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seumyo · 22 days ago

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rainy mornings with husband!bakugou

Bakugou didn’t like the rain. That was a fact.

But the thing about rain is that it’s inevitable, something that only nature has control over (and additionally the particular people who have rain-based Quirks).

The rain was steady, soft against the windows like a lullaby. It wasn’t a storm, he notes, just a lazy morning drizzle that blurred the glass and painted the world in cool grays and muted greens.

He stood at the stove, barefoot, wearing loose black sweats and one of your hoodies—oversized on you but fitting snug on him (he remembered the sheer happiness you had when he told you your parcel finally arrived). The sleeves were a little too short, exposing his forearms as he stirred a pan of scrambled eggs with slow, unhurried movements.

He wasn’t in a rush, and for once, there wasn’t any tension in his shoulders. Thank god his schedule was getting lighter these days, especially as Japan is now entering a much colder rainy season this year.

Behind him, you were curled up on the couch, legs tucked under you, a throw blanket tossed lazily over your lap. You hadn’t bothered changing out of your pajama shirt yet—one of his old Dynamight shirts (which he was sure was sold at a golden price nowadays since it was one of the first ones released), faded from too many washes. You had your tablet propped on your knee, aimlessly scrolling through something, one hand cradling a mug of still-steaming tea.

He glanced over his shoulder, watching your thumb flick across the screen, your brows furrowed just the tiniest bit in that way that always made him want to kiss it away.

Damn marriage making him soft.

Having him thinking of kissing your worries away and whatnot.

“You ready to eat?” His voice was low, rough with sleep still lingering around the edges, though he’d been up for a bit now. It was the kind of morning that made him feel stress-free again—quiet, warm, you.

You didn’t even look up. “Mm… not yet. Gimme ten more minutes.”

Bakugou snorted, scooping the eggs onto a plate with a quiet clink of the spatula. “You said that ten minutes ago.”

“I did not,” you murmured, still distracted. “I said that fifteen minutes ago.”

“You callin’ me a liar?”

“...Nossir.” No, Sir.

“Uh huh.”

He turned off the burner and walked over to you, crossing the room with his usual quiet authority. You didn’t flinch when he sat down next to you and didn’t look up as he leaned in to press his lips to your temple. You just shifted slightly, making room for him as if it were the most natural thing in the world—which, honestly, it was.

Because if you hadn’t seen all of him by now—

Ahem, then casual intimacy would be a bit awkward when you’re 4 years into your marriage.

“You’re not even really lookin’ at anything,” he muttered, resting his chin on your shoulder.

“I’m looking at furniture,” you replied, lifting the tablet slightly for him to see. “For the entryway. I found this bench with drawers under it. It’s soo cute.”

He peered at it, expression blank. “It’s a bench.”

You gave a dramatic sigh. Here we go.

“It’s a functional bench. With storage. It’s called multi-purpose, Katsuki.”

“Yeah? Looks like a trip hazard to me,” he said, lips twitching at the corners.

You gave him a lazy elbow in the side, just enough pressure to make him grunt but not enough to move him. “You’d survive.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I busted my ass ‘cause of somethin’ you brought into the house,” he said, smirking now, eyes flicking down to the tiny mountain of throw pillows on the floor that had been there since you reorganized the couch again last week. “You and your ‘aesthetic.’”

You finally looked away from your screen, giving him an unimpressed look. That expression—one he knew all too well—is so fucking cute it makes his chest hurt.

“You like the aesthetic when it’s candles and not vanilla-scented ones and have things that are either black or white instead of having color. What’re we trying to have here? A monochrome house?”

“Didn’t say I didn’t like it,” he said, and kissed your cheek again, slower this time. “Just sayin’… you got a way of makin’ this place feel lived in. That’s all.”

That made you pause. You turned your head just slightly, enough to meet his eyes, your features softened, and your smile became a little cheeky. “That’s sweet of you. I knew I had that effect on you.”

He shrugged, embarrassed now, and tried to cover it up by reaching for your tea. “This still warm?”

“Get your own,” you said without bite, holding it out of reach.

He let out a soft huff and leaned into your space more, nose brushing against your jaw. Because if anything, the husband version of Bakugou Katsuki—your husband Bakugou Katsuki—doesn’t have a concept of personal space during mornings.

“You really gonna deny your husband a sip? Really? When I prepared this for you?”

“You’re gonna drink half of it.”

“I will if you keep holdin’ it hostage,” he threatened, and you laughed—an actual, sleepy laugh—and finally let him take the mug. He took a sip, then handed it back with a little grunt of satisfaction. “Uh huh. Made it right today.”

“I make it better.”

“You put too much honey in it sometimes.”

“I like it sweet.”

“I like you sweet,” he said under his breath, then added, “Not your damn tea. That’s a health hazard at some point, dummy.”

You rolled your eyes but leaned over and bumped your forehead against his. He stayed there for a beat, closing his eyes as he let the closeness sink in. Outside, the rain kept falling, and the whole apartment smelled like eggs, toast, and the faint vanilla candle you lit sometime before he got out of bed.

“You gonna eat with me or what?” he murmured against your skin.

“In a bit,” you said again. “You’re warm. And it’s raining. I don’t wanna move yet.”

He made a low sound in his throat, something between a hum and a sigh, and settled in beside you, one arm looping behind your shoulders, the other resting on the blanket over your legs.

“This your excuse to make me feed you like last time?”

You smiled, sleep still tugging at the corners of your lips. “Maybe. That’s what husbands are for, right? Serving their spouses?”

“You’re a pain.”

“And you love me—unless you don’t. Then I’ll have you know I will be taking the washing machine with me; that one’s the most expensive piece of furniture we have.”

Bakugou snorted. “Really?” he says. “But fuckin’ right I do,” he added, voice low and reverent now. “I love you ‘til the sun fucking explodes, and even after.”

...

“That was poetic, hun. You should’ve written that for our vows.”

“... I’m regrettin’ that I forgot.”

You sat in silence for a while; the only sounds were the rain, the occasional tap of your fingernail on the screen, and the soft buzz of the world going on without them. Bakugou didn’t mind the quiet—not with you, at least.

You made it feel full instead of awkward.

Safe.

Eventually, you sighed and leaned into his side, closing the tablet and letting it slip onto the couch cushion beside you. “Okay,” you murmured. “Maybe I’m ready now. Because I don’t like cold eggs.”

He kissed the top of your head. “Yeah?”

You nodded, eyes half-closed. “But only if you bring it over here. Then we could continue watching that romance drama we forgot to finish because you went to Spain.”

Bakugou huffed, standing up with a stretch. “You’re spoiled.”

“You spoil me.”

He glanced at you over his shoulder as he walked back to the kitchen. “And don’t you forget it.”

He brought over the plates a minute later—eggs, toast, and a little variety of fruits because you liked it when he tried to be ‘balanced.’ He handed you the fork and watched as you thanked him and lazily started to eat, your movements slow, like your brain still hadn’t fully woken up.

He sat back down beside you, one knee brushing against yours under the blanket, and started eating his food, satisfied by the small sounds you made with each bite. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t flashy. But it was theirs—yours.

A rainy morning, warm food, the person he loved within arm’s reach—Bakugou couldn’t have asked for anything better.

So yeah, Bakugou might not like the rain, but he likes spending it with you.

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a-d-nox · 11 months ago

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astro hypothesis: what's your ideal bedroom like?

once upon a time (a year ago) i spoke of using your house rulers to deep dive into the story of the houses. i did a hypothesis about money and another about careers - but what about your home? for that take a look at your 4h and the persona chart of its ruler (ex: my 4h is in gemini, i will be looking at my mercury persona chart NOT my ic persona (thats more family and childhood dynamics in my opinion)).

today i want to focus on somewhere critical to all of us - our bedroom. you can look at the 12h and/or the moon in this chart to get a better idea of what your ideal bedroom looks like or should be like to feel most rested and comfortable.

why?

the 12h rules over solitude (where you might go to escape everyone else in your household), the subconscious (where we supposedly go in deep sleep), etc.

the moon rules over comfort (what we find comfort in), the subconscious (which connects again to deep sleep and dreaming), cycles and rhythms (hi sleep cycle and circadian rhythm), etc.

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

enjoy my work? help me continue creating by tipping on ko-fi or paypal. your support keeps the magic alive!

so here are some observations of what i believe to be important to a room based on these factors in your 4h ruler's persona chart.

a capricorn (10°, 22°) moon / 12h saturn / capricorn 12h / moon aspecting saturn person likely wants a minimal room. they don't what a lot of clutter - if their room is cluttered they might be experiencing a lot of waking/life stress/anxiety that is effecting their sleep. they like neutral and natural colors in a room - beiges, "agreeable grey", dark green, and dark blues in particular allows them to feel calm and as though they are able to relax. arctic white paint or cool white light may trigger them into feeling like they are in work mode instead of relax mode. they seek quality furniture that is timeless - they don't want to constantly have to replace the pieces they have in their room because they don't last or no longer fit the style. they don't want to have to think at the end of the day that something broke or they hate a piece because it doesn't fit the trend anymore and they now have to replace it. they don't want another thing they have to do, they just want to crash. organization is key - everything in their room should have a spot. they want everything that belongs in there to have a place (books are organized by author/series, clothing is color/season organized, glasses have a spot on a side table, jewelry has an organizer that rarely changes, etc). there is often a very refined and elegant feeling to their room. the sheets have a classic design (they are white or white and grey), the mirror is elegant yet classic, the bed is simple yet fits and fills the space well, etc. and most importantly room darkening curtains and lots of blankets (no capricorn/saturn person wants to be awakened by the sun or because they are too cold at night)!!!

a gemini (3°, 15°, 27°) moon / 12h mercury / gemini 12h / moon aspecting mercury person might have a rather eclectic style in their room. it might feel like they are testing out a look or like they have a lot of different vibes that don't necessarily fit one another. color finds its way into this room no matter what and it is often multiple colors at once that draw a person's attention. its very strange because this space is never just a sleep space for them often its multi-functional in some way shape or form like they have the ability to have a sitting space for others... could be a chair or a window seat or a desk... speaking of desks - books, vinyl, cds, gadgets, etc are a big part of the gemini/mercury vibes in a space. often their media have a spotlight moment in a room. lastly this space has an air of awareness in it - its not totally sleepy vibes, you know for sure when you see this space its not just for sleep. this is a place of study, reading, music listening, etc. it might just feel like not much sleep occurs in the space at all!

leo (5°, 17°, 29°) moon / 12h sun / leo 12h / moon aspecting sun rooms are warm and inviting. there are likely gold elements or warm paint colors used in the room. luxury is a must - the bed is likely memory foam or plush - the pillows are probably hotel/high quality. the comforter is down feathers and/or a fluffy/fuzzy blanket is present. it is very likely that stuffed animals are present too or at least one that is too adorable not to be there. there is some sort of central piece in this room - a giant mirror, a big art piece over the bed, a grand wall of books, etc. something in the room is guaranteed to always get a compliment from people who peak in during a house tour. it is also rather common especially in younger years for these people to keep their awards/trophies on display in their room as it fills them with a great sense of pride. windows are very important to this person's bedroom too as they tend to enjoy natural light when they can get it.

aries (1°, 13°, 25°) moon / 12h mars / aries 12h / moon aspecting mars people love a bold look in their room. its the energy of platform beds, industrial metal frames, etc. if they can use an "aggressive" color (red, orange, yellow, etc) in a bedroom they will... however they like a modern and sleek look despite their bold color schemes. they also like a minimal room - the bedroom is for their bed - point, blank, period. it's about having the essentials nothing more nothing less. they won't being using decorative pillows they have to remove every night or a decorative blanket that just hangs over their footboard. heavens forbid a decorative ladder with a decorative blanket that's not for use but for the eye. if they can't use it, they don't need or want it in the space it will just make them annoyed and cause them to feel like everything is in the way of them getting to the relax/wind-down portion of their day. now strangely enough, they often workout in their bedroom, so it wouldn't be shocking to find a pull up bar in the doorway or a peloton bike in the corner of the room. and 10/10 they will be getting up using an alarm - but it is rather unlikely they will need multiple alarms to make them get out of their bed in the morning.

likely more to come on home hypotheses, as i look to make renovations to my own home despite/because of being creatively burnt out. thank the heavens for astrology doing the leg work.

have ideas for new content? please use my “suggest a post topic” button!

return to nox’s guide to metaphysics

return to nox's hypotheses

#astrology #astro community #astro placements #astro chart #natal chart #astrology tumblr #astrology chart #natal astrology #astrology readings #astro #astrology blog #astrology stuff #astrology signs #astro notes #astro observations #astroblr #4h #persona chart observations #persona chart

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trashybugs · 3 months ago

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Oberon Vortigern and the Golden Witch Beatrice

hello, this is a character analysis that I've been planning to write since last year when I just finished reading Umineko last August.

during my reading of Umineko, i have reach a conclusion that by far Golden Witch Beatrice is by far the most "Oberon-core" character that I even encountered in fiction and how Oberon whole character basically embodies the whole message of Umineko

full disclosure before everything. i finish Umineko last August and might forget some details. both Oberon and Beatrice are complex multi-layered character and there might be more parallels that I missed between them. LB6 and Umineko is also incredibly long stories and again, there's probably stuff I forgot or missed. so please give me your feedback in the replies if you have any!

This analysis will also be really heavy on Oberon's part, as I consider myself more knowledgeable about Oberon than Beatrice, as confident I am with how I understand her. Finally, English is not my first language!

[HEAVY SPOILERS FOR UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI AND LOSTBELT 6]

so what do we know about the similarities between Oberon and Beatrice on a surface level? both are suspicious characters with butterflies as their motifs. both pretend to be something they are not and yet that aspect of their persona holds some truth to their character in a way. both craft such a perfect chessboard of lies to spin and control their own narratives in the story.

both Oberon and Beatrice are deutragonists to their stories. except they develop oppositely.

Beatrice played the role of antagonist since the beginning, fully embracing the role of a thousand-year-old cruel witch. although you can see her sprinkling hints and trying to sway Battler to the right track. giving him a lot of chances to beat her. As the story progresses she start to become more soft and genuine with Battler, and we start to see a more into the eye of her seemingly evil action. that it might be something that's driven by an act love. and then we reach the conclusion of the truth of her character and everything change since then.

Oberon played the role of a guide or mentor character at first. being basically and info dumper, claiming to have been summoned in the Lostbelt 6 months earlier and managed to gather information. and yet for some reason, he knows too much and has control over an army... Oberon has been guiding the LB6 gang for their mission since the start. but with Ritsuka his guidance over them is more personal. with their nightly talk about how Ritsuka shouldn't overly worry with Mashu and need to believe in her. how Oberon also told them about his greatest desire to see Titania. both shares an intimate worries with each other night by night. as the story progress we start to sense more feelings of something not right with Oberon, and more darkness with his character with how Castoria mentioned that Oberon is "always angry". and finally the big reveal when Oberon admitted that he was always Vortigern and everything he do is driven by hate and disgust....but is that true?

see Oberon and Beatrice (or so we should refer to as Sayo) are idealistic, yearning and romantic type of characters. they yearn for something that they see are out of their reach due to circumstances in their life and self-hatred. they're full of fantasies but are forced to be grounded to reality.

both are characters that are so full of love and yet are "born in a body that unable to love"

Sayo with her gender dysphoria basically sees herself as worthless without functioning genitalia. unable to fulfill her and George's dream of having children. in her self hatred sees herself as someone that is impossible to love. a "furniture"

Oberon who is forced to always lie. whatever words he said, the bigger and the more "truthful" his trues are, the more the world twist into a lie. cursing him to always acts like a terrible person and treat someone he love badly. he sees himself as someone who is impossible to be loved, someone that can only be loved by a woman who is not real even. because fantasy is only where his love will come true. he sees himself as a "device".

speaking of love that can only come true in a fantasy:

how Oberon's Abyss and Beatrice's Golden Land is basically the same thing AKA a Cat Box

those two are the places of final destination to the two characters we're discussing right now.

Abyss basically an equivalent to hell, hence its translated as "Naraku" in JP (is also a double meaning to a backstage). a land closed of from land and reality, Oberon's and Britain's final end. a place where every role come to an end, hence he is the embodiment of the end. the backstage of all the actors

Golden Land is synonymous with heaven in Beatrice's eyes. a land where everything can become real, all of the love will become real. and a place where Beatrice can finally rest in peace.

both of them have a desire to take everyone and everything into it, a whole island. and while its true that its driven by hate and disgust (Oberon with his hatred of the act of consumption and how Morgan is basically forcing a never ending story) (Sayo with her disgust at her family and the deeds that Kinzo has done in the past)

in their eyes they also see it as an act of saving everyone. its an act that's driven by love in a twisted way. for Sayo by taking everyone in her murder-suicide plan and repaying the sins that her family has committed. they all can enjoy a life of happiness in her twisted version of the afterlife

for Oberon. the act of ending a rotten corpse that is Britain is an act of mercy. a tale shouldn't be forced to go and on for eternity. by destroying Britain and also his new plan to take PHH with him, its his way of trying to destroy reality so that Titania could exist in a world of only fantasy (the lostbelts)

both of them are desperate to create a fantasy because that's the only place their love could flourish

on that note. Oberon's abyssal proposal towards Ritsuka in his summer lines. makes me think that both of their relationship could only flourish in death or the end after they both finish their respective role. and more importantly to Oberon, the abyss is a world where there's no audience to interpret his meaning. means he can truly acts truthful as he can, which reminds me exactly of Golden Land AKA Cat Box. a love that can only become true in a cat box where there's no absolute truth and all the audience can do is make endless interpretation = endless possibility

(note that this is how it works in dreams too. hence why he doesn't have wings and insect hands on the scenes because those are fakes lol/// Oberon able to tell the truth in dream land. and LB6 final scene where he confess to us in the dream world is basically The Confession of The Golden Witch moment)

Oberon Vortigern, his personas and how they conveniently fits Yasuda Sayo's multiple personas too

i would like to talk about how Sayo Yasuda's multiple persona fits Oberon. The most common misconception about Oberon is that Vortigern is his real personality, while Oberon is a fake one, when both of them are a lie that contains an essence of truth in him

Shannon is the ideal self that Sayo imagines. As the perfect woman with her ideal type of a body and is a capable hardworking maid.

Similar to Oberon's prince persona as the ideal reliable prince. the ideal look and the extroverted and cheerful personality that he can use to charm faes across the kingdom

Kanon is the more darker personality where Sayo can channel the negative aspect of her personality to not ruin her kind maid persona. Making him gloomy and cold. he's also her way to explore her identity in a male body

Similiar to Vortigern where its his personality that he can drop the pretense of ideal prince and rant about his hatred and annoyance of others.

i see Beatrice the Golden Witch as the mastermind aspect of Oberon. someone who's fully absolved in their role and acts in a way to spin the narrative to hide their true self while also desperately wanting to be found. the aspect that needs to be seen with love to see the truth in them

Claire is the "observer" aspect of Oberon. despite being an actor, Oberon claims he and Guda are only an observer in LB6 to Castoria's much more focused journey.

oh and Claire's theme song is basically just Oberon, give it a listen!

youtube

and finally Sayo Yasuda. this may be a reach but I think there's another aspect that we never seen in the story similar how we never see Sayo Yasuda in the VN.

its the Oberon Vortigern without his mental debuff immunity. in the latest Kazuradrop event it is shown that his immunity truly works as he unable to feel fear or insanity from primal fear of Kazura's giant form unlike Ritsuka and the rest.

i do think the reason why Oberon have never went insane due to his circumstances in his current incarnation is that immunity. all we ever see is the rational and sane side of Oberon.

Sayo Yasuda is the despair aspect of Oberon Vortigern. someone who laments about their fate and injustice. the mix of genuinety behind their goals but also the desire to be stopped and punished. she's the aspects of consideration to look at people and their idealism, the inability to tolerate injustice They both yearns for something better for everyone and then themself

note that this aspect of Oberon who hate injustice and have his true desire is for everyone to have happiness and not sacrificed by the system is scattered through LB6 but only clearly confirmed by Nasu in the FGO's 9th anniv interview

In the end all personas are a lie but cannot be denied, as it hold some truths in them. And only if you accept all of them will you able to see the true person behind it

Relationship of Oberon and Beatrice towards the protagonist

beaches and sea

the moment Oberon found Ritsuka's unconscious body in that beach. that time, he knew. that they're his destiny. they're the one who decide his fate, the final piece in his chessboard that will end his thousand years role as an end device. at first that's what he thought of as his "destiny"

he never expected them to have bigger implications towards his ideals

"Titania. one who was created for a single purpose then discarded the moment it was served"

"maybe he's already meet someone similar to her"

if we all catch up to all the current stories and situations towards Ritsuka. we all know what this all implies. (we all could argue its referring to Blanca, but there's just too many hints by Nasu that it mostly refers to Ritsuka, I'll get on it in another analysis lol)

for Sayo. a lot of her fate deciding factor happens in the beach. Battler's proposal towards her. the destroying of the shrine during her bomb testing, setting her fate for the absolute certain death of everyone on the island. and finally, the ultimatum if Battler will arrive after 6 years of waiting of that promise. if Battler arrives, she will continue her plan of massacre, and if not she will leave the island and try to live her life with George.

Battler similar to Ritsuka was the destiny and the fate deciding factor of each characters. they are the wheels of fate. both Oberon and Beatrice while acting as if they're in the higher grounds compared to them, was at the protagonist's absolute mercy.

both of them lies and created an over convulted ideas as an excuse to not be loved

Beatrice desire to be chased and seen by Battler behind all of her cruel games of murder mystery. the contradictory of her actions of seemingly wanting Battler to fall into despair but also want him just to just keep and keep going. just please understand her, see through her. don't just accept everything as the narrative tolds. she despairs and gave up on her game after Battler himself given up

if we're talking about meta world. even during the epitaph solving quest, Beatrice was still hoping someone but most importantly Battler to realize the truth and stop her before she committed to her plan. but alas it doesn't happen that way.

Battler still ended up accepting Yasuda Sayo in the end despite everything, as they went into the boat ride...

for Oberon his entire character is a one big puzzle game. he is desperate but he have a more extreme restrictions by the system than Beatrice does. showing himself in the storm border and basically showing his weakness while still talking about how evil and hateful he is. and as Ritsuka keeps calling him out and out with their red lines. he started to become more desperate insisting on his disgust and how never cared one bit about everyone

but then...

that's it. at this moment Oberon lost. they figure him out, they see through his lies, they see the truth in him. they saw the love in him

this is the deciding factor where Obe decides that yeah, he lose to you Pan Human History.

Oberon proceeds to claim that he has no love unlike those Beast. and then proceed to debuff himself heavily by putting his level at 85. he doesn't give it all at the fight.

Ritsuka is his destiny. and as his wheel of fate, they stopped him from committing a mass genocide to the entire world

in the end both Beatrice and Oberon realize that there's someone out there who truly can accept who they are despite everything. and sadly it contradicts their nature

Sayo who's convinced she had made way too many sins with the pre-meditated murder plans. convince herself that she's a witch that unable to live in a human world and jump off the boat, drowning herself with the last Ushiromiya gold

Oberon, who has way too much hatred for himself and is cursed to forever lie. being born as doomsday who's unable to love. ended up purposely losing and falling into the abyss

both yearn for love and yet that love are too bright for them

may they rest in peace in the depths of the abyss

and yet...maybe they won't be alone afterall

Final message

i believe Nasu was hugely inspired by Umineko when he write LB6. there's too many parallels between love, hope, lies, fantasy and the concept of denying them.... oh and a lot of traumas!

not too mention the obvious red lines of truth

LB6 also at that time was the most nuanced chapter of FGO with a lot of characters being morally grey due to the faeries being constricted by their roles for survivals

the story about Umineko is about creating your own truth, how you shouldn't believe in something just because its what the narrative spins to you. but you also shouldn't stomp on those fantasies and lies with your truth. see them truly from the deepest of your heart. because there has to be truth for a lie to exist

the act of only wanting to find truth without a care and then discarding them the moment you find the truth is nothing but the act of consumption

you wouldn't want to be like Erika or the goats right? or Chaldea as Oberon prefers to refer them as

so i ask you to see Oberon's character with this in mind. no he's not just a silly fae king that loves everyone. no he's not just a hateful fae prince that hate everything and just wants to destroy. he is nuance incarnate

he is made out of multiple layers of lies that also holds the truth. he is the Cat Box of Fate/Grand Order. there is no absolute truth in him unless it is stated by Kinoko Nasu himself

and only in a world where there's no audience may he confess himself

without love, it cannot be seen

#oberon #fgo #oberon vortigern #fate grand order #oberon fgo #umineko #umineko no naku koro ni #sayo yasuda #beatrice the golden witch #trashy rambles

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jjj-no-studio · 9 years ago

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鐵皮印象/iron sheet

鐵皮, 一體兩面的呈現出臺灣社會的多元價值觀, 外國旅客眼中的新鮮特色,卻是國人眼中的景觀殺手, 鄉村的鐵皮屋、城鎮的頂樓加蓋、騎樓的鐵捲門、外推陽台的搭建,「鐵皮」都是你我熟悉的主角, 導水的用途, 影響了造型；快速的滿足需求, 導致大量的擴張, 滲透日常, 儼然已成為文化的一部分.

Iron sheet, it shows multiple perspectives of Taiwanese society, a new feature to foreign travelers, but an unpleasant mark to local citizens. From metal houses in counties, rooftop add-on in cities, rolling steel doors on pedestrian arcades, to balcony constructions, “iron sheets” are familiar to us. Its drainage function made its appearances; meeting the demands this fast leads to huge expansion into our daily, being a part of culture.

盛行因素/Popular Reason

氣候條件/Climate conditions 臺灣地處熱帶及亞熱帶氣候區之交界，夏季炎熱漫長多雨；海島地形，四面環海導致冷空氣受到海洋調和，冬季相較鄰近區域溫暖，鐵皮特性反映臺灣氣候條件。 Taiwan is on the common border of tropical and subtropical region, with the long, hot, and rainy summer; cold air is balanced by the surrounding sea, by comparison, winter is warmer then neighboring countries. The characteristic of iron sheets is the reflection of Taiwan’s climatic condition. 結構疏水/Drainability 傳統多採木構與磚石建築，直至民國六、七十年代，鋼筋混泥土技術盛行，平屋頂的特性無法有效排水。 Traditionally, woods and bricks are often being used on constructing, not until 60’s and 70’s did the skills of reinforced concrete become very common, but flat roofs are not able to drain the water effectively. 工法容易/Simple techniques 鐵皮局部修補容易；建築時間快速、組裝、生產便利，儼然成為現代草根性的庶民建築風貌。 Iron sheets are easily to fix, quick constructing time, easy to build and produce, becamethe modern common construction style. 時代流行/Popular by times 二戰後施工技術不佳及傳統建築所需工匠難尋，以致簡便的鐵皮屋暢行崛起，民間順應以頂樓加蓋的形式增設空間。 After World War II, by the poor techniques and the difficulties of finding traditional architects, simple metal houses had risen suddenly, people used the form of “rooftop add-on” to expand their space.

設計元素/Design Elements

在設計上取用鐵皮屋的三個元素為特點─鋼骨結構、鐵皮浪板和鐵皮釘. 鋼骨結構簡化為方管用於大型家具；而花瓶則以圓管表現小件作品的細緻.

The 3 elements which based on metal sheet houses are steel structure, corrugated sheets and iron nails. Steel structure will be simplify as square tubes use in large-scale furniture; vases will be perform as circular pipes to show the refinement of small-scale works.

浪板形狀的選擇/Shape selection of Corrugated Sheets

採用鐵皮文化中，最貼近大眾的圓浪板。相對於需要工程製作的烤漆浪板，俗稱「鉛板」的小圓浪板作為主要發展形式，在坊間建材行或五金行即可輕鬆購得，被普遍應用在修補壁面、屋頂局部缺漏或者搭建簡易農舍與房屋。適用於不同用途，衍伸出繁多的種類，包含屋頂壁面角浪板、屋簷遮雨的採光板。

Use the most common “circular corrugated sheet” in the culture of metal sheets. With respect to the painted corrugated sheet that needed engineering production, using the so called “lead plate” which is the circular corrugated sheet as the main develop, it can be bought in any building materials store or hardware store, it is commonly be used in repairing the walls, parts of the roofs or building simple houses or barns. It can be used in different ways and derive to varieties of things, including the polycarbonate sheet used on the roof and lighting panels.

機能隨形生/Form Follows Function 浪板用於建築通常是作為結構與疏水的功能，而我們則思考同樣的造型，當他縮小不再是建材時，會變成什麼。我們發現鐵皮的凹槽平放時可用於置物，以此為基礎，加上大的弧度則發展成盤子；而彎成U字型時，底部的造型則可以積水，便發展成花器。

Corrugated sheets are mostly used as structural and draining of buildings. We are thinking what will happen if the same mold using are minified not as a material anymore. We found out that the notch of the metal sheet can be used for putting things, based on this, if we enlarge it can become a plate; when bending it into “U” shape, the mold beneath it can stand water then became a vase.

層次/Multi-level

鐵皮在搭建時因為材料的關係，會出現一片疊一片的景象。在屏風上我們用兩種間距的浪板，並讓前後分隔一點距離，做出交疊的感覺。前面的浪板也呈現出建材長度需求的特性，分成兩片疊起來。 Because of the materials, when the corrugated sheets were built, the sheets will overlap with each other. On the screen we use two different spaces of corrugated sheets, to make their distance further and become overlapped. The sheets in the front also showed the characteristic of the material’s length, split into two.

半圓拱屋頂/Arched roof

半圓拱屋頂→橢圓椅子，拱形屋頂也是常見於鐵皮建築工法的方式，可以將負載的重力導引轉換，承受更大的受力，相較平頂式屋頂；鐵皮屋使用的弧形鋼構，反倒成為一種沉穩且優美的力學表現。

Half Arched Roof→Oval Chair is also common in the buildings of corrugated sheets, compared to a flat top roof, it can transfer the loaded gravity and supported larger forces; the arc steel which is used in corrugated roof, it actually became a steadier and more beautiful mechanics.

#industrial design #product design #furniture design #furniture #taiwan #photography #工業設計 #商品 #商品デザイン #家具

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leibal · 4 months ago

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A Table for One is a minimalist table created by Melbourne-based designer Jess Humpston. In an age of multi-tasking furniture and infinitely adaptable spaces, A Table for One makes a quietly radical statement through its singular devotion to a simple act: holding a single drink. Like the now-obsolete smokers’ tables that inspired it, this piece celebrates the beauty of uni-functional design, finding poetry in purposeful restraint.

#minimalism #minimal furniture #minimal side table #minimalist design #leibal

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food-donation · 2 months ago

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Choosing the Best Interiors for Your Home

Your home’s interior reflects your personality and style. Whether you prefer modern minimalism, cozy rustic vibes, or luxurious elegance, here’s how to choose the best interiors within a budget:

1. Define Your Style

Identify your preference—contemporary, traditional, Scandinavian, or eclectic. Browse Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration.

2. Focus on Functionality

Prioritize comfort and usability. Opt for multi-functional furniture, smart storage, and durable materials.

3. Play with Colors & Textures

Neutral tones create a timeless look, while bold accents add character. Mix textures like wood, metal, and fabrics for depth.

4. Lighting Matters

Layer lighting with ambient, task, and accent lights. Natural light enhances space, so use sheer curtains or mirrors.

5. Budget-Friendly Choices

Shop during sales, explore thrift stores, or DIY decor. Small changes like new cushions or wall art can refresh a room.

6. Hire a Professional (If Needed)

For a polished look, consult an interior designer—many offer affordable packages.

With the right approach, you can create a stunning home without overspending!

#HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #BudgetFriendly #StylishLiving #DecorInspo #ModernInteriors #HomeMakeover

#interior design #interiors #interior decorating #home interior #hyderabad

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indigosunsetao3 · 8 months ago

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A Reason To Try

Chapter 17 - Recovery

Masterlist of Chapters

Warnings: 18+ - No minors Please read the tags on AO3 for any of your triggers

Alex Keller X Original FMC 8.3k words - AO3 Link

It took a phone call with Price and Madeline insisting she could handle herself in an empty farmhouse before Alex agreed to let her assess the building they were parked behind. He didn’t like the idea of her going out with no backup. He was in no state to cover her. Just the thought of trying to get into an overwatch position or even do the sweep himself made his head swim. Alex insisted they would be fine in the car until he had more strength back, then he could clear the area. But as the day ticked by and the temperature outside dropped lower than the night before, he knew it was a losing battle as Madeline narrowed her eyes at him. The final straw was when Madeline caught Alex shivering and then wincing in pain.

There hadn’t been any movement around them all day. No sounds, no strange happenings. Complete silence. He had been dozing in and out of a haze all day in the car, still exhausted, but Alex knew if anything had cropped up, Madeline would have reacted. He was taking the dead silence as a good sign, even if out in the field, that usually meant the other shoe hadn’t dropped yet.

The farmhouse had been completely still, but Madeline agreed to take it slow. To make loud noises to draw any sort of attention from inside before moving. The things tended to go into hibernation mode when there was no prey around, saving their energy as predators did. Madeline slammed the car door a few times, making Alex groan internally as his head rattled, and there was no response. She tried getting closer, stepped up on the porch, and dragged the furniture around before darting back to the car. Still nothing.

Alex had given her a strict five-minute rule, carefully grabbing her wrist and setting the timer on his watch. He knew her well enough. If he left her to do the timer, she’d claim it was five minutes and not show back up for ten, busy putting things together for him. The watchband was on the tightest setting, but it still slipped and slid on her arm. It twisted the wrong way as she used the butt of the gun to smash the small square glass on the backdoor and reach inside to unlock it. She fixed it, giving him one last look over her shoulder, before slipping inside.

When she appeared a minute late, Alex shut his eyes in relief for a moment before listening to her rundown on what she had found. It seemed the farmhouse was a multi-function building. The first floor was more for business, with large banquet rooms, an industrial kitchen, a gift shop, a bar, and multiple lounge areas. The second story was the private quarters, set up like a regular house would be, with all the normal amenities. But there was a thick layer of dust on the furniture, and the kitchen was nearly empty save for a few shelf-stable foods.

The shuffle inside was slower than Alex would have liked, his body too sore and tired to be of much use. He had to lean on Madeline to get up the back steps and pause at the welcome counter inside to catch his breath. His heart was hammering in his chest by the time they hit the main stairs, and he had to grip the banister to steady himself as his vision wavered. When they reached the bedroom door upstairs, he was sweating bullets and felt weak and shaky as Madeline shouldered it open.

“You need to rest,” Madeline said as Alex attempted to turn around to help her heave the bags in. She had dropped them at the top of the stairs when Alex’s knees threatened to buckle. “I can get the bags. Please, I don’t think I can catch you again,” Madeline said as she held out her arms, afraid he would keel forward on her.

Alex let her help him to the bed and leaned against the headboard as Madeline dragged in each bag. She left them in the middle of the floor before taking a seat on the bed herself. Despite the cold outside, winter in the South was a roulette for temperature, she was sweating.

Shrugging off the jacket and sweater, Madeline moved to pull her sticking hair off her neck when the alarm on the watch went off. It was time for Alex’s next round of medication. Standing up on slightly shaking legs, the exhaustion catching up, she moved to dig through the bags until she had all the medication clutched in one hand. She set it on the nightstand next to Alex, sweeping the decorative things into the drawer before drawing up the steroid.

“Have you taken care of yourself yet?” Alex asked as Madeline tore open an alcohol wipe and shifted to clean his arm.

“I’m fine,” Madeline muttered, though the sharp inhale through her nose as she angled the needle said otherwise. She had done this a few times now, but she was far from used to it. Now that he was awake and she was using his arm, she couldn’t just look away like she had when it was his hip. “I’ll get you settled and then barricade,” she muttered before jabbing him and pushing the plunger. Her stomach flipped at the feeling, and she felt her abs flex at the feeling before she pulled the needle out and capped it.

“You’re exhausted, Madeline,” Alex said as he watched her, doing his best not to smile a bit at her attempt to cover up her repulsion of injecting him with medication. He barely felt the jab, his body still feeling like it was half asleep. “Your bandage is coming undone, and it’s oozing,” he nodded at her hand. “When was the last time you looked at it?”

“I,” she thought back, trying to put the timeline together. Having to wake up, if she slept at all, to check on him and take care of his injuries constantly, she couldn’t place it. Was it a few hours ago? No, that was when she checked his bite and carefully bandaged it back up, balling up the bloody rags inside her gloves and tossing them into a bag. Her brain was a bit muddled, and when she looked at Alex, who was waiting for an answer, she sighed defeated. “I don’t remember.”

“Can I?” Alex asked as he offered his hand. When she didn’t refuse but instead placed her injured hand in his palm, he carefully undid the wrapping and held back a small hiss. Her pinky to her wrist was sliced in a jagged line, and the edges of the skin were pink with irritation. She flinched as he dabbed at a spot with gauze that was oozing out a yellowish liquid, and Alex snapped his eyes to her face.

“Have you taken any antibiotics?” He asked as he glanced back down at the deepest part of the wound. If it had been a normal time, or he had been around, it probably could have used a stitch or two.

“I could barely give you a shot without passing out. There is no way I can give myself one,” Madeline answered.

“I’ll do it then,” he said as she opened her mouth to protest. “It’s already a bit infected. If you get a high dose now, it may stave it off, and you won’t need another. Let it go too long, and you’ll need a whole round of it.” He knew he was going to win this one because the light shade of green she had turned at the thought of one shot was enough to turn her off from needing multiple.

“Three, two,” Alex counted down as Madeline sat with her head turned so as not to see the needle. He stuck her before he hit one, and he felt her tense before he pulled it out and quickly stuck a bandaid over it. “Done,” he said as he rubbed the spot gently with his thumb to make the medication disperse faster and not settle.

“It burns,” Madeline complained with a grimace as she looked at the bandaid before up at him. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m too sore to even notice,” Alex confessed as he switched to rubbing his palm broadly up and down her arm to stimulate blood flow. “Take some Tylenol for the pain and swelling,” he added as Madeline handed him rolls of gauze and other items so he could clean and wrap up her hand properly.

Madeline stared around the room as Alex worked, glad to have a break from the gore and let him take care of it. It was hard to wrap her dominant hand. The wrappings were always too loose in some places and tight in others. So when he finished, and the bandages felt snug, she smiled a little bit. The even pressure helped ease some of the ache.

“Now rest,” she instructed as she stood up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes once I find something to block the door to the stairs and make sure all the windows are locked.”

She had made a mental list of things to check when Alex had been sleeping earlier. Her top priority was safety, so blocking entrances and exits needed to be done first. Then, once she felt they were more secure, she would set some barriers that would make a noise if anyone tried to get in. If she had enough energy after that, she would go through their bags and see what else they could use from the house. Followed by poking around in the kitchen.

True to her word, Madeline came back after she had grunted and fought with the gigantic dryer in the laundry room to shove it in front of the door on the stairs. Alex was solidly out. He hadn’t even had a chance to lay down properly before sleep had claimed him again. It seemed that just the walk inside and up the stairs had wiped him out.

Walking into the room, she moved some pillows around and helped him lie down, chuckling a bit as he muttered something in his sleep. She smoothed his hair back, fingers tracing down his cheek softly before leaving again. She could use the time while he was asleep to get a few more things checked off her list.

The next time Alex awoke, the sun was high in the sky, and he snapped his eyes shut at the unexpected brightness. He pushed up a bit on his arms and twisted his head to the side to look about the room. He spotted Madeline in a chair by the window, engrossed in a book, not realizing he was up.

“How long was I out?” Alex asked as he focused on her form, still squinting a bit.

“Almost a full day, didn’t even wake when I gave you your last shot,” Madeline answered with a grin before she held up the book she had been reading to hide a yawn. “Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten in a few days.” She got up from her spot, snapping the book shut, and came to sit on the bed.

“When was the last time you ate?” Alex asked as he reached out and grabbed her thigh to get her attention, flexing his fingers a bit when she moved to get up. “Slept?” He took in the dark circles under her eyes and sat up, prepared to halt her attempts to get out of his grasp.

He was expecting a shot of pain and winced a bit in preparation, but nothing was there. He felt oddly…normal. Maybe some of his soreness was from lying in the car and not all from being sick. “Madeline,” Alex said a bit stiffly as she pointedly ignored him and wriggled out of his grasp.

“You need to drink as well,” she continued, not listening to him as she tossed a few bottles of Gatorade from the duffle bags onto the bed. “We have fluids if you need them, but you’re on your own for that one.” She was babbling with tiredness, a trait her sister always teased her for. Everyone in the family knew when Madeline was ready for bed because all she wanted to do was talk. “I managed to get everything barricaded. All windows are locked. Found some candles in their hall closet. I thought those would be safe since they don’t give off a whole lot of light. Bit of an odd mix of smells, but,” she shrugged, looking around the room at the collection of candles all around.

“Mads,” Alex tried again as she came around the side of the bed to hold out a selection of food for him. She still wasn’t listening, eyes darting to the drinks still on the end of the bed. When she leaned to get them, he grabbed her wrist. She tugged but didn’t break his hold, and he gently pulled back on her to get her attention. “I can do this for myself. I’m already feeling better.”

It wasn’t a lie.

As he gained more awareness, the longer he was awake, he found he didn’t feel like he was in as much of a fog. His mind was clearer. He didn’t feel the sickly shaking like he had before either. He certainly wasn’t up to full strength, but he also didn’t feel like he would keel over just by walking to the bathroom. Curiously, he twisted his left arm to look at the bandaged bite and found that the red streaks on his skin had fully retreated under the bandage.

“You don’t need to push it,” Madeline argued as she looked at the bandage as well. “Sleep is the best thing for you now. So, get something to eat and lay back down.”

“I’ve slept enough,” Alex answered. “I don’t think I could sleep right now if I tried. Let me take watch for a bit,” he paused as she narrowed her eyes. “I can sit in a chair for a few hours.” He resisted the urge to huff as she crossed her arms disbelievingly over her chest. “Just a few. Get some sleep. If I need you, I’ll wake you up. You haven’t slept properly in days.”

Madeline knew she was going to lose the fight. If he was strong enough to argue, he was strong enough to order her around again. And she was exhausted. There was more of a risk of her falling asleep in the chair on watch than it was for Alex. Even in his state, she knew he would never put their safety, her safety, to chance.

“Just a few, then you wake me up,” she glared at him a bit to get him to agree. When he nodded, she nodded back, watching him disappear into the bathroom. He still limped, but he was moving on his own without much issue, which made her smile faintly. It was a huge difference from when she had found him in the woods.

Shucking off her pants, Madeline bit back her groan of relief as she slipped under the covers. The bed was soft, and as she rolled over, she found the spot Alex had laid in. It was still warm and smelled of him, which only made her bury herself in the bed more. She grinned a bit as she curled around a pillow, listening to him shuffling about in the bathroom, ready to dart out of the bed if he needed her. But he didn’t call out, and after a few moments the exhaustion won, and she was asleep.

Madeline had passed out rather quickly, even for Alex’s prediction. He had lingered in the bathroom longer than needed just to give her some time, and when he popped his head out to look at her, he laughed a bit. All he could see was a lump under the covers and hear her soft, muffled breathing from where she had buried herself. Right in the spot he had been in.

Alex spent his time slowly cleaning himself up, quietly shuffling between the bedroom and the rest of the house so as not to disturb Madeline. He would have killed for a proper shower, but he would take what he could get. Which was a few jugs of water and wiping down with a washcloth and soap. He worked carefully around his wounds while standing in the shower, inspecting each one as he cleaned them.

His leg was healing fairly well, faster than he would have thought. The bite was no longer oozing, either. The chunk was already scabbed, and pink skin was growing back in places. And the wound on his head was barely a raised scratch. It was unnerving. He had seen and had enough of his own gruesome injuries to know something wasn’t right. These should have taken many more days to look even half this healed, yet the marks looked weeks old. Even the black and blue bruise that spread from his cheek to his nose was light yellow. The splits in his lips were completely healed.

“What the hell,” Alex muttered as he continued to assess himself. Something in this virus had to be doing it. The infected didn’t react to pain or injury. Perhaps this virus had healing qualities. Somehow sped up the body’s natural ability. It would explain why the infected didn’t go down no matter how many times you shot them. The only thing that stopped them were shots to the head, and that was only because it destroyed the brain. There was no healing from that.

Washing his hair, not bothering to put the bandage back on that wound, Alex finished up his makeshift bath. He trimmed his beard with what he could find and shaved for the first time in…he couldn’t remember. It made him feel a little more human and less sickly to actually freshen up and put on a clean pair of comfortable clothes. He had grabbed a shirt but decided to forgo it, already back to running hot even without a temperature. And when he looked at his reflection in the mirror as he dried his face, he actually recognized the face looking back at him, save for the red tinge that still lined his irises.

He spent the rest of his time patrolling around the house, poking in the rooms for things to occupy his time, and had a quick spotty call with Price. Then, when he grew tired of exploring, he picked up the book Madeline had been reading earlier and took a seat on the bed next to her under the blankets to read. The area had been quiet of all movement, and they were tightly barricaded inside. He had added a few things of his own to reinforce the two exits, so Alex wasn’t as worried about staring out the window on guard. They would hear anything getting close thanks to the hills amplifying echoes, and the farmhouse itself was decently hidden from prying eyes. Unless you knew it was there, it wasn’t a destination for anyone.

As night fell, and the candles barely gave off enough light to read by, Alex shut the book and set it on the nightstand. Madeline had been asleep for hours now, and he knew she would be frustrated with him if he didn’t wake her. She’d want to check on him, to fuss and force him to eat something even though he wasn’t hungry. But he had agreed to just a few hours.

Peeling the blankets back, he found Madeline curled tightly around a pillow, her back to him as she slept. She had barely moved that whole time, which told him just how exhausted she was. A few more minutes of sleep wouldn’t hurt.

Adjusting a bit, he slipped into the spot next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her against him. She shifted a little, a small huff escaping her lips at being moved. He slid his hand up her side, then arm, and up to her neck to brush the hair there away. He shifted it up above her head before running his knuckles down the side of her neck softly. She still didn’t move. So he laid just as still as her, admiring her and thanking whoever was out there for letting him live to get back to her again.

“Mads,” Alex said quietly after a few minutes as she shifted against him on the fringes of sleep and consciousness. "Are you awake?” he asked quietly as he nuzzled his face up behind her and pressed a kiss where her neck met the back of her shoulder. It was something he had done all those weeks ago without even thinking about it, and then he immediately came up with a million apologies while he waited for her to snap at him. But she hadn’t. And from there, it had quietly turned into their thing. Neither acknowledged it out loud, though he always felt when she arched her neck shyly asking for more.

A small noncommittal noise met his ears. Alex grinned as he brushed his lips over the same spot again. And he felt her shift, as always, giving him more access to her skin even if she didn’t realize it. The collar of the oversized button down sliding away to give him more of a view of her shoulder.

“You told me to wake you up,” he said quietly as he shifted to breathe over the newly exposed skin, his lips barely grazing it. He felt a shiver go down her back, and he bit back a cocky laugh before continuing to talk just to tease her more. “But you don’t need to get up. Everything is fine.” Each word caused his lips to brush over her skin, so lightly it could be denied, but it was enough for goosebumps to erupt.

“Alex?” Madeline muttered, still mostly asleep. She had stirred a bit when she had been tugged against him but didn’t allow herself to wake up fully, instead settling into the warm embrace. She was too comfortable, too relaxed, to want to get up. Tucked safely into the warm bed with Alex’s arm locked around her, Madeline had nowhere else she wanted to be.

“I’m here,” Alex answered. “You made me promise to wake you up, so this is me waking you up,” he said softly, his hand flexing on her stomach as she adjusted this time to get that fraction of an inch closer to him. “But you can go back to sleep,” he explained. “Everything is fine, all quiet. I can stay up. I just didn’t want you to accuse me of not trying,” he smirked, knowing she had rolled her eyes, even if it was figuratively.

“Mmm,” Madeline answered, feeling the heavy pull of sleep dragging her back. “Stay,” she breathed, her arm unlocking from around the pillow to reach down and grab his, holding it as best as she could in her tired state. “’s been quiet every night anyway.” It had been too long since they had been like this, since she had felt his comfort before it all went to hell.

Alex didn’t hesitate. He knew the wise idea would be to get out of bed and douse all the candles. Or to stay up all together and not be distracted. But he wasn’t feeling very wise. Rolling back some, he had to wriggle his hand free of hers to reach for the blanket to cover himself. But Madeline must have been afraid he was leaving because, despite her tired state, she quickly groped behind her to grab at him, her hand landing on his leg.

“Not going anywhere,” Alex assured her, careful to flip the blanket up and avoid one of the candles on the nightstand. “Still right here,” he replied as he twisted back to her again, winding one of his legs between hers and grabbing her hip to pull her flush against him.

“Good,” Madeline said quietly as she felt his broad palm slide over her thigh before going under the flannel shirt she still wore to rest on her stomach. He was in sweats, and she could feel the soft material on her bare legs as he tangled them together. “I’ve missed this,” she added as she leaned back into his chest more, giving him better access to touch her.

Alex grinned as he listened to her half-asleep slurred voice, his fingers tracing idle circles on her stomach. She was tucked far back into his chest now, her head barely grazing the underside of his chin as he continued to explore the expanse of skin she was offering. She was still so soft under his fingers, his hands permanently calloused despite this sped-up healing component of whatever this virus was.

“I’ve missed you,” he said after a moment as he let his hand slide down to trace her hipbone, grazing over the lace elastic band of her underwear.

“Don’t leave me again then,” Madeline answered quietly.

“Deal,” Alex agreed, tilting his head down to press a kiss into her hair.

He was fully prepared to lay in the bed and just hold her while she slept, even if he had to lie still and stare at the flickering candles in silence for hours. If that meant he was there with her, he would take it in any form. Settling in he slid his hand back down toward her underwear to let his fingertips run softly under the elastic this time, using the material as an anchor for his hand. But she shifted at that.

“Sorry, I,” Alex started, instantly pulling his hand off her and moving to back up. Perhaps he had pushed too far.

Madeline smiled to herself. She knew he was doing his best to be polite, to lull her back to sleep and just bask in this, but that’s not what she wanted. She wanted to feel him more, to have him closer. After thinking he was dead so many times, watching him so close to death's doorstep, she swore the reaper was in the car with them; she needed him. Needed to feel his warmth, his caress, listen to his racing heartbeat caused by her and not illness.

She didn’t answer his apology verbally, anyway. Instead, she tugged on her shirt to find the buttons, fumbling with still tired fingers for them. When she found the first one, she tugged. The well worn flannel gave easily, and she pushed the fabric back, moving toward the second one.

It took Alex a few seconds to figure out what she was doing, but only a few. When the first button popped, his arm gently wound back around her and he grabbed her hand to stop her. A silent command to let him as he found the next one and undid it deftly between his thumb and forefinger. He hadn’t planned on this leading down this path but he certainly wasn’t going to turn it away either.

Madeline’s breath caught as he freed the third button without even needing to look, and she swallowed hard as the fourth fell free. The shirt was almost fully undone, one half falling to the bed next to her, the other carefully bunched along Alex’s forearm as his breathing started to come a bit faster in anticipation. She matched it as she watched him work with heavy lidded eyes.

“Are you sure?” Alex asked, ever the gentleman, while his mind was still coherent. The way Madeline arched her back slightly, silently demanding he touch her as he continued his work to undo the button between her breasts, told him his answer. He knew they had to be careful, so fucking careful, because of the infection. The virus was transmitted by blood or saliva, and while he had managed to survive it, it didn’t mean he wasn’t a carrier or not still infected. Which meant many things were off limits. He couldn’t risk her; not even a chaste kiss or getting his mouth on her in other places could happen.

“Madeline,” he started, his tone shifting to more serious as he ran through all the ways this could go wrong. All the ways they would need to be careful.

“I know,” Madeline answered, picking up on the restraint and slight hesitance in his voice. She knew what him being bit meant, what a risk he could be to her. But what they were doing was fine, he wouldn’t put her in danger and she knew they both knew that. “Just touch me, Alex,” Madeline nearly begged as he undid the last button by her collarbone. His hand peeled her shirt away, hooking it around her shoulder to bare her to the still warm air under the blanket. “Please, just,” the words died in her throat as the same hand slid along her collarbone.

Alex shut his eyes for a moment as he listened to her talk, the pleading in her voice. This was not the best idea and every single sense told him to just tug her to him and lay with her as she fell back asleep. But the way she spoke, how she reached up behind her to grab at his neck as if afraid he’d pull back, he didn’t stop. Selfishly he wanted it as badly as she did.

Madeline was barely breathing as he explored, her body wound tight as he pushed at the shirt more to get a better feel. He didn’t give her what she wanted right away, though. Instead, he let his knuckles graze down her ribs, fingers extending to trace along her belly button. He took his time working his way back up in one long stroke, his fingertips grazing up the swell of one breast as she held her breath waiting. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, narrowing in on every spot his skin touched hers. She needed his featherlight touch to turn into something more, for him to take what she was offering to him, begging him to claim.

Still lying behind her, Alex was unable to see just what he was doing and instead relied on memory and feel. Based on her reactions and how she stiffened as his hand slipped up her breast he knew he was doing just fine. And when her impatience won out, and her nails scratched at his scalp as she pulled on him again, he knew she was desperate for more. He granted her a little reprieve, the pads of his fingers briefly passing over her nipple, so she whined in her throat, making him smirk.

The fact he was still alive to experience this again was beyond comprehension, enough so that it made him wonder if this whole thing was a fever-induced hallucination. That in reality he was really still half dead in the back of the car, just waiting to turn. But the way Madeline rolled her hips so her ass pressed tight against where he was already growing hard pulled him from that thought. He was very much awake and in bed with a woman who wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

Madeline could feel him. Feel him dig into her as she rolled her hips again and how he grunted a bit behind her. She pulled his head back to her neck and sighed as he pressed his lips to her skittering pulse. She wanted more, needed more, and attempted to roll so she could grab him properly, but Alex stopped her. His hand sliding to grip her hip and dig into the sensitive spot there.

“You wanted me to touch you,” Alex said quietly, his breath warm on her neck, holding her still. “So let me touch you.” His voice was low, a soft command that he knew would only further her enticement. She listened though, letting her body twist back and relax against him as he shifted to press his knee up a fraction of an inch. That’s all he needed to get that soft little gasp out of her, knowing he was putting friction right at the apex of her thighs.

Alex was right. She wanted his hands all over her, touching her, grabbing at her. And when he resumed his exploration and pressed up into her just enough, she shut her eyes to bask in the feel. Madeline knew if she rushed him, he would stop, but the disappointed whine she let out as his fingers once again skimmed over her breasts couldn’t be helped. Based on the feel of his lips on her shoulders she knew he was grinning at her suffering.

When Alex felt her practically vibrating with anticipation, her breath catching if he even came close to more than skimming over her skin, he finally relented. Let his hand cup her breast and squeeze. He bit back his own groan as she arched up, pushing her hips down into his, and let out a satisfied sigh. He didn’t ease up his hold as he continued, adding more pressure and pinching her nipple lightly as she pushed against his palm.

Between his hand and his knee grinding up into her Madeline felt the familiar flush of pleasurable warmth spreading through her. She was unashamed as she pushed back against him, on him, and made it her mission to get him to pant along with her. Hooking her foot behind his calf, she gave him more room to push up into her. And when his knee hit that perfect spot, she rolled her head to groan into the pillow.

Alex needed more of that. More of her moans, more of her using him for her pleasure. But to get it he would need better access and her face away from the pillows.

Deftly, before Madeline could really figure out what he was doing, Alex rolled her on top of him and shifted up the bed. In this position he was reclined on the pillows with her partially down his chest due to their size difference. As Madeline gained her bearings, Alex tucked her head between his collarbone and shoulder and used his own legs to kick hers out so they were hooked over his shins, effectively spreading her to the chilled air. When she reached down toward the bed with her hands to push herself up and slide closer, Alex didn’t let her. He grabbed her hips to keep her solidly pressed against him and bent his knees just a bit to get her to do the same.

“Stay like this,” Alex said quietly, tilting his head down so his breath caressed the shell of her ear. “I want to see you,” he grinned, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

Madeline stopped adjusting at his words and instead flicked her eyes up to him. Everything was on display in this position. The red flannel shirt fell open easily, and she knew the underwear left little for Alex’s imagination in the dim candlelight. She didn’t look at herself though, nor at his fingers that now roamed over the curve of her inner thighs and over the v of her hips. She continued to watch his eyes, nearly burning from the inside out at the intense need she saw in his gaze as he took her in. But the thing that nearly sent her over the edge was when his fingers brushed over the thin lace at her center. Not at the touch, it was still too light to be anything but a tease, but at the way his pupils flared at what he found there.

The candles in the room were throwing long shadows on the walls and bed, barely giving off enough light to see a few feet in front of them. But that was all Alex needed to see Madeline pressed against him. See how her chest heaved as he peered down her body from over her shoulder. Watch as she flinched lightly as his fingers traced over sensitive spots on her legs. And how her eyes locked on his face in curious fascination, and perhaps a bit of smugness, at how he was barely holding it together as he drank her in.

Daring to press at the final barrier on her body, Alex let his hand cup over Madeline’s center to feel the heat and warmth of her need. The lace floral design had so many thin spots and holes that Alex didn’t even need to push the material to the side to notice the wetness. She was hot, pliant, and already so slick for him he knew he could have her screaming in a matter of minutes. Fuck this fucking virus. He wanted to just slide the strip of cloth to the side and settle her over him in one swift movement. Let her ride him like this, where he could hold her close to him and watch as she fell apart on him. But he couldn’t, so he would take the next best thing.

“Ungh, Alex,” Madeline barely gasped out as he pushed the lace to the side and plunged his fingers through her folds. He was keeping it just as slow and methodical as he had done when he wound her up before, and she fisted her hands into his sweats for the need to hold onto something. She looked down to watch as his fingers worked, how his broad palm took up the soft circling pressure on her clit so the pads of his fingers could press against her entrance. She groaned in her throat and rolled her hips to match his movements, and perhaps to force him to sink into her.

“Just us here,” Alex said as he lifted the hand that had been on her hip to pull her bottom lip free where she had been biting down on it in restraint. “No need to be quiet.” He smirked as he ran his thumb along her bottom lip, still teasing her clit with his palm waiting for her to whine again. When she squirmed, he pressed a finger in to the first knuckle, and Madeline let out a soft gasp. He took his opportunity to hook his thumb to press down on her tongue so the accompanying sigh echoed around the room. “There we go,” he praised as she darted her eyes up to his face before arching up as he pushed his finger in fully. “Let me hear you.”

She was going to combust just from his voice. It was a low rasp that felt like it was raking along her nerves in time with the slow pump of his finger. Everything was on fire. Everywhere he had touched her to amp her up was sensitive to the cool air and his hand that had moved to gently cup her jaw to keep her head pressed back to his chest felt like a brand. He was fully in control of her, of the situation, and she was all too willing to let him continue to take the reins as long as he didn’t stop.

Alex added another finger without resistance, and when Madeline bared down on him to add more pressure, he gave it back. Each press in then pull back had her moaning with an increased cadence and Alex also groaned as she breathed out his name. He liked hearing her call his name, the way it sounded coming from her lips in any form, but this was his favorite. A slight pleading in her tone as she careened toward that freefall. Pleading because she needed him to get her there.

“Fu-Alex,” Madeline gasped as she bowed against his chest, his hand still holding her face so she couldn’t look away from him. His eyes snapped up from watching his work, where he caught a glimpse of something glistening on his hand, to look at her face. The grin he gave her was the final undoing. It was an easy, cocky, one that she had come to know over the past few weeks. One he gave her when he was right or when he teased her. And right now, when he knew he was the reason she was white knuckling the fabric of his pants to keep some semblance of reality.

“That’s it,” Alex taunted just a bit because he enjoyed the way her eyes fluttered at his praises. “Roll your hips just like,” he cut off with a groan as she moved, grinding against his still restrained cock. “Just like that,” he finished as he felt her release. Her legs fought to clamp shut, muscles tensing as the pleasure washed through her, and she gasped at the ceiling. Watching her fall apart was almost enough for him, but the way she pressed down on him, asking for the pleasure to continue, kept Alex on that razor sharp edge.

Madeline watched Alex’s face, the way his jaw clenched as she rolled her hips on him and how his eyes shuttered for a moment. He was fighting to keep his concentration but she knew her movements were distracting him in the best way possible. Then, when his hand on her throat moved to grab her hip to help her move over him, she knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep control for long. His desire was winning out, and she wanted him to lose it. To let go even if it was for a few moments, to take what he needed because he always did for others. Always took care of her first, took care of everyone else but himself.

“What do you want?” Madeline asked in a shaky whisper as his fingers scissored in her causing her to buck up a bit.

“This,” Alex answered as he bent to kiss at her shoulder. “You like this,” he answered as his hand on her side pushed and pulled her over him. He was painfully hard and the rubbing pressure was making him bite back a grunt of pleasure that was almost bordering on agony as he fought to stay present. He couldn’t lose control, couldn’t give in to the carnal need that was right below the skin. But he wanted her. Wanted to pin her down on the bed and get her to scream his name out as he fucked her senseless. Wanted to watch as her eyes rolled up with yet another orgasm as she clawed at his back for a reprieve as he hiked her knee up to get even deeper.

“Alex,” Madeline breathed as he slipped his fingers from inside of her to rub the slick over her center in wide circles. “Can we-?” She huffed as he spread his hand to open her more to him, finding the rigid head of her clit and flicking it with his thumb. She wasn’t going to be able to get the words out as he did it again and her whole body twitched from the overstimulation.

“Can we what?” Alex taunted when she pulled him from his thoughts of driving into her hard enough she couldn’t catch her breath. She didn’t answer, her voice seemingly lost for a moment as he started small circles on her clit again. Instead, her hand came up to grab the one he had on her hip. He eased up his movements, afraid he had grabbed too hard or was being too aggressive.

“I want to see you better,” Madeline confessed as she looked back and up at him. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to make his mind focus on what she was asking. When it seemed to sink in, the hand between her legs came to rest on the inside of her thigh. Madeline knew he was going to give her whatever she wanted. As always.

Shifting Madeline twisted on the bed and threw a leg on either side of his hips. This was easier and facing one another was much more intimate. Shrugging her shoulders, she let the flannel fall down to pool in the crook of her elbows for a moment before she peeled it off to fall behind her.

Even like this, Alex was still a fair bit taller, but he shifted back on the pillows some so that they were more on eye level, though his eyes weren’t on hers. Not yet. They were combing over her breasts, lingering where her nipples were peaked from arousal and the chill, before moving down to look where their bodies were connected through the clothes.

It was her turn to explore, to feel his skin under hers. Laying her hands flat on the muscles of his stomach, she slid her hands slowly up, her fingers feeling each ridge and line of his body. As she pushed up his chest, she curled her fingers a bit to get a grip on the muscles, nails scratching at the skin that was no longer ghastly white from sickness. Then she rolled her hips sinfully slow, sliding right up his length that pressed up tight against her core. When Alex dropped his head back for a moment to enjoy the feeling she did it again, pressing him down into the bed that much more.

“Fuck, don’t stop,” Alex said as his hands grabbed at her waist to keep her half arched on him, knowing in this position, she was grinding her clit right over his head. “Don’t stop,” he said again as Madeline continued her movements, her breasts bouncing slightly as she rode on him. The way she looked at him, how her hair hung around her face and the almost shy little pants she was making as she found the right spot for herself made Alex groan. It had been years since he had anyone grind on him like this, with barriers of clothes separating what they really wanted. Yet it made it feel more intense in a way. Knowing, or hoping, that this was just a temporary tease and that he’d have her eventually how he wanted her. Then all of this longing would make it that much better.

Madeline didn’t let her eyes slip from his, watching as he gazed up at her in the dark. His hands cradled her waist as she continued to move, and when her nails dug into his shoulders, he twisted to place a kiss on the inside of her wrist. Despite not having that final connection, this still felt like the most intensely intimate thing she had done in her life. Seeing how his eyes fought to keep open, to keep on her, as she drove her hips down on him over and over again. She was going to get off on just this alone, on watching him look up at her with such fierce adoration and need.

There. Fuck he was there. And as he arched his hips up and felt the warmth and wetness seep through the cloth of his sweats he was done for. If he had been a man who was ever ashamed, perhaps he would have been embarrassed about coming while still clothed. But he wasn’t. It was hot as hell to have Madeline riding him like this, knowing she was so desperate for him, she was soaking through two barriers.

“Mads,” Alex groaned as he jammed his thumb into the soft spot of her hips and moved her over him at his own pace to finish. She had moved her hands to the bed on either side of his face and was hovering so close he could feel her breath as she let out incoherent words. “Mads fuck, I can feel you’re soaking. You going to come for me again?” He babbled into her ear as she slumped forward even further. She was whining and fighting for purchase, or perhaps a bit of sanity, as she pushed and pulled at the sheets to give her leverage to get that final bit of friction. But the grunt he let out as she bit his shoulder seemed to be all she needed as she keened, pressing down and rocking her hips so hard on him she was able to finish pumping him on her own through the clothes.

Madeline collapsed fully on his chest, not caring as she felt the wetness all over the inside of her thighs from herself and probably Alex. But Alex was ever vigilant and he reached down to cup her ass and drag her up so her pelvis rested on his lower stomach, far enough away from the mess she knew was seeping through his pants.

Josephine and the CDC had indicated blood and salvia were the carriers but she was fairly certain no one had tested any other sort of bodily fluids to see if they were also carriers. It had been a risk, still was, but Madeline found she didn’t care at the moment. She hadn’t felt this relief in days and as she clung to Alex, feeling him panting still under her she deemed it all worth it.

Not needing to fill the silence, Alex ran his hands up and down Madeline’s back, gently swiping her hair away so he could press soft kisses on any skin he could reach. She was clinging to him hard as she came down and before her heated skin could cool and chill her, he tugged the blankets up over them. He needed to clean up and change but the deadweight of Madeline on him kept him there, the pressure a comfort as she twisted to tuck her face into his neck.

As Madeline drifted off, he lay still, feeling her soft breaths in his ear and the way her hands clung to him weakly as if afraid he’d slip away. That was enough for Alex to tell her quietly he wasn’t leaving her side again no matter what, and in her sleep, he swore he caught a glimpse of a smile.

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