feel you for as long as possible before the contact breaks.

“Prince Korkie.” You curtsie, interrupting his reading. He looked up from the book and smiled, standing and bowing to kiss your hand once again.

“Your Highness, You look lovely.” After he compliments you, you turn to look at the guard, smiling.

“I hope you weren’t waiting for too long.” You as he takes your hand and guides you to sit on a sofa.

“Not at all.” He reassured, “Allow me to introduce you to Lord Vaughn, he will be chaperoning us today.” He gestured to a man sitting across from you.

“My pleasure, Princess.” He stood from his seat to bow.

“The library is beautiful, as is everything else in the palace.” You compliment.

“It’s less beautiful when it’s been your classroom growing up.” The Prince teased and you chuckle. “If you would like, please feel free to take any books at any time.” He nodded.

“Thank you, but I’ve never been very into reading.” You admit. “I much prefer music.”

“Ah yes, I play the viola, my mother taught me when I was a boy-“ Somehow he always made it about himself you noticed. You didn’t think he tried to, but conversations are rather boring when you’re just listening. He talked for nearly a half-hour about playing for the Queen of Naboo as a twelve year-old and being revered as a child prodigy for the early part of his life. You sat quietly as he bragged, telling the story to both you and the chaperone instead of keeping his focus on you. You even caught your mind wandering every now and then, glancing over to your knight to make a little face of boredom in an attempt to make him smile. You know you wouldn’t be able to see him if he had smiled, but the thought of it was enough to keep you occupied. After the Prince bragged about his viola skills for close to an hour, he finally asked what you played.

“Piano, actually. It’s my muse, if you will.” You smile, happy to have finally been included, although it was short lived. The prince then continued to talk about how the Queen could play piano but got sick of it after her sister died and hasn’t played in a very long time. He went on and on about it, and you were starting to wish you had picked up a book on your way in to pass the time.

“Allow me to show you to my favorite section of the library.” The Prince said, forcing you to snap out of your little trance as he held your hand out. You clearly hadn’t been listening for a while because you had no recollection of the previous situation, his voice was very tune-out-able. “I��ve asked the Chaperone and Knight to stay here while I do.” He smiled, and you take his hand, standing from the chair.

“Is that appropriate?” You ask.

“I’m the Prince, I can do what I want.” He shrugs and then proceeds to walk you towards a corner in the library. You look over your shoulder to the Knight one last time before you’re pulled around the corner. “This hall is where I would go when I was mad, isn’t it beautiful?” He asked.

“Yes, it is.” It had mostly desks and only a few bookshelves, but was covered in mirrors on both sides of the walls, showing an endless reflection of thousands of copies of yourself.

“I wanted to give you this, as an engagement present.” He held out a small box wrapped with a blue bow.

“Thank you…” You take the gift out of his hand.

“It was my mother’s.” He said as you untied the bow and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful necklace of a sapphire stone with a gold halo.

“It’s beautiful, thank you.” You held up the necklace to your eyes, watching how it sparkled in the light.

“May I put it on you?” He asked. You nod and hand him the jewelry. Turning around and pulling your hair to the side, you feel him hook the necklace, letting the heavy gem sit against your collarbone. You looked down at it.

“It’s incredibly beautiful, Prince Korkie.” You turn around and smile.

“Please, just Korkie.” He said before forcing a kiss on you, pushing his lips into yours forcefully and holding you in place. It startled you, you hadn’t expected this from him, especially considering how kind he had been before. This was your first kiss and was less than pleasant. You push him off you, and look at him in disbelief. You didn’t want to offend him, but couldn’t mask the look of shock and beytrayal from your face. Your stomach filled with regret, it was customary to not kiss one another until your wedding day, why had he broken that tradition? You felt as though it was your fault he forced himself onto you, and you swallowed back the feeling of anger and distrust. If anyone found out you had kissed him before the wedding, they would all blame you, regardless of who initiated the kiss. You both knew this.

“Excuse me…” You huff passed him, returning to the main room of the library and walked towards the door, you heard your Knight follow you close after, and in a fit of confusion and flusterment, you storm as fast as you can towards your room.

When you two got to a more private part of the palace, closer to the suite, you heard him speak up, “Princess, princess what’s wrong?” You hear your knight say, and before you can ignore him, you feel him grab your hand. It isn’t forceful and it doesn’t hurt, but he’s strong, he wouldn’t be letting you go unless he had to. You turn around to show a tear running down your cheek. “What did he do?” The Guard asked. You swallow thickly and try to look away, darting your eyes behind him, “Look at me.” He said.

“I can’t see your eyes.” You sniffle.

“Please, did he hurt you?” He took a step closer to you, your bodies almost flush against one another.

“We can’t do this here-“

“Did he hurt you?” The knight repeats himself, sterner this time.

You look at his helmet and sigh, “No.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“It doesn’t concern you.” You were embarrassed, and pull your hand away before walking away, trying to get to your room before bursting into tears. You heard him pick up his pace to catch up and then suddenly he was cutting you off with his body, firmly grabbing your shoulders.

“As your Royal Guard, it does concern me. I told you just this morning that I promised to protect you, and now you’ve gotten hurt twice because of my mistakes.” He said, startling you just a bit. No one had ever spoken to you this way, no one had ever shown that they care this much.

“It’s not your fault, really.” You reassure.

“But it is. What did he do to you?”

“It’s… I’m embarrassed. It’s silly and I’ll-“

“Nothing you say could ever be ‘silly’ to me.” He said, his voice hushing as he did, giving you those little goosebumps again.

You sigh, looking up at him and trying to get out your next sentence, “He-he kissed me. I wasn’t expecting it and he broke tradition and it was all so… so forced.” You admit, feeling as though he would blame you for the kiss.

“He what?”

“You’re really going to make me repeat myself?” You scoff and push passed him, you were almost to your room, if you could make it just a little further-

“He kissed you?” The knight asked.

“Yes. I told you it’s ridiculous but-“

“It’s… not. Ridiculous, that is. It’s not ridiculous. Did he ask if he could?”

“No…” You reply, “I didn’t think he had to.” You raise an eyebrow. “I just wasn't expecting such a stark betrayal of tradition and it startled me and if anyone else find out, they’ll all blame me-“

“He has no right to lay a single finger on you without your permission. He hurt you, and therefore I’ve failed at my job.” He interrupted you.

“Oh-“ You mutter, finally arriving at your door. He had done that without your consent, he had hurt you. The knight was right all along and you were stupid to not accept his help right away. You wipe a tear away from your cheek and open the door. You take a step in, and hold the door open for him to join you. “I have over an hour before dinner… I’ll have to see him again.” You swallow before closing the door.

“I’ll be there by your side, I won’t leave you again. I won’t let him hurt you like that ever again, I promise.” He was firm and confident with his words, giving you a little wave of relief as he spake them.

“Thank you.” You whipser. You take a deep breath and look at him, “You said he can’t do anything without my permission?”

“Yes. That’s how you protect yourself. Don’t give him power he doesn’t deserve.” The Knight explains.

You exhale sharply, “I had never been kissed before.” You admit, looking down at the floor. “It wasn’t what I expected, to say the least.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t… kisses are special, sacred.” He sounded pained as he said them, like it was hard for him to get the words out.

“Have you kissed anyone?” You ask, considering he had a son, you assumed he had, but never really know unless you ask.

“Yes, once, a long time ago.”

“So you haven’t had that helmet on since birth?” You lighten the mood just a little. You hear him chuckle and your stomach is filled with warmth at the noise.

“No, I haven’t.”

“Can you ever take it off?” You ask, walking over to sit on your bed, listening intently, he takes a step in that direction, too.

“Yes, I take it off to eat and bathe and sleep and sometimes I take it off to talk to my son…” He sighs, “But at work, in the palace, in the eyes of other people, it stays on. Always.This is the way.”

“I still don’t understand why.” You tilt your head.

“It… protects us, it keeps our knighthood separate from our manhood, an it’s an ancient tradition practiced by Mandalorians, we do it to respect the culture.” He nods as he speaks.

“Hm, I half expected you to say it was just because you were ugly.” You giggle, and he shakes his head. This time, you knew he was smiling under all that metal.

“Compared to you, I am nothing.” You could hear his smile in his words. You blush and the butterflies in your stomach only grow. You pause for a moment, carefully considering what you were going to say next.

“Will you… will you kiss me?” You ask, looking up at him, he goes still.

“What?”

“Will you kiss me?” You repeat yourself. He doesn’t respond at first, and for a moment, you fear you’ve made a terrible mistake. You wanted him to, you wanted to know what he meant by “kisses are sacred”. He had plagued your mind ever since you first spoke to him and you already have far more affection in your heart for the Knight than for the Prince. You wanted to kiss him.

He sighs in response, and nods once, “Close your eyes, and keep them closed.” You blushed at his agreement.

“Okay.” You say, slowly closing your eyelids and patiently awaiting his next move, feeling triumphant that he agreed. Your body fills with adrenaline as you wait, trying to slow your heart rate with deep breaths.

“Promise to keep them closed?”

“I promise.” You whisper and a few seconds after, you hear the sound of metal hitting metal, and the hollow echo of his helmet being placed on the mattress by where you sit. It took everything in you not to open your eyes, you wanted to look at him, wanted to see his eyes. But you made a promise, you had made promises to each other and had to keep those promises.

Then, ever-so-gently, you feel his warm and forgiving lips against yours.

They’re soft and light, like he didn’t want to hurt you. You melted into his touch, and against your soft skin you felt his stubble run against it. It was rough in the most satisfying and loving sensation possible. He was much kinder than the Prince, so gentle, so true. It wasn’t a very long kiss, but it was more than a peck, and held more passion and intimacy in it than any of the hours you spent with your fiancé combined. He moved just slightly against you, and you felt his bare hand come up to hold your jaw in place as he deepened it for a split second before pulling away. As your lips parted from his, your breath was taken right with them, and you had to consciously remind yourself not to open your eyes.

“Keep them closed, okay?”

“Okay.” You nodded, trying to remember the feel of his kiss. “Thank you.” Your voice was broken, and you wanted another, but before you could ask, you felt the helmet lift off the bed and the sound of gloves being pulled onto hands.

“Open.” He said after a moment, and your eyes fluttered open to see the knighted figure in front of you. “You’re welcome.”

Part three here

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